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Clayface Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

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.

VisionQuest “Deadlock” Review

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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.

VisionQuest “Firewall” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

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.

VisionQuest “Malware” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

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.

Star Wars Bounty Hunters Board Game Review

Tabletop Game Review: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a new board game review. Today, we’re talking Star Wars. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters puts gamers in the role of bounty hunters, trying to get the best contracts and the highest valued targets. Players have three goals which will help them earn points: capturing targets, completing contracts, and purchasing droids and crates at the Jawa market. Can you be the best bounty hunter in the galaxy?

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is a light and quick strategy game. Since it uses the closed drafting and simultaneous action selection mechanisms, it takes little time to play. It’s great for a younger audience and Star Wars fans alike. Before we get into the game flow and the review, let’s get some of the technical jargon out of the way first.

The Fiddly Bits

Designer: Frederic Henry
Publisher: Zygomatic
Date Released: 2024
Number of Players: 2-6
Age Range: 8 and up
Setup Time: Less than 5 minutes
Play Time: 20 minutes

Game Mechanisms

Action Points
Card Management
Closed Drafting
Set Collection
Simultaneous Action Selection

Game Setup

1) Place the four Zone cards (that are decks of Targets, Bounty Hunters, Contracts, and Jawa Market). Sort the cards into four decks according to their color and shuffle them separately. Place them down above the matching Zone cards. Leave a space for a discard pile below each Zone card.

2) Place the Imperial Credits conveniently nearby.

3) The player who watched a Star Wars movie becomes the “Guild Master” and receives the Player Aid Card. The Player Aid denotes the flow of the game. All players may refer to the Player Aid during the game. Honestly, and this is Kyra speaking, not the rulebook, I prefer to forgo the Guild Master role and allow every player to refer to the Player Aid. I don’t know why the game doesn’t have more than one copy.

4) Each player draws one card from each of the four decks to form a starting hand of four cards. Never show the cards in your hand to another player.

Game Flow

Each game turn is divided into three consecutive steps. All players perform each step simultaneously:

Step 1: Draw a card

Draw a fifth card from any of the decks and add it to your hand.

Step 2: Choose a card

Choose a card from your hand and do one of two things: Sell a Card, or Play a Card.

A. Sell a Card

Discard the chosen card (placing it face-up on the discard pile below the matching deck’s Zone card) and collect 1 Imperial Credit.

B. Play a Card

Place the chosen card in front of you, face up.

If no cost is shown on the card, activate it immediately by placing it upright (vertically).

If the card has a cost (Jawa Market card), you must pay that cost to activate the card. If you are unable to activate the card immediately, or prefer not to, reserve it by placing it on its side (horizontally).

Step 3: Pass Your Hand

Give the remaining four cards in your hand to the player on your left and collect the four cards passed to you by the player on your right. When all players have completed these three steps, a new turn begins. Repeat the three steps in sequence until the last turn of the game.

Game End

The game end triggers when one or more players capture four targets. Players finish the current turn, then play two more full turns, and finally tally up their scores. The player with most points wins.

Review

I love the small amount of control Star Wars: Bounty Hunters gives its players. Most closed drafting games deal all the cards of a deck, and players will then pass the cards around until all the cards run out. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters adds a simple twist. Players draw a card from any of the four decks. If you need a target, draw a target. If you want another bounty hunter for extra firepower, draw from the bounty hunter deck. Do you already have a lot of captured targets in your display? Start drawing from the contract deck. It’s simple. Clean. And I totally stole this gaming aspect with one of my latest designs, Monster Chef.

Ultimately, this simple twist doesn’t give players enough control. You still need to draw into the card you want. But it gives players the feeling of more control. It’s psychological, and sometimes, that’s all that counts. I’d love to see more closed drafting games include a draw mechanism. Clearly, I do. The rest of the game plays out like a standard closed card drafting game. Nothing too complicated. This makes Star Wars: Bounty Hunters a good game for newer and/or younger board gamers. But I still think more seasoned board gamers won’t turn up their noses to Star Wars: Bounty Hunters. If you love Star Wars, this is a solid Star Wars game.

I also like how the game splits its cards into four categories; those would be the four draw decks. While some of the joy of stiffing the person you’re handing your old hand to with bad cards wanes, the option to draw into what I need is invaluable. It’s more forgiving. But you will, most likely, run out of cards in a deck or two and will be forced to draw from other decks. Again, this isn’t the worst thing. Players can sell a card to the bank, and every Imperial Credit a player has at the end of the game is worth a victory point. If you don’t find what you want, sell a card.

I mentioned this in the setup, but it bears repeating. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters needs more than one Player Aid. The “role” of “Guild Master” is unnecessary if everyone has a Player Aid. The game already has well over 200 cards. Why do you not print out five extra Player Aids? This is a small thing, but it left me baffled.

I enjoyed my time with this title. I may not break out Star Wars: Bounty Hunters all the time, but it’s a good filler plus game. I’ve played this game the most while waiting for others to show up for game nights. It provides enough strategy, functions as a warm-up game, and we can finish the game in under twenty minutes.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters is a great introductory card-drafting game with a slight twist. While I may want to play another card-drafting game over this one, I’ll gladly play Star Wars: Bounty Hunters if someone brings it to the table. It’s great for new gamers and a good Star Wars game.

VisionQuest “Reboot” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Reboot.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s previous episode, “Theseus,” check out this link. “Reboot” is a spruced-up bottle episode where most of the action between The Vision and Tommy occurs in a hotel (with the pair looking inward), while the scenes involving The Paladin and Jocasta has a few locations to include a swanky penthouse (with The Paladin looking outward). I like the asymmetry used in these two story lines. It serves VisionQuest’s story well and makes the shifts between the two stories almost seamless.

Before we go any further, a spoiler warning is in effect. Consider yourself warned. I really liked how VisionQuest set up the two opposing stories. Like I said, The Vision and Tommy’s storylines looks inward. The Vision finds the man he wants to become through becoming Tommy’s father. He places the blame on Wanda Maximoff for most of “Reboot’s” runtime, unable to reconcile the absurdity of a synthezoid fathering a human child with a chaos witch. Saying it out loud, I see The Vision’s point. It’s ludicrous. And somehow, Wanda’s hex magic willed it into being. The Vision is Thomas Shepard’s father. How else can one explain that he can phase through solid objects? It’s something Tommy inherited from The Vision. The Vision side of “Reboot’s” story concerns itself with past connections and a hopeful future.

I loved the scenes between The Vision and Tommy. They felt real, like a parent and child reconnecting after years. Despite owning a wealth of knowledge, The Vision struggles to be a father. It’s touching. It’s honest. And it’s fitting that The Vision’s first step toward becoming a real father was to listen to his son. Beautiful.

The Vision’s internal world takes a step back in “Reboot.” The characters are just as engaging as ever. I liked the touch of Tony Stark basing his AIs off of real-life people. We may (and probably should) find out more about the people F.R.I.D.A.Y. and E.D.I.T.H.’s are copied from. The MCU did show Jarvis (Agent Carter) and J.A.R.V.I.S. early in its runtime. It’s great to see Stark continue this practice, because this is what happens in the comics. The comic book version of The Vision was a brain copy of Wonder Man’s. For a time, I wondered if the MCU would link Wonder Man and VisionQuest. Jocasta, who is most likely the other synthezoid introduced in “Reboot,” (we may get confirmation in the next episode) was a brain copy of someone else. I like the concept of brain copies. It’s a great way to flesh out the MCU and sprinkle in some callbacks, provided those callbacks are more than nostalgia bait and hold meaning.

Quick note: I’m writing these reviews/reactions as I watch the episodes; I haven’t yet watched episode four before writing this post, and my thoughts on the next episode may alter my thoughts on this episode (in retrospect). Future Kyra may know who the other synthezoid is and who’s brain the synthezoid copies.

I liked the scene at the end where The Vision’s internal world converges with this new synthezoid. The moment before the invasion, The Vision and the surviving AIs honor J.A.R.V.I.S.’s memory. Who knew U could sing? And D.U.M-E is anything but if he can recite poetry. It’s a touching moment and necessary one. J.A.R.V.I.S. may not have shown up as much in the MCU these past several years, but I still see bumper stickers that read, J.A.R.V.I.S. is my copilot. Fans didn’t have time to mourn his passing last week. And I liked the many Easter eggs VisionQuest threw into this episode. I counted almost 90. 90 is a lot. My favorites were when U sprayed E.D.I.T.H. with a fire extinguisher (like he did with Tony in 2008’s Iron Man), and F.R.I.D.A.Y. recounting the day she couldn’t save Tony. Equal parts funny and heartbreaking.

I’ve delayed talking about The Paladin’s side of the story for long enough. We discovered more about The Paladin this week. Fantastic. Despite being one of VisionQuest’s chief antagonists, I almost found myself rooting for him. The Paladin has a strange moral code and magnetic personality, but the addition of an inferiority complex (he’s not a Paladin by blood) makes him a more complex character. VisionQuest choses its flashbacks well and doesn’t slow down the narrative by throwing in too many. Easter Eggs may be a different conversation. Anyway, The Paladin gets fired by his employer. Something tells me he won’t stop hunting The Vision, and The Vision will have more bounty hunters on his tail. Not to mention the other synthezoid.

Yes! I’m almost certain the other synthezoid is Jocasta Pym. To save me from going through all the MCU’s potential synthezoids, let’s just say she is the bride of Ultron, Jocasta. In the comics, Jocasta is a brain copy of The Wasp. I don’t see that. VisionQuest has reestablished brain copies as a thing in the MCU, so Jocasta will definitely be a brain copy of someone, but the Wasp doesn’t fit. The MCU also wants to distance itself from Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. So, who is Jocasta’s brain double? She’s an assassin, so a Black Widow (maybe the one from Agent Carter) would make sense. Taskmaster was unceremonially eliminated (in Thunderbolts*), so Jocasta could’ve been a copy of Taskmaster. Regardless of who she is, Jocasta (or the other synthezoid) left an impression.

VisionQuest “Reboot” ended on a great note. I struggled to rewatch “Reboot” before writing this post because I wanted to see what would happen next. Jocasta infiltrating The Vision’s internal world is compelling. The visual cues VisionQuest leading up to this invasion was spot on (the color palette changes, Ultron following the butcherbird killer and painting the end scene during “Reboot’s” opening scenes). I’ve said it multiple times. The Vision/Wanda Maximoff trilogy of mini series is the best MCU property this side of Avengers: End Game. All of these projects are baseline good to great.

Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Reboot.” 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.

Lanterns “Dirt and Stars” Review

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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.

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 “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.

SpiderManBrandNewDayReview

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Review

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with the first of two reviews/reactions today. Our writers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day last weekend, and we have some thoughts to share. I’ll kick things off with my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Kyra’s Take

I enjoyed Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trailers promised a character-driven Spider-Man story, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day delivers on this promise. Peter’s story continues where Spider-Man: No Way Home concluded. He has yet to reach out to his friends, Ned and MJ, and his journey toward self-acceptance mirrors the storyline of Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s “villain.” Before we go any further, I must give a spoiler warning to anyone who hasn’t seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Consider yourself warned.

Jean Grey–yes, The X-Men’s Jean Grey–is Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain, sort of. Her mutant powers have awakened, and she’s on the look for her sister, Sarah. Jean’s mother abandoned her and her sister because of who they were; a stark contrast to Spider-Man’s Aunt May embracing her nephew/son after he gained his powers. This is relevant to the story. Trust me. After all, Jean’s a telepath.

During Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spider-Man’s powers are growing and “mutating.” Again, Jean Grey’s powers awakening and amplifying echo Spider-Man’s changes. Narratively, this is a great choice. Peter Parker followed Tony Stark/Iron Man’s lead. At one point of his career, Peter submitted himself to government monitoring and regulation; this was the whole point of Captain America: Civil War and the Sokovia Accords. Peter continues to work with the government. Jean Grey fights against government regulation and monitoring as most X-Men would do. If the MCU were to include or introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, the way Spider-Man: Brand New Day does it is near flawless. But I’m not a huge fan of a Spider-Man film introducing the X-Men.

There has never been a Spider-Man MCU film where Spider-Man was the only superhero in the film. Repeat: No Spider-Man MCU film has been a solo Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming had Iron Man as Spidey’s father figure (one extra superhero). Spider-Man: Far From Home featured an Iron Man cameo and Nick Fury working behind the scenes (two extra superheroes). Spider-Man: No Way Home had two other versions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (three extra superheroes). Spider-Man: Brand New Day has appearances from Jean Grey, The Punisher, The Hulk, and Black Widow (four extra superheroes). What’s next for Spider-Man 5? Five extra superheroes. It may as well be an Avengers film. Kind of like Captain America: Civil War.

Don’t get me wrong, most–if not all–of these guest-staring superheroes had a purpose in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jean Grey begins as the antagonist, only to be vindicated as a scared young woman makes for a good volta (turn) with Damage Control becoming the “real villain.” This is great. It shatters Peter’s worldview that he’s held since he was introduced into the MCU (ten years ago). The Punisher works as comic relief and at the end, he reminds Peter that extreme measures aren’t always needed. The Punisher is also the man Peter fears he’ll become if he keeps himself closed. Great stuff. The Hulk shows a path Peter’s mutation could take; Peter even calls his continued mutation a “monster” like The Hulk. The Hulk is the monster Spider-Man doesn’t want to become. Bruce gives Peter the idea of inhibiting his mutation and this gives Peter the means to subdue Jean. And Black Widow is just fun. She doesn’t steal a lot of screen time. But that’s four extra superheroes. Four!

We’ll probably never get a Spider-Man solo film in the MCU. That isn’t the worst thing in the world. The MCU is an interconnected universe. Fortunately, viewers didn’t need to do any “homework” before Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sure, you could watch the recent Punisher Special on Disney+, but it isn’t “required” viewing to understand this movie’s plot. As long as you vaguely know who Yelena (Black Widow) and Bruce (The Hulk) Banner are, you don’t need to watch or rewatch any of their previous movies or shows. All of this is great. The MCU has learned to eliminate–or at least reduce–audience “homework,” and the confluence of superheroes Spider-Man: Brand New Day used worked for the movie’s character-driven story. But I miss the days of the MCU’s solo superhero movies or even the Spider-Man films with fewer guest superheroes.

Off-topic, but I’ve heard some people describe Jean Grey’s actions in this film as “evil.” I don’t believe that is the case, but I may be too quick to forgive Jean’s actions. She does kill people for her family. At least two Damage Control goons passed away during Jean’s assault on the organization’s headquarters. She may have been responsible for more. In the comics, Jean Grey is a more morally gray–or grey–character than most might think. Sink’s performance is great for a young Jean Grey with a mean streak. But I can see why people would call Jean’s actions in Spider-Man: Brand New Day evil. I view her actions as destructive. I also served in the military during three wars. I have a much larger body count than Jean when it comes to killing for my family. So, I’m biased.

My final thought is on Damage Control itself, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s use of Bill Metzger. In the comics, William Metzger was an anti-mutant leader. His was an organization similar to the mutant hate-group Friends of Humanity. As soon as I heard the name Metzger, I knew he was a villain, and it all but confirmed Jean Grey, instead of any number of Spider-Man villains with mind control or possession (as Black Widow put it) powers as this film’s antagonist. Going into this film, I thought Mister Negative or Carrion would’ve been better served as the movie’s villain. Heck, Carrion’s abilities closely match what Jean does during the film (a pseudo-possession), and Mister Negative was the main villain in the comic story titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, I guess I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t see another great Spidey villain take centerstage. Spider-Man has one of the greatest rogues galleries in comics.

Heck. Spider-Man has the second best rogues galleries in comics, second only to Batman. So, Spider-Man: Brand New Day plays like a Batman movie with none of Batman’s rogues present. Odd. It worked, but I don’t want this as a steady diet with Spider-Man movies.

Ultimately, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a great popcorn flick. I’ll probably watch it once or twice after it lands on Disney+. If the MCU had to introduce the X-Men in a Spider-Man film, this is almost perfect. I just wished the MCU didn’t choose to introduce the X-Men in this film. Despite the X-Men’s inclusion, Spider-Man: Brand New Day kept its trailers’ promise of a Spider-Man character-driven film. It’s a fun movie. Those are my thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I was a bit surprised to see Jean Grey as an anti-hero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sadie Sink did an amazing job as Jean Grey. The character was very believable. The plot of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was well-written and can work as a stand alone movie. There were enough flashbacks to the previous Spider-Man movies that the audience could understand what happened without having to watch the other installments. The flashbacks were a bit too overdone; they could have cut down the runtime without some of them.

Before I watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I didn’t know who William Metzger was. What made me suspicious of him initially was how he spoke to the Hand. He spoke Japanese (without subtitles), and didn’t use an ounce of polite speech while introducing Spider-Man as an ally of the Hand. He referred to the Hand as “omae (oh-ma-eh)” or “you all.” “Omae” is either a familiar way of speaking to someone, but is considered to be very rude. He also referred to himself as “ore (oh-ray)” or “I.” This is normally an arrogant way to refer to oneself. He also didn’t use “desu” or “masu” at the end of his sentences, which is also either rude or familiar. I’m not sure how many Japanese speakers watched Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but this instance stood out to me.

I wish we could have seen some underused members of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, so I was a bit disappointed when that didn’t happen. It looks like we’ll be seeing Venom in the future fifth Spider-Man movie. Here’s hoping it’ll blow Spider-Man 3 out of the water.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. I left the Metzger Japanese speech to Season; She spent a year and a half in Japan. I remember looking at Season when the scene occurred. I don’t speak Japanese, but I could tell something was off with Metzger’s speech. Anyway, thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.