We all know the classic sci-fi movies, but there have been just as many that have fallen under the radar. Some of them have a lot to offer. So let’s talk about some of these lesser known sci-fi movie gems. Night of the Comet (1984) First up is Night of the Comet. The movie begins…
Some superheroes change their costumes often, while others have costumes that stand the test of time and become iconic in and of themselves. Here are the top five superhero costumes that stand the test of time. (Note: slight cosmetic changes to costumes–like removing trunks or using a different shade of a color–will not be considered…
In our modern world, one of the most misused words regarding super-heroes is “relatable.” “Relatable” super-heroes are often confused with plausibility or realism and heroes often claimed to be relatable sometimes don’t live up to that mantle when examined more closely. For the purposes of this column, “relatable” is a trait that most readers would…
“Before there was thought, there was this place. One Earth. With a single history. But with the coming of man, came the illusion of free will. And with that illusion, came chaos. With every choice we make, we literally create a world. History branches in two, creating one Earth where we made the choice, and…
Episode 3 of Gotham, “The Balloonman,” is a mixed bag. The title character of this episode, the eponymous Balloonman, is Gotham City’s first vigilante, who kills the rich and corrupt of Gotham by tying them to small weather balloons resulting in them flying over the city (presumably since they considered themselves above Gotham and its people)…
I had my doubts about FOX’s Gotham, but after seeing the first two episodes (“Pilot” and “Selina Kyle”) I’m officially on-board. Initially my fears were that Gotham would be a generic cop drama with occasional nods to the Batman canon, but the show is instead neo-noir mixed with elements of a crime drama and action series. Most…
In this article we’ll look at some of the worst ways writers and companies have brought back characters. Just to be clear, this article is about comic book characters, not just super-heroes or super-villains, and I’m not counting characters whose origins involve resurrection or are undead characters. I’m also only talking about the resurrections…
Besides super-heroes, comics offer a wide range of genres, characters, and settings. Some of these are starting to be explored, but plenty more have not been. Here are just a few untapped gold mines that writers and directors could choose from. Black Hole by Charles Burns A tale of adolescent mutants (no, not those adolescent…
With Captain America and Thor recently changing identities, we’re examining who is the best “replacement” heroes for established characters. Dick Grayson as Batman It just makes sense that Robin would grow-up to be Batman, doesn’t it? Although primarily known as Nightwing and the original Robin, Dick has assumed the role of Batman at different points…
We’ve all experienced the disappointment when our favorite super-heroes FINALLY make it to the big screen…and the adaptation absolutely SUCKS. To a comic fan, this is akin to having all the air drained from our bodies, leaving us empty and listless. Okay, so that’s a tad melodramatic, but you get the idea. Here now (in…
Like many comic fans, I’m looking forward to Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and wondering which director Zack Snyder and company will go. While Man of Steel was polarizing to many, I found it to be an interesting but flawed take on Superman and his world, but the tone set in that film is…
George R.R. Martin recently gave a very public “f*** you” to readers speculating on whether he’ll die before he finishes A Song Ice and Fire. Martin, who is currently 65-years-old, had this to say those readers in an interview with the Swiss daily newspaper Tages-Anzeiger: “I find that question pretty offensive, frankly, when people start…
The last season of True Blood has been a mixed bag for many. While the season has been dark and featured many main characters (Tara, Alcide) and side characters (Mrs. Fortenberry, Kevin) getting killed off, many in merciless fashion. On the one hand, the show DID have way too many characters and there are still…
Arrow. True Blood. Penny Dreadful. Doctor Who. Game of Thrones. Agents of SHIELD. What do all these shows have in common? They’re all popular and are all “genre” shows—loosely defined as shows with a focus on the supernatural, fantasy, sci-fi, or super-heroes. Although there have been genre shows almost as long as television has existed,…
What is Penny Dreadful? Simply put, it’s a supernatural/horror show using well-known literary characters (Dr. Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, Dorian Gray) from various horror novels, as well as some new ones, and having them meet in the narrative of the show. The show could also be described as Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (in…