House of Milesverse

2015 saw Fox debut Scream Queens, a horror comedy series produced by Ryan Murphy. Yes, the same Ryan Murphy who produced Glee and American Horror Story. Clearly going off of those shows, he's got a thing for scaring his viewers, right?

The Story:

Scream Queens focuses on the residents of the sorority house Kappa Kappa Tau. Kappa Kappa Tau is struggling to keep itself together in the midst of a masked serial killer haunting the campus. Our mysterious villain, the university's mascot, the 'Red Devil', targets the various people there for malevolent reasons.

Throughout the series, we discover more about the Red Devil's origins. All of it ties back to a baby born on a sorority party. Who is the killer, and who has their eyes on vengeance against Kappa Kappa Tau?

The Cast:

The various sorority sisters are a pretty colorful cast when you get down to it. I admit that a lot of them are purely used for comedic effects. Deaf Taylor Swift for example is a pretty obvious death, and she's mostly just there for the jokes.

When you get down to it though, the cast is surprisingly fun enough on its own. The characters also give some strong impressions on what there are. More than that, their actors give some strong performances as well.

Let's run down the list, shall we?

Chanel Oberlin, played by Emma Roberts, is basically the apex predator (Heh, Mean Girls) of the Sorority House. A mean-spirited elitist, Chanel is one of the focal characters outside of Grace. She has other followers behind her, including the deadpan Chanel #3, played by Billie Lourd, and the suck-up Chanel #5, played by Abigail Breslin. In addition, there was Chanel #2, played by Ariana Grande, who was quickly killed off.

Just beneath the Chanels are the various 'Pledges'. Half of them are actual characters, like Zayday Williams (Played by Keke Palmer), Grace Gardner (Played by Skyler Samuels), and Hester Ulrich (Played by Lea Michele). The other half? No, not so much.

The cast doesn't just end with Kappa Kappa Tau, however. The Dickie Dollar Boys are an established fraternity at Wallace University, led by Chad Radwell who is played by Ben Powell. Behind him is Boone, played by Nick Jonas, and Earl Grey, played by Lucien Laviscount.

Outside the university's institutions stands Dean Munsch, played by the iconic Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis. She is a consistent antagonist to Chanel Oberlin, and also the catalyst for many of the new pledges' induction into the sorority.

Denise Hemphill is a riot act played by Niecey Nash, and the acting university security guard. Gigi Caldwell is the sorority den mother played by Nasim Padrad, who is stuck with part of her psyche trapped in the 90s. Wesley Gardner, played by Oliver Hudson, is Grace's overprotective father who stays on campus because of the Red Devil. Pete Martinez is the campus barista, an ex of Chanel Oberlin's, and a current boyfriend to Grace Gardner.

The Kills:

Scream Queens fashions itself off of the iconic horror movies of the past. A masked killer stalks a group of scared youths and then chops them up. It's a very basic premise, so it plays with a lot of the more 'obvious' tropes. This is all loving though, so it's nothing to poke fun at.

The Red Devil can get quite brutal when acting his kills. One moment he's using a lawnmower to brutally decapitate a young woman. The next he's just using a chainsaw to slice off a guy's arms. He also uses it to decapitate a guy in an ice cream cone costume.

When I was younger, I was bothered seeing Miss Bean get her face pushed into a fryer. The way that she's still alive, and her fingers are peeling off the burnt skin on her face. It bothered me, and it's one of those kills that's stuck with me ever since.

The experienced horror fans might be one of two categories. A, you will probably be bored by the overall kills, or probably just imagined they were done better elsewhere. OR Category B; you will actually find some of them alright.

Conclusion: Scream Queens is Totes Worth It (If you like the Comedy).

Scream Queens is a series that knows its genre in and out. Overall, I would rate the series pretty well. There is a lot of fun that I got out of watching the series.

Should there be a sequel? It's an important question to ask when it comes to certain TV Shows. Obviously, you would want to be aware of seasonal rot setting in. Some shows are just okay with ending and having the comfort of knowing that they happened.

Scream Queens is a fun series, and I would watch a new revival for it. However, I just find that there is nothing to really 'bring back'. The cast have gone on to do greater things beyond the show. The series is fine as it is, and I'm not sure if a revival would bring in a new audience.

If they somehow find a way to revive the series with good prospects, then I'd be interested. They could potentially rope in an all-new cast, preferably with some older characters as well. Kudos to the writers if they find a way to make Scream Queens work eight years after it's time.

Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, focused on some things comics, some things Transformers, and some things uh - other things.

Today we'll be talk about a special part of my childhood. I've always considered myself a CN kid more than any othr network. Nickelodeon just did not interest me, and i wasn't into Avatar or anything. But i did like Invader Zim. And my 'love' for Disney only came from the movies, and Kingdom Hearts.

But Cartoon Network? That was a different story. I loved Cartoon Network, and it was the network i watched the most. It just had a lot of fun stuff that kid-me was into.

Kid-Me loved Ben 10, and he really did enjoy Dexter's Laboratory. He'd sit down and watch Powerpuff Girls, or Cow & Chicken. He used to watch Scooby-Doo with his grandma. He even enjoyed early Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Steven Universe.

Total Drama, Johnny Test, The Secret Saturdays, Generator Rex, Teen Titans, Johnny Bravo. There was no limit to the amount of stuff that I'd watch. My entertainment wasn't just playing games or on the computer. It was sitting in front of the TV and seeing what I enjoyed.

But you know what Kid me loved that had - probably most of these things in them?

Well if you weren't clued in by the opening title, I'll show you;

This game got me into playing later MMO games like Elsword and DC Universe Online. It was familiar, it had all sorts of cartoon network characters in it. It remains a big point of my childhood because of it.

So today? Put on your nostalgia lenses. As House of MilesVerse presents it's own miniature REVIEW of;

CARTOON NETWORK UNIVERSE: FUSIONFALL

Making of Fusionfall

Fusionfall's story begins with Cartoon Network and one of their first 'big' forays into gaming. The game was published by Cartoon Network, with a business model planned out by Turner Entertainment. Its developers were Grigon Entertainment, a south korean studio chosen for their art style.

Speaking of? Fusionfall's art style is definitely interesting. It portrays the setting with more anime-esque styling. Characters still retained some of their cartoony looks, however, so while it was different, it still worked.

In the game however, it uh, was an interesting experiment.

Admittedly? Eddy isn't the weirdest looking one here. THAT award goes to;

That's Jake, as in Jake the Dog. He looks like that and is one of the only NPCs with no animations. He's just static, his eyes boring deep into your soul...

Jake knows what you did.

Anyways, Fusionfall is an MMORPG where you play as an avatar. You have some limited but still versatile customization options. Your character uses many weapons, including rifles, pistols, rockets, and melee weapons.

Original? Academy?

The game had two different versions, with one ultimately replacing the other. The original was available from 2009-2011 and gave you a simple story. Your character was a hero testing out a time machine, who wound up trapped in the future. You begin a quest to come back to the past, and eventually you return with the knowledge needed to create nanos.

Don't worry about that, we will get into that bit later.

After the birthday bash, the game's tutorial and introduction was overhauled. Newer characters were added - or at least new for when the game was out. For example? Finn, Jake, Generator Rex, and the Sym-Bionic Titan were all new additions, alongside Chowder, flapjack, and the Saturdays. In addition? Mordecai, Rigby, Gumball, and Darwin were all represented through Nanos.

This version of the game is Academy, which lasts from 2011-2013 when the game inevitably shut down its servers. Academy gives you two bonuses for your character: gliding and dodging. Your multidirectional dodge lets you move from front, back, or side to side.

The overhaul changed your origin story too. You train in the null void (it's a Ben 10 thing), and then Providence. Eventually after completing enough missions, you're sent off to get your guide, completing the tutorial.

Your Guides:

The game had four guides available to you at the start. The good thing about them is that you could change missions. You could swap from one guide to another, but you would start at the first level. If you chose to swap back, then you would be able to resume from your initial position.

These four guides are:

Ben Tennyson

Edd, aka 'Double D'

Dexter

And Mojo Jojo

The guides all have different missions too. Dexter wants to find out where the missing heroes from the world are. Ben Tennyson wants to make sure Lord Fuse (We'll get to that) doesn't get his hands on alien technology. These two are pretty simple.

Mojo Jojo wants to build an army of super-monkeys powered by Chemical X and fusion matter to defeat Lord Fuse. Naturally, the player foils his schemes each time - thanks to Mandy, and Dexter, - because he's evil.

Edd is... not what I would have expected, but he wants to stop Fuse from gaining buried candy and treasure maps. I'm surprised at his inclusion, especially compared to the others. But I think he also helps appeal to the comedic leanings of Cartoon Network.

What's the story?

Now we get to the FUN bit!

Fusionfall's story centers on a connected setting between the TV Series. The events of Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Ben 10, and Ed, Edd n Eddy are all connected. All the characters know each other, and everything is united.

The main 'threat' of the series is Planet Fusion, a large gooey planet that's assimilated other worlds. This time it wants to assimilate Earth, breaking it down like it's done to many worlds. The various heroes of the Cartoon Network universe unite to stop Planet Fusion from taking their planet.

This isn't just an easy fight for the heroes, though. Planet Fusion creates dangerous monsters made out of fusion matter to terrorize the people. Worse, they've created evil doppelgangers of our favorite CN characters, named Fusions!

It's a big war between two sides, and your character's caught in the middle. As mentioned above, your character is accidentally sent to the future. He returns to the past with the nano blueprints, so that the resistance may have a fighting chance against Fuse.

Now? It's you, the legendary hero, helping take down Fuse's forces across the world. You lose, Fuse.

The Fusions, and the Nanos

This has been stated above, but it would be easier to hop through it again. The Fusions are evil doppelgangers of your favorite Cartoon Network characters. They may look similar, but they are not nice, and exist to help Planet Fusion move his goals along.

Fusions are always found in fusion lairs, which are in infected zones. Infected Zones are the areas most communicated with fusion matter. There are many infected zones, and they all require you talk to a Dexbot to get in.

In these infected zones, you will usually find more than one fusion lair. This is where the Fusions lurk - are you tired of hearing the word 'fusion'? Don't be, we've got a long way to go. Entering the fusion lair usually requires you fight your way through a horde of monsters, and then the fusion itself.

When the fusion finally dies, you get a nano, made from a personal item of the character, fusion matter, and your own imagination energy. This is just the story reason though, the video game reason is just "kill this fusion, and get a nano". It's adorable, by the way.

Nanos have special abilities, which come in a set of three. With a nano you can get bonus fusion matter from missions, have extra money, make monsters fall asleep, sneak past monsters, and more. You only get to pick one ability, but don't fret, you can change it later.

I always look back and think the Nanos are a refreshing gimmick. Imagine being able to carry a chibi-fied version of Mojo Jojo around. They come with their own voice lines too, with higher-pitched voices.

The base game had around 36 nanos which you gained for each level. Academy added a few notable bonuses, with nanos themed off of more-recent CN characters. In addition, you could use a code to gain access to a nano.

The inevitable shutdown (and potential successors):

August 29, 2013, saw Fusionfall close its servers and shut down. I didn't understand it at the time, but I moved on. It was a sad moment for many fans who had gotten attached to the game series.

Other successors have tried to follow the game series. Fusionfall Retro was released as a revival of the original game before the Academy relaunch. Fusionfall Legacy was going to be released as an upscaled version of the original game with additiona l content.

Both games were struck down by a DMCA issued by Cartoon Network. Retro was removed entirely, and Legacy was canceled before release. Retro is playable through 'Retrobution', a modified spin on Retro.

In addition, both the original and academy games are playable after years of being 'gone'. This is through OpenFusion, an unofficial server that preserves both original iterations of the game. Retrobution is also made using this server.

Conclusion:

Fusionfall was a big part of my childhood, especially as a CN Kid. I'm glad i got to make those memories while playing it. However, I never got to beat the original game because i stopped playing.

Things are different now, and after playing on Openfusion, I managed to beat all 36 levels. I was happy to finally see that through. If I could time travel, I'd go back, and fist-bump my younger self. We finally did it, and we saw it through to the end.

Fusionfall was a cute idea, and the strength of its concept alone could prove useful. However, I don't think it could find an audience in today's market. Outside of old fans, I'm not sure if 'new' kids are as attached to cartoon network as the past few generations were.

Regardless? It could be cool to imagine what it would be like now. Better game engines combined with better controls. Newer cartoon network series like Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, or Craig of The Creek. You could even throw in some oddballs, like Scooby-Doo.

I sure hope you all had fun reading this one. I'll be back later on with another dig. Maybe I can show you guys why I love the Cybertron Transformers games so much. After all, they are also a part of my childhood!

Welcome to House of MilesVerse, and today? It's gonna get weird.

The X-Men are the poster boy of freaky mutations who despite their genetic status? Use their abilities to protect a world that wants to oppress them. The X-Men have been home to many characters with abilities that aren't natural.

Cyclops? He fires beams out of his eyes that he can't shut off. He has to wear a visor all the time.

Wolverine? He's got adamantium claws.

Nightcrawler is blue-skinned, has a tail, has two toes and fingers, and resembles a devil.

Chances are if you physically tough Rogue's skin, you will literally die.

But we are not talking about those losers today, we're going to go even WEIRDER. There are plenty of X-Men with abilities that are weird. Some of them might be freaky, some of them might just seem off-putting ('Mental Tag'? Seriously???), but they're all lumped under this umbrella.

I think we should dive on in. Fun fact, did you know that the TV Series pilot Pryde of the X-Men would feature an Australian Wolverine? Chances are if the series was successful, Wolverine would've been an Australian native instead of being, y'know, Canadian.

Makes me wonder if there's an 'Australian' Alpha Flight.

Number Ten: Tag. Is that it???

Hey, Tag! You're it.

Brian Cruz was a member of the Hellions Squad, from the Academy-X era of X-Men. His psionic ability is probably the most unusual I have seen. When he tags someone, he creates a psionic signal that either causes people close by to run toward that person or run away.

It's a cool power; if it helps, he's far from the weirdest person here. But in some parts, straight telepathy might be preferred as a power. And the fact of the matter is? The X-Men has that in dozens.

Number Nine: Goldballs. That's the joke.

Goldballs - aka Fabio Medina, is a joke character. His ability swings between 'mildly useful' and 'funny as hell'. I almost feel like he's a waste of a slot here. But still, folks seem to get a kick out of the guy so he's here.

Goldballs can fire out golden spheres as projectiles. He's probably really good at dodgeball then. Yeah, turns out those golden spheres are actually nonfertile eggs. When made fertile, they could be used to resurrect mutants, thanks to the gifts supplied by The Five.

Number Eight: Okay, Eye Scream is pretty freaking weird.

Eye Scream, we all Scream for this guy to go away.

Eye Scream is a mutant who can create ice cream from his body. Yes, even Banana Split and I'm questioning how possible that is. Worth noting he's an X-Men character who debuted outside of the X-Men stories, originating from Obnoxio The Clown.

Either way, his power is pretty freaking weird. He can make ice cream from his body, how sanitary is that supposed to be? I mean it could be worse, I could be covering the mutant who can poop Ice Cream.

Number Seven: Nobody's got a bone to pick like Marrow.

Marrow is a Morlock, who are basically all the mutants whose mutations make them unable to pass as humans. They hide in the sewers and tend to hate humans back and forth.

Marrow's powers enable her to control the growth of her bone structure. She can control their shape, and toughness, which surprisingly comes in handy. After all, this is more or less creating bony protrusions that she uses as weapons. She's not bone claw wolverine but you gotta admit, that is a really weird... and strangely kinda-cool power.

Number Six: You don't see anybody like Adam-X the X-treme anymore.

Adam-X the X-Treme! I love that name to be honest, because of how overly top it is. I swear he and Cable have to be competing for the most '90s' X-Men dudes.

Adam-X is Adam Neramani, the genetically engineered child of Shi'Ar Emperor D'Ken, and Katherine Summers. Yes, Summers, this means that Adam-X is basically stepbrothers with Cyclops, and Havok.

Adam's abilities enable him to send an electrical charge through oxygenated blood. Basically, he can make your blood boil and burn you from the inside out. He's got blades to cut into you, which makes it all the easier for him.

Number Five: Eye Boy's got some very uh, interesting powers.

Trevor Hawkins is Eye-Boy, blessed with the mutation of numerous eyes being all over his body. I'm not sure if this is a gift, but he didn't exactly hit the mutant genetics lotto. That's got to be creepy to look at after a long time.

His powers can be useful, though. Trevor's eyes allow him to see beyond what normal people can. He's got enhanced sight, including telescopic, microscopic, infrared, night, and many other forms of vision. It's not something you would want on the frontlines, but it is interesting to have for another situation. You know, like investigations, which he was a part of on Krakoa.

Number Four: Chamber literally does not have a mouth apparently.

Jonothon Starsmore, aka 'Chamber' was a london teenager whose powers activated a mutant furnace in his chest. The explosion gravely injured his girlfriend, and also left him with a very... interesting situation.

I'll just get down and say it; Chamber's powers are freaky, in a way that the X-Men commonly tackle. He's a hero, but how his abilities affect his body is terrifying. It's created a burning furnace in his upper chest, forcing him to keep his mouth cloaked. Can you imagine that?

Number Three: Listen up, Maggott.

I actually don't feel weird about how high up this guy is. He's like, infamously weird for being an X-Men character. Oh, anyways? Maggott is a blue-skinned mutant from South Africa. He was also a former morlock, something he shares in common with Marrow.

Let's just get to the point; Maggott has a sentient digestive system. This digestive system appears as two enormous slug-like beings, 'Eany' and 'Meany'. Whatever they eat, Maggott will gain the energy from it which will give him a temporary boost to his energy and speed.

Yeah. That's something I'd rather not think about.

Number Two: Beak's weird, but he's definitely got the spirit.

Our resident birdbrain here actually seems to be a fanfavorite amongst X-Fans. He's weird, but Beak certainly has the spirit. After all, Beak helped defeat King Hyperion.

Beak was born with his abilities, an avian mutation that made him quite bird-like. He has hollow bones, and feathers that enable him to glide for short distances. Beak's nothing special, but he is good at making friends and has a big heart - even in spite of his pretty pathetic mutation.

Number One: Glob Herman is everyone's new friend.

And who else but someone the fans ALSO love to bring up? Glob Herman's a weird blob man, but he's a testament to mutant faith and unity. His father was full of hatred for mutants, but his mother had unwavering love and support for her son. She whisked him away to join Professor Xavier's school.

Glob Herman is a nice guy, but i don't think it can get any weirder than him. His 'skin' is made of paraffin, a translucent wax-like substance. Because of this, he's incredibly durable, and incredibly strong. He can even fling bits of himself off if he needs to.

Conclusion:

And that's all, folks! Sure hope you enjoyed this look at some of marvel's weird mutants. Trust me, there's even more out there like Lifeguard, or Skin. I think Marvel's merry mutants do a good job at portraying the 'weird'.

I'll update you guys on what we'll be talking about probably this week. I've got a few topics in mind that i figure might be worth covering. One of them being a very specific Cartoon Network MMORPG that came out years ago.

Welcome back to the House of Milesverse.

Hoo boy, have I got a surprise for you all today. As I said before, I was going to do it, and now? I'm doing it.

Today we'll review the first half of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur's second season. I will discuss some key points about the series and what it does well. I hope you all are as excited for this as I am, I've been waiting for this for a few months now!

Now let's bring on the Moon Girl Mania!

How Lunella tackles her trauma:

Let's start with the debut episode - Moon Girl is stranded on an alien planet, with just The Beyonder. That already is a scary enough concept but imagine her family. Her grandma is the only one who knows her identity besides her best friend, and she gets to see her granddaughter be taken to an alien world. Mimi was really trapped in a realistically terrifying situation.

On her own, Lunella manages to create a semi-functional armor from what she finds on the planet. However, the place is also littered with nasty threats that want The Beyonder's head. Our interestingly sassy friend may or may not also be to blame for this (He is, that is the joke).

This all comes to its peak with the Molecule Man, a formerly benevolent alien, and creator of the planet. When we first see him, he's vengeful and deadly, wanting vengeance against The Beyonder. The entire goal was about trapping The Beyonder on the planet so he could personally kill him.

The reason why is simple; the world was destroyed from Beyonder playing a game of galactic golf. Yes, that sounds about as silly as it does, just sub in the golf balls with meteors. It is still the motivation behind the Molecule Man's actions.

This all leads to one of two fights that we see against him. The Molecule Man's first fight against Lunella doesn't go so well. Why? He utterly thrashes her, and it's made painfully clear that she could have died from it. The entire event leaves Lunella with much trauma, which she spends plenty of episodes going over.

Lunella loses her mojo, and this season really amps up that idea. We got to see her fear of clowns in a past episode. This time, we get to see all the gross, and nasty effects of post-traumatic stress disorder play out.

This plays out in the next episode, and it does get rectified. Lunella's ensuing panic attacks lead her to overcompensate with her new suits. Every model is bigger and more covered up, she can barely even move in it. Ultimately, it's a lesson from Mimi that gets her to shed some of her fears about the subject.

The Molecule Man (And how scary he is):

Continuing on from the above, the Molecule Man is one scary dude. He really is the definition of hatred, and how much it poisons you. Molecule Man's powers also evolve more scarily; he uses his body to attack. He can use the molecules from his body to create spikes and death traps.

His hatred of the Beyonder eventually extends to tracking down Lunella. He attempts to kill not only Lunella (a child), but also her family as well. It was lucky that Lunella had recovered from her fears, and managed to defeat him.

By the end of the episode, Molecule Man has been redeemed. Lunella felt sympathy for the villain, so she used her suit to repair him. Despite that, I still think he's a standout villain for the series. He's a step-up from most other threats Moon Girl has had to tussle with.

Ex-Supervillains, and an interesting allegory:

The episode Ride or Die focuses on Moon Girl teaming up with a criminal named Quickwhip. Voiced by Robin Thede, Quickwhip is actually portrayed in a sympathetic manner compared to other villains. This sympathy is an interesting eye-opener to an issue we have in the real world.

Quickwhip, known as Zakiya, came to New York City to open a Michelin Patisserie. Zakiya dreamed of becoming a pastry chef, but the high rent cost pushed her away. It led to her being recruited by the Hand and becoming the number two to Lady Bullseye (Daredevil villain).

Quickwhip wants to own a pastry shop, but she fears that her reputation as a criminal will stop that. It's an application of a real-life problem people have with former criminals. People only see their past and refuse to look beyond that. This naturally leads some criminals to relapse.

Ex-Criminals struggle to find work, and this puts them in bad positions. People think the worst of them because they think that they might re-offend. Some people are afraid of hiring former criminals because of this reason.

It is hard for ex-convicts to reenter someone when we don't make it easier for them. Some criminals might just be who they are, and that is fine. Other criminals want to make a positive change for themselves and find improvement in new areas.

Quickwhip is willing to make a change and by the end, she does. With Lunella's help, Zakiya works at a pastry shop and pursues her dreams. It is a positive moment for the character, and one worth watching for.

Just make it, don't break it, and the troubles with pressure.

Make it, Don't Break it! is another episode with an important lesson. The episode focuses on Lunella's classroom gaining a new teacher. Who is she? She's Dr. Akonam, Ojo, an impressive science teacher from Wakanda. Naturally, Lunella is already excited to show off her concepts for robots. This is also important because the class competes in a tournament game featuring robots fighting to the death.

Needless to say, Ojo is not impressed by Lunella's various efforts in robot making. She belittles her, and this prompts Lunella to work harder. The episode has a clear message about overworking yourself to the bone. This is further reinforced with Ojo's harsh methods, which forces Lunella to enter a panic attack when she loses.

Dr. Ojo is forced to apologize to Lunella for treating her like this. There were better ways to bring out Lunella's potential, which she admits. The two can part on amicable terms, with the potential for Ojo to come back someday. I would not bet on it, but I think it could be an interesting solution.

Lunella is ambitious, and always willing to rise to the challenge. Yet, Ojo forces her to confront the pressures of needless perfectionism. Ojo puts it perfectly; you can be a diamond, hardened by all the pressure and flawless. Or you can be a piece of coal; the average, perfectly fine with all of their flaws and base qualities.

Lunella is not flawless; she is far from being 'flawed'. She's already a diamond, despite her imperfections. She's human, just as anyone else is. This episode acts as a good proving ground for that concept. You can always aspire to be greater and push yourself to meet those ideals. It's a problem when it's at the cost of your emotional state.

Lunella's new BFF; Kid Kree:

Moon Girl's second season saw the addition of a new recurring character. Lunella gets a new friend who's got more than a few secrets. Who is he? He's Mel-Varr, one of the Kree Warriors, and also known as Kid Kree.

Lunella and Kid Kree start as enemies but eventually settle their differences. It's a good scenario where Lunella finally finds someone as an 'equal'. This is true if you think about it for a few minutes. Just like Lunella, Mell-Var is incredibly smart, and resourceful. He creates gadgets which, like Moon Girl, is used for the purpose of fighting.

Even better, this helps contrast Mel-Varr with his own father, Pad-Varr. Pad-Varr is a mighty kree warrior, who acts as a general for the empire. Pad-Varr wants his son to follow in his footsteps, and become a respected warrior.

Mel-Varr's desire to please his father is fairly pronounced throughout the episode. Ultimately, his father comes to appreciate his skills and scientific prowess. It's a good lesson to show that children can choose their own path in life and be happy with that.

Conclusion:

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a good series that genuinely is in the right place. The fact it can keep that fire going for a second season, even if it's the first half is great. I look forward to seeing what the second half can be like.

Welcome to the House of Milesverse, and today we will be reviewing Transformers: Earthspark. Releasing in 2023, Earthspark is a 3D-animated Transformers cartoon. Like many series before it, it takes place in its own continuity. Interestingly, it is also not that far removed from the first series.

First, i have to apologize for putting it off for a while. I was set to do this earlier, but another topic just grabbed me at that moment. It felt more interesting to pull my thoughts together for that one. I hope you guys are still able to bear with me through this, though.

And without further ado? We jump in.

What is Earthspark about?

Earthspark is a unique Transformers series, in a way. Earthspark addresses the creation of the first 'earth-born' transformers. These are called Terrans, and they are the first of their generation. They are quite the anomaly, even gaining a different power source, as well.

Earthspark's story is also remarkable for adapting a post-war setting. Unlike prior series, it is not just an "Autobots versus Decepticons" story. Optimus Prime won, and now he's working alongside Megatron. Most of the 'conflict' in the series stems from escaped decepticon criminals, or other monsters of the week.

Or you know, Doctor Mandroid, the aptly named cartoonish villain. This second-rate Doctor Arkeville is the series' main antagonist. He represents the hatred against Transformers taken to the xenophobic extreme. After all, he's the type of guy to replace his arm with a cybertronian arm. I still do not know how he manages to lift that thing.

The series is also similar to the Generation 1 universe. The flashbacks do a lot to showcase the similarities, right down to animation styles. It is easy to see it as some sort of offshoot sequel, but I do not imagine there's much to actually focus on beyond being an homage.

Meet the Terrans:

As mentioned above, The Terrans are the evolution of Transformers. They are a new generation that's only just recently been born on Earth. They also act as the main viewpoint characters in the series. They are the fresh eyes from which we, as the audience, see the Transformers' stories unfold in a post-war setting.

The Terrans are the product of two children: Robby and Mo Malto. They act as usual human characters who tag along with the Transformers. Their contact with the Emberstone created the five main Terrans.

It's important to note that the Terrans are very 'human-like' in a sense most cybertronians are not. Their experiences make them more akin to awkward, giant robot children. This is important with how they play off with Robby & Mo. The two children act like their 'older siblings' in a way, which helps them learn about the world.

There are at least five Terrans we see in the series. All five of them have their own distinct personalities. The Maltobots is a recurring name that they have, and frankly? It is adorable.

The five Terrans are:

The competitive spy drone, Twitch.

The carefree motorcycle-and-sidecar, Thrash.

The extremely online SWAT truck, Hashtag.

The serene and calm owl, Nightshade.

The big-hearted stygimoloch, Jawbreaker.

Of the five? I believe Thrash is the one who needs the most development. Jawbreaker, Nightshade, and Hashtag have had major focus episodes based around them. Twitch also had this earlier on, including an episode with Wheeljack, her 'father'(he invented the drone she uses as her alt-mode). Thrash is rife with potential for storylines, and I hope season 2 takes a crack at it.

The Evolution of Megatron:

This series is, for a lot of people, the first time that they get to see a "good guy" Megatron.

Megatron is iconic for being an 80s menace with his various kooky powers. He's Optimus Prime's rival, a consistent thread between the two that is prevalent in every incarnation. Megatron's entire history has, for the most part, been him being played as the bad guy.

IDW is one of the most prominent examples of Megatron making a path to redemption. He's still committed numerous acts of hatred and destruction. He's ruined lives for the sake of conquest. Yet, that version of Megatron is content to face his path, and still believes he doesn't deserve true redemption.

Earthspark Megatron is, like IDW, a villain who's chosen to reform. He believes in a peaceful future for Cybertron, in spite of what many others think of his past tendencies. Megatron believes in the terrans as the future of what Cybertron can be. Megatron cares for his troops and detests the treatment and abuse that rogue decepticons are given.

Earthspark's Megatron is off to being a wonderful character already. The way he interacts with the humans, and Terrans, is a refreshing sight for fans only familiar with the cartoons. I am excited to see where his path goes. I would hope that the franchise does not decide to twist him into being a villain.

How Earthspark tackles human hatred:

One of the biggest pulls from Earthspark's history is its focus on war. It's hardly the first piece of media that has adopted the "War is obviously bad" stance. Other series have shown the damage and destruction that war has caused. With Earthspark, I just think it's taken an interesting approach to it. The way the world is set up, it's just brimming with potential.

Earthspark starts off with an interesting status quo for the Autobots. They are working together with the secret organization G.H.O.S.T. to protect the world from rogue decepticons. G.H.O.S.T. was on the frontlines helping stop decepticons during the great war on Earth. They formed an alliance with the Autobots, and saw much of the havoc that followed from the war.

On the surface, G.H.O.S.T. seems fine, but their ethics are morally dubious. They incarcerate decepticon prisoners with devices that lock them into their alternate modes. They basically control the autobots and how they act in public. G.H.O.S.T. are not the conventional "good guys" you would expect.

This leads us to Karen Croft, a high-ranking agent, and a real piece of work. Yes, her name is Karen, get it out of your system. Karen Croft is a driving presence in the war against cybertronians. She's the one who teamed up with Doctor Mandroid to accomplish her goals. All Karen wants is payback for the destruction wrought by the war. And how is she going to get that? Through conquering Cybertron, obviously!

Croft's genuine hatred of the cybertronians is played out over the course of her appearances. Her willingness to use her brother, and G.H.O.S.T. to get what she wants is frightening. Croft proves the angle that humans can be the real monster when they let their hatred blind them.

Speaking of Mandroid? He's no saint in the park either, he's just as bad. Mandroid, originally known as Doctor Meridian, lost his arm in the conflict years ago. Since then, he's become a delusional monster who seeks to destroy the cybertronians on Earth. Mandroid envisions himself as a defender of humankind.

Mandroid is a monster, and over the season, he becomes more monstrous. At first, he simply stole the arms off of cybertronians to make himself stronger. This causes him to require energon for sustenance. By the season finale, he's become an advanced, alien war machine. Mandroid goes even further when he kills Croft, by disintegrating her alive.

Mandroid and Croft stand out as being such visceral depictions of hatred. Their willingness to abuse and experiment on Cybertronians - even Decepticons, is cruel. Yet, I find that quality makes them fascinating for what they represent. They are what happens when humanity brings out their worst qualities. They are greedy, selfish, hateful, and full of spite.

The Transformers are often to blame for all the things that the war caused. The Home two-parter does a good job at displaying this. In the first half, Robbie Malto, one of the main protagonists, visits his old friend Stevie.

Stevie's first encounter with Twitch and Hashtag is meant to come off as insensitive and hurtful. The group comes across a graffiti piece that reads "TRANSFORMERS GO HOME". Stevie tries to play it off, indicating that the graffiti probably meant 'Decepticons'. The last straw for Robbie is when Stevie says that his father told him the Transformers "invaded" the planet.

Stevie is innocent, and he genuinely sees nothing with anything he's saying. However, it's easy to see how that mindset can influence people. In the end, Stevie grows, and he changes the graffiti to read "TRANSFORMERS ARE HOME".

It's likely that a lot of humans out there have disdain for the Transformers. I like the way that this story is structured. I feel like more focus on this could have been interesting to look at. What other stories could they have spun out of this plotline?

And why Transformers are people too:

That's enough focus on all the negatives. Now how about we focus on the positives?

As I said before, I think the 'maltobots' as a nickname is hilarious. It also is doubly fitting for the Terran cast. They are just as much a part of the family. This is heartwarming, even for Alex and Dot Malto, the parents. They adopted a bunch of sentient earthborn alien robots into their family.

The series really hammers in how close the Terrans are to the Maltobots. They are literally connected to Robbie and Mo, even emotionally. Because of this, the Maltobots can feel the humans' own reactions.

What i also love is the dynamic that the Terrans have wih the Cybertronians. Optimus Prime doesn't look at them and think that they are not real 'people'. He treats them just the same as any other cybertronian. He accepts them as they are, even in spite of them being untrained.

Megatron sees them as the future of their species and embraces their hybrid nature. They are lucky to be born in this current era, where they would not suffer from the effects of Cybertron's long-drawn war.

The series makes its effort to show how not all Cybertronians are 'bad' guys. This is even true of the Decepticon characters. Some of them are especially sympathetic in this iteration.

Tarantulas is a name usually related to laughing mad spiderbots who also might eat people. Earthspark reinvents him into being a reclusive spider bot with no interest in evil. Or eating people. All Tarantulas wants is to just be left alone so he can start a new life. Tarantulas may have been a decepticon, but he does not carry the usual lust for war that's commonly associated with them.

Tarantulas makes good friends with Nightshade, and the two are able to bond over science. They helped Tarantulas create his holographic projector. Tarantulas in addition, helped expand Nightshade's mind on what their alt-mode could be.

Starscream is a name everyone knows, as he's one of the most popular characters. He's typically portrayed as a treacherous force working to undo Megatron's reign. Any abuse that he suffered through those incarnations was warranted, due to his incompetence.

Earthspark's rendition of Starscream is notably tragic. Compared to his other incarnations, Starscream's abuse is played straight. Megatron's actions traumatized Starscream, and he's still deeply scarred. Starscream is able to find a sympathetic ear in Hashtag, who believes his stories. This act endeared Hashtag to him, and the two of them bonded.

Breakdown is a Stunticon, and the Stunticons are all generally crazy. Breakdown's usually the paranoid one, whose always superstitious of others. In spite of his scaredy cat nature, Breakdown is not a threat to be trifled with.

Earthspark's Breakdown humanizes him and gives him a relationship with Bumblebee. The two of them are old friends from before the war began. Now that the war is over with, they spend their time racing together.

Breakdown chose to sacrifice himself to save Bumblebee from being detected by G.H.O.S.T. This was during a race that Breakdown wagered with Bumblebee. If Bee won, he would lay low and hide. However, if Breakdown won, he would get Bee's energon suppressors. Ultimately, he lost, but he managed to help Bumblebee escape from their trackers.

These there are stand-out examples of Decepticons who aren't just "villainous". They might have joined the wrong side, but they always step up for their friends. I'm hoping that we see any of the three in the next season. It just seems natural to want another appearance.

Conclusion: Earthspark is one heck of a road, but one worth paving.

Earthspark's ideas are certainly worth exploring. However, I feel like there's more depth that can be explored through the series. I want to see them really engage with the cybertronian hate in later episodes. I want to see the Terrans get more acquainted with Earth's interesting customs. I want to see so much happen with this series and watch it blossom int osomething amazing.

I am hoping that Earthspark finds a way to tie Cybertron into it's storyline. It just feels like a natural path to take with the series. I am just curious on how the residents of Cybertron would react to the growing life on Earth. You could even make a divide between the Cybertronians and the Terrans.

Earthspark is filled with so much potential for a Transformers series. I hope that it's not squandered over the course of it's series. Things are just starting to heat up, after all. We have another season or two to deal with. Even more, there were some funny allusions to the iconic Quintessons in the last few episodes...

What's next?

That was my review of Transformers: Earthspark! I hope you enjoy it. I will try to keep up the pace with these Tumblr posts. I'm trying not to get lazy on ya'll with my next few.

I'm going to finally start dealing with Moon Girl season 2 (Hallelujah!), do a top 10 on the X-Men's 'silliest' mutations, and maaaaybe dip into some of my favorite Moon Knight moments? Look forward to some more Unseen Stars as well!

And while we're at it?

HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY, TRANSFORMERS!

Seriously, turning 40 years old for a franchise is a really big achievement for them. We have been watching these Robots in Disguise for the last 40 years. I'm glad to have been a fan of the franchise. I'm even more excited for what the future will hold.

October 31st, 1992, saw the release of the iconic X-Men animated series. It quickly gained praise and viewership from its audience. For years, it has been regarded as one of the most high-quality animated adaptations.

This year, the X-Men Animated Series finally gains a sequel; X-Men '97. The next chapter in Marvel's Uncanny Mutants is only halfway through its season. Its journey is only just beginning, and it has already gained praise from critics.

Welcome to the House of Milesverse. Today, we will be talking about X-Men '97, and its growing impact. I hope you enjoy the read and remember to (SNIKT) leave a comment or suggestion, bub.

WARNING. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

'97's story:

Unsurprising to anyone, '97 picks up a year after the events of the last episode. With Charles Xavier gone, Cyclops has taken full reins over the team. The X-Men are facing off against new and dangerous challenges.

'97 has a timeless vibe to its story, almost as if you never left. These are still the same characters as they were before. The X-Men's lore and story within the animated continuity have not changed.

Much like its predecessor, '97 also provides some interesting adaptations. For an example, look no further than Madelyne Pryor, the clone of Jean Grey. In just one episode, the series condensed the events of her story.

Another good example is their destruction of Genosha. Watching it play out on the screen was such a shocker. Its destruction was carried out by Cassandra Nova in the comics. Interestingly enough, she's completely absent from the series, with this being a conspiracy done by Bolivar Trask.

The X-Men have been missed.

Dear X-Men, we have missed you.

X-Men's animated series is in line with other serious, action-heavy stories from that time. Their story focuses on the message of hate, and the real-world issues it can relate to. The persecution that mutants feel has often been used to represent various minority groups across history.

In addition, the original series combined that with beautifully made animation. The action scenes have been well-remembered by fans for years. The animated series has become such a beloved part of the animated media circle within comic books. For anyone who's a fan of our merry mutants, they definitely have spent some time with this show.

97 has proven to be a perfect follow-up by many fans. In just two episodes, 97 was able to impress the audience. It's following in the footsteps of its predecessor. X-Men 97's acclaim and interest can only rise, especially thanks to it's renewal.

What's so different?

These may be the same mutants you have met, but their voices are not. Some of the actors, such as Norm Spencer (the original voice for Cyclops) unfortunately passed away over the years. Others have been recast to play different characters.

Here are what I feel are the most notable additions:

Cyclops is now voiced by Ray Chase, well known for being the voice of numerous characters such as Noctis Lucis Caelum (FF15), Bruno Bucciarati (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure), Tengen Uzui (Demon Slayer), Roy (Fire Emblem), and the Master of Masters (Kingdom Hearts)

Jean Grey (and Madelyne Pryor) is now voiced by Jennifer Hale, well known for being the voice of Commander Shepherd (Mass Effect), Princess Morbucks (Powerpuff Girls), and one of the Hex Girls, Thorn (Scooby-Doo). It's also worth noting that Jennifer Hale reprises the role, as she initially had it during Wolverine and the X-Men.

Gambit is an interesting case, as his prior voice actor, Chris Potter, is now playing Cable. He's instead voiced by A.J. LoCascio, who does voice work for both Prince Lotor (Voltron: Legendary Defender) and Marty McFly (Back To The Future: The Game).

Speaking of? Cable is voiced by Chris Potter now, whose done work as Peter Caine (Kung-Fu: The Legend Continues), and Evan Owen (The Young and The Restless).

Cable's old voice actor was Lawrence Bayne, but he was replaced by Chris Potter. Ironically enough, Lawrence Bayne plays a new character who debuts in the same episode as Cable's birth, The X-Cutioner. Lawrence Bayne is known as the voice of Gill (Street Fighter III: Third Strike) and Raven (Gargoyles).

Lastly? Jubilee's old voice actress, Alyson Court, wanted someone of Asian descent to portray her. That is where Holly Chou comes in, acting as the new voice of Jubilee. She did the voice work for Akame (Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name). It is also worth noting that Alyson Court acted as the voice of an older Jubilee in an episode, named Abscissa.

As you can see, a lot has changed with the voice cast of the X-Men series. Some characters who were voiced by older actors had been replaced. Others, like Cal Dodd (The voice of Wolverine) and Alison-Sealy Smith (The voice of Storm) still reprise their iconic roles.

While much has changed? At the end of the day, these new actors all still portray the spirit of the character. Ray Chase for example makes for a standout, with how closely he sounds to Norm Spencer's Cyclops.

What to look forward to & Conclusion

X-Men '97 is heating up, and we are already almost at the end. If you haven't checked it out yet, then I recommend it. The series is short, but its episodes all have a distinct impact and role. They not only move the plot forward but also help the characters to grow.

My hope is that Superhero Animation swings back into full gear. I remember as a kid it felt like it was practically already there. From the 90s to the 2000s, you could not miss it. The DC Animated Universe, for example, stands out as one of the best superhero animation projects. An entire generation grew up on those stories, and those adventures.

X-Men shows that its importance and value to people matters. Much like the DCAU, it raised so many children and was their first introduction to the X-Men. It stands out as one of the most iconic superhero action cartoons ever, and frankly? It's earned its title.

I think the future of superhero animation is steadily climbing back up. We have had great animated series, such as Invincible, Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, My Adventures with Superman, and now? X-Men '97.

This has been a wonderful episode of House of MilesVerse. I hope you join us for a deep dive into our favorite robots in disguise. I'll be doing a full review of Transformers: Earthspark.

Welcome to the House of Milesverse, and today we will be discussing a truly bizarre series. I promise that I'll try to keep it Simple & Clean when it comes to discussing it. Today's topic is Kingdom Hearts, the iconic Disney-Final Fantasy crossover that you've probably heard of.

This is in late honor of the franchise, in fact. March 28th celebrates the 22nd Anniversary of the first Kingdom Hearts game. That is 22 years since Kingdom Hearts' inception.

What IS Kingdom Hearts?

The Process:

Years ago, the early seeds of Kingdom Hearts were laid in a game idea. Square Enix (Square at the time) wanted to make a 3D game similar to Mario 64. However, they could not figure out an idea on who would represent the series. They believed that only characters from Disney could potentially rival Mario in popularity.

That led to a chance encounter between former game producer Shinji Hashimoto and a Disney Executive. Square as it turned out, operated in the same japanese office building as Disney did. From there, Hashimoto pitched the idea to Disney directly, and it was smooth sailings from then on.

Development soon began in 2000 with character designer Tetsuya Nomura providing the 'look' of many characters in the game. Initially, Disney wanted Donald Duck to be the main protagonist for the game. Square on the other hand argued for Mickey Mouse to be playable.

Instead, a compromise was made, and an original character was created. Sora is the main protagonist of the Kingdom Hearts series and wielder of the keyblade. He's recognizable to many people who aren't as familiar with the games.

A fun fact about Kingdom Hearts is its use of Final Fantasy characters. These characters were quite a shocker expected back then. In fact, their appearance was deliberately kept a secret to entice fans.

Success & More:

The first game, Kingdom Hearts 1, was released in 2002. It was a commercial success, and it quickly paved the way for a sequel. As of 2022, the game has sold well over 36 million copies worldwide.

Tetsuya Nomura himself was unsure if there would be room for a sequel. He still snuck in a secret trailer scene in the game for fans. Soon enough, plans for a sequel were made after Kingdom Hearts 1, and other games quickly followed. Chain of Memories, for example, was released in 2003, and directly follows the story from the first game.

Since then, Kingdom Hearts is up to its 13th installment. It has spawned a massive following worldwide. The series just perfectly captures the Disney magic that many people had in their childhood. More than that, it also offers something fun for the Final Fantasy fans.

In 2021, Sora would finally join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as its last DLC fighter. In addition, it was revealed that Sora is the most highly requested fighter to ever appear in the Smash Bros series. It's quite a testament to his character, and how popular he is.

In 2022, Kingdom Hearts IV was announced for the next generation of consoles. It is a sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3, which acted as an ending to numerous old storylines. Kingdom Hearts IV sets the stage for a new story, pitting Sora and his friends against the 'Lost Masters'.

Voice Actors who have worked on Kingdom Hearts:

Kingdom Hearts has boasted many actors over its installments. You would be surprised to see who's been in the series.

The main character Sora is voiced by Haley Joel Osment. Osment played in the Sixth Sense as Cole Sear, a psychic child. You'd know him from the iconic film line, "I see dead people".

The main antagonist Xehanort is voiced by at least three actors.

Leonard Nimoy (Spock from Star Trek)

Rutger Hauer (Roy Batty from Blade Runner)

Christopher Lloyd (Doctor Brown from Back To The Future)

Opposite of Xehanort is Eraqus, who is played by Mark Hamill. He's Luke Skywalker and the iconic voice of The Joker in numerous Batman media. Nimoy and Hamill in a way also represents the Star Trek Vs. Star Wars debate that's pervaded fandoms for so long.

The character Roxas is Sora's 'nobody', essentially his other half. He and Ventus, the character he's modeled after, share the same voice. They are both voiced by Jesse McCartney, a famed popstar in the 2000s. Jesse McCartney would also do the voice for Robin in Young Justice, and later, as Nightwing.

Ansem the Wise, later known as DiZ, is another supporting character in the franchise. Christopher Lee is well-known as Dracula, Saruman, and Count Dooku. After his unfortunate passing, Lee was replaced by Corey Burton.

Hayden Panettiere was the initial voice for Sora's close friend, Kairi. She played Kirby Reed in both Scream 4 and Scream 6. She also played Juliette Barnes in Nashville, and Claire Bennet in Heroes.

Hayden would later be replaced by Alyson Stoner in future installments. Alyson Stoner played Caitlyn in Camp Rock and it's sequel. She was also Isabella Garcia in the popular Disney series, Phineas and Ferb.

The main antagonist of the first game was Ansem, Xehanort's Heartless. Ansem was at first voiced by Billy Zane for the first game. Billy Zane was also the main antagonist of Titanic, aka Caledon Hockley.

In later games, Zane would be replaced by Richard Epcar. Richard Epcar is notable as the voice of Raiden from Mortal Kombat, and Daisuke Jigen from Lupin the 3rd. He's also the voice of Joseph Joestar's older self in later seasons.

All of this is further compounded by the Disney worlds. Kingdom Hearts gets numerous old actors back to reprise their roles. For example, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy all retain their current voice actors.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts has a well-crafted cast of voice actors. Numerous notable names have come to play characters in the series. I think that on its own is another impressive fact to add to the series.

The Story (And why it's not as confusing as you think):

What makes it so confusing?

Kingdom Hearts is renowned across online fandom platforms for its plotline. Almost anything about it is guaranteed to create confusion in fans. It's hard enough having to keep up with how many people are just different iterations of other characters. Fans have coined the phrase "Everyone is Sora/Xehanort." for a reason.

In reality, the story itself is not 'confusing' at first glance. It all relies on making sure you play the games in order. Kingdom Hearts' greatest flaw is when people overthink it to the extreme.

There are a lot of people who would prefer to skip to the most recent game. However, that creates its own net of issues. When you don't play the games in order, you end up confused by certain plot elements.

To fully comprehend the bigger picture, you need to accept a few things about the series as well. For example, keyblades are inherently magical weapons. They possess a degree of sentience and can open or lock any door. Only someone strong of heart can wield a keyblade.

Overall, Kingdom Hearts is not a confusing series to get into. It's just a lot to look at. This leads to the games overwhelming people who try to take in every single detail.

Why it works:

The love for Kingdom Hearts is phenomenal. After its release, it quickly gained praise as a best-selling hit under Disney. Much of this praise is given to the story, and characters. Even more praise is added to its scene-stealing music.

Its blending of Disney and RPG tones is also enjoyed by the audience. This is something that you would not expect to work, but it does. Kingdom Hearts itself is a perfect balance of Square Enix's usual flavor, combined with the childhood Disney magic that you are familiar with.

Kingdom Hearts' accuracy toward Disney also works when looking at the films. Fan-Favorite locations in the game are pulled from Disney's various films. They are almost perfectly replicated in Kingdom Hearts' own animation. It is a testament and love letter to the franchise's cartoonish roots.

Kingdom Hearts is something that at first glance, you think would not work. It's effectively a bizarre fusion between two things that have nothing in common. However, the developers behind the scenes do their part in making sure that the game balances it. Everything has a purpose, and nothing feels out of place.

Conclusion:

Kingdom Hearts is an interesting topic to bring up in terms of video games. It's attracted a lot of confusion and shock from newcomers. However, I believe that this zaniness does its part. It is meant to be shocking, and as a series, it does that well.

There's something fun about how the series presents itself. Kingdom Hearts does not take itself seriously. Yet, there's no harm coming from that effect. This only accentuates its deep connections to the Disney franchise.

I think Kingdom Hearts is a fun series that has a lot of heart. I wanted to play the games myself as a kid after seeing how cool they were. I finally had the chance to buy them last year. It was perfect being able to relish every moment in playing them. I would recommend you pick up the game yourself.

What's NEXT?

Remember when I said that I was doing a review of Transformers: Earthspark? I still am. I pushed it back in favor of other topics, but it is still happening.

Welcome to House of Milesverse's Unseen Stars! With Unseen Stars, we put the spotlight on lesser-known African American comic book characters. We want to pitch why they deserve more attention and how they are potential candidates for success.

Our guest today is already making waves, but with a little more attention, he could reach even greater heights. We'll be talking about the second Aqualad, Jackson Hyde. Feel free to share your thoughts and recommendations for any other Unseen Stars you would like to see.

Their Origin: Kaldur'Ahm or Jackson Hyde?

Who is 'Kaldur'Ahm'?

The character of the second Aqualad is quite interesting due to his origins. There is two versions of the character Kaldur'Ahm from the TV series. Kaldur's comic book counterpart is Jackson Hyde.

Kaldur'Ahm made his debut in the Cartoon Network animated series Young Justice. Instead of using the original Aqualad, Garth, the creators opted for something different. Grant Weisman, Phil Bourassa, and Brandon Vietti created Kaldur'Ahm as a prominent character in all four seasons.

In season 1, Kaldur'Ahm was the team leader. In season 2, he became an antagonist with his father, Black Manta. He was a spy, and the team used him to gain information.

In season 3, Kaldur'Ahm took on a new identity as Aquaman and became a member of the Justice League. In season 4, he took a break from his duties and learned to relax. He still chose to help the heroes find Superboy.

Who is 'Jackson Hyde':

In a way, Kaldur would find his way into the DCU through Jackson Hyde. Geoff Johns, DC's chief creative officer at the time, helped create him. He saw value in the idea, and found a way to rework it into the DC Universe.

Essentially, Jackson Hyde is the 'comic adaptation' of Kaldur'Ahm'. He debuted in Brightest Day before the series had premiered. Unlike Kaldur, Jackson Hyde was raised on the surface world. He was an average teenager who knew nothing about his atlantean origin.

Kaldur found his way into the DC Universe through Jackson Hyde. DC's then-chief creative officer, Geoff Johns, helped create him. Johns saw potential in the idea and reworked it into the DC Universe.

Jackson Hyde is the comic book adaptation of Kaldur'Ahm. He debuted in Brightest Day before the series had premiered. Unlike Kaldur, Jackson Hyde was raised on the surface world and knew nothing about his Atlantean origin.

During the DC Rebirth era, Jackson Hyde appeared in Teen Titans Rebirth. In this version however, Jackson is already aware of his powers but not his heritage. He also is a gay man who had a boyfriend prior to the series.

Jackson Hyde's mother, Lucia, was from Xebel, an Atlantean kingdom in the Bermuda Triangle. His father was the supervillain Black Manta, Aquaman's archenemy. Lucia helped Manta track down an ancient artifact. She did not know his true intentions however.

When Lucia learned about what Manta really wanted, she fled. Lucia eventually gave birth to Jackson, who had powerful hydrokinetic abilities like his mother. She forced him to keep his powers a secret, and they moved to New Mexico.

Destiny always has a way of finding its calling. Jackson had big dreams of becoming a superhero and making a name for himself. He hoped to join the Teen Titans, but they turned him down. It wasn't until he saved Robin from drowning that he finally joins the team.

However, Jackson's story doesn't end there. He later discovers that his father is the Black Manta. He meets Tempest, who offers him the name Aqualad, and he becomes a sidekick to Aquaman before taking on the title himself.

The history between Jackson Hyde and Kaldur'Ahm is also quite interesting. They are excellent reflections of each other. Kaldur'Ahm's creation is similar to Harley Quinn and X-23. He was created for a TV show but found later success as a comic book character, much like these two.

What are their powers?

Aqualad possesses the unique ability to shape, control, and manipulate water in his immediate surroundings. He inherits this power from his mother, similar to how Mera controls water. However, his manipulation of water is not as advanced as hers.

Aqualad uses two hilt devices called 'Waterbearers' to channel his power. These devices act as a conduit that lets him create fluid water constructs. He can create anything from whips, flails, axes, and swords.

Beyond water manipulation, Aqualad possesses enhanced strength, speed, and agility. He can adapt to the water beneath and becomes faster, stronger and more durable while in water. Additionally, he can unleash electrical currents by channeling them through water or his hands.

Why do they deserve a push?

Distinct ability:

Aqualad possesses many of the same attributes as Aquaman. Naturally this is expected since he is the king of Atlantis' sidekick. However, he differs in some areas, and lacks Arthur's iconic marine telepathy.

Instead, he makes up for it with his two waterbearers. The blades help shape water into objects. They can basically create constructs like Green Lantern, such as hammers or swords.

The waterbearers are dynamic and creative for hydrokinetic purposes. They are another iconic part of Jackson (and Kaldur)'s design. These tools also give Jackson a distinct attribute that Arthur does not have.

A claim to the mantle:

Jackson Hyde is not currently Aqualad anymore. He took the name Aquaman in Aquaman: The Becoming. Kaldur'Ahm also did this prior in Young Justice. During the gap between seasons 2 and 3, Kaldur became Aquaman and Arthur retired.

This path to success could be a development for Jackson to take in other media. You could develop him as a successor to Arthur and the next king of Atlantis. Jackson Hyde's role could be a good opportunity for the films to introduce a black Aquaman.

He's already popular enough, just not on our radar:

It is no surprise that this iteration of Aqualad is already well-known. He debuted in the 2010s just when Young Justice was gaining widespread popularity. Since then, Aqualad has become a part of DC Comics main continuity. DC even made him a prominent member of the Teen Titans during their Rebirth era.

Jackson Hyde and Kaldur'Ahm are prominent enough that most dedicated fans could recognize them. However, I think he can go further than where he is currently at. He has all the tools needed to make him go mainstream.

In Conclusion:

Writing Unseen Stars has been a blast. I have enjoyed getting to know more about these characters. I hope that you guys had fun as well.

I have made it my job to jot down more future references. When Unseen Stars comes back, we will be covering some new additions. Expect to see Nubia, Frenzy, Prodigy, M, and Steel!

Welcome back to another episode of Unseen Stars. The concept behind this show focuses on highlighting lesser-known African American characters within comic books I want to explain why these characters have untapped potential within the DC Universe.

Our guests for today are already well-known in their circles. The character Bumblebee, for example, is quite familiar to the Teen Titans. Karen Beecher has made numerous appearances across various animated series. She was also a core member of the Teen Titans Go for a brief period. Furthermore, she played a prominent role in both DC Superhero Girls series.

However, her significant other, Malcolm Duncan, has not been as fortunate. He only appeared in the finale of Teen Titans. He was a recurring cast member in Young Justice before retiring.

Their Origins

Mal Duncan: Too Many Names?

Mal Duncan's first appearance has him saving the Titans from a rival street gang known as the Hell Hawks. He does so by defeating their leader in a boxing match. Because of this, he's granted membership in the team. However, Mal feels useless due to not having any powers.

The interesting thing about Mal is that he's had numerous turbulent name changes. At first, he became Guardian after finding a strength-enhancing exoskeleton. Then he became Hornblower after gaining Gabriel's mystical horn.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, Mal was given another name change. This idea explained away the mystical elements of the horn and instead made it technology.

Both Karen and Mal were recruited by Donna Troy to avert a future crisis in space. The trip to space had left them both severely changed. Mal's horn was destroyed, which damaged his lungs & vocal cords. A complicated surgery leads to him becoming Vox and joining the Doom Patrol with Karen.

Mal Duncan's next few appearances have been with the Teen Titans. In the New 52, he was a part of the Titans Hunt series. He played a pivotal role in summoning an entity for the villainous Mister Twister. In DC Rebirth, he tagged along with the Titans to help Bumblebee regain her memories.

The Busy Bumblebee:

Karen Beecher first appeared in Teen Titans in 1976 and later adopted the identity of Bumblebee after a few issues. Although often attributed as DC's first black woman superhero, Nubia also holds this distinction, even though she wasn't a superhero at that time. In fact, Nubia appeared three years earlier, in 1973.

Karen Beecher is the scientific girlfriend of Malcolm Duncan who donned a bumblebee-based suit to make her boyfriend look good in front of the team. Karen pretended to be a supervillain and attacked the Titans. She later came clean to the team about the incident. The team was impressed and offered her an invitation to join them. Bumblebee and Mal went on to become major members of Titans West, a team featuring lesser-known Teen Titans characters.

Titans West eventually disbanded, and Karen and Mal retired. They were happily married and, except for a few stints, had quit being superheroes altogether. However, Karen and Mal were recruited to avert an upcoming crisis that affected their physiology and made them permanently small. They had to take special medicine given to them by The Chief, or else they would go into cardiac arrest.

In the story arc called Titans Hunt, Karen Beecher is pregnant. Karen can fire energy beams from her hands, a characteristic she inherited from her previous self. She assists in defeating the demented Mister Twister and later gives birth to her daughter.

What are their powers?

As Guardian, Mal donned an exoskeleton that enhanced his physical strength. Before that, he was just a skilled kickboxer in exceptional physical condition. He is also trained in various other fighting styles.

As both Hornblower and Herald, Guardian made use of Gabriel's Horn. This highly sophisticated instrument could open the pathway between dimensions. These spatial warps make it easy for Mal to traverse other planes.

He would no longer need the horn as Vox. Instead, he relies on his own artificial lungs and voice box. They can still create spatial warps and utilize hypersonic blasts.

Before becoming Bumblebee, Karen was already a genius-level enabled intellect. She created a solar-powered suit that enabled her to fly, shrink to insect size, and fire electrical 'sting' blasts. It is a testament to her theme, as most of her abilities have not changed over the years.

Why they deserve the push:

Mal Duncan's identity crisis

I understand that Mal has had several name changes over time, which suggests a lack of commitment to his character. Initially, he was introduced as a character with no powers or gimmicks. However, over time, his character evolved from one gimmick to another. He was initially known as Guardian, but then became Hornblower, then Herald, and later Vox. This indicates that the writers were unsure of what to do with Mal and did not develop him enough to make him a memorable character.

Despite this, there is still an opportunity to bring Malcolm back into the spotlight. One idea could be to have him return to one of his previous identities, such as Vox or Herald, which would give him a reason to use the horn.

Bumblebee's next big opportunity

Bumblebee is a superhero character who has made several appearances outside of the comic books. She was a recurring character in the Teen Titans animated series and one of the main cast members in both of the DC Superhero Girls series. For a while, she also appeared in Teen Titans Go!

Bumblebee is a memorable character who has left a mark on the audiences. Her unique powers make her an enjoyable character to watch. I believe that more people should be exposed to her and get to know her better.

A power couple in the making

Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan are characters in comic books who share a loving relationship, but they do not receive much attention outside of the comics. Hence, giving them more exposure could be a good opportunity for them.

DC Comics has created many iconic power couples such as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and Batman and Catwoman, where they have developed intriguing romantic storylines. However, if DC decides to create another power couple, it could create a problem.

Marvel Comics once had a couple in Black Panther and Storm, but they eventually split up. If DC Comics decides to feature Karen and Mal as their black power couple, it could be a significant addition to their comics. Black love is empowering in itself, and exploring its depths within comics could be great.

Conclusion:

Welcome to the House of Milesverse, and today we welcome a new guest.

In preparation for February's Black History Month, I have come up with a new discussion topic. I want to explore African-American characters across DC and Marvel who could use a bigger push in media. These are characters that I think could actually serve a purpose beyond the comic book pages.

First on our list is the Blue Marvel. He's a comic book that I read when I was a teenager. However, his story and character has stuck with me for so long.

The Blue Marvel is one of Marvel's unknown powerhouses from their vast catalog of heroes. His real name is Adam Brashear, and he was created by screenwriter Kevin Grievoux. Grievoux created Adam when he was a child, and comic penciler Mat Brome brought that vision to life.

Blue Marvel first debuted in Adam: Legend of The Blue Marvel. The comic book details most of the past and present events regarding his appearance. The events of the story also force him out of retirement, which he had previously put himself into under oath by the president.

Without further ado, let's dive into Marvel's cobalt crusader once and for all.

The Origin:

In life, Adam Brashear was a former fullback from Cornell University. He was also a veteran of the Korean War and a marine with two silver stars. During his tenure in the war, he met Connor Sims, who became a lifelong friend of his.

The two of them became a part of Project Perseus. The purpose of this project was to harness anti-matter from the negative zone as a renewable source of energy. However, their reactor malfunctioned and exploded.

The resulting explosion affected them both differently. Connor Sims was disassembled by it, but he would later return as the Anti-Man. Adam Brashear meanwhile, was blessed with superhuman powers and became the Blue Marvel.

For a time, Blue Marvel was one of the biggest heroes protecting the world in 1962. He was loved by the world, due to his heroic endeavors. However, in a fateful battle, Blue Marvel's mask was broken. The rest of the world found out that day that Blue Marvel was a black man.

Adam Brashear was caught between worlds after these events. White People feared the idea of a black superman living in the same country as them. Black people felt betrayed by Blue Marvel because he didn't serve them.

Ultimately, Adam Brashear was forced to step down by President John F. Kennedy. This was the same day that the president gave him a Medal of Freedom. JFK was pressured into this decision by numerous other politicians.

Since then, Blue Marvel remained a mystery for many decades. The government helped fake his death to keep all tabs on Adam. SHIELD assigned one of their spies to watch over Adam Brashear. The spy, Marlene, eventually married him and gave him three children.

As fate would have it, this was not the end of Blue Marvel's journey. He would resurface as a hero to defeat his archnemesis, Anti-Man once and for all. Blue Marvel would become an avenger, and find new ways to help the world in the modern age.

What does Blue Marvel do?

Blue Marvel's abilities make him a living reactor of anti-matter energy. He is super strong, durable, can fire energy beams, can heal, and is incredibly fast. His strength is so much that he was able to knock out the Ultimate Universe version of The Hulk in one punch.

Blue Marvel has a vast arsenal of abilities beyond these. However, his greatest asset is his intelligence. He is an accomplished scientist whose an expert in anti-matter subjects, and many other fields.

Reasons he deserves a push:

His romance with Monica Rambeau (And the potential set-up for The Ultimates):

Adam Brashear and Monica Rambeau were in love in the past. The two began their relationship while they were on the Mighty Avengers. This on its own would be an easy tie-in as to how to bring Blue Marvel in.

In addition, they also served on another team, as well. The Ultimates were once an alternate version of The Avengers created for the Ultimate Marvel imprint. In the 2010s, they would be resurrected as a team seeking universal solutions to universal problems.

Blue Marvel, Photon, America Chaez, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel were all members on the team. For their first foray, the group had managed to cure Galactus of his hunger for planets. This caused Galactus to become a bringer of life.

The Ultimates would be an easy position for the MCU to use. With the Guardians no longer around, there is a need for a new cosmic team. In addition, there's potential in building an Ultimates lineup using the MCU's characters.

The Black Panther who was a member of the team is not possible, however. Rest in peace to Chadwick Boseman. You would have to substitute T'Challa with Shuri instead, which would also give her something else to do.

Furthermore, there was a rumor going around that Blue Marvel was going to be in The Marvels. If the rumor is true, it is possible that they simply saved him for a later period. Either way, there are many avenues of interest to bring Blue Marvel into the MCU.

The 'Black Superman' trope and how it applies to him:

Blue Marvel is one of the better examples of a 'Black Superman' in my opinion. He is a lot like Superman in some ways. He's just a good man trying to do what's right. His abilities alone also make him a mighty powerhouse much like DC's blue boy scout.

What I think works is how he captures the spirit and attitude of the character. At the end of the day, Adam Brashear is a good man trying to do what's right. Even after being put in a bad situation, he still rose out of retirement to help. That alone is worthy of Superman's indomitable spirit.

In addition, Blue Marvel is also more subtle about being a Superman pastiche in some ways. He might be as physically powerful, but he does not follow the usual routine. He lacks complete copies of Superman's abilities, unlike Hyperion, or Gladiator.

On his own, Blue Marvel's a man helping set what's right in a world full of chaos. He's a warm spirit that aims to protect people, regardless of who they are. He fights for truth, and justice, even in the name of people who are different from him.

A period piece waiting to happen:

Blue Marvel's story is primarily rooted in the 60s era. He was active around that time and went on many adventures. His actions helped earn him a good reputation from the outside people. This is, of course, before he was unmasked as a black man and forbidden from duty.

His story could easily be made as a period piece in the 60s. The civil rights movement was big around that time. It would further serve to highlight the purpose of his character.

In addition, there is still room for him in the modern era as well. You can easily write Blue Marvel being forced out of his current situation like he was in the comics. A scenario where he has to battle against his enemy, the Anti-Man, who has returned. That would also provide a 'modern' touch to his stories for longtime Marvel fans.

Blue Marvel is a perfect choice for a future film.

There is always a question when it comes to creating comic book stories. It always centers on specific characters who have a set purpose and idea. Why specifically, would anyone bring them to the big screen?

Superhero media has placed more focus on non-white superheroes. Black Panther is one of the biggest examples of this that I can think of. Before his film, he was not a big player that mainstream audiences could name. Ever since the release of his MCU film, Black Panther has become synonymous with the modern Marvel audience.

Just like Black Panther, Blue Marvel can be another rising star for the MCU. He's got the talent to just be as good as them if done well. He has the powers, the attitude, and the struggles to make him a legitimate choice. All he needs is an opportunity to rise to the occasion.

Unseen Stars: What's next?

I hope you enjoyed this lesson in black history with Unseen Stars. I already have the next Unseen Stars candidate lined up. Tune in for the next few entries.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, our place for comic book and fiction talk. Today we are taking a slight detour to Disney's animated catalog.

2023 was an explosion of Disney hype and joy, due to celebrating 100 years since the company's inception. It was a year full of laughs, and shared memories. On top of this, a short film was produced to commemorate the franchise's anniverary.

Today we will be talking about Wish, an animated film that released in November of that year. The movie focused on a young girl wanting to set loose the wishes of her kingdom, kept captive by an evil king. She's joined by her plucky goat, and a hyperactive star that can grant wishes.

Wish was written off by many people, and considered an animation blunder by Disney fans. It failed to live up to the hype of people that expected differently than Disney's usual service. Some people however have found the film to be a fun, but far more average, experience.

Today we will go over the things Wish did right, and the things Wish did wrong.

The things it did right:

Right from the start, there's some key points to address in what Wish did right. Of the two opinions I mentioned, I agree with the latter choice. Wish is not a terrible film, but it is just a mildly okay one. What it has is genuinely good material that hits well.

Star plays well as a typical mascot:

The bright and speedy Star is our mascot (or one of two) for the film. He arrives in a blur to answer Asha's troubles. His arrival, however, is what kickstarts much of the film's conflict. The main antagonist, King Magnifico, wants Star for his power.

He's your typical Disney mascot character whose built for the audience to like him. Think Olaf from Frozen, a cute snowman whose made many a fan. Star plays into that exact demographic with his adorable, bright design.

I find Star's appearance to be infectious because of this. I could not help but laugh at some of his actions throughout the film. Plus he's an expert at granting wishes. Think of him like the silly Genie from Aladdin, but without Robin Williams' sheer charisma.

Asha dreams of adventure:

Our main protagonist is the kind and wishful (pun intended) Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose. At first, Asha desires for the king to grant her grandfather's wish for his 100th birthday. However after it is declined, Asha's new goal becomes setting the captive wishes free.

I like Asha's motivations, because of how they are rooted in the idea of wishes. She just wants the best for everyone, and for them to experience it on their own. Asha fits into the Disney heroine mold, due to her compassion, bravery, and the driving force behind her goals.

It was a common misconception before release that Asha should have been the villain. People believed that her goals made her evil, or just plain irresponsible. She wanted to set all the wishes free, even including the 'dangerous' ones. Luckily, the film skips over these ideas completely, and for good reason, too.

The Teens are a reference that works well:

Moving on from our starry-eyed protagonist is her large cast of friends. Collectively known as the 'Seven Teens', they get up to funny shenanigans. Their antics and personalities never feel dry during the movie's run.

Beyond comedy relief, the seven teens are all distinct are distinct in a way. They are one of the few references from Disney media that I think actually work. The teens are, obviously, all based off of one of the Seven Dwarves. This callback from Disney's first real 'princess' film to its current one acts as a solid reference.

In addition, the teens also have a stake in the plot and offer tension to the story. They help their friend out, even when she's been ratted out as a traitor. Their personalities all shine through during the final act of the film.

Overall, the Seven Teens each have a counterpart in one of the Dwarves. These include:

Dahlia (Doc)

Simon (Sleepy)

Hal (Happy)

Gabo (Grumpy)

Bazeema (Bashful)

Dario (Dopey)

The things it did wrong:

Magnifico falls short as a villain:

Brought to life by Chris Pine, King Magnifico is the main antagonist of the film. As mentioned before, he is the tyrannical ruler of Rosas, who harbors the wishes of its people for his own power. Magnifico is a narcissist who is only willing to grant wishes if he can benefit from it.

Magnifico's entire concept was meant to play toward the 'old' Disney villains. People have long enjoyed villains like Jafar from Aladdin, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Scar from the Lion King, and more. Magnifico's personality, his lust for power, and even his green magic all call to mind traits associated with old Disney villains.

However, our untrustworthy king falls short in many ways. As a villain, Magnifico's transition to evil can come off as rushed. Much less time is spent on who he was before gaining his position. He spends a good deal of the plot hounding Star for its cosmic power.

You can say this for other villains in the franchise as well. However, I find that Magnifico suffers the most from this. He already has an interesting background set up in the story, but nothing is done with it.

In the past, Magnifico came from a loving family. He lived in peaceful lands until greedy thieves attacked. They killed his family and traumatized him. He wanted to learn magic so that he could use it to defend himself, and others.

Magnifico's worst qualities are always seen upfront throughout the movie. There is no lie that he's the 'bad guy' of the series. There's also nothing wrong with him being the main antagonist. However, Magnifico could benefit from gaining more sympathetic traits to better round out his character.

This is not me asking that he be a fully 'sympathetic villain' who was never evil to begin with. Instead, I believe that Disney had the option to still make him more complex. More than that, it would also make his transition to evil less jarring for some viewers.

Asha is another victim of the 'adorkable' trope:

Over the years we have seen heroines from Disney evolve. Starting with Rapunzel in 2013, most of them were much quirkier. This is what many refer to as the 'adorkable' trope. Characters who are socially awkward or unappealing but in a cute way.

Rapunzel, Mirabel, Moana, and Anna are all characters who use this idea in one way or another. They are put in awkward or quirky situations which also leads to easy laughs. I think it's worth noting that all of them use it well, at least.

With Rapunzel, she had never seen the outside world since she was a child. Mirabel's awkwardness came from her own feelings relating to her family. Both Moana and Anna are adorkable in their own ways, but neither of them is overwhelmed by the trope.

Asha feels like she is always on the verge of it. She's clumsy, nervous, and also awkward at times. I think this is a scenario where Asha didn't need these 'traits'. As adorkable as she can be, she already has a great narrative. Asha is compassionate, and you can feel how much she cares for her people.

The story hinges too much on the past:

This is my own personal issue with Wish itself. Wish is a good story on its own, but it also relies on references from the past. The story is full of references to Disney media.

Some references worked in the story, however. The Seven Teens for example, were integrated well into the world. Asha's basic 'cloak' is a reference to the Fairy Godmother's garb, and it blends so well into her design. Magnifico's magic is green, calling to mind past Disney sorcerors and villains.

These are references that feel natural to the story because of how they are positioned. Everything else just feels like it's for the sake of being there. The references are there to feed you, meal after meal. However, like any person eating the same meal, you eventually just get tired of it.

The Music:

Wish's music is my favorite part of the film. Every sequence in the movie is loaded with loving tunes. I just can't help but smile whenever I hear the opening of "This Wish" or "This is The Thanks I Get?".

The songs partway carry the film for me because of how bombastic they are. The visuals help hammer in the Disney magic that you are used to. Each tune is filled with so many amazing sequences that you just won't get tired of seeing it.

The credit for this lies in musician Julia Michaels, and Benjamin Rice. Joined by JP Saxe, they helped create Asha's powerful anthem. The score of the movie was meanwhile composed by Disney's notable orchestrator, David Metzger. Metzger had also done work on other films such as Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Moana, and Tarzan.

Overall consensus: Wish is a movie that tried. And failed. But maybe that's okay?

Wish is a film that tries to do too much, and that only hinders it. It's a movie that tries to be a large, huge spectacle. It is Disney's celebration of the fans with all these easter eggs and hidden catches. That aspect is where Disney loses its magic, and it is what hurts the film.

Wish is so caught up in being the ultimate milestone celebration that it forgets to be a movie. Everything about Wish, when it is focused on its own story, adds charm and substance. The concept of how Wishes work, as aspects of real people, is brilliant.

The nature of the film alone created a lot of hype for fans. People were expecting a much bigger ordeal than what they got from the film. Because of this, it was guaranteed to create dismayed reactions from those same fans.

This is not to say the film is terrible or that it has no purpose. Wish is a beautiful-looking film that is just alright. That on its own, is what makes the film entertaining to me.

Good evening, you ghouls and girls! I know that I am about a week late for Halloween references. I have been going through a creative block in coming up with reviews.

For example? I was supposed to do something with Earthspark a few posts back. That still might happen, but I would rather focus on other stuff. In fact? There are some good topics that I have been thinking up for you guys.

Something wicked this way comes... and what is its name? Goosebumps! It's the children's horror that everyone seems familiar with to some capacity. From the books to the movies, to the old TV series that helped perfectly adapt those books to the small screen.

This year? Saw the release of Goosebumps' latest media installment. A Disney+ exclusive released in October that helped light up our imagination. I remember seeing the trailer, and you know what I thought?

First Thoughts:

"They are about to pull a Riverdale",

Honestly, seeing the trailer made me think that it was going to be bad. I mean, the hip rap music and some of the acting just bothered me. Everything looked so needlessly gritty, in a way that felt the opposite of the movie's first trailer.

When the series finally landed, I decided to watch it. The episodes themselves were pretty well-structured. They did a good job of translating the antagonists of the prior books into the stories. The way some of them were even recontextualized felt new.

The character work was a little shoddy at times, but I felt like it was okay. It shined when it needed to most, and that was what helped it. The series has just wrapped up its first season.

So without further ado? Let's take a closer example, and look into some of the things Goosebumps has done. We will review both the good and the bad.

The 'Good'

Slappy (He's not a dummy, he's just plain scary)

Now, anyone who is at least vaguely aware of the series knows Slappy. He's the 'breakout star' of the Goosebumps franchise. Also? He was played by Jack Black, and that's just plain funny.

Our second-mos iconic doll (That title goes to Chuck!) is the overarching villain. He poisons Biddle's mind and turns him against his friends. Also, he teaches him a spell that basically makes everyone turn into dummies. Which, weirdly enough, starts with them gaining more wooden cheeks.

As much as Slappy is not able to move, he is just as threatening as ever. That accent that they give him is actually awesome. It helps underline his more sinister, bargaining nature.

My only 'problem' with Slappy is his lack of movement, overall. I feel like it takes away from the fantasy. However, I suppose Slappy's power to worm his way into other people's hearts is perfect compensation.

An attempt to reframe the stories

The series takes Goosebumps' iconic books and puts them through a blender. Because of this, we end up with vague strokes and loose ideas derived from the books. However, there are some strong points to take from this.

The way they adapted Say Cheese and Die! for example, was pretty useful. It felt natural for the episode and offered a good opener for the season. I also enjoy how they chose to adapt Go Eat Worms, in spite of how absolutely disgusting that episode is.

Our monsters are better:

The monsters you see in Goosebumps are actually very well-designed in my opinion. Harold's flaming 'ghost' form, for example, is pretty freaky. The series understands its roots, and it is not afraid to embrace them.

The design of Slappy is faithful enough to how he would normally look. There are a few notable differences, but it still draws a good enough example of what he looks like.

The actual design of the 'worm' monster got me. It sufficiently creeped me out seeing how it moved. The way that the creature is animated is nothing short of impressive.

The 'Bad'

The group's 'connection'

Yeah, this is where things get more critical of the series' nature. The main protagonists are good, but I feel like they function better when paired off. It is easy to see how they function more as pairs than as an actual group. If the series gets a second season, then I hope they improve the group dynamic.

Goosebumps was given ten episodes for its first season. There was a lot to cram into the series. Between Hary Biddle, the various monsters, and the character's own struggles? You had a lot to deal with right off the bat.

Harold Biddle (And he's just not interesting enough)

Harold Biddle just does not interest me. I get it however, he is more or less the thing that 'ties' everything together. However, he just does not interest me in any way.

I'm sorry, but he is one of the weaker parts of the Goosebumps series. He's your typical normal 'outsider' kid whose life is unexpectedly ruined. When he gains Slappy, he becomes a monster, and a tragic incident (that was also the fault of the main cast's parents - GREAT work by the way!) results in him burning alive.

Now that he's back, he's swearing vengeance on the children of those who wronged him. However, I just feel like he's an unnecessary element in the series. His role could be given to someone else, and it would be better.

More monsters could have been appreciated,

The monster selection for the series is not bad, but it is limited. In just a few episodes were introduced to some interesting antagonist elements. The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, the Haunted Mask, Slappy, and the Worms, for example, were all used in the series.

However, I feel like there are other monsters that we could have seen employed. The Garden Gnomes, for example, feel like they are a natural fit for this series. You could also have employed an episode with the Mummy, or The Creeps.

Honestly, the ones I am surprised did not somehow make it in are the Abominable Snowman and the Monster Blood Can. I think that they would have been easy plots to implement into the series.

Overall? I hope for more antagonists in a potential second season!

Overall, what makes Goosebumps worth while?

Goosebumps is an attempt to try and adapt a beloved children's horror series. That attempt is well-rewarded with its modernized blends of old Goosebumps stories. The story of Port Lawrence is only just beginning, and it can only go further from here.

I do genuinely hope that the series gets a second season because it deserves that option. There are so many stories and elements that could be adapted for the series. You have so many more layers to pull from with the books.

For people who have yet to check out the series? I would wholeheartedly recommend it if you are looking for a scary good time. I just think you should go in with the mentality that it is not the Goosebumps that you grew up with. It's the start of someone else's Goosebumps, for a newer, edgier series.

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now

Welcome to the House of Milesverse - during the spooky season! I look forward to talking to you guys on why THIS is one of my favorite posts. Scooby Doo is one of the franchises closest to my heart, alongside Transformers, and DC Comics.

There are a lot of franchises close to my heart, okay?

The original Scooby-Doo was one of my favorite shows to watch all the time.

Anyways, today we are going to be ranking some of the most dastardly, dubious, and most DANGEROUS caper masterminds. Today, we rank; Scooby Doo, Where Are You's SCARIEST villains.

Here are the rules:

I am doing this solely from my perspective, on which villains I found scary either upon first seeing it or on rewatch.

I am doing this specifically based on the first iteration of the series. Anything from Scrappy, or beyond, is not in my interest for now.

Last but not least? Just have fun reading this. I mean, if you were not having fun, why would you read it?

Let's get started.

No. 27-25: Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts

Naturally these three wind up dead less, just from appearance alone. I mean, they are basically the Universal monsters but not with any of the things that make them legitimately scary. There's no panache, it's all just boring.

These THREE monsters and a gypsy disguise were used by Big Bob Oakley. Known as 'The Actor', he is a master of disguises. He is also a wanted man in seven states. I am very curious what he was wanted for.

I just think that there are more interesting versions of these monsters that you can see. At least for the Wolfman (Werewolf), and Dracula (Other... Dracula? Gramps the Vamp) monsters. Scooby Doo has never shied away from creating somewhat interesting threats.

For what it's worth? Franken Castle makes for a delightful-looking design. I think Scooby Doo always rocks the castle aesthetic when it comes to investigation. Although, I would certainly hope there are more fun-looking castles in the franchise.

No. 24: The Witch Doctor, Decoy for a Dognapper

I really - really have no idea what to say about this one. So the guy is a witch doctor, and that is actually what he is dressed like. There really does not feel like there is enough to say about this guy. He kidnaps dogs for his dog smuggling operation.

For what it's worth? His transmitted projection of Geronimo was pretty cool as a gimmick. It was also very, very dated. He has a scheme that I would argue is different from most Scooby-Doo villains. That's kind of all I can say about him.

Oh, also? He's Buck Masters, an apparent dognapping victim who used his tactics to dognap show dogs. Which included his own as well, Big Red. He also employed a henchman named Mike, who was not very smart.

If you don't listen to him, he'll shake his maracas at you.

No. 23: Ghost of Zen Tuo, Mystery Mask Mix-Up

The Ghost of Zen Tuo is one of the weirdest Scooby Doo villains I can think of. There's a lot that you can pick out when it comes to this guy. He's actually A. Fong, an oriental art dealer. Who, funnily enough, owns a smuggling ring.

He spends his time using his henchmen to do his bidding, much like the villain above. The Scare Pair, weirdly enough, makes for more time than their boss. Zen Tuo takes a backseat to his threat.

Ghost of Zen Tuo, and his minions, are basically ancient chinese demons. There's a lot to unpack, and none of it comes off as interesting. This, and the two Witch Doctors are great examples of how dated the series is. This is not to say the series is racist or anything, but that it is from a completely different time.

Also, that mask is atrocious.

No. 22: Witch Doctor, A Tiki Scare is No Fair

Alright, this is the last one for "Scooby Doo episodes that didn't age well" hopefully. This is the SECOND Witch Doctor of the series. He shows up haunting the island grounds, which belong to a hawaiian god named Mano Tiki Tia. That name is weird, but okay.

Witch Doctor here is actually John Simms, a professor/tourist guide who was scaring people away ferom an ancient village in Hawaii. The plan? Why, it was to use the Ancient Village as the grounds for his underwater pearl poaching operation!

Witch Doctor's plan does not seem that bad, to be honest. I like to call it one of the typical 'Scooby Doo' plots, because numerous others work similarly to it. His actual entrance as a villain is pretty cool, to be honest. The sky turns red as his warning scares the natives, and our two cowardly buttheads, Shaggy & Scooby Doo.

It is interesting to note, the two indian witch doctors in this series are both white criminals.

Lastly, that design is goofy, but I think that might be the point.

No. 21: The Werewolf, Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf

Honestly? Kudos to the Werewolf for a more unique design. This is a werewolf is the disguise of an unnamed sheep rustler. He tried to stop intruders from intruding on his sheep smuggling ring. Which he was using in an old abandoned mill and harbor deep into the forests.

There is not a whole lot that I can say about him, to be honest. To me, he comes from one of the less memorable episodes of the series. As you can guess from a werewolf, he smashes things and snarls a lot. He likes to pose and wave his arms around while he snarls too.

No. 20: The Caveman, Scooby's Night With A Frozen Fright

Who ever heard of a frozen Caveman? Scooby-Doo apparently, because he is the main threat of this episode. As you can guess, Scooby-Doo and the gang deal with a thawed-out caveman.

The Caveman is actually a criminal by the name of Professor Wayne. His plan was to steal an invention from his close friend, Ingstrm. This device would enable him to interact with aquatic life. I am confused about why he chose to dress up as a Caveman specifically for it instead of say, aly but hey, whatever.

The Frozen Caveman does not bother me. There was nothing about him that I thought was scary as a kid. I admit, I thought it was a little absurd to think of that. However, in hindsight, lots of Scooby-Doo villains are abnormal, in more ways than just being ghosts.

Fun fact? This episode apparently features the FIRST time that a villain refers to the gang as 'meddling kids'.

No. 19-18: The Witch and The Zombie, Which Witch is Which?

Which Witch is Which? I'm asking the same question. This episode features the witch, alongside her backup muscle. Said 'muscle' is her undead pal, The Zombie.

Much like the universal monsters above, I chose to group these two into one slot. They debut in the same episode and generally, that just feels better. Plus, it saves me more time than making separate goals.

The Witch is a malevolent entity, who shows up six months prior to the episode. The Witch used her voodoo magic to bring the Zombie alive as her minion. The both of them then began terrorizing the swamp.

Yeah, no,

The Witch is actually Zeb Perkins, joined by the Zombie, who is his partner Zeke. The two scared off the other town residents in their search for riches. Those 'riches' were an armored bank truck they crashed into the swamp at an earlier point.

I love the fake magic that the witch employs to intimidate her enemies. The trap floor, for example, was an interesting item. The Zombie himself makes for an intimidating physical threat when it comes to the chase. Plus, this episode does well with a swamp aesthetic.

No. 17: The Ape-Man, Never Ape an Ape-Man

Honestly, why WOULD you ape an Ape-Man? That thing could literally rip you apart if it wanted to.

Meet the titular threat of this hilariously named episode. The Ape-Man does his best to sabotage a movie that Daphne's uncle is shooting. He is one of the many cases where I can think that the gang was actually in danger.

The Ape-Man was actually Carl, the stunt performer. Wow, who would have guessed that? Probably the audience if they were paying attention to the film. Poor Carl's talents were never acknowledged by by Daphne's uncle. His entire reason for doing this was because he couldn't play the lead role.

I am guessing Carl just was not feeling very inspired, either. Because his entire suit is taken from the film, in the exact same role he was playing. Hell, the entire Ape-Man mythos was inspired by an old legend of an ape burning down a mansion. This was all said by the locals, which I am not sure we EVER see at any time in this era.

Regardless, the Ape-Man makes for an interesting antagonist in my opinion. He's one of the more bizarre ones in terms of Scooby-Doo villains. I think that is what he does well because he IS bizarre. He spends most of the episode eerily creeping around the area.

Also? He has one whole bit where he messes with Scooby Doo using a Scooby Doo mask. It is hilarious.

No. 16: Wax Phantom, Don't Fool With A Phantom

Our next guest comes from the last episode of Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Prior to it's rebranding, at least.

The Wax Phantom is actually quite an interesting monster to look at. His design really does wonders to sell the haunting 'wax' idea that he is. I admit, his design is certainly where Scooby Doo's interest comes from. Although, I believe it also is one of the less-memorable ones.

Anyway, this guy is the antagonist behind the episode. He haunts Johnny Sands' Dance Game Show. The gang believes him to be a wax creation brought to life. Who created him? Grisby of course, a strange wax-figure-making weirdo who was cancelled by the show.

In reality, he's Roger Stevens, the TV manager of KLMN (aka the company that this entire game show is under). Roger Stevens used Grisby as an alibi for his secret embezzling schemes. He was stealing money from the TV station...

The one question I have during this; how did Shaggy and Scooby survive being encased in wax? I swear, those two are the most superhuman cowards I have ever heard of. This is not even their most impossible feat, they literally painted a door into existence so that the Wax Phantom could crash through it.

No. 15: Phantom, Hassle in The Castle

Okay, now we get to The Phantom, who I actually kind of adore. He's got a great laugh, which also sounds weird. Weird works for Scooby Doo, as you can probably guess.

I have never really been a fan of his design to be honest. I mean, the effects are great, but it is just a simple bedsheet look. I guess that is the point of the episode. Plus, simplicity can work sometimes.

Anyways, meet Bluestone the Great, a former magician. He disguised as the Phantom to haunt Vasquez Castle. This was done for the purpose of scaring people away from the castle, so that he could claim the Vasquez Treasure.

Bluestone here makes for a great magician. I mean, guess that does not pay well since he decided to do the usual route. You know, haunt a mansion or landmark, and search for secret treasure. I swear dozens of scooby doo villains do it.

No. 14: Captain Cutler, a Clue for Scooby Doo

Alright then, we have reached the top fifteen. Now we are getting into the classics, and that is going to be fun. I consider these to be the best of the Scooby Doo villains.

Which is funny, because I start with what I figured was the weakest. Our friend Captain Cutler is an eerie man dressed in a green scuba suit. I'd say he's one of the more iconic Scooby-Doo villains due to his design.

Yet, honestly, I feel like Captain Cutler is not that interesting. Aside from his haunting groans, he does not have a lot going for him. It is no wonder that he falls on this slot of the list.

If it helps? His mystery was also a nice red herring. The group expected it to be Ebeneeezr Shark. This is funny because it was actually Captain Cutler himself, who faked his death. His goal was to steal yachts so that he could sell them for money.

No. 13: Miner 49er, Mine Your Own Business

I honestly wish that we all Mined our own business sometimes. This ominous spook could learn a thing or two from that. Miner 49er is actually Hank, the owner of a guest hotel in the desert town Gold City. Hank was haunting the place for the purpose of collecting oil and driving his boss out of business.

As a villain, Miner 49er is actually a threat that I think works. He has a pretty ominous presence throughout the episode. Most of it concerns scaring Scooby and Shaggy at different points.

I feel like his design is seemingly mundane. Then again, Scooby-Doo villains go as a multitude of other things. It is not surprising to find that Hank just decided to wear his normal clothes with a few modifications.

I just want to say that I think the name 'Miner 49er' is hilarious and also very clever.

No. 12: Snow Ghost, That's Snow Ghost

Okay, this is our thirteenth ghost, and he is a killer. Which is funny because he literally tried to murder the gang. Like, three different times at least, too. I think this guy's definitely one of the more crazy antagonists.

The Snow Ghost is actually Mr. Greenway, the owner of the ski lodge the team is at. He decides that he wants to dress up as a monster (a story he got from a hiker named Fu Lan Chi) to scare people away from the abandoned sawmill. Which is where he hosted his illegal operations.

Which is bizarre, because the gang was literally nowhere near the sawmill. Mr. Greenway must really love trolling people for some reason. Or he just really loves scaring the heck out of a bunch of teenagers for no good reason.

Snow Ghost here has an intimidating design for a yeti villain. Like I said, he was content with trying to kill the gang. Like trying to saw Velma Dinkley in half. Or hurling dynamite at her and Scooby to blow them up.

The Snow Ghost's sheer ruthlessness makes for an interesting competitor against the gang's antics. I actually love him for this, to be honest. He was the first monster of the week who attempted to inflict bodily harm. That's scary enough.

No. 11: Redbeard's Ghost, Go Away Ghost Ship

Okay, that is one RED beard, I mean look at that thing.

Redbeard's Ghost is our favorite pirate of the franchise. Well, besides Skunkbeard, he's just too cool. Redbeard was a persona adopted by C.L. Magnus to steal cargo from his ships. The only reason he wanted to do this was for insurance. Whoop-de-do.

At first glance, Redbeard's Ghost might just be one of the most outlandish villains in the series. Just look at him, he's one of the more human-like faux monsters the gang fights. I mean, why would the gang have reason to believe that a pirate was not only around, but was a ghost?

I like Redbeard because of these reasons. His weirdness feels natural to the Scooby Doo series. Plus? Redbeard REALLY loves to get in the act. He has the pirate attire, the pirate laugh, and the ghost ship. I can appreciate a villain who gets into the theme.

Redbeard himself also gets up to some unuusally comedic antics. Scooby and Shaggy are spared by him, only because Shaggy told him he was a good cook. The two proceed to make an indigestible stew for the pirates. Redbeard then makes them eat the stew, which leads them to escaping.

By the way? Redbeard himself is actually a real person too. He was a pirate known as the terror of the Seven Seas. C.L. Magnus' ancestors defeated him, and he swore that he would return. The irony is not lost on anyone here, and I love that.

No. 10: Spooky Space-Kook, Spooky Space-Kook

Let's just pause to point out that this guy has one of the best laughs. The Spooky Space-Kook's laugh is spine-tingling in a way that I cannot describe. As a child, it was creepy to look at. As an adult, I find that I'd probably laugh alongside him.

The Spooky Space-Kook is actually Henry Bascomb, the neighbor of a farmer who warned the gang about the monster. He was dressed up as the Spooky Space-Kook because he wanted to scare people away from the Air Force base nearby. His plan was to buy the land for himself.

As a design, the Spooky Space-Kook's sci-fi aesthetic works well for him. I love the astronaut skull helmet that he possesses. It helps make him ominous in a way.

No. 9: The Black Knight, What a Night for a Knight

Guess you could say "Right in the round tables!" because here's our next guest. The Black Knight was the identity of Mr. Wickles. He used the armored suit to scare people away from his art forgery schemes within the museum.

The Black Knight spends most of the episode creeping around the gang. Aside from angry grunts, he really does not say anything here. His general silence and lurking tendencies are what put him in the list.

His position within the franchise is what also pushes him here. Although he's not the scariest, he is the first villain shown in the franchise. Much like other iconic threats, he's had some notable iterations spun off from him.

No. 8: The Mummy of Anka, Scooby-Doo, and a Mummy Too

"Coin, Coin!"

The Mummy of Anka is the main antagonist of this Scooby Doo episode. He also is a fairly threatening one in the series due to the darkening atmosphere. The Mummy's real identity is Dr. Najib, an Egyptian researcher and aide to the professor. Najib is after an ancient Egyptian coin.

The Mummy is short-tempered and violent in the episode. He is basically a brute who scares the group into giving him the coin. The Mummy does not speak any word other than 'coin'. Which is said in a groaning, angry voice throughout the episode.

One part that I love about this episode is the stone element. The professor is one of the mummy's victims, believed to be turned to stone. In reality, he was simply captured offscreen. Najib also made a stone replica of himself to scare the gang.

No. 7: Charlie the Robot, Foul-Play in Funland

Get ready for a funtime in Funland, because Charlie graces the eighth spot on our list. Charlie's one of the more unique Scooby-Doo villains. Because he is not malevolent, he is simply a robot. Although he is prone to malfunctioning, Charlie's intentions aren't always terrible.

He was the creation of Mr. Jenkins, to help run Funland when he was busy. Mrs. Jenkins, for some reason, had the bright idea to sabotage him. Because she did not want robots running an amusement park meant for children.

To be honest? Her scheme confuses me the most, because there is no alter ego here. She could have just talked to him about it, but she decided not to. This would have saved the gang, and Jenkins some trouble.

No. 6: The Headless Specter, Haunted House Hang-Up

Speaking of unique villains? The Headless Specter is yet another unique villain in the franchise. Penrod Stillwall's a good guy here, he just has weird methods of proving it. He's the antagonist, but he's not the criminal here. He just decided to chase a bunch of kids around to stop them from finding his family's fortune.

This episode has one of my favorite haunted mansion setups of the series. The Scooby Gang are mostly alone, with only the Headless Specter with them. Also, he's after them and proves to be pretty dang malicious at times.

The overall atmosphere is done perfectly, and it gives you a good tingly feeling. This also has one of my favorite chase scenes of the episode, complete with groovy music.

Asha Shanks is the actual villain, by the way. He decided to run around with a bed sheet over his face. He also wanted to steal the Stillwall treasure, which doesn't work out for him. He's defeated which, once again, creates another neat subversion in the Scooby Gang series.

No. 5: Ghost of Elias Kingston, What The Hex Is Going On?

The Ghost of Elias Kingston was actually scary to me as a kid. He had a more ominous and foreboding appearance. His warning would generally follow with cursing the Wetherby Family. Ironically, he is a Wetherby, Stuart, who wanted to steal the fortune from his relatives.

Things get chilling when Stuart is afflicted by the ghost's 'curse'. At first, he is aged into being an old man. The last we see of him before the reveal is his skeleton. We also see that he's captured Sharon, which gets even worse considering who he is.

The Ghost of Elias Kington is always felt, even when he is not in the scene. This, combined with his iconic design and his warnings makes him dangerous. It also is what makes him number six on the list.

Also, the way the gang turns his own gimmicks back on him? Is hilarious.

No. 4: Ghost of Mr. Hyde, Nowhere To Hyde

What's lean, green, and mean? Why, the Ghost of Mr. Hyde, of course. This ghoulish goon was the main antagonist of an episode I thought was pretty scary.

Our main antagonist is blessed with a jarring green appearance that used to scare me. That is not the only thing he has going for him, though. He is fast on his feet, too, and he almost tries to croak Shaggy.

These green jokes are just fine for me to say. Other than that, he's actually the disguise of - you guessed it, Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll was trying to "hyde" his jewel thefts, by pretending that he created a formula. Something went wrong with the formula, however, and it would turn him into a monster, named the ghost of Mr. Hyde.

Hyde does not have any other neat gimmicks, aside from scaling walls with neat suction cups. Other than that, he is pretty easily bested by the gang. The gang all take turns scaring Hyde before they wrap him in a mattress.

Our bad guy, by the way? He's the first villain to ever hide in the Mystery Machine.

No. 4: The Ghost Clown, Bedlam in The Big Top

Okay, there is creepy, and then there is this guy. Meet the main antagonist of Bedlam in the Big Top. He's a menacing ghost clown who haunts your every eye. The Ghost Clown is actually Harry the Hypnotist, who wanted revenge against the circus featured in the episode.

The Ghost Clown makes for a terrifying opponent to face off against. He uses his talents to mind-control the gang into some pretty hilarious events. However, the terror from what he's done can still be seen.

Clowns in general have a neutral connotation in fiction. However, I find that most people tend to see them as villains. I think this is due to how offputting it can be to make a clown evil. After all, they are a symbol of joy and laughter now distorted into something positively murderous.

No. 3: The Puppet Master, A Backstage Rage

Congrats, we are going from creepy to worse. You have made it to the top three, the three scooby doo villains who made younger me say "zoinks!" and hide behind the TV.

Meet the Puppet Master, the disguise of Pietro, who works at Strand Theatre. In reality, Pietro is secretly hosting a counterfeiting operation beneath the theatre. He uses his disguise to scare people away from his secret operations.

The Puppet Master is quite the creepy threat, even for a Scooby Doo villain. His ominous unblinking eyes are very strange. There are multiple moments where you can see how scary the Puppet Master is. From attempting to drop a sandbog on the group. All the way to creepily standing still, while he and Shaggy wear the same outfit.

The Puppet Master is absolutely devious in almost every way. He's one of the more unnerving villains for me as a kid. However, he's nothing compared to numbers two or one.

The way he laughs as he vanishes down the Prompeter's Box? Eugh. Still sticks with me.

No. 2: The Phantom Shadows, A Night of Fright is No Delight

Our giggling green ghosts are only the SECOND scariest antagonists of the original. They really help accomplish what the episode title set out to do. Their appearances are scary, and offer a chilling laugh.

These two are Cosgood Creeps and Cuthbert Crawls. Yeah, it's funny how almost everyone else on this list have completely normal names. Meanwhile, these two at least try to advertise what they are all about. Their goal was to scare away the heirs to Colonel Beauregard Sanders' fortune.

These two try their best to sabotage Scooby and scare him away. This is because Scooby Doo was another heir to Sanders' fortune. Naturally, our plucky hound gives in, but he never quits. Thanks to the gang, they manage to unmask Creeps and Crawls.

The Phantom Shadows have a neat gimmick where they create dummies based on the heirs. All of which are sealed inside of coffins to make them look like victims. It is appropriately creepy for the kind of episode that they have.

In a later episode, we do see the Phantom Shadows recolored into three different ice-cream themed phantoms. I just think that's funny, though.

No. 1: The Creeper, Jeeper's It's The Creeper

This next villain was the scariest one for me, no joke. As a child, I convinced my mother to put on the Scooby Doo shows. She put on this episode, and it stuck with me.

As a child, I grew afraid of the episode because of The Creeper. The way he talked and moved scared me as a kid. Eventually, I think I got over my fear of him.

As a villain, The Creeper is actually the bank owner, Mr. Carswell. He was using The Creeper as an excuse to rob the bank, claiming that it could walk through 'walls'. Unfortunately? He was caught by a camera, and one slip of paper would be enough to destroy his reputation...

How does The Creeper rectify this? By tracking down the guard, distracting him with a log, and then attacking him. His violent temper left the guard unconscious and also destroyed his car. The Creeper beat down a guard for having photographic evidence, what do you think he'd do to some kids?

Honestly, that's not the only part I find 'scary'. The gang LEFT the security guard in the hands of Carswell. They unknowingly left him to be imprisoned by the same man who attacked him.

The Creeper's design does not truly feel very 'phantom' ish to me. However, that's just me being picky, and nothing else. His overall design is based on Rondo Hatton's Creeper, apparently. if anything else.

This is another episode where the Scooby Gang is working with a pretty dark atmosphere. They are trapped in the farmland, with a snarling, raging monster after them. All of this conflict stems from a paper that would automatically incriminate the monster of the week. The foreboding music that plays as he advances toward them is pretty freaky.

Honestly, the lonely hermit is a confusing element of this episode, but one that I am willing to look past. I thought he was like, another disguise of the creeper, but no. He's just some guy hanging out in the forests.

This episode also features one of the funniest chase theme songs.

Consensus: Everyone has a favorite!

This is just my ranking of the Scooby Doo villains based off of the original series. I think all of them are cool in some way or another. Some are just cooler than others, and that is okay.

If you've got a favorite ranking, then feel free to share it. I would love to see how you guys rank some of the villains. I'm sure that it would be very different.

The fun behind Scooby Doo is how bizarre most of the villains are. It is not a bad kind of 'bizarre' though. It just shows how wonderfully weird the scooby doo world is. The monsters and villains here are all so colorful.

Yet, I think making them dress up as monsters is a great way to educate children. It is better to show the monsters as ghoulish creatures than as real people. It might be easier for people to process, especially since the monsters are always unmasked after each episode.

Scooby Doo really is such a landmark franchise though. These groovy kids have been doing it since '69, and they have kept going. In spite of dark ages and bad installments, they always rise up. I have a lot of love for Scooby Doo, for helping shape my interest in mystery and suspense.

2023 marks the 80th anniversary of the world's first Superman. Ever since his inception in 1938, he has represented the best of us. He's a champion of the little people. This year saw some new changes, and also offered more confirmation on his movie.

Of importance is Superman's new series that released in 2023. 27 years after Superman's iconic Animated Series. This series reintroduces Clark, Lois, and Jimmy Olsen as 20-somethings exploring the world together.

The series has wrapped up its episodes, and today? I will be reviewing it. I will go over all the things I love about the series and all the things that I don't. It's time to step into the House of Milesverse.

Overview:

The series understands Superman

When I say the series understands Superman, I mean it. Throughout the episodes, you see Clark Kent tackles each problem. He's gentle and calm, in a way that Superman should be. Superman is more than just another hero, he's blessed with a big heart.

Early into the series, Clark Kent is afraid of Lois or Jimmy finding out about his identity. Ultimately, all Clark wants is to be human, more than anything else. He's a superhero, an alien blessed with extraordinary powers who was sent to this world from a dying planet. Yet, Clark just wants to be treated like the rest of us.

The series creates a lot of heartwarming imagery between Clark, his parents, and his friends. For the past several years, a different media image has persisted. Zack Snyder introduced a dark Superman, played by Henry Cavill. Sadly, Henry did not get a full opportunity to show off how bright and sunny Clark could be.

I love this series for the fact it plays Superman straight. In a way, it also manages to not make him boring. More than that, we see what a Clark slowly coming into his power is like. It offers a refreshing experience with Metropolis' protector.

Jimmy and Lois are not useless,

This is not a criticism that I have of Jimmy and Lois. I figured that they would not be enough to offer in battle. Between the two of them, I think I would rather take a third option. Except Krypto - the "best boi" of the DC Universe, isn't in the series. Yet. He'll probably crop up at some point in a season 2-3.

If ClarkKent is the bronze, then these two would also offer the brains. Lois and Jimmy bring their good deductive skills to the game. Their tech-savviness makes them pretty cool to see in action.

In addition, they are also Superman's center for the series. Lois Lane and Clark Kent are a thing, just like all the other adaptations. She cares about him, and he feels the same about her. Their relationship is in it's early stages, but it is steadily growing.

Jimmy Olsen is no slouch either because he's also fairly smart. Prior to Lois figuring out about Superman's identity, Jimmy already knew. Jimmy already figured out that Clark was Superman, he just chose to mind their business. At first, I felt like Jimmy was going to be boring. However, he shows a surprising level of maturity through the episodes.

Ten episodes alone is not enough,

The first season is filled with ten great episodes focused on the eponymous character himself, Superman. All ten episodes helped to introduce us to Clark's world. It establishes his greatest fears, and his connections to the cast.

Yet, I feel like the current season as it is only feels like a sample of the series. I would hope that the second season and any seasons after increase the episode amount. The good thing is that season 2 has been confirmed by Warner Bros Discovery.

There is just a lot that can be done with the series' episode structure. More episodes could help to further push the narrative. It could fill in details that some episodes just did not miss.

Season one has this in spades, in my opinion. The season is good for what it is, to be honest. However, I think having more episodes could have done more to help it.

Most of the villains are so-and-so

I will say this; the villains of the series are very, very interesting. However, the need to connect them to Superman just feels shallow. Almost all of the antagonists are designed off of alien technology that originated from 'Zero Day'. Zero Day, more or less, is when an alien invasion almost kicked off.

I think this works for certain antagonists in Superman's rogues gallery. Livewire eventually develops powers from the electrical suit she wore. This is a critical point in the later episodes where she plots her escape.

Deathstroke somehow worms his way into this series - voiced by Jerry Smith, funnily enough. His dual katanas turn into a railgun, which is just plain awesome. Slade is a nightmare to behold in the series due to his competence.

Then, we get the other assortment of rogues. Silver Banshee is a mystical enemy here, but sadly, she's flavored differently when she is paired with Mist and Rough House. I love the helmet here, but I can't help but feel like there is some serious potential lost with her old backstory.

Parasite is a whole different type of animal in this series. He's vaguely Lex Luthor adjacent with his rich guy persona and vendetta against Superman. He wears a weird purple armor that gives off Evangelion vibes. Then he just decides to turn into a kaiju because I guess that's cool?

Mr. Mxyzptlk is an interesting threat to the conflicts he sets up. His episode is the first that introduces the multiverse in this series. He's also a chaos god trickster who needs his iconic bowler hat to unleash his full potential.

There's a lot of promise with the series' threats. Yet, I feel like there's more potential in how the series can explore other threats. Superman is going to have to deal with magic one way or another. It's one of the things he is not invulnerable against, for one.

Consensus: The Sky-Highs, and the Sky-Lows

My Adventures With Superman is an ambitious project that tells a familiar story. It focuses on a younger Superman just now getting the hang of his other powers. He's joined by a revolving cast of fun characters, including his love interest, Lois Lane, and fellow reporter/roommate Jimmy Olsen.

I like the series for what it is, and I can respect that it is a different adaptation. I hope that the series takes flight in the future. I also hope that it starts to address some of the issues that the series has in general.

Overall? I think the series is a step in the right direction. The 2020s feel like a resurgence in Superhero animation, to be honest. My Adventures With Superman, Invincible, Batwheels, Moon Girl, and Devil Dinosaur, series are all helping bring up cartoon superheroes.

This is my review of My Adventures With Superman, and I hope you enjoyed it.

New Topics: Terrans, Scooby Gangs, and Skellingtons, oh my!

Hey, I've got some new topics to talk to you guys about! I will be doing more posts now. You can expect to see one - or two, of these sometime this month;

Ranking all Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Villains

Transformers: Earthspark (REVIEW)

Why I love The Nightmare Before Christmas (REVIEW, sorta)

I'll be honest with you, I've never actually read the Moon Girl comics. I think at the point it came out, I just was not into Marvel. Either I was more concerned with the MCU, or with what DC Comics was doing at the moment.

However? I was surprised to find out she had a show coming out this year. Knowing that iconic actor Laurence Fishburne was behind it piqued my interest. After watching the first few episodes, I was hooked.

So today, I'll be reviewing Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Welcome to House of Milesverse, and I hope you enjoy reading this. Let's start from the top.

What makes 'Moon Girl' worth it?

The basics;

Moon Girl is different from your usual superhero formula, but it is also similar. The series stars 13-year-old Lunella Lafayette (Diamond White), who one day conducts an experiment that creates a portal. From that portal comes Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore), a large dog-like creature who quickly becomes Lunella's best friend. The two of them fight crime in the Lower-east-side of New York as Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur!

The show does not lean one way or another when it comes to silliness or seriousness. There are many episodes that include comedic jokes and antics. However, those episodes are also filled with deep morals and lessons. In a way, it creates a balanced series that does not hinder itself by feeling the need to push in more jokes.

I think this neutrality also works when the episode does do serious topics. The two-parter finale was such a quick change of pace that I loved it. You get the idea that things really might be in danger at this point, and it's filled with so many surprising twists.

Many of the episodes also deal with Lunella's growth as a character. She is fully realized and she comes with her own flaws. We get an episode where she feels like she's wasting too much time. Her method of dealing with this is creating a skip button to wind past moments with her family. She quickly realizes that the skip button is ruining her life, and decides to destroy it.

There are plenty of episodes in the series where Moon Girl learns an important lesson. I think what I like most is that it definitely fits with that age, and you can see her take those lessons in stride.

There's more to Moon Girl

There's more to Moon Girl than just the hero, by the way. She has a cast of other characters helping her either directly or indirectly. In addition, Lunella does not tackle every problem by herself.

Her best friend is Casey Calderon (Libe Barer), a young girl of mixed Jewish and Puerto-Rican ancestry. She's something of a fashionista, but she also tries her best to help. Casey works as Lunella's confidant, and also her manager.

Her other best friend - and just as important as Lunella herself, is Devil Dinosaur. He's a large Tyrannosaurus Rex that eats and smashes everything in his way. In spite of his fearsome look, Devil's actually a cute and well-meaning pet.

You also have Lunella's family, including her caring mother Adria Lafayette (Sasheer Zamata), and her bumbling father, James Lafayette (Jermaine Fowler). You have her wise grandfather 'Pops' (Gary Anthony Williams), who is also the proprietor of the family's skating business. You have her grandmother 'Mimi' (Alfre Woodard), who, spoiler alert, actually was the ORIGINAL Moon Girl. She knows that Lunella's taken the name and become a superhero as well.

You have all these characters who all add so much to Lunella's character. You can really feel the love whenever they interact with her. Of course, one major character is very different from the rest. Heck, he's only had two episodes to show how prominent he is.

You're right, it's time for us to talk about...

The Beyonder (BEYOND all things?)

The Beyonder (Laurence Fishburne) is an omnipotent threat sent to analyze the worth of Humanity. He decides to partner up with Lunella since she's the smartest person on the planet.

You quickly get the feeling that Beyonder is really beyond this world. He's such an alien entity that he's unlike anything Lunella has faced or ever will face. In a way, The Beyonder works as a perfect foil to Lunella because of this.

Beyonder was only active in two episodes, but you feel his presence elsewhere. Throughout the series, he serves as an omnipresent narrator for the audience. He provides us with information on many of Lunella's villains.

When he does finally show up, it's a huge impact on the audience. His first episode focused on him forcing Lunella to work with her friend, Eduardo. Eduardo (voiced by Michael Cimino) is loud, loves music, and is generally annoying. Beyonder ultimately leaves them alone when Lunella proves that she can work with him.

In another episode, The Beyonder forces Lunella to confront her fears. She's forced to go to Coney Island and rescue Mimi, her grandmother. Ultimately with Devil Dinosaur's help, Lunella conquers the test and once more impresses Beyonder.

In the comics, Beyonder is a traditional enemy of the Avengers. However, I think making him a threat to Moon Girl works well. Laurence Fishburne gives him such a flamboyant and charismatic tone that it just works.

Also? He has a good theme song.

The show tackles important lessons in diversity

Let's talk about the fifth episode, Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow. In this episode, Lunella Lafayette becomes self-conscious about taking care of her hair. She tries to create a solution to strengthen her hair, but it falls out. Because of this, her hair becomes a sentient monster named Mane that wants to use the solution to create an army of hair monster

Eventually, Lunella comes clean to her family about her insecurities regarding her hair. Mimi and Adria help her through it, while also telling her that she needs a neutralizer. Both Mimi and Adria help by recounting their experiences with trying to straighten their hair.

This is what culminates in her defeating Mane. It is not done through combat but through friendship. All Mane wanted was to feel loved, and just like Adria said; "To love your hair is to love yourself". It sends an important message about how we should love our hair and take care of it.

Hair in particular can be an important part of your appearance. We oftentimes forget about the things we have because we want something else. Lunella wanted straight hair over her natural curls. By the end of the episode, she began to love her natural hair for what it was. I believe this episode is such a foundational confidence-building idea for young black girls.

The eleventh episode is just as important, and it is called Like Mother, Like Moon Girl. The episode's focus is on themes like gentrification, and using her voice. It's an impressive topic for a kiddy superhero TV series.

The episode focuses on Lunella being made community captain by one of the council presidents, Pena. Pena also hires two inventors, a husband-and-wife duo known as the Muzzlers. Although they appear nice, the Muzzlers seek to improve the Lower East Side by any means. This involves them trying to change the LES, at the vehement objections of the community.

The Muzzlers use their talents to erase the community's culture and soul. They replace it with a dull, technological city without its voice. At first, Moon Girl is rejected by the community who blame her for erasing the LES' identity.

However, after a conversation with her mother, Adria, she finds strength. She and the community rally together to stop the Muzzlers and their noise-canceling devices. They win and manage to defeat the Muzzlers.

Both of these episodes talk about serious topics, especially relating to black people. I believe that these two best represents the series' style and personality. These episodes really showcase the best in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

Moon Girl's soundtrack is awesome

Beyond the series' storytelling and characters is its soundtrack. The songs match the fast-paced action scenes that they are supposed to represent. They are also just very fun to listen to as well.

Heck, the fight scenes in general are also a spectacle to look at. We really see Moon Girl put her tools to use. Her jetpack, her skates, and her wings are all excellent additions.

This battle right here is one of my favorites to use. Although, it does not involve Lunella fighting back until later. The main point of the battle was to make 'Gravitas' run out of energy and leave him open. It really sells Lunella's strategical mindset, set to Childish Gambino's Sweatpants.

In combat, Devil Dinosaur can be seen as a hindrance, but that's not the truth. Although he is always cumbersome, he can be pretty useful. Lunella and Devil work well together, and their cooperation is often what results in their enemy's defeat.

Lastly, there's the main theme, 'Moon Girl Magic' performed by Diamond White. It is a flashy pop tune that just fills you with confidence. I think it's one of the best-animated openings of recent.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a masterpiece

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a show that is very unafraid to be what it is. It's a Marvel series based off of a lesser-known Marvel character. It has a beautifully animated New York, a diverse cast, and well-meaning morals.

I love how upbeat and aspirational the series can be. What I also enjoy is how the creator, Laurence Fishburne, made it because of his love for comics. I think it's wonderful seeing how comics have impacted places and people. I wish there was more of that representation in the world.

I recommend that just like Devil Dinosaur you take a bite at the series. So far it might be one of the better animated series of the 2020s. The good news is that it is only going to get better from here.

Thank you for reading this review of the series, I hope you enjoyed it. My next series? We could say that it is going to be transformational for you, me, and the new fans out there.