All posts by Jason Nichols

Jason enjoys blogging, conservation, hiking, fundraising, reading comics, watching anime, gaming and of course creating terrific content. On a side note, hobbies he loves but just plain terrible at include building Gunpla.
Movies/TV, News

Avengers Endgame: Puts an End to the Hulk You Know

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When you’re watching Endgame it’s easy to see all the things done right. It isn’t until you make your way into your car and drive several minutes down the road that you start to notice some of the things it does very wrong. No one likes to nitpick or be that guy, but we still need to talk about the jolly green giant in the room, Professor Hulk.


“Avengers Endgame” has been out for over a week now, turning to the Russo brothers spoiler ban for guidance we are past the set date for talking about some of the most interesting cinematic events of the year. You have been warned the below may contain spoilers.

For those new to the MCU or Marvel characters, the Hulk has traditionally been an unbridled rage machine whose strength scales exponentially with his anger. Possessing a low-level intelligence, this adaptation of the Hulk is known as Savage Hulk, MCU “Thor Ragnarok” showed the Hulk possessing a young child’s intellect and even capable of communication. This character development meant the Hulk could now work effectively with his fellow Avengers and smash some stuff along the way. Until the recent debuts of Thor wielding Storm Breaker and Captain Marvel making her way on the scene, the Hulk has arguably been the strongest Avenger.

Taking Hulk and Bruce Banner fans down a painful memory trip, the last time audiences saw Banner Hulk out he tried to take on the Mad Titan single-handedly, Thanos quickly put Hulk in a timeout. This defeat was so hard felt it caused the Hulk to refuse stepping into fights for Banner for the rest of the film.

It was leaked before Endgames release that fans would be getting a whole new Hulk, the perfect fusion of brains and brawns. The result is a slightly different one than you would expect, Professor Hulk is definitely contrasting to his previous version but it can be argued his personality is nothing short of Banner if he was coolest kid in highschool.

Professor Hulk is a new take on the Hulk smash aspect , he generally prefers taco sharing to smashing. That’s a literal statement the Banner Hulk fusion has a run in with his former more savage self in 2012, doing a little time jumping. Detesting his more base forms treatment of some Chitauri warriors and a poor car, he soon after resents having to play the part as he casually dented some cars. The Hulk reluctant to smash, say it ain’t so. Shortly before this scene we see him handing two crispy tacos to Antman who just can’t seem to get a break. An observant eye or third time watcher can tell you that Professor Hulk is not just a drastically different character in terms of personality but also a physically puny comparison to his Savage versions height and bulk. Audiences immediately caught on to the imposing differences in the Hulks when side by side. The Hulk is now more akin to the largest human being you’ve ever seen and no so much a monstrous hulk.

The team does a good job creating an accurate potrayal of a laid back professor Hulk, with all the Hulk versions out there (Totally Awesome Hulk anyone) is this the best fit for the continuity of an expanding MCU?

Since the Hulk initially had his tail whipped by Thanos in Avengers Infinity Wars I have waited for one thing, the rematch. It was one of the absolute pinnacles Endgame sold me on “the big rematch” something as grandeur as the upcoming Clegane Bowl in Game of Thrones. Admitting, no previews or trailers leading up to the release of the film appeared to show any sign of a rematch between the Hulk and Thanos. It was something that all MCU fans had come to expect after the big green guy’s no show. Endgame gives nearly the entire roster a shot at Thanos: Spiderman, Ironman, Dr. Strange, Thor, Captain Marvel just to name a few. While all this is happening Professor Hulk is beneath the mansion under an immense pile of rubble absent for most of the ensuing conflict. So we actually never seen an exchange between the two, not so much as a witty remark.

Making expectations clear I never presumed the Hulk or Professor Hulk could overpower Thanos much less be able to defeat him however I did expect some well deserved punches to be dished out from a Hulk who had put  his big boy pants on. Being fair Professor Hulk is an invaluable asset to the team in the “big brains” department but is also a real powerhouse who could of been used as more than an infinity battery.

Fans are presented with a hard trade of personality, charisma and nice duds for one of the physically weakest versions of the Hulk (Professor Hulk). Weakest is by no means a slouch Hulk is still able to support the entire weight of the Avengers Mansion when Thanos first attacks. Later on though he Is incapable of any type of quick regeneration after using the Infinity Gauntlet. This is a no no for any Hulk fan who knows the Hulk’s regenerative capabilities are on par with other Marvel self healers like Wolverine and Deadpool. My biggest peeve at the end is Professor Hulk actually wearing an arm cast days after the battle, are the directors trying to tell us something? Could the Hulk be out for future MCU projects?

It’s not that hulk wearing sweats and glasses isn’t cool, its freaking awesome. The problem arises when one of the strongest characters in Marvel being used as a testifiable villain strength punching bag, sacrificed for plot continuity.

Movies/TV, News

Game of Thrones: Parting Will be Sweet Sorrow

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Two days after the shock of experiencing the last Game of Thrones premiere, I feel the social discussion group therapy starting to work. The next day I went to work on my keyboard sifting through sites for clues, fan theories anything that might give me a glimpse into the upcoming episode. I ceased the staring contest with my computer screen and tried to ignore the dozens of fan theories detailing who might die next. So instead I took to the most direct source and tuned in like millions of others, combing over season 8’s episode one. What I learned, I’m going to miss being reminded in the middle of summer that winter is coming.

Taking a step back the episode was enjoyable to watch, a lot of build up but that’s what we should expect. All the major players are moving into place for their final moves. As the last battle approaches and the plot develops, it is nice to see the gradual change in our characters attitudes and alliances leading up to the season finale.

Everyone in the episode seems to have a lot going on, Tyrion is busy formulating his next calculated move, Jon is tripping over his feet after Daenerys, the dragons are flying but what about poor Bran Stark sitting by himself? Can someone spend two minutes of their day standing in the mud next to Bran carrying a conversation? This is the setting we see for most of Brans screen time. Bearing a look that says, “I can see the blueprint of your soul” sadly this doesn’t help my hanging out with Bran argument. At this point Isaac Wright (Bran) is doing a great job with his portrayal and behaving how we should expect a three eyed raven in training to. By now he is very similar to a deity seeing the past present future, this likely distorts his connection to people and the world around him. The part that makes Brans performance really worth mentioning is the foreshadowing felt when Bran casts that gaze. Discovering who dies next, gains the crown, or betrayal might bee as simple as calculating how long Bran had stoic eye contact with them.

Everyone in the episode seems to have a lot going on, Tyrion is busy formulating his next calculated move, Jon is tripping over his feet after Daenerys, the dragons are flying but what about poor Bran Stark sitting by himself? Can someone spend two minutes of their day standing in the mud next to Bran carrying a conversation? This is the setting we see for most of Brans screen time. Bearing a look that says, “I can see the blueprint of your soul” sadly this doesn’t help my hanging out with Bran argument. At this point Isaac Wright (Bran) is doing a great job with his portrayal and behaving how we should expect a three eyed raven in training to. By now he is very similar to a deity seeing the past present future, this likely distorts his connection to people and the world around him. The part that makes Brans performance really worth mentioning is the foreshadowing felt when Bran casts that gaze. Discovering who dies next, gains the crown, or betrayal might bee as simple as calculating how long Bran had stoic eye contact with them.

Last season we were left with a growing problem, Daenerys is quickly accelerating into what could be the classic Shakespearian (Macbeth) descent into darkness. It was chilling to hear her speak to John just after her last exchange of words with Sansa, “If she cant follow me than…) I wonder what would she of said if she wasn’t cut off. The Queen of Dragons arrival shows us that both Sansa and Daenerys are speculative of the other, testing and probing for some type of reaction. Daenerys makes the statement when she is alone with Jon. Sansa does get a chance to speak with Jon advising caution about his new queen and possibly the greater threat, Cersei. Sadly it seems her words were falling on deaf ears. All the major players that are willing to fight in the north have finally moved into place to do so. Sansa under the same roof as Daenerys is bad news: this is not Sansa’s first go around with someone in power. Her Time spent with Ramsay Bolton, Joffrey, and Cersei has done anything but make Sansa ignorant in the ways of manipulation, betrayal and court. I can honestly say I think Sansa is one of the most intelligent characters on the show, maybe the very reason Daenerys seems so hostile towards Sansa. The work put into the show is amazing, 8 years later and we still see character killing rivalries blossoming.

Last season we were left with a growing problem, Daenerys is quickly accelerating into what could be the classic Shakespearian (Macbeth) descent into darkness. It was chilling to hear her speak to John just after her last exchange of words with Sansa, “If she cant follow me than…) I wonder what would she of said if she wasn’t cut off. The Queen of Dragons arrival shows us that both Sansa and Daenerys are speculative of the other, testing and probing for some type of reaction. Daenerys makes the  statement when she is alone with Jon. Sansa does get a chance to speak with Jon advising caution about his new queen and possibly the greater threat, Cersei. Sadly it seems her words were falling on deaf ears. All the major players that are willing to fight in the north have finally moved into place to do so. Sansa under the same roof as Daenerys is bad news: this is not Sansa’s first go around with someone in power. Her Time spent with Ramsay Bolton, Joffrey, and Cersei has done anything but make Sansa ignorant in the ways of manipulation, betrayal and court. I can honestly say I think Sansa is one of the most intelligent characters on the show, maybe the very reason Daenerys seems so hostile towards Sansa. The work put into the show is amazing, 8 years later and we still see character killing rivalries blossoming.

The Queen of Dragons might be teeter toting the line of justice and madness but let’s discuss the facts, she burned Sam’s family alive. If there was a scene so emotionally shattering for audiences, enough to crack dragon glass it would be Sam Tarly learning from Daenerys his father and brother had been executed by her. Sam greeted his new Queen with typical sunny disposition, only to be given the news after she learned his house name. Daenerys is cold and ruthless dispensing what justice she sees fit but here she has no remorse whatsoever in the scene after destroying Sam. The conversation seemed to of already been rehearsed in her mind, they were traitors to her and undeserving of remorse. How does that saying go, “only a Sith deals in absolutes” not sure if its cannon but it does make a lot of sense. The cold remorseless expression from Daenerys is only trumped by Sam’s secondary reaction to hearing his brother was dead as well. He had no idea, believing initially only his father was dead: this wasn’t such a bad thing because he could return home to his brother the new lord of Horn Hill. For this reason Sam’s reaction just overwhelms you. Acceleration from his genuine shock to utter breakdown as he excuses himself caused fans and myself to cry out for beloved Sam.

The Queen of Dragons might be teeter toting the line of justice and madness but let’s discuss the facts, she burned Sam’s family alive. If there was a scene so emotionally shattering for audiences,  enough to crack dragon glass it would be Sam Tarly learning from Daenerys his father and brother had been executed by her. Sam greeted his new Queen with typical sunny disposition, only to be given the news after she learned his house name. Daenerys is cold and ruthless dispensing what justice she sees fit but here she has no remorse whatsoever in the scene after destroying Sam. The conversation seemed to of already been rehearsed in her mind, they were traitors to her and undeserving of remorse. How does that saying go, “only a Sith deals in absolutes” not sure if its cannon but it does make a lot of sense. The cold remorseless expression from Daenerys is only trumped by Sam’s secondary reaction to hearing his brother was dead as well. He had no idea, believing initially only his father was dead: this wasn’t such a bad thing because he could return home to his brother the new lord of Horn Hill. For this reason Sam’s reaction just overwhelms you.  Acceleration from his genuine shock to utter breakdown as he excuses himself caused fans and myself to cry out for beloved Sam.

The end of the show we see everything wrapping up until the arrival of Jamie Lannister at Winterfell. So closed towards the close Jamie doesn’t actually get any lines in but it seems implied that Jamie will be in hot water from the start with Daenerys. He is after all the king slayer and that king just happened to be her father. It is unlikely Jon would allow Daenerys to outright kill Jamie but the way she approaches the situation could have rippling consequences later in the season. Jamie is another character that is fun to see on-screen just the right amount of humor and faults, emerging from an arrogant and self-centered Lannister to likeable golden handed guy.

The end of the show we see everything wrapping up until the arrival of Jaime Lannister at Winterfell. So closed towards the close Jaime doesn’t actually get any lines in but it seems implied that he will be in hot water from the start with Daenerys. He is after all the king slayer and that king just happened to be her father. It is unlikely Jon would allow Daenerys to outright kill Jaime but the way she approaches the situation could have rippling consequences later in the season. Jaime is another character that is fun to see on-screen just the right amount of humor and faults, emerging from an arrogant and self-centered Lannister to likeable golden handed guy.

In July of 2017 more fans tuned into streaming services than they did the Super bowl. Letting that statement sink to the bottom it isn’t hard to speculate the exponential anticipation from fans as the shows big battle finale approaches

Movies/TV, News

Shazam: Adds Depth To an Expanding DCEU

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After the anticipated opening weekend for David Sandberg’s Shazam, fans are left with a wanderlust of possibilities for the DCEU. Surpassing initial North American box office projections of $53.5 million and topping out at just over $56.8 million nationally, $102 million internationally. Shazam has had the lowest opening box office weekend of any film in the DC universe so far but managed to stay well under its modest $100 million dollar budget. Shazam is an enjoyable break from the typical somber and serious DCEU tones.

 A fresh take on what it means to be a DC hero on the big screen, Shazam follows Aquaman’s success adding depth and possibility to the seven film franchise. For those of you who may have not had the chance to see the film this weekend warning, further reading may contain spoilers.

Shazam. explores Billy Batson’s life; an abandoned 14-year-old looking for his parents; isolating himself from anyone willing to give him anything until he is given a final chance to settle in with a new foster family (themselves orphans) hoping they can help him see sense. Billy finds himself out of his depth quickly and it ends as so many had before; him running away. But this time; he runs into a powerful wizard and must take the mantle of Shazam. Leaving him with a confusing face, a confusing body, confusing powers, and no-one to turn to, but his foster family. –Adam Zensi

A project this large incorporates hundreds of dedicated supporting individuals that spend countless hours to make it a reality. For producers, directors, actors and crewmembers a films financial success is celebrated but it is truly inspiring to see a unique character paired with an actor or actress that can deliver a performance meriting additional films, Asher Angel (Billy Batson) and Zachary Levi (adult Billy) do just that. Asher embodies the isolation every teenager feels at some point from the group, growing from the guy who steals your gel pens to a genuine hero. The chemistry between co star Jack Dylan Grazer (Freddy) and Asher is simply amazing highlighting a friendship audiences feel almost envious of. Zachary Levi churns out one of the most authentic and comical takes on a “kid in an adults body” routines ever, physically and emotionally manifesting the wrestling of  being a teen in an adult body with superman level powers. It was actually hard to tell what was more funny to watch, older or younger Billy Batson squabbling with Freddy. The performance is a breath of fresh air that portrays a fun superhero that future children can relate and aspire to.

The entire tone is light hearted, even though the world is hanging in the balance there is just the right amount of comedy to get a laugh. Probably the only character taking the role without a single smirk is Mark Strong playing the villain Dr. Sivana. Young Billy Batson isn’t a bucket of laughs but more of the quiet loner type, kind of like the guy who wore a denim jacket in high school. Powered up, he is on a continuous role of arguing, hiding, fighting and running in a manner hilarious compared to your typical hero.

One of the most enjoyable takeaways after watching Shazam  is the abundant references  to other DC cinematic characters like Batman and Superman. Whether it is in the form of comic relief or direct interaction between Shazam and other franchise heroes, the message is that Shazam will be a player in the future of the DCEU. Shazam marks the first stride filmmakers have taken to create a  universe that allows the easy transition of heroes and heroines into each others films.

On the less exuberant side, the movie does have some pitfalls that a returning fan to the franchise might point out. Shazam is anything but short and towards the point, I found myself checking my phone fighting through a series of possible end scenes similar to Return of the King’s drawn out wrap up. Aquaman created a fantastic world with enough spectacular CGI to give Avatar a run for their money. Shazam is not quite at the same level, set in PA the story does keep the environment accurate to the plot limiting fans to building gazing.

With a great performance from a talented team Shazam exceeded my initial expectations. After the experience I felt satisfied knowing the universe had grown from a more lighthearted perspective that will surely continue into future titles.

Gaming, News

Anthem Player Banned: Using Economic Exploits

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A streamer by the name of Gladd posted a video on his Youtube channel voicing disapproval of Biowares decision to ban him from playing Anthem. The decision behind the ban was based on the use of “economic exploits”. He is known for streaming titles such as Destiny and Division, demonstrating methods of quickly and efficiently grinding out levels and gear.

Anthem’s looter shooter style of play allows players to quickly reach the current set level cap of 30, afterwards advancing through the Javelines power level by equipping gear and improving combat prowess. With any intensive play, grinding the time to find legendary and master level gear can prove to be challenging.

Gladd used an in game functionality to create a method for speeding up this process. By entering into free play mode players are able to set their own difficulty, using the grandmaster difficulty Gladd demonstrated how you can create a pre-planned flight route that is lined with easy to access loot chests. The higher difficulty and increased rate of finding chests almost guarantees players can find masterwork and legendary gear with considerably less effort.

Following the stream to his large fan base Gladd learned that he had been banned from Anthem, after already accruing substantial  game hours.

As Bioware continues to unveil updates, players and fans can continue to count on improvements to the immersive world of Bastion. In the future developers will be faced with the difficult decision of: punishing fans for the use of in game functions or accepting the exploits fans make use of.

Gaming, News

Everything Players Need: From Read Dead Redemption 2’s Multiplayer Release

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Read Dead Redemption’s Online Multiplayer is expanding in the best of ways, developers have kept one ear to the ground in terms of consumer and fan feedback. Purchasale wagons, boats, homesteads, businesses, weapons and mounts are just some of the tantalizing updates developer Rockstar has announced for future updates. While RDR2’s 23 million plus fans await the arrival of such content installments, online communities such as Reddit and Youtube are ablaze with ideas and suggestions on some of the critical things they feel need to be added.

Crafting Gear

Generating income and purchasable content may be some of the core issues that online players outline in posts concerning limitations with the beta currently. Craftable gear is an option that would help to resolve both of these immediate issues by capitalizing on the immersive world fans and player have come to enjoy. The story mode does have a crafting system in place that allows player to skin legendary animal’s and turn them into a tracker for creating unique garments. This is one of the more interesting and involved ways a player can customize their character adding an option that allows the outfits to be sold due to their rarity would create additional avenues for income.

Simply using legendary animals that spawn at a lower rate is something that would require less design work compared to creating a complete new system devoted to crafting clothing. Just as animals in game have a pelt ranking system from one star to three, legendary animal could be given a similar system that in turn create different types of clothing for each animal. At this time players are restricted to creating items such as tonics, cures, medicines, recipes etc. that are unable to be resold  for a profit.

Meat Wagons

With the current limited set up for generating high dollar income in Read Dead Redemption 2’s multiplayer many players have found a niche in Rockstars well polished hunting system. The general process involves a player equipping the right weapons and ammo for a variety of animals that can be hunted/harvested and sold to the local butcher shops for a nice profit. Seasoned players develop a “keep everything system” and harvest any animal they find and re sell all the gathered parts without keeping any.  Even this system has its limits, players are only able to carry one animal carcass at a time on horseback and if they dont mind a 15 minute real time walk one additional animal over their shoulder. This limits most players to hunting near the outskirts of towns to keep the method quick and efficient.

A quick fix to this dilemma would be a designated  meat wagon designed to haul and store an additional number of small to large animal carcasses. Design variations could exist for players to assign a specific horse to a stabled meat wagon or allow these wagons to be hauled by current player horses. Furthering this improvement and expanding on content players could be allowed to purchase one directly from butcher shops to own and on the rare occasion stumble across one spawned in the open world.

Metal Helmet & Accessories

Any player that has braved a showdown series or gun rush series (any online PVP situation honestly) has felt the bitter sting left from the abuse of RDR2’s auto aim system. Players are able to almost instantly set their crosshairs to an enemy players head with little to no aim thanks to the current auto aim system. A minor adjustment is needed before the crosshairs are locked on to an enemy players head, by squeezing the left trigger the crosshairs will automatically be drawn to the nearest player within a limited range, the player then has to apply slight pressure to the right thumb stick to adjust the auto aim for a perfect headshot. This can be countered by turning off the feature, online players that play with traditional shooter aiming can feel they are at an unfair advantage in terms of friendly competition.

Taking a lesson from real life improvements in military gear shortly after the games set time period, one way to fix this would be adding a metal helmet that buffs against headshot damage. It should be mentioned  there is a metal bucket accessory that has all the aesthetics of wooden teeth but it does nothing in terms of damage resistance. For design variance developers could strive for badges, metal playing cards, gun belts and such that can be added around the base of the players equipped hat to activate the damage buff. This of course means if a player is without a hat they are without the additional protection.

Job Opportunity

RDR2 encompasses breathtaking countryside and endless roaming opportunity but for high level players there is definitely room for wanting more content. Rockstar is not short on plans for there flagship title but the most immediate fix for a bored cowpoke is to develop some type of  job opportunity for players. While hunting, fishing, bandit riding, stranger missions and train conducting are entertaining, they limit the fantastic world that is available to just a few repetitive farming and nostalgia tasks. The array of jobs that players could perform is wide with; cattle driving, transporting goods, player shooting competitions, high end good requests (meats, feathers, herbs) just to name a few

Developers could even consider  a deputy system that allows players of high honor to employ as deputies, tracking down bounty contracts and assigned against NPC’s and players. This could be similar to the hit system that was introduced into GTA V that allowed players to assign hits on other players for a cash and experience reward.

If players can count on one thing from Rockstar it is the constant fluid change they invest in perfecting their products. As updates are released and the impending full multiplayer release approaches we can only hope to see some of the fantastic ideas fans have come up with make their way into the game.