All posts by Eric Thompson

Comics

Is Archie Horror A Success?

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You are probably familiar to some extent with what Archie Comics is typically like. Archie and his friends in Riverdale getting into comedic, almost sitcom-like scenarios for some casual fun and shenanigans. They can be fun and cute. But…what if they wanted to tell darker stories with these characters? Do some scary stories that haunt the reader and put the characters in real danger. Well, a lot of people over at Archie Comics were probably thinking just that, because in 2015 they launched the Archie Horror imprint. Basically their version of DC’s Vertigo or the Marvel MAX imprints, the stories published under Archie Horror will tell darker stories outside of the main universe. And it has gone on to print it’s fair share of titles. Some of them I’ve already covered in separate pieces, but let’s just go over the main highlights.

The first official story from this imprint is Afterlife with Archie. It begins with Jughead’s dog being run over, the grieving boy going to Sabrina for a spell to bring him back. She does just that, but the spell goes wrong and soon zombies descend on Riverdale. It became a very well-liked story and inspired the company to go ahead with another title called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Taking place during the 1960s, we follow Sabrina Spellman as she starts to become a true witch and the chaos that brings into her life. Both of these titles technically began before the official creation of the imprint, but these are referred to as the first to come from Archie Horror and are probably the most famous titles. And both of them are very enjoyable, with dark atmosphere oozing from every panel.

There is one story that technically wasn’t published under the imprint but I will argue belongs under it – Archie vs Predator. I’ve already talked about this story and it’s sequel in their own posts, so check them out for more details. But both of these stories focus on the characters being forced to confront a creature that brings an unprecedented amount of carnage and destruction to their world. Worlds collide, characters die, and nothing was ever the same. Two great mini-series that brought a lot of entertainment and a fair sense of genuine drama and heart. Mini-series are kind of specialty of the imprint, another example of that being Blossoms 666, which I also covered in a separate piece. That one is admittedly not as great as some of the other mentioned titles. But it’s still an enjoyable read of the Blossom children feuding over who gets to be the Anti-Christ.

But let’s get to the longest running titles from the Imprint. First, there is Jughead: The Hunger. Originally just a one-shot, it quickly became an ongoing title. Jughead is revealed to be a werewolf, the newest member of the Jones family to become one. But it turns out Betty’s family has a long history of hunting the Jones family and werewolves in general. There is some genuine drama between Jughead, Archie, and Betty who starts off as an enemy but slowly becomes an ally. The second longest running title is Vampironica. The story starts off with Veronica seemingly being turned into a vampire and now must work with her friends to stop an evil blood-sucker from turning the entire town. But it later turns out that the Lodge family is the most powerful vampire family in America, creating inner conflict for Veronica as she must go head-to-head with one of her ancestors later on. Both of these stories actually had a crossover mini-series. It was advertised as versus story, but that isn’t entirely accurate to what actually happens. However, it was still great to see characters from two different yet similar worlds interact.

These are the most well-known titles to come from the imprint. But now we must ask the question. Has Archie Horror been successful. Well…yes and no. A number of these titles will go on to have influence on the comic book company in general. The TV show Riverdale has an atmosphere that does closely resemble the atmosphere in several of the imprint’s titles. And the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina title got it’s own show. But it’s difficult to determine if the imprint has long-term success. The previous mentioned Sabrina series is about to have a second trade released, but it will only contain 3 issues as opposed to 5 issues in the first trade. This is due to the release of future installments being repeatedly delayed. While Afterlife with Archie was turned into an ongoing title, it’s still advertised as a graphic novel with just the one trade collection. There are additional comic issues but there isn’t a widely available trade collecting these issues and it also has faced repeated delays.

And as mentioned earlier, the title mainly focuses on mini-series. While Jughead: The Hunger & Vampironica have been the longest running titles, there hasn’t been any recent follow up with the characters. The Jughead title came to a pause after the crossover with Vampironica. And while the young Lodge vampire did continue for a little while after said crossover, it also came to a pause despite clearly setting up for more stories. I think I heard there is a one-shot that will focus on the Jughead: The Hunger characters, that isn’t the continuation a lot of fans wants. The imprint does struggle with keeping to a schedule and maintaining their popular titles. Part of this can be explained by writes & creators being involved with TV shows and other projects. But the imprint should realize that it needs to commit to publishing trades of their stories to keep interest in their brand.

Despite these issues facing the imprint, all of these titles are worth checking out. The Season of Evil never ends for Archie Horror. Pick up one of currently accessible trades and read what they have to offer. The imprint has such sights to show you!

Film Editorials, Movies

The Feminist Themes of Hellraiser (1987)

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People have described this movie in various different ways, but I doubt many have called it a feminist flick. The story adaptation of a box that opens to another dimension – to beings who can no longer tell the difference between pain & pleasure – is more known for the practical effects and the gore on screen. While it might not go as far as some of the sequels, the original does indeed have it’s fair share of blood and torture. However, many seem to overlook the subtle ideas planted in the movie that elevate it above other films from the same era. In fact, it’s one of the few Horror films that has a genuinely well-executed feminist message.

Before we get into that, we need to understand what Horror was like in the 1980s. Due to the massive success of the 1978 film Halloween, the following decade has an increase in Slasher films. These movies tend to focus on recurring traits and characteristics. A group of people, usually teenagers or young adults, are being stalked by a killer using some sort of bladed weapon. Characters who use drugs like marijuana, who partake in pre-marital sex, or have aggressive personalities usually get killed. The last character is a female, one who typically doesn’t partake in the previously mentioned activities and isn’t aggressive. Referred to as The Final Girl, she fights the killer who is typically a male and will likely use the killer’s weapon against the. The bladed weapon used by killers are usually interpreted as a stand-in for their genitalia, the idea connected to how real life serial killers usually have some sort of sexual motivation for their murders. And the Final Girl using that weapon against them is seen as them taking on male characteristics and using them against them. While various Slasher films switch it up a bit, these traits can usually be found in most of them.

And nothing is inherently wrong with that. Many people watch and enjoy these films for those very things. The point being made is that this type of film dominated the genre at the time. Even if it wasn’t a Slasher flick, most Horror movies tend to focus on a mainly physical threat. There were other Horror films that focused on something more abstract. For example, the 1989 movie Pet Sematary was an exploration of how Death can affect and ruin families/relationships. But these films tend to be the exception and not the norm for the genre for most of the decade. That’s not to say A Nightmare on Elm Street didn’t incorporate interesting ideas or the previously mentioned Pet Sematary didn’t have it’s share of physical violence. But your not exactly looking for something thought provoking in something like Friday the 13th.

This is where the 1987 film Hellraiser becomes unique. First of all, the monsters of the movie – Cenobites, supernatural beings who view pain & pleasure as one and the same – don’t actually play a major role in the movie. The story is mainly focused on two humans. There’s Frank, a man who lived a Hedonistic life that lead him to open up a box that allowed the Cenobites to take him to their dimension. And there’s Julia, a woman married to Frank’s brother that had a brief affair with Frank around the time she got married. She had been carrying around thoughts and feelings for Frank since then. So when Frank finds a way to escape the Cenobites, he is able to manipulate Julia into helping him regain full strength as well as regain new skin.

That’s right, this movie has a major focus on a love story. But it’s not a healthy one. While Frank doesn’t want to live with Cenobites, he clearly no longer has the same human thoughts and emotions you and I would have regarding sex and relationships. He sees Julia as just someone he can use for the time being. We even see him have clear sexual feelings for his niece, Kirsty. Frank is a villain in the movie – he is actively doing wrong and going through on actions to accomplish his own agenda. The Cenobites – despite being inhuman in appearance and feelings – aren’t actually seeking out victims. They only take those who open the box, people who seek them out to experience new pleasure and sensations. Are they antagonists? Certainly. But they aren’t the ones that Kirsty is trying to stop.

As previously mentioned, the box is very important in the movie. And it’s at the heart of the movie’s feminist message. Some of you have probably heard cliched lines from TV and movies about how women are impossible to figure out. That they are something like living puzzles. Coincidentally, the box in Hellraiser is a puzzle box. We’ve seen people in various shows and movies try and figure out how to get lucky with a woman. It might take them a while to do so. But if and when they do, they end up indulging in physical pleasures and lust. Believe it or not, the same can be applied to the puzzle box. Once you solve it, the box will open and you can’t to experience what your looking for – one could say the same thing about a woman opening up her legs for a man. Women can be seen by some as a source of pain for many people, whether it be due to arguments or physical altercations or something else. But they are also a source of pleasure.

This brings us to the climax of the film. The Cenobites aren’t really slashers and they weren’t actively seeking out Kirsty, the Final Girl of the movie. But they still have to face-off against her in the end. Kirsty doesn’t actually use a weapon against them. Instead, she finds a way to close the puzzle box and send them back to where they come from. If solving the puzzle box can be compared to a woman opening her legs, then this acts is the equivalent of a woman closing her legs and denying satisfaction. The puzzle box – the woman – holds the power. And when permission is denied, everything must come to an end. There is a phrase that basically says that everything is about sex except for sex – that is about power. So if most Horror movies had subtle themes and messages regarding sex, then Hellraiser subverts that by making it one of the main themes. And by doing that, it is actually an exploration on relationships and the power a person has in that dynamic. The movie even turned the main Cenobite, a character with no clearly defined gender or portrayed strong stereotypical gender traits, and made them clearly male. Thus adding strength to the movie’s message of how much power woman have with their bodies.

A movie that’s well known for gore and blood ends up having clever ideas on topics not discussed enough in the US and subverts most expectations of the genre. It’s a movie that remains engaging with every viewing, with so much that can be discussed and interpreted. Plus, it’s a genuinely creepy and moody flick. It’s time you either revisit it or watch it for the first time. It has such sights to show you…

TV

A Modern Cyberpunk Masterpiece

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I don’t play a lot of video games. Of the handful I have played, I only ever really got into one. But I’ll admit that I was interested when the game “Cyberpunk 2077” was being advertised. However, the game was full of glitches and bugs that instantly destroyed any hope of people getting into it. I’ve heard that they’ve released patches that help fix it, but the moment has past for the game. Having said that…an anime show based in that world was given the green light. Maybe the game sold enough copies to justify that decision or maybe it was an attempt to get more people interested. Regardless of what you might feel about the game, the show Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a glorious show that can be enjoyed entirely on it’s own merits.

While Cyberpunk is the name of the franchise, you might need a reminder that it’s also the name of an entire sub-genre of Science Fiction. Projects from this genre are set in a dystopia with highly advanced technology but often focuses on the people living at the bottom of society’s hierarchy. Usually criminals who live morally gray lives. While violence and sex play big parts of the genre, another important aspect is an exploration of how the advanced technology affects people and how it has changed how people view themselves and their lives.

Obviously, this show is filled with a lot of violence. Technology is used by Edgerunners (also called Cyberpunks) to complete mercenary contracts. This often involves people using technology to give themselves more advanced weapons or tech-based abilities to give them an edge in combat. But in order to do this, the Cyberpunks’ body has to be physically altered. A common upgrade is an arm being altered where it opens up and pulls out some sort of firearm. That’s just one example of a Cyberpunk getting upgrades, or chrome, to change their body. Since a lot of Edgerunners have significantly added tech to their bodies, this does seemingly imply that sex isn’t viewed in quite the same way.

There are a couple of scenes towards the end of the show where the two main characters live together and are in a relationship. They are nude and that’s clearly shown on screen. But there is a sense of disinterest. While I’m sure these characters have had sex, we don’t actually see any of the characters having sex on screen. And when we do see characters nude on screen, it also clearly shows how their bodies have been physically changed. How the “skin” on top of their chrome probably isn’t actually skin anymore. This adds an interesting layer of analysis of how the characters and society of this world have altered life goals. Everyone is looking for a way to either join one of the powerful corporations that secretly run the city and move up the corporate ladder, or leave the city entirely. It’s an all in or all out mentality. But there is an interesting topic that connects these two sides and provides insight into what separates the criminals from the corporations.

In this show, there is a phenomenon called Cyberpsychosis. Over time, if anyone applies a significant amount of chrome to their body, it begins to affect their mental state. Some people have higher tolerances than others, and they can take a drug to manage early symptoms and delay the inevitable. But sooner or later, that person looses their grip on reality and they are triggered to go on a killing spree, often resulting in that person being killed in combat. This medical condition does shine some light on interesting details. Cyberpunks know that their time is limited and that Cyberpsychosis will eventually claim their lives. The goal of most all Cyberpunks is to make enough money to leave this life with their mind intact. But they often push themselves despite experiencing early signs of the condition, which more often than not speeds up the condition and takes them before they achieve their goals.

As for the people who are employed by the corporations of this world, they don’t really care about how this affects the Cyberpunks. They are mercenaries hired to perform jobs for them and all they care about is if it gets done as requested. They will even put the blame on the Cyberpunks themselves for being so addicted to tech or chrome and letting themselves be overtaken by the condition. But when you live in a world like in this franchise where even the average citizen has small amounts of chrome in their body, it becomes a necessity to survive. The risk needs to be taken because chrome is the only way they can become good at what they do and find work to change their lives. Not realizing themselves that the more chrome they get and the longer they are a part of the Cyberpunk life, the less likely it is they will be able to leave it alive.

So much of this world and show provides interesting insight into themes and idea that define the Cyberpunk genre. And the characters focused on in the show demonstrate just how heartbreaking and dangerous this kind of life can truly get. The main male lead, David, starts off as just a regular student. And while his mother is a paramedic that secretly supplies Cyberpunks with new tech/chrome, she doesn’t want her son in that life and has high hopes of him being a high ranking member of a corporation. But following the mother’s death, David is left with no alternative but to become a Cyberpunk. The main female lead, Lucy, was used for years by a corporation to achieve some of their darker and more illegal goals. But she escaped years ago and is a Cyberpunk in the hope of getting enough money to leave the city entirely. The two end up meeting and they form a romantic relationship.

Over the course of the show, we see how Lucy slowly retreats from being a Cyberpunk while David gets more chrome and pushes himself closer to Cyberpsychosis. Lucy is still secretly working on trying to make sure she and David don’t get killed in the hope of leaving the city, while David is ironically risking his life in order to achieve that same dream. And while we are introduced to David first in the show, an argument can be made that Lucy is the real protagonist. In addition to seeing David’s deterioration as a viewer, we also see it from Lucy’s perspective. We feel the emotional turmoil their entire lifestyle inflicts on them, on everyone in this world to some extent. How conforming to the what this world requires from the average citizen forces them to slowly lose their humanity. But what’s interesting is that while this society does force them down this route, it is also partially due to their own choices. It brings up another discussion of just how much control one has over their life in a tech-based world like this.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an excellent anime that shows us how cool but also dark the Cyberpunk genre is. The characters we follow in the show better demonstrate the effects the tech-based dystopia has on it’s citizens. It’s a world with no happy endings, but one filled with heartbreak. We want these characters to achieve their goals and their dreams, but the world around them keeps taking from them and altering their lives, to the point where nothing seems recognizable anymore. Yet it’s a show that people should watch and revisit for many years to come.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Clerks III

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In 1994, the movie Clerks would silently jump-start Kevin Smith’s film-making career. It was a solid first film with humor on a very relatable level that garnered a loyal audience. Over a decade later and Clerks II was released. It has its fans and a handful of important moments for Dante & Randal. Aside from that, it really isn’t talked about much among Kevin Smith fans and usually not in high regard. Now nearly a decade after that film, the third film that has been teased for a few years has finally released. Dante & Randal are the owners of the Quick Stop and still running it. But when Randal suffers a heart attack, he gets motivated to make his own movie. That movie ends up being – you guessed it – the first Clerks.

Obviously, this movie has some meta humor. Which can be seen in the trailer. But if your concerned that the humor is mostly focused on that, you can rest easy. The vast majority of the meta jokes are in the trailer. Even then, they are spread out appropriately and do fit in considering the context of the story. As well as the overall directing & writing style of Kevin Smith. I think at this point people know what to expect from one of his films. And loyal fans of his work will be well rewarded with easter eggs and references to Smith’s past projects.

It might have been nearly 30 years since we first saw Dante & Randal, but both of the actors still know these characters very well. Jeff Anderson is so familiar with the character Randal that just his facial expression or a quick reaction is enough to get laughs. And you can tell he is enjoying the story his character gets and puts in the effort. We get a lot of the classic dialogue you expect from this kind of movie, a character talking about movies & Hollywood as just your average guy. Now Brian O’Halloran makes a return as his character Dante and he is just as good as he’s ever been. His frustration and more straight man-like reactions to certain things is just as entertaining.

But in regards to Dante, this does bring up a noticeable criticism. There are a couple of more dramatic focused scenes early in the story that aren’t quite hitting the mark. One in particular is when Dante goes to a cemetery. When you see it play out, it feels more like he’s demonstrating what to feel in the moment, but not actually feeling it. Or at least not enough for me to truly invest in the moment. And the musical score, while soft, is sort of trying to push you to have that emotional investment. So there are a couple of moments like that in the first half. But then there is this one scene towards the end that makes up for that several times over. Without giving too much away, Dante initiates a drunken confrontation while filming one of the scenes. No music, no jokes, but Dan acts like never before and you feel how intense and serious he is as it happens. It’s probably the best scene of the flick and it kick-starts the climax.

The drunken confrontation elevates the rest of the movie to the dramatic level it needs to be at in order to end strong. And it’s during this climax that you really start to look at yourself. This movie does get you to look at your own life in a similar way. Where you’ve been, where you are, and where you hope to be in the future. And the meta humor does actually support that and feeds into the more serious moments some of time. This movie is sort of a demonstration of how Kevin Smith himself has changed. Maybe not significantly, he’s still fundamentally the man we know. But changed enough. While visually the movie could have more variety in how it is shot, the actual story takes a surprising extra step. The way the climax starts off is something that needed to happen and is expected. But how it ends was actually kind of surprising. However, it works and does keep that movie at that dramatic level.

Ultimately, this is a good movie, even bittersweet in some areas. It’s not a flawless movie, A few dramatic scenes early one aren’t quite hitting the mark. There might be a few jokes that won’t land for certain viewers. But a lot of the jokes do land. And the dramatic stuff that works is some of the best in any of Kevin Smith’s projects. It’s self-reflective for the director but also gets the viewers to reflect on themselves. I would argue this is the best of the Clerks movies. But even if you don’t agree, this is certainly worth the wait.

Comics

A Look Back on Guardian Devil

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The 1990s could have been better to Daredevil. Not to say that there was some good work with the character, but there was a noticeable decline. Daredevil was considered one of the less popular characters during the majority of the decade. But then, Marvel decided to create the Marvel Knights imprint to focus on breathing new life to a handful of characters. With art by Joe Quesada and the story from Kevin Smith – yes, the same guy behind movies like Clerks & Chasing Amy – Daredevil was brought back into the spotlight. “Guardian Devil” made people care about the character again. But now that so much time has passed, is it worth reading?

Here is a brief breakdown of the story. It starts with Karen leaving Matt a letter. She decided to take a job on the west coast. Shortly afterwards, a young girl comes to Matt with a baby she gave birth to despite claiming she is a virgin. But a mysterious man behind an unknown organization is also after the child. While the mother claims that her child is destined by God to be Earth’s savior, the man claims that the child is the Anti-Christ. Matt is left paranoid and conflicted on what to do and his mental state begins to deteriorate. That is the non-spoiler version, so from this point on, you’ve been warned.

Let’s start easy with the art. It’s decent. Honestly, there isn’t much else to say beyond that. I’m familiar with some 90s artwork so I know it was better than some other titles from the industry. But ti isn’t really special compared to today’s artwork. It’s for the best that we don’t spend too much time on the artwork. Kevin Smith is a good writer, but when it comes to comic books, he is known to often make controversial decisions. And we’ll get to that shortly. But I do want to address some of the strong points as well.

By the final issue, it is revealed that the super-villain behind this whole affair is Mysterio AKA Quentin Beck. This is a genuine surprise, considering he’s often associated with Spider-Man. It’s revealed that Mysterio has Cancer and since that diagnosis, he’s been working on what he calls his swan song. Researching Daredevil/Matt, manipulating people to set-up the story and use his expertise in special effects to help sell the lie. All to mentally torture Matt and force him to kill Mysterio. Yet when the moment finally comes, Matt doesn’t do it. He criticizes him for never coming up with his own plans, getting his scheme ideas from other villains. This leads Mysterio to take his own life. You could make an argument, that based on how the scene plays out, Matt could be at fault for basically talking Mysterio into such an act. But once you realize just how much destruction he brought down on Matt, his friends, and so many other people, we can let Matt use the Batman Begins loophole of not actively saving the villain.

That actually ties into one of the larger themes of the story. Part of the focus is on Matt’s faith and how he often struggles with it. There are parts of the story where Matt does come off a bit as being extra broody. But other characters do point out to him the silver lining of events and what he does in general. And those facts do help ground Matt and make him realize what’s important and why what he does is needed. This could be seen as the story subtly undoing the 90s mindset of how dark superheroes should be. But instead of making fun of how extreme those tropes can get, it points out the reasons why heroes are heroes in the first place. It helps reconnect Matt with his sense of purpose.

But going back to the dark stuff, there are a couple of things in the story that haven’t really aged well. And unfortunately, both center around Karen Page. She does end up returning to Matt during the story. But during a scene at a church where Bullseye goes on a killing spree, Karen jumps in to protect Matt and is dealt a death blow. Pretty much turning this into a “fridging the girl” trope. In addition to the death of such an important character, she discovers she is HIV positive and during an argument with her, Matt blames that on her being a junkie and sleeping with “God only knows who and how many people” in his words. Yea…this is a character that Matt has loved and been in a relationship with for years. And he tells her that she and her reckless behavior are to blame for getting the disease.

This in isolation is bad! Even looking at it from the context that Matt is being mentally tortured and manipulated doesn’t really make it better. Also…this does point out a serious issue in their relationship. Karen’s letter to Matt back in the first issue highlights how she is always going to feel indebted to Matt. Keep in mind, she did sell Daredevil’s identity for a fix. And he forgave her for that, yes. But he doesn’t forget that kind of thing. So Karen always feels like their relationship is based on him letting her back into his life. That he is more in love with the idea their relationship can triumph over any problem, including the ones she causes. They were constantly breaking up and getting together, each time showing their relationship is pretty toxic and destructive.

To this story’s credit, this part of the story is indirectly called out. Black Widow has shows up throughout the story but has an important conversation with Matt in the final issue. She points out to him that he seems to harbor an unconscious hatred for women in his life. His mother left when he was a kid, Karen sold out his secret identity, Typhoid Mary dated him only to get close and attack him. These are just a few instances of Daredevil’s troubled love life. This doesn’t really excuse what he said, but he is pushed to try and do some soul searching. But since this is the closest we get to him being called out for that statement, that problematic moment still has a sour tone to it. But is it enough to ruin the entire story? Speaking for myself, no. I’ve seen comics handle the HIV/AIDS topic far worse from this same time period. At least Matt’s attitude is called out to a certain extent.

With that out of the way, I do enjoy this story despite the major flaws. Although this isn’t a story that I want to have a physical copy of. But I can understand if a group of people have ended up hating how this story aged. Reading it once is probably enough for those looking to get caught up on Daredevil comics. But they should read the other comics from Daredevil’s second volume for a treasure trove of stories. And I think that’s the best praise I can give “Guardian Devil”. Good enough for the time to lead to other beloved stories featuring the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Film Editorials, Movies

The Universal Truth of Falling Down

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One bad day. And that’s apparently all it takes. All that’s needed to turn a good, law-abiding citizen into a hard criminal. For friends and family to turn on them. And on the surface, this Joel Schumacher film appears to confirm that claim. All the things that the main character, William “Bill” Foster, happens over one day. But if you actually pay attention to the story, you’ll find that the movie is saying something different. Something else that shows just how things went so bad for Bill Foster.

The movie begins one hot day in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. The heat & noise of a traffic jam early in the morning pushes Bill to leave his car and walk all the way to his destination. But it isn’t until he arrives at a convenience store that he snaps. Enraged by what he claims is an over-priced item, he assaults the store owner and damages a large amount of his inventory. But he pays for hid drink and leaves. From there, he beats a bit on a couple of gang members. And when those gangsters fail to take down Bill later and get hospitalized themselves, he takes their guns. He holds up a fast food place when he’s a few minutes late for the lunch menu. The bigoted owner of a surplus store mistakes Bill as an ally for his Nazi beliefs and ends up being killed by him. Bill damages a construction site, scares an old man into a heart attack, and eventually dies by a cop shooting him at the pier.

I know this all sounds kind of insane. But if you watch the film and listen to how he justifies his actions, you might be inclined to be on his side. He talks about how prices are gauging people and he stands for his rights as a consumer. The gangsters provoke him by denying him the simple right of simply passing through to his destination. He’s not even five minutes late for the breakfast menu and is frustrated when he keeps getting told no. He points out to the old man how the country club is taking up space for a few people when it could be better served to the general public. A lot of Bill’s rants and dialogue do speak to how needlessly complicated and cruel our society can be. Especially when it comes to the day-to-day and common things we might not even think twice about. The narrative from this viewpoint gives us a guy who was fired after years of loyalty, constantly running into situations or people making his life harder, and all he wants is to see his daughter on her birthday. There is a lot about this character that we can connect with and understand where Bill is coming from.

But then the other narrative rears it’s head. The one that shines a light on the flaws of Bill as a character and how he frames himself. Yes, it is true that he is on his way to his daughter. But she lives with his ex-wife. Yet he refuses to actually recognize her as a former wife. He constantly calls her home, making her feel threatened and fearful. And it is through her we understand that Bill has a history of anger issues that have on occasion come close to him hurting her but always fell short. While that is good for her, it does show that there was always rage hidden under the surface. Building up until it boils over like it has during the events of this movie. And we do get to see one instance of him forcing his wife and daughter at a younger age do a few things despite her saying no to him through home video footage. Showing that while he views his marriage as something good, there are issues that he chooses to ignore.

Other contemporary reviews of the movie have pointed to how Bill might also be subconsciously nurturing racist beliefs. Not nearly to the same extent as a Nazi store owner he comes across in the middle of the movie. But more along the lines of claims and statements that the average American might not realize could be based in racism. Like how he argues with a store owner of Korean descent about how much money the US has given to South Korea and that should justify him paying less for his drink. The fact he can’t even confirm how much the US has probably given South Korea can be read as one such claim/belief he might not even recognize as being racist. While I’ll admit there are instances in the movie that could be read as such, I’m not sure that’s the real reason instances like that are in the film.

Bill Foster is a man who thought his life would be great. Have a wife and a family with a good job that involves him doing work for the US military. But he is at a point at his life where he has been fired for a month. Yea, him losing his job doesn’t actually happen in the film. It doesn’t happen on the same day as all these other events. He’s been unemployed and has let the anger build up inside. And we get the idea that over his life, he has failed to recognize just how different the world around him is compared to how he thinks it should be. This has lead to him losing his wife and child and even having a restraining order against him. And at the beginning of the movie, when subjected to heat with no change of getting his car’s AC to work and subjected to noise drilling into his head, he finally decides he no longer cares about following the same rules and laws he has been following. All he has ever gotten out of life that way is a disappointing and depressing life. Why not do things the way he feels is right?

That’s why I think the character is not so much exclusively racist on a subconscious level, but more that he is ignorant of how life has changed around him. There is a scene where he sees a black man protest outside of a bank, dressed in a similar dress shirt and tie like Bill, who was denied a small loan. The sign the man holds show the reason they say he was denied, which was because he was “not economically viable”. Using real world experience and knowledge, we could probably guess this was a cover-up for a bank not giving him money due to his race. When the police take this man away, he sees Bill and asks him to not forget him, and Bill responds back with a respecting nod. I see this as revelation for Bill’s true motivation. He’s a man who sees himself as being screwed over by life in nearly every aspect. And him seeing another guy going throw similar hardship is something he takes as confirmation that he should keep doing what he’s doing. Literally fighting back and damaging places and people he views as abusers of their power that get in his way of his final destination.

This is where I talk about the man pursuing him, Sargent Martin Prendergast. As we get to know a little bit of his life, he seems to have been at the mercy of similar life hardships as Bill. Even a touch worse in certain areas. And while he starts off as seemingly mild mannered, he does gain more confidence by the end of the film. He doesn’t go as far as Bill where he tries and just destroy everything with no plan afterwards. But he does fight back against co-workers going against him, curses out his jerk of a boss on live TV, and finds the confidence to hit the streets once again after years of being behind a desk. He sees that his life is not what he wanted it to be. But he’s taking more appropriate actions to take control of what he can and make sure things go the way he thinks they should. Bill doesn’t have a sense of what is truly right. Yes, he yells about how much of a waste of space a country club is. But he yells this as a guy is suffering a heart attack right next to him. Unable to get his pills because Bill caused the cart carrying them to go into a lake. And he just smirks at him and walks away. Bill is a man who only understands his own anger and life and will justify it until he is confronted into realizing it differently.

And that’s what happens. The Sargent holds Bill at gunpoint at the pier. And it is at this point that Bill is forced to face the fact that today, he is the bad guy. He could decide to let himself be taken in and watch his daughter grow up behind bars. But he thinks about the toll and weight of something like that might have on her. So instead of doing what the law says is the right thing – the same body of laws he used to follow that lead to his current miserable state – he does what he thinks is the right thing. He tricks the cop into shooting and killing him, so that the money from his life insurance can be given to his daughter. His life is done no matter what, but Bill does what he thinks is the best thing for his daughter to hopefully have a better life than his.

This is a movie about a guy who sees himself as a victim. But his actions often contradict that by showing how narcissistic he is capable of being. And while that’s accurate, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some good points. There is a lot about our establishments and society that work against the average citizen like Bill that needs to be taken down and fixed. But that latter part is something that Bill overlooked during his trek across Los Angeles. And that is what we need to take away from this movie. Take down what is broken in our world but then replace it with something better. Bill was a man that life had left behind. Some of that was because life just changes naturally, it evolves. But part of that is also due to life not giving him a chance to realize the changes and adjust. So at the end of the day, Bill is the kind of guy we need to look in order to find a starting point of how to improve our own lives.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – RRR

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Movie audiences in the United States tend to stick to watching movies that come from Hollywood. Speaking for myself, I’ll admit I haven’t seen a lot of foreign films. But over the last decade or so, movies and TV shows form other countries have found huge success in international markets. But the one that this piece is about stands out from most of them. Action, music, singing, dancing, friendship, violence, trauma, and a revolution. These are all the ingredients that make “RRR” – translated into English as Rise, Roar, Revolt – a modern movie epic.

The general premise is actually unique. It’s based on two real life Indian revolutionaries from the early 20th Century but the story in the movie is completely fictional. They never met each other in real life, so the writers and director conceived of a story where they met each other and inspired each other to lead a full revolution against British rule. They still did a lot of research to make sure the details of the world and characters were accurate to the period. But just because they cared about getting certain details historically accurate, don’t assume that stopped them from going all out in…well, everything, about the story.

There is so much about this movie that is fantastical. A lot of that can be explained by the culture of Indian film-making in general. The way they craft and tell movies is very different from the average Hollywood flick. In this movie, you will experience everything. Action scenes that go all out despite the law of physics. A dance-off at a wedding attended mainly by the British. A couple of musical scenes show up, one of them occurs when the singer is being flogged/whipped in front of a crowd. Scenes showing the true brutal nature of the British and the unspeakable acts the people of India had to resort to in order to fight back. A lot of you would probably assume there is no way a movie can incorporate all of this and still craft a well-made story. But the thing that truly makes this movie is the friendship between our leads.

This is a 3 hour movie but it knows how to utilize every minute. The first 40 minutes we spend time getting to know the initial conflict and our main leads. The British Governor has taken a young girl from one of India’s tribes at the request of his wife. This causes one of our main leads, Bheem, to head to Delhi in secret to bring back the girl to their tribe. And then there is Raju, a man serving as a police officer and is tasked with finding and arresting Bheem. Their first time meeting each other involved them teaming up to save a young boy from a train on fire by performing an insane action sequence straight out of 1980s Hollywood cinema. They don’t know who the other is and become close friends.

Like mentioned earlier, the reason so much of this movie works is because of the friendship between these two characters. It is genuine and wholesome. They have fun with each other, help the other, create a strong sense of trust. Which makes it so much more heartbreaking when halfway through the movie, Raju has to arrest Bheem. Right in the middle of another extraordinary action scene involving a small army of animals helping Bheem attack the British soldiers and the Governor’s home in Delhi. I’m just saying this now – all the action scenes in this movie are awesome.

Some people might still think that this is an over the top action film. But there is a lot more that elevates the movie. For one thing, this move doesn’t back away from the harsh reality of the time. When we find out what Raju’s secret plan is, we are treated to a flashback scene where a young Raju was forced to shoot his own father to activate a bomb and kill dozens of British soldiers. Raju is forced to whip & flog Bheem in front of the people in Delhi, his best friend bleeding because of him. The movie wants us to show how complex some of these characters are and various scenes in the movie are meant to support the universal themes of the movie. It asks us what it takes to truly start a revolution, the costs that might entail. And it also uses the villains of the movie to speak to how we should be treating one another and doesn’t back down in reminding us of the cruel things we have done to the other.

There is one more thing I want to speak on. When we are introduced to Raju, the movie gives us the title card of “The Fire”. For Bheem, the title card reads “The Water”. In regards to Raju, this can be interpreted as him being the spark to light the revolutionary fire for his people. For Bheem, he is the unstoppable storm that is coming to towards the British, and the destruction that will be created in his wake. And when these two are finally fighting together, it is beautiful and awe-inspiring. It’s said that the writers & director of this movie also took influence from Hindu myths when it came to creating the main leads. It certainly explains how they can give Hollywood superheroes a run for their money in the action.

At the end of the day, this is a beautiful epic. Elements and genres that shouldn’t work together end up blending beautifully together. The entire thing is anchored by our main leads. The ideas and themes of the movie are universal and is no doubt a big part on why this movie is so big outside of India. A modern epic like no other. Get off of your computer and witness the story of Raju & Bheem!

Comics

Archie vs Predator II – The More Bizarre Sequel

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It’s not uncommon for different comic book companies to have multiple crossovers. Hell, Batman and TMNT have had three crossovers. But to give “Archie vs Predator” a sequel seems like an odd choice. The original story left the town destroyed and only three survivors – Betty, Veronica, and the teen Predator now physically transformed to look like Archie. It doesn’t seem like there is anywhere left to go after an intense ending like that. But it turns out there is one path. Make it bigger but even more insane than first by doing whatever you want.

Right from the first page of this story, you know your in for a wild ride. Because both Betty & Veronica break the Fourth Wall and speak to the reader! To be fair, I’m not a regular Archie Comics reader. And I don’t really read the main series. But this is the first time I’ve heard of any Archie comic turn full Deadpool like this. But shortly after that, they actually introduce an idea that’s actually kind of cool & clever. Apparently, the characters of Riverdale just have to walk down Memory Lane – an actual street in their town – and it resets the town and the residents back to normal. There are details later on in the story that make me question how much they actually do that and how that actually works. As well as question if that’s always been a thing. But it for sure was utilized in the story “Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty” about a decade before this story. And it does help a long-running comic series like Archie maintain the status quo while still keeping a bunch of random events canon to varying degrees.

But when they try to do that, it turns out the road is closed. And they immediately recognize this as them being canceled. So…there is one thing to note about the original “Archie vs Predator” story. Around the time it was being published, Archie Comics was planning a relaunch of their Archie title. Restart from the beginning and have a modern take on their characters. And when the last issue of “Archie vs Predator” came out, the first issue of their relaunch came out roughly within the same month. You can quite literally say that the original crossover killed off the Classic Archie Universe. But there is good news – all three of them get in a car and find themselves in the new modern Riverdale with their modern counterparts! We have straight up entered the multiverse within the first issue of this story!

And when I say their other counterparts are modern, I mean that their actual modern title has them more grounded as well. They have no experiences with the supernatural, aliens, or anything like that. And when you hear the stuff that Classic Betty & Veronica – including summoning THE DEVIL! – it does make them come off as crazy and over the top. But the modern counterparts to agree to help them figure out what is going on. That is, until a bunch of other Predators show up with their dogs to attack everyone at the Halloween Dance.

Time to tackle the Predator aspect of the comic. Our teen Predator spends the time in Classic Archie’s body, but it’s not the Predator’s head on top. Probably due to the skin breaking off due to the shape and size of the Predator’s natural head. In the original story, the comic would occasionally give him text balloons that only had emojis in it. It was a neat way of getting across the gist of what he is trying to communicate. This is utilized a bit more in the sequel and it does flesh him out a bit more. Doesn’t make him the most complex character, but adds a bit extra to him. The other Predators in this comic are great. But there is one flaw that is hard to overlook. In this comic, the art is more in line with the art used for the modern Archie Comics. Specifically, more in line with what you might get from the Archie Horror imprint. It works for the most part. But the art does make it hard to tell what species these other Predators are. Since our main Predator is a teen, these could just be older members of his race. But since they have their dogs, these also could be the Super Predators as seen in the movies “Predators” & “The Predator”. The art doesn’t do a great job of clarifying that for the readers, but I think they are supposed to be the Super Predators and I’ll explain why later.

Classic Betty & Veronica are trying to figure out how to help. They start trying to text people they used to know back in their universe to see if any made it. And that includes Frank AKA THE PUNISHER! You see why I question how often they use their walking down Memory Lane trick or how it works? It befuddles me why Frank would want to stay in touch with a bunch of teens in a town from a different comic book company. But that’s not the most surprising thing that occurs with our main ladies. As they are hiding from the Super Predators during their Halloween Dance massacre, there is a moment that actually took me by surprise. Classic Veronica saves Classic Betty’s life and admits to how she probably wouldn’t have saved their Archie in the same way. But then Betty gets Veronica to admit that Archie hasn’t actually been her romantic focus in years. And then Betty brings Veronica in for an embrace and kisses her forehead. From the way it is drawn in the comic – combined with a couple of other moments of interactions later on in the story – this is confirmation that Classic Betty & Veronica are attracted to each other.

I feel like this could have been a divisive moment depending on what kind of Archie Comics fan you are. The brand and title have historically been defined by the love triangle of Archie, Betty & Veronica. And while certain writers might have slipped in a joke that generally links this kind of romance between the ladies, I’m not aware of anything significant to support the theory that the two are non-heterosexual. And there is something more unique about having two girls with a strong bond like Betty & Veronica’s be strictly platonic. But…there is a strong argument for how the two of them always fighting each other yet still be friendly did lay the seeds for a realization for the two girls. And they are teenagers, which means they probably didn’t even realize who they really are in that sense quite yet. Speaking for myself, I’m fully behind this relationship pairing. Even if it is for just this story that – unlike it’s predecessor – isn’t technically canon. At least for the more modern version of the Archie title.

Anyway, while all the modern Riverdale counterparts are fighting for their lives, Classic Betty & Veronica try summoning the Devil. And he arrives and recognizes them from their own universe! Although I think in the Classic Archie-Verse, he’s referred to as Mr. Inferno. As they helplessly watch the final explosion happen with their teen Predator friend who survived, Veronica & even Betty talk about how much this miss their old home and how these modern versions might even be better than them. Mr Inferno surprisingly enough actually gives them genuine advice. He tells them they should stop being stuck in the past, trying to reclaim their glory days, and move on to new adventures. Turn into the Betty & Veronica they can truly be. And with that, Mr. Inferno resets the Modern Archie-Verse back to normal, erasing the events of the comic for them. But Classic Betty & Veronica, along with their Predator friend, are adults living in New York. And the two ladies admit that they don’t miss being eternal teenagers.

This is definitely not what I was expecting for “Archie vs Predator II”. With all the references to past events in Classic Archie and they way it’s presented, it kind of has the vibe of a Grant Morrison story. The writer of both of these crossovers, Alex de Campi, admits to how she kind of became a bit meaner & cynical in between the two crossovers. She’s a fan of the Classic Archie title and the bizarre things that happened in their continuity. But to try and do a similar yet different story that involved the more modern version was a tough thing to figure out. So she essentially turned it into a love letter to the Classic Archie-Verse. As well as tell a meta-story about growing up and finding your place in the world. This is why I think the Super Predators were used in this story. Even though the Predator films never went through a full on reboot/remake, the Super Predators were introduced in recent years and could be seen as the studio finding a way to reboot the idea and creatures. So the teen Predator fighting back against them can be seen as the original version of the creature as we know it still maintaining it’s status and fighting back against being changed to that degree.

But the commentary about growing up despite drastic changes is stronger in regards to Betty & Veronica. Which makes this story surprisingly have a lot of depth. From the first which was a surreal and delightfully twisted slasher story to this story, a bizarre multiversal coming of age story about growing up and being more sure of yourself. Again, not what I was expecting at all. But I’ll admit that this is far better than it had any right to be.

Comics

The Predator Hunts…Archie?!

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Archie Comics has had a number of crossovers featuring their title character. Archie has met The Ramones, TMNT, Glee, The Punisher…just to name a few. And recent years have shown the company isn’t afraid to get more experimental when it comes to their characters. And thankfully, that applies to their crossovers. But even though Frank Castle traveled to Riverdale, I don’t think anyone was expecting this to actually materialize. Friends, allow me to tell about the time Archie and his friends went up against…The Predator.

First things first – yes, it did take me until after I finished the comic to realize this comic can be spelled as AVP. I’m not mad, the first AVP film is underrated. But enough about that. It is truly bizarre that Dark Horse Comics (who owned the comic right to the Predator franchise at the time) was willing to do this. But one thing that took advantage of that shock was the art work. The style used is very much the traditional style utilized for Archie and his crew. This cleverly lulls you into a false sense of security and familiarity. Even when the hunter begins killing people in the first 2 issues of the 4 issue mini-series, it still feels like that somehow our main characters are going to come out of this okay.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about the characters. Even though the title is “Archie vs Predator”, our main human focus is on Betty & Veronica. Although slightly more on Betty because the Predator turns out to have a crush on her. Yes, seriously. The comic points out that this specific hunter is a teenage version of the average Predator. And they are able to establish that because apparently they have been coming to Archie’s Earth for years and the government knew they existed. Now I’m developing a theory about how this comic takes place in the same continuity as the Predator movies. Anyway, Betty actually does get several moments to shine in a weirdly darkly comedic way. Veronica is more of a supporting character in a few scenes because of that. But she makes contributions to the story, both good and bad. Bad in the sense that she got Jughead to dress up like her in an attempt to lure out the Predator as part of a trap. That did not work. Side note – the teen Predator also has a crush on Veronica.

But let’s actually get to the other person mentioned in the title – Archie. The ginger does try and take some sort of leadership as the conflict reveals itself and begins to escalate. He goes up against the alien a couple of times over the course of the series. But unfortunately…he’s killed. Yea, the Predator actually wins the title fight and survives to the end. There was an Afterword in my copy that talked about how the team were uncertain if they should kill off Archie, for fear it would seem repetitive of the then recent “Death of Archie” story. But they ultimately decided that as long as he wasn’t shot, no one would really mind. And I have to hand it to them, I didn’t think that would actually happen. Archie is killed off along with most of Riverdale and the recognizable characters.

That is except for Betty & Veronica. They do in fact survive due to the teen hunter’s surprise affection for them. And after he does help them escape an explosion, it seems only fair to thank him…as well as get a little payback. So Betty uses an advanced medical room that Veronica’s father has to not just heal the Predator’s wounds, but also TURN THE PREDATOR INTO ARCHIE! Remember how I mentioned Betty has a handful of darkly comedic moments in the comic? Turns out that’s because she is secretly unhinged! But I guess that’s predictable when you spend decades in a love triangle with two of your closest friends. That surprise is certainly insane but also manages to fit into the surreal tone and fun experienced throughout the mini-series.

Is there anything worth criticizing? If I’m going to be nit-picky…there are a couple of things. A character named Dilton has this weird speech about how he’s been jealous of the attention Archie always gets from women and how he’s the only one of the friend group that never seems to ever date or be asked out. And that leads him to reveal a robot suit he made in his free time where the head is a replica of Archie’s. It’s weird and bizarre but more in a something is off and goes against the story kind of way. And Sabrina Spellman has a small role in one of the issues. The way the comic portrays her is weird. I think they were going for a version where she comes off as a weird and disturbing goth girl. But it didn’t feel at place in this specific story.

But putting that aside, this is highly enjoyable! There is plenty of blood and violence to satisfy any Predator fan. Seeing Archie and the gang try and be action heroes is certainly enjoyable for Archie fans to see. And the ending is so delightfully twisted! Please seek out and read this comic.

TV

An Analysis of Netflix’s The Sandman

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Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman” is a comics masterpiece. It was one of the titles that defined the tone and purpose of DC’s Vertigo imprint for mature readers. It explored fascinating ideas and introduced to complex characters in ways that mainstream comics back in the late 80s to mid 90s simply didn’t. Ever since the series ran it’s course, Hollywood has been trying for decades to find a way to adapt it. Different scripts for movies and mini-series have come and gone. But now it has found a home on the Netflix streaming service. And now is also the time to see if this was worth it.

But first, something that should be addressed. When it comes to any kind of adaptations, people talk about it almost as if being adapted is some sort of validation. Regardless if the story originated from comics or books or if it’s just a transfer from a different entertainment medium (you remember the nightmare fuel that is “Cats”?), there are people who think a story isn’t truly recognized as being great until Hollywood adapts it. A similar feeling can be said about how people view live-actions movies and shows as opposed to animated versions. But I want to set the record straight – regardless of how this show turned out or how you feel about it, the original comic has been and will always be amazing. This story – or any story from any other medium for that matter – doesn’t need Hollywood’s interest in order to be recognized as such. But since this entire post is supposed to be about said adaptation, let’s focus on that.

Something you should know is that the pacing of the show and how it approaches telling it’s first season isn’t quite the same as the average show. It tells it very much like how a comic book series would tell it. Let me try and explain it better. Take a look at “Stranger Things” – season 1 introduced a mystery and threat that was resolved by the end of the season. We followed a certain set of characters throughout the entire season. And the finale left us with a cliffhanger for things that might come in the next season. And the same can be said for all the other season installments. This isn’t the same mode that “The Sandman” uses. For the first 5 episodes, there is a certain set of characters we follow. But by then end of those 5 episodes, most of them are gone from the show. After a standalone story in episode 6, the remaining 4 focus on a new set of characters. The main one of this set being briefly introduced in episode 5 but not really a part of that episode’s story. While the finale does sort of leave us with a more traditional season finale tease in one aspect, the vast majority of the season does have a different pace than what people might be expecting.

This can be explained by the fact that season 1 actually adapts the first 2 volumes of the 10 volume series. That at first seems like a lot to pack in 10 episodes where none of them go above an hour. But then you realize that if they had just stuck to volume 1, the show would be facing criticism of dragging out and padding story-lines that didn’t need it. So in reality, this approach not only stays true to the pacing and method of the original comics, but also keeps the show more focused. Many people have said that the second half of the season is better than the first half. While that is technically true, that doesn’t mean the first half is bad by any means. It’s just that the opening story-line is one so many Sandman comics fans are familiar with. And it follows the same general main character plot that can be found in numerous other stories. It’s really just an issue of the first half being so familiar and the second half focusing on material people probably would never think they would see adapted.

So now we get into the actual meat of the show. How faithful is it? Does it do the original material justice? All those questions fans of the original version will have. And if you ask me…the show is pretty damn good. The tone is very similar to the original comics, one that deals with oftentimes dark themes but approached in a mature fashion. The performances from all the characters are well done. Dream of The Endless is portrayed in a way that is remarkably similar to the comics. He may not show much visible expression, but when it does show, you can tell that it is important. And you can also pick up on the way he moves and talks and see how his mood changes based on that. And the rest of the characters are portrayed as having a fair amount of complexity to them. Even several of the antagonists of the show have a couple more layers to them than you might give them credit for.

Now, as with all other adaptations, there are bound to be some changes. But the vast majority of said changes are really nit-picky in the grand scheme of things. And keep in mind, changes regarding how certain characters appear in the show aren’t really an issue. Lucifer, Death and other similar supernatural entities like them aren’t characters that stick to certain physical attributes and characteristics. Any criticism regarding those changes just aren’t a big deal. Most of the changes in the show are done in order to keep it separate from all other DC projects going on in Hollywood. There are still various easter eggs and vague references that comic fans will pick up on. But the reason why certain actors weren’t cast or why certain character backstories are altered is to make sure newcomers can more easily watch the show. And perhaps they will be encouraged to check out the original comics and start down a rabbit hole for themselves in DC lore.

Having said that, I did pick up on two major changes that are worth addressing. One is the character of Johanna Constantine. Back when this character was cast, it was believed it was a gender-swapped version of the character John Constantine. Is this true? Well…no and yes. No because Johanna Constantine is a separate character. She is John’s ancestor and has her own encounter with Dream in the late 18th Century. And that story is shown in the first season. But I also say yes because the actress who plays Johanna Constantine in the late 18th Century also plays a different Johanna in the modern day who is a descendant. She joins Dream during a mission in episode 3 that in the comics was fulfilled by John Constantine. The most likely reason for this is, again, to keep this project separate from other projects that have included the character John Constantine. And considering the changes Warner Brothers studio is going through, is probably for the best. But the decision to have one actress play two different characters that have the both first and last name is a curious choice. The actress does a fine job, but I do wonder why they didn’t decide to come up with a different first name for the modern Constantine and have a different actress portray them. But since the actress does a good job, it isn’t a question that bugs me.

The other major change worth addressing if the nightmare Gault. She is responsible for a conflict that was originally fulfilled by two different nightmares and their motivations were rooted in desire for power. But her motivation in the show actually touches on a major theme of both the comics and the show – change. I won’t go into too much detail since the show just released at the time of this being written. But it does connect to how so much how has happened between the first and final episode. And the desire from several characters to see things change for the better. This is something that Dream ultimately recognizes and even admits that he can’t be the same as he once was. It is rather a nice way for the season to bookend his character development.

This character and story didn’t need to be adapted to prove it is a wonderful story. But the fact that it is as good as it is shows how much respect the story has from so many people. Fans of the comics should find a lot to enjoy with the show. And if you haven’t read the comics, I’m willing to bet this will still get them engaged. The original comics talked a bit about the power stories have on people. And this different yet very faithful version shows just how never-ending this particular story is.