Murphy's Multiverse

Author: John Sabato

  • 10 Things We Want to See at DC FanDome

    10 Things We Want to See at DC FanDome

    The highly anticipated Fandome event is rapidly approaching and after the year we’ve had, it’ll nice to experience a large event from the comfort and safety of our homes. With plenty of scheduled guest from the cast of The Suicide Squad to the newest Batman himself, surely there will be plenty to offer for fans across the DC multiverse. FanDome will go live on August 22nd for 24 hours only with the 8 hour main event, Hall of Heroes, streamaing three times consecutively over the course of the day, but after that the event will be over and you will not be able to see the panels in full again. Here are ten things we hope to see make an appearance at DC’s free fan powered event.

    10. Updates on Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn

    As both shows recently finished their second season runs there has been little to no news on the future of either, there was rumors that Doom Patrol would be filming its next two seasons back-to-back due to these uncertain times but no official word on that report has been issued. Harley Quinn ended on such a satisfying note that not continuing it may just be the best outcome for the show. There really isn’t a need for them to drag it out past what we’ve seen and it would be a shame to see it keep going just to keep it going. Both shows recently made the jump to HBO Max from DC Universe and ,as recent news suggests DC universe is basically running on fumes, it seems likely that these two could find a permanent home at Max. Both shows have become fan favorites and produced some incredibly memorable stories, clearing the air around them would put many fans at ease and FanDome will seemingly be the place for that as both the shows cast are set to make appearances.

    9. Update on HBO Max Original Series

    Some of the first Max originals announced were that of Green Lantern and Strange Adventures, from there they’ve slowly been building onto their already powerful slate and while a delay on these projects is likely due to the ongoing pandemic, casting and further news on the shows will hopefully make a presence at the event. Since the launch of HBO Max we’ve the announcement of countless other DC shows such as Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Justice League Dark,and a GCPD centered spin-off of 2021’s highly anticipated The Batman. There’s little to no info on many of these projects since they were announced, we know about many of the creatives behind these projects such as Matt Reeves, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti ,Elizabeth Banks, and JJ Abrams but little to no plot details or the rosters of each show. I’m curious to see how large of a presence each show makes at FanDome as Berlanti and John’s are set to appear at the virtual event.

    8. The Flash: Casting and Confirmation

    If you ever needed a definition for ‘development Hell’ then look no further than The Flash. Over the past couple years it has reached a record amount of roadblocks such as losing directors and quite a bit of rewrites. The Flash is currently dated to release on June 2nd, 2022 and with be directed by It Chapter 1 and 2 director Andrés Muschietti. The current cast consist of Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons, Billy Crudup, and at one point, Ray Fisher.  It’s currently unclear if any of them have dropped out or been recast due to the numerous rewrites and change of directors. Back in June, it was reported that Michael Keaton would be returning as Bruce Wayne and once again don the cape and cowl in in the film. Now in what seems to be oncoming golden age of DC, it would be great to be given some concrete answers as to whats going on with the film and when production should be going underway. Casting would be another treat as well, right now we aren’t sure who the antagonist will be or if there will be one in general as the film has been teased as a time travel film, “It is a story of time travel: Flash travels back to try to save his mother. It is a spectacular action movie but it has a big heart,” said Muschietti. For a while it was known that this film would adapt the popular Flashpoint storyline but as more and more details slip through the cracks it seem’s that it will be an original take on the source material.

    7. The Suicide Squad

    At the dawn of the DCEU, The Suicide Squad stirred up screens around the world with their silver screen debut in David Ayers Suicide Squad. With an incredible box office haul a sequel was inevitable and will take the form of Jame Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. With basically every detail of the film being kept under wraps and it not exactly being paraded as a sequel to Ayer’s, the film will feature the return of Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney. With basically nothing known about the film, less than a year to go, and already well into post production, to finally see confirmation on the newest roster of Task Force X and get a first look at the cast in action cannot be completely out of the question. The possibility of a full trailer dropping is slim to none, but I don’t think a teaser is completely unlikely. The Suicide Squad is currently set to release on August 6th, 2021, and is rumored to feature Idris Elba as Vigilante, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher, Steve Agee as King Shark, and David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man along with Taika Waititi, John Cena, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion, Alice Braga, Peter Capaldi, Michael Rooker, Mayling Ng, Sean Gunn, Joaquin Cosio, and Tinashe Kajese all in undisclosed roles that’ll hopefully be revealed sooner than later.

    6. WB Games

    With the recent announcement of Rocksteadys Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League all eyes are on Wb Montreal as they’re currently set to debut their newest Batman game. WB Montreal previously developed Batman: Arkham Origins, a prequel to Rocksteady’s already exceptionally popular Arkham series. For years now rumors have swirled of a new Batman game that would be revealed soon, and on September 22nd, 2019 WB Montreal dropped the first tease in a string of complicated and cryptic insignia’s that would eventually lead to radio silence for months. New rumors began to emerge of the newest Batman title, reportedly titled Batman: Gotham Knights, a game that would see the Bat Family go up against the infamous Court of Owls, a long rumored villain for the potential new Batman title. With little to no news on either title, we know that the Suicide Squad game will see Task Force X go up against the super 7 possibly adapting Joshua Williamson’s 2017 Justice League Vs Suicide Squad comic run. Theres no better place to reveal story details and gameplay for both highly anticipated titles at FanDome.

    5. Black Adam: Casting and Confirmation

    Having reportedly been in development since 2008, Black Adam is finally set to make his live action debut December 22nd, 2021. Having been cast in the role since the films original its original inception, Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson is set to play the fallen champion and king of Kahndaq himself, Black Adam, Johnson’s hype and determination to bring this character to life and really do him justice is whats got many fans so excited to see him hit the silver screen along. The film is currently set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who previously worked with Johnson on Jungle Cruise. Currently the films cast has only added Noah Centineo, who will play the one and only Atom-Smasher, a member of the JSA. It’s been reported that Alexander Skarsgård is in talks to play the winged riot himself Hawkman, but no official word on this casting has been issued. With Black Adam seemingly having a large presence at FanDome, we can only hope that we’re given some insight into the plot of the film and who else will be joining Johnson.

    4. Ava Duvernay’s New Gods

    Bursting with talent and potential, The New Gods has been that of a mystery lately, with a slight update here and there on the writing process from Ava Duvernary, who is currently co-writing the film with Tom King, Duvernay is set to direct the project and has been attached since its announcement in 2018. Duvernay’s drive and passion to dive into the rich history and the world that Jack Kirby built offers fans just a taste of what is in store for the film. The potential to build a Game of thrones-esque story between the royal families of Apokolips and New Genesis is limitless, especially when you have full access to the full roster of gods, from Darkseid to Orion-there’s so much you can do with this world. While it hasn’t been confirmed to make an appearance at the event, there’s a chance that it could show up at the mystery panel.

    3. The Batman

    Possibly one of the most anticipated films of 2021, Matt Reeves The Batman is sure to have one of the largest presences at the event with both Reeves and Robert Pattinson in attendance. The panel will run 30 minutes and is confirmed to include a few surprises, including first looks at many characters that we could’ve seen by now if production on the film hadn’t been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic. Fans have been eagerly awaiting the first look at Zoe Kravitz Catwoman and Paul Dano’s Riddler, and possibly a full reveal of Pattinson in the cape and cowl. While rumors have been swirling around of a teaser of sorts at the event, it most likely wouldn’t be much since they still have more than half of the film to shoot and reportedly wont be returning to film until sometime in September. Due to the pandemic, The Batman suffered a delay from its June 25th, 2021 release date and will now release on October 1st, 2021. This decision was most likely influenced due to the resounding success of Joker at its October release in 2019. With so much unknown about this film, Fandome is sure to be a big day for everyone involved.

    2. Zack Snyder’s Justice League

    Powered by a movement that was determined to defend creative freedom and get what should’ve released on November 17th, 2017, Zack Snyders Justice League is a film that surely will never be forgotten and never would’ve been possible without the passion of the fans. Confirmed to have one of the biggest panels and a trailer surely to debut, fans are in for a treat when the man himself takes the stage and dishes on all the details behind the film and how they’re getting things done. Confirmation on the film’s release date onto the platform would be a welcome surprise and doesn’t seem completely out of the question. Many fans have wondered if Snyder would be able to film additional footage for his cut as he’d originally teased the film at a 214 minute run time, but in a recent interview he revealed that his film may be longer than he initially thought. It’s currently unknown who will join Snyder at the panel but the description indicates a few surprise guest, I can’t see actors such as Jason Momoa or Ray Fisher missing this panel especially after how vocal and supportive both have been for the movement.

    1. Confirmation On The Future

    At the beginning of the DCEU, Zack Snyder had a path and story planned out for his take on what his live action DC universe would look like; after a while it became more and more obvious that the DCEU had lost its way Through new leadership and the pursuit of creative freedom, DC has risen from what they once were and have cast aside the doubt and ridicule that some spewed when that logo appeared. But something else has become more and more apparent throughout the past couple years, and a new direction seems to be paving the way for the future of DC. Ever since the CW crisis crossover event it seems that everything is beginning to come together, in the form of one larger multiverse, quite possibly the smartest move for DC, allowing them to keep central universe going while letting others come in and explore different tones and themes with the vast library of characters and it opens the door for quite literally anything and everything. To see this confirmed at the event with some of DC’s biggest creatives such as Walter Hamada, Jim Lee, and Greg Berlanti with their plans for the future would leave fans with long due answers as to where the future of this shared universe is going.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • DCU Originals Migrate to HBO Max

    DCU Originals Migrate to HBO Max

    The launch of DC Universe was something special and unprecedented: taking one brand under a single roof from comics, movies, tv, and their most ambitious venture, the originals. At launch DC Universe began a weekly release of their first original series Titans and had begun on the third season of the fan favorite animated series Young Justice. From their DCU began to announce more such as the Titans spinoff Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Harley Quinn, Stargirl, and Bizarro World. Since the launch of HBO Max and the news that many of DC Universe’s originals would begin streaming elsewhere the future of the service to be cast in doubt.

    Today, to the surprise of no one, it was confirmed by DC comics CCO Jim Lee that the originals would be migrating from DCU to a new home: HBO Max. To those that have been living under a rock, hints of this have been becoming more and more obvious. Doom Patrol, which streamed on both DCU and HBO Max, should’ve been the biggest attention grabber for most as it seems like Warnermedia may have been testing the waters for a pilgrimage of sorts. HBO Max will become the new homes of many fan favorite shows such as Young Justice and Swamp Thing that will join Doom Patrol and Harley Quinn . Also available on the service will be Titans where it’ll most likely debut it upcoming third season.

    The best course of action would be to develop ‘DC Universe’ into a digital comic library and possibly begin to offer exclusive digital issues for subscribers of the service. Right now DCU is holding on tight to what could be some of HBO Max’s biggest persuaders such as the ever popular Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Teen Titans, both animated Justice League Series, and a vast library of animated features that could really beef up the DC Library on Max. The end is nigh for DC universe, whether it cease to exist or be rendered a virtual library of comics for subscribers, it’ll be sad to see lose a lot of what made it so great.

  • 5 Things we’d Like to See in ‘STARGIRL’ Season 2

    5 Things we’d Like to See in ‘STARGIRL’ Season 2

    With the first season of Stargirl in the books, it’s time to look into the future and explore each and every possible path for the shows upcoming sophomore season. The second season of Stargirl will be departing its home at DC universe and moving on to the CW network where it’ll join the already packed roster of superhero dramas like The Flash, Supergirl, and Black Lightning. The next season has a vast amount of potential and has its work cut out for it after dropping all those hints as for what’s to come. Warning, this article does contain spoilers for season 1 of Stargirl.

    5. The Royal Flush Gang

    One of the biggest inspirations for Courtney this season was the running theory, despite Pat’s denial, that she was the daughter of the JSA hero Starman. That, of course, is revealed not to be the case when Barb denies this outlandish theory and contacts Courtney’s biological father, Samuel Kurtis. For many that don’t know, In Geoff Johns’ “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” comic run, Sam Kurtis was a low ranking member of the Royal Flush Gang, specifically the Two of Clubs. Kurtis never seems to mention a past with this gang but it wouldn’t be completely unbelievable, per his brief appearance in ‘Shining Knight’ where he radiates quite the strong deadbeat vibe. Another leading factor to this theory comes from the season 1 finale, when we shift to a frantic Cindy Burman, who is tearing through what I can only assume to be an old ISA storage room. In the background multiple giant playing cards can be seen; giant playing cards that just happened to be the getaway vehicle of choice for the Royal Flush Gang. While this room may have just been leftover items of The Magician, is it possible that he may have had a past with the gang and does this leave the door open for Courtney’s father to return in a larger antagonist role?

    4. The Seven Soldiers Of Victory

    Another one of the show’s longest running mysteries was that of the elusive janitor, who was later revealed to be the Shining Knight and later revealed to be one of the Seven Soldiers of victory, a team that first appeared in Leading Comics #1 all the way back in 1941. It was confirmed in the episode ‘Brainwave’ that the soldiers were active before the JSA, with a roster that included the original lineup of Shining Knight, Stripesy, Star Spangled Kid, Vigilante, Crimson Avenger, Wing, alongside the Green Arrow and Speedy of Earth-2. Towards the end of the finale we saw Sir Justin packing up his truck and preparing to depart Blue Valley after helping defeat the ISA. While he didn’t get to slay the dragon, he did set off on a new quest to find the other soldiers and bring them back together. This could open the door to more than just a guest appearance in a future season, possibly a spin-off featuring a newer more modern roster of the team, most likely taking inspiration from Morrisons run, would make for an excellent show and focus on the legacy aspect that ‘Stargirl’ absolutely nailed.

    3. The Legacies Should Live On

    One thing that worked so well in the first season of Stargirl was how they were able to honor the past heroes of the JSA and how well the new heroes adapted to their alter egos. They were able to keep focus on the newer characters while digging deeper into who the previous incarnations were, and with the roster of the team surely to expand in the second season it would be great to see some new characters pick up the mantles from some of the JSA’s best. When first introduced to the JSA headquarters, Courtney’s first instinct was to use the gear left behind by the previous heroes and build their ranks to help take down the ISA. She does just that and without knowing specific details just grabs anything she can fit in her bag. While there hasn’t been any teases for these few, except for brief flash from Alan Scott’s old lantern, the potential for Flash, Doctor Fate, and Green Lantern is there. Each hero has had their respective successor that could fit well within the newly formed team, with Jade filling in for Alan Scott, Jessie Quick for Jay Garrick, and Khalid-Ben-Hassin the grandson of the first Fate, Kent Nelson. This offers more chances to dive deeper and further explore the past JSA heroes and adventures before the eventual fall of the original team.

    2. Shade and Eclipso: A New ISA?

    The finale of Stargirl ended with the members of the ISA either being taken down or going AWOL, with the future of the team seemingly in the hands of Cindy Burman, who retrieved a gem that seemingly has the angel of vengeance himself stored within. I’m curious to know how much Cindy knows about the ISA and the teams past misdeeds to be willing to let the incarnation of gods wrath himself out to play, the character who in the comics is responsible for the death of Yolanda Montez and Beth Chapel, the current Wildcat and Doctor Midnite. Along with what seems to be the return of Eclipso, Shade, the mysterious ninth member of the ISA has returned to Blue Valley upon the failure of Jordan’s “Project New America” to possibly to see what of the team was left to salvage. It was mentioned in a previous episode that Shade had betrayed the team but was never specified how. It seems as if Shade did not agree or believe in Jordan’s plan of a better and new america that the ISA had become set on and left, wanting no part in what they were preparing. With Cindy seemingly ready to take part in this new age of the ISA, it wouldn’t be surprising to see her recruit the other children of ISA members as she had previously brought the idea up to her father.

    1. Starman!?

    One of the first things we’re greeted with in the first episode of Stargirl is a high paced battle between the ISA and the JSA. This fight seemingly takes the lives of many JSA members, and while many of their fates are left unanswered, one of the few that we do witness is that of Sylvester Pemberton, AKA Starman. After a brutal fight with Brainwave, Starman is speared through the chest by Icicle, and is assumed to be dead following the aftermath of the fight. At the tail end of the season one finale, what at first glance is thought to be Courtney’s father, its quickly revealed to be the one and only Sylvester Pemberton, who’s searching for his good friend/sidekick Pat Dugan. The biggest question to be answered is How?! and another is could anyone else have survived the battle who was long thought to be dead. How will Sylvester react to the new JSA and to see that someone has assumed his mantle and is able to wield his staff. Could the people that saved Starman be connected to the same mysterious organization that covered up the events in Blue Valley the pat so nonchalantly mentioned, or will nothing come of it? With many unanswered questions left for the second season to answer, the anticipation for whats to come next is through the roof.

  • ‘STARGIRL’ Review: 1.13 “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Part 2”

    ‘STARGIRL’ Review: 1.13 “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Part 2”

    The ISA has put their plan into motion and the JSA has thirty minutes to stop Brainwave from brainwashing millions of Americans and avenge the original members of the JSA. The first season of Stargirl finishes in one incredible and jaw-dropping finale that doesn’t slow down for a moment. From the fight scenes to the teases for what’s to come, this season more than delivered and became the perfect treat for any DC fan. The legacy aspect of the show was probably the most intriguing part. Watching each new JSA member join the ranks and witnessing the passion that came through each performance, each with their very own inspiration and the goal of honoring those that came before them, was a season long thrill. With the show moving on from DC universe and taking a spot on the CW, it’ll be interesting to see how the show is effected especially when this first season was expertly executed by all involved, in front of and behind the camera.

    Picking up right where the previous episode ended, we’re brought back beneath Blue Valley in the tunnel system the JSA was traversing to find the ISA’s machine and finish them off once and for all. But when we left the team last episode, the process had already begun, with Pat and Sir Justin being unable to control themselves, turning on Courtney and her friends. Without another option, Courtney must fight back against a fully armored S.T.R.I.P.E., doing whatever she can to get through to him. This is where the building of their relationship came into play when Courtney’s last attempt to stop Pat was to remind him that she was his daughter. It worked quite efficiently, but once he stopped, he began to fight Brainwave’s control; if it went on for too long, Pat’s brain wouldn’t be able to take it and he would be killed. Luckily with the help of Dr. Midnite’s AI, Beth was able to crack into the ISA’s signal blockers within the tunnels and save Pat and Sir Justin.

    The real fun begins once the JSA is able to rendez vous in the central chamber where they’re shortly joined by the ISA. It’s here that fans are treated to the show’s biggest and possibly best fight scene: the showdown we’ve been waiting for all season is finally here, and it doesn’t let down as Solomon Grundy is let out to play. This leads to a big and epic brawl between S.T.R.I.P.E. and Grundy that doesn’t exactly thrill Rick, who finally has a shot at avenging the death of his parents but is told to back off by Pat. Unable to best him, Pat is served yet another beatdown and S.T.R.I.P.E. is rendered scrap metal by Grundy as he rips the mech limb by limb and begins to tear open the chest cockpit, but not before Rick knocks him back and lets Pat know ”It’s his turn.” Rick, filled with years of built of rage and a real hankering for vengeance, gives Grundy possibly the biggest beat down he’d seen in years, but towards the end, he witnesses the fear in the beast eyes and is unable to put the monster down. At some point during the showdown, Cindy was set free from her father’s “timeout” and wasted no time stabbing her father in the back while he was distracted while locked in battle with Sir Justin.

    With everything seemingly under control and the situation turning in their favor, Yolanda and Courtney make their way toward the satellite. En route,  Courtney encounters Shiv and locks into combat with her, insisting Yolanda goes ahead and displaying more absolutely incredible staff work. But when Yolanda enters the room she’s cornered by a mob of the dragon’s drones, but one is different, and towards the end removes his cowl to reveal himself to be Henry. For a moment, everything seemed to be perfect as Henry so cleverly reminded Yolanda of the kinda things he said to her before he was seemingly crushed to death by his father. This was an absolute gut-punch as it wasn’t long ago that we had to say goodbye to Henry, someone everyone had begun to come around on and believe he could redeem himself. But “Henry” mixes up one fatal detail and Yolanda can see through Brainwave’s sick joke and slices his throat, killing the psychic psycho and avenging Henry’s death as well as honoring his sacrifice.

    With everything falling apart around him and his team down, Icicle makes his way back to the foundation where he proceeds to destroys Beth’s goggles and the Dr. Midnite AI with it, and taking Barbra hostage atop the building. Icicle’s attitude takes a complete turnaround: the calm and careful criminal mastermind is getting erratic and sloppy as begins to show Barb what he’s done for Blue Valley and how this could be the new normal for America.. Icicle had become one of the most intimidating villains on the show, if not in all of recent comic book based media. One thing they never lacked on this show was a good villain making even the simplest of them somewhat of a threat. Courtney can put up a good fight with Icicle before they’re both thrown from the clock tower. Icicle is defeated by an eager and excited Mike, who strikes him with Sir Justin’s truck thus immobilizing the last remaining ISA member.

    The finale doesn’t end there and leaves a few excellent teases for what’s to come in the next season. Previously it had been reported by media outlets that Shade would be playing a big role in the second season and his appearance at the end of the finale was a welcome surprise. Currently, no actor is cast in the role leaving it open to fans’ imaginations. But it doesn’t look like Shade will be alone, with Cindy digging what looks like an ISA storage room and retrieving a gem that seems to contain the angel of vengeance himself and the incarnation of the wrath of God, Eclipso. But perhaps the biggest shocker comes from the final moments, as a man is seen approaching an apartment and claims to be looking for Pat Dugan. As the camera turns around its revealed to be none other than Sylvester Pemberton himself, better known as the long thought dead Starman.

    The first season of Stargirl was perfect and was worth the extra wait. You can feel the passion that was put into this project, the town itself oozed a welcoming feeling that was almost comforting. That passion, followed by finally putting the spotlight on one of the oldest teams in comics, The Justice Society of America, made for a special season. But I can’t help but appreciate how well cast everyone is, how the chemistry between them all and the relationships they developed throughout the season, friend or foe-t all just felt so perfect. Another special shout out to the stunt and CGI work done on this show, the unsung heroes of every production, they wouldn’t be as perfect as they are without them. Finally, seeing this come together and the obvious love and passion behind this project, Geoff Johns did an incredible job bringing his comic to life and when the credits roll and you see the dedication to his sister you can genuinely feel the devotion to this heartwarming project, Stargirl season one has been on the best comic book shows in recent history and hopefully it achieves a long and prosperous run.

  • ‘STARGIRL’ Review: 1.12 “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Part 1”

    Stargirl season 1 is nearing its much anticipated finale and while the first part to this season’s conclusion works, it’s essentially just used to make the payoff in the real even more unique. The first part doesn’t completely let you down as it features some of the best fights to date and some great character moments. But the pressure is on and the JSA doesn’t have long before the ISA’s master plan is executed. Stargirl season 1 has been an absolute treat and is was definitely a shining star in entertainment this year when many things are being delayed and unable to shoot. Stargirl landed an early renewal for its sophomore season but will be leaving ‘DC Universe’ in favor of the CW network.

    Review: Stargirl Season 1 Episode 12 “Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. - Part ...

    We’re finally treated to the return of Sportsmaster and Tigress back in action, two of the best fighters in the bunch, whose fight scenes in ‘JSA’ were some of the best fights of the series. The showdown between Tigress and Stargirl in the Dugan/Whitmore home was almost flawless, Tigress agility and fighting style against Courtney and the staff essentially fighting as two separate entities that work best when they’re together is incredibly exciting to watch and never gets old. The brawl between Sportsmaster and Pat was a bit more one sided, as Pat takes quite the beat down from crusher. Pat is able to hold his own well, especially since he’s out of the suit, but Sportsmaster definitely caught him slacking on multiple occasions during this altercation. It was towards the end of this fight that Pat is able to gain the upper hand with a surprise assist from Mike, who was able to sneak up on Sportsmaster with a power drill. Finally bringing every family member into the loop, Mike is welcomed to the world of the new JSA, while not exactly a member it definitely made things a lot more clear for the youngest member of the family. After both failing to put down their assigned targets, Principal Bowin, The latest Fiddler is sent to set the two straight but not long after is killed by Tigress for questioning the pair’s parenting of their daughter Artemis, a questionable response but not one that would be totally unlike Tigress. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Bowin’s son pick up the Fiddle, as ‘Stargirl’ kinda has a thing for legacy characters.

    Finally after a season long wait, we know what the ISA has been up to in Blue Valley and just how they plan to enact their sinister plot, but is it that sinister? When Beth is able to crack into the details of the ISA’s plan they’re shocked to see that their one true goal is to truly make a better world and combat Global Warming and discrimination against race, religion, and sexuality, making some of the team question if they’re truly on the right side. It’s not until Beth is able to dig deeper and discover the ISA plants to use Brainwaves psychic abilities and Dr.Ito’s satellite to broadcast Brainwaves abilities across the united states and control the minds of those with fully developed minds among one-hundred million people. But twenty-five percent of that target will be able to fight back against the reprogramming ultimately causing their brains to shutdown and killing them. Towards the end the JSA realizes that the plan has already been set into motion, and the thirty minutes they thought they had is the time it’ll take to complete the brainwashing and usher in a new and better America.

    Splitting up and making their way through the tunnels beneath Blue Valley, the much anticipated final showdown between the JSA and ISA will finally take place and will determine the fate of america as they know it, and with the plan already taking affect on Pat and Sir Justin, how will the team be able to stop the satellite when they’re busy enough throwing down with those closest to them.  While working mostly as a setup for the finale, ‘Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Pt 1’ offers up important character moments and sets up a surely stellar final episode to this season.

  • ‘STARGIRL’ Review: 1.11 “Shining Knight”

    ‘STARGIRL’ Review: 1.11 “Shining Knight”

    Still reeling from the death of Henry King Jr, in ‘Shining Knight’ the JSA takes time to regroup and plan out their next course of action, that is until a delirious Shining knight aka Sir Justin stumbles into Pat’s auto garage. This episode did a good job of really grounding the team, it helped teach them all what they were really getting into and will push the team to really come together and finish the Injustice Society off once and for all. But even though its title ‘Shining Knight’ the real shining star of this episode is Courtney, and her relationship with her dad and Pat.

    One of the biggest unanswered question we’ve had this season was that of the mysterious janitor, many eagle eyed fans of the comics automatically picked up on it quickly, from the Medieval tone in his voice to the pegasus baseball cap, or maybe the inconspicuous sword in his closet. Sir Justin was an old friend of Pat, both of them having fought alongside each other as members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory, also being the only two known surviving members. Justin had become somewhat marooned in Blue Valley, muttering thing about coming here to slay dragons, presumably referring to Dr. Ito aka the Dragon King. But something is off with Justin, when he enters the garage he sees what believes to be an old friend but the next second he’s about to hack and slash at what he thinks is Dragon King, its not until Pat can get through to that he really begins to remember who he is and why he came to Blue Valley and what does he know about what the ISA has been doing in Blue Valley?

    Courtney’s drive and inspiration to honor the legacy and bring in a new age of JSA members came from the thought that she was the daughter of the late Sylvester Pemberton, aka Starman, but no matter what, Pat would always deny the theory. In the previous episode, Barb attempted to reach out to the man who she knew to be Courtney’s father, Sam Kurtis, a deadbeat who in the comics is a low ranking member of the Royal Flush Gang and is in fact the father of Courtney Whitmore. As Courtney was about to leave for school a knock at the door stops the family in their tracks, upon opening its revealed to none other than Courtney’s father Sam. denying the fact that its really him, Sam manages to convince her to get breakfast with him so he could “make up for lost time.” This all ends up being some elaborate ruse in order to butter Courtney up and fill her head with fantasies of her coming to visit him and to think that she would really see her father again after he left, just so he could get that locket that he had given her oh so many years ago. With that locket went the last real connection Courtney had to her biological father.

    With the locket gone Courtney’s last true connection her father was gone, for so long she held

    The theory of Starman being her father inspired and comforted her. She no longer felt like she was abandoned and that she had that legacy to hold onto and it filled the hole in heart that she had carried for so long; to see that all fade away from her when her real father was on his way out was absolutely heartbreaking, like someone took the cosmic staff and snapped it over their knee. To see Pat really step into the father figure role in Courtney’s life was one of the strongest moments of the show. When he punched Sam and told him not to show his face around again, was when Sam lost all connection to Courtney: he wasn’t her father anymore. The legacy of Starman really did give Courtney a father: without it her and Pat never would’ve gotten so close and Courtney may have never been able to fill that hole in her heart. Courtney’s final attempt to work the staff almost ends in a teary eyed goodbye to her alter ego but isn’t until Pat is able encourage one last time that the staff is given the assurance that Courtney is the real deal, shining brighter than it ever had before and confirming that you don’t have to have a legacy to be someone.

  • DC Hit Hard as Warnermedia Swings the Ax

    DC Hit Hard as Warnermedia Swings the Ax

    Just twelve days before the highly anticipated Fandome event scheduled to go live on August 22nd and celebrate all things DC, Warnermedia’s restructuring process has begun, affecting many under the brand including those around DC. Employees within the company were informed of the mass layoffs that stretched from comics to the DCU streaming service.

    With Jim Lee set to continue his active role as CCO, the biggest losses suffered at DC comics included senior story editor Brian Cunningham, editor-in-chief Bob Harris, VP of marketing and creative services Jonah Weiland, VP of global publishing initiatives and digital strategy Bobbie Chase, senior VP of publishing strategy and support services Hank Kanalz and executive editor Mark Doyle.

    It’s being reported that DC Universe had lost a good majority of its staff, coming just a few days after the social media pages for Titans and Harley Quinn removed the ‘DC Universe’ tagline from their names and a few weeks after it was announced that Stargirl would be leaving the service for the CW network. Ever since it was announced that Doom Patrol would be streaming on HBO Max as well, it was blatantly obvious that the waters were being tested to see if it would be a good fit for the service. It’s currently unknown what the future of Titans and Young Justice will be but HBO Max seems like their best bet with both already in development of their next season. It doesn’t seem likely that Bizarro World would find a home at HBO Max, with Strange Adventures, another Anthology series, already in development at max.

    The final fatality of today’s news was that after 22 years DC Direct, manufacturer of the DC collectibles brand will be closing its doors. It’s currently unclear if the brand will be picked up by WB’s consumer products division, but it wouldn’t be a surprise as they’d recently begun releasing merchandise for Wonder Woman 1984.

    To see many of these great people and parts of DC wiped away by these uncertain times is unfortunate, as many of them had developed such memorable parts of DC history. I truly hope the best for everyone affected by today’s unfortunate news.

  • ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: 2.09, “Wax Patrol”

    ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: 2.09, “Wax Patrol”

    Setting up what was probably supposed to be quite the epic finale, “Wax Patrol” finds the team at the tail end of Dorothy Day, in an abrupt finish, Doom Patrol finishes its second season with a shocking cliffhanger that begs the question, will the team ever truly feel whole again? The finale may not have been what fans wanted but due to the ongoing pandemic it was impossible for them to finish the season, as the safety and health of all involved in the production means much more than something that can definitely be folded into the shows next season. With the success and the praise the past season has mustered I see it as virtually impossible that a third season isn’t put into production as soon as possible.

    We open in quaint Milwaukee diner in the year 1969, just as a shy, yet curious Miranda is getting off work. She’s greeted by a lone guitarist just looking to make a living playing what tunes he knows. The man extends an invitation for a date that the reclusive Miranda is unsure about at first but she comes around to the idea after sharing a sandwich with the vagrant musician. The relationship seemingly blossoms between the two and the end up moving in with each other. As primary Miranda believes this could be the best possible situation for them and that they could possibly be happy in one place for once. This of course isn’t the case, following they’re big move in the two decide to have a house warming party, but what Miranda isn’t aware of is that this house warming party is actually just an orgy organized by the one person she had learned to trust, and considering Kay’s traumas revolving around her father this obviously did not fly. After causing quite the ruckus, an understandable ruckus that is, Crazy Jane is born, and is new primary sees it best to get them out of that situation. This leads to the moment briefly mentioned in season 1, as Miranda hurdles herself down the well. Crazy enough its revealed that Miranda is not who she says she is and leads to another giant unanswered question as to who she really is? has father returned? Diane Guerrero does not get enough credit for the work she puts in on this show, slaying every single persona down to the way she speaks, its incredible how she’s able to differentiate them all, and deliver a knockout performance time and time again.

    Corralled by a nervous Herschel, The team quickly makes their way to the fairgrounds where

    Dorothy day had taken place, one now devoid of people and beginning to melt. This doesn’t make everyone too happy. Cliff, still pissed beyond belief at the Chief, would much rather attend his daughters wedding then give any other ounce of help to Dorothy and Chief. But thanks to Larry’s excellent call to action the gang heads to the fair where they eventually split up and are each greeted by the now loose Candlemaker, who has taken the form of each and everyone of their childhood imaginary friends. Through a fight with a profane and enraged Jesus, to a dance with a paper doll, and a pep talk from a scientific cowboy, each and everyone of them believing to have defeated their imaginary foes is met with the Candlemaker. This leads to the waxing of each and everyone of them, except for Cliff who is given the worst fate, and is blown to pieces and then waxed over.

    In the final scenes, Dorothy is seen treading the now waxed fair grounds and sees the chaos and devastation that the Candlemaker has unleashed, the emotion through her perfomance is once again a standout and you can hear the pain Dorothy feels as it pushes through the prosthetic’s upon her face. Dorothy is once again greeted by her mother who ask her the difficult question, Are you girl or are you a woman? Dorothy realizes only she herself can be the one to face the Candlemaker and slides the red boots on. With her father behind and unable to stop her, Dorothy is pulled into the fire.

    Doom Patrol Season 2 did what many shows struggle to do, and that is to live up to the previous season. Without stopping for a second Doom Patrol handles the outlandish and the emotion and gives so much depth to what seems like a bunch of silly characters. I don’t believe this season was able to best the first but I also don’t believe it was worse in any way shape or form. I eagerly await a third season renewal that can explore so much more of the rich history behind the Doom Patrol.

  • ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: Episode 2.08, “Dad Patrol”

    ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: Episode 2.08, “Dad Patrol”

    The final countdown has begun and Armageddon is imminent for the ghastly Candlemaker charges forward in ‘Dad Patrol.’ The penultimate episode throws the dads into the limelight and if you know anything about the Doom Patrol, it’s that daddy issues are in abundance. The standout of this episode, once again, the incredibly faultless Dorothy Spinner, played by the flawless Abigail Shapiro. Gracefully tossing her into the mix for Season 2 was probably one of the best decisions made for the story in a show already so full of potential and showstopping performances.

    Chief, still denying that fact that Dorothy will inevitably grow up, decides that a ‘Dorothy Day’ is in order as in a few short hours she must be given to Kipling and the rest of the Knights Templar to ensure the fate of the word. As unintentional as it was it was, watching the Doom Patrol go through some of their lowest moments this season showed Dorothy just how rough it was to be a grown up. She had spent a majority of this season doing everything possible to escape the inescapable threat of growing up. In this one day, Chief attempts to make up for years of not being with Dorothy and try to relieve some of that guilt hes feeling before his time with Dorothy is up. Yet all throughout this day Dorothy is haunted by the spirit of her mother who beckons her forward to claim the red boots and grow up.

    Still reeling from the return of Miranda, Jane sets off to acquire a stuffed animal that once brought comfort to a sorrowful Kay, that had been forced deep into a well as a form of punishment from her abusive father. As primary its first priority to do what makes the girl happy, and with the return of Miranda and her claim that Kay is ‘Healing’, Jane goes into panic mode and she fears that if Kay really did heal she would cease to exist, this leads to her to the farm, where she believes that if she can acquire Kay’s stuffed animal, it can help her see that Kay needs her personalities. She’s joined by a confused Larry, stuck at a crossroads after an encounter with the negative woman, who told him that freedom from his cloth prison was an option, but he would need to become one with the negative spirit instead of just a host. But becoming someone new would mean letting go of his past, a past that has since defined who he is and he would once again be deserting his family, but this raises another question, would the negative spirit even want to merge with Larry? how do you coexist with such a being when you have little to no communication except for painful flashbacks.

    Shifting the focus to an even more depressing topic, Cyborg, on the hunt for a now wanted Roni Evers, is joined by an eager Rita, who has dubbed herself ‘The Bee Keeper’ after having her ego blown back up to superstar proportions by a local paper. Roni, using Uma jelly she nabbed from the scants, sought out revenge on the men who poisoned and irreversibly damaged her body. this leads to an altercation in the sub shop where the two had their first date. Vic had become so attached to Roni, thinking he finally found someone who liked him for him, cybernetic enhancements or not, he so blindly ignored the many red flags that even she warned him about. After being betrayed and hurt by so many people Roni had reached a point where she thought she was truly the only person looking out for her and would do anything she had to survive.

    Ending on a lighter note, were treated to a real reunion between Cliff and his daughter, Clara, who showed up to Doom Manor out of the blue. After showing her the tape of Nile’s confession the two really began to make progress. Seeing Cliff truly win for once was a satisfying enough as he had dealt with the loss of time and his family since he went operational. what really stuck with me was their final interaction, that of Clara offering Cliff an invitation to her wedding and the chance to be involved in a crucial point in his daughter’s life, and one true win for The Robotman.

    With the finale up next and the threat of the Candlemaker approaching rapidly, ‘Dad Patrol’ lays the character development on hard and once again doesn’t fail to flesh out these outlandish characters while exploring the wild and eccentric history of one of DC’s oldest teams. With the ongoing pandemic the show was unable to finish filming its sophomore season meaning next weeks finale is sort of a place holder until further notice, with the seasons tenth episode which would likely be folded into the shows third season when it undoubtedly gets the greenlight.

  • ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: Episode 2.07 “Dumb Patrol”

    ‘DOOM PATROL’ Review: Episode 2.07 “Dumb Patrol”

    Never being one to stray from the most illogical of choices, ‘Dumb Patrol’ proves that they don’t have a care in the world, and with this type of freedom skies the limit, and as usual it pays off. ‘Dumb Patrol’ may not be the best episode of the season but it furthers the point that ‘Doom Patrol’ can do quite literally anything and still show us focus on and develop these characters that we’ve all become so attached too in such boisterous ways. With the impending threat of the Candlemaker still looming over the team and Chief’s life slowly fading from him, will they be able to wrap it up by the end of this quickly fleeting second season?

    Review: Doom Patrol Season 2 Episode 7,

    Following the return of Vic Stone, accompanied by Roni Evers, to Doom Manor, they’re met with the arrival of a mysterious crate from the illusive and mysterious Willoughby Kipling. Once opened Vic, Roni, and Larry, are infected with Shants, side affects? the uncontrollable urge to make bad decisions, weirdly Jane (currently hosted by new primary and recently resurrected Miranda). Once infected they must go into the canvas and find the Shant queen to break the irresistible impulse to do make a bad choice. This happens to be one of the more lighthearted episodes and didn’t hesitate to keep it meta, with the return of a semi nude Beard Hunter, dressed in Teen Titans Go underwear with a cartoon Beast Boy slapped on the back, while it wasn’t what fans had in mind when they asked to see Beast Boy and Cyborg on screen together, it was pretty funny. When asked where Mr.Nobody happened to be, Beard Hunter mentioned that he picked up a gig on some animated show, they then proceed to project an advertisement for Harley Quinn, another show on DC Universe in which Alan Tudyk, who played Mr.Nobody, voices Joker. This really puts the spotlight onto Vic and Roni’s relationship, acknowledging how fast they’re moving and how little they really know each other, and just how dangerous that can be for a guy like Cyborg.

    Still dwelling on the acts of her mother and questioning the past life that she so proudly presented to all those who crossed her, has thrown herself into the role of the beekeeper in the towns local production of the events of the pilot episode. Rita’s subconscious has pushed her deep into this role, she believes that she needs to really dig deep and prove that she has the talent and the ability to really bring a character to life even if its even the smallest of roles. This is the only way for her to really deal with what she witnessed as a child and without the ability confront her mother she must thinks this is the way to really deal with what has been eating her up inside. It’s not until the end of the episode when she is able to successful hone her elastic abilities and thwart a mugging that Rita finally begins to feel as if she had done something her self and has found a new path to travel in life.

    It’s the how the episode ended that really stuck with me, Chief’s journey through Yukon to find answers as to the origins of the Candlemaker and why Dorothy must carry this burden. When he comes face to face with the ugly truth. Chief is faced with a decision he had been dreading to make, learning that the Candlemaker was created and bestowed upon Dorothy by Oyewah’s people, Niles doesn’t see much of a choice anymore and in the final moments of these episode, Nile’s meeting with Kipling ends with a uncommon silence for the show, almost if Nile’s last light had went out and he has just about lost his world, like a candle being extinguished.