Who is Iron Man? What’s an Infinity Stone? When did Captain America become the first Avenger? Why does everyone love Loki even though he’s a bad guy? It’s easy for new fans to get overwhelmed by the sprawling mythology and complexity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which now spans more than 20 films and TV shows. Unlike encyclopedias and guides that offer diehard fans trivia, details, and deep dives into every on-screen moment, this first-of-its-kind explainer is an easy, fun, and accessible introduction to the hundreds of characters, plots, and interconnected stories that make up one of the greatest pop-culture franchises of all time. Do you want to enjoy Spider-Man, but don’t quite know what a Skrull is? Maybe you know that it was Agatha all along, but did maybe WandaVision leave you wondering about the multiverse of madness? Do you need a primer on Thor’s backstory so you can grasp how The God of Thunder became friends with The Guardians of the Galaxy? Or, maybe you just want to be able to join in when everyone shouts out “Wakanda Forever!” If you’re looking for an easy to access entry into what literally everyone is talking about, this is the book for you! As the perfect and unauthorized resource to keep on hand when watching something for the first—or tenth—time, Smart Pop Explains Marvel Movies and TV Shows like no one else could.

Who is Iron Man? What’s an Infinity Stone? When did Captain America become the first Avenger? Why does everyone love Loki even though he’s a bad guy? It’s easy for new fans to get overwhelmed by the sprawling mythology and complexity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which now spans more than 20 films and TV shows. Unlike encyclopedias and guides that offer diehard fans trivia, details, and deep dives into every on-screen moment, this first-of-its-kind explainer is an easy, fun, and accessible introduction to the hundreds of characters, plots, and interconnected stories that make up one of the greatest pop-culture franchises of all time. Do you want to enjoy Spider-Man, but don’t quite know what a Skrull is? Maybe you know that it was Agatha all along, but did maybe WandaVision leave you wondering about the multiverse of madness? Do you need a primer on Thor’s backstory so you can grasp how The God of Thunder became friends with The Guardians of the Galaxy? Or, maybe you just want to be able to join in when everyone shouts out “Wakanda Forever!” If you’re looking for an easy to access entry into what literally everyone is talking about, this is the book for you! As the perfect and unauthorized resource to keep on hand when watching something for the first—or tenth—time, Smart Pop Explains Marvel Movies and TV Shows like no one else could.

Who is Snape? What’s a horcrux? When did Sirius Black escape from Azkaban? Why was Hermione sorted into Gryffindor? It’s easy for new fans to get overwhelmed by the sprawling mythology and complexity of the Harry Potter movies and books. Unlike encyclopedias and guides that offer diehard fans trivia, details, and deep dives into every on-screen moment, this first-of-its-kind explainer is an easy, fun, and accessible introduction to the hundreds of characters, plots, and interconnected stories that make up one of the greatest pop culture franchises of all time. Maybe you’re a First Year and need an entry level class on the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Are you trying to figure out why Slytherins are so slippery? Trying to parcel out parceltongue? Having trouble sorting out when Dumbledore battled Grindelwald? Or maybe you’re a confident Ravenclaw who wants to understand why it’s leviOsa, not levioSA! If you’re a Muggle, witch, or wizard looking for an easy entry into what literally everyone is talking about then this is the book for you. As the perfect and unauthorized resource to keep on hand when watching something for the first—or tenth—time, Smart Pop ExplainsHarry Potter Movies and Books to you like no one could!

Return to Middle-earth ahead of Amazon Prime's new series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power If you’re feeling lost on the way to Mordor, let Smart Pop be your guide—literally, with this handy crash course into the cinematic world of Hobbits and Orcs and Elves (oh my!) It’s easy for new fans to get overwhelmed by the sprawling mythology and complexity of the six films that make up Peter Jackson’s epic trilogies. Unlike encyclopedias and guides that offer diehard J.R.R. Tolkien fans trivia, details, and deep dives into every on-screen moment, this first-of-its kind explainer is an easy, fun, and accessible introduction to the characters, plots, and interconnected stories that make up one of the greatest pop culture franchises of all time. Smart Pop has all of your burning questions covered: Who is Frodo? Why are there so many rings? When did Gandalf the Grey have time to change outfits and become Gandalf the White? Why does everyone love Gollum even though he’s a bad guy? And more! As the perfect and unauthorized resource to keep on hand when rewatching the films for the first—or tenth time, or as a primer for the upcoming live action series, Smart Pop Explains Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Movies to you like no one could!

Los Angeles magazine is a regional magazine of national stature. Our combination of award-winning feature writing, investigative reporting, service journalism, and design covers the people, lifestyle, culture, entertainment, fashion, art and architecture, and news that define Southern California. Started in the spring of 1961, Los Angeles magazine has been addressing the needs and interests of our region for 48 years. The magazine continues to be the definitive resource for an affluent population that is intensely interested in a lifestyle that is uniquely Southern Californian.

 Joss Whedon has created numerous TV series, movies, comics and one sing-along-blog, all of which focus on societal problems in the metaphorical guise of monsters-of-the-week and over-arching big-bads. The present work examines structural violence through interdimensional law firm Wolfram & Hart's legal representation of evil. We explore the limits of consent through the Rossum Corporation's coercion and manipulation. We rehearse the struggle to find meaningful freedom from the crew of Serenity. This book traces a theme of anarchist theory through the multiple strings of the Whedonverse--all of his works show how ordinary heroes can unite for the love of humanity to save the world from hierarchy and paternalism.

This book explores the Black Panther character’s multimedia legacy against the backdrop of contemporary sociopolitical reality. The author critically analyzes the character’s role as a counter-narrative to regressive attitudes toward Africa and Black identity, as well as how he represents consolidated media reality.