It’s that time if year again! When we take stock and look at the best and worst serialized storytelling streamed, stolen, and broadcast to our TVs, tablet, laptops, and God knows what else. There were a lot of great shows in 2022, and in article, I’ll be going over my favorites, enjoy!
The Boys (Amazon Prime)
Hands down, my favorite series of the year goes to Amazon Prime’s The Boys. This surprisingly layered show works on multiple levels. What makes the series a cut above the rest (as well as the best show on television, in my opinion), is how the show is executed with excellence at every level. On the surface, there’s the insanity, graphic violence, shocking gross out moments, and depravity that the show revels in. It’s not for everybody. There’s a scene early on in the Season 3 premiere, that is unlike anything I have ever seen committed to screen. It was utterly insane. Almost as if the creators were saying to the audience “Hey, we know it’s been awhile, but in case you forgot what kind of show you’re watching… Check this out!”. It seemed to proudly announce, The Boys are BACK and no punches will be pulled!
The series works as a superheroes deconstructed, as well as a commentary on our current cultural obsession with them. On a whole other level, The Boys is a brilliant social and political satire, lampooning both sides of the social and political spectrum with equal opportunity. However, none of that would work if The Boys didn’t have some of the best storytelling and characters on TV. The writing is truly phenomenal, with amazing performances, from a cast that’s absolutely stacked with talent. It all comes together to create something very special.
In the world of The Boys, nothing is black-and-white. Every single character feels fleshed out and real. There are at least four or five actors on this show, if not more, who give Emmy worthy performances. However, Season 3 had a few particular standouts who blew the roof off ever time they were on screen. Unsurprisingly, two of those standout performances belong to Anthony Starr as Homelander and Karl Urban as Butcher. Both actors continue to add layers to these complex characters with their extraordinary performances. Both Butcher and Homelander are guilty of fairly vile behavior, yet the show somehow makes you feel sympathy for them. That is no mean feet. Their dynamic continues to be the backbone of the series and things are poised to only get more interesting from here.
The prize for third MVP of the season has to go to new cast member Jensen Ackles, joining the show as Soldier Boy. As the show’s twisted version of Captain America, he was a great character who fundamentally shook up the status quo of the series, the first Supe we’ve seen to genuinely rival Homelander in power. As both an antagonist and reluctant ally, Soldier Boy was a true wild card. After 15 seasons playing Dean Winchester on Supernatural, Jensen Ackles showed us that he is not a one trick pony. Giving a complex, fascinating performance, as a complicated character who worked as both friend and foe. Soldier Boy was a kind of character we’ve never quite seen before on the show. He was the perfect shake up that the series needed and I hope we see Ackles return for future seasons. This was the best season of The Boys yet, coming off of the first 2 spectacular seasons. With Season 4 on the way, The Boys has established itself as the best show currently on television.
Arcane (Netflix)
A long list of wildly entertaining and groundbreaking animated shows have emerged over the last 30 years. After just one season, Netflix’s Arcane has already solidified it self as one of the very best. Arcane has so much going for it that it’s hard to know exactly where to begin. The beautiful animation is genuinely unique, every character is complex and interesting. One of the many things I loved about Arcane is how it doesn’t operate within the context of heroes and villains. The so-called “good guys” struggle with their inner demons and mistakes from their past. Conversely, just as you’re about to right off a “villain” as irredeemable, they display unexpected kindness, compassion, and humanity. Arcane is even further enhanced by it’s stellar voice cast, almost every actor here crushes it in their respective roles. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the fight scenes. The fights on this show fucking rule. The fight sequences aren’t just beautifully choreographed and thrilling, they also have a purpose in the story and give us better insight into the characters involved (Plus, they just look so damn cool). Even if you’re not a fan of animation, I say, give this show try, because Arcane is an absolute MUST WATCH.
The Sandman (Netflix)
After years in development Hell and numerous attempts at possible movies and TV series, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman finally got an on screen adaptation. It was worth the wait. However, what’s downright miraculous how damn good the show really is. Neil Gaiman himself was very hands on during the creative process and the production, so he approached this adaptation as if he was writing The Sandman story for the first time, instead of 30 years ago. Gaiman said that if he was writing The Sandman comic book series today, instead of the 90’s, this is more or less what it would look like. But don’t let that scare you if you’re a diehard fan, this is still very much The Sandman that we know and love. The result is show with the characters stories and you know and love, with some minor tweaks as the story transitions mediums from a comic book to a TV series.
Almost all of the changes made are for the better, even improving upon certain storylines and characters that didn’t work for me in the comics. Tom Sturridge IS Morpheus. He perfectly embodies the character and without him the series wouldn’t work. The rest of the cast kills it as well, with fan favorites like Lucifer, The Corinthian, Mathew The Raven and Hob Gadling all making memorable appearances. Despite the changes, this was still a shockingly accurate adaptation of the classic award-winning comic book series. With Netflix, having recently announced that the series will be returning for Season 2, if the show stays on its current course, some of the best Sandman stories are about to be brought to life on screen.
Stranger Things 4 (Netflix)
It’s safe to say that this was the best season of Stranger Things yet. The mythology moved forward in a major way. Stranger Things got a horrifying villain in Vecna, and the characters and story are left perfectly positioned at the end of the season to wrap up the series with a bang in Stranger Things 5.
This season has some fantastic characters, both new and familiar. Without spoiling anything, if one of the characters dies, you genuinely feel the emotional impact, where lesser series can come off as cheap. Let’s no forget the already iconic scene as Max and the rest of the gang desperately try to save her, all set to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)”. Great stuff, a real chef’s kiss.
Peacemaker (HBO Max)
James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad has become is one of my favorite films over the last couple of years. It’s arguably the best film in The DCEU. Now, I love John Cena and he’s fucking great in The Suicide Squad, but to be honest I was less than enthusiastic when I heard Peacemaker was getting his own spin-off series on HBO Max. It seemed like an odd choice to expand on the character. Boy, was I wrong. In James Gunn we trust, my friends.
Peacemaker is a home run that has no business being as good as it is. I always say, there’s no such thing as a bad character, just bad writers, and Peacemaker is a perfect example of that. John Cena elevates the seemingly violent sociopath, into a deeply broken man, struggling with guilt and deep emotional turmoil. The series is surprisingly complex, shifting between hilarious and heartbreaking with ease. Coupled with the magic touch of James Gunn, and one of the best TV show opening intro sequences ever, and Peacemaker is yet another contender for the best superhero show on television.
Other FavoritesFrom 2022:
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
Reacher (Amazon Prime)
Young Justice: Phantoms (HBO Max)
His Dark Materials (HBO/HBO Max)
Interview with The Vampire (AMC)
Moon Knight/She-Hulk (TIE) 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!
*EDITOR’S NOTE: A lot of interesting content was revealed at this year’s COMIC-CON, so I’ll be updating this page with new content over the next several days.
Its that time of year and Comic-Con is upon us once again! This the venue where audiences get a sneak peek at some of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy genres. There were quite a few notable announcements, trailers, and first looks, so let’s dive right in!
MARVEL STUDIOS
After The Infinity Saga came to a close, fans have been eager to see where The MCU would go next. The head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Fiege, did not disappoint. As we’re heading towards the end of Phase 4, Marvel debuted the films and Disney+ shows that would make up not only Phase 5, but Phase 6 as well!
As you’ll notice, not all of the films and TV shows that make up Phase 6 have been revealed. Some of these projects could hidden beceause even their title would spoil certain surprises that Marvel has in store. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those spots taken up by sequels for characters like Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange or even an X-Men related project. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a film about the main Marvel Universe version of The Illuminati or even a Doctor Doom solo movie. We’ll have to wait and see. Like The Infinity Saga before it, Phases 4, 5, and 6 will collectively make up…
Culminating in not one, but TWO Avengers films, with monumentally exciting titles…
Exciting stuff, but there’s more MCU where that came from…
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
The 3rd installment in the Ant-Man franchise marks the beginning of Marvel’s Phase 5. The big news in this movie is Jonathan Majors appearing as Kang The Conqueror. When we met He Who Remains, a much nicer variant of Kang, in Loki Season 1, we were warned that his variant’s are dangerous to put it mildly. When it comes to The Avengers’ the greatest foes, three names top the list: Thanos, Ultron, and Kang. Considering that the next Avengers movie is called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, you get the idea that Kang is as bad and as dangerous as they come. Jonathan Majors did a fantastic job of playing a variant of Kang in Loki Season One so I’m very excited to see what he does with a much more malevolent version of the character in this film. Below Marvel revealed an exciting poster for the upcoming movie, where you get a good look at not only Ant-Man and The Wasp, but Kang The Conqueror in his traditional comic book attire, along with Scott Lang’s daughter Cassie as her superhero alter ego, Stature.
Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3
While some of the Guardians of The Galaxy panel is available to watch on YouTube, the brief teaser James Gunn cut together for the audience in Hall H , hasn’t made it’s way online yet. However, there were some cool reveals, it was officially confirmed that the film’s villain will be The High Evolutionary. The character will be played by Chukwudi Iwuji. Earlier this year, Iwuji played Clemson Murn in the spectacular “Peacemaker” series. He made a hell of the entrance by taking a page out of Tom Hiddleston’s playbook and showing up for the panel in character and costume.
Chukwudi Iwuji on stage in Hall H as The High Evolutionary.
The High Evolutionary is Doctor Herbert Wyndham, a geneticist who specializes in creating human/animal hybrids. Rocket has been frequently referred to as the central character in Vol.3., so going on some sort of journey of self discovery to find his ”creator” or ”father”, makes a lot of sense. Many fans have speculated that The High Evolutionary would be revealed to be Rocket’s creator. This reveal seems to have confirmed this running fan theory.
Daredevil: Born Again
Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio return as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in the first 18 Episode Disney+ series. Notably, Fiege referred to this as the show’s “First Season”, implying that this isn’t a one off, like WandaVision, for example. Born Again refers to one of Daredevil’s most iconic stories, however Season 3 of the Netflix Daredevil series was largely an adaptation of this classic Born Again storyline. Even if the Netflix shows aren’t completely considered canon in The MCU, I doubt Marvel would rehash a story that we’ve, mostly, already seen, canon or not. Especially with Cox and D’Onofrio returning. If i had to guess, I’d say this is probably a Civil War or Age of Ultron situation, adaptations in name only and vastly different from the source material. I think that’s the most likely situation with Daredevil: Born Again. Out of all the projects revealed at COMIC CON this year, this is the one I’m most excited about.
In this video, IGN does a great job of explaining what Daredevil’s future in The MCU looks like. Check it out:
DC ENTERTAINMENT
The Sandman
Neil Gaiman, the celebrated author and creator of The Sandman comic series that the new show’s based on, breaks down the trailer in the video below.
SHAZAM: Fury of The Gods
Black Adam
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!
DC superhero films that have come out over the past several years have been a mixed bag to put it politely. However, there is reason to hope on the horizon. There has been a major shake up at Warner Brothers, the company that owns DC. They have a new head honcho. A man named David Zasla is the new Warners CEO nad he’s looking to make some big changes, for the better. First of all, they want to create an in-house DC Studios, so they can completely produce and create their own films. Like Marvel Studios has since the first Iron Man movie in 2008. He’s already been cleaning house DC Entertainment. Cancelling several TV shows and projects that don’t work or have long overstayed their welcome. Change can be a very good thing in a situation like this and the slate of films coming down the pipe from DC are pretty exciting.
BLACK ADAM
One project that I’m most looking forward to is Black Adam, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular character. Warner Bros./DC have just dropped a new trailer, so let’s take a closer look…
Black Adam is a fantastic character. Not somebody easily classified as a hero or a villain. More of an anti-hero. But a great character nonetheless. While I don’t think this is a particularly spectacular trailer, the first teaser was much, much better, I was already sold on this film and I think there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic about this movie.
Because Black Adam rides that line between villain and anti-hero, I love how the “antagonists” of the movie are the superheroes Teth-Adam (his real name) faces off with in the comics. It’s a brilliant reversal on the hero/villain dynamic that we haven’t quite seen before in a superhero film. The superheroes in question are The JSA or Justice Society, the team that bump heads with Black Adam most frequently.
It’s a really cool line up, too! With Pierce Brosnan playing Dr. Fate, along side characters like Hawkman (played by Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. I even think the JSA character designs are done very well. In fact, Black Adam looks spot on as well. Based on what I’ve seen in the trailers so far, I really dig the film’s aesthetic.
It should also be noted that Black Adam has major ties the character Shazam/Billy Batson. 2019’s SHAZAM! was one of the better DC movies to hit theaters over the last few years. Shazam and Black Adam are large parts of each other’s mythologies. If the upcoming sequel, SHAZAM!: Fury of The Gods, is a success, we should expect these characters to cross paths in the near future. In fact, I’ll be surprised if Black Adam doesn’t feature a cameo or some other major reference to Shazam. I’m really intrigued to see how it’ll all play out on the big screen. Check out the trailer here:
THE SANDMAN
Next up, we have the new trailer for the upcoming Netflix series based on Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman! The Sandman is by far one of my absolute favorite comic books of all time. It’s a story that I find myself coming back to over and over again. I tend to re-read it every few years and I always discover something new in the story that I didn’t notice before. It’s a true masterpiece of the medium. I knew that The Sandman series was premiering in 2022, they already dropped a teaser trailer, but I thought it was odd that we hadn’t heard anything else about a specific release date. No behind the scenes footage or other promotional material. Well, now we have an official trailer to announce the release date, confirming a 2022 release. The trailer reveals we’re going to be seeing it much sooner rather than later, premiering August 5th on Netflix.
It’ll be very interesting to see how this show plays out. It seems to be both a very faithful adaptation, taking images straight off the page, while also deviating from the comic in some other major ways. Which is fine, in fact most times, it’s a good thing. Often, it’s the best way to tackle a project like this. When adapting something from one medium to another, some things that work on the comic book page don’t always work on screen, necessitating changes in the translation. I think the important things like the actor cast in the role of Morpheus AKA Dream of The Endless AKA the titular Sandman, Tom Sturridge, seems perfect for the role. The visuals seem spectacular and the tone appears to be spot on. So I’m optimistic. However, I have a feeling this is either going to be brilliant, or kind of a big let down. I don’t have any particular reason to believe that, it’s more just an instinct. Hopefully I’m way off and this is going to another wonderful adaptation of one of Neil Gaiman’s most wonderful creations. Anyway take a look at the trailer for yourself below and step into the world of The King of Dreams…
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!
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:
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“When the first living thing drew breath, He was there. Waiting…”
Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece, the groundbreaking comic book series, The Sandman, is being adapted into a live-action show for Netflix. A teaser trailer, along with a few stylish character posters, were recently released online. The Sandman is many things, but first and foremost, it’s the story of Dream of The Endless: Lord of The Dreaming & King of Stories. Dream has gone by many names over the eons, but these days he is mostly known as Morpheus.
Morpheus, Lord of the Dreaming
When all mortal beings sleep and dream, we enter his realm, The Dreaming. As I mentioned before, Dream, along with his 6 siblings, are immortal beings called The Endless. They’re physical embodiments of fundamental aspects of existence. From oldest to youngest, there’s: Destiny (Dream’s big brother), Death (Dream’s big sister), Dream, Destruction (Dream’s wayward younger brother, sometimes referred to as “The Prodigal” among the family because he abandoned his duties), Desire (his brother/sister), Despair (his sister and Desire’s twin), and Delirium (his sister and the youngest of The Endless, once know as Delight).
Dream & his Sibling, The Endless: Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire, Despair, Delirium.
The Endless aren’t simply manifestations of these concepts, they also take responsibility for their proper function. For example, Death ensures that recently deceased mortal souls reach their proper destination, after they leave the realm of the living. One of my favorite quotes in the entire series is from Death, when she says ”When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I’ll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights, and lock the universe behind me when I leave.” But this is all just set up, establishing the spectacular world of The Sandman.
Death in her various forms
In the introduction to Endless Nights, one of the volumes of The Sandman, Neil Gaiman talks about how he was asked to describe the story of The Sandman in 25 words or less. His response was “The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision.“. That is a beautifully simple, brilliant, pitch perfect description of something so wonderfully sprawling and complex. It’s one of my favorite quotes and it completely encapsulates one of the central ideas at core of this incredible tale. Throughout this incredible fable, the story takes us to ancient Rome, Hell, the beginning of the universe, Arkham Asylum, New York City, a serial killer convention, and a million places in between. Along the way we encounter characters like John Constantine, Batman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, William Shakespeare, Lucifer, and a cast of thousands!
The Sandman includes appearances from a large and diverse cast of characters. Like William Shakespeare, Lucifer, J’onn J’onzz The Martian Manhunter, and even Batman.
I truly and deeply love the work of Neil Gaiman, and The Sandman is my favorite of his creations. I’ve re-read the series at least a dozen times over the years and I find something new and exciting every time I revisit it. Which is part of the magic of this amazing story. It was incredibly exciting to get our first look at this show, when the teaser trailer was released online, along with several character posters. This is the perfect time to tell the story of Morpheus of The Endless, in a medium other than comics. So, let’s take a look at the teaser trailer, a behind-the-scenes video, some cool new posters, concept art, and much more! Let’s dive in!
Morpheus can be prickly, standoffish, and solitary, but one of the few people (or beings) he trusts and opens up to, is his older sister, Death. Like in this scene, in which Death pays her little brother a visit, while he’s feeding pigeons in the park.
The Sandman: Teaser Trailer
Check out the trailer below:
This is a fantastic teaser trailer, with imagery pulled straight out of The Sandman #1
Official Posters & Plot Synopsis
Here’s the official series synopsis from Netflix:
The Lord of Dreams has been summoned, and captured, by mortal men. Once free from his captivity, this eternal ruler of Dreams will realize that his troubles are only just beginning. The Sandman is a Netflix series based on the groundbreaking comic book series created for DC by Neil Gaiman. The series is Executive Produced by Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, & David S. Goyer.
Behind-The-Scenes Sneak Peek…
A few months ago, Netflix put out a Behind-The-Scenes look at the making of The Sandman. If you’re unfamiliar with the source material, this video will definitely put the teaser trailer (above), in better context and give you a clearer picture of what exactly the series is all about…
Netflix also released some behind-the-scenes images that shows some of the beautiful sets they’ve designed and created for this series. This image gives us a look at the set for Lucifer’s palace in Hell, along with a piece of concept art that illustrates, roughly, what one of the scenes being filmed of the set will look like.
Lucifer’s Thrown Room (Set)
Concept Art: Morpheus meet with Lucifer in a scene taking place on the above sets
It’s really heartening to see that Netflix is investing in the time, money, and imagination to build amazing sets like these. It’ll require the use of both practical and VFX to effectively create a successful Sandman series. I absolutely adore this next piece of concept art, that shows, at least visually, the series is going to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the comic book.
The concept art depicts a key moment from the events that kick off the entire series and set the whole story in motion. Dream has just escaped 100 years of imprisonment at the hands of mortals, who so foolishly attempted to summon and imprison Death. Fortunately for the universe, (and eventually unfortunately for the idiots who kept him captive) they summoned Death’s younger brother Dream, instead. Eventually he escapes through patience and gets his retribution. I’ve included the same moment as depicted in the original comic book, to illustrate exactly how the Netflix series seems to be swinging for the fences with scope and wonder to bring us a faithful adaptation.
Below I included a cast list, as well. It’s not the entire cast, obviously. However it does give you a good idea of who is playing some of the key characters.
The Sandman Audio Series: Acts I & II(Audible Original)
Its’s a great time to be a Sandman fan, and the upcoming Netflix series isn’t the only reason to be excited. If you’re a fan of the graphic novels, like myself, and you’re eagerly anticipating the show’s Netflix premiere in 2022, I highly recommend you check out Audibles adaptation of The Sandman. It is far and away the best audio drama I’ve ever heard. It is top-of-the-line, excellence across the board. The music and sound design are fantastic. The voice cast, headlined by James McAvoy as Morpheus, is spectacular. Other standouts include, Michael Sheen a Lucifer, Kat Dennings as Death, and Jeffrey Wright as Destiny, but it’s McAvoy in particular who gives an unforgettable performance as Morpheus. Neil Gaiman himself does a great job of narrating the entire project. Those are just the highlights, there are literally dozens of great performances across these two volumes. Comics are a visual medium, so it’s truly impressive how the team behind this audio drama created such a faithful and entertaining adaptation. If you want to start listening or you’re just curious to check out, I’ve posted the links for both to both volumes below.
The Sandman Act I & II are now available on Audible and The Sandman comes to Netflix in 2022
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @thebestdamnblogwithpaulwrightPJWrightWBM, 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!
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 PatrolSeason 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!
A few new trailers for upcoming Netflix projects dropped this week (one returning series and one film). They both look pretty cool. I had some brief thoughts that I wanted to share about them and you can take a look at some images and the trailers for yourself below…
Project Power
Until movie theaters open again, God knows when, because of the massive shit show that is the Coronavirus outbreak, we’re going to have to settle for getting of Summer Movie fix through streaming services. This is the time of the year when the biggest, most expensive, and insane Hollywood Blockbusters are supposed to come out! At least Netflix and a few of the other streaming services have put out a few solid summer action movies. I particularly enjoyed The Old Guard starring Charlize Theron (here’s my review to refresh you’re memory: https://best-media-world.com/2020/07/14/movie-review-the-old-guard/ ). Now we have Project Power starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The idea of a dangerous street drug that temporarily grants super powers is nothing new in superhero storytelling. So this movie isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel. But there were enough interesting and cool visuals to make want to check it out when it hits Netflix on 8/14/20. Check out the trailer:
EW.com had some cool images from the movie, which I have posted here…
Lucifer Season 5:
When Lucifer premiered on Fox a few years back, I absolutely hated the concept. You see, THISversion of Lucifer first appeared as a recurring in the classic comic book series, The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. The character was popular and interesting enough to get his own critically acclaimed, spin-off comic book series, Lucifer created by Mike Carey. Both books were very dark and adult, so they were published by DC Comics under the legendary Vertigo imprint. Vertigo was kind of like HBO for comic books, meaning the creators were able to do whatever they damn well pleased without censorship (for the most part anyway…). Classic comic books like Preacher, 100 Bullets, Fables, and Ex Machina were all published under Vertigo. To be clear, the Lucifer TV series is an adaptation of that version of the character, when I saw that FOX’s take was essentially a police procedural like Bones, Monk, Castle, or Elementary and the THOUSANDS of other shows just like them, I was disgusted. These shows all have the same formula: a straight laced detective is forced to partnered with a quirky and unique individual, whose unorthodox gimmick is shockingly effective at solving crimes (Oh, and of course they’ll eventually fall in love after years of “Will They/Wont They?”, romantic and sexual tension)! That might as well be describing 30 other stupid fucking shows on TV. After seeing the pilot, there was nothing to convince me that this was anything but Lucifer, in name only. Just another dumb procedural. Why the fuck would The Devil want to solve mysteries with the LAPD? However, it managed to gathered a cult following and I kept hearing that the show was pretty good and a lot of fun. When the show moved to Netflix for its fourth season, I decided to give it shot and binge watched entire series so far. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the hell out of it (and NO, that wasn’t a pun! I don’t do puns, goddammit!). As the show continues, the police element is still there, but the series has gotten more and more into the mythology of other Angels, Demons, Lucifer discovering more about himself, Hell, God, and more. The show is at its best when it focuses on those story elements. Their ace in the hole is Tom Ellis who plays Lucifer. The guy is so damned charismatic and fun to watch. We haven’t seen a version of The Devil quite like this one yet and Tom Ellis absolutely crushes it. Even a weak episode is still entertaining because of Tom Ellis’ performance. The series was originally planned to wrap up after it’s upcoming 5th season, but the show has proved to be so popular that Netflix ordered more episodes, extending Season 5 (which will now be split in 2-parts). Not only are fans getting more episodes for this new season, but Netflix has already ordered a 6th season. It’s a good time to be a fan of this series. Check out the trailer below:
Lucifer Season 5 premiere on Netflix on 8/21/2020
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