In Defense of Andrea

***HERE THERE BE SPOILERS. YE HAVE BEEN WARNED.***

As will surprise absolutely no one, I love AMC's The Walking Dead. I love the writing, direction, acting, characters, action, and overall design. I love that it's become a ratings juggernaut. I love that an indy comic is getting so much attention. I like that the showrunners are treating the comic as an integral part of the show. I love that series creator Robert Kirkman is such a visible part of both aspects, to the point where he was on Conan (and actually did pretty well). I love The Walking Dead. But you know what I don't love? I don't love how much hatred there seems to be for certain characters in the show; particularly Lori Grimes and Andrea.

I'm not gonna cry sexism here (though I'm tempted to) since I don't know enough about that subject to get into. However, I will say that the hate seems to be a bit unwarranted. Let's start by looking at Lori, since the hate for her seems to have died when she did. To be honest, I never really got the hate for her. I've heard it said that she seemed to get in the way of the plot...which is kinda BS, since her presence was central to several plots of Season 2, including the escalating conflict between Rick and Shane and Carl's ongoing journey towards complete sociopathy. I also get the feeling that she is seen as an unfit mother considering the amount of times her son is told to "get in the house" and never does (yeah, apparently that was a meme during Season 2. I don't keep up with memes and it's too late to care, so fuck it). Maybe it's that some viewers didn't like the idea of a woman sleeping with someone after her learning that her husband was dead (which, why wouldn't he be, except in the case of the unlikely circumstances which lead Rick to not being dead).

However, I think the final nail in the coffin was the season finale, when Lori reacted with shock and horror at learning that Rick actually went through with it and killed Shane, after she warned Rick that Shane was dangerous and that he should do something about it. This I will defend. I have to assume she meant "Rick, talk to him and get him to back off," which Rick tried, and which failed, and led to the predicament of Shane getting knifed. The killing, however, she didn't expect; hell, most of the viewing audience didn't expect. And to hear that her husband killed a man and does not regret it? That's probably a lot to take in, so I can see why she wouldn't be immediately okay with that course of events. However, Lori died some episodes back and now the fans have a new female main to dislike for various reasons that are probably stupid: Andrea.

Looking back on it, I actually like Andrea's development since season one, starting as the gentle bystander, pushed to a suicide attempt by the death of her sister, resenting the man who 'rescued' her, stepping up and becoming an effective member of the walker defense team, having a brief affair with Shane, seeing Dale die, getting separated from the group, teaming with Michonne for eight months, finding Woodbury, sleeping with the Governor, watching Michonne leave, finding out that the Governor's kind of a psycho, finding out the Governor's really a psycho, finding that her old group plus Michonne are starting to fall apart at the seams and that they're now at war with the Governor (who has superior numbers and a more fortified position), and now trying to make peace between these two camps. That's a lot to do in three seasons.

Now, the hatred for Andrea seems to come from the fact that she's sticking with the Governor, willfully ignorant of or apathetic towards the fact that he wants to kill all her friends and also kept a secret collection of zombie heads in fish tanks. This is not how I see it. She isn't sticking with the Gov, she's sticking with Woodbury, and all the people who live there. She wants to see these (presumably) nice, innocent people not die just because their leader is an asshole. And she knows their leader is an asshole, she said as much in the last episode! But she also knows that Woodbury believes in him and supports him, and that they will follow him into a war with Team Rick that will get a whole lotta people dead. Andrea doesn't want that and is trying to make peace with the two camps.

Now I know what you're gonna say - or rather not say, since nobody posts here and my meager handful of followers don't watch the Dead and have no opinions on it - you're gonna not say "But Andrea slept with the Governor, even after she found out what happened with Glenn and Maggie and Merle!" Well, to that I say...yes, yes she did. But not because she wanted to get some; she was trying to go through with Carol's brilliant plan of "Bang him, then kill him in his sleep". She got the first half done, but the second...well, I imagine it's heard to stab a man that you once really liked through the heart while he's sleeping. Just a guess. Call it weak, I call it human and, more to the point, I call it Andrea trying to keep Dale's morals alive in a world where he's not there to interject into conversations.

If there's any flaws in Andrea's machinations it's that A) she's trying to get Rick and the Gov to make peace, despite the fact that this will never happen because both are ruthless SOB's who are currently setting up timeshares in Crazytown (to say nothing of the fact that this is a TV show and everybody wants an explosive climax over tedious delegations), but more to the point it's that the outcome of Andrea's plan leaves the Governor in power at Woodbury. Ideally, the Gov wouldn't hurt anyone now that he's not at war with Rick, but this guy is too unstable to be left alone, much less be leader of a town and have access to a relatively huge arsenal. The audience knows it, Rick's group knows it, and Andrea really should know it.

I get the feeling that Andrea's going to be the one to eventually put the Governor down, if only so that the writers can redeem her in the eyes of the fans, but for now, I'm liking watching her journey. Optimism from someone who was once suicidal is an interesting shift, but for Andrea it makes sense and it brings a perspective that's otherwise missing from an overwhelmingly bleak and grim show. I like the character, I like the storyline, and, like many of you, I'm on the edge of my seat every Sunday, waiting to see where things go.

Not in Kansas Anymore

I haven't written a movie review in some time (and haven't seen a movie on opening weekend either), so indulge me.

For many people (myself included), 1939's The Wizard of Oz is a staple of our childhood, an iconic fantasy film that has lasted well through the decades and sparked the imaginations of many a viewer. The Land of Oz is as mystifying and engaging as a fantasy land born of a sixteen-year-old's angst-ridden fever dream can be, and has inspired several sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and expanded universe materials. The latest, Oz the Great and Powerful is another one of these, and it's a pretty damn good one.

Focusing on the Wonderful Wizard makes a lot of sense. Despite being the title character of the classic film and the first of L. Frank Baum's novels, we know relatively little of him, but he leaves a huge impression. He's the original man behind the curtain, an enigmatic ruler whose power doesn't begin match his reputation. To whit, our story follows the origin of Oz himself, real name Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Digg (played by James Franco), a stage magician, con artist, and womanizer operating out of a traveling circus in black-and-white Kansas. A poorly-timed balloon ride and one tornado later, Oscar lands in the Merry Old Land of Oz faster than you (or any one else in the cast) can say "It's a twister! A twister!". Oscar is immediately heralded as the prophesied savior of the land, and being the opportunistic sod that he is, Oscar takes advantage of the situation and accepts his role, unaware that his welcomers may really be pulling the wool over his eyes.

The film is directed by Sam Raimi, a geek icon who A) has a lot of reverence for older material, and B) knows how to bring the fun to his flicks, making him pretty much perfect for this film. The peril is exciting, the action engaging, and the characters are pretty fun. Franco sells the more human aspects of Oscar, though it took a bit for me to buy into his showman persona, while his traveling companions are entertaining and complement Oscar well. What's more, the film has the right amount of reverence for it's predecessor, showing off iconic images and familiar moments, without being distracting about it. The visuals are stunning, with Oz being the same larger-than-life fantasy realm that it must have been for 1939 audiences. However, the best thing onscreen ends up being the film's leading ladies.

The three witches of Oz (which sort of confuses me, as the witches are based on directions on the compass so logically there should be four, but whatever, three's more Shakespearean or whatever), played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams, look goddamn spectacular onscreen, which is to say nothing of the characters they play. The witches are more nuanced than expected, particularly Kunis and Williams, and make for some of the most interesting (and gorgeous) parts of the movie.

If I had to criticize Oz, it's that it suffers from the same affliction many fantasy stories like it suffer: very simple characterization. The supporting cast is fun, but there's not much to them, and only two or three of them have an actual arc. Hell, I don't remember much from two of Oscar's companions except their job title and the actors who played them. Also, while I won't spoil the second act twist, the movie telegraphs pretty hard where certain characters will end up in the grand scheme of Oz iconography. And finally, Oscar's arc comes off as...well, utterly expected. It's the same lesson learned in Wizard (no, not that one), so I guess its got that going for it, but it's still fairly obvious.

In a time when revisionist fantasy is in, when everything magic on film has to be dark or subversive to relate to the young people, Oz comes off as almost a film unstuck from time; a flashy, optimistic piece that also serves as a loving tribute to one of the oldest and most well-recognized films in the genre. It's an absolute blast of a blockbluster, and comes highly recommended.

Besides, what else is playing right now?

Seven Strangers

Okay, I just read this weirdness and I had to talk about it. And I've got a lot to say about it, but bear with me.

First off, some history on the Silver Age of comics; specifically, what is the Silver Age of comics? Dating roughly from the late 40's to the late 60's, the Silver Age was partly defined by the activities of Dr. Frederic Wertham (the great asshole). A psychologist interested searching for the root cause of juvenile delinquency, Dr. Wertham (the great asshole) found that most, if not all, inmates at juvenile halls stated they had read comics at some point - which was kind of obvious, since comics were big during that time. It would be like asking today's kids if they had a Facebook account or watched YouTube. Nevertheless, a link was found, and Dr. Wertham (the great asshole) began crusading against comics, including those published by DC. The response was the creation of the Comics Code Authority, a set of rules created by comic publishers that would ensure censorship in their books. The removal of sexuality, drug use, and frightening images made the medium aggressively kid-oriented; i.e., more focused on the weird ideas than characters. This would change with Stan Lee and the Marvel revolution in 1962, but the early Silver Age would remain one of the strangest eras of storytelling in American comic books.

What does this have to do with anything? Well, some of those kids who read and loved the weirdness of the Silver Age that was largely swept under the rug as time went on grew up to become comic writers themselves. One such was Grant Morrison, who doesn't have a nickname so I'll just call him the Great Scottish Wonder. Morrison regularly incorporates Silver Age nostalgia into his stories, but reinvents them, infusing his own brand of strangeness and contextualizing them into the modern era. One such was 2005's meta-series, Seven Soldiers, which I just read and am pretty sure I liked it.

A reinvention of the Golden Age team the Seven Soldiers of Victory, Morrison's meta-series was made up of seven different miniseries, each one focusing on a member of the team, book-ended by single issues that opened and closed the story. The through-line of the stories was relatively simple for Morrison: aliens from the future called the Sheeda are preparing to attack Earth in the present, and each of our seven heroes has some encounter with them that puts them on the path to fighting back when the climactic invasion happens. Sort of. It's complicated, but in a clever way. The weirdness of it comes from the specific characters stories, which I will explain to you, because hey, that's what I'm here for:

Shining Knight (art by Simone Bianchi): The Silver Age Shining Knight was Sir Justin, a knight from King Arthur's court, displaced from time into the future who went on to be a superhero. The new version is a bit more interesting. He's still a Sir Justin of Camelot, but a more Celtic Camelot than the Medieval version we're familiar. See, according to Morrison, Camelot exists in cycles; if one is destroyed, it's only a matter of time (in this case, some 8000-odd years) before another comes up. And yes, Celtic Camelot does get destroyed by, who else, the Sheeda. Sir Justin (or Sir Ystin, as it were), escapes by invading the Sheeda's floating fortress, Castle Revolving, and winds up thrown through time into the future, where he deals with the loss of everyone he knew and loved, but resolves to continue fighting the Sheeda nonetheless.

It's not the most original story, but it's still well done and has an interesting subplot (involving a magical, life-renewing cauldron falling into the hands of a Los Angeles crime boss) that winds up tying into the rest of the series. Plus there's a hell of a character revelation about Ystin in issue 3. Really a great way to kick off the event.

Manhattan Guardian (art by Cameron Stewart): This was probably my favorite of the minis, as it balanced the strangeness with a good character focus. Our protagonist is Jake Jordan, a former Cinderella City cop (don't worry, it's just New York). Jake, despondent over the circumstances of losing his job, accepts a new position as a reporter and superhero, employed by a major metropolitan newspaper (think of it like if the Daily Planet paid Superman for saving the city, as well as Clark Kent for writing about it). From there, Jake fights the Subway Pirates of Manhattan (you have to read it to believe it), as well as learns about his boss's history with the kid supergroup, the Newsboy Army of Nowhere Street. It's strange, but doesn't distract from Jake's personal heroes journey and introduces characters who pop up later in the series. Plus, Subway Pirates of Manhattan. You gotta love those freaks.

Zatanna (art by Ryan Sook): This was probably my least favorite of the minis, as I just wasn't interested in the story, which is a shame because I like the hero. Zatanna Zatara is easily the most famous character here, a stage magician who moonlights as a genuine sorceress, who has been a member of the Justice League for some time. Here, her story involves Zatanna going through a "magic addiction", in which she begins relying on using magic to solve everyday problems, which leads to her misusing her powers and endangering herself and others (really it's a confidence issue, as it relates to the circumstances of the previous story Identity Crisis, but whatever). She takes a break from using magic, but decides to take on an apprentice, teenage sorceress Misty Kilgore. From there, things...happen, I think. I dunno, I feel like I might've missed a lot of the story on the first readthrough (including Misty's entire backstory, which figures in heavily with the Sheeda and has something of an impact at the end of the story). Still, the art was trippy and cool and the story eventually crosses over into others in a neat way.

Klarion the Witch Boy (art by Frazier Irving): Klarion's...an interesting one; a complete, top-to-bottom reinvention of an old character. The original Witch Boy was a Jack Kirby-created villain, an adolescent sorcerer whose unchecked id caused problems for Etrigan the Demon and occasionally other DC heroes. The new Klarion is more heroic (at least at first); a citizen of Limbo Town, a lost tribe of Puritans living underneath New York who maintain 17th-century styles and traditions, save for their worship of the witch-god Croatoan. Klarion, like little mermaids before him, is fascinated from afar by the wonders above ground and seeks to explore the outside world. However, the strict laws of his home prevent him from going to the surface. He gets his opportunity when the Sheeda begin to invade Limbo Town, and the chaos allows Klarion to escape and begin his exploration.

This series is mixed for me; Morrison's problems in storytelling rears its head when off-screen events don't get a proper explanation, but the high points of the series are very high points; I especially like the poignancy of Klarion's wide-eyed amazement at seeing something as common and pedestrian as a candy bar wrapper. Frazier Irving's moody, expressive style adds an element of creepiness to the book, which actually works really well and makes Limbo Town seem safe and familiar when compared to the outside world.

Mister Miracle (art by Pascal Ferry): The original Mister Miracle was escape artist and superhero Thaddeus Brown, who eventually died and passed the mantle onto someone else: alien who looks like a white guy Scott Free (yes, that's his name, and there's a reason for it). Scott's part of the Fourth World, a pair of planets constantly at war with each other: New Genesis and Apokolips (guess which one's the bad guys). Our third Miracle and the star of the series is Shilo Norman, Thaddeus Brown's assistant who uses Scott Free's technology in his escape artist act. During his latest stunt - escaping from the event horizon of a black hole - Shilo meets Metron of New Genesis, a character whose entire purpose is to pop in, say "Crap's about to go down", then leave. From there, Shilo learns that the war of the Fourth World ended, and evil won. Darkseid, the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips, found the Anti-Life Equation and turned all the Fourth Worlders into humans, with the heroes of New Genesis as a group of homeless people and the warriors of Apokolips as a crime syndicate. Shilo is instructed to become the spirit of freedom his predecessor was, but soon finds himself caught up in the machinations of Boss Dark Side and his forces.

As a series Miracle, is only tangentially related to the overall Sheeda-invasion. Really, it's about Shilo coming to term with the idea of being involved in an ages-old intergalactic war that's come to Earth, but this feels incongruous, since superheroes are well established by now in the Earth of DC and their weirdness is sort of mundane by now, but beyond that arbitrary skepticism, the story comes off as kind of uninteresting. The idea of the Fourth World on Earth turns out to be pretty cool, but Shilo Norman himself is a bit bland. Still, it's very atmospheric and creepy, and has some cool ideas to it.

Bulleteer (art by Yanick Paquette): The original Bulletman and Bulletgirl were a husband-and-wife superhero team from WW2, first published by Fawcett Comics in the Golden Age. The new Bulleteer is a soap box for Grant Morrison to cry foul at the objectification of female superheroes...while simultaneously drawing its protagonist as sexy in every panel she's in. It's weird.

Lance Harrower is a scientist working on creating "smart skin", a chemical process which would make the user invulnerable and super-strong. His wife Alix, being a rational human being, thinks it would have good military applications, but Lance wants to become a superhero, as, in his mind, superheroes stay young and beautiful forever (he's not completely wrong, but still). Lance tests smart skin on himself (as you do), and passes the power to Alix. Lance dies, but Alix survives, with a batch of superpowers and a fresh coat of metallic skin to boot. Since she can't go back to her old job looking like a robot, Alix decides to go into superheroing for profit, adopting her late husband's costume design and becoming Bulleteer, superpowered bodyguard. Also, eventually there's superhero porn involved.

Bulleteer ends up being one of the better stories. Alix is a compelling character and her story is tragic and human. The artwork is really strong, and a lot of the side characters are interesting, especially once we get to the superhero convention. Despite the confusion of its message, Bulleteer is a strong character piece and a lot of fun to read.

Frankenstein (art by Doug Mahnke): Our hero Frankenstein (it's the creature but he named himself after his creator) has devoted his non-life to the destruction of the Sheeda, and will travel to the ends of the Earth and beyond to accomplish this goal, all the while waxing poetically and chopping people up with his big-ass sword. He also gets help from his former Bride and the Super-Human Advanced Defense Executive (or S.H.A.D.E., DC's answer to S.H.I.E.L.D.). And...that's about it. Frank finds some Sheeda activity on Earth, goes to it, kicks some ass while monologuing, leaves, then does the same thing for three more issues. And it works.

A big help here is Mahnke's artwork. His ultra-detailed style brings the gruesome horror up a notch, which works when your main character's a corpse. The writing, however, can get wearying; a lot of the Sheeda's weirder ideas like Nebula Man, the Red Place, or the maggots get very wordy explanations for what they are and what they do, and Frank's monologues sometimes feel redundant. Still, the unstoppable badass of Frankenstein shines through, and makes this series worth remembering.

So that was Seven Soldiers, a strange journey to the heart of things Grant Morrison thinks are cool. There's some hits and some misses, but overall its a fun batch of characters with unique stories and a lot of great artwork to boot. Check it out if you get the chance, but maybe bring a cheat-sheet. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

Top Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2013

Well, 2012 is coming to an end, and assuming the world doesn't end this coming Friday, 2013 has more than a few releases I'm looking forward to, and since there are still three movies coming out for me to see before I make my "Best Of" list, I might as well do my most anticipated of next year. So, without further explanation needed (I think), here's my most anticipated films of next year:

Honorable Mention: Sin City; A Dame to Kill For

One of my many, many weird habits is that I don't believe a movie exists until it's being sold to me; i.e. until I see a trailer. No trailer has been released for the long-awaited sequel to 2005's Sin City, and compounded with the fact that this movie's been in the works for eight years, plus the fact that some of the principle roles have yet to be cast, I'm not getting my hopes up too soon. Still, according to the ever-reliable news sources of Wikipedia and IMDb, A Dame to Kill For is coming to theaters next October, and even with the ever-controversial Frank Miller lending a crazy hand to the proceedings, Robert Rodriguez is back to making movies for grown-ups. That alone is worth getting excited about.

10) Jack the Giant Slayer

Another of the suddenly popular 'revisionist fantasy' genre, this is one that's been stuck in development for some time, having intended to be released in February 2011 and now coming in March 2013, reportedly so that Warner Bros can perfect the film's visual effects. Development hell doesn't bode well for any picture, but this one still gets my interest because of four words: Directed by Bryan Singer. Say what you will about his disappointing Superman Returns; he's had a hand in all of the good X-Men movies and he's proven himself as a great director of action and character beats. That alone has me interested.

No Poster

Available

9) End of the World

Okay, this is sort of weird since I just said I don't believe a movie exists until it's being sold to me a mere two entries ago, but the premise of this one is a killer. In End of the World, we see the apocalypse from the point of view of Hollywood's most available. A party with James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, Rihanna, and others is interrupted when the end times come. You can't put that many funny people and also Rihanna in one movie and not expect to get some laughs. Until the trailer hits, settle for the fake trailer that inspired the real movie.

8) Man of Steel

Here's the short version: Marvel has won the movie race. They're not winning right now and DC just needs to catch up; the race is over and they've won. The Avengers came out, a movie that teams a space god, a dude in a robot suit, and a man whose entire character can be summed up as "good guy", while DC Entertainment is struggling to get their Amazon princess flick off the ground. Marvel went for the silly crap and came out ahead for it. DC's trying to make their characters relevant and modern and edgy, and that's handicapping them and keeping them from making Avengers-level money. Until they can figure out how to do someone besides Batman in movies, they're always gonna be lagging behind the House of Ideas.

That's why I'm apprehensive about Man of Steel. Yes, I'm gonna see it, I'm just worried it's gonna reach for being The Dark Knight but just end up as another Superman Returns, or (god forbid) a Green Lantern. Bottom line is that I'm apprehensive, but eager to see the results. Plus they got Zack Snyder directing it. Say what you will about Sucker Punch or 300; at the very least, the dude knows how to make things look good on film, and hopefully, the story will be good enough to match Snyder's visuals. So who knows? Might be the first step in DC expanding it's film base and making their proposed Justice League movie happen in 2015.

7) Star Trek into Darkness

J.J. Abrams first Trek movie was flawed, but ultimately a really fun ride that showed a lot of respect for the old show. In addition to having the dumbest film name in the franchise, the sequel hopes to do the same as the first and improve upon it by making TV's Sherlock Benedict Cumberbatch the main villain. I can think of few ways of improving a movie than adding Benedict Cumberbatch to the cast. Couple that with all of the stuff that made the first movie good and you've got a sequel I really want to see.

6) Oz, the Great and Powerful

I feel like it's 2001 again, and cult-favorite director Sam Raimi is showing the world how to make a blockbuster. After helping to elevate comic-book movie to it's current dominance with his Spider-Man trilogy, Raimi is now tackling L. Frank Baum's most famous books. Great and Powerful serves as a prequel to the more famous story already captured on film, telling the origin of the Wonderful Wizard as he first comes to the world-famous fantasy land. Visually, the movie borrows from both the classic film and Baum's vivid descriptions of the Land of Oz from his books, and if the trailer's any indication, the result will be bloody gorgeous. Great and Powerful looks like an absolute blast from a director who, above all else, knows how to have fun.

5) Iron Man 3

Marvel's first movie post-Avengers trades in regular director Jon Favreau for Shane Black, who previously directed the well-received crime film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, also starring Robert Downey Jr. Here in Iron Man 3, it appears they'll be borrowing from Warren Ellis's story arc, Extremis, which I never read, but involves a techno-organic virus that changes how Tony Stark interfaces with his armor or some such comic-book pseudo-scientific BS. Whatever, THE MANDARIN IS IN THE TRAILER! The Mandarin, a character who I never thought we'd see on film because he's so firmly rooted in the Cold War, is not only in the film and played by Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley, but is put right there in the trailer. See, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros? THAT'S how you do a movie!

4) Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon: So I've got a new movie...
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: It's called Much Ado About Nothing...
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: It's based on the Shakespearean comedy...
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: It stars a bunch of my usual people...
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: I filmed the whole thing at my house in black and white...
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: And I also did the music for it.
Me: I'm in.
Joss Whedon: You wanna see it?
Me: ...I guess so.

3) Thor: The Dark World

Again, we have no trailer as this will be a November release, not a summer blockbuster. Still, I'd be jazzed about this one if they put it out on a Tuesday in September. Details on the exact plot of Thor 2 haven't been released yet, except that the villains have been cast, with 9th Doctor Christopher Eccleston playing the dark elf sorceror Malekith the Accursed, and actor whose name I can only enter through copy-pasting Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as fellow dark elf Algrim the Strong, a.k.a. Kurse. Really though, the big seller for me is that it's a Thor movie. I loved the first one because it dove in headfirst with all its goofy Norse mythology and by the looks of things, they're doing the same with the sequel. Forsooth!

2) The World's End

So how does Edgar Wright follow-up directing my favorite movie of all time Scott Pilgrim vs. the World? By going back to the well, and re-teaming with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and the rest of the gang to complete their Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with the comedy film The World's End (not to be confused with my #9 pick, the End of the World). The World's End is actually the name of a fictitious pub, one of many that the film's characters attempt to visit as they try to recreate a legendary pub crawl from their youth. However, things don't go as planned, the actual apocalypse may or may not be happening...look, I don't know the details. All I know is that Edgar Wright is making a movie, and therefore, I am obliged to see it. That's enough for me.

1) Pacific Rim

So Guillermo Del Toro made a movie that's a tribute to Japanese Kaiju stories, and it's about Godzilla-style giant monsters attacking the Earth and humanity fights them with giant humanoid robots that can punch them in the face and Idris Elba's in it and the ship's AI is voiced by Ellen McLain of Portal fame and OH MY GOD PUT THIS MOVIE IN FRONT OF MY EYES RIGHT NOW AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

So that's my list. What are the movies you're most looking forward to next year? Post 'em, discuss 'em, but most importantly, see 'em. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

Moments of the Week, 12/5/12

Fans! Friends! Readers! That guy! Welcome back to another semi-thrilling installment of Moments of the Week. Yes, I've been off for a while, but I've had finals so SHUT UP! But now that they're done and I'm soon to head back to home, I figured I might as well unwind with a little writing about comics. So here they are, my favorite moments of this weeks comics!

Simply Terrific

Earth 2 #7

You can go ahead and ignore that cover. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern don't fight in this issue, they just have a conversation, Hawkgirl does something that pisses off GL, and leaves. Really, this issue is a "dust settling" issue, which are actually my favorite kinds; these decompressing one-shot stories that occur after a big event where there's not much action and it's mostly characters reflecting on what just happened.

The meat of this story concerns the leader of the World Army, Commander Amar Khan (Yay diversity in comics!), in the aftermath of Solomon Grundy's attack, wherein genius and sociopath Terry Sloan was brought in to discretely consult the W.A. despite being one of the most wanted men on Earth. Commander Khan is displeased by this turn of events, but can't do anything about as the higher-ups want Sloan and his tremendous intelligence on board. Khan, naturally, takes matters into his own hands and gets his covert Canadian strike force team the Sandmen (led by Wesley Dodds, of course) to canvas all of Sloan's secret bases and seize any world-destroying assets he might have. And what do they find in Sloan's super-secret Paris hideout? Mr. Terrific!

Yes, Michael Holt, the third smartest man in the world and regular Justice Society of America member (before the reboot) is finally joining the plot, which makes me very happy. I think he's a cool character and while it's a bit disappointing that his solo book failed, I love that writer James Robinson and editor Pat McCallum were able to pick up the pieces and integrate him into their fancy new JSA book. I'm looking forward to seeing him join this "new age of heroes", as well as the spy vs. spy, cloak and dagger story of Khan vs. Sloan. Earth 2 isn't classic JSA, but it's a pretty damn decent substitute.

Ooooh...pretty...

All-New X-Men #3

I honestly don't have much to say on this issue. It's neat, gives some characterization to Cyclops, Magneto, and Emma Frost and how their brush with the Phoenix in Avengers vs. X-Men has affected their powers (although curiously Magik, another member of the Phoenix Force Five, has greater control over her mystical abilities while Emma and Cyclops have less). However, the real draw here is Stuart Immonen on artwork. The dude should be locked up for homicide because he is KILLING IT in this book. I mean, look at that cover! That thing makes me want to cry, it's so beautiful! Fantastic looking book, and once the decompressed storyline gets to the big action setpieces, it'll read fantastic too.

Assemble at Dawn

Avengers vol. 5 #1

The more I think about, the more I like Jonathan Hickman's first issue of Avengers. It missteps in some ways, but it's a strong outing and gets you excited about what's to come from Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

The books starts out by reminding us of Hickman's mission statement for his Avengers run: "We need to get bigger". And after flashes of things yet-to-come (par for the course for Hickman), we get our initial fight. New supervillain Ex Nihilo has already terraformed Mars, and wishes to turn Earth into a new Garden of Eden. This is actually interesting because it raises questions of where he came from; this technology seems like it's beyond Earth's reach but he's using biblical references and speaking English. I'd be interested in seeing his origins in later issues.

Without any discussion shown, the Avengers set off for the red (now green) planet; specifically, the movie Avengers (Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow). It's a smart move on Hickman's part, showing a team that new readers will be familiar with in action, right before they're kicked to the curb by Nihilo and his entourage. Nihilo send Cap back to Earth, hoping that seeing the world's greatest hero defeated will break the spirits of the people. Instead, Cap calls an all-new Avengers team made up of classic members (old and new), plus some completely unheard-of heroes joining the ranks. Why is an obscure character like Smasher or an anti-hero like Hyperion rubbing elbows with Spider-Man and Captain Marvel? Who is the new woman who wields the power of Captain Universe? Why is Wolverine still running with the Avengers if he has a school to run? How cool is it that one of my favorite characters from Hickman's Secret Warriors (teleporter, mathematician, and reality-bender in training Eden Fesi) is going A-List? All these questions and more answered, next month!

Marvel NOW! is, surprisingly, shaping up to be pretty good. Here's hoping that upcoming series like Young Avengers, New Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy can live up to the example Uncanny Avengers and Thor: God of Thunder have set. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

Moments of the Week, 11/14/12

Hey. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been busy with school and stuff. You know how it is.

Anyway, I used to do a blog where every week I'd talk about comics specifically. I abandoned it because it wasn't feasible for me to do on a weekly basis (read: I'm lazy). However, I've decided to do something similar to that with MOMENTS OF THE WEEK!, wherein I look at the comics I've bought this week and talk about the parts of them I liked and felt like highlighting. Will this be a regular thing? Probably not, but we'll see. Without further adieu, here's this weeks best moments!

Meet the Parents
Saga #7

Saga's back and still the best comic on the stands. Issue seven picks up where the last one left off: Marko, Alana, and baby Hazel are on a rocketship that's also a tree and their ghost babysitter has been banished by the sudden arrival of Marko's mystical parents. Writing that sentence alone makes me love this series even more. In this issue, Marko teleports to the nearest planet that Isabel was banished to, with his mother in pursuit, leaving his wife, his daughter, and his father alone in one same place. That's a conversation that did not disappoint, with Alana's bitter snark bouncing off Barr's legitimate concern for his granddaughter. It's awkward, it's grounded, it has a sudden surprising twist ending; it's Saga. And I'm glad it's back.

The Truth About Shining Knight
Demon Knights #14

When we last left our heroes, they were in Hell, in their own individual torments, so really there was no place to go but up. And although Vandal Savage got the best line in the book again ("These are my children. Would please kill them?"), the real big moment went to Shining Knight.

In the pre-New 52 continuity, in the before time, in the long long ago, Shining Knight was a survivor from the Celtic version of Camelot, a woman who posed as a man to squire for Sir Galahad and became an accomplished knight in her own right. In Demon Knights, the gender thing is toyed with; Sir Ystin identifies herself as a man, the other characters see through her claim, but humor her ("The Celts have odd ways. Nod and smile.") The matter is settled when Exoristos, the exiled Amazon warrior, asks Sir Ystin to live with her. Shining Knight responds with this:

"I think you like one...aspect of who I am. But I'm the other, too. I was born this way. I've kept saying whenever anyone asks. I'm not just a man or a woman. I'm both. Is that alright with you?"

So...yeah...that's a trait of a lead character in a mainstream American comic book, published by one of (if not the) most prolific company in the industry. Then again, I suppose we should expect as much from writer Paul Cornell, who earlier in the same series depicted the greatest kingdom in the land as ruled by two princesses (yes, in that way). Still, I never thought I'd see that kind of character in a comic book AND see it done well, so kudos to Cornell for writing and kudos to DC for having the guts to publish it.

Creepy Clown Time

Batman #14

After showing everyone how it's done in the Court of Owls story arc, Batman's creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo tackle the Dark Knight's most prolific foe: the Joker. How do they do it? By writing the scariest Clown Prince of Crime in Batman history. They may just end up succeeding by journey's end.

This is a Joker that is truly capable of anything; not just in the sense of he's insane enough to come up with any plan, but smart enough to make it work and driven enough to see it through. In his first faceoff with Batman (heh heh, it's funny cause he had his face cut off), the Joker explains his plan: he believes Batman's gone soft, and blames this on his supporting cast, so he's gonna kill them, after making this bone-chilling statement:

"So let's cue the music and the lights and -- ahem, ahem -- I'll clear my throat and speak as loudly as I can. I'm even going to say it so your little Bat-family can hear it, too -- over the police wire. So are you there? Are you listening, little Bat-kiddies? Good...

...BECAUSE I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"

The Joker is about to make it personal. He's already hit Commissioner Gordon and captured and tortured Alfred, and the rest of the Gotham Knights are next on his list. Oh yes, there will be blood, and I, for one, am looking forward to it.

So what did you think about this weeks comics? Did you read any comics this week? Post your thoughts and comments here, or anywhere really, just so long as you're engaged. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

Top 11 TV Deaths

As I sit here in SeaTac Airport, waiting 2.5 hours for Midwestern weather to let our plane fly to New York and contemplating whether or not I should jettison my Vista-operating laptop at 30,000 feet, I decided now's as good a time as any to do a new post: my personal pics for the Top 11 Deaths of characters on Television.

Some guidelines and ground rules: 1) This list will be based on how dramatic the character's death was and what impact it had on the rest of the show. 2) There will be spoilers. These picks are at least a few months old, but still, if you're sensitive about that sort of thing, turn back now. 3) The character has to have died on the show, not in a movie or comic spin-off. 4) The character ideally should stay dead. This rule will get bent a bit, but whatever. 5) It's my list, my shows, my opinions. If you disagree with my selections or feel a character was left out, make your own damn list. This is mine and I will make it as I see fit. 6) Why top 11? Why the cuss not?

So, without further adieu, here are my selections for the Top 11 TV Deaths!

11) Frank Archer
"Laws and Promises", Fullmetal Alchemist

I'm not a big anime fan, let's say that right off the back. I don't have anything against the genre/medium/whatever you want to call it, I just don't think I'm ever going to bury myself in Japanese animation as so many often do. However, I watched Fullmetal Alchemist, and I did like it, and of the numerous deaths on the show, it was Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Archer (Sorry, Hughes).

Archer is introduced partway through the series as a member of the state military under one of our protagonists, Colonel Roy Mustang. Unlike Mustang and the rest of his subordinates, Archer has a love of war and violence, seeing them as both a sport and a way to move up the ranks of the military. To this end, he turns the state's attention to controversial weapons projects and eventually leads a violent raid on the peaceful city of Lior. However, this turns out to be a trap, which results in some of Archer's men being killed and Archer himself losing the left half of his body.

He survives (because at the end of the day this is a cartoon) and is rebuilt as a cyborg. His sanity is shattered by this, with his love of bloodshed and the military now an obsession. When he learns that Mustang is attacking the head of the military, the corrupt Fuhrer-King Bradley, Archer goes on a mad rampage through the city of Central to stop him. He arrives too late to save the Fuhrer, but not too late to kill the severely weakened colonel. As he's about to attack, he is shot dead by Mustang's partner and potential love interest, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, thus putting an end to the metal monstrosity for good.

Frank Archer's death wasn't particularly dramatic or even unexpected, but by god was it cathartic. With him defeated, the audience could let out a breath of relief; the Fuhrer was dead, Mustang and Hawkeye were alive, and the immediate threat to the military characters had passed. All that was left was the fight for our main protagonists, the Elric brothers, but that's a story for another time.

10) Joyce Summers
"The Body", Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I had to include at least one death from a Whedon show, and since I couldn't include Hoban Washburn as per my own rules, this is the death I picked. And oh man, what a death. Or, really, what an aftermath.

In a departure from the expected, Buffy Summers's mother Joyce died in a wholly ordinary fashion, having suffered a stroke after a successful brain surgery to remove a tumor. What follows is one of the best episodes of television ever made, with the reactions from most of Buffy's supporting cast (Spike didn't show up): from shock to confusion to panic to sadness to a complete lack of understanding about mortality. However, it's Buffy's reaction that's the strangest: numbness. After coming to terms with her mother's death, she initially doesn't know how to properly react, and so just, in her own way, shuts down, drifting through the process of dealing with an immediate death with little emotional response.

Joyce Summers was a fantastic character and TV mom: patient and understanding but strict when she needed to be, out of the loop but still cool. Her departure was tragic, but gave us one of the best episodes, not just of the show she came from, but of television itself.

9) Calculon
"The Thief of Baghead", Futurama

Calculon is one of the oldest robots in Futurama, having been created in the 21st Century and since then been most of the greatest robot actors of the next millennium, including Acting Unit 0.8, Thespomat, and David Duchovny. Currently, Calculon stars as Calculon on the long-running soap opera All My Circuits; at least he did, until his 'untimely' death.

In the seventh season episode "The Thief of Baghead", Calculon challenges the greatest actor of the 31st Century, Langdon Cobb, to an acting competition in order to save the world and the lives of the Planet Express crew (long story, watch the episode). Calculon chooses Romeo's soliloquy at Juliet's deathbed as his monologue, one which culminates in the character's suicide. In order to ensure his victory and his place as the greatest actor of the 31st Century, Calculon decides to actually kill himself onstage at the end of the performance by drinking a vial of food coloring (which, as we all know, is poisonous to robots). He gives the performance of a lifetime and a deathtime before ultimately passing, much to the tragedy of no one in particular.

Calculon's death is played up for comedy, but honestly, you couldn't ask for a better way for that character to go out. He was a fun character who will definitely be missed...until they replace him with another model, that is.

8) Shane Walsh
"Better Angels", The Walking Dead

The conflict during part 2 of season 2 of The Walking Dead (besides the zombies) was the escalating conflict between protagonist Rick Grimes and deuteragonist turned antagonist Shane Walsh (I know big words!). As leader of the survivors, Rick was of a mind that they had to act with kindness and compassion in the post-apocalypse, while Shane believed those ideas died out with the rest of the world and that survival of the group at all costs was paramount. After going behind Rick's back on many issues, Shane confronted his former best friend and held a gun to him, but Rick refused to engage, daring Shane to shoot an unarmed man. Shane relented and Rick approached his former best friend and stabbed him. But it didn't end there!

The event was witnessed by Rick's son and Shane's godson Carl, who seemed to both be shocked by and understand his father's motivations. And then Shane rose from the dead as a walker. And it was Carl who put him down, thus revealing the truth to the Grimes's that anyone who died rose again, and that they, the survivors, were the walking dead.

Shane's departure was inevitable but pitch perfect, with Rick finally relenting to his friend's demands and protecting his wife, his son, his unborn child, and the rest of the survivors, no matter what it cost him or anyone else. Come season 3, we'll see a change in Rick, in Carl, and in the dynamic of the show, one which I am eagerly anticipating.

7) Godric
"I Will Rise Up", True Blood

Remember when True Blood was good? Remember when it wasn't high camp trying to masquerade as supernatural drama? Those were good times, weren't they?

Godric was essentially vampire Jesus, a two-thousand-year-old bloodsucker who acts above all with compassion, patience, and peace, as demonstrated during his escape from anti-vamp church group the Fellowship of the Sun, where he forced both humans and vampires to cease fighting and let the undead leave unmolested. When it's revealed to the vampire higher-ups that Godric allowed himself to be captured as a way to placate the humans and keep peace between the two factions, he was forced to resign from his position as sheriff of Area 9. This, combined with his utter failure to keep peace between humans and vampires, led him to the conclusion that he was tired of being alive, and that it was time for him to meet the sun. As stood on the roof of a hotel at dawn, waiting to pass on, Sookie Stackhouse waited with him, giving something he didn't expect to have at 2,000 years of age: surprise, that human would show him such compassion.

Like Calculon, Godric's farewell is fantastic but tragic because he was such a great character. He's pretty much the only person in the whole of the show who is both a good person and not obnoxious, annoying, or useless. It's no mystery why he keeps coming back to visit Eric, acting as his conscience and spiritual guide in times of trouble. Vampires don't come back from the dead (yet), but if they do, I know who'd be at the top of my list of characters who should return.

6) Gustavo Fring
"Face Off", Breaking Bad

It all started with a box cutter. Or a knock on the door. Or a hit and run. Or a kid with a gun. Wherever the chain of events began, it ended with a bang. Season 4 of AMC's now-legendary crime drama Breaking Bad was about the game of cat and mouse between protagonist, meth cook Walter White, and his boss, restaurant owner, philanthropist, and drug kingpin Gustavo Fring. After a season-long battle for the loyalty of Walt's partner Jesse Pinkman which ended in Walt's favor, it was finally time for the big man to go down.

In the climax of a somewhat complex plan, Gus was lured into a one-on-one with his old rival, former cartel enforcer and paraplegic mute Hector Salamanca, with Gus finally going to kill the old man. In a moment of silence, Hector finally looked the man in the eye, quietly apologizing for everything he had put Gus through, just before he activated the bomb, provided by Walter and strapped to the bottom of Hector's wheelchair. In the moments just after the explosion, Gus Fring walked out of the room and, with half of his face blown the hell off (hence the episode's title), calmly adjusted his tie, and fell to the floor, dead.

There was no question that Gus would die by the end of season 4, but damn if he didn't go out with a quite literal bang. His calm after the event, his moment with Hector, the split-second before the explosion when he realizes what's going to happen; all perfect. Gustavo Fring was a fantastic character, a villain like only Breaking Bad could present, and seeing him go was inevitable and fantastic and tragic all at the same time. My hat goes off to the people who made all of that happen.

5) Kenny McCormick
Several episodes, South Park

This one's a cheat, since the character has returned from his many, many deaths, but I would be remiss if I didn't include South Park's resident death-prone child. Kenny makes it to the list due to the sheer amount of fatal encounters he's had, the comedic meaningless of them, and the creativity that went into writing them.

Kenny's death was actually given some dramatic heft during the fifth season episode appropriately titled "Kenny Dies", where he succumbs to the decidedly unfunny muscular dystrophy and dies permanently. However, you can't keep a good Kenny down, and he makes a pseudo-return in "A Ladder to Heaven", when Cartman drinks Kenny's ashes (mistaking them for chocolate milk mix, as one does) and thus traps Kenny's soul in his body (luckily there's room enough for two in Cartman's body). The soul is later exorcised by local chef Chef's voodoo-practicing parents in "The Biggest Douche in the Universe", where it is moved to a pot roast, which is subsequently lost, found, and eaten by actor Rob Schneider. Two episodes later, at the end of season 6's finale "Red Sleigh Down", Kenny returns, mind, body, and spirit, at the end of the episode, with no explanation.

Kenny's constant resurrections are explained in season 14's three-part "Mysterion" trilogy as the result of his parents attending a Cult of Cthulu meeting years ago, but to me, it's always funnier if he is simply an unfortunate child, living in a cartoon world, who simply refuses to stay down.

4) Rita Bennett
"The Getaway", Dexter

More than anything else, Rita's death at the end of Dexter's outstanding fourth season was a shock. It happened offscreen, there was little foreshadowing, and the fallout would take the entire fifth season to play out. And it was even kind of sad.

A single mother of two, Rita Bennett was initially used as a tool of forensic analyst and vigilante serial killer Dexter Morgan; the presence of a girlfriend was an integral part of his cover as a normal person. However, as time went on, Dexter became more humanized and grew quite fond of Rita, to the point of marrying and having a kid with her. However, it was not to last. After examining the life of family man and fellow serial killer Arthur Mitchell (played by scariest actor alive John Lithgow), Dexter makes an enemy of the Trinity Killer, and their game of cat and mouse dominates the final quarter of the season. He is eliminated by the end, but not before killing Dexter's wife, leaving her body in an overflowing bathtub and Dexter's infant son sitting and crying in the pool of blood, eerily mirroring the traumatic event that turned Dexter into the man he is today.

Season 4 of Dexter was about balancing a family and life as a serial killer. Season 5 was about dealing with tragedy and what happens next. It was all possible because of the death of Rita Bennett. More than anything, Rita's death proved that in an information age of leaks and spoilers, you can still be shocked by the ending of a story.

3) Eddard Stark
"Baelor", Game of Thrones

No, I didn't read the book beforehand and didn't know this was coming, and yes, that does play a big part in why I picked it. But it's still a good death and, above all else, it's my list. Deal with it.

In season 1 of Thrones, Eddard Stark is brought out of his home in the far north of the nation of Westeros to the capital city to serves as Hand of the King. He accepts the job, mostly because his honor demands it but partially because he wants to investigate the mysterious circumstances under his predecessors death. Ned discovers that the former Hand was murdered by the queen, Cersei Lannister, to hide the fact that she had been in a relationship with her brother and that all three of her children were fathered by him and not the King, Robert Baratheon. Ned confronts Cersei and gives her a chance to leave with her children and her life in tact, but shortly after the king is grievously injured, and names Ned as the new king until such a time as Robert's eldest, Joffrey, comes of age. Instead, Ned tries to pass the baton to Robert's brother (who is the next rightful heir), but is too late: Joffrey has seized the throne and locks away Ned after he refuses to bow.

While in jail, Ned is offered a deal: if he admits to treason and bends the knee to the new king, he will be exiled rather than killed. Ned refuses at first, but relents when he realizes that his daughters could be punished for his mistakes. Ned stands before the city and proclaims Joffrey the true king. However, Joffrey goes back on his word and has Ned executed. Just before the sword comes down, Ned spies his daughter Arya in the crowd, alongside a soldier of the Night's Watch, and knows that at least she'll be safe. With that, he closes his eyes and awaits the king's justice.

Ned Stark's death was a shock for anyone who hadn't read the books, especially when you consider that HBO propped up Sean Bean as the main character of the show. More than anything, however, the death of Ned Stark had fallout. The rest of the show (and the book series) is a war sparked by Ned's death, fought between an ever-changing number of armies with characters drifting between sides, making tough decisions, and, of course, dying. Ned Stark was killed for doing the right thing, and he dragged a whole lot of people down with him.

2) Jane Margolis
"Phoenix", Breaking Bad

Yep, Breaking gets two spots on this list. It's just that good.

Jane Margolis is introduced as the landlady/neighbor of Jesse Pinkman. The two start dating and things are going alright until she discovers Jesse's profession as a meth cook. She relapses into drug addiction, first with meth, then with heroin, and gets Jesse hooked on the junk too. Eventually, Jane is found out by her father and forced into rehab. She negotiates to give her one day before leaving to prepare herself. Instead, Jane and Jesse make a plan to do one last hit, then leave Albuquerque and get clean for good on their own.

That night, Walter breaks into Jesse's house to take him away and get him clean, but while doing so, he accidentally knocks Jane on her back, who, still in the throes of heroin, begins to asphyxiate on her vomit. Walt goes to help her but stops, realizing that she's an enabler to his partner, and allows her to die. After she's gone, there's a moment of horror on Walt's face over what he's just done before he leaves without saying a word.

Jane's death was absolutely shocking, more for Walt than for anyone else; seeing him allow someone to die was a huge step towards turning him into a truly irredeemable character. It sent Jesse into a spiral of depression for much of season 3, it contrived a reason for Mike "Coolest Character on Television" Ehrmantraut to join the cast, and it lead to her depressed father, an air traffic controller, to cause the ABQ plane crash of 2008. Jane Margolis was a tragic character, an otherwise successful person whose life was destroyed by her own vices and the people around her.

1) Henchman #24
"The Family That Slays Together, Slays Together, part 2", The Venture Brothers

Henchmen 21 and 24 were one of many double-acts on the action/sci-fi/fantasy satire The Venture Brothers. In this case, their shtick was a parody of supervillain henchmen; nameless foot soldiers who inevitably get arrested or killed by the good guys. Unlike the rest of their henchmen brethren, 21 and 24 were lazy, incompetent, and, above all else, self-aware. They knew how ridiculous their lives were, and went along with it anyway. This, as well as pure dumb luck, allowed to survived numerous near-death encounters...until they didn't.

In the season 3 finale, the now-fugitive secret agent Brock Samson engineered a war between his pursuers, the Office of Secret Intelligence, and the Monarch's forces. As the two forces did battle on the lawn of the Venture Compound, 21 and 24 were, predictably, far from the fray, hiding out in the monarchmobile and watching the fight from a monitor. When the car is hijacked by the Venture's loyal robot H.E.L.P.eR., 21 escapes, but 24 is trapped when the seatbelt he needlessly buckled jams. At the end of the episode after the battle is over, neither side has won, the Venture clone army is revealed and subsequently wiped out, and Brock Samson learns he wasn't actually a fugitive, Brock quits and decides to take the monarchmobile (which has arrived at the battlefield) and leave. Just before he gets to it, the car explodes, destroying H.E.L.P.eR. and killing 24, his still-flaming head landing in the hands of a horrified 21.

Henchman 24's death has all the criteria of a great fictitious death: it was dramatic, it was shocking, it was sudden, it was unexpected, and it had fallout: over the course of season 4, Henchman 21 turned from a fat, bumbling moron to a muscular, competent fighter and leader (though no less a pop-culture geek). 24 was a really fun character, his double act was hilarious, and his departure from the show was sad. And that is why Henchman 24 has, in my opinion, the greatest death on television.

So that's my list. I started it on Thursday and finished it on Monday. In a different time zone, no less. I gotta get more punctual. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading it and I'll see you next time.