Sunday, September 30, 2018

Stranger Things #1 Review!

Stranger Things is a sensation, the Netflix show, and even a maze at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights!  Now there is the comic book from Dark Horse Comics.  It features a photo cover of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) on his bike.  There is nice painted covers by Aleksi Bricolt which has Will with his walkie talkie and upside down, the Dungeons & Dragons group, Will possessed with the Demigorgon behind him by Rafael Albuquerque, and another one by Kyle Lambert which has both characters and the D&D group.  “Chapter One”, no sub-title like the episodes, is written by Jody Houser, she wrote Poe Dameron Annual #2 and Mother Panic.  The artwork is by Stefano Martino, the Italian artist who has worked for IDW drawing such issues as George R.R. Martin’s Doorways.  The comic book focuses on Will running from the Demigorgon that was in the first episode, “The Vanishing of Will Byers” (2016) written and directed by the Duffer Brothers.  We had Will riding his bike and encountering a dark form at Mirkwood.  



He falls and leaves his bike behind to run to his house.  The narration picks up the story with Will chased by the shadowy Demigorgon.  It is kinda bright when it was a night scene, but good depiction of the scene and characters.  He is chased to the shed and frantically loads the rifle when the light bulb flares up.  We get a scene of Will transported to the Upside Down, the strange dimension from the show, his face distorted.  We can see the shed in the Upside Down covered with strange vines.  The Demigorgon opens it’s mouths like a flower petal and roars.  This flashes Will back to his D&D game with the argument with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) over what spell his magic user character should cast.  Will raises up the rifle, we get a full splash page of the Demigorgon closing in and Will fires the gun, he screams, “Fireball!”  He opens his eyes to see the Demigorgon has gone.  We never got to see how Will survived the Upside Down, what happened with the rifle, we did see what happens to the victims of the Demigorgon.  

He returns to his darkened house, covered by the strange vines, then rests with the rifle.  The Jaws poster behind him is brilliant, like he is about to be swallowed, the Demigorgon had a tooth-filled maw.  Will falls asleep in his vigil.  It flashes back again to the D&D game with Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), the dungeon master, laying down the rules for his players.  We even get a peek at their game play imaginations.  Will wakes up and finds that he is alone; separated from the party.  He sees in cartoony figures what happened to his magic user, Green Dragon, and resolves to return to the real world.  He heads back to Mirkwood, sees Castle Byers, Will's tent out in the woods.   Will hears voices and there is a bright light, it is Eleven in the burger shirt running away from Benny’s Burgers, it seems like she is a spirt of the woods, and fades away.  Will hears the voices calling out his name.  He returns to his house and braves reaching under his bed. Will gets his walkie talkie and hears the voice of his mother, it is cut off before he answers, the Demigorgon is there!  I imagine that this is canon in Stranger Things continuity.  If so, this is an absolute must for fans of Stranger Things!    

Five Walkie Talkies out of Five!   

#StrangerThings, #WillByers, #JodyHouser, #StefanoMartino   

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Star Trek vs. Transformers #1 Review!

This series from IDW combines two cartoon franchises together flawlessly.  It features a cover that has the Star Trek characters from the Filmation animated series; Spock, McCoy, and Sulu with Kirk and Lt. Arex (the Edosian character unique to the animated show) next to Optimus Prime (with energy axe arm!), Bumblebee, and what looks like a new Autobot, actually she is Windblade introduced in the IDW comics (she looks like she has geisha make-up, wings, and a sword), above which is the Enterprise.   This is features the artwork of Philip Murphy, the variant is a connecting cover with Klingons including a cybernetic member on the other side with Megatron, Viewfinder (one part of the Reflector the camera), and Starscream with a Klingon ship overhead.  This Generation One, the original, Transformers.  The comic is written by John Barber, he has written many Transformers titles for IDW including Optimus Prime and Mike Johnson, writer of Star Trek: Boldly Go for IDW.  The artwork is by Priscilla Tramontano, cover artists for many IDW titles, her artwork looks like a screen cap from the cartoons.  

“Prime Directive part one” opens with the Enterprise is orbiting Cygnus Seven which has a dilithium mine and is close to the Klingon border.  The planet is connected to the Transformers universe.  Uhura reports that they can’t contact the miners.  Kirk turns over the conn to Lt. Arex and transports with Sulu, M’Ress (a Caitian officer from the cartoon), and Spock.  Then, we get a two page splash page with Decepticons attacking the mine while the Star Trek crew look on.  I would like to see Arex and M’Ress in the Star Trek: Discovery series which takes place in that time period.  The crew takes refuge from the attack and we also get a glimpse inside the mine with a Vulcan and Andorian.  Kirk identifies the Decepticons as twentieth century airplanes from Earth.  Spock has a great line, “There may be more to this situation than meets the eye.”  Starscream just wants to destroy the humans.  Then, comes the Freightliner FL86 truck out of a cave, when the Decepticons fire, he takes the hits to cover Kirk and friends!  Kirk decides to use his phaser, he thinks Klingons are controlling the robots, on the Autobot who screams in pain, and transforms, I really like the sound effect, “Tsche-chu-chu-chu-tsche”, just like the cartoon, I hope this kept in the comics.  

It is of course the robot form of Optimus Prime!  Then, we get a splash page so we see Optimus Prime in full size dwarfing Kirk and M’Ress.  He tells Kirk that he had to protect humans again, so this must be in line with his time on Earth.  The Decepticons transform, we see freeze frames of different stages; incredible art Tramontano!  This shows them revealed in robot form; Starscream, Megatron, and Soundwave!  The female Decepticon, new, is amused by Kirk and the Enterprise crew are hit by Soundwave’s blast.  It opens the communications channel with the Enterprise and Kirk orders Lt. Arex to fire down on the Decepticons.  Soundwave tries to warn them, but they are hit by a proton torpedo!  The Starfleet officers open fire with their phasers.  The Decepticon, Thundercracker, pulls back Soundwave and they retreat.  Soundwave has detected a Decepitcon presence on a nearby moon.  Kirk contacts Scotty to bring McCoy down to look after Optimus Prime.  Of course, we get a classic McCoy line that is perfect.  While the team works on Optimus, Kirk heads down to the mine.  The Decepticons have found the city Transformer, Trypticon, and it is occupied by the Klingon leader, Commander Kuri who is in the episode “The Time Trap” (1973).  Megatron and Kuri decide to make an alliance to destroy Kirk. We also get the appearances of Autobots; Jazz, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Arcee from Transformers the Movie (1986), and Windblade seen in the cover.  This is fun for fans of the Star Trek: The Animated Series and also for fans of Transformers.  
Five Energon Cubes and Dilithium Crystals out of Five! 


#StarTrekvsTransformers, #JohnBarber, #MikeJohnson, #PriscillaTramontano

Poe Dameron Annual #2 Review!

The annual published in Marvel Comics line of Star Wars comic books of course slips in the story of Poe Dameron working in the early days of the Resistance. Oscar Isaac’s character in The Force Awakens (2015). There is a painted cover of Poe in Top Gun pose behind a sun by Rod Reis. The story is by Jody Houser who has written the Rogue One and Thrawn comic book adaptations. 
Andrea Broccardo provides the artwork. At the D’Qar Resistance Base, General Leia explains that the Resistance is desperate for credits. Threepio, he of course looks very much like the protocol droid, explains a mission to Poe that he discovered through his droid spy network. There is a trader from the Kudon species, Mek Nu’Tiv, she looks like a Bothan with a furry snout, but has curved horns. She has in her possession a data archive and the container is made of expensive metals.  

This shifts to the Fluzi Clan Shipyard, Han and Chewie are smuggling a First Order shuttle. The Fluzi looks like red-skinned humanoids. They are headed to the meeting with Nu’Tiv to pay back debts. Black Squadron, Jessika Pava, Kare Kun, and Snap Wexley are looking over the old model starships. Kare was introduced in the Before the Awakening (2015) novel by Greg Rucka. They are worried about the ships, but Poe says it is the pilots not the ships that make the difference.
He flashes back to flying an X-Wing while his mentor, L’ulo, a Duro pilot who flies an A-Wing. L’ulo first appeared in the Shattered Empire comic book in 2015. Black Squadron flies Clone Wars-era starships including the Z-95 Headhunter that was first introduced in Han Solo at Stars’ End (1979) by Brian Daley. On Nu’Tiv’s cruiser, nice design, very Star Wars-y, she meets with First Order officers. She gets suspicious when she sees a slicer that the First Order would never hire.  
The jig is up and Chewie blasts the slicer as Han takes cover. Black Squadron arrives and uses ion blasts to hit the cruiser. The action ramps up and Boccardo handles the likenesses well at this point.  Han doesn’t know who is the new party shutting down power. Black Squadron has to take on fighters hidden by Mek Nu’tiv. As they engage with the fighters, Poe slips away to find the data archive. 
Han realizes from seeing the data archive that it must be Leia and the Resistance so the duo has to help them without being noticed. This is a great way to bring in Han and Chewie without the team up. Nu’tiv pulls a blaster on Poe and he has to take care of her while fighting the mercenaries to reach the data archive. The MacGuffin, the data archive, has an interesting tie to Leia and this key to the survival of the Resistance.  Some good starfighter action, blaster fights, all tied to an important part of a character. Poe is important, Black Squadron slightly less, but it is really Han and Chewie and one other character that drives the story.   
Four Lightsabers out of Five!
#PoeDameron, #JodyHouser, #AndreaBroccardo, #BlackSquadron

Friday, September 28, 2018

Happy Birthday Naomi Watts!

Happy Birthday Naomi Watts! She started her career with Australian television.  Her first film was For Love Alone (1986) based on the Christina Stead book.  Next, she played Janet Odgers in Flirting (1991), the sequel to writer/director, John Duigan’s The Year My Voice Broke (1987).  Naomi had a cameo role in Joe Dante’s Matinee (1993).   She then starred in John Duigan’s Wide Sargasso Sea (1993) based on the novel by Jean Rhys.  In 1995, Naomi played Jet Girl, in Tank Girl, based on the British comic strip by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett.   Next, she had the lead role in the horror movie, Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996).  Naomi played Giulia De Lezze in the Dangerous Beauty (1998)  film.  Her breakthrough role was as Betty Elms in the television pilot turned film, Mulholland Drive (2001), directed by David Lynch.  Then, she was Rachel Keller in The Ring (2002), based on the Japanese horror movie.  

Naomi starred in Alejandro Inarritu’s drama, 21 Grams (2003), which she received the Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She was then in David O’Russell’s film, I Heart Huckabees (2004), playing Dawn Campbell.  Naomi produced and starred in Ellie Parker (2005). She returned as Rachel in The Ring Two (2005).  In 2005, Naomi played Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson’s CG-heavy King Kong.  She voiced Suzie Rabbit in David Lynch’s Inland Empire (2006).  Naomi portrayed Valerie Plame in the biographical film, Fair Game (2010).  One of Naomi’s best films was as Maria Belon in The Impossible (2012) directed by J.A, Bayona.  She was nominated as Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her portrayal.  Naomi played Princess Diana in the bio pic Diana (2013).  She played Lesley in Alejandro Inarittu’s Birdman (2014).  Naomi next starred in Insurgent (2015) and then Allegiant (2016) based on the Veronica Roth book series.  Recently, Naomi played Janey-E Jones in David Lynch’s 2017 revival of Twin Peaks.  Happy Birthday Naomi Watts!   
#NaomiWatts, #MulhollandDrive, #TheImpossible, #TwinPeaks

Archie Meets Batman `66 #3 Review!

The Michael Allred cover has Batman and Archie hitting the beach with their surfboards!  Veronica, Betty, Robin, and Catwoman are on the beach with the Joker waving behind a rock.  In the back is Siren and Jughead.  A fun cover!  The writing team of Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci are joined by the pencilling power of Dan Parent!  At Pop’s Chocklit Shoppe, there is meeting of the villains of the United Underworld; Catwoman, Joker, Siren, Penguin, and the Riddler!  They have taken over Riverdale, at least the parents, the teenagers are immune to Siren’s song.  Riddler points out his teenage protege, Reggie, playing a trick on someone in the phone booth.  Pops warns them that the teenagers never give up.  He kicks out Archie and Jughead who is starving for Pop’s burgers.  



Outside is Betty and this is when they are joined by new kids, Barbara and Dick, the identities of Batgirl and Robin of course, in a motorcycle with a sidecar. Archie calls up Veronica, he sees an egg on the phone booth, planted by Reggie we saw earlier.  Veronica has a party and Archie and Betty head over there clinging to Barbara and Dick.  Jughead leaves to check on what is happening at Pop’s and the Joker watches him.  Meanwhile, the Batmobile chases after Footnote, Bookworm’s henchman, on a moped.  She rides into a secret wall opening and Batman leaps after her.  Jughead slips into Pop’s through a back window and overhears the villains.  Then, we get a splash page with Siren and Catwoman featured, nice!, Penguin, Riddler, and Pops in the back.  Pops tells them that Dilton Doiley can fix their problem to entrance teens with Siren’s song. 

Jughead knows the secret and is knocked out by the Joker!  Veronica’s pool party, she has brought swimwear for Barbara and Dick, Reggie brings in Hiram Lodge.  He starts to get angry, but realizes that Dick Grayson is the ward of millionaire Bruce Wayne.  Barbara and Dick in the pool realize that Hiram’s umbrella is a device from the Penguin!  At Bookworm’s Lair, he is surprised that Batman has solved his maze through his love of literature.  He has a trap with two levers and Batman solves it with his knowledge of Jorge Luis Borges.  He takes on Bookworm’s henchmen and arrests Bookworm and Footnote.  Then, he gets Robin’s call that the United Underworld has taken over Riverdale!  Jughead revives strapped in a chair with a large Joker card next to him in the basement.  The Joker has arrived with a plate filled with burgers, there is no way Jughead can resist, and will reveal how to control teenagers! The Joker’s plan can’t fail, he is one of the most clever of the villains, and the crossover madness has not dropped a milkshake of fun!  This has all of the Archie fun mixed with the Batman `66 show!   

Five Milkshakes and Batarangs out of Five! 

#ArchieMeetsBatman, #MichaelAllred, #JeffParker, #DanParent 

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Re:tro Re:view - Justice League!

The Justice League is formed!  If you saw the other films like Wonder Woman, then this movie wipes out what was established there and just continues on from Beavis (BvS). Then, I will say with these considerations that the movie is entertaining and I enjoy superhero romps. It reminded me of a two part Smallville episode with movie effects and budget.  I will say that Zack Snyder is credited as director and I find all of his films distasteful, but this one is good. The script is written by Chris Terrio who wrote Beavis and Joss Whedon who of course wrote and directed The Avengers (2012). Some spoilers ahead! 

Let’s get to it, Gotham, a rooftop burglary is interrupted by the Batman (Ben Affleck). The robber tries to shoot the Dark Knight, but ends up with his legs tied and hung from the roof.  He gets a signal and drops the robber to see some strange creature flying upwards. Batman fights with the parademon, these were countless soldiers of Apokolips introduced in The New Gods #1 (1971) by Jack Kirby.  This is the beginning of the New52 Justice League comic book.  Batman manages to net the parademon against a wall, but it disintegrates leaving a three box pattern. I think Affleck is starting to really get into the part, Batman has the vision of what will happen, and what it takes to stop the threat. I would like to see him continue. 

Metropolis, Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is working on cat stories because she lost her drive with the death of Superman.  She meets with Martha Kent (Diane Lane) who has sold her Smallville farm.  Paris, gunmen shoot people without a blink, this violence is carried over from Beavis.  Above them on the statue of justice is Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot).  She captures one of the gunmen with her Lasso of Hestia and he tells her that there is a bomb that will take out three blocks.  Wonder Woman bursts through the door and goes into action.  The leader takes out a machine gun to fire on the hostages, Wonder Woman runs, deflects the bullets with her bracelets, and knocks one innocent away from the bullets.  Very cool Wonder Woman scene!  She gets rid of the bomb in the suitcase and knocks out the leader.  Wonder Woman is a different character than in her movie, but I just like seeing her character in a battle again.
At the Batcave, Alfred (Jeremy Irons) goes over the potential candidates to help in the battle.  Alfred becomes important as a coordinator for the group and to help keep Bruce Wayne on track.  In some northern European place overlooking an iceberg-covered sea, Bruce Wayne has traveled there to reach a town.  He asks the locals about Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa), a bearded man (who is Arthur) watches him, and Bruce sees pictures on the wall of the three cubes.  Arthur goes out unconvinced by Bruce, very cool to see the waves engulf him, and dives into the sea. 


Mamoa has Aquaman as a man helping out innocents, but not a part of them, later it is brought in that he is not a part of the surface world or Atlantis.  The later part where he confesses about his place is one of the funniest scenes in the movie.  Themyiscra, the island has some strange effects that are less than the beauty that was in Wonder Woman (2017), Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) has guards surrounding a Mother Box. These are the living computers from Kirby’s Fourth World, but have a sinister purpose here. It releases a Boom Tube and out of it comes Steppenwolf who is voiced by Ciaran Hinds, Mance Ryder from Game of Thrones. He has a horned helmet like Ares and is massive in his armor. He easily defeats the Amazons and Hippolyta sends the Mother Box through collapsed walls and across the plains on horseback. 
Still, Steppenwolf defeats them, takes the Mother Box, and Boom Tubes away.  Hippolyta has a flaming arrow and looses it from a bow.  It falls into a temple honoring the Amazons and lights it as a beacon.  An arrow that travels hundreds of miles without the flame going out?  Paris at the Louvre, Diana is restoring a statue when she sees the news of the beacon. The story of Steppenwolf is revealed.  He is a conqueror of worlds who tried to take the Earth some time in the ancient past. The Amazons with Hippolyta united with the Atlanteans (on land) and the “Tribes of Men.”  They were able to push Steppenwolf back and stop him from uniting the three Mother Boxes. 


This would allow him to return to Apokolips.  Steppenwolf does mention the name of Darkseid.  The Amazons ended up on Themyscira and Atlanteans went under the sea.  There are also the gods, it seems Zeus, and even forces like the Green Lanterns(!), a defeated GL has his ring slip off and fly to a new ring wearer.  This all was left out of the Wonder Woman movie.  Again, this is a reboot of the Wonder Woman film where the Amazons fought in wars against a warring humanity and then Zeus set up Themyscira.  The problem with Steppenwolf is that we see him as the invincible villain and not as a person.  He needs a lieutenant to have conversations. 
In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne is checking on the heroes when Diana Prince walks in, and they assemble the team.  Bruce was working on a large jet that he says activated when Superman was gone.  We saw Barry Allen meet with his father in prison, a cameo with Marc McClure from Superman The Movie (1979) as Officer Ben Sadowsky checking Barry into the prison.  A brief scene where Barry gets super speed revenge on an impatient visitor. He meets with his father, Henry Allen (Billy Crudup), whom (if you watch the Flash tv series) is in prison for allegedly killing his wife.  Henry wants Barry to forget him and do something with his life. 


It picks up with Barry unlocking a warehouse door, entering the darkened room, and seeing Bruce Wayne sitting there.  He throws his Batarang, this was seen in the trailer, Barry watches at super speed as it twirls in the air and catches it.  Barry quickly joins the team and admits that he has difficulty with people.  Miller’s Flash is kinda fun even with the CW Flash show.   I don’t understand where he got his armor, I think Bruce Wayne should have supplied it, but maybe that would be too much like Iron Man. I like his enthusiasm, new-to-the- scene superhero, and awkward wonder, but many of the jokes were like dad jokes to me.  Atlantis, the Mother Box pulses in the water (shot dry for wet), and Steppenwolf arrives.  He is opposed by Mera (Amber Heard) in armor and she uses her power of shaping water to batter him.   
Steppenwolf slams Mera when Aquaman appears and the fight goes on, but ends with Steppenwolf taking the Mother Box.  We also see the lead of S.T.A.R. Labs, Silas Stone (Joe Morton), head to a room, where a man in a track suit is restless.  The man is actually the very much alive son, Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), known as Cyborg.  He was of course one of the founding members of the New Teen Titans first appearing with that team in DC Comics Presents #26 (1980).  Cyborg also appeared in the Justice League team in the Smallville tv show and then Geoff Johns brought him with Mother Box upgrade in the New52’s Justice League comic.  

The design of Cyborg’s mechanical body has such strange non-human proportions I don’t see how it is functional.  Victor says he has found new powers every day including interfacing with every system and now flying.  Diana was typing at the Batcomputer when Cyborg’s text converses with her.  She wants an in person meeting.  On a Gotham night street, she confides that she went into hiding, so she understands some of what he is feeling.  Cyborg doesn’t want a part of the team and flies off.  Cyborg is kinda interesting, Fisher has Victor as conflicted by his look, and has to struggle to become the hero, I really like Fisher’s portrayal and would be up for a Cyborg film.
The team will come together, using their promo song, and battle Steppenwolf under Gotham Harbor.  There is some Russian family that are caught in the Parademon attacks to get the civilian perspective.  The team will need another member which may be the fallen Superman (Henry Cavill).  Together they take on Steppenwolf on a typical Zack Snyder disaster porn fashion.  It’s a green screen CG fest, but there is some fun in it.  I really like the defeat of the villain and how the team members work together.  

The visuals are not stunning, but it's what you expect seeing the trailers.  I have to note Danny Elfman’s score, I like a hook something memorable like Junkie XL and Hans Zimmer's Wonder Woman theme, it’s a basic score here.  He brings in the beginning of his theme from Batman and also John Williams’ Superman theme and just fades out.  The best part of the movie is the creator credits that seem complete to me.  There are two end credit scenes, a Joss Whedon-like character scene, and the last one had the audience losing their mind.  There are moments that are good for me, which makes it a good superhero film, even with it’s flaws.  Should you see Justice League?  I’m all in!
Three Mother Boxes out of Five!
#JusticeLeague, #BenAffleck, #GalGadot, #JasonMamoa, #RayFisher, #EzraMiller, #HenryCavill   

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Happy Birthday Linda Hamilton!

Happy Birthday Linda Hamilton!  One of Linda’s first roles was in the soap opera Secrets of Midland Heights (1980-1981).  Her first film role was in Tag: The Assassination Game (1982).  Linda’s first genre role was as Vicky in the horror movie, Children of the Corn (1984) based on the Stephen King story.  Linda’s breakthrough part was playing Sarah Connor in The Terminator (1984).  Next, King Kong was under her care as Dr. Amy Franklin in King Kong Lives (1986).  Another role that was iconic was playing Catherine Chandler, taming another beast, in the form of Ron Perlman’s Vincent in Beauty and the Beast (1987-1989).  She returned as Sarah Connor, pumped up, to defend her son, John, in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).  Linda won a Saturn Award for her performance.

Linda Hamilton, Hollywood Collector's Show, 2010, photo by the author.

She starred in the theme park attraction, Terminator 2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996), which acts as a legitimate sequel IMO since it had the involvement of James Cameron and the original cast.  It closed in 2017 at Universal Studios Florida.  She voiced Susan Maguire in the “Chemistry” (1998) episode in The New Batman Adventures.  Linda then voiced Dr. Stephanie Lake in Batman Beyond’s episode, “Meltdown” (1999).  Next, she voiced Madame Lorraine in the animated DC Showcase: Jonah Hex (2010).  She played Mary Bartoski in the tv series Chuck (2010-2012).  On the SyFy series, Defiance (2014-2015), Linda played Pilar McCawley.  Next, she was in the supernatural show, Lost Girl (2013-2015).  She voices Dr. Furbanna in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-2018). Linda is finally back as Sarah Connor in the new Terminator film directed by Tim Miller that is set for release on November 15, next year!  Happy Birthday Linda Hamilton!  


#LindaHamilton, #BeautyandtheBeast, #Terminator2JudgmentDay, #LostGirl 

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The Outpost, “The Vex Rezicon”, Review!

Janzo, Talon, and Garrett are getting closer to the reaching the Book of Names as well as Everitt Dred.  Some choking noises as Talon wakes.  Janzo is examining Garrett who has not transformed into a Plagueling.  Talon frees him from chains to relieve himself.  Garrett finishes and brings back the chains.  He seems to have worked through the Plagueling infection.  At the shrine, Essa Khan has reached a table with a triangular symbol, but can’t use her knife to open it and there is some black liquid on the blade.  She uses her torch to set it on fire and a stone tablet slides out revealing the Book of Names.  Essa looks at the book, ripping out a page, and then sets fire to the book.  What is on that page?  

THE OUTPOST -- "The Vex Rezicon” -- Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

On the desert path, Garrett asks about the Dragman.  Janzo has found water, a lake, and Garrett and Talon rush to drink from it.  Janzo wonders why there is no settlements and sees a creature swimming, a terrapod.  It drags Garrett under and Talon leaps after it.  Does also watch from the water?  She pulls Garrett back with a knife in her mouth and a severed tentacle around him.  Talon gives him a form of CPR.  The tentacle appears from the water and they move away.  Garrett sleeps from his wounds, Janzo worries about being a coward, then they hear Greyskin drums.  The Outpost, Dred’s soldiers are tearing apart a room, and find a flute to show to Dred.  On the way, Talon asks Garrett about his mother, and he replies that she was a washer woman who died. He says his brother, Jayden, was sent to the mines and beaten to death by criminals. Then, he grew up with Gwyn.  

Janzo is impatient.  At the Outpost, Dred wants Calkussar’s daughter, the soldiers search the rooms.  Gwyn watches from a grate with Naya.   Greyskins knock out Janzo and Garrett, then another slams a club at Talon’s face!  The Outpost, soldiers are cutting the hands of women, Gwyn watches from the hiding place.  She asks Naya where she is from and she says the capitol. Gwyn tells Naya to get help from Danno.  The Mistress with her broken arm sees that business is bad.  Then, soldiers enter as Dred appears, he wants the Mistress to get in line.  She pricks her finger to show she does not have black blood.  Dred orders the tavern to be destroyed.  A soldier has a hood removed from Naya.  In a room, Dred wonders why she has sent message about royal heir, to save her mother and sister,  she agrees to reveal Gwyn’s location!  A dangerous, possible double cross!  Gwyn is found by Whythers and Danno.  Unexpected allies.  

THE OUTPOST -- "The Vex Rezicon” -- Photo: NBCU International -- © Outpost TV LLC. Courtesy of Electric Entertainment.

Night, the Greyskins checks on their captives, one offers colipsum to Garrett because he has the Plagueling inside him.  The Plagueling starts to pull up Janzo to eat and Talon summons the Locuri demon.  She commands it to free her and attack the Greyskins.  She frees her friends and they run off.  The Locuri is killed by the Greyskins.  She struggles over sending it to it’s death.  Janzo has found the shrine.  Naya leads Dred, but the cell is empty.  Whythers has his hand over Gwyn, she bites his hand, and she is held by Danno.  He says he is helping Gwyn to escape.  The underground passageways, Whythers has taken Gwyn to Sill, she leads Gwyn across the narrow ledge.  Whythers wants to stay to fight for the Outpost.  He has a message for Garrett.  Whythers and Danno are found by soldiers and he says they have been infected by Plaguelings.  Marshall Higgs brings women and gold to Dred.  

Day, at the shrine, Janzo, Garrett, and Talon enter, he finds the burned book and can read the title.  Janzo thinks there is more to the book.  Talon rips the spine of the book and finds a talisman on a chain.  Janzo thinks the talisman is the Book of Names. Garrett wonders how they will read it. Whythers has reached the cellar and meets with the Mistress. He wants her to join the fight agains the Prime Order.  She agrees and he kisses her.  On the way back, Garrett wonders if an army was sent to the Outpost.  Danno and Whythers ambush two soldiers.  They attack more soldiers in the revolt.  A soldier brings around a crossbow, but Munt (Adam Johnson), the Mistress’s son, knocks him out.  Naya slips away as they plan their revolt and the solders ambush them.  Whythers and the Mistress get crossbow bolts.  Dred and Ilyn watch.  The number of creatures in this episode are great.  This is charging to a conclusion!  

Four Daggers out of Five!   

#TheOutpost, #TheVexRezicon, #BookofNames, #Naya

Happy Birthday Mark Hamill!

Happy Birthday Mark Hamill! We of course know him best as Luke Skywalker, but he started in television starring as Kent Murray in General Hospital (1972-1973).  His first genre appearance was in Night Gallery with the episode “There Aren’t Any More MacBanes” (1972) as a messenger.  His first voice work was for The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1973).  Mark played Corey Anders on the Jeannie (1973) cartoon series, a Californian teen who finds the bottle that releases Jeannie.  One of Mark’s first big screen roles was voicing Sean, leader of the fairies, in Ralph Bakshi’s animated Wizards (1977).  Then, of course he had the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977).  Yes, I know it is Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, but I always think of it just as Star Wars.  Next, Mark played high school grad, Kenneth W. Dantley Jr., in Corvette Summer (1978).  Later, he was in the infamous, odd, but treasured tv special, The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978).  He hit the Broadway stage with The Elephant Man (1979).  Mark starred in the war film, The Big Red One (1980), before returning as Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He finished the Original Trilogy becoming a Jedi Knight with Return of the Jedi in 1983.  Mark also was on Broadway with Amadeus (1983). 

Mark Hamill appearing with Peter Mayhew at Celebration, 2015, photo by the author.

He entered the superhero world playing the Trickster in The Flash (1991).  Another iconic role and well loved role was Mark playing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1994).  Also in 1994, he played Colonel Christopher Blair in the computer game, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger.  Mark played Reverend George in John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned (1995).  For two episodes in 1995, Mark played Tobias LeConte in SeaQuest 2032.  He voiced the younger Blair in the animated series, Wing Commander Academy (1996).  Mark also co-created comic book series, The Black Pearl, published by Dark Horse Comics.  He starred in the Watchers 4 (1998) based on the Dean Koontz book.  Mark voiced Merlin in the live action Wing Commander (1999) movie.  Mark directed and was featured in Comic Book: The Movie (2004) filmed at San Diego Comic Con.  He of course returned at Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).  Mark also returned as The Joker in the animated film, Batman: The Killing Joke (2016).  He was back as the Trickster on the current CW show, The Flash (2015-2016).  Mark took up the Jedi robes in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).  One of his best voice roles was playing himself, The Joker, Trickster, and Swamp Thing in “Missing the Mark” (2017) episode of Justice League Action.  He voiced Luke Skywalker in the animated Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2018).  He is currently on Kulipari: An Army of Frogs as Old Jir which is streamed on Netflix.  Also, voicing Dictatious in Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.  Mark has upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX.  Happy Birthday Mark Hamill!   

#MarkHamill, #LukeSkywalker, #TheJoker, #CorvetteSummer

Fantasy, Superhero, and Sci Fi Movies - The Mid-Aughts (2003-2005)!

The Mid-Aughts started in 2003 with Daredevil in February.  It had Ben Affleck in his first superhero role playing the blind attorney, Matt Murdock, who has super senses and fights street crime.  Daredevil is of course a Netflix show that has started in 2015 and is ongoing.   
Pre-MCU was the Hulk movie, directed by Ang Lee.  It has a comic book style with scenes shown in panels, but the story is confusing.  X2: X-Men United was next bringing in Wolverine’s origin, a pattern of the X-movies focus on the popular characters, with Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler perfectly capturing the comic’s character.  It was one of the top films at the year’s box office.  The Matrix Reloaded was another sequel and it was filmed concurrently with it’s sequel.  Neo (Keanu Reeves) uncovers the secrets of the Matrix, but also faces his dark reflection in Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).  Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines continued the Terminator story without James Cameron.  There is a new Terminator, the T-X (Kristanna Loken) sent to kill John Connor again. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen debuted which was a collection of literary and horror figures in a cyberpunk story loosely based on the comic book.   



Five months after the last Matrix movie, there was The Matrix Revolutions finishing the trilogy, Neo met his destiny to finish the Matrix before the Sentinels destroy the last human resistance in Zion.  There was a Peter Pan film that was an authorized adaptation with Jeremy Sumpter taking on Jason Isaacs’ Captain Hook, but it failed at the box office.  At the end of the year was the conclusion of another trilogy, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, it was a financial success, top of the box office, and critical winner.  It swept the Academy Awards and won prestigious categories not simply technical awards with usual sci fi movies like Avatar and Star Wars winning.  Fantasy, in the form of LoTR, is most honored of genre films, and won the most awards.  Return of the King won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Song, “Into the West”, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Make-up, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.  Genre films in 2004 began with Hellboy, based on the comic book by Mike Mignola, it was directed by Guillermo del Toro.  It featured Ron Perlman as the working class demon/superhero fighting a resurrected Rasputin.   

The same month was the release of the fantasy, Ella Enchanted, based on the Gail Carson Levine novel.  The film had Anne Hathaway as the girl cursed by a fairy to obey and has to find her to undo the spell.  There is some singing and comedy, but it is essential like a family cable movie.  Later, was the second The Punisher movie starring Thomas Jane, 15 years after the Dolph Lundgren film.  It shifts the setting to Tampa Bay and has Frank Castle taking on the crime boss, Howard Saint.  This was 12 years before his appearance in Netflix’s Daredevil.  Next, was The Day After Tomorrow, directed by Roland Emmerich with other disaster movies to follow.  This was based on Art Bell and Whitley Strieber’s The Coming Global Superstorm (1999) which I read.  It follows Jake Glyllenhal and Emmy Rossum surviving the sudden Ice Age.  Strangely, it was topical and reached #7 at the box office, but there was no coverage in science magazines when the movie was out.  The third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, came out in June.  It was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and seemed more grown up as a fantasy.  Harry gets more of a family connection with the mysterious Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).  It was nominated for Best Score (John Williams) and Best Visual Effects.  



2004 continued with The Chronicles of Riddick.  The sequel to Pitch Black featured Vin Diesel’s character, Riddick, escaping mercenaries and facing the Necromongers.  Then, we had one of the top box office films of the year, Spider-Man 2, directed by Sam Raimi.  Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man faces Dr. Octopus played by Alfred Molina.  One of the better Spider-Man films, it was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.  It won for Best Visual Effects.  In July, there was the release of I, Robot, directed by Alex Proyas.  It was based on the Isaac Asimov stories and featured Will Smith as Detective Del Spooner, part-cyborg, investigating a murder that involves the next gen robot, Sonny, played by Alan Tudyk.  It was nominated for Best Visual Effects.  A strange entry for comic book films was Catwoman starring Halle Berry.  She played Patience Phillips who gets super powers from cats.  There is no real connection to Batman and it would be eight years until we got a new version of the character.  Next, was Alien vs. Predator, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.  The film had archeologists sent by the wealthy Weyland to Antarctica and getting involved with the war between Aliens and Predators.   

Then, we had the CG backlot of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, it offered a futuristic diesel-punk, but not much of a story.  The last of the Blade movies, Blade Trinity, arrived with the Nightstalkers including Ryan Reynolds in his first superhero role as Hannibal King.  They take on Drake played by Dominic Purcell who is currently Heat Wave on Legends of Tomorrow.  The year wrapped up with Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events with Jim Carrey as Count Olaf based on the book series by Daniel Handler.  It has a group of orphaned kids ending up in the care of Count Olaf.  It was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design was the winner for Best Make-up.  Thirteen years later, there was a Netflix series with Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf.  2005 started in genre films with Elektra, spinning off from Daredevil, with Jennifer Garner as the assassin.  A terrible adaptation of the comic books.  Next, was Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy based on the Douglas Adams’ book.  There was a BBC television series 24 years before the film’s opening.  Martin Freeman played Arthur Dent, hapless average guy, caught in a hilarious, galactic adventure.   



The last of the Star Wars prequels tied close to the Original Trilogy with Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.  It had the end of the Jedi, the rise of the Emperor, and leaves just a thread of hope with the birth of the twins.  It was nominated for Best Make-up at the Academy Awards. Then, there was Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins which mixed James Bond, The Shadow, and Batman: Year One in telling the origin of Batman.  Christian Bale made a great Bruce Wayne and Batman fighting against Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Shadows.  It was nominated for Best Cinematography.  Next, was Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a dock worker?, trying to unite his children with their mother.  It was nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.  Another comic book film arriving in July with Fantastic Four which had a cast without chemistry.  It was nice to see the FF on the big screen, but not with a weak story, direction, and cast.  

Michael Bay attempted to direct a sci fi film with The Island which had Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as clones trying to discover the truth of their world.  Then, there was Doom, the adaptation of the sci-fi video game sensation starring Dwayne Johnson, but it sputtered at the box office.  Jon Favreau directed Zathura: A Space Adventure based on the Chris Van Allsburg book about three kids transported by a board game into a space adventure.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was the next film in the series, directed by Mike Newell, it is my favorite of all of the series.  The movie compressed and expanded on the story of the novel expanding on the world of Harry Potter.  It was nominated for Best Art Direction.  Charlize Theron starred in Aeon Flux, based on the MTV animated series by Peter Chung, which was a surreal story.  Lastly, there was The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe.  This film impressed me since the visuals were so different from what I imagined Narnia, but captured it’s heart.  It was nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects and won for Best Make-up.  This was another highlight for fantasy films.  More superhero movies were being produced, but they were a mixed bag.  Sci fi movies were caught with dark films in contrast to the epic scale that was seen in fantasy.  We getting closer to wrapping up the movies of the Aughts!   

#ReturnoftheKing,#BatmanBegins, #RevengeoftheSith, #TheLionTheWitchandTheWardrobe

Monday, September 24, 2018

Re:tro Re:view - Wonder Woman!

Director Patty Jenkins accomplished in Wonder Woman what until now I thought was impossible, she has made a film that is an updated version of Superman: The Movie, in terms of structure, character, and wonder.  Also, I have to note that the screenwriter is Allan Heinberg, who wrote the comic book arc, "Who is Wonder Woman?" So spoilers ahead, but you might have already entered spoiler territory if you know the actor who plays Ares and seen all of the trailers. 

Gal Gadot of course is perfect in the role as an Amazon in the Patriarch’s World, capable and fierce as a fighter, but naive to the harsh, war-torn world. The other part is Zeus, really there are only two gods, Zeus and Ares. The original comic book by William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter had Aphrodite as the patron goddess of the Amazons. The later versions had Artemis and Athena, but there seems to be no goddesses in the cinematic version. This takes a bit away from Diana’s female based origin and life. Still, none of this takes away from the power of the film.
The opening has Diana narrating her thoughts about the world; it goes from the globe to hurtle down to modern Paris, and Diana walking to the Louvre.  She is wearing a red, hooded coat in contrast to her later blue one. Diana sees the photo of herself circa World War I sent by Bruce Wayne. Diana flashes back to when she was a child (played by the charming Lilly Aspel) running through the streets. She looks at the Amazons training and tries to duplicate their moves. 

The island is not full of models, Doutzen Kroes does play Venelia, but it is an island of full of Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor!  Diana is seen by her aunt, Antiope (Robin Wright) who is training her warriors.  Wright played Claire Underwood in the series House of Cards becoming President of the United States.  Young Diana is caught by her mother, Hippolyta. (Connie Nielsen).  The actress was in the action movie Stratton (2017).  She wants her daughter to learn and not fight, then shows her the tower that holds the Godkiller Sword. This was a weapon introduced in DC Sneak Peek: Deathstroke (2015).  Antiope fears an invasion and decides to train Diana herself. 

They are caught by Hippolyta who wants her sister to train Diana to be the best Amazon warrior. This shifts from a teen Diana (Emily Carey) to the adult Gal Gadot Diana.  What is left unknown in the film is what Amazons are capable of, in the comics, they are bulletproof and super strong.  I was uncertain if this applies to Diana or all of the Amazons. They are incredibly graceful fighters, but a super-strong arrow would punch through a regular soldier. Antiope walks into her training and when Diana looks up, she unleashes sword strikes. 

Diana is knocked down, and (shown in the trailer), locks her gauntlets which blasts everyone back (Gadot calls this her BOOSH!) and injures Antiope.  A secret is being kept by Hippolyta about Diana. She walks to a cliff and then sees a plane breaks through the island’s invisible barrier. This is not explained well, if it is just an illusionary barrier, then anything can drift to the island. The plane crashes and Diana leaps into the sea.  In the plane, is of course pilot Steve Trevor played by Chris Pine. The actor played Captain Kirk in Star Trek: Beyond (2016).  
He has the Lois Lane role here, investigating the villain’s plans, but he has to constantly step in her way for the disapproving Patriarch’s World. The plane sinks and Diana takes him ashore. There are no consequences for men stepping on Themyscira. In the comics, Amazons lose their immortality. Also, a German soldier has seen through the barrier and several boats make a landing. The Amazons are there and send volleys of arrows at them, apparently rifles don’t have range to fire back, and it is a brutal battle. 

Antiope leads horse riders, not kangas, but the Amazons start to fall under the bullets.  Diana is fighting with all of the Amazons and Antiope sacrifices herself before the battle is finished. This part of the movie made me think the use of 3D is brilliant, but I just didn’t notice it from that point. Steve is brought before Hippolyta and tries to resist the Lasso of Hestia, not called the Lasso of Truth.  The struggle to keep his military secrets is funny. It is explained that Amazons have learned many languages, I understand they know ancient languages, but English is relatively new with different dialects and expressions. 

He flashes back to his work as an American spy working for the British forces. Steve Trevor was in a lab and sees the half-masked Dr. Isabel Maru (Elena Anaya), known as Doctor Poison who was introduced in Sensation Comics #2 (1942).  Anaya played Vera Cruz in Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In (2011).  Her research in finding a gas that can melt gas masks is watched by General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston). He played Victor created a modern day Frankenstein (2015).  The general is a real life figure from World War I made Quartermaster General. It is a failure and Steve slips away Doctor Poison’s journal notes and escapes in a plane. 
Hippolyta wants to defend the island and forbids any Amazon to join the Great War. Diana suspects that Ares is behind in the conflict. She makes the climb up the tower and takes the God Killer Sword, lasso, and shield. Diana makes Steve promise to take her to the battlefield and in exchange she will free him. He agrees eager to get the journal to British intelligence. Diana defies her mother and is banished from returning to Themyscira, they don’t have a great tourist policy.  On a boat, they travel to London, I imagine that Themyscira is not that distant, they don’t seem to be taking food and water.  They are met by Etta Candy (Lucy Davis), who is funny, but all of her best lines are in the trailers. 
Steve and Diana take the journal to the military meeting led by Sir Patrick (David Thewlis). They are told not to go to the battlefield so Steve Trevor forms his own renegade team; Sameer (Said Taghmoui) who wants to be an actor, Charlie (Ewen Bremner), a Scottish, drunk sharpshooter, and Chief (Eugene Brave Rock), a diverse group. Still, the most jaw dropping part is that Wonder Woman is in the final battle, without a blemish to her make-up, no scuff or bruise, she has the most magical power.  Rupert Gregson-Williams provides the music, he also did a good score for Legend of Tarzan, but the power theme from Beavis, "Is She With You"? really punches up the action. The costumes by Lindy Hemming and her department are some of the best for any comic book movie.  The most impressive part of this film is to take all of the history of the comics character and go in it’s own direction.  
Five Lassos of Hestia out of Five!
#WonderWoman, #PattyJenkins, #GalGadot, #ChrisPine

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Re:tro Re:view - Wonder Woman (1974)!

Wonder Woman (1974) was a made for television movie that was supposed to be a pilot for a series.  It was written by John D.F Black who wrote “The Naked Time” (1966) episode of Star Trek where the crew is afflicted by a planet’s biochemistry that releases their inhibitions.  This is more the Emma Peel phase of Wonder Woman where she went super spy learning martial arts from I Ching and wearing mod fashion.  Wonder Woman’s outfit even has the tunic, leggings, and boots from Wonder Woman #178 (1969).  

Still, this Wonder Woman has bracelets, but not to deflect bullets!  Blond-haired Cathy Lee Crosby plays Wonder Woman, a professional tennis player turned actress, but I recognize her as host of That’s Incredible! (1980-1984).  It is directed by Vincent McEveety who directed episodes of Star Trek and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  You have to strip away most of what makes Wonder Woman, her powers, her origin, and instead think of this in the original Charlie’s Angels vibe. As such, this has an almost international span far above the series, but then lapses into set pieces and backlots.  
The ticking of a watch, signals a time when a military guard opens a safe to reveal blue and red books, entitled “Most Secret IX, X”, in Rio de Janeiro (just a location title).  More books are taken in Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, and London. “Perfect” says the mastermind as he closes his watch.  Taking the books in a briefcase is George Calvin played by Andrew Prine.  I recall Prine best as Stephen, the Visitor leader, in V: The Final Battle (1983). Prine plays up the Malcolm McDowell droog look.  

He casually chews a piece of gum while two brown-jacketed gunmen, Cass (Donna Garrett) and Joey (Robert Porter), enter a shoot the five guards with silencers (off screen).  Then, we get the striped logo and whining synthesizer score.  Next, there is the narration of Hippolyta (Charlene Holt) introducing a soft focus and foggy, jungle set which was shown as an island, though no specific identification of Paradise Island. Diana (Crosby) is in a white Greek-like tunic and says goodbye to her sisters including Dia (Beverly Gill) and Ahnjayla (Anitra Ford).  A nondescript building, Diana Prince (Crosby) has received a message that she delivers to Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas).  The characters are not identified. Steve Trevor is not a part of Diana’s origin.  

Diana looks like she is an executive assistant, not a mousy Diana Prince with glasses, and she is given a flower by Bob, Jordan Rhodes, one of the agents.  Trevor calls in the six agents to debrief them about the situation of  the loss of the code books with the identities of 39 agents.  They are being bribed for fifteen million dollars.  Diana overhears this in the next room.  This may be some sort of super hearing, but it’s not clear.  Trevor shows the agents film of operatives including Abner Smith who is only shown from the window of a car with a fancy walking stick.  

Bob asks Diana to dinner, she refuses, so he gives a kissed finger to her forehead.  She explains to Trevor that she will be out for dental appointment.  Next, we see Diana in a red, long-sleeved shirt and white skirt checking into a French hotel.  Joey calls George that Wonder Woman has checked into room 702.  Diana is in her normal clothes so it is confusing how Joey knows it is Wonder Woman.  George is in the room with the mysterious Abner Smith whom we only see from the back, but it is obviously the voice of Ricardo Montalban.  He is hidden until the third act, but we can identify him, and he even appears in a white suit like Mr. Roarke!  Diana takes the elevator to her room, she sees the trapdoor at the top, and pauses the elevator.  Joey drops down and she kicks him out of the elevator.  
In her room, Diana gets a phone call and finds a bug in the flowers, George calls her and says he will jump off the building to get dinner with her.  He makes a bet with Abner for $10,000 to have a successful date.  George invites Diana to sail on a yacht.  She leaves him and makes a phone call to Trevor.  They are interrupted by a car that is about to run through the phone booth.  Diana flips backwards on a awning, good stunt, and plants a tracking device on the car roof.  She tracks the car to a mansion, hears a groovy party, but it is just a tape recording.  

Diana picks up the phone and talks with Abner.  The car speeds off and the gate closes, Diana tosses her bracelet at the electrified gate, then traces the wires to a box to disconnect it.  She has a neighbor call her room and enters it, covered by Cass and Joey.  George has prepared a box for her and Diana defeats all of them with martial arts moves.  Clip of New York.  Diana walks the street and is identified by one of Abner’s men who contacts him.  He is surprised that she is there ahead of him.  This is later explained by a mention of the Invisible Jet.  Trevor receives a crate, he opens it to find a donkey!  Joey places a box underneath Diana’s couch.  George calls her and activates the box which opens for a snake.  
The snake slithers around her leg so Diana calls for room service!  She orders saucer of milk, the snake slips off her leg to go for the milk.  George talks with Abner and he goes to meet with Diana at his table.  He bribes her for millions of dollars to work for Abner.  She refuses and leaves George with a present, the snake.  She calls in to update Steve Trevor and then smiles when she notices one of her Amazon sisters, Dia.  Diana is informed that an Amazon, Ahnjayla, has left the island and can’t be trusted.  We then see Ahnjayla speaking with Abner.  She likes the expensive jewelry and Abner has her take care of George.  

A lab scientist has set an ultraviolet spray on a donkey and micro-transmitters on each hoof.  At a western town, Trevor has a truck to make the drop-off of the donkey with sacks containing the money.  He sends off the donkey.  This is about the extent of Steve Trevor’s involvement with this episode.  Then, Wonder Woman suddenly appears in her super outfit.  She takes care of Cass and Joey acting as snipers and escapes a mud-filled room.  Wonder Woman gets into a javelin fight with Ahnjayla, this is kinda cool, she has to defeat George and recover the code books.  I saw this on the DC Universe stream, it is also available on DVD, and it is nice to see this touch of 70’s nostalgia. It is not the Lynda Carter series or the recent Wonder Woman film, but an interesting entry to the Wonder Woman story.           
Three Code Books out of Five! 


#WonderWoman1974, #JohnDFBlack, #CathyLeeCrosby, #AndrewPrine