Marvel’s ‘Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 8 Recap: ‘Ghost Stories’

SPOILER ALERT: The following recap explores major plot details for the the eighth episode of Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger entitled, “Ghost Stories”.

The episode begins with a flashback to both Tandy/Dagger and Tyrone/Cloak eight years prior before the oil rig explosion occurred. Tandy practices her ballet in the living room as she shares a nice moment with her father Nathan Bowen as she expresses that she wants to be a dancer when she grows up. Elsewhere, Tyrone is with his brother Billy thumb wrestling with each other. Tyrone asks Billy about how life will be like once he turns his age. Billy reassures Tyrone that he will be bigger, stronger and braver than he is at that moment. It then cuts to the very evening of the oil rig explosion.

Also read: New Marvel’s ‘Iron Fist’ Season 2 Video Teases Steel Serpent

Back to present day, we see that Detective O’Reilly having a breakfast with Officer Fuchs. She tells him that she intends to bring down Detective Connors, to which Fuchs agrees to help her out with the deed.

Tandy is in the hospital where to meet with Ivan Hess, who has since recovered from his catatonic state. Tandy asks Ivan to recall the events from eight years prior. Ivan still has blurred memories regarding the incident but recalls that her father Nathan sent Roxxon Corp. a memo warning them about the design of the oil rig. At the time, Ivan thought Nathan was being paranoid but now knows that Roxxon was just cutting corners. Ivan warns Tandy that Roxxon could be dangerous and expresses stress over this affecting his daughter Mina’s future.

Tandy returns back to her mother Melissa’s apartment. They share a coffee as they discuss their plans on commemorating Nathan’s memory. Tandy asks Melissa if she remembers where Nathan kept a deposit box, to which she also expresses that she has a theory about where it may be. As they go through said box, they look through some of his old belongings. Melissa recalls a memory when she was still pregnant with Tandy and tells a story about an evening she shared with Nathan many years ago.

Elsewhere, Tyrone is back at his home sharing breakfast with his parents as his father Otis asks him about how he’s feeling. Tyrone hears a knock on his door, who is revealed to be Tandy. Tyrone is reluctant to invite her inside, but eventually lets her in and introduces her to his parents. Tandy tells Tyrone’s parents about the fact that her father died the same day Billy did and asks if they will be doing anything to remember him on the eighth anniversary of his death. Tandy invites Tyrone to join her, but stays behind in the house. As Tandy leaves, she is shown to have taken Tyrone’s mother Adina’s Roxxon ID card.

Also read: Marvel’s ‘Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Character Breakdowns Might Give First Clues About Season 6

We go back to a flashback in which we see young Tandy and Tyrone washed up on the beach. Tandy leaves him behind as she runs off and later dials her cell phone to call her mother, which leaves her at the voicemail.

Back at the police department, Detective Connors shows Detective O’Reilly a police sketch of Tyrone’s likeness, demanding her to look for him and bring him to authorities.

Back at Tyrone’s house, numerous relatives and friends from Otis’ Mardi Gras tribe enter the house as they prepare to design cloaks. Otis is seen in tears as he holds onto Billy’s old cloak. Tyrone then receives a text from Detective O’Reilly. O’Reilly warns Tyrone that Detective Connors is after him. Tyrone expresses his vendetta against Connors and O’Reilly tries to warn him to lay low so she can try to bring him down herself.

We go back to another flashback following young Tyrone as he winds up meeting with a group on a tour at the same exhibit present-day Tyrone met Evita at. Young Tyrone runs off as the tour guide asks him where his mother is.

Back to present day, Tandy starts surveying through her evidence about the Roxxon Corp. case while Tyrone looks over his cloak and uses red paint to put some fake blood stains on a t-shirt.

Tyrone goes to both Detective O’Reilly and Officer Fuchs with the t-shirt. He plans on pretending to be the ghost of Billy to use Detective Connors’ fears to bring him to justice. Both O’Reilly and Fuchs express concern over the plan, but Tyrone states that he’s fast enough to avoid certain doom from Connors’ hands. To prove his point, Tyrone brings out his cloak and puts it over himself as he attempts to demonstrate his abilities to them.

Also read: An ‘Agent Carter’ Netflix Revival Wouldn’t Work, Says Show’s Producer

We go back to young Tandy’s flashback, in which she goes inside the house and sees that Melissa is unconscious – likely from drinking too much.

Present-day Tandy sneaks inside Roxxon Corp. with Adina’s ID as she attempts to find more information. She sneaks up onto Roxxon CEO Peter Scarborough and threatens him with a glowing dagger.

Elsewhere, Tyrone uses his cloak abilities to pose as some sort of phantom to haunt Detective Connors of that very day eight years prior in which he killed Billy.

A horrified Detective Connors meets with Detective O’Reilly outside. O’Reilly hands Connors a sketch of Billy’s likeness rather than Tyrone’s – further triggering his fears. Connors sees Tyrone in his cloak running away as he chases him down with a gun in his hands.

Tyrone continues to frighten Detective Connors as he keeps running around – which is revealed to be in the same place where he killed Billy eight years prior. Tyrone finally confronts Connors posing as Billy’s ghost as he reveals the bloodied shirt. As Tyrone continues to provoke Connors, Connors finally admits to killing Billy. Officer Fuchs is revealed to be filming this exchange as Detective O’Reilly puts Connors in handcuffs.

We see Scarborough tied to a chair as Tandy interrogates him about the oil rig. She pulls out much of her evidence and reminds him that Greg Pressfield knew about much of the Roxxon case but before anything could be done, he was killed by an unidentified water jug deliverer to prevent any legal issues against Scarborough and Roxxon. Tandy provokes Scarborough about all his lies to which he bribes her to not reveal all the evidence to the press. She rejects the offer as she leaves him behind.

Back at the department, Detective Connors is still in handcuffs. Detective O’Reilly and Officer Fuchs reflect on Tyrone’s cloak abilities. O’Reilly reveals that she’s seen it all before given that she is from New York. She even tells Fuchs about a friend of her’s named Misty.

Tandy and Tyrone meet together that evening at the beach. Tandy introduces Melissa to Tyrone, to which she expresses sympathy to Tyrone on the anniversary of his brother’s death.

Tandy and Tyrone touch Melissa’s hands as they are transported to a vision of Tandy’s old front door. They go inside with uncertainty as they see a nearly-empty theater. They see Melissa sitting as she watches a memory of her and Nathan.

Suddenly, the memory stops playing and Melissa disappears. Tandy rips through the screen with her dagger as she and Tyrone see the memory in black and white. Here, we see Melissa accidentally spill her coffee all over Nathan’s work. Nathan then physically assaults her out of anger – much to Tandy’s shock and dismay.

Back to reality, Tandy is visibly distraught from seeing the vision as she, Tyrone and Melissa light up a lantern in memory of Nathan and Billy.

Tandy walks away quite sad from the vision she witnessed. Tyrone follows her. We briefly see the flashback in which her younger self talks to her mother, whom tells her not to trust anyone and that they’re destined to be left alone. Present-day Tandy then calls Scarborough, exclaiming that she’s changed her mind and decides to accept Scarborough’s bribe. Tandy is shown back inside the abandoned church as she stuffs wads of $100 bills inside a statue.

A brief flashback shows young Tyrone watching his parents have an emotional discussion following Billy’s death. Present-day Tyrone returns home as he looks over the cloak.

Elsewhere, Detective Connors goes to visit Officer Fuchs for their planned breakfast. She opens the refrigerator and is shocked when she finds Fuchs’ frozen corpse stuffed inside it.

10 Things To Expect From San Diego Comic-Con 2018

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It’s finally summer, which means San Diego Comic-Con 2018 is just around the block! The biggest pop-culture event of the year, all of the biggest names in comics, movies and television will come together at the San Diego Convention Center and share their plans with their biggest fans. Hundreds of people will be dressed as their favorite characters as they search through back-issue bins, look at exclusive prints and talk with their fellow nerds.

Marvel Studios won’t be showcasing any upcoming movies in Hall H this year, but there are still a lot of exciting things to look forward to. Dozens of new comics will be teased by the major publishers. Movies will be announced and secret cast members will be revealed.

Hit Next to learn more about 10 exciting things you should expect to see at San Diego Comic-Con 2018!

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The post Marvel’s ‘Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 8 Recap: ‘Ghost Stories’ appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘Ready Player One’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Review: Spielbergian Magic

Although fans can already own Ready Player One digitally, the film will soon be available to own on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on Tuesday, July 24. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, I had an opportunity to have an early look at a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray copy of the film to explore the picture quality, surround sound and special features. Here are my thoughts…

Picture Quality 

Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest visual storytellers of all-time, and the story of Ready Player One requires a master of Spielberg’s caliber to properly bring the eclectic nature of author Ernest Cline’s original vision to the big screen. When it was in theaters, the visuals of the film from both the real world and of course, inside the OASIS were immaculate thanks to Spielberg’s cinematographer Janusz Kaminski’s remarkable eye.

On the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, the visual transfer for Ready Player One is yet another home run for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. In a film that is chock-full of Easter Eggs (especially since the MacGuffin of the story is literally an Easter Egg), even pausing through some of the most visually-dense scenes showcases the stunning imagery and colorful world of the OASIS for fans to check out all the Easter Eggs they can find. All of this is thanks to the impressive high dynamic range (HDR).

The demo-worthy highlights include the race sequences, the Shining sequence and the third act action climax.

The post ‘Ready Player One’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Review: Spielbergian Magic appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 7 Recap: ‘Lotus Eaters’

SPOILER ALERT: The following recap explores major plot details for the the seventh episode of Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger entitled, “Lotus Eaters”.

Also read: Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’ Star Charlie Cox On A Potential ‘Defenders’ Season 2

The episode begins with a flashback sequence in which we see a young Mina Hess with her father Ivan Hess the morning before he returns to the oil rig when the infamous explosion occurs. While at work, he gets angered over the fact that the conduction sealing tiles never came and therefore, weren’t installed. He alerts someone to notify Nathan Bowen about that fact, to which the emergency lights are triggered. We then see Ivan in present day in his catatonic state.

Back at the church, Tyrone/Cloak and Tandy/Dagger are at the church, where Tyrone still mourns over the death of Duane – blaming himself just like he did over his brother Billy’s death eight years prior. Tandy attempts to reassure Tyrone by telling him that her father Nathan used to say that one must learn from their failures.

Tandy takes Tyrone to see Ivan in an attempt to find out what the yellow door inside Ivan’s vision leads to. Through the yellow door, they appear on the oil rig when one of the workers attempt to attack them both, showing that the rules inside this vision are completely different when they both work together. The two then meet with Ivan inside the vision, whom is unaware of his name.

The duo realize that they are on the oil rig and rush themselves downstairs to the core room to find the killswitch and the valves. On their way there, they are confronted by two workers trying to bring them down. They both realize that the oil rig is about to explode like the incident eight years prior. Through this realization, they are transported back to Ivan via some loop – signifying that this vision has occurred inside Ivan’s mind indefinitely since the incident.

Tyrone and Tandy follow closely with Ivan to attain some more information  as they continue to explore the oil rig during the explosion. Tandy attempts to tell Ivan that she and Tyrone are from the real world and that this vision is a result of him being in a catatonic state for eight years. Ivan laughs her off, much to her dismay.

Also read: ‘Daredevil’ Star Wants To Team Up With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

Tandy attempts to remind Ivan of his daughter Mina, whom he denies ever having despite expressing a deep desire to have one. Tandy then brings up her father Nathan Bowen, which triggers a memory within Ivan. He remembers his name, and cites that he is always calling. Through this fact, Tandy picks up the phone when it rings and starts to talk to her father.

Nathan expresses concern about hearing Tandy on the rig. Fighting through tears, she tells him that she misses him as the explosion triggers her and Tyrone back to the beginning of the loop with Ivan.

Tyrone fears Tandy is too emotionally compromised from talking to her father on the phone, to which he decides to get to the core room himself to rescue everyone inside the oil rig. We then see the same two workers get compromised in attempts to stop the explosion as they along with several other workers start to surround him right before he teleports elsewhere on the rig. As he attempts to fend off the workers on his own, we see Tandy on the phone talking with her father as she asks him about his day. Tyrone tries to stop the valves and hitting the killswitch – only for the explosion to occur taking them back to the beginning of the loop.

Tyrone tells Tandy that they should leave the vision and return to the real world. Tandy is reluctant because she still wants to talk to her father on the phone. Tyrone removes himself from the vision while Tandy remains inside Ivan’s vision. Frustrated, Tyrone enters back inside the vision as he realizes that Tandy has been stuck inside it for a long period of time – so much so that she even briefly forgets Tyrone’s name.

A concerned Tyrone attempts to snap Tandy out of her own mind. Given her own fears and fragmented memories, Tandy dismisses Tyrone’s claims that they are friends and expresses that she is fine inside the vision. The explosion occurs and they return to the beginning of the loop.

Tyrone asks Tandy about how many loops she has been through, to which she reveals that she had lost count after 200. Tyrone tries to tell Tandy that she has lost touch with reality and that wanting to hear her father’s voice does not justify staying inside Ivan’s vision. An angry Tandy lashes out at Tyrone, claiming that he would want to do the same thing if he were put in her shoes and it was his brother Billy on the phone.

Tandy attempts to use her daggers to attack Tyrone. As Tyrone dodges her daggers, he provokes her emotionally in accusing her of not telling her father the truth on the phone calls about her life in the present day – about how she has no friends and has turned to drugs. Tandy prepares yet another dagger as the explosion occurs and they are sent back to the beginning of the loop.

Tandy demands Tyrone to leave the vision, to which he replies that he would do the same thing if it were Billy on the phone. Tyrone laments that he does not remember Billy’s voice anymore and even agrees to leave Tandy alone in the vision if she asks her father one question. On the call, Tandy tearfully asks her father if someone is riding in the backseat – to which he claims that nobody is. The explosion occurs once again.

Tandy notices that Ivan is eating one of those cookies that his Mina made for him. She uses the cookie to remind him of Mina, claiming that despite all the dramatic situations in life, he has a responsibility in protecting his daughter. Ivan still forgets about Mina, but his memory of her comes back to him when Tandy reminds him of cardamom – the natural antidepressant. Ivan takes a bite out of the cookie and laments that he needs to get back to Mina but is unable to because he is stuck where he is. Tyrone tells Ivan that he can possibly escape from this state if he goes to the core room. The explosion occurs once again.

 

Also read: ‘Luke Cage’ Star Mike Colter Calls Out Josh Brolin As Thanos

Tyrone, Tandy and Ivan rush towards the core room as they each fend off the compromised workers in an attempt to prevent the explosion from occurring. As Ivan tries to take care of the valves, the explosion brings them back to reality as he reemerges from his catatonic state. Ivan does not recognize the two, to which he asks them about where his daughter Mina is. The father and daughter then have an emotional reunion as Tyrone and Tandy leave.

Tyrone returns home while Tandy goes back to the church. Tyrone opens an old shoe box that includes an old tape and hand recorder from his father, to which he calls Tandy. Tyrone expresses to Tandy that she may be the only person that truly understands his situation. Tyrone plays the tape for her, which includes audio of him from years ago along with his brother Billy. The audio involves young Tyrone beatboxing as Billy freestyle raps.

As the tape ends, Tandy jokes with Tyrone about it. Feeling quite touched by their conversation, Tandy asks Tyrone to play the tape again. And in this moment, the two are closer than they ever been thus far – hinting at their blossoming romance that looms ahead.

10 Things To Expect From San Diego Comic-Con 2018

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It’s finally summer, which means San Diego Comic-Con 2018 is just around the block! The biggest pop-culture event of the year, all of the biggest names in comics, movies and television will come together at the San Diego Convention Center and share their plans with their biggest fans. Hundreds of people will be dressed as their favorite characters as they search through back-issue bins, look at exclusive prints and talk with their fellow nerds.

Marvel Studios won’t be showcasing any upcoming movies in Hall H this year, but there are still a lot of exciting things to look forward to. Dozens of new comics will be teased by the major publishers. Movies will be announced and secret cast members will be revealed.

Hit Next to learn more about 10 exciting things you should expect to see at San Diego Comic-Con 2018!

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The post ‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 7 Recap: ‘Lotus Eaters’ appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 6 Recap: ‘Funhouse Mirrors’

SPOILER ALERT: The following recap explores major plot details for the the sixth episode of Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger entitled, “Funhouse Mirrors”.

Also read: San Diego Comic Con 2018 Full Wednesday & Thursday Panel Schedules Released

The episode begins with Evita and her Auntie Shantelle together as Auntie Shantelle begins to conduct some sort of card reading about the city of New Orleans while she also has suspicions about Evita’s connections with Tyrone/Cloak and the powers she senses within him.

Tyrone continues to investigate Duane and what goes on in his warehouse and business while Tandy/Cloak finds herself posing as an intern for Mina Hess as she investigates more into the Roxxon Corp. case.

In the hopes to capture Detective Connors from the inside, Tyrone propositions with Duane about taking on a job with him at the warehouse, lamenting about the loss during the finals basketball game. Duane denies Tyrone a job, claiming that he has more opportunities and a future that those working in the warehouse don’t have at the moment. As Duane leaves, Tyrone continues to investigate a certain person – only to be warned at gunpoint by someone.

Detective O’Reilly returns back to the department, to which she is warned about Detective Connors being a “flammable” individual.

Auntie Shantelle conducts her card reading with Evita, to which she expresses that disaster may be afoot. Auntie Shantelle has a feeling that the next big story will revolve around Tyrone in some way.

Tyrone and Tandy find themselves reuniting at the church they met up at weeks before. They both discuss their current investigations and journeys in the hopes to achieve their own justice for their respective losses rooted back to the oil rig explosion.

Tandy explores an abandoned amusement park where she meets up with Mina to start her “internship”. The two survey a river as they both develop a surprisingly warm partnership.

Detective O’Reilly and Detective Connors discuss the current drug investigation. Connors suggests O’Reilly to join him on a drive for the case – but O’Reilly insists on being the driver. The two pull over at the same place where Tyrone was currently investigating. Connors confronts one of Duane’s workers, to which he warns him and Duane about not making things about the business so visible.

Mina takes Tandy to see this valve she’s been working on, to which she gives her some insight about the oil rig explosion. She explains that Roxxon Corp. was drilling for oil that ended up burning 10 times as hot. Unfortunately, the drill never stopped and through that, the explosion occurred. A Roxxon Corp. representative named Stan tells Mina to check on a faulty valve, to which Tandy discovers was misplaced 10 meters away from where it was supposed to be. Mina berates Stan about the misplacement. Angered, Tandy uses one of her daggers to puncture one of Stan’s tires.

Also read: ‘Captain Marvel’ Crew Hoodie Teases The Appearance of Chewie

Tyrone is going about his way when he is confronted by the same gunman once again for his bag. Through sensing his fears, the man flees from Tyrone – scared. Tyrone brings the bag back to Duane – much to his surprise. Tyrone hopes this gesture was a motivating factor as a means to work with him. Duane asks Tyrone to drive with him to see what he really does for his job.

Tandy and Mina vent their frustrations as they both reminisce about their respective fathers. Mina expresses that Nathan Bowen was the Steve Jobs to her father Ivan Hess’ Steve Wozniak. Mina finds a bee on Tandy’s neck and blows it away gently. Through this moment, the bond between the two is truly cemented although Mina finally realizes Tandy’s true identity given her constant questions about Ivan Hess and Nathan Bowen.

Detective Connors gives Duane a phone call about a potential meeting in the evening. Unbeknownst to Duane, he seems to be set up to be caught by both Connors and Detective O’Reilly later that night. Duane takes Tyrone on a drive as he prepares to give him a sense at what his daily hustle is like. When Tyrone asks about justice, Duane dismisses the idea because he believes that justice is only for white people elsewhere and not for them where they live.

They go back to the warehouse as Tyrone confronts Duane about working with Detective Connors and expresses anger that Duane took advantage of the death of Tyrone’s brother Billy to achieve financial stability. Tyrone feels that Billy died in vain because of this fact.

Outside, Detective Connors knocks on the warehouse door with Detective O’Reilly in the car. Duane commands Tyrone to leave because of this and expresses that they will continue this conversation for another time.

Elsewhere, we see Mina meet up with her father Ivan. As it turns out, Ivan is shown in a near-catatonic state. Tandy surprises Mina there, apologizing for not telling the truth early on. Tandy asks Mina if she could communicate with Ivan, to which she touches his hand and is transported to his vision. Inside, Tandy finds a locked safe but before she opens it, she is taken back to reality. She tells him her name and expresses that her late father worked with him in the past.

Back in the warehouse, Detective Connors commands Duane to shoot Detective O’Reilly. Duane refuses but Connors expresses that the Los Angeles Police Department will be kept off his back. As this occurs, Tyrone hides as he calls O’Reilly to warn her about what’s happening. As a result of the worst possible timing, O’Reilly enters the warehouse and shoots Duane.

Tyrone, startled runs off as Detective Connors attempts to shoot him – only for him to transport back into the church where he meets Tandy. Tyrone looks at Tandy in a mournful state as he breaks down to her in tears- feeling all the guilt now that Duane is likely dead.

10 Things To Expect From San Diego Comic-Con 2018

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It’s finally summer, which means San Diego Comic-Con 2018 is just around the block! The biggest pop-culture event of the year, all of the biggest names in comics, movies and television will come together at the San Diego Convention Center and share their plans with their biggest fans. Hundreds of people will be dressed as their favorite characters as they search through back-issue bins, look at exclusive prints and talk with their fellow nerds.

Marvel Studios won’t be showcasing any upcoming movies in Hall H this year, but there are still a lot of exciting things to look forward to. Dozens of new comics will be teased by the major publishers. Movies will be announced and secret cast members will be revealed.

Hit Next to learn more about 10 exciting things you should expect to see at San Diego Comic-Con 2018!

Previous1 of 11Next

VIEW IN GALLERY

The post ‘Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger’ Episode 6 Recap: ‘Funhouse Mirrors’ appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

Deathstroke #33 Review: Damian Enters Batman’s War With Slade

In the final issue before this arc’s two-part finale, Deathstroke manages to deepen the Terminator’s ever-complicated conflict with Batman. Now that Damian Wayne, Batman’s current Robin and possible son of Deathstroke, has entered the fight, this story finally gains the emotional resonance it needs. However, Slade’s random adventures and minimal interaction with Batman continues.

Also read: ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Deathstroke Figure Unveiled By Hot Toys

This issue features Damian teaming up with Deathstroke on a contract. Tim Drake’s message to Damian has convinced the young crime-fighter that Deathstroke really could be his father rather than Batman. So, Damian tags along with Slade all the while annoying the assassin to no end. These two characters are always fun to see interact. While they have shockingly similar personalities, Damian’s immaturity and naivety make for a great foil to Deathstroke. Their exchanges in this issue are hilarious and equally enlightening.

Showing up out of nowhere, Nightshade arrives on the scene to interfere with Deathstroke’s plan. The motivation of this villain and exactly what the two are trying to accomplish are a little unclear. Still, that doesn’t seem to matter too much. This conflict really just serves as an excuse for Deathstroke and Damian to butt heads. In this regard, Nightshade’s inclusion is effective. However, the story could have done without her.

Batman is nowhere to be seen this time around. Still, his presence is felt. Deathstroke’s respect for Batman’s power and reach leads him to be more cautious and calculating than ever. Christopher Priest has done an incredible job of displaying how Deathstroke’s mind works. This change in his demeanor, although slight, is some of the best character work Priest has done on both Batman and Deathstroke so far. Though this war may be more an of a “Cold War” than expected, the story-telling implemented in this arc is absolutely topnotch.

Also read: Batman #50 Review: Momentous Wedding Derailed By Spoilers

This issue sets up the finale in a grand fashion. Batman and Deathstroke will finally confront each other in the next two issues. However, Priest is clever in creating a conflict that could be solved simply through the characters talking. Batman is too stubborn for a such a conversation and Deathstroke is too cautious. It’s unlikely that Deathstroke really is Damian’s father. However, that doesn’t really matter the way you expected in the beginning. Even if Batman isn’t biologically related to Damian, it’s made abundantly clear where their allegiances lie. The remaining question is how Batman and Deathstroke will settle the dispute and by the end of this issue, you’ll be begging for the answer.

Final Score: 8/10

The 10 Strongest Members Of Batman’s Rogues Gallery, Ranked

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Batman may keep Gotham City safe, but his enemies don’t make things easy for him. Stacked with some of the most terrifying supervillains in comics, Batman’s rogues gallery is chopped full of strong individuals who spread death and destruction wherever they go. From their mental plans to pure physical muscles, all of these villains have terrorized the citizens of Gotham and put the pain on Batman multiple times over the years.

Of course, there’s more than one way to be strong. Some of these villains rely more so on their minds or dastardly plots to attack Batman, while others rely on technology or their muscles to bring the pain. Regardless, the stronger the villains, the stronger Batman has to become to stay one step ahead. Without these deadly foes, Batman wouldn’t be the capable hero fans know and love. Every plot may leave him with a few more scars, but all of these villains have pushed Batman to become a better hero for the citizens of Gotham.

Hit Next to learn more about the ten strongest members of Batman’s rogues gallery!

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The post Deathstroke #33 Review: Damian Enters Batman’s War With Slade appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

Man of Steel #6 Review: Bendis’ First Superman Story Comes To A Close

Bendis’ first Superman story was an unexpected route for the writer to take. Reading like a collection of fever dreams, the first five issues failed to tell one cohesive story. The central plot featured a new but unspectacular villain and was constantly being derailed by the sub-plots. This mini-series cannot really stand on its own. After six weeks, The Man of Steel feels more like a really long trailer for Bendis’ upcoming Superman and Action Comics stories. However, this final issue not only brings clarity to the events of the previous five but manages to be a more compelling read than everything we’ve gotten from Bendis’ turn at DC so far.

Also read: Henry Cavill’s Superman Dons A Brighter Suit In New Fan Art

The ending of this issue offers fans an overwhelming feeling of relief. During his time at Marvel, Bendis crafted some of the companies best modern Superhero stories. So, taking on the world’s most famous hero should have been a slam dunk. This mini-series was far from a slam dunk. However, this issue finally allows you to understand just what Bendis has been trying to do for the last six weeks. Sadly, Bendis seemingly wasn’t interested in this story satisfying on its own; it was only intended to set up what’s to come. In this regard, The Man of Steel #6 sticks the landing.

This is really not a story to be read week-to-week. It needed to be one collected edition because the cliffhangers at the end of each issue mostly led to disappointment the following week. Each installment ended with a question and implied that the following issue would answer that question. None of those answers are offered until this final issue. Still, to be fair, they are some pretty great answers.

Also read: ‘Justice League’ Image Reveals Superman’s Face Before Reshoots

Superman’s new status quo leaves him and his family in a peculiar but exciting new position for the coming stories Bendis plans to tell. Who’s been starting the fires? Why does Jor- El want Jon? When the hell does any of this take place in The Man of Steel’s continuity? Now that we finally know the answers to these questions, it is clear that Bendis has crafted an effective intro to his Superman run. Filled with levity, amazing character work and expressive art from Jason Fabok, this installment is exactly the finale that this series needed. Hopefully, Bendis will effectively capitalize on the work done here in the months to come.

Final Score: 8/10

The 7 Most Patriotic Heroes To Help Ring In The 4th Of July

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Ah, the fourth of  July is here at last. Forget the beach and barbecues, kids, if you really want to celebrate this patriotic holiday the right way, head inside and pick up some comic books! Your Uncle Mike might grill-up a mean steak, but Captain America punches Nazis for breakfast. Oh, you want fireworks? Well, go open up literally any comic book and watch the sparks fly as heroes and villains exchange blows.

Comic books are full of diverse characters who stand for all types of different values. Some of them might stand for the values of Communist Russia, like Mark Millar’s Mother Russia, but many of the big two’s most popular characters can be understood as patriotic symbols for the U.S.. Heck, the whole superhero genre as we know it became popular during World War II when we were in dire need of larger-than-life heroes who could inspire us to perform our patriotic duties.

So get out of the pool and hit Next to learn more about seven of the most patriotic superheroes in comics!

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The post Man of Steel #6 Review: Bendis’ First Superman Story Comes To A Close appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.

Batman #50 Review: Momentous Wedding Derailed By Spoilers

If you’re reading this, then that means you are likely a Batman fan and have access to the internet. So, that means you probably already know about what Batman #50 has to offer. Last week, DC spoiled one of the big reveals found in this issue. There was backpedaling. They tried to explain that there is more to this issue than just that plot point. To an extent, that is true. The final page of this issue offers readers one last surprise. However, after months of build-up to this event, this issue would be a disappointment even if you go in completely blind.

Also read: ‘Batman’ Writer Tom King Says Spoiled Wedding Is ‘Not The End’

Finally, after a decades-long romance between Batman and Catwoman, the two are ready to be married. It seemed like a bizarre choice for a while. Tom King’s run on the character has been good, but uneven. After 50 issues, it made sense that King would want to shake up Batman’s status quo. A wedding with Catwoman would lead Bruce Wayne to happiness and then ultimately to question where being Batman fits into his new life. It’s not a groundbreaking concept, but it offers an opportunity for King to dive deeper.

Coming in at around 40 pages, this book spends most of its time showing off different artists’ renderings of Batman and Catwoman’s relationship. The art is beautiful and features some of DC’s best talents. Meanwhile, King throws off some internal monologues from the super couple, meditating on their relationship and talking about each other’s eyes. It certainly starts out as a pretty sweet exploration of how the two feel about each other, but it goes on for way too long. By the end of this section of the issue, their platitudes are bordering on pretentious and you just want them to get on with it.

Again, you probably know by now that Batman and Catwoman do not marry in this issue. All that build-up we’ve been seeing across the entire Batman line of comics for months now was seemingly all for nothing. By the end of this issue, nothing has changed. We do get that extra surprise at the end, which does set up what is coming for series. However, the ending is ultimately unsatisfying. Whenever something like this is announced, the first reaction of a comic fan is always skeptical. We know by now the impermanence of a superhero marriage. These relationships very rarely work out, and it makes sense. Two superheroes marrying will undoubtedly change those characters at their core. They’re no longer what we all know and love. Still, it would have been nice to see this last for a while.

Also read: 10 Actresses Who Could Play Catwoman In The DC Extended Universe

At the center of this storyline has been one question: Will Batman finally get to be happy? He is one of the most tragic characters in literature, and one that his fans are deeply connected to. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that we do want him to be happy. Instead, this issue just assures us that the next 50 issues of King’s Batman will be more of the same.

Final Score: 4/10

10 DC Comics Characters That Need To Be In Matt Reeves’ Batman Movie

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As one of the DC’s most popular heroes, Batman has starred in quite a few films. After Christopher Nolan wrapped up his Dark Knight trilogy, the character was quickly reintroduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and was a key player in Justice League. The Caped Crusader is set to return in his own movie, potentially titled The Batman, with Matt Reeves, the director of Cloverfield and the last two Planet of the Apes movies, behind the camera.

At the moment, nothing is known about the film’s plot or who will appear, but with Batman in the title role odds are other key DC characters will appear. So far, Batman’s corner of the DC Universe hasn’t been explored too much, so there are still a lot of characters who can be introduced on the big screen. Batman’s gonna need some villains to fight, and allies to fight beside, so Matt Reeves needs to search through the back-issues and figure out who he wants to include.

Hit Next to discover which DC Characters should appear in Matt Reeves’ Batman movie!

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