TV Review: Daredevil - The Realest Superhero Show You'll Ever See

It was a moment of triumph for fans when the rights to Daredevil had reverted back to Marvel after Fox had failed to move forward with plans for a film reboot. However, in lieu of a movie, Marvel would bring Daredevil to their cinematic universe through the first wave of live action series streamed on Netflix. The only live action adaptation of the character was the ill-received Ben Affleck starring film in 2003. Personally, I didn't think the film was THAT bad, but when the first trailer was released for the Netflix series, I was blown away. Not only was it darker than the film, but was the darkest thing Marvel Studios has ever developed. Now that I've finally gotten around to watching the whole first season (I know I'm late on this; I'm a busy guy), it is safe to say that the show puts the movie to more shame than it already had before.

By the first episode of the series, it gives you the sense of what to expect the rest of the season. In fact, and I hope I'm not alone in this, I was finding it hard to believe that this show was even part of the same universe as Captain America, Iron Man, and the rest of the Avengers. While those heroes, and by extension SHIELD, work on a much grander scale, Daredevil puts the MCU under a microscope by featuring the gritty neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in New York City and the corruption of its public officials. While in the Marvel films, you know things will be fine by the end, but while watching Daredevil, there's a constant sense of dread and the hope for a happy ending seems very far away. Not only that, but being on Netflix gives the show more freedom than the movies in how far they can go with the violence, and believe me, that violence earns the show its TV-MA rating. In every episode, there are at least a couple moments that made me go "OH! I can't believe they just did that!" and even partially covered my eyes.

The action of the show is also the most grounded I've seen from anything superhero related, but I'll focus on comparing it to other Marvel properties. Daredevil isn't as super strong as Captain America or had extensive training like Black Widow, so he can't just take them out with one move. He has to keep pounding on them until they can't get back up. And the damage he receives is just as bad. Considering he doesn't wear body armor for most of the series, there were some moments where I couldn't believe he survived through.

But the action and violence are only part of what makes the show so unique. Unlike the 2003 film, the characters of the series actually have that: character. Everyone involved delivers an astounding performance that make you care for them, especially when something bad happens, even for the minor characters. And while Charlie Cox succeeds in making us all forget about Ben Affleck, I'm afraid he's outshined by Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk.
To start with Foggy, I'll admit I was a little taken back by how young he looked. Given he, Matt, and Karen are all pretty young, Foggy definitely has more of babyface. That aside, it's him who brings out the heart of not only his group of friends, but of the whole series. Between his blossoming romance with Karen and flashback scenes with Matt in one episode, you can't help but love the guy. Not only that, but this Foggy is definitely shown to be a more competent lawyer than the Jon Favreau version in 2003.
As for Fisk, it goes without saying that he is definitely the most human villain of the MCU. While he's usually depicted as a majorly evil crime boss like in the 90's Spider-Man animated series or the 2003 film, this is actually the first time the character has invoked some emotion from me. I was even moved to tears during a flashback scene in one episode. With this version of Fisk, we can actually understand what motivates him to do what he does, which makes him a great foil for Daredevil. They're both on a mission to help their city, but their methods differ. D'Onofrio's portrayal of Fisk really shines through with his relationship with Vanessa, played by Ayelet Zurer. You see how much she's made him a better person compared to when he's first introduced and you actually find yourself hoping for the best for them, despite also wanting him to pay for the bad things he does.

I'm a little disappointed that the traditional suit only appeared in the season finale, I do understand that it made a great reveal for the final battle with Fisk. And while some think it looks silly, when it's in motion, he looks totally badass. I did like the vigilante suit that was worn for the whole series, but I'm glad he does now look like a superhero, and it helps get him his name (similar to how it was done in the first Iron Man movie).

The series has been renewed for a second season, and rightly deserved I might add, but like other Marvel characters, they aren't bound to their own series. While there hasn't been anything official, the possibility of Daredevil appearing in next year's "Captain America: Civil War" is strong. But the real question is, should he? In my opinion, it depends. I feel that if Marvel's able to, Daredevil needs to get a second season under his belt before interacting with the big boys. It'll help establish him more as the hero of Hell's Kitchen. Not only that, but while the first season did a great job of establishing its own identity, I believe the second season needs to make it feel more that the show is indeed part of the bigger cinematic universe. To help with that, there are a few characters I think should really appear in season two.

• The Owl (SPOILERS AHEAD): While the older Leland Owlsley was killed by Fisk in the season finale, there mentions that he had a son a number of times in the series. This leads me to believe that Owlsley's son will be making his way to New York in season two, possibly as the main villain filling the hole left by Fisk, officially taking the name "The Owl".
• Bullseye: It would only make sense for the Owl to bring some muscle with him to New York, and a proper interpreation of Bullseye would be a real treat.
• Elektra: She was already referenced in the series, which means she exists. Let's see her Marvel, and make her a real badass assassin.
• The Punisher: A lot of fans were hoping that the gun-toting vigilante would appear in the show's first season. An appearance in the second season would be nice contrast between him and Daredevil, and considering we now know how far these Netflix series can go, and there's the potential of him getting his own series in the future.
• Spider-Man: Okay, I'll admit, this is an extremely long shot, but hear me out. Now this is really dependent on if season two can be made before "Civil War", but if it does, it could really help the introduction of the new Spider-Man. And while the show's budget constraints probably won't give us a high flying Spidey, they could have it to where Peter hasn't developed his web shooters yet. But honestly, ever since the team-up episodes in the 90's animated series, I've loved watching Spidey and Daredevil work together. And while Punisher and Daredevil are opposites in their own way, there's quite a contrast with Spider-Man as well. We have the hardened now established adult vigilante in Matt Murdock who has a dark outlook on life, while we meet this kid who can't fight but still has a unique set of skill and is able to look on the bright side of things. But what they have in common is that they both feel responsible for the loss of their father figure and only want to do their best to help people.

My future hopes aside, with the first season of Daredevil, Marvel Studios not only proves once again that they can do no wrong with their characters, but shows that they're willing to get down and dirty when they have the right material and outlet. If you're a fan of Marvel, gritty vigilantes, and high stakes crime dramas with deep characters in a deep storyline, Daredevil is the total package. Honestly, EVERYONE needs to watch this series. What are you still reading this review for? Go! Now! Watch it! WATCH IT!

RATING: 10/10

Batman Post-"Endgame": I Feel Like We've Been Here Before (MAJOR SPOILERS)

This week saw the finale to "Endgame", the latest storyline of Scott Snyder's acclaimed run on "Batman". Following his defeat in "Death of the Family", the Joker returned to Gotham and unleashed the deadliest and seemingly incurable version of his Joker Toxin yet called the Endgame Virus, hell bent on destroying everything Batman loves and protects. In the climax of the story, Batman is able to find the source of a cure in a pool of liquid similar to a Lazarus Pit down in previously unknown deeper cavern of the Batcave. This leads to a very bloody and brutal battle between Batman and Joker as an explosion rigged by Joker causes the cave to collapse. While Batman makes sure the liquid gets topside to Julia Pennyworth for a cure to by synthesized, he makes sure that Joker can't retrieve it, and the two are left deep down in the collapsing cave, seemingly dying from their injuries or being crushed by the rubble coming down on them. So in the aftermath of the Endgame Virus outbreak, Gotham is healing as well as mourning over the apparent loss of their Dark Knight.

Let me go through the gist of this: Bruce Wayne apparently dies, Gotham is left without a Batman, and someone new has to take on the role...Am I the only who feels like we've jumped back to 2009?

2009 saw the apparent death of Bruce Wayne at Darkseid's hand in "Final Crisis" and after a few months of build-up, Dick Grayson took up the mantle, with Damian Wayne serving as his Robin.

Cut to seven years later, Bruce apparently dies stopping the Joker and as revealed in the Divergence Free Comic Book Day issue released by DC, Jim Gordon (who got a shave and a haircut (two bits!(sorry, couldn't resist))) is hired by Powers Industries to patrol Gotham in an armored apparently police sanctioned Batman suit.

Okay, there's a lot of difference in the details, but when you get down to it, we're getting a rehash of an outline that was last used under a decade ago (yes, Dick was Batman before in the mid-90's, but there was still a good gap between the two times).
A lot of you know me as more of an optimist when it comes to comics related stuff, hoping that it turns out for the best and entertaining. I have to say though that when I read the finale to "Endgame", it left me with a bitter sweet feeling. On one hand, if this was indeed the last hurrah between Batman and Joker, with both dying beside each other, this would be a fantastic ending their decades old rivalry. However, 1. These are comics, 2. These are continuing stories, 3. No one ever stays dead, and 4. I'm not an idiot. Bruce's "death" in 2009 was a big moment for batfans because this was the first time his character had been apparently killed off like Clark, Barry, Hal and so many other heroes before him. Now we're getting it again so soon, and it just doesn't seem to be getting people as talking as before.

The big difference this time around is that it's Jim Gordon wearing the suit. That's a big "Say what?!" moment. I mean, it's different, but it could be interesting. Scott Snyder hasn't really let me down yet. I even applaud him for bringing in Powers Industries from the Batman Beyond canon. It kind of fits to use given the Beyond prototype suit shown in a previous story along with the concept being official canon to the New 52 future timeline.
I do have to wonder though, story wise, why Gordon? If everyone thinks Bruce is dead (again), why not have Dick take over again? True, it's been done before, but Dick's time as Batman and his partnership with Damian as Robin was really popular. Plus in last year's "Robin Rises" story, Bruce was going on a life and death mission to retrieve Damian's stolen body on Apokolips, and told Dick that should he not come back, that he would need to take on the cape and cowl again, apparently abandoning his undercover mission as an agent of Spyral. If Bruce had such a plan in place before, why not now? Then again, I'm assuming a lot, given we haven't gotten much exploration of Gotham post-Endgame or any other character's reaction to Batman's apparent death.

At this point, I'm going in with cautious optimism for Scott Snyder and his Jim Gordon Batman. But of course, I and lot of other fans will just be waiting for Bruce to come back.

Movie Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" - Assemble the Awesomeness! (SPOILERS)

In 2012, Marvel solidified its cinematic universe after four years of build up with the record breaking and world dominating superhero crossover film "The Avengers". It's three years later and after a few years of building up to it, the heroes assemble again, leaving many to wonder if lightning can strike twice. For some, it may not, but to me and a good majority, it certainly has.

There's going to be a lot of comparison between the first film and its sequel, so I'll get that out of the way, starting with the action. I found it just as exciting as the first one, especially when you have all the characters on one screen together. If there's one thing I would have liked more of though, it would have been more combo moves between the team members. Cap and Thor do this quite a bit in the film, along with one between Cap and Widow and another with Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, but other than that, not much. I wouldn't have even minded if they reused the Cap/Iron Man combo used from the first one; you know, the one they copied from the Ultimate Alliance 2 game?

While action's the main draw, let's not forget that the heart lies with its characters. Like the first film, all of the characters make their presence felt and have purpose to be there (though I do wish Falcon was part of the final battle with Rhodey). And as for the interaction, I found it a lot deeper this time around. The most prominent of the film is between Bruce Banner/Hulk and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, or as I've given them the couple ship name, "Brutasha". We learn a lot more about Widow's backstory, and it's actually quite heartbreaking, and it really shows how similar her and Bruce are. They could both be considered monsters seeking redemption.
I do however wish that we could have seen what Scarlet Witch did to cause Bruce to Hulk out and go on a rampage. Everyone else had a nightmare vision shown, why not Hulk? Personally, I think it might be due to the recent revelation that Hulk's solo film rights are still with Universal Studios, possibly preventing the use of Hulk related characters like Betty Ross. It does seem that compared to the other Marvel films, "Incredible Hulk" is the least referenced to in later films. I do remain hopeful though that like Sony with Spider-Man, Marvel can make a deal with Universal to make a new Hulk solo film for Phase Four.
With a lot of characters, once you've seen them so much, you pretty much know you're guaranteed great performances from them. Evans, RDJ, Hemsworth, etc. They've all proven how much they embody the characters they play. However, there's one Avenger who many feel that despite some badass moments, kind of got the short straw in the first film: Clint Barton/Hawkeye. He definitely gets a bigger spotlight in the new film with a backstory that I feel that not only more than makes up for his smaller screentime in the first film, but also makes this interpretation of Hawkeye to be my favorite. He also gets points for being married to Linda Cardelinni. Lastly, there's one line he gives during the climax about how ridiculous it is that he's fighting an army of robots on a floating city and all he has is a bow and arrow. He pretty much channels those who feel he's a useless part of the Avengers, but he still does what he can to help people, even if he's outmatched by the threat.

This brings us to the new characters of the film, starting with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, better known as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (though not stated as such in the film). They start out as adversaries to the Avengers, working for HYDRA and later Ultron, but the truth is that they're not really evil. Through a backstory that has to do with Tony's life pre-Iron Man, we see that they only seek justice for what they've lost. When they realize what Ultron really plans, they seek to set things right (Hmm, I just realized that a big part of being an Avenger seems to be seeking redemption). They're both great characters in the film, but I think I liked Quicksilver a little more.
Another comparison that's going to arise from this film is going to be between this film's interpretation of Quicksilver, and the one shown last year in "X-Men: Days of Future Past". For those that don't know, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are in a gray area that allows their rights to be used by both Marvel and Fox's X-Men franchise, due to being Magneto's children and long-stay members of the Avengers in the comics. In the MCU though, Magneto can't be their father and the twins can't even be called mutants (though it's not explicitly stated if their powers are due to experiments by HYDRA or if they're really Inhumans whose powers were unlocked; I guess that's something we'll find out later). Anyway, while X-Men's Quicksilver was entertaining to watch and had arguably the best scene of the film, I found Marvel's Quicksilver to be the better of the two. There's a lot more to his character and I really enjoyed the aura that comes off him as he runs. And while I enjoyed X-Men's Quicksilver's use of his powers, it leaves many feeling that he's overpowered and wonder why they didn't bring him along for the rest of the film when he's was super helpful. When it comes to Marvel's Quicksilver though, while he has great power, you don't get the sense that he can take down Ultron by himself; it's a team movie, which means everyone should feel useful, even if one character dwarfs one or the others in power.
There's a lot of speculation that Fox added Quicksilver to the last X-Men movie in a way to mess with Marvel, especially considering his scenes were the last to be shot and Juggernaut was originally considered to be used for the Magneto prison break. One has to wonder though if Marvel's retaliated by killing off their own Quicksilver in the new film. Then again, this is a Joss Whedon movie, which means someone important has to die, like Coulson did in the first one, so Quicksilver's death was probably planned beforehand. I will say that like Coulson before him, Quicksilver certainly goes out in a heroic fashion. Whether this will be a death that actually lasts is another question, which if it does would certainly be a first for a major character in the MCU.

This brings me to the film's title character: Ultron. As soon as he steps on screen, his presence is definitely felt. Every time he's on screen, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He's just so entertaining to watch, which is why I consider him to be the new best villain of the MCU (Sorry Loki). I will say though that I was initially surprised at how more human and informal Ultron seemed to speak compared to what I expected. Then I considered this: this version of Ultron was created by Tony Stark, not Hank Pym like most other versions. Between the two, Stark is a lot more social than Pym, and I think that shows through in his Ultron.
Then there's the other side of the Artificial Intelligence coin in this movie: Vision. Just like Ultron, once he makes his appearance, I was immediately drawn to him. There's also the fact that it's JARVIS downloaded into the body, and even though he's totally mobile now, he's still the same old JARVIS, even giving some lip to Tony in a hilarious moment. Going back to my coin analogy, there's good interaction between Ultron and Vision that shows how opposite they are, but also similar. Despite Ultron creating Vision's body, both are visions of Tony Stark. One represents death and only sees the flaws in humans; the other for life and potential in them.
Seriously, big props to Paul Bettany and James Spader for bringing these seemingly emotionless automatons to life.

I'm going to admit that I was disappointed a little bit only for the fact that it didn't set things up for the future like it would, like Rhodey dying, Superhuman Registration/Civil War and Ragnarok set up, and Hulk getting shot into space for Guardians 2. But as it sets in though, I've realized that it actually does help set up for next year's Civil War, but very subtly. Think about it. Two cities were heavily damaged from battle and one was lifted off the Earth itself and destroyed in midair. It's a summer blockbuster, so ending on a triumphant note makes sense. However, there will definitely be consequences that will be explored in Civil War, and it appears that the tipping point for the Registration Act, which in the comics was the explosion in Stamford caused by the villain Nitro that killed over 600 people including 60 children, will be in that film itself.

As for the mid-credits scene, I'm going to say that it didn't leave the same impact as the first film with Thanos' debut. This time around, sure it does move things forward a little, but I was expecting more. I guess fans should be happy though that Thanos finally got out of his chair.
But as we move toward Infinity War, I really hope that with all the heroes we're going to get, that they're not just going up against Thanos. In "Avengers", they fought a bunch of faceless aliens. In "Age of Ultron", they fought a bunch of faceless robots. I don't want "Infinity War" to be just another alien invasion, this time led by Thanos. What would help differentiate this from the other Avengers films? By Thanos bringing with him his henchmen from the recent "Infinity" storyline: THE BLACK ORDER.

That would definitely be cool to see.

Overall, despite my predictions of the film setting up future events unfullfilled, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" brings everything we loved in the first film and so much more, which in turn makes it my new favorite MCU film (though I'm betting Civil War may take the crown next year; definitely helps to have Spidey in the mix now, even if it won't be Andrew Garfield).

RATING: 10/10

MY MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE FILM RANKINGS:
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. The Avengers
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Iron Man 3
6. Thor
7. Captain America: The First Avenger
8. Iron Man
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Iron Man 2
11. Thor: The Dark World