Best of 2014: Movies – Best Straight-to-Video Movie

Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised  us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.

Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.

Best Straight to Home Video Movie

• Justice League: War
• Son of Batman
• Batman: Assault on Arkham
• Mudbloods
• Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher

WINNER – Justice League: War

Everybody loves a good origin story, am I right? Well, you’re in luck, because Justice League: War is the first movie based in the New 52 continuity. Originally named after the first volume story arc, Origin, in the Justice League comics, War follows the core Leaguers in their first encounter with one another. This was a very interesting story to read the first time, as the characters that have decades of lineage are now relatively complete strangers. So, while you’re getting a brand new story, you’re also getting the first story in the New 52 canon. There are enough variations to the book to keep new and old fans satisfied, and it gives relatively equal play time to each character, an alluring selling point for those who may feel Batmanned out for the year (I call those people “not my friends”). – Sherif

Second Place – Son of Batman

There’s nothing more Batman than a swordfight with Ra’s al Ghul, word to Neal Adams. Grant Morrison has done a great service for the Batman lore by introducing (and then maliciously murdering last February) Damian Wayne, the genetically-bred superbaby of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul. Half master detective, half socio-pathic assassin, all cuddles, Damian bridges Batman to the bad guys and makes for the worst one-night stand in comic book history. This iteration of Morrison’s Batman and Son works well for an animated adaptation, and Deathstroke was a fine addition to this hard-hitting film. What really makes the film memorable is the slobber-knocker between an onery Damian and Nightwing. – Sherif 

Third Place – Batman: Assault on Arkham

If you need any more evidence that Batmania has taken over this year, look no further than Batman: Assault on Arkham, the story ripped straight from the pages of the New52 Suicide Squad, now with Batman for added marketing! I must say, adding Batman to the story widened the scope and made it more interesting. The whole story plays out like an episode of 24, giving off a sense of urgency and suspense that I didn’t really experience with the other DC Animated films this year. – Sherif

RUNNER UP – Mudbloods

As a Quidditch player, I absolutely love this film. Watching the games that UCLA played during the Fifth Annual Quidditch World Cup had my heart racing the entire time. Not only is Mudbloods genuinely a great narrative about the little guy, it’s really informative and explains the game extremely well. I used to play for the Denver Dementors and I’m about to start coaching my own team, so having something to show new team members that really understands Quidditch and the culture behind it is extremely valuable to me. One moment of the film that really stuck with me, and was a major theme in the film, was when the coordinator of the World Cup talked about a time that he was sitting on the grass with a friend and two upperclassmen sneered at them. “I can’t wait for those freaks to play Quidditch again so we can laugh at them,” he remembers them saying. “Now, I used to hate that guy, but now I love him because whenever someone tells me that this is not possible, that we can’t play real life Quidditch… I just remember that douchebag’s face and I know that I’m never going to stop!” he said and then asked that people who had ever been made fun of for playing Quidditch to put their fist up in the air and scream the name of the game. Let’s just say my voice was hoarse after the movie. – Charlotte

RUNNER UP – Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher

Marvel doesn’t really dabble in the animated movies like DC does. Sure, there are the occasional Marvel Knights motion comic adaptations and various anime, but Avengers: Confidential was really the only true animated feature that left an impression on me. Here, Black Widow and Punisher team up to break a bunch of faces. At least, that is my synopsis. The animation is an American attempt at anime, falling somewhere between Afro Samurai and Rise of the Technovore. While the movies are confined to age-appropriate material, it’s nice to see two of Marvel’s deadliest cut loose in the animated world. – Sherif

Next Category: Best Film of the Year

Weekend Wrap-Up February 2, 2014

The Denver Broncos reign on top was shorter than Leprechauns, as they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 43-8. What incredible play by the Seahawks. We’re still proud of our Broncos, and we’ll be rocking orange during our visit to Seattle for Emerald City Comic Con in March.

Aside from Denver’s poor performance, this is what the Super Bowl revealed:

– Nerds Rule: Captain America, Spidey, Transformers.  Oh, my!

– The return of 24

– RHCP and Bruno Mars need to go on tour.

– Budweiser made me wish I owned a horse and a puppy. And that they become best friends. But it still doesn’t make me want beer.

Hush Comics will be celebrating Black History Month will spotlights on African-American writers, artists and graphic novel reviews. #ALLBLACKEVERYTHING

Jesse Eisenberg, star of Now You See Me, The Social Network, and Zombieland, has been cast as Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film. Now, this seems to have upset not only the fanboys, but the bald community as well. We’re less concerned about his dome and more concerned about the age discrepancy between Eisenberg and his co-stars. It’s my theory that Luthor may be cast as an intern at WayneTech or student at Metropolis State.

Also cast in Batman vs. Superman was Jeremy Irons, as Alfred Pennyworth. Irons has had many solid acting gigs through the last twenty years, notably as Rodrigo Borgia in The Borgias. Nobody is allowed to be upset with this casting, as Jeremy Irons meet the single qualification of Alfred – he’s British.

If your wallet is burning a hole in your pocket, you should go buy Justice League: War, the adaptation of the Justice League’s New 52 origin, hitting shelves on Tuesday. Check out our review here.

Dark Horse Comics has announced The Sakai Project, named after Stan Sakai, creator of Usagi Yojimbo. Most may remember Usagi as the mutant rabbit from who cameo-ed in the early TMNT cartoons. To celebrate 30 years of Yojimbo, Dark Horse is gathering dozens of artists to submit their own rendering of Usagi for a special anniversary issue, released in July.

Also out Tuesday, a new free game for Playstation Plus subscribers called Outlast comes out. It will scare the living crap out of you, I promise.

Bones has been renewed for a tenth season. Seems just yesterday that we were watching David Boreanaz brood around The Bronze.

Fienin’ for some bracket-style action? AMC has opened up Zombie Bowl 2014, where you get to vote on which recognizable walkers from The Walking Dead would win in a face-off with your face off. Our money is on the little girl in the pink bathrobe!

Fancy tech watches are all the rage right now, but Apple’s new iWatch product is rumored to be fitness-oriented. I’m not sure who buys watches anymore, but an integration with a fitness component could make it the next popular gadget for the market.

Harry and Hermione, siting in a tree?  According to J.K. Rowling, they should have been.  We think that Hermione and Ron were great together.  Not to mention, Harry Potter was never a love story, but a coming of age story.  H and H 4eva would have ruined that.

Can’t we all just be Friends? Well, David Schwimmer AKA Ross Gellar may possibly joining his  Friends cast-mates in prime-time sitcoms. Schwimmer stars in ABC’s Irreversible, which has yet to be picked up for a full season. Side question: Am I the only one who has been getting their David Schwimmer fix from that guy in American Horror Story?

Channing Tatum could be Gambit.  Ladies everywhere will suddenly be into the X-Men.  Men will watch no matter what.

Seth Myers gave us the Weekend Update for the last time last night on SNL.  Laugh over here.

Microsoft is offering $100 off your purchase of an X-Box One if you give them your PS3, which basically brings the price down to the retail price of a PS4. This console war is really bringing out the greed of Microsoft.

If you’re anything like me, you grew up on some Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers. Then, like me, you should be freaking out because Disney is in talks to make a movie based on the epic cartoon that will focus on the origin of the tiny mystery-solving duo.

Sneakerheads will have something to look forward to this week as a new issue of SLAM Magazine covering the Air Jordan legacy comes out. This issue focuses on Air Jordan I-VI, so I’m sure there will be installments.

Woody Allen is definitely the most glorified pedophile in America.  Fuck you, guy.

Star Wars novels have been around for some time now, but this is the first one that I will undoubtedly buy. Darth Maul – Lockdown was released January 28th (sorry, a little late!) and it follows Darth Maul’s stay at the galaxy’s most dangerous prison; it’s also pre-Phanton Menace, which means a colorful backstory is in order.

In less important news, it has been announced that there will indeed be a sequel to Sharknado coming out on the SyFy channel. And yes, Tara Reid, in all her asymmetric-boobed glory, will be returning as the star.

Lastly, it is with great remorse and a lump in our throats that we talk about Philip Seymour Hoffman.  He was found dead this morning in NYC from a drug overdose.  Not only was he the man who gave the best performance in any Mission Impossible movie, but he also gave us Capote, the term “shart” in Along Came Polly, and of course, Plutarch Heavensbee in Catching Fire.  You will be missed.

Justice League: War Review

Source Material: Justice League Volume 1: Origin (2011)

Original Creative Team: Geoff Johns (writer), Jim Lee (pencils), Alex Sinclair (color) & Scott Williams (inker)

Movie Creative Team: Directed by Jay Oliva (animated The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Under the Red Hood, much more)

DC Animated is back with the first movie based in the New 52 continuity, Justice League: War. Originally named after the first volume story arc, Origin, in the Justice League comics, War follows the core Leaguers in their first encounter with one another. This was a very interesting story to read the first time, as the characters that have decades of lineage are now relatively complete strangers. So, while you’re getting a brand new story, you’re also getting the first story in the New 52 canon.

Let’s discuss the story first; War feels like a 40-yard dash from the get go. Gotham PD is chasing after Batman while Green Lantern tries to intervene as they give chase to an alien invader. One thing leads to another as a snowball of character introductions round out the first half of the story, including the birth of Cyborg. As the heroes, who constantly test each other, making snide jokes along the way, they manage to put enough teamwork together to take on Darkseid and (SPOILER, not really) come away with a W. It’s a pretty basic story that is really brought to life by the art and writing of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, respectively.

That being said, the same magic that made the book so great is heavily diluted in the movie. I feel that the absence of Jim Lee’s art in favor of a more anime-style animation was a poor choice. Perhaps it’s to compete with all the Marvel anime coming out, or if it’s just easier to animate, but the rugged style that suited Flashpoint Paradox just seems unfit for the fantastic chemistry of an All-Star creative team in the first book of a relaunched, flagship series. Aside from being aesthetically displeasing, the voice-acting is a mixed bag. Alan Tudyk is a fitting Superman and I can’t imagine anybody but Shemar Moore voicing Cyborg after seeing the movie, but a lot of the other cast members can be grating at times (Hal Jordan especially), and it left me thankful that they all had to share screen-time.

As far as continuity goes, Jay Oliva did a good job of adapting the book to the movie. The little things are still there: Wonder Woman’s declaration of her love of ice cream, Green Lantern’s detailed constructs and Darkseid’s dominance all translate very well to the small screen. However, there is a key member missing from the Justice League. They completely left Aquaman out, which is actually a bummer (seriously! Not being sarcastic here!) because he had one of the most epic entrances of the book. Instead, Aquaman is replaced with Shazam. This upset me at first, as none of the Shazam! origin story builds in the show, but the way they spin the story is original and heart-felt.

Diana’s new outfit, designed to remove the cleavage shown in the comics, is pretty snazzy

Overall, Justice League: War offers a fun, fresh take on the DC Universe in the New 52 continuity. It doesn’t manage to carry over the amazing chemistry of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, but it’s still entertaining enough to do the story some justice. Aquaman always seems to get the short end of the fish stick, and I feel that it hinders the story, even though there is a cray reveal at the ending credits hinting towards a Throne of Atlantis movie in the making. This film is definitely worth picking up for any fan of the DC Animated films, but I would definitely point any new reader towards the comic books before checking out the film.

 

SCORECARD:

Category	Explanation	Score
Plot	Solid main story is highlighted by several contributing individual stories.	8/10
Voice-acting	Hit or miss cast had great high’s, while the low points were masked by an ensemble cast.	8/10
Representation of Source Material	Swapping Aquaman for Shazam seemed like a cop out more than a twist, and discarding Jim Lee’s style hurt the overall presentation.	7/10
Animation	Big fan of the rugged anime-style character models, but didn’t fit mainstream origin story. Green Lantern constructs kicked ass.	7/10
Sound Effects and Music	Fitting music that drives the action and accentuates the characters.	8/10
Captivity	Action is not a commodity in short supply, as even Flash has trouble keeping up.	9/10
Overall awesomeness	War was a grand-scale origin story, with plenty of explosions and jokes to be worthy of the description.	8/10
Creativity	I like how Shazam! was introduced and placed into Victor’s life, as well as the improvisation with John’s lengthier panels.	9/10
Replayability	With so much going on, it’s easy to miss the little things the first go around, making each subsequent viewing more enjoyable.	9/10
Special Features	Jim Lee means automatic ten at Hush Comics. The DVD is loaded with interviews and featurettes of the DC Co-Publisher.	10/10

 

 

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS, CHECK THESE OUT:

Justice League: The New Frontier is a film with a similar premise, but a much more light-hearted vibe than War.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a similarly-animated gem based on a Geoff John’s storyline.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will fulfill our your Darkseid needs as the World’s Finest take on the New God.

 

NEXT FOR DC ANIMATED:

After making three movies in a row (War, Flashpoint Paradox and Superman: Unbound) based off the writing of Geoff Johns, the next animated film will be based off Grant Morrison’s 2006 graphic novel, Batman and Son. Titled Son of Batman, this film will explore the introduction of Damian Wayne into the DC Universe. Batman’s on-again/off-again relationship with Talia Al-Ghul catches up with Batman in Maury-sized proportions. As he tries to reign in little Damian, Batman battles the League of Assassins and Deathstroke, he struggles to keep Damian and Talia alive. I’m thoroughly excited to see an animated Damian Wayne in a Bat-suit. Son of Batman drops May 6th.

Written by Sherif Elkhatib

So Far This Week… January 22, 2014

With the expansion of Hush Comics, we have decided to give bi-weekly news updates.  Anything we find news-worthy will be posted here every Wednesday and Sunday.  Have anything to add?  Post it in the comments!

So far this week…

Quickly following the release of the next DC Animated film which debuts in less than two weeks (February 4th), Justice League: War, it has been announced that an animated adaptation of Grant Morrison’s Batman & Son story titled Son of Batman will be released in the Spring of 2014. Chronicling the introduction of Damian Wayne, this will be a great addition to the DC Animated library. Check out the trailer below.

DC won’t be the only comic book company getting some animated love; Marvel will be releasing an anime-style movie called Marvel Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, coming straight to DVD on March 25 I’m really excited to see a darker animated film of two of the most brutal enforcers in the Marvel universe. You can find more details here or just check out the trailer below.

Everybody holding out hope that the open world bounty hunter game, Star Wars 1313, would still be produced after LucasArts was sold are going to be sorely disappointed. Disney has officially dropped the trademark on the game’s title, essentially dropping it in the sarlack pit for good. Wanna know more about this  game changer that could have been? Click here.

Don’t be too down in the dumps, Star Wars nerds! There have been heavy talks about a Boba Fett spin-off film. Only thing is, he might not be the Fett you grew up with. If you’re intrigued by Lawrence Kadsan’s (acclaimed Star Wars producer) alteration of the great bounty hunter, check this out.

In an amazing show of love, a couple in Denmark have crafted a table-top version of a Mass Effect reaper, a world destroying drone for the popular science-fiction video-game. It’s terribly realistic, which does the nearly month-long construction justice. You can learn more about this couple and their pet drone here.

It’s a LEGO’opoly out there! LEGO and Marvel have once again teamed up to come out with LEGO sets (and assumed videogame connection) for Captain America: Winter Soldier, Amazing Spiderman 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy, the latter of which will be released in August, right in time for the film. You’d think will all these sets coming out that the price would decrease.

In comics news, Dr. Who will be finding himself a new home after leaving IDW Comics (home to some of our favorite independent comics like TMNT, Samurai Jack and Locke & Key) for a lesser known Titan Comics, ending a six-year run with IDW. We’re not sure how we feel about it, but check the facts and let us know how you feel.

It’s been a while since Bruce Willis has blown something up in a futuristic sci-fi thriller (uh, you mean like in Looper?). This film, titled Vice, portrays a society where people are allowed to take out primal urges on androids. Complications arise when one of the androids becomes self-aware. There are more details here.

The script for a new Fantastic Four film, slated to release in June 2015, has been finished, with casting to begin within a month. I might be the only one who thinks Marvel is beating a dead horse with the FF franchise, but I am excited at the prospect of Michael B. Jordan (The Wire, Fruitvale Station) playing the Human Torch. Those interested should check out this article.

So if the New 52 Justice League International didn’t work out, and the current Justice League of America isn’t working out… the next logical step is to release Justice League: Canada, right? DC Comics logic has me confused. It’s since been renamed Justice League United, and features another ensemble cast of lesser-known DC characters. Check out our reviews when this book drops April 23rd.

New trailers have been released for Maleficent and 300: Rise of an Empire, both of which are on our ‘must see’ list for 2014.

Quentin Tarantino is PISSED! Somebody leaked his finished script for what was supposed to be his next film, a Western titled The Hateful Eight. The leak caused him to go on a Pulp Fiction-esque rant, the entirety of which can be found here.

Miniature Dollhouse reunion, you say?!  It’s true!  You can watch the trailer for Lust for Love starring Franz Kranz, Dichen Lachman, Enver Gjokaj and Felicia Day right here.  Then you can squeal about Whedonverse.

Check back on Sunday to get a new round-up!

Written by Sherif Elkhatib

Justice League Flashpoint Paradox Review

DC has no shortage of stories set in an alternate universe, with most of the play going to Infinite Crisis, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and other Elseworld stories. So when Geoff Johns came out with the Flashpoint arc in 2011, fans were initially skeptical. Not only was Johns trying to reconstruct the DC comic lore, but he was doing it with Flash at the helm. While Barry Allen has been a staple character in the Justice League since his mid-1950’s induction into DC Comics, he remains out of the spotlight. The premise of the Flashpoint storyline is that, in a desperate move to change events in time to save his mother from being murdered, he taps into the Speed Force (it’s a long story; basically, the best way I can describe the Speed Force is an energy that the Flash can pull from to manipulate time… or some crazy shit like that), unknowingly creating a Butterfly Effect, saving his mother but putting himself right in the middle of a world war between Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Flash has found himself in a world without allies and without his powers. It’s a bit far-fetched of a story, but it really works out. So many questions about the DC Universe that begin with “What if” are addressed in the Flashpoint Paradox. What if Hal Jordan never was given a Green Lantern ring? What if Superman’s Kryptonian shuttle passed Smallville and landed in the hands of the government? What if Aquaman and Wonder Woman never got to interact with humanity before their rise to power? Maybe it’s just the fanboy in me, but there’s just something thrilling about not knowing what will happen next – an entire realm of new possible outcomes.

Everything that makes the book work shows up in the film. Foremost, the Flash is an excellent leading character. He’s charismatic, witty and is the one voice of hope in a universe full of darkness. Plus, he can run really fast. But really, it’s Flashpoint Batman that steals the show. Batman (who is not Bruce Wayne in this world) is one of the most rugged and dangerous characters I’ve ever seen. He’s missing the high-tech gadgetry, but he more than makes up for it by being a total badass. Even the President respects his gangster. The rest of the Justice League is also in full effect. Flashpoint Aquaman and Wonder Woman could easily hold their own movie. As the two juggernauts clashed, I almost forgot I was watching a DC Animated movie. Professor Zoom AKA The Reverse Flash AKA… (this could take a while; he has a lot of nicknames) … AKA Thaddeus Thawne plays a crafty villain that is obsessed with bringing down the Flash, even at the expense of destroying the world (Sheesh dude, get a hobby). He presents the perfect match for Flash, as he can manipulate the Speed Force to make it appear that he is going faster or slower. He’s the yin to Flash’s yang and they play off each other well.

I bet the first time The Flash and The Reverse Flash met, it was just like this.

The biggest note of discussion with this film is the decidedly adult nature it takes on. Not only is it darker than the comics it adapts from, but it is the darkest DC Animated film released yet. There are tons of violent deaths, and nobody is off-limits. It’s like I was watching The Wire. While some might see this as unnecessary, I feel that the violence and tragedy add to the gravity of the film. It’s not for the faint of heart, and definitely not a family-friendly movie, but the anime-style brutality made me feel more in touch with the characters and the stakes they were fighting for. The animation is complemented by nuanced changes in the storyline to make things fit more cohesively. Die-hard fans can tell, but there are several events that allude to several of the spin-off stories that come from Flashpoint, chronicling the stories of the Justice League in this alternate timeline from hell. On the other hand, though, some of the subtleties may fall off the deaf ears of many of the casual fans that look to these movies to learn more about comic books.

Overall, this is one of my favorite graphic novel movie adaptations that DC Animated has done. It has a solid storyline and a great voice acting cast to carry it throughout the amazing action scenes and large-scale thrills. Its mature content and subtle hints may turn off some casual fans, but do pay homage to the grave nature of the source material. If you want to broaden your horizons in the comic book world and aren’t afraid of graphic violence, this is the DC Animated film you have been waiting for.

 

SCORECARD:

Category	Explanation	Score
Plot	One of the best alternate universe stories I’ve ever read, there are a few points in the film you can’t really understand unless you’ve read the source material.	8/10
Voice-acting	An All-Star cast creates believable characters that carry themselves.	10/10
Representation of Source Material	Flashpoint does a solid job of taking the source material and bringing it to life, keeping some of the most memorable moments intact.	10/10
Animation	The hardcore and anime-like feel of the film fit the dark storyline. They also do a great job of making the Flash’s animations clean.	8/10
Sound Effects and Music	Hero-certified music and cool time-warping sound effects fit the ambiance	8/10
Captivity	Flashpoint is broken up into enough segments that it never feels like it’s as far along as it really is.	10/10
Overall awesomeness	There is nothing about this film that does not kick total ass.	10/10
Creativity	Even though it’s a remake of a graphic novel, the genius that is Geoff Johns crafted an amazing story that explores an alternate universe with no reservations.	10/10
Replayability	I’ve seen the Flashpoint Paradox three times already, and there are more details to catch everytime	9/10
Special Features	A feature on the Rogues Gallery, a scientific breakdown of the Speedforce and some great DC Vault episodes make this an excellent showcase of The Flash	10/10

 

 

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS, CHECK THESE OUT:

Justice League: Doom (film)

 

All the Flashpoint books!

 

NEXT FOR DC ANIMATED:

Justice League: War will be DC Animated’s first New 52 movie and will reprise the first storyline of Jim Lee and Geoff John’s Justice League. All that I have on my wish list is that it’s animated by Jim Lee (I’m kind of obsessed with his art) and that I get to see the animated version of this. It’s already been released that Whedon alum Alan Tudyk is voicing Superman and DC Animated veteran Jay Oliva will be directing. Check out the teaser trailer at the link below.

Written by Sherif Elkhatib