Fanboys Anonymous

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys out there.


MOVIES

Edgar Wright Leaves Ant-Man.

My take: What the heck?? He's been working on this movie since 2006(?) and knew exactly what he wanted to do. I guess that was the problem. Marvel was very patient as to when this project could launch, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn't necessarily what it is today. The issue here seems to be that Wright's vision isn't going to mesh with the current MCU. If it was his choice, I say good for him to walk away. If it was Marvel's doing, I say they're on a slippery slope.

X-Men: Days of Future Past.

My take: Yay, I finally got to see a movie on its opening weekend! Take that, fatherhood! I found this to be probably the most engaging of the entire series, if not the most confusing. I appreciated that decisions were made according to the characters' personal desires and inner turmoil rather than just what the plot needed. This always adds the unexpected element, rather than knowing full well what they're going to do. I know the movie will end with things relatively wrapped up, but I don't know who Magneto is going to screw over in the process. Those are the ingredients this series has that it either uses sparingly or seems unaware it has them at all. In any case, I was entertained for 2 hours and I can't say much more without spoiling things.

TELEVISION

Drew Goddard Leaves Daredevil.

My take: What the heck?? The guy's a DD super fan! This one seems to be falling under the category of contract disputes, as Goddard is tied to Sony for the surely awful Sinister Six movie(s). Either way, it was bad timing, and Marvel's shining reputation in the TV and film industry finally has some dings bigger than "Terrence Howard-Gate."

Charlie Cox Cast as Daredevil.

My take: I need to see this guy's range a lot more than I've seen on TV. Say what you want about Affleck's portrayal, but Matt Murdock is a tortured soul who can kick your ass, and I don't know if Cox screams that or not.

John Wesley Shipp is The Flash's Dad Now.

My take: How fitting, I suppose? I watched Shipp in the original series and, for what they had available at the time, it was an amazing show. They had zero budget and still had cool effects, plus the suit itself cost a cool million to create. Shipp returns to the same character's world as his father, Dr. Henry Allen. I appreciate nods like this in TV and movies, and his casting is actually one of the reasons I'll be tuning in. Also, I love Tom Cavanagh.

Quentin Tarantino May Release 4-Hour Django Unchained.

My take: I really did enjoy the movie, and now Tarantino may release his piles of unseen footage as a VOD mini-series. Usually, I think of pure history when it comes to racism-centric stories, and this mixed that with entertainment. Although I hope the movie's brutality was a wake up call for many people, I don't know if it lends itself to a 4-hour mini. However, it would be great to see more performances out of all the leads because I think they all did amazing jobs.

COMIC BOOKS

The Flash #31 Released.

My take: I have no issue with the controversial return and re-racing of Wally West. What I take issue with is DC's constant reliance on time traveling and alternate worlds for stories. From a character whose origin used to be exactly the same as Barry Allen's, Wally's origin now can't be explained to anyone but an avid comic book reader. "The Flash? Oh, he got hit by lightning and chemicals. Kid Flash? Same." See? Things used to be so easy.

Amazing Spider-Man #1 Released.

My take: I'm one of "those people," the ones that were actually enjoying The Superior Spider-Man. I knew all along it was temporary (which is partly why I could let go and enjoy the ride), but the last few months have felt very forced. The story ended with a whimper, and now Peter is back, which I'm happy about, but it was a contractual obligation to match with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I'm also not happy that the first storyline is going back to Peter's first days as Spidey. Enough ret-conning! We already have Original Sins about to change everyone's past as it is.

Star Lord's Cancerverse Escape Details.

My take: I'm a huge fan of the Abnett & Lanning era of the Marvel Universe. It was cancelled abruptly and they did a great job of leaving a cliffhanger: the apparent death of Peter Quill and Richard Rider (Nova). In Guardians of the Galaxy #18 this fall, I'll finally know how he escaped the Cancerverse! The revelation comes during Original Sin so it might be bad news, and Richard Rider is nowhere to be seen.

David S. Goyer Boosts She-Hulk Sales.

My take: I guess the one good thing about DC's film spearhead calling She-Hulk a porn star is that Shulky's sales have gone up. The series that launched in February is getting rave reviews. People reading about the scandal ask "Uh, who's She-Hulk?" then check the book out and love it. There is no better way for Marvel characters to earn respect than having some a-hole at DC insulting them.

GAMES

LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham in 2014.

My take: I have the sequel with all the DC heroes in it, and I still haven't finished it. Sometimes I get LEGO'd out, but I do own at least four LEGO video games (sadly, this includes the Indiana Jones version). Part of my issue with these games is my age, the simplicity of the plot lines, and the repetition of gameplay. Yet I still play Call of Duty. Go figure.