TV Review: Jessica Jones - A Down and Dirty Redemption Story

I'm going to start by saying that before this series, I knew next to nothing about Jessica Jones. When I started reading comics, I knew Jessica as Luke Cage's wife, the mother of his child, a member of the New Avengers, and that she had a crush on Peter Parker when they were in high school. I didn't really have much interest in her backstory either. It's part of the reason that out of the announced Marvel Netflix series, Jessica Jones was my least anticipated. The trailers got me really pumped though. It really showed that Marvel was really amping things up after Daredevil by throwing in characters with actual superpowers in a grounded setting like New York. After six days of watching all thirteen episodes, I believe Marvel has done with Jessica Jones what a lot of people didn't think was possible: it topped Daredevil.

I should start be mentioning that while this is a show about someone with superpowers, this is NOT a superhero show. Jessica may have powers and intentions to help people, but she is a severely damaged person and a heavy drinker. But if you had your life controlled by a sociopath obsessed with you, you probably wouldn't fair much better. Krysten Ritter delivers an amazing performance as such a character that while sometimes coming off like a bitch, has true compassion for others despite her past.
Jones isn't the only superpowered non-superhero in the show however, as Luke Cage is also a part of the series as Jones' potential love interest. A lot of people wanted someone like Terry Crews to play Cage, but in my opinion, Mike Colter totally embodied the character, another example at how well Marvel does with their casting.
Another prominent character is Trish "Patsy" Walker, Jessica's foster sister, who in the comics (and possibly in the future of this series) is the superhero Hellcat. A former child star with a showbiz mother who controlled every aspect of her daughter's life, Trish was able to break free and hosts a radio show. Out of everyone, Trish is the person Jessica trusts most. And I think that when it comes to an abusive controlling relationship, Trish can understand Jessica more than anyone. Much like her relationship with Luke, Jess's friendship with Trish is a driving force of the series and is just as prominent as Matt and Foggy's in Daredevil.

Malcolm Ducasse, an original character created for the show, is probably one of the best aspects of the series. For one reason, he is acted amazingly by Eka Darville, who some may remember as Scott Truman, the Red Ranger from Power Rangers RPM (brief sidenote: this is the second former Power Ranger actor to be in a Marvel series, the first being Nikolai Nikolaeff from Power Rangers Jungle Fury in Daredevil; makes me wonder who will be the next former ranger Marvel will cast). Back on topic, what also makes Malcolm a great character is the best embodiment of the show's theme of redemption. While Malcolm has his life greatly disrupted like Jessica's, he wants to use the experience to try and better himself and others that have been affected. Even while others begin to give up hope, Malcolm still tries to help the best he can. Without spoiling much, it makes me look forward to his position in the next season as Jessica's assistant.

To round out my thoughts of the "good" characters of the show (there are others but don't have much to say about them), I feel I need to talk about Robyn and Ruben, twins who live together in the same apartment building as Jessica and Malcolm. Ruben is kind of an awkward guy who has trouble standing up to his sister and has a crush on Jessica, especially when he stands up to Robyn for him. While not an important character, he's still likable. Robyn on the other hand is just a crazy psycho controlling bitch. Trust me, that description is sugarcoating it. I'm guessing the intent was to make her so unlikable, but I was hoping for some kind of glimmer of humanity in her by the end of the series. There are moments where we're supposed to feel sympathy for her (that I won't spoil why because it's kind of major), but even when they try, she does something that's reminds us that she's a bitch.

While not technically a villain on the show, we are also introduced to Will Simpson, who in the comics is the supervillain Nuke, a product in an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier serum. A seemingly nice character at first, as well as Trish's love interest, but when he gets the red, white, and blue pills, he starts to get bat-shit crazy. It's entertaining as hell, and we are left wondering where he'll show up next in the MCU.

Now the coup de grace of the character analysis, Kilgrave, the mind-controlling supervillain, played by the always brilliant David Tennant. This year, I began watching Doctor Who and became a big fan of the Tenth Doctor and Tennant altogether. As Kilgrave, Tennant once again brings enough charm to bring such an entertaining villain. As the Doctor, I'm used to seeing Tennant in a heroic role. As a villain, to put it lightly, Tennant is fucking scary! With his ability to control minds, you never know when he's using somebody or even what they might do (particularly when it's self-mutilation and trust me there's a lot of that). Compared to other villains of the MCU, Kilgrave is definitely the scariest one to date, not because of his powers but because of his motives. He doesn't have a quest for power (like Loki and Red Skull) or some perverted sense of making the world better (like Ultron and Kingpin). He's a complete sociopath who is obsessed with Jessica, taking control of anyone he likes to do whatever he wants with tasks ranging from mundane to lethal. He's the kind of villain that makes you think that they'll never be able to defeat. He doesn't even see himself doing anything wrong because he's not the one doing the deed or claims that he's makes people do things because he doesn't know what the want (an excuse he uses for his rapes of Jessica and Hope). He wants sympathy because of what his parents did to him and didn't do for him, but it's really hard to feel any for him, though it's most likely an excuse for him to do what he wants. But overall, Tennant's Kilgrave is a gem of the show and he'll stand alongside Loki, Ultron, and Kingpin as the best villains of the MCU.

As for the action of the show, it does feel very similar to Daredevil in that it's very down and dirty, but there are moments where I feel it shouldn't be. Considering Jessica, and Luke for that matter, are super strong, I can't help but think that they should be able to knock somebody out with one punch, which would really help when it comes to mind-controlled slaves. It's not something that really hurts the show, but just something that was in the back of my mind.
As I mentioned before, Jessica Jones really amps things up from Daredevil. Specifically, I mentioned before in my Daredevil review at how there were moments in each episode that made me go "OH! I can't believe they just did that!" that earned the show its TV-MA rating. Jessica Jones definitely has those moments and at a greater volume. Because of a villain like Kilgrave with mind-control powers, you never know just how far he'll make someone go. There's also Simpson's moments of psychosis that had me scared of what he'll do next if someone pisses him off.
I don't necessarily mind Marvel going this dark because with Netflix, they can use this as an outlet to tell stories that wouldn't work for the movies as well as expand the MCU further. I just hope that they're not going so far for shock value. Though maybe I'm just surprised at how far this particular show went. I mean, with Daredevil, you'd expect a lot of grittiness. But since I never had much investment in Jessica Jones in the comics or thought of Kilgrave being such a major villain, I might just not have been expecting what we got. I guess I'll have to see what Daredevil Season Two does next year to see if I actually had an argument.

To wrap things up, this show gives me some new respect for the character in the comics and how much she went through to get to where she is. I can only hope that her MCU version can find real happiness in her future. I have no doubt she'll show up in Luke Cage's Netflix series next year and it'll be nice for their romance to grow some more.
Overall, with great characters, a terrifying villain, and many shocking twists and turns, Jessica Jones offers something new for both the MCU and fans of superhero shows, especially for those wanting something a little less super-heroic (if that makes sense). Just be prepared to see David Tennant like you never have before.

RATING: 10/10

TV Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy" Animated Series Premiere - A Movie Cash-In Done Right

I don't think I would face much disagreement when I say Marvel hasn't had a great animated series since "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" and that since "Ultimate Spider-Man", their animation department has gone down in quality. While "Ultimate Spider-Man" has gotten better over time, that series and "Avengers Assemble" are mediocre with a few high points compared to their predecessors. I didn't even bother with "Hulk and the Agents of SMASH" because 1. it's boring to have a team of heroes who have the same power set, and 2. the "Real World" aspect of the Hulks living together and filming confessionals just shouldn't be an aspect of a superhero show.
With Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" film being the surprise hit of 2014, an animated spin-off was fast tracked. Compared to the other recent Marvel animated shows though, I was actually excited for a Guardians cartoon because it would be the first of its kind and not have anything to compare to. Now that the series has begun, I can safely say that Marvel has knocked it out of the park this time around.

I don't really want to say much about the plot of the premiere, other than that it's good set-up for the basis of the season and that it involves characters from multiple sides (Guardians, Ravagers, and Thanos at this point) in pursuit of a powerful artifact (and no, it's not another Infinity Stone).
In my opinion, the best thing the show has going for it is the characters. Between the action and the dialogue, I wouldn't find it hard to see Chris Pratt and company actually acting this show out in real life, as it definitely feels like a continuation of the movie, which is saying something compared to what Marvel's tried to do with "Avengers Assemble". On that show, the characters are really two-dimensional and really immature (especially Hawkeye) and fight over things like cookies and video game controllers, which makes it hard to see the movie versions of the characters being the same on the show. The only ones who seem to stay faithful to their characters are Captain America and Black Widow, but that's not saying much. My point is, the heroes we see on "Avengers Assemble" aren't as ideal or well-rounded as they are in the movies. "Guardians of the Galaxy" doesn't have that problem though. They can get away with not acting like ideal heroes because they're not. As Quill said in the movie, they're "something good, something bad, a bit of both". There's more depth to them as well, acting like strong characters while still dealing with issues from their past. Quill has a carefree personality but still feels pain from losing his mother and anger at Yondu for abducting him. Gamora is trying to redeem herself from her past actions working under Thanos. Drax is still the strong silent type but we see his softer side a few times when he pulls out a holographic image of his late wife and daughter. Rocket's still a wiseass and trigger happy but his soft side shows as well when he has to replant a damaged Groot in a pot of soil for him to grow (again). And of course Groot is...Groot. Their personalities which made them so memorable in the film are retained for this series.

Another aspect that carries over from the film to the series is the use of classic music. I thought that since animated series don't really include actual songs like live action movies do, that an "Awesome Mix" wouldn't be part of the show, but apparently the producers worked hard to get rights to some songs to use. It's also exciting that they're compiling the songs they're using on a "Cosmic Mix" soundtrack, which will be released in a few weeks. I'll be getting it, and I'm sure other Guardians fans will as well.

If there's one blemish on the kick-off of the series though, it's actually Thanos. We all know that in the MCU, he's being built up for the "Infinity War" 2-parter that will most likely bring both the Avengers and the Guardians together. It should be worth mentioning that while the Guardians animated series acts as a continuation of the film, it is NOT part of the MCU canon. Despite that, I think it was a bad idea for Thanos to actually battle the team in the final act (more specifically Drax, who apparently didn't learn his lesson about jumping into battle without a plan from his fight with Ronan). Thanos has also been used recently this past season on "Avengers Assemble" and I'm sorry to say that I don't like how he's being portrayed in these animated series. In my opinion, he just seems like this overpowered brute, and his voice actor doesn't help. I know it's been stated that Thanos is the main villain of the series, but I'm really hoping they save him for the first season finale. Thanos is a villain that can't be just used willy-nilly. He needs to have build-up, working from behind the scenes until he's ready to put his endgame into action.

As much as I enjoyed the Guardians' series premiere, I can't help but wonder if this is a sign of better things to come in other areas. Part of me thinks it's clear that Marvel does listen to its fans. By Ultimate Spider-Man's third season, the cutaway gags and fourth wall breaking that plagued the first two seasons had been drastically cut down to where they don't make the show unbearable to watch. At this point I can only hope that with Ultimate Spider-Man's fourth season and Avengers Assemble's third, the quality is going to be kicked up a notch compared to Guardians. It may also be a plus that it seems like Ultimate Spider-Man Season 4 may be more Spidey-focused with rumored appearances by Kaine and Gwen Stacy. I'm getting off point though.

Taking the two-part premiere as an indication, if you're a fan of the film, I have little doubt you can experience that same enjoyment with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" animated series from the start and what they have in store as it continues. You could say you'll be...hooked on a feeling (come on, you know I had to throw that line in somewhere).

SCORE: 9/10

Movie Review: "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" - A Unique Take on Classic Characters

For a time, DC Comics published a line of graphic novels under the brand "Elseworlds". The goal of this line was for writers to take existing DC characters and present a new take on them, sometimes placing them in a different time period, having some heroes take on a different identity than we're used to, and many more types of scenarios. Prominent examples include "Superman: Red Son", where Kal-El's ship lands in Soviet Russia, and "Batman: In Darkest Night", in which Bruce Wayne is chosen to be a Green Lantern rather than Hal Jordan. Outside the comics though, an Elseworlds type of story had never been the focus of a TV series or film, as those focus on adapting the mainstream version of DC heroes. This is what makes the latest DC Universe animated film, "Justice League: Gods and Monsters" a pivotal project in the superhero genre. Honestly, after watching the sneak peek of film included on the "Batman vs. Robin" DVD, I wasn't sure this would be something I'd be interested in since it was vastly different from the Justice League I'm used to. But then DC released three six minute animated shorts that told solo stories of the new versions of the trinity, and I was sold. The Batman vs. Harley Quinn short was disturbing, the Superman vs. Brainiac short was heartbreaking, and the Wonder Woman vs. Giganta short got me liking this version better than Diana. It probably goes without saying that my interest for the actual movie had finally been piqued.

When I say that these are different versions of these characters, that should be taken literally. Similar to how characters like Green Lantern and Flash were revamped and given new identities in the Silver Age, this is what's happened to the Trinity. This isn't Clark, Bruce, or Diana. This Superman is the son of Zod who was raised by Mexican immigrants. This Batman is Kirk Langstrom, who after trying to use a bat serum to cure his lymphoma, is turned into a vampire and decides that his blood lust will only be satisfied by feeding on criminals. This Wonder Woman is Bekka, a warrior from the planet of New Genesis. Obviously these heroes are much darker takes than what we're used to, which becomes rather obvious from their lethal tactics. While the first two heroes' origins are slightly altered versions of Superman and Man-Bat, the most interesting origin of the three comes from Bekka/Wonder Woman. Engaged to Orion of Apokolips in an attempt at peace between the two worlds, her story brings a pretty big twist to what one would be used to when the New Gods are involved. If I had to give it one drawback though is that Lex Luthor doesn't have some presence in her story compared to Superman's or Batman's.

Of course the DC trinity aren't the only established characters that are altered from their mainstream versions. Several prominent DC characters, both hero and villain, make appearances but are mostly only civilians. While I and other fans well versed in the DC universe may be able to pick up on who these characters are, I worry that some viewers may not do as well, but not to the point where they can't enjoy the film on its own or be confused. I would give examples of how some of these characters are different, but part of me wants me to keep it a surprise to those reading this review. Since there is a big mystery aspect in the film's story, I don't want to say too much or I might give away who the main villain is. I'll just say that I had two guesses that didn't pan out and I didn't get it until the big reveal, and it's after that reveal that makes it plainly obvious afterwards, and I applaud the film makers for bringing a dark revamp to what are otherwise, in my opinion, silly characters...and that's all you're getting before I give away too much else.

One of the biggest aspects that may draw DC fans into this film is the return of Bruce Timm, the character designer from the "Batman: The Animated Series", "Justice League", and the rest of the DC Animated Universe from the 90's and 00's. It should certainly bring a nostalgia feel to some viewers. But I will bring up the fact that these animated movies are more graphic compared to the old shows, and seeing things like people getting brutally stabbed or burned alive done in Timm's style can be some real blows to the childhood. At the same time though, it is kind of cool to see Timm not hold back as much when it comes to the violence, and it's nice to see him back working on DC characters, even if they're not the versions we're used to.

I think a good comparison to this story would be "Watchmen". You have these heroes, but they're obviously damaged and shouldn't be considered role models. The people and government even question whether or not that heroes with such power can be trusted, and it doesn't help when said heroes do ponder the idea of taking full control of the world. There's a moral gray area for not just the heroes, but for the main villain as well. They both want to change the world for the greater good, but their actions are very questionable and while you can even see things from their point of view, you're still left wondering if they're in the right.

I can't really say much about the voice cast this time around, but the one that really stood out to me was Michael C. Hall as Kirk Langstrom/Batman. His voice is just so dark and broody. It's fitting and what you'd expect from Batman. I could even see Hall doing Bruce Wayne's voice as well.

While I wouldn't recommend this film to those just starting to get into the DC universe, I believe fans who are more knowledgeable will appreciate this darker version. I applaud the film makers for taking a risk and giving fans something different than the usual versions of the characters seen hundreds of times before, and I believe they've succeeded in that attempt. I believe there's still more to explore in this world, like heroes not seen that could be given the same treatment. If a sequel were to be made (most likely to be out in 2017 at the earliest), I would gladly take another look into this world of gods and monsters.

RATING: 9/10 

Movie Review: Ant-Man - small hero, BIG IMPACT

When Marvel Studios launched in 2006, one of the films first announced to come from the studio along with "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" was "Ant-Man". Due to years of development hell though led to the film being closing out Phase Two of Marvel's now highly successful cinematic universe. Some may say that Marvel only made the film because they said they would and believed it would be Marvel's first major failure. If you still doubt Marvel at this point, then you really haven't learned anything in the past seven years. While lacking a huge scale compared to past Marvel films, "Ant-Man" brings a variety of fresh and new ideas not seen before that makes it, in my opinion, one of their best yet.

To start off, I won't lie when I say that while I was watching it, I couldn't help but notice a lot of parallels between past Marvel films and this one. I mean, the whole "protagonist trying to stop a former trusted ally from selling/using their technology/science eventually leading to a battle between two similarly powered beings" thing? Sounds a lot like "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" right? Even if you notice the similarities though, I would hope that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the film on its own. It didn't affect me that much. If there are two things this film succeeds in most, it's character interaction and comedy. To start with the former, this film brings something that has never been the focus of a superhero film before: a father-daughter dynamic. It's this dynamic that brings parallels between the two main protagonists of the film, Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd, and Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas. Both actors do a great job in their roles as a whole, but it's as father figures that creates common between these two vastly different characters. With Hank, while he feels his daughter Hope, played by Evangeline Lily, is more than capable of taking care of herself, he doesn't want to put her in harm's way since she's all he has left, although that over-protection causes tension between the two. In Scott's case, he's an ex-con trying to go down the straight and narrow so he can be a role model to his seven year old daughter, Cassie, who already thinks the world of her father. Between the two father-daughter pairs, I enjoyed Scott and Cassie's interaction more. Not to take away from Hank and Hope, but the relationship between Scott and Cassie felt really natural. I think what really stands out to me in their interaction is that the kid who plays Cassie is actually really good. Usually kid actors aren't that good or believable, but I can tell this girl has a future ahead of her. Between her and Ty Simpkins as Harley in "Iron Man 3", Marvel's apparently doing a good job at finding kid actors. Given Cassie's status as a superhero when she's older in the comics, I wouldn't be surprised if these kid actors are being prepped for a Young Avengers/Avengers Academy team in the future, but that's a topic for another time.

Comedy is also a big part of this film. Given the premise of a hero that can shrink, many people may see that as kind of ridiculous, so why not have some fun with that? It worked for Marvel before with "Guardians of the Galaxy", and that included a talking tree and raccoon. There's a lot of laugh worthy moments in this film, but it doesn't take away from the seriousness of some situations. The comedy really shines during Scott's training sequence of learning how to shrink on cue, to control ants to help do his bidding, and hand-to-hand combat with Hope. While a training montage is nothing new, it's still done in a fresh way compared to something like Tony first building his Mark II suit and going on a test flight. A lot of the comedy though comes from Scott's heist crew, who are the last group of people you'd think would be competent, but actually are. That aspect is similar to "Guardians", though the superheroics are only left to one person. There are two other outstandinly hilarious moments that happen in the film that I won't spoil here, but I guarantee you they are the two most random moments you will ever see yet in a Marvel movie, the second one even more random than the first.

Of course the biggest aspect that "Ant-Man" brings different to not just the MCU but the superhero film genre as a whole is the hero's ability to shrink. This opens up a wide variety and use of special effects. While there's the obvious idea or exploring a normal area on a larger scale, like standing in a bathtub and ending up getting washed down the drain, there are a couple of scenes with the hero very small that are actually very creative. Without spoiling part of the film's climax, it does get kind of trippy. It's the shrinking aspect of the film that makes it highly recommendable to see in 3D.

After "Age of Ultron", I think Marvel's made a good call at coming out with "Ant-Man", a film more personal and small in scale (I know people are probably getting tired of that pun) as a follow-up. It gives audiences a breath of fresh air before the next film takes on a grander scale, especially considering that next MCU film is "Civil War" and will feature around a dozen heroes (including the return of Ant-Man). Will "Ant-Man" be Marvel's most successful film? Obviously not, but it's also obvious that it will not be a failure in any way. I can't say for sure that a sequel will be lined up for Phase Four, but it still gives audiences a new kind of superhero film, and when you have a whole universe of heroes to pick from, variety is definitely needed and is what will keep bringing Marvel success.

RATING: 8.5/10

My Marvel Cinematic Universe Film Rankings:
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. The Avengers
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Ant-Man
6. Iron Man 3
7. Thor
8. Captain America: The First Avenger
9. Iron Man
10. The Incredible Hulk
11. Iron Man 2
12. Thor: The Dark World

TV Review: Daredevil - The Realest Superhero Show You'll Ever See

It was a moment of triumph for fans when the rights to Daredevil had reverted back to Marvel after Fox had failed to move forward with plans for a film reboot. However, in lieu of a movie, Marvel would bring Daredevil to their cinematic universe through the first wave of live action series streamed on Netflix. The only live action adaptation of the character was the ill-received Ben Affleck starring film in 2003. Personally, I didn't think the film was THAT bad, but when the first trailer was released for the Netflix series, I was blown away. Not only was it darker than the film, but was the darkest thing Marvel Studios has ever developed. Now that I've finally gotten around to watching the whole first season (I know I'm late on this; I'm a busy guy), it is safe to say that the show puts the movie to more shame than it already had before.

By the first episode of the series, it gives you the sense of what to expect the rest of the season. In fact, and I hope I'm not alone in this, I was finding it hard to believe that this show was even part of the same universe as Captain America, Iron Man, and the rest of the Avengers. While those heroes, and by extension SHIELD, work on a much grander scale, Daredevil puts the MCU under a microscope by featuring the gritty neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in New York City and the corruption of its public officials. While in the Marvel films, you know things will be fine by the end, but while watching Daredevil, there's a constant sense of dread and the hope for a happy ending seems very far away. Not only that, but being on Netflix gives the show more freedom than the movies in how far they can go with the violence, and believe me, that violence earns the show its TV-MA rating. In every episode, there are at least a couple moments that made me go "OH! I can't believe they just did that!" and even partially covered my eyes.

The action of the show is also the most grounded I've seen from anything superhero related, but I'll focus on comparing it to other Marvel properties. Daredevil isn't as super strong as Captain America or had extensive training like Black Widow, so he can't just take them out with one move. He has to keep pounding on them until they can't get back up. And the damage he receives is just as bad. Considering he doesn't wear body armor for most of the series, there were some moments where I couldn't believe he survived through.

But the action and violence are only part of what makes the show so unique. Unlike the 2003 film, the characters of the series actually have that: character. Everyone involved delivers an astounding performance that make you care for them, especially when something bad happens, even for the minor characters. And while Charlie Cox succeeds in making us all forget about Ben Affleck, I'm afraid he's outshined by Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk.
To start with Foggy, I'll admit I was a little taken back by how young he looked. Given he, Matt, and Karen are all pretty young, Foggy definitely has more of babyface. That aside, it's him who brings out the heart of not only his group of friends, but of the whole series. Between his blossoming romance with Karen and flashback scenes with Matt in one episode, you can't help but love the guy. Not only that, but this Foggy is definitely shown to be a more competent lawyer than the Jon Favreau version in 2003.
As for Fisk, it goes without saying that he is definitely the most human villain of the MCU. While he's usually depicted as a majorly evil crime boss like in the 90's Spider-Man animated series or the 2003 film, this is actually the first time the character has invoked some emotion from me. I was even moved to tears during a flashback scene in one episode. With this version of Fisk, we can actually understand what motivates him to do what he does, which makes him a great foil for Daredevil. They're both on a mission to help their city, but their methods differ. D'Onofrio's portrayal of Fisk really shines through with his relationship with Vanessa, played by Ayelet Zurer. You see how much she's made him a better person compared to when he's first introduced and you actually find yourself hoping for the best for them, despite also wanting him to pay for the bad things he does.

I'm a little disappointed that the traditional suit only appeared in the season finale, I do understand that it made a great reveal for the final battle with Fisk. And while some think it looks silly, when it's in motion, he looks totally badass. I did like the vigilante suit that was worn for the whole series, but I'm glad he does now look like a superhero, and it helps get him his name (similar to how it was done in the first Iron Man movie).

The series has been renewed for a second season, and rightly deserved I might add, but like other Marvel characters, they aren't bound to their own series. While there hasn't been anything official, the possibility of Daredevil appearing in next year's "Captain America: Civil War" is strong. But the real question is, should he? In my opinion, it depends. I feel that if Marvel's able to, Daredevil needs to get a second season under his belt before interacting with the big boys. It'll help establish him more as the hero of Hell's Kitchen. Not only that, but while the first season did a great job of establishing its own identity, I believe the second season needs to make it feel more that the show is indeed part of the bigger cinematic universe. To help with that, there are a few characters I think should really appear in season two.

• The Owl (SPOILERS AHEAD): While the older Leland Owlsley was killed by Fisk in the season finale, there mentions that he had a son a number of times in the series. This leads me to believe that Owlsley's son will be making his way to New York in season two, possibly as the main villain filling the hole left by Fisk, officially taking the name "The Owl".
• Bullseye: It would only make sense for the Owl to bring some muscle with him to New York, and a proper interpreation of Bullseye would be a real treat.
• Elektra: She was already referenced in the series, which means she exists. Let's see her Marvel, and make her a real badass assassin.
• The Punisher: A lot of fans were hoping that the gun-toting vigilante would appear in the show's first season. An appearance in the second season would be nice contrast between him and Daredevil, and considering we now know how far these Netflix series can go, and there's the potential of him getting his own series in the future.
• Spider-Man: Okay, I'll admit, this is an extremely long shot, but hear me out. Now this is really dependent on if season two can be made before "Civil War", but if it does, it could really help the introduction of the new Spider-Man. And while the show's budget constraints probably won't give us a high flying Spidey, they could have it to where Peter hasn't developed his web shooters yet. But honestly, ever since the team-up episodes in the 90's animated series, I've loved watching Spidey and Daredevil work together. And while Punisher and Daredevil are opposites in their own way, there's quite a contrast with Spider-Man as well. We have the hardened now established adult vigilante in Matt Murdock who has a dark outlook on life, while we meet this kid who can't fight but still has a unique set of skill and is able to look on the bright side of things. But what they have in common is that they both feel responsible for the loss of their father figure and only want to do their best to help people.

My future hopes aside, with the first season of Daredevil, Marvel Studios not only proves once again that they can do no wrong with their characters, but shows that they're willing to get down and dirty when they have the right material and outlet. If you're a fan of Marvel, gritty vigilantes, and high stakes crime dramas with deep characters in a deep storyline, Daredevil is the total package. Honestly, EVERYONE needs to watch this series. What are you still reading this review for? Go! Now! Watch it! WATCH IT!

RATING: 10/10

Batman Post-"Endgame": I Feel Like We've Been Here Before (MAJOR SPOILERS)

This week saw the finale to "Endgame", the latest storyline of Scott Snyder's acclaimed run on "Batman". Following his defeat in "Death of the Family", the Joker returned to Gotham and unleashed the deadliest and seemingly incurable version of his Joker Toxin yet called the Endgame Virus, hell bent on destroying everything Batman loves and protects. In the climax of the story, Batman is able to find the source of a cure in a pool of liquid similar to a Lazarus Pit down in previously unknown deeper cavern of the Batcave. This leads to a very bloody and brutal battle between Batman and Joker as an explosion rigged by Joker causes the cave to collapse. While Batman makes sure the liquid gets topside to Julia Pennyworth for a cure to by synthesized, he makes sure that Joker can't retrieve it, and the two are left deep down in the collapsing cave, seemingly dying from their injuries or being crushed by the rubble coming down on them. So in the aftermath of the Endgame Virus outbreak, Gotham is healing as well as mourning over the apparent loss of their Dark Knight.

Let me go through the gist of this: Bruce Wayne apparently dies, Gotham is left without a Batman, and someone new has to take on the role...Am I the only who feels like we've jumped back to 2009?

2009 saw the apparent death of Bruce Wayne at Darkseid's hand in "Final Crisis" and after a few months of build-up, Dick Grayson took up the mantle, with Damian Wayne serving as his Robin.

Cut to seven years later, Bruce apparently dies stopping the Joker and as revealed in the Divergence Free Comic Book Day issue released by DC, Jim Gordon (who got a shave and a haircut (two bits!(sorry, couldn't resist))) is hired by Powers Industries to patrol Gotham in an armored apparently police sanctioned Batman suit.

Okay, there's a lot of difference in the details, but when you get down to it, we're getting a rehash of an outline that was last used under a decade ago (yes, Dick was Batman before in the mid-90's, but there was still a good gap between the two times).
A lot of you know me as more of an optimist when it comes to comics related stuff, hoping that it turns out for the best and entertaining. I have to say though that when I read the finale to "Endgame", it left me with a bitter sweet feeling. On one hand, if this was indeed the last hurrah between Batman and Joker, with both dying beside each other, this would be a fantastic ending their decades old rivalry. However, 1. These are comics, 2. These are continuing stories, 3. No one ever stays dead, and 4. I'm not an idiot. Bruce's "death" in 2009 was a big moment for batfans because this was the first time his character had been apparently killed off like Clark, Barry, Hal and so many other heroes before him. Now we're getting it again so soon, and it just doesn't seem to be getting people as talking as before.

The big difference this time around is that it's Jim Gordon wearing the suit. That's a big "Say what?!" moment. I mean, it's different, but it could be interesting. Scott Snyder hasn't really let me down yet. I even applaud him for bringing in Powers Industries from the Batman Beyond canon. It kind of fits to use given the Beyond prototype suit shown in a previous story along with the concept being official canon to the New 52 future timeline.
I do have to wonder though, story wise, why Gordon? If everyone thinks Bruce is dead (again), why not have Dick take over again? True, it's been done before, but Dick's time as Batman and his partnership with Damian as Robin was really popular. Plus in last year's "Robin Rises" story, Bruce was going on a life and death mission to retrieve Damian's stolen body on Apokolips, and told Dick that should he not come back, that he would need to take on the cape and cowl again, apparently abandoning his undercover mission as an agent of Spyral. If Bruce had such a plan in place before, why not now? Then again, I'm assuming a lot, given we haven't gotten much exploration of Gotham post-Endgame or any other character's reaction to Batman's apparent death.

At this point, I'm going in with cautious optimism for Scott Snyder and his Jim Gordon Batman. But of course, I and lot of other fans will just be waiting for Bruce to come back.

Movie Review: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" - Assemble the Awesomeness! (SPOILERS)

In 2012, Marvel solidified its cinematic universe after four years of build up with the record breaking and world dominating superhero crossover film "The Avengers". It's three years later and after a few years of building up to it, the heroes assemble again, leaving many to wonder if lightning can strike twice. For some, it may not, but to me and a good majority, it certainly has.

There's going to be a lot of comparison between the first film and its sequel, so I'll get that out of the way, starting with the action. I found it just as exciting as the first one, especially when you have all the characters on one screen together. If there's one thing I would have liked more of though, it would have been more combo moves between the team members. Cap and Thor do this quite a bit in the film, along with one between Cap and Widow and another with Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, but other than that, not much. I wouldn't have even minded if they reused the Cap/Iron Man combo used from the first one; you know, the one they copied from the Ultimate Alliance 2 game?

While action's the main draw, let's not forget that the heart lies with its characters. Like the first film, all of the characters make their presence felt and have purpose to be there (though I do wish Falcon was part of the final battle with Rhodey). And as for the interaction, I found it a lot deeper this time around. The most prominent of the film is between Bruce Banner/Hulk and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, or as I've given them the couple ship name, "Brutasha". We learn a lot more about Widow's backstory, and it's actually quite heartbreaking, and it really shows how similar her and Bruce are. They could both be considered monsters seeking redemption.
I do however wish that we could have seen what Scarlet Witch did to cause Bruce to Hulk out and go on a rampage. Everyone else had a nightmare vision shown, why not Hulk? Personally, I think it might be due to the recent revelation that Hulk's solo film rights are still with Universal Studios, possibly preventing the use of Hulk related characters like Betty Ross. It does seem that compared to the other Marvel films, "Incredible Hulk" is the least referenced to in later films. I do remain hopeful though that like Sony with Spider-Man, Marvel can make a deal with Universal to make a new Hulk solo film for Phase Four.
With a lot of characters, once you've seen them so much, you pretty much know you're guaranteed great performances from them. Evans, RDJ, Hemsworth, etc. They've all proven how much they embody the characters they play. However, there's one Avenger who many feel that despite some badass moments, kind of got the short straw in the first film: Clint Barton/Hawkeye. He definitely gets a bigger spotlight in the new film with a backstory that I feel that not only more than makes up for his smaller screentime in the first film, but also makes this interpretation of Hawkeye to be my favorite. He also gets points for being married to Linda Cardelinni. Lastly, there's one line he gives during the climax about how ridiculous it is that he's fighting an army of robots on a floating city and all he has is a bow and arrow. He pretty much channels those who feel he's a useless part of the Avengers, but he still does what he can to help people, even if he's outmatched by the threat.

This brings us to the new characters of the film, starting with Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, better known as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch (though not stated as such in the film). They start out as adversaries to the Avengers, working for HYDRA and later Ultron, but the truth is that they're not really evil. Through a backstory that has to do with Tony's life pre-Iron Man, we see that they only seek justice for what they've lost. When they realize what Ultron really plans, they seek to set things right (Hmm, I just realized that a big part of being an Avenger seems to be seeking redemption). They're both great characters in the film, but I think I liked Quicksilver a little more.
Another comparison that's going to arise from this film is going to be between this film's interpretation of Quicksilver, and the one shown last year in "X-Men: Days of Future Past". For those that don't know, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are in a gray area that allows their rights to be used by both Marvel and Fox's X-Men franchise, due to being Magneto's children and long-stay members of the Avengers in the comics. In the MCU though, Magneto can't be their father and the twins can't even be called mutants (though it's not explicitly stated if their powers are due to experiments by HYDRA or if they're really Inhumans whose powers were unlocked; I guess that's something we'll find out later). Anyway, while X-Men's Quicksilver was entertaining to watch and had arguably the best scene of the film, I found Marvel's Quicksilver to be the better of the two. There's a lot more to his character and I really enjoyed the aura that comes off him as he runs. And while I enjoyed X-Men's Quicksilver's use of his powers, it leaves many feeling that he's overpowered and wonder why they didn't bring him along for the rest of the film when he's was super helpful. When it comes to Marvel's Quicksilver though, while he has great power, you don't get the sense that he can take down Ultron by himself; it's a team movie, which means everyone should feel useful, even if one character dwarfs one or the others in power.
There's a lot of speculation that Fox added Quicksilver to the last X-Men movie in a way to mess with Marvel, especially considering his scenes were the last to be shot and Juggernaut was originally considered to be used for the Magneto prison break. One has to wonder though if Marvel's retaliated by killing off their own Quicksilver in the new film. Then again, this is a Joss Whedon movie, which means someone important has to die, like Coulson did in the first one, so Quicksilver's death was probably planned beforehand. I will say that like Coulson before him, Quicksilver certainly goes out in a heroic fashion. Whether this will be a death that actually lasts is another question, which if it does would certainly be a first for a major character in the MCU.

This brings me to the film's title character: Ultron. As soon as he steps on screen, his presence is definitely felt. Every time he's on screen, I couldn't take my eyes off him. He's just so entertaining to watch, which is why I consider him to be the new best villain of the MCU (Sorry Loki). I will say though that I was initially surprised at how more human and informal Ultron seemed to speak compared to what I expected. Then I considered this: this version of Ultron was created by Tony Stark, not Hank Pym like most other versions. Between the two, Stark is a lot more social than Pym, and I think that shows through in his Ultron.
Then there's the other side of the Artificial Intelligence coin in this movie: Vision. Just like Ultron, once he makes his appearance, I was immediately drawn to him. There's also the fact that it's JARVIS downloaded into the body, and even though he's totally mobile now, he's still the same old JARVIS, even giving some lip to Tony in a hilarious moment. Going back to my coin analogy, there's good interaction between Ultron and Vision that shows how opposite they are, but also similar. Despite Ultron creating Vision's body, both are visions of Tony Stark. One represents death and only sees the flaws in humans; the other for life and potential in them.
Seriously, big props to Paul Bettany and James Spader for bringing these seemingly emotionless automatons to life.

I'm going to admit that I was disappointed a little bit only for the fact that it didn't set things up for the future like it would, like Rhodey dying, Superhuman Registration/Civil War and Ragnarok set up, and Hulk getting shot into space for Guardians 2. But as it sets in though, I've realized that it actually does help set up for next year's Civil War, but very subtly. Think about it. Two cities were heavily damaged from battle and one was lifted off the Earth itself and destroyed in midair. It's a summer blockbuster, so ending on a triumphant note makes sense. However, there will definitely be consequences that will be explored in Civil War, and it appears that the tipping point for the Registration Act, which in the comics was the explosion in Stamford caused by the villain Nitro that killed over 600 people including 60 children, will be in that film itself.

As for the mid-credits scene, I'm going to say that it didn't leave the same impact as the first film with Thanos' debut. This time around, sure it does move things forward a little, but I was expecting more. I guess fans should be happy though that Thanos finally got out of his chair.
But as we move toward Infinity War, I really hope that with all the heroes we're going to get, that they're not just going up against Thanos. In "Avengers", they fought a bunch of faceless aliens. In "Age of Ultron", they fought a bunch of faceless robots. I don't want "Infinity War" to be just another alien invasion, this time led by Thanos. What would help differentiate this from the other Avengers films? By Thanos bringing with him his henchmen from the recent "Infinity" storyline: THE BLACK ORDER.

That would definitely be cool to see.

Overall, despite my predictions of the film setting up future events unfullfilled, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" brings everything we loved in the first film and so much more, which in turn makes it my new favorite MCU film (though I'm betting Civil War may take the crown next year; definitely helps to have Spidey in the mix now, even if it won't be Andrew Garfield).

RATING: 10/10

MY MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE FILM RANKINGS:
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. The Avengers
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Iron Man 3
6. Thor
7. Captain America: The First Avenger
8. Iron Man
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Iron Man 2
11. Thor: The Dark World