There are a ton of great TV series out now on broadcast TV, cable, and streaming services. The only problem is there isn’t enough time to watch them all.
Netflix and Disney are leading the way with their original shows on their streaming services. Disney is pushing out some Star Wars and DC Comics titles that are really looking good.
Netflix is still leading the way with their Marvel Comics related shows, even with the cancellation of Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
What TV shows are you watching that we didn’t mention. Let us know in the comments so we can add them to our DVR.
It looks like Chris Evans is hanging up the shield for good and will be leaving his role as Captain America after Avengers 4. He has portrayed this iconic Marvel Comics character for 10 films.
Ever since the first Captain America film in 2011, Chris Evans has been synonymous with the character. He will leave big shoes to fill.
The speculation on him leaving the role stems from a tweet he made.
“Officially wrapped on Avengers 4. It was an emotional day to say the least. Playing this role over the last 8 years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera, and in the audience, thank you for the memories! Eternally grateful. ”
It looks like he is ready to move on to other roles. His portrayal of Cap was spot-on. He not only had the appearance, but the mannerisms and demeanor. His tweet was heartfelt and appreciative.
We hope Chris Evans has a long and successful career. He will always be Steve Rogers in our eyes.
Venom is one of the more iconic and loved Spiderman villains. When it was announced Venom would be getting his own movie, fanboys world-wide rejoiced.
Then it was announced Spiderman would not be mentioned at all in the movie. Also, no symbol would appear on his chest. At this point I started to get worried. How can you have a Venom movie with absolutely no connection to Spiderman.
I still held out hope the movie would be well written and faithful to the character. Shortly into the movie, my hopes were dashed.
The origin of how and why Venom (and the other symbiotes) came to Earth was completely changed. I can get past that. They also based it in San Francisco. OK, Eddie Brock did spend some time in San Fran. I was getting tired of New York based super hero movies anyway. They also changed Venom’s personality and demeanor.
That is where I lost connection.
Venom is not a humorous character. It felt like Sony tried to steal a page out of Marvel’s book. They wanted to mix action and humor to get a blockbuster movie. I have no issues with that, but I feel Venom was not the character to drive the humor. It felt to me like the only thing related to Venom in the movie, was the title.
Talking to other audience members, I found I was in the minority on those views. I think if you watch Venom with no prior knowledge of the character, you will probably like the movie. If you go into the movie expecting to see a version of Venom similar to the comic books…. you might be disappointed.
I am usually able to suppress the fanboy in me and watch the movie objectively. I was not able to do that with Venom as they departed so drastically from the Venom I know from the comics. The movie is still on pace to break box office records for an October release. That along with the fact that the audience members we got reviews from all seemed to enjoy the movie, tells me Sony will likely go forward with their other Spiderman related movies.
I am crossing my fingers that Morbius doesn’t stray too far from the source material.
Netflix has done a bang-up job bringing the Marvel characters to prominence on their streaming service. They took some of the lower tier characters and made them household names.
It all started with Daredevil. Daredevil on Netflix was absolutely amazing. That series opened the door for all the follow-ons. Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Punisher, and the big team up of Defenders.
Even the lowest rated of the Netflix Marvel series are better than a lot of the movies. Still haven’t watched all of Iron Fist season 2 yet, but it is on the list. I actually enjoyed Iron Fist season 1 so this season should be a marked improvement.
What do you think about the Netflix Marvel series? Let us know in the comments below.
Marvel used their movies to build up to the big confrontation in Avengers Infinity War. They teased Thanos here and there throughout their other movies so that when he made his big appearance in Infinity War, most people already knew all about him and what a big threat he is.
We are hoping that Marvel starts building up to another of their epic stories after the Thanos situation is resolved in Avengers Infinity War part 2. They have plenty of great line wide story arcs that would translate nicely to the big screen.
Another thing we are hoping for is to start seeing more crossover between the movies and TV shows. Cross your fingers!
Daredevil season 1 on Netflix is the series that started the wildfire of Netflix Marvel superhero series. The popularity of Daredevil made it possible for Netflix to produce series for Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, and the team-up series The Defenders.
Daredevil season 2 improved on what we saw in the first season. The fight choreography was phenomenal and the story gave us more depth into Matt’s past. The Hand and Elektra were introduced and clearly defined. We were also introduced to fan favorite character The Punisher.
Season 3 promises to be even more epic. Kingpin is back and the Hand is still around. Hopefully we will see some cameos from the other Netflix series characters. I’d like to see this be the push for a second season of The Defenders.
If you haven’t watched any of the Netflix Marvel series, you have time to catch up on all of them. Watch all the individual season 1’s before watching The Defenders so you have a back story for all the team members.
Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is the movie MCU has been building up to ever since the first Iron Man movie. They pulled in so many characters and each one received their fair share of screen time. They did all this while staying true to each character’s persona.
Marvel didn’t skimp out on extra characters like they did in Civil War. They brought in nearly all their heavy hitters for this epic battle against Thanos. The CGI was very good and did not distract from the movie. Watching Thanos systematically collect all the Infinity Stones for the Gauntlet was compelling. I don’t remember any lull in the movie. The action sequences were very captivating. I can’t find any fault with the movie.
If you’re a big comic book fan you’ll notice some deviations from the source material, but they are explained very well. The end result is the same, the movie just takes a slightly different route to get there.
There are multiple superhero deaths in Infinity War. You might want to bring some Kleenex cuz there are some tear-inducing moments. You will want to stay through the end credits because this IS a Marvel movie and you know there will be a clip at the end.
Just like all Marvel end credit scenes, you get a hint at the next upcoming Marvel movie.
We loved Avengers: Infinity War. Everyone that gave us their review also gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews. You will want to go watch this movie on opening weekend BEFORE someone spoils the big scenes for you.
Marvel is working their winning formula again. They are making the big blockbuster movies starring their most popular power-house characters.
For their TV/Netflix series they are using their lesser known characters. This time they have chosen Cloak & Dagger to be on ABC Freeform (formerly ABC Family).
Cloak & Dagger is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and shares continuity with the films and other television series of the franchise. You should see and hear references to other Marvel characters and events. The duo made their first appearance in Spectacular Spider-man #64, so maybe we will have a Spidey cameo. I like the inter-connectivity between Marvel’s TV and movie titles. It makes it feel like a much larger superhero world.
Cloak’s body is a portal to the “Darkforce Dimension”. Cloak is linked to a pocket realm of that dimension dominated by the Predator, which compels Cloak to absorb the life forces of other beings.
Dagger has the ability to generate and throw “light daggers” which stun targets by forcing them to confront the darkness in their own souls. Her light also alleviates Cloak’s thirst for light and warmth.
The previews I’ve seen so far look promising. Hopefully Cloak & Dagger will be just as good as the Runaways. I am also hopeful we will see those two shows crossover as they did in the comics.
If you’ve been paying attention at all during all the Marvel movies you should have noticed they keep centering around these things called Infinity Stones. They have been called different things in the comics (Infinity Gems, Soul Gems). The different stones are even different colors in the movies than they are in the comics. The one thing that is the same is the power they hold.
Each Gem is powerful in it’s own right. When you put all six together on the Infinity Gauntlet the wearer is probably the single strongest entity in the Marvel Universe. Since we are talking about the movie let’s focus on the cinematic Infinity Stones.
Space Stone (Blue): This stone is in the Tesseract. It allows the owner to travel through space.
Mind Stone (Yellow): This one is in Loki’s scepter. It is what allowed Loki to take control of Hawkeye’s mind.
Reality Stone (Red): is the Aether from Thor Dark World. It is capable of turning anything into dark matter or sucking the life force out of mortals.
Power Stone (Purple): The orb from Guardians of the Galaxy contains the Power Stone. It is capable of destroying entire civilizations with just a touch.
Time Stone (Green): The Eye of Agamotto has the Time Stone inside. It allowed Doctor Strange to manipulate time and eventually defeat Dormammu.
Soul Stone (Orange): We haven’t been introduced to this stone yet. There is speculation that it is Heimdall’s eyes. We will just have to wait and see.
They have promised to have a lot more characters in Avengers: Infinity War. This is a world shattering battle affecting every living superhero. It would feel a bit anemic without a lot of characters (cough.. Civil War.. cough).
If you haven’t read the story, there is still time to get a copy of the Infinity Gauntlet. The comic should help fill in a lot of the backstory they won’t be able to cover in the movie. If the movie is as good as the comics, Marvel will have another hit on their hands.
Andres Acosta July 29, 2017NewsComments Off on Story in Many Pics: Heroes Join Forces With Operation Hope
Heroes from the pages of comic books, TV and the big screen gathered at Barnes and Noble at the Fountains Saturday Morning to support El Paso’s own Operation Hope.
Our very own superhero – Photogman! (aka: Andres Acosta) was there to capture the event and brings your his view of the action in today’s ‘Story in Many Pics.’
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Operation Hopes Heros at Barnes & Noble El Paso, Tx July 29, 2017
Chris Hemsworth will be returning to the MCU as Thor in Thor: Ragnarok. This is the third movie in the Thor series. Even though the name is Ragnarok it will be pulling material from several sources (Ragnarok, Planet Hulk, and Contest of Champions). Don’t go into the movie expecting to see the Ragnarok story-line.
The plot as we understand it pre-release is Thor is imprisoned on the gladiatorial planet of Sakaar without his trusty hammer, Mjolnir. He must defeat Hulk in battle so he can return to Asgard in time to save it from Hela and the impending Ragnarok. In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki).
Thor: Ragnarok promises to be a very entertaining movie. With the introduction of elements from the Planet Hulk story-line we are hoping to see a new Hulk movie telling that story.
Ragnarok will be in theaters November 3, 2017. We will be doing a review of the movie opening week so keep an eye out for that video here on this YouTube channel.
The Helicarrier is the flying aircraft carrier used by S.H.I.E.L.D. in Marvel comics and movies. It was originally designed by Jack Kirby. The first Helicarrier was proposed by Stark Industries as a political compromise in response to fears that any nation hosting the S.H.I.E.L.D. main headquarters would be subject to attack by organizations such as HYDRA.
There have been more than twenty known Helicarriers built. Those ships are:
Luxor – A class prototype, not yet seen. Hermes – Allegedly scuttled after being hijacked by the Red Skull. Argus – A Luxor-class Helicarrier. Behemoth – Specially designed Helicarrier commanded by Dum Dum Dugan for use against Godzilla. Destroyed by S.H.I.E.L.D. in an attempt to neutralize an attack by Amadeus Cho. Black Hawk – Destroyed in action against a HYDRA-Hand alliance of forces. Alpha – First mentioned by name in New Avengers #4. Pericles III – Punisher War Journal vol. 2, #1. Pericles V – Infiltrated by the vampiric Order of Tyrana and scuttled by Blade. Samuel Sawyer – Named for Nick Fury’s World War II-era commanding officer in the United States Army. Iliad – Named in Secret Warriors #17. Argonaut – Named in Secret Warriors #17. Prometheus – The Prometheus was stolen from a secret U.S. facility in the Sonoran Desert by a rogue faction of S.T.R.I.K.E. during the 2011 “Fear Itself” story-line. Tempest – named and destroyed shortly after launch with two thousand crew aboard by the Electric Ghost. Hercules – Capable of operating in submarine mode. Described as Constellation-class. Odyssey – First shown and named in Captain America: Living Legend # 1. Pericles – First shown and named in X-Force v.4 # 7. Already decommissioned and abandoned by S.H.I.E.L.D. under unrevealed circumstances in its first appearance, and taken over as a base by X-Force. Bellerophon – first named in New Avengers v.4 # 14. Douglass – first named in U.S.Avengers # 2. Helicarrier Gold – After Iron Man replaced Maria Hill as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he designed a new class of Helicarrier whose red and gold design resembles the Iron Man Armor. This helicarrier was severely damaged and crashed by the Red Hulk.
S.H.I.E.L.D.’s replacement agency, H.A.M.M.E.R., has decommissioned the surviving Helicarriers. Three of them were stolen by Nick Fury. H.A.M.M.E.R. subsequently commissioned at least one new carrier to Norman Osborn’s specifications which was destroyed over Broxton, Oklahoma, during the Siege of Asgard.
The Lego Helicarrier
The Helicarrier is one of the most iconic vehicles in the Marvel Universe. The Lego Helicarrier is undoubtedly one of the bigger completed sets. Make sure you have plenty of shelf space before you build this beast of a set.
Official Lego Solicitation
Features
Take on the challenge of building this awesome LEGO® model of The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier™. Construct the flying aircraft carrier with 2 runways, microscale Quinjets™, fighter jets and ground support vehicles. The set also comes with many of your favorite LEGO Marvel Super Heroes™ minifigures, plus 12 microfigures to display on deck and within the highly detailed interior. Includes 5 minifigures: Nick Fury™, Black Widow™, Captain America™, Hawkeye™ and Maria Hill™.
Includes 5 minifigures: Nick Fury, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye and Maria Hill, plus an iconic S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle stand to display them on.
Features 3 microscale Quinjets, 3 fighter jets, a gasoline truck, 2 forklift trucks, 2 runways, 4 road blockades, armored exterior with translucent elements, detailed interior, plus 12 microfigures (Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Captain America, Iron Man and 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. agents). Also includes a detailed runway
Weapons include Hawkeye’s bow, Black Widow’s gun and Captain America’s shield.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Maria Hill minifigure is new for spring 2015!
Includes a plaque with facts about The S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Add lights and spinning rotors to the Helicarrier with the 88000, 8883, and 8870 LEGO® Power Functions sets (sold separately)
Rotors can also be turned manually. Includes a display stand.
Helicarrier measures over 11” (29cm) high, 31” (80cm) long and 17” (45cm) wide
Each Quinjet measures over 1” (3cm) high, 2” (7cm) long and 2” (7cm)wide
Minifigure stand measures over 4” (12cm) high, and 2” (6cm deep) and 6” (16cm wide)
Lego Spider-man Web Warrior Ultimate Bridge Battle description from Lego.com – Role-play battle scenes with the web warriors protecting Aunt May from Green Goblin. Green Goblin has a flaming pumpkin bomb and a Goblin Glider with stud shooters. There is also Kraven the Hunter and Scorpion mini-figures.
Press the bridge’s flag to launch a net to trap the villains. You may also launch a Super Hero from the side of the bridge to swing into action. The bridge walls can create explosion effects in this action-packed set. The bridge features a trap door, catapult, Spider-Man’s web prison, and Kraven the Hunter’s secret lair.
Included in the set
This set comes with 7 mini-figures: Spider-Man, Spider-Girl, Scarlet Spider, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Kraven the Hunter, and Aunt May.
Features a bridge section, Goblin Glider, taxi and a police ATV. The bridge features a movable roadway and detachable suspension cables, catapult function to fire the trash can, trap door, Spider-Man’s web prison, Kraven the Hunter’s secret lair with translucent diamond elements, traffic lights to stop the traffic, exploding pillars on the bridge, and movable signposts for the Green Goblin’s Goblin Glider to smash through.
The Goblin Glider features movable wings and 2 stud shooters.
Police ATV features attached walkie-talkie and handcuffs elements.
Attach the web rope or web blast to the door of Kraven the Hunter’s secret lair in the base of a pillar, then pull it away to steal the treasure.
Press the bridge’s flag to launch a net to trap the villains.
Open the trapdoor with the side lever and make the villains fall into Spider-Man’s web prison in the base of the pillar.
Swing open the removable roadway section and attach a web net element to the bridge to stop the taxi from falling off.
Attach the villains’ hands to the back of the police ATV and split it in two—or crush it together!
Weapons include Kraven the Hunter’s spear and gun.
Accessory elements include 2 web blasts, 2 web ropes, web net, Green Goblin’s flaming pumpkin bomb, 3 translucent diamond elements, 2 translucent fire elements, and Peter Parker’s camera.
Combine this set with another bridge set to form an even bigger bridge!
This set offers an age-appropriate building experience for ages 8-14.
There is also a mini-comic book inside!
Dimensions
over 12” (33cm) high
5” (13cm) wide
17” (44cm) deep
Goblin Glider
under 1” (2cm) high
over 2” (6cm) long
3” (9cm) wide
Taxi
over 1” (5cm) high
3” (10cm) long
1” (3cm) wide
Police ATV
over 1” (3cm) high
1” (5cm) long
1” (3cm) wide
El Paso Herald-Post El Paso News & Opinion
