Video Game Review: "Batman: The Enemy Within" - Love That Joker

Over a year ago, I reviewed "Batman: The Telltale Series", a video game I commended for creating a unique Batman story and experience for fans and gamers. Considering the end of that game, a sequel was certain, which brings us to season two of the series, also known as "The Enemy Within". Unlike the first season's monthly release schedule, this season had more of a slow burn releasing the five episodes between August of last year to this March. While I would have liked a regular schedule, the story it was telling and how each episode ended only made me more anticipated for what would happen next. After such a long period though, it's finally over and the people at Telltale have outdone themselves in their continuation of the Batman story the players create for themselves.

Something to note is that while you can technically play the game on its own, they give you the option to import the choices you made from the first game, making it a true continuation of your Batman's story. I really liked that aspect because when it comes to game sequels, what you do in the previous story doesn't necessarily carry over; but then again, not all games have choice systems like Telltale games do.

A lot of what worked from the previous game is still prevalent for this one. Characters and voice actors return and are still to form, fight scenes that suck you in, the comic book style works hand in the hand with the graphic content (don't forget the M rating), and fan favorite characters are reimagined in realistic ways (well, most of them at least). But what makes this game more innovative is once again the choices you make in the story, and there's a lot more variety this time around. A complaint many had about the first game is that choices you made didn't have that much impact in the long run. You can't really say the same this time around. One difference is that you have more options during fight scenes; there are instances where you're given two options in how to take down a thug, but don't take too long to choose or you'll be the one taken down (something I learned the hard way). But the choices that really matter are the interactions with characters, and this game really puts you through the ringer this time around. In the first game, your choices were in reaction to the forces trying to break down Bruce and Batman. Here though, it really makes you question your morality; what you think may be the right thing to do will have ripples that effect your allies and their view of you. Like the last game, there are still obvious good choices and choices that will make you look like a dick, but there's a lot more gray area this time around. While before your Bruce and Batman's livelihood was on the line, now it's their soul.

But let's talk about the most fascinating aspect of this season: the Joker. Introduced last season, John Doe was a patient in Arkham that Bruce met, but he wasn't actually the Joker yet. I complained before about how he was around without being a direct result of Batman. Well, Telltale seemed to have a plan all along, because this is just as much John's story as it is Bruce's. The choices you make as Bruce influence the path John takes, where he'll eventually either become the villain everyone's familiar with or go way off script to become a vigilante in his own right. There are even two different versions of the season's final episode based on what road you take John down. In any case, like so many versions before, the Joker truly is a direct result of Batman's actions.

Personally, while I did my best to keep John on the right path, I couldn't help but make him into the traditional villainous Joker. While the vigilante route was a unique take, I still want my Batman story to have some familiarity with how I view the mythos. I had a similar instance last season where I could have prevented Harvey Dent's face from being scarred, even though his later actions were still very Two-Face like, so I figured why not get the full Two-Face anyway? The point is, I had the Two-Face and Joker I wanted.

As for the episode I had with my villain Joker, I have to say that this is probably the best new adaptation of the character since Heath Ledger's version in "The Dark Knight". When John goes bad in this game, he doesn't do it half-assed. He makes it clear to Bruce and to Gotham that he is a force to be reckoned with, that he didn't just decide to become your enemy on a whim. As I hoped, he definitely topped the craziness of last season. Despite all the pure evil he commits though, I would still try to reach to John's good side, much like I did with Harvey before him. Even the climax offers something new, with Bruce dealing with the Joker as himself instead of Batman. While it does have the standard quick-time action scenes, the feel of everything around it is a combination of psychological thriller and slasher film (the dinner scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre came to mind), noticing some inspiration from Joker stories like "The Killing Joke" and "Death of the Family".

Much like "The Dark Knight", when the dust settles, your Batman, his allies, and Gotham will never be the same. There's even a heart-to-heart you have to have with Alfred at the end that will most likely ultimately lead to how the next season begins (if there is one, although it's very probable). I don't really have any predictions for a third season, but things I would like to see are Scarecrow and Dick Grayson's introduction and debut as Robin.

If you loved the last game, "The Enemy Within" is a must buy, especially if you want to keep the story you started going. All in all, the Telltale series does a great job at filling the Batman video game hole left after the Arkham series' apparent conclusion.

TV Review: Jessica Jones Season Two - The Redemption Continues

The first season of Jessica Jones was a surprise hit for me. It went from my least anticipated of the four Marvel Netflix shows to what I feel is the best of the lot. It's success like that that challenges creators to do something better or just as good. While I'm undecided if season two of Jessica Jones is better than the first, it certainly does things to make it just as memorable, keeping the overall series as the best Marvel Netflix show in my opinion.

There are two main things that help this season stand out from the previous. The first is that there is a legitimate mystery to kick things off, which goes hand in hand with both Jessica's job as a private investigator and the noir aesthetic that makes the series unique compared to its sister shows. And this works with the other thing different about this season, character exploration is at the forefront, with the gore and shock moments of the previous season dialed back. The first season was more in line with a traditional superhero story, with the sides being clear of who our hero is (Jessica), and the villain they're trying to stop (Kilgrave). This season however blurs that line, with characters' moralities becoming tested. Not only are our heroes doing questionable things, but our so called "villains" have good qualities to them. Some MCU villains like Killmonger, Kingpin, or Vulture may have well meaning goals but go about reaching them in terrible ways, but this is the first story where we don't really have a true enemy. Instead of a clear battle of good and evil, this season of Jessica Jones is just a bunch of damaged people trying to figure things out.

Which brings me to my next point. Much like the previous season, the shows continues its themes of post-traumatic stress order, but even more so this time around. Last season was focused a lot on Jessica and her battle with Kilgrave, which spilled onto so many other people. This season, we see that Jessica deals with a lot more than just her battle with Kilgrave, an example being her feeling responsible for her late family's car accident. In addition, we get little more insight into backgrounds of Trish Walker, Malcolm Ducasse, and Jeri Hogarth. While her past as a child star and her battle with addiction was touched upon last season, they go into a lot more detail about Trish's life here and how her past troubles coincide with her internal conflicts this season. Episode seven of the season is a flashback story about Jessica and Trish, which is one of the best of the season and overall series. With Malcolm, we get a small glimpse of his life before Kilgrave got him hooked on drugs and how after that, he tries to fill that hole without falling off the wagon. He and Trish have similar backgrounds and stories this season, but dealing with their problems in parallel ways. Jeri Hogarth is a lot better this season than last. Without spoiling anything about her story, she still does things underhandedly but a lot of her good qualities show through here, to the point where you'll feel sorry for her and rooting for her (one instance in kind of a morbid way) at different points by the end of the season.

Something prominent to note this season is a growing prejudice against people with powers. Last season, we had the woman whose mother was killed during the Chitauri invasion, blamed the Avengers, and tried to kill Jessica just because she also had powers. This season, we see people and police using terms like "your kind" and saying that having powers means they don't have the same rights as regular people. We even see precautions and treatments powered people have while being incarcerated, including multiple mentions of the Raft prison that was seen in Civil War. Considering this series is one of the only places that has connections to Civil War, particularly how civilians feel about and treat powered people, there's a lot of interesting areas to explore here.

Of all the new characters introduced this season, the only one I'd like to talk about (since there would be lots of spoilers if I talked about others) is Oscar Arocho, the new superintendent of Jessica and Malcolm's apartment building. He initially doesn't like Jessica because of her powers but the two become closer and eventually begin a relationship. Considering how Jessica's life is, she's obviously hesitant about letting another person into her circle. But with everything that happens to her this season, Oscar's really the only bright spot in her life, and they have great chemistry with each other. While I'm still in the ship that her and Luke Cage should be together like the comics, Oscar's a good fit for her, much like Claire is for Luke.

So overall, season two of Jessica Jones is able to be great in its own way, setting it apart from the previous one. You could say that in terms of live action, this is the first superhero tragedy, so don't go in expecting a clear cut happy ending.

Analysis: Spider-Man (2017) Episodes 15-25

Last year, I took a look at the first half of episodes of the latest animated Spider-Man series. Overall, I found it to be a good modern take on the character and his mythos. The first season has just wrapped up, and I figured I'd do the same by sharing my thoughts on the remaining episodes. What's really unique about these episodes is that they're done as multi-parters: the 4 part "Rise of Doc Ock", the 5 part "Spider-Island", and 2 part "Hobgoblin". Though to be honest, all three connect in a way that all 11 episodes feel like it's one long story arc. So let's get started, and unlike my first analysis, this one's going to be spoiler heavy.

"Rise of Doc Ock", as the title suggests, is about Otto Octavius' progression from young teacher at Horizon High to the villainous Doctor Octopus. However, I don't think this set of episodes warranted a four parter, as the last half of episodes don't have as much focus on Ock.

In the first part, Otto is involved in an accident that bonds his robotic arms to his body. That's basic, for the character, but the show goes against the norm by first having Otto take a heroic path, working with both Peter and Miles (without actually learning their identities). This works out for them up until the second part, where due to Otto's superiority complex and Norman Osborn's manipulations, he ends his partnership with Spider-Man and quits Horizon High for Osborn Academy. The third part focuses more on Peter trying to convince Harry about the shady activities his father has been involved in (including orchestrating Harry's suspension from Horizon High at the beginning of the series). In the process, the Jackal attacks Osborn Academy with a mind controlled Rhino, who is stopped by the combined efforts of Spider-Man, Octavius, and other students and teachers at the Academy. In this encounter, Otto learns that Norman was attempting to recreate his robotic arms, and grows furious when he learns that since he signed with Osborn, anything he creates is OsCorp property.

I didn't mention the Jackal in my previous analysis because his impact was minor, but was left open for major development in the second half. The series makes quite a change from the comics version by making the Jackal Raymond Warren, and is also Gwen Stacy's uncle, and considering the connection Gwen and Warren had in the comics, this change makes it a lot less icky. But one thing that does remain the same with the character is he likes to make clones, if only of himself at the moment. While Spider-Man caught him very early in the season, another Warren was seen working with Spencer Smythe, who was surprised to see the first Warren in prison once he was caught himself. Both versions were revealed to be clones and self-destructed.

This leads to the conclusion of this arc, which involves Peter, Gwen, and Harry trying to discover Warren's secrets, eventually finding a secret lab he built under Midtown High, full of Jackal clones and the genetically engineered spiders he created (two of which were lost and bit both Peter and Miles, giving them their powers). This all comes to ahead when Norman arrives and confronts Jackal. In Norman's company is Octavius, Rhino, Vulture, Spider-Slayer (Alistair Smythe), and Steel Spider. Things don't go well for Norman though as Octavius betrays him, making a deal with Jackal to give him Osborn in exchange for Jackal's mind control technology. Otto finally rechristens himself Doctor Octopus and uses the Jackal's mind control tech to make his aforementioned teammates part of his Sinister Five.

On one hand, this introduction of the usually named Sinister Six kind of works with this version of Otto. He already showed he has trouble working with others in Peter and Miles, so using mind control takes out the middle man in using others to reach his goals. As for the combined group, it's okay. Classics like Rhino and Vulture makes sense, though it's redundant to have both Spider-Slayer and Steel Spider on the same team. If anything, they should have had Shocker fill Steel Spider's slot since he's more well known. And on another, mostly nit-picky note, Ock's final suit is blue, whereas I would have made it green, since that's his usual color.

The end of the episode leads to the lab being destroyed. As the villains make their escape, Spider-Man tries to keep Norman from being crushed by debris while Harry and Gwen are trapped. This leads to a surprising act of fatherly love from Norman as he pleads Spider-Man to save his son. Spidey saves Harry and Gwen, leaving Norman behind in a huge explosion. Given Harry's already established hatred for Spider-Man, this doesn't help things as he blames Spider-Man for his dad's death, despite Norman's self sacrifice. It's actually a really emotional scene, a far cry from the near lack of which was in Ultimate.

Now's a good time to talk about Norman's motivations in this series. All his actions thus far had been to prevent Raymond Warren from creating an army with spider powers, which he could use for his own goals of domination. Believing Spider-Man to be part of Jackal's army, Norman's distrust would seem warranted and he may be placed on a morality chart as a "chaotic good". At least that's how I felt about his character until the finale, but we'll get to that.

On to "Spider-Island", an adaptation of the 2011 comic book story with considerable differences. Due to the explosion of Jackal's lab at Midtown, it actually releases a spider virus, which grants virtually everybody in New York spider powers. Among those is Gwen Stacy, who adopts the Spider-Gwen identity, with the costume sans the mask and elects to have her identity public. Those who remember my "Ultimate Spider-Man: Return to the Spider-Verse" review know how I felt they ruined the character of Spider-Gwen. This series though actually makes it work despite still being different from the original Spider-Gwen premise. Since we've known this version of Gwen since the start of the show, seeing her intellect and ability to help out Spider-Man, we've grown to know this character. She wasn't just haphazardly thrown in due to the character's popularity. Besides that, it was clear it wasn't going to be permanent. When this show started though, I was worried they were going to give Miles, Gwen, and Anya spider powers straight away, creating a team of spiders like Ultimate did and making Peter less significant, but seeing how it was executed, I actually wouldn't have minded if Gwen kept her powers through this.

The first part is basic set-up, the second part is a bit of a detour involving Black Widow and HYDRA, but the third part is when the arc really takes off. Much like the comic storyline, everyone infected with the spider-virus begins transforming into, for lack of a better term, Man-Spiders. This includes Gwen and as we later learn, Norman Osborn, who survived the lab explosion. This leaves Peter, Anya, and Harry the only ones left to find a cure to save the city. Harry is the only one without spider-powers, as he's taken precautions not to be affected, using a glider to get around. Peter has been pretending to have been affected by the virus, as not to expose his identity, which gives the show opportunity to show Peter himself in action and not just in his Spider-Man costume; it's a nice change of pace considering we barely saw Peter out of costume in Ultimate. They learn that the Man-Spiders are being controlled with their leader hiding out in OsCorp. While they believe the leader to be Norman at first, it's actually the Jackal. While Anya develops a serum that prevents her from turning into a Man-Spider, it only half works when they inject Norman, giving him back some of his humanity but retaining a monstrous form. They later theorize they need the DNA of the first spider soldier, i.e. Spider-Man, to create a full cure. Realizing he has no choice, Peter reveals that he's Spider-Man to Harry (in another emotional scene I might add), mixes his blood with Anya's cure, reverting Norman back to human form. They return to Horizon to siphon more of the cure, where they realize they'll need a wide-dispersal device to reach everyone in the city, heading back to OsCorp to get one. Another battle with Jackal thwarts these plans, as he damages the device and activates a timer on a bomb to destroy them. He escapes leaving them to the bomb. While Harry wants to disarm it despite the little time they have, Peter theorizes that much like how an explosion spread the spider-virus in the first place, another explosion can do the same for the cure. Considering the bomb would destroy the Osborn Academy section of the building, he doesn't want to see what his father built destroyed. Realizing there's no other way, Peter places the cure on the bomb and forcibly carries Harry our of the building before it goes off. The explosion causes the cure to disperse, curing everyone and turning back into powerless humans. And before anyone gets technical, Peter and Miles got their powers from spider bites, which makes them immune to the cure since they didn't get it from the virus. Although I wonder about Anya though. While her initial cure kept her from mutating further, still retaining her spider-powers, I have to wonder if it kept the full cure from affecting her. The rest of the season doesn't show anything that would indicate she still has powers, but I think this is an issue to return to next season.

As this story wraps up, while they're successful, Harry is once again angry with Peter for allowing Osborn Academy to be destroyed.

In my first analysis, I didn't have much to say about Harry's hatred for Spider-Man other than it's kind of cliché at this point, and it didn't really bother me that much. But beginning with this stretch of episodes, I started to become annoyed with Harry's hatred, seeing it rise to idiotic and sometimes straight-up asshole levels. But then I realized something about Harry, not just in this series, but pretty much every version of the character: he is not a rational person. In various comics, movies, and cartoons, Harry always finds out about his father's villainous ways and follows in his footsteps for misguided revenge on his best friend. So if you think about it, how Harry's portrayed here does fit with his character, especially considering how he can be easily manipulated by his father. And I was even right in that when he found out Peter was Spider-Man, it would hit him hard. Imagine hating someone you didn't really know, only to find out it was your best friend who kept it secret from you the entire time. Throw in the fact that he kind of let your dad's school blow up right after that, and it certainly doesn't help things.

This leads up to our two-part finale, "Hobgoblin". As Doc Ock returns with his Sinister Five, he uses them to wear down Spider-Man, allowing him to place the hero under mind control like the rest of the team. Doc Ock leads his new Sinister Six on a crime spree, and Norman, believing Spider-Man to have shown his true colors and wanting Harry to become the hero he wanted him to be, gives his son the glider, gadgets, and suit to become the Hobgoblin. Harry suits up and goes after the six, eventually trying to reason with Spidey when Ock off-handedly remarks that he has him under mind control. As Spidey throws Harry off the edge of a building, seeing his friend in danger gives Peter enough will to break free of Ock's control and save his friend. The two then work together to free the others from Ock's control, who then turn on their former "leader", forcing him to retreat.

In part two, Peter and Harry, having worked out their issues, begin working together to track down both Ock and Rhino (in this version, Rhino is just a mindless beast when not under mind control by Jackal or Ock). After catching Rhino, Peter heads to his last day of school at Horizon High, where Doc Ock attacks. Peter suits up as Spider-Man, and the Hobgoblin appears soon after. After trapping Ock in a force field though, the Hobgoblin then turns on Spider-Man saying he needs to be destroyed. After Miles intervenes, the Hobgoblin retreats.

Much like how the beginning of this series had parallels to how Spectacular Spider-Man started, this season finale is very similar to how that show ended, with a Harry/Norman Goblin twist. In Spectacular, Norman had framed Harry for being the Green Goblin, saying he was blacking out and becoming the Goblin. In this series, Norman had used the Hobgoblin tech to bring down Spider-Man himself and tried to make Harry think he was blacking out and he subconsciously still hated Spider-Man. Seriously, as soon as the Hobgoblin attacked Spidey after taking down Ock, I immediately knew it was Norman. It was so predictable that I couldn't even call it a twist. Hell, even if I had never watched Spectacular, I still probably would have figured out Norman was suiting up as well.

Where it differs from Spectacular though is that Harry isn't as forgiving of his father's actions. Realizing the kind of man his father is, Harry stands by Spider-Man, and as battle begins again, an explosion occurs and Norman apparently dies (again). Soon after, Harry is named head of OsCorp (which makes me question how old he is in this show) and he and Peter are still on good terms. Harry then listens to a voicemail from his father, having faked his death to allow Harry to become his own man, but leaving something behind for Harry in a secret room behind the bookshelf, but they're apparently saving that reveal for next season. While it's very easy to take Harry Osborn down a tragic path like so many version before, I do like that they were able to give him a happier ending (at least for now). As for Norman, let's just say they definitely set up his return as the Green Goblin for next season. And so the season ends with Peter learning that Horizon High has created a statue of Spider-Man to honor him for all he's done for the school.

With season one in the bag, my thoughts on the series remain the same. It definitely does things to differentiate itself from past Spider-Man series, and sometimes those things work and sometimes they don't. Nonetheless, it's still a Spider-Man series worth watching in my opinion.

Season two has been announced and it's been revealed that Doc Ock will return as the main villain throughout the season and that Peter will get a job at the Daily Bugle, which means we'll finally see J. Jonah Jameson on the show. It'll be nice to have old pickle-puss around; having him call Spidey a menace and ordering Peter to get pictures will make this show feel a little more complete.

I have a few hopes for the next season:

1. An adaptation of the Superior Spider-Man. Ock has already proven his potential to be a hero and he can manipulate the mind control technology to allow him to switch bodies with Peter; the seeds are there, they just need to bloom.

2. Peter and Gwen's relationship to further develop. It really took a backseat in the second half of the season, so it would be nice to get back to that.

3. An answer to whether Anya retained her spider-powers. I wouldn't mind if she became Arana or Spider-Girl, depending what codename they want to give her.

4. Eddie Brock as Venom. If they're going to bring in the Bugle, it's a perfect place to introduce the character.

Until then, I will patiently await the further adventures of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (in animated form).

Movie Review: Black Panther - Hail to the King

At this point, it's usually safe to assume that when a new Marvel Studios film comes out, it's going to be good. It's just a matter of HOW good it will be. I try not to put much stock in what critics say, good or bad, so as to not affect my expectations. Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther already had an impressive debut two years ago in "Captain America: Civil War" and now he takes center stage for his own much anticipated film, showcasing the character's rich mythos. At the time of this writing, Black Panther is already critically acclaimed with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. I went in thinking this film would be good, but would it be THAT good? Well, just when I think Marvel can't surprise me anymore, they do.

Despite what I felt was a slow start, it didn't take long to find myself immersed in the film. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for a good chunk of the film, and not just for the action scenes. Story wise, I saw it as a mix of a soap opera and political drama, and I believe I picked up on some subtle commentary on our own political landscape at the moment. I'd have to say that Black Panther has the deepest story of all the MCU films.

The filmmakers did a great job at creating Wakanda, from the landscape, architecture, and their own advanced technology that would make Tony Stark envious. But what I really love is that despite all the technology they have, they hold on to their rich culture and traditions; it's a good balance.

The action was amazing as well. Alongside Captain America, Panther is one of the most agile and fiercest hand-to-hand fighters in the MCU to date. In a way, you can see him as a mix between Cap and Iron Man. He's well adept to fighting, but he does get help in some scenes from his vibranium powered suit. While I've always thought it would be awesome to have an Iron Man armor, I walked out of this thinking it would be cooler to have a vibranium suit like T'Challa. Some will probably think the suit makes him too over powered, but as I said, he proves he doesn't need it to get the job done. Besides his fighting prowess, the film also had probably the best car chase in movie history and a thrilling climax that helps it stand out from the rest of the MCU.

Chadwick Boseman is fantastic as T'Challa, especially in the scenes detailing his internal conflicts. Not only is T'Challa trying to figure out how to rule as Wakanda's young new king, but he's also dealing with discovered secrets from the past his father kept. Wakanda can be seen just short of a utopia, and to find out your homeland or your father wasn't as perfect as you believe can have a real effect on someone such as T'Challa, and it shapes the character for the future.

They say behind every great man is a woman, and in T'Challa's case, he has three: Nakia, his love interest, Okoye, his bodyguard, and Shuri, his 16 year old technology innovative sister. All three women create a great inner circle for T'Challa, each having their own different personalities and relationship to the king, and they all know how to kick ass too. Of the three, Shuri was my favorite because the brother-sister dynamic was the most entertaining to me.

And then of course we have our main villain, Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan of "Creed" fame and "Fant4stic" infamy. Much like his fellow former Human Torch, Chris Evans, Jordan finds comic book movie redemption as one of the best MCU villains to date. Jordan said he took inspiration from Heath Ledger's Joker when it came to the role, and unlike a lot of actors who say that, I genuinely believe he did based on his performance. While Killmonger has a tragic past and his motivations are understandable, I really did see a lot of Ledger's Joker in his actions; he has his own life philosophy and kills anyone who gets in his way, and at times really does come off someone who just wants to watch the world burn.

To me, Black Panther is a near perfect film. Guardians 2 is still my favorite of the MCU, but Black Panther is a close second. I may sound a bit nit-picky, but I did have to take off points for a trope used before in previous superhero films that has kind of been played out (without spoiling much, see "Dark Knight Rises"). Nevertheless, Black Panther was amazing, phenomenal, and is definitely a must-see for fans of Marvel, comic books, and superheroes.

My Personal Marvel Cinematic Universe Film Rankings:

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

2. Black Panther

3. Captain America: Civil War

4. Thor: Ragnarok

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron

6. Captain America: The Winter Solider

7. The Avengers

8. Guardians of the Galaxy

9. Doctor Strange

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

11. Ant-Man

12. Iron Man 3

13. Thor

14. Captain America: The First Avenger

15. Iron Man

16. The Incredible Hulk

17. Iron Man 2

18. Thor: The Dark World

Movie Review: "Batman: Gotham By Gaslight" - One for the (Victorian) Ages

I've talked on this blog before about stories dealing with alternate versions of well established characters, whether they be drastically altered takes or moving familiar elements to a different period of time. Today's subject is quite significant in both respects. Released in 1989, the "Gotham by Gaslight" graphic novel featured a version of Batman where he operated in the Victorian era, encountering infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper in Gotham City. The success of the story helped DC launch the Elseworlds imprint, telling one-off stories (some getting sequels) that took their heroes out of their usual settings in one way or another without worry of it effecting the main continuity. With that significance, it made the story prime material to be adapted into an animated film.

It's worth noting that while it is an adaptation, it's not a direct one. Similar to the previous animated Justice League films "Crisis on Two Earths" and "Doom" being adaptations of "Earth-2" and "Tower of Babel" respectively, "Gotham by Gaslight" follows the basic premise of its source material while taking its own liberties. Admittedly, I've never read the original "Gotham by Gaslight" story and can't credibly compare it to the film and say which version is better. But just going off the film, I quite enjoyed it. At its core, it's a horror mystery, making it a unique addition to the DC animated film library. It has its bloody elements, but it surprisingly restrains itself at times, and while I myself was able to figure out Jack the Ripper's identity before the reveal, it's still a pretty good twist. It's different from the original story, but I think that helps the film stand on its own, meaning anyone going in will try to figure it out along with Batman.

I feel the film did a good job at capturing the tone of the era it took place, and lot of that is partly thanks to the delivery of the voice cast, especially those who had characters who spoke with a certain vernacular. It's one thing to draw the backgrounds, settings, and characters in the style of a certain time, but it doesn't mean much if the voices don't match up. The one who stood out to me was Bruce Greenwood, reprising his role of Bruce Wayne/Batman from the "Under the Red Hood" film and "Young Justice" series. While he's done the role before, this time around, Greenwood has more time to play Bruce Wayne, showing off more range in his voice. A big thing about voicing Batman is the ability to distinguish his voice from Bruce Wayne's; not everyone can do it, and while I feel many won't notice the difference between Greenwood's Bruce and Batman, I definitely heard it.
As for the rest of the characters, another aspect different from the source material is the inclusion of more Batman characters. Only Batman, Alfred, and Gordon transition over from the book to the film. Characters like Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, and Leslie Thompkins are brought over and portrayed well enough to make them very different from their mainstream counterparts. Though my favorite inclusions were Dick, Jason, and Tim; while many know them as the first three Robins of the mainstream Batman, they're portrayed here as young street orphans trying to get by. I love the brotherly love they have for each other, and while they could have just used these characters as an Easter Egg for the fans, I was surprised at how much of a role they played here, even helping Batman in a few instances. Of course, where would Batman be without a Robin? I'd also like to give props for them giving Jason red hair; for those unaware, Jason had red hair in his first appearance and dyed it black when he became Robin.

I loved the art style they chose for this film. While the DC animated films have used styles ranging from traditional like the DCAU, to anime influence, to matching the style of the artist certain stories were based on, the style used for "Gotham by Gaslight" reminded me a great deal of the "The Batman" animated series that ran from 2004-2008. It was so similar, I was surprised that the character designer from the show, Jeff Matsuda, wasn't involved here. While I was a bit out of the age group "The Batman" was intended for during its run, it still brought forth a feeling of nostalgia in me.
The action is very simple in the film, but its fitting. We have a Batman that's more of a brawler compared to other versions, and it's very seldom where you'll see him kick. It's a nice change of pace if you ask me.

If there's one thing that did bother me about this film, it was just the sudden ending. While it does conclude on a somewhat happy note, without spoiling much, it just ends after the climax rather bringing some resolution to certain plot points earlier in the film. As it happens, this was a problem some episodes of "The Batman" had, and given the similarity in the two's art styles, I suppose it's fitting, but that doesn't make it right.

All in all, "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight" is worthy not only as part of the long history of animated depictions of Batman, but also as an adaptation that I think even those familiar with the source will enjoy. I see it as a must-watch for all Batman fans, but I would hold off on showing it to the kids concerning the content.

TV Review: Runaways - Nothing to Run From

To be upfront about this, prior to this series, I knew literally nothing about the Runaways. I kind of said the same thing about Jessica Jones before her Netflix series, but I at least knew who she was in the comics thanks to her being an Avenger. When the book originally started back in 2003, I had been aware of it and heard a lot of praise, but I didn't really have any interest, mostly because it didn't fit the superhero mold. While I don't read a wide variety of Marvel books, there are always the crossovers where heroes from different corners came together. Even then, Runaways has always seemed to stay in their own little corner, which is probably a good thing.
Runaways has been a property Marvel has wanted to bring to MCU even during Phase One, originally intended as a movie before reworking it into a series on Hulu, similar to how Inhumans was going to be a movie before moving to TV. Where Inhumans failed though, Runaways actually succeeds with its first season, with great performances all around and the kind of quality you would expect from the Marvel Netflix series that even those going in blind like myself should love.

For those unaware of the premise, Runaways focuses on a group of high school friends who discover that their parents are involved in some kind of secret murderous cult. While we had Spider-Man as our first teenage hero in the MCU, I feel like Runaways does a better job at depicting high school life, and having multiple protagonists who represent different cliques. There's also the fact that much like its comic source, it doesn't fit the superhero mold, which is its greatest strength. We have variety with our main characters in both their social standing and what they're able to bring to the team. The show and young actors do a brilliant job with the portrayals of and relationships between these characters and the struggles they go through, not only together as they deal with what they know about their parents, but with the everyday internal struggles any teenager goes through. While they're shown as capable, they're not immune from making mistakes, which is realistic.

Speaking of realism, while the show is about the kids, it's just as much about their parents, whose cult front is the charity foundation, PRIDE. While they're technically the villains, they're reluctant villains at that. They're all very well rounded characters, which is a benefit most villains have had from MCU TV series. Some you will like right off the bat and others you won't, but as the series goes on, you'll see there are good and bad qualities in each of them. You'll love them, cheer them on, hate them, and get pissed at them; it's quite a roller coaster with these characters. If there's anyone in PRIDE who creeps me out (not to mention the rest of the parents), it's their leader Jonah, played by former Doctor Doom, Julian McMahon. Despite being the most villainous character of the show, that doesn't take away from his performance and the kind of fear he exhibits.

There's one element from the Runaways comics that's kind of out there that you might not have expected to transition to live action but it's there: Gert has a psychic connection with a dinosaur genetically engineered by her parents, which she names Old Lace at the end of the series. I think we can thank Old Lace's inclusion to the show's budget, which was probably higher than the Netflix series, leading to the other characters' powers being present as well. But when it comes to Old Lace, despite being a ferocious creature, she's as much a member of the team as the rest of them, and it will make you wish you had your own pet dinosaur.

As everything Marvel puts out could fit in with another genre, like Ant-Man being a heist film and Guardians of the Galaxy being a space adventure, Runaways is a teen drama, at least at its core. With other genres like horror and different types of sci-fi bleeding through, the show is able to mix it all together in a coherent way.

I'm sorry if I'm being vague when it comes to characters and plot points, but if you're reading this review and know nothing about the Runaways, I wanted to write this in a way that I could recommend the series but you can still go in blind like I did. I had a hell of a good time watching Runaways and I really look forward to the second season that was announced.

TV Review: The Punisher - Bloody Brilliant

When it comes to the different kinds of superheroes, my favorite type is the street level vigilante. From the normal humans who have trained for years like Batman and Green Arrow from the slightly powered beings like Spider-Man and Daredevil, something always spoke to me about those who would stand up and fight for the everyman. Of course, the Punisher is a bit of an anomaly. His gimmick is that he uses guns and kills criminals without hesitation. He's not the standard superhero, and yet the character's endured over 40 years and fans enjoy the kind of "justice" he dishes out.
The Punisher has had a few live action depictions, going back to the Dolph Lundgren movie of 1989 (which I haven't seen). The 2004 Thomas Jane and 2008 Ray Stevenson films weren't well received but still had some love from fans. Between the two, I always loved the Thomas Jane version, but I can see why some preferred Stevenson. But in my view, all prior versions are moot to some degree since the character had arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe last year in season two of Daredevil, played by Jon Bernthal. While I viewed his arc in that season to be Frank Castle's journey to becoming the Punisher we all know, and we'd see that in his own series. Well, after the less than stellar outings of Iron Fist and the Defenders, the Punisher closes out the year by returning to the standard set by the Marvel Netflix series when it began with Daredevil and Jessica Jones.

With the spotlight now shined on him, Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Frank Castle has helped make this version become my favorite of the character, similar to what the MCU did with Hawkeye for me. What makes me love this Punisher is that there's more depth to him compared to other versions I've seen. Most of the time, Frank's shown to have been a normal guy with some firearm training until the day his family was killed, and afterwards, he seemed to have transformed into an emotionless unstoppable killing machine. Frank's emotions can show through, but he usually keeps the same demeanor. What sets Bernthal's depiction apart is that he has a wide range of emotions, helping you connect with him more. You can also sense an internal struggle with him, that he doesn't want to care about others or let them in, fearing that he'll lose them at some point too. Despite that though, there are moments where Frank's actions can make him unlikeable, a promise that was made by those working on the show prior to its premiere; I think that further sets him apart by not making him an all around hero. The show also features flashbacks of Frank's past that not only add some resonance to his storyline in Daredevil, but they also show that Frank's mind and body had already been through hell even before his family was killed; that was just the tipping point. Finally, while in Daredevil, they showed he could take a beating as well as deliver one, that doesn't really change here. Similar to how Daredevil was portrayed in his first season, Frank is shown to be just a man that can still kick ass, but he's not invincible; I will note that Frank does have training compared to Matt, but he's more adept to weapons than hand-to-hand combat.

That brings me to the action of the series, which is probably the best I've seen from a Marvel Netflix show since season one of Daredevil. The realistic brutality that helped set Daredevil apart from everything else from the MCU at that point is what helps the Punisher stand out now, and that brutality is expectedly elevated considering the character in focus. What definitely sets Punisher apart is the gun violence; sometimes the shots are unexpected, which can make some feel uneasy after the fact, but considering the apparently unresolvable gun control debate, that's probably a good thing. From the construction site massacre in the first episode to the carousel fight in the finale, you'll be rooting for Frank and maybe get a little queasy at the same time.

Like most of the other Marvel Netflix series, it has this way of making you either care or feel something for every character, no matter how minor. From Micro and his family to Lewis Wilson to Sam Stein, when something happens to a character, an emotion will rise out of you. Of the two characters that also stood out, it was Karen Page and Billy Russo.
Karen and Frank had formed a connection back in Daredevil, and it's grown more in his own series. I don't know if I'd fully support a Frank/Karen ship, but the chemistry between the two really makes it believable. It would definitely be an "opposites attract" relationship, where they shouldn't have feelings for each other but can't help themselves.
Those familiar with Billy Russo in the comics know about his villainous alter-ego, but in this adaptation, he's portrayed as Frank's friend who served with him in the military. As we watch this character throughout this series portrayed by Ben Barnes, we see him as a very likable guy, and it can make even those familiar with the character forget about his villainous nature until it shows itself, and then he becomes quite scary. That's what makes him a great adversary for Frank as he gets his comeuppance that sets up his likely return next season.

Overall, the Punisher delivers a wild ride and a version of the character all fans can enjoy. It's the right mix of a bad ass hero we can connect to like the 2004 film with the bloody violence seen in 2008's "War Zone" (except not to laughable levels). It ranks up there with Jessica Jones and Daredevil as the best to come from the Marvel Netflix series with a return to realism the line needed to pick things up again. Here's hoping we can get a winning streak going again with next year's seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage.