Category: Books

San Diego Comic-Con 2022: Was there anything interesting?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Movies, Television

I want to talk about San Diego Comic-Con, in particular, the 2022 edition. Why? Well for starters I’ve never been. I live over 10,730 km away, so I’m practically next door, but I have yet to drag my broke arse there.

Another thing is that this year was the first one to be held in person, since the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled, because of everybody’s least favourite virus, COVID-19.

For those of you that already know about the San Diego Comic-Con, congratulations! For those of you that don’t know about it; I’m very sorry, but I’ll give you a quick summary. Don’t panic.

The San Diego Comic-Con is arguably, one of the the largest events; if not the largest, celebrating popular culture on the planet. The event is designed for creators and companies to advertise new products coming up like toys, anime, computer games, manga, books, comics, movies, tv shows and anything else; as well as being able to sell their existing products to the public.

Because of this, it attracts people from all over the world, to help celebrate everything that is pop culture. Oh, I forgot to mention the cosplayers. So many cosplayers!

I think San Diego Comic-Con is usually held over 3-4 days in July, and even though I’m thousands of kilometres away, I can still get excited. This is because of the important reveals, trailers, and announcements.

This year has been no exception, with an avalanche of information released to the public. But is any of it interesting? Being the writer of this blog; and the person to blame for anything that happens here, I’ve decided to breakdown the most interesting things I have discovered from the event.

Let’s establish a few things first:

1.) I have not read or seen, every article or trailer released from San Diego Comic-Con. There’s probably a ton of information I have missed, but I’m only one man against the odds. I can only discuss the things I have knowledge on, but also things I’m actually interested in. Any news about a Sour Cream and Chives themed computer game, will not be mentioned.

2.) Just because a product is on my list, does not mean I’ll actually get to see it or purchase it. There are so many different streaming services, I can’t subscribe to all of them; I would need a higher paying job for that. Simply, if something has landed on this list, it has my attention.

Let’s do it!

Image by Tania Van den Berghen from Pixabay

Literature

Star Wars: The High Republic

I know the High Republic is not for everybody and that some people don’t like it. Having said that, no one is perfect, and I fall in the other camp, because I enjoy this series!

I loved learning about the Phase II reveals, new characters and stories, listening to the creators, but also looking at the amazing novel and comic book covers for the series. I’m invested with this for the long haul, so I was pretty happy to learn new things about Phase II. One day soon, I’ll write a blog about the High Republic and explain it better. Anyway, we are off to a good start!

Batman/Spawn

There was news that DC and Image will be getting together for another Batman/Spawn crossover. I understand that Batman and Spawn alumni artist, Greg Capullo, will have the art duties, with Todd McFarlane as the writer.

Apparently it will be released this December, and I thought these characters would never met again, after their two 1994 meetings. I didn’t see this one coming at all. I’m not sure what to expect from this, apart from the stellar art. I’m quite interested, to be honest.

As for other comic news, um…..nope. I have to admit, nothing else that I’ve heard from Marvel, DC, Image or anybody else, released from Comic-Con actually has me interested in their upcoming comic book projects. It’s quite strange. Just Star Wars: The High Republic and Batman/Spawn. Maybe I’m getting too picky in my old age.

Movies

DCEU: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The first film, Shazam! was cool. I mean I thought the film makers did a great job balancing Billy’s personal and superhero life. It was also refreshing to see the villain actually survive. What mischief will Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind get up to?!

It was fun, which is why I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. Bringing more mythology into the franchise with Hespera and Kalypso, will be entertaining. Will it be predictable and a bit corny with Billy’s family? Yes and yes, again, however it will be a lot of fun.

It just makes you want to stand up and shout, “SHAZAM!” Damn, I want to watch the first film again now. How good is bullet immunity?!

Black Adam

Speaking of Shazam!, how about we discuss the Big Red Cheese’s antithesis villain. I have always thought that Teth-Adam is similar to Magneto, Namor, or Ronan the Accuser; a leader or symbol to his people, which means he can and will fight alongside the heroes, as easily as against them. A classic anti-hero.

I’m nervous, but I have high hopes for this film. Having the Rock play Black Adam is a master stroke, and it will also be interesting how the Justice Society will connect with audiences. Doctor Fate was my first introduction to a superhero magician, so hopefully this film will not disappoint. How far will they push things? I have no idea.

We do need to see the Shazam!/Black Adam or Superman/Black Adam fight somewhere in the future. Pretty please? Teth-Adam is the last person on Earth that should have these powers, so let the smackdown begin!

MCU

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

I liked Black Panther, because at least to me, it brought a lot of political and social issues of living in a superhuman world into the light. Plus I thought Chadwick Boseman was phenomenal as T’Challa. He’s one of the greatest characters Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, ever created together. I’ve always liked T’Challa.

So because of that, I’m nervous about the sequel for three reasons. Firstly, since the original film was such a massive success, there could be a lot pressure to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time. An example of this is Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984. The sequel did not quite hit the mark.

Secondly, I feel it was a mistake not to recast T’Challa. I know they did it to honour Boseman’s memory, but I feel allowing T’Challa to exist in the MCU, would have been a better tribute. Allowing another excellent actor to step into T’Challa’s sneakers, is not something uncommon in superhero films.

And lastly, Namor. I’m always concerned when great villains are not adapted in the best way. Doctor Doom is the best example, with three films behind him, the film makers got it wrong, three times over.

Namor just like Black Adam, he is an anti-hero. His arrogance is only equal to Batman’s, so it will be interesting to see how the film makers translate this; but also for his culture. Obviously there will be some tension/conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis, just like T’Challa and Namor in the comics.

I want this film to work, which is precisely the reason why I’m interested in it. And the Dora Milaje kicking arse helps.

Phase 5 and Phase 6: The Multiverse Saga

This covers Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Blade, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars (February 2023-November 2025).

I’m interested in all of these films, but I’ll wait to receive more information about them as the wheel turns, as the world moves on.1 I also do realise there are some MCU tv shows as well, but I’ll talk about them below.

Television shows (streaming)

Disney +

I don’t have Disney +, but if I did, I think my family wouldn’t see me for a few weeks. Without discussing the shows already on the platform, the reveals and trailers from Comic-Con include Andor, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Echo, Loki Season 2, Ironheart, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, and I am Groot, sound quite fantastic.

These announcements are awesome and I’m interested in watching all of them…one day I guess. However, there was one reveal that was jaw dropping: Daredevil: Born Again.

I’ve seen Netflix’s Daredevil Season 1 and 2 on DVD, and that show was astounding. I loved it, but I haven’t seen the third season. I’m very impressed that Charlie Cox and the rest of the crew (I think) will be coming back.

Whether the show will be based on the famous Born Again storyline, or a play on words like Spider-Man: Homecoming, I don’t know…but Daredevil is back! I’ve always thought Daredevil was a very underrated character, so I’m stoked that he’s getting more camera time.

The Sandman

If you’re a follower of my blog, you will understand how special this show is to me. I’m actually not going to discuss it too much, other than stating that The Sandman trailer was mind blowing; but also this was the most interesting reveal/trailer/announcement to come out of San Diego Comic-Con.

Meeting the Endless will bring me a lot of happiness, but I also can’t wait for people to meet Desire, because they were woke, before woke was a concept.

https://youtu.be/83ClbRPRDXU

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

I understand the Rings of Power are getting some flak from Tolkien super fans over changes to characters, the timeline, and other things. As a Tolkien fan myself, not every fan has to agree on a product’s direction; however, I am ready for this show.

I’m not sure how much of the plot will be taken from The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, The Nature of Middle-Earth or Unfinished Tales, but it looks great. I know it’s set during the Second Age of the Sun, and….I’m so excited for this.

Will we see the Silmarils? Will we see the rise of Sauron? Will we see Angband? Will we see the War of the Last Alliance? Or even better, will Morgoth have a cameo, even in a flashback or prologue? I have no idea!

There are many things that can go right or wrong with this show, but I’m choosing to be positive; I have to. I’m just stunned that the show exists at all. I love the genres of superheroes and science fiction, but throw fantasy in there also, and I’m going to be immersed in geekdom.

I’m not a subscriber to Amazon Prime, but this show is tempting me.

Can I also mention House of the Dragon? This show is one I can actually watch on my streaming platform, so I have to research the Targaryen family tree a lot more, before it starts in a few weeks. Things to do.

Ok that’s it. What reveals from San Diego Comic-Con were you interested in? Please let me know. My dog needs his belly rubbed, so look both ways before you cross the street and I’ll see you next week.

1 Anybody for some Ka?

Saying Goodbye to a Series: Are You a Quitter?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Literature, Movies, Music, Television

I want to talk about saying goodbye to a series. Why? Over the many times I have travelled around the Sun, this strange event has happened repeatedly. To understand this subject better, you won’t need Herb Powell to build a translator for you, I’ll just try to do a better job at explaining it.

You don’t have to be a geek or nerd to enjoy a series. This could be in the form of comics, novels, television shows, movies, video games, music, or just about anything that is created for people’s enjoyment and entertainment.1

Now for whatever reason, you love that series. Maybe you have grown up listening to a special artist or band, read all of the books in a saga, played all of the games in a franchise, watched every episode in a tv show, or seen every movie in a series.

Whatever it is, there is something you like watching, listening to, or reading, that…well, makes you happy; like lying in bed, listening to the rain fall on the roof, or eating some some Salt and Vinegar chips, while watching your favourite team win.

Whatever the case, you have a relationship with…and I’m doing to use the word, product, for the purposes of context. You have a relationship with that product; whether it is positive, negative and everything in between.

But here’s the problem: just like the relationships you have with other homo sapiens, every relationship has a beginning and an ending. Just the same as the relationship you have with your product.2

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The way I see it, I can think of three different ways the relationship with the product will end.

1.) The product stops creating

The band could split up; the singer retires; the monthly comic book finishes; the tv show screens the final season; the final movie in a trilogy or series is released; the makers of the video game, have discontinued the line; or the last and final book in a saga, is finally released.

It doesn’t matter what the reason is, but the product that you enjoy, will no longer be creating any new content going forward, on a regular basis. Yes, it’s possible that tv shows and movies, could have spin offs; the monthly comic book could come back as a mini-series; the band members could join or create new bands; or the author may decide to explore prequel eras of the saga; but it’s not the same, is it?

Basically what I’m saying, is that the product broke up with you. It hurts, but it’s out of your hands. There will be no new book, album, movie, tv show, or comic book; whatever story the creators of that medium were telling, that story has been told and now, it’s finished.

You also know, if it was up to you, the product and yourself would still be together. All you can do now, is listen to the songs again, reread the saga, play the games again, or binge watch the tv shows and movies; compounded by the blessing and the curse, that you know what happens.

2.) The product is high maintenance

As the stale, old, bread winner of our one income family, this reason is a no-brainer: money. ABBBA and Pink Floyd warned us about this in the 70’s, to various degrees. The loss of a job, extra bills, crossovers, multi-media projects, dwindling savings, or just the slow and steady rise of the product’s cost, could result in you declaring that the product is now, high maintenance; therefore, you can’t afford it anymore.

It sucks, because you love the product, but the product is out of your league now. You could try to figure out a way to keep it: buy less food, give up the gym, or decrease on using electricity.

However when there are children or UMCs involved, you have to admit that you’re the adult, and you need to give up the product for their sake. Bread vs the new book? Electricity vs the new video game?

You’re a parent and you’re doing the best that you can for your kids, so you quit the product to help them. Or until you can afford it again!

3.) You and the product want different things

So we have finally arrived at the most strangest and personal reason, you and your product are no longer together: you’ve lost that loving feeling.

There are so many various situations about why this happens. It can cover the product receiving a new artist, new writer, new direction, new singer, death or return of major characters, new music video, new songs, games becoming easier/harder, storylines getting repeated, bad dialogue, or maybe just the fact that you have moved on from the product.

Whatever it is, the love and the passion you once had for the product, has slowly faded away. It could have been your family’s influence, or your friends, spouse, partner, work mates, or quite honestly, it was you realising that you and the product are travelling down different roads now, and you want something else.

There is no shame in this. I think about my own life and the products that I have quit for different reasons, is probably more than Chuck Norris has executed a roundhouse kick. Wait…that’s physically impossible. You can’t beat Chuck Norris at anything, except receiving roundhouse kicks to the face.

And you’re back in the room. This may sound quite odd, but hey, a geek’s going to do, what a geek’s going to. Every time I have quit a product; whether it involves movies, novels, comics, bands, or tv shows, I feel the need to explain myself.

By this I mean writing an email or letter to the director, author, or whomever it would be, to apologise for leaving the product, and explain why I have done it. I never have though, but the desire is there.

Sometimes it’s extremely easy for me to identify, the reason(s) why I’m not interested in a product anymore, but there are times when it’s the opposite. I’ll know that I’d like to quit the product, however I’m unable to explain why.

I may start second guessing myself over the decision, but if I start doing that, I know it’s over. Throughout my life, my love of music, books, comics, movies, and tv shows has not changed, but the genres have.

My tastes in popular culture have changed, just like me. I’m definitely a work in progress, but I’m still evolving, which means the products that I spend my hard earned money on, have to reflect what makes me happy. Though my taste for Sour Cream and Chives will never, ever change. Ever.

We have now arrived at the point of the conversation where I ask you the question: Are you a quitter? What products were you interested in, but have now left behind? What caused the break up? Please let me know.

Sorry, this was a long one. As usual I have a bad idea, then it spirals out of control. Alright, thanks for reading, walk your dog, and I’ll see you next Monday.

1 Alliteration much?

2 Am I the only one that has Closing Time, by Semisonic, as an earworm now?

Happy Star Wars Day 2022

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Children, Comics, Movies, Television

I want to talk about Star Wars. Why? Hmmm….maybe because it’s Star Wars Day! The 4th of May aka May the 4th be with you, can mean different things to different people; but ultimately, it’s a day to celebrate all things Star Wars.

Slowly over time, UMC1 and UMC2 have been becoming more interested in Star Wars. They recently saw A New Hope, last week for the first time, and they now want to see all of the films. Patience, my clever padawan and youngling, patience.

Oddly enough, they like Star Wars for different reasons. UMC1 seems to be all about the different vehicles, whether they fly or drive. He wants know to about their engines, passengers, speeds, and other capabilities. UMC2 on the other hand, is all about the droids. He is nearly 4 years old, but he is hard core about droids.

Because of Star Wars Day, UMC1 and UMC2 decided to take after their artistic mother, and make some Star Wars art projects.

Utinni the Jawa by UMC2
Utinni the Jawa by UMC2

UMC2 decided to make a Jawa, named Utinni. This is because he thinks they’re the worst aliens to purchase a droid from. He also believes that Jawas are extremely funny, but he doesn’t trust them. UMC2 constantly tells random people, to never buy droids from Jawas, because they’ll have bad motivators.

Gonky the power droid by UMC1

UMC1 chose to create a power droid, called Gonky. Apparently Gonky is some sort of super power droid, because he can run at extremely fast speeds, helping to fix broken spaceships, by supplying power to them. Oh, I forgot, he can also dance.

That’s it for today. From all of the staff at Some Geek Told Me, have a Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you. Always.

Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week.

Ode to Book Banning

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Children

I want to talk about book banning. Why? I wear many different hats, with one of them being a geek. The problem is that I’m also a bibliophile as well. Because of this, the banning, censorship, or burning of books, does not sit well with me. It really doesn’t. Even though it happened thousands of years ago, before I was born, the loss of the Great Library of Alexandria, is something I still think about. Sorry Elsa, but I can’t let it go.

My Geek-Sense went off in January 2022, when I discovered Maus, by Art Spiegelman, was removed from various schools’ curriculum, by a board of trustees, for McMinn County Schools, Tennessee, United States of America. I was in utter disbelief.

I learnt later that V for Vendetta, and Y: The Last Man have also been banned in some Texan schools, along with many others. Now this is not me getting angry about graphic novels getting attacked, but also other mediums like novels; fiction and non-fiction.

Contemporary writers are having their books challenged and banned, for the craziest of reasons. Some of the reasons include nudity, anti-police themes, racism, violence, and LGBTQIA+ themes. This of course is not excluding the hundreds of other books, over hundreds of years, that have been challenged by idiots.

Far better writers, journalists, and reporters, have already written about the growing trend of book banning and book censorship. They can give you a far better understanding of the reasons, but also provide a far more comprehensive analysis of this problem.

As a geek, bibliophile, and a parent, how do I truly feel about this plague of nonsense? Well I’m glad you asked, because I’ve decided to put my feelings into a poem; which is a Some Geek Told Me first.

Image by Prettysleepy from Pixabay

Many books are banned each year,

Some try to make them disappear.

Policing and objecting to the text,

Banning, burning, redacting, what’s next?!

Books we need for kids to learn,

They pile them high and watch them burn.

Ignorance and misinformation are the tools,

They use to remove books from schools.

They do not like this book named Maus,

They won’t allow it in the house.

A book where two girls kiss,

“Better give this a miss!”

Anne Frank’s diary is historically impressing,

Censors banned it, because it was too depressing.

Banning books is a sure fire way,

To bring new readers to the fray.

This war on books is doomed to fail,

The words will endure to tell their tale.

I could have written more, but I’m positive, I’d just end up swearing with every 4th word. Banning a book, for whatever reason, devalues the world and children’s education. Children need to read content, written by someone outside of their social and cultural bubble, but also read about concepts that are in the community and the world.

I’m like Schrödinger’s bibliophile friend, that’s in a box with a list of banned books. From the outside, you have no idea whether I’m angry or sad. You only know the answer, when you open the box and observe my emotion.

The trouble is, I’m stuck in a superposition as being angry and sad, at the same time; all of the time, over censorship and book banning. And the only thing I can really say is, go and read as many banned books as you can.

Seriously, read them; just read them. Visit the library or buy them for yourself; buy them for your spouse, parents, children, friends, siblings, or even the crazy guy with the billboard; but please just read them.

You do not like them.

So you say.

Try them! Try them!

And you may.

Try them and you may, I say. – Dr. Seuss

Do you have a favourite banned book? If you do, please tell me about it. Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week!

Reacting to my wife’s favourite books

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books

I want to talk about my wife’s favourite books. Why? Because my wife is an avid reader, and she loves rereading her favourite books. This is not hyperbole, I mean she really loves them. Being the social butterfly couple that we are, we read nearly every night.1 During this time, we often discuss what’s happening in our books; like explaining key events or “Guess what’s happened now?”

Over time I have noticed something with my wife; every so often, while I’m explaining what’s happening in my book, she will say something to the effect, “That book sounds awful, I’m never reading it”, or “Listening to you explain that book, has convinced me never to read it‘, or worse, “Why are you even reading that?”

After losing track of the number of times I have heard this, I’ve decided to do something about it. Hence, I will be reacting to my wife’s favourite books. Before I continue, I need to explain the book selection. Asking a reader to narrow down or choose their favourite books; regardless of genres, is like torture. How in the nine circles of Dante’s Hell do you choose?

My wife generally reads books that are part of a series, because it’s like an unofficial guarantee that the book is good. From her perspective, why would a company continue to publish books in a series, if they were crap? Also when she reads a stand alone book, she needs to know what happens after the last page, so why bother?

When life is going off the rails,2my wife finds comfort in rereading a favourite series. She enjoys revisiting old friends and familiar locations.

When I asked her to name three of her favourite books, she happily began discussing which series to choose. Being her husband, I then pulled the rug from underneath her and explained, that she could not select any book from a series; they must be stand alone books.

She was not exactly thrilled about this, so after five days of constant deliberation, my wife had created a list of her three favourite stand alone books. They are in no particular order, so let’s take a look at her selection. Ready?

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

WARNING, there are spoilers, so read at your own caution.

1.) The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion

I’ll be honest, I have not read this book; though I have read Simsion’s, The Rosie Trilogy, which is quite funny. I see a lot of Don Tillman in me, or maybe it’s me in Don Tillman?

I have a vague memory of my wife talking about this book, though I was probably eating pizza and watching rugby when it happened, so I probably wasn’t listening to the extent, I should have been. Sorry.

My wife wanted me to point out, that when she was at the library, looking for the second book in The Rosie Trilogy, she couldn’t find it. She needed something to read, so she grabbed The Best of Adam Sharp instead.

Anyway, I had to look this book up. The story goes like this: A guy named Adam is in a long-term relationship with Claire, but he often thinks about some ex-lover, named Angelina. Surprise, surprise, Angelina contacts him, and after some correspondence, she invites him to stay with her and her husband. What could possibly go wrong?

Upon asking my wife, why she likes this book, she explained that it’s for two reasons. The first reason is that, she thinks the characters are very complex and quite relatable. This is in spite of the notion of someone having a soulmate, that you can only ever love one person in your lifetime.3 She believes that a person can love different people, during their life time; so the concept of a soulmate is ridiculous to her.

The second reason is the apparent use of music within the book. Without reading it, I have to trust she knows what she’s talking about. Maybe. I’m getting side tracked here,…um…music.

She said music is woven throughout the book and it made her discover some new songs, that she could listen to as she read the book. It’s the opposite to me, I need total silence when reading; I’m quite simple.

So what do I think about this book?

I don’t know if I can be funny about this, but I think I’ll be giving this book a pass. Maybe it’s the thought about people talking through their feelings and relationships, or the concept of an ex-girlfriend, getting in touch with me,4 but this book does not seem to grab me; though I’m impressed and worried that my wife likes it.

2.) The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

This book is quite quirky. In a nutshell, there is a man named Henry, and he has a rare disorder called Chrono-Impairment. This allows him to travel backwards and forwards through time, but only to points within his own timeline. He can’t control the jumps, he just has to survive the experience.

Through time travelling, Henry’s timeline is crossed with Clare, a woman that he falls in love with and eventually marries, and other crazy stuff happens as well.

So, my wife rates this book, because it was very different. She liked the way time travel was portrayed, because it was somewhat opposite to time travel, being a plot device in movies and tv shows that she had seen.

She also could relate to the main characters’ fertility struggles, as well as the book reminding her about an episode of Doctor Who; just without the angry rubbish bins with plungers, or the psychotic potato heads.

So what do I think about this book?

The funny thing with this book, is that I have already read it, because I’m the one that recommended it to my wife! I enjoyed the book for it’s non-linear storytelling, thought that is not always a good thing. Anyway, full credit to me, for having already read the book; and liked it enough to suggest it to my wife.

3.) Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman: one guy created Discworld, and the other guy wrote the Sandman5, so the expectations are quite high for this book. This is my wife’s summary of the book:

There are two unlikely friends, that are trying to stop Armageddon.

There is more to the book than that; witches, angels, demons, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, witchfinders, and of course, the son of Satan.

Once again, we turn to my wife’s opinion. She had never heard of the tv series, let alone the book, until she discovered that David Tennant would be starring in it. This convinced her to find the book, because she wanted to read it, before watching the tv show. She claimed she likes being superior in this way.

She found the book extremely hilarious, especially when you were expecting it to be serious, then something crazy happens. She also loves that Crowley’s car only plays Queen music. If you leave any album in the car, for an extended period of time, the car will covert it to Queen. As a Queen fan herself, she finds that quite entertaining.

So what do I think about this book?

Now, I have not had the honour of reading the book, but I have seen the tv mini-series. I enjoyed the show enough, to actually want to read the book. I have not moved the book to my to-read pile, but I promise you that I’m going to read it soon. Just don’t tell my wife.

Overall, her selection of books is not too terrible. At least there were no Mills & Boon, I would not have be able to handle that. Well that’s it. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week for some special blogs.

1 Even on Friday and Saturday nights, we usually read at some point. Yes, we are that cool.

2 I’m looking at you COVID-19, I’m so looking at you.

3 I don’t know if I should be worried about this statement or not.

4 My first thought would be, “Do I owe her money?”

5 Among other things.

Six Star Wars characters that no longer exist

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Movies, Television

I want to talk about some Star Wars characters. Why? Because I find it fascinating that these characters no longer exist; if they ever really existed at all. Now you can raise your hand and confess to be a fan of Star Wars movies and that’s fine; so am I. However, what I’m going to be talking about are characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe.1

Since Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi was released in 1983, there have been many stories continuing the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han and the rest of the gang. This has been through different media like novels, comic books, and video games; created and released by different companies, but all under the Lucasfilm licensing umbrella.

There have been decades of stories within the Star Wars universe, after the Return of the Jedi. Seriously, mountains of novels, comic books and video games; all expanding the mythos of Star Wars. Some highlights in the comics for me were Dark Empire, Dark Empire II, Empire’s End, Crimson Empire and Legacy.

There were also massive storylines within the novels of The New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi, as well as introducing readers to survivors of the Great Jedi Purge, Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Yuuzhan Vong.

This changed in 2012, when Disney purchased Lucasfilm; which meant Disney owned Star Wars; which meant Disney had the ability to create new content, as well as erase content; for good or for ill.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

The Star Wars Expanded Universe was about to change in a major way, because the way I understand it, there are two Star Wars universes now: Star Wars Canon and Star Wars Legends. The Star Wars Canon universe relates to all of the Star Wars movies (Episodes I-VI), but also the original content that Disney was creating, in the media of novels, comic books, video games and movies (Episodes VII-IX, plus Rogue One, Solo: A Star Wars Story) and television shows.

Star Wars Legends relates to the original content of novels, comic books and video games, that were published or released before the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. Basically, what I’m trying very badly to say is that when Disney purchased Star Wars, they decided to start with a clean slate after Episode IV, by ignoring or not recognising previous storylines and characters, thus giving birth to Star Wars Canon (Disney) and Star Wars Legends (Not Disney).

Hopefully that makes sense. The idea about this blog post in particular, is to draw attention to the fact that I love Star Wars far too much; but also to address the point that some important characters in Star Wars Legends, no longer exist in Star Wars Canon. Namely six of them, though to be fair, there are many, many more.

These six Star Wars Legends characters, at least to me; are extremely important and are greatly missed in Disney’s new version of Star Wars. So, let’s crack on and see who makes the list! The six characters can be divided into two families: The Solos and the Skywalkers, so three from each family. I’ll try and keep these summaries short and sweet, though there are no guarantees.

The Solos:

Jaina Solo Fel

Jaina is the daughter of Han and Leia Organa Solo, twin sister to Jacen and older sister to Anakin. Because of her family’s connection to the Force, she was revealed to be Force-sensitive. Jaina was eventually sent to the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, to be trained by her uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.

Over the years, Jaina became a formidable pilot and Jedi, taking the title of Sword of the Jedi, at her knighting ceremony, from her Uncle Luke. She fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War and also in the Second Galactic Civil War. It was during this time, that her twin brother Jacen, fell to the Dark Side and became Darth Caedus.

After committing some terrible crimes and trying to take over the galaxy, Darth Caedus was killed by Jaina in a lightsabre duel. Later on, Jaina married Jagged Fel, fought against a new Sith threat and Abeloth, fought against extremism within the New Republic and rose to the rank of Jedi Master.

Jaina Solo Fel

Image via Hero and Villains Wiki

So why is Jaina on this list? Jaina is what the epitome of what a good Jedi should be. She was tempted by the Dark Side, but she never fell to it; and she had the courage to stand up to her twin brother, when he fell to the Dark Side.

In a stretch, Rey from the sequel trilogy, could be described as Jaina; but like I said, it’s a stretch. For me, Jaina always strode to uphold the ideals of the Jedi, as well trying to put other people’s needs, before her own. Jaina also never wanted to split her allegiances between the Jedi Order and her love interest in Jagged Fel, though in time, she found a way to balance these emotions.

Jaina was an arse-kicker and a strong female character in the Star Wars mythos, so she remains greatly missed in the new Canon universe.

Jacen Solo

Jacen is the eldest son of Han and Leia Organa Solo, twin brother to Jaina and older brother to Anakin. Just like Jaina, he was Force-sensitive and sent to train with his Uncle Luke, at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV.

Jacen became a Jedi knight and fought in the Yuuzhan Vong War, but was captured and tortured. During this time, he began to slip closer to the Dark Side, but returned to the Light Side. He escaped and helped bring about the fall of the Yuuzhan Vong Empire.

After this, Jacen spent some time traveling, but received a vision about a dark figure ruling the galaxy. Jacen took this threat seriously and after learning about his young daughter, Allana, he turned to the Dark Side to fulfil his destiny, as the apprentice to Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith. It was here had became Darth Caedus.

As Darth Caedus, he murdered his Aunt Mara, tortured his cousin and committed numerous other crimes. In the end, Jacen was killed by Jaina, in a lightsabre duel, in order to save the galaxy.

Jacen Solo

Image via The Star Wars Legends Wiki

There are many similarities between Jacen and Kylo Ren, and also with Anakin Skywalker. Like Anakin, Jacen tried to prevent something from happening, but only made it worse; and like Kylo Ren, Jacen was a child of Leia and Han. It’s interesting to point out, that all three characters are fallen heroes, but they all redeemed themselves before dying.

Witnessing Jacen falling to the Dark Side and becoming Darth Caedus, was like watching a car crash in slow motion, it was painful and sorrowful to see him transform and commit acts of evil. Though, I think that was the quality of the character; you had read about his birth and his childhood, so you felt some connection to him, because of the amount of time, you had spent with him.

Then to read about him becoming Darth Caedus, was a kick in the stomach; but I think that was the point. To care about a fictional character enough, that you hoped he could redeem himself in the next story. Jacen was an amazing character, because he reminded us, even heroes can lose their way; though they always find their way back.

Anakin Solo

Because of the way you are brought up, you are taught principles by your family. Those principles can turn into action, which in turn can have consequences. There is no greater example of this, than Anakin Solo. As well as you have already unraveled, Anakin Solo is the youngest child of Han and Leia Organa Solo and younger brother to Jaina and Jacen.

Because he was named after his paternal grandfather2, Anakin had a lot to live up to. Just like his siblings, he was revealed to be Force-sensitive and sent to the Jedi Academy with Uncle Luke. Anakin often feared he would fall to the Dark Side, just like his name sake.

When the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, Chewbacca sacrificed his life to save Anakin. This created tension between Anakin and his father, because Han blamed Anakin for Chewbacca’s death, which they later resolved; but it planted the seed of Anakin trying to live up to Chewbacca’s sacrifice.

Since Anakin was a fierce Jedi knight and a great leader, he was involved in several missions against the Yuuzhan Vong. Among other factors, the Yuuzhan Vong then started targeting Jedi for attacks.

During the war, the Yuuzhan Vong started using creatures called Voxyn, which could track Jedi down through the Force. Jedi were being assassinated across the galaxy, which led Anakin to lead a mission to Myrkr, kill the Voxyn Queen.

During the mission, Anakin was badly wounded and fought off a group of Yuuzhan Vong, while the rest of his team escaped. He killed several Yuuzhan Vong, but ultimately, he was killed.

Anakin Solo

Image via Star Wars Wookieepedia

I think Anakin’s death was always destined, but it still was hard to accept, because just like his siblings, you had watched him grow up. Not having Anakin in the new Canon universe, some what lessens it, because of the huge, but short role he played as a hero. This however is counter balanced by his legacy and inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.

Jaina, Jacen and Anakin can not exist in the new Canon Star Wars universe, because in that version, Leia and Han only had one child: Ben Solo; and not three.

The Skywalkers:

Mara Jade Skywalker

Ok, we are half way there! The next entry is the first Skywalker on the list. Her name is Mara Jade Skywalker and she was Luke Skywalker’s wife and also mother to Ben Skywalker. Mara is an interesting character, since she has not always aligned herself with the Light Side of the Force, since she was Force-sensitive.

During the First Galactic Civil War, Mara worked as the Emperor’s Hand, which was a special operative that basically worked off the books and answered directly to the Emperor. Just before his death, Palpatine ordered Mara to kill Luke Skywalker, but instead she left.

Mara became a smuggler and eventually, she crossed paths with Luke. Over time and working together on different missions; as well as training at the Jedi Academy, they fell in love and were married. Mara was heavily involved in the Yuuzhan Vong War, after immersing herself within the Jedi Order.

She later became a mother to Ben, achieved the rank of Jedi Master and took on Jaina Solo as her apprentice. After the Yuuzhan Vong War ended, Mara continued to serve the galaxy, facing new threats. Mara also served in the Second Galactic Civil War and then hunting down Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith.

When Mara discovered her nephew, Jacen had become Darth Caedus, she saw him not just as a threat to her family, but the entire galaxy. Because of this, she went and confronted him, where she was killed.

Mara Jade Skywalker

Image via Pinterest

Mara was extremely loyal to her husband, son, the Jedi Order and the galaxy. She was such a bad arse, that because of her Imperial combat and weapons training, she had a set of skills other Jedi, simply did not have.

She was simply an outstanding character, especially for her redemption arc; which detailed her journey from the Dark Side to the Light. Her life was one of the highlights of the Legends universe and she is still greatly missed among fans.

Ben Skywalker

So we have looked at Luke’s wife, now let’s look at his son, Ben. He is obviously Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker’s son and cousin to Jaina, Jacen and Anakin. Also, if you haven’t figured it out yet, Ben is named after Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi, Luke’s first Jedi Master.

Growing up as a Skywalker, was not easy; especially when your father was the famous Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Ben was born during the Yuuzhan Vong War and because his parents were fighting them, he spent a large amount of time with his Aunty Leia and Uncle Han.

Because he was a Skywalker, he was Force-sensitive, but he closed himself off to the Force during the conflict. When he was studying under his cousin Jacen, he started to learn how to open himself up to the Force.

As time went by, Ben grew into a very capable Jedi knight and had to deal with Jacen’s transformation to Darth Caedus, as well as his mother’s murder. Year later, Luke was exiled from Coruscant, because he failed to prevent Darth Caedus from rising. Because of this, Luke and Ben started to investigate why Jacen turned to the Dark Side, in addition to fight against a backlash of public anger at the Jedi.

Along the way, Ben discovered a long lost tribe of the Sith, hidden away for centuries; fight a powerful Force-powered creature called Abeloth; and fell in love with Vestara Khai, a Sith apprentice 

Ben Skywalker

Image via Star Wars Wookieepedia

In the new Canon universe, we have Ben Solo; although he is more based on Jacen, than Ben Skywalker. I miss Ben, because it was fascinating to read about Ben’s journey and connection with the Force. To me, he was very observant, compassionate, loyal, intelligent and helped to build bridges with people and relationships. He even taught his parents things that were not Force related. He was a very relatable and positive character.

Cade Skywalker

Cade Skywalker is an unique entry on this list. To the best of my ability, I believe he is the only one whose first appearance was in a comic book, Star Wars: Legacy and not a novel. Star Wars: Legacy was set 137 years after the Battle of Yavin aka 137 ABY, so this allowed the creators a lot more room to build new worlds and characters.

Cade is Ben Skywalker’s grandson, though he would be visited/lectured by his great-grandfather, Luke Skywalker as a Force-spirit. Cade was raised in the Jedi Order, but one day, the order was attacked by the newly forged One Sith; which was a new Sith Order. Cade’s father, Kol was killed in the attack, so Cade turned his back on the Jedi. Eventually he became a bounty hunter and pirate with his crew, on his ship the Mynock.

The galaxy was ruled by the Sith Lord, Darth Krayt and because of various connected storylines, Cade is somewhat put on a collision course with him and the rest of the other Sith lords. There is a lot more to Cade’s story and his misadventures with Legacy, but I really want to focus on Cade himself.

Cade’s an unique character, because he can walk dangerous close to the Dark Side, but has no desire or intention to ever crave its power. He is an extremely power Force user, displaying abilities that are truly amazing and surreal.

Cade had left the Jedi and Sith behind in his old life and really didn’t want to be dragged into galactic politics; he just wanted the free and easy life. But, as some of the characters on this list discovered, that if you have the ability to fight for the powerless, to stand against evil, then it’s something you have to do, even it’s at the bottom of your list. That’s Cade.

Cade Skywalker

Image via Comicvine and Dark Horse Comics

I really enjoyed this era of Star Wars, because the Empire has began benevolent; the One Sith Order were the most dangerous and remarkable group of Sith, you had ever seen; Imperial knights had white lightsabres; and Cade, the heir to the Skywalker name, walked the path between the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.

Although one thing was certain, you would find it difficult to locate anybody that hated the Sith more than Cade Skywalker.

The reasons Mara Jade, Ben and Cade, no longer exist in the new Canon universe, is because Luke never married; so he never met Mara, so Ben was never born; thus Cade was never born.

Whether you are a fan of Legends or the new Canon universe; or maybe both of them, Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Mara Jade, Ben and Cade are beloved characters that sadly, we will never get to read any new adventures about them.3

The great thing is, if you miss them enough, you can just visit the book shelf or comic book collection to see them again. They will be waiting for you like old friends, in a galaxy far, far away.

May the Force be with you and I’ll see you next week!

1 My youngest son is named after a Jedi, so I love the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

2 You know who!

3 Though to be fair, three of them were dead.

My fantasy adaptations: Part Two

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Movies, Television

Welcome to part two of my fantasy adaptations! My last blog post was about properties that I would to like to see adapted into movies, so this version is about my fantasy television adaptations list. I hope someone out there agrees with me, with at least one of the entries on the list.

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

Television show:

A Short History of Nearly Everything: Live action/animated over 1-3 seasons

This the first and only entry on the list that is a non-fiction property. A Short History of Nearly Everything was written by Bill Bryson and published in 2003. The book is about popular science, with Bryson unhappy with his own scientific knowledge, so he researched different fields of science and described them, to make scientific information more accessible. I love this book!

How should A Short History of Nearly Everything be adapted?

Unlike the other entries on this list, I feel this television show needs to be narrated and hosted by someone. Each episode would involve the host talking about biology, physics or chemistry or whatever subject that needs to be discussed.

The episodes could be about the origins of each scientific field, as well as how we know various things about that scientific field. Using a blend of live action and animated clips to adapt the book and explain the chapters, would be excellent. If you have seen Cosmos by the late great Carl Sagan or Neil deGrasse Tyson, you’re understand what I’m talking about.

Why should A Short History of Nearly Everything be adapted?

In my small and humble opinion, Bryson has done an amazing job at communicating scientific information in a fun and entertaining way. It’s engaging and funny, but at the same time, extremely insightful and relevant.

The book breaks down difficult concepts so people can get a taste of the subject, so I feel the television show would do exactly the same. I can’t rate this book highly enough for it’s purpose, so making a television show about understanding and explaining science to adults, would be a no-brainer.

Television show:

The Silmarillion: Live action over multiple seasons

Now for those of you out there in pop culture land, you could be familiar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s literature on Middle-Earth. The most famous of his huge volume of work would be The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, I want to discuss the novel that every fan says they are going to read, but never do: The Silmarillion.

The Silmarillion was released in 1977 and details the history of Arda. This involves focusing on the creation of Arda by Ilúvatar; the creation of the Ainur, Valar, Maiar, Elves, Dwarves, Men and other races; the Two Lamps; the Two Trees; the Silmarils; the many, many wars; Sauron and of course, the rise of Morgoth; throughout the First, Second and Third Ages of the Sun.

How should The Silmarillion be adapted?

Because of the massive amount of content and the timeline of events, a trilogy of films would be unwise. Adapting The Silmarillion into a live action television show over multiple seasons, would allow viewers to connect and fall in love with characters over the years.

Plus, I can’t be the only one that wants to see the OG himself, Morgoth, walking around in his horrific glory, as well as watching Sauron grow into his power. Because no matter how bad or evil you think Sauron is, Morgoth is worse. He is the worst.

Why should The Silmarillion be adapted?

This brings up an interesting point, because Amazon Prime Video are producing a Lord of the Rings television show; what I have called the Middle Earth tv show. From what I understand, it’s set in the Second Age of the Sun, which is still thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Now I have no idea what is in this show, but my hopes remain high that they will be using the Silmarillion as the basis for the plot. Although they could do whatever they really want, I guess. My hope is that The Silmarillion will in fact be faithfully adapted, under the guise of this show.

To see Túrin and Niënor; Glaurung; Lúthien and Beren; the fall of Gondolin; Ungoliant; Angband and Morgoth; along with all of the massive family trees of the Elves and Dwarves; would truly be worthy of the word epic.

Television show:

The Danilov Quintet: Live action over 5 seasons 

This the first entry where there are multiple books to be adapted. The Danilov Quinet are a series of five books, written by Jasper Kent. The books are called Twelve; Thirteen Years Later; The Third Section; The People’s Will; and The Last Rite.

The central characters in the series change, because it’s a generational story involving one family: The Danilovs and their blood line. Their role in the series is to protect Russia from…well, vampires.

How should The Danilov Quinet be adapted?

I think a television show would be the best, because each book covers a different time period in Russian history: 1812, 1825, 1855, 1881 and 1917. Each television season, could focus on one book; for an example, the first season would adapt the first book, set in 1812. The second season would adapt the second book, set in 1825.

That way the viewer can see the progression of time, as well as having the adults actors age through make up or CGI; though some actors can be recast, because you met them as children, then adults. I do need to point out, it’s important that some actors don’t change, because…well, they’re vampires.

Why should The Danilov Quinet be adapted?

They are two things that I love about this series. The first is the location and era. The series take place in Russia, dating from the French invasion of 1812 to the Russian Revolution in 1917. I love this perspective, because Russian history was something I only knew a little about; but these books changed that for me.

Meeting different historic characters, as well as setting the backdrop for over 100 years of Russian history, provided me with amazing information, about Russian events, but also customs and culture. I came away with a healthier knowledge of the Russian nation.

The second thing that I love about this series, is the use of vampires. My wife loves the Twilight Saga, but the vampires in The Danilov Quinet are quite different. With these vampires, if one of them bites or kills you, you don’t become a vampire. You’re just dead.

In this series, to became a vampire, you need to be turned by another vampire. A vampire needs to bite you and drink some of your blood, then you need drink their blood. Once that is done, you need to die, then and only then, can you be reborn as a vampire.

I like this explanation, because whenever I hear of vampires in pop culture, that when you are bitten or killed by one, you are reborn as a vampire. To me, it means that vampirism is a disease, that converts anybody it touches…so shouldn’t everybody would be a vampire, because it’s like a plague with no cure? It would destroy the entire population.

In Kent’s literary world, that does not happen, so his vampires are more believable. To become a vampire, you must choose to become one. They are immortal and stay in the shadows, so not to draw attention to themselves. This makes them even more dangerous, because they have an agenda and they plan to see it through. This series needs to be adapted.

Television show:

Fire of Heaven/Husk: Live action over multiple seasons

I’ll admit to a little bias over this entry, because it was written by a fellow New Zealander. Russell Kirkpatrick wrote the Fire of Heaven/Husk fantasy series, which are actually made up of two trilogies.

The first trilogy (Fire of Heaven) contains Across the Face of the World; In the Earth Abides the Flame; and The Right Hand of God. The Husk trilogy is made up of Path of Revenge; Dark Heart; and Beyond the Wall of Time.

The saga is set within The Sixteen Kingdoms of Faltha, where a family/company has obtained vital information about the The Undying Man, the Immortal Destroyer. He is planning to invade and conquer the Sixteen Kingdoms, but only if the family fails to reach the capital and warn everybody.

How should Fire of Heaven/Husk be adapted?

Just like The Danilov Quinet, I believe adapting each book into a season of a television show, would be perfect. You would have time to introduce characters and flesh them out; as well as exploring new lands and customs, so you can connect and relate to the show as the viewer.

Added to the fact that Kirkpatrick has a Phd in Geography, each book has sensational detailed maps. These maps could show the viewer where the characters are at the moment, to give you perspective on the larger world and how the different characters fit into it.

Why should Fire of Heaven/Husk be adapted?

I love a convincing fantasy series and Fire of Heaven/Husk are just marvelous. From the detailed maps to the origins and status of the Undying Man to scale of the story, it’s just amazing. Just like Morgoth’s stronghold of Angband, I really want to the Undying Man’s stronghold of Adunlok, in Bhrudwo.

It’s just the scale of the series, that demands it to be adapted. Damn, it’s good; especially the battle tactics and the relationships within the different companies, as to their commitment to stopping the Immortal Destroyer and also Husk. I don’t know if it’s popular enough to be adapted, but it just has do; and viewers would be right there with them on their quests.

Television show:

The Dark Tower: Live action over multiple seasons

The Dark Tower series has been described as Stephen King’s magnum opus. It is epic. It spans eight novels and sixteen comic trades, as well as a feature film.

The story centres around Roland Deschain, who is the last in a line of gunslingers (knights). His mission, is to reach the Dark Tower for different reasons. Along the way, he has a Ka-tet (group) of companions that aide and assist him on his quest, fighting against the machinations of the Man in Black and the Crimson King.

The story is also told out of chronological order, because the fourth book is basically one huge flashback; while the comics tell the story in chronological order. With the books, you first meet Roland as an adult; but in the comics, you first meet him as a teenager. The comics also fill in gaps in the original story, but also adapting the novels as well.

How should The Dark Tower be adapted?

In 2017, a feature film called The Dark Tower was released, based on King’s work. It did not receive positive reviews and was panned by many critics and fans. I think it’s because, how do you cram eight books worth of characters, events and plot into 95 minutes of film? The answer is that you can’t.

Because of this, a television show would the perfect vehicle to reintroduce the story to the world. Setting it over several years, would give you the time and resources to correctly adapt The Dark Tower. I mean, is it just me or do you really want to see a Thinny or Blaine the Mono?

Why should The Dark Tower be adapted?

The reason The Dark Tower needs to be adapted again, is because it’s needs another chance for viewers to fall in love with it. The thing about The Dark Tower is that it connects King’s different works together; like a multiverse crossover.

The story is so long and vast, a single 95 minute film, can not explore Mid-World and it’s surrounding worlds. Now there was going to be a Dark Tower television show, but the way I understand it, it has been scrapped. This is sad, however, it just means someone else can step up and make the greatest genre spanning television show in history.

Show us Eddie, Susannah and more of Jake. Show us the Fall of Gilead. Show us the Battle of Tull. Show us the Lobstrosities. Show us the Crimson King. Show us Mordred, because he is a-hungry; but ultimately, show us the coolest character in the entire saga: show us Oy. Whomever can make this a reality, will have remembered the face of their mother or father.

Television show:

Black Science: Animated over multiple seasons

Black Science was a comic book series, created by Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera. It was released by Image Comics and it ran from 2013-2019, covering 43 issues.

The storyline is about a group of scientists that create a machine called “The Pillar“, that can punch holes through reality and into other dimension/parallel worlds. The scientists then have to survive each world and to try and return to their home world, because utter carnage is being spread across the Eververse, because of their misadventures.

How should Black Science be adapted?

I feel Matteo’s art work is quite distinct and mind blowing, that the only way it could be done justice, if the show was animated. The characters and settings would be easy to transfer from the page to the screen, because of how amazing Matteo’s art is.

The reality and cost of recreating the art work in real life, would be a nightmare, so animation would be the best option. Also having Invincible pave the way, for an adult animation comic book property, basically sets up the show.

Why should Black Science be adapted?

Well, where do I start? From Remender’s writing to Matteo’s art, this series is begging to brought to the unconverted. From the responsibilities of being a parent and spouse; to the relationships of work mates and children; to the power of guilt and regret; to forging your own path, at the cost of others; Black Science is a sci-fi masterpiece.

Seriously, imagine watching Grant McKay and his gang of Anarchistic Order of Scientists, creating problems faster than they can fix them, would be astounding. Also the Dralyn, are some of the most terrifying creatures to be created in the last 10 years. They are pure nightmare fuel. Prepare to be liberated!

Television show:

Judge Dredd: Live action over multiple seasons

Judge Dredd. What can I say about the ultimate lawman, that has not already been said before. Judge Dreed debuted in the British weekly comic, 2000AD in March 1977 and was created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquer. Dredd lives in a dystopian city called Mega-City One. This city stretches from along the Eastern seaboard of North America and has an unemployment rate of over 90%.

Dredd is a street judge, a special type of law enforcement officer that can act as judge, jury and executioner. Criminals can be tried at the scene of a crime, as well as being sentenced. The toughest of these Judges is Joseph “Joe” Dredd: Judge Dredd. Armed with his Lawmaster (motorcycle) and Lawgiver (firearm), he is not someone to mess with.

How should Judge Dredd be adapted?

Alright, before we move on, let’s address the two elephants in the room. Judge Dredd has already been adapted into two feature films: Judge Dredd with Sylvester Stallone(1995) and Dredd with Karl Urban (2012). I’m not going to talk about these films, however if you have not seen Urban’s Dredd, it is amazing. Really, do yourself a favour and go and watch it. It will convert anybody!

Anyway, I want you to imagine something. Imagine some perps sitting around in their Block apartment, when the door gets kicked in and Dredd enters, kicking arse and taking names. Now picture that amazing scene and imagine witnessing it every week in a television episode!

The show would be extremely violent, but that’s the world Dredd lives in. The producers could adapt different storylines from the comics, as well as create some original content. Just think about it, every week, you could see Judge Dredd sentencing someone to the iso-cubes or sending them to Resyk.

Why should Judge Dredd be adapted?

From what I understand, there are plans to bring a Judge Dredd television show to life; it’s just whether it will become a reality or not. It would great if it did, because I’m a Judge Dredd fan. I’m not an expert, but I am a fan.

I just feel having a Judge Dredd television show executed1in the right way, would make explosive and entertaining television. It really would. I mean, it’s Judge Dredd for Drokk’s sake!

Also the show could reveal the origin of the Judges, Judges from other countries, more of Judge Anderson; but also introduce the Dark Judges. Come on, you knew that coming didn’t you? Imagine seeing a live action version of Judge Fire, Judge Mortis, Judge Fear or even, Judge Death. Seriously, just imagine it!

The show could also bring up questions about equality, freedom, civil rights, justice, prison reform and democracy. My only concern is that whether it’s Urban playing Dredd or someone else, they would need to keep the helmet on. The reason is that, it does not matter what Dredd looks like under the helmet, because the helmet signifies the law and Judge Dredd is the law.

Television show:

East of West: Live action over multiple seasons

East of West is an other property that spans different genres. It was a monthly comic book series and it released by Image Comics. It ran from 2013-2019, covering 45 issues, plus one special. It was also created by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta.

East of West is set in an alternative version of the United States of America, where the country is actually divided into seven different nations. This is known as “The Seven Nations of America” and it consists of The Union, The Confederacy, The Kingdom of New Orleans, The Endless Nation, The Republic of Texas, The People’s Republic of America (PRA) and The Armistice.

It basically centres on two groups of people: one group is trying to bring about the end of the world, by enlisting the help of the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The other group which includes Death, are trying to stop them. Also Death’s son, Babylon, was kidnapped and trained to be the Beast of the Apocalypse, which his old man is not exactly pleased about.

How should East of West be adapted?

This is an easy option, because it’s quite obvious. Like many of the entries on this list, a television show would flesh out characters like Death, War, Famine, Conquest, President Chamberlain and so many others.

I feel the show should be live action over animated like Invincible or Black Science, because as a fan of the comic book, I feel the costumes, set designs and prop development, like in the Endless Nation and PRA; would raise the bar for television shows and their production.

I also feel using live actors would cement the connection with the viewer, because the stakes in this world, keep getting higher and higher. You could really immerse yourself in the different nations, not unlike the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in Game of Thrones.

Why should East of West be adapted?

Seriously, have you not read it? Why wouldn’t you? It’s amazing! The fact that the American Civil War did not end in 1865, but actually in 1908, gives you more than enough reasons to be interested in this tv show.

You have different themes running through it like power and control, with Presidents Chamberlain and LeVay; justice with the Ranger; regret with Bel Solomon; ambition with John Freeman I; revenge with the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse; faith with Ezra; duty with Wolf; and family with Death. It’s very strong storytelling.

For me, I would love to see Babylon and Balloon, walking across the land; the Endless Nation and their insane machines; Death and his death givers aka his twin guns; the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse for…well, being themselves; the Oracle and her creepy eyes; and The Ranger and his dog.

Though one character remains to be discussed and she would become a new female arse kicking icon ; the Bride of Death, Mao Xiaolian, the Premier of the People’s Republic of America; and Babylon’s mother.

I want to see Mao in her red armour, with the Dragons and Widow Makers at her back, pledging two things: ordering Death to locate their missing son and return him; and the second would be Mao swearing to honour her enemies’ death wishes. Her enemies want to die, so she will march with her army and grant them that wish.

Can you imagine how invested people would be with this show?!

Alright, that’s it. If any of the comic books or novels that I have mentioned, ever get adapted into movies or television shows, can I please ask the producers to add my name to the credits? Please? Also, if you have not read any of them, please do so, because they are worth it.

Now I have a full time job, which requires me to take work home, every day. Because of this, I have tried to write a blog post every two weeks, so I have the time to do both things. The problem is, I have been looking at other bloggers’ volume of work and it puts me to shame.

So starting next week, I am going to try and write a blog post once a week. I don’t know if this will work, but if people are willing to read my tiny blog, then I’ll give it a crack.

Anyway, thanks for reading and see you next week!

1 Pun very much intended.

My fantasy adaptations: Part One

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Movies, Television

I want to talk about adaptations, in particular, screen adaptations. Why? Because they seem to be all the rage at the moment, whether it’s a movie or television show. There are many film production studios and streaming services, snapping up the rights to a lot of comic books and novels, so they can turn a dollar or two, or maybe hundred of thousands!

Now, I am not against this, because I’m a pop culture fan, so I’m always interested in what the next content is going to be adapted into. The problem is not every adaptation works, whether for film or television. This could because it’s the wrong medium, the acting, CGI, the plot and the list can go on. Equally there are adaptations that do work; again for different reasons, which inspired me to have go at creating my own lists.

So I’m going to pretend that I’m a film/tv producer and that I have a vast amount of money behind me, so I would invest in these properties and adapt them into either a movie or a television show.

Before I go on, I need to point something out. I’m interested in a lot of adaptations at the moment, whether they have already been made, currently in production or pre-production. I have seen a lot of different movie and television adaptations, which have been based on comics and novels, that I have read and love.

However, my lists will only be looking at properties that do not exist in any adaptation form; to the best of my knowledge. Having said that, there are a few exceptions, which I will explain.

I have decided to split them into two lists; one for movies and one for television. My television list is quite large, so that blog post will be separate from this one. The following list are properties that I love so much, that I would love for them to be adapted into movies.

Ok, let’s crack on with my fantasy adaptation movie list!

Photo by Nathan Engel on Pexels.com

Movie:

We3: Live action

We3 was a comic book mini-series, covering three issues in 2004. They were released by Vertigo and created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely.

The story centres on three animals; a dog, a cat and a rabbit, that have been converted by the military, to become a prototype of cyber-soldiers or animal weapons. The animals were taken and given body armour, razor claws and a mine delivery system. The animals also have cyber implants, that allows them to speak and converse with each other and people.

How should We3 be adapted?

The medium should be a film, because the original content was only three issues; so turning three comic books into 80-100 minutes of entertainment, would not be that difficult. Also having the animals be CGI or motion capture acting would work; plus watching Bandit, Tinker and Pirate kick some arse, would be amazing! Plus, it’s written by Grant Morrison, so why wouldn’t you?

Why should We3 be adapted?

The mini-series raises some great ethnic questions over the future of warfare, but also the treatment of animals. As the dominant species on this planet, do we have the right to do, whatever we see fit to other life forms, in order to help us; or as the dominant species on this planet, do we have the moral obligation to protect and safe guard other life forms that we share this planet with? Watch the film and make your own mind up!

James Gunn has expressed an interest in the project, but who knows what will happen!

Movie:

RoboCop: Purgatory: Live action

The storyline to be adapted here, is from the comic book series, RoboCop #12-15. The series was released by Marvel in 1991 and I found it to be very powerful. I think the storyline was called “Purgatory” and it was created by Simon Furman and Lee Sullivan.

How should RoboCop: Purgatory be adapted?

Hey, we all know RoboCop’s story; he’s part man, part machine, all cop! That being the case, this adaptation needs to join the others as a feature film. It would have to be live action of course, mixed with CGI; though to be fair, it seems CGI is everywhere in motion pictures now.

Why should RoboCop: Purgatory be adapted?

I feel this storyline needs to be adapted, because it has RoboCop kicking all different kinds of arse, but it also reveals a secret: OCP are mass producing RoboCops in a off-the-books factory. RoboCop remembers his life as Alex Murphy and has to wrestle with the choice over what to do about the factory; but also about the hundreds of people being transformed into cyborgs.

I found it very powerful, because it allowed the reader to understand RoboCop’s desire to break the law, to serve the greater good and the ramifications that come with it. As a viewer, you could be there with him, as he makes a life changing choice. What’s more important? Obeying and following the law or doing the right thing? Just like in real life, these concepts are often two different things, which crosses into a blurry grey area.

Movie:

The Water Dancer: Live action

This is the first and last novel on this list. The Water Dancer was written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and was first published in 2019. The story focuses on a man named Hiram Walker, who was born into slavery in the American South, prior to the Civil War. Hiram possesses two rare abilities: one is a photographic memory, while the other is superhuman.

How should The Water Dancer be adapted?

I think like any stand alone novel, a movie would be the best idea. You have the time and budget to research the time period for The Water Dancer; covering the costumes, sets and language. Also for the viewer to witness Hiram’s ability, would be far suited to the medium of a motion picture, rather than a television show.

Why should The Water Dancer be adapted?

There are a few reasons why I feel The Water Dancer needs to be adapted, however they are same reasons as why I liked the book in the first place. It raises some amazing themes about race, identity, home, freedom, heritage, legacy and power, among others.

Though to be fair, for me; it can be broken down to three main concepts: the utter inhumane practice of slavery; the lives of the slaves, like their hopes and dreams; and having the protagonist as a superpowered slave was a master stroke. Hiram’s ability is pure life saving, in every possible way.

Even though I’m a Pakeha male from New Zealand, I always like learning about other countries’ histories, because it allows me to understand the issues and problems that can still affect that country today.

I think this was also my first fictional book about American slavery, so The Water Dancer helped me learn about new things, but also to get me to think about concepts, that I had never pondered before. That book has not left me and I feel the film would have the same result for viewers; because they’re going home.

Movie:

Kingdom Come: Animated

This is an interesting one. Kingdom Come was a four issue comic book mini-series, released in 1996. It was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross; and was published by DC Comics.

This tale is set in the future, 10 years after Superman retires from the public eye, along with other superheroes. In their place, a new generation of superheroes are guarding and protecting the world, but they could be creating more problems, than they are solving.

How should Kingdom Come be adapted?

Alright, this is easy, because if you have actually read the series, then you have actually seen it. I had never heard of the artist, Alex Ross, before Kingdom Come. After Kingdom Come…well, damn. The art work in this series are hyper-realistic paintings and it’s still amazing after 25 years.

If this property is ever adapted, it must be an animated movie; however the animation must be based on Ross’ work. It must. It’s that simple, because an animated movie it would be the perfect medium for the viewer to soak in the visual glory of the project.

Why should Kingdom Come be adapted?

People have already seen cameos of Kingdom Come in movies and television shows. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana’s golden armour, seen in the 3rd act, is based on her armour seen in Kingdom Come.

Also with the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline from the Arrowverse, Brandon Routh’s Superman and Kevin Conroy’s Batman, are directly modeled after their counterparts on Kingdom Come; as in their backstory and costume.

In saying that, the actual series had not been adapted, but by Rao, it needs to.1

From Waid’s writing to Ross’ art to a disconnected Clark to a broken Bruce, Kingdom Come is just phenomenal. It looks at the relationships of the characters and what they mean to each other; as well as to the reader/viewer. The series also examines the co-existence nature of humans and meta-humans, with a religious angle to add perspective.

I also need to mention, Kingdom Come has the most amazing and dangerous version of Captain Marvel/Shazam! I have ever seen!2 Viewers would be blown away with an animated movie of Kingdom Come, just as I was when I read the series.

Movie:

Hamilton: Live action/Musical

You probably already know this, but Hamilton is a musical, which crosses several different musical genres. It’s based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America and it’s written and composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton has been performed across America and other countries, to great critical acclaim.

Why do I want to see an adapted movie of Hamilton?

That is a fair question and it’s easy answer: I’m being selfish. Let me explain.

I have not seen Hamilton. To the best of my knowledge, I have no idea if or when Hamilton would ever tour New Zealand.3 However, being a lover of history, I want to see it, even though I’m not a massive fan of musicals. It’s a trade off; being educated vs being tortured.

Now I realise that a Hamilton movie exists and was released in 2020. I also know that the movie consists of three filmed stage performances, that have been edited together. The problem is that it’s on Disney+, which we don’t have.

Because Hamilton is not coming to New Zealand any time soon and the fact we don’t have Disney+, a cinematic film (even with the singing) of Hamilton would be amazing and it would be the only way I could access it. Sorry, I know it’s selfish, but hey…I have to see it somehow.

Movie:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Live action

If you have never heard of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, well here’s your chance to learn something. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play, based on a story written by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Throne. The play was written by Jack Throne and the script edition was published and released in 2016. The play has been performed in various countries around the world, to critical acclaim.

The play is set 19 years after the end of the 7th book, with Harry working at the Ministry of Magic and his son, Albus, attending Hogwarts.

Why do I want to see an adapted movie of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?

I have read all of the Harry Potter books, as well seen the films. However, I have not seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; but I have read the scripted edition.

Just like Hamilton, I have no idea if or when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would ever tour New Zealand. This being the case, a live action film would be the best and only way for millions of fans to witness the next chapter in the Harry Potter saga; even if they will never get to see the play; just like me.

That’s it for now. The next blog post will be the second part, where I’ll be covering television adaptations I’d like to see.

Thanks for reading and see you in a fortnight!

1 Who can get this reference?

2 Now before you start laughing at my error of referring to Captain Marvel as a DC character and not a Marvel character, please know your comic book history.

3 Let’s face it, if Hamilton ever came to New Zealand, it would only be staged in Auckland. This is a problem, because I live in a small town.