All posts by richard.purnell

Richard Purnell is the co-host, editer, and the DC Comic book side of things when it comes to the show COMICS! Currently, when he isn't reading comic books or making videos, Richard is getting a degree in Digital Video Media at Stark State College of Technology. He hopes to one day make a feature film, and write a comic about his Superhero creation, Captain Crazy.
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Evil Dead (2013) Review

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evildeadtrailer

The most terrifying film you will ever experience? Clearly, SOMEONE has never experienced Batman and Robin before….

Hello everyone! It’s your resident comic book nerd, Richard, here! Today, I present to you my first written movie review! Exciting stuff, right? I bet you’ve never seen a review about a movie on this site before? So, in case you don’t remember, last October I attended the New York Comic Con. I had the time of my life there. Bought some amazing merch, met/saw some of the most brilliant comic creators and film makers, and I got to do press work for two big horror remakes coming out this year. One of those very flicks just released last Friday, and that flick was Evil Dead. And so, I figured since I covered the movie at NYCC…I might as well review it too.

Anyways, as mentioned, Evil Dead is a remake of the cult classic horror movie The Evil Dead from 1981. The plot of both Evil Dead films is pretty easy to summarize. A couple of people hit up a cabin in the woods, and eventually they find an evil book that starts possessing and killing the people in harsh ways. Actually, harsh is too soft a word to describe what happens to these people. Correction: The book starts possessing and killing the people in incredibly f*%ked up ways. Yea, that works much better. Now, there are a few differences between the original and the remake, plot wise. In the remake, The people go to this cabin they own to help their friend kick a drug addiction. In the original, kids were just looking to party for the weekend in a rented cabin.

Now, when it comes to remakes of horror movies, It’s hard to even think of one that’s been done well. Seriously, before I even started this review, I was trying to even think of one that I actually thought was at least okay. Eventually, I thought of 3 movies: The Crazies, Dawn of the Dead, and Fright Night. That’s only 3 of about 70 some horror movies that have been remade. Not a great track record. At least, not with me. So, the question is, does Evil Dead belong with the good remakes? or the bad ones? Thankfully, I left my theater with a big smile on my face. I really enjoyed my time with this remake.

I think the thing I enjoyed most was that the remake retained the B-movie nature of the original. I was truly worried the film would end up being another annoying big budget torture porn style horror movie. I guess I should have just taken Bruce Campbell at his word when he said the remake didn’t have a single frame of torture porn in it. Damn me for doubting the great and groovy one! Sure, the movie is pretty gory at times, but everything has a reason for why it happens. Plus, just like the original, some of the gory moments were kind of funny. I mean, it’s not a B-movie if there isn’t some cheesy humor in the gory scenes. Hell, it wouldn’t be Evil Dead if there wasn’t some cheesy humor in the gory scenes.

I also enjoyed this movie because I kind of related to it. Mainly to the making of it. One of the things that makes this remake stand out from others is that the original film makers were heavily involved. Sam Raimi, with the help of director/co-writer Fede Alvarez, wanted to bring back the original vision of Evil Dead with the remake. In a some what similar fashion, I had made a horror/comedy short film called Spectre Quest that wasn’t good in any way.

There were a lot of on set problems, plus we had a really poor script. In fact, the original wasn’t even a horror/comedy, in the end. So, I decided to remake the movie I wanted to do. I wrote the script myself, shot it over the summer, and now I’m proud to say I made a movie called Specter Quest. Sound some what familar? Anyways, at the end of the day, Evil Dead was fun time at the movies. It’s gory, It’s funny, but most of all….it’s groovy!

I’m going to give Evil Dead a 4/5!

PS: Stay till after the credits. Especially if your a big Evil Dead fan!

Comics! With Richard and Carter

Punk Rock Jesus Review! (COMICS!)

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PRJ

Behold! The second coming of…Jesus Christ?

Religion. One of the biggest and most controversial subjects out there. There are a lot of Religions in our world, and everyone believe’s in a different one. Some people are Christians, some are Catholic, some are Jewish, and the list goes on. However, the one thing people avoid speaking of when it comes to Religion? The lack of it. That’s Right! I’m talking about Atheism. For many people, especially Americans, Atheism is incredibly taboo. It’s a subject so unspeakable for some, that any person who follows Atheism is just as taboo. Now, Atheism is a subject you normally see discussed in non-fiction novels, in news reports on the Today show, or Real Time with Bill Maher. So, Who would’ve thought it would be tackled in a comic book?

The comic in question is an amazing limited series from Vertigo called Punk Rock Jesus. Set in the not so distant future, Punk Rock Jesus tell’s a very different version of the second coming of Jesus Christ. In this version, the Shroud of Turin, believed to have been used in the burial of Jesus, is used by scientists to a clone the son of God. Once this happens, a reality TV show called J2 is produced to show the clone go from a bouncing baby boy performing “miracles” to a young atheist teenager. Yes, you read that correctly! The clone of Jesus becomes, spoiler alert, an Atheist. In fact, he becomes the voice of Atheism. He spreads the word just as the original Jesus spread the word of God, but in a more…punk rock way. Hence the title of the series.

The comic was created by one of my favorite comic artists, Sean Murphy. Murphy, whom normally just draws comics, decided to give writing a go. What he came up with has become one of my all time favorite comic series ever made. One thing that I truly love about this book are the characters. All the characters in this book are spectacular. My favorite is probably Thomas, whose the head of security of the island where J2 is filmed. While I don’t identify with him religiously, I relate more to the Jesus clone on that front, I found the character very compelling and completely badass! He’s this giant, brooding, Irish Catholic man with a somewhat dark past that we see unfold throughout the series.

Also, I loved that the story wasn’t preachy. Originally, Murphy had planned for the series to be a funnel, of sorts, for his atheistic rage. Doing that would have made the book feel very preachy, and turn off the reader. Thankfully, he was able to balance the themes out, and introduce grey areas in the story. Speaking of grey areas, the art in the book is the best! The artwork in PRJ, which is in beautiful black and white, is the best I’ve seen from Murphy. So stylized, and the layouts are astounding. Like previous comics Murphy has drawn, It was a challenge to turn the page. To look away from the beauty, if you will.

All this being said, the aspect I loved most about PRJ was the underground feel of it. The paper used, the lack of advertisements, the black and white art, all of it gave this book a really cool underground feel. Honestly, if this book were done in a more mainstream fashion, I think it would have lost something, or maybe wouldn’t have been as effective. Especially because the themes of this book are very anti-mainstream. In the end, Punk Rock Jesus is one of my all time favorites! I’m sure there will be some to find the series offensive or blasphemous, but I still BELIEVE everyone should check it out!

I give Punk Rock Jesus a 5 outta 5!

Comics! With Richard and Carter, General

Joe The Barbarian Review (COMICS!)

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Joe

Nothing better then a little escapism!

Hello everyone! I am Richard! The Awkward and Hilarious! Today I present to you a comic review. So sit back, relax, and read on! Anyways, one of the biggest movies that came out this week was Oz the Great and Powerful. As a Sam Raimi fan, I was really pumped to return to that magical dream land. Thankfully, when I saw the movie, I left the theater with a smile on my face. Unlike Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, a film I’m 100% sure this movie will be compared to a lot, Oz is a movie I’m not afraid to say I enjoyed without being made fun of. It wasn’t necessarily Great or Powerful, but it was just a fun time at the movies. Also, after I left the theater, I began thinking of some of my favorite tales with a similar premise. Someone from our world, in need of change, being transported to a brave new land of fantasy and impossibility.

Now, normal people would probably think of more traditional examples. Me, I thought of an awesome 3 year old comic called Joe The Barbarian. The story of Joe is penned by comic book legend, Grant Morrison, and is drawn by a favorite of mine, Sean Murphy. Joe The Barbarian follows a boy named Joe Manson. Joe, a creative and diabetic young lad whom tends to escape the harshness of his real life, fails to receive his daily needed dose of glucose. Once this happens, Joe begins to hallucinate a fantasy world inhabited by mystical monsters, as well as his action figures. Upon arrival, Joe learns he is the prophesied Dying Boy come to destroy King Death, and save the land for all!

In 2010, when this story was being told, I was only reading Batman related series. Later in the year, I began to explore other areas of the comic world. Specifically comics written by people I really love. One of my favorite writers of all time is Grant Morrison. At the time, the only Morrison book I was reading was his amazing Batman and Robin series. One day, I had a conversation with a fellow Morrison fan, chit-chatting about the latest adventure of Batman and Robin, and he told me about this awesome book called Joe the Barbarian.

It was a limited series, written by Morrison, being done over at Vertigo, which is an imprint of DC Comics. Once he gave me a short summary of the story, I became incredibly excited to read it. So, I patiently waited for the hardcover to be released. Once it hit the store shelves, I raced to the nearest shop, grabbed myself a copy, threw about thirty some dollars at the cashier, and raced back home! I didn’t leave my room at all that evening. I was so into what I was reading.

One of the aspects I loved most was the character of Joe. I related to him in so many ways. Minus the diabetes, the kid was basically me. I’ve always been someone who kind of lives inside their own head. Trying to escape reality because it’s too much for them to handle. Admittedly, I related so much that it was kind of hard to read this book. It reminded me of similar struggles I’m going through currently that I’ve tried to avoid through escapism. That being said, It was good to be reminded of those things, strangely. It made me even more invested and sucked into this comic.

Another interesting aspect was the way it was written. While this comic features the usual Grant Morrison writing style, it didn’t feel like a typical comic from him. The story was much more straight forward, and less metaphorical. It’s always nice to see writers challenge themselves and/or try something new. All that being sad, the greatest thing to come out of me reading this comic was discovering Sean Murphy. Murphy’s art work in Joe was so amazing that it became difficult to even turn the page. I’d literally just be sitting on my bed, gazing upon a brilliant castle, witnessing an epic battle, or marveling at the forest lands of this beautifully drawn world.

After I read this book, I fell in love with the work of Sean Murphy. Since then, If I ever find anything sporting his name, I instantly have to purchase it. Even the freaking cover of the hardcover, depicted above, is amazing! Just look at it! It’s all kinds of spectacular! Anyways, if you haven’t been able to tell, I really loved this comic. It’s not my favorite tale from Morrison, but I consider it one of his best!

I give Joe The Barbarian a 5 outta 5!

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Megan Fox Cast in Ninja Turtles?!?!

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Megan_Fox_Turtles

um……

So, it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. We’ve heard various things about the reboot before, and non of them have really made fans cheer for excitement. I mean, when you change the turtles to aliens and say Michael Bay is producing, can you really blame fans for acting the way they have? I know I don’t! You know a movie is going to be bad when the best news you hear is that the film might not happen. Anyways, Some new news (new news?) has arrived, and I gotta say….the bad news train continues. CHOO CHOO! (That’s right! I made a noise in an article!)

So, it turns out that the film makers have cast one of the most important roles in any Turtles movie: April O’Neil! Now…guess whose playing the famed reporter? Megan Fox….I’m not even kidding you. Megan Fox is going to play April O’Neil…The only time I would have ever said those words was if I was making a Joke. Never thought I would be stating a fact. Honestly, when I first heard this, I was completely speechless. Who actually thought this was a good idea? WHO?!?! Also, have you seen the list of actresses that were consider along side Megan Fox? Go look it up, and I promise you’ll be even more baffled by this news.

Another thing that makes this hard to believe, didn’t Fox and Bay have like a small altercation? Fox called Bay Hilter, which based on past stories seems to be true, and Bay didn’t cast her in Transformers 3. Do you remember this? I don’t know, man. This is just some shocking news, y’all! To know my full thoughts on the matter, click on the picture above! I made it myself! Also, to see more videos from me, go ahead and subscribe to Channel23hahaha on Youtube! Thanks for your time!

Comics! With Richard and Carter

Batman #17 Review!! (COMICS!)

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Joker

You ever dance with the Devil by the pale moon light?

Hello! This is your fellow inmate of Arkham Asylum, Richard, here! Today…I present to you a one take review of the conclusion to one of the best Joker tale’s I’ve read since The Killing Joke: Death of the Family! Death of the Family was a big Joker event that took place in all the main Bat books from DC Comics, recently. While the event itself has faced some severe criticism from fans and critics alike, the main story line in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman run has received anything but. Especially from me! I’ve been loving the story, but does the conclusion continue the level of genius featured in the previous issues? Well…to find out what I thought, click on the picture above. It will take you directly to my review! Also, if you wanna see more videos, subscribe to Channel23hahaha on Youtube! I’d really appreciate it! Enjoy the video! 🙂

Comics! With Richard and Carter

Jimmy Olsen a Woman in Man of Steel?!?! (COMICS!)

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Jenny-Olsen-Jimmy-Olsen

Jimmy or Jenny…kind of sounds like a sequel to Ed Wood’s Glen or Glenda, don’t it?

Hello super friends! It’s your alien refugee, Richard, here! Today, I present to you an episode of COMICS! in which I review two AMAZING comic issues from last week. After that, I discuss an interesting bit of news that has been going around since Monday. As you know, this summer will see the latest film to feature Superman. While the film is only months away from release, we barely know a thing about it.

Little by little, as we reach closer to the big day, small nuggets of information emerge. Answering questions we’ve had since the announcement of Man of Steel. One of those questions was whether or not Jimmy Olsen, photographer for the Daily Planet, would appear in the film. He has shown up in pretty much every adaptation of Superman ever, but there didn’t seem to be any sign of him in Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan’s take on the superhero.

One day, while surfing the Man of Steel IMDB page, website Comicbookmovie.com found the answer to that question. Jimmy Olsen IS going to be in the film, but not as you remember him. In this film, HE will be a SHE. That’s right…Jimmy Olsen is now going to be JENNY Olsen. Now, IMDB isn’t the most reliable source for movie info, ironically enough. However, when watching the latest trailer, you see a bit in which Perry White, played by Lawrence Fishburne, is charging away from an explosion with a woman.

The woman, unknown actress Rebecca Buller, looks exactly like the actress listed on IMDB whose playing Jenny Olsen. So…it looks like this is legit information, but it’s still not 100%. So, what are your thoughts on this news? Are you for it? Against it? Tell me all about what your thoughts in the comment section here, or in the comment section of the latest episode of COMICS! As usual, in order to watch, click on the pretty picture above! Also, subscribe to my channel, Channel23hahaha, for more episodes! Have a good one!

Comics! With Richard and Carter

Agent Coulson Lives!! (COMICS!)

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Agent-Phil-Coulsonlives

WARNING! Avengers spoilers ahead! Actually, is an Avenger spoiler warning even necessary?

HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to my first post of 2013! I’m incredibly excited for all this year has to offer. Especially because there are a ton of great looking new comic series starting this year! So excited! Anyways, today’s post is all about one man…no…one hero. His name…Is Agent Phil Coulson! As most of you know, Coulson is the glue that holds together the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He quickly became a fan favorite character. So much so, that he is actually a part of the comics and Marvel animated shows like Ultimate Spider-Man. Now, based on this knowledge, how do you think fans reacted when Coulson died in The Avengers? It was an incredibly sad, but necessary, moment in the film. Coulson’s death was what brought The Avengers, officially, together so they can defeat Loki and his evil alien army!

Now, in case you weren’t aware, whenever someone dies in a comic book (like a major beloved character) they usually will come back from the death within a year or so. This is something that bothers me about comics. Death is meaningless, and point less. Granted, a character death can be done well (Captain America, Batman) but usually it’s just annoying (Superman, Human Torch) when it happens. The Avengers, and the MCU, have been quite faithful to the source material…now It looks like they are being too faithful. Why? Agent Phil Coulson, once thought dead, is actually alive and well!

How is this possible? Well, checkout the latest episode of COMICS! to find out! Also, in the new episode, I talk about the comic book movies that totally got snubbed by the Oscars! THE DARK KNIGHT RISES DESERVED SEVERAL AWARDS, DARN IT! Also, I review a brand new Star Wars comic EVERYONE should check out! As usual, click on the picture above to watch the newest episode of COMICS! Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to Channel23hahaha for more COMICS! and anything else I upload!

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Doctor Who: The Snowmen Review

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There is no one better to spend the holidays with then The Doctor!

HO HO Hello everyone! It’s your ghost of Christmas nerdiness, Richard, here! I hope each of you reading had the happiest of holidays this year, and got everything you asked Santa for. So, I’m a recent inductee into the society of Doctor Who fans know as: Whovians. Sounds so much cooler then trekkie or trekker or whatever the hell Star Trek fans are called. Anyway, my first episode was from season 5 when the current Doctor, Matt Smith, went back in time to see Vincent Van Gogh. It wasn’t the greatest episode I’d ever seen, but I could totally see why people were digging this show.

Eventually, via the power of Netflix, I was able to catch up on the current stories of The Doctor and his various companions. I found myself a brand new favorite show, and I’ve been watching ever since! Now, I’ve made it a Christmas tradition, as do most Whovians I’d imagine, to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special every year. Last years special, The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe, wasn’t exactly the mind blowing epic we’d all wanted it to be. Thankfully, 2012’s special simply titled The Snowmen was the exact opposite!

The Snowmen, set in 1892 Victorian London, shows us a Doctor who has grown apathetic of the world he used to save all the time. This new found apathy has come about through the lost of various loved ones. Specifically, the death of the Ponds from the last episode. However, a vibrant and energetic new character, sort of new, named Clara springs The Doctor from his slump so that he can help defeat this weird new snow themed villain. I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to love this episode as much as I did. There were aspects I was thrilled to see, the new companion and the new look for Tardis and Doctor, but the commercials didn’t wow me. However, I was pleased with the outcome of this new episode!

First off, Steven Moffat is a master storyteller! Ever since he has taken over the show, I’ve been loving the stories told more then ever! Not every episode is amazing, obviously, but I’ve been loving them more then the previous stories. This latest tale, I feel, is total proof of Moffat’s story telling powers! Sure, It wasn’t the most Christmas-y Christmas special, but the script’s greatness made up for that. Also, I’m in complete pure love with Clara Oswin Oswald! I will always love Amy Pond, but there is something about Clara that drives me wild! Yea, she is freaking gorgeous and intelligent as hell, but there is something else about her. An element not yet discovered, you know?

This is something even The Doctor noticed. When I say this, I’m talking more about the gorgeous part. The Doctor seemed to be crushing on Clara as much as we all were! This is the first time, to my knowledge, where the companion isn’t the one with the crush! I can tell the dynamic between these two characters is going to be a fun one, indeed! Clara made this episode for me. Jenna-Louise Coleman, the actress behind Clara, knocked it out of the park! What an amazing performance! I can see her being everyone’s new favorite companion.

Now, not only has the companion changed, so has the look of two key elements to Doctor Who: The Doctor’s outfit and The Tardis interior. Admittedly, I’ll miss the old tweed jacket, but I am liking the new look. Mainly because The Doctor is still sporting his bow tie! If He didn’t have it, which he didn’t at first in this episode, I would have been upset. I did like the way they introduced the bow tie in The Snowmen. It showed The Doctor transforming from apathy to empathy.

Between the two new looks, I love the new Tardis more then the new outfit. The new interior is beautiful! I love the blue color, the alien vibe, everything! I Don’t know if I’m alone in this feeling, but I love it regardless! All in all, This latest Christmas adventure was the best one yet! I think even the cruddiest of Christmases could be fixed with a viewing of this new episode! I can’t wait to see what is to come in the second half of series 7!

I give Doctor Who: The Snowmen 5 evil snowflakes outta 5!

Comics! With Richard and Carter, General

Django Unchained #1 Review (COMICS!)

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“What’s yer name?” “…Django. D-J-A-N-G-O….The D is silent.”

Howdy, folks! This is your bounty hunter from another mother, Richard, here! Today, I present to you a comic book review! However, this is not just some regular comic review where I chit chat about Batman’s latest adventure in Gotham City. No…This is a review of a comic book adaptation of a Quentin Tarantino film script! Specifically, his original script for his latest film: Django Unchained! OH MY GOD! That is freaking awesome, peeps! This is not something you usually see in comics. Also, what’s really exciting about this is the comic series will be a straight adaptation of the ENTIRE script.

This means that if there is something in the script that didn’t make it to film, it’s probably in the comic! The first issue was released today, and I’m loving it, in case you can’t tell. I will say this, if you don’t want to be spoiled in anyway…AVOID THIS COMIC! Once again, It’s a direct adaptation of the script. So, avoid it, or wait until the film comes out to pick up issue one.

Anyways, Issue one starts off with a group of slaves being escorted to possibly another location to continue their unfortunate slavery. During their journey, The slaves and slavers meet a dentist named Dr. King Schultz. They also meet his horse, Fritz. Schultz is looking for a particular slave that he believes is among the group. As expected, that very slave is among the group, and his name is…Django. Schultz attempts to acquire the slave by politely purchasing him, but the slavers won’t budge. Instead, Schultz is forced to aggressively purchase Django. Schultz and Django then ride to the nearest town to chat about why this has all happened. Apparently, Schultz is actually a bounty hunter looking for some people Django might know. So, he enlists Django to help find these people, and kill them.

First off, I’m so glad this is a direct adaptation of Tarantino’s script. I don’t think there is a single writer out there who could have done a Tarantino script justice. Especially in the dialog. Tarantino dialog is always rough, witty, and fun all at the same time. That’s probably why I hate most film adapted comics. The writers can never really capture the voice of the story or the screenwriter. I will say, the dialog does get a bit wordy at times. Even more so when Schultz is speaking, which is most of the time. That being said, if it were bad dialog, then it would be an issue. Thankfully, the dialog is amazing, and totally fun to read.

But! This is something I expect from Tarantino! I know he is going to wow me when it comes to writing. The real thing to look at is the artwork. The artist on this comic is R.M. Guera. The art in the comic is very rugged, tough, dark and stylized. It’s a style that nicely fits the story. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, though. Some of the faces are a bit weird at times. Other then that, I really dig the artwork. It very much looks like a western comic. Overall, I’m very happy with the way this first issue turned out. Also, it was nice to get kind of an early peek at the first few moments in the film!

I give Django Unchained #1 4.5 gun shots outta 5! I realize half a gun shot is odd, but that’s my rating!

If you would like me to review the rest of the series as it comes out, tell me in the comments! Also, please subscribe to Channel23hahaha on Youtube! I’d really appreciate it!

Comics! With Richard and Carter

Man of Steel Trailer #2 Review!!! (COMICS!)

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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…..Crap what’s the last part of that quote?

Hello fellow Kryptonian survivors! This is Ran-Ze, aka Richard, coming to you live from the bottle city of Kandor! So, some of you might not know this about me. I, Richard Lee Purnell, am a Massive Superman fanboy! I know you don’t hear Batman fan’s proclaim this a lot, but it’s 110% the truth. Also, I’m a massive fan of this new Man of Steel trailer! Honestly, I really liked the teaser that was released over the summer. I know most fans didn’t dig the teaser, but I was feeling it, man! I loved the feel of it. It looked like they were going for a grounded approach to the character. This new trailer shows that as well, but It also shows the film is going to be equally epic!

Based on what this new trailer shows, this is going to be the ultimate Superman movie! I was so excited by this new trailer, that I made an entire review on it! To watch it, click on the image above! By the way, the image above is the beginning of my favorite scene in the trailer! Bone chilling, man! Also, to catch more wicked good vids and episodes of COMICS!, subscribe to Channel23hahaha on Youtube! I’d really appreciate it! Now, before I depart, I wanted to leave you with this awesome image from an upcoming Superman comic, possibly called Man of Steel but with no relation to the film, being written by my favorite comic writer Scott Snyder. Also, the artist on the series is the legend himself…Jim freaking Lee! If you aren’t aware of Jim Lee’s art, just look at the image below. It, alone, describes his legendary status, I’d say: