Loki, “Glorious Purpose”, Review!

 We have the return of Loki after he was killed in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) by Thanos, you can’t keep a god of mischief down, and in Avengers: Endgame (2019) we found that the Avengers, a team of Ant Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor time travel during Loki’s invasion in 2012.  It’s basically the clip show of the MCU.  They find Loki being escorted away by S.H.I.E.L.D., but the Tesseract is knocked out the briefcase.  Loki picks it up and zaps away.  Avengers Captain America fights with current Cap who manages to take away Loki’s staff, sort of accomplishing the mission.  Loki picks up on the events of the Avengers’ mission, we have the struggle over the briefcase, and Loki cubes away. We get a beetle crossing the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.  The puff of Loki’s cloud appears in the sky and sends him hurting down into the desert sands.  He takes out the mouth covering given to him by Thor and sees the Mongolian locals.  Loki stands on a rock giving his grand speech.  Tom Hiddleston is back to Loki form, devious and clever.  

The Mongolians don’t understand him.  Suddenly, a portal opens and three black and red suited officers exit with weapons, purple-tipped staves.  They examine the Cosmic Cube, Loki sees a commander, Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), walk out of another portal, she arrests the “variant Loki” for “crimes against the sacred timeline.”  Mosaku was in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).  She strikes Loki so his mouth swings around in slo mo and puts a collar on him. He is taken away by the commander who orders the timeline to be “re-set”, a device glowing yellow, then purple.  She takes Loki into red-tiled hallway, the offices look like a throwback to The Prisoner, Loki tries to escape, but can’t escape time - he is zapped back in place, this device is a Time Twister. Hunter B-15 turns over the Cosmic Cube to a desk worker, Casey (Eugene Cordero).  Loki is taken to an elevator-like room which has a four-armed robot with a smiling face.  It tries to pull off his armor, then just zaps Loki’s clothes off!  He falls down into another room in a prisoner’s jumpsuit.  A bureaucrat wants him to sign a stack of papers of “everything that he’s ever said”!  

Loki signs one paper, drops into another room where he is questioned if he’s an organic being and has a soul!  He goes through a scanning machine that takes his picture.  The absurd, bureaucratic worlds reminds me of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Loki heads into an office with winding queues, but only finds another prisoner.  A screen repeats Loki’s words, it is a cartoon, orange clock, Miss Minutes (voiced by Tara Strong) of the Time Variance Authority.  This was an organization keeping continuity as stable as possible introduced in Thor #371 (1986).  A cartoon shows the battle of timelines that almost destroyed the universe.  Three, alien Time Keepers created the “Sacred Timeline”, the variants like Loki create Nexus’ that may result in a Multiversal War.  The TVA is there is to correct time slips.  The other prisoner who refused to get a ticket is vaporized.  Loki holds up his ticket.  This moves to 1549, at a church in Aix-En-Provence, France, where a man in a suit, Owen Wilson is examining a crime scene with TVA officers, Hunters in charge of Minutemen troops.  Wilson is of course known for his comedies and voices Lightning McQueen for the Cars films.  

The bodies were stabbed by someone at a Nexus event.  The lead hunter is all business and is ready to zap a young girl who has entered the church.  The investigator gives her a cellphone-like device that projects a drawing and asks her who killed the men.  She points to a stained glass window of a devil with a blue tongue!  He finds that her teeth are blue because she has a roll of Kablooie candy.  The commander says that their time is almost up.  A TVA official gives the investigator Loki’s case file.  Loki is taken into the TVA courtroom. His judge is Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). The character, also known as Terminatrix, first appeared in Avengers #23 (1965).  Mbatha-Raw has some time travel experience playing Tish Jones in Doctor Who.  Loki pleads he is not guilty, the Avengers are guilty of disrupting the timeline, Ravonna says their actions were correct, Loki’s escape is a crime.  Mobius takes a seat in the back.  Loki changes his plea to guilty and then tries to snap his fingers, no magic in the TVA.  Ravonna orders Loki to be “re-set.”  Mobius stands up and takes charge over Loki.  They walk out into the TVA halls and Loki stops to see the future city outside.  In an elevator, Agent Mobius introduces himself, Loki is not impressed.  Mister Mobius was introduced in Fantastic Four #353 (1991).   

Mobius takes Loki to his office, he has a red, circular device on his desk, Loki is told Mobius pursues “dangerous variants.” A red globe that can peer into the past, future, an any place?  This is similar to the Tachyon Machine that was in the Tomorrowland (2015) movie.  He asks about Loki’s ambitions to rule Asgard, Earth, and the Nine Realms.  Loki mentions he wants to rule since freedom is lie.  Mobius shows scenes from The Avengers.  Loki’s greatest weaknesses is his arrogance and lack of self-reflection.   Next, on a flight to Seattle, an airline attendant is shown checking on Loki in a business suit.  His identity here is as Mr. Cooper.  He tells her that he has a bomb in his briefcase.  The plane unloads passengers and then in flight, Loki takes the briefcase from the attendant, leaps off the plane and Rainbow Bridge to Asgard.  Mobius is amazed that Loki was D.B. Cooper!  Then, Mobius shows Loki is his future with his actions leading to the death of his mother, Frigga, in Thor: The Dark World (2013).  Loki of course manages to escape, but learns some hard truths about himself.  Mobius needs his help to find the time criminal, sort of like a time traveling The Blacklist, is there an evil greater than Loki?  The series is all out fantasy sci fi with some comedy, it takes the plot bending time travel mechanics of Avengers: Endgame into more of a fun territory.  

Three Time Twisters out of Five!   

#Loki, #TomHiddleston, #OwenTWilson, #GuguMbathaRaw

Superman and Lois, “Loyal Subjekts”, Review!

Lois and Jonathan reconciled after their big argument.  Superman is weakened by Kryptonite gas all last episode.  Escorted into Morgan Edge’s office by Leslie, is the new recruit, and seen by a smiling Edge.  At the Gazette, Lois wonders with Chrissy why Morgan Edge is in Smallville.  What is Edge standing to gain in Smallville?  Clark goes over some of the evidence with Lana working in the inside.  Edge says he is making a start with Emily.  He says he can help her and her family.  Emily is taken into the chamber and she screams inside it, now transformed into a Kryptonian.  A scientist reports that the Kryptonian symbiote has “complete host acceptance.”  We have cut from the job meeting and Emily’s transformation which she agrees to at the meeting.  At the farm house, Lois wants Clark to convince any of Edge’s new recruits to stay away.  Clark brings his sons their sack lunches.  Jordan says he is supporting Sarah, but his parents know there is something deeper.  Clark hears the school bus and sends off his sons.  

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - “Loyal Subjekts” - TYLER HOECHLIN - Photo: The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss

Smallville Gazette, Chrissy thinks the recruits are in a cult from what Lana has said.  She also thinks Lana’s reporting of group “togethers” at Victoria’s Maze.  Smallville High, Jonathan and Jordan leave the school bus, Kyle thanks Jordan for his help at the audition.  Jonathan eyes the girl, Tegan, but Sarah warns him again.  At the diner, Emily sees Clark, she’s excited about her new program, and leaves with other group members.  Clark hears the signal, gunmen shouting in Spanish at a bank, Superman flies over to Mazatlan, Mexico.  Superman bursts through the bank’s door knocking down robbers.  It seems like he is having trouble breathing.  Still, he takes care of several gunmen.   He tries to breathe again and a gunmen starts shooting several rounds at Superman throwing him back!  The leader opens fire at point blank range at the unconscious Superman as he commands the others to take the money.  Superman rises and defeats the last of the robbers.  A security guard checks on him and Superman is gone in a burst of super speed!  

Chrissy shows Lois the large ad from Edge for more recruits.  Lois walks into Edge Enercorp to confront him and the recruits! Edge has Leslie take everyone out as Lois reveals Edge’s plan.  Jonathan sees Tegan pass him by in school, he tries to ask her out, she only looked at him in sympathy because of his broken arm.  The coach makes fun of Jonathan for his game.  Clark puts ice on the bruises of the bullet wounds.  Lois walks in and is shocked at the wounds wanting to contact her father about the Kryptonite gas.  At thee practice for the talent show, Jordan is sitting with Sarah at the piano.  Sarah thanks Jordan for his help.  He suddenly sneezes and find icicles in his hand, super breath!  Jordan runs off and finds the super sneezes are increasing so he activates his father’s device.  He shows his hands to his father who says he is also infected!  At the farmhouse, Lois gives her son a cup of tea, Clark says it is working like a virus.  General Lane appears and Lois is angry that his bio-weapon is threatening his grandson.    

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - “Loyal Subjekts” - ADAM RAYNER - Photo: The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss

Sarah is worried about Jordan and Jonathan leaves to find his brother.  Lana tries to talk to Emily who says the process is secret.   Leslie takes Lana to Edge’s office.  He gives Lana the offer.  Jonathan rushes to the farmhouse and finds Jordan freezing.  He tries to explain the situation with Sarah, but Jordan’s condition worsens and Clark speeds him away.  Lois speaks with her father about his work taking him away and thought he would priortize family with the birth of Jordan and Jonathan.  This is unforgivable and Lois never wants to see her father!  At the Fortress of Solitude, Clark activates his father’s program and wants to get the kryptonite out of Jordan’s system, by burning it away!  Clark holds his son’s hand and red rays from the Fortress strike Jordan and he screams!  Jonathan reassures his mother that she hasn’t failed at protecting her super sons.  At the talent show, Sarah is first and alone on stage, Kyle joins her with his guitar.  It is a success and Sarah hugs her father.  At the farmhouse, Jonathan talks to his grandfather who developed weapons in fear of the strongest being on the planet.  He says unlike General Lane, he will never be afraid of his family even with powers, an incredible moment for Jonathan!  

Emily hears the ringing and leaves her daughter’s performance.  Leslie shows Edge the newspaper reports of Superman’s weaknesses.  He has activated his agents, not to go after Superman, but Lois!  Clark has Jordan hit by multiple rays from the Fortress of Solitude.  General Lane wants to know the effect of the Kryptonite weapon.  Jonathan is worried, but calmed by his mother, she gets a call from Lana about Emily.  She turned down Edge’s offer to be another agent.  Jonathan has brought in Emily and the other Kryptonian.  She blasts the kitchen with heat rays.  Edge’s two agents are struck by Kryptonite gas, taken care of by General Lane, Jonathan rushes to get John Henry Irons’ weapons, Kyle is there.  General Lane is struck by Emily.  At the Fortress, Clark is stunned at putting the burden on Jordan.  They hear the sound and fly back.  Jonathan hits Edge’s man with the red ray gun.  Kyle catches Lois and Jonathan, his eyes flare Kryptonian red!  There is some stunning revelations with this episode of Superman & Lois!  The truth of the Kryptonite showers in Smallville when Kal-El first arrived on Earth is shown.  We may know even more about Morgan Edge!  It is story of fear and family. 

Happy Birthday Liam Neeson!

Happy Birthday Liam Neeson! He has a long genre career starting with Gawain in Excalibur (1981).  He was also in Krull (1983).  Still, I actually took notice of Neeson in the High Spirits (1988) comedy as an Irish ghost who falls for Beverly D’Angelo’s character.  His lead role as Peyton Westlake in Sam Raimi’s Darkman (1990) was iconic.  Neeson’s incredible career defining part was as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg’s award winning Schindler’s List (1993).  Two years later he was in Rob Roy (1995) and then Michael Collins (1996). He starred as Valjean in the drama Les Miserables (1998).  Liam Neeson returned to genre films as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999).  He also investigated ghosts in The Haunting (1999).  Neeson also had a great role as Ducard in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005).  Next, Liam Neeson voiced Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and the sequel Prince Caspian (2008). 

Also, in 2008 he played Bryan Mills in Taken (2008).  Neeson played Zeus in the Clash of the Titans (2010) remake and the sequel Wrath of the Titans (2012).  He returned to voice Aslan in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010). Nesson was Admiral Shane in Battleship (2012).  He returned in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).  Then, he reprised the role of Bryan Mills in Taken 2 (2012).  Neeson also returned as Qui-Gon Jinn in episodes of Clone Wars.  The last of the trilogy, Taken 3 (2014) starred Neeson.  The voice of The Monster was Liam Neeson in A Monster Calls (2016).  In 2016, Neeson played Ferreira in Martin Scorsese’s powerful Silence (2016).  Next, he was in The Orville episode, “If the Stars Should Appear” (2017).  There was a Taken (2017-2018) series with a different Bryan Mills.   Neeson played Michael MaCaley in the thriller, The Commuter (2018).  Then, he was in the comedy anthology, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).  Neeson pursued his son’s killer in Cold Pursuit (2019).  Agent High T was played by Neeson in Men in Black: International (2019).  He starred as Tom Dolan in the crime drama, Honest Thief  (2020).Neeson was in the crime drama, Widows (2018).   This year, he played the rancher, Jim, in The Marksman.  Happy Birthday Liam Neeson!  

#LiamNeeson, #SchindlersList, #StarWarsThePhantomMenace, #BatmanBegins, #Taken, #TheMarksman 

Happy Birthday Dave Filoni!

Happy Birthday Dave Filoni!  He began as a storyboard artist and character layout artist with such shows as King of the Hill (1997-1999) and storyboard artist on Kim Possible. Then, he moved into directing with the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender in 2005. Dave went on to Lucasfilm Animation and was the supervising director for Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) movie and then the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2013) animated series.  He voiced the bounty hunter Embo in various episodes from 2010-2014.  Then, he went on to working on Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018) as executive producer.  

Dave Filoni (left), along with writer/producer Simon Kinberg, and Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan) at the Star Wars:Rebels panel, Celebration 2015, photo by the author.

Dave Filoni provided the voice of the droid Chopper in Star Wars: Rebels and the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny.  He developed the Star Wars: Resistance animated series.  Filoni directed Star Wars in live action with episodes of The Mandalorian.  He also played X-Wing pilot, Trapper Wolf, in “The Prisoner” (2019) and “The Passenger” (2020).  Also, he returned his favorite character, Ahsoka Tano, in “The Jedi” (2020).  Filoni is the executive producer of Star Wars: The Bad Batch.  He is also executive producer of the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett.  Filoni was recently made Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm.  Happy Birthday Dave!

#DaveFiloni, #StarWarsTheCloneWars, #TheMandalorian, #ExecutiveCreativeDirector

Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!

Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!  One of his first roles was as Gene Forrester in A Separate Peace (1972) based on the novel by John Knowles who also co-wrote the film.  Stevenson next par was playing Chris, a fellow lifeguard to Sam Elliott’s Rick Carlson in Lifeguard (1976).  One of his iconic roles was as young detective, Frank Hardy, in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-1979).  He co-starred with Shaun Cassidy who played his brother Joe. The Hardy Boys was a long running book series by Franklin W. Dixon.  

                                            Parker Stevenson, Hollywood Collector’s Show, 2019, photo by the author. 

Stevenson continued the character Billy Hazard in the mini-series, North and South: Book II (1986), based on the John Jakes novel trilogy.  In 1988, Stevenson played genius inventor, Austin James, caught up in paranormal and scientific mysteries in the brilliant series Probe.  It was co-created by Isaac Asimov. The following year, he returned to make beaches safe as Craig Pomery in Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier (1989). This led to a role on the Baywatch television series.  He played Louis Osmond, head of the school for exceptional teens in the Netflix series, The Greenhouse Academy (2017-2020).  What to find out more about Parker Stevenson?  Check out the exclusive interview: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2019/04/parker-stevenson-austin-james-in-probe.html.  Happy Birthday Parker Stevenson!  

#ParkerStevenson, #HardyBoys, #Probe, #Baywatch, #GreenhouseAcademy

Happy Birthday Angelina Jolie DGMG!

Happy Birthday Angelina Jolie!  Her first foray into genre movies was Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow (1993).  One of her early roles that I took notice was in Hackers (1995).  She played the model Gia Carangi in the biographical film, Gia (1998).  In 1999, Jolie recieved an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted.  Her lead in the video game adaptation Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) really got recognition for Angelina Jolie.  In 2001, she was appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador.  There was the sequel Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003).  Next, she was the pirate captain Franky in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004). She played an assassin wife in Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005).  Jolie was in the animated film, Beowulf (2007) as Grendel’s Mother.  Then, she voiced Tigress in Kung Fu Panda (2008).  

                            Angelina Jolie at Comic Con for Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, 2003, photo by the author. 

Jolie starred as Fox training James McAvoy’s Wesley as an assassin in Wanted (2008) based on the comic book.  Evelyn Salt, a double agent, was played by Jolie in Salt (2010).  She returned as Tigress in Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016).  Angelina Jolie played Fox in Wanted (2008) which was adapted from a comic book by Mark Millar for Top Cow Productions.  She started as a director and writer with In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and Unbroken (2014).  Also in 2014, she had the lead in Maleficent which attempted to put a twist on the villainess.  She was given teh title Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in 2014.  Jolie then directed By the Sea (2015) and First They Killed My Father (2017).  She returned to play Maleficent in the sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.  This year, Jolie starred in the thriller Those Who Wish Me Dead.  She also has upcoming the MCU film, The Eternals, playing Thena.  Happy Birthday Angelina Jolie DGMG!   

#AngelinaJolie, #GirlInterrupted, #TombRaiderTheCradleofLife, #TheEternals 

Bad Batch, “Decommissioned”, Review!

The episode opens with a shuttle landing in the city of spires on Ord Mantell.  In the city’s alleyway is a woman, her walk cycle is strange, she walks into the bar.  Then, she is startled by a blast! It is Omega testing out her energy bow recovered from the Zygerrians last episode.  She tries to draw the energy bow, wavering, but Echo tries to coach her.  An Ithorian, in the same blue outfit as the original Hammerhead Star Wars action figure,  encourages her.  There was a similarly dressed Ithorian on Coruscant in the recent Clone Wars episode “Gone with a Trace” (2020) that introduced Trace Martez.  If it is the same Ithorian and he gets a name, I wanna see that action figure!  He has a device around his throat, they have two mouths and four throats, so this must help him speak Basic.  The Ithorian is betting on the outcome with a Weequay, the leathery alien similar to Hondo Ohnaka.  Omega is successful hitting the target, but Echo tells her it is only three hits out of twelve! 

The Weequay bets that Omega will fail, Echo tells her to “tune out distractions”, she tries again and fails.  Wrecker whispers to Hunter that Omega is not a “natural.”  I think there was a talk about Omega having skills of all of the Bad Batch, no, neither does it seem that Omega has Force sensitivity with her struggle.  The gamblers are sent away by Cid who mentions to the Bad Batch about a tactical droid.  The droids were battlefield strategists introduced in the Clone Wars episode, “Jedi Crash” (2009).  She doesn’t like being interrupted by Tech whom she calls “Goggles”, very funny!  Cid mentions that there is one with valuable intelligence on a facility on Corellia that decommissions battle droids.  Corellia is in the Core Worlds, the Bad Batch is crossing the galaxy, it was seen in live action form in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).  The other part of the aftermath of the Clone Wars is what happened to all of the battle droids, it looks like we have the answer in this episode.  

Cid convinces Hunter that their partnership helps everyone and then says Omega needs to build up her strength.  She takes her energy bow and unleashes three perfectly aimed bolts!  I don’t think I’ve seen a contact that is deadlier than the mercenaries!   A ship approaches Corellia, underneath it Millennium Falcon-style, is the Havoc Marauder.  The Bad Batch tries to explain tactical droids to Omega and that their learning would have helpful against clone troopers.  Their shuttle detaches and lands at a factory.  The Bad Batch deploy with their helmets on.  As they sneak in, police droids, these models don’t look like the police officers in the Clone Wars episode, “Lightsaber Lost” (2010).  They look more like the spindly supervisor droid, EV-9D9 seen in Return of the Jedi (1983).  Tech has found a way around their patrol cycles and up a long ladder into the factory.  They enter and we see the droids “decommissoned”, put on factory belts to be melted down.  This is an interesting twist after seeing the droids built in Attack of the Clones (2002). 

Hunter has Echo and Tech look for the tactical droid and Wrecker has to be lookout.  Wrecker complains that lookout was Crosshair’s job.  Hunter wants Omega to stay at the walkway to look for the droid.  Workers at a console are zapped by a stun blast and Echo plugs in.  Omega spots with her electrobinoculars the head of the tactical droid on a conveyor belt.  It is snatched up by someone!  Wrecker thinks it is one of the workers.  Omega is confronted by another “worker”, who reveals herself to be Rafa Martez (Elizabeth Rodriguez), the sister of Trace Martez. She is the older sister and the Martez sisters both lived on Level 1313 of Coruscant.  Their adventures became repetitive, but like most characters in Bad Batch, the characters are fun here. Omega draws her energy bow on Rafa.  Trace (Brigitte Kali) asks her sister where she is, but Omega threatens her not to answer.  She in turn finds herself under the blasters of the others.  They seem a little hesitant to use stun blasts even though she has the tactical droid head.  Rafa tries to talk down Omega who doesn’t say a word.  

She suddenly leaps at Omega and struggles with the energy bow!  Omega unleashes the bolt and it breaches a container!  The struggle knocks down Omega’s energy bow and the breach sends steam that alerts all o the workers!  A workers sees the security breach and shuts down the factory. The workers evacuate and Trace is angry at the Bad Batch while Rafa is disappointed at Omega, it is really her fault.  Police droids start to file in, taken down by Wrecker!, Rafa slips away.  The Bad Batch’s specialty is handled droids, but the police droids have them without tactics for some reason.  Trace runs with the droid head and comms for Rafa to meet at the “rendevous.”  Trace tries to toss the droid head to her sister, but it falls onto the conveyor belt at the same time Rafa and Omega say, “I’ve got it!”, funny.  Hunter and Trace blast droids on the walkway.  Omega slides down and runs with the droid head.  Echo shuts down the lockdown, but he needs Wrecker’s help to reboot the factory.  Wrecker finds himself with a smelting pit and some distance across. 

There is no time for his hesitation, he leaps onto a crane, and then slams his head into a column!  This is going bad for Wrecker!  He is able to throw the switch to activate the factory.  This causes movement on the conveyor belt that traps Omega underneath a battle droid!  Rafa takes the tactical droid head.  Wrecker is agony with his head and mutters, “Good soldiers” and then is shot!, this is probably the worst outcome!  Hunter has to save Omega, but who will save Wrecker?  Rafa has a change of heart and tries to pull Omega up, she is trapped with droids about to be melted down, Rafa has her throw up a droid arm.  At the last minute, Hunter blasts police droids, and is able to pull up Omega.  Wrecker is down hearing “Good soldiers follow orders”, the inhibitor chip!  There are more police droids headed for the factory.  They have to come up with a plan to escape.  Rafa says, “We need a diversion” and this is repeated by her sister.  She asks, “Is there an echo in here?” and Echo answers, very funny!  There is a team up of mechanic, Rafa, and the MacGuyver of the Bad Batch, Tech.  After their Clone Wars episodes, I never wanted to see the Martez sisters, but this episode adds a dimension to them.  “Decommissioned” is a dark episode where we find who the Martez sisters work for, kinda mysterious in hologram form, new allies for the Bad Batch, and a sort of success to the mission with Wrecker’s fate in question!     

Four Viborknives out of Five! 

#StarWarsTheBadBatch, #Decommissioned, #ElizabethRodriguez, #BrigitteKali

Milestone Returns Infinite Edition #0 Review!

Milestone Returns brings back the Dakotaverse in a special with fantastic writers and artists!  The Milestone comics started in 1993 with Dwayne McDuffie overseeing Hardware (Denys Cowan was the artist), BIood Syndicate (including Ivan Velez Jr., writer, and Denys Cowan, artist), Icon (art was by M.D. Bright), and Static (with writer Robert L. Washington III and John Paul Leon).  The line ended in 1997.  In 2000, the standout character was Static in the Static Shock animated series that featured Dwayne McDuffie writing and direction by Denys Cowan.  The series ended in 2004.  August 2020, Milestone was announced at DC FanDome.  Milestone Returns was in digital form in September 2020.  The FanDome announcement was a release date of February, but it was finally in comic stores on May 26th.  The explosive cover by Denys Cowan features Static Shock, Icon, Rocket and Hardware! 

“The Big Bang” is written by Reginald Hudlin is the director of Boomerang (1992), co-wrote Birth of a Nation: a Comic Novel (2004), and also wrote the “Who is the Black Panther?” storyline in Black Panther #1-6 (2005) that introduced Shuri.  It begins with the “Milestone Returns: FanDome Preview” with art by Jim Lee and Ryan Benjamin.  An officer with tactical gear mentions a riot and there are canisters by Alva Industries.  The police like soldiers in military vehicles start to approach.  There is a splash page of the other side are Dakota community members with masks holding up Black Lives Matter signs. It is a peaceful demonstration, just organized but the police their goggled eyes like insects blast the protestors with gas canisters.  This is the Big Bang that activates the powers of Dakota citizens.  A masked officer asks if someone’s face is melting.   We see young Virgil Hawkins caught in the chaos, energy crackling fron his hands and eyes.  A very topical event.  We later see Virgil in the hospital with his family around him;  his father, Dave, mother, and sister, Sharon who gossips about Virgil attending the rally by a girl.  

This shifts to an office where staff members are viewing news of the protest.  This features art by Denys Cowan.  Curtis Metcalf, who runs Alva Industries, and he knows their chemical was involved in the police action.  He drives over to his laboratory and is transformed, police enter and open fire, but now he is armored as Hardware!  He sends the police scrambling way!  Next we get the cell phone reporting of the young Darius checking out the hospital room of the people with emerging powers covered in bandages.  He sees the ward where they keep dangerous patients, a woman is “turning into smoke”, before he is chased off by police officer.  Darius covers the people who were outcast by their powers; a man with a mask who has viotile stomach acid and another kid who looks like a devil.  They are all being organized by someone called Holocaust!  Virgil has returned hoe and is slowly controlling his powers, bring able to bring metal objects like keys and coins to his hand.  At school, he meets with the girl, Freida, but also the bully, Frank.  Virgil gives Frank a right cross.  

Frank starts to bully Freida and activates his flame powers with his self-styled super name, Hotstreak.  Virigl activates his powers floating above him!  He gives a full blast to Frank, but stops in time for the police to arrive and everyone says there is nothing going on.  Then, we have the aerial craft of Icon, whom Raquel Ervin descirbes as a “200-year old super-powered alien”, and Rocket, Raquel.  They are over Colombia trying to find drug factories and the ship comes under fire.  Rocket drops down, the drug runners have automatic weapons as they watch over workers in masks, they fire rocket propelled grenades at Icon’s ship.  Rocket builds up speed and in a splash page destorys the factory with her built up kinetic speed!  The purple drugs and gunmen scatter under the explosion from Rocket’s fist!  Icon flies out his ship, sends a blast from his eyes, and then brings up the guns with his powers.  Later on a beach, Icon and Rocket have some tacos, he insists she call her mother.  She has discovered the protest and the Big Bang so they are about to return to Dakota.  

At the secret meeting with a guard outside, the outcast powered meet with Holocaust, he unites them with their powers against the troops.  They have their own army, a super powered army!  Then, there is a brief origin of Rocket, she sneaks into a mansion, encounters Icon.  He shows his alien form and they go into action as Icon and Rocket.  Icon relates his alien past announcing to the “people of Earth”, that he is not the only alien on Earth.  Icon explains that Earth is primitive, not because of its technology, but because of its morality.  He says the world can be united by love and not understanding this, he has teamed up with Rocket.  On multiple screens that Icon monitors the world, he mentions Static, and that they should know more about him.  We see Virgil invited to the protest by Freida, his bullying by Frank, whom he tackles. The fighting by Frank and his bullies makes the police think it’s a riot.  We see Frank fighting with Virgil at the school, he activates a sprinkler to neutralize their powers and leaps over the police officers with riot shields.  Icon shows Rocket the other strange, powered people.  One is a racist, about to hunt a couple, and others a fusion of a couple into a super powered being!  The issue also features art by ChrisCross.  An impressive preview of the Milestone titles; Static, Icon and Rocket, Hardware, all Season one 6 issue series!  Milestone feels like touches of the real world with the fantasy of super powers, and some terrific action and art!  

Four Quantum Juice canisters out of Five!

#MilestoneReturns, #ReginaldHudlin, #DenysCowan, #RyanBenjamin, #ChrisCross.  

Happy Birthday Morena Baccarin!

Happy Birthday Morena Baccarin!  One of her first role was in Perfume (2001), a fashion industry drama, not to be confused with the 2006 film.  She came to the attention of every Browncoat as our favorite Companion, Inara Serra, in Firefly (2002-2003).  Then, she played Maggie Jones in the drama, Still Life (2003-2004).  Then, returned as Inara in the film, Serenity (2005).  Baccarin voiced Black Canary in the Justice League Unlimited (2005-2006) animated series.  She entered another sci fi universe as Adria, the villain of Stargate SG-1 (2006-2007).  

Next, Nurse Jessica Kivala was played by Baccarin in the medical drama Heartland (2007).  She reprised her role as Adria in Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008).  Anna, the leader of the Visitors, was played by Baccarin in the rebooted series V (2009-2011). Baccarin played Jessica Brody, the wife of Nick Brody, in the series  Homeland (2011-2013).  She was next Karen Walker, an agent in the action comedy Spy (2015).  Then, she played Vanessa, the love interest of Deadpool (2016).  Baccarin returned as Vanessa in Deadpool 2 (2018).  Currently, she played the character of Dr. Leslie Thompkins in Gotham (2015-2019). Baccin played Michelle Weaver in the “Downtime” (2020) episode of The Twilight Zone. She is in the disaster movie, Greenland (2020).  Happy Birthday Morena Baccarin! 

#MorenaBaccarin, #Firefly, #StargateSG1, #Deadpool2, #Greenland 

Superman & Lois, “Holding the Wrench”, Review!

Lois is fretting in a chair, she is joined by a therapist, Dr. Wiles (Wendy Crewson) who had worked for her father, she says her life is “complicated.”  Wow, I always thought that Lois could handle anything.  Lois says she lost her “temper” and worries about it.  At the farm, she goes over the problems will Clark works to straighten out the damage to the truck.  He picks up a signal from the DoD from General.  Jonathan goes with his mother to the RV in the barn.  The computer identifies Lois!  The bed unfolds to a computer console when she asks about John Henry Irons.  At the house, Lana mentions her project with Sarah and Kyle, she says that the project is full when Kyle offers to join.  Sarah debates over joining a theater try out.  At school, Jordan mentions he played piano, he has come back to return his uniform.  At his cell, Irons flashes back to kissing Lois and seeing his daughter.  

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Holding The Wrench” - ELIZABETH TULLOCH - - Photo: The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss.

He is taken in handcuffs to an interrogation room to see Superman who says John Henry Irons died.  He flashes back to his ship attacked by the Superman in black.  Irons is convinced that events on this Earth is going the same way as on his world.  At the RV, Jonathan wonders about another Earth, and sees pictures of that Lois and John Henry Irons.  At the cell, Irons says Superman killed Lois.  This is pivotal, in the Injustice continuity, Lois' death drove Superman into become a tyrant.  At the therapist, Lois says she doesn’t have regret, the sun is about to set.  At the house, Lois goes over the alternate Earth with Superman.  Lois says they need Irons to “save their world.”  Jonathan checks on his mother, she will need him to go back to the RV.  Sarah tries to tell Kyle who has brought a guitar that she can’t perform.  She is nervous about giving a solo.  Kyle tries to encourage her.  He starts to play.  

At the cell, General Lane is going to bring in Lt. Trask (Spencer Long), and wants to go in since he might have Irons’ trust.  Jonathan looks at photos of Natalie and then the last video of his mother before she dies!  He opens a cabinet that reveals guns.  The RV seals up and the computer identifies him as an intruder!  Lois heads to the RV and tries to enter and then contacts Superman.  He flies over and covers his son from targeting lasers.  The defenses fire guns, but Superman heat visions the defenses.  Jonathan tried to enter to find weapons.  Lois shouts at him that she brought him along, scared for him, telling her son he’s stupid.  This is heavy.  Clark checks on her and she starts to turn her anger on him!  He brings up Dr. Wiles and goes to talk to Jonathan.  Kyle is walking to see Lana and meets with Leslie who says he turned down Edge’s offer.  He goes to talk to Lana about lying about the job.  Lana says he is not “leadership material” and didn’t tell his right hand person, Leslie.  

UPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Holding The Wrench” - TYLER HOECHLIN, WOLE PARKS - - Photo: The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss.

General Lane talks with Irons, he believes Lane of his world wouldn’t use sodium pentathol.  Irons brings up other Kryptonians and that Superman is more loyal to them.  Dr. Wiles goes over the incident with Jonathan and brings up she was scared.  She brings up Lois’ miscarriage!  The name Lois picked out was Natalie!  Lt. Trask pulls aside Irons.  Rosetti knocks around Trask and his eyes flare with heat vision!  Lois says she can handle the grief.  Dr. Wiles goes over her fear.  This is a powerful episode for Lois Lane!  At the school tryout, Jordan sits in the audience with Jonathan, his brother tries to confide in what happened.  Jordan has brought flowers.  Sarah asks about her father who is missing.  Jordan offers to help.  Sarah goes up on stage, Jordan at the piano, she sings beautifully.  Jonathan smiles.  Rosetti (Hesham Hammoud) tries to take Irons, he starts to shudder, Irons slams into an alarm.  General Lane gets a report at Sector Five that Trask is dead.  Lane tells Superman that is where the Kryptonite is kept, but Superman heads there anyway!  

Superman is at Sector Five, Lane mentions 7734 and he sees Rosetti with a mask, he fires a rifle with Kryptonite gas.  Lois sees the soldiers rush.  Rosetti throws a Kryptonite gas grenade.  Lois checks on her father.  Superman uses the canister to strike Rosetti.  They are both choking on Kryptonite gas!  He turns to find Irons with a Kryptonite spear.  He is about to stab Superman, General Lane has soldier ready to shoot Irons, Lois screams she knows about Natalie.  She says what would happen if Irons killed Superman “an innocent man, a hero.”  This show understands, it’s not about Superman rescuing Lois, it’s the other way around.  Not departing from the comic book, but knowing the relationship.  General Lane checks on Superman who has recovered.  Yes, Lane betrayed Superman with the Kryptonite weapons, but they did work on Rosetti.  Superman says Lois’ theory that symbiotes are being transferred to make an army.  At the house, Sarah confronts her father who missed her audition, she walks away from him.  Jonathan watches Irons get his RV ready and he gives his thoughts to Jordan.  Lois tells Jonathan about losing the baby.  She apologizes to Jonathan and brings up the show’s title.  They hug.  Wow, this is emotional.  Superman lands and explains that they will need Irons if there is a war.  Redemption for Irons?  This episode has some powerful moments, I did want a little more of Edge’s army and his plans, but this is Superman!  

Four Kryptonite Crystals out of Five! 

#SupermanAndLois, #HoldingTheWrench, #WendyCrewson, #HeshamHammoud