Tag: comics

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

Ongoing Reads

Power Rangers is incredible. Issue two came out a couple of weeks ago, and if you aren’t reading it, you are missing out. If our site hasn’t yet made you a fan of the franchise, this book will. Last week’s All New X-Men featured Doctor Strange. Paco Diaz Luque picks up art duties from Bagley (Bagley will be back for #9) and delivers the fanciful mystical art that you’d expect from a title with Strange it. The story itself is a bit weaker than previous offerings; it definitely felt like a filler issue before the title dives into Apocalypse Wars.

New Reads

Now, let’s dive into the only #1 I had a chance to check out.

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The Unbelievable Gwenpool

I was sceptical before reading this issue, for the most part, I had my review already written in my head; read this if you want more Deadpool, otherwise, just read Deadpool. Luckily, I read it anyways because I was pleasantly surprised.

As you’d expect from a Deadpool-esque book, there are plenty of pop culture references. Christopher Hastings never breaks the fourth wall directly; he frames it that Gwen Poole has been taken from her normal world (like ours) into the Marvel Universe, so she references that she is in a comic book but never addresses the audience directly.

The book’s art is what caught my eye initially; the cartoony look provides a nice contrast to the book’s violence. Speaking of violence, the book isn’t as violent as I imagined it would be. In fact, I left this book thinking it was more light hearted and easy going than it was violent. Well, except for the book’s shocking twist ending! You’ll have to read it to find out what it is 😉.

Is this book worth $4.99? Maybe? If you’re tight on cash maybe wait for the trade or just skip it, but if you’re curious about it, you will probably enjoy it.

Oh, before we go, anyone check out Faster Than Light? I checked out the TPB released last week but after two issues it wasn’t working for me. The art is unreal, though! If you like space, this is maybe worth checking out.

Next Time

Plenty to be excited about this week:
Power Man and Iron Fist #3
Captain Marvel #4
Extraordinary X-Men #9

Maybe I’ll give Tokyo Ghost #6 and Dept H #1 a try. I’ve heard good things 🙂

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekly Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my comic book reading!

Two big #1’s I want to discuss from last week, but first, an update on some ongoing series. Spider-Man #3 is a slow read. Miles gets grounded and not a whole lot goes on. Black Widow #2 doesn’t have the breakneck pace of the previous issue but it’s still a top-notch book, filled with bad ass moments.

Black Panther (2016-) 001-000

Black Panther #1

Black Panther is not your typical superhero book. There’s a lot to wrap your head around in this book. Outside of the book’s deeper cultural themes, there is a lot to pick up on if you aren’t familiar with the character. This is going to be a popular book and probably talked about it a lot. If you are interested in the character because of Captain America: Civil War, you might want to wait for the book in trade or prepare to do some extra reading.

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The Fix #1

This is hands down last week’s must-read book. The creative team behind The Superior Foes of Spider-Man joins forces again in this crooked cop comedy. This book is for a mature audience but damn is it hilarious. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading it. The book runs a few pages longer than most books and has a bit more dialogue but I didn’t mind in the slightest because it’s so funny. Spencer creates some unreal situational comedy moments and then turns on a dime to deliver us some sadistic characters. This series is going to have some dark, dark moments. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride, get on board now!

What are you reading? Comment or tweet!

‘Marvel’s Cloak And Dagger’ Green Lit By Freeform

by Karson

More Marvel TV shows!

Freeform (previously ABC Family) is green lighting ‘Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger’ with a straight-to-series order.

The live-action romance will explore what happens when two people, in the process of falling in love, acquire complementing superpowers. Dagger, can emit light daggers and Cloak can engulf people in darkness. The show will skew towards a younger audience, so you probably won’t see a Maximum Carnage storyline introduced anytime soon.

The series has no writer attached but the search is underway. Marvel Studios and ABC Signature Studios are co-producing.

What do you think? It has certainly peaked my curiosity. Will this be on your must-watch list? Let us know in the comments below.

Geekscape Comics: Weekly Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekly Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my comic book reading!

We have a whole lot of X-Men this week, let’s get into it!

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X-Men ’92 #1!

Don’t judge a book by its cover…

First, let me describe how I was positioned going into this read; I loved the X-Men Animated Series, and I hadn’t read the X-Men ’92 Secret Wars series. I had heard about it but didn’t think too much of it, but when I saw the cover of this book, I had to give it a read!

So far, I’m a little letdown. I was hoping for more nostalgia. There are some nods to the nineties throughout, and it was nice to see Omega Red, but the problem was the art doesn’t do anything to make me think 90’s. The thing that upset me the most was the introduction of (as far as I know) a new villain! How can a nostalgia book introduce a new character!? Maybe this book was just intended to be a new story set in a 90’s-esque universe? Will I stick with the series? Probably not. I hope it’s great, and I hope someone who reads it and loves it, that person just probably won’t be me.

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Uncanny X-Men #5!

Don’t mess with the Uncanny X-Men!

This series is starting to pick-up steam. There is a stark contrast developing between the Uncanny X-Men and the other versions of the team and this issue shows off just how savage the Magneto lead team can be. If you’re a fan of Magneto, this book is for you, as we are starting to see how much of a strategic mastermind he is. However, there is a distrust growing between Magneto and his team; it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Mystique and Fantomex are off doing their secret mission which is backed by the Hellfire Club. We don’t know much about it now, but I have a feeling we’re going to find out more about that next issue!

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All-New X-Men #7!

I never knew a story centered around Toad could be so good!

Hopeless is doing such an awesome job of developing these characters! Wow. I am wrapped up in them all. Beast and his insecurities surrounding whether his intelligence has any value, Cyclops struggling to free himself from the clothes of Toad (man, oh man is that intense!). The way Toad’s story unfolds in this issue is heart wrenching. Hopeless’ words and Bagley’s art are so powerful in portraying Toad’s complete and utter hopelessness and loneliness. I can’t believe they made a story with Toad some damn emotionally impactful! This issue just keeps getting better and better the more I think about it. This issue stands on its own, check it out now!

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

Whoops, I made a mistake in posting this week so Weekend Reads is coming to you a bit later and a little barer (no pictures this time) than usual. Who knows, maybe you’ll like the format better?

… Ok, let’s be real here, we’re talking about books with pictures, us comic book readers like seeing the artwork so don’t worry, things will be back to normal next post. Well, as long as I don’t mess things up again. 😉

Let’s get into the reads!

Captain Marvel #3

I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve loved the new Captain Marvel series. Unfortunately, it took a bit of a step back in the third issue. The pacing felt super wacky. The issue always seemed scattered and felt like there was too much going on, but when it came to an end there were only a couple of key developments. The first two books in the series did an excellent job of showing how cool these characters on Captain Marvel’s team is, I especially liked Kawasaki, but in this issue all those awesome character moments have taken a back seat to a plot that I felt was needlessly confusing. I’m sure the series will pick up steam next issue, but this one fell flat.

Harrow County #10

Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook’s Harrow County was one of my favorite comics from last year. Sadly, it has been losing momentum with it’s two previous issues.

Previously, each issue had three distinct parts that were are all masterfully crafted.
1. The main story
2. The mini comic
3. Bunn’s short “ghost story”

While the mini comic was absent from the ninth issue it has returned in the tenth (while Bunn’s short story remains absent). For me, this short one-page strip at the end of the book was one of the weakest. I found it confusing, and still can’t figure out what actually happened to the main character in it.
As far as the main story goes, it seems we will be shifting our focus from Emmy (the main character of the first two story arcs) to Bernice (Emmy’s best friend). This setup issue puts everything in place to offer to setup for another exciting arc but it gives little extra to make it a must read right now. The story lacks that little magic touch that previous issues had (perhaps it’s the absence of the Haints?). The cliffhanger ending leaves me wanting more but the story itself doesn’t have enough going for me to continue to say this is a “must read.” I’m hopeful the series is going to pick up steam next issue but even if you’re a hardcore Harrow County fan, maybe wait a little longer to see if this arc is worth diving into.

Power Man and Iron Fist #2

Power Man and Iron Fist is a book is non-stop fun! If you’re looking for something that is heavy on laughs and doesn’t make you think too much, this is it! This book is one of my favorite ongoing series’ on the market right now. David Walker is killing it! As the title suggests, this book is built around the relationship between Power Man and Iron Fist, and Walker is hitting a home run on that front. Power Man begrudgingly goes along with Iron Fist using a new excuse every time to explain why is he still hanging with him while it’s obvious to the reader (and probably Danny) that deep down Luke Cage wants to be fighting crime. Power Man’s reluctance to become a team again and Iron Fist’s constant pursuit of it is something that never gets old. The dialog between Danny and Luke is laugh-out-loud funny on many occasions, as is the dialogue between most other characters in the book, especially Tombstone’s henchmen! I love the art style in this book; it fits the quirky dialogue perfectly. It’s very cartoony and may take some getting us to for some, but I can’t imagine any artist doing a better job than this.

That’s all for this week, check back in a few days for more awesome comic book talk! Until then, tweet us!

 

The Newest Teaser For ‘Outcast’ Is Extremely Unsettling

by Shane O'Hare

We’ve been talking about the on screen adaptation for Robert Kirkman’s comic Outcast, for a while now. We’ve seen plenty of stills, and even a NYCC teaser. But now we get to lay our eyes on the season one teaser. Check it out below!

OUTCAST is based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, and produced for CINEMAX by FOX International Studios (FIS). OUTCAST follows Kyle Barnes (Patrick Fugit), a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Now, with the help of the Reverend Anderson (Philip Glenister), a preacher with personal demons of his own, Kyle embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost.
Outcast hits TV June 3rd!

The Down-Low On DC Comics’ Rebirth!

by Karson

Way back in 2011, DC Comics hit the reset button on their universe, resulting in the launch of what is most commonly known as The New 52. Basically, all their previous titles were cancelled and they began renumbering their books (ie. Action Comics, which retained it’s original numbering since the 1930s started back at #1). This was met with mixed reviews from fans and let to some people, like me, to fall off the DC wagon completely. Now, DC wants us back.

Ok, their motivations might be more complex than that but to me, it actually feels like DC is attempting to fix some of their mistakes from the New 52 launch while not dismissing it entirely. So what are they actually doing? Basically, “rebirth” is a sexy way of saying “refresh.” All their titles will be getting new creative teams and they will go back to their original numbering as well as being priced at $2.99.

Rebirth will start on May 25th when Geoff Johns’ 80-page one-shot is released to set-up the storylines for the upcoming books, then the rest of Rebirth will play out throughout the summer.

In case I haven’t made it obvious, this is not a reboot of The New 52 universe. The DC Comics Twitter account tweeted out a ton of the new creative teams (don’t worry, I’ve copy and pasted a ton of links so you don’t have to go scrolling through their feed!). Before I leave you to that, I’ll say the ones that jumped off the screen for me were All Star Batman (Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr) and Suicide Squad (Philip Tan and Jim Lee). Are you liking anything you see? Let us know!

https://twitter.com/DCComics/status/713775187112517632

 

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

I pretty much punted comic book reading this weekend for what should be obvious reasons; a little Netflix show called Daredevil. Anyways, let’s get into the reads! Well… read:

Extraordinary X-Men (2015-) 008-000
Extraordinary X-Men #8 by Lemire & Ramos

It begins. That’s right, the big X-Men crossover, “Apocalypse Wars” kicks off in the 8th issue of Extraordinary X-Men and so far, so good! The issue serves as a setup for events to come but Lemire offers enough action pieces and character moments to make it a worthwhile read. We have some sweet fight scenes, old villains, and big reveals! Ramos’ art is hit and miss for me, but I’ve been liking what he’s doing with the X-Men, mostly because it gives him a chance to draw non-human characters (something I think he excels at). Cerebra looks so damn good!

I don’t know if this crossover will be awesome or not but it’s off to a good start, and I’m going to keep up with it… but first I’m going to finish Daredevil!

#QOTD Is there a Marvel franchise around right now (any medium) that is better than Netflix’s Daredevil?

Tweet us!

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

This week, I didn’t find much to read.

The Reads:

Amazing Spider-Man (2015-) 009-000
Amazing Spider-Man #9 by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli
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Mockingbird #1 by Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk
I’m still down on this book, honestly, I don’t even feel like composing a paragraph about Amazing Spider-Man so…
* It’s Spider-Man in space
* If you like Dan Slott, read Silver Surfer
* If you like Spider-Man, read Brian Michael Bendis’ Spider-Man
* If you’re a die-hard Spider-Man fan, you’ll probably find something to like in this book
* The art is excellentHere is my thought pattern when deciding to read Mockingbird…

 A comic based on The Hunger Games… wait, no… it’s that character in Agents of SHIELD… don’t really recognize the creative team… I’ll probably pass… wait, I don’t really have anything else to read… Ok, I’ll check it out.

Mockingbird has potential. The first issue is a whole lot of questions and not a lot of answers. We meet Barbara, who is required to attend weekly checkups at a local SHIELD medical facility to monitor the potential side effects of two experimental treatments she received. The writer, Cain brings a lot of humor to Barbara’s character but the story itself is all over the place. This book jumps from scene to scene leaving a lot of blanks in between that will be filled in during later issues. I think this is a gutsy move for a book that isn’t going to have a strong readership going into it. It makes it really hard to get into.

I’m a fan of Niemczyk’s use of colors throughout the book. A lot of the panels pop off the page but some of the faces and bodies she draws feel just a little off. I know this is probably weird to say, but all the characters have way too much blush…

And that is it for this week! If you’re looking for some solid pickups check out last week’s article, there are three awesome books there. Check in next week when I discuss…

* Power Man and Iron Fist #2
* Extraordinary X-Men #8
… and maybe something by a studio other than Marvel!

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

This week I was reminded of why I love comic books… and declare Weekend Read’s first MUST-READ issue!

The reads:

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Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 by Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Hendry Prasetya, and Corin Howell
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Spider-Man #2 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli
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Black Widow #1 by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee

As a kid, I loved Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Watching, playing with my toy zords, putting my hair in a ponytail, so I looked like Tommy (the Green Ranger)… I did it all. Once it turned into Power Ranger in Space or whatever it was, I lost interest. I casually revisited Mighty Morphin in my teens but for the most part, it is something that just lives in my childhood. Well, until now.

The BOOM! Studios published Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is everything I could want a Power Rangers comic book to be. It picks up just after the green ranger frees himself from Rita’s possession (one of the show’s greatest storylines, in my opinion at least). Tommy is struggling to fit in with the rest of the Rangers, and they are fighting to 100% trust him. Issue #1 is fun and feels like Power Rangers. Seeing them morphing, summoning their zords, and all those Power Ranger things is just a lot of fun. Is this book anything special if you aren’t a Power Ranger fan? Probably not, but if you grew up with the series you should check this book out. I hope it doesn’t get too wrapped up in character drama and keeps on the fun, bad guy fighting, don’t have to think too much side of things.

In the first edition of Weekend Reads, I discussed my sadness with the state of Spider-Man in the Marvel Universe. It’s amazing what difference one issue can make because I’ve completely changed my tune on Miles Morales. I love where Bendis is taking the Spider-Man series!

The highlight of this issue has to be Bendis’ dialogue. The interactions between Peter and Miles made me, at times, laugh out loud. After two issues, there is plenty I’m looking forward to:
* Miles struggling to find a balance between his life as Miles and his life as Spider-Man.
* Bendis alludes to the coming of super villains (both old and new).
* Miles’ skin colour is coming into the equation as well in an interesting and unique way.

If you are reading Amazing Spider-Man and longing for the Peter Parker of times past, Spider-Man is for you.

Alright, let’s get to the greatest read of the weekend.

Black Widow #1 is unlike any comic I’ve ever read. It is essentially one long, continuous action sequence and it is fricken INSANE! Black Widow has stolen something from SHIELD and SHIELD is doing anything they can to get it back. We have battles in the sky, in vehicles, hand to hand combat, there’s a little bit of everything. This issue unfolds in epic fashion as Black Widow gracefully deals with all the personnel SHIELD throws at her. It feels almost poetic in the way the panels and pages flow into each other. I had no idea Black Widow could be this cool. My gut says that the creative team of Waid and Samnee are going to make Black Widow one of the best books of 2016. I haven’t done this on weekly reads before, but I’m declaring Black Widow #1 a MUST-READ. It’s fresh, fun, and unleashing the potential of a character that I’ve never thought much about.

That’s it for this week. Check out Black Widow #1, get into Spider-Man, and if you’ve ever enjoyed Power Rangers you owe it to yourself to check that out too. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these books!

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

I didn’t get a lot of reading done this weekend because I was in a curling bonspiel. That’s right, I curl, how awesome is that! No, we didn’t win. What? You don’t really care? Ok, ok, let’s discuss the c-word you were expecting.

The reads:

Power Man and Iron Fist no. 1 by David Walker and Sanford Greene
Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_4_8
Amazing Spider-Man no. 8 by Dan Slott and Matteo Buffagni

Power Man and Iron Fist is fricken fantastic! I’ll note right now, I haven’t read any of the runs from the late seventies/early eighties, but I think there is something here, for fans both old and new. If the first issue is any indication of things to come, we’re going to have a ton of fun coming our way. I love the comedic interactions between Luke and Danny sprinkled throughout the book. Greene’s art is great; perfectly blending cartoonishness and realism. It really shines during the fight scenes. This book doesn’t make you think too much; it’s just fun from start to finish. GET READING POWER MAN AND IRON FIRST! Plus, you can look totally cool when Luke Cage and the Iron Fist series come out on Netflix!

Now, I don’t have much to say about the current state of Amazing Spider-Man. It’s pretty boring and unrelatable. I take back what I said a couple of weeks ago about the potential to explore the interesting aspects of Mister Negatives’ character because his arc ends in anticlimactic fashion. I don’t want to discredit the creative team too much because I don’t think it’s their fault (in fact, Buffagni’s art is one of the books’ only redeeming characteristics). The character and series just feel stale right now. Hopefully returning state-side (this arc has taken place in Shanghai, China) will fix things but I remain sceptical.

Are you reading Power Man and Iron First? I’d love to hear from you.

Geekscape Recaps: ‘Arrow’ – Code of Silence

by jake108

Note: Check out our recaps of The Flash and last week’s Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Arrow continues its upswing this week with another solid episode in “Code of Silence.” The show is shaping up to have a pretty large payoff between Damien Darhk and Oliver Queen in the battle for Star City. While the show’s producers and the general public have formed a concusses that this season will be a little lighter than previous ones, I’m thinking it may be one of the darhkest. Let’s get to it!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! 

Lance

An attempt was made on Captain Lance’s life at the start of the episode by a new team employed by Darhk himself. This Demolition Team’s sole purpose is to go around Star City, strategically place timed bombs, and trap targets inside a crumbling building. It’s a little excessive, sure, but they did give Team Arrow a run for their money and maybe a collapsed lung or two when Diggle took that sledgehammer to the chest.

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After the first attempt, Lance went into hiding in Team Arrow’s lair, fearing for his life. In an effort to secure Donna’s (Felicity’s Mom) safety, he hid the truth from her and put some distance between himself and her. By the end of the episode, they had reconciled and everything was okay again once Lance told her the whole truth. And with that, Donna has taken yet another step into this dangerous world of Darhk vs. Queen.

Demolition Team

The team had a brief stint in the comics as hired villains. Nothing is really known about how the team got together or their individual histories, but one thing is for certain: Most of them were killed by OMAC’s (Cyborgs created by Brainiac that take over human bodies) during the Infinite Crisis.

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In the show, it looks like they’ll be spending lots of time in Iron Heights.

Diggle and Lyla

Is it me, or has Diggle been a little mean lately? He’s probably not getting enough sleep due to baby duty, oh and because Lyla is now the head of A.R.G.U.S. With Waller’s death, Lyla has stepped up in what will most definitely be a reoccurring asset to Team Arrow and Flash.

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While I am still bummed about the death of Waller, I hope Lyla is written well enough to show a different A.R.G.U.S. under her leadership.

Damien Darhk

At the start of the episode, Darhk and the committee that he sorta(?) answers to is about to begin Phase 4. What’s important to recognize here is that Merlyn has dropped by to join Darhk’s campaign. Last week, I was overjoyed at the notion of Merlyn becoming full-time villain again. Looks like we didn’t have to wait long.

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After Darhk’s wife loss the debate by a landslide, the office is likely going to go to Oliver Queen. However, my first thought at the notion of a debate was that Darhk’s wife would suddenly bring up William, Oliver’s son. Looks like Darhk is playing this one close to the chest as it is revealed that he already has William in his possession. Now, I wouldn’t be surprised if William is used publicly as leverage, but Darhk has the potential to be even more sinister.

 

As of right now, the only people that know about William are Barry, Thea, Darhk, and Merlyn. It’s easy to jump to conclusions as to who’s in the grave, but I maintain the theory I’ve had for more than a few weeks.

Who’s in the Grave?!

William seems like the likely candidate. The second most-likely candidate is William’s mom, Samantha. We don’t know exactly what happened to her when Darhk obtained William, but it probably wasn’t good. Leaving her alive would leave yet another loose end open, but Darhk has struggling to kill Lance for a couple of months now, so she might actually be fine. I think William’s identity will be revealed to the whole team. Felicity will be hurt, at first, because Oliver did so much to hide it. Felicity’s mom, Donna, will probably react the same way because of her history with Felicity’s father. However, now that she see’s the side of lying for your own protection, she may come to terms with it rather quickly as well, and love William as her own grandson.

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This love, as it has been displayed numerous times this season and season’s past, has the potential to put herself in danger if it means saving the loved one. This was foreshadowed in this week’s episode when Donna was ready to head back into the building to help Oliver clear it of innocent civilians during the bomb scare. With that, I maintain that Donna sacrifices her life, possibly for William, and ends up in the grave by the end of the season. William, whether her mom is alive or not, will probably have to go under a different alias from here on out. That name will probably be Connor Hawke.

Aside from all that, Mr. Terrific developed a piece of technology that can be implanted into Felicity’s spine, enabling her to walk again. This also follows the notion that the show is afraid of making drastic changes to its main cast, meaning Team Arrow is essentially safe and won’t be in any real danger this season. We already saw this with Thea, Felicity, and the rest of Team Arrow as they were trapped in the gas chamber earlier this season. In order to figure out who’s in the grave, we’ll have to really hone in on minor characters, such as Donna and William.

That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxPY40aFqgc

Geekscape Comics: Weekend Reads!

by Karson

Welcome to the first edition of Weekend Reads! It’s your little, weekly dose of comic book goodness that focuses on some aspect of my weekend reading!

This weekend I longed for the Spider-Man of years past.

The reads:

Amazing Spider-Man no. 7 by Dan Slott and Matteo Buffagni
Spider-Man no. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli

These books are both full of potential right now. Slott is setting up to explore some potentially Jessica Jones/The Purple Man-esque themes with Mr. Negative, who can take control of essentially anyone that he wants. Bendis, on the other hand, seems to be writing a book that is going focus on Miles Morales’ internal battles (i.e. struggling to balance his personal life and his life as Spider-Man). The art of both books is top notch. There isn’t much that I find wrong with either book, but I’m struggling to connect with them.

I appreciate the direction Marvel is taking with Spider-Man, but I can’t help but long for a Peter Parker more like the one originally conceived by Lee and Ditko. Peter was a character who could never get out of his own way. Even when he won, he’d lose; many of his victories as Spider-Man came at the cost of extreme personal loss. His struggle to fit in, to balance his priorities and endless battles not to feel like a giant screw-up made him more relatable than any other super-hero in comics. Sure, he could spin webs, had spider strength, etc. but I think back on the character I obsessed over growing up and recall more of his personal struggles and losses than his supervillain battles. I’ve come to the realization that I didn’t fall in love with the character of Spider-Man, I fell in love with Peter Parker.

Peter Parker, now the CEO of a multi-international corporation, is a much less relatable character. He no longer solves his problems with his small science experiments; he relies on his company. His financial struggles have become minimal. He has little time for a relationship because he is focused on Spider-Man and running his business. The character who any reader could once relate to has become one with who very few can empathise.

As I mentioned before, it looks like Bendis is going to explore many of those original Peter Parker themes I loved with Miles Morales but it just isn’t the same when it isn’t Peter. There is potential for many fans to fall in love with Miles (many already have) but I just can’t imagine I ever will. I’ll keep trying, but I don’t believe Miles will ever be able to replace Peter Parker.

Peter Parker? Miles Morales? Could care less? What are YOUR thoughts on the state of Spider-Man in the all new, all different, Marvel universe? Tweet us or tell me directly that I’m a big baby!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Welcome to Earth-2

by jake108

Note: Check out last week’s recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow!

Wow. I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll have to revise any past statement made regarding the best episode of this series because tonight’s episode is definitely the best this show has ever seen. There is so much here to unpack, and we’ll get though all of it together. I promise. Hold me…

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

We all knew Earth-2 would be arriving this week, but what we didn’t know is that we would have an introduction to the infinite earths. I joke about it a lot, and up until now, we’ve only had two earths confirmed. After tonight, it’s safe to say DC’s Infinite Earth’s has shown up in a big way. First, let’s take a look at what Garrick described as “Everything.”

Green Arrow

There’s a chance we’ll never see this version of the Green Arrow, but I doubt that. With the way DCTV is going, I’m sure we’ll see this Green Arrow someway or somehow. However, there are some important things to recognize here. First, that doesn’t look a whole like Oliver. I’ve previously written about Oliver’s son, Connor Hawke, taking up the mantle of the Green Arrow. Here, that looks to be the case.

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The metallic looking arm also looks a tad bit interesting. For all we know, this could be Oliver Queen, just at a future date.

Earth _ Flash

Back in the 90’s, DC had another Flash tv show that had good run. I’ve also previously written about this show before and it tying into The Flash we know today. Up until now, the only thing linking the two shows was the Trickster.

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What’s key here is the fact that in the 90’s television show, The Flash was played by the same actor playing Barry’s dad now in The Flash. Could we see his dad suit up one more time from another Earth to take on Zoom? We can dream.

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Supergirl

It was recently announced that The Flash and Supergirl would have a crossover next month, leaving many to speculate just how they would connect the two shows. Well, it looks like we have our answer.

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Supergirl is indeed taking place on another Earth, but is still connected to the Infinite Earths in the DC Universe. That just makes the crossover that much more exciting.

Grodd

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Grodd is currently being groomed to become an extremely formidable foe in the future. Here, it looks like Grodd has come into his own, and has embraced his position in Gorilla City.

Jonah Hex

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Legends of Tomorrow will be heading to the wild west at some point this season. Hex’s ‘Wanted’ poster hangs in Rip Hunter’s ship as well. Before we see any of that though, it appears we’ve been treated to a glimpse at what’s to come.

The Legion of Super Heroes

This was perhaps the biggest reveal this episode. Previous to this, there has been no mention of the Legion of Super Heroes. For those unfamiliar with them, the Legion of Super Heroes is comprised of young adults aiming to fight injustice and criminal activity on a galactic scale. Each member is given a ring that allows the wearer to fly, fly though an atmosphere, and fly in outer-space.

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Currently, the only non-member that uses the ring is, of course, Booster Gold. In the comics, Rip Hunter’s father is also Booster Gold. There has been no announcement of an appearance to be made by Gold, but may be one is incoming. After all, the Legends of Tomorrow can very well visit the 30th century, which is where the Legion of Super Heroes reside.

Infinite Earths

Lastly, I wanted to point out the bubbles seen while Barry, Cisco, and Harry are traveling to Earth 2. First off, those aren’t bubbles; They’re all individual Earths.

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You should also notice that each Earth is connected, meaning that everything and everyone in this universe is also connected.

Earth 2

When the gang shows up to Earth 2, they immediately notice the differences between the two Earths. Everything from people’s clothes, the cars they drive, the architecture, and even professions belonging to Earth 1 dopplegangers are wildly different. For example, Floyd Lawton, who previously died on Arrow as Deadshot, made an appearance in Earth 2 as Detective Iris West’s partner. We found this out while the criminal David Singh, who is the police captain in Earth 1, was being processed at CCPD. Another significant change was Joe West’s profession as a Jazz musician, something that suits him a little too well.

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However, if there’s one thing I’m really excited about, it’s Mayor Snart. I know I have no place to ask more of this show, but I would be eternally grateful if we could see Mayor Leonard Snart standing toe-to-toe with Zoom.

Barry and Iris eventually go to their Earth 2 home, where Barry gets a good look at where his doppleganger resides. In an emotional twist, Iris informs Barry that his mother called. Barry heads to the phone and we also get a look at some of most dialed numbers in the Allen residence.

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While those are indeed Leaguers, it’s impossible to say for certain that each of them live up to their alter-egos. And while we’re on that subject, did anyone notice that the Not-Justice-League mural was missing from the Earth 2 Central City Police Station?

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Through Barry’s conversation with his mother, we also learned that civilian travel to Atlantis is indeed a thing. We’ve known about Atlantis for a while now because Jay Garrick already dropped that bomb a few episodes back, referencing that he has a bestie from Atlantis.

Deathstorm and Killer Frost

Ronnie Raymond returned, only not in a good way. Deathstorm, from Earth 2, aides Killer Frost in trying to find the “breacher” in Earth 2. After a couple of bouts with Barry, we quickly learn that Deathstorm is just as powerful as his Firestorm counterpart. What’s even more troubling is that we also learned the whereabouts of Martin Stein. According to Deathstorm, he hasn’t heard Stein’s voice in quite some time. This could mean that either Ronnie has learned to suppress Stein’s control entirely, or Stein died while trapped in Ronnie’s body. Either way, Earth 2 Ronnie wasn’t a nice guy.

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Killer Frost was the only villain not to be killed by Zoom in Earth 2. While she did play a good villain, Frost is extremely afraid of Zoom. She eventually escaped after Zoom left with Barry. Since Zoom was quick to kill Deathstorm, it’s entirely possible Iris and Harry convince Frost to tell them the whereabouts of Zoom and his prisoners.

Reverb and Vibe

Cisco met his doppleganger in Earth 2, and had some surprising results. Aside from Reverb being able to harness more power, Cisco was able to see what he could become.

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During the meeting, Reverb displayed some powers I’m sure Cisco wouldn’t mind using. Unfortunately, Reverb tried to take control from Zoom and paid the price in doing so.

Earth 2 Prison

The episode ends with Barry being trapped in Zoom’s prison. Barry wakes up to the sound of tapping on glass. This is coming from the adjacent cell next to Barry. It’s clear that whoever that is, their tapping is in morse code.

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If you’re wondering what this mysterious figure is saying, I’ll save you the trouble. The tapping translates to “Zoom is – ” The messenger is of course cut of by the arrival of Zoom. However, next week, this prisoner will will have a key role in revealing more about who or what Zoom is. It’s also entirely possible that this prisoner is a speedster himself. It would make sense that any other speedsters Zoom catches would be imprisoned here for a time while Zoom drains them of the speedforce. The mask is also very peculiar. We’re just going to have to wait and see, but if I had to guess, it’s someone we know under that mask.

Earth 1

Back on Earth 1, Adam Fells, a meta-human that has the ability to cause earthquakes, demands to fight The Flash. With Barry gone, Garrick must fill the void and become The Flash on Earth 1. The only problem is, Garrick doesn’t have his speed. Garrick finally levels with Caitlin and basically confesses that he became a velocity 6 addict on his Earth. Now, this is interesting because Garrick has maintained the story that Zoom stole his speed where in fact it was velocity 6 the whole time. On top of that, the effects of velocity 6 have been slowly killing Garrick as well. This change in story is a little suspicious, considering the possibility Garrick can be Zoom.

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Regardless, Garrick decides to hit the velocity serum again and fights Geomancer. The speedforce effects wear off, leaving Garrick vulnerable. Joe ends up saving him and Geomancer runs off to fight another day.

 

That’s all for this week! Did I miss something? Don’t be afraid to comment below! As always, thanks for reading!

Geekscape Recaps: ‘The Flash’ – Fast Lane

by jake108

Note: Check out our recaps of The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow! 

We’re back with another week of The Flash! The last two weeks, this episode included, have been steadily building up to something big. Tonight, we finally learned exactly what that is. Let’s get started!

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Tar Pit

For the first time this season, we got an episode that starts with the particle accelerator blowing up. This week, we saw the birth of Tar Pit. Tar Pit is just as much of a menace in this show as he is in the comics, although, the same can’t be said about their origins.

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In the comics, Tar Pit is a career criminal in Keystone City. After ending up in Iron Heights, Joey Monteleone decides to do some meditating to get a handle on his anger. This lead to the discovery of Joey’s mutant ability. Yes, mutant. Through meditation, Monteleone was able to astral project himself and cause havoc in Iron Heights. One day, his projection got stuck in a vat of tar, thus, Tar Pit was born.

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Monteleone’s normal body went into coma while Tar Pit went forth throughout the world, continuing his criminal activity. In the show, he briefly took his comic book form, before being iced by Barry. While this episode didn’t focus too heavily on Tar Pit’s past, we do know he had a criminal history. It’s also safe to say we haven’t seen the last of him.

Harry Wells

Wow. Wells went on a pretty heavy guilt trip for most of tonight. After doing Zoom’s bidding and syphoning Barry’s Speedforce, Wells continued to show more and more that he had a heart. This was evidenced throughout the episode, and especially when Wells confessed that one day he would betray Barry. Well, after successfully syphoning Barry’s speed, and being inadvertently responsible for Iris’ hospital stay, Wells confessed to what he was up to.

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At first, the team didn’t take it well. The confession lead to a solid hook to Wells’ face. However, after deliberation, the team forgave Wells and are now primed to do some awesome things next week. But before we get into that, I would like to point out that Wells’ method of obtaining the speedforce worked out perfectly. Is it possible that his methods will lead to another Velocity – 9 drug that he developed earlier this season? I would think this has to be some sort of breakthrough. In any case, I am confident we’ll see Wells in speedster form this season.

West Family

After more than a few weeks, the West family drama seems to have been resolved. Wally is in the family fold and I think we can expect to see a lot more of Wally either this season or the next.

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I’m honestly not quite sure how I feel about Wally becoming a speedster. I’m fine with Garrick and the Quick family simply because they’ll eventually return to Earth 2, but it feels a little too soon for a Kid Flash. Still, seeing Barry and Wally interacting, especially with Barry saving Wally’s life for the first time, was a welcomed sight. There’s no doubt that Wally’s curiosity in the Flash will continue to build.

Next week, some of Team Flash journeys to Earth 2 in attempt to close the breaches and take the fight to Zoom. Without getting too heavy into spoilers, it’s safe to say we’ll run into some of the team’s dopplegangers in process. Check out the promo below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q4bpOhp-oQ

As always, thanks for reading! See you tomorrow!

Geekscape’s Favorite Things Of 2015: TV, Comics, Geek Moments, and More!

by GeekscapeStaff

Can you believe that 2015 is coming to a close? Tomorrow, we’ll abolish that dreaded five for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy six will take its place.

2015 has been an incredible year for all forms of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share their favorite things of 2015. Yesterday, we published the list of our favourite movies of 2015 (along with our favourite video games from the day before) and next up, everything else that we loved this year.

Yep. Most of us love video games and movies, but we’re all pretty different people (obviously). Some of us love TV, some comics, some toys, and of course we all have our favourite geek moments of the past year!

So read on, and find out our favourite TV series, comics, geek moments and more, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

Gabriel von Grünbaum

Television

Doctor Who

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this is a culminating touchstone of human beings’ ability to craft stories. What began with tales shared over a campfire in the mouth of a cave millennia ago is the direct ancestor of the storytelling framework constructed to deliver each episode of Doctor Who. Is every single episode a mind blowing extravaganza? No, some episodes—and even whole seasons—may be a little off. However, I think those qualitative reactions are actually quite personal and often relative: I’ve had discussions with groups of “Whovians” where everyone seems to be in agreement about an episode missing the mark, only to discover that it was so pitch-perfect for one viewer that it brought their confusing childhood into better perspective. That is storytelling at its finest: an entertaining conduit for us to better understand the world around us. Let alone that the same storytelling construct Doctor Who has refined over the decades also allows for any story type to be told through it—horror, comedy, action, adventure, romance, tragedy, drama. . . and, of course, sci-fi and fantasy—you’ll recognize them all and they’ll all be freshly defined. Every story worth telling can be, will be and is told with Doctor Who.

Game of Thrones

Where I think I’d classify Doctor Who as a passion; I believe Game of Thrones would be my obsession. It’s made fantasy accessible to the masses while still honoring the loyal hardcore geek fanbase at the same time—a feat not often pulled off successfully. The secret of this success lies in exceptionally effective character construction—it is so effective that I find myself caring about background bar wenches and stable boys! I’m so entirely invested in the fate of every single character that my devotion to the show crosses over into that obsession territory. Credit goes to George R. R. Martin and his books but equally extends to the showrunners, writers, actors, directors. . . heck, I’m positive that even the craft services are elevating this finely tuned clockwork into real magic. I just wish, like Doctor Who, that there were more episodes each season.

Supernatural

The brilliant minds behind Supernatural have successfully built a dynamic that feels comfortable for the returning viewer week to week and at the same time allows for amazing flexibility. Much like The X-Files, one episode may be extremely dramatic followed by one that is practically an hour-long comedy! In fact, I might describe it to a potential viewer as a healthy combo of The X-Files, Ghostbusters and Starsky & Hutch. A sort of on-the-road dude version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if you will. Heck, one recent episode took place entirely from their black 1967 Chevy Impala’s point of view! That’s versatility!—and it extends from the wonderfully crafted framework of the show.

iZombie

Adorable fun right out of the gate since starting last season—which is an odd thing to say about anything having to do with zombies (compare to The Walking Dead). Versatile Rose McIver is perfectly cast as Olivia “Liv” Moore (get it?!) who became a zombie after getting scratched by one at “the worst boat party ever” on Lake Washington and, after waking a little less than dead, left her budding career as a doctor to become a medical examiner’s assistant at the Seattle PD morgue—which supplies her all the fresh brains her new zombie metabolism craves. As a viewer, you eagerly follow her through the unfolding plots. Zombies themselves are a conceptually diverse tool in storytelling, allowing for grim commentary on various aspects of modern life. The fresh take that iZombie uses is in identifying with the zombie main character, relating to the isolation and the desire to connect with others—to fit in when you feel like an outsider.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

A genuine horror screwball action comedy. It’s what might result if Monty Python teamed up with National Lampoon to produce a Stephen King story. It doesn’t pull punches with the horror or the comedy. You’re knocked out of your seat with frights and laughs. It’s “you had to be there” entertainment. It’s the ol’ Evil Dead made fresh and new by the very same hands that made it in the first place—including the one and only Ash, his boomstick and his chainsaw hand!

— It’s been a very busy year and regretfully (and enjoyably!) I’m still catching up on The Walking Dead, Daredevil and Jessica Jones before diving into The Man in the High Castle. So far I’m very impressed with each of them and they absolutely deserve a mention here; as does Orphan Black, if for no other reason than clone “sestra,” Helena, taking care of business in “Insolvent Phantom of Tomorrow”—freakin’ priceless!

https://youtu.be/unnLg1TPCYM

Comics:

Saga

I’m still catching up AND I’m reading as the trades come out—so I know I’m WAY behind some folks out there—but I am loving every minute of it so far! I’ve been a Brian K. Vaughan fan since first picking up Y: The Last Man and Saga is soothing my synapses with more succulent story-craft.

Saga

Black Science

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’m ever 100% sure I know everything that’s going on with story but it’s not keeping from being fully engrossed and thrilled with every beautiful page. A series of fascinating events and encounters continue to string together after reckless science flings the characters through parallel dimensions. The art is gorgeous; every page deserves to be framed and hung in a gallery. A feast for the eyes and adventure for the soul.

BlackScience

Rocket Girl

Hahaha! She’s a teenage cop from the future, sent back into the ’80s to save time! What more could you possibly need to know before you start delighting yourself with this well crafted romp?—oh, right—she’s got a rocket pack strapped to her back. Get on this!

RocketGirl

Red One

Just getting started on this one and already having a great time. The story of a Soviet secret agent sent to infiltrate the evil USA as superhero—her day job to blend in?—adult film actress.

RedOne

— I recommend you give all of them a little eyeball time. (Seeing Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá together at the Comic Con Experience in São Paulo Brazil this year has me crossing my fingers that Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion might finally be in the works and that rumors of an Umbrella Academy show might actually be developing into reality.)

Natalie Kipper

Joining the Geekscape Crew – Okay, I am going to go all mushy for a second but bare with me. These Geekscape guys are seriously awesome. Every writer has so much heart and genuinely cares about the site and its readers. I haven’t been here very long but I have enjoyed every minute of my time here and I look forward to a long career writing for this site. I can’t really say much more or I going to start crying and trust me, nobody wants that.

ShellieMay the Disney Bear (Disney Parks) – I love Disney. I love plushes. Combine the two and I love it all the more. ShellieMay the Disney Bear, best friend to Duffy who first came to the States in 2010, finally made the trip here this year. Full disclosure: I already had a ShellieMay plush that I had imported from Japan some years prior but her wardrobe had been greatly lacking. Truthfully, she’s been straight-up naked. That issue is now solved however and my closet runneth over with adorable outfits for her. I really am happy that Disney Merchandising brought her over and that she is selling so well. Because not only does that mean Duffy will continue to get merchandise (which I was concerned about for a while), but maybe if I wish hard enough, Gelatoni (the two bears’ cat friend) will make his way West. Now, I don’t see that happening any time soon and for now, I am enjoying all the support the Disney Bears are getting. That is enough for now.

Shellie

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Celebration – Disneyland is my home away from home. I have been visiting the Park since my second birthday. It truly is a magical place that seems separate from the rest of the world, where stresses and worries can be left outside the entry gates. And one of the things Disney does best is celebrations, so I anticipated the Disneyland Resort’s 60th Birthday to be something phenomenal.

Now some people will say Disney fell short, but I am the one writing the article. I personally felt that Disney did an amazing job of winning the hearts of both long-time park guests as well as those who may be visiting for the first time. One of my favorite additions is the Paint the Night parade. Disneyland hasn’t had a nighttime parade since 1997. Paint the Night not only paid homage to the original nighttime parade, Disney’s Electrical Parade (when “Baroque Hoedown” started playing at one point, I cried out in joy) but also added in plenty of new elements. The Glow with Show paint brushes and Mickey Ears are finally justifiable purchases. I had so much fun changing the colors of cast members’ and other guests’ items while waiting for the parade as well as during. The parade dancers could change your colors too. It was crazy!

Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo – I am not the biggest amiibo addict on the block. I am relatively picky about which ones I buy, actually. But, being a lover of plushes, I had a soft spot for the Yarn Yoshi amiibo, especially the Mega Yarn Yoshi version (the bigger, the better!). As I mentioned in my list of Top Video Games of 2015, I was one of the collectors who waited out in the dark at 4am to be able to purchase this amiibo. I was fortunate enough to have met up with friends at the Toys R’ US location where I lined up and the time I waited didn’t feel so long in the end. Whenever I play with my Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo or even just look at it on the shelf, I think of that early morning and how much fun I had.

YarnYoshi

Karson Braaten

Television:

Undateable

This show is hilarious. On the surface, it looks like just another sitcom about a group of friends in a bar but after watching a couple of episodes, you soon find out it is so much more. The third season of the series starring Chris D’Elia consisted entirely of live episodes, and they embraced the format wholeheartedly. There are moments where the actors will slip up or improvise, but they always just keep rolling with the punches. It’s just a blast to see. I can’t say enough good things about this show.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

This show isn’t for everyone, but for the people it was made for; Ash vs. Evil Dead may be one of the best shows ever. The show falls into a lull near the middle of the season for an episode but the premiere and what is happening now more than make up for it. All the things you love about Evil Dead (lots of blood, brutal kills and one-liners) are all here. If the show sounds like something you’d like, you’re going to love it!

https://youtu.be/JxV4jKsxOs0

Books:

The Martian by Andy Weir

Not much needs to be said about this one; I don’t think I’ve heard of someone who hasn’t liked it. Pick it up, you won’t put it down until you’re done.

Martian

Armada by Ernest Cline

Cline’s follow-up to his wildly popular Ready Player One has received mixed reviews, but I thought it was great. It doesn’t quite have the same volume of pop culture references and 80’s nostalgia, but I had a blast with it. It probably helps that I listened to the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton, who’s voice is perfect for the part.

armada1

Daniel Campozano

5. Jessica Jones

The second Marvel show to be produced for Netflix things were taken to a new level of darkness. The series picks up with Jessica Jones working a case of a missing persons which she figures out things are what not it seems. Again the shining star of the series is portrayal the villian, Killgrave. David Tennant as Killgrave was just terrifyingly creepy and just plain ol’ fucked up. Reminiscent of his take during the Alias comic series that came out under the Marvel’s Max imprint in 2001. Just like Daredevil, the suporting cast was stellar. With the introduction of Luke Cage, I’m definitely looking forward to his series and the planned series of The Defenders.

4. Daredevil

The best superhero show not on television. Back in 2013 Disney/Marvel entered into a deal with Netflix to produce superhero shows starting with Daredevil. These shows are to be about dark street level heroes that would be more for the adults. Boy did they knocked it out of the park. The casting was spot on, embodying how I pictured the character come to life. The show really captured the dark gritiness of Hell’s Kitchen and the violence one encounter. Vincent D’Onofrio’s as the Kingpin was just stellar, perfectly balancing the calm demeanor with the ferociousness of a rabid grizzly bear. The show also had a great caliber of supporting casts that helped balance the scenes out from the serious to the not serious moments. Season 2 was announced to be out March 2016 staring The Punisher as the series bad guy.

3. The Leftovers

The show is centered around people who have to deal with tragedy after their loved ones vanish without a trace and with no explanation.  Season 2 was so emotionally draining that I would just be left in a daze after each episode. One of the things this show does best is question whether whats happening is supernatural or practical. It’s maddening. Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey really ramped it up this year in the final episodes of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he or the writers receive a Emmy nominations based on those final episodes. Unfortunately, it’s not getting the viewership numbers needed and HBO has renewed it for one final season to wrap things up.

2. Better Call Saul

When this show was announced to have been green lighted for a series, I wasn’t surprised. Bob Odenkirk simply dominated the screen as Mr. White’s sleazy attorney. Setting place as a prequel showing his up and comings. We get an insight into what shaped him into the type of attorney he is at the end of the Breaking Bad series.

1. The Flash

The best comic adaptation on television. I feel like this totally captures the essence of reading a comic book. The highlight of the show is Jesse Owens who just elevates the acting of everyone around him. The episodes where Joe encounters Grod, I really believed he was terrified. My favorite of the CW/DC Universe are the crossovers with Arrow. Its exactly what you would hope for. Grant Gustin and Steve Amell playoff each other perfectly. With the upcoming Legends series CW is ramping up to take over Superhero TV.

Derek Kraneveldt

​iZombie

iZombie is my favourite currently-running television series. Bar none.

Somehow, the series eluded me until it began its acclaimed second season, and now I’m in forever. Seriously, I don’t know if I’ve ever binged anything as quickly as I sped-through the first season of this unforgettable series.

Rob Thomas and Dianne Ruggiero have crafted one of the best comic book adaptations that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing (on film, television, or otherwise), and Rose McIver’s astonishing range (as well as the rest of the series’ perfectly-cast characters) always leaves me starving for more. Every single episode has been pure gold so far, and that’s a trend that I don’t see ending any time soon.

Liv’s a zombie, who works as a Medical Examiner (assistant, actually), who has visions after she eats brains, and she uses those visions to help solve crimes. You don’t get television any more original than this, and if you’re yet to give iZombie a chance, you’re freaking crazy.

https://youtu.be/dycMoHn27ao

Philips Hue

This one made my holiday wishlist, and I have to mention it again here, as Philips Hue is a game-changing project that is potentially one of the best purchases that I have ever made.

It’s crazy to think about how little lighting has changed in the last half century. Televisions gained remotes, and are now on their way to transcending them (Johnny Depp style), car keys became FOBs became proximity sensors, and now we’re on the cusp of not needing to drive at all.

Aside from some power-saving technologies (which are definitely very important), and some cool ahead-of-their time products that don’t really seem to be around any more (The Clapper), lighting doesn’t seem to have changed all that much.

But with Philips Hue, when I leave my house, my lights turn off. When I get home, they turn back on. ‘Hey Siri, It’s movie time’ will dim them for me. When I go to bed, I hit a button on my phone to turn the lights off instead of stumbling through the dark (or just say ‘Hey Siri, Goodnight). When it’s time for me to wake up, my lights simulate a gentle sunrise.

And those are just the very basics. There’s also the whole science aspect, where different colors of light have a different effect on your body, mind, and feelings.

These things are incredible, and while they’re expensive right now, I believe that with the upcoming flux of competitor’s products, as well as falling costs, we’re in for a bright future with smart-home lighting, regardless of the brand you choose.

Hue

Marvel / Netflix

We all new that we were in for a treat when Marvel and Netflix announced that they’d be developing four different series in partnership (with them all coming together for The Defenders after all was said and done), but I don’t think any one of us knew just what was in store for us.

Earlier this year, Daredevil took the binge-ready world by storm, and is arguably the best adapted Marvel property in television or film.

Then, just last month, they did it again with Jessica Jones. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either, as Age of Ultron was a fun, yet busy mess (have you tried watching it a second time?), and Jessica Jones made me forget all about it.

With a second season of Daredevil being on the fast-track, and Luke Cage and Iron Fist still incoming, if the rest of the Marvel / Netflix parnership is *half as good as Daredevil and Jessica Jones have been, well, I’ll be beyond happy.

https://youtu.be/s3UYWK2jeX0

Geekscape Games

I can’t believe that Geekscape Games is already in its second year, and is already the #3 gaming podcast on the Geekscape Network (inside joke).

Editing and taking charge on news for Geekscape doesn’t leave me as much time as I’d like for things like reviews and opinion pieces (though I did manage to bang-out quite a few reviews this year), and being a part of this podcast has really helped me get my groove back.

Geekscape Games was initially attractive to me because for just a couple of hours a week, I had an outlet to discuss and talk gaming news and opinion with friends, and then be done with it and head back to my regular duties. Now, it’s one of the highlights of my week, and getting to chat with some of my best pals every seven days about everything that we’ve learned and played (or not played) is simply a blast.

I love hearing everyone’s responses to our weekly Mission Objective read aloud each week, and getting a group text from Jonathan after he listens to an episode letting us know just how dumb that thing that Shane said was.

It’s been a year, and it’s been wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Geekscape Games and its crew!

That time that Jonathan came to Vancouver.

I was in the process of moving here, and got to spend a ton of time with one of my best buds as he began a new incredible chapter in his life. It was freaking awesome (though I’m sorry about the poutine).

Roomates

Eric Francisco

Favorite TV:
If I have to remember 2015 in TV two come to mind: Supergirl and Into the Badlands. I could also mention Wayward Pines (renewed for season two!) but I think Supergirl and Into the Badlands will be the ones I mark 2015. Supergirl is the female-led superhero show we’ve all dreamed of. She’s not just smart and sexy (though she is), she’s also flawed. Her greatest weakness isn’t Kryptonite, it’s that she wants to help people but is just one person. Yes, Superman is there and he has to shoulder the weight of the world, but fuck that, this isn’t his story. It’s Supergirl’s, and I’m all in to see Kara become the hero she’s meant to be.

Meanwhile, Into the Badlands is fucking wild. The feudal politics in the show isn’t as deep as Game of Thrones but it’s rich in style and swagger, and Daniel Wu is going to seriously change the way TV sees heroic Asian leads.

Favorite Comics:
Monstress by Marjorie Liu. 2015 has been the year I picked up more comics than ever, but it’s Monstress by former X-Men scribe Marjorie Liu that I will tell everyone to pick up. Marvel’s Silk and Totally Awesome Hulk are great and of course Scott Snyder’s Batman will go down in history. But Liu is really on to something magical and majestic and even horrifying in her steampunk kaiju fantasy.

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Favorite Geek Moments:
This year I had the chance to interview Power Rangers Dino Charge producer Chip Lynn. Just speaking to the man in that context was revealing, insightful, and after the interview he offered amazing advice I can’t live down. I also interview the Backstreet Boys and Joey Fatone of ‘NSYNC at Comic-Con. No reason other than just because that’s freaking awesome.

Not personally: Shenmue III. We’re getting Shenmue III, at long fucking last. We won.

Mary Campos

To be completely honest, my top 5 life moments of 2015 are not categorized at all. It’s just the top moments In my shiny 2015 percent life.

First of all, getting my OWN Pass into E3. Valid. I’ve wandered the “outer halls” and met many great people at the parties. But this year thanks to my good friend Adamah for the heads up on a contest, I won my own badge. It was all mine! E3! And I will tell you. It is not for the faint of heart. Middle of summer, post open bar, trying to dash through crowds of people, trying to get food, water… and let’s not forget trying to get through that line for the greatest bit of E3 Swag ever?

Yeah. It was worth all of it.

Lego Dimensions.

I just really love this game. I love how they had a grand character to vehicle scheme. Scooby Doo Driving the Batmobile? Huh?

Gimme!

Well, granted Lego isn’t the first “toys to life game” but in a way, by holding out, this game was exciting for me. I do like to mix my universes together, and I like the fact that I have to spend the effort to put my Lego characters together. It’s why Lego Dimensions won me over in our instant gratification life style.

Finally getting to see Marilyn Manson and the Smashing Pumpkins.

When I was a pup, I missed out on a bunch of shows. Never got to go to the original Lollapalooza, (Google it, it was a thing, it was the grandpappy to all those commercial U.S. wide shows you kids have now.)

But I paid a lot less for Manson + Corgan than I would have at 17. And I wanted Manson to be what he was when I was 14, but alas, he wasn’t. But, being an adult and sitting in the grass with on a blanket with cheese, salami, and space to breathe and belting out all the Manson & Smashing Pumpkins classics As loud as I wanted was so worth the price of admission.

Manson

Leaving the country for the first time. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone out of state, and I’ve never been out of the country. But I did it. I went to Mexico City, Mexico. We visited an ancient pyramid, learned how tequila is really made, rode on a boat through old canals and just got to explore a brand new place. It was awesome, and I can’t wait to go back.

Tori Amos coming back into the fold. This little red headed pianist got me into trouble as a teen. I’m so glad she re-released Little Earthquakes and Under the Pink, giving another generation the chance to see the beauty of the piano.

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Adam Lemuz

Best Surprise of 2015: Shenmue 3

16 years ago, a Japanese game maker by the name of Yu Suzuki created a videogame unlike any other for the Sega Dreamcast. The game would be very story driven and also consist of an open 3D world that the player could freely roam. This game was Shenmue. While the game and it’s 2001 sequel both received critical acclaim by both press and players, the game ended up over budgeted and failed to sell enough units to classify it as a success.

Thus for the last 14 years Mr. Suzuki has been unable to finish the cult series and give it the ending it properly deserves. That was until this year. At Sony’s E3 this year Yu Suzuki himself took to the stage in order to announce a crowdfunding campaign for the long awaited sequel. The announcement excited so many people that within just 8 hours of announcement, the campaign had already been 100% funded by the fans. Sometimes dreams do come true.

Shenmue

That’s it for us, now how about you!? Share your favourite TV shows, comics, geek moments, and everything else in the comments below!

The Amazon Exclusive ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two’ Set Is A Must Buy!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

Whoa. On Tuesday, December 8th Marvel teams up with Amazon on an exclusive offering to knock your Captain America socks clean off! The Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two collection drops only on Amazon with all new bonus content, film replicas and more. In addition, each film features custom disc sleeves from artist Matt Ferguson.

Geekscape got a sneak peek at these alternate covers to share with you—and they’re freaking awesome. Go ahead feast your eyes and start squirreling away your pennies!

This collection is not messing around—it doesn’t seem like this is going to be the “pretty good one,” only to be replaced next year by the “super awesome edition.” This collection already has all the goods I look for in my film collecting proclivities—and then a little more! I ended up buying a 3D TV several Black Fridays ago when it was the same price as the standard model and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. As a result, if a movie I want comes out on Blu-ray and there’s a 3D version—that’s the one I buy. That and so much more is already baked into this collection! In their own words:

The limited edition, 13-Disc Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection invites you to hold the greatest power in the cosmos in your grasp – an orb containing one of the legendary Infinity Stones! Plus Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ and Digital Copies of all Phase 2 films, in collectible packaging designed by artist Matt Ferguson. This set overflows with stunning Marvel memorabilia, including a gold-foiled page from the book of Dark Elves, an ancient drawing from the Morag vault, Avengers and S.T.R.I.K.E. uniform patches, a replica of the Tony Stark Tattoo from Marvel’s Iron Man 3, and much more!

I mean, come on!—there’s a freakin’ ancient drawing from the Morag vault! What more can you possibly ask for?!

Personally, there were some moments I didn’t fully connect with in this film collection—but honestly, I take the blame on those for the time being. Maybe I was in the wrong mood when I saw them or something—planning to give Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron further viewings before making my final call on them. (Especially after getting a better understanding of what went into this intricate web Marvel is weaving as best they can during this release event.) However, here’s the thing—even if every film isn’t up to the snuff of say, Guardians of the Galaxy, they’re still better than most other offerings in their genre; meaning—you can’t lose, even if you lose, with these films. You will be properly entertained come hell or high water!

This unveiling comes properly on the heels of the release of the premiere trailer for the first film in Phase Three, Captain America: Civil War, this week. Whoowhee!—that trailer’s some dramatic adrenaline right there.

And now, my lovelies, because these are just the sort of details I hunt down when considering investing in a collection to add to my. . . collection, here are all the technical details they’ve provided us at this time:

  • Marvel’s Iron Man 3 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • Marvel’s Ant-Man (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)
  • 1:1 Prop Replica of the Orb

PLUS an Exclusive Bonus Content Disc with 166 minutes of bonus material and more!

  • From Here To Infinity: Phases 2 & 3 Of The M.C.U.
    Journey back through Marvel’s Phase 2 films, from its launch in Iron Man 3 through its fulfillment in Ant-Man, to see how individual characters grow and change, how their relationships with each other evolve over time, and how the universe itself expands with each story. Listen to filmmakers discuss the first set of Phase 3 films– Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Marvel’s Doctor Strange, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – and discover there are no limits to the adventure!
  • Phase 2 Tag Scenes: A Making-Of
    Learn the story behind the post-credit sequence in Marvel’s Phase 1 and 2 movies, and explore how the scenes connect and unify the far-flung characters and worlds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    • Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant w/Audio Commentary By Clark Gregg
      Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor’s Hammer With Audio Commentary By Clark Gregg
      Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 With Audio Commentary By Louis D’Esposito, Max Hernandez, Titus Welliver And Jesse Bradford
      Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter With Audio Commentary By Louis D’Esposito And Hayley Atwell
      Marvel One-Shot: All Hail The King With Audio Commentary By Drew Pearce And Ben Kingsley
      Iron Man 3: Deleted Scenes
      Iron Man 3: Preproduction Creative
      Thor: The Dark World: Deleted Scenes
      Thor: The Dark World Preproduction Creative
      Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Deleted Scene With Audio Commentary By Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
      Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Preproduction Creative
      Guardians of The Galaxy: Deleted Scenes
      Guardians of The Galaxy: Preproduction Creative
      Avengers: Age Of Ultron: Deleted Scenes
      Avengers: Age Of Ultron: Preproduction Creative: Hulk vs. Hulkbuster
      Ant-Man: Deleted Scenes
      Ant-Man: Preproduction Creative

RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2015
PRODUCTS: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and Digital HD
AUDIO: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital HD = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital
LANGUAGES: English & Spanish, French
SUBTITLES: English, French & Spanish

 

Special Content Showcase Event For ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ In-Home Release!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

We had the opportunity to attend the Special Content Showcase for the in-home release of Avengers: Age of Ultron (digital available now, blu-ray starting October 2nd) and the event was the perfect blend of prestige and accessibility. It served as an unveiling for the special limited editions of exclusive poster art for the film by artist Tyler Stout, which was incredibly impressive printed in metallic inks. There was also a very neat Hulkbuster t-shirt that, honestly, I’m not seeing anywhere online in the sea of available Hulkbuster t-shirts (didn’t even realize that was a thing). It wasn’t exactly made clear how you could get this exclusive, limited quantities, shirt. There’s a slip that came with mine saying that you can get one for $20 (plus s/h) when you buy the movie—so maybe there’s a slip in the blu-ray case or a digital certificate if you buy a digital copy?

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Special Print of Tyler Stout’s Poster on Metal

Hosted in the Hero Complex Gallery in Los Angeles, they put out a nice spread in a very welcoming, cozy and creative environment. The gallery hosts a lot of rotating art events, many tied to entertainment. I recommend you check them out at hcgart.com and plan to visit for your favorite exhibits when you’re in the area.

We enjoyed the presentation that screened several of the extras included with “home release” of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and I must admit I found them quite good for providing and fleshing out a high level overview of the Marvel movie universe—presenting and tying together events from the various films to map out everything Marvel has been setting up leading to the Infinity Wars. They provide a nice review/recap and get you excited for everything that is to come.

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Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios)

That was followed by Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios) and Jeremy Latcham (Executive Producer of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron) making an appearance to wax philosophical with attendees about the meanings behind various events in the movie and the Marvel films overall. There wasn’t anything particularly revealing or surprising but it was very nice to get that reassurance that every event, no matter how small, was being consciously woven into the tapestry of the larger arcs that guide the various Marvel films. This also extends to the shows—and, the same way actors in the films have been able to cross into the shows, the street goes both ways. So that, if the actors in the shows are willing, when there’s an opportunity for a particular character to appear in the films, Marvel is very interested in keeping the same performer in the role. That’s a level of consistency and loyalty I can really get behind.

Feige and Latcham also took some time to discuss the integration of Spider-Man going forward. The most interesting part is how fluid and planned out their story architecture is so that they’re ready for any combination of possibilities that might develop—will a given character be available to weave in?—is there room in the narrative of a specific film for a particular character?—will the same actor being playing the part?—and if that actor is replaced, will there need to be an explanation of some kind? They’re keeping all of these things in mind and have plans within plans ready for the different possible combination of scenarios that will still keep with the overall vision. That’s some impressive planning that will not only play out with the integration of Spider-Man but also Captain Marvel.

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Jeremy Latcham (Executive Producer)

The heartbreaking part of the evening for me was when we finally got to ask about plans for Howard the Duck (after the tease in Guardians of the Galaxy) and were just met with laughter. Another attendee got even more specific asking when and how Howard the Duck would be making his way to Earth. “Well, it didn’t work out so well the first time,” was their brief response; referencing the 1986 film, Howard the Duck (featuring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins) that disappointed at the box office and with fans—except this one right here. . . although, to be fair, it has been a couple decades since I’ve seen it. Regardless, I’m personally looking forward to more Howard—I’ve still got my fingers crossed that he’ll be making some more cameos soon.

The evening definitely gave me some more love for Avengers: Age of Ultron, understanding better about all the plates they’re trying to keep spinning. And it really is saying something about an entertainment company when the worst thing that can be said about their weaker entries is, “it was pretty good.”

Joss Whedon, you moved mountains! We love you! Please don’t stay away too long!

Battle Babes & The Art of Unnecessary Romance

by scottevil

There’s a game I like to play when I watch movies, called “What Broke My Suspension of Disbelief?” Sometimes it’s something big, like a Jaeger bashing a Kaiju with an entire ship, and sometimes it’s small, like the fly on that dude’s forehead in Troll 2. And don’t even get me started on the cannibalism in Fried Green Tomatoes (because I’ll be discussing that in a future article). Whatever causes it, it’s always entertaining to look back on a movie, be it good or utter garbage, and contemplate that one scene where the people writing the script just asked too much of you, their devoted audience.

With the current wave of superhero movies being made in the past decade or so, few things are as ridiculous as forcing two complete strangers to fall in love as they are being shot at by lasers and buildings are falling down around them. As the title implies, this article is FULL OF SPOILERS, so don’t read it unless you’ve seen pretty much all of the MCU films as well as most of the other recent superhero movies. Or you don’t care about having romantic subplots discussed.

My wife and I finally got around to seeing Ant-Man at the theater this past weekend, and something has been bugging me (heh) ever since: that kiss. I’m obviously no Puritan when it comes to my movie tastes; I watch stuff like Wolfcop and Dr. Giggles for Horror Movie Night on a weekly basis, and I did just watch a bunch of guys in superhero costumes punch each other silly.

So why does this 20-second portion of Ant-Man stick out so much to me? As the title here states, it’s completely unnecessary to the film, and a bit unrealistic to have occurring after a week of Hope Pym beating the tar out of Scott Lang in the basement and staring daggers at him and Hank. It’s unrealistic in a movie about a guy who invents a shrinking suit and has the ability to control ants – that’s saying something. Part of me realizes that their kiss was shoehorned in for the comedic relief with grumpy Dad (and to set things in motion for Ant-Man 2), but the rest of me is having trouble letting go and enjoying the rest of the movie. If they had just given a subtle hint that they were going to hook up in the next movie, I would be here writing about how amazing, witty and just plain FUN the script is. But nope, they had to turn The Wasp into a Battle Babe.

“What’s a Battle Babe,” you say? I thought you’d never ask! Battle Babes are strong female characters who are introduced as valuable allies in the beginning of a movie, only to be relegated to love interests or damsels in distress by the third act. The most damning part of the phenomenon is that I can’t think of any film where a male character goes through the same devolution (probably because that would be emasculating, and the majority of people consuming superhero and action movies are male). Concrete examples will paint the picture best, I think.

LillyBar640

Hope Pym (Evangeline Lilly) in Ant-Man; as mentioned above, teaches Scott Lang to fight and control ants, helps coordinate the main heist and then pisses it all away by inexplicably falling for Scott Lang (who killed her old boyfriend Darren Cross just hours before). It’s like watching the Karate Kid lip-locking Mr. Miyagi for no reason after winning the All-Valley Karate Tournament.

"Marvel's Thor: The Dark World"..Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) ..Ph: Jay Maidment..© 2013 MVLFFLLC. TM & © 2013 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in Thor; she starts the movie as a freaking ASTROPHYSICIST and is not once seen using that massive intellect in either the first or second film to do anything but get into situations that require her godly boyfriend. Sif (Jaimie Alexander) is an even worse case/better example, as she spends Thor and Thor II kicking ass from one end of the Bifrost to the other and is written as a Thor clinger. Luckily, she pops up in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. free of romantic BS.

RASPUTIN

Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was hinted that she and Cap had a bit of mutual attraction in The Winter Soldier, but luckily nothing came of it (thereby saving my favorite MCU movie from certain disaster). But as soon as the Avengers start partying in AoU, sparks fly between Natasha and Bruce Banner. It’s not even subtle, and sets up an interesting dramatic point about Natasha’s experiences as a child assassin, but forcing the relationship just to get there is an low point in an otherwise light summer blockbuster. It also dismantles most of the badassness Black Widow has cultivated in her preceding films. Once a lethal assassin, now just a lady without a baby…

3f9176e1ff65c93c683fd98be97c0571

Sgt. Rita Rose Vrataski (Emily Blunt) in Edge of Tomorrow. Sargeant. SARGEANT. That right there denotes that she’s pretty tough and can kill Mimics with the best of them. She realizes Cage (Tom Cruise) is looping after each death, and trains him accordingly, only for him to fall in love with her and keep trying to get her to safety each loop. Rita does go down fighting, but still qualifies for the title since she’s sexualized almost from the get-go and you know from the first minute Cage meets her, she’s going to be the love interest.

8

Evey (Natalie Portman, again!) in V for Vendetta. V spends half of the movie using her to help him kill his enemies, and then confesses his love for her before dying. I can’t believe how badly the Wachowskis screwed up Alan Moore’s original storyline by adding that. She was supposed to have been imprisoned and tortured by V to shape her into his successor, instead we got Lolita with Guy Fawkes masks.

un-wallpaper-del-film-elektra-con-un-primo-piano-di-jennifer-garner-elektra-186878897

Elektra (Jennifer Garner) in Daredevil and Elektra. While I realize that Elektra and Daredevil were an on-again-off-again couple in the comics, the films really played her up like a girl with a crush, particularly in the self-titled sequel. You’re supposedly the great martial arts “treasure” and more or less throw it all away at the end of Elektra to smooch the father of the girl you saved. Because every warrior woman is just wasting time until she can put down the katanas and start a family.

Even the pictures I found from each film portray these women as sexy and/or weak. It’s sort of creepy.

Now, those are some of the worst offenders in recent memory, but there ARE ways to do it without making me roll my eyes. Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) in Captain America and especially Agent Carter kicks so much ass and while she does have feelings for Cap, it never gets in the way of her busting skulls. She finds herself in peril but never waits for some dude to save the day; she’s a proactive heroine. Gamora (Zoe Saldana) in Guardians of the Galaxy is ALMOST a Battle Slut, and will likely become one in the sequel, but I think James Gunn did a great job poking fun at the trope a bit and didn’t leave her waiting to be rescued by Peter Quill.

Maybe my problem with Battle Babes and all the unnecessary romance in comic book movies is that, for me, unconsummated affection works better than forcing strangers to fall in love while evading death. That comic book movies seem to utilize Battle Babes most of the time, doesn’t make me love the genre any less, but their prevalence in a film is an easy barometer for me to tell how good the adaption is.

So, what do you think? Am I crazy? Are Battle Babes anachronistic? Leave a comment!

Post script: I just realized that Batman does kind of get the Battle Babe treatment (thanks to Talia’s betrayal) in The Dark Knight Rises. So there’s one.

Watch The Red Band Trailer For ‘Deadpool’ RIGHT NOW!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

Holy crap!

What?

Sorry, I mean—holy $#!%!

Did you eat my sacred burrito? I was saving that for an emergency.

What kind of emergency?—your trainwreck face?

Or in case I get stuck in an elevator with the Kardashians.

This article got derailed before it even started.

The debut of this Deadpool trailer in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con was so beyond amazeballs that we need to invent a new expression! People were freaking out! There were tears!

Fantastico?

Freaktastic!

It was better than putting your @!&# in a #@!& slathered with %#$&% and #%@&!%& your $#%& to her mother.

. . .

. . .

It’s kinda Shakespearian, right?

. . .

. . .

Or superrific.

I think I need to wash my brain out with soap.

After so many attempts to get Deadpool magic on screen, it looks like it’s finally going to happen! With an R rating! You know what that means?!

Violence? Extra violence? Stan Lee getting some strange?

Boobies?

It means we can say what we want!

Ooo, then I’m changing my answer to boobies. Or as I like to call them, #!@@-&#!$ domes of %@&#. What the hell’s wrong with this keyboard?

. . .This article is rated PG.

&@#%$. . .

Cut to the trailer!

. . .Where’s the soap?

SDCC 2015: Shadaloo Meets Cobra In The Upcoming ‘Street Fighter X GI Joe’ Comic!

by Josh Jackson

What happens when two of the world’s most evil organizations join forces? We get a potentially awesome comic book!

Announced during Capcom’s Street Fighter V panel at Comic Con, IDW Publishing is releasing Street Fighter X GI Joe, a crossover event that brings together the Real American Heroes and the World Warriors. As the kind of stuff our Saturday mornings were made of back in the day, it’ll be interesting to see how well these worlds mesh together when the series is released in 2016.

While details are few, this sounds like an idea that’s crazy enough to work, (or at least give us a good laugh along the way.) Considering how well other comic crossovers have worked in the past though, I feel like this has a chance to surprise people throughout its run as much as the announcement surprised us in itself. Just imagine all of the wacky shenanigans a super powered dictator and an egotistical commander can get into together!

Will this series be on your radar? Let us know what you think!

The Saint Mort Show Episode 133: Mega-Ran & K Murdock

by Saintmort

After a brief hiatus The Saint Mort Show is back with an interview with Mega-Ran and K Murdock live at the TooManyGames convention. It was a blast chatting with these two and talking comics, wrestling, video games and hip hop.

If you’re curious where I’ve been I’ve been working on my new podcast Horror Movie Club. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, Reddit and Geekscape.net!

Follow Saint Mort on Facebook and Twitter and SoundCloud.

If you really like the show get Matt something nice off his AmazonWishList

Subscribe to Us on iTunes

 

Geekscape Comics Reviews: Grayson Vol. 1: Agents of Spyral

by Karson

As I sat down with my coffee and the trade of Grayson Vol. 1: Agents of Spyral I planned to read a couple issues and then go onto something else. That wasn’t quite what happened. I read the first issue then decided I would read the second, then the third… next thing I knew I was through all seven of them.

Dick Grayson, who is no longer Robin, Nightwing or even believed to be living anymore is recruited to become an agent for the shady organization called Spyral. However, it is clear by the end of the first issue that he is a double agent for Batman. The first issue also provides a great summary of Grayson’s history that both old and new fans of the character will appreciate. It serves to immediately connect readers with Grayson. If you aren’t one of the many fans who already love him, after reading a few issues of this you probably will be as Seeley and King do a great job of creating a character that is easy to admire and cheer for. Grayson is fun, positive and possesses a great sense of humor. However there are still plenty of moments where we see him struggling with decisions that he is forced to make on the job.

The book itself could be described in much the same way as Grayson; it’s fun and never takes itself too seriously. It is an easy book to read but still provides deep moral questions and concepts to study and discuss if you wanted to. With each issue the series seems to pick up steam. Seeley and King always seems to leave just enough unanswered questions in each issue to make you want to jump into the next one.

Janin’s provides great art throughout each issue. From the beginning he does an awesome job showing off Grayson’s acrobatic ability and finesse. During the books more powerful moments his art and ability to capture the character’s emotion on the page makes the moments all the more powerful. From the headquarters of Spyral to many different outdoors and cityscapes, the settings and the backgrounds are always gorgeous.

The only complaint I’d have about this trade is that it doesn’t end on much of a cliffhanger. Each issue left me wanting more except for the last one but maybe I was just getting tired of reading?

If you’re looking for something new to read be sure to checkout Grayson Vol. 1: Agents of Spyral when it hits shelves June 9th or pick up a few single issues now!

Grayson_Cover 2

Get Your First Look At DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow!

by Karson

http://youtu.be/4MubNoWQiSc

The CW has released a trailer for their The Flash/Arrow spinoff, Legends of Tomorrow.

The trailer introduces (and reintroduces) a long list of characters: Hawkgirl (Ciara Renee), White Canary (Caity Lotz), the Atom (Brandon Routh), Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), and Professor Martin Stein (one-half of Firestorm)! Arthur Darvill, of Doctor Who fame, stars as the time-traveling Rip Hunter. Arrow and the Flash make an appearance as well.

The trailer confirms that the villain in the show will be none other than the immortal Vandal Savage.

Here’s the show’s official synopsis:

When heroes alone are not enough… the world needs legends. Having seen the future, one he will desperately try to prevent from happening, time-traveling rogue Rip Hunter is tasked with assembling a disparate group of both heroes and villains to confront an unstoppable threat — one in which not only is the planet at stake, but all of time itself. Can this ragtag team defeat an immortal threat unlike anything they have ever known? DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW stars Victor Garber (“The Flash,” “Alias”); Brandon Routh (“Arrow,” “Superman Returns”); Arthur Darvill (“Doctor Who”); Caity Lotz (“Arrow”); Ciarra Renee (“Pippin”); Franz Drameh (“Edge of Tomorrow”); with Dominic Purcell (“The Flash,” “Prison Break”); and Wentworth Miller (“The Flash,” “Prison Break”). Based on the characters from DC Comics, DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” upcoming “Pan”), Marc Guggenheim (“Arrow,” “Eli Stone,” “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters”), Andrew Kreisberg (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Eli Stone,” “Warehouse 13”) and Sarah Schechter (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” upcoming “Pan”).

The first season of Legends of Tomorrow will be 13 episodes long and is set to debut as a part of The CW’s midseason lineup.

Is this being added to your ever growing list of “must watch” television? Let us know in the comments below!

Double Take Announces Seven New ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ Series, Kickstarter Campaign!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: It’s pretty clear if you’ve seen our co-produced Doc of the Dead that here at Geekscape we’re pretty big fans of the undead. Saying that, we were more than excited to learn that this Double Take is expanding their Night of the Living Dead universe with a batch of new books.

The first three series in the universe were announced back in March, and today the publisher has announced seven new titles, along with a pretty cool Kickstarter campaign.

The first issue if all ten series will launch on September 16th, at the cool cost of $3.50 a piece (or $20-$25 for the super-pack containing each book), but backing the Kickstarter will get you the super-pack for just $10. It’s really a n0-brainer… get it?

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As Double Take notes, “Our first 10 stories start in the world established by the 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead, then we let our imaginations…and our zombies…run wild. ” The cover art for each book (as well as a description) have been revealed, and all of them sound pretty cool. You can take a look at the previously announced books here, and head below for a look at the newly announced titles.

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As ghouls surround her station, KBRF Radio ace DJ Samantha stays on the air all night. Will Rock & Roll save her soul?

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The posse shoots to kill, but Ben survives. Too bad it’s all-downhill from here.

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Doctors, and nurses, and zombies, oh my!

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Hot sun, hot babes, and the cold decaying flesh of the zombie horde. It’s co-eds vs. the undead.

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Even a brain a-day won’t keep this Doctor away.

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Protect. Serve. Beat. Burn.

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Thanks to some hungry customers, the closing shift at George’s Market has turned into the graveyard shift.

Will you be picking any of these up? I’m a big fan of each piece of cover art. Again, you can contribute to the Kickstarter campaign here, and be sure to let us know which book you’re most looking forward to!

The Saint Mort Show Episode 123: TanoshiiCon Returns

by Saintmort

Once again Matt joins some of the people behind TanoshiiCon to discuss what excitement is ahead of us this year at the con. We also get into our geek history, our geek knowledge and think back to how awesome local music used to be. Make sure to check out TanoshiiCon on April 25th

Pick up your copy of the Carrie Double Feature from Scream Factory.

Follow Saint Mort on Facebook and Twitter and SoundCloud.

If you really like the show get Matt something nice off his AmazonWishList

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Star Trek and Green Lantern Coming Together This Summer!

by Karson

Could we ask for a better science fiction crossover!? This July Green Lantern will meet Star Trek in a six-part comic book crossover event! Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War. The monthly mini-series will be written by veteran Star Trek comic writer Mike Johnson with art by Angel Hernandez (Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse, Arrow).

In a press release IDW President and COO states Greg Goldstein “We’ve looked forward to bringing these two iconic universes together for a long time, Star Trek and Green Lantern both share so many of the same science-fiction adventure themes and ideals, that a galaxy-spanning crossover like this is simply… logical.”

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War #1 will be available in stores and online in July and have covers from Gabriel Rodriguez, Francesco Francavilla, Elsa Charretier, and Garry Brown.

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Are you as stoked as we are? Let us in know in the comments below.

Geeksape Comics: Three New ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ Series Coming From Double Take!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: It’s pretty clear if you’ve seen our co-produced Doc of the Dead that here at Geekscape we’re pretty big fans of the undead. Saying that, we were more than excited to learn that this June, Double Take is set to debut not one, but three new titles set in the universe of George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead.

All three monthly series are set to debut this June in print and digital formats, and you can peek the first info and cover for each series by taking a look below!

Home, written by Peter Aguero, with art by Julian Rowe, Monica Catalano, and Javier Mena

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A happy family, a lovely spring evening, and Zombies.

 

Home follows a working-class farm family through the events of the zombie apocalypse in western PA. On the night the dead rise, the Foster family has gathered for a quiet Sunday dinner. Oblivious to the horrifying events that will soon unfold, Paul Foster takes his wife and two young children into town, leaving his teenage daughter home alone with her boyfriend. As his small town falls into chaos, Paul has to keep his family together and somehow get back home to his daughter, who is left to fight her own battles.

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Z-Men comes from writer Jeff McComsey, and features art by Kurt Tiede, Alisson Rodrigues,  and Max Flan:

Dead and/or alive. LBJ orders the Secret Service to bring him back a Zombie.
It’s 1966 and the Oval Office is in an uproar; there’s been a spree of mass murders in Western Pennsylvania (and reports of the dead returning to life). President Lyndon B. Johnson assigns the head of the Secret Service to send agents into the field to investigate. Agents Stuart and Clancy are given the opportunity to serve their country and see if the zombie apocalypse has indeed begun.

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Rise also comes from Jeff McComsey, and features art by Kurt Tiede, Frederica Manfredi, and Vladimir Popov

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They’re coming to get you Barbara. Follow our favorite siblings, Barbara and Johnny, from the classic 1968 Night of the Living Dead film as they try to survive beyond the night at the abandoned farmhouse.

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All three book sound very cool, and I’m especially excited to follow the continuing adventures of Barbara and Johnny. Not to mention that gorgeous art. As 2T notes, “this marks the first releases in a major initiative surrounding the classic horror franchise, which frightened moviegoers all around the world and made zombies a household name. Having commissioned a new generation of writers to breathe new life into the classic franchise, 2T has a dozen series in the works – some following characters from the film in surprising new directions; other stories are all new. All creators are working in collaboration with 2T GM, Bill Jemas.”

Which books will you be picking up this June? Sound out below!

Geekscape Comics Reviews: ‘The Valiant’

by Karson

Growing up my best friend and I use to play Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal on the Sega Saturn. I’ll be honest, I had no idea who this X-O Manowar guy was. I always wanted to play as Iron Man. Not that it mattered much, we would always become frustrated and never get farther than the first few levels. That was my first little taste of the Valiant Universe. Lemire (Green Arrow, Animal Man), Kindt (RAI, UNITY, Mind MGMT), and Rivera’s (Daredevil) The Valiant is my second. It was much more enjoyable.

The four part mini series is self contained so readers can pick it up and not be intimidated by continuity. I can think of no better marketing tool than this series to grow Valiant’s readership. It’s that good.

The premise is pretty straightforward. Since basically the beginning of time the Eternal Warrior has protected the Geomancers who are mystics that speak for the Earth. No matter how hard the Eternal Warrior tries the Immortal Enemy defeats him and kills the Geomancer plunging humanity into a dark age. The cycle continues a few times throughout the ages but this time the Eternal Warrior will have help from the Valiant super heroes.

Jeff Lemire and Matt Kindt’s writing is solid for most of the series. It’s paced great so you’ll definitely want to have all four issues on hand when you begin reading this one. The duo really shines during the moments that the two contrasting characters Kay (the geomancer) and Bloodshot (nanite-infused super soldier) are together. This is where you’ll find some of the series’ best moments. The only problem I had was the use of time travel in the beginning of the fourth issue brought the action and emotional climax to an abrupt halt. What came next more than made up for that though.

The end of this series will drastically shift the face of The Valiant universe. Like I said, I have no prior knowledge of it but even to me the events felt significant. This surely has something to do with how well each character is established in the beginning of the series. Each hero getting their own little defining moments and story lines. By the time the final issue rolled around I was connected to each of them.

The strongest part of this mini series is the handling of the villain; the Immortal Enemy. This may be one of the most sadistic and maniacal villains I’ve ever seen. As his name suggests, he is immortal. He shifts his appearance into what his opponent fears most; for our Geomancer it is the tuxedo and top hat wearing Mister Flay from a story her father use to read her, The Littlest Princess and the Twilight Kingdom. Perhaps the scariest imagery is when his face splits opens revealing the face of a demon-like creature inside. Paolo Rivera’s drawings create a villain that is sure to haunt you long after you finish the series.

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(Please don’t invade my dreams.)

Rivera does a great job with the art in the rest of the book as well. There are many instances where he is able to perfectly capture the emotion of a character with little to no words from Lemire and Kindt. From peaceful communities on the riverside, to giant action pieces Rivera masterfully handles it all. There is no other way to put it; this series is gorgeous.

This miniseries is great and definitely worth checking out. I won’t be surprised to see it on a few best of lists at the end of the year. Whether you’re looking to dive into the Valiant Universe for the first time or just for a great miniseries that you can read in an hour or two I’d highly recommend checking out The Valiant. The fourth and final issue hit shelves yesterday!

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Geekscape Comics Reviews: ‘Archie vs. Predator’ #1

by Karson

The Predator comes to Riverdale in the latest reinvention of the Archie Comics franchise. The first issue of Archie vs. Predator (AVP) is, for better or worse, exactly what you should expect.

Alex de Campi’s writing fits right into the Archie universe. The teenagers’ dialogue and behaviour feels spot on. She does a wonderful job of giving each character their own distinct charm and sense of humour. The issue is fun, and even downright silly at times. There were actually parts in this book that made me giggle out loud… yeah, I said giggle. When things start getting sketchy, Archie and crew behave like any teenagers would in a typical slasher movie, illogically. It feels alright for the most part, but there were a couple of instances where their reaction (or lack of one) are hard to accept. It’ll be interesting to see how the characters change when they become aware that they are being hunted by something that isn’t human.

Archie veteran Fernando Ruiz’s art shines throughout the entire issue. He does an excellent job of integrating the Predator into the Archie Universe. Making the Predator a cartoon does take away from its lethalness but you are quickly reminded of how vicious of a hunter the Predator can be. Ruiz’s ability to integrate violence into a universe that is not known for it will sure to be one of the high points of the series.

The first issue is much more Archie than it is Predator, so readers who were surprised by how much they enjoyed Afterlife with Archie might not have the same reaction to this. I felt Afterlife with Archie was able to open itself up a larger audience as it was a horror story that just happened to have the characters from Archie in it. So far this series feels like an Archie story that just happens to have the Predator in it. I fear this may alienate (no pun intended) readers; Archie fans will not enjoy it like they would the normal books and Predator fans won’t enjoy it because it’s too much Archie. However, there is a lot of fun to be had if you’re like me and just have a casual interest in both franchises.

What you see is what you get so far with AVP. If you hear Archie vs. Predator and think that it sounds fun, you’ll probably enjoy it. If it turns you off, this book probably isn’t for you. While I’m not clamouring for the second issue I am excited to see where the story goes. This could be the beginning of a very entertaining miniseries.

Archie vs. Predator #1 is on sale April 15th. Will it be on your pull list? Let us know in the comments below!

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