The finale to the current Green Lanterns arc is emotional, powerful, and will make you care for the leads more than ever.
A few issues ago, Jessica Cruz made a deal with a villain named Singularity Jain to find her friends’ murderers. To do this, Jain opened a reality via black hole for her to relive the day of the murder within Jessica’s old Power Ring Persona. Simon follows her in, with the Justice League on standby, but soon realizes the world preys on the fear of the victim. He encounters the past Power Ring, as well as a clone of himself, but realizes this world will make Jessica into a monster. Will Simon stop her in time, or is this the end of the Green Lanterns of Earth?
**Somes Spoilers Below**
Story:
Having fully embraced the darker Power Ring Persona, Jessica begins hunting down the murderers in her dimension. Simon intercepts her at every turn, trying his best to snap out of the craze. Meanwhile, in the real world, the League is shocked to see the black hole close, causing Singularity Jain to escape. As the League is defeated, John Constantine relays to Simon that Jessica is the only one to undo Jain’s works.
This issue is a very satisfying conclusion to the arc. The emotional weight is felt on every page and in every line of dialogue between the two. While it isn’t a big, cataclysmic level threat, the personal feel of the situation will pull readers in and show why these Green Lanterns are more human than their predecessors. The only problem the comic has is within bits of the dialogue. There is a theme of knowing the difference between seeking justice and vengeance, but the dialogue feels off-putting. One moment, in particular, involved a speech Simon gives to Jessica. It’s so drawn out and heavy-handed, it tarnished the scene a little. Thankfully, the dialogue is only off two to three times across the issue, so it won’t ruin it for readers that badly.
Art:
V. Ken Marion is back to illustrate the issue and once again shows off his skill expertly. While the detail in the characters is fantastic, the highlight has to be the horrific elements of the Singularity Jain. The dark worlds that she creates as well as her powers are imaginative and very creepy. The colorwork of Dinei Riberio took this even further by sticking to the darker and sickly green colors throughout the arc. It’s fantastic art for a fantastic story and I’m glad this team knocked it out of the park.
Conclusion:
This arc is without a doubt the best arc in the entire series. It’s full of powerful and emotional moments that will make you love the characters more than ever. It has great art that shows off the horror of the situation but still captures the Green Lanterns feel. I highly recommend this entire arc for any fan of the Green Lanterns.
Summer is finally here, and while that means we’re about to see some really fun movies, it also means most of our favourite TV shows are coming to an end, but thankfully, there’s a few shows on the horizon to get excited about. Most notable among them is the highly-anticipated Charmed reboot, and The CW just dropped an extended trailer for the show.
Just like the original, the reboot follows three sisters, Mel, Maggie, and Macy who learn that they are very powerful witches following the death of their mother. Known as the “charmed ones,” these sisters use their unique abilities to fight the forces of evil.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are playing catch up to the havoc Thanos caused in Avengers: Infinity War, but they are keeping plenty busy. Glenn Talbot has become Graviton, and at the same time, the fearless leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson is on his deathbed. In the episode “The Force of Gravity” the team has a choice to stop Graviton and let Coulson die, or save Coulson and hope that he has a way to stop Graviton.
“The Force of Gravity” holds lots of weight in season five. Everything reaches a boiling point in this episode, Carl Creel meeting his end, Coulson, and May finally locking lips, and Graviton getting his hands on the inhuman precog Robin, making this one of the better episodes of the season.
Talbot has gone from the zany soldier who S.H.I.E.L.D. regularly gave the runaround, to the most powerful foe they have ever faced. In the episode “Option Two” Talbot places himself in the particle infusion chamber, absorbing the remaining Gravitonium. Where others went insane from the co-inhabits of the Gravitonium, Talbot claims all they needed was a little order from a military man. With just two fingers he can take out the Remorath Scavengers, who were all but destroying S.H.I.E.L.D. Using his new abilities, Graviton takes Coulson to the Confederacy and takes it over.
Future Yo-Yo told herself of Coulson’s fate and if the team tried to save him, the destruction of the Earth would happen. Coulson revealed to the team that he knew he was dying and was okay with it, but of course, the team had other plans. Quake went against Coulson’s orders to retrieve an item that would save his life, the Centipede Serum. In the episode “The Force of Gravity” the wound that is killing the director spread, and has left him in a dire condition.
Fitz and Simmons confirm that they can save Coulson and stop Graviton, all they need is more of the Centipede Serum, at which time Daisy tells them “that is not possible.” They only have enough for one. Graviton thinks he can stop Thanos by finding more Gravitonium and is willing to rip open the world to do so. S.H.I.E.L.D. knows that the Earth is ripped apart in the future and have heard Yo-Yo’s warning of trying to save Coulson. The obvious choice would be to stop Graviton, but of course, the team’s loyalty knows no bounds, not to mention, what happens when the show finally catches up with Avengers Infinity War?
In the end, my bet is on the Agents saving Coulson. With May now knowing exactly how Coulson feels, its safe to assume she will stop at nothing to save his life. Besides, the ego on Talbot will be his downfall soon enough.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Henry Simmons, Ian De Caestecker, Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Elizabeth Henstridge. Airing Fridays at 9 p.m.
In the latest episode of Kieran’s Movie Space, I discuss the news/rumour that Amazon’s upcoming Lord Of The Rings series will follow a young Aragorn. Is this the path the show should take? What stories could it tell? Will it be set in the movie continuity? These are all things I talk about in the episode.
Kieran’s Movie Space is an insightful, fun and reliable new podcast for fans of all things cinema. Host Kieran McLean delivers in-depth reviews of the latest movie releases, from small indie movies to massive blockbusters.
Gideon Falls #3 by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart starts to reveal that the Black Barn is not the only thing that is strange about Gideon Falls, as its citizens seem to carry secrets too.
Gideon Falls #3 Written by: Jeff Lemire Art by: Andrea Sorrentino Colors by: Dave Stewart Letters by: Steve Wands
The lives of a reclusive young man obsessed with a conspiracy in the city’s trash, and a washed-up Catholic priest arriving in a small town full of dark secrets, become intertwined around the mysterious legend of The Black Barn, an otherworldly building that is alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town, throughout history, bringing death and madness in its wake. Rural mystery and urban horror collide in this character-driven meditation on obsession, mental illness, and faith.
In this issue, Norton gets closer to the secrets of the Black Barn as Fred discovers a grisly new crime in Gideon Falls.
Writing
The townspeople of Gideon Falls take the spotlight in another excellent issue of this horror series. Lemire begins to expand his cast and the ‘Twin Peaks’ vibe of the story really grows.
The opening sequence between Father Fred and the sheriff is a master class in using dialogue and interaction to develop characters. The same is done with Norton and Dr. Xu, who comes to visit Norton (who has holed himself up with booby traps) with revelations of her own.
We also finally see Fred’s first sermon to the town, which ends up being awkward. It’s a great scene that sets an eerie tone and also introduces a few new, strange characters that seemingly will become part of the growing cast.
Art
Without a doubt, this is one of the most innovative books out right now when it comes to art. Sorrentino’s sense of layout and design is unlike anyone’s. He fuses graphic design with comic/sequential art to emphasis small moments and gives them power; Ven diagrams, floating panel borders over splash images and the colors and inks also add a grit and texture to the pages that look great on both digitally and physically. The occasional bright color is also used to highlight moments when it contrasts the drab and grey palette that is the title’s main look.
Conclusion
With its slow burn feel and emphasis on mood, mystery, and character, Gideon Falls feels like a prestige HBO/streaming service show. It’s a unique horror title in one is quickly become a mainstream genre in comics. It’s definitely worth your time to visit the town of Gideon Falls.
Since Amazon first announced that they were developing a Lord Of The Rings series, we’ve questioned what story the show would tell and what iconic characters (if any) might appear. Thankfully, that question might have been answered by popular fan site The One Ring, who recently revealed that the show would explore the younger days of Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn.
In an extensive twitter thread, The One Ring reveals that the show will centre around a young Aragorn, while also discussing possible storylines and clarifying that the highly-anticipated series will not be a re-telling of the events of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.Of course, this is not an official announcement from Amazon, and since the series is still in early stages of development, we don’t know what might change in the future. With that said, The One Ring is often a reliable source, and while this should be categorised as a rumour (for now), it’s still worth getting excited about.
As someone who adores both Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s trilogy, I have to say that I’m incredibly excited and optimistic about this series. As a character, Aragorn has a lot of depth and there is still so much of his story that hasn’t been explored. At the time of The Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn is 87 years old and he would have been around 10 years old during the events of The Hobbit. By focusing on a younger Aragorn, the series would give viewers a character they recognise and connect with, while also giving us new stories, new locations and both new and familiar characters in Middle Earth.
Are you excited to possibly see a younger Aragorn in the Lord Of The Rings TV series? Let us know in the comments section!
After hearing the news, I was inspired to discuss this topic on my podcast. If you’re interested in hearing what I think of an Aragorn prequel series, listen below.
Fans of SyFy’s The Expanse got some bad news just after the third season’s fifth episode named “Triple Point” aired. This will be the dystopian space epic’s last season. With viewership down a bigwig-startling 29% since its first season, nervous belta-loda executives called it. According to Hollywood Reporter, Syfy only owns the rights to the first-run linear episodes in the US, so the ratings drop was serious business indeed.
Whatever the deciding factor was, some fans claim that it was the show’s critical take on the current state of politics, we’ve only got three more episodes before the series finale, so let’s get on with the reviews.
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – “From downtown!!”
“Triple Point” here refers to the science of thermodynamics. A triple point is, according to wikipedia, the temperature and pressure where three phases of a substance — ie. solid, liquid, and gas — exist in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium. The term was coined by Lord Kelvin’s brother James Thomson — family dinners must have been confusing.
It’s difficult to say what this bit of thermodynamics refers to thematically within this episode, but I’d guess it’s a reference to the three-way battle for solar supremacy among the Belters, the Earthers, and the Martians. Or, maybe it’s a reference to the protomolecule’s mysterious “work.” Both? Neither?
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – What Happens on Io Stays on Io
Just about everyone who has a spaceship is on their way to Io to either nuke it or steal protomolecule. Jules-Pierre Mao is already there, but Doctor Strickland and his highly unethical experiment has hit a snag. Their prime subject Katoa, who appears to have been artificially aged by his captors, manages some broken conversation about the work. Mao presses him for more information, but it doesn’t go well. Katoa starts beating the inside of his case, and he eventually cracks it. Dr. Strickland escorts Mao out of the room, and manages to stabilize the glowing teen just in time.
Strickland tells Mao that Katoa has changed too much: they won’t be able to talk to him again. Mao, obsessed with learning what’s happening on Venus, demands that the tests continue. Strickland advises that the next best candidate is Prax’s daughter Mei who Mao developed a bond with in a previous episode. Showing his true colours pretty plainly, Mao makes the order, and they strap Mei to the table.
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – “Who is naming these ships?”
Aboard the MCRN Hammurabi we see one of the young Martian sailors that Holden saved in “Reload” delivering Avasarala’s message, which identifies Undersecretary Errinwright as a traitor, to his commanding officer. The captain, and her XO — who appears to be a cylon, by the way — believe that the message is a trick. The captain advises against acting on the information, and refuses to send it to Admiral Souther of the UNN. Instead, she scans the area and finds that Souther’s ship, the UNN Agatha King, is currently en route to Io.
Let’s not forget, though, that Holden and his motley crew are also headed to Io. Unlike the Agatha King and the Hammurabi, though, the Pinus Contorta is approaching on a hidden trajectory.
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – Oh! Baby…
Aboard the Pinus Contorta, Amos seems to be having doubts about the training he has been providing for Prax who says he’s ready to kill whatever’s left of his own daughter to keep the protomolecule from spreading. Avasarala, never one to miss an opportunity, tries to convince Holden to allow her to bring the protomolecule back to Earth should they find any on Io.
Alex receives a heartfelt message from his son who tells him he understands why Alex had to leave and protect Mars, but the real bombshell comes from Naomi who tells Holden the reason she gave the protomolecule to Fred Johnson. Turns out she was trying to even the odds for the Belters because she has an estranged son she couldn’t help but think of. Holden tells Naomi he’ll never agree with what she did, but he doesn’t fault her for doing it.
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – “I figured, what the hell.”
It turns out that the captain of the Hammurabi did transmit Avasarala’s message to Admiral Souther, and he receives it not a moment too soon. Souther verifies the message by questioning Cotyar, still being held prisoner in the medical bay. Cotyar’s story matches that of the recording, and Souther tries to regain control of his CIC.
Holding Nguyen’s sailors at gunpoint, Souther delivers a message to both fleets: the war is built on a lie, and Nguyen is a co-conspirator. Souther can only able to get some of his message out, though, before Nguyen shoots and kills the honourable admiral. After the ensuing fire-fight, Nguyen orders his weapons officer to fire upon any deserting ships. Several sailors leave their posts in protest, but Nguyen opens fire on them himself, killing several of his own men.
The Expanse Season 3, Episode 5: “Triple Point” – “Have you noticed that Fleet Admiral Nguyen is a bit murdery lately?”
The captain of the Hammurabi sends a message to the Martian fleet advising them not to fire on the UNN vessels since they’re doing that for them. She then sends a message to the UNN fleet advising them that her ship can provide assistance to any in need.
Down on Io, we see Holden and his crew, along with Bobbie in her super-powered battle-suit, attempting to access the facility where Mei is about to be injected with protomolecule. The door is thick, but Draper’s suit is pretty fantastic. Unfortunately, while they’re attempting entry, a number of projectiles launch from the moon’s surface. At Nguyen’s instruction, Mao has launched the protomolecule hybrids into space. That ain’t good.
Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness are ushering in a new era of Avengers. Between the Free Comic Book Day issue and Avengers #1, the table is set. Avengers #2 gets the ball rolling and the team more assembled.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
The big three (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor) are back together and waste no time facing off against a planetary threat. They put the call out to the rest of those willing to assemble once Celestials began falling out of the sky. This promising new roster of Earth’s mightiest inches closer to coming together.
Superhero teams always need a reason to come together. There’s an art to assembling the right team and justifying their collaboration. Jason Aaron is taking his time getting this handful of heroes completely together, and it’s appreciated. This time, Loki’s Celestial-revenge plot against the entire planet will bring Marvel’s biggest and baddest together, eventually.
It’s important that we spend some alone time with Steve, Tony, and Thor. They’re the “holy trinity” of Avengers comics and they haven’t been together (or themselves) in a while. While the first issue of this series felt more like a #0 issue, it clearly gave us a chance to recognize that we’re getting back to business and that it all starts with these three fellas.
The rest of the team is slowly coming into focus in our peripheral vision. This seems like Robbie Reyes’ last chance to be a household name; he gets plenty of panel-time that successfully buys goodwill from the reader. It looks like he’ll be the closest to comic relief on the team which will either really help or hurt his character with fans.
We’re seeing Aaron flex another writing muscle this time around in dialogue. We’re used to him being so dramatic and serious in tone on books like The Mighty Thor and Southern Bastards. This time around he’s playing with one-liners and dialogue “zingers” like a big 80’s action flick.
The lighter tone and more playful dialogue shows us another side to Jason Aaron. It sounds like Jason Aaron is having fun, being able to let a little more loose than usual on a Marvel title. All the character interactions thrive from this, which is a promising sign given how big the roster is eventually going to be.
Establishing this early on, and with Aaron’s superb writing talent, he’ll be able to deliver memorable character moments without falling into the word balloon pollution that plagues certain Bendis books. This script is nowhere near as grand or complex as we’ve come to expect from Jason Aaron, but it’s like a successful popcorn flick and that’s perfectly fine.
Loki and his Celestial homies pick-up where they left off in Marvel Legacy #1, finally. Not only is it satisfying to see our heroes back together, but to see Loki in the role of villain again is just as pleasing.
There’s plenty more action in this issue, Ed McGuinness doesn’t disappoint with the scale and power of the Celestials. David Curiel, Mark Morales, and Jay Leisten do wonderful work coloring and inking. The art team does a spectacular job making this feel both familiar and fresh. This is the most Avengers-like the main Avengers comic has looked in a while.
Avengers is off to a promising start, we’re still not totally at the potential suggested by the hype, but we’ll get there. The slower pace may be too slow for some, but those patient among us will see that there is plenty to keep us interested already.
According to the The Hollywood Reporter, Starz has renewed Outlander for both seasons five and six. The popular sci-fi romance series based on Diana Gabaldon’s books is still months away from beginning to air season four.
OUTLANDER Crosses the Pond
At the end of season three, the Frasers found themselves washed ashore in the New World—a very young America. While season four is still in production, the network already secured the show for two additional seasons. Based on Drums of Autumn, season four will premiere this November.
Seasons five and six will adapt their corresponding books in the “Outlander” series: The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes, respectively. The book series currently has eight installments, with a ninth in development. Gabaldon has also written the “Lord John Grey” novels in the same universe. Additionally, she worked on the graphic novel The Exile, which tells the events of Outlander from a new perspective.
While the books are consistently massive installments, their television counterparts have shortened with time. Season one (adapting Outlander) contained 16 episodes split into two arcs–before Jamie and Claire’s wedding, and after. Seasons two, three and four each have 13 episodes. The contract for seasons five and six, however, only contains 24 total episodes.
So Many Reasons to Watch…But One Tends to Stand Out…
Outlander began thirty years ago as a writing experiment for a young Gabaldon. She had no idea then that the story would develop into a published book, let alone a series with a television adaptation. She credits this experimental nature with the ecclectic nature of her world-building. There’s time travel and mysticism, yes, but all rooted in a deeply-researched and heavily realistic history. Claire is independent and feminist but not so independent that she can resist Jamie’s…everything. There’s warfare and romance and marital negotiations, torture and sex and political intrigue. You never know quite what’s going to happen in an Outlander book, and as a result, it’s hard to determine what elements will make it to the screen.
See that little spike in seasons one? “The Wedding”
Viewership numbers from season one, however, reveal one massive reason viewership continues to climb: the soft-core sex scenes are pretty hard to resist. While sex has always been evident in the “Outlander” series, it’s the honest and romantic way it’s often portrayed that keeps luring people in. Claire and Jamie age 20 years over the course of season three, and their actors had to wear makeup and costumes that helped portray the change. And for a thirty-year-old book that takes place in the past, the sex was brought up to speed with 21st century sensibilities almost faultlessly.
OUTLANDER Stands the Test of Time
Betting on two more seasons before the current one even begins airing is a bold move on Starz’ part. But networks seem less and less likely to take a risk on something new, and Outlander is hardly running out of material to adapt. As Game of Thrones exceeds its printed counterpart, Outlander has almost the reverse problem…and a much larger female viewership.
Based on Diana Gabaldon’s books, Outlander star Caitriona Balfe as Claire Beauchamp and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser. The series follows Claire on a time travel adventure between 1940s England and 1740s Scotland. Claire is taken by mystical stones, and torn from her husband (Tobias Mezies) and post-war life in the “present day”. She meets and is forced to marry Jamie in the 18th century. Jamie and Claire reluctantly fall in love, leave Scotland, and attempt to clear his name. More characters travel through the stones and Jamie and Claire build a life together. But they still must decide what to do with Claire’s foresight before it’s too late.
Outlander was developed by Ron D Moore, who currently serves as showrunning. It is produced by Sony Pictures, Left Bank Pictures, Story Mining and Supply Company, and Tall Ship Productions.
Showtime’s Patrick Melrose is a crackling limited series boosted by scintillating performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Hugo Weaving, stellar writing from David Nicholls, and a commitment by the screenwriter to use source material (the autobiographical novels of Edward St. Aubyn) which are rich with content.
When watching the first two episodes, it evoked the same feelings I had when True Detective‘s first season was out. There was something undeniably special about that first series. The quality of the performances was terrific. The direction and the cinematography were magnificent. Patrick Melrose has the potential to be all of those things and so much more. Cumberbatch alone gives a career-defining performance in the title role. Nicholls skillfully transforms Aubyn’s unique brand of storytelling and creates a visually appealing tale weaved in with stories of addiction and dysfunction.
The narrative centers on the turbulent lifestyle of Patrick Melrose (Cumberbatch). Melrose is a middle-aged man, who lives from one minute to the next, figuring out which addiction will help him cope with life. Heroin, speed, quaaludes, and Jack Daniels are just some of his coping techniques. Melrose grew up in a home where addiction was on display daily. His father (played by Hugo Weaving) was abusive to anyone with a pulse. Melrose’s mother (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) uses every vice at her disposal to escape from the horrors of daily life. Melrose is dealing with the death of his father and the reminders those bring of childhood he would soon forget.
Cumberbatch proves to the audience in the first fifteen minutes why he was born to play the title role. He shows such range on-screen ranging from appearing lucid while tripping on heroin to dropping in and out of different voices during his frequent hallucinations while on speed. Cumberbatch’s character is ravaged by the pain stemming from a nightmarish childhood that he has detached himself from any sort of human intimacy. Audiences won’t know if they should laugh at Melrose’s exploits or cry. Leigh is fantastic as well showing such confliction over wanting to do the right thing for her son or drowning her sorrows at the bottom of a bottle. Weaving is a straight out monster. One minute, he’s using that booming voice to intimidate house guests and others it’s a look or tone taken which strikes fear in everyone. The performances are rich, nuanced, and the type of acting which will attract attention during Awards season.
Nicholls deserves so much credit for taking these complicated novels and translating them into five compelling hours of television. While each episode has it’s own theme, together they are a gratifying symphony which strikes the right notes and leaves audiences immensely satisfied. Director Edward Berger has an excellent eye for staging various moments during these episodes emphasizing both the comedic and dramatic moments. Cinematographer James Friend makes excellent use of the camera using random jerky moments to enhance how wasted Melrose is at any given time during the show.
Overall, Patrick Melrose is the perfect example of appointment television. From the acting, writing, direction, and even the camera work, nothing on television right now approaches the quality of this show. These shows don’t come around often but certainly should be celebrated when they do.
Gideon Falls #3
