u/Th35h4d0w

Perfect! Cuter (and smaller) than I imagined him.

Blackjack was the one who told Percy about Bessie in the book; perhaps we'll actually hear him (and the hippocampi) talk this season. The conversation, after all, wasn't just simple banter like their first meeting.

As promised, I said I'd go over how the Joker in CC works in contrast to...certain other characters.

First off, elephants in the room; starting with this version doesn't have his trademark grin or laugh. That being said, he's not just an edgy serial killer; the laughing gas still exists as his primary method to spread his madness. And the twist with what he does with it is pretty cool to see, too.>!And when Batman unexpectedly defeats him and proves him wrong, he merely gives a subdued chuckle as he falls.!<

Then there's the distinct German accent. Both of these traits seem to be shout-outs to his oldest appearances in the comics, where he was a more serious psychopath who just happened to have a wide grin from time to time. And the ethnicity is a seeming shout-out to Conrad Veidt, who plays the Man Who Laughs—Joker's physical inspiration.

Obviously, it's not the Joker without his one-sided obsession with Batman. I like that this version differs from past portrayals by presenting himself as a teacher, with Batman as his brightest yet struggling student. He's specifically trying to teach Batman that they're superior for refusing to play by everyone's rules and should stand above the rest; similar to the live action Green Goblin's philosophy. And in a manner that draws to mind what Heath Ledger's portrayal focused on, that everyone else around them are just uncivilized animals waiting to be set free.

>!And Joker's downfall is caused by his failure to anticipate that Batman would be willing to ally others, which is the whole theme of the season (as were similar cases in Arkham Origins, Lego Batman 2, The Lego Batman Movie, etc). Although in this case, it's also a bit of pride that prevents Joker from seeing that Bats would partner with people "beneath them".!<

In a season that, like Two-Face's coin, flip-flops between the good and the bad (the prison episode was a highlight for me, hated how the show butchered my boy Eddie), the Joker's build up was worth it for an explosive payoff. He stands out from other portrayals, but still has enough core elements of the character to be recognizable.

>"You're blocking my way."

Disclaimer: never been to a nightclub before.

But I've noticed that while older adaptations tend to go for an exclusive high-class club all fancy and formal (fitting with Penguin's desire to fit in with the upper class), more modern takes have the Lounge be more generally open to the public and not necessarily as clean (perhaps showing Penguin's not as classy as he thinks). I prefer the former take, as the aesthetic is more memorable and it fits more for stories where Oswald tries to have a cleaner image. But I can't deny Gotham Knights' Iceberg Lounge has a really slick look.

So which take do you all prefer?

I can't watch it until the 22nd, when my friends got the time, and I keep getting spoiled on stuff in the stupidest ways.

• I walked into my history class and some douche had written a list of Infinity War's survivors and casualties on the whiteboard
• A major death in Endgame? A Minecraft YouTuber made a memorial to them and put the spoiler in the title
• The Flame's true identity in Insomniac's Spider-Man 2? Someone on TVTropes forgot to mark it as a spoiler
• A late-game twist in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Arkham Analysis drops it out of nowhere in what was (as far as I was concerned) a spoiler-free review

I've unsubbed from Spider-Man related subreddits, I've got a video blocker extension with the right tags inputted, I avoid spoiler-marked posts even remotely related to comic book-based media; just need to hold out for two weeks. Stay strong, brothers (and sisters).

Source is Marvel's Spider-Man 2's tie-in prequel comic.

Lol'd at how both of them instinctively responded to "Parker". Not to mention Peter's denial of magic when Dr. Strange literally lives right down the street.

Happy (W)Rath month, everyone!

Never heard of Tom Rhys Harries before, so imagine my surprise when I pulled up The Return's Wikipedia page to discover I had seen him in a movie already! He's Pisander, one of the more loathsome suitors. I'll bet Harries can bring some of that narcissism to Clayface.

Btw, The Return is a great film. It adapts the last part of the Odyssey when Odysseus finally returns home and needs to take it back. It's a slow burn with a grand payoff. And Ralph Fiennes is perfect as a grizzled, messy, buff Odysseus.

I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more attention; as a guy who's seen zero He-Man media beforehand, it's a genuinely fun and gorgeous flick to see. Very reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

1. Adam was a great protagonist, a shining beacon of positive masculinity. Love that he always tries a diplomatic approach first, but isn't afraid to fight back when peace clearly isn't an option anymore. I also admire that he stays true to himself despite how others may ridicule him.
2. The side characters are all delightful. Loved Adam's chemistry with Teela, with them supporting each other while ribbing each other on. Their relationship being up to interpretation is fine, too. Man-at-Arms and the robot's begrudging-roommates-to-comradery is also fun to see, and MaA and Teela's patching up their father-daughter relationship was heartwarming. Cringer's cat attitude (and the fact that he can vocally complain) sets him apart from most other animal companions I've seen.
3. The elephant in the room is definitely a certain actor. Despite the face behind the skull, Skeletor is doubtless one of the best parts of the film, as he should be. Intimidating, hilarious, and knows exactly who he is and what kind of story he's in. At the same time, the story makes sure you know just what a pathetic man-child he really is, deep down.
4. The other villains, like Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Trap Jaw, and Tri-Klops (man, he looked awesome) are properly threatening, but like their boss, have their amusing sides, too.
5. The trailers did show a bit of modern-day stuff, and it did come to pass. But it was important in setting up the conflicts this take on Adam received and more importantly, how he held onto his faith the whole time. It's also a setup for two fun gags at the end. Also, it only takes up like 10% of the overall movie; the majority of the story takes place in Eternia, don't worry.
6. Eternia itself is beautiful, with many different biomes being showcased, and its inhabitants visually distinct.
7. The action scenes are choreographed well; the unique setting is used to its advantage, and it's not afraid to get violent at times. Not to mention the heroes use their assets to fight in creative ways (particularly Meka-Neck). The final clash between He-Man and Skeletor, in particular, has a glorious finale. >!He-Man learning the whole "true strength was within him all along" leading to him ditching the sword and beating the crap out of Skeletor, complete with slo-mo shots, is perfect and cathartic. Very reminiscent of Arkham Origins' finale, where Batman beats up Joker, except more brutal.!<
8. The comedy in this is a large reason why it reminds me of DnD. In addition to being well-written in general, the timing is perfect and knows when not to overstep heartwarming or serious moments. The movie also pokes fun at itself and the franchise at a whole, but it's always in good jest and never in a truly mocking way. Which leads to my next point:
9. It's got genuine heart. You feel for the characters, sympathizing with Adam's desire to reunite with a world that's long since lost to him. And upon his return, he tries to cling on to any semblance of the version of Eternia that he remembers, the one he viewed through his youthful, rose-colored glasses. This is reflected in how the heroes' on-the-nose names are all justified here as being the best pseudonyms his 10-year-old self could come up with. And despite their eyebrows raising at them, said allies nevertheless don't dismiss them, nor Adam; they realize the truth in his ever-persistent optimism and steadfastly follow his crusade.
10. By the time the credits rolled and the post-credits scenes finished, I can safely say I wouldn't mind a sequel and/or a cartoon spinoff in this version of MoTU, a la Tales of the TMNT.

If you like DnD: Honor Among Thieves, Superman 2025, Masters of the Universe in general, or just want a feel-good time, go check out this movie. Witness the power.

Lifelong Batman fan here; this moment cemented the movie as my favorite.

• Batman being reborn via metaphorical baptism as a symbol of hope and leading the people out of the darkness is as subtle as a brick. But dang it, it's my kind of imagery.
• The mayor's kid, whom he showed empathy towards at the start being the first one to take his hand is a nice way to cap it off.
• The entire fact that, in a twist, the true climax of the story isn't him beating up baddies as "Vengeance", but him saving people. Even his iconic Batarang isn't being thrown at a goon, but to cut the live wire.
• This is the first time the entirety of Gotham sees him out in the open, and in broad daylight, too. In short, this is the first time people see him for the hero he truly is.
• The man Batman saves at the beginning, who was terrified of his savior, perfectly contrasts the woman Bats is loading into the stretcher at the end, who needs his reassurance before she lets go.
• I hope the rest of the films in the saga open and close with Battinson monologuing; it sets the mood perfectly for the neo-noir vibes, and it's something you'd find in the comics, too.

>206 bones, five major organs, 60,000 miles of blood vessels. All it takes is time. Days. Months. Years, spent memorizing the finite ways there are to hurt and break a man. Preparing for all of them. I've escaped from every conceivable deathtrap. Ten times. A dozen times. I can slow my breathing and metabolism to control panic and conserve air. Straitjacket's kindergarten. Locks, too. Benchpressing a pine coffin lid through 600 pounds of loose soil that's filling your mouth, crushing your lungs flat and shredding your dehydrated muscles? That's harder.

But far from impossible.

• Batman RIP
• The irony that Batman has once again stolen the media's attention away from Riddler, something the latter karmically mourns.
• The cinematography, the lighting, the colors, all obvious stuff, but shout-out to them, anyway.
• I think I'm a fan of hope pilling.

Man, I can't wait for The Batman Part II.

Like bro, it's right there, I literally built it for your convenience.

First of all, minor disclaimer: I'm not a Transformers fan. I know the basic stuff, I think Shockwave and Soundwave are cool antagonists, checked out 4 or 5 clips from the shows, and someday I'll find the time to actually fully watch the first three Bayverse movies. But I really loved Transformers One.

Everyone understandably keeps shining the spotlight on Optimus and Megatron; it's the main focus, and it's very well-done in how they could both be good friends and fall out via different ideologies. But I think Starscream's establishment is pretty understated. The movie shows not just how Megs and SS met, but why the former still keeps the latter as his second-in-command despite his treacherous nature.

• The position was his in the first place, and he was actually a decent leader of the High Guard. As such, Starscream does have the experience required to be a lieutenant.
• From SS's perspective, this kid (relatively speaking) comes out of nowhere, beats you in hand-to-hand combat despite having just gotten a T-Cog for the first time that day, and succeeds in your decades-long goal of disposing of Sentinel Prime the very next day. I'd be pretty humiliated, too.
• The High Guard's "Might Makes Right" mentality means that if anything, usurping the leader is encouraged.
• And making it so that Megatron was responsible for giving Starscream his scratchy voice is the cherry on top.

I also loved how this version of Starscream seems less cowardly and much more capable; even continuing to threaten Sentinel while captured.

TLDR: I like that TF:ONE establishes that while Starscream carries a grudge against Megatron for taking his spot as leader, his competence, loyalty to the group, and said group's emphasis on strength allows him to keep his job.

Okay, his reasoning has some basis to it (she should see more of the world before being certain). But, dude. You brought this upon yourself.