It hasn't been a thoroughly inspiring day, blogorium readers. The Cap'n tries as a rule to keep day to day crap out of the writing; most of you aren't interested in my non-movie business, and I'm trying to steer away from the "life in a fishbowl" blogging that rules the day, but every now and then real life does intrude on movie related business.
That's a long way of saying I'm trying hard to stay motivated, kiddos.
Perhaps tomorrow I'll feel like writing up Circle of Iron, Simon of the Desert, or Halloween II.
Today I had the chance to read two collections in comic book (or "graphic novel", for our sophisticated nerds) that deal specifically with movies: one a prequel to a big summer movie and the other a realization of a film that's never to be. In this case, I'm referring to Star Trek: Countdown and Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. Let's begin with Star Trek.
I need to refine some of the recapping from "It's Not Your Father's Star Trek" after reading Countdown, because while the gist of it is true, the lead up comic does not cover the whole "tangent universe" part. In fact, it doesn't necessarily imply what happens to Spock and Nero at the very end, provided you don't know that both appear in the movie.
*Warning: I'm going to address specifically Star Trek-type geekdom, including recognition of character names, episodes, and story arcs. If you want to de-lame yourself, meet me down in Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. You've been warned.*
What Countdown does, however, is tie up a number of threads from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and does a lot of work to erase the bad taste that Nemesis left. It also explains how Nero would know who James T. Kirk is when he ends up in the past.
I personally like how Countdown bridges what happened in Nemesis with the threads left open at the end of Unification parts 1 and 2. Since Spock was theoretically still on Romulus between what happens in Unification and Nemesis (and the first issue basically verifies), it was nice to see the jump forward and a normalizing relationship between the Romulans, the Vulcans, and the Federation. The comic itself is an extended Next Generation story, one that includes Picard, Data, LaForge, and Worf in various capacities assisting Spock and giving you all of the backstory you need for Nero (the Eric Bana character).
Rather than spoil too much, I can safely say that you can go into the movie without having read Countdown, but it might help explain a handful of things: I'm not sure that the Star Trek reboot is going to explain that Nero's ship runs on appropriated Borg technology or how Spock got the ship he's using (or if you'll even see his ship). How the film explains what happens at the end of Countdown and why it sent Nero's ship and Spock's ship into the past is something I'm interested in. Needless to say, it's a strange variation on the "around the star" trick, one I'm not sure would work. But hey, it's Star Trek.
At any rate, Countdown is definitely designed for regular Star Trek fans to warm themselves to this new movie, as it introduces the new villain and gives him a damn good reason for doing what he does. It also explains Spock's role in the whole scheme of things, why he'd be in the past, and how he got there. Specifically for fans, it's an intriguing send-off to the Next Generation, at least in the way we're used to it, even if it leaves you wanting a follow up on what happens to Worf.
Oops. Trying not to spoil things...
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Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash
Nice to see you back with us, non-Star Trek nerds. I appreciate your patience as I indulged myself in latent trekkie-dom. To reward you, I'm happy to report you should check out Freddy vs Jason vs Ash, even if the funny pages aren't your thing.
What you're getting here is not some "strictly comics" thing: the story in this book is based on a treatment submitted to New Line when this movie was still a possibility. Before Sam Raimi's promises of an Evil Dead 4 (or the dreaded remake that never came to pass), there were serious talks about bringing Bruce Campbell to duke it out with Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees. This is the realization of the movie never to be, and let me tell you that it's a goddamned shame.
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash is better than any of the Evil Dead comics I've read, including the frequently amusing Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness. Somehow, writer James Kuhoric and original treatment writer Jeff Katz found a blend of all three series in a way that's functional and never betrays Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, or A Nightmare on Elm Street. Better still, it manages to continue the story of Freddy vs. Jason without reminding you of all the ways that movie failed to live up to its potential.
Instead of Freddy narrating this time, Ash is our narrator, full of "seen it all" bravado and wisecracks. Ash introduces us to Crystal Lake, soon to be rechristened Forest Green and the product of a serious overhaul, including a Mega-S Mart. In quick fashion, the survivors of Freddy vs Jason are dealt with in a brutal manner, and the story is off. Freddy is trapped in Jason's head, and needs the Necronomicon to get out, among other plans. Jason is just interested in killing any and every one who crosses his path, including S Mart shoppers and employees. Ash has been asked by S Mart management to oversee the new store's Housewares department, so he ends up in Crystal Lake.
Of course, Ash knows when he's dragged somewhere new, it means the Necronomicon is nearby (this is a standby of the post-Evil Dead comics, including Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness), and he simply assumes Jason is a Deadite. From there things get increasingly interesting, allowing Freddy, Jason, and Ash to duke it out in various combinations. A personal favorite sequence for me was Ash landing in Freddy's dreamworld, which involves a new take on the "possessed hand" sequence from Evil Dead 2 and the "tiny Ashs" from Army of Darkness. Every one of the lead characters gets their moment to shine, and Jason's dogheaded persistence on killing Freddy pays off in a way that it didn't on film.
Oh, and it's really quite violent. Katz and Kuhoric match the extreme violence of the Evil Dead films with the quality kills we expect from Jason and the surreal murders of Freddy's dreams. If I had one complaint, Jason perhaps rips one too many people in half or tears their heads apart, but it is offset by the scene where he has to fight some of his "classic" kills from movie's past.
I really wish this film had come to pass, because it's exactly the kind of epic, snarky, warped story you'd expect from the title characters. I'd have paid good money just to see the scene where Jason walks into a very busy S Mart looking for Ash, or to hear Robert Englund call Ash an "Elvis impersonator". Or really, any wisecrack from Bruce Campbell involving Jason and hockey (and there are a LOT of them). It's a shame, because instead we're getting remakes for Freddy and Jason and the continued tease of one last Evil Dead film, one we all know isn't going to happen.
But that's what comic books are for, I guess. Wish fulfillment.
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