Category: DC Comics

DC Comics, Recaps, Television3 Comments

NOC Recaps The Flash: Fire and Frost

Keith Chow

Another Tuesday and another strong episode of The Flash has come and gone. Unlike Arrow, which I admittedly bolted on after three episodes during its debut season, or even Gotham, which I continue to hate-watch for some reason, I’m pretty sure I’m all in on The Flash. While there are some superhero TV tropes that might get annoying eventually — Barry’s unrequited pining for Iris, for instance — there’s enough good to keep me tuning in. Episode three, “Things You Can’t Outrun,” introduced yet another baddie from the DC Universe while foreshadowing the debut of another classic DC hero.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television2 Comments

When Gotham is Ashes, You Have My Permission to Die

Keith Chow

Whatever issues you might have with The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Bane is probably one of the most divisive. Either you loved it or you hated it. Nolan’s take on the villain deviated so much from the comics, it was a wonder why he even chose to go with Bane in the first place. Another strike against Nolan’s Bane is that you could also argue that the character was racebent from the way he’s depicted in the comics. Or not. Personally, I rather enjoyed Hardy’s completely wacky and out there interpretation of the character. Not only are his mannerisms and fuddy-duddy English accent so utterly imitable, but he made a character that is admittedly boring on page really compelling on screen.

The reason that I just spent 100+ words talking about Bane in The Dark Knight Rises is because last night’s episode of Gotham used the opportunity to introduce Venom, the drug responsible for Bane’s abilities in the comic. And the whole time, all I could think about was Tom Hardy in his ridiculous face mask.

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DC Comics, Movies6 Comments

Is it Batman v Superman or The Dark Knight Returns?

Keith Chow

Because, really, it can’t be both.

Just before the weekend — and right after Warner Brothers had rocked DC fanboys’ world by announcing no less than ten superhero movies over the next five years — the rumor mill got churning once again as an extra on the set of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Ridiculous Movie Titles leaked to a local reporter that Hunger Games star Jena Malone had been cast as Robin in the 2016 blockbuster, reuniting her with Sucker Punch director Zack Snyder. Though it has yet to be confirmed, the internet lit up with excitement at the prospect of seeing the first female Robin1 depicted on the big screen.

While I’m all for more gender diversity in what is so far a very testosterone-heavy cast, the fact that Carrie Kelly may end up in the movie is actually really disappointing to me. Mainly, because I’m tired of Frank Miller.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television1 Comment

NOC Recaps Arrow: Oh Sara, No Time is a Good Time for Goodbyes

Rodrigo Sanchez-Chavarria

After an action-packed season premiere, complete with a shocking twist ending, you knew the second episode — titled “Sara” — was going to be all about the fallout.

[Ed. note: I can’t be the only one who was thinking of the old Jefferson Starship song throughout this episode, right?]

Spoilers ahead.

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DC Comics, Movies12 Comments

Warner Finally Unveils its DC Superhero Movie Slate

Keith Chow

Looks like Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment have responded to the gauntlet thrown down by the folks at Disney and Marvel Studios. After the nerd community was rocked by the news that Robert Downey Jr. was joining the Captain America threequel, DC hit back with its entire slate of DC-based superhero films for the next five years.

In a special presentation to shareholders, Warner Brothers head Kevin Tsujihara revealed which DC heroes would be getting movies through 2020. Remember, there have been rumblings all year that this ambitious slate of superhero films would be coming out eventually. Now that we know which films will be coming out and when, all I can say is… meh.

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DC Comics, Television1 Comment

NOC Recaps The Flash: Better than the Multiplex

Keith Chow

Yesterday, I went on a bit of a rant about how DC was getting trumped by Marvel on the big screen. The opposite is true on the small screen. Sorry, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but there’s only one comic-based superhero show to watch on Tuesdays: The Flash on The CW. After one of the best pilots of the season, how was Team Flash going to follow through on episode two?

Well, by fully embracing its superhero-ness, for one. Grant Gustin’s opening narration even poked fun at similar type internal monologues — *cough*Arrow*cough* — before diving right into the action. And this week’s cold open was literally on fire as we saw Barry saving  folks from a burning building.

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DC Comics, Marvel, Movies11 Comments

Captain America vs. Iron Man vs. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of OMG, is This Really Happening?!

Keith Chow

That screeching sound you heard last night was the internet grinding to a halt when Variety broke the news: Robert Downey, Jr. was in final negotiations to star in Captain America 3, aka the movie that made the Justice League blink. Now you might be wondering, why is it still a Captain America movie if Robert Downey, Jr. is in it and not, say, Avengers 2.5? Well, I’m glad you asked!

If all the rumors turn out to be true, the casting of Downey essentially confirms that the popular “Civil War” storyline from the comics is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — a move that fans have been clamoring for ever since Stark and Cap almost came to blows in the first Avengers flick.

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DC Comics, Television1 Comment

Gotham & Sleepy Hollow: More Mixed Feelings on Monday Nights

Alice Wong

This week both episodes of Gotham and Sleepy Hollow left me feeling a lot less meh, especially Sleepy Hollow. During Gotham, I noticed on my Twitter timeline either a lot of rage toward the Arkham storyline or a lot of excitement seeing the asylum for the first time on the show. Since I am not a reader of the comic books and unfamiliar with the Batman canon, perhaps I am less disturbed and annoyed by the way Arkham (and the role of the Wayne family) was introduced on the show.

Episode four of Sleepy Hollow, on the other hand, had an embarrassment of riches for #Ichabbie shippers. Those golden shipper moments in combination with some great action and comedic scenes made this episode much more fun to watch and live-tweet.

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television4 Comments

NOC Recaps Arrow: The Calm Before the Storm

Keith Chow

We are definitely living in a golden age of superhero television. Last year, we dedicated an episode of Hard NOC Life about the topic of comic book adaptations in prime time, but this season has seen a dramatic increase as the first three days of the week are chock full of superheroes — with DC heroes dominating the landscape1. And while Gotham on Fox and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC get all the press — because they’re on major broadcast outlets — those two shows should be taking notes from The CW, the network that does superheroes better than anyone.

I’ve already sung the praises of The Flash. Not to be outdone by their newly arrived companion, the third season premiere of Arrow kicked off with one a hell of an episode! Fortunately, Rodrigo was live-tweeting along with all of the other Arrowheads. Warning: there be spoilers ahead!

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DC Comics, Recaps, Television16 Comments

NOC Recaps The Flash: Proof that Superheroes Can Still Be Fun

Keith Chow

One of the most anticipated new shows of the fall finally premiered last night, and it did not disappoint. The Flash has been on the NOC radar ever since Grant Gustin did a multi-episode arc last season on Arrow. More than that, I’ve been super psyched for this show and thought some of the initial casting choices potentially made The Flash the most diverse live action superhero adaptation in history.

Well, after having watched the pilot, I can safely say that The Flash works for all of the reasons that I think Gotham doesn’t. Namely, these writers get it. The Flash not only revels in the joy of being a superhero, it respects the source material in a way usually unseen in DC’s approach to live action.

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DC Comics, Television

Putting the Meh in Monday Nights

Alice Wong

I’d have to say both episodes of Gotham and Sleepy Hollow this week left me feeling a bit meh. It feels like the episodes are, dare I say it, becoming formulaic. And yet, I must be a servant of Moloch because I will most likely live-tweet again next week. The question is, will Moloch (a.k.a., the God Demon of Child Sacrifice) reward me for my loyal viewing?

Here are some choice tweets for this week’s episodes of Gotham and Sleepy Hollow, “Balloonman” and “Root of All Evil,” respectively. For more, check out the hashtags #Gotham and #YungGotham for the Batman prequel and #SleepyHeads and #SleepyHolla for some great tweets. And check out Keith’s take on last night’s Gotham.

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DC Comics, Television2 Comments

Who’s Gonna Stop Gotham’s Balloons?

Keith Chow

Last week, I got some grief for writing about why I was done with Gotham. So naturally, I not only tuned in for Episode 3, “The Balloonman,” I live-tweeted it as well. The fact that this episode had nothing to do with the B-side to Prince’s “Batdance” was already strike number one for me.

I won’t go into all of the problems I have with the show’s premise — since I already did that. A couple times. I will say that I realize that the reason I’m so bitter about this show is because I always wanted a Gotham Central series, and that Fox’s attempt is just a half-assed one. Because Gotham Central is the non-Batman police procedural series we deserve, just not the one we’re getting right now, apparently.

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DC Comics, Roundtable, Television8 Comments

Why We Can’t Take Gotham Seriously

Keith Chow

Okay, I give up.

I tried to like Gotham, honest, I did. Despite my previous reservations, I tuned into the first two episodes like everyone else in the geek-o-sphere did. And you know what, I didn’t hate it. At least not as much as I was anticipating. In fact, some of what I saw was quite good. But the problems I had remained. Namely, that the whole conceit of the show is that it exists in the Batman universe. Also, the acting is pretty horrible. I’m looking at you, Ben and Jada!

If this were just a typical police procedural, I’d find it pretty entertaining (even though I’m not a fan of the genre). Where the show loses me, though, is that it fundamentally misunderstands the universe in which it has chosen to partake. Case in point? They’ve just cast 34-year old actor Nicholas D’Agosto to play Harvey Dent.

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Comics, DC Comics10 Comments

Why is No One Talking about How Diverse Gotham Academy Is?

Keith Chow

I’ve been excited for Gotham Academy since the book was first announced back in July. While the revamped Batgirl got most of the mainstream media attention, my sights were set on what I thought was one of the most interesting and out-of-the-box books in all of DC Comics. Now that it’s out, I can confidently say that I am all in on Gotham Academy!

In just 22 pages, Becky Cloonan and Brendan Fletcher have accomplished what the rest of the DC brain trust have not been able to do since the company rebooted in 2011; namely, make the DC Universe an interesting and relevant place to visit every week. It helps that Karl Kerschl’s art is gorgeous and 180 degrees from the “house style” the publisher has employed post-New 52.

The best thing about the book, though, is — interestingly — the one thing that hasn’t really been covered in all of the hype surrounding it. The cast of characters of Gotham Academy is one of the most diverse in mainstream comics.

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DC Comics, Television1 Comment

Monday Night Live-Tweet: Gotham and Sleepy Hollow

Alice Wong

Monday nights are just full of nerdy goodness. First with Gotham and then Sleepy Hollow on FOX.  It’s been fun live-tweeting both episodes back-to-back. Here are some choice tweets for the second episodes of Gotham and Sleepy Hollow, “Selina Kyle” and “The Kindred,” respectively.

For more, check out the hashtags #Gotham and #YungGotham for the Batman prequel and #SleepyHeads and #SleepyHolla for everyone’s favorite

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Comics, DC Comics1 Comment

Most of My Heroes Don’t Appear on No Stamps, Except Batman

Keith Chow

In honor of Batman’s 75th anniversary, DC Comics and the United States Postal Service have announced that the Caped Crusader would be the latest superhero to get his own sheet of limited edition stamps. The stamps will be unveiled for the first time at next week’s New York Comic-Con.

This isn’t the first time Batman’s mug was used to transport the mail across the country, but it is the first time Bats didn’t have to share with the rest of the Justice League and got a whole sheet all to himself, depicting four distinct eras of the Bat mythos. And I know how tough it is to distill Batman’s iconography to just four artists, but it’s hard to argue against featuring Bob Kane, Dick Sprang, Neal Adams, and Jim Lee. Though cases could be made for the likes of Carmine Infantino, Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, Norm Breyfogle, Bruce Timm, Kelley Jones, Alex Ross…

Besides, those legendary artists, though, what other versions of Batman failed to make the cut? Here are four that will probably never be available at your local post office.

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DC Comics, Movies, N.O.C. One-Shot6 Comments

N.O.C. One-Shot: Green Lantern Ruined the DC Cinematic Universe

The Nerds of Color

In this outtake from last week’s Hard N.O.C. Life with William Evans from Black Nerd Problems, Keith and N’Jaila get him on a rant about the 2011 Green Lantern film and how it ruined the nascent DC Cinematic Universe it was … Continue reading N.O.C. One-Shot: Green Lantern Ruined the DC Cinematic Universe

DC Comics, Television3 Comments

Once Upon a Time in Gotham: A Storify

Alice Wong

Since last night was the kickoff to the new fall season, I was tasked with watching the FOX network for two straight hours, with Gotham debuting and NOC-favorite Sleepy Hollow returning. Fortunately, I was joined by the lovely folks on twitter since I was live tweeting both shows on the official NOC twitter, using the hashtags #GothamPremiere and #YungGotham.

If you didn’t get a chance to follow along, here’s a Storify for my live-tweets of the Gotham pilot. Check back later for the Sleepy Hollow one. I’ve also highlighted some choice tweets below as well.

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DC Comics, Hard N.O.C. Life, Marvel, Television1 Comment

Fall TV Nerd Problems

The Nerds of Color

William Evans (@willevanswrites) of Black Nerd Problems joins Keith (@the_real_chow) and N’Jaila (@blasianbytch) to talk about this fall’s slate of nerd-centric superhero television shows, including The CW’s Arrow and Flash from DC Entertainment and ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter from Marvel Studios.

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DC Comics, Movies4 Comments

Forget Aquaman, Jason Momoa Must be Shazam!

Keith Chow

In the history of comic book superhero movies, having a casting announcement be met with near-universal praise by the fickle fanboy community is a very rare occurrence. In fact, I’m not sure it’s ever happened. From Keaton to Affleck, ScarJo to Gal Gadot, the nerd reflex is to cry foul — or at least raise a suspicious eyebrow — at Hollywood’s disrespect of comic book continuity. (And don’t even think about casting non-white actors in any of these roles). Nine times out of ten, though, fanboy condemnation — at casting, say, a “vapid pretty boy” like Chris Evans as Captain America or a “gay cowboy” like Heath Ledger as the Joker — gives way to reluctant acceptance and eventually hyperbole over how perfect these actors are in their respective roles.

A few weeks ago, though, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson finally revealed he will be playing Black Adam in a Shazam! movie, the internet reaction was entirely positive. It probably helped that this rumored casting had been gestating for nearly a decade. But while fans were celebrating The Rock as Black Adam, I had one question: who could possibly be (physically) big enough to play Shazam1?

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DC Comics, Movies5 Comments

Mystery Solved: The Rock Will Be Black Adam

Keith Chow

For a few months now, everyone’s favorite wrestler-turned-action-movie-franchise-savior Dwayne Johnson has been hinting at his involvement in the nascent DC Cinematic Universe. A few weeks ago, he all but confirmed that movie would be Shazam though he wouldn’t confirm which part he’d play. William Evans of Black Nerd Problems speculated on what it might mean if The Rock actually played the lead hero (née Captain Marvel) in that upcoming DC movie.

Well, The Rock took to twitter this morning to reveal his role, once and for all.

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DC Comics, Movies5 Comments

Why So Serious? Of Course DC has a “No Jokes” Policy

Keith Chow

Earlier in the week, Drew McWeeny at HitFix sent the internet into a tizzy when he reported that Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment had mandated a strict “no jokes” policy for their entire slate of upcoming superhero movies. As per usual, much handwringing ensued, followed by several reports debunking the original one.

Whether that no joking policy was true or not is irrelevant. The mere fact that so many people believed it in the first place shows just how different and far apart DC and Marvel are in their approaches to superheroes. For decades, DC has embraced grimdark — in both their comics and their movies — to their benefit as well as their detriment.

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DC Comics, Guest Post, Movies4 Comments

What if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Chooses Shazam?

Guest N.O.C.

by William Evans | Originally posted at Black Nerd Problems

Yes, my people, it is I, he who typically slams everything the DCU does with its movie franchises. But look, if this all but confirmed news that Dwayne Johnson will portray Shazam comes to fruition: I like this one. I really, really like this one. If we’re being 100% honest, I think the actor formerly known as the wrestler known as The Rock would be a great Black Adam. Besides the comically-not-really-him-CGI depiction in The Mummy Returns, have we really had Johnson play a villain?

If the news is to be believed, Johnson hasn’t decided which character he’ll portray, but the smart money is on Shazam, and I can’t blame him. As far as franchising, being a good guy on the Justice League is going to afford you many more opportunities in the franchise than a villain who might appear in one flick. But I digress. For the first time since Zack Snyder started signing off on costume designs, I actually like a casting choice for this Justice League universe without having to have seventeen think-pieces to convince me of it. Johnson has proven he can be heroic, goofy, lighthearted, and certainly looks the part of being a “superman-ish” hero.

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