Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another underrated/underused villains list. Today’s topic is Superman’s rogues. When will I learn? I set out for a list like this, research it quite a bit, and find that I have three or even four lists in one. So, this will be the first of a series of Superman Villains Lists. We’ll save the underused in the film and TV villains for a future list. Superman has way too many of these, and the big names (like Brainiac and Bizarro) would dominate the list. Instead, let’s discuss some underrated/underused, emphasis on the underused, Superman villains from the comics. That should generate some odd names. So, this is a list of five underrated/underused Superman Comic Book Villains.
5: The Prankster
The Prankster debuted in Action Comics #51 in 1942, making him one of Superman’s first villains. Fresh from the success of The Joker, DC Comics wanted another clownish villain for Superman. Jerry Siegel created The Prankster. Chasing this trend didn’t really work out for The Prankster. Sure. He had plenty of run in comic book’s golden age, saw a handful of appearances in the silver age, and has even had a few other iterations. But The Prankster never really took off, and DC Comics stopped trying to make this third-rate Joker work in 2011 (during the New 52). The Prankster needs to be something other than a Joker clone.
Oddly enough, The New 52 version of The Prankster might’ve been on to something. This version of The Prankster uses pranks or punks to disrupt the flow of government in the name of political activism. During one storyline, The Prankster disabled a vital subway line because the mayor of Chicago was corrupt. Technically, The Prankster qualified as an evil-doer, but Superman struggled with the moral ambiguity of this version of the character. It might be time for The Prankster’s glow up.
4: Faora
Faora may be the most recognizable face on this list. Typically, she’s General Zod’s right-hand woman. Be honest. Most of you didn’t know the name of the woman who usually accompanies General Zod. And that’s my point. Well, that’s one of my points. You see, Faora almost always shows up to aid General Zod in the movies or television shows Zod graces with his appearance. She doesn’t show up nearly as much in the comics, and she has her own complicated past and ideology.
Sure, Faora does tend to share a lot of Zod’s dogmatic beliefs, but she is her own person. Her martial arts ability and a knack for targeting someone’s pressure points make her particularly deadly to Superman. In some iterations, she’s been on Jor-El’s side (that’d be Superman’s father). Other iterations cast her as an artificial intelligence running the Phantom Zone. What? DC Comics doesn’t know what it wants to do with Faora. I’d love to see a comic explore a definitive version of this character.
3: Zha-Vam
As always, I place a difficult character to stratify at the three spot. Don’t know where to place someone? Three. But Zha-Vam is an interesting case. Zha-Vam was an early attempt by DC Comics to make their own version of Captain Marvel (Shazam) before the company acquired Shazam’s rights. Zha-Vam is primarily a Superman villain who doesn’t get nearly enough comic book issues. Instead, DC Comics likes to contrive reasons for Shazam and Superman to fight.
What are you doing, DC Comics? You have a second Shazam in Zha-Vam. Canonically, Zha-Vam has every reason to fight Superman, but you’re too scared to use him. Stop making up reasons for Shazam and Superman to fight. Build up Zha-Vam. Okay. Maybe the Zha-Vam name is a little silly, but Shazam isn’t much better. Make it happen, DC Comics.
2: Toyman
Here we go. Like The Prankster, Toyman is another early Superman villain (one of Supes’s first ten), and he gets a handful of stories here and there, but for the most part, DC Comics doesn’t know what to do with Toyman. There may be a reason for this. Ironically, Toyman suffers from a similar problem as The Prankster. While The Prankster is a third-rate Joker, Toyman is a villain better suited for Batman. But that makes Toyman invaluable to Superman’s rogues’ gallery. The better Toyman stories have involved a criminal pathology Superman is ill-equipped to comprehend. This makes Toyman interesting.
I’d much rather see Superman writers develop Toyman over bringing in one of Batman’s rogues–usually The Joker–to fill a similar role. This is an argument similar to the previous one with Zha-Vam. Quit contriving reasons for Superman and The Joker to spar when you have a perfectly sadistic villain in Toyman, waiting in the darker corners of Superman’s rogues.
1: Funnyface
Okay. All of these other Superman villains have shown up in multiple comic books and stories. Funnyface is our first truly obscure villain. Funnyface appeared in one comic (Superman #19) and perhaps had one or two other cameos, and was never heard from again. That’s a shame. Funnyface (real name never revealed) was a failed comic artist who wished he could have sold one strip to a syndicate. He was more gifted in science and developed a way to materialize figures out of two-dimensional images. In other words, the pictures Funnyface draws come to life.
While Funnyface’s origin makes little sense (Who fails at being an artist, but they’re awesome at science for some reason?), the idea of drawings coming to life is fertile ground for a comic book story. Superman could have his hands full. All Funnyface would have to do is draw himself an army, which is what he does in his one major comic book appearance. And that one comic book appearance occurred in the 1940s. Who knows what twisted direction a DC Comics creative team would do with this character in a modern comic book setting? Sign me up for that, please.
And that’s our list of five underrated/underused Superman Comic Book Villains. Who would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re still taking a break from headline Geek News (due to Kyra’s participation in Novel in November), but we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games to discuss. Let’s talk about this week’s lot of new board games and video games.
Through the Mountains Launches on KickStarter
From the award-winning game designer Reiner Knizia comes a game of strategy, patience, and cool plastic camels! The desert is still treacherous, mysterious, and without mercy. But for those willing to risk the dangers of the shifting, sun-baked sands, the desert holds riches beyond compare.
In Through the Desert, two to five players each control a tribe of nomads vying for control of the desert. By establishing caravans and taking over oases, the players gain points as their tribes increase in power.
Strategy is essential in deciding how and where to build your tribe’s caravans. There are multiple ways to gain points and several ways to win. Should you try to build the longest caravan? Or should you dominate the desert’s oases? Don’t forget to keep an eye on your opponents’ caravans, or you may find your own tribe cut off from valuable water holes.
Through the Desert is part of the so called Knizia tile-laying trilogy.
Thank you, Allplay Games, for the description. Honestly, I have yet to play the original Through the Desert. The game is a classic. It’s part of Days of Wonder’s classic run of board games in the 2000s. It’s a Knizia design and part of his tile-laying trilogy of games. And now after 28-years, Reiner Knizia himself has returned to Through the Desert to deliver a worthy follow-up, Through the Mountains. Allplay Games is a phenomenal publisher. They manage to pack high quality board games into smaller boxes. This reprint of Through the Desert and its sequel Through the Mountains looks amazing. Pledges range from $39 to $316. The larger pledges include modern classics like Triskel and the original Through the Desert. If you’re interested in Through the Mountains, check out its KickStarter page.
Fish Hatchery Launches on KickStarter
Fish Hatchery is a strategy deck-building game where you breed your fish, sabotage your opponents, and build out your aquariums to construct the perfect fish breeding business from the ground up.
Starting with the same basic cards, you and your opponents will collect increasingly rarer fish and enhance your decks strength over the course of 4 rounds. Item cards/aquarium supplies can also be purchased which act as static triggers, increasing the reach and effects of the fish cards you play.
Sabotage is a key component of the game, and there are many opportunities throughout the course of the rounds to undermine your opponents as they seek to race you to victory.
Throughout the game, players will compete to gain the most aquarist points. There are several ways to gain aquarist points including breeding fish, scoring master breeder cards, and purchasing round 4 fish who are difficult to keep but have powerful scoring abilities. At the end of 4 rounds, the player with the most aquarist points wins.
Thank you, Dufflepud Games, for the description. I love deck-building games. They scratch that itch of everyone starting off the same but ending with disparate decks. Fish Hatchery has a lot more going on than just deck-building. You can tell that from the picture above. Are those progress tracks? The artwork is stellar. Dufflepud Games spared no expense there as I believe this is a prototype and not even the final version of Fish Hatchery. Not gonna lie: I’m a little worried about sabotage playing a key role in Fish Hatchery. Typically, deck-building games offer little take-that elements and for good reason. At their core, deck-building games are engine builders. You don’t want someone messing with your engine.
But I’d like to see how Fish Hatchery incorporates take-that elements. I wouldn’t mind impeding my opponents’ progress on a track, while gaining a small advantage myself. That’s the other issue about take-that mechanisms: wasting a turn to screw with your opponent while skipping an opportunity to improve your own standing ends up as a net negative for both players. There’s a lot going on in Fish Hatchery. I could see the game balancing out its take-that mechanisms with the game’s other elements. I’ve been working on deck-building game with mild take-that mechanisms. Fish Hatchery suggests that take-that takes center stage. Cool! Fish Hatchery offers multiple pledges, ranging from $65 to $119. If you’re interested in Fish Hatchery, check out its KickStarter page.
Latitude Launches on KickStarter
Work with other players to create a map of the realm, but only the most accurate player will take the glory.
Latitude takes place on a blank map which slowly develops as the game goes. Each turn a player places a land tile (sea, plains or mountain), and places a marker showing how big they believe that region will be when the map is completed.
Each region is a contiguous group of the same land type, and regions cannot have the same value marker repeated. This leads to high level strategy, as regions get completed, blocked off and more, all in a simple to play game with clean efficient rules and beautiful original non-AI artwork.
Thank you, Radical 8 Games, for the description. Latitude sounds simple to play but difficult to master. I wonder what the range (in points) the round tokens have. That may inform when players will play a land tile of a different type; one region will score the highest point value, but the same value can’t be repeated. Clever. Again, this is easy to understand and factors into Latitude’s short play time (20-30 minutes). Latitude offers one pledge level of around $31 (prices are in Pounds). If you’re interested in Latitude, check out its KickStarter page.
Geek Together Launches on GameFound
Play More! GeekTogether.gg is the community platform built for tabletop gamers and gaming venues to find each other, schedule sessions, and connect — every day, everywhere, all the time. No need to wait for the next convention to schedule games, find players, or promote your venue. After all, what good are all those games, dice, minis, and cards if you can’t find the right people to play with?
We don’t typically cover launches like Geek Together, but we had to make an exception this week. This app looks amazing. Who doesn’t want to play more and Geek Together? I like the idea of friending people on a board game specific app. The same app can track my collection, my plays, and offer challenges to complete. Geek Together’s challenges are things like play a specific type of board game. If you’re anything like me, choosing a board game to play becomes as much of an activity as playing the actual board game. If you’re interested in Geek Together, check out its GameFound page.
Bug Out: Escape Your Paranoia Launches on GameFound
Will you escape your unfounded paranoia? The neighborhood has gone quiet. You are sure something is coming. What it is depends on who you ask. The only thing that truly matters is reaching a bunker with enough supplies left to call yourself prepared
Bug Out: Escape Your Paranoia is a competitive survival game for 2–4 players that combines tile placement, route building, supply management and direct player interaction. Preparing for a possible apocalypse, players build a shared road network, gather supplies and attempt to reach a bunker with the highest final Prepper Point score.
Thank you, Baseraider, for the description. Bug Out: Escape Your Paranoia had me at competitive survival game. Throw in a post apocalyptic setting, and I’m hooked. Baseraider is new to the tabletop scene as a publisher, but Bug Out’s premise is solid, and I like what I’ve seen with the game’s components. The game looks like it has a good flow. I cut off the section about final scoring, but you’ll want to be the one with the most points at the end of the game. And I assume there are multiple paths for procuring points. I’m keeping an eye out for Bug Out: Escape Your Paranoia. Pledges range from $49 to $169. If you’re interested in Bug Out: Escape Your Paranoia, check out its GameFound page.
Fable Quest Launches on GameFound
Fable Quest is a story-driven, fully cooperative game set in the enchanting world of Arcadia Quest, taking place after the epic events of the beloved saga.
For the first time in Arcadia, players are not rival guilds competing for glory, you stand together. Through card-driven gameplay, a touch of deck-building, and meaningful narrative choices, you’ll explore the whimsical realms of Arcadia not as conquerors, but as participants in its unfolding story.
You’ll meet its people, you’ll face its dangers, and your decisions will shape how your adventure evolves – together.
Thank you, Tycoon Games, for the description. I’ve always loved Arcadia Quest. Season has the original game. I think she’ll want a co-op version of one of her favorite games. While Eric Lang didn’t return for this sequel (Fable Quest), the rest of the original Arcadia Quest design team returns (Guilherme Goulart and Fred Perret). Yes! I like the idea of a storybook. Fable Quest looks as charming as the original. The board is less complicated. Great! That will place more of an emphasis on the story, and yes, I’ve always wanted a story to go along with Arcadia Quest. Fable Quest looks like it delivers on that front. If you’re interested in Fable Quest, check out its GameFound page.
Junk ‘n Gems Launches on GameFound
In Junk ‘n Gems, players sift through an attic of forgotten treasures, building toward the perfect moment to empty their hand. But you can only do so after reaching the required number of points, turning each round into a tense race to be first!
On your turn, place a card into the attic, then take one or two cards worth up to twice that card’s value. Play sets to activate powerful effects, score points, and get closer to emptying your hand.
The stakes grow as the point threshold rises from round to round. Will your clever play be enough to claim victory?
Thank you, Passion Project GG, for the description. Junk ‘n Gems looks like it combines set collection with a race elements. Card shedding (like Uno) and some strong hand management mechanisms look to be at the forefront. I like what I’m hearing from Junk ‘n Gems. The only thing that gives me a little pause is Junk ‘n Gems’ longer playtime (40-60 minutes). My guess is that the game will play longer at higher player counts, but 60 minutes is on the long side for a card game like this. Junk ‘n Gems does sound like it has more going on under the hood. We’ll have to see. I like Junk ‘n Gems’ collection of game mechanisms and can’t wait to see how these elements work together. If you’re interested in Junk ‘n Gems, check out its GameFound page.
Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy Releases
Your daughter has been kidnapped. In the trilogy’s final chapter, enter a nightmare to save her, survive what hunts you, and uncover the Red Nun’s truth through retrocognition, mirror abilities and moth manipulation. A modern return to classic survival horror with an Italian neo-giallo twist.
I’ve yet to play any of the Remothered trilogy. I don’t know if one needs to play the first two games in the series (the original Remothered and Remothered: Broken Porcelain). While the previous games in the series received various reviews, Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy has received predominately good reviews. Set in the same universe as Clock Tower, Remothered is worthy inclusion in the survival horror genre. Honestly, this looks like a game for Skye. I like the idea of retrocognition. Not enough video games include this and it works well for a horror video game with plenty of flashbacks to fill in the Red Nun’s past. Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.
Virtue and a Sledgehammer Releases
Go back to your hometown and tear it down with a sledgehammer in this narrative exploration game. Confront your past in a devastating story about feeling like you no longer belong in the place you grew up.
Virtue and a Sledgehammer’s title is as subtle as a sledgehammer. LOL I had to say it. I like how Virtue and a Sledgehammer uses the titular sledgehammer as a metaphor. Your confronting your past. Searching for who you are in the world in this narrative exploration game. And I love character-driven games. Virtue and a Sledgehammer places its protagonist front and center. Yes! Virtue and a Sledgehammer is available on PC.
Anomalith Releases
ANOMALITH is a survival third-person shooter set in Japan, steeped in the atmosphere of liminal spaces and Showa-era retro aesthetics. To search for her missing friend, a girl steps into a world writhing with anomalies.
Hunh! A lot of video games with strong horror influences released this week. You’d think this was the week of Halloween or something. Anyway, I like ANOMALITH’s use of liminal spaces. I just finished watching The Backrooms (which will make my Watcha Watching for next month) and this style of horror interests me. ANOMALITH’s narrative structure reminds me of Staircase in the Woods in the best ways. ANOMALITH’s protagonist has a strong motivation for entering these liminal spaces and continuing their journey. ANOMALITH is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Phantom Blade Zero Releases
S-GAME presents Phantom Blade Zero, a fusion of classic Wuxia storytelling and exhilarating action powered by Unreal Engine 5. You play as Soul, a warrior with only sixty-six days left to live. Fend off assassins, unravel world-ending conspiracies, and defend your values with your life.
I knew little about Phantom Blade Zero before this week, but it looks amazing (those graphics are top-notch), and I like the Wuxia setting. Phantom Blade Zero looks action-packed. The premise of a warrior with only sixty-six days left to live is intriguing. I wonder how Phantom Blade Zero will incorporate this into its story. The reviews for Phantom Blade Zero (like all the other games on this week’s new releases) are good to great. This week was a good one for video games. Phantom Blade Zero is available on PC and PlayStation 5.
That’s all the Geek News we have for you this week. Which game looks the most interesting? Let us know in the comments. Thank for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Halloween, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We have a special review in honor of Spooky Season and Halloween. All of our Geekly Writers watched Clayface together this past week, and we’ll share our thoughts on the latest entry in the DCU. We’ve only seen the movie once, so this will be more of a reaction than a full review. I’ll kick off this post by sharing my thoughts.
Kyra’s Thoughts
Clayface works well as an introduction to the character. Seriously, we watched the movie with someone who has never seen anything with Batman, and he left wanting to consume more. Clayface dives into the character’s psyche. As if we needed more evidence (beyond Joker and Penguin), Clayface proves that you don’t need Batman to tell a solid story steeped in Gotham City lore. These characters have pathos to spare. Clayface does an excellent job of showing how layered Matt Hagen is with a healthy side of body horror. For those who know the character, the movie goes how you would expect the movie to go. Clayface borrows plenty from Batman: The Animated Series, the Arkham video game series, and the comics. It’s a great watch. And I agree with Season’s sentiment (after leaving the theater), Clayface may have to go on our Halloween movie rotation.
I appreciate Clayface exploring Matt Hagen’s personality. Even before his “accident,” the movie presents Hagen as someone struggling with his identity. The moment he shares celebrating with his deceased mother. The scene with a late night show host asking him to do impressions and when he asks who the real Matt Hagen is, Hagen doesn’t have a good answer. He loses himself in his roles. He searches for himself. And I like how Clayface foreshadows with Hagen sharing with late show host Vic Chissler (great name) that he’s scared of finding his real self. Great foreshadowing.
This also ties into Clayface’s second half: the revenge plotline. I’m skipping over the body horror elements (which dominated Clayface’s first half) for now, so I can focus on Clayface/Matt Hagen as a character. I’ll return to the body horror. Don’t worry. Once Matt Hagen discovers his true self (Clayface), he goes on a killing spree. I want to share a great quote from the movie.
You wanna know how I feel? The people I trusted betrayed me. The justice system failed me. They stole my career, my money, my life! I’m a monster.
Clayface has great quotes to spare. I can see people reciting these for years. As you can tell from the above quote, the movie does a great job of building up Matt Hagen before he becomes Clayface. It puts in the work, so you care about who Hagen is as a person. While he does these horrible things, you can’t help but sympathize with him–to a point. And Clayface’s rampage borrows scenes straight from Batman: The Animated Series. Two of his kills are ripped right from the cartoon series. Ah! Now, I want watch BTAS again. Or at least “Feat of Clay” and “Mudslide.”
But Clayface explores the title character’s power set a little bit, providing a touch of new uses to his existing abilities. Clayface’s body always had the ability to reattach itself after getting flung elsewhere. Hagen uses this to his advantage, specifically his blood in a particularly gruesome death scene near the end. It makes sense for Hagen to cut himself, bleed into someone’s orifices, and wait for his blood to return to his body, ripping the other person apart from the inside. Ugh! So good though. The character who dies this way had it coming, and that’s a good segue to talk about Clayface’s body horror.
Our Geekly writers squirmed in their seats at the beginning of Clayface. It’s uncomfortable. By now, most of us have seen Clayface trailers that featured Matt Hagen’s eyes swelling shut. He runs to an airplane lavatory and uses a pair of scissors to cut open his eyelids. Despite having this scene spoiled (sort of) in the trailers, watching it in real time is something else. This was a tense scene, and there are a number of uncomfortable (in the best ways) scenes, but Clayface does drop the body horror midway through its runtime to focus on Hagen’s revenge story.
I appreciated Clayface’s practical effects, but the movie did use a handful of CGI sequences that looked painfully CGI. The story also tried to science up Clayface’s abilities. Let’s throw in nanobots, goofy futuristic medical jargon, and AI. What would happen if the AI goes rogue? That’s not as quotable as some of the other lines in Clayface. AI felt tacked on. The film doesn’t really explore the AI within Clayface’s body going rogue. This was a lame attempt to make the film feel “modern.” I could’ve done without the addition of AI. If you’re going to include AI, make it count.
I’ve mentioned the writing. A few hiccups aside, it’s solid. The direction and cinematography (outside of a couple of laughable CGI SNAFUs) are great. And the acting is spot on. Tom Rhys Harries nails it as Matt Hagen/Clayface. Naomi Ackie kills it as Dr. Corr. The supporting cast was phenomenal. They made Gotham City feel lived in. Clayface is a fun watch.
Clayface kind of has two endings. I prefer the second. It’s heartbreaking and shows Hagen/Clayface’s mental state. And we see Clayface in all his glory in the closing moments. Clayface made the right choice delaying its main character’s reveal. Clayface can be cartoony. I liked being grounded with the character and watching his descent.
Those are my thoughts on Clayface. Let’s check in with Skye.
Skye’s Thoughts
I’d like to start by saying that I was genuinely excited to see this movie. While Clayface isn’t my all-time favorite Batman villain, he’s one that I’ve been fascinated by for a long time, hasn’t had an official cinematic debut until now, and is a villain that has a lot of big-screen potential. After seeing Clayface in theaters with the rest of the Geekly Crew a few days ago, I’m very satisfied with the results. Clayface did a great job of delivering on the body horror elements built up in the trailers, and I liked the film the most when it made me squirm in my seat. Not only that, but Clayface managed to deliver a story that was both faithful to the character yet still felt fresh.
If I had to nitpick anything about Clayface, I’d say the romance didn’t quite fit with the tone of the rest of the film. While it’s necessary to humanize your characters from a storytelling standpoint, I don’t believe giving the lead a love-interest was the best way to do that in this case. Even if she was the best character in Clayface aside from Matt Hagen himself (Sidenote: the acting is stellar in this movie).
Overall, I had a very good time with Clayface and would enjoy doing a deeper dive on it after its inevitable release on streaming. Clayface is also a great spooky movie for Halloween, so if you’re looking for something creepy that’s hard to watch at times, Clayface might be the perfect fit for you. Happy Halloween!
Those are our writers’ thoughts on Clayface. What did you think of the movie? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Deadlock.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Firewall,” check out this link. VisionQuest “Deadlock” begins where many episodes of VisionQuest begin: inside one of the synthezoids’ mind spaces. “Deadlock” begins with Jocasta’s mind space. On the heels of last episode, Ultron left Vision’s mind space for somewhere else. It makes sense that he’d want to join Jocasta. I love this narrative construction. It fits with a synthezoid. It almost gives VisionQuest a novel approach. Novel meaning both unique and like a book. VisionQuest found a way to show a character’s interiority. That’s cool. But the show may be leaning on this a little too much at times. Equal parts of the show occur in the real world and a character’s mind space. This worked at the beginning. I hoped for the show to pivot.
Quick Note: Spoiler Alert VisionQuest “Deadlock” is in effect. You’ve been warned.
Again, I love VisionQuest’s mind space narrative structure, but we’re six episodes (out of an eight-episode run) into the series. VisionQuest should’ve reduced the amount of time spent in a synthezoid’s headspace by now. I think, we are shifting from that because most of Vision’s AI buddies have flown the coop. The majority of VisionQuest’s mind space minutes occurred in Jocasta’s head. Again, this makes some sense. We watch Ultron and Jocasta find a connection, more on that in a minute, and see what the pair have planned for humanity. Nothing good. But their scheme makes sense for both characters and who they are. I questioned VisionQuest going the route of Ultron and his bride, but the show has proven my doubts unfounded.
I may have been too hard on VisionQuest sticking with its mind space structure. The show maintains good pacing, a rare thing for a Marvel television series. Ultron and Jocasta have revealed their plan for humanity: make humans more robotic. “I got the idea turned round,” Jocasta said. “Instead of making synths more human, we should inject machine into them (humans).” This is a subtle shift to Ultron’s original goal. It fuses Jocasta’s backstory (which we learn in “Deadlock”) with wanting to fix what ails humanity.
We see Lisa Molinari (Tommy’s love interest) infected with one of Jocasta’s nanobots. She loses most, if not all, of her autonomy. While Ultron shares Jocasta’s viewpoint that humanity is flawed, I can see the two finding a disagreement. Ultron convinces Jocasta not to use her nanobot on Tommy. Ultron plays this off as not wanting to upset Vision, but it run deeper. Ultron wants humanity. He yearns to live, taste, and experience things as a human. I can’t see this desire jiving with robbing humanity of its mortal experience. If everyone thinks the same, what would happen to the artists that Ultron loves?
I can see VisionQuest incorporating some form of Ultron not wanting to rid humans of their humanity. I don’t know if it will involve artists or family or some other aspect of the human experience, but I can’t imagine Ultron going on a journey (like entering Jocasta’s mind space) and not changing. Change is a main theme in VisionQuest. Tommy has embraced his dual identity (Thomas Shepard and Tommy Maximoff). Vision tries to relate to Tommy as a father. Even Ultron wants to feel what the people feel; in VisionQuest, Ultron takes his first sip of a real alcoholic beverage. E.D.I.T.H. even tells Paladin’s Tactical A.I. (played by Diane Morgan) that the “Strongest don’t always survive, but the ones most willing to change.”
Family is the other of VisionQuest’s major themes. I can’t imagine Ultron turning his back on his family (Vision and Tommy) when the moment of truth arrives. And I like what Lisa Molinari said about Vision being a father to Tommy. We learn by doing. I feel like this can apply to Vision and Ultron as father figures.
VisionQuest “Deadlock” had plenty of great moments. I like how the episode began with Jocasta trapping Ultron, or at least, she tried to imprison him. Jocasta’s actions run counter to what Ultron said Vision did in the previous episode. Vision called his locking up Ultron a mercy. Even though Ultron’s prison was short-lived, he could tell the difference between what Vision did and what Jocasta planned to do. Tommy namedrops his codename: Speed. I like how he called Keanu Reeves’s character in Speed, Speed, and how the Paladin had to correct him. And Paladin’s handler being a Tactical A.I. made sense, and E.D.I.T.H. taking her place fit. And it was fun.
VisionQuest “Deadlock” managed to bring many of the show’s disparate storylines together. Paladin returns but may now be in a tentative alliance with Vision. Paladin’s former employer is back in play and made a plea directly to the synthezoid. We still don’t know who exactly is hunting Vision, but I’m sure that will be revealed soon. We know what Ultron and Jocasta have planned and most of what our heroes need to overcome in the final two episodes. Lisa’s life is in the balance, and humanity may become more like machines. And Tommy and Vision have reengaged as father and son. Vision has finally told Tommy everything about his past.
This show may have done the near-impossible. Ultron was not the most inspired villain in the MCU. Avengers: Age of Ultron was one of the weakest Avengers films. And yet, VisionQuest has made Ultron cool. Like most Marvel Cinematic Universe properties VisionQuest has some pacing issues, but it’s better than most MCU vehicles, and this trilogy of mini series (WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest) are the strongest modern MCU properties. Most of that comes from each series focusing on its characters, even the ones who aren’t human.
Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Deadlock.” What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Halloween, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with what should be a fun Top Five List for the holiday. That’s right. We’re celebrating Halloween with a list of the Top 5 Movie Monsters. There are so many to choose from, but we’ll try to keep this list to just five. I’m sure you’ll let us know if we got this list right in the comments. Let’s get to the Top 5 Movie Monsters.
5: King Kong
The Eighth Wonder of the World claims our fifth spot on this list. King Kong had to make this list, and he did, but just barely. In short, King Kong is iconic. He predates popular gigantic monsters (some of which may also make this list) by at least two decades. There’s a reason Kong also has the nickname, the King of Monsters. He dominated all other large monsters on his home, Skull Island. He tapped into viewers’ primal fear and took the movie-going public by storm. And while Kong terrified movie-goers in his 1933 debut, King Kong’s story is just as much about humanity exploiting the planet. And that gives his story weight.
Honestly, I didn’t think a 1930s United States director (Merian C. Cooper) would address an issue like humanity exploiting the planet in a story. To be fair, the original King Kong focused more on human greed and wanting to turn Kong into a “star,” but that still counts as exploitation. Humans kidnapped Kong and put him on a stage. Future directors, like Peter Jackson, leaned more into exploiting natural resources in more recent films. Regardless, King Kong gains more relevance because his story contains a message.
4: Godzilla
Eediga-Ooom! We didn’t need to wait long for another gigantic monster to make this list. Godzilla challenges King Kong for the title of King of the Monsters. Without question, he is the first kaiju. Like Kong before him, Godzilla explores another primal fear: nuclear weapons. That’s right. Godzilla’s origin centers around the aftermath of nuclear weapons. Following World War II, Japan was kind of obsessed with this topic. But the Godzilla films tackled more than the existential crisis of a nuclear war. At various times, Godzilla films challenged social and political views.
Despite frequent hiatuses, the Godzilla film franchise holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous movie franchise. After each hiatus, the tone of the movies could drastically change. Sometimes dark and brooding. Other times, over-the-top and silly. No matter the tone, I don’t mind watching the occasional Godzilla film.
3: Bruce the Shark (Jaws)
Da-dum…Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-da-Dum! Be honest, you were singing the Jaws theme just now. We talked about primal fear in past entries. No other movie monster feeds into that more than the great white shark in Jaws. His nickname was Bruce, so we listed him as Bruce on this list. Also, “Bruce the Shark” in Finding Nemo is a nod to Jaws. Fish are friends, not food. Getting back to Jaws, Bruce is a great example of less is more. As you can see from the picture above, Jaws” animatronic shark looks a little fake, so Steven Spielberg opted to show Bruce as little as possible. The rest is movie history.
The movie Jaws is history’s first blockbuster film. It set the rules–or are they guidelines?–for what a summer blockbuster should look like. Jaws was also the highest-grossing film of all time after its release. Who cares if that only lasted two years, until Star Wars was released? Together with Star Wars, Jaws set the Hollywood standard and ushered in a new generation of auteurs. The movie itself holds up remarkably well decades after its original release. That may have a lot to do with Spielberg’s choice of showing the shark as little as possible. At first, I questioned Bruce the Shark’s entry on this list. Does a shark constitute a movie monster? It does if it’s this shark.
2: Xenomorph (Alien)
Stealth. Strength. Weapons. The xenomorph has it all. That deadly combination keeps most protagonists on their toes. Throw in the face-huggers, and the xenomorph may be the most iconic monsters in movie history. Like many other monsters on this list, the xenomorph is the icon of a trailblazing film series. Science fiction horror didn’t exist before Alien. The original Alien charted new territory. At the heart of that new territory lives the xenomorph.
You can’t separate Alien from Xenomorph or Xenomorph from Alien. They’re synonymous. The xenomorph’s design is genius. What would you expect from H. R. Giger? That sleek, sinister, almost sadistic design will strike fear in anyone. I don’t know what I fear the most from the xenomorph: its acid, its ability to strangle me with any one of its appendages, the face-huggers attaching to my face and then the xenomorph bursting from my gut. Whose sick mind thought of this thing? Right. Giger and Ridley Scott. The xenomorph is that movie monster you love to hate.
1: The Thing
The Thing takes the concept of Jaws‘ Bruce the Shark (show as little of the monster as possible) and adds the idea of a shapeshifting entity. In many ways, The Thing is a combination of Jaws and Alien. Why wouldn’t it claim our top spot? Don’t trust your eyes. They’ll deceive you. And when you catch a glimpse of The Thing, do so with the visceral imagery of a xenomorph. Set in Antarctica, The Thing takes the form of the last person it killed.
I can’t imagine watching The Thing take the form of one of my loved ones. This is what makes The Thing so terrifying. It lulls you into a false sense of security. It plays on your emotions. While The Thing may not have shown up in as many films as the other monsters on this list, there’s no doubt it leaves an impression. That’s why The Thing takes the top spot on our list.
But those are my thoughts. Which monsters would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Firewall.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Malware,” check out this link. VisionQuest “Firewall” progresses three of the show’s central characters (Vision, Ultron, and Jocasta) by giving them wants and needs. I like how VisionQuest has set up Ultron as having no connection to the outside world and desperately wanting a connection. We get a comical moment where Ultron surrounds himself with other copies of himself, a far cry from Vision’s family. VisionQuest “Firewall” gives more credence to Ultron. Even though we see everything through Vision’s eyes, this episode is an Ultron episode, and it’s better for it. Ultron wants connection, but he may be doing so in the most destructive way. And while Vision is locked inside his own mind (for most of this episode), “Firewall” maintained my interest.
Quick announcement: A Spoiler Warning is in effect. You’ve been warned.
Honestly, I felt like I’ve been watching a few episodes of Inside No. 9, where most episodes are bottle episodes. I love bottle episodes and don’t mind at least two in five episodes of VisionQuest. It saves production costs. It also makes sure the characters are interesting and focuses on building characters. I even like VisionQuest’s structure of having D.U.M.-E. and U simulate the outside world Vision and the rest watch. The two maintenance AIs set the bar scene and the one at the Louvre. This moments gave me stage technician vibes. D.U.M.-E. and U strike the old set and build the new one in between scenes. This is clever. It also fits with Vision watching most things through a filter of artificiality.
James Spader’s Ultron has been fantastic through VisionQuest’s run (so far). He provided a lot of comic relief early, but now, he serves as a layered villain for Vision. The two have an odd father/son like relationship. Ultron respects humanity. At least he respects the artists. He loves truth, and artists explore truths. That rings true for the MCU’s Ultron. A lot of what we see (in “Firewall”) are the conversations Ultron shares between Tommy, Jocasta, and Vision. Ultron’s relationship between all three of the characters held my interest. This can only happen with an actor like Spader, and VisionQuest’s writing and direction has mostly been great.
The less we talk about Ultron’s jab of “Son of a Witch” the better. Not the best line. In fact, I liked a lot of Ultron’s nonverbal mannerisms, like when Vision yells at him through a simulated prison window, and Ultron points to the phone and to his ear as if he can’t hear what Vision said. We all know what Vision said. You can get it from context. But I love how Ultron goaded Vision in that moment. As far as one-liners go, E.D.I.T.H. took center stage. “Metamussilini” was clever, and I just about fell out of my seat when E.D.I.T.H. reacted to Ultron and Jocasta flirting, or at least what passes as flirting between two synthezoids. “It’s like watching Hannibal Lector swipe right.” Awesome.
Brief detour. Now, we return to Ultron’s relationships in VisionQuest. Ultron and Tommy share a pint. During this interaction, we have Tommy voice what makes Ultron and Vision different. Vision tries to connect with others. He may have a long way to go, but he’s trying, and Tommy trusts Vision will get there eventually. Ultron doesn’t try. We’ll hear this sentiment again near the end of the episode when F.R.I.D.A.Y. claims that Ultron didn’t change, that would’ve taken effort. Ultron did something easier: Wait. I love it when stories have callbacks. Repeating patterns like this and in different ways and various contexts give a story meaning. Great stuff.
This opening scene between Ultron and Tommy also sets up Vision and Ultron’s desires. Ultron wants connection. Tommy insists he’ll never find it, but perhaps Ultron will with what he does next. And Vision wants to reunite with his son. We learn that Ultron stayed in contact with Paladin. This wasn’t a surprise. I expected Ultron to continue messaging Paladin. Turns out, Paladin kidnapped Tommy (while Vision was trying to reclaim his body), and Vision and Coat of Arms–I mean, Lisa Molinari–are on their way to Madripoor. It took a while for Vision to rest control from Ultron, but we end up in a proper place for episode 6. While I don’t care for Marvel releasing these episodes two per week, the release schedule makes sense because of VisionQuest’s bottle episodes or near bottle episodes.
Finally, we get to Ultron and Jocasta’s relationship. Jocasta shares an interesting insight. She claims Ultron has been poisoned with humanity, and she has the cure. Wow! While Ultron believes Jocasta to be his destiny (we are getting a version of Jocasta as the Bride of Ultron, yay!), VisionQuest has sown the seeds for a divide between the two synthezoids. Vision even thinks as much as he gives Ultron a hat for embarking on a journey. Yet another callback to a previous quote. Good. Surprisingly, Jocasta may have lost more humanity than Ultron. I can see Vision and Tommy connecting with Ultron by the series finale. While the two synthezoids share similar interests now, I can see them diverge.
All of this makes VisionQuest “Firewall” interesting. You don’t need to travel the world and have far flung adventures to tell a compelling story. This episode proves why I like bottle episodes so much. “Firewall” packs a heap of character building into a single episode. Like usual, I have yet to watch episode six. I could change my mind with what we see in that episode. I don’t know what to make of F.R.I.D.A.Y. jumping into the same connection as Ultron at the end of this episode; the rest of Vision’s dream team seem to think she’s gone. I also can’t wait to get to Madripoor. That should be fun.
Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Firewall.” Let us know yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free what you’ve been listening to, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get the post started with what I’ve been listening to over the past month. It’s time for Geekly Tunes.
Kyra’s Tunes
I watched the Daniel Johnston documentary this past month (The Devil and Daniel Johnston); it’s a great watch. If you’re interested in learning more about Daniel Johnston, you should watch The Devil and Daniel Johnston on YouTube. After watching the documentary, I had to listen to Johnston’s music. His music won’t be for everyone. It’s an acquired taste, but if you get into Johnston’s music, you can really get into it. For most of his career, Johnston would self-record his music. This leads to echoes, odd sounds, and bizarre tones. Johnston’s fragile voice sings over the top of the music. The result is unfettered vulnerability and honesty.
Johnston would also draw the pictures found on his album covers (like the one above). Kurt Cobain made Johnston’s Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album (1983) famous by wearing a t-shirt of that album’s cover for a year, during the height of Nirvana Mania. While I enjoy a lot of tracks from Hi, How Are You, specifically “I Am Walking the Cow,” I prefer Don’t Be Scared (1982). Don’t Be Scared’s title track is fantastic, and it also happened to be featured on an episode of Only Murders in the Building, but “The Story of An Artist” remains one of Johnston’s greatest tracks. “The Story of An Artist” hits differently each time you listen to it. One time, it may be haunting. Others, heartbreaking.
Johnston’s honesty lends itself to heartbreak. 1990 is another great Johnston album. It contains a lot of Johnston’s best-known songs: “Devil Town,” “True Love Will Find You in the End,” and “Somethings Last a Long Time.” If “The Story of An Artist” doesn’t strike a chord, “Somethings Last a Long Time” will. Simple, haunting, and honest lyrics. “You’re picture’s still on my wall.” Johnston recounts losing a loved one. Make sure you have tissues at the ready.
Whale’s “Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe” has seen rotation in my music carousel. This Swedish band never took itself too seriously. Slobo rhymes with hobo. You don’t know what “slobo” means? Sad. Ironically, Whale’s first studio album was titled We Care, and “Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe” was the debut single. The album (and song) blend elements of Funk and Trip Hop to create a wall of sound. I dare you to listen to this song and not bob your head or tap your feet. It’s a bop. “Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe” caught fire with its inclusion on the Beavis and Butthead Show in the mid Nineties. Beavis was mesmerized by the lead singer’s facial expressions and braces. Same, Beavis. Same.
I also spent time exploring the late 1990s and early 2000s Butt Rock origin. The original Butt Rock found popularity in the 1970s and 1980s and served as the macho, hyper-sexualized cousin of Glam Rock. 1990s and 2000s Butt Rock was forged in the ashes of Grunge. Some people refer to 90s and 00s Butt Rock as Post-Grunge. It depends on who you ask as to what constitutes 90s and 00s Butt Rock or if they use the Post-Grunge or Butt Rock label. Ahem. Butt Rock is a pejorative term. So, let’s call it Post-Grunge.
There’s nothing wrong with Post-Grunge (or Butt Rock). I like plenty of music that would be considered Post-Grunge. Bush’s Sixteen Stone was loaded with hits. I’ve been jamming out to “Machinehead,” “Glycerine,” “Comedown,” “Little Things,” and “Everything Zen,” as well as deeper cuts like “Testosterone” and “Alien.” “Alien” might just be my favorite. Gavin Rossdale’s baritone flutters above the track’s haunting guitars. So good. Sixteen Stone has plenty of musical influences: Jane’s Addiction, My Bloody Valentine, Soul Asylum, and The Pixies. Having The Pixies as a musical influence may be the biggest reason why Bush received criticism for sounding too much like Nirvana.
The Pixies influenced Nirvana as much as they would Bush, and the fact that Bush, a British band, could write “Grunge-like music” meant that a band didn’t need a Seattle area code to play Grunge-like music. This is where the animosity toward Post-Grunge begins; there is one other major factor, but we’ll discuss that later. Some bands like Everclear escaped criticism because they at least came from the Pacific Northwest (Oregon), while others like Stone Temple Pilots with their debut Core pivoted toward different sounds with future albums. Ah! I need to relisten to Purple (or 12 Gracious Melodies). According to critics, the biggest knock against Post-Grunge is that it lacks the artistic integrity of Grunge and aims to cash in on the Grunge sound. While this is true of some Post-Grunge, I wouldn’t accuse all Post-Grunge of this sin.
I heard some of you groan when you saw the Nickelback album cover above. “How You Remind Me” is the biggest Post-Grunge hit. It isn’t even close. That song was everywhere, and it features a lot of what defines the Post-Grunge sound: distorted guitars, the use of minor keys, and the lead singer trying his best Eddie Vedder from “Jeremy” impersonation.
Despite all the animosity, “How You Remind Me” is a well-constructed song. Maybe too well-constructed. The song’s chorus gets in your head, and Chad Kroeger tells a familiar and relatable tale about a couple arguing. The rest of the album may deserve the moniker of Butt Rock. Remember how the 1970s and 1980s version of Butt Rock was the macho, hyper-sexualized cousin of Glam Rock? Outside of “How You Remind Me,” songs from Silver Side Up explore topics of strippers, sex, prostitutes, drugs, and alcohol consumption. That sounds like 70s/80s flavored Butt Rock.
And those themes fueled the other reason why some people dislike Post-Grunge. In 2000, the United States government loosened restrictions, allowing radio stations to become monopolies. Prior to this shift, most radio stations were mostly independent. Top 40 radio stations didn’t really exist. A national radio station chain like I Heart Radio certainly didn’t exist. This change in policy led to a few radio stations that catered to a specific demographic: CIS, straight, middle-class white men. Post-Grunge became popular because it sounded like Grunge and had themes that appealed to the demographic radio stations wanted to attract. Male, middle-class, and white.
Don’t believe me? Ben Folds made light of this shift in radio with his 2001 hit “Rockin’ the Suburbs.”
“Y’all don’t know what it’s like, being male, middle-class, and white. Y’all don’t know what it’s like, being male, middle-class, and white. It make me real pissed off, and it makes me wanna say. It make me real pissed off, and it makes me wanna say. It make me real pissed off, and it makes me wanna say. F@#%!”
I love how Ben Folds censored himself in the song. And yes, I’ve had Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five on my music carousel. If you haven’t seen the music video for “One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces,” you should. Ah! Another banger.
Anyway, Post-Grunge is due for a resurgence. What was popular twenty to twenty-five years ago gains nostalgia. The Barbie Movie may have helped Post-Grunge’s repopularization with its use of Matchbox 20’s “Push,” which is a Post-Grunge hit. Armed with Post-Grunge’s history, I may need to rewatch The Barbie Movie. “Push” may have been the perfect song choice on multiple levels.
That’s all I have for Geekly Tunes this month, and it looks like I’m on my own this month. Hopefully, Season and Skye are back for next month’s Geekly Tunes. What’ve you been listening to, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s time for another Geekly Casting. Today, I’m flying solo with casting Young Justice. While Young Justice has had an on-again, off-again monthly comic book series, I’ll lean heavily on the critically acclaimed animated series of the same name for the characters today. Heck! Most DC Comics fans will know the cartoon before the comic book. Why not lean into it? Robin (Dick Grayson), Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis Crock are on the casting docket today. Alright, let’s get started with Geekly’s Casting for Young Justice.
Aqualad: Jharrel Jerome
While casting this superhero team, I’m trying to stick with actors in their mid-twenties or younger. Jharrel Jerome (28 years old as of writing this post) as Aqualad is one of two exceptions. But an older Aqualad makes sense. He’s the team leader. He has a cool, calm demeanor. And Jharrel Jerome is an amazing actor. He debuted in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. Seriously, Jerome’s Hollywood debut was in the best film of the year. And Jerome is the voice of Miles Morales in the Spider-Verse film franchise. That makes Jerome a respected actor who has no problem portraying a superhero. He’d make a perfect Kaldur’ahm.
Robin: Asher Angel
Asher Angel (23) is a reclamation project. He starred as Billy Batson in the DCEU Shazam films. Angel was the strongest actor in both of those films. You know, it might be easy to outdo Zachary Levi as an actor. Regardless, Angel deserves a second chance. He showed enough in the Shazam movies to prove he could grow from Dick Grayson as Robin into Nightwing. If Jason Momoa can transition from Aquaman to Lobo, why not give Angel a different shade of tights?
Kid Flash: Jacob Tremblay
Jacob Tremblay (19) may be one of the youngest members on this list, but he has plenty of range. Tremblay portrayed a five-year-old captive child in the psychological thriller Room and provided the voice of the titular character in Luca. He’s even done voice work as Damien Wayne (Robin) in the Harley Quinn Animated Series. Tremblay possesses the acting and comedic chops to pull off a young Wally West, or even Impulse, if Young Justice chose to go in that direction.
Superboy: Garrett Wareing
Superboy occupies an awkward space within Young Justice. I want to cast him young, but not too young, because he is the love interest for the next character on this list. Garrett Wareing as Superboy is a long shot, but I’m sticking with him. Wareing may not have as long a resume as many of the actors on this list, but his turn as Lucas Russell on Ransom Canyon shows he can pull off a complicated Superboy. Young Justice’s version of Superboy will be a binary clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. We’re talking a Superboy with anger management issues. Wareing may be newer to the acting scene, but he’s proven he can handle dramatic roles. And it doesn’t hurt to lean on his Texas charm. Gig ‘Em!
Miss Martian: Ella Purnell
I knew who I would cast as Miss Martian before any other member of Young Justice: Ella Purnell. Miss Martian begins as a bubbly new recruit, but her bright facade hides a dark secret. Despite her green skin, Miss Martian is a White Martian, the race of Martians who exploited Mars (until it became the uninhabitable planet it is today) and subjugated the Green Martians as slaves. Ashamed of her heritage, M’gann M’orzz chooses to shapeshift into green skin. Miss Martian is a fan favorite because she was the character comic book writers used to explore white guilt. Purnell has a knack for portraying effervescent characters, who may also have dark pasts.
Artemis Crock: Peyton List
Best known for School Spirits and Cobra Kai, Peyton List has plenty of experience in action roles. She was even in Spider-Man 2 as a young child. Yowza! Similar to Miss Martian, Artemis Crock hides her past. Her parents are supervillains (Sportsmaster and Huntress). Despite her family’s past, Artemis proves herself to the point where she’s Aqualad’s lieutenant and has served as Young Justice’s leader. Peyton List is more than up for the challenge.
Vandal Savage: Khary Payton
We have our first–and hopefully only–repeat casting from a previous Casting list: Khary Payton as Vandal Savage. For all the reasons I mentioned in our Justice League Casting, Payton would kill it as Vandal Savage. He’s voiced almost every character in the DC Animated Universe, and Savage often disguises his voice. Yes! Give me an actor so ubiquitous in the DC Animated Universe that he voices himself.
Deathstroke: Joe Manganiello
Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke is a gimmie. He was supposed to have portrayed the character in the DCEU, but it never happened. Manganiello is a decade older than he was when he was first cast as Deathstroke, but that works in his favor. The Deathstroke in Young Justice is an older, grizzled Deathstroke. Perfect!
Granny Goodness: Jamie Lee Curtis
There are so many great options for Granny Goodness. I love that Hollywood has embraced older actors. But I wanted to go against type with Granny Goodness. Her name is a misnomer. Besides Darkseid himself, Granny Goodness is the most feared person on Apokolips. She’s sadistic. She rules her underlings (like Big Barda and Desaad) with an iron fist. So, I went with Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s never come close to portraying a character like Granny Goodness, but I think she could handle it. And she’d be amazing.
Klarion the Witch Boy: Aidan Gallagher
Klarion is chaos personified. Stadistic and cruel, Klarion the Witch Boy can also be hilarious, especially when he takes himself too seriously. Even though Klarion looks to be as old as his Young Justice counterparts, he’s millions of years old. We’ll need a young actor with experience portraying someone much older than themselves. How about The Umbrella Academy’s Aidan Gallagher? Five’s powers in that series come off as magical, and Gallagher gave a layered performance. Seeing those two side-by-side, I can’t see anyone other than Aidan Gallagher portraying Klarion the Witch Boy.
Lady Shiva: Go Ara
As a member of the League of Assassins, Lady Shiva trained under Ra’s Al Ghul. Her voice is as serene as she is ruthless. Korean actor Go Ara hasn’t crossed over into American pop culture. Yet. But Ara is building a nice acting resume. She’s done a little bit of everything from Rom-Coms to Fantasy to straight-up Action. That’ll come in handy. Lady Shiva’s daughter (she was a young mother) grows up to become Orphan, another complex character who could be introduced in a future Young Justice film. Lady Shiva has a long and complicated history that I’m sure Ara would bring to life.
That’s all I have for the Geekly Casting of Young Justice. Who would you cast in which role? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. There has been some geek news this past week (that isn’t related to new releases), but I’ve been trying to keep up with writing my novel, pitching board games, and keeping up with Geekly reviews of TV shows and movies (Clayface will release some time this week), so we’ll be keeping with new releases for board games and video games. Trust me. We have plenty to talk about after I finish my first draft. Until then, let’s talk about new games.
Origins of Light Launches on KickStarter
Origins of Light: A Final Fantasy Game is a strategy RPG for up to four players based on the Pixel Remaster editions of Final Fantasy I, II, and III. Play competitively or cooperatively across different modes. Assemble your party, empower them with spells and equipment, then venture into dungeons to slay monsters and bring down powerful Bosses. Repel the forces of darkness before time runs out and protect your Heroes from being KO’d to WIN! Build your party, defeat the darkness, and become the true Heroes of Light!
Experience Origin of Light’s core game in the Final Fantasy I module, or try Final Fantasy II’s flexible, rogue-like gameplay for maximum replayability! When you’re ready for the ultimate challenge, dive into Final Fantasy III with a roster of twenty-two unique Heroes with unique level-up rewards and abilities!
Thank you, Kess, for the description. When I first heard Origins of Light: A Final Fantasy Game was in production, there was a chance it would be a cash grab. After finding out Kess was behind this game, I knew Origins of Light: A Final Fantasy Game would try its best to be faithful to source material. Kess has a great track record of capturing what makes a video game fun and distilling it into a board game. Their Mega Man Adventures (a few years ago) is easily the best board game adaptation for that property. I’m certain Kess will bring the heat for a Final Fantasy Board Game. Origins of Light: A Final Fantasy Game offers several pledge levels, ranging from $60 to $400. If you’re interested in Origins of Light: A Final Fantasy Game, check out its KickStarter page.
Button Shy Micro Games: Fall 2026 Launches on KickStarter
Button Shy Games returns with another series of micro games (that can fit your wallet). I love this time of year, seeing what Button Shy Games is offering this season. This publisher can cram a ton of game into a small space. These series allow players to buy everything Button Shy Games intends to publish over the following months. Let’s take a look at Button Shy’s new offerings.
It’s the blessing and curse of every mage to have a familiar, and today yours is a curse. Once again it’s upended your laboratory and summoned an array of irksome imps. Clean up the lab and get that cat under control!
The Cursed Cat is up to no good again, making a mess of your lab and unleashing monsters everywhere. Move and stack monster cards across columns, using spell cards to break the rules. Get all the monsters on the portal column to banish them all for good!
Solo games are on the rise in the board game community, and Scott Almes has a great string of that include Food Chain Island, A Nice Cuppa, and Unsurmountable. In short, Almes is one of the best solo board game designers, and The Cursed Cat is his latest release.
In the farthest corners of the world, ancient relics of immense power lie waiting, lost to the sands of time. Brave harrowing dangers to recover these forgotten objects and return them to their rightful owners. Reawaken is a spiritual successor to At the Helm from Ted Heidersdorf, taking the familiar deckbuilding gameplay in all-new directions.
At the Helm never took too long (15 minutes). The system is easy to pick up and offers game variability, so Reawaken should look to build on the formula of drawing cards, choosing which cards to activate, check against your objectives, and loosing hearts for each object you don’t complete. This is a solid deckbuilding survival game.
Bears. Bees. Battling? Players try to outwit and outflank their opponent to get the most honey. What makes it work are the elegant placement and scoring rules that require both players to think carefully about their own strategy… and their opponent’s.
I like Forest Rivals‘ use of the pattern building mechanism. Both sides in this 2-player game add hives to the shared playing area. They want to surround those hives with their chosen animal (one of two). Forest Rivals is another game with a small footprint but a lot of strategic choices. There are six spaces on each card, so the combinations are near endless.
Not all heroes wear capes, but those who do have a pesky tendency to ruin your sinister plans! It’s time for the supervillains to seize the city in this twist on our classic -Opolis line. In true comic book fashion, these ne’er-do-wells only care about their own goals: unlike previous -Opolis games, Villainopolis has no scoring whatsoever! Instead, you must complete each of three villains’ ultimate schemes at the end of the game to win. Who says that crime isn’t fun?
The final new game in this season’s Button Shy Games offering is Crime Sprawl, the latest in Button Shy’s most popular series of games: Sprawlopolis. While I’m partial to Skulls of Sedlec and Tussie Mussie, I can’t deny Sprawlopolis’s appeal. Crime Sprawl looks to continue this long-running series with pazzazz.
If you’re interested in any of Button Shy Games’ Fall 2026 line, you’re in luck. While you can pick up the entire set of games for $54, you can pick and choose your favorites for a smaller fee. The choice is yours. Check out Button Shy Games’ Fall 2026 line’s KickStarter page.
Too Little Time Launches on GameFound
Chip Theory Games is back with Too Little Time, a single-session boss-battler that remembers your actions from game to game. This new game set in the Too Many Bones universe leans into our bizarro humor and quirky personality as we break the fourth dimension (and the fourth wall).
As the past, present, and future are torn apart, anything could happen anywhere. Time waits for no gearloc (or kobold)! Enter the Rift and handle encounters even in the midst of battle. Experiment with new masteries every game and skillfully navigate an unpredictable world.
Every recruit in the Timeline Defense Force is unique, so whether you pick a gearloc or a kobold, you’ll be playing a character with a variety all its own.
Games take place over the course of two boss battles — first against an enforcer, then facing off against a tyrant. Trigger encounters, gain experience points, and collect loot, all while you battle baddies and bosses in the past, present, and future.
Your actions in every game will ripple through time and impact every subsequent play as you permanently unlock relics, collect and leave behind loot in each era, and interact with the mysterious and persistent Rift. Add to this a wide variety of bosses, locations, and character builds, and no two games are ever the same.
Thank you, Chip Theory, for the description. I’m going to be honest. I know of Too Many Bones but have never played it. Several people I know swear by Too Many Bones’ ability to adapt the gameplay of a MOBA to a board game. I know even less about Too Little Time–before reading this write. It sounds amazing. You had me at “the game remembers your actions from game to game.” Yes, please.
Chip Theory is known for stellar productions. Most of their games feature premium game pieces. Since this is a GameFound preview, we don’t know much about the various pledge options, but if you follow Too Little Time before it launches (in a few days), you gain the option for a follow gift (pictured above). If you choose to back the project at a later date, you’ll also receive the cards in the picture. If you’re interested in Too Little Time, check out its GameFound page.
Space Universalis Launches on GameFound
Space Universalis is not just an endless sci-fi dungeon crawler for 1–6 players playable solo or co-op. It is a robust game system with quick setup, scalable difficulty, great tactical depth, and maximum customization.
A HUGE GAME SYSTEM Scalable difficulty, streamlined rules, and great tactical depth. Feel the tension and uncertainty of epic battles against 10 factions and more than 120 different creatures. Experience the ultimate tactical and exploration adventure.
MAXIMUM CUSTOMIZATION Create the character you’ve always wanted by combining 20 species and 10 classes, along with hundreds of skills and equipment. Buy a spaceship and travel across the universe as you gain experience and credits, evolving until you become a legend of the galaxy.
CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE Create a crew of soldiers, pirates, explorers, adventurers, mercenaries, or monster hunters. Play standalone missions, random scenarios, and quests in a narrative campaign.
Thank you, Ludic Dragon Games, for the description. I’ve been looking for a spiritual successor to Firefly: The Board Game. I like recruiting my team and customizing my spaceship. Space Universalis does this in a cooperative game. Interesting. Firefly is a competitive game; I wouldn’t mind seeing a similar concept play out in a cooperative game. The painted minis above look nice, but I dare say Space Universalis will come with a full set of painted minis. I could be wrong. If you’re interested in Space Universalis, check out its GameFound page.
Final Fantasy Resonance Releases
Return to the pixel‑art world of Final Fantasy, evolved from its classic roots. Travel with companions bound by fate and call on Visions to aid you in battle to uncover the truth behind a force that threatens to bring everything to ruin.
Final Fantasy Resonance has received overwhelming positive reviews. And why not? Players can resonant with heroes from Final Fantasy’s past. Want to channel Cloud from Final Fantasy VII? Go ahead. Final Fantasy Resonance is also one of those rare Final Fantasy games where you can take on the role of Sephiroth. What? Did I mention this game is turned-based? Well, it is. Final Fantasy Resonance is kicking it old school, and this title has been receiving heaps of praise and sold numerous copies. Final Fantasy has needed a new title with this much juice. Final Fantasy Resonance is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Releases
War erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches an invasion that threatens to destabilize the world in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
I’ve never gotten into Call of Duty, but the team behind Titanfall and Apex Legends began with Call of Duty. This game series has marvelous gunplay DNA. Early reviews reflect this. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a massive release. If it wasn’t for Grand Theft Auto VI releasing next month, I’d say Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has the chance of being the biggest release of 2026. There’s an outside chance that it still could top GTA VI. But who am I kidding? It’s GTA VI.
Anyway, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s setting of the Korean Peninsula is an interesting one. Most Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games up to this point have used the former Soviet Union as a backdrop. I’d like to see what new storylines this shift in setting can generate. But I can also see using a renewed war between North and South Korea as potentially painful for some people. Families have been separated by Korea being split into two halves. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has received outstanding reviews. It’s available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.
Those are all the new releases we have for this week. Which game are you the most excited about? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Malware.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Reboot,” check out this link. VisionQuest has opted for a quick plot. Sure, the last episode, “Reboot,” spent time building up the show’s characters, but for the most part, this series has kept a brisk pace. We learned who the murderous synthezoid is (Jocasta) and who Jocasta’s programming is based. Actually, she isn’t a program at all, but the person whose brain waves are trapped inside the synthezoid. Interesting. This differs from the comics and used to great effect.
And before we go any further into this review or reaction of VisionQuest “Malware,” a spoiler warning is effect. Consider yourself warned.
VisionQuest wasted little time to reveal Jocasta. This is in keeping with Vision and Tommy’s relationship, Tommy’s past (before Vision entered his life), and the Vision’s internal world morphing over the course of a handful of episodes. This show has done an excellent job of slowing the pace (for a reflective scene or scenes) and hitting the gas (for an action scene or scenes). If anything, VisionQuest’s pacing might be a little brisk. This is a show that wants to hold your attention.
With each of these reactions, I struggle with where to begin. A lot occurs within a single episode of VisionQuest. Let’s begin with the Vision’s internal world. First, notice how I’m referring to Vision as Vision instead of The Vision. VisionQuest has deftly shifted the current Vision’s view of self as more in line with the previous Vision, so I’ll be calling him Vision from this point forward, I think. We’ll see if his circumstances change. Spoiler: they do at the end of this episode. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Vision’s internal world gets turned upside down by Jocasta’s invasion.
The gang of AIs, including Ultron, look into the Butcherbird Murders. Jocasta (the Butcherbird Killer) has been killing leaders of AI technology, the same tech geniuses behind Ultron and Vision. I liked how D.U.M.-E. and U dressed up as Sherlock Holmes, because of course they did. Ultron and E.D.I.T.H. form an uncomfortable alliance, working together to uncover the killer’s identity or at least their next target.
Before we get there, Ultron and Vision share a funny scene where they infiltrate police files. The Captcha Test was hilarious. How many squares contain a fire hydrant? Three. Five. It’s a comical moment but a good character one as well. Ultron chooses five because his robotic eyes can observe more within a picture. Vision picks three, which is what the police security deems as a “human” answer. This subtly shows Vision gaining humanity. This and Vision’s relationship with his son. And yes, Vision stops just shy of adopting Tommy. Tommy and Vision’s relationship remains a hallmark of this series. It can singlehandedly carry VisionQuest, but the show adds in Ultron (grandfather) and the host of AIs as Vision’s extended family.
This choice feels more in line with the MCU pre-Avengers: End Game. Most early Marvel projects focused on family and the relationship between fathers and sons. This could be why the Vision/Wanda Maximoff shows hit differently than most other recent MCU properties. They have that link to the past while looking toward the future, grounding viewers in something tangible. Few people are synthezoids or can phase through solid objects, but most of us have some version of a family, even if it’s a screwed up one like Thomas Shepherd’s. This week’s second episode saw plenty of callbacks.
My favorite must be the nod to Tommy’s love interest Lisa Molinari’s comic book counterpart: Coat of Arms. In the comics, Molinari has four arms. In “Malware,” she wears a coat with an extra pair of arms, and Tommy giggles because leave it to Lisa to have a “Coat of Arms.” Nice.
VisionQuest glossed over the introduction of Josephine “Jo” Carrington, one of Markridge Biotech’s founders and one of the creators of J.I.M. (the first attempt at a synthetic man). Carrington was turned into Jocasta. I’m certain we’ll find out how in future episodes, but for now, Jocasta believes she isn’t a copy of Carrington’s brain. She is Carrington. Honestly, I like that for VisionQuest’s story. After J.I.M.’s failure, I could see Markridge Biotech resorting to installing a person’s brain into a synthetic human. This also serves as a great motivation for Jocasta to murder Markridge Biotech’s executives. Good old fashioned revenge. It also makes Jocasta sympathetic.
I mentioned in the previous VisionQuest episode write-up that in the comics, Jocasta was designed to be the bride of Ultron. While that can’t be the case here (if Carrington is stuck inside a synthetic body), Jocasta does recite a phrase dear to Ultron’s heart: Peace in Our Time. Ultron insisted he was a one-off in the previous episode. That can still be true, but Jocasta repeating this line could indicate that Carrington and Ultron have a shared lineage. A directive deep within themselves that could stop them from murdering half the planet.
And that’s where we get to this episode’s cliffhanger: Ultron has seized control of Vision’s body. We all knew Ultron was planning something or at least, he bided his time to make a winning move. I didn’t expect VisionQuest to pull the trigger on Ultron after four episodes. Like I said, VisionQuest has moved at a brisk pace. This must be Vision at his lowest. He’s trapped inside his own body, Ultron has kidnapped his son Tommy, Jocasta is still on the loose, and we most likely haven’t heard the last of Paladin. Like Lanterns earlier this year, VisionQuest has found fertile storytelling ground. We’ll have to see if VisionQuest can stick the landing.
I do trust Marvel with its Vision/Wanda Maximoff shows. They may struggle with other properties, but it’s obvious Marvel has wanted to tell these stories from the comics. Reading Avengers comics from the 70s-90s (my family held on to back issues), I always wondered how one would adapt Vision and Scarlet Witch’s story to the big or small screen. This pair has a bizarre storyline. The MCU has done a good job adapting their story. It isn’t the same as the comics, but that’s a good thing.
Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Malware.” What did you think? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
