TV Show Review: Titans (2018) Episode 2 - Hawk and Dove

The first episode of Titans was solid, and the the second featured Hawk and Dove which both looked like cool versions of their comic book counterparts, so I was pretty excited for episode 2.

Titans is an 11-episode DC Universe series based on the characters appearing in DC Comics. It is rated TV-MA for language, violence, and blood and is appropriate for older teens and up.

The Good

Dick Greyson. Brenton Thwaites continues to nail the post-Batman Dick Greyson character both as Dick and as Robin. The romance is believable. He makes a convincing police detective. And the fight scene where Robin saves Hawk and Dove is classic!

Story. This episode presented a complete, stand-alone story that introduced several characters, their relationships, and a beginning, middle end. And it fit into the larger story.

Pacing. The pacing was very methodic. It was a little slow but didn't feel slow. It felt like every element of the story was given an appropriate amount of time to breathe and develop.

Hawk & Dove. The actor and actress cast fit the roles so well and had the appropriate chemistry with each other and with Robin. I can't wait to see their spinoff series.

The Bad

I had to wait a week for the next episode.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

Being able to binge watch all the episodes in one or two sittings.

Overall

Hawk and Dove, the second episode of Titans (2018) was as good as I was hoping the series would be. The cast is perfect, the story had room to breath and develop, there was a complete story in this episode, and the action at the end was great. I give this show 5 out of 5 remotes.

    

Radio Drama Review: The Adventures of Superman (Episodes 1-27)

I've been a fan of Superman for as long as I can remember. Some incarnations of the character and his adventures work better than others.

Superman on Radio collects the first 27 episodes of The Adventures of Superman radio show first broadcast in 1940. It's available on Cassette, CDs, and Digital Downloads both paid and free.

The Good

Bud Collyer. Bud Collyer portrayed both Clark Kent and Superman. He was the first to give both characters different voices. He portrayed both characters as intelligent, ambitious, heroes--a huge departure from the weak milksop of the comics and later adaptions. Clark Kent was as much the hero and as impressive as Superman, which made the adventures much more fun.

Lois Lane. Most portrayals of Lois Lane either make her a sappy, love struck accessory whose only contribution is getting into trouble so Superman has someone to save, or a feminazi who is such an obnoxious, irritating witch the viewer has no idea why Superman has any interest in her. This version of Lois Lane is strong while still being feminine. She is capable but not overbearing. She is a perfect match for Superman and someone listeners are rooting for.

Realistic Adventures. The first episode begins on Krypton, but beginning with the second, the adventures deal with problems that were a concern in that world--sabotage, kidnapping, extortion, etc.

The Bad

The Final Story. The final story goes into juvenile silliness. It involves an atomic beam machine, some nonsense sci-fi MacGuffin. It's a shame the producers changed tracks from the exciting, real-world problems to this silly work of fiction. The sense of danger and peril that made these shows so exciting was lost.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

The first 21 episodes are sheer perfection.

Overall

Superman on Radio is a wonderful collection of some of the best Superman stories ever told. The voice acting is excellent, the adventures deal with serious real-world dangers, and the villains are interesting characters that actually pose a threat. The portrayal of Clark, Lois, Perry White, and Superman are all spot on and as interesting as any version. The only downside is the last story that moves into silly sci-fi gimmicks. Otherwise this is pure perfection and entertainment. I give it 4.5 out of 5 microphones.

    

Book Review: Swamp Thing Winter Special

I'm a huge fan and reader of comic books, and while I was aware of Swamp Thing, I never read a single story about him until very recently when I noticed Kelly Jones, one of the most stylish and unique comic artists alive, took over the art duties on his title. He was a much more interesting character than I would have guessed.

Swamp Thing Winter Special is an anthology containing two new Swamp Thing stories, the second by legendary Len Wein and Kelly Jones, and Jason Fabok, and is appropriate for all ages and all audiences.

The Good

Art. The art is gorgeous. The first story is drawn by master draftsman Jason Fabok and is a visual feast. Some people think "it looks like a photograph" is a high compliment to pay, but a much better compliment is "a photograph could never look THAT good" and Jason Fabok delivers this page after page. The second story is drawn by legendary Kelly Jones and is as moody and unique as you would expect.

Storytelling. Both tales are expertly told with strong narrative skill. Not only do you understand clearly what is going on, but you feel like you are there and are part of the story, which is what the best fiction does.

The Bad

First Story. While the first story was masterfully told, it was a strange story with little point or reason to exist. Maybe I just didn't understand it, but more likely it was, to quote Shakespeare, "fully of sound and furry, signifying nothing".

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the first story had more of a point to it. Otherwise this issue was a complete masterpiece.

Overall

Swamp Thing Winter Special is a masterfully crafted comic book filled with two beautifully illustrated stories well told. The first story, while well told, was a strange tale with little point or reason to exist. I give this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

    

Comic Book Review: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special

I love DC Comics characters (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Green Lantern and more). I love the Looney Tunes (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz, and more). Mixing the two in a comedic environment works really well. But pitting them against each other in serious, real-life stories? I was pretty doubtful, especially after reading a couple of other issues that didn't do much for me (Legion of Superheroes / Bugs Bunny and Lobo / Wylie E. Coyote team ups). But IGN.com called this issue a masterpiece, so I decided to give it a try.

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special is a crime thriller comic book. It's available in print and digitally.

The Good

Film Noir Feel. This story looks and reads like a classic film noir tale from either the days of classic pulp fiction in the 1930s or detective yarns of the 1940s and 50s, and yet it feels so fresh and modern. Not an easy trick.

Reimagined Looney Tunes. Many of the classic Looney Tune characters are reimagined as realistic humans from Bugs Bunny to Yosemite Sam. They have just enough of the physical characteristics, personality quirks, and classic catch phrases to be instantly recognizable (with one exception) and yet were totally believable as humans.

The Bad

Ending. After such a great build up, the reason behind the murder was pretty disappointing.

Comedic Backup Story. In other DC Comics/Looney Tunes team-ups, the comedic backup story was the best part of the comic, but this time it was pretty disappointing from a poorly drawn Batman to a pointless story that tried to parody one of the least funny classic cartoons.

Foghorn Leghorn. All of the other characters were spot on, but this one was so poorly conceived it took me three readings to figure out who this should have been. Putting characters in blackface almost never works, and this was an epic failure.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the ending had been as clever an original as the rest of the story, and I wish the backup feature had even a tenth of the imagination of the original story.

Overall

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special is an incredibly clever, well written reinvention of the classic Looney Tune characters as real life people but with enough of the physical and personality traits to make them instantly recognizable. The story is highly engaging up until the ending which is unfortunately a huge letdown. I give it a solid 4.5 out of 5 eReaders.

      

Radio Drama Review - The Shadow: Partners of Peril

I'm huge fan of pulp fiction and old time radio dramas. It's really sad how little new material is produced from each of these genres. Recently, Audible released a new performance of an old classic.

The Shadow: Partners of Peril is a 2017 full-cast production of the original pulp fiction story from 1935. It's available as an Audiobook.

Overview

The Shadow is a mysterious figure who fights crime and has a network of informants to help. The very first Batman story, The Case of the Chemical Syndicate in Detective Comics 27 is nearly identical in plot to this story and many think Bill Finger, one of Batman's creators, was heavily inspired by it (or maybe blatantly stole it).

The Good

Performance and Production. Audible Studios did a great job to provide a fine cast and fitting music. Every part of this production was really well done.

Breakneck pace. Pulp fiction is known for it's breakneck pace, especially series like The Shadow and The Spider. This story begins with a murder and doesn't let off the throttle until the very end, several bodies later.

Fun. Pulp fiction and old-time radio have a real sense of fun, and this production captured it perfectly.

The Bad

Slightly Melodramatic Performances. The voice actors all added an air of melodrama to their performances, probably trying to evoke the 1930s or add a nostalgic air. Whatever their reason, it distracted from the seriousness of the story.

Typical Story Problems with Pulp Fiction. Pulp fiction was written very quickly which gave it a lot of fun energy and power, but it also resulted in some ludicrous story plots and twists. If you think very hard about the story, you'll see a quite a few problems. It moves quickly enough that it's easy to get lost in the action and ignore it.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the actors and actresses had played their roles a little more straight and not so melodramatic. Old time radio was serious. The melodrama is a result of age, not a deliberate act.

Overall

The Shadow: Partners of Peril is a well-produced adaption of a classic Shadow story. The actors and producers perfectly capture the feel of pulp fiction and old-time radio. Fans will be overjoyed while modern audiences unfamiliar with those genres may find it dated, slow, and contrived. I give it 3.5 out of 5 microphones.