January 28, 2021

Standing Up For The Humans Of Godzilla

I thought only Matt Burkett swore to Godzilla?

Regardless of what others will tell you, humans are a requirement for a good Godzilla movie. They set up the plot, in some cases the reason the monsters are fighting, and help it be a movie rather than just a Kaiju Big Battel event. There’s only so much you can do with the monsters. There have been movies that forgot the monsters (Legendary’s first Godzilla comes to mind almost immediately) and they do ultimately drive the story as the best human plots tie in to either the monsters or the aliens attempting to use the monsters. Roland Emmerich got this right as did both Godzilla cartoons and both the excellent Dark Horse and IDW runs of the comic. Humans are the reason the monsters exist after all.

YouTube channel Up From The Depths (I’m betting a reference to the Hanna-Barbera theme song) seems to recognize this, putting out a list of his top 10 favorite Godzilla human characters. None of the American humans show up either from movies, cartoons, or comics, but it’s still a good list. However there are two entries I think he missed.

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Posted by on January 28, 2021 in Movie Spotlight and tagged .

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January 28, 2021

“Yesterday’s” Comic> Robotech Masters #6

Is this about the dress gag being left out of the previous issue?

Robotech Masters #6

Comico The Comic Company (February, 1986)

“Prelude To Battle…”

ADAPTATION: Mike Baron

PENCILER: Neil D. Vokes

INKER: Keith Wilson

COLORIST: Tom Vincent

LETTERER: David Cody Weiss

EDITOR: Diana Schutz

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Posted by on January 28, 2021 in Animation Spotlight, Television Spotlight, Yesterday's Comics and tagged , , , .

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January 28, 2021

BW’s Daily Trailer: Godzilla Vs. Kong

Okay, I have questions. Not why is Godzilla doing evil things, because I presume that’s part of the plot. It’s more like why did they have to make Godzilla evil when he’s been a protector for the first time since Godzilla 1985? It is really so wrong to see heroes team up? I’m also curious where the little girl came from since I don’t remember anyone with that light skin on Skull Island? At least we’re finally getting a battle during the day without rain. Granted it’s like sunset, but it’s a first for a Legendary battle with Godzilla. (Kong at least got to enjoy some sun.) I can’t say I’m super excited but I do still want to see this, even if I’d rather it was Godzilla and Kong teaming up since in this continuity they’re both heroes. I already saw King Kong vs. Godzilla when I was a kid. I don’t need Batman V Superman take two.

Posted by on January 28, 2021 in Movie Spotlight and tagged , , , , , .

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January 27, 2021

An Author Discusses The “Negative Character Arc”

In storytelling you have the hero’s journey, how he, she, or they are led into their adventure and ultimately victory over the villain. However, the villain has an arc as well. Some villains are just naturally evil and I do defend those kinds of villains. Some people just enjoy being horrible. However, some villains, and even antagonists who aren’t necessarily evil so much as making terrible decisions that ends poorly for everyone including themselves, do have a journey that may not necessarily redeem them but shows how they fell.

I have two videos below from author and YouTube teacher Abbie Emmons. In the first she goes over what the negative arc is and how it can be used in the story. That’s more on the creative side than an examination for most of you reading this but I’m posting it not only because it’s interesting but it leads into the second video. In that one Emmons goes over two widely different fictional characters, the MCU version of Loki as seen in the first Thor movie and the character Elizabeth Warleggan from the TV adaptation of Poldark. Loki’s arc is from one movie while Elizabeth’s happens over the course of the series but both are a good example of how the fall of the villain or the villain’s patsy lead to a great character, the one you love to hate.

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Posted by on January 27, 2021 in Book Spotlight, Marvel Spotlight, Movie Spotlight, Television Spotlight and tagged , , , , .

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January 27, 2021

“Yesterday’s” Comic> Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #4 (Paramount Comics)

When the Borg killed his wife, Sisko designed a flying box of guns to hunt them down. I do not want to be the Maquis.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #4

Marvel/Paramount Comics (February, 1997)

“The Cancer Within” part 2

WRITER: Mariano

PENCILER: Tom Grindberg

INKER: Al Milgrom

COLORIST: Matt Webb

LETTERER: Jim Novak

EDITOR: Bobbie Chase

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Posted by on January 27, 2021 in Television Spotlight, Yesterday's Comics and tagged , , , , , , , , .

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January 27, 2021

BW’s Daily Video: Dino Ranch

This is a bit different today. It’s an episode of the Canadian cartoon Dino Ranch, currently airing in the US on Disney Junior. Disney Junior posted two episodes (two stories equals a full half-hour episode) to their YouTube channel so I thought I’d bring you one. Why? It’s about a ranch where the animals are all dinosaurs. Yeah, it’s made for preschoolers but it’s kids riding dinosaurs. That’s got to be worth waking up to for the concept alone.

Posted by on January 27, 2021 in Animation Spotlight, Television Spotlight and tagged , , .

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January 26, 2021

Marvel’s Heroes Reborn (Thankfully Not That One)

Can we at least all agree that naming this “Heroes Reborn”, the same name as the huge mistake of the 90s, was a bad idea? Has Marvel run out of names? They’ve had two events this century alone (and we’re only two decades in) using the name Secret War, “Armor Wars” likes to pop up now and then, and they had to use that time the Fantastic Four, the Hulk (who didn’t even get his own title) and a good number of Avengers (Captain America and Iron Man did get their own titles) got sent into Franklin Richards’ beach ball? You’re getting as bad as Transformers with the reuses. (Two “Robots In Disguise” just for the toys and another for one of the IDW series, War For Cybertron the game and the unconnected adult retro collector trilogy, and even Cyberverse used to be a cheap price point figure before being used for a full line.)

Thankfully we aren’t talking about letting Rob Liefeld and still green Jim Lee remake some of their beloved characters in an alternate universe. I’m also happy that it doesn’t appear to be another Future State where they replace the existing titles with this alternate universe…I think. Marvel and DC are ripping each other off like they’re both Chinese factories so who knows at this point? Instead we get a comic that asks the question “what if there weren’t any Avengers ever?” while we ponder if it was a question worth asking.

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Posted by on January 26, 2021 in Marvel Spotlight and tagged , , , , , , , , .

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