I started out this year with "Runaways", and it seems I'm ending the year on it too. I praised the first season of the show and how it made me invested in a Marvel property I generally had no knowledge or interest in before. As usual, I always wonder whether the second outing of something will be able to catch lightning in a bottle as the first did. Season two is quite different than the first, in ways that help it stand out, but also in ways that make it inferior to the first.
Unlike my season one review, I won't be vague this time around. Since it's been almost a year since season one and hopefully the show has gathered an audience, I will be going into more detail this time around.
Picking up from the end of the last season, the Runaways live up to their namesake after confronting their parents about their murderous nature, but their plans to leave town are hindered when their parents put out a news report making them look like the killers of one of their victims. So right off the bat, we leave behind the traditional tropes of teenage home and school life as our main characters adjust to their new normal.
While this is a dramatic show with many big moments and development, the parts I enjoyed the most were the small ones. Despite leaving their old lives behind, we still have teenagers dealing with teenage things. We have relationships that develop and have their ups and downs, such as Nico with Carolina and Gert with Chase. You'll become quite invested where you'll enjoy the sweet times and feel sad when things seem to start breaking down for them. Besides that, you see the characters making the best of their situation and still have fun, like when they throw a quinceanera for Molly. There's a clear message here that even through the dark times, you have to stop enjoy the brief moments of joy and the ones you share it with.
After two seasons, I have to say my favorite characters of the series are Nico and Molly.
While Alex may be the tactician of the group, Nico is very much the field leader. She's able to take charge and get the others to listen to her, showing much strength in her character. Through all this though, she struggles by keeping her relationship with Karolina in a good place as well as trying not to be as domineering as her mother is in her own group. On another note, I just love her fashion sense. From a Black Parade style jacket to some Victorian style dresses, her goth attire helps her stand out as the best dressed of the group.
As for Molly, she has really grown over these two seasons. Being the youngest of the group, she always feels like the outsider with the most to prove; even in season one, no one would even listen to her when she tried to tell them about her super strength until she finally displayed it. This season, it finally occurred to me that she has suffered the most out of the whole group. Her parents were killed when she was young and she was taken in by Gert's family, so unlike the others, she has no blood relatives left. This motivates her to make sure no one suffers like she has, saying that they should use their abilities to do good outside their own problems, as well as put her on a journey to realize that the Runaways are the family she needs (her and Gert also grow closer as sisters this season as well). I've much enjoyed watching her go from this insecure kid to one of the strongest characters on the show.
I do have to give props to Alex's character this season too. He's kind of the odd man out of the group since he doesn't have any super technology, alien genes, or even a dinosaur. He's essentially the normal one, and at the beginning of the season, he's still tempted by some semblance of a normal life. He grows close with his father's old friend Darius, as well as strike up a relationship with his young sister-in-law Livvie; he wants to fill the void left from last season in terms of family and romance. It just makes it all the more crushing when he's forcibly snapped back to the reality of his situation, fueling his desire to see his parents brought to justice even more. You could say it conflicts with his role as team leader, with his own vendetta getting in the way of what's good for the team. It makes for good character complexity, showing he's not perfect but you still hope he realizes the right thing to do.
As for the PRIDE parents, while there were definitely shades of gray last season, I found there was a lot more black and white this season. I liked only a few of them since they seemed to genuinely have good intentions even until the end, some of them are still in that gray area, but many of them act so reprehensibly that I can't see them as anything but villains. While I guess some could still feel some sympathy for the ones in the last group, I just didn't feel the same about these characters like last time where I could still see a hint of reluctance in their actions.
Speaking of villains though, Julian McMahon returns as Jonah, the leader of PRIDE, who we later learn also goes by "The Magistrate". McMahon continues to provide a great villainous and at times creepy performance, and we get to learn a lot more about his past, nature, and goals. Though perhaps we learn too much; not to go into spoilers, but let's just say he has something in common with Jacob from "Twilight", and it's not a good quality. Unfortunately, McMahon is out of the show two-thirds of the way into the season. While the character is still around in some way, losing McMahon means the show losing its most charismatic villain.
McMahon's departure brings me to another point that this season reminds me a lot of Luke Cage's first season. It feels like the overall season is comprised of two smaller seasons, with one episode at the half-way point feeling a lot like a finale, and the second half not being as strong as the first with characters making some really dumb decisions. That said, the second half still has some interesting and entertaining plot lines, going into the season's true finale, which promises a third season even more different than before.
Special effect wise, it's about half and half. A lot of the effects are still on par with the first season, like Old Lace and the powers of the characters. Other times though, the fakeness is glaring with scenes that are clearly set in front of a green/blue screen. This is just a minor problem I had though since it's the characters that are the driving force of the show.
It's worth mentioning that this season appears to have more connections to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's a brief mention of Wakanda, but perhaps the biggest connection is to "Doctor Strange" during the last third of the season. I won't go into details, but it appears to have to do with the Dark Dimension.
And while not necessarily a connection, there's one thing that happens that really bugs me. In episode eight, the PRIDE parents talk about Jonah as if he's the first real proof of alien life. I know it's harder to place the TV shows in terms of where they happen in relation to the films of the MCU, but I feel like it should be safe to assume that the first Avengers film happened already. That said, did they all just forget the Chitauri invasion in New York? You can't even say that Runaways happens before that since much of the technology and references are very modern. I know it's a minor detail, but it's just baffling that the Chitauri invasion was such a huge event to the world that it gets referenced in almost literally every MCU TV show, and yet it seems to be ignored here.
Overall, season two of Runaways isn't as groundbreaking as its first. But in terms of the second chapter of a larger story, I'm still enjoying these characters, the journey they're on, and the trials they'll all continue to face. The cliffhanger this season ended on has me itching to see what happens next even more than the previous season's finale. Unlike the Netflix shows though, I don't think we'll have to worry about this series being cut short and a third season announcement should be soon.
The last time we looked at the DC Extended Universe, it was with "Justice League", which while not terrible was met with some disappointment. This may have meant the end for the franchise had it not been for multiple films already in production, including "Aquaman", with Jason Momoa reprising his role from "Justice League". After the debacle of the previous film, I felt that as long as DC focused on making good movies and not worry about crossovers and future sequels, things should get back on track. "Aquaman" is the first film with that mindset. After seeing it at a special Amazon Prime member screening, I have to say that it was even better than I thought it'd be, and dare I say, it may have been even better than "Wonder Woman."
That being said, there are quite a few similarities between the two films. We're exploring a realm widely regarded as myth, with a protagonist whose journey is aided by a parental figure, mentor, and love interest, and facing two adversaries, one being a pawn and the other being of relation to the hero. Despite all that though, "Aquaman" does enough to help the film stand out on its own, making some twists and subverting expectations in ways I didn't expect.
Like "Wonder Woman", we have the "fish out of water" scenario (pun intended), but there are actually two in this film. Between Arthur and Mera, they're both exploring the other's world. Mera spends an extended amount of time on the surface world and grows a deeper appreciation for it despite its faults. As for Arthur, this is his first time actually seeing Atlantis and learning of its ways.
Much like Arthur, this is the audience's first time seeing Atlantis of the DCEU, and I found it absolutely gorgeous and it's a shame the screening wasn't in 3D. Like I said in my "Justice League" review, I really wish "Aquaman" had come out beforehand so we can really appreciate the side of Arthur where his powers come from. Granted Arthur is in a much different place by the end of the movie compared to how we see him in "Justice League", but I feel it would have been altered easily without effecting the overall narrative of both films.
Aside from the city of Atlantis, there are plenty of other visual treats to entice people. The scenes set in the sea are so well done that you'll actually feel like you're under water, from the waviness of the screen, the distortion of the actors' voices, right down to dust floating around. There are also a variety of different creatures besides the Atlanteans, from the sea creatures they use to fight and travel (including giant seahorses), tribes like the Fishermen and the Brine, and the giant Karathen. The most terrifying creatures though are the Trench, savage creatures that allow director James Wan to make use of his horror roots in a scene where they're chasing after Arthur and Mera on their boat and in the water; even though you know they'll make it, you're still scared for them. And while it's a minor effect, I was just so happy to see the telepathic ring that appears when Arthur uses his telepathy to communicate with sea life just like in the cartoons. Combining all of this makes for one of the most visually stunning action climaxes I've seen in film.
The fight scenes aren't just limited to the underwater scenes though, as there's plenty of action to be had on land as well. The opening fight scene with Arthur making his way through pirates hijacking a submarine is brutally fun, and I find it comparable to Batman's warehouse fight in "Batman v Superman" and Diana's No Man's Land scene in "Wonder Woman"; just a brilliant showcase of the hero's abilities. Much like Arthur, both Mera and his mother Atlanna are shown to be capable fighters themselves, proving them to be certified badasses.
While Jason Momoa was entertaining in "Justice League", a lot of people weren't too keen on his performance as the so called "Aquabro." I feel like this film will help him win some people over though, as we view Arthur's journey to becoming the hero and king comic fans know him to be, and I definitely see why Momoa was picked for the role way back for when it was just a cameo in "Batman v Superman". Also, I felt a lot of joy seeing him wear the classic Aquaman suit and him riding a seahorse.
As I said, Mera is just as capable a hero as Arthur, and it's helped by Amber Heard's portrayal of the character. Her development is much like Arthur's as we watch her drop the armor of her Atlantean ways and her views broadening. Watching the two progress together helps add to their chemistry, making for a literal king and queen powerhouse couple for the DCEU.
Momoa's chemistry also expands to his father Thomas, play by Temuera Morrison (who played Jango Fett in "Attack of the Clones"), and his Atlantean mentor Vulko, played by Willem Dafoe (who played Norman Osborn in the original Spider-Man trilogy). Seeing them act with Momoa's Arthur really made me believe the history they shared together, whether it be father and son drinking together, or a mentor trying to help his pupil reach their full potential. Also, I give props to the people who worked on their digital de-aging to make them look younger for flashback scenes; it's amazing how far special effects technology has come.
King Orm/Ocean Master, played by Patrick Wilson isn't really a standout villain to me, but he offers a good foil to Arthur. Besides their appearances and tolerance to accept others, while Arthur knows how to have some fun and has never really had much obligation to anything, Orm is very serious in his role as king and nothing is off the table in his goal to see his people flourish. Their differences are best exemplified in the interaction the two have just before their duel surrounded by a ring of underwater lava. Without spoiling much, the film does seem to imply potential redemption for Orm in future films.
When it comes to villains though, that show is stolen by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. His motivation for revenge against Aquaman is established from the submarine hijacking scene mentioned before that ends with his father being killed. Already working for Orm, he forgoes any monetary payment, only wanting revenge for his father. He's given Atlantean technology, which he fashions into the costume he's well known for. This leads to their battle in Sicily, and he looks spectacular in action. I look forward to him appearing in future Aquaman films, and maybe even part of the Legion of Doom if we ever get a Justice League sequel.
Overall, "Aquaman" is a fun ride with great visual effects and amazing chemistry between actors, boding a promising direction for the future of the DCEU and proving how much success can be had when filmmakers' visions aren't interfered with by the studio. If you see one more movie before the year is out, make it worthwhile with the king of the sea.
My DC Extended Universe Film Rankings:
1. Aquaman
2. Wonder Woman
3. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
4. Man of Steel
5. Justice League
6. Suicide Squad
After looking back at "Batman: Hush", I wanted to give the same treatment to another year long mystery involving my other favorite superhero, Spider-Man. In 2004, a new Spider-Man title was launched under the Marvel Knights imprint, written by Mark Millar (famous for other Marvel stories like Civil War and Old Man Logan as well as his own content like Kick-Ass and Kingsman) and drawn by Terry Dodson. The timing for this write-up works out well because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Marvel Knights line. Marvel Knights was meant to tell darker stand-alone stories with characters while still remaining in continuity with the main universe, until 2006 when it was reformatted to tell out of continuity stories. While the moniker has been associated with street level characters or anti-heroes like Daredevil, Punisher, Ghost Rider and Blade, the more outlandish characters like Captain America and the Fantastic Four have also had titles under the line. As Spider-Man is sort of the bridge between the two extremes, it's not that far-fetched for the web-slinger to join the Knights crowd. While the title did continue after Millar's run, this story is generally what comes to mind when comic fans think of "Marvel Knights Spider-Man".
When this story was coming out when I was young, I was pretty invested. Much like Hush, it's been a long time since I read it, so I wanted to see how well it holds up. I'm going to take a different approach compared to Hush though. While it was a year long story, it was divided into three 4 issue acts: "Down Among the Dead Men", "Venomous", and "The Last Stand." This post will talk about "Down Among the Dead Men", and I'll return to the other two stores as soon as I can. I'll also be going through the story itself, pointing out details I like or don't. So let's dig into "Spider-Man: Down Among the Dead Men."
Issue one begins with two guys opening up a deli while arguing which is better between VHS and DVD, so that should tell you how dated this story is. The two continue arguing while taking out the trash where they discover a beaten down Spider-Man in the alley, followed by the Green Goblin showing up. He throws pumpkin bombs, and after throwing the two back into the shop for their own safety, the two battle it out, with Spidey hitching a ride on his glider for a good while. Spidey's narration states that the Goblin took people hostage in a church, threatening to kill them if Spider-Man didn't show, which is where their battle started. He also references a "truce" they had made in an earlier story, and that Osborn broke it with this act simply because he was bored. The two eventually crash and start fighting on the street, where Spidey gets the upper hand and starts screaming "Who's your daddy now, Osborn?!" Considering a line that occurs later in the story, Peter saying it to Norman is little cringey. Spidey starts looking around for something heavy, and someone in the crowd suggests the mail box. Spidey does hit the Goblin with the mail box, which the guy who suggested it found pretty brutal. He thinks Spidey could have caused brain damage, but the way it was drawn makes it look like he hit Goblin in the back down below his head. It's also worth mentioning that the guy kind of looks like Kevin Smith (of Clerk and Jay and Silent Bob fame), which is probably an intentional homage because Smith was originally intended to write the book but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. While Spidey's webbing up Goblin, some idiot start poking at some pumpkin bombs that were scattered on the street, one of which goes off, hurting his leg. The idiot asks Spidey to FLY him to the hospital, prompting Spidey to see if anyone in the crowd can call an ambulance, to which one guy says he's calling the police to arrest Spidey and his "friend", the Goblin. As police are already showing up, the idiot starts mouthing off to Spider-Man about how he'll be thrown in jail, only Spidey's already made his exit. Ah, classic Spider-Man. Stops the bad guy and gets no thanks for it.
Peter heads back to Aunt May's house where before the Goblin's hostage situation, he and his WIFE Mary Jane were helping her pack things up, as they had gotten her apartment near the two of them. I emphasized "wife" there to make it clear that this was before the dark times. Before "One More Day" and the deal with the devil that erased their marriage. Peter's in bad shape after the fight (even throwing up in the sink), and while Aunt May's very concerned, Mary Jane says this is normal. At this point in time, Aunt May had finally discovered Peter was Spider-Man and the two became closer because of it. This was another thing that was undone with "One More Day" and another of the many mistakes that came of that story. Considering how Nick Spencer's current run on Amazing Spider-Man kind of feels like the stories before Civil War to me, I'm somewhat hoping Aunt May once again finds out Peter's identity. There's a nice scene with Peter and May packing up, even finding the engagement ring from when she almost married Doctor Octopus (seriously, Amazing Spider-Man #131; look it up). They talk about that despite losing Ben there, the house had a lot of good memories. Unbeknownst to them though, they're being watched by someone in shadows hanging upside down in a tree across the street.
Later on, Peter is at his job as a high school science teacher (that was something that lasted a good few years before he outed his identity in Civil War) in a scene where his students are talking about how he used to take Spider-Man's pictures and how he's married to a supermodel/actress, while referencing their brief separation. This part honestly felt like exposition for some readers to play catch up on recent events in the Spider-Man books. The principal then comes to Peter's classroom that he has a call from the city council, where we then cut to the cemetery, where the caretaker shows him the shattered tombstone of his Uncle Ben. Peter then receives a call on his cell from the mysterious upside down person (he's seriously hanging upside down while watching TV). The mystery man congratulates Peter, referring to him as Spider-Man, on bringing in Osborn. Peter tries to brush it off by saying he made a mistake, only for the man asking him what else he has to do to take him seriously besides defile his uncle's grave. He then taunts Peter about how bad things can get when someone knows Spider-Man's name and then mimics Aunt May by saying "Care for a wheatcake, sweetie?" Knowing what this could mean, Peter rushes off to Aunt May's apartment, swinging through the city in his civilian clothes. Peter knows the risk but knows there's no time, hoping he 's moving fast enough that no one will recognize him. Peter crashes through the apartment window to find the place in shambles, though I'm willing to believe Peter came in so hard that he did the damage himself.
As far as first issues go, it's not bad. It has a good fight scene, establishes Peter's relationships and the current status quo for new readers, setting up the mystery and makes you feel genuine concern for Aunt May.
Issue two begins with Peter begging Mary Jane to leave New York for her own safety. She reluctantly agrees as Peter assures her it's nothing he can't handle, basically lying to her and himself. He calls Black Cat for her assistance since she already knows his identity, but is down in Florida working a missing persons case, and wouldn't be able to be there until the next night. She suggests narrowing it down to those who know his identity, and Peter's mind jumps directly to Osborn.
It's worth noting that this was the first time in over 40 years that Norman was actually brought in for his crimes as the Green Goblin (which he probably feels stupid for because this happened all because he was bored). So when Spidey sneaks into the prison holding him, Osborn reveals he had a plan in case he was ever finally thrown in jail, that he revealed Peter's identity to someone they both know and to capture his oldest living relative. Of course, Norman also taunts Peter that he could be lying to him, messing with his head in his fragile state.
Spidey then heads to Avengers Mansion hoping they could connect him with Nick Fury, who also knows Peter's identity. Again, it's worth noting that at this point in time, while Spidey had his superhero connections, he was still much of an outsider in the community, preferring to work solo and in the case of this story, keep a close circle with those who already know his identity. He goes to the front door and talks with Jarvis through the intercom, who is skeptical that he's really Spider-Man. It's too bad that Tony Stark couldn't have put in some cameras by the door; you know, so Spidey could shoot a web or stick to a wall to prove who he is. Spidey's then confronted by armored SHIELD guards; at this point in time, Tony Stark was appointed secretary of defense and that entailed extra security. Having to do this the hard way, Spidey fights through the guards into the mansion until he's finally stopped by Quicksilver. Captain America arrives to defuse the situation as Spidey explains his aunt has been kidnapped and looking for Nick Fury to help. Cap tells him that Nick is in a parallel dimension for a week and can't be reached; only in comics would that be a believable excuse. Cap offers the Avengers' help, but Spidey's wary about his identity being revealed to them, even if by accident, pointing out that his secret being out is the reason for his aunt being in danger in the first place. Both Tony and Cap point out how their secret identities are public and how it's not so bad for them. Oh if only all three of them could see into the future and see how Civil War proved Peter to be so right. Spidey leaves frustrated with the Avengers and himself and takes a different approach. He pays a visit to crime boss the Owl, hoping his criminal connections could give him a lead, saying that he'll owe Owl if he helps him. As the Owl leaves to see what he can find out, Spidey checks on a bodyguard he took down when he arrived, as he reveals he had an operation recently due to Crohn's disease. I really like this scene because it shows that Peter doesn't want to seriously hurt anyone, and he is able to connect to even criminals on a human level, going so far as to offer to get the guy a glass of water. Owl returns stating that Electro and Vulture were the ones who kidnapped May, as Spidey leaves happy with the information.
We cut to Electro/Max Dillon and Vulture/Adrian Toomes in their civilian clothes talking about how they're leaving town in the morning after scoring twenty million dollars (which Vulture is carrying in a briefcase), but Max drags Adrian to a brothel he goes to for one last night of fun. Adrian is uncomfortable, stating "I find this whole thing very distasteful and exploitive." Considering this is Mark Millar writing and the kinds of scenes he's come up with in his work, I can't help but feel he's being self-referential. No disrespect to the man, but sometimes his writing goes to very extreme places. Max then meets up with his regular girl, who is a shape-shifting mutant, asking her if she missed "daddy". (See what I mean about Peter asking Norman who his daddy was being weird, now?) She asks what he's in the mood for, offering Invisible Woman and Scarlet Witch for example. He starts saying that he's wanting something a little unconventional. But before we can find out what he wants, they open the door to find Spider-Man waiting, crouching in a web he made that covers the whole room. All I'm thinking is he's lucky he got the right room; it could have been awkward if it wasn't Electro or Vulture walking in.
Issue three begins with Electro suiting up and he and Spider-Man beginning their fight. Spidey leaps out at him into the hallway for Vulture to see, who apparently wasn't uncomfortable enough to pick up a girl, himself. Seeing Spider-Man and still wearing his flight harness, Vulture jumps out the window to escape. Spidey shoots a webline at him, snagging the briefcase, causing the twenty million in cash to spill out in the streets. This infuriates Electro to wear he blows a hole in the side of the building. Electro tells Vulture to go grab get his wings so he can help deal with Spider-Man, who believes the twenty million dollars was what they were paid to kidnap Aunt May and that there's a third party involved.
Electro brags about his new costume, and it's honestly not that different from his usual one. The only big difference I notice is that his lightning bolt star mask thing folds down on his head when he's not using his powers. I know classic looks stick around for a reason, but they do get modernized as time goes by, so why not just keep the lightning bolts around the head? It still looks like the classic, but a lot less silly. This is then followed by Spidey saying "Looks more like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy anyway". One, it's still not that different from the classic Electro look. Two, that's a joke that's aged about as well as the one from the first Sam Raimi movie where Spidey asks Bonesaw if his husband made his outfit.
Electro also reveals he's learned how to act as a conduit to throw metal objects, eventually leading him to throwing multiple cars down on Spidey, exploding on impact. Spidey SOMEHOW escapes this and really starts laying into Electro, with their fight ending up in a building containing gas and propane. Once Electro lights a spark, he realizes too late where they're at when a huge explosion takes out the top of the building. And this is where main character shields are really blown out of proportion, as both of them are scathed but relatively uninjured. Spidey finally asks Electro where May Parker is, confusing Electro until Spidey reveals Owl told him it was him who took her. Electro just laughs and reveals that he and Vulture had stolen the twenty million dollars from Owl. So yeah, Spidey got played, and it's not that unbelievable. Peter's desperate and has been running himself so ragged that even Electro noticed that Spidey wasn't bringing his A-game in their fight. Of course he would have believed anything Owl told him.
As Spidey realizes this, Electro takes advantage by running a charge through a puddle of rain Spidey was standing in, sending him off the building and landing on a police car. The cop in said car says "Jeez, somebody wanna call 911?", despite the fact there are five other police cars around him. He probably means to call an ambulance, but I'm left thinking "Dude, you ARE 911". Spidey is then taken to a hospital, where his mask is removed so the doctors can do their work.
Elsewhere, Mary Jane tries to call Peter only to reach their answering machine. She says she's coming home as she's feeling paranoid being all alone and that she'd be a target wherever she is, so she might as well be with him. She then notices a TV news report with a reporter holding up the tattered Spider-Man mask the doctors threw out. Now I'm not that savvy on hospital protocol, but aren't there special procedures when it comes to disposal? I doubt everything just gets thrown into a dumpster. And even then, how did the reporter get the mask? Did she dumpster dive? Did an employee sneak it out and give it to her?
The news report talks about how Spider-Man and seventeen others are being treated at the hospital after the fight, while Electro himself remains at large. In the hospital, someone I assume is the administrator is chastising the doctor for not following protocol when it comes to superhero admittances and that it makes the hospital a target. Administrator guy is indeed right as the Vulture crashes through the window of Peter's room (how he knew which room was Spider-Man's is anyone's guess) in a snazzy new black and red outfit.
I really like this look. Considering how much of Spidey's rogues gallery wears green, this is a nice update. The black and red color scheme certainly fits when you're named after a bird of prey, and it was popular enough to be used on the Spectacular Spider-Man animated series. I really wish this look stuck, as he eventually went back to his traditional green look.
Issue four begins with Peter, whose face has some bandages on it, hallucinating Aunt May in his hospital room in a scene that really does nothing but to show how zonked out Peter is. Back to reality, Vulture snaps the neck of the nurse in the room as Peter tries to fight back by crashing a water pitcher over Vulture's head. Security bursts in and tries to shoot Vulture, who then grabs Peter as a human shield before taking off out the window with him. Vulture reveals to Peter how he was going to use the ten million dollars of his share to get his grandson leukemia treatment, expositing how learning he had family and spending time with them made him want to be a better person and how he would have done anything to save him. While there is some sympathy to be had, mostly for the grandson, let's not forget the guy killed a nurse just three pages prior.
Wanting to see his face, Vulture removes Peter's bandages, but his face is still pretty banged up. Vulture is astounded to find out Spider-Man's just some nobody. You know, I'm pretty sure Peter Parker being Spider-Man's personal photographer is common knowledge even to his rogues gallery, so I'm just going to chalk up Vulture not recognizing him to how messed up his face is at the moment.
Vulture then drops Peter from the air, letting him fall to his death, only for Black Cat to swing in and save him in the nick of time. Vulture makes a b-line towards Cat, tackling her and causing her to drop Peter, who is able to grab on to a building ledge to save himself. This leads to a pretty entertaining aerial battle between the two, as they fly through a restaurant and eventually crash into Mary Jane's billboard from Spider-Man 2 (done in Dodson's art style of course). Felicia reveals Owl had hired her to find Electro and Vulture for his money. Being pissed at Vulture for making her waste her time in Florida as well as messing with her ex (Spidey), she claws up his face and delivers him to the Owl, who has also captured Electro, ready to punish the two.
The issue and this act end with Mary Jane on a flight back to New York, Felicia returning Peter to his apartment, our mystery man eating and watching the news all while still hanging upside down (must be his favorite hobby), and finally with a hospital orderly coming to the Daily Bugle to give J. Jonah Jameson pictures he took of Spider-Man unmasked and in his hospital bed, to which Jameson smirks and says "I think that's one very familiar face."
So far, the story does have its flaws, with some dated and questionable dialogue. Despite my critiques though, I still found "Down Among the Dead Men" enjoyable. The makings of a good story are there with the characters acting within reason, and Terry Dodson's stylized artwork makes for some entertaining fight scenes, which can get pretty down and dirty. Plus, the possibility of J. Jonah Jameson figuring out Spider-Man's identity is a good cliffhanger. It's not a bad start, but we'll see how things go when we return next month with act two, "Venomous."
While DC may have its troubles on the film front, they've had a lot of major success when it comes to TV, particularly the shows airing on the CW collectively known as the Arrowverse. While it wasn't the original intent, Arrow was the launching pad for a DC TV multiverse, spinning off shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Even Supergirl and Constantine, shows that were originally on other networks, became connected in one way or another. And much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are crossovers aplenty. Aside from cameos sprinkled here and there, it's become a yearly tradition for a major event to bring the shows together, much like in the comics.
The first crossover was between Arrow and Flash in 2014. The episodes involved were standalone with the main hero and some supporting character travelling to the other hero's city to help with the villains of the week. Team Arrow traveled to Central City to help against Prism, while Team Flash went to Starling and fought Captain Boomerang. Both episodes did a great job of showcasing just how different the heroes and shows were, very akin to the World's Finest crossover between the Batman and Superman animated series of the 90's.
2015's crossover was a true two parter connecting the two shows with the heroes helping Hawkman and Hawkgirl from being killed by the immortal Vandal Savage. It wasn't as good as the previous crossover, but what I liked was how they made the Flash segment feel like an Arrow episode and vice versa. This crossover also acted a prequel to the then-upcoming Legends of Tomorrow show.
2016's crossover was the most ambitious yet, as Legends had started while Supergirl had moved from CBS to the CW. In a week long event, the heroes of all four shows fight off an alien race known as the Dominators in the aptly titled "Invasion" crossover. I felt it was very similar to the first Avengers movie, where it was a slow build up before a very exciting finish.
The cream of the crop though came with 2017's crossover, "Crisis on Earth-X"; as the casts come together for Barry and Iris' wedding, Earth-1 is invaded by a parallel Earth where the Nazis won World War II, currently led by dark versions of Arrow and Supergirl. While in the previous crossovers, each episode still felt like the show that was involved, "Crisis on Earth-X" was practically a 4 hour long movie (including commercials) where if you didn't know beforehand, you couldn't tell which show you were watching. If felt like a true comic event for the Arrowverse like "Avengers: Infinity War" was to the MCU.
If I have one complaint, it's that the crossovers, particularly "Invasion" and "Crisis on Earth-X", aren't collected on a single DVD/Blu-Ray; you'd basically have to switch out the disc from one show's season set to put in another.
That brings us to this year's crossover, "Elseworlds". Only Arrow, Flash and Supergirl were involved this year, which isn't a bad thing. When it comes to the Legends and their involved episodes, it almost felt like they were guest stars in their own show. There was a lot of hype going into this crossover, introducing major DC characters into the Arrowverse like the Monitor, Batwoman, and Lois Lane, as well as featuring the Superman from Supergirl's show and John Wesley Shipp once again suiting up as the Flash from the short lived 90's show. Between the Elseworlds title and Monitor's and 90's Flash's involvement, there were implications of a Crisis brewing; DC fans should know the implications of that capital "C". So does Elseworlds live up to expectations?
Part one begins with the Monitor giving Dr. John Deegan, a psychologist with questionable methods (meaning he fits right in at Arkham Asylum), the Book of Destiny, which he can use to rewrite reality as he wishes. What he does first is switch Oliver and Barry's lives...in a way. Basically, everyone believes Oliver is Barry and Barry is Oliver, where their lives played out the same, but they just look different. That means Oliver is Barry/Flash and Barry is Oliver/Green Arrow. I'm really hoping I explained that well, because it does get confusing just watching sometimes. Only Barry and Oliver are aware of the change and at first, everyone thinks they're crazy. The two go to Earth-38 where Kara recognizes them as their proper selves; they also meet Clark Kent and Lois Lane. The four heroes all travel back to Earth-1 where they work together to take down the Amazo robot and convince everyone of the body switch.
Part one was a really fun episode, watching Oliver and Barry react to being in the others' shoes and having to get used to the others' powers and or skills. The two do a good job acting like the other, seeing Barry act a little more gritty and Oliver having a much cheerier disposition. If anything though, I wish they could have done more to make their lives different other than looking like each other. Well, that and Oliver just looks so uncomfortable in the Flash suit while Barry looks pretty damn good as Green Arrow. Amazo's live action debut is also a highlight, seeing the robot copy the powers of the heroes, and his battle against Superman, Supergirl, Barry, and Oliver was very entertaining. And speaking of Superman, while Tyler Hoechlin has only had a handful of appearances as the character, he does a very good job in the role. I still think it's unfair to compare him to Henry Cavill in the DCEU though, as Hoechlin's Superman has been active for well over a decade compared to Cavill. Lois Lane's debut was also a treat, and I love the chemistry between her and Clark. There have been talks recently of a new Superman show being developed with this version of the character, and I would be all for it.
Part two, in my opinion, was a real mess. While Clark heads back to Earth-38 to make sure everything is fine (since he and Kara are the only major heroes of their Earth), Oliver, Barry, and Kara are able to pick up on a trail to Gotham City after Cisco gets a vibe. It's in this episode where it's confirmed that Batman does indeed exist on Earth-1 in the Arrowverse. Personally, I think this was a bad idea. Arrow has always been a pseudo-Batman show, with major Batman villains appearing including Firefly, Prometheus, and Ra's al Ghul, and his relationship with Barry is very similar to that of Batman and Superman, making Arrow and Flash essentially the World's Finest of Earth-1. It's also worth mentioning that years ago on Supergirl, it was confirmed that Batman does exist on Earth-38, where the show takes place. While I think it was a mistake to keep Batman off of Earth-1, there's a way it could have worked. Compared to the other heroes of Arrowverse's Earth-1, Batman is still considered by some to be an urban legend, with Barry and Oliver even arguing if he actually exists. If they simply not even run into Batman, it would have been fine. The problem is that they say both Batman and Bruce Wayne haven't been seen in Gotham for three years (and nobody makes that connection apparently). It's basically "Oh yeah, Batman exists, but he's just not around anymore".
This part of the crossover is where we're introduced to Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne's cousin, new head of Wayne Enterprises, and of course, Batwoman. Her involvement here is mostly to set up her own show next year, and while she does have a pretty entertaining debut, her appearance has very little bearing on the main plot. Let's compare her debut to Barry's back season two of Arrow: Barry's past and motivations were properly explained and he even helped Oliver after he had been poisoned during a battle with Cyrus Gold; that season had also had build up with news reports about the Particle Accelerator leading up to the scene where Barry was struck by lightning. Batwoman's appearance here feels like an afterthought, especially considering she was hyped up so much. And as for Batman's disappearance, I'm sure this is a mystery that will be explored once we get to Batwoman's own show, and hopefully we will get to see Bruce and Alfred appear at some point. Part of me worries though that they'll try too hard to make it like a Batman show, especially since Arrow already does that. Admittedly, I may be biased about all this being a huge Batman fan, but there's a bit of frustration when it seems like they want to do a Batman show so bad but won't or can't.
But speaking of wasted potential, remember how I said John Wesley Shipp's Flash was involved in this crossover? He's only there for about five minutes, and it's mostly to exposit about the Monitor and the Book of Destiny before he gets transported back to his own Earth. Not only that, but we also see the debut of the villain Psycho Pirate, and if not for the fact that I knew he would appear beforehand, I might not have even noticed; he didn't even use his powers.
If it's not clear, I really didn't like part two.
Part three was able to rope me back in though. Deegan once again uses the Book of Destiny, this time to a greater scale. Oliver and Barry are depowered and turned into criminals called the Trigger Twins, Kara is incarcerated in the Pipeline, Deegan turns himself into a dark suited version of Superman, and multiple supporting characters are either turned into criminals or lackeys of Deegan. While Deegan in the comics is the villain known as Dr. Destiny, the way he acts as Superman is very similar to Superboy-Prime, essentially a whiney version of the original character who feels entitled to be a hero, even though he doesn't act like one.
Barry and Oliver are met by the Monitor, who reveals he has been testing heroes on multiple Earths to find ones strong enough to fight an even bigger threat coming. The two are then able to convince a mob boss version of Cisco to breach them to Earth-38 to get Superman's help. With some additional help from Earth-1's Alex Danvers (Kara's adoptive sister on Earth-38), Kara is able to escape and they find the Book of Destiny while the two Supermen battle. Kara gets the book to Clark, who is only able to use it long enough to restore Kara as Supergirl, Barry as the Flash, and Oliver as Green Arrow before Deegan steals it back. Deegan then uses the book on a scale that could very well destroy the Earth. Thanks to the combined efforts of our heroes, including some back-up from Lois, Brainiac-5, and Martian Manhunter from Earth-38, and a special arrow given to Oliver by the Monitor after some persuasion, the book is destroyed, reverting reality back to normal. This leaves Deegan deformed though to match his villainous appearance in the comics.
There's quite a few epilogues scenes, my favorites being Clark and Lois revealing to Kara that they're pregnant and Clark proposing to Lois. But the biggest tease is at Arkham Asylum with Psycho Pirate talking to Deegan is the cell next to his, saying "worlds will live, worlds will die, and nothing will be the same". This is followed by a title card teasing next year's crossover will be an adaptation of what may very well be the biggest DC story of all time, "Crisis on Infinite Earths". Considering the magnitude of that story, it's very likely that all the DC shows will be involved next year; they might even finally bring Black Lightning into the fold.
Overall, "Elseworlds" is a mixed bag for me. It had a lot of good ideas, some that were executed well, some that could have been done better, and some that really went off the rails. It started off strong, dropped the ball in the middle, but was able to pick things back up in the end. Comic fans like myself will certainly enjoy all the references and easter eggs thrown in (my favorites being John Diggle is Green Lantern John Stewart on Earth-90 and the appearance of Superman's cosmic anvil). This being a prelude to next year's crossover is a double edged sword though; on one hand, it's just set-up for a bigger story, but on the other, it gives fans and the writers of the shows ample time to get ready, much like the year-long wait between "Infinity War" and "Endgame". The only wrench I could see being thrown in is if one of the shows get cancelled.
Between all the crossovers, this is how I rank them:
1. Crisis on Earth-X (2017: Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow)
2. Invasion (2016: The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow)
3. Flash vs. Arrow/The Brave and the Bold (2014: The Flash, Arrow)
4. Elseworlds (2018: The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl)
5. Legends of Yesterday/Legends of Today (2015: The Flash, Arrow)
Next year, DC's line-up of animated films will include the much requested adaptation of "Hush", a year long storyline that ran in the main Batman book between 2002 and 2003. It was written by Jeph Loeb, who had already cemented his place in Batman's history with "The Long Halloween", considered one of the best Batman stories ever and was one of the inspirations for Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. But perhaps when people think of "Hush", the first thing to come to mind is Jim Lee's art. While Lee had been in the comic industry since 1987, his work on Batman put him back in the spotlight and made him one of DC's top talents, leading him to work with Geoff Johns as the initial artist on the New 52 Justice League run and Scott Snyder's "Superman Unchained", which I praised in a previous review (and seriously, why hasn't Snyder done anymore Superman since then?).
"Hush" is also considered among the best Batman stories, and with the impending animated adaptation, it got me thinking, was the story that really that good, or did Jim Lee's art keep us blind to its problems? Having not read the story in 13 years, I busted out the oversided absolute edition I got for Christmas back then and see if it still holds up. While I have become more critical since starting my blog, despite taking a closer look into it, "Hush" is still a pretty good story. I've actually grown to appreciate it on a deeper level, but at the same time noticing the apparent flaws.
To start with the obvious, Jim Lee's artwork is amazing. I'd dare to say that this is probably the finest work in his career. It's all so beautifully detailed. The way he draws the characters is done in such an iconic fashion, which lead to his Batman being used on a variety merchandise for some time afterward. From the smallest areas to the city skylines, Lee is also so masterful with his backgrounds, especially when it comes to the two page spreads. Where he truly shines though is with the Batcave, making it feel like a world unto itself; the best example comes from part eight with a two-page spread depicting a variety of Batmobiles, paying homage to the movies and TV shows as well.
The story also includes flashbacks that are drawn in a different way compared to the present, using very little color and done with looks to be water paints, giving it a more abstract look. I didn't appreciate this when I was younger, but grew to respect it on my re-reading. While helping it stand out during the story, I feel that its faded look connects with the idea of memory, that while the details may not be present, the bare bones remain. Part seven shakes it up though, with Bruce remembering the terrible things Joker has done, including paralyzing Barbara Gordon and killing Jason Todd, the scenes being colored in with blood red. Tying in with the theme of faded memory, the darkest moments may tend to stand out in people's minds in certain ways; in Bruce's case, he sees them as the blood on his hands coming from his guilt of continuing to allow the Joker to live. Conversely, when Bruce imagines the possibility of Joker one day killing Catwoman, the splash page of Batman holding Catwoman's body in an alleyway with Joker's face plastered on the walls around them is done in a way where it's really just the sketch layout before any ink or coloring. Unlike the present or the past, it's a scene that hasn't fully been formed, only existing as a possibility in Bruce's mind. Between the flashbacks and imagination, Lee's techniques during these scenes are genius.
Now as for the story itself, while Jeph Loeb's talent has waned in recent years, he was very much still in his prime with "Hush". Like "The Long Halloween", it's a mystery with Batman trying to find an unknown villain. The villain, Hush, is basically playing a game to destroy Batman, using his rogues gallery as his pieces. As the story went on, the main suspects to Hush's identity were Harvey Dent (who has had his face and sanity repaired from being Two-Face), Thomas Elliot (Bruce's resurfaced childhood friend introduced in this story), and Jason Todd (the deceased second Robin). Now, it would probably be safe to assume that the new character introduced would indeed turn out to be the mysterious new villain, and in this case, you'd be right; Thomas Elliot is Hush. But before the reveal, Loeb does a great job at planting clues and red herrings. With Elliot, it was a childhood flashback scene of him playing a Stratego like game with Bruce, saying "As long as you can't think like me, you'll never beat me. But I can always think like you." With Dent, there was a scene of Hush holding Two-Face's, we later see Dent wearing the same trenchcoat Hush does, and he comes to warn Jim Gordon about being framed for murder, but in a way that sounds like a threat. As for Jason, it's very small, but in a scene where we see Hush watching Batman from on top of a building standing next to a sign that says "ROBINSON", when Batman turns to look his way, Hush is gone, and the panel is framed in such a way where all we see of the sign is "ROBINS."
Loeb makes a big contribution to the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, essentially changing their dynamic forever. It's in this story where Bruce finally feels he can trust Selina enough to reveal his true identity. While they call off their relationship by the end of the story, it pretty much set up the "on-off", "will they, won't they" romance that continues to this day; they clearly love each other, but there always seems to be something that gets in the way. And while their wedding this past summer didn't go as planned, considering current Batman writer Tom King's long term story plans, I still feel there's hope for these two. (Tangentially, what's funny is how last year I talked about how weird it was that Batman was getting married while Marvel goes out of their way to keep Spider-Man single, and within the span of one month, Selina left Bruce at the altar and Peter and Mary Jane started dating together; it's also sad though that it seems only one of my favorite heroes can be in a happy relationship at a time).
While this is a Batman story, the story also includes Superman, and boy it's quite enjoyable to read the dynamic Loeb writes between the two heroes. Despite the difference in their personalities and methods, let's not forget that the two are best friends. This is best displayed when Poison Ivy places Superman under her control by kissing him with lipstick laced with Kryptonite; Bruce knows that despite Ivy's control, Clark is doing his best to hold back his powers and fight her influence. This leads to one of the best Batman/Superman fights put to paper, and Bruce's internal thoughts giving us what is probably the best way to look at the difference between the two: "If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark's a good person, and deep down, I'm not." For Superman, he has no problem doing the right thing because of how he was raised. For Batman, he's a man, who despite the tragedies of his life, who has every reason to be mad at the world, doesn't allow himself to fall too deep into the darkness, because he doesn't want anyone else to go through what he has. And the whole "not a good person deep down" thing is kind of put on display as while the two are fighting, Batman had Catwoman go grab Lois Lane, leading to her falling from a building, which is enough for Clark to break Ivy's control to save her. It was a pretty big gamble for Bruce, but between being a brilliant tactician and Clark's best friend, he knew what would happen. Loeb truly understands the relationship between the two heroes, and if you need any more proof, check out his run on Superman/Batman.
So was there anything that I didn't like about the story? Well, to start out with something small, it was Scarecrow. Whenever Loeb writes Scarecrow, he always has him speak in nursery rhymes, in this story's case, "Hush Little Baby". It's only Loeb that does this with the character, and on one hand, it does up the creepiness factory, which works for a character like Scarecrow. On the other hand though, I feel like it limits what you can write for the character in terms of dialogue. But in story, him singing the song was what gave them the idea for Hush's name to begin with, so I guess it was a necessary evil.
My biggest problem though is that the ending and the reveal of Hush's identity is somewhat anti-climactic. At the half-way point of the story, Thomas Elliot had faked his death, making Batman believe Joker had killed him, pushing Bruce to nearly kill the Clown Prince in retaliation. It would turn out that it was Clayface taking Elliot's form, but there was an autopsy done. Despite Clayface's shapeshifting ability, I doubt that he could take a ruse like that that far or that a coroner wouldn't notice the very flexible texture of the cadaver's skin. Besides that, Elliot's motivations aren't well developed in my opinion. As a child, he tried to orchestrate his parents' death in a car crash to inherit their fortune, but his mother was saved thanks to Bruce's doctor father. Between blaming Bruce's father from foiling his plan and resenting Bruce for becoming an orphan like he wanted to be, this lead to Elliot eventually becoming Hush. Now, many of Batman's villains are dark reflections of the hero and have deep psychological issues. Hush is no exception, and while focusing unfettered hatred on Bruce isn't out of left field, it does seem like a stretch when he's supposed to be the mastermind of this story and using Batman's villains to fulfill his goals. If anything, maybe the story would have benefitted from an extra issue to help expand a few things.
Despite my problems with the ending, "Batman: Hush" is overall a fantastic story, with excellent writing from Jeph Loeb and amazing artwork from Jim Lee. But perhaps the best thing is that it's totally accessible and a complete story, so whether your a long time fan or brand new reader, you can jump right in without having to read anything before or after it. I'd highly recommend it for people who became fans of Batman through the movies, cartoons, or games but haven't actually read the comics. It has a good cast of characters, from a variety of Batman's biggest foes to most of the characters that were part of the Bat-family at this point in the character's history (including Tim Drake as Robin). Rereading this gave me a feeling of nostalgia to when I was just starting to get into Batman comics thanks to my revitalized interest after "Batman Begins", a simpler time before all the relaunches and continuity changes.
During my reread, I thought about saving my overall thoughts on the story for when the movie came out next year and maybe do a comparison between them, but it turned out I had a lot to say about the comic itself, mostly thanks to Lee's art choices. Hopefully the movie will be a good adaptation that maybe fixes the problems the original source had; I can already see some areas that will probably be changed when it comes out. Until then though, "Hush" the comic is a must read for any Batman fan.
When the first season of Daredevil debuted on Netflix in 2015, it changed the expectations people had when it came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It brought forth a darkness and brutality never before seen in the MCU, setting the tone for the future Marvel/Netflix shows. While the second season had its moments, it wasn't as good as the first. Looking back, the problem was balancing the Punisher and Elektra stories, not really converging in a satisfying manner. So after that and teaming up with the other Netflix heroes in the Defenders, it was time for the Daredevil "trilogy" to wrap up. Season three goes back to what season one so groundbreaking, upping the ante in the process.
All the returning cast bring what I feel are their finest performances as their characters.
Matt Murdock, reprised by Charlie Cox, is in a real bad place when we begin this season. The loss of people in his life, from his father, to Stick, to Elektra, has brought forth a crisis of faith. At first its just his religion, but once Wilson Fisk is let out of prison, it's also his faith in the system that is lost. Matt's main struggle this season is trying to bury his human side to devote himself to Daredevil, with his friends trying to keep him in the light. With his red suit destroyed, he goes back to his homemade black suit. While I love the traditional look for Daredevil, the black suit works for the story. He's not only going back to his roots, but he feels the red suit not only represents a time when his ideals were strong, but it marked his biggest victory, defeating Fisk. Fisk being out cheapens it, and then it becomes twisted when a man in a copy of the suit begins killing people. Plus, the less armored suit helps add more tension when Matt's in the field; being more vulnerable means he has to think more on his feet.
Deborah Ann Woll shines as Karen Page, particularly in an episode dedicated to her backstory. It really gives you more understanding of her character and might make you see her in a different light. It also helps that now that she knows Matt's secret, it makes her more of a team player, compared to how she was kind of shut out in season two.
Elden Henson continues to steal the show as Foggy Nelson. Ever since it began, the show has done marvelous work with his character, making him into his own man and not just Matt's partner. It almost makes me want to see a show focused on his life.
And of course, we have Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, who finally takes the name Kingpin this season. In the first season, you could argue he had good intentions but went about terrible means. This season however, there are no shades of gray. What he wants now is control, of the crime in New York and corrupt officials. Nothing is off the table, and it is scary how he has been able to set things in motion or manipulate others to do his bidding. If there is any sliver of humanity left in him, it's when he's with Vanessa. In terms of the Netflix series, Fisk is much like Thanos; he's the biggest villain in this subsection of the MCU, and his presence creates dread in all who know him, even those trying to stop him. It brings forth this feeling of hopelessness like in season one, making you think "how are our heroes going to win?" Much like then, it does come in an unexpected way (done even better this season, in my opinion), but there was much more tension this time around. It made me question if Fisk would even lose, as well as fear how far Matt was going to go this time to end him. Something else I noticed is how they seemed to draw some inspiration from Donald Trump in Fisk's depiction. He not only blasts "fake news" or tells people who the true enemy is, but some people even buy it, making them question if Fisk was ever guilty to begin with. And while they beat around the bush and don't say it flat out, we even have a Holocaust survivor compare him to the Nazis. But here's the real kicker: when he's out of prison, he's staying at the Presidential Hotel.
Of the new characters this season, the ones that really stood out to me were Joanne Whalley as Sister Maggie and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter.
Sister Maggie looks after Matt, who is hiding out in his church during most of the season. She offers words of wisdom, stitches him up when he needs it, and calls out Matt on his bullshit when she needs to. She's very much the Alfred to Matt's Batman. There is a bit of a twist in her character, but I think it'll be more surprising to those who don't read comics compared to those who do.
Then there's our other main villain this season, Dex, who is the MCU version of Daredevil's other biggest villain, Bullseye. To be blunt, Dex is scary. He is a scary, scary man, exemplified in not just how he enjoys killing people and how easy it appears to be for him, but the score used for his character, making it sound like flies buzzing in his head. In one episode, we learn his backstory, showing he has been troubled ever since he was a little boy. It helps when he has someone good to guide him, but this is something Fisk takes advantage of. If Dex is like a rabid dog, then Fisk is the one who let him off the leash. His fights with Matt are some of the best I've ever seen too, not only being unique each time they duel, but making it clear that he's the most dangerous opponent Matt's ever faced.
I feel Daredevil has always had the best fight scenes of all the Netflix series, and they really went all out this season, upping the danger and brutality Matt is facing. The final fight of the season alone is the perfect example, and had me on the edge of my seat. In addition to the fights though, this season had some of the best cinematography I've ever seen. One episode in a prison includes a single camera shot that goes on for well over ten minutes, much similar to the hallway and stairwell fights from previous seasons. And in the episode examining Dex's past, it's done in a unique way where while Fisk is looking over his files, he imagines himself watching events from Dex's past as if they were happening in his own penthouse.
Overall, season three of Daredevil was a much needed return to form for the series, bringing back the realism and darkness that made us love the show in the first place. So where do we go from here? Well, it's kind of in question. Since my Iron Fist season two review, both that and Luke Cage have been cancelled at Netflix, leaving Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Punisher the remaining series. The optimist in me is saying they're just going to combine those two into the much requested "Heroes for Hire" series. But there's a prevailing theory that with Disney launching their own streaming service in the future, they don't want any of their properties under the competition. If that's the case, season two of Punisher and season three of Jessica Jones could be the last of the Marvel/Netflix series. When it comes to Daredevil, if this was the last season, I think it was a satisfying enough conclusion. Much like Iron Man 3, each of the characters had their story wrapped up and it does leave it open for the story to continue if they choose to.
If we are hopefully given a fourth season, besides feeling that Matt will try to do better at balancing his day and night jobs, the only thing I have to wonder is Matt's costume. It's probably time for something new, since his black suit doesn't have much protection, and the red suit has been tarnished by Dex's actions. Personally, I think they should combine the two and do something like the "Back in Black" era suit.
To a majority, the first season of Iron Fist was considered the worst thing to be released from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then "Inhumans" came out, leading Marvel to realize to never give Scott Buck work again. Unlike "Inhumans" though, Iron Fist still had room and opportunity to improve. Despite the negative reception, viewership for season one on Netflix warranted a second season. But before that, Iron Fist was part of the Defenders crossover series, where I felt the flaws of his series were more evident while in the presence of the other heroes. Following that, he appeared in an episode of Luke Cage's second season this past summer where a personality overhaul filled many with hope for his own series' return. It seems past mistakes have been learned from as this whole season brought forth the quality one comes to expect from Marvel and Netflix.
I believe the key to this season's success is due to two factors: tone and length. One of the best things about most of the Marvel Netflix shows is how the environment feels authentic. Right from the first episode, I'm immediately sucked in as opposed to the beginning of the show's first season. I also feel there are more stakes involved since this season deals with vigilantism, gang wars, and protecting the public; there's even one episode where a group of innocent people are threatened and you can truly feel the danger they're in. By extension, the action is greatly improved upon as well, including probably one of the most exciting and fast paced scenes to come from the MCU in the last episode. They even thought of new uses for Danny's Iron Fist, like punching a long table into a group of thugs; an extreme form of "flipping the table" if you will.
Season two is also only ten episodes compared to thirteen as is the norm for the heroes' solo shows. Season one of Iron Fist was rumored to be having trouble in production, and I believe part of that was trying to stretch the story out to a full thirteen episodes. They say a story is only as long as you need it to be, but that doesn't mean you should set a quota and include unnecessary details. This is one of those lessons I think they learned from before, and it shows they're willing to put story over episode count if they need to.
The season is full of amazing development with all our main characters. * Danny Rand/Iron Fist: Going back to what I said about authenticity, when we find Danny as the season begins, he actually feels like a genuine human being. Much like his appearance in Luke Cage last summer, he seems to have gotten a major overhaul after the defeat of the Hand in Defenders. While still acting as a vigilante to protect the city after Daredevil's "death", he's moved in with Colleen and even gotten a job as a furniture mover. While he is still rich, he's shown trying to live a simple life and looks happy about it. That being said, he's still somewhat impulsive and making decisions that go not just poorly for him, but also bring him to his lowest point since we first met the character. It all leads to him making a revelation about himself and a very mature decision about his future. * Colleen Wing: Much like the first season, Colleen is a great character who's as entertaining as Danny, and I just love the relationship between the two. They're partners in crime fighting as well as romantic ones. She's usually more level headed and does more of the talking compared to Danny which makes the partnership work in my opinion. What's interesting though is that while she is helping Danny in his efforts, she tries her best to stay out of the fight, retiring her trademark katana she used in season one and the Defenders for most of the season. It's one of those "just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in" situations. As the season progresses, their relationship is tested, and despite how you'll feel about where they stand in the end, it certainly seemed inevitable. * Davos: While we met Davos last season, we delve a lot deeper into his character as he is the main villain this time around. And much like other Marvel Netflix villains, we have yet another case of having a messed up childhood. What's different though is that he basically had parents who had very high expectations, particularly a "tiger mother"; they had expected him to become the Iron Fist instead of Danny, leading his mother to be extremely disappointed that it didn't happen. It really explains a lot about him, but they really shouldn't have put that much pressure on him his whole life; of course it's going to mess him up if things don't go according to plan. And if they were so sure about him, why not forgo ceremony and just make him the chosen one and not give Danny a chance? The actions Davos takes this season leads to something akin to "Superior Spider-Man", making Danny's mission his own but with a more lethal approach, including a "might makes right" and "with me or against me" mentality. He doesn't see himself as a villain, and yet that's what makes Davos another one the best villains of the Netflix shows. * Ward Meachum: Ward's still kind of a dick from last season, but he's working to improve himself and his relationships, including a side story where he's part of a support group; you'll truly sympathize with him. Even his relationship with Danny is in a better place than last season, with some friendly jabbing much like brothers would do. Overall, the range of Tom Pelphrey's acting makes Ward one of he best characters of the season. * Joy Meachum: My mixed feelings about Joy from last season kind of continue, but it's based on which half of the season you look at. When it starts, she's part of the plan with Davos to get revenge on Danny. Her reasoning though is very similar to Harry Osborn's motivation in the original Spider-Man trilogy. She places more blame on the good people she feels wronged her, overlooking the dark things her father was involved in and apparently has the inability to see the bigger picture of what was going on at the time. Part of me understands her reasoning, but it can be kind of frustrating, and makes her come off as somewhat privileged, looking for someone to pin the bad things that happened to her on rather than try overcome her hardships and become a better person because of it. That being said, she does have a change of heart and attempts to make things right, so she does have some redemption in my eyes. She plays it off like she's doing it for herself, but I can tell she's still got some heart in her like I saw in season one. * Mary Walker: Now this one's real interesting to examine. Played by Alice Eve, we're introduced this season to a new character based on the villain Typhoid Mary from the comics. This version is a former special ops soldier who developed a split personality, which is something we had yet to see in the MCU. There are two sides to this character: there's "Walker", the soldier with fighting skills that even give Danny some trouble, and "Mary", the sweet timid artist who develops a crush on Danny. I give credit to the writers and Alice Eve for making the two personalities genuinely feel different, from their interests, clothing choices, and hair and make-up. In some of her early episodes though, "Walker" talks in a soft quiet voice that makes it hard for her to understand sometimes; she got better but I'm not sure if she actually started to speak up or I knew to make sure to tune my ears differently when she came on. I will admit that as entertaining as her character was and the potential storylines with her in the future, part of me felt she wasn't completely needed, like things could have happened without her, but I digress.
Overall, while season two of Iron Fist isn't as groundbreaking as other Marvel Netflix seasons, I still found it very enjoyable and a much needed improvement over the first season.
As for where the future will take these characters, right now, both Luke Cage and Iron Fit have yet to be renewed for a third season. Considering the status quo shifts both second seasons ended on, I think it would be interesting to see these characters' stories continue by bringing them together for a "Heroes for Hire" series. I know that's something I keep bringing up, but damn it, there's so much potential in the idea and I'll continue to hope it happens at some point down the line.
After what I felt was an exciting and acceptable first season, the new Spider-Man animated series began its second season back in June and just recently wrapped up the first half. As I've done before, its time to look at this new batch of episodes to see what worked and what didn't.
The season opener is a unique one, with five short stories connected by the plot thread of Peter trying to enjoy his summer vacation. A day at the beach, a baseball game, a concert, and a camping trip all get interrupted by supervillains and him having to suit up as Spider-Man to stop him. It's not a bad experiment, as most modern superhero cartoons tend to have full 20 minute stories. The last story though is more about Peter trying to find a new job to help pay for school, as his assistant job from the previous year is only for freshman. This leads to Peter finding out about the Daily Bugle looking for usable footage of Spider-Man.
As opposed to the photographer he was for years, this version of the character sets up a video drone to record his battles as Spider-Man. It's not a bad modernization to this aspect of the character, especially since we've already seen this slightly in the MCU with Peter recording his trip to Berlin during the events of "Civil War". Plus, it's certainly more interesting than being the Bugle's web designer in the Ultimate comics.
And since we have the Daily Bugle, that means one thing: J. Jonah Jameson! While Jameson was in the previous "Ultimate Spider-Man" show, he really had no depth. He hated Spider-Man for apparently no reason, the two never met, and in one episode where Harry Osborn had the symbiote and operated as a black suited Spider-Man, Jameson for some reason gave this Spider-Man praise. Like many things about Ultimate, that made no sense. Here though, it's classic J. Jonah Jameson. He makes it clear that he doesn't like Spider-Man, not trusting a masked hero compared to the Avengers. At first I thought JK Simmons was once again playing the character, but it turned out to be voice actor Bob Joles, though he does a very good impression of Simmons like Daran Norris did back in "Spectacular".
The second episode of the season sees Otto Octavius, after becoming Doctor Octopus in the previous season, claiming that he's reformed his ways and requesting to be reinstated as a teacher at Horizon High. After the expected distrust, Otto's able to prove himself by giving insight on the school's Neuro-Cortex project and saving it from being stolen by a group of mercenaries called the Wild Pack, earning back his position and the school's trust. Now, anyone who knows anything about Doc Ock should expect it all to be an act and set things in motion to make himself look good. Thankfully this isn't a farce that's played out for long, as he reveals his villainous intentions the very next episode. Ock's plan all along was to take the Neuro-Cortex for himself to amplify his mind. After strapping Miles, Gwen, and Anya into a machine to charge the cortex with their brain powers, it allows him to remove the robotic arms fused to his body and gives him telekinetic abilities, much similar to the Ultimate comics version of the character.
It's worth mentioning that this episode also introduces Carolyn Trainor, the female Doctor Octopus who debuted in the comics in the 90's (also known as Lady Octopus). I love how this show gives some attention to the more obscure characters of the Spider-Man mythos. Much like the comics, she idolizes Ock, but unlike them, Ock takes advantage of Carolyn by having her (with her own robotic arms) to keep Spider-Man distracted while he completed his project. Now this is definitely in line with Ock's character on the show, considering he had his mind controlled Sinister Six last season. He uses people, and he even boasts about it when Carolyn learns the truth.
After being able to reach Miles, Anya, and Gwen and tell them to fight back against Ock mentally, Spider-Man and Caroyln are able to defeat Ock physically. This leads to the machine shutting down and Ock is left in a coma, but there's a hint that his mind is still alive when the light turns on in one of the tentacles. More on that later though.
As I was hoping for from before, this season also introduces Eddie Brock. He's established as another Bugle videographer also trying to get Spider-Man footage. I was a little worried how he was going to be handled in this series though, as for quite awhile, he had no lines of dialogue, though he shows clear disdain for Peter as Jameson praises him for his work. The build-up was worth it though when Eddie finally bonds with the symbiote, becoming the new (and true) Venom. Unlike with Flash last season though, the symbiote shares its knowledge of Peter with Eddie, considering their mutual hatred. This leads to Eddie showing up in Peter's bedroom in a really creep scene, and he hadn't even revealed he had the symbiote yet. Though to be fair, having a co-worker almost twice your age show up in your bedroom is bad enough to begin with (and let's keep in mind Peter's probably 16 at this point). He states how jealous he is at all that Peter has with his friends and family, and feeling threatened since Eddie's job is all he has. Eddie then transforms into Venom and after a fight with both Peter and Miles, he goes off to capture Jameson, Gwen, Max Modell, and Aunt May, webbing them to the roof of Horizon. Much like his sudden appearance in Peter's bedroom, there's a real horror aspect to Eddie's actions, especially in his kidnappings of the Gwen, Max, and May. Peter's able to rescue all but Jameson before Venom stops him, and even takes off Peter's mask in front of Jameson after the other three get to safety. While this would have been a major status quo shift, Miles enters the scene in a spare Spider-Man costume of Peter's, claiming Peter was acting as decoy while he, as the "real" Spider-Man, worked on a way to stop Venom. They're able to defeat Venom by blasting him with an intense sonic device that would separate Eddie from the symbiote and leave it catatonic. However, before the process is complete, Eddie grabs on to the pieces of the symbiote, stating "I'm nothing without you." The symbiote rebonds with Eddie before the two enter a coma. While it's not as poetic as Eddie's line from "Spectacular" ("It only loves me for the hate"), I really liked Eddie's line here as it says a lot about the tragedy of his character. My point is that I quite enjoyed how this version of Venom was handled, making Eddie look just as angry and dangerous as the symbiote.
One unique aspect in this version of the character is that they give both Eddie and the symbiote their own personalities. While that is kind of a cool thing to do, this however leads to my only gripe, in that they weren't really consistent. The symbiote has its own grudges and recounts how it had been experimented on, but considering that Eddie is covered in the suit most of the time, it isn't always clear which one is talking. Traditionally, Eddie as Venom typically uses "We" instead of "I" in his speech pattern, making it clear the idea of Venom was a partnership between the two entities. Here, the two pronouns are practically interchangeable, and saying "We are Venom" every so often isn't enough in my opinion.
One consequence of this arc though is that Jameson fires Peter, feeling he put people in danger by working with Spider-Man. At this point, Peter is still unemployed. If we're going by other versions of Spider-Man though, Peter's been fired multiple times by Jameson and usually comes back. Though considering the liberties this show does take with the mythos, I'm not sure if this will happen or not, but I'm hoping so.
The next story arc is the four part "Bring on the Bad Guys", where a mysterious benefactor puts a bounty on Spider-Man's head, leading him to be attacked by a barrage of supervillains. Honestly, I feel this was mostly an excuse to introduce more obscure villains from the Spider-Man mythos, including Overdrive, Spot, Prowler, and Silvermane. There's also Mysterio, but I hardly count him as obscure. And much like the season opener, these are shorter stories, usually giving one villain half the episode to try and defeat Spider-Man.
It's during this arc that one of my theories from last season proved true: Anya retained her spider-powers from the Spider-Island arc. While she does have a costume and uses the Spider-Girl codename, she doesn't want to be a full-time superhero. I can respect that, but much like we've seen from Gohan in the Dragon Ball franchise, it's best to keep your powers at peak condition in case the need arises. Gwen is the only one who knows at first, and Miles learns later. It's at this point where I really wish everyone in Peter's friend group just knew each other's identities. There's no real reason for them not to, considering how much they help each other in and out of costume. It'd be much like the Arrow and Flash TV series where they have a network of allies to work with.
This arc unfortunately brings a real low point to the series with the use of the villain Jack O'Lantern. They make this version obsessed with Halloween, making constant unbearable puns that make me long for Arnold Schwarzenegger's version of Mr. Freeze. He even had a gun that shoots candy corn. A candy corn gun. Repeating that doesn't make it less stupid. Jack also apparently got itching powder into Peter's costume, forcing him to strip down to his mask, gloves, socks, and underwear. I mean, why was there need to do this? Does anyone really want to see teenage Spidey in his underwear? My point is, I feel like this was an idea someone had left over from "Ultimate" and wanted to throw it in.
This four-parter also introduces the latest version of Electro from the comics, Francine Frye. I probably wouldn't have felt the need to talk about this segment, but when I watched a clip of this episode before it aired, there were a good chunk of comments complaining how they "gender-bent" the character, comparing it to introducing Carolyn Trainor this season and Sandman's daughter Kemia last season. I know not a lot of people are privy to comics, but all three of these characters are sourced from them. There's no need for this "outrage" when a quick look on Wikipedia can see there's precedence. I'll give them a little leeway since they didn't use the original version in Max Dillon, compared to having Flint Marko and Otto Octavius present, but this is another instance where the show wanted to do its own thing. Honestly, the Electro story they did would have worked whether they used Max or Francine.
Spider-Man finally encounters Chameleon, the benefactor behind the bounty. This version is voiced by Patton Oswalt, who coincidentally also provides Uncle Ben's voice in flashback scenes on the show. Because of that, it gives me the feeling that Uncle Ben is behind Chameleon's holomask, despite how ludicrous that idea that sounds. I mean, there's no real difference in the inflection in his voice between the two roles. He attempts to frame Spider-Man for robbing a bank, and then leads Spidey on chase through the streets, constantly changing his appearance. It ends up with the two running into J. Jonah Jameson and Chameleon changes his appearance to match. Not wanting to put up with two Jamesons, Spidey punches one immediately, thankfully knocking out the Chameleon. When asked how he knew which one was fake, Spidey says he guessed. It's a hilarious moment coupled with Jameson's outrage at the comment, but I'm pretty sure Peter's spider-sense clued him in. But as Chameleon's placed in prison, he's contacted by his employer, the TRUE benefactor behind the bounty.
This leads to the two-part mid-season finale, where we learn Doctor Octopus is the mastermind behind the bounty. After being defeated earlier in the season, Ock's mind was left in the Neuro-Cortex, that not only allowed him access to cyberspace to contact the villains to announce the bounty, but give the students at Horizon designs to build a robot body for the Neuro-Cortex called the Living Brain. While a lot of this is lifted straight from the comics, I'd like to think that first time viewers lacking the knowledge of the source material will get a real shock when Ock reveals himself. Even I get a bit of a kick out of hearing Ock elaborate his long-term plan.
Now between being attacked by villains wanting to collect on the bounty and having school projects to work on, Peter has been placed through the wringer, constantly tired with his spider powers in flux. This has been Ock's plan all along to tire out Spider-Man so he could achieve his endgame: to transfer his own consciousness to Spider-Man's body. Now, an animated adaptation of the Superior Spider-Man story arc has been something I've been wanting even while "Ultimate" was still going. But watching this, part of me was still kind of hoping Peter would stop Ock from doing so. Much like Amazing Spider-Man #700 where that storyline began though, Ock succeeds in taking Peter's body, leaving Peter's mind in the Neuro-Cortex. I guess what makes me feel uneasy about this version is that we don't really have any inclination of Ock wanting to use Peter's powers for heroic reasons. There is some indication though that like in the comics, Ock will have Peter's memories to go off of, allowing him to assume Peter's life flawlessly, and also most likely influence Ock's behavior to act altruistically.
It's worth mentioning that mostly due to Jameson, public perception of Spider-Man has been mixed this season. Some people still like him, some see him as a menace, and some want him arrested. This leads to Spidey making an uneasy alliance with police chief Yuri Watanabe. Now with Ock in control, how his actions as Spider-Man will impact his perceptions and partnerships will be interesting to see, not to mention how he'll affect Peter's life as well.
If I had to guess where the rest of the season will go, I'm thinking that much like the comics, Norman Osborn will return and lay siege to the city, forcing Otto to give Peter back control of his body to save everyone. Until then, there's a lot of room to work with and what they can do with this storyline. The Superior Spider-Man is one of my favorite comic runs of the character, and I hope they do it justice.
Also, Ock better use one or both of his costumes. (I suddenly feel the need to reread the series before the show comes back.)
_poster.jpg)
