#+ the multiple references to the idea of a 'superhero' this season + specifically Superman & Supergirl—both relevant to this event...

[ectonurites]

I don't have fully formed thoughts on the matter but my brain has just been rotating these two images around next to each other for days. interpret that as you will

(Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, published December 1985/cover date March 1986)

(Stranger Things S4E9, takes place in March 1986)

[ladyshilya]

Arrow: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 4 & Legends of Tomorrow: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 5

Ok lets see how this ends, how they gets the Earth’s back and how they deal with the new Paragon. 

Look the Monitor’s planet and he had a wife, so this is going to go bad. This is all the Monitor’s fault. That is why you don’t go to see the dawn of time.

Lex you have been volunteered hope you trust your work.

What is with that deep voice, Oliver sounds like the Monitor. He might want to lose that voice because he sounds like a demon. Yea, if I was them I would have freaked out if I saw Oliver because he sounds like a demon and kinda looks like one.

Wow, all it takes to unlock someone's potential a boop on the head.

Basically they have to change history. Well that usually turns out bad for Barry but sure let try it, maybe it won’t go wrong.

They lost Lex and Barry is in some weird place in the speed force. Oliver’s voice sounds normal. Great, Barry you lost people in the speed force. It shouldn’t be to hard to find them just use your brain.

OMG DC movies Flash. That was kinda awesome and that is exactly how the DC movie Barry would have acted. The cameo’s keep coming.

Really Lex, you have powers now. Why did anyone let him near that book? Also Jon Cryer is an amazing Lex Luther.

It’s just Up, Up and Away. Also they are really lucky that planet is similar to earth with gravity and oxygen.

I love Lois, “Barry did you go shopping for a new costume while you were suppose to the saving the world.”

Basically this episode is going to be Barry running around the speed force into random moments from Arrow. While Kara and Ryan try to stop Lex from being Lex.

Listen to Ryan because we don’t need this whole Crisis to happen. Great so there will always be a Monitor who will travel to the dawn of time and cause the Crisis. Well there goes that plan, some how I knew it wouldn’t work. What have we always been told on Flash don’t change time because bad things happen when you do and somethings are inevitable.

I like that, if I knew I would tell you but I don’t know. I trust you will know when the time is right. They are going to let Oliver do whatever it is that he needs to do. Also it’s probably good Lex got powers for this moment.

Looks like Oliver might have gotten some powers too. “You have failed this Universe”.

Are they going to Care Bear Stare? Seriously they basically did a stare down and that is all they had to do? Am I the only one who feels like that was anticlimactic.

Was Barry telling Oliver that him dying is a cop-out? That is what I got from its worse for those of us who live because we have to keep going and be the hero’s. I am pretty sure there was no avoiding Oliver dying there. I bet that is not what they were trying to imply but that’s what I got from the moment. Really took away from what should have been a sad moment. Also did Oliver just die again?  

Wait everything is back? I feel like there has to be more in the last episode. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a need for a 5th episode to the crossover.

What did you do Lex? We all know you are not the good guy, Unless him being the hero really got to his head. If Lena and Lex advocate for Supergirl does that mean no more crazy Lena? While I wanted crazy Lena to stop it feels like a cop-out and way too easy. Also what was the point of the beginning on the season if that got erased. I really need the next episode of Supergirl for answers.

Is there 1 Earth? Either this gets fixed or there is just one Earth. You know that wouldn’t be the worst thing. Really what is having infinite Earth’s giving us? The ability to “bring people back from the dead”. It’s really was just a way for us to tie in all the shows and movies in.

Looks like Nash is back to normal. I guess that means that Lyla is back to normal. J’onn really enjoyed giving Nash those memories. Also should we put all the blame on Nash. Yes, he should’ve have let the Antimonitor out but The Monitor shouldn’t have started it all in the first place by going to the dawn of time. How about we be pissed off at both of them. Is anyone upset that J’onn is giving them all the memories.

OMG Beebo. Omg Mick is doing book signings. Really Ray a selfie? Mick is pissed this interrupted his signings. Also I am a going to miss Snart AI. Apparently Beebo is sacred.

I get it that everyone is really upset about Oliver dying. Somehow when they all happened that memory or knowledge was taken away. It is something Team Arrow had been preparing for the fact that Oliver was not suppose to survive the Crisis. Some of them where there when he died the first time. I understand that people thought that he would be alive when everything got fixed. The Monitor was very always said that Oliver was going to die very specific about that. Even with Barry he said The Flash, so it could be a different one. He always said Oliver had to die.

There is still antimatter in the city? Ok, so what are they going to do about it. I had been wondering about Ryan because no one mentioned him. Once they realized that Paragons remembered everything I feel like they should have checked on him. I am sure he is trying to figure what is going on as well. Wow, Ryan and Ray were nerding out hard core.

Hello Black Lighting, I guess you would be on this Earth as well. Also love the Mick and Frost banter. I would be so here to see that more often. Can Frost do a cameo on Legends?

“We will not fail this world,” nice reference to Oliver’s phrase. Barry does have fast hands. Did anyone really think that Barry was going to press the button. He is not that dumb. Doesn’t he have a multiple degrees?

Oh no, angry Kara. Throw it like a girl, not sure how I feel about that phrase. I know they didn't mean in the bad way but I kinda feel like they didn’t have to say it.

Wait did Diggle get his daughter back? The one that turned into JJ when Barry changed time. Wait Superman has more than one son? Did this merge things from multiples Earths? How does Clark remember having only one child but Lois does’t? Is it because of the him being given all the memories? Wouldn't those have merged when J’onn did the memory thing? I have some questions about this moment.

There still is a multiverses out there just all the CW shows now exist on one Earth. Hello Titans (which I have now seen), Green Lantern, Swamp Thing, Brandon Routh Superman, Doom Patrol, and Star Girl and the Justice Society.

Black Lighting you have no idea Is that like a Justice League table? Was that the Hall of Justice?

Stargirl is getting her own show? I guess that is why we had so see her team on Earth-2. CW is about to become the DC superhero network. Also just learned about the green light for Lois and Clark’s show. Which I am going to so watch because I love her as Lois. I like her better as Lois then her character on Grimm.  Also Gleek as in Gleek who hung out with the Wonder Twins? Does that mean the Wonder Twins are going to come in at some point.   

Well I am here for Earth-Prime it will make the crossovers so much easier. Can we have more cameos like they do on Chicago PD, Fire and Med? I would like to see slight cameos from people once in awhile.

I have to say this was the best crossover. I had thought that about last years. Yes, were there some issues with this crossover of course. I could have done without the whole having to find people on the speed force and had more with battling the Antimonitor. The whole Care Bear stare was just dumb. Some of the cameos were just done as fan service and had not point. If none of those people were going to Paragons then it was like why did you even bother with them? At the same time I loved them so I can’t complain too bad. Yes, if they took somethings out it would have been a shorter show. There was quite a bit of filler bit it was enjoyable fillers. It would have been nice to see more characters in the 5th episode. Where was Mia, William, Connor, Ralph, Cisco, Brainy, and others? With all that being said it was really ambious to do and they did a good job with it. It was an enjoyable crossover.

I am curious to see what they do for next years crossover because it will have to be huge. Someone might have to die 3 times. I am curious to see what these changes are going to do for the upcoming seasons. Somethings will not be how we left them. Also can someone tell me where Felicity went at the end of Arrow with the Monitor? Oliver died twice so where did she go to see him?

[douxreviews]

The Umbrella Academy - ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’ Review

Right from the comics, by illustrator Gabriel Bá and My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way, comes the winter hit of Netflix nobody saw coming. Picture a love child between the X-Men and the dysfunctional Bluths, and you’ll have the Hargreeves siblings of The Umbrella Academy.

I must confess that I myself have yet the chance to read the comics this series is inspired by, but from what I understand, the premises don’t differ much at all. On the same day down to the same minute, 43 women across the globe give birth despite not showing any signs of pregnancy up until labor. Irregular and reclusive billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves scouts out these women and is able to compensate only seven of them in exchange for adopting their children, all which supposedly have been born with unique abilities. For reasons known only for himself, Hargreeves raises these youths, with assistance from an android-caretaker (appropriately referred to as ‘Mom’ by the children) and an exceptionally intelligent chimp named Pogo, into becoming a team of superheroes called ‘The Umbrella Academy’.

Right away, a premise like this that takes its own shot at subverting the superhero genre had my attention and, after the pilot episode, went on to dominate the rest of my week as I binged through its first season. From the get-go, it became clear that The Umbrella Academy is a show that is much more character-centered than it is plot-centered. This is not to say The Umbrella Academy lacks any signs of a narrative, but the series’ heart and soul is the dissection and exploration of the seven Hargreeves siblings who, in ‘We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals’, are reunited years later after hearing the news that father Hargreeves has passed away.

#1: Luther Hargreeves/Spaceboy. The former leader of the Umbrella Academy, Luther is the teammate with incredible super strength that is practically mandatory at this point for every group of superheroes. Presently, he operates as an astronaut exploring Earth’s moon, but returns to Earth once he learns of father Hargreeves’ passing. Picture Superman if Superman wasn’t very talented at inspiring morale or teamwork in his Justice League compatriots, and you’ll have Luther.

#2: Diego Hargreeves/The Kraken. In many ways the antithesis to Luther, Diego is a reckless hothead on the outside, and a bit of a momma’s boy on the inside. And unlike Luther, who maintained complete trust and faith in father Hargreeves until the end, Diego (as well as #3 and #4) has a fiery hatred for their father due to his cold, unfeeling, and abusive manner towards the children while they were growing up. Diego has the ability of accurate and expert marksmanship, and a dagger is his preferred weapon.

#3: Allison Hargreeves/The Rumor. Currently an aspiring actress, Allison returns home with her siblings while in the midst of a divorce, and if that weren’t bad enough, she has also lost complete custody of her daughter. Though her distaste doesn’t seem as passionate as Diego’s, she too harbors resentment for father Hargreeves. She has the ability to alter reality itself by beginning her wishes with the phrase “I heard a rumor…”

#4: Klaus Hargreeves/The Séance. Eccentric, drug-addicted, and in possession of a wardrobe that reaches every point of the spectrum, Klaus could be seen as the academy’s ‘wild card’ currently. On the surface he appears to demonstrate wit and an infectious energy for life, but internally, he loathes father Hargreeves, and blames him as well for being the catalyst for Klaus turning to his unhealthy habits. Klaus has the ability to talk to the deceased, but can only perform this when he is sober.

#5: Number Five/The Boy. Years before the start of the series, Number Five mysteriously vanished without a trace, and soon after, the Hargreeves siblings would begin to go their separate ways. In the pilot, Number Five returns, still in the form of his thirteen year-old self, with a warning from the future – the world will end in eight days, and Five has no idea what causes it. Though Five does genuinely seem to still care for his siblings, so much time spent lost in the space-time continuum has made him cynical, jaded, arrogant, and with a very relatable dependence on black coffee. Five has the ability to teleport, both through space and time.

#6: Ben Hargreeves/The Horror (Deceased). Killed or passed away by unknown means, Ben’s death seems to have been another factor that drove apart the Hargreeves siblings. Aside from the fact that he has an ability to generate monstrous limbs and tentacles from his body, (which he does not relish) little else is known about Ben. Thanks to Klaus’ ability to talk to the dead though, Ben is still able to keep in touch with at least one of his siblings.

#7: Vanya Hargreeves/The White Violin. A talented violinist, Vanya seems to be the only sibling without any sign of an ability. Her entire childhood under father Hargreeves’ roof has consisted more of her acting as an assistant to train the other, powered children, and being told that there just isn’t anything special about her. Despite this, Vanya doesn’t hesitate to return home and reunite with her siblings once she hears the news about Sir Hargreeves. Since leaving home, Vanya has published a book detailing the secrets of the Umbrella Academy, and outing her siblings’ identities as well, which seems to have created a rift between her and Diego.

This is show that has nicely mastered the practice of raising some mysteries and inquiries, while also still giving the audience just enough answers to chew on for the current episode’s forty-five minute run. From the memorial service onwards, the pilot continues with scenes upon scenes dedicated to simply fleshing out these characters: what they’ve been up to since they parted ways, their relationships with each other, which siblings they bear grudges against, and which ones they’re still loyal to. But because this is the introductory episode, it does have its moments here and there that are committed for pure exposition. For example, a scene featuring Vanya reuniting with Pogo and touring the old mansion where everyone was raised abruptly transitions to the two of them specifically discussing how many days it’s been since Five disappeared, which feels less like natural dialogue, and more like something needed to catch the audience up on Five’s backstory.

As a result of this being a setting where individuals with super-powers do exist, it’s evident from the beginning that this isn’t going to be a world exactly like the planet Earth the spectating audience is used to. What’s so engaging about The Umbrella Academy is that it just doesn’t stop there; there’s a lot of effort here put into the world-building to distinguish this series’ timeline as something that bears some similarities to our own timeline, but is clearly another world altogether. By the time we are introduced to Grace, the children’s android caretaker, and Pogo, I actually realized I didn’t even need elaborations from this show on their own backstories; I had just become so accustomed that this was a world with its own unique scientific advances and phenomena. Once you’ve laid down the law that time travel can and does exist, pretty much anything else goes.

Time flew by during my first viewing of this episode and once Five dropped the bombshell that the world is heading towards an imminent apocalypse and the credits rolled, I was hooked. The Umbrella Academy has a great start for those that enjoy nuanced characters as much, if not more, as they do good story-telling. Because only one episode is a little early for someone to be playing favorites, I suppose I won’t mention then how charmed I immediately became with the characters of Klaus and Five. Then again, from the looks of the internet around me, I seem to not be alone with that favoring.

Name That Tune:

Another wonderful takeaway from this series is its soundtrack, which sifts through multiple genres each episode, and while it often falls back on the trope of playing an upbeat tune to an otherwise extreme fight sequence, it has given me plenty of new additions to my iTunes library, starting with ‘Istanbul’ by They Might Be Giants. Never a song I would’ve thought I’d hear play during a gunfight conflict in a coffee-and-donut shop, yet here we are.

Hargreeves Humor:

Luther: “Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad.” Klaus: “I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"

Five: “An entire square block. Forty-two bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee.” Allison: “Dad hated caffeine.” Klaus: “Well, he hated children, too, and he had plenty of us.”

Five: “Guess I missed the funeral.” Luther: “How'd you know about that?” Five: “What part of the future do you not understand?”

Aaron Studer loves spending his time reading, writing and defending the existence of cryptids because they can’t do it themselves.

[halfkryptn]

* BREAKING APART IN POINTS : BENDIS EDITION !

Comics: Man of Steel (2018) and Superman (2018). Other materials mentioned may be Super Sons (2017) and Adventure of Super Sons (2018).

A few warnings, that: (1) Beware of spoilers, if you’re interested in reading any of the comics above. If not, yeah my dude, go crazy. (2) This might not make sense since I’m pretty sure I’m rambling and have no specific idea on what truly I am doing ever with my entire life. Hopefully, once the current issues end (which, at this point, idk if I’ll honestly be following), there’s a more thorough and proper grasp on how my interpretation might go from there written much better.

Until then, have my thoughts sized up in point forms based on the garbage — I mean, material — that I’ve been given. Enjoy.

I’m just gonna go straight to the point.

Summary:

In Superman (2018), we discover that Clark’s alone. And he’s fighting. And there’s a lot of thoughts he’s processing about his journey and moral dilemmas etc. We found out in the first page that Jon and Lois are on a space trip with Jor-El, Clark’s birth father.

That’s all explained back in Man of Steel (2018) which, as I’ve read, was, fortunately for Bender, wasn’t that far off from how Tomasi has written Jon. There’s that softness in him that’s still there, and humours that only ten-year-olds and very Jon Kent-like that he executed, so I’m at least applauding Bendis for sticking to the interpretation of Jon we all knew so well.

Positive:

In all of that lack of butchering on Jon’s character from Man of Steel (2018), I do appreciate Bendis properly further pick apart Jon’s insecurities, especially after the whole solar flare thing and the prophecy that alternate version of Tim Drake brought.

I also cannot help but to appreciate how thoroughly well Bendis wrote on the reactions from both Lois and Clark at Jon’s sudden outburst regarding his insecurity, as well. Clark, especially, gave Jon excellent advises.

Here are the dialogues:

Jon discussing the prophecy.

Jon: Then why do I grow up to kill million of people?! Lois: What? Clark: What is this? Jon, frantically: There is another reality, okay? And I have seen it! Where -- where I grew up to be Superman, okay?! And then —— oh yeah, I kill millions of people with my out-of-control solar flare power!! That happens!

Clark giving the advice.

Clark: We can’t worry about all the different realities and timelines. I told you, it’s all just —— you have to focus on what is in here. And what you put out there. You worry about you. Not the other you or the other other you. ...or the guy that looks like you but he has a big goatee so we know he’s really the evil you. Jon: That guy’s actually funny... Clark: Those boys are just other boys. Just like Damian is a different boy. And just like you can’t be responsible for everything Damian does, you can’t be responsible for all of those other boys do too. Be your own self, and you are doing it, buddy. Every day. We’re so proud of you.

Jon opening up about his insecurity.

Jon: They rejected me. Clark: Who? Jon: The Titans. Lois: The Titans of--? Jon: The Teen Titans. The— The Gold Standard of the Superhero Team Dynamics.  Clark, whispering: Well, Justice League is really the Gold-- Jon: They said I wasn’t good enough! They said “Come back in a few years”! Clark: So? You will. Jon: But they rejected me because there’s something wrong with me!

So, yeah, Jon has never truly felt comfortable in his skin. Of course, there’s a lot to unpack from these dialogues and Jon’s journey so far as Superboy and what it all means, but we’re not going into details about that today. Point from these was: that it was in-character.

In fact, I was actually disappointed when this issue regarding Jon being rejected and the prophecy being told wasn’t previously addressed or addressed more, and when it was confronted out like these? It was actually refreshing to read.

Moving on, Jor-El offered to let Jon travel with him to find out who he is or whatever (I really couldn’t care less) and Lois decided that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. So she went along, and both Jon and her promised they’d be back once the Summer ends.

Ok. This is an important detail: Jor-El and the Kents stroke a deal to return before school starts. We continue.

Negative.

It starts getting wonky from there. The series leap back to Superman (2018), present time I assume, and Clark’s having these flashbacks of his perfect family when they were with him. Oh, and did I mention? He lost the only communication device that he had to connect with Lois and Jon.

We’re revealed in a flashback on an incident where Jon was complaining about school. Okay, let’s stop it right here. No.

There’s been several canon materials all throughout the Super Sons issues on how Jon likes school. Maybe, yeah, he’s not fond of the schoolwork. Typical. But he’s participated in school activities, he was engaging with his teachers, he was sociable to the point of being generally likeable all around that he was invited to a pool party.

Moving forward, Clark’s in this adventure of going through obstacles to save Earth while longing for his family, when, while deep in his thoughts about finding his father, he was approached by his son. Yup, Jon Kent.

But not any Jon Kent: an older version of him. His shoulders are broad, his face lost its baby fat, and he grew in into his much larger and sculpted form as he hovers and tells his Dad not to worry.

It has also been pointed out in leaked covers that Jon may be portrayed as sinister and... a killer.

Continuity Error.

Now not only we have small details that work against one another regarding Jon’s personality ( *refer to my argument on how Jon likes school above ) , I’m also caught confused by this interstellar bullshit they’re trying to pull and, understandably, could relate to many angry fans.

It doesn’t make sense and it isn’t fair. Admittedly, the flow of the story was still salvageable and Jon’s willingness to be separated from his father to properly get a hold of who he is, isn’t, yet, something to haul my pitchforks up for. Jon had even voiced out his concern about being brought back before school starts, and now we blasted by this appearance of him skipping about, oh, six to seven years of his life?

Not only that, we were robbed of Jon’s lovely growth and characterisation that Tomasi has carefully built. 

Think about it: wouldn’t Jon have demanded to return? Not only he had schools, obligations he knew he can’t afford to miss as Superboy and Jon Kent, but he’s a person who loves the people he knew and he was whole-heartedly devoted to Earth, which he had called his home a few times throughout his featured appearances because, guess what, Earth is the only fucking home he knows. 

And he made a promise to come home to his father. He made a promise to stand by Damian’s side, which, I think, at this point in his life, was a vow he’s taken to heart (since the vow involved his dad doubting Damian which, I think, he won’t stand for). He has family and friends that he adores like Kara, Kathy, Maya, Georgia etc. He wouldn’t abandon the people he cares for just like that. And even if he was somehow heavily influenced by Jor-El, wouldn’t Lois be raising her voice once the she figured out the communicator wasn’t working?

Let’s not even get into the fact that, with Adventures of Super Sons (2018) existing simultaneously with this issue, both of these stories clashes with each canon materials.

In Bendis’ interpretation, Jon went on and grew up in out-of-space directly after the events of the solar-flare and the rejection during Summer. Meanwhile Tomasi continues to write Jon having multiple adventures with Damian in the exact same season. You guessed it: Summer. The season Jon supposedly isn’t on Earth at all. 

Then again, of course, one can argue that maybe this isn’t the same summer when they’ve hinted Jon outgrowing his Superboy clothes. But consider: Why would Jon still be hung up on the same worry from when he was a ten-year-old, if this had happened when he was eleven? Or Twelve? If he’d been older, I bet this is a worry he would’ve blurted out sooner than to let it simmer till he’s eleven or twelve.

Tomasi also hinted that the adventures didn’t stop between the son of Batman and son of Superman, and that Jon and Damian actually grows up together.

So, yeah. Continuity error. Clashes of plot. Whatever you call it, it’s here.

In Conclusion.

There’s still so many issues of the current series that I, admittedly, haven’t gone through since it’s yet to be published. So, I don’t know. Maybe Bendis will shock me into accepting his canon, or maybe I’ll continue to live in a make-believe world where Jon was never abducted by his grandfather and, instead, works his issues out with the people who’re already there.

please don’t reblog !!