The Appeal of the Joker (Part 4 of ?)

Hello, everyone! Busy week once again, so I return to my back log of posts from several years ago I’d like to see return to the light. Here’s one where I talk a bit about the original introduction of the Jerome character in Gotham and how I enjoyed his evolution as the Joker. I’m happy to see they eventually brought him back. Anywho, stay crazy and enjoy!

The Best Joker Yet!

 

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The Appeal of Geralt of Rivia

Image of the cover of The Last Wish taken from Goodreads.

 

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to hunt and kill monsters. Such a desire led me through many interests over the years, as well as the inevitable realization that the only real monsters in the world were all human beings–something that Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher, also realizes in his own adventures. My first experience with Geralt came in the second Witcher video game. After that, I read The Last Wish (a collection of early short stories about the character), played the original Witcher video game, began working my way through Andrzej Sapkowsi’s other Witcher books, and then lost several months of my life to The Witcher III: Wild Hunt. I have no regrets.

The appeal of Geralt as a character is manifold. He is different; he is other. The mutations that allow him to hunt and fight monsters also make him a pariah, and Witchers are often seen as half-monsters themselves. His outsider status within his own story coupled with his deep, heartfelt distrust of authority have always been positives for me, and his near-inability to be impressed with anyone else effectively makes Geralt my spirit animal. He has little time for the artificial institutions of self-important humans, and is usually far more comfortable on the road or knocking a few back with a band of dwarves than within a city’s walls. I must say that I agree in total.

I eagerly await Henry Cavill’s performance in the upcoming Netflix Witcher series.

 

If you’re a fan of books and hot beverages, check us out at Blue Spider Books. And check out our blog here!

The Appeal of Terry McGinnis as Batman

In keeping with last Sunday’s theme, here is another reblog of one of my old Batman posts from Sourcerer:

via Batman Beyond!

 

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The Appeal of Captain Pike

Image of the three actors to portray Captain Pike on television taken from Screenrant @ https://screenrant.com/star-trek-discovery-captain-pike-explained/

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW

Last week saw Anson Mount’s Captain Pike exit Star Trek: Discovery, to many a viewer’s chagrin. I have been a tremendous fan of Mount’s portrayal of Pike and will miss his presence in the show. I feel that Discovery has done a wonderful job expanding Pike’s character and has successfully elevated him to the same legendary level of other Star Trek captains.

Indeed, this season’s revelation that Pike was shown his eventual fate, disfigured, unable to move, and trapped in a mechanical chair only able to transmit simple yes-and-no responses, and that he embraced it was perhaps one of the most emotionally satisfying moments of the show thus far. All at once, the character’s sense of right action, of honor, and of the love he feels for those under his command become his defining traits.

I always wondered at the depth of loyalty that Spock felt for his old captain in the Star Trek episode “The Menagerie,” a bond so powerful that he would risk the ire of Captain Kirk and his crew, the end of his Starfleet career, and likely even death for visiting a forbidden planet. But it makes sense now. Spock risked everything for Captain Pike because Captain Pike once did the same for him. Let us also appreciate that Captain Pike was Gene Roddenberry’s first draft of his idealized heroic captain character, making Pike the intellectual ancestor of every other Star Trek captain we have come to love.

(And don’t forget to sign the petition asking CBS to consider a spin-off series about the adventures of Captain Pike and the Enterprise here!)

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Thoughts – 7-25-14

Attack on Titan promotional image from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm198104320/tt2560140?ref_=tt_ov_i

Continuing from yesterday’s thoughts on East Asian entertainment available on Netflix, I thought I’d also throw together a few recommendations for high quality anime available there.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

2. Trigun and Trigun: Badlands Rumble

3. Attack on Titan (see my post on Mikasa at Part Time Monster)

4. Knights of Sidonia (review forthcoming)

5. Samurai Champloo

6. Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne (caution: this one is most definitely not for kids, though none of these truly are)

Samurai Champloo image from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2164563200/tt0423731?ref_=ttmd_md_pv

I hope those of you who check these out enjoy them. And those of you who have already experienced these anime should feel free to discuss them in the comments below.

Weekend Music – The Shape of Things to Come

This has been a rough week for a few reasons, but I’ve made it through and am taking pains to make sure some of the bad experiences from the past few days don’t repeat. Here’s to better times ahead with more (and relevant) Battlestar Galactica music.

 

“The Shape of Things to Come” from the Battlestar Galactica season 1 soundtrack composed by Bear McCreary.

Thoughts – 7-17-14

I’ve been binge watching this on Netflix lately and strongly recommend it. I’ll be reviewing it soon, I think. As much as there is familiar about it (big robots, alien monsters, etc.), there are some unique and interesting aspects of the story I’d like to talk about. Stay tuned for more of my thoughts on Knights of Sidonia.

Jeremy-Blog: Tough Ladies #4-Attack on Titan and Mikasa Ackermann

Here’s another entry in my Tough Ladies column over at Part Time Monster. Expect more discussion of anime here at the Thoughts in the coming weeks.