Many questions are answered in ‘The Man In The Box’, and a few new ones are presented. Having rescued the hostages from The Hand and realizing Nobu, who Daredevil defeated and watched burn to death in Season 1, is still alive, Matt Murdock tries to regroup and runs into a whole new set of problems. Securing the victims at Metro General with Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), Matt learns that Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) has escaped from prison.
Foggy, Matt, and Karen learn something new about the Central Park gang shootout
Being pulled into the District Attorney’s Office after a brief and awkward reunion with Foggy and Karen, D. A. Reyes (Michelle Hurd) fills in the blanks on the shootout near Central Park and the murder of Castle’s family. It was a botched sting operation in an attempt to catch a new player in the drug game, The Blacksmith. The authorities failed to clear the park when the shooting started between the rival gangs present, and the Castle family was caught in the crossfire, which also explains why a ‘Do Not Resuscitate order’ was signed when Frank was taken to the hospital. Poor planning led to a tragic shootout and Reyes attempted to cover it up, and she will not live long to regret it as machine gun fire sprays the office, killing her, and it appears The Punisher is taking his revenge. The same fate befalls the former Medical Examiner, who confessed during Frank’s trial to altering his reports when Karen and Ellison pay him a visit. Karen is then saved by Frank when machine gun fire peppers her apartment, and he tells her “I didn’t do it”.
Murdock’s search for answers leads him to the one man who could have engineered Castle’s escape from prison barely a week after he was incarcerated, and that man is Wilson Fisk, portrayed with imposing presence by Vincent D’Onofrio. Murdock knows Fisk arranged for The Punisher to be back out on the street but cannot prove it, Fisk plays the “We are nothing alike” card, and in this scene, both actors do a fantastic job of playing off each other. Murdock goes after Fisk’s heart, threatening to keep Vanessa out of the U.S, and that underlying menace of the Kingpin comes out. As Fisk tries to make Matt’s head a permanent part of the table they are sitting at, Fisk swears vengeance when he gets out, that everyone Matt Murdock loves will suffer when he takes his revenge.
Elektra has decided that New York is over when she is approached by a tall, dark stranger. Small talk about skiing and high-end tequila gives way to an attempted assassination attempt in a short but dynamic fight sequence. Declaring to her would be assassin that she doesn’t care what The Hand wants, she learns that Stick (Scott Glenn) is who ordered her taken out.
Elektra (Elodie Yung) takes down an assassin
On the roof of Metro General, Claire is attempting to pull Matt from the brink. Admonishing him that his friends are not a weakness, she can’t even convince him to visit Foggy, who suffered a gunshot wound when Reyes was murdered. Murdock blames himself for what has happened when the night goes from worse to just plain awful when The Hand show up in force to take back their hostages, and it seems the hostages are waiting for them. Black eyes and all.
Fantastic episode with the highlight being the scene between Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, this show continues to tell engaging stories, and tie everything together without making it seem cumbersome.
Wilson Fisk is back. Jail suits Fisk well, and he plans on coming back with a bang. During Frank Castle’s ‘Trial of the Century,’ talk about how the justice system has failed came up a few times. Nothing is a better example of this than Wilson Fisk in this episode. Everything Daredevil thought he took care of in Season 1 comes back to haunt him in this Episode.
When Fisk finally went to jail for all of his untold crimes against Hell’s Kitchen Daredevil tell us what happened to him. Did he keep his head down in his cell? Does he create a new empire on the inside? Does he work the system and get himself out? In this episode, nine episodes into the second season, viewers finally got the answers. And the answer is yes, to all of it. Fisk flourishes in jail, playing the game just like he did with his allies on the outside.
Now of course unknowing Matt Murdock continues to grow into his role as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, but he’s regularly upstaged in this episode. Episode 9 is about transitions for Fisk, Castle, and most importantly Karen.
Smart and resourceful Karen quickly snaps out of her brief love interest role. Unlike Foggy and Matt she doesn’t get caught up in playing for her ego. Karen takes responsibility for her actions, and continues to passionately push her own storyline forward. This entire time, watching Karen Page grow and battle the likes of Fisk throughout the course of this series – she’s actually been Ben Urich’s apprentice. It’s great to see a female lead take on a role more than an office assistant, more than a love interest. Karen Page is the next great journalist looking for the truth. The scene where she steps into Ben’s old office hints at something dark in Karen’s past. Viewers have seen Karen develop over the course of the entire series, but they still don’t know anything about her. Karen’s not from New York, and she hasn’t been there long. Why did she come to Hell’s Kitchen, and why can’t she go back home? It looks like viewers might get some answers on who Karen Page really is.
Now whether they realize it or not, Karen and Fisk have been working against and parallel to each other throughout the series. Both of them have a hand in developing Frank Castle as a character. Karen has tried to help Castle several times, finding what shred of humanity he had left. Like with Grotto, Karen saw the person inside the criminal. Then Fisk takes Castle, throws him to the wolves for personal gain, and all but eliminates the person inside The Punisher. The scenes inside the jail show Castle in survival mode. This is Castle the veteran, expert sniper, and a man who’s lost everything when society decides to sweep him under the rug. The Punisher’s brief, but brutal, time in jail with Fisk reveals a new goal. Who is the Blacksmith?
Daredevil’s big trial scene for ‘The People vs. Frank Castle’ is one of the defining moments of this season. There’s no shortage of action-packed fight scenes, as Matt Murdock has to fight for his life on a regular basis. But this fight is just as important to him and his friends, as the outcome will determine whether they still have a firm. It’s up to Matt to save the day. And he fails.
Foggy and Karen, to their credit, do try their best. Despite Frank’s misgivings, they do go for something like a PTSD-insanity plea, going with a very real post-war condition called Sympathetic Storming. They also bring in Colonel Schoonover, Frank’s former commanding officer, to talk about Frank. It paints roughly the same picture of the man we’ve seen – Frank gunned down an entire enemy ambush in order to protect his fellow soldiers. And despite DA Reyes’ attacks, and the hatred of Frank from the public, the case seems to be going flawlessly. The only thing is, Matt isn’t there for any of that.
Matt ends up wrapped further into Elektra’s life than he may have wanted, as his former mentor and trainer Stick comes back to Hell’s Kitchen. As it turns out, it’s not the Yakuza Matt, and Elektra are fighting – it’s a group called The Hand, the classic Daredevil ninja enemies from the comics. Stick also reveals he’s been fighting The Hand ever since he was a boy, and that Elektra is actually his agent. While Stick commands the two of them to be his soldiers, Matt and Elektra both refuse, instead preferring each other’s company. It’s a beautiful moment as Matt and Elektra rest together, Elektra telling Matt “There’s a light inside you. I tried to snuff it out in college. I’m so lucky I failed.” It’s hard to imagine what could ruin such a lovely moment.
As it turns out, what ruins it is Karen coming in to find Matt in bed with another woman. And the next night, when the two are ambushed, Matt (technically) watches Elektra slit the throat of a teenage assassin right in front of him, asking “Do you still want me?”
What this episode does so well is put Matt through the ringer in both of his lives. Matt believes he can ditch out on his friends and coworkers because his work fighting The Hand with Elektra trumps everything else. He tries to save Frank when he makes his closing remarks, but unbeknownst to him; Frank’s made a deal with the prison guards who work for Matt’s old enemy Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin. But all Foggy and Karen see is an irresponsible friend of theirs, who leaves them when they need him the most. And Matt believes he can help Elektra simply by getting her out of Stick’s control, but as it turns out, being a killer is ingrained in Elektra’s every movement. Elektra even interferes with the case, ruining the medical examiner’s testimony, and making Foggy even more infuriated at Matt. As Karen puts it to Matt, “You’re right. This city needs heroes. But you’re not one of them.” And that’s the real killer line. Because in Matt’s eyes, he is the city’s only true hero.
The reason these failures are so huge to Matt is because when he defends them, he’s defending himself. Both The Punisher and Elektra are entities of justice that go the one extra step Daredevil refuses to cross – killing your enemies. The court room gives Matt the same room for argument about heroes he got with Frank in Episode 3 – only this time; Frank’s the one in chains. Matt can’t catch a break because he’s willing to risk everything to continue being Daredevil, but he won’t become a killer and lose his moral high ground. In a way, he’s just as selfish as Stick, putting himself front and center in the narrative, fighting all his wars as an unknown martyr. And Matt certainly is a good fighter. But in this episode of Daredevil, all the kick-flips in the world can’t stop his companions from being who they are – or save himself from who he is.
Dystopias is a sub-genre of sci-fi I love. It has provided us with great novels like George Orwell’s 1984, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Some show a world run by a dictatorial government while others show a society on the verge of collapse and many attempt political or social commentary. All portray a society that is not functioning properly, and it shows something we all fear seeing.
Of course there have been many great movies from this subgenre, so let us look at some of the best cinematic offerings. There are many great candidates – which meant movies like THX-1138, Dredd, Mad Max and Akira just missing out making this list.
10. Brazil
Not to be confused with the South American nation, Brazil is a movie from 1985 by Terry Gilliam and had an ensemble cast that included Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Robert De Niro and Bob Hoskins. Brazil is essentially Gilliam’s version of George Orwell’s 1984, but acting more as a satire and ramping up the absurdist comedy.
Brazil follows Sam Lowry (Pryce), a government worker who discovered an administrative error led to an innocents man being wrongfully arrested. As Sam attempts to right the wrong, it leads him into conflict with the state and gets him involved with a resistance movement. But as the movie progresses the lines between reality and fantasy get blurred.
Brazil was a flop when it was first released but it is now a cult classic, having an 8.0 rating on IMDB. It is a very surreal movie with Sam constantly fantasizing about a woman and has plenty of dark humor. It twists 1984 by showing that a regime with this amount of bureaucracy that would make errors and the state would do everything it can to cover up their mistake.
Gilliam creates a very dark and industrial world and Brazil has become of his most iconic movies.
9. V for Vendetta
Since its release in 2006, V for Vendetta has become a cult classic and a banner movie for left-wing activists – being used as a symbol by Anonymous and the annual Million Mask March. V for Vendetta is based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore and it adapted by The Wachowskis and served as James McTeigue’s directional debut – his only good movie.
V for Vendetta is set in the near future where Britain has turned into a fascist stage after a viral outbreak. But one man stands up against the ruling Norsefire party and its leader (John Hurt) – a freedom fighter only known as V (Hugo Weaving) who wears a Guy Fawkes mask. After going on a mission of vengeance against the people who experimented, he goes out to united the people of Britain to overthrow government.
The movie version of V for Vendetta is a loose adaption of the graphic novel, changing it from the Cold War to the War on Terror and acted a criticism of George W. Bush and Neo-Cons instead of Thatcherism. The movie version also makes the world more black-and-white then in the graphic novel where authoritarianism and anarchism were as bad as each other.
Despite the changes from the graphic novel V for Vendetta is one of the better adaptations of Alan Moore’s work, having some excellent translations of the graphic novel’s scenes like the flashback to V’s origins, V’s killing of Delia Surridge and the torture of Evey. V for Vendetta was an entertaining sci-fi action movie which did not dumb down its political themes. Even if you do not agree with its politics V for Vendetta still entertains.
8. Robocop
Robocop is an example of a classic 80s action film and was as intelligent as it was violent. Inspired by Judge DreddRobocop was written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner and was Paul Verhoeven’s first Hollywood movie.
Robocop is set in a bankrupt, crime-ridden Detroit (the more things change the more they stay the more they stay the same). The city is primarily run by Omni Consumer Products (OCP) and the police has been privatized. The police are on the brink of striking. To fight the crime epidemic engulfing the city OCP resurrect a cop who died in the line of duty, becoming the titular Robocop.
Robocop was as much a political satire as it was a sci-fi actioneer – taking the ideas of Ronald Regan and Margaret Thatcher to their extremes where the state roles back to the extend it not even provide essential services yet still willing to spend millions on laser defense systems. There is also plenty of dark humor and enough OTT violence to satisfy anyone’s bloodlust. It’s one of the best action movies and sci-fi from the 80s, standing alongside classics like The Terminator, Aliens and Die Hard.
The sequel made the world look even worst where crime is so rampant that there is a conga line of death and theft, people are addicted to a new drug and a little league team robs a convenience store.
7. Battle Royale
Coming from Japan is Battle Royale, a movie that anyone who say they are as a film fan have to see. Like many of the other dystopias on this list Battle Royale was based on a novel and it has been adapted into a manga series before being made into a movie.
Battle Royale is set in a near future Japan after the economy has collapsed and many young people react by using violence and striking against the school system. To regain control the Japanese government introduce the BR Act, an annual event where one unfortunate school class has to fight to death on an island within three days. One middle school class is randomly picked to compete and the students react in to their situation in different ways – some fight to survive, others try to act normal, a group attempt to sabotage the game, a couple commit suicide in refusal to fight and some embrace the contest. Hence why some people see The Hunger Games as a rip-off of Battle Royale.
Battle Royale is a fantastically violent movie that Hollywood would not dare to make. It is creative with how it dispatches many of the kids and brings out the personalities of many of the competitors – there were more characters in Battle Royale then in The Hunger Gamesyet we got to know more about them than in the Japanese movie.
Battle Royale is also a darkly funny movie at times and it is one of the most popular Japanese movies in the West. But it does have a very surreal ending and the sequel was poorly received.
6. Never Let Me Go
Never Let Me Go is based on a critically acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, which was nominated for the Booker Prize and the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was named the best novel of 2005 by Time magazine. The book was adapted by director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) and screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Ex Machina) and featured a Great British cast.
Never Let Me Go is different to many dystopias because it is set in the past, from the 1970s to 1990s in an alternative version of Britain. In 1952 a medical breakthrough is made to allow humans to live beyond 100 – but it comes at a cost of an underclass of clone who do not live beyond 30. The movie itself focuses on three clones, Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley), from their days in school to their final days where they have to donate their organs.
Never Let Me Go is a sad and tragic movie that gives the dystopia subgenre a very realistic edge. The clones are indoctrinated from a young age to stay healthy and accept their destiny in life is to donate their organs or care for and support other clones when they have to make their donations. The clones do not attempt to run and escape, the most they do is try to delay what is going to happen, they accept their fate. The system of control is a sophisticated vicious circle where the clones are given jobs to care for each other and keep themselves obedient.
There are beautiful little touches to make the world feel more authentic, from the clone children only being given broken to toys and people looking away from the clones, avoiding eye contact and ignoring their existence. It is a wonderfully stark dystopia.
5. Gattaca
The sci-fi movie Gattaca was Andrew Niccol first film as a writer and director and it is easily argued that it’s his best. Gattaca is set in a near future America which has become eugenics based society. People have been split into two groups, generically selected individuals who are conceived through IVF and love births, naturally conceived people. The love births are second class citizens, made to do remedial jobs and live in poor conditions. However one man, Vincent (Ethan Hawke) avoids that fate by assuming the identity of a genetically selected individual and advances within a space tech company. But when a murder is committed on the premises its puts Vincent at risk of being discovered.
Like Never Let Me GoGattaca attempts to show a more realistic version of a dystopia, indicating a future that might happen, how prejudice could evolve and touch on issues of genetic discrimination, such as in healthcare. Niccol put a lot of thought and detail into the make-up and mechanics of the society while also telling a story about Vincent’s struggles. Niccol also gave the world of retro-future look to help make it stand out.
4. Blade Runner
Based on the Philip K. Dick novel’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?Blade Runner is often considered one of the best sci-fi ever made. It is also seen to be Ridley Scott’s masterpiece and an excellent example of the neo-noir sub-genre.
Blade Runner is set in Los Angeles in 2019 (not long to go). The world is overly populated and highly polluted – most animals are extinct, and the majority of animals that are left are clones. Humanity has been able colonize space and replicants, genetically engineered humanoids are used to conduct the dangerous work. Replicants are forbidden to live on Earth and as a failsafe only have a lifespan of four years.
Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a blade runner, a man whose job is to find and kill any escaped replicants. Deckard is hired to find four highly advance replicants that have fled to Los Angeles but as he conducts the mission his own humanity is questions.
Blade Runner was a movie known for its ground breaking special effects and art-direction. The flying car sequences and the cityscape are still breathtaking and Scott and his team did an excellent job of making a dark and depressing version of the future. Many movies attempted to copy its look like Highlander II: The Quickening, Super Mario Bros. and Judge Dredd, misunderstanding they needed to copy Blade Runner quality, not its visuals.
Blade Runner was a notorious flop when it first released and studio interference lead to a version with a voiceover and the happy ending in the countryside. Blade Runner has been recut many times and fans have collected the different versions of the movie.
3. A Clockwork Orange
The cinematic adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is often considered one of Stanley Kubrick greatest movies which is a hell of an achievement considering his filmography.
A Clockwork Orange is a mostly faithful adaptation of the novel, set in Britain in the near future where the young run amok. Influenced by drug filled milk gangs terrorize the public with robbery, rape and a bit of the old ultra-violence. One gang leader is Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a 15-year-old, is arrested for murder and after two years in prison he is given a chance to commute his sentence when he volunteers to take part in a psychological experiment to ensure he can never do an evil act again.
Kubrick made A Clockwork Orange after his plans to Napoleon bio-pic felt through and he wanted to make something quickly and relatively cheap. It was an obvious success, showing a world where society is tearing itself apart and both the government and the public would response with authoritarian actions.
Burgess was influenced by B.F. Skinner’s experiments on operant conditioning and pushes them to their extremes. He was also a committed Catholic which influenced the moral debate portrayed in the movie, whether it’s better to be good but have no free will or have free will but use it to be bad. Kubrick kept the religious themes and showed Christian iconography throughout.
A Clockwork Orange is a highly influential movie, critics often compare movies like Bronson and Filth to the Kubrick classic while The Warriors where colorful gangs dominate in New York City.
The movie garnered controversy because of its violence and lead to Kubrick self-banned A Clockwork Orange in the UK. The ban was only lifted after Kubrick’s death in 2001.
2. Metropolis
Metropolis has a number of distinctions to its name – besides from being considered one of the first dystopian films, it is also one of the best sci-fi, silent, and German movies ever. Released in 1927 Metropolis is set in a futuristic city where society is split into two groups, the rich who seek physical and intelligential pursuit but also live a life of opulence while the poor toil underground keeping the city running. The poor are on the brink of revolt but they are told by their leader, Maria (Brigitte Helm), to wait for the Mediator who would unite the working and ruling classes. In the midst of this world Freder (Gustav Fröhlich), the son of the leader of the city falls for Maria and disguises himself as a worker to find her while the mad scientist Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) plans to use the revolutionary fever to get revenge against the leader.
The description would lead you to think that Metropolis is a Communist movie, but in reality it is a Christian-Socialist flick, using religious themes, ideas and iconography throughout. Unfortunately Metropolis was a personal favorite of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels.
Metropolis was directed by the legendary Fritz Lang (M, The Big Heat) and it was a grand spectacle. The film cost 5 Million Reichsmarks, which is roughly around $200 Million in today’s money, and it took nearly a year to shoot. It scales were breathtaking, using models and matte paintings that still impress today, used 37,000 extras and the robot transformation sequence still holds up today. Sadly the movie only made 75,000 Reichsmarks at the box office and despite the 2010 restoration, some scenes are lost.
Metropolis is a must see, working as a sci-fi epic and as a deeper experience.
1. Children of Men
Topping the list is 2006’s Children of Men. Loosing based on P. D. James’ only sci-fi novel, Children of Men is deservedly seen as Alfonso Cuarón’s magnum opus and one of best sci-fi movies of the 21st Century.
Children of Men is set in 2027 18 years after the last child in the world is born. Britain becomes a police state where law and order is breaking down; terrorism is rife, immigrants are rounded up for deportation, bandits roam the countryside and the small town of Bexhill-on-Sea has turned into a war zone. Britain is doing better than the rest of the world as many of the world’s cities, from Moscow to Seattle, have fallen.
Theo Faron (Clive Owen) was a political activist turned jaded civil servant who ends up being embroiled with a group who has the first pregnant woman in 18 years and ends up being protector for humanity’s last hope.
Children of Men is a politically charged movie taking British immigration policies to its extremes and acting as a commentary on the War on Terror. Like A Clockwork Orange and MetropolisChildren of Men is also religious themed being centered on a woman giving birth to the mankind’s salvation and having people turn to religious extremism such self-flagellating.
As well as being a great dystopia movie Children of Men is a fantastic technical feat using long takes and the famous six-minute long war scene. It was a great movie for creating a slightly futuristic world with small technological advances but smartly keeps it in the background.
The book and the movie are very different beasts, but there are both great in their own way.
Daredevil Season 2 continues with “Regrets Only” an episode that simultaneously slows the pace and provides of the show’s more dynamic action scenes thus far. It begins with Elektra and Matt about to be ambushed by a number of assassins, leading to a fight scene reminiscent of the neon-filled escapade of Bond in Shanghai featured in Skyfall. We immediately see that Daredevil and Elektra fight as if they were dance partners. Their fight with the “Yakuza” is like a ballet, one that demonstrates the skills of both fighters. Their chemistry manifest even in their fighting styles. There is a complementarity to their styles that betrays a common ancestry. Elektra and Daredevil have more in common than even they known and that is beautifully integrated into the episode’s action scenes. This episode also gives us the best look of the new suit which features a lot more red than last season. It comes straight from the pages of Alex Maleev and Brian Michael Bendis’ run on the character.
Meanwhile, we finally get to see Matt play lawyer as he and Foggy go up against DA Reyes. Frank Castle has been assigned a lawyer that even a rookie law student could beat and it’s clear that the unscrupulous Reyes is hopping not only for an open and shut case, but one that solves the question of The Punisher permanently. It’s strange that in a series about a lawyer that we rarely get to see Matt put that Columbia Law School education to good use. This season has gone a long way towards addressing that, with this episode acting as a shining example of why Matt graduated suma com laude. He has a wit and intelligence that is often forgotten about. Foggy normally is left to act as the responsible half of their firm while Matt is busy being Daredevil, but this episode shows that letting the two being that dynamic duo of the legal world can reek dividends, both in terms of performance and character development. Reyes continues to be the stereotypical power-hungry DA and one wonders if there is something deeper to her character. It would be a shame if she were to amount to merely another corrupt DA. Michelle Hurd plays her with such vitriol, you’d swear that her very words could strip paint off a wall. That being said, it’s always fun to have that unethical lawyer to bounce off our heroes. This series loves having foils for Matt to be compared to, but one wonders if Matt is more defined by who he isn’t rather than who he is. With Nelson and Murdock set up to represent Frank Castle in court, it’s clear that Daredevil is teeing up a courtroom drama of epic proportions.
Bernthal gives us a harrowing take on The Punisher in this episode . I’ve previously argued that the character works best as a force of nature, unable to be reasoned with. “Only Regrets” does a fantastic job of humanising Frank Castle and making him a sympathetic character. As Karen helps Frank remember facts about his family such as his children’s favourite toys, we are shown the humanity that would drive someone towards inhumanity. There is an interesting understanding between the two as Karen’s compassion represents what much of the audience will feel towards the character. It’s worth noting that Frank’s actions still remain reprehensible, but this ability to relate to him feeds into the wider moral debate that played out in episode 3 and allows us to make our own decision as to whether or not Matt Murdock is on the right side of that argument. There are some among the audience who would certainly agree that Daredevil is merely a “half-measure”. Certainly a few who placed in similar circumstances, having seen their family gunned down before their very eyes, would take up arms against a sea of troubles and by punishing, end them.
Yung is a fantastic Elektra and this episodes demonstrates her more playful side as she and Matt attempt to break into a Roxxon executive’s office in order to steal a ledger. It also leads to one of the funniest moments of the series thus far as her and Matt pretend to be caught having sex in order to escape from the Roxxon goons. Her entire performance is seductive and the viewer sees her as Matt would have. She pulls us into her world, one of mystery and intrigue. We see that charm and magnetism that made Matt fall in love with her to begin with. In a clever way, like with The Punisher, the show tries to bring us around to her way of thinking and to advocate for her approach to crime-fighting as much as Daredevil’s. Her story-line is crucial for the momentum of the rest of the season. It is through the heist that we are shown the darker side of the Roxxon corporation. Moreover, the group we thought were the Yakuza are revealed to be far more sinister as their leader is shown in possession of a number of severed fingers. Comic fans have known where this one has been going since last season, but their is something unnaturally terrifying to seeing their leader say “Who ever said I was Yakuza?” through grinning teeth.
At the mid-way point of the season, Daredevil is finally starting to see the beginnings of the war that Stick referred to in Season 1. It’s clear that whereas the first season acted as one continuous story, this season is more focused on providing a number of arcs that tie into each other. The “Yakuza” are more than they appear and it remains to be seen who has the upper “Hand”. Some of Frank Miller’s more mystical and unique contributions to the canon are about to make themselves known, but whether they will resonate with the viewership remains the be seen. All the while, Daredevil manages to intersperse a thrilling courtroom drama to ground the series. We have seven episodes left and they will determine whether or not the series has taken on too much of a burden for any single season to deal with.
Gail Simone’s booth at C2E2 had long lines this weekend, as fans looked to get their favorite Simone book signed. From Deadpool to Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey to Secret Six, and Red Sonja, Simone autographed them all with a smile, and friendly banter. While her past work is something to explore and admire, her current work is exploding with popularity and her plans for ambitious comics in the future.
At Vertigo, the psychological horror Clean Room is a highly rated series that has been described as “something you read if you don’t want to sleep again.” Simone explained that the idea came from her home state of Oregon.
“There is a really, pretty high percentage of Cults in Oregon,” Simone said. “I’ve been aware of that for years growing up there, so I was kind of fascinated by that, and also in our culture today how we have these self-help gurus and people who follow blindly.”
The book focuses on the themes of control, and what it takes for people to be willing to give up their own decision-making abilities. The story is about a young, charismatic cult leader named Astrid, who runs a self-help organization in an office in Chicago. Her office building has a room called the “Clean Room” where Astrid has her followers go if they have a secret she wants to know. Needless to say, those who go in don’t come out the same, and some don’t come out at all.
“A lot of shit goes down in the Clean Room that’s very terrifying,” Simone joked.
Clean Room is Simone’s first foray with Vertigo, but she’s still working with Vertigo’s larger company, DC Comics. There Simone has had the chance to redefine one of her most famous series, Secret Six. While the classic series focused on a group of loveable loser mercenaries her new series of the same name has a very different tone with some new characters and some older characters she had the chance to redefine.
“Some people will say that this current version of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, whatever, is not my version,” Simone said. “What I think about these characters that have existed for 70 plus years is that times change. Characters need to change in order to grab the current audience to talk about things that are important to us now rather than so many years ago.”
She wanted to reflect the changing of time in the new book in some way, and so each character was redefined to help show the current times. It’s certainly a different book from its predecessor and focuses on the internal struggles of these characters that can be very relatable. However, it still has a dark sense of humor and a strange sense of heart with all these characters who find they have a family with each other even when they don’t really like each other.
The future is where Simone showed her most excitement. Especially with a book called Wonderfall. It’s not Simone’s dark, twisted genre that has been featured in this article. Instead, it is an all-ages fantasy epic that takes place in the future, but it is quite a different take on the genre in general.
“It takes place in our world, but it’s completely different, land masses have changed and rearranged, rivers have changed direction,” Simone explained. “It’s not what you would call a typical English style fantasy.”
Co-created with Walter Geovani, Wonderfall focuses on a young girl named Yala, who lives in this bizarre new future that has a lot of rain forest like terrain, and South American aesthetic. There’s no civilization as we know it left, but villages are rebuilding their lives. New creatures are evolving, the world has changed and our hero, Yala is very curious about everything and wants to explore it all with her two Greyhound dogs.
“In [Yala’s] culture, it’s extremely frowned upon and rude to ask questions,” said Simone. “Yala is so curious that she can’t help herself, so she’s in trouble a lot, and she has this secret power that nobody knows about that they thought was lost when the Fall happened.”
Simone went on to describe the upcoming comic as a unique, gorgeous book that explores what’s important to society and humanity in an entirely different way. While also having a “discovery of self” theme. She also hoped that the comic would be a great kids comic that grown-ups could read too.
“There are a few images online, and you can tell that this is going to be amazing,” Simone said.
Clean Room and Secret Six are available for purchase now, along with her other book Surviving Megaopolis. Wonderfall has not had an official release date yet, but be on the lookout for a release date soon.
Tim Seeley is a veteran of the comic book world with great hits like Hack/Slash, Revival, and Love Bunny and Mr. Hell. Seeley is working at DC with a slew of titles that had great success, most famously is his spy thriller comic he co-writes with Tom King, Grayson. The book has been very successful since its debut, but its future is up in the air with the upcoming DC event Rebirth. While he couldn’t tell much about Dick Grayson’s future, Seeley happily looked back on the series and its success.
“They had a series that they were going to do, but they decided not to go in that direction anymore, so they had a very short amount of time to figure out a new idea,” Seeley said. “And someone at DC said, let’s try a spy idea. So they said, ‘what would you do?’ and I was like oh man I don’t know.”
Seeley eventually found inspiration from the Batman INC series from Grant Morrison and Chris Burham. He found that the organization Spyral would be the perfect venue for Dick Grayson’s new career as a secret agent, and give the agency a new home after Batman INC.
“So, I pitched the idea that Dick should join Spyral, that he was working with Helena Bertinelli,” Seeley explained. “And Tuesday the next week they were like, ‘we like it, we have another pitch we like from a guy who was a novelist, but he was actually in the CIA.”
DC liked both pitches from Seeley and writer/former CIA agent Tom King and had both writers work together on creating the Grayson series. They combined their ideas effectively to create a highly reviewed, entertaining series that was a fresh new take on the character. While the series was full of classic spy tropes, and high-octane adventures, Seeley and King, wanted to incorporate real elements of what being a spy can do to you. Specifically focusing on the ideas of loneliness, and isolation that comes from being in a secret organization.
“Tom’s experience in the CIA was obviously nothing like Spyral, it’s completely not realistic,” Seeley joked. “Except for the moments, he brought where it was like, this is what it’s like to be away from your family and friends. This is what it’s like to not be able to tell anyone what you do anymore.”
Seeley described that the general experience of spies was to sit in a room and wait for a phone call. Certainly against the notion that spies run around getting shot at and having choreographed fights on speeding trains. But, Seeley wanted this comic to balance out the crazy escapist adventures with the real world psychological toll it takes.
“When we could get that genuine emotion, how it really feels to do that stuff,” Seeley said. “I think that’s when we did some of our best stuff.”
While Seeley was more than happy to talk about Dick Grayson’s past, he wasn’t as revealing about the future of Grayson after the upcoming Rebirth event. But, he did assure us that there would be big reveals from DC coming up soon.
“You don’t get to break into my apartment and talk to me about trust” – Matt Murdock
The past comes back to haunt Matt Murdock as a face from the past returns. Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung) makes her debut in this episode and the chemistry between her and Matt (Charlie Cox) is evident from the very beginning. Their relationship is told across two timelines. The present, in which Elektra has returned to ask for Murdock’s legal consul in some dealings with her father’s bad investments with the Roxxon Corporation, and 10 years ago, during Foggy and Matt’s law school days. Whatever happened in that absence has not left Matt thrilled to see his ex-paramour, especially now that a relationship is burgeoning with Karen, having almost kissed at the end of the last episode.
Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) is currently attempting to figure out what happened to Frank Castle’s family since the New York press have him painted as a psychopathic loner with no mention of his family or military history. Visiting Ben Urichs’ old job, the New York Bulletin. With the help of Mitchell Ellison, Karen tracks down an old article reporting a gang shootout between the three gangs that Castle had been targeting, and the dots are connected. Castle’s family was caught in the crossfire, leaving him the only survivor.
Foggy (Elden Henson)
Foggy (Elden Henson) gets involved as well, dealing with the ADA’s office, who will be handling the prosecution of The Punisher. Getting a visit from ADA Tower, asking for their files on the now dead eyewitness to the Kitchen Irish massacre. Not relenting and sending Tower off empty handed, Foggy meets with his antagonistic but attracted to colleague Marci. Marci has left her previous position and is now at Hogarth, Chao, and Benowitz. One of a number of easter eggs sprinkled throughout the episode, Marci lets Foggy know that the DA wants to make an example of those operating outside the law, so that puts people like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and now Frank Castle in the cross hairs.
Matt’s previous relationship with Elektra and his now current kind of relationship with Karen are polar opposites. Elektra knows of the darkness inside and prods him to embrace it, even going so far as to track down Roscoe Sweeney, the man who murdered his father, and pushing Matt to take his revenge. In Karen, Matt sees the good in the world that he believes in, but doesn’t experience all that much, and wants to hold on to it as fiercely as he can.
Elektra (Elodie Yung) prepares for visitors
Ending on a tense note, Matt goes to confront Elektra about her purpose in returning to NYC and she reveals she infiltrated Roxxon’s computer systems under the guise of a business meeting. It appears the Yakuza are coming to address that intrusion. She also hasn’t forgotten Matthew’s dark side…opening a bag revealing his Daredevil gear as the episode ends.
Light on the action and heavy on plot movement and character development shows the strength this show has. After 2 episodes of heavy action, ‘Kinbaku’ gives all three of the leads something to chew on. You see Matt’s vulnerability, Karen’s tenacity, and Foggy’s understated confidence at being the smartest guy in the room. There are also plenty of easter eggs with the mentions of HB& C, Jessica Jones, and the Roxxon Corporation (a fictional multi-national in the Marvel Universe).
Episode 4 of Daredevil is the pivotal mid-season finale. Everything seems to get tied up in a neat little bow, beginning and ending with the final word on the Irish Mob. This episode almost answers all the questions such as giving viewers a taste of what could happen with Matt and Karen, and, more importantly, giving some serious background on The Punisher.
But first, the opening scene before the familiar and aesthetically-pleasing title sequence. The series thus far has the format of pushing a vital and shocking scene to set the tone of the episode. Episode 4 opens with a shot of several glasses of, presumably expensive, Scotch neat. It’s a funeral of the Irish brothers massacred in the first episode. Remember the ‘father’ repeatedly mentioned in the first Episode? He’s back in Hell’s Kitchen, and ready to stab through skulls with an ice pick. Literally.
The head of this Irish crime family, Finn, wants retribution for his fallen brothers, his stolen cash, and his son. Finn is terrifying, and everything you’d expect from the head of a top crime organization spread over two continents. The character is played incredibly well by Tony Curran. Curran is most recently known for his role in the sci-fi series Defiance. This episode also shows the Irish mob in action. With all the guns, the violence, and the religious undertones.
The writers of Daredevil picked a good crime family to focus on for the first half of the season. Matt Murdock, The Punisher, and the Irish Mob all connect with their relationship to Catholicism.
Viewers finally get tons of background information on The Punisher. In the previous episode, Matt slowly chipped away at Punisher trying to get intel. It’s been obvious from the beginning the man is ex-military, and viewers finally got confirmation in Episode 3. Now how Karen Page hunts down information on The Punisher is one of her several shining moments. The sequence of Karen in Punisher’s old house gives the anti-hero some humanity and speaks to some of the deeper themes of the series. Daredevil has a habit of adding complexity to some their characters by showing viewers important backstory. The Punisher is one of those characters that need a full backstory. Give the viewers a reason for Punisher’s motivations. Karen’s investigations, along with Jon Bernthal’s fantastic monologue give viewers a glimpse of that backstory.
Disappointingly, Karen hasn’t had as much character development this season. The writers still give Karen her moments, especially in her scene with Blake Tower. It’s also nice to see less victimizing of Karen, and more championing of Karen. At this point in the series, viewers can see how Karen has adapted from her horrifying experiences and pushed herself to become stronger. She’s incredibly important to the story, as she’s tough and resourceful enough to keep Nelson and Murdock afloat. Then it Daredevil has to ruin it by making Karen the love interest.
Of course, several questions still remain unanswered. The suits, what really happened to Punisher’s family, the other crime families who desire to take over Hell’s Kitchen, and, of course, Elektra. There’s still nine episodes left.
Mad & Noisy Brewing, named for the nearby confluence of the Mad & Noisy Rivers just outside Creemore, Ontario, is a subsidiary label of Creemore Springs, which in turn has been a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Company since being purchased by the beerglomerate in 2005. Being a part of the Molson Coors family, though, doesn’t seem to have changed Creemore Springs much. The brewery’s independent flair is still evident and is represented well by Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager. Their Mad & Noisy label allows Creemore Springs to produce experimental brews outside its mandate of only producing beers that comply with the Bavarian Purity Law. I was lucky enough to visit the brewery recently and picked up an 8-pack Mad & Noisy Brewing’s Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager fresh off of the line.
The uniquely furnished Creemore Springs is home to its experimental Mad & Noisy label
Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – First Sip
I take a big sip of this unique lager, and as I drink I notice its sharp aroma of citrus as its initial maltiness gives way to a mouth watering bitterness. Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s medium carbonation level promotes its complex flavours, leaving a sharp aftertaste that lingers long after the beer’s gone. Several hoppy beers rely entirely upon their hoppiness to provide a unique taste. Hops & Bolts, instead, allows its strong notes of caramel and malt to balance out its intense bitterness, making it a beer that’s tough to forget.
Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Last Sip
This isn’t a beer that I’d want to drink quickly but with its amazingly balanced flavour, why would I? Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s slightly cloudy honey-amber hue isn’t to be missed, so I strongly suggest pouring this well-crafted brew into a pint glass before drinking. As anyone who’s read any of my previous beer reviews knows, I tend to like hop-forward brews–I think I’ve probably reviewed about 70% IPAs–so if you’re a fan of the same, I strongly recommend this one. If you’re more of a straight ahead lager fan, check this one out if you’re feeling adventurous but consider yourself warned.
Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Other Comments
As with most sharp-tasting beers, you can’t go wrong having this one with some salty and/or deep-fried foods. At the same time though, Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s balance of malty and bitter make this an ideal beer to have with sweets, especially something chewy like a butter tart or sticky bun. Unlike some other hop-forward beers, this one isn’t exceptionally alcoholic, weighing in at 5.3% ABV where some others come in at 6% or more. That said, please enjoy responsibly. Currently available only in tall cans, a couple of them go a long way.
Bernthal gives us a harrowing take on The Punisher in this episode . I’ve previously argued that the character works best as a force of nature, unable to be reasoned with. “Only Regrets” does a fantastic job of humanising Frank Castle and making him a sympathetic character. As Karen helps Frank remember facts about his family such as his children’s favourite toys, we are shown the humanity that would drive someone towards inhumanity. There is an interesting understanding between the two as Karen’s compassion represents what much of the audience will feel towards the character. It’s worth noting that Frank’s actions still remain reprehensible, but this ability to relate to him feeds into the wider moral debate that played out in episode 3 and allows us to make our own decision as to whether or not Matt Murdock is on the right side of that argument. There are some among the audience who would certainly agree that Daredevil is merely a “half-measure”. Certainly a few who placed in similar circumstances, having seen their family gunned down before their very eyes, would take up arms against a sea of troubles and by punishing, end them.
