Tonight, as I sat down for some NXT action, I was in for a rollercoaster ride! The show started off with a bang when WWE dropped a bombshell – Randy Orton himself would be making an appearance in St. Louis for the NXT’s grand two-week launch on The CW! But wait, there’s more – Orton was set to step into the ring against an unknown opponent!
For several years now, Judgment Day has been a significant stable within WWE. Originated by WWE Hall of Famer Edge and later joined by Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest, this group has undergone various transformations. However, some essential elements have consistently stayed put. This summer saw a dramatic shift when Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio betrayed the original members Ripley and Priest, sparking an ongoing feud between them. They’ll clash once more at WWE’s upcoming Bad Blood Premium Live Event in October. After being part of the group for over two years, Ripley is candid about her initial feelings following the split.
As a devoted fan, I was thrilled when Dead by Daylight ventured into the realm of single-player gaming with The Casting of Frank Stone, developed by Supermassive. However, it appears that their plans for another multiplayer experience may have been cut short unexpectedly.
In more recent times, one of the cherished children’s book series has been long-awaited for its cinematic debut, much like its precursor. The character of Dog Man initially emerged in the realm of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants, swiftly growing into a separate self-contained franchise. The animation studio, DreamWorks Animation, known for their works such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, have already brought the story of Captain Underpants to life on the big screen, and they are now set to do the same with Dog Man.
For generations, the word “verisimilitude” has hung over the world of comic book adaptations. Richard Donner famously used the concept as a guiding principle for 1978’s Superman movie, arguing that the high-flying and brightly colored protagonist needed to be rooted in a version of reality to effectively translate onscreen. It’s hard to deny that Donner succeeded in that venture, as his film essentially defined the genre, but the concept has become a sort of buzzword in the decades since. Verisimilitude is thrown around in countless arguments about superhero projects that are too dark and gritty, not dark and gritty enough, or stuck in a limbo between the two. This debate crossed my mind frequently while watching HBO’s The Penguin, the newest television extension of the DC mythos. Across its eight-episode season, The Penguin reframes that age-old argument in a beautiful new evolution, delivering one of the most unflinchingly human and entertaining interpolations of a comic in recent memory.
The upcoming NXT premiere on The CW is drawing near, yet WWE continues to beef up the episodes’ initial lineup. Tonight’s episode kicked off with a contract signing between Ethan Page and Trick Williams for their impending NXT Championship bout. Prior to their ring entrance, NXT General Manager Ava Raine announced that the upcoming show would also mark the comeback of music sensation Sexyy Red. Red previously served as special host for NXT Battleground this year, and now she’ll be ushering in a new phase for NXT with her appearance.