Jump to Pull List | As Seen in the Daily Planet
Hello all, Amanda R. here! Our seasons are starting to wind down but we're still at full roster this week, so let's recap!
Small Screen Supes
Speedy Synopses
Gotham 2x19: Azrael
Hugo Strange and Ms. Peabody watch as a resurrected Galavan spouts "scripture" from the Order of Dumas, but then Jim arrives to question Strange about Pinewood Farms. Strange denies it all, but Jim knows better. Jim leaves, and Strange and Peabody follow behind. Ed, in explaining how he's made a place for himself in Arkham, reveals the way to give psycho Galavan a purpose: give him a story. Of course, Strange gives him a terrible one, in the form of Azrael, and sends him after Jim.
While Jim tries to get Captain Barnes to believe what Strange is up to, Azrael arrives on a mission to kill Jim. But the cops run him off. (Bruce who conveniently happens to be there, watches, entranced, as Azrael flees the scene, his cape flapping foreshadowingly behind him.) Back at GCPD, Barnes organizes a manhunt for Azreal. Before they can even begin, however, Azreal arrives at the precinct, takes out a bunch of cops and stabs Barnes, just as Barnes sees that Jim was telling the truth.
Meanwhile, Ed gets curious about Strange and Peabody's extracurriculars, and makes his way into the basement, and no-longer-reformed Penguin is intrigued by Azrael. (Mandy C.)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 3x19: Failed Experiments
In Inhuman Town, Hive tells Daisy and the three remaining heads of Hydra about his transformation from human to Hive, thanks to the Kree, thousands of years prior. Using a similar method, Radcliffe attempts to transform said heads of Hydra, but they get all melty and dead rather than Inhuman. And when Radcliffe tells Hive that, in order for the process to work he needs Kree DNA, Hive makes a call.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s planned attack on Hive/Daisy rescue attempt gets interesting when two Kree reapers arrive, and start taking out Inhumans. Daisy fights back, and takes one of them down while Hive fights the other. Mac tries to talk Daisy into returning to the fold, but she beats the crud out of him instead. May and a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers (Hi Billy Riggins!) try to destroy Hive, but he regenerates. In the process, they lose both Kree, but Daisy conveniently remembers the time she went to Tahiti and offers her blood instead.
Back at HQ, Lincoln volunteers to be a guinea pig for Fitzsimmons's Hive anti-toxin, but Coulson says nay. Of course, he goes ahead and injects himself anyway, and ruins his immune system in the process. Oh, and the antitoxin didn't work.
(P.S.—Did anyone else catch Hive's snide comments about billionaires with fancy suits and super soldiers having a civil war?) (Mandy C.)
The Flash 2x20: Rupture
Barry is still trying to be The Flash without his powers, thanks to an overzealous Cisco and some hologram magic. Our gang knows it's not going to work for long; eventually the Bad Metas will figure out that The Flash is AWOL.
Harry is still trying to convince Barry that he can safely recreate the particle accelerator explosion and have it not affect anyone but Barry. Sure thing, Harry. Barry has all three of his father figures pulling him in different directions (Hi Henry! Nice to have you back!), and he ultimately says "yes" to Harry's idea.
Cisco has a vibe about his brother and asks to meet him in a bar. He seems totally fine, and still a dick, so Cisco goes to leave only to be confronted by Dante Ramon from Earth-2, aka Rupture. He's been sent by Zoom, and is also seeking revenge for his brother's death. I guess Zoom didn't tell him the truth about how Reverb was killed. Shocker. Cisco spills the beans about his abilities and by the end of the episode Dante Ramon is 20% less of a dick to Cisco.
Zoom decides to start his Earth-1 reign of terror just like he did on Earth-2: killing the police force. Caitlyn is still Zoom's prisoner and is able to communicate to Team Flash via a found cell phone that the police are in danger. When Zoom discovers her betrayal he kills a bunch of cops regardless. The pressure is on Barry, and Iris tells him that the man she loves is Barry Allen, not The Flash. Iris is making room for Barry in her heart, and it feels like impending DOOM.
We get an Easter Egg in the form of "Garrick" being Henry's mother's maiden name (WHAT), and our Barry turns into molecules when the particle accelerator is turned on. (Ok, we know he's not dead-dead, but Team Flash doesn't know that yet.) Wally and Jessie are hit by the speed force? The particle accelerator? Not sure, but I guess we're getting our new speedsters after all! (Amanda R.)
Arrow 4x20: Genesis
Upon reflection in prison, Darhk decides that he’s capable of taking over the world by himself, thank you very much, and so he murders HIVE’s leadership and begins Genesis solo.
He’s not the only one going it alone, either. Thea takes a break from Team Arrow to have a getaway with Alex (which, unfortunately turns out to be in an underwater black site harboring the people Dahrk has chosen to survive Genesis). Oliver and Felicity head off to Hub City to learn some defense against Darhk’s dark arts from a shaman. She explains that Darhk’s magic is powered by murder and fear. If Ollie wants to beat him, he’ll have to use the power of love.
Lyla and the baby hide in a secret eighteen-wheeler while Diggle hunts down his brother. But he accidentally leads the bad guys right to her when, during a scuffle, Andy plants a tracker on him. Andy and Darhk attack their truck hideout! Lyla sends Diggle out with their daughter, staying to face the bad guys alone because she is a certified BAMF. Oliver and Felicity show up with a last minute assist, with her spiriting away the baby while Ollie faces down Darhk, using the light-based magic the shaman told him about. Darhk retreats! Diggle kills Andy!
Unfortunately, it’s not all wins. While he had Lyla captured, Darhk stole a missile defense system that he can repurpose to destroy the world in a nuclear holocaust, and remake it in his image. (Amanda K.)
DC Legends of Tomorrow 1x14: River of Time
The Legends find a loophole in engaging the Timemasters in the defeat of Savage, as he’s been a bad, bad boy and manipulating the timeline to further his cause. Rip confronts Savage about his time warp, with little outcome. “You might be a Timemaster, but I am a master of time.” Zing! Legends: 0, Savage: 1. Gideon sets course for the Vanishing Point, which is too stressful for the time drive and renders them trapped in the time stream (say that 5x fast). As Jax repairs it, he’s zapped with temporal radiation, causing his organs and body to rapidly age. Martin sends Jax through the timeline fountain of youth, hopeful that going back in time will undo the damage.
Savage is ruining everyone’s day, telling Sara that Rip’s obsession will kill them all and Ray that Carter will destroy what’s blossomed with Kendra. Later, Ray returns to tell Savage how wrong he is, only to let jealousy get the best of him and stupidly open the prison door. Legends: 0, Savage: 2. The Legends converge on Savage (including Carter, who suddenly remembers he’s a Hawk god), capturing him once and for all. The Waverider arrives at the Vanishing Point, where they turn Savage over to the authorities. Whoops, though, the authorities are actually in cahoots with Savage, arresting Rip and returning Savage back to 2166 Earth to carry out his plan of destruction. Legends: Screwed. Savage: 3.
What will happen to Martin now that he’s separated from Jackson? Will Ray ever really find love? What’s the Timemaster’s stake in the destruction of Earth? Will we have to endure the never-ending dramas of Kendra and Carter for yet another season? (Christy)
Daredevil 2x09: Seven Minutes in Heaven
If you’ve been wondering where Wilson Fisk is, here’s your chance to see what happened once he set foot in prison. Obviously, nothing good. But Fisk is resourceful, and it doesn’t take long for him to become the Kingpin of the penitentiary—even at the cost of almost all of his financial holdings. He needs all the help he can inside to take on the other man in control of the prison, Dutton.
Matt is recovering from his injuries with Elektra’s help, but he’s not happy with her ruthless nature and the pleasure she takes in killing. They part ways.
Back in the prison, Fisk recruits Castle to take on Dutton, giving him a tenuous tie to Castle’s family’s murder as motivation. Castle at first refuses any sort of arrangement with Fisk, but the Kingpin is persuasive, and Castle’s fury is unleashed. Fisk turns on Castle, and releases the other prisoners to take on the Punisher. The bodies pile up. (That doesn’t even begin to cover how OMG BRUTAL that scene is.)
Foggy stops by to talk to Matt, and Matt decides that Foggy (and Nelson & Murdock) might be better off without him. Karen is undeterred in her quest for the truth, however, and pays a visit to the medical examiner from the trial. The mystery deepens.
Castle and Fisk have one more confrontation. Fisk beats Castle mercilessly, and then decides to set him free. The guards on his payroll step aside and allow Castle to walk out the door. (Kelly)
Daredevil 2x10: The Man in the Box
I'm doing my best Indiana Jones impression when I say: "Creepy kids. Why did it have to be creepy kids??" Sure, these kids are victims of some greater evil but y'all had to know that they weren't just going to RECOVER and go home, right?
I'm getting ahead of myself.
Matt Murdock helps get the kids that were being caged and drained of their blood to the hospital where Clare works, and because Clare is everything she takes them under her care and keeps it all on the low. While Matt is filling her in he overhears that Frank Castle has escaped prison. He immediately becomes suspicious and heads to the D.A.s office, where Foggy and Karen have been summoned.
D.A. Reyes is FRAZZLED. She found a printout of Castle's skull x-ray in her daughter's backpack, and so now her family has been sequestered under police protection in an undisclosed location. She's freaking out, and she should be since she was the one who orchestrated the police sting that resulted in the slaughter of Frank's family. Her reason not to clear the park of civilians was that it would've been too obvious and the sting would have failed. I really loathe this woman, but you know what? I don't have to look at her smug face anymore because machine gun fire rains through her office window, and Foggy takes a hit to the shoulder. Reyes? Dead.
Karen tells her boss at the paper that she's pretty sure that Frank isn't behind this killing, and they go check on the disgraced medical examiner-who has also been shot, Punisher-style. Karen goes back to her apartment with a police escort that is swiftly dispatched by Frank, who is there to tell her that he's not responsible for the killings. Frank Castle isn't a liar, and he sure as hell claims every single one of his kills, so we know he's telling the truth. Karen is unsure, but when machine gun bullets rip through her windows and it's Frank who saves her, she's SURE.
Matt suspects that it's Fisk behind Frank's prison escape after finding out that they shared the same prison block. He visits Fisk, provokes him with promises of keeping Vanessa out of the country for good, and Fisk gives him a literal and verbal smackdown. Fisk is RUNNING that prison.
Elektra has been marked. Can't a lady just drink straight vodka at the airport bar in peace? A sexy Frenchman tries to take her down, and right before she kills him he tells her that it was Stick that sent him. DANG!
Clare tries to convince Matt that his solo quest for martyrdom is going to lose him everything - and everyone - while also trying to convince him to visit Foggy in the hospital. (Seriously, Murdock??) Matt lets the shadows of the night envelop him as he leaves (drama queen), and Clare discovers that her patients have killed the accountant/father, and they're standing there looking at her like The Children of the Corn, and I AM NOT OK WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT. (Amanda R.)
Hero of the Week: John Diggle, Arrow
Even though Andy killed Laurel (and is a HUGE asshat), John wasn't planning on putting him down. Then Andy threatened his wife and child. OH WELL.
Honorable mentions: Cisco Ramon/The Flash, Caitlyn Snow/The Flash, Mack/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Frank Castle/Daredevil
Villain of the Week: Wilson Fisk, Daredevil
First he doesn't let Matt bring his cane into their meeting (RUDE), and then he beats the snot out of him. How much longer before Fisk orchestrates his own release from prison?
Honorable mention: Andy Diggle/Arrow, Zoom/The Flash
Comic Relief
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PULL LIST
Top Titles
DC Super Hero Girls (Free Comic Book Day issue), written by Shea Fontana, with art by Yancey Labat
Free Comic Book Day brings us the first and only comic book starring the DC Super Hero Girls! This adorable take on some of DC Comics' best and brightest heroines is perfect for all ages. The school year is wrapping up, and Supergirl is nervous about her upcoming final exams. The last time she had finals was on Krypton, and things didn't go well for her at all. Can Jonathan and Martha Kent help her find her courage?
This Free Comic Book Day issue is a lead-in to the upcoming graphic novel "Finals Crisis" coming out this summer. Once again I find myself wishing this series was around when I was a kid! If you can find a copy, pick it up for a special girl in your life (including yourself). (Kelly)
Midnighter #12 by Steve Orlando, with art by ACO and Hugo Peters
All good things must come to an end with Rebirth, including the beloved Midnighter. Issue 12 drops us into the middle of the action in Modora, where Midnighter, Apollo, and the Suicide Squad are battling The Unified. After completing their mission (and the loss of half of their costumes *wink*), Midnighter returns home, where we see him genuinely smiling at where his life is. Even better, we see him and Apollo finally reconcile, ending the story with the potential of starting another. Will we see Midnighter (and Apollo!) in Rebirth? I sure hope so! We need strong, diverse characters doing their thing and Midnighter is exactly that. (Christy)
Vampirella #3 by Kate Leth, with art by Eman Casallos
Vampirella is getting answers to the questions behind the killings at her stage show: Director Arabella Slade has been around a lot longer than she looks, and she likes to make horror movies using ACTUAL demons. She feeds them a steady diet of unknown extras, and apparently everyone in Hollywood is too afraid of her to do anything about it. This series continues to be fun, sexy, and thrilling, and OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I MET KATE LETH ON SATURDAY:
She signed all of my Vampirella's, Power Up's, and Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat's! And she was THE COOLEST.
AS SEEN IN THE DAILY PLANET
News
Every shirt Cisco has worn, ranked. I love the internet.
New details for The Killing Joke released.
Supergirl STILL hasn't been renewed, and it could be moving from CBS to The CW.
DC Legends of Tomorrow is getting a major overhaul for S2, and two new heroes, including "a female WWII hero" who is Black! #diversitywin
Interview with the new Birds of Prey team, including a writer from The 100!
All Marvel post- and mid-credit scenes so far.
Agent Carter probably isn't getting renewed because we can't have nice things.
The state of Asian representation in comics.
How many of you superfans have already seen Civil War? What are your predictions for the last two episodes of The Flash? Let's dish!