Rick Flag & Bronze Tiger - Ebony & Ivory kicking ass in perfect harmony

Over the years I've enjoyed watching the friendship between these two evolve. It started basically as Bronze Tiger usually being the only guy on missions that Rick Flag could trust, to them having a real sense of loyalty and respect for each other. In the pages of Checkmate we saw this loyalty being put to the test when Bronze Tiger travels to some asian crap hole of a jail and beats the shit out of the guards and rescues Rick from what had already been a friggin 3 year stay in prison! Before long they were begrudgingly off on another dangerous mission on behalf of now Checkmate's White Queen, Amanda Waller. Later after the mission is completed Waller finds them in a bar together having a drink like a couple of regular "Joe six packs" Sarah Palin used to talk about on the presidential campaign trail back in 2008.
These two have a lot in common so this all doesn't come as a big surprise. Along with Batman these guys are the best in hand to hand combat in the DC Universe. Both have been brain washed in the past and are still struggling to come to terms with that. And they both have emotional issues that act like a better defense mechanism then their martial arts skills. Just ask Nightshade and The Vixen. Now I'm not suggesting that there is anything "broke back' about their friendship but here are a couple of guys who maybe at times should think beyond this "band of bros. before hoes" mentality. Given a choice between going on a dangerous mission along with criminal scum or spending the night at Vixen's place who is a JLA member that happens to moonlight as an international super model should be a no brainer even if that brain has been washed at some point. I mean here are two noble tough guys who are also emotionally distant. How many ladies can say no to that? Come to think of it damn it I should have been Bronze Tiger for Halloween this year.

The eye of the Bronze Tiger, Roger Cross

Continuing the Suicide Squad casting call theme on this blog this weekend it just hit me who would be the perfect Bronze Tiger ( a.k.a Ben Turner). Now there's other possible candidates like Wesley Snipes or maybe even Billy Blanks ( from the tie-bow work out commercials) and Tiger Woods (just kidding) but if they ever introduce the Bronze Tiger character to the big or small screen they need to get Roger Cross to play the role. Cross has been in a number of things over the years but I loved him best as the dependable and highly intelligent tactical C.T.U. ( counter terrorism unit ) field agent Curtis Manning in 24.

Now I don't need to rattle off Turner's resume of what makes him such a bad ass. But in a nut shell, Ben Turner is the best Martial artist in the DC Universe next to Batman with Rick Flag and Richard Dragon as close seconds. Turner on more then one occasion has taken down super powered opponents by hand cause he's just that good at what he does. Every thing that Roger Cross brought to the role of Curtis Manning would be perfect for playing the Bronze Tiger. As you can see from the the photo he looks the part every bit as much as Hugh Jackman did for Wolverine. He's tall, buffed and with a voice that gives James Earl Jones a run for his money Cross was born for the role. Cross would also make a good Cyborg from the Titans or John Stewart who my ex used to call "the brother Green Lantern". Coming up next this weekend, Rick Flag and The Bronze Tiger - Band of Brothers.

I just found this tribute video to the Bronze Tiger. And it has the perfect 80's song to go with it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4Vlb6IOdZE

Would the real Amanda Waller please stand up? Part II Angela Bassett has it for Green Lantern but what about Alfre Woodard?

This is an impromptu posting seeing as I'm just discovering that the rumors which have been going on for months ( unknown to me until now ) about Angela Bassett playing Amanda Waller in Green Lantern are not rumors it seems. Now it's time for this blog to get in on the action. You pretty much have to in a manner of speaking almost re-invent the character if Bassett were to play Waller. What I mean by that is how many long time readers of the Suicide Squad and Checkmate ever had an image in their head of Amanda Waller looking like this in their heads before the character became popular enough to make it to TV and now the big screen.
This is the same for Pam Grier as Waller. Pam Grier is . . .Pam Grier, she automatically brings a sense of charm and sensuality to any role she plays which are traits that don't really come to mind when we think of Amanda Waller. That by no means is to be said that this can't work out just fine for Bassett given what a great actress she is. It's just that she's so goddamn good looking! Just look at her. Give yourself a moment to let your eyes take it all in. So it's like we need someone to play Tina Turner. . bam! Angela Bassett , case closed. Plus for me she was who I wanted to be cast as Storm in the X-Men and I never quite got over that even though Halle Berry did ok in that role. It's kinda like with my dad who despite being a Star Trek fan could never quite accept Avery Brooks as Sisko in DS9 (or any other role for that matter) because he loved him so much as Hawk in Spencer for Hire.
The inaugural posting of this blog site (Tues. Oct. 26 posting) which was part 1 of "Would the real Amanda Waller please stand up?" had a comment from someone who brought up Alfre Woodard as another good candidate to play Waller. Woodard, another great black actress who's also pretty easy on the eyes plays the police chief in Memphis Beat and you may also remember her as Zephram Cochrane's partner in the Star Trek TNG flick First Contact ( The Borg ). To me Alfre Woodard fits the role of Waller a bit better. But hey, unless she's being totally miscast Angela Bassett is a pleasure to see any in any film. Except for Meet The Browns. Even Bassett being in that stinker couldn't make it watchable, avoid that piece of shit like the plague.

Deadshot - Boba Fett, Bulls Eye,The Punisher and Adam Strange all rolled into one

The ultimate Deadshot blog posting
4 main reasons why Deadshot rocks!

1. He has the stealthily coolness of Boba Fett and mostly only speaks when he has something worth while to say.
2. He has Bullseye's deadly sense of accuracy and a bit of his swagger at times ta boot.
3. He's no stranger to a Punisher street justice style of "urban restoration" which let's face it, makes the world a better place for law abiding everyday folks like us.
4. Now I'm sure the Adam Strange part has you all scratching your collective heads about now so allow me to give you all an explanification (Bush-ism). One of the things I always liked about Adam Strange is how he's always able to figure out a strategy for defeating super powered opponents by keeping his cool and always thinking on his feet. This is something I also really like about Bronze Tiger. In the case of Deadshot his ability to stay cool under pressure has more to do with him not caring whether he lives or dies. But between that, his experience and his talent for pin point accuracy with any fire arm he's one of the most formidable non-meta guys around.
You may be bullet proof, but you ain't Deadshot proof mofo!
What aspect I would change about the character? I would have him in the costume featured in this posting which is from his 2005 5 issue mini-series. His original costume always seemed too elaborate to me for being a guy who basically has an assortment of firearms and explosives he uses to shoot people and things with. That costume has more of a look like some sort of high tech armor that endows it's wearer with IronMan like powers. But that's just me, I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who have a difference of opinion about that. Opinions I hope you will be kind enough to share with this blog.

Plastique is the bomb! Just don't call her "suger tits"

The 2007 - 2008 # 9 issue of the Suicide Squad mini-series was everything that any fan of the original 1 - 65 series could ask for and then some.
Some of the "then some" comes compliments of the French Canadian bombshell known as Plastique. If you recall she was with the Squad from their very first mission in issue 1 of the original series. And on that mission attempted to sell out the squad but was fortunately stopped by the Squad's double agent Nemesis (a.k.a Tom Tresser). There are many cool moments with Plastique like when Bronze Tiger in the middle of battle urges the other team members to not use lethal force and to only disable if possible. Plastique responds with a cool line I would more expect to come from Deadshot, "Why, killing disables them no?".
But where she really shines is when faced with the choice of loyalty or betrayal when a coup led by Gen. Eiling within the Squad ranks occurs in the middle of a mission in true Suicide Squad fashion. At first it looks like it's gonna be one of those old habits die hard kinda moments but then she surprises us. Not only does she choose loyalty to her comrades who are not part of the coup, she ends up being instrumental in putting the coup down by among other things taking out one of Gen. Eiling's co-conspirators, White Dragon.
White Dragon was the misogynistic racist rich dirt bag Mel Gibson . . er I mean William Heller who masqueraded at one time as a cross bow wielding "hero" who seemed to only be able to manage catching criminals of color. Now in possession of a powerful suite of armor and pissed off about having to take orders from a black woman he gladly joins Eiling's agenda of destroying the Squad from within and taking revenge on Waller.
But he bites off much more then he can chew when he spews his misogynistic rant at Plastique who it turns out may be something of a feminist. She basically goes O.J. on White Dragon's aryan ass and takes him out. So for me this min-series among other things was something of a road to redemption for the Plastique character. When asked by Bronze Tiger why she did not go throw with the coup that she had been originally recruited for her reasoning comes off as being very logical. But I like to thinking there was something more noble to her motivations and I'm looking forward to seeing her in further Suicide Squad adventures. Especially if she keeps wearing that skin tight costume. Maybe we'll get lucky and see an Adam Hueys rendering of her some day. By the way is there anyone out there who speaks French and can tell the rest of us what "cochon" means?

Did anybody actually read this 2002 Suicide Squad mini-series?

I remember when this series came out I picked up the first issue because I recognized the title. Although the art was good, it had none of the original Suicide Squad members and aside from the title I didn't feel like there was anything about it that felt very . . . . Suicide Squad. So that was it for me, although I'm sorry I didn't come across issue # 9 cause that might have been worth buying for just the cover alone. Talk about a trio of femme fatales that gives this cover more curves then Larry Flint's entire back issue collection of Hustler magazine. I came across a blog that was actually comparing the leather clad lovely there with as the Baroness (Sienna Miller) on one of the versions of the G.I.Joe (one God awful shity film) movie posters:
http://jimsmash.blogspot.com/2009/12/suicide-squad-and-baroness.html

So I just wanted to know if anyone out there actually read this series. Did it suck like I think it probably did or did it not turn out to be too bad?

Crickey! What the bloddy hell happened ta the original Captian Boomerang?

In the 2007-2008 Suicide Squad 9 issue mini series we find out that the immortal legend from down under has become the dearly departed. However, virtually no details were given at the time. I finally decided to research the mysterious circumstances leading up to the death of the original Captain Boomerang. Turns out he got himself killed in some botched assassination attempt during a series called the Identity Crisis. Although I'll be the first to admit that this is one character that was in desperate need of a make over visually, ya just couldn't beat that "Ausse" dialect that made him harder to understand then Benecio Del Torro (Mr. Fenster) from "The Usual Suspects" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj5vERbLtYI
But I tell ya Capt. Boomerang made for some fun reading between all that Australian slang and his all around annoying personality he was one of the things that made The Suicide Squad a fun read.
I wish we new more about his son however. He does have a cool new look and with his super speed power ( is he a mutant? ) he's no doubt a more formidable fighter then his old man ever was. But alas, we are forever deprived of that wonderful accent so I guess well just have to enjoy the further adventures of Capt. Boomerang with him talking like the rest of us Americans ( how boring!). So let's crack open a Fosters ( Australian for beer) on behalf o that bleedn dingo the original Capt. Boomerang. Rest in peace, cheers mate.
For your viewing pleasure here's a Justice League episode ( Task Force X) featuring Rick Flag, Deadshot, Plastique, Clock King and none other then the original Capt. Boomerang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymDVBXeZGMs

Would the real Amanda Waller please stand up?

Oh man I hate it when I'm faced with impossible choices! Who makes the most ideal Amanda Waller? C.C.H Pounder was an accomplished actress even before the SHIELD which was by far the most bad ass cop drama TV show ever! In the SHIELD Pounder played detective Claudette Whims who was so smart she could probably solve cases that might even leave the Dark Knight scratching his cowl. And she wasn't lacking in the take no shit department either. To no surprise Pounder is the voice actor of Amanda Waller in the Justice League animated series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmcykee2UJ0&feature=related

Ah but here comes Pam Grier. Who doesn't know about Pam's career and how often she's played a no nonsense female character that proved to be as cunning as she was beautiful. As it turns out she plays Amanda Waller on Smallville.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeMfOxjs7-E

Of course I have my own thoughts and opinions on the matter but I'd really like to hear from some folks out there first. As Checkmate's White Queen and Task Force X's operations director, Amanda Waller ( a.k.a "The Wall" ) is one of the most ball busting female authority figures the comic book world has ever come up with. And what makes the character even more impressive is that unlike power house woman like Wonder Woman and Power Girl she doesn't wear a costume or have super powers. Yet she manages in her own way to practically be as imposing of a presence. So the only real question is, in a hypothetical feature length Checkmate/Suicide Squad film which actress would be the better Amanda Waller!?