Agents of SHIELD Renewed and Agent Carter Coming

Great news for Marvel fans, the Agent Carter TV series has been officially green lit, and Agents of SHIELD has been officially renewed for another season! Hayley Atwell will be reprising her role as Peggy Carter along with Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark. According to sources, the series, as expected, is going to be about the early days of SHIELD shortly after WWII. Hopefully, the series is going to feature some Howling Commandos like Neal McDonough's Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan, who was a founding member of SHIELD in the comics, and maybe Gabe Jones will make a return since, as recently revealed in Agents of SHIELD, he is the grandfather of Agent Triplett. Another possibility is that James Montgomery Falsworth, who was the British officer helping Cap in the First Avenger, could take up the mantle of Union Jack like his comic book counterpart. *Winter Soldier Spoiler* Also, maybe the series can give details about what exactly happened with Arnim Zola and the Winter Soldier back in the day. *End Spoiler* Something else that interests me is the period setting because the late 40s era is such a great time for a series to take place.  Right now, the possibilities for the series are great! The only thing holding it back is that the series has to stay within the timeline of the universe, and we generally know how the story will turn out in the end. Also, reports suggest that the series will have a shorter run, and will air in-between seasons of Agents of SHIELD. As for Agents of SHIELD, I am glad that we have official confirmation about its return. After a lackluster first half, Agents of SHIELD has proven itself to be an entirely necessary and worthwhile addition to the Marvel universe that any and all Marvel should watch, particularly if you watched The Winter Soldier earlier this year. What do you think of this news? Are you excited for either series? Please comment below and let me know.

Also, thanks to Tegen for posting about this news yesterday.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Gotham (Batman TV Series) Trailer

The new trailer for the upcoming Batman TV series, Gotham, has premiered, and it is actually impressive! Despite my initial skepticism about bringing Commissioner Gordon and a young Bruce Wayne to the small screen, Gotham looks like a strong effort. As a fan of comic books and Batman, I will watch Gotham until it is cancelled regardless of how bad it gets, but that fortunately does not appear to be the case. Some of my favorite aspects of the trailer is how it is showing the classic Batman villains like the Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy. In fact, just from this first look, Cory Michael Smith already looks just like the Riddler, and according to sources, he is going to be a forensic scientist at GCPD, which is an interesting twist on his origin. Catwoman is the only character that looks a little odd, but the others look great. My hope is that the series incorporates some comic book aspects into the series, rather than make it entirely realistic with just the names of the characters. My prediction is that the Joker, or an early version of the character before he is the Joker (aka Red Hood), will be revealed in the season finale. However, according to sources, the series cannot legally use the Joker, or at least that is what I have heard, which is unfortunate. Also, I hope Gordon grows a mustache at some point during the series because it is such an iconic part of the character's look. Interestingly, Ben McKenzie reprises his role of Jim Gordon from the Batman: Year One animated film, in which he voiced Gordon. My only complaint is that the series looks potentially derivative, and a little too much like a lot of other crime series. Also, the trailer does not really tell us when the series is set in terms of timeperiod. Overall, I am cautiously excited about Gotham, and I am most definitely going to watch it. Actually, Gotham looks a ton better than anything the DC movies are trying to do, which is not terribly surprising considering that DC has always been better at TV rather than cinema. What do you think of it? Please comment below and let me know.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Agents of SHIELD: Nothing Personal Review

We are closing in on the season final and Agents of SHIELD has finally delivered what we expected from the start: lovable Joss Whedon characters and a story that is actually meaningful in the overall Marvel Universe.

*Spoilers*

After the Maria Hill tease at the end of the previous episode, the episode opens with Maria Hill, played wonderfully by Cobie Smulders, talking on the phone with someone about the whole HYDRA infiltration and that Stark is protecting her with the best lawyers money can buy. Even though we knew she is working with Tony after the brief clip in The Winter Soldier, I love how intertwined the series is with the movies! It is a direct continuation of the movie in many ways from Hill's perspective. If you noticed Hill's line about working with Stark to "Privatize Global Security," you might have noticed the reference to the upcoming Age of Ultron. While I will keep my full thoughts about this for another in-depth post, how do you think Tony is going to create global security? By creating an army of robots and drones controlled by a highly advanced A.I. that happens to be named Ultron, at least that is what I think is going to happen.

Also, if you happen to be a supergeek like me, you may have noticed Hill mentioning that she to explain what a "Man-Thing" was. In the Marvel comics, there is a character named Man-Thing, and he even got his own B-movie back in 2005 (haven't seen it but I have heard it was terrible). Man-Thing was a science experiment gone wrong, which turned Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis into a hideous Man-Thing, a creature with only basic mental functions. Maybe the team will encounter Man-Thing in season two, that could be cool.

Anyway, back to the episode. Seeing Skye try to stall Ward was fun to watch, and having drop-in was an unexpected surprise to say the least. While the exchange about Ward being a Nazi according to the SHIELD handbook was great, Skye saving Ward was a little annoying. Obviously, she has feelings for him and that basically had to happen for the plot to progress, but it could have been handled better. Also, why did the team not shoot DeathLok and Ward out of the sky after Skye and Coulson escaped? Sure, they want to keep the Bus intact, but come on! How can you let them get away with the data? They are essentially defenseless without a hostage! Also, the special effects for Lola falling out of the Bus were understandably terrible, but terrible nonetheless. 

Other than those minor complaints, getting to see Colonel Talbot in the flesh was fun, and the fight scene with Hill and Coulson kicking butt was great! Now that Hill is working for Stark, I imagine that she will be playing a slightly larger role. The humor was particularly top notch with the dialogue between Coulson and Hill especially humorous. Also, now that "How I Met Your Mother" is complete, hopefully Smulders will make more appearances next season.

The team hanging-out at the crappy Motel was another fun scene. I really enjoyed Fitz and Simmons' talk by the pool. It was nice and very well done. I hope we get a little resolution with their characters by the final. Also, did anyone else catch Skye referring to Fitz and Simmons as "FitzSimmons"? That was also a meta moment!

Wow! Coulson was behind the project T.A.H.I.T.I!? That was totally unexpected! Agents of SHIELD is continuing to surprise with its twists and turns every episode. From what I understand, Coulson led the project so that a dead Avenger could be revived. After threatening to resign, I assume Fury put the project on ice, but brought it back when Coulson died. I wonder who were the other lucky (or unlucky) test subjects of the procedure. Maybe it was Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man. In the comics, he actually died and resurrected three times (by different means of course).

Overall: 9.4/10- Agents of SHIELD continues to deliver yet again with another solid episode, and a more than welcome return by Smulders' Maria Hill. 

For another opinion, you can check out Tegan's review by clicking here.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Attack on Titan Episode 1 Review

After hearing for over a year about how Attack on Titan is one of the best series of all-time, and the best of last year, the first episode of Attack on Titan officially aired in American. Does it live up to the Titan sized? Oh yeah! Even if you have absolutely no interest in anime, you own it to yourself to at least watch the first episode of Attack on Titan; it is that awesome. If you have a television provider, like Charter or DirecTV, you can watch the series here; if you live in another country or do not have a TV provider, you can watch the episode here in English dub (go at your own risk). If you want to watch the episode (and the entire series) in sub, you do so here from the official Crunchyroll website.

Despite hyping up the series for the nearly a year with many of my online friends, and the internet in general, telling me that I have to watch Attack on Titan, it actually delivered with possibly the best opening episode of a series that I have ever seen. The episode introduced the audience to the characters and the used effective world building techniques to set up for what is to come. Also, the series does an incredible job at making the Titans terrifying creatures. You can feel the fear of the characters, and *Spoilers* when Eren's mother was eaten by the Titan, the animation and the music effectively made the scene surprisingly impactful considering that we have just meet these characters. *End Spoilers*

My only minor complaint actually has nothing to do with the series itself. Having watched exclusively subbed series for the past two months, watching a dub was slightly odd at first. Fortunately, thanks to the excellent performances, it felt normal after a few minutes

Acting: 9.3/10- Being that this is the premiere of the English dub that everyone has been waiting for, it does not disappoint for the most part. While I believe Bryce Papenbrook will sound better later in the series when Eren, as a character, grows into a young adult, which I believe will happen in the next episode. Papenbrook effectively sounded like a wimp, and I believe he will do an excellent job as the series progresses. Trina Nishimura (Steins;Gate and FMA: Brotherhood) as Mikasa Ackerman gave a standout strong performance in her brief role. Most of the other English actors were very good in their roles, although we will have to wait until later to determine how well each actors does in their role.

Art Style: 9.7/10- Attack on Titan's animation is rather stunning. The detail work in the background and the general environment is nearly movie quality. Everything is fluid and crisp, and the animation style is appealing to look at. In terms of character designs, most of the character look very well done. However, a few of the character models looked a little unrealistic compared to the other characters, but they were mostly background characters. Also, using fast moving lines to produce a sense of speed is a little odd looking compared to the rest of the animation, but it still works for the most part. There is a little CGI that is used, which, while unnecessary, does not clash as much as it does with other series.

Soundtrack: 9.5/10- While we have yet to hear the best of Hiroyuki Sawano's score, what was used effectively added emotional weight to certain scenes.

Opening and Ending: 10/10- Well before watching Attack on Titan, the opening song, "Guren No Yumiyah," has been one of my favorites. I have already listened to it over 300 times, and its sheer epicness and intensity really gets you excited for what is coming next. Unfortunately, in the TV cut of the episode, part of the opening had to be cut so that it would fit into the timeslot. The ending song is also very good being slower and fitting for the series' darker themes.

Non-Otaku Appeal: Providing you do not mind violence, everyone should at least give the first episode a watch (link at the beginning and end of the review).

Overall: 9.9/10- For a pilot episode, Attack on Titan effectively invested me in the characters and set up the world that the characters inhabit. Compared to other first episodes, there are few, if any, that match it in terms of how effectively it grabbed my attention and interest. Thankfully, the Titan-sized hype was certainly warranted, because the first episode did not disappoint.

Note: My score for pilot episodes of a series are relative to other pilot episode scores. On the hand, scores for later episodes in the series are relative to previous episodes. Rating TV episodes is difficult, but the general conventions of a 1 to 10 system apply.

Again, if you have a television provider, like Charter or DirecTV, you can watch the series here; if you live in another country or do not have a TV provider, you can watch the episode here in English dub (go at your own risk). If you want to watch the episode (and the entire series) in sub, you do so here from the official Crunchyroll website.

I will continue to review Attack on Titan episodes as they air on Toonami because it supports the anime scene in America, so be sure to check back next week for more.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Review

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 follows the events of the first Amazing Spider-Man with Peter Parker being Spider-Man and saving New York City. Despite some negative reviews, as a massive fan of the Spider-Man comics, I was obviously excited to see where the Marc Webb and co. takes the Webhead next. Fortunately, however, I can safely say that the critics are wrong for the most part, because The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers on many levels despite a few minor plot missteps.

First off, a lot of people have complained that the trailers spoil way too much of the movie, which seemed to heavily affect their overall rating. Knowing how Sony's marketing spoiled essentially everything about the first movie; I intentionally avoided all of the trailers since the first one, and I even ignored the trailer in theaters (I am a dedicated spoiler-phobe). Therefore, my review is more focused on the actual movie regardless of the poor marketing ruining the experience. However, Sony really needs to do something about their trailers! 

Directed by: Marc Webb

Genre: Action, Comic Book, Science Fiction,

Release Date: May 2, 2014

Running Time: 142 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Positively hilarious, Perfectly captures feel of comic book, Satisfying resolution of mystery, Electro is a compelling villain, Amazing action scenes, Perfectly executed emotional scenes, Andrew Garfield is the perfect Spider-Man, Hans Zimmer's score is perfect, Dane DeHaan kills it as Harry Osborn, Electro's theme is superb, Spectacular cast, Fun references, Engaging action set pieces, Strong character development,

The Bad: A few minor plot issues, One or two overly silly moments,

Plot: 8.7/10- While one or two minor elements seem slightly rushed, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 effectively incorporates all of the various plot elements with a solid degree of success. Some of the mystery behind Peter's parents that was essentially cut from the first movie is further explained, and the resolution is satisfying. The romance and relationship aspects are handled perfectly considering how horribly most other movies have handled similar situations, and that is thanks to Marc Webb's experience with relationship drama and humor. The only slight negative that I find is that tone changes could be problematic to some viewers, but I believe showing how the lighthearted side of Spider-Man's character contrasts the darker problems that the character deals with.

Also, without spoiling anything, the film successfully adapts the comic book source material. *Possible Spoiler* My favorite part of the film was its effective emotional impact, even for those, like myself, that are familiar with the comic. *End Spoiler

Characterization/Acting: 9.7/10- Because the acting and characterization are so closely related in the film, I am combining the category. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2's strongest element is the development of the characters, which is largely thanks to the seriously top notch performances from the cast that bring the characters to life. Despite having to juggle so many characters, the movie manages to balance the screen-time and development effectively, which is greatly aided by the stellar performances by the cast. 

One of the strongest aspects of the film is the relationship between Peter and Gwen, and their natural on-screen chemistry is virtually un-matched, which is likely aided by the fact that they are a couple in real-life. Also, Andrew Garfield continues to own the role of Spider-Man. Not only is his new costume ripped right off the page, he looks and acts just as I imagined him.

Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn positively kills it in role, as he definitely sets himself apart from James Franco's version of the character. While DeHaan is not quite as good in a brief last part of the film, he really captures the character well. He also worked well with Garfield in their scenes together, which helped establish some plot elements.

Electro is a surprisingly compelling villain. Jamie Foxx disappears in the role, and his performance sells the character perfectly. No one else could have pulled off the character. The mentally unstable social outcast with a sense of worthlessness character type is not used particularly often, and the film does an excellent job at portraying the character so that the audience starts to feel bad for him. While some viewers might call his character corny, I believe he was portrayed with a surprisingly degree of believability since I know there are people out there that have no sense of self worth. Also, Foxx's portrayal certainly surpasses his comic book counterpart, even if he was significantly different in many ways. Sally Field as Aunt May has a few very effective scenes that showcase her superb acting prowess.  Paul Giamatti's performance as Aleksei Sytsevich, while fun, was too over-the-top and corny, which is the source of the movie's cheesiness at times. Fortunately, he plays an incredibly small part in the movie. 

Action: 9.7/10- Marc Webb's action direction has certainly improved since the first Spider-Man with many of the action scenes being fun and exciting! As with this year's The Winter Soldier, I was very engaged with the action scenes to the point of unknowingly moving around in my seat along with the action, albeit to a lesser degree than Cap's film. Electro's powers are particularly interesting, and they were used inventively during the action scenes.

Special effects: 9.5/10- While a few shots seemed to be obviously computer generated, most of the special effects were very believable. Spider-Man's swinging has never looked better, and it almost looks like it was ripped straight from the comic pages. Electro could have easily turned out terribly, but the special effects for his powers looked fantastic! Also, the movie uses a very cool time-slowing effect to show off Spidey's fast reflexes. On a side note, did anyone else think of Dr. Manhattan during a few scenes? At least Electro wore pants...

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- Hans Zimmer's really outdoes himself with the score. While it features many of Zimmer's hallmarks like booming bass tones, his rendition of Spider-Man theme, as well as the music throughout, was top notch work. However, Zimmer's best part is Electro's theme. It has to be one of the best villain themes I have heard in a long time. Often times, using voices during a track sounds odd, but it only added to the intensity of the character's scenes.

Humor: 9.8/10- The Amazing Spider-Man 2's humor is mostly spot on. While one or two moments seemed unnecessarily silly, the majority of the humor had me laughing-out-loud many times throughout the film! In fact, the movie was one of the funniest movies I have seen in quite some time. For the first time, Spider-Man actually seemed like the wisecracking character from the comics, which, as a massive fan, is utterly satisfying to finally see on the big screen.

Entertainment Value: 9.9/10- From the opening scene onward, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 grabbed my attention until the credits rolled. Not for a minute was I not thoroughly entertained and engaged with the story, and in fact, I almost want to go watch the movie again!

Overall: 9.5/10- Despite a few minor plot issues, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivers where it matters most, the characters. It perfectly captures the feel of the comic, and the movie delivers entertainment in spades. Due to possibly spoiling aspects of the film, I will not say what truly set the film above many others, but if you have seen the movie, you know what I am referring to. 

Closing comments: If you are not a fan of Spider-Man, or completely hate the character as many do, I would lower the score to around an eight, but the movie is still worth watching for the humor, chemistry, and fun action alone. Also, if, for whatever reason, you do not connect with the characters, then you will likely not enjoy it, because it the main appeal of the film.

Recommended for: Action fans, Spider-Man fans, Marvel fans, Comic book movie fans, Sci-Fi fans,

Note: Many people are going to compare the film to the original Sam Raimi trilogy, specifically Spider-Man 2. Considering that Spider-Man 2 is one of my all-time favorite movies, I will say that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is not quite on the same level; however, if you consider the first Amazing Spider-Man to be the best Spider-Man film, then you will most certainly enjoy The Amazing Spider-Man 2. 

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Best. Gif. Ever.

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