Category: Comics

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Jessica Jones Season 2

Rating: 3

After the disappointing «Defenders» and «Iron Fist», «Jessica Jones» remains one of the stronger Marvel Netflix series thanks to Krysten Ritter who really made the character her own.

I’m all in for female-driven storytelling and I guess it worked just fine. But I’m wondering if the best central conflict the creators could choose for our heroine this season really was the fear of turning into her mother? It’s quite the leap from codependency, rape and trauma in the first season to this.

I’m not sure why a similar thing worked much better and more effective with Tony Stark’s Daddy issues. I guess it has to do with the fact that writing a strong female superhero character is still a relatively new, even unexplored field. (Or maybe it’s just ’cause I’m a bloke).

Let’s give Jessica and the audience some credit and let her do some superhero things, shall we? There must be some middleground to this. And there might be: Though it didn’t really lead anywhere (besides avoiding the issue what might happen when the Hulk and Black Widow would «get it on»), Marvel tried it in «Avengers: Age of Ultron» when Natasha Romanoff had to deal with her inability to bear children. And she did it while saving the world.

If not, I fear that «Defenders» Season 2 will revolve around Jessica Jones’ struggle to buy a pair of new jeans that doesn’t make her look fat while Iron Fist tries to become a social media influencer.

Post Scriptum:

I hate to say that I probably didn’t give enough credit for the fact(?) that Jessica Jones Season 2 might be less about her fear of turning into her mother than about coming to terms with a loved one losing the battle against mental illness…

Mea culpa… oh, look: Isn’t that Thanos over there annihilating half of the universe just cause he’s in love with a chick who happens to be frakking death itself? Men are simple…

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Black Panther

Rating: 3

I agree that the success of «Black Panther» (and «Get out», for that matter) is an important step in the right direction for an industry (as well as an audience) that has to redefine itself to stay relevant and acceptable today and in the years to come. Way to go!

But entertaining as it is and giving the genre a new, interesting spin once again, for a Marvel movie, the Panther seems tame, on the weaker side of things. (But I guess I’m not the main audience they where going for anyway).

Happy though that it’s my beloved Marvel Studios, now ten years in the run, that are doing the right thing (too).

This in mind, I’m looking forward to a strong female protagonist in «Captain Marvel», hoping the makers stay focused and won’t overdo it because of the ongoing #meToo discussion. (Something I won’t hold my breath for at this year’s Oscar celebrations. Given the circumstances and having seen the nominations livestream, I fear the Awards show will present itself chumming and even more unpalatable than usual).

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My sister finally watched «Guardians of the Galaxy»

Rating: 4.5

We did it! Thanks to the rafe new world sister watch initiative, my sister finally watched «Guardians of the Galaxy». I’m proud to say this goal was achieved in less than 48 hours thanks to my constant nagging and a website specially made for this purpose: sisterwatch.rafenew.world.

But did she like the movie or is she just a bad person? I’m very honoured to let my sister speak for herself in her very first guest article on rafenew.world:

And a very special THANK YOU to my mother who did her part in working on my sister in this matter. I love you, mom! And since there’s still hope for my sister, I imagine she does, too.

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Rating: 1

Just another very gorgeous looking, very soulless version of how Luc Besson thinks movies are made. I more and more wonder how he managed to create «Léon» where he still seemed to care about characters and storytelling (I think, at least; haven’t watched it in ages).

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Spider-Man: Homecoming

Rating: 3

Wow, I almost lost my wallet there at the theater! But I wouldn’t have lost the money: The latest cinematic iteration of Spider-Man is well worth its admission price.

It’s got heart, it has humour, it’s got a great cast. And as unbelievable as is sounds, this co-production between Marvel Studios and Sony (who still hold the rights to the movie character, technically, I think) has something the «purer» MCU films had yet to deliver on: A great villain! Michael Keaton is perfect in the role (winged superpersons obviously just seem to be his thing) and his persona «The Vulture» equally satisfies as antagonist as well as a driving storyelement.

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is great, too; but no surprise there. And the suits (as in «the VFX») are fun to explore but interestingly enough not as overwhelming and important as let’s say the «Avengers» movies.

So no, I don’t regret to have worn my Spidey T-Shirt to work today. And yes, in the end, I found my wallet under the seat.

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Wonder Woman

Rating: 3

Um,… Miss Woman? I wonder if you’d marry me?

[  ] Yes

[  ] No

[x] I see you more as a friend

The movie’s not bad, either. All thanks to Gal Gadot. I think I’d watch her watching paint dry. 

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Rating: 4.5

What a great sci-fi fantasy action comedy! I laughed my ass off and if you’re an eighties kid, you probably will, too.
In the end there was not a dry eye in the house (and that wasn’t because of the 3D glasses).

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Punisher (Netflix)

Torturing a non-nerd friend who just happened to have mentioned once that he kinda liked «The Punisher» (Thomas Jane). 

Correction:

Just realized know, that’s the first Netflix Punisher Season. His character was so strong in Daredevil Season 2 that my memory tricked me. (My friend wouldn’t know any better, of course).