Thor: The Dark World Reviewed

Does Lightning Strike Twice for the Mighty Avenger? (Spoiler Free)



The god of thunder returns in another entry in Marvel's phase two of movies. The basic premise is that the nine realms are reaching the point of perfect alignment, a time when many of the boundaries between the realms become blurred. This is the perfect opportunity for Malekith and his dark elves to harness the power of the Aether an plunge the nine realms into darkness. If Thor hopes to stop him he'll need to form an uneasy alliance with his brother Loki.

What I Liked:
LOKI. Loki steals the show every time he is on screen. Tom Hiddleston reprises his role with just as much strength, if not more, as the previous movies. The character continues to be well-developed and engaging and in some scenes you can tell that Tom Hiddleston has a lot of fun with his role. Casting has been one of Marvel's strong points when it's come to their Avengers franchise. Most notable for this movie is Chris Hemsworth's performance of Thor, which is still strong, and Anthony Hopkins who does a great job as Odin. If there was a weak link to the cast, it would most likely be Natalie Portman's role as Jane Foster who isn't given much to do that can outshine the other cast members.

The action sequences in this movie are gritty and intense. The camera work is right in the thick of the battle unlike the last Thor. Alan Taylor, who directs this installment, is known for his work as the director for Game of Thrones and thus in no stranger to the medieval style battle sequences. Because of this the action is definitely stepped up a notch from the previous Thor movie.

Maybe it's because I'm such a fan of the Thor comics, but I like the way in which they explore the mythology of Thor. There is a lot more insight into the way the way we explore the Asgardian world. I would appreciate a few cameos of other well-known Asgardians from the comics, but I was willing to settle for the inclusion of Kurse of the dark elves. A little comic book or Norse mythology background might be needed to better appreciate this, but I think it's some
of the nice details of the movie.

My last big praise for this movie is the humor. The jokes and one-liners are still fresh and add a lighthearted touch to a movie that would one of Marvel's darker and grittier Avengers installments. Kat Dennings especially shines here as well as some of Tom Hiddleston lighter moments in the movie. Even Thor's fish-out-of-water bit is still entertaining to watch. Overall, though the movie takes a darkker tone, it is one of Marvel's funniest installments.

What I Didn't Like

Some of the major plot points of the story are underdeveloped or dry. The Aether, for example, is a powerful destructive force, but it never gets truly explained and thus is just sort of their to patch the plot and keep things movie. The romance between Thor and Jane is really flat and doesn't seem to be necessary to the movie except for, once again, keeping the plot moving. Also, Thor's relationship with Lady Sif starts out with some exploration but ultimately goes nowhere. Hopefully it will be more developed as the other movies come out because, as fans of the comics know, this is a very deep and complex relationship for Thor. Ultimately the plot is oversimplified for the sake of making the movie work. I feel that if Marvel had dove a little deeper with some plot devices, the movie could have been much stronger and have more dimension. Instead, it feels like they were willing to settle for less, which is something we don't want studios getting into the habit of, especially with some many more movies slated for release.

My biggest complaint with the movie is that the main villain, Malekith the Accursed, is hugely underdeveloped. The character doesn't really seem to have any motive explored except for the fact that he's just evil. By the end of the movie, I feel like I didn't know anything about the character (aside from my knowledge of him in the comics). This especially bothers me because we know villains in these movies are often very strong. Loki is proof of what potential these villains have to be. Instead we get a villain who is hallow and ultimately just in the movie for the sake of needing an antagonist.

Closing Thoughts
The original Thor is definitely a prerequisite if you want to see this movie. As for The Avengers, it's not necessary to have seen it, but it does help. And as far as the after credit clips go (because I'm sure everyone is curious), there are two. One half-way through the credits, and one at the end of the credits. The first clip offers some insight into what Marvel will be doing in later movies, but I can almost guarantee that this clip will just come off as bizarre and confusing to all those with little to no comic book background. The last clip is just a little extra closure for those of us who want to know whether or not a couple of the main characters get a happy ending or not as well as one last gag
. Also, be on the look out for Stan Lee's cameo in this movie. It's easier to spot than some of his older cameos, but it still humorous and enjoyable.

As for the movie itself, overall, Thor: The Dark World is an enjoyable installment to the franchise, but feels weak in some of it's major plot points. This makes the movie feel two-dimensional with a lot of unexplored territory that could have brought out so much more potential. If your a fan of Thor or the other Marvel movies, or just want to see Tom Hiddleston reprise his role as Loki (who doesn't?) than I'm sure you will be entertained by this movie. Thor: The Dark World is by no means a bad movie but compared to what Marvel has done in the past with movies like the original Thor, Captain America, Iron Man 3, and the Avengers; the movie just seems a little underwhelming. I would probably recommend a matinee showing of this movie rather than full price.

Final Rating: 6.5/10

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Character Spotlight: Dick Grayson (DC Comics)

From Boy Wonder, to Teen Titan, to Caped Crusader.

Dick Grayson

Robin is by far the most well-known sidekicks in comic books and the most popular incarnation is the original Robin, Richard "Dick" Grayson. Introduced in April, 1940, fans of the boy wonder have watched him grow up over the years. From Batman's plucky young ward to the serious leader of the Teen Titans, to darker hero of his own mantra; Dick Grayson is the perfect representation of the importance of continuity in comic books. Unfortunately, few are familiar with this character's origins or the different roles he's played in the comics. Today, the most famous Flying Grayson takes the spotlight once again.

Creation
The Boy Wonder made his first appearance in Detective Comics #38 only about a year after Batman's first appearance. The character was introduced to attract younger readers to the comic while adding a lighter tone to the dark stories of the early Golden Age. This move immediately doubled the sales of Detective Comics, however, the slightly campier tone that developed in the comic during the 50's caused readers to speculate on the nature of the Dynamic Duo's relationship. The character was not only based on the red-breasted bird, but also on the character Robin Hood who was a childhood favorite of artist Jerry Robinson.

First Appearance of Robin

Origins
Dick Grayson was the youngest member of Haly Circus in which he and his parents performed a family acrobatic routine. The circus planned a performance in Gotham City where the Flying Graysons would be the main attraction and many of Gotham's elite were invited to attend including Bruce Wayne. The night before the show, however, Dick overheard crime boss Tony Zucco threatening the circus owner into paying his gang for protection money. Haly  refused to be threatened and didn't give in to Zucco's threats. As a result Zucco sabotaged circus equipment. The night of the show Dick watched helplessly as the trapeze his parents were performing on broke sending them falling to their deaths. Now an orphan, Dick blamed himself for not warning his parents in time.

Some of the circus performers offered to take care of Dick, but because he had been a witness to Zucco's threats, Police Captain James Gordon, who was in charge of the case thought it wouldn't be the safest decision. Taking pity on the young boy as he had also been orphaned at a young age, Bruce Wayne offered to take Dick into his care. Dick had very little attention from his new caretaker as Bruce would frequently disappear without explanation. This coupled with his frustration over his parent's murder remaining unsolved, Dick snuck out one night in order to investigate the scene himself. Arriving at the circus late at night, Dick happened to run into the vigilante Batman who was investigating the crime scene as well. Seeing himself in the boy, Bruce decided to take him under his wing and revealed his identity to him. Given the opportunity to be trained by Batman and accompany him as his ward, Dick accepted and aided Batman in confronting Tony Zucco who, in the stress of the moment, died of a heart attack.

The Dynamic Duo

The Boy Wonder
Dick was thrust into the crime fighting scene when he was forced to defend the Batcave until Batman arrived from Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and Mr. Freeze who had stumbled upon the cave while escaping through an underground tunnel system.
This coupled with the completion of "the Gauntlet"(a test in which Dick must elude Batman in the course of one night), Batman officially swore him in as his new partner in crime fighting.

Dick enjoyed the excitement of being Robin until an encounter with Two-Face gave him the reality check that this wasn't all fun and games. Two-Face had captured Gotham's newest District Attorney and Batman suspending them both from a hangman's noose. Dick used a batarang to cut the D.A.'s rope but had forgotten about Two-Face's obsession with the number two. The D.A. was dropped into a hidden tank of water (part of a two-fold trap). The man drowned and Dick was beaten by Two-Face until Batman was able to free himself and save him. This event left Dick scarred for life.

The Teen Titans

As a teenager, Dick began taking on solo missions in order to prove that he was capable of fighting crime on his own. A short time later, Dick was recruited by the mysterious empath, Raven to lead the newly formed version of the Teen Titans, a team Dick had once been a part of but was currently disbanded. The new team consisted of former members Dick, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, as well as newcomers the Changeling (aka Beast Boy), Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven. As Dick also began attending college at Hudson University. This as well as his membership to the Teen Titans, who were stationed in New York City, left Dick with very little time for his commitments in Gotham City.

 Batman ended Dick's career as Robin after the Joker had shot him in the shoulder. It was then that Dick realized that he had grown up and was no longer dependent on the Dark Knight whom he disagreed with frequently on their crime fighting methods. This led to Robin leaving Wayne Manor and spending more time with the Titans even though he had passed leadership on to Wonder Girl, in order to help him try to rediscover his own identity. Dick even went so far to talk to Superman. He explained to the man of steel that he couldn't imagine his life without being a crime-fighter, but was unsure of how to do it if he couldn't be Robin. Superman told him a story of a Kryptonian that had been cast out by his family (similar to Dick) and forged a new identity for himself, striving for justice and protecting the innocent of Krypton. The hero's real name was unknown but came to be known as Nightwing.

A New Identity

The Original Nightwing Costume

When the newest member of the Teen Titans, Terra, revealed herself as a traitor aiding their arch-enemy Deathstroke (aka. Slade Wilson) in the capture of the Titans, Dick was the only member to escape. The Titans were taken to the headquarters of a malicious organization known as the H.I.V.E.. Knowing he was the Titans only hope, Dick dawned the costume of a new crime-fighting identity he had been working on: Nightwing (inspired by the name of the Kryptonian hero). Teaming up with Deathstroke's son Joseph Wilson who operated under the name Jericho, the two of them infiltrated the H.I.V.E. headquarters and defeated Deathstroke and the H.I.V.E. henchmen. Nightwing, Jericho, the Titans, and the captured Deathstroke escaped, but Terra was killed in the destruction of the headquarters. Dick soon retook leadership of the Titans and offered membership to Jericho.

Dick was now a hero in his own mantra, leading the Titans through some of their darkest moments. However, his relationship with Batman was strained even further by the fact that Batman had taken up a new Robin, Jason Todd who was soon killed at the hands of the Joker.

The New Nightwing Costume (Designed by Alfred)

Dick then sought out by a young boy named Timothy Drake who had deduced Nightwing's identity based on his similar acrobatics to the late Flying Graysons. With this knowledge he was also able to piece together Batman's identity. Tim tried to persuade Dick to return to the identity of Robin in that he believed that Batman needed him just as much as Robin did. Dick refused which led to Tim to trying to prove his worth to Dick to train him to be the third Robin. Eventually, with enough persuasion, Dick pleaded Tim's case to Batman. Tim then underwent training from Bruce, Dick, and Alfred. Tim would later prove to be a core member in the next incarnation of the Teen Titans.

Soon in Gotham, Bruce was crippled by the new villain Bane who had broken his back and left him severely beaten. Reluctant to ask Dick to come back, Bruce recruited Jean-Paul Valley (aka the vigilante Azrael) to take up the identity of Batman while he recovered. However, Valley proved to be unstable and was corrupted by the power of being Batman, even going so far as to build a heavily armored Batsuit equipped with several lethal weapons. Dick was recruited by Tim to take down Azrael and when Bruce had recovered the three of them (with help from Catwoman) brought down Azrael and returned Bruce to the Batman identity.

The Dynamic Duo-Together Again

While Bruce still needed to recover from his broken back, he asked Dick to fill in as Batman. Dick agreed and he and Tim began to form a strong brotherly relationship. When Bruce eventually returned to reclaim the Batman identity, he admitted that the reason he had not originally selected Dick as his replacement was out of respect for his solo crime-fighting career. Having finally revealed his respect for Dick, he and Bruce began to mend their relationship.

Dick began to focus primarily on a solo career, relocating to Blüdhaven, a city outside of Gotham. Dick began to establish his own gallery of villains in this city, most notable the overly-muscular crime lord, Blockbuster. Dick also began to face of with the Teen Titans old enemy, Deathstroke, and the two formed a fierce arch-rivalry. Dick even had encounters with foes he had faced off with in Gotham City such as Two-Face and Scarecrow. Dick also began to build a romantic relationship with the former Batgirl (now Oracle), Barbara Gordon (Daughter of Commissioner Gordon).

Dick Taking on the Mantle of Batman

Shadow of the Bat
During the events of Final Crisis, Batman, operating with the Justice League, was supposedly killed by the New-God, Darkseid. As Dick and the rest of the Bat-family try desperately to bring order to Gotham in Batman's absence, a new Batman using lethal force rises up in a war on crime. After investigating, Dick learns that this new Batman is Jason Todd (the second Robin) resurrected from the dead. Having been resurrected in the Lazarus Pit (a pool of mystic chemicals that grants healing and longevity at the cost of sanity) by Talia al Ghul (daughter of Ra's al Ghul), Jason swore to do what Batman never could and end the lives of the worst criminals in Gotham. After a confrontation between members of the Bat-family that left Damian Wayne (son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul) wounded and Tim injured, Dick decided to confront Jason alone. In a battle that took place atop a moving train, Dick defeats Jason who escapes claiming that they would see each other again. After these events, Dick decides to take on the mantle of Batman.

The New Batman

After becoming the new Batman, to Tim's surprise, Dick chooses Damian to be the new Robin as he considered him to be an equal and believed that Damian needed mentoring and guidance, especially in his father's absence. Furious about this decision, Tim storms out of Wayne Manor and goes on a search to find evidence that Bruce is alive. He also adopts the new identity of Red Robin.

Dick soon learns that Damian is very cold and antagonistic, often criticizing him as unfit for the role of Batman. The more the two work together, however, the more Damian begin to support Dick in his endeavors, but still can be overly critical at times.

Within his career as Batman, Dick had faced off against Scarecrow, Two-Face, Penguin, Firefly, Hush, and most notably, the new Black Mask and Jason Todd. The Batman mantle proved only to last a few years as Bruce Wayne would return, having not been killed but trapped throughout the time stream. Dick would then return to the mantle of Nightwing after the events of Flashpoint, and leave Bruce as the one and only Batman once again.

Nightwing in his Redesigned Costume

Nightwing Once More
Dick has returned to and is currently operating in his Nightwing persona though he has slightly redesigned it in order to reflect a darker tone. He has once again pursuing a romantic relationship with Barbara Gordon (now Batgirl) and is an active member of the Bat-family. 

(*Comic Book Spoiler Alert*) 

His identity has recently been revealed publicly by the Crime Syndicate (an alternate Justice League from Earth-2) in the ongoing crossover event Forever Evil.

Recommended Reading:

Dick Grayson: Nightwing

• Robin: Year One
• Batman Dark Victory (read The Long Halloween first)
• The New Teen Titans Omnibus
• Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
• Batman: Year Three
• Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying
• Batman Knightsend
• Nightwing: A Knight in Blüdhaven
• Nightwing: FreeFall
• Titans vol.1
• Nightwing: the Great Leap
• Battle for the Cowl
• Batman: The Black Mirror
• Batman and Robin by Grant Morrison
• Batman: Night of the Owls Crossover

Keep checking back for more articles and character spotlights.

Batman: Arkham Origins Reviewed

The bat is back with another installment in the series we need, but is it the one we deserve? (Spoiler Free)

 Batman: Arkham Origins is the first prequel game in the critically acclaimed series.  The premise is the crime lord Roman Sionis (aka. Black Mask) has put a fifty million dollar bounty on Batman's head attracting eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City with one night (which just so happens to be Christmas Eve) to kill the hero and collect the reward. The game takes place towards the close of Batman's second year of crime-fighting meaning he is not well established with the people of Gotham and finds himself at odds with the police, most notably Captain James Gordon. As if this isn't enough trouble for Batman, a new criminal going by the name "The Joker" has appeared in Gotham City.

What I liked:
One of the big things about this game that makes it a little different that the first two is that there is more emphasis on Batman's supporting cast this time around. Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon are both given much more prominent roles than their occasional cameos.  I really liked how the game focused on Batman establishing his allies as well as how they define the hero.  It's hard not to sympathize with Alfred who struggles to get through to Bruce throughout the story.  A minor complaint is that, though Barbara Gordon makes an appearance, I don't think the character is given enough to do, especially when the focus on allies is so strong in the game.

I thought that the story for the game was excellent.  It may not be on as grand of a scale as Arkham City, but I did find it more epic than Arkham Asylum.  The story sounds like it should be a simple enough concept; beat assassins before they beat you and then confront Black Mask.  But the story turns into so much more.  I can't reveal much without spoilers, but the game has its twists and turns that change the direction of where the story may seem like it's heading.  And like with any of the previous Arkham games, the Joker steals the show.

Speaking of the Joker, Troy Baker does the voice acting justice.  It's hard to top what Mark Hamill had built for the character but I think Baker acknowledges this and builds on the base of Mark Hamill's work.  The Joker seems to have a specific voice that has been established for him and Baker acts along the line of this voice with only some minor differences that are difficult to spot unless you're really looking for them.  In all honesty, the Joker does sound younger but with the same tone we've come to know which I think is a good thing for a prequel game.

The combat system had some welcome additions to keep it from being a complete rehash of Arkham City.  The first is the martial artists.  These foes are able to counter your strikes and may require multiple counters to avoid their full attacks.  I thought this was a welcome addition as it keeps you a little more vigilante as you can't just jump from foe to foe and have to spend a little more time dealing with a specific foe.  Another addition along these lines was the inclusion of the superior thugs.  These are bigger and stronger foes than the typical thug and are fought similar to a Titan-thug from the previous games.  They are a little easier to beat than a Titan-thug, but still provide the added challenge to the combat system.  Though it's not part of the combat challenges, I thought that the predator missions and maps were good but with a couple minor complaints that I'll get to later.

My last big praise for the game are the boss fights.  Typically the boss fights are the weakest parts of the game being just beat-downs on foes that can just cause slightly more damage (
with the exception of Mr. Freeze from Arkham City).  That changes in this game as button mashers may find out.  Deathstroke (or Slade to you Teen Titans fans out there) can counter your attacks leading you to counter back with the necessary timing in order to keep you from taking damage.  Other characters like Bane, however, were similar to the beat-em-ups but would require better thought and reflexes in order to keep yourself from being vulnerable to stronger attacks.  A minor complaint is that the boss battle with Firefly is difficult at first but once you figure out the system for attacking him it just gets repetitive.  Other bosses such as Killer Croc or Copperhead are perfectly fine, but they just don't shine as brightly as Bane or Deathstroke's fights.

What I didn't like:
This game is a low point for the predator missions.  As I mentioned the maps were good, having lots of opportunities, set up for taking out henchmen.  However, this also means they didn't feel as challenging as the missions in the previous two games.  One of my biggest complaints is how direct the remote claw is in take-downs.   This can allow you to take out 2-3 thugs before you even have to start planning your approach to the map.  I'm fine with using the claw to stun two henchmen or for a gas can take-down, but being able to sit back and hang three henchmen from gargoyles without any planning is just too easy.

In addition to gadgets that make things two easy, I have mixed feelings about the inclusion of shock gloves in close-combat challenges.  The problem is they are too easy to abuse.  The gloves can punch through armor, shields, and batons, which means you can pretty much just mash your way through foes without much thought.  I do see how they can be useful though.  If used properly they can be similar to star-power from the Guitar Hero series.  A little edge that may be necessary when things get too out of control, but like I said, the temptation to abuse the shock gloves in combat is still there and can take away a bit of thought from the battle.

One of my last complaints is that the villains seem a little flat.  This is usually a common problem for most Arkham games.  The problem is having a story that requires so many characters, a lot of them don't get their fair amount of time to shine.  All of the assassins, with the exception of Bane, never feel fully fleshed out.  Even Black Mask, the villain in the spotlight, gets hung out to dry once Joker steals the show.  That being said, the characters the significant characters get a really strong build up.  Characters like this include Batman, Joker, Alfred, Bane, and James Gordon.

My last complaint is that the setting is a little lifeless compared to the other Batman games.  It feels like a lot is reused from Arkham City but without the cameos and Easter eggs that made the game so intriguing.  Also, the map contains a bridge that, though it is necessary to the story, is a little too long and gets monotonous to cross when needed.

Closing Thoughts.

Let me just say how excited I was to dive back into the Arkham universe as Batman and begin to explore Gotham and encounter the characters that give the Batman franchise so much life as I'm sure many were as well.  This shows just how much this critically acclaimed series has to live up to, and how much pressure is on the company to make another hit (especially when it's not Rocksteady this time).  These games, though, are often always worth looking forward too, and I'm glad the company experimented with new ideas in this installment.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Origins is a good game that just doesn't quite step out of the shadow of its predecessor, Arkham City.  The new ideas are a bit hit and miss, which hopefully means the next installment will improve upon those.  What has already been established for the series wasn't ignored and was built on in order to keep the life in the series.  If you are a fan of Batman, or want an excuse to dive back into the Arkhamverse, than I seriously recommend checking out this game.  Compared to the other Arkham games, however, it tends to stand in their shadows and doesn't quite realize it's full potential.  But hey, it's still one heck of a game.

Final Rating: 8/10