Friday, January 26, 2024

CROSSOVER MADNESS

 I watched two of the four PRETENDER/PROFILER crossivers, but both were just superficial teases, in which the respective "guest stars" on each show barely had any impact on the exploits of the main character or characters. Since the first couple were so dull, I'm not sure if I will even bother with the other crossovers if I can find them.



Thursday, January 18, 2024

THE 100 GREATEST CROSSOVERS OF ALL TIME #61

 Here's my review of TEN YEARS BEYOND BAKER STREET, the superlative intermingling of the continuities of Sherlock Holmes and Fu Manchu.



Tuesday, January 16, 2024

RAR #74: LOANGA

 In one of heroic Samson's last adventures in FANTASTIC COMICS, he contended with a zombie-maker named Loanga in some unspecified "Caribbean" locale. "Loanga" sounds like "loa," a term from a deity from Haitian voodoo, but neither Loanga nor any other native is drawn to look Black. The strange orange skin-color doesn't look like the standard hue attributed to Real Americans, but it's at least possible Loanga and his fellows are supposed to be Carib Indians.




Monday, January 15, 2024

RAR #73: ECHO

 Here's my analysis of the first arc devoted to that cheery deaf Choctaw ECHO. Not a lot of Real American tropes except for this panel.



Saturday, January 13, 2024

CROSSOVER MADNESS

 Review for GOTHAM SEASON THREE here.

This time both long arcs are full crossovers. The crossover-mojo of the first long arc, "Mad City," is mostly due to the three subordinate ensemble villains and the one villain-group crossing over with a new killer in town, The Mad Hatter. "Mad City" also plays host to a short arc of three episodes, in which the Joker-doppelganger re-appears. Being the only person mapping out this territory, I assign this short arc by the most interesting episode-title, "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" (named for a song-title). In Season 2, the first long arc also played host to a three-episode Joker arc, which I term "The Last Laugh." Apparently the showrunners wanted to hold back on Joker-appearances in the first three seasons.



The second long arc of the second season focused on the monstrous creations of Hugo Strange, and the second long arc of Season Three, "Heroes Rise," once again offers some of the previous Bat-villains, like Mr. Freeze, Firefly and Strange himself. First-time additions include Ra's Al Ghul and his League of Assassins (renamed "League of Shadows') and what may be the first live-action depiction of his League-rival The Sensei. This version of the Sensei is loyal and bonded to his leader Ra's, and is never actually given that proper name, though Hugo Strange calls the character a "sensei."

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

MONSTER MASHUPS #103

 EVIL ERNIE takes on carious monster-doppelgangers in a 1997 bit of whimsy.