Mon: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks. We’re doing things a little differently today. We’ll be discussing a bunch of stuff we’ve been watching, listening to and reading recently.
I’m Mon.
Ron: And I’m Ron.
Mon: Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and a team of artists brought Dick Grayson/Nightwing back to himself in the Eisner Award-winning series, Nightwing Volumes 1-4. I’m behind on this series, but I intend to get back into it because of these four volumes.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding what happened to Dick Grayson in Batman #55 way back in 2018.
Ron: Was it that long ago?
Mon: Yeah, I’m still processing that.
I kept reading the Nightwing books after that, but those were a tough read. Dick wasn’t himself, so these new volumes were a welcome change.
Ron: I haven’t read the latest volumes. I barely got through the Ric Grayson nonsense. What’s our favourite pretty bird been up to?
Mon: Well, Dick is back as Nightwing, but he’s reeling from losing his memory and himself, and his home of Blüdhaven is worse off since his absence.
What I liked about this section of the series is that Dick returns and he wants to do so much more for his city than just punch bad guys. I like that the creators addressed the fact that Bruce Wayne could have done so much more with his money, and Dick is hoping to course correct in Blüdhaven.
The story had a lot of emotional beats, and the ones concerning Alfred got me in the feels. Who knew I’d get teary over Dick and Alfred’s relationship, but here we are. I do love how newer renditions of the Bat-universe comics really lean into the notion of them being a family who love and loathe each other, just like any other family. There’s so much love in the writing, it makes it such a joy to read these stories.
I loved the art and colours—for most of the volumes Redondo is leading the art team, so the character art is especially beautiful, giving the Bat-family distinct and gorgeous faces. Good art, especially art that flatters the characters I love, helps me become more invested in the story.
After eons of Dick being touted as the next big thing, he finally feels like he’s taking on that mantle. I believe he’s become a big deal in the DC Comics universe. I need to read more of the current stuff to know for sure.
Volumes 1-3 are particularly solid. 4 is a little more gruesome, so I didn’t like it that much. I also hate it when the art changes during a volume or a run. I know it happens, but it’s so frustrating, especially when you start off with the kind of art you love and then it changes. Sigh.
Highly recommend these volumes for Nightwing fans. I really hope what comes after is just as excellent.
Ron: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe is a retelling of Greek mythology in Webtoon form, now available across several paperbacks as well.
Mon: Greek gods in Webtoon form. Tell me more!
Ron: It’s essentially about the romance between Persephone and Hades but pretty much every Greek god and goddess makes an appearance. The story started fairly small but expanded to encompass so much of the mythos. It was such a rich world and I found it a very immersive reading experience.
Smythe has been writing this series since 2018. I only started reading Lore Olympus during the pandemic and then I ended up taking a break from Webtoons for a long while. But I went back to it this year and I couldn’t stop reading. I ended up racing through to the end. I was a bit bereft when I’d come to the end of the 280 episodes.
The story is engaging but what captivated me at first was the art. I love the way Smythe uses colours to differentiate the characters and the different realms. There’s a lot of detail in her art that had me lingering on sections of the story. But she also uses colours to display emotions which I found very moving. Lore Olympus goes to some pretty dark places at times and I appreciated her putting content warnings for those episodes.
My only criticism was that the final volume both dragged and felt rushed. We had too many episodes that were stuck on one plot point and then the entire story was wrapped up in just two episodes. Having said that, 280 episodes is a massive commitment from a writer and artist. It was a riveting story and I loved the modern incarnations of the gods and goddesses. Highly recommended.
Mon: Wow, I’ll add it to my list.
Mon: Anyone who’s read Marvel comics is going to tell you that the What If…? series of books is the coolest part of being a comic reader. Alternate takes on what would have happened to our favourite characters are always fun to read. My guess is, Marvel, seeing that the What If…? animated show got some traction, decided to venture into new territory–YA What If…? novels. So we have Marvel: What If...Loki Was Worthy? by Madeleine Roux.
Look, I love Loki as much as the next person, and I’ll admit, at the start I was itching to get to the book whenever I was away from it. At one point, the book mentions a Marvel character who I’m fond of, and I got so excited I decided to ‘save’ the book and read it at my own pace.
Ron: Just for that cameo, I want to read this book now. Should I?
Mon: No. Taking a break was actually a dumb idea because this is a library book and it got snatched away. I’m back to reading it now, haven’t finished it yet, but the magic’s gone. I’m struggling to read this. The writing is so slow, the descriptions are overlong and unnecessary. They don’t just bring the pace to a halt, they grind it backward. I’m literally screaming in my head for the story to move forward, but nope, we need to describe every single room in this tiny trailer with the utmost detail.
And here’s the thing, I don’t hate descriptions. I used to love Thomas Hardy’s books, so I can’t complain about descriptions. But my issue is the descriptions are given more importance than what Loki goes through. I’m sorry, but I am way more interested in knowing how he coped with a certain live-changing event than his bloody lizard!
And don’t get me started on Tony Stark. Crikey–what is with the overly sentimental histrionics? And why are they three chapters long?
I’m halfway through, and I think things are picking up. At this point, I just want the book to be over. I don’t care if Loki was worthy, I just know I’m unworthy of this suffering.
Ron: Well, that takes us to more comics-related suffering. This is something I’ve been dying to talk about. The Krakoa-era of X-Men! I have so many thoughts and I don’t know if I’ll be able to cover it all but I’m going to try.
Ron: For the longest time, I just couldn’t find a way back into the X-Men comics. I found that so frustrating because they are our favourite comics team. But with the House of X/Powers of X series in 2019, I finally got a way in. We read that series for our comic book club and I stayed with it.
Mon: I never read past Hox/PoX, which we covered on this podcast, by the way. So I’m all ears.
Ron: At first, I really enjoyed the Krakoa comics. After decades of being despised, hunted, killed, just for being born different, the mutants had a safe home on Krakoa, the living island. I loved reading about the way they were setting up their lives, how Krakoa would give them whatever they needed to thrive. And the resurrection protocols ensured the mutants couldn’t die. The Five, consisting of Tempus, Proteus, Hope Summers, Elixir, and Egg, combined their mutant powers with Xavier to resurrect dead X-Men. All the mutants who lost their powers in House of M, or died on Genosha, they were all being brought back. That wasn’t all. Mutants had created a medicine that was going to help humans fight diseases. I was so enjoying reading about this mutant Utopia.
Mon: That sounds awesome. I love my X-Men being happy.
Ron: Not so fast. Things weren’t all that rosy on Krakoa. The Quiet Council, the governing body of the island, was made up of past villains with their own agendas, like Mr Sinister, Sebastian Shaw, and Apocalypse, who seemed to have turned over a new leaf at least. Cyclops and Jean were so annoyed with Xavier and Magneto keeping secrets from them that they both abandoned the Quiet Council. Xavier and Magneto also made Mystique’s life miserable; they put her on the council but refused to resurrect her wife, Destiny, for absolutely no good reason. Honestly, the internal politics of the Quiet Council were to die for. I loved the drama, the tension, the subterfuge. Who was betraying whom? Who had their own plan for world domination? Who knew who’s secrets. This is what had me picking up issue after issue.
Mon: Wait, so you liked that part?
Ron: Very much so! But alas, Marvel comics got in their own way. Instead of giving us these self-contained stories about mutant intrigue, Marvel introduced fantastical elements like the Arakki, an ancient mutant civilization to which Apocalypse belonged to.
Mon: The ruddy Arakki. How many times have I heard you complain about the Arakki?
Ron: I know I go on about it, but I cannot stress enough how much I despise the Arakki. The moment they appeared on the comic page, the mutants I wanted to read about went right out the window. Practically every single issue became focused on the Arakki. They were a warring race so we got plenty of mindless action and no character development. They didn’t want to fit in on Krakoa, so the mutants terraformed Mars and made it Arakko and the Arakki were still fighting. Worse, Storm and Magneto were appointed leaders of the Arakki so the entirety of their story in X-Men: Red was just them quelling fights between the Arakki. It was so boring!
Ron: And let me not start on Avalon and the Braddocks. I don’t know Betsy Braddock very well but her constant tussle with Saturnyne which went on and on and on made me dislike them both and all of Avalon so much. Betsy was in a group with Jubilee, Rogue, Gambit, and Rictor, all of them much more interesting than her. Yet every Excalibur book was about Betsy and only Betsy. I was so glad when she shattered into glass pieces but alas, she got better and even more insufferable.
Mon: Wow, that sounds… not great. A book featuring your favs Rogue and Gambit, and it’s about neither of them? I don’t know how you persevered.
Ron: I didn’t. I gave up on Excalibur when Rogue fell into a coma.
Mon: You have got to be kidding me.
Ron: Nope! However, I did get to hang out with some very cool characters on Krakoa. Mystique and Destiny, who was eventually resurrected behind Xavier’s back, haha, take that sucker. They were such an amazing couple. They were so conniving, so smart, so in love, I enjoyed every moment I got to read them. Laura Kinney got a few incredible story arcs. She and Synch, a mutant I’d never met before, had this incredible storyline of living many lives to fight a terrifying enemy. It was a sad ending for them but Synch has become one of my favourite mutants now. He’s got the ability to use any superpowers that he’s been near but because of his experiences, his powers are killing him. And yet, he keeps fighting to save mutantkind.
Mon: I’d really like to meet Synch one day in the comics.
Ron: Don’t hold your breath; he’s not slated for any new books.
Ron: There were lots of little moments that I enjoyed from Krakoa, as well. Scott, Jean, Logan, and Emma Frost becoming a happy quadrangle. Logan even lives on the Moon in the Summers home. Almost everyone getting their families back. Jean and Scott have Cable and Rachel. Logan has all his kids, Akihiro, Laura, Gabby. Krakoa was very queer-friendly. Lots of the lads wore gorgeous dresses to the Hellfire Gala. Northstar’s husband, Kyle, who’s human, got to live on Krakoa. Then there’s Ms Marvel becoming a mutant and adapting to her multiple identities, which was a great addition–she’s an absolute natural as a mutant even though her powers haven’t appeared yet. Seeing Captain America step up and lead the mutant resistance, considering the Avengers have historically been absolutely awful to the X-Men. The political machinations of the Quiet Council and how mutants like Emma Frost managed to get the upper hand over their rivals was so thrilling! And nothing will surpass the shock of Orchis murdering all the mutants at the Hellfire Gala just as the new X-Men team was announced.
But it’s been downhill for a while. The focus on the Arakki, the overlong Dominion plotline that fizzled out, quite literally, with the return of Dark Phoenix. Sidelining characters I love, like Storm and Iceman. I had such high hopes for Krakoa and now I’m just happy it’s ending. I really felt like they’d lost their way. Now we’ve got the Fall of the X-Men that’s spread over some 13 series, and you have to read each issue from each series sequentially. It’s bonkers. I am so going to miss the hope and joy I thought Krakoa would bring. Not to me, my X-Men.
Mon: Dang, that sucks. I’m hoping for good things with the new series. But, you never know.
Mon: Anyway. So, I like listening to podcasts, but my podcast habits are pretty standard–I’m either listening to reviews or news. But I heard ads for the BBC and CBC podcast Hollywood Exiles, which is about the Red Scare in the US and J.Edgar Hoover’s apparent obsession with taking down Charlie Chaplin.
The podcast is hosted and narrated by Chaplin’s granddaughter Oona. Oona is an actress, so she has a great voice for podcasting–very soothing and measured. We, of course, know about the Red Scare and the witch-hunts for supposed communists, but it was really interesting to hear about the rise of Hoover and the impact of these trials on Hollywood.
Apparently, Hoover started a file on Charlie Chaplin–one that grew to over 1000 pages–as early as the 1920s. Chaplin, was, according to the podcast, one of the earliest targets of the Bureau for un-American activities. Chaplin was an immigrant from Britain–he never got American citizenship, and was openly ‘anti-authoritarian’, if you can call it that, in his work. That immediately drew a target on his back even though he wasn’t part of the Communist Party in the US–or so he said, anyway.
Listening to this podcast, it’s really heart-breaking. Chaplin was older, secure in his career, and rich. Life got tough, he upped and offed to England. But other writers and creators, they went through hell and back and lost their jobs. Some left the US, forever, others eventually returned. But they couldn’t return to their old jobs because they were put on the “Hollywood blacklist”. Man, that sucked to hear. The adult children of those exiles talking about how life changed for their families, was so sad. And over what? Fear-mongering.
And listening to it now, when the US is so divisive and so quick to judge and cancel–all the wrong people, of course–just made me so angry. It hits worse now that we’re in North America.
My one grouse with the podcast was that, because it’s hosted by Chaplin’s kin, Oona sort of brushes off Chaplin's less-than-stellar inclinations. The dude had a penchant for really young women, and even if the women were of consenting age, the power dynamic between Chaplin and anyone else is off. Oona Chaplin never really deals with that in the podcast. I think the producers at the BBC and CBC should have stepped in to contextualize the problematic side of Chaplin.
But this podcast is worth a listen to understand how and why Hollywood was so embroiled in the Red Scare.
Ron: I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about a mind-bendy thriller called Dark Matter on Apple TV+ so I decided to check it out. You and I loved Netflix’s Dark, and I adored the other sci-fi show called Dark Matter so why not? It’s based on a book by Blake Crouch and the premise is around alternate universes. I love alternate universes so I was very excited when I realised that was what the show was about.
My enthusiasm was waning partway through episode one, of what I believe is a 10-episode series. Joel Edgerton plays Jason Dessen, a science professor.
Mon: I’m sorry–that’s a name choice.
Ron: Hehe. His wife Daniela, played by Jennifer Connelly, works in an art gallery. The two of them gave up their dreams of being a scientist and an artist to raise their son. First up, how cliche, the dude is the scientist, the lady is an artist. Why don’t we swap it around and really make things interesting? Anyway!
Then they waste the first three episodes with this setup about Jason being kidnapped and left in an alternate reality. And he’s wondering who could’ve done it. When we already know the answer in episode one. Why would you spend three episodes with the characters not knowing something the audience has already been told?
Also, I tuned in to see alternate universes. Those really only appear from episode 4. And I don’t know if it’s a budget issue, but the characters rarely interact with the alternate universes. They’re mostly green screen. How very boring.
But the premise of the story is so dull. Jason loves his wife and wants to go back to her. That’s literally all there is to this man. Nothing else. Every single episode he keeps going on about how much he loves his wife. But I don’t understand what they’re on about because, honestly, Jason and Daniela’s life looks awful. There’s no excitement. They have no hobbies. The show has to keep telling us they love each other when it really looks like they’ve just settled for this existence.
Also, I cannot stand when characters make stupid decisions. We all do dumb things sometimes, sure. But nobody looks at a snowstorm and willingly runs into it. There’s this pandemic world they go to, and you will not believe it, Jason, after being told that the virus on this world is spread through fluids, he handles a vial that Daniela was holding after she was wiping her tears away. Dude, two seconds ago, they told you not to do that!
The show is really held back by the central romance between Jason and Daniela, because I just don’t see that love. Companionship, sure. Love? Whatever. Just show me the cool alternate worlds.
Mon: Yikes. Giving that a miss then.
Mon: On to some stuff we’ve been watching together.
I think a lot more people have heard about Madame Web the film, than actually seen it. It’s a running joke at this point–another Sony Marvel movie that bombed, haha.
We only recently caught up with it. I had no hopes for the film. I’d heard nothing but outrage at how bad it was, so my only expectation was to be mildly entertained.
But you know what, now that I’ve watched it, I’m really annoyed. I’m annoyed with people, especially the people who said don’t even bother watching this film because it’s dead on arrival. Like, if you’re a fan of superhero stuff, this film was worth one viewing at least.
Ron: This is the same nonsense that happened to The Marvels. People kept saying don’t watch it because it’s bad but since you and I got a preview screening, we were completely confused because we knew The Marvels was incredibly fun. I wish we’d got to give Madame Web a chance because it was also fun, in a very different way.
Mon: Madame Web is not great. The CGI is so janky, I can’t believe they let it out in public like that. And then there’s the first scene, which is atrociously acted. Yikes! But if you stick around, you get this really wholesome road trip, sorority sisters sticking together vibe. I kinda liked it. It was, I don’t know, adorable?
Ron: Here’s the thing though, the CGI was janky in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 but people were still raving about those!
Mon: Yep.
None of the performances are great, but it’s like everyone had a bit and they stuck to it. The whole film does feel, a little, like everyone involved is on cruise control, but again, it didn’t make me hate it. It was a surprisingly pleasant experience to hang out with these characters and this film. I mean, I liked this film more than the second and third volumes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which isn’t saying much, because those were awful entries. But they made money and aren’t as openly mocked as this women-led and directed film. I wonder why. #sarcasm
Ron: I really liked the characters in Madame Web. Cassie Web is relatable. That scene where the kid hands her a drawing and she’s like, what do I do with this? Relatable! That entire subway section with her and the three teenagers and they’re sure this woman is kidnapping them, was hilarious. This movie was genuinely so funny. All the emotion that Guardians 3 was forcing on its script and actors, this film did it organically. I found myself so moved when Cassie had that revelation about her mother. Now I’ve just made myself sad again.
Mon: The characters were the best part of the film–truly surprising, but that’s what annoys me more about people being so mean about this film.
Mon: Two things about this film I’m not sure about–they made it like this was a one-and-done. These people will be superheroes, even though we don’t know how. We see them in costume, but it’s not in the present. That was a weird choice, and it seals the deal on there being no future for these characters.
Ron: There could easily have been a sequel that shows us how this group gets to that point. I mean, Venom seemed like a one and done film and it’s got two sequels!
Mon: The first Venom was so bad. How do people like it more than this film?
The other thing that weirded me out about Madame Web was the ending. I’m still trying to process what they were trying to say with that ending. This goes back to the film being on cruise control. A character needed to be a certain way to reflect their comic book persona, so even though they go through a life-altering experience, everyone’s super-chill about it because… that’s destiny? It was really weird. I wonder if that put critics off. I mean, this film does not hold up to criticism, but man, it does not deserve the hate. This felt like The Marvels all over again–though that film is objectively much better made and really fun.
Ron: I actually really liked the ending. Life-altering injuries are always treated like the end of the world in stories but I like that this film had this character accept it as part of her journey. A sequel could have explored it more.
Ron: With the crazy backlash against The Marvels, and before that, the vitriol against She-Hulk, which was such a fun, enjoyable, relatable show, and now Madame Web, Marvel’s not going to have any female superheroes headlining films or shows. These stories are hated on to the point where they lose box office sales and that’s it, we never get to see these characters again. But Starlord will return! I’m so angry.
Mon: Booooooooo!
Ron: Moving on, I guess. We didn’t catch Godzilla Minus One in theatres because going to the movies is expensive, you guys! We had to wait quite a while but eventually it arrived on Netflix Canada and we duly watched it. I was expecting standard monster fare. People screaming. Monsters destroying buildings. Lots of action and great VFX, because the film won the Oscar for VFX. But hoo boy, we got so much more!
Mon: Sitting down to watch Godzilla Minus One was worrying. I was certain this wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well, I was wrong. The film is riveting–but not because it’s about a monster called Godzilla, it’s because it’s a character study of people, and who the monsters really are. I know some people were annoyed that the film doesn’t touch on the atrocities that Japan committed during the war–there are other stories that deal with that, but I don’t know how this film would have included that as well. I mean, we all know there are no saints in a war; I don’t think this film tries to paint things any differently.
Ron: The movie does touch on the fact that Japan made some terrible choices in the second World War.
Mon: It does. Godzilla is merely a catalyst to tell a deeper story about governmental and systemic failure, the devastation of war, the real cost of the atomic bombs, and most importantly, the connections among people. This isn’t the first Godzilla film to tap into these themes, but it’s the first one that I’ve seen do this.
Ron: Godzilla was created in response to the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To have this movie set during and just after the second World War, drives home the devastation that those bombs caused.
Mon: The American Godzilla movies are always the same–monster fights. They’re so dull. And then you have this one, with these complicated characters who have so many layers to them. And the special effects. The VFX team won the Oscar for a reason. Godzilla looks so real! It’s scary.
Ron: True. Godzilla Minus One was so much more than the action. Protagonist Shikishima is a failed Kamikaze pilot. And then he’s one of only two survivors of Godzilla’s attack on a small island refuelling station. Not only that, but he returns home to find his civilian parents died in the war. It’s just survivor’s guilt upon survivor’s guilt for Shikishima! Ryunosuke Kamiki, who plays Shikishima, carries the film on his shoulders and he manages to portray the unimaginable burden of surviving so much really well. It’s a shame the international awards didn’t recognise his acting.
Mon: My only criticism is that I wish our leading lady Noriko had a larger role in the story, and that there were more ladies in the story. I know that Japan can be very patriarchal, and would have probably been even more conservative in the 1940s, but I wish they’d figured out a way to bring more women into the story.
Ron: 100%. Noriko is the amusing heart of the story. She’s the reason why Shikishima ends up with the world’s most bizarre but loving family unit. Noriko’s really the one who makes them work as a family. She had some incredible scenes and was played with a lot of sensitivity by Minami Hamabe. I was impressed by how much love Shikishima and Noriko had for each other without there being long monologues about it, just quiet moments and a shared look. And that’s down to the acting.
Mon: This film is worth a watch whether you like or care for Godzilla. It’s outstanding. Who knew you could get emotional during a Godzilla movie!
Mon: Everyone has been decrying the end of the world because The Fall Guy failed at the box office. Us plebs who refuse to go to the cinema all the time are the worst of humanity, don’t you know? How dare we not spend every dollar on passively absorbing every single film that comes out instead of trying to buy groceries and, you know, survive.
Mon: I’m sorry, did I go on a diatribe? I did. The way the online space made it out, it seemed like The Fall Guy was the best film ever to have been made. Listen, I was going to watch it anyway, just not in the theatre. We have to pick and choose when we spend money and where we go. We used to love going to the cinema every week, but that’s just not possible now–money isn’t even the biggest issue, for us at least, it’s that you have to be wise about which indoor spaces you want to be in.
Ron: When cinema tickets are $26 per person, before taxes, you’ve got to choose the groceries. I’m afraid The Fall Guy isn’t the kind of movie I’m spending that much money on. Sorry.
Mon: Anyway, on to the film. The Fall Guy is just meh. I was kinda disappointed, honestly. I was expecting something spectacular. This isn’t it. The opening scene? Yeah, sign me up. Awesome direction. That was, wow. And the way it ends, holy moly. That was incredible stuff.
Ron: That one-take opening scene was so well-executed and then you have that unexpected ending. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Mon: But the film goes downhill after that. The pacing is off. It tries so hard to be funny, but it keeps falling flat. There’s some really slick directing, but the action scenes were badly paced.
I also didn’t like that Ryan Gosling’s the only one with any significant screen time. There’s this cast of amazing actors, Winston Duke, Stephanie Hsu, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and they don’t get their due. Taylor-Johnson has more to do than Duke and Hsu though.
Ron: Aaron Taylor-Johnson is so freaking funny and he absolutely owns this douchebag role. But he disappears for three quarters of the movie! And don’t get me started on Stephanie Hsu getting only two scenes.
Mon: And Emily Blunt is totally wasted in this. What the hell! Useless, tiresome role. So boring. At least Gosling can finally act though. I swear, till before Barbie, he was as wooden as a doll, and now he can actually emote.
Ron: Ken has changed Gosling so much. I actually understand the appeal now!
Mon: I have to strain to remember that I watched this film because it was so meh. I cannot believe the vitriol the average movie-goer faced because they didn’t support this film. People need to live a little.
Ron: Well, we’ve definitely been busy being entertained this year. Have you been watching or reading something you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments. Until next time.