What I Watch/Read/Played in August (2025)

I will never financially recover from this August.

Seriously. I know I said that last month, but I fear I mean it this time. Once again, I'll be doing some mini-reviews of some of the stuff I was able to read/watch/play over the course of August 2025. Strap in, because we've got a few more things to cover than last time.

Aquaman by Geoff Johns (2011-2014):

One thing you might not know about me is that I kinda love Aquaman. His run during DC Rebirth is one of the first comics I really loved, but outside of that series (which I still haven't completed after all these years) I haven't read much of the guy. That's why when I saw that the omnbius for Geoff Johns' New 52 stint was on sale, I had to snatch it up. The blockbuster style of storytelling that Johns favors is on full display as "The Trench" and "Throne of Atlantis" are huge, splash-page indulgent arcs that I ate absolutely ate up. The striking visuals employed here make it a no-brainer as to why the Aquaman films borrowed so heavily from this run. But those visuals would be nothing without Ivan Reis' pencils. Reis is one of the most underrated artists in Big 2 comics in my opinion. He takes the "big screen" style of artists like Bryan Hitch or David Finch and brings a clarity and brightness to his linework that others have failed to achieve. He's the GOAT, as they say.

Johns' "make Aquaman cool" initiative is evident in the first issue, which has some now iconic panels, (Aquaman shrugging off a stray bullet to the forehead) but I'm glad he didn't forego character work in lieu of spectacle. Johns understands that anger is a core part of Arthur's character and doesn't shy away from it. His bonds with characters on the surface as well as Atlantis show that being a man of two worlds produces a guy like Arthur: taciturn, distrusting, and prone to violence. His determination to push past these flaws and bring peace to his worlds is what makes Aquaman a hero, and I appreciate the desire to wade in this nuance instead of flattening it.

Aquaman's supporting cast is also quite good. Mera is a bit flat, but Stephen Shin was a surprise favorite, and I'm still blindsided by how fond I became of Orm, or Ocean Master. The love Orm has for his brother is twisted by Atlantean prejudice, but it comes from a good place. Seeing him locked up in Belle Reve and just wanting to see Arthur is genuinely tragic. Superman (2025) got me back into reading DC, and this book kept me on the line. The New 52 era is a blindspot for me, and this made me want to read Johns' other events and runs. (More on that later.)

Transformers: One (2024):

I fear this is the only good Transformers film. I grew up on the Michael Bay films but really held shows like Energon and Prime in my heart, and I'm very glad this has more in common with them than any live-action film. Without an ounce of irony, I'll tell you that TF: One is basically just Arcane if it stuck the landing. The focus on themes of revolution, inequality, and autonomy should be at the heart of Transformers stories, and One puts them at the forefront. For being a kid's movie, it gets away with a lot of violence and intense imagery that honestly surprised me. That stuff doesn't automatically make it "adult" or anything, but definitely gives older viewers something to chew on. Chris Hemsworth as Orion/Optimus stepped into some big shoes but delivered a great performance, and Brian Tyree Hill as D-16/Megatron surpasses it. On top of that, the movie's absolutely gorgeous.

Its a shame this likely won't get a sequel, even though the ending sets it up for one. This movie have everything going for it...except its stupid name. Nevertheless, I recommend this to everyone. Its a great little movie. If you aren't a Transformers fan, it'll will make you one.

Peacemaker Season 1 (2022):

I'll be the first to admit I don't like James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021), so it took his Superman to really turn me around on ever giving Peacemaker a shot, and I'm glad I did. I caught up so I could tune into season 2, which I won't really being commenting on for this post. Suffice it to say that its more Peacemaker, at least in the first two episodes. Now, for season 1, I'll say that its good—not great. Its definitely one of the better superhero TV shows in recent years, but its far from bulletproof. I scrutinize Gunn's more raunchy stuff harder because its clear that his PG-13 work, notably Guardians of the Galaxy, are his best. A hard limit on how much he can say "fuck" clearly makes him work harder on actually crafting jokes that don't rely on randomness or swearing. Peacemaker's worst comedic moments are basically that, but its made up for by some emotional character moments and performances.

The real heart of the show is John Cena's performance. The man can act, and I appreciate that he's down for anything, because The Rock's ego would never let him sign on to do something like this. Gunn once more writes an edgy protagonist with parental trauma and a love for music, but Peacemaker and the 11th Street Kids are distinct. As a group, they aren't just carbon copies of the Suicide Squad or the Guardians. They aren't as interesting, sure, but I appreciate that Gunn isn't copying his own homework here (too much). They have the interesting angle of being adults in the modern world finding meaningful friendship, which is a much better hook than whatever Creature Commandos (which I couldn't finish because it was so boring) was trying to do.

I have hope for season 2. Gunn's made some promises that I hope he can keep, because if executed well, this really could be all-timer superhero TV.

The X-Files Season 7 (1999):

Ah, I've missed my parents. I basically took a year break from X-Files, leaving about halfway through season 7. I don't think there was a specific reason other than I was just burnt out, as I quite liked this season once I finished it. Like any season of this show, the episodic nature leads to some great monster-of-the-week episodes but also some stinkers. 7 has some of my favorites, like the magician rivalry "The Great Maleeni," the speedster teen drama that was "Rush," and the crossover episode "X-Cops," but there are some aforementioned stinkers. "First Persona Shooter" is a dated commentary on video games, "En Ami" has an interesting premise but its treatment of Scully is a turn-off, and the premiere, "The Sixth Extinction" is more nonsense regarding the overarching alien plot that never fails to bore.

What makes season 7 fun is the knowledge that, while technically unconfirmed by the show itself at this stage, Scully and Mulder are finally together. Knowing that gives plenty of episodes a source of enjoyment they might be lacking in otherwise. Having not started season 8, I'll just say that the finale stinger, that being Mulder getting abducted by aliens, is the last time the alien plot has been interesting since Scully got cancer. A season without Mulder might be beneficial, as he's clearly the weaker link between himself and Scully. I think its safe to say that the show's best days are behind it, as season 1 to 6 really do have the juice, but I'm willing to still with this show until the end because I love these two stupid FBI agents too much.

Weapons (2025):

Yeah, I'm a bit of a horror movie guy. As a casual fan, Weapons was on my radar all year, but I intentionally kept myself pure by avoiding any coverage and especially trailers. I didn't know what it was about until sitting my ass in the theater, so if you too want to remain pure, skip this, because I'm going into spoilers. You've been warned.

Weapons is a great movie until its central mystery is solved, and then its just a good movie. The first third, which focusses solely on Julia Garner's character, serves up a compelling premise with an even more compelling protagonist. The societal fear of a childless woman hit close for me considering I've played with those themes in my own work. I had a "game recognizes game" moment with the film, and for a time, I thought I knew what Weapons was going for, but after we know where the children go at 2:17, we lean into some pretty stock horror tropes than take the wind out of the film's sails.

That being said, there are some generational scares here that I'll take with me to the grave. So many of the film's scariest sequences have layers of upon layers to their frights that make them deliciously good. I was a little confused at what the central theme of the film was, but like these scares, there's layers. Josh Brolin saying the children have been "weaponized" made it click, and the theme of people being weaponized against one another, whether that parents vs teachers or cops vs civilians, its a compelling core idea that unfortunately gets buried beneath the inertia of the film's own structure.

All-Star Superman (2024):

That "2024" tag is no mistake—despite the original series coming out in the mid to late 2000's (I can't seem to find an exact publishing date) I read DC's "Compact Comics" edition, which this write-up will focus on. As a story, All-Star Superman, or ASS to you and me, is exactly as good as everyone says it is. Grant Morrison's throwback to the classic Superman mythos is a (nearly) perfect distillation of the character. Hand this to someone, and they'll get Superman in only 12 issues, but because of its episodic structure, not every story is a banger. I don't really care for Morrison's Lois Lane here, but their Lex, Jimmy, and Clark are amazing. And who can forget Frank Quietly's art? Generational.

As for the Compact Comics line, I was skeptical, but after reading what some consider one of the greatest superhero comics of all time in a small, cheap format, I'm convinced. Sure, detractors might think this is like watching The Godfather on a Tamagchi, but the fact that you can get ASS for $9.99 is crazy. The Compact Comics line has a great mix of classics (Watchmen) new stuff (Static: Season One), deep cuts (The Authority) and modern classics (Far Sector). These are good looking, cost effective editions that are easy to put in a bag and read on the train. You can recommend this to a friend who doesn't read comics and get them on board. What's there to even complain about really?

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (2014)

The first book in Jeff VanderMeer's "Southern Reach" series, Annhilation is a 200 page nightmare. I read this in the car while on vacation—not the ideal environment, so I thought I should mention it. I fought through headaches, dehydration, and shoulder pain whilst reading, all I'd consider hostile, Darwinian forces that I was forced to adapt to, just like the protagonist of this book.

I went through phases with this thing. The first 20 pages, I was hooked, then from pages 20 to 100, I was bored, then from 100 to 200, I was locked in. It swings wildly from being a maddeningly interesting sci-fi take on ecology and the human impact on nature to being a hollow story with very little actually happening on a plot or character level—you know, the stuff that keeps me interested in a story. Once VanderMeer really gets going, we're off to the races. Some of the actual "horror" of the book can be so abstract and buried beneath science jargon that you don't feel it, but the when the story's scope focusses to a small lens, it sneaks up on you and chills you to the bone.

Being 200 pages minimizes the flaws of the book but maximizes the little details, AKA the stuff I like the most. VanderMeer's prose is very deliberate because he's writing in character as someone writing, so between the layers, there's a lot to unpack. I don't think the ending is particularly...anything? I mostly felt a sense of relief that this whole thing was over, that the cosmic horror didn't get me in the end, which might be the intention after all. I've been intrigued by this series and plan on reading the other books, which also begin with A, and have these freaky ass covers.

Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Volume 1 (2019)

Geoff Johns' Green Lantern run is legendary, and while he might be a somewhat controversial figure these days, his legacy is secure as perhaps the greatest writer to ever grace the mythos. I became interested after reading Johns' Aquaman, and since I've never really read GL, any of them, I figured I should start with what's considered the characters' most high profile run. The collection I bought collected Green Lantern: Rebirth, a Corps mini series, and the first 3 issues of the relaunched ongoing series.

Green Lantern: Rebirth is continuity maintenance at its finest—and that's a compliment. Mostly. To put Hal Jordan back in the saddle, Johns employs retcons of across of a spectrum of quality. "Parallax," the name Hal gave himself after turning heel in the 90's, actually being the living embodiment of fear and influencing him? Great retcon. Parallax being trapped in the central power battery being responsible for all Greens being weak to yellow? Even better. Sinestro inexplicably being alive because his death was just a Parallax construct? Bullshit.

Rebirth doesn't have much plot. It has retcons strung together to put all the pieces of the Green lantern mythos back on the board, and in the moment, it doesn't really make for a great story. Hype moments and aura, etc. Hal Jordan is just a mouth-piece for Johns to comment on how the world and the Green Lantern mythos has changed so much since Johns was a kid, and the cringe sense of wish fulfillment on multiple levels can't be denied. That being said, I don't think we should live in a world without Guy Gardener as Green lantern. If I was an aging superhero fan, I'd blame my problems on that, too, because we all know its just plain wrong.

Green Lantern Corps: Recharge, is the payoff to Rebirth's setup, the proof that makes all that Johns' status as continuity warden worth it. Almost immediately, the charm and value of a Green Lantern Corps series is made apparent. Watching aliens from different, or even warring, planets come together for the sake of the Corps never gets old, and getting to hang with Guy, Kyle, and Killowog, and all the new lanterns like Soranik Natu, is just a damn good time. I can't believe Green Lantern fans accepted nearly a decade of being deprived of stuff like this.

(This is probably cringe, but I do think that the Green Lantern oath has become a source of strength for me. I just think that the ritualistic nature of the battery and the ring is empowering. The idea that cosmic forces know you have potential and all you have to do is face your fears and realize it is an actual message you can take home with you, something you don't have to be fighter pilot or space doctor to use in real life. Anyway, back to being pedantic.)

The few issues of the actual Johns GL series that this edition included were what actually sold me on Hal Jordan as a character. He basically just aura farms in Rebirth, so in his owns series, he's far more dynamic. I loved getting to see him reintegrate into his old life. The inside baseball regarding his old gig in the air force, as well as his brother coming back into the picture, was all great stuff. This proves that Johns cares more about moving around musical continuity chairs. Johns' detractors often cite his Hal as being flat or boring, and I get that compared to the other Lanterns, he can seem that way, but Johns actually opens the door for the viewer to actually like Hal, not just respect his legacy. He's a stupid, fearless man who's lowkey a bum, but goddamn do we love him.

I've already bought 2 more volumes, so I'm officially a convert. Gimme the oath. I'm ready for my ring.

Final Destination: (2000 - 2025):

From July through August, I watched all 6 Final Destination films, and I have thoughts. The first one is a solid picture. The character drama is engaging, the pace is steady, and the general premise keeps the audience's interest. The best of this series remembers that, yes, you're here to see people get Rube Goldberg-ed to death, but these characters have to meaningfully interact for you to not be bored as hell. I don't care for FD 2, but it at least attempts to develop a main relationship, which 4 and 5 don't even try to do. Wisely, these movies lean into a comedic sensibility, as they've never really been scary, resulting in some really great moments of physical comedy but also solid jokes all around.

FD 3 is the best one by far and I'm glad most people can agree. People saying that Bloodlines, the newest film that came out this year, is the series' best are out of their minds. Its better than average, but nothing special at all, really. None of the relationships are particularly interesting, its the longest film and suffers a slower pace, and feels like a legacy sequel to a film that doesn't exist. I'm glad Tony Todd got his sendoff, but other than that, its a fine movie. My ranking:

• 1. Final Destination 3

• 2. Final Destination 1

• 3. Final Destination: Bloodlines

• 4. Final Destination 2

• 5. Final Destination 5

• 6. Final Destination 4

Ultimate X-Men Vol. 2: (2025):

I finally got around to reading the second volume Peach Momoko's Ultimate X-Men, specifically, issues #7-12. Ultimate Spider-Man and the Ultimates have been the titles I've kept up with the most, but UXM has always caught my eye. I appreciate that its the most unique out of the Ultimate suite of titles, but that's to its detriment as well. Its sticks out and as such, has the most to prove. Volume 1 has some pretty tough pacing, but volume 2 speeds things up and really gets to the heart of what this series is going to be about

I like Momoko's take on the X-Men. Making them all into Japanese schoogirls is fine by me, since this is the kind of thing that the Ultimate universe in the modern day should be doing—radical reinventions of beloved characters. Conceptually, I'm on board, but Momoko's execution can leave much to be desired sometimes. I appreciate that she's taking her time, but compared to USM or the Ultimates, who have covered some insane ground in the time they've had, UXM's slow pace indicates that is just doesn't have as much going on. Maystorm and Hisako are good enough protagonists but I'm constantly looking for more from them, and it doesn't help that Momoko stuffs the main cast with characters that simply don't do that much, at least in this volume.

What's most engaging in this series is its villains, the Children of the Atom cult. Being inside their machine, meeting characters like Viper and Maester who characterize the Maker's regime, is great stuff. Momoko's horror chops are on full display here, as some of her panels are genuinely startling, and going forward, I'm gonna need more of that, please. The future of UXM is always filled with so much potential, and with Ultimate Endgame heralding the Maker's return this December, I speak for everyone when I saw we need to see Momoko stick the landing.

"Man's Best Friend" by Sabrina Carpenter (2025):

At the time of me writing this, the album has only been out for exactly 10 hours and 34 minutes, but I had to squeeze this one in. Its no secret we've had a bit of a pop drought this summer, and this album feels like a reward for getting through it. The only public glimpse into this "era" was "Manchild," which took me a minute to warm up to, but looking back, served as a clear bridge between "Short 'n Sweet" and this new project. Its got the classic quirky Sabrina vibe, and while the lyrics retain their comedic wit, there's a bit of an edge here, which—just look at this album cover—is how I'd describe "Man's Best Friend" overall.

"Short 'n Sweet" isn't technically Sabrina's debut album, but it might as well be. Out of all her work, its solidified her image as a public popstar, but as an album...its alright. I'll compare it to Michael Jackson's Thriller in the sense that its not as cohesive as it is jam-packed with hits. While that makes pretty much every song fun to listen to, it detracts from an overall experience, and what I like about "Man's Best friend" is that its more cohesive in theme and sound. Its not some quantum leap, but it shows that Sabrina's willing to move the needle a little bit when it comes to what and how she wants her songs to sound like while she's still one of the most famous popstars of the current moment.

There's a level of sleaze here that makes "Man's Best Friend" distinct. Sabrina's a little meaner, a little sadder, and that's good. Well, not for her, but for us. It results in a more multi-dimensional look at her. Listening to this album is like hanging out with a friend from high school who's lowkey an asshole but you love them anyway because they're fun. "When Did You Get Hot?" is a pretty good example. "You were an ugly child but now you're a sexy man" is a crazy thing to say, and I like that pushes Sabrina's barely-disguised-contempt-through-the-veil-of-comedy shtick just enough that it actually makes an impression on you again. Yes, Sabrina, objectify the men, keeping saying strange things—its controversial! Its interesting! Its fun!

Sonically, that kind of country pastiche thing seems to me her main mode, as seen on tracks like "Sugar Talking," "We Almost Broke Up Again," and "Go Go Juice," but I'm glad Sabrina stops to do a little disco on "Tears" and slows down for "Never Getting Laid." The aforementioned "When Did You Get Hot?" is my favorite sonic detour, as it sounds like nothing else on the record and Sabrina absolutely kills it. "House Tour," however, is probably my favorite track. It feels like a lost 80's new wave track that she dusted off and gave the Sabrina treatment. "Man's Best Friend," whether you're impressed by growth (or lack therof) of this artist's work, cannot be denied as a sonic experience. The production is amazing, each song sounding so immaculate that I wanted to eat them. Give this a listen just to treat your ears.

Queen of the innuendo, Sabrina Carpenter delivers another banger album, combining what we've come to expect from her while taking the time to experiment—although not too much. While its still fresh, I immediately liked this better than her prior record and hope she continues to do more adventurous stuff in the future.

The Future:

I can't promise I'll keep doing this once my senior year of college starts (I'm unc, I know) but I'd like to. I have plenty of things lined up, like The Pitt, Season 8 of X-Files, and more Green Lantern, but who knows. If my media diet isn't as aggressive after the start of the school year, I might make a "What I Watch/Read/Played This Fall."

Anyway, this is goodbye for now. As always, the world sucks right , so stay safe and stay positive out there. After the blackest night, there comes the brightest day, and I really do believe that.