New In Review: Superman

Superman is the first film in the rebooted DC Universe and was directed and written by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero. It also stars Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olson, Maria Gabriela De Faria as The Engineer, Wendell Pierce as Perry White with Sara Sampaio as Eve Teshmacher, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Jonathan and Martha Kent. It also features Nathan Fillion as the Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Dinesh Thyagarajan, Zlatko Burić with Anthony Carrigan and Milly Alcock.

Set three years after Clark Kent begins his career as Superman, the Man of Steel’s efforts to intervene in an international conflict have set him in the crosshairs of not only multiple governments but in Lex Luthor and his personal cadre of metahumans, a trio of corporate-sponsored superheroes and the public itself. With a PR campaign with the deck stacked against him and the troubles with his relationship with Lois, Superman may be in battle that he can’t win. And in this bleak and cynical time, how does a symbol of hope find hope for himself?

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You’re Gonna Carry That Weight

I’ve recently been thinking about the conclusion to the series Cowboy Bebop, specifically the last scene of the final episode. The crew of the Bebop has splintered and won’t reunite back to what they once were, Spike’s reunion with Julia has been tragically cut short, and Jet and Faye fail to convince Spike not to go back and confront his old partner, Vicious. A bloody swathe is cut and though Spike finally puts an end to Vicious, he soon collapses from his wounds. Giving one last “Bang” to us, the audience before Mai Yamane and the Seatbelts perform the last song of the show, “Blue.” Not fading to black like normal but taking the credits past the rain, past the blue skies and into the vastness of the stars, it’s final card giving one last musical reference from the Beatles, “You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.”

I’ve been thinking about this scene for the wrong reasons, because I’m grieving. I’m grieving the loss of a family member. I’m grieving because the world has been irreparably changed for others and myself I’m grieving because I could no more stop her death than Jet and Faye could stop Spike from going on his awful conclusion. Maybe these are the right reasons, I honestly don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want to feel like this and I don’t want to face what comes next.

But I’ve realized something about that last line, or rather I’ve reached a revelation that might not be right but I want to share it all the same. The “Weight” is usually been interpreted as the regrets from the choices we’ve made, our past mistakes, or even the grief we feel as we soldier on even as we lose our friends and loved ones. That one seems the most appropriate but it also feels like there’s something else, that’s when it hit me. The Weight is more than just the hurt and the losses and the bad mistakes, it’s also the good times, the cherished moments, the love that’s shared. It’s heavy because life is heavy.

When we lose someone we care about we carry all that we felt alongside of them, the weight of their lives and our own. We may be fortunate to have someone else help with that burden or we may struggle on our own. But however the journey goes and until the stars in our lives all fade away, we carry that weight.

New In Review: Devil May Cry

Devil May Cry is Netflix original animated series based on the videogame series of the same name. Developed by Adi Shankar it stars Johnny Young Bosch as Dante, Scout Taylor-Compton as Mary, Hoon Lee as the White Rabbit, and Chris Coppola as Enzo. It also features Benjamin Abiola, Kari Wahlgren, Roger Jackson, Jason Marnocha, Erica Lindbeck, Leilani Barrett, Sunkrish Bala, Fryda Wolff, Ray Chase, Tina Majorino. With Ian James Corlett and the late Kevin Conroy as VP Baines and Robbie Daymond as Vergil.

Thousands of years ago, the forces of Hell invaded Earth in a act of bloody conquest that nearly wiped out all of humanity. But the demon knight, Sparda, turned against his kind and saved the human race, sealing the demons away at the cost of his own power. Ages later, his son Dante works as a professional demon hunter battling the unholy powers with a combination of pizazz, style, and some serious immature, try-hard energy. But the forces of Hell are mobilizing once more under the leadership of the mysterious figure of the White Rabbit. And the world of the humans is also taking steps through the clandestine organization DARKCOM, whose leader is dedicated to protecting humankind to the point of fanaticism. If there’s to be any hope and chance of survival, Dante will have to step up his game because chaos is coming and the party’s about to get crazy.

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New In Review: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Unshaved Mouse once described that even though Wallace & Gromit have had four short films, a long-running spin-off, comics, computer games, and a feature film, the two have never felt like a franchise. There’s always been a distinct coziness to them that never felt pervasive no matter how merchandise has been produced. A big part of that comes from the fact that their stories and humor have remained quite British in tone and style regardless of the budget and kept the charm that comes with stop-motion animation. The duo of Wallace, an inventor with more technical ingenuity in his little finger than common sense in his brain and Gromit, his silent, longsuffering dog and minder have remained staples of British culture because they’ve never lost their charm.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is the latest project from Aardman Animations and is directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham and released through the BBC and Netflix. It stars Ben Whitehead as Wallace (taking over from the late Peter Sallis). It also features Reece Shearsmith, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Diane Morgan, Muzz Khan, Adjoa Andoh and Lenny Henry.

The film is a direct follow-up to the short The Wrong Trousers, some years after foiling the robbery from the criminal mastermind penguin Feathers McGraw, the titular duo find themselves strapped for cash once more on account of Wallace’s constant inventing. Wallace’s latest creation is a robot garden gnome named Norbot whose…enthusiastic take on gardening make him a hit for the community. But it might also be the key to the penguin’s sinister plan of revenge against the two.

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New In Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the latest film from the Sonic franchise from Paramount. Directed by Jeff Fowler, Ben Schwartz returns as the Blue Blur alongside Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Tails the Fox, Idris Elba as Knuckles the Echidna and features Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. It also features James Marsden and Tika Sumpter as Tom and Maddie Wachowski, and Jim Carrey as both Ivo and Gerald Robotnik. Rounding out the cast is Lee Majdoub as Robotnik’s lackey Stone, Tom Butler as Commander Walters, Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell and Alya Browne as Maria.

Picking up from the last film, a secret weapon known as Shadow has escaped from the custody of Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) and Sonic and his friends are called in to stop his rampage. But the overwhelming power of this new hedgehog is more than any of them can handle and in their desperation they’re forced to make an alliance with an old enemy. But the journey to stop Shadow will the reveal the root of his trauma, the sins of G.U.N.’s past and Robotnik’s long-lost relative and the ensuing battle may be more than our heroes and the Earth can take…

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Season Review: Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina

The crew of nerdy-ass voice actors are back for a third season of Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina as the familiar crew of Laura Bailey (Vex), Liam O’Brien (Vax), Travis Willingham (Grog), Marisha Ray (Keyleth), Ashley Johnson (Pike), Sam Riegel (Scanlon), Taliesin Jaffe (Percy), and Matt Mercer return for more adventures in the D&D world of Exandria. Newcomers include Mara Junot as J’mon Sa Ord, Rachel House as Dohla, with Debra Wilson as Pa’tice and Luis Carazo as Zerxus. Returning cast includes Indira Varma, Stephanie Beatriz, Sunil Malhotra, Esme Creed-Miles, Gina Torres, Aisling Franciosi, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Will Friedle, Fred Tatasciore, Troy Baker, Kelly Hu, Cree Summer, and the late Lance Reddick as Thordak.

Continuing from the end of season 2, Vox Machina have secured a great victory in securing three Vestiges of Divergence, great artifacts with the powers of the gods, and have slain Umbrasyl of the Chroma Conclave. But to defeat the rest of the draconic cabal, more Vestiges must be claimed and the quest for them will lead them all over the world, into the depths of hell itself, and in the sights of old enemies and new. And if they’re to stop the Cinder King’s mad plan that would bring the world to ash, an alliance of convenience with a treacherous deceiver may have to be made. And that could cost them more than they can imagine…

Warning: Spoilers may follow.

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New In Review: Will & Harper

Will & Harper is the latest documentary from Netflix directed by Josh Greenbaum. The documentary features Will Ferrell and Harper Steele on a road trip across America, visiting places Steele trekked through back when she went by Andrew. In a way, reintroducing the country to who she is now.

This is an unusual case for me; for starters I haven’t really reviewed a documentary before and unlike film, television, or books I’m not looking for things like plot, character development or the like. And unlike many documentaries, I can’t judge it based on accuracy or whether it’s being fair in its critique or message. This is the journey of two friends across their home.

The other big part is the subject of Harper’s transitioning, a hot-button topic for many. For my part, I have known and know people who are trans, some I knew before they transitioned, others I have only met through the internet. I have strived to be kind and understanding perhaps to make for a time in my adolescence when it was easier to not be kind or understanding.

But the focus of this documentary isn’t to focus on hot-button topics or the discourse of the trans community in America (not even when the two bump into Eric Holcomb), but a journey. There is an ugliness shown, and I’m glad that the documentary was more than willing to share who said what in their less than kind tweets. And there are certainly the moments of self-reflection and the feelings of self-loathing. But the heart of this is a road trip between two friends cracking jokes, visiting new and familiar places and maybe asking questions about transitioning that Will, or the viewer, might have.

What makes this documentary so noteworthy is that it knows exactly what it wants to do. To see the world, to have a good time and to do so with with a close friend. Ignore the bad faith arguments, ignore the outrage grifts, and ignore the “Won’t someone think of the children?!” hysteria. They may exist, and there are times when it feels overwhelming. But this about two friends reaffirming their friendship and when you have that, those ugly comments look and feel so small.

Just crack a joke and share the road and if you can do that with a buddy, all the better.

A Story About a Store

This is a bit unusual, I tend to focus my works on reviews and on the thankfully few occasions, wrote tributes to recently passed icons of geekdom. This isn’t about a person, but a place. A place that has been very special to me throughout the years. And no, this place is not dying nor going out of business, just moving to a new location. But this store was founded the same year, heck, only a month a way from when I was born and in the ups-and-downs of the business world for a small, independent comic shop to remain in the same place for three and a half decades is no small feat.

I’m not the best person to tell this story as such I’ll make it short, but before I can tell you of what this place means to me I have to tell you about Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff.

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New In Review: Batman: Caped Crusader

Batman: Caped Crusader from Amazon Prime is the latest animated series to tackle the Batman universe under the creative direction of Bruce Timm. It stars Hamish Linklater as Batman, Jason Watkins as Alfred, Eric Morgan Stuart as Commissioner Gordon, Krystal Joy Brown as Barbara Gordon, Diedrich Bader as Harvey Dent, Michelle C. Bonilla as Renee Montoya, John Dimaggio as Harvey Bullock, Gary Anthony Williams as Arnold Flass, and Cedric Yarbrough as Rupert Thorne. Rounding out the cast there’s Minnie Driver, Christina Ricci, Dan Donohue, Tom Kenny, Toby Stephens, Reid Scott, McKenna Grace and Jamie Chung.

Warning: Spoilers are to follow.

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Season Review: My Adventures with Superman: Season 2

My Adventures With Superman returns for another season on Adult Swim and sees the return of Jack Quaid as Superman, Alice Lee as Lois Lane, and Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen. It also features Joel de la Fuente as Sam Lane, Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller, Max Mittelman as Lex Luthor, Chris Parnell as Deathstroke, Darnell Brown as Perry White, Andromeda Dunker as Vicki Vale. Rounding out the cast there’s Byron Marc Newsome, Jesse Inocalla, André Sogliuzzo, Zehra Fazal, Leila Berzins, Jason Marnocha, Rhea Seehorn, with Michael Emerson and Kiana Madeira.

Picking up where the last season ended, our trio of Clark, Lois, and Jimmy continue their work at the Daily Planet bringing integrity (and just a bit of hijinks) to the news while Superman continues his own brand of working helping the people of Metropolis. But all is not well in the city, Task Force X is now under the complete control of Amanda Waller who alongside their new benefactor, tech genius Lex Luthor, is bringing their war against Superman to new lows. Besides repeated human rights violations, they’re bringing a new tactic in, a public relations campaign against the Big Blue Boy Scout. Combine that with the new stresses in their jobs and relationships and Clark and Lois’ relationship might be over before it’s had a chance to truly get off the ground. And the alien threat that drove Task Force X into such extremes twenty-two years ago? It’s directed its attention to Earth and to Superman…

Warning: Spoilers are to follow.

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