Mighty Thor

Let’s just cut to the chase, I’m not a Jane Foster fan. To be fair, I don’t read the comics, so my knowledge of the character comes from the MCU. I LOVE Natalie Portman, but I don’t like Jane Foster. Maybe I should mention the Thor films are my least favorite of the MCU as well? It just feels like in the year 2022 (and whatever years the Thor films were made) we shouldn’t have a female character who seems to only exist for her love interest.

In the original Thor, I was indifferent when it came to Jane. In the sequel, I DESPISED her. You mean to tell me this brilliant scientist dropped her research, her career, EVERYTHING… for a man she knew for a week… Girl, bye. Be sad he is gone, I mean, it is Chris Hemsworth, but her just moping about didn’t sit right with my spirit. Anytime I see her, she seems to be there to play the damsel in distress. I’m a Buffy, Elektra, Black Widow kinda guy, so she does nothing for me.

I say all that to say, I’m excited about Mighty Thor coming to Marvel’s Avengers, and her release next week may even get me to see the new Thor film in theaters… maybe. When it was first confirmed that it was Jane Foster coming to the game… and not my beloved Yelena, or even Shuri, I wasn’t pleased, for the previously mentioned reasons. Also, I wasn’t a fan of playing as Thor in the game, so I didn’t expect to enjoy playing as his female counterpart. But, seeing the trailer and seeing the concept art for her character has me excited to play as her. That being said, if they are going to continue to make echo characters (and I don’t have a problem with that at all, the more characters I can play, the better) I’m going to need my girl Yelena brought to the game.

And with She Hulk rumored to be coming in August, I feel these two women are about to bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to the game.

What are your thoughts on Jane Foster? Do you still play Marvel’s Avengers (if you ever did)? I’m curious to know.

MCU

This is LONG overdue. There are so many films, so many characters, and so many thoughts, so I’ll just focus on my favorites for now. It is fascinating to think that Iron Man (and its success) led to this massive franchise, though I’m glad it did. For some reason though, the franchise never really spoke to me or caught my attention. It may have been because I was aware of the X-Men, I was aware of Daredevil and Elektra, I was aware of the Fantastic Four… but other than that, I didn’t know much about Marvel comic characters. I also have a habit of being contrary, so part of me maybe didn’t watch the franchise because it was so popular.

I remember watching Iron Man and Iron Man 2 back in the day. I also remember watching Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron because of my writing idol at the time, he-who-shall-not-be-named. I loved the films. I LOVED Black Widow. I LOVED Scarlet Witch, but it didn’t get me into the theaters, let alone the franchise. It doesn’t make sense why it didn’t though. I love action films and I love superhero films. It literally had everything I needed to be a fan.

Fast forward to 2019, I see a trailer for Marvel’s Avengers, and I’m hooked. You mean to tell me I get to play AS the Avengers? Also, I saw this as a spiritual successor to the likes of Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Marvel Heroes Omega (more on Marvel’s Avengers in another post). The game made me think that maybe it is time to watch these damn movies… So, I made a list, release order, not chronological… I got Disney+ and I started my MCU journey. If I remember correctly, I got through the first Captain America film (I didn’t start my journey until the spring of 2020 when the world was in lockdown.) The game came out and my focus went to playing that rather than watching the films.

Fast forward to Feb 14th, 2022, a friend and I have a ritual of having dinner on Valentine’s Day. He orders a heart-shaped pizza, I come over, we drink wine, eat and watch a movie. This year, he picked Iron Man 2. I was not opposed because I got to see the iconic introduction of Black Widow again. Watching the film reminded me that I should get back into the MCU… so I did. As of today, I have Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Eternals, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to watch. I also got to watch my FIRST MCU film in theaters, which was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I watched it mother’s day weekend (another story for another time.) It is the second film I’ve watched in theaters this year, the first being Scream back in January.

When I got to films like Infinity War and Endgame, I was a bit upset with myself for not getting into the franchise sooner so I could have experienced them in theaters with the other fans. Though some critics say the films are mindless action, I beg to differ. I felt a gambit of emotions going through these films, especially ones like Black Widow, Infinity War, Black Panther, and Captain America: Civil War. Don’t even get me started on my favorite characters, which are (in order) Scarlet Witch, Yelena, and Back Widow. I’ll have to devote a post to Scarlet Witch (and I hope she comes to Marvel’s Avengers.)

I feel like I’m meant to write for comics or the MCU, not to inflate my writing abilities, I just mean, these are the types of stories I want to tell. The stories I write are about people with extraordinary abilities, probably because I always wished I was special. I can still remember hitting puberty and being devastated because I didn’t develop a mutant ability (though I was thankful when I had to do a research paper and studied that most mutations aren’t like the ones in the comics, they tend to be harmful, if not deadly.)

Now, despite being many years behind, I can proudly say I’m a fan of the MCU. I don’t plan to watch the new Thor film in theaters (Thor has never done much for me as a character and neither have the films), but I’ll watch it on Disney+ eventually… besides, it gives me time to catch up on the Disney+ shows.

What are your thoughts on the MCU? Who are your favorite characters? Which films are your favorite? I’m curious to know.

Marvel’s Avengers

Where shall I start in regards to this game?

Well, I was a HUGE fan of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series. Beat ’em up brawlers have always been my jam. You give me a Dynasty Warriors game and I can be entertained for hours. Add X-Men to the mix… and I’m sold.

I was one of the unfortunate souls who really only discovered X-Men Heroes as it was coming to consoles… and anyone who played that knows how it went. It spoke to my love of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Being able to run around (as Elektra, in her Netflix outfits, of course) and level her up while beating up baddies was so much fun.

When Marvel’s Avengers was announced, it too spoke to my love of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and I’m sure others felt the same. It’s one of the few games, if not the only one, that I love not necessarily for the game itself, but for the potential I see. I am rooting for Marvel’s Avengers like Tyra Banks was rooting for Tiffany on ANTM. I see what it can be and I want it to get there. And I really REALLY want to see some X-Men (and my girl Elektra) make it to the game.

Though it has been a bumpy road (ie 10 months without new content, no new roadmap), I still haven’t given up on this game. I do my daily challenges, I buy skins (when they are on sale). And even though I thought the echo character would be Yelena (who I was so excited for), I’m intrigued to play as Mighty Thor aka Jane Foster, when she comes out. Yesterday, there was also leaked audio of characters talking to She-Hulk, Winter Solider, and Captain Marvel. Of those three Captain Marvel is the one I’m most excited about.

Despite not giving us a traditional roadmap, I do believe content will continue to come to this game and I’m going to keep playing.

I think my current dream list for the game is: Scarlet Witch, Yelena, Jean Grey, Storm and Elektra. (I figure, once they figure out how to put a Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange in the game, it would be easy to translate those moves to Jean Grey and Storm… hell, even Sue Storm.)

Are you still playing Marvel’s Avengers? Why or why not? Who are the characters you’re looking to see come to the game?

The Runaways

This show was on my radar for one main reason; I was told it is like X-Men meets Buffy (and one of my story concepts I’ve been working on since I was a teen has been described as Buffy meets X-men), so I was instantly intrigued.

I finally got around to watching it and I was sadly a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the show, I do agree a bit with some commenters saying they felt the runaway part shouldn’t have taken the full season to happen, but overall, I was intrigued by the show… I just feel I didn’t like it for the reasons one should.

Let me explain, and I’ll be as spoiler-free as possible. The premise of the show, based on the comic of the same name, is a group of teens finds out their parents are part of an evil organization, and they team together to defeat their parents. Interesting enough, I’m sure many can relate to thinking their parents are evil. My issue was I related to the parents way more than the kids. As the title is The Runaways and not The Runaways’ Parents one can assume I’m supposed to root for the kids. Maybe it is because I’m about a week shy of 30, but I empathized with the parents more than their angsty, whiny kids.

I can’t speak for the comics but in the show, the parents made a deal years ago that locked them into the evil they must commit and they do so to protect their children. The children who turn against them. I guess I just found them to be ungrateful.

It’s interesting because I realized The Runaways is by the same creator of The OC (we’ll be covering that shortly) and though I enjoy the kids more in The OC, I find the parents more #goals at this point in my life and the kids too angsty.

That being said, I am looking forward to a second season as I want to know where the story goes.

Deadpool

The film has been out for a little over two years and I finally got around to watching it. I don’t know what kept me from watching it sooner. Originally, I wanted to see it in theaters, but I moved to LA the weekend it came out and didn’t really know anyone to see it with. Then I bought it on blu ray when I was in San Diego in July of last year, and just never was in the mood to watch it.

I’d heard nothing but great things about it and I can’t say I was disappointed. It was a fantastic film. I loved the humor and though some critics felt it was formulaic, I felt it was a refreshing take on the superhero genre.

The thing that made me want to watch the film the most was a Tumblr post praising the film for having Deadpool’s love interest be a sex worker who wasn’t a damsel in distress. Though I’d have to argue the damsel in distress bit, as though she attempts to fend for herself, Deadpool still needs to save her, I wish it were more implied that she remained an escort upon starting her relationship with Deadpool, as I thought that was a really cool aspect of Vanessa. Also, the moment I saw her with long hair, I instantly thought of Inara from Firefly/Serenity and it was the same actress, which made me very happy. One reason being that Inara was a companion, which is a fancy term for sex worker, and it was considered a very high status line of work.

Ryan Reynolds is perfect as Deadpool. I can’t even try to think of someone else I could see playing the character and he’s such a beautiful man. I think I’ve had a crush on him since Blade Trinity, in fact, I don’t think, I know (I also developed a crush on Jessica Biel in that film, they were fucking ripped!) Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are the perfect couple in my eyes, I envy them both.

Normally, I’m not a fan of breaking the fourth wall, but I’m aware Deadpool is known for this and I found it hilarious that the writers poked fun at the X-Men universe, and even Reynolds himself.

I watched Deadpool and Logan this evening, keeping with the Marvel theme. In hindsight, I wish I’d stopped after Deadpool as Logan had a more somber tone and I don’t think I appreciated it as much after the lightheartedness of Deadpool. I did appreciate that both films included young mutant female characters who weren’t sexualized and I’m very excited to see Deadpool 2 and am hoping for a X-23 spinoff.

The Punisher

This weekend, I actually stayed in, for once, and managed to finish watching The Punisher. I’m not sure what took me so long to finally start it or why I didn’t finish it sooner, as I loved it. If not for my love of Daredevil and Elektra, I would say The Punisher is my favorite Netflix/Marvel show… but alas, it is my second favorite.

I don’t know if it is a Virgo in me or what, but I am really drawn to a tough guy who is also sensitive. When I would post that I was watching I kept referring to Frank Castle as Daddy Frank and Billy Russo as Zaddy Billy. In the end, I found myself drawn more to Zaddy Billy (as far as attraction), though I think it may be because he reminded me of a guy I had a crush on once upon a time…

Back to the review, I really enjoyed the vulnerability of both characters. The juxtaposition of them being these ruthless killers made to the moments when they were emotional and/or lighthearted just pulled me in. I felt like tearing up any moment Frank let his guard down, especially the moments he had with Karen. There was SO much tension and I can’t wait until season two (and Daredevil season three) to see what happens next.

Before Daredevil season two, I didn’t know much about The Punisher. I knew his background and I knew there was a film that didn’t do well. I like him for similar reasons that I like Elektra, they are killers and you don’t really know if they are good or bad (I suppose it depends on who you ask). I consider them both to be tragic heroes, and that is probably way I’m drawn more to Billy than Frank. Frank is to Daredevil as Billy is to Elektra (minus the romantic/sexual relationship).

I also loved Dinah. She was such a bad ass and I loved that she was relentless in achieving her goal. Her relationship with Billy also reminded me of the Daredevil/Elektra relationship. I don’t want to give away spoilers for anyone who may be reading this who hasn’t watched, but I’ll just saw both know more about the other than they let on. And even though Billy is this pretty boy, and one would expect him to be some type of player, he would open up to Dinah and show this strange emotional side that I found charming.

The one thing I didn’t like about the show, which is a bit nitpicky on my part, was the fucking kids. So, early in the series, Frank teams up with a guy named Microchip, much like himself, the world thinks Microchip is dead. This was an excellent pairing, as it gave some comedic elements and, it warmed me to Frank to see him bond with someone. But Microchip’s fucking kids, his son in particular were annoying as fuck.

Since his family doesn’t know he is alive, he spies on them, and from time to time has Frank go check on them. His annoying ass son is rude and angry, and towards the end of the season, he and Frank have this really touching moment where he reveals the reason he is such a little bastard… only for him to go right back to being a little bastard shortly after, which results in him putting his entire family in danger. It reminded me a bit of Gabe’s annoying ass from The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.

Other than that, and a few times when the gore was a bit much for my taste, I thoroughly enjoyed the season. I’m hoping Elektra returns in a future season of one of these Netflix shows (also, I love that she is the focal point of the thumbnail for The Defenders), as I’m curious how she would interact with Frank. Better yet, if there is another season of The Defenders, can we exchange Iron Fist with him?

And before I forget, I really enjoyed the commentary on veterans thorough the season. It is not unknown that veterans return from war and don’t know what to do with themselves for a number of reasons, such as PTSD, or not being able to find a decent job. The support group scenes were excellent and showed lots of different sides of the coin, some coping well and some not coping at all. There were certain storylines I didn’t expect to develop, i.e. Lewis, but then I was surprised that his story didn’t climax with Frank’s, Dinah’s and Billy’s, but, again, small nitpicky thing. If you haven’t watched it and are a fan of the other Netflix shows, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Defenders

I powered through Iron Fist so I could watch Defenders and have it make sense. I’m glad I did, as a lot of what happened in Defenders picked up where Iron Fist left off. Again, I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but this is all stream of conscious, so, there may be some.

First of all, I commend the writers, as I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to blend these four different heroes, all with their own shows that had their own styles. I thought it was done really well.

Second, ELEKTRA!!!! I was very excited for her return. Those who know me know she is my favorite Daredevil character, favorite Marvel character, favorite comic book character, hell, she is one of my favorite fictional characters. I loved the homage to her original costume. I also really enjoyed the Jill Valentine tease (Resident Evil 5) they did with her… and I’m already searching for a black trenchcoat with red lining.

It was interesting to see the characters interact with one another. Up until this point, Claire was the only one (I believe) that knew them all. It felt a little exposition-y at times, them explaining powers and all, (and maybe I just felt a certain way as I had just watched Iron Fist and did not need/want to hear him tell his damn story again) but I was able to live with it.

This is likely my bias, but I felt Elektra stole the show. I couldn’t help but compare her to Harld Meachum. Had she lost part of her soul upon resurrection as he had? I also felt a bit of Illyria tease with her as well. She was a vessel, a weapon. Black Sky was now inhabiting Elektra’s body, much like Illyria infected and took over Fred’s in Angel. I felt so bad for Matt when he realizes she was brought back to life and his efforts to get her to remember him were endearing.

I also really enjoyed her kicking Iron Fist’s ass multiple times.

Some people had issues with the pacing, but I felt it moved well, especially considering it was only eight episodes. It brought the characters together and got them fighting (something I wish Iron Fist had done more efficiently).

I was a bit confused by The Hand. Their goal didn’t make sense, the more I think about it, and reminded me too much of Buffy, which Dawn being the Key Glory needed to get back home. I wanted to see them do more, as a majority of the time, they just stood around while Elektra kicked ass.

Defenders ending with me wanting more. It’s a catch 22, I enjoyed the series and binged it quickly, but now I have to wait for the next entry, be it Daredevil, Punisher, etc. I’m also excited to see if there will be any other shows, perhaps Daughters of Dragon? I read somewhere that Defenders is looking to big Netflix’s biggest premier, so only time will tell.

Iron Fist

I’ll make this short and sweet. I was not a fan of Iron Fist. It is hard to pinpoint one specific thing, I just wasn’t able to really get into it. I didn’t like Danny, I didn’t like Colleen, for most of the show I didn’t like the Meachums. The characters I liked were characters from the other shows, like Claire and Hogarth (Hogarth’s one liners slayed me), though I really loved Davos and Ward Meachum became my favorite character. I’ll try my best not to put in any spoilers.

It felt like there was a lot of story crammed into one season. Maybe it is my love of Buffy that clouds my judgement, but I like the formula where a big bad is introduced in the beginning of the season and the gang works their way towards the big showdown at the end of the season. In Iron Fist, I couldn’t tell who was meant to be the main adversary, the Meachums? Gao? Bakuto?

I found it hard to relate to Danny or care about what he was going through. A lot of people describe him as whiny, and I don’t know if that’s what I saw. He just seemed juvenile for someone who studied under monks for 15 years. At the beginning, it seemed the season would be about his fight against the Meachums to prove his identity and get his company back, but that was quickly resolved (I’ll dive a bit more into that later). I really, really did not like when Danny was in the hospital. It slowed the pacing down way too much for my tastes.

The season was enjoyable when Danny had purpose, which was to stop Gao. I started to really get invested in the show, and dare I say, start to like Danny and Colleen… and then her sensei, Bakuto, popped up, and I started not liking the show again. It was a sudden change in direction, which made it difficult to determine, ok, who is the real threat here? Things became interesting when Davos hit the scene (his personality is what I expected and wanted from Danny), but at that point, I really just wanted the show to be over so I could watch Defenders and have it all make sense.

The evolution of Ward and Harold Meachum fascinated me. Ward is my favorite character of this series, as he is so complex and I felt he had a great story arc. Harold was interesting because you know he is a villain from the beginning, but the whole thing about coming back from the dead and each time losing a piece of one’s soul was intriguing to me, it made it interesting to watch him interact with other characters, especially those close to him (poor Kyle), as there was so much tension. Would he snap? And if so, how far would he go?

A lot of the character motivations felt confusing, especially Joy’s. She was very back and forth, and it seemed to be for the sake of moving the story forward rather than from her character’s own doing. Example, towards the beginning, there is a scene where Danny confronts her and her brother, she tells him they are not his family and they do not want him there. They are trying to keep the company from him, despite him being the rightful heir. Everything that connects him is gone, except one clay creation Joy has… and she gives it to him… WHY?!? Another time, later in the season, she sides with her father over her brother, which makes absolutely no sense, especially considering the previous episode, she is begging her brother to let her in on what’s going on.

The other three shows had a nice flow to them, and I may not have liked all the characters, but I at least liked the main one. That being said, I’m always willing to give a show a chance, so if there is a second season, I’d be open to watching it.