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!
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”….
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…. 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.
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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.
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