Most Anticipated New Shows of 2023

1. Archie-Biographical drama about the life of Archie Leach, better known as Cary Grant.

2. Ahsoka-Rosario Dawson reprises her role from The Mandalorian about one of the most well loved characters in Star Wars.

3. Secret Invasion-The MCU's adaptation of the comic book storyline will be lead by Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn.

4. Echo-Spinoff to Hawkeye that sees one of the biggest standouts of the MCU lead her own show.

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender 2023-Live action remake of the legendary Nickelodeon show.

6. The Last of Us-Adaptation of the highly acclaimed video game with Pedro Pascal.

7. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew-A coming-of-age Amblin inspired story set in the Star Wars universe.

8. White House Plumbers-Historical drama about the Nixon political operatives who ended up exposing the president's crimes.

9. Gen V-Spinoff to The Boys centering on younger superheroes.

10. Kaos-A comical approach to Greek and Roman mythologies with Jeff Goldblum as Zeus.

Honorable Mentions:

Velma

The Walking Dead: Dead City

Love and Death

Nautilus

The 39 Steps

The Winter King

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

The Idol

The Rig

Queen of Oz

Krapopolis

Kaleidoscope

That '90s Show

Fatal Attraction

American Born Chinese

Hello Tomorrow!

Time Bandits

The Power

Poker Face

Lessons in Chemistry

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Gotham Knights

Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Shrinking

Daisy Jones & The Six

Wolf Pack

Mayfair Witches

Mrs. Davis

The Company You Keep

Grimsburg

Most Anticipated 2023 Films

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse-The sequel to the best movie of the 2010s will have so many different versions of the wall crawler and done in different animation styles.

2. Cocaine Bear-Based on the true story of a bear going on a rampage after ingesting a bag of cocaine. The title says it all.

3. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania-Scott Lang's adventure through the Quantum Realm will introduce Kang the Conqueror and set up the next Avengers movies.

4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny-Harrison Ford returns and James Mangold takes on directing duties in the fifth installment that will involve the Nazis that took part in the Space Race of the late 60s.

5. Oppenheimer-No doubt a powerful biopic about the man who helped create the atomic bomb.

6. Dune: Part Two-Sand Worms, Denis Villeneuve, and Spice.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3-James Gunn's last project with Marvel will see the end of the current iteration of the team in what will no doubt be an emotional and over the top rump.

8. Elemental-Pixar and anthropomorphic elements.

9. Creed III-Michael B. Jordan takes over in his directorial debut as he takes on an old friend, played by Jonathan Majors.

10. Inside-An entire movie mostly with just Willem Dafoe.

Honorable Mentions:

Asteroid City

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

The Marvels

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

The Flash

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Evil Dead Rise

John Wick: Chapter 4

The Expendables 4

Renfield

Scream VI

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

The Color Purple 2023

The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Chevalier

Wonka

M3GAN

When You Finish Saving the World

Blue Beetle

Knock at the Cabin

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Barbie

The Blackening

The Little Mermaid 2023

Marlowe

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Spinning Gold

Fast X

Kraven the Hunter

65

Infinity Pool

Haunted Mansion 2023

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Saw X

Nope

Nope is Jordan Peele's third feature length film and reunites him with Daniel Kaluuya since his debut with Get Out. This movie combines new-Western elements with the science fiction horror genre that Peele is best known for. Kaluuya plays OJ Haywood, a horse wrangler for movie and tv productions whose ranch is under threat by a mysterious creature that hides in the clouds. Together with his sister, played by Keke Palmer, they try to find proof of its existence while also defending themselves from its attacks. A lot of elements of this film definitely give a Jaws-of-the-sky vibe but Peele's writing makes it more than just a standard monster film. Using the combination of the ranch's decline, the story of a sitcom set attacked by the show's chimp star as told by Steven Yeun's character and him then getting eaten by the monster he was trying to profit from is a great use of metaphor for how the entertainment industry tries to look around safety standards to not spend so much. The performances from Kaluuya, Palmer, Yeun and the rest of the cast are all strong thanks to Peele's direction being so precise. One huge plus is the strong cinematography that helps enhance Peele's visual style as well as the effects in showing off the monster and its many changes. With Nope, Jordan Peele continues to perfect his craft that first began with the small sketches from Key & Peele. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Black Phone

3. Nope

4. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

5. The Northman

6. The Batman

7. Lightyear

8. Dog

9. Everything Everywhere All at Once

10. X 2022

11. Scream 2022

12. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

13. Thor: Love and Thunder

14. Jurassic World: Dominion

15. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

16. Uncharted

Thor: Love and Thunder

Being the first fourth entry of an individual superhero series in the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder sees the Norse god of thunder reunite with his old love, a cancer stricken Jane Foster who has gained Thor's powers from Mjolnir, to take on a god killing alien. Taika Waititi returns to direct, cowrite, and costar as Korg while bringing back and upping his over the top comedic style. While a lot of Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's script does work in terms of storytelling, some of it gets weaker due to having way too many jokes that either distract or clash with certain dramatic scenes. The same feeling is felt with Taika's direction as even though he has a really fun and energetic technique, the gags he employs happen too often. Never missing a beat since 2011, Chris Hemsworth shines as he always does playing Thor with a good balance of drama and comedy. Alongside him are Natalie Portman portraying Jane with great tragedy as she suffers from cancer but trying so hard to hide the pain, Tessa Thompson having a lot of fun as Valkyrie, and Christian Bale in a dark and terrifying performance as this entry's villain Gorr the God Butcher. For the most part the visuals are really good and often stunning, but due to so many projects the MCU has been doing lately and needing just as much VFX it does start to show in small parts that do look poorly and rushed. Similar to the previous entry, this one also has a kick-ass soundtrack and score reminiscent of 80s fantasy films and using music by Gun N' Roses and others of that era that go with what's going on throughout the movie. This does not reach the heights of Ragnarok or the first Thor, but Thor: Love and Thunder is still better than Dark World and is a lot of fun despite its overuse of jokes and the tone going all over the place. Over all: 87%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Black Phone

3. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

4. The Northman

5. The Batman

6. Lightyear

7. Dog

8. Everything Everywhere All at Once

9. X 2022

10. Scream 2022

11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

12. Thor: Love and Thunder

13. Jurassic World: Dominion

14. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

15. Uncharted

The Black Phone

Adapted from the short story of the same name by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is the film that Scott Derrickson took on after departing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This horror film, set in 1978, sees a young boy, Finney Blake, get kidnapped by a child serial killer known as The Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke. As The Grabber feeds him for a while before he kills him, Finney gets help from the ghosts of the past victims by talking to them through a broken phone. At the same time, Finney's younger sister, Gwen, tries to help find him thanks to having latent psychic abilities inherited from her mother but feared by her alcoholic father. Derrickson's direction and his writing with C. Robert Cargill gives us such a superb, meticulous, and frightening production. But, also having some really good laughs here and there between the more dramatic and frightening moments that work well. The characters are well liked and never feel one dimensional and you get a sense of each person's motivations, fears, and needs. Besides Hawke, you also have Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw as the Blake siblings who give just as big and powerful performances as the more older actors. In fact, all of the child actors involved all play their roles so believably, whether they're the bullies or the spirits that help Finney. Capturing the right look for 1978 isn't easy, but thanks to the cinematography from Brett Jutkiewicz and the production design not only captures the time period but helps elevate the horror. Another factor is the good use of effects depicting the ghosts that help Finney and the minimal score from Mark Korven. One great factor that makes this film so great is its slow, yet well executed pacing thanks to Frederic Thoraval's cinematography. While horror is often a genre often not well respected due to being cheap and quick to make, The Black Phone is proof that the genre isn't just constant jump scares. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Black Phone

3. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

4. The Northman

5. The Batman

6. Lightyear

7. Dog

8. Everything Everywhere All at Once

9. X 2022

10. Scream 2022

11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

12. Jurassic World: Dominion

13. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

14. Uncharted

Superman vs. Predator

When you get crossovers between different franchises, the one thing many expect is that the characters will fight each other for whatever reason. So, having a comic titled Superman vs. Predator one may think it will just be that, but it may not be as clear as so many expect. DC's Man of Steel goes to the jungles of Central America to help Lois and S.T.A.R. Labs scientists who have found an alien ship, belonging to then Dark Horse owned Predator. Investigating the ship causes Superman's powers to weaken due to an unknown virus, which doesn't help when he, Lois, and the scientists stumble upon a eugenics terrorist group who plan to use the Predator's technology to kill anyone with genetic disorders. Struggling against the terrorists and even the Predator, Superman convinces the alien hunter to help him defeat the group as they stole its technology. The comic is really fun to read and intelligently doesn't just give us constant fighting between the two iconic characters. It treats the history and mythology, as well as the reader, with respect but still does fan service in a way that feels natural. Writer David Michelinie does such a fantastic job at getting the characters right while making the writing so engaging. He gives the right amount and perfect balance between narration and the dialogue that the characters' conversations have. The combined work from Alex Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth, in terms of the art, coloring, and inking is really good. Coloring is bleak, but in such a way that pops out very well, while the characters are finely detailed, though a few shots are a bit murky. Crossovers will always be my favorite type of story concept, and Superman vs. Predator is a great example as to why. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #36

2. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

3. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

4. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

5. Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

6. Superman vs. Predator

7. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

8. Action Comics Vol. 1 #800

9. Aliens: Dead Orbit #1

10. DC First: Flash/Superman #1

11. Aliens: Defiance #1

12. Iron Man (2020-) #1

13. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

14. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

15. DC Universe: Legacies #1

16. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

17. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

18. Champions (2020-) #1

19. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

20. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

21. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

22. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
23. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
24. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

25. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

26. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
27. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
28. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Top 10 New Shows and Season Premieres of 2021

New Shows:

1. Them

2. The Problem with Jon Stewart

3. Made for Love

4. The Underground Railroad

5. Reservation Dogs

6. Squid Game

7. Kevin Can F**k Himself

8. CSI: Vegas

9. Hawkeye

10. Yellowjackets

Honorable Mentions:

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Maid

The White Lotus

Schmigadoon!

Loki

The Shrink Next Door

Chucky

Rutherford Falls

WandaVision

Resident Alien

Brand New Cherry Flavor

American Horror Stories

Maya and the Three

Only Murders in the Building

Star Wars: Visions

Just Beyond

Scenes from a Marriage 2021

Superman & Lois

The Story of Late Night

Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Arcane

What If…?

MacGruber

Marvel Studios: Assembled

Invincible

The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek

Y: The Last Man

Foundation

Young Rock

Ghosts 2021

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Physical

Saturday Morning All Star Hits!

Masters of the Universe: Revelation

The Watch

Blade Runner: Black Lotus

Monsters at Work

Midnight Mass

Ordinary Joe

Hit-Monkey

The Serpent

History of Swear Words

iCarly 2021

The Ghost and Molly McGee

Kenan

Nine Perfect Strangers

Season Premieres:

1. Rick and Morty fifth season premiere-Mort Dinner Rick Andre

2. Creepshow second season premiere-Model Kid/Public Television Of The Dead

3. Infinity Train Book Four: Duet premiere-The Twin Tapes

4. Doctor Who series 13 premiere-Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse

5. Fear the Walking Dead seventh season premiere-The Beacon

6. Manifest third season premiere-Tailfin

7. Impeachment: American Crime Story premiere-Exiles

8. 9-1-1 fifth season premiere-Panic

9. What We Do in the Shadows third season premiere-The Prisoner

10. American Masters 35th season premiere-How It Feels To Be Free

Honorable Mentions:

Two Sentence Horror Stories second season premiere-Bag Man

Stargirl second season premiere-Summer School: Chapter One

The Walking Dead eleventh season premiere-Acheron: Part I

The Rookie fourth season premiere-Life and Death

Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail premiere-Hittin' The Trail

Legends of Tomorrow seventh season premiere-The Bullet Blondes

Disenchantment second season premiere-Subterranean Homesick Blues

The Flash 2014 eighth season premiere-Armageddon, Part 1

The Rookie third season premiere-Consequences

Brooklyn Nine-Nine eighth season premiere-The Good Ones

Supergirl sixth season premiere-Rebirth

Are You Afraid of the Dark? 2019: Curse of the Shadows premiere-The Tale of the Haunted Woods

Batwoman second season premiere-Whatever Happened to Kate Kane

Locke & Key second season premiere-The Premiere

NCIS 19th season premiere-Blood in the Water

The Great second season premiere-Head It's Me

Lucifer sixth season premiere-Nothing Ever Changes Around Here

The Last O.G. fourth season premiere-Staying Alive

The Sinner fourth season premiere-Part I

Power Rangers Dino Fury premiere-Destination Dinohenge

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist second season premiere-Zoey's Extraordinary Return

American Horror Story: Double Feature premiere-Cape Fear

Black Lightning fourth season premiere-The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One: Collateral Damage

Solar Opposites second season premiere-The Sacred Non-repeating Number

Castlevania fourth season premiere-Murder Wakes It Up

Carmen Sandiego fourth season premiere-The Beijing Bullion Caper

Grace and Frankie seventh season premiere-The Roomies

Snowpiercer second season premiere-The Time of Two Engines

Eli Roth's History of Horror third season premiere-Sequels That Don't Suck

On My Block fourth season premiere-Chapter Twenty-Nine

Final Space third season premiere-...And Into The Fire

Nancy Drew third season premiere-The Warning of the Frozen Heart

Selena: The Series second season premiere-Como la Flor

Nancy Drew second season premiere-The Search for the Midnight Wraith

Tiger King: Tiger King 2 premiere-Beg Your Pardon

Ted Lasso second season premiere-Goodbye Earl

Kenan second season premiere-Christmas Show

Robot Chicken eleventh season premiere-May Cause a Whole Lotta Scabs

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series second season premiere-New Year's Eve

Big Mouth fifth season premiere-No Nut November

Crossing Swords second season premiere-Shamrock Shakedown

The Good Doctor fifth season premiere-New Beginnings

The Moodys second season premiere-Episode 201

Lightyear

Pixar's first theatrical release since Onward in early 2020, Lightyear is the movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toys in the Toy Story films and from which Andy was highly inspired by to get his own Buzz action figure. Chris Evans takes over from Tim Allen as this Buzz scouts the area of a new planet that his Star Command exploration vessel has landed in. When he and other officers, including his best friend Alisha, are attacked, their attempt to escape causes the vessel to crash and trap the rest of its inhabitants to make a new home in this planet until they figure out a way off. Feeling guilty over these events, Buzz volunteers as a pilot to test out experimental fuel that each time causes him to travel forwards two years in the future. Due to still feeling guilty and obsessed with his mission of finding a way home, Buzz keeps experimenting with the fuel to the point that he witnesses Alisha aging the more he flies out until she dies during one of his flights. With the help of a robotic cat assigned to help him, named Sox, Buzz figures out the right way to use the fuel and despite this last test flight being a better success than before, it caused him to return over twenty years later. When he lands back however, Buzz finds the colony under attack from a robot army led by the mysterious Zurg. With the help of Alisha's granddaughter Izzy and other recruits, they must figure out how to save the colony and defeat Zurg's robots. The story itself may not be entirely new, but being a movie that is apparently from the 90s a lot of that familiarity makes sense. Angus MacLane and Jason Headley's writing has subtle touches that call back to certain story tropes from other films of that era. I do feel that much of it does feel slow at times and some jokes don't land as much, but one thing it does right is the characters and how well written they are. Another strong aspect is the twist over Zurg's identity and how that fits into Buzz's character arc throughout the film. Alongside Evans, you also get strong and fun vocal performances from Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, James Brolin, and Uzo Aduba. While Pixar's work is always great, this has definitely been some of their strongest work that they've ever done. So much of the background feels so real and the characters are all highly detailed, while the lighting is exquisite. Unlike the Toy Story films, this has Michael Giacchino composing instead of Randy Newman, and his work definitely has a lot of inspiration from other big sci-fi franchises like Star Wars but still being its own. Lightyear is a fun adventure that while not having the most original story ever, doesn't mean it doesn't tell it in its own unique way. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

3. The Northman

4. The Batman

5. Lightyear

6. Dog

7. Everything Everywhere All at Once

8. X 2022

9. Scream 2022

10. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

11. Jurassic World: Dominion

12. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

13. Uncharted

Jurassic World: Dominion

Concluding the second trilogy of the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion is not strong in writing but still really fun. After dinosaurs have been set loose on Earth, humanity has a hard time adapting to the giant animals affecting them in different ways, all the while Owen and Claire have been taking care of Maisie, the cloned daughter of Hammond's partner. After Owen learns that Blue, a velociraptor he once trained, had a baby it and Maisie are kidnapped by mercenaries on behalf of Biosyn, corporation that is trying to control dinosaurs. At the same time, Ellie Sattler reconnects with Alan Grant to investigate giant locusts that have been going after a large number of crops. This leads them to Ian Malcolm, who is working with Biosyn, as they suspect the corporation being behind the crop attacks. In the end, the two parties eventually meet as they deal with both the dinosaurs, mercenaries, and locusts in order to defeat Biosyn. Lets face it, this trilogy wasn't the best compared to the first three, a lot of the writing was weak, the characters would be a bit over the top, and it often over relied on nostalgia. However, unlike most I did like the use of giant locusts since at least it was something new to this franchise and was handled rather well. The cast all provide really strong performances and having the original cast and the new one not meet until the end is done perfectly. Colin Trevorrow, who has been cowriter of the series since the first Jurassic World, returns to direct and does an okay job with the writing but his direction is really good and gives us memorable action scenes. As standard with this franchise, having lots of dinosaurs means lots of effects, with most of the CG and practical use being well done. If the franchise ever returns in the next decade or two, I wouldn't mind if they continued from where Jurassic World: Dominion left off but they at least fix the issues it had. Over all: 85%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

3. The Northman

4. The Batman

5. Dog

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once

7. X 2022

8. Scream 2022

9. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

10. Jurassic World: Dominion

11. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

12. Uncharted

Top Gun: Maverick

With the original film having come out back in 1986, being the biggest film of that year and launching Tom Cruise as the box office star that the world knows him as, Top Gun: Maverick certainly had a lot to prove after over 30. Fortunately, this sequel is not only kick-ass but is strong in its writing, acting, direction, and accurate portrayal of how one flies Naval combat jets. The film sees Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell having to train young graduates from the same academy he attended, including the son of his best friend, who died in the first film. They all have to be precise and settle their differences in order to take part in a dangerous mission that could get them killed. Director Joseph Kosinski puts together a very elaborate action drama with a lot of heart and wonderful love letter to aviation. Regular Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie cowrites with Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and they craft such a remarkable story that never feels like anything is unnecessary, with every single thing you see never feeling rushed or too slow, having good comedic bits balanced with great drama, and characters you get to know and fleshed out. One odd thing I do find is that they never state who their mission is against, whether it's another country or terrorist organization. The cinematography from Claudio Miranda is stunning, especially as he worked with the actors to set up the cameras in the jets to get actual shots in flight. With high octane action and piloting, it helps that editor Eddie Hamilton did a phenomenal job at not only pacing it well but how great the flight scenes are no matter how chaotic. Another collaboration in this film is the music done between Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer, and Lorne Balfe who all create music that is a good mix of modern and 80s. Of course all that would not matter if it weren't for the performances from the cast whether they're returning like Cruise and Val Kilmer, or the newcomers like Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, and Glenn Powell who all provide so much to their characters that make them feel real. Very rarely does one find a film so perfect and with so little flaws, but Top Gun: Maverick is one of those rare ones. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

3. The Northman

4. The Batman

5. Dog

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once

7. X 2022

8. Scream 2022

9. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

11. Uncharted

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 picks up a few months after the first film, with Sonic trying to find his place in the world while living with Tom and Maddie, often doing heroic vigilante stuff without them knowing. All the while, Doctor Robotnik is rescued and teams up with Knuckles to take on Sonic and obtain the powerful Master Emerald. Aided by the tech savvy and friendly Tails, Sonic must defeat the two of them to keep his family safe and prevent mass destruction. The cast, directors, and writers all return from the first film, as well as the addition of Idris Elba voicing Knuckles and regular franchise veteran Colleen O'Shaughnessey brought in for Tails. Much of the writing is improved compared to previous film, though still in keeping with its children's film aesthetic. It doesn't rely too much on product placement and the story isn't just a copy and paste of the 2020 film, though some parts of the story could have been shortened or be left out entirely. There's an entire sequence related to Maddie's sister's wedding that is way out of place and feels like a completely different movie. It isn't terrible and many of the jokes work, but feels like it turns into a Tyler Perry movie halfway through and then comes back to Sonic. The performances from every actor are all good, especially Jim Carrey once again as Robotnik being hilarious and Idris Elba gives Knuckles a lovable meathead voice work. This sequel's action sequences are much more creative than the first's, and thanks to the well made effects are incredible and fun to watch. While being a much better constructed movie compared to its predecessor, I think Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is not as memorable as the first but is still incredible fun and continues to give video game adaptations a better shot than what has been done before. Over all: 84%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

2. The Northman

3. The Batman

4. Dog

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once

6. X 2022

7. Scream 2022

8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

10. Uncharted

The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #36

The first Marvel comic to address the events of the September 11 attacks a few months after it occurred, The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #36 sees Spider-Man narrating over the destruction that occurred that day. He and the other heroes, like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, do what they can to help, saving as many lives as possible and taking out fires and dealing with the rubble. Spider-Man's narration comments on how the actions of madmen will possibly lead to war, but still finding hope in the actions of not only heroes but the most normal people as well. The most surprising thing that he finds is that even villains like Kingpin and Doctor Doom, who visibly sheds a tear, are disgusted by these actions. This issue is an amazing tribute towards those who died during the terrorist attacks that day, a good blend of tragedy and hope that reminds us that despite how much evil there could be the good will always rise. J. Michael Straczynski's writing is beautiful with its poetic style and takes an entire issue's mostly inner monologue and crafts it into something so pure, sad, and optimistic. Him showing that even villains have disgust for these attacks is a good way of presenting them as having morals despite what they do. With the art of John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna and the coloring of Avalon Studios and Dan Kemp, this comic has a truly vibrant look. The artwork is highly detailed and is able to help convey exactly what the characters think and feel without them saying much. With such a tragedy that recently occurred, The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #36 pays homage to the lives lost and to the real life heroes who risked everything to save however many they could. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #36

2. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

3. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

4. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

5. Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

6. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

7. Action Comics Vol. 1 #800

8. Aliens: Dead Orbit #1

9. DC First: Flash/Superman #1

10. Aliens: Defiance #1

11. Iron Man (2020-) #1

12. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

13. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

14. DC Universe: Legacies #1

15. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

16. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

17. Champions (2020-) #1

18. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

19. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

20. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

21. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
22. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
23. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

24. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

25. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
26. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
27. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Following on from both WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sees the titular hero contend with Wanda Maximoff, know calling herself the Scarlet Witch, who has been corrupted by the Darkhold, a dark spell book, into doing anything she has to do to get versions of her children from another universe. With the help of other sorcerers, including Wong, they must keep America Chavez, a young girl with the power to travel the multiverse, safe from Wanda's hands. When Strange and Chavez do end up traveling the multiverse, they must do whatever they can to stop Wanda while dealing with the consequences of Strange's own actions when previously handling the multiverse. Sam Raimi comes back to the superhero genre after his stint in the original Spider-Man trilogy and does a phenomenal job at taking Scott Derickson's place. His unique direction and style benefits this much more horror oriented entry in the MCU that often captures the fun and absurdity of 90s and early 2000s superhero movies. The script from Michael Waldron has a lot of strengths when it comes to the imagination provided, capturing the craziness of Marvel's multiverse similar to that of the comics, smart in not showing too much of the multiverse knowing it will be expanded on later, the fun references to characters we've seen before, and not afraid to be as dark as the franchise has ever been. Weaknesses, however, are very noticeable such as the length being rather short while giving us so much to take in, certain character decisions that feel off, and how rather simple the plot is considering what it involves. The cast that returns from either the last Doctor Strange entry or other past projects, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen, with newcomers, such as Xochitl Gomez all give powerful performances. Olsen, specially, proves how terrifying Scarlet Witch can be whether in the comics or in a live action adaptation. This film's cinematography, provided by John Mathieson, gives us a good mixture of terrifying and light while also looking distinct with each universe that's travelled through. The editing from Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan has some issues in the beginning with the pacing being a little off, but soon after gets better and the unique cuts and transitions really helps fit Raimi's style. Danny Elfman, a regular composer for Raimi, replaces the first film's composer, Michael Giacchino, and gives his own style to the music, and while he does a good job it's not as memorable as Giacchino's work. Despite how noticeable its flaws are, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes bold decisions and isn't afraid to be dark in a way that you don't mind and manages to still give a fun experience. Over all: 88%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

2. The Northman

3. The Batman

4. Dog

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once

6. X 2022

7. Scream 2022

8. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

9. Uncharted

The Northman

Inspired by the same Scandinavian legend that Hamlet is based on, The Northman is an epic historical Viking movie from Robert Eggers. Eggers tells the story of Amleth, a Viking prince played by Alexander Skarsgard, who witnesses the murder of his father by an uncle who takes the throne, leading to Amleth vowing to avenge him and rescue his mother. Years later he has been taken by a different tribe of Vikings and has become a berserker taking part in raids and brutal battles. Hearing about his uncle being overthrown and exiled to Iceland, and upon being told of a prophecy that his revenge will come, Amleth sets out to look for his uncle by getting into a slave ship and pretending to be one. Once he gets to his uncle's farm, and with the help of another slave played by Anya Taylor-Joy, Amleth plays the long game to enact his revenge that all leads to supernatural events, long held revelations, lots of blood and gore, and a final battle at a volcano. Being about Vikings, the film has no shortage of brutality, bloody battles, and the absolute muck that the era is known for. All this thanks to both the production design that captures the time perfectly and all of the vast locations shown thanks to filming in Northern Ireland and Iceland. Eggers and his cowriter Sjón managed to envision something that's a combination of beautiful and disgusting. Their writing is crafted so precisely and definitely has the type of twists and turns that Shakespeare was also inspired by. Despite following Amleth and his quest, often it shows us that you don't always agree with it and it isn't a black and white story. The battles and fights themselves never feel like they hold back and show just how brutal a society based on fighting and death can be. Casting is superb as alongside Skarsgard and Taylor-Joy, you get just as strong performances from Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Claes Bang. Other aspects that capture the authenticity of the time period are the astounding cinematography from Jarin Blaschke and the subdued score from Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough. All the while Louise Ford's work as editor gives us a well paced movie with no overuse of editing for the fight scenes. Epic is an easy way to describe a lot of films that are long and/or involve large battles and set pieces, but The Northman proves you can have the second without needing the first. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

2. The Northman

3. The Batman

4. Dog

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once

6. X 2022

7. Scream 2022

8. Uncharted

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

Published from 1929 to 1930, Tintin in the Land of the Soviets is the debut of the iconic Belgian reporter and his trusty Fox Terrier, Snowy, from cartoonist Hergé and published in the Le Vingtieme Siecle newspaper. The story centers on reporter Tintin being sent to the Soviet Union to write about life in the newly formed communist country. Unfortunately for the reporter and his trusted dog, the Soviet secret police intends to kill them at every opportunity the get. Tintin's train gets bombed, and while he survives they get arrested only for them to escape and try any way to get through the communist country, evading the authorities as he meets with the people who are disparaged by them. Eventually, Tintin heads back to Belgium all the while preventing the Soviets from planning explosions throughout Europe's capitals. While I was always aware of Tintin through the animated shows, the Spielberg 2011 film, and other works that pay homage or reference the franchise, this is the first time I've ever read any of Hergé's signature work. I am aware that this is way different from the later entries of the series, having a very quick random events like plot with crude and colorless artwork. Nonetheless it's a fun story with the many outlandish things that happen to Tintin and Snowy kinda endearing and seeing the introductory story is always good so as to see how it eventually evolves. That being said, the writing isn't terrible but it's rather rudimentary and dated, mainly due being made as anti-communist propaganda and portraying the Soviet Union in an over the top way through its corruption and violence. It doesn't help that Hergé, who usually does a lot of research for his works, based most of the writing on a book from a diplomat. Yes, the artwork is a bit crude, not very detailed, and in black and white, but some of that is a bit charming considering when it was made. Some of the Soviet generals have similar looks but Tintin and Snowy's designs still retain their iconic looks despite how early it is for them. For being rushed, it doesn't look that great but it isn't terrible and you can tell what's going on most of the time. Every long running series has to start somewhere, whether with a strong or weak intro, and Tintin in the Land of the Soviets is about right in the middle as though it's fun it's datedness and rushed work is evident. Over all: 98%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

5. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

6. Action Comics Vol. 1 #800

7. Aliens: Dead Orbit #1

8. DC First: Flash/Superman #1

9. Aliens: Defiance #1

10. Iron Man (2020-) #1

11. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

12. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

13. DC Universe: Legacies #1

14. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

15. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

16. Champions (2020-) #1

17. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

18. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

19. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

20. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
21. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
22. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

23. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

24. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
25. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
26. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Playing a fictional version of himself, Nicolas Cage stars alongside Pedro Pascal in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. This fictional Cage is one who is dissatisfied with how his career is going due to missing out on so many good roles and a family that he's not very close to. Before he decides to retire, Cage is offered a lot of money to hang out with a billionaire in Spain, played by Pascal, who is a huge fan of his. Once there, he is recruited by CIA agents to help them expose Javi, Pascal's character, as a drug dealer and kidnapper of a politician's daughter. If anyone deserves to portray themselves and deal with all the metaness of their career, Cage is the right pick due to his unique choices in projects, over the top performances, and often odd behavior. Having directed and cowritten with Kevin Etten, Tom Gormican gives a movie that is not only hilarious, but filled with good drama and very emotional moments that digs deep into Cage's method. While Cage is known for playing characters with ridiculous outbursts and yelling like a madman, this movie doesn't rely on that and instead gives us the story of a man dealing with his insecurities and where his career is heading. Plus Gormican gives some really inventive action scenes and some often call back to much of Cage's career. But the film's biggest standout is obviously Cage's performance, both the depressed regular version of himself and the over the top version we expect from him that he often imagines pushing him to go back to what made him popular. There's also Pascal who proves that he can be great in comedy due to his past mostly involving serious dramas. The fact that he himself is a genuine Nicolas Cage fan adds to their strong chemistry and makes the crazy things they go through feel believable. Nicolas Cage is one of those actors who give strong performances no matter how good or bad the movie will be and has played all sorts of characters throughout his filmography, so The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent proves that he will never fade and we'll be seeing more of him. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

2. The Batman

3. Dog

4. Everything Everywhere All at Once

5. X 2022

6. Scream 2022

7. Uncharted

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Something that many big franchises are doing recently is dealing with stories involving the multiverse, whether it's the MCU or the DCEU, due to the complexity of alternate worlds and how you could have old versions of characters come back. That doesn't mean that smaller works wouldn't be able to tell stories involving this concept, and Everything Everywhere All at Once is one such movie. With the Russo brothers as producers and Michelle Yeoh in the lead role, there's already a guaranty of it being highly imaginative and kick ass. The story starts out simple enough with a Chinese-American immigrant, Yeoh's Evelyn Quan Wang, dealing with a struggling laundromat, a failing marriage, her ill father, having a hard time accepting her daughter's lesbianism, and being audited by the IRS. Things start to go crazy when her husband is taken over by an alternate version of himself who reveals the multiverse to Evelyn, how she can gain the skills and memories of alternate versions of herself through odd acts, and that she is key to saving all of reality. The threat to the multiverse is an alternate version of Evelyn's daughter, Joy, who grew to resent her mother for not accepting her and how the multiverse experiments caused her to experience all versions of herself all at once. With only a budget of 25 million dollars, this is a highly imaginative, crazy, and fun film that can compete with those with a budget of over hundreds of millions. The writing and directing team of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert craft an absolute banger of a movie with well shot and creative action choreography and such a fresh take on a decades old trope that is used to not only be funny and dramatic, but often changes genre and style mid way through and is used to deal with themes of parental abandonment and existentialism. One big flaw with their writing, however, is that the ending and its message takes a bit forever to get to its conclusion. What makes a lot of the multiverse concept work is Larkin Seiple's incredible work in the cinematography, capturing the styles of 70s kung fu movies and the vibrant looks of Wong Kar-wai's work that exemplifies the various realities. But of course, all of that would not matter if not for the strong performances that Yeoh and the rest of the cast, such as James Hong, Stephanie Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan, all give. They all manage to give their alternate characters their own styles, methods, and personalities in such a way that no two versions ever feel the same. Everything Everywhere All at Once proves that smaller, more independent films can handle huge concepts just as well as the bigger budgeted franchise ones. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Batman

2. Dog

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once

4. X 2022

5. Scream 2022

6. Uncharted

X 2022

100 word review challenge:

X 2022 is a slasher about the cast and crew of a 1979 porno being killed off by a creepy old couple. Directed and written by Ti West and having Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Kid Cudi, and Martin Henderson. Cast is incredible, with Goth playing two distinct characters, one with impressive old makeup. Great throwback to classic slashers and takes its time before the first kill. Cinematography captures the era, with colorful and unique look. Even though it's rather simple, much like how the characters feel about their film, X 2022 is a lot more than just sex and violence. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Batman

2. Dog

3. X 2022

4. Scream 2022

5. Uncharted

Uncharted

Based on the successful and popular video game franchise from Naughty Dog, Uncharted has Tom Holland take on the role of globe trotting fortune hunter Nathan Drake. Drake is recruited by Sully Sullivan, a seasoned fortune hunter played by Mark Wahlberg, to look for the lost treasure from the Magellan expedition that Sully had once searched with Nathan's long lost older brother Sam. Along the way they reluctantly team up with Chloe Frazer, a former associate of Sully's, and have to contend with rivals and mercenaries looking for the same prize. While it's written well, the story itself isn't too remarkable and doesn't have anything new or unique separating it from other similar films, like say the Indiana Jones films. The performances from the cast is really strong, with Holland and Wahlberg having a great dynamic between each other. While I never played the games, from the videos I've seen I do know that despite Holland giving a good performance, his portrayal is a lot different from the video game version. In the games, Nathan is a gun totting action hero who likes to crack jokes and enjoys sarcasm, with Holland's portrayal often not the best with action and a bit hyper. While one could see it as far from a perfect adaptation, Holland playing a younger Drake could mean we eventually see him grow in to the more well known character from the games. As one expects with director Ruben Fleischer, the action in this movie is well shot, choreographed, and well edited thanks to Chris Lebenzon and Richard Pearson. The crazy and over the top set pieces that the games are best known for are brought into this adaptation and work really well. Special mention towards the final action scene involving centuries old ships being lifted into the air by helicopters with Drake and Sully fighting villains while flying. The cinematography from Chung-hoon Chung wasn't anything special but does a good job at portraying different places with their own distinct looks. A fun moment that is a nice reference to the games is a cameo from Nolan North, the voice of Nathan in the games, who briefly interacts with Holland's Nathan. While Uncharted may not be the best video game based movie or elevates the genre, this is still a fun, though very flawed, ride that could lead to sequels that fix some of those issues. Over all: 80%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Batman

2. Dog

3. Scream 2022

4. Uncharted

The Batman

Originally envisioned as part of the DC Extended Universe with Ben Affleck not only reprising his version of Batman, but also him cowriting and directing, The Batman was changed to be a separate entity from the rest of the DCEU due to problems in Affleck's personal life. Matt Reeves took over directing and cowriting duties, alongside Peter Craig, while Robert Pattinson inherited the cape and cowl alongside new actors playing Gordon and Alfred. Taking cues from Year One and The Long Halloween and inspired by Hitchcock films and thrillers like SE7EN, this first entry in a new trilogy sees Pattinson's Batman, in only his second year, solve murders perpetrated by the Riddler. To catch him means solving the criminal's riddles, puzzles, and other games that exposes Gotham's corruption throughout its history. Along the way Bruce Wayne has to learn how to be more involved and use his influence to inspire people, recruits Selina Kyle to expose corrupt politicians and cops, and learns the connection between his parents and mob boss Carmine Falcone. While I would have loved to see Affleck in his own standalone film as the Caped Crusader, this reboot's fresh start feels needed due to the writing often making Ben's take hard to connect with. Pattinson, thanks to Reeves's and Craig's writing and direction, gives us a Bruce Wayne who starts out detached while relying more on the fear aspect to his superhero persona and perfectly develops into someone who becomes more open and realizing that hope is just as effective as fear. While he isn't afraid to beat criminals to a pulp, he's smart enough to not kill them knowing they'll be afraid when they see the Bat Symbol. The rest of the cast also deliver and give some of the most unique characterizations compared to previous versions of them. Jeffrey Wright's Gordon is rather laid back and at times comical due to how he talks with Batman, Andy Serkis plays an Alfred that keeps secrets from Bruce, the Selina played by Zoe Kravits perfectly balances vulnerability and badass, Paul Dano portrays one of the most disturbing Riddlers ever brought to the screen, and Colin Farrell is unrecognizable and brilliant as Penguin. As a director Reeves is perfect due to the dedication he gives towards Batman's detective skills as much as the heroics. His action and fight scenes are well shot and choreographed, while the Bat Suit is tough but shows some good wear and tear. The writing is incredible and manages to give us a fresh and unique take on the franchise despite how many times the character has appeared onscreen. Despite how serious the story takes itself, there are still some genuine funny moments that lighten up the movie and feel perfectly placed. One good note is how Bruce is still learning to be Batman, between learning to spread hope for the people of Gotham and not just fear towards criminals and some of his gadgets not always working when he needs them. Compared this to most other live action interpretations, this entry masterfully captures the detective angle that Batman is best known for in the comics. One would think that a movie telling a murder mystery at nearly three hours would feel long, but thanks to editors William Hoy and Tyler Nelson the film felt brisk and well paced. If a superhero film was ever shot by Roger Deakins it would be a powerful competition against Greig Fraser's exquisite cinematography that captures Gotham's desolate bleakness in such a way that is so beautiful. For every new version of Batman, there's always new music to go along with it and for this, and hopefully the rest of the trilogy, we have Michael Giacchino. A lot of the music, whether Giacchino's score or the songs chosen, perfectly fit this movie and often elevates the story. Giacchino's main score for Batman, in particular, has a horror vibe to it that when he appears often makes him seem like a horror villain in the vain of Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees. One issue with it however is how overplayed it gets and while great, isn't as memorable as Danny Elfman's or the Dark Knight Trilogy's. Between the story, cast, direction, and so many things, The Batman is more than just a superhero film, it's a phenomenon. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. The Batman

2. Dog

3. Scream 2022

DC First: Flash/Superman #1

Part of a series of one-shots in the early 2000s, DC First: Flash/Superman #1 is a story that partly retells the original race from the 1960s between the two superheroes. With this comic, however, Superman races against the original Flash, Jay Garrick rather than Barry Allen, to save the current Flash, Wally West. After the futuristic magician, Abra Kadabra, escapes from prison he places a curse on the three heroes in which Superman and Jay have to race against each other to save Wally who is aging at a rapid rate. The race, caused by their powers, causes them to travel into the future wherein they manage to fix the curse and capture Abra. This one-shot's story isn't entirely unique or does anything that's truly remarkable, but Geoff Johns's writing is still well told and the dialogue is good and kept at a minimum so that the artwork can also tell the story. Speaking of the artwork, it's pretty much expected from a comic book of 2002, but with great lighting and detail. That work by Rick Burchett as well as the coloring and shading from Prints Rollins, James Sinclair, and Digital Chameleon also add to the good art. The art and writing both work together to give us a fun story that isn't afraid to tackle some of the sillier aspects of superhero stories while still having a lot of serious moments. Not every comic everyone reads needs to be expected to be something huge and important, some just need to be fun and well written as DC First: Flash/Superman #1 is. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

5. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

6. Action Comics Vol. 1 #800

7. Aliens: Dead Orbit #1

8. DC First: Flash/Superman #1

9. Aliens: Defiance #1

10. Iron Man (2020-) #1

11. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

12. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

13. DC Universe: Legacies #1

14. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

15. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

16. Champions (2020-) #1

17. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

18. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

19. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

20. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
21. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
22. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

23. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
24. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
25. Marvel Comics (1939) #1

Dog

Channing Tatum and his regular producing partner Reid Carolin have their feature directorial debut with Dog. In this, Tatum stars as Jackson Briggs, a U.S. Army Ranger suffering PTSD and whose injuries have kept him out of the battlefield. To prove himself and being accepted by his superiors, Briggs has to take Lulu, a military dog his unit worked with, to the funeral of her handler and one of his unit members. It's no easy task as Lulu also suffers from PTSD and her violent tendencies have led to the decision of euthanizing her after the funeral. Throughout the long road trip, Briggs is initially annoyed by Lulu's antics, the two get in some predicaments, start to bond from their similar issues, and as she learns to trust him Briggs sees that there's more to life than fighting in the battlefield. For first time directors, Tatum and Carolin prove that they're more than capable of giving a very moving and emotional story. Carolin's script is well thought out in giving us well written characters with a good blend of drama and comedy that doesn't feel forced when either is in play. All the while Tatum gives one of his strongest performances by giving us a man who wants to fight but isn't afraid to be vulnerable and isn't portrayed as a grunting muscle man. Briggs doesn't have to be a gun totting Rambo to be considered memorable, he just needs to show that those with PTSD are just as human as any other person. Editor Leslie Jones should be given credit for such a lush and quick process that helps keep the movie from feeling too slow or too fast. While the cinematography from Newton Thomas Sigel isn't extraordinary but how he captures the majestic landscapes and backgrounds throughout the trip is such a wonderful thing. If Tatum and Carolin made something as incredible as Dog, I for one am exited for whatever comes next from them. Over all: 100%

2022 top list so far:

1. Dog

2. Scream 2022

Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

As with many event stories from either DC, Marvel, or any other publisher, the beginning has to be big and surprising to draw the readers in. With Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1, you get just that and more in Marvel's latest universe shattering tale. Starting simple enough, Nick Fury, now a herald of Uatu, warns the Watcher about various alien civilizations being gifted with powerful weapons from a mysterious force. As Uatu warns his people of an impending danger, his base on the moon is attacked, causing a bombardment of moon fragments to fall down on Earth. With Manhattan heavily bombarded by pieces of the moon, numerous superheroes like Spider-Man, the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four save as many people as they can while also dealing with an invasion from the Badoon. Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer is called upon by the abstract entities of the universe to aid Eternity, the living embodiment of the universe, as he has been poisoned by such large scale violence. During Earth's invasion, the Fantastic Four head towards Uatu's domain for answers but end up finding Fury. Fury figures that an unknown group known as the Reckoning is behind not only the moon's destruction but also the large scale violence across the cosmos. With a device that held the history of the Watchers, Reed learns about their history and how their early influence in the early days of the universe led to the first known war and it nearly destroyed everything. The Reckoning is what's left of the civilizations that took part in that war, wanting revenge against the Watchers for separating them from the rest of the universe and leaving them with nothing. Epic is the best way to describe this comic, and how can it not be as the moon is destroyed, various alien armies are preparing for a large scale war, we delve deep into the early years of the Watchers, and Earth is being invaded. The writing from Dan Slott does a phenomenal job at setting up what's to come in the Reckoning War, though even at 40 pages some of it does feel rushed, like some of it could have been put in later issues and other ideas better elaborated on. But most of what there is, Slott delivers with a combination of great dialogue and informative exposition that appears when needed. With an epic story like this, this issue of course has incredible artwork to go along with it that includes good use of shadows, detailed characters, and great colors. One unique aspect to the art is how different it is in the few pages that look at the early history of the Watchers, having an ethereal look to it. All this thanks to the collaborative works of Carlos Pacheco, Rafael Fonteriz, Carlos Magno, and Guru-eFX. If Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1 is just the beginning, then hopefully the rest of the storyline will be just as epic. Over all: 100%

Top list so far for 3rd set of comics:
1. Superman: Secret Identity #1 (of 4)

2. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers FCBD 2018 Shattered Grid Special

3. Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1

4. Fantastic Four: Reckoning War Alpha #1

5. Savage Avengers (2019-) #1

6. Action Comics Vol. 1 #800

7. Aliens: Dead Orbit #1

8. Aliens: Defiance #1

9. Iron Man (2020-) #1

10. Free Comic Book Day 2018: Riverdale

11. Free Comic Book Day 2018: 2000 A.D. Regened

12. DC Universe: Legacies #1

13. Free Comic Book Day 2017 I Hate Image

14. Shang-Chi (2020-2021) #1 (of 5): Brothers & Sisters Part One

15. Champions (2020-) #1

16. Infinite Frontier (2021) #0

17. Green Lantern Vol. 2 #76

18. DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The 70s #1

19. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) #1
20. Showcase (1956-1978) #17
21. Werewolf By Night (2020-) #1 (of 4)

22. Free Comic Book Day: Bongo Comics Free For All 2018
23. Free Comic Book Day 2017: Riverdale
24. Marvel Comics (1939) #1