House of the Dragon vs. The Rings of Power: Which Was Better?

We are lucky to live in a time when we can partake of different versions of high fantasy. I myself am a HUGE Tolkien fan starting from the books. I read The Silmarillon within the day I got it one Christmas morning, stopping only for brief naps, and getting something to eat. On the other hand, my experience with House of the Dragon is primarily with the HBO series of which I suppose I am in the minority when I say that I enjoyed how that series ended. Having said all of that, I will now share my ratings of these two high fantasy series with a five-star rating scale. Five stars is the highest score on this scale. It’s a bit uneven since Rings only had eight episodes while House had ten. Though I will be averaging the scores in the end. For those of you who haven’t watched both or either yet this is a WARNING THAT THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. It’s time to go on an adventure. Come join me.

Episode One: Heirs of the Dragon vs. A Shadow of the Past. House of the Dragons got me at DRAGONS while The Rings of Power got me at VALINOR. These are two very exciting beginnings with both episodes setting the table quite well on what to expect in the stories to come. That being said, the first episodes were a very good start for both franchises. To that I gave each series four stars, and so the first episode duel ends in a tie. Moving on…

Episode Two: The Rogue Prince vs. Adrift. In The Rogue Prince we get a better look at Daemon Targaryen, the brother of Viserys, and apparently the black sheep between the two. The episode also establishes the closeness between Daemon, and Rhaenyra. On the other hand, Adrift focuses on Galadriel being lost at sea with an apparaent new ally, and Elrond makes the trek to Khazad-dum to visit his old friend Durin. With this I give House three stars vs. Rings two stars. In which case, House of the Dragon wins this round with its steady though unspectacular storytelling. I was really disappointed with the details of this episode of The Rings of Power. I mean, how in the name of Eru do you get to meet ship stragglers in the Sundering Seas? Inconceivable. Then there is Elrond making the walk from Eregion to Khazad-dum within a day? Without any encounters? Really. That just didn’t ride well with me, hence the rating.

Episode Three: Second of His Name vs. Adar. In Second of His Name, we are at the name day of young Prince Aegon who is named after the legendary Aegon the Conqueror. There’s a bit of a time jump here where we see the fruits of Allicent’s marriage to King Viserys. This is all happening while Daemon faces the Crabfeeder. In Adar, we finally get to see a glimpse of the legendary kingdom of the Dunedain: Numenor. Also, we get to delve into more events that happen in the Southlands which many a Tolkien geek will know eventually becomes Mordor. Numenor was enough for me to give Rings of Power four stars for this episode. On the other hand, House gains three stars for me. The episode was good, but nothing caught my eye to nudge the score higher.

Episode Four: King of the Narrow Sea vs. The Great Wave. After the events in Second of His Name, Rhaenyra continues her search for a suitable husband, while Daemon continues being the black sheep by seducing his underaged niece Rhaenyra in King of the Narrow Sea. Yikes. Over in The Great Wave, some shenanigans happen over at Numenor involving Galadriel while back in the Southlands the ranger elf, Arondir, has a decision to make. I’ll be blunt. Both episodes get one star for me for VERY BAD storytelling. You’d think that the security in the Red Keep could be a lot tighter going IN and OUT. How in all of the Seven Kingdoms can Daemon, and Rhaenyra go in and out with NO resistance? I’m surprised that Viserys or any of his blood didn’t ‘benefit’ negatively from those lapses in security. While over there in The Rings of Power, I can’t believe the same thing with the security of Numenor giving Galadriel that opportunity to escape. Come on, writers. This is Galadriel we are talking about…of course she’ll easily escape given the chance. Then there’s Adar, and his chance to just end the life of Arondir. That’s another head-scratching moment for me. You’re supposed to be one of the first fallen elves, Adar. Your wisdom is found wanting. Overall, I’d really like to forget that these episodes happened.

Episode Five: We Light the Way vs. Partings. In We Light the Way Daemon visits his wife, Lady Lhea Royce, in the Vale which results in Lady Lhea dying ‘accidentally’. There is also some politicking between the Targaryen’s, and the Valaryons. Such a classic move for Game of Thrones viewers. Over in Partings, this is the coolest I’ve seen of Galadriel since episode one, and the calmest in all of season one. I like this version of Galadriel over the arrogant, and impetuous one that we see most of the time. We also get insight of the relationship of elven trees, and mithril. This all leads to the story of the Silmarils. I’m a sucker for Tolkien lore, and this version of Galadriel so with that I’m giving Rings five stars vs. House’s three stars. So far, House of the Dragon has been pretty steady, but nothing really catches my eye since episode one.

Episode Six: The Princess and The Queen vs. Udun. We have a ten year time jump for The Princess and The Queen. Allicent becomes more curious of Rhaenyra’s children because they do not have the recognizable silver hair. Daemon loses his wife Laena Velaryon after she commits suicide by exposing herself to Vagar’s dragon breath. You really can’t blame her since she lost her baby at childbirth. I suppose the emotional struggle was unbearable for her. Over in Udun, war happens as the army of Numenor steps in to save the Southlanders from the attack of the orcs led by Adar. All’s not so well as we get the reason why Mordor is the way it is as the episode ends with an eruption from Mount Doom. Three stars for both series with up-and-down storytelling, but nothing really happened to deserve a higher score for both.

Episode 7: Driftmark vs. The Eye. Here’s where House of the Dragon gets interesting for me in Driftmark. This is the funeral of Laen and aftermath to that. This is a beautiful episode that is the calm before the storm. Viserys is dying, and it shows. He manages to gather his family to get along up to one ominous dinner. You can feel his influence in the factions of Allicent, and Rhaenyra. It really is just his presence, and influence that are holding the Targaryen’s together. There isn’t a lot of action here, but the tension is at a boiling point, and I really love the undercurrents set in motion here. This episode is worth five stars. On the other hand, The Eye gets three stars for me with a slow but even story in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption. Queen Miriel of Numenor is now blind. The Harfoots run into a group that is hunting for a returned Sauron. Durin sides with Elrond for the mithril. All good, but nothing to push my rating beyond three stars.

Episode 8: The Lord of the Tides vs. Alloyed. The Lord of the Tides showed the last exercise of power by Viserys. He supports in person on the Iron Throne the legitimacy of his grandson’s (Rhaeneyra’s son) succeed in the Driftmark. Vaemond Valeryon challenges this by calling out the parentage of Rhaenyra’s sons which leads to him being decapitated by Daemon. Also, in his dying breath, Viserys causes enough confusion to make Allicent believe that his grandson Aegon, and not Rhaenyra should succeed him on the Iron Throne. Such a beautiful episode that gets five stars from me. In another world, Alloyed is the last episode of The Rings of Power. We find out that ‘meteor man’ is Gandalf, and Halbrand, Galadriel’s closest ally, is in fact Sauron. I’m not surprised with this, and I can deduce from what I know from Tolkien lore that Sauron as the Bringer of Gifts is in fact Sauron. Same goes for Gandalf though his appearance in Middle-Earth is a bit off to me. Also, we get to see the Elven Rings of Power made with the help of Halbrand/Sauron. Having said that, I can only give Alloyed four stars, and not five. I was expecting something much more for a final episode. These events weren’t enough for me to give Alloyed five stars.

Episode 9: The Green Council. Since there aren’t any more episodes of Rings of Power, I will be moving forward with my review with only House of the Dragon episodes starting with The Green Council. Here we get to see the aftermath of Viserys’s death. Allicent makes her move to establish her son, Aegon as King of the Seven Kingdoms. With her allies, Allicent begins to remove threats to Aegon’s rule, and preven anyone from joining Rhaenyra’s side. She gives an offer to Rhaenys Velaryon to basically ‘join her or die‘. Rhaenys gives her answer with a roar from her dragon, Melys. Rhaenys then storms out majestically on Melys out of Aegon’s crowning ceremony, and off to join Rhaenyra. The battle lines are being drawn, and the Dance of Dragons is coming. This episode gets five stars for me.

Episode 10: The Black Queen. Now this is how you end a season with a promise of what is to come. The Black Queen shows us the reaction of Rhaenyra to the crowning of Aegon II as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. It is interesting to note that the crown worn by Aegon II is the crown Aegon the Conqueror while Rhaenyra wears the crown of her father Viserys who was an advocate of peace. And, this is exactly what Rhaenyra did in the episode: eveything in her power to avoid war. It’s what her father would’ve wanted. To the very end of the episode she was forging alliances to ensure peace. Unfortunately, Vhagar and Aemond had other plans. In a diplomatic mission, Luke Targaryen, and his dragron , Arrax, were devoured by Vhagar in an aerial assault. Rhaenyra’s expression at the end of this episode says it all. No need for words. THIS IS WAR. Five stars for me on an excellent ending to the first season of House of the Dragon.

So who won the battle of supremacy in high fantasy? Totalling my scores, ten episodes vs. eight, House of the Dragon wins over The Rings of Power 3.75. over 3.25. House of the Dragon was mostly steady until it reached its second act where the story really picked up. On the other hand, Rings of Power had all the lore within its grasp, but suffered from inconsistent, and sometimes lazy storytelling. As a long-time Tolkien fan, I’m hoping that the showrunners come up with a much better season two. Season one was passable, but below expections. Meanwhile, House of the Dragon is on course for an explosive second season getting us into the meat of Dance of Dragons. In any case, I enjoyed both series. It just so happens that House of Dragon was better.

Agree with me? Disagree with me? Give me a comment. I’m off to the next adventure.

Young Justice Season Four: Second Half Spoilers

The second half of Young Justice season four is finally done, and if you want a recap of my review for the first half, it’s right here. If the title still doesn’t give you an idea that there’ll be spoilers, then I’m telling you here: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. Having said that, let’s see what I thought about the second part of season four.

Lar-Zod with Darkseid and His Minions

Let me begin by talking about some of my predictions for the second part in my previous review. Firstly, I mentioned that I thought the big baddie for this series was going to be Mordru from the 31st Century. I was DEAD WRONG. Turns out that the threat from the 21st Century is General Zod. This is quite appropriate considering, as predicted, Superboy wasn’t dead, but was actually trapped in the Phantom Zone due to his rescue by Phantom Girl. It was in the Phantom Zone that Superboy encounters General Zod. Back in standard reality, we find out that it was General Zod’s son, Lor-Zod, is responsible for the ‘death’ of Superboy after stealing a time sphere from the 31st Century.

Next, I also predicted two other story elements. One (the long shot) was the return of Wally West who might show up to save Superboy. That didn’t happen. Sigh. I’m still hoping he gets to return from the Speed Force bringing the A Team back to full power. I also predicted that we’ll see more Legionnaires show up in Young Justice. With the apperance of Brainiac 5 who travels back in time to retrieve the stranded Saturn Girl, Chameleon Boy, and Phantom Girl. I got my wish. So, I’m at fifty percent for these predictions. Yey for me.

Lagoon Boy, and the Aquamen

As to the story sequence, I also said that the last three arcs would focus on Aquaman, Nightwing, and Rocket. I was on the money on that one with Nightwing’s arc appropriately ending season four. It was fitting to have Kaldur’ahm aka Aquaman/Aqualad begin the second part of season four. It was a continuation of the mystical story arc that ended in part one with Zatanna. Here we get to find Vandal Savage up to his nefarious schemes again by trying to take control of the Kingdoms of Atlantis. Fortunately, Kaldur and company were able to thwart this plan which secured the safety of Earth for the moment.

Rocket aka Racquel

The next story arc focused on Rocket. With Rocket, the plot was about creating a pact between New Genesis, and the Green Lantern Corps vs. the power of Apokolips. She visited New Genesis to establish a treaty among the two aliend organizations, and Earth. Additionally, Rocket’s story arc focused on her relationship with her son, Amistad, who is autistic. Young Justice knocks it out of the ballpark again with this interpersonal story hook. We already have an overarching element in Beast Boy’s bout with depression. Now Young Justice adds to the mix the challenges of having a child with autism. This is just another example of what makes this series such a beautiful investment to view. Oh, also Rocket was able to broker an alliance with New Genesis, and the Green Lantern Corps.

From Left: Rocket, Miss Martian, Nightwing, Superboy, and Zatanna

Appropriately, the final arc for season four was headlined by the return of Nightwing to the team. I keep saying this, but I’ll say it again. Nightwing/Dick Grayson is a better team leader than Batman. This goes all the way back to his comic book roots even as Robin. We get to see that here in full display in this final arc. With Nightwing at the lead, the A Team was able to bring back Conner Kent from the Phantom Zone, and prevent the destructive fate of the universe under the crushing heels of the Zods. With that settled, Miss Martian, and Superboy could finally get married, albeit on Earth instead of Mars. Another happy ending for all…or is it?

From Left: The Foragers, Orion, Rocket, Jay Garrick Flash, and Lightray

Though the season ended with a happy wedding for our heroes, there are more challenges to face. Zod, and his forces were rescued from the Phantom Zone once again by Apokolips. Add to that the defection of Mary Marvel, AND Supergirl (Kara); and you have a more powerful force to face. I’m wondering if Supergirl’s appearance in Apokolips will follow the path of a familiar Batman/Superman comic story arc. Furthermore, Dru-Zod with the power of the Emerald Eye of Ekron retreats to Daxam…you know that planet of beings with powers similar to Kryptonians. It gets better. Dru-Zod is pregnant with General Zod’s child, and appears to want to raise this child on Daxam. Finally, Ma’alefa’ak who is Miss Martian’s brother, and enemy of Earth was gifted Durla by Darkseid as a reward for his services. For those of you unfamiliar with Durla, this is the planet of shapeshifters from which Chameleon Boy was born. Does this mean that Ma’alefa’ak is the ancestor of the Durlan shapeshifters like Chameleon Boy? Curiouser, and Curiouser. We’ll have to wait for season five (crossing fingers) to find out how these new story arcs pan out.

The A Team From Left: Zatanna, Superboy, Miss Martian, Aquaman, Tigress, Nightwing, and Rocket

Young Justice season four continues the excellent visuals, and storytelling that previous seasons have provided. The series not only centers on superheroics, but also delves deep into the interpersonal relationships among the main characters. Season four adds not only action, and intrigue, but also real life emotional problems such as dealing with depression, and autism. To my mind, this is the best western superhero series out there whether animated or live action. Young Justice is now streaming on HBO Max.

‘The Batman’: Grit, Grime, and Greatness

A lot has been said about Matt Reeves’s ‘The Batman’ with Robert Pattinson before it came out. Did we need another Batman movie? Could Robert Pattinson depict the character properly? Did we even need ANOTHER Batman? These are just some of the questions critics, and fans alike asked of the new Batman movie. Many even doubted ‘The Batman’ would hit its expected stride. With the movie now out in theatres, not only does it hit its stride, it soars…like a bat out of Hell. To my mind, three words describe the film: Grit, Grime, and Greatness.

The Batman

I’ll go out on a limb with this declaration: Robert Pattinson portrays THE BEST Batman in any live-action film. He gets the character. He radiates the aura of Batman as he approaches, and even when he is not around. Pattinson’s Batman isn’t the perfect combatant. He gets hit, goes down, then gets up to beat the crap out of whoever he is fighting. He isn’t the perfect detective. There are clues he misses, and only realizes as an afterthought. He doesn’t have the perfect memory so much so that he relies on camera contact lenses (which I find cool, mind you) to record his encounters to review them. Pattinson’s Batman doesn’t have all the answers. He relies on his allies like Alfred to get the work done. And you know what? That’s ok. We do not need a ‘Bat-God’, as Batman is depicted most of the time nowadays. Pattinson’s Batman is ‘Bat-Human’, and that fits the character, and ‘The Batman’ film quite well.

The Penguin

Aside from Pattinson’s Batman, one of the strongest characterizations in ‘The Batman’, and arguably even better that Pattinson’s Batman, is Colin Farrell as The Penguin. I consider Farrell’s Penguin to be the frontrunner for best supporting actor in all the major film award giving bodies in this early cinematic year. Farrell’s Penguin is a grounded mafia boss who rules the underworld in the shadows…the same shadows Batman patrols. Farrell’s Penguin is reminiscent of all those Italian mobsters of other movies that came before. The difference? Farrell is portraying an Italian mobster super villain in a very much grounded super hero film. Farrell’s Penguin goes through layers of emotion in the story from his calm collected demeanor upon meeting Batman for the first time to his squirmy fearful crime boss who tried to elude Batman later in narrative. True, Colin Farrell has had some great acting performances in the past. However, Farrell’s Penguin will stand out as one of the greatest performances in cinema to date.

The Bat, and the Cat

Another powerful performance is Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. There have been some criticism of casting Zoe as Catwoman because of her skin color. Selina Kyle in the comic books is a white female catburglar. To me, since I am familiar and appreciate all those Elseworld stories of the past, this alteration to the characters ethnicity is not an issue. What is important is the telling of a great story. Zoe Kravitz provides in ‘The Batman’ a Catwoman with excellent chemistry with Pattinson’s Batman on-screen. That is not to say that Kravitz’s Catwoman cannot stand on her own. On the contrary. In ‘The Batman’, Catwoman shows her independent nature, not willing to put her destiny in the hands of the Dark Knight Detective. Instead, she deals with deadly encounters on her terms, and if Batman wants to tag along she drags him around with a crack of her bullwhip. This is a credit to Kravitz’s Catwoman, and she deserves much love for her role in making ‘The Batman’ the cinematic masterpiece that it is.

The Riddler

With ‘The Batman’, Matt Reeves has created a film that is a a detective noir mystery story with a guy in a bat suit as its central character. That is not a disrespect to ‘The Batman’. It is a well-deserved compliment for a film that allows a super hero movie to be grounded enough to be relatable to the audience. If anything, Reeves’s cinematic appoach to ‘The Batman’ keeps the audience at the edge of their seat with contnued interest. As a primary antagonist, The Ridder is a combination of all the current real life serial killer and terrorist personas rolled into one. Batman doesn’t seem to be a step ahead of The Riddler. In fact, The Riddler is several steps ahead of Batman. This just creates more appeal to the overall story of ‘The Batman’ with Reeves providing us the experience of learning with the titular character, and in effect creating a powerful emotional hook to Batman’s journey in this movie. Indeed, with the highs and lows of Batman through Riddler’s machinations, Reeves has created a Batman that is all the more relatable, and all the more worth emulating as a super hero.

Batman in GCPD

All in all we have a Batman movie that stands on its own merits. Forget about direct comic book references that connect to any particular storyline. ‘The Batman’ takes its influence from many well-known comic book stories. However, it only uses them, including the characters, as reference while allowing it to come up with its own voice. If your goal is to pinpoint an exact storyline for ‘The Batman’ lifted from the comic books then prepare to be disappointed. It is better to have all these Bat-stories of the past in mind, if you know them, and see this film through a different lens. With that, you will be gifted with an inspired cinematic experience.

Enter the world of Matt Reeves’s ‘The Batman’ to appreciate this latest vison of the Dark Knight. ‘The Batman’ is now showing in cinemas.

‘Peacemaker’ Made Good Use of Its Ef@@@g Chance

There were people who saw the ‘Peacemaker’ series as a laughable concept when news of it first came out. I suppose there are fewer people laughing now as the HBO Max series has become a certified hit, and used its ef@@@g chance quite well. Already renewed for season two , let’s take a look back at what made ‘Peacemaker’ one of the best series of this young year. Warning THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS. If that bothers you, why don’t you take out Judo Master for some chips?

Peacemaker and Adabayo Opening Dance Sequence

There’s no question now that the opening dance sequence for ‘Peacemaker’ is a major draw to the series. It’s quirky, hilarious, and downright in-your-face. It makes me giddy in aticipation to what James Gunn has planned for season two. Note that being part of the opening credits doesn’t assure you’ll survive season one. In fact, A LOT of the characters in that dance sequence die by season’s end. Though, that opening musical scene is partly what makes ‘Peacemaker’ entertaining from beginning to end credtis.

(From top left moving right, and down) Harcourt, Eagly, Economos, Vigilante, Murn, and Adebayo

Part of what makes ‘Peacemaker’ so special is the solid supporting cast from Vigilante to Eagly. Each has their own unique personality quirks that make them very relatable. If we’re talking about flaws, these characters wear them on their sleeves like badges of honor. All these mundane imperfections create a very rich core of character background, and development. Too bad that Murn bites the dust in this season. As for the other characters in Christopher Smith’s team, I expect to see more character development moving on to season two.

Peacemaker’s Father: The White Dragon

One of the more well-written,and most important characters in ‘Peacemaker’ is his father: Auggie Smith aka the White Dragon. Yes, he’s dead by the end of season one, but that doesn’t mean that the character will leave the show. He appears to be haunting Christopher Smith’s mind much like what is done in the comics. The comic books show that Peacemaker regularly converses with his dead father, and it looks like James Gunn is incorporating this in his story moving forward. This just solidifies Peacemaker as full-blown crazy with daddy issues. This is bad for Chris, but good for ‘Peacemaker’ in general since it just provides more layers of storytelling.

Christopher Smith with ‘microphone’ half-naked

Chris’s relationship with his father goes to the core as to why ‘Peacemaker’ is so appealing : Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker is the underdog we can empathize. His morals are questionable, but his intentions are pure. But aren’t we all like that sometimes? Wanting to do the right thing by doing the wrong thing, or worse ending up doing the wrong thing? Chris also brings super heroes from DC lore down to earth with all of his supposed inside information, some of which are proven actually true (like that Aquaman snipe). Granted, these slights mask his insecurties. Then again, that just makes Peacemaker more relatable, and lovable. People love rooting for the underdog especially when they see themselves in the character. In this case, Chris is relatable on so many levels to so many people.

Vigilante and Peacemaker Having a Chat in Peacemaker’s Home

The story flow of ‘Peacemaker’ itself is a great balance of action, violence, sex, comedy, and emotional storytelling. The comedy reflects on the characters themselves, and is balanced out by the emotional beats that each main character is given in the story. Yes, even Emilia Harcourt has her soft, and mushy side too. The effect is that ‘Peacemaker’ doesn’t fall into the trap of being one long overextended comedy skit, and balances excellent storytelling with character development. ‘Peacemaker’ doesn’t get tied down by DC lore like another HBO Max show I love. Instead, it adds to the lore, and uses existing lore to its advantage. In particular, there’s this little bit of DC Cinematic Universe lore that it uses quite well.

Peacemaker meets the Justice League

With the last episode, ‘Peacemaker’ has established that it exists in the same DC Universe as the Justice League, with particular cameos of both Aquaman, and the Flash. More importantly, the Justice League’s appearance late in the story solidifies the importance of Peacemaker in this common universe. The Justice League can’t always be around, and someone has to do the dirty work. This helps in establishing Chris’s place in the super hero order now that the Suicide Squad, and its operations have been outed to world at large.

Adebayo and Peacemaker Avoid an Explosion

All in all, ‘Peacemaker’ is a breath of fresh air in a live action genre that has become formulaic for the most part. What ‘Peacemaker’ provides is an alternative storytelling pattern that caters to a much different audience than what has been established by many. The series is not for children, and that’s a good thing. ‘Peacemaker’ can be crass, and offensive to the socio-culturally sensitive. That too is a good thing. In spite of all these, ‘Peacemaker’ expands the boundary on what CAN BE DONE with super hero adaptations. The series dances to its own beat right from the onset, and it works to the benefit of the comic book genre as a whole.

Peacemaker outsid of his trailer park home

So, if you’re willing to give ‘Peacemaker’ a chance, you’ll be feasting on a storytelling style that is fresh in its damaged goods. ‘Peacemaker’ is now streaming on HBO Max.

Peacemaker on HBO Max is as Crazy as Its Main Character

With all due respect to James Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad‘, I’ve always believed that Peacemaker was a better character outside the Squad. Having said that, ‘Peacemaker’ takes off directly after ‘The Suicide Squad’ film, and it has kept me laughing right from the opening credits. WARNING: This review has SPOILERS from the first three episodes. So if you haven’t seen those yet, you might as well take Eagly out for a ride.

Christopher Smith aka Peacmaker Recovering in the Hospital

It helps that you recall your ‘The Suicide Squad‘ movie knowledge. As shown in the movie, Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker miraculously survives his duel with Bloodsport, and is recuperating in a hospital. This leads to his new life. Chris believes he is done with Waller and the Squad. Later, he finds out that he is done with the Squad, but not done with Waller. Turns out he is tapped by Waller’s lackeys on a new mission called Project Butterfly of which he has no clue. Though, if you’ve seen ‘The Suicide Squad’ then these project names are fairly obvious and self explanatory.

Peacemaker in Full Costume

With that brief intro of the series plot (so far), here’s now where I get to say that this series IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. And, that’s a welcome sight. Just like a lot of DC properties, ‘Peacemaker’ is a story about superheroes, and not a superhero story. As such, this allows James Gunn and company a lot of leeway to tell the story he wants. There are a lot of superhero stories for children out there. This is not one of them. To force it down everybody’s throats that it should follow a particular formula would be pointless, and absurd. So, if you want a campy-funny family friendly series to watch, I suggest you search elsewhere, and let those who appreciate this kind of seminal storytelling enjoy it for what ‘Peacemaker’ is: a series about the crazy life of a crazy superhero.

Peacemaker talking with His Team

With the freedom of storytelling, we have one of the weirdest and funniest opening credits I have ever seen. Yes, it’s very whimsical. And yet, this just reflects on the personality of the main character, and the ‘Peacemaker’ series. If you’re familiar with your comic book references, then you know that James Gunn is really playing on Christopher Smith’s insane mind. Peacemaker is crazy. You can see that in the series in loads. The opening credits sets the expectations on how quirky the series is, and will be.

Vigilante with Peacemaker Unmasked

One of the great strengths of the series is the supporting cast. To name a few, we have comic book characters Vigilante, Emila Harcourt, and John Economos. I’m a longtime DC Fan, and Titans fan so I’m very familiar with the Vigilante. There are some liberties taken to his interpretation here, but, just like in the comics, he is as crazy as Peacemaker when it comes to serving justice. Then there’s Emila Harcourt, and John Economos. As I shared in my review of ‘The Suicide Squad’, James Gunn digs deep into comic book lore, particularly Suicide Squad lore. These two are carry-overs from the movie, and are supproting characters found in earlier Suicide Squad runs. More proof that James Gunn is a geek, and uses his knowledge well.

Peacemaker with the Full Main Cast

With the first three episodes, you are provided a visual feast of humor, sex, action, and violence that only HBO Max has to offer; and that’s a good thing. It’s also not in small part that the storytelling has enough pace, and intrigue to keep you wanting more.

So, if you’re up for a series about a crazy superhero, give ‘Peacemaker’ a try. ‘Peacemaker’ is now streaming on HBO Max.

Young Justice Season 4 First Half: Phantoms of Future, Past and Present

Though the second part of season four will be coming this spring, there is a lot to talk about with the first thirteen episodes of ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. Considering it’s been two years since ‘Young Justice: Outsiders’, fans (new and seasoned) have a lot to talk about, and rejoice in season four. And, ‘Phantoms’ is a very apt description so far as we will see with this recap review. Needless to say, this post has SPOILERS so proceed at your own risk. Thank you.

Superboy and Miss Marttian about to leave for Mars

Season four starts off with a revelation that M’gann and Conner are finally getting married. This is a great start to the story as the team’s first couple finally prep to tie the knot. Though the happy beginning just forebodes a series of problematic events as the season continues. It’s nice to see our group celebrate a little down time before the literal sh@t hits the fan. One of these problematic events is the discrimination shown once the couple reaches Mars, which is yet another socio-cultural reality tackled by this series. This leads to our first set of ‘phantoms’ from the future.

Chamelon Boy, Phantom Girl, and Saturn Girl of the Legion of Super-Heroes

The end of season three hinted on the addition of the Legion of Super-Heroes to the series, and we get to see three members of this DC super team in the early story arc. Here we have Chamelion Boy, Phamtom Girl, and Saturn Girl shadowing M’gann and Conner along with Gar for an as of yet unknown reason. Though if you know your comic book references, they are probably there to protect Superboy aka Conner since he is the reason for the Legion forming. I can only assume that’s the rout the writers are taking since the series is Young Justice-centric and not Superman-centric.

Later we find out that Conner seemingly dies at the hands of kryptonite bomb planted by an unknown assailant. My money is that the phantom killer from the future is the Mordru (or connected to him) which links to the Lords of Chaos (more on that later). You can imagine the effect of Conner’s death is to poor M’gann (they weren’t even married yet), but Conner’s death seems to have hit hard on Gar as well. This leads to our next phantom which resonated throughout the entire series so far.

Superboy aka Conner Kent

With the death of Conner, Young Justice highlights the effects of depression through the eyes of Garfield Logan aka Beast Boy. Granted M’gann aka Miss Martian was gravely affected by Conner’s death, it is through Gar’s eyes that we get to see just how depression hits: no rhym or reason. It’s an important plot point of ‘Phantoms’, and you have to remember that Gar is one of the youngest members of the team. As such, we see varying degrees and manifestations of depression in Gar. Here’s hoping he snaps out of it somehow for his own good, and the good of the team.

Beast Boy, Superboy, and Miss Martian on Mars

Moving on to the present, the phantoms of the past rears their ugly heads through the eys of Cassandra Cain aka Orphan. I’m a huge Cassandra Cain comic book fan whether as Orphan or Batgirl, and I’m happy for her to have a story arc of her own in season four. This also connects with the history of both Artemis aka Tigress and Chessire, the sisters on opposite ends of the hero spectrum. Here, we see an opportunity for redemption for both Cassandra Cain, and Chessire in spite of their assassin pasts. The message here is resounding: you can move away from your dark past if you give yourself a chance. As to how this rehabilation of these two characters pan out, we’ll have to wait and see in the next episodes. Also, I’m happy that they had Barbara Gordon portrayed as Oracle. In my opinion, Oracle is one of the best modern characters in recent history in spite of, and because of her disability.

Lady Shiva with Cassandra Cain

Finally, we have the phantoms of the present with Zatanna taking center stage. If I’m happy with the Cassandra Cain story arc, I’m jubilant with the Zatanna story arc. She is one of my favorite comic book characters along with Raven, and Death of the Endless. This is the magic story arc with the Lords of Chaos as the time antagonists. Here we find out that Vandal Savage has an existing agreement with Klarion that now is put to the test. The presence of the Lords of Chaos just strenghtens my belief that Mordru is somehow the big baddie who will be revealed by season’s end.

Zatanna

In any case, the conflict between Klarion and The Child who are both agents of chaos draws in everybody. In the crossfire, we discover that Zatanna is training new magic weilders which include (Tracy) Thirteen, Kahlid Nassour, and Mary Bromfield (Marvel). With the resolution of Zatanna’s story arc, the balance of chaos and order is restored, and we find out that Zatanna has her reasons for having students. The decision was based on helping her fatther Zatara by providing alternate hosts for the Helmet of Faith. This includes herself, and her students minus Mary who was deemed unstable by Zatanna for the task.

The Child with Her Familiar

With that, the group’s run-in with chaos ends on a happy note. However, there are still some outstanding story hooks that remain unresovled. For one, Gar is still in depression, and we have yet to see him snap out of it. I expect that to be a huge part of the story for season four moving forward. Also, Zatanna had a vision of Conner’s soul at unrest. From episode thirteen, it appears that Conner is actually trapped in the Phantom Zone. Maybe he was placed there to protect him from the kryptonite bomb? That would explain why there is no body. With that, we end the first half of season four.

Young Justice Membes

Additionally, I would just like to mention one other story element incorporated from Young Justice: Outsiders. During the end credits of season three, we see Wolf as the star of the end credits. In ‘Phantoms’, the creators took this up a notch by providing short clips that enhance the story elements for the series. I find this to be a welcome addition to Young Justice. In effect, the end credits aren’t wasted on just credits, and these addtional story elements provide more layers to this beautiful series.

Young Justice cover Photo

So, what’s there to expect with the second half of season four? well, we don’t have stories that center on Aqualad aka Aquaman, Nightwing, and Rocket so I expect future episodes to center on them. If we are to believe the title image of season four, that should be the case. Then, there is the overarching story of depression through the eyes of Beast Boy, and , to a certain extent, Miss Martian. I suspect that how they overcome depression will be a salient point of the second half of the season. Next, we have the Legion, and the mysterious ‘killer’ of Superboy aka Conner. Let’s see if Mordru actually shows up. Finally, I’m hoping for the return of Wally West (Yeah!). Maybe he becomes the key to saving Conner from the Phantom Zone.

If you aren’t watching Young Justice yet, you should. This is one of the best comic book adaptations out there. Young Justice: Phantoms is streaming on HBO Max.

Doom Patrol Season Three Benefits from its Weirdness

One of the victims of the COVID outbreak, ‘Doom Patrol’ ended season two with a cliffhanger that promised to be a great showdown for season three. However, the showdown between Dorothy and the Candlemaker turned out to be quite anti-climactic. That encounter was more of a negotiation than actual beatdown, but it served its purpose regardless of the lack of burning conflict between Niles Caulder’s daughter, and arguably her most powerful imaginary friend. The conclusion of that story thread left our characters with a moral conundrum: what do you do with Niles Caulder’s dead body?

The death of Niles Caulder was one of the many storylines that highlighted the third season of ‘Doom Patrol’ along with resurrection, undeath, time travel, synthethic skin, the Brotherhood of Evil , and the Sisterhood of Dada. I told you this season was weird. But, that is to be expected of ‘Doom Patrol‘ which has stamped its claim to be one of the most ecclectically disturbing series these days. We also have the appearance of familiar Dead Boy Detectives who help out our heroes to recover from a short case of death (crossing my fingers for a pilot pending).

In spite of all these mishmash of thematic hooks, ‘Doom Patrol’ focuses on the personal relationships of its characters: from Cliff Steele’s grandfather issues to Jane’s issues with her other personalities. Moreover, with the void left by Niles’s demise, there is a need for someone to take the reigns of leadership which fell into the elastic shoulders of Rita Farr. Additionally, this dysfunctional group welcomed, somewhat, a new member to its ranks in the form of Madame Rouge, a former villain turned ally. Madame Rouge adds her own unique personality to the group while also providing Rita with someone she can bond with due to similar interests, and, as shown later, similar backgrounds.

Aside from that, the series is not lacking in personal angst. Far from it. The internal conflicts that characters expereinced over the past two seasons come to a head here with varying resoltuions. For some like that of Victor Stone aka Cyborg, the change can be quite glaring while for others like Larry Trainor, the change was internal. These changes were facilitated in no small part by the Sisterhood of Dada which provided a linchpin to the histories of both Rita Farr and Madame Rouge. In fact, these changes were quite cathartic for the characters to the point that they spurred the ‘Doom Patrol’ forward to unexplored territory: both personally and as a group.

By the end of the season, this band of misfits have embraced their responsibility as heroes. Whether they will be successful with this newfound resolve remains to be seen. All things considered, the direction the ‘Doom Patrol’ has chosen to follow is a fresh change of pace from the denial of their heroic nature in the past two seasons (save for Vic). Will this discovered sense of purpose hold through moving forward? We will have to wait for the next season (which has already been confirmed) to see how this all pans out.

All in all, ‘Doom Patrol’ remains one of the most entertaining shows for streaming, and television altogether. Where else can you find a combination of interpersonal dynamics, super powers, and science/magic fiction in one series? ‘Doom Patrol’ holds through to its classic DC and Vertigo roots. It wears both on its sleeve, and benefits from its reverence greatly. If you have not seen this series, it is not too late to binge watch one of the best comic book series adaptations around.

DC Fandome 2021: My Top Five Major Takeaways

It came and went like a Flash of Shazam! Yeah I’ve been waiting to say that. Long enough to give you loads of information. Short enough to keep you wanting for more. DC Fandome gave us a glimpse of what is to come for all things DC. And yet, with all the news and fan service, there are some news that are better than others. I’m sure there will be some people who would question my list. However, note that this is MY LIST. So, if you disagree with it or highly agree with it, check mine out. Here are my TOP FIVE takeaways from DC Fandome.

At number five, we have ‘Catwoman: Hunted’. In celebration of Catwoman’s 80th anniversary, DC has decided to give her a film all her own. Selina Kyle has been one of DC Comics’s longest anti-heros, and has appeared in many media. It’s fitting that she gets her own animated film for the first time. Why is this so groundbreaking for me? Normally you get material spearheaded by the DC Trinity. In this case, you have a female character (not Wonder Woman OR Harley) heading this film. It comes as a surprise for me, and I am glad for it. Gives me hope that one day we’ll have a Zatanna project in the works (MAKE IT HAPPEN!).

At number four, we have the Peacemaker series on HBO MAX. I’ll be honest, I really don’t like Peacemaker for the Suicide Squad. That film was awesome mind you, but I’ve always seen Peacemaker as a solo operator or at the very least a member of Checkmate (look it up DC Fans). So, seeing this series come into fruition just shows how Warner Brothers is allowing other DC characters to spread their wings. Though, it helps that you have geek fans of the property in the form of John Cena and James Gunn heading the reigns of this series. Also, you have Vigilante here as a supporting character who appears pretty comic book accurate. Time to give ‘peace a fuc@ing chance. Speaking of fans…

At number three, we have ‘Black Adam’. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnshon has been pushing for this movie since time immemorial. You can see the passion in his eyes when he talks about the ‘man in black’. We’ve seen very little of the film so far. That is not the case for Fandome. We got a visual feast with a reveal of Black Adam in his costume AS PART OF a clip for the upcoming movie next year. I’m hyped more than ever with this news and video.

At number two, we have ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths (2?). In the build-up to DC Fandome, visual artist god, Jim Lee, has been revealing pieces to a puzzle that were completed at DC Fandome. Combined we see an homage cover to the seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths cover by George Perez. In the image above you notice that the frames are not the same, but depict similar concepts. Also, during the interview with Jim Lee most of the dalogue was censored teasing what the image actually means. I’m going to give a shot at this as to what this all means. Quite recently, Darkseid has returned to his villanous ways, and stories across the comics have been hinting on an incoming ‘crisis’ Also, this year marks the 35th anniversary of ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’. Could this be the next major storyline for DC Comics? One can only hope, and if the image given above is any indication it will be EPIC. This was actually a very sneaky bit of news mostly lost in the shuffle of all the other media shown. However, let’s remember that everything DC springs from the comic books. This story, if it happens, will just give more material for other related media. This news would be in fact number one if not for my choice for number one on this list.

At number one, we have ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. It’s here! The fourth season of Young Justice has made an appearance in DC Fandome. I’m not kidding. DC Fandome gave us the FIRST EPISODE of ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’. While all other things DC gave us sneak peeks, behind the scenes updates, and trailers; ‘Young Justice: Phantoms’ gave us the first episode to watch ahead of the season. This is the animated series with layered storytelling, and in-depth chaaracter development. It’s focus is on the legacy characters without alienating fans of the comic books while providing new material for followers of the series alone to not be alienated as well. You have a rich source of DC comic book lore all fabricated by some of the most brilliant minds in DC’s creative pool. Of course, it helps that the animation is drop-dead gorgeous, and the voice actors knock it out of the ballpark. How else could I not put this at the top of my list?

And, that’s all for DC Fandome. Agree with me or disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: A League of His Own

Maybe this will teach the Warner Brother’s movie higher ups to allow their creators to create with trust and confidence. Maybe this will erase the memory of a messy and inconsistent film that reflected its patchwork pieces to come up with a pedestrian interpretation of a better film. Maybe this will open the door to a far different and more adult way of interpreting super hero films that might not be for every age, but becomes ageless. Enough of the maybes, ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ does all of the above.

Breaking away from what is expected of super hero movies nowadays, ‘Zack Snyder’s Jusctice League’ provides a super hero film consistent with the original vision started with ‘Man of Steel’. It is dark, it is gloomy, but it is hopeful. I liken this film to the gothic stories of old wherein you have characters set in a situation that is near hopeless with that rare light at the end of the tunnel driving them to their destinations. For truly, wasn’t the reason Dante Alighieri’s Inferno came before Paradiso to make people face their own darkness first to better appreciate the light? That was the case for this film.

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The story takes place directly after the events of ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’, and you can see from the onset that this was a completely different film from the previous ‘Justice League’. Zack Snyder’s vision came to light with his setup of character buildiing of new heroes such as Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash while balancing it with previous character staples in Batman, Wonder Woman and even Alfred. The dramatic build up to the impending doom was just what the film needed to justify the gambit of reviving Superman from his eternal slumber. Never mind Steppenwolf. He’s small fry. When you’re going up against a threat like Darkseid, you truly need the hope that Superman gives on your side.

True, the film does not pit our Justice League directly against Darkseid himself. But, that’s more the case that they were able to prevent his coming in the first place, and not because they weren’t set to face him. For in all DC Comics lore, there are few greater threats than the Lord of Apokolips and his cronnies, Steppenwolf being just one among them. This raised the stakes to a worldly threat to an existential one. With Darkseid’s presence in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’, we get to appreciate more the value of Superman to this story.

Let there be no mistake, this is a different film from ‘Justice League’ that came before it. Aside from the length, the treatment of the setting, characters and storytelling provide a better basis for the DC films that came after it. The vision is clearly set, and even sets the narrative up moving forward with what hopefully will be a proper continuation of this revived superhero franchise. Even the appearance of Martian Manhunter provides something to look forward to in future installmens of ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ as they move towards the power seven that is Justice League minus Green Lantern. However, elements of the film suggest that we might have a ring slinger making an appearance in the DC Extended Universe’s future. If not in this film, then maybe somewhere else.

All in all, ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ is a redemption film that reflects the true vision of the director. True, one might argue that the reshoots could be an afterthought of what worked in the previous film, and removing what didn’t work. However, that’s just pure cynical and insidious thinking. Zack Snyder loves these characters, and this story. Given a chance to show what he wanted, he would do so, and did so. What ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ provides us is an alternative way of telling super hero stories. Rather than be a super hero story, this film is a story about super heroes, and the difference can be seen in the end product.

‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ not only heralds the return, and highligths the importance of Superman. It also serves as a reminder of what happens when a creative genius is left to his own devices. Impending doom is averted, and hope in the future is restored.

Wonder Woman 1984: A Spoilerless Review

There are no shortcuts to success. That is the message that the film conveys at the onset, and it permeates throughout the film. Though this sequel proceeds, albeit a few decades in time after its predecessor, Wonder Woman 1984 has its own voice, and it takes Diana on a voyage of self-reconciliation amidst the backdrop of man’s world that she is now completely immersed. Joining Gal Gadot in her journey as Wonder Woman are actors Pedro Pascal who plays Maxwell Lord, a self-professed businessman on the cusp of greatness, and Kristen Wiig who portrays Barbara Minerva, and later Cheetah. Both Maxwell Lord and Cheetah are well-known characters in DC comic book lore. Maxwell Lord and Cheetah, though they play the parts of antagonists to Wonder Woman, help Diana reconcile some inner pains experienced in the first Wonder Woman movie. Reprising his role as Steve Trevor, Chris Pine provides ample fuel to the outcome of Diana’s self-reconciliation. However, Steve’s ‘resurrection’ comes in a manner not even hinted on in the promotional trailers.

If you are a DC comic book reader, you might get surprised with the film’s depiction of Maxwell Lord and Cheetah. The story of Wonder Woman 1984 takes liberties to both characters’ origins and even with their powers to come up with a unique pair of antagonists for Diana in this movie. The names might be the same, but the story of the characters are quite different from what fans are familiar with in the comic books. As to Steve Trevor’s return, there is a bit of wishful thinking involved here which lies at the core of Maxwell Lord’s, and even Barbara Minerva’s motivations. This leads to a most unanticipated twist in the story that creates the mayhem, and at the same time the crux for the movie’s resolution.

As the story progresses, we get to see Diana get what she wants to resolve her relationship with Steve. Similarly, we get to see Maxwell Lord and Barbara get their heart’s desire as well in the film. Or do they? This goes back to the very beginning of the story when Diana is made to understand that there are no shortcuts to success…which also includes her own happiness. Diana realizes this painfully, as she comes to a decision on how to resolve the return of Steve Trevor, and her love for him. Fortunately, Diana gets back to form in due time to vanquish the threat of Maxwell Lord, and Cheetah in a most unexpected way.

In the end, even with Diana’s resolute drive to once again save humanity from the pitfalls it has created, she cannot do it alone, and it is humanity itself who saves itself in its hour of need with Wonder Woman’s urging. The result is a realization by humanity that they can be the solution to the problems that they themselves created. It took a Wonder Woman for people to realize that, and follow Diana’s own sacrifice to save the day.

All in all, Wonder Woman 1984 is unlike the first film in form and substance. Viewers will appreciate it more if they focus what it provides rather than what it does not. Wonder Woman 1984 gives us a timely reminder that there are no shortcuts to success, and that we can be our own heroes in our own lives if we are willing to make the right choice.