The news series Steven Roger: Captain America #1 has dropped a shocking twist on many. In it, Steve Rogers, the conscious of the entire Marvel Universe is revealed to be an agent for the organization known as Hydra his entry existence and the declaration has resonated through the fan community. Some of you are confused wondering how such a story could come to be. Others are enraged and taking the news as some type of insult. These are all normal reactions to a storyline which causes great changes to a character and how you see them overall.
I wanted to let you know I feel for you. I really do because I myself have experienced the exact same thing.
The year was 1996 and the issue was Avengers: The Crossing #1. It was a start of The Crossing storyline (thought to be one of the worst Avengers storyline ever). At the end of the issue, stood Tony Stark was revealed to be evil having killed Marilla, the nanny of Luna the daughter of Quicksilver and Crystal. The story would reveal he had in fact been controlled by Kang the Conqueror for nearly his entire fictional history. The Crossing would end with Iron Man having to sacrifice himself and a teenage Tony Stark from another timeline having to take his place. It would take another event, Heroes Reborn to fix everything and put the proper Tony Stark back in the Iron man armor. To this day the events of the crossing are infamous, never referenced, and best forgotten by fans or creators.
Watching our heroes doing things they think are right in the moment is often hard to watch. It often causes them to clash against their former friends (both the comic book story and movie of Civil War showed how easily this can happen). Watching characters not get along or do something you don’t agree with is one thing. Reading a storyline where a character is completely not themselves or doing something which feels like a betrayal to what they stood for in the first place is another.
Superheroes are subjective to the whims of their creative teams and often fans have no choice but to watch what unfolds and deal with the consequences afterwards. Even now, readers are still dealing with the idea of Tony Stark actually being the adopted son of Howard Stark. Some storylines are hard to swallow and it’s trying to see the heroes we have come to love be used as villains for petty reasons. Don’t give up with on Captain America entirely. Perhaps somewhere down the line it will revealed through some plot device like brainwashing was used and things were only manipulated to happen in this way. For now I can only assure you this will past and one day Steve Rogers will stand for truth and justice once again.
This was an epic week of television with the season finale of ‘The Flash,’ the mid-season finale of ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ the premiere of ‘Preacher’ on AMC, and the heart-breaking ‘hold the door’ episode of ‘Game of Thrones.’ Matt and EJ get a little emotional this episode.
We will be at MegaCon this weekend, visit our booth #3203.
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Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who is EJ Moreno? Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
So within less than twenty-four hours we have seen another wonderful example of what I lovingly call, “Nerd Rage.” This is basically when we see fully grown adults become over grown children and beg the question as to whether their parents taught them the importance of civility. Though if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on “no.”
Nick Spencer, who is the current writer for “Captain America: Steve Rogers” has begun to receive death threats for the ending of the first issue of the series. No this is not a joke, the guy is having his life threatened…for writing comic book.
Now before someone calls me out and start internet raging at me, I know I wrote an article a few hours ago venting my indignation at that ending. But I certainly never thought of harming the guy, literally or figuratively. And I definitely wouldn’t post that thought on the internet! Finally, I would never, and will never condone violence on a writer for writing a story that bothered me. Especially when that story has not reached a conclusion yet.
Furthermore, I will even go so far as to praise Mr. Spencer for writing a story that within its first issue elicited an emotion this strong. I read the Death of Superman and shed not a single tear, and this issue made me want to hit something. Hard. To have me feeling this emotion at all demonstrated incredible skill and I give Mr. Spencer credit when credit is due.
Excellent job, dear sir! Well done.
But with all the sorrowful excuses of adults who cannot handle their emotions, what is wrong with you? This is not the first time we seen Nerd Rage before, and this sadly won’t be last until someone gets hurt, badly.
Gamergate, the Skyrim Modding controversy, and now this problem. I know the man-child problem in this country is bad, but this is just ridiculous. Obviously if readers are unhappy with a story, letting the companies know is vital to fixing the problem. But how many times can we recall an issue being solved with a death threat?
None. That’s how many.
This Nerd Rage problems is getting out of hand, and needs to be addressed soon. Or else something is going to happen, something terribly tragic. And the blood split is going to be on all of our hands.
And by the way, for those of you who are thinking, “It’s only a joke, don’t get so bent out of shape about it,” let’s see how well you handle a death threat on you, or your family, and see if you “get the joke.”
Last Saturday’s episode of Outlander, “Faith,” was a bit of a tear jerker. “Faith” exposed the hypocrisy of King Louis XV‘s sorcery trials, revealed new levels of Black Jack Randall‘s perversion, ended the life of Season Two’s de facto villain, presented a moment in Claire’s 20th-century life, and showed an emotionally overwrought Claire mourning the death of her stillborn baby. “Faith” can’t be accused of not developing Outlander’s plot or characters but let’s go over it in greater detail with a recap …
“Faith” – My Recap
We start the episode in 1954. Claire is sitting with her fiery-haired daughter in what appears to be a classroom. Her daughter asks her if she’s ever seen a heron. Claire replies that she had when she was in Scotland long ago. A heron montage later and we’re in the 18th century in L’Hôpital des Anges watching M. Forez, Mother Hildegarde, and some other nuns assist Claire during her very bloody delivery. The difficult process complete, Claire falls asleep only to wake shortly after. She calls out to Mother Hildegarde begging her for her baby. Mother Hildegarde tells Claire that her baby was stillborn and, though there was nothing they could do to save the baby, Mother Hildegarde was able to illegally baptize the baby, naming her “Faith,” so that she could be buried in hallowed ground.
Her baby’s death is just one of several horrible things Claire has to deal with. The nuns tell Claire that, having a very high fever, she will likely die. A priest gives Claire her last rites and that’s about the extent of their therapeutic plan. Luckily, Master Raymond is able to break into the hospital. His medical knowledge is superior to that of Mother Hildegarde. Using what would definitely have been called sorcery at the time, Master Raymond massages Claire and then delivers her placenta, which seems to have been the cause of her fever. The life-saving delivery complete, Master Raymond makes his escape before the nuns arrive. When they do, though, Mother Hildegarde finds that Claire’s fever has broken and proclaims it a miracle.
Claire discusses Jamie’s imprisonment in the Bastille with Mother Hildegarde. Mother Hildegarde tells Claire that Jamie is being held for dueling, illegal in France, and the King takes his decrees quite seriously. Since Jamie only wounded Black Jack during the duel and didn’t kill him, Jamie has been spared the death penalty. This news gives Claire relief on both husband fronts: Jamie won’t be executed for dueling and Frank won’t stop existing because Black Jack isn’t dead! Not telling Mother Hildegarde the nature of her pact with Jamie, Claire tells her that she may not be able to forgive Jamie for breaking his promise to her.
It takes some time but Claire eventually recovers from her ill-fated pregnancy. She is discharged and returns to Chez Fraser, currently occupied only by Fergus and the servants. Fergus and Claire develop a natural symbiosis: Claire needs a child and Fergus needs a mom. He brushes her hair and dotes on her more than he has in the past. The reason for Fergus’s change is made clear when he tells Claire he was raped by Black Jack. Not only does Fergus have to deal with the horror of having been raped but he also feels responsible for Jamie’s imprisonment: Jamie challenged Black Jack to a duel when he caught Black Jack in the act, having heard Fergus’s screams from another room.
Understanding Jamie’s motivation for breaking his promise now, Claire discusses his possible release with Mother Hildegarde who just so happens to have an in with the King. Mother Hildegarde warns Claire that, although Louis has released men under similar conditions in the past, he usually demands to lie with the released man’s wife. Claire barely blinks at this saying she’ll add her virtue to the laundry list of things she’s lost in France.
We cut to King Louis XV’s boudoir where he and Claire discuss business over some oranges. She requests Jamie’s release but the King wants something in return. Expecting to be led to the King’s tremendous bed, Claire is surprised when she gets led through a secret door to a connecting room. Claire is a bit concerned when she sees M. Forez in this torch-lit anteroom.
Master Raymond and le Comte St. Germain are brought into the room and formally charged with practicing the Black Arts. Claire, with her reputation as “La Dame Blanche” has been brought in by the King as a kind of expert witness on sorcery. The King commands Claire to use her divining powers to determine if either or both men are guilty. Claire comes up with a plan to have them both drink bitter cascara, which as we know will make both men ill but not kill them. Master Raymond drinks the potion first and, though he doubles over and coughs quite a bit, he arises once more sufficiently alive. The cup is passed to St. Germain, and as it is the stone pendant on Claire’s necklace changes colour indicating that a poison is nearby.
St. Germain is familiar with the properties of the stone around Claire’s neck and knows that something is up. The viewer, along with Claire, realizes that Master Raymond slipped some poison into the cup after drinking in order to pin the charge of sorcery on St. Germain. St. Germain says he’ll see Claire in Hell, drinks the poison, and falls over dead. King Louis has St. Germain’s body hauled away and arranges for Master Raymond’s release: he must leave France at once and never return. Claire asks about Jamie but the King demands his price. After a few fully clothed Royal thrusts, Claire is dismissed from the Royal Boudoir with the promise that Jamie will be pardoned in both France and Britain, meaning they can now return to Scotland! Her duty done, she straightens her dress and picks up her orange on the way out the door.
Jamie’s grown quite the copper beard during his imprisonment. He tells Claire why he had to break his promise and duel Randall, apologizing in his role for the tragic events that followed. Claire admits that she spent some time hating Jamie and recalls how she demanded that Mother Hildegarde bring her the stillborn baby before they buried it. As a flashback shows, it was only after Louise de la Tour arrived and consoled her that they were able to loosen the dead infant from Claire’s grasp. Claire tells Jamie that her hatred for him passed when she realized that though Jamie had broken his promise Claire was the one who had exerted herself. She says that Faith’s death was her fault, not Jamie’s. Claire also tells Jamie that she had to have sex with the King but Jamie forgives it all, and says that the only way they can make it is together. The Frasers stop at Faith’s grave: Jamie leaves one of the Apostle spoons and says a few words, and the two start the long journey back to Scotland.
“Faith” – My Critique
“Faith” contained a lot of serious melodrama and tension. Where other episodes of Outlander have contained lots of 18th-century action, “Faith” traded in tension and tears. I tip my tri-corner hat to Stanley Weber who played le Comte St. Germain. He managed to play this complicated Season Two villain with an appropriate mixture of charm and smarm.
Caitriona Balfe also deserves kudos for her performance. Not that I have any way of knowing, but there’s no way it’s easy to play a woman grieving the loss of her stillborn child. Her portrayal of Claire’s grief played through the familiar stages of grieving (denial, bargaining, acceptance, etc.) but did so in a non-methodical way, which made for a more believable emotional journey.
As I said in my last Outlander recap and critique, I was a bit disappointed to find that Black Jack had also raped Fergus. This makes him seem a bit like a caricature of a villain, out to rape whomever he can, rather than a realistic villain. I was also disappointed that no mention at all was made of Black Jack’s groin injury, suffered at Jamie’s hands during their duel. Obviously Frank didn’t stop existing but why would Claire feel sure about that? Even if Claire knows Black Jack is still alive, one would think that she’d be a bit skeptical about his ability to father any children after Jamie dealt him such a strategically placed blow.
The review of Captain America will be dealing with a major plot twist at the ending. So if you have not read the issue, read that first and then come back here. Because I’ve read that issue, and I’m not happy. Not in the least.
I’m never against a good twist to keep the reader interested in a character and their growth. Furthermore, I do try not to get on a soap box on a writer’s work, because I’ve had to deal with that tripe, and nothing boils a writer’s blood than someone who thinks they know how to make your story better.
But…this does not sit well with me.
I understand with many of the problems that have come with Captain America over the years, and there’s many valid points to be made. But the guy was one of my top heroes as a kid, and he still is as an adult. I see in him the potential of any and all of humanity to do good, regardless of who you are. And when you change the man himself, then you ruin what makes him stand out apart from the rest.
While some see Captain America as a jingoistic character, they fail to see him as a figure for everyone, the common person. The association with America is circumstantial, and in my opinion, should not be his defining trait. He is evolution of the good Samaritan, who just happens to have enhanced human abilities and a incredibly useful shield at his disposal.
Credit: Marvel
So to have him be a hidden member of Hyrda for his entire career! Are you kidding me?!? This…I’m sorry, I’m having trouble digesting this and not wanting to punch something in the process. I want to have hope the writers are gonna have something to make this wrath go away. I really do. But I have a real fear this is going to be a lot worse before it gets any better.
To be fair, I know stories are written months before they wind up going to print. And I do feel that Marvel isn’t going to let this character’s legacy get butchered to death for a story line. But the pessimist in me is well convinced I’m not gonna enjoy the story’s turnout. I hate to think that it’s right.
Note: It has come to my attention that the writer, Nick Spencer, has been receiving death threats due to this ending. I want it known without a shadow of a doubt that it was never my intention to incite such a violent response, nor do I condone this action in any way, shape, or form. I sincerely, and humbly, apologize to Mr. Spencer for whatever influence I may have had in this, and beseech every reader of this article to not encourage this behavior any further. Thank you.
With Memorial Day just around the corner, it’s the sign May is coming to an end. This means it’s time for another installment of Geekflix on Netflix, where 10 titles are labeled required viewing for anyone who wants to keep their geek credentials strong. 1. Breaking The Magician’s Code Seasons 1 & 2 (June 1st)
When these specials were first airing it got a lot of attention thanks to the fact the host never removed his mask. This was one of the few good reality shows before the overload of them on TV today. Watch as the Masked Magician reveals some of the oldest tricks in the history of magic. Some of them really are just smoke and mirrors.
2. Jurassic Park (June 1st)
One of the greatest movies of all time makes it way onto Netflix. Yes, the sequels are coming as well but you can skip those. Still, if you haven’t taken the time to watch this highly quotable film you owe it to yourself to experience it first hand. If you don’t how are you going to keep getting excited for the next Jurassic World movie.
3. The Odd Couple II (June 1st)
After making Grumpy Old Men, actors Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau did a bunch of movies together to show they were still great as a comedy team as they ever were. This film, a sequel to the 1968 original has the two unlikely friends taking a road trip on their way to watch their kids get married. Of course its also on lists for being one of the worst sequels ever so you can always check to see if it really is as bad people say.
4. Rock the Kasbah (June 1st)
Not exactly geek cred material but this list needed 10 entries so just go with it. Even some of the worst critical bombs by Billy Murray were halfway enjoyable once they made it to home video, like Larger than life or The Man who knew too little. So this one about a music producer who has to go into a war zone to look for a singer he wants to promote should be good for a laugh at the very least.
5. Beauty and the Beast: Season 3 (June 2nd)
With all the great shows which have been coming off the CW, this series really hasn’t gotten much attention. With the upcoming 4th season scheduled to be the last one, it’s time to play catch up so you can enjoy the series when it ends this coming August. Watch as Detective Catherine Keller is repeatedly rescued by a mysterious man who may in fact be a beast. A dashingly handsome beast but still a beast.
6. Voltron: Legendary Defender (June 10th)
Unlike previous attempts to make a sequel to the classic anime Voltron, such as Voltron: The Third Dimension or Voltron Force, this new series is set to be a complete reimagining of the series. With executive producers who have worked on both Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: Legend of Korra and character designs which seem to be in the same style, the series has a lot going for it. Expect Monkeys Fighting Robots to be giving this series a lot of attention when it is released.
7. The Giver (June 15th)
One of the most acclaimed Science Fiction novels of all time didn’t exactly capture the critics or the box office when it was released. Still there has to be something worth watching in this adaptation starring Jeff Bridges. If not, maybe it will at least make people go out and want to read the book.
8. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 3 (June 16th)
Agent Coulson and his team are back again. This time Terrigen has spread throughout the ocean and caused people to turn into Inhumans, individuals with incredible powers and abilities. It’s up to S.H.I.E.L.D. to keep the peace while at the same time fighting against another mysterious organization, a new Inhuman who seems to be gathering forces, and Hydra which is now being run by Grant Ward.
9. Orange is the New black: Season 4 (June 17th)
The critically acclaimed Netflix original series is back for its fourth season. After events of the third season, the prison has been remodeled to allow more prisoners. This means more comedy mixed with moments of intense drama as the cast grows. This one is probably one you won’t be watching with your parents or family on a rainy day.
10. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (June 22)
Since the stories are supposed to be taking place at the same time as the first Sin City film, is this technically a sequel or a part two? Either way, this film was able to assemble the original cast to revise their roles to show everything happening at the same time as the original stories. Is it able to capture the energy of the first film? It’s probably better if you watch it for yourself and make the call.
Jason Bourne is coming out July 29, which seems like an eternity. TV spots aren’t normally that interesting or worth revisiting, but this one – set primarily in Las Vegas – has an insane car crash/stunt even for a Bourne film.
Enjoy:
https://youtu.be/ZU78j-gcPAU
He jumps the car, lands on top of the SWAT van, therein crashing into a lit up awning in front of a casino. Whew!
It doesn’t even really matter that Jason Bourne looks exactly like the previous two Paul Greengrass entries. That means it looks awesome and hopefully there will be a story surrounding the kinetic action set pieces to make this a welcome return for Matt Damon.
Joining Damon and franchise stalwart Julia Styles is hot commodity Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, and Vincent Cassel, who is undoubtedly a villain because, I mean… c’mon…
The Flash has been an enjoyable show over its first two seasons. For the most part, Barry Allen has been the superhero we all want him to be. He’s a guy who loves saving the day and helping people. He’s also a smart scientist but man he can do some dumb stuff.
Last season Barry was obsessed with going back in time and preventing his mother’s death. Yeah, it’s a noble idea. But as any Dr. Who or David Bowie fan will you tell you “you can’t change time.” Trying to do so will just make matters a whole lot worse. Yet Barry plowed forwarded putting the needs of one against the needs of the many. He risked destroying everything to bring his mom back. Not a good superhero move at all. In the end, everything wasn’t destroyed but he did manage to open a rift between his Earth and a parallel Earth. Thus allowing the deadly Zoom into his Earth to wreak havoc.
From there Barry seems to get dumber. He heads to Earth-2 to track down Zoom on his home turf. Instead of keeping his mind on the prize he ends up fascinated by his powerless Earth-2 doppelgänger being married to Iris. Barry knocks out “other Barry” and wastes time playing house with Iris. This ends up getting Earth-2 Joe dead. Sure, that Joe didn’t like Barry, but he certainly didn’t deserve to die.
SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE LAST EPISODES YET
Barry continues the trend of putting the needs of a friend in front of the needs of the many. Zoom has Wally West and demands Barry’s speed in return for Wally’s life. Barry decides to take the deal. He’s not even thinking that “Gee without my speed nobody will be able to stop this crazed superhuman from killing whomever he wishes.” This one is also on Harrison Wells, who against his better judgment helped Barry transfer his speed to Zoom. Really between Barry, Harrison, Caitlin and Cisco they couldn’t come up with a better plan than, “Yep Zooms a crazy mad man but let’s give him the speed.” Zoom for his part doesn’t kill Wally but takes Caitlin.
Next, Wells may have a way for Barry to get his speed back giving him a chance to stop Zoom. Instead of saying, “yes let’s do this!” Barry dilly-dallys and when your suppose to be the Flash that’s not a good thing. On one hand you can sort of see Barry’s logic about being afraid what another particle accelerator accident could do. Kind of weird time for Barry to start thinking of the needs of the many. Plus, there is already a crazed super human killer at large in the city who threatens to kill anybody who opposes him. Yet it still takes the murder of a dozen innocent cops to spring Barry into action.
After that, due to a “mishap” Barry ends up in the Speed Force (It’s best not to think about it). With a bit of effort from his friends and soul-searching on his part, Barry returns from the Speed Force. Zoom is still free and crazy and all, but Barry is big eyed and sweetly optimistic that “the force is with us.” Of course, as pretty much-telegraphed, things don’t work out so well for Barry as Zoom kills his dad. Zoom does this to show Barry how they are alike.
In the finale, it turns out Zoom’s main goal is to just prove he is the fastest man on any Earth. He simply wants to race Barry. Oh, he also wants to use Barry’s speed plus his to power up a doomsday type of device that will destroy all the multiverse Earth’s except this Earth. Barry’s team realizes it’s pretty foolish of Barry to even consider this. They knock him out and place him in a holding cell. Suffice to say, Barry gets out and finally manages to defeat Zoom and save the multiverse. All appears to be fairly good. Iris even wants to hook up. But no, Barry is not content. He decides once again, the “heck with all of reality” he travels back in time and saves his mom. He realizes he messed things up big time when he sees his past self disappear. Good job Barry, good job.
Yes, it appears the writers are setting up Flashpoint from the comics for season 3. Which if done well should be quite fun. Still, let’s hope when it’s over Barry (and the writers) learn a lesson and in the future, Barry will act more like the smart dude he is.
Middle-aged horse angst has never sounded more enticing. Will Arnett took to Twitter this morning (via Splitsider) to announce the 2016 debut of his anthropomorphic horse. Netflix will official stomp out the third season of the (rightfully) acclaimed animated series on July 22nd, with all 13 episodes coming in their regular full swoop.
To celebrate, BoJack accompanied the announcement with a new teaser featuring some, shall we say, choice words regarding his critics. You know, the ones who have gone on to call his show “an empathetic portrait of middle-aged melancholy” and “one of television’s best shows,” among other things. It might not be much but, for fans of the show like myself, it’s a delightful little taste at what’s to come. And as one of Netflix’s best original programs only continues to get better with each wayward step, one hopes they’ll keep finding comedic/dramatic excellence to dig from their their pitifully self-aggrandizing, soulfully misshaped stallion-man.
After all, it be a shame if they started horsin’ around at this point.
Alright, that’s enough horse puns for one article, I’d say. I’ll let showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg do what he does best. Check out the video below, and try to contain your giddy excitement as best you can for the next two months-or-so.
Season 2 of HBO’s True Detective was an insane time in popular culture. Met with great anticipation, the debut episode left most scratching their heads. Then things got weirder for a while before eventually turning into something hypnotically fascinating. The middle episodes were pretty great, with the penultimate episode brilliantly setting up… utter failure.
Now it seems Nic Pizzolatto might be leaving True Detective behind entirely, scrapping any plans for a third season in lieu of a new project with HBO. Head of programming Michael Lombardo recently stepped down and was replaced by Casey Bloys, who was recently in charge of the comedy section at the network, namely the highly successful Veep and Silicon Valley.
While juggernaut Game of Thrones and the final season of Damon Lindelof’s Peabody-winning drama The Leftovers shouldn’t require too much of Bloys’ time, other decisions, including the fate of True Detective, now fall to him. (HBO sources suggest a new project from creator Nic Pizzolatto is more likely.)
More likely. That means Pizzolatto, much maligned after the catastrophic failures of True Detective season 2 is more apt to tackle something altogether different. Outside the massive hit of Game of Thrones, a true cultural watershed moment for the network, HBO’s dramas have faltered. There was True Detective, the forever-delayed Westworld, and more recently the practically unwatchable Vinyl, which faded from the consciousness week to week.
Trying to reinvigorate the series, which took off like a rocket after the terrific season 1, could be a possibility. And maybe moving Pizzolatto off the project is the best move. After Cary Fukunaga jumped ship following constant disagreements with Pizzolatto, the show was left in Pizzolatto’s hands and he definitely screwed things up because of a profound lack of focus. I, for one, have retained fond memories from season 2 – most of which revolve around Colin Farrell – and I’d like to see a new direction for the show. I don’t want it to go away, but maybe it’s for the best.
