Star Wars (2020) #47-50

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#47 — “The Trial of Lando Calrissian (Finale)”

Before Hope Dies formally begins, issue #47 concludes the long-running Lando Calrissian treason arc. Lando confronts a Rebel tribunal questioning his loyalty due to actions taken during Mutiny at Mon Cala. His fate and relationship with the Alliance set the emotional stakes as the galaxy braces for what’s next.

*In Star Wars (2020) #48–50, the story shifts from military maneuvering to deeply personal reckonings about guilt, responsibility, and moral limits. Issue #48 centers on Leia Organa, haunted by recurring nightmares of Alderaan’s destruction and overwhelmed by the tension between rescuing Han Solo and leading the Rebel Alliance against a resurgent Empire. When contact is lost with the Alderaan Survivor Fleet, Leia joins Luke Skywalker and Evaan Verlaine on a rescue mission that turns into a trap laid by former Imperial commander Ellian Zahra. The mission ends in disaster: the fleet appears destroyed, Leia is wounded, Luke sacrifices himself to save her, and Leia is captured — reinforcing her fear that everyone she tries to protect ultimately pays the price.

Issue #49 escalates the personal conflict between Leia and Zahra, turning the arc into a confrontation over moral absolutism and vengeance. Zahra reveals how she survived their last encounter and how Leia’s refusal to kill her shattered Zahra’s belief in Imperial order, leaving her scarred, mutilated, and obsessed with proving Leia’s moral “hypocrisy.” Zahra intends to sell Leia to the Empire, but Luke intervenes, and together the Rebels sabotage Zahra’s operation. Luke spares Zahra’s life, believing she can still choose a better path — a decision Leia reluctantly honors until Zahra proves incapable of letting go of her hatred. Leia ultimately orders Zahra’s death when Zahra attacks again, affirming that mercy without accountability can become another form of harm. The issue closes with Leia learning that most of the Alderaanian survivors escaped after all, allowing her a measure of peace and clarity.

Issue #50 reframes the entire volume as a moral parable told years later by Luke to Ben Solo, focusing on the cost of choosing the “path of light.” Luke recounts a secret mission undertaken during Han’s captivity involving the Grim Rose — a mystical assassination device capable of killing Emperor Palpatine through a web of personal connections, at the cost of countless innocent lives along the way. Though the weapon could have ended the Sith, Luke realizes that using it would require embracing mass murder and abandoning hope for Vader’s redemption. By altering the weapon’s target to someone long dead, Luke neutralizes it without sacrificing his values. In the present, Luke explains to Ben that defeating evil by becoming evil only perpetuates darkness — a lesson meant to guide Ben away from the very fate the reader knows awaits him.

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Immortal Thor (2023) #11-15

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Immortal Thor Vol. 3: The End of All Songs thrusts Thor Odinson into an epic mythic quest after the Norse God of War, Tyr, mysteriously disappears under cosmic circumstances. Determined to retrieve a lost sibling, Thor calls together all the Children of Odin — from established heroes like Angela and Balder to obscure gods and even Loki — and they embark on a journey that traverses surreal, abstract realms linked to larger Marvel cosmology. The mission rapidly evolves from a missing-person hunt into a deep-mythos exploration, challenging the assembled gods with forces that defy conventional cosmic order. 

As the group tracks Tyr’s trail, their interactions expose tensions within the Odin family, particularly involving Loki’s narrative influence and Thor’s leadership under strain. The stakes grow beyond simply rescuing Tyr — they confront ancient forces, existential wheels of fate, and incursions from mythologies outside traditional Norse lore, including Greek deities like Hercules and Nyx. These intersections underscore the series’ ambition: to blend mythological weight with superheroic drama, threading Thor’s personal duty with sprawling cosmological intrigue. 

The arc culminates in a dramatic reckoning where Thor and his siblings must face the consequences of their quest, balancing interpersonal conflict with divine threats. Ultimately, Return of the King and the preceding chapters tie together the threads of familial loyalty, mythic heritage, and cosmic responsibility, pushing Thor to redefine what it means to be both a god and a hero amid forces that transcend conventional Asgardian challenges.

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Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #50-54

 

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In Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #50–54 — “Going Green” — the return of the Green Goblin becomes the centerpiece of Zeb Wells’ most unhinged escalation yet. A distress signal from the Living Brain leads Peter into a trap where Norman’s old Goblin persona resurfaces—and triggers secret conditioning Norman had implanted in Peter using the Winkler Device. With a single activation phrase, Peter is forced into a deranged new form called Spider-Goblin, a twisted fusion of Spider-Man’s agility and the Goblin’s cruelty. While Norman maneuvers legally and strategically to position Peter as his “successor,” Spider-Goblin goes on a violent spree, dismantling the Sinister Six and nearly killing Kraven, all while Peter’s true self is buried under layers of Goblin programming.

A small resistance forms around Kamala Khan, J. Jonah Jameson, Curt Connors, and a newly evolved Walking Brain, who uncover Norman’s deeper plot: the Green Goblin doesn’t just want revenge—he wants a new host. As Peter briefly breaks through the conditioning, he races to secure a mystical spear tied to the Goblin’s “sins,” hoping to use it to save Norman. But the Goblin in Norman stays one step ahead, eventually stabbing himself with the spear so that the sins—his essence—can forcibly transfer into Peter. This fulfills the Goblin’s long game: merging his evil with Peter’s body to create the ultimate Goblin-Spider hybrid, one capable of surpassing both men.

The final issue becomes a battle for Peter’s identity inside his own mind. With Norman mortally wounded and the Goblin’s essence trying to overwrite him from within, Peter is pulled into a psychological war where the Goblin insists that Peter is the perfect vessel. The Walking Brain helps anchor Peter’s sense of self, allowing him to reject the Goblin’s possession and break free from both the sins and the Winkler conditioning. The story closes with Peter restored but shaken, Norman alive but stripped of the Goblin once again, and Spider-Man left to reckon with how close he came to becoming the Goblin’s “true home” forever.

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Materialists (2025)

The Materialists is a surprisingly sharp, stylish, and enjoyable film — a modern romantic comedy that actually remembers to be both romantic and comedic. Chris Evans turns in one of his most charismatic performances in years, carrying scenes with effortless charm and emotional clarity. The supporting cast brings real texture, timing, and personality, giving the movie a lively rhythm that keeps it consistently engaging.

But the film has one undeniable weak link: Dakota Johnson. Her performance feels so muted and detached that it clashes with the energy the rest of the cast is generating. She delivers every line in the same soft, half-awake register she brings to all her roles, and the contrast becomes especially stark when she’s playing opposite Evans, who’s doing some genuinely great work here. Several scenes lose momentum simply because her emotional range never matches the tone or pacing of what’s happening around her.

The frustrating part is that The Materialists is genuinely good — it’s witty, well-shot, and confidently directed. With a different lead actress, it could easily have been great. As it stands, Dakota Johnson’s flat, monotone delivery keeps pulling the movie back just when it’s about to hit its stride. Still, the film is well worth watching; you just have to accept that one performance is doing a lot less heavy lifting than everyone else.

The Substance (2025)

The Substance (2024), directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), is a bold, abrasive body-horror film that feels intentionally designed to make its audience uncomfortable. Starring Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, with Margaret Qualley in a physically demanding dual role and Dennis Quaid as a sleazy industry figure, the film blends satire, horror, and grotesque spectacle into something that is at once fascinating and deeply unpleasant. I ultimately enjoyed it—but it is undeniably odd, confrontational, and frequently gory in ways that feel excessive by design.

The story centers on Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-famous actress whose career has stalled as Hollywood discards her for being “too old.” Desperate to reclaim relevance, she turns to a mysterious black-market treatment known only as The Substance, which promises a younger, better version of herself. The catch is that this “new” self—played by Margaret Qualley—is not simply a rejuvenation, but a separate physical manifestation that must be carefully maintained and alternated with Elisabeth’s original body. What begins as a twisted second chance quickly spirals into obsession, resentment, and horrifying consequences.

As the film progresses, the relationship between Elisabeth and her younger counterpart becomes increasingly antagonistic, exposing the brutal psychology behind self-loathing, vanity, and society’s fixation on youth. The rules of The Substance are strict and unforgiving, and every violation pushes the film further into nightmarish body horror. Fargeat escalates the violence and gore relentlessly, often lingering on transformations and bodily decay in ways that feel intentionally punishing. At times, the excess feels unnecessary—but that excess may very well be the point, forcing the viewer to sit with the ugliness beneath the fantasy of eternal beauty.

Demi Moore delivers one of the most fearless performances of her career, fully embracing the film’s physical and emotional demands. Margaret Qualley is equally impressive, embodying youth as both intoxicating and monstrous, while Dennis Quaid leans into his role as a grotesque symbol of industry exploitation. Fargeat’s direction is uncompromising, with a slick, hyper-stylized aesthetic that contrasts sharply with the rawness of the body horror. The film’s sound design and editing amplify its sense of dread, making it feel almost claustrophobic in its intensity.

Ultimately, The Substance is not a film meant to be “enjoyed” in a traditional sense—it’s meant to provoke, disturb, and indict. Its gore can feel excessive, its tone abrasive, and its imagery hard to shake, but those qualities reinforce its central thesis about how cruel and dehumanizing the pursuit of perfection can be. While it won’t be for everyone, and may even repel some viewers outright, it’s a striking, memorable piece of horror cinema that commits fully to its vision. Love it or hate it, The Substance is impossible to ignore.

Weapons (2025)

Weapons starts with one of the most unsettling hooks in recent horror: an entire classroom of children vanishes at the exact same moment with no explanation. The story follows the ripple effects of that disappearance through the lives of parents, teachers, police, and the town itself, slowly revealing that the event isn’t just a random supernatural glitch. For most of its runtime, the movie does a great job building dread through atmosphere, unanswered questions, and a creeping sense that reality itself is fractured.

As the layers peel back, the film shifts from mystery-driven horror into something closer to cosmic or metaphysical terror. The idea that the children weren’t simply taken but were pulled into some kind of twisted, larger mechanism of fate or punishment adds a disturbing philosophical edge. The performances sell the despair and confusion well, especially the parents who are left trapped in emotional limbo—no closure, no certainty, just absence.

Where the movie really divides people is the ending. Instead of giving a concrete explanation or emotional resolution, it leans hard into ambiguity and symbolic horror, implying meaning without fully grounding it. I personally didn’t like the ending—not because it was bold, but because it felt like the film pulled back just when it needed to commit. After spending so much time investing us in the mystery and the emotional weight, the lack of real narrative payoff felt frustrating rather than profound.

Overall, I’d say Weapons is a strong, eerie film that mostly works—great setup, solid tension, and memorable ideas—but it could have benefited from a little more wrapping up at the end. The journey is compelling, the mood is heavy in the right way, and much of it sticks with you afterward. But the ending feels like a swing that didn’t quite connect, and I suspect a lot of viewers walked away feeling the same mix of admiration and disappointment.

Death By Lightning (2025)

 

Death by Lightning tells the tragic story of President James Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau, in a way that feels far more personal and unsettling than most historical dramas. Instead of focusing on grand politics, the series zooms in on the psychological crash course toward inevitable violence. Garfield is portrayed as a deeply decent but overwhelmed man, while Guiteau is shown as unstable, narcissistic, and terrifyingly confident in his own delusions.

What really makes the series disturbing is how clearly it shows the systemic failures that help create the disaster. Guiteau is ignored, dismissed, laughed off, and repeatedly allowed to spiral without intervention, while a chaotic patronage-based government creates the exact kind of entitlement that fuels his obsession. When the assassination finally happens, it doesn’t feel shocking so much as tragically unavoidable.

I liked Death by Lightning because it refuses to romanticize either power or madness—it just lays them bare. The show is quiet, tense, and uncomfortable, but in a way that feels intellectually honest rather than sensational. It’s one of those rare historical dramas that leaves you unsettled not by violence itself, but by how easily everything slid into it.

Black Mirror S7

If you loved the classic, chilling style of the original series, you won't want to miss Black Mirror Season 7, now streaming on Netflix.

This season is a brilliant return to form, capturing that signature blend of technological anxiety, dark humor, and unexpected human drama that defines the show's best work. It manages to feel both comfortingly familiar and shockingly fresh.

Why You Should Watch It:

• Classic "OG" Vibes: Creator Charlie Brooker promised a return to the show's roots, and he delivers. The episodes feel distinct and experimental, ranging from unsettling sci-fi thrillers to emotional, character-driven pieces, with a consistently high level of craft.
• Star-Studded & Superb Acting: The cast is phenomenal. You have award-winning actors like Paul Giamatti, Emma Corrin, and Peter Capaldi delivering powerful performances that anchor the high-concept stories in genuine emotion.
• The USS Callister Sequel: For long-time fans, the much-anticipated sequel to the Emmy-winning "USS Callister" episode is a major highlight. It expands the world of the original while asking new, compelling questions about digital existence.
• Variety of Tone: The season masterfully avoids feeling repetitive. Whether it’s the chilling economic commentary in "Common People" or the reality-bending "Hotel Reverie," there's an episode for every type of Black Mirror fan.

Season 7 reminds us exactly why Black Mirror became a cultural phenomenon. It's thought-provoking, entertaining, and guarantees you'll be looking at your phone a little differently after the credits roll. It’s an essential watch for anyone who enjoys excellent speculative fiction.

Vikings S1 & 2

 

Review of Vikings – Seasons 1 & 2

(Spoiler-free • From the perspective of a fan who liked it)

Vikings hits the ground with a gritty, atmospheric energy that few historical dramas pull off. Seasons 1 and 2 form a tight, compelling arc that mixes ambition, family loyalty, faith, brutality, and political maneuvering into something that feels both mythic and grounded. If you enjoy character-driven dramas framed by believable world-building and just the right amount of historical flavor, these first two seasons deliver.

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⚔️ Season 1 – A Slow Burn with Purpose

Season 1 sets the tone: muddy villages, smoky halls, cold seas, and a culture that feels alive rather than textbook. The pacing is deliberate—but never dull—and the show earns every bit of tension it builds.

• Ragnar Lothbrok makes an incredible lead: curious, clever, stubborn, and quietly magnetic.

• The show leans heavily into Viking spirituality and mythology in a way that feels authentic rather than theatrical.

• The first raids and battles are visually raw, not Hollywood-glossy, which helps the world feel real.

• The family dynamics—especially Ragnar and Lagertha—are genuinely some of the best parts.

Season 1 is basically the rise of a man with a vision, and the show takes its time letting that vision clash with tradition. If you enjoy character development and cultural immersion, Season 1 is outstanding.

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🛡️ Season 2 – Bigger, Brutal, and Far More Political

Season 2 is where the show levels up. Everything gets more intense—relationships, rivalries, and the scale of power plays.

• More battles, more travel, and more exploration.

• Internal conflict ramps up, especially between characters who were allies in Season 1.

• The political scheming takes center stage and keeps the story unpredictable.

• Supporting characters get stronger arcs, which makes the world feel larger.

If Season 1 was about establishing the world, Season 2 is about expanding it—and it pays off. The stakes feel higher, the character choices hit harder, and the show gains momentum that carries directly into later seasons.

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🎥 What Makes Both Seasons Work

• Strong characters grounded in messy, human flaws

• Authentic atmosphere—the dirt, the danger, the rituals

• A believable Viking perspective, not filtered through modern sensibilities

• Beautiful yet harsh cinematography

• Just enough mysticism to feel mythic without turning into fantasy

It’s violent and raw, but not gratuitous; thoughtful but not slow; and character-driven without losing the epic feel.

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⭐ Overall Impressions

As someone who liked the show, these first two seasons feel like the perfect blend of grounded history and engrossing drama. The character arcs are memorable, the conflicts feel earned, and the Viking worldview is presented with surprising nuance.

If you’re looking for a historical drama with grit, heart, and a sense of destiny, Vikings Season 1 and 2 are a fantastic ride.