Sunday, May 7, 2023

Daredevil (2019) #33-36

 Daredevil (2019) #33-36

   The Chip Zdarsky run on Daredevil continues with the Kingpin cloning Bullseyes, Elektra donning the cowl for Daredevil while he's in jail, and of course more Chicago Detective Cole North. Unfortunately it wasn't really that eye opening of an arc but I'm hoping he manages to turn the corner in the next volume (hooray for more #1's). Typhoid Mary and Kingpin end this series as husband and wife, plus more appearances of Mike Murdock. Hopefully that will open up a little more as we continue. Overall, this story was a little boring and very average. Let's see what they can do with the next series.


Wednesday, May 3, 2023

The White Lotus S2



The White Lotus S2


Season 2 (2022)

1 "Ciao" 
Several guests at the White Lotus in Taormina, Sicily, are found to have died at a nearby beach. A week earlier, a group of guests arrives at the White Lotus, greeted by its short-tempered manager Valentina. Among them is Tanya, now in a strained marriage with Greg. Greg is angered to learn that Tanya brought along her young assistant Portia to a romantic getaway; to appease him while still retaining Portia's services, Tanya orders Portia to stay in her room and remain out of sight. An upset Portia later meets and bonds with Albie Di Grasso, a recent Stanford graduate who is exploring his ancestral roots in Sicily alongside his father Dominic—a Hollywood producer whose marriage is failing due to his numerous infidelities—and womanizing grandfather Bert. Meanwhile, married couple Ethan and Harper Spiller join Ethan's brash college roommate Cameron Sullivan and his wife Daphne on a trip to Sicily. Harper is quickly put off by Cameron and Daphne, believing their constant displays of affection to be insincere. Cameron exposes himself to Harper while changing into his swimming trunks. Ethan brushes off Harper's concerns and says Cameron probably did not realize she could see him. Lucia, a local sex worker, sneaks into the resort with her friend Mia, and goes to meet her latest client, Dominic.

2 "Italian Dream" 
Dominic sets up Lucia and Mia at the hotel as his guests. Portia joins the Di Grasso family on a visit to the ancient theatre of Taormina, where Bert continues to make inappropriate conversation. Albie and Portia discuss their romantic preferences over dinner, and Portia later violates her non-disclosure agreement with Tanya by divulging sordid details of Tanya's past to Albie. Albie awkwardly kisses Portia at the end of their night. Bert, meanwhile, chastises Dominic for being "sloppy" in how he conducts his extramarital affairs. Dominic later explains to Lucia that he wants to overcome his sex addiction, but relents when she and Mia offer to "thank" him for letting them enjoy the hotel's amenities on his tab. Ethan and Harper struggle to build sexual chemistry while on the trip, in contrast to Cameron and Daphne. Cameron makes another pass at Harper while swimming. Harper later apologizes to Ethan for being a "shrew" and promises to enjoy their trip. Greg tells Tanya he has to fly back to Denver for work. She later overhears him on the phone with his possible lover.

3 "Bull Elephants" 
Bert tells Dominic he spotted Lucia and Mia leaving his room; Dominic, feeling guilty and ashamed, severs ties with Lucia. Albie tries to impress Portia on a day trip with his family, but Tanya calls her away; she is very upset about Greg's departure and needs Portia's support. Tanya consults a tarot reader, who tells her that Greg is in love with someone else. That evening, Albie attempts to be more sexually forward with Portia, but she finds herself instead attracted to an English man she spots at the hotel pool. Daphne and Harper visit Noto while Cameron and Ethan spend the day jetskiing. Daphne has secretly rented a palazzo in Noto for one night, where she tells Harper that although she is aware of Cameron's infidelity, she chooses not to see herself as a victim. She also insinuates that Cameron's business partners are engaged in criminal activity. Disappointed that Ethan did not give him any insider trading tips, Cameron attempts to persuade Ethan to invest in his company. They spend the night drinking, taking MDMA and partying with Lucia and Mia; Cameron has sex with Lucia, but Ethan turns down Mia.

4 "In the Sandbox" 
Cameron does not pay Lucia and Mia in full. Harper and Daphne return from Noto. When Harper presses Ethan about last night, he admits only to getting drunk, concealing Cameron's infidelity. Harper is shocked to discover a condom wrapper in their room but spends the day fuming about it rather than confronting Ethan. Tanya is befriended by Quentin, a wealthy English gay man who lives in Palermo. He introduces her to his friends and she has a great time. Portia meets his nephew Jack, whom she had earlier spotted at the pool, and they hit it off. Albie, meanwhile, meets Lucia while waiting for Portia. Unaware that she is a sex worker who slept with his father, they get on well. While Lucia is beginning to question her own life choices, Mia suddenly decides to have sex with Giuseppe in order to further her musical career, ignoring Lucia's attempts to dissuade her. This backfires when Giuseppe, unable to perform sexually, takes some pills thinking they are Viagra. He later collapses during his evening gig and is taken away in an ambulance. Shortly after Jack and Portia leave the bar to sleep together, Albie and Lucia go back to his room, where she performs oral sex on him.

5 "That's Amore" 
Ethan finally comes clean with Harper after discovering the condom wrapper; she grudgingly accepts his apology. The two couples go on a wine-tasting trip on which an increasingly drunk Harper drops various hints that she knows about what happened. Ethan accuses Cameron of "mimetic desire" for his habit of seducing every woman Ethan was interested in at college. Throughout the day Harper continually undermines and embarrasses Ethan. Later at dinner, Cameron puts his hand on Harper's leg under the table. Albie is surprised when Lucia asks for payment for the previous night's sex. Dominic attempts to dissuade Albie and Lucia from seeing each other, but Albie seems to have fallen for her. Lucia is accosted by a man named Alessio, to whom she claims she owes money. Albie and Lucia again spend the night together. Discerning that Valentina is gay, Mia offers her sexual favors in exchange for Giuseppe's piano gig until he recovers. Tanya and Portia visit Palermo with Quentin and his friends. Quentin accompanies Tanya to a performance of Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Massimo. Meanwhile Jack and Portia explore the town, doing a dine and dash after sampling the arancini at a local restaurant. Tanya is later shocked to discover Jack having sex with his "uncle", Quentin.

6 "Abductions" 
Ethan and Harper discuss their mutual lack of attraction, with Harper asking Ethan if he still desires her. After later seeing Harper interacting with Cameron on the beach, Ethan becomes increasingly suspicious that Harper is cheating on him with Cameron. The Di Grassos go to visit the home of their apparent blood relatives. Albie brings Lucia along as a translator, but Alessio follows them; Lucia eventually agrees to accompany him, against the Di Grassos' protests. The Di Grassos arrive at their ancestral village and locate a Di Grasso family there, whom they visit unannounced. The remaining family members are three women of different generations, who angrily turn them away. Bert is despondent, having hoped for a happier family reunion. Lucia returns to the hotel that night and tells Albie that she can only leave Alessio once she pays him the money she owes. Valentina enjoys her first lesbian tryst with Mia, after Isabella, a concierge with whom Valentina has been infatuated, reveals her engagement to fellow concierge Rocco, whom Valentina had reassigned to the beach club to get closer to Isabella. Tanya hints to Portia that Jack may not be Quentin's nephew. Quentin sets up Tanya with his cocaine dealer, Niccoló; before they have sex, Tanya finds a framed photo of Quentin with a man, possibly Greg, when they were younger. A drunken Jack admits to Portia that Quentin and his friends have spent all their money on their luxuries, and cryptically implies that Quentin rescued him from dire circumstances in exchange for sex.

7 "Arrivederci" 
Harper admits to Ethan that Cameron kissed her. He furiously attacks Cameron, nearly drowning him before a bystander intervenes. Ethan shares his suspicions with Daphne, who repeats the advice she gave Harper, to do whatever makes him feel better; she then invites him to join her on a walk to a nearby island, possibly to have sex. An invigorated Ethan later has sex with Harper, reigniting the passion in their marriage. Albie convinces Dominic to wire €50,000 to Lucia to save her from Alessio, in exchange for Albie's help in salvaging Dominic's marriage. Lucia quietly leaves Albie and celebrates her successful scam with Mia and Alessio. Valentina restores Rocco to reception, at Isabella's request, and hires Mia as the resort’s new piano player, angering Giuseppe. Portia wakes up and finds that her phone is missing. She takes Jack's phone and calls Tanya, alerting her that something is wrong. Tanya suspects that Greg hired Quentin and his associates to kill her so that he can inherit her fortune. Panicking and paranoid after finding duct tape and rope in Niccolo's bag, she retrieves Niccolo's gun and kills him, Quentin, and Didier. While attempting to board a dinghy to escape, she slips, hits her head, and drowns. Her body washes up to shore the next day and is discovered by Daphne, and the other bodies on the yacht are found soon after. Portia confronts Jack about his relationship with Quentin; he angrily drives off, eventually dropping her off near Catania–Fontanarossa Airport and warning her not to return to the White Lotus for her own safety. Albie and Portia reunite at the airport.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

X-Force (2019) #21-26

 X-Force (2019) #21-26



   Just an aside before I get into this too far, the whole pages of just text that move the story along, ala Sage's Logbook or Beast's Notes, etc - that's a little annoying. I understand Benjamin Percy's passion to give the story more depth, but the distance between what a comic book is supposed to be, and what a novel is supposed to be.. well, there's differences there for a reason. I like being able to read a comic book in 15 minutes or less. When it's like "Oh look - A page of text" I have to say, I don't feel like it's really all that necessary. Either way, by now if you've been digging around in the X-world, my guess is that you're already pretty used to it.
   Other than that, I still do truly love the story as a whole. Kid Omega is in love with one of the Cuckoos which is always entertaining. The constant presence of Wolverine is neat but I'd expect to see that happening more in the actual pages of X-Men. But either way - between Beast being infected with the russian nesting doll parasite, to the Pikes storming in to kidnap X-babies, it's working. And I like where they're headed. I know the Percy/Hickman X-era doesn't last forever so it's certainly worth taking stock in and enjoying what you have while you have it. Overall a good read... and can't wait to see where it goes next.





























Tuesday, April 18, 2023

The Last of Us S1




from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_Us_(TV_series)

1 "When You're Lost in the Darkness" 
In 2003, a mass fungal infection of mutated Cordyceps sparks a global pandemic. Joel flees with his daughter, Sarah, and brother, Tommy, from their Texas home; Sarah is killed by a soldier. Twenty years later, Joel lives in a quarantine zone (QZ) in Boston managed by the Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA), working as a smuggler with his partner, Tess. When Tommy fails to contact them from Wyoming, they pay a local dealer, Robert, for a car battery but he scams them and sells it to the Fireflies, a rebel group opposing FEDRA. Attempting to retrieve it, Joel and Tess encounter Marlene, the Fireflies' leader, who begs them to take a teenager named Ellie to the Massachusetts State House in exchange for a working truck. While sneaking out of the QZ, the three run into a soldier on the outside. He tests them for the infection and reveals Ellie is positive. Joel kills the soldier and Ellie claims to be immune
.

2 "Infected"
Two days before the worldwide outbreak, in Jakarta, Indonesia, government officials show an infected corpse to a mycologist, who tells them there is no cure or vaccine and advises bombing the entire city to prevent further outbreak. In the present, Ellie explains to Joel and Tess that she is being transported west in hopes of being used to find a cure. Discovering that the path to the State House is swarmed with the infected, they cut through a history museum, where they are attacked by blind infected known as "clickers" and Ellie is bitten. They arrive at the State House but find the Fireflies dead. Tess reveals she was bitten, while Ellie's bite begins to heal, proving her immunity. Joel shoots an infected, which alerts the swarm to their location. Tess convinces him to escape and take Ellie to their allies in Lincoln, Massachusetts, while she stays behind, blowing up the building and killing herself along with the horde.

3 "Long, Long Time"
Joel and Ellie begin the hike to meet with Bill and Frank. Ellie sees evidence of the government's execution of innocents during the early days of the pandemic. Back in 2007, Frank leaves Baltimore and stumbles upon the compound of Bill, a paranoid survivalist who reluctantly takes him in. The men begin a romance, sharing a love of music and food. Years later, Frank contacts Tess by radio and the two groups enter a tenuous friendship. In the present, Frank is terminally ill and asks Bill to assist his suicide after they marry. Bill, not wanting to live without Frank, kills himself as well. When Joel and Ellie arrive, they discover a letter Bill left for Joel. Bill wrote that protecting Frank gave his life meaning and that he has bequeathed all his supplies to Joel and Tess. Unbeknownst to Joel, Ellie takes Frank's pistol. They take Bill's truck and set out to find Tommy.

4 "Please Hold to My Hand"
Traveling through Missouri, Joel and Ellie are forced to take a detour through Kansas City, where they are ambushed. Joel kills two of the bandits, but a third overpowers him and nearly chokes him to death before Ellie saves him by shooting the man with Frank's pistol. More bandits find the bodies; their leader, Kathleen, believes Joel and Ellie might be in contact with a man named Henry and orders a manhunt. Joel counsels Ellie about the firefight and gives her the pistol back. Kathleen's second-in-command Perry thinks he has found Henry's hideout, but something is growing under the building. Kathleen orders it kept secret until they find Henry. Joel and Ellie sleep in a high-rise apartment for the night, hoping they can scout a way out of the city in daylight. They awaken to find Henry and his younger brother Sam holding them at gunpoint.

5 "Endure and Survive" 
Henry and Sam make a tentative truce with Joel and Ellie. Joel wants to part ways, but Henry proposes they escape the city together using underground tunnel routes that only Henry knows; Joel hesitantly agrees. Henry confesses to Joel he was responsible for the death of Kathleen's brother, turning him over to FEDRA in exchange for medication for Sam's leukemia. Ellie and Sam quickly become friends. After escaping through the tunnels, the group is attacked by a sniper from an upper-story window. Joel sneaks up and kills him, but finds out he was radioing Kathleen, who arrives with her militia. Before Kathleen can kill Henry, a horde of infected emerge from underground, including a large "bloater" that beheads Perry and a child clicker that mauls Kathleen. After the group escape to a motel, Sam shows Ellie he was bitten on the leg. The next morning, Sam is infected and attacks Ellie; Henry kills him before killing himself. Joel and Ellie bury them and set off on foot heading west.

6 "Kin" 
Three months after Henry and Sam's deaths, Joel and Ellie reach a small, thriving community in Jackson, Wyoming, where Joel is reunited with Tommy, whose wife Maria is pregnant. Ellie learns about Sarah's fate from Maria. Joel confides in Tommy about Ellie's immunity and his own declining mental state. Joel asks Tommy to take Ellie to the Fireflies, as he is afraid he cannot keep her safe. Ellie overhears them and confronts Joel, who insists they will part ways. Joel changes his mind after remembering Sarah, and he and Ellie travel to Colorado on horseback. They find the Fireflies have vacated their base, possibly relocating to a hospital in Utah. Joel and Ellie attempt to escape a group of raiders. When one of them attacks Joel, Joel kills him but is stabbed during the struggle. Joel and Ellie escape the others, but Joel soon collapses and falls off their horse, leaving Ellie unsure how to proceed.

7 "Left Behind" 
Ellie and an injured Joel shelter in an abandoned house. As Joel approaches death, he urges Ellie to leave him. Ellie remembers her time in FEDRA military school, which she attended with her best friend Riley. While Ellie causes trouble and fights with her peers, Riley ran away and has been missing for three weeks. Riley sneaks back into their dorm room and reveals to Ellie she has joined the Fireflies. She brings Ellie to an abandoned mall, where they explore a photo booth, an arcade, and a carousel. Riley tells Ellie the Fireflies have assigned her to a post in Atlanta, and it is her last night in Boston. Ellie is upset, but convinces Riley to stay, and they kiss. An infected attacks the two and Ellie kills it, but both are bitten during the struggle. Tearfully, they decide to stay together and wait for the infection to take hold. In the present, Ellie finds a sewing needle and stitches Joel's wound.

8 "When We Are in Need" 
Ellie leaves Joel, who is still recovering, to hunt for food. After shooting a deer, she tracks the wounded animal and encounters a preacher, David, and his fellow hunter James. She trades her deer for penicillin. David reveals the man who stabbed Joel was a member of his group; Ellie leaves to treat Joel. The next day, she discovers David and his men have followed her to seek vengeance on Joel. She flees to draw them away but is captured. At David's camp, he reveals he has been feeding his group human flesh. Meanwhile, Joel awakens and tortures some of David's men into telling him Ellie's whereabouts. David and James attempt to kill Ellie but she kills James and escapes; David hunts her down and tries to rape her, but she kills him with a meat cleaver. Joel finds a traumatized Ellie outside the cult's burning community center and comforts her.

9 "Look for the Light" 
In a flashback, Ellie's mother Anna is bitten by an infected as she gives birth to Ellie. She is found by Marlene, who hesitantly takes Ellie and kills Anna, at the latter's request. In the present day, Joel tells Ellie of his failed suicide after Sarah's death. Firefly soldiers capture Ellie and knock Joel unconscious. After Joel awakens in a hospital, Marlene explains that doctors are preparing Ellie for surgery in hope of developing a cure, and Joel protests when he realizes the procedure will kill her. Marlene orders Joel to be taken away. He escapes and kills several Firefly soldiers, including those who surrender, and kills Ellie's surgeon for resisting. Joel carries an unconscious Ellie from the hospital. Marlene intercepts them, stating there is still time to find a cure, but Joel shoots and kills her. When Ellie awakens, Joel lies and tells her the Fireflies had already failed to develop a cure from other immune people. As they hike to Jackson, Ellie insists that Joel swear his story about the Fireflies is true. When he does so, she replies "Okay".

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Andor

Andor (2023)




Season 1 (2022)

1 "Kassa" 
Five years before the Battle of Yavin, Cassian Andor looks for his missing sister in the industrial planet of Morlana One. While investigating, Cassian is antagonized by two officers. An altercation ensues, leading to Cassian accidentally killing one officer and murdering the other. At the planet Ferrix, he attempts to hide his involvement by convincing his adopted mother, Maarva, her droid—B2EMO, and his friend, Brasso, to cover for him. Having a Starpath Unit, a valuable piece of Imperial navigation technology, Cassian asks his friend Bix to connect him with a black market buyer. Bix agrees and contacts the buyer. Meanwhile, Bix's boyfriend, Timm, is suspicious of Andor. To improve his report to the Imperial authorities, Morlana One's chief inspector of security elects to cover up the murders. However, his deputy, the dutiful Syril Karn, is determined to solve the case. He identifies Cassian's ship, traces it to Ferrix and learns that the fugitive is from the planet Kenari. In a flashback, a younger Cassian, known as Kassa, joins a group on Kenari who set off to locate a crashed ship. Kassa rebuffs his younger sister's efforts to join the search, leaving her behind in their tribal encampment.

2 "That Would Be Me" 
Timm, still suspicious of Bix's relationship with Cassian, reports Cassian to Pre-Mor Security, who issue a warrant for his arrest. Karn partners with Sergeant Linus Mosk, an equally dutiful Pre-Mor officer, to arrest Cassian. B2EMO informs Cassian and Maarva of the warrant. Cassian prepares to flee the planet. Meanwhile, Luthen Rael—Bix's buyer—travels to Ferrix to obtain the Starpath Unit. In a flashback, Kassa and his fellow tribal members locate and investigate the crashed ship near a massive abandoned industrial strip-mining operation. When one of their own is killed by a crew member of the downed ship, the tribe kills the attacker and quickly leaves the crash site. Kassa stays behind to explore the ship.

3 "Reckoning" 
Luthen arrives on Ferrix and meets Cassian in an abandoned factory. Karn and Mosk also appear with a dozen security officers. They confront Maarva, who refuses to cooperate. Intercepting a transmission from Cassian to B2EMO, Karn pinpoints Cassian's position. Cassian wants to sell the Starpath Unit and leave Ferrix. However, Luthen tries to persuade him to join the Rebel Alliance, citing Cassian's repeated success at stealing from and sabotaging Imperial ships. When Karn's officers raid the factory, the two men escape to a speeder hangar, and subdue Karn. After learning of Timm's betrayal, Bix rushes to aid Cassian, only to be stopped by the officers. Timm is killed when he attempts to intervene. The pod the security officers arrived in is sabotaged and destroyed by Brasso. Luthen and Cassian escape the planet while Karn and Mosk request evacuation. In a flashback, Maarva and her husband, Clem, scavenge the crashed ship on Kenari and find Kassa. Maarva decides to take him with them, fearing his fate if he is discovered there by the Republic.

4 "Aldhani" 
Luthen takes Cassian to the planet Aldhani, asking him to join a robbery mission there. Cassian is reluctant but eventually agrees. Luthen asks him to use a pseudonym among the rebels, and Cassian chooses 'Clem'. Vel, the rebel group's leader, introduces him to the rest of the group but keeps Luthen's involvement a secret. They explain to Cassian that they plan on stealing the payroll of an Imperial sector from a key Imperial supply hub, taking advantage of a rare natural phenomenon in Aldhani's sky to escape since their getaway vehicle is slow. Meanwhile on Coruscant, Luthen, posing as an antiques dealer, meets with Senator Mon Mothma, and they discuss challenges in keeping their opposition to the Empire hidden. Karn goes to live with his mother after being castigated and fired. Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) lieutenant Dedra Meero seeks access and authority over the Ferrix incident, but is opposed by a colleague and a senior officer.

5 "The Axe Forgets" 
On Aldhani, 'Clem' hides his past from his fellow rebels and is met with distrust from most of them, particularly Skeen. Taramyn trains Cassian and the other rebels for the planned heist. While traveling to the Aldhani Imperial garrison, Cassian reveals that he is a mercenary. Vel decides to continue with the mission and hold off on dealing with 'Clem's' past until they have achieved their objectives. Imperial officer and double agent Lieutenant Gorn covertly aids the rebels. On Coruscant, Eedy Karn emasculates her son Syril as he explores new career prospects. Mon Mothma establishes a new charitable foundation while managing increasingly tense relations with her husband and daughter. ISB supervisor Blevin acquires a hotel as the new ISB headquarters on Ferrix. Meanwhile, his rival Meero and her assistant Heert reach the conclusion that the rebels are conducting a series of coordinated heists of Imperial weapons and technology. Luthen anxiously waits for a transmission from Vel and her rebel team.

6 "The Eye" 
Aided by Gorn, the rebels infiltrate the garrison by posing as an escort squad for Commandant Jayhold Beehaz, Gorn's superior. They take Beehaz's family as hostages and force him to give them access to the payroll vault. While loading the credits onto a freighter, they are discovered by Imperial forces. Taramyn and Gorn are killed in the ensuing firefight. Cinta is unable to make it onto the ship, so only Cassian, Skeen, Vel, and Nemik escape from Aldhani. During takeoff, Nemik is crushed by an unsecured load of credits, and suffers a severe injury. They land on the planet Frezno to treat Nemik's injuries. With Vel occupied looking after Nemik, Skeen proposes to Cassian that they flee and split the payroll between the two. Enraged and fearing for his life, Cassian kills Skeen. He tells Vel about what happened and informs her of his plans to take the amount he was promised as payment and leave. Vel gives Cassian Nemik's manifesto, in accordance with Nemik's dying wishes. Back on Coruscant, the ISB agents are gathered to formulate reprisals to the heist, while Luthen hears news of the theft and quietly celebrates.

7 "Announcement" 
On Coruscant, Karn starts a new job at the Bureau of Standards. Colonel Wullf Yularen announces that the ISB has gained more surveillance and punitive authority, while Meero is challenged by Blevin for breaking protocol by accessing Imperial data without authorization. She persuades her superiors of her work's value and is assigned oversight of Ferrix. Luthen's assistant Kleya instructs Vel to find and kill Cassian, as he knows Luthen's identity. Mon Mothma meets with Tay Kolma, an old friend and banker, and asks him to help her access family funds. Cassian returns to Ferrix to settle old debts and learns that people blame him for the Corporate Security crackdown. The presence of stormtroopers on Ferrix reminds Cassian of how his adoptive father, Clem, was murdered by Imperial clone troopers during a protest on Rix Road. Cassian attempts to get Maarva to leave Ferrix with him, but she decides to stay and oppose the increased Imperial presence. Cassian travels to the tropical tourist paradise of Niamos, adopting the name "Keef Girgo". Some time later, while walking towards a local store, he is unjustly arrested by a Shoretrooper and sentenced to six years of imprisonment.

8 "Narkina 5" 
Cassian is brought to a prison surrounded by water on Narkina 5 where he spends every day working in monotonous heavy industry with hundreds of other prisoners. Vel and Cinta travel to Ferrix to search for him. When Maarva falls ill, Bix attempts to contact Luthen about Cassian's whereabouts, but Luthen, worried about being exposed to anyone monitoring communications, does not answer. He then leaves Coruscant to meet with Saw Gerrera. Rael attempts to hire Gerrera's rebel cell to act as air support for a raid on an Imperial power station at Spellhaus organized by Anto Kreegyr, but is turned away. Dedra Meero questions Syril Karn about his experiences on Ferrix, but declines his offer to help with her investigation. She leads a unit to Ferrix herself, where she apprehends Bix.

9 "Nobody's Listening!" 
Dedra Meero and an Imperial scientist named Dr. Gorst torture Bix for information and realize that Cassian may have been involved in the Aldhani attack. They fail to learn anything from Bix about Luthen. The ISB capture a Rebel pilot from Kreegyr's group, who reveals that a power station on Spellhaus is set to be raided. Mon Mothma reunites with Vel, revealed as her cousin, and encourages her to keep a low profile while maintaining the facade of a rich and politically uninvolved young woman. Mon and Tay Kolma continue working to covertly gather funds for rebel activities. Meanwhile, an older member of Cassian's prison work crew named Ulaf is euthanized by a prison medic named Dr. Rhasiv when he suffers a stroke and can no longer work effectively. Dr. Rhasiv confirms to Cassian and floor manager Kino Loy a disturbing rumor: a prisoner who had completed his sentence was sent to work on a different level instead of being released, forcing the prison to kill all the prisoners on that level to cover up the mistake. Cassian and Kino realize that the prison will never let them go, convincing Kino to join Cassian's scheme to escape.

10 "One Way Out" 
By breaking a water pipe and flooding his work floor, Cassian disables the floor's security system, allowing work crews there to overpower the few guards and escape. Kino uses the prison's intercom system to encourage other floors to escape and the rebellion sweeps through the entire prison. Despite his role in the escape, Kino reveals that he can't swim. Cassian swims with the other escapees and reaches land. Mon Mothma meets with Davo Sculdun, a shady businessman who offers to help finance her projects, but Mon refuses after Davo requests that Mon arrange a meeting between her daughter and his son, an initial step towards marriage in their Chandrilan culture. ISB supervisor Lonni Jung, secretly a rebel informant, meets with Luthen and updates him on ISB activities. The two men reflect on how they are both trapped in their roles.

11 "Daughter of Ferrix" 
Maarva dies, prompting a funeral ceremony on Ferrix, which Dedra Meero encourages in the hopes that Andor will attend. Vel informs Kleya about Maarva's death and learns of Mon Mothma's reluctant plan to marry off her daughter to secure funding through Davo Sculdun. Mon's daughter Leida begins taking part in group gatherings focused on Chandrilan culture and traditions, much to the distress of Mon and Vel. Syril Karn also learns about the funeral from Linus Mosk. Saw Gerrera decides at the last moment to assist Kreegyr's attack on Spellhaus, but Luthen advises him against it, revealing that the ISB know about the impending assault. While returning to Coruscant, Luthen escapes from an Imperial patrol, destroying several TIE fighters and a tractor beam. With help from Keredians Dewi and Freedi, Cassian and fellow prisoner Ruescott Melshi are able to escape from Narkina 5 and travel to Niamos to recover Cassian's belongings. After Cassian discovers that Maarva has passed, Cassian and Melshi part ways, intending to publicly expose the Empire's unjust prison system.

12 "Rix Road"
Cassian returns to Ferrix for Maarva's funeral and learns of Bix's imprisonment. Dedra Meero and the local Imperial garrison prepare to use the funeral to capture Andor for questioning regarding Axis, while Luthen plans, with Vel and Cinta's assistance, to kill Cassian (to keep Cassian from possibly divulging any secrets), using the Imperial ambush as cover. The ISB succeed in stopping Kreegyr's attack but leave no prisoners, angering Meero. Mothma's 13-year-old daughter Leida is introduced to Davo Sculdun's 14-year-old son. During the funeral, B2EMO displays a recording of Maarva, who rallies the populace to fight the Empire, creating a riot in the main quarter. During the confusion, Cassian rescues Bix, while Syril Karn saves Meero from being attacked. Meeting with B2EMO, Brasso, and several others in a shipyard, Cassian convinces them to take Bix somewhere safe away from Ferrix. Moved by the rebellion on Ferrix, Luthen returns to his ship where Cassian is waiting. Knowing that Luthen is there to assassinate him, Cassian offers Luthen the choice to either kill him or take him in, to which Luthen smiles. In a post-credits scene, droids assemble the machinery produced by the Narkina 5 prisoners on the firing dish of an Imperial superweapon.

Wolverine (2020) #14-19

 Wolverine (2020) #14-19



   Wolverine is the best he is at what he does. And unfortunately a lot of what he does is predictable. Everything I've seen from Benjamin Percy's Wolverine is essentially the same thing I've seen in every run of Wolverine but this time, there's a smattering new wave of characters and the Krakoan angle to play. And it makes things a lot more interesting. 
   In the first story, Wolverine seeks the Muramasa blade from a pirate named Sevyr Blackmore. The two of them first work up a plan to blackmail another pirate named Solem and there's then a bevy of doublecrossing that ends up with Wolvie getting his swords back. Plus a new pirate ship. Plus Emma Frost "Emma Frosting" in a few ways.
   Next up it's time to bring back Maverick, who was one of Sabertooth and Logan's old Weapon X, secret agent buddies. Wolverine's old pal Jeff Bannister has pissed off his old friends in the CIA and now Wolverine has to carve some people up. Overall, another good story though.

Still love where Percy is taking this thing. Hopefully he still has a lot of room to run with it because it's still pretty awesome.



Friday, March 10, 2023

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp:_Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania


    




During her days of entrapment in the Quantum RealmJanet van Dyne encounters an exiled traveler named Kang. In the present day, after the Battle of EarthScott Lang has become a successful memoirist and has been living happily with his girlfriend, Hope van Dyne. Scott's now-teenage daughter Cassie has become a political activist, resulting in her having a strained relationship with her father.

While visiting Hope's parents, Hank Pym and Janet, Cassie reveals that she has been working on a device that can establish contact with the Quantum Realm. Upon learning of this, Janet panics and forcefully shuts off the device, but the message is received, resulting in a portal that opens and pulls the five of them into the Quantum Realm. Scott and Cassie are found by natives who are rebelling against their ruler, while Hope, Janet, and Pym explore a sprawling city to get answers.

Hope, Janet, and Pym meet with Lord Krylar, a former ally of Janet's, who reveals that things have changed since she left, and that he is now working for Kang, the Quantum Realm's new ruler. The three are forced to flee and steal Krylar's ship. The Langs, meanwhile, are told by rebel leader Jentorra that Janet's involvement with Kang is indirectly responsible for his rise to power. The rebels soon come under attack by Kang's forces led by M.O.D.O.K., who is revealed to be Darren Cross, having survived his apparent death at Scott's hands.

Aboard Krylar's ship, Janet confesses to Hope and Pym why she wanted nothing to do with the Quantum Realm again; Kang claimed that he and Janet could both escape from the Quantum Realm if she helped him rebuild his multiversal power core. After they manage to repair it, Janet sees a vision of Kang conquering and destroying entire timelines. Kang reveals he was exiled by his own variants out of fear, which drove Janet to turn on him. Outmatched, Janet used her Pym Particles to enlarge the power core and render it unusable. Kang, having regained his powers, eventually conquered the Quantum Realm afterward.

The Langs are taken to Kang, who demands that Scott helps get his power core back or else he will kill Cassie. Scott is taken to the core's location and shrinks down. He is nearly drowned in a sea of variants of himself, but Hope arrives and helps him acquire the power core. However, Kang reneges on the deal, capturing Janet and destroying her ship with Pym on it. After being rescued by his ants, who were also pulled into the Quantum Realm, rapidly evolved, and became hyper-intelligent, Pym helps Scott and Hope as they make their way to Kang. Cassie rescues Jentorra and they commence an uprising against Kang and his army. During the fight, Cassie convinces Cross to turn sides and fight Kang, though he sacrifices his life in the process.

Janet fixes the power core as she, Pym, Hope, and Cassie jump through a portal home, but Kang attacks Scott, nearly beating him into submission. Hope returns and, together with Scott, destroy the power core with a combination of Pym Particles and knock Kang into it, causing him to be pulled into oblivion. Cassie reopens the portal on her end for Scott and Hope to return home. As Scott happily resumes his life, he begins to rethink what he was told about Kang's death being the start of something terrible happening, but brushes it off.

In a mid-credits scenenumerous variants of Kang are concerned by Earth-616's increasing interest in the multiverse and plan their uprising. In a post-credits scene, Loki and Mobius M. Mobius locate another Kang variant, named Victor Timely, on Earth in the 1900s