What if Darth Vader replaced Santa?

Hmmm... Interesting question.  What if Darth Vader replaced Santa Claus?  Would tell him what you wanted for Christmas?  Check this out!

DC Crossover Event on CW this week!

Well, for many of us, Thanksgiving and, the sale day to beat all sale days, Black Friday, are now over.  What could be the next best thing?  Cyber Monday?  Nope!  How about a 4 night DC crossover TV event with Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and DC Legends of Tomorrow? Yep, that's what I'm talking about.  This Monday, November 28, everything starts on Supergirl.

The plot?  Well, how about Heroes vs. Aliens.  In this case, the aliens are a species know as the Dominators.  This event is based on the DC comics Invasion storyline, where the Dominators invade Earth over concern for the metagene influence in humanity.  It turns out they were also trying to figure out how to gain the metagene capability for themselves and use it to attack other races.

Here is a full trailer for the event.  It is great kickoff to the Holiday season!

New International Star Wars: Rogue One trailer

A new international trailer for Rogue One, A Star Wars Story was just released.  A lot more details released and there is of course Vader.  We all need to see more of him.  December 16 is coming up fast!

New Wonder Woman Trailer

I think DC has really started on the right path with this movie.  Wonder Woman could be their Captain America: First Avenger and would be a good lead into the next Justice League movie.  I hope I'm right.

Here is the trailer.

First Trailer for Guardians of Galaxy 2

There's some brief but good Chris Pratt fun in this new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  More of little Groot too!

John Cleese's Review of The Walking Dead

This weekend begins the new season of The Walking Dead and I can't imagine a better review of where the show has come than this one by John Cleese.  I think he captured the major rules.  LOL

Pricing update

Everyone, I wanted to let you know of the current sale prices for the first two books of The Epherium Chronicles.  Embrace is $1.99 and Crucible is $2.49 at all the online digital retail outlets.  Echoes is still $2.99.  But for less than $9, you can the first three books of this series.  Here is a quick link the books with all their purchase links.   http://wormholesandswords.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Also, I have finished the first short story and looking for a home to publish it.  The second is almost done and Exodus, book #4, is also in progress.  November will be a very productive month and it is my hope to have something to post on where these will be published.

New Trailer for Rogue One

The second official trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One has been released.  We get a much deeper glimpse into the story and who the team comprises as they search for a way to destroy the first Death Star.  December is once again shaping up to be an exciting month for movies.  Here is the trailer.

Week 1 of Flash and Arrow 2016

The new year of fall TV shows for DC has begun! To kick it off was Flash.  When last we left the Scarlet Speedster, he had beaten Zoom, but lost his father in the process.  Wanting to have his family back, he traveled back into the past and stopped the Reverse Flash from killing his mom, thus creating a new reality where his parents are both alive.  However, other things have changed.  Joe, is foster father is a drunk cop who doesn't really know Barry at all, Cisco is a billionaire, Caitlyn a pediatric optometrist, Iris vaguely remembers him and Wally is the Flash.  All of this to make Barry happy.  Well, messing with time sucks.  It has been three months and now Barry is beginning to forget who he is.  He has to gather the team together, convince them of what has happened, help Wally defeat another speedster called the Rival, and figure out a way to stop him losing his memories.  Story short, he has to rely on the Reverse Flash (who Barry has had caged up all this time) to take him back into the past and go through with the murder of Barry's mom.  Problem is, the Reverse Flash is now reinserted into the timeline, knows what is going on and has made a few changes for Barry along the way.  First week woosh!

As for Arrow, everyone but Felicity has left to do something else, thus leaving Oliver, also Star City's new Mayor, the job of taking on bad guys as the Arrow alone.  As you can guess, it isn't working and Thea and Felicity try to convince Oliver he needs a new team.  Plus a new bad guy, Tobias Church, shows up and kidnaps Oliver a few of his staff.  Thea and the newly returned (former) Captain Lance, lead a rescue with the police.  They get Oliver out who then helps rescue the other people, but Church gets away.  All of this happens with the backdrop of the dedication of the monument to the Black Canary and Oliver's flashbacks to his time serving with the Russian Bratva.  Oliver finally agrees that he needs help and will begin to recruit members for a new team, including a new vigilante name Wild Dog, Oliver encountered at the beginning of the episode.  Not a bad start, but the story is very similar to previous seasons where Oliver must realize he can't do it all.  Good start and eager to see where then next episode leads.

Superhero Fight Club 2.0

In preparation for the beginning of a new season of DC heroes on TV this fall, the CW brings us Superhero Fight Club 2.0.  Be sure to stay to the end and enjoy!

Celebrating 50 years of Star Trek

Date: September 8, 1966.  The birth date of the Star Trek franchise and universe.  A tremendous date in history for a TV show that many weren't sure would bear fruit.  But, it grew and today we have several movies, four spin off series, a new TV series (Discovery), and even fan films/series being created.  It is a great day to be a Trek Fan.  Not sure Gene Roddenberry would have totally believed his show could have achieved so much, but I believe he would very happy.  Check out this amazing video tribute.  Live long and prosper...

https://www.facebook.com/StarTrekMovie/videos/10153924842533716/

The Strain Season 3

The fall season of TV shows is nearly upon us, but there is one that starts a bit early.  No, it's not the return of Fear the Walking Dead.  It's The Strain.

I'm not the big vampire type of show lover.  The more recent movies like Twilight and TV series like Vampire Diaries or True Blood, make it out to be this teen crush, lust filled or romantic endeavor.  No! Vampires are bad news.  I like the old school stuff.  Dracula, Fright Night, and Salem's Lot.  Vampirism isn't something that supposed to be desired, but rather feared and confronted.  A struggle for overwhelmed heroes or heroines, full of character flaws, doubts, a firm believe their very soul is on the line when confronting these creatures.

After the first two seasons and the constant prodding from my wife that I would actually like this show, I decided watch the first few episodes.  Now, after a few weeks of binge watching episodes, I am completely hooked and caught up.  I like the storyline and the threat this version of vampirism brings, but the characters are the real draw.

Professor Abraham Setrakian is a modern day Van Helsing who has fought these creatures when he first encountered The Master in a concentration camp in World War II.  The Master, though the larger antagonist, has several sinister agents working for him that take the forefront in the story.  The best of these is Thomas Eichhorst, the former Nazi commander of Setrakian's concentration camp and the good Professor's long time foe.  Dr. Ephraim Goodweather is the reluctant and almost fallen hero of the tale.  He is, or rather was, the leader of the CDC team investigating the outbreak that is now infesting New York and turning people into vampires to serve The Master.  He is definitely not the perfect hero and sometime you wonder when he will eventually get his act together.  With the onset of Season 3, it should be interesting to see.  One of my favorite characters is Vasilly Fet, a NYC exterminator, who has joined Goodweather and Setrakian in their effort to destroy The Master and his ilk.  He brings the right level of brash tactics and humor that emboldens the story.

There are more characters to talk about, but I'll let you check them out for yourselves.  Writers Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan have created a gripping and fast paced series that will capture your thrill for a good crusade against the darkness which threatens NYC.  I can't wait for Season 3 to begin on August 28, 2016.  Be sure to check it out.

New Exo-Planet at Proxima

There has been a lot of buzz in the astronomical community over the latest finding a potential exo-planet around Proxima Centauri in the habitable zone.  More details about this potential planet are to be released tomorrow, but why is it important?

Proxima is the closest star outside our solar system.  Mars offers us our best shot at a world to one day colonize and terraform, but a world similar to our own in a very close system could provide us tremendous potential to create a viable colony.  All the other exo-planets we have found today that are in the habitable zones around their stars are hundreds of light years from here.

The biggest hurdle we would have it getting there.  Without faster than light travel, colony ships would take decades at least to reach the planet.  Even our own idea for a laser-guided miniature probe would need to be accelerated to sub light capable speeds to reach there before 2030.

What would find there?  Who knows?  New plant and animal life; possibly a new alien intelligent species.  I started writing sci-fi novels just for this kind of moment.  Space is exciting, holds great potential, but there are risks and dangers.  We may not reach this world in my lifetime, but I definitely want to see our people give it their best shot.

Star Wars: Rogue One Teaser Trailer

Disney released the first Teaser Trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One.  The effects even in the trailer are really good.  I am anxiously awaiting the next trailer that should have more Vader in it.

Villain Month

Beware the Ides of March.  A phrase so rich in the history of the world.  The ominous call of doom, the death of Julius Caesar.  What a better time tocelebrate this "dark" period than to officially dedicate the month of March as Villain Month.  That's right, a chance to celebrate all the really bad guys in literature, TV, movies, and yes, comic books.  The bad guys in stories provide the fan or reader a tremendous gift.  They could be the reason why our heroes rise to the challenge.  Saving the day, when no one else can.  Often we find that villains are created by the hero.  Several of my favorite stories are full of this last scenario, where a villain is created accidentally by the actions of our star hero.  The result creates a great enmity that can never be quenched.

Villains are fantastic drivers for story plots and the unexpected twist that catches we the fan at the perfect moment. Here are my picks for best villains and be sure to post your own.

TV:  I had several that I really liked.  The Governor from Walking Dead, Joffrey from Game of Thrones, The Master from Dr. Who, and even guys like J.R. Ewing from Dallas (yes, I admit that I watched it).  My pick is Ben Linus from Lost.  Devious, diabolical at times.  His motives and actions truly represented someone you could hate from a villain perspective.

Literature:  Wow..  So many good ones.  Norman Bates, Nicodemus (Dresden Files), Hannibal Lecter, Sauron, Saruman, The White Witch (from Narnia), and even the Wicked Witch of the West.  My favorite is the gentleman villain, Professor James Moriarty.  His character was different than the more recent versions on TV, but a true villain and a great template for me to pattern the bad guy persona.

Movies:  So many to choose from here too.  Vader, Palpatine, Sauron and Saruman (again), Khan (from Star Trek II - yes, I liked Ricardo Montalban better in the movie than the TV episode or Benedict Cumberbatch's character), The Evil Queen (Snow White), Pinhead (Hellraiser), and the list goes on.  My favorite has to be Agent Smith from the Matrix Trilogy.  Outstanding villain not just because of his role as an agent, but because he wanted more.  He wanted to get out, grow and wasn't going to let Neo or other agents get in his way.

Comics:  For me, I am going to stick with just DC and Marvel  That was my real focus in reading comics when I was younger.  There was Lex Luthor, the Joker, Kingpin, Loki, Ra's al Ghul, Ares, Sinestro, Dr. Doom, and so on.  For DC comics, I have to go with Darkseid.  Hands down big bad, diabolical nasty.  On the Marvel side, Thanos is my choice, but I'm going to add an anti-hero here.  Magneto.  He's bad, but he really has a cause (the safety and well being of mutants), unfortunately he doesn't care if he has to wipe out humanity and other mutants who stand against him to achieve that goal.

Well. there is my list.  In the next few posts, I will be sharing some villains choices from some of my favorite authors, but until then, please post your own choices.  There is no wrong answer.  They're all bad news.

New updates about The Flash

Keeping up our favorite TV shows can be hard and I'm going to post some mid-season resets for everyone for some of my favorite shows.  There is some great news to announce about The Flash.  First, the long awaited appearance of Killer Frost (the dark side of Dr. Caitlyn Snow) is upon us.  In next week's episode, Barry and Cisco cross over to Earth 2 and encounter Caitlyn's other dimensional doppleganger.

Here is the preview:

Now for even bigger news.  Barry will make a trip to National City for a cross over event into an episode of Supergirl on CBS on March 28.  This crossover can be huge for all the DC TV series, but officially links Superman/Supergirl into the Flash/Arrow reality.  Personally, I can't wait for Hal Jordan to show up as Green Lantern (remember his disappearance was mentioned in The Flash when Barry did his initial test runs at Ferris Air's airstrip).

Here is the link to the news:
http://tvline.com/2016/02/03/flash-supergirl-crossover-episode-date-spoilers/

Undercover Boss: Kylo Ren

Adam Driver has done some comic skits as his dark Kylo Ren character since the release of the new Star Wars movie.  A few were a bit painful, but this one was hilarious.