Batman `89 #6 Review!

 Batman `89 that started on October 2021, last issue was released on February of this year, and now we have the conclusion, sorta.  Superman `78 started about the same time, finished in March of this year.  So there is a slight delay of four months plus another issue to reach the final, final conclusion.  It features a movie poster-like cover by Joe Quinones who also provides interior art.  It has the Michael Keaton Batman at the top in shadows, the new Robin on the left above an Aztec-like stone statue, and Barbara Gordon in a yellow sweater holding the Batarang almost like shirt design with a black skirt, it almost seems like she is Batgirl.  Then, we have Two Face flipping a coin which makes it appear that it splits his normal face and distorted form, Catwoman holding out her claws, and then the Batmobile chasing the Batcycle.  

The “Shadows Finale” is by Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones. The beginning is a splash page of Two Face broken with dialogue panels.  Something like Gollum talking to himself.  Harvey Dent/Two Face is asked about his personalities from someone off panel.  The Two Face side seems to ponder the philosophical questions of good and evil.  The Harvey Dent side seems to inspired by the person’s boss and he smiles.  The Two Face half says that good and evil are the same.  Then, we see that it is Batman who is talking to him.  This wasn’t made clear in the previous page, Batman should be more analytical, probing Dent to try to rationalize with him.  Two Face points out his briefcase, he shoots at Batman who brings up his cape, and leaps off.  Then, his ankle is snagged by a batarang.  He sets off his detonator which explodes behind Batman.  

The sound reaches Catwoman, the Michelle Pfeiffer version, and Robin, Drake Winston, the latter of whom notices hundred dollar bills flying past him.  Catwoman says they should just follow the money.  Unconscious, half of Batman’s mask is exposed so Harvey can recognize Bruce Wayne, and he notes that he has two faces.  He is about to take his picture.  Then, he hears Robin’s voice approaching.  They find only the fallen Batman and Catwoman says they should take him to Alfred.  Robin is surprised and as Two Face listens in, Catwoman adds that she also knows he is Drake.   They discuss in the Batmobile about Two Face giving his stolen money to the financially distressed neighborhood of Burnside.  A rob from the rich, a little, and give to the poor, Robin Hood-sort of thing.  They reach the Batcave which amazes Catwoman.  Alfred checks on the injured Bruce Wayne.  

Catwoman is sitting on a chair with a cat and we see distorted images of her to either side.  It appears that Bruce has woken up and Catwoman says he is in heaven.  She brings up his injuries and explains about the bank robbery from the first issue.  We see Catwoman’s eyes as we see panels of several images as she tells him that Lincoln Savings and Loan tried to hide the theft through shady companies.  This leaves little of the government money to communities like Burnside.  Catwoman continues that the evidence showed up at the police station, with a panel of Batman leaping down, and then Two Face now has the evidence in his briefcase.  Also that he had seen Bruce’s face!  

Catwoman helps support him as the walk the mansion.  Bruce says he looked for her for a year, they end up in front of the painting of his parents, a very nice artistic match.  Closeup of Bruce touching Selina Kyle’s face as he asks her if she wants to live a normal life.  They check with Drake as the reporters note that the body of Commissoner Gordon was found. Bruce leaves, off panel?, to call Barbara Gordon with condolensces.  The next day, all of the government officials held to the briefcase’s evidence ask his demands.  He wants to be free of charges.  A criminal in a government office?  I don’t know why he doesn’t get the Shawshank solution.  Also there is Carmine Falcone, the crime boss, who says he runs the city and has good lawyers.  

Two Face flips his coin and then shoots Falcone in a silhouetted panel.  So a crime boss with a deranged villain doesn’t have any protection?  The next panel and page, we have Two Face talking to Jerome Otis at his auto shop, it is a sudden change without a caption.  Jerome asks him about his parcel which Dent says is a half million dollars.  He notes that it is from the Bruce Wayne Foundation.  Two Face says his plan was to give the money back to the people.  Jerome tells him that snipers fired on the marchers.  Then, he is about to make a phone call with his back turned to Two Face?  The villain struggles with the decision flipping his coin.  Drake opens the garage door to find Jerome’s bleeding body and Two Face next to him.  He has left Drake a hundred thousand for saving his life, but Drake drops the bills, and in a red panel threatens to make his Harvey side ugly!  

Two Face runs out and blames Jerome’s death on Drake.  He is given a right cross by Drake and then the crowd pulls him away.  The bandaged Bruce Wayne is told by Alfred that Dent has set up a meeting with him.  Bruce in a wheel chair meets with Two Face in the Batcave, huh?  He asks for Dent’s coin.  Then, Two Face says he owns Batman.  Bruce says that he will never give up against Dent and Two Face has a gun on him.  He gives an alternative to Dent that they have been working together, his face was burned, but he gets surgery to restore his face and therapy.  So they save the city.  He flips Dent the coin.  We see the claws of Catwoman sever the line for the giant coin from the first issue.  The coin flips and we see the giant coin knock Two Face to the edge of a cliff.  Bruce tries to reach out to save Dent from falling, and he asks Catwoman for a cable from the Batmobile.  Two Face takes the cable and says he sees the vision of the new Gotham, but the cable snaps.  

I guess Two Face quietly fell to his death?  Catwoman tells him that she snuck in to thank him and tried to save him with the giant coin.  Bruce is angry saying that he switched the coin, that was obvious, and she gets angry at him.  She shows him the fake coin and leaves him with red collar around a cat.  Bruce discovers that she had a microphone attached to the collar listening in on conversations.  Later, we have Drake freed by Bruce because Dent’s gun was recovered.  At the Wayne Mansion garage, he gives Drake keys, a rusty bicycle turns into a batcycle.  Drake brings up the girl, Nyesha Burroughs, Bruce says there is a trust fund set up for her.  Drake says that his sister upstate could adopt her.  

He is about to leave and says his name will be “The Avenging Eagle”, ok.  There is a letter to Sgt. Barbara Gordon who was missing from this narrative about the evidence including the photo of Bruce Wayne in the Batman suit.  It is written by Catwoman who offers to be her oracle.  This was the identity of Barbara from Suicide Squad #23 (1989).  A fitting ending as we see Robin watch Catwoman leap across a moon.  Still, there is a dream sequence of Bruce with his family, Bruce Jr., Tivali, and Nyesha?, and a wife who is not Selina Kyle.  Then, he is about to see his parents when Alfred makes him up, Bruce flips a coin to see if he will go out, then we see the Batsignal.  The issue has a complex ending that seems to sort everything out, but we have a continuation in Batman #125!  Batman `89 #6 features a continuation of the Tim Burton films into a sort of trilogy, a few confusing panels, and some clever artwork by Quinones!  

Four Batarangs out of Five! 

#Batman89, #ShadowsFinale, #SamHamm, #JoeQuinones, #BruceJr, #Tivali, #Nyesha

Star Wars: Obi-Wan #2 Review!

Star Wars: Obi-Wan #2 takes the Jedi on a mission that is out of another genre and makes them helpless against the threat!  There are peeks of Jedi Obi-Wan at various points of his life before the Disney+ show!  The issue features a Phil Noto cover with Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn and in the background looms a wolf-like creature with red eyes, this is like the Defel seen seen in the cantina lowering his drink and growling.  His species was idenfied in the role-playing game book, Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races (1989) by Troy Denning. “A Shadow Falls on the Padawan is by Christopher Cantwell and new artist for the series, Luke Ross, who previously worked on the Star Wars: Darth Maul 2017 limited series.  

It is some time after we left the older Obi-Wan at his hut with the sandstorm before it is at its strongest.  He is at a desk with the journal, a fusion lantern, and a chest.  He thinks about his final confrontation with Maul, from Star Wars: Rebels, “Twin Suns” (2017).  I like the looking back at the past, but I would still like to see him think back to Satine Kryze, she may not be in the live action series, but this relationship needs closure!  We see the clash of lightsabers, Nolan Woodard’s colors are brilliant!, the blue, night sky surrounding them, and Maul’s saber glaring red pushing back the night!  Obi-Wan had felt the shadows within Maul, the corruption of the Dark Side, but he also has hope that the light can have a chance.  

This is unlike what he thought at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  His reflection has brought him understanding of the Force.  Then, a flashback at the “Codia System, Mid Rim”, the Codian Moon was mentioned in early material.  The event is during the time with Obi-Wan as Padawan to Qui-Gon.  The young readers series, Jedi Apprentice, follows the duo when they first met to apprenticeship.  The first book, was The Rising Force (1999) by Wolverton, Jude Watson wrote the rest of the series.  Highly recommended!  Master and apprentice are aboard a T-6 Jedi shuttle, a torpedo-shaped cockpit between half-disc wings, first seen in the Clone Wars episode, “Children of the Force” (2009). They discuss that Codian’s second moon is said to be completely dark.  

Qui-Gon tells his apprentice that they will discover why it is in darkness when they arrive. Instead, he tells Obi-Wan to focus on their rescue mission since the Republic had a distress message from the moon.  They land on the dark and grey moon, but have no communication.  They wear green night-vision goggles.  Obi-Wan senses that it is something blocking the light.  He is in wonder at this mystery, but Qui-Gon tells him to focus on their  mission.  They enter a building and both sense fear.  The eerie outpost exploration seems like something out of Aliens (1986).  Obi-Wan touches some blood from the wall.  Qui-Gon has them activate their lightsabers and Obi-Wan notes that the blades are dimmer.  Then, a scream is heard and they find a miner slumped against a wall, he mumbles something about madness.  

Obi-Wan reflects that the other forest moon has reeks, the bullish creature with a horn from Attack of the Clones (2002).  They deactivate their sabers and Qui-Gon notes that diamonds from the other moon are missing.  Obi-Wan checks on the wounded man, but he dies.  Qui-Gon takes note, but turns his attention to the survivors and wants to activate the outpost’s power core.  It has been damaged and Obi-Wan says that there are strange radiation levels.  They hear a roar and ignite their lightsabers which are weaker now.  The Jedi head down stairs, Obi-Wan collides with some running form, Qui-Gon has detected that the person had anger and confusion.  They hear a cry for help, Qui-Gon sends his apprentice to find the shadowy presence while he goes to help the miners.  

Obi-Wan hears growling and then sees with his night vision goggles in a splash page with insert panels, the Defel turned savage, the ripped shirt reminds me of the classic Universal monster movies!  I love the horror genre touches while still maintaining Star Wars in the story.  Obi-Wan gives a warning, but cannot find the wolfman in the darkness, but is slammed against the floor and slashed in the face!  He takes off his goggle and then concentrates, right out of Qui-Gon in his The Phantom Menace (1999) duel.  Then, Obi-Wan unleashes a kick that batters the Defel!  Obi-Wan runs up with an older man who he explains is a thief who sabotaged the power and tried to steal the diamonds.  The thief explains they used a “non-incendiary protonic charge” and Obi-Wan says a burst of it would cause the radiation from the power core.  

Qui-Gon then explains that this would cause the extinguish the “entire light spectrum” and Obi-Wan says this could affect the atmosphere and last for eons!  He also explains that he felt pain from the Defel.  Obi-Wan says they should not use lightsabers because the darkness might affect their kyber crystals!  I really like the Jedi without their usual weapons and powers, they have to be resourceful without them.  They find the thieves with diamonds are killed. The Jedi have to dodge out of the way of blasterfire.  Qui-Gon Force pulls the blaster and then they see the Gran miner, the goat-like alien with three eyes from Return of the Jedi (1983). He tells them that the thieves killed six of the miners and then they in turn were killed by claws!  Obi-Wan tells about his encounter, we get an expression in Gran from the miner, love it, and he says that Rosack Denahst was one of the miners and a Defel.  Some how they have to restore Rosack without their lightsabers and stop the radiation threat!  Star Wars: Obi-Wan #2 is filled with a horror movie setting, creature (kinda), and a standout Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan adventure! 

Five Lightsabers out of Five! 

#StarWars, #ObiWan, #QuiGon, #ChristopherCantwell, #LukeRoss, #CodianMoon, #Defel, #RosackDenahst  

Re:tro Re:view - Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zendar 3!

 Flashback to the last issue, we have found Victory Harben transported to the distant world, Zendar, and struggling with the Ki-vaa, greenish humanoids, including Tii-Laa, against the brutal Keelars!  They have entered the Keelar Royal Palace, Victory has bluffed her way as the One From Above, an “emissary of the Numenous Ones.”  This emissary was thought to be from the planet Banos, counter-clockwise from Zendar, one planet away.  The Keelar ruler has Victory escorted to “The Gift.”  This machine drains the Go-Vass, term for a Ki-Vaa prisoner, of life.  This is something Victory has seen before!, and Tii-Laa has defeated several Keelars.  The leader then has Frozahs, dog-like creatures with spiked heads and vulture-like claws, unleashed on her!  We now return to Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zendar!   

The issue continues with the team of writer, Mike Wolfer, story from Christopher Paul Carey, and art by Alessandro Ranaldi who also provides the cover.  This has Victory Harben’s troubled face with the insert of “The Gift” vaporizing a victim!  Victory tries to explain that Tii-Laa is surrounded by the vicious Frozahs!  We get a thrilling worm’s eye view of the Frozah leaping as Tii-Laa has her fist clenched!  Her uppercut snaps the Frozah’s neck!  Then, two Frozahs attack from either side, but she grabs both by the neck.  Her tiny horns turn into long, curved, almost demonic horns!  Tii-Laa tosses them at the Keelar guards!  Next, she catches another Frozah by the neck.  A Keelar mentions that the Frozah’s venom is deadly.  Tii-Laa is too close for Victory to use her probability gun so she sends in Hucklebuck.  This is her tiny, squirrel-sized companion with a white coat and tail.  It shifts to a larger, bear-sized form and smashes into a Frozah.  

The Frozah gripped by Tii-Laa is killed by her claw.  The battle is savage, so not for younger readers!  Hucklebuck is bitten by the Frozah and it is slammed down!  Victory’s gun is taken by the Keelar leader.  Victory runs to look at Hucklebuck’s wound.  Tii-Laa says that the Frozah poison will instantly kill her companion.  Victory says though that Hucklebuck can keep him alive at his large form.  Then, they find Keelars with spears surround them!  Victory just notices that Tii-Laa’s horns have changed, a clever panel of Victory showing the horns with her pointed fingers on her head.  This makes Tii-Laa ashamed, but Victory accepts her.  The Keelar leader wants his guards to attack.  Tii-Laa explains to Victory she can longer be a part of her people.  Before Tii-Laa can explain what she is with her transformation, Victory leaps into battle.  

She notes, in captions, that she fought in the prehistoric, Hollow Earth world of Pellucidar.  Victory flies into a kick to a Keelar, lands with a leg sweep, and then bashes a Keelar with a spear!  Hucklebuck is also still in the fight, slashing a Keelar’s sword.  They are joined by Tii-Laa’s leap and then kick in a split hitting two Keelars!  The leader orders them to be taken prisoner.  Keelars whirl hook edged ropes and restrain all of the combatants.  A Keelar holds up a bound Victory, and smiles at winning the battle, Keelars are monstrous, but his fanged smile and black eyes is goofy fun!  Closeup as we see the imprisoned Victory say it isn’t over.  We see the Keelar elder, Korvakos, surprised at his guard’s failure.  The elder has a white beard, which is surprising since we saw that the Keelars are basically hairless, just hides like a Rancor, but they could shave or something as warriors. 

Also, he wears a blue cloak.   Victory tries to explain to Korvakos that she is from beyond Zendar from Earth.  The king only knows the eleven planets in the Olmos system so doesn’t believe there is an Earth.  Victory tries to explain their intention to save the Go-Vaas, but Korvakos mocks her since they were intended to be “harvested.”  A closeup of his face with black orb, small, gaping nose, and fanged teeth looks skeletal!  Korvakos says they are being harvested for royal Keelar skin color from Kii-Laas, yeek!  This is the blue of his cloak!  Their life force is collected for Banos.  In turn, the Ones From Above protect Zandar from Klo-Vaa-Zoh, “the land of terrible fires.”  Hucklebuck has a musical roar, but the king and his guards just leave.  Victory sees the only way to escape is a small, pyramid hole bringing in sunlight, Hucklebuck speaks in his sad, musical tones.  

The sorrow in Victory’s face half in shadow is brilliant.  Hucklebuck then starts to his tiny form!  We also see splatters of the green Frozah poison next to him. Victory understands that Hucklebuck’s subatomic structure rejected the poison!  Hucklebuck sniffs Tii-Laa’s foot and then leaps off of Victory to reach the edge of opening.  It zips across the building, we see Ki-vaa prisoners at tables behind bars, and Hucklebuck pokes his head down.  I hope American Mythology or ERB make a Hucklebuck stuffie.  It zips to each prisoner cell and then bounces down a building to reach a street.  At an alley Hucklebuck starts whistling at a hooded stranger!  Beyond the Farthest Star: Warriors of Zendar #3 contains the perilous, pulp adventures, impressive, expressions and action, plus the detailed world building that is classic Edgar Rice Burroughs!       

Four Gridley Waves out of Five!  

#BeyondTheFarthestStar, #WarriorsOfZendar, #MikeWiolfer, #ChristopherPaulCarey, #AlessandroRanaldi, #VictoryHarben, #TiiLaa, #Hucklebuck, #Korvakos  

Re:tro Re:view - Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #3!

Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #3 leads to another mystery in an ancient setting which has Bettie, Sofia, and Young-Ja following clues to the alien stockpile!  When we last left model and paranormal investigator, Bettie Page, her team was at the Pyramid of Djoser where she uncovered a clue leading to Greece!  The variant cover features the issue’s writer, Ani Mia, in jungle bikini!  The regular cover by Joseph Michael Linser, has Bettie in front of ruins at sunset!  This thrilling adventure is by the creative duo of Ani-Mia and artist, Celor!  We return to Bettie Page looking out the airplane window at the lights from “Crete, Greece”!  Her team member, Young-Ja is asleep in her seat.  Over breakfast at a hotel in the morning.  Bettie tells Sofia that she knows where to begin the search.  Young-Ja has regained her appetite.  They reach a stone disk on a wall which Sofia notes is like the Disk of Phaistos.  

There are a number of ruins in Greece; The Palace of Knossos, Malia Palace, and Apollonia amoung many others.  Sofia notices something strange about the center and Bettie pushes it to eject a hexagonal stone with a flower pattern!  There is writing on the back, Young-Ja translates it as, “Start at the center, find us to enter, enter to find us.”  The mysterious aliens have written in modern Greek!  A recent clue?  We see a full page from their book of the disk with two insert panels.  Sofia notes they have to push three stones in the circular maze pattern.  This is Young-Ja’s specialty.  I like the working out of clues in this mystery.  The center stone was pushed, Young-Ja works out “us” in the riddle may mean the two figures on the upper right of the disc.  This reveals a set of stairs underneath the disc!  Sofia notes that they should take the center stone.  

They enter a massive room that contains a gold sphinx statue with an Egyptian headdress.  Young-Ja touches the paw of the sphinx and suddenly, it roars!  Then, of course it poses a riddle with three guesses to pass into a gate.  It speaks about a vessel that goes to the stars, “your heart”, and can last or is temporary.  Sofia guesses aorta, but the sphinx sends red blasts at them!  The trio works out the answer and then Young-Ja guesses friendship.  There is another zap and then Sofia asks Young-Ja what is the word for friendship in ancient Greek.  She replies and then the sphinx’s eyes glow blue, it sends out lasers from its eyes to carve out a passageway.  It explodes and then they continue on.  In the dark passage, they carry lanterns to light their way, Young-Ja’s stomach grumbles, but she has brought along four boxes of souvlaki from her backpack.  

Sofia asks Bettie why she is on the adventure.  She replies she is compelled by the mystery.  Sofia answers that she wants to make a discovery to stand out at her school.  Nice character moments.  Young-Ja notes they have been walking for two hours and will reach the coastline in an hour.  There is a nice establishing shot as the ladies continue on and we see them walk further as the darkness surrounds them.  Later, Young-Ja thinks they are under the Aegan Sea.  They reach a semi-circular mural of a red haired woman offering a turtle some leaves.  This is above another room with chess-like tiles and a glowing pedestal at the end!  Flashbacks to Dragon’s Lair (1986) arcade game with the black knight at the end. They take the first step and feel sick from acceleration.  Young-Ja gets sick, but then they continue again.  There are still tiles in this blank walled room.  

Sofia works out the mural was a clue and says it is Zeno’s paradox, motion is an illusion. 

They return back to the beginning and split up to find clues.  Bettie finds an opening in a wall.  Sofia works out the flower in the mural and Bettie places the sigil stone into the opening.  It crackles and the tiles are gone with only the gold pedestal there.  Another clue leads to the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico.  A second pyramid that may contain  the alien stockpile that is the McGuffin of the story!  Another counter-clockwise world journey awaits in the next chapter!  The alien mysteries hidden in the ancient past are tackled by Bettie and friends in this perilous installment of Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda #3!    

Four Flying Saucers out of Five! 

#BettiePageTheAlienAgenda, #AniMia, #Celor, #JosephMichaelLinser, #DiskOfPhaistos, #AegeanSea, #ZenosParadox, #PyramidOfTheSun 

Ms. Marvel, “Seeing Red”, Review!

Ms. Marvel travels to Pakistan with her mother to find some answers and encounters a new organization that could help or harm her!  “Destiny” re:run - Kamala has discovered that Kamran, his mother, and others are Clan Destine, the Djinn of her childhood fears!  Then, we get the wedding of her brother, Aamir and Tyesha.  Bruno and Nakia are also there.  All of the Clan Destine break up the wedding to force Kamala to return them to the Noor dimension!  Kamran tries to warn Kamala.  Najima throws a punch, but Kamala blocks it with her shield.  Saleem’s punch sends Kamala sliding across the floor.  There are kicks thrown, but Kamala dodges and uses her shields to move.  The Clan Destine search for Kamala in the kitchen, tense music, the hide and seek hunt reminds me of Jurassic Park (1993).  Nakia in the crowd outside decides to leave.  

Najima turns off the kitchen lights.  Attacking someone that they expect to help them just doesn’t make sense.  Aadam strikes Kamala who slides back to the reception floor, but she has formed some powered, crystal armor!  The Clan Destine take out weapons and attack Kamala, but she is able to deflect them with her shields.  Saleem who has his whip is about to attack Kamala and is struck by presents thrown by Bruno.  Then, he is hit by Saleem’s whip!  Saleem moves in, but is struck by Kamala’s crystal fist!  She sweeps a number of them with her fist. Kamran has his own whip that he uses to battle Saleem.  Kamala takes away Bruno.  Aadam finds Kamala and Bruno coming down the stairs.  Kamran falls from glass partition on the upper floor!  They are surrounded by Clan Destine.  Kamala’s bangle activates and it is also held by Najima.  There is a vision of a train from Karachi.  

Aadam is knocked by a Damage Control security officer.  The others are taken down by sonic rifles.  Agent Deever walks in as the Clan Destine including Kamran are taken away.  Kamala and Bruno manage to slip away and she uses her power to seal the door.  Which is seen by Nakia!  She is stunned that Kamala is the superpowered girl.  Kamala runs away as Nakia helps Bruno. Kamala has a number of questions from Muneeba and Yusuf who are worried about her.  She is unable to explain herself.  In bed, Kamala gets a call from her Nani, Sana, who wants Kamala to go to Karachi with her mother.  Nani asks her if she saw the train because she has also seen it!  This is Aisha?  “Seeing Red” starts with the night skies over a city, Muneeba is in the plane, and next to a passenger is Kamala.  Her mother was to ground her for years for the wedding disturbance, but calls a truce since Nani asked for them to come to Pakistan.  

Kamala gets a text from Nakia who wants to apologize, but she doesn’t answer her.  They reach the Karachi Airport, Kamala is happy at the sights, and they are greeted by Kamala’s cousins, Zainab (Verdah Aziz) and Owais (Asfandyar Khan).  Then, Nani sees Kamala, what a welcome to see her grandmother.  Kamala says it is the middle of the night, but Nani says she was just at a party!  Muneeba hugs her mother who is concerned about her skin and she doesn’t realize she is critizing Kamala the same way?  On the drive, Kamala loves the city, no imagining things in as the sign says, “Karachi - The City of Lights.”  Like Noor?  In the morning, they reach a gated house.  Kamala is excited to see the golden retriever, Magnum, and wonders about the size of the house. She enters her room, filled with paintings, made by Nani.  Kamala is shown by Nani a photo of her as a child with Hasan Nana.  Then, Nani shows a painting of Aisha.  Kamala takes the bangle from her backpack wondering why Nani sent it to her.  

She explains that it was last used during Partition, the story of how she was lost, and a “trail of stars” led her to Nani’s father on the train.  Kamala asks if it is the same train from the vision.  She has flashbacks hearing voices of Nakia, Najima, and then Nani who says, “Find the train.”  Kamala is wakened by her cousins.  They are there to take her to lunch at the boating club. Her mother wants her not to be weird.  Owais jokes to her about her “flying teddy bear”, the sloth Kamala calls her napping pillow.  The boating club is fancy, but the AC has broken.  Kamala is under dressed with her yellow New Jersey Avengerscon shirt.  Aunt Rukhsana sees Muneeba who introduces her to Kamala.  Zainab leads Kamala and Owais on a tour through the city using her cell phone, but the app is frozen.  Owais tells Kamala she is like an ABCD, he tells her it means American Born Confused Desi, but his cousin is familiar with the term.  Kamala wants to go to the train station, but her cousins leave her.  Kamala reaches the Karachi Station and goes to a closed section.  

Then, Kamala puts on her superhero mask!  Her attention is drawn to a sign, “You can start small and still be larger than life” when a dagger strikes it!  It said that it was designed after Adrian Alphona, the artist of the Ms. Marvel comic.  A man in a red face scarf (Aramis Knight) drops down!  He says he detected the Noor.  Kamala sends out a crystal column that he runs down.  She uses her crystal shields to block his attacks.  He says she is not Clan Destine and wonders how she got the bangle from Aisha.  The red scarf man takes her to a restaurant, she still has the mask on, and picks up a to-go bag before going to the kitchen.  He moves a section of the kitchen to open an hidden wall, very James Bond.  Kamala is told he is part of the Red Daggers which she asks if they are a Pakistani boy band, funny!   Kareem leads her down corridors to a large room.  Kamala takes off her mask when he lowers his red scarf.  

They are met Waleed (Farhan Akhtar) who is interested in the descendant of Aisha.  Later, Kamala is sipping at sweet and sour soup with the other man.  Kamala asks about the Djinn.  Waleed shows Kamala a world map and then activates the blue superimposed map of the other world.  Next, a projection of the world, Waleed explains, is hidden by the Veil of the Clan Destines.  If it is taken down, then Noor will overwhelm the world!  Waleed sees Kamala’s bangle and reads the words on it which says, “What you seek is seeking you.”  This shifts to the D.O.D.C. Supermax Prison at night.  This is a new facility not in Marvel Comics.  Hexagonal in shape with spokes leading to a central building.  Guards are leading Kamran and the others with their arms chained overhead.  A guard shocks Kamran with a baton.  Najima screams at guard.  This is a distraction so Fariha has lifted up with her chains to wrap her legs around the guard choking him!  

Aadam takes down a guard, but he is hit with the sonic rifle.  Najima flips up with her legs to pull off her chains.  Fariha finds the keys on a guard to unlock the chains.  Najima moves to the corner as a guard brings out his rifle.  Then, turns it on him!  Kamran is carried and the Clan Destine have out their weapons. Najima orders her son to be left behind because of his betrayal!  Kamala walks up to the roof to find Nani looking out at the setting sun.  Nani asks her what she has discovered and then says she is still trying to understand herself.  Kamala gets a text message from her new friend, the text is formed by kites(!) asking if she is free.  She walks with her friend from the night streets to the bonfire on the river bank.  His nickname is called out and he says it is really Kareem.  Kamala says her name is Sloth Baby!  They give her biryani which is in a bag, new for her, but she loves it!  The Red Daggers are new allies for Kamala?  “Seeing Red” returns Kamala to a world almost familiar and new with some help from the Red Daggers!        

Four Bangles out of Five! 

#MsMarvel, #TurningRed, #ImanVellani, #MattLintz, #RishShah, #YasmeenFletcher, #ZenobiaShroff, #AramisKnight, #FarhanAkhtar, #NimraBucha, #AdukaOnonogbo, #DanCarter, #AliAlsaleh, #AlysiaReiner  

RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) Review!

 RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) explodes like a movie sensation! It is a part historical epic, intense, superheroic, action film, mythological, dramatic, comedy, romance with the finest dancing and singing necessary for a Tollywood movie. The film was originally in the Telugu language and the popular Tollywood films from South Eastern India. S.S. Rajamouli is the film’s director and screenwriter. His first film in the Baahubali films started with Baahubali: The Beginning (2015).  V. Vijayendra Prasad provided the story and also with Rajamouli on Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.  

There is a disclaimer at the beginning that the setting of “pre-independent India” is true all of the rest is largely fictional. The second one notes that no animals were harmed in the filming and that they were all computer-generated. The Netflix showing has all of the thanks and companies and then some dedications. The credits resolve to the three R’s surrounded by clouds of fire and water going to “The Story.” We see a misty forest, “Adilabad Forest”, India, 1920, and then a line of cars next to a hut. The villagers and British soldiers watch as we see Catherine (Alison Doody), she is known for playing Elsa Schneider in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), here she is more ruthless.  

There is a young girl, Malli (Twinkle Sharma), singing and making a mehndi design on Catherine’s hand with a peacock feather. This is also watched by Edward (Edward Sonnenblick). Malli calls over her mother, Loki (Ahmareen Anjum), and ends her song. Then, dogs are heard barking. Several bloody deers are carried to the village and behind the porters is the Governor Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson), riding on his horse with his rifle. Stevenson played Volstagg in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), he has a brutal rule over the population. Catherine brings Malli to the governor and then asks her husband that she wants the “little package” at their home. Govenor Scott has Edward throw two coins at the family.  

Loki is told it for the apprecation of her daughter’s song and picks them up. Catherine takes away Malli and Loki realizes that the coins were for her daughter! She runs up to the car and pleads for Malli. A sergeant is about to shoot Loki in the head when Govenor Buxton tells him that the cost of a bullet is too much for an Indian woman, the racism is intense. The sergeant instead picks up a tree branch and bashes the head of Loki!  Malli watches as the car passes the bloody Loki with coins in her hand. Then the “R” turns to “The Fire” title card.  We then see hills and crowds of people on the “Outskirts of Delhi” at the Anangpur Police Outpost. They are rioting for the capture of their leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, while the soldiers stand quietly at attention.  

An effigy is set aflame. An officer, DSP Philip Green (Richard Bhakti Klein) is on the phone asking for reinforcements. The barbed wire fences are rocked forward by the crowd. The Indian police officers fall down except one, Alluri Rama Raju (Ram Charan). A man in a red turban throws a rock that shatters a photo, the commanding officer orders his arrest. Ram drops his hat and then runs forward with his long baton. He leaps off a barrel over the fence and then in slo mo, starts battering the crowd! The people mob him, strikes him repeatedly, and the man is confident. Ram is struck in the head with a rock and gang piled by the crowd. He starts breaking hands, slams the baton on feet, and crawls towards his target.  

The red-turbaned man starts to run until he reaches a cliff. Ram notices a cattle pen and runs through it to leap on a wooden tower. It starts to break under the weight of the men trying to scale it and then Ram leaps to the cliff. He is surrounded by men, but pushes the group back to the edge of the cliff! The men in front fall, crack their heads and bodies against the rocky cliff.  Ram pushes several men with him off the cliff using their bodies to cushion the impacts! He grabs red turban and begins using his baton to hit the men, clearing a way to the station. Ram is gang piled again and manages to kick down the burning effigy!  He kicks the rest of the debris on fire towards the crowd. A gate is opened, red turban man and Ram, enter. He grunts and stumbles his way to water buckets marked “Fire”, and splashes himself a few times. 

 

Ram grabs his baton and the crowd disperses under his baleful stare taking their wounded! At the special officer’s ceremony at the “British Barracks, Delhi”, three candidates are chosen, only British officers leaving Ram alone. Later, he takes his rage out at the punching bag, striking a hole in it! Then, we get “The Water.” In his office, Edward is met by Venkat Avadhani (Rajeev Kanakala), advisor to the Nizam. He is told about Governor Scott taking the little girl and their police department suggests that the girl be returned. Venkat explains that the Gond people are peaceful, but they have a protector. A shepherd that will not stop until the little lamb is returned to the herd and he is going to Delhi. Then, we get the “Forest Outside Delhi.” We see a man down to his shorts, the shot turns from his reflection to him, as he pours a bowl of blood on his head. Beautiful cinematography by K.K. Senthil Kumar. He worked with Rajamouli on the Baahubali movies.  

This is the introduction of Bheem (NT. Rama Rao Jr.), man of the jungle, innocent to the ways of the city. Yes, I’m thinking Tarzan. Men in trees have set a trap and call out to Bheem. Through the foliage, is a growling.  Bheem sees the wolf emerge and starts to run. The wolf chases after him. He swings on a vine and then sees a large pawprint. A tiger is moving in the tall grass!  It leaps at him, Bheem angles his body away, and the wolf collides with the tiger. Bheem starts to run as the tiger chases away the wolf. He slides on the forest floor holding up the sharp edge of a tree branch.  The tiger shatters it and is thrown backwards! Bheem leaps past a pile of leaves and scrambles backwards as the rope trap pulls up the tiger! He sees the links holding the rope trap and grabs for them as the tiger claws him! Bheem leaps and dodges the tiger as he brings the links together. The tiger is dragged back, then the ropes snap, it is free!  Bheem gets a bowl from one of his helpers and throws it shattering a green powder on the tiger’s face.  

He lifts up the tiger(!) as it claws his back, and then collapses from the sleeping powder.  Bheem apologizes to the tiger saying he needs him for a purpose.  They have been searching Delhi for six months.  Bheem puts on a white cap, long shirt, and pants to enter the city.  He is working at a repair shop when a British officer, Robert, thinks his motorcycle doesn’t work.  When Bheem easily starts it with the proper setting, Robert’s girlfriend laughs, and in turn he starts lashing Bheem.  He has taken the beating to hide his identity and protect the others sheltering him.  At police headquarters, Edward debriefs the assembled officers, and they agree to find the hunter.  Edward also says they have no file on him.  Catherine announces that if he is caught, the person will be promoted to special officer.  Ram volunteers.  He later tells an aide that he will infiltrate the groups to find the target.  Outside of the governor’s mansion, a soldier is checking the clay identification badge, Baheem watches this security check.  

The officer starts to beat the man, Baheem is about to interfere, but a British woman, Jenny (Olivia Morris), stops the officer.  Baheem is stunned at her kindness and beauty.  Jenny drives into the mansion gates. He tells the others that she might be the way to get inside the mansion.  At a revolutionary meeting, Ram says they should just go after the governor.  Lacchu (Rahul Ramakrishna), an ally of Baheem, thinks that Ram could help them. He leads Ram to a check point. An officer takes his i.d. and salutes him so Lacchu starts to run. Ram chases after him, but loses him in a crowded street a la Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  This pans up the Yamuna River and past a bridge. Ram uses the bridge as a vantage point to find Lacchu. Pan across the bridge to a pylon, Bheem gives a boy coins to catch a fish.  

Lacchu runs up to Bheem and tells him he was chased by a policeman.  We cut between Bheem and Ram, both men dedicated to their missions.  A train leaking fuel is traveling underneath the bridge.  The conductor reaches a stopping point and sparks from the brakes ignite the fuel!  The boy, fishing in a thatched bowl, watches the burning train fall.  It explodes sending the boy into the water.  Bheem wants to help and Ram gestures for him to get to the bridge.  Bheem jumps on a motorcycle as Ram gets some rope from a cart.  Ram mounts a horse and rides it with the rope behind him.  They ride towards each other, Ram picks up the Vande Mataram, meaning "I praise to motherland, Mother", flag, they turn and then leap off the bridge! Ram drags the flag across the water, Bheem grabs the boy's arm, and then throws the boy to Ram.

  

He is also thrown the flag.  Ram drops off the boy to the river bank, swings back, and Bheem emerges from the flames wrapped in the flag.  They reach out for each other’s arms, a symbol of the movie!  Ram says his name is Raju and Bheem says he is Akhtar.  We see the movie’s title(!) and then a song of friendship between a volcano and a storm!  Later, we see Jennifer (Olivia Morris) whom Bheem falls for her kindness and beauty.  It's a bit awkward and a little funny since Bheem can't understand English, it is a Tarzan and Jane situation.  She is also the innocent niece of Governor Scott and his key to finding Malli.  Plus she is part of the best song and dance scene in the movie for "Naatu Naatu"!   We also see Ram’s wife, Sita (Alia Bhatt), she has a half-moon shaped necklace. This is just the beginning of RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) which is an epic, fictional history movie that is also mythical with stunning action, visual spectacle enhanced with CGI, drama, comedy, and romance and memorable music including some Tollywood song and dance numbers! 

Five Half-Moon Necklaces out of Five!      

#RRRMovie, #SSRajamouli, #RamCharan, #NTRamaRaoJr, #AliaBhatt, #TwinkleSharma, #OliviaMorris, #RayStevenson, #AlisonDoody, #EdwardSoonenBlick