Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2 Review!

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2 brings some risks to Superman and unravels the story of the Demon Nezha!  Last issue update: we had Poison Ivy in Metropolis while Kryptonite Man has a new weapon, a red Kryptonite syringe injected into Superman!  This causes his Kryptonian powers to go out of control!  Batman calls in the Doom Patrol to help bring Superman to Dr. Niles Caulder!  We now return to the next installment of The Devil Nezha with “Chapter Two: The Devil Himself.”  The cover which is by the interior artist, Dan Mora, with Superman smiling and flying while Batman races with his grapnel gun.  Behind them is the large face of Elasti-Girl, Niles Caulder to the side, a large head of Robotman, and the Negative Man’s bandaged head.  The story continues with Mark Waid and Dan Mora.  

We see the Caulder Mansion, with Superman’s outift on a chair in the foreground, and in the background Dr. Caulder’s starts his procedure with Robotman providing light from his armored forehead.  He is in his wheelchair with Superman on the table as Dr. Caulder calls for a scalpel.  He starts to cut with a Krytonite scalpel into Superman’s skin, then exposes Superman’s heart glowing red, as Robotman holds his chest apart.  Dr. Caulder says his heart is unaffected by the Red Kryptonite is in his blood.  We see this in a closeup of Superman’s heart.  Very like a medical drama, but surgery on the Man of Steel!  Apart from the dark room, Batman and Robin watch, and they are joined by a shadowy figure. 

Robin is startled by Elasti-Girl, he explains to her about the creepiness of the Batcave, and he is interrupted by Dr. Caulder calling for Larry Trainor, Negative Man!  Dr. Caulder explains that the Kryptonite is turning Superman’s blood toxic.  He is shocked that Superman has minutes before he dies!  Dr. Caulder hopes that Negative Man’s radiation mgiht be able to render the Kryptonite particles less deadely Batman wonders about Negative Man’s power lasting one minute and there are 60,000 miles of vessels in a body.  Dr. Caulder says Negative Man to use his power!  It is unleashed from his chest and transfers to Superman’s chest making him scream!  This goes into the two page titles and credits.  The energy form of Negative Man travels through Superman’s blood vessels.  This is like a superhero version of Fantastic Voyage (1966) or Innerspace (1987).  

It is interesting to see the shining white network of blood vessels running through Superman’s body.  Batman has a somber face and gives hope to Superman.  He touches his shoulder.  We see their advetnures together including one with Superman pinning Mongul as Batman is battered.  Superman is seized up and the energy returns to Negative Man.  We see the bloody chest of the unconscious Superman.  A closeup of a weary Superman opening an eye.  Elasti-Girl talks to Robin stunned at Batman smiling.  We have “Later” as we see the assembled heroes in a room, Superman is in a chair, Dr. Caulder talks to them.  He notes that the Doom Patrol took an item from a villain named Zahl.  Batman analyizes the sword and identifies it from the Shang Dynasty forged at Zhengzhou.  Robin wonders to Superman they keep talking over each other.  Superman casually notes that they are competing to be the smartest one in the room.  

Dr. Caulder brings up the Legends of Nezha which Batman already knows.  Caulder says that the Doom Patrol has found the truth from the legend.  Elasti-Girl picks up the narrative explaining that the sword’s owner was Nezha, the son of the warlord, Li Jing.  We see the Chinese style art in the panel as we see Nezha killed by a spear.  Negative Woman continues that the warlord preserved his son’s body.  Then, Li Jing traveled the world to find a way to resurrect Nezha, hopefully not Ra’s al Ghul’s Lazarus Pit!  Robotman says in this robotic voice that the warlord failed to find answers even when he has his sword to a wise man’s throat!  Elasti-Girl picks up the story telling that Li Jing became a servant scrubbing floors of a magician.  The former warlord becomes elderly and weak.  Negative Man’s part of the story, the magician finally gives Li Jing the “Elixir of Eternal Life” and he returned to give the elixir to his son. Robotman continues saying that Nezha did revive and bursts out in anger with vampire-like fangs.  

Furious that his father gave up everything and kills him.  Nezha is obsessed to become greater than his father with a larger army and money, then turned to mysticism.  Eventually, he was called the Devil Nezha.  Superman gets out his chair and asks why Nezha didn’t conquer the world.  Caulder holds up an illustrated scroll.  The story depicts what Caulder is tellign them about the House of Ji bringing together “magical warriors and deities.”  They are able to imprison the Devil Nezha.  Caulder after Batman’s suspicions that Nezha may have escaped.  He takes the heroes to a screening showing Felix Faust terrorizing a boy, The Flash is struggling in Central City.  Caulder starts to talk about Wonder Woman and Green Lantern, but Batman is surprised that Caulder is monitoring the heroes.  This from the person who was finding ways to defeat the heroes in case they went out of control.  Maybe this is the less paranoid Dark Knight.    

He wants Robin to find out how the House of Ji stopped Nezha, the Boy Wonder jokes that he left behind his Bat-Time-Travel Ray.  Superman introduces Supergirl to go with him, but it seems both heroes are cold to each other.  The duo flies away and Batman tells Caulder to find Nezha, no interruptions this time, while the World’s Finest duo go to find the child.  We see the Fawcett Neighborhood, “Outside Philadelphia”, this is the stomping grounds of Shazam and Felxi Faust is using his magical powers to blast the young one.  The child he is hunting is Billy Batson.  Faust didn’t realize that Batson was connected to the Wizard Shazam.  He continues to blast Batson and has his mouth missing in a Matrix way.  Superman swoops Billy away as Batman kicks Faust!  The villain puts up a mystic shield that deflects Superman’s heat vision.  He has Batman and Superman in mystic bonds!  Batman struggles, but can’t escape and mentions about Faust’s hearing.  So Superman whistles.  Interesing way to defeat the sorcerer.  Supergirl and Robin travel back in time using the sword and find dangers there.  Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2 has Superman and Batman (with Shazam) taking on Felix Faust working for Nezha!  More superheroes, more on our villain, and interesting perspectives on superheroes!                  

Five Red Kryptonite Syringes out of Five! 

#BatmanSupermanWorldsFinest, #MarkWaid, #DanMora, #TheDevilNezha, #NilesCaulder, #DoomPatrol, #ElastiGirl, #Robotman, #NegativeMan, #HouseOfJi, #FelixFaust, #BillyBatson

Tour Through Icons of Darkness!

Conveniently located across from the El Capitan Theatre is Icons of Darkness, this is from a private collector who has assembled an impressive collection from horror, fantasy, and sci fi!  Rich Correll starred in Leave It Beaver as Richard Rickover, wrote for Happy Days, and created Hannah Montana.  Strangely, his filmography, mostly comedies, doesn’t include his interest in the subjects of his collection though he did co-write and direct R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly (2008). The exhibit includes some of his collection from over 50 years and there is still more in storage!  I have been to many costume and props displays at FiDM and studios, but Icons of Darkness is the most fun.  It located at the Hollywood & Highland Mall at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., seen from the street, and next to Foot Locker.  

                                                                    Aliens vs. A Predator, the window display at Icons of Darkness, author’s photo. 

Get ticket and information at: https://www.iconsofdarkness.com.  I will add the guides at other tours have some gaps in their knowledge, but the docent on my tour was knowledgeable about every piece.  Also, some displays have plastic walls or poor lighting that makes photography difficult, not so here, the pics came out looking great.  Note: that any video recording is not permitted and that the displays are not behind walls so don’t touch them!  The collective is so extensive and I don’t want to spoil all of the displays so this will be an overview of a few that stood out for me.  The tours are timed so make your reservation when you get your ticket.  I did see a few people walk in from the street to get tickets.  The tour lasts about a half and hour, but you have plenty of time to take pics.  

There are two sides when you enter, the other side is an exit, but it starts with superheroes.  The standout for me was the Catwoman suit worn by Michelle Pfeiffer from Batman Returns.  I think the other part that stands out for me is that there are actor likenesses with the costumes. No mannequin heads.  The Danny DeVito costume for Penguin was also there.  Batman suits from all of the movies were in different sections. A screen used Batgirl suit worn by Alicia Silverstone in Batman and Robin. Between the Batmen was Nick Fury’s costume from Avengers: Age of Ultron.  I liked seeing a group of superheroes, including Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and standing above them is the Christopher Reeve, Superman.  Around the corner, was the Rocketeer costume and jetpack. 

                                                                                              Costume from The Rocketeer, photo by the author. 

 

Also fun was the Gizmo puppet by Rick Baker from Gremlins 2: The New Batch surrounded by the Gremlins!  “Mogwai.”  In the bushes, a giant T-Rex head from Jurassic Park, ready to bite you whole!  Next is Lurtz’s costume and armor, screen used, he was the Uruk-hai leader who faced Aragorn in Fellowship of the Ring. In a Star Wars section, there was a production-made Darth Vader helmet from Star Wars (1977) and Empire Strikes Back (1980).  What I found bizarre was a life cast of Mark Hamill from Return of the Jedi in a case while Yoda stands above him!  We have the Harry Potter section with Voldemort, envelope and Acceptance Letter from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, all in a case, Daniel Radcliffe’s costume from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011).   

There are rows of Terminators and a case with the Endo-Skeleton Arm and Head from Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).  Also from that film, is the bashed, cyborg revealing stunt head and costume.  A side hall has an Anthony Hopkins life cast and Muzzle Mask from The Silence of the Lambs (1991).  This hall of horrors has side cubicles on either side, one has Jack Nicholsen’s Jack Torrance from The Shining (1980).  A cubicle of Pennywise the Clown from IT (2017).  Warning: there are jump scares throughout the exhibit, creatures will leap at you, and bursts of air and mist, I’m kinda used to them from the Halloween mazes.  This moves on to the Aliens and Predators room.  There is a towering Alien Queen, Aliens leaping at you, and a Facehugger in a case ready to give you a hug!     

                                                                                              The Facehugger from Aliens, photo by the author. 

I really liked the zombie and werewolf Michael Jackson from the Thriller (1983) video.  This was on the opposite side of the exhibition.  A highlight for me was seeing the Gill-Man suit from Creature from the Black Lagoon , this was actually part of Hugh Hefner’s collection!  The classic Universal Monsters are all together!  There was an original werewolf costume from The Howling (1981).  Among these monsters was also the stunt head and costume of the Night King from Game of Thrones.  Looming above a case was the Makeup Effects Head and Costume from The Conjuring (2013).  Another favorite was seeing the Harry costume from Harry and the Hendersons.  Towards the end was the original costume from The Crow (1994). There is an original costume of Doc Brown with lab coat from Back to the Future (1985) and in front was a studio copy made from the original mold of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).  Honestly, I would revisit Icons of Darkness to take more pics, especially of those I passed by.  Icons of Darkness is an experience for fans of these movies and more!   

   

#IconsOfDarkness, #RichCorrell, #BatmanReturns, #BatmanAndRobin, #AvengersAgeOfUltron, #TheRocketeer, #Gremlins2TheNewBatch, #FellowshipOfTheRing, #StarWars, #EmpireStrikesBack, #ReturnOfTheJedi, #HarryPotterAndTheSorcerersStone, 3Terminator2JudgmentDay, #TheSilenceOfTheLambs, #TheShining, #IT, #Thriller, #CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon, #GameOfThrones, #TheConjuring, #HarryAndTheHendersons, #TheCrow, #BackToTheFuture, #ETTheExtraTerrestrial  

Doctor Strange at the El Capitan!

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness had a Fan Screening at the El Capitan Theatre on Wednesday, May 4th.  I saw it and thought the movie was good enough to see again and at the El Capitan.  There was a presentation hosted by Nerdist, questioning Victoria Alonso, President of Physical, Post Production, VFX and Animation at Marvel Studios.  Also, Xochitl Gomez who plays America Chavez in the new film.  It also included an event credential, popcorn, and the exclusive mini-poster, the last one is still available.  Later showings had a Themed Journal, Collectible Popcorn Tin, and then a Collectible Cup with Character Topper, and a Limited Edition Pen. The Popcorn Tin (there are three versions) and Collectible Cup with Character Topper, you can purchase at the theater now.  

                                                                                    Doctor Strange costumes at the El Capitan, photo by the author. 

Inside the theater is a photo op, I expected the costumes in the cases alongside the wall, but they opened the downstairs room.  The right side has all of the different Doctor Strange costumes, spoilers if I told you which ones, but it seemed complete.  On the left hand wall was Wong, America Chavez, Scarlet Witch, Christine Palmer, and Baron Mordo.  These are great displays that you can spend time taking pics.  I think there was an exclusive comic book, Doctor Strange: Mystic Apprentice #1 (2016).  The El Capitan version has a Todd Nauck cover with Disney Studio Store and Ghiradelli exclusive edition.  They are sold out so you will have to go on eBay to get a copy!  The soda fountain is one of the exits from the El Capitan and of course has chocolate goodness.  If you would like the poster, sure, go for it.  The two exclusive items, popcorn tin and collectible cup, so go for it if you have the money.  El Capitan Theatre offers a great venue to watch movies from Disney Studios and seeing the costumes up close plus the poster!  

                                                                Doctor Strange and the Multi, ah you know, displays at El Captain, author’s photo. 

#ElCapitanTheatre, #DoctorStrange, #AndTheMultiverseOfMadness”, #VictoriaAlonso, #XochitlGomez, #CollectiblePopcornTin, #CollectibleCupwithCharacterTopper, #DoctorStrangeMysticApprentice

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness Review!

The return of Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness has revitalized the character!  The director, Sam Raimi, had his last movie for Disney, Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and also directed the Spider-Man trilogy and finished with Spider-Man 3 (2007).  So basically he moved from one Steve Ditko creation to another one with Doctor Strange.  It has his characteristic style, the tilted camera angle, the frantic handcam pov of monsters, and a very Darkman (1990) tone with touches of the Evil Dead films.  The movie is similar to Thor: Ragnarok (2017) with a director stepping in to bring a fresh direction to the comic book character with several movies.  In this case, five films starting with Doctor Strange (2016). The last movie was Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022) which also dealt with multiverses.  The film is written by Michael Waldron who created Loki, but strangely there is no Time Variance Authority here.  The movie starts off with an action scene, we see Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) running with a new character, we find out later her name is America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez).  

Cumberbatch was of course in Spider-Man: No Way Home shattering the multiverse.  He is called Defender Strange since his dark outfit is right out of Terry Dodson's art in Defenders #1 (2012). Gomez played Dawn Schafer in The Baby-Sitters Club (2020) series.  America Chavez was introduced in Vengeance #1 (2011) and was in the Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (2018) animated series.   Her character is pivotal, she is interesting as a character on the run, but is new to this world and her powers.  She has to win over viewers or the movie doesn’t work.  They are in some dimension moving along a pathway and chased by some demon, with blazing eyes, mouth, and tentacles.  Defender Strange and America are headed to a glowing object on another ground floating apart from them, this is the Book of Vishanti, a magical tome first appearing in Strange Tales #116 (1963).  The demon wounds Strange and he falls.  This activates America’s powers and she opens a portal shaped like a star.  

America is captured by the demon so Strange is about to draw away her power. The demon fatally strikes Dr. Strange.   He uses his red spell whip to take America and escape.  Stephen Strange is startled awake from his nightmare.  He uses his magic to put on his tuxedo.  Then, we see him talking to Nicodemus West (Michael Stuhlbarg), from the first movie, and they discuss being missing during the Snap.  West tells him that he is a superhero, but lost the girl.  We see that is a wedding with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), she reprised the character in the What If episode, “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” (2021).  Live action, she was in the comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).  Her character becomes important in this movie.  Strange watches as she passes by him on her way to marry Charlie (Ako Mitchell).  Later, he downs a few drinks at the bar when Christine joins him.  

She confides that she wanted him to do his job as Master of Mystic Arts, but she had no real place in his life.  This is central to Doctor Strange’s character.  In a sense, what Peter Parker was struggling with in his film, dealing with his superhero place and personal life.  He goes out to the balcony and then finds that there is a disturbance in the streets.  His Cloak of Levitation joins him and he leaps down.  Doctor Strange finds that some invisible menace terrorizing the city, throwing cars and running people out of a Kaiju movie.  He uses his spell to reveal the cyclopean, tentacled Kaiju, Gargantos.  Its name isn’t mentioned in the movie, but the beastie was identified.  He first appeared in Sub-Mariner #13 (1969), a rather obscure appearance.  One of the fleeing people is America Chavez.  She takes cover in a bus as Gargantos lifts it up.  Strange is able to sever one of its tentacles and split the bus in abstract pieces.  America gets Strange's attention and the beast tosses the bus.  Strange forms a mystic buzzsaw and tears the bus in half.  He is the Green Lantern of the spell set, forming handy objects to get out of situations.   

I still miss the Stan Lee touches of saying, “By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!”  He may uses the spells, but I like the incantations part.  Wong (Benedict Wong) joins the battle.  The actor, Wong, was also in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).  His character is Sorcerer Supreme now and is an important part of the lead characters.  America Chavez ends up tossed up to a building ledge.  The cloak finally frees itself from the bike and wraps itself around Gargantos' eye.  Wong and Strange continue to battle Gargantos, but Strange is wrapped around its tentacle.  Strange is able to defeat the monster in a gruesome way.  America has taken Strange’s sling ring, but they catch up to her and take America to a pizza place.  He calls her kid through most of the movie.  She introduces herself and explains her run across the multiverse.  Their travel through the multiverse gave me vibes of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) mixed with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) with the Infinite Improbability Drive.  the Strange says there was an "incident" with multiverses involving Spider-Man.  Wong brings up that the monster had the mark of witchcraft.  

Doctor Strange says he knows someone who can help.  We have Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) waking up and seeing her world from WandaVision (2021).  This is a continuation of Wanda’s story from that series and her character is driven to restore parts of it.  She is clipping some branches from an apple blossom tree.  Strange asks for her help, but finds she is hiding something.  This leads to Kamar-Taj, where Doctor Strange trained with the Ancient One in the first movie and now a refuge for America Chavez.  There is a new Master of the Mystic Arts (Adam Hugill), no spoilers here, but he first appeared in Doctor Strange #80 (1986).  Strange and America are teamed up to find help across the multiverse while Wong and Wanda travel to Wundagore which plays into Scarlet Witch’s story and introduced in Thor #134 (1966).  Later, Strange encounters Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who ended up as his rival in the first Doctor Strange.  We also have the Illuminati, mentioned in the trailer, they are the most intelligent superhero leaders first appearing in New Avengers #7 (2005).  There are two end credit scenes.  Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, despite the unwieldy title, has touches of Raimi’s Evil Dead movies and consequences for all of the characters!  

Four Books of Vishanti out of Five!  

#DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness, #BenedictCumberbatch, #ElizabethOlsen, #BenedictWong, #RachelMcAdams, #ChiweterlEjiofor  

May the Fourth Be With You (Kinda)!

This year’s May the Fourth Be With You was a bit of a non-event.  I did go down to Downtown Disney to check out the Star Wars Trading Post.  Outside of it was an impressive sand sculpture of Obi-Wan Kenobi!  Two craftsman were working on the name of the show and the other was at the left hand side putting in details.  On the left is some Mos Eisley-like buildings with three figures, two are in cloaks, past them is the Disney+ sign.  Center is Obi-Wan leads his Eopie.  The rest is buildings with a tarp over one and the Obi-Wan Kenobi sign.  In the back is the show’s poster.  Later, a guest noted that yesterday, there was nothing there so this was mostly finished off over the course of the day.  So this was a pleasant surprise.  

                                                                Work on the Obi-Wan Kenobi sand sculpture, Downtown Disney, photo by the author. 

Then, inside the store, there were two items for Star Wars Day; one of Baby Yoda with a double sunset behind him and IG-88 next to Boba Fett.  IG-88?  What about Fennec Shand?  Maybe too late for Obi-Wan, there were no pins for the series yet, but how about a female character?  There was merch that was new for me.  The first item I noticed was a Chewie stuffie with Life Day red robe and globe, $24.99.  Then, a mini Chewie Wishable with packs of mystery Wishables Millennium Falcon: Smugger’s Run Attraction Series.  Besides the May the Fourth pins, there were Limited Edition droid coins, the door opens to reveal a droid.  There were three; Rex, a labor droid?, and a schematic of an astro droid.  

A series of paintings or prints were on the right hand wall next to the cashiers.  There was a new stuffie with the characters and creatures, an Ithorian in a robe with a blue sash, $22.99 (very specific in Obi-Wan Kenobi?).  I saw a Resistance Rank Badge Set.  Helmets and shirts, one said “Skywalker Academy”, is this the official name?  Jedi Academies were in the novels that are now Legends.  A red shirt with “Lando Calrissian Space Capes: Simply the Best in all Bespin.”  Some yellow bottles with the original Star Wars figures wrapped around it, “Collect Them All!”  At the former ESPN Zone building is a mural photo op for the Main Street Electrical Parade. I imagine the Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy’s Edge VR left some time ago.  I went into the Disneyland Hotel area, I wanted to see the classic Disneyland marquee and monorails turned into a water slide.  

                                                                     May the 4th Be With You LEGO Yoda Model, LEGO Store, photo by the author. 

Also, I went to see the construction of the expansion, there is a massive construction crane, a building next to the hotel has the top two levels under construction.  I went by the Lego Store and saw a sign for May the 4th Be With You; “Help build an 8-foot-tall LEGO Yoda Model!”  The times for the day were “May 4th, 12-7 pm.”  The figure was half completed to his robe, cane, and hands holding the cane.  There was a May the 4th photo op of a Kylo Ren figure and further down, another Lego statue of Captain Phasma.  At World of Disney, there was a wall for Doctor Strange and you the rest; t-shirts, action figures, dozens of America Chavez, and a Doctor Strange statue set.  An aisle section had t-shirts and hats with the Sanctum Sanctorum symbol.  Other Marvel pins were two of Hawkeye; Hawkeye drawing his bow and another of Clint and Kate Bishop.  

                                                                            The near complete Obi-Wan Kenobi sand sculpture, photo by the author. 

The What If? Pin had the Guardians of the Multiverse with Captain Carter as a cut out.  A new Black Panther pin has him in front of a golden hexagon.  So it was finally time for building - MEGA-YODA!, my name for him.  The moderator explained that a life-size model would be scaled up to eight feet tall!  We were told to help build the figure we would assemble 2 x 4 pieces with three layers.  One is tan for the robe and the other green for Yoda.  You work in groups with trays of long, thin pieces and square bricks.  There are instructions and pictures for you to follow.  The moderator asked for two 2 x 4s, a few constructed just one, and there were a pile of green 2 x 4s.  The workers went around and filled the tubs of Lego bricks.  Eager builders assembled the 2 x 4s and handed them to the moderator. Next, you get in line to get your Certificate of Achievement.  An interesting day, but the sun came out and was brutal, still it was fun to help build Mega-Yoda!  

#MayTheFourthBeWithYou, #StarWarsDay, #ObiWanKenobiSandSculpture, #StarWarsTradingPost, #LegoStore, #MegaYoda  

Superman and Lois, “Truth and Consequences”, Review!

In the Bizarro World, we had ther merging of Ally with the pendants and the appearance of Jon-El and Jonathan Kent!  Jon-El heads toward his counterpart and then tosses aside Jordan.  Lois screams as they start to merge.  Superman appears from the portal and heads towards the purplish glow.  He shatters the merge.  Jonathan is on the ground.  Jon-El flies away.  Later, Jonathan admits he had a “brain freeze” moment walking with Candice.  The sensing of the Bizarro counterpart.  Lois goes to find John Henry.  Clark says he will protect his son.  Jordan tries to text Sarah and Lois has a talk with him.  She says she write a letter to put things into perspective.  Then, we have the arrival of John Henry in his truck, they talk in the kitchen.  Jonathan suddenly screams, he is having visions of Jon-El, his forehead starts to glow red!  His counterpart is at the diner and Clark walks to confront him.   

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Truth and Consequences” - - TYLER HOECHLIN - - Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW - (C) 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

 Then, Lana sees Clark, and hugs him.  He eyes Jon-El.  When Lana leaves, Jon-El is gone!  At the farmhouse at night, Clark appears and talks to Lois who admits he was gone for 33 days, Clark says it was a day.  He is still angry with Jonathan over the X-K.  Jonathan brings up that his father lied.  At the warehouse, Natalie asks about Ally’s strength.  She wonders if Jonathan’s merge would make him stronger than Ally.  Lana returns home to the kitchen and Sarah says that she responded after all of Jordan’s texts, a little too late.  Lana is frustrated that Clark didn’t mention his election.  Sarah wants to move the boxes into her new office and her mother gives her car keys.  Jordan tries to write the letter on the porch.  Jonathan talks with his brother and reads the letter.  Sarah is about to drive her corvette and then sees the leather jacket Jon-El!  She drives away.  Lana looks at a family photo and then sees Jon-El who smashes her into a cabinet!  The secret identity line has been compromised!  

At city hall, we see Sarah placing the boxes, as Lois enters.  She brings up Jordan and says that family issues has kept her son busy.  Lois admits that she never told Clark about her other boyfriends.  Sarah brings up the strangely dressed Jonathan.  Lois leaves.  She tells Clark that the other Jonathan may have taken Lana.  The two sons start to argue with their parents and sends Jonathan to his room.  John Henry activates a new device, it sorts out the town’s power!  He tells  that they need more energy.  Jon-El is readying a device and has the pendant as Lana is unconscious and bound in chains.  He puts the pendant on her.  Sinister.  Sarah asks.  about her mother.  At the kitchen, Jordan is angry and Lois tries to calm him down.  She apologizes for talking to Sarah.  Jordan hears the humming alert.  It is Sarah telling Lois that she is worried about her mother.  She tells about the broken glass on the floor.  Sarah is about to leave, but Jordan tries to apologize.  He offers her a letter, but she refuses it

SUPERMAN AND LOIS - - “Truth and Consequences” - - TYLER HOECHLIN, EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI - - Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW - (C) 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Lois says she’s sorry.  In the cave, we have John Henry and Natalie as they reach the vortex.  He says Clark told him about a negative zone that.  Says that was what she was caught in on the other Earth.  Lana is wakened by the pendant.  He mentions the other world and takes the pendant.  Clark returns after not finding Jon-El in his search.  Lois says lying to Sarah was terrible.  She doesn’t want to hide the secret.  Jonathan screams again, he mentions an industrial freezer in his vision.  Superman flies to meet Jon-El and knocks down the industrial door.  Jon-El’s nceck starts to glow and he unleashes a flame breath.  Superman blocks the flames, but the fuel tank explodes.  There are shards of Kryptonite that pierced him.  Jon-El stabs him with a large Kryptonite shard!  In the cave, John Henry and Natalie stop from mining the X-K for their power source, and see the arrival of Bizarro Lana Lang, Superwoman!  She knocks the two of them back, and tries to freeze ray John Henry, but he escapes.  

Another vision, Jonathan says his Bizarro self is there, Jordan goes to try to stop his.  They clash with each other.  Lana is over Superman and begins extracting the Kryptonite shards.  John Henry blasts Superwoman with red sun energy.  Jon-El fights with Joran, clearly stronger, Lois screams for Clark.  Superwoman slams John Henry around, and then steps on his neck!  She is stabbed by Natalie with a X-K shard!  Then, Superwoman escapes.  Jon-El finishes off Jordan.  Lana starts to remove the shards and pulls at the final one stabbed by Jon-El.  Superman speeds away.  Lana saves Superman!  Jordan is on his knees as Jon-El strikes him.  It is Jordan’s turn to bash his brother into the sky.  Alright, fullfill your destiny!  Jordan starts to fall and he is flown back to Earth with Jon-El.  Jordan gives a final punch for his brother!  I would have actually liked to see five minutes of last episode and then move directly to this ep! Natalie can use the Bizarro’s weakness against them!  Superman and Lois center back on family drama, changes to the secret identity status quo, and the Bizarro threat is upped here!  

Four Crystals out of Five!  

#SupermanAndLois, #TruthAndConsequences, #TylerHoechlin, #ElizabethTulloch, #JordanElsass, #AlexGarfin, #EmmanuelleChriqui, #IndeNavarette, #WoleParks, #TaylerBuck 

Naomi, “Fallout”, Review!

Last ep recap: Jennifer warns Zumbado away from Naomi.  Jennifer McDuffie finds that Commander Steel has Naomi as a “Suspected Extraterrestrial”!  Naomi sees Nathan unexpectedly walking the school halls and he has a planned surprise for her at his locker.  He left and Naomi sees Steel in the hallway.  Commander Steel holds up a globe, S-RUD, based on resonance that painfully detects aliens. At the interview, Naomi says Steel collapsed, at the school, her parents join her.  The interviewing agent says that Steel’s files were found and discredited. Returning home, Naomi sees her parents, and she tearfully hugs Annabelle.  Naomi develops film, she activates her powers, and Steel’s nose starts to bleed. Then, she sees her parents with blue crystals that struck down Steel! 

NAOMI - - “Fallout” - - KACI WALFALL, MARY CHARLES JONES, Camila Moreno - - Photo: Danny Delgado/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Naomi’s family photo and sees their blue eyes.  Her parents, not too unusual, are the aliens!  Naomi is skateboarding alone, then begins to pack, then sees a photo of her parents.  She is sad even though she is also an alien.  Her parents try to explain, but she leaves.  Naomi hugs Annabelle and they discuss it on Annabelle’s house porch.  She says again, “My entire life is a lie”, but Naomi really doesn’t bother to find out the truth.  This happened when she first had her powers.  She suspects her parents were faking everything.  Later, she talks to Dee and Zumbado and wonders why Dee could sense alien lifeforms with powers, but Naomi seems to leave out her parents had blue crystals.  For a smart girl, sometimes she doesn’t think over situations.  Zumbado says he saw them on Earth-29.  Now, she gets angry at Zumbado.  

Akira is working on a device, ignites a small fireball in her hand.  It is another stranger, a woman, Mac (Briana Venskus).  She is there for Brutus, who is the mastermind behind all of the evil, and wants Keira to help them.  Akira admits that she gave Zumbado to Brutus.  Mac says there will soon be war.  In the woods, Annabelle and Naomi walk over to her landing site.  Naomi touches it and the strange letters form and there is an object.  Naomi blasts the rock and finds a box that forms green lines at her touch.  A mother box?  Naomi is in Annabelle’s room and is focusing on texts through her phone.  Nathan is not answering.  It seems like when Naomi betrays someone, she wonders why, but when it’s the reverse, she has no problem.  Annabelle’s sister is not happy with Sophie (Rileigh Eames), her sister, who is not happy with the sandwhich made for her.  Naomi wonders about the box, she doesn’t go to Dee or Zumbado, again no trust.  So she wants to go to the bar that Zumbado mentioned even though Annabelle mentions Dee and Zumbado.  

NAOMI - - “Fallout” - - CRANSTON JOHNSON - - Photo: Danny Delgado/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Naomi skips school and I’m certain keeps flawless grades. Greg enters Zumbado’s garage and says that Naomi discovered his secret.  He worries about the army looking for Naomi.  Greg is still concerned over Naomi.  He says he found a device that can track aliens.  Greg wants Zumbado to wipe out Naomi’s energy at the lab.  He brings up that Zumbado is part of the 29.  Naomi is riding in Lourdes’ van, they hear a familiar song, and now Naomi is happy?  Annabelle and Sophie enter Naomi’s house and see Jennifer. She brings up their mistake with Naomi to Annabelle.  She takes Sophie and leaves.  At the outside of the bar, Naomi has Lourdes stay in the van, while she walks to the bar.  A doorman stops her from going in fro information.  She shows the box, and a woman suddenly appears.  A flame blast comes from Keira who wants Naomi to escape with her.  At Lourdes’ comic book store, Akira sees her people in a comic book, while Naomi shows her the box.  She admits her parents are from Earth-29.  

Keira also didn’t know Greg and Jennifer.  Akira says it is a transmatter cube that can cause transdimensional travel.  Also, that she made the cube!  Greg and Zumbado reach the lab and he uses his power to erase traces of Naomi’s energy in the ruined lab.  Greg is stunned at the strength of Naomi’s powers.  He wants a normal life for his daughter.  Zumbado wants to unite the 29.  Annabelle and Sophie enter Dee’s tatoo shop.  Sophie puts on her headphones to tune out.  Annabelle tells Dee that she failed at getting something from Naomi’s room.  She says Mrs. McDuffie was crying.  Dee says Annabelle is helping Naomi by just being there.  Sophie agrees that Dee is wise.  Akira explains that the cube was hidden in the stone if Naomi would ever return to Earth-29.  Akira warns her about going to Earth-29.  Entering the store is Principal Brooks looking for a birthday gift and Naomi turns to face him.  Very Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!  We later get a dance party with Lourdes and Naomi.  Naomi's "Fallout" has her leaving her parents who try to apologize and tries to say she has always been honest (lie), and find out about more of her alien past.   

Three Discs out of Five!          

#Naomi, #Fallout, #KaciWalfall, #BarryWatson, #MouzamMakkar, #MaryCharlesJones, #RileighEames, #CamilaMoreno, #CranstonJohnson, #AlexanderWraith, #StephanieMarch, #BrianaVenskus