Happy Birthday Ginnifer Goodwin!

Happy Birthday Ginnifer Goodwin!  She has worked in television including the series Ed]4 from 2001-2003 as Diane Synder.  The drama, Mona Lisa Smile (2003) starred Goodwin as Connie Baker.  Next, she was Cathy Freely in the comedy, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004).  In the bio pic, Walk the Line, Goodwin played Vivian Cash, the first wife of Johnny Cash.  She provided voices over the years for Robot Chicken (2005-2014).  Goodwin played Margene Heffman in Big Love from 2006-2011.  She voiced Jeane Marie St. Cloud in the 2012 animated short, Electric City. 

Ginnifer Goodwin's signature role was as Mary Margaret Blanchard also known as Snow White in Once Upon a Time from 2011-2018.  In 2013, Goodwin played Jacquelin Kennedy in the tv movie Killing Kennedy.  Then, she voiced the Pixie Hollows fairy Fawn in Tinker Bell and the Legends of the NeverBeast (2014).  Her high profile role was voicing Judy Hopps in Zootopia (2016).  Recently, Goodwin starred in the “Point of Origin” episode of The Twilight Zone where she played Eve Martin, a housewife who discovers that there are strange truths about her life.  She was also in the drama, Why Women Kill with the second season on June 3rd on Paramount+.  Happy Birthday Ginnifer Goodwin!

#GinniferGoodwin, #BigLove, #OnceUponaTime, #Zootopia, #WhyWomenKill 

Bad Batch, “Cornered”, Review!

 “Cornered” opens with the Havoc Marauder cruising across space.  Inside, looking at a star map, Hunter points out Idaflor as the planet they need to hide out on. Omega wants to explore, but Tech says they out of fuel and rations.  This is something that I wondered since they no longer have the help of Kamino.  Echo then tells them that the ship is on a wanted list.  Tech says he can scramble the ship’s signature.  He says that the planet they need to re-supply and fix the signature is Pantora in the Outer Rim.  This is a planet seen in The Clone Wars episode “Sphere of Influence” (2010).  The Pantorans were first seen in Revenge of the Sith (2005) with the blue-skinned Papanoida (George Lucas) at the Coruscant opera.  The others leave, but Omega looks at wonder at the star chart.  

The Havoc Marauder reaches Pantora, it lands at a city, Ro Station?, this was not seen before.  The city is on a flat plain with swirls of domes.  The ship’s landing gets the attention of Sullustan depot manager, Raspar Six (Taran Killam).  He is slightly balding and with heavy jowls.  Sullustans are the species first seen in the form of Nien Nunb.  Killam is known as a performer for Saturday Night Live.  Wrecker is of course starving and the depot manager interrupts him and Tech.  He threatens Raspar Six from scanning the ship who then asks for a bribe, Tech hands over three credit sticks, and then some more.  I like that the Bad Batch are not familiar with civilian life.  The depot manager goes to make a communication, it is picked up a ship, and the pilot is Fennec Shand!  She was introduced in The Mandalorian episode, “The Gunslinger.”  We of course have seen her in the Bad Batch trailer, but she is a welcome surprise and challenge for the squad.   

Raspar Six notes that she may be looking for a modified Omicron-class attack shuttle.  Fennec (Ming-Na Wen) says she will pay the shifty depot manager and puts up a hologram of Omega!  Nala Se’s plan to get back Omega?  Hunter and his group have collected explosives to sell for their supplies.  Wrecker compains while he has work with Tech on the ship repairs.  The group for the supply run are Hunter, Omega, and Echo.  Half-cyborg, Echo has completed a droid disguise with a mask, Star Wars cosplay!  The group walks into the busy Pantoran market and see the citizens cheer for the clone troopers.  Hunter explains to Omega that they are celebrating the end of the Clone Wars.  Echo points out Vice Admiral Rampart’s hologram about chain codes.  The happy Pantoran citizens remind me of Star Trek’s Andorians with blue skin and white hair.   The handy Gonk droid is nearby as Tech points out the parts of the ship that Wrecker happily rips out.  

Hunter has a Gran merchant (Bobby Moynihan), the three-eyed alien first seen as Ree Yees in Return of the Jedi, Moynihan is also a SNL vet and voiced Orka in Star Wars: Resistance.  The merchant doesn’t want to buy explosives, but is interested in Hunter’s droid.  Echo checks on the clone trooper doll examined by Omega.  She is intrigued by barking voorpaks, the balls of fur were a design seen in the form of Buggles, the pet of Torra Doza in Star Wars: Resistance.  It snatches Omega’s clone trooper doll and she has chase after it.  As a parent, Hunter really needs to tell her to stay close in a new environment, and not leave the area.  Omega’s chase, the voorpak tosses the doll, ends with her lost.  She is found by Fennec Shand!  There also has to be parenting lesson about strangers, don’t trust strangers!, Omega is too innocent.  

The merchant takes Echo to the back room with droids, he meets the protocol droid, CG-67 (Grey Griffin), who usually leads the droids.  The talented voice artist, Griffin provided many voices including Asaaj Ventress in the first Clone Wars animated series.  I like the astro droid, CG-67 calls Clink, he has the astrodroid shape, but has crinkly pipe-like arms!  His model may be the LE-series like LE-12 in Star Wars: Resistance.  Hunter finds the fallen clone trooper doll and continues after Omega’s trail.  Omega tells Fennec that she is hungry and the bounty hunter collides with a vendor carrying a basket of fruits. They start collecting the dropped fruits and Fennec drops a few in her helmet, bad influence!  Omega notices her blaster and she questions the bounty hunter.  We don’t get if she was trained as a soldier, her origin is still mysterious, then Hunter calls out Omega’s name!  Fennec puts on her helmet.  Hunter is about to draw his vibroblade and Fennec faces off with her blaster, very cool.  Fennec puts up a good fight against almost all of the Bad Batch.  The only bounty hunter that is that level of deadly is Cad Bane from Clone Wars.  Echo has to lead the droids to help repair the ship.  “Cornerned” has great moments with the Bad Batch, more of Omega’s journey, and Fennec Shand!  

Five Vibro Blades out of Five!

#BadBatch, #Cornered, #MingNaWen, #BobbyMoynihan, #GreyGriffin

Wonder Girl #1 Review!

Yara Flor, is the key to the future of Wonder Woman, now we glimpse the past of Wonder Girl #1!  She first appeared in Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 and her adventures were seen in Future State: Wonder Woman.  The writer and artist, Joëlle Jones, from the latter continues with “Homecoming Part One.”  Jones did the cover art with Yara carrying a sword with mysterious images behind her, a swirl of currents, and shadowy forms.  The story opens with young Yara’s eye being covered.  The Amazons loose arrows as we get the spiel from an airplane crew on descent in the present.  There is some impressive, dramatic colors by Jordie Bellaire.  We see Yara protected by her mother who wears a green headpiece.  

The Amazons surround them with bows as shadowy men in armor approach.  Yara runs at them with a knife and stabs one in the knee.  This is all in moody panels like snap shots.  The leader says he doesn’t want to kill a child, he brings his sword up, and Yara’s mother stands in teh way of the blade!   We see Yara taken away by another warrior and closeup to Yara’s eyes.  This moves to adult Yara’s eyes on the airplane.  She talks to the elderly passenger who is also on the Heritage tour to Brazil.  This is where she was born, but she was raised by Aunt Renata.  We shift to Themyscira, the lettering of the Amazon island is stylish by Clayton Cowles, we see an archery contest witnessed by Queen Nubia.  This is the character seen in Wonder Woman #75 (2019) and her adventures were in the back-up of Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman.  She fears the presence of a shadow.  

Then, we get Mount Olympus, Hera meets with Zeus.  She drops her wine goblets surprised at something.  Then, it shifts to Bana-MIghdall, a hidden world of the Amazons in Egypt.  It was first seen in Wonder Woman #29 (1989).  Their ruler, Queen Faruka, watches a fighting contest, she is told they were trained by Artemis.  This is the character introduced in Wonder Woman #90 (1994).  Then, Queen Faruka senses something wrong.  We have an impressive two page spread with Yara Flor in her sweater while she is surrounded by heroes; Wonder Woman, Oracle, Harley Quinn, and even the fairy, Caipora seen in Future State: Wonder Woman.  On the tour bus, Yara is annoyed at the party bus.  She does take notice of an accident and asks the bus driver to open the door.  

Yara runs towards an overturned car and pulls free a man before the car explodes!  The driver, João, introduces himself to Yara.  Then we get a stunning horizontal page, Hera has summoned Eros to activate “the weapon.”  Queen Nubia wants to remove the Amazon, Yara?, with her fellow Amazons behind her.  Last, we have Queen Faruka who wants Yara killed or they will face Hera and her votaries.  It is interesting to see three groups all with mysterious motives, but it will be fun to see this resolve somehow.  Podcaster Kevin is taking his show “Kickin It with Kevin” to Iguaçu Falls.  This is on the border of Argentine and Brazil.  The tour group just complains and Yara finds that there is something haunting in the waters of the falls.  A golden boleadoras, the weapon that we found Yara used, wraps around her and pulls her into the water!  Wonder Girl #1 brings Yara back to Brazil and it looks like the Wonder Woman world may find her dangerous!  

Five Boleaoras out of Five! 

#WonderGirl, #YaraFlor, #JoelleJones, #JordieBellaire, #ClaytonCowles, #QueenNubia, #QueenFaruka 

Happy Birthday Peter Mayhew!

 Happy Birthday Peter Mayhew!  His first movie role was as Minoton in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). Then, Mayhew began his iconic role as Chewbacca in Star Wars (1977).   He returned to play Chewbacca in an episode of the Donny & Marie variety show.  Also, Mayhew played Chewie in the Star Wars Holiday Special which featured his family; wife, Malla, son, Lumpy, and father, Itchy.  Mayhew played Mechanic in the horror movie, Terror (1978).  He starred again as Chewbacca in “The Star of Star Wars (1980) episode of The Muppet Show.  Mayhew returned as Chewbacca in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  In 1981, Mayhew played the Tall Knight in episodes of the BBC children series, Dark Towers.  He finished the Original Trilogy with Return of the Jedi (1983).  

Mayhew starred as Chewbacca in the ride video of Star Tours (1987).  He played himself in the comedy, Comic Book: The Movie (2004).  Mayhew played Dead Man in the sci fi noir movie, Yesterday was a Lie (2008).  In 2010, Mayhew co-wrote with his wife, Angie Mayhew, the children’s book Growing Up Giant.  He is given special thanks in the “Wookie Hunt” (2011) episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for “being the heart and soul of Chewbacca.”  2012 was the beginning of the Peter Mayhew Foundation, https://www.mayhewfoundation.org.  Mayhew also co-wrote with Angie Mayhew, the book, My Favorite Giant (2013).  Finally, Peter Mayhew worked with Joonas Suotamo to play Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).  We lost Peter Mayhew on April 2019, but Chewbacca will be with us.  Happy Birthday Peter Mayhew!   

#PeterMayhew,#SinbadAndTheEyeOfTheTiger, #StarWars, #GrowingUpGiant, #PeterMayhewFoundation

Superman & Lois, “Broken Trust”, Review!

 Superman & Lois continues with “Broken Trust.”  Tag has suddenly appeared, he was in the episode “Haywire”, and punches Jordan.  He comes after Jordan in a yellow suit striped with a yellow V, like the X-Men? Jordan suddenly hear a high-pitched sound.  Superman suddenly lands and sees Tag superspeed running next to a train.  He veers next to a train track and Superman lifts up the locomotive and heat visions the track, very impressive effects!  At the farmhouse, Lois checks on Jordan bashed up from the encounter.  Lois and Clark send away their kids to talk.  Clark says that her father said he is on the case.  Lois wants to investigate the mines.  She thinks it’s too much of a coincedence that the Stranger has shown up.  Morning, Jonathan’s spoon on his cereal bowl causes a seering pain for Jordan.  Clark wants Jordan to be careful at the football game.  

SUPERMAN AND LOIS -- “Broken Trust” -- ALEXANDER GARFIN, TYLER HOECHLIN, JORDAN ELSASS -- Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss. 

At the mines, Morgan Edge makes an announcement to the miners.  Kyle is happy and Edge says he wants Lana on his Smallville team working on the community center.  Leslie wants to “deal with Lois”, but Edge says that Lois is helpless.  At the high school, Jonathan closing the locker causes another pain to his brother.  Sarah checks on Jordan and then the school bell goes off and he falls, his eyes start to burn red.  Jonathan takes his brother to the bathroom and Jordan admits he hears a “high-pitched noise.”  His brother worries about football, but of course this is more serious.  At the Cushing house, Lois meets with Kyle and Lana.  She wants to get access to the mines through him.  They both refuse to help Lois.  At the barn, Clark is about to have both brothers training given by their grandfather.  Clark reveals a massive log filled with fist impressions, he fails, then Jonathan says “imagine Cutter’s face” and he smashes the log.  

Clark gets a call from General Lane and he says that Tag was seen at the game.  Night, Lana is with Sarah looking for a sitter so she can celebrate her new job.  Sarah offers to sit for her sister.  Looking like a stalker is Tag watching outside the window.  The game is about to begin, Clark watching on the field, the coach sends in Jordan.  He gets the high pitched sound and the quarter back is sacked by the Metropolis Meteors.  Clark checks in with Lois and hasn’t seen Tag.  Jonathan wants the coach to send him in as quarterback!  Cutter (Samuel Braun) jokes to Jonathan that his former girlfriend, Eliza, is with him.  He gets plowed by Jordan.  Clark sends him to the benches.  Lois gets a knock at the door, she has the Superman signal, Marcus is there with badges.  Marucs bluffs their way into the mines.  Sarah is trying to work out something to watch and gets a door bell chime.  It’s Tag!  He shudders and then knocks Sarah out when she tries to close the door!  

SUPERMAN AND LOIS -- “Broken Trust” -- DYLAN WALSH, TYLER HOECHLIN -- Photo: Bettina Strauss/The CW - © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Bettina Strauss. 

The Metropolis Meteors pile on Jordan, Jonathan scores the touchdown, and Jordan’s eyes start to flare.  Clark checks on him and uses his hands telling Jordan to unleash the power, it burns his hands.  This is a stunning scene with Clark taking the pain to help his son.  

Night, after their date, Kyle and Lana are at the kitchen.  Appears and Kyle finds that Sarah is not in her room.  Kyle checks the security cam footage.  At a hotel room, Clark chastizes his son, Jonathan says that there was an “episode” at school.  Jordan is still angry and doesn’t want to know his father has been through the same bullying.  Clark gets a call from Lana about Sarah.  Kyle shows Sarah the security footage of Tag.  Clark leaves and wants his sons to stay in the room.  Lois is surprised that Marcus has the right equipment.  Sarah wakes up and Tag tells her they are in Metropolis.  Marcus uncovers the crystals which he calls X-K.  Leslie appears and blasts at them with heat vision!  

Superman flies over Metropolis.  Jonathan and Jordan are bored.  They get the football players at the door.  Jordan convinces his brother to go along with the team.  In the mines, Marcus has a device, he zaps Leslie and they run.  Superman is isolating the sounds and finally hears Sarah’s voice.  Tag shows the video of Jordan and says he’s responsible for the flare at the bonfire.  Superman lands.  Cutter and the Metropolis players appear and he starts calling out Jordan.  Superman asks for trust and the DoD guards enter.  Jonathan tries to stop Jordan, still Jordan throws a fist at Cutter, Jonathan catches the fist!  There is the sound of broken bones, ouch!  The soldiers shoot at Tag, Superman deflects the bullets, and then Kryptonite rounds hit him!  He falls and then gets up with his eyes red with heat vision!  We later get Clark trying to explain why he holds back, every time that he is Superman he has to be in control, or he will break trust.  If you don’t understand Superman, watch this episode, now you know.  Another brilliant episode of Superman & Lois!   

Five Kryptonite Crystals out of Five!  

#SupermanAndLois, #BrokenTrust, #Cutter, #SamuelBraun 

DC: Festival of Heroes #1 Review!

It is May, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and DC Comics is celebrating it with DC: Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1!  It features a regular cover by Jim Lee with a number of the Asian heroes.   The variant cover is by Artgerm and shows Cassandra Cain facing someone with a knife!  The back cover has the shadowy profile of the newest DC hero!  More on him later!  Take note that it is has a $9.99 cover price, but contains 96 pages!  This is an anthology of eleven stories plus pin-up artwork of some very talented Asian writers and artists.  The first story, “Sounds”, is written by Mariko Tamaki, she wrote the limited series, Future State: Dark Detective.  The art is by Marcus To, who provided artwork for Nightwing.  The featured character is Cassandra Cain, she is the daughter of Lady Shiva, one of the most deadliest assassins of the DCU.  She took up the role of Batgirl, but then became Orphan.  

Growing up, she was taught to kill by her father, but not to talk.  Basically, this is the same concept for Damian Wayne, except the talking part.  Cassandra tries to make sounds in front of a mirror on her apartment bed.  She is contacted by Barbara Gordon back as Oracle, the information database of the DCU and formerly Batgirl.  Cassandra flashes back to her past and then we get to moving to the rooftops of Gotham as Orphan.  The best part is her faceless, black mask.  Of course, her voice isn’t muffled like Spider-Man (realistically), but she doesn’t talk in battle.  Orphan finds a man standing guard outside of a building and easily takes him down.  Then, she moves to his colleagues in the basement.  In a splash page, Orphan strikes the gunmen!  At her computer console, Oracle informs her that Dr. Chin’s location was detected by his cellphone.  Cassandra takes down the gunmen, she is smaller, but her moves are brutal!  

Oracle speaks to Cassandra on her earpiece, but of course she doesn’t respond.  She finds Dr. Chin handcuffed in a chair.  I’m not certain what is Dr. Chin’s specific field.  Orphan frees him and would like to say something to the young Dr. Chin.  He on the other hand is very talky thinking she is Batgirl and tries to ask her out for banana boba.  I really like the chemistry between these two and hope Dr. Chin shows up later in the comics.  Cassandra returns to her apartment alone.  She decides to wear her normal clothes to head to Boba Fantasy.  Great character moments!  Next, is “Dress Code” by Minh Lê and Trung Le Nguyen.  The writer also has the young readers graphic novel, Green Lantern Legacy (2020).  It introduced the young Tai Pham who finds his grandmother’s jade ring and finds that he is a Green Lantern!  This is Nguyen’s first work for DC Comics and he previously had his graphic novel, The Magic Fish, printed in 2020.   

This opens with Green Lantern Tai Pham bashed around by the monstrous Yellow Lantern, Arkillo, on some unknown planet.  Arkillo tries to make a joke that Green Lantern is wearing a dress.  He has a GL uniform that incorporates the traditional Vietnamese áo dài, a long tunic that goes to the knees.  This causes him to flash back to a lunch with his grandmother and made the same joke by some kid with a yellow shirt and baseball cap.  She tells him that she was mocked for her clothes, but it makes her feel “proud and powerful.”  Yes!  If traditions can’t be accepted, then the intolerant have to travel more.  This is at the heart of AAPI Heritage Month.  Green Lantern Tai Pham turns the tide against Arkillo!  The ninth story, “Festival of Heroes”, brings in the themes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  It is by Amy Chu and Marcio Takara.  Chu has written the limited series, Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death (2016).  Takara provided art for Future State: Justice League. 

The story features Katana, Tatsu Yamashiro, with her colleagues, Cyborg and Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) at the AAPI Heritage Festival in New York.  The two heroes argue over Cyborg’s curried roti and Katana slices it in half with her sword.  The festival director, Fay, shows Katana a cellphone video of the Knights of the Brotherhood.  The man with a skull masks screams that they should all “go back where they came from”, harsh, in a comic.  The heroes stand watch and while the festival has performances on stage, they see cosplayers as the various Asian heroes.  The Brotherhood appears, confronted by the heroes, the leader sends out a fiery blast.  During the fight, Katana recognizes the chaos stone, called a crystal in Batman/Superman #3 (2013) that is powering the villains.  Katana is decisive and the crowd decides to takes on the villains.  A fun story with some social commentary. 

The last story is by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang.  Yang is the writer and artist of the graphic novel, American Born Chinese (2006) and also wrote the limited series, Superman Smashes The Klan.  Chang  worked on The Second Life of Doctor Mirage for Valiant Comics and Superman. Dr. Sivana is about to torture Shazam, the hero notes to Sivana that he has broken a gourd from the Yuan Dynasty, thhis may have unleashed a demon.  Sivana unleashes his laser cannon and instead Shazam pops out a tiny ear piece that turns into a staff.  This brings the Monkey Prince exploding out in a splash page!  The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, is a classic Chinese character, a shapeshifter and trickster.  There is countless movies made on him, I like The Forbidden Kingdom (2008).  His staff is the Jingu Bang that deflects gunfire from Sivana’s henchpeople.  The blasts accidentally sets off a bomb.  Monkey Prince’s shifu, Piggy, arrives to help him and the hero takes on the demon!  There is fun twists that gives the new character a DC spotlight.  DC: Festival of Heroes offers some great superhero stories and art perfect for AAPI Heritage Month!  

Five Banana Bobas out of Five! 

#FestivalofHeroes, #MarikoTamaki, #MarcusTo, #Amy Chu, #MarcioTakara, #Monkey Prince, #GeneLuenYang, #Bernard Chang.  

Star Wars: The High Republic #5 Review!

Star Wars: The High Republic has the multiple threat of a Hutt taking over Sidri Minor and Drengir invading Starlight Beacon, and this is the conclusion of the There is No Fear story!  Phil Noto has a dramatic cover with Keeve Trennis holding her fallen master Sskeer, uh-oh.  “Attack of the Hutts” has the writing by Cavan Scott and art by Ario Anindito (new artist next issue!).  The beginning on the farm planet, Sidri Minor, has Keeve a whirl with her two green lightsabers deflecting blasterfire.  She is protecting her fellow Jedi Ceret who is evacuating civilians.  The captions are Keeve’s thoughts that it didn’t have to come to a battle.  Their enemy is a Gamorrean on a Rancor!  Ceret tries to use the Force to push back the Rancor, but it stomps him!  

It flashes back to the start of the conflict, we have the Hutt, Myaraga the Benevolent (my favorite Hutt name).  He is floating on a floating platform with two Rancors.  He wants his planet, Jedi Master Avar Kriss argues against his claim, but Myaraga says he has a contract with the farmers.  Um, Jedi should recognize contracts under the High Republic, sucks, but the Hutt is in the right here.  Sskeer doesn’t want to wait for the negotiation and in a stunning two-page spread he knocks down the Hutt with his Drengir tentacles!  He is speaking in a Dark Side voice!  Myaraga gives the order and his mercenaries start blasting!  Avar contacts Starlight Beacon, but they are dealing with the Drengir!  Padawan Imri is struck by a Drengir!  

His master Vern uses a red (?) lightsaber to cut through the Drengir.  Avar checks on the battle, Keeve says Ceret is busy, caught in the jaws of the Rancor!, his twin Terec has his green lightsaber and his own to cut down the Rancor rider.  He then uses the Force to set the Rancor asleep.  Then, the twins are reunited and go into battle, with the cry, “For Light and Life!”  There is some cool scenes here and we know that the situation becomes dark.  The fight goes on with Myaraga and Sskeer and Keeve tries to get her master back.  Keeve puts together lightsaber staff and um, slices through Sskeer’s Drengir arm!  Myaraga reveals his real Hutt name, not as funny as the first one, but I hope there is more Myaraga.  Avar tries to warn him about the greater threat.  

Sskeer forms a blade from his Drengir arm and attacks Keeve.  The brutal foreman, Kalo, is trying to put together his treasures in a sack to take them on the run.  He is confronted by the villagers and Rodian father, Neeso, who lost his son to the Drengir gives a right hook to Kalo!  This doesn’t give revenge for his son, but shows that the villagers are ready to stand up for themselves.  The Rancor bursts through the wall and Kalo uses the distraction to escape.  Sskeer is dueling with Keeve with his lightsaber.  Suddenly, he returns and admits that he was losing the Force during her trial in the first issue.  He fears that the threat of Drengir will continue as long as there is a hidden seed.  

We see the Rancor catch up to Kalo.  Avar is holding off the blasters of Myaraga.  She has the distress calls of Starlight Beacon and channels them so Myaraga can hear the attack on Hutt worlds.  The Drengir are surrounding them and Avar turns over the planet to Myaraga.  He decides to team up his mercenaries with the Jedi.  Sskeer has a plan, he wants Keeve to mind touch him to convince the hungry Drengir that the “meat” of the people is corrupted.  Keeve touches Sskeer’s head and he growls in the Dark Side.  The Drengir start to retreat muttering, “Unclean.”  He may have saved the day, a brave Trandoshan, but there is a price to pay!   Star Wars: The High Republic has some powerful moments for the Jedi and races into the next arc!  

Five Lightsabers out of Five!  

#StarWarsTheHighRepublic, #AttackoftheHutts, #MyaragaTheMerciless, #Rancor, #Neeso  

Wonder Woman #772 Review!

Wonder Woman #772 reveals a mystery, but we are still following Diana’s journey through Asgard!  “Afterworlds Part 3” continues with Michael W. Conrad and Becky Cloonan as writers with Travis Moore as artist.  We pick up with the plan of her squirrel guide, squirrel!, Ratatosk, Diana has hid in the eggshell of the giant eagle and swallowed by the giant serpent Nidhogg!  She breaks free of the eggshell and Nidhogg is surprised.  Diana is now in the stomach cavity of Nidhogg, there is the armor of a devoured warrior and the sickening, green bile the beast.  Nidhogg sends gas into his stomach to kill Diana.  She sinks down.  Then, we get the shadowy figure who has been giving her advice, this person even gives her the key she was searching for in Nidhogg. 

Diana revives and then begins cutting into Nidhogg!  The giant snake starts choking and expels the bile, the most disgusting panel in comics?, Diana’s hand covered in the green liquid.  She reaches up with the key.  Diana, smiling, runs off with the key.  She says to Ratatosk that she needs to clean up, well, yeah!  Diana says to the squirrel that someone was there in Nidhogg.  They reach a cliff and see the Vikings fighting their eternal battle.  Siegfried appears and tries to warn Diana.  The spirit of Siegfried dissolves, but Diana is still committed to her mission.  At the Vigrid battlefied, we have Thor with his hammer leading his warriors in a cheer.  He is interrupted by his father, Odin, who tries to explain the Dwarf made weapons are cursed.  Diana moves through the warriors to reach Thor and Odin notes that she is Wonder Woman.      

There is an unfortunate boulder that ends any further conversation.  Wonder Woman joins the fight with Thor.  A great team-up!  When do we see Gal Gadot and Chris Hemsworth?  Wonder Woman is starting to bring her powers and flies over the battle.  She tells Thor to draw out the Valkyries so she can enter their fortress.  Still, they have to face the sea god, Njord.  He is a blue-skinned leader with a shepherd’s staff formed into a fish hook. He is an a giant crab!  As Thor and Wonder Woman join the battle, the sight reminds Diana of “Arthur.”  She severs one of the crab’s legs, needs butter, and confronts Njord who batters aside her sword.  Then, she is gripped by the crab’s claw.  Diana pleads to the shadowy figure to return.  She revives and sees the figure revealed!  It is Deadman!  He was formerly her teammate in Justice League Dark.  The character first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 (1967).  I didn’t sense his distinctive voice in the shadowy afterworld.  

Diana explains to Deadman that she feels drawn to Olympus, but wants to complete her mission on Asgard.  Siegfried again joins them and says Diana cannot stop Ragnarok.  They see three stars in the sky, Valkyries?  She is upset at his sacrifice, but continues on and meets back with Ratatosk.  Another dark figure offers answers to Diana in the mist.  It is Diana as a dark spirit with yellow eyes and a massive axe.  This is Diana if she stays in Asgard, but she makes me think of Nega-Scott in Scott Pilgrim.  Also, the shadow self met by Sparrowhawk in Wizard of Earthsea.  The god-queen of Asgard brings up her army of the dead that she killed on Asgard, the Draugr!  There is a secret to this dark warrior and Diana must travel with Ratatosk to reach a hooded boatman to reach Fortress Valkyrie!  Also, we have “The Deep End” by Jordie Bellaire and Paulina Ganucheau.  Young Diana exploring the waters under Themyscira!  Wonder Woman #772 keeps up the compelling story and features some great art by Travis Moore and Paulina Ganucheau.   

Four Lassos of Truth out of Five! 

#WonderWoman772, #Afterworlds, #Nidhogg, #Ratatosk, #Thor, #Odin, #FortressValkyrie