In this installment of The Neglected Nemeses, we look at one of the biggest, baddest mo-fos that Wonder Woman has had to face. But, he has not always gone by this name, as during most of the Golden Age, Silver Age and Bronze age of comics, he went by the name of Mars, the name that is most associated with the Roman god of War. No matter what you call him, Ares has been around since the very first issue of Wonder Woman in 1942 and has proven to be a constant annoyance and foe to Princess Diana and the beautiful and dangerous women of Themyscera.

The very idea of Ares’, or Mars’, existence goes against Diana’s peaceful ways. Ares has always tried to force his ideals of war and conflict upon the world of man. Initially, Ares was opposed by the goddess of Love, Aphrodite, whose views contradicted those of Ares. During these conflicts, the worshipers of Ares continued to kill each other and their weaker foes; selling their women for less than their cattle. In a rage, Aphrodite molded a race from clay, creating the Amazons, who were to spread the ideals of Aphrodite.

Wonder Woman, being one of, if not the greatest warriors the Amazon women had to offer, continually thwarted the plans and schemes that Ares had set forth. The two had many battles on both Earth-One and Earth-Two. Before the epic battle of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Ares aligned himself with Hades and the Anti-Monitor to subdue the Gods of Olympus. As Wonder Woman and Ares battled, Steve Trevor freed the gods, allowing Hades’ wife, Kore, to appeal to her husband with a plea of love, which left Ares on his own.

In the post-Crisis world, Diana was born and raised just in time to take on Hercules, who was sent to Paradise Island by Ares to destroy the Amazons. At this same time, Steve Trevor’s plane crashed on the island. Ares’ ultimate plan was to fire missiles from both the U.S. and Russia at the same time, starting World War III. However, Diana, having captured Ares in her lasso, made him see the error in his ways and that the destruction of man would leave him no worshipers. Ares then tasked Wonder Woman with “saving man from themselves” and should she fail to do so, he would return.

Ares/Mars has also taken on human form in the guise of Ares Buchanan, who quickly climbed the ladders of success in the business world by providing high-tech weapons to be used in the gang wars. During this time, he had a relationship with Donna Milton, who was actually Circe in disguise. The two had a daughter, Lyta, who has been known to have great magical strength. However, while she was pregnant, Ares shot Donna, proving that he never cared for her. Later on, Donna, now revealed as Circe, helped Diana out of a trap Ares had later set and with her last bit of strength created a black hole which absorbed Ares. Diana, Donna and the child all survived.

Diana later killed Ares by gently placing a battle-ax into the forehead of the God of War. Or maybe not so gently. Ares’ last words were “Amazon, what have you done?” Ares has since appeared to Diana, sans helmet, with a crudely stitched forehead, revealing that he still exists in some sort of afterlife reserved for the gods. Here, he is perpetually tortured by all of those who have been killed in the world’s wars.

I think it’s safe to say that, as with man DC Comics characters, fans are torn as to whether or not a Wonder Woman film could actually work. Some say that if were done in a style similar to Zack Snyder’s 300, the film would work quite well. I happen to be in this camp. While I don’t think it needs to be quite as stylized as 300, the ancient Roman/Greek feel that 300 bore is a great look for a Wonder Woman film. Obviously, you’d have to place a project like this in the right hands in order for it to not come across as cheesy, as the now defunct NBC Wonder Woman pilot showed. Not to mention, if it is over-done, you end up with a film like Green Lantern, in which everything was just over-thought and heavy-handed.

Wonder Woman is a touchy character and the inclusion of a character like Ares could only fuel the fire that sits beneath the fondue pot of total cheese. However, looking at the other rogues in her gallery, I don’t think there are too many options. But, as I said before, if placed in the right hands, this could potentially be an ass-kicking film. I think I am in the minority when I say that the animated Wonder Woman feature is high up on the list of animated films. It is full of action and violence, and is a well put together. I think this could only be a taste of what could be.

So, who should take on the daunting role of Ares, the God of War? One name that I continually see pop up is Rufus Sewell. I’ve seen Rufus in many films and series and the man is a very talented actor and i have no doubt that he would do well with the role. However, should a Wonder Woman film get made, it will need a name to draw in the crowds and I don’t think Sewell has enough draw for the studios or for the fans. That’s why I decided on Clive Owen. Women love him and men want to be him. Owen has proven time and again that he is a capable actor, despite the genre of the film he is in. He has gone from films like Shoot ‘Em Up to a more dramatic role in Children of Men,  Munich and the ever popular Sin City. The character of Ares needs to have a certain presence and the voice plays a big part in that. Owen’s raspy tone is both dark and recognizable, so there would be no doubt who is on the screen. Not to mention, we’ve already seen the man all done up in a suit of armor in King Arthur, and it’s a good look for him.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, The Neglected Nemeses: Ares

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

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UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

This series, a collision of comedy, sex, and violence, follows the misadventures of America’s most dysfunctional family as they go head-to-severed head with an Oprah-loving ax murderer, a cult-crazy soap opera star, and a neo-Nazi prison gang.
First issue: Todd wants desperately to make friends, but every kid he approaches winds up decapitated. Or worse. Meanwhile, Todd’s mother is on a mission to get even with her husband who she believes is having an affair.

Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth is a new four issue series with a story by M.K. Perker and Ken Kristensen. The issue is written by Kristensen with art and letters from Perker. Cemal Soyleyen joins the duo by providing colors. Todd is an odd new book, but is it worth checking out?

A new family is moving into their new home when Todd, the ugliest kid on Earth, comes over to try and make friends with the nice little Korean girl. Todd frightens most other children his age because he walks around with a giant paper bag covering his face. But Todd is a nice, sweet kid who just wants to make a friend. That’s hard to do when Mike, the neighborhood bully, and his gang roll up on the scene to harass Todd and cause him to get into trouble. Mike is the little devil that bullies everyone but uses his silver tongue to talk his way into the good graces of the adults. Back at home Todd has to deal with his drunken father and inattentive mother. While watching the news, the family learns of an axe murderer on the loose who targets children. While the news report tells parents to keep their children inside, Todd’s mom wants him to take out the trash…in the rain…with an axe murderer in the area. You might be able to guess what happens. That sets off the comedy of misunderstanding that ensues.

Perker and Kristensen have a truly unique story on their hands. This odd, politically incorrect, and wacky story features a cast of messed up characters and humor that should hook any reader. While it’s hard to say there’s anything quite like Todd, the nearest compression would be something along the lines of The Maxx and The Oblongs. The art is absolutely amazing. Perker along with Soyleyen’s colors make a beautiful book. I mean this as a huge compliment, but it looks similar to what you would see in a children’s book. You have some cartoony looking art with bright and vivid colors. The backgrounds are fantastic and the characters are slightly exaggerated in their face, size, and features.

Bottom Line: Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth is a fantastic book like no other. This oddball story features slightly risqué humor with fantastic art. Perker and Kristense have a lot to live up to with the remaining three issues. If it’s anything like the first issue, we’re in for a great ride 5/5

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Advance Review: Todd, The Ugliest Kid On Earth #1

Ralph is a very simple movie at heart, but has plenty of deeper messages.  Kids will see what they want, and so will adults.  Kids will see a man who thinks he is bad be a good person.  Adults will see a complex film about heroes and their somewhat ambiguous morality.  It’s amazing how easily the movie balances these two extremes.  Never does the audience feel like these plot twists are forced or shoved in for the sake of it.  Everything feels natural for the story.  The plot does a great job of giving the audience to care for each and every character.  Even a character like King Candy, who turns out to be a villain for the movie.  The rules of the world are also stated nicely.  The audience doesn’t have to sit through some long exposition scene about how and why they game jump.  The rules are brought up naturally, or in a funny way.

Yes, there are video game references a plenty.  They go from obscure arcade games like Tappers, to main stream characters like Sonic.  The majority of Ralph takes place in a Mario Kart knock off, with plenty of jokes at that series.  It should take a couple viewings to get all of the hints and nods to games.  While many movies have tried to have their setting be a video game, none have succeeded.  But Ralph soars in this setting.  It’s clear the creators have a love for video games, and know what they are about.  There are plenty of jokes at modern and classic video games, but there is a respect behind those jokes.

The special effects are on the same level of Pixar.  8-bit characters move in quick motions, as they would when playing the game.  If something in an 8-bit game splashes, the puddles are squares.  It’s a small thing, but goes a long way to help sell the world that these characters are in.  Another big thing is having every character react as they would in their game.  On a small scale, this is to be expected.  But when there is a huge scene, filled with hundreds of characters, every character acts accordingly.  Sonic is in the background of one of these scenes, and we see him get hit with debris.  Naturally, he starts blinking and shoots out coins.  He was so far in the background, I almost missed it.

Wreck-It Ralph isn’t perfect though.  While the writing is great in most scenes, occasionally the writing gets a little on the nose with their message.  The movie treads the line well of adult and kid content, but the script creeps into preachy territory every so often.  It’s jarring, considering there are a few scenes that are quite dark emotionally, and filled with subtlety.  Then we go to a scene that lays everything out on the table.  It doesn’t ruin the movie by any means, but it could have been changed.

The voice actors create a great team.  No one steals the show, but they all work together to create a better movie.  John C. Riley makes Ralph lovable, and instantly the audience feels for the guy.  Sarah Silverman makes Vanellope annoying as hell, then the audience’s heart just breaks for her.  Her voice is one of the few who can’t be picked out right away.  Jane Lynch plays the tough as nails commander well, in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.  Jack McBryer was hysterical as Fix It Felix.  But the biggest surprise was that Alan Tudyk played King Candy.  He sounds nothing like Tudyk’s normal voice.  And as I have always said, “Putting Alan Tudyk in your movie ALWAYS makes it better.”

If Wreck-It Ralph proves one thing, it’s that kids don’t need a movie that coddles them.  Ralph deals with some heavy emotions that are accentuated by some perfectly voiced scenes.  It seemed almost un-Disney to have these characters so sad.  But it works.  Kids loved the movie, and many were screaming that they wanted to see it again.

Wreck-It Ralph gets 4/5.

MrComicBook, Wreck-It Ralph Review

Perseus, Kronos, Minotaur, Chimera, Makhai, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Ares, Queen Andromeda, Argenor and Hephaestus!

Sounds good right? Well, in my opinion looks even better! After the much hyped and no such much loved Clash Of The Titans, it seems Jonathan Liebesman was just the right man to call. Obviously we are going to have to way until March to be sure but it’s looking better already.

 What do you guys think? Ready to give Perseus a new chance?

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Wrath of the Titans – A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares, switch loyalties and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda, Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor, and fallen god Hephaestus, Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

wolverinept, First WRATH OF THE TITANS Teaser Trailer Released!