Inhumans Episode 1 review

First off, this review will be full of spoilers. You have been warned.

I think the show is awesome.

lol, don't worry, I have more to say.

After a couple of seasons of Inhuman-lite with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this show seems to be capable and willing to deliver what comic book fans expect out of the Inhumans. The basic plot of the episode follows a brief but meaningful glimpse of who each of the Royal family are. Black Bolt. Medusa. Crystal. Gorgon. Karnak. Maximus the Mad. Oh, and Lockjaw! The main plot thread revolves around Maximus, Black Bolt's brother, overthrowing Black Bolt and taking over Attilan in order to leave the Blue Area of the Moon, and it's limited space and resources, and move all of Inhumanity to Earth. Black Bolt, as the exposition declares, fears that it will cause a war with humans and doesn't feel the time is right to go to earth. Maximus' coup results in the Royal family being scattered across Hawaii, thanks to Lockjaw, and Crystal being held hostage. What happens I won't say so you do have something to look forward to when watching it. See? Even my spoilers have secrets...

Now to the fun stuff. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE INHUMANS ON THE MOON!!! I can't overstate how cool this is to the un-comic-ed but the show writers could have easily skipped out on putting Attilan on the moon where it belongs and just have them living secretly on Earth. They don't, and to me it makes all the difference in the world. The closer these shows are to the source material, the better in my opinion. Medusa's hair looks amazing, though during the coup she has her head shaved so it'll be interesting to see how the next few episodes are going to involve her. Black Bolt doesn't really do much, with his powers there isn't really a whole lot he can get involved in without destroying everything. Generally you see him with his mask on, and though they did have him wearing his circlet crown in a scene I haven't entirely gotten used to seeing his whole face. Gorgon is great, the fact that they DID give him hooved feet was another touch that they didn't have to do but thankfully did and the actor playing him brings a lot of character to the role. Karnak is, Karnak, and that's a good thing. There are a few scenes where they show his pov of his powers and it is very cool. Lockjaw's CGI is good, and i'm soooo glad they have him in the show. He's probably my favorite of the Inhumans.

The acting is good and the show sets a precedent for effects and storytelling that should make the show a must watch for comic book fans. I know i'm going to make sure to keep up with the show. My only regret is that there won't be any crossovers with the Fantastic Four. In my mind and with all the comics i've read over the years it just feels weird to see the Inhumans without Marvel's First Family. In a perfect world this show could be the bridge that would bring the FF to the TV/Cinematic universe, but we all know that's a thin chance.

Either way, make sure to check out the pilot, it's well worth your time and you'll feel vindicated for sitting through all the Inhuman stuff they drug out in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I give episode 1 of the Inhumans my personal seal of approval.

I'll miss you, Adam West.

*This is a commentary from guest writer Kelly C. on the passing of legendary Batman actor Adam West*

So, Adam West died a couple of weeks ago. I cried when I initially read the news, and I cried again every time I saw another article about it, or every time a friend texted to ask how I was doing. (What can I say, my love of Adam West and affirmation of him as the one true Batman is fairly well known.) Basically, I cried a lot, and I felt ridiculous for doing so. I mean, why should it matter to me, really? Which led me to wonder, why do we get so upset about the deaths of celebrities anyway? The vast majority of us can’t claim to have known them as actual humans beings, we only know them as an image, usually one they have created. Even celebrities that are very open with the public have at least some part of their life that remains behind closed doors. I can say that I had the pleasure of meeting Adam West at a comic-con once, along with countless other fans that weekend. That doesn’t mean that I can claim that he was a friend, or an acquaintance, or even a friend of a friend of a friend. So why do I care?

The answer, I think is simple. I don’t feel like I’m blowing the lid off of any huge secret by writing about it, it’s just something I realized during my day-long Batman marathon. We don’t mourn a celebrity because of who they were. We mourn them because of who they were to us. We’re sad because we remember how they made us feel or what they meant to us. Maybe we even saw a little of ourselves in them or vice versa. And when they’re gone, that’s gone.

Take Carrie Fisher as an example. When she died last year, it was a blow to fans everywhere. And there are a thousand reasons why. Her very open struggles and advocacy for mental health made her a relatable figure for innumerable people. But she’s best known, of course, as Leia. What she accomplished in Star Wars was to give a face to a role that represented strength and independence while still being feminine. She taught women over the past 40 years that a princess doesn’t have to relegate herself to being a damsel in distress, that instead a princess can take matters into her own hands and shape her own future. It was a defining role that showed that a female can do or be anything. People remembered her for those achievements and the fact that she empowered multiple generations, not so much for who she was in day to day life. With any kind of fandom, that’s how it is.

So after all that, why am I sad about Adam West? Well, here’s what he meant to me. I remember watching Batman with my uncles during the summer months in New York and being absolutely fascinated. It was as much a bonding experience with them as it was entertainment. Adam West was so confident and serious, it’s easy to believe that he had no idea how campy the entire show was, and that’s just part of what made it so much FUN! To this day I can put on an episode of the series, laugh just as hard as the first time, and probably spot some new gag as well. It’s hard to explain how much Batman was a part of my childhood. I also remember when I found out that an entire Batman universe existed outside of that show…and how little I cared about that. Adam West was Batman, pure and simple. Every role he took on for the rest of his years had a touch of the same insanity that he brought to the show, all the way up to the Mayor of Quahog. (It’s my personal belief that he may actually have been just a touch insane, but since we weren’t friends, I’ll never know.)

 I have plenty of memories and all the places they take me back to, but their creator is gone. And for that reason, I cried. It’s been a couple of weeks, but if you’ll excuse me, I need to go watch more Batman now.

New Iron Fist trailer!

I cannot wait for this to come out. Iron Fist is one of my favorite comic book characters and to see him on the small screen releases excitement best left described. The show appears to tie into Daredevil with the return of Asian drug dealer Gao and it also has the glue that is holding all the shows together with Claire Temple, a.k.a. Night Nurse, appearing as well.

My day off is already set aside to binge watch, what about yours?

Star Trek: Discovery news!

 

 

CBS released a teaser video of Star Trek: Discovery last night to announce the start of production on the new series. Take a look:                                                                                                                    

 

I'm curious to see how this show turns out. It has two major strikes against it in my book. First, it is set a decade before classic Trek so everything will appear to be much more technologically advanced. I had the same problem with Enterprise, to be honest. I'm not really sure what the appeal is in explaining Star Trek history through new shows. For my money, they should skip ahead 200 or so years after Deep Space Nine and do something there with a clean slate.

Second, watching the show will require subscription with CBS' All Access, the network's version of Hulu focusing on their programming and online only original content. The same thing happened with me when Voyager came out. I didn't have UPN so the show just disappeared out of sight, out of mind.

I like Star Trek, though it will always exist as the Riker to Star Wars' Picard, but I don't know if I have it in me to chase it down. That worries me because I'm willing to bet there are lots of people who don't feel like committing to the extra leg work to view the show.

What about you, will you lay down the $6 dollars to Boldly Go?