The Deadpool franchise continues to have the best marketing of any Fox comic book movie and maybe best of any comic book movie. It helps that Ryan Reynolds seems to be 100% bought into the character and the franchise. Here we get our first good look at Josh Brolin's Cable in action. Brolin is going to have a really successful May, coming off of playing the mad Titan Thanos in Infinity War and then Cable in Deadpool 2. He looks fantastic in both.

One thing I'm interested in seeing is how this sequel is received by critics. While the first movie definitely deserved the praise and reviews it got, it also felt like a lot of critics thought that Deadpool was an "anti-comic book movie" when the reality was, it was the most comic book movie Fox has ever done. Yes, the film pokes fun at tropes in comic book movies, but that's what the character of Deadpool does in the comics as well. And yes, this movie will make fun of other comic book movies (I nearly choked on the line of "It's a metal arm, it's not like we're trying to remove a mustache"). But that's again, in character. Looking from everything released so far this movie is going to double down on all that so it makes me wonder if some critics will realize they've been duped into loving and praising a super comic-accurate comic book movie. We'll see.

The post Deadpool, Meet Cable Trailer…Sort of appeared first on MTR Network.

We told you.

No seriously, go to the end of our last review for The Flash when we were discussing trailers. We told you that this Venom trailer would be underwhelming at best.

Look, let's call this what it is: A desperate attempt by Sony to try to prove they can make Spider-Man related comic book movies 1. Without the MCU and 2. Without Spider-Man. This was always a bad idea and was always doomed to fail.

To make it worse, it looks like they're doing an origin story, but with no Spider-Man which is just, even worse.

This is going to end poorly. To me, Venom, while popular and looks cool, when it comes to being a good Spider-Man villain, he's not even Top 10. He's basically the Punisher at this point, an anti-hero. And that's not touching all the Agent Venom stuff. This was just not a good idea.

The post Sony’s Venom Teaser Trailer Drops and it’s Underwhelming at Best appeared first on MTR Network.

In 2015, CBS announced that it would be bringing Star Trek back to the airwaves.   Having grown up watching all the reruns of the original series with my father and being a Trek fan, I was excited about the possibility of a new series.  I have seen every episode of every one of the shows.  Deep Space Nine was my favorite, followed by seasons 3-7 of The Next Generation and Enterprise.  I found myself a little concerned when the decision was announced to make Discovery available only via CBS' streaming app.   I was deeply hurt by what I saw as the mistreatment of another favorite show on the network (Person of Interest) and wasn't sure I wanted to give CBS my money, despite my love of the series.

Then they announced Sonequa Martin-Green and Michelle Yeoh were the leads.  I was hooked.  They aired the first episode on network television.  I was in.  I have watched all the episodes, many of them several times.  I can honestly say that I have watched DS9 twice, TNG twice, and Enterprise twice.  Discovery is the first series I feel is imminently rewatchable.  Here are five reasons you need to jump on board right away.

An Amazing Flagship

Many of the older versions of Star Trek have flagships that are constitution class, or derivatives of the Enterprise from the original series.  Discovery gives us a similar design, but new technology.  Fast travel in the past was based on Warp speed.  Discovery introduces the Spore drive, which allows them to make jumps almost instantaneously to a specified point in time and space.  It does this with the entire ship minus a disc in the saucer section spinning like a top.  The effect when you first see it is amazing.  The effect when you see them making 133 micro jumps to map a Klingon cloak is awe inspiring.

Inclusive Casting

The show came out the gate advertising a Malaysian woman and an African American woman as the leads.  They then went on to cast a Latino gay male, a White gay male (who they allowed to be in relationship with one another on the show, a rarity in television), a Nigerian woman, a Korean American man, an African American man, and a British Pakastani man, all in positions that were crucial and had a significant impact on the story.  In addition to showing a future that was diverse in face, it also showed a future that was diverse in contribution and experience.  The characters were not there for window dressing, unlike previous series.  They played a crucial role in the success or failure of the mission, and indeed the show itself.

Klingons That Truly Terrify

Let's be honest-our first introduction to the Klingons was John Colicos in brown face in the Original Series. John was a slim man, and aside from making menacing threats, was nothing to write home about.  This was followed up by Ricardo Montalban in the movie series.  I don't believe I need to comment on how unimpressive THAT was. Michael Dorn then gave us a more ridge-faced version of a Klingon in the Next Generation, but aside from some facial prosthetics and a grill that screams "get me to a dentist pronto", the Klingons were more feared for their reputation than their look.  We also got the sense that they were just another politicking nation, even though they spoke of honor and blood rites.

Discovery has given us Klingons that are not only physically imposing but ruthless, blood thirsty, and unapologetic.  They have a ship made of the coffins of their dead.  Consider that-they use their dead as armor.  Their facial features are stiff, which means you can't anticipate their next move in a battle.  They are willing to eat their enemies.  And as Voq proved, they will go through any means, including complete physical alteration, to achieve their goal, which right now is completely destroying the Federation.  If that's not terrifying I don't know what is.

Bryan Fuller

If you've watched a Bryan Fuller production, you already know why he's on this list.  His art direction and cinematography are always breathtaking.  His story telling is compelling, engaging, and complex.  From Dead Like Me to Voyager, from Hannibal and American Gods to Discovery, Bryan Fuller's imprint on the Trek Universe shows us a future that is fascinating, visually stunning, and profound.

It's Star Trek...DUH!

Discovery gives us the action of the rebooted Star Trek movie universe with the science and exploration that made Trek the television version of Trek.  Just when you think you will get bogged down in the science speak, we are launched into fantastic action sequences.  More than that, the show has heart.  We are shocked when a character turns on another.  We are devastated to learn the fate of a beloved character.  We cry when they lose, and celebrate when they win.   Our hearts quicken when we are anticipating what will happen next, and stunned when it happens because we didn't see it coming. The actors in this series work perfectly off of each other.   A show that can draw you in and make you feel the emotions that the characters are feeling is a show worth watching.

If you are a CBS fan, then getting the streaming service shouldn't be an issue.  I would recommend the version without commercials-while the show played just fine, the app would often freeze and crash during commercials.  You can also add CBS All Access as a channel via Amazon Prime if you are subscribed there.

The post No Fault in These Stars: 5 Reasons You Should Be Watching Star Trek Discovery appeared first on MTR Network.

This article may seem early, but it really is not.  Awesome Con indeed took place over Easter weekend.

The same weekend that Christ supposedly died and rose.

The same weekend of April Fool's Day.

The same event where one of the exhibitors was the C.I.A..  No, that does not stand for Cosplayers International Alliance.  The actual Central Intelligence Agency, complete with the official banner, the .gov website container, and the request by the individuals at the table not to photograph their faces.  (We will ignore the fact that the exhibit floor is flooded with cameras for the purposes of not only press, but also con attendees taking photos of cosplayers, and other amazing material, but yes, it is reasonable to think you can avoid your face appearing in a photo at such an event.)  They were there to, according to what they told me, "demystify their work."

(Except -aren't you spies?  Isn't the entire point of your work to be mysterious?)

They told another friend in attendance that they were recruiting.  I won't say what I think they were there for.  I'm probably already on a list for writing that previous paragraph.

This year Awesome Con celebrated the 80th anniversary of Superman with many panels and featured guests.  Tom Welling (Smallville), in one of his first comic convention appearances, discussed the history and impact of Superman with fellow Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum, Scott Snyder (Superman Unchained), Greg Capullo (Dark Nights: Metal) and Dan Jurgens (Action comics).  John Boyega (Star Wars, Pacific Rim) and Joonas Suotamo (Star Wars) were additional highlights along with a Star Wars the Last Jedi exhibit.  CW DC stars Cress Williams and Stephen Amell were also present for panels and autographs.

Highlights

• I don't know if they received additional feedback with regard to this, but I mentioned last year how incredibly packed the exhibit floor was, even while there was plenty of extra space that could have been used better.  This year the exhibit floor was set up in a way that was more easily navigated.  They used additional space I had not seen them use in the past.  That said, I strongly suspect that numbers may have been down.  A few cosplayers I photographed and spoke to mentioned having to scramble with their outfits because this year's convention happened pretty soon after the last one.  Add to that the fact that many individuals may have passed this year due to the holiday weekend, and the crowds felt lighter than years past.

• There was a diverse cross section of programming.  Three of the panels I went to were focused on the challenge of visible inclusion versus substantive inclusion with regard to underrepresented groups in media.  There were also panels on the science behind Black Panther as well as a return of the #TotallyAwesomeAsians panel discussing the lack of Asian representation in media and what it means to be Asian in America.

• Awesome Con continues to be a family friendly event.  Many of the exhibit floor sections were aimed at children.  NASA and the NSF made another appearance with events that were hands on, educational, and in line with the theme of the convention.  Creating sections throughout the days and evenings for children allows for adult convention goers to participate fully in the convention while introducing younger generations to the convention life.

• Star Wars the Last Jedi had an exhibit of props from the film.  While it was cool to see the outfits that Rey, Luke, and Kylo wore, the exhibit fell a little flat for me.  I will be honest-I found myself comparing it to the Stan Lee exhibit from last year, which included props, drawings, lithographs, and other material.  This exhibit had six pieces.  Given how popular the film was I am curious as to why they didn't arrange for more pieces for the exhibit.  The fact that there was a set up for a line for the few pieces we got seemed a bit...well, off.

Overall Awesome Con was and continues to be an enjoyable experience.  The atmosphere is always light-hearted, friendly, and fun.   Awesome Con returns next year April 26-28..

The post Superman and the C.I.A.-Awesome Con 2018 Recap appeared first on MTR Network.

I'm assuming that anyone reading these reviews isn't new to the world of WicDiv so my pseudo-cryptic titles should make perfect sense to you.

At its core, WicDiv is a comic about cycles. Cycles that, once set in motion, are doomed to repeat themselves and end tragically. We are coming to the end of a cycle that Persephone and Baal and Cassandra thought they were breaking but instead they appear to be in the same place as their predecessors. So it's fitting that we open with 1923 again.

Maniac Minerva

Mini seems to be at the heart of these machinations. Whether you believe Ananke has takenover her body or not (I do), 1923 Minerva is also a cold-blooded manipulator and an accomplice (ringleader?) to Ananke's plans.

Present-day Minerva is just as wily. Woden is on to her and she uses her faux naivete to convince him that she was working with Ananke because the crone told her she could help her live longer. Woden (in a bone-headed move that surprises no one) believes her.

I'm Not Afraid of Who I Am

Meanwhile, Cassandra and Persephone/Laura are suspicious of Minerva but also find themselves falling for her tricks when she convinces Laura to look for a room Baal is hiding from the Pantheon. Then Minerva "innocently" sends Baal after Persephone by mentioning that she got a "weird text" about a "secret room". I would be angrier at Minerva pitting the former couple against each other but it gave us this panel so I'm not too mad.

Shout-out to Jamie McKelvie for the meticulous ab work. 

Questions, Theories & #Wildt Speculations

• Currently, Minerva/Ananke has three of the four heads she needs. If 1923 was a prologue to how this tends to go down, then she's now at the phase where she has to get rid of the gods before they put all the pieces together but have they done enough to figure out what's happening or are they falling into her trap?
• Minerva mentions the time of the Franks which is around  445 AD when Lucifer extended his time. Did that cycle give Ananke the idea to get the gods to do her bidding by promising them more time?
• Baal's true identity as Ba'al Hammon, the Carthaginian deity whom children were sacrificed to, has been revealed and he also throws away his lightning bolt chain. As the most devout of the Pantheon it makes sense that he would take even the worst parts of his godhood seriously, but to what end? I think he thought the sacrifices would delay the darkness but what if the darkness was just Ananke's way of controlling him? It feels like Ananke told everyone what they wanted to hear.

Adieu until next time.

The post Wicked + Divine #35: Once More We Return appeared first on MTR Network.

We’ve been screaming BLACK HISTOREEEEEEEEE! since Beyoncé’s iconic performance/Black Panther Party homage at the 2016 Super Bowl and now here we are in 2018 which so far has been a banner year of Black people showing up and showing out on that ass. With last night’s Coachella performance Beyonce became another highlight of this bait and switch year of Black excellence.

Black Panther was the first to snatch our wigs and throw them back at us. No one (besides racists) was expecting the Marvel movie to fail but we also weren’t expecting Ryan Coogler to take a popcorn superhero movie and give us a treatise on the relationship between African-Americans and continental Africans wrapped up in stunning visuals of an African country untouched by colonization. Coogler was the first to spectacularly secure the bag and Black Panther continues to break records as its sales climb two months after the film’s release. At one point, in a major superhero movie a protagonist refers to white people as colonizers and later a white man is forced to shut up because he does not have the authority to speak in front of the Black royalty assembled. Marvel paid Ryan Coogler good money to put that onscreen and then the world paid to see it. Insert Weebay gif here.

Then, a few weeks later, Donald Glover debuted the second season of Atlanta on FX because he decided Black History Month wasn’t going to end in February this year. Each episode of Glover’s show has been met with outstanding critical acclaim. But for Black people, Atlanta is what you get when a Black creator is dedicated to portraying Black culture without giving any credence to the white gaze. Episodes like “Barbershop” tell non-Black people, you are invited to look in on my world but your opinions, your questions and your judgements are unnecessary and unwelcome. And guess what? It sells.

Now let’s talk about what Beyoncé sold to us. Last year, Beyoncé was slotted to perform at Coachella but due to her pregnancy she cancelled her performance. Coachella is an event mainly known for the rich, white people who come to the desert in appropriative clothes masquerading as “festival wear” to listen to music. Its owner has been called out for being an anti-gay, anti-abortion, Republican supporter. Basically, Coachella is problematic. Well, this year Beyoncé turned all that on its head when she came to perform at Coachella with an hour and forty-five-minute set spanning her entire discography. A set which paid tribute to the enduring spirit of African-Americans from the Divine 9 to HBCUs to stepping to marching bands and second line culture and she GAVE IT TO US FOR FREE!

“Ain’t that bout a bitch?” Those are the exact words Beyoncé uttered after pointing out that she is the first Black woman to headline the show in its 19-year history. So, what did Bey do after securing the top spot? She showed up and showed all the way out! After opening dressed as a bandleader crossed with an Egyptian queen, dance line in tow, she appeared in a BDK (Beyta Delta Kappa or Beyonce Delta Knowles) branded sweatshirt harkening to Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). Regally standing at the top of a set of pyramid shaped bleachers with an entire marching band and drumline below her, Beyoncé recreated a half-time show at an HBCU and turned it up to million. The musical arrangements wove Bey’s hits with southern, Black college staples like Juvenile’s “Back That Ass Up” and “Swag Surfin’”. And in case you thought Beyoncé didn’t know her HBCU or BGLO history, she gave you a probate line complete with “bugaboos” (represented here by her male dancers) and a step show to boot.

And because Beyoncé is Black af and doesn’t care about your white ass opinions, she took a moment to sing “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing”, also known as the Black National Anthem, and gave you a Nina Simone interlude during “Drunk In Love”. It’s not your fave could never. Your fave can’t. Period. Beyoncé got onstage for nearly two hours, showed the entire world the depths of African-American culture and signaled to Black people that this was for us and not for the thousands of people actually at the event. This is the power of the bait and switch. Beyoncé secured the top spot, packed the house and then said this isn’t for you. You can watch, you can enjoy, but this isn’t for you and your opinions are neither wanted nor welcome. (Looking at you Walmart Batman).

It is 2018 and Black people are still having “firsts” because of how white supremacy has locked us out of spaces due to fear of our excellence. And I get it because when we show up, we show out so you should be afraid because we’re always going to outshine you. But until you recognize our greatness we’re going to continue to slide in the door and let our people know that we belong here. We’ll take your Marvel money and your Coachella money and make this art for us because we love us for real.  

The post 2018: Year of the Beyt & Switch appeared first on MTR Network.

By the publishing of this, many who follow our site and listen to our podcasts will already know what happened.  The comic convention known as Universal Fan Con, designed to be more inclusive of underrepresented groups and a 2 year project in the making, never came to fruition.

In the ashes of that failure a community of individuals who had arranged to vend at the event gathered with others to pull together a replacement convention to help some vendors, performers, and supporters recoup at least a portion of their weekend.  Dubbed Wicomicon (for it's location on Wicomico street), it took place in an older building that wound up being a perfect location for gatherers to attend panels and meet new artists and vendors.

Many individuals who had planned to come to Universal Fan Con attended, some from right around the corner, and others from as far away as Canada and Japan.  The event also brought out individuals who had not heard of the original event but caught wind of this one as an opportunity to bring their families to meet talent they may not have been otherwise exposed to.  For some it was their first convention.  While it was not the weekend they were initially promised, original Universal Fan Con attendees really enjoyed the atmosphere, the panels, the vendors, and the opportunity to fellowship with other convention goers.

What this group was able to coordinate in less than 7 days is to be respected and commended.  As one participant mentioned, it truly highlighted that there is a strong and dedicated community amongst underrepresented groups in convention fandom.  The support is there.  The interest is there.   People are wiling to come out when given access and opportunity.  The access just has to be provided, and the trust that the community places in those who say they are going to provide an event must be honored and valued.

Above is a mini video of the event and some reactions to the event.

The post Turning Failure to Triumph-Wicomicon 2018 and Community appeared first on MTR Network.

Those who are familiar with me know that for almost a year I have been watching a large amount of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean television media.  I stumbled across some shows on Netflix, and then friend of the show Moji from the TV Movie Mistress introduced me to Drama Fever, a streaming site with large selections of the aforementioned shows, along with Japanese media.  Even though Asians and Asian Americans are woefully underrepresented and presented as racist caricatures out of Hollywood, sites like Drama Fever offered content straight from the culture.  The content was created by individuals familiar with the culture, showing themselves in a variety of nuanced roles.  It was refreshing.  For those looking to reinforce language learning, it was an immersion without the annoying nasal White American dubbing that tends to take place.

Terius Behind Me, a Korean drama with So Ji Sub, recently premiered on Drama Fever exclusively on September 27th.

As recently as two weeks ago, Drama Fever promoted exclusive content-shows that were currently airing in their home countries, or had just wrapped a run and were now available to Western audiences via the site.  As recently as TWO DAYS ago, the site login screen had announcements of shows that were en route.  Then, yesterday at 2:13 p.m., an article ran in The Hollywood Reporter announcing that Warner Brothers was shutting the service down.  I didn't even know that Warner Brothers had sunk their teeth into Drama Fever, a site that had been in operation for 9 years, but apparently they purchased the site in 2016.

William Chan's face here was my reaction when I saw that WB owned Drama Fever

I was deeply disappointed.  There are other sites, but none of them were as sleek, streamlined, and professionally captioned as Drama Fever.  My subscription was 4.99, which I paid in two places-both directly on the website, and through the Amazon Channel feature.  The content was worth it to me, and I wanted to provide them the support.  Last month, we were notified that the price was increasing by 50 cents a month-it seemed low, but for the quality content we were getting, I didn't mind.  I would have been willing to pay more for it-that's how good it was.  That said, I figured with this announcement, I'd at least have until the end of the month to finish watching shows I was currently covering over at TV Movie Mistress.  Then I log in to the site and get this screen:

It's a little blurry.  But the essence is this-on the same day they made the public announcement that the site was going down, just a week after taking money out of my bank account, I can't get to ANY OF THE CONTENT I'VE ALREADY PAID FOR.

這是胡說八道

That's a Chinese phrase by the way.  Your computer isn't glitching.  Your browser isn't corrupted.  I deliberately put that in the title of the article and here.  It means THIS IS BULLSHIT!

Warner Brothers purchased a company that maybe wasn't doing the best, or maybe it was and decided to capitalize on how well it was doing with a buy out.  Under Warner Brothers' leadership (the same leadership that has given us the DC Online Streaming service which, by all accounts, leaves a LOT to be desired), the same leadership that gave us a disjointed, needlessly violent, Tarantino vision of Teen Titans, Drama Fever is gone.  Representation is gone.  It disappeared in one of the most unprofessional ways I've not seen since April and the Universal FanCon debacle.

The fact that two days ago the site was advertising new content and now is completely shut down tells me the employees were blindsided.  If it sounds familiar, it is because it is the same thing that happened to the employees over at Telltale Games.  And fans are rightfully furious.  It's a death blow to getting a variety of entertainment that isn't White washed by Hollywood.  More than that, it's a violation of the terms of service.  Premium members, individuals who were either paying monthly like myself, or annually like many others, were told we would receive a 30 day notice prior to any changes, including shuttering of services.  No one, myself included, even received an email.  I discovered the news of the closing via the article link in a Facebook post.  It is why I thought I had at least thirty days-because of course they would be sending emails.

Crickets-That's what we have heard

Warner Brothers could have stayed away.  They could have let someone else acquire the property.  To purchase a property, which provided a representative peek into Asian cultures, and then to shutter it in such an unprofessional manner-well I guess that's just how we do business now.

I am devastated, broken hearted, and furious.  Warner Brothers couldn't just focus on that shitty comic universe they can't get to make decent amounts of money, or the murderverse they insist on promoting.  They had to come and damage something that was really important, and not just to Asian and Asian American communities.  As a person of color, I loved seeing other cultures and how they see themselves.  I loved listening to their language, watching their mythology, and their depiction of their family dynamics and relationships.  Frankly, it was nice watching media that didn't center or deify Whiteness.

Drama Fever's shuttering was a loss that could and should have been avoided.  Warner Brothers just can't help but poison everything it touches.  Now we are left with a gap in coverage, and this bullshit:

Fuck Batman indeed.  And, apparently, fuck customers and fans.  That seems to be Warner Brother's new motto.

The post 這是胡說八道: The Demise of Drama Fever appeared first on MTR Network.

Maybe you didn't know, but the Tales of Arcadia didn't end with Trollhunters.  When Dreamworks and Guillermo del Toro, a man of many monsters, teamed up to bring a 3D animation series to Netflix, they didn't just settle on the idea of creating one world.  Arcadia Oaks is just the playground where all these fantastical worlds WILL meet.  Trollhunters was just the start, spanning 52 episodes broken up in to 3 parts (seasons).  It's dope... nuff said.  And it's not over... "tell me more!"  Don't worry, I gotchu.  3Below is the creamy center of this trilogy that will re-introduce fans to Krel and Aja, along with their story of a distant Royal Family fleeing the treacherous fate bestowed upon their parents by an evil menace.

The first episode of 3Below was aired for audiences at New York Comic Con 2018 in the Hulu Theater at MSG to much praise and applause.  The show has comedy.  The animated action is worth every jaw dropping moment.  Adults and kids will find bits and pieces of themselves in the trio of characters Earth bound in search of a new home.

We had the chance to sit down with Diego Luna, Guillermo del Toro, and the executive producers of this new series -- Glenn Close was at the panel but didn't do press -- to really talk about "What Netflix Has Done For Them", "How These New Characters Find Their Humanity", and "What It's Like Creating 3Below's World Within Our Own."  Check out part 1 of the answers to these questions below:

The post What’s Next?!! Guillermo del Toro’s New “3Below” Revives Some Familiar Beings for Tales of Arcadia – NYCC 2018 appeared first on MTR Network.

For the second year in a row Disney brought in a staggering amount at the global box-office. Not only have they crossed $6 billion two years in a row but in 2017, they hit over $7 billion. While an amazing feat, what’s even more amazing is that 2018 could see them not only three-peat but go even higher. The list of movies coming out under the Disney brand in 2018 is pretty staggering. So let’s go through each film and try to predict what Disney’s end-of-year box office could be.

Black Panther

Marvel Studios has the brand recognition that is rivaled only by LucasFilms at this point. In my list of 2017 winners, I pointed out that while no film in the MCU topped $1 billion last year, every film came in over $800 million. So when it comes to Black Panther there’s a lot of people that immediately jump to “It’s going to make a billion”. And I get the sentiment but I also don’t think a lot of people realize just how difficult hitting the Billion Dollar Box-Office Club is.

First, only 2 solo films in the MCU have hit a Billion Dollars. One was Iron Man 3 which was coming fresh off the heels of Avengers and so that got it a huge push. The second was Captain America: Civil War which was the 3^rd Captain America film and more importantly, was basically a mini-Avengers movie itself. When it comes to the first film for a solo character, Doctor Strange holds the top honor with $677 million.

Now all that said, there’s a lot of things that work in Black Panther’s favor for a huge box office. First, Black Panther is probably the most anticipated solo film Marvel Studios has ever done. It’s actually hard to compare this film to anything anticipation wise that Marvel has done because of the cultural significance. I think the best comparison is to head over to Marvel’s competitor DC and look at what Wonder Woman accomplished. Wonder Woman topped out at $821 million last year. That’s with DC sleeping at the wheel when it came to promotion, something Marvel isn’t doing. Already we’ve seen promotions and interviews targeting black women, international promotion and merchandise. This is the first black super hero getting his first solo movie and Marvel isn’t pulling any punches. The trailers have all trended instantly and add to the fact that this movie should tie directly into Infinity War and that billion dollar number seems pretty reachable. The hype and anticipation for this movie can’t be understated. Representation matters and Disney & Marvel are banking on that for a huge return.

Prediction: $850 Million - $1 Billion. I really wanted to go conservative here but this is one of the few times when people say “It's gonna do a billion?” and it could actually be true. At the very least I see this being the top grossing of all of initial solo films for any character. The only way it could fall short is overseas but so far it doesn’t look like it. Months before Marvel goes hard with promotion early tracking already has the film opening at $95 million and that’s just going to keep growing. I see this opening domestically at $120-$140 and the weeks after its release are wide open for it having a long run at #1.

A Wrinkle in Time

I came across an article from 2014 that predicted that A Wrinkle In Time would fail. Four years later, I’m pretty sure the author of that piece would like a do-over. To be fair, in 2014, Ava DuVernay wasn’t on a lot of people’s radar and she definitely hadn’t been tapped to direct this movie. Since Selma, DuVernay has not only been outspoken about diversity and inclusion in Hollywood but she’s “lived her raps” with Queen Sugar, 13th and #BlackGirlMagic moments like directing an Apple Music commercial and more recently, Jay-Z & Beyonce music video. And Disney has definitely noticed. They wanted her for Black Panther and when that didn’t work out, they offered A Wrinkle In Time. And you can’t tell me that Kathleen Kennedy and Rian Johnson aren’t chopping at the bit to offer her a Star Wars movie at some point.

With Black Panther and A Wrinkle in Time, Disney is doing something that most studios don’t do: They listened. After watching films like Hidden Figures and Girls Trip “over perform”, Disney asked “Maybe they’re not over performing, maybe we just need to make films that target black women”. So Storm Reid gets to be the lead in A Wrinkle in Time and give older black women and young black girls someone that looks like them on screen. And I think it’s a bet that’s going to pay off extremely well for Disney at the beginning of 2018. And at only $103 million for a budget, DuVernay definitely seems to be getting them their money’s worth because the trailers have looked amazing.

Prediction: $750 - $850 Million. The only thing really holding A Wrinkle In Time back is that it’s in a super packed March that will cut into its long term returns. But it wouldn’t surprise me if DuVernay ends up passing Jenkins’ record of highest grossing film for a female director.

Avengers: Infinity War

The question isn’t “Is Infinity War going to hit a billion?”, it’s is it going to hit $2 billion? Better yet, will it reach the elusive $200 million opening weekend? Most films that enter the Billion Dollar Club do so because they’re event movies. Meaning they’re so culturally big, just going to see it turns into an event. We’ve seen the Avengers before but this movie is about bringing the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe together in one movie. This is the event to end all events. It’s supposed to turn everything on its head so much that Feige won’t even tell us what the name of Avengers 4 is because he says it will spoil Infinity War. Throw in Thanos who seems to arrive announcing that he’s here to chew bubblegum and kick ass and he’s all out of bubblegum, we might see Marvel break their own worldwide gross record.

Prediction: $1.8 - $2 Billion. Easy.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

LucasFilms has been riding a high of three straight films of $1+ billion dollars at the box-office. In just 3 weeks, The Last Jedi became the highest grossing film of 2017. That’s with a silly troll campaign that tried to make it seem like fans weren’t happy with it. So it would seem crazy to think that their 4^th film would lead to this streak being broken but that might be exactly what’s going to happen. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of confidence behind Solo: A Star Wars Story. Ron Howard having to come in last minute to finish the film and do reshoots plus Alden Ehrenreich not exactly giving folks the confidence of being Han Solo leaves a lot of questions. There’s been very little promotion, zero teasers and just doesn’t seem to be following the typical winning formula for LucasFilms.

Also sticking it in the Memorial Day slot also doesn’t scream winner either. That said, much like Dead Men Tell No Tales, even if it got bad reviews and a low domestic box office, it could see an overall gross saved by the overseas market. The problem is, its second weekend runs into Deadpool 2. Hot Take Alert: Solo is going to lose to the Merc with a Mouth.

Prediction: $750 million. I’m basing this off the idea that there are actual troubles with this film. Funny story though is…Rogue One was also said to have troubles and still got great reviews. It also hit a billion. So, if Solo turns out to be good…all bets are off.

The Incredibles 2

While Black Panther and Infinity War might top the “Most Anticipated” list, The Incredibles 2 is right up there. Grown ass adults have been begging for The Incredibles 2 for the last 14 years. And one thing we know about the box office is: If your movie can get adults AND children into seats, you’re going to do super well. Animated movies always get overlooked in the Billion Dollar Box-Office club. Despicable Me 3 brought in just over a billion last year and The Incredibles 2 should cross that mark easily.

Prediction: $1 - $1.2 Billion. 14 years ago the original did over $600 million. I don’t see how this sequel doesn’t come close to doubling that.

Ant-Man and The Wasp

I still can’t get over the fact that Marvel Studios did an Ant-Man movie…and was successful. Sure, Ant-Man barely grossed over $500 million worldwide but…that’s huge (no pun intended) for an Ant-Man movie. Plus it also had the smallest budget to date for any of their films. In a way, it was kinda like a heat check for Feige and Marvel Studios. Marvel’s made sure to put Scott Lang in Civil War (with some Giant Man upgrades) and is also putting Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp not only in costume for the sequel, but in the title. More exposure for Scott + Giving audiences what they want (Janet in costume) = This movie is going to do great.

 Prediction: $750 Million. No one expects this film to hit a billion but just about every Marvel sequel does significantly better at the box office the next time out. If Marvel is riding two huge successes in Black Panther and Infinity War, expect this movie to see a great boost.

Christopher Robin

I haven’t seen much about this film yet and I’m not even sure if it’s still coming out this year. All I know is that it has Hayley Atwell and Ewan McGregor in it. There are official photos for it and so maybe it does come out. But unlike everything else on this list, it’s just not getting a lot of buzz. This could end up being this year’s Pete’s Dragon where it could get good reviews but no one cared to go see it in theaters.

Prediction: $150 - $200 Million

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2

I’m going to go super conservative with Wreck It Ralph. It’s coming later in the year, has stiff competition from not only other Disney properties but other studios as well. The first film did just under $500 million and I don’t think there’s a huge market for Wreck It Ralph 2. I think this film earns under what the original did. Hey, Disney can’t win them all.

Prediction: $400 Million

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

For these last two movies, it’s a toss-up. On the surface you might be wondering why Disney would make thes films.  I would then point to the fact that before The Last Jedi, the #1 movie of 2017 was Beauty and the Beast. These Disney remakes/reimagines make bank. The first Alice in Wonderland made over a billion. Maleficent made around $750 million.The Jungle Book did just under a billion. Beauty and the Beast? $1.2 billion. Disney sees the writing on the wall and it’s in solid gold. Sure, some times these things will flop like Alice Through the Looking Glass. But Disney’s record is still pretty solid so far. And with The Nutcracker, I think they’re pretty confident they have a hit.

They’ve already released a pretty gorgeous teaser trailer for it and the film is 11 months away. Also in keeping with their theme this year of “If you build it they will come”, the teaser is full of black people making me think that Disney knows exactly what they’re doing. Misty Copeland is only in this movie for the big dance number but Disney was smart enough to make sure she was visible in the trailer.

Prediction: $700 Million. This film comes out opposite of X-Men: Dark Phoenix and unless this X-Men film does something with its trailers no other X-Men film has done, I don’t see how it doesn’t get steam rolled by The Nutcracker.

Mary Poppins Returns

On our 2018 movie preview I initially laughed at this movie until I realized it was Disney. Then I realized it was going to do numbers. Just look at the cast: Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Oh and it comes out over Christmas. It’s only competition are the Bumblebee and Aquaman movies coming out the Friday before. I’m not sure either one really stands a chance.

Prediction: $700 Million. I went conservative with both this film and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. I don’t see either of these movies falling flat and think that at the very least they’ll do marginally well. But part of me believes that at least one of them will break out big. I just don’t know which one.

So, will Disney hit 7 or 8 billion at the box office this year? Using just the low end predictions puts Disney just short of $8 billion in 2018. I think it’s a safe bet that Disney could not only threepeat but break all kinds of records in 2018.

The post The Threepeat: Will Disney Hit $8 Billion At the Box-Office in 2018? appeared first on MTR Network.

I'm going to keep being petty about how the promotion for Black Panther is the exact opposite of the nearly non-existent promotion for Wonder Woman. Last year, the defense of Warner Brother’s dropping the ball was that they put out trailers and TV spots. It always skipped over that there wasn’t any real push for Wonder Woman merchandise and the only product promotion we saw for the longest time was weight loss bars. Compare that to what we’re seeing now for Black Panther. This commercial from Hasbro nearly brings tears to my eyes. They’re not just making Black Panther toys for kids but actually marketing them.

I’m going to give Warner Brothers the benefit of the doubt and say they just didn’t understand the cultural significance of the character of Wonder Woman. Most heroes in comic books and film today are straight white males. When marginalized groups finally get to see characters that represent themselves on the big screen, it matters a lot. Market your characters to these groups and the payoff is always huge. Years before Black Panther ever made an appearance in the MCU, there was serious skepticism among black nerds as to whether the character would get the same attention and respect as white male characters. Many worried it would have a lower budget, be white washed and wouldn't get proper marketing push. So far, Marvel seems to be quieting those fears. Spotlighting black women, foreign press promotion & interviews, a Lexus deal, new comic books and now toys. Honestly, Black Panther is getting the Iron Man or Spider-Man treatment and it feels great.

I have no doubt that Warner Brothers will learn this lesson come Wonder Woman 2. But I’m very pleased that Marvel isn’t following their footsteps and going with a full court blitz for Black Panther.

Marvel is about to have little white kids running around with Black Panther masks & gauntlets and I'm here for it.

The post Hasbro’s ‘Black Panther Vibranium Hero Gear’ Official TV Commercial appeared first on MTR Network.

First the Black Panther world premiere (with glowing reviews) and now Marvel Studios is keeping up the pressure with the first trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp. You can’t tell me anyone has a better PR machine when it comes to movies than Marvel Studios. And by putting the spotlight on Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp, Marvel is making sure to make this sequel much bigger (no pun intended) than the first film. Lilly’s Hope van Dyne was a standout in the first movie and many wondered why she didn’t have a larger role (or her own suit). Now, not only is she in the suit but she’s clearly has more upgrades than Scott which is made very clear in this trailer. 

Marvel is trying to ride not only the wave of positivity that is sure to come from Black Panther but also the desire to see more female characters getting a spotlight. With Captain Marvel still a year away, Marvel is still behind in having a solo female character film but Ant-Man and The Wasp gives them their first film with a film character as co-lead. With black female characters getting focus on Black Panther, Captain Marvel filming and the rumors of a Black Widow film in development, Marvel Studios is finally filling some of their weaknesses. And in the words of Hope van Dyne from the first Ant-Man film, it’s about damn time.

The post Ant-Man and The Wasp Trailer – Hope van Dyne Dons the Suit and Takes Center Stage appeared first on MTR Network.

The Deadpool franchise continues to have the best marketing of any Fox comic book movie and maybe best of any comic book movie. It helps that Ryan Reynolds seems to be 100% bought into the character and the franchise. Here we get our first good look at Josh Brolin's Cable in action. Brolin is going to have a really successful May, coming off of playing the mad Titan Thanos in Infinity War and then Cable in Deadpool 2. He looks fantastic in both.

One thing I'm interested in seeing is how this sequel is received by critics. While the first movie definitely deserved the praise and reviews it got, it also felt like a lot of critics thought that Deadpool was an "anti-comic book movie" when the reality was, it was the most comic book movie Fox has ever done. Yes, the film pokes fun at tropes in comic book movies, but that's what the character of Deadpool does in the comics as well. And yes, this movie will make fun of other comic book movies (I nearly choked on the line of "It's a metal arm, it's not like we're trying to remove a mustache"). But that's again, in character. Looking from everything released so far this movie is going to double down on all that so it makes me wonder if some critics will realize they've been duped into loving and praising a super comic-accurate comic book movie. We'll see.

The post Deadpool, Meet Cable Trailer…Sort of appeared first on MTR Network.

We told you.

No seriously, go to the end of our last review for The Flash when we were discussing trailers. We told you that this Venom trailer would be underwhelming at best.

Look, let's call this what it is: A desperate attempt by Sony to try to prove they can make Spider-Man related comic book movies 1. Without the MCU and 2. Without Spider-Man. This was always a bad idea and was always doomed to fail.

To make it worse, it looks like they're doing an origin story, but with no Spider-Man which is just, even worse.

This is going to end poorly. To me, Venom, while popular and looks cool, when it comes to being a good Spider-Man villain, he's not even Top 10. He's basically the Punisher at this point, an anti-hero. And that's not touching all the Agent Venom stuff. This was just not a good idea.

The post Sony’s Venom Teaser Trailer Drops and it’s Underwhelming at Best appeared first on MTR Network.

In 2015, CBS announced that it would be bringing Star Trek back to the airwaves.   Having grown up watching all the reruns of the original series with my father and being a Trek fan, I was excited about the possibility of a new series.  I have seen every episode of every one of the shows.  Deep Space Nine was my favorite, followed by seasons 3-7 of The Next Generation and Enterprise.  I found myself a little concerned when the decision was announced to make Discovery available only via CBS' streaming app.   I was deeply hurt by what I saw as the mistreatment of another favorite show on the network (Person of Interest) and wasn't sure I wanted to give CBS my money, despite my love of the series.

Then they announced Sonequa Martin-Green and Michelle Yeoh were the leads.  I was hooked.  They aired the first episode on network television.  I was in.  I have watched all the episodes, many of them several times.  I can honestly say that I have watched DS9 twice, TNG twice, and Enterprise twice.  Discovery is the first series I feel is imminently rewatchable.  Here are five reasons you need to jump on board right away.

An Amazing Flagship

Many of the older versions of Star Trek have flagships that are constitution class, or derivatives of the Enterprise from the original series.  Discovery gives us a similar design, but new technology.  Fast travel in the past was based on Warp speed.  Discovery introduces the Spore drive, which allows them to make jumps almost instantaneously to a specified point in time and space.  It does this with the entire ship minus a disc in the saucer section spinning like a top.  The effect when you first see it is amazing.  The effect when you see them making 133 micro jumps to map a Klingon cloak is awe inspiring.

Inclusive Casting

The show came out the gate advertising a Malaysian woman and an African American woman as the leads.  They then went on to cast a Latino gay male, a White gay male (who they allowed to be in relationship with one another on the show, a rarity in television), a Nigerian woman, a Korean American man, an African American man, and a British Pakastani man, all in positions that were crucial and had a significant impact on the story.  In addition to showing a future that was diverse in face, it also showed a future that was diverse in contribution and experience.  The characters were not there for window dressing, unlike previous series.  They played a crucial role in the success or failure of the mission, and indeed the show itself.

Klingons That Truly Terrify

Let's be honest-our first introduction to the Klingons was John Colicos in brown face in the Original Series. John was a slim man, and aside from making menacing threats, was nothing to write home about.  This was followed up by Ricardo Montalban in the movie series.  I don't believe I need to comment on how unimpressive THAT was. Michael Dorn then gave us a more ridge-faced version of a Klingon in the Next Generation, but aside from some facial prosthetics and a grill that screams "get me to a dentist pronto", the Klingons were more feared for their reputation than their look.  We also got the sense that they were just another politicking nation, even though they spoke of honor and blood rites.

Discovery has given us Klingons that are not only physically imposing but ruthless, blood thirsty, and unapologetic.  They have a ship made of the coffins of their dead.  Consider that-they use their dead as armor.  Their facial features are stiff, which means you can't anticipate their next move in a battle.  They are willing to eat their enemies.  And as Voq proved, they will go through any means, including complete physical alteration, to achieve their goal, which right now is completely destroying the Federation.  If that's not terrifying I don't know what is.

Bryan Fuller

If you've watched a Bryan Fuller production, you already know why he's on this list.  His art direction and cinematography are always breathtaking.  His story telling is compelling, engaging, and complex.  From Dead Like Me to Voyager, from Hannibal and American Gods to Discovery, Bryan Fuller's imprint on the Trek Universe shows us a future that is fascinating, visually stunning, and profound.

It's Star Trek...DUH!

Discovery gives us the action of the rebooted Star Trek movie universe with the science and exploration that made Trek the television version of Trek.  Just when you think you will get bogged down in the science speak, we are launched into fantastic action sequences.  More than that, the show has heart.  We are shocked when a character turns on another.  We are devastated to learn the fate of a beloved character.  We cry when they lose, and celebrate when they win.   Our hearts quicken when we are anticipating what will happen next, and stunned when it happens because we didn't see it coming. The actors in this series work perfectly off of each other.   A show that can draw you in and make you feel the emotions that the characters are feeling is a show worth watching.

If you are a CBS fan, then getting the streaming service shouldn't be an issue.  I would recommend the version without commercials-while the show played just fine, the app would often freeze and crash during commercials.  You can also add CBS All Access as a channel via Amazon Prime if you are subscribed there.

The post No Fault in These Stars: 5 Reasons You Should Be Watching Star Trek Discovery appeared first on MTR Network.

This article may seem early, but it really is not.  Awesome Con indeed took place over Easter weekend.

The same weekend that Christ supposedly died and rose.

The same weekend of April Fool's Day.

The same event where one of the exhibitors was the C.I.A..  No, that does not stand for Cosplayers International Alliance.  The actual Central Intelligence Agency, complete with the official banner, the .gov website container, and the request by the individuals at the table not to photograph their faces.  (We will ignore the fact that the exhibit floor is flooded with cameras for the purposes of not only press, but also con attendees taking photos of cosplayers, and other amazing material, but yes, it is reasonable to think you can avoid your face appearing in a photo at such an event.)  They were there to, according to what they told me, "demystify their work."

(Except -aren't you spies?  Isn't the entire point of your work to be mysterious?)

They told another friend in attendance that they were recruiting.  I won't say what I think they were there for.  I'm probably already on a list for writing that previous paragraph.

This year Awesome Con celebrated the 80th anniversary of Superman with many panels and featured guests.  Tom Welling (Smallville), in one of his first comic convention appearances, discussed the history and impact of Superman with fellow Smallville star Michael Rosenbaum, Scott Snyder (Superman Unchained), Greg Capullo (Dark Nights: Metal) and Dan Jurgens (Action comics).  John Boyega (Star Wars, Pacific Rim) and Joonas Suotamo (Star Wars) were additional highlights along with a Star Wars the Last Jedi exhibit.  CW DC stars Cress Williams and Stephen Amell were also present for panels and autographs.

Highlights

• I don't know if they received additional feedback with regard to this, but I mentioned last year how incredibly packed the exhibit floor was, even while there was plenty of extra space that could have been used better.  This year the exhibit floor was set up in a way that was more easily navigated.  They used additional space I had not seen them use in the past.  That said, I strongly suspect that numbers may have been down.  A few cosplayers I photographed and spoke to mentioned having to scramble with their outfits because this year's convention happened pretty soon after the last one.  Add to that the fact that many individuals may have passed this year due to the holiday weekend, and the crowds felt lighter than years past.

• There was a diverse cross section of programming.  Three of the panels I went to were focused on the challenge of visible inclusion versus substantive inclusion with regard to underrepresented groups in media.  There were also panels on the science behind Black Panther as well as a return of the #TotallyAwesomeAsians panel discussing the lack of Asian representation in media and what it means to be Asian in America.

• Awesome Con continues to be a family friendly event.  Many of the exhibit floor sections were aimed at children.  NASA and the NSF made another appearance with events that were hands on, educational, and in line with the theme of the convention.  Creating sections throughout the days and evenings for children allows for adult convention goers to participate fully in the convention while introducing younger generations to the convention life.

• Star Wars the Last Jedi had an exhibit of props from the film.  While it was cool to see the outfits that Rey, Luke, and Kylo wore, the exhibit fell a little flat for me.  I will be honest-I found myself comparing it to the Stan Lee exhibit from last year, which included props, drawings, lithographs, and other material.  This exhibit had six pieces.  Given how popular the film was I am curious as to why they didn't arrange for more pieces for the exhibit.  The fact that there was a set up for a line for the few pieces we got seemed a bit...well, off.

Overall Awesome Con was and continues to be an enjoyable experience.  The atmosphere is always light-hearted, friendly, and fun.   Awesome Con returns next year April 26-28..

The post Superman and the C.I.A.-Awesome Con 2018 Recap appeared first on MTR Network.

I'm assuming that anyone reading these reviews isn't new to the world of WicDiv so my pseudo-cryptic titles should make perfect sense to you.

At its core, WicDiv is a comic about cycles. Cycles that, once set in motion, are doomed to repeat themselves and end tragically. We are coming to the end of a cycle that Persephone and Baal and Cassandra thought they were breaking but instead they appear to be in the same place as their predecessors. So it's fitting that we open with 1923 again.

Maniac Minerva

Mini seems to be at the heart of these machinations. Whether you believe Ananke has takenover her body or not (I do), 1923 Minerva is also a cold-blooded manipulator and an accomplice (ringleader?) to Ananke's plans.

Present-day Minerva is just as wily. Woden is on to her and she uses her faux naivete to convince him that she was working with Ananke because the crone told her she could help her live longer. Woden (in a bone-headed move that surprises no one) believes her.

I'm Not Afraid of Who I Am

Meanwhile, Cassandra and Persephone/Laura are suspicious of Minerva but also find themselves falling for her tricks when she convinces Laura to look for a room Baal is hiding from the Pantheon. Then Minerva "innocently" sends Baal after Persephone by mentioning that she got a "weird text" about a "secret room". I would be angrier at Minerva pitting the former couple against each other but it gave us this panel so I'm not too mad.

Shout-out to Jamie McKelvie for the meticulous ab work. 

Questions, Theories & #Wildt Speculations

• Currently, Minerva/Ananke has three of the four heads she needs. If 1923 was a prologue to how this tends to go down, then she's now at the phase where she has to get rid of the gods before they put all the pieces together but have they done enough to figure out what's happening or are they falling into her trap?
• Minerva mentions the time of the Franks which is around  445 AD when Lucifer extended his time. Did that cycle give Ananke the idea to get the gods to do her bidding by promising them more time?
• Baal's true identity as Ba'al Hammon, the Carthaginian deity whom children were sacrificed to, has been revealed and he also throws away his lightning bolt chain. As the most devout of the Pantheon it makes sense that he would take even the worst parts of his godhood seriously, but to what end? I think he thought the sacrifices would delay the darkness but what if the darkness was just Ananke's way of controlling him? It feels like Ananke told everyone what they wanted to hear.

Adieu until next time.

The post Wicked + Divine #35: Once More We Return appeared first on MTR Network.

We’ve been screaming BLACK HISTOREEEEEEEEE! since Beyoncé’s iconic performance/Black Panther Party homage at the 2016 Super Bowl and now here we are in 2018 which so far has been a banner year of Black people showing up and showing out on that ass. With last night’s Coachella performance Beyonce became another highlight of this bait and switch year of Black excellence.

Black Panther was the first to snatch our wigs and throw them back at us. No one (besides racists) was expecting the Marvel movie to fail but we also weren’t expecting Ryan Coogler to take a popcorn superhero movie and give us a treatise on the relationship between African-Americans and continental Africans wrapped up in stunning visuals of an African country untouched by colonization. Coogler was the first to spectacularly secure the bag and Black Panther continues to break records as its sales climb two months after the film’s release. At one point, in a major superhero movie a protagonist refers to white people as colonizers and later a white man is forced to shut up because he does not have the authority to speak in front of the Black royalty assembled. Marvel paid Ryan Coogler good money to put that onscreen and then the world paid to see it. Insert Weebay gif here.

Then, a few weeks later, Donald Glover debuted the second season of Atlanta on FX because he decided Black History Month wasn’t going to end in February this year. Each episode of Glover’s show has been met with outstanding critical acclaim. But for Black people, Atlanta is what you get when a Black creator is dedicated to portraying Black culture without giving any credence to the white gaze. Episodes like “Barbershop” tell non-Black people, you are invited to look in on my world but your opinions, your questions and your judgements are unnecessary and unwelcome. And guess what? It sells.

Now let’s talk about what Beyoncé sold to us. Last year, Beyoncé was slotted to perform at Coachella but due to her pregnancy she cancelled her performance. Coachella is an event mainly known for the rich, white people who come to the desert in appropriative clothes masquerading as “festival wear” to listen to music. Its owner has been called out for being an anti-gay, anti-abortion, Republican supporter. Basically, Coachella is problematic. Well, this year Beyoncé turned all that on its head when she came to perform at Coachella with an hour and forty-five-minute set spanning her entire discography. A set which paid tribute to the enduring spirit of African-Americans from the Divine 9 to HBCUs to stepping to marching bands and second line culture and she GAVE IT TO US FOR FREE!

“Ain’t that bout a bitch?” Those are the exact words Beyoncé uttered after pointing out that she is the first Black woman to headline the show in its 19-year history. So, what did Bey do after securing the top spot? She showed up and showed all the way out! After opening dressed as a bandleader crossed with an Egyptian queen, dance line in tow, she appeared in a BDK (Beyta Delta Kappa or Beyonce Delta Knowles) branded sweatshirt harkening to Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). Regally standing at the top of a set of pyramid shaped bleachers with an entire marching band and drumline below her, Beyoncé recreated a half-time show at an HBCU and turned it up to million. The musical arrangements wove Bey’s hits with southern, Black college staples like Juvenile’s “Back That Ass Up” and “Swag Surfin’”. And in case you thought Beyoncé didn’t know her HBCU or BGLO history, she gave you a probate line complete with “bugaboos” (represented here by her male dancers) and a step show to boot.

And because Beyoncé is Black af and doesn’t care about your white ass opinions, she took a moment to sing “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing”, also known as the Black National Anthem, and gave you a Nina Simone interlude during “Drunk In Love”. It’s not your fave could never. Your fave can’t. Period. Beyoncé got onstage for nearly two hours, showed the entire world the depths of African-American culture and signaled to Black people that this was for us and not for the thousands of people actually at the event. This is the power of the bait and switch. Beyoncé secured the top spot, packed the house and then said this isn’t for you. You can watch, you can enjoy, but this isn’t for you and your opinions are neither wanted nor welcome. (Looking at you Walmart Batman).

It is 2018 and Black people are still having “firsts” because of how white supremacy has locked us out of spaces due to fear of our excellence. And I get it because when we show up, we show out so you should be afraid because we’re always going to outshine you. But until you recognize our greatness we’re going to continue to slide in the door and let our people know that we belong here. We’ll take your Marvel money and your Coachella money and make this art for us because we love us for real.  

The post 2018: Year of the Beyt & Switch appeared first on MTR Network.

By the publishing of this, many who follow our site and listen to our podcasts will already know what happened.  The comic convention known as Universal Fan Con, designed to be more inclusive of underrepresented groups and a 2 year project in the making, never came to fruition.

In the ashes of that failure a community of individuals who had arranged to vend at the event gathered with others to pull together a replacement convention to help some vendors, performers, and supporters recoup at least a portion of their weekend.  Dubbed Wicomicon (for it's location on Wicomico street), it took place in an older building that wound up being a perfect location for gatherers to attend panels and meet new artists and vendors.

Many individuals who had planned to come to Universal Fan Con attended, some from right around the corner, and others from as far away as Canada and Japan.  The event also brought out individuals who had not heard of the original event but caught wind of this one as an opportunity to bring their families to meet talent they may not have been otherwise exposed to.  For some it was their first convention.  While it was not the weekend they were initially promised, original Universal Fan Con attendees really enjoyed the atmosphere, the panels, the vendors, and the opportunity to fellowship with other convention goers.

What this group was able to coordinate in less than 7 days is to be respected and commended.  As one participant mentioned, it truly highlighted that there is a strong and dedicated community amongst underrepresented groups in convention fandom.  The support is there.  The interest is there.   People are wiling to come out when given access and opportunity.  The access just has to be provided, and the trust that the community places in those who say they are going to provide an event must be honored and valued.

Above is a mini video of the event and some reactions to the event.

The post Turning Failure to Triumph-Wicomicon 2018 and Community appeared first on MTR Network.

On March 4, 2019, Luke Perry passed away at the age of 52 after suffering from a stroke just a few days before. Most recently gracing our screens as the beleaguered father, Fred Andrews, on the CW's Riverdale, Perry has been a staple of American television since he portrayed the consummate teenage bad boy, Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210.

It seems sadly poetic that Perry should pass right as talk of a 90210 reboot (the series' second) was in the works with most of the original cast already signed on to reprise their roles in some way.

I thought about writing about what Dylan McKay meant to Black girls or just extolling the virtues of the man (of which there are many) but in this case, I can only write about what Dylan McKay and by extension, Luke Perry, meant to me personally.

Beverly Hills 90210 premiered in 1990 and I was only 7 years old but I was OBSESSED with this show. So much so, that even when I was "on punishment" my aunt would let me watch it in secret (sorry mom!).

I blame 90210 (and Saved by the Bell) for my desire to go to school in Los Angeles. I was enamored with the palm trees and outdoor plazas where Brenda and Dylan would eat lunch, fight, break up and makeup. I was convinced that actual teens lived like this and I wanted to be one of them even though this world was the farthest thing from my existence in the projects in Brooklyn. Once my mom happened to be in Manhattan when Jason Priestly was doing a signing and brought me an autographed poster. I was mildly upset that it wasn't Jason and Luke (again, sorry mom!).

Dylan McKay was the ultimate bad boy with a heart of gold. He was leaning up against lockers before Jordan Catalano was a thought in some producer's brain. Rich, raised by an absentee father, Dylan was the Jay Gatsby of West Beverly High and Brenda Walsh (and later Kelly Taylor) was his Daisy. I guess that makes Brandon his Nick Carraway, which is an extremely apt analogy.

Dylan doesn't even appear until the third episode of the series. He shows up in a moment out of a dream, saving Brandon from some bullies. The two of them become best friends and Dylan is later linked to Brenda, the show's heroine.

Brenda and Dylan were the original #couplegoals. Their volatile on-again/off-again relationship was the pinnacle of teen angst. Dylan McKay was often the center of the television moments that shaped my understanding of who I was. Dylan revealing his alcoholism. The sensitive way he dealt with Brenda losing her virginity. The betrayal of Dylan and Kelly falling in love. Kelly choosing herself (I still would have chosen Dylan). I'm also pretty sure my enduring love of surfers comes from years of watching Dylan stare broodingly at the ocean. Dylan, and Luke Perry, was a heartthrob. My heart literally throbbed when he leaned against a locker.

While Dylan was the bad boy, his heart always shone through. In spite of his soap opera life, Dylan was funny, sweet and most of all kind. The seasons where he struggled with addiction afforded Luke Perry great opportunities to show off his acting chops but fans stuck with him because we knew our Dylan was a good guy. He stared at the ocean and read Byron to process his pain. Dylan's story was one of loss but also one of love. I wonder what he would have been like on this new reboot. Last we saw heard, he and Kelly tried to make a go of it but it didn't work out. It's sad that we'll never know whether Dylan McKay finally settles down with Brenda or Kelly.

In recent years, Luke Perry has been back on the teen circuit playing the iconic comic book character, Fred Andrews, on Riverdale. One-third of the Riverdale Hot Dads, Perry brought all of that gruff, Dylan McKay charm to his portrayal of Archie Andrews's father. For those of us old enough to remember the character that made him a household name, watching Dylan McKay be a single father was jarring but also an opportunity to renew that crush that secretly never went away. I think I called him Dylan throughout the entire first season of the show. When season 1 of the show ended with Fred being shot, OG fangirls yelled out in unison RIVERDALE BETTER NOT KILL DYLAN MCKAY.

Luke Perry's unexpected death feels surreal. Like a scripted television moment that will be undone when we come back from hiatus. I mean Fred Andrews pulled through after being shot in the Chocklit Shoppe!

Growing up a fangirl means eventually you have to deal with the fact that your idols may not be perfect (though from what I can tell Luke Perry was pretty darn close). And you also have to grapple with the knowledge that your crushes are not their characters but human beings in their own right. But right now, I want to live in a world where LA is always sunny and rich, bad boys fall in love with Midwestern girls. I want to believe that Dylan McKay will be waiting by that locker, with his crooked smile and brooding eyes. Because Dylan McKay doesn't die. He's just waiting for the bell to ring so we can go riding down the PCH in his Porsche. Like every good television boyfriend, Dylan McKay is eternal.

For more fangirl tributes to Dylan McKay and Luke Perry, check out this lovely piece from Go Fug Yourself's Jessica. 

The post An Ode to Dylan McKay Upon the Passing of Luke Perry appeared first on MTR Network.