Netflix released a teaser and poster for Elektra, Wednesday afternoon to promote season two of Marvel’s Daredevil. The teaser displays Elektra’s skills and gives the viewer a glimpse of her costume. The costume is a departure from the comics with only a hint of red.
Elektra Natchious gets the Netflix treatment in Daredevilas Elodie Yung plays the infamous character, and Matt Murdock’s love interest. In season one, she is mentioned as Murdock’s college girlfriend.
Netflix plans to release a second trailer tomorrow.
The series stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung and Rosario Dawson.
Season two of Marvel’s Daredevil will be available to stream globally on March 18 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix.
Marvel’s Daredevil – Character Artwork – Elektra
Just when Matt thinks he is bringing order back to the city, new forces are rising in Hell’s Kitchen. Now the Man Without Fear must take on a new adversary in Frank Castle and face an old flame – Elektra Natchios.
Bigger problems emerge when Frank Castle, a man looking for vengeance, is reborn as The Punisher, a man who takes justice into his own hands in Matt’s neighborhood. Meanwhile, Matt must balance his duty to his community as a lawyer and his dangerous life as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, facing a life-altering choice that forces him to truly understand what it means to be a hero. (Source: Netflix)
Marvel’s Daredevil – Character Artwork – Frank Castle
Marvel’s Daredevil – Character Artwork – Karen Page
Marvel’s Daredevil – Character Artwork – Foggy Nelson
Marvel’s Daredevil – Character Artwork – Daredevil
Batman: Bad Blood, though hardly the best release in WB Animation’s current line of DC Universe Original Movies, does hit its mark in terms of at least one of the new characters it introduces. The film’s treatment of Batwoman, a.k.a. Kate Kane, is as true to the character’s 2006 comic book origin as possible within the video line’s continuity, which should delight fans of the character and Batman comic fans in general.
Additionally, the feature delivers strong fight and action sequences, as well as bringing back other series regulars and allowing fan favorite “Firefly” alum Sean Maher to get some time in the spotlight, voice-acting Batman’s longest and most well-known ally, Dick Grayson/Nightwing, in a prominent role.
What’s it about?
While assisting Gotham City’s newest Bat symbol-sporting vigilante Batwoman (voiced by Yvonne Strahovski, “24: Live Another Day“, Mass Effect 2, 3) in clashing with some new super-powered baddies making noise in the city’s criminal underworld, the Caped Crusader (voiced once again by Jason O’Mara) goes missing. Weeks go by, with no word to Alfred, who does what he can to keep up appearances on the Bruce Wayne front. As crime in the city escalates without Batman on patrol, Alfred reaches out to Nightwing, making the case that Gotham needs a Batman sooner rather than later. Reluctantly, the one-time Boy Wonder steps up to the task he’d hoped never to have to undertake: putting on the cowl and succeeding his mentor, at least temporarily, as the Dark Knight.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the current Robin, Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan), learns of Batman’s disappearance while serving the monks at the monastery in the Himalayas to which he retreated at the end of Batman vs. Robin. Convinced that Gotham will need him in his father’s absence, he returns to the city just in time to help the “new” Batman wrap up his first night on the town in his new role. Damian insists that Dick is incapable of convincing anyone that he’s the real Batman without assistance and commits to helping, regardless of the fact that his help was not called for.
The new Dynamic Duo then set out to figure out what happened to Bruce, a mystery that leads them to ally with Batwoman, who was the last to see Batman alive. Together, the Bat “family” face off against a new foe calling himself “the Heretic” and the criminal mastermind behind him and the gang of super-villains seen at the start of the whole caper, who engineered Bruce’s disappearance as part of a much grander scheme. Along the way, the heroes are joined by another “bat” — Batwing, a.k.a. Luke Fox (Gaius Charles), son of Wayne Enterprises board chairman and engineering genius Lucius Fox (Ernie Hudson) — and find themselves pushed to their limits by a surprise enemy, one they never imagined they’d ever have to trade punches with: Batman himself.
All in the (Bat) Family
Batman: Bad Blood continues WB Animation’s marketing strategy of alternating Bat-centric titles with Justice League-centric ones, and remains firmly entrenched in the new Batman status quo first established in 2014’s Son of Batman. While that status quo doesn’t exactly match what the comic line established with “The New 52” a few years ago — no Tim Drake/Robin character, most prominently — it’s pretty close, so if you’re just coming to this series with this title and you know the comic continuity, you shouldn’t be too lost.
Stories focused on Dick Grayson reluctantly filling the role of Batman during a prolonged absence of Bruce Wayne are certainly nothing new to longtime Bat fans. It is a new story thread for this series, however, and it’s important to note for potential viewers that despite exclusive marketing from Best Buy that might lead you believe Batman: Bad Blood draws in some way from “Batman: Battle for the Cowl”, the 2009 comic story by Tony S. Daniel, that’s simply not the case.
That’s a good thing, for it allows this story of Nightwing taking that next step to feel far less forced than it might have otherwise. In previous appearances of Nightwing in Son of Batman and Batman vs. Robin, there have only been hints of the tension between Batman and his one-time ward that led to Grayson striking out on his own. Here, audiences get more about that, and just how Grayson feels about the unwanted legacy he’s forced to carry on. It’s also entertaining to watch Grayson as Batman paired with a Robin so highly dubious of his partner’s worth or worthiness, as Damian, while not nearly as obnoxious and combative as in the earlier releases, still considers himself the “true” heir of the Bat legacy.
Enter Batwoman
The willingness of the creative team behind the DC Original Animated Films to introduce Batwoman into the “Bat Family” mix stands as strong evidence of their continuing commitment to more sophisticated and emotionally mature storytelling. The considerable amount of time spent in this release developing Kate Kane’s personality and backstory while not shying away at all from the character’s sexuality as established in the comic line — she’s openly gay, for those not in the know — represents more than just keeping fans of the character happy. It represents a faith in the emotional maturity of audiences potentially coming to the series for the first time.
That faith is validated in terms of how organically that character development unfolds within the context of the larger story in Batman: Bad Blood. The character’s quieter scenes with family, interacting with peers, and even a scene involving a potential romantic interest are all brought to life with sincerity and an emphasis on realism.
Batwoman is arguably one of the most interesting characters introduced in the Batman line in the past decade, not because of her sexuality, but because of her supporting cast, her reasons for putting on the costume, and how her methods and attitudes sometimes clash with Batman and his more well-known protegés. Thus, it’s not surprising that the choice was made to bring her in, from both a storytelling and marketing standpoint. What will be interesting is where they go with the character from here — screenwriter J.M. DeMatteis, director Jay Oliva, and actress Yvonne Strahovski have given Batwoman a strong start, so hopefully they follow up with prominent appearances in future releases, or perhaps even a title where she takes center stage.
… and Batwing, too!
Sadly, the same can’t be said about the treatment of the other new addition to the Bat-fold. The story elements drawing Luke Fox/Batwing into the plot feel precisely like contrivance, adding a convenient additional ally to bail the script out once it had written itself into a corner. It doesn’t help that the production utilizes the less interesting iteration of Batwing from the comic line — the original Batwing, as created by Grant Morrison and appearing in the first volume of “Batman, Incorporated” back in 2011, had a far more interesting backstory and reason for existence. Yes, incorporating David Zavimbe in a way faithful to his comic book origins would have been cumbersome for this film, but that’s just evidence to why the character shouldn’t have been here at all. Better to leave the introduction of Batwing, regardless of whether it is Zavimbe or Luke Fox, to a future “Batman, Inc.” feature release, where it could have been showcased, rather than getting the shorter end of the “new kid on the block” stick as it does here.
Oh, yeah — the action
As in the previous Bat-centric releases, the action in Batman: Bad Blood is capably choreographed and fun to watch, in particular the fight scenes. There’s one particular one-on-one during the film’s climax that’s not only well staged and animated, but also very capably conveys an emotional significance, as it takes one of the main emotional conflicts at the core of the film’s story and makes that conflict brutally physical. Is it the best in the line in terms of action-driven entertainment and thrills? No — that distinction, arguably, still belongs to Batman: Assault on Arkham. But it works, and the script even manages to get some humor worked in between the grunts and explosions:
Batwoman: “Nuns with M-60s and katanas?”
Batman: “That would make them ‘nunjas’.”
Rim shot!
Oh, fine. This reviewer thought it was damn funny.
Batman: Bad Blood
Starring the voice talents of Jason O’Mara, Yvonne Strahovski, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Gaius Charles, Ernie Hudson, and Stuart Allan. Directed by Jay Oliva.
Running Time: 72 minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence throughout and some suggestive content.
A trailer for The Light Between Oceans, Derek Cianfrance’s latest emotionally devastating film, has been released. It stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, both Oscars hopefuls this year, and seems poised to make a run at next-year’s ceremony.
Here is the trailer:
The plot is laid out for us, but there promises to be any number of emotional pendulum swings throughout. Vikander is officially the hottest new actress around, and Fassbender continues to flirt with that Oscar statue. This could very well get it for him.
It’s easy to cry “Oscar Bait!” at the very sight of The Light Between Oceans, but so what? What if it’s compelling drama, Oscar bait or no?
The Light Between Oceans, based on ML Stedman’s bestseller, will start its release schedule this September.
Brooklyn’s Finest was so fleeting and forgotten, it’s almost as if the film never made it to multiplexes. Released in March 2010, it scraped together $27 million, just a couple million over it’s meager budget, and was here and gone before baseball’s Opening Day that year. It happens sometimes. But make no mistake, Antoine Fuqua’s bleak and unforgivingly dark crime noir deserves much more credit than what it initially received. It is soaked in genre cliché, which was a central complaint from critics and audiences, and it’s one of the more nihilistic police dramas this side of Joe Carnahan’s Narc. But Brooklyn’s Finest doesn’t shy away from these commonalities in its narrative. It embraces cliché full force, but Fuqua knows how to take standard narrative threads and shape a compelling story in a dark, beautiful frame.
And as we travel down these roads to perdition, with three polluted souls, three policemen whose fate seems sealed, it sinks its teeth in. If you allow it.
Richard Gere is Eddie, a beat cop a week away from retirement (if you want to count the clichés, go for it. You’ll lose track.). Eddie is a hopeless asshole with no friends in the department, reluctant to spend any of his last week doing police work and instead visiting bait and tackle shops to collect gear for his upcoming fishing excursion. He is also battling some dark personal demons; he and his wife are estranged, and he spends his nights in a red-lit slum apartment with a prostitute. If these weren’t enough indicators that his soul is rotting, every morning he wakes up, he slams two fingers of whisky, and chews on the barrel of his service revolver. Remember, Fuqua isn’t going for subtlety.
Eddie is saddled with one rookie, then another when the first kid requests to ride with pretty much anyone else. This second eager rook is what sets Eddie’s arc in motion.
Meanwhile there is Tango, an undercover officer played with desperation by Don Cheadle. Tango has spent too much time undercover, the lines between the police and his criminal family blurring more every day. His wife, too, has left him, and he begs his contact in the department (Will Patton) to get him behind a desk. Tango has also befriended Caz (Wesley Snipes), recently released from prison and looking to get off the streets. The problem, then, arrives in the form of “Agent Smith,” a shadowy suit played by the great Ellen Barkin. Smith promises Tango a desk job, only if he gets Caz back in the drug game.
Fuqua and screenwriter Michael C. Martin throw these genre tropes at their film with reckless abandon. Everything that’s ever happened to downtrodden police officers in the history of crime drama is on display here – and we haven’t even gotten to the third party. That being said, the performances here are powerful, because the script desensitizes the clichés, dilutes them to the point of opening up the film for these great actors to flex their genre muscles. The greatest performance of the three comes from Ethan Hawke.
Hawke, perennially overlooked as one of our greatest cinematic treasures, plays Sal, a man soaked in Catholic guilt. He’s dedicated himself to his family, which is expanding to seven (!) kids now that his wife, Angela (Lily Taylor) is pregnant with twins. Sheesh. But the home they’re in is eaten up with mold, wreaking havoc on Angela and the babies, and Sal needs enough money for a downpayment on a new place. He couldn’t get that in time on a cop’s salary – and Brooklyn’s Finest dives into some of those politics in a compelling poker game scene – but he could get it if he swiped some drug money during one of his raids.
Sal is, at his deepest core, a good person. He’s allowed his desperation to get the better of him, and he has become a killer and a thief. But, as he explains to his Priest, “they were all bad.” It’s justification, and maybe he’s right. But he’s also a cop. All of these characters have a moral compass deep down in their hearts, but the job has petrified the walls around what they know is right. They all have a chance to tap into said morals, and they eventually do in the hopes their souls can be saved. Gere and Cheadle are great playing against character, but it’s Hawke’s turn as Sal anchoring the film.
Antione Fuqua knows what he’s doing in Brooklyn’s Finest. Again, these clichés come quickly, firing away in each and every gear of the plot. But these familiar beats create an interesting dynamic in the storytelling; the less-important plot and character pasts fade into the background, allowing the plight of these three broken men take center stage. Allow those overused tropes to sit on the sideline, and watch these wonderful actors push everything they can into the story. It’s not the fact you have clichés in your story, it’s what you do with those clichés.
This weekend, John Hillcoat’s Triple 9 hits theaters, and looks to have some of the same inertia at the center of Brooklyn’s Finest. It may suffer the same fate of Fuqua’s picture, but that isn’t always an indication of the genre creativity. Brooklyn’s Finest is cliché, but it works. It’s brutal, violent, and bleak, and it deserves a second look.
Deadpool Mania has taken the world by storm. The movie has exceeded all expectations, breaking multiple box office records, with much of the success being credited to its faithfulness to the source material. The filmmakers truly captured the essence of the character, and Ryan Reynolds has revealed himself to be the real life Wade Wilson (minus the murdering, as far as we know). However, it did make one huge change to the Merc with a Mouth’s story: it gave him a happy ending (insert Deadpool-appropriate joke here).
As funny as he is, Deadpool is really a tragic character. Rarely does he get what he wants, and it never lasts long when he does. So to see him and Vanessa reunite to live happily ever after was a bit surprising. In fact, the scope of the film’s romantic element was something of a surprise in general.
Deadpool is not a character known for his love interests. Granted, they exist (he’s currently married to Shiklah, Queen of the Undead), and Vanessa was a partner of his from the comics, so that was actually adapted faithfully. But they’ve never played a central role in his mythology like in the movie.
Deadpool and Shiklah.
Admittedly, the film handled the romance well; it wasn’t overplayed or sappy. It worked as a way to drive the plot forward. However, now that Wade’s origin story is out of the way, should Vanessa return in Deadpool 2? She’s a great character, for sure. Morena Baccarin absolutely owned the role, and the writers established her as a strong, kickass female lead. But that doesn’t mean she’ll fit as well a second time.
The Regenerating Degenerate himself has already promised fans that Cable will appear in the sequel, already in development. That suggests an epic team-up, full of action and senseless violence (basically all of the best parts of 2016’s Deadpool), paving the way for a hardcore X-Force film.
During the mayhem, should the lead antihero be worrying about how his actions will affect his girlfriend at home? Deadpool is at his best with nothing to lose; that’s what inspires his recklessness. Fans love himbecause he never considers the ramifications of his actions.
Consider this: Wade and Cable are tearing up bad guys, kicking ass and taking names, and it’s glorious. Do viewers want to see him stop and reflect on whether or not he’s putting Vanessa in danger, similar to what happened with Francis? Probably not. He’s invincible; he shouldn’t have to worry about anything. Save that kind of depth and character development for someone who needs it.
Perhaps Vanessa should be benched in the sequel. She can be written out pretty subtly; films have done that before (Batman Returns disregarding Vicki Vale would be the most apt comparison). And, if she must be addressed, a throwaway line can do the job. Maybe this will annoy some fans since it “breaks the rules,” but isn’t that what the first Deadpool flick was all about? A follow-up might simply do better without the love interest.
Unless they mutate her into her superhero persona, Copycat:
That would just add to the unbridled insanity, which is something all fans would be ok with.
—
Deadpool is currently in theaters; Deadpool 2 is still being written. In the meantime, enjoy the “Deadpool Rap” below:
It will be interesting to see how the film will fare at the box office. The press screen for BvS is the Tuesday before the release, and that’s usually not a good sign. As it would appear Warner Bros. could be worried about reviews. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a late press screening as well, but that was to prevent spoilers from the film.
About Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, violent vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting the world in greater danger.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Diane Lane, Ezra Miller, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Michael Shannon, and Laurence Fishburne.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice has a worldwide release on March 25.
From the director of The Proposition, The Road and Lawless, Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat has turned to making a crime genre movie. Triple 9 boasts a fantastic cast but suffers from an overly convoluted screenplay.
In the city of Atlanta, Michael Belmont (Chiwetel Ejiofor) runs a crew of dirty cops who commit armed robberies for the Russian Mafia. After a job to steal a safe deposit box, the team think they are done working for the Russians, but are forced to do one last job after one of their members is killed and blackmailed by their boss, Irina (Kate Winslet). It is made even more personal for Michael because Irina practically holds his son hostage. Their mission is to rob a Homeland Security building which would require a big window to ensure they can do the job. They decide the best way to do it would be to commit a Triple 9, police code for a cop being killed, on the other side of town, and their target is a young detective who has joined the gang unit, Chris Allen (Casey Affleck).
On the surface Triple 9 has everything a film fan would want, it is made by an excellent director, based on a screenplay that was on the Black List and has a cast to die for – having the likes of Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson and Norman Reedus. With talent like that you can expect a quality movie and Triple 9 does offer some fantastic moments. The majority of the cast give strong performances, particularly Ejiofor as the gang leader who basically has his balls in a vice; he had the most to work with – his character being given the most depth and he has the most to lose personally. The stakes for him are high.
Despite the quality of the cast, some actors are given little to work with. Mackie does well as Marcus, Chris’ partner who picks the young detective as a target for assassination but slowly befriends Chris as the movie progresses. There are great looks on Mackie’s face as he becomes more conflicted about his mission and his new found friendship. We do not get to see much of his personal life, but Mackie does the best he can with the material he is given. Clifton Collins Jr. as Jorge Rodriguez was given the short straw as the hot-headed Hispanic member of the crew who has no qualms about using violence. Michael K. Williams has a bizarre role as a transvestite pimp, and one of the big name actors leaves the movie very early which leads to some disappointment.
Triple 9 basically wanted to be a modern version of Heat, a crime epic that is as much about the cops and robbers personal lives as the preparation of the crime. But the characters were much richer and well-drawn in the Michael Mann classic, even the minor ones. Many of the characters in Triple 9 disappear for long periods and the movie has a very disjointed method of storytelling. Some of the plotlines are just pushed into the background, like Harrelson’s investigation into the opening robbery. The movie tries to put too much in 115 minute running time. It stretched itself too thin and it would not be a surprise to find out there is an extended cut for the Blu-ray release.
Hillcoat directs the action with panache. There is an excellent opening bank robbery that is akin to opening of Ben Affleck’s The Town and there is a good shootout in the projects where the camera follows the cops during a raid. The race to the cop shooting was truly intense to see if the cops are able to make it to the scene in time while Mike and the rest of his crew commit the heist. Hillcoat’s talent is evident, the crime scenes are filled with energy and tension and he gets the best from his actors. But Hillcoat is hampered by the screenplay and Triple 9 lacks the depth that his previous movies had.
Triple 9 could have been a great heist movie and crime; it had the director and the cast to achieve this. But the unfocused story and shallow characters drags it down, making it more a collection of well-crafted action scenes and wasted talent. It pains me to say this because I enjoyed Hillcoat’s previous movies.
You’ve all surely heard the buzz around the latest iteration of Batgirl? It’s amazing to think that DC would put forward a soft-reboot of the character, let alone one that offered such a drastic shift in tone. Gone are the dark photo-realistic visuals and the traumatic story-lines, replaced with a more light-hearted, but no less compelling, affair. The book’s manga-inspired art style has endeared the series to a whole new audience, some of which hadn’t ever engaged with mainstream . Maintaining the depth of characterisation that made the house that Gail Simone built one of the best titles emerging from the new 52. Despite this the change wasn’t without controversy, to the extent that part of the opening story arc began to get meta almost in response to the backlash by having Barbara Gordon face a darker, more cynical version of herself. Volume 2: Family Business continues Stewart, Fletcher and Tarr’ loving tradition of looking behind the cowl and examining what makes Barbara who she is.
Instead of one long story-arc, Volume 2: Family Business contains a number of shorter arcs and “done-in-ones” which give different glimpses into the Barbara’s social life. The first arc features her father; James Gordon, as Robo-Batman and discusses the impact that secrets have on familial ties. It’s an thoroughly emotional story-line, featuring a distraught Batgirl unable to fully open with her august father despite his willingness to open up to her about his new role as the not so-much caped crusader. This is, perhaps, the most self-aware comic when it comes to the ridiculousness of the Robo-Batman design and it isn’t afraid to take digs at some of the creative choices its parent series has made in recent years. It’s rare that you see a comic willing to build that kind of humour off the back of one of the most established characters in comics. The second story-arc features a more traditional mystery involving the murders of a number of software developers as a fledgling love-interest in the form of one Luke Fox; Batwing emerges to shake up Barbara’s world. Throughout the volume Barbara’s role as graduate student is explored and the series truly becomes a college drama worthy of a CW adaptation.
The one constant through these issues is the upcoming wedding of longtime Batgirl supporting character Alysha to her long-time partner; Jo. It is great to see the progression of this story-line given it amounts to the first transgender wedding in mainstream comics. It also provides an interesting balancing act for Babs as she must juggle her role as both maid of honour with her duties as Batgirl. It’s very Peter Parker and not revolutionary in that sense, but the fact that the Fletcher and Stewart treat the wedding as a matter of fact without any added pomp is quite significant. It is indicative of an industry and a creative team that are sensitive to the need for greater diversity within comics, but at the same time recognise that to turn that very inclusiveness into a spectacle is to miss the point. This could easily have turned into one of those “collectors’ editions” special wedding issues, but it instead the event is treated with the respect and dignity that it deserves.
The final issue, examining Barbara’s relationship with Dick Grayson is perhaps the most impactful of the collection. Not only do we get the aforementioned wedding, but we get our first soft-reboot insight into the relationship between these characters. As a long-time fan of the character, this turns Grayson’s playful, flirtatious nature on its head and demonstrates the negative impact that it has on those close to him. It challenges the notion that Babs and Dick are meant to end up together. It questions the narrative that says its acceptable for the good Mr. Grayson to consistently act in a way that toys with people’s emotions, to come and go as he pleases. This is Barbara asserting herself as a woman, standing up to a culture of entitlement that certain male character inhabit and it’s glorious. Dick Grayson may be one of my favourites, but it’s about time someone called him out on his crap. Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart have tapped into an important conversation that needs to be had within the industry and they are effectively tackling problematic tropes by portraying an empowered Barbara who is the author of her own destiny in a way we haven’t seen in many comics before. No longer is she the pre-destined love interest of Dick Grayson, instead the series has given her the opportunity to explore her relationships in a way that reflects contemporary views towards dating. She’s a quirky character and often shy around potential love interests, but Barbara knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to pursue those prospects either.
Babs Tarr’s art improves with every issue with action scenes that are as dynamic as the latest Hollywood blockbuster. It is in the quiet moments in which Batgirl truly shines with Tarr’s manga-esque style allowing for subtle emotional changes to be reflected more accurately than other more conventional styles. Tarr makes effective use of blushing to demonstrate an evolution of the character’s relationships with each other. Much like a well-drawn rom-com, these slight changes in express tell us more than words ever could as to how they characters feel for one another. It isn’t realistic by any means, but it stands out in a sea of photo-realism and endears itself to a generation that grew up on imported anime. Does it go to far occasionally and become far too cutesy? Perhaps, but it has that Teen Titans quality that is hard to replicate, but instantly memorable. One of the interesting aspects of the series’ visual presentation is the almost Holmesian portrayal of Barbara’s cognitive abilities. Barbara Gordon has always been the intellectual powerhouse of the Batman family, but this series gives her a hybrid mind-palace/ detective-vision that allows us an unprecedented insight into the world as she sees it. It makes the us feel more attached to the character as our views of the world are aligned, even for that brief moment. It’s our collective experiments in form like Batgirl and Ms. Marvel that allow our consequential stories to develop in new and exciting ways.
I’ll be honest, it was Fletcher’s Black Canary thatinspired me to go back and catch up on this series and I can’t believe I haven’t been reading this for the beginning. A single weak annual that serves little more than as an advertisement for other series in the Batman family of books prevents this from being an almost perfect collection of stories, but it’s mediocrity is only noticeably due to the extremely high quality of work on display everywhere else in this volume. With Batgirl, Stewart, Fletcher and Tarr have created a soup opera that unites a broad readership of fans both old and new. Like it or not, the Batgirl of Burnside is here to stay and long may she reign.
A review copy was kindly provided by the publisher.
Like any good Venture Bros. adventure, the episode starts with a set of problems. The first with Dr. Venture getting a reminder, from the not-ghost of his dead brother, that he’s meant to present something at Science Now Conference in two days. Cue scientist duo Pete White and Billy Quizboy. Useless and terrible inventions abound in the shiny new lab.
Meanwhile in the Blue Morpho’s former secret lair, The Monarch and Henchman 21 hash it out. The Monarch is pissed that his father was a hero, and not a notable one at that. Henchman 21 thinks this is The Monarch’s ‘birthright,’ whatever that means. It’s now blatantly obvious that The Blue Morpho is a reference to the Green Hornet. Think the ABC, 60s television Green Hornet, not that shitty movie with Seth Rogen. The Blue Morpho’s secret lair still looks an awful lot like Batcave.
Henchman 21, our beloved pop culture geek, really comes into his own in this episode. The guy somehow transfers seamlessly (and conveniently) to mentor roles to push The Monarch into new storylines. Of course Henchman 21 is also a great excuse for the Venture Bros. to make as many nerdy references as they like. Watch for the great Star Wars bit.
Billy Quizboy, Pete White and Dr. Venture finally come up with another disaster waiting to happen: Mind Control Gas. Quixboy’s rodent trials encapsulate some serious dark humor. The mice actually have their own storyline over a few scenes. Viewers must have a basic knowledge of the bible to get it.
Now Venture Bros. scaled back Dr. The Mrs. Monarch in this episode, which is a huge disappointment, but brought back Warriana. Viewers haven’t really seen Warriana since Episode One. Warriana is great, and calls Brock out on all of his BS. Warriana doesn’t have time for your fragile masculinity. She’s got stuff to do. It’s hard to say if Warriana will turn into just another love interest in Venture Bros., or if she’ll develop into something more. One thing to for sure, Hispanic Wonder Woman doesn’t take crap from anyone.
Marvel Television’s Executive Vice President Jeph Loeb, crushed fans hopes for a Punisher Netflix yesterday when he denied the rumors, according to Digital Spy.
“I think that’s something that people are speculating on, as opposed to something that’s actually happening. It’s certainly our hope that any of our characters will be embraced and that people want to see more of them,” said Loeb.
Jon Bernthal will breathe new life into The Punisher when he battles Matt Murdock in season two of Marvel’s Daredevil.
Just when Matt thinks he is bringing order back to the city, new forces are rising in Hell’s Kitchen. Now the Man Without Fear must take on a new adversary in Frank Castle and face an old flame – Elektra Natchios.
Bigger problems emerge when Frank Castle, a man looking for vengeance, is reborn as The Punisher, a man who takes justice into his own hands in Matt’s neighborhood. Meanwhile, Matt must balance his duty to his community as a lawyer and his dangerous life as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, facing a life-altering choice that forces him to truly understand what it means to be a hero. (Source: Netflix)
The series stars Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung and Rosario Dawson.
Season two of Marvel’s Daredevil will be available to stream globally on March 18 at 12:01 a.m. PT on Netflix.
Jessica Jones
Loeb was also surprised that Netflix ordered a second season of Jessica Jones.
“When they announced that Jessica Jones was getting a second season, every single report said, ‘It should come as a surprise to no one that Jessica Jones has received a second season order.’ I’m the guy going, ‘Well, it was a surprise to me!’ It isn’t a given in television. The fact that we get to continue telling stories with these characters speaks a lot about the quality of the storytelling and the acting and the writing. We are telling the best stories that we can at Netflix, and they seem to be responding to it,” said Loeb.
Marvel’s Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Rachael Taylor as Patricia “Trish” Walker, and Carrie-Anne Moss. The series is Executive Produced by series Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg and Liz Friedman, along with Jeph Loeb, who also serves as Marvel’s Head of Television.
