Into the DC Murderverse: "Man of Steel"

 "Man of Steel" (2013)

First off, I have to fess up that I didn't come up with the name "DC Murderverse." That was my friend, Mark, so I want to give him credit right up front. I'm not sure if he will ever read this, but if he does, hopefully he's cool with my borrowing this from him.

There had been talk of re-booting the film version of Superman for years. Remember when Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage were going to do a Superman movie loosely based on the death and return of the Man of Steel? Maybe you've watched the documentary and thought, "Man, that would be better than this." You'd be right, but I digress. Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures and DC were into a pitch by Christopher Nolan, the director of the Dark Knight trilogy, and David Goyer, who wrote "Batman Begins." They greenlit the movie and hired Zack Snyder, "director", to make the movie and launch DC's version of the MCU.

Principal photography on "Man of Steel" began in August 2011 and wrapped in February 2012. The film stars Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as Zod, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. The film was written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Christopher Nolan. It was directed by Zack Snyder. "Man of Steel" was released on June 14, 2013.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Rising Malevolence," "Shadow of Malevolence," & "Destroy Malevolence"

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

Remember when I said that sometimes "The Clone Wars" had little three episode arcs? Well, we are to our first one! Woot. Let's dive in and also get the first official "Clone Wars" introduction of some classic prequel trilogy characters.

"In the Name of the Moon" Rewatch: "Usagi's Panic: Rei's First Date" & "A Girl's Dream: Usagi Becomes a Bride"

 Sailor Moon

One thing I'm surprised I haven't mentioned since we've been going on this journey back through "Sailor Moon" is the backgrounds. I really love them. They are painted and just really gorgeous. They are lighted really well. It's awesome. 

"I Am the Night" Re-Watch: "Cold Comfort" & "Double Talk"

 The New Batman Adventures

Welcome back! I hope you all really did watch "Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero" a few weeks ago or are familiar with it because if not, you may be a little lost watching this episode. Alright. Time for more modern B: TAS fun with some questionable character re-designs.

"The Truth Is Still Out There" Re-Watch: "The Jersey Devil" & "Shadows"

 The X-Files

We are trucking through the first season of "The X-Files." It's always interesting to watch a series when it's first starting out and see everyone involved kind of finding their footing. That is exactly what these two episodes are. Lots of finding their way.

Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Thor: Ragnarok

"Thor: Ragnarok" (2017)

 There was a changing of the guard with the third "Thor" movie. The first two had spent time alternating between Asgard and Midgard (Earth). "Thor: Ragnarok" fully embraced that Thor is a god. He spends time with gods. He is not like the other Avengers. "Thor: Ragnarok" wrapped up the MCU slate of 2017.

Principal photography on "Thor: Ragnarok" began in July 2016 and wrapped in October 2016. The film starred Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Karl Urban as Skurge, Jeff Goldblum as The Grandmaster, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Anthony Hopkins as Odin. The film was written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle and Christopher L. Yost. It was directed by Taika Waititi. "Thor: Ragnarok" was released on November 3, 2017.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Clone Cadets," "Supply Lines" & "Ambush"

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

We are diving even deeper into the Clone Wars and things may be a little different, if you've read any of my other television recaps. I usually stick to two episodes per post. It's manageable for me and people reading, but that is going to be different with these. "The Clone Wars" has a lot of multipart episodes and a lot of them are three episode mini arcs. I really want those to be part of one post so some of these posts will be two episodes, some like this one will be three, heck, even four. Who knows? Here we go.

"In the Name of the Moon" Rewatch: "Girls Unite: The End of Jadeite" & "A New Enemy Appears: Nephrite's Evil Crest"

 Sailor Moon

The overarching villains for this first season of "Sailor Moon" are of course the Dark Kingdom, but it is broken down into smaller blocks each focusing on one of Beryl's lieutenants. With these two episodes, we end the Jadeite arc and meet Nephrite.

"I Am the Night" Re-watch: "Holiday Knights" & "Sins of the Father"

 The New Batman Adventures

We have made it to season 4 of "Batman: The Animated Series," which is technically the only season of "The New Batman Adventures." It was a continuation of the original B: TAS that premiered on Kids WB rather than Fox Kids on September 13, 1997. If you were a fan of B: TAS, you will find a lot to like here. It's basically the same show with some updates. "The New Batman Adventures" updated the animation style of B: TAS a little bit. Rather than continue with the Art Deco style of the original, it made things a little more modern. There were new character designs and things were a little grittier than they were in the original series. Batman's sidekicks played a much larger role in this series especially Batgirl. Dick Grayson evolved into Nightwing and Tim Drake became the new Robin. The voice cast from the original B: TAS carried over except for Melissa Gilbert who voiced Batgirl. She was voiced by Tara Strong, who would become the voice of Harley Quinn when Arleen Sorkin retired.

"The Truth Is Still Out There" Re-Watch: "Squeeze" & "Conduit"

 The X-Files

Creator of "The X-Files," Chris Carter, knew you couldn't live on mythology episodes alone. So, to fill out the season the writers would do "Monster of the Week" episodes, basically one offs that could go multiple directions. Some were serious. Some were funny. Some were both. Sometimes they had inbred hillbilly "Deliverance" types... wait... I'm getting ahead of myself. These next two episodes are the first "MotW" episodes of the shows run and they make a great argument for why they are necessary and why a lot of sci-fi shows have used this same formula.

Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Spider-Man: Homecoming

 "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017)

When Spider-Man was announced to be joining the MCU with "Captain America: Civil War," nerds everywhere rejoiced. Spider-Man is a flagship Marvel character and it felt right for him to be alongside the Avengers and the other MCU heroes. After getting a taste of Tom Holland's take on Peter Parker, I was definitely ready for him to get his first solo MCU movie. I didn't have to wait long. 2017 was a pretty big year for the MCU. Along with Spider-Man getting his movie, 2017 was the first year that we saw three MCU movies released in one year.

Principal photography on "Spider-Man: Homecoming" began in June 2016 and concluded in October 2016. The film starred Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture, Marisa Tomei as May Parker, Jon Favreau as Harold "Happy" Hogan, Zendaya as Michelle, Donald Glover as Aaron Davis, Jacob Batalon as Ned, Laura Harrier as Liz, Tony Revolori as Eugene "Flash" Thompson and Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. The film was written by Jonathan Goldstein, Jon Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. It was directed by Jon Watts. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was released on July 7, 2017.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: The Movie

 Star Wars The Clone Wars

OK, so chronologically in our "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" re-watch is the justly maligned movie that actually started this whole thing off. I don't think we should waste time dilly dallying. We should just get this over with.

"In the Name of the Moon" Re-watch: "Usagi Vs. Rei: Nightmare in Dreamland" & "I Want a Boyfriend: The Luxury Cruise Ship is a Trap"

Sailor Moon

If these two episodes have something in common, it's the hostility that exists between Rei and Usagi. Both episodes find the two teammates butting heads over everything. It's good to have a theme and I guess female competition is as good as any.

"I Am the Night" Re-watch: "Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero"

 Batman the Animated Series

You may have heard of a little film called "Batman & Robin." A film that was basically the nail in the coffin for the Batman film franchise until "Batman Begins" re-booted things in 2005. This movie was supposed to be released in July of 1997, prior to the start of "The New Batman Adventures," which was the continuation B: TAS. When the movie underperformed and was panned, "Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero" was pushed to March 17, 1998. 

It makes sense that they would want to release a second B: TAS film featuring Mr. Freeze, outside of the synergistic reasons that Warner Bros. had. Mr. Freeze was made the villain in "Batman & Robin" because of what B: TAS had done for the character, revamping his origin and making him much more sympathetic than he had been in the past. Unlike the first B: TAS film, "Mask of the Phantasm," "Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero" was released straight to VHS. Let's take a closer look at the only Batman movie starring Freeze, Robin and Batgirl that actually matters.

"The Truth Is Still Out There" Re-watch: "Pilot" & "Deep Throat"

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Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

 "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2" (2017)

I don't want to say the original "Guardians of the Galaxy" was a surprise hit because at this point is it really a surprise when an MCU movie is a hit? I don't think anyone expected the characters to be such immediate fan favorites, though. It's nice to take a little break from the Infinity Saga and head back into space with our favorite outcasts.

Principal photography on "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2" began in February 2016 and concluded in June 2016. The film starred Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Vin Diesel as the voice of Baby Groot, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord and Kurt Russell as Ego. The film was written and directed by James Gunn. It was released on May 5, 2017.

A Long Time Ago, During the Clone Wars: "Cat and Mouse" & "The Hidden Enemy"

 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

We have made it to The Clone Wars and are starting the series that bears its name. The show started in 2008, after a movie that was pretty terrible. The show went on to be very good and introduce some unforgettable characters to the Star Wars canon like Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane and Asajj Ventress. You may be wondering why we aren't starting with the movie and then moving on to season one. Well, I've decided to watch and recap in chronological order so we will be jumping around a lot. Along with the episode title, I'll include it's season and episode number, so you can follow along if you so choose.

"In the Name of the Moon" Rewatch: "Usagi's Disaster: Beware of the Clock of Confusion" & "The Cursed Bus: Enter Mars, The Guardian of Fire"

 Sailor Moon

So, we met Ami and she became Sailor Mars. Based on how "Sailor Moon" had been going, you probably thought that you'd be in store for like 6 episodes of Ami and Usagi working together before we met another Sailor Guardian. You'd be wrong! We get one episode of Ami and Usagi bonding until we meet Rei, Sailor Mars. That must mean we are going to meet the other two at a swift clip, right? Hold your horses.

Sequestration Strains: The New Albums Helping Me Through Quarantine

Sequestration Strains

Malte Mueller/Getty Images/Stop

Let's be real. 2020 has been fucking insane. At this point, who knows how this year will be remembered in the annals of US history. We are all stuck inside and if you're an entertainment junkie, specifically a music junkie, like me, it's been tough. Lots of albums have been postponed some with no new release date. Luckily, we haven't been entirely devoid of new music during this time. Here are some of the albums (all released during quarantine) that have been getting me through.

"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Deep Freeze" & "Batgirl Returns"

Batman The Animated Series

We did it. No, we aren't at the end of this journey, but we are on the end of season two. It's a return of a villain made iconic by the series: Mr. Freeze and the return of the red-headed Caped Crusader, Batgirl. Without further adieu, let's get to it.

Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Doctor Strange

"Doctor Strange" (2016)

As soon as Jasper Sitwell mentioned Stephen Strange to Steve Rogers on that rooftop in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," you knew it was only a matter of time before the MCU was introduced to its Sorcerer Supreme. It was announced in 2014 that "Sherlock"s Benedict Cumberbatch was announced in the titular role with Scott Derrickson directing. The film was set up to introduce a new corner to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We had gotten a glimpse of the intergalactic corner and now it was time to check out the mystical side of the MCU.

"Doctor Strange" began principal photography in November 2015 and wrapped on April 3, 2016. Along with Cumberbatch in the starring role, "Doctor Strange" also starred Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, Mads Mikkelson as Kaecilius and Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One. The film was written by John Spaihts, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill and directed by Scott Derrickson. It was released in theaters on November 4, 2016.

A Long Time Ago, In a Republic Far, Far Away: Attack of the Clones and the Start of the Clone Wars

Star Wars

Today is May 4th and for a while it's been a day to celebrate all things "Star Wars." May the Fourth Be With You? Get it? Since Carrie Fisher's untimely passing in 2016, it has also doubled as a day to pay tribute and homage to our Princess turned General. Seeing that it is a day to love on Star Wars, I thought it was the perfect time for my next post going through the new canon. It's time to talk about "Attack of the Clones" and an adventure featuring Mace Windu at the start of the Clone Wars.

"In the Name of the Moon" Rewatch: "Usagi Learns Her Lesson: Becoming a Star is Hard Work" & "The Girl Genius Is a Monster: The Brainwashing Cramschool of Horror"

Sailor Moon

We are starting to get into the meat of "Sailor Moon," especially with the second episode we will take a look at in this post. I love Usagi and the first few episodes with her working things out solo are charming and not bad, by any stretch. I just prefer the episodes with the other Senshi. Usagi is an even better when she has her close friends to bounce off of and while Naru is fine, she just doesn't stand shoulder to shoulder with the other Scouts. The introduction of Ami Mizuno comes at just the right time.

Comic Book Corner: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BOOM Studios)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BOOM Studios)

One of my first television obsessions as a teenager was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." We didn't have the WB in the town I grew up until the show had entered its fifth season. I was immediately a Stan. Buffy is everything I want in a heroine. Smart, strong, sassy, flawed, I mean, look at her taste in guys. She was always someone I related to. Every year, I pull out my "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" DVDs and watch the series straight through along with "Angel" and I routinely get something new from the show. It is extremely meaningful to me.

For a long time, Dark Horse Comics held the license to Buffy and they routinely released different comings featuring our favorite Chosen One. There was a series that started during season three that helped flesh out different things and the show continued in comics form with seasons 8-12. Last year, Dark Horse lost the license to the "Whedonverse" characters and it was picked up by BOOM Studios.  Rather than re-invent the wheel, BOOM decided to take the characters we know and love and put them back in high school. It's like a re-boot of Buffy in 2019 but with all the original actors playing the roles.

"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Lock-Up" & "Make 'Em Laugh"

Batman The Animated Series

You may think that these two episodes of B: TAS have nothing in common, but you'd be wrong! They both feature obscure, somewhat ludicrous villains that are created for the show but eventually made their way into the comics. They may not have the recognition and longevity of Harley Quinn, but they are there goddamn it! This common thread may be so think its ready to break, but it exists!

A Long Time Ago, In A Republic Far, Far Away: The Phantom Menace and Beyond

Star Wars

We've reached the first film in the prequel trilogy, "The Phantom Menace." We will talk about the novelization which, spoiler alert, is far superior to the actual film. Then we will explore the time between Episode 1 and 2, with stories featuring Obi-Wan and Anakin and Padmé Amidala.

"In the Name of the Moon" Rewatch: "Scent of a Monster: Chanela Will Steal Your Love" & "Protect the Melody of Love: Usagi Plays Cupid"

Sailor Moon

So, it was like five months before my last Sailor Moon post and this time it was six. At this rate, I'll make it through the series before I die. Maybe. Let's dive back in.

"I Am the Night" Rewatch: "Second Chance" & "Harley's Holiday"

Batman The Animated Series

Oh man. It's been so long since I've done one of these. Maybe I'll get through them all in the next decade. Who knows? We will see. Luckily, I came back with two really good episodes. So, let's get right to it.

A Long Time Ago, In A Republic Far Far Away: Pre-Phantom Menace

Star Wars

The Skywalker Saga ended in 2019. Episode IX of the sequel trilogy, "The Rise of Skywalker," opened in December and closed out the series, for. better or for worse. We will get to that eventually. I have always been intrigued by the minutiae and ancillary material of the Star Wars universe and before Lucasfilm was bought out by Disney, I was very involved in the Expanded Universe or EU. It became super convoluted and the quality was dipping so I eventually lost interest. When Disney made the acquisition, they made the decision to reboot the EU and since "The Force Awakens" there has been a ton of new books and comic books fleshing out this new era. 

So, with the saga ending, I decided it was time to check out these new EU materials from the beginning of the timeline. I am sticking with books and comics/graphic novels. I'll include the novelizations of the films and treat them separately from the movies themselves. I'm also going to include the animated series that popped up. We've got a lot of material to cover so let's start with the stuff that covers the time prior to Episode I.

Top 10 Albums of 2019

The Top 10 Albums of 2019

I love "best of" lists. It's a fact. I don't care if they are best of the year, decade, best of a certain genre, they are awesome. I love seeing if my opinions measure up with the professionals. I love music and I listen to a ton, so I thought, why not compile a list of my top ten albums of the year. 2019 may have been terrible for me personally but it was great for music. So, here we go.