We Want Action: The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

Posted on by TJDietsch

After realizing that the Fast & Furious movies are the best superhero films around, I’ve developed a new appreciation for Vin Diesel. He’s not the best actor in the world, but he’s pretty damn good at doing his thing (knowing looks, confidence, being huge, driving cars, saying “I am Groot,” etc). With that in mind — as well as a few How Did This Get Made? episodes focusing on his films — I decided to give The Last Witch Hunter a watch. I remember hearing exactly nothing about this one when it came out and you know what? I kinda liked it a lot. Continue reading We Want Action: The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

My New Favorite Things: Charley Varrick, Twin Peaks Season 1 & Archer & Armstrong

Posted on by TJDietsch

I’ve been flying solo with the little dude for about a full week at this point while my folks are out of town. I haven’t had as much time to dive into awesome stuff as usual, but over the past few weeks, I have been diving into some goodness I want to talk about! Continue reading My New Favorite Things: Charley Varrick, Twin Peaks Season 1 & Archer & Armstrong

Valiant Trade Post: Ivar, Timewalker & Eternal Warrior

Posted on by TJDietsch

Even though I got into comics just as the Image Revolution helped usher in the Boom and Bust of the 90s, I didn’t know about much outside of DC. That was my jam and, while I’d see other books at the shop and eventually read about them in Wizard, I stayed in my line. Occasionally, I’d get a multipack or something with a random book, like Archer & Armstrong #16, but they usually just got flipped through, then slid into a bag-and-board and tossed in my “Other” box.

Of course, that version of the company eventually collapsed and, as it happened, lead to a number of former Valiant employees getting work at Wizard where I would eventually work with them. Now, Valiant’s back, Wizard’s gone and some of my former co-workers have gone back to working for the V. Comics is a small group.

ANYWAY, that’s all a long-winded way of saying that, though I haven’t written about them here, I’ve read my fair share of these trades. I’ll be honest, books like Harbinger, Bloodshot, Shadowman and X-O proved a bit too dark for me, but I’ve still found a lot to like from the company, including two related titled, Ivar, Timewalker and Eternal Warrior!

Continue reading Valiant Trade Post: Ivar, Timewalker & Eternal Warrior

Superman Rebirth Trade Post: Action Comics & Superman

Posted on by TJDietsch

When it comes to DC Rebirth books, the Superman group, the Superman group stands apart. I’m not saying that as a longtime and devoted Man of Steel fan (though I am), but because the headline character is actually the version from the previous universe, as explained in Superman: Lois & Clark. Some time after that book, the New 52’s version of Superman seemingly died before DC launched their Rebirth initiative. In Superman Volume One: Son Of Superman and Superman: Action Comics Volume One: Path Of Doom, the previous incarnation of Superman leaves the black-and-silver suit behind, takes up the more familiar colors and makes his presence known to a world still reeling from his predecessor’s death. Continue reading Superman Rebirth Trade Post: Action Comics & Superman

DC Rebirth Trade Post: Rebirth, Flash & Green Arrow

Posted on by TJDietsch

I remember back when DC first announced the New 52, I was talking with a friend who said something along the lines of, “I get offering new readers a jumping on point, but they’re also giving longtime readers a clear jumping off point.” I hadn’t thought of it like that at the time, but that’s basically what happened. Sure, I’ve gone on with a few books here and there, but overall, I didn’t have the desire to really dig into the DCU because it wasn’t the one I remembered, cared about and spent decades with.

Continue reading DC Rebirth Trade Post: Rebirth, Flash & Green Arrow

Tokusatsu Theater: Super Inframan (1975)

Posted on by TJDietsch
Demon Princess Elzebub’s Posse

Hi! They say that every blog post could be somebody’s first, so here’s a great litmus test for whether you might like me and UnitedMonkee. Does the above image give you huge amounts of joy? Then, not only can we be best friends, but you should find a lot of things on this blog that we could high five about.

As I’ve said here and here, I’ve recently become super interested in the Japanese subgenre dubbed tokusatsu, which covers just about any live action thing that’s got a lot of special effects. It’s actually a pretty braod genre that covers super heroes, sci-fi and even kaiju (giant monsters). I’m just getting into all of this — I’ve got my Ultraman, Iron King and Super Robot Red Baron DVD sets to watch — but I’m already super happy I dove into this pool because I’ve watched Super Inframan and it’s everything I wanted it to be and more. Better yet? It’s on Amazon Prime, so you can watch it and get in on the action too! And you should because I’m going DEEP on this one. Continue reading Tokusatsu Theater: Super Inframan (1975)

The Great Teen Titans/Outsiders Deep Dive Part 2 – A Kid’s Game & Looking For Trouble

Posted on by TJDietsch

In the inaugural installment of The Great Teen Titans/Outsiders Deep Dive, I got into Graduation Day and the short story “A Day After” from Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files & Origins 2003. Briefly, the former Titans and Young Justice teams called it quits after a time-traveling blue robot popped into the present and woke up a Superman Robot that killed Donna Troy. Of course, these being superheroes, they tend to flock to one another and two new books soon followed: Teen Titans and Outsiders. Today we’ll get into the first volumes of each series, which debuted in 2003! Continue reading The Great Teen Titans/Outsiders Deep Dive Part 2 – A Kid’s Game & Looking For Trouble