Arrow "Canaries" Review

Black Canary fights regular Canary while Thea gets upset and bangs a DJ in an all new Arrow. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Oliver (Stephen Amell) is thrown by the changes within Team Arrow. He’s used to calling the shots but sees that the team has evolved in his absence and tensions quickly escalate in the lair. Oliver is furious that Laurel (Katie Cassidy) has been going out as the Black Canary and tells her to stop risking her life, but when Vertigo (guest star Peter Stormare) hits the streets again, Laurel goes against Oliver’s wishes and tracks down Vertigo who hits her with a full dose of the drug.

High Points

• Laurel's arc is becoming one of the strongest parts of the show. Every week she is improving as a crime fighter both mentally and physically. 
• Thea finally learns Ollie's secret and doesn't get mad he lied, but instead thanks him.
• Thea also realizes Malcolm manipulation of her. (Except not that she murdered Sara.)
• Amanda Waller is doing Amanda Waller things in Hong Kong. The day Batman finally water boards her with gasoline will become a national holiday.
• Canary on Canary was awesome. Laurel's fears being tied to her sister's death and her addict past were perfect for further insight on her motivations as a vigilante. ("Stop trying to be like Sara and be yourself").
• Frustrations in the Arrow cave are beginning to boil over and like usual Daddy Diggle comes to the rescue.
• Gotta give props to Katie Cassidy. She looks strong. She put work in the gym and it has paid off.
• Post sex fights are the best fights.
• The Black Canary fucking beats down Vertigo.
• Captain Lance finally gets told the truth about his daughter's death. It was sad but he deserved to know.
• The League Of Assassins is down a DJ.
• Ollie was back in Starling City at some point during his five years away.

Does DJ Khaled work for the League of Assassins?

Low Points

• Vertigo's fear drug is used to good effect, but I just can't get over how much of a scarecrow clone he is.
• Why did they basically show us the Canary vs. Canary fight twice? Usually you add something more the second time around, but all we got was Ollie firing an arrow leading to the end of the fight. Just thought it was weird.
• Thea's melodrama got a little tiresome.
• Roy or DJ Douchebag? If you chose the DJ, then get the hell out of here. Bad choice Thea. 
• I liked the post sex fight, but wished Roy beat DJ Douchebag instead of Merlyn.
• Two episodes in a row without Ray Palmer. Where the hell is Ray?

Verdict: Laurel has come a long way from the start of Arrow. For much of the show she had been seen as extremely unlikable. So it's great to finally see her come into her own during the second half of season 3. Re-introducing Scarecrow-ripoff Vertigo into the mix tonight led to further insight into Laurel's character. She is afraid of not being as good as her sister. She is afraid that she is a former addict. This episode is all about her overcoming those fears so that she can become her own Canary. A Black Canary! Excited to see her become more and more integrated into Team Arrow. It is surprising though that Laurel's journey to vigilantism has been the most compelling storyline this season and personally I think it is because that once again the League of Assassins looked weak. All season we have seen the League's members get killed with ease and now tonight their pussy DJ took the HYDRA way out. Besides Ra's fight against Ollie, the League has not shown to be a capable antagonist. Flash has plenty of recurring villains and an overarching battle with the Reverse Flash that has kept it's audience extremely interested in. This season of Arrow doesn't seem to have that. Last year we had an epic season-long battle with Deathstroke, this season has one fight with Ra's. Step it up League of Assassins. All in all though the Canary on Canary fights were fun so "Canaries" gets a 7.5 out of 10.

You's a dead man DJ

Thanks for reading! Are you excited to return to the island? Does Count Vertigo suck? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. and @cstrand73. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and breaking news/stories regarding the comic book universe. Arrow returns same time next week with "The Return" as Ollie returns to the island and Deathstroke returns to the show! It's can't miss TV.

The Flash "The Nuclear Man" Review

 Barry attempts to blow his load while Firestorm tries not to blow his in an all new The Flash. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: After Ronnie (Robbie Amell) attacks a physicist (Bill Dow), Barry (Grant Gustin) and the team realize they need to go after Caitlin’s (Danielle Panabaker) fiancé who is now a dangerous meta-human.

If Ryan thought the soundtrack to last episode should be Boy George then this one's has to be Nelly.

High Points

• The heat was on in this episode in more ways than one. The Firestorm storyline really heated up. Barry was getting ass. Spicy food and ghost peppers were running amuck. MILFs were trying to bang Joe West. And I was sweating just watching it.
• Joe employs Cisco to help him with his investigation into Nora Allen's death. (Watch your ass, Wells!).
• The use of flashbacks helped add to the episode. (Nice autobiography cover, Wells).
• Robbie Amell does his best Victor Garber impression as he attempt to show how Stein is in control of Ronnie's body. (Ronnie definitely drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon).
• The science behind how Cisco was able to render images from the night of Nora murder was awesome.
• Wells is once again quick to decide to kill a man in order to save other people. His philosophy differs from Barry's and will hopefully bring his secrets to light. (He is not a good guy Cisco!).
• Seeing Wells in his secret room never gets old. Especially when he is forced to delay his plans in order to try to save Central City.
• Adult Barry's blood is found at his mother's crime scene. (FLASHPOINT HERE WE COME!)
• General Eiling's search for Firestorm will be interesting going forward. Could it lead to the General's other pal, Grodd??
• The Amell cousins hate shirts and I dig it.

This show was steamier than being in an underground spring with Jon Snow and Ygritte

Low Points

• No real villain this week, but the Firestorm conundrum more than sufficed.
• Eddie Thawne is lucky Barry showed up to stop that suicide jumper. "You have so much to live for" is all you got, Eddie?
• Iris West is the new mayor of Cockblock City.
• You did a good job in this week, Robbie, but nobody gives a shit about your movie The DUFF. Compared to your cousin Steve, Grant Gustin, and David Rasmey, you're the DUFF of the Flarrow-verse.

Verdict: After weeks of build-up, Firestorm finally became the focus of an episode instead of just a sub-plot. "The Nuclear Man" was all about letting us know what is going on with Caitlin Snow's ex-fiance. First we discovered that Martin Stein has been in control of Ronnie Raymond's body. Actor Robbie Amell did a good job of portraying the old scientist inside the young man's body. And that struggle between the two men was the main conflict this week as it led to a potential nuclear blast. Ultimately Firestorm did explode. Ending with General Eiling ordering his men to bring him Firestorm. Could the General's return to Central City lead to a meeting with his old buddy who's living in the sewer named Grodd? Maybe, but I'm gonna bet that the writers are setting up Grodd for season 2. Elsewhere Cisco helped Joe with his investigation into Nora Allen's murder. The two of them made a pretty startling discovery. They found blood on the wall from an adult Barry Allen!! That means that Barry was the second speedster there that night alongside the Reverse Flash. The shows producers have hinted at DC's Flashpoint storyline before, could this be the beginning of it? Could we see Barry go back in time and stop his mother's murder thus altering the Flawrrow-verse? The possibilities would be endless. Imagine a world where Robert Queen is a more violent and unforgiving version of the Arrow because Ollie died on the island (Taking the place of  Flashpoint Thomas Wayne as Batman instead of Bruce). Imagine Captain Cold becoming the vigilante Citizen Cold and attempting the stop the other rogues. Imagine Mama Smoak becoming the Canary because she is wicked hot. I'm getting way too excited just thinking about it. Anyway "The Nuclear Man" may not have had a villain, but it paid off on the weeks of Firestorm build-up and gave a new pairing of characters (Cisco and Joe) discovering a huge revaltion that will definitely affect the future of the show. So at the end of the day "The Nuclear Man" gets an 8.5 out of 10.  

Thanks for reading! Got any theories for how Flashpoint could play out? Would you eat a ghost pepper to get laid? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. and @cstrand73. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and breaking news/stories regarding the comic book universe. The Flash returns same time next week with "Fallout".

MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!

Spiderman Is Coming To The MCU

Remember when you were a kid and thought anything was possible? You believed in Santa Claus, soul mates, and that your dreams could come true? But then you grew up and probably became a cynical asshole just like everyone else. Well, I'm here to tell you that the rest of life may suck, but literally anything is possible in the world of comic book movies. I'm telling you this because the improbable has happened. SPIDERMAN IS GONNA BE IN THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE! That's right! Spidey is back home where he belongs.

YELL IT TO THE HEAVENS, KEVIN!

Late last night Marvel Studios announced that they had reached a deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to help produce their next batch of Webhead films. This new Spiderman is expected to make his Marvel debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, then have his first solo adventure released in July, 2017. You can read Marvel's full announcement below!

Source: Marvel

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man. 

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel's world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: "Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building."

"We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. "This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans."

"Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker's story into the future," added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

"I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie," said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel's involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years."

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

Must feel good to be Spiderman right about now

Arrow "Uprising" Review

Arsenal and Black Canary come up with a last ditch effort to save the Glades from Brick as his connection to Malcolm Merlyn is revealed. (SPOILERS!)

Episode Description: Still without Oliver, the team is forced to consider Malcolm's offer; more details of Malcolm's life are revealed.

High Points:

• Really enjoyed the Malcom Merlyn flashbacks. Always interesting to see the flashbacks use someone other than Ollie.
• The team work between Arsenal and Canary is really growing on me. Together they have proved they can kick some serious ass.
• Robert Queens returns in some flashbacks!
• Diggle continues to prove to be the moral center and daddy figure of the team.
• Felicity is a genius and her brilliance is a key driving force for Team Arrow.
• The Glades fight scene was an incredible bit of TV. Christian and I both agreed it had some resemblances to The Dark Knight Rises. You don't usually see things like that on network TV, unless its Game of Thrones.
• Wildcat vs Brick was a hell of a brawl. Watching Wildcat fight was a lot of fun.
• Welcome back Ollie Q. Such a badass way to come back and tell your city "they did not fail" in his absence. 
• If you're not excited about Merlyn training Ollie, you must have no pulse.

I hope Malcolm teaches Ollie these moves

Low Points:

• Felicity, I'm sorry but you are starting to become the Lana of this show. All you do is whine and complain about everything. Shape up, you're a member of Team Arrow there are no complaints.
• The actor who played a young Tommy Merlyn was awful.
• Would have liked to have seen an explanation to how Ollie's healing process. That whole sequence happened very fast, yet nothing was explained.
• No Ray Palmer this week. He's been a reason to come back week after week, but I guess all the greats need a week off.

Felcity and Ollie in the final moment tonight

Verdict: Well you couldn't have asked for a better episode this week people. Action, suspense, top notch flash backs, and the return of a hero. All ingredients for a perfect Arrow filled cake. The flash back scenes were a great addition to the characterization of Malcom Merlyn. We often don't get to see any other back stories besides Ollie's so I very much enjoyed it. All the events of the present though led to Ollie asking Malcom to train him for a rematch against Ras Ah Gul. Personally, I love this. You mean to tell me two bad ass archers are now going to be training together, learning from each other, and becoming more bad ass. What's not to love (unless you're Felicity). I guess the only question I have is what does this mean for Team Arrow now? We saw in tonights episode, a whole range of emotions about having to team up with Merlyn to stop Brick. Does that mean that they are going to be hurt Ollie is now working beside him?  Also tonight we saw the debut of Wildcat as a vigilante. Very cool addition to the Arrowverse and his fight with Brick really proved what a great fighter he is. Ya did he get his ass handed to him? He did, but he'll be back my friends, he will be back. On a final note I want to touch on this whole Felicity nonsense. As I mentioned in the "low points" section she has become such an annoyance and whiner. She get's all the air time while taking away from Big Daddy Dig and others who deserve it. The CW likes to do this with all their shows, and I get that, but this is too much. As I digress, I'm happy Ollie is back, and I'm excited too se what comes next for these guys. 

All in all I give tonights episode a solid 8.5 out of 10! 

Thanks for reading guys. How did you like tonight's episode? Do you like Ollie training with Merlyn? Feel free to comment and tweet at us @Caped_Informers. Make sure to tune into next week's episode "Canaries". 

Editor's Note: Ollie lied to Thea about meeting up with an old buddy in Bludhaven and getting thrown in the slammer. I hope that friend would be Dick Grayson. Ollie and Dick would slay all the red heads in the DC-CW universe. Best tag team since Gronk and Edleman.

Breaking Down TNT's Teen Titans' Roster

A few months back, rumors were aswirl that TNT was developing a TV show based upon DC Comic's Teen Titans. Now finally we have some new developments on the project thanks to our buddies at Nerdist. They claim that TNT is looking to cast actors for DC characters Nightwing, Starfire, Hawk+ Dove, Raven, and lastly and most surprisingly Batgirl! So with this supposed team roster leaked, I figured I would break it down character by character, telling you who should stay and who should have no business being near a TV show (besides TNT of course). So Titans, Let's Go!

Source: Nerdist

Titans Roster

1. Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Lead Character) - Easily the MVP of the Titans. Dick is the biggest draw of the show. He has ties to Batman, but also has a  wildly different personality and crime fighting style than the Bat does. This show should cement how awesome of a character Dick Grayson is. Also with four women and only one other guy on the team, Dick will love those odds. Especially with 2 red heads in the mix.

2. Starfire/Koriand'r - Star has been a longtime member of the Titans. She was always an expected member because of her close association with the team from comics and also from the cartoon Teen Titans. Starfire is an alien who is adjusting to Earth's customs, which is always good for comic relief. Yet at the same time she is very powerful. Even though it will be hard to do special effects for her powers on a TV budget, I approve of Star on the squad.

3. Batgirl/Oracle/Barbara Gordon - Babs was a surprising add to the team. With one Batman associate already here some may ask why Barbara is needed. Well, it's because she will be confined to her wheelchair as Oracle and not swinging from rooftops as Batgirl. Oracle was the original computer hacker/expert for superheroes. Chloe Sullivan and Felicity Smoak, you both may be cool, but y'all didn't invent the game like Babs did. So because she is staying back at home base and providing important sources of information for the team, I approve of Orcale on the squad.

4. Raven/Rachel Roth - Like Starfire and Nightwing, Raven is another longtime member of the Titans. She is the daughter of one of their greatest enemies, Trigon, and will be the magical member of the squad. Like Star, I'm nervous of how her powers will look on a TV budget. As long as it's better than Smallville's special effects, I think it will be alright.

5 + 6. Hawk + Dove/Hank Hall + Dawn Granger - Hawk + Dove have always gone together. Most of the time as brothers, but TNT is said to be looking at the New 52 version of the characters. In that version, Hawk and Dove are a man and woman, who are also dating one another while fighting crime together. I have never found either version particularly compelling and find their inclusion here odd. I would have much preferred Connor Kent/Superboy and Donna Troy/ Wonder Girl to take these dopes' places on the team. Then the show would have ties to each member of the Holy Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) in Titans rather than some loser couple. So someone tell Hawk + Dove to get the fuck out.

That's my thoughts on the Titans roster. Thanks for reading! Do you miss Cyborg and Beast Boy? Sound off in the comments. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @Caped_Informers or follow me @cstrand73 for all your up to date comics news.

First Trailer For Daredevil TV Show Has Dropped!

Daredevil looks like he is finally gonna get his due. Netflix and Marvel have assigned show runner Steve DeKnight, who made the amazingly violent and sexual Spartacus, to dive head first into the darker part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Badass street brawls, blood, and mob figures like the Kingpin are not what we are used to from Marvel projects. So get fucking excited that we are finally seeing something different come April 10th! 

Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist are all fine characters that deserve a little love, but personally I would rather have a Punisher series or Moon Knight show follow DD. That's just me.

The Flash "Crazy For You" Thoughts/Review

Barry Allen is all about pushing himself to be faster and faster so he will be ready for The Reverse Flash when the time comes. But tonight, Mr. Allen is slowing things down as he and Caitlin hit the Central City bar scene for a shot at romance.

The Musical Accompaniment for Tonight's Review

Episode Description: Barry and Caitlin attempt to balance their crime-fighting/work duties with having a social life while Cisco uses Hartley to try and discover what happened to Ronnie on the night of the particle accelerator accident.

High Points:

• Not only are we seeing Barry do his casual superhero thing, but the people he saves are starting to interact with him/thank him (that's the type of gratitude that leads to museums being built...)
• Despite what I said about Barry "slowing things down" he actually hit a new top speed tonight. They didn't say what it was but The Scarlett Speedster is getting faster!
• Every second that Cisco and Hartley were together during this episode seemed to hint at a potential Vibe/Pied Piper rivalry ("I know about vibrations too Hartley", dueling intellects, and even a physical fight on the rooftop)
• Branching off from that last point, it was kind of exciting to see Cisco throw down with Hartley even if it was for a brief moment (Who knew Cisco could throw a guy over his shoulder like that?)
• Though we had pretty much put the pieces together at this point, tonight it was officially spelled out for us that Ronnie Raymond did fuse with Martin Stein the night of the accident to become Firestorm
• Barry sensing and catching the bullet was insanely cool and unexpected. Also the resulting "I guess I'm faster than a speeding bullet" line from Barry is the second fun little nod to Superman that this show has had this season (The first being "Hmm...A Man of Steel" referring to Girder) 
• Barry is relentlessly hit on by Linda Park at the bar (Another indicator of Wally West perhaps?)
• Grant Gustin reminds us that he was on Glee before he became The Fastest Man Alive 
• After a week of kinda iffy effects, they were back on point tonight, especially the bullet catch and the scene of Barry running around in the blacked-out tunnel
• Gorilla Grodd! Gorilla Grodd!! GORILLA GRODD!!!

Look at it! Look at it! I want all of you to look at it!!

Low Points: 

• All-in-all tonight's episode was a bit slower and a bit less action packed then usual. The focus was less on Barry as The Flash and more on Barry as Barry. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a bit of a break in the action.
• Shawna Baez, a.k.a. Peek-a-Boo was a pretty weak villain this week. She was essentially Nightcrawler from X2 except that teleporting was literally all she could do (and she wasn't a blue mutant with a tail)
• I don't necessarily know how to feel about Barry's dad knowing he is The Flash. I don't think any immediate harm will come of it, I just think it was a bit of a forced conclusion for his dad to have come too..

Verdict: Tonight's episode did a lot to support some of the things talked about last week concerning Cisco and Hartley. We knew they were going to have to team up and as it turned out, they wasted zero time doing so. We got to see a brief skirmish in which Cisco revealed he can handle himself in a fight, and we saw both of them best each other using sonic vibration technology. Now if that isn't a big foreshadowing of what is to come then I don't know what else that could possibly be. Speaking of things to come, are we gonna get Wally West? Because it is really starting to look that way. Last week we were introduced to Mason Bridge, a character who is usually known to be a good friend of the Wally West Flash under the name "Trollbridge". This week Barry scored the digits of none other than Linda Park, a character who has been known to end up as the wife of Wally West. I for one would love to see Wally come on the show and it almost makes perfect sense. Think about Arrow for just a second. Roy Harper made a few brief appearances in Season 1 of Arrow, became a regular character in Season 2, and by Season 3 was The Red Arrow, and even occasionally referred to as Arsenal. Perhaps we slowly but surely start to work Wally into the mix on The Flash. First via these obscure references like Mason Bridge, then the actual character himself and then keep going from there until finally we get Kid Flash. It is too early to say anything of that nature for sure, but if I were to make a bold prediction, I would say that the bricks for Wally West are being laid and therefore, so are the bricks for Kid Flash. Now I am going to segway from talks of a bold prediction to talks of a bold cliffhanger: Gorilla Grodd is chilling in the sewers of Central City! If you haven't done so yet I ask that you take this time to scroll up and take in the photographic evidence of Grodd on a CW show. We got our first good look at him tonight and I am impressed. I am also extremely interested to see how they work him into the story. We know that he is the product of an experiment that involved both General Eiling and Dr. Wells but as of right now that is it. Will he come into play this season? Are we just being reminded that he is lurking around so he can take the spotlight next season? Could Reverse Flash and Gorilla Grodd potentially team up? Right now there are so many possibilities for Grodd and I love it! I can't wait to see what they do  and if it is anywhere as intriguing as the Reverse Flash storyline has been this season then we are in for another great storyline. Despite a sub-par villain of the week, and a bit of a break in the action, we once again got handed a lot to look forward to both definitely and potentially, and I'm honestly not sure which one of those is better. In the spirit of tonight's romantic theme, an extremely sensual 8.0 out of 10 is in order.

Thanks for reading the review! Got any theories for the show's future? On a scale of 1 to apeshit, how crazy did you go when you saw Grodd? Let us know in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. Be sure to check back regularly for more show/movie reviews and breaking news/stories regarding the comic book universe. The Flash returns same time next week with "The Nuclear Man".

Batman And Captain America Plead Guilty To Deflating Balls

All of us here on the blog are big Patriots fans. Needless to say this two weeks of non-stop "Deflategate" coverage has really pissed us off. So who will swoop in and shut the 24 hour news cycle the fuck up? Batman and Captain America of course. Here is their leaked confession from last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live, that states that they were responsible for the deflation of 11 of 12 Patriot footballs. Thank you boys for stepping forward. This is why we love superheroes!

If Ben Affleck says that Tom Brady and The Patriots are innocent then it's a done deal. On to Seattle!

Informers Superbowl Prediction: 31-17 Patriots! 

You can't beat a team that makes amazing videos like this.