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5 Best Characters & Stories Primed for an MCU Special Presentation!

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe recently experimented with a new format and dropped the so-called “Special Presentation” Werewolf By Night on Disney Plus. The special is a delightful addition to the ever-expanding MCU, using a taut hour-long runtime to introduce audiences to the titular lycanthrope and other key but obscure characters from the comics – most notably, plant monster Man-Thing and monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone. The special further sets itself apart with a well-executed tone that pays tribute to classic horror films of the Universal Monsters era. Werewolf By Night stands out at a time when superhero media – and MCU content in particular – needs entries that are more than just retreads of a tried-and-true formula.

As the credits rolled on Werewolf By Night, I started to think about what made this first MCU Special Presentation work and other, new-to-the-MCU characters from the pages of Marvel comics would be a good fit for the format. In my mind, this could be due to the possibility of seeing a brand new corner of the MCU, the potential to showcase a specific genre, or a character that historically has a niche role in the comics and thus lends themselves to a self-contained introduction.

So with those general guidelines in mind, allow me if you please to put my Kevin Feige-style baseball cap on and propose five characters who could be interesting at the center of a future MCU Special Presentation, and the comics that could serve as inspiration for their stories.

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Dave’s Faves: The MCU Power Rankings!

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For about a decade now, I’ve updated my Marvel Cinematic Universe power rankings with each new movie and TV series release. I’ve also preposterously avoided putting those rankings in one consistent place, so as the list hits 50 entries, it’s time to rectify that!

Below you’ll find my favorite MCU movies and TV ranked in order from best to worst. Before you begin picking nits, yes, I’ve included Marvel TV shows published during the MCU that aren’t considered MCU canon, and no, I won’t change that. [Read more…] about Dave’s Faves: The MCU Power Rankings!

Spider-Man: No Way Home Review!

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It’s 2002 and I’m in Junior High, sitting front row (but too nervous to slide four seats over next to my crush) for the debut of the first Spider-Man movie of my life. I’m way too shy to talk to my crush after, but I can’t stop talking to anyone within earshot about Spider-Man. From this point forward I will refer to Spider-Man as my favorite comic book character (sorry Wolverine and Nightcrawler).

It’s 2012, and I’ve been married just over a year, and I’m watching the rebooted Amazing Spider-Man on DVD in my Chicago apartment, gin and tonic in my hand. I’ve started a comic book website recently, but it’s a fledgling little project. I won’t even cover the film there. I’m quite unsure of where my life is headed professionally, stressed out and aimless, but nonetheless I have a great time watching.

It’s 2021 and I have a rare night out without my three young boys, watching Spider-Man: No Way Home in a theater screening that required proof of vaccination against a virus sweeping the world yet again. Today I’ll worry about all the maskless moviegoers around me enjoying their popcorn, but for nearly 3 hours, I’m fixated on the webbed mask Steve Ditko designed so perfectly in the early 60’s.

A lot’s changed for me in two decades, but one relative constant is that I’m more likely than not to enjoy a great Spider-Man movie, and Spider-Man: No Way Home is no exception.
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MCU Eternals Review!

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Above everything surrounding Eternals – the reports of global bans for Marvel Studio’s (woefully belated) attempts at queer representation, the most rotten critical reception any MCU movie has seen, the debates about MCU fandom’s respect for Eternals creator and Marvel Comics King, Jack Kirby – there’s one element I was most excited to figure out: What’s the strategic thinking behind Eternals at this particular moment of MCU Phase 4? Why Eternals, and why now?

* Spoilers For Eternals Will Follow*

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Do Marvel Movies (MCU) Lead To Actual Comic Book Readers?

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I joked recently on Twitter about the absurdity of the worst voices on the fringes of comic book media who have made their grift all about “the death of comics.” The culture war doomsaying is especially laughable when I look at the absolute dominance of comic books in entertainment and pop culture. The shouty “comics are dying, we have to scream at marginalized groups until they are saved” crowd is a murky den of misinformation and misplaced rage, but like most topics these days, it’s also very much a *platformed” source of misinformation. So when comic fans – especially newcomers – are confused about the state of things, well, I can see why that might be!

Now, there are experts in the field much better suited to tell you about the state of comic book sales over the past decade, and moving forward. I highly recommend John Jackson Miller with Comichron, and David Harper’s SKTCHD frequently compiles some of the most insightful digs into the subject. The long and short of analysis from these kinds of experts is that comics as a medium are booming, just not necessarily from the single issue floppy serial comics that have been the mediums pulp-in-trade since the 1930’s.

Nonetheless, questions about comics’ longevity remain, particularly in regards to whether the likes of the MCU actually drives comics readership. To answer this in my way, I turned to the one unique thing I have no one else does: Comic Book Herald’s analytics. [Read more…] about Do Marvel Movies (MCU) Lead To Actual Comic Book Readers?