TV Review: Punisher Season 2 - A Farewell to Arms

Before I begin the review proper, I'd like to say we are nearing the end of an era. Despite its high praise and my hopes it wouldn't be, Daredevil was indeed cancelled after season three, meaning all the Marvel Netflix shows are nearing the end. While I theorized this was Marvel's doing since Disney was beginning their own streaming service, another plausible reasoning is Netflix being petty about the coming competition. With everything that's come out about the subject, I myself lean towards Netflix being at fault. Even though things are winding down, it doesn't mean we can't enjoy what we have while we can. That being said, let's talk about season two of the Punisher.
The first season of Punisher for me ranks among the best of the Marvel/Netflix shows alongside Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Season two continues what makes the show unique with some new elements added in, though it doesn't quite leave the same impact as before.

I'll start by saying that Jon Bernthal continues to kill it as Frank Castle (pun intended), with the most human portrayal character yet. The range of emotion he shows and the amount of damage he goes through will make you care for what happens to him on different levels.
When we last left Frank, he was given a new identity by the government after helping capture Billy Russo, Frank's former friend and the one ultimately responsible for his family's death. Season two begins with Frank on the road travelling the country, as he attempts to let the past go and find some peace. But in true "just when I think I'm out" fashion, Frank finds himself back in the fight, yet he finds it liberating. Part of Frank's journey this season is accepting who he truly is and what he needs to go on.

Ben Barnes returns as Billy Russo this season to fulfill his villainous destiny as the villain Jigsaw, though it is quite different than one would expect. For one thing, he isn't technically called Jigsaw, though the way things go with the MCU, many villains don't get their comic book name, so it's not a big deal. But the most notable difference from the comics is that his face isn't that cut up despite what Frank did to him in the season one finale. He does still have scars, and while it's not horrific, your eyes are still drawn toward them. Instead, the real damage done to Billy is psychological. After the beating Frank gave him, he suffers from PTSD and apparent memory loss. To me, this makes him even scarier than last season. You never know when he'll go off the rails. It's similar to how I felt about Bullseye in Daredevil. What makes him a deadlier adversary though is that he knows his opponent, Frank, well, and one of his goals is to make him feel as he does and bring him down his level. He also wears a mask he designs to reflect how broken he feels on the inside, which is a real therapy technique some soldiers use to deal with their traumas. A lot of people will be upset that this isn't the Jigsaw they were expecting, but considering the overall theme of PTSD and how a majority of the characters on the show suffer from it, I see it as a clever twist on the character.

Of the new characters this season, the breakout star for me was Giorgia Whigham as Amy Bendix. A teenager caught up in a conspiracy that got her friends killed and now being hunted, Amy is able to find protection with Frank. I love the relationship between the two and how it grows throughout the season, from trying to trust each other to forming a surrogate father-daughter relationship. I also kind of find it similar to the Batman-Robin dynamic. Like Frank, Amy lost everyone she cared about, and while it's not like he's molding a sidekick, he wants to teach her how to defend herself when needed, as well as making sure she can have a more peaceful life in the end compared to him. As a character in her own right, she acts like a teenager would, being impetuous and making stupid decisions, but you can tell she's good at heart.

Besides Russo, we have another main villain in John Pilgrim, a hired gun for a far right church group run by corporate parents of a US senator. On one hand, I like how Punisher is the only other Marvel property besides Captain America to include political conspiracies and corruption, and the nature of the church is almost cultish, which is something new for the MCU. And while I do like Pilgrim's character from his complexities to where his journey ends up and the fact he is able to combat Frank in hand to hand combat, I fear he suffers from the same issues that were present from "Thor: The Dark World." Much like how Loki overshadowed Malekith, I found myself much more interested in the Russo storyline compared to Pilgrim's. Yet between the two, I felt Pilgrim's storyline had a much more satisfying conclusion than Russo's, and I feel like that's a disservice since Jigsaw is considered Punisher's biggest villain. This is my biggest problem with this season; when you mix two different storylines, your audience will be more invested in one than the other. I think what would have helped is if they gave each their own half of the season; have Frank protect Amy against Pilgrim in the first half while building up to Jigsaw for the second half.

It's hard to top the violence that was present last season, but the show creators found new and creative ways to keep things interesting. Episode three features a siege by Pilgrim and his followers on a police station Frank and Amy are being held at, with Frank having to help the officers make it through alive. Episode ten shows Russo trying to make Frank experience the nightmares he did, mixing a physical onslaught with a psychological one. And the finale has a shootout between Frank and Pilgrim through the walls in a hotel; they can't see each other at all but it's almost like they can with how they're able to avoid each other's close shots.

While the first season is definitely better, I don't see season two as a major drop in quality. The direction may get a little zig-zaggy, but I still consider Punisher to be one of the best things to come from the MCU. And for what's most likely the series finale, the show does end on a positive, albeit ironic note that Frank's crusade will continue. If we're lucky, maybe we'll see Jon Bernthal's Punisher return one way or another.

5 down, 1 to go. The last Marvel/Netflix series remaining is Jessica Jones with its third season. Here's hoping this line will go out with a bang as much as it began.

Movie Review: Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen - A Superior Adaptation

When the DC Universe Original Animated Movie line began in 2007, the inaugural film was "Superman: Doomsday", an adaptation of the classic Death and Return of Superman storyline from the 90's. Now we have come full circle with yet another adaptation, though this time it was given the two-part treatment, with "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen". While the "Doomsday" version was more condensed, the new version allowed for the story to be more faithful to the comics and include various characters that originated from the storyline. When this was announced, I wasn't too keen on DC redoing an animated film they already produced; if it wasn't for it being part of the DC Animated Movie Universe that began with "War", I may not have been interested. "Death" had come out at the end of last summer, but I wanted to wait until "Reign" came out to get the full story at once. Then special double feature screenings of both films were announced, which meant I could get the most out of it by seeing it for the first time on the big screen. The wait was definitely worth it as I had an epic time viewing these films, as they succeed on many different levels.

If anyone is going to get the most out of these movies, it's fans of Superman. I know that probably goes without saying, but these are the first animated Superman centered movies since "Unbound" in 2013. After so many Justice League and Batman movies, it's honestly nice to see DC branching out like they have recently with Teen Titans and Suicide Squad and finally giving Superman the spotlight again. And while Superman has been present in the DC Animated Movie Universe, he hasn't actually had much focus having to share the screen with others in the Justice League movies. The most we've gotten out of him is his romance with Wonder Woman. Though other Justice League heroes are present here, this story is all about Superman. Being a two-parter gives them plenty of time to flesh out Superman's world than ever before in this universe, as we're given proper introductions to characters like Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, who are voiced fairly well by Rebecca Romijn and Rainn Wilson, respectively. It was also nice for them to include both Jonathan and Martha Kent. In my opinion, it's the best dynamic when it comes to the Kents. I enjoy seeing Clark have two parental figures to look to for guidance, instead of just his mother or both of them being dead. All these factors tie in to what is the most important theme of the movie: Superman himself. We see how vital Superman is to Metropolis, the world, and the Justice League. When the moment of his death occurs, it's a real emotional moment, with Lois, Jimmy, and the League at the scene while the rest of the world watches on their TVs and devices. In my view, this adaptation succeeds in capturing what made the original storyline so memorable to people.

While this is a closer adaptation of the original storyline compared to "Doomsday", much like "Judas Contract", there are several changes made to have it fit within the DC Animated Movie Universe, though it is mostly faithful. Though being part of this animated universe lends itself to one of the elements I loved about this film: the callbacks to continuity. The films build upon and refer to several events and characters from the previous films in this universe, going all the way back to "War". It's like "Infinity War" and "Endgame" in a way that it's pay off for following the universe since the beginning. Coupling that with watching "Death" and "Reign" as one long story really helps with the epic scale they set up here.

The action is top notch and some of the best to come from the DC animated movies. When it comes to Doomsday, it gets downright brutal. It's definitely a lot more bloody compared to the original animated adaptation, but it helps build up how deadly Doomsday is. When the League attempts to fight him, there's a real sense of dread. From breaking through Green Lantern's force field to shattering Wonder Woman's sword with a punch, even though you know they'll make it, you're still scared for them. Then of course, it's the showdown between Doomsday and Superman. This is a fight for the ages, outdoing every adaptation of their fight that came before, both animated and live action. The fights between all the various Supermen are also entertaining as well with how destructive they can be.

Of all the new characters introduced, the breakout star to me was Superboy, a clone created by Lex Luthor. Steel is always a fun character, Cyborg Superman was an interesting villain with a good motivation, while Eradicator was kind of meh to me. Compared to all of them though, Superboy really stands out. While he's trying to be his own Superman, he's still just a teenager who wants to find his place among the heroes and be liked by the public. It's clear he needs proper guidance, and he's sure to find it with Superman and his family. I hope to see him more in future films, especially if he joins up with the Titans; just imagine the interaction between him and Damian.

Much like my "Spider-Man: Homecoming" review, I'm including a spoiler section that you can skip if you don't want to read it.

**********BEGIN SPOILERS**********

Bringing Darkseid back and being the mastermind behind both Doomsday and Cyborg Superman was a stroke of genius. Not only does it help tie everything back to "War" like I've been saying, but they do his character a lot more justice, since I had a bit of a problem with him in that first movie. He shows a lot more personality and the ability to plan things, rather than just "I'm evil and taking over your planet just because". It also helps that he's now being voiced by Candyman himself, Tony Todd (who also did Zoom's voice on the Flash TV series). Darkseid should have a booming dark voice, and Todd is a good choice. The post credits scene of "Reign" also hints that we may be getting an adaptation of the "Darkseid War" storyline soon, especially with Lex Luthor asserting himself onto the Justice League like he did in the comics prior to that. Though they may have to call it something else so people won't get it confused with "War".

I had a feeling it would happen beforehand, but they finally retired the New 52 look Superman has had since this universe began. Now he's wearing his second Rebirth suit.

->

Considering they went back to the classic suit in the comics, I figured the movies would follow suit. It doesn't have the red underwear, but honestly, this is a better fit. And comic wise, I wish they stuck with this look, since it still looks like classic Superman sans the underwear and works as a modern take. I know people make a big deal about the underwear, but I can take it or leave it.

********** END SPOILERS **********

Overall, "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen" not only creates an epic story on par with its source material, but also plays to the strengths of being part of a larger universe between having build-up from the past and good set-up for the future. It's a must see for current Superman fans and I see it as a way to make new Superman fans out of people.

Video Game Review: Spider-Man - The Best Spider-Man Movie That Never Was

I've been playing Spider-Man games since I was 10 years old, starting with Activision's first game on PC. After that, I got every major Spider-Man game released on Xbox and Xbox 360, enjoying them all to some degree; even the bad ones had positive elements. Then came the announcement of a new game being exclusive to the PlayStation 4. Considering Spider-Man's my favorite superhero, you're damn right I'd cross gaming platforms to experience not just the best Spider-Man game of all time, but the best superhero game period.

If the trailers weren't any indication, from the very start of the game, there's a real cinematic quality to it. While there's clear influence from the Batman: Arkham games, what places Spider-Man above those is that you deal also with Peter Parker and his personal problems, and that it happens over a longer period of time rather than one night. It gives you time to breathe and really get invested in the characters and their relationships. And it's that investment that delivers the powerhouse of emotion that comes from the ending, both in the final boss battle and what happens afterwards. No other superhero game ending has brought me close to tears as this one.
Going back to the cinematic approach, a keen observer can notice elements that homage or were inspired by all the live action films. We have Spidey stopping a train like in "Spider-Man 2", as well as the more tech-savviness of the MCU. And without spoiling anything, I can't help but think they reworked ideas used in the Marc Webb "Amazing" films, and actually did them a lot better. Also, even the score to the game rivals those from the films.
I once considered that "The Spectacular Spider-Man" animated series was the best adaptation of the character. Now I believe this game has usurped that position (though "Spectacular is still the best animated series). As stated before, there's real investment to be had in the characters, and that's due to the great writing on display as well as the voice actors. Even the minor villains have some entertainment value. But it's the main villains that are greatly approved upon: Mr. Negative and Dr. Octopus.
In the comics, Mr. Negative was just a guy who had a split personality, with the dark side having the powers. Here, the character of Martin Li is given a more sympathetic backstory, proper motivation, and more complexity. He's a man who does a lot of good, but just can't let go of his quest for vengeance on those who wronged him.
And of course, you have perhaps the best version of Dr. Octopus yet. It mixes the best elements of "Spider-Man 2" and "Spectacular Spider-Man"; he's a man that only wanted to do good, but was pushed too far by those hindering his work and driven to do terrible things. It's certainly more dramatic than his arms telling him to rob a bank. The fact that he's Peter's mentor in the game even adds that extra punch in the final battle. I also have to give props to his voice actor, William Salyers (Reverend Putty on "Moral Orel" and Rigby on "Regular Show"). He has great range from an inspiring mentor to vengeful supervillain. Finally, there's hints that "Superior Spider-Man" situation will occur in a future sequel (hence why we didn't get that skin in the game).
The last thing that helps give this game a more realistic cinematic quality is that it isn't afraid to get serious. Spider-Man games are usually rated T, like this one is, but they've always stuck to being kid-friendly. There are actual terrorist attacks from bombs and epidemics, and clear acts of murder. Of course, some of these elements have appeared in Spider-Man games before, but the fact that these are the best and most realistic graphics than any of the previous ones gives it that extra oomph.

On to the gameplay. The most fun part one can have is the web-swinging. It's probably the most realistic the mechanic has ever been, and you can just swing on and on and not get bored, especially with all the momentum you build up as you go. It's quite comparable to the Amazing Spider-Man films, which I still think had the best web-swinging of all the live action films.
The combat, to me at least, was quite a bit of a learning curve. Honestly, the hardest part was remembering the X button is placed different than an Xbox controller. But even then, it took me quite awhile and dying over and over to realize that I couldn't just dive in headfirst. Batman may be a skilled combatant, but despite operating for years, Spider-Man isn't. He's a thinking man, and that's how you need to operate when it comes to the fight. I'll just say that dodging is your best friend (especially when you fight Taskmaster), and throwing objects will help as well; both will help build your focus bar you can use to heal or perform finishers.
There are times in the game that allow you to play as Mary Jane Watson and Miles Morales, allowing players to think on their feet (since they're basically stealth missions) and see these characters can do just as much good as Spider-Man and not just need to be saved.
While this isn't the first open world Spider-Man game, this is the first one that really feels like a living, vibrant New York City. There's a real sense of community and the idea that Spidey's a true New Yorker. Along with hearing citizens praise or heckle you, Spidey can even walk down the street and interact with people, who you can give high fives to and take selfies with.

As a staple of most Spider-Man games, there's a variety of different costumes one can wear, and it's probably the most than any game before. In addition to adapting the movie suits, I give props to the game designers for taking fan-favorite comic suits and reworking them just enough to help them fit the aesthetic of the game's universe. The detail in them shows with reflection showing in the eye pieces, and suits with glowing aspects (like the Stealth suit) will shine on other objects. My favorites to use were the MK IV Spider-Armor and the Resilient suit; both were very pleasing to the eye when using them during story missions. The game even added on the original movie trilogy suit, and while I didn't care if it was included or not, using it did bring back some memories of the old movie game days. In addition, almost every suit came with its own special ability, which can be usable for all the other suits. My favorites were the Iron Spider legs, getting assisted by "Droney" from "Homecoming", and a special move that allows you to blanket the area in webbing, trapping any thug in the vicinity.

There is one thing that does bug me about the game. You know how J. Jonah Jameson always goes on about Spider-Man being a menace? Well, he may have some merit to that claim in this universe. In a number of instances, whether by his fault or not, Spider-Man causes A LOT of collateral damage via planes, trains, and automobiles (though technically it's a helicopter and not a plane, but you get the idea). Hell, Spidey can't even rip the door or trunk off a car to free a trapped civilian without throwing said parts into a crowd on the street, who are thankfully quick enough to move out of the way.

Part of the reason this review is way past the high point everyone would be talking about this game is because I wanted to play all "The City That Never Sleeps" DLC missions (then there were the holidays, and I had to watch and review "Runaways" and "Titans"). What I really liked about this DLC is that it wasn't just additional missions for a quick buck. They actually included new types of foot soldiers to up the difficulty during combat, and story wise, it furthers certain characters that will most likely play major roles in future sequels. It's just a shame that the new suits included didn't have their own special abilities; it would have been cool to have Spider-Stingers for the Kaine/Scarlet Spider II suit. Lastly, the DLC came with challenges involving the villain Screwball, and my word is she the most annoying villain ever. If we do get a "Superior" storyline in a sequel, I wouldn't mind reliving a certain moment from issue 6 of that series.

Overall, the new Spider-Man game was well worth buying a PlayStation 4 for, giving both Spidey fans and gamers an extravagant experience on par of the various film series. I greatly look forward to the sequel and the villains set up in the post-credits scene and DLC.

TV Review: Titans - Teen Titans So-So

Teen Titans has been a recurring topic on my blog for the last few years, from top tens lists of the worst episodes of "Go!", animated movie and comic reviews, and my thoughts about how they should be brought into the DCEU. In regards to that last part, because of the TV show, a movie doesn't seem likely. DC has this thing about not wanting different depictions of characters happening at the same time, thinking it will cause confusion. It's crap reasoning, but it's something fans have to begrudgingly accept. But that brings us to "Titans", the first live action original show of the DC Universe streaming service. Even before the show's debut, it got a lot of flack, ranging from stupid things like racists complaining about Starfire's casting, to legit concerns like set photos revealing character looks. Then the trailer hit, and many were taken aback by the dark tone, from harsh violence and the infamous "Fuck Batman" line coming from Robin. Considering most adaptations of the Titans have been kid friendly, it is a surprise this is the route DC decided to go with their first live action depiction. Despite everything though, "Titans" has won over critics and fans. So now that I've finally gotten around to watching the whole first season, what do I think? Well, it has a lot of positives, but quite a few negatives that can be seen to hurt it overall.

Right off the bat, I will say that the story is good, albeit the pace is slow at the start, with Beast Boy not really factoring into the story until episode 4 and Dick not telling them he's Robin until episode 5. It's basically a combination of the team origin story and the Trigon storyline. While the latter has been done before in animation, the realistic setting of the live action series gives us a unique take on it. And despite the seriousness, they do give us time to breathe so that we could enjoy the characters getting to know each other, as well as get some laughs in.
When the series begins, Robin is the only established hero of the team, with Dick Grayson trying to make it on his own after leaving Batman and Gotham. Therefore, this is also the origin story for Rachel/Raven, Kory/Starfire, and Gar/Beast Boy, meaning they don't have legit super suits yet. Nonetheless, the costume designers did a good job creating looks for the characters that still have some semblance of the classic depictions. You have direct homages like Gar's jacket being red and white and Rachel wearing her hood at times (you know she has to have the hood), but you also have minor details one may not notice, like Raven's forehead gem on a necklace and orange make-up on Kory's eyes. People will probably complain about Starfire and Beast Boy not actually being orange and green, but not all TV shows get the same budget as movies.

Brenton Thwaites does a really good job as Dick Grayson/Robin. As Dick, we see this guy wanting to leave his past behind for a normal life, but still feeling pulled to his old ways. As Robin, we see the legit protégé to Batman who can kick a ton of ass. On that note, there's a lot of brutality to his fighting style; while this isn't part of the DCEU, I kept picturing Ben Affleck's Batman as the one he worked with considering how similar they fight. And going off of that, what's really interesting is that we learn about Bruce/Batman through Dick's eyes and how he feels about him. In many versions, Bruce and Dick's relationship is strained, especially after Dick leaves, but we usually see it from both sides. Here, it's all Dick, and I can actually agree with the problems he has with Batman, like taking on young sidekicks like him and Jason Todd, or even putting trackers in their arms. A lot of Dick's struggle in this series is trying not to be like Bruce, even though at times he goes as far as Bruce would. While Dick can blame Bruce for his problems, it was in episode 6 where I started to see it as about half and half. Without spoiling too much, Dick goes too far in a certain situation, and while that's on Dick's head, I can't help but feel Bruce failed Dick in a way; Dick was going through a tough time and Bruce should have done more to help him.
Two characters give a good contrast to Dick in different extremes. The first is the aforementioned Jason Todd, the new Robin. He basically embodies all the negative aspects Dick believes happens when being a sidekick to Batman. While I wasn't around during the time Jason was Robin in the comics, if he was anything like he was in this series, I see why fans at the time voted for Joker to bash his head in with a crowbar. Of course, it's obvious that was the intent with what Curran Walters brings to his portrayal as the character, and he does well making Jason so unlikeable. It also does well showing his potential future as the Red Hood should that ever happen in this series.
The other extreme is Donna Troy. As kids, she was Wonder Girl to Wonder Woman and was a friend to Dick. Now grown up, Donna has left behind the superhero life but still seeks to do good as an investigative journalist. Basically, she's the more well-adjusted former sidekick between the two. Of course, having Wonder Woman as a mentor is probably less stressful compared to Batman. She and Dick have a good back-and-forth with each other, showing a strong friendship, and she plays a big role in the last few episodes of the season, and I hope that continues to be so in season two.

Despite Dick getting A LOT of focus, I think the show tends to forget Rachel/Raven is the most important player here. She's the target most of the show's villains are after, all working in some way for her father Trigon, and the reason the Titans come together to begin with. Unlike the animated depictions, this is the youngest we've ever seen Raven and she's just discovering her powers. It's interesting to see her in a vulnerable state as she's realizing where she came from and trying to remain good despite the darkness inside her, along with the nice moments where she finds comfort in the other Titans; in Dick's case, it reminds him of when he lost his parents and how Bruce took him in. I've said before how Raven's powers would do well in live action with a horror flare to it, and man, they do not disappoint on that. There were times where her visions, powers, or outbursts really did scare me.

This depiction of Starfire is quite different and I'm not sure how I feel about it. She's still an alien from Tamaran, though it's unclear if she's a princess. Considering in this version she was sent to prevent Trigon's rise, I'm going to have to say "maybe", as it's possible either her sister Blackfire sent her or she felt the need to go herself. I'm guessing this is something that will be explored next season. As for what we know now, Anna Diop does a good job of showing her caring attitude and her warrior nature; she's a partner to Dick (helping reign him in at times), a big sister to Gar, and a mother figure to Rachel.

Besides Dick, if anyone is closest to their traditional depiction, it's Gar/Beast Boy. Ryan Potter brings a cheerful attitude that helps bring levity to a serious show. He likes to have fun, make jokes, and has a lot of geeky tendencies, which I think a lot of us can relate to. It's his relationship with Rachel that I enjoy the most though and how far the both of them will go to protect each other. The one complaint I have though is that he can only turn into a tiger. Granted, he's still new to his powers and maybe it's a budget thing, but I little more variety would have been nice. Prior to this, Potter was lobbying to play Tim Drake/Robin in the DCEU, and while I think he would have done well there, it's still nice to have him part of the DC universe.

Besides our main heroes, we have two other groups introduced this season.
* Doom Patrol: Gar at first lives in a mansion with a few other odd individuals, whose lives were saved but appearances drastically changed by scientist Niles Caulder. This includes Robotman, Negative Man, and Elasti-Woman. The episode they appear in was a lot of fun, making me think of an amalgamation of X-Men and Fantastic Four with how they interact with each other. There's a good mix of practical make-up and CGI, and I give a lot of props to them having a full-on Robotman suit instead of being computer generated. The Doom Patrol are getting their own series this year, and after seeing them here, I'm definitely looking forward to it a lot more.
* Hawk and Dove: Old friends of Dick, Hank Hall and Dawn Granger are partners in crime fighting and in real life. Hank's a hot head (which is very faithful to the source) while Dawn's this sweet girl, and it made me wonder how these two could have ever become a couple. Then there was a flashback episode showing how they got together, and it was one of the best of the season, showing how something beautiful can come from tragedy. On that note, like in the comics, Hank's brother Don is the original Dove who dies. But unlike the comics, his death here is just a freak accident having nothing to do with superheroes and villains. It's a nice subversion of expectations considering how superhero death in comics nowadays has lost the impact it used to have.

I figured I'd get all my positive thoughts and character analyses out before I dive into the negative.
I guess the biggest issues I had with the series is how far they took with the dark tone. When the first trailer hit, I said that this was DC's answer to Marvel's Netflix series. While that is the case, much like "Suicide Squad", this is another instance of DC trying too hard to be like Marvel. In this instance, they take more advantage of the TV-MA rating, and it gets to immature levels. "Hey, we're using the "F" word a lot! Robin just stabbed that guy in the crotch! We're so edgy!"
My other major issue is how the season ends. See, the season was originally set for 12 episodes, but ended at 11, with episode 12 going to act as the season two premiere. The problem there is that the final episode is a fantasy episode that is so clearly fantasy that there's no investment to be had in it. Even then, there's no proper conclusion to this season's storyline, plot threads were set up that won't go anywhere until next season, and I'm left with many other questions about characters' pasts. While there's nothing wrong with ending on a cliffhanger, there still has to be some resolution. It's just a crappy way to close things out, and it boggles my mind why DC would do it this way.

Overall, despite the difference in tone, I feel "Titans" is a worthwhile adaptation of the superhero team. The positive traits outweigh the negative, but the few negatives it does have are hard to ignore, and that's not including the lack of proper ending.