Category: Comics

MUST WATCH: Titans Season 3!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

The DC Comics Universe is a rich tapestry of compelling and memorable characters. Marvel may the best heroes (not counting Batman and Superman), but DC, hands down, has the best villains. Yet for some reason, live-action DC properties always feel like they use the same group of characters, again and again and again and again: Joker, Zod, Batman, Superman, Lex Luthor. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. I’m a big fan of Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel. However, as excited as I was for that film, I was so disappointed that General Zod was the film’s main antagonist. Superman has so many amazing villains that has never been in a big screen, live action Superman film before. Characters like Darkseid, Mongol, Metallo, FUCKING BRAINIAC! To be fair, I think Michael Shannon is fantastic as General Zod. In fact, I think he is one of the best villains in the DCEU so far. However, I think that changing the villain in Man of Steel would have made a massive impact on how that story was received and how well it worked. Had a badass villain like Brainiac been utilized, an already damn good Superman movie, could’ve been an all-time great comic book flick.

Wow. Um, that got away from me pretty damn fast… Believe it our not, I’m actually here to talk about the new season of Titans on HBO Max. The reason I opened with a rant about my desire to see a more diverse group of DC characters brought to life in live-action, on TV or film, is because Titans scratches that itch big time! Each season showcases a plethora of our favorite DC characters and concepts, many making their live-action debut. It’s one of the reasons Titans is such a big draw for me.

Titans premiered as the flagship show in the now defunct streaming service DC UNIVERSE. It was the first of multiple original series that the fledgling service rolled out over the course of it’s initial launch. It was followed by a Doom Patrol series, the resurrection of the beloved animated show Young Justice, Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, and a great Swamp Thing show that was cancelled before it even premiered, airing only one season (apparently it was WAY TOO expensive, but who really knows?). All of the shows were varying degrees of exceptional. They were all well received by both critics and fans, except for Titans. While the show was considered a success upon it’s launch, it was the only original DC UNIVERSE series that was met with a harsh critical reception. With DC and HBO both falling under Warner Bros ownership, along with the DC streaming service underperforming, Warner Bros was looking to invest additional content and resources and into HBO Max. Titans, Doom Patrol, and Young Justice all made the transition to the new streaming service. Doom Patrol Season 3 debuts in September and Young Justice Season 4 is currently in production.

The infamous “Fuck Batman.” scene.

Titans premiered in the wake of films like Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Both highly anticipated DC projects that were criticized for being overly dark and left many fans massively disappointed. When the first trailer for Titan’s dropped, the teaser infamously featured a very angry Dick Grayson, in his Robin uniform, giving some thugs a brutal beating, and declaring “Fuck Batman” at the end if the fight. I think that so many critics and fans were turned off by the sensibilities of the DCEU films and they saw Titans is simply an extension of what they disliked about the DC movies. Another overly serious, ultra dark, violent, superhero tale that takes the joy out of these classic characters. In my opinion, this point was one of the big reasons that Titans wasn’t greeted warmly by critics and certain fans, when it debuted. I personally don’t agree with that particular criticism, but I understand. Regardless, I enjoyed the hell out of season one, I couldn’t wait for season two and it easily surpassed season one by telling a fantastic Deathstroke story.

As much as I’ve loved this show, its biggest problem has always been the story. In the first two seasons, different storylines and character threads don’t always mesh and come together exactly as well as you would want them to, and it can leave the show feeling a little disjointed. I’m very pleased to report that with season three, it seems like Titans has really ironed out it’s storytelling problems to deliver a tight, compelling, and extremely entertaining narrative.

For a guy who is viewed as such a loner, Batman surrounds himself with a rather large surrogate family. He frequently opens his home to people with nowhere to go and in some cases trains and drafts them in his war to protect Gotham City. With the exception of Alfred, Dick Grayson is by far Batman‘s most well-known and interesting partner. Everyone knows who Dick Grayson is, whether they consciously know it or not. When people think of RobIn, the character they have in their head is Dick Grayson. He is the original Robin, but there’ve been many others to take up the mantle of Robin.

While Titans is ostensibly a team/ensemble series, this is the Dick Grayson show through and through. The series opens with a nice, little easter egg comic book reference, after his falling out with Bruce, Dick leaves Gotham and becomes a detective for the Detroit Police Department, he did something similar in the original comic book run. The first two seasons largely focus on his struggle to come to terms with his own personal demons and his complicated feelings about Bruce Wayne. Dick is a very angry young man, especially at the beginning of the series. He knows he has real darkness inside him, which he hates about himself, but he hates Bruce even more for nurturing those feelings and, as Dick sees it, weaponizing them for his own ends. This feeling is only reinforced when he meets Jason Todd for the first time, a young man who introduces himself to Dick as the “new Robin”. The fact that through Bruce just replaced Dick without a second thought, putting another young man in harms way, confirms what Dick has suspected for a long time. He loved Bruce as a father/brother figure and now he realizes he was nothing more than a soldier in Bruce’s insane war. It’s also important to remember that the mantle of Robin was Dick’s to give away, that was a persona, a hero, that Dick created to be Bruce’s sidekick. So it feels like an extra kick in the teeth, when Dick meets his own replacement, decked out in full, Robin regalia.

It’s a difficult and continuing road, but through his experiences with The Titans have put him on the path he was meant to walk. Dick is intelligent, emotionally well balanced, and compassionate enough, to work through these feelings by leaning on other people he cares about. Instead of trying to carry his burden alone, which allows him to become his own man and a hero in his own right, as Nightwing. Leaving Robin behind forever, but still fulfilling his destiny as a superhero. Eventually, he even manages to forgive Bruce, realizing that no matter warped and unhealthy it may have been, Bruce was only trying to help and protect Dick. He was trying to save him and help him in the only way he knew how.

Some of Bruce‘s “parenting” time with Jason.

Jason Todd, the current Robin, on the other hand, is nothing like Dick and doesn’t have any of Grayson’s positive qualities I mentioned a moment ago. He’s not particularly intelligent, he’s reckless, and unable to keep his emotions in check. He also has a big chip on his shoulder, as well as a serious inferiority complex. Sadly, anything Bruce may have learned during his time with Dick, certainly didn’t transfer to Jason, because that kid is a goddamn mess. Curran Walters who plays Jason, has absolutely crushed it since he was introduced mid-Season 1. He plays him like a mix between a live, exposed electrical wire and a lost, desperate puppy. Jason is a key character in Season 3 and Walters brings 100% to a complicated role.

Going into Season 3, Dick has finally come to terms with his past, to become the hero and leader he needs to be, as Nightwing. This new iteration of The Titans have have come together as a formidable team of heroes. They’re working like a fine oiled machine. The Titans have even become quasi-celebrities. Adored by the media and the public for their heroism. Whaddaya know? Turns out is you actually SAVE a few people and don’t level a city in the process, the public actually likes superheroes! Who knew? The active Titans, consisting of Connor AKA Superboy, Kory AKA Starfirfe, Gar AKA Beast Boy, Dawn AKA Dove, Hank AKA Hawk, and Super-Dog Krypto, are thriving as a team with Nightwing at the helm. While some of the mainstays of the team are off screen until later in the season, like Raven and Donna Troy. Things are looking great, which is of course when those old Gotham City demons show up pounding on Dick Grayson’s door.

(Minor Spoilers here, but nothing that hasn’t been shown in the trailers) Tragedy strikes when the current Robin, Jason Todd, is brutally killed by The Joker.

Anyone who really knows the character, understands that Batman handles the death of a loved one poorly, at best. Batman handles Jason’s death just about as badly as you’d expect. It’s a fucking train wreck. He callously throws himself into his work as The Dark Knight, hiding from his grief. The series first introduced Bruce Wayne in Season 2, played by Ian Glenn (Ser Jorrah Mormont from Game of Thrones) and he’s been great in the role ever since. We see a Batman that has serious problems processing grief and instead of dealing with it head on, in a healthy way, he dives headfirst back into being Batman. It’s like he’s escaping from his trauma into this monster of his own creation. Following the death of Jason Todd, we have never seen the character more mentally unhinged and emotionally broken.

There’s a fantastic moment in The Batcave between Bruce and Dick, Dick is horrified to discover that Bruce has already been researching possible “recruits” to replace Jason as Robin. When a furious Dick confronts Bruce about this, looking and sounding like a lost little boy, Bruce almost timidly asks “Do you wanna be Robin again?”. Dick’s reaction is a shocked mix of disgust, pity, disbelief, and genuine concern. The fact that Bruce would even ask him this, shows exactly how far gone, mentally, he really is. It’s almost as if Bruce is experiencing some kind of psychotic break and the gravity of the moment is not lost on Dick. Things get worse before they get better. With Batman off the deep end, a brutal and dangerous new player storms into Gotham’s underworld: The Red Hood.

He’s a compelling and genuinely threatening villain, and if you don’t already know the character, the less said the better.

Following the recent death of her father, former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, has reluctantly taken on the thankless role of Gotham City Police Commissioner (mainly because no one else was crazy enough to take the job). Like Grayson, Barbara has her own less than perfect history with Bruce Wayne, she’s done with vigilantes and the questionable cycle of violence Bruce perpetuated. So the last thing she wants to do is pick up with Nightwing, where her father left off with Batman, but The GCPD is stretched to it’s limit. Dick isn’t thrilled with the situation either. He thought he put Batman and Gotham behind him to build something better with The Titans. Instead, he’s forced to “step into his Father’s shoe’s” and bring a still relatively green group of heroes into a city where mistakes put you in the morgue instead of the emergency room.

As Dick and Barbara re-establish their fragile partnership, the new Commissioner reveals that Dick and The Titans aren’t the only “consultants” she’s been forced to work with. Straight out of “Silence of The Lambs”, while currently incarcerated in Arkham Asylum, The GCBD has been utilizing the skills of one of the world’s best criminal psychologists and profilers, Dr. Jonathan Crane, better known as The Scarecrow.

Some might find the “Hannibal Lector” angle a little derivative, but the show manages to get away with it because it’s so damn fun to watch. Crane is played by Vincent Kartheiser, better known to audiences as Pete Campbell from Mad Men, Connor from Angel, and a slew of various roles on the big screen. Kartheiser really makes the role his own. We’ve never quite seen the popular Batman villain portrayed like this. I don’t want to SPOIL too much, so if you don’t want to know anything, skip down to the next paragraph where you’ll see “END SPOILERS”….

….

….

…. I wont go into specifics about the role of the character in the series. However, when it comes to the level of danger he presents, some fans tend to think of Crane as a pretty minor Batman villain. But anyone who’s played the video game, Batman: Arkham Knight, knows that Scarecrow is capable of being a massive, city-wide threat that we tend to only associate with characters like The Joker, Ra’s Al Ghul, or Bane. Dr. Jonathan Crane is not to be underestimated.

…

…

…

END SPOILERS

After 2 seasons largely focused on Dick Grayson’s journey from Robin to Nightwing. Now in Season 3, the series has come into his own and Nightwing’s return to his hometown, along with the rest of The Titans, couldn’t have come at a more difficult time. As Dick and his team try to live up to the legacy of Batman as Gotham’s protector’s, a violent and formidable new threat has emerged from the Gotham underworld. A criminal who may have a much deeper and more personal connection to Dick and Bruce than either of them could have imagined. If you’ve ever thought about giving Titans a chance, now is the time to do it, because the series has never been better.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Commentary!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

“The Multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little” – Dr. Stephen Strange (This guy literally goes toe to toe with cosmic gods on the regular, so hearing fear in is voice when saying this line, tells us how completely fucked they are)

    I’ll be honest, some may be surprised to hear, that I’ve had some big reservations about Spider-Man: No Way Home. After all, I’m an MCU super-fan and Tom Holland is without a doubt my favorite live action Spider-Man. When I’ve expressed my trepidation about this new movie I’ve been met with some pretty strong responses. Like this recent exchange for example,  “What’s this guy’s fuckin’ problem?! Does this prick think he’s BETTER than Spider-Man?! You and little fucking website and your shitty podcast can GO FUCK YOURSELF!”.  To which I replied, “Jeez Mom, that a bit much, don’t you think?” 

    However, in my defense, I think I had a few good reasons to be concerned. Far From Home had such a spectacular cliffhanger ending. Not only was I beyond thrilled too see J.K. Simmons return as J. Jonah Jameson, in The MCU no less, but Mysterio framing Peter for his murder, streaming the doctored footage, and revealing that Spider-Man is Peter Parker, for all the worlds to see. That is one hell of a way to end a movie!

I loved that J. Jonah Jameson was the one to get the scoop. Their decision to make Ole’ J.J., a controversial, fringe, Alex Jones-esque, online news outlet that broke the story was only the icing on the cake. I was really curious to see how this story would play out. But then as proctions was ramping up, rumors and information about No Way Home begin to trickle in. Jaimie Foxx was returning as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, then the great Alfred Molina would be appearing as Doc Ock from Spider-Man 2. They were playing the same versions of their characters that we had already seen in other Spider-Man franchises that didn’t take place in The MCU.

“Hello Peter”

The last piece of the puzzle fell into place for me when Benedict Cumberbatch signed on for a size-able role in movie as Doctor Strange. After No Way Home, the next MCU film is Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness (You don’t have to be a genius to figure out the type of thing Doctor Strange will be dealing with that movie). As the months went on and more rumors about casting continue to swirl, it was sounding more and more to me like this was essentially going to be a live action version of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Don’t get me wrong, I love Into The Spider-Verse. It’s easily one of the best superhero movies ever made Live-Action, Animated, or otherwise. That’s just not what I wanted to see from a third MCU Spider-Man movie. I was very excited to see what, I imagined was, a more grounded Spider-Man film that dealt with the fallout of the last movie. At this point I should simply learn to trust Marvel and Kevin Feige because  this trailer laid my fears to rest. Not only is Peter’s identity becoming public a huge part of this upcoming film, it is the event that movies the entire story forward. It’s the catalyst for the whole movie.

 I was pleasantly surprised how excited I was after watching this teaser. Now that it’s finally available for our viewing pleasure, I was really blown away by it and I thought the best way to cover it, would be a Trailer Commentary. Below, you will see the 1st trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, If you’d like, you can sync up with me and follow along, as I give my commentary and my insights on this new teaser for The MCU’s third Spider-Man movie. I have a lot of fun stuff to cover so I hope you join the ride! When rumors and bits of information about this movie were hitting the Internet, it was clear that this was going to be a film that dealt with the multiverse and some other big, sci-fi concepts. Which is all well and good, but I was afraid that they were taking this route, at the expense of the story set up at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. I gotta admit my fears were laid to rest after watching this teaser. I mean…Wow.! What a trailer! This baby was certainly worth the wait! Watch it here:

There were so many things I loved in this. The return of J. Jonah Jameson! The pumpkin bomb! Goddamn it’s good to see Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock again. I can wait to see this Peter Parker fight those tentacles. They naturally lend themselves to interesting action sequences. I could be wrong, but it seeemed like Peter sees Doc Ock in the same place we see the pumpkin bomb and hear the unmistakable laugh of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. I was very critical of Dafoe’s Norman Osborn in the original film, so I’m surprised by how happy i was by the trailer’s suggestion of his return. 

The set up of the film is reminiscent of the much maligned “One More Day” story arc in which Aunt May is shot after Peter’s identity becomes public. He then makes a deal with the demon Mephisto to put Spider-Man’s secret identity back in the bottle in exchange for his marriage to MJ. It’s pretty fucking stupid, but I love what they’re attempting to do here. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to see Jon Faverau, the man who started it all, return as Happy Hogan.  Also, l’m calling it right now. This is going to be the biggest superhero blockbuster of all time. This is going to break box office records left and right. So pull up the trailer, sync it up with mine, and let’s dive into this Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Commentary!

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/46225075  Or subscribe/listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000533035515

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/11mA9kClyevVZjWYMQB1Io?si=7TfnqkBiShqp[lTQpZhh2UDsA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=185563

Wong’s like. “This is going to go sideways very fucking quickly. I am OUT.”

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

FINAL TRAILER: Marvel’s ETERNALS!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…


It looks like 2021 is going to be a banner year for Marvel. Phase 4 of The MCU is off to a killer start with the Disney+ shows. WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, have all been fantastic. Black Widow may have been a little lackluster, but the early reactions to Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings have phenomenal. One film commentator that I follow, called Shang-Chi his “favorite superhero movie since Logan” and that the film had “the best martial arts action I’ve seen since The Raid”. On his podcast, film insider and writer Robert Meyer-Burnett, who worked on The Lord of The Rings Trilogy, said that Shang-Chi was one of “:the best fantasy films of the last 25 years”. I was already extremely excited for this film. Like Guardians of The Galaxy and Doctor Strange, Shang Chi will open up a completely new corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the possibilities are extremely exciting. My only concern is that the movie lives up to the hype that I’ve built up in my head. I know I might be pushing my luck by saying this, but I have a feeling that Shang-Chi is going to be something really special. Between this film and Eternals, it seems like we’re in for some great MCU storytelling (Supposedly, Spider-Man: No Way Home is still coming in December, but we’ve literally seen nothing from this movie, so I’m beginning to wonder if this movie even exists at all).

Right around the corner from Shang-Chi, Eternals premieres on November 5th. The final (probably) trailer has dropped and this flick looks fucking excellent. Here’s the official synopsis from Marvel…

Marvel Studios’ The Eternals features an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years. Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, an unexpected tragedy forces them out of the shadows to reunite against mankind’s most ancient enemy, The Deviants.

This is one goddamn beautiful trailer, but I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise with Academy Award winning director Chloe Zhao at the helm. Kevin Fiege, the genius head honcho at Marvel Studios, has seen more success in his career over the last 15 years, than almost anyone in Hollywood. So he isn’t a man given to hyperbole. He’s more humble than most big wigs in the movie business, and he has a killer track record to back it up. Which is why many were surprised a few moths ago, when Fiege made the bold declaration that Eternals will win The Oscar for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards. Fiege very rarely makes comments like this, which shows you the level of confidence he has in this project. After seeing this new trailer, I can see why. It’s absolutely stunning. There’s so much great stuff here: our first look at The Deviants. The stunning, cosmic gods, The Celestial. Seeing how The Eternals manifest their powers. I loved it! Take a look for yourself right here:

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

Trailers of The Week: Lucifer:The Final Season & Doom Patrol Season 3!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Trailers dropped a few days ago announcing new seasons for two shows, both based on DC Universe properties: The sixth and final season Lucifer on Netflix and Doom Patrol Season 3 on HBO Max. Both shows are really interesting in different ways. Doom Patrol is one of the fucking weirdest superhero television shows ever made, which is part of the fun. While I really enjoy Doom Patrol, it’s certainly not a series for everybody. Lucifer on the other hand he is a series that I genuinely love to watch. I’ll be sad to see it go, but all good things must come to an end. I’m just glad that the creators are ending the series on their terms, instead of potentially dragging the show on and risking a dip in quality. I’m happy to see Lucifer end on a high note. Not to mention six seasons pretty damn good run. Take a look at the trailers posted below to watch for yourself…

Lucifer: The Final Season will premiere September 10th on Netflix

Doom Patrol Season 3 drops on HBO Max September 23rd

Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

PODCAST: The Suicide Squad Review! Full Spoilers!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, Tim Cuff and Ryan McDonald join me to review The Suicide Squad, the latest film based on the classic DC Comics series. Tim and Ryan are also the co-hosts of the hit podcast, Cuff’s Basement!

This episode is also particularly special because this was the first time we recorded a podcast in person, in well over a year because of the pandemic. We were recording all of our episodes through our devices, so just physically getting together to do a new show felt great.

This movie had a huge advantage right out of the gate, because its directed by the amazing James Gunn. James Gunn is the twisted mind behind both Guardians of The Galaxy movies Slither starring Nathan Fillion, Super, and more. He easily makes it onto my list of The 10 Best Working Directors, his name one the project alone was enough to get me excited for The Suicide Squad. If James Gunn is directing, you can bet your ass I’ll be watching.

The Suicide Squad also acts as a soft reboot of the abysmal 2016 Suicide Squad. A few characters that appeared in the 2016 film return for this installment, like Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Joel Kinnamen as Rick Flagg. While 2021’s The Suicide Squad doesn’t directly contradict the 2016 film, it’s clear that everyone involved wants us to forget it ever happened.

Whenever I get together with Ryan and Tim, we always have blast recording a show. We hope you guys enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making the episode!

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/46049118 Or subscribe/listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000531679297

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/11mA9kClyevVZjWYMQB1Io?si=7TfnqkBiShqTQpZhh2UDsA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=185563

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

UPDATED!!! The AWESOME List: August 2021’s Coolest Movies, Shows, & Comics!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

The SUMMER ain’t over yet! These are my picks for the movie, TV, streaming, and comic book content to check out in August 2021.

TV

UFO – Documentary Series (Sunday 8/8) Showtime

UFO’s have been in the news now more than ever. As a long time UFO researcher, it’s very satisfying to see this topic finally being taken seriously. This is a 4-part documentary series from JJ Abrams premiering on Showtime. Abrams may have fallen out of grace as a filmmaker, for me at least, but the subject matter makes this a must watch.

Stargirl Season 2 (Tuesday 8/10) The CW

This was a very pleasant surprise when the first season premiered last year. A great cast, cool villains, and fantastic use of classic characters and lore from throughout DC‘s history. This is a great superhero show that the whole family can enjoy. From what I’ve seen, they seem to have really kicked it up a notch in Season 2.

Marvel Studio’s WHAT IF…? (8/11) Disney+

After the events of LOKI, this promises to be very cool.

Titans Season 3 (8/12) HBO

An underrated superhero show that I highly recommend checking out. The first two seasons are available on HBO Max right now.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season (8/22) AMC

I gave up on The Walking Dead a few seasons back, but I just might tune in to see how everything wraps up.

Blu-Ray/4K

Batman: The Long Halloween Part II (8/10)

This has been one of the stronger stories put out by DC Animation over the last few years. Part 1 was great and reviews for Part 2 are even better. I’ve heard that the best way to watch this, is to watch Part 1 & 2, back-to-back. As one movie, like the filmmakers created it to be. I’m sure that, just like their adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, DC animation will release a Deluxe Edition that is the entire Long Halloween story as one film.

Movies

The Suicide Squad (8/6)

This is a James Gunn movie. Enough said

Free Guy (8/13)

I had zero interest in seeing this film, however I’ve heard nothing but great things about it. The early word is that it’s phenomenal, which is kind of shocking. Friend of the podcast Mark Fitzgerald, who I interviewed, a few months back worked on this movie. So I’m definitely going at the very least auto for loyalty my friend Mark.

The Green Knight (8/18)

This unique and captivating retelling of a classic Arthurian fable has been receiving rave reviews since its release. The film is very far from your typical fantasy movies like Lord of The Rings, as a result some have found it difficult to find a local theater playing the movie on the big screen. So the company that produced the film is giving moviegoers as chances to watch this excellent new story online. Here are the details on how to watch courtesy of Screen Rant: The A24 Screening Room will be playing The Green Knight for one night only in an online format. It will be available on Wednesday, August 18 at 9PM EST and tickets are available now on the A24 Screening Room site at the price of $20 per ticket. The film is accessible through the web, Apple TV, and Roku. After creating an account and buying a ticket, customers will be able to have access to the movie at the aforementioned date and time. Audiences will have 4 hours to watch the film and any other content provided.

New Movies On Streaming

Godzilla VS Kong (Available on HBO Max on 8/17)

A sometimes dumb, but nonetheless fun watch.

Comic Books/Graphic Novels

The Trial of Magneto (8/18)

Someone murdered Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch, and Magneto is the prime suspect. But what if Magneto is innocent? Did he really kill his own daughter or is there something far more sinister at play? The 5-Issue miniseries is the latest chapter in Jonathan Hickman’s ongoing X-Men Saga that continues to rock the Marvel Universe to it’s core.

Kang The Conqueror #1

SPOILERS FOR LOKI!!!! Fans of the recently wrapped first season of Loki, had a lot of questions following the standout finale episode. The character at the center of many of those questions, was the man pulling strings of The TVA: He Who Remains. He Who Remains, is of course better known to comic book readers as Kang The Conqueror. Kang, He Who Remains, or whoever you want to call him, has gone by many names while becoming the self proclaimed Master of Time. No matter the incarnation we see him in next, this character is going to be massively important moving forward into Phase 4 of The MCU. This 5-issue miniseries is a great place to start for anyone wanting a better understanding Kang and how this fascinating villain will shape the past, present, and future of The MCU.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

NEW TRAILER & POSTERS: Titans Season 3!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Ever since Titans first premiered on the DC Universe Streaming Service, I always felt it was a pretty underrated superhero show. It seemed to get a lot of criticism, that I think, it didn’t deserve. Even Season 2 was a big improvement on Season 1, in my opinion. My theory, is that the series is a fairly dark interpretation of the Teen Titans mythology. Titans premiered right around the time many fans were souring on what they believed was overly dark and grim tone of the DCEU movies like Man of Steel and BvS. Regardless, it’s not a perfect show by any means, but for me at least, Titans has always been an absolute blast. Season 3 looks to be the best yet, adding Scarecrow, Red Hood, Blackfire, and Barbara Gordon to an already fun ensemble of DC characters. The first two seasons are available now on HBO Max. I definitely recommend giving it a shot, especially if you’re a DC fan. Titans Season 3 premieres August 12 on HBO Max. Take a look at these cool promo images, and watch the new trailer right here:

This season also sees the debut of Tim Drake, the 3rd hero to take up the mantle of Robin (pictured below). Tim eventually comes into his own as The World’s Second Greatest Detective, Red Robin.

More character posters…

Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

PODCAST: LOKI Season Finale! FULL SPOILERS!

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

Season 1 of Marvel’s LOKI has come to an explosive, MCU shattering conclusion! On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we’re here to breakdown all the big reveals, our favorite moments, where things go for Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, and all favorite characters, from here! (FULL SPOILERS for LOKI Season 1)

What did you think of Season 1 of LOKI? Did the finale stick the landing or were you a little disappointed? We’d love to hear you thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

As I mention in this week’s podcast, if you want to know what the deal is with “He Who Remains”: Who exactly is this guy? Who is he in the original Marvel Comics? What are the implications of “He Who Remains” being introduced into The MCU? What did he mean when he said “If you think I’m evil… Well, Just wait till you meet my… variants.”? I covered all this and more in this article, which you can read right here (Just make sure you’ve seen the LOKI Season Finale first):

MCU: Marvel Casts KANG THE CONQUEROR! Is This The New “Big Bad” Of The MCU?

Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/45744650. Or subscribe/listen on Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…

iTunes/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-worlds-best-podcast/id1246038441?i=1000529228561

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/show/11mA9kClyevVZjWYMQB1Io?si=7TfnqkBiShqTQpZhh2UDsA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=185563

Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

TRAILER: Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF?…

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Hey Everyone,

Paul here…

It’s an exciting week to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! LOKI on Disney+ is in full swing, with the season finale premiering next Wednesday. More significantly, this week sees the release of the long-awaited and much anticipated Black Widow film, starring the always incredible Scarlett Johansson. But those sly dogs over at Marvel Studios always want to leave us wanting more, so they dropped the first full trailer for WHAT IF?… their upcoming Disney+ series premiering in August. I was already excited for this project, now that I’ve seen the full trailer and I understand the ambition of where they’re going with this, I’m really psyched. So, take a look for yourself right here:..

Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul

FIRST LOOK: Stargirl Season 2!

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Hey Everyone

Paul here…

Stargirl was a pleasant surprise when it premiered on DC Universe Streaming and The CW last year. Good villains, a likable cast, above average VFX, and a healthy dose of DC Comics mythology, made Stargirl one of my favorite shows of 2020. So I’m happy to say that everything I’ve heard about Season 2, premiering August 10th on The CW, sounds very cool. After defeating the Injustice Society last season, Courtney, Pat, and rest of their newly formed JSA members, will have not one, but two Big Bads on their hands in Season 2! Both of whichwere teased in the Season 1 finale. But first, take a look at the new trailer for Stargirl Season 2 and then we can get into some other cool surprises to expect in the show’s upcoming sophomore year

Looks awesome to me! It looks like Season 2 will add JSA members like Jade, the new Green Lantern ,and Jakeem Thunder, that weird, purple living energy-thing.

Jay Garrick, The Flash of The JSA, who first appeared on The CW series The Flash will also be making an appearance this season.

With that in mind, here are a few important things to know bet] thatWithin the mythology of DC Comics, decades before The Justice League, The JSA or Justice Society of America, were the original superhero team. Gettineag their start decades before the modern day Justice League. The JSA are the elder statesmen (and women) of The DCU. The classic team roster usually consists of the original Green Lantern Alan Scott, Jay “The Flash” Garrick, Wildcat, Hourman, BlackCanary, Dr. Mid-Nite, The Sandman (Not the Neil Gaiman version, Hawkman & Hawkgirl, and Starman. The team first formed around WWII in the comics and each member age at a much slower rate then normal. As a result, almost all of th e JSA appear to be in their 50’s for early 60’s and while they’re all well past their prime, they can still operate at peak condition or beyond while in the field.

On the show things play out a little differently. First of all, though there are certain recognizable heroes and villains from DC Comics, a Justice League seems to have never taken form on this Earth. The JSA appear to be the only major superhero team to have formed in this universe. Though the series is technically apart of The Arrrowverse, Stargirl takes place on a different Earth than Arrrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. On Stargirl, The JSA and other heroes and villains have been active for decades. About 15 years in the past, most of The JSA were killed by the Injustice Society, a group of dangerous villains. In the present day, with the help of her step father and former JSA memberPat (Luke Wilson), Courtney Whitmore becomes Stargirl and begins to reform The JSA with a new generation of heroes.

From what we see in the trailer, it looks like the next generation of The JSA will only be expanding their roster. They’ll need all the help they can get while dealing with multiple major threats on the horizon. Both were teased in the final moments of the Season 1 finale.

First, as shown in the trailer, is the classic DC villain The Shade. He’s immortal and he can control living shadow. What makes The Shade interesting is that while he’s a serious threat, who you fuck with at your own peril, he has honor. He lives by a code.

He’s definitely a villain, but he’s not a monster. On one or two rare occasions, he even made alliances with heroes. So it should be compelling to see how the show handles the only member of the Injustice Society, that was present the night the original JSA were slaughtered, who we haven’t met on screen yet.

A brief glimpse at The Shade from the Season 1 Finale.

The second villain the show will be introducing this year is Eclipso. This guy is no joke. He’s easily a Justice League level threat. Eclipso is an ancient alien entity who, as we saw in the Season 1 finale been trapped inside a small diamond stone (as is often the case with evil, eldritch monsters).

Eclipso feeds on the negative psychic energy of mankind. Grief, hate, anger, and sadness sustain him, so he tries to create as much suffering and chaos as possible.

Unfortunately for this young incarnation of The JSA, Eclipso is WAY out of their league, so it’ll be cool to see how they handle him on the show. So this new season of Stargirl looks like it’s shaping up to be pretty interesting, so I definitely recommend checking out Seaon 1, which you can find On Demand and Streaming.

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!

-Paul