10 REASONS WHY GREEN LANTERN SHOULD BE THE CW'S NEXT SUPERHERO SHOW

There's always another rumor isn't there? Whether the rumor is that Stephen Amell is quitting Arrow or that Grant Gustin hates the fans there is always some sort of nonsense that comes with high profile superhero TV shows and movies. Most of the time they are unfounded but once in a while they turn out to be true. There were rumors that Ghost Rider would be apart of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 and that turned out to be true!

Not pictured - Nicolas Cage. So far off to a good start!

That's pretty exciting especially for a fan of the character (eh, well concept) like me! So . . . what's the latest rumor? Well there is talk of Green Lantern appearing during one of the DC CW shows, specifically Arrow, sometime this season. Is it going to happen? I truly doubt it. There have been hints and references to the comic books (and we'll get into that in a minute) but no true confirmation. But here's the thing - Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps would be an AWESOME addition to the DC CW-verse. Let's break down the best reasons shall we?

1) GREG BERLANTI IS A MEGA FAN

If you have watched any of the Berlanti Production shows like Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow then one thing is clear - Greg Berlanti is a fan first and foremost. Many films and TV shows have been produced by non-fans and generally the reaction is somewhat mixed. Sometimes they are good, but more often than not you won't see the same level of love that a fan would bring. If you get a true fan at the helm like a Christopher Nolan who loves Batman, Joss Whedon who grew up reading Avengers comics, and the Arrow guys that know Oliver Queen inside and out. Berlanti also knows Green Lantern. He was that dorky kid that loved comics and got picked on. Now look at him! He's producing four TV shows based on superheroes and he's making bank! Take that bullies! But seriously, he knows the Green Lantern mythos having written the script for the Green Lantern film, which may not sound like a vote of confidence but believe me, that film was far better in the scripting stage than what came out (which is sadly not uncommon). He was actually slated to direct the film but got held up on other projects. I'm sure a Greg Berlanti directed Green Lantern would have turned out a lot better, especially given how well all four of his TV Shows have turned out. Speaking of . . . 

2) WHO DOESN'T LOVE A COMEBACK STORY?

Seriously? Who doesn't? Everyone thought it was a crazy idea to hire Robert Downey Jr to play Iron Man when he had such a troubled and public record. But then again, people were so curious to see what would happen that they were willing to give it a shot. And now? He's the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The same goes for the Batman film franchise. After Batman and Robin everyone was convinced that the project was dead in the water. Then Christopher Nolan came around and proved that not only was Batman cool but there was still plenty of life left in the series and the character. Apply that to Green Lantern. Part of the problem with the film is that there is so much story shoved into it that it collapses under its own weight. That problem could easily be fixed with a TV series. There's much more time to get into the mythology and explore the characters, environments, and conflicts. Which brings us to . . . 

3) THE MYTHOLOGY IS TOO BIG FOR A MOVIE TRILOGY

Not long ago when actors signed up for big budget superhero films they signed a 3-picture deal. Basically, if the first film was successful they would do two more after with an option to return for more sequels if they wanted. Ryan Reynolds and company probably signed on for something similar when Green Lantern was produced but that film flopped so they were contracted for other films produced by Warner Bros. I'm not totally an expert on these things but I do know that much. 

As excited as I was for a Green Lantern film, and truthfully it will always have a special place in my heart, I was concerned that there was just too much story for a trilogy of films. Well, I was right. As I said before, the film collapses on itself by trying to put too much mythology and not enough character development into one film. If you've ever read the Geoff Johns run on Green Lantern (do it fucking now if you haven't!) then you know that there is WAAAAAAAY too much story for 6 hours to cover. But 13-23 episodes a year? That's more than enough! In the first crossover between The Flash and Arrow there was talk of the "emotional spectrum" where each color represents an emotion, so there is already somewhat of an established continuity in the DC CW-verse. It's not a stretch to bring this series to life what with the characters already familiar with bits of the lore. 

4) IT KINDA SEEMS LIKE THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP

We started with Arrow, which a street crime drama, then The Flash which introduced superpowers and superpowered threats, then Legends of Tomorrow which introduced time travel and time travel adventures, and then Supergirl which brought in aliens, heroes that can fly, and all kinds of visitors from strange worlds. It seems to me that the next step would be to visit more of those worlds with one or two or more flying heroes acting as the police for outer space. That's the basic-basic gist of what Green Lanterns do anyway. So having these heroes fly around the galaxy fighting intergalactic threats and making friends on all kinds of different planets would be a really fun show. Plus, am I right? It just seems like another crime fighting show in the same vein as Arrow or even the Flash wouldn't be as special. And these guys seem to love trying to top themselves more than anything else! A Green Lantern series would be the best way they could  challenge themselves and give us a unique and exciting new series. Well, unique-ish . . . 

5) THE ANIMATED SERIES WAS A GREAT START 

When the Green Lantern film went into production an animated series was ordered to accompany it. This is not an uncommon thing with big blockbusters. Look at Guardians of the Galaxy, The Amazing Spider-Man, and even the upcoming Justice League Action. It happens all the time. Unfortunately, since the film underperformed the series did not take off and only lasted 26 episodes. Which is a real shame because those 26 episodes are very well done. If a Green Lantern live action series were ever to materialize then this should be the format that they try to emulate. The series was 1/3 comic book excitement and adventure, 1/3 police procedural, and 1/3 Star Trek homage. The Star Trek homage was the most important factor I think for two reasons. 1 - it gave the characters chances to explore strange and new worlds and 2 - it could give lessons in tolerance, racism, sexism, violence, etc without being too preachy. Those types of issues are hot topics these days and a series that takes place in outer space with different cultures and species is a great way to mask those issues. Hmm . . . speaking of which . . . 

6) DIVERSITY IS WHAT THE GREEN LANTERNS ARE ALL ABOUT

In a world where superhero movies and TV shows are mostly dominated by white males, a call for diversity has grown louder and louder. Luckily, Legends of Tomorrow has a very diverse cast and even tackled the issue head on during a trip to the 1950s. Green Lantern is a property that could very easily explore a diverse group of people and I'm not referring to the alien members. There's Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner and Kyle Raynor of course. But then again we have John Stewart, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz. They each represent a different culture and bring different values, morals, backgrounds, etc to the table. John Stewart was one of the first (if not the first) African American superheroes without the word Black in front of his name. The show will lend itself very easily to having a diverse cast and tackling those racial issues I mentioned earlier. While it's best not to be too preachy in an action/adventure/sci-fi series, sometimes it is necessary. Not because the audience won't understand but because, just like in real life, it needs to be addressed. Like I said before, racism and sexism are still hot topic issues in our country. In my opinion, it feels worse now more than ever thanks to the current political climate plus social media and news media. Every now and then, a fun series like this one can really give certain audience members a good kick in the pants. Not only that, but it's inspiring for young Muslim, Hispanic, African American children to watch a series like this and see that they can grow up to be heroes too. That's EXTREMELY important! 

7) POTENTIAL FOR CROSSOVERS AND LEGACY HEROES

It has not escaped me that I just went on about diversity and then I showed a picture of a white guy. But that's neither here nor there . . . Anyway! Since Legends of Tomorrow is set to introduce the Justice Soceity of America and there are rumors that John Wesley Shipp's Jay Garrick will show up on that series, it wouldn't be out of the question to meet Alan Scott, the Green Lantern of (the CW-verse's) Earth 3. In the comics he was from Earth 2, but since Garrick said he was from Earth 3 on The Flash, then it's reasonable to assume other members of the JSA are there as well like Alan Scott. My guess is that, in keeping with diversity, they might adopt the Earth 2 comic book version of Scott where he was a homosexual. Or they could have multiple versions of Alan Scott! Either way, Scott in particular opens the door for more crossovers with the other shows since he fits into the idea of the multiverse (the Flash), the Justice Society (Legends), and his power is magical (Arrow). Even if for some reason the producers decided not to go with the Green Lantern Corps they could have Alan Scott and still open up story possibilities with him going forward. 

8) LITERALLY THE MOST COLORFUL ROGUES GALLERY

One of the best things about Green Lantern comics is that the villains are literally very colorful. I previously mentioned how the Emotional Spectrum was discussed on The Flash. It goes like this: Red is Rage, Orange is Avarice, Yellow is Fear, Green is Will, Blue is Hope, Indigo is Compassion, and Violet is Love. Similar to my idea about diversity being a good topic to discuss with colorful characters so to is controlling your emotions. During Geoff Johns' Green Lantern run he had Hal Jordan experience almost every different type of color. He found it difficult channeling one emotion over the other which is a great metaphor for our daily lives. It's easy to get blinded by rage or consumed by avarice, but it takes real strength to have the Will to keep those emotions in check. Few people are good at it, which is why almost all of the Human Lanterns have defected to a different color at least once during their career. These other Lantern Corps are a relatively new concept to the comic books but one that has proven to be extremely popular. The characters within the Corps have proven to be just as exciting and complex, not to much as diverse, as the Green Lanterns themselves. Green Lantern the Animated Series even dealt with one of the Red Lanterns, Razer, joining with the Green Lanterns, albeit still under the influence of the Red. The series ended with the implication that he was becoming a Blue Lantern, giving us a great redemption arc.  

But even the villains not associated with the Lantern Corps like Hector Hammond, Evil Star, Dr. Polaris, etc have proven to be capable foes able to go toe to toe with the Green Lanterns. Characters like Sinestro, Atrocitus, and Larfleeze, who are Lanterns, have had some of the best stories in comic books. They've proven so popular that they've received their own best selling comic book series. You know how often it is that a villain gets a starring role in a comic, let alone a series devoted entirely to them? Not often, not ones that last anyway! 

9) THERE'S PLENTY OF HISTORY FROM THE COMIC BOOKS

Green Arrow, the Atom, Flash, and Green Lantern have all been mainstays on the Justice League at some point in the last 75 years. Depending on the era you are reading, there's a good chance that all four plus a few other members of the DC CW-verse have been on the team with them. Green Arrow and Green Lantern even starred in a long running and critically acclaimed comic book together. In the wonderful graphic novel Identity Crisis, Green Arrow even shares personal history that he has with the Atom, the Flash (Barry Allen), and Hal Jordan (Green Lantern). It's significant that they have had adventures together, survived tragedy together, and even survived tragedy without each other. There is a real history to the characters that is important to the story and the stories that came after it. That type of history somewhat exists with some of the characters in the CW-verse, but I think that Green Lantern is kind of the glue that can really bring them all together in a new and different way. His powers are much different and he's a different man than Oliver, Barry, Ray, etc. There is a different sensibility to his character that, for lack of a better term, is missing from these shows. And not even just Hal. The other Green Lanterns have much different relationships with each character. It's something that is currently being explored in the DC Universe Rebirth comic books with Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. A new type of character dynamic is the best way to keep these stories fresh and exciting and plus seeing how Hal or the other Lanterns react in group situations vs solo missions is part of the fun of the crossovers and the regular standalone series. It's definitely something I love reading in the comic books and always puts a smile on my face. I have no doubt the producers and writers would make it fun to watch every week. Oh and that reminds me . . .

10) THE SHOW WOULD BE FUCKING AWESOME

Look at that picture. Look at it! That is by far one of my all time favorite comic book covers. It's amazing. I even have it signed by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado (the writer, penciller, and inker of Blackest Night). I love it so much. Every time I wonder if Green Lantern and his world would make a great TV show I think of this picture. I will admit that a Green Lantern TV show would be tricky to say the least. I mean there is the expensive CGI, plus the make up for the alien characters, plus the multiple Green Lanterns to cast, write for, not to mention every other Corps out there. But COME ON!! Wouldn't it be great? Visually, I'm certain it would be spectacular especially given how The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow have turned out with cable TV budgets. I can't even imagine the stress that goes into figuring out how they are gonna make King Shark work as a villain for a full episode of The Flash let alone have Firestorm, the Atom, and the Hawks flying around fighting bad guys in almost every episode of Legends of Tomorrow. Yet somehow, they pull it off and it looks really cool. I have no doubt that Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Greg Berlanti could find a way to pull it off. Plus the best part is that the first 3 or 4 seasons have already been written! All they need to do is contact their good friend and my main man Geoff Johns and adapt his run! I mean seriously! Let's just do this already!

Little known fact about me - when I moved away from home and didn't have many friends in my new town I requested a subscription to Green Lantern as a Christmas gift. It wasn't long before this book became my favorite comic that I was reading on a monthly basis. Somehow every issue seemed to top the one before it and when Blackest Night, then Brightest Day, then the New 52 happened the book still remained on the top of my pull list. As excited as I was for the movie and even though it disappointed it still has a special place in my heart, I still firmly believe that Green Lantern and the whole Corps belong on TV. Given the wonderful track record already set forward by Greg Berlanti and his team with the DC CW-verse I think the GL mythos would be in good hands if they went forward with it. So . . . do it already! 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

WHO'S MISSING FROM THE LEGION OF DOOM?

Well it's finally happening! We are getting a live action version of the Legion of Doom! As announced at last week's San Diego Comic Con the Legion of Doom will be the primary antagonists of DC's Legends of Tomorrow season 2. Given the revelation that the Justice Society of America would feature in the new season it really shouldn't come as a surprise. Especially since the past four years of DC CW series have built up a hell of rogues gallery in and of themselves. From Arrow, the Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and even Supergirl there are have been many adversaries to choose from, some are even pictured above.

So far the LoD is confirmed to have Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn, Captain Cold and the Reverse Flash.

Not much room for diversity in the Legion of Doom is there?

Over on Gotham, it seems like the villains are teaming up all the time or at least that happened quite a few times during season 2. Having a whole slew of baddies on the CW to fight their burgeoning Justice Society is definitely exciting. However, one can't help but wonder, is that it? Will we get to see more Legionnaires? Oh wait . . . That's a different thing . . . But you know what I mean! Who else might we get to see this year torture and fight our beloved Legends? Well, I have a wish list I'd like to share . . . 

 GORILLA GRODD

I think it's pretty safe to say that Grodd was a surprise inclusion during season 1 of The Flash. Even more surprising was his return in season 2 where he got a lot of screen time. That's no small feat for a character that basically demands to be 100% CGI, i.e. he's very expensive to use especially for a cable TV series. We left him last about to discover Gorilla City in another dimension. Given Grodd's rising intellect it's safe to say he will find a way back to Central City to cause trouble for our beloved Scarlet Speedster. But what if before he makes it back to Central City, he's recruited by the Legion of Doom? He's been an LoD mainstay for a long time. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that the LoD will need some serious muscle, not to mention a psychic powered muscle, to help them carry out their evil schemes. The only issue I can foresee is that Grodd would be very expensive to animate for multiple episodes, given the fact that most of the main heroes require a good deal of animation to begin with. But then again, ya never know! The producers of the DC CW shows have surprised us before!

DEATHSTROKE

While he's never been a member of the Legion of Doom in the comic books, as far as I know, he was a very important and arguably the best villain that Arrow has had so far. Fans have practically been begging for his return since he was left on Lian Yu at the end of season 2. True, he came back for an episode in season 3 but does that really count? We didn't get to see him dawn his bad ass armor again and really cut loose! So why not do that? Let's bring back Oliver's worst enemy and have him really wreak havoc on the Legends! It's not so crazy when you think about it. Sara Lance is also one of his most hated enemies and she's got a front row seat on the Waverider. All Merlyn would have to do is say Sara's name and Slade would be more than happy to jump at the chance for revenge. It's what that crazy bastard lives for!

SOLOMON GRUNDY

Grundy is kind of a no brainer. I mean literally, the dude doesn't have much intelligence. But he likes stealing things and apparantly he's a zombie that will never die. He's basically the muscle of the Legion of Doom. I mean, someone has to be stupid enough to start a fight with Superman for crying out loud! During season 2 of Arrow, Grundy's alter ego Cyrus Gold was used. He was infused with Mirakuru and gave the Arrow some trouble before he was finally put down. While that character was a cool nod to Grundy, back when Arrow was still skirting around having actual superpowers in the show, it would be nice to see that character come back as the walking undead thief we all know and love(ish). His inclusion this season is unlikely though given that Gotham is set to include their own version of Grundy sometime during their new season. Still . . . it would be great to see him brought to life and make trouble for the Legends. 

BIZARRO

Another mainstay of the Legion of Doom is Superman's backwards doppelganger, Bizarro. In the comics he is from a cube shaped Earth and is the opposite of Superman. In some stories he speaks in opposites, like Hi means Good Bye, etc. In other stories his powers are the reverse of Superman. For example he has Ice Vision and Fire Breath in contrast to Superman's Arctic Breath and Heat Vision. Not long ago, Supergirl got her own version of Bizarro in the comic books. When the producers adapted Supergirl into a live action TV Series they loosely adapted this story. Bizarro Supergirl is the reverse of Supergirl, she's monstrous, Ice Vision, Fire Breath, and destroys instead of saving. She's created by Maxwell Lord as a counterpoint to Supergirl, but as these things go, she goes off the reservation and well . . . there's fighting and such . . . Anyway! She would make a great addition to the CW's Legion of Doom, assuming of course that Supergirl is established on their Earth as opposed to being in a different part of the Multiverse (I really hope that's corrected). Like with Grundy, since the majority of the confirmed LoD members are just regular dudes, minus Reverse Flash, it's a good idea to have some serious muscle on the team to throw off the team's ability to stop whatever evil scheme they are hatching. Cuz in the end, we wanna see handsome men like Brandon Routh punching ugly people like Bizarro am I right? Haha! . . . No . . . Yeesh . . . Anyway!

TOYMAN

Another mainstay of the Legion of Doom! In the comics, Winslow Schott AKA the Toyman was a disgruntled toy maker hell bent on getting revenge on those who wronged him. For the most part, that origin remains intact for his various appearances on Smallville, Superman: the Animated Series, and of course Supergirl. It seems like his motivation for joining the Legion of Doom is nothing more than having a group of like minded people that love taking their aggression out on superheroes in creative ways. And let's face it, what's wrong with that? I think the Supergirl version of the character would fit in perfectly next to Damien Darhk, Merlyn, Cold, and Reverse Flash. He's a creepy enough guy with a penchant for making crazy robot things for the heroes to fight. It's why he's always been included in almost every version of the Legion of Doom thus far, why should Legends of Tomorrow be any different? I think he'd fit it in well and would be a great foil to the other characters. Or maybe just have him show up in the crossover episode and screw with Green Arrow and the Flash. 

 They have EXPLOSIVE personalities! Haha . . . get it?

While those are just a small number of characters that I think would fit into the Legion of Doom, I think they are all good choices. Whether it's their history with the organization from Challenge of the Super Friends or the comic books or just the characters' histories within the CW-verse, they are all good choices. I can't wait to see what happens with these villains and how the heroes will deal with them. Especially Captain Cold. Didn't he die? . . . Stupid time travel . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!

THE OTHER INFAMOUS MARK HAMILL COMIC BOOK ROLES

If you are reading this it's probably safe to say that when you think of Mark Hamill you think of Luke Skywalker. The names go together like Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney. What you may not realize is that Hamill is actually much more than the last Jedi. Yes of course there is a certain Clown Prince of Crime that most people identify him with but did you know that he's also the voice behind many other famous comic book characters? Well . . . let's take a look!

SPIDER-MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - THE HOBGOBLIN

In the comic books, The Green Goblin is to Spider-Man is like the Joker to Batman. They are locked into an eternal battle for all eternity. However, in the animated series from the early 90s, Hobgoblin was the first Goblin that Spidey fought. He was an extremely dangerous opponent that could fight Spider-Man in the skies of New York. He played the Kingpin and Norman Osborn like cheap fiddles, even battling the Green Goblin in a later episode. And guess what? He sounded an awful lot like the Joker from Batman: the Animated Series. I remember watching those episodes and really loving the character but being bothered by his voice sounding like the Joker. Even as a kid I knew it was the same actor, even if I was in denial that it was the same actor playing Luke Skywalker (boy did that come as a shock to me). Hobgoblin was my favorite Spider-Man villain in the show. He was the only one that seemed like a genuine threat to Spider-Man. Maybe one day he'll show up in a Spider-Man film. Until then . . . I'll always remember that Mark Hamill made me afraid of this dude like no other Spidey rogue could. 

THE BATMAN - TONY ZUCCO

While The Batman might be seen to some as a subpar version of Batman: the Animated Series, truthfully, it's probably more or less what the show should have been. LET ME EXPLAIN! It was a kid-friendly version of Batman's adventures while B:TAS was probably much more, shall we say, mature than the folks at Warner Bros Animation were expecting. For my money, it doesn't get any better than B:TAS but The Batman was a good successor. Kids need awesome Batman stories that they can get excited about. Something that's usually done behind the scenes with these shows is casting former Bat-actors to play significant roles in the current series. Adam West played the Grey Ghost in a wonderful episode of B:TAS. When The Batman finally introduced Robin they brought the two heaviest hitters for significant parts. Kevin Conroy, famously the voice of Batman, played John Grayson, Robin's father and Mark Hamill played Tony Zucco, the man who killed Robin's parents, essentially creating Robin. If you were to watch the episode, you'd probably recognize Conroy's voice, but I'm willing to bet you will never recognize Hamill's voice. As a fan of acting and actors that can play multiple roles I must say that I love his performance here. He sounds nothing like Mark Hamill and better yet, he sounds nothing like the Joker. He takes on this role and gives it the weight that it needs. Zucco is a bad guy that's doing terrible things and kinda loves it. Whether it's getting his way with the circus or torturing Batman, he gets off on the evil acts he performs. Huh . . . I guess it is kinda like the Joker . . . But he sounds nothing like him. So there's that!

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD - THE SPECTRE

Truth be told, this is probably my favorite DC Comics Mark Hamill role (post-Joker I mean). The Spectre is a character that doesn't make a lot of sense in the DC Universe. I mean, his whole goal is to exact vengeance on the guilty, but the Joker is untouched? Sinestro? Ugh . . . the list goes on. But still, the concept of the character is really cool. In the Batman: Brave and the Bold episode, "Chill of the Night" Bruce is one step closer to catching the man who killed his parents. The Phantom Stranger, played by Kevin Conroy, who is awesome, and the Spectre make a wager on Batman's soul. Stranger believes that Bruce will serve justice and spare his life while the Spectre believes Bruce will serve vengeance and kill him. In the end, Batman lets Joe Chill live only to have the Stranger insinuate that Spectre killed Chill himself. Like with Zucco, Hamill gives yet another stellar performance. Like his other voiceover roles, Hamill lets himself embody the character and let the audience never wonder who plays the character. Instead they are so captivated by the performance and taken in by the story that you never wonder who voices who because you're thinking, "Holy crap! That was a great episode!" I kind of secretly love the Spectre, even though the character makes no sense. Hamill adds to that making me excited to see this guy because I know only bad things will follow. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE - SOLOMON GRUNDY 

In one of the best episodes of season one of Justice League, Lex Luthor assembles the Injustice League. It's a play on the old Challenge of the Super Friends TV series. It's a lot of fun and one of the best aspects of the episode is that it reaffirms the importance of Batman to the team. The Joker makes a memorable entrance and kicks lots of Justice League ass, as only the Joker can do, and of course he is voiced by none other than the irreplaceable Mark Hamill, but Hamill also voices the Injustice Gang's resident strong man, Solomon Grundy.  While the Injustice episode didn't go too much into his backstory, that was saved for a later episode in season 2 where his origins were explained and he even helped the Justice League fight off an invasion by Ichthultu. Hamill proves his talent by giving another stellar performance. While at first, Grundy may just seem like a mindless monster that loves destruction and gold. By the end of the episode we learn that all Grundy wants is his soul back and a chance to fight for it just like Superman and the Justice League fight for it. Wonderful storytelling and brought to life by a wonderful actor, even when he's voicing a monster. 

THE FLASH - JESSE JAMES/THE TRICKSTER

Other than the Joker and Luke Skywalker, this is probably Hamill's most famous role. Technically speaking, no one else has ever played the role of the Trickster, Jesse James, on film. He played the character in the short lived live action TV series of the early 90s, voiced the character in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, and reprised the role during the recent successful CW series The Flash. While most younger viewers will watch the new series and think he's channeling his Joker persona, and they're not entirely wrong, really he was playing The Trickster long before he was the Joker. They are similar characters, crazy, murderous, see the fun side of villainy, etc. But the best part is that most of us hear how Hamill is as the Joker, the Trickster is the way for us to SEE it. And juxtaposed next to Barry Allen's sense of justice and honesty, it's a truly fun experience as a fan to see him mess with the Flash as only a truly diabolical villain like the Trickster can. Plus, as an audience, it gives them the chance to see Mark Hamill as the truly talented actor that I know he is. He's a wonderfully evil villain just as much as he is the earnest hero in the Star Wars films. 

THE JOKER 

Outside of Luke Skywalker, The Joker is definitely Mark Hamill's most iconic role. To an entire generation, including myself, he IS the Joker. Over the various cartoons, films, video games, etc that he has played the character, he has given us every facet of the Joker that is available in the comic books. He's been playful, evil, murderous, unpredictable, loving, hating, funny, and any other adjective you can think of. What is there really to say that hasn't already been said? He's played the character longer and definitely better than any other actor. Not only that, but he's openly supported other actors that have played the part after him like John DiMaggio (Batman: Under the Red Hood), Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman), and Jeff Bennett (Batman: the Brave and the Bold). But for all of us that are true fans of Batman: the Animated Series, there will never be another Mark Hamill. He gave the Joker life and continues to astonish and amaze as the character with recent turns in the Batman: Arkham video games and of course his dream project of Batman: the Killing Joke. Here's hoping that we get to see more of Hamill as the Joker because nobody does it better.

While Mark Hamill has made a name for himself as a famous movie star willing to poke fun at himself and his role as Luke Skywalker, he's known to fans all around the world as the definitive Joker. As you can see, and if you do your own research on the topic, he's also made a name for himself in the world of voice acting, which is also a tough business to get into. Luckily, Hamill has more than proved himself capable of kicking ass as a wonderful actor behind cartoon voices beloved by many fans around the world.

But let's face it . . . His Joker is top notch right? HAHAHA!!

Till Next Time!




JJ - the Comic Junkie! 

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE EDITION REVIEW - GUEST POST

What's up guys? It's Mikey AKA Mr. McBlam and welcome to today's fix of nerd talk. I want to give special thanks to my friend JJ for letting me contribute to the blog today, I hope to be contributing much more! Thanks JJ!

So what is on my mind today? Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition has been released on DVD/Blu Ray. Many saw it in a limited theater release, most people, like myself, saw it on Digital Download. The question is - Does it live up to the hype? From my perspective, and those I've forced to watch it with me, the answer is a resounding YES! 

The film was enjoyable in theaters, tingling each of our nerd senses that had us giggling like school girls. Comic panels come to life in a way that each of us as the readers imagined them. You can argue that certain things only work in comics, but you have to admit your inner comic junkie squealed at the sight of Superman standing in mid-air as his cape flapped in the wind, Batman clinging to the side of a building a la Frank Miller style, and Wonder Woman lunging forward into battle, sword drawn, with a war cry that made you just want to pump your fist in the air. 

Squeal!

However, despite the awesome visuals, the film's story left me wanting a lot more than what was given. The extra thirty minutes definitely gives me what I want. The film flows better, scenes and plot points make more sense and the movie, as a whole, definitely improves. 

Some points about the extended edition that I love is that we get to see Clark Kent more. We see his struggle, understand him as a person more and, arguably, we relate to him more for the first time on film. This is a character that has never truly been relatable because we all see him as this symbol, but this new, extended version of the film, as well as Man of Steel, shows that to be this "Super-Man" doesn't just happen overnight, and doing what is right and what is wrong isn't always laid out in black and white. 

Batman is still awesome. The extended version doesn't add a whole lot more to him, but I don't think it needed to. For the first time we see Batman from the perspective of everyone else. We see the reason he is terrifying; we have more of a reason to question his methods. In the other films, we would blindly follow Bats, not thinking about the things he actually does and how horrible he is because he appeals to the inner vigilante in all of us. We all in some way, no matter how good, want to see people get what they deserve. This movie brings those things to light and better yet, focuses on them and shows us that it's not as simple as good and bad and yes, people should reap what they sew, but is it the right of a single person to do the reaping? 

I can't go into other topics without spoiling it, but I definitely give my recommendation to everyone to watch it. Is it a perfect movie? By no means, but what movie truly is? There are issues that come up in every movie, but the extended edition of Batman v Superman is definitely a great experience. I only wish I could have seen this version in theaters. Hey, we still have Justice League to look forward to! In the words of the great Terrence Howard in Iron Man, "Next time, baby!" 

I mean . . . Not for you . . . hahaha!

Thank you everyone for reading! 

Be sure to follow For Comic Junkies on blogger, Twitter, and Facebook so we can see YOU on the next blog!

Mikey McBlam!!!!

What’s up guys it’s Mikey AKA Mr. McBlam and welcome to today’s fix of nerd talk for

comic junkies. I want to give special thanks to my friend JJ for letting m!

DC REBIRTH HAPPENED - NOW WHAT HAPPENS?

Well, it happened. The DC Universe Rebirth special happened and it shook the DC Universe up in a very, very good way. While I don't think that necessarily the comic books will return to "how it was before the New 52" but I do think that we are on the right track toward making DC Comics great again. The special was written by none other than my main man Geoff Johns. There is one thing that no one can deny and it's that Johns is the biggest DC fan in the world. He knows every character inside and out. It's why, under his watch, characters like Hawkman, Booster Gold, Mera and Aquaman, the Legion of Superheroes were all top selling books when they had previously been written off by DC editorial and their fans. Now he's taken the whole of the DCU and given it a new direction to go in.

Part of what makes this particular Rebirth so exciting is that it allows the fans access back into the world that they know and love. I'm someone that loved the New 52 but still felt like there were things missing from the comics. Rebirth showed us that Johns, and the characters in that universe, feel the same way. I was of the mindset that if the New 52 was to be truly successful then there should have been a complete and total reboot and not just a partial one like they did. Since characters like Green Lantern and Batman were selling so well and their stories were so great, DC didn't want to change any of that. That was a mistake in my mind. Go big or go home, right? It just made everything so confusing. Did Blackest Night happen? Did Final Crisis happen? These things clearly were not sorted out before the New 52 was launched. It was kind of a "Don't worry about it, it's fine" mentality. That doesn't really fly with comic book fans that have invested a lot of time and money into loving their books and cataloging their events not only on their shelves but in their minds and hearts. Rebirth gave us a much better answer than Convergence ever could. Not only had the events pre-Flashpoint existed, but something drastically changed everything and only one person remembered what happened.

The OG Wally West! Accept no substitutes! He was lost to the Speed Force and was trying desperately to connect with someone on Earth to let them know that something terrible had happened and the world needed correcting. Basically, he was saying DC Editorial fucked up and he's gotta fix it! I'm kidding of course (but only a little).

So we're on our way to restoring DC Comics to their full potential! So what happens now? As with any type of change, it will of course be met with some resistance, in this case, in the form of none other than the all powerful Dr. Manhattan!

Blue Balls McGee is what I call him . . . 

So not only has Geoff Johns successfully brought Wally West back to the DCU, he's brought the world of Watchmen front and center to the DCU! Now that was a good twist! Then of course Johns had to go and ruin it by saying that he's taking a break from comics for a while!

Bastard!

Now I'm certain when the time comes for the Watchmen to take on the Justice League, or at least Dr. Manhattan vs the Justice League, Johns will return to tell that story. Because he started this mess and he better damn well clean it up! But anyway . . . 

I can't help but wonder where the comics will go from here. Rebirth left things feeling like it will definitely get better, even if there has to be a little pain before the good can happen. But with the teased return of the Justice Society, Wally West's return and the other Wally West becoming the new Kid Flash, plus the return of pre-Flashpoint Superman, we're definitely going to be in for a very interesting and no doubt very exciting round of DC Comics this time around. 

Personally, I'm kind of hoping to see Batman take on Ozymadias, Rorschach, the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan and then make out with Silk Spectre . . . Hmmm . . . maybe I should just go ahead and write that story . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

MCU'S SPIDER-MAN - WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH HIM?

Captain America: Civil War opened last weekend and blew everyone's socks off! However, the thing that most people have taken away from the film is that Spider-Man was reintroduced to audiences and not only does he totally fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he lives up to his Amazing adjective. Without giving too much away, we're given just a taste of what to expect from Spider-Man in his solo film due out next year (on my birthday . . . how cool is that?). People have been saying that he's the best live action Spider-Man yet. I think it's a little premature at this point. He was very good, don't get me wrong, but I'm reserving judgment until I see Homecoming.

What worked best for the character was that it genuinely didn't feel like this was his first time as Spider-Man. I don't necessarily mean Peter Parker, I mean Tom Holland. He slipped into the movie so seamlessly that I felt like we had already seen a solo Spidey film before this. Not only that, but he didn't feel out of place standing next to the rest of the Avengers. I felt like I was reading one of my favorite comics when all the characters were fighting. He was funny to us but super irritating to the other characters. Just like the real Spider-Man. They all love him but they'll all agree that he needs to shut the fuck up sometimes.

They're all thinking it!

The fact that Spider-Man has been given new cinematic life is very exciting news. After a failed start with the Amazing Spider-Man series, we're getting a Spidey that we all love. Hopefully this time they won't kill off everyone with the last name Stacy . . . I'm just saying. 

I've talked before about who I think Parker will fight in his new film, and I stand by those choices. Today, I'd like to propose a different idea. We're seeing Spider-Man get a new film and that's all well and good but let's think about this for a minute. The best part of Captain America: Civil War was that we got to see all of these great characters in a Captain America film that we would never normally see in a stand alone film. Characters like War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Ant-Man and yes Spidey were all represented, and represented well, in this film. That got me thinking, where else can we send Peter Parker? Let's look around the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shall we?

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR 

I mean, this is pretty much a guarantee right? The Marvel producers and directors have pretty much said that Infinity War (or whatever they end up calling it) will be a culmination of everything that's happened since Iron Man kicked off the MCU. One would assume that that will include Spider-Man. Considering that Spider-Man is to Marvel Comics what Mickey Mouse is to Disney (which is ironic to say these days), he'll pretty much HAVE to show up in some capacity while Thanos is screwing up reality with the Infinity Gauntlet. Spider-Man actually did play a pretty big role in the original Infinity Gauntlet comic book. Hopefully we'll get to see him kick a lot more ass in the upcoming Avengers films. 

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

While the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done an excellent job of maintaining its own corner in the MCU, as well as establishing the characters as great heroes in their own right, it's frustrating that we still never get any proper Avengers cameos. They get name dropped a lot and Samuel L. Jackson and Colbie Smulders guest starred on a few episodes in the first couple of seasons. However, it's just irritating that characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and even Captain America never make appearances. Most likely this has to do with actors' salaries, schedules, etc etc. All that stupid crap. Rumor has it that the TV and movie people don't exactly get along in real life (behind the scenes I mean). Which, let's face it, is petty and childish. They're all supposed to work together and give the audience the greatest shared universe in history. And let's face it, the face to best represent that is Spider-Man. Despite me saying that he's very irritating earlier, there is also no denying that everyone loves him and what he brings to the table. 

In Civil War, Spider-Man was able to be the wild card on Iron Man's team but also represent the audience by pointing out how cool everyone's powers are as well as the ridiculousness of everyone fighting. The S.H.I.E.L.D. series has definitely evolved a lot in just seasons. The Inhumans and the Kree play a very large role in the series. A character like Spider-Man should come in and point out how much the world has changed and how insane everything is. When the Flash guest starred on Supergirl, he was able to point out the craziness of that show without parodying it or debunking it. Every now and then, the audience needs a character just like them that is willing to say what they're thinking like, "Wow, all these aliens and Inhumans is really bizarre!" Spider-Man is perfect for that because he's funny and relatable to the audience. Plus, who wouldn't want to see Peter Parker team up with Quake and Coulson and kick Hydra's ass? I'd be down for that! 

DAREDEVIL

I've mentioned this before but it's worth repeating. Daredevil just HAS to team up with Spider-Man. I mean it kind of needs to happen and soon! The two characters have a long history of team ups in the comics. They're a really good pair and compliment each other very well. Since they are both New York heroes born and raised, it gives them a sense of unity that most of the other Avengers don't have. Plus during any writer and artist's run on an arc of either Daredevil or Spidey (or both) they always team up. Given that Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is running New York's underworld and creating problems relating to super-powers or just criminal activity in general, Spidey and Daredevil often end up trying to fix whatever issues he's causing. 

I grew up on the Spider-Man animated series. The Kingpin was in quite a few episodes and he was always creating new super villains to fight Spider-Man. I always associated him with Spider-Man which is why I was surprised (and disappointed) to learn that it was possible that he would never appear in a Spider-Man film because he was technically a Daredevil character. However, it's not impossible anymore! With Vincent D'Onofrio giving us a compelling and really incredible Wilson Fisk, it would be a shame not see him tangle with Spider-Man at some point. What better time to do that than in Daredevil season 3? At some point, Fisk is going to start manufacturing super-villains and that would be just a little outside of Matt Murdock's wheelhouse. So let's bring in some back up in the form of Spider-Man! Or possibly have Fisk be the villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming and then Daredevil can make an appearance in the film! Oh my god . . .  Please let this happen!

VS THE PUNISHER

This is probably not going to happen for a while, but in my opinion this should happen! As of this writing we do not know when the Punisher Netflix series will premiere. If I had to guess I'd say sometime after The Defenders which, according to Charlie Cox, starts filming this fall. Either way, Spider-Man vs The Punisher is one of my all-time favorite comic book battles. I love both characters and it's great to see them butt heads. Spider-Man considers the Punisher to be just as bad as the guys he fights and never hesitates to tell him that and try to find him when he's loose in NYC. However, the Punisher actually likes Spider-Man. He respects what he does and never wants to fight him. I don't think he "looks up to him" or anything like that, but he definitely considers Spider-Man a hero. Having said that, he still can't stand the fact that Spidey won't do what needs to be done and put criminals down for good. 

Now that Marvel has given us the best Punisher, in the form of Jon Bernthal, and arguably the best Spider-Man, Tom Holland, I'd say it's time we get these two together for an epic showdown. True, we got a lot of philosophical debate going during Daredevil season two between Daredevil and Castle, but I think Spider-Man brings a different argument to the table. Considering that Parker is a lot younger than Murdock and Castle, he'll be seen as a bit more naive than Murdock but it would also be great to see Castle not only try to convince Spider-Man that what he's doing is the right way, but he'll give him arguments that Spider-Man can't win. On the other side of that, I'd like to see Tom Holland stretch his acting muscles. We've seen him kick ass and make us all laugh as Spider-Man, but now it's time to see him have to grow up a little. A character like the Punisher is great for that because he forces Spider-Man to look at the world differently. Are you going to stand by your convictions or are you going to make a change in your life? 

VILLAINS UNITED

Another exciting concept when thinking about Spider-Man joining the MCU is the potential for his villains to team up with other villains. Although Marvel has not yet had a true villain team up in the movies, which is surprising when you think about it, it would be pretty awesome to have Loki team up with Green Goblin or something similar in Homecoming or a Spidey sequel down the line. Spider-Man has some of the greatest villains in all of comic books. A lot of them have been portrayed very well in the films such as Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Sandman, and Lizard. Some have been portrayed . . . Shall we say not as well? *cough Venom, Electro cough* But . . . that's ok! It's in the past and now we can see new villains or at least new takes on his great rogues gallery. And just as exciting is the possibility of them appearing in an Avengers film, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., or The Defenders. It definitely gives a lot more options than just the normal rogues those characters face. Quite often in the comics, the heroes will fight each other's bad guys. Daredevil has taken on Mysterio, Hulk fought the Frost Giants, Iron Man has butted heads with Dr. Doom, and so on and so forth. It's something that I'm hoping will be repeated in the upcoming films and TV shows.

When it was first announced that Spider-Man would appear in Captain America: Civil War, I was worried that he wouldn't fit in or worse that he would be shoehorned in just because they could do it now. I'm happy to say that that was definitely not the case and Tom Holland's Spider-Man made my heart soar. The more I think about it, the more excited I get not only for Spider-Man: Homecoming, but for whatever other plans Marvel has for Peter Parker going forward. I've said it before and I'll say it again - It's a damn good time to be a comic book fan :D

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie 

4 THINGS I WANT TO SEE IN THE DOCTOR STRANGE MOVIE

Soon we will see the Marvel Cinematic Universe go to war in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Then we'll see it take a turn to the freaky in Doctor Strange. Of the two films, I'm definitely excited for . . . well both of them. However, after seeing the Strange trailer do some pretty, well, strange things I gotta admit I'm intrigued. While we've seen Captain America and Iron Man before, we've never had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Strange. My sincerest hope is that this film will be every bit as amazing and trippy as the trailer led us to believe. If it is, then we are in for a very different, very exciting new kind of Marvel movie.

I'll just go ahead and admit that the character of Dr. Strange is not my area of expertise. I got into the character a few years ago during the New Avengers and Dark Reign storylines. However, I've become a much bigger fan of the character thanks to Jason Aaron's and Chris Bachalo's current run on the book.

I've mentioned this before. You remember! 

 

Unlike some comics numbered 1, I found this comic very easy to jump into. I didn't feel like I needed a lot of backstory or clarification on what was going on. Lots of comics when they get renumbered back to 1 are guilty of just continuing the story they were already telling. Granted, in some cases it's not so bad, but the whole point of the issue having a big ass #1 on the cover should mean that it's easy to jump in without a lot of previous knowledge of the character. Luckily, for someone like me, this comic made me feel like I knew this guy. I felt like I had been a fan for years. And it also got me really excited for the movie. 

 

I was already excited for this film. I mean we have Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange who has never failed to impress me and Scott Derrickson directing. His films like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose scared the hell out of me! I knew he would be a good fit for Doctor Strange. Put the two of them together and I was definitely excited to see a different kind of Marvel movie. Because that's what we desperately need. 

 

Now, I don't know much about the character but I do have a short wish list of what I'd like to see in this film. 

 

A WELL DEVELOPED VILLAIN

 

So let's just get this out of the way right now. Marvel has a terrible track record when it comes to movie villains. They cast these amazing actors like Mickey Rourke, Ben Kingsley, James Spader, and Corey Stoll, then they don't give them much to work with. As an actor, that must be incredibly frustrating. I know I'm not the only one with this complaint. It's been Marvel's biggest problem since the first Iron Man film. Every once in a while they get it right, but mostly it seems like the villains are too easily defeated by the heroes and their motivations are not clear or flimsy at best. 

With Dr. Strange I think we have a chance to turn that around. Strange has some (boy I'm gonna use this a lot) strange villains. Most are other sorcerers looking to steal his power or something like that. Others are demons from other dimensions. In this case, we can see a villain try to rise to power and Strange will have to work hard to try and stop them. The most powerful villains are the most frightening. Those are the ones that we believe can give the hero a run for their money. Not only that but when the hero triumphs, it feels earned and much more exciting. The Marvel films are great at having the villains with some sort of personal tie to the hero, but it needs to be more than that. The villain needs to be scary, but also relatable. It's not enough to say, "I hate you!" or "I want to take over the world!" We as an audience need more than that. Hopefully, this film will give us a unique villain.

 

AVENGERS CAMEOS BUT DON'T TELL US!

 

I miss the days when the title hero was the selling point of the film, as opposed to the cameos and co-stars. For example, Ant-Man had a cameo from the Falcon. While he did fit into that film, and I loved seeing him, I would have preferred not knowing that he was going to be in the film. His appearance was spoiled ahead of time by one of the TV spots. That really annoyed me because it ruined the surprise in the film. And the thing is, I didn't even watch that one! An internet headline about 3 weeks away from the film had spoiled it! I don't blame the headline, that's just them trying for click bait, I blame Marvel. Why bother spoiling that scene? It was one of the best in the film and I didn't really like that film! Ugh . . . 

So listen, Marvel, if any other heroes or villains make an appearance in Doctor Strange please don't tell us! I'd rather be surprised to see Scarlet Witch or War Machine show up during the second act. These types of cameos are tricky to pull off because you don't want to take the focus away from the main hero but you also want to remind the audience that they are apart of the MCU. That's all well and good, and the more Avengers the better (if you ask me) but just keep it a secret. It will make me like the film all that much more I promise! 

A HINT OF MAGIC USERS ACROSS THE MCU

 

One of the things that Guardians of the Galaxy did so well was give us a taste of the larger universe besides just the Marvel heroes and villains on Earth. I'm hoping that Doctor Strange will do the same thing with the magic users on Earth and beyond. Characters like Brother Voodoo, Ghost Rider, and Damien would be awesome to see in some capacity in this film. While it shouldn't be much, since this is Strange's debut film after all, I would love to see a hint of more to come. And let me be clear - I don't mean a sequel tease. I mean an actual nod or Easter egg that these characters exist already somewhere in the MCU. Also, it would be cool to give some sort of nod to Dr. Doom. Since Doom is still under Fox's lock and key (for God knows what reason) maybe a mention or hint of him could be alluded to without naming names. Hopefully by the time Doctor Strange 2 rolls around Fox will lend out some Fantastic Four characters and we can get a sorcerer fight between Strange and Doom. Now THAT would be an awesome film!

 

NEW YORK CITY

 

Ok so here's a strange (sorry) complaint, but bear with me for a moment. I've never felt like any of the Marvel heroes had a home. Daredevil and Jessica Jones both did a great job of making New York City feel like a supporting character in their films. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and even the Amazing films also did a great job of making New York feel like part of the story. Iron Man took place in Los Angeles, Winter Soldier was in DC, and the first Avengers was (mostly) in NYC. However, I never felt like the cities in question were a part of the story. Stan Lee lived and breathed New York. That's why all his stories took place there. He and his artists knew the city very well. Most of the Marvel movies could take place anywhere and we wouldn't know the difference. However, I think it's important to a character that he have roots in his city so when he fights for it, it's an honest fight. He's willing sacrifice himself not just for humanity but for his home. Since a lot of the filming took place in New York, I'm hoping to see the city become part of the story as more than just a location. Think of it this way, Ghostbusters wouldn't be the same if it took place in Los Angeles or Chicago or anywhere else. The location can add flavor and excitement to the film. That's what I'm hoping to see. Also, I just freaking love New York so much . . . 

I haven't been a Stranger for very long (I just made up that nickname btw), but I am really digging the new series and it's made me so excited for the upcoming movie. In a way, it feels like the first Iron Man film. Back then I didn't know much about the character but I was still excited for the film. The difference now is that I'm actively reading the comic books in anticipation for the film. I'm sure we'll all be in for something really . . .  (last one I promise) strange . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!