Steven brings everyone together for Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding.
Review
A lot happens in this episode. First off, give credit where credit is due because the wedding was delightful, the opening song was charming, and Peridot looked adorable in her dress. With these little details acknowledged and out of the way it’s time to get into the main event.
Blue and Yellow Diamond arrive on the planet to claim the cluster, the world destroying weapon. What follows is an intense battle with the full team of the Crystal Gems coming together to repel two of their most formidable foes who intend to destroy the planet. It’s an exhilarating event to say the least and must be experienced to truly appreciate.
The only downside to the whole thing is Steven (once again) has to pull a new power out of nowhere to save the day. Come on! Yes, it has been revealed he is a diamond and not just a regular gem so having an extremely large powerset seems understandable but it’s becoming a bit much. There really wasn’t another way for him to get through to Blue and Yellow which wasn’t already established? Maybe he could have bubbled them and then talked to them in a dream like he tried to do with the cluster. It’s a small point of negativity but compared with the rest of the positive which came from the episode it is worth noting.
Reunited is one of those endings which makes it feel as if the series could just end here if it wasn’t already confirmed the show will get a sixth season (so stop with the “Steven Universe is ending” videos YouTube). It would be a less than satisfying ending compared to everything which has happened but still it could end. Luckily the show teases at the end their will be more coming and the Diamonds will finally get to see what their handy work did to the planet. Which will hopefully mean some of the broken gems will eventually be fixed.
Lewis Tan could be in contention for another comic book role.
The Into The Badlands actor reveals he’s been talking with DC Films.
Recently, the actor took to Twitter, posting a pic of himself at the DC Office. Tan alludes to a “great meeting” with DC Entertainment. As he says, “My father started in this business with Tim Burton’s Batman, soon will be full circle.”
Tan’s comments are in reference to his father Philip Tan, who is an actor, director and stuntman. He did play one of Joker’s goons in the 1989 Batman movie.
Fans are speculating that Tan could be playing Nightwing in the DCEU. In a Comic Book Resource interview, the actor sets the record straight about his dealings with DC.
“I’m not trading in my Marvel roots, because they started me,” Tan says. “But DC started my dad, so it would be nice to go over there and play around and find the right thing. So we’re looking for the right thing and there were a lot of different talks and Nightwing was one of those that were mentioned, so we’ll see.”
Tan is known for his role in Iron Fist‘s first season. He also plays Shatterstar in Deadpool 2. While the latter was a cameo, it did showcase his comedic chops and a love for the superhero genre.
Later, Tan took to Twitter to clarify things with fans. “I met with DC but not specifically for that project,” he says. “I love Nightwing and if the chance came I would love to show what I would do with the character.”
To date, the DCEU is still dealing with The Batman. If they recast Ben Affleck, director Matt Reeves will go with a younger actor as Bruce Wayne. Tan is 31 years old, so it might feel odd to have a Batman and Dick Grayson close in age.
Descender creators Jeff Lemire (Gideon Falls, Royal City) and Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Little Gotham) launch an all-new series set in the same universe, Ascender.
The Descender story’s not over and this new ongoing series is set to recapture fans’ hearts and imaginations in 2019.
Set ten years after the conclusion of DESCENDER, in ASCENDER the machines have gone away, and in their absence magic has reclaimed the universe. Now one girl must embark on an epic quest to find robotkind and its fabled boy messiah, TIM-21, before it’s too late…
Jeff Lemire said:
Dustin and I love the world of Descender and we’re re-energized by this new direction, which has opened all sorts of new storytelling possibilities for us. Ascender will feel like a continuation of the Descender saga and like a brand new book all in one
Nguyen added:
Plus, it’ll be fantastic to switch from drawing machines and metal all day, to all flesh and fantasy for a while!
Longtime J.J. Abrams collaborator and Felicity alum Keri Russell is in early talks to join Star Wars Episode IXaccording to Variety.
This news will no doubt bring with it an absolute onslaught of conjecture as to Russell’s role. The only substantial detail we have is that it “calls for action-heavy fight scenes.”
Russell has previously worked with Abrams on Felicity and Mission: Impossible III, his directorial debut.
Since then, Russell has worked other action-heavy roles like FX’s The Americans and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
The Star Wars franchise has always been light on “dark-side” casting, so smart speculation would point toward Russell joining the light. Perhaps as one of General Leia Organa’s allies mentioned in The Last Jedi?
In any case, Abrams will also be casting two more actors by the end of July. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver are all expected to return.
The yet-untitled Star Wars Episode IX is expected to release in 2019 and will see Abrams back at the helm, taking over Colin Trevorrow. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver are expected to return.
Variety is reporting that Sacha Baron Cohen is in talks with Showtime to launch a brand new comedic interview series.
For some, this news may come as a shock, but true fans knew it was only a matter of time before the man resurfaced with something indecent. Check out this video –
The question now becomes what Cohen’s show will look like once it airs. Some have speculated that the show might be just an extension of his infamous character from Da Ali G Show. That is hardly a plausible answer as his character Ali G is easily recognizable, and that would have already leaked out. We also know that it can’t be Borat either.
It does appear, Sacha Baron Cohen will be creating a whole new character which ties into President Trump and his now-defunct university. Showtime has even begun running promos for a show starting July 15th which sounds awfully like something Cohen would be part of. Check it out –
If indeed Cohen’s latest project makes light of the 45th president, it wouldn’t come as a great shock. An article in Deadline outlines how the comedian has had run-ins with President Trump in the past. On an episode of Da Ali G Show, Ali G interviews then real estate mogul Donald Trump and as you can see the discussion took a distinct turn –
A show like this would be perfect on Sundays as they already have Our Cartoon President on at 8 PM.
So what do you think Sacha Baron Cohen’s new show is going to be? Will it be as popular as his previous projects? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
DOCTOR STRANGE #3 written by Mark Waid, art by Jesus Saiz, letters by Joe Sabino magically makes its way into our shelves this week as Waid conjures up a fabulous Infinity War tie-in accompanied by some awe-inspiring art by Saiz.
During their Intergalactic Planetary exploits, Kanna sets up a super meet and greet with Doctor Strange and the Skrulls. Will they make it out in time? Let’s find out!
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
DOCTOR STRANGE #3 SPOILERS TOO
Magical Mystery Tour
Waid does a fantastic job moving the story along by telling the reader several of Doctor Strange and Kanna’s mystical adventures, revealing some of the artifacts they found and showing us the Doc is coming back into his own again. He may not be at full strength BUT he’s getting there.
Kanna sets up a meeting with a Skrull wizard, which turns sideways fast. Doctor Strange realizes things are bad once he see’s the Super Skrull with the Time Gem! The good Doctor leaps into action with a surprise attack gaining the upper hand.
Using the Time Gem to go back in time by 30 seconds repeatedly, Doctor Strange creates an army of himself and takes down the Super Skrull. The issue ends with the good Doctor and Kanna leaving the planet and Stephen erasing her memory of the entire encounter with the Super Skrull. Let the lies and secrets begin!
Unbelievable Team
Waid and Saiz are doing so well together. The art is purely fantastic, and the storytelling is top notch. Waid weaves an Infinity War tie-in right through his story with ease. Sometimes creative teams force a crossover or event into a book but Waid and Saiz fit this issue perfectly into their run, and it made total sense.
Let’s Talk Mystical ART-ifacts
Look at the teamwork from Waid and Saiz throughout the entire issue. These two layout dynamic action sequences that portray a clear and consist story. For example on the page above, very few word balloons are needed to guide you through the fight because this creative team takes you through the page bringing the scene to life.
Sabino does a great job with the lettering making it resemble a monologue by Doctor Strange, which looks like a piece from a journal entry. AND in the same panel, Saiz shows excellent detail depicting the magical ruins on Kanna’s shield.
What makes this page, as well as this entire issue, so amazing, is the creative team breathes life into the story and the characters. This team is great at visualizing a scene together and making it so realistic. Honestly, a fantastic job guys!
Bats is back Baby!
I was so pumped to see that Waid wrote Bats into his story. Donny Cates used him throughout his run, and I loved him! Waid didn’t have to use Bats, and the character could just be forgotten, and no one would think anything of it. But I did. I noticed. And I am so happy to see Bats return. But who do you think he’s talking to at the end of the issue?
Should you get this issue?
It was fun. It had humor. It had action. It had an Infinity Stone. It had a Super Skrull. And the art was freakin’ amazing. Of course, you should get this issue!
Should you add this to your pull list?
Well, I’ll answer this question by asking another; why isn’t it already in your pull list? This book may have started off weird with Doctor Strange in space but Waid and Saiz have put this story together nicely. And after listening to an interview with Mark Waid on the AMAZINGWord Balloon Podcast (look it up on iTunes), some huge things are coming in issue 4 and 5. Things that will change the character forever. Don’t miss out! Add this to your pull!
Well, what did you guys think of DOCTOR STRANGE #3? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Ruby and Sapphire plan their wedding with the other Crystal Gems.
Review
As everyone’s favorite couple decide to do something special to work towards a fusing back into Garnet, Steven decides to expand the guest list. He goes after a character fans have been wondering about for a while.
Bismuth is back and she is shocked when she is brought up to speed on everything. Who can blame her? She was the original voice of disapproval to Rose Quartz and the main plan of rebellion. Her main complaint about not wanting to immediately joining the team makes sense. She was basically forgotten. The team didn’t try once to approach her in an effort to persuade her out of her intent to destroy their enemies. Instead, Steven had to release her and present her with the information she was absolutely right. Actually looking at it, is this a failure on the cast or the character of Bismuth?
Speaking about being forgotten it has been awhile since the room containing all of the corrupted gems has been shown. With the revelation Steven is a Diamond and it was the power of the Diamonds which caused so many crystal gems to be corrupted, is there a possibility in the future of them being healed? Of course if they were, this would result in an expansion of the cast and this probably wouldn’t be ideal. A lot of the cast hasn’t been show in a while. It’s been ten episodes since Connie showed up. If they added any more characters Cartoon Network would have to create a spinoff series to accommodate such a feat. Hey, saying it out loud doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
It’s good to see Bismuth isn’t simply going away after being around for just one episode. Hopefully she won’t be going away anytime soon but given the build up to the two part episode, Reunited, there is a chance things won’t be the same by the end of it.
The Rock may have met his match. According to Variety, Idris Elba is nearing a deal to play the villain in the upcoming Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw.
Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to confirm the news and praise Elba’s abilities:
“I promised we were going to make this Fast & Furious spin off awesome and grow our franchise properly. He’s a bad man (legit bad A**). I better toughen up”
The film will see Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw taking on Elba’s unknown adversary. The spinoff was given the go-ahead after audiences reacted positively to the onscreen chemistry of Johnson and Statham.
Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch has signed on to direct the film with Fast and Furious architect Chris Morgan writing the script. Hobbs and Shaw will begin production later this fall.
Not everyone is as pumped about the spinoff as others, however. Fast and Furious alum Tyrese Gibson took to social media late last year to voice his displeasure at the idea of Johnson and Statham doing a film together. Gibson posted the following on his Instagram:
“Hello world………. hello loyal fans and loved ones from OUR fast universe…….. I’m sorry to announce that if Dewayne [sic] is in Fast9 there will no more Roman Peirce [sic] – You mess with family and my daughters survival I mess with yours………”
The feud came to an end after Tyrese had what was called a “heart to heart” with Johnson. The two actors came to terms with the situation which leads us to believe we will see Tyrese return when Fast 9 hits theaters. How Johnson will fix the situation with Vin Diesel is a whole other story.
Are you excited for Idris Elba to take on The Rock and Jason Statham? Let us know in the comments below!
Composer Jim Dooley loves making music, and he’s done so for a long list of films and TV shows over the past few decades, including Obsessed (2009), The Last Ship, and A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix.
In a rare interview, it kicked off without a question. I mentioned to Jim that I hum the Batman theme from Danny Elfman’s Batman score any time that I step on the gas while driving. He laughs and says “How about this?” He proceeds to play a few exciting seconds from Back to the Future on his piano.
“The <omitted for suspense> soundtrack is
the one that made me say ‘yeah, I want to do that.’”
Sitting in his studio, Jim is currently working on the third season of Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events. The Netflix series is a hyper-real, dark-comedy adventure that’s perfect for a composer who grew up with and cherishes the music of Danny Elfman.
“A guy in high school, he made a short film … he took a cueball and rolled it down the hall. Essentially it looked like a fast car. He put a piece of the Batman score to it. I thought ‘that was the most amazing thing, what was that music?’”
The Batman-wave pushed on “The Danny Elfman Batman score is the one that made me say ‘yeah, I want to do that.’”
“The raising of the X-Wing out of the swamp.”
“There’s always two or three scenes to me that are, without music, just a whole different experience.” Go on … “Han Solo being frozen in carbonite. That cue, it’s doing so much heavy lifting.” Jim adds “The raising of the X-Wing out of the swamp. It’s just breathtaking how much patience and restraint he [John Williams] has with that.”
Jim’s work in A Series of Unfortunate Events is equally breathtaking. If you watch the show from the beginning, you’ll notice a change in the score. Throughout season one there was a change in composers. However, once Jim came on board, it became his sonic show and it’s great stuff.
“You try to have as much variation as possible.”
Jim’s work as a composer isn’t limited to film and television. Jim has worked on video games such as the SOCOM series and Infamous. “In a TV show, they want you to blow something up in five minutes. In a movie, the level of commitment [from the audience] is different. You’re not going anywhere for a couple hours. In a video game, that level is even greater.” Players actively sit for hours engaged in video game worlds. “We have no idea how long it’ll take individual players to do something. The music has to fill this world. You try to have as much variation as possible.”
In a moment of weakness, I went a little fanboy for a second. You see, Jim worked on Pushing Daisies, a show I absolutely loved and was canceled far too soon. Pushing Daisies fell within a moment of Hollywood history that would change the course of many shows “We were doing well before the [writer’s] strike.”
What’s happening now?
Jim reveals that as we speak “I’m working on episode five [of Unfortunate Events], and I have three more to go. There won’t be anything else after that.” Snicket’s plan from the start was to complete the book series and do no more.
At the end of the summer, Jim will score “… the live-action Kim Possible movie.”
Last but not least, I ask Jim to spread the love and tell us a few composers he admires “There’s a lot of people out there doing great work. I’m a big fan of Thomas Newman’s work. Also, my collaborator on Last Ship, James Levine. I really admire his sensibilities.”
“Watch your favorite shows without music. It’s such a different experience.” Challenge accepted.
Thanks to Impact24 PR for the images
and the opportunity to speak with composer Jim Dooley.
COSMIC GHOST RIDER #1 written Donny Cates, art by Dylan Burnett, colors by Antonio Fabela, and letters by Clayton Cowles finally rides onto the shelves after his freakin’ awesome debut in Thanos Wins.
What does Cates have in store for our Cosmic Ghost Rider and, can his writing overcome artistic struggles? Let’s find out!
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
COSMIC GHOST RIDER SPOILERS TOO…
Cosmically Catching Up
Donny Cates opens the issue by getting the readers up to speed on Frank Castle, the deals he’s made, the people he’s worked for, and the dirty deeds he’s done. After what appears to be a barroom brawl, Odin confronts Frank about his actions in Valhalla and has a sit down chat with him.
The colors on the page above by Fabela are very bright and bring out the color of the Rainbow Bridge. However, I’m not pleased with the art overall in this issue. Maybe it’s because I’ve read VENOM or even DEATH OF THE INHUMANS by Cates giving me something else to compare COSMIC GHOST RIDER too? But, the art in this issue isn’t as good as the other titles mentioned.
Frank Rides Again
The story continues as Odin gives Frank the opportunity to go back to any time and any place he wants. Cates does a fantastic job of explaining everything SO WELL. Odin plucked the Cosmic Ghost Rider from the THANOS WINS timeline. When present-day Thanos reverted his timeline and rewrote the future, Odin pulled the Rider out of that timeline and sent him to Valhalla.
Therefore, the way I understand it is that we technically have two Frank Castles in this timeline and continuity. One that is the Punisher and the other that is the Cosmic Ghost Rider. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. I’m told that I’m wrong a lot…
However, as impressive as this story is, I still have a difficult time getting past the art. Look at Frank’s face in the top right panel. He doesn’t have eyes. He has two dots. I understand that Burnett is trying to show shock from the character, but it looks like an elderly, elongated Caillou with long white hair. AND, the Cosmic Ghost Rider’s bike and chain have no depth. The chain is supposed to look like it’s hot or on fire BUT it just seems red. The front orb of the bike looks more like a circle than a sphere of energy.
The Mad Titan
Taking Odin up on his offer to go anywhere he wants, the Cosmic Ghost Rider chooses to visit Thanos as a baby and kill him. I feel like this idea to a story has been done before. BUT, Cates does it in his humorous style that still made it funny and exciting.
Surprisingly enough, baby Thanos overpowers the Cosmic Ghost Rider leading him to use his Penance Stare on the Mad Titan. Even though it’s Thanos, he’s still a child. So Frank, feeling ashamed and appalled in his actions, makes a quick decision!
Best Buds Forever!
Cates ends the issue with the Cosmic Ghost Rider having a change of heart. Instead of putting baby Thanos down, he straps him to his chest like a baby carrier and rides off. This part was hilarious! Where are they going exactly? I couldn’t tell you. But, the art makes it look like they’re riding through the sun.
Final Thoughts
The Cosmic Ghost Rider was highly anticipated. I was looking forward to this series. To be honest, this issue had its moments, Cates did an excellent job of using his style of humor, creativity, and ingenuity to develop a good foundation for the series moving forward. He gave us a how, a when, a why, and a direction. However, I feel like I’ve been to this rodeo before.
And because of that; this is where the art of a story can really help mask some of the writers missteps. The characters are fun, and I think the adventure they’re going to take is going to be interesting, BUTCates wasn’t able to hook me as well as he’s done in the past. And, I genuinely feel it was because of the art.
The art keeps pulling me back out of the story after each read. It’s the art that’s showing some of the blemishes in this issue. It seems rushed. Nothing appears to have curves or texture to it. Everything looks very “geometric” in a way or has rough, sharp, blocky edges. Maybe this is Burnett’s style? Perhaps this is the feel Cates and Burnett want? If so, I’m not a fan.
Art is subjective, and again maybe this is the style Cates and Burnett are going for, BUT I love realistic art that makes me feel like I’m in the story. When I look at this issue, I don’t feel like I’m in the story at all. I read comics to get lost. I want to escape. This art continued to throw me out of the story and genuinely frustrated me.
Should you pick up this issue?
Yes. The story is fun, and the characters are nuts! Baby Thanos and Cosmic Ghost Rider Marvel Team-Up sounds epic! I have faith in Cates to make an exciting story. My hope is that the art team or even art style change.
Should you add this series to your pull?
Yes. However, I’m just not as excited as I was before it came out. I think Cates needs to channel some of his inner THANOS WINS, as well as that art team, to get readers more pumped. I’m hoping Cates’ can throw this series on his back and overcome some of the artistic flaws and blemishes I feel presented themselves throughout the issue.
Well, what did you guys think of COSMIC GHOST RIDER#1? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
