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)
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