Return of the Blog: Trailer Round-Up

Hi guys! Sorry for disappearing on you, but life got real crazy for a bit there. Let’s talk movie trailers: 

Captain America: Civil War

Ok, so this one has been long anticipated. It was nice to see the beginnings of the Tony/Steve conflict, and it was great to see T’Challa revealed in live action. I’m not super excited yet, to be honest. It’s a solid trailer, but after rewatching it just once, I felt satisfied.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

This trailer took a big gamble by opening with a character scene between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, with Lex Luthor interrupting later. I think that the Bruce/Clark tension paid off, and I think that Bruce knows that Clark is Superman. I wouldn’t be surprised if Clark knows that Bruce is Batman.

The controversial part of this trailer seems to be the reveal of Doomsday. I personally LOVED it. The roar before he appears was so exciting to me that I practically leapt onto my couch, Tom Cruise style! I like the look, I like the fact that he’s the villain. I loved the Wonder Woman scene as well, and the Trinity standing together was a scene that nearly made me roll a tear. I’ve waited my whole life for these heroes to meet in live action. I’m beyond excited.

X-Men: Apocalypse

I have been a huge fan of the recent X-Men films, so I’ll be seeing this as soon as I can. As a trailer, it works well. It didn’t excite me as much as BvS, but there were great moments. I want these young actors to do amazing things. I like the look of Apocalypse. I love the iconic Professor X look at the tail end. I think I like this trailer better than the Civil War one.
What do you think? Feel free to fight me on these if you like. 😊

Supergirl 1.2 Thoughts

A week after the events of the pilot, Supergirl finds that she doesn’t know everything. In fact, she makes her share of mistakes. Meanwhile, Cat Grant is demanding that her staff land a Supergirl interview to pull the Tribune ahead of the Daily Planet. She leans hard on Olsen to do this. Kara undergoes fight training with Alex to better hone her skills, while Henshaw seems to be hiding something. In the midst of all of this, Kara’s Kryptonian aunt Astrid reveals herself, and battles Kara.

While not quite as exciting as last week, this is still a great episode. Cat reveals that she started as Perry White’s assistant at the Daily Planet before breaking out as a gossip columnist. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are mentioned. More importantly, the story does go through some feminist perspectives, although certain parts do risk becoming heavy-handed if not handled well. 

I recommend Supergirl wholeheartedly. Go catch up now.

Flash 2.4 thoughts

The team has to scramble to find a possible match for Professor Stein if they want to save him. Two potential candidates come up: Jefferson Jackson, a highly intelligent former football player, and Henry Hewitt, a scientist. After screening both, Hewitt proves to be incompatible with Stein, but does awaken his dormant ability, becoming Tokamak, a villain from the comics who is jealous of Firestorm. Jeff is reluctant to be a part of Firestorm at first, but once he sees that Martin needs him in order to live, he steps up.

Top notch episode, even if Flash was in the background this week. I like the new Firestorm, but I miss Ronnie. The Harrison Wells stuff was intriguing, and it was amazing to see King Shark!

The seed was apparently planted for Wally to be Iris’ brother. Not sure if I’m ok with that, but we will see how it plays out. Looking forward to next week!

Supergirl Series Premiere thoughts

  
When a Supergirl TV show was first announced, I was apprehensive. The last time Supergirl was launched out of the comics on her own, it was for 1984’s Supergirl, which starred Helen Slater, and promptly flopped at the box office. 

Initial photos of Melissa Benoist in costume didn’t inspire me, either. At first glance, the design looks lazy. It literally looks like someone cut the logo out of fabric from Michael’s and adhered it with a special craft kit. And her hair still seemed more strawberry blonde than anything. I was stuck on Kara having been blonde for the entirety of her existence.
In spite of all of this, I was quite taken by the extended preview released several months ago. The cast seemed to gel, and the spirit of the show seemed upbeat! *GASP* I’m pleased to tell you that the show is very much in this spirit of fun and whimsy, in spite of the drama in Kara’s life.

The show starts on Krypton. Jor-El and Lara are launching baby Kal-El to Earth, and in a nearby dwelling, Zor-El and Allura are sending their daughter, Kara, who looks to be around 12, to be Kal-El’s protector on Earth. (If you don’t know already, they’re cousins.) Kara’s rocket is pulled into a wormhole, and is stuck there for 24 years. When the ship breaks free, it makes its way to Earth. Kal-El, now Superman, finds his now-younger cousin and matches her with a family to care for her.

Cut to National City. Kara, now a young adult, is an errand girl for media mogul Cat Grant. Kara becomes smitten with new guy James Olsen, Pulitzer winning Metropolis photographer who now works for Grant. Her sister Alex works in National City as well. When Kara strikes out on a blind date and Alex’s plane starts to go down, Kara takes action, revealing herself to the world.

The origin story is executed in a way that explains what it needs to, but doesn’t get bogged down, as some stories do. The entire first episode is imminently watchable, and leaves the viewer interested in what happens next. 

What we really have here is several things: a solid superhero show, a show with a more diverse cast than most superhero shows, and a family-friendly show that hopefully encourages girls to dream bigger.

Supergirl airs on Monday nights at 8/7 central.

New podcast!

Go here to listen: GeekCast Episode 4

Comics Review: I Hate Fairyland

Skottie Young is a very talented artist and writer. You might recognize the Young Marvek titles he has recently worked on. I think I have only noticed his work in the past year, possibly following an interaction at c2e2 with him in Artist’s Alley. He has a style that stands apart, to be sure. He leans toward cartoon much more than photorealistic. His creator-owned Image comic, I Hate Fairyland, has only been out for a couple of weeks, but it’s making some waves.

  
I read a lot of the hype during the first week. That, combined with really enjoying Mr. Young’ style, prompted me to pick up the first issue. Truthfully, it was a worthwhile purchase for me. If you like dark comedy, it’s probably for you.

  
I Hate Fairyland takes the clichés of a fairy tale and puts them on their sides. The story follows Gertrude, a seemingly ten year old who is actually 37. She has been trapped in Fairyland since she was 10, and she’s bitter about it. She has been searching for a key for most of that time. She sort of swears, and she flips the bird to other Fairyland residents. She has no qualms about killing creatures just to shut them up.

  
I Hate Fairyland is essentially a fantasy realm that would make Tarantino proud. There are bright colors and cute creatures, but there is also blood and guts. The plot is fairly compelling as well. I truly can’t wait to see what issue 2 brings us.

  
I Hate Fairyland is available at your local comic book store. In south Chicago, pick it up at Amazing Fantasy.

Arrow 4.3 thoughts

Damn! This episode started at about an 8 and never let up. Felicity grew a backbone and told Oliver and Diggle to get over their issues. She even basically locked them in a cave and made them figure it out. They’re forced to team up to take down Damien Darhke’s latest operative, Double Down, as Thea and Laurel are in Nanda Parbat to convince Malcolm to revive Sara.

Malcolm refuses to allow Sara to be revived at first, but once he realizes that allowing Laurel to do what she came to do is the only way to get Thea to give him a chance, he gives in. He explains to Thea that she’s experiencing Bloodlust, and that the only cure is to kill the one who attacked her. Since Ra’s is already dead, Thea has to learn to cope somehow.

Wickedly good ep. Can’t wait to see more of Sara next week.

Comics review: The Flash: Move Forward

To be very honest, I don’t usually make it a point to read solo comic books starring The Flash. I enjoy him when he teams up with other characters, and I cannot imagine a Justice League without either Barry or Wally in the lineup.

In The Flash: Move Forward, some significant changes are in place. Most notably, Barry Allen, like most of the other main heroes, has only been the Flash for 5 years. He is dating Patty Spivot, but is aware of journalist Iris West. His mother was killed, so that aspect stuck with the new story. This isn’t an origin story, but it’s unique in that Barry considers for the first time how the Speed Force affects his brain, which he feels he will need to defeat Mob Rule, a nearly omnipresent villain.

This book crackles with great dialogue and art, both brought to us by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccatello. The art has a very optimistic feel, almost retro in some instances. We do run into Captain Cold and Grodd, and the story wraps up with a massive cliffhanger.

The Flash: Move Forward is available wherever comics are sold. In south Chicago, pick it up at Amazing Fantasy.

Flash 2.3 thoughts

The Snart family is back! I liked the portrayal of Captain Cold’s humanity here, as well as Glider and Cisco having chemistry. I was pleased to see that Jay didn’t leave. He’s a great character. I hope he gets his speed back soon! Lovely stuff with Joe and Iris. 

Professor Stein is great, too. I hated seeing him suffer with the Firestorm thing. I like that he will get a new partner next week, but man, I miss Ronnie! I think Barry is growing as a character, too. So good! Still my favorite show.

New GeekCast!

Listen here: GeekCast Episode 3.0

Let me know what you think! Feel free to comment here and argue, I agree, or say whatever inspires you after listening to me ramble! Thanks for reading, and thanks for listening!