Hush 2: Pointless and Frustrating

 

I had intended this to be a regular review of the storyline, but as the title of the post indicates, it's not worth the effort.
"Hush 2" (stupidly stylized as "H2SH") saw the creative team of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee reunite for the sequel to their original 2002-03 Batman story. This is despite the fact the character of Hush had been a recurring villain as recent as the end of Peter Tomasi's last run on Detective Comics in 2020. And if any story was worth being a true follow-up, it would be Paul Dini's "Heart of Hush" from 2008. Regardless, the "Hush 2" we did get has been poorly received and met with numerous delays. It's basically "All Star Batman and Robin" all over again, which Lee also worked on with another acclaimed Batman writer past his prime, Frank Miller.

"Hush 2" was meant to run from March 2025 to August 2025 to conclude that current volume of the main Batman book before it was relaunched in September with Matt Fraction taking over as the writer. Yes, ending and immediately restarting a book with a new issue one is still a frustrating practice of the big two, but I give DC credit that they're more restrained compared to Marvel in recent years. To mark the occasion, we would see Bruce don an updated batsuit (with Tim and Damian getting new Robin suits too) which would also appear in the rest of the Bat-books and the broader DC universe. Couple that with the fact that variant covers of the final and first issues of their respective volumes were meant to connect, this implied "Hush 2" would have major ramifications.

As I mentioned though, delays started to occur with the release schedule of "Hush 2". Now normally, if a book was behind schedule, particularly one with line-wide implications, it would in turn delay what's meant to come in the aftermath. I don't know if reviews had played a factor, but when September came around, DC went as scheduled with Matt Fraction's new Batman #1 despite the fact "Hush 2" only reached part four of its six issue run. By the time part six finally arrived this May, Fraction's run had reached issue nine.

Fraction's run and the other Batbooks by September were meant to take place after "Hush 2". Throw in the fact that none of those books have made any reference to that story and it begs the question of what the point of it even is. DC obviously didn't even care enough to make sure it was finished before moving on to what came after. If it weren't for completionists like myself, especially since it was part of the main Batman book, many more would have dropped this story without a second thought.

But here's the real kicker. After fourteen months to get these six issues out, the story STILL isn't over! Part six not only has no plot resolutions but ends on a cliffhanger with a tease for "H2SH 2", which read out loud would be "Hush 2 2" (do you see what I mean now with that stylization?). Despite the plan to lead into Fraction's run, this was apparently always meant to be a twelve-issue story like the original. Artist Jim Lee has said the second half will be its own miniseries and will have a consistent release schedule once everything's completed. But again, what is the point? Considering the time it took for the first half to come out, who knows how long it will take for the second and how far ahead the Batman books will be when its finished? And I don't see many readers eagerly waiting for it considering how the story's gone so far. This is why I'm not giving "Hush 2" a full review. I can't take waiting on a story that so far has been nonsensical and ultimately doesn't matter. Though if it's anything like "All Star", I would be surprised if a promised continuation to wrap up the story actually materializes.

However, there is one plot point of "Hush 2" that warrants discussion. A plot point I've been boiling over for about a year that I am not letting off the hook just because I'm not giving the story full attention.
In one of the many inversions of the original "Hush", Hush leaves the Joker for dead with Batman being the only one who can save him, as opposed to nearly killing him like before. And apparently, this pisses off the entire Bat-family who act like this is the worst thing Bruce has ever done. By the way, all the Bat-books post "Hush 2" show everyone on good terms so again, no point. So what is the reason Batman would save the Joker? Simple: because he's Batman.
Despite not being part of his inception and the movies playing fast and loose with it, Batman's no-kill rule is a fundamental part of the character. Now people point out he'll do everything to criminals just short of killing, the exaggerated takedowns from the Arkham games being a prime example. That's not to say Bruce won't lose his composure if pushed too far; it's part of the humanity that makes the character relatable. But as much as he was born from violence, Batman was also born from compassion. Bruce's crusade is about preventing anyone from suffering a loss like him due to crime and that those who would commit those crimes have justice served against them. That's part of why he deals with the revolving doors of Blackgate and Arkham; despite all evidence to the contrary, he hopes to all hell that his enemies, even someone like the Joker, can find repentance. As for letting someone die from something you weren't responsible for, that doesn't matter to Bruce. In his mind, the blood would be just as much on his hands.
There's a flashback scene from the first issue of Tom Taylor's current Detective Comics run where Bruce's father Thomas performed surgery on a man (who we learn would turn out to be Joe Chill) after a car accident despite seeing evidence he was physically abusive to his pregnant girlfriend. Some of Thomas' colleagues and his wife question his decision to save him. A young Bruce overhears the conversation between his parents and is also curious about his father's actions. Thomas responds "We don't know how a life will be lived. We don't know it's value. And if we can save a life, and we don't, what would that make us? You save the life, Bruce. No matter what." As a doctor, Thomas took the Hippocratic oath. Bruce lives by that in his own way. It's something he's also passed down to Dick. In another flashback scene from Taylor in his prior run on Nightwing, a young Dick gets heated during a training session with Bruce, who needs to bring him back down. He tells his ward that they don't know the circumstances that brought someone to crime and that their job is to stop criminals, not punish them; "We can't hurt people because our parents died."

Above everything else wrong with it, I think that's the main reason I reject "Hush 2". In any other story, Bruce's friends and family would understand without question why he would save the Joker's life. He's even done it before like in 2001's "Last Laugh" event where Bruce had to resuscitate the Joker after Dick beat him to death believing he had Tim killed (though if anything it was about keeping blood off Dick's hands). Or even in the original "Hush" where Bruce nearly took it himself, Gordon appeared to talk him down. Considering the Joker crippled his daughter in "The Killing Joke" and killed his wife at the end of "No Man's Land", Gordon would have every right to want the Joker dead but didn't want to see Batman cross the line. Like many superheroes, Batman is supposed to represent the best of humanity and stir that goodness in others, fictional or otherwise. In these days where it's a fight to keep that belief alive, we need stories and symbols that remind us of that.

TV Review: Spider-Noir - Uncaged

If you're familiar with my blog, you'd know I'm a big fan of Spider-Man Noir, having covered the character's original story and its sequel. So you can imagine my level excitement when a live-action series was announced. But given Sony's recent track record of live-action Spider-Man properties outside the MCU, there was also legitimate concern. But it was getting a touch from the "Spider-Verse" films with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller producing and Nicolas Cage jumping mediums to play the character (albeit a different version using the Ben Reilly name and his alias simply "The Spider") so there was hope to be had. I thought if anything, Cage's involvement guaranteed some entertainment either way. Thankfully the final product swung (pun intended) in the right direction.

Since the character's appearance in "Into the Spider-Verse", creators in the comics have leaned somewhat into that private investigator depiction though not as exaggerated. "Spider-Noir" continues that trend while trying to keep it as gritty and grounded as the original comics. That being said, the show isn't shy about having superpowered villains for the Spider to face, including Sandman (Jack Huston), Tombstone (Abraham Popoola), and lesser-known villain Megawatt; I guess they couldn't use Electro, but in any case, Andrew Lewis Caldwell steals the show whenever he's on screen. The interesting part though is that superpowers can be seen as a metaphor for PTSD for soldiers (in this case post-World War I), just one of many themes explored in the series in addition to political corruption and gatekeeping.

Since the series does its own thing compared to the comics, the best way to describe it is that we take the Spider-Man mythos and filter it through the lens of classic film noir. The experience is greatly enhanced in the black and white setting (especially with the classic horror aspects of episode 6); I may still watch the colorized version since it's supposed to be as vibrant as the films of the time, but it felt right to lean into the noir of Spider-Noir. Many of the characters represent the tropes one would see in a noir film. You have the grizzled detective with a tortured past in Ben, the femme fatale in Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), the sassy secretary in Janet (Karen Rodriguez), the crime boss with an iron grip on the city in Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), the reporter best friend in Robbie Robertston (Lamorne Morris), and the streetwise kid in Frankie (Cary Christopher, another show stealer).

While much of the cast is entertaining, this is of course Nicolas Cage's show. As the Spider, he brings his own style of quippage one would expect from the web-slinger. Mix that with the personal flair Cage is known to bring to his performances and there's no shortage of fun to be had. I also enjoyed his chemistry with Li Jun Li's Cat Hardy. Along with the "will they/won't they" plotline, their banter is right at home in the film noir setting.

The suit is absolutely perfect. Though if I had to nitpick, I feel they could have gotten a better stuntman to match Cage's body. Like, I don't expect Cage to do the big action scenes (though lord knows he could try), my suspension of disbelief is hard to maintain when it feels like someone other than Ben is in the suit, entertaining as they are.

Overall, "Spider-Noir" is a bet that paid off. Cage leads a well-rounded cast in a series meant to throw back to a classic era of cinema mixed with the modern aspects of the superhero genre.

TV Review: "Daredevil: Born Again" Season 2

 

As good as the first season was, "Daredevil: Born Again" kicks things into higher gear with its second season. While most of last season was about establishing characters old and new and sounding the drums of war, Murdock and Fisk escalate their feud into a battle for the soul of New York City with a constant back and forth. Along with "Superman", I believe "Born Again" is the most relevant superhero project from the big two of the last couple of years as the revival series continues to hold up a mirror to society in terms of the power of the government and of the people.

If there's a theme to this season, it's anger. With Matt, his fighting style has reached new heights of brutality akin to Batfleck (which is fitting given Frank Miller's influence on both characters). Daredevil has become a symbol of resistance and embodies the growing anger of the people of New York toward Fisk, who himself becomes more dangerous than ever in the second half of the season. The struggle against a blatantly corrupt politician and a system building around it continues to reflect our world. But while last season could relate to people's fears about how bad things would get, season two's release comes at a time where we're indeed seeing how bad things are getting and are just as pissed as the people in the show. But the important thing Matt and the show conveys is not to let that anger poison you as well. While it's hard not to root for Bullseye as he's dealing with AVTF troops in his own deadly fashion, there's still a need to believe the world can change for the better because of the best that people have to offer. And isn't that the idea of superheroes like Daredevil? Despite being fictional, they offer hope in people during the darkest of times.

I'd consider episode five, "The Grand Design", to be the best of the season. Part of it involves flashbacks to just before the original Netflix series and they do a good job recapturing the gritty feel of it, even down to the framerate. It also allows Elden Henson to return as Foggy and I swear the man doesn't age. The episode is also a highlight for Vincent D'Onofrio as he portrays Fisk at his most emotional, even dropping the gruff voice the character's known for.

Matthew Lillard joins the cast as the mysterious Mr. Charles from the CIA. Not much is known about him other than he works with Fisk as a middleman for Valentina Allegra De Fontain and another of her shady operations. Charles has a similar charisma as Val and it makes me think that if Val is the Fury to the Thunderbolts*, then Charles could be seen as her Coulson (and by extension, Mel is her Hill). It'll be interesting to see where Charles may appear next in the MCU.

After seven years, Krysten Ritter makes her grand return as Jessica Jones, aiding Matt in the war against Fisk during the second half of the season. Without spoiling much, there's a new maturity present in Jess compared to when we last saw her, but she still has that edginess that made fans fall in love with her character. There's more to dig into what's happened since the end of not just her series but the other two Netflix heroes yet to be touched upon, but this season just gives us a taste before we get the full Defenders reunion next year.

Between eleven years and now five total seasons, Daredevil fans should continue to expect to be eating good as "Born Again" wraps its initial story and sets up a new status quo for the next season.

Dragon Ball Super Movie Retrospective

While "Battle of Gods" and "Resurrection F" revived the Dragon Ball franchise, they would ultimately be cast aside despite the heavy lifting they did. When the Dragon Ball Super anime began in 2015, the two films were retold over the first 27 episodes, with some details changed to differentiate and expand the story. The versions told in the anime would become the canon version of events and used as reference in video games like 2024's "Sparking! Zero". So despite my preference for those films and their original standing, they technically continued the trend of Dragon Ball feature films being non-canon. No, the first official canon Dragon Ball film would come after the conclusion of Super's initial run in 2018 and takes place after the fact. And canon would be the magic word as this film would reintroduce the most polarizing figure from the original Dragon Ball Z films...

BROLY

SYNOPSIS: One fateful day, a mysterious new Saiyan appears before Goku and Vegeta: Broly.
MY THOUGHTS: In the lead-up to the dub of "Broly" in North American theaters, there were also theatrical rereleases of the original Broly movie, "Fusion Reborn", as well as the TV special focused on Goku's father, Bardock. It would become clear that releasing the older films was sort of a last hurrah for them before elements of them were reworked into the new one.
Between Z and Super, Broly's initial origin remains the same. A Saiyan baby with latent power that scared King Vegeta and underwent trauma that fueled his abilities. Where the versions differ is their characterizations. I'll preface this by saying I feel both versions have merit. "Z" Broly was a seemingly unstoppable sadist with no redeeming qualities who fit the mold of the movie villains at the time. "Super" Broly has a more sympathetic backstory and is undeniably the more interesting version of the character; the scars present on his body are a nice touch as it indicates some vulnerability. "Super" Broly has a good nature to him that his father Paragus constantly tries to snuff out of him, focused on making him a weapon against the Saiyan royal bloodline for their slight against his own. Despite that though, this Broly is a dutiful son and is fearful of disappointing his father. Coupling this with his powerset creates the monster we see in this film. Paragus believes that despite removing his tail, Broly is able to channel the power of a Great Ape without transforming, similar to Super Saiyan 4. I would go further by saying Broly seems to have an enhanced form of a Zenkai Boost, where a Saiyan's power increases after a near-death experience. In Broly's case though, it's more of an adaptive ability as his power continues to increase during a fight to match his opponent's strength; as his power rises though, the less self-control he has. He's able to hold his own against Goku and Vegeta in his base form all the way up to when they go Super Saiyan Blue. He doesn't even become a Super Saiyan himself until Frieza kills Paragus and through an Oscar worthy performance convinces Broly he was killed by a stray energy blast. Frieza would get some karma though when Goku and Vegeta divert Broly's attention to him as they retreat to regroup. I think if this Broly has a physical weakness, it's his body's ability to adapt to his opponent before they get the upper hand and win.
In order to defeat Broly, Goku convinces Vegeta to perform the Fusion Dance and become Gogeta. In this film, it's treated as the first time they've fused together this way, officially bringing Gogeta into the main canon after appearing in "Fusion Reborn" and GT. I've mentioned before that I prefer Gogeta over their Potara Fusion of Vegito. In terms of getting the job done, Gogeta already had a higher win ratio over Vegito, and it technically only increased after this film.
What's interesting about the character of Bardock is that he first appeared in his TV special and aside from some design input, series creator Akira Toriyama was not involved in the story. However, Toriyama enjoyed the special so much that he would reference Bardock in the main story with Frieza recalling him in a flashback upon realizing Goku's resemblance to him. The special would be considered canon in the same vein as "History of Trunks" until like Broly, Toriyama would put his own spin on the character. In the original special, the only connection between Bardock and Goku was that the latter was just born and sent to Earth while the former would be having visions of his son's time on Earth and that he will one day face Frieza and avenge their race. In "Broly" though, Bardock just has a bad feeling that Frieza plans to destroy Planet Vegeta and along with his wife Gine send their son to Earth to survive. So they basically gave Goku the Superman origin story. In my opinion, it not only doesn't really add anything to the film's main narrative but also felt like an unnecessary change. What set Goku apart from the rest of the Saiyan race was that he fought to improve himself and protect others as opposed to a society built around a lust for destruction and lack of emotional connection, which Bardock was a part of. Turning him into Jor-El takes away a unique backstory for the series' main protagonist. The only constant between the two versions is that Bardock does attempt to face down Frieza before perishing along with the rest of his world, which is probably the most important part of his story anyway.
In terms of the modern Dragon Ball films, "Broly" probably has the best animation style as it's reminiscent of the original DBZ days. It was so well received that the "Sparking! Zero" game would emulate it. It's more fluid which makes for some great transitions during Super Saiyan transformations and wild battles where you can feel the impact of every hit. On the latter, it can sometimes be a little hard to follow the action even by Dragon Ball standards and get downright chaotic. So much so that reality seems to break momentarily during the final battle between Gogeta and Broly similar to that one episode of "Ed, Edd, n Eddy".
So is "Broly" good? Objectively, yes. I personally had mixed feelings the first time I watched it, but it's come to grow on me, especially going into it this time with more of an analytical eye. The most I got out of this rewatch was understanding Broly's character. It was a big gamble to reintroduce Broly despite how split the fanbase had become on him, but I believe the results show it paid off.

SUPER HERO

SYNOPSIS: Descendants of the Red Ribbon Army's sinister leaders have renewed their quest for world domination. As their two ultrapowerful Androids seek their own brand of justice against Earth's heroes, Piccolo and Gohan must push their powers to new limits.
MY THOUGHTS: We've reached my favorite Dragon Ball movie of the modern era. The big reason is because it drops the overreliance on Goku and Vegeta and gives my boy Gohan some time to shine again, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
"Super Hero" marks the first Dragon Ball project to use CGI animation, taking Toriyama's designs and putting them in a 3D environment and looking like a more polished version of the video games. I know there are fans who prefer traditional 2D animation for the series, but it still works here in my opinion. I found it to retain the same fluidity from "Broly" in terms of transformations and action, with the latter being easier to follow by comparison.
There are some complaints in how "Super Hero" retreads the Android saga and relies on nostalgia. That's fair, though I feel it's all about the execution. Some of the original Dragon Ball Z movies can be seen as copies of stories from the anime, but the way they were presented and characters introduced like Cooler and Janemba are memorable to the fandom for a reason. Compared to "Super Android 13", "Super Hero" has an emotional plotline rather than just fighting more Androids. And to be fair, the only modern Dragon Ball film from Toriyama with an original premise was "Battle of Gods".
On that note, the final boss of the film is Cell Max, a new version of the bio-android. Now before you think it's like Frieza's return or a copy like Cooler, this Cell is kaiju-sized (and I could see some inspiration from "Shin Godzilla") but is released before being perfected and is nothing but a chaotic beast. The battle against him evoked the most tension I've felt watching Dragon Ball since GT. While there are elements of Super that are enjoyable, I've never felt there were stakes. Since it takes place during the ten-year time skip before the last three episodes of Z, we know everyone makes it to the end. "Super Hero" may still be in that timeframe, but I think Goku and Vegeta not being present ups the desperation of the situation Cell Max posed.
Piccolo and Gohan are the main focus of the film and receive their own long-awaited power-ups. While Piccolo got a new Orange form, the big highlight of the film is Gohan attaining a new "Beast" form. This leads to his biggest moment of the series since his Super Saiyan 2 victories over classic Cell and Bojack, and Gohan being my favorite character made it extra special for me. I know people like to bring up his arrival in his Ultimate form and giving Super Buu a beatdown as a big moment, but he doesn't finish the job. Buu absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo and gets the upper hand with Gohan himself getting absorbed later on. The cherry on top in his defeat of Cell Max is using his own Special Beam Cannon, which I feel was a reference to it being the finisher for Future Gohan in video games going back to "Raging Blast 2". So what is this Beast power-up? Despite some considering it an asspull for victory to be assured and a new form for marketing's sake, I feel it's similar to how Super Saiyan Blue is Super Saiyan applied to Super Saiyan God. If Gohan's Ultimate form is like Super Saiyan, then we can see Beast as the Super Saiyan 2 power-up for Ultimate. In the case of both Gohan and Piccolo, I hope these new forms aren't one-offs and we'll see them again in a future story.
Near the climax, Bulma arrives with reinforcements in the form of Krillin, 18, Goten, and Trunks (the latter two finally aged up to teenagers) who all help in the battle against Cell Max. Goten and Trunks fuse into Gotenks, but their lack of practice leads to the overweight version. But what's funny is that even though they messed up, Gotenks actually made a bigger contribution than he ever did in the Buu saga by cracking Cell Max's dome and creating the weak spot for the finishing blow (since Cell Max lacks the original's regenerative ability). There's also a subtle touch with 18 showing to still have some Cell-based trauma from the Android saga.
So where were Goku and Vegeta during all this? They were training on Beerus' planet, specifically having a sparring match with no transformations or energy blasts to show Broly what it means to control one's power. Everyone present are so distracted watching the match that they miss Bulma's attempts to call Whis about the situation on Earth. The match apparently lasts hours as we see its conclusion in a post-credits scene where Goku collapses from exhaustion before Vegeta, giving the Saiyan prince his first clean victory over Goku. Now I may get a lot of heat for this, but I think Goku let him win. Just the way it was presented felt that way to me. Now I could be wrong and Goku may have just been happy for his buddy. The finish could be left to interpretation, but it's just how I saw it.
One last thing to bring up. Apparently, Bulma constantly uses the Dragon Balls for cosmetic reasons. Now I know GT is its own continuity from Super, but I can't help but yell "This is how we get Shadow Dragons, Bulma!" whenever I watch this movie.
Overall, "Super Hero" reaffirms that Dragon Ball can be more than just Goku and Vegeta and I hope this is a lesson the franchise creators remember going forward.

Dragon Ball Z Movie Retrospective Part Four: "Battle of Gods" and "Resurrection F"

After years of wondering whether or not it would happen, Dragon Ball Super is confirmed to finally return and will adapt the Galactic Patrol arc that had previously been exclusive to the manga. I feel that's a good enough excuse to give my thoughts on the Super era of Dragon Ball movies.
What made these movies different from the previous Dragon Ball Z movies I've covered is that series creator Akira Toriyama was directly involved in the story and would be considered canon. So instead of being one-off adventures, they were part of the larger ongoing narrative. And considering how popular Dragon Ball had become in North America in the 2000's, this would lead to actual theatrical releases for the dubbed versions not long after the initial release in Japan, even retaining their original titles and music.
While the proper Super series didn't start until 2015, its first two arcs were retellings of the movies released the previous two years under the Dragon Ball Z name. Personally, I think one would be better off watching these movies first and start Super at episode 28 with the Universe 6 arc. Similar to why I prefer Z over Kai, watching the original version of a story is better than one that's either shortened or lengthened. 
But let's go ahead and dive right into the first movie...

BATTLE OF GODS

SYNOPSIS: Beerus, the devastating God of Destruction, travels to Earth in search of an opponent who can match his brutal battle skills. Driven by visions of an all-powerful warrior known as the Super Saiyan God, Beerus threatens to destroy the planet unless a worthy challenger steps forward. Goku must draw upon the power of his friends to unlock the strength of a Super Saiyan God and stop Beerus' evil rampage.
MY THOUGHTS: For the first entry in the Dragon Ball franchise that got a worldwide release since GT, "Battle of Gods" truly lived up to the hype when it was released in 2013.
The best way to describe the film's antagonist, Beerus, is a hedonist with a short fuse and unlimited cosmic power under the hood. Supply him good food though and you have a better chance of saving your planet. The introduction of him and his attendant Whis, who is revealed to be Beerus' teacher (and also later on to be an angel), would be the tip of the iceberg in how vast Super would go in expanding the Dragon Ball multiverse.
"Battle of Gods" mixes the serious action DBZ would be known for and return some of the more comedic from the original Dragon Ball series, setting the tone for the franchise going forward. On the latter, this is most exemplified with the return of the Pilaf gang, who were absent for all of Z. They're depicted here as children after a wish on the Dragon Balls to be young again has some Monkey's Paw connotations. What's interesting though is that none of the characters who knew them in the original series seemed to recognize them or put two and two together. Watching the movie this time around, I think maybe this was a dig at certain fans who skipped right over Dragon Ball and only watched Z.
In terms of both comedy and action, Vegeta would be the MVP on both. While his BINGO song and dance would be iconic, the rage he unleashes on Beerus after he slaps Bulma was epic. If Bruce Falcouner was still involved in redoing the music, his Super Saiyan Vegeta theme would have been very fitting for this scene. Something I noticed this time was how Vegeta as just a Super Saiyan was able to give Beerus some pushback while Goku in Super Saiyan 3 couldn't even land a blow near the beginning of the film. It's interesting because the motivation between the two characters seemed to switch in this movie. Goku challenged Beerus for the love of the fight while Vegeta defended the honor of the woman he loves. And the results speak for themselves.
One of my gripes is the wardrobe choices for Goku and Vegeta. They really should be wearing the main clothes from the Buu saga for continuity's sake, but they (understandably) went for their more iconic looks. It's not that egregious with Goku, but Vegeta wearing his Android Saga armor goes against how his clothing choices reflect his character development and his acceptance of Earth as his new home. Since the Saiyan saga, how much armor he wore would lessen as time went on, from losing the shoulder pads halfway through the Frieza saga to going without it completely by Buu.
The promise of the new Super Saiyan God form had fans excited and speculating how it would look, many expecting it to be like Super Saiyan 4 but with golden fur. What we got could be described as simplistic though it does end up being effective, but I'll get more into that with the next movie. In any case, the form leads to an exciting battle between Goku and Beerus that in true Dragon Ball fashion has a slow build up to a high-speed climax that would actually subvert expectations.
The excitement is elevated thanks to some music provided by Japanese rock band Flow. While this is more prominent with "Hero" near the end of Goku and Beerus battle, they also covered the original Dragon Ball Z opening theme "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" for the closing credits, which was just as good.
I feel I should mention that while the main Super series redid the movie, at the same time the Galactic Patrol sequel series was confirmed, that before that will be a miniseries with "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus" which will once again adapt "Battle of Gods". It will be apparently shorter than the Super version but still longer than the original movie. As I said in the opening, just watch the movie! It's infuriating that they're not only doing this story for the third time, but the production put into it could have gone to getting the Galactic Patrol arc faster as well as the rest of the yet to be adapted manga storylines.
Anyway, Dragon Ball had made its glorious return and the follow-up to "Battle of Gods" would bring back another familiar face...

RESURRECTION F

SYNOPSIS: After years in spiritual purgatory, Frieza has been resurrected and plans to take his revenge on the Z-Fighters of Earth. Facing off against Frieza's powerful new form and his army of a thousand soldiers, Goku and Vegeta must reach new levels of strength in order to protect Earth from their vengeful nemesis.
MY THOUGHTS: This may sound pedantic, but I always thought the full title of the film should have been "Resurrection of Frieza". "Resurrection F" sounds like the secret title before the big reveal. I could however see it as being a reference to the song "F" by Japanese heavy metal band Maximum the Hormone, which is about Frieza. The song would actually be used twice in this film. Along with an instrumental during his fight with Goku, the song is most prominent when Frieza's body, which had been sliced to bits by Future Trunks, is being regenerated by his followers. The tone of the song matches perfectly with the somewhat horrific imagery of a body being forced back together (though why his armor regenerated with him was probably an oversight). I could also see the title being their way of avoiding the name spelling discrepancy, as the character's name is spelled "Freeza" in Japan.
While the film does a good job at building up the threat of Frieza's return and how he's committed to getting stronger to shorten the gap between him and his enemies, the revival itself does create a plot hole though. The Earth's Dragon Balls can only bring back someone who's been dead for less than a year. By this point, Frieza had been dead for over a decade. This would actually be the beginning of Toriyama kind of playing fast and loose in Super with the rules he created before that, like the limitations of Shenron's power and the Hyberbolic Time Chamber. Well, it was his show, so who are we to argue?
One of the things that "Resurrection F" outshines "Battle of Gods" in is how it uses the other Z-Fighters. While they were all bodied by Beerus before, this film gives them some time to shine as they fight Frieza's thousand-man army. As I said before when talking about "Tree of Might", I always enjoyed the seeing Z-Fighters contribute to the plot and fighting more as a team before it usually comes down to Goku.
Goku and Vegeta gets some new outfits for the film. While they're not my favorites and Vegeta still wearing armor goes against the symbolism of his character progression, they're at least different. I just wish they kept them throughout Super instead of dropping them once again for their iconic outfits after the Universe 6 arc.
On the flipside is the lack of creativity in Frieza's new Golden form. While it's powerful, it can come across as deciding to go a different route in a Dragon Ball coloring book. The same criticism applies to the form of Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, the name later thankfully shortened to Super Saiyan Blue. As the name implies, the form is basically applying the Super Saiyan power-up to the Super Saiyan God form. In hindsight, it would have made more sense for the original to be called Saiyan God while Blue would be Super Saiyan God. In terms of design though, the actual Super Saiyan God design outshines Blue in my opinion. While a first glance at Goku as Super Saiyan God would just be that his base hair style is red, his physique also becomes leaner, and his eyes gain red pupils. In contrast, Super Saiyan Blue just feels like Super Saiyan with blue hair and eyes instead.
The ending of the film remains controversial to this day. After tagging in from Goku, Vegeta powers up to Blue and gives Frieza a beatdown decades in the making. However, Vegeta's choice to savor his victory gives Frieza time to shoot a blast straight down to the Earth's core and immediately trigger the planet's destruction. Thanks to Whis, Goku and the others present are the only Earthlings to survive. But Whis' limited ability to reverse time gives them a second chance, with Goku jumping in to deliver a Kamehameha that obliterates Frieza. Given that Vegeta was the Z-Fighter who had suffered the most under Frieza, not giving him the well-deserved win over Frieza is a frustrating story choice. The reason for it though ties in with Goku and Vegeta's training session with Whis earlier in the film (which I realized this time around planted the seeds for Ultra Instinct). Whis explains that Goku and Vegeta could overcome their personal flaws as fighters if they learned from and worked with each other in battle; their decisions during their fight with Frieza would have definitively lead to the end of the world if not for Whis. As the movie concludes though, no one seemed to learn anything as Goku and Vegeta reaffirm their preference to fight solo.
I used to have trouble deciding which was better between "Battle of Gods" and "Resurrection F" because they each do some things better than the other. I've come to realize though that "Battle of Gods" is the clear winner. But overall, "Resurrection F" is flawed but still a fun movie to watch. Just for the love of Beerus, don't do this a third time too.
The credits close out the film with another entertaining song choice in "Pledge of Z" by Japanese girl group Momoiro Clover Z. I always get a sense of hope while listening to it after the film and feel the need to close out this post with the song to try to evoke the same in others. But come back next month when I cover the films actually under the Dragon Ball Super name.

Retro Review: Spider-Man Unlimited

The success of "X-Men '97" has fans hoping to see more of the 90's Marvel animated universe outside the revived series, primarily for Spider-Man to get the same treatment. Besides my belief we will see the X-Men team up with other heroes for a big event at some point, I don't see Marvel producing another Spider-Man series with "Friendly Neighborhood" in for a long run. But they did seem to meet fans in the middle with a "Spider-Man '94" comic miniseries, following Peter as he and the real Mary Jane finally return home and introduces Morlun and Kaine. I found it to be okay as it put their own spin on the villains and made the retcon that Aunt May always knew Peter was Spider-Man, despite the original series not really supporting that claim. The art was a decent attempt at copying the original style, but the artist seemed to have trouble with faces, Peter looking like a malnourished chipmunk being the biggest distraction. Before this mini though, the 1994 series already a loose continuation.

While rights issues at the time prevented a traditional Spider-Man series and the pitch for a 2099 adaptation being turned down, they seemed to blend the two with "Spider-Man Unlimited", premiering in 1999 on Fox Kids a year after the previous series' conclusion. After witnessing Venom and Carnage infiltrate the spaceship piloted by John Jameson to Counter-Earth, Spider-Man soon follows with a new high-tech suit to bring the Colonel home. Spidey discovers Counter-Earth to be ruled by the High Evolutionary with his Bestial creations (anthropomorphized animal beings) living in a futuristic society with humans barely scraping by in the slums as Jameson becomes leader of the resistance. Stranded on an alien world and caught up in a revolution, Peter must get by while trying to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict as well as prevent Venom and Carnage's own plans for a symbiotic takeover of the planet.

The show's run on TV would be as troubled as its production. The first three episodes would air in October 1999 while the fourth wouldn't release until December 2000 where from there the rest of the thirteen episode season would have a sporadic release schedule eventually wrapping in March 2001. Unfortunately, the show would only last that one season and end on a cliffhanger at that. The place of "Spider-Man Unlimited" in the web-slinger's history is an infamous one and from what I can gather has a mixed fan response largely due to placing Spidey in a more overt sci-fi setting than had been seen before. I remember enjoying this show as a kid and watching the reruns on Disney's Jetix action block. Giving it another rewatch, I believe "Spider-Man Unlimited" may have been ahead of its time.

I found the animation to be well done while Rino Romano as Spider-Man leads a very entertaining voice cast. The supporting characters and villains are engaging thanks in part to other well-known voice actors like Jennifer Hale, Scott McNeil, and Brian Drummond.
The writing and content are a lot darker than I remembered. I already mentioned the difference in quality of life between humans and Bestials, and the systematic discrimination orchestrated by the High Evolutionary goes even further. Not only can humans be snatched off the street and experimented on (including children), but Bestials who don't meet their dear leader's standard of genetic perfection are disposed of. As a kid, you miss the historical inspiration for such evil. Nowadays there's fear we're watching it repeat itself.

Due to the aforementioned rights issues, I believe this is what lead to certain changes in characters' designs and powers.
The most well-known thing to come out of the series is the high-tech "Unlimited" suit. With help from Reed Richards in its development, the suit is made up of nano-bots that are contained in Peter's watch until he needs to suit up. Along with Spider-Stingers that can be shot from his wrists, the suit also includes a stealth mode and sonics as a countermeasure against symbiotes but has also been used to get out of other dangerous situations. The tattered web cape doesn't seem to have a function, so I'll assume it was a 2099 easter egg. On top of all that though, the suit just looks so cool. It would go on to be used in a comic story and be included as an alternate skin in the original Activision games (where Romano would also supply Spidey's voice). Though it seems once the Iron Spider suit was introduced in 2006, it became the go-to in terms of high-tech Spidey suits. The Unlimited suit would be all but lost to time if not for an apparent resurgence the last few years. The Unlimited version of Spidey would cameo in "Across the Spider-Verse" in 2023 and there would finally be a Marvel Legends action figure released last year. My fingers are crossed that it appears in Insomniac's next Spider-Man game (along with the Ben Reilly Sensational suit).
The biggest change to Venom and Carnage is that they can move as fluidly as their own symbiotes, the logical explanation being that the bond between alien and host has reached down to the cellular level after so much time has passed. Their main designs also are a little more exaggerated. While I think we're all used to a hulking Venom at this point, Carnage is downright skeletal, which is creepy and very fitting for his character.
Along with his symbiotic foes and the High Evolutionary's forces (the most memorable to me being Sir Ram and Lady Vermin), Spider-Man does encounter some Counter-Earth versions of his rogue's gallery. This includes Kraven, Electro, Vulture, and Green Goblin, the latter two actually more heroic in nature. And I believe the Goblin having wings in lieu of a glider is another 2099 reference much like the web cape.

So how can "Spider-Man Unlimited" be seen as a continuation of the 1994 series? Besides a sting of that series' theme playing during Peter's suit up in the first episode, the main argument comes from my favorite episode of the series, "One is the Loneliest Number". In said episode, Eddie Brock is forcefully separated from the Venom symbiote and will die without it unless Spidey can reunite the two. Peter would recount his history with the symbiotes and despite some inconsistencies, the main points match up with the previous series. In terms of what makes it my favorite, a lot of it has to do with seeing Peter bond with the symbiote again to keep it alive until he can get it back to Eddie, along with seeing that Eddie does have a good-natured side to him when the symbiote isn't exploiting his negative emotions.

Whatever failings "Spider-Man Unlimited" faced, I believe it has more to do with what happened behind the scenes and doesn't totally fall on the final product. Had the show been given more time and trust by the network, I think it would have won more people over as it reached its proper conclusion. Maybe it could have fared better if it came out within the last decade or so as superheroes became more popular with mainstream audiences, including the more far-out ideas. For how things did turn out, "Unlimited" has its place in Spidey's history for better or worse. I believe there's value to it, and while it may not be for everyone, a chance is all it deserves.

TV Review: Wonder Man: Ultimate Cinema

 

Of all the areas explored throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hollywood is uncharted territory. How does the entertainment industry fare in a world full of superpowered beings? Given his time as a movie star in the comics, the character of Simon Williams, also known as Wonder Man, is the best focal point to answer that question. In the context of this Disney+ series, Simon (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is vying for the lead role in a remake of his favorite childhood superhero film, "Wonder Man". His journey to stardom results in another unique tale within the MCU.

It should be stated from the get-go that "Wonder Man" is not a superhero show. It's a story about a struggling actor who just happens to have superpowers. There's even a slow buildup in showcasing what those powers are. But they don't define Simon or move him to use them for good or evil. All he wants to do is follow his passion of acting, though that passion often results in ostracization. He lacks full support from his family, and his process makes him hard to work with. Things change though when he meets a familiar face from the MCU, Trevor Slattery, once again played by Ben Kingsley. Compared to his appearances in "Iron Man 3" and "Shang-Chi", we get to see Trevor in his element as an actor. The relationship between Simon and Trevor is the best part of the show. Their bond over the craft creates a mentor/mentee dynamic with Trevor helping Simon get out of his head and reach his full potential.

While there's no big villain to overcome and Simon's main conflict is internal (he only gets in one physical fight the whole season), there is an outside antagonizing force that could derail his life. Damage Control is secretly investigating Simon due to his powers, though their reasoning doesn't appear altruistic. Things seem to have escalated since "Ms. Marvel" and their focus on enhanced people has less to do with public safety and more about justifying a new prison they've built. Not only does this evoke the "profits over people" societal issue that is very relevant today but also strengthens my previous theory that Damage Control will play a role once the X-Men are rebooted within the sacred timeline.

"Wonder Man" seems to be a one-and-done series but they leave it open to a second season with a very meta tease. I do hope we see more of Simon in the future because there's a lot more to explore with the character, particularly the origin of his powers. Another season could follow Simon as he deals with his new celebrity and having a harder time hiding his powers from the public, possibly leaning into traditional superhero territory. For a non-traditional superhero story though, "Wonder Man" captures the blood, sweat, and tears that go into climbing to the top in show business. And much like the old saying about show business, the success here could lead to more later.