Tag Archives: the foreigner

Review: The Foreigner Book One

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Fiction has always loved the disruption that outsiders bring to a story, as they are often heroes or villains. They are usually met with reprehension, because their intentions are rarely transparent. Then there are the locals who take an interest in them, either out of curiosity or out of their own self-interest. Then there are those foreigners that are neither the protagonist or antagonist, but those who are just doing the right thing.

The most famous in my mind and grabbed by attention from reading about him in school, is Marquis De Lafayette. As I always wondered why this French man was fighting for a country he had no stakes in and to this day, is considered an American hero and is revered by historians. At the end of the day, it was honor, that spark, most people have, but only the bravest among us have the fortitude to act on. In The Foreigner, we meet a pensive antagonist who finds himself in the midst of war only longing to be reunited with his wife.

The Foreigner is a Kickstarter-funded fantasy graphic novel about Kaz, a socially awkward Brooklynite, who is transported into an alternate universe where he must restore peace between three brother kings in order to return back to his world and save his wife who has just been kidnapped.

Overall, this first volume is one of the most captivating reads I have had in a long time. It pulls you in with the art by drawing you visually into this world, these characters, and the enthralling story. The story by Kensuke Okabayashi is funny, smart, action packed and multilayered. The art by Okabayashi is fascinating, vivid, and gorgeous. Altogether, an adventure where one can escape into a world not unlike our own.

Story: Kensuke Okabayashi Art: Kensuke Okabayashi
Story: 9.7 Art: 9.8 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy

Scott Lobdell’s Happy Death Day Wins the Weekend Box Office

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It was a happy weekend for Happy Death Day which topped the box office dethroning Blade Runner 2049, last weekend’s winner. Written by comic writer Scott Lobdell and directed by Christopher B. Landon, the $4.8 million budgeted film earned an estimated $26.5 million at the domestic weekend box office and an additional $5 million at the foreign box office. The film scored a “B” CinemaScore and was 54% female and 46% male of which 63% were under the age of 25. The film should do well and make Universal and Blumhouse a decent amount of change before its run is done.

Blade Runner 2049 dropped to second in its second week adding $15.1 million to its domestic total to bring that to $60.6 million. That film added $29.3 million to its international earnings to bring that to $98 million for a worldwide total of $158.6 million after two weeks on a $150 million budget. The film has yet to open in China and Japan and both of those are on October 27. Expect a big boost that weekend.

The Foreigner debuted in third place with $12.8 million beating expectations. The film has already been open overseas where it has earned $88.4 million on a $35 million budget.

In fourth place was It which added $6.1 million to its domestic total. The film has brought in a monster $314.9 million domestically and $630.6 million worldwide on just a $35 million budget. When 2017 wraps, this will be one of the films people will be studying and trying to repeat.

Rounding out the top five was The Mountain Between Us which added $5.7 million to its domestic total bringing that to $20.5 million. The film has earned $30.2 million worldwide.

Of note for comic fans…

The controversial “biopic” of the creator of Wonder Woman, Professor Marston & the Wonder Women crashed and burned with just $737,000 from 1,229 theaters. That’s just $600 a theater and the 18th worst debut of all-time. The audience was 52% female and 70% over the age of 25. Distribution rights for the US went for $1 million. So… yeah.

We’ll have a deeper dive into this year’s comic adaptations in an hour.