Comic Years |
- David Ramsey In New CW Show Called ‘Justice U’ Returning As John Diggle
- The Leslie Grace Batgirl Costume Has Made Its Debut, But Is It Comics Accurate?
- Dave Cockrum Original Sold At Over A Quarter Million Dollars – And There are Other Pieces Still Available
- Peacemaker Series Premiere, Episodes 1-3 Review – DC Gives Peace A Chance
- Spawn Set New Record, “Biggest New Team Book” In The Past 30 Years – Regardless Of Numbers!
- Scream 2022 Review: Reinventing the Squeal In This Sequel (or) Reboot
- The High Republic: Eye Of The Storm – The New Star Wars Miniseries
- What Is Wordle – How A Viral Word Game Has Brought The World Together
- Netflix’s Red Notice Movie Sequels In Development With Original Cast Returning
| David Ramsey In New CW Show Called ‘Justice U’ Returning As John Diggle Posted: 15 Jan 2022 03:04 PM PST With the news that the CW is up for sale by CBS and Warner Bros., we were ready to predict the end of the Arrowverse. However, the folks at Warner Bros. TV do not share our worry that the CWVerse of DC Comics shows will be over. One of the originals is returning to lead a new show starring young heroes and is coming back to a weekly series! David Ramsey, who played John Diggle the right-hand man to Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, is working with the CW yet again on a new show called Justice U. We break down what we know about Justice U and also hear from Diggle himself about what it means to return to the CW and DC Comics stories. What Is David Ramsey’s New CW Show About? Image via The CW According to the official description, Justice U is going to follow John Diggle as “he embarks on a new mission to recruit five young metahumans to live undercover as freshmen at a prestigious university. There he will oversee their education and train them to become the heroes of tomorrow.” It sounds a bit like X-Men or the CW’s other superheroes-at-school show Legacies. The show will take place in the Arrowverse, but there’s no information on which five metahumans recruited. So, could we see members of Young Justice coming to the CW? Dick Grayson (played by Brenton Thwaites) already exists on HBO Max’s Titans, but we’ve seen DCEU characters from HBO Max appear in CW shows (e.g. the epic Crisis on Infinite Earths). So, we will have to wait and see! In Arrow, Ramsey began as Oliver Queen’s bodyguard and later his partner on Team Arrow. As ‘Spartan,” he became an integral part of the crimefighting and problem solving. He made several appearances in crossover episodes and other CW shows. Once Arrow ended, fans weren’t sure what would happen to Ramsey’s character, although he’s made several appearances in CW shows as of recent. In an interview with SiriusXM's Superhero Insider, Ramsey talked about what a great character John Diggle was:
It sounds like Ramsey is excited to keep fleshing out John Diggle and hopefully, Justice U will do just that. Justice U comes from Superman & Louis co-exec producer Michael Narducci and executive producer Zoanne Clack (Grey’s Anatomy). Berlanti Productions will produce the series in association with Warner Bros. Television. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, and Geoff Johns will executive produce alongside Narducci and Clack. On top of starring in the show, Ramsey will also direct the pilot. There is no release date for Justice U but watch this space for more updates about John Diggle and the Arrowverse!What do you think of David Ramsey back as John Diggle in the new CW show Justice U? Also, are you excited to see him come back? Think he’ll become the Arrowverse Green Lantern? Let us know in the comments below! Featured image via screengrab David Ramsey In New CW Show Called ‘Justice U’ Returning As John Diggle |
| The Leslie Grace Batgirl Costume Has Made Its Debut, But Is It Comics Accurate? Posted: 15 Jan 2022 11:02 AM PST Costumes can make or break a character. This is even more true when it comes to comic book adaptations. Everything can be perfect, from the mannerisms to the dialogue, but that outfit is the first connection we make to the source material. The Leslie Grace Batgirl costume has made its debut online ahead of the upcoming HBO Max film, and it’s leaving us with a lot of thoughts about the film’s potential. There Is More to the HBO Max Adaptation Than Just a Batgirl CostumeBatgirl, the upcoming DC Comics adaptation, is heading to HBO Max in 2022. It will follow the character of Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, and will take place within the DC Extended Universe. Little is known about the plot, but some of the film’s cast gives us an idea about what to expect. Leslie Grace stars as Batgirl, the daughter of Gotham City’s police commissioner, James Gordon (played by J.K. Simmons.) The film’s villain will be Firefly, a sociopath obsessed with fire-starting. He will be played by Brendan Fraser, who seems to be in the middle of a Brendanaissance. And what is a Bat film without a Batman? Michael Keaton will be returning to the role of Bruce Wayne to make sure that this film gets the hype it deserves.  Image via Warner Bros. Leslie Grace Reveals Her Batgirl CostumeThe lead actress, best known for her music career and role in 2021’s In The Heights, introduced the world to her costume for the film in an Instagram post. Her caption reveals some of the fun personality and butt-kicking that we can expect from Barbara:
The Leslie Grace batgirl costume features a shiny blue suit with gold detailing, including the iconic Batgirl mask. Check it out!  Image via Leslie Grace’s Instagram. Is the Leslie Grace Batgirl Costume a Faithful Adaptation?A made-for-cinema costume can be the coolest thing in the world, but if it’s not comic accurate, then we’re sure to see some angry fans. Fortunately for HBO Max, the Leslie Grace Batgirl costume might be a winner. It looks like it’s been torn off the pages for the on-screen adaptation. From the cape to the hair, we could be looking at an edition of The Batgirl of Burnside. The only significant difference is the gloves, which are now black instead of the comics-accurate yellow. The character’s outfit has made a few minor changes throughout the years, but even the most recent comics feature a similar look to Barbara’s debut. Gordon replaced Betty Kane’s Batgirl in 1967 in Detective Comics #359, thanks to Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. More recently, Barbara Gordon has been seen in the streets of Gotham in Infinite Frontier: Batgirls.  Image via DC Comics. The DCEU Heads Exclusively to HBO MaxBatgirl, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, will be heading directly to HBO Max. The online-only arrival of such a highly anticipated superhero movie seems like an odd choice, especially given that it’s not one that was decided by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, after the impressive HBO Max streaming numbers for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, we aren’t surprised that the streamer is trying to encourage DC fans to subscribe. Zack Snyder’s Justice League saw 3.7 million US households watch the film within the first 39 days of its virtual release, which was considered a success for the platform. Meanwhile, the theatrical cut of Justice League was considered a box office bomb upon its release in 2017, failing to meet its break-even point of $750 million. The decision to release on the streamer could make a difference in the perceived success of the film. The arrival of the Leslie Grace Batgirl costume photos (bat)signals that more marketing is heading our way. Could a trailer for the film be next? We sure hope so. You Can Stream Batgirl on HBO Max Sometime in 2022Batgirl does not currently have a release date aside from being confirmed to drop in 2022. We’re sure that it won’t want to compete with The Batman’s March 4th release date, even with different release strategies. DC will also be dropping other live-action films later in the year, including Black Adam on July 29h, The Flash on November 4th, and Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom on December 16th. It’s going to be a packed year for DC, and we’re eager to see where Batgirl finds itself amongst the many release dates. Readers, what are your thoughts on the Leslie Grace Batgirl costume ahead of its HBO Max premiere? Has it shifted your expectations for the comic adaptation? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Featured image via DC Comics. The Leslie Grace Batgirl Costume Has Made Its Debut, But Is It Comics Accurate? |
| Posted: 15 Jan 2022 05:26 AM PST Dave Cockrum is a legend. To teach other artists how to master sequential art, many teachers turn to his work on titles like X-Men, Incredible Hulk, and Amazing Spider-Man. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the penciler on Giant-Size X-Men #1, which introduced many new characters and brought Wolverine into the X-Men. Just how much do fans love his work? We know that one fan loves him several times those art teachers' salaries. A Dave Cockrum original cover art piece on Heritage Auctions just sold for $360,000. Which Dave Cockrum Original Sold For Such A Crazy Amount? An X-Men One, Of CourseTo be specific, the bid was for X-Men #107. That might seem like a random number to warrant such a big sale, but this is a special issue, and it tells us just how much of a comic lover the buyer truly is. This comic is from the first appearance of the superhero space pirates, the Starjammers. But even as a first appearance cover, the fact that the original Dave Cockrum cover sold for so much is surprising. His work routinely sells in the fifty to one hundred thousand dollar range on Heritage Auctions. The issue itself is worth a lot, currently valued, in near mint condition, at $1000. Jumping from that to $360,000 is mindboggling. And this was an auction. But even crazier? How much other Dave Cockrum original pieces have sold for. One Dave Cockrum Original After Another Has Sold For Tens of Thousands of DollarsEarlier today, other comic book and pop culture sites found the then-current bid of one hundred thousand impressive. And yes, that is impressive, but for a Dave Cockrum original piece of art, it would be shocking if it only sold for that much. The lowest amount one of his pieces sold for on Heritage Auctions was a little over $5,000. And that was for a random page from an X-Men comic. But the original cover for X-Men #102 went for $131.5 thousand. As well, the original art for Giant-Size X-Men #1, page two – where Len Wein and Dave Cockrum introduced the world to Nightcrawler – sold for just over one hundred thousand dollars. As well, one of my favorite covers of all time, Amazing Spider-Man #197 (seen above), sold for just under $90,000 (or, as I like to think of it, three years of teaching college English). A Cockrum piece selling for around one hundred thousand dollars is just a Wednesday for Heritage Auction. But again, this makes X-Men #107's sale that much more impressive. What's So Special About the Starjammers in Marvel Comics Anyway? (Image: Marvel Comics) First, forget Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Starjammers have Corsair, Cyclops' human father, a master swordsman. But where the Summers brothers are all stoic and serious, Christopher Summers has charm. Then there's his girlfriend, a "Mephitisoid." Sure, she has the ears of a cat and tail of a skunk, but she's still one of the most beautiful women in Marvel Comics. Speaking of beautiful, have you met Ch'od? He's a warm, loving, giant anthropomorphic space lizard. Take Groot's kindness and Drax's brute strength, and you get Ch'od. But if you want a grumpy badass with swords, instead of the charming Corsair, look no further than the Cyborg named Raza Longknife. That was the original team, and they were so awesome, they only needed four. Oh, and Ch'od's tiny pet cat-thing? Its name is Cr'reee. That alone should answer why the original cover from Dave Cockrum sold for so much money, right? If you had all the money in the world, how much would you spend for the original art of your favorite comic? (Featured Image: Marvel Comics) Dave Cockrum Original Sold At Over A Quarter Million Dollars – And There are Other Pieces Still Available |
| Peacemaker Series Premiere, Episodes 1-3 Review – DC Gives Peace A Chance Posted: 14 Jan 2022 11:16 PM PST Peacemaker is back! As the biggest asshole in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, John Cena’s Peacemaker (alias: Christopher Smith), is a fanatical pacifist who believes so strongly in keeping the peace that he’s willing to use force and violence to make it happen. The Peacemaker official trailer from HBO Max gave us a more nuanced view of the complicated character and yesterday, the first three episodes of the Peacemaker series premiere dropped. Read on for a review of the Peacemaker premiere episodes! Peacemaker Ties Directly Back Into The Suicide Squad and The DCEU Image via Warner Bros. Pictures Peacemaker begins right after the events of The Suicide Squad and it all fits together nicely. Gunn wrote all eight episodes of the series and directed five, so the plot and overall aesthetic feel like a natural transition. We see Peacemaker getting treated for a broken clavicle, despite being shot at and then having a building fall on top of him. He’s released from the hospital and immediately, Amanda Waller’s ex-team, John Economos (played by Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (played by Jennifer Holland) start tracking him. Joining them are new Task Force X members Clemson Murn (played by Chukwudi Iwuji), a mysterious mercenary who takes on a leadership role, and Leota Adebayo (played by Danielle Brooks), a new recruit. The entire team is seemingly punished by Amanda Waller for rebelling at the end of The Suicide Squad and now must take on a new task called Project Butterfly. Much like Waller, Murn offers Smith a get-out-of-jail-free card if he helps them take on these “butterflies.” The Peacemaker Series Premiere Gives Us More Insight Into The Anti-Hero’s Childhood Image via HBO Max Viewers got a sense of Smith’s fraught relationship with his father in the official trailer, but the Peacemaker premiere episodes gave us even more. Smith’s father (played by Robert Patrick) criticizes and verbally abuses his son at every turn. There’s one scene where Smith attempts to bond with his father by talking about Bloodsport’s phobia of rats, only to be shut down when his father says, “This f– that was afraid of the rats…please God don’t tell me he was the one who shot you.” It’s painful to watch, but also humorous, something that Gunn has always done well. We also learn that his father is the one that outfitted him with his helmets and weapons, which further explains why Peacemaker has so many daddy issues. When your father is actively pushing violence on you, that’s all you know. Episodes 1-3 also shed some light on Peacemaker’s douche-y attitude. He puts on a tough façade to cover up his vulnerability and to keep from talking about his emotions. He’s been rejected his whole life by his father, so being cast aside by others is something that weighs heavily on him. As Murn says in one scene, “(Peacemaker’s) stubborn, but he also has a deep need to belong.” Some of the most emotional scenes in the premiere episodes were Peacemaker’s interactions with his pet eagle, Eagley. Similar to many pets, animals provide unconditional love, and Eagley does just that, even giving Peacemaker a hug. While it provides some comedic relief to see an Eagle coming along on Task Force X’s mission, Eagley also gives Peacemaker a reason to keep going. The bald eagle is protective of the anti-hero, something that his father never was. A Colorful Supporting Cast Elevates the Premiere Episodes of Peacemaker Image via HBO Max It wouldn’t be a James Gunn movie if there weren’t a host of quirky characters and the New Task Force X is no exception. Each character has their own demons to deal with (for example, Harcourt was given a glock by her father when she was a young girl so she has some issues with her father too), but Gunn handles them all with the dark humor that he’s known for. It turns out Adebayo is the daughter of Waller and has been brought on to act as her eyes and ears. Adebayo is married and has three dogs, but it appears that her mom has been trying to get her to work for ARGUS for a long time. While Task Force X all seem to think Peacemaker is an idiotic, misogynistic racist, there are moments of deeper understanding. Could Peacemaker finally make some real friends? Speaking of friends, one of the funniest characters is Peacemaker’s “best friend,” Vigilante (played by Freddie Stroma). He’s basically a fanboy of the anti-hero, but also acts as a pillar of support, taking Peacemaker on a shooting spree when he’s feeling down or taking over for him when he can’t kill the butterflies. He’s naive when it comes to the superhero stuff, but he has heart and genuinely wants to help. And Of Course, There’s Other Weird DC Comics Villains Image via HBO Max The Suicide Squad gave us Starro, who was an actual villain in the comics. In the Peacemaker series premiere, we’re introduced to “butterflies,” which seem like evil butterflies that take over a person’s body? They’re not actually villains from the comics, but they seem similar to Starro in that they’re parasitic and are in full control of a human’s body. At the end of Episode 3, we see that the butterflies are popping up all over the world, which makes us wonder how Task Force X is going to handle this. There’s another villain to keep an eye out for though: Peacemaker’s father, who we learn is someone called the White Dragon. There have been a couple of iterations of the White Dragon, but they’re all villains who have been associated with white supremacy and are based on the KKK’s Grand Wizard. We already know that Peacemaker’s father was a Nazi, but having him outed as an actual villain tied to white supremacy? We’ll have to see if this gets fleshed out and how that’ll play into the role of the killer butterflies taking over the planet. Overall, the Peacemaker series premiere is a fun and nuanced look at DC’s anti-hero. Gunn has done a great job of fleshing out more of his backstory and creating an interesting supporting cast. You can currently watch the Peacemaker series premiere episodes 1-3 on HBO Max.What did you think of the Peacemaker series premiere and the other episodes? Are you going to continue watching the rest of the series? Let us know in the comments below! Featured image via HBO Max Peacemaker Series Premiere, Episodes 1-3 Review – DC Gives Peace A Chance |
| Spawn Set New Record, “Biggest New Team Book” In The Past 30 Years – Regardless Of Numbers! Posted: 14 Jan 2022 05:25 PM PST While Marvel can still technically claim to have the biggest selling comic of all time, 1991's X-Men #1, they don't like to brag about it. Sure, it sold over 8 million copies, but it also caused the comic industry bubble to burst. Since then, impressive numbers have been anything over 75,000. And the new mindboggling figures? Over 200,000 copies. Those are the numbers Spawn has been pulling in lately. Spawn #30, Gunslinger Spawn #1, and now, with 270,000 copies sold, Scorched #1. In fact, according to Image Comics, the Spawn Universe title Scorched #1 set a new record as "the "Biggest New Team Book" from the past 30 years (including a new relaunch of Marvel's X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy)." That's amazing—great job to everyone at Image. 270,000 copies are staggering. But record-breaking? Sorry, but that's not quite enough. Image Claims that the Spawn Universe's Team Book Scorched #1 Set a New Record – It's Not Even Close (Image Comics) 270,000 copies is nothing to balk at. Most comics will never see numbers. But as far as the best debut for a new team book in 30-years? Oh, Image…we wish. However, there are several team book debuts with better numbers. According to the sales reporting site Chomichron, the following team books debuted in the 2000s over 275K:
Now, there could be a caveat here: Best New Team Book. However, they also point out that they sold more than the X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy. And even if that caveat did work, Uncanny Avengers was a new team. Now, this only goes to 2020. Numbers after March 2020 get a bit murky because of COVID. As well, sales numbers generally came from Diamond since they distributed everything, but in Summer 2020, DC Comics ditched Diamond, with Marvel following less than a year later. But even if we only include the numbers we have, Scorched # is the fifth-highest team book debut in 30 years. That's impressive. Other Spawn Milestones and Records Set in the past 30 Years? (Image Comics) Images claims that Gunslinger Spawn #1 was the best debut for a superhero in 25 years, with a staggering 497,000 copies, which also set a new record. But, forget just the best debut issue; Gunslinger Spawn #1 is one of the top ten selling comics in the past 25 years, regardless of number. It even beat Amazing Spider-Man #800. Then there's a creative milestone that will be impossible to top for some time. Spawn became the longest-running independent title in comic book history. Before Spawn #301, that honor went to Cerebus the Aardvark, which ended with issue #300. And, of course, within Image, the Spawn titles have set one new record after another. Spawn is one of the most important comic book franchises of all time. In 1992, Spawn was one of the first in a new wave of indie comics from a small company called Image. Well, not so tiny. The founders of Image were artists and writers fed up with Marvel and DC. But even though they were big names, their enterprise was risky. Would fans follow them away from the classic superheroes to their new, much more experimental characters? Yep. In fact, for Indie comics, Spawn #1 is as essential as Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 is for DC and Marvel. It helped set a foundation for indie comics for decades after. Also, like Batman was for its time, it's a surprising success. The big thing in 1992? X-Men. Spawn is far from the mutant spandex arena. It's a superhero horror story, but it's also really damn good. That's why it's part of our 2022 Superhero Reading Challenge. So did Scorched #1 set a new team debut record for the House of Spawn? Nope. But it's still a great comic.(Featured Image: Image Comics) Spawn Set New Record, "Biggest New Team Book" In The Past 30 Years – Regardless Of Numbers! |
| Scream 2022 Review: Reinventing the Squeal In This Sequel (or) Reboot Posted: 14 Jan 2022 11:25 AM PST When Scream premiered in 1996, it brought with it both good and bad things. The good was a solid franchise comprising the movies that followed it. (And on a personal note, my favorite final girl of all time.) The bad was basically any meta-horror outside the franchise that followed. But time and horror has changed a lot since then. We've gone through several different trends in horror, like the post-9/11 torture porn years and that period where they remade a bunch of Asian horror movies. The newest iteration, as I'll discuss in my Scream 2022 review, finds itself, like us all, in unprecedented times. Also, we look at whether or not this Scream movie is a sequel or a reboot or both. Two Major Forces at Work In This Movie – Horror Trends and Film SnobberyBefore we get into the review of Scream 2022, we should talk briefly about two big influences on film right now. First, there's the current trend, what's popular in horror at this second. The 2010s ushered in the smart horror, or as they refer to it in Scream 2022, the elevated horror. Think the output of directors like Ari Aster and Robert Eggers. This film refers to works by both, and so did I in my review of The Lodge.  Black Phillip, the GOAT of elevated horror, image via A24 There, I classified them as atmospheric horror, which is yet another term you could use. But in any case, these movies, and others, like It Follows, are typical of the subgenre. They may be just as gory and disturbing as their slasher film predecessors, but these movies have class, baby. They get respect. Elevated horror films even get awards, and not just genre-specific ones. I'm talking trophies from high-falutin' critics' associations. These critics generally don't consider a Scream sequel or reboot for the same prizes. Scream movies are popcorn flicks, the kind that film snobs don't consider cinema. And that leads us to the other big influence on movies today, the internet hive mind. Whether the mass is hollerin' at Martin Scorsese because he doesn't consider cape movies art or they're upset because a woman (!) is in a movie (!!!), it doesn't matter. What does matter is that the great egalitarian experiment of the worldwide web has only heightened the drama in our interactions. We can't just disagree anymore—instead, we must try to cancel each other, while crying about the deleterious effects of so-called "cancel culture."
And when this hysterical self-seriousness is applied to pop culture, then it often becomes a hostage situation. Make the movies we want the way we want them. If you don't, then…this is such a nice movie you got here. It'd be a shame if it bombed (and your cast and crew were harassed online). But that, of course, is the least offensive thing toxic fandoms do. If you're a marginalized person who becomes the target of a toxic fandom, then you can expect anything from simple harassment to full-on doxxing and death threats. (And yes, this behavior is not limited to movie fans. It's also relatively mild when you compare it to, say, the behavior of a sasaeng, the term for a K-pop fan who will go to any lengths, including criminal, to gain an idol's attention. All of it still sucks, though.) The Plot References Previous Scream Events and, Of Course, Horror Movies In General(Note: I'm going to try to discuss the plot without dropping major spoilers. It's hard, though, to avoid spoilers entirely unless I write only "A person or persons in a Ghostface mask kills people." So, I won't mention too much outside of what the trailers show.) A person or persons in a Ghostface mask kills people. I mean, obviously. That's the basic blueprint for any Scream movie, sequel, or reboot. But to be more relevant to this Scream movie, we should meet some of the people who may or may not die.  image via Paramount Pictures As you might have seen from the trailer, it starts with Tara (Jenna Ortega). She's a Westboro teen just trying to live her life when the trouble starts. She's not a particularly huge fan of horror movies, or at least, your classic slashers. That means that she prefers The Babadook to Stab, Scream's in-movie franchise. I mention Stab for the same reason that I mentioned toxic fandom. In the world of the movies, as in real life, the Stab franchise has continued. However, the number of films in its franchise have surpassed the number of real-life movies. And they're getting kind of long in the tooth. That's another way of saying that fans didn't really care for the last installment. We find this out from Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown), who's our Randy (Jamie Kennedy) analogue. She explains that the eighth movie disappointed Stab stans for a number of reasons, including the fact that it strayed too far from the original storyline. In addition, fans didn’t like that the filmmakers simply titled it Stab, instead of Stab 8. If this all seems a little meta–this should be the review of the last sequel Scream 5, not the review of Scream 2022 — then of course it is. Just as with the previous movies in this series, Mindy and others discuss how this film fits into the storyline of the previous movies’ killings. Mindy says that the consensus is that to make a course correction, we need a reboot/sequel combo, like Halloween Kills. It continues the original storyline, but also sets up new characters for future plots. And you can see how this would apply to the Scream franchise, even if it, too, wants to soft reboot the franchise. Despite my deep and abiding love for the only queen I recognize, Sidney THEE Prescott, I recognize that she (and Neve Campbell) might not want to do this forever. Sidney has kids now, after all. She can't just keep dropping them and her husband every time some ding-dong wants to make the news. That's where a character like Samantha (Melissa Barrerra) comes in. Tara's estranged sister, Samantha returns to town with her boyfriend Richie (Jack Quaid) in tow after Tara's attack. Returning, however, will force Samantha to confront some secrets she'd tried to leave behind. Are they Ghostface mask-sized secrets? I'll never tell. Scream 2022 Review – It’s Both a Sequel and Reboot image via Paramount Pictures As with any entry in the series, there is a lot to like here. For example, Scream movies have always been cleverer than many horror movies. They've certainly been smarter than any meta-horror wannabes that they inspired. So first off, it's just as fun and compelling as any of the movies before it. And with its focus on the meta, it has a lot of fun playing with the "rules" of slasher stories. As a character points out, for example, Richie as Samantha's boyfriend is an obvious suspect because he's the love interest. But then again, everyone is an obvious suspect. These movies have capably created a world where anyone, including the core three of Sidney, Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette), could plausibly be the killer. Speaking of those three, their time in this movie is smaller than it's ever been in the franchise. They've gotten older, though, and tired of the constant demands of battling would-be famous killers. You get the sense that this is the final round for them, and that they want to leave any future fights to the next generation.  image via Paramount Pictures They won't leave them unprepared, though, so it's cool to watch Sidney and Gale try to impress upon Samantha what she needs to do. As for her character, well, she's no Sidney Prescott, but who is? She's a perfectly decent final girl, though, and I don't meant that as backhanded as it sounds. But if I were to say some less than positive things, then they would include the lack of character development in this movie. I mentioned that Sidney has a husband and kids, but we never see them and they're barely acknowledged, especially after Sid returns to her hometown. Similarly, we don't really get to know the new kids of Woodsboro, like Amber (Mikey Madison) and Mindy's brother Chad (Mason Gooding), beyond broad strokes. In addition, there are some plot holes that just don't make sense. Like, the specter of Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) hangs over the proceedings, but no one ever mentions that his mom was one of the killers in Scream 2. And then there's the fuzzy math behind everything. Or the fact that at least one of the kills is just impossible. And I'll admit it, despite the discussion I had earlier, I don't love the motive or think they pulled it off. But having said all that, the worst Scream movie is better than a lot of other horror movies. Is this the best since the sequel, as some have said? No. But is it the worst? Also no. It's firmly in the middle, but again, still a better time than most. If this is the last scream-round, then that would be okay. But man, would I have liked to see them try something different, fandom be what may. Scream 2022, whether you call it a sequel or a reboot, is in theaters now.Let us know your review of Scream 2022 in these comments or on our social media. And if you’d like to toxic fandom me, then I will meet you in a patch of Alabama forest that my great-grandmother described as “full of haint.” featured image via Paramount Pictures Scream 2022 Review: Reinventing the Squeal In This Sequel (or) Reboot |
| The High Republic: Eye Of The Storm – The New Star Wars Miniseries Posted: 14 Jan 2022 06:17 AM PST What brings a villain to their lot in life? The real question in terms of Star Wars characters is what happens to warp someone’s mind to the Dark Side. Whether or not they’re a Jedi, it seems like the worst villains in Star Wars always end up with a choice. You can choose to be better, leaning into the light, or you can let the dark take over. In Star Wars The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #1, we see the rise of Marchion Ro in one of the most compelling stories of the era. The new miniseries by author Charles Soule is sure to be a hit with fans of The High Republic. You can hop into the series if this is your first foray into the era as well. Here’s everything you need to know about Eye of the Storm. Where Does The High Republic: Eye of the Storm Take Place in the Era Timeline? Image Credit: Disney Publishing Firstly, let’s establish some timeline clarity. We’re wrapping up Phase 1 of The High Republic. This last wave of books, comics, and other media closes the first chapter of the era. According to Eye of the Storm author Charles Soule on Twitter, this first release in the new miniseries of Star Wars comics is safe to read ahead of the latest novel release, The Fallen Star. You’re free to catch up on everything so far in The High Republic before starting here. It’ll make everything a lot clearer. Of course, it’s fair to say too that this is far enough in the era’s past that you can come in blind, in my opinion. Overall, the base villain in The High Republic is Marchion Ro, leader of the space pirate group The Nihil. As the Eye of the Nihil, the group’s loathsome leader, Ro is in charge of a bunch of gangs of Nihil. Up to this point in the books and comics, we’ve seen Ro leading the Nihil on conquests against the Jedi. Star Wars The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #1 transports us back to the villain’s childhood. His father, the former Eye of the Nihil, is in charge. We see firsthand how a boy becomes a bloodthirsty killer. In short, is this a good place to start for newcomers to The High Republic? Not necessarily if you’re looking for all the context behind the powers at play in the era. That said, learning the origins of Marchion Ro is a bit of backtracking for the general Phase 1 narrative. It’s also part of a trend for Phase 2 that sends readers of all kinds back 150 years further from the Prequel films. How the Story of Marchion Ro Sets Up Phase 2 Image Credit: Marvel One thing we know about the upcoming content in The High Republic Phase 2 is that we’re going to build some further context to the era. Overall, we know in Phase 1 that unprecedented attacks on the galaxy on behalf of the Nihil are occurring at increasing rates. The Jedi, even at the height of their power, are struggling to figure out how to stop it. Even so, we know the Nihil didn’t just emerge as a threat from nowhere. The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #1 shows where the Nihil begin. It’s here that you can trace back the origins of Marchion Ro. In Phase 2, since we are diving back 150 years into the past from Phase 1, the events in Eye of the Storm set everything up. If the Jedi really are all-powerful, then what leads to their disarray in Soule’s novel that kicked off the era, Light of the Jedi? Surprise attacks driven by a mysterious hyperspace travel method are to blame for some of that. But really, the Jedi seem all disconnected despite putting on airs for the Republic that all is well. We likely see some of that unraveling take place in Phase 2 as previewed by the junior novel, The High Republic: Mission To Disaster. The Jedi make some serious mistakes just as we see the Nihil rising in Eye of the Storm. No telling what might occur, but one thing is certain. This is Star Wars’ unorthodox storytelling at its finest. The High Republic and Good Old Fashioned Star Wars Non-Linearity Image Credit: Marvel The first three Star Wars films take place after the events of the Prequel series. It was a choice that really surprised a lot of fans. If we know what happens to Darth Vader, then why watch him rise as a Jedi and turn to the Dark Side? Overall, non-linearity works well for Star Wars because the heart of these stories isn’t the plot. You can sort of break down a Star Wars movie’s plot in a paragraph or so. It’s what happens to the characters and their relation to one another that really drives the franchise’s spirit. With Eye of the Storm #1, it takes a mere three or four pages to feel for the people who eventually form The Nihil. There are always conflicting elements at play in Star Wars. Despite the dichotomy of the Light Side and the Dark Side, things are never that simple. Non-linear storytelling forces us to focus not on what’s happening in the big picture but on why people are acting how they’re acting in the little moments. It’s not a fully original concept; nonlinear storytelling is found all over literature and comics. That said, Star Wars is at its best when it explores relationships and characters in a slow, deep fashion. It’s why in a single issue of Star Wars The High Republic: Eye of the Storm we understand Marchion Ro more than we ever did in all of Phase 1. Eye of the Storm #1 Shows the Rise of a Great Star Wars Villain Image Credit: Marvel Love him or hate him, Marchion Ro is a savage villain. The Nihil stake their claim to chaos in Eye of the Storm #1 and we get to watch Marchion Ro choose to embody the chaos in every sense of the word. The first issue of The High Republic: Eye of the Storm is out now online and in your local comics store. If you check out the first issue, then drop what you think about it in the comments! Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things Star Wars, comics, and pop culture. Featured Image Credit: Marvel The High Republic: Eye Of The Storm – The New Star Wars Miniseries |
| What Is Wordle – How A Viral Word Game Has Brought The World Together Posted: 14 Jan 2022 12:17 AM PST “Y’all need to get on the Wordle train.” That was my colleague a week ago, and now everyone is officially addicted. What is Wordle though? In case you haven’t heard of the viral internet game, it’s a word game where players have six chances to guess a secret word comprised of five letters. There are three different colored squares you can get: green means you guessed the right letter and it’s in the right place, yellow means you guessed the right letter but it’s in the wrong place, and gray means the letter is not in the word. Sounds relatively simple right? It is, but it’s also highly addictive. I am literally waking up every morning and thinking, “Hooray! It’s another day, which means a new Wordle!” As a dedicated Wordle fan, I wanted to delve into the word game and get into how to play Wordle and questions about how to download Wordle (*SPOILER*: YOU DON’T). How Do You Play Wordle? Image via screengrab The basic goal of Wordle is similar to that of Wheel of Fortune or Scrabble: guess a word using the 26 letters of the alphabet. I was a complete noob and got thrown off by the “how-to” instructions (i thought I had to start out with a word that started with W…whoops). There are already Facebook fan groups and people sharing their strategies, but basically, you need to get the vowels out of the way. There’s a reason vowels cost money on Wheel of Fortune. They’re integral to creating words in the English language. I’ve talked to several of my friends and they all have their own starter words. OCEAN, IRATE, ADIEU are just a few of them. From there it’s a matter of using the more common consonants, like R, S, and T. My roommate has learned that when people (namely me) say, “TODAY’S WORDLE IS SO HARD,” she knows to use the lesser-used consonants. It’s also very helpful that Wordle tells you if something is actually a word. Glad I didn’t waste one of my six chances on a word like FOSHO. If you get the secret word, there’s the option to share with the world via social media. If you don’t get it, you can still share with the whole world via social media, but Wordle also lets you know what the word was. Do I Need To Download Wordle?
You do not need to download Wordle! You play on your browser and after you’re done, you have to wait until midnight for the next game to appear. There are no annoying ads you have to watch and you don’t even have to sign in using an email or social media account. There are quite a few copycat Wordles out there (which many people are playing or have played), but honestly, the ad-free, subscription-free word game is appealing, and you don’t have to worry whether downloading Wordle is going to bring an onslaught of trashy ads. Josh Wardle, the creator of Wordle, is a software engineer who lives in Brooklyn. He created Wordle because his partner loved word games and he wanted something that they could do together. In an interview with the New York Times, he said: "I think people kind of appreciate that there's this thing online that's just fun. It's not trying to do anything shady with your data or your eyeballs. It's just a game that's fun." Because Wordle was originally just a cute thing to do together, Wardle didn’t need to include any growth-hacking features of many games of today. He said he doesn’t want the relationship with Wardle to be “intense”; rather it should be “something that encourages you to spend three minutes a day. And that's it. Like, it doesn't want any more of your time than that." Why Is The Word Game So Appealing?One of my favorite things about Wordle is how it’s strengthening relationships and bringing friends, families, work colleagues, and acquaintances together. Similar to how Squid Game turned into a great conversation starter, Wordle is something to commiserate and comment on. Several of my Comic Years colleagues have started playing and now we can all chat about it and express our frustration at how hard a word was (or maybe that’s just me…ABBEY?! C’mon!). Several of my international friends have also expressed outrage over spelling (FAVOR versus FAVOUR), which is a whole other story.
There’s also a competitive element to it too. Wordle lets you show everyone how many tries it took to get to the secret word. Me to one of my friends: “It took you five tries? I got it in four!” I also am a fan of the once-a-day rule. It’s just enough to keep me hooked and I don’t feel like I could overdose on it. In the same New York Times interview, Wardle mentioned that only allowing one game per day “enforced a sense of scarcity which leaves people wanting more.” You can play Wordle on your browser for free here.Do you feel like you understand what Wordle is better? Are you playing Wordle with your friends? Feel free to tweet at me or comment on this post to complain about Wordle words at @keilinhuang. Featured image via Wordle What Is Wordle – How A Viral Word Game Has Brought The World Together |
| Netflix’s Red Notice Movie Sequels In Development With Original Cast Returning Posted: 13 Jan 2022 08:53 PM PST I've spoken about the elusive Netflix movie franchise a lot. Every big-budget Netflix original movie hopes for larger franchise dreams, but never really seems to make it. But it looks like Netflix's Red Notice movie might finally be the one with many sequels to follow. We have confirmation that there will be multiple Red Notice sequels coming our way. The 2 sequels to the original Red Notice film released last year will begin production around 2023, depending on the cast's schedule. And the original Red Notice cast is set to return along with director Rawson Marshall Thurber. The Netflix Original Did Numbers But Was Lacking In Other Ways Image via Netflix. Let's not mince words; I was not a fan of Red Notice. As I discussed in my Red Notice movie review, the concept was brilliant on paper with all the right people but failed to live up to the expectations that came with all that. The story was dull, the performances stilted, and the overall dynamics didn't hold up to the intended effect that Thurber might have wanted. While the Red Notice cast seemingly should have had great chemistry together, it was Ryan Reynolds' joke-machine-like delivery of one-liners throughout the whole movie that was the saving grace. But that's just all my opinion. As proven by the fact that clearly, Netflix's Red Notice did extremely well for the streamer. After the movie’s release, Deadline reported how the movie was Netflix's second-most watched movie of all time. Now Netflix will produce Red Notice sequels, back-to-back. The 2nd and 3rd Red Notice movies will begin production sometime in 2023, according to Deadline. Those tentative plans are dependent on the cast's schedule. Frankly if they can get all these actors in the same room for more than a week, that feels like a small miracle. The Red Notice Cast Is Extremely Busy Image via Netflix. Keeping the honesty train going here, The Netflix original's biggest appeal was its cast. The Red Notice cast was a coming together of some of the best and most charming actors in the industry for a fun heist movie. So, it makes sense that everyone will be returning for the sequels. But, even with an anticipated production start date of 2023, it's going to take some doing to get the three of these cast members back together again. Dwayne Johnson is known as one of the busiest and hardest working personalities in Hollywood. And it's clear to see why given the slate of projects the actor has coming out at any given time. We all know Johnson is finally in production of the long-awaited DC's Black Adam movie. On top of which there are all the projects announced that have yet to begin, such as San Andreas 2, Red One, The King, Doc Savage and Big Trouble In Little China. He also plans to make another Hobbs & Shaw film, will be back in Jungle Cruise 2, and may or may not be returning to the Jumanji verse. Similarly, Gadot has the long-awaited Death On The Nile releasing soon. She's committed to others like Heart Of Stone, Disney's Snow White remake, Cleopatra as well as Wonder Woman 3. There is also a recently announced Hitchcock remake, but details are sketchy on that project. Strangely enough, Reynolds is the only one of Red Notice cast to have a light schedule with only one major franchise in his belt. He will be filming a new move for Netflix, and he is also rumored to be attached to the Clue reboot. He is the face of the sleeper 2021 hit Free Guy, which is definitely getting a sequel. He’s also the voice of Pikachu in Detective Pikachu, which is almost certainly not getting one. There is the film The Adam Project in which Reynolds plays a time-traveling pilot who teams up with himself as a kid and his late father to save the future. Keeping it weirdly genre, he will also produce and star in Everyday Parenting Tips, a film about raising kids during a “monster uprising.” L Deadpool 3, but nothing that has started production yet.
Red Notice Sequels Shooting Back-to-Back Is a Concern Image via Netflix. Now, despite my dislike of the movie, the Deadline report does mention that Thurber plans to expand the universe by bringing in new characters. Which makes sense given that the ending of the Netflix Red Notice movie saw the 3 characters teaming up for another heist. Presumably, the next film(s) will see the 3 go up against more authority figures, cops or even worse thieves and villains. The curiosity of which big-name stars will join this would-be franchise is definitely intriguing. And the films can absolutely improve and be as fun and action-packed as the original promised. But the fact that the Red Notice sequels are shooting at the same time is a little worrying. Historically, sequels that have had a similar approach haven't been the best. The Matrix franchise's 2nd and 3rd films shot back-to-back and even today are the lesser of those movies. Disney's Pirates Of The Caribbean sequels did the same and weren't the best received by critics. But to be fair, The Lord Of the Rings franchise also took the same approach with amazing results; but also had the backing of an iconic literary fantasy series to guide them. That might be the exception to the rule. Hopefully, the Red Notice sequels fare better than the original and give us something more than some tired heist movie tropes. Production is planned to start on the sequels sometime in 2023. Red Notice is now on Netflix.Are you excited for moreof Netflix’s Red Notice sequels? Let us know what you're expecting from more movies set in this franchise. I feel like Netflix’s Red Notice movie universe could easily work out to be like Johnson’s own Fast & Furious franchise. Especially given that the actor is adamant about not returning to that franchise. Featured image via Netflix. Netflix's Red Notice Movie Sequels In Development With Original Cast Returning |
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