Friday Thoughts: Heroes and Zombies

 Arrow

Arrow Season 2: Episode 11: I have finally caught up on the latest Arrow. Role-reversals, Lauren being a little bitch, Roy having his own vigilante antics and new (Old?) villains changing the playing field. Even though not much has really happened, this series just keeps me hooked and intrigued, they have the formula almost perfect: flashbacks relevant to the current day, sweet action, fun plot twists. I can’t wait to see where we go next.

iZombie

iZombie: Series Overview: What started out as an anti-thesis of buffy ended up as a lovecraftian action-horror. I guess that’s the trouble with having monster-hunters and undead government agents come in the dozens: plain old zombies just aren’t a threat anymore, so you have to up the threat, or there has to be an otherworldly invasion of an eltritch god. I’m a bit disappointed with the direction it took, but it was an enjoyable series nonetheless. It just felt rushed and the premise of solving dead people’s deaths wasn’t really explored. But still, giant alien creatures eating everyone, I’m not going to complain.

Revival

Revival: Volume 1: A country-noir-zombie flick is the best description I could give this wonderful comic. Yeah, it’s more zombies, but these zombies have come back with their higher brain functions intact and without the craving for flesh, so the zombies are pretty much people given second chances and with super strength and healing. It follows a single-mother detective (It’s like a cop show gone horribly right), a college girl who just can’t die (zombie is a superpower, right?) and a biker-exorcist dude (who will exorcize his rights by shooting you with a fucking crossbow). It’s pretty serious and grim (And graphic, but hey, zombies) and the art work and characters are really stand-out. I’m liking it a lot so far.

Supergirl

New 52 Supergirl: Up to #27: I won’t say I’m an expert on Supergirl, but this New 52 run leaves a little to be desired (Like… super-heroics.) The new line of Supergirl comics is really lacking in the whole superhero thing in favor of confusing plotlines, everyone hating on her, tangled family histories and lots of rage. But that isn’t to say it doesn’t have its moments. It’s genuinely heart-warming and awesome at points, I just wish these moments weren’t so few and far between. But I keep reading in the hopes that this new version of Kara will ditch the hate (Of life, the universe and everything) and eventually take on her mantle as a true hero and save a cat out of a tree or something.

Justice League: War

Justice League War: Animated Feature: I really enjoyed the Flashpoint Paradox feature before this, so I went in with a really open mind. Lots of action, lots of characters, but just not enough time to develop anything. Darkseid was really made-out to be a poor villain in this film, Wonder Woman was made out to be a caveman brute, The Flash was underused (Although he did get a whole film to himself last time), A lot of the animation and fight choreography was pretty terrible. But I'll say this: it did have it's moments, all the interaction between Green Lantern and Batman was golden ('What? You're just a guy dressed as a bat? No powers?'), Shazam acting like the kid he really is, Cyborg's origin, recognition of Superman being a flying bulldozer, inception of the Justice League (Super 7?). It was enjoyable, but not a great follow-up to Flashpoint. It's not really worth watching unless you really want to see things explode.