Category: Television

This Week in Comics (My Pull List 7-3-24) & Star Trek vs. Star Wars?

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Bruce

I saw a recent comic dealing with the basic differences between Star Trek and Star Wars that I found amusing and enlightening…

I come from a weird time.  I grew up with Star Trek in reruns, and was 11 when Star Wars came out in the theaters.  As an adult I definitely see differences and understand that Star Trek is Science/Speculative Fiction and Star Wars is Fantasy with Science Fiction aspects (planets, spaceships, & rayguns).  As pop culture has taken over society and it seems like for the most part, the fans are different. 

I’ve joked that real Star Wars Fans really don’t like Star Wars, and that’s what makes you a true Star Wars fan. There is a lot of discussion online about how bad whatever the latest thing is.  Then we get into things like the original releases vs. Special Editions vs. Prequels vs…. Did Han shoot first? Disney is ruining the Brand. George Lucas is ruining my childhood. This director or that director is ruining… Don’t even get started with casting decisions! There’s a lot of bad talk happening in Star Wars fandom, and a lot of people being just mean (embracing the dark side). This is all coming from the people who LIKE Star Wars!

I enjoyed how Star Wars sparked a change in the world.  Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek Movies… it made science fiction popular and main stream.  I recall my brother and I running around whacking each other with broomstick light sabers, while my mother wondered what happened to the broom and mop.  Star Wars got me into reading as a middle schooler.  “Splinter of the Minds Eye” by Alan Dean Foster was one of the first books I recall reading on my own.  

You see, I’ve always loved Science Fiction from Flash Gordon serials to the 1950’s flying saucer movies… but I recall as a kid growing up in the Bay Area my dad taking us to a Star Trek fan club meeting and falling asleep the the episode “Arena.”  I had starship plans, I still have the Technical Manual that I carried around as an elementary school kid.  I could name off the various ships in the Federation. I had similar stuff for Star Wars- sketchbooks, The Art of Books I never really got into the toys for Star Wars since I was just old enough to not be as into toys, my neighbor had them. for the record: I preferred the Y-Wing to the X-Wing for the record. My favorite ship is the Enterprise (“No bloody A, B, C, or D”).

As a fan base one thing Star Trek has is the concept of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) which helps when others talk about “best” and “worst.”  In Star Trek they kinda accept everyone’s right to like even what you personally don’t.  Which leads me to Prodigy.  Canceled by the powers that be after one season.  Paramount was able to sell the rights to Netflix after a massive online campaign to save the show.  Kinda an internet version of what happened to the Original Series back in the 60’s.  They are now trying the same thing to save Star Trek’s other animated series “Lower Decks” which they announced the next season would be it’s last.

The show was pretty much finished when Paramount decided to cancel it and make the show disappear from their streaming service. Netflix, this week, released season 2 of Prodigy in a 20 episode (about 10 hour) bingeable dump.  Prodigy was the Star Trek franchise’s idea for a “kid show” co-produced by Nickelodeon.  There are a lot of things to unpack from this series.  I don’t want to give away any spoilers for either seasons.  So I’ll start with where in the timeline does this happen?  This isn’t much of a spoiler and because the first season has little to do with the Federation so it’s hard to tell.  We know this happens after Kathryn Janeway is made an admiral.  So sometime after Voyager’s return and during the time of the films.  The second season tells us this all happened before the first season of Picard.  So as the Romulans are being relocated (think the point in which the “Kelvin” timeline starts).

Season 2 actually ends with the Utopia Planetia shipyards being destroyed which was a flashback in Picard season 1.  The crew of the Protostar is a bunch of misfits trying to escape slavery on a at that point unknown planetoid.  A mix of young aliens with no idea about Star Fleet or the Federation.  So this is an introduction to the universe of Star Trek with the main characters being like the companion in Doctor Who, the audience’s surrogate. Pretty much every detail is covered for a newbie even that none of the characters speak the same language, so how do you communicate?

A few spoilers, but with a second season you know problems from the first season have been sort of solved.  The first season <spoiler> gets the crew and lost starship Protostar to the Federation and deals with what happens then, bad things, bad bad things. While the second season deals with how our characters figure out how to live in the Federation preparing to join the Academy and attempt to rescue someone mentioned in the first season who was lost in time… then hijinks ensue.

There are lots of twists and turns through both seasons, but my favorite possible episode 13 from season 1 which dealt with the crew landing on a planet that the Enterprise interacted with during their five year mission and a “minor” violation of the Prime Directive that impacted the civilization for some amusing results.

I have enjoyed this series and frankly all the various series for their own merit.  IDIC.  Have I liked every episode? Nope.  I joke about the first season of most Star Trek series aren’t great.  The actors need time to figure out their characters.  The writers need to figure out the world.   Around season three they get it.  Prodigy like Lower Decks, being animation allows some freedom that would be difficult or expensive in live action.  Season 2 is worth a watch and actually does a nice job of taking care of some complaints people had about season 3 of Picard.  Not all the plot holes are addressed, but at least one is tidied up. I just wish they had episodes of Will Wheaton’s The Ready Room for these, or even each season… that would be amazing.

As for the final decision when it comes to the battle between Star Wars and Star Trek… I like both, but if I have a choice – I’ll watch Star Trek. I have kept up with Star Wars, and enjoyed my visit to Galaxy’s Edge in Florida (I made a droid & a lightsaber). Yes, Star Wars has books and various TV shows, but the core is really the movies, where the core for Star Trek is the television shows. I’ve invested untold hours in the Star Trek Universe and have the scars to prove it. Now if they would only build a Star Trek Theme Park. 🖖

Now to this Week’s Comics:

Public Domain #6 – I thought I’d lost contact with this one… The first arc was dealing with a family and the rights to a character the father had created… Now we get to actually doing something with this character. OK actually this is al the “Real World” stuff and the comic with the superhero will be coming out soon.

Black Radiant #29 & 29.5 – In the last two issues we had come close to the end, each version of Black Radiant was tasked with a challenge that could save the world… SO what happened? Who Lives? Who Dies? Which person is actually the better Black Radiant? Read it and find out.

Justice Society of America #10 – One of first Legion of Super Heroes Comics had the Legion go up against Mordru an evil wizard. With Huntress (Lost in the multiverse Helena Wayne) building a Justice Society from reformed villains we have a young Mordru coming in trying to change his future, and learning that while the end may justify the means… it isn’t always that neat and clean.

Batman #150 – I know a secret! So what happens if you know who Batman is? What would you do? This is the story of a small time crook (former henchman) who know Batman’s secret identity and what he does with the information… It is a bit surprising but fits with the newish direction of Batman.

Then, of course, theirs a short tie-in story for the summer blockbuster Absolute Power…

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 – Another crossover taking control of a comic? Wha? Huh? This time it’s the “Infinity Watch” Which I guess, for an Annual issue isn’t too bad. Someone needs to study Temporal Mechanics 101.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man # 22 – Blood Hunt yipee! Yes, Vampires, yes, fights, yes, vampires. Sadly I see that there’s a DC vs. Vampires comic coming up, so more vampires! I really need to find other comics to read.

Rogue Sun #20 – Rogue Sun the immortal hero fighting to save the world again occult menaces, decides to start taking his role a bit more seriously as he plans to take out his big bad guy. At least he understands he has some work to do before hand. How does skipping school and heading off with a biker girl aid in his training?

Sons of Star Trek #4 – The end of the series, so no spoilers! Let’s just say I thought it was satisfying and still would like to know all the craziness that brought the universe together- Tuvix, Mariner, Morn… So many right turns in Albuquerque!

Rocketeer Jet Pack Adventures – I found this on the shelf of my LCS and picked it up… It is a book of short stories (so I won’t destroy my imagination by having to look at pictures… I can make the pictures in my mind). The book is actually 10 years old and I need to sit back and read it.

It seems that after the last Earth shattering finale for the merry Marvel mutants we are back with new team line ups and new titles. This teaser is to get me interested in all the titles and… it’s not doing anything for me.

I’m having enough trouble dealing with two Batman titles, two Superman titles, multiple Spider-Man titles (that at least have different Spider-Men in them), do I really need to be reading all these X-Men books? I watched X-Men ’97, but a dozen mutant books?!? Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Exceptional X-Men, NYX, X-Force, X-Factor, Sentinels, Phoenix, Wolverine (also in Uncanny), Dazzler, Storm, Mystique, and let’s not forget the ad for Storm joining the Avengers!

Let’s not even get into the decades on continuity I need to wade through… If you love the X-Men (I do like the X-Men, but I really stopped reading them back when they had one title) this looks like it is a great time for you. New #1 issues, some new characters, and some cool stories. Enjoy! IDIC!

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #C3P0

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Bruce

3p0Okay- so I know that in Star Wars VII that Threepio has a red arm… so what?!?! Who cares if the LEGO minifig now also has a red arm? After the prequels I’m going to reserve the right to draw my cybernetic monkeys the way they looked in 1977. If I actually like the new film I can always go back and “correct” this drawing, just like George “corrected” the first three films… ugh.

The big question usually asked of any “geek” is “Star Trek or Star Wars?” I believe I have said before, I’m torn on this topic.  Both franchises are a part of my youth.  I have fond memories of things related to each.  Star Trek- I remember taking one Labor Day (or maybe Memorial Day) weekend and moving my TV outside so I could “catch some rays” without missing the massive Star Trek marathon- resulting in 2nd degree burns.  Yes, it hurt. Yes I have scars to prove it.  Would I do it again?  Watch the marathon? Yes.  Try to look like I actually lived in Southern California? Not so much.  As for Star Wars- for those of us who saw it when it first was released… it was amazing.  before that, science fiction and fantasy films had been kind of two dimensional- this just kind of made your mind go “Ka-Boom!”  I was too old to get into the toys, but Star Wars was probably my first time attempting cosplay.  Then, changes happened to both and while I still love them- each has had their set backs.  Only time will tell if I will embrace either universe as I once had done.  To quote Threepio- “This is madness!”

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #4023

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Bruce

4023More than meets the eye?!? Allow me a brief (or long winded, I haven’t decided yet) trip into nostalgia land. I hate saying “When I was a kid” because I feel that somewhere in that hides “Get off my lawn!” That said when I was kid toys were toys and cartoons were cartoons. We didn’t have any of your fancy Cartoon Networks, or Nickelodeons. We had Saturday morning cartoons. Yes, we could only watch cartoons on Saturdays. Fine, local stations usually showed cartoons in the afternoon after school let out- around the time they now have lurid talk shows. I prefer cartoons and the sometime classic movie. That said some cartoons were tied into a toy line (Hot Wheels comes to mind) but besides that, as far as I recall there wasn’t much overlap. As I grew older (please note: I didn’t say “grew up”) cartoons became more and more tied to cartoons, with the cartoons being just 30 minute commercials. G.I. Joe shrank, but he got his own show. No more boot lockers filled with clothes and accessories.  No more dating Barbie. My little brothers were growing up during the height of this. I remember fondly my baby brother pulling a stick from the back of his shirt, holding it above his head, and shouting “By the power of Greyskull!” Besides He-Man another biggie was Transformers. I never really understood the appeal. I liked some of the anime coming out of Japan that had transforming planes fighting alien invaders, but Transformers just seemed a little silly.
As I look back, I still don’t see the appeal, but that’s me. If collecting transforming robots makes you happy- go right ahead. Just don’t tease me about my comic books, or my phaser, or my action figures, or my LEGO, or…

50th Anniversary of Doctor Who – Yes, spoilers and Confusion ahead..

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Bruce

While many people enjoyed the Episode “The Day of the Doctor” on Saturday, having decided to take what I was paying for cable TV and increase my internet speed I was without BBC America and a DVR so I patiently waited. I appreciate my friends who kept their Doctor Who posts to a minimum or at least removed me from those posts.  *Spoilers* you know.  I have purchased the 5Oth Anniversary Collection on iTunes but had bought tickets to see the episode in 3-D at a local theater. Yes, the same theater I saw “Into the Darkness” and they had some of the same technical glitches before they started the show. That said there are a few things I would want to add before trying to unknot a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff.
First if you haven’t there are a couple videos floating around that you should take some time to watch. The first is a wonderful little parody in which the previous incarnations of the Doctor try to get into the production…

It is rather amusing with lots of in jokes…

The other video is a prequel which explains what happened to the 8th Doctor (Paul McGann) and how John Hurt got mixed up in the whole thing.

This was a great way to explain what was going on in the time war an how it impacted the universe.

—

So the theater experience was great, a theater filled with Whovians all excited to see what was going to happen.  They had two screens, one 3-d , one not.  I still have no idea what the big deal is with 3-D, but that’s me.

Lights go down there’s a few yells about how there is no picture, but sound… that get’s all straightened out and the audience is ready for the typical, “silence your cell phones” stuff and instead we get Strax.  Strax goes on to explain appropriate ettiquette and what will happen to you if you don’t in his own Sontaran way – the best part was as he describes the joy he has at the custom of eating popcorn – “remember popcorn can feel pain.”  It got everyone in the mood.  The screen goes white and Matt Smith appears welcoming us to the 100th anniversary in 12-D.  David Tennant takes his place for a moment and then the 3-D is turned on the the story begins.

—

I’l just say you need to see it. While I will mention things that happened I’m not going to go plot point to plot point.  If you’ve seen it you’ll understand if you haven’t… it will give away some stuff or confuse the daylights out of you.  This is mostly for me to ask some questions that have been bouncing around in my head since coming home.  Let’s start with what I was expecting-

At the end of the last season on Trenzalore they were battling the Great Intelligence and jumped into the Doctor’s time stream.  This was what I was expecting.  I was expecting the great battle through the various incarnations to save the universe and the Doctor.  I figured that it would start a grand adventure… I’m not thinking that all that running and saving happened in the quick bits during the end of the episode.  That the Great Intelligence was defeated off camera.  Leaving us with only the mysterious Doctor played by John Hurt.  It was like the whole danger played up about going into your own time stream wasn’t and how the doctor got out just happened – off camera.    So first point of confusion- nothing to do with the actual “Day of the Doctor.”

The quandary about the fez-  OK so we have the fez flying around in the time stream (because fezzes ARE cool).  We see the fez being picked up by Matt Smith and thrown into the time stream at the National Gallery from the collection of Elizabeth I.  It lands in England with David Tennant and Elizabeth I.  Where it gets thrown to through the time stream to John Hurt, and makes it’s way back to Elizabeth… where’d the fez come from?  Elizabeth put the fez in safekeeping in the National Gallery, after it had been thrown from the National Gallery where it had been stored for hundreds of years by Elizabeth I… Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey.

That was a minor spoiler… Now to the end.  Did I miss something?  Matt Smith is now going to find Gallifrey- huzzah!  Didn’t David Tennant stop Gallifrey from taking the Earth’s location in his last episode (the one with the Master and Timothy Dalton- The End of Time)?  So didn’t David Tennant already know that Gallifrey was in a pocket universe not bothering anyone since he sent it back to save the Earth?  He may not have known HOW it got there, but he knew it was around… I guess I have some episodes to watch again.

These are the two little questions I have right now… I’m sure as thoughts bounce around in my head I will have more.  All in all a great episode, lots of wonderful things going on and surprises.  I’m looking forward to figuring out what is going to happen in December.

 

Warning: Spoilers Ahead Star Trek & Doctor Who Musings

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Bruce

This weekend had two things going on that for a geek like me were exciting- Star Trek Into Darkness opened and the Doctor Who Season Finale aired.

I have held off posting my thoughts about Star Trek Into Darkness until now not because I didn’t want to talk about it, but because I was actually pretty conflicted about how I felt about the film. I wanted to check out other reviews (spoiler filled or not) and really try to wrap my head around what was going on. Let’s start off with something simple and not spoilerish at all- I had the chance to see the film Wednesday at a local theatre in 3-D thanks to Comic Carnival North (My local comic shop) and Dan who handed me two passes one for Sue and one for me with the advice “show up early.” In some cities “Show up early” means “Camp out days ahead of time” in Indiana it usually means “arrive before the closing credits role.” Sue and I went out for a quick bite and arrived about an hour before the film was scheduled to start- the line had already formed, but it wasn’t too bad. We got to our seats and then sat. The theatre’s air conditioning was either off or broken so it started to get really hot. I would comment on the PR person trying to convince us to go to their website, who kept calling us “Star Trekkies,” but it was almost too sad to mention. SO 9:00 rolls around and… nothing. A little after nine and nothing, A little after, a little after nine and the lights start to dim, you could feel the tension in the theatre grow the theme music starts and… nothing. A blank screen. They try again- same result. We see the taskbar of the digital projector and they try again… this time a picture! except since this was the 3-D version it was all messed up. Stop again, reset try one more time… I have frankly forgotten how many times they reset, but then the movie started and everyone quieted down. Now for the spoilers.

I’m not going to go into too much detail on hyper analyze what was going on… I’m actually writing this more for me to try to figure out what the purpose of the film was (besides making money) and how it fit or doesn’t fit in the Star Trek universe.  I’m going to post this as almost a wish list.

I wish John Harrison was just John Harrison – I was hoping that this new reimagined universe would have new villains not repurposed ones.  While it worked well in the overall story, and made sense they way it was explained, I was hoping that this would be something different.

As a friend said- I wish they would quit messing around with the Klingons… I can understand how the new timeline shifted the balance, but I don’t see how the destruction of Vulcan or Nero’s little time travel escapades changed Klingon physiology and how they look.  That said I don’t have anything against the new style of Klingon, I’m just wondering how necessary it was.  Then again someone could say the same thing about the Klingons from the series and those who appeared in the first film.

If this had been the third film in the series I guess I wouldn’t be that nitpicky about it, but since it is basically a remake of Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan (without the Space Seed setting it up) I’m concerned that the next film will be a remake of Search for Spock and so on and so forth… Will Sybok come into the series at some point?  

While I did enjoy the role flip in the engine room scene at the end, I was waiting for Kirk to say ‘The needs of the many…”

Why did Spock contact Spock?  Was it really necessary? or was it just to get the “Star Trekkies” excited?

As many have said – this was the film that needed to be made to get a certain monkey off the back of the writers- since everyone would be asking about if Khan would come back every time they make a film- he has, and now it’s done, time to move on.  There have been rumors about a possible TV series, but those are just that- rumors.

I do plan on seeing it again? If only to rewatch the Simon Pegg scenes. Was it a horrible film- no not at all,  I just was expecting more.  As for 3-D I want to repeat that I have yet to see a film that has used 3-D in a way that makes it work for me.  Save your money… Although I am considering seeing it in IMAX to see if there really is a big difference.  I remember seeing Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom in a regular theatre and then on a massive screen, it did make a difference.  Then again as someone commented that they are waiting for a holodeck version- so am I.

The point I keep stumbling over is that I really, really like Ultimate Spider-Man (this will make sense, just be patience).  When Marvel comics had Bendis rework Spider-Man for a new audience, he did so masterfully.  You started back at the beginning, old villains came back in new and sometimes more powerful roles.  They really did a great job (including the clone saga). Even to the point of killing Peter Parker and then bringing in a new Spider-Man.  So since I liked what happened there, why am I so mixed up in my feeling towards Into Darkness?  It’s the same thing just a different universe!

I am looking forward to seeing Darth Vader come back in Star Wars 7 after the Death Star falls into a wormhole and…

—

Now to this Season of Doctor Who-  where time is not linear, but kind of a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

So the Doctor is transfixed with Clara who died in the Dalek Asylum, and Victorian London and is now in present day… Why is she so important?  Why is she so special?  Moffat has continued leaving breadcrumbs through every episode that will ultimately get picked up by the audience.  An example of this was the first series with Matt Smith we end up seeing that the doctor at the end had come back at various times (talking with Amy on the ship filled with weeping angels comes to mind)  The audience doesn’t notice, until the final episode.  This time, thanks to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, he is now going to drop the impossible girl everywhere, and it makes sense (in some sort of timey-wimey way).  When the season finale started with all those clips from the various incarnations I was blown away.  I feel like I need to go back and check out the graveyard and see who is actually buried there. Now for some spoilers or things that I am thinking about…

So The Great Intelligence, Clara, and the Doctor are now going to zoom around in the Doctor’s time line…  I did like Clara telling the first incarnation not to take “that TARDIS, take this one the navigation’s a bit off but…”  So are we going to find Clara is the reason for so many things that have happened?  

In the realm of Science Fiction is this possible?  The rules can be made up and messed around, but there has to be an explanation-  the question is will Matt Smith and Clara be interacting with all the incarnations of the Doctor or will it just be Clara (I’m assuming it will be both).  So many stories have so many different twists to what is possible in time travel, “All You Zombies…” by Robert Heinlein is just one example of some weird stuff in time travel as is “By His Bootstraps” also by Heinlein.

The biggest question I have is if John Hurt is an incarnation of the Doctor (before he was called the Doctor) doesn’t that make Matt Smith the twelfth and final incarnation? or is there some Timelord rule about this?  The Master has come back many times past his 12 regenerations- but then again the Master is a little loopy now.

As for which was better Star Trek Into Darkness or The Name of the Doctor… until I get another chance to see Star Trek… The Doctor is ahead.