Chew the Fat: Avengers: Infinity War - 1st Impressions!

Martinex1: The biggest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe made its way to the silver screen this weekend and it seems to be a hit all over the world.  Avengers: Infinity War launched in the U.S. in over 4400 theaters, and it seems that millions flocked to the movies as the film is already setting some records and challenging the Star Wars flicks and Black Panther for overall ticket domination.

So what did you think?  Keep it SPOILER FREE - but give us your first impressions of the movie, the acting, the plot, the characters, and the direction.  Rank the film among the rest of the Marvel movies.  Did it live up to your expectations, exceed them, or not quite make the cut?  Do you continue to be impressed with Marvel on the screen, or do you see cracks in the technique?   Picks or pans? Rave reviews or cautious recommendations?  Thumbs up or thumbs down? Does Marvel continue to dominate the superhero genre?   Do the characters stay in sync or stray from source material?  Does Thanos as a villainous cornerstone live up to the hype and years of build up? What characters stole the show? Are you excited for the next steps or simply fatigued? 

And remember - many of us have seen it but definitely others have not - so please keep the spoilers to yourself!  Surely there is much to critique and comment upon without giving away clues and key plot points.  We know that the movie contains just about every Marvel character who had been in a previous film and we know the big-bad is Thanos...but we may not know the specifics and resolution so be cautious. You can tell us if it lived up to your expectations and if characters left their mark and if it was exciting and if you would see it again or save your money!  First impressions start here...

Chew the Fat: Black Panther on the Silver Screen!

Redartz:  Okay, we've waited long enough, everyone else has been talking about it (worldwide, in fact- the film is making a huge impact globally at the box office, and among the 'talking heads' in the media).  Time  for us to discuss one of the biggest Marvel films yet, the Black Panther!  Spoilers may follow, so be forewarned. My wife and I saw the movie last week, and absolutely loved it. Incredibly visually, and loaded with punch story-wise. The film didn't shy away from addressing some serious political, racial and cultural issues, and (in my opinion) took the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a whole new level. Intelligent, provocative and very entertaining. Oh, and this film, along with last year's "Wonder Woman", really showcases the growing drawing power of heroic women.

Great performances from the cast abound, among them: Chadwick Boseman's starring turn as T'Challa. Letitia Wright as the wonderful Shuri. Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. Angela Bassett, nobly portraying T'Challa's mother Ramonda. And, certainly, Danai Gurira's mind-blowing performance as General Okoye. 

Chadwick Boseman

Michael B. Jordan

Chadwick Boseman and Letitia Wright

Danae Gurira

 I'll hold most of my impressions for now, to give all of you a chance to pontificate. Have you seen the film; and if so, what did you think? 

Chew the Fat: The Black Panther!

Martinex1: Today let's chew the fat about one of the premier Marvel heroes and one of my favorite characters.  He has had limited fanfare in the past but he is about to get his time in the limelight with a movie - King of Wakanda! Avenger! T'Challa! The Black Panther!

Take a look at the latest movie trailer to get a sense of what is to come to theaters on February 16, 2018.

The hero made his grand entrance in The Fantastic Four during the peak of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby run.  He appeared for the first time in issue #52 right after the creative pinnacle of the Galactus and Silver Surfer arc.  Soon after, he appeared in The Avengers and became a mainstay of the team.

One of the most memorable arcs with the Avengers was when T'Challa and the team confronted the Sons of the Serpent.

 Later, the Black Panther would start headlining as a solo act in Jungle Action and his own title.   The books took T'Challa to his homeland to battle a unique set of rogues and miscreants who wanted to ravage the wondrous land of Wakanda.

 The character also spent some time in the United States and confronted issues of racism, prejudice, poverty, and crime.  Marvel and the creative talents did not shy away from critical social issues. The Black Panther is truly a comic book hero that can confront modern injustices.

 Some critics thought the later Jack Kirby penned Black Panther issues were strange and dated, but I enjoyed what I've read of the oddball adventures and explorations.

The Don McGregor written and Billy Graham pencilled works, however, were clearly magnificent.  Take a look at one of their splash pages below.  The words and art took it to a different level for their "Panther's Rage" epic.  Not everybody is a fan of that story so I am curious what our readers think.

I am extremely curious what topics the Marvel movie with explore.  I am excited to see action in Wakanda as well.   The glimpses I have seen of the mysterious land have my interest piqued.   I am also happy to see Klaw as a major protagonist.  That villain has been a favorite comic book antagonist for decades, and he has been challenging the Black Panther since the hero's inception.   I cannot wait to see that confrontation and for T'Challa to take down the master of sound.

 The Black Panther had some further ongoing series, mini-series and specials in more recent years. Although I have more of an affinity to his Bronze Age classics, I did enjoy the Panther's Prey mini-series and the run under the Marvel Knights banner.

In more modern times, T'Challa was married to the X-Man Storm and together they had a stint with the Fantastic Four.

So what do you think about the Wakandan hero?  Do you have any recommendations for particular issues, series, or arcs?   What themes and stories did you find the Black Panther creators tackled well?  Do you have high hopes for the movie?  What has been lacking in T'Challa's portrayal in the books or recent film appearances?   Let's Chew the Fat!