“Who do you trust?” The first episode of Marvel’s latest Disney+ series, Secret Invasion, has arrived and after watching the first episode, I can definitely say that the latest MCU adventure is off to a great start.
Right off the bat, I wanted to keep this one pretty SPOILER-FREE. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you should be good reading this review. Anyway, when Marvel began producing big budget, movie quality MCU shows on Disney+, they launched with three flagship series: WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Loki. All three both fantastic and unique. Each series was in it’s own genre and showed us completely different parts of The MCU. If I had to pick, I’d say Loki was definitely my favorite. The subsequent Disney+/MCU shows we’re all interesting or cool in their own way, but so far, none of them have quite reached the heights of WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Loki. However, after watching the first episode of Secret Invasion, there’s definitely the potential here for another first rate Marvel show.
Secret Invasion is based on the comic book miniseries of they same name, written by Brian Michael Bendis. Whenever Marvel has adapted a specific storyline from the comic books, like Civil War for example, it’s usually a loose adaptation that changes elements of the original story to better fit what works within The MCU. They’re more like reimaginings that share certain elements. So far that’s been a great formula. I don’t necessarily want to see 1-for-1 adaptations of these stories. Comics are very different from films or television, so each medium plays to it’s strengths when telling stories like this.
The best thing about Secret Invasion is that this is Nick Fury’s story. Nick Fury is such an interesting character and Samuel L. Jackson is (as usual) fantastic. I’m happy Marvel went with a miniseries instead of a solo movie for their Nick Fury-centric project. If Marvel decided to give Nick Fury a solo film, it would probably have looked a lot like Black Widow. Fury deserves something grander than that. The threat of a shape shifting alien race, The Skrull, infiltrating our world at the highest levels, with the goal of making Earth their new home, certainly fits the bill. The Skrull made their first appearance in The MCU in 2019’s Captain Marvel.The Skrull need a new home world and they’ve got their sights set on Earth. How do you combat an existential threat like this? Who do you trust? Have they infiltrated The White House? The Avengers? Is the person you think you’ve known for years, not who they appear to be? This why Secret Invasion is the perfect way to tell a great NIck Fury story. Shadowy threats lurking in the darkness. Secrets and double crosses. Subterfuge and spy craft. This is Nick Fury’s world. Fury isn’t just a spy, as Tony Stark once said, “He’s THE Spy. His secrets have secrets”. But has Fury lost a step? Is he still THE Nick Fury? That’s the question the series asks, at least in the first episode.
What we end up with is a sci-fi, spy thriller and it works great. The cast is fantastic with Ben Mendelssohn returning as Talos, a “good” Skrull and an old friend of Fury’s, Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clark plays Talos’ estranged daughter, as well as Don Cheadle as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, and Colbie Smulders as Maria Hill.
Don’t come into the show expecting a non-stop action extravaganza like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This is a spy thrillers, so it’s a little slower and builds tension. Which works perfect here, it’s exactly what this show needs to be, it’s what makes it compelling. The show does a great job showing the audience what’s at stake. You catch on pretty quickly to why this would be such a dangerous situation, and it has some interesting real world parallels.
With Nick Fury at the center, a chilling threat, and a great cast, this was an excellent start to Secret Invasion. There’s huge potential here and I hope the rest of the series lives up to the promise shown in its first episode.
Secret Invasion will be a 6-part miniseries with new episodes premiering each Wednesday on Disney+.
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 for the podcast, 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!
We have a lot of cool stuff to bring you on this week’s episode. Arguably the most exciting piece of news this week is, the possibility of Steven Spielberg directing the new Superman film. With the recently announced return of Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, so a lot of interesting stuff is out there right now about a big superman project on the horizon. I discuss it in depth in this weeks episode. I also wanted to mention and recommend Quentin Tarantino’s new book, I from there we touch on House of The Dragon, AMC’s new Interview with The Vampire series, and more!
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 for the podcast, 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!
Images from Green Lantern: Beware My Power, one of the movies I recommend in this week’s episode.
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, I attempt to discuss my favorite content from Summer 2022, but as usual, things quickly go off the rails. We may jump the tracks a few times, but it’s still a hell of a ride! Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/51098106
As you’ll hear in this episode, one of my favorite things to talk about is Tom Cruise and the INSANE stunts he does in his films. Above is a picture from the zero-gravity, plane crush stunt from 2017’s The Mummy, that I mentioned in the podcast. Tom Cruise has done a lot of bat-shit crazy stunts over the years, so I thought it would be cool to post this video, showcasing some of his most impressive stunts performed throughout his illustrious career…
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 for the podcast, 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!
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, I have quite a bit to say about the new Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series on Disney+ and Stranger Things 4 on Netflix. Let’s just say i had a very strong reaction to each series. Enjoy!
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 for the podcast, 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!
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, we review the new MCU series, Moon Knight on Disney+! We had some killer, movie quality shows debut on the streaming platform last year from Marvel Studios. Kevin Fiege and the other folks at Marvel are producing each new series as if it was another big screen, MCU blockbuster. With the same production value, vfx, star power, and behind the screens talent of any Marvel Studios film. Does Moon Knight continue the level of excellence we’ve come to expect from these shows? Listen the podcast and find out! Beware FULL SPOILERS!!!
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 for the podcast, 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!
There’s some fantastic and exciting pop culture content coming out in 2022! Movies, graphic novels, TV/Streaming, and more! Shows like Peacemaker and movies like The Batman got us off to a great start, but there’s an embarrassment of riches still coming our way this year. Below are my picks for the Movies, TV/Streaming projects, Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Books, and Video Games that you don’t want to miss in 2022!
MOVIES
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
Release Date: Apr 15, 2022
Warner Bros. just released this fascinating Behind-The-Scenes video about the new film. Definitely worth giving a watch:
While the Fantastic Beasts series hasn’t been the universally praised films that the original Harry Potter films, I’ve loved these movies, especially the last one. This is such a fun world to visit and I love this rich time period in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, showing us fascinating stories and characters we haven’t seen before. Also, c’mon, Jude Law is a PERFECT young Albus Dumbledore and I can’t wait to see more of him in this next film. Check out the trailer here:
Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness
Release Date: May 6, 2022
With possible exception of The Batman, no film in 2022 has me more excited than Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. Doctor Strange is one of my favorite comic book characters as well as one of my favorite MCU characters. I thought his solo film in 2016 was a very fun, dynamic, visually interesting, and all-around solid introduction to a character with an incredibly rich history. We really just saw the tip of the iceberg in that film. he’s also my favorite hero in infinity war, his one on one duel with Thanos wielding the infinity gauntlet is one of the most iconic and just fucking cool scenes in the MCU. With this new film the character and his world has been established, giving the filmmakers the opportunity to really dive into some crazy shit. Man, after seeing the teaser trailer that aired during the Super Bowl and the full trailer that was simultaneously released online, we really got a chance to see how absolutely fucking bananas this movie is going to be. Marvel does a great job with their trailers of not spoiling the movie while still getting you incredibly excited for the project. And the Doctor Strange trailers have done that pitch perfectly. Considering the stuff that they showed us in the trailer like the illuminati call Ma fucking Patrick Stewart has Charles Xavier! Ultron drones! Wanda appearing appearing to go full villain! Incredible stuff. Marvel has always also described this film as the closest they’ve ever done to making a horror movie, which is really interesting because we haven’t seen anything like that from the MCU yet.
So you combine all of that with the fact that Sam Raimi, the legendary Director of the original Spider-Man trilogy, the Evil Deads films, Drag Me To Hell, The Giftt, and a lot of other great movies is helming this film, I think we’re gonna get something really special. Sam Raimi directed what is arguably one of the best superhero films ever made with Spider-Man 2 and we also know that he excels at weird, fucked up, offbeat, crazy, horror with the Evil Dead films and Drag Me To Hell . Rami has also been a very outspoken fan of Doctor Strange throughout his career. My expectations are so fucking high for this one I think it’s going to be a home run, but I’ve been burned many times before so let’s keep our fingers crossed. On the other hand marvel has never burned me, so far I’ve always been able to trust them to somehow zinc bigger than even their fans to deliver a fantastic project. This is my pick for The Must See Movie of 2022.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date: July 8, 2022
Unlike Doctor Strange 2, we haven’t had a trailer yet to knock our socks off, but there’s a lot to be excited about in this film. Interesting, Thor is the only founding Avenger and the only MCU hero to get a 4th entry in his series. Taika Watitti has returned to direct Love and Thunder after directing not only the best Thor movie with Thor: Ragnarok, but also one of Marvel’s most beloved film in recent years. It’s a real fan favorite. The biggest draw for me is the debut of Christian Bale as Gorr The God Butcher.
Gorr is one of the coolest and most terrifying Marvel villains to debut in the comics in the last decade, so it’ll be very interesting to see how they plan to portray such a dark and blood thirsty character. Thor won’t have to face Gorr on his own because everyone’s favorite band galactic heroes/outlaws, The Guardians of The Galaxy, will feature heavily in the film.
NOPE
Release Date: July 22, 2022
The next horror film from Jordan Peele about UFO’s? HELL. YES! I cant wait for this one.
The long awaited return of one of, hands down, one of the best shows on television is finally here! And there’s a hell of a lot to be excited about! Showrunner Eric Kripke has said Season 3 will feature their take on the “HEROGASM!” story line from the comics (And to answer your question: Yes, the story is just as depraved and horrifying as the title would suggest). The season will also see a new addition to the cast, with Jensen Ackles joining the show as, the Captain America-esque, Soldier Boy. This marks a reunion for Eric Kripke and Jensen Akcles, who previously worked together on the hit series, Supernatural. Kripke created the now iconic series, where Ackles played Dean Winchester, one of the show’s two lead characters. The beloved show recently wrapped up it’s incredible, record breaking 15 Season run. Check out the trailer here:
Obi-Wan Kenobi Series (Disney+) 5/27
With the possible exception of The Mandalorian Season 3, there isn’t an upcoming Star Wars project more anticipated the Obi-Wan Kenobi series coming to Disney+. Ewan McGregor is finally making his return to the fan favorite character, but he’s not the only returning character viewers should expect to see. Hayden Christensen is also returning to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Which pretty much guarantees that we’re going to see a rematch between the two, after their epic lightsaber duel on Mustafar in Episode III. In exciting news, it was just announced that the first two episodes will premiere together on May 27th.
Fans had been clamoring for a Kenobi solo project for years, with many people hoping a film focusing on the character would be made under the, “A Star Wars Story“ banner. However, I would argue (and I think most fans would agree) that with all of the incredible storytelling we’ve seen on the Star Wars TV shows, a Disney+ series sounds much more appealing than a 2 hour film. Check out the trailer right here:
The Sandman (Netflix) (TBD)
Like The Lord of The Rings, which was considered to be “un-filmable” for decades, an adaptation of The Sandman would’ve been impossible 15 years ago. Again, like Lord of The Rings, the first obstacle was a technical one. So much of The Sandman is set in places that just simply didn’t exist in the real world. Visual effects would be heavily needed for everything from environment creations, characters, MoCap, augmenting practical effects, and the list goes on and on. We’re finally a point where you can expect to see film quality visual effects and storytelling on a prestige drama on cable or a streaming service. You can see the passion that was put into this project in this Behind-The-Scenes video…
Audiences needed to be ready for this story as well, it’s not something you can watch casually. I think over the last 10 years audiences have been trained by The MCU, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and other stories that became hits beyond the core audience, to be able to except and buy into a such a sprawling, imaginative fantasy. It’s a truly unique story and I can’t wait to see what they’re doing with it. There hasn’t been official release date announced yet. However we can expect to see the show premiere sometime in Summer 2022. Trust me keep an eye out for this one it’s gonna be something special. Take a look at the first teaser trailer:
The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon Prime) 9/2/22
Amazon Prime’s new take on the classic work ofJ.R.R. Tolkien, taking place during the period surrounding the forging of the original rings of power and Sauron’s eventual rise to The Dark Lord of The Rings. The 8 episode first season cost over $58 Million per episode, making it the most expensive show in TV history. Blowing past the previous titled holder, Marvel’s Disney+ shows, at $25 Million per episode. Here’s the trailer:
Moon Knight (Disney+) 3/30
Well, we don’t have to wait too long for this one, but I felt it was still important to include. Moon Knight is the next Marvel Cinematic Universe series to hit Disney+. The series stars Oscar Isaac as the title character and the always fantastic Ethan Hawke, playing a mysterious new character. Someone at Marvel Studios described the series as “Indiana Jones meets Fight Club”, which is as damn good of a description as I can think of. Moon Knight has some cool supernatural element to it, as well as dealing with a main character who has severe mental health issues. It’s lot to get into, but I think this is going toi be a special one. For once, I wish Marvel would drop alll 6 episodes at when the show premieres. my favorite part about streaming service shows is that the entire season drops when the show premieres. I understand why Disney+ and Marvel don’t adopt that model but every once in a while they could throw us a bone and give us a little treat. Anyway check out the trailer, for a little bit of insight into the series:
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) 6/22
There isn’t much new info about the umbrella academy season three except for the release date and some cool posters which I have you can see below. If it wasn’t for shows like the boys or invincible, I would say that the umbrella Academy would probably be my favorite superhero show on TV right now I love how offbeat and unique it is and I can’t wait to see the new season.
This season sees The Hargeeve Siblings having to contend with the mysterious Sparrow Academy, who were teased at the end of Season 2.
Ms Marvel (Disney+) 6/6
This poster is cool homage to the comic book.
If Spider-Man were created today, it’d probably look a lot like this. Based on the comic of the same name, Ms. Marvel focuses on New Hersey, high school student Kamala Khan. Kamal is a super hero mega-fan, shocked to find herself incredible new powers. Look for her to be a big player in The Marvels, the upcoming sequel to Captain Marvel.
COMIC BOOKS/GRAPHIC NOVELS
Batman: Beyond The White Knight (DC COMICS)
Following the success of Batman: White Knight and Batman: Curse of The White Knight, writer/artist Sean Murphy is bringing the Batman Beyond mythology into his popular series of Batman graphic novels, with Batman: Beyond The White Knight. As massive fan of all things Batman Beyond this is a MUST READ for me. *Now Available, digitally and at your local comic book store!
Flashpoint Beyond (DC Comics) April 2022
Judgment Day (Marvel Comics)5/7
The Avengers, X-Men, and Eternals face Judgment Day! The MarvelComics event is coming this summer. The year’s biggest stories begin in Marvel’s ‘Free Comic Book Day: Avengers/X-Men’ #1! Which you can pick up at your local comic book store or digitally on May 7.
DARK CRISIS (DC COMICS)5/7 & 6/7
Dark Crisis is THE comic book blockbuster event of the summer! Here’s what DC has to say, below are some preview images and their synopsis of the prelude to Dark Crisis, ”The Death of The Justice League”
The Last Stand of The Justice League…
Witness the rise and fall of the Justice League! The event years in the making is here with Dark Crisis. The Justice League is comics’ greatest super-team—made up of DC Comics’ legendary Super Heroes, they have saved the world countless times. No crisis was too much for them to handle…until now! The Justice League has been defeated by the Great Darkness and its army of DC’s most dangerous villains—now a new generation of heroes must rise to protect not only the Multiverse…but also the legacy of the DC Universe!
Now for the main event, Dark Crisis #1! Read the synopsis below:
Crisis on Infinite Earths. Infinite Crisis. Final Crisis. And now…Dark Crisis !
The epic event years in the making is finally here! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League are dead. The remaining heroes are left to protect the world from an onslaught of violent attacks by DC’s greatest villains! Can the legacy heroes step out of the shadows of the classic heroes to form a new Justice League? And will that be enough to stop a darkness greater than anything they’ve ever faced from destroying everything? Don’t miss out on the first issue of the blockbuster event of the summer!
Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition will be available on May 7. Justice League: Road to DarkCrisis #1 hits on May 31. Dark Crisis #1 will follow June 7. Check out the teaser below:
Avengers: 1,000,000 B.C. (MARVEL) 7/13/22
Writer – Jason Aaron Artist – Kev Walker
One of the most fascinating aspects of Jason Aaron’s current Avengers run, has been the introduction of The Avengers of 1,000,000 B.C. A primordial team of heroes, who came together to protect a vulnerable Earth from all manner of threats, at the dawn of Mankind. The team consisted of Odin (in his youthful, adventurous, Thor-like days), Lady Phoenix (The Phoenix Force possessing one of Earth’s first mutants), Agamotto (as in “The Eye of Agamotto”, Earth’s original Sorcerer Supreme), Black Panther (One of earliest incarnations of Wakanda’s defenders), The Ghost Rider (On a Wooly mammoth), Iron Fist (The first to face Shoa-Lao The Undying and claim the power of The Iron Fist for herself), and The Starbrand (A caveman wielding the power of The Starbrand, Earth’s natural self-defense system. Kind of like the team’s Hulk).
These characters have been an important part of the story since the beginning of Aaron’s run. This one-shot looks to finally shed some light on the larger role they’ll be playing in the major conflict to come, currently being set up in the Avengers books. Though nothing official has been announced yet, there is definitely a big ol’, mega-blockbuster comic book event in the works, involving Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and I suspect this may be the book where we see things start to kick off.
Here’s Marvel’s official synopsis: “They are the defenders of the dawn of time. Marvel’s first and mightiest legacy heroes. But their greatest secrets have never been revealed. Until now. Witness the dark events that shatter their ranks. See how their lives come to shape the entire future of the Marvel Universe. And be there for the monumental event that reunites them one last time: the true story of Thor’s birth.”
From his work on Wolverine to his already classic Thor run, Jason Aaron has been the mastermind behind some of Marvel’s best books. His current Avengers run has been a total blast from the first issue. Like all of his stories, Aaron often introduces concepts, characters, and story arcs, early on in his books that pay off big time later in the story. It feels like something big is right on the horizon, so now would be a great time to dive right in, or even better, get caught up on the story from the beginning with the collected editions that you can pick up anywhere. That may seem like a lot of graphic novels for some of you, however they aren’t dense breeds and they are incredibly fun and exciting, which will make you breeze through these collected additions faster than you probably think. Below is the list of trade paperbacks, starting with Jason Aaron’s 1st Avengers arc ending with the most recent story. From there you’d be pretty much all caught up:
Avengers Vol.1 The Final Host
Avengers Vol.2 World Tour
Avengers Vol.3 War of The Vampires
Avengers Vol.4 War of The Realms
Avengers Vol.5 Challenge of The Ghost Riders
Avengers Vol.6 Starbrand Reborn
Avengers Vol.7 The Age of Khonshu
Avengers Vol.8 Enter The Phoenix
Avengers Vol.9 World War She-Hulk
Avengers Vol.10 The Death Hunters (Available in July)
That may seem like a lot of graphic novels to some of you, but they aren’t dense reads, the art is beautifully dynamic, and each story arc is incredibly fun and exciting. Which will make you breeze through these collected editions faster than you probably think. If you’re a MCU fan looking to dive into comics, then this series is a MUST READ!
BOOKS
The Maze: A John Corey Novel (Nelson DeMille) 10/11
This thriller is latest installment in the excellent John Corey series of novels. Previous installments include Plum Island, The Lion’s Game, Nightfall, Wild Fire, The Lion, The Panther, Radiant Angel, and the short story, The Book Case
VIDEO GAMES
Gotham Knights (PS4) 10/25/22
The next installment in the popular Arkham series of video games, Gotham Knights this story focuses on Bruce Wayne’s protégés Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, and Red Hood. The inclusion of the group of villains known as The Court of Owls definitely makes the game a lot more exciting to me. This one will be a lot of fun when it comes out. Check out the awesome trailer below:
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 for the podcast, 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!
The Boys on Amazon Prime is at the top of the heap when it comes to prestige, to of the line, TV storytelling. For me, the series stands alongside shows like The Mandalorian, Invincible, and Succession as the best of best on TV. One of the strengths of The Boys is how well it adapts the source material. While character beats and story elements may get changed around, they all still represent original ideas from The Boys graphic novels. The show seamlessly distills what makes the comic great and filters it in a way that works for a different medium. At long last, the series is returning with it’s highly anticipated Season 3 on June 3rd and now we have our first trailer! Check it out right here:
The show’s return alone would be awesome enough, but there are some really fun new elements at play in the upcoming season that have fans very excited. As the poster teased and the trailer confirmed, Kimiko will no longer be the only member of The Boys with superpowers. The team is starting to fight fire with fire, with at least Butcher and Hughie using Compound-V to kick in the heads of some Supes. It’s not clear if Frenchie and MM will be getting a power upgrade as well.
The gangs all here…
The new season is also reportedly tackling, “Herogasm”, one of the most insane and depraved storylines from the original comic book series. Most notably, Season 3 sees Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles joining the cast, making his debut as Soldier Boy. The character fought in WWII as Vought’s first super soldier and this universe’s demented version of Captain America. Jensen Ackles has a long history with The Boys showrunner, Erik Kripke. Kripke created Supernatural and served as the series showrunner for the first 5 seasons. After Supernatural wrapped up a beloved, record breaking 15 season run, Ackles immediately transitioned over to The Boys. So fans are understandably excited to see him play such a different character than his iconic role as Dean Winchester. Interestingly enough, Jensen Ackles was one of top contentders at Marvel Studios for the role of Captain America, way back in the day. He was officially offereed the role of Hawkeye, but passed to continue working on Supernatural. But Soldier Boy won’t be the only analog of one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to appear in Season 3.
If The Seven are this universe’s The Justice League, then Payback is their version of The Avengers. The team is expected to feature heavily this season, with Season Premiere titled “Payback”. They have their own spin on characters like Iron Man with Tek Knight, Hawkeye with Eagle The Archer (who we already met in Season 2 as a member of The Scientology-esque cult that The Deep joins), and Scarlett Witch with The Crimson Countess, seen below played by Laurie Holden.
With Season 4 already confirmed, Karl Urban is reportedly already hard at work filming Season 4, with shooting taking place until the end of the year. Which means that we’ll likely have a much smaller wait between seasons. Anyway, it looks like we’re in for more mayhem, carnage, and insanity as only The Boys can deliver.
In addition to of all this crazy new shit, lets not forget everyone’s favorite psychopath with powers of Superma, Homelander, is an ever present threat to Butcher and The Boys.
The Boys premieres its first 3 episode on 6/3/22, with subsequent episodes released weekly on Amazon Prime.
Are you a fan of The Boys? What’s your level of anticipation for Season 3? and what are some of the new story elements and characters that you’re most interested in seeing? Let us know in the comments below!
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 for the podcast, 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!
I was late to the party when it came to Arcane. I’ve been hearing for months that the Netflix animated series was fantastic, so this week I finally sat down and watched the first season. Man, this show lived up to the hype and then some!
Set in the utopian city Piltover and it’s oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows orphaned sisters, Vi and Powder, whose lives have been shaped by tragedy, loss, and betrayal. The sisters eventually find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict, that’s ready engulf both Piltover and Zaun -and possibly tear them apart forever.
Sisters, Vi and Powder, shortly after the death of their parents.
However, before they’re eventually ripped apart, for a time, the sisters seemed to have carved out something resembling a happy life. As the big sister, Vi has always been deeply protective of Powder. Despite it’s problems, their remains a glimmer of a sense of community among the people of Zaun, and the sisters are able to make a home in The Undercity. They even develop a surrogate family, forming strong bonds with others just trying to scrape by in the unforgiving Zaun.
Despite it’s appearance as a gleaming, steampunk metropolis, Piltover is a city divided: The affluent, prosperous city above…
Piltover
…and the crime-ridden Zaun or The Undercity, as its most commonly referred to, ravaged by poverty, crime, and addiction. Piltlover’s police force/military, The Enforcers, are responsible for keeping the peace in the whole city. Yet they abuse their power and victimize the more vulnerable people in Zaun, the people they’re supposed to protect. The real power in The Undercity belong to kingpins and crime lords, all too happy to keep the corrupt Enforcers and Council Members who run the city, in their pockets.
Zaun or The Undercity
After another tragic, personal loss, involving a bloody showdown with Silco, one of the cities most powerful and dangerous crime lords, the sisters are abruptly and unwillingly separated.
Neither sister is completely certain what happened to the other. If there’s one the two have in common, it’s that they’re survivors. So, while separated, both sisters do what they have to do to survive.
Vi, all grown up
Years pass, and Vi finally returns home. Determined to find her sister, Vi receives help from the last place she’d expect, a rookie Enforcer named Caitlyn. The only daughter from a wealthy family in upper Piltover, Caitlyn is one of the only Enforcers who isn’t corrupt. Unlike many of her colleagues, she genuinely wants to help people in need.
Caitlyn: The only honest Enforcer in Piltover
As she accomplices Vi to The Undercity, she shares Vi’s disgust with what has happened to her home. With Silco now the undisputed Kingpin of Zaun, The Undercity has sunk into chaos. Drugs, violence, and crime have ravaged this once tight knit community. Vi holds Silco responsible for turning her home into as cesspool, as well as her separation from her sister.
Powder is long gone. Now, there’s only JINX.Silco & Jinx: The Undercity’s creepiest power couple.
Unfortunately, Vi’s sister is not the sweet little girl that she once knew. Now going by the name Jinx, she works for Silco as his right hand woman and surrogate daughter (with some slightly creepy sexual undertones). Jinx is feared as a dangerous, and seriously unhinged, part of Silco’s operati|on. Does Jinx even want to be “saved” by her sister? Or is she too far gone?
This is a phenomenal series. Flawless pacing, gorgeous and dynamic animation, as well as incredible voice performances, Arcane is simply a story well told, on EVERY level. This show would still be killer,even if the animation wasn’t top notch, but Arcane boasts beautiful animation that rivals blockbuster studios like Pixar. There are a lot of fight scenes in this series and that’s where the animation really shines. Each fight is telling a story. The fights never get repetitive because they’re all unique and dynamic. I found myself rewinding and rewatch certain fight sequence four or five times because the creators bring so much to each scene.
Every character feels real and fleshed out. Arcane understand that no one thinks they’re the villain of their own story. Characters with the noblest of intentions find themselves morally compromised, crossing ethical lines in service of a greater good. Men and women we would label villains or monsters, display unexpected love and compassion. All of Arcane’s characters are nuanced and well written, there are no “good guys“ and “bad guys“. Even Silco, the character who could most easily be described as the “villain“, has some of the most compassionate and vulnerable moments in the entire series. Just like the real world, people exist across an entire moral spectrum of complex emotions. While It’s easy to throw around labels like, “The Bad Guy” or “Villain”, the truth is often much more complicated. People aren’t born evil, they’re shaped into the person they become through the trauma and tragedy they experienced. It’s a refreshing change of pace because we rarely see this kind of sophisticated storytelling.
It wasn’t until after I finished watching the first season of this excellent show, that I found out it was actually based on a video game. Now I have no idea what kind of game this is, is it an RPG? A fighting game? I don’t know. The point is that this world and these characters are entirely new to me. Yet through Arcane’s incredible storytelling and compelling characters, I totally fell in love with this world and the characters who live in it. I was in! 100%!
As I mentioned before the voice work in this series is extremely impressive, led by Hailee Steinfeld who plays Vi. Hailee Steinfeld has been crushing it this year with great performances in Arcane and Hawkeye. who plays the lead character by. This series is just excellence across-the-board. I almost forgot to mention the show’s great music. Arcane has one of the best soundtracks for a series that I’ve come across in awhile. If you’re looking for something to dive into now that The Book of Boba Fett and Peacemaker have wrapped up their seasons, Arcane is the show to watch. Simply put, Arcane is a storytelling masterpiece. This series gets my highest recommendation!
Heavy lies the head that wears the crown…
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 for the podcast, 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!
On this episode of The World’s Best Podcast, after my Walkabout/Journey of Spiritual Rejuvenation, we’re back, Baby! I’ve returned fo my beloved podcast, to talk about my 3 favorite TV/Streaming Series of January 2022! Which new and returning shows make the cut? Listening here to find out… Enjoy!
One of the shows I discuss on this episode is The Book of Boba Fett, I found these cool character posters online that I wanted to make sure I shared in this article. Take a look…
Thanks for listening! Follow u M s on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, 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!
Disney’s 1990s animated drama, Gargoyles, remains one of my favorite television shows of all time. With its adult themes, complex heroes and villains, and storylines that drew from mythology, history, and Shakespeare, there was truly nothing like it on TV. Then or now. The series has received something of a cultural resurgence of late, with Director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) expressing interest in directing a live action adaptation of the show (Which would be fucking awesome!). I’ve been singing the praises of Gargoyles for awhile here at World’s Best Media, like in this article where I take a more comprehensive, deep dive into this personal favorite: https://best-media-world.com/2018/02/11/must-watch-gargoyles/
Gargoyles creator Greg Wiseman is currently the show runner on the spectacular, fucking PHENOMENAL, HBO Max animated series Young Justice. Which I highly encourage you to watch, especially if you’ve been a fan of the man’s work at all over the years. Young Justice’s streaming numbers will ensure whether or not it receives a fifth season. So please go out and support not only a fantastic creator, but one of the best superhero television shows ever made. Truly, if you’ve never seen this show, do yourself a favor and head over to HBO Max right now and give it a watch. Actually, go watch BOTH shows right now!Young Justice on HBOMax and Gargoyles on Disney+!
Fan interest in Gargoyles has never waned. It’s been a cult favorite ever since it premiered, with yearly conventions, online message boards, fanfiction, and cosplay, all going strong.
With or without Jordan Peele, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of reboot or adaptation in the works soon. After all, this is the age of constantly exploiting existing IP. Resurrecting an old idea is always better than coming up with a new one. Plus, I think audiences all are much better suited for something like Gargoyles than they were when the series debuted. Viewers are much more accustomed to complex mythologies, fantasy, and unconventional longform epic storytelling. The superhero revolution, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. Gargoyles has everything Disney needs to make its next giant modern fantasy epic. We’ll see how it all plays out, in the meantime IGN put out this really cool video about Gargoyles and the history of the series. In particular, it focuses on how the show boasted particularly excellent villains, in billionaire David Xanatos and rogue gargoyle, Demona. Played by Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis respectively, best known from Star Trek:The Next Generation. In fact, quite a few cast members from The Next Generation made appearances on Gargoyles, notably Brent Spiner as Puck and Michael Dorn as Coldstone, to name a few. It’s a great primer if you’re unfamiliar with the material and it was this video that prompted me to write this article. It also got me excited to revisit the series, which is available on Disney+ and DVD. Check out IGN’s great video below…
Are you a Gargoyles fan? How would you like to see a Gargoyles reboot or sequel handled? Let me know in the comments below.
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!
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