Tag: dc comics

Whatcha Reading, Geekly: October 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here! Today, our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading over the past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started by sharing what I’ve been reading over the past month.

Kyra’s Fiction

I read Brian Azzarello’s Joker for the first time this past month. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect, so I guess I had no expectations. Joker was a wild read. Jonny Frost (one of The Joker’s henchmen) narrates the story. This was a bizarre choice for a point of view character. How many comic book stories have been told from the perspective of a super villain’s henchman? Harley Quinn doesn’t count. By this point, she’s become her own character. A no-name Joker henchman made for a fresh take on the character.

Because we’re not in Joker’s perspective or even Batman’s, Joker doesn’t dive too deep into its title character; Joker concerns itself with how The Joker affects Gotham City from an outside perspective. Jonny Frost is to The Joker what Nick Carraway was to Gatsby. We watch as Gotham defines itself by its most infamous criminal. We watch as The Joker seduces Jonny with his hedonistic lifestyle. Through Jonny’s point of view, we see the appeal of The Joker. We learn why someone would want to serve as one of The Joker’s henchmen. While I enjoyed the ideas presented in Joker, I’m glad the graphic novel didn’t last long. It ended when and how it should’ve. One shouldn’t spend too much time in The Joker’s world.

Author Ta-Nehisi Coates needs little introduction. Coates has received the MacArthur Fellowship a year before Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet was first released. Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet explores Wakanda’s identity, tensions, traditions, and where they fit in modern society while looking toward the future. This examination extends to the monarchy. Does Wakanda still need the Black Panther? These topics make sense, considering Coates is an American journalist and activist who often writes about cultural, social, and political issues, specifically African Americans and white supremacy. Coates authored “The Case for Reparations,” so a Wakandan story that examines its past while looking at how to move forward is something that Coates has immense experience.

Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet is a dense text. It deconstructs Black Panther as a character. It shows the Wakandan king step down as supreme leader, making way for Wakanda becoming a constitutional democracy with the Black Panther serving as a figure head. Think the English monarchy. T’Challa is still Black Panther. But Wakanda’s people are allowed to govern themselves. We’ve seen the MCU adopt some aspects of this story. I can’t help but think the MCU adapting A Nation Under Our Feet in a future Black Panther movie. Perhaps this storyline will inform Black Panther 3. I enjoyed my time with Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet and highly recommend the book, especially if you like the T’Challa and dive head first into Wakandan lore and politics.

It was only a matter of time before I started reading the sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. Love that book. I had to pick up the sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Quick Note: I love Klune’s dedication:

For the trans community the world over:
I see you, I hear you, I love you.
This story is for you.

Klune’s dedication rings true. While The House in the Cerulean Sea was more subversive with its queerness (the main character just happens to be gay), Somewhere Beyond the Sea has Arthur and Linus go to court and defend magical beings’ rights. With the dedication as context, Somewhere Beyond the Sea’s many scenes can be viewed through the lens of the trans community’s struggles for acceptance. The House in the Cerulean Sea did a lot the same things. Somewhere Beyond the Sea makes this a front and center discussion. I loved returning to these characters. Cozy romantasy has become one of my favorite genres, and The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of the reasons why.

We were teased David, a teenage yeti, during The House in the Cerulean Sea’s epilogue. Somewhere Beyond the Sea delivers on the first book’s promise. And David fits with this cast of characters. David’s viewpoint on the term “monster” recontextualizes Lucy’s relationship with Arthur and Linus. Great stuff. I love it when a new character can help us see a preexisting character in a new light. In short, Somewhere Beyond the Sea is charming. The magical children are wonderful. Each of them has a distinct personality. The world is lived in. Even the tertiary characters, like Marsyas Island’s ferryman Merle, has charm. I’ve read a lot of books since The House in the Cerulean Sea, but it took no time at all to go back into the world Klune created with Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

I can’t wait for the upcoming HBO Max animated series based on these novels, or the third novel in the series. Klune has released these novels every four years, so the third novel may release as soon as 2027, but realistically, in 2028. Guess I’ll have to wait. I read Somewhere Beyond the Sea at a slow pace. I wanted to savor the story. But I could reread the two novels. Hmm? These books are fantastic.

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures Book Cover

Kyra’s Nonfiction

I’ve talked about The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures in the past. This book is loaded with fantasy/magical creatures from various points of origin. While some of the creatures in this book will be familiar, I like the ones I know little to nothing about. But the surprise entries I’ve found in this book are real world creatures. The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures includes many real world animals and what those animals mean to various cultures and religions. This book is fascinating. I said this six or seven months ago, but I will finish The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures.

Those are the books I’ve been reading this past month, and it looks like Season and Skye are taking this week off. What have you been reading, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Dirt and Stars” Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Dirt and Stars.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “The Jordan Boys Legacy,” here’s a link to that review. “Dirt and Stars” tidied up most of Lanterns‘ loose ends. Did it tie up those ends in the best way. Maybe, maybe not. But the show’s finale does what Lanterns has been doing this entire season, keeping the narrative focused on its characters.

I loved the moment in the car between John Stewart and Noah (Kerry’s son and the Manhunter’s grandson). Lanterns has explored upbringing and the concept of nature versus nurture this entire season. Kudos to Lanterns for doing that. Did I like the reveal of Noah as the last remaining Manhunter. Yeah. It was good. It tied into the events of Rushville. Having a Manhunter as the “final boss” (so to say) was better than trying to shoehorn Parallax into the final three episodes. Did I like the fake out of Kerry being the one who killed Hal? Not as much. It made sense for her character, but Kerry loses something as a character when she impulsively shoots Hal after Hal talks about moving Noah. Clearly, Hal doesn’t want to harm Noah; he wouldn’t have suggested moving. Kerry may be a mother, but she’s also a sheriff. While I could see Kerry shooting Hal in defense, I don’t know if this scene sold why she’d do so.

Again, the acting was phenomenal. You couldn’t have asked for a better cast. I love all of the main cast here. Lanterns (from a writing a direction standpoint) did a fantastic job of conveying these characters. Most of them are flawed and that makes them compelling. Sure, I took Lanterns to task for adding full episodes of backstory for its characters. This caused the show to mark time and not propel its narrative forward. Most creative writing instructors would advise against taking this action. But the characters are so intriguing that I didn’t mind. I wanted to know more about John and Hal’s upbringing. And I think setting Lanterns on Earth was a good move. Would I like to see interstellar Green Lantern stories in the future? Of course. Setting Lanterns on Earth reduces budget costs. I can see the DCU containing its live-action television series to Earth, while its movies explore the cosmos.

Despite grounding the characters (on Earth), Lanterns does a good enough job of adapting the Green Lantern from the comics. I don’t read too many other reviewers’ posts until after I finished reviewing a movie or show myself, but I can imagine a lot of reviewers and specifically reviewers who are comic book readers, complaining that Lanterns should’ve been set in the cosmos. If you plan to make a Green Lantern television series, that series needs to be set in space. I agree with that to some extent, but Green Lantern has had terrestrial stories as well. I remind you of the groundbreaking Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic book series of the 1970s by Dennis O’Neal and Neal Adams. Lanterns made more than one reference to this series, most notably the scene between the Guardian and John’s mother. So good.

Arguing about how Lanterns does or does not adapt the comics plays out like a windshield wiper. It doesn’t work because of this, but it does work because of that. And so on. I return to the characters. Kyle Chandler does a phenomenal job as a broken Hal Jordan. While Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart borrows a few elements from another Green Lantern (Kyle Raynor’s artist abilities), Lanterns does a great job of weaving those elements into John’s character. I’m always down for more Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, and I can’t wait to see if Gardner gets his red power ring. From the main cast to recurring characters and supporting characters, most, if not all, the actors do a great job. I enjoyed this show. Is it a perfect representation of Green Lantern from the comics. Not exactly. But I draw your attention to DC Comics’ Elseworlds. It’s the multiverse without the interconnection. The characters are close enough to their comic book counterparts.

John Stewart was a military veteran and had an odd upbringing. Guy Gardner always had a chip on his shoulder and suffered from an inferiority complex. While he spent most of his life as a hero, Hal Jordan did become a villain. It’s the online chatter about Jordan that makes me laugh.

In the comics, Hal Jordan killed all but one Guardian (in Lanterns, Jordan’s mentor Sinestro killed a single Guardian), and then Hal began killing every Green Lantern and claiming their rings for himself. That’s where we get the iconic image above. Fans became so outraged, claiming Hal would never do those heinous acts. This isn’t my Hal. Hal’s a hero. He isn’t broken. The complaints became so loud that DC Comics backtracked the story. Instead of Hal becoming Parallax, they made Hal possessed by Parallax. It wasn’t Hal’s fault. It was someone else’s. LOL Lanterns had shades of Hal as Parallax, and Green Lantern fans are doing the same thing online in 2026 as they did in the 1990s. My time machine works. It’s the 1990s again.

See what I mean? We can go on for hours like a windshield wiper with Lanterns being a “good adaptation” of Green Lantern. Most points have counterpoints. I will add that Lanterns did set up the concepts of the emotional spectrum (what each color of power ring represents) in subtle ways. I can’t wait to see how Lanterns explores the emotional spectrum in the future (if it gets renewed for a second season, that is). I mentioned Guy gaining a red power ring. Red power rings are fueled by rage. He’s a list of DC Comics’ Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum:

Red/Rage
Orange/Avarice
Yellow/Fear
Green/Will
Blue/Hope
Indigo/Compassion
Violet/Love
Grey/Sorrow
Black/Death
White/Life

The lantern John uses to power up his ring has yellow streaks: fear. Sinestro mentions that fear can be the most powerful force in the universe. Of course he’d say that, he’s the most famous wearer of a yellow power ring. While in bed, Hal says to Kerry that he “wills” her to stay. This is a great nod to what powers the green power ring; it’s another great moment of Hal trying to reclaim his hero status after his fall. And I mentioned in previous reviews that Parallax (DC Comics’ living embodiment of fear) was hinted at more than once in Lanterns. The show eases viewers into this concept. An emotional spectrum is odd, but I can’t wait to see what the DCU has in store for the emotional spectrum’s future.

Yes. Guy gains a red power ring, but he may be the one character who has worn the most unique color of power rings. I’d like to see the DCU explore Guy’s character arc with these various rings. I’d also love to see the DCU adapt Supergirl gaining a red power ring. This dovetails into 2026’s Supergirl. So many people derided Supergirl because the main character was too angry. During a comic book event when most DC characters gained a power ring, Supergirl gets a red power ring. Buried under the weight of expectations (superhero, member of the House of El, part of the Superman family, and various gender roles as a woman), Supergirl embraced the red power ring by saying “F#@% this S#!t.” It was a joy to see an unleashed Supergirl.

I enjoyed Lanterns season one. The show had flaws. I mentioned several weeks ago that I couldn’t see how Lanterns could regain its momentum after the events of Rushville (episode five), and the show struggled to do just that. The momentum slowed to a crawl. I’d say the first five episode of this season were fantastic. I’d gladly rewatch them. The last three episodes leave a little to be desired, but overall, Lanterns season one held my interest.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Dirt and Stars” and the show as a whole. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

5 Underrated Misused Batman Villains

Five Popular But Underused/Misused Batman Villains

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Batman Villains list. What? I warned you that I found numerous Batman villains while researching Batman’s Rogues Gallery. I still have enough unused villains for at least two more lists. The last list was 5 Underrated/Underused Women Batman Villains. Today’s list will feature popular Batman villains who, for some reason, aren’t used as much as they could or should be, or they get misused. Plenty of Batman villains could make this list. These are our five picks who fit the bill. There is a chance a villain you’re thinking of makes a future list. Seriously, we have at least another two Top 5 Lists in this series. Leave a comment on who you would add to this list of Five Popular but Underused/Misused Batman Villains.

5: Clayface

I wrote this post months ago, so the Clayface film has yet to be released. I hope it does well. I liked the teaser trailer (just a hint of when I wrote this, LOL). This is a list of popular Batman villains. We’re not going obscure here; that’ll be another list. Clayface makes this list because of their interpretation in the comics. At least ten different characters (men and women) have taken the mantle of Clayface. The character has two main power sets: body manipulation (the most well-known) and rot touch (less well-known). Because of these two distinct power sets, DC Comics writers retell Clayface’s origin. A lot. Too much. Most new Batman creative team that decides to include Clayface tend to give Clayface a new given name. Because two power sets exist, that same Batman creative team will introduce the character with their origin.

Too many origins. Unless it has changed significantly, stop retelling Clayface’s origin. Ironically, media outside of comics do a better job of interpreting Clayface. Again, I hope the Clayface movie does well. We may see a Clayface renaissance. This development is also why Clayface is this low on the list. They narrowly beat out another popular Batman rogue, Scarecrow. Scarecrow has a similar issue in the comics. For whatever reason, comic book writers liked retelling Scarecrow’s origin, despite Jonathan Crane being the only Scarecrow in DC Comics, and his powers seldom changed. Scarecrow also has a spottier record with media outside of comics, but Clayface’s volume of origin stories gives them the edge.

4: Hugo Strange

Hugo Strange may have the strangest history in comics. Pun intended. He’s one of the few characters who know Batman’s identity, which makes him a unique threat to the Caped Crusader. He even dressed as Batman, trying his best to out Batman the Batman. Interesting. Comic book writers thought Strange posed too much of a threat, so they killed him in the Eighties. But he became a ghost, haunting Batman and his rogues for years. Bizarre. I told you Hugo Strange has a coconut comic book history.

Essentially, Doctor Hugo Strange is a mad scientist. He’s one of those classic mad scientists who remained relevant beyond the comic books’ Golden Age. Back in the 40s, half of every superhero’s rogues gallery consisted of mad scientists. But Hugo Strange endured because comic book creative teams gave him second and third chances. They built on the stories that came before. The reason Hugo Strange makes this list is that he’s never had a live-action portrayal. That could change soon. Two-time Oscar Winner Tom Hanks has expressed interest in being Strange–Hugo Strange, that is–and the character has seen spotty appearances in the comics in recent decades.

3: Bane

Bane has been done dirty outside the comics. Tom Hardy gave a good performance as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, but it was undercut by the reveal that he was Talia al Ghul’s stooge. I could forgive that if Bane wasn’t comically taken out by someone driving a truck over him. The less said about Bane’s portrayal in Batman and Robin, the better. The character often gets cast as a muscle-bound idiot. He’s at least not as intelligent as other Batman rogues. But Bane is highly intelligent. He’s a crime lord for crying out loud. Bane represents one of several reverse-Batmans in Batman’s rogues, and yet, the comics also do Bane dirty.

Bane gained notoriety as the “Man who Broke the Bat.” The scene where Bane snaps Batman’s back lives in comic book lore. It’s iconic. But do you remember what happens after Batman nurses himself back–get it?–to health? The replacement Batman (Jean-Paul) becomes unstable and assumes the identity of Azrael, who, in turn, becomes a greater threat than Bane. Yeah. What I dinged The Dark Knight Rises for, revealing a stronger adversary in Bane’s place, happens in Bane’s most iconic comic book story, Knightfall. Bane could really use a good publicist.

2: Ventriloquist

Like Mister Freeze (another character who just missed the list), Ventriloquist was put on the map by Batman: The Animated Series. People forgot the Ventriloquist existed. During BTAS’s run, fans demanded to see more of the Ventriloquist in the comics. While Mister Freeze found some success in the comic book medium, comic book creators didn’t know what to do with the Ventriloquist. Despite an intriguing backstory, he doesn’t evolve beyond being a novelty.

I could see Ventriloquist stories exploring identity. Is Scarface the true personality? Or could it be the man with his hand up Scarface’s backside? Scarface pictures himself as a crime boss, and yet Ventriloquist never gets cast as a crime boss. I could see Ventriloquist existing in the same space as the Falcones and Rupert Thorne. Ventriloquist may need his own solo movie. Make it happen, DCU.

1: Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter is another example of a character whose stock increased after a handful of fantastic Batman: The Animated Series episodes. But Mad Hatter comic books may be more frustrating than the Ventriloquist. BTAS did for the Mad Hatter what it did for Mister Freeze. It revamped Jervis Tetch’s backstory. It turned an also-ran, joke caricature of a character into a living, breathing human. It even pitted Mad Hatter as a different reflection of Batman, another reverse-Batman, if you will. Joker covers chaos, versus Batman’s order. Two-Face shows what could happen if ones alter-ego goes unchecked. Mad Hatter turns Batman’s need for control up to a million.

That’s right. If Batman ever gave in completely to his desire for control, he could easily turn into a version of Mad Hatter. Sure. Mad Hatter “loves” Alice, but the part of Alice can be played by another person. What Tetch wants most is control. We see that in more than a few BTAS episodes. It’s a shame Mad Hatter’s glow-up in BTAS didn’t end up increasing his comic book profile.

And that’s our list of five popular underused/misused Batman villains. Who would you have added? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Batman's Rogues

Who Would be in Batman’s Sinister Six?

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, we’re trying something a little different. If Batman were to have a super villain team like the Sinister Six, who would comprise the team? Spider-Man can’t have all the fun. JK. There are a lot of factors to consider when composing a Batman Sinister Six. We could’ve gone in multiple directions, and Batman has such a storied rogues gallery that any number of his villains could make the team. I also don’t think we need to go one for one with Spider-Man’s Sinister Six, meaning we don’t need a Batman villain version of each Sinister Six member, but I’ll explain which role a villain could serve. We’ll get to Batman’s Sinister Six soon enough, but there are two notable omissions that I would like to address.

Notable Omission #1: The Joker

Simply put, The Joker doesn’t work well in a team. If Batman were to receive a Sinister Six in the comics, there’s no way the creative team would leave off The Joker. He’s too important and marketable a villain. I’ll note who I’d exchange The Joker for on the hypothetical team I created, but The Joker does what The Joker wants to do. He’ll have plans he won’t divulge to the rest of the Sinister Six. Heck, he may even devise plans that would split apart the team. If The Joker was included in a Batman Sinister Six, he’d be my choice for the reason the team fails.

Notable Omission #2: Ra’s al Ghul

While Ra’s al Ghul would serve as a better “leader” for a potential Batman Sinister Six, he doesn’t suffer fools. The first time anyone disagrees with him, Ra’s will ask them to leave. If that person gets in his way, he’ll end them. Plus, there’s the fact that Ra’s al Ghul detests unlawfulness. At some point, he’ll grow tired of being surrounded by Batman’s other rogues. The underlying issues with Ra’s and The Joker may differ slightly, but the end result remains. Neither of them would work in a team setting.

Geekly’s Version of Batman’s Sinister Six

The Riddler

Oftentimes, The Riddler annoys me. Few writers get the character right, but when The Riddler is written well, he can be a menace and worthy of being Batman’s Sinister Six de facto leader. (Coincidentally, The Riddler is the character I would replace with The Joker or Ra’s al Ghul if someone wanted to go in that direction.)

Doctor Octopus represents Spider-Man’s intellectual equal. The Riddler is every bit Batman’s intellectual equal. Does that make The Riddler the best option to lead a Sinister Six? Probably not. Doctor Octopus does hold more sway within Spider-Man’s rogues than I believe The Riddler has in Batman’s rogues. But I’ll point you in the direction of “The War of Jokes and Riddles.” During Tim King’s Batman run, The Riddler instigates a group of Batman villains to terrorize Gotham City. Notice how I didn’t say “led” or “commanded.” The Riddler will need to use his powers of persuasion and present a common goal. Luckily, a Batman Sinister Six would be united in defeating Batman.

Poison Ivy

Electro is one of Spider-Man’s most powerful villains; he may be the most powerful of Spider-Man’s popular villains. The same can be said of Poison Ivy. It also doesn’t hurt that Poison Ivy is a force of nature. In short, Poison Ivy will create enough chaos in Gotham City to keep Batman busy, while the rest of the Sinister Six can focus on Batman himself. Poison Ivy and another member of this group (who we’ll discuss later) can also be the team’s turncoat. Unlike others on this list, Batman could reason with Poison Ivy. Most versions of Spider-Man’s Sinister Six include a member or two who could turn against the team. This serves as a means of giving the hero a chance to overcome insurmountable odds.

Bane

Bane slots in as Batman’s version of Kraven, but Bane has a lot more going for him than just brute strength. Bane is a leader of Gotham’s underworld. He could galvanize Gotham’s various mafia groups into a single banner through coercion. This would add another level of depth to the trouble Batman will face. A splintered mafia makes it easy for Batman to police Gotham’s criminal activity. If they’re all under Bane’s control, that causes some serious issues.

Scarecrow

Obviously, Scarecrow shares similarities with Mysterio in Spider-Man’s rogues, but he makes this list because he uses fear as a weapon, which is what Batman does as well. Scarecrow mirrors Batman. And just when you think you’re safe from plants overtaking the city and the underworld working as one to put an end to Batman, we cue the nightmare sequence. Scarecrow’s moments in the Batman Arkham video game series served as great changes of pace. Just as you’re getting comfortable with how the narrative unfolds. Bam! Scarecrow. I see Scarecrow working similarly in Batman’s Sinister Six.

Clayface

Batman’s Clayface, Spider-Man’s Sandman. There are parallels, but like so many of the previous parallels with Spider-Man’s Sinister Six, Clayface offers a little more. I don’t believe Sandman disguises himself. He certainly doesn’t do that as often as Clayface. Clayface’s position on this list is by design. After Scarecrow causes Batman to question his reality, Clayface can pour gasoline on Scarecrow’s effects by taking the form of Batman’s friends, extending the effects of the nightmare.

Mr. Freeze

We have no parallel in Spider-Man’s Sinister Six for Mr. Freeze. Question the Batman and Robin movie all you want, but it did get one element right. Mister Freeze plays well off of Poison Ivy. The visuals are stark contrasts. Their powers complement each other. Those two work well together as a hypothetical super villain team, and they’ll do so again in Batman’s Sinister Six. Funnily enough, Mister Freeze happens to be the other potential Sinister Six turncoat. He isn’t wholly evil. In fact, the Sinister Six would need to hook Mr. Freeze with some benefit to his research or hold his wife, Nora, for ransom. Mr. Freeze should be the most reluctant member of this team.

And that’s our list for Batman’s Sinister Six. Who would you add? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “Bad Optics,” here’s a link to that review. “The Jordan Boys Legacy” had some great callbacks. That’s good, sometimes even great. And this week’s episode did some things to progress Lanterns season one’s plot, but I’m afraid it may not have done enough. The season finale has a ton of work. As the episode’s title implies, “The Jordan Boys Legacy” dives into Hal Jordan’s backstory. That may not sound like it’s a bad thing, but remember, Hal’s gone. Any longform story with Hal is backtracking when the finale is next week. And this episode builds up the idea of Hal unaliving himself. Can I use the S-word here? You know what, I will. This episode suggests Hal may have committed suicide, but I think this is a red herring.

Before we get any further, spoiler warnings are in effect. You’ve been warned. If Hal committed suicide, it’ll be because he was under the influence of the fear toxins John Stewart encountered in this week’s episode, and that fear toxin originates from Parallax and/or the Sinestro Corps. Lanterns hasn’t done enough to build up these threats. We’ve physically seen Sinestro himself in a couple of episodes, but he’s been imprisoned. I should take a moment and acknowledge that this week’s episode of Lanterns did answer one of the questions I had from last week. Hal Jordan must’ve “freed” Sinestro. More precisely, Hal relocated Sinestro from one prison to another. This answer leads to more questions:

How did Hal know which planet to imprison Sinestro? Antaan implanted John Stewart with the memories of his people, not Hal.

Was Hal involved with Antaan’s people getting massacred or did he clean up the mess? Maybe.

Was Sinestro somehow involved? Probably.

When did Hal imprison Sinestro? I’m guessing during 2016 because his ring must’ve been decommissioned after the events at Rushville, but Lanterns made it sound as if Hal “freed” Sinestro in the past few years. Someone with the ability to fly through the cosmos “freed” Sinestro. Hal couldn’t do that without a power ring. Could he?

Was Hal possessed by Parallax? Ah! That may be what Lanterns is building toward. I mentioned Parallax last week. It’s the embodiment of fear in the DC Comics Universe, and Parallax has a history in the comics of poisoning Hal Jordan. Heck, Parallax was first introduced in DC Comics with the being possessing Hal Jordan. Okay. Technically, Green Lantern writers wanted Hal to fall from grace; fan outcry led to the writers inventing Parallax (it wasn’t Hal; it was Parallax). The story was still a compelling one even if it got retconned. While a Parallax possession would explain Hal’s demeanor during Rushville, why he would mess with Sinestro, and even why he would commit suicide, I would’ve liked Lanterns to mention Parallax as a concept or by name before the season finale.

Sure, Lanterns season one has played around with the concept of fear. Fear was why John’s father wasn’t chosen as Earth’s Green Lantern. John must prove he has no fear. Antaan’s people massacred each other out of fear. During “The Jordan Boys Legacy” episode, John asks old Hal (the construct from the ring) to ask him if he’s afraid, and John has a fearful moment in the middle of the poisoned lake–more on that wonderful scene later–but Lanterns revealing Parallax as the big bad could backfire.

It’s a risky move. One that would be difficult to pull off without the twist sounding like a gotcha moment. One that only comic book readers would know. If Parallax is the big bad, it could read a lot like the CW’s Flash season two. Zoom was the big bad. Several characters were presented as compelling candidates for Zoom. Flash chose to stick to a comic book accurate Hunter Zolomon, who barely appeared in the season prior to his name drop. Geekly covered that series as it aired nine years ago. Has it really been nine years? Yikes! I face palmed when I heard the Hunter Zolomon name drop and pleaded for Zolomon not to be Zoom. He was the least interesting option as Zoom. I’m not quite there with Lanterns and Parallax, but it’s close. Like I said, it’s risky.

Hal as Parallax only adds more questions that need to be answered, and Lanterns has one hour to answer the above questions, the four or five remaining questions from last week, and these new questions. The Lanterns season finale has a mountain of work. If Hal is Parallax or possessed by Parallax, here are some additional questions:

Was Parallax in control of Hal the entire time or did it influence Hal? My guess is influencing Hal because I don’t think Hal could fall in love with Sheriff Kerry if Parallax took full control of him, and we return to the timing of Sinestro leaving space prison. Does Parallax float in and out of Hal’s consciousness? How does it work? Or is someone or something else behind Sinestro’s relocation?

If Hal (possessed by Parallax) broke Sinestro out of space prison in the last couple of years, did Parallax grant Hal the ability to fly to space prison? Maybe. But that would sound convenient.

Why would Parallax want Sinestro imprisoned on this other planet? Sinestro serves Parallax’s ends. Why keep him imprisoned?

Antaan wanted The Manhunter dead in 2016. Was The Manhunter in cahoots with Parallax? If so, how did that work?

Parallax can work as Lanterns season one’s big bad villain. It also functions a lot like The King in Yellow, who influenced the first season of True Detective. Lanterns‘ showrunners cite the first season of True Detective as an influence. I don’t mind this comparison. R. W. Chambers’ The King in Yellow is one of the most influential weird fiction creations. I highly recommend reading this collection of short stories.

While many creators focus on the first several stories in this collection (the play that bears The King in Yellow’s name drives people insane when they read the second act), fewer creators explore the second half of The King in Yellow. The characters presented in these stories (the romances) avoid the King in Yellow’s influence. In large part, they overcome the King in Yellow because they overcome their fears. That sounds a lot like Parallax. This is why I still have hope for Lanterns season one finale.

Lanterns has kept its focus on its core characters. I appreciate that. The scene with John Stewart facing his past on the poisoned lake works because we know his past. Old Hal helps John through this moment and after doing so, shares his past (his father committing suicide) with John. If Parallax took control of (or influenced) Hal, it makes sense if it did so through Hal’s fear of becoming his father. Even though “The Jordan Boys Legacy” didn’t progress the story as much as it could in preparation of Lanterns season finale, I’m still withholding final judgement until the finale.

I prefer if the show resolves most–if not all–of the questions it poses. This week’s episode left a lot of questions unanswered, presented new questions with the one it did, and the potential big bad may present even more questions. Parallax is a compelling villain if done well. Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy” left a lot of work for the season’s final episode. Seriously, I double checked to see if there was a planned ninth episode. If the show sticks the landing (a tall order for sure), you know I’ll be rewatching this series more than once. Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Jordan Boys Legacy.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Bad Optics” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Bad Optics.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “Lights Out,” here’s a link to that review. This week’s episode of Lanterns marks Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner’s first appearance. Oh! Spoiler alert is in effect for the rest of this post. “Bad Optics” does a lot of heavy lifting, as in a ton of playing catch up between the 2016 storyline and 2026 (which was hinted at in the series’ pilot). It’s a tall order, but “Bad Optics” does a decent job playing catch up. I still question Lanterns‘ ability to finish strong.

Let’s start with Lanterns “Bad Optics'” playing catch up. In the ten years after the Manhunter (2016), Hal Jordan goes to jail, Hal serves almost ten years in prison, Rushville’s sheriff gets a divorce, Hal and the sheriff get together, John Stewart mends fences with one of his brothers (Marcus), the two Stewart brothers launch an architect firm (that constructs panic rooms), John’s other brother (Aaron) still resents him but gladly accepts John’s financial support to start a music business, John and his mother are estranged, John’s father is in assisted living, Hal’s ring gets decommissioned, the Guardians forge a new ring, Sinestro flees prison, and Guy Gardner becomes Earth’s new Green Lantern. And that’s an abridged list. A lot has happened in a decade.

“Bad Optics” features plenty of talking during meals. Oh! One thing I missed was John’s mother having a relationship with Hal behind John’s back. She lies and says Hal wants to apologize for the Manhunter debacle. One of the meals was when John meets Hal at Rushville’s diner. When Hal doesn’t give John the apology he’s looking for, John punches him in the face. I vaguely remembered Hal’s nose bleeding in the closing minutes of the Lanterns‘ pilot. Like I said, there’s a lot that’s happened in ten years. Whenever someone writes a story like this, they risk info dumping (unloading a ton of information all at once with the characters doing little but talking). This happens a lot in “Bad Optics.”

But the show sprinkles in some action, breaking up these long stretches of info dumping. I especially liked the moment when John makes multiple phone calls while driving. Despite a lot of info dumping occurring, this gave the scene some forward momentum. All the issues (Aaron refusing to deal with their dad, Marcus pleading with John to come home, and the call between John and the nursing home) built on each other. John was halfway on his way home when he runs into a Rushville resident extorting him for money. (John didn’t tell the sheriff he met Hal before he died.) This latest development forces John to stay in Rushville. That and John wants Hal’s ring. He wants the ring bad enough to dig up Hal’s grave and retrieve it. And that’s where we leave Lanterns this week. John has the ring. He summons Hal’s projected self. My guess is John will use the projection to open Hal’s voice-locked safe.

Lanterns is looking a lot like Luke Cage season one, which I mentioned last week. We’re seeing it play out in this episode. The show takes a step back to set up the final confrontation (and a second villain). The Manhunter wasn’t the final confrontation. The show only has three episodes to piece together a compelling villain. I don’t know if it has enough time.

One of our commentors from last week’s post (about “Lights Out”) mentioned that they grow tired of mystery box storytelling. Fair. Lost popularized mystery box storytelling. The failures of Lost stem from the show not resolving most of its story threads, asking more questions than it ever answered. That’s the danger of mystery box storytelling. This storytelling method works like the trick I played on my spouse one Christmas. I bought them a ring and placed the ring’s small box inside four or five bigger boxes. The multiple boxes my spouse had to open served as mystery boxes. Mystery box storytelling can be fun. It fails when you open all the boxes and don’t find a gift. You want more than an empty box.

Lanterns has time to turn this around, but not much. Momentum has all but died with “Bad Optics.” The story threads I would like answered before Lanterns wraps up its first season are the following:

Who freed Sinestro?
Who killed Hal?
How does John and/or Guy deal with this threat?
How will John and/or Guy deal with Sinestro?
What happens to Hal’s spare ring that John now wears?
What happens to John?

The being who freed Sinestro and killed Hal could be, and probably is, the same being. John and/or Guy dealing with this threat could, and should, occur in the season finale. And personally, I’d like to see two Green Lanterns from Earth, but I could see the Guardians going in a different direction. Lianna (the Guardian who recruited John Stewart) could be behind some or all of the machinations, but it is a bit of a stretch. In the comics, Guardians have gone rogue. Lanterns hasn’t shown us too many characters who could’ve freed Sinestro and killed Hal Jordan. Bernadette (John’s mother) could’ve killed Hal. But why would she frame her son for murder?

I could be missing something, but Lanterns doesn’t have a lot of options (for who’s behind this) that won’t sound like it came out of nowhere. Parallax could be the one behind everything. Parallax is a huge villain in the DC Comics Universe, but they haven’t been set up in Lanterns. Fine. Sinestro wields the yellow power ring (which we have yet to see in the show), yellow power rings are fueled by fear, and Parallax is DC Comics’ embodiment of fear, but the show hasn’t developed Parallax as a concept. Yet. Introducing Parallax in the final two episodes could feel like a gotcha moment.

Notice how I didn’t say John and/or Guy defeat Sinestro (or even the other threat). They just need to deal with him in some manner. I wouldn’t mind Lanterns season one pulling a page from Star Wars: A New Hope. The Deathstar is destroyed, and Darth Vader’s Tie-Fighter careens into space. Vader isn’t confirmed dead. It makes sense for him to return in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Down but not out. I expect Sinestro to return in Lanterns season two, but this season needs a satisfying ending. We need that ring inside the multiple empty boxes. Wait. I just realized my analogy involved a ring. I even gave my spouse an emerald ring. Is my spouse a Green Lantern? They are fearless.

I’ve enjoyed most of Lanterns season one. “Outkast” (John’s backstory) and this week’s “Bad Optics” marked time because of the season’s construction and trying to backfill years of character development. Despite the inclusion of Fillion’s Guy Gardner, “Bad Optics” didn’t fair as well as “Outkast.” I love me some Nathan Fillion. I’d like to see more of Guy Gardner. But we have several questions that need answered before Lanterns season one wraps. Lanterns has armed John with an item he can use to unearth who killed Hal. Quick Note: I like how Hal’s ring has a limited charge; too often, storytellers make things too easy for their protagonists and give them exactly what they need with few to no limitations.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “Bad Optics.” Let us know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “Lights Out” Review

Published on by Kyra3 Comments

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “Lights Out.” If you want to see our thoughts on last week’s episode, “The Weenie,” here’s a link to that review. I was pleasantly surprised when Lanterns ended its 2016 storyline this week. It ends about as well as one might imagine (not well at all), but before we get into my thoughts on “Lights Out,” let’s get the spoiler warning out of the way. There’s little chance of me discussing this episode without spoiling the story. You’ve been warned. Without further ado, let’s talk about Lanterns “Lights Out.”

To say everything came to a head in Lanterns’s 2016 storyline would be an understatement. Hal Jordan gets disgraced, John Stewart doesn’t keep the ring, the Manhunter gets killed, and half of Rushville gets blown up. Yikes! There’s a lot going on in this episode, but the fact that this happens during Lantern’s fifth episode with three more remaining this season, gets me excited. Like I said, I was pleasantly surprised by Lanterns ending its 2016 storyline this week. This should mean that most of the remaining episodes will fill in the gaps between 2016 and 2026, and more importantly, move the story along. Hal Jordan died at the end of the pilot episode. That was a promise that Lanterns season one won’t end in 2016 and will explore the events following Hal’s death (and who has the ring); the final three episodes should make good on that promise.

I’ll be upfront and say that I was wrong about John Stewart taking the ring from Hal Jordan. Technically, he does. I didn’t think that he would take the ring and not claim it as his own. The events of “Lights Out” lead to Hal Jordan losing the ring (maybe, the Guardians have it right now, so who knows?) and John Stewart losing his desire for the ring. Lanterns attempted to make the reason why John wouldn’t want the ring because he had to kill the Manhunter, and he’s in love with the Manhunter. This felt rushed and forced. Sure, it’s physically there, but I never quite bought John’s relationship with the Manhunter. I could buy John not wanting the ring because the Guardians wouldn’t give him the ring; he had to take it from Hal. Again, this is in the show’s dialogue and plays a factor, but Lanterns offers both options and doesn’t commit to either one. That may be why I didn’t buy John and the Manhunter’s relationship.

For a show that does a great job with characterization, I was disappointed with Lanterns‘ choose your own reason why John doesn’t want the ring. Regardless of the reason, John returns the ring to the Guardians. Will we see Guy Gardner in the sixth episode of the season? Lanterns keeps using Fillion’s Guy Gardner as its thumbnail. It’s been at least three weeks. It would make sense if the ring passes from Hal to Guy Gardner. The show would also earn its name of Lanterns. We aren’t talking about one or even two of Earth’s Green Lanterns. Here’s a third. And I’d like to see the Sinestro Corps. play a role in the upcoming episodes. With Hal incapacitated, Sinestro could wreck some havoc. Ending the main story thread (what happened in Rushville in 2016) with three episodes remaining means Lanterns will need another great threat. The Sinestro Corps. could fill that role well.

But some of that is conjecture, let’s return to the Rushville story. With the exception of John giving back the ring, the story played out like I thought it would. And that’s a great thing. Lanterns introduced concepts in the first four episodes and did a fantastic job with callbacks in “Lights Out.” The odd anti-Green Lantern smoke returns. The kamikaze aliens. The bizarre red lasers that explode folks. John’s artwork. The Manhunter’s crystal heart. And the reverse white laser that can heal (explaining how no one in Rushville gets sick). It all works. It’s chef’s kiss good. But there are three episodes remaining. The final episodes concern me, to some extent. Lanterns did such a great job of setting up all of these threads, and for the most part, it tied up those lose ends during “Lights Out’s” runtime. There isn’t a lot of time remaining to set up another entire story arc.

Switching from one major threat in a single season to another reminds me of what happened in the first season of Netflix’s Luke Cage. The first half (or just over first half) of that show was excellent, and then the show lost momentum changing gears to another big threat. That’s the other reason why I think Lanterns will turn to Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps.. The show has already introduced Sinestro. It hasn’t set up any other villain, except for maybe Parallax. Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps. use yellow power rings, charged by fear. Parallax is the living embodiment of fear in the DC Universe. The fact that the Green Lantern Corps.’s most persistent enemy uses Fear Rings is why Lanterns included the idea of the green power ring asking if humans were afraid when choosing a human to be Green Lantern. You can’t have fear (the main enemy’s strength) when wielding a Green Lantern power ring.

Earlier in this series, I mentioned how Lanterns did little with Green Lantern’s powers, and the audience seldom say Green Lantern’s uniform. That still happens in the show, but I like that we’ve seen more of Green Lantern’s powers as the season’s progressed. Rushville’s story made me forget about the reduction of costumes and powers. Now that Rushville’s story has concluded, I’m going to want to see some awesome Green Lantern constructs and more of the costume. Guy Gardner doesn’t mind wearing the costume. We’ll see if there’s a massive row between Green Lantern and Sinestro or Green Lantern and Parallax.

Lanterns has managed to ground Green Lantern, introduced intriguing characters, and deliver on several promises posed at the beginning of the season. After the season airs, I may binge the entire season. Knowing the sheriff’s past may heighten some of those earlier scenes. This is a show that drops plenty of bread crumbs as well as Easter eggs. Those are my thoughts on this week’s episode of Lanterns (“Lights Out”). Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Lanterns “The Weenie” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another reaction/review of this week’s episode of Lanterns, “The Weenie.” If you’d like to see our thoughts on last week’s episode “OutKast,” check it out here. This post will only cover “The Weenie.” “The Weenie” goes back to the 2016 timeline, and while the episode is entertaining (Lanterns is a bingeable show), “The Weenie” illustrates why stories shouldn’t feature too many flashbacks: knowing the future (to some extent) can lessen a story’s tension.

I’ll get right to it. Spoiler warning is in effect. Again, I don’t know why someone who hasn’t seen Lanterns at all would want to read a reaction/review of the show’s fourth episode, but hey, you do you. And you’ve been warned about spoilers.

Lanterns‘ pilot ends in 2026 with Hal Jordan dead, and John Stewart checking Hal’s hand for the power ring. Much of “The Weenie’s” main tension exists between Hal and John. Sinestro insists Hal call John by what John really is: Hal’s replacement. The guardian we met last week (during John’s flashback episode) returns this week (in 2016) and tasks John with taking the power ring from Hal. But we (the audience) already know that John didn’t recite the oath and take the ring away from Hal. Why would John check Hal’s hand for a power ring in 2026 (Hal’s death) if he took the ring from Hal in 2016? I wanted the tension to build a lot more than it did. That’s the danger of too many flashbacks or a flashback within a flashback.

I’m done picking at that nit. Despite the reduced tension (from what I would’ve liked), “The Weenie” manages to recapture Lanterns‘ momentum. Losing momentum can also occur with more flashbacks. “The Weenie” onboards viewers into the action. Continuing Hal’s conversation with Sinestro (from episode two, “Trust Fall”) helped. It served as a brief recap. We gain context for John missing his payphone call from his parents; the call was really from the Guardians. And I love Lanterns‘ ability to contrast Hal and John’s personalities. During this episode, John said that everyone, including him, was lying. Lanterns accomplishes this with great dialogue. Most characters give half-truths or at least obfuscate their true intentions.

That last element adds to Lanterns‘ intrigue. The identity of the Manhunter (the killing machine the Guardians created before forming the Green Lantern Corps.) was revealed. I had an inkling as to the Manhunter’s identity. “The Weenie” removed all doubt. I liked how Lanterns executed the reveal. The show let the characters’ nature do the work. Centering one’s narrative with its main characters is always a great choice. Kudos!

And I have to hand it to Lanterns. While the show continues to dodge Green Lantern’s costume, it showed the biggest Lantern construct to date (John’s digging device). Sure, Hal wears the costume during his brief scene with Sinestro, but for the most part, Lanterns doesn’t like to show the character in costume. Getting back to John’s digging device, its inclusion makes me excited for more Lantern constructs in future episodes. Lanterns kept its special effects budget low during the first half of its first season, but the second half of the season should splurge a little.

The town of Rushville continues to be a great setting, almost its own character. “The Weenie” reveals that the Manhunter prevents people in Rushville from getting sick or dying. That explains the hospital’s unpacked equipment and the fact that Hal was the only patient to sign the log. This will cause some future tension between the city of Rushville and the aliens who want to hunt down the Manhunter. The aliens plan to blow up Rushville if Hal and John don’t deliver the Manhunter to them, but the Manhunter means a lot to the town of Rushville. It’s a lose-lose situation, and we do see some demolished buildings in Rushville during John Stewart’s return to the town (in 2026). Something explodes, but what? How? Unlike John’s refusal to take the ring from Hal, we know less about Rushville’s fate.

We didn’t see much of Rushville in 2026. The sheriff talks to John as if life continued for the town of Rushville…in some capacity. I like that Lanterns is using Manhunters as its chief villain for its first season. Teasing Sinestro is a great touch. Something tells me we’ll see the Sinestro Corps. before the season finale. I’m still waiting for Guy Gardner to make an appearance. Lanterns continues to use Fillion’s Gardner as its thumbnail. The big teasers. Does this mean Gardner got the ring before Stewart? Was he the one who took the ring from Hal? Who knows? Lanterns has done a great job setting up these mysteries. Time will tell if the show sticks the landing.

Those are my thoughts on Lanterns “The Weenie.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.