Movie Review: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - Last Gasp

 

The end of 2023 also sees the end of the DC Extended Universe with "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom". I still think the first Aquaman film was the best entry of the DCEU, but I was entertained with its sequel, even though they seemed to play it safe for the most part.

In a way, it's more of the same from the last film. There's no major new character additions, at least not ones that are fully fleshed out. Though I will say a lot of the returning cast still turn in good performances, particularly Jason Momoa's Aquaman. I really enjoyed seeing him as a father and how he's able to reconcile with his brother, Orm (played again by Patrick Wilson).
Anything new that is added doesn't feel fully original. I noticed a lot of story beats and imagery reminiscent of Taika Waititi's Thor films. They even seem to go for "Star Wars under water" vibes with Black Manta (played again by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) getting an elaborate ship with crew members in uniform ala Darth Vader commanding a Star Destroyer and a Jabba's Palace like scene with Martin Short playing the Jabba like character.

The CGI in the film is about half and half. Most of the time it looks good with great imagery that once again leans into director James Wan's horror style. Other times though things don't look fully rendered, like how some bodies look rubbery during the action scenes. And I don't know if it was a theater issue, but there were a couple scenes under water when characters are talking where they seem to shake, like there was a glitch they didn't catch before release.

For the most part, the climax was fun. I enjoyed the action and I could swear the part with the whales was somehow a callback to a joke from the first season of Dragon Ball Z Abridged. The only gripe I have with it is the big bad seemed to be beat a little too easy after all the build up to what a threat he was.
While the film doesn't give a grand finale to the DCEU, it at least brings Arthur's story some closure. The character gets a happy ending and accomplishes the goals his loved ones hoped for him.

After "Blue Beetle", I'd say "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is the second best DC film this year. It's not groundbreaking like the first film, but there's still some entertainment value that allows the King of Atlantis to go out on a good note and the DCEU on an okay one.

Changing of the Doctor Part Three: Tennant Redux (SPOILERS)

 

Another year, another Doctor Who regeneration. It's happening a lot faster than usual, but these are of course special circumstances. For the franchise's 60th anniversary, David Tennant is back but now as the Fourteenth Doctor rather than reprising the Tenth for three special episodes. With him in tow is Russel T. Davies returning as showrunner after leaving the revival series' fourth season and Catherine Tate as companion Donna Noble.

Despite it looking like the franchise is backtracking with past cast and crew returning, these specials really do feel like a new era is beginning. It may have something to do with the series being broadcast outside the UK on Disney+, and the budget looks like it got a Disney sized increase. Regardless of that though, the first special alone works not just as a jumping on point for prospective fans but a reminder of why established fans love Doctor Who, particularly those like myself who Tennant was their first Doctor.
On that note, Tennant as well as Tate have not lost a step in their roles as the Doctor and Donna. Tennant especially still has the fun and emotional aspects that made his Doctor so endearing. Though I will honestly say I couldn't really see much in difference between Ten and Fourteen aside from the age difference, but I think that's the point.

While bringing back Tennant may feel like a stunt to reel in fans who stopped watching in the intervening time, there is a story reason for it. Way back in the "Day of the Doctor" 50th anniversary episode, the Tenth Doctor is referred to as "the one who regrets." While the Thirteenth Doctor had an unyielding optimism, it appears that the Doctor still had some issues they were avoiding. Regenerating back into a previous version that was fun but still felt things so deeply may have been the Doctor's subconscious way of facing them. This really starts in the second special with the Not-Things' taunting about him not knowing where he came from, referring to the Timeless Child revelation, and how the actions of the Fugitive Doctor lead to the events of the Flux and the loss of life that came of it. I was a little surprised they referenced back to that so early after Whittaker's time, though I feel they could have leaned into it more with an identity crisis aspect, like the Doctor doesn't know who he is going forward.
Of course, the other aspect of that taunt was the loss of life on the Doctor's watch, which goes harder in the last special with the return of the Toymaker, a villain he had faced way back as the First Doctor. In addition to the Flux, the Toymaker taunts him on the fates of Amy, Clara, and Bill during their times as companions. While the Doctor tries to give silver linings to these events, the Toymaker's retort of "Well that's alright then" adds on to the idea that the Doctor had been avoiding some heavy thoughts.

The battle with the Toymaker of course leads to the Doctor's next regeneration, which for the second time in a row is quite different from what came before:

First off, it's funny how another final episode with Tennant and Tate lead to another duplicate Doctor.
I don't think anyone saw this coming. The "bi-generation" not only adds to the surprise of a regeneration episode also being a Multi-Doctor episode, but it's an interesting concept that makes sense by the end of the story.
A big mystery through these specials is why the Doctor regenerated into a previous face. The idea of a "returning face" was used before with Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, who while feeling familiarity with his face didn't piece it together until he remembered the events of the Ten/Donna episode "The Fires of Pompeii", where Capaldi had a guest role prior to his tenure as the Doctor. That episode saw Donna plead with the Doctor to save at least one person as Mt. Vesuvius erupted, rescuing Caecilius (played by Capaldi) and his family. The Twelfth Doctor saw having a similar face to Caecilius as a reminder that he has an obligation to save people when he can. Now things have come full circle with Donna Noble's return and the Doctor having a face from his past. This time though, Donna posits that a familiar face returned because the Doctor needed to rest with loved ones beside him.
Of course, those who know the Doctor know he's not one to just sit still in one place for too long. Between learning of his time after their parting and how one thing after another keeps happening since their reunion, Donna realizes the Doctor just doesn't stop. This idea has been brought up before, how the Doctor stole his TARDIS, ran away from Gallifrey and just kept running. The bi-generation where the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors co-exist is the best compromise. After making a duplicate TARDIS thanks to an after effect of the Toymaker's reality warping, the Fifteenth Doctor would continue to go on traditional Doctor Who adventures while the Fourteenth Doctor would settle in with Donna and her family, taking a much-needed break while a trip in his TARDIS now and then is implied.
If it's not obvious, the theme of mental health plays heavily here with the bi-generation designed to keep the Doctor from burning himself out. As his regeneration begins, Donna and classic era companion Mel are at his sides and promise to be there for the Doctor no matter how he changes. In the opposite of when Ten regenerated into Eleven, Fourteen is ready to go, which can be seen as the first step of him accepting help. In a way, Fourteen and Fifteen could be considered two halves of the same Doctor, especially with the bi-generation splitting the clothes between the two. Fourteen would still bear the trauma of his past and deciding to take the time to process it whereas Fifteen has the wide-eyed optimism needed for adventure while still keeping the memories and ideals that make him the Doctor.

Speaking of our new Doctor, I like what I've seen of Ncuti Gatwa so far. I think the best comparison I can make right now is that of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor. He has a youthful energy, seems wise beyond his years in terms of appearance of age, and appears more in touch with his emotions (which plays into the mental health aspect of the bi-generation). I'm looking forward to what more he brings to the role starting with this year's Christmas special.

However, I don't think this will be the last we've seen of Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor. I have a theory that when it's time for the next regeneration, Fourteen and Fifteen will have a final adventure together that will lead to them reassembling (as well as their TARDIS's) into what will be the Sixteenth Doctor, having memories of both adventure and relaxation. We'll just have to wait and see.

Comics Review: "The Riddler: Year One" - A Loaded Question Mark

 

One of many highlights of "The Batman" was Paul Dano's performance as the Riddler. To prepare for the role, Dano developed ideas for Riddler's backstory, which director Matt Reeves was impressed with so much that he arranged a meeting between Dano and DC to portray them in a comic book. This would lead to "The Riddler: Year One", a six issue miniseries published through DC's Black Label imprint that acts as a prequel directly leading into Reeves' film. As we wait for the sequel and spin-off shows, this miniseries helps tide us over by giving us more insight into the Dark Knight's enigmatic enemy.

This book was so enthralling that I had to read it all in one sitting. In the beginning, Edward Nashton was a forensic accountant with dangerously low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts, eventually discovering the Renewal conspiracy as we saw in the film. This comic goes into detail of Nashton's thought process as he lays out his plans to root out the corruption in Gotham and how his idolization of the Batman leads him to create his own masked persona. While I admittedly found some ideas here derivative of the Joker movie, the comic adds new layers to Dano's performance and the Riddler's goals and motivations, as well as a hint of sympathy.

Assisting Dano with artwork on the series is Stevan Subic, who does a great job at showing Nashton's point of view of the world and his memories. For the most part, the art style has a grittiness similar to "The Imposter" (which is an apt comparison given that book's own connections with the film). But the parts that really stand out are Nashton's dark thoughts not only seen in his own mind but also corrupting his view of the real world. It brings such a surrealness that evokes Dave McKean's artwork from the 1989 Arkham Asylum graphic novel and to some degree the animated segments of Pink Floyd's "The Wall".

The fourth and fifth issues of the series were true standouts to me.
Issue four flashes back to Nashton's life in the orphanage up to taking the forensic accountant job. This is where the surrealness of Subic's artwork does wonders, with a good use of dark and light colors and stylistic choices as we travel through Nashton's perceived memories.

For a majority of issue five, we sift through one of Nashton's journals like we're actually reading one of the binders found in his apartment. The further in you go by reading his feelings and how he's conceiving his plans, the more deranged the handwriting and drawings become. While it's easy to read it in Dano's voice, it's like you can even hear the inflections in his voice like in the movie just from how the words look written on the page. While I said I read this book in one setting, I actually had to take a few minutes to return to reality before moving on to the final issue. I know Dano had been inspired by serial killers in his performance, but the manifesto that was issue five alone shows just how dedicated he was to the role.

In conclusion, if you enjoyed "The Batman" and want to learn more about what drove Edward Nashton's crusade, "The Riddler: Year One" is a must-read. As you take a trip through this character's psyche, you'll gain even more appreciation for an already stellar performance.

Movie Review: The Marvels - Just Go With It

 

2023 hasn't been the best year for Marvel Studios. While "Guardians 3" and season two of "Loki" did well overall, "Quantumania" got a mixed response and "Secret Invasion" was a new low. Though it's a bit of a tennis match between the good and bad products, it's clear they're not the unstoppable juggernaut they once were and it appears with multiple projects being delayed that they're undergoing an overhaul which will hopefully rebuild confidence in the brand. With all these troubles, it's easy to understand why people are writing off "The Marvels", the sequel to 2019's "Captain Marvel" which sees Carol Danvers teaming up with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, with Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani reprising their respective roles. While the overall response is mixed but more positive than "Quantumania", the box office hasn't been pretty and seen by some to be the deathblow to Marvel. But does "The Marvels" warrant such treatment? Is there anything of value to be found here? While I think there is, there are problems.

Right off the bat, the best thing about this movie is the chemistry between the three leads. Particularly during a training montage, you can tell the actresses were having a lot of fun on set. Their individual powers also play well off each other, making for some entertaining action scenes. I also like how the theme of hero worship was dealt with on different levels. While Monica looked up to Carol as a family member and eventually became disenchanted leading to a reconciliation., Kamala loves Captain Marvel in a celebrity sense (and her fangirl reactions are hilarious) and is getting to know her past a surface level. I'm just thankful on the latter that they avoid a whole "never meet your heroes" third act break-up.
On the flipside though, I didn't care for Zawe Ashton as the main villain, Dar-Benn. She's about as engaging as her fellow accuser, i.e. Lee Pace's Ronan in "Guardians 1", mixed with the scene chewing of Elizabeth Banks' Rita Repulsa.

I'm a bit mixed on the story.
They said going in they were going for a wacky tone, and along with standard Marvel comedy, they definitely weren't overselling. But it's not as bad as you'd think. It's the kind of wacky where you just have to roll with the punches and embrace how insane something is, whether it be a planet where the inhabitants communicate only in song or a horde of monster kittens swallowing people to save their lives (which is cute and terrifying).
On the bad side though, it does feel like there were portions cut from the film in order to keep it under two hours (which based on "Suicide Squad" and Joss-tice League is never a good sign). The main issue I found is that they kind of breeze through Carol's actions between her solo film and "Endgame" and doesn't delve deep enough into how it affected her.
The Marvels is also another victim of what I'm calling the "Disney+ crutch", where the series on the service are essential to understand the movie. While not as pivotal to the plot like "Multiverse of Madness", watching "WandaVision" and "Ms. Marvel" help add to the context of references made to them in the film. Again, not everyone streams, so you're leaving part of the audience out of the know. Like, it's fine to reference to other stories, but it has to be subtle. Marvel's done it between the films in the past; Falcon recruited Ant-Man in "Civil War" based a past interaction, but they didn't take you out of the main story to go into detail about their fight in the first Ant-Man movie. Please Marvel, when "Captain America 4" comes out, just show Sam established as the new Cap and get to the story at hand. And on a related note, one plot point in this movie also makes "Secret Invasion" even worse and shows that whole story was entirely avoidable.

Overall, The Marvels isn't the worst. I'd say it's just above "Iron Man 2" and "Thor: The Dark World". It's still entertaining with our lead characters and a unique kind of craziness. There are definitely issues present, but there's still fun to be had as well.

TV Review: Loki Season Two - Time of Glory

 

After 12 years, I think it's safe to say people love Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He's stolen the show in every movie he played a major part in, his Disney+ series is widely considered to be the best to come from Marvel, and he's the only character so far to officially get a second season. And that second season retains the glory of the first and takes it to higher levels.

As we saw at the end of last season, the multiverse was born within the MCU. While we've already seen the effects of this with "No Way Home" and "Multiverse of Madness", season two of Loki picks up directly after that as the TVA contemplates how to handle the branches in the timeline. With the revelation that everyone within the TVA is a variant, this makes some want to protect those timelines now knowing the ramifications of their actions while some would prefer to continue the work to defend the sacred timeline, creating a civil war within the organization. There's even an aspect of some TVA employees wanting to return to the lives they lost; it's kind of like a reverse of The Matrix in realizing their life was a lie, only the real world they want to return to is the world like ours.

All the acting is stellar this season from those returning and the new additions.
Tom Hiddleston continues to kill it as the god of mischief. While the Loki we see has officially crossed the line from villain to hero, there are moments he shines when that villainous side pops out, showing he still has that edge to him. There was a moment during the final episode where it got me thinking Hiddleston may have the potential to play the Doctor someday. It could work if you think about it; maybe after Ncuti Gatwa's run. And his chemistry with Owen Wilson's Mobius is still one of the best parts of the series. The two are pretty much partners now, giving the show a sense of a crime procedural with a time travel twist.
New cast member Ke Huy Quan is a real MVP as Ouroboros, or "OB". Quan retains the same energy that put him in the spotlight with "Everything Everywhere All At Once" and brings a lot of fun to the series with his quirky science and interactions with other characters.
Jonathan Majors returns to the series as Victor Timely, giving quite a different performance from what we've seen him do before as He Who Remains and Kang. While his future within the MCU is still up in the air with his legal troubles, it's pretty clear why he was cast as Kang and his variants in the first place; the dude has range. On a related note, there's kind of a weird competition between Renslayer and Miss Minutes for Timely's attention, giving me vibes of Wendy and Tinkerbell fighting over Peter Pan. And if you thought Miss Minutes was creepy at the end of last season, that's just the tip of the iceberg with how crazy this cartoon clock gets here; props to Tara Strong's voice performance.

The final episode gives a solid ending to the narrative of one of Marvel's best series. As for Loki himself, let's just say this version gets a fine conclusion to his arc like other MCU characters who have retired from their roles with an ending in the vein of All-Star Superman (if I could make a DC comparison). I still think we'll see Tom return for "Kang Dynasty" and "Secret Wars" and reunite with Chris Hemsworth's Thor. Until then, there's a bittersweet satisfaction to seeing Loki fulfill his glorious purpose.

TV Review: Doom Patrol Season Four - Weirdpocalypse

Like "Titans", "Doom Patrol" was one of the inaugural original shows for the now defunct DC Universe streaming service that continued over to (HBO)Max for a total of four seasons. Between the two shows, "Doom Patrol" was consistently better with its in-depth character exploration and surreal nature. And it's certainly the clear winner when it comes to the final season as well.

Initially, the season got off to a slow and worrying start for me. I kind of got season two vibes with the barrage of f-bombs being dropped, though now the others were getting in on Cliff's schtick. There was also a fear that the show may be getting too weird with the main threat appearing to be an impending apocalypse brought on by the Werebutts we've seen before on the show (referred to as the Buttpocalypse). That also added a ticking clock aspect similar to "Umbrella Academy"; considering the two shows have been compared to each other since they started, it kind of felt like "Doom Patrol" was leaning into those similarities. Funny enough though, Gerard Way has also written some Doom Patrol comics and they dropped a couple MCR easter eggs this season.
However, as the season went on, many of these fears were alleviated. Along with a more direct threat in Immortus, much of what made the show so beloved shined through again. While having lots of laughs along the way, there were plenty of emotional moments that resulted in scene after scene featuring the best performances of the entire series. Compared to how it felt with "Titans", I think everyone here knew for sure this was going to be the final season, so they wanted to go all out with a story that brought everything full circle and gave our heroes as much of a happy ending as a show like this could deliver.

Two episodes really stood out as the best of the season to me. The first was "Casey Patrol", which was a Dorothy focused episode, showing what she's been up to since leaving the manor in season three and how she's dealt with her father's death. This episode also introduced my favorite new character of the season, Casey Brinke, played by Madeline Zima. While coming off at first as a Captain Marvel pastiche, Zima's performance shows a deep character trying to find her place in the universe. Plus, while brief, I really liked her chemistry with Jane.
The other highlight is "Immortimas Patrol", a holiday musical episode. If you've wondered how a Christmas episode of Doom Patrol would work, this is your answer. It's a holiday special that doesn't deviate from the show's tone and continues the narrative of the season. Plus, who knew everyone on this show, both starring and recurring, was such a damn good singer.

Between "Titans" and the DCEU, this year has seen the clear or potential end to a lot of live action versions of DC characters this year. And I was totally ready to write off this season of "Doom Patrol" too. But props to everyone who worked on this show. They delivered one last hurrah that will remind you why this show was so good and make you miss these characters once it's over.
Now before I go into a show-hole, I'm going to leave you with a moment from season one that's lived rent-free in my head since that encapsulates the meaning of the show.

Video Game Review: Spider-Man 2 - Twice as Nice

 

After a stellar first outing and a spin-off no less important, Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 promised to up the ante from what came before. Being released the next console up on the Playstation 5, expanding the open world of New York to include Brooklyn and Queens, and the introduction of the Venom symbiote, it all seemed too much to deliver. And yet they did, elevating everything that made the previous games great and further cementing this universe as both the best adaptation of Spider-Man and the best superhero video game series.

Right from the get-go, this game goes big with the initial mission/tutorial having Peter and Miles going up against a giant Sandman. And it only gets better from there as you retain your skills from before while also learning some new tricks. While you can't switch between the Spider-Men when they're together in a fight, it's still cool to do duo finishers (along with other characters you end up teaming up with on some missions). And if you thought web-swinging was fun, just wait until you use the web-wings. Even the Mary Jane stealth missions are better as she's able to fight back if spotted, instead of just having to restart at the last checkpoint. There's a real immersive experience to the game in my opinion. This applies to soaring on the web-wings, but more prominently with the symbiote. While past games with emphasis on the symbiote like Spider-Man 3, Web of Shadows, and Shattered Dimensions have included rage boosts before, this game has a way of making you feel lost consumed by it and every impact you deliver to the enemies.

While it continues the evolution of Spider-Man games, I feel Spider-Man 2 also incidentally pays homage to its history. Along with reminding me of the games I mentioned prior, the Spider-Man app developed in Miles' game our heroes continue to use made me think of the Spider-Man 2 movie game (the first open world Spidey game mind you) where citizens would flag you down to alert you of a nearby emergency. Players of those past games may will sure get a sense of nostalgia.

Like the other Insomniac games, there's a cinematic quality to the story that once again outshines any of the live action films and gives Peter and Miles their own compelling while connected arcs. While I see inspiration from comics like "Kraven's Last Hunt", the Ultimate universe, and Donny Cates' Venom run, Spider-Man 2's story is its own monster. There are tons of emotional moments from beginning to end that will keep you invested in just about every character, main and supporting.

If I had to pick out the themes of the story, it's relationships, mental health, and addiction. Peter, Miles, Mary Jane, and Harry Osborn are all going through personal struggles and some feeling of inadequacy and show them handling it in different ways, and not always healthily. In some cases, the symbiote is used as a coping mechanism, with the best comparison I can come up with being drug use. It allows you to let go of your problems and feel great, but the more you use it and claim there's not a problem, the more it pushes away your loved ones and makes you unrecognizable from your first exposure.

The best highlight to come from this game of course is Venom himself. This is the most terrifying adaptation of the character, with a horror aspect amplified by the voice work of Candyman himself, Tony Todd. His look may remind you of Tom Hardy's Venom, but that version is downright tame compared to what we see here. There's a brief time once the monster is truly born where you play as him and rampage through OsCorp and Times Square and holy shit it is brutal. Hardy's Venom may bite people's heads off with as much gore as PG-13 will allow, but this Venom will break your spine and toss you aside like nothing.

There's a real even split between the main story and side missions. When it comes to the latter, you can tell there was a lot of heart put into them and not just there as busy work or extra credit. They not only carry over the sense of community from Miles' game, but some of them have an emotional pay-off that hit just as much as the main story. And much like Arkham City did for Arkham Knight, the side missions appear to lay the seeds for what's to come in the third installment, setting up villains sure to thorns in our heroes' sides.

The only real gripe I have is that the civilian missions tend to drag on. However, something I did like with said missions involving a teenage Peter in flashbacks show he had a haircut like the Ultimate universe version. It was a nice touch.

If it's not clear, Spider-Man 2 is as fun and engaging as comic fans and gamers were hoping it would be. And I have to say, what I really love about this series is that it continues and allows the story and characters to move forward, something Marvel seems afraid to let happen in the mainstream comics. Spider-Man 3 will surely be worth what will probably be another long wait. Until then, let's see what Insomniac brings us next with their upcoming Wolverine game.

Comics Review: "Young Justice: Targets" - Last Call

 

If I had a nickel for every time "Young Justice" was cancelled with the last episode having a big Darkseid tease, I'd have two. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
Yes, since "Phantoms" last year, "Young Justice" has been cancelled for the second time. And like before, fans have been campaigning for another renewal. Which brings us to today's review.
Set directly after "Phantoms", "Young Justice: Targets" is a six-issue miniseries written by series co-creator Greg Weisman that began releasing soon after the finale. It sees our young heroes in search of the kidnapped Queen Perdita of Vlatlava, a supporting character since season one and Beast Boy's love interest in seasons three and four. With the series' cancellation announced during the book's run, part of the campaign for renewal was fans believing good sales could show there's still interest. In my case I trade waited, which I think should count for something.
Whether this is the last story set in the "Young Justice" universe or not, "Targets" is still a fun read and a reminder of what makes it unique.

While it shouldn't come as a surprise, Greg Weisman's writing captures the tone and characters of the series well, even in still images. And credit for that also goes to artist Christopher Jones, who drew the tie-in book for the series during its first two seasons in the early 2010's (he's also worked on tie-in books for other animated series like "The Batman" and "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes"). The two make a good pairing and deliver what is somewhat a movie or multi-episode story for the show, with plenty of callbacks and new elements to enjoy.
Story wise, it's kind of back-to-basics. I guess some people didn't like the approach "Phantoms" took with dividing focus on characters for their personal arcs. Understandable, though I think "Targets" will satisfy what people initially came to the show for: the young heroes of the Team and Outsiders uniting to fight evil.

Just don't go in thinking it will tie-up any loose ends or act as a grand finale. That wasn't the intent of the book and I believe Greg Weisman has said he doesn't write the series with a finishing point in mind. Which I get, since life doesn't have that either, and a mindset like that helps "Young Justice" feel authentic as a show. I don't know if a fifth season will come to light or if buying "Targets" will have any influence on that decision. But if Futurama can come back 13 years after its own second cancellation, who knows? In any case, there's still fun in trying with reading "Targets" and showing support for "Young Justice".

Movie Review: Blue Beetle - Hope for the Future

 

I've talked before how I like the concept of the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle way back in my DC Rebirth series of posts. Since looking at that Blue Beetle one-shot, I would go on to read and enjoy the rest of that volume of the series until its cancellation. A new series is set to start next month as part of the "Dawn of DC" initiative and I'm looking forward to picking that up. But before that, we have the character's big screen debut to look at. DC's been in desperate need for a win in the movie department this year and (as expected) "Blue Beetle" is without question the best to come from them in 2023.

"Blue Beetle" delivers an exciting and emotional story that brings an enjoyable breath of fresh air not just for DC but superhero movies in general. It does a better version of an alien symbiotic partnership compared to Tom Hardy's Venom movies and incorporates legacy heroes much better than what "Black Adam" did with the Justice Society. The visual effects when it comes to scarab bring a somewhat horror feel to the suit-up scenes and the weapon manifestation coupled with the choreography make the fight scenes even more satisfying when Jaime is delivering some well-deserved ass whoopings.

While there's a lot done that makes the film feel like a comic book, what stood out to me more was how grounded and close to reality it could be. Jaime's dynamics with his family felt really authentic and you become easily invested in their relationships. It also touches on modern real world social issues such as class discrepancies, white privilege, and how a college degree unfortunately doesn't guarantee anything.

Xolo Mariduena is truly a breakout star as he brings a fresh face to the DC universe. His love for his family and his need to find a place in the world is relatable and his performance while trying to understand and become in sync with the scarab makes for an entertaining hero's journey.

George Lopez is a real scene stealer as Jaime's uncle Rudy, whose eccentricity is the main source of comic relief in the film. Rudy's a real conspiracy theorist, and as you'd expect, his family thinks he's being silly when he turns out to probably be the smartest one of the bunch.

I only have two real areas of criticism, the first being the villains. Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord is an insufferable walking cliche: a xenophobic fascist who values money over human life, which I know would make her a hero to certain groups. Every time she appeared on screen, I counted down the seconds until she was gone or until she finally got her comeuppance. Carapax/OMAC (played by Raoul Max Trujillo) is a little better as we see he's conflicted about his actions, but it's kind of overshadowed with how ruthless he becomes when fighting Jaime. The two enemies do find some common ground, but I feel it comes a little too late.

And DC, could you please stop using your post-credits scenes as jokes? The mid-credits scene was a good tease for the future, but the very end was as much a time waster like the ones for "Fury of the Gods" and "The Flash". There's nothing wrong with post-credits being used for extra laughs, but there needs to be substance to it, like an easter egg for the diehard fans. Great examples include Deadpool's Ferris Bueller style farewell, Cap's patience PSA, or the Grandmaster trying to save face with those he enslaved.

While initially developed as part of the DCEU, "Blue Beetle" is able to stand on its own enough as a film and James Gunn is interested in fitting it into his reboot plans. So for all intents and purposes, "Blue Beetle" is 'movie zero' of the new DCU. While critics and audiences are enjoying the film, "Blue Beetle" may not be able to escape the box office slump DC has been facing. So while a sequel may not come to pass, I hope we do get to see more of the Reyes family in future projects.

Overall, "Blue Beetle" is easily one of DC's best films and my second favorite 2023 superhero movie after Guardians 3. There's a lot to love about it and should definitely be seen on the big screen.

TV Review: Secret Invasion - Maybe Too Secret

 

The "Secret Invasion" comics event revolved around a Skrull invasion of Earth with the shape-shifting aliens playing the long game by infiltrating and replacing well known characters within the Marvel universe. There was a lot of build up as the heroes and readers had to ask themselves who they could trust. With the MCU series of the same name, it's scaled back to a Nick Fury centered series as he works to prevent Skrulls from taking control of the planet, going for a sci-fi inspired spy thriller. When all is said and done, the series will leave you wishing it had gone bigger.

I don't think "Secret Invasion" has the impact it was going for in-universe and out. The only teases we had for the series came in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" and "WandaVision" and only two established MCU characters were revealed to have been replaced by Skrulls. This doesn't exactly evoke the level of excitement or paranoia a story with such a premise should deliver, not to mention it glosses over the implications of the characters that were supplanted. This is probably why "Secret Invasion" isn't getting people talking compared to the other Disney+ Marvel series. In fact, it harkens back to the pre-Disney+ Marvel shows, feeling like it's an offshoot of the main MCU narrative rather than a part of it, especially the parts where Fury refuses to get the Avengers involved.

It certainly makes me wish that maybe Marvel should have built up a Secret Invasion movie before moving on to Kang. Imagine a few years of our heroes wondering if someone they've worked with may be an imposter. They could have shown Skrulls taking major positions in Wakanda, New Asgard or Kamar-Taj. And it all could have culminated in a battle between the Avengers and Super Skrulls (but not like the uber ones we got in the climax of this series).

I will say that the shows does succeed in a few areas. For one, it plays well with the post-Endgame landscape, with the effects of the Blip pushing the Skrulls to act more villainous like their comic counterparts after being shown as victims in "Captain Marvel". Unfortunately, the way they go about it isn't exactly original, with the villain plot being a combination of those from "X-Men: First Class" and "Peacemaker". The main villain Gravik is also like Koba from "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", only with a less satisfying defeat.

At the very least, the series is well acted, with Samuel L. Jackson really shining as Nick Fury. Rather than directing the heroes to where they need to go, we get to see Fury take the lead, allowing Jackson to really cut loose in the role. We also get to see Fury in a more vulnerable light, as he reflects on his past failures and is another character suffering PTSD from the Blip. Some of the best moments also come from his shared scenes with Ben Mendelsohn, Don Cheadle, and Charlayne Woodard.

Despite some good ideas and acting, all I really see with "Secret Invasion" is wasted potential. It's hard to say whether events of the series will be important as we move further into the MCU, but right now, this feels skippable. 

Movie Review: The Flash - Great Set-Up, Bad Punchline

 

Did you know this movie was set for a 2018 release when it was first announced? Well, after years of delays due to development hell, a global pandemic, studio politics, and a lot of criminal behavior from the lead actor, The Flash movie has finally arrived. It's fitting though that it would come out June 2023. It's been ten years since the release of "Man of Steel" and the beginning of the DC Extended Universe (as well as my blog). And the film is also meant to serve as the bridge between universes as the DCEU ends and a new one begins, resetting things much like "Flashpoint" did for the comics. So with such a long wait and its significance to the future of DC in live action, does "The Flash" live up to the hype? Well, there's a lot to like and be excited about for the film, but calling it the beginning of the new DCU may be an exaggeration (especially when you realize Aquaman 2 is technically the last DCEU film).

The best way to describe the film is a more scaled back "Flashpoint", focused more on Barry's story than everything that changed around him. Although compared to the animated adaptation, I feel it has a more emotional payoff. Director Andy Muschietti does a great job on a lot of fronts. The depiction of Barry's powers is unique compared to Grant Gustin's version and when we last saw Ezra's, making concepts like Flash-time and time travel exciting to see. He is also able to homage and respect the past DC works of directors like Tim Burton and Zack Snyder. On the latter, the film seems to make clear references to Snyder's version of Justice League (particularly Flash's big moment from the climax), although there are a few moments that felt Whedon-esque. In any case, Muschietti proved himself here and I look forward to his officially announced Batman film for the new DCU.

Despite what's gone on in real life, it doesn't detract from Ezra Miller's performance (though there are admittedly some parts of the film that haven't aged well with all things considered). While there's still elements of Wally there, the Barry we see here is a little more disciplined compared to "Justice League" and there's more time to get emotionally invested in his character. Miller also does good as the altered timeline's other Barry (insert your own "Archer" reference here), showcasing a version that's had a much easier life, not really taking things seriously until it's too late.

Of course, we all know the biggest reason people are excited for this movie: Michael Keaton's return as Batman. Watching the original modern movie Batman back in action and hearing Danny Elfman's theme was such a rush of nostalgia. Even out of costume, Keaton hasn't missed a beat and it's easy to see this as a continuation from when we last saw him in "Batman Returns". A nice touch is that he's using Bat-tech that has a few improvements from his last movie but still a little outdated by today's standards, which makes sense considering we learn he's been retired for a number of years. There's definitely a "Dark Knight Returns" influence there, as you can tell he's glad to be back in action and ready to give his all, making it as great a send-off as Maguire and Garfield in "No Way Home".
Another Batman riding off into the sunset is Ben Affleck (though why the hell he doesn't get listed in the credits is beyond me). While he doesn't get as much screentime as Keaton, "Batfleck" is able to give us one more high-octane action scene reminiscent of his Batmobile chase and warehouse fight from "Batman v Superman." I wish things could have been different and we could have gotten his solo film, but a big point this film makes is not to obsess about the past or what could have been. I'm still thankful for the time Affleck gave us as the Dark Knight.
And while her time was brief, I thought Sasha Calle was a breakout star as Kara/Supergirl. She made it very believable that under different circumstances, she could have filled Superman's role as a symbol of hope and become a defender of Earth.

For the most part, the film is enjoyable. But then you get to the final moments before the credits roll. I won't go into spoilers, but it feels like everything we watched lead up to a bad joke. It's as confusing as Vulture showing up in "Morbius" or the end of Burton's "Planet of the Apes" with Thade somehow taking over Earth. The implication is that Barry creates the new DCU, but who we see can't possibly play a major role going forward, can he? Even the post-credits scene doesn't help explain or, much like the ones we got with "Fury of the Gods", add anything to the narrative.

If anything, Keaton killing it, a story with an emotional core, and some impressive special effects make "The Flash" worth a watch. Just be prepared for a real mind-freak of an ending.

Comics Review: "DCeased: War of the Undead Gods"

 

When we last left the DCeased universe, things had taken a turn for the positive. A cure for the corrupted Anti-Life Equation had been found and started being dispersed among the infected habitants of the ravaged Earth. But while Earth was on the mend, let's not forget that an Anti-Living Darkseid had touched down on the New Gods world of New Genesis. This leads us into Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine's final chapter of the DCeased trilogy, the eight issue "War of the Undead Gods". Let's dig in and see if the conclusion gives a satisfying payoff.

Like the previous two series, we have narration from a character reflecting on events of the story after the fact; this time, our narrator is Alfred Pennyworth.
Issue one begins with a scene DC apparently thinks we haven't seen enough times: Krypton about to explode. We see Kara Zor-El, not yet Supergirl, being rocketed off the planet by her parents. In this universe though, her father sent her to New Genesis so with the yellow sunlight, she could live among gods compared to the "primitives" on the planet her cousin was sent to. Much like her mainstream counterpart though, the timing of her landing doesn't do her any favors as when she's searching for inhabitants, she's approached by Anti-Living New Gods, lead by the High Father. Kara tries to evade them, even attempting to use her newly acquired flight and heat vision. But she is quickly surrounded and infected, the scene being juxtaposed to Zor-El's recorded message about how "This future is the greatest gift we could give you." So I guess Zor-El usurps Booster Gold as the worst gift giver of the DC universe.
We cut to the present where after a brief recap of what the virus took and what the cure gave back, there's one more Earth hero to cure: Superman, who has been in the sun absorbing its energy since the end of the first DCeased book. A team of Jon Kent/Superman, Cyborg, Cassie Sandsmark/Wonder Woman, Mary Marvel, Dinah Lance/Green Lantern, and Cassandra Cain/Batgirl with Shazam powers (and I will still refer to her as Batzam when given the chance) float outside the sun preparing for the task. Jon flies into the sun to catch his blighted father's attention and get him out of the sun so the others can administer the cure. Problem is that the Man of Steel is supercharged after five continuous years of absorbing solar energy, so it's a lot harder for our heavy hitters than they thought.
We cut to Earth-2 where we see President Lois Lane conversing with Green Lanterns John Stewart and Guy Gardner when a Boom Tube opens. Coming through are Jon, Cyborg, Damian Wayne/Batman, Big Barda, and Scott Free/Mr. Miracle, as well as a cured Superman (back in his classic suit and sporting a robot arm) and Pa Kent, which leads to a heartfelt family reunion with Lois and Martha. Scott and Barda plan their own reunion with their son, Jacob, as they bid the heroes farewell. Damian then goes to see Alfred and Leslie Thompkins to fill them in on what transpired on the League's trip back to Earth. Despite the good news of a cure, Alfred's guilt over having to kill Bruce, Dick and Tim during the initial outbreak is made only worse by the fact they could have been saved. Damian tries to console him saying nobody could have known at the time, but Alfred doesn't feel he deserves absolution:  "I pulled the trigger three times. I killed my sons." Hairsine does a good job at capturing the emotion of the scene, even with something as simple as showing Alfred with tears in his eyes.
The next day, Earth-2 is approached by Brainiac probe drones that are quickly dealt with by the father/son Superman team before they even break the atmosphere. Knowing the villain won't be far behind, the Supermen, Green Lanterns, and Cyborg stand by as Brainiac's ship arrives hours later. Cyborg notes the ship looks damaged while Guy thinks it's a trap. Clark notes that Brainiac isn't one to use deceit as he prepares to enter the ship. Jon comes with, not willing to let his just-returned father go into danger alone. The two go through the ship with Alfred's narration stating that Clark was just as protective as Jon. Issue one ends as Clark and Jon find Brainiac, hanging from wires and missing his legs and right arm, as he delivers an ominous warning: "We have to stop them. The gods are dead. But still they come, Kal-El. They will poison the universe. The dead gods will end everything."

Issue one's not a bad start. Aside from the ominous beginning and ending of what was to come, it delivers some levity and probably the most optimistic issue of the entire DCeased series. The emotional moments are also done well between the Kents' reunion and Alfred's moment of mourning and guilt.

Issue two begins with Scott and Barda travelling through a Boom Tube to New Genesis. Barda worries how their son will react to seeing them again after five years, with Scott half-jokingly reassuring her that Jacob will be more mad at his father given she has the excuse of being dead that whole time. The two step out to find their capitol city in ruins, with the only clue to investigate being a black and red version of a Boom Tube. Barda heads to the portal without hesitation, thinking it could lead them to Jacob. Barda sticks her hand in before she is pulled away by the Black Racer, the New God of Death, revealing the portal ate her hand down to the bone. Black Racer explains to the two of the Anti-Living Darkseid's actions on New Genesis, creating an army of undead gods and the Anti-Life Equation infecting Mother Boxes, changing Boom Tubes into Doom Tubes that only the dead and unliving can pass through.
We then cut to the planet of Korugar where Darkseid and the New Gods wreak havoc despite the planet's advanced defense forces. A distress signal is sent out where it's picked up by the Warworld space station, manned by the Sinestro Corps. With his home world in peril, Sinestro plots a course to save it.
Back on Brainiac's ship, Guy is hesitant about trusting Brainiac. As a gesture of good faith though, Brainiac gives Clark a shrunken Kandor, the last surviving city of Krypton. Brainiac also explains that his desire to collect knowledge will be all for not if the Anti-Life Equation consumes the entire universe. Clark takes the threat seriously and in true Superman fashion is determined to save the day, brushing off Brainiac's attempt to tell him the odds of their succeeding.
As Warworld arrives above Korugar, Sinestro leads his Corps in a combined energy blast with the station's own weapons to fire down at the planet. It's blocked though by an energy shield created by Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Soranik (Sinestro's daughter). The two had also received Korugar's distress signal, arriving and believing Sinestro to be attacking his own planet. Any misunderstandings are soon thrown out the window as the Anti-Living Supergirl flies at high speed, punching out Kyle as she reaches her true target of Warworld. Attaching a corrupted Mother Box on the outside of the station, Warworld soon becomes part of the Anti-Life Equation and begins firing on Korugar and members of the Sinestro Corps. Darkseid then arrives and fires his Omega Beams at Sinestro and Soranik, who block it with their own beams from their Lantern rings. The struggle is short-lived though as Supergirl knocks the father/daughter team off balance. Darkseid then grabs Sinestro by his head and swiftly decapitates him as Kyle and Soranik retreat to get reinforcements. Sinestro's power ring leaves his body to find a successor, as all Lantern rings do upon their wearer's death. The ring chooses the Anti-Living Darkseid, who then speaks as the issues closes out. "Yes...everything fears the end of life."
Issue two really kicks things into high gear after taking things slow with issue one, with moments like Sinestro's death delivering the shock and tension this universe is known for. And an Anti-Living Darkseid getting a power boost as a Yellow Lantern is terrifying and so fitting; it was as if he became the avatar of the Anti-Life Equation.

Issue three is a more of a set-up issue with three main scenes displayed.
The first scene set on the planet Rann shows Adam Strange being forcibly transported to Earth via a Zeta Beam, which was a staple of the character. As it would turn out, he was transported to Earth a month before the events of "Dead Planet" and he ends up being infected by the Anti-Living Wonder Woman. When he is eventually transported back to Rann, he spreads the infection to his own people and the invading Thanagarians the planet was at war with. In addition to showing it's not just a single individual like Darkseid spreading the virus to other areas, which makes sense given past real world events, what I do like about this part is that it turns what would have been a happy reunion between Adam and his wife and daughter into something out of a horror film.
We cut to present day somewhere in the Rylex System where a Thanagarian Warship arrives and Anti-Living Thanagarians attack some random bar where intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo was tying one on. After one of them kills his bartender, an angered Lobo grabs the Thanagarian who did so and receives a scratch across his chest. As it turns out, Lobo's Czarnian biology seems immune to the Anti-Life Equation, and being sentient, it expresses its surprise through the Thanagarian: "You do not turn." Lobo responds with "Oh, I can TURN." as he twists the Thanagarian's head around and around until it pops off. Lobo then takes the wings of his victim and uses them to fly up to the warship and blow the whole thing up. What can I say? Badass.
Back on Earth, a Viking funeral is held for Wonder Woman on Themyscira. Hippolyta, Dinah, Nubia, and Cassie take part in the eulogy with Artemis and Green Arrow shooting their flaming arrows to a boat carrying Diana's tiara. Ares crashes the event and is immediately surrounded. He then transports the forementioned characters to the Hall of the Gods, where he warns them that a "final war" is coming that will see every race in the universe die, citing that this has happened before in another universe. Dinah's Lantern ring then receives a priority message from Ganthet about what happened on Korugar and orders all Lanterns and allies to return to Oa. Oliver doesn't seem worried now that they have a cure, but Ares explains that what they face is more than just an equation as the issue ends: "This is older than numbers. Older than gods. This universe will die. Erebos is here."
So rereading this, I think this issue is where the cracks start to show with this particular entry in the "DCeased" series. In order to show the Anti-Life Equation universe-wide, we're shown scenes where the Anti-Living army is growing, but it doesn't exactly advance the story. It stretches things out to where I can't go into much detail about what happens compared to the previous two series or we'd be here all day. Even the fun dialogue moments from Tom Taylor's writing are coming off superfluous because of it. The other problem is the explanation that the Anti-Life Equation has a supernatural origin as well with something called Erebos being our final boss of the whole series. I liked it better when it was just a sentient virus trying to spread as much death as possible, and a Yellow Lantern Anti-Living Darkseid acting as its avatar would have been sufficient enough. And even with a cure developed, there would still be tension and a race against the clock as our heroes would try to hold back the Anti-Living while producing enough of the cure to put an end to the threat once and for all.

Issue four begins with what's seemingly a flashback to the day Alfred had to shoot Bruce, Dick, and Tim. It's revealed to be a nightmare though as their bodies get back up and ask him why he had to kill them. Alfred is then awakened by Leslie, the scene revealing the two have been dating; I like this idea given the two had been Bruce's surrogate father and mother after what happened to his own parents. Leslie comforts him, telling him it wasn't his fault and that he needs to let go of his anger. She then poses the idea that Alfred may have raised Bruce with the same anger he had over Thomas and Martha's deaths, and that Batman's crusade was just as much his. It's an interesting theory; the Waynes meant as much to Alfred as Bruce, so despite the times he's tried to steer Bruce away from his life as Batman, he may have subconsciously encouraged it and sought vengeance vicariously through his adopted son.
Before the conversation can continue, they're visited by Damian, who pieces together quickly the two are a couple and is happy for them. Damian informs them that he's going to Oa to plan for the battle against the Anti-Living. Alfred pleads with him not to go, not wanting to lose another son. Despite the odds, Damian says he has to try. "There's too much of your father in you.", Alfred tells him. Jon shows up telling Damian they have to go as Alfred offers to join them in whatever way he can than just sit on the sidelines. Damian admires Alfred's bravery, saying there's too much of Bruce in him too. As the heroes leave for Oa, Jon figures out about Alfred and Leslie too and shares in Damian's joy. It's a nice moment that despite how big the threat they're facing has become that's there's still moments of love happening. And this is one of the main things I've always enjoyed about the DCeased books; despite all the death and gore that are abound, there's still a sense of hope and life persevering.
Later on Oa, Ganthet briefs the Lanterns and the League that with twelve planets and a hundred billion lives lost and many more in danger that lethal force is sanctioned with the infected worlds to be wiped away. Clark brings up that there is a cure now but Ganthet sees the threat is too great to engage directly. Brainiac agrees with the Guardian, which makes Guy point out that maybe they should rethink things. Clark and other members of the League are willing to put up a fight with the Guardians and Lanterns over it as Ganthet decides that the Man of Steel will be detained on Oa. Cassie then points out the obvious: "You want to imprison SUPERMAN while committing GENOCIDE?" If there weren't an obvious bigger enemy in this story, I'd very much would have included the "Are we the baddies?" meme here.
Clark then punches Ganthet straight in the face, homaging the "One punch!" scene between Batman and Guy from the old Justice League International comics, and all hell breaks loose. In the middle of the melee, Damian becomes aware something is wrong: "Pulse elevated. Judgment clouded. Emotional response heightened. We are NOT in control of the situation." Damian then spots Ares, telling him to stop this. I guess you could say Ares wanted to have a little fun before the end of the universe, but the last issue implied he was wanting to prevent it, so why with the chaos?
Issue four ends with the arrival of probably the last character you would have expected in this series: Mr. Mxyzptlk. "You should listen to the little Batman, Ares...I won't let you hurt Superman."

Issue five shows the two cosmic powerhouses standing off with one another, with everyone hesitant to get between them except for the two Supermen. Clark then makes it clear to the Guardians that they will take the cure to the infected planets even if the Green Lantern Corps tries to stop them. Cassie and Dinah bring up what Ares said that what's happening is really being caused by "Erebos", the name giving Ganthet pause. Realizing things are different than they believed, Ganthet orders all Lanterns to stay on Oa to protect the central power battery. Ganthet brings up a map of worlds infected being infected by the virus, with Darkseid's forces currently attacking Bolovax Vik, the home planet of Green Lantern Kilowag. Kilowag immediately flies off as Ganthet orders all the other Lanterns to stay until he decides on the next course action with the Quintessence, the council of gods who oversee the DC Universe. Mxyzptlk volunteers himself and Clark to handle Darkseid. Jon wants to come too, but Clark tells his son that he needs to stay behind to protect their two Earths and work on a plan to save the other infected words. Jon relents, telling his father he'll bring him back from the dead a second time if he has to.
Kilowag, Mxyzptlk, and Clark arrive above the atmosphere of Bolovax Vik when they're soon joined by a number of Lanterns, including John and Guy, who disobeyed the Guardians to help their fellow soldier. Everyone goes into action when Clark is soon attacked by the Anti-Living Kara, confused by her attire. Alfred offers some poetic narration as Clark watches her use heat vision on innocent bystanders: "Wherever he went, his symbol stood as a shield against darkness. Everything that symbol stood for was perverted that day."
Before Clark has time to process this, he's hit in the back by Darkseid's yellow energy beams. Mxyzptlk gets between the two, and if it weren't for his cockiness and time he was taking to decide what to turn Darkseid into, the story might have ended here. Instead, Darkseid pulls out a corrupted Mother Box and exposes Mxyzptlk to the Anti-Life Equation, making him one of the Anti-Living. And if you thought an Anti-Living Darkseid was bad, now there's a fifth dimensional imp with reality warping powers among their ranks. The threat is quickly displayed when Mxyzptlk goes full kaiju. The Lanterns' assault on the giant imp proves futile, with Kilowag and John being crushed to death in the palm of his hand.
Mxyzptlk quickly destroys Bolovax Vik and carries remains of the planet with him as he flies through space back to Oa to smash them into the planet and destroy the central power battery. This cuts off the Lanterns from their powers, leaving some suffocating in the vacuum of space. Thankfully they're saved when the battery is restored by the Spectre, who broke away from the meeting with the Quintessence to step in. The virus, or rather we learn it's been Erebos speaking through the infected, seems to recognize Spectre and speaks through Mxyzptlk, referring to him as "Vengeance." The issue ends as Spectre, with the power battery in one hand and a sword manifested in the other, prepares to engage. "Yes, agent of entropy, I am the spirit of vengeance...and I am very, very @#%& off."

Issue six sees Clark's perspective of Bolovax Vik's destruction, and how while it seemed instantaneous to a normal person, his perception and super senses made him experience it in slow motion and feel the loss of sixteen billion souls; "For the second time in his life, the man from Krypton was powerless as a world died." Clark then finds Kyle in the floating ruins looking over them, taking in the loss of Kilowag, John, and the whole planet; "We lost. Clark. We lost." With his super vision, Clark is able to see the Anti-Living Darkseid from some distance, the two locking eyes. As angry as he was, Clark is able to set his rage aside to comfort Kyle; "We haven't lost yet, Kyle. We're still here." It's honestly just a moment I love that shows how idealistic Superman is; he just experienced a horrific catastrophe, but he stays to comfort a friend rather than give in to feelings that could be his undoing.
While Darkseid is the main threat, the bigger danger at the moment was the battle between Spectre and Mxyzptlk. Alfred's narration tells how the blows of their battle were tearing the fabric of reality, with black holes being created and sucking planets and stars into them. While some Green Lanterns try to give Spectre assistance, they end up meeting the same fate as John and Kilowag. When the infected imp seems to have the upper hand, Clark flies in to deliver a punch, giving Spectre the opening to land the killing blow with his sword. Before succumbing to his mortal wound, Mxyzptlk uses his last moments sever the Spectre from his human host, Jim Corrigan. As the spirit becomes untethered and fades from sight, Clark comforts Jim as he dies in the vacuum of space; "This universe is a miracle. Don't let it fall, Superman."
Back on Earth-2, Jon and the rest of the League have returned from Oa (along with Scott and Barda from New Genesis) with the plan to get back to Earth-1 to produce the cure on a universal scale. While they plan to use a Boom Tube to head there, Scott's Mother Box begins pinging and spewing blood. Brainiac realizes that since the boxes are linked, it's already infected with the Anti-Life Equation. Soon enough, Doom Tubes begin opening on Earth-2 and Anti-Living from across the universe begin their assault. As the League go into battle, Lois and Damian begin the process of evacuating the planet and loading people into the arcs that brought them there five years earlier. In the chaos though, Leslie is slashed by the Anti-Living Adam Strange and soon succumbs to the virus. Damian pulls a distraught Alfred away from Leslie as he continues the evacuation with Green Arrow. As the Anti-Living High-Father lands in the crowd, Damian attempts to keep him busy while others get to safety. While Damian does his best, he's just no match for a New God, let alone an Anti-Living one. Alfred gets between the two and lets out a scream fueled by anger and loss for those he's lost in his life. A scream that attracts another full of anger, and in that moment, Alfred Pennyworth has become the new host of the Spectre. Issue six ends with the newly powered Alfred punching High-Father straight through the head, declaring "You will NOT take another son from me!" I really loved this moment. Not only does it add another power set change for a character like Black Canary becoming a Green Lantern or Batgirl getting Shazam powers, but this is so fitting for Alfred. As the surrogate father of Batman, him taking on an identity associated with vengeance has him fit right in with the family this version has all but lost, and it ties in with Leslie's thoughts of Alfred supporting Bruce's crusade on a deeper level than he may have realized.

The battle rages on in issue seven while Oliver and Lois fight through the infected to get civilians to the arks. Alfred's narration describes the battle as violent and chaotic, becoming even more so when Lobo joined in as his first action is ripping the New God Lightray's head off with his chain hook.
The Spectre Alfred checks on Damian, only to see the young man has been infected, though the art doesn't make it clear where; he's scratched on the side of his face with his mask torn, but he's holding his arm like that's the source. Damian uses his own mental strength to fight back the Anti-Life Equation when Cassie arrives to comfort him. In his final coherent moments, Damian tells Alfred not to give into the rage he's feeling at the moment, that his new power can be used to save instead of destroy. After that, Alfred realized that Erebos was targeting Earth-2, knowing its heroes were the last bastion of hope for the universe. This is made even more clear with the arrival of Darkseid, Supergirl, and the Warworld, which begins firing on the planet. Alfred flies off to "somewhere else" he needs to be as Jon begins to fight Darkseid. Brainiac attempts to aid the son of his enemy, but there's a strange transition between pages. The end of one page sees Brainiac wrapping up Darkseid with his tendrils from behind, but then the next page begins with Darkseid holding Brainiac in his grasp and shoving a corrupted Mother Box in the side of his head, infecting him with the Anti-Life Equation.
The now Anti-Living Brainiac then flies off to his own ship to destroy the bottled shrunken cities in his collection, adhering to the mission of spreading as much death as possible. Having followed, Cyborg arrives to stop Brainiac and a battle ensues. Brainiac attempts to hack and infect Cyborg, but it appears ineffective as this allows Cyborg to hack back. And in another moment of artwork not making clear what's happening, I think Cyborg incorporates Brainiac's mechanical parts into himself, giving him control of his ship and technology. At the very least, Alfred's narration points out it's a good moment of redemption: "Victor Stone. The man who held himself responsible for the spread of the virus, who blamed himself for so much pain and death, saved hundreds of civilizations from genocide."
Back on Earth-2, Oliver and Lois' path to the arks is blocked by some Anti-Living Thanagarians but are saved by the upgraded Cyborg, who asks where Kandor is. Elsewhere, Jon breaks away from the fight with Darkseid when he realizes Warworld is charging a very powerful energy blast. As it fires, Jon pushes through the beam, deflecting it all the way back to its source, taking out the literal biggest gun of the Anti-Living. The act takes a lot out of Jon though as he falls back to Earth-2, being caught by his father before hitting the ground.
During this time, Cyborg was able to use Brainiac's technology to unshrink the inhabitants of Kandor, giving their forces an army of superpowered Kryptonians, led by Kara's parents, implied to turn the tide. And before we have time to really process this, Spectre Alfred arrives with a lot of shipping containers carrying the cure. I think a lot of time goes by after that because it then cuts to a cured Damian awakened by Alfred, Cassie, and an also cured Leslie.
The final scene of the issue begins with Darkseid fighting Clark, Mary Marvel, and Batzam as they try to inject the cure into him. Lobo shows up and offers another way to administer it: he shoves it down Darkseid's throat and loses his hand in the process (don't worry, he can regenerate). His reaction is priceless: "You bastich! I use that hand for some of my favorite things!" A cured Darkseid regains his senses and becomes enraged upon learning he was used as a pawn by Erebos. And despite some objections from others, our heroes "gained an unlikely and terrifying ally".
Despite some good moments like Cyborg's redemption, Jon's near sacrifice, and Lobo being Lobo, a lot happens for one issue and it's as rushed as it sounds (probably leading to some of the art problems I mentioned). I think the most egregious part was the army of Kryptonians. It's not just the fact that all these people immediately became skilled in their newly acquired abilities upon being under a yellow sun, but you're throwing a whole bunch of Kryptonians into a battle where they can potentially become infected with the Anti-Life Equation, and we've seen how much damage a single one can cause between Clark and Kara. And then there's Alfred's deus ex machina of bringing the cure to Earth-2 and everyone apparently getting it off panel. As stretched out as this series was earlier on, with one issue left after this, it really felt like Tom Taylor realized he had a lot he wanted to do but was running out of time to do it.

The eighth and final issue shows the aftermath of the battle of Earth-2. There are reunions aplenty including Scott and Barda with their son Jacob as well as the Els and Kents meeting after so long apart. Those unable to saved were laid to rest, with gods and mortals standing beside each other to mourn their lost. It's during this time when Damian approaches the Black Racer, catching the death god off guard, something he admits surprises him. Damian wants to take the fight to Erebos since he's the source of Anti-Life and has an idea, wanting to know from Racer if it could work. Soon after, Damian goes to talk to Cyborg about his plan and that the answer to defeating Erebos is inside him. And soon after that, the heroes call a meeting to discuss said plan. Devising a workaround with the Warworld to use a Doom Tube to get to Erebos' dimension, a group of heroes will enter Erebos and activate a weapon that will destroy him.
As the heroes discuss who will be part of the mission, Damian asks Cassie to stay behind, believing her to be the best person to protect the universe in case the plan fails. Cassie begrudgingly agrees and walks away, angry with Damian about not telling her the details of the plan; "You've come a long way...but there's still too much of your father in you." Interesting that this is used as a criticism compared to a compliment from Alfred back in issue four. Jon then arrives to give Damian a present, forgetting it was his own birthday: an all white Batsuit; "I thought the personification of darkness could come up against the light knight." Damian says it feels right and thanks his friend. It's definitely fitting when you consider Damian did just return from the dead and when you realize what the plan to defeat Erebos is.

The next day, a team made up of both Supermen, Damian (in his new suit), Cyborg, Mary Marvel, Green Arrow, Dinah Lance, Darkseid, Ares, Lobo, Black Racer, and Spectre Alfred are gathered in Warworld to prepare for the jump to Erebos' dimension. They basically pull a "Flatliners", killing themselves to allow their passage through the Doom Tube, with a timer set to revive them on the other side. They're soon face to face with the primordial deity. 

Well, he's big, I'll give him that. And I know Erebos is likely beyond trying to impress anyone, but it's a very mid design to me.
Anyway, Black Racer and Ares exit Warworld to distract Erebos while the rest of the team gets to work. Oliver uses the bow and quiver of Apollo he got from the Hall of the Gods back in issue three to fire an arrow that pierces Erebos. The wound is then attacked full on from the Supermen's heat vision, Mary's magic lightning, Dinah's Lantern ring, and Darkseid's Omega Beams, making it big enough for Lobo's chain hook to carve a passage for the Warworld to enter. Inside the station, Cyborg plans to activate the weapon when he realizes he doesn't know what it is and that his and Damian's previous conversation had been deleted. Using his father's system that had previously hacked Cyborg, Damian removed the Life Equation they discovered to make the cure from Cyborg's mind, with Damian now being the only one with that knowledge. With Life and Anti-Life Equations colliding, Damian begins to glow as a chain reaction begins, giving the team three minutes to escape back to their universe. Damian also programmed a flight plan into Cyborg to leave him behind and get the others out before it's too late. Opening a Boom Tube home, Cyborg informs everyone what's happening as they struggle with having to leave Damian behind.
Erebos soon senses something happening inside him, killing Ares for his trouble. He soon speaks to Damian, telepathically I assume, saying he's willing to bargain. Damian isn't having it; "You took my father. You took my brothers. You hurt my friends. You took so much from our world, from our universe. [...] You pissed me off. There will be no bargain. There will just be your end." Badass.
As our heroes escape back to their universe, Jon doesn't want to leave his friend to die alone. Alfred offers to take Jon to him, promising Clark to get his son out in time. Despite protests from Damian, his best friend and surrogate father wanted to be there with him in his final moments. "I was right", Jon tells him. "You were a great Batman." Damian smiles and thanks his friend one last time as the Life Equation erupts from his body. Alfred and Jon escape as Erebos is destroyed from within, a new universe being born in the process.
In a similarly rushed ending like "Dead Planet", Jon consoles Cassie while Clark assures his wife that it's over; "It's done, Lois. We're safe now." Spectre Alfred travels through the universe made from Damian's sacrifice, reflecting on what it meant to be a father figure and how his sons were his own universe. The final page of the story and trilogy as a whole shows Alfred looking over the blossoming cosmos, including what I assume is a galaxy in the shape of a bat.

While "War of the Undead Gods" has a lot of what people love about the DCeased series, these last two issues keep it from giving us a satisfying conclusion. Despite the good moments, they certainly felt rushed and the story we got could have benefitted from having another two issues; the way it was made had Darkseid's defeat look easy and cheapens the moment of Damian's infection when he dies again the very next issue. But I feel the glaring problem with the series is the Erebos element. It felt unnecessary and takes away from the chaotic nature of the virus established in the first series. And again, we had a perfectly good final boss in the Yellow Lantern Anti-Living Darkseid. Have the heroes hold him off as the cure is spread and then everyone gathers to wipe out the last of the Anti-Life Equation in spectacular fashion.
Still, "War of the Undead Gods" doesn't take anything away from its predecessors. I think the first series is the best of the three as a stand-alone story while "Dead Planet" is a worthy follow-up. For the most part, the DCeased trilogy was a good off shoot of the DC Universe, with plenty of great character moments and intriguing takes that make it unique among the multiverse.

TV Review: Titans Season Four - Full Circle

 

"Titans" has always been a hit and miss kind of show. Character depictions, costumes, and story arcs have ranged from well done to questionable since the beginning. Then there's the gritty tone where it either works to the show's advantage or come off as trying too hard. Personally, season two remains the high point of the series where they got it mostly right, especially after a rough first outing. As we reach the fourth and final season of the show, it seems "Titans" has come full circle.

In many ways, season four is a return to form from the first, for better (another Doom Patrol guest appearance now with Joivan Wade's Cyborg) and for worse (an uptake in f-bombs that seem to be there for the sake of edginess). The biggest callback to season one though is that we once again deal with a supernatural threat and a horror tone throughout. Unfortunately, this leads to an overuse of the horror trope of blood coming from places or items it shouldn't, whether the character's hallucinating or it's magically appearing. It was used so much that I was pretty much desensitized to any blood being shown for the rest of the season, even during fights or character deaths. And don't get me started on all the terrible CGI snakes from the first half of the season.
For a final season with supernatural tones, it seemed fitting that the return of Trigon would be the big threat. And he does return in the finale in glorious fashion...only to get killed and have his power stolen by this series' incel version of Brother Blood (played by Joseph Morgan). Brother Blood started out as someone you could sympathize with but he just became insufferable by the finale with his "the world treated me badly so I'm gonna destroy it" mentality. And despite the fact that he was shown genuine kindness in his life, it pretty much boiled down to him brushing that aside so he can keep playing the victim until he had the means to lash out. The moment we lost Trigon for his whiny demon spawn was when I pretty much checked out for the rest of a lackluster finale (much like season one's).

I have to say that the best of episode of the season was "Dude, Where's My Gar?" It's a nice little break from the main action with a focus episode on Ryan Potter's Beast Boy. Tying into the supernatural theme of the season, there is some New 52 influence brought in as we learn of Gar's connection to "The Red" (similar to "The Green" from Swamp Thing but with animals) and his importance to the multiverse. We also get to see his full potential as he finally switches between different animals during a single fight; it only happens the one time so enjoy it while you can.

There were three stand-out performances to me this season:

* Lisa Ambalavanar as Jinx was a fun character. An old frenemy of Dick's, I got the sense of her being the Catwoman to his Batman. She also seemed to be on the same wavelength as Gar, both being able to find some levity in the serious situations and share in a laugh. It was just a shame she wasn't in it as long as she was.
* Joshua Orpin is able to bring a new side to Superboy after the character goes through some traumatic experiences in the beginning of the season and decides to take some drastic measures. To this end, Conner starts to embrace the Lex Luthor side of him, right down to shaving his head. It's about as edge lord as you'd expect and it felt kind of rushed to me, but it was definitely entertaining. His performance reminded me of a mix Jesse Eisenberg's and Michael Rosenbaum's depictions of Lex Luthor; play AFI's "Prelude 12/21" when he walks out fully shaved for the first time and it wouldn't have been out of place.
* A big part of the season is the journey of Jay Lycurgo's Tim Drake in his training to become the new Robin. I think we get a satisfying payoff as the character is able to hold his own in the field by the finale and sporting probably the best live action Robin suit and most comic accurate since Burt Ward's. In addition, I really enjoyed the chemistry between him and Bernard (played by James Scully) and how their relationship develops.

With all the similarities to season one, season four does get bonus points for more comic accurate costumes, which I know was a big problem a lot of people had in the beginning. We certainly came a long way since then. And at the very least, we do close out the series with a happy ending for our characters. My only wish is that we could have seen Dawn and Donna, given they were part of all the previous seasons; the show didn't go into this knowing it would be the last season, but still.
When it comes to "Titans" as a whole, I think there's a lot to enjoy through some of the muck, but I know it's not for everyone. Still, I'll take this over the original animated series' finale and "Go!" as a whole.

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Swan Song

 

Since their first movie in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy went from C-list Marvel heroes to household names as the characters would continue to entertain movie audiences with their subsequent sequel and team-ups with the Avengers. Outside the MCU, an animated series that would last three seasons and two video games would come about and resemble the films' style; and with the music being a prominent part of the franchise, I have a playlist of nearly a hundred songs that were used across the different mediums mentioned. But all good things come to an end as we see the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", James Gunn's conclusion to the trilogy and his final Marvel project before taking over DC's film universe. For the last adventure with our favorite space outlaws, they certainly pulled out all the stops to deliver a film on par with "Endgame" and "No Way Home" for a proper send-off.

Gunn brings everything we've come to love with this franchise and then some. Characters with heart, hilarious comedy, amazing visuals, and entertaining action; on the action front, a real stand out was when they went full Daredevil with a one-shot hallway fight that gives each Guardian a shining moment. And of course there's the music; Gunn packed more songs in here than the previous two films and yet he still finds a way to make them fit well into the story and worthy of an Awesome Mix. I'm going to be emotional for awhile listening to the soundtrack after watching this movie.
Where things differ from the previous films is that Vol. 3 is the darkest of the trilogy, with the opening scene's somber tone giving you an idea of what was to come. There were several moments that had me tearing up. Admittedly, there are some tonal whiplashes where after those emotional moments that the next scene starts off with a pretty good joke; it makes it a little conflicting where I'm laughing while still processing something heart-wrenching. This film also has some of the most graphic imagery I've seen from a Guardians or MCU film while still keeping it PG-13. It's similar to Gunn's work on "The Suicide Squad", not to mention we get the MCU's first f-bomb. I get the feeling that since Gunn was on his way out anyway that he wouldn't have to worry about much pushback from Marvel; not like they can fire him again at this point.

What's great about these characters is that even after all this time, we're still seeing new sides to them. It makes them feel like genuine people, learning from their pasts, growing, and taking left turns in their lives. Quill and Rocket stand out for their character arcs, reaching pivotal parts in their lives as our main protagonists through these films. There's also great dynamics such as the comedy between Drax and Mantis and how the personalities of Nebula and Gamora have kind of switched around compared to the first film.

Chukwudi Iwuji is great as the High Evolutionary, the film's main antagonist. He really sells it as a megalomaniac with a god complex. Crazy as this sounds, it kind of makes me wish either the High Evolutionary was our new saga spanning big bad or that Iwuji was playing Kang; he was that good. The only fault I can find is that after Ego and Thanos, this is the third villain the Guardians have fought who has this vision for the universe they're determined to make a reality. Still, I feel we got the second most satisfying villain defeat of 2023 after Belos on "The Owl House".

The character of Adam Warlock has been somewhat teased since the first movie with the real set-up coming in a Vol. 2 mid-credits scene. Vol. 3 brings our golden boy to the big screen with Will Poulter in the role and he's...there. Okay, Poulter delivers a good performance, goes through a character arc and has some pretty cool moments from the minute he literally explodes into the film. The problem though is that with everything else going on in the film, he feels kind of like an afterthought and gets lost in the story; there were some moments where after not seeing him for awhile, I thought to myself "Oh yeah, he's here."

Overall, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is a near-perfect sign off from James Gunn and everyone who had a hand in crafting this journey. The ending does leave things open to explore interesting new directions for the characters should the MCU decide to look in on them again. In the meantime (wink, wink), see the film and bid farewell as soon as you can. And check in on your fellow Guardians fans; we're definitely not okay at the moment.

Movie Review: "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" - Batman vs. Cthulhu

 

For those who've followed my blog, you may have noticed the decline of posts for the DC Universe animated movie line since "Apokolips War." Well, to put it bluntly, the current era of films since then just haven't captured my attention compared to how the line used to. "Long Halloween" is one exception, and I may have another "Tomorrowverse" (not a fan of that name) related post coming in the future. Today though, we have the latest DC animated film, "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham".
Based on the Elseworlds miniseries from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, a 1920's version of Batman works to save Gotham from a Lovecraftian apocalypse. Since this story doesn't get talked about as much as other Elseworlds tales like "Gotham by Gaslight" or "Superman: Red Son", I went into this mostly blind. Regardless, I had a hell of a good time watching this film, so much so that I watched it twice in one day, with the horror mystery aspect making it fun to find the foreshadowing the second time around.

Much like "Gotham by Gaslight", it was fun to see Batman and elements of his lore transported to a different era, with how notable characters are adapted and catching the hidden references; one character that stood out to me was Kai Li, who I felt was an amalgamation of Carrie Kelly and Cassandra Cain. With "Doom", I particularly liked the Lovecraftian twists to the rogue's gallery. Some stories have played into the idea that something about Gotham creates the very madness it endures from the villains and Batman himself; "Doom" takes this further by having a more supernatural origin to the idea and it really works for this kind of story.
Giving life to these characters are a star-studded voice cast. You have reprisals such as William Salyers as Penguin and Brian George as Alfred, veteran voice actors like John DiMaggio and Jason Marsden as James Gordon and Dick Grayson respectively, and stand-out performances from David Dastmalchian as Mr. Freeze and Jeffrey Combs as Kirk Langstrom. Not to keep comparing the film to "Gaslight", but I found David Giuntoli's performance as Bruce Wayne similar to Bruce Greenwood's, which is a good thing. The two versions have similar looks and methods to their crusade, though I'd say Giuntoli's is more similar to the mainstream version, maybe due to being in more proximity to the character's debut year. What I love most though is that despite being in a different era and facing a different kind of evil, we still see the core of what makes Batman such a great character: someone who's willing to give it all for the city he calls home.

The animation makes this a real winner in my book, particularly with the lighting on Batman when he's on screen, making him pop out more in the darker scenes. It feels like a callback to how the DC animated films would be consistently great in that aspect. Apologies to fans of the "Tomorrowverse" films and despite the enjoyable aspects of them, but the animation just looks so cheap compared to its predecessors. "Doom" just hammers in that point, showing they're still capable of churning out good looking films. This might all be a moot though since the future of the line may be up in the air with James Gunn's plans to streamline the new DC Universe across films, live action and animated series, and video games, but time will tell. But back to "Doom", my only complaint is that the horror visuals could have gone a little further if it weren't for the PG-13 rating.

To sum it up, "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" is definitely worth a watch. Couple it up with "Gotham by Gaslight", and you have quite a double feature for fans of Batman and the horror genre.