Category: Science Fiction

Thoughts on Star Wars: The Acolyte and Ideas on How to Save It (From Total Disaster)

Although production of season one is finished and all worse for wear, there’s a change to salvage The Acolyte should season two get someone new in charge and takes note of the ideas presented here on what can be done to fix it.

The Acolyte Official PosterNow on Disney Plus

The latest instalment of Disney’s Star Wars takes fans to the High Republic years and offers a familiar tale. The Acolyte does not differ from Ninjago’s early seasons regarding siblings at odds. I feel this series set the bar regarding how Sensei Wu and Lord Garmadon represent two extremes but still remain family, and I have yet to see another tale that can do better. There’s Dragonlance with Cameron and Rastilin, but I digress.

But here, they are twins created under mysterious circumstances, and I doubt their nature was modified by genetics. Instead, it was through the bending of midichlorians to create the next generation of witches belonging to the Brendoks Sisterhood. By nature, one is kind and the other heartless. While I don’t care how the tale is from a matriarchal perspective, I want something that focuses more on the mystique that made Episode IV and V spectacular.

With this series, we’re dealing with a very weak murder mystery, which is the grander arc (and revenge fantasy if Mae was the focus; there’s potential to make the series good if she was in charge, but it’s not). The priority is really on Osha (Amandla Stenberg plays both characters), despite the fact the first episode begins with the other challenging a Jedi to the death. Most tales commonly start with introducing the protagonist, and it’s rare to deviate from that. In this case, we see Mae is out to kill four specific individuals from the Jedi Order because her Master ordered it.

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Between Duty and Obligation, Ultraman Rising Delivers DreamWorks Style Quality To This Japanese IP

The beauty that’s found in Ultraman Rising is that it’ll appeal to anyone who doesn’t know a thing about this franchise.

Ultraman Rising PosterComing to Netflix Nov 14, 2024

Just how many Ultramen exist depends on who you ask. With Netflix hosting its own series simply titled after this hero (which feels like a rehash of Iron Man Armoured Adventures) and also Ultraman Rising, the count has unofficially increased by two. Back in 2013, Tsuburaya Productions acknowledged thirty-six heroes existed since Ultra Q’s debut in 1966. As for how many more have existed since then, I believe at least eight have been added

Here, Ken Sato (Yuki Yamada) is an all American baseball star by day, and a Japanese hero by night. The only reason he’s pulling double duty is that his father, who was the previous incarnation, suffered an injury. Someone said it’s best for him to come home.

Even though everybody in Japan loves Ultraman, not everyone agrees. There are other folks who see him as a vigilante. Dr. Onda (Fumihiko Tachiki) is kind of like Harvey Bullock in the Batman universe; he’s a staunch opponent, although both protect Japan from monsters. This scientist leads the Kaiju Defence Force whereas the sports personality is solo. And that attitude won’t get him far in a sport dependent on teamwork.

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Beware The Space Ghost! From #1 to #3, Dynamite Comics’ Update Is More Than Nostalgic!

Fans and newcomers will love this update to Hanna Barbera’s late 60s cartoon Space Ghost. This beloved IP gets a bit more viceral, and it’s perfect!

Space Ghost #1 Comic Book CoverNot everyone knows who Space Ghost is, and when considering there’s been different takes in the past, to say which characterization is best depends on who you ask. He was good back when Hanna Barbera broadcasted those classic cartoons and the 90s adult swim parody really diminished who he was. I can’t watch Space Ghost Coast to Coast at all, and when I heard about Dynamite Comics publishing a brand-new reboot, I was eager to dive in!

What’s presented is familiar, and when it involves Jan and Jace a lot more, I’m loving it! I always believed they were the original Wonder Twins (Super Friends) and when considering they both have pet monkeys, I’m sure the carry over was intentional. As the DC Comics inspired series was made to appeal to the kids of the 70s, perhaps the hope was that their parents would say, “Hey, Zan and Jayna are just like those kids, in Space Ghost, a cartoon I saw when I was your age.”

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My Summer With Gatchaman and Space Ghost, Two Comics Worth Reading Anywhere! (Part One)

Fans of the classic or even new material set in the Gatchaman universe will enjoy this continuation!

Gatchaman #1 Comic Book CoverThis Summer, two cartoons from the 60s and 70s are getting a huge reboot in the comic book front. Not only is there Gatchaman from Mad Cave Studios but also Space Ghost from Dynamite Comics! The latter is now out, and I’m anxiously waiting for the release of the second issue to read before going further–that will be a separate article.

In America, the former is better known as Battle of the Planets. Although this series wasn’t the same as the Japanese broadcast because of editing out problematic elements for Western audiences, as a kid, I wasn’t aware and still enjoyed it! Even though some aspects don’t stand the test of time (namely the inclusion of the robot narrator), I fondly think back to this series because G-Force’s plane could transform into a bird of fire; I even made a LEGO model that’s loosely based on that design! (but I won’t dare set it on fire)

I can’t wait to see what this East Coast publisher is preparing. To whet fans’ appetites, the publication offered during Free Comic Book Day shows readers what to expect. There’s three stories in all, and none of these prologues are vital to know what’s coming.

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Could There Be A New Series in the Works with Sorce: Birth of Echo?

Readers of young adult fiction might want to explore what Sorce: Birth of Echo entails as it concerns a teen hearing voices in his head.

Sorce: Birth of Echo Book CoverRelease Date: June 25th, 2024

Encyclopocalypse Publications, known for B-movie film novelizations, horror fiction, and nonfiction, will release it’s first young adult novel by new author Casey Truly. Sorce: Birth of Echo is a thrilling adventure mixing epic fantasy with science fiction. A preview of this book’s first chapter can be found at this author’s webpage, and what’s presented is a style rarely used–it’s a tale told using the first person point of view!

From the Press Release:

While others have been working and studying hard for the coming semester at Sirrus, a college where students learn to master the mystical powers of the Sorce, Charlie has neglected his two best-friends and spent most of his time with his girlfriend, Laurie.

Now, two years later, in the midst of trying to reconnect with those ol pals and and making new ones, Charlie finds there’s a growing shadow that follows him. It’s a voice in his head that isn’t his own. When that sound is something sinister by nature that wants him to kill, he better know where his moral compass is! This conspiracy will involve him and the ones he loves in an adventure, that’s hopefully not too Harry Potter.

Just what’s going on in the bowels of this college and with a man who once attended this post secondary institution will no doubt concern who lives and died within this space. It’s an adventure that Charlie may not survive, and wouldn’t that be a twist?

Paperback pre-orders in the USA are available through
encyclopocalypse.com. All direct pre-orders, including
the eBook, will ship 2 weeks prior to release date.

 

 

Furiosa Needs To Be More Like John Wick If This Franchise Is To Continue

Not even Mad Max can escape the inevitable franchise fatique that defines Furiosa. Had it offered something new in this prequel story that put it in par with Classical mythology, then some folks wouldn’t be screaming about it.

Furiosa A Mad Max Saga Movie PosterI really wanted to enjoy Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, but sadly, it didn’t have the same wow factor as Fury Road. When it clocks in at 148 minutes, I left the theatre feeling more exhausted than anything else. It could’ve been trimmed down to a more respectable run time, but I suspect writer/director George Miller didn’t want to. While he’s the master of the cinematic spectacle, it seems he can benefit from learning what to leave up to the imagination. With this latest, he may have fallen the way of George Lucas.

Some franchises are better off not continuing. But when every film has Miller involved, maybe he should’ve let Fury Road be the high-note to end at. Instead of offering prequel tales a la The Clone Wars, which is what this latest felt like, just offer a miniseries to flesh out those characters whom audiences love.

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