The Raw Exposé: The Welcome To The Kevin Owens Show Edition (9-5-2016)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to the Labor Day Edition of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. After last week’s swerve of all swerves, what did WWE have in store for us tonight? Did Triple H offer an explanation for his actions? Were Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley culpable in any way, shape, or form? Is Seth Rollins a babyface? Most importantly, did we all buy imaginary tickets to see The Kevin Owens Show? The answers to these burning questions can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode of Raw in no particular order.

·         Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon had a deep heart-to-heart conversation about what happened last week. They both delivered nice performances and it seemed as if Stephanie was telling the truth. Either that or she’s a damn good actress. It’s all about the game and how you play it.

·         Kevin Owens looks good in a suit. Very dapper.

·         KO knows how to turn a crowd against him. He’s a true heel in every sense of the word.

·         The opening segment can be summed up in one word. Volatile. It was a segment brimming with combustible elements as Owens proclaimed Raw as The Kevin Owens Show as he shunned the fans for getting themselves over by latching on to his success. He didn’t need their validation because he was great since the moment he stepped into the ring. Their praise was futile and he didn’t need their support in order to get over as a star.

·         Seth Rollins lit into Stephanie regarding her involvement from last week’s main event. She continued to deny that she had any knowledge about Triple H turning on Rollins, but he wasn’t buying her explanation. Foley stood up for Stephanie, but Owens kept twisting the knife as he questioned Rollins’ passion and said that his blueprint for success has been a total failure since his return from injury a few months ago.

·         Rollins punched Owens in the face which left the Universal Champion cowering at ringside. Stephanie was fed up with Rollins and told him that he was suspended indefinitely. Foley overturned her decision and stated that he had the power to book matches. Therefore, he booked Rollins vs. Owens at Clash of Champions with the Universal Title at stake.

·         This was a good way to start the show. Everyone played their parts perfectly and it’s smart that WWE didn’t overplay their hand when it comes to who knew what regarding Triple H’s plan from last week. This is an issue that will continue to fester in the weeks and months to come. It should be interesting to see how it all plays out.

·         Chris Jericho had a great line by saying that Kevin Owens is the longest reigning WWE Universal Champion of all time. Owens has been the champ for a grand total of seven days. That cracked me up.

·         Rollins vs. Jericho and Owens vs. Zayn is set for later tonight. I approve.

·         Bayley picked up a signature non-title win against Charlotte thanks to an inadvertent assist from Dana Brooke. Bayley and Charlotte had a nice match which featured Bayley selling her knee midway through the bout. Charlotte pounced on it immediately which allowed fans to rally behind their favorite Hugger. Bayley made a fiery comeback when she hit Charlotte with a Diving Corkscrew Elbow from the middle rope followed by a clothesline into the turnbuckle. Brooke interfered which allowed Charlotte to roll her up for a near fall. Bayley kicked out and her momentum threw Charlotte into Brooke by accident. The distraction allowed Bayley to drop Charlotte with the Bayley-to-Belly for the win.

·         One has to assume that Bayley is in line for a shot at the Women’s Championship in the very near future. Also, it appears that Brooke is in the doghouse after Charlotte slapped the taste out of her mouth during a backstage segment following the match. Their Mentor-Protégé relationship has hit the skids. Maybe this will allow Brooke to go back to NXT and get more experience under her belt. I know. Wishful thinking.

·         Bo Dallas just squashed a dude named Kyle Roberts in convincing fashion. I guess we should Bo-Lieve in Bo… I am not making that slogan up. Seriously…

·         It appears that Gran Metalik, Akira Tozawa, and Jack Gallagher are also going to be a part of the Cruiserweight Division which debuts on Raw in two weeks. The pieces are coming together nicely.

·         Rollins vs. Jericho was very good. The action was strong throughout as Rollins sent a definitive message to Triple H when he defeated Jericho with The Pedigree. I thought he would switch up his finisher after what transpired last week, but he decided to put a little hot sauce on the move as he pinned Y2J. Jericho has brought his A Game over the past couple weeks as he has turned in stellar performances against Neville and Rollins. Rollins might not be a full-on babyface yet, but he wrestled like one which was refreshing to see. He will wrestle with more freedom as he gets more comfortable getting cheered instead of booed. It should be an easy transition because Rollins is such a gifted performer who can switch tempos with ease. Overall, this match was a joy to watch. Kudos to both men for a job well done.

·         Sheamus is up 3-0 in his Best of Seven Series against Cesaro. I did not expect that, but the Swiss Superman is really behind the 8-Ball as he has to win four matches in a row in order to complete the comeback. Cesaro’s back was still injured after Sheamus tossed him into the ring post last week. The Celtic Warrior wasted no time targeting Cesaro's back as he dropped him with a series of backbreakers which led to The Brogue Kick and subsequent victory. Their next match is scheduled for Wednesday at the 02 Arena in London, England. By this time next week, Cesaro will either be swept or down 3-1. Here’s hoping it’s the latter.

·         For all the pregnant ladies out there, Enzo and Big Cass are certified Lamaze Coaches. Who knew? I guess you can’t teach that. Enzo giving birth to an imaginary baby was awesome. The man can make the silliest things laugh out loud funny for all the right reasons. I adore him.

·         The Shining Stars just beat Enzo and Big Cass. The Shining Stars need all the help they can get in the heel heat department. Therefore, I am not too upset about Enzo eating the pin. Enzo and Big Cass will get their win back sooner rather than later.

·         I am glad that Sami Zayn addressed the fact that he has been directionless since beating Owens at Battleground. He was honest as it’s something that has puzzled fans for well over a month. Owens couldn’t resist rubbing salt in the wound by saying that he even though Zayn got signed by WWE and won the NXT Championship first, he ultimately won the race by winning the Universal Title. Zayn countered by saying that he will win the big red belt someday and will do it on his own without Triple H handing it to him on a silver platter. That was a good parting shot as the backstage interview segment came to a close. Their match should be stellar later tonight.

·         Ann Esposito put up a decent fight, but Nia Jax was too much for her. The squashing of female enhancement talent continues. However, Esposito is friends with Alicia Fox which may play into a future storyline. The announcers wouldn’t go out of their way to share that tidbit of information without any follow up. 

·         I will admit that the slowed down Old Day Theme music with the Old Day members gingerly making their way to the ring was a stroke of genius.

·         Too bad the sophomoric jokes are killing this segment dead.

·         I am not digging the build up of The New Day vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows at Clash of Champions for the Tag Team Championship. One would think that Anderson and Gallows would table the jokes and kick some ass for a change. They are much more effective in that role instead of being low-brow wannabe comedians. The New Day’s material is more hit than miss, but even they couldn’t save this turd of a segment.

·         Darren Young defeated Jinder Mahal in a nondescript match.

·         And the feud between Young and Titus O’Neil must continue…Oh joy! *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·         The backstage segment featuring Nia Jax and Alicia Fox was…Something. The acting from both ladies was pretty bad and it appears Foxy is channeling her inner crazy once again. If this leads to her challenging Jax to a match, at least Jax will be facing an actual WWE female wrestler for a change instead of a jobber.

·         Sin Cara is fighting for his Lucha Heritage after Braun Stroman removed Americo’s mask last week. He’s a brave man.

·         Stroman picks up the count out win against Sin Cara. This was Stroman’s longest match since he’s been drafted to Raw. Destruction ensued. The end.

·         After all that damn melodrama, Sasha Banks’ “bad news” was actually good news as she has been medically cleared to compete and will challenge Charlotte for the Women’s Championship at Clash of Champions. Dana Brooke tried to make an impact at Sasha’s expense, but tapped out to The Bank Statement for her troubles.

·         Since Sasha is back in the championship fold, where does that leave Bayley? Hmm…

·         Owens and Zayn had a very good match to cap off the Labor Day edition of Monday Night Raw. As always, they bring out the best in each other and tonight was no exception. Zayn’s injured ankle played a role in his downfall as he aggravated it after Owens broke up the springboard arm drag. Zayn rolled out of the ring and told the referee not to stop the match. Owens attacked Zayn, but Zayn countered with a Half and Half Suplex onto the floor. Zayn tried to set Owens up for the Helluva Kick, but his ankle gave out which allowed Owens to finish Zayn off with a Powerbomb to pick up the win.

·         Their feud will never die and it’s one of the few rivalries where the matches are not repetitive in nature. Zayn and Owens know each other so well that they can switch things up on a whim which makes their bouts so dynamic. It’s remarkable to watch and it will not be surprising to see them face each other again for the Universal Title someday. To quote Bobby Roode’s theme song, it will be “GLORIOUS!”

·         After the match was over, Roman Reigns made his way to the ring as the crowd showered him with boos. Reigns and Owens had a stare down, but Jericho came out before things got physical.

·         Mick Foley came out and noted that Reigns had to an ax to grind with Owens as well. Therefore, he booked Reigns in a nontitle match against Owens next week on Raw. If Reigns wins, Owens will defend his title against Rollins and Reigns in a Triple Threat Match at Clash of Champions.

·         Owens sold disgust as Jericho tried to sneak attack Reigns, but got nailed with a Spear as the show went off the air with Reigns and Owens having another stare off.

·         Reigns has every right to challenge Owens for the Universal Title. The match should be good, but I expect a certain Bulgarian Brute to get involved and cost Reigns his shot at winning the Big Red Kryptonite belt. Let’s call it an educated guess.

·         Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was subpar at best. The first 90 minutes of the show got off to a hot start, but things fell off the rails until the main event. It was a show filled with squash matches featuring Bo Dallas of all people being the sqausher instead of the squashed for the first time in his career. I guess the creative team is trying to build him up for a change. We shall see how long that will last.

·         The red brand is finally fleshing out their card for Clash of Champions. They have a couple a weeks to get it together, but it’s shaping up to be a good show minus the stupidity of The New Day vs. Gallows and Anderson. The match should be fine, but the feud sucks.

·         Raw has their work cut out for them next week as they will be competing against Monday Night Football. Ratings are down for the year and it could get ugly if the broadcast starts to sink into the abyss. WWE was smart to advertise Reigns vs. Owens a week in advance to give people a reason to watch the show next week. Plus, The Cruiserweights are debuting on September 19^th and that should give Raw a major boost in the excitement department as well. Let’s hope the high flyers can get over with the masses. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls! 

Review: Suicide Squad:Special War Crimes #1

By Jerry Montgomery
August 31, 2016
Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes #1
“War Crimes”

Writer: John Ostrander
Artists: Gus Vasquez & Carlos Rodriguez

SPOILER ALERT!
Hey! Riding high on the heels of  the popular movie, Suicide Squad, comes the Suicide Squad Special : War Crimes #1! A special one shot,  39 page double sized issue! Before we had the yearly multi-title crossover events that we all have come to know, all we had was the double sized annual. It was basically a one shot deal with the story told and wrapped up neatly by the end of the issue, just as War Crimes is here. If you follow the exploits of the Suicide Squad,  you get to enjoy a double-sized adventure!

War Crimes deals with issues most of us have heard about from time to time , especially after the end of the second Gulf War. Blackwater, mercenaries,  war profiteering and war crimes. The story begins with the kidnapping of just such a man, an ex-Secretary of Defense, right off of US soil by the super powered European group known as Strikeforce Europa. The reason?! To stand trial for war crimes in the Netherlands.  It isn’t made clear what those crimes were, only that he orchestrated the war against the wrong people. Hence, the Suicide Squad is brought in to get him back! Harley, Deadshot,  Boomerang, El Diablo , Flag and newcomer, Mad Dog (a former bounty hunter who tried to arrest the Suicide Squad in Suicide Squad #3) are debriefed on the mission and are introduced to Strikeforce Europa. It’s also not clear why the Netherlands would risk their relationship with the United States by kidnapping one of its citizens, but regardless, a  plan is hatched for a covert retrieval. So, as one part of the Suicide Squad acts as a diversion and confront Strikeforce Europa, Flag and Deadshot kill the Dutch guards and rescue the target. In the ensuing escape, Mad Dog is killed by the detonation of his head-bomb.(Killing one of Strikeforce’s members as well.) The battle between the two groups is flat and unremarkable. The only shock is the death of Mad Dog, who had been around since the emergence of DC’s New 52.

The more interesting ninja warrior, Shado, out of the pages of Green Arrow, shows up to extract the Secretary by his organization, Black Mountain.  Shado has played a main part in the lore of Green Arrow, since creator, Mike Grell’s run on the title and even in the tv show, Arrow, but here, sadly, she is just a bit player. Even her battle with Harley Quinn (which could’ve been great to see!) is omitted, instead only referred to afterwards by the Secretary as he says, “She wouldn’t stop hitting the ninja with the bat.” Boooo! Boo! The story concludes after a lengthy chase and the Suicide Squad narrowly escapes from the Dutch police and Strikeforce Europa. All is for naught, however, as Amanda Waller guns down the Secretary in the name of national security once they return to US soil.

The verdict: For me, the story was unimaginative and predictable, not clear in a lot of the important areas that needed further explanation. It left me with some questions to say the least.  The artwork is OK but the Netherlands appeared deserted and void of people throughout the tale.  All in all, a so-so book that seemed crammed in spite of its extended size, but enjoyable if you are a die-hard Suicide Squad fan.

The Geekcap: Killjoys "How to Kill Friends and Influence People"

The episode begins with Khlyen telling a story to a young Dutch about a man and his daughter who lived in a castle. In reality, he describes the story of him and his daughter Aneela who lived in a large laboratory structure on Arkyn. There, he discovered the green plasma and used it to develop the planet’s crops. However, when citizens ate the fruit from the tree, they suffered from the transition of the plasma. Even worse, Khlyen discovers something deeper in his study of the plasma. He advises Dutch to remember this story as the past story ends with Aneela running in the snowy fields of Arkyn as green plasma drips from her eyes.

In present day, Dutch and D’avin wake up John, who immediately orders them to go back for Pawter. D’avin is forced to admit to John that there was no saving Pawter after her stabbing, otherwise they would be in Old Town now. In the meantime, Fancy interrupts the group to inform them that they are approaching Khlyen. Dutch tries to comfort John as he watches Delle Seyah give a eulogy for Pawter to the Quad. John admits that he thought his relationship with Pawter was a time where he could be happy like a normal person, but Dutch reminds him that she will be with him whether they continue the mission or just leave. She then offers to leave the Quad with him, but John reminds her that they haven’t won yet. Lucy then interrupts the two to report D’avin fighting Fancy.

D'avin nearly forces Fancy’s head to explode when the two face off invading members of the Black Root. They demand to know where Khlyen is, knowing that they were after him as well. Suddenly, Khlyen himself boards the ship and shoots the Black Root members point blank. At first, they are unaffected as they are Level 6, but, slowly, the plasma in their systems leak out and turn a murky black color. Khlyen reveals that he developed a toxin to counteract the green plasma with the knowledge of D’avin’s immunity. With the new toxin, he suggests that they could, in fact, save the Quad in a suicide mission together.

Khlyen: Indeed. And what if I told you we could use this to save The Quad? All of us. Together. One glorious suicide mission. Who's in?

John orders Lucy to analyze the toxin from the Black Root members while Dutch demands answers from Khlyen. He admits that Aneela is his daughter, though he did not intend for Dutch to receive the red box until later. Since Aneela was still young when she came in contact with the plasma, she could not handle the transition, and the process eventually drove her insane. Why Dutch looks like her, however, he doesn’t know. Still, what he does know is critical.

Khlyen also reveals to the group that the green plasma also contains a parasite known as the Hullan. Once inside a host, it compromises the subject. In other words, none of the Level 6 subjects are completely human anymore. In his lengthy life, he confirms that his people compromised with the ancestors of the Nine. If they could provide them with the green plasma available in the Quad by drying up their planets, like what happened to Old Town, they would be spared in the upcoming invasion. Fortunately, with the toxin, they can effectively kill the armies at the source. Unfortunately, the Black Root appears to have surrounded Arkyn. In spite of this, Khlyen reveal there is another source of the green plasma, and that is one of the original plants that grow from it. He explains that this was the purpose of the Scarbacks’ mission 200 years ago as well as why Aneela tried to kill them. If they find the tree that was taken from Arkyn, they can stop the source.

Dutch travels to Leith to learn more about the tree from Alvis. Although Alvis is surprised to learn of the existence of such a tree, he takes her to an old record of the Scarback mission. The records reveal that though the Scarbacks took something from “the devil” Aneela, the devil may have taken it back. However, they have no direct answer as to where she could have taken it since the rest of the record contains only art and poetry. Then, Dutch notices a pattern in an art work and discovers its true design is a star map of the location.

John scans the star map through Lucy, but the location seems to yield nowhere. Despite the map, Khlyen reveals that the location is actually a spot known as Archive, a ship that serves as a vault for the extremely wealthy. Although Khlyen begins to form a plan for Archive, Dutch shoots down his authority, reminding him that the mission is meant for a Killjoy.

Back at Old Town, Delle Seyah surveys the area after Pawter’s death when she is suddenly contacted by Khlyen. With the plan at Old Town falling through, Khlyen acknowledges how she had to move to the backup plan. He warns her of the upcoming invasion and believes that the Killjoys have indeed become a threat. With that, Khlyen charges Delle Seyah to eliminate the group in order to achieve what she wants.

On Archive, Dutch goes undercover using her previous royal status as Yalena. Although her family has been through rough times, the official at Archive allows her in, providing that her guards (Fancy and D’avin) stay behind and wait. Dutch accepts this agreement, leaving she and Khlyen to meet with the man as the men wait for her to access Aneela’s vault. In an office, Dutch allows her prints to be scanned for security.

However, the guard on the scene quickly turn on Fancy and D’avin, forcing the two to fight their way around them. In this distraction, D’avin manages to fire off John’s tech to allow Lucy to develop a floor plan of the ship. With this knowledge, he guides D’avin and Fancy to the service tunnels where they can interfere with the ship’s technology. After this, John is able to override the computers to allow Dutch to access Aneela’s vault.

Unfortunately, the ship official grows wise to Dutch’s trick, stating that no one would allow their guards to stay behind on Archive. With security arriving on the scene, Dutch is forced to fight them off with the help of Khlyen. Since the manager has a bomb rigged in his systems to explode if they attack him, Dutch and Khlyen leave him as they escape for the vault.

Fancy Lee: Accept it Jaqobis, I am physiologically superior now.

D'avin: You're a Six, not a ten. Simmer down.

Down in the tunnels, D’avin and Fancy become swamped with security guards while John also faces enemy ships. In order to fight back, John is forced to move out of Archive to evade the ships, leaving the rest of the team effectively stranded.

Fortunately, Dutch and Khlyen reach the vault where they discover the Scarback tree. With the supply of plasma, it has grown to an immense size. Before Dutch can do anything, she triggers the security feature, revealing the true location of the vault. Instead of being on Archive, this vault was sent in an orbit around a nearby sun, gradually incinerating anything near the tree. John deduces that the vault contained a kind of portal to transport the two, but he has no way of helping them. Meanwhile, D’avin and Fancy fight back against the guards with D’avin using Fancy as a human shield.

Khlyen attempts to disrupt the system of the vault to save their lives. Handing Dutch his supply of toxin, he effectively destroys the console, healing from his status as a Level 6. The destruction forces the windows to close, giving them some protection from the sun, giving Dutch an opening to poison the tree. However, the toxin doesn’t appear to affect the plasma surrounding the tree. Meanwhile, John effectively avoids the attacking ships, leading them to be destroyed by Archive, and D’avin and Fancy overtake the manager’s office.

John later ascertains through Lucy’s scanning that the plasma around the tree requires the additional catalyst of the black plasma acquired from a Level 6. In other words, they need to sacrifice a Level 6 to destroy the tree. Moving quickly, Khlyen takes the toxin to stab himself with the cure. Dutch argues against his sacrifice, but Khlyen remains dedicated to his cause, revealing that Aneela is already after Dutch and her team. He ultimately states that, though the earlier subjects of the plasma maintained their senses, Aneela and the others created the Red 17 experiments to create slaves and armies. He originally helped them until he came across Dutch who resembled his daughter. With this in mind, he sought to train her for the transition so she wouldn’t be lost like his daughter. When D’avin arrived with his immunity, he discovered a new way to fight against the Black Root. However, he warns that there are other sources for the plasma beyond the tree. He cuts himself, setting free the black plasma, and bleeds into the tree. Dutch hold him as he slowly dies. The plasma finally corrupts, affecting the supplies on Arkyn as well as Fancy. D’avin also arrives to rescue Dutch.

Back on Lucy, Dutch once again dreams about Aneela before John comes to see her. Though he knows that Dutch despised Khlyen for what he did, he tells her that she does not have to forgive him in order to feel his loss. Now openly honest, Dutch cries with John despite remembering his own pain. John assures her that he prefers being the shoulder she cries on for comfort.

The three then travel to Old Town where they toast to their victory at the Royale. Though John remembers Pawter’s death, he insists that he’s fine enough to stay at the bar. He then moves to speak to Pree and asks whether or not the bartender should stay in Old Town. Pree remarks that sometimes people need to leave to fight and sometimes, they need to leave. He can never be sure until it happens. The two then toast to Pawter before John goes out for some air.

Khlyen: When the nights were long, and the days were deep...

Outside, however, he confronts Delle Seyah, who believed to be in contact with Khlyen. John reveals that he tricked Delle Seyah into meeting with him alone. Cornered, John takes his revenge for Pawter’s death by shooting Delle Seyah and leaving her to die in an alley.

With that act, John decides to leave Lucy and plans to venture outside the Quad. Although Lucy does not want John to leave, she obliges him by contacting Clara as a partner. Together, they apprehend Khlyen’s old ship and begin their journey away from the authorities.

Meanwhile, at the Royale, Fancy meets with D’avin and Dutch, revealing that he has been cured of the Level 6 treatment. Though D’avin believes that means Aneela could be cured as well, Fancy reminds him that this only includes the Level 6 subjects created by Arkyn experiments. Aneela would likely be creating plasma from other sources. With this in mind, Dutch vows to take the battle to her in an effort to win the war. 

Level 6 Notes

• Clara from "Dutch and the Real Girl" returns in this episode.
• Delle Seyah was shot, but her expression suggests she seems pleased by something.
• Killjoys was officially renewed for a third season, so it looks like we will see the war!

Photo Credit: Syfy

"Stranger Things" Are Happening to Me: Chapter 1 - The Vanishing of Will Byers

Stranger Things is a new Netflix-exclusive show that everyone’s been talking about, so naturally I had to watch it. One episode in and I understand the hype. As I was watching, I was really enjoying the ‘70s and ‘80s feeling. I was immediately invested in these characters, and I can’t wait to see what happens.

This episode is broken up into three different stories, which will ultimately intertwine by the end of the series. I assume this is going to be the format for the entire series, and I don’t hate it. Note: as it is written, the events are NOT in chronological order. I’ve added my own personal commentary in parentheses and italics. Maybe you’ll agree, maybe you won’t.

STORY ONE: Will Byers’ disappearance

Four kids are in the basement playing an intense campaign of D&D (Haha, Dungeons and Dragons, love it!). It’s a school night, and everyone has to go home (“Is it a 13?!). We follow Will Byers down a dark road heading towards the Hawkins National Laboratory (already ominous), when he sees someone...or something (WTF was that?!). It’s very tall and ominous. Will runs as fast as he can to the safety of his home, but no one is there. It follows him home. Will goes into the shed, gets his gun, and just as he’s about to fire...a bright light appears and Will disappears.

We see a man, presumably drunk, asleep on the couch watching TV (It’s Brenda Wood! [Local news reporter if you’re not from Atlanta]). He gets dressed and goes to work, which is the local police precinct. It turns out he is Police Chief Hopper. He finds the mother of the missing boy in his office, and he kind of brushes her off. As he tells his secretary. “Mornings are for coffee and contemplation.” The missing boy’s mother, Joyce, is waiting for him, begging him to look for her son. Hopper doesn’t think his disappearance is a huge issue; he initially thinks Will ran away from home.

Joyce and Jonathan (her other son) later receive a weird phone call. All Joyce hears on the other end of the phone are breathing noises that Joyce believes is Will, but we don’t know for sure (Winona does a good job). All the boys are fed up with the police not really doing anything to help Will, so they go out into the woods on their own to find him. Instead, they run straight into Eleven.

STORY TWO: Eleven, the mystery girl

We see a girl with a shaved head and hospital gown enter Benny’s Diner (Weird but ok). She tries to steal a basket of fries, but Benny catches her. He tries to find information about her while keeping her calm and staying in the diner while he calls social services. He sees a tattoo on her arm, and when he asks her about it, she says her name is Eleven. While he is on the phone, Eleven stops a fan from spinning with her mind. A woman arrives, saying that she’s going to take care of the girl, but as Benny turns to face Eleven, the woman shoots him (Well that was unexpected!). The people from the underground lab come in and try to recapture Eleven, but she escapes. She starts running in the woods and eventually runs into Michael, Dustin, and Lucas.

STORY THREE: the underground lab

The show opens with a scientist running from something you can’t see (Typical scary movie/show trope at beginning). When he (and the audience) thinks he’s safe in the elevator, the creature gets him from the ceiling. We see a group of doctors examining a giant black mass on the wall (Ew...icky black goo). It looks slightly like a brain synapse. They refer to “the girl”, and the lead doctor says they can get her back. Cut to Benny’s Diner, where the woman we think is a social worker is actually working for the underground lab! They try to grab Eleven before she escapes, but she slips away again.

Overall, I was very pleased with episode one. I love the overall vibe of the show. Every time I see the kids, I immediately think of The Goonies. I’m really hoping that continues as the show progresses. It did the job of sucking you in and leaving some mystery. I feel that this is going to be a great show!

Review: Gotham Academy #1

Review: Gotham Academy #1

Submitted by: Theresa Stier, Comic News Writer

31 August 2016

“Broken Hearts,” by Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan, and artist Adam Archer, is a comic that teens would enjoy. It screams young adult fiction, not only because the characters are young, but because it has the same plot as many young adult fiction works. There are vampires, which is reminiscent of Twilight (just minus the sparkles) or Teen Wolf. I am not a big fan of this type of young adult fiction, so this comic was not for me. However, I am not saying that this was a bad comic. It was well written, it wasn't confusing, the plot flowed, and it is definitely something that you should read if you are into young adult supernatural fiction.

If you've picked up this comic because you see the word “Gotham” in it and you're expecting a few appearances by Batman, you're most likely not going to like this comic. There is mention of Batman and Robin at points, but no real appearances from them. If you weren't expecting Batman and or Robin to show up, then this might be a comic that you would be interested in.

The ending isn't like most comics I've been reading in the past few weeks. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger or the sort of ending where you need the next issue right after you finish this one. Even though I am not a fan of this genre, this does make me curious to what the second issue is going to bring.

The Verdict: This comic is for someone that is into young adult supernatural fiction. While this comic is not for me, it is not a bad comic.

Review: Harley Quinn Gang of Harleys #5

Review: Harley Quinn Gang of Harleys #5

Submitted by: Theresa Stier, Comic News Writer

1 September 2016

“Look Through My Window,” by Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Tieri, and Mauricet is not what I thought it would be. Granted, I have not read issues 1-4, which might have something to do with it. Since this is a Harley Quinn comic, I was expecting a lot more Harley and her gang. Instead, we got the backstory of a character out to destroy Harley. I am not saying that this is a bad thing… just that it was unexpected. The exposition for this character is told very well and it keeps the reader interested to find out more about her. It is a classic origin story: it shows that the antagonist had a rough past and that has caused her to have the life she is currently living.

There is some of Harley in this issue, of course, and her gang. However, the ending of this issue promises that we will see more of Harley and her gang in the next issue. Of course, it also makes it known that we're going to see the antagonist in the next issue as well. It's going to be interesting to see how exactly the antagonist is going to try to get Harley's head on a plate and how Harley is going to make sure that that does not happen.

The Verdict: This issue isn't really Harley focused, but that doesn't make it a bad issue; it just makes it surprising. The ending makes us want the next issue tomorrow instead of next week.

My Way-Too-Early Phase Three Predictions

by Jim Scroggs
September 1, 2016

We all know that the machine that is Marvel Studios is starting pre-production on Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4 film in Atlanta but the other movies that are in between are just as important as the giant team up that we will see in 2018 and 2019. As I get ready to watch Civil War when it appears in my iTunes account, it means I’ll be starting my own Marvel movie marathon so I can prepare for the next installment in November with Doctor Strange. What does the rest of Phase 3 hold for us? These are my theories on what could show up on the big screen.

5. The remaining Infinity Stones will be seen in Doctor Strange & Thor: Ragnarok

This should be the simplest theory of Phase 3, in my opinion. We have 2 movies that not only will have cosmic settings but an entire new portion of the Marvel Universe with Doctor Strange. Personally, I don’t see a stone appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming or Black Panther and yes, I know that Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 will be in theaters next May but if you trust what James Gunn says and I do, there won’t be a stone in the Guardians sequel. There are even rumors that some scenes in Thor: Ragnarok will take place in New York so if you add that, the mysticism and the New York connection that we’ll see in Doctor Strange, it seems like a pretty likely scenario that there will be a stone in the next two November releases for Marvel Studios.

4.  Miles Morales has already been cast in Spider-Man: Homecoming

When the internet lost it’s mind over the reported casting news that Zendaya was playing fan favorite Mary Jane Watson, I’ll admit that I was surprised but not opposed to it. What surprised me is that they would cast such a high profile character in a film that was thought to not have a love interest for Peter.  That idea is seemingly out the window so I started racking my brain. What other surprise castings could we have? I fully believe that Abraham Attah will be Miles Morales and that could set up a Death of Spider-Man storyline that was seen in the Ultimate line of comics. It would be a pretty bold move to kill a character like Peter that Marvel just got it’s hand on but they know the importance of Miles as well and that could be a nice way to hand off the mantle of Spider-Man.

3.  Black Panther and Captain Marvel will be among the best movies in Phase 3

You can argue that Ryan Coogler should have been nominated for an Oscar for Creed and maybe even for his work on Fruitvale Station but he’s got plenty of talent around him with Michael B. Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita N’Yongo and Danai Gurra to make an amazing Black Panther film. Along with Joe Robert Cole, who wrote 2 episodes of The People vs O.J Simpson, I can’t imagine the story of T’Challa and the world of Wakanda in better hands. Captain Marvel already had me sold when Nicole Pearlman, who co-wrote Guardians of the Galaxy and Meg LeFauve, who was nominated multiple times across the award show circuit for Best Screenplay with “Inside Out”, were named co-screenwriters and then they add Oscar winning actress Brie Larsen to play Carol Danvers. The wait for both of these films will be worth it when we finally see two of the most influential Marvel characters finally get their due and show that superhero films can be amazing works of art.

2. Vision is going to be killed by Scarlet Witch

When I realized that Wanda was the most powerful character in Civil War, I was a little embarrassed because I didn’t see it sooner. The way she manhandled or android handled Vision in the Avengers base proves that she is force that cannot be messed with and will hold that title until we meet Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. The way I see this happening is that at some point Thanos would only need the Mind Stone to complete the Gauntlet. Thanos could manipulate her to believe that he could bring back her brother from the dead. All she would have to do is rip the Mind Stone out of Vision’s head and in turn, Thanos would use the Soul Stone to bring Quicksilver back to life. It could be a really emotional scene between the 2 characters who have a long history in the comics and to be honest, the fight could be pretty intense as well.

1. We will see the entire MCU come together in one of the last two Avengers films

This is my full on fanboy hail mary play. The tagline for the last few years has been “It’s all connected” and while there has been to some extent, that’s not really the case. Yes, the TV and Netflix series have made references to the Magic Hammer, The Avengers and even an episode of Jessica Jones when “The Big Green Guy” was mentioned but that’s pretty much the end of the crossover because of the schedules between the TV shows and the movies. Can you imagine a scenario like this: Tony walks up with Rhodey, who does have a prosthesis to help him walk, into a hellish scene in New York as Thanos has arrived. Some dialogue is exchanged but then we see Steve Rogers walk up with Bucky on either side of Tony and Rhodey. Music starts to swell and here comes Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision(who has been revived somehow) and Falcon. Joining them next is Black Widow, Ant-Man, Wasp and Black Panther as they all fall in line. Cut to an aerial shot of Spider-Man swinging in as he brings in Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Punisher. Next is a big surprise as a Quinjet flies into the scene. The Inhumans and Agents of Shield like Quake, Melinda May, Mack, Ghost Rider and a few others from the ABC show join the fight. Cut to a shot from inside the Milano as Peter Quill, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Yandu and Nebula making their presence known to surprise everyone and someone obviously mentions that there’s a talking raccoon that is heavily armed.  The sound of Thunder rolls across the sky where we see Lady Sif and the Warriors Three come from the sky and who follows them? Doctor Strange, Loki, Thor and Hulk land behind them all ready for the fight we’ve waiting over 10 years to see. Obviously, I’m not a screenwriter but if you love these movies then you've obviously thought about this.

Will all of these happen? Probably not but it’s fun to think about. Who knows, maybe we will get one of the Defenders or an Agent of Shield to appear in the films but until then, we can only wish that maybe, just maybe Marvel really means it when they say “It’s all connected”