Director Patty Jenkins has been bringing the goodies for her upcoming film Wonder Woman 1984. Today she took to Twitter to release our first official look at Kristen Wiig as Dr. Barbara Minerva. You can check out the image below:
Minerva is better known as the DC Comics villain Cheetah. Wiig was cast in the role earlier this year to the surprise of many. The actress is most well known for her comedy chops, starting out on Saturday Night Live then moving on to roles in some iconic comedies. Fans have questioned if Wiig could bring the gravitas needed to take on a comic book villain, although, this image may reveal the character could be a lighter take on the iconic villain.
The image reveals that Minerva is visiting a Smithsonian museum in Washington D.C. Most iterations of the character see her as an archaeologist, obsessed with artifacts involving the powers of a cheetah. It would make sense that Minerva would be interested in relics that are on display in the musuem.
The plot details surrounding Wonder Woman 1984 are still under wraps at this point, other than the fact the film will see Diana take up arms during the Cold War. The biggest mystery is the fact that director Patty Jenkins revealed that Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor would be returning for the sequel. Trevor, of course, was seemingly killed in a plane explosion in the third act of Wonder Woman. It’s still unclear how Trevor will make his return and if Cheetah will have any involvement in it.
Are you excited to see Kristen Wiig take on the role of Cheetah? Let us know in the comments below!
Wonder Woman 1984 will blast into theaters November 1, 2019
The film stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal. Patty Jenkins is returning to direct and co-wrote the script with Expendables writer Dave Callahan.
Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp is a cleverly constructed story with empowering undertones teeming with absurdity, campiness, and whimsy, creating a joyous experience for fans around the globe.
Anyone walking into to see the sequel to Ant-Manexpecting a continuation of Avengers: Infinity War (I’m not sure why you would), has to understand how different these two films are. The Russo brothers’ first of two Avengers films highlights the brutality of Thanos as he clashes with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Reed’s second stint as director focuses on the ridiculous set of circumstances which led an ex-con to become something much more. Ant-Man and the Wasp is about being underestimated and overcoming judgment to serve a greater good.
The events of Ant-Man and the Wasp take place after Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has subsequently been arrested for his role in the airport battle. Scott is trying to find a way to balance everything going on in his life as he finishes out his sentence. With days left on his house arrest, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) show up to tell Scott that they have developed a way to potentially track down Hope’s mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), who has been lost in the Quantum Realm for decades. Ant-Man and the Wasp then have to team up in the hopes of saving Hope’s mother. But could an individual from Pym’s past threaten everything?
The writing team of Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, and Rudd developed a smart way to jump right back into the Pym family saga while still furthering Scott’s narrative too. We see in Ant-Man and the Wasp just how much guilt plays a role in motivating Dr. Pym. Everything he’s done since that fateful sequence on the missile 30 years ago was in hopes of a breakthrough one day that could make his family whole again. Hope recognizes Pym’s torment and is willing to go through any obstacle to ease her father’s pain as well as her own. Time is not wasted here, creating profoundly emotional moments in the film. They instead go in a different direction that makes their part in the movie more visceral.
Scott’s portion of the tale is one of self-discovery. Even though he’s already been Ant-Man, he still views himself as this screw-up ex-con who does more harm than good. Hope tracks him down out of desperation, and even then, he’s second-guessing her. Cassie is the only person who can talk some sense into him when she states “helping people isn’t dumb.” Cassie’s love is enough for Scott to rise from his state of self-pity and begin a journey which ultimately ends in Lang understanding what it means to be Ant-Man.
However, the gentleman who steal Ant-Man and the Wasp are Michael Peña, Tip “T.I.” Harris and David Dastmalchian. Every comedic moment written for them is executed to perfection. The chemistry of these three was through the roof, and it had me wondering if Marvel could somehow create a vehicle for these characters on the television side. This isn’t to say the rest of the cast is lacking (quite the opposite actually), but when one element of the film stands out that much, it bears mentioning.
Reed maintains a brisk pace throughout the film. Nothing in the movie appears to drag, resulting in a storyline which flows beautifully from beginning to end. The staging of the action sequences is original and quite inventive, making use of every inch of space, even in the front of a moving car). It was as if Reed evaluated the perceived missteps of the first film and tightened those up in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Rudd’s performance is solid as he brings a mixture of levity and humility to the role. Ant-Man isn’t your typical Marvel superhero. He’s more of an everyman, which makes him relatable to fans. However, if we are honest, the star of Ant-Man and the Wasp is Evangeline Lilly. Lilly’s ass-kicking uber-intelligent portrayal of Hope (and the Wasp) is the thread that holds the film together. Seeing Wasp throttle, bad guys will delight fans (especially little girls) everywhere. Don’t be surprised if Wasp becomes a hot costume this Halloween.
Shepherd Frankel’s production design stands out because he seamlessly integrates so many elements (an oversized Pez dispenser and oddly shaped buildings, for instance) to create an attractive landscape. Dante Spinotti’s cinematography is most effective at capturing the intricate surroundings during the continuous action sequences by panning the camera slightly to get a better vantage point. Christophe Beck’s score is light, fun and full of pep.
Overall, Ant-Man and the Wasp is the perfect blend of action and fun making it an excellent time for all. Shrinking away from this sequel could prove to be a costly mistake.
Marvel Studios sequels seem to come in three varieties. Some make a concerted effort to recontextualize their central hero by placing him in a new environment (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), while others opt for a more radical approach and essentially reinvent the franchise (Thor: Ragnarok). But Ant-Man and the Wasp takes neither of those first two routes. Rather, like last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director Peyton Reed’s latest simply takes its characters deeper, expanding the world around them while pushing their stories to a natural progression.
Although Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place in real time (i.e., two years after the events of Captain America: Civil War), Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has become estranged from his former allies Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), as he serves the tail end of his house arrest sentence for helping “Cap” violate the Sokovia Accords in Germany. But when Hank and Hope realize Scott may be the key to rescuing Hank’s long-lost wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm, the trio are off on another adventure, one that brings them into direct conflict with the elusive Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).
With the stakes set, Ant-Man and the Wasp spirals out into a rip-roaring romp that is as light on its feet as its characters. Rudd and Lilly have even better chemistry than in the first film, Douglas gets far more to do this time around and Michael Peña is an even greater scene-stealer (don’t worry, there is a callback to his signature bit). Even the first one’s greatest flaw — its lackluster villain — is vastly improved for the sequel. Ghost might not be as compelling a figure as Killmonger or Thanos or as much fun to watch as Hela or Loki. Yet, John-Kamen imbues her with a clear perspective, an understandable motivation and, by the end, something resembling an arc. That’s much more than many other villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever get (looking at you, Malekith, Ronan, Kaecilius, et al).
From a plot perspective, Ant-Man and the Wasp feels a bit muddled at times, especially during an exposition-heavy scene featuring the great Laurence Fishburne as Hank’s rival Bill Foster. Yet, it moves at such a rapid pace that audiences will rarely have a moment to catch their breath before another joke — a dig at the MCU heroes’ go-to disguises stands out — or thrilling action set piece emerges onscreen. In particular, Ant-Man and the Wasp really hones in on the most important relationship in Scott’s life: the one he shares with his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). Although their bond was a key element in the first film, the sequel really brings it to the center, giving Rudd and Fortson plenty of heartfelt material to work with. In addition, Cassie’s more prominent role might just be setting up the character for greater things to come.
Speaking of characters rising up to claim the spotlight, let’s talk about Hope’s ascension to her mother’s mantle as the Wasp. Lilly’s character barely cracked our recent ranking of the MCU’s most badass women, but that was before we ever saw her suit up. Ant-Man and the Wasp makes the case for why the latter hero is not only superior to her male counterpart but could be an essential part of the MCU going forward. In both of the film’s most memorable action sequences — one involving hand-to-hand combat, the other an extended car chase through the streets of San Francisco — the Wasp is at the forefront. Partly because Lilly is so fun to watch, these scenes are among the film’s greatest highlights.
From beginning to end, Ant-Man and the Wasp is rich in imagination and a true testament to why these characters deserve to be an integral part of the MCU’s future. Although the original film earned $519 worldwide — making it one of the lowest-grossing entries in the franchise — this one could benefit from the post-Avengers bump that helped push Iron Man 3 past the $1 billion mark. For families hungry for more of this world, this particular MCU installment is perhaps the most suitable superhero adventure of the summer and one likely to reward repeat viewings as well.
No one expected Ant-Man and the Wasp to be nearly as epic or grand as something like Avengers: Infinity War. However, as a sequel to Ant-Man, it easily sits among those elite superhero sequels to surpass their prerequisite origin stories. Moreover, the film is one of only two releases coming between Infinity War and next year’s untitled Avengers 4 — Captain Marvel doesn’t hit until March 2019 — and its mid- and post-credits scenes nicely key up what fans have in store. In short, Ant-Man and the Wasp serves as one of the breeziest entries in the MCU and an effective palate cleanser before Thanos returns to shake his intergalactic fist at Earth’s Mightiest Heroes once more.
BLACK PANTHER #2 written by Ta-Nehisi Coates, art by Daniel Acuna, and letters by Joe Sabino soars onto our shelves this week as Ta-Nehisi Coates throws the reader immediately into the drivers seat of an action-packed Zulu Fighter battle of epic proportions.
Does T’Challa possess amazing new abilities, and what was the Wakandan Empire really after? Let’s find out.
There will be SPOILERS ahead. Turn back now unless you want to know who Keyser Söze is, already read the issue, or simply don’t give a flying ferret.
Ta-Nehisi Coates does a tremendous job taking the reader immediately into this space opera with an epic Zulu Fighter battle. T’Challa goes off on his own to take down an entire fleet of 50 Masia Fighters, which was amazing! While M’Baku and Nakia take their fleet away, T’Challa literally becomes a man possessed and is able to overcome the odds.
Daniel Acuna and Joe Sabino do a phenomenal job showing the movement of the Fighters and placing the word balloons in the perfect spots. Acuna deliberately draws the Masia Fighters in a different shape than the Zulu Fighters making the fight more clear and easy to follow.
Also, notice the last panel above. Acuna does a fantastic job of showing the reader that T’Challa slams on his breaks letting the Masia Fighters pass him by to get the advantage and take them out. He does this through the use of multiple lines from multiple angles. Very impressive!Next, take a look at this page above. The purple in the bottom panel that is surrounding T’Challa is showing the reader that “something” is happening to him. Some type of power or ability is manifesting itself in him and appears to be slowing everything down. Even T’Challa’s eyes are turning purple. More importantly, notice the lines of speed surrounding the Fighters as they move BUT those lines dissipate while T’Challa is surrounded by the purple aura.
Acuna is doing a tremendous job working with Coates to show us what’s going on without having to use excessive dialogue. Better yet, the lettering by Sabino is also in purple. This shows the reader that T’Challa is not only two steps ahead of everyone physically, but mentally as well.
Everything appears to slow down for T’Challa, including how he processes language. Sabino hit a home run this issue working with the team to help thoroughly connect the lettering. He chose amazing placement of the word balloons without going heavy on the text.
Even as T’Challa’s new abilities manifest, he manages to get hit while taking out most of the Masia Fleet. This crash leads him to having visions. We see T’Challa having visions of a woman with white hair. We could speculate that this is a past life. Maybe we could also think that this woman is Storm? We are not told who this is, but we are to assume these visions are essential to the story. So, stay tuned.
This page (above) was amazing and led me to even more questions as we work our way to the end of this issue. We learn that the Ruler, or would be Black Panther, is actually N’Jadaka AND that his suit appears to have abilities that remind me of a particular alien symbiote we all know and love.
This creative team, led by Coates, did a fantastic job of connecting elements of the Black Panther movie into this comic while still making it a “Fresh Start.” For example, notice the name drops on all of the characters. Each characters name, even though it’s in space, are the exact names of the characters from the movie.
In the end, the current Black Panther Ruler, N’Jadaka (Killmonger from the movie), is wearing the same yellow suit that he wore in the film. Do not let the subtle connections be mistaken as unintentional. This creative team is on point throughout the entire issue.
So, why was T’Challa and the Zulu Fighters attacking the Masia Fighters at the beginning of the issue? Well, because they were looking for pieces of the M’Kraan Crystal. Now, that was an ending! How are the M’Kraan Crystal and this futuristic world of space Black Panther all connected? Beats me, but I know I want the answer.
Should you pick up this issue?
Absolutely! I was nervous at first about having Black Panther meets Star Wars. However, Coates, Acuna, and Sabino are working so well together. They’re giving us “A New Hope” for T’Challa and connecting this character for all ranges of fans.
Should you add this series to your pull?
Yes! If you’re a long time Black Panther fan or one that just hopped on board after the movie, there are some great things for both of you.
Well, what did you guys think of BLACK PANTHER #2? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Marvel’s hotshot writer Matthew Rosenberg continues his recent hot streak with Multiple Man #1, bringing back our favorite multiplying mutant, Jamie Madrox! The former X-Factor leader is resurrected and re-purposed in spectacular fashion.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
Madrox has been dead since the Terrigen mist nonsense that plagued mutants during Inhumans Vs X-Men. One of his prime-dupes is found by the New Mutants team barely clinging to life. He’s brought to the X-Mansion to be studied and saved by Beast, marvelous mutant madness ensues.
Matt Rosenberg injects a ton of life, in more ways than one, into our lovable Madrox. Jamie has always had a snarky edge and smirk to his characterization, but here it reaches new levels. The entire issue oozes charisma and infectious sarcasm that translates into an undeniable charm.
The story is fast paced and unforgiving, there’s no catering to those who can’t keep up with mutants at their most mutant-y. Jamie takes us all over the mansion, giving us a parade of short and sweet X-Men interactions. As the plot starts to unfold, and chaos starts peaking it’s head out, Multiple Man #1 really starts to get fun.
Artist Andy MacDonald thickens the layers of charm and light-hearted comic book fun. This is a beautiful looking book, filled with stupendous cartooning. Each character has a distinct set of recognizable characteristics that shine in these quick moments with Jamie. Colorist Tamra Bonvillain makes each dose of yellow throughout the issue pop and helps keep reader’s eyes focused on Jamie at all times with his signature deep green shirt.
The comedy beats of this issue really come through in the art, the sequencing and timing does wonders. All of Jamie’s future-hero-mash-up-dupes are well-crafted and designed to please. There’s a ton of impressive facial expression work. For an issue that doesn’t really take us many places, you barely notice.
Multiple Man #1 hits the ground running, another hit for Rosenberg. The tone and shift for a booking starring Jamie Madrox pays off big-time. This is a welcome breath of life into a fan-favorite character.
Also, big props for the Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party reference.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iypUpv9xelg[/embedyt]
THOR #2 written by Jason Aaron, art by Mike Del Mundo, and letters & Production by Joe Sabino hammers onto our shelves this week as Jason Aaron’s familiar knack for Odinson shines through. This week, readers watch Thor rally his brothers in Hel to take on the Queen of Cinders. You’ll never guess who’s waiting at the end of this Hel-raiser!
Holy Troll Gizzards, this review of THOR will contain more SPOILERS than a Goblin fart! Stop now unless you read the issue, don’t give a flying fungus, or enjoy the wretched stench of Goblin gas.
When we last left Thor and Loki, they arrived in Niffleheim greeted by Balder and Skurge. We now pick up with Odinson leading his band of not-so-merry men against one of Cinder’s Firepedes shown below.
Realizing he can’t outrun the Firepedes in his Tugboat, Odinson and Thori take off to lay waste to all of Cinder’s fire demons while Toothgrinder (the goat) drives this magical vessel to safety. Lucky for them, Sindr and Tyr are there to lend a helping bazooka.
Here was the biggest problem with the issue. Take a look at the two pages above. Mike Del Mundo’s art is pretty good. However, his art mixed with Joe Sabino’s lettering made the pages very busy and overwhelming to read at times. Sometimes, Sabino’s word balloons seemed in the way and too wordy. Now, I don’t know if that was a mix between Jason Aaron’s trying to describe too much in this issue or if all the dialogue was entirely necessary, but the pages were packed with information that made the issue tough to navigate.
Next, we see the Queen of the Cinder (above), otherwise known as the daughter of Surtur, take out all the would-be rulers of Hel and gain control over the realm. With Cinder now in power, all of Niffleheim’s armies will kneel to her every command. The reader finds out that this was all part of Malekith’s plan. He wanted an army, and now he has one waiting in Hel.
Thor and his Asgardian crew get wind that Cinder is moving a new weapon that could turn the tied of the War on the Realms. They hear that this weapon is being transported by train and head out to destroy the bridge out from under it. Now since Odinson doesn’t have access to Mjoliner any longer, in the last issue, we learned that Thor asked the dwarves to make him hundreds of hammers to use for all assorted purposes. Thus using one of Thor’s new hammers called the Bomb Hammer, he blows up the bridge releasing the secret weapon. That’s right Thor fans. It’s time for one Hela good time!
This was by far the best page of the entire issue. Just look above at the size of Fenris compared to Thor and Hela. Del Mundo does a fantastic job making Fenris feel like he’s leaping off the page at the readers while Sabino sprinkles in a touch of dialogue to give the splash page the perfect flare needed to end this issue. Well done team!
Overall, Aaron’s story ultimately gives us our familiar Thor we’ve grown to love. We get to see the band (family) get back together again, AND I’m totally ready to see that family dinner. If I was to speculate, I foresee Odin’s kids all working together to stop Malekith’s War of the Realms. I think readers will love that storyline and I hope we go in that direction. I just would have enjoyed this comic more if I wasn’t so distracted by the busyness of the art and lettering combinations on a few of the pages throughout the issue.
Should you pick up this issue?
Absolutely! It’s still one Hel of an issue and one Hel of a creative team.
Should you add this series to your pull?
Hel yes! Aaron’s knows Thor and has years of experience with him. This is still in my top 5 without a doubt.
Well, what did you guys think of THOR #2? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu
Robert Axelrod, the voice actor behind Lord Zedd, one of the most infamous villains the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have ever faced needs your help. The actor has recently had to go through a very costly surgery and fans are working to help raise funds to cover the bill. A fundraising campaign is so close to being fully paid off but a little more effort needs to made to reach their goal. Donations have already came, including one from David J. Fielding, who played Zordon with the message:
Hi All! Many of you know that my mortal enemy/friend, Lord Zedd/Robert Axelrod recently had surgery from which he has faced some pretty serious complications. So far over $8,700 has been raised to help Robert in his time of need. Today Friday, June 22nd I will send the 1st 10 people to donate $50 a signed Zordon trading card. Simply click the below link to donate. Every dollar counts, if you are unable to help financially please simply share the Go Fund Me page and leave Robert a message of encouragement.
Remember, May the Power Protect You!
If you wish to donate to the actor, follow the link to the GoFundMe campaign. A small donaiton could help a hard working actor to get some much needed aid.
Riku duels the leader of the mass divers in hopes of finding a way to connect with his teammate.
Review
It’s a duel to the death with Riku’s 00 Diver and Tsukasa’s No Name Astray. There is a lot of great action to be had with the two characters go at it with an old fashioned GP Duel. Unlike when fighting in GBN, if the model is damage it is real and your Gunpla can be damaged beyond repair. Just like in the good old days.
This is the strange feelings which come from this episode. Tsukasa, the villain of the series is insisting the old ways are the best ways. Considering these “old ways” were featured in the previous Gundam Build series, it feels very unnatural to have a villain the audience is supposed to despise rooting for such methods.
Of course this is balanced by through the fact Tsukasa’s character displays the essence of a bad fan. He acts like many of the fans who insist someone else is appreciating a series in “the wrong way.” This is one of the best aspects of the character as a villain more than anything shown before. This will help to give the series more gravitas moving forward as Tsukasa represents a type of fan someone could see in real life. One who would go out of there way to ruin everyone’s fun by insisting their way is the best way.
Overall, the potential of Gundam Build Divers being worth by the end appears and offered some good action as well. Next time, it looks like there will be a quest to obtain a new mecha. One can only hope it doesn’t take as long to make as it took Riku to master Trans-Am.
Gundam Build Divers is available on the GundamInfo YouTube Channel.
Last Friday, DC Comics announced an exclusive partnership with Walmart: the publisher will begin selling “100-page giant comics” at Walmart starting July 1.
“Available for $4.99, each 100-page anthology features all-new stories written exclusively for these books by some of DC’s top creative talents,” according to DC Comics.
The price point and exclusive content are a big issue with comic book retailers. As this could drive potential sales from your local comic book shop to Walmart, and where every penny matters to your comic book shop, you can understand their concerns. We polled our Twitter audience and 58% of the people surveyed said they would buy comics from Walmart.
The only negative to this is that along with other big box stores and gaming chains, this increases places that consumers can go for comics other than your local comic shop, which of course, impacts our business.
On the plus side, as a comics fan, I’m excited about the format, as I used to love the 100-Page Giant comics as a kid, and it’s cool to see them return, and at a reasonable price.
DC is bringing some A-List talent to their main original stories in each issue, so I’m happy to see them get even more work, and gain new fans, which will hopefully bring them to Emerald City in search of their other works, or maybe wanting to know more about a character they’re just now learning about. So, if discovering Nightwing, or Jimmy Palmiotti brings them to us, that’s great!
Also, I’m always happy to see people, kids especially, with comics in their hands, which often leads to a lifetime of reading, and that’s always a good thing. If they’re parents stop in to buy clothes or tooth-paste, and their kids leave with a big, thick comic book that will inspire them, I’m all for it.
Assuming these Wal-Mart exclusives eventually bring their readers to us, looking for more, it could be a very good thing. We have a large Wal-Mart just a few miles from us, so it’s certainly possible that it could be very good for us!
I think that this is just another slap in the face of comic stores everywhere. This shows how little DC gives a shit about the brick and mortar retailers. My assumption is the books with be fully returnable for Wal-Mart’s which something they would never do for us.
My belief is that DC and/or Marvel can’t grow this market of readers without finding a way to put their books in places other than comic shops. The direct market is great for drilling down into the interests of the fanbase but we are not going to generate even a moderate influx of readers with a model designed to squeeze more money out of the already converted customer.
If we want growth then comics need to be widely available. So far all the big companies have been about to do is increase the popularity of their characters but not the range and circularity of the print product.
As far as the original content here, I have to believe that we’ll get that product eventually but I don’t really care about that. Honestly, I’d be willing to order a few of these for my shop. I wouldn’t order massive numbers because our customers just don’t do many reprints but this format is designed put the most interesting stories of the past in new hands at a great price.
I wish we could get 100 pages for $4.99. The comic shop locator website better be in each issue, since we subsidize most of the content by ordering it nonreturnable at a retail price of 20 pages for $3.99.
Maybe some of the people of Walmart will follow the stories into comic shops, maybe we should all get riding carts for our shops.
I want to know if we’ll get to sell the new King and Bendis stories as collections when they’re done.
I have been making my living selling comics for six years and currently own and operate two physical stores and one eBay store.
I am happy that comics are making their way from specialty shops to a newsstand situation again. Although I was initially dismayed that some exclusive Bendis and Tom King stories might make their way to these collections and Wal-Mart’s stores first, they are going to see eventual release in the DM either as individual comics or in the trade paperbacks.
While I could get upset that Wal-Mart is exclusively getting these, reprint tomes like these wouldn’t sell well to the hardcore crowd: 12 pages of new story amid 88 pages of reprints is a 12 page comic to most hardcore readers. Their tremendous size and I’m sure low paper quality would make storing them difficult, too.
I welcome the new readers this will bring. Wal-mart can tap into a crowd that would never go out of their way to go to a comic store to pick up their first comic, and when they find Wal-Mart’s selection lacking, they will look for stores like mine to start filling in their collection and to find other stories like the ones reprinted here.
I also am happy that DC is continuing to make moves to keep their comic section profitable!! I have heard many stories of Disney contemplating canceling their comics publishing division and to farm out Marvel’s IPs to other publishers, and if that would happen, the feeling of the shared universe would go away, and I think comics as a whole would suffer if Marvel failed.
The problem with the Walmart partnership is it’s a short-term fix. DC Comics will sell a ton of books in 2018, but it will not develop a long-term pipeline of new readers. Superheroes are more popular now than ever before, Marvel and DC Comics need to develop a program that leads each new genration down a path of reading that evolves as they get older. Make it very easy to read what comes next and make it extremely accessible. With the partnership with Walmart, DC Comics has made its books accessible – but a book by Tom King is definitely not a one size fits all reading experience.
Are you going to buy the new “100-Page Giants” from Walmart? Comment below.
“The Passenger”, Westworld’s season two finale, was a powerful close to an inconsistent season. The acting was exemplary and the conclusion simultaneously satisfied and left one pondering the possibilities for the next season. A more in-depth look at the finale and season as a whole will follow later this week, so I’ve tried to avoid SPOILERS in this review, but if you haven’t seen it yet (maybe you work from home and don’t have to worry about overheard discussions at water coolers?), I’d recommend watching it first. We’ll be here waiting for you.
Writing:
Show creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan delivered an ending to the season that was satisfying and powerful. “The Passenger” was a long episode (actually slightly longer than the 1973 film that inspired the show), but each scene felt necessary and few seconds were wasted. There were some missteps (how exactly did Teddy’s body get to the valley?) but overall the script did a great job of tying together the various story threads in a way that was very clear, considering how confusing the various plotlines and timelines can be.
Acting:
The whole cast shined in “The Passenger”, but Evan Rachel Wood towered above them all. As Dolores she erases the line between human and machine so completely that the (presumably all-human) audience of the show is left with no choice but to root for a character that would destroy them all if given the chance.
Jeffrey Wright’s Bernard has never been better. Is he a pawn or is he a King? Watching him decide is the opposite of Existential despair. Tessa Thompson proves not only can she play a variety of fan-favorite characters, she can do it in a single episode of television. All I will say about Ed Harris as William is don’t turn your TV off when the credits roll.
Directing:
The action sequences were solid, with the “running of the bulls” being the highlight, even if it felt a little forced. There’s only so many ways to film gun-fighting, so watching partially-constructed android bulls charge security guards was a fun change of pace.
Probably the most ambitious and impressive sequence was the battle at the door to the Valley Beyond. Director Frederick E. O. Toye shows us ‘fight or flight’ played out by a column of host refugees on either side of a weaponized Clementine.
Not all battles are fought on such a grand scale, though. Dolores/William, Dolores/Bernard, Bernard/Bernard, these more personal conflicts make up the core of the episode. The pacing of the episode keeps the audience on their toes. Without rushing anything, Toye lets the twists and turns of the plot hit us without giving us too much time to pause.
Cinematography:
Visually, “The Passenger” hits the very high bar Westworld has established. The twisting, overhead shot of Teddy in Dolores’s arms is one that will stick with you. Cinematographer John Grillo makes the most out of the spectacular interior sets and landscapes that make up Westworld.
Overall:
The finale was fantastic, tying things together and resolving enough to be satisfying without precluding a third season. Tragedy, triumph, philosophy, action, and “natural” splendor, all in one super-sized episode.
Itching for more coverage of Westworld’s second season? Listen to Kieran McLean’s review
Next, take a look at this page above. The purple in the bottom panel that is surrounding T’Challa is showing the reader that “something” is happening to him. Some type of power or ability is manifesting itself in him and appears to be slowing everything down. Even T’Challa’s eyes are turning purple. More importantly, notice the lines of speed surrounding the Fighters as they move BUT those lines dissipate while T’Challa is surrounded by the purple aura.
