Hard NOC Life: The Show That Shall Not Be Renewed

Iron Fist is cancelledTitans is launchedand Superman returns to The CW! All this and more on a new episode of Hard NOC Life.

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David Harewood on Being the Martian Manhunter

On a new Hard NOC Life, we’re joined by Supergirl star David Harewood! But first, Keith takes a minute to tell the origin story of the WICOMICON Pop-Up in Baltimore over the weekend.

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#BeingLatinx on Supergirl

On the most recent episode of Supergirl, the producers doubled down on Maggie Sawyer’s problematic Latinx identity.

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#AACC2017: Warrior Women — Reimagining the Asian Female Hero

Recorded live during the Asian American ComiCon Summit on Art, Action, and the Future.

In the wake of Wonder Woman​, with Mulan on the horizon, what should we expect in a rich, textured, powerful and provocative Asian (or Asian American!) heroine? What’s worked, what hasn’t and why has it taken so damned long?

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DC TV Podcasts Goes Live to Celebrate The Flash/Supergirl Musical Crossover

For several months now, it’s been teased on both The Flash Podcast and Supergirl Radio that with the epic musical crossover between The Flash and Supergirl, both podcasts would of course come together for a crossover of their own.

On Tuesday, March 21 at 9pm PT / 12am ET, the two podcasts will come together for a special live show, following the musical crossover between The Flash and Supergirl. The live show will be hosted at Mixlr.com/DCTVPodcasts where hosts of both podcasts will be discussing the big musical event.

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Super Sixteen: Top Television Shows of 2016

It’s one of my favorite times of the year. It’s where I review the best and brightest that television had to offer in the previous year. If you haven’t already, you should check out my Top Films of 2016. Go ahead, check it out, I’ll wait. No really, I’ll wait. You back? Awesome.

As is the standard with my movie year-in-review, my television selections have to pass the Upkins Media Litmus Test.

Without further adieu…

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The Disappointing Truth About Supergirl’s Maggie Sawyer

Last year Supergirl hit CBS with a splash raking in a whopping 13 million viewers in its pilot episode and while the shows viewership dropped after its premiere, and eventually moved to smaller network The CW to join other DCTV shows, it is still a show that’s proving to be a positive investment for the network. 

Two on-going criticisms of the show, however, was the overall lack of women of color in what was supposedly a feminist superhero show, and the usage of coming out metaphors within the show’s narrative. Both criticisms were addressed during the season two promotional tour. The showrunners revealed that there would be an introduction — or rather a coming out — of a major LGBTIQA character on the show, along with the inclusion of Maggie Sawyer (a known lesbian in the DCU) and Sharon Leal as Miss Martian.

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NOC Nerd Out: Hey (Super)Girl…

With Supergirl’s second season officially kicked off (recap coming soon!), NOC Denny Upkins and I decided to chat all things Supergirl. Join us on this inaugural edition of NERD OUT.

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Hard NOC Live from SDCC 2016: Lisa Yee

On the heels of the home video release of the first DC Super Hero Girls original movie, Hero of the Year, here is our conversation with the writer of the DCSHG middle grade novels, Lisa Yee, from the lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel during San Diego Comic-Con 2016!

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CONFIRMED: A Musical Crossover is Happening for Supergirl and The Flash

It’s happening. After non-stop begging for the last year and a half, the producers of The CW’s block of superhero shows have relented and are giving us a musical crossover between Supergirl and The Flash (with potential guest appearances by Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow cast members). You’re welcome, world.

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This Year’s Supergirl

Originally published at Bitch Flicks

At 8 years old, I would wake up early every Saturday morning to tune in and watch Superboy. Over the years, I’ve been a faithful viewer of the original George Reeves Superman series, Lois & Clark, the Bruce Timm animated series, the live action films, and of course the comics. I’m a comic book guy through and through. For me, Superman isn’t just a superhero. He is THE superhero. I’m very protective of the Man of Steel’s mythos and legacy. Suffice it to say, I had my concerns when the CBS series Supergirl was announced.

Somehow when I wasn’t paying attention, my reaction evolved from, “The pilot was cute, I guess I’ll tune in,” to “Jesus Christ is it Monday night yet? I need my Maiden of Might!!!!”

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Green Arrows and Ham: Five ‘Hamilton’ Stars who Should be in the DC Universe

If you follow this site, you know there aren’t many things we obsess over more than The CW’s DC Universe and Hamilton. And since most of the original cast of the Broadway phenomenon has moved on — or is about to move on [sadface] — I figured why not mash up our favorite things and imagine which DC characters the Hamilton cast could play in the Berlanti-verse? We all know how much they love casting Broadway talent on these shows in the first place. Besides, Lin himself has said we should expect these guys on our favorite shows anyway:

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Here Are the Supermen of Color

We’re back with another round of casting, this time, we’re casting twelve guys in the respective roles of various superheroes for the now CW sophomore show Supergirl. Last time, we mentioned that while Supergirl did well to promote (white) feminism, it needed to share that with women of color. Feminism does mean equality, and not just for women but for men as well.

Although arguably, little by little, we’re starting to see more men of color as heroes, but honestly? The barrier-breaking could use a little help, and Supergirl is in the right position to super-punch right on through them. Though the show just announced it’s bringing on Superman next season, DC Comics has a range of wonderful heroes of color and it’s about time that we got to see them shine too.

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Why Can’t Tom Welling be Superman on Supergirl?

I’ve been sitting on this post for a while now, but with today’s news that Superman will actually appear next season on Supergirl, I figured now would be as good a time as any to explain why I think veteran TV Superman Tom Welling should don the red cape once again (for the first time?) and officially welcome Kara to The CW, the network Smallville launched a decade ago.

“But Smallville and Supergirl are two separate, incompatible continuities!” I know. I know. But hear me out: Supergirl is the perfect opportunity to get Welling back on The CW in the one role he deserves (but may or may not need right now): Superman.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: A New Kind of Hope

One of the more enjoyable parts of Supergirl’s inaugural season is the refreshing and bold decision to place this National City hero squarely in the present as a Millennial. The bright and optimistic (and inclusionary!) perspective is drawn clearly in Kara’s idealistic worldview and personified by the bright and hopeful characters she has chosen to surround herself with (more on that in a minute). If Arrow is about the fight against a cold cynicism with The Flash about overcoming tragedy via the love of family, then Supergirl is about staring down the challenges of life with hope and optimism.

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We’re All Supergirls

In the tradition of today’s superhero, each new season brings new stories and of course new characters. New characters help to expand the lore of our superhero, and in the case of Supergirl, I thought what if these new characters happened to be women of color? After all, Supergirl managed to reach out with a message of equality and feminism. Now, let’s go a step further and showcase intersectionality. Feminism is for everyone and not just for our Caucasian female lead.

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Supergirl: An L.A. Story for Today

by AJ Joven

It must have happened when I noticed Kara running in front of a slightly obscured monument that could only have been at Pershing Square. The flat sky scrapers, palm trees, and the technicolor brightness of the world all felt so familiar. An alien, misunderstood and hiding in plain sight, here in DC’s analog of Los Angeles is what makes Supergirl such a watershed moment: it takes this specific angle of the City and wears it unabashedly. As I’ve been playing catch up on the series (sorry… as a Filipino, I’m generally late to everything), I’ve found lots to like about the confident voice in Supergirl. Often steeped in questions of identity, Supergirl’s writers send up the concepts of being a professional woman, a millennial, and, most personal to me, an immigrant with swagger and intent. Seeing National City be so clearly depicted as Los Angeles (seriously, that flat top sky line is unique, y’all) and all of the auxiliary connotations involved in that is not, to my mind a mistake. It is, however, a first.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Drone Strike

I have to admit, the penultimate episode of Supergirl’s first season was definitely not my favorite. I’ve been a big booster for this show, even before it premiered, but last week’s culmination of the “Myriad” storyline was not nearly as satisfying as it could have been. Of course, there were some strong moments — as is the case with every Supergirl episode, Calista Flockhart is the MVP — but I really wasn’t feeling the villains’ evil plot this week, especially considering this was being alluded to all season-long.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl (and The Flash): Dawn of Sunshine and Ice Cream

When the powers that be at Warner Brothers and CBS finally acquiesced and greenlit a Supergirl/Flash crossover, I wonder if they were intentional about airing it the Monday after Batman v Superman’s opening weekend? Because after two-and-a-half hours worth of self-serious grimdark, it was such a relief to see DC superheroes who actually, you know, enjoy being superheroes.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Is There Life on Mars?

Last week’s Supergirl was the Martian Manhunter origin story we’ve been waiting for all season, and it didn’t disappoint. From a guest appearance by former Superman Dean Cain — no longer the world’s only Asian Superman — to David Harewood giving an excellent performance as Evil Hank (in a silly wig), the episode had everything we could hope for. Unfortunately, with all eyes on tonight’s crossover with The Flash, I don’t have time to do a proper recap, so I’ll leave you with Christelle’s live tweets from the night.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Seeing Red-K

Sixteen episodes in to the first season of Supergirl and I should probably learn not to underestimate the show. You see, prior to the airing of last week’s Red Kryptonite-influenced episode, titled “Falling,” I assumed we would be getting filler between stronger episodes. Boy, was I wrong! Seeing Melissa Benoist channel Bad Supergirl might be some of my favorite moments all season. It also doesn’t hurt that after the previous episode’s many homages to Smallville and other past Super history, the show kicked it up a notch this week.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Fortress of Easter Eggs

After taking a week off, Supergirl returns with an all-new episode on CBS tonight. The episode that aired two weeks ago — simply named “Solitude” — was probably the most easter egg-packed episode of the season. Rather than a traditional recap of the events, I’m just going to geek out over all the cool nods to past Super-lore, including and especially call backs to Smallville since former Supergirl Laura Vandervoort was guest starring. Which is basically what I did while live-tweeting anyway.

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NOC Recaps Supergirl: Justice For All

It would be an understatement to say last week’s Supergirl was the most anticipated episode of the season. Not only did it follow what was arguably the series’ best ep to date, episode 14 — titled “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” — was directed by the NOC’s favorite director Lexi Alexander.

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