deerstalker

Writer: Mark Millar / Artist: Peter Gross / Image Comics

Christmas came early as American Jesus is back with a unique twist, that is very reflective of this generation of feminism and the overall state of our culture. While the artwork doesn’t pop like a lot of new age drawing, the detailed line work encapsulates a genuine, old school NYC vibe. Peter Gross deserves praise for every turn of the page, because you could spend hours getting lost in the backgrounds of his scenes.

The year is 1974, and Luciana is troubled by dreams of a man in white, who shares some disturbing news with the 14-year-old Angelita. While standing in a gorgeous room reminiscent of a Vatican or Sistine chapel, they stare at a Salvador Dali painting of Jesus being crucified from the God’s perspective. He tells her that she will soon be with child and if she can keep him safe, her son will be the stallion that mounts the world. Ok, so he didn’t drop those Game of Thrones bars, but he did put the fear of God in her enough to wet the bed that night, and this is where our story begins.

Luciana shrugs this off as just another one of her recent wild dreams, but as the week progresses some of his words begin to ring true, and Luciana’s life is abruptly turned upside down. There is no going back to school or talking with her best friend about her issues with dad. There is only what needs to be done, and Luciana accepts those responsibilities in all their ugliness, making for compelling new run of American Jesus: The New Messiah.

Upon reflection, I really like the tone and pace of this book. You receive an immediate glimpse into the biblical stage that Mark Millar and Peter Gross are setting, then get introduced to Luciana’s unconventional, yet all too familiar world of busting your ass to validate going against the grain, while your support systems are telling you no and giving you shit at every turn. In the end, Luciana resorts to running and hiding from the looming anti-Christ, leaving this story wide open for demonic pursuit, prophetic turns, and a virgin pregnancy that is set to shake up the world.

I’m interested in what Mark Millar has in store for the rest of this run. I love the use of a Hispanic young lady as the new incarnation of the Virgin Mary. I like that the characters fully understand the weight of this undertaking and still push to give this child a chance at taking his place as savior. Gross has ensured readers understand that the religious under and overtones will be prevalent throughout, and a look at most pages will feature some ideological images.

Mark Millar sprinkles this issue with glimpses of the future we’re all living in. He calls attention to the soiled political system we are operating under, the unhealthy reliance on technology that has snowballed since the 70s, and the handful of wealthy individuals and families that have the power to affect anything in the world with the flick of the wrist or push of a button. Millar started the year off strong with Prodigy and is giving us another person of color centered book to start next year off right. Be prepared to have your faith tested and beliefs questioned as American Jesus: The New Messiah, ‘The sequel to one of my most beloved Millarworld projects since the dawn of time’ is here to shake things up for all our Catholics, atheists, and everyone in between!

8 Bleeding Eyes out of 10

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The post American Jesus: The New Messiah #1 Review Gives Readers a New Virgin Birth appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Get ready to raise your mighty power sword aloft once again and yell “By the power of Grayskull!” Netflix has announced the return of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in an all-new animated CGI animated series. Yes, this is in addition to the previously announced Masters of the Universe: Revelation anime series coming to us from Kevin Smith!

This new series, made in partnership with Mattel Television, will reimagine the Masters of the Universe classic tale with all-new storylines and a fresh take on the iconic characters. You can check out the first preview art, as well as the series’ first official synopsis, down below:

“On the planet of Eternia, a young lost prince discovers the powers of Grayskull and transforms into He-Man, Master of the Universe! The classic battle between He-Man and evil Skeletor rages to new heights as both hero and villain forge new and mighty teams. A new generation of heroes fighting for the fate of us all. In the end, who will become Master of the Universe?”

Netflix

From the sound of things, this doesn’t look like it will stray too far from the classic formula that made the original series and toyline so massively popular decades ago. And the teaser image certainly evokes the He-Man of yesteryear. This new series has a well known assortment of names behind it that should be familiar to animation and comics fandom. The show is being executive produced by Adam Bonnett (Descendants), Christopher Keenan (Justice League), and Rob David (Masters of the Universe: Revelation), Jeff Matsuda (The Batman), Susan Corbin (Voltron), and Arrow’s Bryan Q Miller.

Mattel’s Fred Soulie said in a statement that “Masters of the Universe is one of the most iconic global franchises of all time, with a 30-year history and a passionate fan base. The entire team at Mattel is excited to introduce the world of He-Man to a new generation and, together with the talented team at Netflix, to reimagine the classic characters in a way that appeals to kids and families today, while also resonating with the fans who grew up with them.” 

Mattel

This new series means that going forward, Mattel and Netflix are approaching the Masters franchise in a very interesting way. They are extending the continuity of the original ’80s Filmation series with Kevin Smith’s Revelations, and also rebooting it with this new show. Oh, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is still out there, which is in a universe all its own. Or is it connected to this new show? Should we be calling this franchise Masters of the Multiverse instead? Actually, that’s the title of a current comic from DC. Maybe the seeds for a He-Man multiverse are being planted right there!

In addition, plans are still in the cards for the live-action Masters of the Universe movie from Sony to land in 2021. Rumors have been circulating that it may possibly forego theaters and go straight to Netflix, which would then make the streamer the main home for all things He-Man. Although we must add that these are still rumors, and the movie currently does have a theatrical release date of March 21st of that year. But regardless of where it lands, one thing is for sure. And that is that the next couple of years are going to be epic for fans of all things Eternian.

Featured Image: Netflix/Mattel

The post New HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Animated Series Coming to Netflix appeared first on Nerdist.

Sometimes being patient comes in handy, and that is entirely the case for Bill & Ted Face the Music. The third installment to the Bill & Ted franchise—the last was in 1991—this new movie features William “Bill” S. Preston Esq. and “Ted” Theodore Logan and their daughters as they’re reunited with their old friend Death (William Sadler).

The time has come, dudes! Your first look at #FacetheMusic is here! In theaters August 21, 2020. pic.twitter.com/K4tXKihPem

— Bill & Ted 3 (@BillandTed3) December 17, 2019

I’m trying to remain as in the dark as possible plot-wise but there is a beauty to seeing Bill and Ted on screen together again. The two just wanted to spend their time playing music and having fun but in the first movie, a history project got in their way and then in the sequel, Death got in the way. Now, with their daughters in tow, what lies ahead for them all?

Other fans took to Twitter to share their excitement over the new pictures as well.

Makes me realize two things:

1) How much I’ve wanted another Bill & Ted movie, lo these many years.

2) How long it’s been since I’ve seen Keanu without facial hair. https://t.co/Adr9hYAzX0

— John Keogh (he/him/his) (@jakeogh) December 17, 2019

I hope you you kiddies that haven’t seen Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or Bogus Journey give them a view… I’m excited for the 3rd film (last one was in theaters back in 1991)! https://t.co/DY21tM0gBJ

— Mark Julio (マークマン) (@MarkMan23) December 17, 2019

Given that there’s an enormously important election next year, it would be irresponsible and childish to say that Bill & Ted Face The Music is the biggest event of 2020 for me but Bill & Ted Face The Music is the biggest event of 2020 for me pic.twitter.com/pzsWvzwjcH

— Zac Bertschy (@ActionZacku) December 17, 2019

I can’t wait for Bill & Ted Face the Music! It’s going to be one wild ride, dude.

(image: Orion Pictures)

Here are some other stories we saw out there today:

• Paul Manafort is reportedly hospitalized. (via ABC News)

• Yes, @mulaney made a children’s musical comedy special (on purpose!) and you’re going to love every minute.

  John Mulaney and The Sack Lunch Bunch premieres December 24th. pic.twitter.com/hCERbafFwS

  — Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) December 17, 2019

• Lord and Miller doing a new horror-comedy? Sign me up!  (via Bloody Disgusting)
• Greta Thunberg is getting her own documentary on Hulu. (via Geek.com)

Anything we missed out there today, Mary Suevians? Let us know in the comments below!

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 —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

***Spoiler-free review, but if you want to remain pure of mind entirely, you should perhaps stay off the Internet for the next few days***

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is objectively a good Star Wars film. If you’re a Star Wars fan who’s not Extremely Online, that’s pretty much all that you need to know. If, however, you are part of social media and fandom and the general Discourse Experience—hang on, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

The foremost thing I felt emerging from The Rise of Skywalker was a need to catch my breath. The movie moves at breakneck speed, which is impressive considering its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. This film never sits still: our heroes—and villains—are always moving, always on the edge of a catastrophe, always talking fast enough to render finer plot-points incomprehensible, always saved at the last second by some twist or another. There’s nary a pause or a dull moment, and the first half is dizzying, motion and exposition-filled, as you struggle to remember what the mission was before everyone is fleeing the scene again.

This can become tiresome—it’s difficult to feel that the stakes are ever real when we can almost certainly expect someone to save the day and someone else to provide a hard-to-find object or discover an impossible solution at an improbable moment. This is an effective way to keep you on the edge of your seat, but it did make me wish that the audience and the characters got a bit more room to breathe. Even so, the sense of being on constantly uneven ground is exciting.

Such a quick pace is necessary to fit in so much activity, and there is a lot of activity. There are giant set pieces, far-flung planets and hidden worlds, markets and cantinas and the inside of many a rustbucket ship. There are a lot of colorful alien races rendered through top-notch effects and makeup. There are a lot of haphazardly drawn plans and fuzzy goals. At heart, I feel as though the movie also owes a debt to another famed Harrison Ford series—it tips its hat to Indiana Jones, even if a central quest to uncover an object that leads to other objects is just so much filler to move our players around on the board.

Ultimately, the plotting or plausibility of the set-ups don’t matter much because we’re not here for seamless linear progression or logical thinking in our space opera, we’re here for the characters we’ve long loved and those we’ve come to know in the new trilogy. And on character moments, this movie delivers, for both good and ill.

There’s a lot of fan service for longterm and long-invested Star Wars fans (significant swathes of what happens would be head-scratching to the uninitiated). Fans of new heroes Rey, Finn, and Poe (played by a stalwart Daisy Ridley, an earnest John Boyega, and a charismatic Oscar Isaac) will be thrilled to know the golden trio finally spends a lot of time together. They were all split up in The Last Jedi, and they’re much stronger as a unit; it’s a lovely, tight-knit team, not without its internal frictions.

There’s also a lot to do here for Adam Driver’s very tall and very broody bad guy Kylo Ren; the movie is divided more between hero/villain perspectives than we’re used to seeing in Star Wars. And of course, there’s precious moments to pass with the late Carrie Fisher’s General Leia Organa. Fisher’s death, and the subsequent need to use previously shot footage and sleight-of-hand to include Leia, no doubt shaped the direction of this story. She’s given a rightful and respectful place of honor.

While being as vague as possible about specifics, Rey, Finn, Poe, and their droid pals are looking for something important, while Kylo Ren is seeking to stop them, greater machinations lurk in the shadows, and friends old and new join the fight. I’m not sure what else I can say about what propels everyone forward without spoiling a good deal, so I’m not going to try.

My biggest problems with The Last Jedi were the dragging side-plots that didn’t seem to add much to the narrative, and a sense that some characters were “out of character.” My biggest problem with The Force Awakens was that it felt as though someone was going through a “How to make a Star Wars movie” checklist and crossing out each scenario one by one. The Rise of Skywalker feels more assured and inspired, and now the characters have earned enough screentime to make us care about them.

I’m an ardent Star Wars fan, but I never felt the emotional connection to the new guard that has so resonated with some of my friends. That being said, this is probably my favorite movie of the trilogy. It has a lot of fun while also pulling relentlessly at heartstrings and turning on the waterworks. I cried in the second half and meant it. It’s hard not to feel like this movie is a poignant goodbye to a milieu so many different generations of us grew up immersed in, even if everything is staged to the max to evoke said poignancy.

In terms of the various Discourse debates that will seize the Internet, there are likely going to be a lot, especially in TROS’s choices regarding romance, people of color, families, good and bad guys, and sexuality (after teasing that we have to wait and see for representation, there is indeed a minor blink-and-you-miss-it queer moment, which seems to be what we’re supposed to settle for these days and be glad of the scraps).

If this weren’t a plot-spoiler-free review, there are a thousand points and decisions I’d like to nitpick, take issue with, and argue about, but this isn’t the space for it. So stepping back to look at the movie as a whole, I can say that it’s a satisfying experience—sometimes surprising, but all the more interesting when it isn’t trying too hard to surprise and just lets the characters be themselves and discover new facets of who they can be.

J.J. Abrams directed both TFA and TROS, so it tracks that those movies feel more alike than Rian Johnson’s middle-child TLJ, but it seems as though Abrams has gone out of his way to undo many of Johnson’s decisive plot decisions and characterizations. Where Johnson lay stitches, Abrams has ripped them out. The Rise of Skywalker essentially starts with a blank slate, which is sure to thrill Last Jedi haters, except for how much of the action hinges on Rey, who is a girl, so there may still be some people taking issue with that. I love the idea of a new generation growing up with a woman as their foremost Force-wielding hero, and another woman as the Resistance’s capable and adored leader.

Some of the bigger twists in the film will have long been predicted if you pay attention to these sorts of predictions, and I have problems with several of them that I will no doubt be unpacking in future pieces. In short, though I do not agree with quite a few of Abrams’ choices, I can also see why they were made.

But I’m not deep in the current Star Wars fandom, and without a real horse in this race, I had an excellent time watching The Rise of Skywalker. (Those with horses in the race for a particular character or ship may be considerably less enthusiastic.) It ticks all the boxes for Star Wars, and it wraps most things up that it needs to, even if the paths it takes there will feel rocky and questionable to some viewers. It’s also hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of the line, and with the advent of Disney+, who knows if we really have?

I think it will take a few more days and maybe even a few more viewings to fully process how I feel about this concluding chapter. There’s still room for many further stories to be told in this particular galaxy; if Rise of Skywalker has a message beyond “we’re stronger together,” it’s that nothing lost must remain that way for long.

(image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—