Category: Articles

The Most Iconic Supervillains Of All Time

With the upcoming release of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War now would be a great time to look at some of most iconic supervillains of all time. I have a feeling that once Justice League Dark: Apokolips is released on DVD and Blu-Ray™ on May 18 Darkseid will only grow in popularity and will further solidify his status as one of the greatest supervillains of all time. In this article we will be looking at how Darkseid stacks up against other iconic supervillains which you have seen appear in movies, comics and on TV.

Darkseid

“Bow before me.” (Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, 2020)

Appearing in the new Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is Darkseid, the Dark Lord of the hellish world of Apokolips. Darkseid is a sadistic, aggressive tyrant seeking to control all sentient life throughout the universe and beyond. In his quest for ultimate power, Darkseid seeks out the AntiLife Equation, a mysterious formula that would allow him to remove all free will from every sentient life form in the known universe and replace with his own will. With an army of mindless Parademons
who obey his every order, Darkseid can be weakened, but never truly destroyed making him a pretty good supervillain!

Darth Vader

“No… I am your father…” (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980)

One of the most iconic villains of all time is Darth Vader, aka Anakin Skywalker, the main antagonist from the Star Wars franchise. Originally a slave on Tatooine, Darth Vader is a Jedi prophesied to bring balance to the Force. Eventually, he is lured to the dark side of the Force and becomes a Sith Lord. After being scarred in a lightsaber battle with his former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader dressed himself in the iconic headwear viewers have come to know over the years. He then serves the Galactic Empire as its chief enforcer and tragically redeems himself by saving his son, Luke
Skywalker, sacrificing his own life in the process.

Poison Ivy

“So many people to kill…So little time.” (Batman & Robin, 1997)

Poison Ivy, aka Dr Pamela Lillian Isley, serves as one of DCEU’s most captivating, intriguing supervillain, who has a twisted love- hate relationship with Batman. Evil has never been so attractive as it is through the character of Poison Ivy who is Gotham City’s ecoterrorist on a mission to control the world. Poison Ivy makes use of plant toxins and mind-controlling pheromones against anyone who gets in her way. Whilst it could be debated that Poison Ivy is now an anti-heroine, she has a reputable history of a villainous nature who will do anything to achieve her goals.

Hela

“Asgard is dead and it will be reborn in my image.”(Thor: Ragnarok, 2017)

Hela Odinsdottir, the Asgardian Goddess of Death, is well known for unleashing fury and chaos within the Asgardian kingdom. The eldest daughter of Odin was once banished to Hela due to her ambitious plans and formidable powers. After the death of her father, Hela returns to Asgard with full vengeance, taking back full control and fulfilling her mission of creating an Asgardian empire. When the Asgardian kingdom refuse to bow to her hellish and fearful leadership, Hela orders a
massacre and enslavement of the Asgardian people. Fortunately, she is stopped in her path of destruction by her younger brother Thor, but at the cost of destroying Asgard.

Lord Voldemort

“There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it” (Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone, 2001)

No list would be complete without a mention of one of the most powerful and dangerous Dark Wizards of all time. Born as Tom Riddle, Voldemort is a half- blood orphan with an obsession for blood purity. Voldemort’s main aim in the Harry Potter franchise is to eradicate the Wizarding World of Muggle (non-magical) heritage and to achieve pure-blood dominance. Lord Voldemort is the archenemy and nemesis of Harry Potter, who holds the power to vanquish him of all his power.

It will be interesting to revisit this discussion with Darkseid in particular once Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is released.

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray™, Blu-Ray™ Steelbook & Blu-Ray™ Minifig on May 18 and is available on digital download NOW.

WIN SUPERMAN: RED SON ON BLU-RAY™

As stated in my previous post I would be running a giveaway for you to possibly win your own copy of Superman: Red Son on Blu-ray™, thanks to the people at Warner Bros. All you have to do is answer the question in the comment section down below:

Which of the following characters has Jason Isaacs, the voice of Superman in Superman: Red
Son, voiced for DC Universe Movies?
a) Sinestro
b) Ra’s al Ghul
c) Lex Luthor
d) All of the above
Superman: Red Son is available on Digital Download now, and Blu-ray™ & DVD on March

*You must be located in the UK to qualify for the giveaway*

Good luck!

This competition will close on the 16th March, 2020

Superman: Red Son

What if the Man of Steel was raised behind the Iron Curtain? So begins DC’s acclaimed Elseworlds story, Superman: Red Son, now the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe Movies. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the feature-length animated film arrives – along with a new DC Showcase animated short, Phantom Stranger – from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital Download from February 25, 2020, and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray Mini Fig, Blu-ray Steelbook and DVD on March 16, 2020.

Superman: Red Son – Out Now!

The latest instalment into the DC Animated Universe is here! With the huge event of Justice League: Dark Apokolips War on the horizon. It’s time for another Elseworlds story in the meantime to hold us over until then. Superman: Red Son (by Mark Millar) has been given the animated treatment by the ever present Sam Liu. If that name doesn’t ring a bell to you, it certainly should. Liu has made a huge contribution towards the DC Animated Universe with his previous works such as All Star Superman, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract and most recently, last year’s Wonder Woman: Bloodlines.

I have been looking forward to this movie so much because not only is Superman my favourite comic book character, but this is also one of my favourite storylines ever. I’ve always loved the Elseworlds approach on certain characters and Superman is one of them. Because while he is rooted in Metropolis seeing him grow up and operate in an entirely different environment was fascinating when I first picked up the comic.

If you’re new to Superman: Red Son, here’s a brief summary of the story:

“In Red Son, Superman‘s rocket ship lands on a Ukrainian collective farm rather than in Kansas, an implied reason being a small time difference (a handful of hours) from the original timeline, meaning Earth’s rotation placed Ukraine in the ship’s path instead of Kansas. Instead of fighting for “… truth, justice, and the American Way,” Superman is described in Soviet radio broadcasts “… as the Champion of the common worker who fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.”

Via. Fandom

Superman: Red Son is already available to purchase on Digital download as you read this. But if you’re like me and you love your physical media, you’re going to have to wait until 16 March, 2020 to purchase it on Blu-ray™/DVD.

You might be tempted to purchase the limited-edition gift set which comes with your very own figure of the Soviet Superman himself.

(see pictures below)

Be sure to keep a look out for my review of course, and for a chance to win a copy of Superman: Red Son (courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Superman: Red Son is available on Digital Download now, and Blu-ray™& DVD on March 16, 2020.

Robert Pattinson to Play Batman in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’?

Just an hour ago social media exploded when Variety dropped a bombshell on us. They finally gave us what we have been waiting for. Who will be taking over the mantle from Ben Affleck as the caped crusader? Variety are pretty confident Robert Pattinson will be stepping into the iconic role. They claim a deal hasn’t been made yet, but Matt Reeves had him in mind while writing the script. While I was just taking in this news Deadline also released their own report on the potential casting. Both outlets agree that a deal hasn’t been made final yet. But where they differ is Deadline claiming that Robert Pattinson isn’t the only person in contention for the role. Deadline states that both Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult are at the top of Warner Bros. list. However, Deadline’s report does seem to imply that Pattinson is the favourite for the role by claiming “the bat suit isn’t filled yet and that they like both guys, with Pattinson holding the edge”. This is a bit frustrating isn’t it? We finally get the news we wanted, but nothing has been confirmed yet. I guess we gotta sit tight and be patient, as if we haven’t already been doing that for several months. I have a feeling it will end up Robert Pattinson taking the role. But you never know with Hollywood.

Let me know what you think of these potential castings

Mysterious Line Dropped in New Avengers: Endgame Clip

Earlier today Marvel released a new clip from their upcoming movie Avengers: Endgame. The clip shows us the remaining Avengers, plus new recruit Carol Danvers at Avengers HQ coming up with a plan to kill Thanos. Now, this clip dropped around midday. And I thought nothing of it. I mean I was still hyped and it was great to see these characters strategise and clash heads. But fast forward a couple of hours later, it seems like I missed a crucial part of this clip. And it turns out that I wasn’t the only one.

Just as Thor goes up to approach Carol you hear a voice say “I have telepathy”. Listen closely down below (Turn up your volume really high)

https://twitter.com/ComicBooksTalk/status/1115433234144399361

Crazy right? Once you hear it you can no longer unhear it. From this clip it sounds like Carol’s voice. I’m no expert on the Captain Marvel character so this came as a surprise to me. But it kind of makes sense in the context of the clip. Straight after that line is said she isn’t phased by Thor summoning Stormbreaker right next to her. Maybe she read his mind and saw it coming. Other people have said the voice could possibly be Scarlet Witch as she’s communicating to the Avengers from the soul world. I personally don’t buy this theory. But what do you think of this line?

Let me know your thoughts below.

The Joker Trailer: First Impressions

As expected the trailer for Todd Phillips’ Joker movie arrived today. And to take a phrase from Heath Ledger’s Joker for a second…it didn’t disappoint. I mean where do I start with this one? Before the trailer even dropped I was fascinated with the idea of this movie. Now this is my most anticipated movie of the year. I love the whole vibe I’m getting from this movie. It’s dark, tragic, crazy and will most likely be full of dark humour. Just as a Joker movie should be.

Here are my main talking points from the trailer:

Beautifully shot

Joaquin Phoenix is getting a lot of praise as expected and rightly so. But I want to start this off by giving Todd Phillips and the rest of the crew behind the scenes some praise. The way the movie is shot caught my eye immediately. There are some amazing shots in this trailer and I think they did a good job at capturing the 80s. Plus the music they chose fits the tone of the movie/trailer perfectly.

Joaquin’s Joker

On to the main man himself Joaquin Phoenix. I’m trying not get carried away here, but I think he’s going to kill this role. It looks like he went all out for this role. His mannerisms and the presence he commands on screen with the full make up on. I was in awe the whole time. His Joker laugh is great too. Again, I’m trying not to get carried away here, but it feels like they made a great choice by picking him for this role.

Origin

The most interesting thing about this trailer to me is the way they’re approaching the Joker’s origin story. From the moment this movie was announced people were automatically turned off because the Joker is someone who doesn’t really have an origin. But what they’re doing with this movie. I’m all for it. I’m not one of these gatekeepers. If you’re going to do it, just do it well. The way the trailer starts by showing us Arthur caring for his mother and seeing what the character has become by the end of the trailer had me hooked. I want to see this journey the character goes on. I want to see him start off as someone we can sympathise with and then it just takes a sharp turn to where we aren’t meant to be rooting for this guy. We should hate him, but love him at the same time. At the end of the day he’s a bad guy. And he’s going to do some crazy shit to people in this movie, I can guarantee you that now. I also love how they’re focusing on mental illness in this movie, something a lot of people can relate to.

God, I cannot wait for this movie. I’ve already watched the trailer more than 10 times. And I love it even more with each watch.

Here are some of my favourite shots from the trailer:

Let me know your thoughts on the trailer down below.

The Joker is set to be released later this year on October 4

Joker Trailer to be Released Tomorrow

What a day it has been for comic book fans like myself. Just as I finally got through and brought my tickets for Avengers: Endgame I get a notification on my phone saying director Todd Phillips has made a new post on his Instagram. Without hesitation I went to his page because I knew it would be something Joker related. Well, to my surprise it was more than that. Not only did Todd Phillips give us our first look at the poster for the movie, he also announced we’re getting a teaser trailer tomorrow!

View this post on Instagram

Teaser trailer tomorrow. #JokerMovie

A post shared by Todd Phillips (@toddphillips1) on

Warner Bros. also created a Twitter account for the movie and provided us a promotional banner.

Shortly after I received a press release from Warner Bros. detailing the movie.

Check out the official synopsis for The Joker:

“Joker centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen.  Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”

One detail I found really interesting in the press release is how it states Robert De Niro is starring in the movie alongside Joaquin Phoenix. It looks like he’s going to have a major role in the movie. I honestly can’t wait for the trailer tomorrow.

Check back here tomorrow for my breakdown/reaction to the trailer.

The Joker is set to be released on Oct. 4

Shazam! – Review (non-spoiler)

Shazam! is the latest entry into the DCEU. After the recent success of Aquaman all eyes turned to Billy Batson, a kid who can turn into a superhero by saying the word Shazam! Tasked with bringing Shazam to the big screen for the first time is David F. Sandberg. Most known for his horror background this would seem like an odd choice given Shazam’s character. But just like James Wan, David F. Sandberg proved he can adapt his style and produce a great superhero movie. Because that’s what Shazam! is at the end of the day. I had such a great time while watching this movie. My cheeks started to hurt because I found myself smiling so much. Shazam! is a movie full of heart that grabs you from minute one and takes you even further once Billy discovers his powers.

Family

One of the main reasons why this film resonated with me so much is the use of family as its theme. Billy from a young age not only struggles to fit in, but he has an even harder time trying to find a place he can call home. And throughout the movie it has him going back to his past to look for answers. I won’t spoil it, but I found some of these scenes really emotional. By the end of the movie it’s really nice to see how things turn out for him. You see how Billy changes over time, especially with how he treats people. Because at the beginning of the movie he’s not the nicest kid, but given his upbringing you can kind of sympathise with him. It’s just so satisfying once his character makes that change.

Perfect casting

I cannot praise the movie any further if I don’t give a special shoutout to the cast here. The movie works because of them. And you know what’s the best part about it? The majority of the main cast are kids! They’re going places after this movie. As for the main star Zachary Levi he’s just perfect in the role. I knew he was going to nail the role from the first trailer. He not only embodies this version of the character so well, but he makes if feel so realistic to me if that makes sense. I would totally be acting the same way he does in the movie if I found out I could become a superhero. He and Jack Dylan Grazer play off each other so well. Every time it was just them two on the screen together I wanted more. My favourite part in movie is once Billy gets his powers he takes Freddy along with him to discover what powers he actually has. This whole 10-15 minutes section of testing Shazam’s abilities is amazing and it works so well because of the chemistry between the actors. The rest of the kids who make up the foster family are great too. Faithe Herman as Darla was a standout too. Every time she was on the screen she got a positive reaction from the audience.

Dr. Sivana

Speaking of great casting Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana provides for an interesting main villain. Surprisingly, Dr. Sivana is actually given a lot of screen time compared to other villains in superhero movies. The movie actually opens with him. So not only are we following Billy’s journey we’re also following Dr. Sivana’s arc at the same time too. He’s isn’t a throwaway villain. The writers made sure that we understand why he took this route and the impact his upbringing had on him, just like with Billy. What I liked the most about Dr. Sivana is how he’s a genuine threat to Billy and the public. One of the best scenes in the movie involves Dr. Sivana in a boardroom. It’s straight up terrifying, clearly David F. Sandberg was channeling his horror roots in this scene. This scene really stands-out in the movie and it helps solidify Dr. Sivana as a formidable opponent for Shazam.

A lack of punch

With all the praise I’ve given to this movie so far it’s only right for me to bring up what I didn’t like about it because it’s not a perfect movie. Personally, I thought the action was just average. Not that it looked bad because given the lower budget I thought the CGI was fine throughout the movie. But the action scenes/fighting didn’t show me anything different. I was expecting more to be honest. And this ties in with another issue I have with the movie which is the third act/final fight. I thought it could have been a lot better. My main issues with it are that it had the same type of action as we saw throughout the movie and I felt like it went on for too long. Other than the action, humour is a major aspect of the movie. And while for the majority of the movie it worked there were times where a joke would take me out of the moment. At this point I might be nitpicking because 90% of the jokes landed for me. Plus there genuinely were some laugh out loud moments throughout.

Closing thoughts

Overall, even the flaws aren’t enough from stopping Shazam! being a special movie. It may not make a billion dollars like Aquaman, but I think Shazam! will win the hearts of many people. It won my heart. I love this movie and I can’t wait to see it again, along with a couple of sequels in the future. At a time where it may feel like we’re getting too many superhero movies and there may be some fatigue. Shazam! is a breath of fresh air to the genre. Do yourself a favour, go out and see this movie!

Shazam! will be released on April 5

The Shazam! Trailer Is Finally Here

The marketing for DC’s upcoming Shazam! movie is finally picking up steam. Over the past couple of weeks the studio has slowly been putting out more TV spots. And with the movie set to be released next month it was time for the big one! Another full trailer to hold us over for the next couple of weeks.

As for the trailer itself I thought it was really well done. The thing I liked about it the most is how they actually didn’t show much which is a good thing to me. For example, with Mark Strong unless you’ve read the comics we don’t know much about him from this trailer and the one they showed last year at SDCC. Warner Bros. in particular, has been guilty of showing too much of the story/footage with their trailers in the past. But not with Shazam! this time. They seem to be learning from their mistakes and taking a more laid back approach. Granted, the movie’s budgets isn’t in the same realms as the likes of Man of Steel/BvS and Aquaman. Shazam’s budget is much lower and is fully expected to make back its budget and much more.

When the trailer wasn’t showing us footage we had already seen the new material was a welcome sight. I must say the tone of this movie feels perfect. I love the chemistry between Freddy and Shazam! I do believe Freddy will steal the movie for me. How can you not love him? He’s basically acting like how anyone of us would act if we found out our best friend was a superhero. His performance comes across as so genuine and pure. As for Shazam himself, it’s going to be great to see how his journey evolves. While he’s having all of this fun at one point it’s going to get serious because Dr. Sivana does pose a genuine threat to him and his foster family.

The special effects for the movie look fine. There’s nothing that I have seen so far that has taken my breath way. There also hasn’t been anything that I think looks terrible. You can tell the film is on a smaller budget. And honestly, I know it might sound like I’m being too much of a DC fan, but the visuals don’t really bother me. With Shazam! I’m not looking for this overly complex story or a cinematic masterpiece. I’m just looking to have fun. And with everything I’ve seen so far I think I’m going to have a great time watching this movie.

What did you think of the trailer? Let me know your thoughts down below.

Shazam! is set to be released on April 5th

First look at Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey Revealed

Margot Robbie’s girl-gang movie Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) has been shooting since the start of the year. Unlike when previous DC movies have started shooting we haven’t seen any set photos leak yet. One has to think it will only be a matter of time before they start filming in the public. However, Margot Robbie gave us something on her Instagram this morning which should hold us over until then. With the film currently in production Margot Robbie, decided to give us our first look at Harley Quinn in the upcoming movie.

Closer look at the dog tag which clearly states ‘Bruce’

Granted, it isn’t an official first look. It’s more of a selfie of her just waiting around on set. Therefore, it’s hard to see how much of her look has changed since the last time we saw her in Suicide Squad. One thing that has caught the attention of many comic book fans like myself is the dog tag Harley’s wearing. If you look closely you can see it says ‘Bruce’ on it. What does this mean? Just an Easter Egg or acknowledgement that Bruce exists in this universe. Could he possibly play a small role in the movie? Or is this just part of Harley’s crazy personality. After all, she would name her dog after Bruce Wayne.

Let me know your thoughts on our first look

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) is set to be released on February 7, 2020