Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Geeks.
The Forgotten and Undying Ones, Part 5: Dr. Strange and Spider-Man
One of the best easter eggs in the Dr. Strange movie is a Spider-Man reference (essentially, indirectly, if you fudge it a little), and one of the first superheroes to be mentioned by name in a Spider-Man movie is Dr. Strange, but Dr. Strange and Spider-Man have been crossing over since early in their mutual existence despite significant superficial dissimilarities. This is because they were both created by Steve Ditko, and putting them together is a nod to Ditko’s two greatest creations. In Spider-Man 2, Ted Raimi’s character briefly considers “Dr. Strange” as a name for Dr. Octopus, just a trivial throw away joke, but the more significant Spider-Man easter egg in the Dr. Strange movie comes in the form of the Wand of Watoomb, Wong’s weapon of choice in the final battle, which first appeared in Spider-Man Annual #2 in 1964. The oldest floppy issue of Dr. Strange I own is a reprint of this story under the Dr. Strange title that came out in 1969. It’s also the Dr. Strange floppy I spent the most for: a whopping $5. One of the greatest things about Dr. Strange is that most of his comics are very cheap. You can get some real masterpieces for a buck, and this classic was a steal for five bucks. This first meeting between the two great sons of Ditko sets the pattern for many meetings to come, most of which involve the Wand of Watoomb and Xandu as the villain.
By F. Simon Grant7 years ago in Geeks
Review: 'The Trinity Six'
For those with an interest in espionage, the Cambridge Five remain well known. Five graduates of Trinity College Cambridge, the group infiltrated high levels positions inside the British government between the 1930s and 1950s and spied for the Soviet Union. They handed over names of agents, exposed entire operations, revealed details of the Enigma code-breaking effort, and helped to tip the Soviets off on efforts to build the atomic bomb. It took decades to expose all five but imagine, for a moment, that there was a sixth Cambridge spy. One who has managed to remain hidden but is now on the verge of being exposed. That is the premise of Charles Cumming's 2011 novel which sees the past coming back to haunt the present.
By Matthew Kresal7 years ago in Geeks
The Forgotten and Undying Ones: Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom
One of the most widely loved Dr. Strange stories from the 80s is Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment in which Dr. Strange helps Dr. Doom free Momma Doom’s soul from Mephisto, the most commonly used devil of the Marvel universe (though in the Defenders comic, Doc had run ins with actual Satan (Maybe? It’s a confusing story)). Mike Mignola’s pre-Hellboy art (including his depiction of Hell) is the prime reason this is so beloved, but Roger Stern is one of the best Doc writers of the decade. Sometimes when you see lists of great Dr. Strange villains, it’ll include Dr. Doom and Mephisto which is a bit inaccurate (and a bit disrespectful to the magnificent deep bench of rogues that are solely Doc’s): Doc didn’t fight Mephisto all that often (Big M is a Silver Surfer villain far more than a Doc villain), and he had only a few fights with Doom here and there (no more so than the rest of the Marvel Universe) but this one story is so beloved, it alone pushes Mephisto and Doom way up the list.
By F. Simon Grant7 years ago in Geeks
Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street'
Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street hit theatres Christmas Day 2013. Based on the best-selling memoir of the same name, The Wolf of Wall Street is the second movie that year to portray Leonardo DiCaprio as the poster-child for the American Dream gone wild. The overall excess of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby distracted us from the message at hand, regardless of Leo’s quality portrayal of Jay Gatsby.
By Marina Caitlin Watts7 years ago in Geeks
'White Man's Burden': Reality Just Changed Sides
One of the things that film can do is give the viewer a new perspective. It can be an empathetic medium, allowing us to see the world through a different pair of eyes. Or even turn the world on its head in the modern equivalent of fables. 1995's White Man's Burden from director Desmond Nakano is just such a modern fable. It's a film that takes the racial and economic status quo of America and turns it on its head with fascinating results.
By Matthew Kresal7 years ago in Geeks
Who is the Valonqar?
Spoilers ahead for both the books and the show! Game of Thrones is back in our lives once more. The first episode of Season 7 has graced our screens, and what an episode it was! From the North to the South, and the East to the West, we are more certain than ever that nobody is safe.
By Charlotte Williams7 years ago in Geeks
Movie Review: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
I cannot decide which is the more difficult type of review: positive without fawning, negative without being mean-spirited or ambivalent. The last type of review is where I find myself with the new movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:; utter and complete ambivalence. There is much to admire about the latest from director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional, among others) but there is also plenty of empty, sci-fi spectacle.
By Sean Patrick7 years ago in Geeks
Johnny Depp: A True Artist and Humanitarian
NOTE: This is largely an opinion piece based on research garnered through study of Johnny Depp's career and the recent scandals surrounding him. Sources for much of the information relayed are cited in the links I've shared. Any links that are missing, can be checked by Googling the information itself. I do not claim ownership or first-hand knowledge of anything I wrote here except my own personal speculations and feelings on this influential man who is either loved or reviled by so many millions of people.
By Kate Quinn7 years ago in Geeks