By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

This piece marks the first time I’m going out of my way to soften my words a bit. That’s not to say I’m regularly in the habit of offending people, or being “edgy.” But as far as Star Wars fanboys are concerned, this topic tends to be a bit heated at times. And as I’ve learned in the past, passionate fans can occasionally turn into rabid ones. *sigh* Okay, here we go…

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace returns to theaters this month, this time in 3D. Because even though George Lucas is tired of being ridiculed about the quality of his newer films, he certainly isn’t opposed to making additional money off them. I’m interested to see how much the movie pulls in during it’s stay, as The Phantom Menace was unquestionably the least well received of the Star Wars films. Even Lucas himself has talked about that.

It’s been well documented that the majority of die-hard Star Wars fans harbor negative feelings toward Menace that range from simple dislike to pure loathing. Hell, there’ve been entire films dedicated to just how bad people think this movie is. Red Letter Media did a video review of the film that’s nearly as  long as the movie itself. Yeesh…

By now, you’ve likely heard the common complaints: 1. Jar Jar Binks is an annoying cartoon character placed in the movie solely to appeal to kids. 2. Jake Lloyd’s acting is as bad as it is cheesy. 3. Darth Maul is the coolest character in the movie, but doesn’t get enough screen time. 4. The Force should be a spiritual gift, as opposed to biological one, which we learn about in this movie. And those are just a few.

But here’s the thing, and this is where it might get messy…I really don’t have much of a problem with The Phantom Menace. In terms of it’s execution, I think a lot of the dialogue (specifically the lines coming from Anakin and Jar Jar) is corny. But for my money it’s not half as bad as some of the stuff we got in Attack of the Clones, and especially Revenge of the Sith.

It took me years to break out of my state of denial about the prequels, and the fact that they are indeed of questionable quality. For the longest time I had this blind loyalty to George Lucas and the Star Wars universe because of how much the original films meant to me. But enough time has passed and I’ve grown up enough that I can finally be honest with myself about this. Not bitter or cynical, as a lot of fans are, but honest. And this is my honest opinion of The Phantom Menace.

1. A Kid’s Movie
Many moviegoers, perhaps understandably, questioned why we even needed to see Darth Vader as a young child. I remember when Attack of the Clones came out, some fans were saying that movie should have been Episode I, so that Lucas and his cohorts could have more time to explore Anakin’s turn to the dark side, the Clone Wars, etc. Menace takes place about 32 years before the events of the original film. Did we really need to go back that far? In the past, George Lucas has said things to the effect of: “The story simply is what it is.” Well, not necessarily. You wrote the story, you can change the story. Lucas certainly knows a thing or two about changing his creations…

Hindsight is always 20/20, of course. But if the story you’re going to go with is that at 8-years-old, this slave boy was discovered by warriors, taken from his mother and thrust into this intergalactic conflict, thus beginning his descent into darkness, it makes sense for us to actually see that separation. That way, we’re sitting next to Anakin during his entire journey, as opposed to entering in the middle. By doing that, we’re seeing that Anakin wasn’t born as this unstable individual on the path to bloody murder. At one point, he was a good person. That’s important to establish.

How well our look into Anakin’s childhood was executed? That’s another story. It wasn’t perfect. Anakin’s big “yipee!” after discovering that he’s leaving this barren desert world of child labor and slavery is a bit…awkward. Some fans also had a problem with the fact that he got in the starfighter and blew up the big ship at the end. That never bothered me, personally. We had established that this kid had Jedi talents, and he was already a skilled pilot. Plus, he didn’t even blow the ship up intentionally! His ship was shot down, and he ended up crashing INSIDE the damn thing. Far fetched? Maybe. But it’s a movie. Give it a break.

I would also take issue with people who’ve said Lloyd was a bad actor. He wasn’t Haley Joel Osment, but he wasn’t supposed to be. This 8 or 9-year-old kid was saying the lines that had been written for him, and doing the things he was directed to do. Who wrote those lines? Who was sitting in the director’s chair? George Lucas. When the buck stops with you, as it does with Lucas on almost all things Star Wars, inevitably so does all the criticism. If I’m not mistaken, The Phantom Menace was the first movie Lucas had done the actual screenplay for since Return of the Jedi in ’80s (and even then he had help from Lawrence Kasdan), and the first film he’d directed since the ORIGINAL Star Wars film in the ’70s! If I had to pick one factor to point to as the major cause of the prequels being inferior to the original films, it would be Lucas hogging both the pen and the director’s chair. For whatever reason, it worked in A New Hope, but the prequels suffered for it. So if you want to gripe about Jake Lloyd’s scenes in this movie, which really aren’t that bad to begin with, gripe about the man in the flannel shirt sitting in the director’s chair.

2. “Meesa Called Jar Jar Binks”
Even as a kid, I remember being amazed at how much grief this film got over Jar Jar Binks. Is he a bit over the top sometimes? Absolutely. When he does the big dive into the water during the first half of the movie? Too much. Also too far: When he shouts at Qui-Gon about “When’a yousa thinkin’ weesa in trouble?” But I never thought he was even remotely as annoying as other people thought he was. Maybe it’s the fact that I was fairly young when I saw this movie. Maybe I was just more tolerant of this kind of thing. Either way, I was mostly fine with the character.

The common thread running through the majority of the complaints is that he was too clowny and too childish. I can understand that complaint. The original films managed to get their humor across without having characters that were in the film specifically for that reason. And I suppose on some level Jar Jar’s humor feels a bit forced. At the very least, Jar Jar was something never seen before in a Star Wars film.

In defending his use of Jar Jar, Lucas at one point told BBC News: ”There is a group of fans for the films that doesn’t like comic sidekicks. They want the films to be tough like Terminator, and they get very upset and opinionated about anything that has anything to do with being childlike. The movies are for children but they don’t want to admit that. In the first film they absolutely hated R2 and C-3PO. In the second film they didn’t like Yoda and in the third one they hated the Ewoks… and now Jar Jar is getting accused of the same thing.”

I can’t say for sure whether the droids and Yoda actually felt a backlash. The Ewoks definitely had one. But none of them even felt a portion of the wrath that Jar Jar has felt. The main thing I can say in defense of this character is that I saw this movie in the theater three times. Each time, the kids loved Jar Jar. For that young demographic, he was one of the best parts of the movie. I suppose what I would say to avid Jar Jar haters is to remember when you first fell in love with Star Wars. For most fans, it was when they were children. So, think about how your younger self have reacted to this character, and be honest…

Heesa not great, but heesa not so bad.

3. Jedi, Sith and Lip-Syncing
I’ve always enjoyed Liam Neeson’s presence in this movie. He always plays mentor characters rather well, and as we’ve learned in the last few years with movies like Taken and The Grey, he makes a great bad ass. In The Phantom Menace we get both.

Darth Maul obviously played a huge role in the marketing of this movie, which to an extent was not a good thing, as he gets considerably less screen time than you’d expect for a character advertised so heavily. Still, he’s become one of the most recognizable characters in the entire series, and most fans agree that the fight between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul is great.

One thing I’ve always complained about is that the lip syncing for Nute Gunray and Rune Haako sucks. If I could change anything in this movie in terms of the special effects, it would be that. Thankfully we don’t see them enough for it to be a hugely memorable problem.

Also, during the scene near the beginning of the movie where the Jedi are being shot at by the destroyer droids, there’s a brief moment where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan do a Force-induced dash away from the blaster fire. But when they do it we only see them from a distance, and initially I actually wondered if it was an editing error. I’d have clarified that moment a bit.

Will I see The Phantom Menace in 3D? Probably not, but that’s not because I have anything against the movie. It’s because I think, as Roger Ebert once said, “It’s a waste of a dimension” and “it adds nothing to the experience.” But George can always hear that money train coming, and when it comes to Star Wars, it’s never too late to jump on. In all honesty, I hope it does well. It may be a marketing slogan, but there’s really nothing like seeing Star Wars on the big screen.

Front page image from insideturnedout.blogspot.com. Image 1 from pariscine.com. Image 2 from starcasm.com. Image 3 from screened.com. Image 4 from hiphopjedi.blogspot.com. Image 5 from petergett.com. Image 6 from joblo.com. 

TITLE: Catwoman, Vol. 1
AUTHORS: Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker
PENCILLERS: Darwyn Cooke, Brad Rader, Cameron Stewart
COLLECTS: Excerpts from Detective Comics #759-762, Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, Catwoman #1-9
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $29.99
RELEASED: January 25, 2012

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Wow. I’d forgotten how much I miss this era of Catwoman. Containing content from 2001 and 2002, this book captures the beginning of a creative high in the character’s history, shortly after she lost the purple costume with the tail, and about a decade before she and Batman bumped uglies in-costume in a public place. Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke cast Selina Kyle as a woman trying to rediscover her purpose, serving as a valiant yet at times uncertain defender of the defenseless in Gotham City’s east end. It’s done with a delicious street-level noir flavor that, when you read it, you start to pine for it in the New 52 Bat-books.

Set several months after Selina is believed to have been killed in an explosion, she goes broke after a job turns into a dead end. She heads home to Gotham, and catches wind of a $24 million money train heading into Canada to pick up some heroin. She plans an intricate heist with help from Stark, a grizzled face from her past. Meanwhile, the mayor of Gotham City tasks private eye Slam Bradley with tracking down Selina Kyle. Bradley’s not as young as he used to be, but he’s honest to a fault and determined to find answers no matter whose feathers he ruffles, including Batman’s. Later, Catwoman takes on a prostitute killer and dirty cops as she returns to her roots on the east end, with help from her younger sister Holly, and her new therapist Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

Ah, the sins of a young comic book reader. This 2001/2002 period was about the time I started seriously getting into the medium. As such, I didn’t necessarily have a good sense of what I had in my hands with these books back then. Now, I really want to be ashamed of myself for not knowing. Cooke’s art, which has been described as a blending of artists like Jack Kirby, Bruce Timm and Alex Toth, isn’t what would normally come to mind when you think of Catwoman, the places she inhabits, or the things she does. But my God, does it work. I’ve always said that Selina Kyle should have an inherent sense of sophistication, maturity, and even class about her. Selina is not an older woman, but she’s been hardened by her life as an orphan-turned-prostitute-turned-vigilante. She can’t just be a hot chick in a catsuit. Catwoman has to have a certain aura about her. Cooke’s art, which is in some ways a throwback to a more dynamic mid-20th century style, mixed in with some explosive action sequences (see Catwoman’s fight with the revealed prostitute murderer), provides that aura very well. Brad Rader and Cameron Stewart are given the unenviable task of following Cooke in the later part of this collection. The transition is fairly smooth, but you still find yourself missing him.

In some ways, this book is a tribute to both the classic American heist film, and the definitive street detective story. If you know your heist stories, you should feel more than welcome in the pages of Selina’s Big Score. Selina never actually appears as Catwoman, but given the nature of the story and the timeframe in which it takes place, she doesn’t need to. And, in many ways, Slam Bradley is the quintessential trenchcoat-and-fedora-wearing gumshoe. He’s a grizzled, incorruptible, cigarette smoking, head knocking troublemaker who tends to have more guts than brains. He’s a perfect fit for Brubaker, and a surprisingly natural partner for Catwoman. And of course, you’ve got a lot of your classic superhero elements in here too. This book pulls from so many different sources, which even today makes it a unique offering.

This collection was undoubtedly released to coincide with The Dark Knight Rises, which comes out this July. If DC was looking to give fans a definitive Catwoman story to prep them for the character’s appearance in the film, they succeeded on almost every level. The content in this book is unquestionably the definitive Catwoman content of the last decade.  At times, it’s a downright beautiful thing.

RATING: 9.5/10

Front page image from mognetcentral.files.wordpress.com. Image 1 from maxmiliani.tumblr.com. Image 2 from joblo.com. 

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Universal Pictures has announced that Al Pacino will voice the villain in the upcoming sequel to Despicable Me.

Javier Bardem was originally pegged for the role, but he eventually passed on it.

Bardem was originally supposed to voice a character called El Macho, a villain who has three sons, much like Steve Carrell’s character Gru has daughters. Whether Pacino will play the same character is unknown.

The film is scheduled for release on July 3, 2013. In addition to Pacino and the returning Steve Carrell, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig and Miranda Cosgrove.

Source: Cinema Blend

TITLE: Winter Soldier #1
AUTHOR: Ed Brubaker
PENCILLER: Butch Guice. Cover by Lee Bermejo. 
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASED: February 1, 2012

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Between this book and Fatale #2, Brubaker had a pretty good week.

In Winter Soldier, Brubaker takes James “Bucky” Barnes, the character he resurrected in 2004, and expands on the tweaks he made to the character’s history. Namely that Barnes had been trained to undertake covert missions that Captain America would be unwilling to do, and that after his alleged death during World War II, an amnesiac Barnes was found by the Soviets and brainwashed into becoming a covert assassin for them. His code name? Winter Soldier. Following yet another alleged death in Fear Itself, the world now believes Barnes to be gone (Steve Rogers, Nick Fury and Natasha Romanova, a.k.a. Black Widow, are the only exceptions). He takes this opportunity to resume his work as Winter Soldier, this time for the US with Black Widow at his side.

Obviously when a writer works with a particular character long enough, it becomes almost second nature. That seems to be the case with Brubaker and Bucky Barnes here. His dialogue with Natasha all comes off natural and effortless, even during a scene when they’re discussing restaurant selections while being shot at. We get the vibe that this sort of Jason Bourne, life in the shadows existence is simply another day on the job for both characters. Such a demeanor is obviously a little far-fetched, but it avoids being too hokey in a “you still alive, baby?” kind of way.

Butch Guice provides the sort of art you’d expect to see in a Brubaker story like this. It’s got a darker tone, and a texture that almost looks painted at times. But it’s a perfect fit for the tone Brubaker seems to be going for. Bettie Breitweiser’s colors, especially her serene yet somehow sour blues, round things out perfectly.

All in all, this book is a no-brainer for fans of Brubaker’s work with Captain America and his cast of characters. Fans of espionage/secret agent/covert ops type stories should enjoy it too.

Front page image from legacycomics.net. Interior image from comicsalliance.com. 

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

DC Entertainment announced today that it will publish seven Watchmen prequel miniseries’ this summer, under the collective title Before Watchmen.

The books and creative teams are as follows (artwork can be seen at the bottom of this post).

- Rorschach, a four-issue story by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo (the team behind books like Joker and Lex Luthor: Man of Steel.

-Comedian, a six-issue story by Azzarello and J.G. Jones (this explains Jones’ sketch of The Comedian, which was leaked online recently).

- Silk Spectre, a four-issue story by Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner (a sketch of Silk Spectre by Conner was also leaked).

- Minutemen, a six-issue story by Darwyn Cooke.

- Night Owl, a four-issue story by J. Michael Stracynski, with Andy and Joe Kubert handling the art (ditto for Nite Owl by Andy Kubert).

- Dr. Manhattan, a four-issue story by Stracynski and Adam Hughes.

- Ozymandias, a six-issue story by Len Wein and Jae Lee.

Each issue will also feature a two-page backup story called Curse of the Crimson Corsair, by Len Wein and John Higgins.

A press release quote attributed to DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee reads: “It’s our responsibility as publishers to find new ways to keep all of our characters relevant. After 25 years, the Watchmen are classic characters whose time has come for new stories to be told. We sought out the best writers and artists in the industry to build on the complex mythology of the original….Comic books are perhaps the largest and longest running form of collaborative fiction. Collaborative storytelling is what keeps these fictional universes current and relevant.”

Alan Moore, the iconic comic book writer who penned Watchmen, has predictably spoken out against the idea of reviving the Watchmen characters. In a New York Times interview, he called the idea “completely shameless,” adding: “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago.”

Moore has said he won’t try to prevent the project with a legal battle..

“I don’t want money,” Moore said. “What I want is for this not to happen.”

Dave Gibbons, who did the art on Watchmen, is much more compliant. DC’s release quoted him as saying: “The original series of Watchmen is the complete story that Alan Moore and I wanted to tell. However, I appreciate DC’s reasons for this initiative and the wish of the artists and writers involved to pay tribute to our work. May these new additions have the success they desire.”

Sources: The New York Times, DC Comics, ComicBookResources.com

TITLE: Transient
AUTHOR/ARTIST: Justin “Coro” Kaufman
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: Massive Black Entertainment
PRICE: $45
RELEASED: January 2012

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Mythology, both modern and classic, is filled with heroes. Think Osiris, Prometheus, King Arthur, Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and the like. Some would even add Jesus Christ, Moses and Buddha. In Transient, we meet a brand new name for the list: Bob the homeless guy.

No, seriously,  Bob the homeless guy. He’s our hero in this monomyth parody/black comedy by Justin “Coro” Kaufman.

In Transient, we find that our main character is a homeless man who once led a fairly prosperous life with his wife and son. He eventually left them because of a series of freakish visions he’d been seeing on and off since childhood. In said visions, Bob is visited by strange, and sometimes rather disturbing creatures, who insist that he’s destined to protect humanity and save the universe. Fast forward to present day, and Bob witnesses the bizarre murder of a friend by a man who appears to be wearing a jacket made up of live pigeons. An unconventional investigation into the killing sets Bob on a path to Sacramento, where he must find those behind the murder, and save the universe once and for all.

First and foremost, Transient has some of the most creatively designed monsters I’ve ever seen in the comic book industry. Frankly, they’re right up there with whatever creatures you’d find in any other storytelling medium. Granted, they’re rather morbid-looking at times. For instance, at one point Bob runs into a female creature who seems to have numerous breasts arranged like a fruit-basket on her head, a mouth that looks eerily like a vagina, as well as exposed intestines and a penis-like protrusion extending from her groin. They’re not all that graphic, but you get the idea. They all fit the same depraved, yet somehow amazing mold. Kaufman, or whoever designed all these monsters, must have an imagination that’s…very unconventional. Yeah, let’s go with very unconventional.

What’s all the more interesting is that we don’t know whether the things Bob is seeing are actually real. He is told he has the rare ability to see into different planes of existence, which explains why no one else can see the creatures. But even though we learn that Bob is a genuinely good person, we’re never sure how sane he really is. We trust his heart, but not his mind. In the end, Bob may simply be trapped in his own personal land of Oz, unable to wake up.

The art in this book is absolutely beautiful. It’s got the grimy feel you’d expect a book about a homeless man to have, but at times it’s also got a great sense of awe-inspiring wonder about it. I’d compare it to seeing some of the other-worldly creatures in a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movie. That wonder helps instill a sense of believability in Bob’s visions. They look so real, you can’t help but believe they are real.

As for the comedic aspect of this book, it’s not hilarious, but I chuckled a few times. Obviously, it helps if you have at least a vague familiarity with Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, so you can pick up on some of the things Kaufman’s making light of. But there are funny little moments that add to the tongue-in-cheek nature of the book. One of my favorites is when Bob and his love interest Peaches are having sex, and she tells him: “Bob, it feels like we’re the only people on Earth right now.” Then we pull back and see they’re out on the sidewalk.

Transient isn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it accomplishes it’s goal in manner that’s so creative and clever that you can’t help but recognize it as a wonderful piece of art that it is. Not bad for a homeless hero…

RATING: 9/10

Front page image from awesome-robo.com. Interior images from webcomicoverload.com. 

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Following the success of last year’s X-Men: First Class, 20th Century Fox has reportedly signed director Matthew Vaughn to return for a sequel.

In addition, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and the rest of cast from First Class signed a multi-picture deal, so they can be expected to return for the sequel if they are asked to.

The script is being written by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand, Sherlock Holmes, Jumper). Bryan Singer, who directed X-Men and X2: X-Men United is attached as a producer.

X-Men: First Class made $353 million worldwide, and was widely acknowledged as one of the best films of this past summer.

Source: ComingSoon.net
Image from igossip.com. 

TITLE: Batman & Robin: Dark Knight, White Knight
AUTHORS: Paul Cornell, Peter Tomasi, Judd Winick
PENCILLERS: Scott McDaniel, Patrick Gleason, Guillem March, Greg Tocchini. Cover by Gleason.
COLLECTS: Batman & Robin #17-25
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $22.99
RELEASED: January 25, 2012

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne have a lot on their plates in this book. A crazy lady with a hole through her head, an angel-themed villain who’s dropping people from high places, and even their “brother” Jason Todd. But one person you won’t find in this book is Grant Morrison. Dark Knight, White Knight collects this title’s first nine months of existence without Morrison at the helm. It still manages to do well, but Morrison is definitely missed.

This book collects three stories, each lasting three issues. In the first, one of Bruce Wayne’s old flames is shot through the skull during an attempted robbery, but manages to survive due to a condition called dandy walker syndrome (long story, look it up). Obsessed with the fact that Wayne didn’t attend her funeral (he was lost in time at that point), she becomes a supervillain named Absence and vows to get revenge on him. As Dick and Damian are in charge of Gotham in his absence, they step up. I’ve talked about this story already, and for the most part my opinion hasn’t changed. I’ve softened up a bit on Absence, though the hole-in-the-head thing is still a huge stretch for me. Her crimes all force Batman and Robin to figure out what’s missing from a bigger picture, which is a nice little quirk. Scott McDaniel handles the art, and I’m not a big fan of his. But all in all, it’s a worthy addition to a book.

Next, our heroes go up against the White Knight, a luminous angel-themed villain who’s enforcing his own brand of merciless justice. The trouble is, are innocent citizens. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason take the reigns on this one, and manage to deliver something solid. It’s a bit more intriguing than the Absence story, especially once we discover what White Knight’s pattern is. We also get a really interesting, yet tense little moment between Commissioner Gordon and Damian. I’d love to see that dynamic explored further.

Finally we run into Jason Todd, a.k.a The Red Hood, who’s freshly sprung from prison, but quickly finds himself at odds with a bizarre gang of South American gang called The Menagerie. Inevitably, Batman and Robin find themselves dragged into the situation. Judd Winick, who ushered in Jason’s return from the dead, gives us an okay story here. There’s a decent-sized flaw, in that we never find out exactly why these gangsters are targeting Jason (is it just because they’re evil?). Guillem March, who pens the early portion of this story, has done better but is still alright. Greg Tocchini finishes it with a respectable effort. It’s not Winick’s best work with Jason Todd. Still, few are better at writing the character than him.

All in all, a respectable addition to the Batman & Robin series, but it’s certainly not at the level Morrison left it at. Considering three different writers worked on this volume, along with even more artists, that’s understandable. It’s a fairly entertaining read, and that’s what matters.

RATING: 7/10

Front page image from comicartcommunity.com. Interior image from bubblesbounce.tumblr.com.
For more Batman & Robin, check out Batman Reborn, Batman vs. Robin, and Batman Must Die.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

In a rather drastic move, WWE has announced that Zack Ryder has a broken back after taking a chokeslam through the Raw set by Kane. He’s not really hurt, of course. Rumor has it the real reason Ryder was taken off TV is so he could film a project for the WWE network. Still, a broken back? Shawn Michaels legitimately broke his back in the late ’90s, and didn’t come back for over four years. Torrie Wilson retired from wrestling due to a back injury. Couldn’t they have just said he busted his ribs or hurt his shoulder? Why did they have to be so dramatic about the whole thing?

In any event, it’s probably better that Ryder’s off TV for a little while. While I’m extremely happy WWE is investing TV time in him, some of their creative decisions with him lately have been questionable, particularly when it comes to how closely he’s been linked to John Cena. Cena’s legitimate support of the “Ryder Revolution” has been invaluable in getting him noticed. But the way they’ve incorporated that into the product makes Ryder seem like Cena’s little buddy, and a man who’s not necessarily capable of fighting his own battles. Case in point: Several weeks ago Cena gave up a shot at the WWE Heavyweight Title so that Ryder could get a match for the United States Title. In subsequent weeks, whenever General Manager John Laurinaitis made a move designed to screw Ryder over, we saw Cena jump to his defense almost every time, instead of seeing Ryder do it himself. Then, when he finally did man up on Raw this past Monday, he got taken out. Top that off with Kane’s repeated assaults on the character, and Ryder really hasn’t been made to look very strong at all.

I understand that it doesn’t make much sense to make Ryder a big winner all of a sudden when he’s spent so much time losing in recent years. But if we’re going to make him into a babyface character, shouldn’t we at least establish that he’s capable of standing on his own two feet? With any luck, some time away from the limelight will benefit him, and he can come back stronger.

John Cena vs. Kane
This was a really well-conceived program, especially as we get closer to Cena’s match with The Rock at Wrestlemania. Kane is basically urging Cena to become a bad guy, just as a large portion of the WWE fan base have been doing for years now. But Cena refuses to change, he refuses to embrace the hate. It’s a cool instance of “art imitates life.” Despite Eve Torres’ bad acting, and Zack Ryder being relegated to sidekick status, I liked the general direction they were going with the story this past Monday. In a fit of emotion, Eve unjustifiably blamed Cena for Ryder’s injury. Then, just before commercial, we saw the rage boiling up inside Cena. That’s the reaction Kane’s been trying to get out of Cena for weeks, and the fact that he got it without having to lay a hand on Cena makes him look like a great manipulator. And we’ve seen many a wrestling hero turn heel after they’ve been blamed and ridiculed, but they feel they’ve done nothing wrong. So this just be the next step toward a turn to the dark side for Cena. Is that likely? No. But it’s not impossible.

But if it is going to happen, it won’t be at the Rumble. Cena will in fact “Rise Above Hate” on this night, or at least escape with his morals intact. But I’m anxious to see what’s next for him.

Rob’s Prediction: John Cena
Winner: Double Count Out

TRIPLE-THREAT STEEL CAGE MATCH FOR WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE:
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. The Big Show vs. Mark Henry

I never got the chance to say it after last months’ TLC show, so I’ll say it now: Daniel Bryan is a heavyweight champion in WWE. Well whaddaya know about that?

I like this match. In previous years, the matches on the Royal Rumble have been placed on the backburner or excessively shortened, as they’ve taken a backseat to the Rumble match itself. It’s hard to fit a triple threat steel cage match for the World Title in the background. What’s more, I like that we’ve got Daniel Bryan, a small man by wrestler standards, in there with two super heavyweights. It could make for a very interesting match. I’m going with Bryan on this one. While I’d be very surprised if he carries the belt into Wrestlemania, I think a win here would give him some of the credibility that he needs as champion. Let’s face it, before TLC he’d been losing more than he’d been winning. A victory here would help illustrate to casual fans what die-hard wrestling fans already know: That Bryan is more than worthy of competing at this level on the national stage.

Rob’s Prediction: Daniel Bryan
Winner: Daniel Bryan

WWE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH:
CM Punk (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Guest Referee: John Laurinaitis

Punk and Ziggler have been knocking their televised matches out of the park, so I’m more than happy to see them wrestle at at a major pay per view. But good lord, can we PLEASE get John Laurinaitis off TV? Was I the only one looking at his face when he got hoisted up for Punk’s GTS on Monday? Any other performer would have done his best to look terrified. But Laurinaitis? No expression at all. Seriously, look at the photo. It’s pathetic.

Dolph Ziggler will likely be a heavyweight champion within the next 12 months, but the Rumble won’t be his night. I see Punk holding on to the title until Wrestlemania at least. The real question is, who’s he going to face that night in Miami?

Rob’s Prediction: CM Punk
Winner: CM Punk

2012 Royal Rumble Match
One of the many exciting elements about this match is how difficult it is to predict sometimes. Some years, there’s a clear favorite. Last year it was pretty obvious Alberto Del Rio was going to win. But this year it seems to be anybody’s ball game, and that makes for a really suspenseful match.

There haven’t been many official announcements in terms of entrants. From what I’ve seen, we know Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Santino Marella, The Miz and R-Truth are all in. As for the other 25 spots, just about anybody could fill them. The Rumble is notorious for having surprise entrants from yesteryear, so we’re bound to see at least one old friend pop up at some point during the night…

A lot of fans are pointing at Chris Jericho for the big win. Others are looking at Randy Orton, as the Rumble is in his home state this year. Both of those men would be perfectly acceptable winners. But I’ve got a different name in mind: Sheamus. WWE has been building Sheamus up as a babyface over the past several months, and it’s gone rather well. If all goes well, he’s could reach Orton or CM Punk’s level in terms of popularity. A Rumble win and a top spot at Wrestlemania would likely cement Sheamus’ spot as one of the pillars of WWE in 2012. For my money, Sheamus has as good a chance as anybody to be the last man standing.

Rob’s Prediction: Sheamus
Winner: Sheamus

Front page image from straightedgereport.com. Image 1 from ohwoooo.tumblr.com. Other images from WWE.com. 

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

Columbia Pictures has released the official plot synopsis for this summer’s The Amazing Spider-Man, which comes out July 3. It is as follows…

One of the world’s most popular characters is back on the big screen as a new chapter in the Spider-Man legacy is revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man. Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the new film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan, with Martin Sheen and Sally Field. The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt, based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are producing the film in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures, which will open in theaters everywhere in 3D on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

Source: ComingSoon.net
Image from newsarama.com.