Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Arrow "Midnight City" Review


Spoiler warning for Arrow through this episode

If I could compare the CW's Arrow to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy...well, I probably wouldn't under normal circumstances.

But this is a show where people can be frozen for four days and magically come back to life, so, I'm gonna.

"Teen Titans #1" Review


In 2011, DC restarted everything. Well, everything that wasn't related to Batman or Green Lantern (thank you, Geoff Johns). The story that sparked it, "Flashpoint," is one that is either loved or not at all cared for by fans. Me personally?

While it was a good story, I don't think it warrants the whole reboot that the company underwent. If you read "Flashpoint" just by the single trade and then begin reading the new Justice League book, you'll be confused. There are many plot-holes and dumb decisions made throughout it, and it may one day be a book I review here. Maybe after "Convergence" as a way of reflecting on the New 52.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The Flash "The Sound and the Fury" Review



Mild episode spoilers follow

Well, at least we know Dr. Wells isn't a man of faith since he doesn't believe in chosen ones. So, that's fun.

Also I'm not sure why they showed Ronnie/ half-Firestorm in the opening recap for this week when he was only brought up twice? 

Whatever.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Blue Nexus #15--"Bleacher Report"


            Kyle’s lower body clenched up in fear as he tried his damndest not to visibly show how off-putting Sandy’s revelation was. His eyes were unwavering as their gaze remained locked. Her smirk widened and her eyebrows raised. Kyle didn’t want to move at all, and felt the water cooling all around him. A shiver was inevitable, which would be a sign that he was set off by it.
            “The Blue Nexus?” he repeated. “You mean the guy with blue laser beams, you think I’m him?”

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Arrow "Left Behind" Review


Arrow is back! Well, sort of. Not really. But...uh..

Laurel?

FULL EPISODE SPOILERS

The show is back, there we go. And we have an all-new villain, a new development in the flashbacks, and some startling discoveries. Plus, big cliffhanger. HUGE.

Avengers (2012) #1 Review

I tried to keep the books I'm reviewing this month limited to books that have ended already, be it through cancellation or through natural causes of going on for just too long/ the story coming to an end.

So, when I decided to review this, I had it mixed up at first with the 2010 Brian Michael Bendis "Avengers #1." But, I'm not going to review that when I already have it planned to review this.

I will stay the course!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Who Should be a Super Saiyan?


In anime, there are but few things that carry into pop culture, or parodies in general. Pokemon is often referenced for it's theme song as is the original Yu-Gi-Oh! But if there is one thing that is universally known, one image that will forever be planted on the face of anime, it's that of a Super Saiyan.

Some of the best moments in Dragon Ball lore are Super Saiyan transformations. Some of the most memorable moments for us as children watching television are watching the Super Saiyans go into battle against their over-bearing foe.

But if there is one major question among the hardcore fan-base and fans in general, it's this: where should the line be drawn for Super Saiyans?

Monday, January 19, 2015

TV Shows of 2015


A couple weeks ago, I decided to take a quick look at the movies I was excited, or not so much so, for this year, good old 2015, which you can read here. Thus, it's only fair that now (already nineteen days in, can you believe it it's going by so fast) we take a look at some of the TV shows that are either returning or premiering this year.

Now, one of the shows I'll be talking about has already premiered and it's already pretty freaking awesome. What is it?

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Sensation Comics #1 Review

This is easily the goofiest comic I've ever read. It's a ton of fun, but it's also just really silly and there are stupid moments that you can't help but laugh at. It's also the oldest comic I've ever read, and so I tried to put myself into the mindset of someone living back then, but I just couldn't see how it held up then as well as now.

It's not the first comic to feature Wonder Woman but is the first one to mainly feature the adventures of Wonder Woman, and is the continuation of her origins, as she dons her identity Diana Prince and establishes herself in Washington, D.C.

Is it bad? No. Is it good? Well, at the time I suppose it's good. It's perfectly harmless, too, so it's not like it's going to damage the reputation of Wonder Woman. It almost feels like the origin of Captain America, as Diana goes from a showgirl to becoming a super-hero in the name of America.

So, in keeping with the theme of the month, let's take a look at "Sensation Comics #1!"


Defending 'murica...with bracelets!

The cover is alright, featuring the pivotal moment within the comic that gets everything kicked into gear. And it holds nothing back from instilling in us that Wonder Woman fights for truth, justice, and the American Way. But nothing like Superman, that would be absolutely ridiculous. My only problem with the cover is that Wonder Woman isn't even looking at the people shooting her, so it looks like she's just doing a little dance while people are happening to shoot at her. Or maybe that's the secret behind Amazonian power.

A deserted barn! A perfect place for zombies to invade and hide my plane!

After a page of exposition and the narrator reminding us that Wonder Woman is going to save the world of man from the evils of man because she is a woman, Diana parks her "transparent plane" into a random barn and presumably carries Steve Trevor to the hospital, then speeds off.

Yeah, we do get beat over the head with the whole "man is bad" thing for the first page and thankfully it kind of goes away. I don't mind feminism in comics, heck one of my favorite Avengers/ Guardians of the Galaxy is a woman, but the whole "man is bad, man only creates war" aspect of comics is a bit tiring and has been beaten to death. I can't complain too much that it's in this comic seeing as how, well, Wonder Woman was a huge leap for the industry at the time, but I can't help but roll my eyes nowadays at the sight of it.

Diana decides to kill time like any woman would, shopping!

Don't hate me for writing that, the comic literally says: "always the woman, Diana goes shopping..."


The sour grapes insult WILL make a comeback!

Some of the older women begin to berate Diana for wearing such scantily clad clothing. Funny how nothing has changed, then, about super heroines wearing revealing costumes. It's still a funny moment, sheerly due to the dialogue here.


Because all men will tell another woman to check out a scantily clad Amazon.

Even the men are attracted to Wonder Woman! What a shocker!

The beginning of this book is, indeed, basically just people either wiggling their finger at Diana or drooling over Diana. Nothing really happens, but that's also the point of the story. Diana is looking for something to do while she waits for Steve Trevor to come out of his unconscious state, though for some reason they make it seem like he's in a coma even though he just saw Diana and passed out on the first page.

Finally, though, we get some action, as Diana spots a bank robbery in progress and is able to easily handle the robbers by blocking their bullets with her bracelets, which was apparently a game she used to play called "bullets and bracelets." Okay...

She tries to flee but is avidly pursued by a man in a green buggy trying to get her attention. Now, you know a comic is dated when the man expresses surprise that someone with super speed is able to run faster than 35 mph! He continues to be shocked as Wonder Woman's speed climbs and climbs until somewhere around 80 mph he's finally able to catch her!


1.21 GIGA WATTS?!?!

The man asks Diana to take part in a show he's going to put on that will make big bucks, shee? And of course, Diana accepts.


They'll call me...Wonder America! No...Captain Woman! And I'll get to punch Hitler!

When Diana finds out that Trevor is awake, she decides to stop the act and rushes off to find him. Which also raises the question of how long they've been doing this/ how long Trevor has been out? Was he really in a coma or something? Or did they manage to organize all of this and put on a multitude of shows in just under a day? Are we still in Washington, D.C.?


Wonder Woman, defender of her money and breaker of cars.

Typical of stereotypical businessmen in the 1940s, the man tries to sneak away with all of Diana's earnings. Diana does not take too kindly to that, and manages to stop the man by grabbing onto the back of his car before he can get away. She makes a bad joke and manages to get away with it, leaving the man hanging without any money. Oh well.

The next day, Diana tries to find Trevor but instead finds a nurse whose husband was just shipped to South America and the two don't have enough money to communicate. Uh...okay. I mean, I have no idea what things were like back then, but I kind of find it hard to believe that a nurse of all professions does not have enough money to contact her husband.



I will steal your identity like I stole my money, mwahahaha! I am Wonder Woman, conqueror of DC!

Wonder Woman finds out that the other woman's name is Diana and that the two look exactly alike. The other woman, in a nutshell, gives Wonder Woman her last name and heads off with all of her money that Diana gave her to go see her husband, dropping everything and everyone who cared about her and now is being replaced by a total stranger. Wow. Better hope Wonder Woman is a good doctor, right?

Trevor wakes up and thinks that Diana is...Diana. But Wonder Woman says otherwise and Trevor leaves, getting right back to work in trying to find that mysterious bomber that would have destroyed an entire US army base. He finds the bomber and tries to take it down. Wonder Woman goes after him in the "transparent plane" and manages to rescue Trevor.

Best moment of the issue: Wonder Woman reaches out, punches the bomber pilot in the face, and exclaims, "Why, he's been wounded!"

As if that punch to the face was going to tickle him or something.

Trevor and Wonder Woman decide to go to the bomber's secret base, which Wonder Woman conveniently had her mother look up before she left, and attack, managing to find the leader but he gets away in a massive explosion. Wonder Woman saves Trevor at the cost of a broken leg which is drawn akin to a noodle. Yup, that's how it looks in real life, too!

Also: Hitler was in one of the panels for some reason. I guess they were German. Maybe.

Anyway the two go back and Trevor gets put in the hospital again. Diana tries hitting on him but he says that he only has eyes for Wonder Woman, and Wonder Woman she is her own enemy in trying to get to Trevor romantically, ending the issue.

This comic is so silly and so much fun that it's hard not to break a smile reading it. I mean it's just so innocent and whimsical and such a product of the time. Does it hold up today? It holds up alright. There are a few moments about feminism and being a strong woman that make me roll my eyes about how in-your-face they are, but other than that, the characters are classics, Wonder Woman is a joy, and the dialogue is great to read in a retrospective manner. If you're curious about the origins of Wonder Woman in mainstream comics, or looking for a good laugh, check out this comic.

Next week, we jump ahead decades to look at the rebirth of one of comics greatest teams in "Avengers #1" by Jonathan Hickman.

If you want to stay up to date on when I post, follow me on Twitter @seanovan13 and on Instagram @seanovan10. Thanks for reading!

Also I'm reviewing the anime Sword Art Online episode-by-episode on my other blog, wordofsao.blogspot.com. I just started the Fairy Dance/ ALO arc (so, Episode 15) if you want to catch up on my thoughts and continue following!

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Blue Nexus #14--Training Days

            
          The black pavement and constant dashed lines all blurred below, turning the road into one long streak with a yellow line dividing it. The sky was open, showing off its great blue expanse above. The wind rushed by but everything was just as loud as normal, and the tires rolling against the pavement were just as audible as they normally would be.

Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #1

It's a new year everyone, and this is the month of beginnings. January is the beginning of the year, the beginning of the resolutions, and the beginning of all the TV promos for the shows that went on winter break.

Oh, and Agent Carter, that shows pretty funny.

But since this is the month of beginnings, and because I wanted to do another theme month after how much fun I had with Blackest Month while reading "Blackest Night" and doing the Black Nexus arc in my "Blue Nexus" story here on the blog. So, I figured, why not do a whole bunch of #1s?

Monday, January 5, 2015

2015, aka Toonami's Return


I know it's been back for a while now, but I feel like last year was the year that really pushed Toonami back into what it'd been before. Think about it: most of us remember watching certain shows on Toonami, such as the Big Three (Bleach, One Piece, Naruto), DBZ, and maybe some Pokemon thrown in there. When it returned, there was some good anime on there and there was the return of the Big Three, but I didn't feel as into it as I had been before.

2014 changed that for me, bringing in very popular shows and some pretty dang awesome ones as well. They fed the crowd with Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online, but also gave us the ever-amazing Black Lagoon and we finally got to see the conclusion of Hellsing Ultimate. Plus, there was the continued tradition of movies in December. Overall, it felt like Toonami was back, and that it was here for a long time again.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

A Look Toward the Movies of 2015


Last year, this year was gonna be the year to change all movies.

Now this year seems like next year is gonna be the year to change all movies.

STOP LEAKING THINGS I LIKE SUSPENSE.

Yeah, I'm weird like that. I don't look up the "spoiler" info because then what the heck is the point of seeing the movie? I would like to know who is in the movie, but I don't want to know their whole freaking story arc. That's the problem with movies, too. They get announced, and then some jerk on the Internet finds the script, puts it online, and we have problems.

Guys, here's a helpful hint: we don't need to know everything...that's why we watch the movies.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Previously on Blue Nexus (#1-13)...


Last year, starting in early September, I introduced a brand new hero (the inspiration for which I got during my Science Fiction class) to the blog, and for thirteen straight weeks, displayed his adventures from some athlete to a world-renowned super-hero. I took a month long break from him to not only avoid burnout, but also finish up my book (I wrote a book, by the way) and get started on the second one. Plus, I had to go Christmas shopping, guys. Rough stuff.