Seeing Red

Red: Rated “PG-13” (111 Minutes)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban

Directed by: Robert Schwentke

I hadn’t been reading the Warren Ellis-scripted DC Comic / Wildstorm about a retired CIA spook who has been marked RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous) and tagged for assassination by his own agency. Needless to say, it turns out that they are correct, but for all the wrong reasons. From what I’ve been told the film is little, if at all, like the comic. Interestingly enough, that mattered little to this funnybook/film reviewer, as the film it self was wildly entertaining, as it neatly balances action-packed sequences, with comedic, winky bits that expertly blend into a most-excellent package.

I got to see a free, advance screening of this fillm. Thanks Mark!

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) was the best of the best, he us, as the film was ed to be a wet works agent, toppled governments for the Agency, and then has the bad luck to, well, grow old. So he was put out to pasture, and now he is not very happy in his forced retirement. So he spends his time tearing up his pension check so that he can call his case worker (Mary-Louise Parker) and chart with her while she issues him a new check.

Then a wet works team shows up one night and shoots the crap out of Frank’s house. As it turns out, even retired he is still better than them at their job, and he manages to not only take them out, but escape into the night. What this does, is set off a cross-country chase that involves a number of other retired CIA operatives (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren), Moses’ case worker, and an old Company op that went sour.

The film veers back and forth from slam-bang action to sardonic mirth as it’s PG-13 keeps the film from becoming too bloody or dangerous. Sure this is a pseudo-light-hearted romp through the world of spys, counter-intelligence, and high-powered shoot-em-ups. Unlike it’s immediate DC comics-to-film predecessor (the Losers which blew chunks) this film is entertainingly slick, and quirkily off-beat enough to keep your attention all the way through. Most definitely a good ride.

Then when you’re done, do your local comic shop owner a favor, and stop in to check out how Warren Ellis wrote the actual comicbook.

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This entire article is copyright (c) 2010 Freelance Ink, All rights reserved. It cannot be reprinted without specific, written permission from the author. 

Robert J. Sodaro has been writing professionally for over 20 years. During that time, his movie reviews and articles have appeared in numerous publications, as well as on the web; currently his reviews appear on the Web and in print in The Sound.

In case I haven’t mentioned it...

Just thought you all should know.

It’s the Apocalypse out there

Yes, yes it is Shocktober the month where things not only go bump in the night, but they pretty much go crash and boom during the day as well (yeah, I'm pretty much watching too much SyFy and horror films on FX as well). Plus I’m eagerly awaiting the debut of the Walking Dead on A&E on Halloween night.

Girl Skout Warz By Robert J. Sodaro & Keith Murphey

So anyway I wanted to let you all know that if you are interested in reading a wicked-cool post-Apocalyptic style on-line web comic, then you'll want to pop over to Inkbot.net and check out my Girl Skout Warz. 

Yes, it is THAT cool.

Look who's been published (again)

In case anyone besides me is interested, some more of my written words have hit the bookshelves once again, and well, while it may be a tad egotistical for me to pimp my own work, well, too bad. This is my blog, and I started it because, well I was bored, and wanted to throw my words out there into the digital ether. So if you are here you eatier care about what I’m saying or (like me) you stumbled in here by accident. In any event, here we go...

First up, we have the sixth issue of the second volume of The Official Index to the Marvel Universe, where we talk about the Avengers, Thor & Captain America. I’m contributing to both the Thor and Captain America entries. Then there is the cover copy that I penned for the collected hard-bound volume, Marvel Universe: The End. The comic can be found in comic shops across the country, while the book should be available in Bookstores as well.

In the first instance the on-going comic purports to lists all pertinent info to all Marvel comic ever published (at least that is our stated goal), while the second is the premiere hard cover edition of Jim Starlin's epic mini-series. Personally, I’m always astounded that anyone actually cares about the Index other than those of us working on it.

I mean, it is probably essential to those folks who like to hoard and track this sort of information,but given that our sales figures are consistently so low I’m always amazed that we haven’t been canceled. Still the book sales of the collected info much do well enough for them to keep us going (that, plus there are Cap, Avenger and Thor movies coming out over the next couple of years), so that should help keep us going.

As for the Marvel Universe book. Well, there's always room for stuff like that. So I suggest that you all go out and purchase multiple copies, then hunt me op and ask for an autograph, I promise not to charge you too much for it.

Yeah, these two items may not be much, but, well, I had fun writing 'em!

Enjoy!

The Perfessor

All you Blood-Suckers

Given that this is the month of Shocktober, and It is time for all the creatures of the night to come out and go bump in the night, I thought that I’d not only mention (again) that Atlas Unleashed has issued a rack of new titles (Including Psychosis! Today, Schizophrenia, and The Adversary), that well, I wanted to also remind folks that Vampyres aren’t the only creatures that need your blood.

Yep, this is a pitch to donate blood to the American Red Cross. Personally I’ve been doing for quite some time (I’ve given well over 15 gallons), and now I’m urging you all to do the same (give blood, that is).

Some years ago, when Harris was publishing Vampirella the first time around, I went to a special Valentine‘s Day comic con & Blood Bank, and donated some blood. For my time, I not only received the Vampi pin you see here, but a Vampi comic (I think). Needless to say, I though that now would be a wicked-cool time to trot it out again.

Generally, I wear the pin on a vest along with a buncha other Red-Cross-related pins. Still, this one is the coolest pin in the set.

Given the popularity of Vampyres, I’m sort of surprised that Harris never staged a second Vampi con. I’m sure that folk would come. I know that I would.

Pronto Comics

One of the cool things about attending comicbook conventions (especially big ones like NYCC), is that you get to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and see what other indie creators are doing. That is precisely what happened to me this past weekend, and, well, it will probably be something I'll be talking about for the rest of the month here.

One of the surprises of the show was running across the folks from Pronto Comics. I had actually met up with them some time back (earlier this year), and had considered working with them. Unfortunately, things came up, and I never got back to them, now I'm a bit upset over it, as I was gifted with a copy of their very entertaining anthology, Kicked.

The comic is a rather sardonic look at a self-centered superhero (Captain Awesome), and his revolving cadre of sidekicks. It seems that Awesome has a history of treating them like crap, and they kidnap his newest sidekick to stage an intervention to prevent him from joining up with this ass-clown hero.

The anthology itself is story,after story of various sidekicks relating their individual stories about how badly Awesome treated them over the years. The stories and art range from, well amateur, to, quite good, giving the comic a very eclectic feel, that makes it very entertaining, and well worth picking up and reading.

I highly recommend checking out Pronto’s site, and (if you are reasonably talented), trying to hook up with this interesting group of creators, as they are always on the prowl for new talent,a nd if you are an indie creator  with little or no creative outlet, then you just might benefit from hanging with these guys.

Fast Food Fun

For those of you who know me, you know that I love to collect (certain) fast food toys, well, when I saw this Lockhorns comic this week, I couldn't help but to re-post it.

Atlas Shrugged

So, as you might have heard, I spent this past weekend in New York City at the New York Comic Con, where I manned the table for the the company I work with (Atlas Unleashed) over the weekend. We were there promoting our new books Schizophrenia #1, Psychosis! Today #4 (formerly Psychosis!), and The Adversary #1.

We were touting these new products for the fans and our friends, and we did quite well, thanks for asking. We also hosted the wicked-cook Indie After Party (with our good Buddy, Dave Ryan, who is producing the Buzz-able hottest book in the Indie Market, the uber-hot War of the Independents). Needless to say, the party was the talk of the con, and everybody who was anybody was at it. Well, Schizophrenia #1, Psychosis! Today #4 are both anthologies (with there being a special tribute issue for our pal Rusty Haller). Schizophrenia has three stories and Psychosis! Today has five, while Adversary is a book-length story by the very talented Jim Webb.

Adversary is a demon who has tossed off the reigns of her demon master and now spends her time fighting demons. Well, not to make this about me (but you know it is my blog, so I'm gonna talk about me for just a minute, so deal with it). As it turns out I have three stories in these books, two in Psychosis! Today and a one-page back-up in Adversary that was illustrated by the extremely talented and affable Fred Hembeck.

My stories in Psychosis! Today are a reprint of my story Ghost Writer that appeared in Psychosis! #2 (with art by Fabio Turbay), and An Act of Attrition, that's illustrated by James Rodriguez and Alex Rivera. I'm not sure how, but I keep getting teamed with extremely talented artists, and , well, they make me look good. Thanks guys!