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the-desolated-quill · 5 years

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Doctor Strange - Marvel Cinematic Universe blog (as requested by 1000+ followers)

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you may want to before reading this review)

Before I start, I just want to say thank you again to all one thousand of my followers (still can’t believe it. That number just doesn’t seem real. LOL). And, as promised, here’s my review of Doctor Strange. I chose to review this movie to mark getting one thousand followers because people have been wanting me to do this review for a long time now (nearly three years in fact) and also because it was this movie, or rather my harsh criticism of this movie, that arguably cemented my reputation on this site. So here we go. Hope you feel it was worth the wait. Enjoy :)

2016. A year of ups and downs to be sure. While it will forever be infamous for the Brexit referendum result, Trump’s victory in the presidential elections and many much beloved celebrity icons dropping dead like fruit flies, it was also the year where two of my all time favourite comic book characters would finally make the jump to the big screen. The first was Deadpool. The second was Doctor Strange. Two characters I thought would never get movie adaptations on account of them both being somewhat niche products. Deadpool was a violent, anarchic parody of antiheroes like Wolverine and the Punisher, while Doctor Strange was a psychedelic fantasy story focused on existentialism and Zen philosophy as well as having its themes and influences deep rooted in various Asian cultures and mythologies. Not exactly mainstream. And yet, against all the odds, both movies found great success at the box office. The difference being Deadpool managed to stay true to the tone and themes of the source material, whereas Doctor Strange... oh dear.

Now my long term followers will be very much aware of my stance on this movie. At the time I refused to watch it due to the casting of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, viewing it as not only racist erasure, but also demonstrating a severe lack of understanding on the filmmaker’s part. East Asia isn’t just used as window dressing. It’s vitally important to the story as a whole, so discarding it would be incredibly moronic as well as deeply offensive. Now I’m not going to go into all the reasons why the whitewashing of the Ancient One is racist and why all the excuses Marvel gave at the time was bullshit as I’ve already explained these reasons ad nauseum various times before. If you’re curious, read Doctor Yellowface And The Bullshit Machine, where I explain it all in excruciating detail. Here I’m just going to say that this movie is racist. That’s not my opinion. It’s demonstrably, objectively, scientifically, factually and literally true. If you think otherwise, you’re an idiot. Period. Full stop. End of discussion. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200. With this in mind, when I sat down to watch this for the first time, I expected to be angered and outraged by it throughout. But I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a bad movie and a bad adaptation of Doctor Strange, but honestly the most remarkable thing about this movie is how unremarkable it is. Which is a problem in more ways than one, but now we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Lets start with the things I liked. Don’t worry. This won’t take long. There really isn’t that much to like about this film frankly. Even the bits I like have massive caveats to them.

My first shiny gold star has to go to Benedict Wong as Wong. Now as much as I love the comics, I’ll be the first to admit it has massive problems when it comes to how it presents Asian characters. So I’m pleased to report that Wong is the only aspect of the film that’s actually better than the source material. Whereas comic book Wong was Doctor Strange’s manservant, movie Wong plays more of a mentor role in Strange’s story. He’s the librarian of Kamar-Taj, guarding the sacred tomes, and is actually at a higher rank than Strange, which I love. It’s a good shift that refreshes the dynamic between them, and Benedict Wong’s deadpan delivery is exceptional. I just wish we could have spent more time with Wong and Strange. Maybe see Wong actually teach him something.

The second praiseworthy element of the film is the visual effects. This film was nominated for an Academy Award and... yeah, can’t argue with that. The CGI is fairly good for the most part. My favourite part of the whole film was when the Ancient One shows Strange the multiverse for the first time. The visual effects team clearly had a lot of fun coming up with weird and wonderful worlds that we only get a short tantalising glimpse of. (the dimension of hands gave me the shivers). This sequence came the closest to realising Steve Ditko’s vision in my opinion. Beyond that all we see for the rest of the movie is the poxy mirror dimension, which admittedly is cool at first, but quickly becomes dull and repetitive each time its trotted out. There’s even an entire fight sequence between Strange, Mordo and Kaecilius in a distorted version of New York, which would have been impressive if Christopher Nolan hadn’t done it first in Inception. And the less said about the technicolor monstrosity that was the Dark Dimension, the better.

Finally there’s Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange himself. I know some people were disappointed that Marvel didn’t racebend the character and I would have preferred that to, but if we must have a white guy in the role, I’m glad it’s Cumberbatch. He does a decent job in the role and there are moments where Strange almost leaps from the page and onto the screen.

Almost.

Because that’s the problem. Cumberbatch does the best he can, but he’s ultimately let down by the script. This film has a lot of issues, but by far the biggest is the title character. He may be called Doctor Strange, but he’s really Doctor Strange in name only. I was a massive fan of the comics growing up and I’m telling you this guy isn’t Doctor Strange. At least not the Doctor Strange I remember. And the weird thing is this seems almost by design. In order to show him to a mainstream audience, Marvel seem to have felt the need to completely sanitise the character, removing everything about him that made him unique and interesting in order to fit the expectations of the lowest common denominator.

Let me explain.

People often compare Strange unfavourably to Iron Man, and I can understand why to a certain extent. Both represent the epitome of white privilege and materialist obsession and their origin stories focus very heavily on criticising and deconstructing these inherently selfish and unlikable characters. Iron Man is about forcing a capitalist industrialist to take responsibility for the consequences of his actions, whereas Doctor Strange is about forcing an egocentric man to care about the wider world outside of his own bubble of privilege. Both may sound similar, but there’s a key difference between the two. Iron Man’s origin revolves around responsibility whereas Doctor Strange’s origin revolves around relativity. This needs to be understood if you’re going to attempt to adapt Strange and director Scott Derrickson doesn’t seem to understand that at all.

The fatal mistake Derrickson makes with this movie is that he’s trying to make Strange like Iron Man without fully understanding what made the first Iron Man movie good and what sets Strange apart. He’s clearly hit upon the arrogant, egocentric thing, but the problem is people exhibit arrogance and egocentricity in different ways. The comics understood this. Iron Man’s arrogance takes the form of this charismatic, devil may care kind of attitude, whereas Strange’s arrogance was more along the lines of an Ebenezer Scrooge type figure. Someone who’s cold and uncaring. Someone like...

Yeah! Someone like Dr Gregory House from the TV series House M.D.

See, if Iron Man is like Elon Musk, Doctor Strange is like House. Both are arrogant, but in different ways. So to see movie Strange acting all smug and making quips and one liners just didn’t feel right. Which is not to say Strange can’t be funny. The comics had their humorous moments, but it’s not the same kind of humour as Iron Man. Strange should be more cutting. More snarky. He needs to have more of a bite to him. Instead we get the poor man’s version of Robert Downey Jr.

But wait, because it’s actually worse than that. It’s not just Strange’s personality that’s different. Our perception of him is different too. The first Iron Man movie was extremely clear in how we should view Tony Stark. The gambling, the drinking, his lack of responsibility and the way he takes his friends and co-workers for granted. We’re clearly not supposed to like him. That’s why his character arc works. We’re seeing this selfish individual realise how selfish he is and try to make amends. Strange should be similar. He’s a callous arsehole who won’t lift a finger to help someone if the case isn’t interesting enough, seeing it as beneath him. So when the car accident occurs, him getting nerve damage in his hands feels less like a tragedy and more like karma. The universe punishing Strange for his selfish behaviour and forcing him to change. In the movie however, he doesn’t seem like that at all. In fact kind of the opposite. He doesn’t object to helping his ex girlfriend get a bullet out of a patient’s head and he seems to get on well with most of his colleagues, including his ex. Sure he’s a bit of a dick, but he still seems nice enough. The only time we see his Scroogeness come out is after the accident, at which point it’s hard to hate him even after he berates his ex because he’s a decent guy who’s understandably frustrated, which absolutely should not be the case. Strange is a bastard who cares for no one but himself. We’re not supposed to like him. But Marvel and Disney are so preoccupied about getting bums on seats that they’ve actually managed to strip away all the elements that make Strange Strange.

And then there’s the origin story itself, which the film gets completely wrong. Sure the basic elements are still there. Strange, in a last ditch effort to save his hands, travels East to see the Ancient One (except the Ancient One is now in Nepal instead of Tibet because of the Chinese market, but apparently they still can’t cast an Asian person as the Ancient One even though the film no longer has anything to do with Tibet and therefore there should be no issue. Marvel are racist dicks. Case closed), but beyond that everything is changed. In the comics, the Ancient One refuses to heal Strange’s hands because he’s a selfish arsehole who deserves no pity or help from anyone, but then when Baron Mordo tries to assassinate the Ancient One, Strange does the first selfless thing he’s ever done in his miserable life and tries to warn the Ancient One despite having his mouth magically sealed shut by Mordo. Then it’s later revealed that his mouth wasn’t sealed shut at all, and that the Ancient One knew all along Mordo was planning to assassinate him and was merely testing Strange, at which point he invites the good doctor to practice magic in order to stop Mordo in the future. In the movie however, Strange gets kicked out by the Ancient One only to then promptly get let back in after banging on their front door for several hours and gets taught all these spells despite showing no sign of selflessness or willingness to change whatsoever. Oh yeah, and Strange and Mordo are now total besties.

Do you see what I mean about this being a bad adaptation? There’s no longer any conflict. No character arcs. No one learns anything. Everything is just hunky dory and Strange is just magically a good person now. This is truly shit writing.

Everything about this movie seems to have been designed to be as bland and uncomplicated as possible. All the Asian influences and philosophies have been surgically removed to make way for a generic, knock-off Hogwarts for Dummies. The interesting plots and themes have been replaced with a by-the-numbers save the world plot. Even the lore has been simplified to an almost insulting degree. Take the Eye of Agamotto for instance. A powerful magical artefact created by and named after the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived.... reduced to a fucking Infinity Stone.

Oh and the Cloak of Levitation now has a mind and personality of its own because why the fuck not? Who wants to watch something intelligent or philosophical? Lets just make a shitty cross between Harry Potter and Mr. Bean.

And then... there’s the white saviour stuff.

Now I confess I haven’t read the comics for quite some time, so correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure Strange didn’t have a photographic memory. Yet in the movie, that’s the convenient explanation we’re given for why Strange is somehow able to learn complex spells in a matter of days. Spells that are apparently meant to take years to learn, like astral projection and time manipulation. Now the comics had this problem too, what with proclaiming that Strange is not only the Sorcerer Supreme, but the most powerful Sorcerer Supreme that’s ever lived, as though his white skin were like the star power-up from Super Mario Bros, but the movie seems to go out of its way to double down on this bollocks. Oh sure, we see him struggle to create magic portals every now and then, but it doesn’t hide the fact that he’s somehow able to create mirror worlds and time loops despite having little to no training whatsoever. He’s like Rey from Star Wars. He can just pull any random super power out of his arse when the script requires him too.

So having completely botched Strange’s characterisation and journey, how are the rest of the supporting cast? Well like I said, I like this new Wong, even though he’s criminally underused. As for the other characters, it’s a pretty forgettable bunch.

Lets start with the elephant in the room. Tilda Swinton. Having heard all the excuses under the sun as to why Marvel and Disney simply had to cast a bald white woman wearing a bathrobe in an Asian role, I was expecting something pretty spectacular from Swinton, especially after all the praise critics gave her. Instead we get... well... a pretty dull character actually. In fact I’d go as far to say that this is the blandest and most uninspired performance I think I’ve ever seen Swinton give. There’s just nothing there. Now admittedly the Ancient One wasn’t all that complex or well developed in the comics neither, being little more than a racial caricature, but I thought the whole reason they whitewashed the character was to make him/her ‘enigmatic and ethereal.’ Instead we just get the same generic mentor figure we’ve seen dozens of times before. All the stuff about her tapping into the powers of Dormammu to increase her lifespan could have made her more interesting, but the film never fully capitalises on this revelation before she kicks the bucket.

Baron Mordo is pretty much just dead weight, with the great Chiwetel Ejiofor utterly wasted in the role. He’s essentially reduced to being yet another black sidekick for the white lead. Again, the comic book version isn’t all that great neither, but the movie replaces this camp pantomime villain with absolutely bugger all. We don’t get to see any real conflict between him and Strange until the very end and even then it doesn’t really make sense. Mordo is a stickler for rules and so gets pissy with Strange when he breaks the rules in order to save the world, to which I can only ask... what else could he have done? I didn’t see you come up with any bright ideas Mordo, you fucking moron.

Rachel McAdams... exists.

Seriously, why is she in this movie? Why does Doctor Strange need a love interest? Why not just wait and introduce Clea? I could get behind using an ex girlfriend to display how selfish and narcissistic Strange is (a bit cliche I admit, but this is an MCU film we’re talking about. I’m not exactly expecting Citizen Kane here), but as I said before, the two seem to get on quite well. And other than stitching up a stab wound, Christine Palmer pretty much does nothing throughout the majority of the film. So what is she even doing there?

Also it appears the film’s racism doesn’t just extend to Asian people because it turns out Christine Palmer is actually Night Nurse in the comics. The same mantle Claire Temple has, who appears in Marvel’s Netflix shows. Not only does this come off as quite alarmingly racist, it’s also just plain weird. For all their boasts about wanting to create a shared universe, Marvel seems to spend every opportunity it can find to keep the Netflix stuff at arms’ length, to the point where you question why they’re even in the same continuity in the first place. If Strange must have some human connection, why couldn’t it have been Claire Temple? For one thing, Claire’s character is much more interesting than Christine’s (and Rosario Dawson is a much better actor than McAdams. Sorry, but it’s true), and it would be a great opportunity to bridge the gap between the movies and Netflix shows without having to bog the narrative down with exposition. But as I’ve said numerous times in the past, Marvel are more interested in creating a BIG shared universe than a coherent one.

Finally there’s the villains. Nearly always the worst aspect of any MCU film and Strange is no different. We have Kaecilius, played by Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen whose performance is more wooden than Pinocchio, and Dormammu, played by Benedict Cumberbatch who seems to be competing with Andy Serkis as to who can play the most CGI/motion capture characters. Both, unsurprisingly, are shite. Kaecilius wants to save the world from death by allowing Dormammu to destroy it.

I don’t get it either.

So you’re probably wondering who was Kaecilius in the comics. I mean I’ve explained everything else, haven’t I? And honestly, I haven’t the faintest idea. Turns out he was a henchman of Baron Mordo who I completely forgot about because he barely ever shows up in the comics. So... they turned Baron Mordo into the black sidekick so that the villain could be played by a white guy. Oh. And guess what race Kaecilius is in the comics.

YYYYYep. He’s Asian. I guess all the Asian actors were sick that day, so they had to cast a white guy.

Oh and you’ll never guess what his backstory is. You’re right! He has none! Other than references to some tragedy, we know absolutely fuck all about him. Critics actually liked this movie?!?!

Oh and don’t get me started on the humour.

Kaecilius: “Mr...?”

Strange: “Doctor.”

Kaecilius: “Mr. Doctor?”

Strange: “No, it’s Strange.”

Kaecilius: “I guess so. Who am I to judge?”

Dear God, someone was paid to write that.

Then there’s the Big Bad Dormammu from the Dark Dimension. (Yes, the same Dark Dimension from Agent Carter and nope, that’s never referenced. In fact this doesn’t even look like the same Dark Dimension as the one from Agent Carter. Although, to be fair, I’d want to forget Season 2 happened as well considering how fucking terrible it was, but come on guys!). In the comics Dormammu is a mystical entity that has a quote ‘unnatural obsession with our material universe’. Could be interesting to explore. Oh but I forget, this is an MCU film. They don’t want interesting. They want safe. So instead we get a purple, floating CGI head and the generic destroyer of worlds archetype. (In fact Dormammu weirdly has more in common with Galactus than the actual Dormammu. Sometimes I wonder if anyone at Marvel Studios have ever even so much as glanced at one of their own comics before).

In conclusion, is this the worst film I’ve ever seen? Admittedly no. It’s not that bad. If you switch your brain off, I can imagine someone having a good time with this film. But you see that’s the problem. You shouldn’t have to switch your brain off to enjoy Doctor Strange. If anything the opposite is true. The comics, despite their faults, were intelligent, surreal and thought provoking, asking questions about our universe and our place within it. Steve Ditko (and only Steve Ditko. The late Stan Lee may have put pen to paper, but it was ultimately Ditko’s ideas and vision, which makes the gratuitous Stan Lee cameo in this film particularly galling to me) created something truly captivating in Doctor Strange. Despite the racial caricatures and white saviour tropes, I still love these comics because of how it explores the world and our relation to that world. How we are just small cogs in a massive and intricate machine. It’s truly groundbreaking and would influence many other comics to come. The Doctor Strange movie doesn’t even begin to do that. It won’t influence anyone. It won’t make anyone think or question their role in the cosmos. In fact, three years later, despite being a huge box office success, it’s largely been forgotten. And that’s a crying shame because Strange deserves so much more.

Doctor Strange may not be the worst comic book movie ever made, but it’s a terrible adaptation of the source material. Anything that made it unique or interesting was carefully removed with surgical precision under the guise of making it more progressive, when in reality they just wanted to make it profitable. But profitable doesn’t mean good, and Doctor Strange doesn’t even come close to being a good movie. I would love to have seen what a director like David Lynch or Ang Lee would have done with this psychedelic material. This movie could and should have been the most intelligent and surreal comic book movie that’s ever been made. A perfect opportunity to allow a visionary filmmaker to go wild and express themselves artistically. Instead it’s just another MCU movie. It’s such a shame.

And people wonder why I’m worried about Deadpool joining the MCU.

#doctor strange #marvel cinematic universe #review #spoilers

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gokinjeespot · 5 years

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off the rack #1242

Monday, December 24, 2018

I was hit by a spasm of back pain on Saturday like the ghost of Christmas Past. That'll teach me for being such a Scrooge this time of year. I try not to be naughty but being nice is such a pain in the pants. I am slowly recovering under the gentle ministrations of Santa's Helper. Being around family and friends is better medicine than any pain pills I could take. My brother and sister-in-law hosted a brunch yesterday and seeing everyone together laughing and happy soothed me greatly. Just holding baby Oliver and making him smile eased my back pain.

I saw the Ottawa premiere of Aquaman thanks to my Jee-Riz partner Chris, who won passes from the comic book store Myths, Legends and Heroes. I can sum up how I felt about the movie in one word; wigs. I wish they had spent some of the Atlantis special effects budget on better wigs for the actors. Arthur's dad's toupee was glaringly obvious. I've seen better hair on Cosplayers than Nicole Kidman's wigs. It looked like Amber Heard/Mera was wearing a wig at times but even when it looked like her real hair the colour red they chose was too unnatural looking. The movie's saving grace for me was Jason Momoa. He makes a great Arthur/Aquaman. I'm glad I didn't pay to see this one.

Ugh. Stan Lee tribute covers. Terrible marketing idea.

Dead Man Logan #2 - Ed Brisson (writer) Mike Henderson (art) Nolan Woodard (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). A couple of things really annoyed me this issue. Sin, the Red Skull's daughter, acted like a spoiled brat. It's not a stretch to foresee the villains losing at the end of this 12-issue story. Then we have Forge repairing a machine that can get Old Man Logan back home. They actually go there and he doesn't stay. I'm for super heroics as much as the next nerd and maybe I'm selfish, but that irked me to no end. Old Man Logan has been whining about getting home ever since he showed up in this timeline and now he wants to stay to prevent all the super heroes from being killed by all the super villains. There isn't even a guarantee that is what happens in the future. And why don't they use the machine to fix things? Man I hate time travel. I really like Mike Henderson's art but this looks like another travelling super heroes versus super villains battle every issue, and that's not very interesting to me.

Defenders: The Best Defense #1 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Belardino Brabo (inks) Dono Sanchez Almara (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's the big Defenders reunion to save Earth. Old Man Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor and the Silver Surfer have to sidetrack The Train in order for Earth to survive. It's a bit complicated and I'm surprised that you didn't really need to read all the one-shots to get what's going on. I mean all those scenes where the stabby killer in the bed sheet is killing aliens isn't even mentioned in this story. So what was up with that?

Marvel Knights #4 - Vita Ayala & Donny Cates (writers) Joshua Cassara (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Here's where they explain why all the super heroes have forgotten who they are. T'Challa/Black Panther is featured in this issue that ends with him discovering the lair of villains. I'm wondering how the bad guys retained their memories.

Old Man Hawkeye #12 - Ethan Sacks (writer) Francesco Mobili (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a very satisfying ending. What a great prequel to the Old Man Logan story where Clint and Logan go on a road trip. This is where Clint loses his sight for good. I loved the last page epilogue showing Clint tracking down someone who will help him to continue to fight the bad guys despite his blindness.

Runaways #16 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Reading this Christmas special is better than getting a lump of coal. Having Doombot as a dinner guest made this a treat. I wish he was a regular member of the team.

West Coast Avengers #6 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Daniele Di Nicuolo (art) Triona Farrell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The good guys have been captured by the bad guys: Satana Hellstrom, M.O.D.O.K., The Eel and Madame Masque. Kate is still free however and she's not going to abandon her team mates. Too bad she gets waylaid on her way to rescue them. Her captor is a complete surprise, which will make the next issue a hoot.

Thor #8 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This is an awesome issue with Thor fighting the Angelus. It ends with an ex-Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. being paid a visit by the Black Panther. I like how this book is being tied into The Avengers.

Season's Beatings #1 - Jason Latour (writer) Greg Hinkle, Chris Brunner, Veronica Fish & Mario Del Pennino (art) Rico Renzi, Jim Campbell & Veronica Fish (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I should have realized from the cover that this was a Deadpool Christmas Special. If I had known, I would have bought a pair of socks from the Dollar Store with the $4.99 US that this comic book costs. Unless of course, you're a big Deadpool fan or West Coast Avengers fan or even an X-Force fan. They're all in here too. Plus Squirrel Girl and Doctor Doom. Come to think of it, this is an everything but the kitchen sink gift for a Marvel Comics fan who will get a few chuckles out of it.

Freedom Fighters #1 - Robert Venditti (writer) Eddy Barrows (pencils) Eber Ferreira (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). This is some heavy duty patriotic poop right here. We start this 12-issue story in 1963 America that is ruled by Adolf Hitler and his "ratzi" party. The original Freedom Fighters meet to plot a resistance attack on a war robot factory. Things don't go well for the good guys. Jump forward to 2018 and the surprise appearance of the New Freedom Fighters; Black Condor, Doll Woman, the Human Bomb and Phantom Lady. All we need is Uncle Sam. Robert Venditti holds nothing back showing the Germans as ruthless racists. The art is really well done so I will give these Golden Age heroes a chance to see how they fare in modern times.

Middlewest #2 - Skottie Young (writer) Jorge Corona (art) Jean Francois Beaulieu (colours) Nate Piekos (letters). A new character named Jeb is introduced who helps Abel get out of a bind. Jeb reminds me of the first time we meet Gandalf. Abel's quest continues and we find out a bit more about the symbol on his chest. I predict he'll meet his mother down the road but unlike the talking fox, I won't be travelling down it with him.

Cover #4 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Mack (art) Michael Avon Oeming (Owen art) Zu Orzu (colours) Carlos Mangual (letters). This issue is a great example of how a comic book can tell a story with words and pictures. I felt like I was watching a TV show or a short film. Brian, David and Michael work together seamlessly

Hardcore 1 - Robert Kirkman & Andy Diggle (writers) Alessandro Vitti (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Thomas Mauer (letters). Yeah man, it is. Agent Drake is a drone pilot but what he controls are other human beings. A new nanotechnology allows him to take over and move a remote body for 72 hours so he can complete wetwork missions. It's really cool. The big problem arises when the guy who invented the tech comes back to reclaim it from the government. That guy is not asking nicely. I like this concept and the predicament that Agent Drake finds himself in at the end of this issue. Therefore, this goes on to my "must read" list.

Klaus and the Crying Snowman #1 - Grant Morrison (writer) Dan Mora (art) Ed Dukeshire (letters). This $7.99 US one-shot tells the tale of how Sam the snowman helps Klaus save the Earth from murderous aliens. I loved how they wove in Norse mythology. You'd think a crying snowman would be doomed in the end and you'd be right, but fear not, 'tis a happy ending.

Betty & Veronica #1 - Jamie Lee Rotante (writer) Sandra Lanz (art) Kelly Fitzpatrick (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). The BFFs are back with a 5-issue mini that starts off their senior year of high school. I know that these slightly more mature Archie Comics want to draw in a new audience but Betty dating Reggie? Sacrilege. A few other things bothered me storywise that turned me off even more. Betty drinking a spiked punch without noticing? C'mon. Then there's the art. I didn't like the interiors compared to the nice cover that Sandra drew. I expected my girl Betty to be treated better than this.

Catwoman #6 - Joelle Jones (story & art) Laura Allred (colours) Josh Reed (letters). The finale of "Copycats" is a quick read so I read it twice. The first time was to see how Catwoman deals with the evil Mrs. Creel and her pumped up on drugs son. The second time was to see Catwoman in action and to savour the beautiful art and layouts. I wish Joelle Jones would do a Betty & Veronica mini.

Extermination #5 - Ed Brisson (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I tolerated this time travel tale because of the amazing art. I wish Pepe Larraz would do a Betty & Veronica mini. If you thought that the mutants being exterminated was a real threat then you haven't been reading X-Men comic books for very long. This story puts the young X-Men back in their own time and all is well again. The big surprise comes on the last page and I'm thinking "oh geez, here we go again".

Domino #9 - Gail Simone (writer) David Baldeon & Michael Shelfer (art) Roberto Poggi (ink assist) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Soldier of Fortune part 3. The ladies are asked to kill Longshot. Haven't seen him in a while. Might not see him for long though, since he's supposed to bring about the end of the world. This is interesting because both Domino and Longshot have the same super power. Who's luck is going to run out first?

Firefly #2 - Greg Pak (writer) Dan McDaid (art) Marcelo Costa (colours) Jim Campbell (letters). Mal and Zoe are being hunted by a gang of thieves and the Alliance. Darn tootin' there's going to be shootin'. I have been watching Nathan Fillion's new cop show The Rookie and I quite like it.

Batman #61 - Tom King (writer) Travis Moore (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 1. The "what the!?" appearance on the last page of #60 is explained here as a new story starts. I knew something was hinky when I saw the string of pearls around the dead body of Martha Wayne in the alley. I thought we were in an alternate universe and we sort of are but it came as a complete shock when what was going on was explained. Arkham Asylum is getting a new inmate. At least he's new to me unless I want to go back and read Batman #38.

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cuz-im-nickjames-bitch · 6 years

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After Effects

(Same Sex Pairing, BI Male reader and BI Cap, Avengers fic, oral and anal sex. My first smut. Marvel characters are obviously not mine. Hope you like it!

Warnings: oral, anal, watching

After the battle in Sokovia, there have been some changes for the reader, this takes place after a run in with Loki.)

Returning to the compound, you have no idea of explain this to the others. You found yourself confused, not knowing why you felt this way. How had it come to the point where you had let jealousy get in the way of a mission? You were better than this, and you knew it. There would be hell to pay, but you just couldn’t allow any harm to come to Loki. At the same time, you knew that you couldn’t let Loki harm anyone else either.

The ability to slow down time was new, but you’d been working on it. It was difficult to explain, even for this job. A crack shot, you’d been chosen not for superhero skills, but the fact that no one was better with a gun. After Sokovia, you’d been left with the job of taking care of Pietro Maximoff’s body. It only made sense, being that you’d been a first responder before joining up. You knew the drill. You didn’t think anything of the blood, only keeping Wanda from seeing his body, and burying him with respect. He saved Clint. It was the very least you could do. Apparently, exposure to his blood caused a mutation. Had you known that you’d been wounded, you’d likely have taken better precautions, but you can’t change that now. Thank God for Wanda, and all her help in managing this. She treated you like a replacement for Pietro now, and strangely, you felt it too. In tune with her thoughts, you worked almost like the two of you had one mind.

You had beaten the rest of the team back, and had Loki confined before the other Quinjet could get back. Thanks to the latest Selvig field, even Loki couldn’t escape. Walking into the kitchen, you grabbed a drink, and sat down on a stool. “Y/N,” Steve said quietly, crossing the living quarters, “What happened back there? How in the world did you get across the room in time to block that repulsor?”

“There were effects from Sokovia that I’m still learning about.” You had visibly stiffened in your seat. You weren’t ready to talk about this, and certainly not with Steve. Since he’d returned, he wasn’t the same. That wasn’t all bad, but he was definitely more brooding than before. “Explain,” he said, grabbing a glass of lemonade, “so I can understand why and how you grabbed Loki and rabbited back home.” “It’s a mutation, caused by exposure to Pietro’s blood, or so Wanda thinks. And before you ask, no, I’m not going to let Tony or Bruce run any tests. The last time they were left to test things, we ended up in Sokovia, fighting one of Tony’s ego projects. And I ended up like this.” Steve looked concerned, but didn’t push further. “Where’s Loki?” he asked, “and what’s your plan for handling the team? I’ve got your back, Y/N, and you know that, but this isn’t something we can keep from the team.”

“I don’t know, Steve. I just don’t know. I’m not a victim of mind control. I’m just fast as hell, and I heal like that Logan guy. Other than that, nothing has really changed. I’m going to shower, and head to bed, and I’ll make myself available for debrief in the morning.” As you were walking out, you looked over your shoulder, “And Captain, remember in future, that Colonels don’t like being questioned by subordinate officers, regardless of their extensive time in service.” With that, you retreated to your quarters, stripped of your uniform, turned off your comms, and headed into your shared bathroom.

As the shower started to steam up, you didn’t notice that the other door to the bathroom had opened, and someone had entered. Muttering to yourself, you weren’t concerned about the mission, but about the changes in your body. Your metabolism was increasing. You had been working out a lot more here than you had at your desk job, but you still ate like a cop. How the hell had you lost 50 pounds in 3 months? And at your age, you should be showing loose skin, at least. Other than Steve and Sgt. Barnes, who was still on ice in Wakanda, you were the oldest guy here. How did you start looking like an athlete again? Fuck, even your scars were improving. If it weren’t for the damned knee, you’d start running again. Since the divorce, this was the best you’d felt in years, and certainly the best you’d looked since you stopped swimming competitively. “Good God, if they find out how much I’ve lost, they’ll try to put me in spandex!” A stifled chuckle came from across the bathroom, and you grabbed your towel, and threw open the door. Only Loki had seen you naked in recent history, and you knew damn well he wasn’t in your bathroom. Anyway, the voice was too deep. “Steve! GOD DAMN IT! I’m taking a shower. “ He took a half-second too long to respond, and you realized he could see the changes in your body.

“Colonel, I gotta know what supplements you’re taking,” he smirked, “because Sam’s going to be jealous as hell. Shit, you’re starting to look like me or Buck!”

“It’s the mutation. Not sure how badly it has affected my metabolism yet, or if it will speed up my aging. But, I’ll wait until one of Dr. Cho’s crew gets here to check it out. Seen enough, soldier? Or are you expecting a strip tease?” Steve blushed a little, but he didn’t budge. As you sized him up, you could see that he was clearly hard in his suit. “Well?” you asked, and his hand absently dropped to his bulge, as he licked his lips. “I need a shower, too.” He started to strip. You’d seen Steve shirtless, but never naked, though your imagination was fueled by that blue spandex on more than one occasion. You’d never hidden the fact that you were bi, but hadn’t noticed any signs that Steve was anything other than straight, until now. As he dropped his suit, he stood there in nothing but his jock, which had failed completely at containing his massive erection. “That towel isn’t really hiding anything, Sir,” he said, “Why don’t I join you?” He strode across the room, grabbing his shower bin, and you noticed the lube in it. “Steve, I don’t bottom,” you said nervously, as he wrapped his arms around your waist. “I don’t expect you to, Sir,” he purred as he pulled you against him.

Stepping back into the shower, Steve takes both of you in his hand, together, and begins to stroke. It sounds like he’s purring into your neck, as you kiss the top of his head. “Let’s hope that you’re not lightning fast at this,” he chuckled, as he teased his lips across your collarbone. Your hands found those perfect globes, just as his tongue hit your nipple, causing you to gasp. He had you both rock hard, and the weight loss accentuated the cock that had led you into several failed relationships, and kept the exes calling back. As quickly as you found that perfect ass, he knelt, and it was gone. But looking up at you was that adorable face, as his tongue worked the tip of you, slowly swirling as he took you into his mouth, then his throat, just a tiny bit at a time. You stroked his hair, as he took the length of you all the way into his throat. He began to swallow around you as he worked his head forward and back, swirling his mouth with every stroke. As he felt your back stiffen, he released you with a pop, grinning and licking his lips. You pulled him back up to your mouth and tasted yourself on his lips, moaning into this kiss, and grabbing his taut ass again. Massaging him gently, you opened him up, with one finger, then two, and eventually 3, all while stroking his magnificent cock. Using his own precum as lube, you began to lube your head and shaft. Reaching for the lube in his basket, you worked some more into his rosebud, and then even more on your head. Turning him around, you guided him forward gently, as you gingerly impaled him on all ten inches of you. When his gorgeous ass hit your stomach, you paused, to let him get used to the fullness. As he adapted to it, he began to grind slowly against your pelvis, protesting with moans as you drew out, and mewling as you pushed in. “Y/N,” he breathed, “I’ve never been so full. I want you to cum inside me. Fill me up. I need it.” Seeing Steve beg for your seed pushed you over the edge, and you began to pump him fuller than even you imagined possible. With the throb of your orgasm, Steve was pushed over the edge, and with your head pulsing out against his prostate, he came noisily, and quite copiously on the floor. As his massive member started to soften, so did yours, and you pulled out, and turned Steve against your chest. He melted into you, and purred into your neck. “I’m not sure how long I’ve wanted that,” he moaned, “but I noticed that you watched me, long before Sokovia, Sir.” “Now isn’t the time to call me Sir, Steve. Save that for the team.” As you cleaned each other, slowly and tenderly, you began to wonder where this would lead. You knew that your feelings for Loki could complicate things, but you weren’t bothered right now. Towelling off, you smiled and kissed Steve deeply, as you started to dry him as well. Your towelclad hands began rubbing his chest, his abs, his thighs, and as you knelt, his calves. As you looked up, you realized that Steve was truly beautiful to behold. But you could hardly ignore that throbbing twelve inches that remained to be dried. Turning your head to the side, you wrapped the towel around his ass, and began to slowly and gently dry him. He chuckled, and said, “I never thought I’d see you from this position.” He smirked, and just as quickly, you took the whole foot of his length down your throat, weakening his knees. “Don’t get used to it, Cap,” you replied as his head slid out of your mouth with a pop. My knees can’t take this. Standing up, you guided him by that head to the edge of your bed. Taking a seat, you grinned. “Steven Rogers, you have no idea just how much trouble you’ve gotten yourself into. Let’s see who gets tired first.” With a smug grin, he started stroking your hair as you swallowed him again. As your fingers found his perfect ass once more, he laughed and said, “Do your worst, Sir.”

#avengers AU #steve rogers #bi steve rogers #bi representation

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/hi-tech-news-vod-34-20-lovecraft-territory-mystery-racism-and-monsters/

Hi-Tech : News VOD 34/20: 'Lovecraft Territory': mystery, racism and monsters

VOD news brings you the best releases of the week on Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video … And we continue in the deepest of the summer, so it is not surprising that the content that arrives is quite, but generally weak. However, there are always exceptions and the big exception this week is Lovecraft Territory, an HBO series that premieres with a hitch strategy that we have not seen until now.

HBO

HBO is simmering this summer and this week more if possible: four garbage is what comes to offer, with the honorable exception of the featured title. And it is that Lovecraft Territory is not only very good, but it is available to anyone, since its first and only episode at the moment is free on YouTube.

Lovecraft Territory

Indeed, HBO Spain has put the first episode of Lovecraft Territory free on YouTube, where it will remain available until September 2. Just enough time for a few to dare to hit play … and end up subscribing to HBO, even until the series is completed. Because, I warn you, if you start it you will want to continue it (the only downside of the free chapter is that it is only dubbed).

Territory Lovecraft is based on a novel and mixes the typical terror of the American writer with the racial conflicts of the fifties with those who are still obsessed there, which in principle could set back more than one. However, the formula worked with Watchmen and – in a somewhat more pronounced way – it does it again in the case of Lovecraft Territory, which manages to hook immediately. If it maintains the level we can be facing one of the best releases of the year in its genre.

New chapters:

Axios (T3) Could destroy you (T1) Room 104 (T4)

Enter catalog:

Damned Two Dumb Fools: When Harry Met Lloyd Lego DC Superheroes: The Flash Pursuit to the Limit Power Players (S1)

Netflix

Netflix arrives as usual with a multitude of new own content, among which the coarsest filler predominates, but among which you can also find interesting things: the fifth and final season of Lucifer, a new anime series (The scammer) … and the launch we highlight, of course.

High Score: The World of Video Games

High Score: The World of Video Games It is undoubtedly the most interesting launch of the week on Netflix, at least from the cousin we have in MC: a documentary series that reviews the history of video games since its inception, addressing the most popular genres in its different chapters and with the participation of prominent names in the industry. Its main attraction is that it is not a common material due to the length of the work, but even so it knows little and will be superficial for those who have lived part of that history. If you see it in its original version, perhaps the voice of the narrator, Charles Martinet (It’s me, Mario!) Sounds familiar.

More exclusive content:

Side Effects of Love (Chemical Hearts). When a hopeless romantic high school senior falls in love with a mysterious new classmate, the two embark on an unexpected journey that will teach them about love, loss, and most importantly, themselves. »

Enter catalog:

7 raons per fugir Abulele Goodbye with the heart Naked souls Clams and mussels Black bay Under calm waters Bel Ami, story of a seducer Beyond Re-Animator Gross, dirty and evil When the dinosaurs ruled the earth Dark Was the Night Dictation Two women The attack of the five-headed shark The way of the wine The duel The infinity The Garden of Allah The legacy (S1) The evil Zaroff The worst man in the world The Polaquito The first circle The last hunter The last refuge The old rifle Ignite my passion Freaks and Geeks (T1) Freeheld, an unconditional love Escape from Alcatraz Great duel at dawn Screams in Oldfield Until marriage do us part Criminal impulse Collective unconscious (Miniseries) Joe Jubal Killer Joe The end The formula for happiness Maze’s escape Benny’s story Goodman The Best Offer The Promise (Wu Ji) The Last Hunt The truth about 5G The Adventures of Tintin (T1-T3) The New Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Lavallantula LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash The unexpected of love Italian marriage Separate tables Deep fear While you sleep Momentum Music and tears No refunds Night on the town Odd Thomas: Ghost Hunter Over the limit Pagafantas Paintball Untamed Romania Second Best (Difficult choice) Seven Days of May Story of Eva Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Teo, intergalactic hunter Land of ruffians (Miniseries) Topkapi A love from movie A Bloody Wedding (Cottage Country) A Great Family Unacknowledged: An Expose of the Greatest Secret in Human History Vanished Go Hangover Revenge (In the Blood) Summer and Smoke Walkabout Welcome Home (S2) And in the center of the earth there was fire Zafari (T1-T2)

Apple TV +

Apple TV + reappears, which premieres a couple of things plus another couple that it has in broadcast.

Ted lasso

Apple TV + is resurrected once again with a series that is already applauding the critics: Ted lasso, a British comedy about the world of football.

New chapters:

Boys State (T1) Little Voice (T1)

Disney +

And we end up with Disney +, which barely dropped four crumbs.

New chapters:

Marvel’s Hero Project (T1) One Day at Disney (T1) The Incredible Dr. Pol (T4)

Enter catalog:

In search of the abominable snowman The big lie (S1) Rio Rio 2

#Technology

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rassilon-imprimatur · 7 years

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‘The School of Doom,’ by Lance Parkin

(Originally published in Myth Makers # 12, “The School of Doom” is set within the time intermission in Parkin’s Father Time, and stars the amnesiac Eighth Doctor and his adopted daughter (and biological daughter from the future) Miranda. Besides being a lot of fun and a dive into one of my favorite corners of Dr. Who ever, the story also adds yet another layer of mystery and excitement to the Four Elementals of the Post-War universe. A big thank you Richard Salter, former Myth Makers editor, for sharing this story with me! Please enjoy!)

It was a foreboding place, a vast complex behind an unclimbable metal fence.

There was only one entrance, a vast wrought iron set of gates. The gates gaped open, like the black toothed mouth of some terrible creature. Its throat was a long tarmac drive, leading to the heart, a collection of ugly, squared-off, brick buildings. To add to the effect, the September sky was grey, oppressive.

The Doctor was smiling at his daughter, Miranda. ‘You look nervous.’

‘Of course I’m not,’ she replied.

‘Just remember those exercises I taught you to bring your adrenaline and breathing under control.’

‘I don’t need them, I’m not nervous.’

The Doctor nodded.

‘Were you nervous on your first day at big school?’ she asked.

The Doctor couldn’t look at her. ‘Probably,’ he said at last. ‘Don’t worry, though – everyone’s in the same boat.’ Miranda looked around. There was a steady stream of children her age. There was a range of emotions on display – but there was a common theme. There was straightforward nervousness, shyness, a couple were laughing, but that looked like a display of bravado. But the Doctor was right – everyone was a little scared.

She got out the car and set out to follow them down the drive. At the end of the long walk, by the entrance to the largest building, there was a teacher – or at least someone in a dark suit who she took to be a teacher – greeting everyone in turn and handing them a sheet of paper.

As she got nearer, Miranda got a good look at him. He was of average height, and looked very smart in his black suit and pressed shirt. He had neat black hair, greying at the temples and a small, pointed beard. But that wasn’t what Miranda concentrated on – she was struck by his eyes. They were black, but they burned into her, like he could read her mind. Like black lasers.

He smiled, but there was no warmth in it. ‘Hello, Miranda, my dear. I am the Headmaster.’

The Doctor watched his daughter walk down the school drive, saw her pass into the main building. But there was something wrong. As ever, he couldn’t tell precisely what was out of place, but there was something in that building that needed his attention.

He slipped out of the car, forgetting in his haste to close the door properly.

The assembly hall wasn’t quite large enough to hold every pupil in the school, but there must have been five or six hundred people here. About a third of those would be first years, like Miranda – and they were easy enough to spot, because they needed to be told where to sit. It had already taken five or six minutes for everyone to find their seat. Miranda was sitting down, looking around the hall. There were old photographs and even paintings – previous headmasters, old sports teams, a couple of the ex-pupils who had gone on to bigger and better things. All the pictures were hung up really high, leaving the impression that the mundane world of the school was slightly beneath them, now. The people in the pictures certainly looked serene compared with the bustle on the assembly room’s floor.

A group of teachers were watching the pupils struggling to find their place. They sat together on a raised stage at the front of the hall. Behind them, and above them, in an old, carved chair that looked like it had been salvaged from a church, was the headmaster. He looked down on proceedings with what seemed like Olympian detachment.

He was looking at her. And once he realised she’d seen him, he didn’t look away, not for a moment or two.

The Doctor used the sonic suitcase to open the door to the Headmaster’s office. Everyone was in main assembly, and he’d hear them come out of there, so he knew he had a few minutes at least.

There was a small reception area – a big oak desk for the Headmaster’s secretary. A place for naughty boys and girls or parents to wait until they were called into the office itself.

The office lay beyond a thick wooden door. The Doctor tried the handle, but the door was locked. The sonic suitcase wouldn’t open it, either, which was unusual, but not unprecedented.

The Doctor knelt down and tried to peek through the keyhole. There was nothing behind there. It wasn’t that the keyhole was blocked up. There was literally nothing beyond the door.

The Doctor stood up, and wondered what to do next.

On the whole, British schools, even the very best-equipped, shouldn’t have interstitial space-time voids. As the Doctor understood it, such things couldn’t exist in nature.

‘Obedience,’ the Headmaster said. ‘Obedience is the key to this school’s success. You children are among the finest minds in the land. You are the future leaders, academics and captains of industry. You are all very gifted, or you wouldn’t be here. But always remember that those gifts mustn’t be squandered, they must be harnessed. You must learn that there are rules, and that there are rules for a reason, however strange and arbitrary they might sometimes seem. But for the brightest students, those that apply themselves, those who show excellence in whatever field, there will be rewards beyond measure.’

Miranda was listening, honestly she was, but not as intently as some of the other children seemed to be. She only perked up when the Headmaster stopped speaking, and the other children and teachers applauded his little speech.

From there, it was simple enough. Everyone’s name was called out in turn, and they were told which class they would be in. As Miranda’s surname began with a W, she would have to wait for ages to find out where she was going.

The Doctor had managed to get the door open. Beyond it was solid darkness. A wall of black, but a wall with no substance to it.

Instinctively, the Doctor reached in.

His hand vanished into the void, but – to his relief - he could still feel it. It was cold, but there was something there, just on the edge of his perception. It just wasn’t in front of him. He raised his hand, but it didn’t move up, or left or right, or down. He swished his hand around.

It was almost as though his hand was moving forwards or backwards in time. Almost. This was difficult to explain. Not up. Not down… not in any of the three dimensions. Or the fourth.

The Doctor turned his hand again, marvelling as it moved along an entirely new axis. It was like discovering an entirely new colour, then trying to describe it. It wasn’t turning… or pitching or yawing. He’d have to come up with a new word.

He realised he was grinning.

A moment later, before he could stop himself, he’d leapt straight through the door, and gyred into the fifth dimension.

‘You’re only supposed to put a tick by the ones you’re interested in,’ Miss Hargrave told Miranda. ‘You’ve ticked almost all of them.’

‘I’m interested in all of the ones I ticked,’ Miranda insisted.

‘Everyone puts swimming and chess,’ Miss Hargrave said. ‘Hands up the people that did.’

Most hands went up.

‘I’m sorry, Miss, but I was on the swimming and chess teams at primary school.’

‘I see. You’ve not put down for any languages. Or the science club.’

‘No. I think I’d probably be a bit too advanced for them.’ ‘You think you’d be wasting your time in my French class?’

‘I’m already fluent,’ Miranda said.

‘Are you?’

‘Not just in French.’

Miranda looked around. Some of the other pupils were laughing a little nervously.

‘I mean… I’m not sure I’ll learn something.’

The Doctor was disappointed to find himself in a perfectly ordinary Headmaster’s Office, or at least something doing a very good impression of one.

A large oil painting of the current Headmaster in academic robes glowered down at him as he began a quick search of the room. There was a grandfather clock in one corner… but there was something odd about it. Something wrong with the way it had been made – it didn’t look quite finished.

Opening the desk he found a glowing sphere, the size of a cricket ball. Space twisted around it.

‘A dimensional stabiliser,’ the Doctor heard himself saying. It was responsible for moving the office into the fifth dimension. No-one native to Earth could possibly enter the room while it was active.

He picked it up, found it responding to his thoughts. He could hear it talking to him. Yapping, like a loyal dog.

The Doctor asked it to go into standby mode, then slipped it into his pocket.

He quickly found a set of official school notebooks, like registers. But they were full of mathematics symbols, what looked like Greek writing, and a number of very interesting drawings. One looked remarkably like a scale diagram of a black hole. Another was a spiral, like a five dimensional whirlpool.

The Doctor scowled – he knew he should be able to read this, but he couldn’t. If it had been Greek, it wouldn’t be a problem. And he wasn’t sure he could ever decipher it – very few of the symbols were repeated. If it was an alphabet, it was a huge one.

‘It’s called the omegabet,’ a voice told him. ‘It has a million letters…’

‘…but only five vowels,’ the Doctor completed.

‘So you do remember?’

The Doctor frowned. ‘No…’

Then he turned. The Headmaster was there, covering him with what looked for all the world like a laser pistol. ‘

I knew you’d track me down, my dear Doctor. But you’re in the same boat, aren’t you?’

‘Boat?’

‘Where are you from, Doctor?’

‘I don’t know,’ the Doctor admitted.

‘Not this planet, though?’

‘No…’

‘Neither am I. We’re from the same place. Something’s happened to time. Something’s happened to… to…’ The headmaster squeezed his eyes together, tried to concentrate. ‘Wherever we came from, it’s gone.’

‘Gone?’

‘It never existed. That’s my theory.’

‘Of course it existed. Otherwise, how could we exist?’ ‘It’s paradoxical, it’s mindbending and upsetting. But… it’s exciting. Liberating. Full of potential. We can push things further, how far only depends on us.’

The Doctor looked at this strange man. He wasn’t a tall man, but there was something about him – his bearing, those eyes. He was a born leader.

‘And where do you want to “push things”?’ the Doctor asked, already suspecting what the answer would be.

‘If we don’t take control, someone else will,’ the headmaster insisted. ‘This is a perfect opportunity.’

Miranda and Miss Hargrave had been arguing with each other in French for five minutes, now. The rest of the class were utterly bored. Miranda told Miss Hargrave as much.

‘You will study French!’ Miss Hargrave told her, in French. ‘You will learn!’

‘I don’t want to!’ Miranda replied, fluently. ‘I don’t need to.’

‘You are a disruptive element. You must bow to our will!’ Miranda felt a little startled by that. ‘Pardon?’ she said. The others in the class weren’t following this at all.

Miss Hargrave’s eyes were like… they were like black lasers. They bored into Miranda, who felt her mind slipping away. It was weird, like being really tired. But a moment ago, she’d been…

The Doctor was edging back towards the door.

‘We can’t do this alone. We have to recruit other… other people like us. We’d also need to root ourselves into this reality. I don’t know how yet, but we don’t have long. I don’t think there are many of us left. It’s why you’re special. It’s why your daughter is so special.’

‘Miranda’s adopted, she’s -’

‘I know who Miranda is, Doctor. I know the truth. There’s no need to hide it from me. I know.’

The Doctor tapped his lip. Until the Headmaster had mentioned Miranda this had been a game. But he was threatening her, now.

‘And you’d be our leader?’

‘We would have a universe, Doctor. A whole universe. The whole of space and time. Even I don’t think I could rule all that alone. We’d need an army, and what better place to raise an army than here on Earth?’

‘Then we’d divide up the universe between the three of us?’

‘Four. There’s another.’

‘Another time traveller?’

‘Someone else like us.’

‘But you said yourself that you don’t know what we are.’ ‘Precisely. But I know what I am not. I’m not a slave, not a servant, not a subject. I was born to rule, as were you. It’s our birthright, Doctor.’

‘…birthright, Miranda.’

She couldn’t make out the words. Not properly.

‘Genetic destiny… can’t fight it…. it’s our duty….’

Miranda was aware she’d slumped. Fainted. She could feel the cold parquet floor against her cheek. Her eyes were open, but they were sightless.

She tried to concentrate.

A year ago, she’d gone on holiday with the Doctor and Debbie. The Doctor had just adopted her, after a legal battle she didn’t fully understand. They’d gone to the sea to celebrate. Australia. Wasn’t it?

White sand. Blue sea. She’d been swimming, showing off. She’d got out of her depth.

Then the wave had come. It had been vast, and caught her out. She’d not had time to breathe, not even to close her eyes. Suddenly the world was blue, the whole world was blue and she was being swept along.

She tried to swim, but none of the rules of swimming seemed to apply. Nothing she did made any difference. And a moment later, the wave had passed over her, and she was alive. A little humbled, and very keen to get back to the beach and her father and his companion. But also, for a moment, she was invincible.

She could see again. Miss Hargrave was right in front of her face, staring down at her, trying to control her, trying to destroy her.

‘Not even the ocean could drown me,’ Miranda told her.

The Headmaster faltered, distracted.

‘No! You will obey me!’

The Doctor took his chance, and a step forward. He batted the gun from the Headmaster’s hand, catching it, slipping it in his pocket in one movement.

‘No!’ the Headmaster said again, lunging forward, grabbing for the Doctor’s coat.

They wrestled for a moment, but the Headmaster was surprisingly strong, and pushed both hands into the Doctor’s coat pocket. A moment later, he had his hand round something. He took what he thought was the pistol out.

It was the dimensional stabiliser.

The Headmaster stood there, aware how foolish he looked, pointing the thing at the Doctor as if it was a gun.

The Doctor asked the dimensional stabiliser very nicely to take the Headmaster away from here, and to make sure he never came back.

And, like a loyal dog, the sphere did just that.

The Doctor looked up at the clock. Twenty to four. Time flies, he thought. Probably a side effect of all that dimension-bending. He was meant to be picking up Miranda in five minutes!

‘How was your first day at school?’ the Doctor asked nonchalantly, five minutes later, opening the car door for his daughter.

‘Oh… fairly uneventful,’ Miranda told him. ‘My French teacher and I hit it off on the wrong note, but by the end of the lesson she was almost a different person. What have you been doing with yourself?’

‘I met an old school friend,’ the Doctor said.

‘Oh. Right. Will you be meeting him again?’

The Doctor smiled. ‘I doubt I’ve seen the last of him.

#Eighth Doctor #Lance Parkin #Eighth Doctor Adventures #Miranda Dawkins #Father Time #The Master #Doctor Who #long post #The Book of the Ceasefires

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Netflix's Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Cast & Character Guide

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance sports an absolutely massive cast, employing a diverse group of actors and puppeteers to bring the many creatures of Thra to life. Netflix's Age of Resistance is a prequel to 1982's The Dark Crystal, a dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz that still impresses with its incredible puppetry and practical effects.

Set years before the events of the original film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance sees three Gelfling uncover a horrible secret about their ruling lords, the Skeksis. The events of the Netflix series directly set up The Dark Crystal, and fans of that film will undoubtedly enjoy recognizing all that ways in which the movie is referenced. However, unlike the original Dark Crystal, Age of Resistance is a much longer and more thorough exploration of Thra, with a cast of over 30 characters brought to life with 20 principle puppets and an additional 90 supporting characters. Simply put, Age of Resistance is a massive production.

Related: Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance World, Creature & Terminology Guide

Building the world of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance by introducing so many characters at one time requires a truly stellar cast. Thankfully, Age of Resistance is employing some of the best in business. Here's the full cast of actors and puppeteers for Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The Gelflings

Taron Egerton as Rian (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Taron Egerton is voicing Rian, a Gelfling of the Stonewood Clan who also serves as a castle guard. Egerton most recently starred as Elton John in Rocketman, and has previously held lead roles in Kingsman and Eddie the Eagle.

Nathalie Emmanuel as Deet (puppeteers: Beccy Henderson, Katherine Smee) - Fresh off her work on HBO's Game of Thrones as Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel voices Deet, a Gelfling of the Grottan Clan who cares deeply for the animals of Thra. Emmanuel can next be seen in 2020's Fast & Furious 9. In addition to puppeteering, Beccy Henderson has also appeared as Aisling on Derry Girls, while Katherine Smee has also puppeteered for films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Muppets Most Wanted.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Brea (puppeteer: Alice Dinnean) - Anya Taylor-Joy is voicing Brea, a Gelfling princess of the Vapra Clan and daughter of the All-Maudra. Joy rose to prominence with roles in The Witch, Split, and Glass and is slated to appear as Illyana Rasputin/Magik in The New Mutants.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Seladon (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Gugu Mbatha-Raw voices Seladon, Brea's older sister and princess of the Vapra Clan. Mbatha-Raw's breakout role came as the lead in Belle. She's also appeared in Beauty and the Beast, Fast Color, and A Wrinkle in Time. Helena Smee is the sister of Katherine Smee and has previously worked for The Jim Henson Company on productions like Muppets Most Wanted and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Caitriona Balfe as Tavra (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Caitriona Balfe is voicing Tavra, another of Brea's sisters and a warrior for the Vapra Clan. Most will recognize Balfe from her lead role as Claire on Outlander, but she has also appeared in films like Super 8 and Now You See Me.

Helena Bonham Carter as Maudra Mayrin/The All-Maudra (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - No stranger to dark fantasy, Helena Bonham Carter voices the All-Maudra, leader of the Vapra Clan and the head of all Gelfling clans. Known for playing Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and collaborations with Tim Burton, Bonham Carter most recently appeared in Ocean's 8 and she'll play Princess Margaret in the upcoming season of Netflix's The Crown.

Lena Headey as Maudra Fara/The Rock Singer (puppeteers: Alice Dinnean, Louise Gold) - Another Game of Thrones alum, Lena Heady (Cersei Lannister) trades one crown for another by voicing Maudra Fara, the leader of the Stonewood Clan. Headey will next appear in the action flick, Gunpowder Milkshake.

Harris Dickinson as Gurjin (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Harris Dickinson is voicing Gurjin, Rian's best friend and a Gelfling of the Drenchen Clan. He also serves as a castle guard. Dickinson is a relatively new talent, appearing next as Prince Phillip in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and as the lead in The King's Man. Dave Chapman, however, should be familiar to Star Wars fans as one of the two puppeteers responsible for bringing BB-8 to life.

Shazad Latif as Kylan (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid) - Shazad Latif voices Kylan, a Gelfling of the Spriton Clan and friend to Rian and Gurjin. Latif is best known for his role as Lieutenant Ash Tyler/Voq on Star Trek: Discovery.

Hannah John-Kamen as Naia (puppeteer: Beccy Henderson) - Hannah John-Kamen voices Naia, a Gelfling of the Drenchen Clan and Gurjin's twin sister. John-Kamen recently had roles in Ready Player One and Ant-Man and The Wasp, in which she played Ava Starr/Ghost.

Eddie Izzard as Cadia (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Eddie Izzard is voicing Cadia, a Gelfling soothsayer from the Sifa Clan. Izzard is a comedian and actor, starring in FX's The Riches and most recently appearing in Victoria & Abdul. Olly Taylor has puppeteered for Muppets Most Wanted and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, among other films.

Alicia Vikander as Mira (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Alicia Vikander voices Mira, a Vapra Gelfling who is Rian's girlfiend as well as a castle guard. Vikander has starred in films like Ex Machina, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and most recently in Tomb Raider as Lara Croft.

Toby Jones as The Librarian (puppeteer: Kevin Clash) - Toby Jones lends his voice to the Vapra Clan's librarian. Jones had his breakthrough role playing Truman Capote in Infamous, and most recently appeared in Out of the Blue. Jones also portrays Armin Zola in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Clash is a veteran puppeteer best known for portraying Elmo on Sesame Street until 2012. He was also the subject of the documentary, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.

Natalie Dormer as Onica (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Yet another Game of Thrones cast member involved is Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), who voices Onica, Tavra's girlfriend and a Gelfling of the Sifa Clan. Dormer is next appearing in the spinoff series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Mark Strong as Ordon (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Continuing the connection with the Kingsman franchise, Mark Strong voices Ordon, Rian's father and a warrior from the Stonewood Clan. Strong played Merlin in both Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He also played Dr. Thadeus Sivana in Shazam!

Theo James as Rek'yr (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Theo James is voicing Rek'yr, a Gelfling of the Dousan Clan. James is best known for his role as "Four" Tobias Eaton in the Divergent series.

Louise Gold as Maudra Argot/The Shadow Bender (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Louise Gold is another veteran of The Jim Henson Company and the only puppeteer reprising their role (as skekAyuk The Gourmand) from the original Dark Crystal film. In Age of Resistance, she is also voicing and puppeteering Maudra Argot, the leader of Grottan Clan in addition to puppeteering the All-Maudra, Onica, and The Gourmand.

Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Maudra Seethi/The Skin Painter - Kemi-Bo Jacobs is voicing Maudra Seethi, leader of the Dousan Clan. Jacobs has appeared in London Has Fallen, McMafia, and Doctor Who.

The Skeksis

Jason Isaacs as skekSo/The Emperor (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Hollywood's go-to actor for baddies, Jason Isaacs' latest villainous role is that of the Skeksis emperor, skekSo, the ruler of Thra. Isaacs portrayed Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series and most recently Captain Gabriel Lorca on Star Trek: Discovery.

Simon Pegg as skekSil/The Chamberlain (puppeteer: Katherine Smee, Warrick Brownlow-Pike) - Simon Pegg has perhaps the most difficult task in voicing skekSil, The Chamberlain, seeing as Barry Dennen's portrayal in The Dark Crystal is downright iconic, but Pegg proves well-suited. Most viewers will be familiar with Pegg from his and Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy as well as his work in the Mission Impossible and Star Trek films. Warrick Brownlow-Pike regularly works on such Jim Henson Company productions as Sesame Street.

Awkwafina as skekLach/The Collector (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Actress and rapper, Awkwafina voices skekLach, The Collector, a Skeksis who as their name suggests loves to collect things, particularly other creatures. Awkwafina gained prominence with parts in Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians.

Benedict Wong as skekUng/The General (puppeteers: Katherine Smee, Kevin Clash) - Benedict Wong is another MCU alum in the mix, here voicing skekUng, The General and commander of the Skeksis' army. Wong played Master of the Mystic Arts Wong in Doctor Strange and reprised the role for both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.

Harvey Fierstein as skekAyuk/The Gourmand (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Harvey Fierstein voices skekAyuk, The Gourmand, the Skeksis who prepares their many feasts. Fierstein is a prolific actor of the stage and is probably best known to moviegoers for his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day.

Andy Samberg as The Heretic (puppeteer: Damian Farrell) - Andy Samberg is voicing a Skeksis known simply as The Heretic, having been exiled by his fellow Skeksis. Samberg is a member of The Lonely Island and currently stars in the NBC (originally FOX) sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Damian Farrell frequently works as a creature and droid puppeteer in the Star Wars films.

Ralph Ineson as skekMal/The Hunter (puppeteer: Kevin Clash) - The final Game of Thrones actor involved in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is Ralph Ineson (Dagmar Cleftjaw) and he is voicing skekMal, The Hunter, the most viscious of all the Skeksis. Ineson has also appeared in the Harry Potter series and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Alice Dinnean as skekEkt/The Ornamentalist (puppeteer: Alice Dinnean) - Alice Dinnean is a veteran puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company and here she is both puppeteering and voicing skekEkt, The Ornamentalist, the Skeksis who designs their flamboyant outfits. Dinnean has also puppeteered roles for The Muppets, Sesame Street, and even that one Community episode where the characters become puppets.

Keegan-Michael Key as skekZok/The Ritual-Master (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid) - Keegan-Michael Key voices skekZok, The Ritual-Master, who is responsible for rituals like the Ceremony of the Sun. Key is best known for being one half of Key & Peele with Jordan Peele, also starring with Peele in Keanu, and most recently voicing characters in Toy Story 4 and The Lion King (2019).

Mark Hamill as skekTek/The Scientist (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - No stranger at all to voice work, Mark Hamill is voicing skekTek, The Scientist, the Skeksis who begins experimenting on the Dark Crystal. Hamill is, obviously, best known for portraying Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films and voicing The Joker in several DC Comics animated projects.

Neil Sterenberg as skekOk/The Scroll-Keeper (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Neil Sterenberg is another veteran puppeteer who here is both puppeteering and voicing, skekOk, The Scroll-Keeper, who serves as the castle's historian. Sterenberg is also puppeteering the Gelfling Rian and Tavra.

Aughra, The Mystics & More

Donna Kimball as Aughra (puppeteers: Katherine Smee, Kevin Clash) - Donna Kimball is voicing Aughra, a character who is the embodiment of the planet Thra. Kimball is also a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company, previously working on such projects as The Happytime Murders.

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as urVa/The Archer (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Ólafur Darri Ólafsson voices one of only two urRu to appear in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, urVa, The Archer, who as their name suggests is a skilled archer among the Mystics. Ólafsson has appeared in the surreal Netflix comedy, Lady Dynamite, and is currently in AMC's NOS4A2.

Bill Hader as urGoh/The Wanderer (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Bill Hader is voicing the other urRu, The Wanderer, a Mystic who, well, wanders. Hader is an actor and comedian currently starring in HBO's Barry as well as the impending horror film, It Chapter Two.

Victor Yerrid as Hup (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid, Katherine Smee) - Victor Yerrid provides the voice of Hup, a Podling who befriends Deet on her journey, in addition to puppeteering the character with Katherine Smee. Yerrid is also puppeteering for Kylan and skekZok. He's previously worked on such shows as Greg the Bunny, Crank Yankers, and more.

Sigourney Weaver as The Myth Speaker - As one of only two characters that isn't a puppet, Sigourney Weaver lends her voice to the narrator for the series, here called The Myth Speaker. She begins The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance by retelling a brief history of Thra. Weaver is an accomplished actress best know for Alien and will next appear in the still untitled Avatar 2 and Avatar 3.

Dave Goelz as Baffi - Dave Goelz is responsible for the vocal work (and presumably the puppeteering though that's unconfirmed) of Baffi, Maudra Fara's eyepatch-wearing Fizzgig. Goelz is veteran puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company, originating the role of Gonzo.

Theo Ogundipe as Vliste-Staba/The Sanctuary Tree - Another non-puppet character, Theo Ogundipe voices The Sanctuary Tree, Vliste-Staba, a wise tree that grows on the mountains above Grot. Ogundipe is largely a stage actor, appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he has also worked on Eastenders and Doctors.

Next: Netflix: The Best TV Shows & Movies This Weekend

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance season 1 is now available on Netflix.

source https://screenrant.com/dark-crystal-age-resistance-cast-character-guide/

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