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Kick-Ass (2010)

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Director: Matthew Vaughn Writers: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage, Lyndsy Fonseca, Clark Duke A high school nobody and comic book aficionado (Aaron Johnson) decides to become a real life superhero (despite the lack of superpowers), christens himself Kick-Ass, and promptly gets his ass kicked by a couple of street goons.  This tips us off that we are not in store for the typical superhero movie.  Displaying incredible courage-slash-unbelievable stupidity, he persists in his mission and is drawn into a war between a drug kingpin (Mark Strong) and a couple of Batman and Robin knockoffs, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz), who are the real thing.  Some may be put off by the violence and profanity, particularly since many of the characters are so young, so be warned: this film des...
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Slocum and the Widow Kate (Slocum #3) (1975)

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by Jake Logan (AKA ???) Slocum is jailed on a trumped-up charge and offered a way out by the local sheriff: escort a widow on a long trip to her new home.  Well, it beats sitting in a cell, but it quickly becomes clear that the arrangement is not as simple as it first appears.  They have a number of dangerous encounters along the trail… and who are those characters who can often be seen on the distant horizon?  Slocum seems to be changing from a somewhat battered drifter who often seemed only partly in control of his circumstances into a more conventional action hero and is a little less interesting for that reason.  The novel feels smooth and effortless.  There are several good scenes, but the payoff disappoints.  It goes down easily but leaves only a modest impression afterward.
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Dangerous (Astonishing X-Men #7) (2004)

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Writer: Joss Whedon Artist: John Cassaday One of the students is struggling with his recent “cure” of the mutant gene. Meanwhile, the team is getting used to Peter Rasputin’s return from the grave. Go time. Cassaday’s art is really amazing. During the battle, each X-Man is preoccupied with their own thoughts. Wolverine’s may be the most…zen. The Fantastic Four join in on the fun. Cyclops is trying to raise the visibility of the X-Men in a positive way. Elsewhere, Agent Brand makes a defiant appearance before an ominous tribunal. Cyke’s public relations initiative doesn’t seem to be panning out. In keeping with the grim mood, one of the students, who has recently been “cured” of his mutant powers, has been found dead. Joss Whedon sets up a powerful contrast between the fun of a team-up of super teams to tackle a big monster, and the human tragedy of young Wing’s inability to accept the loss of his power. Cassaday’s art is nothing short of amazing.
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