Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ~ I have been waiting for this flick since my brother-in-law hipped me to it several months back.  We're both, as are millions of others, fans of another Luc Bessom film, The Fifth Element, a movie which thematically and visually Valerian resembles.  Based on that, we were psyched, as well we should have been.  This is a stunning film, with two major problems that spoiled it for me.  Still, by all means, you should see this movie.  It's a popcorn blockbuster and a treat for the eyes, and yes, 3-D is recommended if available, I don't say this often, but it’s worth it.

Based on the French/Belgian comic series Valerian and Laureline, and therein lies one of my problems with this flick.  There are two lead protagonists in this film, and yet only the male one gets title billing.  Laureline is just as much a lead and a hero, in some cases a better hero than Valerian, and yet, where is her name in the title?  Besson, and whoever else might be responsible, should have kept to the source material on this one point. 

What aggravates this seemingly small point is that this is Luc Besson, a man who in previous films like Lucy, The Messenger, La Femme Nikita, The Professional, Kiss of the Dragon, and especially The Fifth Element, has presented strong female protagonists in empowered roles. Laureline is still a strong female protagonist, yet relegated to a back seat and no billing in the movie version of the comic in which she at least gets second. Disappointing.

The other problem I have with Valerian is the actor in the titular lead role of this flick, Dane DeHaan.  He is at best a Reggie in a movie that requires an Archie.  And anyone who has seen him in Chronicle or the painful The Amazing Spider-Man 2, knows that his mischievous eyes and sneering grin are far more applicable to villainous roles than heroic.  Often here he comes off as disingenuous or hiding something.  It's just in his face and his manner - I was never able to fully trust him as the hero.  Couple this with the character's less than stellar romantic streak, and he's definitely not your usual white hat. 

And while DeHaan tries earnestly to be the hero he was cast as, Cara Delevingne pulls it off easily as Laureline, despite her previous roles.  She was in the critically acclaimed Paper Towns, and also recently and more notably played the creepy Enchantress from Suicide Squad - or was she just Junie Moon, I forget, either way, both roles were creepy.  And yet, I believe her more as the hero that DeHaan should have been. Also in the mix are Herbie Hancock, Ethan Hawke, and Rihanna shining as a shapeshifting pole dancer.

Don't get me wrong and bunch me in with the other critics who inexplicably didn't like this flick, because I loved it despite the problems I had with it. Valerian is fast-paced, exciting, fun, and visually stunning. The aliens are a spectacular special effects triumph blending Besson's Fifth Element sensibilities with Avatar caliber realism. The story of two federal agents in the future uncovering the mystery of a lost civilization in the future is as refreshing as it is simplistic, and highly watchable.

I had problems, yes, but they didn't affect the wonder and amazement I felt watching this movie. This is top of the line science fiction adventure, and if I'm being honest, I wish recent Star Wars flicks had a bit more of this and were less powered by nostalgia. Valerian is a great flick, recommended.

Wonder Woman 2017

Wonder Woman ~ I hated the first two film entries in the DC Extended Universe, absolutely hated them. Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice were seriously bad enough to put me off DC superhero movies forever. That said, I gave number three, Suicide Squad a chance, and while it wasn't great, it wasn't bad. Maybe DC movies weren't cursed after all. I sincerely hoped not, because number four in their film plan was very special to me. Wonder Woman is one of my favorite characters in comics, and a misstep with this one would cut the cord for me and DC Comics movies. I shouldn't have worried. Wonder Woman was amazing and astonishing, better than any of us could have hoped.

Suicide Squad

Now right up front I was not happy going to see this flick, the third of the DC Comics Extended Universe after Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.  After them, I figured it could only get worse, a point that has since been reversed by the vastly superior Wonder Woman.  But Suicide Squad?  I didn't even have invested interest in the comics. 

I have read the Suicide Squad here and there, even seen them on TV.  I knew the characters and the motives but it never really rang any bells for me.  Mind you, no offense meant to the work of John Ostrander, he's a genius, and the stories were good, just not in my wheelhouse is all.  Of course it seems only a few things from the comics of the time made it to the screen. 

The concept is here.  Super-villains offered time off sentence for doing the dirty jobs the superheroes can't do, and a few of the characters are here, but others that just seem odd.  Some are originals from the comics I remember, some from the newest iteration, and some from left field.  All are still from Belle Reve prison (I have some question on the proper pronunciation of that, but I'll let it go) and all still manipulated by Amanda Waller, though much thinner. 

There's Will Smith's Deadshot, who like co-star Margot Robbie, is simply electric when onscreen. He's a family man driven to crime and put away by the Batman.  He's got a moral code, but is still a criminal, we feel for him.  He might just be the sanest of the bunch, a great counterpoint to his co-star and glory hog (not that that is a bad thing) in this flick, Harley Quinn. 

I have never been a big fan of Harley outside of her original source material in "Batman The Animated Series," so I'm not down with the New 52 slutty stripper version.  Give me the jester outfit and the Mark Hamill Joker any day of the week.  This version, while charismatic and making love to the camera like crazy town, is slavishly dedicated to her Joker, who I'll get to in a minute.  She's good, and Robbie is terrific in the role, but there's a better Harley that could've been portrayed here, ya know?  She's also stolen the movie, in that, other than the New 52, Harley is not even a character I associate with Suicide Squad.  It feels mismatched.

Waller, played with skill by The Help's Viola Davis, at a discreet government meeting introduces her idea for this team, and in simplistic flashback method to each character.  It's easy, and it works.  We see in vignettes Deadshot in action and apprehended by the Batman, the origin of Harley Quinn as well as verification she may have murdered Robin as seen in BvS, Captain Boomerang captured by the seen but unnamed Flash, and much shorter ones with El Diablo, Killer Croc, and the Enchantress.

Waller describes a nearly fully formed world of metahumans just beneath the headlines, just waiting for others like the now deceased Superman and the Bat to open the gateway to public acknowledgement.  Whereas Marvel built their movie world, DC's was already there, waiting to be revealed.  We're twenty minutes in and we know the players, the world, and getting a good vibe on the plot - ain't nothing wrong with that. 

The Harley sequence includes a chase through Gotham from Batman, once again more than ably portrayed by Ben Affleck, and far too much of the Jared Leto Joker.  This tattooed metal-grilled psychopath is very scary, but, I'll say it, he's no Joker.  And I don't think the filmmakers thought so either, because his entire subplot fizzles as if it didn't exist - it certainly doesn't matter in the course of the film - why is he here?  I would have rathered a tetherless Harley than this substandard Joker wannabe waiting in the wings for a payoff that never really comes. 

The Enchantress, an extradimensional entity that possesses June Moone is said by Waller to be the most powerful metahuman she's catalogued. She has a brother, named Incubus, trapped in a jar, and that's where it gets crazy.  Waller has her heart, and June is in love with Rick Flagg, a special operative with ARGUS and under Walker's command. 

Flagg is played by Joel Kinnaman, not the first choice for the role, but one of my favorite actors.  I loved him in "The Killing," but not here, here he is a disappointment, and apparently a one note actor.  It's a shame, along with Leto's Joker, they're among the worst things in this otherwise entertaining flick. 

When Midway City (love the shoutout to Hawkman's hometown) is under attack by the Enchantress and her brother the Incubus, the Squad is gathered, and sent onsite, with super heroine Katana added almost as an afterthought.  Again, almost casually the fact that her sword drinks souls is thrown out there as if that kind of thing happens everyday.

Once on the ground, it becomes a mission movie and we get to see the villains interact, and fight the badder guys.  Of course around now the producers seem to forget half the team is there and it becomes about Deadshot, Harley, and Flagg, and unfortunately and pointlessly, the Joker - the threat that never actually manifests.  Boomerang, who in the comics is, along with Deadshot, Enchantress, and Flagg, the only recognizable Squad members, is hardly in this, and barely acts like his source material. 

The ending however turns into another mess like Man of Steel with weird streams of blue light in the sky.  Other than that silliness this was good, it's true, Suicide Squad was good, and the battle at the end is the type we want all metahuman brawls to be like, especially on the big screen.  Victorious and tragic at once, this was a winner. 

Up until a few weeks ago, with the debut of Wonder Woman, this was the best of the DC films.  I don't know what all the haters are on about, I dug Suicide Squad. 

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis ~ Throne of Atlantis is the first sequel to Justice League: War, which in turn was a result of the New 52 continuity created by The Flashpoint Paradox.  Confused?  Don't be.  Suffice it to say, the DC Comics Universe used to be different and fun, and now it's not.  These are the adventures of what passes for the Justice League in that new world. 

This is a Justice League that doesn't get together for meetings, doesn't look like themselves from the comics (or the ones I fondly remember), and doesn't particularly even like each other - except for Superman and Wonder Woman of course, who are romantically involved.  This team dynamic is a darned shame because the cast has great chemistry.  Nathan Fillian's Green Lantern joins Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Jerry O'Connell as Superman, and Sean Astin as Shazam (who is again sadly neither the wizard nor the real Captain Marvel). 

Thankfully this is not really a story about the Justice League, but more of a(nother) retelling of Aquaman's origin, something done much better in the comics, and in the animated "Justice League" episodes "The Enemy Below."  I really didn't care for the re-jiggering of characters like Mera, Black Manta, Atlanna, and Ocean Master however.

I liked the pseudo-anime style animation and the majestic score by Frederik Wiedmann, who had previously composed for "Beware the Batman" and the much-missed "Green Lantern: The Animated Series."  But that's really about it.  Like previous entries in this new series of animated features, there's a lot of violence, both bloody and lethal, not something I watch superhero cartoons for, at least not to this extent. 

Look for a cameo by pre-Steel as John Henry Irons and a reference to "Mercy Reef," the cool Aquaman spin-off from "Smallville" that never got past the pilot stage.  Not recommended unless a hardcore fan, or you like the New 52 Justice League. 

Arrow S05 E19: Dangerous Liaisons

With Adrian Chase exposed as Prometheus and on the run, with the whole city, maybe the whole country (I guess the Flash is too busy mangling timelines to help), on the look out for him, how can he stay hidden?  Still he manages to pull the authorities' chains as in the opening sequence in the arcade with Wild Dog and Mr. Terrific, nice. 

My question lies in that vein.  Is Green Arrow still a wanted man?  Would Chase's revelation really even affect that?  And furthermore, if Green Arrow is still wanted (as might be assumed by Oliver's itchy man in black ninja outfit), wouldn't it follow that Team Arrow are also wanted as accessories, if not simply for questioning?  They seem to get free rein in the opening, and it's not like they're all that hard to miss. 

Things get really bad when Felicity demonstrates just how stupid she can really be.  Why she trusts Helix is beyond me.  She was a hacker, she should know how they operate, especially after she knows they hacked her and Team Arrow already.  Here's the kicker - in exchange for their help in finding Prometheus, Helix wants Felicity to hack ARGUS for them. 

Alena (Kojo Sledgehammer) and Helix are far more sinister than we originally thought.  As a matter of fact I think this episode may actually be setting up the big bad for season six of "Arrow." Alena tells Felicity of Cayden James, who formed Helix, and is the world's most skilled hacker.  Felicity has never heard of him, and Alena's answer is that he's just that good, he's a ghost, and he hasn't been seen since ARGUS picked him up. 

Most skilled?  In a world with Felicity, Cisco, the Calculator, Brie Larvan, the Thinker from the next season of "The Flash," and all these Helix misfits?  Hard to believe, and harder to believe that both the next seasons of "Flash" and "Arrow" would involve cerebral big bads.  Perhaps Helix will emerge as something more like its comics counterpart rather than Checkmate as I first suspected? 

In the comics, Helix is something far too way out and comic booky for a show like "Arrow."  These antagonists of Infinity Inc., the sons and daughters of the Justice Society, were a super-villain group whose genetically engineered members included Mister Bones, a living skeleton with a death touch; Baby Boom, an adult in a five year old girl's body who blows things up; and Carcharo, and giant man-Shark.  Hmmm, we've already had King Shark, so maybe they aren't all that weird...

The thrust of the episode is that Felicity is working for both Team Arrow and Helix even when their objectives clash.  Helix wants their founder Cayden James released from ARGUS, and he coincidentally has tech that could find Prometheus. Oliver of course takes Felicity to task for doing what he always does.  Man, is that kettle black. 

There's also a forced subplot of Quentin trying to get Rene and his daughter back together.  There are great performances here by both Rick Gonzalez and Paul Blackthorne, but in the end, another forced subplot to give the character something to do. There is a reunion, and it's great to see Rene smile, but the resolution seems fuzzy, and if it works out I fear we'll lose Wild Dog, one of the best parts of this show from "Arrow."

As to the identity of Cayden James, it occurred to me that it might be Felicity's old college boyfriend, after all the inspiration for Helix was Felicity herself.  Another possibility might be, and this is a long shot, Roy Harper.  Think about the name Cayden James, it sounds an awful lot like the actor's name, Colton Haynes, doesn't it?  Either way, I don't think we'll find out for a while. 

In the end, Cayden James and Helix are in the wind, and have kicked Felicity to the curb.  I suppose we may see them next season as I guessed earlier.  They did leave her some idea of where Chase may be.  I'm still wondering however, with all the on and off this episode, does Felicity need her glasses or not? 

We close with a hell of a cliffhanger.  John and Lyla are in dire straits as are Oliver and Felicity.  It seems to me that a little bit of listening instead yapping might cure both couples' ills.  Felicity and Oliver don't have to worry about it though, cuz Prometheus blows up the Arrowcave, with them in it. 

Next: "Underneath!"

For my other reviews of the entire "Arrow" series, click here. And if you'd like to discuss this episode, anything else in the Arrowverse, or anything in the Marvel or DC television or cinematic universes, please join the Marvel DC Movies TV group on Facebook.

Arrow S05 E16: Checkmate

When I first saw the title of this episode - "Checkmate" - I have to admit to groaning, hoping they were not bringing the Checkmate concept from the comics into the Arrowverse.  So much of this covert government task force is already part of the series however, including Arsenal, Deadshot, Amanda Waller, Vixen, the Suicide Squad, the Huntress, Count Vertigo, Mr. Terrific, Deathstroke, and the Adrian Chase Vigilante - so why not? 

We open on Oliver in snow peaked mountains searching for his former teacher, Talia, who until now we have only seen in flashback.  We learn that in fact the showrunners have a calendar they've been following, and that Oliver had no idea who Talia really was.  If the shocked duh look on Oliver's face wasn't enough when he found out he'd killed Talia's father and that's why she trained Prometheus - the look was even more priceless when she told him his name was Adrian Chase.  I have to hand it to the showrunners, this was a good one. 

When Oliver returns to Star City he confronts Chase only to find he's already aware.  He'd kidnapped Susan Williams and will kill her if Oliver makes the wrong move.  I gotta say, Chase revealed is far more interesting than he was previously, maybe a reason for a sooner reveal.  Now he's got a bit of a swagger not unlike Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan on "The Walking Dead." 

Meanwhile the Russian flashbacks continue, and Felicity joins Helix.  She's nowhere to be found when Team Arrow makes its assault on Chase's house looking for Susan.  Curtis sports a slightly different outfit, more like the comics, presumably to go along with his new operational T-Spheres.  I like the red and white, nice to have bright colors on the show again.  Spartan as well seems to have had a helmet upgrade.  Did Cisco visit?  Coolness. 

When Felicity returns, one thing she does learn is that Adrian Chase is an alias, and his real name is Simon Morrison, notably the real name of the comics Prometheus.  But of course for that information Helix wants something in exchange, perhaps suggesting the group Checkmate intimated in the episode title. 

Other than the posturing, and pardon my language, pissing contests, and penis measuring between Green Arrow and Prometheus, both in and out of costume, not much else really happens.  Much.  I found myself wondering if Oliver really cares all that much about Susan.  If he did, he could always call in a super-fast friend who could search the city in seconds.  That's the good thing about a shared universe. 

In the end, Talia joins Prometheus in taking down Green Arrow, and now our hero is the prisoner of a psychopath who killed his own wife like it was nothing.  This was a better than average episode, managing to surprise, and entertain, but I fear like other seasons of "Arrow," this may go on too long...

For my other reviews of the entire "Arrow" series, click here. And if you'd like to discuss this episode, anything else in the Arrowverse, or anything in the Marvel or DC television or cinematic universes, please join the Marvel DC Movies TV group on Facebook.

Arrow S05 E11: Second Chances

We open this episode of "Arrow" three years ago in Central City, the night of the particle accelerator explosion that created the Flash and dozens of other metahumans. Some thugs have kidnapped and are torturing two cops, one of them, Tina Boland, was spotted at the end of our last episode demonstrating sonic powers like the Black Canary of the comics. One guess how she got that way.

In the present Team Arrow is looking for a replacement for the late Laurel, a new Black Canary. No matter how awesome the candidates the others come up with, Oliver shoots them down, saying they're not up to the impossible standard Laurel set. Seriously, folks, was Laurel that good? I mean really, if we're being honest, there were episodes where she didn't even appear or speak, let alone suit up and fight.

Finally Curtis brings up an urban legend with sonic powers, Tina, who's kicking ass and saving lives. The only thing she doesn't have is blond hair, but one could fix that with a wig, just like in the comics. That's cool and all, but to make her a blonde... isn't that a bit weirdly obsessive? Just saying.

While Felicity meets a hacker groupie and Flashback Oliver gets help against Kovar from the Batman-less Arrowverse's version of Talia Al Ghul, the rest of Team Arrow pursue Tina Borland to Hub City. She wants nothing to do with joining Green Arrow's little club to replace his dead girlfriend.

While there and taking steady burger breaks, the three heroes - Green Arrow, Wild Dog, and Mr. Terrific - not wanting to take no for an answer get mixed up in Tina's war on drug lord Sean Sonus, who killed her partner. Sonus also received metahuman powers from the particle accelerator explosion, to create vertigo in his victims. In the comics, he's known as Dischord, and in the Arrowverse, he's actually the third or fourth meta to have that power, after Count Vertigo and the Top.

In the end, Tina kills Sonus, presumably ruining her chances to join Team Arrow, and yet does any way, revealing her real name is Dinah Drake, the actual maiden name of the Golden Age Black Canary in the comics. Per the episode title, she gets a second chance.

Elsewhere, John is seemingly exonerated using information obtained from the hacktivist group Helix. And Flashback Oliver is given the tools to create his Arrow identity by Talia. New beginnings.

For my other reviews of the entire "Arrow" series, click here. And if you'd like to discuss this episode, anything else in the Arrowverse, or anything in the Marvel or DC television or cinematic universes, please join the Marvel DC Movies TV group on Facebook.

Next: Bratva!

Riverdale

The newest of the loosely based comic book shows debuted last week on the CW. One might say, don't they have enough of those over there already? And while DCTV mastermind Greg Berlanti is one of the executive producers, this isn't a DC Comics show, it's Archie Comics.

Now Archie and the gang have been translated to the small screen many many times, but only animation seems to stick, the live action attempts have flailed in the ratings and vanished. This time the showrunners have the characters and concepts solidly into the adult 21st century. Behind this is specifically Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa - the award winning writer from "Glee," "Big Love," the remakes of Carrie and The Town that Dreaded Sundown, dozens of comics, and one of the current heads of Archie Comics.

From the opening moments the first episode is very Lynch-ian, as if the intent was to do "Twin Peaks" rather than the Archies. Most of the characters are here, and well cast, but mood is very Blue Velvet and Shadow of a Doubt, a small town where innocence only hides darkness. The high school vibe borrows much from a "Beverly Hills 90210" feel, which is painful for us old folks as Luke Perry plays Archie's dad. Ooof. I'm old, but so is he.

Feeling old isn't the worst this show has to offer though. Before the opening credits even roll, we learn that Archie had a torrid summer sex encounter with Ms. Grundy. Yeah, they go there, but before you gouge your eyes out, this Grundy teacher is young and hot. Future episodes tempt us with Betty and Veronica kissing and Josie and the Pussycats doing a modern remake of "Sugar Sugar," I'm not sure which is the bigger outrage… I have to say I also kinda dug Jughead as the creepy loner/writer with the Silent Bob vibe.

All that said, the show is compelling and worth watching, especially for viewers out there cold turkeying for the new "Twin Peaks" and the lesser "Wayward Pines." However, other than a couple cool Easter eggs, and characters with the same names, there's not much here for Archie fans. I'll give a few more episodes. What did y'all think?

The Heroes V Aliens Crossover

You probably have been looking for the review of this week's episode of "Arrow" here at Welcome to Hell, but because of the massive crossover this week, that review appears over at Biff Bam Pop!, along with the other parts of that event.

For the first part, which is really only the last moment or two of the "Supergirl" episode "Medusa," along with some comics background on the Invasion, can be found here.

The Invasion starts full force in The Flash the next night, as the heroes of Earth, and even other dimensions, gather to battle the threat of the Dominators. You can read that review right here.

The third part coincided with the one hundredth episode of "Arrow," and while the Invasion continues, the showrunners also do something special for this landmark episode of the series. Captured by the Dominators, and trapped in a psychic hallucination, members of Team Arrow learn how things would be different if Oliver Queen never became Green Arrow. You can read my review of that here.

The conclusion to the Invasion happens in the Thursday episode of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" right here. Awesome.

Arrow S05 E07: Vigilante

After quite a bit of foreplay, we're finally getting Vigilante, or at least the 1980s Wolfman/Perez version of the character. When we first saw Adrian Chase, we hoped we'd see his anti-superhero identity, and not be red herringed and disappointed like we were with Kate Spencer AKA Manhunter earlier in the series. Now here it is.

We open on a white slavery ring being taken down by Vigilante, though unseen, we see through his infrared goggles. Like the Hood and the Arrow of old, he kills the bad guys, with guns rather than arrows. And he leaves two hanging outside for the police to find in the shape of a V, with Vs cut into their faces as well. If nothing else, this new killer in Star City has a demented sense of style.

The discussion with Team Arrow is not so much of another killer on the streets, as much as it is - should they stop this one that is killing bad guys? Oliver is adamant that he must be stopped, the others not so sure. After a bank robbery where Vigilante takes out some of the Spooky Crew Team Arrow is still unconvinced. Could Vigilante be a new recruit where Oliver gets outvoted?

I have to confess some disappointment in Vigilante's outfit. After seeing his comics costume look in that police sketch since the beginning of the season, I expected something slicker, less bulky, and more like the comics than what we've gotten. He's more Wild Dog than Vigilante. If they couldn't pull off the look, why use that sketch to begin with?

The final fight between Green Arrow and Vigilante is better than a lot we've seen lately. Being a Silver Age fan I dig the use of more trick arrows, and we got a few this episode. I did hate that Mr. Terrific got the worst of a beating again, and that we were faked out by the unmasking of Vigilante in the coming attractions.

In the soap opera portion of the show, Quentin offers his resignation. When Thea confronts him, he comes clean about his drinking, and his suspicious blackouts, as well as the throwing stars. She takes him to rehab, notably not telling her brother about any of it right away. I guess stubbornness is genetic.

Oliver goes on a date with Susan Williams, the nasty news reporter from channel 52. Many folks might not be aware, but she's also from the comics, a minor character from Green Lantern. She was the reporter wife of Hal Jordan's brother who believed her husband was actually the Green Lantern. On the show, it's hard to tell if she really likes Oliver (although technically it was the Human Target who charmed her) or is leading him on. She does have proof he was in Russia when he was supposed to be on a desert island.

Speaking of Russia, in Flashback Russia, as opposed to Island or Hong Kong, Oliver has a stressful dinner with Konstantin Kovar. Dolph Lundgren shows that he can still be scary after all these years. And after he beats Oliver down, our hero learns the hard truth, that Kovar and Bratva have made a deal.

Did anyone else catch the name drop of the Papp Hotel? Nice reference. George Papp was the co-creator of Green Arrow in 1941, along with Mort Weisinger. Papp was responsible for the look and design of the character, and the series artist for years. He also co-created Congo Bill and drew Superboy for a long stretch as well.

The closing stinger was a bit of a shock, but completely believable. We see Artemis meeting with Prometheus. Obviously here, just as in "Young Justice," Artemis is a double agent...

Next: Invasion!

Daredevil S02 E03: New York's Finest

The first episode of "Daredevil" Season Two ended with our hero shot in the head, and the second with his radar sense failing and the Punisher closing in. When the police arrive seconds later, both combatants are gone. So far, the cliffhangers are hot. But where did Daredevil and the Punisher go? Something tells me I don't want to know.

As we open in the pre-credits scene, Matt is hallucinating from his Catholic upbringing, until he slowly awakens in chains on a rooftop with the Punisher. This apparently right from the comics, from Garth Ennis' Punisher #3, but I can't comment much, having never read the issue before, but it's been praised for the philosophical discussion between these two protagonists. Daredevil's compromised position forcing him to engage his foe verbally as opposed to with his fists.

So I dug up the comic in question, and found it to be much what I expected, and worse. Garth Ennis is an extremely talented writer, but with one serious flaw, especially when working in the world of comic books - he hates superheroes. Unlike other comic book writers who hate superheroes, like Frank Miller, Ennis doesn't usually write superheroes, unless they're twisted parodies like The Boys or dark anti-heroes like Preacher, John Constantine, or, the Punisher.

In this dark and dreary world of Ennis' Punisher, no one is happy, as masterfully illustrated by the late Steve Dillon, rest in peace. Punisher lives in a skewed vision of our world where misery reigns, where he is the twisted mirror of heroism, and Daredevil is a clown that must be shown the error of his ways. On the rooftop chains of the comic book source material, the Punisher must remake Daredevil in his own image. If it wasn't so ridiculous, it would be horrifying.

I read comic books for escape from the real world, to see heroism as it should be, to be inspired to be a better person. Superhero comic books are supposed to make you want to be the hero and change the world. Reading Punisher #3 made me depressed, and most of all, it made me hate the Punisher more than I had before I opened that damned miserable comic. I do appreciate the talent and skill it takes to evoke such a reaction from a reader, but trust me, it will be a very long time before I ever read another Punisher comic.

But that was the comic, I hope the Netflix episode that is aping it can do better. Here it is also, as I described, a philosophical discussion between the two protagonists, but a far more sensible one. While the Punisher goes about his business, Daredevil (or Red as he calls him) remains in chains talking the shades of gray in what they do. It's a difficult chat, each exchange like pulling teeth, and even though they vehemently disagree with the other's method, there is a hint of hatred-tinged bromance at work. I get the feeling that under different circumstances Frank and Red could be friends.

There is some prime acting here, and while Charlie Cox's Daredevil plays a very good counter to Jon Bernthal's Punisher, but the latter is the star here. His performance is spellbinding, saying volumes with an economy of words and gestures. I wasn't impressed when I'd heard Shane from "The Walking Dead" was going to play the Punisher, but he is amazing in the role. The only thing Shane and Frank have in common are we love to hate them both. Serious props.

The bottom line of the debate is killing. Frank will and Red won't. The difference is when Daredevil hits a bad guy they get back up, maybe come back, and when the Punisher hits 'em, they don't. Simple as that. Daredevil's reluctance to kill makes him a "half-measure," a coward who won't finish the job he started. And then it all turns to sh!t, as the ghost of Garth Ennis ruins everything.

The Punisher duct tapes a gun into Daredevil's hand then produces Grotto, beating the man senseless until he confesses to the murder of an innocent. The terms of this ridiculous trap - Daredevil must 'man up' and kill the Punisher before he kills Grotto, and at this moment is when I really started to hate this show. Where are the Owl, Gladiator, and the Stilt-Man when you need them? I really hate what comics and their related media have become...

In a world where Captain America knows that the Winter Soldier murdered Tony Stark's parents, I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone that Daredevil is too late to save Grotto. The nearly six-minute fight sequence that follows as Daredevil battles his way down several flights of stairs against the Dogs of Hell motorcycle gang with a gun taped to one hand and a chain around the other is phenomenal and spectacular - topping the hallway fight from last season even - but it in no way makes up for how this turn of events made me feel.

Meanwhile back in the real world, Karen and Foggy bring the only real light and hope to this dismal situation. As Karen fights the very different evil of District Attorney Reyes and learns more about the Punisher's past, Foggy has a heart-to-heart with Night Nurse and breaks up a gang fight in an already insane emergency room. Both are more heroic than the two 'superheroes' we watched for most of the episode.

I always love seeing Rosario Dawson, and Jon Bernthal deserves serious accolades for his performance, and that stairway fight sequence is one of the most amazing I've seen - but I still hated this episode. I may have to take a break before I come back to the second season of "Daredevil." This was rough.