Comic Book Review: Superman #22 - DC Comics (2017)

"Black Dawn"
Chapter 3

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Pencils by Doug Mahnke
Inks by Jaime Mendoza and Ray McCarthy
Colors by Wil Quintana

Lois Lane is searching for her husband Clark Kent and their son Jon.  The boys were out with Damian Wayne(Robin) looking for Batman.  Lois finds out there is much more to her missing family and friends as "Black Dawn" continues.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Rebirth run on Superman thus far.  The "Black Dawn" story line had the seeds planted many issues ago and I feel that this is something that really sets DC Comics apart from many other comic book companies.  There is a plan in place and the stories have been wonderful because of it.  This isn't to say that you need to read all 21 issues leading up to this(plus an Annual and some cross-overs with Action Comics).  If you did read them, it's an added bonus.

The "Black Dawn" stories read a lot like a horror story.  We are also given these stories from multiple perspectives.  The majority of this comic book is from Lois' perspective as she uses her journalistic prowess to find Clark, Jon, Damian and Bruce.  Because this is Lois, we get to see her find much more than she had originally bargained for.  We also are treated to how tough she can be as she takes on assailants and gets to drive the Batmobile.  Superman is the person whose perspective is given to the readers.  There is a revelation at the end of this book that left me clamoring for more.

Doug Mahnke is one of my favorite artists and I am always happy to see his name on the cover.  Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have been putting together incredible stories and they are that much better when Mahnke is in charge of the art.  The inks were nice in this comic as the use of black in some of the more eerie panels was beautiful.  The visuals are spectacular and Wil Quintana's colors add to the spooky feeling.

What are your thoughts on Superman?  Do you like the family dynamic that is used in this series?  What other comic books would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review?

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Comic Book Review: Superman: Annual #1 - DC Comics (2017)

"Tangled Up In Green"

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Art by Jorge Jimenez
Colors by Alejandro Sanchez

Hamilton County(300 miles north of Metropolis) is where the Kent's have decided to lay down roots when they were pulled from their universe and placed into the current DC universe.  Clark Kent/Superman is trying to figure out why the land in Hamilton County is so dry.  Maybe Swamp Thing can help explain.

I know the old saying; "Don't judge a book by it's cover."  This comic book has Superman and Swamp Thing on the cover so I threw caution to the wind and decided this is a "must have."  This book was even better than I had hoped.  Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are writing some of the best stories in comic books with their current run on Superman. This "Annual" fits with the story but can be read on its own as well.  The way Superman and Swamp Thing communicated with each other was great.  Swamp Thing helping Superman figure out why the land was drying up was awesome.  Superman didn't want to do things Swamp Thing's way but he can be quite convincing.  

Jorge Jimenez and Alejandro Sanchez were amazing choices to do the art in this comic book.  This was a very visual story so the art needed to be on point.  The two main characters are very different.  The vibrant Superman and the murky looking Swamp Thing.  Seeing the two of these characters with and against each other was a wonderful sight.  The visuals toward the end of the comic book when Swamp Thing helps Superman see the reason behind the drying of the land were absolutely stunning.  The art alone makes this comic book worth purchasing.  Luckily it has a good story as well.

I am all for another Superman and Swamp Thing team-up in the future.  This was the first meeting of this version of Superman with the current incarnation of Alec Holland/Swamp Thing and I hope for many more.

What are your thoughts on Superman: Annual #1?  Are you reading the Superman series or any other DC series?  What would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review in the future?  

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Casting Nightwing

News of a Nightwing movie has been all over the internet this week.  I personally just about leaped out of my skin as I have felt this is the direction DC should be going with their films as the lesser known heroes seem to do pretty well in the box office.

There is all kinds of speculation about this film already and I don't even know if there is a script.  The rumor is that a director has been tapped; Chris McKay, the director of Lego Batman.  I don't know how concrete these rumors are, but there are multiple sites reporting.

So that's the news end of things.  I'm sure it's all stuff you have already read about so let's get into the fun stuff.  What do we want to see in a Nightwing movie?

A full on origin story is not necessary.  I bet an excellent Nightwing movie could be two hours or less.  You can let it be known he was Robin and his parents died so he was raised by Batman and Alfred.

If you want to get a fun origin story in the movie, give insight into where the name Nightwing comes from.  It has nothing to do with bats or Bruce Wayne's alter ego altogether.  Big Blue himself was the inspiration for Dick Grayson's choice in crime fighting name.  Nightwing came from a Kryptonian legend.  I know, you would probably have to tweak some things as the current DC movie Universe probably doesn't make this feasible.  Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad aren't exactly stellar so why not go off the path?

Don't be so grim.  Have some fun with this movie.  Lighten up DC!  I keep hearing how DC is going for realism with the darker themes but I don't think most of the world sucks that bad.  Maybe it does, but Dick Grayson/Nightwing don't need to bring us down any further.

There are plenty of villains we can choose from but I think, before we go any further, we should look at who should play the title character.  On Maskerpiece Theatre, we like to cast films and figure out who we would like to play certain characters.  Follow us on Twitter, we play this game quite often as it's not just on the podcasts.  I'll give you names but without explanation.  You be the judge and let us know what you think.  Photos are from the actors' IMDB profiles.

Joseph Gordon Levitt

.




Matt Bomer

Steven R. McQueen

Ian Somerhalder

Jon Rhys Meyers

Please feel free to comment below or contact us on Twitter to let us know your thoughts.


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Comic Book Review: Trinity #1 - DC Comics (2016)

"Better Together: Part One - Family Dinner"

Script, Art and Cover by Francis Manapul

Lois Lane invites Batman and Wonder Woman over for dinner.  This is a surprise to Superman.

For those that may not know, Superman of the current DC Universe has died.  The Superman from the previous DC Universe had been in hiding, coming out every now and then to secretly save the day.  Batman and Wonder Woman want to know more about the Clark Kent that is now in their universe and what he truly stands for.  I feel that this book will be excellent in the exploratory nature of finding out how well the Trinity works together.

Francis Manapul is doing it all for this series.  Not only is he writing an excellent story, he is providing incredible artwork.  The artwork doesn't stop at pencils and inks as he is also in charge of colors.  Manapul has his own style and it definitely works for this series.  Trinity is a great looking book and is worth the $2.99 cover price.

The introductory issue does not have anything Earth shattering happen in it which is good.  I wanted to see the interaction of the characters.  Superman tells a funny story about Batman and Robin from his "world" which of course does not amuse Bruce Wayne.  There is also interaction between Lois and Wonder Woman which is cool since the Amazon had a relationship with the now deceased version of Superman.

If you're a fan of these three heroes, go out and pick up this book.  I don't think you will be disappointed.

What are your thoughts on Trinity?  What titles from the DC Rebirth are you enjoying the most?  Are there any other comic books you would like Maskerpiece Theatre to review?

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Comic Book Review: Supergirl #1 - DC Comics (2016)

"Reign of the Cyborg Supermen"
Part One

Written by Steven Orlando
Art by Brian Ching
Colors by Michael Atiyeh

The first issue of Supergirl shows her presently as Kara Danvers, a a struggling junior in high school.  The story also shows flashbacks of Supergirl as Kara Zor-El, an excellent scientific mind in school on Krypton.  Kara Danvers is also having difficulty being a superhero as well, working with the Department of Extranormal Affairs.  She will turn to the only family she has to bring some normalcy to her eclectic life.

This is a nice issue to introduce someone into the Supergirl universe.  I'm not as "in the know" with Superman's cousin as others may be, but I enjoyed this issue.  The reader is shown Supergirl now and how things were on Krypton.  Supergirl's Earth parents are also in this book and you can see it is tough for them as well and you understand their dynamic.  I'm interested to see if this is explored further and how in depth that portion of the story will go.

I like that Supergirl is in high school.  I've found that to be a great way to garner interest within the story.  Somehow we, as readers, are okay with a superhero able to just leave work whenever to save the world(being a billionaire helps in this regard).  School seems to be different though.  The interactions with classmates are usually as awkward as I seem to remember in real life.  Thankfully the writer Steven Orlando didn't try to come up with some sort of younger generation slang or dated references when having the high school kids talking.  There are other books that force feed that to the audience(I've reviewed them and it can be difficult to get over).

If you are looking for a new book to get into or maybe have a young teen who you think might get into comic books, check out Supergirl.  It's fun and there is enough going on with other characters to keep this book interesting.  It's different from the TV show on CBS/CW but it's a good read.

What are your thoughts on Supergirl?  Are you enjoying the DC Rebirth as much as I am?  Please let us know what other comic books you would like Maskerpiece Theatre to review.

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Comic Book Review: Superman #6 - DC Comics (2016)

"Son of Superman"

Written by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Pencils by Patrick Gleason
Inks by Mick Gray
Colors by John Kalisz
Cover by Doug Mahnke & Wil Quintana

Superman along with his wife Lois and son Jon are on the moon inside of one of Batman's secret bases taking on the Eradicator.  The Eradicator feels Superman has tainted the Kryptonian bloodline by having a half human son in Jon.  It's up to Big Blue to stop the Eradicator from killing his only son.

These are the Superman stories we will go back and truly treasure.  The most powerful superhero around is dealing with the one thing that make any man weak: their children.  Superman is doing everything he can to raise Jon to be a good person but also knows that the kid is starting to gain superpowers.  With that, Superman must show him how to use his powers responsibly.  Tomasi and Gleason are doing this amidst action and great heart to heart conversations.

The art fits what is going on in this story.  Superman is a symbol of heroism and the poses within the book definitely portray him that way.  It's an absolute pleasure to read this book.

I was a bit skeptical when it came to this series.  Superman is so powerful that I'm sure it must be a daunting task to come up with something interesting.  The crew on this book are doing a masterful job and I look forward to reading the next issue.

What are your thoughts on Superman?  Are you enjoying the DC Rebirth as much as me?  Please let us know what other titles you would like Maskerpiece Theatre to review.

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Superman Rebirth - Comic Book Review

If you read the DC Rebirth issue you know that each character is getting a new story with a new timeline and curious developments are taking place. So let's dive in and take a look at my thoughts on "Superman Rebirth" issue 1...

Superman is dead and there's more going on at his burial site than just his remains resting in peace. Another Superman has decided that he's going to help Superman resurrect himself as he once did and the story plays on from there. This issue is exposition city! There's so much world building in this comic that even if you haven't read Superman before this, it won't matter. Everything, mostly, is explained and it's written so well. Again, we are treated to nonstop dialogue because they are catching everyone up. It's articulate and the two main characters read uniquely. 

The art in this issue is explosive at times and at other times very natural. Since the basis of this issue is exposition, there isn't much action. It's two people in different rooms talking but if you're paying attention you'll notice how much character is involved in the design of the faces as they talk. Also, the different locations do not look like each other. Some are dark and covered in shadow while another is bright with varied shades of blue. Overall, the art was subtle but enjoyable.

I'm not sure whether I enjoyed this or Action Comics more but this was a good read if you're a superman fan or curious about becoming one. This isn't an exciting first issue but I'm inclined to believe with all the design they are putting into this world the payoff will be there once we're all caught up. If you're gonna grab this issue do so at a local comic book shop and tell them Maskerpiece Theatre sent you. 

Action Comics #957 - Comic Book Review

The DC powers that be decided to start Action Comics where they left off and this Rebirth series was a great place to do it. Starting with issue number 957 we are treated to a story that entertains and creates questions that might hook the readers. Let's dive in and take a look at my thoughts on "Superman Action Comics" in this comic book review.

The story starts off with Lex Luthor as the new Superman, the old Superman is dead/missing & with Luthors career as a super hero a brand new Superman appears. The aspect of this story I enjoyed was having zero reference to the previous Superman storyline and still getting enough dialogue from each character to understand what's happening in this issue. Some of the characters are just as confused as I was and that made the story even more enjoyable. The back and forth dialogue between Lex & Supes while they battled and the surprise ending had me smiling.

The art in this issue is bright and vibrant despite the fact it deals with pretty intense moments. It's what I've always heard is the difference between Gotham & Metropolis. Despite danger and mayhem, the Superman stories have historically been more colorful and lively. This issue continues to build on that aspect of the art Superman readers expect and enjoy. Even the action scenes are drawn so well that it's like watching a movie.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise issue. I didn't know what to expect because I haven't been following the New 52 Superman storyline. I got all the information I needed and more to enjoy this story and not feel completely lost. I recommend you pick this up at your local comic book store. Tell them Maskerpiece Theatre sent you.

 

(Review) DC Universe Rebirth Issue 1

I wasn't certain where my expectations should be for this new start on familiar titles of DC comic lore. I know that comic book shops and DC have been publicizing this issue quite heavily on social media. It has been the "talk of the town" if you will, since it was introduced. Curiousity prevailed and I found myself in a comicbook shop in San Diego purchasing this title. I'm on vacation? Not anymore. I'm pausing that so I could read this issue and write about it for everyone who follows us. So let's dive in and read about my thoughts on this first issue entitled, "DC Universe Rebirth". 

The story starts off with us discovering that a Flash is responsible for trying to solve the mystery that these new issues will be attempting to explain. Flash certainly has his work cut out for him as it's unclear whether or not he'll survive his travels or be lost in the speed force forever as he travels from hero to hero searching for someone who remembers him. He needs help trying to discover who is the time thief that appears more powerful than Darkseid.

From there we are introduced to many other characters and it's explained that someone is not tampering with the timeline but actually stealing time and feelings from all the timelines thus creating new concepts for familiar hero's and villains. This reality even altered romantic relationships and changed lovers to colleagues, left feeling an unexplainable loss. Also, it's revealed that some of what we thought we knew about certain powers aren't actually accurate and there's more at stake than previously imagined. 

Overall, I enjoyed this issue. Introducing so many characters, concepts and storylines could be considered a Herculean task and I felt this first offering did well enough to establish where DC comics is headed. Plus seeing Doctor Fate make a sudden appearance is always cool. 

I can understand the frustrations that some folks might have on starting or rebooting the comics all over again. I can also see the side of those who feel this move is nothing more than a cash grab DC might be achieving. All that considered, I enjoyed this first introductory issue. It was only $2.99 to see where the universe is headed and it's worth it. I'll still read the "New 52 Deathstroke" for as long as they print them and I might start reading some of this new Aquaman if I'm feeling adventurous. Who knows? I'm just saying I enjoyed this first issue. 

Act 152: Master Debaters

It's getting to be that time of year when it's time to get out of that hot sun and into a movie theater.  This summer has a bevy of films that, so far have piqued many of the hosts interests.  Masked Blogster, Handsome J, Jessie Saenz and Mandy discuss the movies they are looking forward to seeing.  Movies discussed include Captain America: Civil War, The Good Guys, Free State of Jones, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Jungle Book and others.

Click here to listen or right click and choose "Save As..." to download.

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Act 149: F*** You Jerry!

The Grid: Growlers and Games Bar/Arcade is where we recorded this podcast that starts with talk of rap music and goes into Batman V Superman, Daredevil and more.  Hosted by Masked Blogster, Mandy, Jessie Saenz, and Darqness.

Click here to listen or right click and choose "Save As..." to download.

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Movie Review: Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Warner Brothers (2016)

Zach Snyder directs his second film for the DC movie universe, bringing his particular style of directing with him.  Whether you like that type of thing is entirely up to you.

Batman V Superman gave us the fight we were anticipating and also introduced the audience to some new characters.  The pacing of this movie was pretty slow going early on with an artsy dream sequence explaining Batman's(Ben Affleck) origin.  Much of Batman's view of the world and Superman(Henry Cavill) being in it is fueled heavily on his delusional dreams(of which he has plenty).  I had a hard time figuring out if Bruce's butler/assistant in the Bat-Cave, Alfred(Jeremy Irons) is the voice of reason or someone feeding into Bruce Wayne's fears.  Bruce Wayne is Batman for you non-superhero loving folks.

The world is starting to fear Superman and he's being framed for violence across the world.  The framing of the Man of Steel seemed a bit of a stretch but you got to do something to get this movie going.  With all this fear, Lex Luthor(Jesse Eisenberg) is on the hunt for Kryptonite after discovering how it affects the other Krytponian, the now deceased Zod.

I won't go to much further into the plot points of this film but I will give some of the higher and lower points of the film.

• The fight between Superman and Batman went as expected.
• Amy Adams as Lois Lane was great.
• Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor was much better than expected.
• I wanted more of Wonder Woman(Gal Gadot).
• The funeral scene was Peter Jackson long!  I could have went to Mordor and back by the time that ended.  

Overall I liked the movie.  It was worth watching.  I didn't love the movie however and I am in no rush to see it again.  If you need a comic book movie fix, go check it out.  If you wait for blu-ray, I wouldn't blame you there.

What are your thoughts on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice?  Is this on your must see list?  Please respond in the comment section below.

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Check out my good friend Handsome J's review as well here.

Comic Book Review: Superman: The Coming of the Supermen #2 - DC Comics (2016)

Writer/Artist: Neal Adams
Colorist: Alex Sinclair

Superman and the Supermen must go another round with Kalibak and the forces of Apokolips.  Lex Luthor appears to be assisting the Superman's side in this battle.

Neal Adams is crafting a very good story about Superman and some of his biggest fans who have similar powers and the desire to live like their hero.  The Supermen dress like Superman and attempt to ward off Kalibak and his band of baddies but without near the success of the Man of Steel.  Lex Luthor is in this story as well and you know he has nefarious actions he is looking to keep hidden.

There is also the story of Rafi, the boy Superman saved in the Middle East that he has brought to America.  I find this story fascinating as one of the political hot buttons in the real world is whether the United States should welcome refugees from other countries; particularly countries in the Middle East.  Neal Adams has not been shy in the past when it comes to bringing political views to the comic light and I'm glad he doesn't appear to be shy to this day.

Neal Adams' art is, as always wonderful to look at.  Detailed facial expressions are a specialty of Adams and this book illustrates his talent amazingly well.  Comic book readers that appreciate the superhero story should definitely check out this six issue mini-series.  It's only on issue number two so you can catch up pretty quick.

What are your thoughts on Superman comic books?  Where do you think Neal Adams ranks on the all time list?  Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Why You Need To See This Film

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Why You Need To See This Film

Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenber, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Daine Lane, Jena Malone

The critics hated the movie, what did you expect from a Comicbook adaptation? I’ve seen critics complain about the religious undertone, the political ties and moral dilemma. But when everything is said and done, we are watching a movie where an indestructible man fly’s while another dresses as a Bat. This movie isn’t being made to enlighten, it was made to entertain and it did just that. The best part of this movie we received the best Bruce Wayne/Batman I’ve seen. Ben Affleck was amazing and I can’t wait to see what he does with the future of Batman. And for everyone that was worried about Gal Gadot, she was amazing and sold me on her as Wonder Woman.  

Batman V Superman had to do something which the marvel movies haven’t had to do the entire time, Introduce new character, tell the story of all those character and actually give us movie which made sense. Yes the editing was a little choppy, but every scene was worth it. Every dream sequence from Bruce gave you the perfect insight to the mind set of a man afraid, scared of what could happen. Every time we were introduced to Lex we saw a lunatic going crazy with power, and every time we saw Superman we were treated to man dealing with the reality that the world around him may fear what he is.

The movie itself was more a starting point, a origin story of sorts. This earth hasn’t been introduced to Meta-Human’s yet. As the scene with the few clips of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg showed us. There seems to be more at play than just a starting point for a Justice League movie, and if we are lucky we will be treated to a Crisis on Infinity earths movie. As seen during one of the dream sequences The Flash appears but looks like he is reaching out from the future. If that looked familiar, well it was basically pulled from the Crisis on Infinity Earth Story line.  

Finally there was Doomsday, was it the Doomsday i was expecting? No, they pulled from way to many points of the DC Universe. But it was nice to see that Doomsday was still the powerful villain that we needed. I said from the moment that they revealed that Doomsday was in Batman V Superman, we needed the Death of Superman Story. That is exactly what we received and it didn’t disappoint. 

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was exactly what i wanted. The film didn’t disappoint. If you have an doubts about this movie or if you walked away from it disappointed, I suggest taking a moment and see it again.  

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(Spoilers) Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice - Box Office Review

The movie we're about to examine was filled with so much information, so many stories and characters that I won't spend many words in this introductory paragraph. "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" was grand in scale and dark in tone. The reviews have been demeaning as well as celebratory. So let's dive in and take a look at my thoughts on this film. You'll read what I thought worked and what didn't work. Here we go!

First we'll start with what I thought worked. Ben Affleck was a great Bruce Wayne and Batman. His performance was an entertaining blend of sophisticated business man meets vigilante. He was believable and his performance helped deliver on the intensity of the concepts this film dealt with. Next we have Gal Gadot. I was nervous about her performance as Wonder Woman going into this film. I found myself believing her on screen presence and I enjoyed the playful tone she brought with her. It was a pleasant break from the brooding and intense nature of the film. Speaking of brief breaks in moodiness, Jeremy Irons as Alfred was fantastic. He was my favorite character of the film. 

Not surprising, the action scenes were all well done. If Zack Snyder does anything well, it's action sequences. The apocalyptic dream sequence Batman had was incredible. This weird dystopian action scene that was part "Mad Max Fury Road" and part "Injustice Gods Among Us" was definitely a highlight. Plus, seeing Superman melt guys with his heat vision while he approaches Batman was pretty spectacular. I'm a huge fan of the "Injustice" storyline so I loved that brief moment in the movie. The fight between Batman and Superman was quite creative as well. His use of kryptonite gas bombs and a kryptonite spear was believable considering the film itself is quite fantastical. I was disappointed I didn't get the line from Frank Millers "Dark Knight Returns" when Batman tells Superman he wants him to remember that he was beaten by a man, Batman. However, that's such a small detail it didn't ruin anything for me by it not being in the film. Also, I loved seeing Wonder Woman fight Doomsday. And I loved seeing her lasso in action. That was great.

Now let's look at what didn't work for me at all. The characters had limited back story and I didn't quite understand their motivations. Batman made perfect sense because his character was developed from start to... well, his character fell apart briefly towards the end when he has some bizarre mental freak out because Superman said the name "Martha". I get, to a point, the fact his mother was important because they did spend time showing us the connection he had to his mother. However, that scene felt odd and it didn't work for me. If all it takes is to say "Martha" and Batman loses his mind, he's not a very good Batman.   

Lex Luthor was obnoxious. I wasn't happy when they cast Jessie Eisenberg and I wasn't happy with how they ended the film with his character. He's not Batman's arch nemesis. He's superman's. Are the other Batman villains all dead and now Batman can focus solely on Lex? Who knows, they didn't really explain that. They didn't really explain a lot. Also, why did he care so much? I understand he had this thing about his grandfather's story of waving a flag but that didn't explain his contempt for Superman and Batman. Are we supposed to assume that because he is a villain that's enough? As I thought about his character longer it felt like he had the most potential. Considering that he was the grand designer of the major conflict in this film and created Doomsday using alien technology he just discovered, he could've been more impactful. He came off as a bit of a looney spoiled brat. I didn't like it. 

You killed superman? I'll give you credit in so much as I respect the balls it takes to make a Superman movie and then kill him in the end. Was the deciding factor, "Well, we have Doomsday so I guess Superman has to die?" Does this mean we'll be getting electric Superman who wears yellow visor sunglasses (see image below) as a threat in the Justice League film? Is Snyder trying to create an "Injustice" storyline on the big screen? Why did we kill Superman?? Why did we use Doomsday? That whole story felt rushed and it was reminiscent of Sam Ramie's "Spiderman 3" when all of sudden we have "Venom" on screen and then the movies over. And why was Doomsday this bizarre energy absorbing, constantly growing monster? And why was Batman ok with the fact that the four of them are destroying everything but he was so angry at Superman for destroying Metropolis? 

I'm also still trying to figure out the marketing for this film. They advertised Aquaman by giving him his own poster but he had maybe a minute and half of screen time. We saw Flash twice but he didn't have a poster. In another weird dream sequence Bruce Wayne sees Flash (from another dimension? the future?) and he looks like "Injustice" Flash. So, why not give him a poster? Cyborg also didn't get a poster and he had more screen time than Aquaman. That whole scene was odd. It felt cheap. If you have the technology to create a cybernetic body for your son who is hanging from a fence, you should be able to afford a high definition camera to capture the progress. 

The new Batmobile was awesome. I loved that chase scene. Then Superman showed up and ruined it. Why? No clue. It's not explained. It felt like the whole scene was a set up to show Batman how Superman is indestructible. I could've enjoyed that scene more had Superman stopped Batman and then went off and stopped the criminals. He didn't though. He let the bad guys get away with the one item that can kill him which later Batman still had to steal from Lex! 

Finally, all the issues I had I was happy to overlook because I realize not everyone reads comic books and there are people who read way more than I do. So everyone has a different idea of what's entertaining to them. So because of that I was happy to overlook all the weird decisions, unanswered plot points, disjointed storyline and just accept the fact that this is a fantasy action film and it has beloved characters in it. HOWEVER, the one thing I cannot excuse and never will be able to overlook is Superman using his power while also being around kryptonite. Ask anyone to tell you what beats Superman and they'll say kryptonite or something like "that green rock" because it's engrained in our culture. Everyone knows that Superman's basically a deity but put a green rock near him and he's as useless as any man who has the flu. That's the rule. We all know it. So tell me why Superman can't dive into water, grab a kryptonite spear and then swim back to safety but he can fly across the battle field and stab Doomsday with that same spear? Did I blink and miss something in this film? Why didn't we write this film so Lois runs the spear to Batman who throws it to Wonder Woman who gets to kill Doomsday? She already cut his arm off. It could've worked and would've made more sense. Superman (a god) sacrifices himself to get the spear, Lois and Batman (humans) get the spear to an Amazon Warrior Princess who defeats the monster. 

"Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice" is in theaters now! I give this film a box of kryptonite and some batarangs. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen because cinematically it's very enjoyable. Your eyes will be very happy with how good the film looks. Your brain might be a bit frazzled with questions but for what it is, it is entertaining. There were rumors this film might've been edited into two films and after seeing the movie that might've been a better option. Give the story time to develop as well as the characters and don't rush it. That didn't happen and what we have is an entertaining, albeit confusing, story that features some popular characters who deserve your hard earned dollars for the big screen filming experience. Go check it out folks. 

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10 Batman/Superman Stories To Check Out

Last night we here at Maskerpiece Theatre were discussing some of our favorite stories that dealt with Batman and Superman. Here's a list of ten stories we recommend you check out before you head to the movies this weekend to see "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice"

In no particular order, here's 10 of our favorites and 1 sentimental choice...

• Justice Leage Doom or JLA Tower of Babel

• Justice League War

• Hush

• Dark Knight Returns

• Injustice Gods Among Us Year 1

• Superman/Batman Apocalypse

• Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

• The Widening Gyre

• Superman #76

Do you have any favorite stories?
Comment below and share you thoughts on our list or your own favorites!



Click here to listen or right click and choose "Save As..." to download.

Maskerpiece Theatre is sponsored by MoviePass. See unlimited movies at a theater near you for a low monthly rate.

You can also support our show by using our Amazon banners or donating on our Support Us page.