Wow…this movie is starting to look pretty badass. I love the direction I see it going in. I think Badlands looks like a cool way to expand the Predator mythos. The monsters and fauna look cool and I can’t wait to see a young, fledgling Predator face off against them. I like Elle Fanning so far and how it looks like a weird buddy journey with her and the Predator. In the end I’m super hyped. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Category: marvel
Fantastic 4: First Steps
The 1960’s have been defined by 4 heroes who have fought villains, shaped the world, and made it a better place not only for themselves and the people around them, but the newest bundle of joy joining their family. They are no strangers to danger…until a new threat emerges from the stars, announcing the imminent death of the planet- the coming of Galactus. When faced with an impossible threat, an impossible choice, can the Fantastic 4 pull off the impossible?
I’ve been through the ringer of Fantastic 4 (1994) , Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer , and the abomination known as Fant4stic so I was scared. I’m proud to say we actually got not only a great Fantastic 4 movie, but one of the best Marvel movies in years. There was a ton of love given to the comics as well as the visual aesthetic. The movie harkens back to classic 50’s/60’s sci fi and golden age comic books. I loved the actors all around. The 4 have great chemistry and true to the characters. The Silver Surfer was awesome. The true standout was Galactus which, my god, was absolutely terrifying. The movie is well-balanced between drama, comedy, sci-fi action; I’m so happy it stands on its own and doesn’t rely on the greater MCU for its characters and story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the MCU end credit scene, most of us knew it was coming. In the end, I was greatly surprised and I highly recommend the MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family. May the Galactus bring you…glory? Yanno.
Fantastic 4: First Steps trailer
Ok, so long time followers know I love Marvel’s First Family. I wrote a piece a while ago about what I wanted from them in the MCU ( What to do with Fantastic 4? ).
They’re here, along with bringing Silver Surfer and Galactus into the MCU. I love the vintage vibe the movie is going for. Ebon Moss as the Thing looks perfect. Galactus is perfect so far. I like the golden age costumes. There’s a lot of potential but the more I think, the more I’m afraid of this thing. While not as wretched as Fant4stic, I’m still seeing a huge uphill fight for this thing. I think. Starting with Surfer and Galactus is very risky. The 4’s crap track record adds anxiety as well as the serious dip in MCU quality in general. The first test screenings being meh don’t really help either. Time will tell but I am still cautiously excited. May the gaming gods flame on!
Predator: Killer of Killers trailer
Recently I covered the Predator: Badlands teaser. which I;m pretty pumped for, but we’re getting a pretty awesome appetizer with this dark, animated anthology film. I love the idea of 3 Predator stories told throughout human history: the Viking era, Feudal Japan, and WWII. I like seeing the different Yautja types and even what seems to be some space combat, which is something new to the series. I’ll definitely be checking it out this summer. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Black Panther: The Client
King Tchalla is well known as the wise, noble, ingenious king of Wakanda as well as it’s protector, they mysterious and legendary Black Panther. King Tchalla and his enigmatic entourage have come to New York after a little girl was found murdered after receiving aid from a publicized Wakandan charity. Hotshot State Dept. Everett Ross is tasked with accompanying the group, unaware the King is on a revenge quest that will sweep through not only Brooklyn but bring Ross and the Black Panther face to face with Mephisto himself…
I was curious how Marvel Knights would treat Panther. I mostly wasn’t disappointed. After the bright, CGI-filled movies of the MCU, it was refreshing to see an angry, badass Black Panther beating his way through thugs. I found this book’s take on Ross to be sleazy and just hilarious how unprepared for this kind of shit the guy is- Ross in his boxers hanging out at the apartment with Mephisto was straight-up comedy gold. The villain of the book creeped me the hell out. One of my complaints I have is the pacing is off. I wish there was more detective story and stayed more street level. Leading up to Mephisto’s involvement was really cool but I felt like the story rushed it’s way there. By the end I felt lost and had to reread chunks, swearing I missed something somewhere. The art is solid but not particularly memorable. The dialogue and writing feels dated, which does add to the comedy but I’m sure if it was intentional or not. In the end, it’s a solid book but I wouldn’t recommend as a newcomer’s first Panther read. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Daredevil: Underboss
Even the greatest of enemies have lies they do not dare to cross. Daredevil and Kingpin have been arch-enemies for years, taking everything from each other. Murdock will not kill. Stricken blind, Wilson Fisk will not anyone kill his greatest adversary, although he knows the devil of Hell’s Kitchen is none other than a blind lawyer by day. When a mutant named Nitro tries killing Matt Murdock directly in broad daylight, he’s led down a twisting path as he believes Kingpin put the hit on him. But Fisk is just as surprised as Daredevil…then Fisk is seemingly murdered by a betrayer in cold blood as an underboss yearns to bring the criminal element to the good old days before one man ruled it all and there weren’t supers running around. Can Daredevil survive the onslaught and solve the mystery of who wants him dead and more importantly, who knows his secret identity?
Honestly, I love Daredevil even as far back as his arc on spiderman animated series but I’ve never read a comic until recently. Damn was I missing out. This is a Marvel Knights story much like Inhumans and Doctor Strange: The Flight of Bones so it’s gritty and adult-rated, which fits the Man without Fear perfectly. Bendis told a really good story that kept me gripped as much as the gorgeous artwork. The book is paced really well and doesn’t require much pre-knowledge to dive in which I appreciate. The story wraps up pretty nicely and I was genuinely interested in where it was going. In the end, I highly recommend looking up this underrated gem if you wanted to get into Daredevil like I did but didn’t know where. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Doctor Strange: The Flight of Bones
Dr. Stephen Strange has overcome some tremendous feats not only as the Sorcerer Supreme, long-time hero, and renowned surgeon. Despite how much he’s overcome, his hands are failing him. While searching for help in man’s medicine, a new magical threat emerges when people begin spontaneously combusting and one of his dear friends becomes wrapped up in a deadly cult at the cause of the deadly pyres. Just another day for the good doctor, eh, true believers?
Ok, so first I gotta say two things about this book: the story itself is incredibly short and the art is the bizarre beauty I love about Strange’s stories. I was disappointed the Flight of Bones story itself is so short because I was getting pretty invested before it just…ends. There are quite a few other shorts in the book that are mostly good, all with different art styles that are wholly unique and eye-catching. When it comes to Marvel, Strange reliably has some of the coolest artwork and designs, and this book is no exception. Being under Marvel Knights, there is some adult imagery that might scare away the younger kids but many of the stories keep to a darker, bordering on horror edge that I love and I wish the MCU would embrace more with Strange. In the end, while not the best Strange story and not something that will make you fall in love with the Sorcerer Supreme ( I highly recommend Dr Strange & Dr Doom: Triumph and Torment ) it’s still worth checking out for some faster reads. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Jeremy Renner in Critical but Stable condition
Starting the year off badly, Jeremy Renner. According to his spokesperson and local papers Mr. Renner has a home near Mount Rose that was recently hit with a winter storm that left thousands without power. The accident involved a weather related accident while plowing snow. Not much is being released beyond he is with family and receiving excellent care. Best wishes to him and his family,and may the gaming gods bring him glory
Thor: Love and Thunder
So Thor, the loveable God of Thunder, has been through so much over his MCU journey and is now trying to find himself again. He thought hanging out with the Guardians of the Galaxy and losing all the weight would help but he finds himself in a rut until he learns of a new foe on the horizon out to slay every god. Along with Korg and Valkyrie, he finds himself joined by two old friends he never expected to see again, his ex girlfriend Jane Foster wielding a recontructed Mjolnir….
So remember how Thor: Ragnarok was a perfect mix of feels, laughs, and action? You ever wondered what that mix would look like gone horribly wrong? I present you: Love and Thunder. This movie is painfully unfunny. It tries shoving cringy jokes down your throat at breakneck speeds, 9/10 not landing, while also trying to be really dark and serious when it comes to Jane’s terminal cancer and Gorr’s rage. Christian Bale tried his ass off nd honestly, he was my favorite part of the movie although they really bitched Gorr down; I spent a lot of this movie wanting to hug Bale for giving it his all and going down with this dumpster fire. Everyone else is alright except Russel Crowe as Zeus, who was really miscast. The CGI is just ugly and the soundtrack becomes annoying really quick. Speaking of annoying, FUCK those god-forsaken goats. The fights are meh and the ending is just- sure, sure movie. This may be one of the shortest MCU flicks but holy crap it dragged. I tie Thor 4 with Black Widow as worst MCU film so far; those that complained about Thor: The Dark World , well, it just got a thousand times better. Taika Waitti is a talented director; I’m still in love with JoJo Rabbit and Ragnarok was really awesome so I’m hoping this was just a really bad fluke. Regardless, just skip this disaster. May the gaming gods bring you glory, or at the very least kill those annoying ass goats.
Loki, season 1
So where does the God of Mischief go with one of the most powerful artifacts in the known universe? Well, not very far because shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, he’s easily captured by the TVA, an organization designed to keep the flow of time and events on track in every timeline. Moebius, the agent in charge of Loki’s case, presents him a deal- help the TVA track down a dangerous variant running amok through the multiverse and maybe not go extinct. Things may not be all that they seem as Loki comes face to face with Sylvie, his female counterpart with a bloodlust for the TVA that could bring darkness across time and reality…
Ok, first things first, I love Hiddleston as Loki. I always have and always will. But I seriously think this six-episode series could have been condensed better into a two-hour movie. I fell asleep twice during my run of the show. It does pick up in the last couple of episodes, especially the finale, but holy shit to get there is an utter slog. I will say I loved Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains and I’m now excited for Kang the Conquer’s debut after the end. The acting is solid, the score is good with good effects but the pacing murders all of the good. In the end, you could honestly find the best part of this series on Youtube and I don’t think you’d be missing much. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 
