The Marvel Cinematic Universe... RANKED!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is 9 years old! I know that I have my favorites and some I see as missed opportunities over the years. I think we all have that. One or more of these films stood out above the rest where others probably fell short of our expectations, assuming we had an expectation at all. With each year, my list evolved as more movies were released celebrating these iconic characters from Marvel lore. Now that "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" is about to be released in theaters May 5th, I thought I'd revisit the world of Marvel on the big screen. From the very first "Iron Man" film by Jon Favreau (released in 2008) to Scott Derrickson's "Doctor Strange" released in 2016, here's where these movies rank for yours truly.

***In Order of Most Enjoyed***

Captain America Winter Soldier (2014)

Doctor Strange (2016)

Captain America Civil War (2016)

Thor (2011)

Avengers (2012)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Ant-Man (2015)

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Iron Man (2008)

Captain America The First Avenger (2011)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Thor The Dark World (2013)

Avengers Age of Ultron (2015)

Iron Man 3 (2013)

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Comic Book Review: Secret Empire #0 - Marvel Comics (2017)

Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Daniel Acuna

Captain America is a Hydra agent and now he is putting a plan in place to fully take over the world by strategically taking out the heroes of the world.

This story line started about a year ago and it just doesn't impress me.  I feel like Captain America being an agent of Hydra belongs in the old "What If..." comic book series.  I received this comic book in the Marvel Collectors Corps subscription box which is the reason why I read this comic in the first place.  My copy has Rocket and Groot on the cover which is the reason it's a keeper.  I look forward to this story ending as I've heard it is rumored Marvel will be going in a "back to their roots" type of run in the near future.  I like exploring other sides to characters but Cap being a Hydra agent all along just doesn't do it for me.

Daniel Acuna is an incredibly talented artist and definitely a wonderful choice to be in charge of the visual interiors when it comes to a comic book of this magnitude.  Acuna is tasked with drawing the heroes of the Marvel Universe throughout the entire issue.

I doubt I will be purchasing any of the other comic books in Secret Empire but at least I got to read one of the books to see if it was worth me forking over five bucks an issue.  Seriously Marvel, the cover prices are too much.  Get some advertisers to pay for it or use a less expensive paper stock.

What are your thoughts on Secret Empire?  I'm sure I'm in the minority on this as I have read many friends' posts on social media.  I look forward to reading all of your thoughts whether it be in the comments below, on social media or via email.


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One Man's Soapbox: A Disconnected Marvel Shared Universe

A Disconnected Marvel Shared Universe

I recently finished the first three seasons of Agents of SHIELD, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the end of season three. I will admit I was very harsh after watching the first season, there wasn’t much to like about the start of the series. However, for the most part many of my concerns went away by the end of season 3 with the exception of one, the MCU’s shared Universe. This is one of Marvels greatest strengths, who didn’t love those end credit scenes that led to Captain America and Thor, however this also may be its biggest weakness.

Let’s ignore the fact that Agents of SHIELD has now gone three seasons with no appearance from any of the Avengers or MCU characters outside of Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Sif. The bigger issue is continuity, this especially is the case with the last two Captain America Movies and to a lesser extent Ant-Man. Let’s start with Hydra, its had a presence not only in Agents of Shield but also Captain America, Ant-Man and Age of Ultron, and before I get started with my point, lets remember that I realize Hydra has many heads and when one is cut off another grows in its place. With that being said it always seemed like I was watching two different universes telling the same story. By the end of Winter Soldier both SHEILD and HYDRA have crumbled with SHIELD being disbanded and the top brass of HYDRA taken down. However by the mid point of Season 3 of Agents of Shield we have two Shield Agency and the true power of HYDRA, and there doesn’t seem to be any plans to cross those two back over in the near future.

Are you confused yet? Are you like me, wondering how the television and Cinematic Universe haven’t crossed yet even though they are ultimately shared? Well its about to get worse, cause now Im adding in the Netflix series. 

The entire plot of the first half of season three of Agents of Shield is the race to uncover humans with powers before HYDRA can locate them. But what about Jessica Jones, a human with powers yet the cross over never happens. Then it happened again during Captain America: Civil War. While in a need to add members to his team, Tony Stark goes out to locate a teenager named Peter Parker. While I understand from a fan stand point how awesome it was to see Spiderman suited up with the other Avengers, wouldn’t Starks first choices be Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage or even Deathlok? 

We are slowly starting to see the effects from the issue plaguing a shared universe concept, first Agent Carter was canceled and then the planned Agents of Shield spin off was canned, its only a matter of time when Agents of Shield gets the ax and is nothing more than a distant memory we pass over on Netflix.

So even though Marvel teases us with an idea of a share universe, they ultimately don’t see the need to address this in any of their movies. So for fans like myself, with each passing movie and season there is a bit of disappointment when we realize that the chance to see some one like a Daredevil, The Punisher or even Ghostrider team up with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America are beginning to fade away. 

Maybe we wont ever see the ultimate team up, maybe we will in one of the upcoming Avenger movies only time will tell. Until then, lets just hope that our favorite Agent of SHIELD finds his way back to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, cause Coulsons man crush on Cap is just way to entertaining. Let us know what your thoughts are of Marvels shared Universe by leaving a comment below.

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Act 158: Masked America - Theatre War

Masked Blogster, Handsome J and Mandy discuss Captain America: Civil War as they record live at The Grid: Growlers and Games in Mesa, AZ.

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(Spoiler Free) Captain America Civil War - Box Office Review

“Captain America: Civil War” is the third film in the franchise. Marvel has been using the Captain America films to move their cinematic universe forward as well. After each of the films we see the next phase of films moving in a new direction. So let’s jump in and take a look at my thoughts on “Captain America: Civil War” by Marvel Studios and Disney…

I’m not sure how it’s possible but each film in this franchise gets better. This is not the normal routine for films. You typically see a great first film that spawns sequels that get more money and worse stories. There are exceptions, but in general, we don’t see growth with trilogies we see decline. The Captain America trilogy is the exception. The characters become more three dimensional, more developed and more relatable in all senses. 

There were many people, myself included, who called this film “Avengers 2.5” because of how many characters it has. I’m happy to announce it is but it’s also a Captain America movie at its core. I’ll explain as I’m hoping you expected. The story involves several characters but the heart of the film beats because of Captain America. His actions are what drive the plot forward and by the end of the film completely shake the foundation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, the actions of the other characters in this film matter, but it’s the choices that Captain America makes that progress the franchise and the larger cinematic universe. 

Spiderman! Spiderman! I don’t care as much as some. I was excited to see Spiderman make his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe but that’s because I trust the creative team at Marvel. I love the Spiderman character, don’t get me wrong, but I was more excited at the possibilities the creative folks at Marvel can deliver on. Spiderman was great in this film and his character was really true to some of the older silver age comic versions of Peter Parker/Spiderman. Plus the film was able to poke fun at itself with how attractive Aunt May is. 

Black Panther. I have been looking forward to seeing his character brought to life on the big screen. I was not disappointed. I was having a text discussion with my brother about his character and I mentioned how Black Panther was literally like the NFL’s best running back. He just pushed his way through every single superhero on his way to achieve his goal… well, almost every superhero. It is a Captain America movie at the end of the day. His character in the comics was brought to life in this film so wonderfully. I loved the wisdom in his character but also the passion, determination and strength. He easily stole the movie for me. The end scene where he is with Zemo and he realizes the path he was on must alter because of the circumstance now knowing the villain.. powerful. 

Zemo. Ok, in the comics he’s a purple leotard wearing, swashbuckling nemesis to the Avengers and Captain America. Marvel decided that they were going to go another route this time around and create a villain that was more criminal mastermind with a personal vendetta. I loved it. The puppet master curiously pulling the strings behind the scenes only to try and… well, I won’t spoil it. I thought his character was one of the best villains in a Marvel movie so far and I’m happy they seem to be figuring out how to create villains. Let’s continue to be honest, Marvel has work to do on creating villains but they did well in this film. 

“Captain America: Civil War” is in theaters now! Go… See… This… Film!! I have seen it twice so far and it only gets better. There’s so many great scenes in this film and the characters are all fantastic. Could it have felt overcrowded? Absolutely. But the characters are all so unique and have their own personality that is so developed you don’t even notice. You only get to appreciate the film and all it delivers on. This is a definite big screen viewing!

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Act 155: DevCon 2016

Masked Blogster, Mandy, Handsome J and Matt record their podcast at DevCon 2016 at Arizona State University West Campus.  The group talk about Blasto the Clown, Sketchy, Captain America: Civil War and give away prizes courtesty of HelloSubscription.com.

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Act 154: I'll Have What He's Having

Handsome J can hardly contain his excitement for the Doctor Strange movie and the rest of the hosts discuss their feelings on the trailer. Masked Blogster, Mandy, Your Canadian Girlfriend Sam and Kevin Moyers are on the podcast as well which also discusses Captain America: Civil War, Blogster's bathroom woes, X-Men: Apocalypse. There is also discussion about the upcoming panel we are hosting at DevCon, a comic book convention at Arizona State University West.

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Agent Carter - Season 1 Recap

Season 1 of Marvels “Agent Carter” begins after Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, has been lost to sea fighting the Red Skull in his film “Captain America: The First Avenger”. Peggy Carter is part of the SSR which eventually morphs into what we know in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as S.H.I.E.L.D. She is one of the most experienced and capable individuals in the unit but she’s a woman and that poses a particular struggle she must overcome in a male dominant society. Peggy Carter finds her path and using only the abilities and connections she has, Peggy finds a way to save the day, and America. 

The overall plot of the show is this: The SSR has been notified that Stark Industries technology is being sold or stolen on the black market. This makes Howard Stark public enemy number 1. As Peggy Carter searches for the truth, her male counterparts search for Howard. The SSR encounters a strange Russian who has the power of hypnosis and the Black Widow program is proving to be a surprise difficulty that everyone must overcome in order to survive.

This show was enjoyable. Agent Carter was a delight on screen in the “Captain America” film and it only made sense to explore more screen time for her character. She has everything you want from a potential leading role. She’s charismatic, driven, motivated, intelligent and visually appealing. Peggy Carter has it all. 

The fist season looks at life post World War 2 from the eyes of the female. Having played such an important role in the activities leading up to this show it’s easy to empathize with her as she faces her male counterparts. Their blind chauvinism, as well as the majority of the men in this show, serve well to paint a picture of the struggle a woman must face in the 1940’s male dominant work force. That being said, the series is done so well that you don’t necessarily hate the men for their roles but understand their stance on things. 

The show fills you with a sense of “Yes you can!” as Agent Carter manipulates, fights and outsmarts everyone who stands in her way. At no time do you feel that Peggy is out only to prove a point but you do get a sense that she is out to be the best she knows she can be. In fact, one of the final lines of dialogue in the season she has, she says, “I know my worth” reinforcing what the viewing audience came to appreciate and enjoy. Agent Peggy Carter is a strong female lead that is out to do what is right to the best of her ability. 

The season ends by showing her finally accepting that Captain America is no more. She also shows how she is beginning to move on with one final act that I will not spoil here. As the tear runs down her face we see that she is saddened by this painful reality and understands it’s necessary to move forward. Incredibly powerful scene in that final episode of season 1, I do say. 

The characters in season 1 are all acted well. There are a few surprises regarding who does not survive and I will not spoil those loses here. I will say that learning about the Russian training program that spawned “Black Widow” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was enjoyable to see. It was quite revealing as well. I enjoyed seeing that aspect of the films mentioned in this show and I also enjoyed the back story it provided us.

Finally, Howard Stark, Jarvis and the Howling Commandos were all great additions to this show. This first season masterfully combined the characters we know to the greater cinematic world while still maintaining its own unique personality. There’s even a slight nod to “Union Jack” but if you aren’t listening you’ll miss it. It’s brief, but it’s there, and it’s one of those little details that make the show a delight.

I’m looking forward to season 2 which starts Tuesday, January 19th on ABC. I’ll be watching and I hope you will be as well. Agent Peggy Carter goes to Hollywood. This can only be good times on television. 

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Comic Book Review: Dazzler #1 - Marvel Comics (1981)

Written by Tom DeFalco
Art by John Romita Jr.

Alison Blaire is looking to further her music career and avoid thugs at night.  Fortunately for Alison, she is also known as the mutant called Dazzler.  Dazzler posesses the ability to use sound and turn it into colorful and sometimes blinding lights.  The power comes in handy keep bad guys busy while you hope for Spider-Man or the X-Men to show up.

I was inside of a used book/music store perusing the comic books when I came across this book from 1981.  I think it peaked my curiosity as, one year at Phoenix ComiCon, I went over to Mark Bagley who was at his table drawing.  I was looking to get a couple of comic books autographed and he asked if I wouldn't mind waiting until he was done laying out his art work. It's Mark Bagley for crying out loud, of course I don't mind watching this artist at work.  It was at this point he told me it was his first time drawing Dazzler.  I thought it was pretty awesome to watch him sketching out a character he had not drawn previously.

The store put a price tag of $2.00 on Dazzler #1 so I thought, "why not?"  I'm sure in 1981 people thought the same thing with an original cover price of $.50.  I'm no inflation expert but I'm sure that's not equivalent to the $4.99 comics I'm seeing nowadays.  I enjoyed going through the yellowing pages of Dazzler, reading the descriptive boxes that make for commentary on what is happening in each panel.  I also enjoyed the advertisements.  "Fun Factory" had all the mail order gags and novelty items.  "Mile High Comics" had a list of comic books with prices that you could order by mail.  Yep, mail.  This was before the internet kiddos.

So anyway, back to Dazzler.  This book was filled with guest stars which is probably a good thing.  She would have made more sense as someone in a group.  I guess Dazzler could still work as a comic book.  I feel like you would have to really explore the personal side of Alison Blaire.  While it was explored, there were points of action that just included rudimentary thugs.  For some reason, thugs decide to bust up a school dance forcing Dazzler to use her blinding power.

Apparently this light show is something however.  The Enchantress comes down from Asgard to get a singing gig at a club, but Alison's voice and lights won over the club owner  enough to get over.  The Enchantress wasn't too happy about that and she's going to make them pay, presumably in the next issue.

It's unlikely that I'll get to issue two of Dazzler but it was fun to read through this book.  I hope you all enjoyed this review of a 30+ year old comic book.

Are you a fan of Dazzler?  What other comic books would you like to see reviewed?  Please leave your comments below.

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"Captain America: Civil War" and Spider-Man

Concept art via cosmicbooknews.com

Recently we celebrated the 53rd anniversary of “Amazing Fantasy #15” which features the debut of the classic American super hero, Spider-Man! From the pages of comic books to television and then the big screen, fans worldwide have enjoyed the adventures of Spider-Man and all the nefarious villains who stand in his way. He was just your ordinary high school student who was given super powers and then he put on a mask to protect the ones he loved and the people of the city he lived in. Spiderman could be anyone who has it in their heart to do right and protect their family, friends and fellow man; perhaps that’s what makes the character of Spider-Man so endearing all these years.

In May of 2016, directors Anthony and Joe Russo will be presenting the third cinematic version of Spider-Man in their new film “Captain America: Civil War”.  In the comic book world the "Civil War" story line was spread over several titles and ran for over 90 issues. Teams of heroes fighting heroes and villains fighting heroes with Spider-Man caught in the middle. It's highly unlikely that the movie will capture everything in the comic books but it's not hard to imagine at some point in the film Spider-Man will be recruited for Captain America's team and at some point also for Iron Man's team. It's a knock down drag out fight between heroes for what each side believes is best and the movie going audience should be in for a cinematic treat!

Tom Holland (previously in "The Impossible" staring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts as well as "Locke" staring Tom Hardy) has been cast by Sony and Marvel studios to play “Spidey” for the foreseeable future and it provides the movie going audience a chance to see a sixth Spider-Man film on the big screen in 2017.  Tom Holland now joins the ranks of Tobey Maquire (Spider-Man 2002 - 2007) and Andrew Garfield (Amazing Spider-Man 2012 - 2014) who have played Spider-Man on the big screen prior to Tom putting on the mask. He also joins rank with Paul Soles, (Spider-Man animated TV series 1967 - 1970), Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man TV series 1977 - 1979), Christopher Daniel Barnes (Spider-Man Animated TV series 1994 - 1998), Neil Patrick Harris (Spider-Man Animated TV series 2003), and finally Drake Bell (Ultimate Spider-Man Animated TV series 2012 - current) who had/have the privilege of bringing the character Spider-Man to life.

As a film franchise it’s a challenge to argue reasons why another Spider-Man movie shouldn’t be made (even with the poorly received “Spider-Man 3” directed by Sam Raimi and  “Amazing Spiderman 2” directed by Marc Webb). With five films now in the can, the Spider-Man franchise has earned more than $3 billion dollars world wide and is the sixth highest grossing film franchise of all time. These types of figures alone provide the strongest argument for additional films in this franchise. Dollars make sense in Hollywood and the movie going public is saying loudly with the dollars from their bank accounts, “We want more Spider-Man!”  And in 2016 and 2017 John and Jane movie goer will get their wish. “Spider-Man” directed by Jon Watts staring Tom Holland as “Peter Parker/Spider-Man” and Marisa Tomei as “Aunt May” with a script being penned by John Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (best known writing for the films, “Vacation” and “Horrible Bosses 2”) is scheduled for tentative release in July of 2017.

Sony and Marvel haven’t yet officially announced who the villain(s) will be in this sixth installment but the gallery of villains who constantly try and thwart “Spidey” is packed with incredible characters. During an interview with Variety, Marvel studio head, Kevin Feige explained that this version of Spider-Man will be like nothing seen previously on the big screen and even went as far as to say he envisioned, stylistically, a "John Hughes" type movie for this particular incarnation of  Spider-Man. Also he went on to say “Right now we’re interested in seeing villains we haven’t seen before” to SlashFilm. That statement alone opens up so many doors for villains like, Black Cat, Scorpion, Shocker, Morbius, Carnage, Kraven the Hunter and Mysterio (Just to name a few).

Be sure to catch up on all the Spider-Man action by watching and/or reading his incredible stories available on Blu-Ray/DVD, Netflix or in the “Spider-Man” comics (of which there are many)! Also, be sure to see Tom Holland swing into action May 6th 2016 as Spider-Man when Marvel Studios releases “Captain America: Civil War!”

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Act 117: Top 10 Superheroes

We are finally here!  21-40 were on Twitter and 11-20 were on the last podcast.  The top 10 superheroes as voted on by the show hosts, hosts of other podcasts, friends of Maskerpiece Theatre and many of our listeners.

Did your favorite superhero make the list?  Do you agree with the top 5?  Contact the show and let us know:
@MPTheatre2015
Masked Blogster - @MaskedBlogster
Jihad Jim - @JimJihad
Handsome J - @JBrunansky


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Act 50: The Winter Podcasters

Lots to discuss in Act 50 as Masked Blogster, Jersey Jenn, Mr. E Marquee, and Charlie (or are we calling him R3???).
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, #TweetYourTits, Bronies, Furries, Hentai, funny sexual terms, #DadJokes , and much more!!!

Follow everyone on Twitter:
Mr. E Marquee @Mr_E_Marquee
Jersey Jenn @PureSunshine919
Charlie (R3) @LA2Charlie

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Act 49: Seriously, You're In Public

The Beer Czar returns to Maskerpiece Theatre to drink beer and chat with Masked Blogster about beer and Marvel movies including Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The two also talk about odd behaviors in public restrooms.

The Bronson of the Week is La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue.

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Act 44: Summer Movie Preview part 1

We have a bunch of non experts rank the summer movies on a scale of 1 to 5 Piledrivers.

A lot of us were long-winded, so we had to make this into 2 parts.
Please excuse the slurring.

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Act 18: Villains

Masked Blogster and Mr. E Marquee talk about their favorite comic book villains of all time.

Quick note - MB is incorrect during this podcast when talking about the villain in the new Captain America book.

We also fed into the internet rumor about a new look for DC Comics' character Lobo. We understand that they were just rumors. Save you emails and tweets.

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