Let's Talk: Doctor Who

I think it’s finally safe to say how much I love Peter Capaldi as the 12^th Doctor. Like many others, I’m always a bit hesitant whenever a new Doctor comes around and it takes a few episodes for me to finally adjust to a new face, but let me tell you-- I’ve pretty much been in love with him since Robot of Sherwood. The way he moves, his physicality, his embodiment is just so the Doctor.

His take on the Doctor is way different than that of Matt Smith’s, but I actually really like it. Where Smith’s incarnation was wide-eyed and child-like, Capaldi’s is more brash, abrupt and a bit cold. I also really like the new direction they’re taking with his relationship with Clara; it’s developed into something more familial rather than the Are-they-into-each-other feel they had in the past.

The same characteristics that made me fall in love with the Doctor are still there—he’s still as sassy as ever (maybe even a little more so, ahemgivingRobinHoodthebird), he’s still willing to help people (although he doesn’t seem to get as invested, he did say Clara cares so he doesn’t have to), and his adventures are still bigger than ever (not only did he go inside a Dalek, but he even robbed the most secure bank in the universe! Talk about chutzpah!)—but now he also questions himself and his ethics more, trying to figure out if he’s a good man or not. Capaldi has turned the Doctor into more of a thinker; you can see him using his mind to find answers to his problems rather than relying solely on the TARDIS or his trusty sonic screwdriver. I also absolutely love that he kept his Scottish accent, it really adds to the whole “rebel time lord” thing, and not to mention his styling is on point.

Underneath the new face and attitude, the Doctor is still the same character I fell in love with so many seasons ago. He’s still insecure, still awkward, still hesitant to be called a hero, and that’s what I love most about Doctor Who, the Doctor himself may change, but at the core he stays the same.  Also, can we talk about how pretty the inside of the TARDIS looks? And the opening title sequence? And who the heck is this Missy cause I really need to know? Dang you, Steven Moffat and your secrets!

Marvel Reprinting Dark Horse Star Wars Comics

Just look at how pretty it is *insert heart eyes emoji*

Two things about me: I am a huge Star Wars fan, and I love basically everything Marvel does. So when I heard that Marvel was planning on reprinting all of the Dark Horse Star Wars comics, I was obviously more than excited.

Beginning in 2015, Marvel announced that they would be taking over the printing duties for the Star Wars franchise, and the first book they’ll put out will be called “Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 1.”  These Epic Collections will be in chronological order and are aiming to be large (the first volume is 440 pages of galactic goodness) and affordable for all (around $34.99- TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY). The first volume will be stories set after the events of Episode III, with material written by John Ostrander, Randy Stradley, Haden Blackman, among others.

Now, these are not new stories, only previously published comics from Dark Horse, only now under the Marvel moniker.  The Dark Horse issues are still available, but will be going out of print once the licensing shifts over to Marvel, so you better hurry on down to your local comic book shop and snatch them up quick.

As if these reprints weren’t enough to get my fangirl blood pumpin’, Marvel also announced at Comic-Con that they’d be publishing a set of three new Star Wars comic book series in early 2015: “Star Wars”, “Star Wars: Darth Vader”, and “Star Wars: Princess Leia.” All three of which would take place after the events of A New Hope.

Words can’t express how super pumped I am on this. I have issues from both the Dark Horse and Marvel runs (Marvel actually published the original Star Wars comics back in the 70s) in my collection so I will be counting down the days until these new ones come out. Look for me pushing kids out of my way to be the first to get my hands on these babies.

Let's Talk: Mortal Kombat

One of my favorite video games is Mortal Kombat. I spent a lot of time when I was younger perfecting my button-mashing technique, yelling at my TV screen, and trying to find which character’s Fatality suited my personality the best. Now, with the news that NetherRealm Studios will be releasing a new installment of the beloved fighting game next April, I think it’s only fitting to list some the greatest (in my opinion) MK fighters. Cue the electro theme music.

Photo credit: mortalkombatonline.com

13. Cyrax - Once the creators of MK exhausted their supply of ninja warriors, they turned to the next best thing- robot ninjas warriors. Cyrax is the yellow one who shoots nets from his chest. What more could you ask for?

Photo credit: mortalkombatwarehouse.com

12.  Smoke – He pretty much looks like a grayscale version of Scorpion or Sub-Zero, but with Don King hair and trails of smoke coming from his body. I’m guessing that’s so if he doesn’t take you down with one of his finishing moves, he can still give you emphysema. WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?

Photo credit: mortalkombatwarehouse.com

11.  Goro – The match I most dreaded while playing the original MK game was going against Goro. He’s the big boss of the game and the most frustratingly annoying to take down. You’d think that since all Johnny Cage had to do in the film was give’em a swift punch in the ‘nads to slow him down, he wouldn’t be that bad, but no, just thinking about it is making me angry. Also, homeboy had 4 arms; you’d think he could’ve come up with a better hairstyle than that stupid ass ponytail.

Photo credit: mortalkombat.wikia.com

10. Jax – When he first came along, Jax didn’t look like anything special, then he came back in MK3 with his bionic arms and became one of the coolest characters.  He’s probably one of the most physical in the game, especially at close range, I mean he can beat a person down into the pavement and then kick their head off without batting an eye. He is not playin’.

Photo credit: digital-art-gallery.com

9. Raiden – Raiden is the god of Thunder, former Protector of the Earthrealm, and he can pull off a very wide brimmed hat, which not many can. A lot of his moves remind me of a mix between Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars and the Lightning guy from Big Trouble in Little China, so that makes him A-Ok in my book.

Photo credit: wikia.com

8. Liu Kang – Not only did he take all the tournaments by storm with his Bruce Lee-like physique, he’s probably the invisible bike-riding champ of the world. If that wasn’t enough, his animality changes him into a freakin’ dragon so you know he’s got to be the blood of old Valyria, obviously.

Photo credit: mortalkombatonline.com

7. Reptile – Any person who tells you they unlocked Reptile as a hidden character is a liar. You had to get a double Flawless victory in single player mode, finish off with a fatality, and it’d only work if there was a shadow across the moon and you sacrifice your first born to it. Ok, so maybe not that last part, but it certainly seemed like that was the only way you’d ever get it to work. He’s the only reptile I know of that can spit acid and turn invisible, and I may or may not say “REPTILE WINS” while doing his victory pose any time something good happens to me. Seriously, try it, it makes everything way cooler.

Photo credit: mortalkombatwarehouse.com

6. Mileena – Mileena was supposed to be the perfect copy of Kitana made by Shang Tsung, except thanks to the Tarkatan DNA he used, she’s got a messed up demon grill hiding underneath that face bandana. She is definitely a lot more vicious than her counterpart, and will take any opportunity to take her “sister” down. Out of all the female fighters, I definitely think Mileena is the most formidable; she has incredible speed, agility and brute strength. Also, in one of her finishing moves, she inhales her opponent and then spits out their bones, making her one lady you do not want to piss off.

Photo credit: mortalkombatwarehouse.com

5. Baraka – The answer to critics and parents alike complaining about how bloody and violent your game is? Add a newer, more terrifying character! Seriously, apart from him having some of the most brutal moves in the whole series, he has blades coming out of his arms that would make even Wolverine hide in a corner.

Photo credit: perdrowp.com

4. Sonya Blade – I’ve got to give it up to the original female character. She could literally burn you to a crisp with her kiss, and homegirl can hold a grudge- just ask Kano. Unless we’re talking about the movie, in which case you can’t, cause she snapped his neck between her legs like it was a little bitty toothpick. Girl power.

Photo credit: mortalkombatonline.com

3. Kitana – Hands down, my favorite MK character. Not only is she good at hand-to-hand combat, she has a ton of combos to choose from. She can use her fans to lift her opponent in the air rendering them immobile and useless, she could teleport and reappear behind her opponent taking them off guard, and one of her Fatalities was decapitating her opponent with her fans and who doesn’t like that?

Photo credit: mortalkombat.wikia.com

2. Sub-Zero – I’m talking about the original Sub-Zero who only appeared in the first MK game, before getting killed by Scorpion, becoming a ghost and changing his name to “Noob” (we’re gonna look past that). He’s probably one of the most noted characters in the game, with good reason too- he would rip his opponents head off with their spine still attached! Plus, not only could he freeze your ass, but he could also keep your drink chilled on a warm day.

Photo credit: playground.ru

1. Scorpion – Big surprise here, right? I don’t think it’s possible to think of the words “Mortal Kombat” without the iconic “GET OVER HERE” popping into your head. He’s the one character I feel like everyone can agree on as being the best and most badass of the entire series. If I’m not playing as Kitana, you can be dang sure I’m fighting someone over playing as Scorpion, never has a ninja assassin been so beloved.

What are some of your favorite Mortal Kombat kharacters? (See what I did there- so good.) Let me know in the comments!

Saddest Moments on Fringe

One of my favorite things to do is binge watch TV shows on Netflix, my most recent addiction being Fringe. I know, I know, I’m super late to the party and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to watch it, but now I’m obsessed. I blew through the five seasons in like two weeks and it was one of those shows that made me laugh and then two seconds later made my heart break. The show is filled with such great characters who you become attached to and you feel for them and you root for them, when they’re sad you want everything to work out and when they’re happy you want to celebrate with them. Each character and storyline grew so much with each season it’s hard not to get caught up in it. When I set out to make this list, I didn’t realize just how many moments I would actually have and I tried to cut it down but it was just impossible, so I broke it down by season. So here ya go, here are my “Oh, my heart” moments from Fringe.

Season 1:

•  Walter returning to St. Claire’s to help solve a kidnapping case.
•  Finding out Olivia was one of the children in Walter and William Bell’s Cortexiphan trials and then when she confronts Walter in the diner about his involvement.
• Walter willing to sacrifice himself to the snake/scorpion creature in the sewer in order to save Peter and Olivia. And if that in it self wasn’t enough, then he starts to sing that “Menagerie” song to calm himself down, which you find out is the same song he used to sing to his dog Rufus who suffered from night terrors. Just hit me with a ton of bricks while you’re at it.
• Walter visiting Peter’s grave.

Season 2:

• Walter getting stranded in Chinatown and not remembering Peter’s phone number. When he breaks down and starts to cry to that old woman, I can feel my heart breaking into a million tiny pieces.
• When Walter gets back to the lab to find out Astrid was injured by the men from Chinatown who looted the lab. Their friendship is one of my absolute favorite things about the show, and this really shows just how much he cares for her.
• Peter calling Walter “Dad.”
•  Charlie being killed and then replaced by the shapeshifter AND THEN Olivia having to kill him. He was one of her most trusted friends and she put a bullet through his head.
• Olivia returning to Jacksonville where the Cortexiphan trials were held and going back into the room she set on fire.
• Walter receiving the white tulip in the mail, which is his symbol of God’s forgiveness.
• Peter realizing he’s not from this universe and telling Walter that he’s not his son.
•  Olivia telling Peter he belongs with her.

Season 3:

• Olivia getting replaced by the Olivia from the alternate universe.
• Fauxlivia starting a relationship with Peter. NO JUST NO.
• Walternate giving Olivia drugs to make her think that she is Fauxlivia.
•  The alternate Broyles sacrificing himself so that the real Olivia can cross back over to where she belongs.
• Olivia breaking down about Peter and Fauxlivia’s relationship and how he couldn’t tell it wasn’t her.
•  Peter entering the machine and then getting erased.

Season 4:

•  Peter getting erased from the timeline, but Olivia and Walter still seeing flashes of him, which then leads to Olivia finding Walter trying to give himself a lobotomy.
•  Peter finally coming back but no one remembering him.
• Alternate Astrid coming over to see Astrid after her father’s funeral. Basically everything about AltAstrid makes me so happy/sad.
•  Astrid getting shot while trying to protect Walter.
•  Walter shooting Olivia in the head in order to stop Bell from creating a third universe with the help of her Cortexiphan abilities.
•  Peter then cradling her afterwards and pushing Walter away. Excuse me while I drown in my tears.
• Walter saving Olivia and then her finding out that she’s pregnant with Peter’s baby. This should be a happy occasion, but seeing how this show goes, you know that something horrible is coming.
• And it does. September mysteriously telling Walter “They’re coming.” Meaning a future overrun with Observers who have taken over humanity. Just once I would like for them to have nice things, but nooooo.

Season 5:

• The whole season occurring in 2036, where Observers have taken over the Earth and humanity is separated into Loyalists (those who serve the Observers) and the Resistance (those opposed to the Observers)
• Walter, Olivia, Peter and Astrid being rescued from amber from Olivia and Peter’s grown up daughter, who was taken from them the day the Observers invaded and who just so happens to be a member of said resistance.
• The flashback to Peter, Olivia and their daughter Etta in the park when she was a child on the day the Observers invaded.
•  Etta getting shot by Captain Windmark (the head of the Observers) and Peter and Olivia having to lose their daughter again.
• Olivia watching a video Walter gives her of one of Etta’s birthday parties.
•  Nina shooting herself in the head so Windmark can’t read her thoughts to find out Walter's plan to overthrow the Observers.
• Walter leading the Observer child, Michael, through the wormhole in order to create a paradox that would erase the Observers from ever invading Earth.
•  Flashing back to that day in the park, this time without the Observers invading and Peter receiving a white tulip in the mail from Walter.

The entire series is a complete emotional rollercoaster; one minute you’re happy and the next you’re curled in the fetal position sobbing, but that was what made it such a great show. Let me know some of your favorite moments in the comments!