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

Movie Review: Batman vs. Robin - An Exceptional Follow-Up (SPOILERS)

I'm going to start this review with a little honesty. I haven't been impressed with an animated Batman movie since the Dark Knight Returns two-parter. In addition to that, I've found the depiction of villains in this new DC animated continuity of films to be lacking, either being evil for evil's sake (Darkseid), made into a lesser version of themselves (Deathstroke), or not given enough focus or potential (Black Manta). These reasons are why I went into "Batman vs. Robin" cautiously. I've made my thoughts clear in my earlier review about the preceding film "Son of Batman", and given the villains of this new film would be the Court of Owls from Scott Snyder's acclaimed run on the Batman comic series, because they're such a big threat, I was worried they would take a backseat to the relationship between Bruce and Damian. I mean, the film's called "Batman vs. Robin"; I would have preferred it be "Batman: The Court of Owls" since it's a popular storyline. It's so popular, I even got one of their masks.

 Though through press releases and synopses, it was clear that that storyline was going to incorporate elements from the "Born to Kill" storyline from the Batman and Robin series. Like I said, I went in with low expectations, but ended up genuinely surprised, especially with how it ended.

But I really should begin with the actual beginning of the film. We have the Batmobile heading toward an abandoned toy factory in a neighboring city, but it's not Batman, but Damian/Robin (should be worth mentioning that he's 10, and he's DRIVING). The father/son dynamic duo have been working a case on kidnapped children, and when Damian gets a lead, he heads off on his own, leaving a note for his father, who's pissed about Damian going out on his own and wanting him to wait until he gets there before doing anything, but of course, Damian disobeys.
I'm going to jump in and say that compared to the last film, the voice acting and character interaction have gotten better, especially for Jason O'Mara as Bruce/Batman and Stuart Allen as Damian/Robin. I believe that in his third going as the Dark Knight, O'Mara has finally gotten his hold on the character, with more emotion showing through, especially when he's lecturing his son, and I'm starting to see a little more distinction between his Batman and Bruce Wayne voices. As for Stuart Allen, given he's a year older now, I feel he did even better as Damian this time around. Between these two, you could really believe the interaction of a father and son, both feeling out of place with one another. There's one other voice actor I like to applaud, but I'll do that when I get to him.
Back to the story, this is where we meet our film's intro villain, the Dollmaker. He's not a straight adaptation from his current incarnation in the comics, but, while I'm not sure it was intentional, I saw elements from different villains used in him from storyline that heavily involved Damian. The first is Professor Pyg from the inaugural arc from the first volume of Batman and Robin, where the villain brainwashed and mutilated people into his henchmen called Dollotrons. In the film, the Dollmaker, who grew up abused by his father, wanted to protect children by turning them into perfect dolls, even removing their hands and replacing them with saws and flamethrowers (it's just as disturbing as I described). The other storyline I saw elements from was from the short lived Streets of Gotham series where Victor Zsasz kidnapped children and forced them to battle to the death with each other while onlookers would place bets. Damian would infiltrate this ring and put a stop to it, and you could tell that this was affecting him because of all the kids in his age group. It's a similar situation in the film with Damian becoming infuriated by what he saw the Dollmaker do to these kids. Between Zsasz and the Dollmaker, Damian also comes very close to killing them both. Overall, I feel it was a strong opening with a dark villain and good introduction of our main protagonists and their interactions with each other.

Let me now talk about the main villain of our film, Talon. He is not given a civilian identity, but his backstory is similar to Moran Ducard, AKA Nobody, from the "Born to Kill" arc, in that he was trained by his father but could never meet his expectations. He is recruited by the Court of Owls and made into a Talon, and his lethal approach to taking on criminals appeals to Damian, given his own upbringing with the League of Assassins. Given Talon's way of trying to take away Batman's role as Damian's mentor, it seems fitting that he is voiced by Jeremy Sisto, who voiced Batman in the "Justice League: The New Frontier" animated film years ago. I just have to say that Sisto brings a much stronger performance this time around. There's a lot more emotion in his voice compared to when he tried to voice Batman.

As for the larger Court itself, while I was worried they wouldn't get a faithful adaptation, I was really surprised that they were given as much focus as they did. The film does a good job of balancing the main Bruce/Damian story while still sharing the focus on the Court, their history, goals, methodology, and even the process of training and keeping Talon soldiers at the ready for their needs. I especially enjoyed the fact that the film retained a young Bruce's belief that the Court, who Bruce's father assured him was only a story), had a hand in his parents' murder, only to be crushed to find that there was no grand plan, and that some violent things just happen. Aside from Ocean Master in "Throne of Atlantis", this is the first time the villains of the new DC animated universe have been portrayed properly and interestingly

I have to give the film props on the action in this film. Usually in these movies, it's pretty over the top and violent, sometimes to the point where I'm desensitized. Those elements are still present, but in this film however, there were some fights that were pretty grounded, reminding me of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier", in that they kind of made me cringe or go "Oh shit" to what was happening. There's a sparring match between Robin and Nightwing that gets pretty brutal, even getting to the point where Nightwing pulls Robin's cape over his head and just proceeds to punch him. Following that is a battle between Batman and a group of unfrozen Talon warriors, which doesn't get extremely violent like other DC animated films, but gets very close while still remaining believable. Then there's the climax of the film when the Talons invade Wayne Manor and the Batcave, just like they do in the comics. It does go into that over the top area, but I would say this if my favorite fight of the movie, if only for the fact that we get Bruce's Knight Thrasher suit, where you know he's done screwing around, and who wouldn't love to see a man in a giant armored suit fight off a bunch of kind of zombie ninjas?

Another thing I have to give the film props on are its subtle references. In one scene, we see Dick talking on the phone to someone named "Kory". Comic readers know that Kory is short for Koriand'r, better known as the Teen Titan, Starfire. When I watched that scene, I had to back it up because I didn't quite catch the name, and put on subtitles to make sure I wasn't missing an easter egg. I'll just say I was surprised that they used Starfire and not Barbara, because the contents of their conversation were very, let's just say, mature. It was also kind of surprising because aside from references to a past relationship, we haven't really seen the two of them interact with one another in the New 52 timeline. While I've found that these new animated films are only loosely based on the current comics continuity, it still surprises me when they do, especially when they brought in a non-Gotham based character for Dick to be in a relationship with.
Later on, there's a scene where Bruce is under a psychotropic hallucination via the Court where he witnesses his parents killed by a grown up Damian in a Batman suit (from Batman #666 of course), with a young Bruce telling his older self that he's just as bad as the people he fights, that he's turning his own son into one and that he'll bring great destruction to Gotham (that itself was a reference to the last Damian/Batman story from Batman Incorporated #5 from the series' second volume). I know it's just a short scene, but I loved seeing the grown-up Damian/Batman. It also brought a great emotional scene where Damian keeps shooting Bruce as he tries to get closer to him. As Bruce keeps taking bullets, he eventually gets to Damian, hugs him and apologizes, which turns Damian back into his ten year old self.

If there's one thing I find at fault in this movie, it's Nightwing's inclusion. Honestly, there is just no reason he really needs to be here. Sure, he's a good foil to Damian, in that he's the well behaved adopted son of Bruce, but other than that, he doesn't really bring anything to the film. He's either helping patch up Bruce after his fight with the Talons and recovering from his drug trip, or getting his butt kicked by either Damian in their sparring match, or getting pierced by blades from Talons like Logan did in "The Wolverine". There's even a bit where he's fighting the main Talon, who remarks that Dick would have made a great Talon; this is in fact a reference to how in the comics, Dick was about to be inducted into the Court before his parents were killed and Bruce took him in. While I appreciate that reference, and kind of see it being used for Damian, being that he's a Robin being recruited by the Court, but said reference and Dick are just wasted space in this movie. Like the previous film, he kind of fills the Tim Drake role of the somewhat brotherly spat with Damian, but that just really wasted needed this time around. That's just how I feel about it.

Once everything is said and done, Damian, believing that he's either living his life by Talia or Bruce's teachings, decided to leave Wayne Manor to find his own path, taking Bruce's advice to go to the monastery where he trained. Initially, I was really surprised by this development. In the "Born to Kill" arc, Bruce and Damian were able to have a heart to heart talk and they remained a team afterwards. But now that I've had some time to let it sink in, I think the way the film did it was actually better. When you look at Damian's path in the comics, we see him very loyal to his mother, and when he becomes Robin, there's this transitional period where he tries to adhere to his father's methods, trying to fight back his assassin instincts, eventually fully switching sides. If you think about it, Damian in the comics is more of a product of his environment and changes over time based upon it. Damian going out on his own like he did in the film makes total sense.
It also does leave me wondering what happens next.
Next year's animated films from DC haven't been announced yet (aside from a leak about a Batman '66 movie reuniting Adam West and Burt Ward which I am EXTREMELY looking forward to), but given how these Batman films have been more focused on Damian, I expect he should be returning for the next one. But who knows. They could go left field and finally adapt "The Killing Joke". It would be nice to explore other aspects and characters in Gotham, and that storyline could be what's needed, saving Damian's return for the film after that.

To wrap this up, I found "Batman vs. Robin" to be a well rounded film and a great addition to the DC animated film line. It's definitely better than "Son of Batman", does the Court of Owls justice, and I'd go so far as to say that it's the best film yet of the new animated continuity, and just as good as "Under the Red Hood". If you're a fan of Batman, and more specifically Damian, I highly recommend it.

RATING: 8.5/10

TV Review: "Ultimate Spider-Man: The Spider-Verse" - A Satisfactory Dimension Hopper (SPOILERS)

I've talked about the "Ultimate Spider-Man" cartoon in passing in other blog posts, usually in a negative way. For the first two seasons, it was very childish with a very incompetent Spider-Man that isn't as smart as the character's supposed to be. He once stole something from SHIELD without knowing what it is to use in a science fair, tried to use taser webbing on Electro (the idiocy of that action speaks for itself), and couldn't even beat the Sinister Six without help from his friends. And don't even get me started on the Family Guy style cutaway gags with chibi versions of characters and fourth wall breaking elements that are more suited for Deadpool (there was an episode that starred Deadpool though and it was awesome). What really pissed fans off with this series was that it wants you to take it seriously but throws in so much ridiculousness that it couldn't be. By the episode "Back in Black", I decreed it as the worst thing to happen to Spider-Man since "One More Day". However, I continued to watch in hopes that it could improve. And while it did with some episodes, there were still some stupid ones like the one where he moved to Boston and got his own Spider-Cave. Please don't ask; I killed enough brain cells watching that, so I don't need to lose more trying to explain it. Some supporters of the show say it's more directed at kids, but as I've said in my Power Rangers retrospective, kids shows CAN appeal to older audiences and that's what makes those the most successful. It's why the preceding "Spectacular Spider-Man" show is more widely acclaimed than "Ultimate."
However, when the third season started, it was easy to see that Marvel listened to fan complaints. The show definitely cut back on the cutaway gags and Spider-Man has greatly matured and improved since the first episode, even acting as a mentor to newer, younger heroes. It still doesn't hold a candle to "Spectacular" or even the 90's series and still forgoes looking into Peter Parker's social life in favor of superhero team-ups, but it has definitely gotten better.
As part of the promotion of season three, a teaser was released showing the main Spidey surrounded by alternate versions (pictured above). It would later turn out to be for the four part story, "The Spider-Verse", which was the show's version of the recent comic story of the same name (and to extension the Shattered Dimensions video game). I wasn't planning on writing a review on it, but after watching it, I found I had a lot to say about what could be considered a mini-movie. So let's jump in.

With the Goblin on the run after escaping his prison at the end of the previous "New Warriors" story arc, Spider-Man goes in search of him starting with one of his old hideouts. He finds the Goblin with Electro, who wants him to power the artifact known as the Siege Perilous so he can travel to alternate dimensions to find different versions of Spider-Man. Electro refuses, but not taking no for an answer, the Goblin sucks Electro into the gem and forces him to open inter-dimensional portals. Goblin opens and enters a portal with Spidey following after.

As we go through this, I'm going to do it by segment/universe with my thoughts on it. Let me do say though that the common theme for each segment is that the Spider-People are doubting themselves and has some version of J. Jonah Jameson being his usual dicky self and ranting about Spider-Man.

2099: This is a real highlight of not just this crossover, but for the series as a whole. When regular Spidey jumps to the alternate future, the animation goes from traditional 2D to CGI animation similar to the 2003 MTV series starring Neil Patrick Harris. It was a nice change of pace and kind of makes me want to have a new Spider-Man series in that style. It was pretty slick, especially with the design of the Goblin. That's all the good I can really say for this segment though. While it's cool to see Miguel O'Hara for the first time on TV, he doesn't really set himself apart from the others; not to mention I wasn't a fan of his voice here. It does end on a high note though with Peter and Miguel stopping a large antennae from falling to the streets.

SPIDER-GIRL: When it came to the Spider-Girl that would appear on the show, there was speculation to how she'd be done. While it would have been nice to see May Parker, Peter and Mary Jane's daughter from an alternate future, it turned out to be the other likely route and be a Peter Parker from a gender-swapped universe called Petra Parker. Because you know, apparently showing Spider-Man married and have a kid makes him unrelatable for some reason (Quesada logic). When it came to the actual segment itself, I honestly kind of found it sexist and childish. When Spider-Man falls through the portal, he runs out of webbing and ends up being saved by Spider-Girl, who then berates him for "cosplaying" and saying "a boy can't be Spider-Girl." Eventually, Peter's able to convince her of who he is and they team-up to battle the Goblins of their worlds, one of whom is known as Norma Osborn. Here's what I don't get though: I can buy that it's an alternate world where women are more in charge and I assume men are treated unfairly (probably making less money), but based on Spider-Girl's comments, it seems that men haven't done much compared to women in terms of being treated equally. Though I could be wrong and maybe Spider-Girl's like how Peter was at the start of the series and is just immature, but even then, Peter didn't berate White Tiger for being a girl when they first met. I feel I should point out though that if women are considered the stronger gender in this universe, then shouldn't Petra really call herself Spider-Woman instead of girl? It's not like Peter decided to call himself Spider-Boy, and he and Petra should be about the same age. At least the recently created alternate version of Gwen Stacy with spider powers calls herself Spider-Woman. Please note I don't intend any of these comments to be sexist; only an attempt to analyze the segment. Honestly though, it would have been more interesting if they used the May Parker version, seeing not only him possibly having a daughter, but that he and Mary Jane are married.

NOIR: When we meet the Noir Spidey of this segment, I didn't quite like how he was done. Compared to the comics version, he was very hardened and has pushed all his loved ones away. But then I realized, this version of Spider-Man Noir has probably been doing this for much longer than his comics counterpart, so it makes sense for him to be so down in the dumps about his crusade. It's like Batman, as the Noir version of Spidey is constantly compared to. What also stands out during this segment is that we meet the Noir version of Mary Jane, and there are hints to her and Spider-Man having a relationship, the first instance of such since the show began. Even if it isn't the main versions of Peter and MJ, it's nice to see at least some hint of the romance the characters have shared.

SPIDER-HAM: While I've known of Spider-Ham, I've never really had interest in the character. I can't really say much, but what really stands out about this segment is the animation style. With the cartoon animal motif, there's a lot of slapstick comedy, very reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes, and it's actually very well done. It's also worth mentioning that unlike the previous Spideys met so far, Peter doesn't have a brawl with Porker, or the other Spider-Men from this point on. That made me glad, because it would have been tiring to see every Spider-Person be at odds with Peter.

SPYDER-KNIGHT: A new creation for the crossover, we meet a version of the wall crawler living in Medieval times. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of medieval lore so I can't really say much about this segment. But I do applaud them for doing something new, and I'd have to say it is pretty well done.

MILES MORALES: This was my personal favorite segment. When Peter arrives, he thinks he's back in his world, but then finds the Goblin fighting another Spider-Man. Eventually, that world's Goblin arrives and attacks his doppelganger. Considering that the main version of Goblin on the show is a mix of the gadget based 616 Goblin and the mutated version of the Ultimate Goblin, the alternate Goblin here is full-on mutated, looking like a demon and even has the fire powers; he even has gargoyle like wings, but I wasn't a fan of that addition. While the Goblins battle, Peter gets the other Spidey to safety, where he discovers that this Spider-Man is a thirteen year old named Miles Morales. The interaction between the two is great and very reminiscent of their meeting in the "Spider-Men" crossover of the comics. You can tell the scene is written by Brian Michael Bendis because it definitely sounds like a conversation he would write. Eventually Miles tells Peter that this world's version of him had died saving the city. While Miles had his powers before that, he feels guilty, believing that had he done something, Peter may have been saved, and doubts that he can live up the legacy Peter left. Eventually the battling Goblins find their way to the Spider-Men. As Peter's Goblin makes his escape, Peter and Miles have a pretty good battle against that world's Goblin, working well together, making me think of the recent Ultimate Comics "Revival" story where Peter mysteriously comes back from the dead and works with Miles to beat the Goblin. As Peter follows his Goblin again, he gives Miles his blessing and tells him to not worry about being a "Peter Parker Spider-Man" and be a "Miles Morales Spider-Man." As someone that's followed Miles' comic adventures, it was nice to see him being put into the spotlight, and hopefully it gets people interested in the character and see how he's made the role of Spider-Man his own and that we see more of the character outside of the comics. If there's one thing about this segment I didn't like, it's that unlike after Peter's death in the Ultimate Comics, the Jameson of Miles' world is still anti-Spider-Man. I'm gonna chalk that up to the possible fact that like on the show's main universe, he and Peter didn't have a relationship.

Following that, Peter finds himself back in his universe and tracks the Goblin back down. Not only has the Goblin used the blood he stole from the Spider-People to transform himself into the Spider-Goblin, but he's also pieced together that Peter is Spider-Man. With the Spider-Goblin too much to handle, Peter is able to get the Siege Perilous with Electro still trapped inside, and uses it to bring reinforcements in the form of the Spider-People he met through the previous episodes. They all have some pretty good interaction with one another, especially with the others having a hard time taking Spider-Ham seriously. The Spider-Goblin is still too much for them, but they're eventually able to use Electro's powers to fry out the serum the Goblin used, and he transforms back into Norman Osborn, in addition to suffering amnesia, in turn forgetting Spider-Man's identity. But Electro is able to escape the gem and use the Siege Perilous to his own use, placing the whole city at risk of destruction. They're able to take Electro down, and the Siege Perilous has enough juice in it to send the other Spider-People home. Before departing, they all thank Peter for giving them confidence they were all looking for to continue fighting crime. It's very reminiscent of the farewells the four Spider-Men had at the end of "Shattered Dimensions", in a way that shows how much of a part Spider-Man plays not only in one world, but across the multiverse.

Here's how I would rank Peter's dimension visits from best to worst:
1. Miles Morales
2. Noir
3. 2099
4. Spider-Ham
5. Spider-Girl
6. Spyder-Knight

So overall, I thought this was a pretty good story arc. While it could have been better in some areas, it's definitely a high point in the series' run so far, and shows how far it's come since the first episode. Plus, I'm a sucker for alternate versions of Spider-Man and when they interact with each other. So even if you're still not a fan of the show, I'd recommend any Spidey fan to check it out, especially if you enjoyed "Shattered Dimensions". Even if it's not exactly an original idea, it still pays a good tribute to the character and the different ways he's been seen through the years.

SCORE: 7.5/10

Movie Review: "Justice League: Throne of Atlantis" - OUTRAGEOUS! (SPOILERS)

Before I start, if you understand the reference in my review tagline, I hope you had a moment of pure joy when that line was uttered in the movie itself. Now, on to the review.

When Aquaman was replaced with Shazam in last year's "Justice League: War" animated movie, a lot of fans like myself were able to forgive the change as long as a sequel was released and based on the "Throne of Atlantis" comic book story. And sure enough, that's what happened, but with a difference. While in the comics story, Arthur had already been Aquaman and part of the League for years, the film adaptation also serves as an origin story for the character. That decision is what I feel is the source of problems in an otherwise good sequel.

I'll start by saying that this is a very different Aquaman than I'm used to. Since I don't follow the Aquaman comics, including the New 52 origin I believe this is based on, all my exposure to the character has been when he's already king of Atlantis and confident in his role. The origin depicted here delivers a new less polished take. Like "Man of Steel" did with Clark Kent, "Throne of Atlantis" shows a more broody Arthur Curry on his journey to becoming Aquaman. The broodiness is understandable though as Arthur just lost his father and discovering his superhuman abilities, making him unsure of his own future.
While I said that doing the origin may be the source of the film's problems, honestly, the real problem is the short run time of the movies from this line, the average being 75 minutes. When you're doing an origin movie as well as a team movie, things are understandably rushed. Because of that, Arthur has to take in not only the fact that Atlantis is real, but that he's destined by blood to be their new king. When Mera tells him all this, he goes from "I don't believe you" to "Okay, I believe you" in pretty much under a minute. Despite that though, it does show he has doubt in taking on this responsibility, but there's a good moment where Superman puts in his perspective that if he could meet or help anyone from Krypton, he would take it and that Arthur should do it for his own people. There's also how he's discovering his new abilities very quickly, particularly his ability to communicate with fish. I know he's half-Atlantean and it probably comes natural, but Arthur here has lived his life as a human. A training montage of sorts would have helped, cliche as it would be, but it is kind of necessary for an origin story.
Honestly though, I think what would have made the film better is if Arthur was already living in Atlantis and that there was a power struggle between him and his brother Orm over who would rule Atlantis after their mother dies. That way Arthur would already be adept to his powers and we would have had more of a relationship between Arthur and Orm, as I see familial betrayal/feud as having more of an impact. In a way, Arthur and Orm are similar to Thor and Loki, and that's something I'd like to see depicted in the live action movie coming out in a few years.

I'd also like to talk about his design in this film. I may get some flack for saying this, but I like it a lot better than his classic look. It looks more like armor that you'd expect from an ancient civilization, like Wonder Woman and the Amazons. I'm glad that his orange top isn't scaly like it is in the comics.
Problems aside though, the movie does set out what it wanted to do with Aquaman: show what a badass he is, and that's he not just the guy who talks to fish, although that power doesn't get made fun of so much when you can raise a shark out of the water to eat somebody, and yes, that happens in the film.

But of course, while Aquaman is the main focus, this is still considered a Justice League movie. As a sequel to "War", the development of characters from before continues. Since Victor Stone just became Cyborg in the last movie, he's still adapting to his new body and role. There's a dream sequence where he's human only to be woken up by his armor, acting like a very personal alarm clock. It's kind of creepy in a way, but it's something I hope leads up to the armor becoming the sentient Grid from the Trinity War/Forever Evil storylines. It also appears I was wrong from the last review that Victor's relationship issues with his father were resolved more quickly than in the comics, but it appears he still has some resentment toward him, but that should most likely play out in future movies.
As for the rest of the League, well, since the New 52 started, a lot of people complained about how all the heroes are kind of jerks and can't get along with each other. For the most part, it's true, because in the comics, the League only acts like they get along to put the people at ease, but it's after the "Villain's Journey" storyline that they realize they have to stop pretending to be a team and actually act like one. In this movie, I have to agree that everyone is kind of dickish. The animosity between Batman and Green Lantern continues from the last film, with Batman berating him for catching the Scarecrow's men before getting any information out of them. There's also the fact that when Cyborg calls a meeting, only Shazam and Flash show up, having to force everyone to show up. But when they're all together and start on the case, it feels natural how they play off one another and become a real unit, especially compared to the last movie. We also get some one-on-one interaction between Batman and Superman in this movie and they have some good banter while investigating a ransacked professor's office. Superman reminds Batman that he is an investigative journalist, to which Batman replies "Journalism's dead." That's just such a dick thing for Batman to say that it's perfect.

I feel I should bring up Green Lantern though. I made some comments about how he kept getting owned in "War", and while it's not as prominent in this movie, I do feel that's he keeps getting the short straw. There are two constructs he makes that were just weird to me. When he catches the Scarecrow henchmen for Batman, he has them drive on a racetrack and eventually crash into a blockade. It just kind of brought back some bad memories from the Green Lantern movie. Also in the climax in the film, there's an instance where he makes a giant robot that vacuums up Atlanteans. I think that speaks for itself. Along with that, Lantern just seems like the most obnoxious out all the League; it makes me almost wish they used Guy Gardner instead of Hal Jordan.

There's also an element present in this movie that is really underdeveloped: relationships, three in total of this movie. The forefront relationship is between Arthur and Mera. They're a couple in the comics and she becomes his queen, but in the movie, it feels really rushed and I can't really find the chemistry between them. A training montage would have helped show them getting closer; it worked for Trice and Four in "Divergent". A relationship is also sparking between Cyborg and Sarah Charles, his father's assistant from "War". It doesn't get much development, but they do slightly have better chemistry than Arthur and Mera in my opinion.
That brings me to the relationship that actually does show development: Superman and Wonder Woman. Hinted at before in "War", the two heroes have begun a relationship in between films. In a scene straight out of the comic arc, they actually go out in public on a date as Clark Kent and Diana Prince, and Diana is quite surprised that wearing a pair of glasses can hide a superhero identity (trust us Di, it surprises all of us). But what makes the scene interesting is when Lois Lane shows up and is surprised to see Clark on a date with someone like Diana. I may be reading too much into this, but there might be potential of a love triangle; I'm not sure how it would play with the plan of one Justice League and one Batman movie released every year as part of this new universe, but I think there's potential.

Like "War", there's a lot of action. I can't really say much other than it really showcases the characters' powersets. There's two moments I loved when Aquaman and Mera are fighting the Trench and the League show up one by one to help out. When the Flash shows up and takes out a few, he introduces himself to Arthur, and then he punches out one of the Trench coming up behind them. The other moment is actually the end of the fight when Superman drops down hard in the middle of the scene with his eyes glowing and it scares the rest of the Trench back into the sea. Considering the use of the Atlanteans, a lot of the fight scenes remind me of "The Flashpoint Paradox", particularly the violence; there's a lot of impalements in this movie.

One area I think that has shown improvement from "War" to "Throne" is that the voice acting has gotten better, mostly due to some recastings. The biggest improvement is Nathan Fillion reprising Green Lantern from past DC animated films. Even through GL's obnoxiousness, Fillion can still pull it off; he really is the definitive Green Lantern voice, like Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly are for Batman and Superman, respectively. Jerry O'Connell and Rosario Dawson have also taken over the roles for Superman and Wonder Woman, and they sound so much better than their previous voice actors. When you have big roles, you need some big name stars. Everyone else that stuck around continue to do a good job; I'm even coming around to Jason O'Mara's Batman.
But let's not forget the newer cast members. Matt Lanter, who voiced Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars CGI show, does a good job as Aquaman, playing both the self-doubter and pulling off the powerful voice you'd expect from a character from royalty. Then you have Orm voiced by Sam Witwer, who portrayed the vampire Aidan in the SyFy drama "Being Human" and provided the voice and likeness of Starkiller for the Force Unleashed video games. Hmm, funny how these brothers have Star Wars alumni doing their voices. Anyway, I feel Witwer was able to channel some of Tom Hiddleston's Loki in his performance, and that helped in my opinion considering the similarities between character. I've always liked Witwer and this is just another performance I've enjoyed from him.

I do have to mention the one character that suffers in this movie: Black Manta. Being one of Aquaman's archenemies, Manta is for the most part relegated to a henchman to Orm. While he states that he has his own plans for Atlantis was manipulating Orm's actions, that doesn't come apparent until the very end. But alas, despite being considered a badass like Boba Fett, he seemingly dies like a bitch...much like Boba Fett. For such a popular character, I think it would have been more interesting had Manta betrayed Orm and at some point took over the Atlantean armies for himself.

There's just two things I need to point out that I found a little weird or underdeveloped:

• After Orm kills his mother and takes the Throne, he's able to rally his troops to a war with the surface by claiming that the queen was killed by a surface dweller. When you think about it, it just doesn't make sense for an explanation? How exactly could a surface dweller go unnoticed, survive the pressures of being so deep underwater, sneak into the royal chambers, and kill the queen? Ladies and gentlemen, that does not make sense.
• Orm is able to summon lighting that transforms Shazam back into Billy. That moment just left me really confused. How could Orm have pulled that off? I mean, I know it's magic lightning, but I really think Billy himself has to summon the lightning, but even then it has to be a different kind of magic lightning compared to Orm's. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into this. I do hope however that Shazam's secret is out and the rest of the League know he's just a kid, because that opens some new possible storylines, similar to how in the "Young Justice" animated series how they questioned whether to allow Billy to remain in the League after they find out his true age.
• Was there really any point to having a cameo from John Henry Irons, the man who would become Steel? Unless they're hinting at him becoming the hero in a future movie, it's kind of a waste. But between this and Lois' appearance, maybe they're planning a new Superman focused animated movie at some point, my best bet being the "Doomed" arc, considering both characters' roles in that story.

Like the last film, there's another post-credits scene that sets up next year's sequel. Unlike last time though, I'm not sure what to expect. I won't spoil it here, but it appears they're setting up a film with the Secret Society...or Legion of Doom...or Injustice League. One of those anyway; honestly, it's hard to keep track of what the premiere supervillain team is in the DCU.

While not as good as "War" in my opinion, "Throne of Atlantis" delivers an entertaining follow-up, with the positive attributes of good character interaction, action moments (like the ones showing Aquaman's badassery), and voice acting overshadowing its short comings that are mostly the result of its limited run time. If you've enjoyed what you've seen from this new DC universe, you might as well continue the journey.

SCORE: 7.5/10

Comics Review: "Amazing X-Men: World War Wendigo" - A Hairy Situation

Following Jason Aaron's initial arc for the new "Amazing X-Men" title, he left the book and was succeeded by past X-Men writers Chris Yost and Craig Kyle. So with their first arc, "World War Wendigo", it was somewhat like starting on a new series again. I was worried I wouldn't like the transition after enjoying the last story so much, but it turns out I should have more faith in the two.

So in Canada in the Marvel universe, there's a spiritual curse that those who eat human flesh would become Wendigo, and those they bite and scratch would also receive the curse. Considering the story starts with a murder at a meatpacking plant and the body is ground up and shipped out with the rest of the product, you can probably guess the results. The title of the story is probably a good indication too.

Aside from that, Wolverine has also made a trip up to Canada to help his old friend Heather Hudson find her husband James, who's gone missing after a pretty big argument. The Hudsons are also part of the Canadian superhero team, Alpha Flight. With his tracking skills, Logan and Heather track James to a seemingly abandoned town. It's here we get a cool moment where Logan uses his skills to figure out that James was attacked by a Wendigo. What I really liked about that moment is that it showed more of a detective side to Logan that I haven't seen before and another way his powers could be used.

Meanwhile back at the Jean Grey school, Colossus has returned to join the team. He's greeted by Nightcrawler and they have a funny conversation about how they've both died and come back. I must say, considering that the last few years has shown him to be possessed by the Gem of Cyttorak and gained Juggernaut's powers (earning him the fan name "Juggerlossus") and has been part of Cable's violent X-Force team, it's gonna be nice to see Colossus back in a more traditional role with the X-Men.
In addition, Storm is trying to find Logan at the school, worried about him being out alone since he's lost his healing factor. What I like about this is that it shows that Storm is the mother figure of the group, worried about the others and wanting them to bring out the best in them. She's able to get the answer of Logan's whereabouts from Iceman, and they have a good conversation that's called back to later in the story. She then has Rachael Summers use Cerebro to get an exact location. Rachael's having trouble, but once Storm threatens to just let her "teenage mother", she gets a hit, discover the situation . To clear something up, Storm was referring to the Jean Grey from the past shown in "All-New X-Men". And to clear THAT up, Rachael is the daughter of Scott and Jean from a possible future. To the casual fan, that may seem weird, but for long time readers, displaced characters from alternate timelines and futures are quite normal. If you see an X-Men character, there's like a 10% chance they're not from the present. I can name three more right off the bat: Bishop, Cable, and X-Man (who he himself is an alternate version of Cable). But I'm getting off point. Back to the story.

What I liked about the last arc by Aaron was the interaction between the characters. Thankfully, Yost and Kyle have retained that aspect. Aside from the interactions I've mentioned before, we also get more interaction between Iceman and Firestar, which only furthers my hopes that they enter a relationship at some point.
We also get more of a look at Northstar, who didn't have much spotlight in the last arc. The only aspects I really ever knew about the character were that he was gay and could fly at super speeds. After getting to know him, he seems a little stuck up at first but once you get to know him, you can see there's a caring person in there, shown when he rushes to save a girl from Wendigo, even when Nightcrawler is already trying to help her. We then meet his twin sister Aurora, also part of Alpha Flight, and let's just say that she's even more stuck up than he is and kind of has a cold personality. I guess it makes for good conflict between the siblings. Considering it's my first real time reading the two characters, I'll assume they're always like that.
I've mentioned Alpha Flight a couple times in this post already, so I feel I should mention my thoughts on them since this is pretty much a team-up story between them and the X-Men. I have no past reading about Alpha Flight and this story didn't do much to get me interested in them. That is all.

We're also treated to an appearance by the Avengers, specifically the big (Cap, Thor, and Stark), who are helping keep the Wendigo virus from spreading into the US while the X-Men handle it in Canada. They're not a big part of the story, but I actually like their appearance here. In a lot of recent Marvel stories, the Avengers are the main team to help stop the threat while other characters like the X-Men are there in a more supporting role. To see it reversed here is a nice change of pace.

There's one thing I also think is relevant to speak about here: Wolverine. While it's his team and he makes an appearance, he is quickly incapacitated 2/5 into the story because he himself has become a Wendigo. That leaves the rest of the team to stop the curse. This is pretty significant because this is the last arc starring Wolverine before his recent death take effect in the series. I've been worried that the future lack of Wolverine would make me lose interest, but after reading this story and seeing other great characters interact with one another, it shows that while Wolverine's the flagship X-Men character, he's not necessary to tell good stories (now someone tell Fox that; ha ha). In a way, "World War Wendigo" could be seen as a way to ween readers off of Wolverine before he totally gone "forever" (considering how comic book deaths work, you know the reason for the quotation marks).

If there's one thing I found lacking in this story, it was the ending. It gets a little crazy when part of the team enters the spirit realm to stop the Wendigo curse at the source, but there is a pretty awesome moment where some of the heroes are granted god-like elemental forms (lightning for Storm, fire for Firestar, and ice for Iceman) to stop the big bad. Aside from that, the ending is kind of rushed too. In the "Quest for Nightcrawler" arc, we had the main story in five issues with a fallout issue after that with Kurt getting a welcome home celebration. In "World War Wendigo", after the curse is destroyed, we aren't shown much other than characters recovering and we're left wondering whether a little girl's mother is alive or dead after everything that happened. It just needed more in my opinion.

But aside from its problems, Yost and Kyle continue what made Aaron's initial arc for the series so enjoyable: good character interaction and heroes being heroes. If you liked Aaron's "Quest for Nightcrawler", you should be able to enjoy Yost and Kyle's "World War Wendigo" and look forward to what those two have up their sleeve next.

STORY RATING: 7/10
RECOMMENDATION RATING 9/10