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Top 10 Best Movie Taglines

Hollywood studios spend millions of dollars on promotional campaigns for their movies. They invest in trailers, TV commercials, billboards, and product tie-ins. However, it’s often something as simple as a tagline that gets people to buy overpriced tickets to the latest blockbuster. Many taglines have become so iconic, they transcend the movies they were meant to promote. Some are even better than the films themselves!

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the top 10 best movie taglines

10. The Truman Show: “On the air. Unaware.”

Image courtesy of www.impawards.com.

Before reality TV became a thing, this film arguably showed the oxymoronic “genre” taken to its logical conclusion. Jim Carrey plays a man whose entire life, starting from birth, has been part of an elaborate, high-budget TV show, all without his knowledge. The tagline rhymes, creating a good pneumonic device, and gives a vibe that has tinges of both humor and Orwellian fear.

 

9. The Muppet Movie: “More entertaining than humanly possible.”

Image courtesy of www.impawards.com.

When those zany Muppets made their big-screen debut, they stepped up their game and produced a hilarious and heartfelt film. The tagline tells the audience they will be entertained more than they might expect, but it also reminds them that most of these characters aren’t “human,” per se, but puppets. Perhaps that’s how they could get away with non-stop puns and shmaltzy sentiments.

 

8. Blues Brothers: “They’ll never get caught. They’re on a mission from God.”

Image courtesy of www.impawards.com.

While many a zealot have used this as an excuse to do horrible things, it’s arguably true for the title characters. Jake Blues (John Belushi) reassembles his old band to save the Catholic home in which he and his brothers grew up. If ever someone needed a blessing from the Almighty, it’d be the Blues Brothers.

 

 

 

7. X-Men: “Trust a few. Fear the rest.”

Image courtesy of www.siamvillage.com.

What makes this tagline effective is it could apply to both humans and mutants. Some, but not all, humans are hatemongers. This is understandable since Magneto’s (Ian McKellen) Brotherhood is made up of mutant terrorists bent on wiping out humanity. On the other hand, there are heroic mutants like the X-Men defending humanity. It’s a double-edged sword.

 

6. Highlander: “There can be only one.”

Image courtesy of www.collider.com.

Let’s be honest: the Highlander franchise—which is all about immortals fighting and killing each other to gain their foe’s power, until only one remains and becomes all-powerful—started as a borderline B-movie, albeit an entertaining one. It took the TV series to elevate it. Through it all is this famous tagline, which has undoubtedly been quoted by many a gamer while playing online. Admittedly, it seemed like Connor McLeod (Christopher Lambert) was the only immortal left, but then a long series of retcons in the awful sequels kept the series going. Too bad this line couldn’t be number one on this list. (Hopefully, it won’t decapitate me for putting it lower).
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5. The Fly (1986): “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Image courtesy of www.impawards.com.

This phrase has seeped its way into the common vernacular, and I always wondered where it came from. Little did I know it was the tagline for the 1986 version of The Fly, starring Jeff Goldblum. It tells the audience they should not only be scared by this film—which, considering it was a remake of a 1950s B-movie, might’ve been seen as a stretch—it insists that they should be terrified. And they were.

 

4. Jaws: The Revenge: “This time, it’s personal.”

Image courtesy of www.moviepostershop.com.

Before shark movies flooded the walls of video stores, Universal pumped out unneeded sequels to the 1975 Steven Spielberg classic. By the time the fourth film rolled around, it was the mid-‘80s, and slasher movies about seemingly immortal psychos were the rage, so they turned the infamous Great White into one. That alone tells you the filmmakers ran out of good ideas after writing the tagline, which has since become one of the most used movie-trailer lines ever, either as a joke or because it was stolen by schlock film producers.

3. Superman: “You’ll believe a man can fly.”

Image courtesy of www.nerdspan.com.

The modern superhero film wouldn’t exist if not for this groundbreaking classic starring Christopher Reeve. Superheroes were relegated to B-movies or low-budget film serials before this. The idea of seeing someone fly in a movie and making it look believable was unheard of. Director Richard Donner proved it could be done. The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Christopher Nolan owe him a debt of gratitude.

 

2. Star Wars, Episode 4: A New Hope: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” 

Image courtesy of www.thinkgeek.com.
Image courtesy of www.thinkgeek.com.

George Lucas set himself for life when he crafted this classic line, which is probably a variation of the fairy opening: “Once upon a time …” It’s been featured in every Star Wars film and most of its tie-ins; however, is it figurative or literal? If it’s the latter, it begs a multitude of other questions. That alone makes it one of the best taglines in the history of cinema.

 

1. Alien: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

alien-poster

Rarely does a tagline tell you everything and yet nothing. Ridley Scott’s Alien was an enigmatic film before its release, and this only deepened the mystery. Little did anyone know they’d be getting a horrific twist on what is arguably a 1950s B-movie plot, but one with a monster unlike any seen before. This was the era of flashy, upbeat science fiction films thanks to Star Wars, but Alien was the opposite, being both gothic and realistic. The tagline illustrates that, reminding audiences there is no sound in the vacuum of space. It implies isolation and helplessness, but without being on-the-nose obvious. Indeed, most people were speechless when the famous xenomorph appeared on screen—by bursting out of a man’s chest. This tagline was great in 1979, and it still sends chills down the spines of anyone who quotes it. Seriously, try saying it without shivering.

Honorable Mentions:
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie: “They’re here to save the planet. But not for free.”

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: “In space, no one can eat ice cream.”

Alien vs. Predator: “Whoever wins, we lose.”

Hardware Wars: “You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll kiss three bucks goodbye.”

 

 

The 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

The new year is upon us, and for moviegoers, there’s a lot to look forward to. Admittedly, it looks like a mixed bag right now, but that hasn’t stopped the anticipation and excitement.

So, without further ado, here are the ten films I think everyone should check out.

1. Jupiter Ascending
Release Date: February 6

The Wachowskis’ latest film was originally slated to be released last July, but was delayed until spring 2015. In what might be the most anime-like film the Wachowski siblings (no longer brothers since one of them had a sex change operation) have made, other than their big screen adaptation of Speed Racer. A young woman (Mila Kunis) learns she is the heir to the throne of an intergalactic empire and has been targeted by the current ruler for assassination. It looks to be a good, old-fashioned space opera with mesmerizing visuals. Also stars Channing Tatum and Sean Bean.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron
Release Date: May 1

This is only one of Disney’s bevy of highly anticipated films, and it is easily Marvel’s biggest film release of the year (the Fantastic Four reboot looks like a flop). Everyone’s favorite superheroes reunite to battle a nefarious robot (voiced fantastically by James Spader) who, to no surprise, is hellbent on taking over the world. In other words, he’s Skynet and the T-850 combined (ironic given another film on this list). Joss Whedon is back in the writer/director’s chair to helm this sequel to one of the highest grossing films of all time. Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson—reuniting after starring together in 2014’s Godzilla—join the star-studded cast as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively. If that last name sounds familiar, it should because the character was also in X-Men: Days of Future Past played by a different actor. Dueling Quicksilvers, anyone?

3. Tomorrowland
Release Date: May 22

Disney seems to be hoping to catch lightning in a bottle again by making a film based on a theme park attraction, like it did with Pirates of the Caribbean. A curious teen girl (Britt Robertson) and a former boy genius inventor seek a world that exists somewhere in time and space in their collective memories. Directed by the imaginative Brad Bird (The IncrediblesMission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), the film co-stars George Clooney and Hugh Laurie and looks to be jumping on the YA trend, except this film isn’t based on a book. With an intriguing yet mysterious trailer, it has a lot going for it amidst all the big franchises.

4. Jurassic World
Release Date: June 12

After over a decade of being stuck in development Hell, the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park franchise will be unearthed this summer. Sadly, it seems to be fresh and old-hat at the same time. After finally establishing a dinosaur theme park, a new attraction is created to boost declining attendance, but it goes awry. It’s interesting that an operational park was finally opened, but beyond that it seems like a rehash of the original film. Hopefully Chris Pratt, a rising star thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, can inject some life into the movie. Steven Spielberg, director of the first two films, returns once again as executive producer.

5. Inside Out & The Good Dinosaur
Release Dates: June 19 & Nov. 25

After taking a year off, the ever-amazing Pixar will return with two releases this year. The first will be Inside Out, which looks to be its most imaginative and ambitious film in years. The characters are all personifications of the emotions within a little girl. The trailer was charming and delightful. It has the potential to rank as one of Pixar’s best films.

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6. Terminator Genisys
Release Date: July 1

A more apt title might be Terminator 5: Wibbly-Wobbly-Timey-Wimey (the Whovians reading this are laughing in agreement). Kyle Reese is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor, the mother of the man leading humanity’s war against tyrannical machines, but instead he ends up in an alternate timeline. With all the time-travel shenanigans going on, this film seems intended to be the J.J. Abrams Star Trek/Days of Future Past for its respective franchise: a sequel reboot. While Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as a now aged T-850—somehow—it has the potential to anger fans by erasing James Cameron’s original films. And what’s with the misspelled title? That hasn’t been cool since the ‘90s, and even then it was kind of silly. This series should’ve stopped after Terminator 2.

7. Minions
Release Date: July 10

You had to know this was coming. Those lovable little yellow dudes stole every scene in the Despicable Me movies, so it’s no surprise they’d have their origin story told. In this, they’re recruited by the fantastically named supervillain Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock) to help her take over the world. Michael Keaton co-stars. Hopefully, it won’t be a retread of the Minion antics from the other films.

8. Ant-Man
Release Date: July 17

This is definitely the dark horse on this list. Like Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s based on a lesser-known character from Marvel Comics’ pantheon. In this film, a con man (Paul Rudd) discovers a suit that allows him to shrink and must now use it to help his mentor, the scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) save the world. It’s suffered a troubled production—most notably the departure of director Edgar Wright over creative differences—but has somehow been able to stay on track. It will feature Marvel Cinematic Universe regulars like Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter and John Slattery as Howard Stark. I anticipate this will at least be a sleeper hit and, hopefully, a better follow-up to an Avengers epic than Iron Man 3. Oh how cute, an ant-sized teaser.

9. Mockingjay, Part 2
Release Date: Nov. 20

No official poster for Mockinjay Part 2, yet.

As per YA movie tradition, the final book of the series gets made into two films. The final film based on Suzanne Collins’ science fiction trilogy will see Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) lead District 13’s final battles against the Capital while trying to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from insanity. If Part 2 follows the book as closely as Part 1, those who complained the latter was light on action will be happy to see several climactic battles. I knew as I read it that it would make for an exciting movie. Plus, the ending is a shocker, to say the least.

10. Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Release Date: December 18

I’m not sure if this or Age of Ultron will be the biggest film of 2015. J.J. Abrams, having directed for both Star Trek and this franchise, can now compete with Joss Whedon as the “king of cool.” Little is known about the plot because, as usual, Abrams’ productions have secrecy that rivals the C.I.A. (perhaps they could learn a thing or two from him). What is known for sure is that it takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi and several of the original actors—Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, among others—are reprising their iconic roles. However, the story seems to be focused on a new set of heroes, so this will most likely be a passing of the torch. The 90-second teaser trailer, which showed little or nothing other than it draws more inspiration from the originals and not the prequels, has already sparked much talk in fandom because of its familiar imagery and the broadsword-style lightsaber. Now, if only longtime fans could forgive Disney for retconning most of the Expanded Universe out of continuity. Regardless, expectations will only grow as the release approaches. Hopefully, it will be a great Christmas present for moviegoers.

Are you looking forward to these films? What other 2015 films are you excited about?

There and Back Again – A Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Image courtesy of Screenrant.
Image courtesy of Screenrant.

Another December, another fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson, starring the country of New Zealand. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings this prequel trilogy to a close. Only Peter Jackson could make a three-hour movie about a giant monkey (2005’s King Kong), and only he can turn a children’s book into a nearly 9-hour film split into three parts. Is it worth it? Depends on if you’ve read the book.

(SPOILER WARNING!)

With Smaug the dragon dead, Bilbo tries to keep the Dwarf Thorin from being consumed by greed as several armies gather at the Lonely Mountain to take its liberated treasure horde.

This is a difficult film for me to review. First, it’s part three of a much longer movie. Second, Tolkien is one of my favorite authors and The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book. Third, I had a mostly good reaction to An Unexpected Journey, but mixed feelings about The Desolation of Smaug. My chief complaints are that Bilbo eventually became a supporting character in his own story and that the book could’ve been adapted into two movies had the unnecessary filler been removed. So, I wasn’t super-excited about seeing this one, which is why I was pleasantly surprised that I fairly enjoyed it.

Now, it does still have filler, but this time most of it involves the titular battle. In the book, it’s only a handful of pages, thereby leaving most of it to the reader’s imagination. With film, those few pages can be brought to vibrant life—for a long time. I think the battle takes up over an hour of the film’s running time, which clocks in at just under two-and-a-half hours (which, ironically, I think makes it the shortest film in the franchise). Jackson definitely tops himself here, giving the audience a bigger, more intense battle than any seen in his Lord of Rings film trilogy. The title says there’s five armies, but it seems like there’s at least seven: men, Dwarves, Orcs/Goblins, Elves, and Wargs. There’s also Eagles, bats and what appear to be Trolls, who are allied with them. The special effects are the best of the franchise, especially during this huge climax.

That’s the best word to describe this film: climax. It’s a bit lighter on story because it’s the culmination of everything that’s come in the previous two films. It truly is the last third of a story. None of the films can stand alone.

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Don’t worry, Benedict Cumberbach fans. He shows up just long enough to collect a paycheck voice Smaug for a few minutes when the dragon attacks Lake-Town.

As for the other returning characters, they, unfortunately, fall victim to Star Wars prequel syndrome. Gandalf, Galadriel, Sauruman and Elrond spend several early scenes battling the Necromancer—aka Sauron—only to banish him to Mordor. In other words, they’re just there to set up Lord of the Rings films. Now, if memory serves me right, these incidents are part of Tolkien lore, but they’re not in The Hobbit. Regardless, after this, only Gandalf is seen again.

Tauriel, despite being played by the lovely Evangeline Lilly, continues to be extraneous. I thought it was faulty to include her in the first place. Jackson and company invented her because they thought women wouldn’t watch a film with an all-male cast, but then they made her one-third of a love triangle, which is such a cliché. That isn’t as prominent a subplot here as it was in Desolation, thankfully, but it doesn’t add anything other than a little more emotional potency to the death of Kili during the battle. I expected her to die since she’s not even mentioned in the Lord of the Rings films, but she survives, and her fate is never explained. This is an oversight I hope is remedied in the inevitable extended cut of this film.

Despite the changes and filler, I do think the film keeps (most) of the spirit and themes of the book, which are the most important things to remember when adapting a story from one media to another.

Much like the Star Wars prequels, I don’t think the Hobbit trilogy will go down as a classic like its predecessors, but it’s still a solid and enjoyable fantasy adventure. I’d be more than happy to go “there and back again.”

Final Grade: B

Why Old-School Horror is the Scariest

Whenever I wander through the local Family Video, I think the shelves are walls of horror movies. Not classics like Bela Lugosi’s Dracula or the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, but schlock like Silent Night, Deadly Night or a horde of wannabe George Romero zombie movies. It seems like every idiot with a camera tries to make a horror film (if he doesn’t make a porno first).

I’m not quite sure why these movies flood the market, but 99% of them suffer from the same problems as most modern horror: they’re not scary. Whether they have big budgets or small, famous actors or unknowns, these movies fail to frighten audiences or even entertain them. This is disappointing because scary stories are as old as civilization and have made great contributions to the literary and film worlds. When it comes to movies, I find classic horror films to be leaps and bounds above most new films.

What makes the classics work? There are many reasons, but I’ll focus on a few I think are most important.

1. No over-reliance on gore/shock   

alien-poster“Splatterfest” is practically a synonym for “horror movie” nowadays. Its a sad cliché. Now, horror—icon Stephen King did list “the Gross-Out” as one of three types of fear. The problem is the majority of modern horror seems to think its the only kind. I swear these filmmakers have a gore fetish, and so do their fans. Many of them are too desensitized to find it shocking anymore and revel in it instead. It stereotypes horror fans as sadomasochistic weirdos.

Can gore be effective? Yes, but it should be a supplement to the other types of fear King outlines: horror (something unnatural) and terror (fear of the unknown). Like an exclamation point, it can be powerful when used sparingly, but if used constantly (like it is in many an internet forum), it just looks stupid.

The original Alien (my all-time favorite horror film) has one gory part. It horrifies for many reasons, not the least of which being that it’s the one bloody scene in a fairly bloodless film.

2. Leaving some things to the imagination  

A related problem is modern horror’s penchant for showing audiences everything, whether its the gruesome deaths or Jason Voorhees stalking up behind a victim. This isn’t always necessary. A person’s imagination can create more terrifying images than any filmmaker or author can conjure. Plus, as noted, the unknown is usually the scariest thing. What did the monster/killer do to that unsuspecting woman? The audience doesn’t know since it cut away when she screamed. What does the monster look like? The mystery frightens audiences.

This is why films like The Blair Witch Project—arguably a modern classic—are effective. It  scares people with ideas. Some say the infamous witch is a decrepit old woman; some say she’s a hairy half-human/half-beast creature. Since she’s never revealed, the audience is terrified by both the mystery and the image of the monster in their heads.

3. Better protagonists   

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Now, should senseless/despicable characters be nixed from stories? No. I’m not opposed to idiot characters or having them move plots along, but the story shouldn’t be dependent on them. As for reprehensible characters, there’s something to be said about watching them get their comeuppance; however, variety is the spice of life, so it’s refreshing to see likable heroes.

thing_poster_01John Carpenter’s The Thing is noteworthy because it has no stupid characters. All of them react in smart, rational ways until paranoia drives them insane. The first Fright Night has some of the most entertaining heroes in a horror film: a teenage boy and an out-of-work horror movie actor. The original Nightmare on Elm Street has the wonderfully strong and clever heroine Nancy, who refuses to become Freddy Krueger’s next victim. She’s a breath of fresh air in a genre that typically relegates women to hapless victims.

4. Better antagonists  

Heroes are often only as good as their villains. In that case, most modern horror flicks have forgettable and boring heroes and villains. Some may look cool, but they’re presented as these nigh-invincible monsters who relentlessly pursue/torture people. It makes the victims and heroes look like powerless pawns, mere tools to give gorehounds a cheap thrill. Such villains are one-dimensional caricatures.

Classic horror villains are powerful but they also have weaknesses. Dracula has the classic vampire vulnerabilites. Zombies cease to function if their brains are destroyed. Giving villains such vulnerabilities doesn’t undermine them, instead it gives the heroes a fighting chance to stop them, increasing the tension.

5. Multilayered fears/ideas   

uploads_d9bcef8e-e769-4a29-b6f3-cd7ca1818187-nightmare_2As I said before, modern horror tends to fixate on the “gross-out” scares, but fear is an often nuanced emotion. There’s psychological horror, where the fear comes from frightening ideas, and cosmic horror, which scares people by making them feel small and insignificant. Not only that, but the monsters in good horror stories, whether they are human or not, are often metaphors for real-life fears, adding depth to them and allowing them to work on multiple levels.

Going back to Alien, that film works because it touches upon many types of fears: the unknown, shadows, body mutilation, isolation, unnaturalness and even rape. Add to that the corporation which values a scientific find over human lives, and what could’ve been another B-grade creature, feature is elevated to a classic award-winning film. It goes beyond just showing audiences horrific things.

So this Halloween, after the kids finish trick-or-treating, have a marathon of classic horror films until the witching hour passes.

Sidenote: If you’d like to hear me talk more about this, check out “But I Digress . . . , Episode 2: Horrible Horror,” a video I made a few years ago for my YouTube show.

Learning to ‘Treadwater’: A Review of ‘TRDWTR, Part 1’

A poster for the TRDWTR franchise, which includes a graphic novel series, a video game, and a live-action TV series. (Image courtesy of Darkrose Studios).
A poster for the TRDWTR franchise, which includes a graphic novel series, a video game, and a live-action TV series. (Image courtesy of Darkrose Studios).

After raising $150,000 on Kickstarter and other sources, Morgan Rosenblum has launched not only a graphic novel saga, but a new media franchise “combining the style and tone of The Dark Knight” and “the traditional mix-and-match group of character archetypes that makes ‘X-Men’ so successful.” What at first glance might seem like a by-the-numbers science fiction comic proves to be much more.

In the wake of a global economic meltdown, chaos erupts and the world’s safety is jeopardized by a new wave of crime and terror. A privately funded team of hi-tech special operatives is assembled, known as TREADWATER, the only force standing between anarchy and hope.

TRDWTR, Part 1 written by Morgan Rosenblum & Don Macnab-Stark and illustrated by Ray Dillon is the first publication by the newly-formed Darkrose Studios. The book is described as “a serious and realistic approach to the superhero genre.” I found this to be a bit of misnomer. Only one character, the enigmatic Wraith, has any of the vestiges of a superhero, such as a fancy costume and superpowers. Instead, the operatives for TRDWTR (which stands for Technological Research and Development Working Toward a Resolution) have more in common with G.I. Joe: a special forces team with advanced weaponry battling terrorist threats around the world. In fact, the aforementioned Wraith is much like the silent and deadly Snake Eyes. Regardless, both do have some shades of superheroes in them.

TRDWTR is intended to be a 30-part series, so this first volume plays out much like the pilot episode of a TV show. Most of it is setup, and being a science fiction story, it must quickly establish its characters, world and premise. The latter two is done quite well, presenting a frighteningly plausible future where Europe is in shambles, with many of its countries controlled by dictators. The characters—what the graphic novel prides itself on—take more time. With an ensemble cast and eclectic characters, some are more developed than others in this first outing, which is common practice in most ensemble series like this.

The primary focus in Part 1 is the team leader, Lucky Joe, a widower who joined the team so that its financier would provide his injured daughter with medical treatment. Since her injuries—and his wife’s death—happened in a car accident while he was driving, he blames himself for her plight and carries that guilt with him into missions, often endangering the rest of the team. His is a heart-wrenching story and I have nothing but sympathy for him. Unfortunately, the narrative fails to mention some key information that is found in character profiles in the back of the book. The most important is Lucky Joe got his name because he wears a rabbit’s foot with a magnetic device that repulses all metal objects within a six-foot radius, including bullets. That’s something that should be established within the story itself, but it’s a minor issue.

Part 1 also acts as an origin story for the German defector, Wolfgang, an assassin who once served Gen. Kirklau, the dictator of Germany. He joins the team so they will rescue the general’s son. This subplot runs throughout the graphic novel and clashes with the main plot toward the end.

The rest of the characters are distinct and have strong characterization: Dom is the foulmouthed muscle from New York, Sylvie is the token femme fatale with a crush on Joe, Jerry is the Jamaican pilot and comic relief and Kiyoshi is the cybernetic assassin. The most intriguing, however, is the mysterious Wraith. He appears only a few times and has strange and frightening powers. He emits purple mist from his Iron Man-esque armor and extends razor-wires from his fingers. The most perplexing thing about him is the circular meter on his chest, which, according to his profile in the back of the book, seems to be counting down to something. To what? I have a few theories.

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TRDWTR certainly has a modern style. There are no narrative captions, and some pages have few if any voice or thought balloons. The artwork is allowed to tell the story, and the silence creates either brisk pacing or pulse-pounding suspense, depending on the scene. However, there are a few pages crowded with voice balloons, making it difficult to determine who is speaking. In rare instances, the balloons don’t even point to a character, so the speaker must be determined by the balloons’ proximity.

Part 1 is a solid start to a series that is full of excitement and intrigue, but don’t go into it thinking you’ll get everything promised in the promotional materials. Only one of the several advertised villains makes a substantial appearance in this volume, for example, but they will return later. This is a big world, after all, so all of it can’t be crammed into every graphic novel.

Ambition is the series’ greatest asset. The graphic novel is just part of an extensive franchise Darkrose Studios is launching. There will also be a 10-episode live action TV series, a video game and a feature film. Its website includes loads of interactive content, much of which must be unlocked by taking an entrance exam to become a TRDWTR operative. In other words, the story doesn’t end with the comics.

I can’t wait for more!

Final Grade: B+

Purchase the book on Amazon.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvDVOiGybD8]