Fans of the upcoming video game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League should know that there will be a prequel limited series comic called Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum, where fans can learn how Task Force X built the roster that’s going to take on the World’s Greatest Super Heroes.
The five-issue limited series follows Amanda Waller as she whips Arkham into the most secure facility Gotham City has ever seen using her unique brand of brute force tactics combined with no mercy methods. Though she’s not doing it out of the “goodness” in her heart. No, Arkham has very special inmates, and Amanda is on the hunt for the best of the best to join her new Task Force X to bring on the most brutal, intelligent, and strongest recruits into the fold.
With a debut issue written by John Layman (Batman Eternal, Detective Comics), art by Jesús Hervás (Are You Afraid of Darkseid?), and Dan Panosian creating the main cover. There are also variant covers by Ariel Olivetti, a 1:25 ratio variant cover by Kyle Hotz, a 1:50 ratio variant cover by Steve Beach and a 1:100 ratio variant cover by David Nakayama.
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Beach Variant
Olivetti Variant
Nakayama Variant
Hotz Variant
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the original genre-bending third-person action-adventure shooter, allows players to take control of Harley Quinn (a.k.a. Dr. Harleen Quinzel), Deadshot (a.k.a. Floyd Lawton), Captain Boomerang (a.k.a. Digger Harkness), and King Shark (a.k.a. Nanaue) for a mission impossible that involves saving the world by taking down the Justice League. The game drops worldwide on May 26th for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Each physical issue of Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum will likewise, include a digital code for a free in-game cosmetic item. Annual and Ultra paying subscribers to the DC Universe Infinite digital subscription platform will also get the code with each issue. Then, on May 30th, Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #1 hits the shelves and participating digital platforms.
I’ve been reading comics for a long time, but this is the first time I can share a trailer for a comic book. Yes, I know digital comic books are a thing now, but I very much prefer comics I can hold in my two hands. Though it is fitting that the first title I’ve covered that has such a peculiar feature is none other than Jed Mackay and Pasqual Ferry’s upcoming run of Doctor Strange!
Coming to stands on March 22nd, Doctor Strange #1 continues the inventive adventures of everyone’s favorite Sorcerer Supreme and his wife, Clea. Below is an idea what fans can expect from the latest series:
Stephen Strange is back! Reunited with Clea and Wong, it’s back to business as usual for the Sorcerer Supreme. Have your children fallen into a deep nightmarish slumber? Are demonic refugees invading your home? Is your husband possessed by a satanic entity? Then call Doctor Strange! But when someone else begins to issue their own dark justice on Strange’s mightiest foes, Strange embarks on an interdimensional search for answers, only to discover the culprit may be closer to home than he thinks…
Be sure and check out the trippy trailer here. And stay tuned to The Workprint for more exciting Marvel stories!
Remember last week, when I said that The Last of Us was settling into a pattern? Where they’d show us the heartbreaking backstory of a character, and then kill them? (RIP Tess, Bill, Frank, Henry, Kathleen, and…sigh… poo little Sam) Well, you’ll be happy to know that they’re changing it up this week!
A little…
Three months after burying Henry and Sam (and after a brief stop to get directions out of Graham Greene in a nice cameo), Ellie and Joel finally make it to Wyoming. While Ellie is coming into her own in the trip, Joel is looking rough. He’s having chest pains that he’s trying to hide from Ellie, he looks haggard and worn down and he’s falling asleep on his watch. I love this show, but their foreshadowing can be as subtle as a Bloater Zombie.
They cross the River of Death – so named by Graham Greene and his wife because anyone who heads west across it comes floating back dead – and get captured by a bunch of cowboys. This is the welcome wagon from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Before they’ll take them in, they have to let their fungus-sniffing dog check them for infection. This leads to an incredibly tense moment where the dog approaches Ellie, and Joel is frozen, unable to think of a good excuse to tell them why Ellie should be left alone. But, Ellie passes the test, the only penalty being licks from the puppy. I have no idea why she passed the test. Either her infection level is too low to detect or else the dog was just a bluff – figuring people would try to run if they were infected.
They get in to the walled compound of Jackson Hole, and… It’s super nice. The town has lights and electricity because they got the dam running again. They’re decorating for Christmas! There’s fresh food, alcohol, hot water, and a stable communist government (literally, as they explain, because it’s a commune). And Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) is here! They hug! Tommy is genuinely happy to see him! He introduces them to his wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley), one of the council members in town.
It all seems great! Like too good to be true great. This show has gotten me so conditioned to expect disaster that I was sure there’d be a Shirley Jackson twist at the end, where the town is kept safe by sacrificing a 13-year-old girl to the Mountain God once a year or something. But no. They’re just a nice little mountain town, with sheep and horses. After showing Ellie the newest horse, a two year old named Shimmer, Maria takes her off to get settled in and let Joel and Tommy have some bro time.
Tommy takes Joel to the bar in town, and asks him how Tess is and what’s the deal with the girl. Not entirely sold on the town, and not sure how much he can trust Maria, Joel lies. He tells him Tess is fine, and Ellie is the daughter of some Firefly higher up and they need to get her to the Firefly Base. Tommy tells him it’s on the campus of the University of Eastern Colorado, about a week’s ride south, but it’s a rough trek. The land is full of raiders and the infected. Joel shrugs it off. He made it all the way across the country, the two of them can make it to Colorado. Tommy shakes his head. He can’t go, he has a new life here. This angers Joel. Is that why he went radio silent? Because Maria wouldn’t let him talk? Joel gets very defensive, feeling like he’s being judged for his past, and all the things he had to do to keep them alive, which Tommy reminds him weren’t just things, but actual people they murdered. And Tommy isn’t judging anyone. They kept alive the only way they knew how. And that’s not all. He and Maria have a kid on the way.
This is making Tommy scared, since he has no idea if he’ll be a good father. Which is about as easy a softball as you can toss to someone in a conversation. But Joel wants no part of it. “Guess we’ll find out.” Remind me not to invite you to the baby shower. This, of course, pisses off Tommy. Just because life stopped for you, he tells him, doesn’t mean it has to stop for everyone. Which is a reference to Joel’s daughter (and Tommy’s niece!) and a very low blow.
This is a very believable argument. Family members grow in different ways and the person you expect to find after some time apart may not be the person you get to meet. Of course it’s completely rational of Tommy, a newly married man with a baby due soon, to not want to ride off into a land full of infected and raiders! And of course Joel is expecting to reunite with his brother, the ex-firefly, the guy he raised hell with and who he bailed out of jail! And of course brothers know exactly what to say to anger each other the most.
Meanwhile, Ellie is coming out after a luxurious, hot shower, washing off three months of travel and dirt. She finds a pile of new clothes on her bed, along with a note from Maria to meet her at her place across the street. And also a diaphragm, so, cool i guess? (Which also made me think that the town secret was a weird sex thing. Damn, this show is just programming me to not expect a moment of joy.) She heads over to Maria’s place, and above a roaring fire, she sees a memorial to two people. Maria, while trimming Ellie’s split ends, tells her that Tommy set that up it’s for Sarah (Joel’s daughter), dead at 13, and Kevin, Maria’s son, dead at 3. This is the first time Ellie has learned that Joel had a daughter, and you can see the pennies drop for her. Maria knows Ellie isn’t telling them everything, but tells her that’s good. She shouldn’t trust people. The only ones who can betray you are people you trust. (There it is! That’s the true TLOU spirit!)
Later on, the town is having a movie night. They are watching Richard Dreyfuss’ Oscar willing turn in The Goodbye Girl. (I am reminded of a tweet I saw which mentioned that all pop culture stopped in 2003 for this world, so these poor people never got a chance to see Shrek 2.) While the movie is on, Joel tries to patch up his shredded boots with duct tape. I’m sure 3M isn’t making any more tape in the apocalypse, so I have to wonder how effective 20-year-old tape is going to be. Tommy spares him from finding out by bringing in a brand new pair of boots for him as a peace offering. After they make their apologies, Joel tells him everything. Ellie might have a cure and it’s vital they get her to the Firefly base. And Joel is getting more tired and guilt ridden every day. If Ellie hadn’t shot that kid in Kansas City, he’d be dead. He’s still filled with guilt over failing his daughter in Austin. He’s getting panic attacks that are literally stopping his heart. He needs Tommy to take her to Colorado because he doesn’t trust himself to make it. Tommy agrees.
Joel goes to tell Ellie, but she already knows. She overheard them after she left the screening. She’s rightly mad at Joel. She doesn’t know Tommy. The only person she trusts is Joel. She start’s to tell him she’s sorry about his daughter but Joel stops her. You know nothing about loss. This pisses her off, since everyone she’s ever known and cared about has either died or left her. This is some really shitty behavior on Joel’s part. Literally everyone in this world has experienced heartbreaking loss, and he knows it. I know he’s trying to make her want to leave him, like he’s yelling go ‘way, git, at a dog he’s chading away, but it’s still hurtful.
Tommy comes the next morning to get her, and they march to the stables, only to find Joel there, saddling up a horse. He tells Ellie that she has earned the right to choose, and she instantly picks Joel. Tommy gives them directions and lets them out though the gate. And now I can exhale. They made it through the Too Good To Be True Town without any horrifying surprises. I can now fully relax and enjoy the last five minutes of the episode as they make their way to Colorado.
The five day trip is extremely quiet! No infected, no raiders, just open road. The finally get to the Campus and find…
Nothing.
The fireflies are gone. They have packed up and left. I’m starting to think that Boston was the only active chapter in the country.
The only things on campus are some monkeys running about that Joel guesses were once part of the research lab. They find a map, with a bunch of pins heading towards Salt Lake City. They guess that that is the new muster point for the Fireflies.
They’re about to hit the road, when they spot a band of raiders. Guess Tommy was right after all. They sneak out the back, but one of the raiders spots them. He swings a baseball bat at Joel and misses, shattering it on the tree the horse is tied to. Joel wrestles him into submission and breaks his neck, but not before the raider jabbed the broken bat handle into Joel’s gut. It’s in deep, and the wound is bloody. Ellie gets him on the horse and they ride off, the other raiders chasing them until Ellie fires a few rounds at them.
They make it out of town, and Ellie doesn’t see anyone following them. Just then, Joel falls off the horse and slumps to the ground. Ellie jumps off and tries to revive him, but to no avail. Joel closes his eyes as the camera pulls out and the scene fades to black.
What the fuck…
If Joel is dead, then this is the most shocking midseason twist in an HBO show since the Red Wedding on Game of Thrones. I almost expected the Rains of Castemere to start playing at the end instead of Depeche Mode. It’s a complete misdirect, much like with Sam last week, where he survives so much only to get killed in a mundane way. It’s a completely unexpected turn. (At least for me, the non-gamer). I mean, I expected Tess to die. She wasn’t on the poster. But Joel was!
This was such a good episode for the interplay between Joel and Ellie. Ellie joking with him, sharing their dreams (She wants to be an astronaut like Sally Ride, Joel wants to be a singer), and helping each other out. (The way she growls “The Contractor” after learning about Joel’s pre-apocalypse job, like she’s reading the ad copy for a Jason Statham movie…) And now poor Ellie is on her own, having to get to Salt Lake City to meet the Fireflies without her protector.
Well played, The Last of Us. No one is safe, and you mean it.
I continue to be impressed with Bella Ramsey’s performance each week, able to go from laughing kid to serious to scared all in the same scene. She’d better get some Emmy love come September.
Next week looks to be a flashback, showing how Ellie growing up at the QZ school in Boston. A trip to the mall is promised, so we may see how Ellie got bit and found out she was immune.
Rating: 5 out of 5. Was going to go lower, but that was a ballsy ending.
Line of the Week: Marlon (Graham Greene) If you got a map, why are you lost?
Ellie: Must’ve missed all the street signs in the enormous fucking forest.
MAGNUM P.I. -- "The Breaking Point" Episode 502 -- Pictured: (l-r) Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum -- (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
After watching how Magnum and Higgins’ newfound relationship played out in “The Passenger“, it hits some rougher waters in “The Breaking Point“. Not at first, mind you. It starts with Magnum making delicious-looking, super fancy avocado toast for Higgins. But then all hell breaks loose when Rick needs a place to stay, and he picks the Robin’s Nest. AKA where Thomas and Juliette are currently cohabitating while pretending not to be a couple.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Breaking Point” Episode 502 — Pictured: (l-r) Stephen Hill as Theodore “TC” Calvin, Bobby Lee as “Jin Jeong” — (Photo by: NBC)
By far the best part of the episode is the return of a series favorite, Jin Jeong. He’s the constant goofball and conman turned honest citizen. Or as honest as he can be. He’s always working on some score, and in this episode, he’s living his best Storage Wars life with the help of T.C. Jin also immediately bothers Higgins about their ‘pact’ to have babies together if they were both single after a year, which she’s pretending is still the case and which leads to Jin’s cringeworthy attempts to woo her. Luckily she gets saved by the bell with a new client!
This client is overwrought by the death of his sister, Corrina. She was a recovering addict turned lifeguard, whose body was found after she overdosed. The brother wants answers as to what triggered the relapse, so our P.I. pair take the case. First, they try and get more details from HPD and get intercepted by Detective Childs. Higgins decides to play it straight, and they get a look at the case file.
A careful look reveals that Corrina didn’t overdose intentionally. No, someone else injected her. So they have to find more clues at her place of work, Sherwood Beach.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Breaking Point” Episode 502 — Pictured: Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
With an assist from Gordie, who has a connection at Ocean Safety Services, Magnum and Higgins are able to visit Sherwood Beach undercover. They both become lifeguards, working where Corrina spent her last day. There’s a lot of fun banter between the two, especially with them trying to show each is better suited to being a lifeguard based on their military service.
The episode also has a lot of friction between the couple, especially after Magnum gets asked to put sunscreen on a beach babe. Juliette also isn’t pleased about Rick invading their living situation, and convinces Magnum to deal with his presence quickly so they can have more fun getting to know each other.
At first it’s unclear who might have wanted Corrina dead. She seems beloved by many at Sherwood, and her supervisor speaks highly of her. But Thomas and Juliette quickly find possible vectors for conflict, including some musclebound surfers and even other lifeguards who may have wanted her position.
As for Jin and T.C.’s misadventures, Jin quickly looks very bad at winning storage units, and even bids against himself at one point. After winning one, he gloats about how much money he’ll make. T.C. gets suspicious, and Jin admits he got a tip about the unit from an acquaintance, and learned it belonged to a criminal now behind bars. So it wasn’t surprising there’s a lot of purloined valuables within. Including a purple heart medal, which T.C. insists they have to return to its owner.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Breaking Point” Episode 502 — Pictured: Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
Back on the beach, Higgy and Magnum split up to find clues. Magnum also saves a young child from drowning in a dramatic scene. Higgins does her tech wizardry thing and maps out phone coverage to discover what phones were active the day Corrina was killed.
Meanwhile, Magnum makes friends with some jacked up surfers, and discovers that they actually were friends with Corrina, not adversaries. As proof, they point out a beachside wave camera, which shows the day the woman died, and how it happened after she rescued someone from the water. They also discover Corrina had two types of sunscreen on her body when she died, which might help narrow down her killer.
Following the wave cam footage, they arrive at the residence of the man Corrina saved, Jesse Carmen. Inside they discover a second fridge full of fish. Better yet, each fish has a bag of drugs stuffed inside. After notifying HPD, Childs and the team pinpoint the Oahu Fish Market as the place where the illicit drugs are sold. Though Childs lets them watch the sting, he tells them not to interfere. Then Thomas and Juliette see Jesse Carmen escaping, and apprehend him.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Breaking Point” Episode 502 — Pictured: Michael Rady as Det. Chris Childs — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
Just as the police are taking Carmen into custody, Magnum can’t shake that something doesn’t feel right. If the killer left traces of sunscreen on Corrina’s body, then Jesse wasn’t the killer, since he was always wearing long sleeves. Turns out, the real killer was Corrina’s supervisor at Sherwood Beach. He was letting the drug smuggling operation happen there for a piece of the action.
The Breaking Point ends with some heartfelt moments and a chilling one. T.C. and Jin find the owner of the purple heart medal and return it to a Pearl Harbor veteran. Magnum and Higgins attend the wake of Corrina as her brother spreads her ashes. And then Childs gets a call, and goes to the morgue, only to find Greene’s body. Which likely means the men that killed him are gunning for Magnum and company next.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Breaking Point” Episode 502 — Pictured: (l-r) Zachary Knighton as Orville “Rick” Wright, Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta, Tim Kang as Detective Gordon Katsumoto — (Photo by: NBC)
Another solid episode of Magnum P.I. season 5. I appreciated how this one had more action scenes to contrast with the humor, and am invested to see where the Greene storyline takes things.
MAGNUM P.I. -- "The Passenger" Episode 501 -- Pictured: Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum -- (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
As someone who regularly watched the rebooted Magnum P.I. I was pretty saddened when it got canceled. Thankfully, NBC took a chance and brought it back with a fifth season. After watching the first episode, aptly titled “The Passenger”, I think the show is on the right track, new network and all.
My biggest concern for Magnum P.I. was based on Castle, another show that decided to put its two main characters in a relationship. I used to adore that show, as much for Nathan Fillion as for anything. But the moment he and Stana Katic became a couple, the energy in the show suffered and the show pretty much fell apart. So given that the last we saw Magnum and Higgins they shared a passionate kiss, I had some concerns.
I am happy to say those concerns were unfounded.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Passenger” Episode 501 — Pictured: Amy Hill as Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
For those unfamiliar with the series., Thomas Magnum and Juliette Higgins had a contentious relationship. At least at first. She would sick her giant dogs on him for fun, and refer to him as an “Uncultured man child,” which is honestly a pretty fair assessment given that Hernandez’s Magnum is reckless, arrogant, and charming in equal measure.
However, what wore Higgins down was that Magnum was also a genuinely caring individual. She started to see him as an equal and they eventually became partners. Then she had some sexy dreams about him, talked with her therapist, and eventually realized she needed to embrace her desires. Which led to the big kiss.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Passenger” Episode 501 — Pictured: (l-r) Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
Now Magnum and Higgins are a couple, sexy shower time and all. But since she’s also very contained and intellectual, Higgy wants to keep their new status on the DL for the time being. Magnum wants to be upfront about it, and quips that all their friends are actively rooting for them to become a couple, but Higgins says anything worth doing is worth doing right. Besides, if her and Magnum don’t work out, it would make everything that much more difficult.
Their love life quickly gets interrupted by Kumu, who brings a new case to Magnum’s attention (Higgins is hiding under the counter). The new client is a woman whose husband seemingly died in a car accident. Supposedly he was alone when it happened, but there’s images taken by the traffic cam that show some woman was in the car. Though the client trusts her now dead husband, she still wants Magnum and Higgy to look into the case.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Passenger” Episode 501 — Pictured: Tim Kang as Detective Gordon Katsumoto — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
As for the rest of the crew, most of them seem to have made the transition to the new network intact. Rick, T.C. and Katsumoto are all back with small arcs in The Passenger. Rick is a new father, and spends most of the episode with his baby daughter when he’s not giving snarky responses to Thomas. T.C. spends the episode looking into a side story about Captain Buck Greene going missing. And Katsumoto, newly fired from the HPD, does a lot of soul searching. Sadly it looks like their other friend, Shammy, didn’t make the cut. Either that or he’s just not in this episode, but IMDB does indicate his part in the show ended in 2022.
Magnum and Higgins do their usual walk and talk private investigator routine. They flirt and banter, pick locks, leverage relationships for favors and generally get into trouble. Complicating things is that their friend in the HPD, Gordon “Gordie” Katsumoto, isn’t there anymore. They quickly meet his replacement, Detective Childs. As cold as Katsumoto could be, Childs makes him look warm and loving by comparison. Though it probably doesn’t help that he catches Magnum and Higgins flashing a fake badge while looking for clues in the dead man’s office.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Passenger” Episode 501 — Pictured: (l-r) Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
Our P.I.’s find a trail pointing to a possible affair between their client’s husband and the woman in the photo, Melinda Parker. They find her custom fingernail in the wreckage of the car, and it looks pretty bad. Then Magnum does his best cop impression and gets footage of the incident, and finds out someone was chasing the doctor and Melinda. When they do some due diligence on Melinda, it looks like her husband has criminal ties. They go and speak with the couple at home, and though they put on a good show, Higgins notices Melinda’s hand trembling as her husband answers all the questions.
It all culminates in a dramatic sequence, as Magnum and Higgins try to rescue the woman being held against her will by her husband. Turns out, the dead doctor wasn’t having an affair, he was trying to get Melinda away from her abusive husband, who regularly beat her. He was killed for his nobility, and it looks like Magnum and Higgy will follow suit, as Melinda’s husband draws down on them. Until, that is, the cavalry arrives, with HPD sirens going off. When Magnum asks Childs about how he knew to be there, it becomes clear the new detective is manipulative and pushed the private investigators to act a predictable way, and then reacted accordingly. Childs definitely isn’t a friend like Gordon became, and possibly a threat.
MAGNUM P.I. — “The Passenger” Episode 501 — Pictured: (l-r) Perdita Weeks as Juliet Higgins, Karissa Lee Staples as Melinda Parker, Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum — (Photo by: Zack Dougan/NBC)
The Passenger ends with Katsumoto finally being convinced to fight for his job, Magnum courting Higgins in Robin’s wine cellar, and T.C. trying in vain to find Greene. Then right when everything seems over, we get a scene of Greene. He’s been kidnapped by men who want to hunt down the teams he put together, and they plan on forcing him to provide the names of those individuals. People like Magnum, Rick, and T.C. A great start overall for Magnum P.I. Stay tuned later tonight for our review of the next episode, The Breaking Point!
Like with its previous two seasons, Star Trek: Picard kicked off its third and final season with an episode designed to set up the season arc through lots and lots of mystery boxes. Fandom is currently abuzz with speculation, and I’m sure folks are picking apart every little background detail for hints. Some will turn out to be right, some will turn out to be wildly off base, and some are so out there that you wonder if the person who posted it is even being serious.
Here are three of my theories after watching the first episode of this season, “The Next Generation.” Spoilers abound.
Jack Crusher… Jr.??? Image: Paramount+
Beverly’s son is an illegal clone
The big “oh, what?!” reveal at the end of the first episode is that the young man (played by Ed Speleers) encountered by Picard and Riker on Crusher’s ship claims to be her son. Of course, it’s possible he’s lying, but given that Paramount+ has him credited him as “Jack Crusher,” I think he’s telling the truth. And hey, doesn’t that name sound familiar?
Everyone’s first instinct upon learning that Beverly Crusher has an adult son, after cutting off the rest of the Enterprise-D crew for 20 years, is that Picard is the father. But I don’t think that’s the case… why wouldn’t Beverly want Picard to know if it’s his kid? And why would she be so insistent that Starfleet be kept out of… whatever’s going on?
My current wild theory is that Jack is an illegal clone of Beverly’s late husband, also named Jack. Maybe even an augment. And she’s spent the past 20 years afraid that if the Federation found out, they’d take him away from her, or harm him in some way. So she ran and even cut off her best friends in order to protect her baby.
Secret Agent Raffi. Image Credit: Paramount+
Raffi’s handler is Moriarty
The teaser for Star Trek: Picard made much ado of holo-villain Moriarty’s return. Meanwhile, the season premiere shows Raffi communicating with a handler who communicates only via text read aloud by the ship’s computer, and who refuses to meet in person. What if that’s because it’s not a person? We’re meant to assume there’s a living being on the other side of the computer, but what if Raffi’s handler is in the computer itself? Moriarty has been known to run amok in starship systems before, after all. What if he hacked not only La Sirena, but the very core of Starfleet’s operations, and has used that to manipulate the organization and send Raffi on her undercover mission? So much of Starfleet communications is done virtually, after all. How would you know that the person on the screen is actually that person… and not a projection?
Is there a more obnoxious character in the Star Trek universe than the smarmy new captain of Riker’s old ship, the Titan? From the moment his name is mentioned, we’re set up to hate Captain Shaw thanks to a ringing anti-endorsement from our beloved Seven of Nine, who has been forced to go by Annika Hansen and clearly isn’t happy about it. Shaw then proceeds to be ridiculously, cartoonishly horrible to our primary heroes, Riker and Picard (you know, the guy so popular, they named the whole show after him, and it’s the only Trek show named after a character). So it seems the show is setting him up to be a villain, right?
Except… we’re in an era where TV loves twists as much as Gollum loves the One Ring. So the more obvious something seems, the less likely it is to be true. Call it the TV Twist Paradox. Keeping that in mind, what if the writers set us up to hate Shaw because they’re actually planning to have him be a big hero? After all, he is rationally right – he shouldn’t go on an unauthorized jaunt to the edge of Federation ship on the (questionable) orders of a retired Admiral and off-duty Captain who showed up out of the blue demanding he burn his engines to the max. We the audience are primed to root for Picard and Riker, but we know from the get-go that they’re BS-ing.
So maybe Shaw will be a season antagonist in that he’ll try to stop our ostensible heroes from doing what they want to do… but he’ll turn out to be right all along.
With the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania today, Marvel Unlimited has released one of their Infinity format comics to give the backstory of one of the weirder villains in the Marvel rogue’s gallery.
M.O.D.O.K (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a genius with a giant head and teeny-tiny arms and legs that floats around in a flying chair and blasts people with lasers from a crystal in his head. He’s one of the sillier-looking villains out there and incredibly narcissistic, always convinced of his genius and imminent victory right before the Avengers punt him into outer space.
His foibles have been mined for comedy before, most notable by Jordan Blum and Patton Oswalt in the late, lamented Hulu animated series. (Seriously, Hulu, that show was gold, WTF were you thinking?) Blum is the writer here, tasked with introducing new readers to the backstory of this floating mad genius.
The hook here is that M.O.D.O.K. has to reboot his memory after yet another defeat at the hands of Earth’s mightiest heroes. As his memory restores, his brain computer shows him his past. His origins as George Tarleton, a humble janitor at Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) that volunteered to become a human super computer, M.O.D.O.C (Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing). However, George changed that C into a K, and destroyed those who created him, taking over A.I.M. in the process.
The scrolling artwork here of the Infinity format is used to great effect. M.O.D.O.K. often appears on the cusp of victory until a quick scroll down shows how that quickly turns to defeat. Artist Damian Couceiro has a firm grasp on how to use this to great effect, using a set up as a misdirect to show M.O.D.O.K.’s hubris coming back to bite him.
This short comic proves to be a great introduction to M.O.D.O.K. and his often pathetic aspirations. Hopefully, the portrayal in Ant-Man will be as interesting.
Poison Ivy, the hit six-issue DC mini-series, which had previously been given a second six-issue run in December of 2022, is now officially upgrading to an ongoing comic book series this June with Poison Ivy#13!
From the mind of G. Willow Wilson with art by Marcio Takara and Jessica Fong on covers, take a trip with Poison Ivy on her continuing quest to rectify man’s mistakes against nature and Make Earth Green Again at any cost. The comic book series, as noted by the DC press release, “shines best when we see Ivy being forced to confront humanity, both her own and that of others, and in the process forces the reader to truly see the world”.
Launched in June 2022 during DC’s annual Pride celebration, Poison Ivy was initially a limited series focused on the dark, rich, character-driven exploration of “an Ivy who is both a giver of mercy and merciless, who is beautiful and deadly, broken and fierce” with trippy art, all new characters, and ethical questions, each issue drove Ivy to near horror.
Look for Poison Ivy Vol.1: The Virtuous Cycle, a beautiful hardcover collection of Poison Ivy #1-6, out May 16th, 2023.
Atagun Ilhan, an alumnus of DC’s Milestone Initiative, evoked “a haunting, evocative vision to Ivy’s newest adventure, with impressive shadow work and explosive action scenes” (AiPT) in the first two issues of Poison Ivy’s second story arc, bringing “emotional eco-horror energy while building off what came before to enter a new phase for the green-loving villain”. Marcio Takara, the series’ regular artist, returned for February’s Poison Ivy #9, for sale now.
Poison Ivy #13, coming in June of 2023, will mark the hit DC title’s entrance into an ongoing comic book series that sees the return of Gotham City’s prodigal plant girl! Poison Ivy #13 will have a DC Pride variant cover by Claire Roe along with main cover by Fong and variants by Kai Carpenter, Frank Cho and Mindy Lee.
POISON IVY #12
When Pamela Isley’s accidental collateral damage comes a calling, her and Janet’s high-profile self-care jaunt screeches to a shockingly tormenting halt. Can Harley expect Ivy home safe and sound or is GLØP’s body count going up by one more?
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by MARCIO TAKARA
Cover by JESSICA FONG
Variant cover by JENNY FRISON
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/2/23
1:25 variant cover by MATEUS MANHANINI
Variant cover by XERMÁNICO
1:50 foil variant cover by JENNY FRISON
POISON IVY #13
Pamela Isley is coming back to her home sweet swamp in Gotham City and her main squeeze Harley, it’s going to be super romantic! Nothing says I love you like a starry night in the swamp. Though, there is the little matter of lovestruck Janet-from-HR…things are about to get interesting!
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by MARCIO TAKARA
Cover by JESSICA FONG
Variant cover by KAI CARPENTER
Variant cover by FRANK CHO
1:25 variant cover by MINDY LEE
1:50 foil variant cover by KAI CARPENTER
DC Pride variant cover by CLAIRE ROE
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
A couple of old farts in a bar. Image: CBS / Paramount Plus
Let’s face it: Picard was always a show for long-time fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So it should surprise exactly no one that the third and final season, which has heavily featured the reunion of the Next Generation crew in its promotions, kicks off with a screen full of callbacks. Let’s skip the part where we remark on the fan service in a show that was pretty much from the get-go made for Star Trek fans, shall we?
The tone of Picard has always been on the darker side, in keeping with contemporary sci-fi sensibilities. Heavy shadows framing even heavier plots full of super-heavy emotions. The Season 3 premiere, very cleverly titled “The Next Generation” is no different, though it does allow Picard himself a somewhat lighter attitude compared to past seasons. The episode kicks off with a grim sequence: Beverly Crusher fighting for her life on an appropriately dim starship, shooting at malevolent aliens (it wasn’t clear to me who they are) while a character seen only in silhouette bangs at a door. Wounded and desperate, she sends a last-ditch call for help.
Ripley… er… Beverly Crusher. Image: CBS / Paramount+
Having been pop-psychology’d by Q into letting go of past traumas to allow himself to love, Picard is attempting to shed the past. He’s cleaning out some relics from his Next Generation days and planning a trip with Laris, his current girlfriend. What a perfect time to receive a desperate encoded message from an old flame who cut off him and his friends 20 years ago!
Indeed, it’s revealed that no one has seen or heard from Crusher in two decades. Her cry for help is sent to Picard’s old com badge and coded in a way that only her old crewmates on the Enterprise-D would figure out. Ominously, she warns Picard not to involve Starfleet, a warning he heeds by discussing the matter with Riker, a current Starfleet captain, and attempting to trick the Titan, a Starfleet ship, into taking him to Crusher’s coordinates. But hey, the Titan‘s first officer is Seven of Nine, who now goes by Commander Hansen at her cartoonish jerkface captain’s insistence (Captain Shaw, who despite being introduced with comedically high levels of assholery, is rationally correct in refusing to fall for Picard’s tricks, but who’s counting?). And, conveniently, the pilot is none other than Sidney La Forge, Geordi’s daughter. Oh, I get it! “The Next Generation” has a double meaning!
Let’s get the band back together. Image: CBS / Paramount+
I did love that Picard, both the show and the character, were allowed to have a bit of fun this time around. There are plenty of “old fart” jokes between Picard and Riker, whose rapport is as strong as ever, and even with the grim opening, the whole thing has a lighter, more adventurous feel. Which, personally, I enjoyed a lot.
We’re a long way from the idealistic 1990s hopepunk of Star Trek: The Next Generation, when everyone got along a little too well. And I think it would be folly to try to bring that back in the cynical 2020s. That said, I’m really over dour dramas that seem to exist just to make their characters (and audiences) miserable. Plus, the sad truth about sequels is that they have no choice but to screw up the happy endings that their predecessors worked so hard to achieve.
The last two seasons of Picard have tended toward misery while squandering their built-in goodwill (Season 1 started off strong and then became incomprehensibly garbled, and the entirety of Season 2 was a giant mistake, in my opinion). Season 3 seems to be heading in a different direction—one that shamelessly aims to entertain instead of trying to outsmart its audience at any cost. Here’s hoping it keeps that up, though I have a feeling not all of our beloved characters will survive. Hopefully they don’t turn their franchise into an extended horror show where our original heroes die one by one the way Star Wars did.
Oh, and whatever happened to the new characters introduced in the first two seasons of Picard? It looks like they’ve vanished into thin air, with the exception of Laris (who probably won’t show up again, except maybe in a brief scene if Picard ever makes it home) and Raffi Musiker, who appears to have fallen off the wagon (I didn’t buy it for a second, did you?) but is actually working deep undercover for an unseen handler. Her storyline will probably intersect with whatever’s going on with Crusher and the evil aliens eventually, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a bit for that.
All in all, “The Next Generation” was a solid start to what could be an exciting final adventure for the Next Generation crew, and I’m willing to forgive a lot because it makes no secret of the fact that it’s for the fans. Here’s hoping the season gives these long-time faves a worthy send-off.
The Edge of Spider-Verse hits stores in May, around the same time as the critically acclaimed Into The Spider-Verse movie sequel, Across The Spider-Verse, set that very same month! In celebration, there will be a slew of featured variant covers of Spidey-Heroes and friends, with Marvel comics having dropped a bit of info regarding what’s in store in this exciting upcoming chapter of Edge of Spider-Verse:
Writer Karla Pacheco and Pere Pérez bring back SPIDER-REX and pit him against the all-new VENOMSAURUS!
WHO IS THE SPIDER-KILLER?! Zander Cannon introduces the world to the scariest Spider-Character EVER CREATED!!!
David Hein, writer of the Broadway smash hit Come From Away, and artist Luciano Vecchio reunite to spin another adventure starring Spinstress! See the most magical Spider-hero of them all as she sings her way into the biggest fight of her life!
Atop of this, some of Marvel’s top artists have crafted alternate realities where Captain Marvel, Storm, Thor, Deadpool, and even the Beyonder, were bitten by that fateful radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker.
These variants will debut all across May and features some seriously fantastic art. Which you can check out below. Look for more this May!
1 of 19
On Sale 5/3
CAPTAIN MARVEL #49 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY ROMY JONES
IMMORTAL X-MEN #11 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY TAURIN CLARKE
MOON KNIGHT #23 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY DECLAN SHALVEY
SCARLET WITCH #5 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY MARC ASPINALL
On Sale 5/10
DAREDEVIL #11 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY DAVE JOHNSON
GHOST RIDER #14 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY ROD REIS
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #6 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY ARIO ANINDITO
ROGUE & GAMBIT #3 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY EMA LUPACCHINO
WOLVERINE #33 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY LEINIL FRANCIS YU
X-MEN RED #11 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY LUCIANO VECCHIO
On Sale 5/17
BLOODLINE: DAUGHTER OF BLADE #4 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY BETSY COLA
CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #12 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY CARLOS GÓMEZ
FANTASTIC FOUR #7 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY CHRISSIE ZULLO
HULK ANNUAL #1 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY CULLY HAMNER
RED GOBLIN #4 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY MIKE MCKONE
SHE-HULK #13 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY JEN BARTEL
VENOM #19 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY DAN PANOSIAN
X-FORCE #40 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY BJÖRN BARENDS
X-MEN #22 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY GERALD PAREL
On Sale 5/24
HELLCAT #3 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY DAVID BALDEÓN
PUNISHER #12 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN CASSADAY
THOR #34 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY JAVIER GARRÓN
On Sale 5/31
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #26 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY DAVID TALASKI
AVENGERS BEYOND #3 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY TODD NAUCK
CAPTAIN AMERICA: SYMBOL OF TRUTH #13 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY PETE WOODS
DEADPOOL #7 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
DOCTOR STRANGE #3 SPIDER-VERSE VARIANT COVER BY MAHMUD ASRAR
Now for those not in the know, Dauterman has already provided both the covers and Wanda Maximoff’s critically acclaimed new costume design which has impressed fans across the globe. Surprisingly, this will also be his first fully drawn issue since 2020’s Giant-Size X-Men: Jean Grey & Emma Frost, and honestly, the artist has been doing a great job with the artwork for Scarlet Witch thus far.
SCARLET WITCH #5 will also break down the mystery behind Darcy Lewis, the MCU favorite scientist turned witchcraft shopkeeper in Marvel comics. Just when the Scarlet Witch thinks she’s shielded Darcy Lewis from their new enemy’s vendetta, we see Scythia return, with antimagic armor, making her immune to much of Wanda’s magical abilities.
“Drawing a whole issue that features one of my favorite characters feels wonderful!” Dauterman said in a Marvel press release. “I love doing covers and design work, but getting to tell a story with Wanda that’s larger than I could do in any single cover has been awesome. I’m very happy to reunite with Matt Wilson on the interior colors, to work in the beautiful world Sara Pichelli and Elisabetta D’Amico have created, and to be working with Steve Orlando. Steve’s take on Wanda is exactly what I want as a fan of the Scarlet Witch — I’m beyond thrilled to be part of this series!”
With the growing and continued success of Young Adult (YA) literature, spanning quite possibly every genre imaginable, diving into a new story or looking for the next Hunger Games or Divergent can be a daunting task.
Mary Fan, a published author of ten years and contributor to the Workprint, knows the world of YA all too well. In addition to crafting many different book series in the genre, she is coming in on closing one of her recent book trilogies, the Flynn Nightsider series by summer’s end this year.
Cover design by Streetlight Graphics. Cover photo by Tom Castles. Featuring models Joe Rorem and Angel Fan.
To give readers a taste of Flynn Nightsider, we took the time to chat with Mary about Edge of Evil and the Flynn Nightsider universe.
Workprint:Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil is available for free on Kindle until the end of this week. Can you tell us why readers should dive in? What separates this from other YA series?
Mary Fan:Edge of Evil starts with a pretty common YA concept– that magic and monsters are real– but turns it on its head. Instead of those with magic being underground good guys who secretly protect humankind from the monsters, as is the premise of a lot of YA fantasies, these magic folks have decided they have all this supernatural power, and they’re going to use it to rule the world. Not only that, but they’ve implemented a rigid caste system where those with magic are on top and those without are on the bottom, and the closer to magic you are, the more power you have. And the main character, a 16-year-old boy named Flynn, is as far from magic as you can get. So it’s basically the opposite of the whole “magical kid discovers powers” trope.
WP: What was your inspiration for writing this?
MF: I came up with the idea around 2012, when YA dystopia was having a moment, but only in the world of soft sci-fi (like The Hunger Games). Meanwhile, I’d grown up on a lot of the “magic kid” fantasies, and I wanted to combine the concepts, but also turn them on their heads. No spoilers, but let’s just say the revolution doesn’t go as Flynn thought it would.
WP: You’ve written two novels thus far, with the last book of the trilogy coming out this year. How does it feel reaching the end of a story?
MF: Very weird, especially since I first came up with the idea so long ago! But also satisfying. When I wrote the first draft of Edge of Evil, I had no idea where the series would go; only that I wanted a twist ending, and I’d figure it out later. Then I outlined the series and thought I know where I was going with it. But with the second book, Shards of Shadow, I suddenly got an idea for another twist ending that was going to get me into a whole lot of trouble. And of course I wrote that ending because it was more interesting than what I had planned, and Book 3, Ire of Inferno, has been about me finding (hopefully) clever ways to get out of the hole I wrote myself into.
WP: Can you give some insight about the worldbuilding of the Flynn Nightsider universe?
MF: In Flynn’s world, the monster apocalypse came and went a hundred years ago. Scores of supernatural beasts and malevolent spirits overran the earth and decimated the population, and the only reason humanity survived at all is because those with magic established protected cities. Now, those protected cities are totalitarian nightmares, the monsters are still out there, and you’ve got two choices: accept the dictatorship or get eaten.
WP:Flynn Nightsider is just one of the many series you have written, with this one being a dark fantasy dystopia story. Having written sci-fi and other forms of fantasy, what’s it like writing different genres?
MF: It’s a lot of fun! I bounce around a lot creatively, and I like to explore various speculative fiction genres. Writing series mean I do get to stay in a world I built for longer than one book, but in general I like to switch it up from book to book.
WP: What can readers expect by diving into the Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil?
MF: Edge of Evil is definitely on the darker side of YA, though it stops shy of full-blown horror. Expect Hunger Games-style dystopian violence, with themes of rebellion and revolution, and also nasty monsters and evil ghosts like the ones the Winchesters fight in Supernatural. There’s lots of action for sure!
WP: Do you have any favorite Flynn books or is it like picking a favorite kid?
MF: That’s impossible to say right now since Book 3 isn’t finished yet, but I have a feeling even when it is, I won’t be able to pick. I mean, they’re all so different!
WP: You have written a plethora of YA novels over the last decade. What makes the YA genre so appealing to you?
MF: I like how fun YA gets to be. Your main characters are teenagers, with all their headstrong impulsiveness and youthful flaws. They have room to make mistakes and grow in a way that can be frustrating with adult characters.
WP: You are also a co-editor of Brave New Girls, the anthology series that features YA sci-fi tales about teen girls skilled in STEM. Can you tell us more about that experience?
MF: Brave New Girls started in 2014 when my co-editor Paige Daniels and I were complaining about the lack of brainy girls as sci-fi heroines. Sure, you’d get the lab girl or blond bombshell with 9 PhDs, but you didn’t really get to see girl mechanics, hackers, etc. as the main characters. So we ran a crowdfunding campaign to put together the first Brave New Girls and had so much fun putting that together, we kept going. We’re publishing Volume 7 this summer!
WP: Finally, what would be your advice to writers trying to get their works out there?
MF: My advice is to always remind yourself that publishing is a lottery, not a meritocracy, and that “meritocracy” was originally coined as a dystopian term. Rejection is frustrating, as is seeing others get what you want, but don’t let that get to your head. Just because you’ve received your 500th rejection the same day someone on Twitter is boasting about their 5-book deal doesn’t mean they’re a better writer than you, only a luckier one. And don’t forget that writing is, first and foremost, meant to be something you do because you love it, and that matters more than any flashy deal.
Amanda Waller is the most feared and single-minded person in the DC Universe, constantly demonstrating that anything is possible as long as you’re willing to get a little messy. But everything is about to get more complicated as finds herself battling the heroes (and villains) of the Wildstorm Universe in a four-issue DC Black Label limited series: Waller vs. Wildstorm.
While it’s the tail end of the Cold War, the world is still icy as ever with a new fight brewing over the soul of Checkmate. As the former head of Stormwatch, Jackson King (aka Battalion) is the present super-powered public face of Checkmate, but he’s forced to confront the problem that is Adeline Kane. Convinced she is dirty and responsible for unspeakable horrors, King must find a way to stop her.
Unbeknownst to him, Kane has a shrewd new partner – a ruthless young woman by the name of Amanda Waller. She’s got plans for how metahumans can be used in war, ideals be damned.
Written by Spencer Ackerman (author of Reign of Terror and Contributing Editor to the Daily Beast) and Evan Narcisse (DC Power: A Celebration, Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City, Marvel’s Rise of the Black Panther), Waller vs. Wildstorm revels in Wildstorm’s history of spy-fueled superhero moral dilemmas, placing Stormwatch at odds with Amanda Waller and the lethal likes of assassin Slade Wilson (aka Deathstroke!).
Drawn by beloved artist Jesús Meriño (Wonder Woman, The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox, Infinite Frontier), with a cover by Jorge Fornés (Rorschach and Danger Street), this once-in-a-lifetime debut issue is already available for pre-order. In addition, issue #1 boasts a variant cover by Eric Battle and as well as a 1 in 25 “ratio” variant cover by Mike Norton.
Waller vs. Wildstorm #1 drops in comic book shops and participating digital platforms on Tuesday, March 21.
Available For Pre-Order Now, On Sale Tuesday, March 21
It’s been some time for fans of Carnival Row. After four years of waiting, the series returns to a two-episode-a-week schedule, kicking off with a dual-header that flies to new heights in shock value.
For those who don’t remember, Carnival Row was, at its best, a show of mixed but powerful messages. Series creator Travis Beacham’s original idea focused on a story of xenophobia and refugees, set in a world where the Fae of fairy tales were displaced after losing their territories due to human wars. The show begins as an investigation of a fairy-killing Jack the Ripper-type, where inspector Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom), took audiences through an investigative journey into the crime-riddled slums of Carnival Row.
Highlights of the first season were Philo’s forbidden love story with Vignette (Cara Delivigne), an incestuous affair-riddled power struggle over the dynasty of the Chancellor, and a Beauty and the Beast retelling between social misanthrope yet wealthy Faun, Agreus (David Gyasi) and his high-society neighbor and heiress, Imogen (Tamzin Merchant).
Critics were not so kind with a 57% approval rating despite the 88% user score on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, I feel the second season’s first two episodes does a better job by going beyond the melodrama of manic pixie rogue girl meets detective Legolas, and focusing on what’s happened to Carnival Row’s denizens after the events of the season one finale.
Last we left off, the Fae were segregated from the rest of the city, just as Jonah Breakspear (Arty Froushan) was anointed the new Chancellor after the death of his father. Accomplished with help from his lover/leader of the opposition party, his stepsister, Sophie (Caroline Ford), we learned at last season’s climax, how Sophie was the mastermind of every event in season one due to her powerful ambition to form an incestuous monarchy. All, unbeknownst to her brother.
I’ll admit when finally putting Carnival Row’s main story together as a whole it’s… pretty ridiculous. This is likely why it was announced that season two will be the final season as most critics found that the series was lacking in direction and message.
This is why I’m surprised to admit this as someone who didn’t care for, but then gave a chance to the show and its newest season only recently: the series is actually quite good. And the first two episodes of season two… are really good.
Carnival Row S2 E1: Fight or Flight Review
Orlando Bloom (Rycroft Philostrate), Cara Delevingne (Vignette Stonemoss)
Season two begins with a whole lot of action. Whereas the original pulled in audiences with suspense and mystery, this new season goes into it knowing full-well we’re familiar with these characters, and instead, embraces a rather fast-paced fight club and a heist sequence happening simultaneously. Pretty much kicking off season two with a bang.
If that weren’t enough, we see Philo do his best re-enactment of his Legolas days by battling a troll; whereas Vignette goes on to embrace her role as a rebel leader by heisting some medicine with her people, proving to herself and the Row, her value. This season, the show seems to be embracing the aptitude of its ensemble better, all to get a rounded perspective.
Now, it must be stressed, the season is a lot more gruesome this time around. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen the show, be prepared for the amount of shock unleashed in this episode as it’s difficult to watch at moments. Season two takes a look into the deteriorating state of affairs for the Fae. We get a gross glimpse at disease and poverty, and how bad the Fae, racistly called Critch by the police, keep getting abused. As a result, public executions as a show of force by the government are conducted to maintain order, with the Chancellor, struggling to maintain power in the Row.
On a personal note, I think the themes of the show hit harder now than they originally did in 2019. Given what’s happened with George Floyd, the war in Ukraine, and the fall of Afghanistan, so much has changed in a short timespan where I think the show benefits in exploring these themes now compared to when it first aired.
I stress this, because it’s obvious the Chancellor is not a terrible person, but rather, that Jonah is just a stupid person. Someone who’s so obviously in over his head. Skillfully played by Arty Froushan, there’s an ignorance to the character that’s subtle, yet defining, in that it makes the audience hate the character, but also, absolutely relate to him as a man who’s just trying to be someone after having his entire life/fate dictated to him his whole life.
Though behind every idiot puppet in leadership, is always the real power-player pulling the strings. Sophie Longerbane is this real power, though in this case, the leader of the opposition seems to be in a conundrum as re-elections may be underway soon and she might not have her party’s full support.
Now, Sophie and Jonah’s usurping of power is a confusing point in the series? As chancellors and leaders can seemingly be inherited roles passed down to their children like in monarchies, but are somehow, still privy to… elections? It’s a confusing point but one that forces the real power players to prove themselves. Likely, in a grandiose gesture to come. Audiences should remember too: that Philo himself is also the Chancellor’s step-son. How this all plays into the show will be unraveled in the season-long journey.
As for the rest of the episode, sex work gets minimized now as the Row is less of a working lower-class refuge for Fae, and more of a detention camp for those the government deems impure. There are, however, a few topless scenes of Orlando Bloom and his chesticles if that’s what folks are looking for.
In lieu of gratuitous sex is an abundance of murder, though not as gratuitous, as the depictions of the living-conditions of the Fae. This time around, we get quite a lot of scenes of the different types and casts of Fae-folk. Most importantly, Aoife the witch, who hasn’t fully departed from the series it seems – lingering magic left behind and all that. There’s also a new type of mysterious Fae-murders to solve.
Finally, Agreus and Imogen remain the most compelling of the show’s storylines. Not only because it breaks walls regarding interracial relations, but also because unlike the series’ other bleak themes, theirs is about love and kindness. Which is all the reason fans will be shocked to see what happens to them as their tale escalates in danger almost immediately.
Finally, I must stress, I never really liked Cara Delevigne as an actress, but I absolutely love her portrayal in this show. And the first episode only increases that love even further, as she’s really come into the role in a dalliance of curt toughness, while maintaining manic pixie cuteness.
Carnival Row S2 E2 Review: New Dawn
(L-R) Andrew Gower (Ezra), Tamzin Merchant (Imogen), David Gyasi (Agreus)
I’m not going to get into too many details for this episode because of its many embargo rules but suffice to say: shocking is the right word for it. This is the episode that’s easily the make-or-break moment for those looking to jump back into the series and I’d get to finishing this episode before making up your mind of whether or not to continue.
Without spoilers, I will say that episode two is grim. There are more than a few death scenes in this one and a lot of characters do not make it out alive. It’s all a very tense episode that tests the roles and responsibilities of Philo, Vignette, and Agreus. Taking the characters, but also, the Carnival Row extended cast, to new heights.
For instance, Tourmaline herself, played by Karla Patsy Crome, seems to be developing her own unique story arc. It’s wonderful given that she’s mostly played as a supporting role for Vignette thus far in the series, though scary once you realize for mysterious forces she’s messing with.
We also see the return of an old puppeteer and educator come back into the fray with lots of skullduggery involved, all for a storyline that’s as equally redemptive as it is ominous, because doing the right thing never seems to work out for those in Carnival Row.
This episode picks up right after the cliffhanger of episode one where things go from seemingly promising to utterly terrible, and many of Agreus’ plans go awry.
The ruins of places of refuge is a theme that permeates a lot of moments in this episode and actions get taken out of necessity for survival, leading to revelations and hasty decisions that go terribly awry across the board.
Put simply, the conflict between government and the impoverished Fae comes to a head regarding their rights to survive in this episode. All leading to a deathly consequences. Whereas the first episode set up an evident divide separating aristocracy from the sins of war, this episode, absolutely tears that away leaving many casualties in the process.
The Take
I’d give the series a watch as it gets really good. The cast hits their marks and the message seems more focused than ever before.
LA BREA -- "The Return" Episode 210 -- Pictured: (l-r) Josh McKenzie as Lucas -- (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
La Brea has just come off another unnecessary break with a great episode. The Return isn’t just about a familiar face coming back to 10,000 B.C. It’s also about a problem coming back in a big way for the people of the Clearing.
It all starts with an adorably fluffy wooly rhino being disturbed by a portal appearing nearby. A man in jeans and a jacket steps out casually and starts walking with a purpose. Meanwhile back at the Clearing, poor Eve is still recovering from her concussion in the overturned bus. She’s on the way to recovery, but can’t do much physically. Her children both worry about her, but they also quickly squabble about whether or not to trust James. As for Gavin, he’s gone to visit daddy dearest, though that mission gets sidetracked pretty quickly.
LA BREA — “The Return” Episode 210 — Pictured: (l-r) Josh McKenzie as Lucas, Lily Santiago as Veronica — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Lucas still doesn’t trust Virgil, especially when he catches the man acting all sketchy. He tells Veronica about his suspicions, and is delighted when she agrees with him. She makes everything better, he says, but then is surprised when Veronica rebuffs his suggestion they move in together. She’s still reeling from the weird Aaron revelations last time, and is upset the man who kidnapped her is still on her mind.
Speaking of Virgil, he unexpectedly comes to relieve Scott of guard duty. Scott says he was waiting on someone else, but Virgil convinces him to go and grab a bite to eat. It seems harmless, until Virgil removes the handkerchief from his supposedly wounded hand and affixes it to a wooden pole, hoisting it high. Once he does so, Exile scouts in the woods spy it, and Taamet signals them all to action.
Back at the Lazarus tower, Ty is getting treatment for his otherwise fatal brain tumor, and things seem to be going well. Then James’ number two woman, who it turns out is named Kira, starts grilling him about possible ethical conflicts of interest in playing psychiatrist to James. He assures her he’s a professional, and turns down her digital notepad. He asks instead for a legal pad, and Kira willing agrees. Oddly, she’s written a note on the pad already telling Ty not to trust James, and to inquire about something called Project Blue Moon.
As Gavin is setting out for the tower, he finds the person that stepped through the portal. To his shock, it’s his friend Levi, and he’s rocking a Pedro Pascal scruffy Last of Us look. It definitely works for the man, and Gavin asks what brought him back. Apparently it’s been 10 years for Levi, and he claims portals kept opening up. He joined the DOD and wants to help rescue everyone. Gavin invites Levi to come and meet James, but it’s clear Gavin’s old friend is holding something back.
Sam and a small group are out hunting for Taamet when Riley tells him Caroline’s secret, swearing him to silence. They discover a smoke trail and by following it discover a spent cookfire with weapons branded with the Exile symbol. Back at the Clearing, Josh suspects grandma Caroline is keeping secrets. He doesn’t have much time to test the theory, as suddenly the Exiles attack in force, capturing nearly everyone. The only exceptions are Josh and sister Izzy, who take shelter in a car; Scott takes shelter in Eve’s bus; and Lucas spies Virgil running for cover, and goes to confront the man.
LA BREA — “The Return” Episode 210 — Pictured: (l-r)Rohan Mirchandaney as Scott, villagers — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
After dragging Virgil into a secluded room, he starts roughing him around. Despite only having one good arm, Lucas quickly gets the best of Virgil, and forces an admission that he helped the Exiles. Not only did he not warn the Clearing of their pending attack, but he killed Wyatt when the other man discovered him searching for something on their behalf. The reason for his complicity is soon made clear, when Sam and Riley discover Virgil’s wife, Jane, as a bound and blindfolded Exile hostage.
Josh and Izzy watch the Exiles hunting for the object Virgil mentioned. Josh wants to discover what it is, but instead Izzy rips off the rearview mirror and says they can use it to save their mom. Scott and Eve watch the siblings running about, about to get caught by an Exile patrol. Eve passes out from fear, and Scott grabs a nearby screwdriver to run interference. He distracts the patrol long enough, but then gets found by Taamet and takes a hard beating.
LA BREA — “The Return” Episode 210 — Pictured: (l-r) Lily Santiago as Veronica, Michelle Vergara Moore as Ella — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Ty plays psychiatrist and has a session with James. It’s fun watching him in his element, especially now that he’s on the road to recovery. Turns out, James has suffered from insomnia for a month. Ty initially diagnoses it as stress, but when he tries to dig into what triggered it, James only mentions a dream before deflecting further questions and leaving abruptly.
Gavin presses Levi for the full story, since he can tell his friend is holding something back. Levi swears he didn’t return for any romance with Eve. He actually fell in love and got married in his 10-year hiatus, but says his wife is now dead. Then Sam’s group runs across the men, and tell them about the Exile attack on the Clearing.
Ella and Veronica are busily talking about Aaron and how he ruined Veronica’s life when they get dragged out of their car. Lucas runs out saying he has what the Exiles are searching for, a book as described by Virgil. Unfortunately, Taamet presses for more details and it’s clear Lucas has no idea. To my surprise, Veronica fills in the blanks, and says the book belonged to someone she knew, and that she buried it with Aaron. Taamet sends them to dig it up, and warns Scott will perish if they don’t succeed fast enough.
LA BREA — “The Return” Episode 210 — Pictured: (l-r) Zyra Gorecki as Izzy Harris, Josh Martin as Jack Harris — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Izzy uses the mirror to signal a morse code message to Gavin, warning him to attack the smaller Exile group heading to dig up the book first. He’s not in a great mental space, and is instead going to attack the more well-defended clearing, but Levi convinces him to trust his daughter and follow her instructions.
Ty persists, and James reveals it wasn’t a dream that caused his insomnia, but a recurring nightmare about when Isaiah was taken from him. He was overwhelmed with grief and tried to shoot himself that day, and he’s still overwrought about not having a relationship with his son now that he’s all grown up. Then he starts reminiscing about how much Gavin loved the bio bay as a child, showing Ty pictures. One is a blue moon on a sea of stars.
The Return culminates in a couple of really tense exchanges. Veronica digs up the book moments before Gavin and company intercept, taking the Exiles hostage. Then they take back the Clearing pretty effortlessly, only for Taamet to run off. Scott and Lucas chase after him, but Taamet surprises Lucas and tackles him. Scott finds the courage to fight, and actually gets the better of the brutal Exile, stabbing him fatally in the gut.
Ty leaves the tower, and talks with Kira. They suspect Project Blue Moon is about James fixing his past by making it so Gavin never left his side. The problem is that this will destroy the current timeline, and make it so Ty never gets the advanced treatment he needs to survive.
Studying the book, it turns out that Aaron’s purloined book was actually Dr. Moore’s complete journal, with formulas to help them travel home. Shockingly, Taamet reveals the Exiles weren’t sent to recover it by James, but by Kira. And then The Return ends with Eve and Levi talking, and him revealing he came back with the sole mission of killing James.
LA BREA — “The Return” Episode 210 — Pictured: (l-r) Natalie Zea as Eve — (Photo by: Sarah Enticknap/NBC)
Another really solid episode of La Brea. I’m saddened by the rumors I’m hearing about the show ending soon, but hope they manage to keep up the positive momentum and at least end the next season on a high note.
Robert Kirby, the acclaimed cartoonist and gay rights activist responsible for hits such as Curbside Boys and Boy Trouble, will release a graphic novel memoir published through Graphic Mundi, an imprint of Penn State University Press.
Called Marry Me a Little: A Graphic Memoir, this brave new title releases on February 21st with 7 different shareable Valentines using panels from the book’s sweetest moments to raise awareness for the Right to Marry for all.
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Spring 2023 Adult Comics & Graphic Novels selection, Marry Me a Little sees Kirby recount his experience of marrying his longtime partner, John, just moments after same-sex marriage was legalized in Minnesota in 2013. Married during a historic moment of gay rights uncertainty, the story takes place two years before the Supreme Court decision made same-sex marriage legal.
In the story, Kirby relates how he and John navigated this changing landscape in this touching graphic tale; how they planned and celebrated their wedding, and how the LGBTQ+ community is now facing the very real possibility of setbacks to marriage equality.
“Is it a love story? Sure. But there was a whole lot more going on in and around us regarding the idea of marriage,” said Kirby. “That’s what I tried to capture.”
Now, this personal memoir also takes into consideration Rob’s antipathy towards the institution of marriage, especially given the waves of adversity the two had to face over the years. Heartwarming, honest, and slyly humorous, Marry Me a Little is a wonderfully illustrated celebration of a romantic partnership between two men and the challenges that face them in this ever-changing landscape right now.
The graphic novel is already available in comic book shops and have been since February 8th. Books in the imprint are distributed in North America exclusively by Diamond Comic Distributors/Diamond Book Distributors.
To top it all off, each one of these specials was written by some of the best writers the Marvel team has to offer with Alex Segura covering another epic Avengers Unlimited special, along with acclaimed Deadpool original creator Fabian Nicieza doing a lovingly fun one-shot of Deadpool that breaks all the Marvel barriers in a lesson about love. But that’s not all! The Marvel Unlimited app rounds it out with a Spider-Man and Black Cat date day romance adventure. One full of delays and of course: aerial acrobatics.
Full details are below of each comic with a small spoiler-free synopsis.
AVENGERS UNLIMITED #33
Writer: Alex Segura Artist: Jim Towe Colorist: Andres Mossa Editor: Tom Brevoort. Part 1 of 4
Kicking-off with Spider-Woman battling the brothers grim, this story begins when Captain America calls in The Avengers over the sudden disappearance of Moon Knight. The fist of Konshu having gone missing after investigating the sudden death of one of his “Night Travelers” of his Midnight Mission (apparently, Moon Knight’s running a church of sorts).
After checking out a mysterious town over this even more mysterious murder, things go amiss as clues don’t add up to what it seems, in what’s starting off as a promising Spider-Woman and Captain America mystery. The first issue of a 4-part arc.
LOVE UNLIMITED: DEADPOOL LOVES THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #37
Writer: Fabian Nicieza Artist: Salva Espin Colorist: Israel Silva Editor: Jordan White. Part 1 of 6
I think Marvel’s description of this one probably sums it best:
Finally—a story focused on the Marvel Universe’s foremost expert on romance…Deadpool. Wait, that’s not right! …but that’s what it says here… “Wade Wilson, certified love expert, teaches the world about love.” This has gotta be a mistake.
That said, this one is a pretty fantastic introduction with a short arc from the creator of the character, himself. It’s a story where Red himself meets a very pretty red head over at the villainous bar with no name, only for things to go awry.
I can’t say the context of how or why… but let’s just say… valentine’s day gets naked. A pretty funny start to what’s always been a rather funny character.
SPIDER-VERSE UNLIMITED #37
Writer: David Pepose Artist: Nathan Stockman Colorist: Fer Sifuentes-Sujo Editor: Ellie Pyle
I feel like Marvel would never be the same without a story from its most hopeless romantic. In this one, we get a very fun and acrobatic race-to-the-clock storyline, as Peter tries his best to make it in time for his hot date with Felicia, AKA the Black Cat.
A very quick run through an average crime day while trying to meet his appointment, this one sees Peter battle through vulture goons and flower shop bandits, in what’s a very witty and fast-paced tale of seeing our hero try to find time for those he loves most.
Extreme Venomverse, a five-issue limited series much like Edge of Spider-Verse, will debut a group of gooey fanged monstrosities as part of their Summer of Symbiotes. Featured as part of the 35th-anniversary celebration of the Venom character,the upcoming comic run will span the entirety of Marvel’s multiverse and will include some fan favorites in both Eddie Brock and Dylan Brock, along with some never-before-seen Venoms introduced for the very first time!
But that’s not all. Extreme Venomverse will feature numerous writers and collaborators showcasing stories all leading to the tragic Death of The Venomverse storyline. Whether your favorite new symbiotes will survive this summertime saga, likewise, remains to be seen…
Venom scribe Al Ewing and artist Vincenzo Carratù (Mary Jane & Black Cat) unite to tell a purrfect tale about your favorite cat burglar and a certain heist she may have pulled on Marvel’s First Family! Witness what happens when Felicia Hardy slips into her very own symbiote!
Revisit MARVEL: 1602, with Clay McLeod Chapman and Paul Davidson, as they introduce the creepiest Venom EVER!
David Pepose and Ken Lashley introduce you to the twist L.M.V.—LIFE-MODEL VENOM! Cyborg Spider-Man, eat your heart out!
Cover: Marvel Comics/LEINIL FRANCIS YU
EXTREME VENOMVERSE #2 (OF 5)
Written by AL EWING, DAVID PEPOSE & CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN
Art by VINCENZO CARRATÙ, KEN LASHLEY & PAUL DAVIDSON
Cletus Kasady just won’t die, will he? The homicidal maniac has risen from the grave before, and now he’s doing so again in Carnage Reigns, much to the chagrin of the heroic Miles Morales.
The Summer of Symbiotes will have Miles face a horror unlike any he’s known before and will force the young hero to muster all his courage. Here are some details about the story coming this May:
Cletus Kasady is back and badder than ever. With his soul trapped within the Extrembiote Armor created by Tony Stark during King in Black, Cletus has the means to level an untold amount of chaos and, well, carnage on New York City and the entire Marvel Universe. But like any good Tony Stark invention, the Extremis coursing through Cletus’ symbiotic veins needs POWER, and that means Cletus is HUNGRY. Good thing Brooklyn’s very own Spider-Man is there to stand in his way! If he survives their first encounter, that is.
“Carnage Reigns is an old-fashioned David and Goliath story pitting a greener Spider-Man against the most sadistic monster in the Marvel Universe—Cletus Kasady!” Paknadel explained to Bloody Disgusting. “Miles has only been this out of his depth on a handful of occasions, which is a gift from a storytelling perspective. I’ve really enjoyed crafting this tale with Cody Ziglar, and we’ve developed a really fun, really productive working shorthand and that fun is present on the page! We know this story will satisfy fans of both characters in their FIRST-EVER CROSSOVER!”
It certainly sounds like an exciting event. And here I thought Miles had it rough during the whole Red Messiah ordeal. Check out details for Carnage Reigns below, and stay tuned for more Marvel stories!
CARNAGE REIGNS ALPHA #1
Written by ALEX PAKNADEL & CODY ZIGLAR
Art by JULIUS OHTA AND MORE!
Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
On Sale 5/3
MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #6 – “CARNAGE REIGNS” PART 2!
Written by CODY ZIGLAR
Art by FEDERICO VICENTINI
Cover by DIKE RUAN
On Sale 5/17
CARNAGE #13 – “CARNAGE REIGNS” PART 3!
Written by ALEX PAKNADEL
Art by FRANCESCO MANNA
Cover by KENDRICK “kunkka” LIM
On Sale 5/31
In the latest from Marvel comics, the company has finally revealed all of its soon-to-release variants for The Avengers 60th anniversary run this May. Written by Jed MacKay and drawn by breakout Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist C.F. Villa, these highly acclaimed covers had been slowly revealed all throughout last week, featuring cover art from Stuart Immonen, Daniel Acuña, Kael Ngu, Derrick Chew, John Tyler Christopher, and Paul Smith.
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Variant Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA
Variant Cover by KAEL NGU
Scarlet Witch Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Hidden Gem Variant Cover by PAUL SMITH
Negative Space Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
In this new run of the Avengers, the team will be playing out their story having knowledge of the upcoming tribulation events, which are a series of grand-scale disasters that will disrupt the entirety of the known universe.
The story has already been set up in last month’s Timeless, where Kang the Conquerer began his hunt for the unobtainable “Missing Moment.” How the Avengers plan to stop Kang, and whether or not they’re just pawns in some grander scheme (as time has proven again and again in these sorts of Avengers stories where time/reality manipulating beings are in play), will be a grander reveal.
“For me it’s about a question of scale – the bulk of my work has been on the scrappy, weirdo, street-level end where a guy with a mask and some goons is a major problem,” MacKay explained to ComicBook.com in an exclusive interview. “With Avengers, we’re looking at not one, but seven people who work at a much larger scale than Black Cat, Taskmaster or Moon Knight do, and in a much bigger and louder way than Doctor Strange and Clea. So, going into Avengers, I’ve been restructuring how I look at a comic book- the stakes are higher, the threats are bigger, and the heroes are Earth’s Mightiest.”
Atop of this, the company has released a first look at the interior pages of this upcoming Avengers relaunch which you can see below. These pages feature Captain Marvel, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, and Vision assembling against classic Avengers foe Terminus.
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AVENGERS #1 Written by JED MACKAY Art by C.F. VILLA Colors by FEDERICO BLEE Cover by STUART IMMONEN. On Sale 5/17
Each week, The Last of Us will give us a tender, heartbreaking backstory about some compelling new characters and then they slaughter them in front of our eyes.
RIP Tess, Frank & Bill, and this week… Well, let’s get into it.
We open with the victory celebration of the Free Kansas City movement. They’ve successfully overthrown the tyrannical FEDRA troops that were controlling the QZ, and the people are whooping it up like they just overthrew Saddam Hussein. FEDRA troops are being beaten to death with clubs and their bodies are dragged behind trucks. Kathleen has rounded up all the known informants and collaborators and crammed them in a cell where she gloats at them. Wow, must suck to be you now, huh? Bet you never thought you’d be on this side of the cell when you sold us out! She promises that she’ll go easy on them – just a little time in jail – if they tell her where Henry is.
Kathleen is obsessed with Henry since he’s the one who ratted out her brother and got him killed. No one is willing to speak out until she starts to leave and tells Perry, her number two, to kill them. Then someone shouts out that Henry is with Eldlestein, the doctor that Kathleen killed last episode. Kathleen leaves to go find them, and then tells Perry to kill them all anyway.
Meanwhile, Eldlestein is showing Henry (Lamar Johnson) and his little brother Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard) to a little attic hiding place. (Last week I thought Sam was his son. My bad) They only have a bit of food and jerky between them, and if they ration it out it will last about 11 days. Sam is deaf, communicating with his brother through sign language and a peel-up writing slate. Henry does his best to keep him calm, telling him that he needs him to decorate the loft. Sam’s eyes light up as Henry pulls a big bag of crayons out of his pack and tells him to get to work. The performances of Sam and Henry are lovely. You can feel the care and concern between the two of them and it feels completely natural.
After ten days, they’re out of food and Eldlestein has been captured. They need to get out of the loft and find a way out of town. They’re just about to leave when they see the shootout from last week, where Joel gets ambushed but still manages to kill his attackers. Henry gets a new plan. Follow that guy and get him to help. And that brings the episode up to where we left off last week, with Joel and Ellie getting rudely awakened with guns pointed at them. (We now know that those guns are empty, having been used to escape from Kathleen’s troops.)
Henry knows why they came up into the tower. They want to scout out a route out of town. Well, he knows the city, and if Joel can keep them safe, he’ll show them his secret escape route. Henry’s plan is to go through the underground tunnels that connect the buildings and that will get them outside of Kathleen’s territory that’s bounded by the interstate highways. There’s only one tiny flaw in that plan. Henry asks them if they notice anything odd about Kansas City, and he points out that there are no infected on the streets. FEDRA rounded them all up and shoved them into underground tunnels, just like the ones they have to walk through. (Oh hey, one guess why that basement was bucking and heaving in the last episode.)
As far as Henry knows, they’re locked up nice and tight, so they should have no problems at all! Joel grumbles, but figures that the odds are better with zombies than Kathleen’s Mad Max Militia out roaming the streets. Henry notes that he’s the most wanted man in the city, and Joel is probably number two. Henry explains what happened here. The Kansas City FEDRA were renowned as being vicious monsters, even by the standards of FEDRA, and after 20 years of clamping down, the resistance movement led by Kathleen’s brother took them out. Henry admired and looked up to him, but then Sam got leukemia. FEDRA had the medicine to cure him, and Henry had to trade something big to get it. The leader of the resistance. That explains a little more about why Kathleen is so single-minded about finding him. It wasn’t just her brother; he was their leader and Henry needs to be made an example of. (Kathleen later admits that her brother told her to forgive Henry, but she can’t.)
Meanwhile, Ellie is introducing Sam to the joys of the awful puns in her joke book, No Pun Intended, Volume Too. Henry comments that it’s the first time he’s heard him laugh in ages. Sam and Ellie are quickly bonding, laughing, and joking. Sam is teaching her some rudimentary signs, and Ellie is reading comic books to him, like the one they find in a basement bunker called Savage Starlight, with its motto, “Endure and Survive.” (While looking up the name of the comic online, I found out that these are actually collectible items in the game, so Sam and Ellie telling each other which issues they have is a cute little Easter egg for the gamers.)
They trek through the tunnels, and whaddya know, it actually goes pretty smoothly! No infected! No militiamen! They are walking through the streets on the outskirts of town and Henry is about ready to bust out singing when shots start to ring out. A sniper in a house has them pinned down, and he radios to Kathleen that he has them. Joel manages to sneak into the house and kill him, but it’s too late. The militia is on the way.
They pull up in a convoy, with a bulldozer clearing out old cars and almost running over Ellie. Joel manages to shoot the driver in time, causing the truck to veer into a building and explode from a fuel leak. But, now Kathleen has Henry and Sam and Ellie surrounded. Henry asks her to let the kids go, but she refuses. See, the girl was with the guy that killed Bryan, and Sam’s the reason Henry betrayed them in the first place. And really, maybe Sam should have died. Nothing says he gets to survive.
Henry tells Ellie to get ready to run off with Sam. He’s going to surrender himself and buy them some time. Henry comes out, hands up, ready to face Kathleen. Kathleen’s about to kill him when the burning plow starts to sink into the ground. Growls and squeals start to emerge, followed by a swarm of infected zombies rampaging everywhere. This includes one giant one that looks a lot like Bane from the Batman movies. (Online research tells me this is a bloater. I have no idea what that means, just that he looks scary AF.)
The scene devolves into utter chaos. The big zombie tears Perry’s head clean off. The militiamen start firing at everything. Zombies are running everywhere, chewing on anyone they get close to. From his perch, Joel picks off zombies that are getting too close to Ellie. Sam and Henry are hiding under a car, frantically kicking away zombies and I have no idea how they aren’t getting bitten. Ellie uses her trusty switchblade to stab their attackers and Joel snipes them to finish them off. Our trio make it out of the field of fire and are about to get away when Kathleen pops back up and yells at them to stop. She’s about to shoot them but has a moment of hesitation. Perhaps she’s thinking about her brother’s call for forgiveness? Perhaps it really is a bigger deal to gun down children than she lets on. Whatever the reason, that moment allows one of the zombies – a flippy little acrobat that had chased Ellie into a truck earlier – to leap on her and eat her. RIP Kathleen, it’s a shame we aren’t getting you as a recurring villain.
After their narrow escape, our heroes make it to an old motel where they hole up for the night. Joel and Henry chat in one room, while new best friends Sam and Ellie read more of their comics in the other. Joel invites Henry to come to Wyoming, even though they’re going to be walking. Meanwhile, Sam asks Ellie on his slate if she’s ever scared. After a couple of bravado answers, Ellie confesses that she’s scared all the time. (She tries to play that off as a joke about scorpions, but I think that’s closer to the truth.)
Sam writes “If you turn into a monster, is it still you inside?” He then pulls up his pant leg and shows that he has been bitten. Ah jeez. I knew there was no way he got out from under that car without getting bit.
Ellie furiously starts writing on his slate that her blood is medicine. She shows him her own bite mark, then cuts her hand and presses the blood against his leg. She promises to sit up with him through the night to keep an eye on him. Ellie is desperate to help, but it does not seem like this is going to work. Still, Sam is a sweet kid and he had leukemia so maybe the writers could not wrench on our heartstrings quite so hard?
Ha ha! No. Ellie wakes up after falling asleep in her chair. Sam is sitting on the edge of the bed, and when Ellie goes to check on him, he turns on her and snarls. Her cries bring Joel and Henry into the room, and when they see Sam on top of Ellie trying to bite her, they both know the deal. Joel raises his gun, but Henry stops him and then shoots Sam himself. (It’s just like Old Yeller. Henry had to do it.) Henry is so distraught by this, that after everything he did and sacrificed to save Sam on so many occasions only to have him get infected anyway, he then shoots himself.
After they bury Sam and Henry, Ellie is all business. She asks Joel which way is west and then starts off, Joel trailing behind. The joyfulness and sweetness of her early scenes with Sam are long gone, and after another day of death and despair, a little more of her humanity is as well.
This week was a LOT and it really played on the audience’s sympathies and expectations. Henry is presented as a sympathetic character, but he sold out his friend to save his brother. Kathleen is presented as a brutal and vindictive leader, but she’s just standing up for her people against petty tyrants. Sam is a complete innocent, but was he worth betraying the resistance movement for, since even if he beats leukemia he isn’t going to have a long life span?
We are told repeatedly that the FEDRA troops in KC were absolute monsters who would intimidate people with torture and rape. However, we never see any of that. We do see Kathleen and her troops commit many atrocities – the murder of POWs, the use of state power to commit brutal personal vengeance, and hunting down innocent passers-by – so the audience’s sympathies are turned against them. Maybe everyone she ordered to be shot was a rat and a collaborator, but we heard last week and this week that FEDRA was manipulating desperate people with threats of death and by withholding life-saving medicine. And also, FEDRA actually did a good job of keeping the infected contained! Once FEDRA fell, no one was around to maintain the underground pens, and…whoops. It’s almost as though the message here is “Fascism is good because it keeps the streets safe.” Which is… not great.
The episode really dives into the humanity of the characters, and the limits they go to to try and preserve some shred of normalcy. However, they are verging on the edge of being trauma porn. They are detailing the apocalypse, so I am not expecting fields of bunnies. I would like to go a week without seeing a character get developed into fully three dimensions only to be torn in half by a bloater zombie.
The previews for next week promise a reunion with Joel’s brother, Tommy. Let’s see if he makes it out alive.
4 out of 5
LINE OF THE WEEK:
Henry: That’s a weird fucking tone, man.
Ellie: That’s just the way he sounds, he has an asshole voice.
Ellie sassing Joel is fast becoming one of my favorite things.
Today those that enjoy reading comic books digitally are in luck as Marvel has added several new stories on Marvel Unlimited. Among the Infinity Comics titles added are Who Is Moon Girl, Who Is Miracleman, and Kang the Conqueror: Only Myself Left to Conquer.
While both Moon Girl and Miracle Man are one-shots, Kang the Conqueror receives 10 issues to conquer himself in! So if you’re looking for some quick and compelling stories on an easy-to-access medium, you can check out Marvel Unlimited and Infinity Comics on iPhone, iPad, Android devices and PC.
Check out more details on all these stories below. And stay tuned to The Workprint for more Marvel mayhem!
WHO IS…? MOON GIRL INFINITY COMIC
#1
One-shot launches on Wednesday, February 8
Writer: Mohale Mashigo
Artist: Jethro Morales
Colorist: Carlos Lopez
Editor: Lauren Amaro
WHO IS…? MIRACLEMAN INFINITY COMIC #1
One-shot launches on Wednesday, February 8
Writer:
Ram V
Artist: Leonard Kirk
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Editor: Mark Basso
KANG THE CONQUEROR: ONLY MYSELF LEFT TO CONQUER INFINITY COMIC #1-10
10-issue arc launches on Friday, February 10
Writer:
Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing
Artist: Carlos Magno
Colorist: Espen Grudetjern
Editor: Jeff Youngquist
Nick Fury has seen some things in the last six decades, he’s been front and center for some of Marvel’s most spectacular events, and played human vault to the biggest secrets in the Marvel Universe. Fury #1 is a brief history of this landmark anniversary set across Fury’s most well-known eras!
Come May, Al Ewing brings his story-telling talents to Fury #1 accompanied by a vibrant collection of the industry’s top artists: Scott Eaton, Tom Reilly, Adam Kubert, and Ramon Rosanas.
Our story begins when a mysterious new villain using the name S.C.O.R.P.I.O. sets their cross-hairs on Nick Fury Jr. It’s only fitting, as this codename has ties to Fury senior’s past and sets him on a course of top-secret missions that will lead a trail of breadcrumbs for fans to follow before revealing the bigger picture.
As Ewing’s story provides a constant throughline, each artist will present their unique take on the different lives of Nick Fury ranging from his days in the pages of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos to his current position as the omniscient “Man on the Wall”.
Sixty years in comics can change a man, and Nick Fury is no exception, but the one-shot will offer a pivotal moment for the character that hopes to refresh both father and son! When a gorgeous rogue agent draws Nick Fury into her dangerous secret, he discovers a whole new lifetime of thrills…his father’s! Take a trip from the ’40s, through the ’60s, and back to today as this adventure unlocks long-buried Fury files! One mystery looms largest, who is S.C.O.R.P.I.O.? Finding out is gonna require more than just one Nick Fury to make sense of decades of questions.
“Nick Fury is an entire history of comics in one character,” Ewing said. “Shifting from a tough-talking WWII Sergeant specializing in impossible missions, to an U.N.C.L.E.-esque secret agent beating James Bond at his own game, to a Machiavellian man in the shadows making the grey moral choices we’ve come to associate with the evolving espionage genre. And when the original Fury went cosmic, his son followed in those same footsteps, doing all that with a modern spin and an eye on the silver screen portrayal of our favorite sci-fi spy-guy. So how to celebrate sixty years of Nick Fury? With 40 story pages of twists, turns, action, gadgets and old-school thrills – pitting the Fury family against a new menace with a mysterious connection to the earliest days of the Howling Commandos and setting both Nicks up for the adventures of a lifetime! Don’t yield, true believer – back S.H.I.E.L.D.!”
Check out Adam Kubert’s cover below and don’t miss this key chapter in Nick Fury’s legacy when FURY #1 hits stands in May!
FURY #1
Written by AL EWING
Art by SCOT EATON, TOM REILLY, ADAM KUBERT & RAMON ROSANAS
“Suspicious Minds” begins in 1957, when an Akrida-possessed femme fatale poses as a damsel in distress in order to get the drop on a handy lady named Dorothea (Kaytlin Borgen).
In the present, John and Mary are on research duty but get interrupted when the newly installed alarm system is triggered. Cut to Carlos and Lata on the road again, they’ve had no luck with their location hunt, but Carlos’ intimacy issues give Lata an idea. Back at the Clubhouse, Men of Letter alum, and mad scientist of sorts, Porter J. Hobbs (The Nanny’s Charles Shaughnessy) has arrived. Meanwhile, Carlos and Lata have gone to a hotel room where they promise a down-and-out Roxy (Bridget Regan) help for her nightmares.
Speaking of…
Porter claims he can make a potion to kill the Akrida but he needs stingers, so John and Mary attack possessed Officer Jones (Jeronimo Spinx). Randomly, we get a scene explaining why the Akrida haven’t killed our gang – blame their queen. Back on point, Porter is working on the policeman but John and Mary think he’s hiding something. Lata employs djinn magic Tony taught her to dream walk Roxy through her memories. John and Mary’s suspicions prove valid, but Porter gets the upper hand before they can take him down. Carlos and Lata’s story has a better ending with them finding the queen’s location!
Unfortunately, Mary wakes up tied to a chair in prep for surgery while John battles a golem (Jeff Chase). Things don’t end well for Porter/Jack Wilcox though – he’s crushed Mr. Burns style under the weight of his monstrosity and has to settle for being buried alongside his beloved. John goes home only to find Kyle waiting for him with a deadly surprise.
I really enjoyed this episode, especially compared to last week’s. First off, the story is already better, granted the random aside explaining why the Akrida haven’t murdered our gang of hunters was genuinely jarring but other than that everything else in the episode flows quite nicely.
After last week’s dumpster fire of a tale, “Suspicious Minds” was a streamlined affair and a welcome return to form. KISS everyone: Keep it Simple Stupid. All elements are connected in a way that is easy to understand while still managing two twists!
The second twist is led in a little ham-handed with that earlier Akrida scene, but the first twist is expertly hinted at in an off-handed comment by Mary. Not to mention this is a Valentine’s Day episode, I believe there’s no episode next week, and the love stories have a fine Supernatural bend. Jack and his beloved Dorothea’s tragic conclusion, Carlos and Anton’s more realistic intimacy issues, and even Lata and Tony’s dream dating all get love next to the main squeeze of John and Mary. I love it when a plot comes together.
Secondly, the guest stars are 100% here for it. Shaughnessy takes pleasure in playing the two-faced friend turned foe Porter J. Hobbs/Jack Wilcox – who doesn’t love his native British accent being dropped for that delicious southern lilt? Regan had been a confident badass when first she appeared as an Akrida lacky, but here we find her unpossessed Roxy fully drained and ready to give up post ordeal. Hell, even McCartan’s Kyle gets to have a little fun channeling his inner Tyler Durden for the “Fight Club” level finale that assures John Winchester run afoul of the law.
And that’s not to say our regulars didn’t hit it out of the park either. Roger and Donnelly carry this episode well on their shoulders, getting noticeably more comfortable in their characters’ skins each time they need to take a chunk of the story (which is most times). I have said that both of these actors did a great job in starting the series as their respective characters and I will say they continue to build on that fantastic beginning. My favorite parts in this episode are actually the scenes with Carlos and Lata – which isn’t entirely surprising because Fleites steals any scene he is in, but the way he plays off of Khurshid this time around is wonderful comic relief. They’ve put these two together a lot of times on this show, but this one, for me, really clicks. Though to be fair, they were probably one of the best parts of the Loki episode too.
There’s also their character development. Fleites’ Carlos is adorable as a boy in love who is afraid of being in love, while Khurshid’s Lata presents a solid support system in helping him realize facing his fears is a good thing. Though I am noticing a pattern they’ve decided to go with for these characters – Carlos plays the confident rogue with a wounded heart of gold while Lata is his loyal emotional spirit animal. At some point, these people will have to actually grow otherwise this is dangerously close to sitcom territory. Lata is at least proving capable of maintaining progress. She adopts more than just a research position this time around, getting her hands dirty (well, painted) in her contribution to the team’s efforts.
All in all, this is a fantastic episode. It uses the existing lore to build on the new lore, furthers the overall story, and manages to provide a few surprises along the way. I’m certainly curious to see if John can wiggle his way out of Kyle’s bloody trap.
The titular blind man may not want to see Titanic, but you’ll want to see The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic if you’re into Finnish films with very long titles, and let’s face it, who isn’t? (I’m a fan of Finnish films with very short titles, like last year’s underseen Hatching.)
Writer-director Teemu Nikki offers a unique film experience by putting the audience in the perspective of Jaakko, a cinephile with an extensive film collection that he can no longer enjoy because of complications from multiple sclerosis. A disability that has left him blind and in a wheelchair (just like the actor who plays him, Petri Poikolainen).
Though that has not dulled his cinephilia in the slightest, as he refers to his legs, which are constantly in pain, as Rocky and Rambo. He also imagines the people in his life to look like characters from his favorite movies. People like Sirpa, a woman he met online with whom he speaks on the phone throughout the day, often first thing in the morning.
Sirpa is also disabled by disease. She is about to embark on a new round of treatment and has started to lose hope, fearing she may die before the two of them ever meet. So Jaakko decides to go see her. It’s only two taxi rides and a train ride away, right? All he needs is five strangers to help him. Unfortunately for Jaakko, he’s actually IN a movie, and a movie needs conflict, so one of those strangers will be the opposite of helpful.
Nikki spends quite a while establishing the relationship between Jaakko and Sirpa, and while Poikolainen commands the screen at all times by virtue of Nikki’s filming techniques, Marjaana Maijala deserves a lot of credit for delivering such a warm, heartfelt vocal performance.
I honestly could have spent the whole fucking movie just watching the two of them talk on the phone. I don’t know how the scenes were filmed and whether Poikolainen and Maijala ever conversed on set, but you absolutely feel the chemistry between them in their adorable flirtation…that does explain the title.
Jaakko’s a huge fan of John Carpenter, which endeared me to him immensely, but he’s got a real fuckin’ bugaboo about James Cameron going from making some of the greatest sci-fi and action films of all time to Titanic, and he refuses to watch it. Sirpa, naturally, loves it.
While there’s a little bit of discussion regarding Jaakko’s feelings about not being able to watch movies anymore, it wasn’t enough to hit me, a cinephile who fears losing one or more of his senses and not being able to watch movies anymore, in the feels, as the film’s more concerned with Jaakko’s mission to reach Sirpa.
Nikki and cinematographer Sari Aaltonen keep the camera at Jaakko’s level, filming only his face and occasionally his hands in focus and blurring the periphery to simulate for us the experience of not being able to see our surroundings. It’s a bold gambit that certainly takes some getting used to, as it’s uncomfortable not to get a wide or medium shot to orient us in a room or a tilt up to show us the face of people he’s talking to.
While I did admire Nikki’s commitment to this visual language, I did long for a greater sense of intentionality in the shot choices, as some shots would even have Jaakko a bit out of focus for no clear reason and the changing placement of the camera, which offers additional visual information in the margins, feels like it’s simply meant to offer a general sense of variety most of the time rather than enhancing the storytelling.
The visual language becomes key as Jaakko leaves his home and gets into trouble, at which point our inability to see the antagonists or his environs adds quite a bit of tension. And it’s all in the visuals, as there’s no musical score at all.
There’s an elegance to the way Nikki transitions into this tension because it’s filmed and treated just like every other scene in the film, which replicates that unsettling sensation of real life feeling like a movie. Jaakko, of course, invokes a movie during this time and banters with his captors because of course he does, that’s our Jaakko. Poikolainen gives an incredibly charming performance in a role literally made for him, and as with Kiera Allen in Aneesh Chaganty’s Run, casting a wheelchair user as a wheelchair user heightens the suspense when they’re in danger because we know we’re seeing someone who can’t just get up between takes.
That being said, the film runs the risk of painting disabled people as helpless victims to be preyed upon. Jaakko hears his neighbors being complete and utter assholes about his condition (and his use of medical cannabis??), and it’s supposed to contextualize his climactic rant about how he hates being looked upon with pity, but…the movie seems to invite the viewer to do so at times as well. Jaakko lives his life and finds love, it’s true, but in his dreams, he’s always running, and it’s clear a part of him views who he is now like his neighbors do. It’s a tricky line to walk between empathy and pity, and as an able-bodied person, I cannot honestly make that call.
Producer Jani Pösö, actor Petri Poikolainen, writer-director Teemu Nikki, cinematographer Sari Aaltonen, and actor Marjaana Maijala at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where the film won the Armani Beauty Audience Award.
Poikolainen stays winning, though, and I really loved spending time with him. At only 82 minutes, the film could have been a little longer, especially to give the third act a bit more oomph and transition more fluidly into the lovely denouement. Despite some flaws, however, it’s a unique film that brings us a memorable character portrayed with an authenticity we don’t see very often. In the end, Jaakko and Sirpa won my heart, just like James Cameron won an Academy Award for directing Titanic.
Lonely weeb hearts rejoice, as Eversoul, The mobile RPG from Kakao and Nine Ark is releasing a Valentine’s Day event exclusive. Available from now until March 2nd. The Valentine’s Event features a special stage called ‘Bonbon Chocolat Paradise’ which can be entered daily. In it, we see 7 levels with 2 stages each that will have players duking it out against Valentine’s costume-equipped monsters, with rewards coming in Everstones, Soul’s Memories, and Love Potions.
These love potions can be exchanged for costumed exclusives such as the “Pure Heart Chocolatier” for Rebecca and “Sweet Savage Maid” for Jacqueline. They can also be used to obtain special objects including a Floating High Sweet Balloon, Pure Love Merry-Go-Round, Sweets Tree, and the Chocolate Ferris Wheel – with an assortment of goods for decorating the town or buffing the player. Atop of this, there will also be a special login bonus and Valentine’s Daily mission.
Players can bag Soul’s Memories which can be used to add Epic Souls Rebecca and Jacqueline for completing daily missions, along with other valuable resources and even more Love Potions via the Valentine’s Daily Mission Event.
For those who enjoy Eversoul’s PvP, loot earned for winning Arena matches are doubled for the event. In addition, the Hearts you give and receive with your friends will also double during this period, seeing you benefit from interacting with both friend and foe.
Rose Poison Velanna, a lovely yet deadly Soul with a passion for sword-swinging chaos has now joined the beautiful roster of playable characters as a formidable ally. This new Undead Warrior has a higher chance of being acquired through a pick-up summon event until February 15. Players also have a higher chance of pulling Undead support character Prim in a pick-up summon event which will run until February 23, making it the perfect time to reinforce your party with powerful Undead-type Souls.
It’s no surprise that the Hulk is a terrifying force of nature. But in Hulk Annual #1, which comes out this May, we’ll get to see that fury from a different perspective. A documentary crew captures the birth of the green rage monster in The Viridian Project. The whole issue will be stitched together from found footage and will showcase Hulk versus the monstrous Giganto.
That’s not all. Hulk Annual #1, written by David Pepose and drawn by Caio Majado, will also set the stage for a new era of Hulk adventures. Readers will get an exclusive preview from the creative team taking the reign this summer.
Here’s what the writer of Hulk Annual #1 had to say about the opportunity:
“When my editor Wil Moss first reached out to me about writing this HULK ANNUAL, it took me a beat to wrap my head around the enormity of it all,” Pepose said. “The Hulk is such a massive character, just this larger-than-life figure who is equal parts man, monster, and unstoppable force of nature. And it’s that feeling of unfathomable scale that we’re looking to explore in ‘The Viridian Project,’ our found-footage story about a team of filmmakers shooting a documentary on the legacy of Bruce Banner… and the horrors they discover when they actually find him. It’s been incredibly exciting to dive into the Hulk’s adventures through this truly human lens, and I can’t wait for readers to witness first-hand what it’s like to ride out an encounter with The Strongest One There Is!”
Be sure and check out the full image for Gary Frank’s epic cover below. And stay tuned for more exciting stories from Marvel.
HULK ANNUAL #1
Written by DAVID PEPOSE
Art by CAIO MAJADO
Cover by GARY FRANK
On Sale 5/17
If you’ve been enjoying Marvel Comics line of Infinity Saga variant covers then get ready because there’re more to come! Done as incredible poster-style pieces, each of these covers honors a specific film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought to life by the talents of some of the industry’s most renowned artists. These upcoming works of art will revisit the films that marked the end of the epic Infinity Saga. The first three Infinity Saga Phase 3 variant covers drop this month. Today, readers have the chance to find out which films will close out the series come March.
Peach Momoko presents her unique take on Carol Danvers’ breakout scene from Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel. Aaron Kuder traps lightning in a bottle with his exhilarating Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cover. Thor and Hulk’s epic showdown is stopped in time thanks to Mahmud Asrar’s Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok variant. Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Civil War’s pivotal clash between Captain America and Iron Man is cemented in ink and paints care of Steve McNiven. Steve Skroce creates a magnificent portrait of Stephen Strange as he rises to the rank of sorcerer supreme in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange. Finally, Ken Lashley brings to life the colorful and joyous people and land of Wakanda from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther.
On Sale 3/15
BLACK PANTHER #15 INFINITY SAGA PHASE #3 VARIANT COVER BY KEN LASHLEY – 75960620042901531
We, like many other fans, attended Marvel’s digital red carpet premiere of Ant-Man and The Wasp’s Quantumania. With loads of exciting moments revealed throughout the night, the event was pretty intense, filled with cosplaying fans, a slew of celebrities, and unique reveals.
And while Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania looks so much more serious film compared to the previous iteration, it’s evident from all the interviews and discussions prior to the movie, just how much of this movie focuses in on Scott and Cassie. All for what’s honestly, a look at their relationship gap in the five years that Scott’s been gone.
There were a few big reveals on the carpet. Like how Peyton Reed was heavily inspired by old science fiction paperbacks, Heavy Metal Magazine, and electron microscope photography, to help cue the development team on how to build the Quantum Realm. Or with Evangeline Lilly, who confirmed that this time around, Hope’s more focused on her immediate family and the micro-level problems of her immediate family.
Katheryn Newton, who still can’t believe that she was even in this movie, similarly also had a character reveal in that apparently, she’ll choose Hank Pym over Scott to be her mentor. Her role in the movie is very much the center of Scott’s goals, with Christophe Beck, the composer of the film sharing that the electronic music of Cassie’s theme is what he’s most proud of… because it’s actually The Ant-Man theme backward!
Early reactions on the carpet and reports of the film’s first receptions have confirmed, that a large chunk of this movie breaks down the quantum realm – even calling the entire Quantumania set up something similar to Star Wars. But the biggest takeaway, is the man playing foil to Scott and Phase 5 of the MCU: the master of time itself, Kang the conqueror. Played by Jonathan Majors, both critics and crew agree, the actor steals the show.
“One of the great joys of designing this and being a designer, when you design a set or world or environment, and the actor just becomes it,” said production designer, Will Htay regarding Majors’ performance. “Jonathan is a very generous man and was thanking me for it. He’s an awesome actor but I think the fans are gonna love seeing, Kang. It’s not he who remains… It’s Kang!”
Some other tweets after the movie premiere regarding Majors and the film’s expectations:
Black Girl Nerds:
#AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania gives some heavy Star Wars vibes! Fantastic performance from Jonathan Majors who is incredible as the big bad villain. Make sure to stay for 2 post credit scenes!
Had an absolute blast watching #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania. Creative, irresistibly energetic and filled with some great action sequences. Welcome Jonathan Majors -such a bad ass. The effects are superb. pic.twitter.com/KdVB7qvl2E
The best Star Wars movie since 2018 is #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania. It’s a huge sci-fi adventure with gorgeous world building that feels almost little un-Marvel in how much world building there is. But it’s got humor, heart, Kang completely rules & Michelle Pfeiffer steals it. pic.twitter.com/vRO2Poko2s
There comes a point where every franchise has to get weird, and the MCU has done just that with #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania. Like all his other roles, Jonathan Majors remains endlessly compelling. 👍👍 pic.twitter.com/cxWEcoKTze
Marvel’s #AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania is a strong start to Phase 5. I now understand why it’s called #Quantumania. JonathanMajors is excellent as Kang and cannot wait to see where this all goes. 2 after the credits scenes and both are very good. pic.twitter.com/62Ch3w2O5N
Finally, the Red Carpet event was apparently co-promoted by Marvel Snap, who will be doing a month-long Quantum-Realmed themed season in honor of the premiere. Creator of Marvel Snap, Ben Rhode, was likewise on red carpet, and revealed the debut of a new Kang The Conquerer card, which allows you to rewind time to do over a turn again. They also revealed having different variants including a DJ Kang.
For anyone who wants to see what they missed out from last night’s event, check out the Red Carpet video just below.
Marvel has been revealing a series of new variant covers leading up to the debut of the rebooted Avengers line this May. Today’s reveal of Scarlet Witch was created by the incredible breathtaking artist, Derrick Chew. While yesterday’s cover reveal was revealed to be by the legendary artist, Daniel Acuna.
It’s been revealed that Wanda will finally be rejoining the team, herself in this upcoming Avengers reboot. Making matters complicated is that this will be the first time Wanda will be working alongside her ex-husband in years. All for a fresh take on a storyline that’s been tried and true through almost every iteration across the Marvel brand, both MCU and comics-wise.
In this brand-new 60th anniversary Avengers run, the team will have to make do with the knowledge of THE TRIBULATION EVENTS which are a series of grand-scale disasters that will spark upheaval throughout the known universe. The team will be led by Captain Marvel and will feature Iron Man, Thor, and Scarlet Witch. Revealed in last month’s TIMELESS, which likewise, also tied into Kang the conquerer’s ‘Missing moment’ hunt. The series promises to be an exploration of Kang’s quest and how it ties into the overall disaster-laden inevitable timeline.
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AVENGERS #1
Written by JED MACKAY
Art by C.F. VILLA
Cover by STUART IMMONEN
Scarlet Witch Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
Scarlet Witch Virgin Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
On Sale 5/17
AVENGERS #1 Written by JED MACKAY Art by C.F. VILLA Cover by STUART IMMONEN Variant Cover by DANIEL ACUÑA On Sale 5/17
1:50 foil variant cover by JENNY FRISON
