Wednesday, October 26, 2016

15 Hottest Super-Girls On The CW

I know it is has been a really long time since I wrote an actual blog post.  Usually I just re-post my podcast onto this site.  But every once-in-a-while a subject comes along I feel is better to list rather than do an audio version of.
A few days ago I stumbled upon an article by the website The Richest.  It was about who they thought the 15 hottest women were in The CW's DC Shared Universe.  I'm not sure how old the list was, but it listed actors and characters from the JSA, which is featured on this season's Legends of Tomorrow, so it must be recent.  However, I wondered why it didn't include actresses from Supergirl.  Sure it's a "different Earth", but we all know Kara is showing up on the 4-part crossover episodes coming up, which just happens to be Arrow's 100th episode.
In any event, as I looked over The Richest list I seemed to have a different opinion on the order of the list and who was on it.  Moira McQueen and Gideon the future computer?  Come on!  As a guy who has watched this universe grow from episode 1 of Arrow I know there have been a lot more beautiful women to cross paths with Oliver and Barry than an A.I.  
So, with that in mind I came up with my own list.  Call it sexist, or that I'm way too bored, but I figure if Maxim can come up with their own Hot 100 every year, I can do one list that's full of comic book babes!

15)Audrey Marie Anderson(Lyla Michaels)
Lyla is now married John Diggle(for the 2nd time), and they have a son(former daughter) together.  She's became the director of A.R.G.U.S. after Amanda Waller was assassinated and is one of the many women on this list I would not mess with!

14)Ciara Renee(Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl)
As a waitress at Jitters she was a crush for Cisco Ramone, but after she learned of her past lives she has embraced her wings and her soul mate Carter Hall(minus marrying the Atom).  She's got a fierceness to her that seems animalistic.

13)Emily Bett Richards(Felicity Smoak/Overwatch)
While some people may have Felicity higher on their list I actually don't know think she is THAT hot.  What can I say, I like curves.  Plus, she's quite chatty, which is annoying for me.  And I can't forget that her romance with Oliver known as "Olicity" is what is mostly to blame for the downfall of Arrow in my opinion.

12) Melissa Benoist(Kara Danvers/Supergirl)
He's no Laura Vanderboot, but this Supergirl has that girl-next-door charm that makes a Midwestern boy like me turn smitten.  She has her annoying moments, but I'd still let her rescue me if I could call it a date.

11) Chyler Leigh(Alex Danvers)
Meet Supergirl's sister.  She's smart, formidable, and doesn't give a crap if your a billionaire Maxwell Lord(whatever happened to him?).  I like a little fight in my beauty and Alex has plenty of that.

10) Megalyn Echikunwoke(Mari McCabe/Vixen)
Just a city boy(girl), born and raised in south Detroit......Mari is more known for the 5th(and lesser known) DC show from the CW; Vixen.  It's animated on The CW Seed and the first season is only 30 minutes long, but the actress also guest starred on an episode of Arrow in season 4 to bring this character to live-action.  I was impressed, and it seems others were as well since she is now featured on Legends of Tomorrow.  Just by a different character and actress.

9)Katrina Law(Nyssa Al Ghul)
She's more likely the spear me than kiss me.  I like that in a woman.

8) Maise Richardson-Sellers(Amaya Jiwe/Vixen)
While she's only been in 2 episodes of Legends of Tomorrow Vixen seems quite the counterpart to Mari, and I'm interested in getting to know her better.  And so is Ray Palmer I think. 

7) Candice Patton(Iris West)
In season 1 of The Flash I felt like Iris was just as useless as Laurel was in season 1 of Arrow. But once she learned Barry's secret she became a better character and has grown ever since.  DC Comics even changed the ethnicity of Iris to match Candice, and then they changed it back.  Not sure what that is all about.

6) Danielle Panabaker(Kaitlin Snow/Killer Frost)
Redhead: CHECK  Intelligent:  CHECK.  Likes the cold:  CHECK.  As a guy who grew up in the snow and loves hockey I can get behind Caitlin Snow.  I seriously wasn't trying to make an innuendo as I wrote that I swear.  

5) Willa Holland(Thea Queen/Speedy)
Much like Laurel, I thought Thea was annoying until she learns who her father was and started her Jedi training.  She then became a strong female character I could see myself sparring with.  Honestly, I'm not trying to be gross. 

4) Katie Cassidy(Laurel Lance/Black Canary)
Let's just flash forward to season 4 when Laurel became comfortable with who she was.  I always felt like after being Oliver's love interest in season 1 the show runners had no idea what to do with her.  Maybe that's why they made her an alcoholic, swore to avenge her sister's death, and then eventually got killed off.  But before her murder, I enjoyed the woman Laurel had become.  Out of the game FMK, I'd do Thea, kill Felicity, and marry Laurel.  

3)Janina Gavankar(Detective McKenna Hall)
Shivakamini Somakandarkram!  Before I saw her become an iconic trophy on FX's The League I saw her as a young detective on Arrow.  She had a brief relationship with Oliver, but she was memorable enough to see why five guys would name a fantasy football trophy after this actress. Am I right?
  


2) Shantel VanSanten(Patty Spivots)
I had no idea this actress was on another show I used to watch; One Tree Hill.  Probably because she came on the show after it turned to crap and I stopped watching.  But I don't blame Patty.  She was Barry's season 2 rebound to get over Iris, before he eventually went back to Iris.  She was a little nerdy like he was, but could handle herself as a member of the CCPD.  I miss her.

1)Caity Lotz(Sara Lance/White Canary)  
Season 2 of Arrow is everyone's favorite of the series, and Sara Lance's return as the Black Canary we all know was a big part of it.  She and Oliver's relationship just made sense after their shared life experience.  A lot better than Oliver and Felicity.  It was a stupid mistake to kill her in season 3 just to give Laurel something to do, but I am glad she back into this universe.  She's the main reason I stick with Legends of Tomorrow.  Smart, mysterious, and can kick my ass in 3 seconds.  Done!

Thursday, May 19, 2016

My X-Men Continuity Questions

In seven days I will be the theater watching Marvel's Mighty Mutants up on the big screen once again!  As a life-long x-reader I am thrilled to see director Bryan Singer give me a another X-Men film to watch. But let's be real for a few minutes.  The X-Men franchise hasn't been all rainbows and blockbusters.  Some of them have sucked.  X3 and the Wolverine origin film were the low points for the franchise and since then it has been on an upward slope.  After re-watching X-Men and X2 the last few nights I realized they weren't phenomenal films either, but still good for their time.  
Now we expect more out of our comic films.  Better characters, better plots, and more drama.  X-Men: Days of Future Past righted the wrongs of previous films and hopefully X-Men: Apocalypse will continue to satisfy x-lovers and general movie goers.  But as I watched X2, I thought of a few things in regards to continuity.  Sure the x-franchise has always been wishy-washy, but I'm hoping DoFP has set in motion a new precedent at 20th Century Fox.  But while the future is a clean slate(post-1973) Singer and co. still have some cleaning up to do.  Starting with answering these questions.

1.  Is Jean's Phoenix persona still a multiple personality disorder?
At the end of X2 we saw Jean Grey sacrifice herself to save her friends.  Then she rises from the ashes(or lake) to be named Phoenix.  We learned that years ago Charles Xavier installed a series of fail-safes in Jean's mind to stop her from becoming so powerful she would hurt/kill everyone.
Now Singer has hinted at a redo of The Dark Phoenix Saga to possibly get it right(just look at the animated series for help Bryan).  But does that mean Jean's Phoenix identity will be from space like the original source material, or is she still a Two-Face kind of nutball?
Yes, the future has not been written, but it's still the same reality rules right? Jean Grey is still a powerful mutant that has the potential to become THEE most powerful mutant.  Will Xavier still install those safe guards in Jean's mind thus still creating the Phoenix?  Or will the Phoenix be a space spirit that inhabits Jean's body? Or will Xavier just train her better in this new future?

2.  Birth Dates
Again, as I watched X2 the other night I saw that Jubilee was one of the mutant kids captured by Stryker.  But then in X-Men: Apocalypse she is about the same age as Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler.  When Xavier stopped Mystique from killing Trask did this new future mess with the sexual relations of certain x-parents?  As the years go by, will Iceman, Rogue, and Kitty, not be born till later?  Or, will this new reality become a place where Bobby's parent's end up having him even sooner than in the previous reality, thus making him the same generation of X-Men as Jean and Scott, and not the next generation?  My head is starting to hurt.

3.  Leaping Decades
Since X-Men: First Class, the x-films(minus The Wolverine and Deadpool) have leaped ten years at a time.  From 1962, to 1973, to 1983 in X-Men: Apocalypse.  Meanwhile James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence have only aged 5 years (First Class was released in 2011).  Now, I'm willing to forgive one trilogy with this flaw, but producer Simon Kinberg says the next x-film will leap another ten years into the 90's.  
So Tye Sheridan and Sophie Turner (who are both turning 20 this year) may have to look like they're in their mid-30's within five years?  I can't buy it again.  Mystique is a shape-shifter so Lawrence can look however young she wants.  McAvoy is shaving his head so he'll look different, and we were already starting to see the grey hairs on Fassbender in DoFP, but can Singer and Fox really keep this up? 
I tweeted X-Men writer, Brian Michael Bendis, yesterday saying I feel like they should do an All-New X-Men approach.  Take Sheridan and Turner into the future to see what they become.  Then keep them there.  It was great storytelling by Bendis, it would be something really different from what we've seen, and it solves your aging problem.  I haven't seen Apocalypse yet, but I like the casting of Sheridan and Turner based off their previous bodies of work.  I doubt I will want them re-cast for older versions within the new few years.  Especially if it's only Scott and Jean that time travel!  We may actually get the close and unique relationship those two are supposed to have that was horribly done in the first three films because film makers think Wolverine in the coolest X-Man.  HE'S NOT!!!  Sorry....I had to vent a little.  It's just an idea.  Bryan, call me. 

4.  Do Wolverine and Deadpool still know each other?
With the success of Deadpool we all know Fox is going to want to get him into an actual X-Men movie soon (probably why they're continuing the decade leaps between films), but I'm more curious about his past.  Thanks to DoFP, the only three films that are reality in the X-Men films now are First Class, Days of Future Past, and Deadpool (and Apocalypse).  So if X-Men Origins: Wolverine never took place, did Logan, Sabertooth, Deadpool, and the Blob still all work together for Stryker?  Wade mentioned in his solo film he was a former bad ass for hire.  Does that mean he knows Logan from way back when?

5.  Give Us A New Wolverine Before the Next Film
The last X-Men: Apocalypse trailer let the cat out of the bag and showed us that we are indeed not getting an X-Men film without Wolverine.  Well I don't know about you but I was worried for a sec (he said sarcastically).  Hugh Jackman said his third solo Wolverine film will be his last go as Logan.  And as much as I think Jackman was great as the Canuck with claws I say, "thank you for your service good sir," and "who's next?"
Obviously Fox is already looking for an actor to replace Jackman as the face of their X-Men films.  Because a fifty-year old Hugh Jackman trying to get with a twenty-year old Sophie Turner would just be creepy.  I honesty have no idea who could replace Jackman as a young Logan, but let's get a taste of him first.  Rumors have it the new Han Solo will make a cameo in Rogue One before his own solo film.  And most are saying the best way for Harrison Ford to pass the Indiana Jones torch is to have a flashback with the new actor. I like that idea.
If this new Wolverine film is indeed based off of the superb Old Man Logan story line then they should have the flashback scene from the book in the movie....and have the new Wolverine play that part.  Again, it would be a way for the audience to get used to the new actor before he steps into the lime-light and becomes the star of the franchise. Whata ya think, bub?  

Thursday, March 24, 2016

5 Things I Want To See in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'

Yes, I know.  It's been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since I have written an actual blog on Blogger.  I hopped on the podcast bandwagon and have been riding that engine ever since.  But I felt like a topic such as this one deserved my special touch.  So, I guess that means that from time to time you still may see me write an actual blog.  But don't hold your breath on it.
I am only a few hours away from watching a film most fanboys have wait years, if not their whole lives, to see.  Anyone who knows me, or heard me talk about Man of Steel, knows I had some major issues with it.  Though none of them had to do with their pick of Henry Cavill as Superman.  It's Zach Snyder's style I thought ruined the film, and ever since I heard he was not only continuing with Batman v Superman, but Justice League as well, I've been afraid of the entire DC Cinematic Universe expansion.  I loved the casting of Ben Affleck and Jeremy Irons as Batman and Alfred.  I hated the casting of Jesse Eisenberg and Gal Gadot as Lex Luthor and Wonder Woman.  I want to like this movie.  I'm trying my best to walk into it with hope and an open mind.  But even today, as I see bad headlines online, I am preparing for the worst.
While not a fan of the previous film it was not without merit.  Like I said, I liked Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, I liked Amy Adams and Laurence Fishburne as Lois Lane and Perry White.  And I loved the visual effects.  Seeing Superman and Zod fight, while very unnecessary, was cool to watch.  So in order to correct this ship that Man of Steel has launched I've thought of 5 things I'd like to see in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to get me on board with the DCCU moving forward.

1)  Superman must feel bad about killing Zod
I get that Superman kills every once and a while.  I've read enough comics to know he avoids it at all costs, but sometimes, it happens.  My main gripe with him snapping Zod's neck in MoS was tat it was the first Superman film of the reboot.  The audience didn't even get one film to establish his rule on not killing.  In Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy the first two entire films established that Batman went out of his way not to kill because it separates him from his enemies.  Is Snyder and writer David Goyer saying Superman has no quarrel with it?
I want Clark to draw the line in this film.  I want him to have thought about his actions and realized that Zod is the last life he'll ever take.  Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth to "give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards".  Right now, Clark is down in the mud with the rest of us.  That isn't Superman.  Like Captain America, he is supposed to show us that the right thing to do is usually the hardest choice.

2)  Keep Doomsday's screen time minimal
When I saw that Lex was going to turn Zod's corpse into the villain known as Doomsday I was horrified.  And not by Doomsday's appearance.  It was that they took this iconic, powerful, villain and put him in the 2nd film of this cinematic universe.  Marvel has been teasing Thanos for 6 films!  In the comics, Doomsday took out the entire Justice League before killing Superman.  Now, it appears that a rookie Superman and Wonder Woman, along with Batman, can handle this force of nature.  Um.....no.  
However, if Doomsday shows up at the end of this film, and the Trinity realizes they can't take down this beast alone, so then they form the Justice League to help them.  I'd be on board with that.  If you're going to waste a good villain like Zod in the first Superman film, and then double tap that bad decision by turning him into Doomsday, at least make it worth our while. 
    
3)  Show me Darkseid
We've all seen the parademons and the Omega symbol in the Batman v Superman trailer.  So we can all guess that Darkseid will be the big bad guy in the Justice League film.  In the mid-credit scene for The Avengers we got our first glimpse of Thanos and had non-comic readers saying, "Isn't that Red Skull?"  I want a tease like that.  I've seen parademons; show me the big guy.  Show me the ultimate galactic villain that Warner Bros and DC thought it would be ok to have in the 5th film of their cinematic universe(Marvel is at 13 and still not fought Thanos).  I just wanna know what he looks like.  I figure the Justice League film will loosely be based on Geoff Johns New 52 storyline; Origin.  Or if you want to check out the animated film, Justice League: War to get an idea what the live-action film may be like, it's also based in Origin

4)  Lois supporting Clark
In several storylines we see that Lois is Superman's anchor to humanity.  I will also give some credit to Ma and Pa Kent.  Clark is a being who is so powerful he can take over the world; possibly the galaxy.  But his human emotions, like love, are what keep him humble.  Without them, he'd really think he was a god.  Governments and vigilantes are coming after Clark for the destruction of Metropolis.  He will feel ashamed.  He will feel like his mission is not worth it.  Lois has to be there to support him.  To know that world needs someone like him to give them hope.  And Lois needs to be there for him so that he doesn't have to be "Superman" all the time.  I love that Lois knows who Clark is right from that start.  So let's not waste it.

5)  Don't screw up Wonder Woman!!!!!
Ben Affleck has proven himself in recent years to be not only an accomplished actor, but a great film maker as well.  I have no worries that he will make a good Batman.  But giving the most iconic female superhero character in history to a model who is trying to start an acting career?  What were they thinking!!!!!  
Granted, I have been trying to hold off judgement on Gal Gadot until I see the film, but I have been VERY scared of this casting choice since the beginning.  The only thing I've seen Gadot in is the Fast & Furious films and I was not impressed at all.  Rumor has it WW isn't in the film enough to make or break it, but with her own solo film coming out next year I feel like the entire female superhero film sub-genre is on Gal Gadot's shoulders.  And those shoulders look like they can barely lift a lasso.