Star Wars: Resistance, “A Quick Salvage Run”, Review!

The traitor, Tam, is in her TIE fighter suit, hearing other pilots talk as she reaches for her comlink with the message from Kaz apologizing.  Ruckin overhears the message and wants her to turn it in.  At the cantina, Kaz notes the pirates causing chaos to Neeku and Synara, a friend who is a pirate, he tries to order a drink, but supplies are running low.  Synara is worried about his trust in Tam.  Kaz goes to the command deck to check on a transmission.  It is his father on hologram!  He mentions he is going to meet with the Resistance on D’Qar.  The transmission is cut off.  4D reports that they are reaching D`Qar.  Commander Pyre and Major Tierney get Kaz’s comlink from Tam.  At the Colossus Base, they see the aftermath of a battle.  Destroyed TIE fighters and a burning swatch at the former base.  Kaz tries to contact Commander Dameron or General Organa.  There is no Resistance base!  We have caught up with Last Jedi.    

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “A Quick Salvage Run” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

The Colossus Base passes the wreckage.  Captain Doza recommends a jump.  Neeku mentions the need for coaxium.  Kaz volunteers the pirates as a salvage team.  Captain Kragan, the pirate, laughs at Kaz’s suggestion.  Synara brings up the weapons.  An officer reports to Commander Pyre about the signal at D’Qar.  They head there.  A stormtrooper announces to Tam that Major Tierney and Commander Pyre are there.  Tierney notes how Kaz’s transmission would anger her, Agent DT-533.  The pirate ship launches from the bay to head over to the First Order Dreadnought.  The pirates with Kaz, Neeku, and CB-23, explore the ship.  A Trandoshan notes that he found the coaxium.  The engine room sparks as Neeku checks a remaining canister of coaxium, but it is sealed there.  The Star Destroyer jumps to D`Qar.  Captain Doza informs Kaz’s team.  A First Order officer notes that a scan has detected Captain Kragan’s ship.  Kierney suggests a TIE battalion to check out the ship.  Captain Doza sends out the Ace Squadron to take on the First Order.  It seems like a stretch that Torra works as a pilot and on the command deck.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “A Quick Salvage Run” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

CB-23 tries to free the coaxium.  Captain Kragan tries to pull it free.  It starts to roll free, but Kaz manages to grab hold of it.  The pirates are taking whatever is not sealed.  Prye has the Star Destroyer open fire on the Dreadnought.  Kaz says that they have the coaxium to Torra.  She orders a retreat for the Aces.  TIE fighters disable the pirate ship’s engines.  Captain Kragan has Synara fire the cannons.  The ship is spinning, but manages to land in the Colossus Base’s bay.  Kaz and Neeku bring the coaxium to the engine room.  Neeku opens the casing of the coaxium.  Torra and the Aces crash land into the Colossus’ landing bay.  Neeku carefully replaces the coaxium.  4D reports that shields are failing.  Neeku finally loads the coaxium as shields collapse.  This is how coaxium works?  An energy column gives power to the hyperdrive engines.  Commander Pyre  reports that the loss is temporary.  Agent Tierney asks DT-533 to put on her helmet.   Synara is suspicious that the First Order tracked them down and thinks about Kaz’s message to the traitor.  Some logic leaps here, but while the action is good, it is very Battlestar Galactica, but a bit more compact than Last Jedi.  

Three Lightsabers out of Five!   

#StarWarsResistance, #AQuickSalvageRun, #Coaxium, #AceSquadron 

Batwoman, “The Rabbit Hole”, Review!

Gotham does not have a Batman.  Missing for three years.  A woman is terrorizing the city defended by the military.  It flashes back to 15 years ago, the missing sister of Kate, Beth.  Presently, Jacob is debriefing the Crows in finding Alice.  Crows search a room and Alice’s gang destroys a truck.  The gang members are taken down by Batwoman.  She is shot by one of them, but her armor protects her.  She rides her motorcycle to the Batcave into an elevator.  Kate removes her mask and is met by Luke.  Kate is on a search for Beth.  Vesper Fairchild broadcasts about Batman.  At a family dinner, Kate is with Mary, her stepmother, and her father.  Kate reveals that her sister is Alice.  She says the knife had the same stone as Beth’s birthstone.  Alice pours tea for a kidnapped people.  She wants to go after Commander Kane.  Alice has forgotten about her knife.  She kisses a henchman, Chuck Dodson (Brendon Zub), and wants revenge for her father giving up the search.  Charles Dodson is of course the real name of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland.   

BATWOMAN -- “The Rabbit Hole” -- RUBY ROSE, RACHEL SKARSTEN -- Katie Yu/The CW.  

Alice's knife is in a bag analyzed by Kate in the Batcave.  Flashback, young Kate screams out Beth’s name and is consoled by her father in an office to get her call.  Luke walks up and mentions DNA samples.  He acts as a Q showing the Batman’s equipment.  Kate says he sounds like his father, Lucius.  Kate meets with Sophie at her office.  She suspects Kate is Batman.  Kate says she isn’t Batman and jokes that she would be Wonder Woman.  At the garage, Kate gives the knife to Sophie to check for DNA.  Sophie gives the knife back to Kate.  A van speeds past them and Aice’s gang is there to get Alice’s possesion, they fight in the smoke, and escape in the van when  uses her gun.  Jacob is angry at the attack.  He mentions the attempted bombing at Robinson Park (this of course refers to one of the Batman creators, Jerry Robinson).  Kate goes to Mary’s clinic at Bennett Ave.  A patient was bleeding and Mary took out from him a Batarang.  Kate pulls up the patient and says a message for Alice, “From Kate Kane, waffles.”  The Crows are watching video on Dodson Avenue.  I wonder if Batman villain, Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, will show up.  Jacob sends the Crows to a location.  Kate calls Sophie and mentions the waffles.  She needs Sophie to give her time.  I wonder about the name of Alice's henchmen, Vesper Fairchild mentions Alice and the Wonderland gang, are they are the Wonderland gang? 

Luke sees a console activate at the Batcave.  There is a signal, he sees the computer target a location.  Kate drives her motorcycle to a park.  Flashback to her father bringing food to Kate in the morning.  He has given up on the search for Beth after months.  Kate blames herself for the loss of Beth who fell from the car accident.  She stares at the park table.  Crows break into the house and see the dead people who were kidnapped.  Jacob tells Sophie it was his former house.  Alice/Beth confronts her sister on a swing.  On the swing, Alice faces Kate, who mentions her knife was tested for DNA.  Alice proves that she is her sister by showing up at the park.  Then, brings up that the press knew about the park too.  Is she playing mind games?  Sophie covers the body, later it is explained that they were the owners of the house, and reports to Jacob that they are at the park.  Kate brings up the crash.  Alice brings up how she survived.  Kate gets a call from Mary.  Alice asks Kate when she slept through the night.  Kate says she hasn’t and says she wanted to be there with her sister.  Alice cuts her hand and gets a Crow targeting laser.  Love the meeting of Kate with Alice, this sets up without superhero fighting, the question of Kate's missing sister.  

BATWOMAN -- “The Rabbit Hole” --  DOUGRAY SCOTT -- Katie Yu/The CW.  

Kate puts herself in front of Alice.  Jacob wants his daughter to get away.  Kate says killing Alice will cause him to lost both daughters.  Jacob orders Alice to be taken to Arkham Asylum.  Kate feels betrayed by Sophie.  Alice is angry at Kate.  Mary is on the phone and the power goes out!  Chuck Dodson chokes Mary, but she stabs him and escapes.  Mary hides in a room that she blocks with a cabinet.  Chuck uses an axe to cut into the room.  He is pulled back and knocked out.  Mary looks up to see Batwoman watching the report on Alice being moved to Arkham.  The bridge explodes stopping the van.  In some respects, Kate is everywhere to tie in all of the cast, this is almost forced.  The police car burns as Batwoman races to the site on her motorcycle.  Luke mentions that she is five minutes away.  The van is in the river, a repeat of teh accident, Alice floats there and is pulled away by Batwoman who gives her a ventilator.  Alice wakens.  Police fire down and the van explodes sending the two away.  Luke calls for Kate, but Batwoman is unconscious on the shore.  A dog barks at Batwoman.  Luke uses the controls to shock her suit.  The police do not find her of course.  There are further complications for Kate, her search for Beth, and her step-family.  Could it be that Alice, or whoever she works for, took Beth’s body to get at Jacob and maybe arranged the accident?  We get Batwoman in her full uniform and red hair next episode!  

Three Batarangs out of Five! 

#Batwoman, #TheRabbitHole, #BrendonZub

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #1 Review!

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is currently streaming on Netflix. I have started the first few episodes, but not streamed all of them. Now there is the Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance limited series from Archaia which will run twelve issues! It is a part of Boom Studios! which published several Dark Crystal series. The comic book is written by Nicole Adelfinger who has previously co-written Lumberjanes: A Midsumer Night’s Scheme for Boom! 

The story is by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the writers and executive producers of the Netflix series. Matias Basla provides the art.  The first issue features a connective cover by Kelly and Nicole Matthews. They were the artists on the Power of Dark Crystal series for Boom! The cover looks like a crystal fresco that looks like the fresco showing the history in Dark Crystal (1982). It begins before the Age of Resistance, a prequel, set in Stone-in-the-Wood. The Gelfling warrior clan.  

It is a walled village nestled in some hills. A swarm of spider-like Spitters, called Arathim, attack the village. They seem to merge into some babbling mass which need to feed and reach the “Home Hearth.” A Gelfling hopes to warn Maudra Vala. He sees the flames? feflected in his eye with an extreme close-up and this shifts to a spearhead. The art is slightly confusing with the visuals. This gets to the Gelfling struggling with the spear of a rival, Ordon, who stands above him. 

Ordon says that the training is needed against the Arathim. They in turn are confronted by a Skeksis. It is difficult to sort out characters without identifying them. The Skeksis walks with Ordon and mentions that he should be part of the palace guard. The guard of the Castle of the Crystal. Ordon sees the Skeksis to his carriage. He shifts to the present, again a little confusing, and he rushes over to see a bloody Gelfling. Ordon reports to Maudra Vala in a rocky noble home. She knows of the Arathim as The Ascendancy, a merging of the creatures, a royal advisor suggests they use a weapon. 

The advisor sings before a covered pit and a vision of weapon in blue, the Dual Glaive, appears.  He says the weapon is found in a tomb in the caves of Grot. The strange part is that the advisor has consulted books, but this weapon does not seem tied to The Ascendancy. Ordon volunteers to find the weapon and the assembly is startled by another volunteer. This appears to be a female Gelfling, Fara, who just turns up. Maudra Vala doesn’t want her daughter to risk herself on the quest.  

In the morning, Ordon discusses Fara to another Gelfling, Shoni.  It really is confusing at this point. This is apparently his wife and they are at their home.  Characters are introduced, re-appear, new ones suddenly introduced. Shoni worries about her husband? going on his quest alone, but he sets off on his quest.  Ordon is setting up his mount, a tall Landstrider, while talking to the advisor? and Maudra Vala. He rides the Landstrider heading to Grot and as an unexpected passenger. The world is fascinating, but the art and story is a little confusing.  

Three Shards of the Dark Crystal out of Five!   

#DarkCrystalAgeofResistance, #NicoleAdelfinger, #JeffreyAddiss, #WillMatthews, #MatiasBasla

Strolling Through the (Theme) Park One Day: Return to Galaxy’s Edge!

I made a return visit to Galaxy’s Edge, the earlier trip was on June 8th during the reservation period, http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-star-warriors-guide-to-galaxys-edge.html.  Now this was a visit after the opening without reservations on June 24th and the summer period.  The takeaway? I think a standout to theme parks is the food.  A common and necessary thing, but I find it more important than attractions, I may be biased having worked in food services.  Theme park food has been standard hamburgers and hot dogs.  The good parks are moving towards healthier and diverse options.  I’m going to bring up again The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the food at Three Broomsticks was beautiful and delicious, but I was thinking about Ronto’s Roasters.  It has great theming and my food memory of the Ronto Wrap that I ate in the morning, lasted into the night!  The food item looks exotic, like something from another world, but the taste has some smokey sausage and creamy peppercorn sauce which does not have strange spices that might upset stomachs.  The Ronto Wrap is very hearty and filled me up for the whole day.   I did get the Outpost Popcorn Mix with the MSE-6 Series Repair Droid Souvenir Popcorn Vessel.  I think I prefer that popcorn than the regular theme park popcorn.  It has a different flavor, slightly sweet, colored purple and red, and then after a few handfuls it starts to get a little spicy.  What struck me eating at Galaxy’s Edge, not under the pressure to seeing everything, it was finally immersive.  It didn’t feel like another part of Disneyland.      

Oga's Cantina, photo by the author.

I have to follow up with drinks.  The most refreshing is Blue Milk!, I bought the collectible Bubo Wamba Family Farms Novelty Drink Vessel at the Blue Milk Stand, a large bottle and strap.  Really it was because I wanted the largest container for blue milk.  I found the coconut and rice milk, different which makes the Star Wars origin of bantha milk perfect, and paltable.  I haven’t tried the Green Milk, but drinking milk from a walrus is “not my idea of courage.”  I’m actually thinking of buying more bottles and having a row of them!  Next, at Oga’s Cantina, I ordered a Carbon Freeze.  It is Powerade Lemon Lime, strawberry, blueberry and boba-like “green apple popping pears.’  Great taste and it is one of the best drinks visually!  I didn’t order anything from the cantina the first time.  I would like to try all of the drinks at Oga’s.  I recalled the Dusty Jawas “Utinni” that DJ Rex was playing.  Lastly is the Tatooine Sunset at Ronto’s Roasters; tea, lemonade, melon, and blueberry.  What all of these drinks have in common, they quench your thirst, have good flavors, but are not sweet.  So this brings me to the Meiloorun Juice which I also got at Ronto’s Roasters later; pineapple, lemonade, blueberry, cranberry, lemon juice, and desert pear, just too sweet, couldn’t finish it.  

Toydarian Toymaker Stuffies, photo by the author.

My objective was to go to places that I missed last time.  This includes Droid Depot.  It has automatic doors that shoosh open Star Trek-style.  The shop is interesting, featuring the full size Artoo Detoo for $25,000!  There is patches, pins, and droid parts.  I was interested in the DJ Rex, it looked to be about full size (just saw him at Oga’s Cantina), voice and movement, $150.  The next room was large, it had two areas for droid builders to assemble their droids, over it was a conveyor belt with droid legs that went around the room.  I’m kinda not-interested in getting a droid (except Rex) because it is small sized.  It would be better with something like a mouse droid.  Plus, the cast member at the assembly point was seriously perturbed when I said I did not have a reservation and was just looking.  No sale there!  Next, I did see Black Spire Outfitters, but I’m not interested in any costume (especially ones you can’t wear in Galaxy’s Edge) yet.  So the other store was the Toydarian Toymaker, a must if you have time, there are many wooden and plastic toys.  Plus, stuffies of almost every character (except for Teek! Though again he may not be canon).  There is an assortment of toys hanging from the ceiling; a Millennium Falcon model in an asteroid chase and a toy Star Destroyer.  I picked up some Chance Cubes in a bag and an Admiral Ackbar puppet-like figure.  I would like an Admiral Ackbar plastic swimmer toy!  Also, a Teek pull toy or wind-up figure!  

Vi Moradi, Rey, and Chewbacca, photo by the author.

I went to Resistance Supply, two displays; they had helmets, full costumes, caps, and patches.  I would like identification pictures so they can show Finn, General Organa, Poe Dameron, and Rey.  They would be badges so you can get one of yourself too.  I looked into the Batuuan Spira, a metal gift card that you need $100 to activate, those Batuuans have deep pockets, I would think $60 is affordable.  Still, the one item that fascinated me was the Resistance MRE, this is in the clear plastic box like Luke had in Empire Strikes Back, even more the snacks, crackers, pretzels, and lemon candies, inside look the same!   It was $24.95, but my funds were not at Batuuan Spira levels.  Next time.  On my way to the Resistance Base, I saw Rey and Vi Moradi, I will say I missed Vi the last time.  They were leading a line of kids to the base.  The Resistance show was Vi, Rey, and Chewbacca at the Resistance X-Wing that they are trying to repair.  Vi asks the audience if anyone is an engineer.  There isn’t any showtimes so I imagine you can ask a cast member (Batuuan resident) when Vi or Kylo Ren show up.  Millennium Falcon, I went in early in the day, maybe a fifteen minute wait Single Rider line.  Had fun.  Second time, later, one hour wait, no Single Rider line, the queue was overflow and went out a hangar door to the back stage area.  It had crates which was semi-onstage, but seemed dangerous with a kid yanking on wires from an electrical box.  The downside though was the pilots were terrible, they crashed into everything, ignored flying towards the train so no second Coaxium.  Not fun though I did get to be Gunner.  The ride itself is ok.  There was some variations like no asteroids, the last one was so much damage there was some extra material.  I will also mention you have a chance to take pics and video if you are Engineer or Gunner, but probably not as Pilot.  I hope every Star Warrior gets the chance to go to Galaxy’s Edge, especially before Rise of Skywalker!  

#GalaxysEdge, #BlueMilk, #ToydarianToymaker, #ViMoradi 

Star Wars: Resistance, “Into the Unknown”, Review!

Star Wars: Resistance continues with season 2 with this episode was written by Dave Filoni.  The finale of season 1 tied into Force Awakens with General Hux’s speech.  Kaz has lost his father on Hosnian Prime.  He was mentored by former Rebel and former racer, now mechanic, Jarek Yaeger.  The Colossus Base on Castilon under threat by the First Order has made a wild hyperspace jump.  The strange pelican-like birds flock next to the First Order destruction on the Castilon seas.  A TIE Fighter heads to the Star Destroyer.  Commander Pyre (Liam McInyre) reports to Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) with Agent Tierny (Sumalee Montano).  Tam (Suzie McGrath) reports to the officers and is intimidated that Pyre wants to know all about her associates.  Hyperspace spins in the eye of Bucket next to CB-23.  An interesting image.  Then, the Colossus Base makes the jump.  Kaz (Christopher Sean) asks his friend Neeku (Josh Brener) if they jumped to D’Qar, they head to see Captain Doza.  In his office, Doza communicates with Yeager.  The captain tries to console Kaz over the possible loss of his father.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “Into the Unknown” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

He leads them to the command deck.  Yeager is checking on the ship status.  Torra Doza (Myrna Velasco) reports that they are three parsecs from D’Qar which makes Neeku try to hold in his glee.  Kaz believes there is a Resistance Base on D’Qar.  Then, suddenly Kaz panics as he floats in zero gravity.  Yeager sends Kaz and Tam to engineering.  Kaz seems to slam, float upside, and bump into everyone.  They swim ahead while a red droid eye watches them!  Kaz notes that Tam would be better at working on the gravity generator.  Neeku goes to check on the turtle-like Childae in hibernation.  Kaz sends CB-23 to work on the comunications relay, in a dark room, the red droid eye looms.  The droid shrieks as the red light closes on her.  Aunt Z (Tovah Feldshuh)’s cantina has the pilots in a party move.  Flix (Jim Rash) and Orka (Bobby Moynihan) are also having a drink.  Kaz activates the gravity, the cantina denizens fall, and then Torra is crushed by the gravity.  He tries to adjust the gravity.  On board, the Star Destroyer, Tam tries to update Agent Kierney about her friends and loyalty.  Commander Pyre tells Tam that she should get her pilot’s uniform.  Kaz is still goofy, even more than Neeku, and we get a few of our regular characters.  

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE -- “Into the Unknown” -- Disney/Lucasfilm. 

Neeku goes to check on CB-23.  He sees the droid floating without her head!  The red light appears behind Neeku.  It attaches a cable to him and pulls him back!  Torra and Kaz go to check on the missing in the dark room.  Neeku groans tied up on the ceiling.  Kaz sees the black First Order droid, BB-9E!  On the Command Deck, Captain Doza gets the report that gravity is not resotred.  Torra and Kaz fight with the droid they thought they destroyed.  Kaz is shocked by it, Torra floats him away, and they try to hide from the droid communicating with the First Order!  Kaz knocks it down while Torra tries to interfere with the signal.  Neeku juggles CB-23’s head with his feet to place it on her body.  The two droids face each other.  This cool to see a droid duel.  Kaz opens a hatch to get rid of the evil droid, Aliens-style, and just Aliens, the droid’s cable attaches to Kaz.  Torra closes the hatch sending the droid spinning in space.  Gravity is restored and the Aunt Z’s cantina denizens fall.  Kaz wants to send a coded message to Tam.  Suddenly, she’s his friend even though she was chastising him and betrayed him.  Tam of course has made her decision on which side to join even thought the First Order eliminated several systems of people!  Some elements of tension and horror with the many characters introduced.  

 Three Lightsabers out of Five!  

#StarWarsResistance, #IntotheUnknown, #ChristopherSean, #JoshBrener

Batwoman, “Pilot”, Review!

Ruby Rose’s Batwoman was introduced in the Elseworlds and Crisis on Infinite Earths storylines in Supergirl and The Flash.  We get the narration of Kate Kane (Rose), flashing back to swimming through a dark lake to find a key for her hand-cuffed ankles.  A box is placed over the hole of the icy lake surface blocking an escape!  She flashes back to her younger age (Gracyn Sinyei) when her sister, Beth (Ava Sleeth) get into a car accident. She takes off her ankle cuff and uses it to smash repeatedly at the ice.  Kate lifts herself up and is angry at the unnamed elder (Gray Horse Rider) who tested her.  She moves to Gotham City three years without a Batman.  The Crows truck stops at city hall.  Their commander, Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) scans his wife, Catherine (Elizabeth Anweis) and then kisses her.  Catherine’s daughter, Mary (Nicole Kang), is busy taking selfies before joining the party.  Agent Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy) checks the security points.  Catherine says that Batman has abandoned them and asks Mayor Akins (Chris Shields) to shut down the Bat Signal.  The security monitor shuts down.  Crow security is cut down by knives thrown by Alice (Rachel Skarsten).  She first appeared in Detective Comics #854 (2009).  Skarsten played the teen Dinah Lance, Black Canary, in the Birds of Prey series, pre-CW. She appears on the monitor to talk to all of Gotham.  Alice says that one of them will die and turns over the monitor showing the dead officer.  A masked man runs and then fights with Agent Moore.  She falls and then is caught in a jumping sheets by the gang.  Sophie is in fairy tale terms, the captured princess, who needs to be rescued by the Red Knight, Kate, who needs to find her role first.  

BATWOMAN -- “Pilot” -- RUBY ROSE -- Elizabeth Morris/The CW.  

Sunset, Kate puts on a necklace.  The elder says she has a phone call.  Mary calls Kate that Sophie was kidnapped.  Flashback of Kate kissing Sophie.  On a motorcycle, Kate rides in.  Commander Kane covers the run down on the gang.  He sees his daughter in the motorcycle gear and hugs her.  Kate offers to work for her father.  He calls her “a female Bruce Wayne.”  The flashback, the couple talks about spending time away from the school, she is seen by an officer and reminded about the code of conduct.  Kate rides her motorcycle to the Wayne Enterprises building and climbs in.  She flashes back as a child seeing a necklace.  Kate is interrupted by Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) who has a gun on her, she slips in a paper clip, and has her cuffed.  He questions her and takes her to a security office.  She cuffs Luke and then enters the security camera footage of the kidnapping.  Kate shows up at her father’s apartment, it is a surprise party, Mary is excitable, and wants to get a drink with her half-sister.  She flashes back to Kate kicked out of the academy with Sophie still in her cadet uniform.  She walks away from Kate.  The relationship is set here so no surprises or developments.  The pilot is in a rush to bring all of the story points, but the only one missing is how she started training with the elder.  

At the party, Kate shows her father the camera footage of the kidnapping, she sees something strange on the video, a close-up shows “Milk will be behaved.”  She remembers that it is part of an orphanage, a man is a rabbit mask rushes to her, but Kate knocks him down.  Then, she fights with several more masked men.  Kate can obviously fight, but she needs some weapons.  She is knocked unconscious, when she revives, Kate finds herself tied up, and meets Alice in her chair.  Alice wants Kate to deliever a message to her father.  She says Sophie is the “daughter her father always wanted” holding a disciplinary stick that she uses to knock out Kate!  Commander Kane arrives and gets the report that his daughter is gone.  Kate revives and finds herself patched up by Mary in an “underground illegal clinic” at Gotham University.  Kate was dropped off.  She rides her motorcycle over to the Crows building and questions her father.  Kate finds anger at her father sending her away.   She twists Luke’s wrist to ask about Bruce.  She goes to the necklace of her Aunt Martha in a pyramid container, she moves it to a switch and twists the container.  This opens the secret door.  Kate goes down the elevator which has Luke panic.  She finds the abandoned Batcave and turns on the power.  She then finds herself surrounded by bats and then flutter around her past the Bat suit.  Luke runs up when she reveals the identity of Batman.  The missing Batman is something that was in the Birds of Prey series, not in the comics, this part takes too long when Kate should be working on her suit for some time.  

BATWOMAN -- “Pilot” -- RUBY ROSE, CAMRUS JOHNSON -- Kimberly French/The CW.

Kate’s narration shows the newspaper headlines that Bruce has followed.  The flashback of the bus accident.  Batman used hooks to try to hold the car, but it fell leaving young Kate as the survivor.  Batman saved the school bus of kids, but not Kate’s mother.  She pushes a button that reveals the weapons of Batman.  Kate looks at the Batman suit.  She tells Luke to change the suit.  She answers her phone with Mary saying Sophie is located.  The Gotham Movie in the Park has Crow and Gotham police officers patrol the park.  Command Kane sees a suspicious building.  This is where Sophie is being kept, Alice kisses one of her men.  The movie is a Zorro film.  The mayor congradulates Commander Kane.  Alice calls up Kane.  She tells him the Crows truck has “forget-me-nots”, he races over to see it is filled with explosives.  Then, she points him to the building with Sophie ready to fall.  One of Alice’s gang is taken down, then another.  The Batwoman lands down in shadow.  Alice struggles with Batwowan.  The detonator is knocked away by Batwoman.  She takes Sophie and makes a fall.  It is the return of The Bat to Gotham, including radio announcer, Vesper Fairchild (Rachel Maddow), the city just hasn’t recognized Batwoman.  The pilot shows the potential of the show, usually the CW super shows are gradual, but we get most of the characters and plot here.  Usually the super shows have one-two great seasons and then just fade into routine or odd directions, I hope Batwoman has a more stronger plotline for several seasons.  

Four Batarangs out of Five!  

#Batwoman, #RubyRose, #DougrayScott, #CamrusJohnson, #NicoleKang, #RachelSkarsten

Triple Force Friday!

The Star Wars merchandise event of the year is here!  It started with the Sequel Trilogy, Force Awakens, in 2015.  I was told that at Downtown Disney they had Star Warriors wait in the parking lot!  The last Force Friday was disappointing in terms of product and promoting it as an event.  So, this one kicked off with a live stream in a global reveal on September 26th.  It is Triple Force Friday since it not only covers the latest Star Wars film, Rise of Skywalker, but also The Mandalorian, set to debut on Disney+ on November 12th, and also the video game, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order which comes out today, on October 4th.  So I decided I would try for Downtown Disney and the midnight sale.  I will save Disney Store, WalMart, and Target for later.  I actually called Disney Retail to get details on the time and sale.  

World of Disney during Triple Force Friday sale, photo by the author. 

I thought the best strategy would be to go about 2 hours before midnight.  There was a procedure which I found out by walking over to the World of Disney store.  The front part of the store was blocked off for the event.  Cast members informed me that I had to go to the ballrooms of the Grand Californian to get a wrist band and a Triple Force Friday button.  Then, there was a room that we waited in, the rows were seated according to the lines that would head to World of Disney around midnight.  There was an over flow room so around two hundred people!  We moved to the security line and then along the now empty stores.  We reached midnight and slowly moved into World of Disney.  The Rise of Skywalker was featured of course with t-shirts, hats, pins (I really like the pin of the Resistance logo, blue with ocean-like waves), Lego sets, prints, plushies of the new droid, D-O, and Chewbacca, the new First Order treadspeeder, and Poe’s X-Wing Fighter, but no Black Series figures. The Mandalorian featured three shirts, a helmet cup, and a Lego scout walker.  There was no merch for Fallen Order.  

The Mandalorian display at World of Disney, photo by the author. 

The event featued a dj who played some great tracks to get you shopping!  The cast members kept up the energy and cheers for guests with some holding a Triple Force Friday photo op frame.  Later in the day, I got the lithographs spending $20, the Rey & D-O Black Series figure, it has The Mandalorian, The Rise of Skywalker, and Fallen Order.  I did see Fallen Order Black Series figures, Cal Kestis and Second Sister Inquistor, at the Disney Store and also a few Rise of Skywalker figures.  They had a number of items that I saw at the midnight sale.  I also picked up a tote bag at Disney Store. Target, nothing, they had a cardboard image of Rey, but on the opposite aisle.  Disappointing since there was an incredible selection of merch and a great lightsaber light up display.  Also, because Disney is a partner with Target.  I wonder why partnering up would result in less merch.  WalMart, they had two Vintage Series figures, Poe Dameron and Zorii Bliss, who looks like a version of the classic arcade character, Mega Man.  The card of her figure was almost bent in half.  An exhausting, but fun, full day for Triple Force Friday! I hope all of the Star Warriors get the chance to get some great merch and have fun on Triple Force Friday!

#TripleForceFriday, #RiseofSkywalker, #TheMandalorian, #WorldofDisney

Blade Runner 2019 #3 Review!

Blade Runner 2019 continues with cyborg enhanced Blade Runner Ash Ashina trying to find Isobel, the wife of rival corporation and her child, and unwinding the corruption around them.  The cover of the third issue has art by Butch Guice showing Ash holding up her gun in the rain next to the close-up of an eye and the running forms of a mother and daughter.  The creative team is Michael Green and Mike Johnson with art by Andres Guinaldo.  Ash is busy trying to bring her spinner into a controlled crash.  Interesting visuals by Guinaldo showing close-ups and the action of the crash.  She brings it down in an unoccupied district and then stumbles away before the spinner explodes.  The underground contact, Bones, is sneaking away Isobel after one reports shooting down the blade runner. 

Ash wakes up in a hospital bed, arm in a cast, and her cyborg right eye exposed.  Her fellow officer, Wojcjech, notes that the case is taken away with Ash’s failure.  On the rainy Los Angeles streets, Ash picks up a taxi to the Tyrell Corporation.  She is welcomed into the cavernous halls of Tyrell and meets with Ms. Elo who is expecting her.  Ms. Elo explains that Isobel is a replicant who has found out that the girl has a mutation that can extend her life.  It is a sci fi staple to have a special child which reminds me of Children of Men (2006).  She was given to Selwyn when the real Isobel died and she has taken away Cleo. This is a fascinating mystery, we are getting pieces of the story, and it’s implications to this future.  Ms. Elo shows Ash to a new spinner which is now given to her to find Cleo and Isobel.  

The missing family members are heading in a van to cross The Border.  This is interesting to see a peek into the world outside of Los Angeles.  There was some shown in Blade Runner 2049 (2017).  Ash returns to the shop of Bellingham, the replicant she dealt with last issue, and finds drawings, one of which is an ocean side arch.  Ash hears a department call and goes to see a brutal blade runner about to torture a replicant.  She hits him with a taser gun and then asks the replicant about her suspects.  The replicant points out a beach.  Bones announces they reached their destination at night, an arch by the sea.  He waves a signal and boats approach them.  They are rowed to an island, called The Santctuary, we get a splash page of a woman in a toga who greets Isobel as a fellow replicant!  This is an interesting refuge for persecuted replicants like in Time Machine.  Ash heads to the beach on her spinner.  It looks like the two groups on the run and trailing the other will find each other soon! 

Four Spinners out of Five! 

#BladeRunner2019, #Wolcjech, #TyrellCorporation, #MsElo 

Harleen Book One Review!

Harleen is a limited series published by DC Comics under the Black Label imprint which covers mature subject matter.  It is written and painted by Stjepan Šejić who was the artist on Harley Quinn Annual #1 (2014), Suicide Squad #20 (2017), and several Top Cow titles including his own Sunstone series that he writes with his wife.  Harley Quinn is a fascinating character.  The trailer just dropped for her headlining movie, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, out February 7th next year.   The comic book is in a magazine sized format.  Book One’s cover features a close-up of Dr. Harleen holding up a porecelin mask of Harley Quinn while she has black streaked tears like the mask.  It reminds me a bit of the Joker’s girlfriend in the 1989 Batman.  It perfectly captures the symobilism of the comic book.  I have to admit that I’m biased with my own comic series: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2018/11/proposal-for-harley-quinn-year-one.html.   

Book One opens with Dr. Harleen Quinzel walking a twisted path, interesting distortion effect, with the bat signal and bats fluttering past her.  She reaches out to the pale form whom we know as the Joker.  A bat-like demon threatens the cowering Joker and Dr. Harleen defies it and then checks on her patient.  Then, we get a splash page of The Joker and Harley Quinn in her harlequin outfit.  The art is impressive and worth the price alone.    We get some tight, vertical panels of a former soldier, Mr. Morris, who explains how he snapped and killed patients in a war time hospital.  The mature language starts here.  There is another splash page of Dr. Harleen interviewing Mr. Morris.  We get two years later, where Dr. Harleen is explaining her proposal for discovering the triggering mechanism for murderers who lose all empathy for their victims.  She thinks her audience has lost interest.  Later at a bar, she consoles her failure drinking with a friend and colleague, Shondra.  Harleen finds Shondra to be eager for financial success.  She walks alone on the Gotham streets and police cars race in front of her.  Then, an explosion from an alley, the next page is a splash of The Joker and his henchmen with clown masks.  The encounters with the Joker might be possible in Gotham and does sustain the action, but takes away from Harleen's story. 

   

Dr. Harleen picks herself up and faces the Joker who holds a gun on her.  The Joker depicted by Šejić is less clownish and more stylish.  Then, we get a two page with images of Harleen’s life flashing by in small panels.  It shows her as bookish and shy, but not the gymnastics part of her origin.  I saw teen Harleen as a rebel and that’s what the Joker reverted her to that age.  Independently, she built herself up from the streets to become a doctor!  There is even scenes of her affair with Professor Collins.  The Joker leaves Harleen and escapes in his bank van with his gang.  Then, we get a close-up of Batman’s eyes as he pursues the Joker in his Bat Wing, and stops them with smoke bombs.  Harleen is lost in the smoke and officers take her away from the explosions and fighting.  There is an interesting silhouette of the Joker and his gang in the smoke.  His gang is taken by Batman in the smoke.  Harleen has reached a wall and the Joker is slammed against it.  He smiles before taken away.  Another two pager has the Joker facing Batman overhead. The fight reaches a pool and the Gothamites, including Harleen, cheer as the Joker is beaten bloody by Batman.  The Batman appearance is distant as much of a figure as the Joker as a villain. 

This causes sleepless nightmares for Harleen.  She heads to the Center For The Study of Criminal Psychology.  There she runs into Pauline who still bullies her over her affair with Professor Collins.  Harleen enters the office of Dr. Matthews and also meets someone who was at the psychology proposal.  He introduces himself as Lucius Fox and he explains that his employer, Bruce Wayne, has made clearance and funds for her project.  Her nightmares are settling.  Then, we get Dr. Harleen entering Arkham Asylum with the shadow of Harley Quinn behind her.  A very cinematic look at the asylum.  There is a guard, Tim Bronson, who admits Harleen when the Joker is taken to his room.  Aaron Cash is the brutal security guard at Arkham.  The Joker is a high security risk, I don’t know why they would escort him casually down the halls of Arkham.  He talks with Harleen, this is also dangerous since the Arkham personnel know he can verbally corrupt anyone.  Harleen sees a connection with Joker taking his inmate photo (every time he is in custody?) and Harleen for her work identificaiton.  Then, she goes to meet with the head of Arkham, Hugo Strange, he was a doctor there, but Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is in charge.  Hugo Strange finds contempt in Harleen’s research and her name, but allows her work to continue.  She checks patients and interviews them, but is restless and can’t sleep.  After talking with Harvey Dent, she makes her decision on her test subject!  A very beautiful graphic novel with some fascinating explorations of Harley Quinn!  

Four Masks out of Five! 

#Harleen, #StjepanŠejić, #HarleyQuinn, #TheJoker, #DCComics 

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, “Nothing is Simple Anymore”, Review!

This episode is written by J.M. Lee, the writer of several Dark Crystal books.  It opens with the sleeping face of a Podling.   He wakes up, gets dressed, and has a bowl what looks like oatmeal.  Then, he heads across a cavern to a circular door that retracts to see the Observatory with the massive planets and machinery.  Underneath it is the sleeping form of Aughra.  She has twin horns that curl around her head, grey hair, and a wrinkled face with a missing eye.  Aughra is voiced by Donna Kimball, for some reason her voice was missing something from the original Frank Oz voice, this is a quality I didn’t notice with the Skeksis.  Kimball voiced Mama in the 2017 Sigmund and the Sea Monsters series and provided voices for Sid the Science Kid.  The Podling dusts up the tables and then Aughra has one eye snaps open and she exhales dust!  She wonders about Thra and is surprised the Podling is old because he was a child before her sleep.  In fact, that was his grandfather!  She wants him to get her scrolls so she can try to help Thra.  Past the tree with the beautiful, pink flowers, we see the forest brightly lit by the sun.  Creatures scurry away as Deet walks with a blindfold.  She sees the forest life through her blindfold.  Then, Deet hears growling, the ball of fur starts to bark at her.  This like Fizzgig from the Dark Crystal film!  She talks to it and begins rubbing its belly. 

Another creature like Fizzgig, though with grey fur, barks at both of them.  The fur balls both roll away.  Tired, Deet finds a patch of grass, and falls asleep.  At the Crystal Castle, the Gormand (Harvey Fierstein) reminds the Gelfling guards that they must find the traitor, Rian who saw too much in the pilot.  Fierstein voiced Yao in the animated Mulan (1998) and played Marty Gilbert in Independence Day (1996).  The General (Benedict Wong) informs the Emperor about the castle security.  Wong plays Wong (not a bio) in Doctor Strange (2016) and he is in Gemini Man.  The Emperor notes that missing Gelflings will be suspicious.  The Chamberlain has a solution.  His cover story is it was Rian who killed Mira!  The Emperor agrees to the plan and sends away the General.  The Scientist enters, the Emperor demands more essence, and he explains that the essence was all used.  The Chamberlain says the Scientist is keeping one vial which the Scientist says is for study.  His machinery was damaged and the Emperor screams for it to be fixed.  The Emperor wheezes so the Chamberlain calls in the musicians.  The Podling musicans on the tier above play drums and horns, but it disturbs the Emperor.  The Chamberlain shushes them and they play lightly.  Tolwyn, who was placed in charge of the castle guards, calls Gurjin by his clan name, Drenchen.  He questions Gurjin’s loyalty to his friend after the Chamberlain said Rian killed Mira.  

When Tolwyn leaves, Rian pulls Gurjin to a safe place in the castle.  Rian dreamfasts with his friend and there is the memory (which is only heard this time) of Mira having her essence taken by the Scientist.  The Dreamfast was an interesting concept from the movie, it reminds me of the telepathic Sending from the comic book Elfquest which started in 1978.  Gurjin wants to help Rian to escape and his friend has a plan.  A misty river, the spider-like Spitter crawls around the forest, toward the sleeping form of Deet!  She is startled by it’s drool and manages to escape it.  She still near-blinded by the sun, nice shot of her pov, Deet stumbles and the Spitter is about to attack!  She hears small feet running and then a shout.  It is a Podling who swings on a vine, but the Spitter spits silk at him.  Deet sees that the Podling is wrapped up and hanging upside down!  She tries to push him away, but instead knocks him into the Spitter.  The Podling (Victor Yerrid) calls to Deet to push him again and he knocks the Spitter which overturns it, the creature skitters away.  The Podling introduces himself as Hup.  Deet introduces herself, she can understand only some words that he may speak in Gelfling.  Hup wields his spoon as what he thinks is his sword and Deet believes he is a Paladin, but he says he is not yet a Paladin, he needs to be dubbed by the All Madra.  Deet has to travel to Ha’rar to see her as well so they become a traveling duo.  Hup ranks up there as one of my favorite Dark Crystal characters, I always wanted a Podling take action.  

DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE -- “Nothing is Simple Anymore” -- ANYA TAYLOR- JOY -- Keith Baker/Netflix. 

At Ha’rar, Brea asks the Librarian about a symbol she is researching.  His babbling leads her to the Sifa clan and also Elder Caldia.  The Librarian tries to warn Bria from going there and accompanies her to the docks.  They enter the tent and met by a woman, Onica (Natalie Dormer), who says Elder Caldia (Eddie Izzard) was waiting for them.  Dormer is known for playing Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones and Anne Boleyn in The Tudors.  Izzzard has a voice part, Burnish, in the Abominable film and also voiced Reepicheep in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).  He is still angry at the Librarian and sends him away.  Brea shows them the symbol in her book which makes Onica gasp. He mentions the Dream Space that makes Dreamfasting possible.  He tells Onica to bring powdered nulroot.  Elder Caldia pours it into a drink. Bria mentions the payment neded by the Sifa and drops blue crystals. Elder Caldia and Onica gather them up so Bria pulls a Dread Pirate Roberts.  Onica will help Brea, but she needs to bring the “brightest jewel” as payment.  Back at the castle, Skeksis are still searching for Rian, his plan is to bring proof of the crime to All Maudra.  Mira’s essence!  They see the Crystal of Truth and that it is corrupted.  The Scientist locks away the essence in a cabinet with a locksnake, a living, and dangerous locking mechanism!  They go to hide when the Chancellor appears.  He entrances the locksnake and finishes it off!  He takes the essence and is interrupted by the Scientist.  They struggle, the vial of essence falls, and Rian takes it.  Gurjin and Rian run, but the Chamberlain catches Gurjin!  One of the sun’s light breaks the Chamberlain’s spell and Rian leaps from the castle!  

At Ha’rar, All Maudra mentions the trouble with the Sifa clan, her sister Seladon mentions that she could be sent to the Order of Lesser Service.  This is exile for Brea and Seladon looks smugly at the order.  The caravan returns to the castle.  The Scroll Keeper and The Collector compain about the tithe and the Gelfling’s excuses about the blight.  Tolwyn reports to Captain Ordon about his son.  Podlings play music as the Skeksis factions discuss the situation.  The music stops as the Chamberlain enters with the Emperor telling him that the Scientist blames him for Rian’s escape.  The Chamberlain accepts blame.  He explains that the Gelfling stole the vial, he captured Gurjin, and the Scientist let Rian go.  The Emperor decides punishment for the Scientist.  Ordon arrives and The Chamberlain says that Gurjin confessed to planning to steal from the Skeksis with Rian and when Mira discovered their plans, they killed her.  Ordon wants to find his son.  The Chamberlain says his mind is sick so he warns against Dreamfasting.  After whispering by The Chamberlain, the Emperor gives permission to Ordon and a promise to heal Rian.  Aughra has searched through all of her papers.  She dismisses talking with the Mystics so decides to journey to see the Skeksis.  The ritual punishment of The Scientist is gruesome and may not be for the squimish!  A terrific voice cast, more familiar characters, and new creatures.  

Five Shards of the Dark Crystal out of Five! 

#DarkCrystalAgeofResistance, #NothingisSimpleAnymore, #DonnaKimball, #NatalieDormer, #EddieIzzard