As I've mentioned many times before the original Teen Titans Cartoon is one of the main reasons I started reading comics. It was funny, suspenseful, and action-packed. I loved it. I personally prefer to Young Justice because how well it balanced humor and action. I was somewhat cautious about TTG. Mostly new team of writers, bad animation, and focused mainly on humor. However I was really optimistic about it. Did I like it?
Good
Spectacular voice work which will come as no surprise to fans of the original series. The humor is similar in vein to that of shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show. Which is a good thing. It's got some dark humor mixed in. I was especially surprised by the "secret ingredient" in the pies.
There are some gif-worthy scenes in the episode such as Robin the super market, or Raven shutting the computer. I really like the Tuesday time slot. I always had to watch YJ on "On Demand" since I usually slept through the episodes. The MLP:FIM parody was hilarious. Tara Strong(Raven) absolutely knocked it out of the park in this episode. We get to see a somewhat more human side of Raven which is nice. Also SILKIE!!!!
The Bad
Animation is pretty bad, I'm not going to lie. There is a continuity error, Beast Boy eats meat in the episode. Which is a contradiction to the original series. The show can get a bit to zany at times.
Overall
Really fun premiere. Definitely going to keep watching.
When I first saw the promo for Injustice, I wasn't impressed. The costumes were(and still are) awful, and I didn't like the name to much. So I wasn't really expecting much from this demo. Which is why I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed the demo.
Gameplay
The Gameplay is pretty much the same as that of the MK games. My only issue is the fact that it's not a free roaming world. Other than that the fighting is pretty cool, and fun. In particular I loved the character specific attacks such as Batman running over his enemy with the Batmobile, and Wonder Woman throwing her opponent on the train tracks.
Voice Acting
I really liked the actress portraying Wonder Woman, I thought she did a great job. Batman's voice wasn't bad, but considering all of the great actors who have portrayed him before, I was a bit underwhelmed. Then again I didn't here enough to make a good judgment. Lex's voice was pretty good.
Trailer
The trailer at the end definitely got me excited for the game. Specifically the Atlantis scenes which look great. The shark attack looks great.
Wow! The season comes to a stunning conclusion which leaves you asking; Where does the show go from here? Where does Deb go? What about Dexter? Hannah? Angel?
The Good
HANNAH IS ALIVE!!!!!! See when I saw the trailer for this episode I really had a feeling Hannah wouldn't survive the finale. Oh and is she great in this episode. She brings up extremely good points in a fantastic discussion with Deb. Speaking of which....Wow! Deb's story has just taken an amazing twist which I won't spoil. She has some amazing scenes in this episode her scene with Hannah, her scene with LaGuerta, oh and of course the final scenes.
Doakes. The flashbacks are amazing, showing Doakes as he begins to figure out about who Dexter really is. It was great to see him again and he delivers his famous line. Yep, that line that defined the character is heard again here. Angel is really becoming one of my favorite characters. Oh and I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of Quinn, they set up a story for him and I can now say the character finally has a bit of a purpose. I never liked his relationship with Deb, I found it to be very weird. Here he seems a bit more interesting than he's ever been.
This episode has so many great scenes. Which one takes the cake? The final scene. I won't spoil everything that goes down, but it mirrors the beginning of this season and the end of the last. It's brilliantly written, the acting, the emotion, and mirrors the first meeting between Dexter and Hannah.
With rumors of an impending apocalypse and the year coming to an end, I thought it'd be a good time to do a run down of the best and worst things in comics in 2011-2012. I'm including 2011 due to not doing a year rundown last year.
Could it be anyone else? Of course not. The villainous duo of Thrice not only has a horrible design, and name but also are extremely annoying. Starting EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE WITH "I/WE"! No, not "I" or "We" no it's literally "I/We". I mean Feral Boys and the Wyld were just kind of stupid and forgettable, but Thrice annoyed the hell out of me. I'm pretty sure I became a little bit dumber after reading that issue.
Runner Ups
2.Headcase: I mostly liked J.T. Krul's run on Teen Titans but man was he bad at creating villains. Headcase has got to be one of the whiniest characters I've ever read.
3.Dr. Caligan: Yep, another Titans villain added to the list. Bland, unoriginal, and responsible for the creation of Headcase. Good thing J.T. could write some good characterization.
4.Pearl/Nash: Dull, and they keep bringing down Whistler's story.
With Ultimate Scorpion II, I was a bit disappointed at first that it wasn't the Peter Parker clone from earlier. However as the story continued, I finally saw how freaking awesome the new Ultimate Scorpion was. The character was a great threat which Bendis really built up to. The final battle between Miles, Prowler, and Scorpion was amazing!
Runner Ups
2.Negan: A real vicious threat, who can also occasionally make you laugh too with his over the top dialogue.
3.Whistler: Not a new character, but still a new villain. The character has real motivation, and it's still arguable whether or not he's a villain.
Chew has clearly become one of my favorite series. Mostly due to how great the characters are. The supporting cast is so great, this whole entire last arc has focused solely on the supporting characters. John Layman has made me care about all of these characters, and it'll be sad to see one of them bite the dust in Chew #30.
Runner Ups
2. Lavina and Sophie: Always adding a nice distinct bit of humor to Angel and Faith.
3.Batman Inc.: All of the supporting cast members add something a little different to the series, whether it be conflict, or humor or something else entirely.
The issue is a compelling read from start to finish. It's got a beautifully written dialogue, and great interaction. The issue shows Talia and how she's grown as a character. Fantastic issue.
Runner Ups
2.Uncanny X-Force #24: Amazingly well written. Fantastic characterization, dialogue, which will keep you interested up until the very end of the issue.
3.Chew #26: A very fun issue and great homage to the very first issue of Chew.
I couldn't chose between the two so I picked both. SPOILERS: Peter Parker's death was so well done, and the revelation of who is behind Leviathan was amazing as well. Season One of Batman Inc ended with so much at stake, Batman nearly defeated, and Talia in control. We got Stephanie Brown too! Meanwhile Ultimate Spider-Man delivered a heartfelt, swan song to the story Bendis was telling and gave Peter a real heroic exit.
AAAAHHHH!!!!! Season Seven, you're seriously the craziest season yet! You introduced so many great characters and continue to get rid of them. At least in Hannah's case it's possible for her to return. This episode had me thinking she'd come back next season and be a regular. Silly me.
The Good.
The episode will have you on the edge of you're seat. So many crazy plot twists, I really dread the finale. This season has really had a feel similar to the earlier seasons. It's been naturally crazy. All of the plot developments have been natural for the characters. Hannah continues to be one of those characters where you never know what you're gonna get.
She unpredictable. You can never guess what she'll do next. Deb continues to have some great moments. This episode was just wonderfully done. While I hate the ending, it felt natural. It wasn't just a "OH SO SHOCKING" it was so well done. The scenes with LaGuerta are extremely conflicting. I like her character but I dislike what has been going on with her trying to bring down Dexter. She's in a sense become the new Doakes. Brilliant.
Quinn's storyline while the least exciting storyline, gets an ending. Sort of, maybe. It's an okay ending. I think the writers kind of realized it's been one of the weakest stories this season.
The Bad.
Like I said Hannah's been great. I was looking forward to a future between Dexter and Hannah. Oh and I saw the trailer for the finale and it sort of spoiled something or so it appeared. Oh and another thing. Deb thinks she's protecting Dexter, but by sending Hannah to prison now Hannah has reason to reveal what she knows about him. So really, that will only hurt Dexter more. Most likely,
Overall
Great episode. I had some issues with it but overall it was good.
Season Seven is shaping up to be my favorite season of Dexter. The new characters of Hannah and Isaak are fantastic additions to the Dexter cast. Will this episode continue the win streak?
The Good
Hannah and Dexter work so well together. Hannah is such a complex and interesting character. Each and every episode we learn more about her. I'm hoping she survives the season, so we can continue to learn more about her. The title Argentina does have minimal significance when we begin the episode, but by the end it all makes sense.
Isaak is by far one of if not the, best foes Dexter has had to face. He parallels Dexter in many ways. He's without a doubt the most sympathetic villain the show has ever had. His scene with Dexter at the end is fantastic.
While not a fan of the Dexter/Deb, plot it's brought up here at the end. It's actually really well done, Jennifer Carpenter delivers a fantastic and emotional scene. Now onto the final scene which really made the episode. Dexter has some great inner monologue at the end of the episode.
The monologue is overall my favorite scene of the episode. One of my favorite scenes in the whole series. Wonderful.
So Willow's back! Aw yeah, the Scooby Gang is back together! Or are they? Hmm....
Title: "Same Time, Same Place"
What may sound like a possible reference to that 60's Batman show(It is actually), actually is extremely relevant to the story as I realized early on.
Threat
Is extremely creepy! It also helps drive a wedge between the Scooby Gang a bit by making it appear Willow may be the cause of the death. Very clever.
Story & Script
This is a "Willow Episode" more than it is a Buffy Episode. While not on the same scale of awesome as "Dopplegangland" it's an extremely good episode(with one or two references to the episode). As I've said this is shaping up to be one epic final season. The references to past seasons are awesome.
The interaction between Willow and Anya is fantastic. I felt it played a bit of tribute to Dopplegangland when the two perform their second spell together(the first being in that very episode). There is a lot of humor sprinkled into the episode as well. The character interaction is as usual fantastic, and the end scene with Buffy and Willow is the best scene the two have shared in quite a while.
Season Seven continues it's winning streak with "Beneath You".
Plot: Something is lurking beneath Sunnydale? Why is it here? What is it? Who made it? Spike is hiding a secret, but what is it?
*My reviews for Buffy will deal with three things they will deal with the Story and Script as well as the Threat(s) they face and how interesting, credible, and unique they are. I will also kind of review the title of the episode, how much meaning it has to the episode.
The Title: Beneath You
"Beneath You" refers to quite a few things. It refers to the words Buffy hears in her dream, were the episodes threat is working, and how Spike feels. He feels like he isn't good enough, ashamed, and feels BENEATH Buffy. Great episode title.
The Threat
The threat in this episode is not extremely interesting, but it's origin is. Another thing I must note is the dream sequence at the beginning seems to be hinting at this seasons "Big Bad" which appears to be coming from the ground(Earth's teeth? Hell Mouth?)
Story and Script
The episode has some great character interaction. Some of the best I've seen in a while. The humor is great as well, specifically the scene where Buffy, Xander, that one girl, and Spike head to the Bronze to meet Anya. It's pretty hilarious.
The plot is so so. I like that they seem to be going back to the "High school as a horror movie" approach and that the villains are metaphors for what their going through. This episode has a lot of suspense , and when the worm monster shows up you're like "Oh crap". The final scene with Buffy and Spike is really well done.
Overall
Very good episode, not as good as the last but very good none the less.
It's been a little over a year since DC rebooted and my overall opinion of the reboot is mixed to negative. Here are some things I want to see in Year Two of the New 52....
More Creator Control
In mid June it was announced to much praise that the hero formerly known as Spoiler, for a short time Robin, and even Batgirl, Stephanie Brown was returning in the out of continuity series "Smallville Season Eleven" now using the name Nightwing. That was until someone higher up(presumably Dan Didio) found out and decided they didn't like that. The reason given by Didio was that Smallville only used the most iconic version of characters(hence Bart Allen as Flash?) and Stephanie Brown. She isn't the iconic Nightwing. Which makes sense if they used the iconic version of the character, but actually no they used someone else..
Barbara Gordon is the iconic Nightwing(At least in the eyes of someone in the powers that be). However Gail Simone(writer of the fantastic but underrated Secret Six as well as the current volume of Batgirl) has gone on to say something different. That according to Bryan Q. Miller the editors just said that Stephanie could not be used and he must pick someone else. This isn't the first time writers have been told they can't use Stephanie(as well as my personal favorite of the Batgirls, Cassandra Cain). Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, as well as Gail Simone herself have all asked to use the characters and have been denied.
Outside of events like those related to Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, come more editorial problems. Writers like Ron Marz, Paul Cornell, George Perez, and Rob Liefeld have all left books due to how strict editorial has become. Editors should check spelling and make sure events match up with what's been previously said, they shouldn't write the story. At that point they become the writers of the book. The worst example of this is Static Shock(Although in this case it was the artist that became the writer, but the editor was the one that allowed it to go on). A writer(specifically one with a real passion for writing and storytelling) should be able to tell the story they wish to tell.
*I'd also like to add that I've been noticing a lot of typos in DC comics lately....
No More 90's/Better "Young Justice" Line/How I'd Do the Young Justice Line
I'm gonna try not to rant about the New 52 Teen Titans too much here(I feel I've talked about it enough). The Young Justice line is regarded by many as the worst line of books being put out by DC. Why you ask?
Because the line is DC trying to replicate 90's comics. To be more specific X-Men comics. Hell the first issue of Teen Titans has a cameo of Xavier Institute for Higher Learning! This isn't so much about the Legion of Superheroes, Blue Beetle, or even Ravagers(Although I will mention the costumes are pretty bad and 90's like) as it is the Teen Titans and Hawk & Dove.
Hawk and Dove have a lot of potential. I saw this when I first read Blackest Night: Titans. Dawn is very cool and Holly was extremely compelling, and awesome. I went into Hawk and Dove with an open mind. It was really, really bad. No, not just the art the story as well was awful in itself. The dialogue was bad, the story was bad. Sterling Gates is a good writer but man was the story bad. It was also EXTREME(!) and very 90's. Hank is also very unlikable, and Dawn is just boring. Also Hank is in like his late 20's to early 30's how does that fit into the Young Justice line exactly???
Who exactly would I have picked as the creative team for the book? J. T. Krul with art by Ed Benes. I'd also make Holly Granger Hawk instead of Hank Hall.
I've ranted about the Teen Titans more than enough. However if you haven't seen my prior posts about the topic I'll list the main reasons I dislike the book...
1) How unrealistic the characters act. How they constantly argue with each other for no good reason. As a teenager myself I'm sick of how teens are always portrayed in comics as full of angst.
Well lets end this topic now before I go on a long rant about how much I dislike the new Teen Titans.
* I'd also like to mention that @arnoldoaad wrote a great blog post as well about the Young Justice line I suggest you read.
Iconic Costumes Stay Iconic
The whole goal of the The New 52 was to make the books easy for new readers by making the "iconic" characters, the ones that are most recognizable take center stage. It's a good idea. However if a brand new reader who loved the Teen Titans cartoon picks up Ravagers or Teen Titans. They look on the cover and they may see Raven and Beast Boy but because it looks nothing like them may be confused. Am I underestimating new readers? Yep. Could it still happen though? Yep!
More Multiverse
This is the thing on this list that is most likely to happen(with Grant Morrison's Multiversity coming soon, and a rumored Justice League/Justice Society crossover). I love the idea of the Multiverse, it's such a great concept that rarely gets used. I've really been missing it lately(haven't been reading Earth-2. Dropped it due to bad dialogue, but may get the next issue and give it another chance.
The Obvious Request.
BRING BACK CASS CAIN, STEPHANIE BROWN, TEMPEST(PLEASE!), JACKSON HYDE, WALLY WEST, DONNA TROY, & BIG BARDA AS WELL!
Letter Pages!
While I never wrote a letter I loved reading them. So yeah bring them back please.
The End?
Well that's it folks. There are some other things I hope to see this year, and depending on if people liked this or not I may do another one. What do you want in year two of the New 52? Tell me in the comments.
That line right there is a pretty good description of the feel of this episode. To start the review I must start by saying that after Season Three I felt Buffy jumped the shark a bit. Season Four is in my opinion the worst season of Buffy. Five was fantastic, while depressing it gave us a definitive ending for Buffy. Six took it all back, and gave us poor characterization(Outside of Giles, Anya, Dawn, and Tara I hated all of the main characters). Grave was a solid episode.
Plot: Buffy's worst enemy returns; Sunnydale High School!
The Good!
The threat isn't the most imaginative but it a very interesting and extremely creepy group of enemies. They remind me of the Gentlemen. Okay now I'm going to bring up the elephant in the room; SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL IS BACK!! Okay I honestly can't express how happy about that I am.
This episode has a very back to the basics feel. I love it! The characters are likable again(except Xander, I still don't forgive you for messing with Anya). Oh and Spike...
Is the most interesting he's been since Season Four. Season Six ruined Spike, by watering him down into a jerky version of Angel. I'll admit it, I like Buffy, I like Spike, but I hate, hate, hate SPUFFY! It's weird and forced. Now I wasn't always like this, I kind of thought they would make a good couple at the end of Season Two but when they got together I hated it.
The dialogue is great, the story is great, the episode all around is fantastic and the cliffhanger.....AWESOME!
Bad: None
Overall
AWESOME EPISODE! One of the best episodes since S-3.
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