Category: 2022

Comic Book Review – Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Volume Two

Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Volume 2 (2022)
Reprints Daredevil #11 – 20
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Marco Checcehtto, Franceso Mobli, and Jorge Fornes

When we last left Matt Murdock, he had reached one of his lowest points. He’s having an affair with a woman who married into the mob, the Daredevil is being actively hunted by the police, Wilson Fisk is the mayor of New York City, and he’s been physically broken down. This is the moment that Elektra shows back up in his life. Other civilians have picked up the mantle of Daredevil but are in over their heads. Elektra sees her role at this moment to remind Matt of why he is crucial to Hell’s Kitchen. There’s also Detective North, a transfer into the NYPD who is determined to bring down masked vigilantes and stop the roiling corruption in the police force. Tensions are incredibly high, and the powder keg feels like it will blow. 

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Comic Book Review – Immortal Hulk Book Four

Immortal Hulk Book Four (2022)
Reprints Immortal Hulk #31-40
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Joe Bennett, Javier Rodriguez, Nick Pitarra, Butch Guice, and Mike Hawthorne

In this penultimate omnibus of Immortal Hulk, writer Al Ewing continues exploring and deconstructing the Green Goliath. The tone of this book has consistently been that of body horror, a subgenre that fits the Hulk to a tee. It’s such a good match that I struggle to see Hulk working in another manner. As good as Donny Cates’ current run on the character is at the moment, it had such a massive shadow looming over it from Immortal. From the beginning, it has been clear that Ewing wants to use the Hulk to explore questions about identity and death and how the two intertwine. Gamma has become a mix of science and spirituality, a force that created Bruce Banner and may have been created out of him via some metaphysical means.

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TV Review – Raised by Wolves Season Two

Raised by Wolves Season Two (HBO Max)
Written by Aaron Guzikowski, Julian Meiojas, and Karen Campbell, 
Directed by Ernest Dickerson, Sunu Gonera, Alex Gabassi, and Lukas Ettlin

Few shows being made today are as a pretty wild trip as Raised By Wolves. While watching the season two finale, I think my emotions could be described as confused & stunned, but all in a good way. I think I’ve reached the point where I do not see the show as doing anything important or trying to make a serious point, but the intensity that the showrunners have who think they are makes it such an entertaining experience. Going into the second season, my expectations were reasonably lukewarm. The first season concluded on an odd note that had me wondering where the narrative would go next. Instead of bringing things back down and being grounded to a degree, Raised by Wolves ramped it all up.

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Movie Brain – March 18th, 2022

In recent weeks, news reports have been circulating about a study that estimates 50% of the U.S. population has experienced some level of cognitive decline due to lead exposure. This could be through lead paint or lead pipes, even leaded gasoline fumes. Now, just because the news media have picked up a press release about a scientific study doesn’t mean we should accept this as gospel truth until it has been properly peer-reviewed. However, this is not the first time I’ve come across the lead theory. Over the last few years, I’ve seen this pitched in online discussions and brought up in articles, so I think there is something worth exploring here.

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Movie Review – Fresh

Fresh (2022)
Written by Lauryn Kahn
Directed by Mimi Cave

I got married in 2011, so I just missed the era of ubiquitous dating apps and how these programs have restructured dating in the 21st century. I remember the website OkCupid and Match.com, but apps like Tinder and Bumble are just beyond my dating experiences. The people who have engaged with these apps have gone on to pen stories by “Cat Person” or films like Promising Young Woman. While I have not seen that film, reviews I’ve read expressed some disappointment with how the premise was executed, not sure if it wanted to be serious or a dark comedy. Fresh is much more confident in its tone but still not perfect. This is comedic but has many moments where I couldn’t quite understand what the director was going for because it clashed with other moments.

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Movie Review – After Yang

After Yang (2022)
Written & Directed by Kogonada

The aesthetics will strike you first when watching writer-director Kogonada’s newest film, After Yang. The world feels influenced by Asian & Scandinavian architecture, fashion, and overall design. It’s done in such a subtle manner, using elements from various sources that have a visually pleasing unity. This is not the neon glow of Blade Runner’s future, but a warm, earthy home with a family going about their life. It’s the sort of portrayal of the future that feels revolutionary in its mundanity. Technology is not an object of spectacle; it’s blended into people’s everyday existence. The characters and the film never directly comment on these things because, in real life, we don’t outwardly talk about an appliance as we use it, declaring wonder. We lose the magic of these things we have created; they become a part of the domestic landscape.

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