SPOILER End of Summer 2022

A l m o st D e a d i s a p o st a p o c a l y p t i c h o r ro rd ra m a a d ve n t u re a b o u t t r i u m p h , g row t h , a n d t h e re s i l i e n c y o f t h e h u m a n s p i r i t . W i t h t h e i r c i n e m a t i c c o m i c b o o k s e r i e s w h i c h d e p i c t s v i c i o u s a n d v i s c e ra l eve n t s i n a raw yet b e a u t i f u l way, G a l a x y has re d efi n e d t h e g e n re a n d n e a r l y

invented one of their own. Infusing the perilous and unexpectedly exciting journey with absolute horror and an attention to detail that’s rooted in and dedicated to realism, the creator and writers have established a nexus point between exhilaration and terror.

Riley

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“Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening”

- Galaxy

For this issue, we’ve dedicated almost all of the articles to the wonderful world of Television. As you all know the Emmy awards just wrapped a few weeks ago, honoring TV with a ton of attention towards the amazing shows we hold so dear, some award winning and others not. Overall, TV has been part of popular culture for nearly a century. From Caped Crusaders, to All My Children, to the Kardashians. We have grown to love the tube and hold it as one of our most sacred past times. With that said going forward SPO!LER will include TV features in our monthly magazine so all of you, our beloved readers can enjoy along with our usual digs. As always, we’ve brought you a handful of outstanding features in this issue to sink your teeth in.

We’re also thrilled to unveil that our 2023 SPO!LER Awards will be held in person this December in Los Angeles at the annual LACC (Los Angeles Comic Con). Our plan is to shake up the traditional awards show formula in favor of something a bit more populist; a bit more fandom-friendly. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it!

Outside of the magazine, we’re still readying for the production of our upcoming short film, which serves as a standalone prequel to our upcoming apocalyptic comic book series Almost Dead. Redefining both cross-platform media and the zombie genre as a whole, our film and the comics that it preludes follow a girl who must do everything possible to ensure the survival of herself and her family during her trek through the east coast.

Stay tuned for everything we’re rolling out with in the upcoming months, and plug into both SPO!LER and Comic Con Radio across social media, tell your friends about our magazine, and share your favorite articles with them!

We can’t wait for you to dig into the pages of this issue. We’re constantly trying to curate content for all you amazing fans out there, hitting at all the things you love about this universe! So, stick with us. Exciting things are on the horizon.

Thank you once again for all your undying love and support. We couldn’t do this without you!

Love you all

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BY SARA HOPE

THERE ARE MANY FILMS AND SERIES WHICH SHOWCASE

how the lives of the top 1% are different from the rest of us. These series show us a different side to the world, and give us more to like about the rich and their lives. It is an excessive and bougie taste to have, but these series are genuinely some of the most fun and engaging dramas on air. It’s even better that these series are actual reality TV, and that’s where Keeping Up with the Kardashians came in. Keeping Up with the Kardashians gave us a deeper look inside the lives of one of the most prolific celebrity families currently in the world. It is full of moments that are real, raw and also full of scripted sequences that will keep you laughing for ages.

The thing that made this series so popular was the sheer heart that went into it. It was a series that was well produced, but it had a huge amount of people that were beloved by audiences for a while. It was actually the reason why so many of the Kardashian family members are so popular in the industry now, and that is why this brand new series is such a game changer. Gone is the overproduced and overly fabricated format of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, as this brand new series simply titled ‘The Kardashians’ is better produced, better developed and way better written than anything else in reality TV at the moment. The Kardashians capitalizes on the best aspects of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and turns it into a much more meaningful and emotional piece of television than ever before.

THE STORY

It’s been a long time since the Kardashians have lived with cameras all around them. So much has happened over the 14 years that Keeping Up with the Kardashians was airing, and the trajectory of their lives is completely different now to what it used to be. Keeping Up with the Kardashians ended in June of 2021, and their lives changed drastically in that one year. It’s already been confirmed that the series is a new production, but it will take a deep dive into the lives of our favorite Kardashians and Jenners. So, without further ado, let’s talk about where everyone else is at the moment as the series has started to air!

Just like before, The Kardashians focuses mainly on the sister trio of Khloe, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. However, what differentiates this series to the previous one is that there is a larger focus on half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as well as

their mother Kris Jenner who has been a huge part of their lives throughout its entirety.

There’s a lot that’s going on in the lives of the Kardashian sisters at the moment, in particular with Kourtney, Khloe, Kylie and Kim this particular season. Kendall would’ve been a larger focus in the early episodes as well, but so far, she has not been filming episodes in the first half of the season due to a COVID-19 related safety

protocol for the most part. However, she will be seen with a larger focus in the latter half of the season. Kourtney’s relationship with long-time boyfriend and Blink-182 front-man Travis Barker has become a love affair for the ages. In fact, their marriage has been confirmed so it’s guaranteed that the series will move on to focus more on the relationship than ever before. We love seeing more of Kourtney and Travis, they are possibly the

best couple on The Kardashians, and their relationship is a huge highlight in the first season of this brand new series.

Meanwhile Kim’s going through a bit of an emotional fire-hazard as her divorce with Kanye West and her recent relationship with Pete Davidson has become one of the biggest topics of controversy. Kanye’s seemingly out of her life, but not for good and that becomes a huge topic of conversation in this series. It also chooses to highlight Kim’s independence and her relationship with her children. Not to mention, she’s more of a businesswoman than ever before, and that is celebrated in the first episode as the series focuses on Kim being the host at SNL.

Kylie’s life is also a huge focal point of the series. She’s by far one of the most interesting people in the celebrity world at the moment, and as she takes control of the new business world that she’s creating, her role in the series becomes larger than ever. She’s also pregnant in the series, and she’s expecting a son to be born with her partner Travis Scott. Their relationship is a big focus of the series as well, but more focus is put upon her individual life as

she comes to terms with becoming a mother and also one of the biggest entrepreneurs in the United States.

The other big focus of the series lands on Khloe Kardashian, and her partner Tristan. You see, Tristan has been unfaithful in the past and currently their focus is on co-parenting while also seeking therapy to make sure Tristan doesn’t repeat the mistakes of his past and to help the couple move past the issues they are having. This particular arc of the series is by far the most heartbreaking, not to mention one of the most emotional arcs in Reality TV history.

The series so far has been diving extremely hard into the lives of these celebrities previously deemed untouchable, and showcasing a more emotional, rawer and purer side to their lives

that audiences never knew existed. This is what makes this series such a stand out as compared to the previous rendition, as the previous version would have a lot of scripted sequences to keep it entertaining. The Kardashians throws scripted sequences out of the window, and focuses intimately on the lives of these elite people with a goal to make you feel empathy for them more than ever before.

HULU AND THE HYPE FOR THIS NEW SEASON!

The series started premiering on the 14th of April, 2022. This is a HULU original series, so the best and only place to watch it is currently on HULU. HULU picked up the series and signed a contract with the family after Keeping Up with the Kardashians ended in

2021, and it is by far one of the best decisions for the platform as the series has been doing wonders for their service.

Now, there usually isn’t this much hype around Reality TV at all. However, The Kardashians is a completely different beast. It is so popular at the moment that it ended up being the most watched series premier for HULU’s streaming service in the first three days of its release in the entirety of the United States. Not to mention, it ended up becoming the most watched Star Original series on Disney+ and Star+ according to Variety.

Four episodes of the series have come out so far, and the hype has been untouchable for the upcoming four episodes in the season. There’s a huge number of stories that this series will tell from the last year which were missing due to Keeping Up with the Kardashians not being there. The stories of the rich and elite family are genuinely some of the most engaging arcs in the real world, which makes for such good Reality TV that you can’t help but be hyped for it as well.

WHAT THIS NEW SHOW MEANS FOR THE KARDASHIANS

The Kardashians are a family that has and always will remain relevant in popular culture. This is why this new series means a lot, especially since it is a celebration of their family and their popularity in mainstream culture. This show means that they will remain relevant for a while in the coming days and years, not to mention, it also means that they will have a source of income and will remain on TV for much longer than most people had anticipated despite the recent controversies.

This is a family that has always managed to stay ahead of the curve, they’ve invested their time and effort into producing not just responsible

and great businesses but also a plethora of television series, music and general entrepreneurship skills that have gotten them to a higher level in the world of the elites. That is what this series will try to showcase, how the Kardashians and their lives have changed in the past year, as well as showcase what is going to happen in the future with their lives as the series progresses.

Well, the social media hasn’t been kind to the Kardashians, they get to show their perspective on how they react and how they deter these situations that the Internet has created for them. They also get to showcase their point of view when it comes to bad press, and how their personal lives are stagnated by such online controversies. These are powerful celebrity figures whose lives are showcased to the world through our media, and it doesn’t portray them in a kind light usually. So, this gives these people a chance to showcase to the world how different they are from their general imagination and depiction in different contexts across the Internet and news.

This also means a lot for HULU as a network, because they have been struggling to survive in an industry that is dominated by Netflix, Amazon and Disney. Well Netflix struggles to produce a reality television series which resonates with its viewers, HULU has its hands on some of the most prolific figures in the industry after their contract with the Kardashians. HULU also has their eyes set on some of the best TV series in the coming future, which

we will also talk about when those series are revealed and discussed more broadly.

If you’re like us, and have been a spectator of the Kardashian family for a while, this is the perfect series for you. Especially, because it gives you an insight look into the lives of the celebrities that we so cherish. It takes away the glamour, and showcases a raw and emotional side to these people that is missing from popular culture. The best and most important takeaway from this new series is that these people are humans, and we should respect them as such even if their lives differ from the lives of the general population.

CONCLUSION

The Kardashians has finally hit HULU after a long period of hype surrounding it, and the series has come out to an amazing reception from fans and critics alike. The hype around the series has been massive. Ever since Kim Kardashian hosted SNL, Kourtney became more and more involved with Travis Barker and Kylie became a national sensation for her various businesses and her pregnancy, there has been constant buzz following the Kardashian family.

This is the series that all the hype has culminated into, this is what makes The Kardashians such a special piece of Reality TV when compared to the rest out there. This is what all those millions of viewers (including us) were expecting and so far, throughout the four episodes that have already been released, the show has not disappointed us one bit. Time will tell if the series will keep up this breakneck pace, and we hope that the journeys these people go through in this season lead to more and more seasons of The Kardashians being HULU’s crown jewels!

BY SARA HOPE

FEARTHE WALKING DEAD HAS ALWAYS BEEN OVERLOOKED

in comparison to its more popular counterpart. The Walking Dead is one of the most popular series in the world and the franchise has never been more hyped than right now, with its final season doing strides for its lost popularity since Rick Grimes left the show. However, Fear the Walking Dead has seen a huge emergence of fan following, especially after its sixth season which blew all expectations out of the water.

The seventh season of Fear the Walking Dead is genuinely harrowing. It’s the most intense this series has ever been, despite being one of the most intense series of all time during the first few seasons, which had viewers genuinely stressed out. Now, with the most recent season reaching its inevitable conclusion, the characters in the series are facing some of the toughest challenges of their lives, including but not limited to some genuinely chaotic moments that will shape their narratives for the upcoming eighth season. Let’s talk about Fear the Walking Dead, and how these characters got where they are, as well as what we’d like to see moving forward in the final few episodes of Season 7.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SYNOPSIS:

Fear the Walking Dead is a spin-off series based in the world of The Walking Dead – AMC’s mega-hit franchise based on the comics of the same name by Robert Kirkman. Fear the Walking Dead however, is not based on any of comic books.

While it’s set in the same universe, it features a completely different story, with only a few instances with characters from the Walking Dead showing up for a small period of time, with the exception of Morgan, who’s a huge part of the series.

The series starts out with a family struggling to survive in Los Angeles, which has turned into one of the largest hot spots of the zombie outbreak. However, in recent seasons, the show has started along similar divisive trends as its parent

series: high on action and very heavy on drama, with the smallworld, relatable feeling of characters struggling in an apocalypse completely gone. It’s now more focused on the rough-and-tough rag-tag group of survivors duking it out between each other to ensure self-preservation and the safety of their larger groups.

FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 7: THE STORY SO FAR

Season 7 of Fear the Walking Dead is genuinely one of the most intense seasons of television ever recorded. It has everything you could think of when it comes to fearing the inevitable, with horrors of all forms

and shapes. Season 7 goes all out with its war setting, where a crazy cult led by a serial killer brings an end to Texas’ post-apocalyptic peacefulness, becoming a nuclear threat. Morgan, Alicia, Al, Dwight, Strand, and even Virginia all try to prevent this horrifying fate, but they eventually fail, resulting in a nuclear blast that takes over a huge chunk of the area around them. From the catastrophe come some of the most disturbing-looking zombies, completely mutated by radiation and chemicals. A lot of the characters are now stuck in different locations with his or her own issues to deal with.

Meanwhile, Strand has managed to take hold of the Tower and made it his home base, becoming a god amongst men. Aside from having the most man power in the entire state, he’s also garnered a total monopoly over most of the area. He makes people do evil things in exchange for letting them have a place in the Tower away from the toxicity. Strand is also searching for Alicia in the meantime.

Morgan finds Alicia before discovering that she’s cut her own arm off after a walker bit her. Morgan and Grace’s young child is with them at the submarine as they struggle to

survive and scrounge for food.

Alicia and a small group of survivors are looking for a place named Padre, which is a government facility that might be a safe haven and a large food storage supply. Unfortunately, no one seems to know where this place is at first. After collecting tiny threads of information, the group pieces them together only to find something close to what they were looking for.

After Alicia finds the body of Will, she refuses to go. Will helped her escape the bomb shelter and was killed by Strand.

As we expect the two groups to go at each other’s throats, a series of side stories break out instead, as if the show were avoiding the very conflict that it was working so hard to set up.

The series has transitioned to a filler approach over the years, with the story’s conflict showcased indirectly or prolonged for several episodes. As for the final battle I mentioned, we’re unsure if it will ever happen.

Charlie has a particularly interesting arc in this season, which gets shutdown halfway before reaching anything interesting. Meanwhile, fan favorite Madison Clark also makes a return to the series but hasn’t really had that much screen time so far. However, her role is likely to increase in the upcoming seasons.

WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE IN SEASON 8:

With season 7 just wrapping up last month, we can begin discussing season 8. For one, we’d love for the storytelling to be more coherent. We’d love it if showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian B. Goldberg, along with the other writers, chose to focus on Morgan, Alicia, and Strand’s storylines more aggressively. Not that we dislike the side characters, but these three are arguably the most interesting and don’t get quite enough attention in season 7.

We’d also like more focus on character drama, which is the reason why we started loving Fear the Walking Dead so much to begin with. The later seasons have concentrated more on the sensational aspects of a postapocalyptic world, so it would be welcomed if we got a return to form.

BY SARA HOPE

A COUPLE YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC NAMES

in adult comedy films, Bill Hader began working on a project with HBO. At the time, no one knew exactly what the legendary comedian was working on, but we all knew that it was going to be something much different to his usual irreverent material or wildlyaccurate impersonations. As it turns out, it’s actually one of the funniest and most important series of the past decade, as well as an incisively deep character study.

Barry was released to the world in 2018 to critical claim. The first season was so phenomenal that audiences were champing at the bit for more content. It surprised us by surpassing the gritty, realistic,

and perversely funny foundation to become an excitingly fresh story about a guy coming to terms with his own life in a relatably existential way. Although he’s an antihero in the purest sense, Barry is also one of the most lovable protagonists of the modern age.

Season 2 dove deeper into the character and season 3 has truly tested the breaking point of an audience who still wants to root for a character despite his flaws.

BARRY SYNOPSIS:

Relaying the story of Barry is a much simpler endeavor than most would expect. How does an actual hitman, whose entire life has revolved around killing people left, right, and center, switch his focus to sprouting dreams of becoming an actor? It’s a series about serious reforms that a broken, tattered man’s mind goes through in order to find new passions and stray further and further away from his violent past and wrongdoings.

Barry is a hitman who works paycheck to paycheck. He’s sent to Los Angeles by the people he works for in order to assassinate an aspiring actor who is having an affair with a Chechenmob boss’ wife. He follows the actor to an acting class, and in one of the oddest of situations, he finds a new passion: acting. He decides that this is the a

life he wants to lead, and so learning and becoming an actor is where his true focus must lie. However, life isn’t that simple, and Barry’s violent past will continue to haunt him even after he’s decided to let go of it.

Bill Hader stars as the titular protagonist, a silent and somber middle-aged man. He portrays Barry as someone going through various forms of existential crises at the same time. That’s what makes him such an effective character for audiences, especially because he’s consistently on the verge of breaking down due to the constant physical altercations he finds himself in.

A SHORT REVIEW AND THE STORY SO FAR

A series that creates such atmospheric tension with each and every episode that it becomes a nailbiting extravaganza with each new rendition, Barry has been a wild ride, to say the least.

The series has also been somewhat experimental, mixing elements of neonoir, action thrillers, and black comedies, with a generous dose of untouchable action choreography along the way.

Beginning and ending with Barry, an anti-social hitman with tons of mental health issues from his time in the war, the show delves into our protagonist’s past as well. He’s an ex-marine who couldn’t find solace in a calm life after returning home, and so he took up work as a contract killer for Mr. Fuches (Stephen Root). Barry is fantastic at his job, becoming one of the best hitmen in the world. He’s soon hired to take down

various gangsters and prolific figures from different mobs across the US, thus leading to dozens of enemies who want to exact their vengeance.

However, the thing that separates Barry from most other people in his profession is his compassion. Though he seems like just another ruthless killer at first, struggling to survive and kill anyone in his path, in reality, he’s just a man who’s lost beyond recognition and looking for a higher purpose. When he’s called to Los Angeles, he takes up acting lessons under the tutelage of Gene (Henry Winkler), a Hollywood veteran. What Barry doesn’t expect is his genuine passion for the theatrical arts.

Ultimately, the series is a twisted redemption story of a completely broken and lost man who’s now found a new love, and in doing so has found a source of humanity and empathy within himself. However, the life he’s led for so long will

not be easily tamed as he’s constantly forced to face his past through horrifying situations of violence and brutality that he’s put into. Not to mention, his business manager Fuches is making a ton of money through Barry and won’t let him leave this life that easily.

Barry is easy to root for, despite living the life of a ruthless killer, because he has issues of his own. He’s had a traumatic past and a life that’s been unforgiving to him. His wealth of mental health issues, helps to make him so much more nuanced compared to your average protagonist. And Hader portrays the lead with such emotional depth that it’s heartbreaking to watch him go through the ringer.

The series is written by Alec Berg and Hader in collaboration, who allow this to be such a comedic and tension-filled delight. Barry is deeply rooted in comedy and every aspect of the story reflects that. On the other hand, the show isn’t afraid to get serious and push the limits of action and violence when it comes to the television medium.

SEASON 3 AND EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED SO FAR

It’s been a while since we saw Barry last, with season 2 concluding back in 2019. Due to the pandemic, season 3 was delayed to this year.

But now, the show is back and we’re finally getting to see more of our favorite hitman. We pick up right after the aspiring actor went on a brutal rampage inside of a Burmese monastery. Although his actions can be defended, his friend and acting coach Gene now learns his true identity as a killer.

The third season is just as bombastic as the previous two, but this time around the stakes are higher than ever

before. If you already thought the show was a never-ending roller coaster of emotions and intensity, you still won’t be prepared for what’s coming in season 3. Barry is basically at the hardest point in his life, with a relationship that isn’t going anywhere. He’s also got a ruthless business manager who’s out to get him and he’s not landing very many acting gigs at the moment either.

The first episode shows Barry desperate to make a living and resorting to the Dark Web for work while still taking acting auditions. Meanwhile, Sally (Sarah Goldberg) has her own show now and is feeling the pressures of being successful, thus putting a halt on her relationship with Barry. But the plot really kick-starts when Gene confronts him about his past.

Ultimately, season 3 is a fantastic addition to the series, with more of the witty dark comedy and character drama we’ve come to admire.

With Barry getting renewed for a fourth season, we can’t even imagine how this show will continue to level itself up like it’s done each outing thus far. But that just all contributes to this being one of the most unpredictable and unexpected series in recent vintage.

If you haven’t dove into the world of Barry, please do. Not only will you have a great time and laugh your heart out, but you’ll be able to witness the national treasure that is Bill Hader, who showcases his acting chops better here than anything else he’s ever done.

BY ZAYN BATES

MOST OF THE TIME ON A SERIES, SHOWRUNNERS WILL ASSIGN

one particular episode to be more intense than the others; a highstakes episode that most likely falls near the end of the season, or a midpoint episode which will create a peak to the overall arc. It’s difficult to make a series genuinely intense and full of suspense. And it’s essentially impossible to create tension and then retain it throughout the entirety of a season. However, there’s been one in particular that’s managed to hold that aura of suspense throughout its entire eight-episode run.

Tokyo Vice is a series crafted with such vision, but it doesn’t let go of the viewers’ attention once over the course of its first season. Gripping and engaging from beginning to end, the show follows a genuinely visceral tale of high-stakes criminal activity within Japan’s biggest city and the drug scene that has a hold on it. Showcasing an outsider’s

perspective of Tokyo, it dives deep into the darkest underbellies of its nightlife and criminal activities that lurk within. There aren’t many series out there that manage to keep you on the edge of your seat, but this intoxicating and engaging endeavor will enthrall you in a rollercoaster ride of emotions and fear.

crime thriller that dives headfirst into the ‘90s syndicate-based crime that had a sprawling control over Tokyo. The writer manages to find a contact in the Tokyo police force, and they start working together in order to bring to light some of the most depraved and chaotic drugrelated crimes happening at the time. The story takes a serious toll on the author’s mental state as he becomes increasingly obsessed overSYNOPSIS

Based on a true story, the series centers on Jake Adelstein, the reallife writer of his own memoir Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, which became the basis for the HBO Max series and is one of the most harrowing stories of journalist activity to date.

The series itself follows Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist who heeds his focus on Japan’s most exuberant city. Adelstein’s story is a neo-noir

the statistics and the information that he finds.

Tokyo Vice dives deep into the mindset of the author, showcasing everything from his point of view as well as that of some members of the police squad. The story goes over his life, getting his education from Sophia University in Japan, up until landing a job as the first nonJapanese reporter at one of Japan’s most prolific institutions, the Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper. His involvement in the underworld there ends up becoming one of the hardest-hitting crime stories in Tokyo’s history.

especially through the thrilling first half of the season. It’s here where we’re able to analyze the characters’ psyches and focus on Jake’s meticulous process to solving these crimes.

Tokyo Vice manages to create an aura of suspense through its development of this world.

Legendary filmmaker Michael Mann serves as showrunner and pilot director here, imbuing the series with delicate noir influences and taking time to develop the characters and their world as the story builds up to its heated moments. Likewise, the writing team provides some of the best TV dialogue in recent history.

THE STORY CHARACTERS

Following a non-linear narrative, the plot centers on Jake as he’s thrown into two different cases, which at first seem unrelated until a much darker path becomes illuminated. Taking notes from Chinatown, the interconnectivity is gradually revealed in a way that remains both haunting and mysterious, influencing the main character to actively go out and search for clues and the hidden links between them. Brief moments of respite from the intensity were carefully put in place, but without ever disrupting the overall pace,

None of this would have mattered if they didn’t manage to stick the landing. The ending, the climax, and overall final episode needed to be perfect in order to hit the home run and Tokyo Vice delivers on all three. We’re given a conclusion that’s dramatic, yet highly realistic. The finale is not only crucial to the show’s success, but it’s the highlight of the first season, resulting in one of the most bombastic pieces of drama that you will see this year.

Filled with extremely dynamic characters, especially the main duo of Jake and his detective/mentor Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), the series doesn’t just focus on the main protagonists but dives into characters you wouldn’t normally expect it to, such as crime bosses and other members of the police squad, spotlighting their perspectives on this world as well. Unlike the book, it deviates from the memoir structure that’s inherently built into it. Conveying a realism as it pertains to journalism and putting into question the obfuscation of right and wrong, the series constantly forces its characters to walk that thin line between illegal activity and rule of law, their morality coming into

question over and over again. And where the writing gives the show its foundation, it’s the actors who elevate it even more.

Ansel Elgort is absolutely fantastic here, giving one of the most genuine portrayals of a reporter in recent history, providing depth and nuance for Jake, toiling with his obsession while realistically depicting his desire to lead a regular, stress-free life. Likewise, Ken Watanabe is so believable as the withered police officer who has seldom mixed up right and wrong.

However, in order to help Jake tell his story, he has to take on certain journalistic habits, just as Jake has to take on the role of detective. As the two characters begin to work together, they form a weird father-son bond with one another, which is only a display of the actors’ chemistry with one another.

VISUALS

Michael Mann truly gets his chance to shine with the visual aesthetic of the series. From Manhunter to Miami Vice to the Last of the Mohicans to Ali, this is a filmmaker who knows how to utilize cinematic language to tell a story. Of course, TV is an entirely different beast when you take into account duration and scope, but with some of his favorite

themes at play, the filmmaker allows his neo-noir tendencies to create some of the most entrancing experiences on screen, wrapped in a thick coat of style.

The use of color in particular is impossible to miss, with neon bleeding through every sequence. Although, the very beginning provides a soft dichotomy with grays and browns dominating the palette to better emphasize Jake’s odyssey later. Then, as the story gets more and more demented, you see it punctuated in front of you in the cinematography. The camera angles become more unconventional, the visual storytelling becomes absolutely experimental at times, and the palette changes completely to neon blue, pink, and purple textures rather than the dry colors showcased before.

MUSIC

Composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans created a musical score that tonally resembles the rest of Michael Mann’s work while still being something all its own—a soundtrack full of abstract influences accompanied by somber piano motifs and some cinematic sweeps that accompany absolutely jaw-dropping, mind numbing moments.

Tokyo Vice never shows all of its cards to the viewers, always keeping something on the back burner so that it can surprise you later on in the series, with them all concluding in the final episode. Powered by a fantastic script, the series is then elevated by incredible performances, memorable production design, and impactful camerawork, fully showcasing both the beauty and the enigma that is Tokyo.

It represents the true essence of crime in this metropolis, giving us insight into this world from an outside perspective and pushing us down the rabbit hole with the main character as we both wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into.

BY ZAYN BATES

IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO BE A HALO FAN IN 2022

Upon its debut over 20 years ago, the combat video game revolutionized and changed first-person shooters forever. However, despite its legacy, the franchise has had its ups and downs, helping make it one of the most talked about games ever, let alone by the millions of fans who are quite outspoken about their love for Halo and the direction that 343 Industries has taken the recent games. These fans have raved and ranted about their strong opinions regarding the new installments, in particular Halo 4 and Halo 5. However, Halo Infinite changed things upon its release last year and people seemed excited to be part of the new Halo universe again. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived moment for them as the Halo TV series debuted shortly after and destroyed their hopes for the future of the franchise.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Halo is a first-person shooter, actionadventure game franchise that follows the galactic warfare of many different factions in a distant future. We play as a Spartan soldier named Master Chief, one of the most iconic characters in gaming history. Master Chief is a highly skilled soldier, fantastic in all sorts of combat activities, and a tactically gifted mastermind. However, the threats that he faces, most notably the Covenant, are genuinely dangerous

foes that force him to sharpen his mind even more than his blade. The game franchise brought several new concepts to the table, such as semiopen worlds within a first-person game, as well as vehicles with mounted weapons, and even flying vehicles. The shooting mechanics felt fresh and exciting upon their debut, with a difficulty spike that you could genuinely find a challenge in, along with a character and storyline in Campaign Mode that you could immerse yourself into.

Since its debut in 2001, Halo has been one of the biggest names in the gaming world. The franchise came out of nowhere and made the studio Bungie a household name. On the other side of the coin, Halo is also one of the most divisive video game franchises to ever be created. With each new installment,

HOW THE FRANCHISE’S STORY PUSHED FANS AWAY

More than anything, the franchise is known for its fantastic storytelling. This is where 343—who took the reins after Bungie’s departure—messed up, especially when they decided to toy with the formula that fans loved. Rather than Master Chief being put in dangerous galactic warfare and global threat situations, pushing players to give it their all to ensure the safety of all humanity, the franchise evolved into something else, causing us to question the very existence of the Halo world and introducing new factions, new enemy types, and new characters that didn’t really serve much of a purpose.

they were previously meant for. Master Chief is highly beloved by audiences around the world, so when you include a random plot where he is falling in love with an AI named Cortana, it just doesn’t work because the AI is programmed not to feel those emotions. Not to mention, the narrative is executed poorly and Cortana is eventually turned into some sort of worlddestroying entity in the fifth game.

THE HALO SERIES AND HOW IT HAS BROKEN FANS

purist fans are often vocal about the changes that developers have made, holding true to the very specific nature of the game and showing an unwillingness for it to adapt with evolving technology and trends.

Halo: Combat Evolved was the first installment in the franchise, quickly becoming a mega hit in the industry. However, Halo 2 was the real showstopper, pushing the global fanbase into the millions and making lots of money for Microsoft. Halo 3, while massively popular, added a few changes that some fans didn’t agree with. But the strong feedback would be nothing compared to the scrutiny that its follow-up, the spin-off Halo: Reach, was faced with as the gameplay seemed to be shifting more towards Call of Duty and further from what made Halo so unique to begin with. Halo 4 was the breaking point for many fans who figured that the franchise was essentially dead, with Halo 5 somehow enraging them even more.

This is where fans realized that they weren’t being serviced for their loyalty; that their favorite characters were being forced into different narratives than

Considering how passionate this fanbase is and how much disservice they’ve faced throughout the years, it makes sense why Paramount Studios put a lot of time and effort into their new streaming series, giving it one of the highest budgets in the history of television. They’re really aiming to make this one of their flagship titles for the Paramount+ subscription service. Fortunately, the series is doing a few things right, even if it’s failing on delivering those high notes that people are expecting from Master Chief’s story.

Perhaps the biggest mistake this series made was revealing Master Chief’s face. This is something that the Halo games have never done—even the 343 games, which were pretty infamous for their bad storytelling. The only times that you see his face are when he’s shown as a child or mere snippets where you can’t really make out his facial features. This not only maintains the aura of mystery surrounding Master Chief as a character but ensures that we feel his alienation from the rest of humanity. Here’s a man who doesn’t feel many emotions, and isn’t allowed to show most of them, and that helmet is a symbol of that. If you’re developing a Halo story, you need a compelling main character and there is no other like Master Chief. However, the biggest issue here is that the series doesn’t really dive into him as a character more than it does his human identity, John-117. The plethora of flashbacks disrupts the show’s pacing simply to force us to care for John-117 as a character. Unfortunately, we still never feel like we know him by the end of the first season and, even worse, we don’t really understand any of his motivations.

THE HIGHS

There are several factors to consider before outright calling the new Halo “bad”. If there’s one thing it flourishes with its production value. With a $90 million budget behind it, the CGI and

the action are genuinely going to be spectacular, if not absolutely cutting edge in a way that only adds to the viewing experience.

The action is at the core of this show, and it works to perfection, with a plethora of gunfights, hand-to-hand combat sequences, close-quarter brawls, and just an

absolute insane number of explosions. The shields and the swords look great, even if they lack a bit of color. The Covenant are animated well, and their design is very accurate when comparing it to the games.

Despite below-par writing, the acting is exceptional, especially that of Pablo Schreiber, who plays Master Chief, who has to act from within a helmet. He simply thrives as the character we know and love, someone so mysterious, and yet hopeful; a symbol of humanity’s everlasting struggles. The actor does a fantastic job of getting the voice just right to where you can feel the emotions despite him being largely faceless.

IS THE HALO SERIES TRULY A BLAND RETELLING OF MASTER CHIEF’S STORY?

This is a controversial question because there is no right way to answer this. The Halo franchise has been through a lot, and the fans have suffered enough. The best thing that we can say about the new Paramount+ series is that it’s not canon. That’s a controversial statement in its own right, especially because it’s developing a beloved fan base quite quickly. However, the series is truly missing the essence of Halo, both literally and figuratively. There are so many mistakes in its writing that it truly misses the mark of being even a fun TV series. Likewise, the corny banter often makes it hard to watch, while other times we can’t help but shake the notion that it’s ripping off Disney’s The Mandalorian.

Though, in the grand scheme of things, this is a completely different story set within the Halo universe. It’s a different timeline and tale of its own. Sure, it has the same characters as the games and it might even have the same plot, but it’s not based on the games—it’s inspired by and loosely adapts the events from the games. It’s hard to adapt beloved IPs such as Halo, and you have to give Paramount credit where it’s due, especially for where it

thrives. However, when it comes to the narrative, this series suffers a lot from an overall lack of focus on the story they’re trying to tell.

VERDICT

The Halo series might seem like a great starting point to dive into the franchise, but it’s not a great representation of the video games or the comics, or even the animated stories. It’s an entity of its

own that follows its own rules and world-building separately from the games.

As much as I disagree with the way Paramount has showcased Master Chief in this series, I would still love to see a different interpretation of the character and in a much more meaningful way. Halo, the TV show, isn’t bad by any means, and perhaps the jumping off point we need to get to something even better. Fingers crossed for a more in-depth and nuanced portrayal of the characters in the franchise. But for now, the best we can do is hope that this series finds a better path for the characters they are dealing with now.

BY ZAYN BATES

AS FAR AS I CAN RECALL, I’VE ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION WITH NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Norse mythology has always been one of the most immaculately created, well thought out and highly detailed mythologies in the world. It has some of the most significant and the most incredible pieces of history that have ever been created. There’s something genuinely engaging about the story of Odin All Father and the way he created this world. The stories of the world tree and its historic significance to the Norwegian/Swedish residents in the 10th Century was genuinely hearttouching, and more than anything, the fictional media that came from these myths.

You can find Norse mythology in every medium of entertainment. You can find it in the fantastically made Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Thor, you can find it in video games such as God of War (2018) and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and you can find it in television series such as Vikings, The Last Kingdom and of course, the newly released Vikings Valhalla on Netflix. It’s hard to justify why this series exists, but I think I’ve come to a decent realization about it.

Vikings Valhalla is essentially the product of Netflix having Vikings on their platform for a while and realizing how incredibly popular that show is. Vikings is a series that took a lot of time and effort to get into the mainstream, but once it took off, it did not let off for a single moment. However, Netflix realized that having Viking themed shows is something that people like, and they created this series. This however did not pan out well for them, as they

would quickly realize that people are looking for series that have contextual and sub-textual weight to them, instead of bloated cookie cutter stories with just another Norse design that essentially do nothing different.

VIKINGS VALHALLA SYNOPSIS

While on the surface level, you may be assuming that Vikings Valhalla is a continuation of the popular History Channel series Vikings. In a way, you’re not exactly wrong. The story does take place after the events of Vikings, however it is completely unrelated to the original Vikings series. In fact, the only correlation between the two series is that they are based in the same universe, which is just real life. The historical events that shaped history were done by Ragnar Lothbrok, a famous Viking leader who journeyed through the seas and found his way into England. Vikings Valhalla on the other hand follows a new group of survivors. These Vikings

also live in the English land, ruled by an English king as they follow the commands of their overlords to live together in peace and harmony in a shared England.

The thing that gives Vikings Valhalla an advantage over Vikings itself is the writing team. This particular series has an actual writing theme as compared to the showrunner writing every single piece of dialogue himself. This makes sure that the dialogue is much more engaging and the conversation scenes lead to some extremely exciting content. However, the plot itself and the events depicted here are genuinely black and white, not showcasing the complexities that Vikings managed to do with its interpretation of characters such as Ragnar, Rollo, Ivar and even Athelstan.

A REVIEW OF VIKINGS VALHALLA

A few aspects of filmmaking that make this series better than its predecessor are genuinely a breath of fresh air. Especially because during the last few seasons, Vikings became extremely stagnant and essentially lost its way in a fray of many different things that it was trying to commit to. This particular time, the story has an actual theme to it. Retribution isn’t just a concept, but rather a driving force for Vikings Valhalla. That makes this series much more compelling in its plot and its characters. However, Netflix’s way of showcasing the story is much more simplistic than Vikings had previously done, which gives the original series an edge.

THE STORY

It cannot be understated that Ragnar Lothbrok and his journey of discovery is what made the original series so fascinating when it began. That series showcase the man who had a passion for discovering new things, new lens, new people opportunities to bring his people to a higher living standard. However, it also portrayed deeply how the obsession that he creates with discovery is what leads to his eventual demise. In Vikings Valhalla, this isn’t the case, rather it’s a simple story that focuses extremely on the retribution arcs of the main characters.

Instead of a biographical look at the life of some important figures, Vikings Valhalla chooses to dive straight into a narrative that is much more concise than it has ever been in a Viking story. It follows an era of turmoil and war that has ravaged the lands of Europe. The English painstakingly massacre a large colony of Vikings that are situated in England. This leads to one of the largest gatherings of Viking soldiers who gather their armies and march to London. While the original story featured Ragnar and Rollo, this time around we’re put into the shoes of siblings Leif and Freydis.

While not as charismatic or exciting as the protagonists, the two do a great job of conveying and moving the plot forward. The story revolves heavily around Harald Sigurdsson’s siege of London, and how one of the most brutal battles came in the wake of a hostile massacre of innocent people that shook the English world. The show has a penchant for violence, and it does not shy away from showcasing that violence in many different forms. It does not pull any punches in its depiction of war, massacres, and brutality that can find an actual place in English history. Not to mention, the depictions of war here are genuinely some of the most terrifying that I’ve seen in a while.

Vikings Valhalla showcases a desperate, broken and highly volatile world where people resort to acts of violence at the slightest signs of hostility. It is a world full of conflict, with people resorting to some of the most depraved acts of brutality. This is why following these characters and their stories would have been so important, because it places you in the shoes of young people during an era that is horrifying. However, unfortunately due to the poor pacing and the writing that is displayed at times here, the characters can feel very unknown and one dimensional.

CHARACTERS

At first I thought that I would enjoy following the characters in the series common especially because they were fresh faces with fresh personalities that I was excited to know more about. However, as time went on and I went deeper into the series as story, I realized that the characters are quite one dimensional and that their motivations and personalities don’t really align. Take for example the character of Leif, He’s a headstrong young man who wants nothing more than to protect his sibling. Yet when it comes to making any decisions, he doesn’t

really seem to have the power, nor does he want to have it. He’s protective but he is not willing to go over and be protective.

The same can be said for Harald, who was a decent character when compared to the rest of them. He seems to have motivations of his own, but the main driving force behind this character is revenge for what happened in England.

The Saxon massacre of the Vikings staying there was something that drives his story. Yet when it comes to taking action, he does exactly the

same as any of the other characters, just stands around and waits for very long periods of time.

Freydis also gets caught in this storm, however her character is a bit more headstrong and the one thing that makes her stand out more than the rest is the fantastic performance by Frida Gustavsson. The performances in this show are hard to like, in particular the two main characters who are

supposed to be carrying the show. Both Leif and Harald as characters are mitigated by poor performances by their actors. It’s not that their performances are horrible, they’re not Tommy Wiseau from ‘The Room’ level of bad, but they’re not intense enough like you would expect from a Viking saga. These are supposed to be characters with very intense storylines, some of the best and some of the most stressful moments in history can be traced back to this particular era. The fact that these performances don’t hold much of a standard when compared to the original series, is a bit of a slap in the face of many fans who were expecting better from their favorite franchise.

Of course, it’s not just the performances but also the writing. For the most part, the writing feels much better and much more fluid than in the original Vikings series. However, a lot of the monologues and the speeches here feel very underwhelming when compared to the

VISUALS

original. This might also be a performance issue, because Ragnar Lothbrok was such a phenomenal character and the performance by Travis Fimmel solidified him as one of the greatest antiheroes of modern television. However, when you compare that character to any of the characters in this series, it’s simply not even close enough due to the lack of charisma in the way these characters are written, and the lack of personality that they showcase despite having a decent plot and backstory that they have going for them. However, visually speaking, this series is just as striking as the original if not better. This is one particular department where this series genuinely overtakes Vikings and delivers something extraordinary. Vikings Valhalla has one of the larger production budgets that Netflix could let out – being made on a more than $50 million budget can be very helpful when you’re making a period drama like this. However, the camera work is quite underwhelming when compared to the original.

It’s not as if the original Vikings series was a masterwork of camera angles and unique framing, but it just had a bit more personality to its design. It focused a lot on the characters and the way they expressed themselves, giving us close up shots and faraway shots to showcase both their body languages and their facial expressions. However, given that the acting is not as good in this series, it’s fair to say that the showrunners saw that and realized that they had to zoom in to the characters way less than they had been doing before. This results in a series that looks like it doesn’t focus on the main characters often, and feels less symphonic than the original.

But that being said though, some of the set pieces and the action choreography here is absolutely stunning. Battles are gritty, gruesome and full of some of the most intense use of CGI blood and guts that you will find on TV. The show looks and breathes Viking warfare. That is what pushes it over the finish line.

VERDICT

Vikings Valhalla is a series that has immense potential to grow and become better than its predecessor. It is a series that focuses much more on the plot than its characters, and that is something that comes as a detriment to it. However, given enough time, it has the potential to definitely overtake the main characters in two different routes that might explore their characters more deeply. This will also come as a challenge for the actors to deliver better performances, as the production design and fantastic CGI cannot carry this show alone.

In fact, it’s going to be detrimental to the series if the actors cannot perform up to standard. Hopefully, as time progresses and the actors grow more comfortable with their roles, the series will become much more entangled in the Viking saga. For now, though, all we can do is watch the current season and hope for the best with what the future holds for this series. That is if Netflix doesn’t randomly decide to cancel it like they have been doing with shows for years. Vikings Valhalla is a great show, but it is lacking the same passion that the original Vikings series had.

DC vs. VAMPIRES #7 (of 12)

Writer: James Tynion IV & Matthew Rosenberg | Artist: Otto Schmidt | Colorist: Otto Schmidt

what’s is about?

The nightmarish second arc begins! The Earth is now cloaked in darkness as the victorious vampire empire has taken full control. Pockets of humanity can still be found, and they struggle to live but hope fades with every darker day. The leaders of the last surviving resistance force-Green Arrow, Batgirl, and Supergirl-hatch a desperate plan to save the world…or die trying!

the good

It’s always darkest before the dawn and for the DC Universe this is most definitely their darkest hour; both figuratively and literally as the Vampire King Dick Grayson and his vampire armada have choked the skies creating a perpetual darkness across the globe. I reluctantly picked up DC vs. Vampires for the first

time over six months ago, worn out by gimmick comic themes like ‘everyone’s a zombie’ or ‘everyone’s an ape’ but drawn in by the writing of James Tynion IV and the art of Otto Schmidt. Needless to say this book has surpassed any and all expectations I had. Whenever DC digs deep into the thousands of fictional characters that populate their universes and pulls characters out of obscurity and brings them to the forefront I’m definitely a fan. To see Director Bones and a kickass Jayna (of the Wonder Twins) fighting side by side is definitely worth the cover price. This series is a little over half way through but if you missed any issue don’t fret because DC released issues one through three in one book called the DC vs. Vampires Coffin Edition and issues four, five and six as DC vs. Vampires Crypt Edition both for $5.99. A great price for a great series and a perfect opportunity to catch up on the madness and mayhem.

THE BAD DC vs. Vampires took a brief hiatus to let us enjoy some side quests in the form of one-off issues titled ‘Killers,’ ‘Hunters’ and ‘All Out War’ so it was good to be back with the

main series and start the second arc of this amazing run. I’m a big fan of the Superman family of characters, including Supergirl, but I was hoping this series, more than others, would rely less on Supergirl to save the day and focus more on the multitude of characters that populate their Universe. Characters like Doctor Light seem like they would be perfect in this storyline. Unless I missed his demise, which is entirely possible, because, despite the presence of some cool obscure DC characters, Tynion uses them mostly for cannon fodder. I’m happy I got to see Wild Dog team up with Adam Strange and Director Bones but that lasted for a few panels at most. Supergirl is a great character so if you’re a fan, you’re going to be thrilled. If you like Superboy… you may want to skip page 2 of this book. My grievance with underutilization of the deep end of the DC character pool aside, this issue was a homerun for DC and its creative team.

Rogue Sun:Image

Henson’s

Comics

BATMAN #125

what’s is about?

Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky joins legendary artist Jorge Jimenez to define a new era in Batman!

Bruce Wayne is at a turning point, haunted by dreams of a dark future, while Gotham City billionaires are being gruesomely murdered. With the discovery of an archenemy’s involvement and a tragedy unfolding, the Dark Knight’s nightmares are just beginning. And in the backup, there’s chaos in Gotham as the underworld fights over one of its crown jewels… and Selina Kyle is caught in the middle. Can she stop the bloodshed and maybe even make a little money in the process?

the good Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiminez nailed this issue like a carpenter? The pacing of the story is superb. The story is wild and engaging from start to finish. Jiminez’ art is spectacular and captivating. I can easily say Jiminez is one of my favorite artists working for DC. I’m very open about judging a book by its accessibility to new readers and this issue is perfect in that regard. If you tapped out of the Bat Books like I had around the Dark Metal event and the Bat and

Cat wedding that never happened this issue is a perfect spot to hop on. Sure there are a few things you’re going to be curious about, like how Bruce lost his fortune or who Selina was with in her bedroom, but other than that you’re standing on solid ground. The Penguin is superbly grotesque and monstrously evil in this issue. Zdarsky kept the issue rolling beautifully delivering twists and turns all while setting up angles that I’m excited to see play out on this run. I’m hoping Zdarksy and Jiminez are allowed to let Batman inhabit his own world for a while independent of crossover and major event storylines. Batman #125 ends with two interesting bits of information concerning the Penguin and the introduction of a new character named Failsafe. The backup story involving Catwoman is well done and faithfully connects to both Selina’s series and the main story.

the BAD

I don’t want to ruin one of the issue’s big story points, but I was surprised by a major decision that the Penguin made regarding his own fate that, to me, seemed wildly out of character considering the narcissistic powerhunger manner that we usually see him in. The inclusion of Tim Drake was welcome but he too acted out of character, considering Tim is the smartest Robin, by leaving his guard down. I hope Zdarsky has as much love for Batman as he does for the Batfamily and Batman’s iconic cast of rogues and doesn’t intend to use them as fodder for the story in favor of new characters. All that said, this really was a wonderful issue and a great way to kick off a new storyline.

Writer: Chip Zdarsky | Artist: Jorge Jiminez | Colorist: Tomeu Morey

what’s it about?

A tale of existential familial horror by James Tynion IV and Gavin Fullerton. Thom is moving cross-country with his family and dragging the past along with them. His son, Jamie, is seeing monsters in the bedroom closet and will not let them go.

THE GOOD I was immediately drawn to this book at my local comic shop by three factors. The first, and most powerful, was seeing James Tynion IV’s name on the cover. I cannot sing the praises of this man and his work enough, whether it’s for DC, Image or Boom. The second factor was the Image imprint. Image is a place where creators are free to present their creations to the world without limitations. At Image we see the work as the artists and

THE CLOSET #1 (of 3)

writers intended without publisher interference. Seeing James Tynion’s name on an Image book was an easy sell. The third factor in all of this was the genre. I love horror and couldn’t wait to see what terror lied within the pages of The Closet The story itself is engaging and does an excellent job establishing the relationship between Thom, Maggie and Jamie. Fullerton’s art is as unconventional as the story itself. Fullerton explores the page through the issue of negative space creating a sense of pure dread as the final pages roll out.

THE bad Horror is all about creating the perfect atmosphere. Telling a scary story first thing in the morning

isn’t the right time. You also need to know how to set up the story, especially its characters and setting. The first few pages of Thom sitting at the bar let us know what kind of man, father and husband he was but, for me, it went on too long. The last few pages were undoubtedly the best part of the issue and I wish I got more of the horror and less of the setup in the first arc of the issue.

Considering this is a three issue series I’m going to hang around to see how this story plays out. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting, it just took too long to get us where we needed to be. The Closest will definitely read better when all three issues are collected.

Writer: James Tynion IV | Artist: Gavin Fullerton | Colorist: Chris O’Halloran

VERDICT Hulk, What If?:Marvel Comics

what’s it about?

Theresa is horrified to wake up and find she’s turning into a monster. She learns she’s not the only one when the government throws her into a detention camp with others going through the same transformation.

Surrounded by beasts, Theresa tries to hold on to her humanity by training to become a government weapon as part of Project: Behemoth.

THE GOOD

Children are changing into monsters right out of a Lovecraft story and no one knows why or how to stop

BEHEMOTH #1

it. Project: Behemoth, headed up by Major Rayne, doesn’t care about any of that. He sees the children as weapons to be trained and pointed at the enemy. Behemoth takes fear and anger embodied by the mutants of X-Men – considering both Kipiniak and Woodward worked on X-Books in the past so the influence is evident - and mixes it with feral creatures whom we will undoubtedly grow to love, from Clive Barker’s Nightbreed, to create a wholly engaging story from start to finish. Woodward’s art is gorgeous and compliments Kipiniak’s writing organically. Jesse Post’s lettering on this book is as big a star as the writing and the art. The themes of this book are handled in a gut wrenching manner like a parent’s fear of losing a child and a child’s fear of their bodies changing as they mature. Everything about this book blends beautifully together.

THE bad Behemoth is a compelling story but in a world populated by monsters their designs aren’t very unique. There’s a big difference between being inspired by Lovecraft and drawing characters that are undeniably Lovevcraftian. If we’re going to fall from these creatures they need to be more readily identifiable and unique in their design. I am assuming we are going to fall in love with some of the monsters we meet. Character design is a small flaw in an otherwise stellar offering from Scout Comic’s Black Caravan imprint. I highly recommend this book to fans of horror and action alike.

VERDICT

Writer: Chris Kipiniak | Artist: J.K. Woodward | Colorist: J.K. Woodward

BLACK ADAM - THE JUSTICE SOCIETY FILES: HAWKMAN #1

Writer: Cavin Scott | Artist: Scott Eaton & Norm Rapmunds |

what’s it about?

Long ago, Hawkman was the leader of the Justice Society, but what is he now? Still a hero or another relic in a museum? Everything changes when he finds himself haunted by not only the past, but also the vengeful spirit of a wayward thief. Will this Gentleman Ghost be the death of Hawkman or will he deliver a warning from beyond the grave? The road to Black Adam begins here.

THE GOOD

I picked up this book as a novelty.

I truly didn’t expect much as I’m presumably in the minority of fans not anxious to see Black Adam when it arrives in theaters. Like many fans I have questions about where and if Black Adam has a place within the DC Extended Universe. The Justice Society Files serve to give us a keener insight into the world we’re going to see in the movie. Hawkman is one of several Justice Society members getting a solo issue along with Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone. This issue was a pleasant surprise as it serves to do something DC couldn’t do for me for the last forty years; make Hawkman interesting. We learn in

this series that the Justice Society is (was?) a fully functioning team in the same world as Superman for whom we receive several references. We also get an appearance from longtime Justice Society antagonist the Gentleman Ghost as well as Intregang. I’m a sucker for a good back up story and here we get a great one starring Adrianna Tomaz aka Isis written by Bryan Q. Miller, drawn by Marco Santucci and colored by Michael Atiyeah. The art team does a wonderful job capturing the look of Hawkman and Scott does a great job bringing us into the world of Black Adam.

THE BAD For a tie-in comic release for a major Hollywood film Justice Society Files: Hawkman really delivered although it does seem to have a hyper specific audience of people who plan on seeing the film and people with an advanced knowledge of the characters within its pages. I was fully expecting the inconsistent, rushed art and writing that is characteristic of movie tiein comics but both the main and back-up stories were nicely put together. The only panel that took me out of the book is where Teth Adam does the trademark Rock eyebrow raise. My apprehension with Dwayne Johnson playing Black Adam is that his characters are often indistinguishable from his wrestling persona. I want to see a Black Adam movie, not the Rock cosplaying as Black Adam. However, this issue hooked me for sure and ultimately did what it was designed to do, get me ready for the Black Adam movie.

Colorist Andrew Dalhouse

My Date with Monsters:AfterShock Comics/Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes: DC Comics

TEENAGE

NINJA TURTLES

what’s it about? The earth-shattering story arc conclusion! Punk Frogs, mad vivisectionists, frankenmutants, and psychic powers… and VENUS—the TMNT and their friends have had their hands full of late with all kinds of twisted and terrifying chaos. And now, to top it all off, a new problem waiting to happen is rocketing its way to Mutant Town from Burnow Island!

THE GOOD Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #130 is a fun mix of original black and Eastman and Laird books and the

colorful and chaotic Archie Comics books. Admittedly, this wasn’t the best book for me to pick up considering I’m not exactly up to date on TMNT storylines and lore but it was reader friendly enough that I could understand where the story was and where it is going. I normally judge a comic by its accessibility but this issue is clearly the end of an arc so all is forgiven! Several characters were familiar to me as a lifelong TMNT fan like Venus and the Punk Frogs. The last few pages depicting Shredder, who I assume is deceased, interacting with Leo as some kind of Force Ghost, is a welcome and interesting angle that I’m onboard to see developed in the next story arc.

THE BAD Campbell did a stellar job wrapping up seemingly several separate storylines while simultaneously introducing new ones but this issue should’ve been two; not one. There was simply too much going on in this issue for it to be concluded within 32 pages. Seeing Venus was a weird surprise since the last time I saw her was in the live action Ninja Turtles: the Next Mutation and it wasn’t a good fit then and I wonder how she

will fit in now. Tunica is a fun artist with erratic lines and interesting facial expressions but several characters were drawn inconsistently throughout the issue to the point of distraction. TMNT #130 was an exciting concluding arc but tackled too much within a limited space.

Writer: Sophie Campbell  | Artist: Pablo Tunica   | Colorist: Ronda Pattison

PUBLIC DOMAIN #1

what’s it about?

Syd Dallas is responsible for pop culture’s greatest hero: THE DOMAIN! But his sons Miles and David have a complicated relationship with both the creation and their creator. Can they convince their dad to fight for their family’s legacy? This fun and heartfelt series written and illustrated by Eisner winner Chip Zdarsky explores a wild alternate world where comic book creators aren’t properly acknowledged or compensated for their creations!! Crazy, I know!!

THE GOOD

This is a comic that the Siegel and Shuster families, the descendants of the creators of Superman,  would

be proud of. Chip Zdarsky does a wonderful job crafting a story about family drama, copyright law and a timely critique of superhero films, corporations, characters and their creators. Zdarsky’s writing was what initially drew me to this issue as I, like many, are in love with his work. However, the critique of the comic book industry’s treatment of its talent is what hooked me. The writing is whitty, clever and engaging. The art is simple and clean while expressive enough to capture your imagination. For example, Zdarsky took what could have been a simple panel showing a character walking down a basement staircase and turned it into a unique panel formation using negative space. Books like this are a reminder of why independent publishers, like Image, are so important. A work like this would be a hard sell for a publisher like DC or Marvel but at Image Comics, Zdarsky is free to create as he sees fit.

THE BAD

A book like this, with little to no action, heavy on the dialogue and heavy handed on the industry criticism, will undoubtedly have a hard time reaching everyone but it’s undeniably interesting. For many, comics are a pure form of escapism and the meta-commentary dealt within the pages of Public Domain #1 may be a bit too much for some. The issue takes a very legally complex issue and turns it into a simple tale of good versus evil, right versus wrong. Although I don’t see this book being used in a classroom setting to teach about the issue of creator control or intellectual property, it is an excellent spot to start the conversation.

Writer: Chip Zdarsky | Artist: Chip Zdarsky | Colorist: Chip Zdarsky

Ghost Rider, Avengers Forever: Marvel Comics

SUPERMAN: SPACE AGE #1

Eisner-winner Mike Allred (Silver Surfer and Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams) for the first time, this series promises fans an unforgettable journey through U.S. history and culture starring our beloved characters.

THE GOOD

what’s it about?

Meet Clark Kent, a young reporter who just learned that the world will soon come to an end (Crisis on Infinite Earths) and there is nothing he can do to save it. Sounds like a job for his alter ego…Superman!

After years of standing idle, the young man from Krypton defies the wishes of his fathers to come out to the world as the first superhero of the Space Age. As each decade passes and each new danger emerges, he wonders if this is the one that will kill him and everyone he loves. Superman realizes that even good intentions are not without their backlash as the world around him transforms into a place as determined to destroy itself as he is to save it.

Uniting the critically acclaimed writer Mark Russell (One-Star Squadron and The Flintstones) and

Assuming the writing and art team can keep up what we were given in issue one, we are looking at a new Superman story for the ages. Superman the Space Age looks and feels like a spiritual sequel to Darwyn Cooke’s classic The New Frontier. I fell in love with Allred’s art in the pages of Silver Surfer and his quirky style blends perfectly with this fast paced, global, yet grounded story by Russell. I really enjoyed seeing some of DC’s top characters reimagined, especially Batman. Space Age is cinenatice, non-linear storytelling at its finest. The prevailing theme of hope compounded with Superman’s growing relationships with those around him also remind me of Alex Ross’ Superman: Peace on Earth in which it was Clark’s humanity and capacity for empathy that won the day. In Superman: Space Age, although our heroes are facing

global annihilation, it is Russell’s characterization of the people we meet along the way that captures our attention.

THE BAD

Did Luthor just kill millions of people in Coast City? That has to be one of the worst, if not THE worst, things Luthor has ever done. I know we need to hate the antagonist in the story but I’ve never despised Luthor this much before. This issue is certainly an amazing way to kick off a potentially legendary series. Green Lantern’s inclusion, although welcome, feels forced and irrelevant as of now. Russell and Allred did an amazing job bringing some of Superman’s extended family into the book but Hal’s arc doesn’t gel as well as I’d like. All that aside, the story does a phenomenal job retelling Supes’ backstory set against Cold War tensions and Allred’s art is perfect.

Writer: Mark Russell | Artist: Michael “Spike” Allred | Colorist: Laura Allred

THE NEW CHAMPION OF SHAZAM #1 (of 4)

what’s is about?

Mary Bromfield has always struggled to determine who she is outside her family…kinda hard to do when you’re all superheroes! Now, after Billy Batson’s heroic sacrifice, the power of Shazam has vanished, and she’s been left powerless. Most heroes would be distraught, but not Mary. It’s finally time for a voyage of self-discovery as she prepares for her freshman year of college and a civilian life. But nothing is ever truly normal for this young hero, because she’s just been chosen as the new champion of Shazam! (At least according to a talking rabbit sent by her estranged brother Billy.) Will she embrace the power? Or will it die along with this world’s hope of survival against the mysterious magical forces waiting to take control? Find out in Mary’s first solo miniseries, brought to you by up-and-coming comics writer Josie Campbell (Future State: Green Lantern) and fan-favorite Shazam artist Evan Doc Shaner (Strange Adventures, Convergence: Shazam!)!

the good I’m glad that DC is finally giving members of the Shazam family a

chance to shine. Although it would historically make sense for Freddy Freeman to inherit the title of Shazam over Mary, the Freddy we have in the DC Rebirth Universe is not a compelling character. Mary, on the other hand, is better suited for the role. Mary may be the star of the book but the real star is the artwork of Doc Shaner. Every character is rendered with precision and detail. The action sequences really pop. This series clearly leans towards a younger demographic than I but Campbell’s writing is something that anyone, at any age, will enjoy. With Mary moving hours from home to start college this book feels like the pilot of a new spin off series. Campbell and Shaner do an amazing

job taking a young person endowed with the powers of several gods and making it somehow relatable and fun. Also, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny is along for the ride!

the BAD I can picture a lot of people complaining already about the quirkiness of this book. Sure there are some moments that will make you question logic; like when Mary transforms in front of a bank full of civilians. This isn’t one of those books designed to fit into continuity, it’s designed to be a fun romp and to hopefully establish Mary as one DC’s major players, something long overdue. The only downside is that this series is a miniseries. I am anxious to see what DC will do with a fully powered Mary (as opposed to sharing her powers with the family).

Silver

Writer: Josie Campbell | Artist: Evan “Doc” Shaner | Colorist: Evan “Doc” Shaner

BY JOSHUA AMBAR

IN EVERY PRODUCTION, THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS THAT REALLY HELP THE CHARACTER

come to life: the actor and the costume designer. Costume experts are tasked with creating the outer layer of a character to assist the audience when it comes to understanding just who the actor is trying to portray. And no one understands the importance of costumes more than the talented Meghan Kasperlik, costume designer for shows such as Moon Knight, Watchmen, and The OA.

Spoiler had the chance to sit down with Kasperlik to understand her background as a costume designer and for her to explain just exactly how it’s made.

What made you go towards costume design and what was your process to getting to where you are at now?  So, I originally started out doing magazine styling and working in

that capacity and doing catalogue styling and doing fashion PR after graduating college. After college, doing fashion PR, it wasn’t really where my heart was, so my roommate did extras casting and he said, “Hey, they need a PA (personal assistant) on a job.” And I had the audacity to ask who the costume designer was. It was Patricia Field who did Sex and the City. I didn’t do Sex and the City with her, I did some of her other projects, but because it was her, I was like, “Oh, absolutely, I will 100 percent do this.” That is how I got into it, and I just worked my way up from the bottom. So, I worked as a PA, Coordinator, and Assistant Designer before becoming a Costume Designer. I put a lot of hard work into it and said yes to any project for a really long time until I was an assistant and I decided that

I only wanted to do projects that I would learn from. I sought out big designers and worked with Michael Wilkson for a while, who does a lot of Zack Snyder films, and he was like, “Eventually, just have to do your own projects.” Not because we didn’t love each other but because I was ready to move on.

Did you go to fashion school?  I went to school for fashion merchandising, so it was a lot of visual merchandising, and it was great. I learned the business side of it but was still able to do the visual. I went to school at Western Michigan, which does have a fashion program, but I knew I was going to move to New York so I wanted to do as much fashion as possible while still having a university experience. And then I instantly moved to New York.

Selena: The Series:Netflix/Pam & Tommy:Hulu

Since you didn’t learn fabrics and how to put a costume together in school, did you learn that on the job?

It was a lot of on-the-job training, so when I was working with Patricia Field we were building a lot of things. It’s not like working in the opera or a period film where you build a lot, so any time something came in that I really liked, I would flip the label up and look inside the lid and I would be like, “What is the fiber content, where was it produced?” I am a big believer in power of observation, so I would just observe everything that was happening. Eventually I took myself to the fabric store and just walked all the isles at B&J and I asked myself those same questions. Because its not something I learned in college, and you don’t have to learn it in college. Going to a fabric store is your biggest learning experience; being able to feel those fabrics. In fittings, there is a big difference between styling for commercials and styling a magazine. There is a big difference in how it fits a model and how it fits a real person’s body. 90 percent of who you are going to fit in the TV film business is a real body, so you learn that with experience—how something is draped and how it feels and how it is going to look. You can just look at something and say, “Oh, it’s not going to fit this body type but it will fit this other body type.”

When it comes to costume design, there are different people who come together to make a costume. How do you work with other members of costume design to make a concept come to life?

On big projects you mostly work with illustrators because I am not a computer illustrator in that sense. I would say that I can do a rough sketch and say what fabric will go with it, and say this is how I want it to look and do more a technical sketch versus having this big, amazing frame that the Marvel visual team does, or how other illustrators do. They will illustrate it for me, but I will give them a lot of references or a rough sketch or both. So, if I work with someone, I give them what I want the costume to look like. If it is the top portion of this or the bottom portion of that and the fabric and texture I want, so they can incorporate it into the illustration.

You have a diverse background in costume design, ranging from realistic fashion to the superhero genre. Which one do you prefer working on and why?

I like to mix it up, so I never want it to be just one thing. I was doing Mare of Easttown before I did Moon Knight, so it was a big shock for people that I could go from doing something blue collar and aged looking to something that was so sci-fi. I think it is great to be able to do anything and not just being loop holed into one design. I always want to be learning and growing and I do a tremendous amount of research for all of my projects, so it is really nice to transition to each one.

When it came to your work on the Egyptian-themed Moon Knight, how did you conduct your research to create costumes that fans would remember?

That is exactly what happened. The research into Egyptian culture, ancient Egypt, what is happening in the comic, where the MCU is currently, and where they can be transitioning into. Because I didn’t know Egyptian culture, I was not educated on it in school and that is happening in a lot of topics for design. Costume Designers are working on that, where you might not have necessarily learned the subject in school, so you have to go back and do a lot of the research. New facts have come out and new information has come out that maybe you didn’t learn in that time, so I did a tremendous amount of

research on ancient Egypt and current Egyptian culture. There were a couple of people in the project that where Egyptian who had lived in Egypt and the states, so I was learning from them on how they saw Egypt today. As far as Moon Knight, I wanted to have Egyptian culture, ancient Egyptian culture, but then also the comic books, so it was a blend of that.

How do you get costumes to be functional and realistic, especially for the ones presented in superhero shows?

All of the costumes that were Moon Knight, Mr. Knight, Scarlet Scarab, Ammit, and Khonshu were enhanced in CGI. Although Moon Knight and Mr. Knight were fully functioning, but the other were enhanced with CGI because of the animal aspects of the characters. It is very important to me after working on a number of these projects, that the suit is functioning. So, if anything, I want to make sure that the actor can move, the stunt person can move, they can act, and they are not restricted, and it is important for their character to do that. For Moon Knight, the stunt people tried on the costume way before Oscar (Issac) tried on the costume. I sent them to get fit in England and we were on lockdown

and that was when London was in full lockdown, so they had to quarantine and sit in the hotels. And then when they went to  FBFX, which is the company that built the costume, I made them move, kick, and do some of the action and some of the motions that they would do to make sure the suit was functional. That was really helpful because they were able to work out the adjustments or if the mask had to be tighter prior to Oscar trying it in on.

When you have a show or film based in the real world, how do you go about creating a character’s wardrobe? How can the viewers understand who each character is by their clothing choice?

When it comes to Steven and Mark from Moon Knight, I spoke at lengths with Oscar in regards to what he was thinking for the character, like where Steven lived, which was very important to the style of his character. He lives in a hipster Brooklyn-type area. And obviously Steven isn’t super cool, so he has to look cool enough to live in that neighborhood and play that part.

I wanted to make sure that there were some interesting parts to that.

I wanted there to be somewhat of a trend, like vintage shirts mixed with baggier pants since baggier pants

are more on trend. I wanted to give him a little bit of those elements, but he can go to work and be functional. I like a lot of texture in costumes, so it was about mixing that up.

For Mark, I knew that he was a special ops mercenary person, and speaking to some special ops people, they said you defiantly don’t want to wear black because black stands out. You want to wear navies and charcoal grays. In action films you want the main character to look so cool, but it was important to me to make sure Mark blended in and didn’t look so cool. It’s talking to people, researching the area, researching the job activity and what the person does, and then that transitions to this is functional for them and what style they can move into.

How often do costume designers collaborate with actors to bring about the outfits for their characters?

I think for most of us, that is part of being a costume designer. You are speaking with the director, you are speaking with the actors. I speak with the cinematographer and the production designer to make sure we are cohesively making the same show or movie. Because my ideas might not blend in harmoniously with what the sets look like. It is very important to always be talking to the creative director heads, and that includes hair and make-up, to make sure it is all flowing and working together. But you are collaborating with the actors to help build their characters. The character really comes out in the fitting room and the costume designer, besides the director, is usually the first person who talks to the actor when they first come onto the role. They haven’t really spoken to anyone else yet. I always speak with all of the actors and their thoughts on the characters since they are the people playing these characters. It is very, very important that it is communicated, and great collaboration is that the actor speaks to the costume designer, speaks to the director, looks at the set and speaks with the production designer to find their character through these elements.

Costume design and the superhero industry is growing alongside technology. Where do you see

the costume industry going in the future, and where do you see yourself in it?  There has been so much development and transition in the last few years, so definitely 3D printing will play a huge role, and it has already played a huge role, especially in the sci-fi category. Building costumes and building props through 3D printing. I would love to do more of that world because it is a lot of fun and there’s more creativity in it. In the history of costume, the silhouette of clothing has not changed tremendously in the last 50, 60 years. The silhouette will change slightly but we are still wearing clothing that can still be considered in the ‘60s. There is a long way to go before we get in that element of everyone looking sci-fi and I don’t even know if that will happen. We are also wearing button-front shirts and jeans which have been around 100 years, and I think that element will continue. But for myself, I really hope that I can keep working with technology and moving forward in that aspect because it is a lot of fun!

BY SARA HOPE

IN A WORLD FULL OF STREAMING SERVICES, NETFLIX, DISNEY+ AND AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

are still reigning as kings. This is because they already had some of the most beloved TV series in the world, as well as some of the more popular, well actual property, such as Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, Stranger Things and more. The competition has never been more fierce as it is now though, with streaming services such as Peacock, Paramount+, HBO Max and of course; Apple TV+ coming into the fray.

Apple TV+ has always been a subscription service that has lagged behind the competition for the most part. This is due to the overwhelming popularity of their competitors, and the lack of any content that would entice viewers to purchase the subscription. Though, that seems to be changing now especially due to some really fantastic TV series that Apple has been creating. It’s still not enough to match the popularity of Netflix and Disney, but they’re enough to start something new and give this subscription service a chance to battle it out. Severance seems like the first true step in the right direction for Apple TV+, a sci-fi series that tackles some hard-hitting subjects.

SEVERANCE SYNOPSIS:

Severance is an American psychological thriller, that focuses a lot on the character of Mark Scout. At first glance, Mark seems like your average office worker who leads a team of people that are highly devoted to their job. However, upon further inspection, you come to realize that the job that he’s working at is much more sinister and malicious than it looked from far away. That’s the main plot of the series, a mysterious and sinister technological based company essentially manipulates its employees by surgically separating their work memories from their regular life memories. However, as Mark dives deeper into this conspiracy and starts to figure out what is truly going on, things start to change for him in ways that he will never be able to fix.

This is a story of how the working class is exploited often by large organizations who employ them. It is also a story about how some of the more sinister companies treat their workers, as well as the state of consumerism overall and how it is affecting people who work jobs that

revolve around creating products. It is a series that showcases a nihilistic approach to consumerism, corporate greed, uncovering conspiracies and a harrowing sense of anxiety.

This is a binge worthy series though, it’s something that you can watch in less than two to three sittings. This is due to the way the story unfolds, it moves at a breakneck pace, jumping from one moment to another as the characters are truly being thrown into the grinder from one instance to the next. It focuses very heavily on the themes and ideologies that are portrayed, as well as the symbolism that the creator Dan Erickson was trying to portray.

THE STORY

The story of Severance is a disjointed, often times confusing and highly reliant on the sheer shock value of the events that are occurring. It follows the character ruthlessly, showcasing Mark’s journey from one end of the letterbox to the entire different side of the company he’s working for. Mark essentially has almost no memory of his work, and he will most likely not have it due to the surgical implant that went into his nervous system that prevents him from having any memories of it. He knows that he has a purpose to serve within Lumon Industries, yet he doesn’t know exactly what his purpose is.

The narrative starts out slow, introducing you to the character and his story, then helping you dive

deeper into the character’s life and finally pushing you into the meat of it all. The conspiracy aspects don’t show up too deeply until the latter half of the series, and for the starting few episodes you are mainly focused on one of the most affectionate character dramas that you will watch on any subscription-based video service, not just Apply TV+.

This show exudes style, it focuses heavily on its sci-fi aesthetic and the highly technological world that is showcased here. It’s no surprise that this show uses the technology heavily, especially since the main character is working at a technological based company. They show that this is a world that relies heavily on information, which makes memory one of the most essential tools that any person has at their disposal. You see, memory is a form of record keeping that is untraceable and untouchable, whereas any other form of record keeping can be used against the company itself. This is why Lumon Industries chooses to remove their employees’ work memories.

Severance is a series that combines many different aspects of filmmaking, yet it also stretches itself out to 9 episodes to compensate for its television format.

The series is also extremely funny, every single joke in this series lands to perfection. It is a dark comedy series though, so a lot of the moments that we laugh at shouldn’t really be laughed at, yet there’s presented in such an exaggerated way that there is no way you cannot laugh at it. It’s also because of the

actors who portray some of the characters here, the comedic timing is spot on and makes each of these moments feel earned and well developed.

The cornerstone of this story is the way it unfolds. It keeps most of the relevant information to itself, slowly showcasing how disturbing this world that Mark inhabits can be. Surveillance is the main motivation of why the company does what it does. The company is a huge part of this story, so having them being such a sinister entity makes for one of the most atmospheric settings to ever be showcased on TV. It’s not even just that either, it’s also a series that demands attention from its production design. The world itself is part of the whole narrative, and that is what pushes the whole storyline forward.

There is nothing more exciting in a TV series than to unravel a mysterious world that you don’t know much about, but are terrified of nonetheless. Severance’s world is by far the most intriguing part about this show, which is saying a lot because this series does not miss a single beat. The episodes which were directed by Ben Stiller were absolutely mind-blowing in particular. They were such a welcome addition to the episodes which were directed by Aoife McArdle which focused more on the higher value moments in the series. The creators had a true vision here for this world, drowning in corporate colors and amoeba lights, which ended up being one of the most solid combinations in the series.

CHARACTERS

The other most important thing to unravel here in Severance is its main character. Mark is just as mysterious as the world around him, but not for any malicious or sinister underlying reasons. It’s rather due to the fact that he has no memories of things that he should definitely know about. The company uses its employees as a scapegoat for most of its sinister activities, and since they have no memory of it, it’s as if they never did anything morally conflicting at all. The fun of it all isn’t when Mark is oblivious to his situation. Rather, the true fun parts of unravelling Mark’s character begin when he slowly begins to unravel his own stories by himself.

When he begins to fall into the rabbit hole that is Lumon Industries, he realizes that there’s way more to find here than the eye can see. However, it’s not until the latter half of the season that we realize

Mark himself, and the impact he has had while working at Lumon. It’s a devoted series that doesn’t overly focus on one aspect of the world, but rather grabs all focal points and mashes them together into a symphony of weird, horrifying and genuinely shocking moments. It’s not disturbing by any means, it’s just a paranoia inducing series that totally pushes the envelope for something unique and voyeuristic.

Another reason why some of the characters felt so genuinely fantastic here is the fabulous acting by some of TV’s most prominent personalities. Parks and Recreation’s

very own Adam Scott stars as the lead character Mark Scout, and boy oh boy does he blend into this character smoother than butter. The concept of the actor just vanishes while you watch this series, you recognize Scott only as Mark, and that is the sign of some of the most vigorous acting that I could personally think of. It’s such a dramatic performance too, portraying one of the very darkest comedy sequences that should genuinely not be laughed at with such charisma that you can’t help but laugh.

In terms of the visuals, there’s a lot to unpack here. In a science fiction dystopian setting, it’s very important that the visuals tell a story of their own. It’s safe to say that Severance checks all the boxes here, the visuals tell a story, the visuals make sure that this is a highly stylized world and they also ensure that you know exactly what kind of

dystopian landscape Mark inhabits. This world is the main antagonist in the series, and its influence can be felt throughout every location that Mark goes to. It reminds you a lot of Mr. Robot, a series set in the regular world but heavily perverted due to the protagonist’s views. However, here it’s flipped around, and the protagonist feels perverted as he lives in this voyeuristic world.

As such, the series is drowning in color and design. The production design is bafflingly amazing, every piece of set and furniture in the series definitely belongs in this dystopian recreation of the world. The camera angles are waiting here covered ranging from some of the most deranged and chaotic angles which can be found in films such as Darren Aronofsky’s, to some of the more articulate and moody camera angles that you will find in a Fincher film. All in all though, this is a series That is bristling with personality due to an extensive investment in the production design.

In a nutshell, if you ask me to describe the way that Severance as a series makes me feel, it would be as follows. I feel extremely paranoid about the way the world will start surveilling people as the age of technology grows more conscious. The anxiousness of the way these systems will become more and more controlling is also a harrowing thought that seldom crosses our minds regularly. The most profound way that this series has made me feel as a viewer is the way it affects your mind. It throws you in the darkest pit of emotion and forces you to confront it. Another way it makes you feel things is by making you laugh alongside the main character, not always at them, but rather the ridiculousness of the situation that they’ve found themselves in.

There isn’t much to say about Severance other than the fact that it’s a series that challenges its audience. It pushes you to question things around, question the level of technology that you surround yourself with and genuinely come to terms with how this era of surveillance will change the world forever. Technology can be the most helpful tool in the future of mankind, it can be something that revolutionizes industries and it gives us immense freedom to do what we do best, create. However, the technology begins to interfere in human life, the more harm it could do if it reaches worldwide success. Severance is essentially asking “is there a future for humanity?” if we do not begin to understand common principles of humanity such as privacy, equality, human rights and the current condition of the working class.

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE’VE BEEN HERE, A LONG WHILE SINCE

anyone has talked about one of the most beloved shows of the 2010s. A series so predominantly beloved that it was one of the main selling points for Netflix as a subscription service, a series that made Netflix the biggest name in the world of streaming services. Stranger Things had been gone for a long time, three years in total since the last season aired in 2019, we had essentially no information and no knowledge regarding the fate of our favorite characters from Hawkins. The only thing that kept fans at bay was the announcement that a fourth season is in production, and that was all that fans needed to know because they were very unsure where the story would go from here on.

However, last year in 2021, we got our first glimpse at Stranger Things 4, and the Internet went up in frenzy. Not only was everybody talking about this show, but the hype was back, and all that people wanted was July 2022 to come so that they could binge it. Rumors were spreading, episode lengths were long and castings were announced. However, nothing could have prepared fans for this season of Stranger Things. Not only is Stranger Things 4 the most exciting season in the series’ history, it’s also the darkest and the most gruesome, along with the most narratively nuanced season of writing we’ve had for everyone in the show.

STRANGER THINGS THE STORY SO FAR

The story so far has been quite a rollercoaster ride. Salutations from Hawkins, Indiana! It’s 1983, a year of fantasy role-playing games, great movies, and Steven King books. Young Will Byers, who was playing Dungeons & Dragons with his buddies, was abducted off the street one night while walking home when he saw a weird creature. Best friends Mike, Lucas, and Dustin start looking for Will but instead find a mysterious

girl with a shaved head who only goes as Eleven. Will’s mother Joyce, who is pleading with the town police chief Jim Hopper for assistance in finding her son, also starts to detect strange electrical disturbances in her house and sets up a set of Christmas lights inspired by a ouija board in an effort to find him.

It appears that Hawkins is the epicenter of all kinds of craziness. Eleven unintentionally unlocked a doorway to a terrifying parallel world, which Mike and the crew quickly dubbed the “Upside Down,” while participating in an experiment on psionically gifted children at a local lab. It is a gloomy reflection of the city, with strange tentacles and ash falling from skyscrapers and other notable structures. The boys named the humanoid beast with a head full of fangs with the name Demogorgon after the main antagonist in their D&D games.

Will has been brought there and is at the mercy of this monstrosity. The search for Will also involves Will’s brother Jonathan, Mike’s sister Nancy, and Nancy’s boyfriend Steve. When these three aren’t preoccupied with their own teen drama, the Demogorgon, which killed Nancy’s best friend Barb, is haunting them.

Together, Joyce and Hopper mount their own rescue mission, confronting Dr. Brenner, who was in charge of the experiments, and eventually track down Will and bring him back to the surface. In a makeshift sensory deprivation tank at Hawkins School, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas assist Eleven increase her skills. However, when the agents from the sketchy lab storm the school and Eleven kills several of them, the Demogorgon is drawn to the killing. The monster pursues the children despite their attempts to flee, but Eleven challenges it and ultimately sacrifices herself in the process (or does she?).

Now in the fall of 1984 we return to Hawkins after a little detour to meet several other people who have Eleven’s superhuman abilities and one of whom has “008” tattooed on her wrist. But soon it becomes clear that Will is still experiencing terrifying images of the Upside Down. The guys meet Max Mayfield, a new student who has just moved to town with his stepbrother Billy and is an alpha male prepared to challenge cool kid Steve for the top spot in the school. Joyce has found a new love in Bob Newby, a former classmate played by Sean Astin, aka Samwise Gangee, one of the most recognizable movie characters ever.

You’ll be happy to know that Eleven is still alive. She was only taken to the Upside Down by her confrontation with the Demogorgon at the conclusion of Season 1, from which she has since escaped and is currently hiding out with Hopper. Hopper has been looking into rotting pumpkin patches, and he finds a tunnel going to the Upside Down and rapidly gets stuck, Will’s visions come in handy. The huge entity Will is witnessing is the Mind Flayer, which, as its name suggests, is a scary monster. The tunnels reveal to have been invaded by vines and tentacles from the Upside Down.

Our heroes gather at Hawkins Lab, where we learn where the primary entrance to the Upside Down is situated, even if Will is still afflicted by some sort of Upside Down virus. Oh, and terrifying Demodogs show up and attack, where the new fan favorite character of Bob gets ripped apart by them. The Mind Flayer’s tunnels, which Steve and the children end up lighting on fire, Hopper’s cabin, where Nancy, Joyce, and the others ramp up the heat in an exorcism-style attempt to heal Will, and the lab, where Eleven shuts the dimensional gate, are all scenes of a final stand-off. After a month, the lab will permanently close. While the kids are enjoying the school dance and the Hollands are holding Barb’s funeral, a Mind Flayer is hanging above them, ready to strike.

Summertime in Hawkins! The year is 1985 right now and all the kids appear to be much older. Dustin picks up strange Russian transmissions, and together with Robin, Steve, Erica he finds a brand-

new lab beneath the Starcourt Mall. A large sized yet sophisticated contraption is being used by the Soviets in an attempt to open a new portal to the Upside Down. Billy, who has gained notoriety among the local ladies as a result of his summer employment as a shirtless lifeguard, gets assaulted by vines and becomes possessed by the Mind Flayer.

When the youngsters realize Billy is possessed, they lock him up in a sauna. The group divides off; while the kids engage the Flayer in a titanic struggle at the Starcourt Mall, Joyce, Hopper, and Murray proceed to the lab to stop the Russians and lock the gate once more. When the Mind Flayer bites Eleven on the leg, she must use her talents to expel the portion of the creature left inside her, which causes her abilities to fail for the remainder of the battle.

Eleven is taken to the Flayer by Billy, who is possessed, but after Eleven communicates with him through memories of his mother, he shields her and gives his life in order to save her. A huge explosion happens in the underground lab, and Hopper seemingly dies in the process.

Eleven, Will, Jonathan and Joyce head to California while the rest stay in Hawkins, living their lives. Well, the one thing we know that season four is bringing is a brandnew villain. The Mind Flayer is dead and dusted, so the only way to increase the stakes is bring in a new villain, but this time around,

WHAT DOES SEASON 4 HOLD?

the Duffer Brothers are going for a different approach. Instead of making another vicious monster enemy, this new enemy is a much more devious sort. A humanistic looking character from the upside down, Vecna is the ghost of everybody’s Christmas past. He’s here to collect souls and take them with him, and only the gang in Hawkins can stop him. However, not everybody is around there, Eleven and the Byers are in California, meanwhile Hopper who survived the explosion at the end of Season 3 is now being held in a Russian prison.

With every episode lasting more than an hour and the season finale clocking in at a staggering 2 hours and 19 minutes, Stranger Things’ fourth and most ambitious season is more ambitious than anything the series has ever attempted. The sci-fi horror show’s first season combined small-town mystery with sentimental coming-of-age dramedy. The fourth season of Stranger Things takes an epic approach that highlights how the series’ scope has altered to a much bigger scale than expected. It is set all over the United States and even parts of Russia. This season also has a previously unseen level of horror along with a much more humanized villain.

So, with this new terrifying threat looming around the corner and the whole gang separated, what are Hawkins’ saviours going to do? Well, you can find out right now by watching Stranger Things 4 only on Netflix! All nine of the episodes are out, and trust us, Episode 9 is by far one of the best episodes in television history.

CONCLUSION

If you’re searching for some excitement, be sure to watch Stranger Things Season 4, Volumes 1 and 2. It’s currently available to view on Netflix, and it features some delectable subtitles.

The wait for Stranger Things 5 has started, so until it airs, be on the lookout for more of our film and TV series recommendations, because you know we’ve got you covered!

THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL HAS BEEN A BELOVED FIGURE FOR MANY DECADES

there have been countless documentaries on this man as well as a couple of films that dictate his life. However, no one has been able to do so with extreme detail, the exact set of events, and a realistic flourish to the life of The King, Elvis Presley. Although that seemed like a pipe dream, it is about to come true for many of his fans now that Baz Lurhmann’s actually detailed biography film Elvis is out in cinemas near you.

THE STORY OF ELVIS

THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL:

The brief answer is that it’s all about Elvis Presley’s life, from the beginning of his fantabulous career to the unhappy and unfortunate ending that came quite abruptly to his tenure. Elvis’s life as seen through the prism of his talent, celebrity, and cultural upheaval, as presented within the context of his delicate relationship with manager

Colonel Tom Parker is depicted to an incredibly detailed extent. The movie is a music driven drama that explores the complicated relationship between Presley and Parker over a period of 20 years, from Presley’s ascent to prominence to his extraordinary stardom, against the backdrop of the changing cultural environment and loss of innocence in America. One of the most important and influential figures in Elvis Presley’s life, Priscilla Presley, is at the center of that journey.

Well, we’ve known for a long time who was working on this incredible biopic. Baz Luhrmann, most popular films such as The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet has directed the film himself. The film was unannounced back in 2014, with Luhrmann showing extreme interest in dedicating his time and money into creating a film that showcases the life of Elvis in its purest form. Elvis was a character with a ton of depth, he was a person who not only revolutionized music back in the ‘50s, but also became an influential figure during the civil rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s era of civil unrest.

Fans have been feverishly anticipating a movie that seeks to do justice to the singer’s complex life and personality along with his

deeply human connections since Luhrmann first revealed his plans to make an Elvis Presley biopic in 2014. Priscilla Presley, who was Elvis’s wife from 1967 to 1973, thankfully gave the movie her enthusiastic approval in a Facebook post. Now that fans know that this film has Priscilla Presley approval, there are even more excited to watch this film and fall absolutely in love with the characters.

THE CAST OF ELVIS (2022) IS PHENOMENAL!

Austin Butler portrays the King, and from what we can gather, he did a fantastic job. Butler, who has primarily played lesser roles in his career to date, received his first prominent role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood after a minor stint in the vigilante series Arrow and a substantial career starring in Disney entertainment media. His next significant role will be in Dune: Part Two in 2023 as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen who is one of the most influential characters in the latter half of the first Dune book by Frank Herbert. We anticipate seeing him a lot more if he keeps putting on performances like he did in Elvis (2022).

Colonel Tom Parker; a Dutch music magnate and Elvis’s only manager throughout his exciting career is portrayed by Tom Hanks in a fat costume. Parker, who was born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, entered the US without authorization when he was 20 years old and spent the remainder of his life there. Despite this, Parker succeeded as an agent and amassed millions of dollars while working as Elvis’s agent, among others. We feel bad for Tom Hanks and his makeup artists because it appears that he will play a significant part in the movie, however, despite the tough working conditions of a heavily prosthetic suit, he seems to have provided a performance that only Tom Hanks could have given. There are strong echoes of Winston

Churchill played by Gary Oldman in The Darkest Hour vibes here, and we’re all here for it!

The remainder of the cast seems to be extremely strong as well. Olivia DeLonge is portraying Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s partner and one of the closest people in his lifetime. Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh playing Elvis’s parents, whose characters will have a ton of influence in developing Elvis, along with 300’s David Wenham playing popular country singer Hank Snow, and Kodi Smit-McPhee playing Hank Snow’s son, Jimmie Rodgers Snow. It seems as though there is a significant Australian presence in the cast.

It seems that the US civil rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s will be featured quite a lot due to the time period of Elvis’s career. The news of the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy are featured in the trailer, so that aspect is definitely hinted upon. In the teaser we also get a sighting of Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King who is advising a young and anxious Elvis that “They might put me in jail for walking across the street, but you’re a famous white boy.”

THE

AND

DATE FOR

This film went through some tough times while filming, especially because the film was being shot during the COVID-19 pandemic and both Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson ended up testing positive for COVID. Of course, after a small halt in filming, the cast and crew were back together and working overtime to make sure this product was as perfect as it could be. Lucky for us fans, the trailer ended up dedicating a three-minute runtime to show us just how good this film was going to be.

The film is a deeply personal project for the director, and its drowning in the signature Baz Luhrmann style. The film features of large degree of colors, a ton of lights and beautiful set designs along with some of the best musical set pieces that you will see in recent memory. The film is just as eccentric as its main protagonist, and it tells the story truthfully, you can get all of this information simply by watching the trailer. Now, when it comes to the topic of release date, Elvis has already been released for quite a while now. In fact, if you’re quick enough, you can catch Elvis at a local theatre near you!

However, if you’re going to miss out on the local screenings, there’s still a chance for you to watch this film when it hits digital. The film is set to be releasing on iTunes and Amazon Video on August 9th, meanwhile the Blu-Ray and DVD sets will be releasing in September of 2022. Still a decent chunk of time until the Blu-ray hits, but you can catch the film quite soon when it hits the digital platforms such as iTunes and Amazon.

CONCLUSION

Elvis was one of the most influential figures in the history of music, he revolutionized rock and roll and made his mark on the world at a very young age. Despite his untimely demise, Elvis is a person who is remembered even today as one of the best musicians to ever live. Make sure to dive deep into this revered artist’s complicated and rich life by watching Elvis!

YOU EVER MISS AN ERA WHERE THERE WAS A BUNCH OF FILMS

about large speeding vehicles with a race against the clock plot? Speed, Snakes on Planes, Train to Busan, and a bunch of Fast and Furious films all follow that same exact formula. However, none of those films has ever had a cast so ambitious, and a plot so exciting that they get the hype that Bullet Train is about to! So, now that the film has an actual trailer, an actual release date and it’s about to hit theaters quite soon, let’s talk about everything you need to know about Bullet Train!

THE PLOT OF BULLET TRAIN (2022)

Bullet Train is a Brad Pitt starrer action-comedy film that revolves around a group of four spectacularly well-trained assassins who are caught onboard a speeding bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka. However, when they begin to talk more and more, and things start

to make sense, they start to realize that their missions aren’t all that different. The train has little to no stops in between the journey, and it’s also the fastest train in the world. Now, combine the movement inside of a speeding train with the amazing action we’ve come to expect from every David Lietch movie and you have a recipe for pure, unfiltered chaos!

WHO IS DIRECTING BULLET TRAIN?

The movie is based on the book Maria Beetle by Japanese author Kotaro Isaka, which was released in English as Bullet Train. The film is being directed by none other than David Lietch, a renowned director in the world of action and comedy films. His previous work was Hobbs and Shaw, film that garnered a ton of attention for being one of the better films in the Fast and Furious franchise. Other than that, he’s also known for Deadpool and Deadpool 2, which were the final films in Fox’s long running X-Men and Mutant franchise of Marvel movies. Not to mention, David Lietch is a very

versatile director because he also had a hand in creating the John Wick films, as well as directed the incredibly fantastic Charlize Theron starrer Atomic Blonde, a film that pushed the envelope for action and narrative driven films.

This seems like David Lietch is going back to his roots, creating an action comedy that is pure unfiltered fun, a nonstop romp and an exhilarating adventure. The film is based entirely within a speeding train, so the opportunity for incredibly exciting action sequences is beyond measurement.

Of course, along with that comes a ton of comedy because you can’t really stand still in a speeding train like this, you would be wobbling around.

There’s going to be a ton of slapstick comedy, and a ton of action goodness, along with an incredibly talented cast that is going to elevate this project to newfound heights.

WHO IS IN THE CAST?

It simply cannot be exaggerated how incredible Brad Pitt is when it comes to the comedy genre. The man has impeccable comedic timing, and some of the best dialogue delivery in Hollywood. We’ve seen multiple different examples of his comedic timing in different movies he’s done throughout the years, films such as Mr and Mrs Smith, Inglorious Basterds, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Snatch, Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 are all phenomenal examples of Pitt’s comedic prowess. Now, he’s returning to the genre for the raunchiest action comedy he’s ever done, a film that is all about entertaining you wholeheartedly!

Of course, Brad Pitt isn’t the only big name in this film. We have none other than everybody’s favorite runaway bride (While You Were Sleeping), Sandra Bullock playing Maria Beetle, Ladybug’s handler and ally. She’s going to be a central figure in this film, and she will be controlling everything that Ladybug is going to do behind the scenes. We also have Michael Shannon as White Death, the leader of a notorious criminal organization who also seems to have a past experience with our main characters.

The rest of the cast here is also phenomenal, with some pretty popular industry names of both recent and old

fame. Joey King most commonly known for her films the kissing booth franchise, stars as the Prince, a highly important character in the film. The Prince is a highly trained British agent who is disguised as a Japanese schoolgirl. The Prince is a cunning young rascal who will get her way no matter how difficult things seem to get! Aaron Taylor Johnson is also in this film, playing another agent code named Tangerine. Tangerine is also a British agent, however unlike the Prince, Tangerine mainly resorts to using his highly trained fighting skills which can be exactly the same or even better than our main character Ladybug played by Brad Pitt.

Benito Martínez Ocasio plays a Mexican agent, who has a specific vendetta against our main character Ladybug. He’s also going to be on this train and looking for some good old-fashioned revenge for something that happened in the characters’ past. Brian Tyree Henry is also here, playing a British agent named Lemon, he’s a highly technical character who is also an associate of Ladybug and one of the few allies he has. Logan Lerman also makes a come back within the film industry to play The Son, an associate of Tangerine and Lemon. Andrew Koji plays a young Japanese assassin named Yuichi Kimura, who is out for blood against all these trespassers. Last but not least, we have Karen Fukuhra of The Boys fame playing a train crew member who has some of the funniest scenes within the film!

BULLET TRAIN RELEASE DATE AND TRAILER!

The film is very close to release, coming out soon on August 5 th 2022. Sony Pictures Entertainment decided to provide a full-length trailer so that we know what exactly we’re getting into when the film launches in theaters all around you. Not only is the film coming out quite soon, it’s being expected to be released in IMAX which means that you will be able to watch this in one of the most elevated screening resolutions in the world of cinema.

Early in March, the first Bullet Train trailer was formally delivered. It gave the public their first glimpse of Brad Pitt fending off about a dozen different assassins. The footage showed some of the film’s funny and fantastic action sequences. Sony may have one of the biggest blockbusters of the year on its hands now that we’re going through superhero fatigue and people are looking for something more unique! If the early internet response to Bullet Train’s trailer is any indication, this film is going to be beloved by audiences worldwide!

CONCLUSION

So, that was all that you needed to know about the Brad Pitt starter Bullet Train. This is a film completely meant to entertain you and keep the audiences engaged throughout its runtime. The film will not only be releasing in theaters worldwide on August 5th, but you can also catch a screening in IMAX for the best possible viewing experience that you desire.

We simply cannot wait to see what director David Lietch has cooked up after the stream of successful blockbuster films he has made in recent memory. Everyone’s excited for this R-Rated romp of an adventure, and there is no better time than now to release something like this. People are tired of the same old blockbuster films, so a unique film like Bullet Train is one of the most desirable pieces of media we have.

IF YOU’RE A 2000 KID, OR EVEN AN EARLY 90S KID, CHANCES ARE THOR ODISON THE STORY SO FAR!

that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is extremely close to your heart. It is a gigantic franchise, sprawling an epic story consisting of 25+ different movies that feature completely different events to one another, and often focus on a new character. Now, they’ve even expanded into the world of TV series on Disney + with the introduction of Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Echo and Kate Bishop in Hawkeye. However, despite the ever-growing world and everexpanding universes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s a few characters that will forever remain close to our hearts more than any other.

The Big Three of Marvel consisted of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor Odinson. While Iron Man and Captain America saw their fateful journeys come to an end after 10 years of films and constant releases, Thor still has more to tell. There is still a lot more left for Chris Hemsworth and his Thor character to bring to the big screen, which is exactly where Thor: Love and Thunder comes in? So, without further delay, let’s get right into talking about everything you need to know before you watch Thor: Love and Thunder!

Thor’s journey began back in 2011 with the original Thor film. The film showcased his rise to power from being Asgard’s gloryhound to becoming a natural leader and a true king in his own right. The story then continued on into The Avengers 2012 when Thor joined Nick Fury and his ragtag team called The Avengers to take on his brother Loki. This is where he met Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and the Hulk. Moving forward, we see Thor in Thor: The Dark World where he suffers even more losses, losing out his mother and even his brother Loki. Which then continues on into Avengers: Age of Ultron where Thor bands with The Avengers once again to take on the extremely powerful AI known as Ultron.

After this point though, Thor has only lost things in his life. He has essentially lost everything that he has ever had up to this point, and

has gone through many different emotionally draining points in his life. Thor Ragnarok showcases him losing his father Odin to his own mistakes, in particular Thor’s sister Hela who was duly wronged by Odin throughout her life. She even breaks Thor’s hammer known as Mjolnir. Later on, Asgard gets destroyed in the same film, and the Asgardians are without a home. To make things even worse, this is where the Mad Titan Thanos also begins his attack on their universe, and decides to start with the Asgardian mothership.

Thor is able to save almost everyone onboard, but he loses his friend Heimdall in the process, as well as his brother Loki for the final time (at least the Loki from Universe 616). Of course, this takes a huge emotional toll on him and he is very angry. He’s stranded in space for a long time, and he’s then found by the Guardians of the Galaxy who are rummaging through the wreckage of

the destroyed Asgardian mothership. The first thing that he does when he comes back to consciousness is to create a new weapon of mass destruction that will destroy Thanos efficiently.

He takes the Guardians of the Galaxy on a round trip around the universe to a place in space where the Asgardians make their weapons. This is where Thor creates his powerful new axe Stormbreaker. He teleports to Earth while the Battle for the Infinity Gauntlet rages on as the Avengers and all of Earth’s mightiest heroes are gathered against Thanos in Wakanda for the final showdown. Thor is an extremely powerful individual, and he completely destroys Thanos’s army to smithereens all by himself.

However, he is unable to stop Thanos from using the Infinity Gauntlet and cutting the entire universe’s population into half. This results in one of the most catastrophic arcs for him, as he gets severely depressed, drowning himself in alcohol and video games and a ton of junk food to forget his sadness of losing everyone and everything he has worked so hard to keep. Thor was at the lowest point of

his life, when an opportunity to make things better arrived 5 years after these events.

Thor once again joined the whole crew of The Avengers alongside a few new faces, and went back on a journey through time and space to save the world and resurrect the people who they had all lost. This time around though, Thor manages to save the universe along with the rest of The Avengers, and instead of sticking around on planet earth and being the king that he wanted to be for so long, Thor decides to have time to his own self, giving himself time to heal and recuperate mentally while leaving the charge of kingship over the Asgardians to Valkyrie. He heads out with the Guardians of the Galaxy on a journey of self-discovery, and this is where we will see him in Thor: Love and Thunder!

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER!

Well, while we can’t exactly tell you what’s going to happen in the film, we can give you a little bit of an insight as to what is coming. Thor is back in his glory form, he is stronger than ever and he looks absolutely shredded with the best body that Chris Hemsworth has ever built for any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only that, but we have a few faces that we have been dying to see more of in the Thor franchise. The first and most important one out of these is Jane Foster, also known as The Mighty Thor.

Thor and Jane had a bond that couldn’t be broken, they were essentially soulmates who had found themselves after their different worlds collided back in 2011. They completely lost each other after a while in those events though, and when they recuperated back in Thor: The Dark World, they were just in such a treacherous situation with the aether that they couldn’t really bond over it. However, this time around; the relationship seems to be a bit more even footed as Jane Foster has managed to find herself her own extremely powerful set of abilities.

Jane Foster is the Mighty Thor, highly anticipated character from the beloved marvel comic book series, the Mighty Thor is essentially Jane foster taking on the mantle of Thor after he has retired. However, we’re quite sure that this film isn’t going to do exactly the things that the comic book series managed to. We’ve always found that the Marvel

Cinematic Universe has told the comic book stories in their own unique ways. We’re sure that it won’t be any different this time around either.

Of course, Valkyrie is also making a comeback as the queen of Asgard. Valkyrie has been one of Thor’s most formidable allies, not only did she help him during the most difficult time of his life in Ragnarok, but she was also there in the battle against Thanos in Wakanda. So, it only makes sense that she makes her comeback right when Thor needs her most. More importantly though, Taika Waititi’s very own character of Korg is also making a comeback to the films! However, this time around he isn’t just a side character but an actual supporting character that stays throughout the film from beginning to end.

Some of the old Asgardian faces are also going to make a return, such as Lady Sif who we haven’t seen for many films at this point. There are also rumors for many different cameos, but the most important ones come from the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves. In fact, it’s a little more than a cameo because the guardians are going to stay throughout the film, at least the

first half, we’re quite sure of it. This is simply going to be one of the biggest movies with one of the largest casts in any Marvel Cinematic Universe feature film that you have seen to date.

Aside from all this fantastic new information, we’ve also seen Christian Bale making his entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gorr the God Butcher. Gorr Is one of those villains in the comic book series that you simply cannot forget. He is a catastrophic villain, doing so much damage to not just Thor but everybody around him and everybody that he swears his vengeance upon. His character is

highly complex, with his back story spanning across years of suffering and character development that he goes through on his own. Now, with director Taika Waititi in charge, we feel that the dark background for this new villain combined with the whimsical and humorous tone of his films is going to work in a fantastically contrasting way.

A few new characters are also making their first appearance, such as Zeus played by Russell Crowe. The Marvel Universe is quite unique compared to every other mythology. They have Norse Gods and the Greek Gods living in harmony in the same shared universe, but they live in different parts of the universe so they don’t really contrive into each other stories. We also have the Egyptian Gods in this same universe, which we found out about in Moon Knight. There’s also just a never ending stream of different mythologies and conquests that are a huge part of this universe, so now that Zeus has finally made his appearance, we’re 100% sure that the story you can go anywhere.

A TRIVIA LIST OF THINGS IN THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER!

Now that you know essentially everything that you need to know about the film before you’re going in and watching it for yourselves, we’re going to provide you with some more information that is going to get you even more hyped up for Thor: Love and Thunder!

• This is one of the few Marvel Cinematic Universe films which has more music than many other movies in the franchise. It has essentially the same level of musical use as the Guardians of the Galaxy films, which makes a lot of sense considering the Guardians of the Galaxy are a huge part of this film as well. There are a ton of tracks from Guns N’ Roses, ABBA, Mary J. Blige, Ciara and Dio! If that isn’t an eighties hype fuel playlist, then we don’t know what could be!

• Yet again a new Thor film is introducing a brand new villain

that we have never seen before. It is most likely that history will be concluded in the events of this film, but even still, this is a new character that we know completely nothing about So there’s always an aura of surprising mystery to it. To make it better, Gorr is being played by Christian Bale, a legendary actor known for his roles as Batman, and Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

• Taika Waititi is directing. He’s the man who revitalized Thor as a character and gave him new life after the subpar film that was Thor: The Dark World. Taika

•

Waititi is the perfect man for a blockbuster film such as this, he makes a ton of comedic jokes in his films, despite the fact that his films have a ton of emotion and heart to them. If this film is anything like Thor Ragnarok, we’re in for a wild time.

There’s more humor than ever before! Keep this in mind, Thor: Love and Thunder is an actual comedy film. The jokes are the main meat of this movie, and director Taika Waititi is not going to take any shortcuts with them. Though aside from that, it’s also a romantic film! So, keep your expectations very high on those two fronts!

CONCLUSION

Thor: Love and Thunder is out now in cinemas near you. So, take the weekend off, or honestly just take the week day off, and go watch this film right now. This is a blockbuster extravaganza if there ever has been one, so you need to make sure that you’re not missing out on all the fun and the world building that Thor: Love and Thunder is bringing to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

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