Why You SHOULD Be Watching The CW's Arrow...

With the traditional 2013-2014 TV season coming to an end (I'm still not on board with the whole new programming airing in the summer thing… although that’s not stopping me from watching FX’s The Strain next month!), it’s the perfect time to do a little binge-watching, and get caught up on those shows that you've been putting off. Of course, you could also do things like go outside and enjoy the weather or spend time with family and friends and stuff, but, seriously, who wants to do that? What you really need to be doing is catching up on The CW’s superb show, Arrow. (I'm looking at you Alex Welch and Mark Reilly!)

Now, I am a self-proclaimed Marvel fan-girl, and I make no apologies for it. I've always been drawn towards Marvel properties and usually prefer them to DC. Does this mean that I think all DC properties suck and they need to be wiped off the face of the Earth? Absolutely not! Good is good… and while I don’t cut DC/The WB a lot of slack when it comes to their movie universe, the one thing that they do extremely well is television. Both their live action and animated properties are fantastic. 

I will admit, I knew nothing about The Green Arrow before the pilot episode. What I did know, however, was that the show was based on a comic-book (which always peaks my interest) and that Stephen Amell looked pretty damn hot doing those salmon-ladder pull-ups, half naked, in the promos. How could I not watch?

Image courtesy of The CW

I'm sorry… What was I saying? I got a little distracted… hmmm, abs… Where was I again? Oh yeah… I think I remember now…

So, right from the get go, I admit, I was hooked. Having no previous knowledge of the character or his story, I found the pilot engaging and the characters extremely interesting. The episodes move swiftly along, never really stopping long enough to get bogged down by the sometimes serious subject matter. The overall story arc of the season is interspersed with stand-alone episodes, giving the heavy plot a much needed break. The show-runners do a fantastic job of seamlessly blending the current timeline with a set of flashbacks, meant to give insight and some exposition into Oliver Queen’s transformation into The Arrow. They also do a great job of preventing the story from becoming predictable. Often times, when you think they’re going to zig, they actually zag, completely throwing off the viewer’s perceptions. They also have no problem changing the game part way through or irrevocably altering the landscape. There are plenty of Easter eggs scattered throughout, as well, and many nods and introductions of other famous characters in the DC universe. You’ll actually be quite surprised by who shows up in Starling City. The action is top-notch, especially once you get to some of the later episodes in season two. The overall production value of the series is amazing, and I have to give props to The CW for allowing the show-runners to go for it. It is definitely paying off.

While I do love the show, there is one thing that I have a serious issue with. My main problem is with Katie Cassidy’s Laurel Lance. While Cassidy kicked ass as the original Ruby on The CW’s Supernatural, her Laurel Lance is a serious dud. It’s almost as if the writers had a plan for her but changed their minds part way through, and then just kind of let her character fall by the wayside. I know that in the comic books, Laurel is the Black Canary, and while I fear that that is the direction that the show is heading, I really hope that they change their minds. They have introduced other, more interesting characters into the mix and I would prefer that they explore those characters and their story arcs. But, this is really just a me thing, because I really think that, overall, this is a fantastic series.

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with the addition of The Flash to this universe. Up until now, the series has been pretty reality based (well, as much as a TV series based on a comic book can be!), so the addition of people with “super-powers” is going to change things significantly, I think. If nothing else, it opens up the world to many other possibilities. I'm excited to see where they take us.  

Why Marvel's Winning The War....

So, the second Guardians of the Galaxy trailer dropped today...

Yeah, it's fricking amazing! Add that to the amazing first trailer that we got back in February... and I mean, yeah... this is... yeah, it's just.... YEAH! FRICKIN' YEAH!

Now, those that know me, know that I am a self-professed Marvel fan-girl. I like Marvel, always have, always will. That doesn't mean that by default, I hate all things DC. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like DC properties... I mean, what's there not to like about Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? They are incredible characters, and are a huge part of comic book lore, both past and present. Arguably the three most iconic comic book characters in history, they cannot be discounted, ever. I do, in fact, collect a number of DC titles currently... just not any of those titles and not as many as the number of Marvel titles I collect.

That being said, it's no secret that Marvel is winning the war between the two comic book giants, when it comes to big screen adaptations. (I wrote another blog post earlier this month on how DC is king of television, so you should check that one out!). Yes, I know that Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy was extremely successful, as was Man of Steel. I'm not discounting those things, even though neither were my personal favourites, by any stretch of the imagination. I know there are many, many people out there who love them, and I can see the appeal. It's just that, the beast that is Marvel Studios has been relentless in it's plan, and have, for the most part, been releasing different, top notch comic book adaptations since 2008.

Kevin Feige had a plan. In hind-sight, it was brilliant. A quick, 30 second shot of Nick Fury in Tony Stark's living room... "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative." Those ten words changed everything. They altered our perceptions about what a comic book movie was, and more importantly, where they could lead. And then, systematically, Feige and his team ticked off the boxes as they released movie after movie, each separate, but with intertwining threads, all leading to something bigger, something huge. They named it the Marvel Cinematic Universe and history was made. The massive success of The Avengers cemented the idea that it was possible to bring different aspects of the comic books to life and that the general movie going audience was willing to go along for the ride.

DC and Warner Brothers, at this time, were basking in the success that came with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, awaiting the release of The Dark Knight Rises. Extremely successful and critically acclaimed, the Nolan trilogy set the standard for comic book projects over at the WB. Which was one of the reasons that the disaster that was the Green Lantern in 2011 stalled any future projects. While I didn't hate the film, I do recognize that it did have some serious flaws, and so did the rest of the movie going audience. A flop financially, it made the WB wary about diving back in to the world of superheroes and virtually shut down their Justice League plans. It was only after the release and success of 2013's Man of Steel that the wheels on the Justice League bus began turning again. The WB, afraid to commit to anything until they saw the reception that their new Superman property received, was finally willing to green-light a sequel. And the sequel they had in mind was going to blow the socks off of everyone. Using a quote from The Dark Knight Returns, Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con that Superman was going to battle Batman in the summer of 2015, pitting it directly against The Avengers sequel in the battle for the box office title. And the internet exploded...

By this time, Marvel had not only released Iron Man 3, but already had 5 other movies in different stages of development, four of which would lead up to the Avengers sequel, The Age of Ultron. At this point, even after the Comic-Con announcement, it wasn't even a contest... Marvel was so far ahead, that Warner Brothers couldn't even see them on the track. Again, the intertwining threads of the MCU were building towards something grand. Although the Batman vs. Superman news overshadowed everything else, Feige refused to panic and continued on as planned.

And then it happened... The WB realized that it over-played it's hand and wasn't going to be ready for a 2015 release date. Pushing the release of the Man of Steel sequel back by almost a year, they showed a chink in their armour. It was now going to be almost 3 years between the release of Man of Steel and the next movie in Warner Brothers arsenal. In that three year period, Marvel will have released 6 new titles. Yes, I said 6 new titles. We will get 2 new DC movies and 6 new Marvel movies. In terms of output, Marvel is miles ahead of DC. And it's not like they're putting out crap, either. Each title that has been released, so far, has been well received by audiences overall. And there is no indication that any of the remaining titles will be received any differently.

And while the WB is sticking with Zack Snyder to direct both the Man of Steel sequel and the announced Justice League movie after that (he also directed the first Man of Steel film), Marvel will have had 5 different directors direct their projects, each bringing a different take and flavour to their different characters. Names like Joss Whedon, Joe and Anthony Russo, Alan Taylor, James Gunn and Edgar Wright. Directors that you wouldn't automatically think of when you mentioned comic book movies. Directors with their own style and vision, who will take these characters that we know and love in directions that we never dreamed of. It's this diversity, this thinking outside the box that helps to push Marvel that much further ahead in the race. I'm not a huge fan of Zack Snyder, and I am not sure that keeping him on for all of your movies is the best course of action. But that's just me, and it's more of a personal preference.

But it's not just directors that Marvel is thinking outside the box with. They are making some interesting and daring choices in the properties that they are choosing to release as well. The addition of The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man to the MCU are surprising and a little unorthodox. I get that Marvel, due to it's past successes, is in a position to gamble a little and I'm glad that they are willing to do so. By hiring Gunn to direct GOTG they are taking their properties in a whole different direction. It's funny, the WB is still dragging it's feet in regards to it's properties, especially a Wonder Woman stand alone film, as they are unsure if the movie going audience would be willing to accept a female driven comic book movie. Marvel counters that by bringing in a talking, foul-mouthed, machine gun totting raccoon, who's partnered with a walking tree. What the hell? But by the look of the above trailer, it's going to work and it's going to be amazing!

Earlier this week, the first pictures from Batman vs. Superman or whatever they are eventually going to call the Man of Steel sequel, were released. I will admit, Ben Affleck looks amazing in that Batsuit. And I really do hope that the movie is a huge success and that I truly enjoy it when I go to see it. As a comic book fan, I am the one who wins when these things work. And I love nothing more than being swept away by a fantastic story, with great visuals, with a bit of fantasy thrown in for good measure. This is what I get when I go to see a Marvel movie. Only time will tell if Warner Brothers figures out their own formula for success. But until they do, and they show a little more faith in their properties, Marvel will continue to win this war. Movie, after movie, they have the formula down pat. And apparently, Feige's plan stretches forward for many years to come. If they continue to think outside the box and make interesting and different choices, they may be impossible to catch. I guess we'll see...

By The Power of Greyskull....

I was an 80's kid. And a girly-girl to boot. I had Barbie's and Cabbage Patch Kids, Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Ponies. My favourite colour was pink (although in my defence, that was kind of forced upon me, as I was my Grandmother's youngest (by over a decade!) granddaughter, and one of only three, so yeah...), I wore frilly dresses that my Grandmother had made for me and played with dolls. I also, however, had two younger brothers... Who were also 80's kids... Meaning that, in our collective grasp, we also had characters and spaceships from Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Transformers, Blackstar, Silverhawks and of course, He-Man as well as the other Masters of the Universe.

My brothers had Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain, and everyone from the titular He-Man to Moss Man, Mekaneck and Man-At-Arms, as well as Skeletor and his evil henchmen, Tri-Klops, Trap-Jaw, Beast Man and Mer-Man. The list goes on and on. We lived in a small town, with basic cable, so didn't actually get the cartoon, as it never played there. However, a visit to our Grandparent's house in the city, who's TV programming included a feed from Washington State, was all it took to start our love affair with the residents of Eternia. Every afternoon at  3 o'clock we watched and marvelled. Even now, on Friday nights, when it airs on Teletoon Retro, I have a tendency to put it on now and again. (I know, really rockin' Friday night's going on there! Woot woot!). To say that these characters, as well as many others, weren't a huge part of my life would be a bold faced lie. They defined my childhood. It might be material and superficial, but it's also true.

Needless to say, when I found out that DC comics was doing a limited 6 Issue Edition of He-Man and The Masters of the Universe, I thought, I must read this, and own this, and cherish this. So, on to my monthly subscription list (I know, how dangerous is that, right? Just a click of a button and comic books are shipped to your door on a monthly basis!) it went, and then I waited impatiently for it to arrive, as I'm wont to do.

Finally, the beautiful first issue arrived, all glossy and colourful.

And there he was, He-Man, holding the Sword of Power aloft, Castle Greyskull silhouetted behind him, in all his glory.

Overall, it is an interesting take on the original story. With the supplemental One-Shots of The Origin of He-Man and The Origin of Skeletor (and to a lesser extent, The Origin of Hordak), it's not so much an origin story, but a reboot. It turns out that Skeletor, through a betrayal of some kind by Orko, has enchanted all of the Masters of the Universe, so they now no longer remember who or what they are. That is, until they start dreaming about their old selves. As Adam sets off to find out what's going on, with the help of Zoar, he meets friends and foes along the way. Everything comes to a head when he finds the sword of power, breaking the enchantment and returning everyone to their former selves. Of course, there is an epic battle at the end, that leads to an open door for a continuing series. One that involves other characters from a related show...

The dialogue is witty and quick and the images are beautiful. The characters have a great look to them (shockingly, Teela somehow ends up in nothing but a string bikini... but, whatever!) that reminds of the originals from the cartoon, but is also a little more menacing and superhero-esque.

Overall, I would give this 6 Issue Series a 4/5. If The Masters of the Universe were a part of your childhood, I definitely recommend.