Batman: Caped Crusader instantly generated buzz when it was announced, because Bruce Timm was going to be involved with the series. Famously, Timm had been one of the principle creators behind the popular Batman: The Animated Series of the 90’s. Although much of the design aesthetic of the 90’s animated show is on display here, the series takes a much harder stance on time period being firmly set in a late-1940’s/early 1950’s Gotham city and with a Batman with far less techno-gadgetry than we are used to seeing. In this episode we take a look at the first season of this series. We discuss the visual style of the series. We debate the merits of showing a more socially forward Gotham than would have been accurate for the time period. We delve into the various re-imaginings of Batman, his supporting cast, and his various rogues. We also talk about the vocal performances for the characters and what that tells us about the series.
This week’s five-minute controversy asks if we want to see Finn Jones as Iron Fist again.
In this episode Beth, Keith, and Mike join the cast.
Show Notes:
The Earth Station Trek Guide to Star Trek (Book Keith co-wrote)
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Last time that we discussed Invincible we talked about how it stands many of the superhero tropes on its head and gives powerful characterizations without wallowing in cynicism as so many series do. In this episode we take a look at the third season of Amazon Prime’s Invincible. We discuss what this season teaches us about Mark, Nolan, Cecil, and others. We question whether Nolan is a redeemable characters. We talk about Mark’s character and whether he comes off as childish, principled, or somewhere in between. We debate nuance with characters like Rexplode and Powerplex. Along the way we get into the topics of Viltrumite culture, why Peter Cullen’s voice grants a character instant trust, time travel, and achieving full Marks.
Screen Reads is back to discuss another film and compare it to the comics that form its roots. In this installment we delve into the 2003 movie Daredevil and compare it to issues 173-184 of the Daredevil comic as well as the director’s cut of the film. We talk about the differences between the director’s cut and theatrical editions and what we thought worked better in each. We debate what elements we think could have been changed and what worked better. We get into the Daredevil issues and talk about the quality of the story as well as how it was used to inform the choices of the movie. We also give our opinions of the cast performances and various elements of the film.
Fallout is a TV series on Amazon Prime based on the video game series of the same name. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic future, Fallout tells the story of the world after a nuclear war through the interactions of the characters left within the wasteland left behind, the cities that are left, and the residents of vaults, which protected certain people from the aftermath of the explosions. In this episode we review the Fallout series. We discuss the overall tone and lore of the series and how it is informed by and recontextualizes some aspects of the original game. We also talk about the plot for this series and how well it worked for us. We also opine on the various characters in that series and debate the quality of the performances as well as what we think their motivations are.
Man in the High Castle is a dark tale of an alternate Earth where the Axis powers won World War II. In this reality the United States has been occupied by both forces and split down the middle with Japanese states and Reich states. Hope seems lost for those who resist these powers until they start discovering films of what appears to be other Earths where things happened differently. In this episode we talk about Man in the High Castle. We discuss the various characters and how their various arcs progressed. We get into the concept and whether or not we found it entertaining or disturbing. We also debate the various plot lines and whether they worked or didn’t for us.
It was a title so good that we had to use it twice. In this episode we take a deep dive on Invincible. It’s a coming of age story about Mark Grayson, a teenager who has to navigate attaining super powers, his father’s secret, and getting into college. We discuss the phenomenal story and what makes it so unique at a time when we have so much superhero content. We also talk about the phenomenal voice work and the great care that goes into selecting each and every voice. Along the way we navigate the comic origins of the series and frantically try to stay away from spoilers. Those of us who haven’t read the comic give our hopes for what we’ll see in the future. We also get into the art style, animation, and depictions of superhero action and whether it works for us.