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When The Reckoner Rises, Just Who Are the Watchman?

God Flare is the latest volume in the Reckoner Rises series from best-selling author David A. Robertson.

Highwater Press

The Reckoner Rises is a graphic novel series that’s sure to turn heads. I would not advise jumping in with the latest volume, titled God Flare. I was curious because of the fantastic attention grabbing cover by Scott B. Henderson, but in order to understand what’s going on, I had to chase down the first two graphic novels. I got the feeling this work took inspiration from Alan Moore’s The Watchman, and overall, I’m not wrong!

When readers are first introduced to Cole, we find him on the verge of a breakdown and he doesn’t understand why he’s The Chosen One. He has the mutant ability which allows him to communicate with the dead, and for Eva, who has the powers of flight, they could easily become the next Alpha Flight! But when they’re living on a reserve, it seems they don’t have a lot of inspiration to go to the next level and do stuff for the good of their community. In the harsh winter world of what I assume is Northern Winnipeg, I’m sure the life there is no different from what I’ve learned in other works, like The Death Tour (documentary review link), which examines what life is like in these sleepy indigenous communities.

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Megaghost is Set to Rematerialize in 2025!

Just whether or not MegaGhost ever existed as a cartoon doesn’t matter as Dark Horse Comics have a trade paperback collecting this comic book series next year!

Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: January 08, 2025

Albatross Funnybooks and Dark Horse Comics invite readers to join an arcane adventure that brings back the action-packed thrills of Saturday morning cartoons, blended with supernatural chills! MegaGhost, written by Gabe Soria (Midnight Arcade, Batman ‘66) and illustrated by Eisner Award-winning artist Gideon Kendall (Marley’s Ghost, Lester of the Lesser Gods), will be released in a new paperback volume in January 2025. It will feature an all-new cover by Kendall and collect issues #1-5, plus bonus content, including the previously uncollected holiday special “MegaGhost of Christmas,” and a new introduction! Die-hard believers will need to keep their eyes peeled for even more MegaGhost, coming soon!

The MegaGhost Saturday morning cartoon was legendary, if short-lived, and in what can only be described as the most fantastic case of the Mandela Effect EVER, the only two people on Earth who seem to remember it are Soria and Kendall.

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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 Poster Coming 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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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 Cover This 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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What’s Next for X-Men 97? And A Wish List for Storylines to Adapt

There’s still a lot of questions that needs answering in X-Men 97 when it comes to connecting with the original Fox series. But as it leaves one legacy era behind, what’s next is promising.

X-men 97 Logo With more than twenty years of new source material to draw from, there are plenty of new arcs to consider adapting for X-Men 97. Not everything has to be from the Chris Claremont years, and now that season one is over, fans, and critics can debate over what worked and did not. I’m glad the series recovered with the next arc being from Grant Morrison’s “E is for Extinction” from the New X-Men. Here, viewers learn Professor X’s evil twin sister Cassandra Nova is getting into the thick of things, and after the lacklustre “Inferno,” (review link) all hell breaks loose in Genosha! A lot of mutants die! Also, when the series is moving into storylines that I’m not as familiar with, I’m open to new interpretations.

That includes the eventual return of Apocalypse and a new team of Horseman for season two. Apparently, I still want answers to two lingering issues. Jean Grey’s connection to The Phoenix was never fully severed, and I’m wondering if that means some kind of return down the road.

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine Vol 1 Also, I miss Shadowcat aka Kitty Pryde. She’s quite important in the comic book version, and has had the quite the adventure and for some readers, they saw her grow up from being that not so confident teen hero in the X-Men to a Guardian of the Galaxy, and even has a few ninja type skills to boot! Although she didn’t have much to do other than be a damsel in distress in the non-canonical pilot for the animated series, and I still find it strange that there’s still no mention of her. She did appear in X-men: Evolution, set in an alternate universe, but when will she be in X-men 97?

Whether this series wants to address that or not, I’m still hoping! With the past days of Claremont no longer a reference point, what’s presented so far has me considering if I should try to get caught up with everything printed from 98 on up. In this series, I like that Bastion is a figure hard to deal with. He’s not your typical 90s style villain. Whether he’s been stopped for good in the season one finale, I shan’t say. Hopefully the next season’s arcs will consider his villain’s ongoing influence to build on the teased made.

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The Brave and the Bold in Merry Little Batman, Saving Xmas on Amazon Prime!

…and no, there’s no product placement involved in this wonderful animated special about one little Merry Little Batman under the Christmas tree.

Now Playing on Amazon Prime
Spoiler Alert

Fans expecting an animated superhero film much like past direct to video efforts will be in for a surprise in Merry Little Batman. This presentation feels very British, and much of that comes from the production and character designs. Also, when the best moments are from the British voice over talent pool instead of the American ones, all I could do was laugh out loud.

Ultimately, I feel this action adventure comedy puts a few ideas from Home Alone, Spitting Image and A Christmas Story into a blender, and what’s splattered out is just nutters!

And as the title implies, this holiday themed special is about a kid who wants to become the next Caped Crusader. When news of this movie was announced, I thought it might be about a young Bruce Wayne learning how to become a hero during Christmas vacation, but I was wrong. Instead, it’s about his son Damian (Yonas Kibreab) and his relationship with his father (Luke Wilson).

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