Category Archives: DC
Behold Krypton; What Our Arrogance Has Wrought!
The TV executives were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should!
Confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter yesterday, the Syfy network is apparently working on a TV show called Krypton, which will be about Superman’s grandfather living on the infamous planet decades before it blows up. I guess Syfy finally figured out what to do with all those leftover Caprica scripts…
Spoilers!
This is where our arrogance has brought us, people. We were so excited to get great TV shows like Arrow and The Flash that we didn’t realize what was happening! Apparently DC and Warner Bros. are in some kind of rush to produce as many live action superhero shows as possible, regardless of whether or not the world needs them or they make any sense!
I mean, come on! Superman’s grandfather?! What the hell does he have to do with anything? How is this a show?! Alongside the obvious parallel, Gotham, it seems like Warner Bros. wants to have its cake and eat it too in the worst possible way. They won’t make a Batman or Superman TV show, but they’ll wildly throw out shows loosely based on those characters. And Gotham is one thing. At least that has a young Bruce Wayne, and an actually identifiable star in the legitimately interesting Commissioner Gordon.
But Superman’s grandfather?! Ridiculous!
According to initial reports, the show will be about this patriarch trying to bring hope and equality to a ruthless planet. How is that a Superman show? How?! Is there no one stopping and questioning whether or not any of this is insane? Or maybe DC is preying upon gullible networks who are desperate to leech off the good will of DC’s other shows and all those popular Marvel movies. Syfy clearly saw the recording breaking numbers of The Flash premiere and wanted to get in on that action, but they’ve clearly settled on the most asinine option possible.
So let’s see, what’s next? Atlantis? Themyscira? Mars? Thanagar?
I vote Thanagar!
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This Has Got to Be Some Kind of Trick…
I’m actually a little speechless about this casting news. Not only are we living in a world where both Green Arrow and the Flash have amazing live action TV shows, but we also live in a world that reaches back 20 years and recasts Mark Hamill as the Trickster!
For those who don’t know, Hamill played the supervillain Trickster in the original live action Flash TV show in the early 90s. Don’t believe me? Here’s Youtube!
Actual physical proof that this was a thing in the early 90s!
Well now the forces of the universe have come together to bring Hamill back to play the Trickster again on the new Flash live action TV show on The CW! This is all according to Hitflix.
This is probably the most insane casting news I’ve ever written about for this blog. It defies all expectations of how the universe is supposed to work. We’re not supposed to get nice things! The world isn’t supposed to make such perfect sense!
According to Hitflix, Hamill will play an older Trickster who was locked up in prison a long time ago as a terrorist. He’ll be a Hannibal Lecter-type villain, advising the Flash from inside a prison cell, while a new, younger Trickster tries to play copycat. This actually lines up with the comics, since there really is an older Trickster and a younger Trickster who tried to steal his identity.
Whatever happens, this casting is some amazing news. This is a good day.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/6/14
I think this is a first for my Hench-Sized Reviews: I have only DC Comics on my slate! I’ve always been a Marvel guy, but I try to give DC their due, but this week is an aberration!The only Marvel comic that I really picked up was Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #1, and you can check out my review of that comic over at Word of the Nerd. That just leaves four DC Comics, including greats like Grayson and Gotham Academy.
Though I suppose the biggest news this week is the return of Secret Six! The best comic DC has put out in the past 20+ years is finally back…and it’s not good! Ouch! They once had the very best comic book on the stands, but they squandered it with the New 52 reboot. Is it too little too late to bring it back now? I say no, but they need to do a better job than this.
Comic Book of the Week goes to Grayson #5 for the continuing excellence of Dick Grayson in the New 52. The character has rarely been stronger.
One punch!
The comic is just pure Grayson bliss!
Comic Reviews: Batman Eternal #, Gotham Academy #3, Grayson #5 and Secret Six #1.
I’m Not Sure How I Feel About the Suicide Squad Movie
Am I the only person who’s a little confused that DC Comics seems to be rushing into a movie about the Suicide Squad for no good reason? Don’t get me wrong, the concept has legs. The Suicide Squad has so far made for a great episode of Justice League Unlimited and an OK episode of Arrow. And the basic concept is pretty solid too: super-villains forced to go on dangerous missions for the government. But Suicide Squad is hardly a big name, and they don’t yet even know if Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to succeed.
Why is Suicide Squad, of all possible franchises, the next one to hit theaters?
Whatever the plan is, Variety is reporting that DC has nailed down the cast. One part of the plan is clearly to use big name actors to bring in the audience.
Jared Leto as the Joker
Will Smith as Deadshot
Tom Hardy as Rick Flagg
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Jai Courtney as Boomerang
Cara Delevingne as Enchantress
The film will be directed by David Ayer, and will begin shooting in April for a planned Aug. 5, 2016 release date.
That’s definitely a pretty solid list of actors. I think they’ll all do fine in those roles. Having both the Joker and Harley Quinn in this movie is a strong move. Everybody is pretty familiar with both characters, and there’s probably no other way they could make a solo film starring the Joker. So let the Clown Prince of Crime take center stage in Suicide Squad. I bet audiences will eat that up. And it’ll be neat to see the character interact with people who aren’t Batman. I’m sure Jared Leto will bring the same unexpected, manic energy as Heath Ledger did.
Will Smith as Deadshot should be pretty awesome. I can see him being a fan favorite, as Deadshot usually is, and Smith is pretty popular too, from what I understand. Leto and Smith should carry this film easily, with the Joker’s zany madness offset by Deadshot’s brutal pragmatism.
I’m assuming Boomerang is just short for Captain Boomerang (who’s also appearing on both Arrow and The Flash this week), and Enchantress is a really weird choice. Of all the lady bad guys they could have chosen, why Enchantress, someone nobody has heard of? She’s a magical character, and that brings a lot to the table, but they could have had so much more fun if they’d picked, say, Poison Ivy. Everybody knows Poison Ivy, and it would give you a pretty amazing love triangle with Harley and Joker.
But I’m sure Warner Bros. knows what they’re doing. I’m sure they think they have a solid script in place, and this will make one heck of a fun Ocean’s 11-style masterpiece. We shall see. I’m going to be cautiously optimistic, but I’m still just not sure why they’re going with the Suicide Squad. Maybe they know something we don’t.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/29/14
Happy Turkey Week, Comic Book fans! Did everybody have a good Thanksgiving? And for those of you who don’t celebrate, did you have a good Thursday? I had a blast. I always get together with my family, and they’re a good group of people. I made banana bread, because it’s nice to contribute something, especially if it’s my favorite dish. I’m a grown up now, I should contribute.
Speaking of contributing, how about adding some more comic book reviews to the Internet? I know I can’t get enough! We’ve got new issues of Aquaman, Arkham Manor, Superior Iron Man and more, but the real standout this week is the (regrettably) final issue of Superior Foes of Spider-Man! Why couldn’t this series have done better or lasted longer? It was so much fun!
Shocker Rulz!
But all good things must come to an end. Or maybe it’s that we can’t have nice things? Surely one of the two.
Comic Reviews: Aquaman #36, Arkham Manor #2, Batman Eternal #34, Scarlet Spiders #1, Superior Foes of Spider-Man #17 and Superior Iron Man #2.
Henchman-4-Hire 