Tag Archives: reviews

The Last of Us S2 E6

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When Joel died in episode two, I knew that we would be getting a flashback at some point. There were just too many mysteries that we needed to see play out. In particular, what had happened with Eugene and why did Joel kill him? I saw that Joe Pantoliano was listed in the credits as Eugene so I expected we would see what happened.

I did not expect an entire episode of flashbacks. A whole episode of flashbacks that were amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.

Focusing in on Ellie’s birthdays during the years Joel and Ellie lived in Jackson, we saw how Joel tried to make each day something special for Ellie. Making her happy was a major goal for Joel. The guitar and song. The space shuttle. The dinosaur. All ways to try and make Ellie’s life a little better.

It also showed us how Joel and Ellie’s relationship was weakening. The whole situation stemmed from Joel’s lie at the end of season one involving the Fireflies. Deep down, even when Ellie was happy, she knew the truth. She just did not know the details. The scene on the porch where Ellie finally confronted Joel and he gave her the truth was tough, but had hope surrounding it as well, since Ellie said that she wanted to try to forgive Joel, even though she didn’t think she could.

That scene is made even more powerful as we know that this is the last words between the two of them ever. It is going to be the way that Ellie always remembers Joel.

The whole Eugene storyline was rough too. Joe Pantoliano delivered a great performance despite only being on screen for a few minutes. You really felt his devastation and his deep desire to see his wife one last time. Of course, it was a trigger for Ellie to solidify her thoughts about Joel. It was the look in his eyes when he lied to her.

Ellie was brutal when she outed Joel’s lies to Gail. It was a punishment for Joel by Ellie. She did not take Gail’s pain into consideration.

Next week is the season finale and I am not sure where this will go from here. For sure, the pain of losing Joel is only going to be worse now after we got the opportunity to spend a little bit more time with him and Ellie.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

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I never knew that Rube Goldberg was such a sicko.

The series of horror movies in the Final Destination franchise are films that I have not see before. It just did not feel like the type of film that was going to appeal to me. So I was not anxious to see the Final Destination: Bloodlines film out this weekend.

I have to say, I liked this way more than i ever believed I would.

According to IMDB, “A teenage girl has recurring nightmares of a tower collapse in the 1960s. She discovers that these nightmares are a premonition she inherited from her grandmother. The grandmother predicted the collapse of the building and saved a group of people from death. Decades later, the granddaughter begins to have visions of her family members dying. She realizes that there is a sequence and must fight to prevent Death from reclaiming her family’s bloodline.”

I really enjoyed the set up for the movie. The opening did a great job of baiting the hook for the audience and it left a huge question in my mind immediately. The set piece with the collapsing restaurant was thrilling and extremely suspenseful. I loved the mystery aspect of the film as our characters tried their best to prevent Death from claiming their family.

The tone of this film worked really well even though it felt like it was all over the place. The kills were, at the same time, grisly and funny. I’m not sure how it could work that I was laughing while I was repelling in disgust. The intricate ways that the victims died made me think of the old Rube Goldberg drawing of complicated inventions to do simple things. In this case, the simple thing was driving something threw someone’s head (or other various body parts).

The film looked great and, as I said, the kills were excellent. I was invested in the group finding a way to prevent their own deaths and thus cheat Death.

Kaitlyn Santa Juana was our lead protagonist, Stefani, and I thought she did a wonderful job. The whole film, I felt as if I had seen her before, but I just could not place it. However, looking on IMDB after the film, I could not find a credit on her list that I would have known her from. She was on the CW series The Flash, but only two episodes and I did not watch that series much any way. I did thin she was a compelling lead so I was impressed with her performance, even if I thought I knew her.

I thought the film does an exceptional job developing characters connected to Stefani. They were more than just the typical horror movie canon fodder characters. They had depth to them and they had emotional beats that work very well in making them be characters that we want to see escape, not just get killed off.

There is also a small cameo from the late Tony Todd. I am not sure if this is his final film, but if it is, he has a strong one to end on.

Perhaps I have to add some of the Final Destination movies to my list of films for the October 13 this year as I enjoyed this one a lot and if this represents what the franchise is about, I am up for some more.

4.1 stars

The Last of Us S2 E5

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“Feel Her Love”

Another strong episode of the video game adaptation on MAX. The Last of Us gave us the brutality of Ellie as well as seeing the group who were called the Scars and how horrendous they are.

Jesse made his way to Seattle (apparently with Tommy, though we haven’t seen him yet) and came in clutch as Ellie was about to be ripped apart by the Stalkers, the intelligent infected. Ellie and Dina were making their way to the hospital, and their trip through the big warehouse led them to these smart infected. Dina was able to lock herself inside a cage and Ellie was nearly killed, but Jesse arrived at the perfect time.

Of course, Jesse was pissed at them for leaving Jackson, and they had to run to escape the Wolves. They ran into the forest where they came across the Scars, also know as the Seraphites. They watched them hang a man and disembowel him, as Ellie and Dina had come across earlier. Dina gets an arrow in her leg and Jesse takes her while Ellie distracts the Seraphites.

Ellie winds up in the hospital and she comes across Nora, who had been the one to hold Ellie down while Abby killed Joel. Ellie chased Nora through the hospital and into an elevator shaft. They wound up in a basement area where Ellie sees a group of people connected to the plants, breathing spores. Nora was infected from the spores but Nora realizes that Ellie is the rumored girl who was immune.

Nora asked Ellie if she knew what Joel had done and then proceeded to tell her the things he had done. Ellie said that she knew.

Ellie took it even further as she was beating Nora with a weapon, trying to get her to tell her where Abby was.

The episode ends with Ellie waking up and Joel walking in to see how she was. HUH?

That was an unexpected moment. I always thought that Joel would be back in some kind of flashback sooner rather than later, but this was the weirdest placement for such a moment. There are a bunch of questions from this show and I can’t wait to see what the answers are.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #152

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May 11

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there. I hope you all have expressed to your mothers how important they are to you, if you are still able to do so.

Well, we are back with the troubles from Diamond. Comic World has not received its Diamond shipment from last week as of writing which means that I will not have a full Comic Cavalcade this week. I picked up a few variant editions of some of the books I am missing, but the full supply of Marvel, Boom Studios, and Dynamite books will be missing from this week’s post. It has been a real pain in the butt for me and everyone else connected with Comic World that this Diamond delivery thing continues to be a problem.

Books this week:

Los Monstrous #1. Script by James Robinson and art by Jesus Merino. Variant cover C art was done by Marcos Martin (Silver Medalist). I love this new Dark Horse book. I think this is in the Diamond order so I picked up a variant cover in Bettendorf. I really enjoyed this book with a city of monsters told in a noir style. Two things that I have always enjoyed mixed together.

Star Wars #1. “Out of the Darkness.” Written by Alex Segura and art and cover art by Phil Noto. I also grabbed a copy of the Logo Variant too. I have not historically purchased Star Wars books, but this new story featuring Luke, Han and Leia was intriguing and I wanted to give it a chance. I did like what I saw.

Far Down Below #2. Written by Chris Condon and art done by Gege Schall. Jacob Phillips did the cover art. This Mad Cave book has been excellent so far. The kids continue their path into the earth, joined by an older man they met along the way. Grandpa?

Amazing Spider-Man #3. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Pepe Larraz. Variant cover B art by Rose Besch. Another of the rare Marvel books this week as I picked up this variant cover to read the story. Peter is going through it as his memory of his childhood with Uncle Ben and Aunt May being manipulated. Oh, and there is Hobgoblin.

Lady Baltimore: The Daughter of Medusa #1. Story by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden and art by Bridgit Connell. Cover art was done by Abigail Larson. This was an interesting book from Dark Horse. I got the definite impression that this was not the first time that Lady Baltimore had appeared in a book. Throwing Gorgons in the mix was cool.

Grommets #7. Written by Rick Remender & Brian Posehn with art and cover art by Brett Parson. Finally. I picked up the earlier issues as a bunch last year and then this final issue took FOREVER to get here. I enjoyed this series quite a bit, but I can’t deny that the final issue was not as impactful because of how long it took to get it. Still enjoyed it.

Two-Face #6. “Closing Arguments” Written by Christian Ward and art by Fabio Veras. Cover art was done by Baldemar Rivas (Gold Medalist). This is the final issue of the mini series featuring Harvey Dent and his psychosis. I have enjoyed the entire series, but I have to say that this conclusion felt a little lacking. It just felt as if there was no progression of the character of Harvey/Two-Face, ending where he always was.

The Atom Project #5. “Combustion” Written by Ryan Parrott and John Ridley with art and cover art by Mike Perkins. The group of villains they are referring to Inferno are here trying to get control of Captain Atom. Of course, it seems as if everyone is looking to control Captain Atom. Reveal of the Inferno group is a little underwhelming considering what is going on with the DC books lately.

Blood & Thunder #1. Written by Benito Cereno and art by E.J. Su. Cover art was done by E.J. Su & Msassyk. This is another fun and enjoyable new book from Image Comics. You have a future world with a bounty hunter and her gun. And yes, the gun does speak. I really enjoyed this book tremendously.

Vanishing Point #1. Written by Mark Russell and art by Juan Doe. Cover art was done by Christian Ward. Vanishing Point is an anthology series. We’ve seen a bunch of these in the horror comic genre, but this is science fiction instead. The first issue deals with a man mining for minerals in space. Great story, and I am looking forward to seeing some sci-fi stories from Mad Cave.

Pop Kill #3. Written by Dave Johnson & Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Juan Santacruz. Dave Johnson did the cover art. The cola wars are taking it to another level in pursuit of the formula for the never ending fizz. Cola wars mixed with James Bond type action.

Godzilla Heist #3. Story by Van Jensen and art by Kelsey Ramsey. Bob Eggleton did the cover art. Godzilla is being used as a distraction for a huge robbery, but it is more than that. It is not just a robbery. There might be a giant robotic lizard involved too.

Plague House #2. Written by Michael W. Conrad and illustrated and cover art by Dave Chisolm. This is an Oni Press book and it is a disturbing one. There are several images in this book that are really unsettling.

Space Quest #1. Written by Joe Casey and art by Sebastian Piriz. Variant cover C art by Derek Chew. Another variant cover that I picked up because the main cover (by Mark Spears, no less) is hopefully in that missing Diamond order. A team up of Dynamite Comics characters Space Ghost and Jonny Quest sounds like a lot of fun.

We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us #2. Written by Matthew Rosenberg and art by Stefano Landini. This is not just a girl and her robot. There is a new group of villains in this issue that are on a Zoom call. There are some intriguing mysteries in this book.

Don’t Run With Scissors #1. Written by Francesca Perillo and art and cover art by Stefano Cardoselli (Bronze Medalist). New series from Keenspot, Don’t Run With Scissors is a wildly original new book. I love the look of the art inside, which only helps to build the mood of the story. This is a book to watch.

Black Canary: Best of the Best #6. “Round Six.” Written by Tom King and art and cover art by Ryan Sook. This Black Canary series has been one of my favorite DC books and I feel like the wrap up of this series was very strong. I have had some issues with some of these DC books and their finales, but Black Canary brings the fight.

Absolute Superman #7. “A Mind is a Terrible Thing.” Written by Jason Aaron and art by Carmine Di Giandomenico. Cover art was done by Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola. Talk about creepy. No Superman this issue as we feature the Absolute version of Brainiac. And it is horrifying.

Absolute Green Lantern #2. “The Abin Sur.” Written by Al Ewing and art and cover art by Jahnoy Lindsay. I have enjoyed these Absolute books and I really liked this issue of Green Lantern. It reveals the horrible fate of poor Guy Gardner. I also must say that the dark arm on Hal Jordan is one of the most intriguing aspects of the book so far.

Free Planet #1. Written by Aubrey Sitterson and art and cover art by Jed Dougherty. This is a new Image Comic that I was excited to read. However, I was disappointed by it. The first half of the book was just a whole bunch of exposition and a ton of new characters. By the time anything got going, I had checked out of this book.

The Chamberlains #1. Written by Ruben Romero & Casey Bowker. Cover art was done by Rob Prior. Another new book from Keenspot, this was unexpected. First, there was a page repeated in the comic. Exactly the same. I do not know if that was a misprint or purposeful. It did not seem to make sense so I assume it was just an error. Then, the book was suddenly a vampire book. Whoa, did not expect that.

Sam & Twitch Case Files #13. Written by Jordan Barel with Todd McFarlane and art by Thomas Nachlik. Cover art was done by Marco Failla. Things are looking really bad for Twitch. Not only is he under investigation for his shooting of a suspect, but he is also seeing things. Can Sam help him out?

Other books this week: The Moon is Following Us #9, Secret Six #3, Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #2, and The Holy Roller #9.

Clown in a Cornfield

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I saw this listed at Cinemark and my mind immediately went to movies like Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Clown in a cornfield? It seemed so ridiculous. However, the reviews were mostly positive, surprising me. I decided to give it a chance.

According to IMBD (by way of Bloody Disgusting), “Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start, But what they don’t know is that ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half. On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out as quick as they can. Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.” Synopsis from Bloody Disgusting“

I was torn by this movie. There were parts that I thought were really dumb and, if you excuse the pun, corny. However, it was heads and shoulders above the type of movies that I expected it to be lke.

The film did start off by introducing a group of young teen characters that I hated and led me to look forward to seeing them killed by a clown. As the film progressed, I learned that the unlikable characters were part of the story, not just a slasher movie trope. I started to believe that the writing was more clever than I initially thought.

The story had some interesting moments, but was very messy in a lot of spots. I am not sure everything came together well. There were some holes in the story, especially the ending. Without spoiling anything, something at the end confused me so much that I was questioning myself that I must have missed something.

Clown in a Cornfield is not a bad film. It was an enjoyable enough watch as it moved along quickly. I think I went in with low expectations and I had a good enough time with it. I did like how the film changed up several of the expected horror tropes. This was fun at times.

3 stars

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #15

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“24/7”

John Dee-centric episode took quite a turn.

With John having the dream ruby, he stops off at a diner for some coffee and truth-telling, bringing along everyone with the misfortune to come inside the diner.

This did not feature much Sandman. Outside of a shot of him still unconscious with Matthew trying to wake him, we do not see Morpheus until the final act of the episode. What we get is a tour de force from David Thewlis as John, just sitting back and observing the scenario he put into place about truth telling. There was something funny about John Dee watching everything unfold as he dug into a big container of ice cream.

The show provides a powerful theme about truth and lies, showing, I believe, the fact that we cannot survive by being honest all the time about everything. It reveals the darker side of human nature and destroys the idea that “honesty is the best policy.” At least in part.

The unfortunate people in the diner have to face their unhappy existences because John Dee has created a situation where they are going to tell the truth about everything. Even for one of the sweetest characters that we have seen so far, waitress Bette Munroe (Emma Duncan), who seemed to be engaging and friendly to everyone.

The show does a strong job of introducing these secondary characters quickly and providing enough details that make us intrigued, if not interested, in their lives and their eventual downfall.

There was a lot of darkness in this episode, and Morpheus is anything but a hero. He is just finally here to retrieve the power of the ruby, which he does in the final showdown. I was unaware that John Dee was the kid of the man who had captured and imprisoned Morpheus in episode one, and that made the story all the more interesting. John Dee seems to have found his own fate at the end of the show.

Is it just me or is Matthew the raven a better person than anyone else on the show?

There are six more weeks of The Sandman in the Sunday Morning Sidewalk.

EYG Comic Cavalcade #150

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April 27

Here I am with the 150th edition of the EYG Comic Cavalcade, which is quite the accomplishment, if I do say so. Since this has replaced the EYG Comic Catch-Up, the Cavalcade has been one of the most consistent posts we do on EYG.

This post requires that I read the books I get each week, the number of which has only grown over the last few years. I currently have two separate pull lists at two separate comic shops in two separate cities in opposite direction from my home in Maquoketa. Then, this write-up generally takes quite a while to write. I would guess that from first word to last picture, it takes around two hours to complete, and that is if I am not distracted by other things. Such as right now, I am trying to watch the first three Andor episodes while I do this. It is a distraction because of timing.

This column, and the previous Comic catch-Up, are the reason I got my collection in order and organized. I am very proud of that, and I am grateful for EYG.

Last week, I mentioned how I completed my Groo the Wanderer Marvel/Epic comic run. I completed another run this week, albeit considerably less impressive. I picked up issues #9 & 10 as well as #1 & 3 of the Zdarsky Comic News giving me all ten issues of the newsletter. It is not large, but it still does remind me of the old Marvel Age books that I loved. This newsletter from Zdarsky features more than just Marvel. They are fun, if not slight.

I also grabbed three more of the freebies from the Superman Day last weekend, including Jimmy Olson’s Supercyclopedia.

Here is the next 150 issues of EYG Comic Cavalcade.

This week’s books:

Amazing Spider-Man #2. Written by Joe Kelly and art by Pepe Larraz. Pepe Larraz & Marte Gracia did the cover art. Peter has been poisoned and flipped out, just like the Rhino did last issue. I am pleased with the new creative team and the current path Spidey is on in this new volume. A surprise return at the end is fascinating.

Blasfamous #1-3. Written and illustrated by Mirka Andolfo. I found these three issues in the back issues box of DSTLRY books that I had never heard about. I have always loved DSTLRY books and I was excited to see one that I obviously had missed. Unfortunately, this was not a story that caught my interest as most of this company’s books have done. It’s nice to have them though.

Out of Alcatraz #2. Written by Christopher Cantwell with art and cover art by Tyler Crook (Gold Medalist). I picked up a variant cover of this issue too which is pretty awesome as well. The Out of Alcatraz book from Oni Press has been engaging as well. I am never quite sure what is going to happen next and it does a great job of building some tension.

Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #7. “A Broken Clock.” Written by Gerry Duggan and art and cover art by Garry Brown. I had somehow missed this issue and it was tough to find. Thankfully, Todd was able to find one in Des Moines. This has been a fantastic series so far and I am hoping that this will continue on its excellent path.

Moonshine Bigfoot #1. Written by Mike Marlow and penciled and cover art by Steve Ellis. A new and extremely creative new book from Image features a sasquatch who had been left as a baby, raised by a couple of moonshiners. This book has a feel of The Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit, while throwing the fun use of cryptoids.

Universal Monsters: The Mummy #2. Written and art by Faith Erin Hicks and cover art by Hicks and Lee Loughridge. Helen is having memory flashes, and she is remembering a past life, one including Imhotep himself. The Universal Monsters run of books at Image have been excellent and The Mummy is telling a great story as well.

Assorted Crisis Events #2. Written by Deniz Camp and art and cover art by Eric Zawadzki. A shout out to colorist Jordie Belaire because the coloring of this issue makes this series stand out among a lot of other books. Doing something different really sets this aside from other anthology books that are being released right now.

Avengers #25. “Masters of Evil” part 1. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Valerio Schiti. Variant cover B art by Russell Dauterman. A brand new Masters of Evil is formed in this issue and I love them. The inclusion of Madcap in particular was cool.

New Champions #4. Written by Steve Foxe and art by Ivan Fiorelli. Cover art was done by Gleb Melnikov & Arthur Hesli. I do like this formation of new young heroes under the Champions label. This issue gives us the “secret origin of Gold Tiger.”

X-Men #15. “Twin.” Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Ryan Stegman & CF Villa. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer & Marte Gracia. Piper Quinn’s twin, a twin that was never born, pulled itself out of her and began a rampage. The end of the issue saw the arrival of a new group of X-Men… huh?

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #5. Written by Christos Gage with art by Eric Gapstur. Cover art was done by Leonardo Romero. The final issue of this prequel series to the Disney + animated series wrapped up with Spider-Man getting some major victories against Silvio Manfredi and the Enforcers. He also had a funny way to hide the injuries he had sustained from Aunt May. Pratfall anyone?

One World Under Doom #3. “The Devil We Know.” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey did the cover art. A group of villains including Doc Ock, Arcade, Mysterio, the Goblin Queen, Baron Mordo and MODOK have joined the struggle against Doctor Doom. However, it looks like business is about to pick up as Dormammu jumps int the frey.

Predator Versus Spider-Man #1. Written by Benjamin Percy and penciled by Marcelo Ferreira. Cover art by Paulo Ferreira. I also picked up cover D by Marcelo Ferreira. Despite how much I love the character Spider-Man, I had not been looking forward to this series. Yet, after reading number one, I am in. It was brutal, scary and intense and I want more of it.

Green Lantern Dark #4. Written by Tate Brombal and art by Werther Dell’Edera. Cover art was done by Dell’Edera & Giovanna Niro. Quite a dark issue as it lives up to the title. Interesting takes on the characters of Beast Boy and Bat Wraith. This has been an excellent read each month and that is from someone who is not a big fan of Elseworlds stories.

G.I. Joe #6. Written by Joshua Williamson and art and cover art by Tom Reilly. Big confrontation between Duke and Cobra Commander. This issue does a great job of creating a rivalry between these two individuals and the groups behind them. It also continues building towards the GI Joe/Transformers crossover.

Hornsby & Halo #6. Storytellers are Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg. Peter Snejbjerg & John Kalisz did the cover art. Zach and Rose are taken to see where they came from… first to Hell and then to Heaven. And it shakes them to their core.

Werewolf by Night: Red Band #9. Written by Jason Loo and penciled by Sergio Davila. F.M. Gist did the art for the cover. This is brutal and bloody as Lilith’s plan to take advantage of Jack comes to its head. Things are getting scary with this book.

Eddie Brock: Carnage #3. Written by Charles Soule and art by Jesús Saiz. Cover art was done by Iban Coello & Frank D’Armata. Carnage takes on Sidewinder, and then, Carnage and Eddie brock have their own internal conflict.

Minor Arcana #6. Written and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. Cover art by Jeff Lemire. I also picked up the unlockable virgin variant cover by Laura Perez. Teresa and her mother got into yet another argument and Teresa prepared to leave. However, she wanted to apologize to her childhood friend first. Lots of things then happened.

Absolute Wonder Woman #7. “The Lady or the Tiger Part Two.” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Mattia De Iulis. Cover art by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire. Diana’s trip into the Underworld to save Circe brings her into conflict with Hades and a struggle to answer an age-old riddle that had confounded her for years. This was a really well written story and I really enjoyed the inclusion of all of the Greek mythology in this book.

Magik #4. “Reunion.” Written by Ashley Allen and art by German Peralta. J. Scott Campbell & Tanya Lehoux did the cover art. Illyana and Danielle Moonstar are reunited from their best friends days with the New Mutants, but there are more issues between them than they care to admit.

Justice League Unlimited #6. “Partners and Puppets.” Written by Mark Waid and art by Travis Moore. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. This is the second part of the crossover with World’s Finest and it continues the Gorilla Grodd story. However, the whole Air wave story felt rushed and I was not happy with how the story progressed. It seemed as if it needed more time to develop instead of just throwing it a handful of pages and saying it was done. Disappointing arc so far.

Dust to Dust #5. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram with art and cover art by JG Jones (Silver Medalist). I love the sepia tone of the art in this series. JG Jones’s work is just perfect for this story that they are telling. It is a story that is continuing to be mysterious each issue.

X-Force #10. “The X-Equation.” Written by Geoffrey Thorne and art by Marcus To. Backup story by Fabian Nicieza and art by Edgar Salazar. This is the Legacy number 300 of X-Force and the final issue of the series for now as Forge’s secret plans are revealed to the team and they are not fans of them. The variant cover art (Marvel vs. Capcom) was done by Bengus.

The Last Boy #2. Written by Dan Panosian and illustrated by Alessio Avallone. Cover was done by Dan Panosian. The tale of Peter Pan and Wendy continue separately through this issue, with each facing troubles. Heck, if I did not know better, I might consider Peter Pan to be the antagonist of this book. Hmm. Intriguing.

Infinity Watch #4. Written by Derek Landy and art by Enid Balám & Ruairi Coleman. Salvador Larroca & GURU-eFX did the cover art. The Infinity Watch is back from the weird-o universe, adn Star changes things back. But it is not much better.

Ultimate Black Panther #15. Written by Bryan Hill and art by Stefano Caselli. Stefano Caselli and David Curiel did the cover art. T’Challa is attempting to find other allies in the African countries, but they have not heard of Wakanda. But T’Challa is looking of help to deal with the anti-vibranium.

Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk #5. Written by Frank Tieri and art by Michael Sta. Maria. Cover art was done by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz & Rain Beredo. This was a really strong ending to a series that got better with each issue.

Those Not Afraid #4. Written by Kyle Starks and art by Patrick Piazzalunga. This is getting darker as the serial killers have upped the ante in their attempt to set a new record. I’m not sure how I feel about this issue as the difference between serial killer and spree killer is debated. However, the final panel with the return of a certain individual elevated this book more.

Other books this week: Blade Forger #2, Deadpool/Wolverine #4, Metamorpho #5, Bug Wars #3, Absolute Martian Manhunter #2, and The Power Fantasy#8.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #14

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“Chapter Four: A Hope in Hell”

This morning, we take a stroll down the Sunday Morning Sidewalk onto the path to Hell.

And the path to Hell is lined with more than just good intentions. It is lined with tension, anxiety and suspense.

What a great episode this was.

At first, as Morpheus and Matthew traveled into Hell to regain his helm, I was more engaged with the second part of the story, John Dee being picked up by a woman named Rosemary. That conversation inside Rosemary’s car was scary and I dreaded what was going to happen to Rosemary, who was just trying to be a good person.

However, then Morpheus wound up in a fight with Lucifer Morningstar and the narrative of the episode switched. The ‘fight” between these two was amazing… and unlike anything I expected. It was truly sensational and brilliantly constructed. It could have easily just slipped into the big power fight that we see so often, but this was deeper, more intense.

The fight turned on the word of the raven, Matthew, giving Morpheus that last bit of motivation to overcome the ruler of the Underworld.

It also seemed as if Rosemary was able to survive the episode, and I was sure she was a goner. Sarah Niles played Rosemary so exceptionally that I immediately connected with the character and wished for her safety. John gave her the amulet of protection at the end of the episode after she had decided to wait for him instead of escaping to freedom. It was a sweet ending that I still was anxious about. I really wanted Rosemary, a good person, to not be killed off in this warped story. When it was clear that she was going to make it, I did breath a sigh of relief.

Nicely paired episode with two stories (which nearly crossed at the end) that I was very engaged in. This is my favorite episode so far of the season and it does seem as if the show is only getting better each week.

The Legend of Ochi

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A24 is an active and extremely busy movie studio, releasing all kinds of different movies. One of the newest releases from the studio is a fantasy/adventure that plays like a fairy tail in The Legend of Ochi.

Shot on location in Romania, The Legend of Ochi looks beautiful and the creatures known as the ochi are amazingly constructed in one of the best uses of practical effects in years. The creatures, in particular our little lead character, are marvelous and shows that you can still create something stunning and effective without a bunch of CGI.

According to IMBD, “A young girl named Yuri is raised to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. However, when she discovers a baby ochi left behind by its pack, she embarks on a perilous journey to reunite the creature with its family. As Yuri ventures deeper into the forest, she faces dangerous challenges and learns valuable lessons about courage, friendship, and the importance of protecting nature.”

The performance of young actor Helena Zengel is very impressive as Yuri and she effectively carries the bulk of this film on her shoulders. She does an admirable job interacting with the puppet ochi as it travels around on her back and in her company.

There are two well known faces involved in the film. Willem Dafoe played Yuri’s father Maxim and Finn Wolfhard is Petro, a boy who is taken in by her father. Dafoe is his usually wonderful self as this father whose anger about his life is transferred into his hatred for these ochi creatures. He trained these children that are in his care as a military unit to hunt the ochi.

I did like the background story of Maxim and I thought his arc of the movie was very soldi. He had some great scenes with Emily Watson, who played Dasha, Yuri’s absent mother.

There are some weird things happening here, but it had that ET feel combined with a A24 horror film. The Legend of Ochi was a fun film with a nice story.

3.8 stars

The Last of Us S2 E2

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“Through the Valley”

I can’t believe it.

I was aware of Joel’s fate in general from the video game, but I knew no specifics. So as this was being set up, I was in denial. I was sure that they had planned on extending Pedro Pascal’s part longer into season two because of how huge of a star he had become.

Nope. Episode two and Joel is dead.

Honestly, right up until the end, before Abby drove that broken golf club into Joel’s neck, I thought he was getting out of it, somehow. I never played the game so I was unaware that this was setting up a scene that was straight out of the game.

Ellie held on the ground, screaming for mercy for the man who was like a father to her was heartbreaking, and I know that there are extenuating circumstances behind the vengeance of Abby, but I want her dead… just so dead.

Joel had saved her life earlier in the episode as she had been chased by the Infected and was about to be caught when Joel appeared from nowhere to stop it. The whole chase scene with Abby and the Infected, as well as the crawling beneath the collapsing fence, was just suspenseful.

Before this tragic event, the Infected crashing into the city and causing such a tremendous amount of loss. The standoff with Tommy and the Bloater was intense as you get on TV. I thought Tommy was a goner, but he was able to make it through, thankfully.

Bella Ramsey was amazing in this episode. They are absolutely setting up Ellie and Abby as similar characters for future face off. Historically, heroes and villains are like the other side of the same coin. This feels like the show is building a hero/villain archetype.

The Last of Us S2 E1

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“Future Days”

Season two of the tense and traumatic HBO Max show, The Last of Us, just debuted and the relationship between Joel and Ellie was shaken and on the edge. And it clearly is related to the lie Joel told at the end of last season, to hide the brutality that he committed against the fireflies in order to save Ellie’s life. It has been five years later and there have been issues since that lie, bringing them to the point where they are now.

The show kicked off and ended with the same group of people, the surviving Fireflies that Joel did not murder at the hospital. They, particularly a woman named Abby, swear that they will find and kill Joel, no matter how long it takes. Apparently, how long it will take is five years as they show up at the end of the episode again.

It looks as if the choices made by Joel is the driving force of the drama for this season, whether it be from the group looking for vengeance to Ellie knowing that he has been lying to her for years. I think it is obvious that Ellie knows that Joel lied to her. You can see it in her face.

Catharine O’Hara is a member of the cast this season as Gail, who is a therapist that has been working with Joel. Joel has not been wanting to admit to anything and even after Gail mentioned her husband Eugene, who apparently Joel had to kill, he does not go into specifics (I just saw that Eugene will be played by Joe Pantoliano, so… flashbacks I assume!). He does not seem to be good at hiding it, because it sure seems as if everyone could tell that he had something he was keeping inside.

There is a new type of infected too. It was an infected that did not just run right at you, but who stalked you, hid from you, and positioned itself into proper spot. It was a creepy scene where the infected stalked Ellie.

This episode built the characters and started to place them into position to where they will face the trouble this season. The distance between Joel and Ellie is hard to watch considering how close they had become by the end of the first season.

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #12

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“Imperfect Hosts”

The Sunday Morning Sidewalk continued this week with the second episode of Netflix’s The Sandman. I was somewhat disappointed with last week’s episode and I was worried that the commitment I have made, watching an episode a week for eleven weeks, was going to be a toil.

Thankfully, I thought episode two was a considerable step up from last week’s fare and I have a renewed vigor for the series.

One strength of this week’s episode is that it featured more of a spotlight on Morpheus himself. Sure there were other characters involved, but it felt as if they were all contributing toward the story of The Sandman, and not their own tales. Last week there was so little of Dream that it did not feel right.

I loved the introduction of Cain and Abel in the Sandman world. First, with Gregory, the dragon that Morpheus had given to them right out of the nightmare, and then with the fact that Cain continued to kill his brother, these two characters presented a neat contrast to Morpheus. Abel’s confession to Irving, the gargoyle, that he understood the roles they must play, Cain the first murderer and Abel the first victim, was profound and was a cool way to incorporate them into the dream world.

The show built some antagonists more this week, with an increased look at The Corinthian and the introduction of Ethel Cripps, an art dealer who may have sold Morpheus’s tools along the way. This allows Morpheus a group of McGuffins to chase after this season.

They also introduced a Constantine, though not the one I was familiar with. Her name was Johanna Constantine, supposedly a descendent of John. I look forward to the interaction between these characters moving forward.

Again, I am approaching this without much knowledge of the comics so this is an all-new world for me. I did a little research after the episode an discovered that the character of John that we got at the end of the episode is a major villain, Dr. Destiny. I was unaware of that and it provides a neat little Easter egg for me.

Yellowjackets S3 E10

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“Full Circle”

The third season of Yellowjackets came to a close in dramatic fashion that, once again, made me feel like it was LOST.

At the end of the third season of LOST, Jack was able to get ahold of a phone and contacted the boat off the shore of the Island. At the end of the episode, we see that Jack and Kate had made it off the Island and got back to LA.

At the end of the third season of Yellowjackets, Natalie is able to use the phone from the scientists to contact the outside world, leading to the possibility that the Yellowjackets are soon to be rescued.

At, much like Jack in the flash forward, adult Shauna wants to reclaim her power, maker herself the “Queen” again. In sense, Shauna wanted to “go back.”

Also, much like LOST, we got to a point seeing who was in the pit from the first season, revealing a long term mystery as Mari was the doomed victim.

Lottie’s killer was revealed as Shauna’s daughter Callie. Callie and Jeff took their stuff and left Shauna. Shauna found the letter Melissa left with the tape under the fridge. Of course, she tore it up and put it down the garbage disposal. Shauna is truly an unhinged crazy person. And with her family gone, what is keeping her from going all whack-a-doodle once again?

Tai and Misty met to discuss Shauna… or to blame her for everyone’s deaths. I am not sure I find these two together as much better. And what is up with Walter?

This does feel as if the show is preparing to transition into a different reality, to re-invent itself into a different show, much like LOST did in season 4. I’ll be anxious to see where this show takes the story.

A Minecraft Movie

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My teacher buddy Ambarlee stopped by my classroom Monday morning and she told me that she went to A Minecraft Movie over the weekend and she loved it. When I said I was going Wednesday morning and not looking forward to it, she said that she was watching her middle child and there was so much joy on his face that it made it so much better for her. Sadly, I had no child’s face to stare at when I watched this thing. I am sure I would rather be watching a child’s face than this movie.

According to IMDB, “Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected expert crafter.”

I do like Jack Black and Jason Momoa. They are reasonably likable characters here… well, at least, they are likable representation of themselves. I always enjoyed when Jack Black would break into song in A Minecraft movie. Black is a full-fledged entertainer.

After that, there is little in this movie that I enjoyed. I found the story repetitive and dull. The comedy missed way more than it hit. There were a few moments were I found myself laughing, but they were few and far between.

I was not a fan of the manner in which the story was told nor did I think the film looked that great. It absolutely had a feel like a video game where the background was cartoonish. I am not sure what the whole Jennifer Coolidge sections were about, though Coolidge is another actor that I like, but her entire story arc was unnecessary.

This was a dumb movie that especially young audiences might enjoy, especially those that have spent hours playing the game this movie was based on. This was not for me. I went in with a low level of expectations and the film struggled to reach them. A Minecraft Movie made a massive amount at the box office this weekend (though my Wednesday morning showing at Phoenix Theaters was empty except for me) and this will undoubtedly be a major success. I wish it was a better movie.

1.75 stars

The X-Files S8 E21

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“Existence”

After so many years of me screaming for Mulder to shoot Cigarette Smoking Man in the head and not getting it, it was incredibly satisfying to have Skinner shoot Krychek in the head. Finally! This character was long overdue to meet his maker, and the fact that it was Skinner who got to do it really paid off the torture that Krychek put him through recently.

Baby William was born in this finale of season 8, and, after a lengthy chase and dangerous situation after situation, the Billy Miles led group let the baby alone and left without him. I suppose the baby did not come out like an alien as we had seen in some other births over the last season.

The final scene with Mulder and Scully sharing a kiss with the baby in her arms was excellent and felt very much like an ending. I know there is much more with these two, even if they are stepping back in season 9, but had they not come back, this would have made a very welcome close to the pair.

I did enjoy Doggett standing up to Kersh. It was clear that Doggett and Reyes were going to be the next generation of the X-Files at the FBI and that Kersh will be a major antagonist for them. I am still not necessarily looking forward to the ninth season, but we’ll give it the same chance that I gave this season.

As I have said in previous season 8 write-ups, this turned out to be a better season than I remembered. I bonded more with Doggett than I did the first time around, and while I am still not fond of Agent Reyes, I am willing to give her a chance.

So there are one full season left and two shortened seasons in this rewatch. I believe the count was 36 remaining episodes of the X-Files. I may have to do rewatches of the two feature films from the franchise too before the end of this rewatch.