WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Adventures Continue #7 by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina and Joshua Reed, available now.
In Batman: The Adventures Continue, Batman has faced several new threats that never showed up in Batman: The Animated Series. It all started with Lex Luthor and a giant, Superman-powered robot, which led to the assassin Deathstroke arrived in town looking to take out the Dark Knight. And now, another new character visits the DC Animated Universe's Gotham City in the form of Jean-Paul Valley, the violent vigilante Azrael.
However, the debut of Knightfall's Batman takes some surprising turns. In Batman: The Adventures Continue #7, Azrael first shows up in Gotham to go after Catwoman. Selina Kyle was hired to steal a priceless artifact for the Penguin, but it turns out this object belongs to the Order of St. Dumas, the zealous organization Jean-Paul is a part of. Azrael attempts to deliver his swift brand of unforgiving justice to Catwoman, but he is stopped by Batman. When the two fight however, Bruce recognizes his opponent's fighting style, which reveals that they already know each other.
When Jean-Paul talks with Bruce inside the Bat-Cave later on, the real surprise is that Bruce trained with the Order of St. Dumas.
In the regular DC Universe, Bruce Wayne spent years traveling the world in his formative years, training to acquire the skills and resilience to become Gotham City's protector. Now, in Batman: The Adventures Continue #7, we learn that the Order of St. Dumas is one of the groups he trained with -- for a little while, at least.
In fact, when talking with Jean-Paul, we come to understand that Bruce joined the Order with the sole intent of learning how to fight. While Bruce had no interest in the organization's religious offerings, this is our first indication that the Order was part of Bruce's training in the DCAU, which already included studies under Sensei and Zatanna's escape artist father, Zatara. While most members of St. Dumas are devoted to their Order's beliefs and holy mission, Bruce apparently had no desire to take part in that side of the Order's teachings and eventually left them to continue his training elsewhere.
The case wasn't the same for Jean-Paul however. He and Bruce may have trained together but Jean-Paul stayed to become a devout member of St. Dumas. where Bruce ultimately left. Eventually, he was renamed Azrael and now, he is putting his skills to use in order to help his Order reclaim a sacred -- and potentially powerful -- artifact.
In the DC Universe, the Order of St. Dumas is an ancient organization whose origins date back to the times of the Knights Templar. Created alongside Jean-Paul in Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada and Kevin Nolan in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1, their beliefs are sacred, and they are steadfast in taking out their enemies. They train their members to be lethal warriors, and they use the Azrael identity -- a mantle passed on from one to the other -- as their avenging angel. Although some heroes have emerged from there, the Order of St. Dumas is a villainous outfit, and it's not above brainwashing its subjects.
There is still a lot we don't know about the DC Animated Universe's version of the Order of St. Dumas, but it sure appears to have some nefarious inclinations. After all, Azrael wasn't above punishing Catwoman for stealing an artifact she simply didn't understand. Thankfully, Batman was able to talk him out of it. However, as Azrael join forces with Batman, Jean-Paul could end up on the wrong side of the Order, which means that we just might see what it's really capable of.
The Season 5 finale of Legends of Tomorrowsaw Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) abducted by aliens. While Season 6 will deal with the fallout of that abduction and how it impacts the team, showrunner Phil Klemmer said that viewers will also see how Sara deals with being in outer space.
"When a family loses a parent, and a bunch of children, Party of Five-style, have to raise themselves, it's gonna be really interesting. It's also going to afford Sara a chance to have a separate storyline," Klemmer told TVLine in an interview.
Klemmer also hinted that the abduction would impact Sara's relationship with Ava (Jes Macallan), though they are perfectly capable of functioning in each other's absence. "They're totally capable of doing so, but it's like they don't want to. It's not like they can't. It's not like Sara can't survive being taken hostage and taken away to whatever alien dimension. It's not that Ava couldn't step up and fill Sara’s shoes. But it's just like it's painful, and that's obviously not what they want to do.”
The couple has been through several ups and downs over the last few seasons, including Ava discovering she was a clone and Sara dying at the hands of zombies. Klemmer's comments suggest that this season will have them going through the Legends version of a long-distance relationship.
Returning to The CW in 2021, DC's Legends of Tomorrow stars Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell, Nick Zano, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Tala Ashe, Matt Ryan, Jes Macallan, and Shayan Sobhian.
The film Groundhog Day has been a comedy staple ever since its debut. Stephen Tobolowsky, who had a role in the film, recently revealed that a television series based on the film was in the works.
Tobolowsky was a guest on the Production Meeting podcast, where he revealed that one of the film's producers asked him if he would be interested in reprising his role of Ned Ryerson. "There’s talk about a Groundhog Day series in the works," Tobolowsky revealed. "
The actor continued, "One of the producers – I was working on The Goldbergs or Schooled, one of those shows over on the Sony lot, and one of them saw me and goes, ‘Oh, Stephen! Stephen! We’re working on a Groundhog Day TV show. Could you be Ned for the TV show?’ I go, ‘Sure. Yeah. No problem’… But it’s Ned thirty years later. What has his life become?"
The original Groundhog Day starred Bill Murray as Phil Connors, a cynical TV weather reporter who becomes trapped in a time loop. While Tobolowsky didn't reveal any details about the series, the fact that he is returning as Ryerson is very intriguing indeed. Perhaps Ryerson becomes trapped in the same time loop that Connors did, or the series will pick up on one of the many timelines created by the film.
While Shards of Alara wasn't the first multicolored block in Magic: The Gathering, it featured some new tricks and tools that earlier sets entirely lacked. By 2008, Wizards of the Coast had covered a lot of ground with the game, from tribal decks to multicolored cards, and 2007's Lorwyn set introduced the Planeswalker card type. But the Shards of Alara block introduced even more nuanced design for multicolored sets, and told a story unlike any before it, and in an unprecedented manner.
In the block's story, a diverse plane known as Alara was split into five shards during a cataclysm, and each shard lacked two allied colors of mana. Thus, Alara's five shards drifted slowly apart and developed their own unique identities, each based on a color and its two allies. Centuries passed, and the five shards became completely distinct from the original Alara and from each other. Bant was a sunlit kingdom of honor and wisdom, Esper was a metal world of arcane secrets and sphinxes, Grixis was a twisted land of undead horrors and madness, Jund was a volcanic jungle of predators and savage warrior clans, and finally, Naya was a lush jungle paradise of elves, leonin and giant beasts that roamed the land.
None of this was an accident, however. The cataclysm was infamous Elder dragon and tyrant Nicol Bolas' idea, and he split the shards only to slam them back together and create a powerful maelstrom of energy. He could feed on that energy to restore his exhausted and time-worn body, and it worked. During the Conflux set, the shards roughly reunited, and during Alara Reborn, they were seamlessly fitted together once again, the individuals shards' unique magic and races blending to a greater degree.
No other block told a story on this scale, or involved such diverse worlds. The Shards of Alara set was five wildly unique worlds in one that planeswalkers were able to freely travel to and from.
"Gold" multicolor refers to cards that have two or more colors and gold frames, as opposed to hybrid or mono-colored cards, and Shards of Alara had many. Each shard showcased its multicolored identity through an incredible number of gold cards, many of which where three-colored. Up until Shards of Alara, nearly all multicolored cards in Magic: The Gathering were just two colors, with the likes of Nicol Bolas or the five Nephilim from Ravnica being the exception. Many one- and two-colored cards also had activated abilities with different colors of mana, such as the Battlemage cycle.
Shards of Alara was the set that introduced the mythic rarity to expansion sets, represented with a reddish-bronze color. Only one in eight booster packs contained a mythic rare card, and until 2019's War of the Spark set, all Planeswalker cards were mythic rare. In addition, Shards of Alara introduced the first multicolored planeswalkers: Ajani Vengeant (Red-White), Sarkhan Vol (Red-Green) and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker (Blue-Black-Red). Multicolored planeswalkers can do much more than their mono-colored cousins. And it's not just Planeswalker cards; this set introduced colored artifacts as well, all of them based on the Esper shard (White-Blue-Black). Colored artifacts can use abilities and effects of their colors, such as a Black artifact that can be sacrificed to destroy a creature.
The next two sets, Conflux and Alara reborn, showcased multicolored effects like never before. Five-colored cards were extremely rare, but now, Conflux introduced four more: Maelstrom Archangel, Child of Alara, Progenitus, Conflux and Fusion Elemental. A number of other cards have activated abilities that cost the five colors, too. But even that pales in comparison to Alara Reborn, the game's first and (so far) only all-multicolored block. Except lands, every card in this set is gold multicolored, with most being two or three colors. This set also took the unusual step of combining hybrid mana symbols with regular mana symbols on cards, such as in the five "Blade" cards, like Esper Stormblade or Naya Hushblade.
While Shards of Alara didn't pioneer the concept of multicolored sets, even in the modern era (Ravnica came first), it covered new ground and put three-colored cards on the map in a whole new way.
The Doom Patrol will bust crime 70s style in an upcoming episode from Season 2.
HBO Max has released a promo of the season's fifth episode, cheekily titled "Finger Patrol," which finds Cyborg dressed like a 1970s cop. He is joined by Robotman, who also sports a retro-inspired outfit for their crimefighting adventures. In addition to wielding a sidearm, Cyborg unveils a lethal new upgrade to his cybernetics.
For the rest of the team, the focus is on family, with Negative Man reuniting with his children for the first time since suffering the horrific accident that gave him his current bandaged appearance. And, as the Chief's daughter Dorothy Spinner continues to make her new home at Doom Manor, she is introduced to one of Crazy Jane's more playful personalities.
Dorothy was conceived by Niles Caulder and an immortal, prehistoric woman. Ever since, the Chief has kept a close eye on his daughter to ensure her abilities don't go out of control -- especially her power to summon nasty, ravenous monsters that could wreck havoc on the world if left unchecked. With Jane now face-to-face with Dorothy's abilities, the two's playdate could take a disastrous turn.
Streaming now on DC Universe and HBO Max, Doom Patrol stars Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele, Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor, Diana Guerrero as Crazy Jane, Alan Tudyk as Mr. Nobody, April Bowlby as Rita Farr, Joivan Wade as Vic Stone and Timothy Dalton as Niles Caulder.
One series that presaged Image Comics' rebirth as a critically acclaimed, independent publisher was John Layman and Rob Guillory's Chew, launched in 2009. The multi-award-winning, 60-issue series follows detective Tony Chu, who can read the memories of everything he consumes in a world that has banned poultry following a devastating avian flu.
The initial series ended in 2016, but Layman is delving back into the world he co-created with new series Chu, which follows Tony's secret sister, who has her own food-based powers -- but a different career path entirely.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Layman reveals the origins of crafting the upcoming spinoff series, hints at a direct sequel to Chew and teases what readers can expect from the more action-packed Chu, which debuts July 22.
CBR: It's been nearly four years since Chew ended its initial run. Did you always have this story in your back pocket?
John Layman: No, actually. There’s always been a plan for Chew 2, which would tell the story of Tony’s daughter Olive Chu in a very science-fiction future set after the events of Chew #60. I’m still saving that story for [co-creator] Rob Guillory, who is tied up now with Farmhand and Farmhand’s TV adaptation.
After I lost Rob, I put on my thinking cap to develop something new in the same world, something so new and different that it would almost require a new artist. So I came up with a new take set in the same world.
Rather than follow food-powered cop Tony Chu, able to get psychic impressions from what he eats, Chu follows his black-sheep-of-the-family, Saffron Chu, a food-powered criminal who learns the secret of anybody she shares a meal with. Chu will be smaller and more character-driven. No giant earth-shattering conspiracies, just an ethically-challenged woman who makes increasingly bad choices and stays (barely) one step ahead of (usually self-inflicted) disaster.
How easy was it to slip back into this world? How fun was it to revisit Tony, Toni and their extended family?
Layman: It was a challenge. It would be too easy and lazy, frankly, to simply try to rehash with more of the same. Chu has its own rules and internal logic and is fundamentally different than Chew, something that will be more obvious in later arc. In this first arc, I straddle a line of both being like Chew and being like Chu.
Further storylines will see it less like Chew and more like Chu, as it ventures further and further from the story of food-powered lawman Tony Chu and his supporting cast and focuses instead his food-powered, criminal sister Saffron. Saffron is the heart of Chu, just as Tony was to Chew.
I know Rob is busy with Farmhand, but was he ever approached about the possibility of returning for Chu?
Layman: Like I said, there are stories in the universe reserved especially for him. The stories reserved for Rob are more of a linear connection to Chew. Chu is more of a sideways connection, if that makes sense.
What made Dan Boultwood the right artist for this book?
Layman: After a very long hunt, I found Dan Boultwood, who I think is perfect for this, something that is both Chew and -- at the same time -- not-Chew. Dan’s very much got his own style, but it’s not so different from Rob’s that it would be jarring. That’s Chu in a nutshell. It was important to me I didn’t have somebody ripping off Rob’s style, because I want Chu to be very much Dan’s book, not him standing in the shadow of a previous [artist].
Given the nature of Chew/Chu's inciting premise, did the pandemic impact the story at all as you were writing it?
Layman: It’s certainly something I’m aware of. What was the science fiction premise of Chew -- a bird-flu pandemic that killed millions -- is our new reality, which is really goddamn weird. The first Chu mini is a prequel, explaining why Tony’s sister Saffron was never mentioned in Chew. It’s set in the very early days of the bird-flu pandemic and while there was a point I worried this was a little too real-world, I decided it was not something I could avoid or hide from. The bird flu pandemic is too ingrained into the DNA of Chew.
You had the ending to Chew in mind before the first issue dropped. Is that the same for Chu? Will it ever catch up to Chew's main timeline?
Layman: Unlike Chew, that had a very specific length and an end point, Chu has no set length and will run as long as I want to play in the world. And I know how Saffron Chu’s story ends. But after Chew, I don’t know if I have the strength to get to it. The ending of Chu is far, far darker than the end of Chew, so much so I don’t want to ever write it.
Written by John Layman and illustrated by Dan Boultwood, Chu #1 goes on sale July 22 from Image Comics.
Amy Cooper, who called police on former Marvel Comics editor Christian Cooper, is currently facing a criminal charge.
"Today our office initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for falsely reporting an incident in the third degree," Manhattan's District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement to TheNew York Times. "We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable." Cooper could spend up to a year in prison for the offense.
A video of Cooper calling the police went viral on Memorial Day when Mr. Cooper, who she is not related to, asked her to keep her dog on a leash while he was bird-watching in Central Park. "I'm in the Ramble, there is a man, African-American, he has a bicycle helmet and he is recording me and threatening me and my dog," Ms. Cooper said on the call. "I am being threatened by a man in the Ramble, please send the cops immediately!"
Cooper voluntarily surrendered her dog to Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue after the incident and was also fired from her job at Franklin Templeton. She has since been reunited with the dog.
"I reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions when, in fact, I was the one who was acting inappropriately by not having my dog on a leash," she said in the statement.
Nightwing and Red Hood might have started out the same, but it’s obvious, just from looks alone, that they’ve since diverged from their early days as Robin. Nightwing is highly acrobatic and specializes in close combat, while Red Hood utilizes strategy and weapons to his advantage. Even with these differences, though, they’re both masterful fighters that have overcome many a villain over the years.
And, it’s this equal footing that holds promise for an intense battle that could inevitably result in a close tie. To be certain, though, let’s now explore the potential of a Nightwing vs. Red Hood battle.
10 Hand-To-Hand Combat: Tie
While both men certainly have two different fighting styles, they’ve both nevertheless managed to maintain a relatively even track record. Meaning, they’re both exceptional fighters that are capable enough to defeat each other. Their tenures as Robin obviously contributed to this, but beyond that, it was the training that Dick and Jason underwent afterwards that solidified their current techniques. Contesting that Dick is better, due to Jason’s use of weapons, is additionally moot because, whether they have them or not, both are still formidable fighters. You can always disagree with this, though, along with the other judgments that’ll follow.
9 Ability To Counteract: Red Hood
Every kick to face Jason’s received, both literal and figurative, has instilled the importance of being able to counteract. To utilize adversity constructively by learning to “think on your feet” to avoid close calls (which is exactly how Red Hood operates).
An entertaining example of this is in Red Hood and the Outlaws #16, where Jason manages to subdue his captors while still heavily chained up. Counteracting, then, while instrumental to fighting anyways, is nevertheless a specialty of Jason’s that he’s spent time perfecting since childhood, really.
8 Coordination: Nightwing
In nearly every description of Nightwing’s fighting technique, there’s at least one reference to his skills as an acrobat. Skills that aren’t necessarily detrimental to his fighting style, but proof of his supreme level of coordination, nonetheless. The fluid-like movement of his technique exhibits an overall control over the flow of his actions, which is heavily apparent in the image above. Jason isn’t necessarily clumsy by default either, though. Rather, it's other components, like instinct, that matter more to him. Coordination is simply Dick’s forte, and to some degree, this can sometimes be enough to defeat Jason.
7 Strategy: Red Hood
Initially brandishing this side of him in Under Red Hood, Jason has since then proven himself to be a wise strategist. True, he may be impulsive, but that doesn’t mean he’s entirely impulsive. Even as recently as Red Hood: Outlaw #35, Jason has persisted in demonstrating a foresight that ultimately saw him succeeding.
Nightwing is, of course, a clever strategist in his own right, but it’s not exactly one of his best qualities. For every victory he’s had against Deathstroke, there's followed failures at defeating better strategists like Raptor. Needless to say, Jason’s successful track record is much more consistent than Dick’s.
6 Stealth: Nightwing
Though it was a priority to them while they were still Robin, there’s only been one of the two here who’s continued to prioritize stealth. Indeed, by the time Jason first appears as Red Hood, he had long since foregone stealth in favor of grand entrances, which established his dominance. Dick, however, has always demonstrated a preference for stealth as the hero Nightwing. A characteristic, that’s apparent even in animation (especially in Young Justice). Let’s not forget either that Dick was also a spy at one point. So, on multiple fronts, stealth is inevitably Nightwing’s strong suit.
5 Resilience: Red Hood
There’s really no contest here. Jason is undoubtedly the more resilient of the two, and it’s the adversity he’s had to overcome that proves this true. His murder in 1988 is certainly proof enough, but even during his rebirth—where Jason was forced to literally dig himself out of the grave—it was clear that he was resilient. Nightwing has endured his own fair share hardships as well, though (having almost faced certain death himself). Still, there’s none in the Bat-family more associated with misery than Jason, and it’s been this pain that’s subsequently fueled one of his greatest strengths: his resiliency.
4 Maneuverability: Nightwing
Like with his coordination, Nightwing’s acrobatic training influences his skills as a maneuverable fighter. But, flexibility alone isn’t enough to be the best at maneuverability (Jason is pretty flexible too, after all). No, the real test here has to do with how valuable maneuverability is to either Dick or Jason. And for the latter, there’s greater precedence for a strong frontal assault than maneuverability. Dick, however, is almost entirely defined by maneuverability which comes through in his acrobatics. The aerial movement of his fighting generally functions to keep him out of reach, and it’s this that could help him avoid a frontal assault by Jason.
3 Weaponry Skill: Red Hood
Obviously, this is going to lean towards Red Hood’s favor. Not only does Jason possess an array of weapons, and knows how to use them, he’s often seen alongside Arsenal, of all people. All kidding aside, though, Jason is very much a weapons master, and has even wielded ancient, yet powerful, weapons like the “All-Blade.”
Jason’s additionally wise about how to use devices to his advantage—his taser chest plate, being one of his go-to gadgets. Jason, in this sense, isn’t a better weapons master than Dick, just because he has more weapons, but because he’s the more skillful of the two.
2 Emotional Control: Nightwing
Clearly, this is a “hot and cold” dynamic, which is ironically displayed in the very red and blue of Dick and Jason’s uniforms. And evidence of this can be seen in Jason’s passionate attitude and Dick’s generally calm demeanor. Unlike Dick, though, Jason has a greater chance of being hindered by this characteristic, which is even recently explored in his vendetta against the Penguin. This isn’t the same for Dick, though, who can appear emotionally unaffected mid-fight. Ultimately, an opponent is better off with Dick’s approach than Jason’s, because, as seen in Battle for the Cowl, it’s Dick’s mentality that enables him to break Jason’s concentration.
1 Winner: Red Hood
There’s equal opportunity here for either one of them winning, due to their many abilities. However, the ultimate reason why Red Hood wins has to do with what happens in Outsiders #44. In the issue, Red Hood and Nightwing inevitably end up in what Dick thinks is a stalemate. Really, though, it’s Jason who has the upper hand here, because he's still able to land a fatal blow with his gun. But Dick isn’t just at risk here because Jason has a gun. No, instead, this has to do with a combination of Jason’s countermoves and his mastery over weapons. So, while a gun-toting thug wouldn’t necessarily pose a problem, it’s Jason’s capabilities that can give him an edge over Nightwing. Thus, leaving him victorious.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventureis a quirky and creative shonen action series that dates all the way back to 1987. It is divided into story arcs, each with their own Joestar protagonist and setting, and the story began with Jonathan Joestar during the events of Phantom Blood. Then, the story continued in Battle Tendency, starring Joseph Joestar.
This second story arc is largely overshadowed by Stardust Crusaders and all its stand battles, but Battle Tendency isn't to be underestimated. It has a creative and wily lead character in Joseph, and the Pillar Men are truly terrifying and powerful enemies (complete with their own legendary theme song). Colorful characters like these are a great choice for cosplay, and it's time to meet ten JoJo cosplayers who nailed the look.
10 Twin Heroes
The gallery launches with the two main heroes of this story arc, Caesar Zeppeli at left and Joseph Joestar at right. These guys are both hamon/ripple masters and are descended from major characters in the days of Phantom Blood.
Often, Caesar and Joseph can't stop butting heads, but they bonded just a little during their training with Lisa Lisa, and they are now a united front against the sinister Pillar Men. These cosplayers got all the details fight, from their clothes to cool poses and "come at me" attitude.
9 The Master Of Hamon
Speaking of which, here is the stylish Lisa Lisa in all her glory. She has been practicing in the ways of Hamon for a long time, which made her the ideal teacher for Joseph and Caesar. She is also Joseph's mother, but didn't plan on telling him that.
This cosplayer combined many of the character's elements into a single shot, from the red stone of Aja on her necklace to her movie star smoking style and her earrings and lofty posture. Lisa Lisa is gorgeous and powerful, and she's not afraid to show it.
8 The Mighty One
The villains of Battle Tendency are truly terrifying to behold. They may not have DIO's time-freezing power or Yoshikage Kira's explosions, but they don't need such things, either. They are the ultimate vampires, and at night, they are nearly unstoppable.
This cosplayer chose Kars for their shot, and right now, Kars is meditating in between battles, his eyes looking up at the heavens. Either he's looking to the moon for guidance, or staring down the sun as though to say "soon, I will conquer you!"
7 The Hand
Okuyasu may have a stand called The Hand in Diamond is Unbreakable, but 60 years before that, Joseph Joestar was the one with a special hand. He lost his hand in the battle against Kars, and he was lucky that he didn't lose more.
This cosplayer brings Joseph's goofy side to the fore, recreating his "you annoy me!" moment with Suzie Q during his own funeral. His metal hand can move in all kinds of odd ways, and this cosplayer neatly used special effects for not just the hand, but his eyes, too.
6 Apple Of His Eye
Let's not forget some of the fun supporting characters, such as Lisa Lisa's charming friend and assistant Suzie Q. While Suzie Q may not use hamon or a stand, she's a tough girl who can keep up with her friend and now husband, Joseph Joestar.
When she first appeared, Suzie Q had a lovely sort of maid outfit on, and this cosplayer brought this adorable character to life in fine detail, from her carefully swept bangs to the roses on her hat and some stylish imagery to fill up the negative space.
5 Battle Start
Many anime and manga cosplayers like to take photos that reenact certain scenes from an anime, or take shots that look like they could be manga panels and put them side by side. That's what this Joseph cosplayer did here.
Joseph Joestar is a photogenic action hero, and this cosplayer cashed in on that fact. He's totally in shape like the character, and he chose some great angles and composition for the action shots while adding "rumbling" sound effects to complete the look.
4 Dedicated Student
Joseph Joestar gave it his all when he became Lisa Lisa's hamon student, but he wasn't alone. Caesar Zeppeli's hamon skills are even more advanced than Joseph's, and he takes Lisa Lisa very seriously. He wouldn't dare cross her.
In this shot, Lisa Lisa is comfortably seated on the stone wall, looking lofty and proud of her student as Caesar dutifully takes her place by her side while giving her an admiring look. For variety, Caesar is in colorful clothes and a dazzling headband while Lisa Lisa favors darker colors.
3 Madam Kars
It's time for a gender-bender cosplay, and this cosplayer chose the almighty Kars for her photoshoot. Most JoJo characters are male, so gender-bender cosplayers for this franchise have a huge variety of options. This invites a lot of creativity.
In this particular shot, a lady Kars is looking deadly but elegant, her violet hair spilling about as she admires a lavender-colored flower to contrast with her terrifying strength. The cosplayer also added some face paint to mimic the original manga's drawing style, a nice touch.
2 Tea Is Served
Suzie Q is such a colorful and adorable character, she just had to be added in this gallery one more time. This cosplayer, like many others, chose to create an action shot that could easily be a freeze-frame from the original anime.
The cosplayer found just the right venue to imitate a fancy Italian hotel or mansion, right where you'd expect to find a cheerful and helpful maid like Suzie Q. She's having a great time on the clock, and this cosplayer captured the character's cheerful disposition perfectly.
1 Fallen Warrior
The final entry in this gallery doesn't just mimic the anime's style; it brings a particular scene to life. Tragically, Caesar lost his life when he pursued Kars into that boarded-up mansion, and Joseph arrived too late to save him.
Joseph could do little more than cry out in despair as Caesar's crushed form lay there, and these cosplayers chose a nice and dramatic scene to re-create. Caesar lays defeated but looking good right there on the grass, and Joseph's cosplayer definitely looks overcome with grief and shock.
Hoenn was the third region in the Pokemon anime and provided the third generation of Pokemon. This region was a departure for Ash and his friends, as this is when Misty returned home to the Kanto Region, but Brock stuck with Ash as they met siblings May and Max. Ash wanted a fresh start with this region, so he sent all of his previously-caught Pokemon home except for Pikachu.
Ash caught relatively few new Pokemon in this region, and this was the first time he didn't catch all three of the region's starters. He also challenged the Battle Frontier during this era--though it's technically in Kanto--and it was was one of his greatest trials yet. Today we are going to rank Ash's Pokemon catches in the region from least powerful to most.
5 Glalie
Glalie first appeared as a troublemaking Snorunt that stole Ash's Gym Badges and froze him with an Icy Wind. However, the two became to trust one another after Snorunt took Ash to safety when he was knocked out in a blizzard. The two sealed their friendship in a battle against Team Rocket. It faced trouble in the Sootopolis Gym challenge, but it later learned Ice Beam and evolved into Glalie while fighting Team Rocket.
It later narrowly defeated a Charizard in the Ever Grande Conference and won out in a lengthy battle against a Metang in the Victory Tournament. It took on a Sceptile later in the tournament, but the battle ended with both Pokemon being KO'd at the same time.
4 Corphish
Ash met this Corphish on Dewford Island, where the Corphish was causing mischief from underneath the sand. It was bossy and bullied the other Pokemon in Ash's group at first. His first battle as one of Ash's team came at the Dewford Gym, where he took down Brawly's Machop, but it proved no match for the Gym Leader's Hariyama. It proved indispensable against Flannery, the Fire-Type Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town. Corphish took down Flannery's Magcargo and even took down her powerful Torkoal despite being asleep for the first part of the fight.
It lost to a Ludicolo while throwing a jealous tantrum about Treeko evolving into Grovyle. However, Corphish scored more wins after this when it took on the Sootopolis Gym, aiding Pikachu in a double battle against Seaking and Sealeo. It even took down a Luvdisc in a single match. It took out a Swalot at the Ever Grande Conference after the Pokemon KO'd Ash's Torkoal, and it took down a Golduck in the Victory Tournament. Later, it teamed up with Swellow to take down Frontier Brain Tucker's dangerous duo of Swampert and Arcanine.
3 Torkoal
Ash first met his Torkoal in the Valley of Steel, a place mainly populated by Steel-Type Pokemon. Unfortunately for Torkoal, they didn't take kindly to its presence. Ash and his friends had to come together to protect Torkoal from the Steel-Type Pokemon and to help Torkoal recover from its wounds. It saved May from a rampaging Magneton only to be attacked by the leader of the Steel-Types in the Valley of Steel, a massive Steelix. All seemed lost for the Torkoal until Ash took control and commanded it to use Overheat on the Steelix--a Fire-Type move that Ash learned about from his battle with the Gym Leader Flannery. Torkoal became a part of Ash's team after this encounter.
Torkoal went on to have an unsuccessful battle against Wattson, the Electric-Type Gym Leader from Mauville. Torkoal over-exerted itself while trying to beat Wattson's Manectric. It later showed its mettle against Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader, by taking out his Slakoth. It went on to have successful, or at least semi-successful, showdowns against a Scizor, a Tropius, a Swalot, another Steelix, and a Shiftry. In the Battle Frontier, it took on Brandon's Registeel and fought hard, but Torkoal ultimately lost this showdown.
2 Swellow
Swellow started off as a Taillow that was stealing food from Ash and his friends alongside a flock of other Taillow. Brock drove off the other Taillow with his Forretress, but one Taillow stayed behind to battle Ash's Pikachu. It took damage from Pikachu's powerful and super-effective Electric-Type moves, but Taillow stayed up. Ash then caught this Taillow and added it to his roster.
While Taillow suffered some early defeats at the hands of a Zigzagoon, Brawly's Machop, and a Roselia, it later took down a Volbeat armed with Electric-Type moves and evolved into Swellow in time to bring down a Dustox. From there, it went on to beat Gym Leader Winona's own Swellow, teamed up with Pikachu to take out Gym Leaders Tate and Liza's Lunatone and Solrock, and it took out Juan's Whiscash at the Sootopolis Gym. In the Ever Grande Conference, it took out a Venomoth and Scizor back-to-back, and it barrelled through a Hariyama and a Donphan at the Victory Tournament. Swellow also helped Ash in the Battle Frontier, where it teamed up with Corphish to take down Tucker's Pokemon duo of Arcanine and Swampert.
1 Sceptile
Sceptile was Ash's greatest asset in Hoenn. Ash caught it as a small Treeko, and the Pokemon proved its bravery early on when it helped May's Torchic against a Seviper. It suffered a few losses in Gym battles, though it did manage to defeat Brawly's Machop on Ash's first challenge against the Fighting-Type Gym Leader. It later evolved into Grovyle while battling a Loudred.
Grovyle went on to win a fierce battle against Petalburg Gym Leader Norman. Grovyle faced Norman's Slaking and took a lot of damage early on. However, the Pokemon convinced Ash to let it keep fighting, and it went on to take down Slaking. It took down Gym Leader Winona's Altaria, and it took out a Quilava alongside Glalie in the Ever Grande Conference. In the Victory Tournament, it took down a Walrein and a Steelix. Grovyle evolved into Sceptile in the Battle Frontier to save a Meganium it grew to fancy. However, Meganium fell in love with a Tropius instead. Regardless, Sceptile went on to beat Frontier Brain Spenser's Shiftry and Claydol, and it even went toe-to-toe against the Legendary Pokemon Deoxys and Regirock. Finally, Ash and May battled it out in Terracotta Town, and it fought May's Blaziken to a tie.
There is a lot in anime that fans wish they had, whether it is magical powers or just getting to be friends with such interesting characters. However, some focus more on authority figures like teachers. Teachers can have a great influence over the life of a student, for better or worse.
Anime, which often delves into student life, has sported a lot of interesting teachers. They are mentors but are also so much more than that. Sometimes they are protectors, true friends, or just total goofballs that can make us laugh. Here are ten teachers from anime that we wish we had in real life.
10 Koro-Sensei From Assassination Classroom
Assassination Classroom actually has a lot of interesting teachers that deserve a spot on this list, but none are quite as loved by fans as the strange octopus-like homeroom teacher, Koro-sensei. He plays a huge role as both a secondary protagonist as well as an antihero. His personality and history are his most interesting aspects.
If fans had to choose a single teacher from this anime, most choose this guy.
9 Kakashi From Naruto
Naruto is another anime with a ton of memorable teachers. A favorite among them is Kakashi, as he is one of the first that the audience gets to bond with as he trains Naturo, Sasuke, and Sakura. He has everything one wants in a teacher, some mystery, a ton of talent, and a sense of humor. He can get joy from little things like his books and can be quite laid back despite having serious duties.
He is an easy character to cheer for, and any fan would want to be his student. He would be a teacher you would never want to disappoint.
8 Eikichi Onizuka From Great Teacher Onizuka
Unlike a lot of anime teachers, this one is the actual protagonist of his show. He is very interesting too, as he used to be part of a gang and took part in a lot of illegal activity. The anime is about him teaching social studies.
However, he winds up teaching way more than just that. Due to his past, he teaches the students a lot of life lessons. He is a man who learned a lot by making mistakes and makes sure that his students don't fall into the same path as he did.
7 Glenn Radars From Akashic Records Of Bastard Magic Instructor
Glenn is quite young for a teacher, as he is actually 19-years-old. He becomes a substitute after his favorite teacher disappears. Due to his age, he is a pretty immature and fun teacher. His lazy personality is just at first glance though. He is actually a powerful magic user and does well in teaching magic to his students.
Due to his personality, his opponents often don't take him seriously. That is a fatal mistake.
6 Izumi Curtis From Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhoodis known to be one of the best anime shows of all time, so of course a character from that show should make it to this list. She is the teacher of the Elric brothers. No school and no classmates, as she is a teacher to no one else. In a way, she serves a role as a guardian as well as a teacher.
She is both a master alchemist as well as a skilled martial artist. Her humble exterior makes her already likable, and she gets awesome the more you learn about her.
5 Master Roshi From Dragon Ball
Master Roshi may come across as an old pervert at first, but he is a martial arts master. He is over three hundred years old and despite his powers, he enjoys simple things like watching TV, ordering pizza, and reading books. However, he is still an extreme pervert so it would be no surprise that any woman wouldn't want him for a teacher.
Still, he was good to his students, Goku and Krillin. If he could let go of his perverted tendencies, then he would be a great teacher to have in real life.
4 Shota Aizawa From My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is another show with a lot of beloved mentor figures. One of the most popular of them is Aizawa. He is the homeroom teacher, and definitely not your average one.
He is a little similar to Kakashi in that he comes across as apathetic but actually cares strongly for his students. He can also be pretty blunt, and hurt the feelings of a sensitive student. However, you can guarantee he will push you to be your best and to surpass your own limits.
3 Franken Stein From Soul Eater
As a teacher, Franken Stein can definitely come across as scary at first. He is a man of science and sees everything as an experiment. In his youth, he was morally bankrupt with a total lack of love and sympathy.
However, he has another side to him. He is kind to his students and feels a need to protect them.
2 Biscuit "Bisky" Krueger From Hunter X Hunter
Don't let her looks fool you; Biscuit is actually over 50 years old. Her true form is large and incredibly muscular. She trains Gon and Killua and is quite stern and serious when it comes to martial arts. She is one of those teachers who will push their students past their limits.
There is another side to her though, a more fun side. She manipulates others and gathers information through her looks. Also, she loves money.
1 Aikuro Mikisugi From Kill La Kill
This homeroom teacher disguises himself while teaching. His true form is a delight, though, as he transforms from a rather bland and unenthusiastic teacher to a flirtatious smooth-talker. He is also part of a resistance called "Nudist Beach," which is hilarious.
Honestly, seeing your teacher transform like this could be scary at first. However, everyone loves this character. He is a lot of fun.
The Fairy Tailanime boasts a huge and diverse cast of characters, and many of the most powerful or lovable characters of all belong to the namesake Fairy Tail guild. Makarov Dreyar is the leader, and his grandson Laxus ranks among the most powerful wizards there. And let's not forget Cana and Mystogan, or newcomers like Lucy, Gajeel, and Juvia.
Lucy is the new girl for a time, and she has always dreamed of joining a guild like this. She brings fresh blood to the team and offers some unique skills, but the resident top dog Erza Scarlet has some tricks of her own. Both women are powerful and talented, but there are some things Lucy does that Erza simply cannot do, and some things are truly unique to Erza. Let's see how Lucy and Erza differ.
10 Lucy: Navigate The High Life
Lucy wasn't born in an ordinary household. In fact, she was born into big money: the Heartfilia family. Her father Jude raised her in a huge mansion, and her mother, Layla, was a noble lady indeed. Lucy had it all growing up.
Ultimately, Lucy ran away from that suffocating life to create her own destiny, but she didn't forget her lessons. She can easily and properly meet other nobles or elite figures and not get tongue-tied, and she has an excellent sense of high fashion, too. Erza tends to stumble when it comes to this.
9 Erza: Control Natsu And Gray
It's no secret that Natsu and Gray are in the middle of a fierce rivalry, which may stem from their literal "fire and ice" duality. These guys are always butting heads and getting into scraps in the guild hall. It seems no one can stop them.
Except for a certain Erza Scarlet, that is. She has the strength and scary disposition necessary to keep her two friends in line, and it saves the guild hall from further destruction. It's a talent of Erza's, and no one else can match it.
8 Lucy: Creative Writing
Lucy has a few hobbies, and one of them involves the written word. She often writes letters to friends and family, and she is working on a novel of her very own. She's shy about it, though, and would rather not give Natsu a sneak peek of the manuscript.
That's more than Erza can say. Somehow, Erza can't even write a letter of apology correctly, and she ends up sending the totally wrong message and infuriating the recipient. But that's okay; she can just ask Lucy to help. Not everyone is fancy with a pen.
7 Erza: Sword Storms
Any villain who sees a sight like this is in big trouble. Erza often fights most comfortably in traditional sword fights, and she can also use spears or even her fists. But if the fight gets serious, Erza can summon a flurry of swords.
Erza doesn't need a hundred arms to wield all these; instead, she flings them with great force over a wide area, and this can slice apart a single tough enemy or many weak ones. Lucy does have Sagittarius on her side, but that archer can't match the likes of Erza's sword storms.
6 Lucy: Journalism
Lucy has always enjoyed reading Sorcerer Weekly, a cool magazine that's about all things wizard. She once met Jason, an excitable journalist for this 'zine, and she eventually became a staff member herself once Fairy Tail was dissolved.
Lucy has a deft hand for the trade, and she started off at the bottom rung but quickly proved herself. She had lousy assignments and a lot of work ahead of her, but she earned the respect of all her superiors and editors. That's impressive work.
5 Erza: Carry Huge Loads
Why does Erza look so smug? Maybe it's because of her incredible strength, which allows her to haul a huge wagon loaded with goods. A common visual gag in Fairy Tail is Erza dragging along a massive wagon that bears all her supplies and theater stuff.
No way could Lucy just haul along a massive wagon with multiple tons of stuff on it. Not even all her Celestial spirits together could do it, and neither could Laxus or Gajeel or the other tough guys. Erza alone can bear that incredible burden and make it look glamorous.
4 Lucy: Summon The Spirit King
By now, Lucy is probably the only person in the entire world who can pull off this feat, with the possible exception of Yukino. As a Celestial wizard, Lucy can summon a variety of spirits, and that can even include their almighty king.
Summoning him is difficult and comes at a cost, but if Lucy pays it, she can bring this hard-hitting titan into any battle, like she did in the desperate struggle against Tartaros. The spirit king was certainly a match for the likes of Mard Geer.
3 Erza: Specialized Resistances
Erza uses spatial magic to summon any variety of armored suits, and this gives her remarkable flexibility in combat. Most often, the action scenes focus on Erza's swords, but let's not forget the armor suits, which have varying properties.
Some of them allow Erza to fly and thus avoid certain attacks, and her Flame Empress suit halves all fire-based damage dealt to her. Her Sea Empress armor (pictured) naturally grants her serious resistance to water-based damage, as Juvia learned the hard way.
2 Lucy: Protect Herself With Horologium
The twelve gold keys are the literal key to Lucy's combat prowess, but let's not f0rget about her collection of silver keys, either. These lesser spirits are quite useful, and that includes Horologium, who resembled a grandfather clock.
This clock's pendulum chamber is a sort of bunker, and Horologium can summon himself (if Lucy doesn't summon him first) and quickly shield Lucy from harm within his body. He can fit in a few other people too, and Natsu and Happy have also had their lives saved via Horologium.
1 Erza: Use Incredible Offensive Power
And now, for one of the biggest draws to Erza's character: her incredible strength. She uses it for more than hauling that wagon; she can wield countless armor suits and swords, and devastate just about anyone who gets in her way.
Erza is sworn to use this power only for good, and indeed she can crush evil wizards from Tartaros and Grimoire Heart without too much trouble. She also resolved the battle for Jellal's tower alongside a charged-up Natsu when all seemed lost. Lucy's a great wizard, but she's not a juggernaut like Erza is.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a fun and well-written story that has captivated viewers for over a decade. The series is regularly mistaken as being an anime, even though it has western roots. The art style, story structure, and episode progression are closer to an anime than a normal western cartoon series.
With that being said, there are actually a lot of things that Avatar seems to do better than most anime, especially the ones at the time of its release. This is likely the reason it became so popular and has even rivaled series like Soul Eater in popularity. Below are ten things that Avatar actually does better than most anime series.
10 Redemption Arc
Zuko is probably one of the most beloved characters in the series. Despite him playing the villain for the majority of the show, he is shown to be caught in a struggle to earn love from his father. By the second season, Zuko is coming to terms with the fact that he isn't like his cruel father and sister.
By the end of the show, he even helps Team Avatar teach Aang how to Firebend and actively fights in the war against his father, sister, and nation.
9 Villians
The actual villains of the show, like Azula, were ruthless and didn't get magically redeemed at the end. Azula and the Fire Lord Ozai are both shown to be sociopaths who genuinely enjoy torturing others and having power. Ozai is willing to leave his son to die while Azula is fine with killing Zuko herself.
Many anime villains will either fall flat, or the show will try to move them into the roster of main characters throught attempted redemption arcs.
8 Fantasy Creatures
The creatures shown in the world of Avatar are nothing short of fantastic. Most of the creatures in the show are strange combinations of real-world animals. Every creature from Appa to the turtle ducks are interesting to look at. The world is so full of mixed animals that Aang and friends are surprised to see a normal bear in Ba Sing Se, which is something the writers take the time to poke fun at.
Many anime shows fail to flesh out the species of their worlds as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender does.
7 Comedy
Instead of relying on crude jokes to make most of the humor, Avatar has pure funny moments. From the Cabbage Man to meeting some of the quirky kings of the Earth Kingdom, the show has no shortages of these moments. It's a great break from the world of anime that often capitalized on adult humor.
Avatar, at many times, is much funnier than some of the purer comedy anime available.
6 Children
One of the best things about the show is that it correctly portrays the character's ages. Aang is twelve and, for the most part, acts like you would expect a child of his age to act. Zuko is a moody teenager who has tantrums while Toph often acts like a spoiled brat and, at times, is completely rude.
It's nice to see characters acting like their age, instead of watching a fourteen-year-old being insanely talented at everything they do. Aang still is insanely talented, but he lacks the over-the-top maturity that often comes with said talent in an anime setting.
5 World-Building
The world that was created for the series is incredibly detailed. All of the nations have distinct looks. The Water Tribes are at the poles, and the houses are made of ice. The Earth Kingdom is located in rocky regions with lush greenery, while the Fire Nation looks more like a volcanic island.
The Air Temples are placed in the mountains, where tons of flying animals live with the monks. The nations corresponding with their respective elements make the world feel much more fleshed-out and realistic.
4 Female Empowerment
Another thing that makes Avatar so powerful is the way it treats its female characters. Katara, Suki, and Toph are all powerful and can hold their own in fights. Every girl is intelligent and rarely needs to be saved by a male from small situations. In addition, the females are often shown to be much stronger than some of the male leads.
This is a nice change from many anime series with weak or dumb female characters, especially in Shonen anime.
3 Relationships
Instead of just throwing characters in relationships out of nowhere, there is a ton of build-up. Katara dates Jet before she even considers Aang, and Toph is shown to have an innocent crush on Sokka. Zuko is shown in arguments with his girlfriend Mai, and Katara is no stranger to standing up to Aang when it is warranted.
Sokka also has an interesting relationship arc after losing Yue and falling in love with Suki.
2 Past Lives
Instead of just mentioning past lives, the show actually goes into them. Several different incarnations of Aang are brought up as the show goes on, including Roku and Kyoshi. These past lives often help the young boy to move forward on his journey.
In some anime series, reincarnations can get messy or even make no sense at all.
1 Aang (The Protagonist)
Aang, as mentioned above, is only twelve, and he actually acts like it. He doesn't instantly get power-ups and struggles to learn some of the elements. He often goofs off or wants to play games much like any other kid his age, and he is awkward about his obvious crush on Katara.
It's refreshing to see a protagonist that isn't all-powerful and acts their age, which is more relatable, especially for the intended audience.
The beauty of comic books, and the rub, is that while some runs are iconic, none are eternal. A different artistic team takes over, and a new interpretation, or maybe just more of the same, arrives. For Marvel Comics, the elasticity of their major superheroes is part of their enduring appeal. X-Men from Chris Claremont is dramatically different than X-Men from Jonathan Hickman.
But not every new iteration in comics, in cartoons or television shows, or in the movies is great. Or even good. Here are the ten worst versions of iconic Marvel heroes, ranked.
10 Thor (The Incredible Hulk Returns)
The Mighty Thor's screen debut wasn't in the MCU, but in 1988's made-for-TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns, based on the 1978 CBS television series. This movie was actually intended as a backdoor pilot to a potential Thor TV series, but he didn't make much of an impact.
The character suffered in translation: in the comics, Donald Blake and Thor are basically hero and secret identity. In the movie, Thor and Blake were two completely separate people.
9 Captain America (Hydra Cap)
One of the most controversial moves in modern comics, the decision to retcon Captain America as a lifelong secret agent of HYDRA, and thus a fascist poisoned the well with a lot of fans.
Change is good and bold takes are welcome, but change comes from knowing where a character had been. The decision to make Captain America represent everything he had fought against since World War II - even if he punched his way out of it later - was a betrayal of the character.
8 Fantastic Four (1994 Movie)
Fans may think the 2015 Fantastic Four movie from Fox was the worst version of the vaunted First Family of Marvel, but there was actually an earlier movie that was even worse. It's so bad most people have never seen it. In 1994, legendary low-budget auteur Roger Corman produced a bare-bones movie of the Fantastic Four that featured cheap nylon costumes and terrible makeup for the Thing. The movie was shelved, but pictures and clips have leaked out, haunting fans to this day.
7 Iron Man (Heroes Reborn)
Iron Man has so many different versions, mostly due to his ever-changing armors. While his MCU version has been the lynchpin to the movie franchise's success, the comic book character hasn't always done so hot. Enter Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld, recruited to rehabilitate Iron Man in the mid-90s with the Heroes Reborn initiative.
Iron Man was dropped into another universe, but he actually reverted back to who he had been, undermining the whole point. Before, Iron Man had been a teenage Tony Stark who died but had been brought forward in time because the first Stark went evil.
6 Colossus (Age of Apocalypse)
The object of the now-iconic Age of Apocalypse storyline was to show a world that had descended into darkness. That left a lot of good people in bad places, but in some cases, it went too far. Colossus is probably the best example of this. Noble, patient, and kind in the original timeline, in the alternate reality where Apocalypse has destroyed much of the world, he's a short fuse who becomes a rampaging machine of destruction. He runs over his wife, Shadowcat, killing her and the character.
5 Hulk (2003 Movie)
The 2003 Hulk movie from Ang Lee was an ambitious project that sought to both embody the comic book aesthetic and also create something utterly unique. The end result was a mixed bag, and so was the Hulk himself.
A big giant CGI green mess, Hulk could rage pretty well, but that was about it. He could also basically fly, which was a huge change from his previous and subsequent incarnations. Hulk has proved hard to get right outside the comics, but the MCU has finally done it.
4 Black Widow (Black Widow 2099)
Black Widow has become one of the most iconic heroes in the Marvel Universe, thanks to her evolution over decades of comics and her essential place among the big-screen Avengers. And like just about every other major Marvel hero Black Widow has had some different versions. A big one was the 2099 version.
The costume is cool, and really one of the better ones from that particular concept. But this Black Widow diverges from the main in a big, creepy, no thanks way - like real-life Black Widow spiders she kills her mates after she has sleeps with them. And that's exactly what this future Black Widow does.
3 Wolverine (Noseless)
Eventually, heroes lose everything. It's just the cycle of storytelling. Stories build them up and then tear them down. But not all of them lose their nose. Wolverine lost a lot to Magneto in the 90s, including all his adamantium. His healing factor went too, reverting Wolverine to something more feral.
Though this was still the Wolverine fans knew and loved from Earth-616, the idea that Logan was some kind of wild beast barely kept in check was never meant to be taken literally. Once Wolverine got his mojo back, he got his nose and everyone forgot about the whole thing.
2 Captain Marvel (Age Of Ultron)
Captain Marvel is one of the strongest, most powerful characters in all of comics, in any form. Whether it's Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers, or someone else picking up the mantle, fans expect greatness. So it was kind of cool to see Janet Van Dyne, AKA The Wasp, as the Captain Marvel of an alternate reality in the Age of Ultron crossover. A strong woman with stronger powers? Sounds good. Except it didn't last, as she was quickly and easily killed in a battle with Ultron's drones in London.
1 Spider-Man (Amazing Spider-Man)
Andrew Garfield deserved a lot better. So did fans. Anybody following Tobey Maguire was going to face a real challenge (it's never good to be the rebound guy, ask Jason Todd), but the script did Garfield no favors. This Spider-Man might have echoed the comics a little more than the Sam Raimi version in a few places, but diverged dramatically in others. Gunning through years of story - and blazing past plot points that went unexplained and unexplored - left the character feeling half-baked.
It's hard to talk about some of the most influential and important anime series of all time without mentioning Naruto— one of the most popular anime of all time, and for good reason. Kishimoto found an absolute masterpiece in this once-fledgling world that evolved into something truly special, becoming part of the legendary Big Three and attracting fans from all over the world with a combination of excellent storytelling, amazing world-building, a brilliant cast of characters, and some of the most enthralling fight scenes of all time.
Given the popularity of this anime, it was only a matter of time before the entire experience would be dubbed for the West. English dubs of anime have a notorious reputation for never really being up-to-the-mark and always falling behind its Japanese counterparts, but Naruto was somewhat of an exception. The dub for this show was quite serviceable... for the most part.
Unfortunately, no dub is perfect — especially Naruto's dub. There are ten changes made from Japanese to English, in particular, that are simply so weird that they absolutely need to be dissected and lambasted for their sheer ridiculousness.
10 "A Master Of The Loopy Fist!" — Might Guy
During the fight against Kimimaro, Rock Lee accidentally gulps down an entire bottle of sake and becomes turns into a master of the Drunken Fist. However, the idea of having a kid ingest alcohol wasn't exactly acceptable when Naruto was airing in the West.
So, the dub decided to change things up a bit by turning the bottle of alcohol that Lee drinks into a special potion of sorts, allowing him to use a technique called the Loopy Fist. The name itself is so stupid that it's hard to take this technique seriously at all.
9 "But I Shut My Eyes A Long Time Ago. The Things I Seek Now Lie Only In The Darkness." — Sasuke
Sasuke has a reputation for being needlessly edgy, but the Japanese voices at least added a bit of subtlety to the dialogue. Even when talking about the darkness he was exploring, Sasuke never went spoke about this path in a literal sense.
However, the dub decided to make a certain exchange with Gaara a bit too on-the-nose for most people's liking. When Gaara talks about how a person like Sasuke would notice the light if he opened his eyes, Sasuke scoffs at the suggestion and delivers one of the hammiest dialogues in the dub.
8 "You're Not Hurt, Are You? Little Girl." — Sasuke
Speaking of Sasuke, it must be said that some of his dubbed lines were actually edited later on to make them all the more tasteless.
This comes in the form of a flashback, going back to a scene where Sasuke chastises Naruto during their mission in the Land of Waves. In the original scene, Sasuke called Naruto a "scaredy cat," but it seems that the line wasn't evil or problematic enough.
So, in the flashback, Sasuke decides to call Naruto a "little girl" instead, coupled with the strangest voice inflection ever.
7 "If He Rips My Head Off, I'll Stare Him To Death!" — Naruto
During an especially heated conversation with Sai, Naruto defends his stubborn desire to save Sasuke by talking about how he'll get his best friend back to Konoha, no matter how much of an effort it might take.
He tells Sai about how he'll beat some sense into Sasuke, regardless of whether his arms or legs survive the encounter. While this speech is quite passionate, this one line in particular makes absolutely no sense and takes some of the seriousness out of the equation.
How does one stare at someone until they die? The phrase "death stare" isn't meant to be taken literally.
6 "I've Received My Orders From God." — Konan
Konan is one of the most intriguing characters in Naruto, with her and Pain's story being incredibly satisfying in every sense of the word. After encountering Jiraiya and preparing for battle, Konan states that she'll be carrying out the will of God by ending his life.
However, in the dub, the line becomes a tad bit too literal, losing its mystique in the process.
5 "What The Hell Is Wrong With You, You Pervy Little Doofus!?" — Sakura
After meeting Naruto for the first time and witnessing his shenanigans, Sakura gets heated up and questions the perverseness of his actions. However, in the English dub, she ends up resorting to petty name-calling that ends up sounding incredibly stupid, to boot.
4 "Just Give Up... On Trying To Make Me Give Up!" — Naruto
We say this because the final moments of this fight are completely ruined by Naruto's cheesy line, which would've undoubtedly sounded more poetic in the Japanese version.
3 "Believe It!" — Naruto
It's close to impossible to mention the weird changes between the Japanese and English version of Naruto without bringing up the absolute travesty that is the English version's half-baked version at recreating his catchphrase.
In the Japanese version, Naruto has a habit of saying "dattebayo" all the time at the end of a sentence, which doesn't really mean anything concrete.
Instead of ignoring this, the English version thought it would be a good idea to change this catchphrase into "believe it" and have the character obnoxiously saying it after almost everything he says.
Suffice to say, this annoying catchphrase was dropped a few episodes in.
2 Almost All Of The Jutsu Names
Most of the fights in the English dub might have the added advantage of viewers only focusing on the action without having to read subtitles... but this comes at a pretty hefty cost.
Most of the jutsu that the ninja use throughout the anime employ a naming structure that feels incredibly weird. The names of these techniques just flow better in Japanese, as compared to its English counterpart which makes every technique sound horribly uncool.
1 The Lack Of Cursing
Another aspect of the English translation that should rightfully be criticized is the fact that the show is mainly geared towards kids. This leads to a situation where dialogue needs to be watered down to prevent any confusion, along with being censored to avoid any controversies.
The end result is that most intense scenes in the anime are devoid of any hard-hitting English phrases, making the entire experience feel bog-standard compared to its Japanese counterpart.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of Digimon Adventure (2020), "The Holy Digimon," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
After the surprise appearance of Omnimon in the second episode, it became clear that theDigimonreboot series isn't going to be a slow-building one in the slightest. The fifth episode, "The Holy Digimon," continues this trend, unloading a heap of exposition on audiences and heralding the return of one of the franchise's most iconic villains, Devimon. And this time, the Evil Digimon's plans are on a far grander scale than ever before.
In "The Holy Digimon," Tai, Sora and their Digital partners make it the pyramid temple they spotted on the horizon in the last episode. There, they're told by voices coming from the statues of what appear to be three Holy/Celestial Digimon about a Holy War that was fought in the past; one that might come to pass again if they can't stop it. Spearheading this is Devimon, who appears at the end of the episode in an unknown location. If Devimon's evil is allowed to spread, the consequences will spell apocalyptic disaster across both the Digital and real worlds.
Though it doesn't show up before the kids in person, it does send Ogremon after Tai, Sora, Agumon and Biyomon in the Digital World, and Soundbirdmon after Izzy and Tentemon in the Network. This prompts them to Digivolve to the Champion level, delivering the subordinates a resounding defeat.
Introduced in Season 1 of the original Digimon Adventures series, Devimon was the DigiDestined's first big antagonist. Originally belonging to the angelic Angemon species, after Devimon fell to the Dark Side (not that one), its tattered wings and Mark of Evil served as visual proof of the being's descent into evil. Using Black Gears -- which are made from transformed Digimon -- Devimon, along with Leomon and Ogremon, terrorized Tai and his friends on File Island. In order to prevent its own prophecized destruction, Devimon also stole and hid the DigiDestined's Tags and Crests. Of course, this wasn't enough to stop them from defeating it on multiple occasions.
Much like Dracula, Devimon was a manipulative and charming villain. Rather than confront the kids head-on, it initially lured them into its mansion atop Infinity Mountain to wine and dine them; striking while they were lured into a false sense of security. Though Devimon's data was eventually deleted, the Tri continuation resurrected it. It's unclear, as of yet, how the new Adventure reboot fits into the Digimon timeline, meaning that this Devimon could be an entirely new creature or another resurrection of the Evil Digimon.
One clue, however, comes from Agumon and Biyomon's reactions to the glimpses of the Holy War that the Celestial Digimon shows them. After we see the silhouettes of the DigiDestined's Digital partners in their Mega forms on the battlefield, Tai and Sora are surprised to see tears streaming from Agumon and Biyomon's faces. The Digimon aren't sure what's prompted their emotional responses. It seems that they're unconsciously responding to buried memories of their past, and they've been waiting for the "Chosen Ones" (the DigiDestined) to help them achieve these forms once more. This clearly isn't Devimon's first appearance in this particular timeline, so who's to say it's not another resurrected form of the one we first saw on TV 20 years ago?
Also seen on this holy battlefield is Omnimon, teasing an epic clash in the future between the fan-favorite fusion and the fallen Digimon. Originally, Devimon, though scary, only menaced the kids in the Digital World. Now that it's currently being touted as a threat to multiple worlds, Digimon continues to up the ante in every episode.
During the events of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers/Captain America picked up Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and used it in the battle against Thanos, proving himself worthy to wield the God of Thunder's precious weapon.
As a result of the Super Soldier Serum, Rogers possesses abilities beyond those of a mortal man. However, at the end of Endgame, Rogers retired, going back in time to live with Peggy Carter and get that dance he was promised in Captain America: The First Avenger. When he returned in Endgame, Rogers was still alive, though old. In fact, Rogers would have been well over 100 when he appeared to his old friends.
This might just be a result of Captain America's time wielding Mjolnir. True to the hammer's word, Captain America has the powers of Thor, and that seems to hold true during the fight. During the battle, Captain America is able to use Stormbreaker, as well as summon Mjolnir back to himself. This is important, as Thor once explained to the Guardians of the Galaxy that using his weapons would kill them.
Check out the video below for more reasons Captain America may actually be immortal.
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, it's not totally clear just what shape the next phase of the MCU will take. While there's a good indication the characters Disney acquired from 21st Century Fox will soon arrive, there's not much solid information on just when or how that might happen. As for Steve Rogers himself, there's no indication Chris Evans will reprise his role anytime soon. However, Sam Wilson has since taken up the mantle of Captain America, which he will don in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Still, Sam will have competition in the form of John Walker/U.S. Agent.
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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia and Tom Napolitano, available now.
During the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal #1, the Batman Who Laughs was seemingly killed by Wonder Woman using her newly constructed invisible chainsaw. But while the villain seems to have plans for restoring himself, his kingdom will be soon ruled over by one of his most faithful followers: the Robin King.
Although his origins have yet to be revealed, we already know a fair amount about the Robin King. Now, here's everything we know about the Metalverse's next tyrant.
On his world, the Batman who would become the Batman Who Laughs was forced to watch as hordes of children were captured and corrupted by the Joker of his world. After he himself was transformed, the Batman Who Laughs kept many of the children as his servants, demented Robins that followed his every command, even corrupting his son Damien. This extended to other Robins from other realities, with the Grim Knight at one point unleashing a pack of feral Robins that were all versions of James Gordon Jr. from different realities.
However, there seems to be one Robin that the Batman Who Laughs values above all others and leaves in a position of power when he's gone. Through preview artwork, it seems like this Robin King is set to take his place, seemingly as the heir to his throne lording over the ruins of the DC Metalverse.
Snyder describes the most horrifying aspect of the Batman Who Laughs is that he's a once heroic figure who "is now wholly evil… and the horror of that transition being so final and deadly is what makes him so scary. He’s Batman gone evil at the peak of his career." But for the Robin King, there was no such transition. He's just a child who has been consumed by his darker side. This version of Robin never had to be broken by the Joker to become a monster, and he came fully formed to the Batman Who Laughs. He's described as having spent his young life dreaming of ways to kill the heroes of his reality, even ending up with a utility belt that is likely full of dangerous and destructive weapons. He's clearly a more brilliant Robin than most of the others, and he seems to have his own plans to deal with DC's heroes.
And as Snyder says, "The Robin King is evil in the way the Batman Who Laughs is, but he’s almost scarier to me because he was always that way; he’s never been anything else."
This implies that this Robin is thoughtful and intentional, or at least one that's used to making plans like the Batman Who Laughs. He's even shown speaking to the Batman Who Laughs in the preview images for Dark Nights: Death Metal #2, whispering something to him that makes the villain seem genuinely proud and pleased of his sidekick. The idea of a child so dedicated to figuring out ways to defeat and kill heroes is genuinely terrifying. This level of forethought could suggest that the Robin King is a version of Tim Drake who the Batman Who Laughs took under his wing. It would explain his apparent intelligence and thoughtful nature, and his dark self becoming the one and only Robin King poses a sharp contrast to Tim Drake's ever-shifting role in the Post-Flashpoint DC Universe.
The mysteries surrounding the Robin King will likely be explored later in Dark Nights: Death Metal, as his role is potentially vital to whatever plans the Batman Who Laughs has. If he trusts the young villain enough to leave him in charge after his apparent death, then the Batman Who Laughs clearly has plans for the Robin King, which can't be good for the heroes.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Andy Samberg believes that the cast and crew of the police comedy will figure out a way to appropriately portray New York cops.
"We're taking a step back, and the writers are all rethinking how we're going to move forward, as well as the cast," Samberg told People. "We're all in touch and kind of discussing how you make a comedy show about police right now, and if we can find a way of doing that that we all feel morally okay about." The actor acknowledged the challenge ahead but is confident that the team will "figure it out."
Samberg's comments come weeks after co-star Terry Crews said that the NBC comedy's upcoming eighth season would "start over" following the death of George Floyd and the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. "Our showrunner Dan Goor, they had four episodes all ready to go and they just threw them in the trash," he said. "Right now we don't know which direction it’s going to go in."
The cast and crew of the series also made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network. "The cast and showrunner of Brooklyn 99 condemn the murder of George Floyd and support the many people who are protesting police brutality nationwide," co-creator Goor wrote on Twitter at the time. "Together we have made a $100,000 donation to the National Bail Fund Network. We encourage you to look up your local bail fund: the National Bail Fund Network is an organization that can lead you to them. #blacklivesmatter."
Despite being a show about police officers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has not shied away from the mistreatment of African Americans by officers of the law. Season 4's "Moo Moo" followed Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Crews) as he was racially profiled by a white police officer in his own neighborhood.
NBC is not the only network making changes to its programming in response to the protests. Paramount Network canceled the long-running reality TV series Copsa day after its Season 33 premiere was scheduled to air. A similar program, Live PD, was also canceled by A&E network. That show ran for four seasons.
Created in 2013 by Dan Goor and Michael Schur, Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio, Terry Crews, Dirk Blocker and Joel McKinnon Miller.
Zack Snyder has confirmed that his cut of Justice League will feature a score by Junkie XL, with accompanying music by Hans Zimmer.
Snyder made this revelation in a pair of interactions while answering fan questions on the social media site Vero. In the first exchange, Snyder was asked, "We getting the Junkie XL score for JL?" to which Snyder responded, "Fuck yes." The second conversation Snyder was asked, "Han's Zimmer's two piano notes?" causing the director to respond, "Of course is there another."
Justice League was originally going to feature a score by Junkie XL, who composed the score for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice alongside Hans Zimmer. However, in June 2017 Danny Elfman was hired to replace Junkie XL as Justice League's composer. Given that Zimmer was not originally hired to work on Justice League, it is unknown how much he will contribute to the score of Zack Snyder's Justice League.
This reveal regarding the composers of Zack Snyder's Justice League is one of a number of updates Snyder has dropped about his version of the film in recent days. Other revelations included Snyder teasing an increased presence of Green Lanterns, as well as confirming that Steppenwolf's original design will be utilized.
Justice League stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. Zack Snyder's Justice League will premiere on HBO Max in early-to-mid 2021.
