Corey's Comic Corner Edition 22 - Review of The Ends #3, DarkWing Duck #1, Sins Of Sinister #1 and Murderworld: Wolverine #1
/Corey’s Comic Corner, Etc.
We’re back with another slightly useful but always entertaining week of reviews, deep thoughts and general mediocrity. It’s also Groundhog Day this week! Will he or won't he see his shadow?? Either way Winter is moving along. I had just read recently that the sun had made an appearance only three out of the last 30 days! That’s crazy. On the plus side, we are well below our average snowfall as well thus far in 2023. I don’t think anyone will complain about that.
With the snow and cold I managed to get out to see Infinity Pool with a buddy over the weekend which was my recommendation of the week last blog. Wow! Let’s just say it managed to live up to expectations. It’s being touted as one of the must see horror movies of 2023. I wouldn’t call it a horror movie though. It’s more of a psychological thriller or drama. It’s a movie I feel has to be seen in the theater to be fully enjoyed and understood and it’s definitely not for everyone. If you go into this movie with an open mind you will be greatly rewarded. There is a lot to digest and unpack. There are also things that would turn your average movie goer away. There were a few people that walked out less than halfway through the showing. Sadly, there were also a few people who didn’t do their homework and brought kids! These poor kids have to be scarred for life! In movies like this you have to look behind the curtain to really appreciate what the director is saying. This is not Transformers but there is definitely more than meets the eye! It’s just not for children's eyes.
We won’t get into the gory details here. Consider yourself spared. It’s just something you have to see with your own eyes. It’s creative and original but not without a lot of shock and awe. What more can you ask for in a Hollywood where retreads and remakes have become a staple? Again, with many dream-like and hallucinogenic scenes this film demands the full benefit of the theater. I will definitely have to see it again to fully digest what I saw. Both Skarsgard and Goth are great in this film. Mia Goth has essentially become the modern day Scream Queen. She truly deserves an award for her acting and I'm honestly shocked she hasn’t yet received one for either Pearl or X that she starred in previously. It’s hard to separate the director Brandon Cronenberg's work from his father’s but I don’t know that’s a bad thing. If anything his work may be slightly more perverse but as time moves forward what was once shocking becomes less so as movies and directors continue to push the envelope. Nonetheless, it’s a movie I'm still thinking about today and anything that creates that much thought can’t be a terrible thing. Or can it?
COMIC BOOK REVIEWS
“This week I had a chance to read The Ends #3, DarkWing Duck #1, Sins Of Sinister #1 and Murderworld: Wolverine #1”
The Ends #3
Written by David and Maria Lapham
Pencils by David Lapham
Rated M for Mature
Available via pre-order only
The final issue in this Bad Idea modern war soaked drama pitting a town's veterans against a bunch of crazy skinheads who’ve invaded the town. It’s not for the country this time. This time it’s personal!
This series ended like we assumed with the town’s local veterans more or less defeating the skin-head population that had taken over the town. It doesn’t come without loss though and it seems like many of their old wounds, both physical and mental, have been reopened. I actually wasn’t big on the ending as it serves as a last ditch effort to heal the relationship of two of the characters. They were lovers but on different sides and throughout the whole series I was expecting the female to be more or less redeemed. Unfortunately I never really felt like she fully gave up her beliefs. There were clear signs she was beginning to feel like all the Natzi propaganda, etc. was wrong but it ultimately felt like she was simply fighting those feelings due to her boyfriend but not fully rejecting them. In the end it didn’t matter as she was killed but I would have preferred to see her live and fully denounce her prior convictions in some way. I enjoyed the series overall and just hoped for a slightly better ending.
Darkwing Duck #1
Written by Amanda Deibert
Pencils by Carlo Lauro
Rated All Ages
Available now!
A new Disney title from Dynamite featuring the classic hero Darkwing Duck! This all new series builds on the beloved animated series from the early 90’s with new stories and is the precursor to the new show which will be rebooted on Disney+ in 2023.
This was a fun read. I forgot how innocently funny Darkwing Duck was and after reading this issue I'm actually really looking forward to the show reboot as well. Deibert does a great job voicing Darkwing in this issue. It’s like he’s ripped right from the show. She nails it.The art is also spot on with the style I remember from the show, albeit a little updated. It all works nicely together and it’s a swift and easy read. There’s a little action, a little mystery, a little humor and that’s pretty much all you need to make a comic successful. I would think this would become a regular pick-up for “All-Ages” readers and just something light and fun to read in general. Definitely worth a pick-up if not for nostalgia alone!
Murderworld: Wolverine #1
Written by Jim Zub, Ray Fawkes
Pencils by Carlos Nieto
Rated T+
Available now!
Another one-shot set during the Murderworld storyline, now finding our contestants dwindled down to only 61 survivors fighting to escape every iteration of Wolverine while Arcade continues to pull the strings and scheme ways to kill everyone left standing.
I’m really enjoying these one-shots. First Murderworld:Avengers, then Murderworld: Spider-man and now Murderworld: Wolverine. The game show style story-line with life being the prize is steeped heavily in homages to Running Man, Saw or even The Hunger Games. The action scenes and dialogue have been fun and I’m really enjoying Arcade’s turn as the villain mastermind of this event. With each issue there has been a fun twist with this issue being no different. How do our contestants possibly survive Wolverine, Patch, Weapon X or Weapon - 23?? One Wolverine is nearly impossible. It would seem the odds are stacked against them. This time though it’s the contestants with the surprise twist. They’ve found a way out of the main game.I’ll be curious to see how this story-line wraps up in the Murderworld: Moonknight issue coming next. It doesn’t appear to be a story with major implications thus far but it’s been fun to read nonetheless.
Sins of Sinister #1
Written by Kieron Gillen
Pencils by Lucas Werneck
Rated T+
Available now!
A new Marvel offering focused on Mr. Sinister and his evolving plans to destroy Krakoa, take over the quiet counsel and eventually rule all. After being released from holding and gaining control over various mutants Sinister sets his grand plan in motion.
Keiron Gillen has always had a firm grasp on anything he writes and this first issue of Sins of Sinister is no less. He builds a great foundation in this issue for what’s to come and it involves characters and repercussions that could change Krakoa and the Marvel Universe for good. With Sinister having laid the foundation for a whole new universe based on his DNA everything seemingly starts to backfire thus triggering unusual and unjust actions by many powerful superheroes. Sinister is left trying to deal with these new free thinkers and fails to reset the timeline this time around. Thus, he is left to face a dangerous new world of his creation and one that may be beyond even his control. I love the way this all unfolds in this first issue and it looks to be an absolutely massive event.
The pencils and colors are all on point as well. It’s a large scale, detailed and colorful event that smoothly unfolds over all the panels in the issue. I look forward to reading the next issue and seeing just how deep this worm hole goes. Right now, it’s looking pretty dark and bleak.
MOVIE RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK!!
Knock at The Cabin
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Rated R
Release: Feb 3rd 2023
I’m going out on a limb here folks and taking a chance on the new M. Night Shyamalan movie folks. You heard it here first. He doesn’t always have a good track record but he’s been on a bit of an upswing lately with his show Servant on Apple+ and his last couple movies. The trailer looks super interesting and it stars Dave Bautista who also has been having a solid turn acting as of late. We never know for sure if M. Night is going to stick the landing but I’ve read around the web this is one of his better offerings in some time and it’s a pretty taut and original thriller. As of now the review embargo has yet to be lifted but we’ll know here soon enough. Do you plan to see it this weekend?
That’s it for this week folks! Hopefully you enjoyed this edition of Corey’s Comic Corner, etc. As always we’d love to hear from you! Drop us your thoughts, comments, questions or your phone number and we’ll be sure to get back to you…maybe!
P.S. If you haven’t been to POP ROC recently what are you waiting for?? Do it!!
As always. Until next week.
Corey Newell
“Just a guy who loves comics and stuff”
⁃ Independent blogger, dad, dork, comic nerd and pop culture lover hailing from Spencerport, NY