Shizzer

6:40pm: Happy Birthday, DCAU Resource
Today is the third year anniversary of when I took over the website and re-branded it as the DCAU Resource. Suffice to say, it feels like its been much longer but it's cooler this way because I still get surprised at the amount of content I've been able to add to site in a short while. Eat your heart out, Brainiac, if you had one!

And my love for the site hasn't diminished. Even during those long nights in front of a computer screen toiling away at code, the reason it still makes me happy is my goal was to make a site about the DCAU that I'd want first and foremost. If other people toss me a compliment about it every so often, great! But my own intrinsic satisfaction is the end goal. But it is cool that I've gotten the honor and pleasure of pre-reviewing related items, the pilot episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, being probably the pinnacle of that.

And with six active projects going on. The site's got more growing to go. Expect Green Lantern: First Flight, Green Loontern, Plastic Man Pilot, The Batman, Public Enemies, and maybe even more for the Timmverse to come this year. And with the DCU Shorts announced, Teen Titans, and Krypto to go, there's always work to do.

So far, I'm midway into season two of The Batman. So far, it seems like the first two seasons were filled with growing pains but I did like the Firefly and Riddler first episodes. More on my thoughts when the time is right.

As for the DCU Shorts, in case you were under a rock, WHV announced that starting with the DTV released in the first half of 2010, an animated short will accompany it. The first will be of Jonah Hex, written by Joe R Lansdale (a gosh darn good Hex writer). The shorts will all be in the PG-13 vein. It seems like a good venue for the obscure characters that Mr. Timm would love to animate but may never get the green light for. The Question and the New Gods come to mind.

Well, Long Live Legion!

6:50pm: San Diego Comic Con 2009 Pre-Hash
BATMAN

I just read the first tidbits of Comic Con as it relates to my niche in nerd-dom. Apparently on July 24 at 10 am, James Tucker and crew will debut episode #25 of Batman: The Brave and the Bold before it airs tentatively set for the fall. I can't say anymore, because it goes off into spoilers. But if you're into hype, it's as kick ass good as "Legends of the Dark Mite" and can easily be way better.

HEROES

Tim Kring confirmed that Heroes will be at Comic Con and there will be a panel and footage of season four will be shown. I've accepted that Volume One is on this pillar of greatness that will never be duplicated, Volume Two got messed up, Volume Three was the hang-over, and Volume Four was what were were waiting for since Volume One showed us an effed up future if you had a super power. Despite the up's and downs, it's still better than everything else on TV, and I'll keep watching it. That said, there's definitely going to be more pressure on Volume 5 since it's basically the beginning of a new arc or a status quo that took three seasons to re-establish.

Some things they better get right are:
1) A new, powerful Big Bad that can last for awhile whose name doesn't rhyme with Mylar.
2) An evil, irredeemable Big Bad.
3) The past four volumes have marginalized ethnic minority characters. Suresh is written off everytime. Look at Volume Four, he became the nurse to take Hiro's pulse. Look at Maya. She had potential to be another Peter-type character but they reduced her to a sex object in Volume Three and wrote her off to the graphic novels. Monica, pretty much the same thing. All of a sudden, Hiro's got a disease and has to go home and can't fight in the finale.
4) Talk about Primatech's history and get it over with!! I want the Vault of Doom to be a major plot reveal so bad.

Theories:
I barely got any but I have to rewatch "Cold Snap." There looked like there was a lot of time where HRG and Tracy were together that was skipped. What if she made a deal with HRG to save Rebel, who then made a deal with Angela [that was realized in the online stuff], in exchange for having a significant role in the formation of a new Company. It seemed implied that HRG and Angela were thinking about it before the 1961 flashback. But in order to secure that new Company, Anglea suggested the lying, bribing, killing, etc. What if HRG recruited Tracy to kill off the remaining agents involved with Building 26? To me, Tracy always acts in concert with other figures of power, not by herself. She was with Senator Malden, then Nathan, then Arthur, then Nathan, and now possibly with Angela and HRG.

I was thinking of Big Bads and since individual characters after Sylar failed to hold up (Adam Monroe, Maury Parkman, Arthur Petrelli, Knox, Flint, Eric Doyle, etc), Kring should just go Legion of Doom and have a second Company of super powered people who do things for not good reasons, like money. Case in point, in one of the webiseries posted online, titled Destiny, we met Santiago, a fan-created new character with a super cool power. He was kidnapped by a new company who recruits supers to be assassins for hire to the highest bidder. Santiago's father Edward was an assassin but faked his death to leave the company. At the conclusion, Edward, Santiago, Santiago's mother, and an ex-agent who fell in love with Santiago are in hiding and the recruiter, SLW (Scary Looking Woman) [played by Andrea Thompson if I recall] survived a point blank attack from Edward by holding a key to absorb electricity. Very bad-ass. We know they have at least one training facility in the USA, in Chicago, have Sprint cellphones (:\), and have a way to track supers like Primatech. Big Bad replacement, solved.

LOST

A panel is set for July 25. I can't wait to see what kind of ARG will take place this time. Last year, it was related to taking all these tests to join the DHARMA Initiative (simulating how Jack, Kate, Hurley, and co. joined up). But if involves weaving elaborate tapestries about the not-set-in-stone yet manipulated destinies of people who are loosely connected to each other, I'm out. Will everyone get shot back to season one?, are we just tools to two cosmic beings who never heard that facial hair is out?, who else from sci-fi tv can possibly be cast on Lost?!, is there one more Hatch left to blow up?!!!

STARGATE: UNIVERSE

The third series based on the movie is set to premiere in October. For the unseasoned, US military finds alien device that transports you to other planets and galaxies. Meet evil aliens, meet good aliens, get cool technology, save Earth dozens of times, find out related to one of good aliens. This series is supposed to be more stand alone and more gritty than the previous ones. An unlikely group of military, scientists, and civilians get stuck on an alien ship that populates planets with new stargates. The ship is millions of years old. The story is about survival. The commercials have peaked my interest. Sure some fans have screamed Battlestar rip-off but the show runners, Brad Wright and Robert Cooper have earned my support as a fan. They weaved such a great mythos, I admit I like Stargate better than Star Trek and Star Wars.

OTHERS I'LL TAKE NOTE OF

V
Based on the 80's series, V is about aliens who infiltrate the top government positions on Earth. A human resistance movement starts and human spies are used. Sound bland? Well Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet on Lost) and Morena Baccarin (Firefly) are in it. Sold.

DOLLHOUSE
Whedon and cast will debut the two hour unofficial episode "Epitaph One." Know anything about this one?

FRINGE
Leonard Nemoy as the Big Bad?!

2:26pm: Adventures in the DCAU Resource June 8, 2009
After two weeks of preparations, screen grabbing, writing, and editing: a new section on DCAU Resource is completed, the Legion of Superheroes!! The only part that sucks was that I got a bad video when Unnatural Alliances, Message in a Bottle, and In the Beginning was taped so I couldn't take images from those episodes so I'm missing about 17 images. Nonetheless, the section is super awesome in so many ways.

http://www.dcauresource.com/loshindex.php

Research-wise, I had to be pretty careful and do more work than usual, because lets face it, LoSH comic book history is technical and not much of it is out there on the Internet. Luckily, a good deal of it was Silver Age mixed with a little Bronze Age and with the notes I take, the bios came out as detailed as usual I'd say. Another hard part were the episodes, "Lightning Storm," and "Substitutes." Why? The same as when the Green Lantern Corps appear, it's naming all those cameos. Between Legion Rejects and Corps, there is a lot of potential for obscurity and time spent Google Image searching.

Going back and re-watching this series, got thinking about how it was another one that was taken before its time. Especially after what James Tucker revealed what season three entailed:

1. Sensor, Wildfire, and Shadow Lass would have debuted. If you had a good eye like me, Drake Burroughs [Wildfire] appeared on "Champions" in season one as one of the competitors. If you need proof, freeze frame the scoreboard and decipher the Interlac. Burroughs name is on there.

2. More redshirts like Blok and Dawnstar be focused on like with Dream Girl.

3. Ferro Lad's twin brother, Douglas Nolan, was going to appear.

4. Kell-El was going to be a recurring character.

5. The main arc of the third season would have been Brainiac 5's return and redemption.

6. Tucker also went on to talk about doing Khunds and other superhero groups.

2:02pm: DCAU and Ghostbusters 3
DCAU

The synopsis' for June's run of The Brave and the Bold episodes came out and it looks more serious in tone. This Friday is another step in the understanding of humanity for this returning guest. The 12th will be an interesting one. All I can say is it looks like Tucker is trying to prove one of the most hated episodes in the Timmverse can be fixed. The 19th and 26th are somewhat related to each other based on the guest team ups connection to each other but it looks like the latter will tie into a season arc. After that, its only three more episodes! Out of those three, one of them is an episode I've been waiting to see since I heard about it. In the same vein as "Legends of the Dark Mite," it plays off a genre that well, some of us on LJ would be familiar with and talked about recently.

I also got a bite about a couple of guest stars that will appear in the second run of 26 episodes later this year. They are mostly returning characters but there's at least one new one. The only hint I'll give is he was going to appear on JLU but the staff decided not to.

Ghostbusters 3

Can it be? After years of pitching the third movie, Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis got the greenlight to start filming later this year. Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver will reprise their roles. The story will revolve around the Ghostbusters handing over the business to a new generation of cadets as hell breaks loose.

Akroyd went on to mention he thinks Elisa Dushku, whom he is a friend of, would make a great villain but also mentioned that Alyssa Milano, who plays Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn in the 2009 video game, may appear along with other new pieces from the game. Ramis commented he would be interesting in having Ben Stiller as one of the new Ghostbusters.

On September 4, 2008, Columbia Pictures signed on Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (writers for the U.S. version of "The Office") to script the story. It's no coincidence that Ramis reently collaborated with them on "The Year One" movie with Black and Cera. Columbia even set up a sight that states, "Ghostbusters is Hiring."

One of the funnier lines I read was what Ramis though Egon would be up to, "He's been working in the International Institute for Imaginary Science in Geneva, [having] evolved a post-rational non-conclusive logic for dealing with problems of chaos [...] He's gone so abstract, even he doesn't know what he's been doing!"

I think as long as the original cast and the current generation of actors occupying this type of comedic niche, the movie will do great.

3:15pm: Adventures in the DCAU Resource: Summer 2009 Special
I'm days away from completing a new section for the DCAU Resource website, yay! It's about 1 year overdue since the series ended but it's turning out great. I finished all the laborious and time-consuming set up in coding and am happily churning out biographies and testing the 200 images I uploaded the other day. More on it as the finished product is cooled.

Also in the news, I read that Dwayne McDuffie confirmed on his forums that he wrote not one but two DTV animated DCU movies!!

Here's what he said: "I'm currently writing a Direct-To-Video animated feature for Warner Animation, the second of two I've taken on this year. Again, I can't say what they are until they're officially announced, but they're likely of interest to superhero fans, and one of them I can't help looking at as what-could-have-been. You'll see what I mean."
SOURCE: http://dwaynemcduffie.com.lamphost.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=471&start=0&sid=fa2b758e418ef79ed28d8b9930ae13c3

Can this be the JL: World's Collide?!!!!! I would guess the other one is Batman or Flash.

Current Mood: busy

Current Music: "Gifted" NASA feat. Kanye West, Santigold, and Lykke Li (Steve Aoki Remix)

7:56pm: Good News and Bad News in the DCAU
Bad News:

The Zeta Project Season Two has been put on hold. An article at WF indicates a lack of target sales for season one was the main reason: http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=455

Maybe it was making more money or following protocol but WHV should have released TZP as a series set. They knew it would be a risk versus selling a Batman set.

But hope springs eternal. A) The fans can pull off a Firefly and buy the heck out of season one online or B) WHV can offer season two on their Burn in Demand program that was announced back in March. The benefit of B) is it can pave the way for releasing Static Shock.

Good News:

The rarely seen Plastic Man pilot that was not greenlit by Cartoon Network is included in the upcoming September 1 release of the classic Plastic Man animated series.

The "Green Loontern" episode of Duck Dodgers will be included in the 2 Disc Special Edition and Blu-Ray edition of Green Lantern: First Flight on July 28.

11:12pm: DCAU Resource: Summer '09
Just got through doing a major update for the website! I added Gotham Girls relevant material to the Timmverse section and added some long needed bios for Sroya Bashir, VR Reporters from Batman Beyond, Derek Powers' assistant Miss Winston, and pretty informative bio on Adolf Hitler, taken from a notes I kept from a college prep course I took 6 years ago.

Check it out here: http://www.dcauresource.com/may22update.php

Also did a lot of background work laying down code for Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman Batman: Public Enemies, the Plastic Man failed pilot, and Green Loontern!

Did the usual site update for The Brave and the Bold tonight, too, and I'm bushed. I plan on doing screengrabs of the past five episodes this weekend, too.

I didn't enjoy "The Color of Revenge!" as I thought it would. I pray next week will be way better.

7:08pm: Heroes Week 35 (May 19) Review
Heroes Week 35 (May 19) Review
• Graphic Novel 138 "Rebellion" Part Three Family

Graphic Novel 138 "Rebellion" Part Three Family

Micah returns to New Orleans and sets about gathering intel on the government operations and discovers its going on globally in Tokyo, Melbourne, and London. He contacts Sparrow Redhouse in New York and West Rosen in Los Angeles. The three meet in a secret hideout. Their first mission is to save a family in London.

The family turns out to be Abigail, Lee, and Claude Rains who met Elle Bishop months ago. Abigail repels everything with her force fields. As Lee is dragged off, an invisible Claude wipes out the agents easily.

Sparrow and West arrive. Sparrow takes out a floor with her Terrakinesis. Abigail almost reveals something about her and Claude but Claude tells Abigail to escape with their new allies as he holds the agents off. Abigail creates a force field around herself, West, and Sparrow. West holds them and flies off. The building collapses. The four meet in Washington, D.C. and form "Rebel."

Thoughts: Interesting that all this time we thought Rebel was just Micah Sanders but like with the other unit, Ellen, it is composed of multiple specials. It was great to see Claude and Sparrow in action. It was a nice callback to another GN when Agent Pierce commented he and Mills have orders to go after "the Invisible Man." I think this summer arc is the best idea to go back in time and retell Volume Four from Rebel's point of view. It seems that Abigail is Claude's daughter and she was perhaps who Claude was hiding from the Company. It's also a little geek reference to Sue Storm (Claude has invisibility and Abigail has force fields). It was also a nice touch for the writer to stamp the character's name, location, and power on the panels they first appear in in this GN.

5:49pm: Heroes Week 34 (May 11-May 12) Review
Heroes Week 34 (May 11-May 12) Review
• Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 4 A New Beginning
• Graphic Novel 137 "Rebellion" Part Two Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow

Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 4 A New Beginning

The next day after the hospital scene, Doyle visits Lauren. She says she got a video from Kyle Dilman that was filled with threats and slurs. Doyle stands up for Dilman and tells her to watch the whole thing. Lauren agrees and at the end Dilman apologizes. He also says he quit the job. Doyle is still sad that he didn't get the statement of character for his impending case. Lauren surprises him and announces that everyone in the office made a statement for him.

Back at his home, Doyle finishes another message for Claire. He notes he has to go take care of some business. He shuts down the recorder and summons Dilman out of his closet. Doyle tells him to get out of town and if he ever hears he mistreats another woman, Doyle will find him. As Dilman leaves, Doyle uses his power to shut the door. He turns and smiles.

Thoughts: I like Doyle's transformation into from a Level 5 villain to a morally gray hero. It was a nice twist of ending to the webiseries that his power may have evolved into telekinesis.

Graphic Novel 137 "Rebellion" Part Two Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow

Continued from last week, this story continues to fill in points of view from the beginning of Volume 4. Remember when Claire stowed away on Flight 195 and freed Peter. During the skirmish, Peter got ahold of Tracy's power and caused the plane crash. In the chaos, one of the captured targets got sucked out of the breach. If you've been wondering who it was, this story reveals it in a big way.

The target was Sparrow Redhouse. She breaks free of her restraints and notes how her mother always said she was lucky. Redhouse doesn't know if it's falling 100 feet fast, adrenaline, or the drugs they pumped her with, but her powers of Earth Manipulation are stronger and a path rises up from dirt and guides her to safety.

She wakes up and steals clothes from a trailer. Micah sneaks up behind her. They exchange stories and Micah reveals they are in Arkansas. Redhouse is surprised as she was in Brooklyn. Micah is equally astonished at her power. Redhouse is quick to say her power is pretty useless in an asphalt-lined city, hence her getting caught. As they walk, Micah explains how he got the coordinates and the plane vanished. Two military hummers burst into the scene. Redhouse uses her power to dispatch them. As they try to run, Flint Gordon appears. He wants to capture them to get leniency from the government.

The squad states their orders aren't to negotiate with the enemy. One takes his rifle and blows Flint's head off. Meanwhile, Micah and Redhouse are able to escape. Micah is distraught they called them "the enemy" and everyone with abilities should work together, not against each other. They say their goodbyes at a depot. Micah states that "we must rise up against them together." Redhouse wonders how. He says, with his power and someone else who can help. The ending cuts to the scene when Claire gets her first text from Rebel. He promises to keep in touch with Redhouse.

Thoughts: Wow, excellent story. Not only do we finally get to meet Sparrow Redhouse after her cameo in a alternate future story in Volume one and countless references but she was the one who got sucked out of Flight 195. And she has a pretty cool power. That was interesting to resolve Flint's status from Volume 3 here in this story. Even though it was Flint, that was a brutal way to go but it stands as a message to Micah that something had to be done. In any case, that was a good connection to the first two episodes of Volume 4.

I imagine the rest of the summer may deal with similar arcs that fill in gaps between episodes and graphic novels. It makes me wonder if Micah will utilize the abilities of Molly Walker to help him keep track of specials.

1:21pm: Heroes Week 33 (May 4-May 5) Review
Heroes Week 33 (May 4-May 5) Review
• Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 3 Pulling the Strings
• Graphic Novel 136 "Rebellion" Part One Rebel Yell

Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 3 Pulling the Strings

Doyle dreams and wakes up in a hospital waiting room. Lauren brings him some coffee. He tells her he's a puppeteer and she asks if that's the one that makes dolls talk. "No, that's a ventriloquist." Doyle talks to her about life and how sometimes you just want to be able to control life. Lauren agrees with him, much to his shock, and holds his hand. Dilman walks out of ER and sees her and Doyle. He snaps and takes her outside and tells Doyle he's fired. Dilman and Lauren argue in the parking lot. He's about to hit her when from afar, Doyle uses his power and freezes Dilman in his place. Lauren runs away. Doyle waits until the coast is clear then walks up to Dilman and shuts his mouth. Doyle says, "We have to talk."

Thoughts: Very interesting progression. Lauren actually likes Doyle and a good mix of humor, drama, and cliffhanger-ness.

Graphic Novel 136 "Rebellion" Part One Rebel Yell

This story starts off a flashback to episode one of Volume Four "A Clear and Present Danger." It reveals how Micah Sanders came to become Rebel.

The story begins in New Orleans, Louisiana. Monica Dawson, as Saint Joan, watches a construction site from a rooftop as the sun rises. Micah reveals to her that there are thieves stealing materials. He triggered the silent alarm but is sure the police won't arrive. Monica shoots darts into the getaway truck. Sirens approach. Monica asks Micah for an exit, she doesn't want to be sighted again. Monica climbs a fence, jumps and back flips onto a passing street car.

Micah reveals he's using computers at his school. That way no one can track him back to their home and the internet connection is faster. Monica scolds him and tells Micah to get home before Nana Dawson notices. A government agent in hiding stuns Monica. Micah sights the government vehicle. He races home. Monica and Nana are gone. He quickly scans transmissions for a scrambled message and succeeds. Someone reports that Field Operations grabbed the targets' cousin by mistake.

Micah returns to school and uses the computers to hack the government firewalls. He discovers Flight 195 and its manifest with Monica and Nana on it. Peter, Claire, Hiro, Matt, Mohinder, and Tracy's names come up along with Sparrow Redhouse, Nana Dawson, Monica Dawson, and Flint Gordon. He notices that Claire was "Released."

He forces the cameras in the hangar bay to record the targets being corralled into the airplane. Micah figures he can get to the footage later on. All of a sudden, he reads Flight 195's mayday message before it crashes in Arkansas. Micah touches the screen and cries.
Thoughts: It was great to finally get to see what Monica and Micah were up to during Volume 4's start and it looks like Monica embraced the Saint Joan mantle. It was a great tie-in that he was the one that got the recording of the targets at the bay hangar that Peter later stole on a jump drive and submitted to that news agency later on in the volume.

It was great to finally see more names in the Flight 195 manifest. So far we knew there were about 15: Peter Petrelli, Claire Bennet, Hiro Nakamura, Matt Parkman, Mohinder Suresh, Tracy Strauss, and four un-named people (a blonde man, a blonde woman, a brunette man, and a black woman). Now we know at least four more were on it, Monica Dawson, Nana Dawson, Flint Gordon, and Sparrow Redhouse. I was surprised Flint was on it but then again, he did admit that he could survive a fire. And we know Sparrow survives the flight, because she was later helped by West Rosen and Alex Woolsly in a recent graphic novel.

But it had better been a redshirt that got sucked out the plane. Nana and even Flint, I'm okay with if they were the one but not Monica. I think she was still one the best new characters from Volume 2 and to kill her off in a graphic novel would be so frustrating after waiting for the Season 3 DVD with an alleged deleted scene with her in it. But part one seems to imply that there is an element of tragedy in the origins of Rebel. We'll see.

8:22pm: The Brave and the Bold in May [spoiler-lite]
Great ogly moogly. The schedule of episodes in May have came out and you won't be disappointed! I'll only reveal episode titles and if you want me to elaborate further, I will.

Night of the Huntress!

The title says it all. But another hero appears and he's sorta got a thing for her. James Tucker commented this episode is a tribute of sorts to Dick Tracy and features a villain that appeared before.

Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!

Features two villains you never thought would show up here and the animated debut of two villains you wouldn't expect. A hero and his confidant appear on this episode who are voiced by the same actors that voiced them on a previous DC animated series.

The Color of Revenge!

Featuring a team up that will have fans talking for a long-long time and praying there won't be a power outage on the night of the 22nd.

The Legend of the Dark Mite!

Paul Dini wrote this one and the title gives a big hint about who the 'villain' will be. Looks to be hoot of an episode and the most light-hearted to come.

7:55pm: Heroes Week 32 (April 27-May 1) Review
Heroes Week 32 (April 27-May 1) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 12 "An Invisible Thread"
• Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 2
• Graphic Novel 135 "The Natural Order of Things"
• iStory "The Agent" Chapter 412

Volume 4 Episode 12 "An Invisible Thread"

The Company returns thanks to a little course correcting. I guess it couldn't happen any other way that a lie and someone getting left behind happened again.

Matt Parkman seemed the most conflicted. It looked very apparent no one else that was in on the secret is going to get any family Christmas cards from him anytime soon.

Dr. Suresh was a secondary character in this episode. Sort of like volume one, he was left to play up the "I'm a doctor" routine. I guess once he takes his father's box, he's going back to Madras where I think Molly is supposed to be.

Emile Danko got lucky. I thought he would have a bigger role in the ending to soften him up for future appearances. It seemed like he was starting to see things HRG's way in that cell but it was for the better that he got his from Hiro. I wonder if he's still going to be locked away in a deep, dark cell for the rest of his life.

Sylar got extremely lucky. I didn't think that Matt completely erased his memories. Maybe, it was spite of everyone to teach them a very deadly lesson next season or like how The Haitian demonstrated, you can't totally erase a memory, just the connection. In a sick way, Sylar does get to be a "better Nathan" after all. I can't wait to see the tension between him and the other characters who know the truth.

Nathan Petrelli got killed. We all sort of knew it would happen. I just wish we got more visuals on the battle. That was lame we didn't see the Sylar vs. Petrelli smackdown. Just when I wondered what's worse than getting your melon sliced open, I'm sure getting your throat sliced is a close second. It was well played when Angela grabbed him in shock.

The most disappointing turnout to me was Hiro Nakamura. How could the staff give him brain cancer or whatever?! It just makes angry that out of all the characters that deserve to be a hero with powers, it should be Hiro. All the crap they gave him on season three was just unwarranted. I hope they meet someone with healing powers soon.

Ando Masahashi had the funniest scene. I cracked up when he snatched his and Hiro's mugshots from the board of fugitives.

Peter Petrelli was pretty badass this episode, finally. I liked that he was the one that defeated Sylar at his own game and he absorbed all of Sylar's abilities, making at least the quintessentially most powerful special again. I hope they fix his power for good next season. That whole one time thing is an annoying writing ploy.

Noah Bennet, new head of The Company? After 20 years, he finally gets that promotion from middle management. It seems likely that his No. 2 will be The Haitian. I'm interested to see how he'll use The Company to protect specials like what his alternate future self did in "Five Years Gone."

Claire Bennet should be mentally scarred after that scene with Sylar and his sick romance fantasy. That was just weird. Wonder if she'll choose a normal life or be an agent for dad.

Angela Petrelli gave another powerful performance. I bought it when she saw Nathan dead and didn’t understand why her dream failed.

Tracy Strauss survived and is now a villain out for revenge?! I guess her powers really are more than what was let on. All that time in Building 26 under duress definitely gave her time to evolve her ability.

Thoughts: I didn't care for Tracy's return and motivation but it fits. I would have preferred if the killer were one of the fugitives from the room in Building 26. He or she could have been out for revenge, too, and went nuts from the capture, thus, filling the serial killer niche left by Sylar. But we'll see how it plays out.

Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 2

Doyle is determined to get his boss, Dilman to write him a good statement of character for his upcoming trial. However, Dilman makes Doyle do a laundry list of to-do's for him in exchange for the letter. After a full day of gopher work, Doyle succeeds. He walks to Dilman's office and hears him arguing with Lauren. He bursts in. Lauren leaves and Dilman hits her ass with his golf club. That sends Doyle over the edge and he uses his power to make Dilman knock himself out with his own club. Lauren runs to the unconscious Dilman and looks up at Doyle. Doyle can only say, "Oh crap."

Thoughts: It was pretty obvious Dilman would get what he deserved soon enough.

Graphic Novel 135 "The Natural Order of Things"

As fake Sylar's body gets burned, everyone watches. Dr. Suresh is the most affected. He begins to ponder the past year. Sylar was the monster that is in all of them. And he can never be completely destroyed or controlled, just held at bay.

Thoughts: The story read like a conclusion to the series if it ended at Volume 4. Very interesting look back at the past three seasons.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 12

Rachel Mills and Janey Pierce face-off. When conversation turns to family, Mills says something that sparks Pierce's curiosity. She leaves. However, Mills learns that Linda Niles is gone.

Linda/Leona thinks about how Angela Petrelli told her so long ago that her daughter would kill her. She thinks about how her power took away her ability to connect to people. Can't hold her child. Can't sleep next to your love. She thinks how her gig at the freak show was karma, people got to see the monster she was.

Leona goes before the fugitives and orders them to not harm Rachel Mills when she arrives. Tom, the man with the crazy grin, nods to her and the talk in another room. Leona wants Tom near her body, first. Leona hides in the shadows. Rachel runs past her three times. Tom gets to her first. Then Janey's grenade goes off. Everything is in chaos.

Tom and Leona are outside the warehouse. They say their good byes and Leona calls up Angela. She finds Angela at a bus station and notices how tired she looks. Leona needs her help. Instead, Angela introduces her to Micah Sanders, Rebel. They also called Valerie, Tom, Anna, and Rachel to the station. Leona and Rachel hug.

In the epilogue, Anna returned to New York to take her finals. Ricardo Silva is in the running to become a professor at her college. Doug and Barbara started a new circus in Texas and are about to go on an international tour. Victor was freed and reunited with Valerie. Rachel and Leona Mills moved to Connecticut. Janey Pierce hasn't been seen…yet.

Thoughts: What a surprisingly happy ending in the Heroesverse. Nice tie-in to when Angela was waiting for Matt Parkman to arrive in DC. With the end of Building 26, I suppose it was a good time to dissolve Ellen but I wonder what will come of Micah's Rebel persona and his other groups. It would still be a good way to find other specials and help them with their powers and lives.

7:45pm: Heroes Week 31 (April 20-April 24) Review
Heroes Week 31 (April 20-April 24) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 11 "I Am Sylar"
• Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 1 Puppet Master
• Graphic Novel 134 "One Good Hero"
• iStory "The Agent" Chapter 411

Volume 4 Episode 11 "I Am Sylar"

It seems like the staff is running out of abilities. I'm guessing Tom Miller's was echolocation or something to do with sound. The whole blood on the wall and some other obvious things in the episode were very cool callbacks to Volume One. The whole Sylar talking to himself routine was new, though.

But it was cool how Micah convinced Sylar to 1) spare him, 2) save him from Danko, 3) spared him again, and 4) take his advice. I wonder how things will play out now that DHS has most of Rebel's intel on specials. Perhaps it will play out in the upcoming graphic novel and iStory segments.

The episode was another remainder of Ando and Hiro get into more fights than a married couple. Speaking of on and off love, I'm not into the reunion of Matt and Janice just because I liked Daphne more. I was mad that they left us with Hiro in disbelief. Was Matt Jr's bestowal of power temporary or was Matt's telepathic shielding disrupting something or is something legitimately medical happening? Then everyone except Peter and Matt gets caught again. Ugh. I guess that's the best and quick way to get everyone in D.C. for the season finale. I would have liked it better if Suresh set up the film reel to play, given there was still equipment around, so the audience could've at least gotten a glimpse at that was filmed.

That was a nice confrontation at the end. I thought Peter would have flown in at the last minute but I totally forgot about Danko. That stun gun looked like a set piece and way to oversized it was comical to me. I actual was glad to see Sylar can't be beat the same way and that Danko was in for a world of hurt.

Thoughts: Can't believe it’s the finale already but here's my predictions: Peter vs Sylar, Claire gets angsty, Hiro does something cool at the end, Nathan gets killed (or does he?), and HRG shoots a gun. ;P But in seriousness, I'm assuming that Peter gets the trip on Sylar and absorbs all his powers so they are on an even playing field.

Webiseries "The Nowhere Man" Chapter 1 Puppet Master

Eric Doyle, now Jason Tyminski, is hiding out in San Jose. He is making these video diaries for Claire. He talks about how he trying so hard to live a normal life but when he gets angry, his powers take over. Doyle admits, he is a puppet to his own powers. Doyle also goes on to say that he got in trouble at work for using his power and was arrested. Since then, he got a temp job at Copy Kingdom Headquarters. Doyle rushes off to work.

It turns out that Doyle's supervisor is Kyle Dilman, HRG's former boss in Costa Verde. Apparently, Dilman has been promoted to corporate and hasn't learned his listen since incurring the wrath of HRG. He is a jerk to Doyle all the time. Dilman gets on Doyle's case, though, for using the wrong form. While looking in the copy room, Doyle bumps into Lauren Shapiro, a mid-level accountant who is sweet, nice, and mild-mannered. For some reason, she's dating Dilman. Doyle also has developed a crush on her. They make some idle chat and Doyle has a Freudian slip and says, "I like your skin." He quickly recovers with "dress." Dilman arrives to shred some papers. As Lauren leaves, Dilman slaps her butt. Doyle is perturbed. As Dilman berates him and shreds paper, Doyle is tempted to use his power to force his hand down the shredder and feels like he's losing control. To be continued.

Thoughts: Really great to see that the latest webiseries focuses on Doyle, who is the only other credible psychopath on the series. It was nice for the first few seconds to start with the scene where Claire gives him his fake identity at the park bench then segway to some time later after he escaped Building 26 (or maybe this takes place beforehand, maybe the coming episodes will explain).

It is always an interesting dynamic when a special tries to live a normal life but feels the lure of their ability. It is slightly more humorous when the spotlight is on someone like Doyle. That was a nice cross over by bringing back the Kyle Dilman character as the antagonist. He is probably the one person on the show who you wouldn't feel bad if someone used their power to hurt him with.

Graphic Novel 134 "One Good Hero"

Taken from when Nathan impulsively flies off to confront Sylar, the story is from Peter's point of view as he races to catch up with him in DC. He thinks about how he spent his whole life chasing after Nathan and saving him from his headstrong attitude. Nathan exposed everyone without considering the consequences. Peter lands on the Washington Monument but is distracted and gets tasered by an agent. He falls over into the pool.

Peter continues to ponder how Nathan going after Sylar will be another will take another heavy toll on everyone. That sometimes, you have to let your survival instincts take over. Three agents close in on him. Then Peter realizes that he was pretending a problem didn't exist but at least Nathan tried to do something about it. He needs Nathan.

Flashback: During summer, the family would go to the Cape and the brothers would race out into the bay. Nathan would lead Peter out past his limits and forced Peter to be better. Peter concludes he needs Nathan to blaze a trail out for him in order to inspire him to keep fighting.

DC: Peter wakes up and flies away. Together, they balance each other and make one good hero. Peter arrives at Nathan's office and is about to open the door. To Be Continued. An ad reads, watch "An Invisible Thread."

Thoughts: It seems like forever since there's been a comic about Peter. He is one of the most underutilized characters in contrast to HRG. But since Peter's POV has been absent for the most part of Volume 4, this comic helps reiterate and tie it all together as the season finale looms on the horizon.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 11

Option One: Rachel Mills
Option Two: Anna Korolenko
Option Three: Major Janey Pierce

Option One

Rachel is slapped awake and finds herself face to face with Danko. She has a shunt up her nose, negating her ability. Danko wants her to take on a mission and holds out the photo of an old woman. He asks if she wants to save the world from monsters. Mills quips that she can kill one right now. Danko slaps her again.

Danko explains the photo is of Linda Niles, the leader of Ellen and she is a threat to the nation. He directs her to a bed with Anna lying on it bloody and bruised. There is a second bed with Victor strapped down. Danko orders Mills to kill Linda in 30 minutes or they start slicing Anna into pieces. They want Mills to use Victor to be transported to Niles' location. After agents wheel out Anna, Danko leans over to Mills and calls her an insult to every uniform she's worn and leaves her in the room with Victor.

Victor touches her knee and shifts Mills. Mills comes to in a dark room with at least 20 or so people; men, women and children. She asks for Niles but Abe speaks up. Mills notices the Ellen symbol on the wall, a hammer and four stars. The four stars must be for LAWR. She asks for LAWR. Abe replies it's just Mills now. He points her to the far half of the warehouse. With 5 minutes left, Mills calls for Linda and notices parts of the warehouse are now old and rotted. She hears a voice, Niles. Niles knows she has to die to save Anna.

Mills refuses to accept this and tells her she has a plan. Niles says it will only cause more casualties. Niles admits it's her fault. She left Victor at the circus and told Anna to protect him. Mills tells her she isn't going to die but Niles states it's been foretold. Mills then feels something about Niles. Niles turns and runs. A bright light engulfs the room.

Option Two

Anna wakes up in a cell to someone calling her name, its Janey Pierce. Anna put her into a coma and must have done some permanent brain damage. Pierce states it will be over soon when Niles is dead. Pierce laughs how Mills doesn't even know who Niles is. Anna is confused, causing Pierce to laugh manically. She tells Anna the truth and Anna realizes it's true. This was "the deal" that Niles mentioned. It's why Niles was angry when she found out Rebel was sending Mills to the circus to help. Anna faints.

She hears her name again. This time, Ricardo Silva is there. He tailed the agents after they left the circus. Silva states they have to get out fast. In the hallway, there are lots of bodies and blood. Silva denies he did it. He made a promise to never use his power. All this time, he only helped transport fugitives for her. Anna makes him admit it though. After that, she says they need to find another prisoner, Victor.

Anna and Silva follow the bodies to Victor's cell. The guard appeared to have beaten his head against the door until he died. Anna runs to Victor and says she needs to warn Niles. Victor grabs her arm. Anna shifts to the warehouse. She immediately recognizes it as one of their drop points and recognizes the fugitives as those she helped out. Anna then hears Mills calling out for Niles. Anna runs toward her.

Anna runs into the man with the crazy grin. He doesn't answer her. Anna shouts Niles is Mills' mother. Niles rounds the corner with a gun. Niles shoots herself. The man comments, "It's finished." Anna screams.

Option Three

Major Janey Pierce, U.S. Army Intelligence, is washing her hands in the men's room in Building 26. She thinks about how she was the one who took down Anna with a punch then lost control. Two agents come in and are uncomfortable. Pierce orders them to tell her where Danko is.

Danko congratulates Pierce on capturing Anna and Victor. He recalls her tactics are 'imaginative.' She thinks about how the face has 52 muscles and reads Danko. Pierce concludes he is a patriot but not in the classic sense. Pierce thinks about how she killed a pro-America Afghani politician and made it look like a CIA affiliated-warlord did it. The warlord's army grew. Then two months later, the CIA fooled him into marching into a ravine where the Afghan army, led by US Special Forces, killed them all. Support for the war increased 8%.

Pierce asks what will happen to Anna. Danko scoffs. There is no trial. He says she will live out her life in an induced coma. Pierce moves on to ask about Rachel Mills. He reveals his plan to her. She holds her emotions and compliments the strategy.

An alert comes on. Ricardo Silva has infiltrated Building 26. Everyone is focused on Silva. Pierce slips out and walks to Anna's cell. She meets the two agents from the restroom. She kills them and makes it look like they shot each other from Silva's ability. She thinks about how she infiltrated a Kosovo prison by pretending to be insane. She starts to hack her hair and cut herself and proceeds to Anna's cell (see Option Two). Pierce told Anna that Linda Niles is Rachel's mother. She cut her loose when she was only 12. Rebel blackmailed her. Mills gets payback and soon so will she.

She remembers how her partner on a mission in Mexico lost his mind on an assassination stakeout when they hid in a hot attic for six days. She remembers his laugh and imitates it around Anna. When Anna faints, Pierce grabs a syringe with an isotope tracker in it. She injects it into Anna and activates an application on her PDA. It works. She runs to Victor's cell and kills the guard. She runs down the hall and kills four agents escorting a captured Silva. She removes his shunt. Minutes later, Pierce is waiting and sees Anna reappear across town.

She follows it and sees the fugitives huddled in the front. She hears Rachel toward the back and finds a doorway. Pierce hears a gunshot. She sees Rachel and the man with a smile leaning over Niles' body. Anna is standing in front of them. Pierce focuses her gun on the back of Rachel's head. She turns to Pierce as Pierce pulls the trigger.

Next week: Rachel's mother Leona -- a.k.a. Linda Niles -- reveals her own agenda in her story of her final hours in the "Ellen" warehouse. Rachel Mills battles fellow soldier Janey Pierce. And two familiar faces intervene to set the record straight.

Thoughts: Nice to see my thoughts about the driver being Ricardo Silva were correct. It was an awesome reveal that Niles was Mills' mother, Leona. It also explains why she didn't die and why she tried to kill herself when she manifested, it was related to her power. Nice characterization for Pierce in a short amount of time and sets her up as Mills' arch-enemy.

7:03pm: Heroes Week 30 (April 13-April 17) Review
Heroes Week 30 (April 13-April 17) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 10 "1961"
• Graphic Novel 133 "Exodus"
• iStory "The Agent" Chapter 410

Volume 4 Episode 10 "1961"

It was interesting how Peter and HRG both found items that reminded them of an event from their past. For Peter, the baseball glove led to the conversation with Nathan at Coyote Sands Café about the Mets game. HRG found a chain and that reminded me about Claire getting her necklace back last episode, for some reason.

Angela's plan is start a new Company to keep specials a secret. Hmm. After the mass grave and the flashback, it definitely seemed like the Cold War mentality that the Company resorted to a moral gray philosophy to extort, blackmail, and murder to save their own kind.

I did like that Peter didn't agree for one second with Angela's plan. It shows he still stands for good and won't compromise his integrity. I think it's a safe bet that he's returning to his empathic nature. "Even in your generosity, you are selfish." A great line and the best way to sum up Nathan.

Flashback: Wow. It only took three months for the government to fail and scrap Project Icarus. It was interesting that the original group of founders was Angela, Charles Deveaux, Bob Bishop, and Daniel Linderman. Alice's nickname for Angela made me laugh, somehow "Banana" is fitting. It also a fitting convergence of characters, Dr. Suresh and Dr. Zimmerman along with the others.

I thought it was bit of a throwaway for Charles to be a telepath. That power is the most overused ability on the show, if I recall correctly. But begrudgingly, it makes some sense. It explains why Charles liked Peter so much. He probably read his mind and realized Peter was an honest, decent human being. It also adds to Angela's skill in resisting it from when Matt Parkman was trying to interrogate her. She's worked alongside three people with telepathy. And the flashback also seemed to point out that basically every man in the Company founders' circle had the hots for Angela.

It was fascinating how Charles equated Coyote Sands as just another racially motivated crime in comparison to the Nazi death camps and the Japanese internment camps. If you think about it, the specials are their own race.

It was a cool reveal that Angela and Alice's father had a power, too but I couldn't figure out what the heck it was. Most fans online concluded it is shockwave emission. But it was a warranted use of his ability. Even back in the 60's, it was okay for authority figures to hit children to discipline them but Coyote Sands was a powder keg waiting to explode. That was ironic that the cabin Alice saw was marked "Building 26." It seems the government knew about specials all these years but they weren't above the influence of the Company.

And nice callback to season one when Peter and Nathan bail Angela out of jail for stealing socks! It's really cool when they fill in such a small storyline, 2 seasons later.

Cool ending and another nice callback to season one, Sylar pretending to be Nathan. I wonder if he's been stealing more abilities while working with Danko then staging it like agents shot them dead.

Thoughts: I'm not sure what to think of the episode. I think I need to rewatch it. The chronology of it makes for some interesting coincidences. Angela and Linderman happened to be in the same relocation camp and 8 years later, Linderman serves in Vietnam with her husband, Arthur. And the Company is responsible for tarnishing Dr. Suresh's image and making him look like a crack pot for his theory about the existence of specials. And based on the actor for Dr. Zimmerman, it looks highly likely that The German was his son and heck, he may have injected him with the formula, too. It was touching that instead of The Company II, they formed The Family. heh.

Graphic Novel 133 "Exodus"

Rachel Mills is at a shooting range in Building 26. She contemplates what she's done, who she is, and what's right and wrong. Three agents and Danko arrive to restrain her. Danko holds up a recorded message of Mills' late partner Jason Pierce warning about Mills' instability. As a needle is prepared, she teleports away and reveals her secret at long last. Mills arrives at Human Resources and proceeds to free specials that Rebel asked her to. Mary Krause, Gordon Hovey, and Eric Doyle wake up. Two agents burst in and start shooting. Krause is shot and her blood turns acidic. Hovey turns out to be a sand mimic and can't get hurt. Mills ports and knocks out an agent. Hovey turns the other into sand. Hovey says a prayer. She grabs Doyle and Hovey and ports to the rooftop and hijack a helicopter. The next morning, they land in a corn field. Mills walks away and states she can never go back.

Thoughts: Whoa. Nice turn of events. It looks like Mills has clearly chosen to side with Rebel. And with her ability to teleport, I have a feeling Rebel would want her to pull more raids on Building 26 and save more specials. Acidic blood is a rather nasty ability to have and probably up there as one of the worst to have.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 10

Mills is at the gun range. We get more detail into her thoughts. She thinks about how it was simple before Rebel, before the Middle East, and her nightmares. But she plans on freeing someone after the day shift crew leaves. Mills can't wait to finish this mission and help Anna at the circus. She feels like she has a purpose now. All of a sudden she's restrained from behind. When things clear, she sees Danko.

Danko holds out his phone and plays a video. Jason Pierce warns his sister Janey about his partner, Mills. If asks if anything happens to him that she should pass the video to his superiors. Danko adds that they were able to confirm that the bullet they pulled from Jason's body was from her gun.

Mills teleports away. She hears him screaming that "She's one of them!" Mills runs down a hallway to the room Eric Doyle is in. She kills an agent on the way. The entrance was upgraded and reinforced. Mills realizes this is why Rebel needed her. She ports in and sees rows of bodies, drugged up. Mills spots Doyle and frees him. Out of instinct, she frees a man and woman near him.

Two agents burst in and shoot the woman (Krause). Her blood spatters onto another. The blood burns through the person and bed. Agents shot at the man (Hovey) but her turns to sand. Doyle dives behind Hovey. Mills ports behind of the agents, she recognizes him as Harper and knocks him out. She ports behind the next one but Hovey turns him into sand. Mills is startled but reassures herself that this is her destiny.

Mills grabs Doyle and Hovey and is ready to port out. Hovey is concerned for the others still hooked up. They arrive at the roof and Mills ports away just in time as machine gun rounds sound off on them. She holds her gun to the helicopter pilot's head.

At the circus, Anna Korolenko, Linda and the rest are hiding in a forgotten cellar near the animal tent. The sun has set but agents continue to arrive and search the grounds. Anna looks back at everyone, Linda Niles, the ringmaster Bobby, the fake Siamese twins that always move together, the fake mermaid Barbara (laying near Bobby), and the man that is always smiling. She notices the man is always wearing something else.

Anna notes it's close to check-in with Rebel. At his advice, Anna took the cell battery from her phone so they can't trace her. She puts it back in only for a few seconds but Rebel keeps telling her to wait.

Linda speaks up and guesses that Anna is the A in LAWR. LAWR, the name Howie Kaplan made up. Anna is surprised and Linda admits she is the L. Anna is concerned, for everyone's safety, they never supposed to meet and be in the same place. Linda then introduces the twins as Valerie and Victor, the W (V+V). Linda goes on to say they all are meeting so they can save Ellen. Linda says LAWR is Ellen.

Ellen started out as just Linda (LN=Ellen). She ran a shipping company until she was contacted by Rebel. He wanted to use her company to help hide fugitives across the country. She goes to say Rebel recruited Anna next as the delivery girl, a cute blonde that scared fugitives could trust. Then Valerie and Victor were next. Linda prompts Valerie to show Anna her ability. Valerie touches Anna's shoulder and all of a sudden, Anna finds herself on the other side of the room being touched on the shoulder by Victor. Rebel used the twins to instantaneously transport fugitives. Linda notes how one time, they transported a fugitive between Pennsylvania and California and that the twins hate being apart for an extended time.
Anna asks who R is and Linda replies its Rachel Mills. Anna smiles and thinks Rachel will be able to help them. Linda quickly says Rachel will be too busy to help them. All the can do is sit around and wait or get killed. Anna is shocked. Linda goes to say that Rebel has more than one group of specials helping people. Linda teases that if Anna lives long enough, she might be able to join the 'varsity team.'

Anna realizes Linda has given up and she texts Rebel who says it's not clear yet. Anna sees Linda is aging to a middle-aged woman. Anna realizes that Rebel nor Rachel would let them get caught. Anna stands up and tells everyone it's time to leave.

The next morning, the trio of Mills, Doyle, and Hovey lands the copter in a field. Doyle thanks Mills. She awaits Rebel's text on her phone. Doyle realizes this. Then, the text comes. Something went wrong at the circus. Mills races off.

Incognito, Rachel walks past ambulances and government vans. She spots some agents are comatose (Anna used her power). Mills then walks past body bags of withered corpses (Linda used her power, too). Rachel is distraught but spots several agents huddled around someone. It's the ringmaster, Bobby. He calls out for Linda and his gaze lands on Mills. The agents turn and see her.

Someone calls out to Mills. It's Janey Pierce, Mills' late partner's sister. When Jason got killed, Anna put Janey into comatose. When Janey came too she forwarded his message to Danko and exploited Mills. Janey works for the Asymmetrical Warfare Group, based in Fort Meade. Mills calls them the terrorist's terrorist.

Janey tasers Rachel and knocks her out before she can teleport.

Thoughts: Chapter 10 was super tight. Tight in that, it feels in gaps and complements the story presented in the graphic novel, reveals a lot about Rebel's operations, and sets up the two part finale and something else I don't want to spoil. You'll see next week during Heroes on Monday.

5:51pm: Heroes Week 29 (April 6-April 10) Review
Heroes Week 29 (April 6-April 10) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 9 "Turn and Face the Strange"
• Graphic Novel 132 "Scenic Route"
• iStory "The Agent" Chapter 409

Volume 4 Episode 9 "Turn and Face the Strange"

Interesting development with Matt Jr.'s power. I suppose this is the crux of his powers, he has to be in positive spirits. Sam Douglas was a bit of a hoot, that's all I'm going to say. It was bit too coincidental when all the heroes' paths crossed at the gas station and no one even knew it.

I like the irony with how Matt Parkman and Sylar had the same agenda in this episode, to destroy their enemy. However, Matt still couldn't take Alena's life. I'm glad they didn't make him as dark as his future version from season one. I found it a little pathetic that Danko made a fake life pretty much based on Noah's former life. That's not the part of Danko I wanted to know more about. I wonder if they are going to give us a reason at all, he is just a soldier after all. Score an awesome save for Hiro this episode. Despite the situations, it seems like Hiro makes use of props in a comedic way. For Ando, Hiro used a wheelbarrow and today, a cheap office chair to wheel Matt out of there.

Sylar, on the other hand, totally manipulated Noah and destroyed his marriage. When Noah was about to sign the divorce papers, I totally screamed, "Look at the signature!!" I loved how Noah faked out Danko in his office and how he looked like a total nutjob but was right that Donner was Sylar.

Coyote Sands doesn't sound like a very happy place if it was classified to Primatech agents: 1) A project named after a fateful and naive Greek character 2) Medical research 3) Mass Graves 4) Skulls with bullet holes 5) Angela claims to know all of the dead

It seems like a bad idea for Suresh to return to his apartment in Brooklyn but that was a nice twist that his father, the late Dr. Sandra Suresh is connected to Coyote Sands and this Operation Icarus. My guess is this was the precursor to Dr. Zimmerman's breakthrough with synthetic ability injections and he worked alongside Chandra. I doubt much people care but that was some nice continuity by having the same actor as Suresh's landlord. It was cool to see the Suresh Map reappear but with Coyote Sands as the focal point.

Thoughts: I thought it was too late to try and characterize Danko as anything but a killer. I just didn't believe it. I did love Hiro and Ando successfully uniting Matt with his son and saving him from his misery. Instead of revenge, Matt will probably decide his new mission is to keep Matt Jr. safe. I think Noah is right, what happens when Sylar gets bored? He could easily kill Danko and take his place. I'm not sure how Sylar can think this operation can get every single evolved human. It's definitely just a game and he's killing his way to the top. I can't wait for next week, it looks like a big chunk of history on Primatech and the founders.

Graphic Novel 132 "Scenic Route"

Noah Bennet is driving to Coyote Sands when West Rosen swoops in. West tells Bennet that he, Alex Woolsley, and Rebel need his help. West states that the government is killing evolved humans and Alex is about to get killed. West and Bennet save Alex from a helicopter pursuit. On the highway, West asks Alex what happened to Sparrow [Redhouse] and Alex confesses they sort of got separated. Bennet decides its best for them to meet at a safer place. The three meet up in a cavern. Bennet asks them not to tell Claire about this and advises them and Rebel to lay low because there's a storm coming soon.

Thoughts: It seems that West is part of the LAWR group allied to Rebel. In this story he recruited Alex to help save Sparrow Redhouse's life but became targets themselves. I hope this means we'll see Redhouse again soon.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 9

Rachel Mills returns to Building 26 to meet with Danko. Mills reports to Danko's assistant, Bob. She speaks with Danko, who is oddly out of character (Sylar). She asks for Dan, from Internal Affairs, to sit in on the meeting. She is wants to play them off of each other and learn what they know. Dan was bluffing and Danko interrupts Dan's interrogation. Danko concludes that Dan has no real proof and dismisses them. Mills suspects something immediately. Danko orders Mills to go home and wait for further instructions.

Mills is on her way home when Rebel texts her. He wants her to free one of the Building 26 prisoners. He also tells her they are very close to discovering her secret and if she helps him this one last time, Rebel will disclose information about her mother, Leona Mills.

The story shifts to Anna. She has arrived at the circus and is looking for the man in the black hat per Rebel's text. Rebel claims he will know what to do next. This is the first time Anna's been to a circus. She stops at a magician who is telling people what card they picked. She realizes this is the man she wants and he is a mind reader. After the show, she approaches him and the man denies it. Anna follows to him into a tent labeled "FREAK SHOW!" She passes by a mermaid, conjoined twins, a coffin, and a man in chains. The mermaid unzips her costume and calls for the man, Doug, to deal with Anna. The twins are two separate people.

Doug replies that he believes Anna and the people in there are specials he is harboring. The mermaid cups air into her hand and creates water. The conjoined twins phase through each other. The man melts the chains around him into clothes. Doug asks Linda to come out of the coffin. A hand grabs a nearby chair. The chair turns black and turns to dust. Linda becomes a young woman who Anna thinks looks familiar. Linda states they can't leave until the twin is safe or else Ellen and everyone's work will be for nothing.

Everyone huddles in the darkness as agents walk around the tent. Anna is scared of having to use her ability again and that they might find out her identity this time. Rebel hasn't sent any new instructions to her and she begins to wonder where Mills is.

Thoughts: Again it was a nice way to tie to this week's episode when Rachel interacts with Sylar who was posing as Danko. I have a feeling that Rebel wants Mills to free Eric Doyle from Building 26. He is the only prominent character in Building 26 left.

It was a nice twist that Doug was just a magician but he is harboring six evolved humans as a circus sideshow. I'm guessing this Linda is the "L" in LAWR who texted the fans last week about the circus mission. With Mills occupied, I wonder if this means Anna will be forced to lobotomize everyone or if Doug has some tricks up his sleeve.

8:24pm: Heroes Week 28 (March 30-April 3) Review
Heroes Week 28 (March 30-April 3) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 8 "Into Asylum"
• Graphic Novel 131 "COG"
• iStory "The Agent" Chapter 408

Volume 4 Episode 8 "Into Asylum"

What wicked webs we weave. Very interesting that Sylar and Danko teamed up. This James Martin character was very intriguing with his life and thirst for power. Even he could sneak into Building 26. They really need that extra funding right away or they may as well leave the entrance wide open. It was nice to get another little tidbit about Danko. It was highly fitting that Danko was involved in counter-insurgency while he berates HRG for his "One of Us, One of Them" strategy. Funny how HRG's advice is what convinces Danko to team up with Sylar.

I loved the Sylar-Danko, Angela-Peter, and Nathan-Claire interaction. Sort of like how Hiro and Ando prove that one-on-one character interaction is often the best entertainment. It was cool to get insight on Angela's pre-cognitive dreaming. You need normal sleep to activate the ability. It seems like this episode had bunches of tidbits, even Nathan mentioned how he played drinking games in the Philippines when he was in the military.

My favorite scene was when Peter was talking to God. It feels like it's been awhile since he had the spotlight legitimately or even heard his thoughts. It ties into how his empathy for others has feel at the wayside since the end of Volume One. I really believed his empathy was surfacing when he said all these people are running and he is powerless to help them all. I was a little surprised when Angela revealed Peter is acting just like how she used to be and she was going into an underrated occupation, too. Do I smell black and white flashback episode? Can't wait to see what role Angela's sister has in this.

My favorite quote was "You're supposed to be Superman!"

Thoughts: It was creepy informative to see in depth how Sylar hunts his prey. And all the interpersonal relationships in this episode were great, like Season One great.

Graphic Novel 131 "COG"

This graphic novel is a prelude to the intro scene on Heroes this week. It spotlights Agent Jenkins before he got killed and impersonated by James Martin. Jenkins apparently was going through a lot of stress; a strained romance, father was seriously ill, Danko breathing down his ass but he managed to be a top agent in the task force. However, he missed his girlfriend too much and was going to resign after the Martin mission. As Jenkins sneaks in, Martin touches him and shocks him with his own face. Martin kills him and just in time takes a gun and is about to kill the other three agents, Holiday, Whitman, and Price.

Thoughts: So it seems that not all the agents as vested in the mission as Danko and HRG are. I suspect it would be too much of a double standard to recruit people who were wronged by specials. The mission needs the best in covert ops, not those with personal grudges.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 8

Rachel Mills tells Abe, his followers, and Anna to escape while she goes back to the agents' base camp. Anna wonders what Mills' intention is, save them or to save herself. Mills returns. The onsite commander, Klassen, who is a high ranking lieutenant, is confused why she isn't in line with the B Team like he assigned her.

Agents spot Abe's group escaping and run after them. Klassen joins in but he doesn't detonate. Mills runs and teleports in front of him and punches him in the face. She admits to being to being a monster, grabs Klassen, and teleports high up in mid-air as if they jumped the roof. Mills grabs the detonator and activates it. She has a feeling of peace.

Mills wakes up in the back of a truck with Anna, Abe, and his followers. She teleported at the last minute but passed out. Mills asks whose driving, and Anna replies a friend she'd like her to meet. Rebel texts Anna and she is speechless. It is a list of specials in trouble who have tried to contact Rebel. Anna also finds out Rebel and LAWR's other ally, Ellen is in trouble. Mills comments on how she'd like to meet Ellen soon. Anna counters that they need to introduce a lot of people to Ellen, now.

Anna gathers herself and tells Mills their first priority is someone at the circus. But Mills gets a text from Danko to report to him.

Thoughts: What an ending. This chapter had a nice integration of the list that was recently posted on the old Corinthian Casino's website and a new text that came out today in which "L" of LAWR gives the secret password to meet at the circus and that 'the twins are safe.' I'm betting one of the others in this four person clique was driving the truck. I think it'd be a nice twist if Danko decides to have Mills at his side 24/7 as an aide or something. Can't to wait to see if we get to know who "L" is next week and possibly new characters with powers.

4:22pm: Heroes Week 27 (March 30-April 3) Review
Heroes Week 27 (March 30-April 3) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 7 "Cold Snap"
• Graphic Novel 130 "Baby Power "
• iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 7

Volume 4 Episode 7 "Cold Snap"

Yeah. After this episode, I felt the energy from Volume One. It's been a slow ascent back to that level of quality, but I think it's finally here.

So was it Sylar who caught Eric Doyle? I guess this will be answered next week. It was still funny when Doyle gagged then passed out again and made even Danko flinch a little. The curtains and the bow decorations were sinister, almost like a touch of Tim Burton in a way. If it is Sylar, that concerns me. He's obviously manipulating Danko. And if he can slip in and out of buildings like that, what's to stop him from marching into Building 26 and snacking on a couple of defenseless specials? All Sylar needs is an ability like Candice's and he could easily kill Danko and take his place.

I like that Noah still has his loyalty to Angela and warned her about the government making a move against her. I always love when they show Angela's power on-screen. Sometimes, you just never know when it's reality. It also explains why she never drives since the dreams come without warning. It was interesting to see her being hunted and how she resorted to her wits; the kindness of strangers and a relative. "Millie" looks like Angela's sister? The nickname makes me think she could be Rachel Mills' long lost mother. That'd be a heck of a coincidence…Totally cool when Peter appeared from the top of the elevator, saved Angela, and took her to the Statue of Liberty. Very symbolic.

Thought it was a great concept that under duress, Tracy learned how to better control her power. The sprinkler scene was evident of that. I sort of regret they killed her off, but at least it was to save Micah from being caught and discovered. I suspect we haven't seen the last of Ali Larter though. As you recall, it was triplets: Niki Sanders, Tracy Strauss, and Barbara Zimmerman. I'd speculate that this Barbara is going to be a villain. If you think about it, Niki was hero, Tracy was neither, and Barbara has to be a villain by elimination. And if you got good eyes, go back to Volume 3. When Tracy meets Dr. Zimmerman and learns about his dealings with the Company, there is a family portrait in the background. Barbara is in the picture, along with The German. With an influence like that…And I wouldn't mind if we had a major female villain on the show. We got Linderman, Sylar, Adam, Arthur, etc.

Hiro and Ando cracked me up for that bit when they thought Matt got turned into a baby and the baby kept turning on the TV to Matt's terrorist headline. I've been waiting for a special to turn up with the ability of power bestowal and it turns out to be Matt Jr. What a coincidence that this is the exact person, Hiro needed to meet to get his power back, well sort of. I couldn't help but laugh when Janice found the trio in the closet among the stuffed animals. I missed the classic Hiro & Ando segments more than I thought. Hiro+ baby+ frozen Ando+ Wheelbarrow=comic gold. Still we now have that classic dilemma, as well. How long before Hiro and Ando hook up with the others again?

And Micah Sanders is Rebel. Well, okay. He was on my list. Wow. I forget how child actors grow so fast, but I think he played it well. It's interesting how Micah still tries to be a hero but has this sense of pessimism and plans all these contingencies. Micah has grown up for the better despite all the tragedy in his life. He wants to help specials but he made a worst case scenario plan for Tracy because she's a politician. I wonder if Monica is helping Micah. She was one of the few new characters that I thought would have staying power with fans but the staff just wrote her off the show.

Matt and Daphne's goodbye was so bittersweet. Such a tearjerker. I can't see how Suresh can argue with Matt about getting revenge. Those bastards let Daphne get worse.

Thoughts: Best episode ever. Keep them coming!! 5 more episodes.

Random Thoughts: …So…Where's the Haitian?

Graphic Novel 130 "Baby Power"

Hiro, Ando, and Matt Jr. are on the move. They move past a car display, the Nissan Cube. Matt activates it. The display supervisor is shocked that is turned on all of a sudden. Hiro and Ando decide to go into a ValuMart to get baby supplies. Matt gets into several fork lifts and causes problems. Ando shoots a pile of pumpkins with his power and Hiro scolds him. Later, Hiro stops time and takes some money. Ando complains about Hiro and his double standards. As they exit, the Cube is waiting for them.

Thoughts: Bit of a filler story. I was hoping it would be about how Doyle got caught or something about Micah. Anyway, this story did scream product placement like when they started using adds for the Nissan Rogue and centered a story around it last year. I guess we'll see this funky car on the show soon enough.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 7

Agents appear at Rachel's place and ask her when she last saw Jason. Rachel remembers how she and Anna dumped Jason's body near his apartment. She tells them she dropped him off last night and he was still alive. After they leave, Rachel has a dream about Pinehearst when she killed David. In place of David's face is Jason's.

Rachel returns to Building 26 to look at the daily intel briefing. Looks like Rebel covered for her. The fight in the diner that led to Jason's death was placed in another state. She receives orders to report to an address in New York City.

The commander jokes about how Rachel is Danko's best friend and reveals Danko has gone off the grid. The commander and the team try to console Rachel about Jason's murder and she is surprised they all know who she is. She observes the building. It used to be a plant nursery and is now an abandoned office building. Based on communication intercepted by Building 26, there are about 12 specials in there. Rachel also notices everyone but the commander is tense. He's rather smug.

Anna arrives, leaving some agents asleep. Rachel isn't very thrilled. Anna tells Rachel about her past. Rachel tells Anna what she did was an accident. Anna then goes to say that Rachel will save many more lives.

Rachel meets the specials. They are led by an old man named Abe. He has the power of light absorption but it appears to affect him physically. Rachel thinks it is making him radioactive. She finds out the agents are going to use a bomb and blow them away.

Rachel has to decide:

* Rachel and Anna will escape with Abe...
* Rachel, Anna, and Abe will lead a battle against the agents...
* Rachel will go after the agent with the detonator...
* Rachel will delay the attack...

Rebel reveals a sub-site on the Corinthian Casino website with a list of fugitives that have contacted him.

Thoughts: Rachel's dreams continue to come true. I wonder if Rachel will run away with the fugitives, fight the other agents, or if Rebel will step in again. I think with a combination of Rachel's teleportation and Abe's Light Absorption, they can escape without blowing Rachel's cover.

8:44pm: Heroes Week 26 (March 17-20) Review
Heroes Week 26 (March 17-20) Review
• Graphic Novel 129 "Hanging by a Thread"
• iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 6

Graphic Novel 129 "Hanging by a Thread"

Rachel Mills is chasing after the government's latest target, Howie Kaplan. They have nicknamed him "Slick," but Mills is clueless as to why. All of a sudden, Kaplan secretes oil from his fingertips. Mills falls off of the rooftop and teleports in front of him. She knocks him over and Mills grabs Kaplan but he is slipping away. Mills gets a text from Rebel, "You're doing to him what Angela did to you…" She remembers about when she was captured by Angela Petrelli in New Jersey following the Pinehearst incident. From her jail cell, Mills teleports and runs away. For some reason, Angela let her run free.

Two agents are running up to Mills and Kaplan. Mills makes it look like she falls over and teleports herself and Kaplan to the ground away from the agents' line of sight. Kaplan is surprised to meet another special and thanks her for letting him go. Mills thinks to herself that she needs to keep her power a secret because Rebel still has so much left to accomplish.

Thoughts: Nice tie-in to last year's webiseries and several text messages than fans have been getting from Rebel. The flashback tells us happens between the end of the webiseries and iStory 2, when she is recruited to the government. It is very interesting how Rebel references Angela Petrelli and Rachel Mills' standoff with each other. Who else would know but Angela, herself? Hmm, that list of suspects are dwindling.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 6

After the events of this week's graphic novel, Rachel Mills and Jason are on the move. It's only been a week but Jason notes how attached he's become to Mills. She responds how that's both creepy and romantic. His motivations are hate born out of fear of these people with abilities. He thinks Mills is a warrior and all she knows is war. Jason reveals he heard her sleep-talk about Leona, Angela, and Grandpa. Jason has seen many soldiers traumatized by war.

They both notice someone on a motorcycle following them. Jason notices it is a woman.
Mills improvises and goes onto a dirt road. Jason reveals he saw Mills save Howie Kaplan with her ability of teleportation. Jason reveals that the woman is his sister, Janey, an Army Intelligence officer. Mills replies that she might die, but would kill for it.
Jason injects her with a hypodermic needle and she collapses onto him.

The woman tells Jason she thinks he has a crush on her, and Jason realizes it's not Janey. Jason takes her helmet off and sees that the woman is about 19, blonde, and cute with a shy smile. He guesses she is just a college kid. She replies that she's a friend of Rachel's. Then, she raises a hand and Jason begins seeing gray and later dies. It is Anna, from the first iStory! Apparently she is part of this group of specials called LAWR that have been helping their kindred.


Thoughts: Seems like a dream from the other week is coming true. Anna has the ability of Mental Manipulation and who knows, maybe has gotten more skilled at using it. It adds another layer to this mystery if Anna is involved with Rebel, too.

9:57pm: Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season Finale Reviews
Here are my reviews on "Deep Cover for Batman!" and "Game Over for Owlman!"

I guess to add, I thought part one was more cohesive than part two, but part two was more fun.

My final word is, "More Joker, please."

http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1891&document=13

http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1891&document=14

9:53am: Heroes Week 25 (March 9-13) Review
Heroes Week 25 (March 9-13) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 6 "Shades of Gray"
• Graphic Novel 128 "Puppet with No Strings"
• iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 5

Volume 4 Episode 6 "Shades of Gray"

Consider me more intrigued about Eric Doyle! That was ice cold if it's true that the DHS agents burnt his theater down. After that smirk at the end and the commercial about Eric Doyle video diaries, count me in. I wonder if he will appear on the iStory content. I have a feeling we'll see him again in one form or another. Did he reform or was it all an act because he knew Claire would follow him?

I do like the irony of Claire using Sam's Comics as the Underground Railroad for the supers. Noah and Claire's conversation about which path to take-what makes you happy or the truth-totally reminded me of Nathan and Linderman's conversation in the Corinthian Casino kitchen back in Volume 1. But that was a wicked awesome save at the end with Nathan clutching Claire outside.

I'm sort of glad they dealt with the 'Matt's got a bomb strapped to him' sub-plot so quickly. Circa Volume Two, they'd drag it out to two episodes. It was a nice twist for Rebel to hack into Building 26 again and apparently is very skilled at covering it up.

I liked how Emile Danko got his butt handed to him on a figurative level by Angela Petrelli. I like how we are finally starting to peel back the layers on Danko's history with Angela mentioning the tragedy in Angola circa 1997. I loved his final scene, hunter and hunter, face to face. And I wonder how he's going to use the information about Nathan to his advantage. For all intent and purpose, Danko and Sylar are the Big Bad's this season…unholy alliance, anyone?

Cristine Rose is so great. She has Angela Petrelli's character nailed down. I hope they never kill her off. I can't wait to see what her latest scheme is and the fate of Primatech. I mean, you can't just shut down a global operation with multiple business fronts overnight, can you? And what about those dang items in the Odessa Vault? I hope they don't become a lost cause like the Numbers on Lost.

Tracy and Nathan's relationship is still so juicy. But I wonder how Rebel is going to send help this time. And it better be quick now that Sylar is there. If you think about it, Sylar in Building 26 is like a kid in a candy shop. What a wonderful time for Rebel to manipulate Peter into breaking into Building 26 to free Matt, Tracy, and Mohinder. And it'd be a great time to experiment with what happens when Peter uses his ability on Sylar.

Holy smokes, they used Glover from Smallville as Sylar's real father? Frickin' genius. Also seems pretty ironic that someone that assimilates abilities ends up getting cancer. It seems like Samson had Intuitive Aptitude and Sylar had Empathic Absorption. When Sylar's mother got killed, Sylar had an empathic experience and absorbed his father's ability. And all this sawing heads off with Telekinesis is like a repressed memory that he was subconsciously acting out…Geez! I'm half curious what other abilities, Samson stole over the decades.

And shades of Volume 1 alternate future, Samson plants the idea in Sylar to acquire every ability and take a position of power. Recall, Sylar killed President Petrelli and disguised himself as Nathan for awhile.

And finally, the return of Hiro and Ando!! It's been almost what, three episodes?! And what a great save, instead of having them wandering around LA without a clue, they find another Matt Parkman, Matt's infant son. I'm guessing we'll be seeing his ex-wife very soon. I was always skeptical who the father was. At this point in time, I think it should be Matt's because it brings up another great point in morality. What will the powers that be in Building 26 do with infants or children who manifest? I mean, what about Nathan's two sons, Simon and Monty? It's a double edged sword especially if one of them manifests a deadly ability like Ted's Induced Radioactivity or Maya's Poison Emission.

Thoughts: Really loving Volume 4. It was so worth squirming through bad times in Volume 2 and 3. It's going to be a long two weeks before the next episode. 

Graphic Novel 128 "Puppet with No Strings"

Eric Doyle is tied up and being interrogated by a team led by Rachel Mills and Jason. Jason is particularly brutal to him. He relents and tells them his story.

Two months ago, he escaped the Primatech fire. As we climbs a hill, he spots a mysterious figure he relates as a wolf in the distance. He thinks this man was looking for Sylar. Doyle compares himself as a minnow to Sylar who is like a whale. He decides to go back to the old days. He forces a clerk at a register to give him money, forces a guy to give Doyle his car, forces a couple to let him in the house to eat their food, and then he forces the wife to have sex with him.

Doyle thinks how his power can't stop their eyes. The disgust they see in him makes him disgusted with himself. Then there's a message on the bedroom TV, "You can change! Rebel."

As he walks through the city, he sees multiple messages from Rebel on TV screens: "People Need Help. Help Them. Rebel. People are Good. So Are You." Doyle decides to return to his puppet theatre and to try to make people laugh again, instead of cry. He gets tasered from behind. At first, he thinks Mills and Jason used the Rebel messages as a way to lure him into a trap and find Sylar.

The present. Jason sets the theatre on fire and leaves the bound Doyle in there. Outside, Jason conveys an order to headquarters to assign agents to stake out relatives of Sylar. Jason tells Mills they should go and follow that lead on the "invisible guy." When Jason turns his back, Mills gets a text and teleports back into the theatre. She frees Doyle and gives him her cell phone. Mills says to listen to Rebel, he'll help.

While on the run, Doyle gets a new text, "Find Claire Bennet. She will save you…Rebel"

Thoughts: Cool lead in to last episode's final scene! I'm pretty sure this mystery figure was Rebel, which is interesting. Don't get me wrong. It was funny to see him compare himself to Sylar and see all the crimes he committed that earned him his time in Level 5 in the first place. But the idea that there is some spec of good in him reverberated in the back half of the story.

I'm guessing there was another careless reference to Claude Rains just like in the episode last volume when Flint says he was tackled by an invisible man. We also see in this story, why in this past Monday's episode, why Mills hesitated to shoot Doyle and Doyle hesitated to have Mills shoot herself.

I was honestly hoping for a story about Samson Gray and how he got Telekinesis and the Sedation abilities but just like with Arthur Petrelli and his Telepathy, we'll probably never know. That's life.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 5

Agent Rachel Mills' nightmares strike again.

Rachel Mills has six dreams in a row. In the first, Rachel is covered with blood and sees a body lying 10 feet away from her in a pool of blood. Rachel then realizes the blood is on her because she killed this person. She falls on her knees by the body and begins crying because she knows the victim and the person was special somehow. Rachel continues looking at the body, but can't bring herself to touch it. On the wall, she can make out a crudely drawn symbol that looks like a hammer surrounded by four dots. A moment later, Rachel senses a quiet noise, and turns but cannot see the source. Then, she sees something bright and things change.

Next, in her second dream, Rachel finds herself armed and in the hallway of a government building at night. People are moving around in the rooms around Rachel as she rushes silently down the hall. She thinks the place is at war. Rachel reaches a room that is lit and a man steps out of it. She shoots him without hesitation. She notes that the gun is silenced and she keeps moving without examining the body. Rachel notes a light flickering strangely at the end of the hallway where there is a massive metal door. She keeps walking towards the door though she doesn't have the pass code, and then things change again.

In the third dream, Rachel is in another building during the day. She says "Hello, Mom", but can only see the person in front of her. Rachel then thinks to herself that the only thing that matters is what happens next and braces herself for something when everything suddenly disappears.

Then, in the fourth dream, Rachel is hurting more than she ever imagined and finds her hands are on her chest. She lifts her fingers and realizes she is slowly bleeding. Then, Rachel falls on her knees into some dirt and says aloud that someone "really did it". A woman then replies that she told her she would and Rachel's vision fades.

In the fifth dream, Rachel is somewhere bright where she can see a dozen people or more looking up at her including men, women, and a child. They are waiting for Rachel to do something, but they look terrified. On a nearby crate, she sees the same symbol again that has a hammer and four smaller symbols around it. Rachel then raises her hand and is holding a bomb detonator. She looks back at the crowd before her and feels sad but peaceful. Then she presses the button.

Next, in the sixth dream, Rachel sees a man with a shaven head and piecing eyes. He shows her something in his hand, but Rachel is terrified of it. She tries to hide her fear, but can tell that he knows she is afraid. He calls Rachel an agent and tells her to look at what he is holding. Rachel replies that she did and asks him what he is going to do. The man replies that he has a plan, and then he puts his other hand on her shoulder and stares at her until she looks back into his eyes. He then tells Rachel to listen closely and that she can save them all.

Finally, Rachel has another dream where she sees a woman talking on the phone with her mother. The woman says that was the end, apologizes, and says she is sure it was Rachel. She then tells Rachel's mother that she knows something, says goodbye, and hangs up.

Thoughts: Wow, when a character has a dreams on a show, it's always the work of either Sanjog Iyer or Angela Petrelli's precognitive dreams. It makes you think if Rebel is doing this, too, in order to manipulate and keep Mills on his/her side.

Based on the first dream, I think the symbol is related to the Heroes Evolution arc last year, Who is Evsdropper? Evsdropper opened this blog that stole intel from Primatech agents. There was one entry when an agent failed to bag and tag a super because someone intervened and had this tattoo on his arm. The agent thought it looked familiar but couldn't place it. The hammer, if I know my Greek mythology, is a masonry symbol.

The second dream seems to describe Building 26 and she is going to free the specials as part of Rebel's instructions.

The third dream mentions her mother who had a partial shrouded cameo at the end of Mills' webisode series, Leona Mills who we thought was dead when she committed suicide after she was unable to cope with having powers. She's also a candidate for me to be Rebel.

The fourth dream sounds like a future enemy for Mills, maybe a special that Building 26 is targeting. Mills may have underestimated her. Who knows, could be a new villain that is finally a woman.

The fifth dream looks like the finale of Mills' arc. Seems like Rebel makes her steal the bomb that Danko strapped to Parkman and use it. I think this is related to the sixth dream. This man with the shaved head and piercing eyes appeared in Doyle's graphic novel this week, too, who I think could be Rebel. I guess a part of being a true hero is sacrifice.

The sixth dream sounds like it takes place after the events of the fifth dream. Maybe Angela Petrelli calls Leona Mills and tells her it Rachel was the suicide bomber and offers her condolences.

These iStories get better and better over time. This issue really puts a lot of depth into Rachel who just appears briefly on the show as sort of a bitch as Claire put it. You can tell the staff fell in love with this character and really gave her wings on the series in various formats. Rachel Mills has appeared on every format, the TV show, the webisodes, the graphic novel, and the iStory. I don't think anyone else has that prestige besides Echo DeMille and Angela Petrelli.

6:09pm: Lost: LaFleur Review
What is the significance of the Statue?

In keeping with the tradition of the hieroglyphics all over the Island, I would wager this statue is indeed one of the Egyptian gods. From the back, it looks like it resembles Anubis, god of the dead. If so, it starts to unravel a lot of background on the Island's powers. Dead people appear as representatives of the Island, Locke was resurrected, and some people stay dead and never appear. Remember, the staff says this isn't purgatory but it could just as well be a gateway. And if you go back to the Invisible Map in the Swan, the DHARMA Initiative referred to the Smoke Monster as Cerberus, the multi-headed dog demon that guarded the gateway to Hell.

Why were Amy and her son able to survive the delivery?

I'm sort of caught in the middle. At some point it could be possible that the inhabitants of the Island were biologically tainted and can't reproduce anymore or Jacob could have done something, well magical.

What is the nature of the truce between the DHARMA Initiative and the Others?

In the beginning, I would say the Others wanted DHARMA to leave altogether but over time it seems like the Others want to restrict DHARMA from encroaching on certain areas of the Island. Those two Others brutally attacked Paul and Amy for having just a picnic in the wrong area. It could be they are trying to hide the secret location of the Temple, which we say briefly when Jin was with Rousseau's group and Montand was dragged in by the Smoke Monster.

Where are Rose, Bernard, and the other survivors?

Rose, Bernard, and the others were allegedly captured by the Others in the 50's as evidenced by Widmore. Some of the red shirts were likely killed. So logically, Rose and Bernard should be in the 70's, same as Sawyer's group. But the fact that it's been three years since the last flash is sort of alarming.

Where is Daniel Faraday in 1977?

We know it seems like the little girl is Charlotte and Faraday was murmuring to himself when Sawyer's group found him again. It sounded like he was conflicted with trying to warn a past version of Charlotte just like she described before her death.

From this season's premeire, we know that Faraday was part of the crew that constructed the Orchid station in the latter 70's or 80's. And from the Comic Con video (which may or may not be canon), he did reveal the time travel angle to Dr. Candle who believes him and decided to make a video calling for the reconstitution of the DHARMA Initiative.

What is the significance of Paul's ankh necklace?

We know the ankh is tied to Egyptian mythology and its symbolism is common knowledge. It can't be a coincidence that his necklace appears in the same episode that the Statue returns, the owner is dead, and the manner Paul's body was kept in memorial was reminiscent of a dead pharaoh. It may have been a better hint if we knew what Paul's title and station in the Initiative was.

Why wasn't Richard concerned about the Pylons (Sonic Fence)?

Back in season three, when Sayid, Kate, Locke, and Mikhail returned to the Barracks, they considered walking all the way around the fence. They could have easily devised a crude method of entry such as what the Survivors did with the tree. As evidenced in season four, there are ancient catacombs under the Barracks. It could be the Others use these to circumvent the Pylons, as well.

Why do the Others want Paul's corpse?

Some bizarre Other ritual.

Who is the red-headed little girl?

When I first saw this girl, I thought it was Annie, Benjamin's childhood friend. Some fans think it has to be Charlotte and her birth information that Ben revealed last season was fake. Other nuttier fans believe Annie is Charlotte.

How did Sawyer get Juliet to stay for more than two weeks?

For the group to stay more than two weeks, something else must have happened. I think the group became key to continuing or maybe even strengthening the truce between the Others and the DHARMA Initiative.

Did Sawyer and the Others encounter a young Benjamin Linus there, and if so, how did they interact with him?

I think this encounter should happen very soon. If anything, we still have a huge chunk of time between when young Ben meets Richard in the jungle in the 70's and when Ben initiates a Purge in the early 90's.

Since Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, Miles, and Faraday are seemingly fine, why did the Oceanic Six have to return? Why did Locke have to do anything other than set the wheel back on its axis?

Obviously the Island loves to employ a sense of irony. There is some event that the Island wants them to witness before returning to the present, 2007. I think they are supposed to learn the truth about Charles Widmore and Benjamin Linus' rivalry.

Why is Horace Goodspeed referred to as the leader of the DHARMA Initiative?

At long last, it looks like we are getting more insight as to the hierarchy of the DHARMA Initiative. Based on the season premiere, it looked like Dr. Candle had a lot of clout since he is the paternal authority figure in every Orientation film and has some say during the construction of the Orchid.

But now, in the 70's, Horace Goodspeed is the leader. After giving some thought to it, I think Horace was the one who discovered the location of the Island in the Lamp Post which Eloise Hawking occupies in 2007. In reward for finding the Island, Horace is given oversight of day to day operations on the Island.

It appears that the Others weren't the only group with power shifts. I would say that in the 80's after the Incident at the Swan station, the Powers that Be on the mainland decided it was time to replace leadership and appointed the Dr. Candle character to take over while Horace was allowed to continue his work as mathematician at the Arrow well into the 90's when Ben and the Others killed everyone.

Who is Jacob?

A lot of fans wonder if Jacob is someone we already met. Some thought he is a future Locke, Locke's twin, or Charles Widmore. Call me crazy but I have a new candidate for who this figure could be. If you remember the rotating table scene when Daniel refers to their present condition as the record spinning again but on the wrong song, the way Daniel is cast in the shadows and his manner of speech as so disheveled, it really reminded me of Jacob when Ben took Locke to see him.

6:02pm: Heroes Week 24 (March 2-6) Review
Heroes Week 24 (March 2-6) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 5 "Exposed"
• Graphic Novel 127 "Comrades" Part Two
• iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 4

Volume 4 Episode 5 "Exposed"

I think it's a nice nod/slap in the face (depending on your perspective) that Claire decided to send Alex to Albuquerque. There has been a desire since Volume One from a niche group of fans demanding that Sparrow Redhouse, from Albuquerque, to make a leap from the graphic novels to the show. The staff has promised time and time again.

When Sandra pulled up Mr. Muggles with a sandwich in his mouth, finding Alex in the closet and the interrogation was entertaining to me. For once in a rare time, I enjoyed the Costa Verde arc. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the math on the show so it was great that Sandra reminded us Claire is 17 years old, in a funny circumstance. It made me stop when Alex slipped the line about Claire's power as 'immortal healing thing.' Given what happened to Adam, the whole immortality issue was never raised with Claire.

Seems like the Volume One apocalypse is gaining more ground toward becoming a reality with Claire asking Sandra is she plans on getting a divorce from Noah. Sandra owned it in this episode, with being super street smart and revealing all the hidden stuff.

I like how the board at Building 26 is slowly evolving. It looks like there are three categories. In this episode, Peter and Matt were priority one under 'At Large.' I definitely didn't expect Danko to get inspired from Matt's paintings and strap him with explosives. To be honest, I doubt they have the guts to kill off Matt, the everyman but it will make for a suspense filled episode next week.

It seems like Sylar's spree at Primatech Research at the beginning of Volume 3 finally paid off. If you recall, Angela allowed Sylar to murder one of her own agents with an ability, Bridget Bailey. Her ability was clairsistence, which allows you to view the history of any object with a mere touch. I love how it translated on television, black and white and yet vibrant and ironic with the Fleetwood Mac song playing. It was good to actually see how Sylar got sold off to a young Martin and Virginia Gray.

The end of the flashback was a total shocker, it was the best way to end it. Of all the abilities, it seems fitting that Samson Gray has telekinesis (though it's possible that he also has intuitive aptitude and murdered someone with telekinesis). But that was harsh, killing Sylar's mother then shoving her out of the car. That was some clear insight into what kind of person Samson is.

Speaking of Volume One, it felt like they put more emphasis on Peter flying this episode. When he flew away from Noah and Danko in the parking lot, it reminded me of when he flew away from Noah and the Haitian with Claude. Noah was just left awestruck looking up in the sky, both times. Peter totally knew Noah or someone was going to go back on the deal, otherwise he would have demanded Mohinder and Tracy, too.

Nice Heroes Evolution crossover! The agents that harassed Claire were none other than Rachel Mills and Jason from iStory. Brilliant.

I loved how Rebel returned this episode with a vengeance and did some cool hacker stuff. It was also interesting to see Angela deny being Rebel. I don't think she's off the hook. I have to say though, Rebel's got style sending Eric Doyle to Claire. And I feel cool calling it. Doyle was still alive after all.

Thoughts: I loved this episode. I think the pacing was well executed above all. But I still am a little mad that Hiro and Ando have disappeared for two episodes. They must be in Los Angeles wondering what the hell is going on.

Graphic Novel 127 "Comrades" Part Two

Noah and Claude's bag and tag comes to an end. The Russian jumps out the subway car window and enters a flea market. Ivan scolds them for being tricked into kindness. Noah narrates how in 8 years he's going to kill Ivan and a year shoot Claude 3 times. He understands Claude's sympathy but resolves himself that there's work to do. Ivan splits off as they search the marketplace.

Claude lies about seeing the Russian and Ivan calls out to Noah. Noah notes how this moment put Claude on the Company watch list and Ivan manipulated them into killing the Russian. The Russian goes on the defense and flashes a knife and is about to stab Ivan. Noah nails him with a kill shot. The three celebrate with vodka. Noah notes he never forgave Ivan for scarring his humanity, raising the red flag on Claude but he did teach him that evil comes in many forms. Noah makes a toast, "Here's to standing behind the trigger."

Thoughts: Nice tie-in to "Company Man" and insight into Noah and Claude's history. It was interesting to see how this was the beginning of the end for Claude's career and we are getting his past all out of order. I'm still hoping we'll get a story that details who Claude was sheltering.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 4

Agent Rachel Mills and Jason continue to search for Alex Woolsley in Costa Verde. With the new intelligence gathered, Danko orders them to find a link between Claire Bennet and Alex. Rachel wakes up in a motel. She is still suffering from nightmares. She and Jason eat bagels and then head to the Bennet house. They enter the house and are confronted by Claire and Sandra, but can't find any evidence that Alex is there. When they leave, Sandra and Lyle throw them off the track. Rebel then messages Rachel again, giving her an encoded message. Jason cannot understand the message, but Rebel begins to tell Rachel how to read it.


Thoughts: Really cool, it seems like each chapter gets more and more directly related to the weekly episode. As I watched the episode, I was wondering what was happening from Rachel and Jason's point of view and here we are.

11:45am: Heroes Week 23 (February 23-27) Review
Heroes Week 23 (February 23-27) Review
• Volume 4 Episode 4 "Cold Wars"
• Graphic Novel 126 "Comrades" Part One
• iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 3

Volume 4 Episode 4 "Cold Wars"

That was an interesting turn of events that park bench has witnessed. Not just Angela Petrelli and Noah Bennet, but it reminded me of a scene in the graphic novels when Daniel Linderman and Arthur Petrelli reunited after the Vietnam War and hashed their differences. If it were the same spot, this meeting is highly ironic. In any case, it was interesting to hear Angela speak openly about the Company-how she was tired, wants her family back, and thinks the bag and tag (one of us, one of them partnership) was too old for the times. The black and white flashbacks were a nice nod to "Company Man" and Noah's split-focus problem.

And Noah, he's been the warrior spy for so long, he can't be anything else. I like this explanation better than him trying to protect Claire, even Sandra didn't buy it, last episode. Sort of fitting that he did end up stuck in middle management.

It sounded like Danko has some personal experience with someone with powers. It seems like he's going to create a splinter cell from the main task force and start assassinating people with powers just like Kill Squad did when it split from the Company in the graphic novels and iStory arc.

A hidden camera in a vent? Hello, Volume Two finale.

After a while, I couldn't help but laugh at how effective Peter has made flight with just a few flash grenades. That scene when Peter lands on the windshield of the car Noah was trying to hotwire was pretty cool, imho.

Yes, I knew Daphne still had to be alive! But I think people like Daphne would rather be dead than contained and released with a cure. Her disability is what she fears the most.

Things don't look so good for Mohinder. He couldn't create a cure for Maya at the beginning of Volume Three and it looks doubtful that he can now. Based on the Volume One alternate future, he could only create a fatal dose.

The last scene was another nice twist, referring back to Volume One. The precog paints his death and the destruction of a major landscape. I refuse to believe Matt would or could go that far no matter what. But then again, is someone going to explode?

Thoughts: What wicked webs we weave, Angela Petrelli…

Graphic Novel 126 "Comrades" Part One

The graphic novel takes its cue from Noah Bennet and Angela Petrelli's conversation about the bag and tag system. Flashback to Moscow, December 1998. When Noah first joined the Primatech Company, he was partnered with Claude and placed under the supervision of Ivan Spektor. After a couple years, Spektor is retired and the duo is in Moscow on a bag and tag assignment.

Bennet thinks to himself as he sits at an outside coffee shop table. He was prepared to take on anything but the one thing he admits he can't guard himself against is the psychological toll. Bennet is interrupted by Spektor. Spektor notices he must be on duty, he's drinking an expresso and asks if they are in Moscow for The Russian. Bennet smiles and Claude appears, seated across from him. Spektor reveals that he knows The Russian is known to ride the metro subway.

Bennet thinks to himself again as he chases The Russian. Primatech has limited intelligence on The Russian. He's the patriarch of a family of all men. They are criminals, con artists, thieves, and killers. But he somehow manages to evade capture. Claude tries to stop him but it turns out to be a young man. They realize The Russian is an age shifter, he is able to shift his age back and forth. The Russian tackles Claude into the traincar. Bennet is skeptical of the threat level but Spektor adds that he has an ability and that makes him a threat. The Russian pulls the brake and settles near a baby carriage. He shifts himself to a child as Bennet pulls his gun on him. To be continued.

Thoughts: It's always great to see more history on Primatech, bag and tag missions, and Noah. Having Claude was a bonus. It is a shame that the staff admitted they won't have Claude on the show this season but this is just as good. It was funny to see Noah admit that their method of naming targets wasn't very sophisticated. On a more serious note, Noah does begin to question his humanity and emphasize with evolved folk, tying back to Danko and Noah's discussion on Monday's episode.

iStory 3 "The Agent" Chapter 3

Rachel Mills is getting routine text messages from the mysterious Rebel. Rebel wants her to back off her assignments and she does her best to hide it from her comrades. Danko sends Mills and her new partner, Jason, on their first operation: locate and capture Alex Woolsley, in Costa Verde. Claire Bennet helped Woolsley evade Noah Bennet in last week's episode. Mills and Jason investigate Alex's abandoned car then head to the beach where he is known to surf. They soon find their informant, Liliane. Eventually, the duo heads to Alex's apartment and discover his laptop. However, Rebel manages to delete every file on the laptop. Mills heads to a payphone to call up Danko after she figures out Claire's involvement. Alex's father, Dave arrives and interrogates Mills with a shotgun.

Thoughts: I love this. Unlike the past two, this iStory is directly tied into the current season. Each chapter seems to take place within each episode. It's so cool to see how other things are happening along with what we are watching. When Tracy gets caught at the end of episode 2 and housed in Building 26, you'll see Rachel Mills is one of the agents that hooks her up to the doping mechanism.

5:13pm: Batman: The Brave and the Bold Ep. 10-11 Reviews
"Return of the Fearsome Fangs!"

http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1891&document=12

"The Eyes of Despero!"

http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1891&document=11

Overall, I enjoyed both episodes (now that I know every GL by name [yeah that sort of thing bugs me]). "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" was my favorite martial arts inspired show next to others like the Karate Kid one for Legion of Superheroes or JLU's "Grudge Match." Another thing that popped in my head as I typed this was it was sorta cool that they concealed the adult Bruce Wayne's face from us in the flashbacks to Wudang. It's a definite theme from martial arts cult films and I suppose the staff wanted us to be 'blind' to something as well. Also some great lines, "Wings, Horribly Disfigured, Blind...I prefer my ridiculous costume!"

On that note, I'm psyched to see the two part season finale. We've done time travel and hypertime on the show, not I want to see how a multiverse arc holds up. And they aren't wasting time, with Earth 3 and the Crime Syndicate. Part One hints at someone but Part Two will be full of some interesting character appearances. So much, your inner fanboy will pass out from giddiness.

4:11pm: Lost "316" Thoughts
This week's Lost was a feast for the eyes. Instead of killing you guys with all the notes I took down of stuff that happened, I instead made up logical answers/theories to questions that I thought up as I watched the episode.

1. How did Jack, Hurley, and Kate get to the island from the plane?

The flashes only transported the Survivors, not the Others, throughout time. For some reason, they are a different kind of 'special.' It seems like this would apply to the Oceanic Six. I'm not sure how Ben applies but recall that he was transported when he moved the donkey wheel…

2. Where are Ben, Sun, Sayid, Frank, the marshal, the man, the flight attendant, and the rest of Flight 316?

They could be in the jungle somewhere like Jack or they were taken to a different time period. They could be the source of the canoe with the Ajira water bottle when John, Sawyer, Miles, Juliet, Daniel, and Charlotte were trying to get to the Orchid.

3. Who told Hurley which flight to take? a) Why did he have a guitar?

I think Hurley will be visited by Charlie Pace in LA County. Pace will instruct Hurley about what flight to take and how he has to replicate the flight by taking a guitar case.

4. Why is the man in first class of Flight 316 with the Oceanic Six?

I think this man is one of Charles Widmore's men.

5. Why is Sayid handcuffed and being escorted on the plane?
o Who is the woman accompanying Sayid?

It seems like Sayid is being extradited back to Europe where he assassinated Ben's targets. This woman might be Interpol.

6. Why weren't Walt or Desmond on the plane?

I have a feeling that since Desmond did not arrive on the island by plane, he will return under similar conditions. My theory is: the yacht that he lives on with Penny and Charlie will be all of a sudden caught in a violent storm and they will end up on the island. Eloise told Desmond that the island was not done with him yet, remember she has precognitive powers.

I'm not sure about Walt. I thought he would be destined to be the next leader of the Others. Jacob wanted Walt but the Others were scared of him. We didn't exactly see all of the passengers who weren't in First Class though…

7. Why is Jin wearing a new DHARMA coverall, and driving a new VW van?
o Where are Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, and Daniel?

It seems like after John fixed the frozen donkey wheel, the flash took them to the 1970's where some of them infiltrated the DHARMA Initiative like Jin. This would also explain why Daniel Faraday was seen helping with construction of the Orchid station and earlier when a video leaked from Comic Con last year when Daniel made a recording of Dr. Candle to warn the Initiative about the Purge in the 1980's that wipes them out.

8. How does Eloise Hawking end up running The Lamp Post station?

Sometime in that four year gap when Desmond sees her in Britain and gets shipwrecked, she must have taken over administration of the Lamp Post when the previous Other in charge passed away, she was next in line.

9. Who is the man that Hawking says conceived the equations that predict the Island's movements?

My guess would be Dr. Candle. He seemed to have a lot of clout (as seen how he acts in the season opener and the fact that he appears on the Orientation videos instead of the founders) and knowhow (astrophysics). For finding the island, he got the top spot when operations started there.

10. What happened to Kate during the period when she left the rest of the group and reappeared in Jack's bedroom?
o What changes her mind to return to the Island?
o Where is Aaron?
o Why does she demand that Jack never ask her about Aaron?

I think that Claire appears to Kate again and convinces her to go to Claire's mother Carole and tell the truth. In the process, Kate gives Aaron to Carole to raise in Australia with the settlement money she got last episode.

11. Why is Ben injured?

Ben said he made a promise to an "old friend." It must have been a euphemism since he has no friends or he was referring to Richard Alpert, who is pretty old.

12. If Charles Widmore knows Eloise Hawking's location, why can't he use The Lamp Post to find the island?

Charles and Eloise were part of the Others in the 50's. Perhaps there is some relationship between the two in which Charles respects Eloise to not involve her in his plans through coercion, torture, or murdering her to get the station.

13. Why did Ben need to "move the Island" if, as Eloise Hawking implies, it is always moving?

The frozen donkey wheel releases energy (flashes) in certain periods of time. As a last resort to prevent Charles Widmore from sending more boats, wheel had to be manually turned to expedite the time when the flash would occur. The only problem is the wheel got broken in the process.