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August 7, 2015 · 3:00 pm

Movie Review: ‘Fantastic Four’

Critics have not been kind and I don’t think there’s anyone holding their breath expecting this latest “Fantastic Four” movie to blow them away. Given the appeal of superhero movies, this movie could end up a top grosser for 2015.

Miles Teller in happier and crazier times in “Whiplash”

Miles Teller as Reed Richards, the super elastic leader of Marvel’s very first superteam. Sound like a stretch? Well, I don’t know. I figured Miles capable of anything. Maybe if Miles Teller had been provided with a drum set and a maniacal band director, then we would have gotten something truly out of this world. But we can’t really blame Miles. It’s the script that takes us down a long and ponderous road which no superhero fan, let alone any moviegoer, should be made to endure.

How do you like your comics? Dark? Light? With just a smidgen of sugar? Well, it’s not like you can turn this into a recipe and then hope for the best. That’s the crux of the problem. We’re just not seeing the love for the Fantastic Four in this latest effort to get it right. When in doubt, create a origin story, right? No, if anything else, just create a great story. Haven’t we all been on this superhero franchise road long enough to deserve that?

Great production but a tedious story at best. Ah, well. People will say it’s the Fantastic Four curse. But all it would take is a great story and that can still happen in the future. Well, maybe. Just take Jonathan Hickman’s recent run on FF and you shouldn’t go wrong. Wasn’t “Guardians of the Galaxy” sort of a gamble? A very calculated gamble but still these were totally unknown characters to the general public. And it worked! And it’s working with “Ant-Man.” Unfortunately, when it comes to the FF universe, Hollywood tightens up when it should relax.

“Fantastic Four” ends up a shining reminder that even superhero movies have their ups and downs. Having taken the time to catch an early screening, I have to say that I came away disappointed. This movie seems to take itself seriously with long-drawn-out explorations of each character. But, at the end of the day, there is little to no story and no one to really root for.

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July 14, 2015 · 2:40 pm

Denny’s Brings You The SLAMTASTIC 4 Menu: Superhero Grub!

Denny’s Slamtastic menu: Human Torch Skillet, Fantastic Four-Cheese Omelette, Invisible Woman Slam, and The Thing Burger

FANTASTIC FOUR arrives in theaters on August 7th and Denny’s is part of the action. Comics Grinder heard the call and went over to try out Denny’s new “Slamtastic 4” menu. For a limited time, you have these superhero-inspired items to choose from:

Human Torch Skillet
A hearty breakfast sausage with seasoned red-skinned potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, fire-roasted bell peppers and onions, jalapeños and freshly made pico de gallo served on a sizzlin’ hot skillet. Topped with new spicy five pepper sauce, Pepper Jack queso and two eggs cooked to order.

Fantastic Four-Cheese Omelette
Delicious omelette stuffed with melted Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, fresh spinach, diced bacon, onions and mushrooms tossed in a blend of sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Topped with diced tomatoes and served with hash browns and your choice of bread.

Invisible Woman Slam
Two buttermilk pancakes cooked with blueberries, topped with fresh strawberries, banana slices and drizzled with a clear citrus glaze. Served with two eggs cooked to order, two bacon strips or two sausage links and hash browns.

The Thing Burger
Hand-pressed beef patty topped with crispy hash browns, an egg cooked to order, Cheddar cheese, two crispy bacon strips and punch-packing Thing sauce. Served on a Cheddar bun with a side of wavy-cut French fries.

Denny’s in Seattle’s SoDo District

I decided to test out a couple of these items: Invisible Woman Slam and The Thing Burger. I chose the Denny’s in Seattle’s SoDo District. This proved to be an excellent choice. My waitress was gracious and attentive. The whole place has a perfect vintage charm to it. I got a booth and contemplated the view. Sure, this is an industrial district so it’s a pretty pared-down scene but it has a nice blue collar vibe. People were enjoying conversation. The pace was quick and upbeat.

My drawing while at Denny’s of The Thing about to devour The Thing Burger

So, it all began on a beautiful morning with thoughts of the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. As the official synopsis states, we’ve got “four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways.” Looks like we’re going for an in-depth origin story. Perfect daydreaming for a cartoonist such as myself in a diner I admire. So, I kicked back for a few minutes, mind relaxed, and drew The Thing about to devour The Thing Burger.

The Thing Burger

With a pleasing dining experience to savor, ah, we can conquer the world. The Thing Burger! Yes, a lot would depend upon the “punch-packing Thing sauce” and it delivered! It proved to be a great complement to the tasty hand-pressed beef patty.

Invisible Woman Slam

And the Invisible Woman Slam was utterly delightful. Truly good pancakes, nice and hot off the grill. Who doesn’t enjoy a classic breakfast, am I right? Hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausage! Well, Denny’s is indeed America’s diner. I had a great time and look forward to my next visit, and the one after that. It’s also easy to get to thanks to Seattle’s light rail system so I have no complaints at all.

Be sure to visit Denny’s whenever the mood strikes you and check out their current featured Slamtastic 4 menu. For more details, visit our friends at Denny’s right here.