SPOILER Magazine February 2022

Almost Dead is a postapocalyptic horror-drama adventure about triumph, growth, and the resiliency of the human spirit. With their cinematic comic book series which depicts vicious and visceral events in a raw yet beautiful way, Galaxy, Brehm, and Napolitano have redefined the genre and nearly 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 writers have established a nexus point between exhilaration and terror.

Pick up Almost Dead in late-2022.

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Meet your new sidekick gita is a first-of-its-kind hands-free robot that follows you and totes your gear.

OUR TEAM Editor-in-Chief Galaxy Print Editor Art Director Sara Hope Kent Klarks Design and illustration Supervisor Ronald Garcia Design Manager Zerologhy Copy Editor Ethan Brehm

INSIDE OUR y UNIVERSE x a l a

by G Welcome to another amazing issue of SPO!LER!

Staff Writers The Greatest Writing Team in Our Universe Ethan Brehm Tom Torney Matthew Mclachlan Vanessa Bellew Robert Napolitano David Grand Phuong Pham Natalie Reade Moses the “Gamer” Bjoern Kommerell Joshua Amber Social Media Manager Thor the all mighty Advertising Ads@SpoilerMagazine.com Sponsorship Sponsorship@SpoilerMagazine.com Press Please send all press releases to: Press@SpoilerMagazine.com Please send all review material to: Review@SpoilerMagazine.com Subscriptions For all subscription enquiries please contact: Sub@SpoilerMagazine.com

One of the most popular fictional characters of all time is back for yet another big screen adaptation, but this time the Dark Knight will be at his darkest yet. Directed

by Matt Reeves, The Batman (out March 4th) follows the superhero during his first couple of years fighting crime in Gotham City. Robert Pattinson stars in the title role, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for the world to finally see what he can do in a mammoth tentpole film like this.

For this issue, we’ve dedicated several articles to the Caped Crusader and his mythology, discussing the upcoming film and the case for Batman as a superhero, as well as providing an in-depth look at everyone’s favorite butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

Batman doesn’t just serve as a character in comics, movies, and TV, but represents something so much more than that; a microcosm of discipline and a way of thinking that we can only ever aspire to. A superhero, indeed.

We’re also thrilled to unveil our trophy for the SPO!LER Awards. I bet you never thought a beverage cup could be so beautiful, but it’s truly a sight to behold. This trophy will be given out to every winner, the first of which will be receiving theirs in the upcoming weeks.

Our 2022 SPO!LER Awards will be held in person this December in Hollywood. 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!

This month, we’re introducing a trio of new regular features. The first is a section called “In Focus” with famed photographer Bjoern Kommerell, where he will showcase his own images while telling a story about the celebrity of the month. The inaugural edition provides us with an intimate portrait of none other than the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

Check out our website for details on how to get our DIGITAL EDITION

We’re also introducing our new “How It’s Made” section, where we go in depth to talk about an element from behind the scenes of a movie or show. This month spotlights superhero costumes, with insight from some of the industry’s top professionals.

Circulation Do you want this magazine at your local book store, comic book hangout, toy shop, or anywhere else for that matter?

Let us know, we can make it happen.

Circulation@SpoilerMagazine.com

“At the Con” is another recurring section where we talk about our experience at a different convention from around the globe, our first edition being Los Angeles Comic Con from this past December.

SPOILER Magazine is published by Spoiler Media Magazine Publishing. Nothing in this magazine can be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure all information in the magazine is correct, details maybe subject to change. All photographic material is copyright to the relevant owner and appears with their kind permission. Visuals are used in a review context and no copyright infringement is intended. All rights reserved.

SPOILER Magazine is printed in the USA SPOILER Magazine 7095 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, California 90028 “Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening” - Galaxy

We can’t wait for you to dig into the pages of this magazine. 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.

Love You All,

Galaxy Galaxy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @ComicConRadio february 2022|

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table of contents

FEATURES

52 The Batman An Even Darker Knight

SPOILER MAGAZINE TABLE OF CONTENTS

92 Ian Collins

the watch 12 Spoiler Awards Trophy 44 Alison Araya

58 The Cave

Alfred Pennyworth

68 Ricky He

62 The Cave

A Case for Batman, the Superhero

the base

22 In Focus with Bjoern Kommerell Spotlight on Chadwick Boseman

74 How it’s Made

32 at the movies

The Anatomy of a Costume

80 Comic Book Review

98 Los At Angeles the Con Comic Con 2021

www.SpoilerMagazine.com | Follow us on Instagram: @SpoilerMedia

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SPO!LER MAGAZINE IS EXCITED TO UNVEIL THE TROPHY FOR OUR VERY OWN SPO!LER TV & MOVIE AWARDS! With our inaugural edition this past December serving as a mere glimpse at things to come, we’re thrilled for the future of what we consider to be the coolest awards show in existence! While 2021’s “ceremony” was held entirely in-magazine, it was just a taste of what will eventually be a full-blown extravaganza in Hollywood each year, with both celebrities and fans in attendance, starting with our 2022 event held this December.

We aim to set a trend for a “new” type of awards show. One that’s fan-driven, of course, but also one where big budget blockbusters and the higher-brow critical darlings get to intersect in the same place on the same stage. It represents what we as a brand feel encompasses our everchanging pop culture landscape.

Featuring categories this past year such as “Best Plot Twist,” “Best Hero Without a Cape,” and “Most WTF Moment”—along with the traditional batch of categories— the SPO!LER Awards recognizes the best of the best from the past year, with more of a focus on what you really want to vote on: entertainment. Whether it’s thought-

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provoking or full of explosions, we’ve got you covered!

As you can see, the trophy itself is in the shape of a soft drink cup with straw, signifying each winner’s ability to quench our thirst for quality entertainment. We will be either hand delivering or shipping out one of these babies to every single winner around the globe, with his or her name etched underneath.

The best awards show trophies have always been nothing but iconic, from the moonman of MTV’s VMAs to the indelible golden Oscars statuette to the Grammys’ titular gramophone. We knew we needed something iconic as well; something that was both regal and emblematic of the fandom community into which we’ve been so blessed to be immersed, and for which we take seriously our responsibility as ambassador.

Before it was initially designed, our Editor-in-Chief Galaxy had the idea for the evocative image and asked each team member what we thought. The feedback was unanimous. Landing on the beverage cup was not only the perfect choice, but the only choice.

So view it here in all its glory!

At 9 pounds, 15 inches, it’s truly a sight to behold…

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FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, BJOERN KOMMERELL HAS BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING CELEBRITIES... A LOT. Everyone from Chaka Khan to Tom Welling to Justin Bieber to Cindy Crawford have gone inside the lens of the German-born cameraman.

His cinematic-style portraits have been used for high-profile editorials, advertisements, and even movie posters.

We at SPO!LER are honored to feature a brand-new section spotlighting Bjoern’s work and allow him to share his own personal stories and insight on the world of the entertainment industry. Each month, these pages will highlight a different celebrity that he’s worked with, packed with amazing photos, some of which may even debut here for the first time ever. Hopefully you gain just an intimate glimpse into a universe that’s always been perceived as larger than life.

For our first edition, Bjoern wanted to discuss one of his most memorable shoots ever. And so, the photographer brings us a little closer to none other than Black Panther himself, the late Chadwick Boseman...

Sophisticated, well-read, Chadwick Boseman was all about the arts— the perfect candidate to inspire a whole generation of fans.

He’s one of the most remarkable actors I have, and will have, ever photographed.

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First time I met him in 2009, he had just signed with a new agency who sent him to me to shoot portraits to present him in a way that would hopefully open the doors to big Hollywood producers and directors. And it worked! I really have to hand it to his agency, Michael Greene & Associates, who remained his agency until his death.

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He started booking all these auditions, of which his most important at the time was [2013’s] 42. And he booked it! This was a breakthrough role. All this other stuff followed, like Get On Up, Marshall—all leading up to Black Panther.

This was larger than life.

I always thought that choosing Chadwick to play this iconic Black Panther was such a right move, not only in terms of his extraordinary acting, but also because he was such a brilliant human being who had the nobility and greatness to use that star power for all these charities and inspiring this young generation who looks up to his humble and compassionate virtues.

He was so dedicated.

He did the most meticulous research when it came to his work, especially the biopics. Watching him as James Brown—how amazing he portrayed the dance moves, which, by the way, he learned in 2 months— and watching him as Jackie Robinson— how precisely he matched the slides.

He studied so much camera footage so that he matched arm and leg movements.

Every detail.

As I started shooting with him, I felt his camera presence immediately. He was so subtle and had the perfect instincts in terms of how to bring that extra zing—that something special— to the portrait. You can’t teach this aura in any school.

You either have it or you don’t. And he definitely had it.

It’s cheesy to say, but when you work [in my field] long enough, you can tell after 5 minutes if a person will go somewhere or not.

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His superpower, truly, was his authenticity.

Any suggestion I gave him, he took it in and gave it such a unique and awesomely confident spin.

Once you’re with him, he never made it about himself.

He would ask me a question and would really listen to the answer, 150%.

And when you would ask him a question, he would never brag or want to make it about himself. He was very humble.

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No attitude. No high maintenance. Just a pure, good soul who loved his fellow human beings.

His death still makes me sad. He truly left a legacy. I feel so blessed and grateful that I had the chance to work with this extraordinary man.

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being the ricardos DIRECTED BY: Aaron Sorkin / CAST: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons

I Love Lucy, TV’s first megahit, set the standard for which every sitcom would follow for decades with how it pioneered a narrative formula as well as technical advancements. First airing in 1951, the CBS show starred an ensemble cast of Lucille Ball and her real-life husband Desi Arnaz as fictionalized versions of themselves, along with Vivian Vance and William Frawley who played their neighbors/ landlords Ethel and Fred Mertz. Lucy and Desi’s love and marriage was on full display for America to see and idealize. Following in the footsteps of George Burns and Gracie Allen before them, Lucy would scheme and Desi would react incredulously wide-eyed to the inane results. Their dynamic was sweet, deceptively realistic, and downright hysterical.

But following Desi’s publicized infidelity in 1955 and their alreadytumultuous relationship behind the scenes, the show was canceled three years later and their divorce was finalized in 1960. Needless to say,

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America was disenchanted. But one thing still remained true: Lucy and Desi loved each other.

If nothing else, that’s the through line that runs across Aaron Sorkin’s latest film Being the Ricardos, which follows a condensed timeline of mostly true events. Over the course of a week of filming I Love Lucy in 1953, the show’s stars (played flawlessly by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem) are dealing with three very big things: Lucy getting ousted as a member of the Communist party, Confidential magazine printing a story about an alleged affair by

Desi, and the couple becoming pregnant with their second child.

Tensions rise and fall for everyone involved in the production and we the audience get to view the remarkable anatomy of a ‘50s sitcom in the meantime.

The main events are sprinkled with some tasty creative clashes in the writers’ room, along with interstitial scenes that go back in time to show the couple’s meet-cute, highlight their career struggles in the ‘30s and ‘40s, and even tell the tale of I Love Lucy’s origins. Tackling all these things in one film is a huge task for

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Sorkin, who writes and directs, but the end result brings the audience into the lives of two of the most beloved people in pop culture history.

One of the best acted films of the year, Being the Ricardos features a knockout cast. Despite the physical disparity, Kidman nails Ball’s smoky rasp and iconic timbre, and Bardem fully embodies Arnaz’s specific expressions and unique cadence that helped him go toe-to-toe with one of television’s greatest comedic talents. Desi was a comedy genius in his own right and Bardem perfectly taps into that essence, while also possessing that warm twinkle in his eyes that made Desi’s unfaithfulness all the more disappointing.

Perhaps the most spot-on impersonation is by J. K. Simmons as William Frawley. Entirely embracing the vaudeville veteran’s flippant demeanor that was locked in both on and off screen, the actor was truly born for the role, curmudgeon underbite and all.

There may have always been somewhat of a peculiarity to Ball and Arnaz’s love, which very well helped them achieve that sort of unlikely chemistry that made them permanent icons. But Sorkin brings a nuance to the mutual respect and admiration between Lucy and

Desi that had somewhere become obfuscated with all the tabloid drama.

Like the other two films that see Sorkin pulling double duty as writer and director (Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7), there’s a lot of fluff left in as a result of a director falling in love with his own words. We can’t blame him considering every line of dialogue lifts off the page and commands our attention, but the verbosity admittedly creates a conflict between magical immersion and colloquial casualness, allowing us to peek behind the curtain while tearing it down at the same time.

Campy and misguided, Daniel Pemberton’s distractingly sweeping score appears to be trying to overcompensate for the struggling cinematic tone.

However, Sorkin impeccably encapsulates the mythological pretense of his two subjects while still conveying their humanity and

vulnerabilities. We get a great feel for their love for one another that would sometimes become buried under the inherent pressures of having the biggest show on the planet, as well as their individual denial that their status as a power couple was anything more than utilitarian providence. Both stars were equally integral to the show’s success, and neither of them ever lost sight of that, even if it muddled their own desire to remain in love.

Sorkin adeptly refrains from turning his film into a single-note relationship conflict, allowing his subjects to experience a kinesis as complex as their dynamic and finishing with one heck of a denouement. He has so much respect for both icons, as well as their hit show. Sprinkled in with tons of Easter eggs, Being the Ricardos is just as much for the fans of I Love Lucy as it is for those desperate for an inside glimpse at its enigmatic stars.

Sorkin brings a nuance to the mutual respect and admiration between Lucy and Desi that had somewhere become obfuscated with all the tabloid drama.

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DIRECTED BY: George Clooney / CAST: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri Recent cinema seems to be obsessed over providing the blueprint of what makes a man.

Defining masculinity is often done better by the women they affect than by the men themselves, but nevertheless, the answer is out there if you look. While George Clooney’s latest drama The Tender Bar, based on J. R. Moehringer’s memoir of the same name, isn’t as heavy handed with its themes as, say, Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, its own ideas

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on manliness are imbued into its DNA with inspiring results.

As 9-year-old JR (Daniel Ranieri) moves with his single mother (Lily Rabe) to his grandparents’ house, he learns about life and identity. The voice of his absent father, whom he’s never met, plays in the background as a radio DJ, and JR has so much to ask him. Of course, it’s JR’s Uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck) who takes on the paternal figure, looking after his nephew, teaching him how to be a man, and forming a bond for the ages (“Everyone needs an Uncle Charlie in their life”).

Uncle Charlie owns a local bar, The Dickens, where JR frequents and hangs out with him, along with the usual crowd of regulars. Charlie takes his nephew along with him and his friends to bowling nights and beach days. JR’s family encourages him to apply to Yale so he can be a lawyer, but Charlie believes that writing is his true calling. And so, the young boy sets out to do both.

The jukebox soundtrack, which includes the likes of Pablo Cruise, Paul Simon, and Chic, can be forgiven through the significance of FM radio to the story, as well as a bar with an actual jukebox. Nostalgia runs deep in a film that doesn’t sugarcoat much, yet highlights the most memorable and poignant moments from a boy’s life.

Clooney, utilizing a script by William Monahan, develops his characters exceptionally, showing JR’s strong family unit, even if these notions are achieved through saccharinity and platitudinous observations. However, these flashes are always approached with a genteel touch and an earnest, inspired voice, as many adaptations of literary memoirs are.

Yet, as the film broadens the scope, it loses a bit of its identity.

The momentum meanders during the second act, not just because of the inclusion of a love interest who we grow to disdain, but because the

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narrative finds a frustrating inertia as it begins to focus more on JR’s story away from home and on his interactions with characters who didn’t get developed during the first 45 minutes of the movie. As JR grows up (Tye Sheridan) and spends time away at Yale, he discovers that his childhood trauma indeed has an effect on his adult life, even though he had thought it to be inconsequential. A classmate, Sidney (Briana Middleton), continues to string him along, even inviting him over to her wealthy family’s house for Christmas. Ultimately, however, JR’s love for her proves time and time again to be unrequited, even though he can’t admit it to himself.

Perhaps what makes the film most notable is Affleck’s performance—the best of his career. His calculated bluntness, thoughtful pontifications,

Nostalgia runs deep in a film that doesn’t sugarcoat much, yet highlights the most memorable and poignant moments from a boy’s life. and unassuming warmth create a full character. Charlie understands JR’s romanticized view of his father and, despite hating his guts, allows his nephew to go through his own emotional journey, only offering guidance when absolutely necessary. Affleck’s chemistry with his young co-star is up there with the sweetest master-student

retro reactions

relationships in cinema. And when this movie makes a necessary jump in time, changing actors, it’s Affleck’s presence that ties everything together. The only problem is that he’s absent for a large chunk in the middle.

The Tender Bar sees Clooney return to form after about a decade of duds, with a story here that’s as ponderous and low-concept as his earlier work—minus the bleakness.

Invitations for his wry humor waft through, whether on screen with characters’ subtle idiosyncrasies or behind the camera with aggressive, Raimi-esque push-ins.

The tragedies in The Tender Bar are almost entirely above the belt.

Monahan’s screenplay generally refrains from those big manipulative situations you’d see in a lot of misery porn dramas included to keep us emotionally invested or to prevent the plot from waning.

Clooney’s light touch compliments the material on the page, even when he occasionally loses his way.

Fortunately, the overarching themes remain intact, quietly saying things about the definition of wealth, men, and writers—finding ways for all three motifs to coexist peacefully.

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career opportunities (1991) It would turn out that John Hughes’ final teen comedy would be one he would practically disown for the remainder of his lifetime.

1991’s Career Opportunities isn’t a bad movie, but it does lack a lot of the writer’s slyly pointed dialectics about life. Instead, the story about two post-grads who get stuck in a Target store after closing time shoves its poignant ideas about parental approval down our throats—mostly in a verbose 15-minute scene where its two leads, Jim Dodge and Josie McClellan (Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly), pontificate these themes ad nauseum rather than sprinkling the conversation over the course of the hour-long imprisonment.

Jim and Josie were high school classmates, each from different tiers on the social ladder. While Jim spent his time evading wedgies from bullies, Josie viewed her massive popularity at school as a way to escape the rough demands of her father, a wealthy businessman who owns half the town.

Career Opportunities isn’t necessarily the high-energy romp that’s promised to us, with a very

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weak comedic identity and a nonchalant attitude that mirrors our protagonist’s own indifference.

Director Bryan Gordon—who would go on to helm episodes of Freaks & Geeks and Curb Your Enthusiasm—with the help of DP Donald McAlpine (Moulin Rouge! and Mrs. Doubtfire), is adept at providing memorable imagery for an audience who can now look back on this with late ‘80s/early ‘90s nostalgia, but he struggles with getting the most out of Hughes’ single-note story.

Curiously, our hero Jim is a second-rate knock-off of Ferris Bueller (whose titular movie was also written by Hughes).

But Bueller’s cool composure is an aberration when it comes to carrying his own story, finding humanity not through his own vulnerabilities (he didn’t have any), but vicariously through his love for his best friend, Cameron. Jim, however, is Ferris Bueller outside of the carefree snow globe he built for himself prior to venturing out into the real world; this is Bueller as an adult.

At the heartbeat of the film is a loft jazz score composed

by Thomas Newman, still a few years prior to his first Oscar nominations. The soundtrack itself features a John Hughes track list rivaling his best, trading in the typical atmospheric new wave of his ‘80s movies with ‘90s rap, jangle pop, and Afropop, featuring acts such as Jellyfish and Johnny Clegg who drive the film even when the narrative itself can’t be sustained.

Ultimately, Career Opportunities might not be the best version of this unique premise. There could have been a lot more added to this movie to beef up the plot— or at the very least improve on its relatable motifs. Buried underneath all the rubble is a tale of quarter-life ennui that only evolved from teenage angst after the glimmer of post-high school potential finally dissipated.

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don’t look up

DIRECTED BY: Adam McKay / CAST: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett When Mark Twain (allegedly) said, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” he was most likely referring to the fictionalization of real-life events so they can better suit narrative euphony. Director Adam McKay might know something about this, having rehashed the events leading up to the 2008 economic collapse in The Big Short and also relayed the rise of VP Dick Chaney in the biopic Vice, both of which took comedic and dramatic liberties with their subjects with varying levels of success, but

success nonetheless. However, with his latest effort Don’t Look Up, McKay struggles with the truth a little bit more, which is ironic considering it’s his first directorial effort not based on actual events since 2013’s Anchorman 2.

Telling the fictional story of two astronomers who discover a cataclysmic comet with a 99.7% chance of destroying Earth, Don’t Look Up relies on exaggerated situations and unrealistically incompetent characters to get its points across, thus muddling any of the honesty it tries to relay.

The two astronomers are Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence), a Michigan State doctoral candidate who first discovers the comet, and Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio), her numbers-obsessed professor whose calculations are the ones being delivered to the people who matter. Together, they begin a saga through the political media rabbit hole of the United

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States, only to become disillusioned when finding out that politicians, media, and the general public are less concerned with the facts than they are the fictional narrative they’ve created and/or been forcefed.

Along the way, Kate and Randall meet an array of people, including the leader of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (Rob Morgan), the President of the United States (Meryl Streep) and her idiot, petty son (Jonah Hill), a tech billionaire (Mark Rylance), a pair of daytime TV hosts (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry), and even a famous singer/ social media icon (Ariana Grande).

Kate and Randall inform them all that the world only has six and a half months left, and yet most either don’t believe them or don’t care. But eventually, when things become

But in lieu of conveying an actual message to his crowd, or even making them laugh, the director focuses more on entertaining himself by lambasting the world for his own amusement.

viewer’s belief in the movie’s integrity.

The only character able to ground these events is Rob Morgan’s Teddy, the one voice of reason, even among our two leads who can’t seem to remain unaffected by the idiots around them. Conversely, Blanchett and Perry’s talking-head TV hosts are almost completely unnecessary, diluting a film with already too many moving pieces. They’re intended to serve as personified versions of the media’s ineptitude throughout the film. Yet, intermittent RoboCopesque news clips here and there would have sufficed as garnish.

As it stands, these two bozos are far too fleshed out for how obtuse they are as people, only stretching the plot thinner and preventing the director from proving any points in

the process. Likewise, the relentless satire makes it difficult to become invested in the characters that do significantly inhabit the story, such as Kate and Randall.

The deluge of themes includes an indictment of emotional rejection and the inexplicable idea that being smart and having good journalistic posture must go hand in hand in order to relay esoteric information to the public (thus plaguing access to the actual truth). McKay also holds us, the public, culpable in the crime of societal incompetence with our need for a narrative—a hero and a villain—suggesting that it’s our own unconscious requisites that prevent us from ever truly finding out the truth.

The filmmaker broadens his audience with an ostensibly nonpartisan voice, but unfortunately renders his somewhat-misguided message moot because of it. He almost literally acknowledges that the points he makes won’t matter; that we as a society won’t change anyway (at least not because of this movie). But in lieu of conveying an actual message to his crowd, or even making them laugh, the director focuses more on entertaining himself by lambasting the world for his own amusement. Don’t Look Up is indeed a film that’s funny most of the time, but we can’t help but feel like our own laughter is just an incidental bonus.

literally undeniable, the president spins the catastrophe to benefit her polling, the celebrities exploit the news to benefit their popularity, and the media bends the findings to their advantage, but only if everyone else is talking about it enough first.

We get to see firsthand—for those who weren’t already aware—how misinformation and agendas obscure the truth to where people either aggressively push back against the media’s asininity or become paralyzed into not caring. However, the farcical levels to which these two sides are taken prevent the film from achieving most of its impact as a satire.

Willingness to accept this heightened plane of reality will make or break the

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The one area where the film finds true realism is in how it handles the common people’s reactions to impending doom. Perhaps because of the two years we just lived through, the level of unbridled looting doesn’t seem so farfetched.

And unlike other doomsday films that like to pretend that people wouldn’t be praying their hearts out during their final days, Don’t Look Up seems to realize just how desperately we would all be repenting. Thus, this is the one question posed that the movie also provides an answer to: How should we spend our final days? Indeed, we should just continue to live our lives after all, spending time with loved ones, reconciling, and finding ways to better ourselves at the very least.

It’s refreshing to see Jennifer Lawrence in an awards contender once again, showcasing her deft ability to exude her natural wit and timing out of a non-ludicrous character. DiCaprio, on the other hand, needs Mindy’s absurdities in order for his performance to work due to his penchant for turning every one of his roles into a caricature in one way or another. It takes a while for him to settle into Mindy’s nerdiness and for us to no longer see the actor portraying him.

One of the comedic highlights is Timothée Chalamet’s character Yule, a shoplifting derelict who falls for Kate after her fall from grace. Unlike his other roles where he’s unable

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c+ to handle the seriousness with a straight face, his comedic chops are delivered with full conviction here.

As a Seth Rogen-esque comedy, Don’t Look Up is scattered with laughs, but not consistently enough.

And so, the filmmaker who helped change the genre’s landscape almost two decades ago finds himself wanting to have his cake and eat it too, settling for easy and myopic jabs at low-hanging fruit (perhaps the only way he could turn this heavy topic into a comedy), indulging his own tastes while attempting to garner the same merit as his previous two movies.

But compared to McKay’s recent outings, the social commentary is not as meaningful.

As a big picture, Don’t Look Up lacks the breakneck energy of The Big Short, or even Step Brothers.

However, while the broad jokes are largely hit or miss, McKay’s comedic mastery is still present enough during moments when he’s not trying to say anything important, such as through Chalamet’s bizarro

verbiage and a running joke involving a government employee who lies about vending machine prices (he charges Kate $20 for free goods).

It’s with these examples that McKay actually makes astute observations about social insouciance and selfabsorbed ambitions.

Ultimately, it’s almost impossible for us to believe that news of the world ending would actually go down as it does in this movie, even after we’ve lived through a global pandemic. The messiness of this film almost matches that caused by the people inside of it. So alas, Adam McKay does seem to ask us that million-dollar question after all, and inadvertently finds an answer, but not in the way that he’s intended: At which point do you start obfuscating the truth for the sake of good storytelling? Well, the writer-director has in fact rendered the storytelling tiring because of its obstructed truth—and without real-life events to guide him this time around. At least the base premise is interesting enough to keep us watching.

atm

Fear Street/R.L. Stine/Netflix/Eating Raoul/20th Century Studios/Quartet Films Inc.

AT THE MOVIES

west side story

DIRECTED BY: Steven Spielberg / CAST: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose

The problem with modern remakes in Hollywood is they often feel less inspired and more like they’re trying to match a particular standard set by the original. An original masterpiece is the result of meticulous choices in directing, acting, and editing— three elements that are impossible to replicate, let alone with the same blend of spontaneity and deliberation.

Steven Spielberg’s remake of 1961’s West Side Story—60 years later—is not a shot-for-shot remake, but it’s cut fairly close. More similar to the stage adaptation than anything else, the 2021 version is still highly reminiscent of the storyboard from the Best Picture winner, which poses some inherent problems when comparing the two.

Following the exact same story about rival gangs in New York—one White and one Puerto Rican— Spielberg’s rendition takes fewer liberties than you could actually hope for from the director of E.T. and

Schindler’s List and his screenwriter for Munich and Lincoln (Tony Kushner).

The film retains the original musical numbers, even resisting the urge to add any new songs in order to earn that additional Oscar nod for Best Original Song as most musical adaptations seem to do. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s iconic tunes are all still present in their (mostly) original form, this time sung by the likes of Ansel Elgort’s Tony—a former leader of the White gang who was recently released from prison—or Rachel Zegler’s Maria—the sister of the Puerto Rican

gang leader—or Ariana DeBose’s Anita—the girlfriend of Maria’s brother.

If nothing else, Elgort and Zegler’s romantic chemistry is enough to make the audience fall in love as well, as their Romeo and Juliet parallels have disorderly repercussions throughout their community. And at times we wonder if this new version of (arguably) the most groundbreaking musical in history would be worth a watch if not for its 64-year-old songs and the new charismatic cast. Spielberg’s direction isn’t stale enough to make a case for why West Side Story

shouldn’t be remade, but rather how a newer, less proven director would be better suited instead.

One could argue, considering Spielberg’s history of romanticized cinema, whether the filmmaker is the best man for the job. With a movie as iconic as West Side Story, a remake might have benefitted from a younger director yet to reach his or her career apex. Spielberg is, for all intents and purposes, an old school filmmaker, only finding his modern touches here in any “corrections” he thinks he’s made to the plot or character profiles. But as far as a fresh take on the story, this is a far cry from the Coens’ True Grit or even Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born.

Spielberg indeed adds some of his trademarked flair behind the lens, but never quite detaches his film from the original. The vision isn’t entirely new enough.

The director seems to be incapable of bridging the gap between these characters from the 1950s and a contemporary audience. Instead, the result is a mishmash of personalities and commentary—like your grandpa making Instagram memes. With a clear understanding of the era this film is set, he’s also proving his disconnection from the era in which the viewer is now watching.

Spielberg wants to tell a classic story through a modern lens and it doesn’t ever work. Expecting us to believe that these narrow-minded people in the late ‘50s would more easily accept a transgender woman than they would Puerto Ricans—of whom it takes them an entire movie to somewhat make amends with—is a stretch. Likewise, the filmmaker has an odd relationship with religion,

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unable to make up his mind about how devout he wants Maria and Anita to be, totally obscuring the movie’s ideas about Catholics to the point where their inclusion is irrelevant.

Luckily, Spielberg employs Tony Award-winning choreographer Justin Peck to craft original dance numbers to old classics, bringing a Studio Era flair to a mostly awkward modernization. Still soaring on

Spielberg’s direction isn’t stale enough to make a case for why West Side Story shouldn’t be remade, but rather how a newer, less proven director would be better suited instead.

Bernstein and Sondheim’s original songs—yet not without feeling like the narrative around them is aching to pick up the pace—West Side Story can’t seem to find a happy medium between classic Hollywood glamor and modern Hairspray-esque pastiche. We can almost spot the strings being pulled from up above.

At its core, with Spielberg and Kushner so careful not to offend that their diligence is distracting,

the film becomes a carefully curated piece of PC-minded cinema more than it is an actual work of art.

However, considering the incendiary state of our current sociopolitical landscape, that approach is not only unavoidable, but a conscious requisite for many of today’s movies. As a result, this West Side Story remake becomes more of an intentional course correction than a reimagining, thus rendering the necessity of its artistic existence questionable.

With several of its themes falling apart at the seams, this new West Side Story—albeit entertaining and charming enough in its own right— has an added weight that just wasn’t there in 1961; a tension pressing on us long before the very first scene fades in. As with any new movie about race relations, there’s always a chance that arbitrary culture rules will be broken by a filmmaker who wasn’t aware that there were even rules to begin with. And I suppose it’s that very unsettling feeling that makes this remake less enjoyable from the get go, whether or not you choose to abide by or recognize those rules yourself. The carefully made decisions are more diplomatically obsequious than they are authentically coded with a message about peace and unity, and the ripple effect of true love.

c-

retro reactions

spider-man 3 (2007)

Assessing the Sam Raimi Trilogy’s Most Notorious Entry 15 Years Later Sam Raimi appears to throw in all remaining Easter eggs in what would end up being his last web-slinging hurrah in Spider-Man 3, a film so bizarre and uneven that it could never possibly live up to the astronomical heights of the director’s two groundbreaking predecessors.

2002’s Spider-Man and its direct sequel in 2004 are two of the most important movies of the 20th century thus far, especially considering the impact they’ve had on the superhero genre that now dominates the industry. And so, replicating that impact once more would be like lightning striking a third time. The result is a movie that dances to the beat of its own drum, all under some of the most dated special effects of the era and an uncomfortable jazz club scene that must be seen to be believed.

This 2007 finale features a trio of villains, each making Peter Parker’s (Tobey Maguire) life more cumbersome as he tries to salvage

his relationship with his actress girlfriend, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), who recently got fired from her first big Broadway gig. The inundation of storylines fortunately gets justified with a fun plot twist and a climax—the best of the series—that’s entirely oldform Raimi.

Prior to that, however, is an atrocious second act that buries its best story points beneath soapy melodrama. The underripe dialogue only heightens the weaknesses of its two leads so that we never feel like rooting for them as a couple.

Likewise, Raimi—who shares a cowriter credit with his brother Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent—is unsure how to handle the characters’ dynamic, continuously betraying them and distancing us from our protagonist. Apparently, there weren’t enough villains, so Raimi decided to make one out of his title character as well, in the form of the alien symbiote Venom. Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), one of the

other baddies, easily becomes the most intriguing character in the entire movie, but barely gets unwrapped by the end.

It’s hard not to assume that the clever third act was written first, with the rest of the script only serving as a means to an end; an overly ambitious path to a creative culmination.

Ultimately, the plot doesn’t know where to go in the meantime.

Spider-Man 3 is objectively worse than parts 1 and 2, but those also have innovation on their side. This one has wacky special effects (especially compared to those of Transformers only two months later) that admittedly still host their wellchoreographed action sequences much better than most of the incoherent Marvel fodder of today.

It might be the very definition of overindulgent populist entertainment—aka “too much of a good thing”—but Spider-Man 3 also ensures that there’s some method to its madness by the end. The only problem is that we have to sit through over 2 hours of that madness to get to anything sensible.

other notable releases Drive My Car

a spider-man: no way home

a

The Tragedy of Macbeth

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

Believe it or not, Peacemaker is far from Alison Araya’s first

venture into the comic book universe.

Beginning with Smallville and an uncredited role in Superman Returns in 2006, followed by a pair of projects in 2009—appearing in both Watchmen and X-Men Origins: Wolverine—and then later with a quick spot on Supergirl and a 9-episode arc on Arrow, the actress has been involved in more superhero projects than almost anyone. But now, with a much larger role on DC and HBO Max’s Peacemaker—a spin-off revolving around John Cena’s antihero character from last year’s The Suicide Squad—the actress is putting her experience to perfect use.

The Australian-born Araya seems thankful that her career has taken its time to mature. Now that she has the industry savvy and wherewithal to make prudent moves, she’s also garnering the attention from producers and directors that would allow her to do so. And she’s glad she has her roots so firmly planted.

Alison, a former Greenpeace employee, keeps it real with us about where she’s at now, and what it’s like to be part of James Gunn’s exploding DC world.

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interview interview

Susie Abromeit/Matt Sayles/Lapalme Magazine/(cover image):Matt Sayles

A L I S O N A R AYA

SPOILER: How does it feel working in the DC hemisphere?

ALISON ARAYA: Amazing! The superhero world is such a fun world to be a part of. And having had a mini foray into the Marvel world, it’s great to be back in the DC world for sure. It was really fun. I’m so thrilled to be part of this show. To switch gears and work on something like Peacemaker is an opportunity that doesn’t often come around, so when it presents itself, I’m like, “Yeah, this is what I want to be doing.”

SPOILER: The fandom community is incredible, isn’t it?

ALISON ARAYA: The fandom is everything. I’m honored to be a part of this world. The fans are the thing that makes this world and work so meaningful.

SPOILER: Have you been to any conventions yet?

ALISON ARAYA: There were plans, but then COVID happened and everything came to a screeching halt. But it’s on my bucket list. I see it in my future. I have so much love and respect for the fans. Even though I’m an actor, I am quite an introvert. I love meeting people, but I don’t do super well in big crowds.

It overstimulates. And that’s not just myself, I think there are a lot of actors who fall into this category.

But it’s part of the job. It’s part of the world. Over the years, I’ve been so touched and moved by the fans of different shows that I’ve been a part of. But something like Peacemaker, it has such a big following, and it’s only going to get bigger. So, give the fans that they want. I’m there!

SPOILER: Who is Peacemaker and who are you in the series?

ALISON ARAYA: Peacemaker is our irreverent antihero: Peace at any cost, even if that means killing people. He kills the bad guys to keep the peace. [My character] Amber is a hostage [laughs] and comes into contact with Peacemaker. From there booms an interesting relationship between the two of them.

Amber is in a very, shall we say, functional marriage. She and Evan have a very colorful way of communicating with each other.

There’s a lot of passion there. But not fueled into a way that’s healthy.

When Peacemaker comes into their world, both Evan and Amber are taken hostage. And Amber, being who she is, finds the experience of being in Peacemaker’s company quite intriguing and wants a little more of his attention.

Evan and Amber are wild. Finding that kind of chemistry and magic with Lenny [Jacobson] was so much fun! He and I had never met before, but we got to set and caught each other’s vibe. As soon as we started working, we found our chemistry. It was amazing! And we had an opportunity to improv a little here and there. Having that sort of freedom to play on set doesn’t come around very often. And to have James [Gunn’s] incredible eye guiding us was amazing. Genuinely, I learned so much as an artist working on this show in this heightened world, getting to explore some of the comedy. It’s an experience that I cherish.

SPOILER: Despite the first season having eight episodes in total, only the first three debuted on HBO Max the first day, with the next 5 coming out weekly after that. What do you think is the reason behind that unique strategy?

ALISON ARAYA: I think there’s lots of reasons behind that. But I like the HBO Max model, having those first three episodes come out. It’s enough to [satisfy] the audience with a mini binge feel, but then also, with that delayed gratification of one episode

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A L I S O N A R AYA

why I always come back and visit it.

I read this book in the same way I watch television. Every year, I’m in a different place in my life as a human being, so I’m able to see something new or pick up on a new nuance in this story that resonates on a new level.

SPOILER: Have they ever made a movie about The Alchemist?

ALISON ARAYA: Paulo Coelho has not sold the movie rights to any of his books.

SPOILER: Are you from Canada originally?

ALISON ARAYA: I’m not actually.

I’m an Aussie, born and raised in Australia. My folks are from Chile.

I’m kinda international at this point.

I’m currently based in Vancouver, but I hop around. I spent years living in Italy and went to theater school there. I’ve been working consistently in Vancouver for a while now, but I jump between here and LA. SPOILER: I know you’re a big fan of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. Such a great book!

ALISON ARAYA: It’s my favorite book. I’ve been reading that book every year since I was twenty. I got

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to meet him in Australia many years ago. He was there for a signing of his book The Fifth Mountain, and I snuck out of work. At the time, I was working for Greenpeace. I lined up for about an hour and got to meet him. It was one of those moments where you get to meet someone with such integrity and presence that it was almost a spiritual experience.

It really made an impact on me. The Alchemist, for me, is a road map and a reminder of the journey, which is Tim Rozon/SurrealEstate/Syfy/Blue Ice Pictures/Smallz & Raskind/Getty Images

per week, you can sit with this story and the characters a little bit longer.

I’m guilty of binge watching through something and missing nuances, not getting the entire experience of it because you’re just hungry to get more. Whereas releasing one a week, you get to reflect and talk about the story.

SPOILER: How far would you go to be part of that project if it ever happens?

ALISON ARAYA: Oh my gosh. If that were to ever happen, I would Hunger Games it to be a part of that movie! If I’m not mistaken, I think there were talks about making The Alchemist into a film years ago, but I think there were some creative differences when it came to the script and they ended up not making it. But I believe the story touches on such a profound part of the human experience and that hero’s journey lends itself well to a film. But unless the right person with a vision comes along, he’s not likely to make it. But who knows?

SPOILER: What brought you to Greenpeace?

ALISON ARAYA: Growing up, I was always a bit of an activist. My mom raised me to always have a profound connection to and appreciation for Mother Earth. So, I always thought if I didn’t get into acting, I could be some kind of activist worker or

Susie Abromeit/Matt Sayles

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A L I S O N A R AYA humanitarian worker. And as I came out of theater school, I got a job with Greenpeace. I was actually one of the first people campaigning on the streets raising awareness for the pilot program they ran in Sydney. I was super passionate about it and worked there for quite a while. It was really impactful in that engaging with people is such a powerful way of communicating, the urgency of looking at our environment and making climate change a priority. But it was also disheartening because a lot of people just didn’t care. I’m grateful for the experience and hope to continue working and raising awareness in my own way.

SPOILER: How excited were your family and friends when they found out you were in Peacemaker?

ALISON ARAYA: Super excited.

This is a big deal, getting to work with John Cena and James Gunn and everyone I got to work with. My family is super supportive. I feel like I’m really blessed. From the moment I realized that this is what I wanted to do, my family was like, “Yes, do what you have to do! We believe in you!”

So, they’re pretty stoked.

SPOILER: Was this one of those secret auditions that DC and Marvel like to do?

ALISON ARAYA: It was hush hush.

At first, the production had a different name, so we didn’t really know what was going on. But then, when I found out, I was like, “This is amazing!” And then anticipation of The Suicide Squad film coming out, I started to realize that this was gonna be a huge opportunity. I didn’t know the comics beforehand. I didn’t really grow up with that as part of [my world]. But I love the superhero genre and I love what John Cena’s doing with Peacemaker. It’s wild!

Comic books are really good, concise storytelling. I think they were the original memes [laughs]. You have to pack a lot of information into a single visual and limited text. So, when you see these comics that say a lot in a single frame, and really

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captures an emotion, it really makes an impact, which is why it lends itself so well to film and television. And we’re only gonna see more of it.

SPOILER: When did you realize you wanted to start acting?

ALISON ARAYA: True story: My mom tells me that the second I was born, she held me in her arms, and she heard some voice tell her, “This young girl is gonna be an actress.” That’s what she says. So, I think it was predestined. As a kid, I was always performing. I was the child at the party who would gather all the kids and create shows and demand everyone’s attention for my 15-minute extravaganzas. My first role was in my preschool Nativity play. I played Mary. But I started to take it seriously as a preteen. I won an acting class from some junior modeling competition. And then the stars aligned. I was like, “This is what I want to do!”

From then, I went to a performing arts high school, and that really

consolidated my passion. That was the foundation for my work ethic.

I had some brilliant teachers and mentors who really made an impact.

I decided I wanted to go deeper into my studies, and that’s when I moved to Italy and did my formal theater training. Then I met an actor in Australia who told me about the industry here in Vancouver. So, I packed my things, came over here, and never went back.

I love what I do so much and try to get better all the time. It started out with me wanting to put all my feelings and emotions into

A L I S O N A R AYA

Susie Abromeit/Matt Sayles/Diving Normal/Devolver Digital Films

came my way. But then I had to cultivate that discernment of what’s important to me; what are the stories that I want to tell; who are the people that I want to work with.

Getting into that position to be able to make those choices and guide my career the way I want it to go, I feel like I’m just stepping into that space right now. And it’s really exciting. I feel like the best is yet to come for me.

something meaningful, and then it turned into a real passion for story and humanity. When I look at my work, I’m always looking for ways to be a better storyteller and reveal more of myself, to find the nuances and bring the complexity of what it is to be a human being, and some truth and authenticity to my work.

SPOILER: You’ve been in this industry a long time now. Does it bother you when some young actors get that one magic role and skyrocket?

ALISON ARAYA: Listen, there was a time in my life where that would have crushed me, and I would have thought that it was the biggest injustice. But I haven’t been in that space for a while because I really started to work on myself. And the more I worked on myself, the more I realized that everyone really does have their own journey. I’m gonna be honest, when I first came to Vancouver, I thought I was ready for a series lead and had it all worked out. But the more I knew, the more I realized I had so much to learn.

I know who I am on a mental level now, and I know what my core values are, so the ground beneath me feels stable. If I had been given the opportunity at a younger age, I couldn’t say that I would have had the same foundation. So now in my career, whatever comes my way, I know I can handle it. And for those who have that one opportunity that

SPOILER: Do you believe in ghosts?

catapults you to success, bless you!

But also, continue to work, because opportunities can come easily, but can also vanish just as quickly.

I keep studying, finding new teachers to work with. I look at my work like an athlete watches their game tape. I listen to how other actors work, I listen to how directors communicate, I listen to what the writers are saying, because I wanna be a good storyteller.

SPOILER: Do you think your experience has made you more savvy with picking your roles?

ALISON ARAYA: I think it’s something I’m still developing.

Using that discernment and really trusting that intuition is a really important part of my journey. Being okay saying no is really important as an actor. When I first started out, I would say yes to everything that

ALISON ARAYA: Of course I believe in ghosts!

I got the stories. My first gig in Vancouver was on the show Smallville. And we were filming at this very renowned location, Riverview [Hospital]. And so many people who have been there report strange sensations and weird kinda vibes. When I was shooting there, it just felt like there was a lot of energy around, so I refused to go anywhere by myself. The one washroom that was available to us was down this dark alley, so I held it until I was back at my trailer [laughs].

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BY ETHAN BREHM

big screen iterations than Batman.

First worn cinematically by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s 1989 film and its 1992 sequel Batman Returns, the cape and cowl have been donned by the likes of Val Kilmer (Batman Forever), George Clooney (Batman & Robin), Christian Bale (the Christopher Nolan trilogy), and Ben Affleck (the Zack Snyder-verse) over the years. But now, in one of the most anticipated films of 2022, Robert Pattinson will carry the Dark Knight torch in The Batman, out March 4.

Taking inspiration from iconic Caped Crusader comics such as The Long Halloween, Ego, the “Year One” arc, and the “Zero Year” crossover event, director and screenwriter Matt Reeves and his

co-writer Peter Craig (The Town, Top Gun: Maverick) wanted to focus on a younger version of Bruce Wayne and his alter ego with their upcoming reboot, which follows the superhero during only his second year trying to clean up the streets of Gotham City.

Getting in his way are the Riddler (Paul Dano), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and a fledgling Penguin (Colin Farrell), as well as femme fatale Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), aka Catwoman. Jeffrey Wright portrays

Chapelwaite/Epix

there has been no superhero with more Lieutenant Gordon, who hasn’t yet been promoted to commissioner, and Andy Serkis gets a turn as Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth, who, unlike the more fatherly role he’s taken on in past renditions, is more at odds with the young crime fighter entrusted to him.

While Riddler’s villainy is fully formed this time around, other characters will evolve much more in subsequent installments, with plans for a trilogy underway, as well as a spin-off series following Gotham

robert pattinson catch-up list:

Remember Me (2010)

Cosmopolis (2012)

The Rover (2014)

Good Time (2017)

High Life (2018)

City Police Department and another focusing on the Scarface-rise of Penguin.

Featuring references to past Batman iterations, the Batsuit was designed by Jacqueline Durran and her team to look homemade

by Wayne himself. Veteran DP Greig Fraser (Lion, Rogue One, The Mandalorian) assisted Reeves in establishing a more somber tone amidst the visually grounded world, albeit one infused with these heightened elements, such as a muscle car Batmobile inspired by Stephen King’s haunted automobile story, Christine, and aforementioned rogues’ gallery of over-the-top villains.

Known for his deceptively minimalist films Cloverfield and Let Me In, prior to venturing into the Planet of the Apes universe with his categorically incredible installments in 2014 and 2017, Reeves is likely the perfect man for the job. Proving his ability to work both within and

The Lighthouse (2019)

The Devil All the Time (2020)

without the realm of ultra-effects— whether it be the incisive character work in both Apes films or doing well to imply impending doom in an alien invasion flick that had very few scenes of actual aliens—the director has always found a way to compensate on both sides of the coin.

He referred to The Batman as “the most intricate narrative I have ever, ever tried to tackle,” which

Tenet (2020)

may as well herald just where this newest installment is headed. Bruce Wayne—and Batman—has always been a character noteworthy for emotional containment buried underneath a complex outer shell.

Add in all these moving parts inhabiting this rich playground and it’s bound to be intricate. Reeves hasn’t failed us yet, even in his most ambitious projects.

For fans of Pattinson, this new sojourn into the world of superheroes is an exciting one. Watching the actor go from brooding vampire to indie phenom has been fun to watch, but also not without criticisms from the more casual moviegoers who haven’t yet seen his talents on full display in films like Cosmopolis, Good Time, or The Lighthouse. An actor known for embodying his characters outright and always going the extra four miles to bring something unexpected to the table, Pattinson should provide a new spin on the Caped Crusader as one of the best actors to ever portray him.

Dingy and brimming with noir, The Batman might just be the titular character’s darkest rendition yet. And with a highly talented team behind it, the DC movie is arguably the most promising of the year.

To celebrate the character, we’ve looked at a couple of interesting aspects of the superhero’s mythology over time. Batman fans have a lot to look forward to in the coming months, but this handful of features spotlights Gotham’s favorite son in a way that only the experts at SPO!LER can.

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ranking

the live-action

batman acto 3

1

adam west

As far as live-action Batmans go, there’s no one better than the iconic Adam West. Whether you love or hate the campiness of the 1960s TV series, there’s no denying that West informed the public’s perception of the Caped Crusader more than any other actor who’s taken on the role.

With an incomparable dedication, the actor possessed a knack for delivering the conviction of Batman with a self-awareness that seeped into the dialogue and allowed him to become truly synonymous with the character.

2

val kilmer

When Kilmer took over for Keaton’s Batman, he had a tall task at hand.

Fans loved the first two Tim Burton movies and wanted to love the third film just as much. While 1995’s Batman Forever suffered from a slight lack of focus, the actor’s effective performance was a definite highlight. Not only did he exude a certain charm as Bruce Wayne, but created an overlap between the two personas. Kilmer defined the man behind the mask and treated him as a separate entity, yet very much part of the same person.

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tors christian bale Christian Bale has the advantage of starring as the title role of arguably the two best Batman films of all time.

The actor, known for his career of flawless performances, gave so much to the role that his aggression became a counterpoint to the campier Batman of the 1960s. A darker and grittier Dark Knight for the modern age, Bale reinvented the character for an entirely new generation.

4

michael keaton Michael Keaton is a personality all his own. Tim Burton’s first two Batman films are good in their own right, but are very much garnished with the actor’s comedic sensibilities and carefree attitude. Arguably better at being Bruce Wayne than his alter ego, Keaton still brought his own trademarked style to the role, which helped make the movies unforgettable all these years later.

6

With a performance that suffered a bit due to the quality of the films, Clooney still rose to the occasion in his only outing as Batman in 1997’s Batman & Robin. While he didn’t quite bring the charm fans had hoped for, he still echoed a similar campiness from the original TV series and comic books, which according to some is one of the highest compliments you can receive.

george clooney

5

will arnett

7

Voicing Batman for the LEGO Movie franchise, Arnett has taken the role to a whole new level. Becoming a sort of spoof on the character, the actor infuses his performances with a loving admiration for the Caped Crusader. As great as they are on their own, the movies’ best moments often stem from Arnett’s fun take on the superhero.

ben affleck Affleck never quite got his chance to shine as Batman, now having left the franchise, with a final “appearance” in the Snyder Cut. Arguably the best part of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the actor played a more disillusioned version of the Dark Knight, something fans had yet to see done properly up to that point. february 2022|

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BY MATTHEW McLACHLAN

THE WORLD OF BATMAN IS AN EXCITING ONE, LITTERED

with guns, mobsters, riddles, bombs, poison, ninjas, immortals, clowns, cops, and the occasional weird love affair between adults dressed as animals. It’s a thrilling place full of adventure, danger, and things looming on every corner and rooftop that’ll be sure to get your blood flowing. And then there’s Alfred Pennyworth. The butler in the background most notable for his tranquil demeanor, John Waters mustache, and devastatingly dry wit. This helpful housekeeper may seem like a boring, bland wet blanket amongst the sexy, crimefighting, action-packed bat-world, but I’m here to tell you that Alfred Pennyworth fits in perfectly. “Oh, come on, Matt,” I hear you screaming at your preferred method of reading this magazine, “There is nothing sexy about Alfred Pennyworth!” Well, my Geeklings, what if I were to tell you… there is.

Typically seen as the guy carrying the tray, making a smarmy comment, and cleaning up Bruce Wayne’s dirty underwear after a sweaty night of

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crouching on rooftops, there is so much more to the guy that it’s a crime people have “just the butler” as their main image of him. First of all, before joining the Wayne family in their philanthropic adventures, Alfred was a Special Operations Executive operative, having received honor and ethics for his time served while still maintaining connections within the intelligence community to this day. During his time as an operative, he acquired some pretty bomb-ass medical training where he learned to bandage most wounds, remove bullets, and perform some pretty major surgeries, helping keep Bruce Wayne out of the hospital, protecting his identity as Batman, and preventing all of the wouldbe medical bills from no doubt bankrupting him. Along with his medical training, being an operative taught Alfred how to handle himself in a tussle. Although not as qualified as everyone else in the Bat family when it comes to self-defense, Alfred knows how to throw a punch or two and easily escape being tied

up without disturbing the cut of his suit, and has also boasted about being unsuccessfully kidnapped over 27 times.

Prior to learning how to wreck people and then put them back together, Alfred dabbled in the performing arts. And by “dabbled” I mean he is a well-trained, world class actor. He does a very convincing Bruce Wayne impersonation that he usually utilizes over the phone, he puts on a disguise and character whenever Batman needs him in the field, and he teaches Bruce various acting methods to help maintain his own disguises convincingly as well as how to be more menacing

as Batman. On the flip side of his brain, Alfred is a f---ing genius.

He has mastered computer programming, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, nanotechnology, and biotechnology which allows for him to singlehandedly build, program, and maintain much of Batman’s next-gen technology, gadgets, and Bat-computer. And to top it all off, he takes care of an entire mansion and its grounds. Do you know how dusty a room gets if it’s not cleaned

regularly? It gets dusty! Now imagine there being a few dozen bedrooms, half as many bathrooms, a ballroom, dining room, endless acres of land to landscape, and a g--damn Batcave to deep clean! Okay, yes, I’m sure he outsources most of that, but even scheduling all of that to be cleaned is a bitch! And ya know what else is great about Alfred? He’s a master at breeding roses. That’s right, roses.

He even created his own species called “The Pennyworth Blue” and that’s just nice.

Of course, all of that would look great on any résumé to a crimefighting vigilante looking for a badass butler/engineer/doctor/ actor/rose wizard, but none of that is the reason why Alfred is amazing and vital to Batman’s success or Bruce Wayne’s sanity. It’s because Alfred loves Bruce to a fault. Yeah, yeah, cue the “awwww” from the audience, but it’s true. Bruce Wayne is Batman because something broke inside of him the night his parents died which forces him to push forward in his fight against crime no matter the cost, but he’s only able to be Batman because something also broke within Alfred that night, forcing him to devote his entire life to Bruce, protecting him, helping him, and making sure he is taken care of, also no matter the cost. No, it may not be as obvious as money, gadgets, training, or vehicles, but Alfred’s attention, devotion, and love to this broken orphan is the most important tool in Batman’s toolbelt, having been kept alive and relatively in one piece by this surrogate father through his entire crime-fighting career.

So, the next time people think Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is “just the butler,” you ask them how many people would want to have an emotionally scarred boy left in their care whom they couldn’t stop from leaving their home, only to have him return years later an even more broken man and wait for him night after night as he goes out to fight the criminal underworld, all while sitting in a mansion by themselves,

contemplating whether or not there was anything they could do to save this man’s mind and soul from the dark torment that he puts himself through every moment of his existence, all while hoping and praying he comes home alive each night, or at the very least in one piece, and the only thing they can do to offer any sense of respite or comfort after stitching his body and setting his bones is to ask if he’d prefer chamomile tea or green, and after he refuses both along with a full meal, they make a sarcastic quip because it’s the one frail attempt at keeping themselves from shattering into a million pieces at the sheer pain and weight of it all? None is the answer to that question! No one would! Why? Because whether we realize it or not, Alfred Pennyworth has had an even more emotionally taxing job than Batman since his crusade began, and I think that Alfred is a saint and a hero for doing his job without hesitation or complaint while almost never being acknowledged, thanked, or just asked how the f--- his day was. So, Alfred Pennyworth, from all of us here at SPO!LER magazine, we salute you, good sir.

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BY MATTHEW McLACHLAN

IN THE WORLD OF GEEKDOM, THERE ARE AN ENDLESS

amount of debates that aren’t really debates at all, yet they still pop up from time to time, usually when alcohol is involved. A few examples include: Did Han shoot first? Was the Game of Thrones ending bad? Is Cobb awake at the end of Inception?

The answer to all of these nondebates is a resounding “Yes!” but I’ll let you all argue about them over your craft beers while your girlfriends just want to go home. I, on the other hand, am here to discuss another non-debate that seems to have gained unnecessary traction over the years. One that I have found myself in the middle of on more occasions

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than I’d like to admit, alcohol or not.

An argument that I have a very hard time believing is still even a thing.

And that is, of course, the question of whether or not Batman is actually a “superhero.”

This argument stems from the idea that in order to be a superhero, you need to be “super.” Meaning, you must possess some sort of super abilities or powers. So, because Batman does not possess any of these things, he is not actually a “super” hero, and is, in fact, just your standard, not-toospecial, “hero.” This is, of course, a made-up rule. It has never been a thing. However, NeckBeards within Geekdom have done their damnedest to use this “solid evidence” to denounce Batman as a superhero for years now. Well, NeckBeards, I pray to Zod that none of your favorite superheroes include Iron Man, The Punisher, Green Arrow, Black Widow, Star Lord, Nick Fury, Rorschach, War Machine, Hawkeye, and countless other non-powered super-heroes because…well…that would make no Zoddamn sense, now would it?

My favorite excuse for Batman not being a superhero is, of course, “he’s just some guy with money.” Even typing that makes my butt clench with fury. I guess I’m confused as to what it is people think Batman actually does with all his money— bribe criminals into submission?

He’s not Venmo-man! I assume what people mean is he uses his money to buy cars, gadgets, and other things and those are what make him so good at what he does. Well, I’m sure you can go on YouTube and find

half a dozen teenage millionaires wearing armor, throwing smoke bombs, and whipping tiny bladed boomerangs at each other, but I do not see them becoming vengeance or the night. But let’s entertain the idea for a moment that money is the sole reason Batman is successful at fighting crime: Please remind me, because my memory must be going, of all the times Mark Zuckerberg disarmed a doomsday device while being shot at, or the dozens of various crime organizations Bill Gates shut down with his bare hands, or that one time Warren Buffet fist-fought a godlike alien and kicked its ass around town. Huh! Weird! I just can’t seem to think of any, can you?! The only superhuman thing a billionaire like Jeff Bezos is doing is somehow getting me my Amazon packages yesterday and that’s because I pay him for it.

Now, let’s get down to the good stuff: why Batman is a superhero.

Regardless of his fortune and lack of super powers, Bruce Wayne is not “just some guy.” And to think as much would be ridiculous. He spent his entire young adult life training, all around the world, to be the best at, well, literally everything. After his parents died, he vowed to rid Gotham of crime, which meant pushing himself to the edge, mentally and physically, in every possible way in order to fulfill that vow. The guy has mastered 127 different forms of martial arts, achieved peak human conditioning and strength, gone through various courses and training to raise his intellect and IQ to genius levels, learned detective skills that make Sherlock Holmes look like ScoobyDoo, and has a willpower stronger than the knees that broke his unreasonably strong and perfectly sculpted back! We’ve all seen people push themselves harder than we thought possible, maybe because there was something driving them further than everybody else, and Bruce Wayne takes that idea to a whole new level. Some would even say, superhuman levels. See what I did there? Bruce Wayne isn’t a normal person who bought his way into crime fighting; he’s a broken human being who pushed himself to every possible limit there is to be the very best and he used all of the resources at his disposal to aid in his pursuit of a crime-free Gotham.

So, the reality is, Batman is a superhero because he doesn’t have any superpowers. He pushed himself to the strength, speed, agility, and intellect of Captain America without ever needing the cheatcode that is Super Solider Serum to do it. All he needed was some old-fashioned family trauma and an unhealthy amount of strong will.

In fact, in basically every iteration of Batman in which he does gain some kind of superpower, it isn’t like, “Oh, hey, Batman can fly now.”

Nope! The dude becomes a god!

Other superpowered beings crap their spandex when “the human” gets all the superpowers you idiots

keep complaining he didn’t have before! So, let him be a human, ‘cause he scares the hell outta the other heroes when he does have powers. And as far as the definition of “superhero” goes, a superhero is someone who fights crime on the same level of others who do have powers. That’s all. No powers required, just the ability to keep up and stay alive. Which Batman, the superhero, has very much done.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

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inte inte

INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

It would be a John Legend concert that would inspire Ricky He to pursue a career in performing. The Vancouver native already had somewhat of a foundation, attending a fine arts school early in life. But fast forward a few years and now he stars in the upcoming sci-fi/horror Epix series From, where he plays a resident of a mysterious small town that imprisons anyone who visits.

With a career that includes spots on Wayward Pines, The Magicians, A Million Little Things, and The Good Doctor, as well as the 2018 Disney Channel version of Freaky Friday, Ricky is accumulating quite the résumé. The actor sits down with us to chat about his upcoming series, what his bank account looked like prior to landing the role of Kenny, and who he’s eyeing to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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erview erview SPOILER: What is From about?

RICKY HE: From is this mystery thriller. I’ve been telling people that it’s like a cross between Lost and The Walking Dead. It’s about a bunch of people who get stuck in this town and they don’t know how they get stuck in this town. And at nighttime, some pretty paranormal, creepy stuff starts happening.

The main essence of this show is to create an environment where all these people are put into these extreme circumstances where they have to find the humanity in it all. At the core of it, even though there’s a lot of scary stuff that happens, this show is built around the characters, and the emphasis is about the people who are stuck in this town and how they find a way to get along.

Jesse Stanley/Ruth Crafer/Kristine Cofsky/(cover image): Jesse Stanley/Kristine Cofsky

SPOILER: Describe your character on the show.

RICKY HE

RICKY HE: I played the deputy in town, Kenny. He’s a first-generation immigrant. His mom works at the diner and his dad has dementia, so his parents don’t stay together, and he has to jump back and forth between hospital and home. Here’s this earnest, sweet young kid who’s trying to do his best. He wants to impress the sheriff, Boyd, who’s kind of like this father figure for him.

SPOILER: This show doesn’t wait to get crazy. It gets there in the first episode.

RICKY HE: Having taken such a big part in shooting the show and then having so much time to digest it, there’s a part of me that’s almost disillusioned with what’s happening. I watched the screener, and it took me a while to realize, “Yeah, that was really intense!” I mean, I was there and saw what

was happening on set in real life, but it didn’t look as jarring as when I was watching it on screen. It’s intense. It was a lot.

SPOILER: How did you land the role of Kenny?

RICKY HE: At this point in my career, there’s a whole lot of auditioning and a whole lot of rejection. Or a lot of waiting to hear back, finding out you’re close, and then getting that no. This was one of those where I did the audition and I was kinda hung up on something else. Like, I was almost over the process to some degree. And I got the callback and met [showrunner] Jack Bender. It went really well, in my head. And then waiting to find out if I got the role was one of those things where, I just paid my taxes, my bank account was the closest to 0 it’s been since I was a teenager.

I was already assuming I wasn’t gonna hear back about this job, so I was already grieving it [laughs]. So when I heard that I got it, it was a massive breath of relief. I was like, “I don’t know if I should keep doing this,” so that was great timing.

SPOILER: Did that give you an added oomph in your performance?

RICKY HE: [laughs] I don’t know. I do Muay Thai kickboxing, and I like to think of it as similar. You have to prep really hard and work your ass off, but when you’re in the ring, you have to sort of lose that tension and just stay in that moment.

So, I think there was definitely a similar approach to the first week of shooting. My first day of work, we were shooting probably one of the heaviest scenes that I have this season. Before that, we had two weeks of quarantining, which I spent pacing back and forth in my apartment, just having this existential crisis like, “Am I good enough for this? What if they were wrong?” [laughs] So I prepped really hard. And when you get on

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a lot of questions are answered, but in a way, I have even more questions than I started with. I feel so lucky to be able to have worked on this show.

I’m a big fan of properties like Game of Thrones and the entire MCU. And a big part of those franchises is the fan involvement: the theory videos, the Easter egg videos. I genuinely feel like a fan of this show. There’s a hunger to find out what happens.

set, you just gotta release all that tension and just stay right there.

Especially when Harold [Perrineau] is your scene partner. He’s the GOAT. He’s so f---ing incredible! He’s so there with you for everything. Such a generous actor. So, I was just there and added a little extra elbow grease.

SPOILER: What got you into acting?

RICKY HE: I grew up on the east side of Vancouver, which is like the less affluent part of Vancouver. But then I applied to a fine arts school on the west side of Vancouver, which is more of a well-off neighborhood. I took a drama program. Around 11th or 12th grade, I was like, “Why am I gonna become an actor? Are they really gonna put me in TV shows and movies?” So I decided I would stop acting and go to school, get a regular job my Chinese parents would be really proud of [laughs]. It sounds so cliché, but it felt like something was missing. I wasn’t enjoying it at all. I’m a big John Legend fan and I went to his concert. I remember just standing there being absolutely blown away. I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing and experiencing. I knew in that moment,

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“I have to do something in the form of entertainment. I have to pursue something.” So, I went home and opened my laptop and Googled how to be an actor, and here we are.

SPOILER: These days, a lot more shows come out unannounced. It’s a lot harder to get that traction with all these different outlets.

RICKY HE: I would sound like a total optimist if I said that I had faith that what’s good rises to the top. But at the end of the day, at this point in my career, I hope for the best but expect the worst. From is really good. I gotta say, by the end of this season,

SPOILER: Are you focusing more on TV or movies right now?

RICKY HE: If the story is tremendously compelling, it doesn’t necessarily matter to me. I would love to work on more film because I’ve had the privilege to work on something like From. I grew up loving television and I loved the idea that, unlike film, you can stay with these characters in this world that you’re invested in. There’s something about finishing a TV show, as an audience member, where you’re almost grieving a little bit.

SPOILER: Did you guys shoot the show in an actual town?

RICKY HE: We shot in Nova Scotia, about 45 minutes away from central Halifax in a little town called Beaver Bank. And they built the town. It’s all these little sets. And it’s incredible!

There’s a diner in town, and it really is a diner. Colony House is spectacular.

The sets, at least for me, really help put you in that place. We all know the town so well, the geography, the climate, that when I’m watching the show, it’s hard for me to not think about where the porta potties are.

RICKY HE

Vicious Fun/Black Fawn Films/Breakthrough Entertainment

and was in the mix, for something Marvel related. Something I would love to do right now in terms of the superhero genre is, there is a member of the Young Avengers team called Amadeus Cho. People keep saying they’re shaping up to build the Young Avengers team. I am young and I do love avenging things. I need to tweet it like Simu [Liu] did.

If I got to work with someone like Tony Leung, it would definitely be a parents-get-off-my-back moment.

But MCU is a close second to working with Tony Leung.

SPOILER: Was this filmed during COVID? RICKY HE: Yes. We had some pretty intense COVID protocol. We were tested multiple times a week and always wearing a mask. One of the moments of relief was being able to go home. We spent a lot of time on set. And there were a couple of night shoots that got really wet and cold.

SPOILER: So where do you go from here?

RICKY HE: At the end of shooting, I really wanted to take some time off from actual acting. I really wanted to work on my writing and my directing a little bit more. Right before I flew to Halifax to shoot this, I had just directed my first music video called “Yet to Come” for a friend of mine.

And I thought that was what I wanted to do. But after taking a break, now I’m auditioning and want to work again. I don’t know if we’re gonna get a season 2. Fingers crossed. But if we don’t get to do a season 2, at least I can be proud of having worked on something like this. Kenny is such a fun and specific character.

Another character that I’m really looking to playing right now is sort

of a charming, smarmy founder of a pyramid scheme. Almost like DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can. I just wanna play something that’s the polar opposite of Kenny. Or maybe something like a 1930s businessman in Shanghai. There’s something about that aesthetic that’s really appealing to me.

SPOILER: Are you similar to Kenny?

RICKY HE: There’s a huge part of me in Kenny and I relate to him on a very strong level. I have a massive need to be loved and affirmed. But also, there’s a really big aspect of me where I can be really arrogant, which is something I really had a hard time coming to terms with. It took me a long time in training to learn to accept that these are all different parts of me. I have all these aspects that make me this complete person.

But that’s the dream of any great actor, to be able to show all these different parts of themselves. And with Kenny, I was able to strongly show such a big part of myself.

SPOILER: Marvel or DC? RICKY HE: I can’t say too much, but I had at one point went out,

SPOILER: Has anything paranormal ever happened to you?

RICKY HE: Nothing personally, and I hope it stays that way [laughs]. But in grade 10, our drama teacher showed us her footage of some girl spirit she saw on some haunted tour. They were looking in windows, and this girl is just faded into the window, just standing there. I don’t feel like the CGI looked that good back then, so it might be legit.

SPOILER: Do you have any advice for young actors trying to follow in your footsteps?

RICKY HE: I realized last year that I spent so much of my early life just being bad at stuff. I think that’s the reason why the last two or three years I’ve kind of developed this obsession with getting good at stuff.

So don’t be afraid to fail.

Keep trying stuff. That’s the only way you can learn.

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BY JOSHUA AMBAR

WHETHER IT’S SUPERMAN’S RED UNDIES OR IRON MAN’S ARMOR SET, getting the look of the character right is one of the most crucial parts of any TV or film adaptation. At first glance, superheroes and other comic book characters are not recognized by their logos or powers, but by the colors they wear and the suits they don. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuing with Phase Four and DC’s new slate of movies in 2022, franchises everywhere have a rich closet full of these super-suits.

Enthusiast Edward Mogbock has been invested in the comic industry since he can remember and knows the importance of costumes to the genre, and how good balance of realism and comic accuracy when it comes to a character’s look can bring great joy to a fan. “If done properly, it’s as priceless as the memory of opening Christmas gifts as a child,” says Mogbock.

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The comic book genre is not just an arbitrary distinction in the action or fantasy realm; costumes differentiate these entries from any other category of movie or show. Mogbock hopes for a sense of balance when designers create costumes and that they take into consideration past, present, and future fans.

Greg Hopwood, concept costume designer for 2020’s Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, explains that a successful outfit can’t be too modern or too relevant, but a timeless silhouette. “Beyond being timeless, you want the costume to have visual interest and good flow between elements,” says Hopwood. “You don’t want every inch of the costume to be packed with details. You want to find a solid between your eye being

drawn to detail and places where your eye can rest.”

Designers generally have a large source of reference material to refer to for each character when designing a suit. For example, if a character is put in a prison uniform, costume artists will use the number of the comic book issue they first appear in as their prisoner ID number on their uniform—something Hopwood likens to a bit of an Easter egg hunt. “Other times we can work little Easter eggs into the pattern of their suit,” he reveals. “Sometimes those little visual details are for die-hard fans to uncover.”

For dedicated readers, comic accuracy is a must. Hopwood tries his best to take into consideration what the fans want to see, what’s close to the source material, and what’s fun and fashionable. “It’s

hard working on most comic-centric projects these days,” explains Hopwood. “As an avid and die-hard comic nerd like myself, sometimes the [instructed] goal is not to follow the comics and it’s hard to bite my tongue.”

When it comes to costumes, Gina DeDomenico Flanagan, concept costume designer for the supe shows Titans and The Boys, believes what is “right” is in the eye of the beholder: “The character must embody the costume. If the costume wears the actor, the design has failed.”

Flanagan explains that each designer has his or her own vision when it comes to creating costumes for the characters, and to get the look of the character just right, the balance between history and functionality—as well as what the fans want—is most important. It’s also imperative to make sure to keep the costume on-budget.

“We have to do our research and I must balance the fans’ needs, the designers’ educated vision, and what will actually work on the body and on screen,” explains Flanagan.

“Designers pick details about the characters that define them.”

When the credits begin to roll, and even after the silver screen flickers off, these costumes will leave an indelible mark for comic book lovers like Mogbock. Because when the character steps into the limelight for the first time dressed in their heroic suit, fans get to be there for that iconic moment.

“The donning of a costume is the birth [of the hero] because it’s a moment of awakening, the moment when a hero truly comes into their own skin,” says Mogbock. “It’s one thing to run through the streets of Gotham with a shirt and kick ass, but it’s another thing to don a cape and strike lasting fear as a symbol.” february 2022|

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Writer: Robbie Thomas & Dennis Hopeless | Artist: Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, & Dexter Soy Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo

what’s it about?

The Suicide Squad barely manage to steal an alien technology from Oa only to find themselves cut off from their transport back to Earth and on the run from Lanterns and Thanagarians. And no backup is coming from Earth because Amanda Waller is under fire from her onetime ally, current-time enemy: Rick Flag! (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

Is this issue full of over-the-top action? Yes, it is. Does this issue have the hilarious fourth-wall-

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breaking Ambush Bug narrating it?

Yes, it does! Added to the overall silliness of a Suicide Squad book, we get our heroes—er, villains—against Earth 8’s Mightiest Heroes, the Retaliators, comical stand-ins for Marvel’s Avengers. There’s even a nice tribute to Stan “The Man ‘’ Lee performed by Ambush Bug. The story unrolling between Peacemaker and Bloodsport (not something I ever thought I’d say) is by far the best part of the book. When I first picked up this series, I thought it would only serve to capitalize on the success of The Suicide Squad movie, but has proven month after month to be one that I genuinely look forward to reading.

THE BAD

Switching artists back and forth in a single issue is comparable to when you’re enjoying an action movie and you can very noticeably detect the stunt double taking the place of the lead actor; it’s jarring and takes you out of the experience. In

Devil’s Reign:Marvel/One-Star Squadron: DC

SUICIDE SQUAD #11

this issue, two separate art teams are tasked with the main plot and the second plot. Although other books have done this in a more egregious and noticeable manner, it’s still a distraction here. Also, if you asked me to summarize the plot of this issue, I might have a hard time considering the deluge of jokes that detracts from the actual narrative.

SCORE

7.5/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN #1 Writer: Derek Landy | Artist: Angel Unzueta | Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg

what’s it about?

A government agent-turned-Hydra provocateur stages a daring breakout on her way to prison, attracting the attention of both Iron Man and Captain America. When Steve and Tony realize they both have a connection to the slippery fugitive, they team up to track her down, only to discover she’s not the only player on the board with big plans and sinister motives. (from Marvel Comics)

THE GOOD

It’s great to see two of Marvel’s top tier heroes co-headlining a book for the first time in their history.

Admittedly, I didn’t read Falcon & Winter Soldier, which seems like a prerequisite to truly understanding some of the elements at play here, but this is certainly a solid outing.

Captain America and Iron Man may be the names on the marquee, but the real star of this first issue is a little known character (to me at least) named Veronica Eden. To paraphrase Wreck-It Ralph, she may be a bad guy but she’s not a bad guy. Eden is not the stereotypical villain that

I was expecting to see in this book.

She makes no mention of taking over the world nor does she give a long-winded monologue detailing some nefarious plot punctuated by maniacal laughter. This story has the appropriate amount of action you’d expect from two Avengers and is by far one of the most entertaining I’ve read in a long time. Derek Landy captures the essence of the StarSpangled Man and the Playboy Billionaire Philanthropist, juxtaposing the two heroes perfectly. They don’t seem like they should be friends, let alone get along, and the way that relationship is presented here is extremely effective.

solid writing and wonderful art (Tony looks great in and out of the Iron Man suit), but I hope issue 2 gives us more of the Avengers we paid to read about.

SCORE

9.0/10

THE BAD

This is an entertaining book, but its titular characters are not the standouts. The breakout stars are Veronica Eden and a group of C-list heroes from the Fifty State Initiative that refers to themselves as the Paladin. If you pick up this issue expecting to see Tony Stark and Steve Rogers front and center, prepare yourself for the ol’ bait-andswitch. That doesn’t discount the

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Writer: Jeff McComsey | Artist: Mike Deodato Jr. | Colorist: Lee Loughridge

what’s it about?

Three dead bodies lay in a rural morgue—all murdered in the span of three weeks. It’s up to two detectives from opposite sides of the tracks to determine who put them there, if the murders are linked, and what, if anything, they have to do with a pair of dueling car dealerships.

A dark comedy mystery thriller by Jeff McComsey (Grendel, Kentucky) and Mike Deodato Jr. (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Resistance) that is inspired by an outlandish true crime story, The Fourth Man will keep you guessing until the last page. (from AWA Studios)

THE GOOD

AWA Studios is creating a great reputation as a publisher that produces mature comics for those who are superhero fatigued. This book has many specificities, including the location, the time period, the clothing, etc., but they’re handled well and it’s easy for us to accept the reality we’re presented with. True crime stories have become a recent morbid interest of mine, whether it’s a podcast, TV show, or comic. The

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Fourth Man’s gritty and dark setting is visually appealing. Knowing that the events of this story were inspired by true events makes it even more intriguing.

THE BAD

Don’t hate me, AWA Studios, but I have several pet peeves and two of them are present in this book. One is nonlinear storytelling. Although it can work well in visual media, when it’s overused in comic books (often within a single issue), it can become needlessly confusing and convoluted. The other problem is the character designs in this issue.

It’s clear that Mike Deodato Jr. used photo references of major Hollywood actors—such as Paul Giamatti, James Caan, Ed Harris, and Harvey Keitel— for his characters. Unfortunately, this has become a trend lately among certain artists. I can see why it’s done, both as a timesaver and as a method by which the artist can present a certain cinematic quality to their work. But these representations always instantly take me out of any story I’m reading. The Fourth Man has the potential to be a fully engrossing series, but two glaring faults keep it from reaching that level.

SCORE

7.0/10

Batman ‘89:DC/Buffy The Last Vampire Slayer:Boom!

Studios

THE FOURTH MAN #1

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

SWAMP THING: GREEN HELL #1 Writer: Jeff Lemire | Artist: Doug Mahnke | Colorist: David Baron can be no fighting back…unless you have a soldier who understands the enemy; someone who has used its tactics before; someone like Alec Holland. Of course, it would help if Alec Holland hadn’t been dead for decades... (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

what’s it about?

The Earth is all but done. The last remnants of humanity cling to a mountaintop island lost in endless floodwater. The Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and the Rot all agree: It’s time to wipe the slate clean and start the cycle of life over again. And to do so, they’ve united their powers to summon an avatar—one of the most horrific monsters to ever stalk the surface of this forsaken planet.

Against a creature like that, there

Jeff Lemire is hitting another home run for DC’s Black Label. Sweet Tooth was brilliant and Swamp Thing: Green Hell is shaping up spectacularly. Lemire has crafted a tale of horror and suspense with potential apocalyptic results while simultaneously giving us a personal tale of a father’s love for his daughter, both stories intertwined masterfully.

While the writer creates a wonderful and woeful tale with his words, Doug Mahnke does so with his art. One of my favorite modern-day Green Lantern artists, Mahnke has brought his passion and expertise to yet another green DC character. Between Green Hell and The Human Target, the former of which takes a great deal more liberties under the “mature content” banner, DC’s Black Label is on a roll.

THE BAD

I’m a bit late to the party when it comes to Swamp Thing. I lost track of the character in the 1990s other than with his sporadic appearances in different titles. As a result, I find the multitude of different “colors” of the Parliament a bit confusing. I wish Lemire had spent a little time giving us some background exposition into the nature of the different colors. I am also unclear about the setting of this book since there are allusions to several DC characters (one of which plays an important role here, and if you know Swamp Thing, I’m sure you can guess who it is). That being said, Green Hell is amazing, captivating, and entertaining. A Black Label hit for sure.

SCORE

10/10

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Titans United: DC/Dark Knights of Steel: DC

CHICKEN DEVIL #2 Writer: Brian Buccellato | Artist: Hayden Sherman | Colorist: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

what’s it about?

The most unlikely chicken-fried revenge story continues. Mitchell, our overmatched hero, must contend with the bloody aftermath of his first run-in with the Russian mob as he deals with nosey detectives, his shady business partner, Antonio, and the stolen heroin. (from AfterShock Comics)

THE GOOD

Pull up to the drive-thru, get yourself a Double-Double Animal Style Combo with a vanilla shake, and buckle up because this issue is one hell of a thrill ride. Mitchell has found a way to dig himself in deeper into a world that he is dangerously

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unprepared for. I can’t praise the fonts and word bubbles enough.

They are presented in such a unique, hand-drawn style that makes them a star of the book in their own right.

The storytelling and pacing of the events within are wonderfully done.

The themes are dark, from the death of Mitchell’s family to his friend Antonio turning into Swiss cheese, but the humor is always there to let us breathe without taking us out of the story. Another great issue from the team at AfterShock Comics.

THE BAD

Chicken Devil #2 improves upon an already stellar debut issue. The only potential downside to this kind of storytelling, in which we have a buffoonish character bouncing from incident to incident largely unscathed, is imagining how long or how far this premise can go before we no longer accept it. Mitchell is a great character, yet at a certain point he’s going to need to stop fumbling his way through the events of this series. I thoroughly enjoyed the issue but want to see more development for the protagonist.

SCORE

9.0/10

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

ROBINS #1 Writer: Tim Seeley | Artist: Baldemar Rivas | Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

what’s it about?

The five heroes to have donned the Robin cape and mask find themselves at a crossroads in their lives. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne come together to discuss the big question regarding what binds them: Was being Robin, and Batman’s sidekick, the best choice they could’ve made? But before they can get to the heart of the matter, they’re ambushed by an unknown assailant with a bone to pick. She claims to have been the first Robin, and she’s out to prove Batman should’ve never trained any of them. (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

This is a great first issue and hopefully one we will see picked up beyond its advertised six-issue run!

My oldest son’s love for all things Nightwing has led me to nab several books starring the first Robin and I’m glad I did. Each member of the Bat Family is written so well. For newer fans who may not be familiar with the concept that there were multiple heroes who took up the

moniker of Robin, this issue is incredibly welcoming, going as far as to provide us with several pages of introductions given by each person.

Despite how contrived it might be to have characters who know each other very well detailing who they are to each other, it’s important that new readers get to know them.

Baldemar Rivas’ art is impressive, albeit rushed at times, and the introduction of a mysterious new character is intriguing enough for me to pick up issue 2.

enough to take me out of the story, but enough to notice it. This book is pure fun and fan service, which some people may take issue with.

I’m not entirely sure if this series fits within current continuity. If you’re following these characters in other books in the DC Universe, those events are not reflected here.

Lastly, and largely, the presence of a character that potentially throws 80-plus years of Dynamic Duo history into question is potentially unnerving. I hope this isn’t the case because it’s not the kind of retconning I can stand.

SCORE

8.5/10

THE BAD

As I mentioned, there are moments when Rivas’ art seems rushed and overly animated for occasions that don’t require it, such as Jason slamming his hand down on a table or Nightwing rocking a man bun.

It’s a little distracting at times—not

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#2

Writer: Tim Seeley | Artist: Baldemar Rivas | Colorist: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

what’s it about?

The former Robins launch into action after the assault at Dick Grayson’s apartment. Not wanting to turn to Batman for help, the five former wonders start to investigate on their own by digging deep into their pasts.

But what is their assailant’s connection to the Robin name, and why are they coming after the ex-sidekicks? (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

The dysfunctional family of Robins returns to find out who killed Lou Delcaine in cold blood.

Watching all the Robins work together is surprisingly fun and engaging. Issue 2 does an amazing job helping new readers acclimate to the history of our five boy and girl wonders while simultaneously moving the story forward. Tim Seeley allows each Robin’s personality to shine as he or she dives further and further into this case, despite Batman telling them not to.

Even our new mysterious villain,

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despite my reluctance to allow her to be retconned into the story as a Robin that predates Dick, is wonderfully drawn and beautifully designed.

THE BAD

Tim Seeley has doubled down on the revisionist history of all the Robins. I was apprehensive about the appearance of a character claiming to be the first Robin within the pages of issue 1, but now I’m full-on panicking that we’re seeing a muddled attempt to bring all the origins and initial outings of the Robins under the umbrella of Dick Grayson’s Gauntlet. All of that could easily be dismissed by DC announcing that the events of this book are not in-continuity.

I’m a sucker for giving C-list characters some A-list exposure, but why in the world would it make sense for one of them to disguise himself to look like the Joker in order to take on Jason?!

That’s not a critique of the book more than it is the intelligence of the villain.

SCORE

8.5/10

Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries: DC; Hanna Barbera; Warner Bros./ He Who Fights With Monsters:Ablaze Publishing

ROBINS

COMIC BOOK REVIEW |

TASK FORCE Z #1 Writer: Matthew Rosenberg | Artist: Eddy Barrows & Eber Ferreira | Colorist: Adriano Lucas

what’s it about?

In life, they’ve terrorized the people of Gotham. Now, they are Gotham’s last hope. Task Force X saw villains working their way to freedom. Task Force Z will see dead villains working for a new chance at life! On A-Day, the attack on Arkham Asylum left hundreds of Gotham’s most cunning and deranged criminals dead. Now, a mysterious benefactor has activated the government’s Task Force clause to bring them back as the ultimate army of the night!

To lead this team of the undead, only a person who knows exactly what it feels like to be brutally murdered and brought back to life can handle the job. Enter: Red Hood. But when Jason Todd unravels the mystery surrounding Task Force Z’s creation, will he try to destroy it, or embrace it? (from DC Comics)

THE GOOD

In Task Force X, if you don’t follow orders, you die. In Task Force Z, you’re already dead (except

for Jason Todd and Mr. Bloom).

Jason leads a team of zombies that include Man-Bat, Bane, Sundowner, and the Arkham Knight. Matthew Rosenberg takes a very simple premise and makes it extremely entertaining.

The art from Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira is lively despite the subjects being dead. The colors pop and each page moves the story along quickly. Taking the idea of zombies and combining it with super villains is pretty clever.

THE BAD

I missed out on the back-up stories from Detective Comics #1041 through #1043 that lead into this series, and this issue does little to fill me in. The premise of the book is simple enough: Red Hood leads a team of undead Gotham baddies. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m bored with zombies! I’m enjoying the DC vs. Vampires storyline and love the DCeased books, but Task Force Z doesn’t add anything intriguing enough to keep me wanting to come back

for the next eleven issues. I don’t care for the depiction of Jason as a team leader.

He’s the bad boy we all love, not the one barking orders and taking them. I love the character and how uncomfortable he is in this situation, but I’m not too interested in seeing this version of him. In fact, the Jason Todd of this book doesn’t feel much like the Jason Todd we have grown to love. If we are denied a confrontation between Bane (albeit a zombie) and Jason concerning the death of Alfred, I’m going to be severely disappointed. There is a lot of room to grow with this series. I’m hoping it happens quickly.

SCORE

7.0/10

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Writer: Jed MacKay | Artist: Kev Walker, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Mark Bagely, & Andrew Hennessy Colorist: Marte Garcia

what’s it about?

How do you win a war against time?

A special year-ending adventure that gives portents for what is to come in the Marvel Universe over the next twelve months! Kang the Conqueror is a warrior, a destroyer, a subjugator—but even he is subject to the whims and vicissitudes of time itself. So, when a parallel timeline threatens to overwrite the future that Kang has fought so long and so hard to control, the master of the ages has no choice but to go to war with time itself, battling through days of tomorrow as he struggles to prevent the end of what is to come!

Featuring all the major players in the Marvel pantheon! (from Marvel Comics)

THE GOOD

What perfect timing (pun intended)!

I am aware of Kang and have a cursory knowledge of his powers and objectives. With the Conqueror taking center stage in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this book is a welcome and entertaining insight into the time traveling warlord. Kang employs a

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professor of superhuman studies, Dr. Anatoly Petrov, in his plot to show that he is superior to all, even Doom.

Having Petrov tag along on Kang’s time-jumping journey serves as a great anchor for readers, like myself, who aren’t overly familiar with the character. This is less an origins story for Kang as it is an exploration of his psyche and motivation. This oneshot also provides a setup for what we’re going to get from the House of Ideas in the upcoming months. And judging by what Kang experiences in this book, we’re going to see a lot of cool stuff. Of course, the best part of this issue is the surprising final panel, which longtime comic book fans will no doubt drool over!

THE BAD

Timeless is another comic book victim of having too many cooks in the kitchen. The art, although seemingly designed to capture the greatness of Jack “The King” Kirby at times, often falls flat. There are some amazingly rendered pages, but they only serve to highlight the flaws in the lackluster imagery. The most glaring failure of this book is

Hulk,Thing: Marvel

TIMELESS #1

that its version of Reed Richards, who’s masquerading as Doom, with the power of two infinity stones in his eyes—a seemingly ingenious character that would pose a threat to any timeline—is taken out by a spear.

A SPEAR! It was an anticlimactic ending for a villain of great potential.

Despite these two flaws, the book does what it sets out to do: give readers a deeper insight into Kang, set up the Marvel 616 for the next few months, and entertain us.

Timeless is a must read!

SCORE

9.0/10

SPOILER MAGAZINE

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inter inter INTERVIEW BY GALAXY INTRO BY ETHAN BREHM

season 3—already underway—is slated to be the best one yet. Ian Collins, who plays Tristan, one of the First Class passengers, and assistant to Hospitality deputy Ruth, promises that fans will walk away in awe.

Citing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the show that originally inspired him to be an actor as a kid, the Toronto native eventually did theater throughout high school.

But it wouldn’t be until after getting his culinary degree that he decided to return to his original passion.

The young actor has spent the last 10 years making a name for himself in this industry on shows like Loudermilk, Project Blue Book, and Arrow, as well as a slew of Hallmark Christmas movies (can’t forget about those Christmas movies!). And now, with his biggest role yet, he’s here to impart some wisdom for those just starting out.

A self-proclaimed comic book nerd, Ian discusses his love for Green Lantern. He also chats with us about some of his other career aspirations, including his dream role and whether or not he’s too old to be in Euphoria.

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Vicious Fun/Black Fawn Films/Breakthrough Entertainment/ Cody Calahan/Chad Archibald/IMDb

TNT’s Snowpiercer is getting better and better with each new season, and

rview rview

IAN COLLINS banana around a bunch of actors and follow Jennifer. And of course, I step on her foot [laughs]. It was very intimidating. But now it’s just a family event. We’re all in the tents and just laughing and catching up.

It’s the best.

SPOILER: What are the sets like?

IAN COLLINS: The sets are unbelievable. They really bring you into it. I think a lot of people don’t even know how big this stage is.

The stage is quite large, and you can get lost in it very quickly, because after season 2, they started filming two episodes at a time—so filming on two different sound stages.

But the trains are actually moving, which is what a lot of people don’t realize either. There’s somebody on a seesaw that’s moving the train.

The sets still wow me. I get to see most of the trains because I work in the first class and I’m the assistant to Ruth. So I’m always behind her, in every car. And I’m blown away every time I see a new car. It’s been the same soundstage for four years and I still get lost. If an AD doesn’t come and get me, I have no idea where I’m going [laughs]. It’s massive.

SPOILER: What’s your experience like on Snowpiercer?

IAN COLLINS: I’ve spent four years on this show, and it’s the first time I’ve ever been on a show this long.

And since season 1, it really has been absolutely amazing. To get to work with such a brilliant cast and crew is something that any actor would kill for. It’s family now.

SPOILER: How would you describe the show?

IAN COLLINS: Snowpiercer starts seven years after the world has become this frozen wasteland.

The remnants of humanity are on this train that’s perpetually moving around the globe. It’s about class warfare, social justice. It’s essentially a classic tale of haves and have-nots.

SPOILER: Are you a fan of the Snowpiercer movie?

IAN COLLINS: I am a fan. I’m a fan of movies and comics. I’m a big comic book nerd and movie fan. Anything sci-fi is my jam. And director Bong [Joon-ho] did an amazing job on that movie. I remember watching it and being blown away by it. I was like, “How did I not see this in theaters?”

Again, this show definitely focuses more on the characters. And that’s the big difference between the movie and the show. But the movie is beautiful.

SPOILER: What does it feel like being in a scene where there are like, 100 people on set?

IAN COLLINS: It was intimidating in season 1. Most of my scenes in season 1 involved Jennifer [Connelly]. I shouldn’t say this story, but I’m kind of a clown footed individual, and there was one scene that got cut where I had to

SPOILER: What is it like working with Alison Wright?

IAN COLLINS: I refer to her as my acting mommy, because she’s honestly so skilled and talented. It’s absolutely unbelievable how much knowledge she has.

She’s like an encyclopedia.

SPOILER: Do you ever get starstruck working with anyone?

IAN COLLINS: [laughs] As an actor, you try not to. But as a fan, that’s your first reaction, being in awe.

I worked on a show called Hit the Road with Jason Alexander. And I grew up watching Seinfeld. And there was one moment where I had to do the scene with him and I froze because I was Ian the Fan, not Ian the Actor. It definitely happens. But

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The acting world is still from the 1920s. You gotta follow the same steps [laughs]. I’m a firm believer that if you find your community and find who you are, there’s room for everybody.

SPOILER: It’s cool to see your favorite A-listers get these big TV roles, but I love watching newcomers absolutely kill in these starring roles too.

IAN COLLINS: I 100% agree. I love seeing the humble person who was working in their hometown as an actor and then hit it big. I’ve worked with those people, they’re amazing individuals. They’re talented, smart, and they know themselves. They’re ready for that fame. I love those stories.

you try not to look at their name.

You try to look at them as an actor, just a scene partner. It does take time.

SPOILER: What goes through your mind when you’re filming a scene?

IAN COLLINS: I’m someone who needs 100% preparation. I’m thinking about what the character would be thinking in that moment. For example, when I’m playing Tristan, I always play him as someone who has a secret or someone who’s pretending to be me. So I’m always thinking of who’s around me, who sees me. But sometimes I say lines and lines are just words. Acting is complicated. It’s a big craft.

SPOILER: Why do you think they love having you in all these Christmas movies?

IAN COLLINS: [laughs] I think it’s because I can play earnest very easily. It comes to me naturally.

And that’s what you need to have on those movies. They’re in their own worlds—their own DC or Marvel universes. They’re kind of like theater to me. Sometimes we’re doing 17 pages of dialogue, so it definitely

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gets your chops up. You can do a whole movie in eight to ten days now.

SPOILER: What’s your favorite kind of show or movie to work on?

IAN COLLINS: I love sci-fi. It’s really a big part of why I started acting. And I love comedy. I love comedic beats.

Working on comedy is so fulfilling.

Movies-wise, I love working on the Hallmarks, I really do. I wish I could say I didn’t. I haven’t been on a sci-fi movie yet, but I’m hoping I will be soon. Dream role would be on a Fifth Element reboot. I watch it about three times a year.

SPOILER: You’re based in Canada, yeah?

IAN COLLINS: Yes, I’m originally from Toronto, but now I’m based in Vancouver. But I go back and forth.

SPOILER: Is it harder breaking into acting in Canada these days compared to back in the day?

IAN COLLINS: I think it is. I think more A-list movie stars want to do TV now. But I think the same rules still apply. You need to build that résumé and do what you can, eventually go to LA and see what happens there.

SPOILER: When did you realize you wanted to become an actor?

IAN COLLINS: Grade 2. Power Rangers [laughs], when I realized Power Rangers didn’t exist and my parents had to tell me that it was acting. That’s really when I decided I still wanted to be a Power Ranger.

I was like, “I guess I have to be an actor.” But I did drama all the way through high school and did some really great theater projects. Then I decided I was gonna be a chef and went to culinary school. I moved to a resort town. And then decided to come back to acting. I did a lot of commercials [early on]. I went to drama school and decided I would go full force. And it’s been about 10 years now.

IAN COLLINS

Vicious Fun/Black Fawn Films/Breakthrough Entertainment

a really strong acting community: acting friends, acting coaches, acting teachers. When the pandemic hit, it was really hard for those of us who didn’t have that. But if you already had that in your circle, you’re ahead of the game. It’s also helped to get me gigs in the past. I’ve had friends who’ve booked leads in things and mentioned my name, and that’s how I got an audition or a callback.

SPOILER: Who’s your favorite Power Ranger?

IAN COLLINS: I wanted to be Zack.

And also Tommy. I met Jason David Frank at Rogers Arena when I was 10 years old.

SPOILER: If you could work on any other TV show right now, what would it be?

IAN COLLINS: I just watched episode 2 of season 2 of Euphoria. And I know I’m in a different age category, but I love what they’re doing. It just feels so real and grounded. I’m just surprised what these kids are able to do. I would love to be on it, even if I was just a teacher. It would be the best.

SPOILER: What about a movie?

IAN COLLINS: Don’t Look Up. I was engulfed in that dark humor. I was like, “I really wanna be on this.”

Those news coverage scenes are absolutely amazing. Meryl [Streep] was amazing, and she improvised most of that. I just wanna sit in the room. I would do background for that project just to watch everybody.

SPOILER: Marvel or DC?

IAN COLLINS: That is a tough question. I’m gonna be honest, Green Lantern was my first comic book ever. I would love to be any Green Lantern. But I do want that Disney money [laughs]. I want to be on that Disney roster. So, I’m gonna go with Marvel. They’re doing some great stuff.

SPOILER: Have you experienced a convention yet?

IAN COLLINS: I definitely have!

Multiple. Not as an actor, but as a fan.

SPOILER: What advice do you give to someone trying to come up in this industry?

IAN COLLINS: Community is important. If I could go back and give myself advice 10 years ago, it would have to be that. You really have to find an acting community and engulf yourself when you start. You have to be present and be there. And also, find other things that you’re passionate about and bring those to your acting. People are complicated.

We are not just one thing. You can’t just be an actor; you have to be more than that. The last five years, I’ve had

SPOILER: Auditioning has changed.

It’s a lot of tapes now.

IAN COLLINS: I love it. It’s more pressure on yourself, but less anxiety. I do miss auditioning in a room. I miss having that interaction with the producers and directors and the casting directors. It still happens sometimes. But when you see your name and where it’s positioned, and you see the other three guys auditioning, it can play with your mind a little bit. But with self-tapes, you’re battling yourself instead. I’ve found that if you trust yourself and humble yourself, it’s there already.

SPOILER: What can fans expect from Snowpiercer this season?

IAN COLLINS: It’s an intense season.

I’ve read every script from every episode about twice now, because it’s that good. It’s the best season.

The finale—people are just gonna be shocked. I don’t wanna get in trouble, but we’re gonna see a lot more of Tristan this season. I’ll leave it at that [laughs].

SPOILER: Is there anything you want to share with the fans out there?

IAN COLLINS: “You guys have been absolutely amazing! We love the fan art, all the supportive messages. Keep on watching. This season is gonna take you on a journey—a full ride. It’s epic!” february 2022|

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comic con radio and spo!ler magazine did it big this past year at Los Angeles Comic Con. Held December 3rd through 5th at the LA Convention Center, right in the heart of downtown, the convention boasted some amazing guests, such as Zachary Levi, Nichelle Nichols, Giancarlo Esposito, Frank Miller, John Leguizamo, Ming-Na Wen, Tom Welling, Benedict Wong, the cast of Boy Meets World, Bruce Campbell, and literally hundreds more! And with our own booth right across from the Main Stage, we were there front and center to tell you all about it.

My first day of the convention was Saturday, where I arrived shortly before hosting a panel that morning called “It Came From the Video Store.” Upon seeing the long line of cars at the drop-off area in front of the Convention Center, I became nervous about my own prospects of finding a parking spot. Having attended many events in downtown LA in the past, especially at the Convention Center, I was not only worried about the price of parking, but also the distance I would have

to walk to get to the front doors of the event. Fortunately, we ignored signs for the “cheap” lots and landed ourselves in the garage right across the street, filled with plentiful parking options—and for only $30 a day (the other lots were anywhere from $20 to $25, and much farther away).

Despite the nearly 100,000 fans in attendance throughout the weekend, the line to get in the building was virtually nonexistent.

Proof of vaccination was required for all adults, unless, of course, you wanted to do a 15-minute rapid test on-site before entering instead.

Following my noontime panel, my family and I perused the main convention room floor, where some 800 vendors and exhibitors were doing things such as selling collectibles and clothing, displaying their artwork, and even showcasing movie car replicas (Lightning McQueen and Ecto-1 were present and accounted for, among others).

My 3-year-old son particularly loved the 50-foot-tall inflatable

Godzilla and the Build-A-Droid booth, featuring life-sized, fully operational—and conversational— celebrities such as R2-D2 and Wall-E! The main booth for Comic Con Radio + SPO!LER, where you could find head honcho Galaxy hosting an assortment of interviews throughout the weekend, featured an inflatable money machine where guests would try their hand at grabbing as many dollar bills as they could in 30 seconds. The Green Ranger himself, Jason David Frank, also stopped by on Sunday to autograph issues of our very special LACC edition of SPO!LER magazine featuring him on the cover.

We occupied four booths in total, including our Almost Dead activation—a horror themed display promoting our upcoming comic book series—where we hosted some of the industry’s top make-up artists who were creating monsters and zombies right before our eyes.

Our very own panel room held discussions on an array of topics, including NFTs, video store nostalgia, the future of comic books, and the 2021 film Rushed. A special panel on Asian representation in Hollywood featured actors Rich Ting (HBO Max’s Warrior, The Man in the High Castle), Chen Tang (Warrior, Disney’s live-action Mulan), Ian Verdun (Siren), Lee Shorten (The Man in the High Castle, Swan Song), and prolific stunt choreographer Andy Cheng. We also put together an interactive discussion about how to make it in this industry, with veteran celebrity guests Larry Cedar (Deadwood, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders), Whit Hertford (Full House, Jurassic Park), Alex Solowitz (Never Been Kissed, Alpha Dog), and John Kapelos (The Umbrella Academy, The Breakfast Club) in attendance answering questions.

We weren’t the only brand showing out that weekend. Companies like Legion M and Popshop Live, who were in our direct vicinity, were giving away tons of cool prizes,

including lots of cash! While most celebrity signings took place in a special room in a different hall entirely, both we and Legion M featured a multitude of TV and movie stars for visitors to meet and greet on the main convention room floor.

The Main Stage held cast panels for SpongeBob SquarePants, Boy Meets World, Arrow, Smallville, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Mandalorian, My Hero Academia, among other, and featured spotlights on Bruce Campbell, Zachary Levi,

Giancarlo Esposito, and comic book creators Frank Miller, Gerard Way, and Jim Starlin. There was also a stand-up comedy showcase hosted

by Laugh Factory and the Cosplay National Championship. Unlike other conventions, where you have to go to a separate room to see all the best events, LA Comic Con puts the action front and center for everyone to enjoy and access easily.

Other halls in the building housed such things as esports competitions, anime voice actor appearances, as well as a Star Trek showcase where Uhuru herself, Nichelle Nichols, gave one last farewell to longtime fans in her final convention appearance ever.

Among the other halls, highlights also include a screening of The Room with Tommy Wiseau, a reunion panel for The Sandlot and the original Land of the Lost (not at the same time), and a retrospective on one of my favorite movies ever: 1958’s The Blob!

Sunday was my favorite day overall, with a much more relaxed vibe—as most Sundays are at conventions.

Kids got in for free and there was even a children’s cosplay contest (my two boys dressed up as ScoobyDoo and Shaggy). Plus, many of the celebrity guests returned for a

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second day of meet-and-greets.

The one area of improvement for the convention could be the in-house food operations. While the options were vast enough, and expectedly pricey, the needlessly lengthy line to get a cheeseburger could have been significantly cut down if only there had been some signs to inform us that the mostly-hidden line was, in fact, for cheeseburgers. Many got to the front only to realize that they had to go elsewhere for something like pizza or orange chicken. This is a fan convention after all, so we see a long line and assume that it’s for something important. But for those more astute, nabbing a slice of pizza or a pre-made sandwich was as easy as walking up and grabbing one, avoiding the line entirely. However, the food tasted great. We weren’t able to peruse the selection of food trucks outside, but I heard the lines were just as long.

My wife and I have been attending LA Comic Con ever since its first year back in 2011 (it was called Comikaze back then), and I have to say this was the smoothest operation they’ve ever ran, despite having more fans in attendance than I’ve ever seen before. Unlike other Cons, LACC’s homegrown vibe has always appealed to us. Now that we have kids, we can also appreciate the more family-friendly angle. And with the increased floor space this year (I heard around 30,000 to 40,000 extra square feet), the aisles weren’t immobilizing with crowds.

Perfect in preparation for the Christmas season, Los Angeles Comic Con has hopefully found a permanent home in one of these post-Thanksgiving weekends. In the past, the event has been held anywhere from September to December. But no matter what, we will definitely be coming back!

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SPOILER MAGAZINE

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F A N E X P E R I E N C E T O U R 2 0 2 2

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usa TOUR 2022 Welcome to the COMIC CON RADIO + SPO!LER MAGAZINE FAN EXPERIENCE TOUR 2022!

This year we’re headed to seven amazing cities, visiting the top conventions across the United States in order to give attendees the memories they deserve. Reaching millions of fans with a unique experience in a way that only Comic Con Radio + SPO!LER can do, this year’s tour will be like no other.

Helping to make each event more memorable than they’ve ever been, what we’re doing has never been done before.

fan experience TOUR MAP Washingtong

utah

california texas

F A N

E X P E R I E N C E

new york

Illinois

florida

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