Marvel TV Shows

Eyes of Wakanda

Mindless, instantly forgettable animated action.  Prime “put on while I wash the dishes” material.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

Ironheart Season 1

An especially disappointing show given how awesome of a character Riri Williams is in the comics (thanks to Brian Michael Bendis and then Eve Ewing).  Some quick thoughts:

• Riri is so unlikeable in this show.  She’s literally a bad guy, hooking up with The Hood to make money to build her suit.  Then she literally makes a deal with the devil to bring her best friend back to life.  As much as it pains me to say, I’d be perfectly happy to never see her in the MCU again.

• Zelma Stanton (Regan Aliyah) was a delightful surprise, and she stole every scene she was in.  Bonus points for casting Cree Summer as her mother.  Now that’s someone I want on the MCU Young Avengers.

• Sacha Baron Cohen was a nice bit of casting as Mephisto.  I’m skeptical that we’ll see more of him, though.  

• Looking through the cast list, no one else made much of an impression.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: No

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Stupid

Daredevil: Born Again Season 1

Overall, a really solid season of TV.  I’m really happy Disney decided to retool the series even after filming the bulk of it; Matt Murdock really needed to put the Daredevil mask back on for this series to work.  Some thoughts:

• Not a fan of killing Foggy.  It wasn’t necessary, and Elden Henson was perfectly cast in the role.

• Awesome Bulleye fights.

• VIncent D’Onofrio is one of the best Marvel villain actors, but I’m pretty sick of Kingpin at this point.  Can’t Daredevil fight someone else?

• Along with that, I didn’t expect the season to end on a complete cliffhanger with no semblance of resolution.  Not a fan.

• I will always be happy with more John Bernthal’s Frank Castle.

• Ditto Deborah Ann Woll.  It took me a while to come around on her portrayal of Karen Page, but I’m all on board now.

• While Heather Glenn isn’t as pathetic as she is in the comics, she serves a pretty nothing role in this as well.

I hope season two brings back more of the Netflix Defenders.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Nice

Updated MCU TV rankings

1. Hawkeye

2. She-Hulk

3. Wandavision

4. Daredevil: Born Again

5. Ms Marvel

6. Falcon/Winter Soldier

7. Loki

8. Agatha All Along

9. Echo

10. Ironheart

11. Moon Knight

12. Secret Invasion

Stuff I watched

Lincoln Lawyer Season 1

Another show I started watching thanks to the Instagram/Youtube algorithm.  And another show based off of a series of novels, this time by Michael Connelly.  It’s solid, and I really like Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in the title role.  The problem is that I like all the side quests, the cases where he does something clever in order to win.  The main case that runs the length of the season’s ten episodes isn’t as interesting, and that’s a problem.  I got halfway through the first episode of the second season before calling it quits.  However, I wouldn’t be averse to returning to this sometime in the future.  

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: No

Rating: Pretty good

My Dead Friend Zoe

A nice, quiet little movie about one soldier’s struggle with PTSD.  It stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery!) and the always wonderful Natalie Morales (Lucy from Parks and Rec!).  It’s elegant, entertaining, and moving, definitely worth a watch.  Maybe it’s because I watched them so closely together, but this is a nice companion piece to Taking Chance, showing two examples of the aftermath of war on our vets.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: Yes

Rating: Good

Light and Magic

Season 2 of the documentary about Industrial Light and Magic, this time taking the story through the Star Wars prequels.  As with the first season, this is an awesome tour behind the scenes of the first and still one of the premiere VFX studios in the world.  The people who worked and work here are magicians, and have brought me some of the purest joys I’ve experienced in my life.  I’m thrilled that some of them have a chance to shine in this series.

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: Yes

Rating: Good

Library books

Here I am on vacation, determined to clear the massive backlog of random media I’ve consumed but not written about.  Let’s see how I do.

You Must Take Part in Revolution

Borrowed from the library, this is a graphic novel by Melissa Chan and Badiucao is about a dark near future where China and the United States are on the brink of nuclear war.  Not hard to imagine.  It follows a small group of friends figuring out how to best fight and survive against the Chinese regime.  The concept is solid (which is what led me to borrow it in the first place), but the execution is lacking.  Not something that leaves a lasting impression.

Regret reading: No

Would read again: No

Would buy: No

Rating: Boring/Stupid

Phantom Scientist

Borrowed from the library.  I keep trying graphic novels by the non-major publishers, hoping for something good.  I’m so rarely impressed, but I can’t keep myself from persevering.  Phantom Scientist, by Robin Cousin, is another unfortunate miss.  Like You Must Take Part, the elevator pitch hooked me.  A collection of top-level scientists is called together at a remote facility to conduct whatever research they want.  But something about the scenario has been engineered to inevitably fail with catastrophic results, a la the multiple iterations of Zion in The Matrix.  

It’s a great setup, but the mystery ultimately dissolves into a nonsensical ending with no satisfying explanation.  I felt like my time was wasted.

Regret reading: No

Would read again: No

Would buy: No

Rating: Disliked

Beast Boy

Beast Boy Loves Raven

Robin

Starfire

I’d heard so many good things about this YA series by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo, it was an easy borrow when I saw Beast Boy on the shelf at the library.  The subsequent volumes were easy borrows (though I didn’t care enough about Raven as a character to go back and start from the first book).  

This is a well-told reboot of the Teen Titans.  By spreading out the story across multiple books, Garcia and Picolo have time to give everyone their time in the spotlight, making them sympathetic and likable (even Damian).  That’s said, it’s very light fare, and I’m unlikely to revisit these unless I think my daughter will want to check them out in a few years.  At which point I’ll happily pick them up.

Regret reading: No

Would read again: Yes

Would buy: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

I’m Not Starfire

Is the Supergirl mini-series the only thing from Mariko Tamaki that I love?  Have I been hopelessly searching for the next thing from her that resonates as deeply with me?  Or have I completely outgrown stories about kids in high school?  I hope it’s not either one.  

With I’m Not Starfire, I’m not a fan of the moping, emo daughter of Starfire.  Don’t like Yoshi Yoshitani’s art either.  I hope this isn’t in continuity w/ Garcia’s work.

Regret reading: No

Would read again: No

Would buy: No

Rating: Didn’t suck

New comics

More new comics!

Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum 1

I was intrigued by the art and interesting layouts, so I gave this a shot. Superman discovers four new shades of Kryptonite, and somehow thinks that using himself as a guinea pig is the best way to discover their effects on him.  Batman wisely thinks that this is a stupid idea, but Superman doesn’t listen.  Hijinks ensue.  I’m not sold on this, but I’ll flip through the next issue when I see it on the shelf.

Fantastic Four 2

I don’t quite buy how the FF get out of this predicament.  Both Reed’s solution and Sue’s ability to figure it out are too much of a stretch, so I’m ultimately disappointed at this resolution to what was an awesome setup.  I also didn’t expect this story to go a third issue.  I’m sure that Ryan North will turn it back around.  

Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman 3

Trinity’s perpetual failure and her two younger selves’ exasperated frustration had me LOLing at several points in the story.  Some good fun by Tom King and Belen Ortega, along with a nice little lesson about perseverance to boot.

Absolute Batman 11

Absolute Bane’s origin story is pretty close to mainline Bane, but Scott Snyder tells it well.  Unfortunately, it falls apart in the back half with an incomprehensible fight scene from Clay Mann.  (Who also does a really poor job with some super scratchy self-inks.)  I can’t tell what’s happened at the end; has Bruce really been Anakined into a limb-less Darth Vader/Mecha-Batman scenario?  So confused.

Wonder Woman 24

Ugh, I hate hate hate this “Mouse Man knows” speech bullshit.  It’s completely ruining what would otherwise be a fascinating story.

Detective Comics 1100

Anniversary anthology issue.  As I’ve said before, Tom Taylor is a master of writing the obvious-but-never-done-before stories.  Here, he teams up w/ Mikel Janin to tell a sweet, wordless story about locating a lost puppy.  Lots of feels.  The Mariko Tamaki story is a waste of pages.  The Greg Rucka story’s pretty good, and the Bill Sienkiewicz tale gets by on the art.  (The plot’s meh.)

Battle Beast 4

Too much talking, not enough fighting.  Why is Robert Kirkman swerving away from what works on this title?

Absolute Flash 6

I said a few more issues last month.  Giving it one more month; this Rogues Gallery origin didn’t do much for me. 

Krypto: Last Dog of Krypton 3

Such a waste of money.  Krypto saves a girl lost in the wilderness.  This issue took two minutes to read and even less time to forget.  

New comics

Battle Beast 2

This is just beautifully drawn and stupid fun.

Absolute Batman 10

The indomitability of Batman is on full display here.  It’s stunning to behold, a wonderful issue from Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta.

Wonder Woman 23

Tom King introduces us to the creepy inner workings of Mouseworld (or whatever it’s called).  All setup for what’s to come.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 10

More setup, this time getting us to a satisfying final splash page of April O’Neal dressed in Casey Jones’s mask beating the crap out of some soldiers.  Two more issues of this before Jason Aaron, and probably me, take off.

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton 2

Turns out Lex is a shitty dog owner.  Who would have thought?

Absolute Flash 5

I’m worried that I’m only sticking around because of the “Absolute” on the title.  This isn’t bad, but is it really good enough to keep reading?  Maybe a few more issues.

Detective Comics 1099

Old school in the sense that it’s a solid, self-contained arc that leaves Batman where he started with no real consequences.  At least Lee Garbett’s art is still great.

New comics

New comics!

Absolute Martian Manhunter 5

Ah, so it’s Darkseid.  This is still a fever dream that barely comes down on the side of good, mostly based on Javier Rodriguez’s art.

DC vs Vampires: World War V 11

Big unexpected things happen here, as Vampire Batgirl and Vampire Damian both meet their ends.  One more issue to go, and while this hasn’t ended as strongly as DCeased, it’s still been a fun ride.

The War 1

No idea what this was about, but I saw Garth Ennis’ name on the cover, and I’ve really been  jonesing for some new work from him.  Apparently this was originally part of some anthology series, but it’s new for me.  

A bunch of people in their twenties who think they know more than they actually do argue about the politics of nuclear war before they’re actually forced to deal with the reality of one.  Ennis does an amazing job of making the scenario feel eerily possible, and that’s where he gets his hooks into me.  Can’t wait to read the rest.

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween 8

Both present me and future me are furious that I’m continuing to buy this.  But there are only two issues left, and I feel pot committed.

Ultimate Spider-Man 19

A setup issue, but still good.  I think there are only six issues left, since Marvel’s wrapping up this whole Ultimate universe.  I’m happy to see Jonathan Hickman wrap this up before he has a chance to screw it up the way he does everything else.

Absolute Wonder Woman 10

Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman give us more reasons why this Diana is awesome both as a child and an adult.  I love this series so much.

Mr Terrific: Year One 3

I’m out after this one.  Al Letson hasn’t done anything interesting w/ Mr Terrific since the promising first issue, and I see no reason to stick around.

Runaways 2

The Runaways do Runaway things, an entertaining blend of stupid and fun, but rarely correct.  As always, it’s more about their interactions than the plot, and Rainbow Rowell continues to nail it.

Fantastic Four: First Steps

Fantastic Four: First Steps

As good as I could have hoped for, but not the home run it could have been.  Some thoughts:

• I’ve never been a Vanessa Kirby fan, but she does a wonderful job here as Sue Storm.  I liked the inventive, sweet, and creepy sonogram use of her power.  Her hero moment at the end versus Galactus was suitably badass as well, I liked that she was the main driver of their win.  Her inspirational speech was well performed as well.

• There’s something with the parallel between pushing baby Franklin out at birth and pushing Galactus into an interdimensional hole at the finale, but I can’t figure out what it is.  

• Joseph Quinn was fine as Johnny Storm.  I kept seeing Chris Evans in the role.  I like that they gave him more to do than just be a pretty, shallow face with the translation of Silver Surfer’s language, but ultimately he made the smallest impression of the four.

• Ebon Moss-Bachrach was fine as Ben Grimm.  The majority of the kudos go to the CGI team, who perfectly, finally realized The Thing on the big screen.  There was clearly stuff cut out w/ the Rachel Rozman character, those scenes were absolutely pointless.

• Sometime after watching the movie, I realized that Benedict Cumberbatch would have made a perfect Reed Richards, and Pedro Pascal would have been just as good as Stephen Strange.  Now I wish that was the casting the MCU had gone with, as Pascal doesn’t quite work as Mr. Fantastic.  He’s too warm, too emotional here, and the facial hair is really off brand. 

• I didn’t expect Julia Garner as Silver Surfer to be one of the highlights of this film.  Something about her performance hit all the right notes, and Surfer gliding through lava was truly beautiful to watch.  

• The VFX team totally pulled off Galactus.  Awesome stuff.  

• So much of this movie is about the FF failing.  Their initial plan to fly out and stop Galactus in space fails.  Their plan to build a web of teleportation portals fails.  Their plan to lure Galactus to Times Square fails.  But that’s what science, and the FF by extension, is all about, isn’t it?  It’s Thomas Edison in action: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”  They keep trying until they succeed.

• There are SO many plot holes in this film.  I can’t go through them all.

• What kind of idiot tells the world that they have an out, at the measly cost of one baby’s life?  Did he really think that was a good idea?

• No nine-month pregnant mother would go into space.  I mean, seriously.   

• Franklin never looked the same in any of his scenes.  And he aged/de-aged to a shocking degree, and never in the same direction.  

• Who didn’t see baby ex machina coming at the end?  Or Silver Surfer’s last second save?

Regret watching: No

Would watch again: Yes

Would buy on DVD: Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Updated MCU rankings

1. Avengers: Endgame

2. Captain America: Civil War

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

5. Avengers: Infinity War

6. Shang-Chi

7. Avengers: Age of Ultron

8. Ant-Man/Wasp

9. Avengers

10. Spider-Man: Homecoming

11. Captain America

12. Dr Strange 2

13. Thunderbolts

14. Thor: Love and Thunder

15. Spider-Man: Far From Home

16. Iron Man 2

17. Black Widow

18. Fantastic Four: First Steps

19. Black Panther

20. Iron Man

21. Ant-Man

22. Dr Strange

23. Deadpool & Wolverine

24. Iron Man 3

25. Thor 3

26. Captain Marvel

27. Thor

28. Thor 2

29. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

30. Guardians of the Galaxy

31. Guardians of the Galaxy 2

32. Guardians of the Galaxy 3

33. Hulk

34. Eternals

35. Captain America: Brave New World

36. Ant-Man/Wasp: Quantumania