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By Alex Orona The latest in Marvel TV series, She-Hulk, stood out as their first comedy series in a massive slate of shows and movies. It focused heavily on a mix of procedural law satire with the occasional super hero action but it always felt at odds with our protagonist. You see, our hero, Jennifer Walters, for all intents and purposes, hates all things superhero. Any time there is a problem that calls for a swift punching, Jennifer has a tendency to roll her eyes and does everything in her power to avoid it. Herein lies the fascinating conundrum of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. The twist of She-Hulk comes directly from the comics. Since her debut comic in 1989 (The Sensational She-Hulk,) she has been breaking the fourth wall. She would punch her way through the comic covers, address the audience directly and would even jump out of panels to turn the page herself. It was a compelling twist to the character that has since been adapted perfectly to the show. Jennifer is quick to comment on cameos or Easter Eggs that speaks directly to the fanbase. While speaking to the audience for quick bits of comedic fodder works in spades, it’s when Jennifer directly disagrees with the proceedings that the show takes a turn. There are several events, specifically when it comes to the super hero action sequences, where our hero specifically addresses the lowbrow nature of these actions. It’s an interesting juxtaposition as the most recent batch of Marvel shows have had a common issue of unsatisfying plots with sub par finales usually resulting in a big flashy action set piece. Here we have the conundrum. Like the previous Marvel shows and movies, She-Hulk continues throughout its run, barreling like a train directly towards the exact same resolution. Bound to make similar mistakes as its predecessors, and Jennifer Walters is fully aware of it. It isn’t until the final two episodes that we finally see her take agency for her own story. Like any coming of age tale, there comes a time when a person needs to make a choice to avoid complacency. Taking responsibility for their own life choices. It’s a show that is directly at odds with its protagonist. By the show's closing final episode, Jennifer Walters is someone who has chosen to embrace her double life as a lawyer and superhero, literally jumping out of the Disney+ menu to find the heads of Marvel and make changes to her story that better suit her own sensibilities. She doesn’t want to fall victim to the same mistakes of the previous shows, but also takes control of her story and where it should logically go, as opposed to shoehorning in a big flashy action sequence. Through a hilarious conversation with the head of Marvel, an android program named K.E.V.I.N., she is able to re-write her ending. It’s not the most sensical ending overall, but emphasizes her own ability to take the reins. This sequence speaks to the power of the character but also invokes a larger conversation regarding how these shows are written. Seeing a character fully aware of the inevitable displays She-Hulk’s duality. There have been other media that have followed similar trajectories. Stranger Than Fiction, the 2006 Will Ferrell film follows this troupe equally well. There’s something to be respected about a character that refuses to accept a subpar ending to their story and in this case that can be said about any person period. Seeing circumstances in your own life that seem inevitable, but choosing to make a change to what really makes you happy is an act of heroism a normal person like Jennifer Walters can achieve. This is definitely an admirable trait, and I respect She-Hulk’s writers all the more for it.

For most of us, at least some of the time, fast food is a fact of life. Whether it’s because you’ve got very little time but still need to eat, are on a road trip, don’t feel like cooking or simply because you just enjoy it (which is totally okay, by the way!) everyone from journalists who forgot to eat all day to politicians and celebrities get in those drive through lines. The pandemic changed a lot of things, not all for the better, but one thing that’s a perk is the rise of the fast-food app. Apps not only mean you can take time and think about your order – they offer an opportunity to take advantage of some seriously great rewards systems. Many offer Apple or Android Pay or at the very least an option to store a card, and some even offer detailed tracking so you know just when to show up to grab your grub. One of the very best features of the fast food apps we’re featuring though? They save you tons of money! On top of the rewards you get for signing up for their loyalty programs and ordering for the first time, like a free sandwich from Jimmy John’s or free fries on Fridays from Mcdonald's, many of the major fast food apps have exclusive deals only available to those ordering via mobile/online. These deals mean instead of spending nearly 20+ dollars on a quick trip to Taco Bell, for example, you can end up spending 10 and not feeling like you’re eating a kid’s meal. Whip out your phone and follow along to get freebies and find the best way to enjoy your fast food forays! Taco Bell Taco Bell’s a big guilty pleasure of ours, but setting aside food preferences, the rewards are nigh unmatched. Taco Bell’s Taco Bell Rewards program awards you free food early and often. You’ll get food for signing up, for special occasions, during sports events (we recently got a free taco when someone stole a base during the World Series) and when there’s new items. There are web exclusive deals that are perennial and exclusive first-looks at new items. Sometimes, rewards pop into your account without you doing anything at all. And when your free rewards can be something like a Nachos Bell Grande, it’s pretty rewarding overall to use this app. Pros: Frequent Rewards, even without making purchases. Exclusive deals that offer deep discounts. New items offered to members first. Cons: If you ever use the app at multiple locations, it can be pretty easy to order from the wrong one again. Also, the order tracker that was added in a recent update does not really seem to work on iOS. McDonald's If you’re lovin’ it, try lovin’ it for less with the app. McDonald’s has somehow become one of the higher priced fast food joints nationally as late, and the app does a lot to mitigate that. McDonald’s, using its MyMcdonald’sRewards program, loves to come up with reasons to give away free things, which is great for anyone who has the craving and doesn’t want to get too spendy. Also, McDonald’s has some pretty robust technology packed into its app, with location services and a ton of options for ordering and paying inside and outside the restaurant. Oftentimes, there’s some pretty great offers and the points system is pretty fair, earning us free Big Macs and McFlurries (when the machine isn’t down.( Pros: Tons of ways to order, location based services, can use Siri to order on iOS, uses Apple and Android Pay as options. Plenty of free giveaways including large fries on Fridays. Cons: While there’s a lot of savings and freebies, there’s been a lot of strange and sometimes super irritating bugs - orders repeating, not going through, or even a sort of butt dial reorder. In some cases we’ve had to contact support to resolve them. Location services prove to be great in some cases and terrible in others. Burger King With a slogan like “Have it Your Way” you had to expect Burger King to show up with its app, and along with its rewards program, Royal Perks, brings goodies to the table. Burger King already had a great thing going via paper coupons, but if you’re the sort who tosses the junk mail and couldn’t remember to clip anything if your life depended on it, some of those same great deals appear in the app, too (though the family meal deal in paper mailouts is still unbeatable, and still traded on eBay and NextDoor apps to this day). One of our favorite things about Burger King’s Royal Perks is the code - you can use this to pay cash and not have to scan any receipts after to get your points. Still another great feature is its free upsize for Royal Perks members - don’t forget to mention it at the window and you’ll have yourself a large fry or drink just for signing up every time. Pros: Royal Perks members free upsize, tons of great offers, and the ability to easily use cash and still reap rewards (which is somewhat of a problem with many apps) Cons: Still doesn’t beat the paper coupons, prone to slow loading and crashing Little Caesars On top of having extremely decent pizza at its price point, Little Caesar’s has the pizza technology thing down pat. When you order online, your pizza will be trackable and safely and contactlessly placed inside the Pizza Portal, a wondrous device that has automatic garage doors that only unseal when you either scan the proper QR code once your pie’s done or enter the 3 digit code that’s texted and emailed to you. There’s no attached loyalty program (a plus for some folks) and prices are already shockingly low, with promos running pretty regularly. And there’s CRAZY BREAD! There’s hardly more that needs to be said. Pros: Great technology, multiple ways to get alerted your pizza is ready, can choose contactless delivery easily. Uses Apple and Android pay. Great prices, frequent offers. Cons: Tracker doesn’t always work. Shake Shack Ok, so this one’s a little higher-end and not quite as nationally ubiquitous, but its simplicity and elegance is to be admired. No loyalty programs here either, but there are exclusives and push notifications alerting you to whatever devilishly delicious things are upcoming at the nearest Shack, like the current Hot Ones. And though the price points are obviously higher, there’s free delivery on $35 orders and it’s fairly often that they go BOGO on shakes, which is a great deal and a great excuse to get you in the door. On top of this, you can save allergy and dietary preferences in the app, and save favorites for easy reordering for in store pickup or drive up window pickup where available. You can also peep the nutritional facts plainly. It streamlines getting Shake Shack to your mouth, and who wouldn’t want that? Pros: Easy to locate nutritional info and inclusive to those with specific dietary needs. Good offers, “first look” exclusives. Cons: Fewer offers than other apps Jimmy John's If you’re a freak for the freaky fast, and you’re not in the app, what are you even doing? Seriously, Jimmy John’s and apps go way back. They haven’t always had a great rewards program though, and now that that’s locked and loaded we love to get our sandwich fix from them even more. This app’s pretty no-frills too, but offers a great tracker and a rewards system that gets you free sandwiches fairly frequently. If you’re like us and need at least a weekly sandwich fix for your work-from-home or eat-at-cube lunches, you’re gonna need this in your arsenal. Pros: Great tracker, good rewards system. Cons: Not a ton of offers Starbuck's Starbucks is another fact of life. If you’re a caffeine person, you’re going to land here at least once in a while. And to be honest, even if coffee’s not your bag there’s a great array of tasty seasonal drinks to get your paws on, and some pretty decent breakfast options. The point is, you’re going to be there anyway at some point - get the app! Starbucks has been in the rewards game a while, and their Starbucks Rewards system is fantastic for frequent caffeine fliers. It only takes 25 stars to get your first taste of rewards, and the tech is there to make using the app a great experience. Order ahead, scan in a gift card, send a gift to someone else – even link your Delta SkyMiles account and get double rewards on days you’re taking to the skies. They’ve thought of everything and it shows. Not only that, it’s easy to customize your drinks from inside the app, which means you can add your 4 pumps of chai and extra hot milk without getting eyerolls from people behind you in line. Pros: Great tech, tons of customization options, robust rewards program Cons: Starbucks gift card balances don’t update in real time, so you’ll have to wait 24 hours before using that latest gift from the office manager. Truth be told, this list is just a primer – the bottom line is, though you will run into bugs and not all apps are created equal, almost all offer exclusive deals and the ability to skip the speaker screaming and get down to your tasty business sooner, for less. Who doesn’t love that? If you’ve got a hot tip on a great app we missed, don’t hesitate to leave it in the comments for others to benefit from!

By Alex Orona The Green Lanterns have been a catch all for most intergalactic space adventures in the DC Comics universe. Their main Lantern, Hal Jordan, has a storied history of ups and downs but now with 8 different Green Lanterns from earth, there’s always been a lot to explore in those pages. Now in the year of our lord 2022, we have not seen an ongoing dedicated Green Lantern book since Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps was canceled in 2018. Part of that has been the watering down of the brand over time. While inclusivity has been a welcome change to the Corps, being a Green Lantern member from the Earth sector always felt like a rarity but now we’re up to 8 members. Add to that, the fan favorite Hal Jordan has had so many twists and turns as a hero, villain, savior and everything else under the sun. Still, this still doesn’t explain why the book has had a consistent ongoing comic. Another thought is the popularity of the one off mini-series format that could better explore the universe in separate short adventures, which could include different writers and artists. Since the cancellation of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps in 2018, we’ve seen The Green Lantern and the Black Stars, and the critically acclaimed Far Sector. Each of these acted as limited issue stories that explored short experiences that wrap up as quickly as they start, with Far Sector only going for 12 issues. There could always be the obvious hypothesis that there isn’t an ongoing Green Lantern series because there isn’t a movie out, which is more an advertising and possibly political move ( see how Marvel killed off 90% of the X-Men when Marvel wanted the film rights back from Fox.) For this premise, there’s at least hope on the horizon, as there is a TV series in the works at HBO Max following the Green Lantern John Stewart. While that has been in production hell since 2019 (and they just lost their showrunner,) there’s at least a glimmer but we will have to see. Whatever the reason, I feel that there’s still a lot of stories to tell within the Green Lantern universe. Each Lantern deserves the spotlight and can easily headline their own ongoing series with interesting twists and turns on their galactic adventures. Even when there’s little hope, that’s especially when the Green Lanterns shine. Remember: In Brightest Day, In Darkest Night…

Whether it's troubles with in the group or the difficulty in maintaining the lifestyle of musician, it's always a bummer to see bands disband and disappear from the limelight. But every once in a while groups get back together and treat their fans to a beautiful evening filled with those old familiar songs and maybe a few new ones. Such was the case last week at Thalia Hall when Yellow Ostrich and Voxtrot returned to perform for a devoted crowd. I had seen Yellow Ostrich, the musical project of Alex Schaaf, perform back in 2014 as they opened for The Antlers. I was immediately a fan of their sound and was looking forwarded into diving into tier work. Unfortunately they disbanded later that same year. In the years following their were the random posts here and there, but never a full on comeback until last year when Alex Schaaf announced the revival of the Yellow Ostrich project. An anthology collection and a new album Soft emerged and earlier this year Schaaf toured with a full band in tow. For this set it was mostly Schaaf on stage alone, save for the final few songs where he was joined by Jared Van Fleet of Voxtrot . The mostly one man show did not disappoint as Schaaf had the crowd smitten from the get go. While there were a few older tracks in the night like magnificent "Marathon Runner" the set really shined brightest as the newer Yellow Ostrich songs held the spotlight. "Julia" and "Birds" off Soft were truly gentle and touching displays of Schaaf's songwriting. "Muscle Memory" in particular hit a high spot in the great set. When it finally came for Voxtrot to hit the stage, the already packed crowd grew. There is something to be said about a band being gone for 12 years making a return as anticipated as this one. Especially since the singer-songwriter Ramesh Srivastava brought together the original members of the band: Jason Chronis, Matt Simon, Mitch Calvert, and Jared Van Fleet. Even better was that it felt like they hadn't missed a beat in all that time apart. They kicked off their lengthy set with "Introduction" and "Raised by Wolves", leading the crowd headlong into night fueled with incredible songs. While their actual performances were top notch, there were a few technical difficulties between songs, but Voxtrot dealt with them quickly and effectively, They shifted their set list from time to time as to never leave the crowd waiting without a song engulfing the venue. Srivastava introduced songs with a playful little gags leading the audience to think they were getting one song but got treated with another. "This one's from the EP Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" he'd say and the crowd certainly expected to hear the title track but were met with "Soft & Warm". Whatever the case, the crowd was eating it up, enjoying every second of every song. Save for a few rarities like "Kindergarten", the set stuck to the most popular Voxtrot tracks. "Your Biggest Fan" sparkled as bright as you'd hope and "Raised by Wolves" almost sped by the crowd with just how easily it absorbed the crowds attention.Towards the end of their set, the anticipation for one certain song had come to a head. Everyone knew it was going to take a while for what is arguably Voxtrot 's most well known song to land. Srivastava prefaced the song acknowledging just how important the song is to the band and it's fans, uttering it's name to a small joyful murmur. Even thought the crowd was beyond excited for "The Start of Something", their reverence for the band remained intact as Srivastava told the tale of playing a wedding the last time he was in Chicago. The couple had "The Start of Something" on one of their early mixtapes they shared and needed to have the man who wrote it sing it at their wedding. The happily married were in attendance, right at the front of the crowd, and much like the rest of the crowd were ready to be transported to the time that song meant the most to them. "The Start of Something" was a joyous release for everyone at Thalia Hall. Every passing line of this beautiful and tumultuous love song hit the crowd in just the right spot. The song isn't about the easiest of loves as Srivastava bellows out "Is this the end or just the start of something really, really beautiful". It's about trying again, returning to an old love and hoping to start again and maybe make it work. "Marianne, let the ghosts sleep tonight" he croons, hoping to let the past go and start anew. After 12 years, Voxtrot is in the very place that amazing song is. He and the band are returning, hoping beyond hope that their past love is still around and willing to reunite. And while the song is desperately ambiguous about getting back together, is no doubt that everyone in the crowd never lost a bit of love for the band. All photos by Julian Ramirez This review was originally published at Third Coast Review. You can check out more pictures here.

Let's cut to the chase here: to say that Divino Niño's newest album Last Spa on Earth was at the top of my most anticipated albums of the year would be an understatement. Their last album, Foam, was a perfect summer album that was determined to just chill out its listeners with its psychedelic indie rock mixed throwback sounds. Last year upon the release of "Drive", it was undeniable that Divino Nino was going to be trying something new with this album. "Drive" felt like a transitional song, embodying the indie psychedelia of the band while dipping its toes into electro-house, R&B, the stranger elements of modern Latin music. Last Spa on Earth takes that notion to heart as it turns that idea of laidback tunes on its head, delivering another sexy album that will have you dancing rather than relaxing. While Foam seemed to split the Spanish and English language tracks evenly, Last Spa on Earth eschews that and mixes the languages entirely. Every song on the album slides between the two with ease, not really caring to be tied down by either one and doubles down a wide variety of Latin music influences. I'm sure the extended presence of Spanish and dancier grooves will make some try to corner the album as just Latin Music, but it's so confident in the integration of elements that it supersedes any true definition. The album kicks off with the ethereal and hazy "LSE," an intro song luring you into the Last Spa on Earth with smooth lines: "Calentamo toda la piel / Aquí no hay tiempo / Aquí no hay hora" (We heat up all the skin / Here there is no time / here there is no hour). The song's final lines seem to underline the band's direction, "Won’t you come over? Need a makeover? Need to start over?". It's an invite to this new world that effortlessly slides into the following track "Nos Soltamos," an immediate highlight of the album. "Nos Soltamos" is Divino Niño at their most at ease. The song is an ode to letting go even as things seem to at their worst as they detail a car skidding on the road. With references to Blink 182, the Beach Boys, a pair of underwater friends and lines like "Cuando me dedicas esta canción con tu nalga fatal" (When you dedicate this song to me with your fatal ass), "Nos Soltamos" tows the line between insightful and absurd. The same could be said about the overall vibe of the album. The pop culture reference are abundant and there are moments of strange dissonance throughout that all somehow works out elegantly. "Mona", a song that at first feels like a lost track off Foam with tender vocals, soft guitars, and twinkling keys before it melts into that fast-paced and glitched out electro-house. "XO" is an R&B jam if I ever heard one, but laced with some Reggaton beats that fit in with the song's sexy blasphemous ("Sin religión, solo sazón" is maybe my favorite line in an album full of amazing lyrics). There are just so many standout tracks on the album. Each one has its own unique style while maintaining the Last Spa on Earth's cohesiveness (that of insatiable horniness). Some songs ooze with sincerity like "Tu Tonto", a complete embracing of just giving into someone (and a Ranma ½ shoutout). Others are just pure party anthems like live staple "Miami", which finally sees a studio version after years of making crowds shake their butts off. The song is as fun as it is live with its infectious chants of "Welcome to Miami" hitting just as strong. Last Spa on Earth is a dazzling new direction for Divino Niño. Whether it's the direction they'll be going in the future or just a pit stop, its adept mixing of styles makes for a necessary listen. You can listen to Divino Niño's Last Spa On Earth here. This review of Divino Niño Last Spa On Earth was originally published on Third Coast Review.