N.O.C. One-Shot: Batman v Superman and What’s Wrong with DC Movies
Stay tuned for a longer conversation between Keith, Raymond, and Jordan Calhoun, from Black Nerd Problems, about all things Daredevil. In the meantime, the trio took a moment to discuss the Batman v Superman trailer and what it portends for DC’s Cinematic Universe.
Continue reading “N.O.C. One-Shot: Batman v Superman and What’s Wrong with DC Movies”
The Fight for Audio Description on Netflix’s Daredevil
When Marvel’s much-anticipated Daredevil premiered on Netflix on April 10, the disability community, especially the nerds with disabilities, looked forward to the series in appreciation of the genre, the comic books, and in particular, the blind protagonist, Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. Unlike other popular superheroes with disabilities that might be cyborgs, mutants, or aliens, Matt Murdock became blind in an accident, a very human and mundane event, nothing supernatural or alien about it. Yes, the radioactive isotopes that he was exposed to gave him certain abilities, but his lived experience as a blind man in a non-blind world also gave him certain skills that became as useful as his heightened senses, ability to take a beating, and mastery of the martial arts.
Very soon after the release of Daredevil on Netflix, people began to realize that blind Netflix users could not enjoy Daredevil’s adventures since the series did not come with audio description.
Continue reading “The Fight for Audio Description on Netflix’s Daredevil“
Why The Black Panther Is Marvel’s Answer to Batman
As most comic book fans are aware, the success of an adaptation — be it a live action film, a television series, or a cartoon — can prove to be a game changer for the superhero protagonist and their standing in the comic book universe.
A little exposure can result in minor throwaway characters becoming heavy hitters overnight.
This is yet another reason I’m excited about the forthcoming Black Panther movie. This is a character who hasn’t always been properly utilized and this has resulted in more than a few missed opportunities. The highly anticipated film may finally alert the public to one fundamental truth about the Wakandan superhero. For all intents and purposes, the Black Panther is Marvel’s answer to Batman.
Continue reading “Why The Black Panther Is Marvel’s Answer to Batman”
NOC Recaps Daredevil: aka Law & Order Hell’s Kitchen
I brought this up in my recap for “Into the Ring,” but “Rabbit in a Snowstorm” is where we really get the Law & Order: Hell’s Kitchen portion of the show. We can break this one down into three parts too: bowling alley/back alley; Karen, Ben, and the devious corporation formerly known as Prince Union Allied; and the murder trial. There’s an up, then down, then back up wave feel in terms of rhythm in this one.
This being an outstanding ensemble drama, the writing and acting sparks get passed around nicely. I’m going to start giving out (drum roll…) “The Golden Broken Arm for Best Performance per Episode.” Appropriate, right? The best performance from “Into the Ring” goes to Charlie Cox, and “Cut Man” is all Rosario Dawson. This episode, though, is actually tougher, but I’m going to go out on a limb. (Ha, “limb” — more on that later).
Let’s begin though, with Sason Jathom. Who?
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Daredevil: aka Law & Order Hell’s Kitchen”
R.I.P. Francis Tsai
Last night, the SIUniverse family was rocked when we learned we had lost one of our own. Francis Tsai, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010, passed away after a long battle with the disease — just one week after celebrating his 46th birthday. In 2009, Francis became part of the SIUniverse by illustrating the story “Taking Back Troy” in the first Secret Identities volume. Though ALS slowly took away his ability to draw with his hands, he never let the disease stop him from creating art. First, he trained himself to draw using his feet, and when that was taken from him, he pioneered special technology using his eyes to create art.
The NOC Review: Donnie Yen’s Back in Kung Fu Killer
As a rabid martial arts film nerd, I’m not easily impressed. It’s one of those things where if you’ve seen one film, you’ve seen them all. So a movie has to really step outside of the box to garner my attention.
The premise of Donnie Yen’s latest action flick, Kung Fu Killer directed by Teddy Chen, did exactly that in grand fashion.
Continue reading “The NOC Review: Donnie Yen’s Back in Kung Fu Killer“
Star Wars Celebration Anaheim Recap
There is something to be said for having a shared experience with over 6,000 people sitting in an arena in Anaheim, California. A single, solitary moment when a giant video screen fades to black and you hear a voice that you recognize but can’t quite process quick enough before the visual hammers it home, “Chewie, we’re home.” Everybody around me immediately jumps up, fists pumping up high, cheers deafening, not quite processing everything about the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer. Luckily, we are able to see it again and are able to focus more on what we just saw.
NOC Recaps Game of Thrones: Arya Gonna Go My Way?
Last week on Game of Thrones, we witnessed various examples of people dealing with their demons, either literally (as with Dany and her dragons) or figuratively (Tyrion dealing with his new role as Dadslayer). This week’s episode, “The House of Black and White,” continues the first episode’s pacing and purpose: we pay visits to the characters we hold dear, but we also get treated to new glimpses of new countries and cultures.
If I had to guess at one overarching theme of this episode, I would say it was the struggle for female empowerment. Arya, Brienne, Cersei, and Daenerys took huge steps this episode into taking a seat at exclusively-male-dominated tables. Ellia Sand seems eager to lead an army to war. Even Gilly is learning how to read! It is becoming very apparent that the future of Westeros, no matter who comes out on top at the end, can very well rest in the hands of a woman.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Game of Thrones: Arya Gonna Go My Way?”
NOC Recaps The Flash: Bee-ing Truthful or Why Lies Sting
Central City buzzed with excitement this week when Team Flash teams up with Team ATOM (Team ATOM consisting solely of Arrow‘s Felicity Smoak and Ray Palmer) to tackle CC’s new bee problem. The bees, however, aren’t the only stings felt by our favorite Central citizens: Barry hesitates whether or not to talk to Cisco and Caitlin about his Wells theories, Eddie and Iris are on the road to couples counseling, and Cisco is feeling some bad vibes concerning Dr. Wells. Are we sure that bees are the only bug problem? Surely, there have gotta be spiders, too, because everyone is tangled in a GOTDAMB WEB OF LIES.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps The Flash: Bee-ing Truthful or Why Lies Sting”
Dismantling the Master’s House of Cards with the Master’s Tools
Being an author, understandably more than a few people have wanted my thoughts on the Hugo/Sad Puppies controversy. For those of you just joining us, this piece by fellow Nerd of Color Arthur Chu gives an excellent summary here.
Before I go any further, let me preface by saying this. As a writer, awards and accolades don’t even rank in terms of priorities. Don’t get me wrong, they’re awesome and I appreciate the honor as much as the next person but it goes back to a point my friend Pauline Trent and I discussed one day. There are generally two types of artists — and by artists I mean visual artists, writers, musicians, dancers, etc. The first type of artist is one who wants to be world renowned as a great artist. The second type of artist simply wants to produce as much work as they can possibly produce. More often than not, the latter leads to the former.
Whether it’s an essay, a social media update, or a novel, whenever I write, I have three objectives in mind: to enlighten, to entertain and to empower. So while awards may not be a priority for many writers, we still acknowledge the huge accomplishment in having one’s work recognized by industry peers and fans alike. Over the years, the Hugos have recognized some truly gifted authors. I’m honored to call a couple Hugo nominees good personal friends of mine. But as this fiasco just illustrated, the Hugos are yet another symptom of a corrupt system that is the publishing industry.
Continue reading “Dismantling the Master’s House of Cards with the Master’s Tools”
Batman Vs. Robin: Now with Color Commentary
So last week I provided live-streaming color commentary while watching Batman vs. Robin.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, my color commentary is essentially done in the spirit of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you know if it was narrated by Dave Chappelle and Paul Mooney.
The commentary is pretty much spoiler free.
Continue reading “Batman Vs. Robin: Now with Color Commentary”
NOC Recaps Daredevil: I’m Bleeding, Save Me Rosario!
This one’s amazing. Holy shit. Wow!
Okay, I think we can break it down into three acts: Matt and Claire, Battlin’ Jack, and the beat down at the end. I guess there’s also the Karen and Foggy bender that’s cute and light. Enough on that? Okay, good. Ding, ding, there’s the bell. Let’s get in to episode two of Daredevil, “Cut Man.”
Fight!
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Daredevil: I’m Bleeding, Save Me Rosario!”
The Force Awakens Trailer Debuts at Star Wars Celebration
“Chewie, we’re home.”
With those three words, the internet became the happiest place in the galaxy. For an hour on Thursday, millions of UPFs (ultra passionate fans, as coined by Mark Hamill, himself) around the world tuned in to YouTube to watch a live stream of the eagerly anticipated Force Awakens panel at Star Wars Celebration. And if you stuck around for the whole hour, it did not disappoint as director JJ Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy unveiled the second teaser for Episode VII. We should have been working live-tweeted the whole thing. Choice tweets (and the trailer, of course) are after the jump.
Continue reading “The Force Awakens Trailer Debuts at Star Wars Celebration”
NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulling Out the Arsenal
I got several notifications during both the East Coast and West Coast airings of this episode that said, “You were right.” And even though the following act proved me both right and wrong (somehow…), I feel so validated and honored that people listen to me. And that I am right.
If you’re reading this recap, then you’re going to be spoiled for the exit of a major character on Arrow. Continue at your own risk.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulling Out the Arsenal”
There’s a Teaser for the Batman v Superman Trailer: This Bullshit Has to Stop
by Marc Bernardin | Originally posted at Playboy.com
We have entered a brave new world of advertising, where the marketing material needs its own marketing. Late yesterday, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder tweeted this:
Continue reading “There’s a Teaser for the Batman v Superman Trailer: This Bullshit Has to Stop”
NOC Recaps iZombie: What About the Zombies of Color?
Alternatively titled: If you’re a zombie, how come you’re not white?
You: Gosh, Connie, you can’t just ask why people aren’t white1!
In this week’s iZombie, “Flight of the Living Dead,” Liv eats the brains of a former sorority sister, Major continues to look for Jerome and Eddie, Ravi is still my favorite character, and a new zombie love interest enters Liv’s life with the hottest hot sauce around. Then we’ll get into the question of the week: Why don’t Zombies of Color have obvious zombie markers like the Caucasian characters do?
Continue reading “NOC Recaps iZombie: What About the Zombies of Color?”
NOCs of the Roundtable: Olivia Munn is Psylocke
On Monday, director Bryan Singer revealed on Instagram that he had cast Newsroom star Olivia Munn as Psylocke in the upcoming reboot/sequel X-Men: Apocalypse. And if you’re wondering, Pyslocke was previously portrayed by Mei Melançon in X-Men: The Last Stand, but everyone knows that movie doesn’t count (and after the events of the last X-Men movie, none of the other ones do either).
Due in theaters next year, Apocalypse continues the period-set aesthetic of the new X-Men franchise. While First Class was set in the 1960s and Days of Future Past in the 1970s, Apocalypse will take place during the 1980s, which is fitting since that’s the time period that saw Betsy Braddock go from a supporting role in Captain Britain to a full-fledged member of the X-Men. She’s also one of the first characters to undergo a convoluted, but canonical, race swap in the pages of the comic.
Anyway, some of the Nerds convened around the old Roundtable to talk about Olivia’s casting in the next X-Men film.
Continue reading “NOCs of the Roundtable: Olivia Munn is Psylocke”
After Daredevil, I Will Never Watch Arrow Again
Originally posted at Black Nerd Problems
Word to God, I will never watch Arrow again.
Let me rewind a minute.
This past weekend was the first weekend of spring weather in New York City, and instead of running through Central Park or eating ice cream from the street vendors that appeared like spring flowers, I spent 13 hours indoors watching Daredevil. And I regret nothing. Daredevil is — and I don’t say this lightly — the best superhero show ever made.
Continue reading “After Daredevil, I Will Never Watch Arrow Again”
NOC Recaps Game of Thrones: Control Your Dragon
Or watch it control you.
“The Wars to Come,” the season five premiere of Game of Thrones, simply showed us the state of things. It set the scene for where these characters are and set them each on a journey. After watching the episode, I kept thinking about Daenerys’ dragons and her lack of control over them. She is now afraid of her own “babies.” Many of the other characters similarly have their own dragons: sources of personal power that they have lost control of. Cersei, Tyrion, Jon, and Brienne all need to regain control of something in their lives that has the power to destroy them. We’ll check in with those characters, then briefly discuss what else we learned in the premiere.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Game of Thrones: Control Your Dragon”
Daredevil is the Hero We Need and Deserve
Eric is doing weekly recaps of each episode of Daredevil, but this column will be a review of the series as a whole. I will try and keep this as spoiler free as I can. I really will try. I promise.
For a good long run, DC was the king of bringing their properties to the large and small screens. From 1943 with the Batman serials, to Superman I and II in 1978 and 1980, to the glory that was Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), DC had the televisual and cinema game on lock. Marvel did their thing, but nothing Marvel did could hold a candle to Justice League Unlimited. Not a Hulk, Thor, Daredevil special. Not any animated iteration of The X-Men or the Avengers. Not anything, animated or not. Then in 1998, Blade happened.
Continue reading “Daredevil is the Hero We Need and Deserve”
NOC Recaps Daredevil: Marvel’s Got DC Throwing Tantrums
It’s still surreal to me that it’s here after all the hype and the waiting. Rather than hash out point by point what happens, let’s look at reasons why the first episode of Marvel and Netflix’s Daredevil is one of the best first episodes of anything ever filmed; superhero or otherwise.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps Daredevil: Marvel’s Got DC Throwing Tantrums”
White Canary and Arrow’s Habit of Whitewashing
It’s no secret that we are huge fans of Arrow and the whole universe of DC heroes on The CW. So the idea of the network spinning off yet another show — tentatively titled The Atom, by the way — set in that shared universe has got all of us Nerds salivating with anticipation. Ever since it was announced that Caity Lotz was also going to star in the spin-off, fans have been guessing how she would be brought back and which character she would play since she, you know, died on Arrow. Uh, spoiler?
Over on ComicsAlliance, they’re speculating that Lotz will be brought back as White Canary. Being a big fan of Caity’s, I’m stoked she’s coming back to the universe. The only problem is, despite the character’s name, White Canary ain’t, uh, white.
Continue reading “White Canary and Arrow’s Habit of Whitewashing”
NOC Recaps iZombie: Where Veronica Mars Meets Chuck Meets Pushing Daisies
NOC is recapping iZombie! Here’s a bit of background on the show before we dive in to this week’s episode.
iZombie is The CW’s newest series. Based on the DC/Vertigo comic book of the same name, it tells the story of Olivia Moore (she goes by Liv. Liv Moore), a former heart surgeon, who went to a boat party that went badly. The boat was attacked by some dudes on an experimental drug, and she was swiped in the arm on the way over the side of the boat. She wakes up with white hair and an intense craving for BRAAAINNS.
Continue reading “NOC Recaps iZombie: Where Veronica Mars Meets Chuck Meets Pushing Daisies“