Naomi, “Who Am I?”, Review!

It is the final episode of Naomi with the second part of the finale!  Short re:cap - we had Naomi taking on The Assassin with his energy weapons.  She does a flying punch and then her arm is caught by The Assassin.  He knocks her down and tries to bring down his energy sais, but they are evaporated by Naomi’s new power.  The Assassin teleports away.  Zumbado and Dee takes Lourdes and Anthony to give them the update.  Lourdes knows about the multiverse from comics.  The duo saved them because they care for Naomi.  In the forest, Naomi puts the locket in the disc and then they see door.  Annabelle stays behind as Naomi enters, it is Earth-29.  The red leaves start to fall, then Naomi sees a vision of her parents, and that they were betrayed!  

Naomi is back logging onto her Superman blog probably the last time was the first episode.  She goes into Doogie Howser mode and contextualizes her life over the year with the final question that is the title of the episode.  Her house, Naomi tells Greg and Jennifer about seeing her birth parents.  Then, the memories of their last day on the planet.  I hope her parents are not her betrayers.  She worries about being ready for Brutus.  Greg says they have to leave the planet that night and they want to keep it a secret.  Naomi worries about her friends.  She places the disc on Zumbado’s desk, but he sees her and tells her that she shouldn’t leave.  The Chosen One with a destiny to confront parent’s killers is very Harry Potter.  A rainy night, the McDuffies drive in the rain, then confront Julian and The Assassin.   Julian activates a force field that the car slams into and falls flipped over.  Naomi struggles to get outside of the car.  Her parents are missing.  I imagine the bad guys took them away.  

NAOMI - - “Who Am I?”  - - CAMILA MORENO, DANIEL PUIG, WILL MEYERS, AIDAN GEMME, KACI WALFALL, MARY-CHARLES JONES - - Photo: Danny Delgado/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  

For some reason, Naomi walks in with Annabelle walk into Dee’s office with it in ruins.  In a room is Dee sulking, Akira, Naomi’s parents, and Zumbado.  He thinks they used powers developed by Mac.  A dampening attack took away their powers.  If it takes away their powers, and the McDuffies don’t have any, why not use the crystals they had before to defeat Steel?  They should have brought them along for the escape.  Naomi goes over the attack at Old Forest Road.  Zumbado realizes that they were trying to escape.  Akira says that Mac visited Dee.  He says he refused to help Mac.  Then, suspicion turns to Akira.  The “Who Am I?” episode turns into a whodunnit!  The guilty card is played on Dee, Akira, and Zumbado, but not the McDuffies, hmm.  Naomi goes over why the adults are taken, Annabelle is happy that she might be next, Naomi wonders about the others.  Jacob and Anthony are sneaking around playing paintball.  Annabelle and Naomi walk into the black-lit arena, but Annabelle gets hit, her jacket should protect her.  The shooter is revealed to be Lourdes.  

She in turn is hit by Nathan.  You don’t walk or stand around during paintball.  No helmets!  Paintballs hurt if they hit your head! and that would be illegal in terms of the game.  Annabelle is hit several more times, you never stay in the same place, and she should wear a helmet.  Actually, you can’t enter an arena without the proper gear.  Naomi sees Julian, but he disappears, is he playing a game of “I See You!”  At Dee’s tatoo shop, Naomi takes everyone to the training room, and Jacob finds somethign on his alien tracker.  Anthony says that events like “the first gathering of a super hero team” as Annabelle puts it, can also happen in the underground cave of a billionaire.  He admits that Lourdes is getting him to read Batman, they are a couple.  They find the adults in a place Jacob recognizes as an “abandoned warehouse.”  Naomi is about to leave to take on the problem on her own, but sees all of her friends again.  She says it’s all too dangerous, but they all say they already faced danger.  Jacob gives them code names.  This seems like it is the first time that the friends are all together, having fun, and not clueless about Naomi.   

NAOMI - - “Who Am I?”  - - ALEXANDER WRAITH - - Photo: Danny Delgado/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  

Annabelle brings up the Squid Man in Star Wars and the others all say, “Admiral Ackbar.”  Funny, but Squid Head is a Quarren, Ackbar would be like Salmon Head, close enough. Naomi then leaves her friends at super speed.  The adults begin to investigate the room.  Akira is touching the floor and says that there is massive geothermal energy.   A surge of energy and Akira explains that it is opening of a portal.  A circle appears and Naomi sees The Assassin and Julian explain that it will lead her to Earth-29.  Naomi says she is not alone, takes a toy walkie talkie, and Julian vanishes!  Doja Cat, Annabelle, pulls a switch.  Aragorn, Jacob, says it’s a go, and Annabelle is excited that he watched The Wire.  Julian suddenly appears and is hit by paintballs from Anthony and Lourdes.  Jacob finally activates his device and sends away.  Naomi uses her power on The Assassin, waves of power, that knocks him down.  

Zumbado starts to use his powers on the door as the others watch, it suddenly opens and it’s Jacob and Nathan.  Dee and Zumbado walk and then encounter a power field, but Dee unfurls his wings knocks back the Assassin.  Dee has his metal wings out and threatens him to the location of Qyeala, he reveals that she is on Gaolus, the prison planet, and then Zumbado knocks him out.  Annabelle sees Naomi as she is about to enter the portal.  She says she forbids Naomi from entering it.  This is a tearful scene for the characters.  Naomi says it is her choice.  A farewell with a hug.  Then, Naomi walks into the portal.  Earth-29, behind Naomi is the appearance of Brutus (Ray Porter), a bearded man   He confides that he isn’t from this universe.  Brutus reveals that Superman’s appearance was two beings, .  Brutus throws a dagger, that cuts Naomi.  His power binds and throws Naomi back.  He has the weird, distorted voice.  

NAOMI - - “Who Am I?”  - - MOUZAM MAKKAR, BARRY WATSON  - - Photo: Nathan Booster/The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.  

Brutus shows her the past, we almost get to the secret, but Naomi resists him.  He takes back his dagger.  Naomi defies his call to join him.  Brutus is about to throw the dagger, but she unleashes her power.  The red foliage is restored and Brutus is amazed by her power.  Brutus is zapped by Zumbado and Akira who gives him the Transmatter cube.  She says she has to stay behind to seal the portal.  At Zumbado’s car dealership with Dee, he gives her the disc, Dee says Brutus now knows her powers and that she can defeat him.  Zumbado says tha they will have to find the other 29 with the disc.  Naomi wants to help Akira.  Zumbado says that she is already dead, but Naomi has hope.  She wants to train on her own.  Naomi wants Dee to go to Qyeala.  She thanks Dee for her training, understanding her powers, the truth, and that she was not alone.  

Zumbado assures Dee that Naomi will be safe.  Dee says he will return if she needs him, they hug, Dee and Zumbado nod to each other.  Naomi returns to see Nathan at a party like the beginning.  All of the friends gather and Annabelle wonders about senior year.  They start to dance.  The forest, Naomi walks with her parents with shovels to dig the transport vessel.  Naomi picks up a piece of the ship, she then sees the truth of Greg and Jennifer shooting her birth parents.  Jennifer says they now have Naomi, Greg says, “No one will stop us now.” They thought they could restore Earth-29 with her.  This crazy revealation is like Invaders from Mars (1953), are parents real?  Naomi starts to float upwards with the leaves around her.  She threatens Jennifer and Greg sayings, “Stay away me.”  She flies through the mist and out to the sky.  I like the end cap of the episode, makes sense, and her flying away Matrix Neo-style.  A great ending to a show with superheroes, sci fi, and fun characters!       

Five Discs out of Five!  

#Naomi, #WhoAmI, #KaciWalfall, #MaryCharlesJones, #AidanGemme, #WillMeyers, #CamilaMoreno, #DanielPuig, #BarryWatson, #MouzamMakkar, #AlexanderWraith, #CranstonJohnson, #StephanieMarch, #OwenHarn, #DerekRusso, #RayPorter  

Celebrate 60 years of the Renaissance Faire!

 The 60th Anniversary of Ren Faire and it also the last weekend!  Huzzah!  Its page says to arrive before 9 a.m., good advice since there was an incredible line of cars that stretched several blocks, just to get in.  The faire is located at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale.  The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire started in 1963 and it continues to today and beyond.  It is a cosplay spectacular; I saw knights, fairies, princess (including Disney versions), pirates, and plague doctors. There were also some exceptions like three members of Starfleet, I mentioned to them if time displacement happened, there was a Tardis box near the joust. 

                                                                                    The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire, photo by the author. 

I also saw a Skeksis, who was dressed as the Chambrelain, SkekSil!  I even saw the Black Knight, who had a stump instead of his left arm, “`tis but a scractch.”  Everyone was everything, costumes from home, and also you can rent them or just pieces.  It seemed like everyone was into the spirit of cosplaying.  This is not just a few brave and fun souls like at comic conventions, this every third person, they are everwhere.  You walk into Port Deptford and are immediately transported to 1580s Elizabethan England, time seems to be fluid except the Queen, “Your Majesty”, and her court.  All eras and places, foods, and entertainment, are all merged together.  Along the lakeside, the path can be paved or dirt, uneven, rocky, and crossed with tree roots.  

I saw one fellow wander the faire looking at a map!  When you walk into the faire, you are part of it, you will be given a compliment or a clever joke.  The path wanders around the faire with booths.  Vendors call out their fares, good, or drink.  I walked in and wanted to buy everything.  Swords, garlands, and artwork in booths around the faire.  There is also a massive food area with fruit ice, massive turkey legs, and chocolate covered strawberries.  There are rides like the Dragon Swing, Fools Maze, and  the Zip Line.  Also, activites like the Axe Throw, Archery, and my favorite, St. Jude’s School of Fencing.  It features a Petting Zoo goats and donkeys perfect for kids.  My intent was really to see the shows.  Starting with MooNiE the Magni’Cent.  I caught him trying to get an audience member to hold him up for his balancing act by pushing his behind!  

                                                   Draiku Aerial Show, author’s photo. 

MooNie communicates through whistles like Harpo Marx, the best part is the audience involvement, he wants everyone to cheer, react, and laugh.  He has worked for 20 years perfecting his act juggling fire devil sticks.  Don’t forget to check out his site https://themoonieshow.com.  If you like the shows, honestly, give a little for the performers, they travel, train, and work really hard to entertain you.  I caught a little of the Poxy Brogards show which has some naughty songs, not for young ones.  Another noteworthy show was Kaitlin in the Draiku Aerial Dancer performance, impressive climbs, poses, and acrobatics with silks from 30 feet in the air!  Check out her work at: https://www.kaitlin-chin.com.  More info about the Ren Faire is at: https://renfair.com/socal/   It ends tomorrow, May 22nd, but I hope everyone can go at some time or has had a great time this year             

#RenaissancePleasureFaire, #WhereFantasyRules 

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 (1978) which featured his family; Malla, son, Lumpy, and father, Itchy. Also, there was a glimpse of Chewbacca's home and planet, Kashyyyk.  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 Chewie in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  In 1981, Mayhew played the Tall Knight in episdes 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).  

                                                                        The Peter Mayhew Foundation table at Empire Con, 2019, author’s photo. 

He played himself in the comedy, Comic Book: The Movie (2004).  He appeared as Chewbacca was in Revenge of the Sith (2005) where he fought the Separatists on Kashyyyk.  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).  On April 16, 2015, Mayhew was on stage with other cast members for The Force Awakens at Star Wars Celebration.  We lost Peter Mayhew on April 2019, but Chewbacca will be with us.  Happy Birthday Peter Mayhew!   

#PeterMayhew,#SinbadAndTheEyeOfTheTiger, #StarWars, #StarWarsHolidaySpecial, #Terror, #EmpireStrikesBack, #ReturnOfTheJedi, #StarTours, #ComicBookTheMovie, #RevengeOfTheSith,  #YesterdayWasALie,  #GrowingUpGiant, #MyFavoriteGiant, #PeterMayhewFoundation, #TheForceAwakens, #StarWarsCelebration 

Re:run: Classic Shows - Fame!

There are so many singing reality shows out there; American Idols, The Voice, and a really good show, Alter Ego, and there has been dancing shows like Dancing With The Stars (they are not really stars) and So You Think You Can Dance, the people on show yes, me not so much, so it's about dancers who dance, ok.  Then, there were singing dramas like Glee, Smash, but there was one show that was ahead of its time!  Do remember its name?  Fame (1982 - 1987) was one of my favorites, based on the 1980 movie directed by Alan Parker, which won the Academy Awards for best score and best original song.

One of the best movie songs is the title song, “Fame”, by Irene Cara!   Then, the 1982-1983 show brought back some the cast!; Debbie Allen, a veteran of the Fame franchise playing Lydia Grant, Leroy Johnson played by Gene Anthony Ray, Lee Curreri portrayed musician extraordinaire, Bruno Martelli, and veteran teacher, Benjamin Shorofsky played by Albert Hague.  The teachers were influential to myself for my teaching career.  The show was created by Christopher Gore who also wrote the movie, Fame (1980).  There are so many film to tv adaptations, how do make it right?, look at Fame!  I also liked  Carlo Imperato as Danny Amatullo, Doris Schwartz played by Valerie Landsburg, Erica Gimpel (who recorded the show’s theme song for later seasons) was Coco Hernandez.  

Plus, there was Carol Mayo Jenkins who played Elizabeth Sherwood, Nia Peeples as Nicole Chapman, and Cynthia Gibb played Holly Laird.  In 1997-8, there was a Fame L.A., in 2002, there was a tv movie sequel and tv series. MTV in 2003, had a reality show, Debbie Allen was the co-host.  In 2009, there was a movie kinda remake with Debbie Allen as Principal Angela Simms.  Go back to the original, add or change some characters, spin it off into a tv series.  I hope the original casts will return for a new movie and series.  Do they go to any signings?  Enough time is passed and others have tried to take the place of Fame, but it is the original movie and series casts that will live forever!

#Fame, #AmericanIdol, #TheVoice, #AlterEgo, #DancingWithTheStars, #SoYouThinkYouCanDance, #Glee, #Smash, #AlanParker, #IreneCara, #DebbieAllen, #GeneAnthonyRay, #LeeCurreri, #AlbertHague, #ChristopherGore, #CarloImperato, #ValerieLandsburg, #EricaGimpel, #CarolMayoJenkins, #NiaPeeples, #CynthiaGibb, #FameLA 

 

Metal Society #1 Review!

Metal Society #1 has a sci-fi Earth taken over by robots, but a woman will make a stand for humanity!  It features a cover by Guilherme Balbi, the artist worked on the limited series, Alien The Original Screenplay for Dark Horse. He is also the interior artist.  It has a pale robot, who look likes a slim flyweight boxer in armor with a face like the robot, Dennis, in Bill & Ted Face The Music (2020).  He is against an orange, city background and facing his competitor, a woman with dark hair, two braids, and a red top and shorts looking like a MMA fighter.  The comic is written by Zack Kaplan who also wrote the Port of Earth series for Image Comics.  The story begins with spotlights flashing in the night while a commentator notes that the focus is the Shrine of Battle.  An arena for a battle with robots and humans, an expansion of the sci fi movie, Real Steel (2011) that was like the Rock `Em Sock `Em Robots game.  

Holograms project the contest, “Robot v Human!”, on one is robots and androids and the other with a human crowd. Preparing for the fight, wrapping her hands in bandages is the human fighter, Rosa.  We get a closeup of her face.  Her team tells her the fight mantra, “We fight to survive… and our spirit is strong.”  Then, we have a closeup of the robot battler, WOL-421313, who is calibrating his fight programming.  The exposed face and cybernetic back of his head makes WOL look like Robocop with a little Borg.  His coach bot tells him to stop continuing his diagnostics.  He seems a bit nervous.  The arena explodes with large panel spread with two panels on the bottom of the page.  The announcers notes that humans have returned to Earth for a decade.  The set up is interesting since robots have likely remained on Earth, shades of WALL-E (2008), so humans would be occupiers.  

Also, we get that Rosa worked in trash fields, until becomes a fighter.   Rosa Gunthree is introduced and it is noted that she is “genetically enhanced” to crush steel!  This reminds me of the comic character, Magnus Robot Fighter.  Then, WOL is introduced, once a construction bot that trained to become a fighter. The waiting robot audience members have the clean, detailed European lines.  WOL comes from this city, Robot City 2420.  The rules are laid out; no hitting the head or eyes for the human, and no strikig robot power source or CPU.  The fight will last until there is a knockout or tap out.  The announcer says the fight was almost stopped by the two human leaders and the Robot Fight Commission.  Rosa is blinded by intense light.  This flashes back three years, Rosa is dropped from a birthing pod. Fully formed as an adult like the Matrix films or Blade Runner 2049 (2017).  Rosa is told by bot that she is “Human Generation Three.”  

We see that there is a robot instructor who is teaching a class elementary school lessons.  He then goes onto explain that robots became the dominant species.  Another classmate, Simon, whispers to Rosa, about showing her afterschool the sprawl of the human city.  It looks like there is a tower like the Space Needle in Seattle.  We see the two make their way through the crowds onto upper levels, an interesting design with the panels capturing moments around the poeople to the rooftop all in the top page spread of the city.  Rosa and Simon have a moment wanting to live in the human city.  We get the clearing of trash by the human workers supervised by drones and robots.  Rosa is surprised that Simon has collapsed.  She argues with the supervisor bot to get help for Simon. She sees the inequality of the robot system.  The work shift finished, an older man takes Simon to get some medical attention, Rosa is angry at getting left behind.  

Then, she sees Challenger’s Gym, and walks inside.  Rosa sees the fight raining for security officers.  She leads to get some fighting time.  The owner points out a spare bot.  Small panels show her pummeling the sparing bot.  Later, she has a purple cloak, to check on Simon sleeping.  Rosa then makes her way on the night streets while robots fill the streets.  She carries a spray can in closeup, wears a football helmet, and leaves a message for the robots on a statue.  Robots inquire about the incident to a human council.  The leader, Noa, calls for an investigation and talks with another member, Abe.  They argue over Rosa’s dedication.  We see him later at the Challenger’s Gym, Abe watching Rosa practicing.  Abe was part of Rosa's team when she is about to get into the ring.   He commenting on Rosa’s fight style.  She recognizes him as the part of the Six, the first humans made by the robots.  Abe later takes her to a human camp with children which stuns Rosa.  They are not produced by robots.  Abe wants her to join the human rights group.  The setup for Metal Society #1 gives an interesting, robot-controlled world, fighter Rosa is a hope for the human resistance!           

Four Spray Cans out of Five!   

#MetalSociety, #ZackKaplan, #GuilermeBalbi, #ShrineOfBattle, #RosaGunthree, #WOL, #RobotCity2420, #Noa, #Abe, #ChallengersGym  

Young Avengers: MCU Phase 4 and Beyond!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe, post-Endgame, is dropping hints at what may be in the next phases! What is not clear is that there is no Avengers currently, there doesn’t seem to be replacements or second tier heroes filling the missing roster. The retirement of Steve Rogers ended with him handing the shield to Sam Wilson. Possibly, if we see the new Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie, he may or may not have leadership of the team. I suspect that the new movie will have him teamed up with a new Falcon, Lt. Torres, played by Danny Ramirez. It seems like James Rhodes, War Machine, may still be active in his cameo in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.  We have the introduction of Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, in the Ironheart series.  Her status and also War Machine may be decided in the Armor Wars series.  

We will see the update on the thunder god in Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8th. There is also the Jane Foster Thor played by Natalie Portman. I think she wouldn’t merely replace Thor with the Avengers, but it could happen. We will in the She-Hulk Disney+ series, Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters. She was actually an important part of the new line-up starting with Avengers #221 (1982). Kate Bishop looks like she is taking the mantle of Hawkeye from the Disney+ show. Hailee Steinfeld played Kate in the series. So, let’s look at the 80’s Avengers known by writer, Roger Stern’s run. The other member was Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, as she was known at the time. She appeared in WandaVision played by Teyonah Parris. The Marvels movie, set to be released on July 28, 2023, will include Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel. Rambeau formerly joined the team in Avengers #231 (1983).  

Starfox, a cameo in The Eternals (2021), he appeared in Avengers #243 (1984). The Wasp whom was always with the Avengers since the first issue, became Chairperson of the Avengers! Maybe this will change with Evangeline Lilly returning as the Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania out in theaters February 17, 2023. A team member whom we haven’t seen yet in the MCU is Hercules. We caught a glimpse of Olympus and Zeus in the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer, next is Hercules? He joined in Avengers #250 (1984). Now there are two important characters also introduced in The Eternals.  The first is Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, played by Kit Harington. He joined in Avengers #256 (1985). Then, there is Sersi played by Gemma Chan.  

So I’m thinking the line-up of the next Avengers; Wasp, Captain America (Wilson), She-Hulk, Sersi, Black Knight, Hercules, and Captain Marvel (Rambeau). What about the young members? The Secret Warriors were introduced in Mighty Avengers #13 (2008), they were in the 2015-2017 episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it is really the version of the animated movie, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (2018) that is the key. The team is assembled by Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, who has her show debut on Disney+ on June 8th. She is played by Iman Vellani. Then, the other part of the duo is Squirrel Girl, Doreen Green. She was voiced by Milana Vayntrub in Marvel Rising and was set for the live action Marvel’s New Warriors, but that series was cancelled. I hope she appears in a new show or movie.  

The key seems to be the Invent @WEB posters that are at WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.  This is the attraction at the Avenger’s Campus section of Disney’s California Adventure.  Surprise cameos always show up in the MCU series and I think it will be Squirrel Girl in Ms. Marvel!  If so, the series might be the adventures of this duo! There are only two members from New Warriors, the team might use that name, but I’m going with Secret Warriors. Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl encounter a thief named Dante Pertuz. He goes by the name Inferno. This is a character that has not yet been seen in any MCU show or movie. He is chased by a man named Victor Kohl, also not seen in the MCU, who later gets the name The Exile. Possible villain of the show or movie.  Booboo Stewart voices him in the movie. He may play him in the live action show. Then, they encounter S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Quake and Patriot. I’m tending towards Secret Warriors, because the team consisted of Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and Patriot. The latter character may help form the Young Avengers, but not yet, he still needs training and this is what happens with all of the characters in what I suspect is Secret Warriors.  

                                Doreen Green’s Invent @WEB profile at WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, 2021, author’s photo. 

Quake, Daisy Johnson, was played by Chloe Bennett in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She voiced the character in the Secret Warriors movie. Then, Dante steals the motorcycle of America Chavez. She was of course played by Xochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Also on the team is Lockjaw, this is the Inhuman’s dog, who also appeared in the Inhumans 2017 series.   There may be also other members of the team, but I suspect the young heroes will have adventures apart from the Avengers. It may be that some members, Inferno, The Exile, maybe Daisy Johnson?, don’t make it in a Secret Warriors movie or Disney+ series. I wouldn’t count them out at this point.  I think this team will eventually become the Young Avengers whom were activated by the Avengers Fail-Safe Program by Vision, White Vision from WandaVision? All speculation, but I believe that the characters that are introduced in the MCU Phase Four are set up to be the next Avengers and a new team of young heroes.    

#CaptainAmerica, #AnthonyMackie, #Falcon, #DannyRamirez, #Thor, #JaneFoster, #NataliePortman, #Ironheart, #DominiqueThorne, #SheHulk, #TatianaMaslany, #KateBishop, #Hawkeye, #HaileeSteinfeld, #MonicaRambeau, #Starfox, #Wasp, #EvangelineLilly, #AntmanAndTheWaspQuantumania, #TheEternals, #BlackKnight,  #KitHarington, #Sersi, #GemmaChan, #Avengers, #MsMarvel, #ImaniVellani, #SquirrelGirl, #Inferno, #TheExile, #BoobooStewart, #Quake, #ChloeBennett, #Dante, #AmericaChavez, #DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness, #Lockjaw, #Inhumans, #SecretWarriors   

Naomi, “Ready or Not”, Review!

We have finally reached the finale with the last two episodes of Naomi!  After the trapping of Naomi and everyone at school behind a force field, she stopped Mac’s plan using a new power, super speed!  We see the infant Naomi looking at some pendants shaking above her box.  Some mysterious figures take her away, her parents?, a man with red eyes sees them.  This is Earth-29 with its red and blue moon.  Naomi is taken to a “transport vessel” that takes her from the world.  An apocalyptic Superman escape!  Naomi wakes up from this dream/vision.  She walks into the meeting of her family, Dee, Zumbado, and Akira, in the kitchen.  Naomi wants to fight for this world.  Akira brings up finding the “Power Source.”  Dee wants to buy her time to take on Brutus. Naomi finally agrees to their decision.  

NAOMI - - “Ready or Not” - - KACI WALFALL, MARY-CHARLES JONES - - Photo: The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Zumbado wants the transport vessel moved for Akira to repair it.  At school, Naomi is working on her lap top, we see the return of Anthony.  He apparently didn’t go to prom or any of Naomi’s events like her parents party.  Anthony brings up the Superman article for the school paper.  He wants to interview Naomi who has given up on her website.  One of the problems of the show is the large cast, there just isn’t enough room to continue with Naomi’s story while Naomi gets the vision of as an infant crying in the vessel.  She tells Akira about her vision which she calls psionic powers.  Naomi brings up her resistance against the group’s decision.  Akira says that like Kryptonite and nth metal, there may be some energy that can amplify her powers, but she can’t find it.  She says her mother was her friend and shows her a gold locket.  

Naomi flashes to a field of red flowers.  Annabelle drives while Naomi thinks about the locket.  Naomi sees a billboard for Amara’s Diner which promises the “world’s best fries.”  Anthony enters Lourdes’ comic book store.  He wants to interview her for his Superman article.  It seems like it would be great promotion for the store, but Lourdes brings up Naomi’s break up with Nathan.  They both come to the start at the Superman incident.  The next Naomi couple?  Annabelle agrees with the billboard’s promise.  There is a birthday party in the next booth so Naomi brings up their birthday parties.  Then, Naomi flashes to a man (Derek Russo) on a road with red eyes, he is known as the Assassin.  Akira is working on a device watched over by Jennifer along with Greg.  She uses a screwdriver to fix the “molecular structure” of the vessel?  

NAOMI - - “Ready or Not” - - CAMILA MORENO, WILL MEYERS - - Photo: The CW -- © 2022 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

They argue over the readiness of Naomi.  Jennifer and Greg say they are Naomi’s parents and Akira has only run.  The mysterious man with sunglasses lowers them to have a waiter choke.  Continuing on the car ride, Annabelle wants to turn back with the threat of the man with red eyes.  The car starts to overheat and Naomi finds a nearby motel on her phone.  Dee sees Lourdes and Anthony about the Superman story.  Anthony questions his Superman stunt with no new customers.  Lourdes brings up Akira.  This catches the interest of Zumbado who wants them to leave.  In a motel room, Annabelle says that she has filled the coolant into her car.  Naomi wants to go back before Superman was in town three months ago.  Annabelle goes over the amazing events that happened and calls Naomi Superman 2.0.  The man with red eyes looks at their motel door and Naomi snaps from the vision to tell Annabelle.  

Naomi hits the fire alarm that happens to be in the motel room as a distraction.  Akira is almost finished with her repairs.  Jennifer questions if she had helped Naomi.  Akira brings up The Terror that gave her powers.  Some of this should have been established mid-season.  Naomi has given Akira hope due to Jennifer and Greg raising her.  Naomi walks to the field with red flowers and then uses her power on the locket, but nothing happens.  At night, Anthony is investigating with Lourdes into the forest.  They see the glowing marks around the rock.  Anthony takes photos of it.  Lourdes hears someone moving in the forest.  The Assassin has a glowing blade, he throws it, but it is blocked by Dee!  Then, he is knocked down by Zumbado’s power so he leaves.  Night at the field, Naomi senses someone and it is the Assassin, Naomi wants Annabelle to get behind her.  He activates energy sais and Naomi fights with him with Dee’s training.  Naomi’s “Ready or Not” part one of the finale has another of Brutus’ henchmen and another confrontation, but we are winding to the showdown with Naomi and Brutus!  

Three Discs out of Five!    

#Naomi, #KaciWalfall, #MaryCharlesJones, #MouzamMakkar, #StephanieMarch, #WillMeyers, #CamilaMoreno, #AlexanderWraith, #CranstonJohnson, #BarryWatson, #DerekRusso

Brzrkr #8 Review!

The experimenting and digging into B.’s memory has all lead to this event!  Brzrkr #8 features the creative team of Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt, writers, and artist, Ron Garney.  The regular cover by Lee Garbett has Brzrkr in white bandages holding guns walking over skulls against a red background.  The countdown has a closeup of Brzrkr screaming with his eye blazing.  At sunset, there is a HUMVEE where the scientific team is monitoring the event.  Caldwell and Diana both want to see B. and he is now distorted.  We see an explosion in the distance from the HUMVEEs and they try to escape.  

The ground becomes broken as the energy crackling with black energy sheathed in blue bursts from the ground!  The military soldier, Keever, notes to Caldwell that all of his men are in retreat.  Caldwell wants to observe the event.  We have a closeup of Diana who is stunned.  The energy snakes out and whips past Caldwell and strikes Diana, who is twisted with the interior lit by blue.  She is thrown down by the energy.  Caldwell sees that she groaning and points out that the ground is broken into patterns.  Then, a two page spread as the black energy lashes from a crater and a beam emerges!  Two helicopters in silhouette fly over the destruction.  Two men in hazmat suits bring the unconscious Diana into a capsule.  

Outside of the HUMVEE, Keever notes that eleven of his soldiers died.  He wants to know from Caldwell what happened and the scientist replies that it is the “evolution of humanity.”  This type of forced evolution never seems to work for entities like the High Evolutionary in Marvel Comics.  They fly over the two mile wide crater in a helicopter.  They start to make their way down the crater from the other side.  They reach a capsule.  Caldwell opens the capsule which sends out smoke.  We see Earth back through thousands of years.  Focusing into a rocky terrain and a forested area to hills.  At 60,000 years, we see the energy reach out to B.’s mother.  This goes back further to 80,000 years and counting down the minutes as we see the energy head towards the cave. 

It continues further back in time to see the energy head towards Earth and then at 400,000 years ago a distorted, screaming man.  An event like the Monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)?  Has B. transformed into the Star Child?  It shifts to the current time as Caldwell watches the footage of Project B in a cube. The next moment the cube is lifted by energy that he looks to be reverted into and “Unute” as Caldwell calls him is gone.  He is being watched by a floating sphere with the surface covered by circular cameras.  Caldwell explains that the project has not failed and walks into a abandoned warehouse where there are stacked cubes of clones.  He calls this the “Unute Assemblage.”  Then, we see the energy form of B., a figure made up of blue energy with a nervous system exposed.  This was at 1,000,000 years ago.  Caldwell says B. is making first contact, one of the objectives of the project, this was achieved.  

He explains that they have maintained a link “through time and space”!   We see the energy form at 2,000,000 years ago. The energy B. is in the darkness searching for his father in a two page spread.  Caldwell enters a chamber with a shifting substance.  He taps on the glass to see Diana.  She is an evolutionary counterpart to B.?   It never goes well for scientists to mess with evolution, see Dr. Moreau.  It may be B.'s purpose is to act violently, culling humanity, to force it to survive and evolve?  I'm thinking of Ian Malcolm's speech in Jurassic Park (1993), "Life expands to new territories.  Painfully, perhaps even dangerously."  We go into prehistory probing the mystery of the energy that may be B.’s father.  Brzrkr #8 explores some sci fi territory that is surreal as he is on a father quest with a mystery in the transformed Diana!  

Four Protocols out of Five! 

#Brzrkr, #KeanuReeves, #MattKindt, #RonGarney, #Caldwell, #Diana, #Keever, #Unute, #ProjectB