Review: Avengers: EMH "Panther's Quest"

Before I can critique this episode, I've got to set some things straight.

First of all, we need to talk about the legacy of racism in this work of fiction. Fun.

Recap: Avengers: EMH "Panther's Quest"

In today's Avengers: EMH Recap, we get all sorts of stereotypes regarding Africa.

Oh. Joy.

And yes, the stereotypes come straight from the 1960's source material. I guess this is what happens when you try to adhere to comics from the 60's super-closely.

And to think that people were wondering why I hadn't been covering this show for a while.

Review: Avengers Assemble Season 1

A little over a year ago, I posted a brief examination of whether or not Avengers Assemble was in continuity with Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Of course, when I posted that, I could only point out exactly why that couldn't be the case, despite what Man of Action said beforehand.

Specifically, I quoted from an interview from ComicBookMovie:

Joe Kelly: “[…] when we sat down to work on the show we were very conscious of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. As far as a direct continuation, we can't be really clear.”
Steven T. Seagle: “I think fans should know that we also worked on 'Earth’s Mightiest Heroes' so it's not a bunch of guys who don't care about or don’t like that show and just messed everything up, we worked on that show too. We love it too.”

Now, the reason they were being so wishy-washy with whether or not the shows are connected has a very simple answer, revealed a little over a month ago on ComicBookResources.

Originally, Avengers Assemble was a direct continuation of EMH that would have expanded the roster and probably followed up on plot points like the Red Hulk and the impending Civil War adaptation. But then The Avengers was a huge success, so Marvel came in and basically said "Stop what you're doing and just copy The Avengers." Which explains the designs and plot points that were just straight-up copied from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also kind of explains the show's lack of depth to a degree. After all, the final product was a relatively rushed version cobbled together from what they could scavenge from their original plans.

But that's an explanation, not an excuse. At the end of the day, they made a show and put it on TV. And regardless of the behind-the-scenes issues, I'm going to subject it to the same scrutiny that I would any other show.

Let the nitpicks begin.

Review: Avengers Assemble "Exodus" & "The Final Showdown"

So, let me begin with the issue that’s no doubt on everybody’s minds. The titles lied to us. Not only did “Exodus” feature exactly zero successful exoduses (exodi?), but “The Final Showdown” was not the last conflict between the Avengers and any given member of the Cabal.

Recap: Avengers Assemble "The Final Showdown"

Previously on Avengers Assemble, Iron Man saved the day by destroying the Red Skull's infernal machine!

And then the world was put in even greater peril when Iron Man knocked Red Skull into the Tesseract, allowing him to take control of its powers directly.

So let's take a look at the last episode of Season 1, "The Final Showdown."

Anyone else humming "The Final Countdown"?

Recap: Avengers Assemble "Exodus"

And so I find myself at the first half of the two-part Season 1 finale of Avengers Assemble. I must say that I have no idea what to expect in terms of quality.

I mean, I genuinely enjoyed "Hyperion," which payed homage to the Squadron Supreme/Squadron Sinister, "Blood Feud," which featured an interesting take on Dracula, and "Hulk's Day Out," which was like a version of The Hangover that was not only kid-friendly, but entertaining. And featured the Hulk.

"But on the other hand...."

I genuinely hated "Avengers: Impossible" and "One Little Thing."

And there were plenty of episodes that hovered somewhere between "pretty bad" and "pretty good."

As always, this is merely my opinion and you're free to disagree with me. And, also as always, I'd love to hear your own thoughts on this episode in the comments.

So lets take a look at an episode that, at the very least, I hope is better than Exodus: Gods and Kings.

Though that shouldn't be too hard.

Doctor Who: Steven Moffat Bingo Cards

The latest series of Doctor Who premieres tonight!

Say what you will about Steven Moffat, but the man has made some truly wonderful stories. And, arguably, a few bad ones.

But if there's one thing you can say about the Moff, it's that there are a few characteristics that tend to spring up in his stories. Monsters in human clothes (Weeping Angels, Silence, Whispermen and others), people meeting each other out of order, phones, the Doctor wearing hats, bananas, The Time-Traveler's Wife....

So why not have a a bit of fun with it?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Steven Moffat Bingo!

I came up with the idea sometime around last Christmas (when the appropriately-titled "Last Christmas" aired), only to discover the other day that the idea had been done before. Still, I'd already listed the tropes by that point and designed the Bingo Cards, so I pressed on.

So, without further ado, here are seven Bingo Cards and a helpful glossary of Moffat-ish tropes.

Review: "Doctor Who: The TV Movie"

And so, it only took me a week to cover all the Eighth Doctor episodes. I can guarantee that I won't get through the other Doctors' runs nearly as quick. Of course, they actually got full seasons as opposed to a one-shot. Except for poor Richard Hurndall.

And Richard E. Grant.

And Rowan Atkinson.

So at least Paul's not alone.

Recap: "Doctor Who: The TV Movie" Part 3: The Beginning

This is where it all ends. After this, Paul McGann never appears on televised Doctor Who again.

Oh, and there's a final battle. I guess.

Recap: "Doctor Who: The TV Movie" Part 2: The Doctor and the Doctor

Geez, somebody should give the Doctor a name tag, just so he doesn’t forget who he is again.

...he said knowingly.

Spoilers.

Recap: "Doctor Who: The TV Movie" Part 1: The End

And so, my look at Doctor Who begins the way it began for… I don’t know, probably a few people. With the largely-ignored TV movie.

As I popped the DVD into my DVD player, I was treated to a trailer for a DVD release of the Revived Series. In fact, it’s only because of the Revived Series that I can even talk about the TV movie. It wasn’t released on DVD for the longest time. And even then, it was initially unavailable in America. Thanks to the popularity of the Revived Series, this is no longer the case.

Now that we live in a time when Doctor Who is no longer scarce, the TV movie is no longer an oasis of Doctor Who in the middle of the “hiatus.” As such, it often ends up ignored by fans of the Revived Series or the Classic Series, as it fits into neither very well.

The TV movie was meant to be a jumping-on point for a whole new generation of viewers. As a fan of both Classic Who and New Who, I will do my best to explain things that fans of one series or the other might not understand. Heck, I’ll even explain things for those of you who are completely new-to-Who. Because I’ll tell you right now, this TV movie makes a lot of assumptions that its audience is already familiar with Doctor Who. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the Eighth Doctor’s only full-length Doctor Who adventure.

At least, full-length with visuals. There's a lot of 8th Doctor audio plays out there.

Recap: "Doctor Who: The TV Movie" Intro

What James Bond is to film, what Harry Potter is to print, Doctor Who is to TV. It’s an integral part of British popular culture, without which the world would be quite different. I’ll tell the story of how I personally got into Doctor Who when I begin covering the 2005 Revived Series. For now, it’s time to tell the story of how Doctor Who returned. For the first time.

But in order to tell you how the show came back, I need to tell you the story of how the show was cancelled. The quest of a single man to kill the Doctor. Not a fictional villain, but a real life one.

But before I begin, you might be asking why I'm not starting with the beginning of Classic Doctor Who. Well, not only are there about three decades of Classic Doctor Who stories, some of them don't even exist anymore, thanks to the old BBC practice of erasing or straight-up burning old episode tapes to make room for new ones.

But that was incompetence. The story I'm about to tell you involves malice.

Let's begin.

You will know the depths the human soul can sink to when it comes to TV.

Recap/Review: Gotham Girls "Baby Boom"

The last time I recapped a story involving wax figures, they came to life and wreaked all sorts of havoc. This time, they’re just… there. Being wax statues. And all things considered, they don’t have much to do with the actual plot.

So if you wanted a story about magic wax figures on the loose, then you’re going to want to check out Gravity Falls. But if you want to see an exciting heist… well, you should probably watch Ocean’s Eleven. Either way, I’m stuck here covering Gotham Girls, and you’re welcome to join me.

Please don't leave me alone with this show....

Review: Gravity Falls "The Inconveniencing"

I just realized something. Grunkle Stan wanted the Mystery Shack bathrooms cleaned at the beginning of the episode, right? The Mystery Shack is Stan's house. He's trying to get someone else to wash his own bathrooms. Clever, Stan Pines.

Recap: Gravity Falls "The Inconveniencing"

Well, I'm a year older today. It's already shaping up to be a better birthday than last year, seeing as how my computer isn't a lifeless husk this time. Still, I'm feeling old. I'm just about getting to that point in my life where I'm compelled to lie about my age. And I'm not even twenty-five yet. Which isn't a lie.

Or is it?

Either way, I'll be taking a look at an episode that sees Dipper lying about his own age.

Or does he?

Yes. Yes he does.

Review: Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. "Spidey, I Blew up the Dinosaur"

You know, as I wrote that Recap, I kept trying to find an opportunity to say “Clever girl.” Unfortunately, Devil Dinosaur is a male. And the only actual female, She-Hulk, never really did anything that clever. And calling a grown woman who's probably older than I am a "girl" seems wrong. About as wrong as calling Caitlyn Jenner "Bruce."

You're not off the hook just because it was supposed to be a Drake and Josh reference, Drake Bell.

Recap: Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. "Spidey, I Blew up the Dinosaur"

In 2014, a S.H.I.E.L.D. auxiliary team was framed for the destruction of Vista Verde. These monsters promptly flew back home from across space to the American underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them… maybe you can hire the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

But why would you want to?

Recap/Review: Gotham Girls "Strategery"

I just realized that there’s a very good probability that you’re not old enough to know that the word “strategery” is in reference to Bush-era SNL. Between this, my explanation of dial-up internet, and the death of Adobe Flash, I’m starting to feel like an old fogey. So when my birthday comes around in a few days, there’s a very good chance that I’ll be having a mid-life crisis about twenty years early.

Anyhoo, let’s talk about a Flash animation that debuted in the Bush era that people first watched with dial-up internet.

Before I snap and start yelling at you dang kids to get off my lawn.

Review: Ultimate Spider-Man "For Your Eye Only"

I was looking up James Bond quotes to use for this Recap and Review, but I quickly stumbled upon Ian Fleming’s musings on women... and I was suddenly inclined to click away.

Recap: Ultimate Spider-Man "For Your Eye Only"

Today on Ultimate Spider-Man: Peter doesn't want to listen to Nick Fury's advice, the Sandwich Club proves to be useless, Fury is shown to be a liar, and nothing is actually for anyone's eye only. Business as usual, it seems. But today's episode is an homage-filled romp that was written by Eisner Award-winner Brian Michael Bendis, so that means this'll be a good episode, right? ...right?

Well, I've got a license to recap, so let's see whether this episode gives me a quantum of solace or looms like a spectre over my soul.

...Moonraker.

Site News: September 2015

Well, I have no special announcements for the blog this month. Things will carry on as usual as dictated by the schedule in the upper left.

On a more personal note, though, this has been a bit of a rough time for me. One of my cats (Andromeda, aka “Tatwun” aka “Taiwan” aka “Andie”) has been very ill for the past week, and she sadly didn’t make it. She really was a wonderful little sweetie.

The sweetest little furball to ever figure out how to climb up door frames.