Superman and Lois Episode Guide - Format Key

For The Superman and Lois Episode Guide, I'll be using a slightly modified version of the same key I use for The Arrow Episode Guide and The Flash Episode Guide, which in turn are based off of what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping.

Here is the rundown.

Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced a particular episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played, ignoring how that character may have been differently portrayed in another story.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Super Trivia: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes.

Location: Anyplace the story is set apart from the usual locales.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly the female characters on the show are manipulated by the story in order to make the male characters look better.

The Kryptonite Factor: How badly are the heroes manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they are facing off against. Named in honor of the infamous element used whenever a Super-writer is having a hard time justifying why the villain is a threat.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad? Why is it good or bad? How can they make it better/not make it worse?

Batwoman Episode Guide - Format Key

For The Batwoman Episode Guide, I'll be using a slightly modified version of the same key I use for my other guides, which are based off of what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping. Here is the rundown.

Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced a particular episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played, ignoring how that character may have been differently portrayed in another story.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Bat Trivia: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes.

Location: Anyplace the story is set apart from the usual locales.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly the female characters on the show are manipulated by the story in order to make the male characters look better.

The Killing Jokes: How badly are the heroes manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they are facing off against.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad? Why is it good or bad? How can they make it better/not make it worse?

Black Lightning Episode Guide - Format Key

As with my other episode guides, I'll be using a form based on what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping.  Here is the quick rundown.

Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced a particular episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played, ignoring how that character may have been differently portrayed in another story.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Trivia: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely.and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows.  I'm not expecting to get much use out of this one but am including it just in case some of the dodgier trick arrows are brought into play.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes.

Location: If the story is set someplace other than the usual setting.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly any female character on the show is manipulated by the story in order to create angst for the male cast.

The Winick Factor: How badly the heroes are manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they're facing off against or how horribly out of character they act relative to their behavior in the comics.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad?  Why is it good or bad?  How can they make it better/not make it worse?


Got any suggestions on a category to add?  Let me know in the replies.

Legends of Tomorrow Episode Guide - Format Key

As in my earlier episode guides for The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl, I'll be using a form inspired by what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping.  Here is the quick rundown.


Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced the episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Trivia Of Tomorrow: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble/Arcana: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely.and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows as well as anything regarding the rules of how science and magic work in the Arrowverse.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes or events on The Flash and Arrow.

Location: Where and when the story is set.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly Canary, Hawkgirl or any other female character on the show is manipulated by the story in order to build up the male characters.

The Crisis Factor: How badly the heroes are manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they're facing.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad?  Why is it good or bad?  How can they make it better/not make it worse?


Got any suggestions on a category to add?  Let me know in the replies.

Supergirl Episode Guide - Format Key

For The Supergirl Episode Guide, I'll be using a slightly modified version of the same key I use for The Arrow Episode Guide and The Flash Episode Guide, which in turn are based off of what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping.

Here is the rundown.

Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced a particular episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played, ignoring how that character may have been differently portrayed in another story.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Super Trivia: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes.

Location: Anyplace the story is set apart from the usual locales.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly the female characters on the show are manipulated by the story in order to make the male characters look better.

The Kryptonite Factor: How badly are the heroes manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they are facing off against. Named in honor of the infamous element used whenever a Super-writer is having a hard time justifying why the villain is a threat.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad? Why is it good or bad? How can they make it better/not make it worse?

The Muppets - Pig Girls Don't Cry - A Review

The Muppets has been a decisive show since long before the airing of its first episode. And that's ignoring the legions of long-time Muppet-fans who refuse to support any further Muppet projects on the grounds that they "sound wrong" or that Disney is corrupting Jim Henson's vision. There's also a boycott by One Million Moms, who complain that this new Muppet show is "perverted". And then there's the Muppet fans who question whether the core idea of the new show - a 30 Rock-style, behind-the-scenes comedy about the lives of The Muppets when they aren't performing - is the best way to present these classic characters.

Me?  I was somewhere in the middle of all of this.

I think One Million Mom's attempt to hold The Muppets up as pure, wholesome family entertainment is laughable at best. Apart from his creations for Sesame Street, most of Jim Henson's work was firmly aimed at adult audiences. Even his more family friendly projects, while safe for children, contained subversive humor and wink-and-a-smile jokes for the adults, such as Gonzo accidentally uncovering a man's affair and Janice making reference to living on a nude beach in The Great Muppet Caper. 

By the same token, I think some of the more recent Muppet projects have forgotten the wink-and-the-smile, replacing innuendo with blatant crassness in an attempt to convince the Gen-X kids who grew up watching The Muppet Show that The Muppets have grown up with them. No film was more guilty of this than the direct-to-TV Christmas special It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. If you don't remember it, don't try. Suffice it to say any movie with jokes about Pepe applying for a permit to license the Muppet Theater as a topless nightclub and Scooter working as a cage dancer in a dark reality where Kermit the Frog was never born make you wonder if the fact that Jim Henson's vengeful wraith has not returned from the grave to smite those responsible is definitive proof that there is no afterlife.


Alas, The Muppets is born of the same cynical spirit as that movie.  One can see the desperation in the poster advertising the show, as we see the original fab-four of the classic Muppets line-up, all using their cel-phones. Because what better way to show that The Muppets are still relevant in the 21st Century than by showing them using modern technology?

The problems with The Muppets run far deeper than that. They also run deeper than the "perverted" humor, like Fozzie speaking frankly about how his personal ad reading "Passionate Bear, Looking For Love" got a lot of wrong (for him) responses. Or Animal explaining why he can't go on tour with Imagine Dragons by muttering "Too many towns.  Too many women."

The core problem is that most of the main characters are twisted parodies of their former selves. This is most apparent in the case of Kermit The Frog, who describes Miss Piggy as a lunatic and laments that his life "is a bacon-wrapped Hell-on-Earth". While the occasional four-letter-word has been slipped into previous Muppet movies, there is something just-plain-wrong with Kermit The Frog saying 'hell'!

Something similar happens in the case of Miss Piggy. Granting that Piggy has always been a prima donna, she still cared about her friends even as she tried to steal the spotlight from them. This Piggy can't be bothered to remember the names of the people she's worked with for years and blatantly tells the show's guests that she's been a big fan for as long as they've had them booked.

One scene sums up The Muppets better than any other. At one point, Gonzo presents a sketch he wrote to Kermit - a Dancing With The Stars parody called Dancing With The Czars, with Rizzo as Catherine The Great Dancer and Pepe as Ivan The Terrible Dancer. Kermit declares that he hates everything about it.  A moment later, as his new girlfriend enters the room and tells a lame joke. Kermit tells her that she doesn't have to make jokes every time she comes into the writer's room before looking to Gonzo, Rizzo and Pepe and saying "God knows these guys don't".

Kermit may get exasperated with his friends but he is never mean-spirited.  Jim Henson's work may have been dark and occasionally twisted but there was a heart and a soul to it that is sorely lacking in this production.  The insensitive toad they call Kermit is no version of Kermit The Frog I want to know. And The Muppets is not a show I wish to watch.

The Flash Episode Guide - Format Key

For The Flash Episode Guide, I'll be using a slightly modified version of the same key I use for The Arrow Episode Guide, which in turn is based off of what I think is the finest episode guide ever written - Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping.

Here is the quick rundown.  No pun intended.


Plot: A quick summary of the main story.

Influences: Specific media which may have inspired or otherwise influenced a particular episode.

Goofs: Holes in the plot, visible wires during the stunts and other things that don't work the way they should.

Performances: The actors and their craft - how well the characters are played, ignoring how that character may have been differently portrayed in another story.

Artistry: Anything on the technical side of things that is notably well-handled, such as set-design, lighting, sound effects, cinematography, etc.

Flash Facts: Random things of interest and references to the comics.

Technobabble: Pseudoscience terminology used to justify the unlikely and/or impossible things that sometimes happen in superhero shows.

Dialogue Triumphs: Anything the characters say that make you want to put on a cape and fight for justice!

Dialogue Disasters: Anything the characters say that make you roll your eyes or snort in disbelief.

Continuity: Direct references to previous episodes.

Location: If the story is set someplace other than Central City.

Untelevised Adventures: Stories that take place off camera, but are referred to.

The Fridge Factor: How badly the female characters on the show are manipulated by the story in order to make the male characters look better.

The Boomerang Factor: How badly are the heroes manipulated to look incompetent and badly trained compared to whatever villain they are facing off against. Named in honor of Captain Boomerang, who - honestly - The Flash shouldn't ever have any trouble fighting.

The Bottom Line: Is it good or bad? Why is it good or bad? How can they make it better/not make it worse?

Gotham: Episode 102: Selina Kyle - A Review In Random Thoughts

* (As Alfred catches Bruce burning himself) This would be an entirely different show if Alfred had just taken Bruce to a good child psychologist at this point.

* I am now going to call Riddler "Weird Ed" in honor of the equally awkward character from the Maniac Mansion games.

* I see the name of The Tick creator Ben Edlund in the credits as an executive producer.  And suddenly a lot of the choices this show has made make sense, re: camp elements.

* The shout-outs to the comics are much more subdued this time. Quick mention of Maroni - the gangster eventually responsible for creating Two-Face.

* So far, Falcone is the most likable character on the show by sheer virtue of being the one person who seems to honestly care about the city.

* There's Carol Kane as Penguin's mom.  Apparently she just escaped from the set of a Tim Burton movie.

* Mention of Arkham Asylum being closed down but The Wayne Foundation almost reopening it.

* Don't you just love how Barbara doesn't give a damn about the chance that their house line might be traced when she calls in a tip to the press?

* Do they mean for the mayor to look like Richard Nixon?

* For years, comic fans have debated whether the GCPD is mostly incompetent or mostly corrupt.  So far, the show is doing a good job of providing both camps with good case material.

* Although, after the two kidnappers manage to grab a whole bus full of kids in the middle of a depot swarming with cops in broad daylight, I'm firmly on the side of "mostly incompetent".

* Obscure Batman villain The Dollmaker got a mention.  And a thousand Arrow fans immediately begin working on fan fiction to justify making this one the same guy Quentin Lance put away.

* Thomas Wayne had a "no psychologists" clause in his will yet he was ready to start funding Arkham Asylum?  I'm thinking there's a story here.  At least, there should be.

* Alternatively, The Waynes are Scientologists.

* Oh yeah!  I guess Penguin still is in this show.  Huh.



THE FINAL THOUGHTS

For an episode titled 'Selina Kyle', there sure wasn't a lot of Selina Kyle, was there?  That said, I enjoyed this episode far more than the pilot.

Gotham : The Pilot - A Review

Gotham is a paradox on multiple levels. On the one hand, the show goes out of its way to try and win over skeptical fans of the Batman comics by dropping repeated references to the books. On the other hand, much of the show's story cuts out the heart of those same comics.

The show is at its best when it is played as a straight police procedural drama. It is at its worst when it winks at the camera whenever anyone compares toadying-thug Oswald to a penguin or GCPD technician Eddie is told to stop talking in riddles. However, the unsubtle references are merely an annoyance. It is the subtler references that are likely to outright offend the comic fans.

Case In Point. Early on in the episode, Detective Rene Montoya is introduced along with her partner, Crispus Allen. In the comics, they are among the few honest cops in Gotham City. In Gotham, they are glory-hounds who try and take over the Wayne murder case. Later, when they are given a tip that an innocent man was framed for the murder as a result of Jim Gordon's investigation, Rene goes to Jim's fiancee - Barbara Kean - to tell her that James is a low-down crook and she should leave him. And then we get the revelation that Rene and Barbara are more than old friends.

Where do I start in describing everything that is wrong with this from the perspective of a comic fan? Rene Montoya being more concerned with publicity than justice? Rene's first response to finding out that a fellow detective is bent being to go outside the department and tell stories out of school? The cliche of the predatory lesbian trying to win back the ex-girlfriend who went straight? All of this is a slap in the face to fans of Rene's character in the comics.

This is the most extreme example, but other characters are similarly warped. Harvey Bullock, for instance, is portrayed as a mobbed-up cop whereas his comic counterpart is as clean in his conduct as he is dirty in appearance. And Alfred Pennyworth - from what little we see of him - seems to be an East London thug rather than a Gentleman's Gentleman.

Jim Gordon introduces a completely different set of problems. Jim is portrayed as the honest policeman that he should be but much of the character's motivations in the comics were born of his being an outsider to Gotham and their way of doing things. It seems ludicrous for Gordon to be as naive as he is portrayed here when he's reportedly a Gotham native and his father was a former district attorney. Then again, having Gordon be part of an old money Gotham family is perhaps the only way to explain how he can afford the opulent apartment he has on an honest cop's salary.

Still, at least Harvey and Jim are fully developed as characters in this pilot.  Most of the references to the comics are completely incidental to the plot.  Yes, we get to see a young Selina Kyle prowling around but nothing is made of her appearances throughout the episode nor of her chance presence when The Waynes are killed.  Yes, there's a young redhead girl who loves plants named Ivy Pepper but she is completely unnecessary to the story.  And how is Edward Nygma's presence in this episode like an unsharpened pencil?  They're both completely pointless.

Technically, the show is something of a mixed bag.  The cinematography is decent enough when we're getting long, slow shots of the Gotham skyline yet it becomes laughably bad during the action scenes, which feature some of the worst shaky-cam effects I've ever seen on television.  The music is subpar industrial rock, which leaves a montage of Harvey Bullock's questioning suspects looking and sounding like a Slipknot video from four years ago.

The performances are equally mixed.  Ben McKenzie is suitably earnest as Jim Gordon and Donal Logue makes Harvey Bullock into a likable rogue, even as he's working against Jim. Sean Pertwee manages to make Alfred Pennyworth intriguing by sheer force of personality. But Robin Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot and Cory Michael Smith's Edward Nygma are far too campy compared to the dark tone of the show.  And Jada Pinkett Smith's performance, as the mob boss Fish Mooney, shows why she is best remembered by audiences as Will Smith's wife.

In the end, Gotham tries too hard to be all things to all people and succeeds only in being nothing special.  Fans of cop dramas are unlikely to be wowed by the differences the show's setting inspired. And most comic fans will be indifferent, at best, to the nods to the source material that amount to nothing more than a handful of names and nothing else.
 

First Trailer for NBC's Constantine

So what do I think, as the bloke who wrote the Hellblazer Episode Guide?



 I think I can't wait until fall.  How about you?

Nice Little Present for Fans of Sherlock

SOURCE: BBC YouTube Channel.
 

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 10 - Not Quite Live Commentary

    No Live Commentary this week, as I was kept late by work responsibilities.  So here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I watched the show on DVR.

0:01: Wow.  An action sequence right at the start.  That's novel.

0:05: Sorry, @AgentsofSHIELD.  Centipede doesn't sound as threatening as HYDRA.  

0:12: Ah, the old "He's standing behind me, isn't he?" gag. 

0:15: Oh, Fitz you jealous little boy, you...

0:16: And finally, after ten episodes, we finally get to hear about the cellist! 

0:17: This is a good scene but that's some of the worst green-screen I've ever seen. 

0:18:What the - are they actually building on a previous episode's plot point?

0:19: And an actual answer to a mystery?  This is almost like a Joss Whedon show...

0:28: Peterson is just what this series needs - a likeable character without a mysterious backstory.

0:39: She really seems to want to meet The Clairvoyant?  Is he Benedict Cumberbatch?

0:50: Kidnapped loved ones. Power and Responsibility.  Now THIS feels like a Marvel Comic!   

0:56: Wow.  Didn't see that coming.  For real.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 9 - Live Commentary

    Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: Labratory Accident Kills 4 - how often is THAT a headline in the Marvel Universe? 

0:01: Not @FeliciaDay, but an incredible simulation!

0:04:  Particle accelerator?  Am I watching #Arrow by accident?

0:04:  Magnets, yo!  How do they work?  

0:06: You get more with a tranq gun and a kind word than just a kind word.  

0:10:  I'm sure they rushed this episode with the particle accelerator so they could say #Arrow ripped them off.

0:16: Is it just me, or do the walls of the cell look like old-school TARDIS panelling? 

0:18: Sadly, there will be some explanation for this that does not require a phone call to #DrStrange. 

0:24: You know what the fans really want to see? Simmons using the same hologram interface Tony Stark did!  

0:27: I wonder how frequently The Bus crashing is going to be a thing? 

0:34: #AgentsofSHIELD! It's like #XFiles with... uh... er... it's like X-Files!  

0:36: Oh - put the believer in the light and the Atheist in the dark.  THAT'S subtle!   

0:40: @Sea_Bunker  If that room is so dang secure & protective how come their voices carry through it so easily?

0:41: The walls are made of Vibranium and allow sound to pass through them. #NoPrize #BS  

0:57: Yeah...  really not digging this episode.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 8 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.


0:04: Nice music. This would be really tense if I had any idea what was going on.

0:05: So… origin of Valkyrie?

0:13: Yay Internet, she said sarcastically.

0:15: Hey! It's that guy from Ghostbusters 2!

0:20: So... the sum total of this being tied in to #ThorTheDarkWorld is them cleaning up the mess Thor made.

0:36: I just love how gleefully and obliviously Simmons talks about dissecting a living sentient being.

0:43: You can tell how engrossed I am by the fact that I'm checking my feed and RTing things while I watch this.

0:49: And… there’s Ward’s secret.  I guess. 

0:53: Cross behind Coulson as he talks about dying and coming back. That's REAL subtle.

0:56:Oh... hell. Did they just....? Ok. That was actually unexpected.

0:59: And yeah... something ain't right with Coulson's mind.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 7 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: Tilted cam.  Very Joel Schumacher.  Not a good start.

0:02: Looks like they slashed the lighting budget....

0:08: Whenever I see the name Saffron Burrows, I have to remind myself she isn't the daughter on AbFab.

0:12: Oh, Fitz you are so cute trying to be badass.

0:15: Pumping Coulson for information.  This will not end well...

0:18:"He's acting like a robot version of himself."  How would SHE know that?!?!

0:20: Fixing a TV to gain the native's trust.  I swear that was a plot point on Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns.

0:21: No wait.  That was them losing the natives' trust by blowing up a radio. Mea culpa.

0:22: It definitely involved natives, trust and a sporting event!  I remember that!

0:26: Coulson just got an "Out of Cheese Error.  Please Reboot Universe." Message.

0:38: "Is that what SHIELD's all about?"  Uh.. yeah.  Thought that's why you were fighting them before you got caught?

0:47: This @SUBWAY commercial with the @TheHungerGames tie-in is the most tasteless thing I've seen in a while.

0:51: This fight scene reminds me of the final battle from Yor: The Hunter From The Future.

0:54: Totally calling this now - Skye's mom is Mary Parker.

0:59: And... not surprisingly, they are hiding Coulson's injury report from him.  Seems legit.

A Plethora of Comic Book TV Show News

SOURCE: Warner Bros. Is Creating A TV Show For DC Comics’ Hourman

SOURCE: Marvel Teams With Netflix For Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist Original Series Leading To Team Mini-Series 

SOURCE: The CW Sets Drama Based On DC Comics’ ‘iZombie’ With Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero



Let me say all of this in order.

1. As a fan of Hourman, I'm actually glad to see that a lesser-known hero is being given a chance to headline a major show - particularly one who, as of right now, has yet to show up in The New 52 Universe.

2. I think the logic behind Warner Bros.choosing Hourman is entirely due to two concerns.  First, that a superhero show based around a hero whose powers are precognition and super-strength will not break the bank in terms of special effects and second, that there is far less baggage to deal with in adapting a superhero without a major following.

3. I do like the idea of a Daredevil TV series.  Legal drama.  Superhero stories.  Inspiring stories of overcoming a handicap.  Lots of angles to work with.  If they can get a Black Widow team-up for one episode, so much the better.

4. Yes, your jokes about Marvel getting a Jessica Jones series made before Wonder Woman got a new TV show are very funny.  Too bad the average American has no idea who Jessica Jones is and any attempts to explain Alias to them will probably result in confusion regarding Jennifer Garner and Elektra.

5. Also, as a feminist, I'm bothered that out of all the female characters Marvel could build a series around, they chose one whose background is dependent on a rape and who is best known as another superhero's wife.

6. Luke Cage and Iron Fist should have a show together.  They've always been more interesting as a team.

7. Granting that it's almost certainly born entirely of the current craze for zombies and procedural dramas, I'm still the most excited and hopeful about iZombie out of all of these simply because the creative team behind Veronica Mars is attached to it. 

8. For that matter, the fact that iZombie is the only one of these shows to have a definitive creative team attached to it speaks volumes.  Everything else is just hearsay at this point.

9. Regardless of whether you are a Marvel Zombie or prefer the Distinguished Competition, we should all agree that anything that encourages interest in the reading of comics - and indeed reading in general - benefits us all.

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 6 - Live Commentary

Here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played.

0:01: #AgentsofSHIELD will not be airing tonight in favor of a classic episode of #AreYouAfraidOfTheDark?

0:03: Rusty? Heh! Heh! NOT A ROBOT!

0:09: At this point, I'm pretty much watching this just to find out what's the deal with Coulson. 

0:12: I got the Big Lebowski joke!

0:17: I'm calling it now - Skrull cattle.

0:18: Okay.  Fine. Chitairo cattle.  Geez...

0:22:Waiting for the dancing alien to jump out of his head and start singing "Ragtime Gal".

0:26: I really hope Coulson is describing Valhalla and not Heaven.  Thor knows he earned a seat there. 

0:34: Simmons, the Wednesday Adams look doesn't work on you. Sorry.

0:37: "I wish it was some super-powered socoiopath."  You and me both, man.

0:42: THRILL as they move petri dishes around!

0:45:Would it be tasteless for me to start singing Freefalling by Tom Petty at this point?

0:51: Hey, physics geeks!  Do a shot for every law that's being violated by this sequence! 

Fangasm - Finale - Live Tweet Commentary

And now... the final Fangasm commentary.  Try and hold back the tears, kids.

11:01: In case you forgot, we're in LA!  Look at the scenery! 

11:02: Technically speaking, third world countries don't have soda of food left over the place. 

11:03: Actually, they don't have food at all in third world countries!

11:07:And - oh yeah - @TheRealStanLee is involved in this. In case you forgot.

11:09: "World of Pure Imagination?" Wondering how many kids @DialRforReggie has had killed in the name of @TheRealStanLee

11:10:  I love how none of these actors can keep a straight face at the cheese either.

11:15: Actually, the @DialRforReggie /WillyWonka comparison is apt. They both depend on unpaid labor. to run their business.

11:19: Oh man... flyering random people on the street. This is giving me flashbacks of many nights with @AmberDoesDallas

11:25: First @TheRealStanLee.  Now @TheRealElvira.  This is really real man.  For real.

11:28: Ixnay on the Ampira-vay!

11:32: Ah, #LARPers.  The lowest of all geeks, save for #Furries and Self-Insert Fanfic writers, of course.

11:33: That's a joke, folks!  I have nothing but respect for #LARPers.  Self-Insert Fanfic Writers can piss off, though.

11:34: @MollyMcIsaac -  Hey now. I'm super active in a LARPing group here in Seattle.

11:35:  - I was kidding, Most of my RPG group #LARP. I was riffing on the standard perception most gamers seem to have.

11:40: Regarding Dani & Sal - The show would be much better if we had more of THIS. THIS is honest.

11:46: @MollyMcIsaac dressed as @FeliciaDay?  ALL IS FORGIVEN!

11:47: @MollyMcIsaac -  That's actually @SuperSpaceChick as Codex! 

11:49: - This is what I get for looking at what I'm typing & only listening for a second. :)

11:58: This would be a good ending.  Kinda sad there's one more episode. 

12:01: You know - it might had been better had they set up the competing for a job thing in the first episode.

12:03: Ah.  Of COURSE they just happen to get a flat tire. 

12:05: This time, at least, someone remembers the glory of the Internet.  

12:11: The best parts of this show are the parts that are just the actors talking. 

12:12: The minute the usual reality show stuff kicks back into play, it becomes 10 times worse. 

12:17: Wait... they get everyone to dress up nice THEN have them do all this heavy lifting? 

12:33: Amazed party went smoothly.  Thought Andrew was going to tell a dirty joke to the Queen of England or some such. 

12:37: Afraid I'll have to stop the commentary there, folks. Seems my Cable Company chose to run a software update NOW. 

12:48: And... back!  Just in time for Dani!

12:49: Alas, my DVR didn't get the last 10 minutes....

12:52: And remember, you were all great. Except for the ones who slacked off and bungled basic tasks like getting my coffee.

12:56:Congrats @DaniSnow007

Agents of SHIELD, Episode 5 - (Almost) Live Commentary

Due to delays in my getting out of work, this commentary wasn't quite "live".  Thank Ganesha for DVR though, eh?  So here's the archive of all the sarcasm and commentary I made on Twitter as the show played... almost live.


0:01: Woman flirting with a street magician.  That should be setting all his alarms off.

0:02: Oh, for Doctor Strange to show up right now...

0:03: Mutant, cosmic rays or magician?  Taking all bets!

0:04: Those can't be SHIELD agents.  No logos on their suits.

0:06: "Go a few rounds..." Hey, they stole that from a JLU episode! 

0:14: Give this guy credit for being smart enough to realize nobody kidnaps you for a GOOD reason.   

0:15: Scorch?  Seriously?  Whoever is writing this has a mad-on for old New Warriors comics..

0:19: And... confirmation that Skye is playing both sides against the middle, at least.  Mayhe.  Probably.

0:24: Amd... yeah.  Busted! 

0:29: And... just like that he's swayed into using his powers for eeeeeeeeevil. 

0:30: He's a Minecraft player!  Evil Bastard! 

0:33: More Extremis.  Geez, couldn't it be something else, for once?  

0:38: Oh man - this is SO not what I had in mind when I asked to be strapped down with two women..

0:39: Trying to avoid the word "mutant" like crazy, aren't they? 

0:42: I cast Burning Hands! 

0:48: Oh, Scorch. NEVER say "Nothing Can Stop Me!" That's a sure death sentence.

0:51: Oh!  They're talking about Skye!  THAT was subtle.

0:53: Hey! Nick Fiury's bar is back!    

0:55: I'm going to call it now - Skye is Peter Parker's long lost sister.

Fangasm - Episode 4 - Live Tweet Review

Another week.  Another Fangasm live-Tweeted commentary.

10:04 :  Never been to a drink-and-draw myself.  Since I have no drawing ability myself... 

10:05 : Do I even want to know why they are building a 15 foot long tentacle?  

10:08 : @DialRforReggie - Cuz the @StanLeeComikaze Logo is a OCTOPUS! ;) 

10:14 : I know that, @DialRforReggie.  I'm just implying horrifying nefarious purposes for comic value! 

10:17 :  Yes!  Hide them in front of the camera man.  This will not backfire at all! 

10:22 : I'm calling it right now - Andrew hired an escort to pretend to be his girlfriend. 

10:26 :  Two Andrews.  What a horrifying thought. 

10:29 : Damn you @MollyMcIsaac! Damn you for putting that image in my brain. I must not fear... fear is the mind killer.... 

10:31 : @MollyMcIsaac IT'S A VALID QUESTION YOU GUYS. ...although I tend to wonder what everyone's sex life is like. 

10:34 : All the feels, you two. @DaniSnow007 @SalvatoreFringo 

10:36 : Watching this is kinda surreal given that I taught my teens to do #Zombie make-up at the library today. 

10:37 : It's a minor miracle my Twitter account hasn't been shut down all the talking I've done tonight. 

10:45 :  Remember, kids!  Booze is not your friend, no matter how good it makes you feel. 

10:47: Yes, Mike.  You ARE an idiot.  But admitting it is the first step to recovery. 

10:59 :  "I never thought that dressing as a zombie would end with two girls oiling me down".  Clearly, you've never been to Singapore, @SalvatoreFringo