TV Retrospective: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 1 episodes 7-10 review

It's time to take another look at old episodes of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 episodes 16-18 review

So, it's every series counting down to its finale now, so let's take a look at a few new episodes of Marvel's Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Gotham episodes 19-20 review - Beasts of Prey/Under the Knife

As Gotham paves it's way to its finale, let's take a look at how the first 2 of its final 4 episodes begin to put the pieces in place

#19 The Rise of Arsenal

Oh boy, more of the aftermath of cry for justice. Help!

So, whilst the fall of Green Arrow has its problems, hence its spot amongst my rage reviews, the critical consensus despises the Rise of Arsenal.

Let’s get one thing out the way. Everything that happened to Roy in Cry for Justice and also in this follow-up story, was editorially mandated. The editors had the place they wanted characters to go and it was up to the writers to make sure they got there, no matter how little sense it made. Editorial control of stories is something that has plagued comics in recent years. JT Krul is a decent writer but when editors try and force the writers to write their stories, it nearly always results in cr*p. One More Day, Countdown to Final Crisis, Amazons Attack and others are awful stories because of editorial control above anything else.

Editors do need to have some control over stories to keep the characters consistent through multiple titles and to check for errors. They should not be forcing their direction for the characters on the writers.

Safe to say, Cry for Justice, whilst selling decent numbers did not settle well with people, hence the need for follow-up titles to ensure a plan was there (yeah… right) the plan which eventually lead to Deathstroke’s Titans book, a story I refuse to read owing to the fact that in their first issue (in fact I think it was a one-shot) Deathstroke unceremoniously killed off Ryan Choi, the Atom.

But I digress, we’re here to talk about Roy Harper, AKA Red Arrow. So in cry for Justice he lost his arm, and his daughter, and of course there have to be repercussions. But, *sighs* let’s dig into The Rise of Arsenal and see how they screw it all up

Arrow Season 3 Episodes 18-19 review - Public Enemy/Broken Arrow

Let's continue our look at Arrow, is the finale draws closer

The Flash Season 1 Episodes 16-18 review

It's time once again to check in with our fun-loving speedster, the Flash

Guilty Pleasures #14 - Skyfall

Ah, James Bond, an icon of action, suspense and damsels in distress, and to be honest, despite my film preferences, 007 was never really something I grew attached to like I have with superheroes. But my curiosity piqued with Skyfall. Due to not booking a ticket online, I never saw it in the Cinema, but I was quick to get a DVD copy.

Production involved in this film looks quite complicated. MGM, the producers of the films was undergoing financial troubles and the project, which had started just after the release of Quantum of Solice, was suspended. During the suspension, the original writer of the story, Peter Morgan departed leaving Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan to finish it off. In fact filming didn’t begin until November 2011.

These delays didn’t hamper the success of the film. Made over a billion dollars world-wide, the highest of any Bond film, on your average blockbuster budget ($150-200m) and getting praised by most critics. However, I stand by this as a Guilty Pleasure because despite all this, the story has some pretty big flaws.

Before I begin the review, I will say this. I have not watched any other of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, in fact this is the only Bond movie I’ve watched unless it’s a few bits I’ve seen on television. I am not reviewing this as a 50^th Anniversary for Bond, I’m watching it as a movie and it will stand or fall on its own merits.  With that out of the way, let’s take a look.