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Marvel What If…? Episode 5 Review

Ahh, the zombie apocalypse. It’s a classic horror film scenario, or the premise behind a long-running show like The Walking Dead. For superhero comics that use the concept of the multiverse theory, though, it’s all but mandatory to have one universe filled with zombies. Case in point, in 2005, Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead wrote a mini-series titled Marvel Zombies. In this alternate universe, a zombie apocalypse occurs and threatens to kill everyone in that universe. So, with the MCU now tapping into its own Multiverse, it was inevitable that What If…? would cover this. It ends up being one of the goriest things the MCU’s shown us; and that includes the Netflix series!

What If…? Zombies!?!

In the MCU film Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hanky Pym traveled to the Quantum Realm to find his long-lost wife, Janet. However, in this timeline, Janet got infected by a quantum virus that turned her into a zombie. Hank got infected, and when he got back, he spread it to the entire west coast of the US. The Avengers reunite to stop it, but…you can guess what happens.

Fighting a zombie apocalypse is already a terrifying prospect, but Marvel cranks it up to 11. While the MCU zombies are mindless beings driven only to multiply, they retain all the skills and abilities they had in life. Dr. Strange and Wong can use magic; Tony Stark’s got his armor. And Wanda? You don’t want to face her!

Considering how the last two episodes of the show have shown us universes where things don’t end well, this episode ups the ante. However, it stops short of being as dark as the story with Dr. Strange, as that episode ended with the entire universe being destroyed. Additionally, the story with the alternate Strange hit harder as it felt far more tragic with almost no humor. In contrast, Marvel balances out the horror with their trademark humor. It works, but a little too well at times.

Spider-Man Is the Smartest Survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse

In world-ending events like this, usually it falls on the oldest and most experienced to help everyone survive. However, in this zombie apocalypse, it’s the youngest member of the surviving heroes who proves to be the smartest: Spider-Man.

MCU Spidey’s repeatedly proven to be very pop-culture savvy, and while some may find it annoying, that knowledge has proven invaluable on numerous occasions. In this case, watching enough zombie films taught him how best to survive the undead. Which only makes it more frustrating to see the adults ignore his advice, which leads to several of them dying.

Spider-Man’s really the MVP of this entire episode (along with the Cloak of Levitation), giving the team sound advice that even Okoye admits she should’ve listened to. Moreover, his optimism in such a bleak scenario makes him all the more endearing. There’s a reason why he’s Marvel’s greatest hero, and this is why.

I’d Bail On this World, Too, Watcher!

Unlike last week, which saw the Watcher indirectly interact with that universe, here he maintains his distance. And you know what? I don’t blame him. While he could end up helping the heroes (if he could), he probably knows that it’s best not to make things worse. If he got infected, it would spread to other universes, and then the Multiverse would be screwed!

While by the end of the episode, the survivors have a ray of hope for a potential cure, the Watcher makes it clear that their odds aren’t great. A threat just as big has just made its way to Earth, only to get infected. As a result, this whole universe looks to be screwed. If they can’t cure the virus, then it’s best to get out of that universe quick!

This episode doesn’t reach the emotional highs as last week’s, and gets hampered at times by it’s own need to balance out the bleakness with comedy. However, it also makes up for it by being fun to watch. Also, it gave us this:

And this.

I Give “What If…Zombies?!?” a 3.9/5

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The year 2018 was a huge year, as far as I’m concerned: superheros dominated the box office, we lost a lot of celebrities, and saw stellar game after stellar game released. It was also a big year for me personally, thought that is another story. With today being the last day of 2018, I thought I could look back on some of what I thought were the defining moments of 2018.

“Wakanda Forever!”- The Black Panther

I already talked about it in my post on superhero movies I saw for 2018, but I will say it again: Black Panther was one of the biggest hits of the year. Its success goes well beyond that, however. It celebrates the traditions and customs of African cultures while also showing what it can become. That’s what Wakanda stands for.

To outsiders, Wakanda looks like a third-world nation. In reality, though, it has the kind of technology and economic prosperity that would make America green with envy. They have hoverbikes, people! HOVERBIKES!

At the same time, Wakanda is in tune with African culture and traditions. People walk through the streets of the city wearing traditional garments alongside more modern clothing. Wakanda’s military rides into battle in warrior garbs that are laced with vibranium and holographic shields. The method through which T’Challa officially becomes King is through ceremonial combat. It’s an amazing blend of technology and tradition, and shows what African culture can be. I can’t wait for the next time we visit Wakanda.

The Ultimate Pop Culture Drug- Ready Player One

Oh my god, this movie was the absolute BEST. For someone who has spent their entire life surrounded by popular culture, this movie was like being a kid in the world’s coolest candy store. I would have to spend days looking through the entire movie to list every cultural reference in this game. I hope Ernest Cline is proud of how the movie adaptation turned out.

If you didn’t see the movie or read the book, here’s the synopsis: it takes place in 2045, where everyone has basically given up on fixing the world. Instead, they put on VR headsets and hang out in the OASIS, which is the ultimate VR hub-universe where you can do anything! It was co-created by this giant pop culture nerd and gamer James Halliday. When he died, he left a scavenger hunt for three keys in the OASIS. The player who finds them first gets full control of OASIS. So, it’s Willy Wonka meets Bill Gates. If you haven’t seen it already, see it now.

RIP Dr. Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking was one of the most brilliant minds of our time, but he was always living time. He was diagnosed with ALS in his 20s, but that never stopped him from living a full and happy life. It also didn’t stop him from make guest-appearances as himself on various shows. And somehow, he managed to live for fifty years with the disease. But, he passed away in peace on March 14, 2018. I think he would have found it funny that he died on Pi Day.

“I don’t feel so good…” The Snap of Infinity War

If you’re one of the handfuls of people that haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, then here’s a spoiler: Thanos wins and kills off half the universe. I watched half the cast of the movie turn into dust and fade away before my eyes, but the hardest part was watching Spider-Man die. I NEVER saw that coming.

At any rate, Tom Holland’s line “I don’t feel so good” as he turned into dust from what pop culture has dubbed “The Snap” became a staple of pop culture for 2018. All over social media, people started using the disintegration special effect to recreate The Snap and dusting. It was our way of coping with the genuinely traumatic sight of watching characters we never thought we’d see bite it die. My only regret is that I couldn’t find one of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones turning into dust.

Seriously, I WANT to see her die in 2019.

End of Adventure Time

One of the greatest cartoons of all time, Adventure Time brought on a renaissance for Cartoon Network. Several awards, critical acclaim, and a fan base that spanned across all generations and nationalities, Adventure Time was a cartoon that only comes around once in a lifetime. But all good things need to come to an end. Or else they up like The Simpsons (that’s right, I went there).

On Labor Day, 2018, Adventure Time came to an end with the hour-long finale, “Come Along With Me”. But even though it ended its run on TV, it’s legacy has inspired other cartoons and helped to launch a new generation of creators, one that I think we have only begun to tap. Besides, it’s not like the show is gone for good: it’s still be continued in comic book sequels.

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4

Never in my life have I have ever needed something so badly and never knew it until I got it. This was probably my favorite game of 2018, even if it didn’t win Game of the Year.

We Were Right About Global Warming

You know how all those people kept saying that global warming wasn’t real, in spite of the evidence. Guess what? WE WERE RIGHT! Global warming is real, it’s already here, and it’s dangerously close to the point of no return on it. And people are starting to wake up to the danger of it, despite the fact that Donal Trump insists that it is not real.

As more and more of the world begins to go green in order to reduce the effects of global warming, estimates are coming in. It’s believed that the demand for fossil fuels will peak in about 11-12 years, and then decline as green energy sources become widespread. That’s promising, but it still might not be enough to stop our planet from being irreparably screwed over. It’s never too late to try, though.

RIP Stan Lee and Steve Dikto

This one doesn’t really need any more explaining. I already covered my feelings about it plenty in my post about it.

In case people forgot, though, I would like to point out that Steve Dikto, who co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee, died earlier this year. So I think it’s only right to mention him. Hopefully, those two are with Jack Kirby in that great comic book studio in the sky

RIP Stephen Hillenberg

Nor does this need any more explaining. RIP, Ocean Man.

Fallout 76

From the moment I saw the lackluster reaction to it at E3 2018, I knew that this game was going to have problems. Still, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt and pre-ordered it for myself. So far, it feels like it was a waste of my money.

This game has been plagued with issues from the very start, and they have only gotten worse. Bethesda has repeatedly broken its promises and abused the trust of its customers with poorly made merchandise related to the game. I wish that this game would improve, but so far it doesn’t look likely.

ANIME IS NOW MAINSTREAM

Gentleman, let us mark 2018 as the year when anime was officially mainstream. For evidence, I provide this video: Goku’s balloon at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I watched that parade from start to finish just for this parade, and I think plenty of other people did as well. It was an amazing experience showing that we were no longer a niche group of fans but a full part of pop culture. I did groan in frustration when the host pronounced “Saiyan” wrong.

BTW, Pikachu doesn’t count. He was a video game character before he got his own anime.

So, what were your favorite moments of 2018? Let me know in the comments below! Happy New Year, and check out my other blog on what I look forward to in 2018

When I look back on the year 2018, there are a couple of things that I want to remember it for (and I will be covering some of them in my Review of 2018 here). Looking back, though, I think I can sum up my memory of 2018 in four words: the Year of Superheroes.

Year of Superheroes

Superhero movies dominated the film industry in 2018, churning out movie after movie up to the final weeks of the year. In hindsight, aside from a few exceptions, the majority of the movies that I went to see in theaters were superhero movies. I didn’t get to see every last one of them, but I saw a good deal of them, sometimes more than once. With the year wrapping up, I thought it would be fun to go back and give my thoughts about what I did see.

So, without further delay, here it is, true believers! My thoughts on this Year of Superheroes.

Black Panther

Dear god, where do I even begin? As someone who has read Marvel Comics for years and scoured the internet for lore, I knew the basics about the Black Panther: the first African superhero. Created in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, he was a game-changer then, and he is now. This was the first time in living memory (that I know of) that an African or African-American superhero had the spotlight to themselves, and the people who made the film knew how important that was.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this movie would be as big as it got. I thought Infinity War was going to be the big superhero movie of the year, but this one seems to have made the bigger cultural splash. I loved it, and I would watch it again in a heartbeat.

Avengers: Infinity War

From the moment I saw Thanos in the mid-credits to Avengers, I KNEW that this moment was coming. I watched nearly every Marvel film for the last six years, watching the pieces fall into place and the Infinity Stones be revealed. When it finally came, I was one of millions of people who went to the movies to see it. What I saw exceeded my expectations.

I felt I had a lot of reasons to worry about this film not being a success. I was worried that, with so many characters, there wouldn’t be enough screen-time for everyone. Or that, after repeatedly topping themselves so many times in terms of scope, that this would be the moment when the MCU stumbled. Thank GOD that it didn’t.

I was enthralled by the film from start to finish. I gasped out loud at some of the moments, I laughed, squealed in delight, and at one point, I quietly screamed in sorrow.

By the time the credits rolled around, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. I don’t know if it actually happened, but I swear people started applauding it. This was one of the best movies I have ever seen, and it was a night I will never forget. Big highlight for year of superheroes.

Deadpool 2

I’ll be the first to admit it: once upon a time, I hated Deadpool.

I’m serious. I thought he was annoying as hell. But then Ryan Reynolds somehow made me fall in love with the Merc with a Mouth. Actually, I think it’s more like I’m in love with Ryan Reynold’s performance as Deadpool. I don’t know how, but the way plays DP is just hilarious, and you can tell that he has fun with it. Shoot, I think he only agreed to play Pikachu in Detective Pikachu just to make fun of it as Deadpool.

What were my favorite scenes: just this.

I laughed my butt off with my friends in the theater when I saw what happened to most of the team. It was a big spit in the face of the concept of superhero teams. But then the film manages to top it in the mid-credits by correcting some…mistakes.

And Ryan Reynolds got to stop himself from making the biggest mistake of his career.

Thank you, Marvel.

Incredibles 2

I didn’t particularly like the original film, but I think that when I saw it, I wasn’t in a good mood that day, so that may have affected my viewing. Nonetheless, Pixar and Disney times Incredibles 2 perfectly. With superheroes dominating the box office, this was the best time to release the long awaited sequel. I don’t really know what else there is to say, other than when’s the next one coming out?

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Initially, I wasn’t going to see this movie. Because after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, I thought that there would be no point. There was no way this movie could top it. Overall, I was right. There were no universally-high stakes in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Maybe that’s what moviegoers needed to see, though. It wasn’t as big or as epic as Infinity War, and it knew it couldn’t compete with it. So, it didn’t bother trying. It was a light-hearted film that helped take the edge off of having to wait another year for the next MCU film, and the ending does help set up for Avengers: Endgame.

Teen Titans Go! to the Movies

I was a fan of the original Teen Titans show, so when I saw this show for the first time, I wanted to puke. But then, for reasons I fully don’t comprehend, I decided to go see this movie. And you know what? It wasn’t that bad. Actually it was, pretty good.

Put the torches and pitchforks down. And drop the shotguns.

I still don’t like the show! But the movie made me realize that Teen Titans GO! was never meant to be like the original cartoon. It’s trying to be its own thing and entertain a different audience, and so far it seems to be working. What I’m getting at is that this movie is basically the show telling the haters that it’s proud to be silly, and that doesn’t stop it from being cool when it needs to be. Just look at this!

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes

Considering how much I love superheroes and anime, I wonder how I did not get into My Hero Academia sooner than this year? Well, better late than never. I love this show, and I loved the movie, and I don’t know what I can say clearly to express my admiration for the author or the people who work on the show. I just wish I could find an actual clip of the final battle. The moment you hear “You Say Run”, your hair will start to stand on end in excitement.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Anything that I say here will have already been said in my review of this movie, so I will keep it brief. I thought Infinity War was the best superhero movie of the year, but compared to this, I don’t think it even treads water. This film is a love letter to one of the greatest heroes of modern culture and a tribute to the recently deceased creators of Spider-Man, Steve Dikto and Stan Lee. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you need to drop what you’re doing and buy some tickets. You will not regret it. Just look at this scene!

My hair stood up in excitement. This captures what makes Spider-Man great, in a way that words alone cannot capture.

Year of Superheroes in Conclusion

So, in conclusion, this year was an amazing year for superhero movies, and it’s going to be one of the things I will remember it for. For the other things I want to remember about 2018, check out my year in review, out soon! Peace out!