The third season of Attack On Titan is really moving the story along much faster than in the previous season. No longer is there multiple episodes dedicated to finding holes in a wall and instead the plot driven drama is taking place every other scene.
Summary
Historia’s tragic backstory and her true identity is revealed.
Review
SPOILER ALERT
Just when anime has presented you with an individual who makes you think “You are the worst parent in history” they find a new way to prove you wrong. First the episode introduces you to Historia’s mother and then her father and really it’s hard to tell who is worse. How bad could they be? Well poor Historia is so desperate for affection she was willing to look at her mother shoving her away and giving her a bloody nose as a positive encounter. Of course its Attack On Titan so parents aren’t exactly supposed to be positive role models. Still you have to ask how Historia grew up to be such a good natured individual when she had such crappy parents.
The other members of the team also have encountered with individuals who help to showcase just how terrible the people of this world truly are. Hange is able to get her revenge on those who killed Nick through deceit and manipulation. Meanwhile Pixis revealed a story where he believes how his father was killed to protect the lies which keep the world together. It’s moments like this which frame the Scout Regiment as the only noble individuals in a world which is soaked in conspiracy and deception.
Though containing no titan fighting in this episode there is still plenty of human monsters to keep the episode very interesting. Makes a person wish to go watch some like How To Keep A Mummy and be reminded there is still goodness in the world.
Netflix is going to end the year with a bang. According to CEO Ted Sarandos, the highly anticipated third season of Daredevil will be available to stream before the year ends.
During the Q2 earnings video for Netflix, Sarandos revealed their end of year slate for television series. Amongst the shows was Daredevil Season 3, which was confirmed to be in production, however, the release date was still a mystery. Here’s what Sarandos had to say:
“In the short term, we’ve got new seasons coming up, in the second half of this year, of ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ‘Ozark,’ ‘Iron Fist,’ ‘Daredevil,’ ‘Narcos,’ the finale of ‘House of Cards,’ the follow-up series to ‘Making a Murderer.’”
Season 3 of Daredevil will mark the fourth Netflix Marvel series to release this year. Season 2 of both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage released earlier this year, with the second season of Iron Fist set to drop next month.
Following the events of The Defenders, Matt Murdock was worse for ware. He suffered severe injuries during the fight with Elektra and appeared to have died. That was until it we saw him alive and well in the care of Nuns.
Plot details surrounding Daredevil Season 3 have been few and far between. It’s rumored to be following the iconic Born Again storyline, which sees Matt Murdock’s identity revealed to the world. This season will see the return of Vincent D’onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, who plays an integral role in Born Again.
This season will also see the debut of arguably Daredevil’s greatest villain, Bullseye. Wilson Bethel is set to portray the character. Bethel is not a household name but has appeared in numerous TV series, including Bates Motel, How to Get Away with Murder, and Criminal Minds.
Are you excited for Daredevil to return? Let us know in the comments below!
This week’s episode is a solid showcase for the wider 1-A line-up. Unlike last week’s lukewarm display of enemies, “Class 1-A” is a great balance for several of our favorite amateur heroes. As the heroes start passing their Hero License Exam, it’s clear why U.A. is an exceptional school. MY HERO ACADEMIA excels when it puts its large cast of characters to work.
“Class 1-A” follows a few members of the class as they struggle to pass the Provisional Hero License Exam. Up until this episode, none of the U.A. first years had managed to succeed. However, several characters make it in this episode, either as a hero or a team. It’s also interesting that, out of all the characters who pass this episode, none of them are Midoriya. MY HERO ACADEMIA has a lot of compelling heroes, and “Class 1-A” proves the strength of the whole cast.
There are several strong characters that “Class 1-A” puts into the spotlight. While Midoriya is very much the protagonist of MY HERO ACADEMIA, there are several great, fleshed-out characters in his class. Shoto Todoroki, for example, leads off the episode by passing the exam. As arguably the strongest hero of the class, it makes sense we get a quick showcase of his skills. Momo Yaoyorozu also gets more action this episode, as she manages to outwit Miss Sai’s team. It’s great to see MY HERO ACADEMIA spend time within the exam to highlight all the excellent characters.
One especially strong element of this episode is teamwork. Even with Todoroki’s solo victory, so much of the episode is focused on friendship and working together. Yaoyorozu channels Midoriya as she leads her team to victory. The team then comes to her aid before she’s knocked out, so the four of them win as a team. Midoriya’s quick moment is also about leading his friends out of trouble. Bakugo is an unintentional leader, as his passion rallies Kirishima and Kaminari. The strongest storylines of the episode focus on teamwork, and specifically, the bond between the 1-A students.
MY HERO ACADEMIA puts out a great, well-balanced episode. So many great characters get a chance to be awesome. It shows that some Class 1-A heroes will pass the first round, but keeps up momentum, as we wait to see who else passes. “Class 1-A” is all about the incredible bond between these heroes in training. It’s great to see so many heroes pass, and their training pay off.
Linda Hamilton is back in character as a new Terminator image surfaces.
According to Variety, the image made its debut on Twitter. Hamilton is alongside co-stars Mackenzie Davis and Natalie Reyes. Paramount is producing the reboot.
This marks Hamilton’s first appearance in the franchise since Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Her character was written out of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines as having died from cancer. However, she did make a voice cameo in Terminator Salvation.
Arnold Schwarzenegger will be reprising his iconic role as the T-800. Deadpool director Tim Miller is helming the reboot. James Cameron and David Ellison are producing.
The new movie will be in theatres in November 22, 2019. This will be ten years after Salvation and four years after Genysis.
Zack Kaplan’s underground science fiction adventure, The Lost City Explorers #3 hits your local comic book store on August 15, but thanks to AfterShock, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
Last month, Universal Television announced a partnership with Kaplan and AfterShock to develop The Lost City Explorers into a television series, where Kaplan will serve as an executive producer (via Deadline).
About issue three: Hel Coates, her brother, and their teenage friends are running from mercenaries, hiding from monsters and exploring the dangerous world of NYC underground tunnels. But will they find the mysterious, supernatural doorway to the Lost City of Atlantis?
The book is written by Kaplan, with art by Alvaro Sarraseca, colors by Dee Cunniffe, letter work by A Larger World’s Troy Peteri, and Rafael De Latorre with Marcelo Maiolothe worked on the cover art.
Infinity Wars is here! The cosmic crossover story that Gerry Duggan has been building towards begins with our new Infinity Watch assembling.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Doctor Strange calls all the holders of the Infinity Stones together to form the new Infinity Watch in Central Park. Loki and an Asgardian librarian investigate what’s beyond the God Quarry. Requiem’s identity is revealed (already?) as she strikes down our beloved Peter Quill.
A lot happens in this first installment, almost too much. Writer Gerry Duggan must have some major revelations down the road, he showed a lot of the cards already that we assumed he would onto for a while. No matter, Duggan is a smart writer and the misdirection of Requiem’s identity being important means we know way less about what’s in store.
There is somewhat of a deflated feeling within the reveal of Requiem being Gamora in that it wasn’t all that surprising. This was a moment where Mike Deodato Jr. should’ve made a bigger impact. Reveals and unmaskings are a huge part of comic book stories and this one had no emotion on either side of it. It wasn’t so much as who was under the mask as it was that nobody really seemed to care within the panels.
Infinity Wars #1 was full of other fun and entertaining moments. This reluctant meeting of the new Infinity Watch brought a great cast together to try and sort out a cosmic mess. Turk squading up for the meet was a wise choice and made for a much more enjoyable scene. Bullseye was an effective comedic relief throughout.
One thing that does bug me about this story so far is that it’s opening number took place on Earth, talking about how they shouldn’t be there. It’s annoying how often the Guardians have been on Earth in recent years, here they are again (despite how much Rocket despises it). Duggan has been injecting so much life back into the cosmic sector of the 616, I’d like to see him keep away from this planet and keep building among the stars.
Outside of the big Gamora moment, Deodato and Frank Martin bring it once again. There aren’t a lot of landscapes to play with, but the character work sees plenty of detail. That first giant page of Gamora is fantastic. Sometimes Deodato uses too bulky of a frame for certain heroes, but he’s had such a better handle on it recently–that continues here.
The art being delivered is begging to be launched into space, give these guys more to play with! Deodato and Martin are both at their best when working with big, hulking creatures and machinery. Infinity Wars will hopefully leave Earth behind after this issue.
Loki’s adventure elsewhere seems to be what this story will be more about. What lies beyond the God Quarry is only the beginning of our end. Worthy Infinity Loki is the first we get to see of these mulitversal mash-ups we know are coming. With Gamora already being revealed as Requiem, I suspect what Loki is onto will take the lead soon after intersecting with Gamora and her stones.
Infinity Wars #1 isn’t exactly the cosmic explosion some of us were looking for, but it’s still a pretty great issue. Gerry Duggan has proven time and again that he’s got the goods, nothing he does is by accident. The end of this issue leaves readers with way more excitement within the mystery than confusion or disappointment–what more could you really ask for from a Marvel crossover?
Pop Team Epic is a show which doesn’t care what you think. A show which unabashedly obliterates anime, video games, and the media in one fell swoop. It’s a runaway train running roughshod over the picnic of nerd culture, featuring some of the most high-impact comedy per episode in anime this side of Nichijou.
However, before we proceed let’s talk about comedy. Specifically, the lost art of the genuinely funny parody. This was common back in the 70s and 80s, and the art of parody had subsections. On one hand you had your “genre” parodies: the kind where the humor came because it sent-up genres or individual films (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein & Spaceballs.). On the other hand, there were the “anything goes” style of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker. These films relied more on slapstick and visual puns to be funny, yet still containing those genre parodies (Airplane!, The Naked Gun, and Hot Shots!). This lead to a third type: the deconstructive parody. A parody which took apart a certain show or (film) with absolute precision, and kept some of the goofy charm back into the subject matter (Late Night with David Letterman, and Seasons 3-8 of The Simpsons).
This worked as a reference and a punchline.
So where does this leave Pop Team Epic? Well, it bares more resemblance to something like the Zucker Brothers crossed with Brooks’ genre send-ups. Heavily reference-based, yet the writers love what they parody.
The core structure of all twelve episodes are (for the most part) the same: you have a series of reoccurring segments, and one major segment taking up a majority of the twelve minutes. Simple enough, right? Well, the episode is rerun, this time with different voice actors and combines both the original airing and the new rerun together as one episode. You could complain about airing the same episode twice, and you’d be partially correct. Yet you’d be selling yourself short. Why? Easy, the reruns have different jokes in the episodes. It’s a pragmatic way to reruns, and keeps things interesting.
You ever get the feeling, you don’t belong?
This leads to the main characters: One is Popuko: A short schoolgirl with blond pigtails, and who the term “hair-trigger” is not so much applicable but sent directly to her mailing address.
The other lead: Pipimi, a taller schoolgirl with blue hair is calmer, but not to be mistaken as nicer who acts as the “straight-man.” They’re our main characters, and the only characters who appear in all 12 episodes.
Our leads, two ordinary school girls
The Animation Styles
If left you’d only be getting half the experience because the series is also a showcase of different animation styles. It combines traditional anime production, computer generated segments, intentional off-model animation, stop motion with felt characters, sand animation, and NES style graphics into one show. It’s like Liquid Television with recurring main characters.
I don’t have a joke; this was just delightfully absurd.
You have the main animation style, split between Kamikaze Douga and a company called Space Neko Company. This style is clean and professional, and utterly boring to talk about because it’s well animated, and serves the purpose.
A different kind of animation style occurs in the “Bob Team Epic” where the animation is intentionally off-model, and (at times) very disturbing. The company behind these: AC-bu (or AC Department, depending on translation) is known for their (intentional) off-model animation, and it fits a show that’s a complete non-sequitur.
My nightmares persist
Music
Music-wise, there really isn’t a lot to talk about. Overall, the music is okay. The OP (Opening Theme) is memorable, and there are three different music videos with felt figures of the characters; one of them, a parody of the Earth, Wind and Fire music video of “Let’s Groove“. It’s not much to write home about, and didn’t overstay it’s welcome.
If you thought the music video breaks were weird, wait till you hear the lyrics!
The Comedy
Lest we forget how it tears apart nerd culture is different in each episode. One episode there will be a parody of Kinji Fukasatsu Yakuza films, another episode a parody of Shojo fluff, and yet another will be a parody of detective shows. Popuko and Pipimi do not discriminate on who they blast next, just whether the jokes hit.
Are we sure these are good people?
There are a couple sections which bear mention:
Episode 1: The opening show switch. It’s been talked about a bit, honestly though it was clever of the show to open like a generic idol show. The show then goes “psyche!” and reveal itself to be Pop Team Epic.
Have to admit, I loved this when I saw it.
Episode 1: The hard-reset parodies. These help to solidify the quality of the comedy. It’s starts out like a parody of Your Name, then an atomic explosion happens. Hard reset. Final Fantasy parody. Hard reset. They continued to go through at seven different parodies in the span of about 3 minutes. Suffice it to say, these parodies were pitch perfect, and downright genius in integrating our two leads into said parodies.
Episode 7: the Hellshake Yano animatic: The two animators were flipping pages on these sketchpads and it felt like being in a storyboard pitch session. The energy was unsurprisingly infectious, and you could tell their excitement in telling this story of a rock star and how his guitar strings kept breaking yet continued performing in the go-to place of rock star fame in Japan: The Budokan.
You think this is weird? Just wait till the climactic “I know who the killer is” scene!
Episode 10: Ginza Hostess Detective: A brilliant, and absurd parody of Japanese detective shows. It’s hilarious from the American perspective because the process of guessing the murderer, is like a 1970s detective show. You’d expect Columbo to show up and ask: “…Just one more thing.”
Final Thoughts
In a sea of Isekai over-saturation and sequel seasons, Pop Team Epic is an anime which doesn’t come around often. It is a mind-bending show which tears apart anime, with reckless abandon, that is unflinchingly funny. It’s the show Kill la Kill wanted to be, yet never could. A completely hilarious show that loves what it parodies.
New episodes of Pop Team Epic air on Adult Swim’s Toonami block: Sunday, 12am EST. The series is also available on Crunchyroll.
If you are a longtime fan of Archie Comics then you no doubt watch Riverdale too. Well, you’re in for a treat, because Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica are all now on Spotify.
The music streaming giant is tapping into the motion comics business, in conjunction with Archie Comics, to turn the fan-favorite stories into a six-episode video series.
The series, Spotlight Archie – The New Riverdale, will follow the bestselling arc from the creative team of Mark Waid and artists Fiona Staples, among others, was created by Madefire, a company that specializes in bringing comics to life.
Companies are always looking to level up in showcasing works and the motion comics method is a great option.
“Archie has always been about trying to find new ways to get comics to fans and readers. And when the opportunity to work with Spotify arose, it was a perfect match,” Said Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater. “Being able to reposition these modern classics for new readers in this unique, motion comic format makes perfect sense and we can’t wait for fans to experience these beloved Archie stories in a new way.”
In Star Wars #52, Kieron Gillen gives readers the showdown they’ve wanted since 1977: Solo vs. Vader!
Who’s the better pilot and can Han take down the entire Imperial Fleet by himself? This certainly isn’t pod racing anymore. Let’s speed in and find out who wins and who dies!
WRITTEN BY: Kieron Gillen
ART BY: Salvador Larroca
COLORS: Guru-eFX
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
STAR WARS SPOILERS TOO!
Summary
Since issue 38, Kieron Gillen has been flirting with the idea of the original heroes in the rebellion, as well as the first Death Star testing area in ROGUE ONE. What has remained and what’s the legacy left by those fallen heroes? Well, this story continues on that same path. It may not appear that way at first glance but if we look a bit deeper, readers will see what I mean.
Gillen opens the issue with Han trying his darnedest to escape Vader and unlock the fleet doors. With one last ditch effort, Chewie shoots Threepio directly into Luke’s Star Ship to deliver the message that the fighters need to fly directly at the bay doors initiating a fail safe that should open them before impact. Luke takes the lead and proves the theory true to the Rebellion. Gillen ends the issue showing readers that our heroes still have a fighting chance.
The Goods
I’m a sucker for continuity and interconnected universes. To a diehard comic book/science fiction fan, and especially a Star Wars fan, seeing the movies, cartoons, and the comics weave together in such an amazing tapestry is pretty interstellar. In this issue, Gillen gives readers the origination of Luke Skywalker’s fighter squadron name from non-other than Jyn Erso herself! Luke’s exact words are, “I guess this is what Jyn Erso felt like.”
Gillen’s idea of interconnecting this was fabulous and Kieron has been sprinkling these ideas in since issue 38. Now, once EMPIRE STRIKES BACK hits and fans see Luke as Rogue Leader, it makes more sense than just a simple name someone decided to pick at one point. Gillen gives one of the coolest fighter squadrons in the galaxy a name after some of the most courageous and fearless groups of individuals in the entire STAR WARS universe.
The Art
Salvador Larroca’s art isn’t for everyone. I’ve seen many online with mixed opinions of the art style and photo rendering, as well as line work. Personally, I love the fresh, realistic, almost photographic images and likeness he gives readers and fans. There are times when the panels and images can look a bit weird. But overall, I think Larocca’s style leans more to throwing me into the universe and makes me feel like I’m truly reading an extension of the STAR WARS mythos. Plus, I love Larroca’s take on the Star ships, Star cruisers, and space battles. ln addition, Guru-eFX’s colors are so bright, vibrant, and pop right off the page, especially the laser battles. Furthermore, I love the deepness of space that both Larocca and Guru-eFX portray through each and every issue. I’m totally in on their art.
Should you buy this issue?
Definitely! Larroca’s art is totally realistic and resembles the characters exactly while Gillen‘s banter between Han, Threepio, and Chewie was spot on throughout this issue. It was a fast read filled with space explosions, Vader chasing down Han, and the only ship that can do the Kessel Run under 12 parsecs. Overal. it was a fun read that adds something pretty cool to the STAR WARS mythos. Pick this issue up!
Should you add this to your pull list?
You bet! And, this issue is the exact reason why EVERY fan of STAR WARS should be reading not only this issue, but STAR WARS comics in general. They expand the universe weekly in such a way that is so impressive, creative, and thoughtful that holds true to the mythos and is something the diehard fans can be proud of. If you’re a fan of STAR WARS, add this series, as well as the others to your pull list. Let’s face it, this was issue 52. You’re already about 52 months late to the party. Don’t be 53 months late.
What did you guys think of STAR WARS #52? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, just click HERE!
Peter Albrechtsen is the sound designer for the Amazon film Generation Wealth with a career that includes enriching scenes with subtle sounds in projects like Dunkirk, Antichrist, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009).
“Images walk in through the front door and
sound creeps in through the back.” – Walter Murch
Generation Wealth
Peter’s most recent project is the documentary Generation Wealth which aims at the heart of our consumerist societies “It’s a really ambitious documentary with a lot of layers. It’s about the way we’re so focused on money and society is focused on money.”
Generation Wealth is directed by Lauren Greenfield who uses still images to tell much of the story “It was a movie where, sonically, we had to be very creative. How do we make sounds for still images? Lots of layers and experimentation was done. It was an exciting process.”
Monkeys Fightings Robots readers are fans of pop culture, and the sounds for GenerationWealth were put together at a very familiar place “We mixed at Skywalker Ranch with Pete Horner.”
GenerationWealth does not hold back when it comes to its commentary on our modern world “It’s a movie that’s very timely. Even Donald Trump is in it.”
As much as it hones in on reality, there is creative license taken to create those emotional peaks and valleys “Artistically there was a lot of experimenting. Sound really has its own dramaturgy; has its own story. It was a great creative experience.”
Approaching Sound
Peter’s sonic career cuts through many different genres “I think for every project you have to find the sort of sonic island you have to build. And it may be made of many different things. For Dunkirk, I recorded a specific ship for the film. It was a ship that wasn’t in the US anymore. But we had to find it.”
The story of GenerationWealth is one that affects the entire globe “In GenerationWealth, there are things taking place all over the world. I spent a lot of time recording all these different sounds from around the world.”
The challenge of finding the right sound is never consistent “Sometimes you can spend a lot of time on the smallest sound. You want the right sound. The right kind of leather couch,” Peter laughs. “There’s always this kind of thing where things that seem difficult are easy and things that seem quite easy that end up being a challenge.”
When it comes to his latest project “GenerationWealth demanded a lot of specific work was a great challenge.”
How does working on something like GenerationWealth contrast with other shows “Bill Nye was a lot of fun. Also a lot of intricate sound design. We had access to the entire sound library of the old Bill Nye show, so there was a lot of fun elements with very dynamic sounds.”
The Power of Sound
What is it about sound that’s so important to the cinematic experience? “In many ways, sound makes images three-dimensional. It creates space, and it also creates emotion; a rhythm. Sound has all these amazing abilities.” Like many aspects of filmmaking, sound is like the Force and is only understood by those tuned in to it “… the amazing thing is that most of the audience is unaware. There’s so much manipulation going on through sound, and no one notices. Subconsciously it’s so vital for the experience.”
Sound is a vital part of the cinematic experience but it’s also a complicated topic “Sound is very difficult to talk about. With images, you can talk about color, framing, and the rest. You can’t talk about sound in the same way.”
Names like Steven Spielberg or John Williams are household names for directors and composers. But who are the legends of sound design? “For me, the kind of titans of sound design were people like Walter Murch, Ben Burtt, or Alan Splet they made these amazing sounding movies.”
GenerationWealth is in theaters now (TRAILER), so what’s next for, Peter? “I’m doing a fantasy film, a sort of Danish Harry Potter.” Consider my interest Huffle-pumped.
Thanks to Peter Albrechtsen and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
