Category Fantasy

Jan 5 2025

Top Ten Most Anticipated Films & TV Shows

Aside from the fact that the year 2025 means that this century is now 25 percent complete, this year promises many great genre films and TV shows for our enjoyment. Here is the list of the most anticipated films and TV shows for 2025. But note that as always, some of the projects listed will either be delayed to another year or turn out to be hot garbage and/or won’t necessarily be among the best films or TV shows when the year is complete. With that, let’s check out what 2025 has in store for us.

Films

10. Predator: Badlands

The film Prey turned out to be a great surprise as it jumpstarted the Predator franchise. The director of Prey, Daniel Tracthenberg, returns with a fresh new premise as the new film is told from the point of view of the Predator.

9. Jurassic World: Rebirth

The Jurassic Park/World franchise starts off with a new premise and cast as dinosaurs have become an endangered species. Calamity ensues (as always) when humans try to gather genetic material from the last remaining dinosaurs on an island.

8. Sinners

Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler teams up again with actor Michael B. Jordan in a horror yarn featuring vampires. Jordan plays a dual role as troubled twin brothers who return to their hometown only to discover a deadly evil waiting for them.

7. How to Train Your Dragon

While the idea of adapting beloved animated classics into live-action films has run its course, looking at you Disney, the trailer for this film looks great. It captured the look and tone of the original film from DreamWorks Animation, so let’s hope the film will turn out to be as great as the animated classic.

6. Captain America: Brave New World

The first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for 2025 would have been more anticipated if not for the unsettling and continuous reports about constant reshoots and poor reactions from screenings. The trailers look great, especially with Harrison Ford playing the Red Hulk and Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson fully embracing the legacy role of Captain America. In any event, we’ll see in a few weeks.

5. Thunderbolts*

At first, this loose adaptation of the Marvel Comics anti-superhero team seemed like a poor MCU knockoff of the Suicide Squad. What gave this impression was the lineup of the team of supervillains forced into servitude by the U.S. government. Unlike the comic books, the team is made up of the MCU’s lesser-powered characters. But the interplay among them as seen in the trailers was amusing and could be the highlight of the film.

4. 28 Years Later

The creative people behind the first film, 28 Days Later, return for the third film in the British “zombie” apocalypse film franchise which is set…28 years after the first film. Being that the original director, Danny Boyle, is back, this film should be as tense and horrifying as the original classic. There are many questions about what has happened to the world after the Rage Virus has decimated it or what happened to the main protagonist from the first film since Cillian Murphy will return, but it’s not clear in what capacity.

3. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

After so many flawed live-action versions of Marvel Comics’ First Family, Marvel Studios finally has creative control over the property. The new version of the famed superhero team/dysfunctional family promises to be more faithful to the spirit of the comic books that launched Marvel Comics. A lot is riding on the success of this new Fantastic Four film for the MCU and Marvel Studios because the team will be pivotal players in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and due to the involvement of the studio’s president, Kevin Feige, to ensure the film’s success.

2. Superman

Filmmaker James Gunn formally launches the rebooted DC cinematic universe with his version of the Man of Steel. Superman promises to veer away from the dark and maligned version of Superman seen in the failed DC Extended Universe. This version of Superman will go back to its optimistic comic book roots and once again serve as a beacon of hope and justice in our world, and lord knows we need someone like Superman now. Superman must be well received, and its chances are high thanks to the talented Gunn fresh from the success of his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

1. Avatar: Fire and Ash

Never underestimate filmmaker James Cameron. He is a truly gifted and imaginary film auteur who has immersed audiences with his past films, including the first two Avatar films. Despite the complaints about the simplistic nature of the Avatar films, they are very immersive thanks to groundbreaking special effects and 3D technology. These aspects helped elevated Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water into event films that were very popular. Cameron will continue this immersion into an alien world with the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, as it further explores the verdant moon of Pandora, the continuing fight against human invaders and has the main characters encountering an evil tribe of Na’vi.

Notable Mentions:

Ash; The Black Phone 2; Companion; Elio; The Electric State; Five Nights at Freddy’s 2; Frankenstein; The Gorge; The Last Battleship; The Legend of Ochi; Lilo & Stitch; Love Me; M3GAN 2.0; Mickey 17; The Monkey; Planet Gliese; Presence; The Running Man; Star Trek: Section 31; Tron: Ares; Wolf Man; Zootopia 2

TV Shows

10. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

This third series set in the world of A Game of Thrones looks very engaging with its rich production as seen in clips and its premise about a wandering knight and his squire in the land of Westeros.

9. Peacemaker

The super violent super soldier from DC Comics was portrayed to great comic effect by John Cena, He will reprise his role for the second season with episodes written by James Gunn, who will also direct at least one episode.

8. It: Welcome to Derry

The infamous fictional Maine town of Derry featured in many of Stephen King’s literary works is the setting of this Max series that zeroes in on the evil influence of the malicious entity Pennywise.

7. The Last of Us

The second season of the acclaimed adaptation of the video game continues its story of Joel and young Ellie, survivors of the apocalyptic fungal pandemic that devastated the world. What is not known is if the series will continue to be as faithful to the game as it progresses.

6. Alien: Earth

Noah Haley writes and directs the first TV series based on the Alien franchise. Little is known about this prequel to the original film, other than it involves a ragtag group of soldiers dealing with a deadly threat to our planet after the alien xenomorphs arrive on our planet.

5. Severance

The horrors of the modern office workplace take an even more macabre turn in the second season of Severance. Adam Scott returns as Mark the employee of the mysterious Lumon corporation that erases the memories of its employees each time they go to and from work. The second season should answer many burning questions about Lumon and deepen its mystery.

4. Stranger Things 5

The Stranger Things saga comes to an epic conclusion with its fifth and final season. It has been a couple of years since the last season of Stranger Things, but the talented cast and crew of the popular ode to ‘80s sci-fi/teenage films will be able to pick up where they left off and conclude the show’s storylines. Fingers crossed that it can defy trends and be able to stick the landing with its final episodes.

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Captain Pike, Spock and the rest of the first crew of the starship Enterprise return in the third season. Thankfully the first episode of the season will conclude the cliffhanger thread that left us screaming at our TV screens when the second season concluded. The rest of the episodes should be able to continue to evoke the adventurous spirit of the original Star Trek with fresh, modern stories as the characters explore strange new worlds.

2. Andor

What set Andor apart from the typical Star Wars fare was its more mature and grounded tone with ambiguous characters and complex situations that fully fleshed out the Star Wars universe. The second and final season of the acclaimed Star Wars TV show about the conflicted Rebel spy Andor (Diego Luna) will lead directly to the classic film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Andor’s second season should be just as complex and mature as the first and continue to set the bar not just for Star Wars but sci-fi TV shows in general.

1. Daredevil: Born Again

The best Netflix Marvel TV series is revived for Disney + and returns many of the beloved actors from the original series starting with Charlie Cox as the blind lawyer/superhero, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio as the evil crimelord Wilson Fisk, who is now the Mayor of New York City. Initially there was some trepidation about the direction of the series as it supposedly strayed from the gritty tone of the Netflix TV show, but Kevin Feige corrected course and had the series reshot nearly from scratch. The result should be a superhero TV show that matches or exceeds the standards of the original Daredevil, which is still considered one of the best superhero TV shows.  

Notable Mentions:

Batman: Caped Crusader; Black Mirror; Doctor Who; Eyes of Wakanda; For All Mankind; Gen V; The Handmaid’s Tale; Invincible; Ironheart; Marvel Zombies; The Sandman; Wednesday; Win or Lose; Wonder Man; Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man; Zero Day

Dec 31 2024

Top Ten Films & TV Shows Of 2024

2024, as with previous years, provided some wonderful and imaginative sci-fi, fantasy and horror films and TV shows, which were quite memorable. Here are the best films and TV shows that came out in 2024, many of which took everyone by surprise. Feel free to comment with your own choices.

Films

10. Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The third film in the Sonic film franchise fully embraces its video game lore with its colorful characters and their engaging backstories. As usual, Jim Carrey stole the film with his performance, as wells as Keanu Reeves who voiced the fan-favorite Shadow.

9. Late Night With the Devil

David Dastmalchian shined in this found footage horror film that took the guise of recordings from a broadcast of a 1970s late-night talk show. The film was genuinely creepy and disturbing as the show’s host, Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian), cameto grips with the realization that the occult-themed episode of his show had unpleasant connections to his own life.

8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

George Miller directed one of his finest films ever with an intense origin story about the breakout character from Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy was simply perfect as the younger version of Furiosa, who navigates her way through a brutal post-apocalyptic world overrun by vicious gangs and extreme car chases throughout barren deserts. It’s a Mad Max world at its best.

7. Alien: Romulus

The Alien franchise rightfully returned to its horror roots with this entry that takes place in a claustrophobic space station swarming with alien xenomorphs hunting down the main characters. Even though a lot of the material was familiar and had callbacks to the other films, Alien: Romulus was fresh and inventive with its back-to-basics approach.

6. Nosferatu

The latest remake of the classic German silent horror film version of Dracula was genuinely creepy and disturbing. Director Robert Eggers has emerged as a true master of film horror with his version of Nosferatu that fully utilized disturbing sounds, eerie shadows, dark cinematography and an overall unsettling atmosphere that will keep you up at night.

5. Civil War

This is one of the most disturbing recent films to be released due to its subject matter of a near-future civil war in the United States and its ramifications. While the choice not to explain what caused the war and its apolitical stance may not satisfy everyone, this approach allowed director Alex Garland to focus on the cruelty and insanity of war and its impact on modern-day society. The film was also a powerful and cringe-inducing war film that ramped up intensely in the final act with a distressing, yet pulse-pounding battle in Washington, D.C.

4. A Quiet Place: Day One

The third film in the A Quiet Place franchise, was a prequel that chronicled the early days of the alien invasion that devastated the Earth and brought it to a silent standstill. The film had the smarts to introduce new characters and a new setting which was a terrifying location for the invasion: a noisy New York City that could not help but attract the deadly alien creatures that murder anyone making sounds. Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn were outstanding as two misfit survivors trying to reach the home of Nyong’o’s character while avoiding the aliens. Their personal stories were the heart of the film and set the template for future installments.

3. Deadpool & Wolverine

The fourth-wall-breaking Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) teamed up with everyone’s favorite X-Man (Hugh Jackman) in a violent and humorous road/buddy trip throughout the multiverse. As the sole film release from Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for the year, Deadpool & Wolverine had a lot riding on it given the fact that recent MCU films have struggled. Fortunately, the film delivered a funny and entertaining romp that both serviced the grand MCU plotline about the multiverse and was a love letter to the now-defunct Marvel films from 20th Century Fox.

2. The Wild Robot

Arguably DreamWorks Animation’s greatest film, The Wild Robot is a heartwarming and beautifully animated adaptation of Peter Brown’s novel about a service robot in the future that was stranded on an island populated by animals that distrusted her. Over time, she gained their trust as she adopted and raised a young goose and befriended many of the animals. At the same time, the robot began to develop sentience and emotional attachments to her companions, especially her adopted child, who she must raise and protect.

The Wild Robot was surprisingly engaging with its themes of parenthood, friendship, environmentalism, and empathy. It is too bad that this will be DreamWorks Animation final in-house film since the company has proven it can deliver genuine animated classics as it did with The Wild Robot.

1. Dune, Part Two

Director Denis Villeneuve concluded his grand adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi epic novel about political and religious machinations and war in the distant future. Dune, Part Two actually adapted the second half of the novel and it was a wise decision to split the novel into two films since it allowed Villeneuve the time to fully explore the intricacies of the distinct human cultures across the universe.

While the film was wide-sweeping and bursting with glorious production values and effects, at its core, Dune, Part Two, focused on the burden of its main protagonist, Paul Atreides, who unwillingly became the messianic leader who leads the inhabitants of the desert world called Dune in a holy war. Any viewer could empathize with Paul’s struggle as he faced his destiny despite his doubts about his actions as he sought vengeance for his father’s death and freedom for his adopted people.

Dune, Part Two is a true cinematic epic that demonstrates once and for all, the validity of a solid sci-fi story being successfully adapted into a cinematic masterpiece. The film also establishes that Villeneuve is a true master of sci-fi films who has the bold vision needed to undertake such an adaptation.

Noteworthy Mentions:

Abigail; Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; Elevation; Flow; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; IF; Inside Out 2; Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; The Substance; Transformers One; Venom: The Last Dance

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Nov 30 2024

Top Ten Unresolved MCU Plot Threads

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues and evolves, there are many plot threads introduced in various MCU projects that remain unresolved to this day. Some of them, such as the fact that a giant Celestial statue is sticking out of the Indian Ocean, will be resolved with next year’s Captain America: Brave New World, but there aren’t any indications that many others will be addressed. The following is a ranking of the most nagging or interesting MCU plot threads that remain unresolved, at least for now.

10. Mitchell Carson & the Stolen Pym Particles

A major plot thread in Ant-Man was that Hank Pym did not want his shrinking technology to fall into the wrong hands. This was about to happen in the final act of the film where Darren Cross was attempting to sell the Pym Particles to the highest bidder. During a melee to stop the sale, one of the buyers, the Hydra operative Mitchell Carson, ran off with a vial of the particles, and this was never addressed again.

Speculation: Given the demise of the Ant-Man film franchise, these questions will likely remain unresolved or turn up in an unrelated film or TV show.

9. When Will the Young Avengers Debut?

We have been teased with the Young Avengers ever since members like Ms. Marvel, Stature and Wiccan have shown up in the MCU. The superhero team was highly teased in the end of The Marvels when Ms. Marvel recruited Kate Bishop to form a team with plans to get in touch with Stature (who already debuted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). This is an exciting development for the MCU given the popularity of these characters but to date there have not been any announcements of this team actually showing up in the MCU.

Speculation: There are many rumors that the Young Avengers will headline a TV show at some point and do not be surprised if they turn up in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. But given the fact that the actors are aging in real life, what could happen is that the team will be renamed the Champions if they ever debut.

8. Magic Ned

During a pivotal moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker’s best friend Ned displayed an innate talent for magic as he was able to use Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to summon alternate versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. While this is an interesting development for Ned, who could become a sorcerer’s apprentice, it is unlikely this will ever be explored given that well, the Spider-Man film rights are held by Sony Pictures which is hell bent on pumping out films starring Spider-Man’s enemies.

Speculation: Nothing, zilch, nada. We are not even sure if Ned will appear in the next Spider-Man film.

7. Too Many Sorcerers

In a post-credits scene in Doctor Strange, the sorcerer’s former ally, Mordo, begins a quest to kill off all the sorcerers on Earth with the clear implication that Strange was a target. This plot line was ignored in the next Doctor Strange film and since the third film will likely be geared towards incursions and multiverse shenanigans, Mordo’s mission is at this point forgotten. It’s too bad since Mordo is an interesting character and a major foe for Doctor Strange in the comic books. He deserves a chance to confront Strange.

Speculation: Originally, this plot would have been resolved at the start of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where the Scarlet Witch would have killed Mordo, but this scene was scrapped. There have been no reports that the Mordo plot will be a part of the next Doctor Strange film or if Mordo will even appear.

6. The Black Knight and the Ebony Blade

In one of the post-credits scenes of Eternals, Dane Whitman was about to touch the cursed Ebony Blade which would have turned him into the Black Knight. The would-be superhero was stopped by an offscreen voice, who was Blade the Vampire Hunter. To date, no announcements have been made as to when the Black Knight will appear. Not even Kit Harrington, who portrayed Whitman, knows if his character will ever appear again in the MCU.

Speculation: Supposedly, the Black Knight was to show up in the long-delayed Blade film but since that film seems more or more unlikely to be produced it’s anyone’s guess if the Black Knight will ever appear anywhere.  

5. Will Hercules Ever Has His Revenge?

After being humiliated by Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, Zeus promised to get his revenge on the God of Thunder. He then tasked his son, Hercules, to carry out the vendetta. Hercules’ brief cameo was impressive given the comic-accurate look of the god. Unfortunately, his appearance was one of the symptoms that befell the MCU lately where multiple plot threads were introduced without any logical means to address them.

Speculation: Supposedly, Hercules will appear in the next Thor film, but it’s not known if he will be a major character or if the film will be made at all given that Marvel Studios has been cutting back on the number of films and TV shows in order to maintain the quality of their projects.

4. When Was Rhodey Replaced?

As flawed as Secret Invasion was, one interesting plot twist, well not really since it was so obvious, was that Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes was replaced by an alien Skrull. At the end of the mini-series, the real Rhodey was rescued, but we never learned when he was replaced or how many pivotal MCU events he missed. Was he abducted after his BFF Tony Stark died? We do know it had to have happened after Captain America: Civil War since he ended up paralyzed in that film and he was shown as such in Secret Invasion.

Speculation: The director of Secret Invasion revealed that Rhodey was replaced immediately following Captain America: Civil War, although this has not been confirmed by Marvel Studios. Some fans have speculated the replacement happened much later. Sadly, this dilemma will not be resolved anytime soon, since everyone wants to forget about Secret Invasion.

3. The Origin of the Ten Rings and Their Beacon

At the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the sorcerer Wong informed Shang-Chi that the otherworldly bangles he acquired from his father were very ancient and were emitting a beacon to the cosmos. But that was all he knew, and we haven’t learned to date the origin of these fantastic rings or who was being summoned. Even more baffling is that even though the film was successful, a sequel is stuck in limbo, and we won’t be getting the answers to the questions regarding the bangles for a long time.

Speculation: Supposedly, the bangles were related to Kang the Conqueror and was to have been part of the plot for the abandoned film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Maybe they will be the plot device used to summon Galactus into the MCU or Doctor Doom. Or maybe we will have the questions finally answered whenever the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ever happens.

2. The Fate of the Eternals

This is major. At the end of Eternals, about half of them were abducted by extra-terrestrial Celestials for saving Earth. Later on, those Eternals that were not abducted set off in a spaceship to find their comrades. Then the Titan, Starfox, and his friend Pip the Troll teleported to their spaceship and offered their help to find the missing Eternals. An interesting setup, but there will not be a sequel to Eternals so the cliffhanger ending to the film will not be resolved. There’s also the revelation that Starfox was Thanos’ brother which was unaddressed.

Speculation: There has been speculation that this Eternals storyline will be resolved in the next Thor film, though there are not any concrete plans for the film, as of yet. Given the cosmic nature of the Eternals, it’s possible another cosmic-themed MCU project could pick it up, perhaps a new Guardians of the Galaxy film which could incorporate a couple of the Eternals into the team.

1. What Happened to Steve Rogers?

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers went back in time and multiple dimensions to return the Infinity Stones. When he returned, he came back as an elderly man who could not continue as Captain America, and he passed his shield to Sam Wilson in order to become the new Captain America. So, what became of Rogers at that point? In the limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he was referred to in past tense, indicating he passed away, but one character mentioned the rumor that Steve Rogers was living on the moon. It was never made clear if he passed away and so far, he is not shown in trailers for Captain America: Brave New World. So where is Steve Rogers? What happened to him?

Speculation: Maybe Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Secret Wars so that Chris Evans could play the superhero one final time before the role is recast. Perhaps, as in the comic books, Rogers will be rejuvenated if only to help out in Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has speculated that he could return to the MCU in some fashion, though the actor has stated that there are no plans for him to reprise the role. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Notable Mentions

What Happened to the Beekeeper in WandaVision?

Who was Sonny Burch working for in Ant-Man and the Wasp?

Will the United States and Wakanda go to war against each other?

Will the Scorpion ever set out to get revenge on Spider-Man?

Is Spider-Man still framed for murdering Mysterio?

Who is working with the Power Broker/Sharon Carter?

What happened to the symbiote left behind by Venom/Eddie Brock in the MCU?

Will we ever see the remnants of the Illuminati exact revenge on Doctor Strange?

What became of President Ritson’s war on aliens on Earth?

Sep 15 2024

Exploring The Land Of The Lost

Fifty years ago, the children’s program Land of the Lost premiered on Saturday morning on the NBC television network and surprised many viewers with its well written and imaginative scripts. Even though the production was undeniably low budget and the acting by some of the performers was a bit over the top, Land of the Lost quickly won over many fans thanks to its spirited presentation. The TV show was produced by Sid and Marty Kroft who ruled the Saturday morning TV landscape in the ’70s with many fantasy and comedic live-action programs. Land of the Lost stood out and was their best production because it ditched the juvenile humor seen in their other programs and focused on drama and sci-fi elements. Even though it was a program aimed at children, Land of the Lost had an unexpected mature and serious tone that was appealing to anyone.

The TV show followed the adventures of the Marshall family, Rick (Spencer Milligan) and his children, Will (Wesley Eure) and Holly (Cathy Coleman), who while out whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon fell through an interdimensional portal that transported them to a timeless world full of dinosaurs. Trapped in the lost land, the trio struggled to survive while trying to find a way home. During their adventures the Marshalls encountered many unusual denizens including Cha-Ka (Phillip Paley), a member of the Pakuni, a primitive tribe of ape-like humanoids, and Enik (Walker Edmiston), an advanced reptilian/insect-like humanoid who was also trapped in the Land of the Lost. What made Enik’s backstory so fascinating was that his race the Altrusians actually devolved into the savage Sleestaks, who were the dominant species in the Land of the Lost. The Marshalls usually met other travelers from different eras who wound up trapped in the land and often found a way to return to their own time period.

The episodes were devoted to plots about environmentalism, family strife, survival and surprisingly imaginative sci-fi concepts, especially time travel. During the show, the Marshalls discovered these interdimensional constructs called pylons that could transport anyone who entered them into different dimensions including modern-day Earth, though navigating them was difficult. These devices were used to explain why Rick Marshall left the show (in reality Mulligan was removed from the TV show due to conflicts over merchandising) as the father was whisked back to Earth unexpectedly at the start of the third season and replaced by Uncle Jack Marshall (Ron Harper). As Jack explained to his nephew and niece, he was trying to find his brother and his children and followed the same route that stranded the Marshalls in the lost land.

By the third season, the scripts were less imaginative and more geared toward children. The storylines took on more fantastical elements as Uncle Jack, Will and Holly encountered the Medusa, fire-breathing dimetrodon, a unicorn and the ghostly captain of the Flying Dutchman ship. Still the first two season were very thought provoking as the Marshalls met an eerie translucent alien called the Zarn, mysterious human visitors, and alternate versions of themselves. One of the reasons why the scripts stood out was because many of them were written by acclaimed sci-fi authors like Ben Bova, Norman Spinrad, Theodore Sturgeon and Larry Niven. Star Trek scriptwriter David Gerrold was the story editor in the first season and recruited fellow Star Trek writers like D.C. Fontana, Margaret Armen and even Walter Koenig to write a few episodes.

Thanks to its dramatic tone, the stories that focused on survival were more impactful and viewers felt the constant dangers the Marshalls faced as they dealt with carnivorous dinosaurs, environmental dangers, temporal and interdimensional dilemmas and the barbaric Sleestaks. One haunting episode, “The Search” had Will and Holly struggling to save their father who was electrocuted by crystals that operated the pylons. Anyone watching it could sense the desperation and panic from the siblings who were forced to face the possibility of their father dying. Another eerie episode “Split Personality”, had the Marshalls encountering alternate versions of themselves who were frozen in time and needed their help.

Even though the series never had a concluding episode, due to the temporal nature of Land of the Lost it can be argued that the Marshalls did find their way back home in the first season finale episode called “Circle”. Inside one of the pylons, the family was able to return back to their home but it was revealed they were trapped in a Mobius loop and another version of themselves wound up trapped in the Land of the Lost by the time the episode concluded. So in a sense, at least one version of the Marshalls returned home and subsequent episodes followed their variants.

In the decades since Land of the Lost stopped airing, the program has maintained a cult following thanks to a heavy syndication run that lasted many years. There were two attempts at remaking Land of the Lost. One included another TV show that aired for two seasons and featured the Porter family who were stranded in another dimension inhabited by dinosaurs and Sleestaks. Then there was a feature film in 2009 that starred Will Ferrell and as expected by the casting was more comedic. The film was a major dud with critics and fans and flopped at the box office. It also featured one of Leonard Nimoy’s last voice performances as he portrayed Enik. Sadly, the film ignored the dramatic survivalist aspects of the original Land of the Lost and insulted the memory of the original with its moronic humor. Regardless of how the remakes were received, Land of the Lost still has many devoted fans who appreciated the bright scripts and its imaginative, dramatic tone that engaged viewers.

José Soto

May 6 2024

Top Ten Worst Comic Book Trends

As we enjoyed last weekend’s Free Comic Book Day event, it reminded us comic book fans about the trends we love to gripe about with the comic book industry. We’ve been griping about these trends for decades and while some have gone away, some new or persistent trends are plaguing the comic book industry.  With that said, here are the top ten worst comic book trends plaguing the industry today.

10. FOMO = Increased Back Issue Prices

Fear of Missing out (FOMO) often plagues many comic book collectors who desperately go out of their way to get the latest trending comic. This was especially bad during the beginning of this decade when any mention of a character appearing in an upcoming movie would cause prices for back issues to explode overnight. This frustrates normal collectors trying to complete a run and at the same time ends up fleecing naïve collectors who have to get the latest trending comic book. Just look at The Amazing Spider-Man #210. A couple of years ago it was highly sought after because it featured the first appearance of Madame Web. Anyone think that book is still in demand after the Madame Web movie bombed?

9. Comic Book Prices Keep Going Up

Right now, the average comic book costs about $5 per issue. Back when the medium first started, a single issue would cost less than a dollar. What used to be a relatively inexpensive hobby, at least for older readers not dependent on their parents’ allowances, is now pricey especially if anyone is trying to buy all the comics that come out on an average month. This has led to overpriced special issues, such as an issue #100, that are priced around $10 and not worth the price as they often turn out to be anthology books featuring forgettable stories instead of monumental events.

8. The Overabundance of Mini-Series

When comic book mini-series first appeared on shelves, they were often devoted to characters who either were brand new or not popular enough to warrant an ongoing series. The limited series served as testing grounds for both the characters or creative teams. Usually, this lead to some characters becoming breakout stars like the Punisher or Wolverine or gave exposure to promising writers or artists. Nowadays, it seems like there is a new mini-series everywhere you turn and often they are about established superheroes like Batman or Spider-Man. Why couldn’t these stories be told in their own titles? Sure, a particular mini-series story may not fit with the ongoing storyline but why not just run the stories in between runs of creative teams? If the famous “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline was released today it would have been a mini-series with variant covers and more whistles.

7. Comic Books Villains Turned Anti-Heroes

This is an annoying development with many classic comic book villains. They become so popular that the publishers wind up giving them their own solo titles where they become anti-heroes that we can relate to. The most famous or infamous example is Venom. When he first debuted in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Venom quickly became one of Spidey’s deadliest and most popular foes. Unfortunately, Marvel Comics saw the character as a gold mine and increasing his appearances in the Spider-Man comics was not enough. No, Venom was given a bunch of mini-series where he faced off against other popular Marvel characters until getting his own title. The problem with this is that Spider-Man was deprived of a solid villain who could no longer be seen in the same way since Venom became an anti-hero.

6. The Multiverse Concept

The Multiverse is a great concept that lets creative teams conjure up interesting stories outside of the limiting comic book continuities. Sometimes these stories featured the deaths of popular characters, which was unthinkable in regular comics. Great examples include the classic The Dark Knight Returns mini-series and Kingdom Come. But leave it to the comic book companies to dip into the well one too many times. DC and Marvel have released too many stories that take place in separate realities that dilute the impact of the stories and the characters. Just look at what Marvel is doing with the so-called Spider-Verse. What was a fun storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man that introduced imaginative and outlandish variations of Spider-Man has now become a means to throw up countless mini-series (see Number 8) with Spider-Man variants. On a broader scale, Marvel is going all out with a relaunched Ultimate Comics line that features our favorite characters in a different reality. This probably makes speculators happy as they look for the next Spider-Gwen but the rest of us don’t care and this leads us into the next worst trend.

5. Derivative Characters and Families

Legacy characters like Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man usually spawn a family of characters that are derivatives of them such as Batgirl, Superboy, Scarlet Spider, Red Hulk and so on. When some of these new heroes first appeared, they replaced the main characters and picked up the mantle and inspired fascinating takes on legacy characters. Steve Rogers’ Captain America led to Sam Wilson Captain America or Hal Jordan Green Lantern spawned Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. Other times these characters were just young knockoffs of popular heroes. The most recent example is Spider-Boy, one of the dumbest characters ever introduced to the Spider-Man family. Speaking of families, the problem with these characters based on legacy characters is that they dilute the original character. There should be only one Batman (who works best as a loner superhero), one Spider-Man, one Captain America, one Superman; except when it comes to Green Lantern since that character is just one of many Green Lanterns in the galaxy.

4. Too Many Crossover Events

Remember when crossover events were truly special and had consequences? Ever since the success of Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths, crossover events across comic book titles have overtaken the release schedules of comic books. Often these events spill their way into regular titles and interrupt their ongoing storylines to squeeze in a tie-in story related to the crossover event. This is very annoying when following a run that builds up a certain momentum only to come to a crashing halt just to cram in an issue devoted to a crossover tie-in. Meanwhile, anyone who doesn’t follow a certain title feels compelled to buy it just to get the complete story if they were following the crossover event. We all know why these events happen (hint: $$$), and they are a good way to introduce readers to titles they often do not read, a good example was the “Unity” event in Valiant Comics way back in the 1990s. But there are too many of these crossover events now which has made readers tune out.

3. Meaningless Character Deaths

This has gone on for decades in comic books where the villains apparently were killed off only to reappear issues later with some implausible explanation for how they survived. However, this has recently happened with our superheroes, the best example was the famous “Death of Superman” storyline that made headlines and introduced new characters to the Superman family. But too often, these superheroes have been killed off just to tell stories of mourning only to have them resurrected. It has gotten to the point that a death of a character has no emotional impact. Seriously, did anyone believe for a moment that Ms. Marvel was actually dead when she was killed last year in The Amazing Spider-Man #26? The event was filled with empty platitudes and forced emotions. Note to comic book companies: If you kill off a character then that character should stay dead.

2. Variant Covers Everywhere

Pumping out so many variant covers to comic books is just a ploy to get collectors to spend more on the titles. It is also annoying and confusing for anyone who just wants to get a particular comic book to follow a story. Of course, no one is forced to get all the variant covers, which would be too expensive for average fans. But some completists can go insane and broke trying to find elusive covers that instantly go up in price at comic book stores. Another dilemma is that a person may only want the regular cover but sometimes that is hard to do, and that person is forced to buy a variant cover, which would be a nightmare for an OCD collector. Another very annoying trend with the variant covers is the tendency to put out covers that feature characters that do not have anything at all to do with the comic book! For proof, just look for any recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man which is guaranteed to have Spider-Gwen or Black Cat on the cover even though neither character appears in that issue.

1. The Constant Cancellations and Relaunches of Popular Characters

This is the worst trend with comic books today and the most annoying. In the old days, a comic book would have a run that spanned hundreds of issues with creative teams coming and going from titles. It was fun trying to get the complete run or at least some significant key issues. But ever since the 1990s, comic book companies have been intent on canceling comic book titles only to relaunch them a short while later with a brand new number one issue. This is done to increase sales and attention to the comic book. While this may please some collectors who can now legitimately claim to own a copy of Daredevil #1 it annoys the rest of us who get confused when trying to complete a run. In the end, it’s just a tired marketing scheme that will not benefit the comic book in the long run. Want a long, successful run of a comic book title? Just focus on telling great stories. The word will get out to fans who will seek out the title and make it an enduring success.

José Soto