Greetings! I like to read many books, watch movies, TV shows and listen to audio books every chance I get. The list below will be my own opinion of the material. Remember: We all have opinions and different perspectives. If you did not like something I did, that just means we enjoy different things in the stories we find and our differences make the world a more diverse, rich and interesting place to live. Onwards!

Also, be aware, I'll be discussing many things about the stories involved, so... SPOILER WARNING!

Some movies were more popular than others, but each one became a piece of the puzzle that came together to make Endgame a movie event that may never come around again.

What I liked most about Endgame was the central characters and their own personal struggles as the story began. Each of our heroes has faced their worst failure and manage to move forward despite their losses. Captain America continues to be the moral center of the group, holding to his faith for a better tomorrow in order to help the survivors of 'the snap' as he and the team try to find a way to restore the lives taken. Even when they fail, he becomes a counselor for many and gives some friendly advice to Black Widow when he sees her in emotional distress. Iron Man faces the hardest road as he and Nebula are the last survivors of the battle on Titan. He nearly dies in space and upon his return gives up on being part of the team. However, when a solution is discovered for them to restore those who have been lost, his return to the fold is the mark of a true hero as one who cannot refuse the call to save lives. By the end, Tony Stark shows how far he has come from the self-centered playboy to the hero willing to do what it takes to save the day.

What I did not like in the movie was the downfall of Thor and the appearance of Captain Marvel. Thor became a parody of manic depression and self-destructive tendencies. For someone raised as a warrior king, he should have been able to handle the loss with more dignity. He provided many funny moments and was still the warrior we all know and love by the end but I still look forward to having him restored to his might in the future. As for Captain Marvel... I honestly wish they had left her out of this movie. Her appearance at the beginning had no reference. Was she sent out by the Avengers to find Iron Man and Nebula? Did she just stumble upon them while flying around the universe? There was no rhyme or reason for her being there other than her arrival "in the nick of time" in the beginning and end. That's one of the things I always disliked about Superman, who seemed to show up just moments from disaster to save the day. I would have preferred to leave Captain Marvel out of this movie so she can be part of the new MCU issuing the new faces and adventures after Endgame. Adding her at the last minute to the end of a story we have followed our heroes on for over ten years seemed like the writers wanted to add her just to toss in another female to the movie poster. It didn't feel right for those following our heroes these many years. She could have ushered in the new movies and stories instead of being tacked on at the beginning and end of this one.

Granted, I still loved how she came in at the end to destroy Thanos' ship but I kept thinking the Hulk would have been better suited for that display of destruction since he didn't get to show off any of his power throughout the movie. (Oh, well. It was still a good scene.) No matter. I will definitely buy Endgame when it comes out and will watch it many times to appreciate all the subtle nods to the fans. I appreciate the efforts of the writers and the source material. These people have created a truly amazing world we can enjoy from all different perspectives and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

However, this animated movie surprised me in the best possible way. I saw respect for the Spiderman we've known for many years put out front to let us all know that he is still out there. Then, we were introduced to this new character so we can see how he is a completely different person, not a copy and not a publicity stunt. He is his own person with his own life, friends and interests. Unlike the Peter Parker character, Miles Morales isn't some unpopular geek. He has friends, a loving family and loves music and art. (Yes, art done with spray paint is still art.) Like most heroes, he doesn't want this new power or the responsibility so he keeps trying to hand the burden off to others until a personal tragedy makes him see the importance of stepping up to be the hero.

Speaking of heroes, one of my favorite things in origin stories is the "Hero Moment". That's when the hero is at his lowest point or has endured the worst defeat so he (or she) reaches inside to become the hero they are meant to be. For Miles, this moment is just after he has been webbed to a chair by the other spider-folk and left behind. His father comes to the door and wants to talk to him, unaware Miles is gagged and unable to respond. His father is there to tell him his brother (Miles' uncle) has died. It is clear his father is dealing with the loss as well, but he is there to console his son, unaware Miles was there when his uncle died. Miles knows the hurt his father is going through and knows how important it is to be there for others. Despite his doubts and fears, Miles looks inside himself and finds that part of him that is a true hero, taking control of his powers and escaping to go out and join the fight to save lives, like every hero must do. He also shows this to Peter Parker when they are preparing to destroy the machine that has created a rift in the multiverse. He knows that the chances of success are small, but as he was told before, believing is a leap of faith and in the end, that is what makes him the hero of this story: Not succeeding every time he tries, but getting up each time he fails until he succeeds, proving he can go the distance.

Likes and dislikes: There was very little I didn't like about this movie. Possibly the depiction of Kingpin. I remember him as a strong, heavy-set man in past stories but not someone capable of killing Spiderman with his fists. That just seemed a bit off to me. However, since this was a different universe, I let it go as part of the new villains we got to see. The likes were many but having Miles have extra powers was cool. I would have been okay if he just had the abilities of the original Spiderman but adding a spider zap and invisibility made him stand out as his own character even more. I loved it! Another thing that was amazing was the visuals of the animation. The entire movie pays homage to the comics that these stories came from, providing large texts that proclaim sounds or thought boxes that we see in comics and going so far as to using comic drawn "dots" to shade some parts of the movie as any comic reader will have seen. It could have been done wrong a hundred different ways but this movie did it all right. Kudos to the writers, artists and creators of this re-introduction to a great hero.

I never knew anything about these other spider-people before (well, maybe Spider-ham long ago) but now that I've met Miles, I look forward to seeing his and all the other stories continue as he goes on this new and amazing hero's journey.

That was then and this is now. It seems that since the original depiction, Aquaman has had a makeover and is much more exciting. He now has all the qualities of a hero we love to see and has a flamboyance that elevates him above the others. Batman has a somber tone with a small amount of humor thrown in, usually by Alfred or other characters and Superman has been kept very serious as his movies portrayed a less positive hero as one more conflicted. (I miss Christopher Reeve.)

Aquaman is sometimes gruff, rebellious and oftentimes arrogant as he saves others, fights off pirates and handles every challenge that comes his way. Even when he is losing he continues to pick himself up, refusing to give in. (The mark of a hero) I'm glad the underwater scenes were done so well. Some water scenes have failed in other movies but were good here. The fight scenes had impact and even speech was portrayed well. I had fun with this movie and look forward to owning it when it comes out.

Likes and dislikes: The dislikes are what most hero movies end up with. The villains. It seems there were a few of them and none were as good as they could be. As far as menace or intimidation, I think both Mantis and King Orm fell short. If the writers had merged the two characters to portray Mantis with the authority of King Orm, I think it would have been more intimidating but that is just my opinion. Overall, they worked for the movie and I hope to see a stronger Mantis in the future.

I liked many things about the movie, including the depiction of Aquaman as a child, learning about his heritage and coming into his own. I liked his mother and her story that opened and closed the movie. We rarely see any story of love in a superhero movie that stands the test of time. It was refreshing to see a male character who falls in love and must wait for years, loving someone who may never come back. Too many other shows push for someone who loves another and loses them to go out and get another. It never lands well. Hearts are not so easily mended. This was touching and inspiring. We need more of this.

I am glad they brought Aquaman into the big screen and made him into a hero we can all cheer for. He now has a presence that sets him apart from the rest of the heroes and the strength to stand on his own. I look forward to seeing his adventure continue.