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Nicole Kang on Stepping into the Role of Poison Ivy in ‘Batwoman’

January 12, 2022January 13, 2022 Swara Ahmed

Batwoman fans were shocked, yet excited, when the beloved Mary Hamilton, heart of the Bat-team, found herself transformed into the newest version of Poison Ivy. Before the season hiatus, Mary went Thelma and Louise with her step-sister Alice to evade the rest of the Bat-Team, but now as the season has returned, she’s stepping back into Gotham with bolder intentions to assert her power and never feel vulnerable again.

DC Comics, Reviews, Television

‘Naomi’ Establishes an Intriguing Story for a New Hero

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 Swara Ahmed

Naomi McDuffie (Kaci Walfall) is a normal Oregonian 16-year-old who has a fascination with superheroes, particularly her favorite, Superman. So much so that she has a whole Superman fan website (we can relate to something like that here at The Nerds of Color). A key reason she relates to him is the fact that they’re both adoptees. However, in her new story starting in her titular series Naomi, she finds she may have more in common with the legendary figure than she ever expected.

Comics, Interview, Marvel

Samira Ahmed Talks about Writing ‘Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit’

December 27, 2021December 29, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Ms. Marvel has a new comic series out! In the five-issue Beyond the Limit, Kamala must deal with unexpected multiverse shenanigans as she visits her cousin Razia in Chicago. Writing her in this series is author Samira Ahmed, who is the first Desi Muslim to write Ms. Marvel!

Movies, Podcasts

The Middle Geeks Episode 33: ‘Gaza Mon Amour’ Review and Holiday Edition

December 23, 2021December 26, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Even though there’s not a lot to be merry about, we count our blessings and make it merry! We also discuss the wonderful 2020 film Gaza Mon Amour by director brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, which shows old love in the middle of Gaza, starring our fave Hiam Abbass. We also discuss the exciting news of We Are Lady Parts Season 2 renewal, Mena Massoud’s new Netflix rom-com coming out soon, and much more!

Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 33: ‘Gaza Mon Amour’ Review and Holiday Edition”

Interview, Star Trek

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Director and Executive Producer Olatunde Osunsanmi Discusses Season 4

December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Star Trek: Discovery has returned to our streaming screens for another spectacular season as the Discovery crew and the Federation of the future must deal with a galaxy-threatening anomaly. It’s unlike anything the Discovery crew has faced before, and resultingly Captain Burnham and her crew and loved ones are pushed to the brink in so many ways. What goes into making such a spectacular adventure that we watch every week?

Streaming, Television

Peacock’s ‘We Are Lady Parts’ Renewed for a Second Season

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021 Swara Ahmed

The rip-roaring show of a Muslim women punk rock band is coming back to our screens and our hearts.

Anime, Podcasts, Star Wars

The Middle Geeks Episode 32: The Promise of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 Swara Ahmed

We’re excited to have Meg Humphrey of Rogue Podron on to discuss Star Wars: Visions, the new anime anthology on Disney+ that breathes fresh life into this franchise with Japanese creators, crafting stories in a universe that was *heavily* inspired by their own culture.

DC Comics, Interview, Television1 Comment

NOC Interview: Showrunner Eric Wallace Discusses the Return of ‘The Flash’

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021 Swara Ahmed

“Armageddon,” the five-part special event that will see Barry Allen/The Flash, and his wife Iris and their friends face a threat unlike any they’ve faced before, one that will put them even more strenuously through the wringer. But they have help with heroes coming to their aid from across the Arrowverse! But will that be enough?

Comics, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks Interview: Abubakr Ali of Netflix’s ‘Grendel’

November 10, 2021November 12, 2021 Swara Ahmed

We are delighted to welcome Abubakr Ali on the podcast, who will be playing the titular role in Netflix’s Grendel, making him the FIRST Arab and Muslim actor to headline a comic adaptation in TV/Film! We discuss what got him into acting, his career so far, what his favorite superhero and other media are, and much more. Enjoy the conversation!

Animation, DC Comics, Interview

‘Young Justice’ Creators Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti Discuss the New Season

November 8, 2021November 9, 2021 Swara Ahmed

After the long wait since the conclusion of its third season, Outsiders, the critically acclaimed series Young Justice is back streaming on HBO Max with Phantoms. Praised for its writing, deep characterizations, diversity, action, and thrilling storytelling, Young Justice is one of the best DC onscreen projects that has retained a cherished place with numerous fans. Five episodes into the new season, so much has already happened, and the Team will have to deal with unforeseen threats at every turn.

Sports, Streaming, Television8 Comments

How ‘Ted Lasso’ Failed Nate as a Character

November 5, 2021November 6, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Ted Lasso has taken our pop culture by storm. From its trademark humor to the soccer (AKA football) matches, to the great performances, and an often stunning exploration of mental health (at least for most of its main cast), it’s a show that inspires through showcasing the difficulties that the members of Richmond Football Club endure, and how they ultimately uplift each other through it all.

DC Comics, Interview

Interview with ‘Batman and Robin and Howard’ Author Jeffrey Brown

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Damian Wayne has many fans. The popular Arab American character, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al-Ghul, is an adorable crime-fighting — and previously murderous kid — whose fundamental charm and sincere desire to do good has captured the hearts of many DC fans, so much so that he has a current ongoing series. But we don’t see enough of Damian’s school life. When does he get to be a regular pre-teen who gets to have fun at school and make friends?

Reviews, Streaming1 Comment

Padma Lakshmi’s ‘Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition’ is Wonderful and Moving

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021 Swara Ahmed

We obviously look forward to the holidays for the food. Whether it’s for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Passover, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Diwali, Día De Los Muertos, Seollal (Korean New Year), Nowruz (Persian New Year), or some other holiday, we always enjoy diving into a scrumptious feast with our loved ones to commemorate these occasions. But how exactly did some of these food traditions develop here in the United States, and what were the specific contributions of Immigrant and Indigenous communities?

Art, Crowdfunding, Interview

Kickstart This: Robert Liu-Trujillo Discusses His New Art Book

October 31, 2021November 2, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Robert Liu-Trujillo is an artist looking to craft change.

He knows how powerful art can be to inspire and make social change, especially for younger consumers of his and others’ work. With a new Kickstarter project out now, we sat down with Robert to talk about his art, how social justice informs his work, navigating the picture book industry, and so much more.

Movies, News, Podcasts1 Comment

The Middle Geeks Episode 31: ‘Dune’ Review

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation, based on a book that was explicitly and heavily influenced by Middle East and North African (MENA) and Islamic cultures, is out, and we are joined by our friends and fellow MENA critics Hanna Flint and Roxana Hadadi to review it.

Conventions, DC Comics

DC FanDome: Reflections on the 2021 Event

October 19, 2021 Swara Ahmed

It’s the second year of Warner Bros. and DC’s stellar virtual convention, revealing all the upcoming DC comics, movies, and TV in 2021 and beyond! How well did they do with their reveals and announcements this year?

Streaming, Television

Padma Lakshmi’s ‘Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition’ is Coming to Hulu in November

October 14, 2021October 15, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Taste the Nation is famed cookbook author and TV personality Padma Lakshmi’s documentary series that highlights the American food of various communities of color and immigrants to the US. It’s an incisive and moving look at how BIPOC peoples all around the country have influenced and defined the nebulous and all-encompassing “American” cuisine, which is really just many cuisines from the communities highlighted in this series and beyond.

DC Comics, Reviews, Television

NOC Review: A Unique Premiere for a Unique ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Season

October 13, 2021October 14, 2021 Swara Ahmed

“The Bullet Blondes” shows our heroes in a dire place. When we left our lovable band of time-traveling misfit superheroes at the tail end of Season 6, the unthinkable happened. Their precious Waverider ship was blown up by another Waverider that simply appeared and left! Now stranded in 1925, the Legends must figure out how to time-travel out of this period and make sure they don’t mess up history along the way.

DC Comics, Interview, Television1 Comment

Showrunner Keto Shimizu Discusses Season 7 of ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’

October 7, 2021November 8, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Slight setup spoilers for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 7 follow below:

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is coming back already! After closing Season 6 last month! In the Season 6 finale, just as our time-traveling superheroes celebrated their victory over alien invaders in 1925 Texas, their time-travel ship, the Waverider, was blown up by another Waverider that just came and left! This is where we see them at the beginning of Season 7, and there’s going to be no easy way for them to get out of this one.

Marvel, Podcasts, Streaming

The Middle Geeks 30: ‘AlRawabi School for Girls’ Makes ‘Mean Girls’ Look Like Cotton Candy

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Created by Jordanian creator Tima Shomali, AlRawabi School for Girls is a devastatingly excellent series on Netflix exploring the dynamics of a Jordanian high school. What causes these girls to escalate their psychological wars on each other? How does this series do at exploring some of the systemic patriarchal problems in Middle Eastern societies? We discuss all of that and why we love this series.

Crowdfunding, Interview1 Comment

Why this ‘American Sikh’ Cosplays as Captain America

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Animator and cosplayer Vishavjit Singh has experienced tremendous trauma in his life. He survived a genocide against Sikh people in India as a young boy, and after he and his family fled to the US, he’s constantly experienced racism and Islamophobia (despite not being Muslim) in the pre- and post-9/11 era. Despite all of this, he remains an optimist for people to treat each other better, and found through his regular cosplaying as Captain America that he could somehow achieve that. But what drew him to this initially?

Comics, Streaming2 Comments

Abubakr Ali Cast as Titular Anti-Hero for Netflix’s ‘Grendel’

September 14, 2021September 15, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Middle East and North African (MENA) and Muslim people have had scant options when it comes to the superhero genre or comic book adaptations generally. Arab and Persian people in particular have most often been vilified in popular media through the decades. But this is thankfully starting to change, such as with the Tarazi siblings on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for Persian people, but perhaps now for Arab people with the news from Deadline that Netflix is developing a Grendel series, based on Matt Wagner’s comic series of the same name, and has cast The CW’s Katy Keene star and Abubakr Ali in the starring role!

DC Comics, Television

‘The Flash’ Returns This November with Five-Part “Armageddon” Premiere

August 25, 2021August 25, 2021 Swara Ahmed

Even though The Flash only ended this July with a wonderfully splendid renewal of the WestAllen vows and a family team-up against an army of Godspeeds, fans won’t have to wait long for the Season 8 premiere! And it’s going to be an action-packed doozy.