Mother Removes Child From School For Learning About LGBT+ People

A mother in Atlanta has removed her daughter from school following a lesson that taught children that LGBT+ people exist.

Octavia Parks, whose 12-year-old daughter attends Lithonia Middle School in Georgia, told Fox News in an interview that she chose to remove her daughter from the school following a lesson in which students were taught the correct terms for same sex relationships.

'We're talking about a sixth grader who still watches Nickelodeon.' Parks complained. 'I'm not ready to explain what these words are nor what they mean. I will be removing her from class and I'm going to take it to the board of education to see what they have to say about it as well.

'Why are they teaching that in school? What does it have to do with life?'

Some outlets are reporting that other parents have also complained about their children learning that LGBT+ relationships exist, and that further action has been taken against the school.


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Sources:
Fox News, One News Now, Pink News

Killing Rumer – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘The dark wants to eat me. I’ve spent long enough in dark places to know. I’m underground, buried deep, soil cramming into my mouth. The nightmare I’ve had since I was a kid. All I have to do is choke it down, fight the clawing panic, surrender to the shadows, but that would mean giving in, and Rumer Cross is no fucking coward.’
Killing Rumer is an upcoming crime horror book from author and film journalist Joshua Winning.

The book is written from the point of view of Rumer Cross, a nineteen year old girl living in London. Rumer begins the book working for a detective agency, where she is employed to follow people around, catching evidence of her targets cheating on their wives, screwing over their employers, or generally just being jerks.

Rumer had bounced around between foster homes and the streets growing up, which has made her into hard and cynical young woman. Along with this, she has also had to deal with the legacy of her long dead mother, a mob assassin and criminal known as the ‘Witch Assassin’, responsible for some of the most bloodthirsty crimes the country has ever seen.

When Rumer is kidnapped by a vicious crime lord who believes that she’s hiding a bizarre occult relic Rumer’s simple life is thrown into turmoil. On the run and hunted by criminals and killers Rumer must try to find out who is after her, what it is they’re after, and how to stop them. Along the way Rumer must also confront the possibility that she might be cursed; a horrific legacy left behind by her occult obsessed mother that kills anyone who becomes close to her.

Killing Rumer manages to combine real world elements of crime thriller and the occult in interesting ways to create a story that feels like it belongs in the real world, yet also skirts into the mystical with little difficulty. Two of the main story threads of the book concern the mysterious artifact that the bad guys are after, and Rumer’s apparent curse, both of which are recurring narratives throughout the book.

Despite there being such a heavy focus on the occult and magic, Killing Rumer never makes anything overt. There are no people practicing black magic, there isn’t anyone throwing spells at each other or anything like that, but come the end of the book you’re left wondering if magic and the occult actually do exist in this universe.

It’s a clever and compelling tightrope that the author treads, managing to make numerous situations that support the idea that the supernatural does exist, whilst also offering very real world explanations that makes the whole thing seem ridiculous. Even the very last moments of the book manages to throw in one last complication that makes you question the events that you’ve just read, and what might actually be real.

Rumer is an interesting and very human character, one that has her fair share of flaws and makes mistakes throughout the story. Whilst at first she comes across as someone a little too cold as the story progresses and you learn more about her and her past it becomes easy to understand how she ended up being the person she is.

She feels vulnerable beneath her hard exterior, a young woman desperate to find her place in the world and to be able to be happy, yet struggling against the fears and insecurities of her troubled past. This makes her a very real and relatable character, one that you’ll find yourself very invested in.

Killing Rumer is an engaging mystery story that incorporates several other genres in interesting ways, creating a unique experience. A must read.


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Power Rangers Ninja Steel – 1×15 ‘The Royal Rumble’ – Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Picking up where the previous episode of Ninja Steel left off, Viera’s ship has been damaged and she’s stuck on Earth. Seeking out the Power Rangers for help, Viera asks them to help her in finding a power source for her ship. Initially Mick refuses to help the princess, revealing to the group that he is from the Lion Galaxy, and that he was sold into slavery along with 100 others of his race at the command of the royal family.

With Drillion still alive, and looking to even conclude his battle with the Rangers and Viera, Mick must be convinced to help the princess if the team is to succeed.

‘The Royal Rumble‘ acts as a loose second part to the arrival of Princess Viera and the Fire Mega Zord. Whilst the episode has some great action sequences, it underutilises some great character moments and story beats that needed much more attention.

Ninja Steel has suffered from this in the past, with the characters taking a back seat to flash and robot fights. Sadly, here it’s perhaps the worst example, where the reveal that Mick was sold into slavery being quickly resolved and glossed over rather than explored. I’m not suggesting that this plot thread should have gone on to last for multiple episodes, but Mick should have been harder to convince to help Viera. Instead, he forgives her far too quickly.

With Mick and Brody having both been slaves on Galvanax’s ship for ten years the this would have been the perfect opportunity for the show to have the two of them show how deep their friendship is. Imagine how powerful it could have been if Brody had to convince Mick into giving a powerful weapon to the woman whose family ripped him from his home and sold him to a literal monster.

Power Rangers might be a children’s show, but it’s explored some heavy and emotional ideas in the past, with Power Rangers Time Force exploring racism and prejudice in the episode ‘Trip Takes a Stand‘, or the effects a loss of a parent can have in the Power Rangers S.P.D. episode ‘Reflection‘. Unfortunately, this story is lost in the rush to introduce the new Zord, as well as new power-up mode for the Red Ranger in which he receives Princess Viera’s armour.

Whilst the episode lacks the emotional punch that it almost had, and important character growth, the action sequences are incredibly well made, with some stunning shots and stunts.

If Ninja Steel could combine the pretty action sequences that it has been able to deliver so far with improved characterisation the series would increase in quality. As it is, the series is more style over substance so far, and with only five episodes left before the finale it’s looking less and less likely that the series will be able to deliver the quality of even last year’s Power Rangers Dino Supercharge.


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Middle-Earth Shadow of War: 5 Other Fantasy Games You May Enjoy

Originally published on Set The Tape

As the release of Middle-Earth: Shadow of War fast approaches, now seems like a good opportunity to take a look at some other fantasy games that fans of the Middle-Earth games will enjoy.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows, Nintendo Switch

One of the best fantasy games available on the market, and possibly one of the best video games ever made, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim allows incredible freedom of choice, so much so that no two gameplay experiences will be the same.

Set in the huge land of Skyrim, you are dropped into the middle of an epic fantasy story. Able to choose your race, gender, and class, you can choose to fight to save the world, or simply wander the land picking flowers and hunting deer. The game offers so much choice and variety in a world packed full of side quests and missions that you can keep playing for years.

With the game available on almost every console, and soon to be handheld on the Nintendo Switch, it’s easy to find a version for your system.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Windows

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an incredibly beautiful and well made game, set in a fantasy world that feels real and dynamic. Playing as Geralt of Riva, a monster hunter known as a Witcher, you are able to journey through the world of The Witcher, either pursuing the main story or taking on side missions to hunt various creatures.

The game’s day and night cycle can go on to have an effect on the world around you, making some creatures more deadly at certain times, letting the player choose not just how, but when to approach certain situations.

With an in depth story, branching dialogue options, and a competent combat mechanic, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a vast and varied gaming experience.

Dragon’s Dogma
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows

Dragon’s Dogma mixes open world fantasy exploration with epic hack and slash combat against huge monstrous enemies. The game lets you choose your character’s gender and class, allowing for a level of personalisation to create your own version of the story.

After having your heart torn out by a dragon, who names you the ‘chosen one’, you are revived as an ‘Arisen’, and must go on a quest to kill the dragon and regain your heart. Along the way you’ll meet other characters, and will have to fight against monsters so massive that they take up most of the screen.

Whilst a lot of games with giant boss monsters have you attack the legs and lower extremities of the creature, in Dragon’s Dogma you can climb on top of the monsters and attack them from above, creating some of the most visually impressive action moments in any fantasy game.

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Platform: PS4

Possibly something of a cheat on this list, as Horizon: Zero Dawn is more of a science-fiction game than a fantasy one; however, the gameplay is such a unique mixture of fantasy and science fiction that it deserves to be included on this list.

Set around a thousand years in the future where humanity has regressed into a primitive tribal society, Horizon: Zero Dawn sees players take on the role of Aloy. Aloy is a hunter, who can explore the vast future landscape with her bow and spear, fighting against huge robotic foes.

Fusing the traditional fantasy elements of primitive societies, weapons such as bows and spears, with a future setting, and replacing creatures like dragons with robotic dinosaurs makes Horizon: Zero Dawn one of the most unique fantasy games around.

Dragon Age: Inquisition
Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows

Dragon Age: Inquisition has less of a focus on action than other games on this list, but is set in an incredibly detailed and well-crafted fantasy world. Able to craft a character of your own creation, in what is still one of the best character creation systems, you’re quickly drawn into a supernatural mystery that sees your character travelling across the world of Thedas, searching for allies in your battle against other worldly forces.

Despite a simpler combat system, the character interactions and dialogue options available in Dragon Age: Inquisition are a real draw, with dozens of options available for players to personalise their own stories. Able to forge alliances with your responses, to romance party members in nuanced relationships, to shape the world with how you deploy and grow your troops, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a game with massive depth and weight.


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Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth #6 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Issue six of Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth jumps straight into action as we find Dredd the prisoner of the reanimated skeleton of former Cadet Judge Brad Johnson from all the way back in the first issue.

Bundled into the back of Johnson’s truck, the two of them are being pursued by a dozen Neon Knights vehicles in a chase sequence straight out of Mad Max. The action is fast and frentic, and comes with some pretty big plot revelations too, making that scene feel fast and punchy.

The art style really shines here too, with the cobbled together vehicles, gunfire, and explosions coming together in pags that almost feel like there’s too much to take in. It adds to the action, makes things feel punchy and dangerous. The issue also holds huge revelations regarding the missing skeletons, and the robot revolution, as Judge Quill discovers that the people who have fallen victim to the skeleton thefts are biosims, artificially created humans.

When confronting Judge Hershey and Judge Anderson about the situation Quill gets faced with a horrific moral argument, can artificial life be considered real life? Whilst Quill argues that the destruction of biosims and robots constitutes to genocide Anderson retorts that it’s no different than recycling.

With the series having previously made parallels to machines being treated similarly to slaves, and with the Neon Knights a very clear depiction of the KKK, Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth feels very much like a story that is relevant today, with a hard focus on racism and hatred amidst the science fiction trappings. This feels incredibly relevant in this issue, where these themes aren’t just hinted at, but thrown straight into the reader’s faces.

Possibly the best issue of the series thus far, issue six answers many of the mysteries surrounding the events of the previous issues, and sets up well for what feels to be an actionpacked, and weighty finale.


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Armstrong – Film Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

STARRING: Vicky Jeudy, Shawn Parsons, Jason Antoon, Christian Anderson.

WRITTEN BY: Nick Rufca
DIRECTED BY: Kerry Carlock & Nicholas Lund-Ulrich

Armstrong is made out to be a superhero film, and in a time where the film market is flooded with comic book superhero movies it would be easy to produce a film that fits that mould. However, Armstrong isn’t that kind of film. It has more creativity, intelligence, and spark than I was expecting from an independent superhero film. Possibly because I didn’t see it as a superhero film whilst watching it; something that worked incredibly well in the films favour.

The titular character of Armstrong, a former soldier with a high-tech bionic arm capable of shooting lasers, feels less of a stereotypical superhero and more a regular man on a mission. He doesn’t wear a mask or an over the top costume, and whilst he does have a hood/cape it feels more like part of his military ensemble than trying to be like a comic book character.

This goes a long way in grounding the film, in making it more real world than a lot of superhero films. Yes, he’s got a bionic arm that shoots lasers, and he’s fighting a high-tech doomsday cult that wants to end the world; but the film feels a lot more real than that story deserves. It’s more Netflix’s Daredevil or Jessica Jones than it is Iron Man or The Avengers.

A lot of this comes from the way the film is shot, as much as from the hero. The film is all set within the same night, meaning that the film is very dark in the way it looks, though it does make use of some very beautiful cinematography to make Los Angeles jump out of the screen. Many of the scene make use of bold colours to make the locations sparkle, such as deep yellows and oranges in construction sites and warehouse districts, and bright whites and greens in an underground car park.

The film looks beautiful throughout, using the fact that it is set during one night to shoot the film in such a way that it makes the most out of what some would call a limitation. There aren’t many films set in Los Angeles at night that manage to make the city look the way Armstrong manages. It feels like a city we all know and recognise, yet has a look and feel that stands out as its own.

The films cast are well picked, and with only three named characters to lead the story, getting the right actors was hugely important. Vicky Jeudy, best known for her role as Janae Watson in Orange Is the New Black, plays Lauren, an EMT on her first shift. Nervous at starting her new job, and later we discover because she’s a recovering addict, we spend the most time with her over the course of the film, and get to see how she grows as a person over just a few short hours.

Jeudy is believable in the role, able to play the emotional young woman incredibly convincingly, and by the end of the film you come to believe her change into a hero, someone willing to risk their life for a greater cause. Her partner Eddie, played by Jason Antoon, has less character growth, but we do get to see a lot of sides to his personality as events begin to unfold. Initially something of a cynic and a jerk he never really stops being that person, but you do get to see his caring side. He’s not the most instantly likeable person, but he does feel like someone with a well rounded and thought through personality.

Armstrong himself remains the least developed character by the end of the film, but that’s okay, because his role isn’t to be the films hero, but to drive the story forward and help to forge the films real hero, Lauren. Shawn Parsons sells the role well, believable as a former soldier and a man on the fringes of society. Whilst we don’t get to see him performing any over the top or crazy feats that you’d expect from a superhero it’s okay, because that would feel too jarring for the film. He’s grounded and real, which is just what he needs to be.

Armstrong doesn’t have a huge Hollywood style budget, it’s not a Marvel or DC superhero film, it doesn’t have the money to splash out on big effects shots, so the special effects in the film are fairly fleeting, and because of this more effort is given to making them look good. The film won’t be held up as a technical masterpiece, or nominated for its effects, but it does manage to do the most important thing – it keeps its effects well crafted and realistic. I wasn’t once drawn out of the film because of shoddy CGI or poor practical effects, and that’s something that some big studio films fall short of.

Armstrong is a character driven action film masquerading as a superhero film, and because of that it’s actually one of the more refreshing superhero films I’ve seen in a while. With engaging and interesting characters, beautiful cinematography, and an ending that leaves the film open to a sequel, Armstrong is a film worth giving a chance.


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William Gibson’s Archangel – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Archangel, written by William Gibson and Michael St. John Smith, is a time travel action-adventure story that spans from modern day to post-world war two Berlin.

It tells the story of a different timeline, a world where America controlled the majority of the planet but has been ravaged by nuclear weapons. With the world destroyed and unliveable, the American leadership forms a plan to travel into an alternate past, to change their history and create a new world for them to take control over.

Having altered his appearance to look like his grandfather, Junior Henderson, the son of the President For Life, travels back to 1945 along with a group of marines and replaces his grandfather, an important military officer. Fortunately, a resistance movement feels that it is wrong for Henderson to alter an entire world in order to rule it, and as such sends a team of their own back in time to stop their plans.

Archangel splits its action between these two time periods, with the 2016 setting acting as support for the agent sent back to the 1940’s. Whilst the majority of the narrative takes place in the past, these jumps back to the present allow for good narrative pauses in the story, and give us some additional context to the future timeline and the events that led to the destruction of their world.

The 1945 setting is well done, with the books art style complementing the location of a post war Berlin. Whilst many time travel stories, especially ones that involve alternate histories, tend to be set during World War Two itself, moving it to the time just after makes for a familiar yet refreshing change. The story unfolds at a brisk pace, yet never feels rushed or like things are happening too quickly, there’s still time to build the world and to take character moments.

Despite only being five issues in length the writers manage to develop their characters well, they explore their histories and their motivations in ways that feel natural and not forced, and manage to add a lot of depth to even side characters. The single panel in which you discover that the character Fritz was held in a Nazi prison is a disturbing moment, and tells you huge amounts about who he is and what he’s been through, simply with dialogue; ‘I wore a pink triangle. A certain guard befriended me. There was food, of sorts. Other privileges, for one such as myself. Staying out of the death camps was one.’

A personal favourite character of mine for the series is Naomi Givens, am RAF Intelligence Officer who couldn’t help but remind me of Peggy Carter. Much like the beloved Marvel character, Givens is a smart, quick thinking, and no nonsense character that drives the story forward; she takes to the concept of time travel especially well.

Archangel also manages to pack in several action sequences throughout the story despite so much of the narrative being given over to characterisation and world building, meaning that even the most hardened action fan will find something of interest, even if they aren’t drawn into the story, which strikes me as impossible.

Learning that Archangel began as a television project, before being changed to a feature film, video game, and then finally a comic book, isn’t surprising, as it has a very cinematic quality throughout, from the way the story unfolds to the way that certain panels are drawn. The book has a scope to it that many comics lack, and a care and attention to detail that make it feel like a very real and lived in world.

With Archangel now collected as a single volume it’s the perfect time to check out the story if you missed the issues when they first came out, plus, reading it as one piece rather than waiting a month between issues is definitely the best way to experience this story.


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Power Rangers Ninja Steel – The Story So Far

Originally published on Set The Tape

The latest series in the popular Power Rangers franchise, which will be celebrating their 25th anniversary next year, is Ninja Steel. Well into its first season, before we begin reviewing the show, let’s catch you up on what’s happened in the season so far…

Beginning ten year ago, the mysterious Ninja Nexus Prism crashes down to Earth at the home of Dane Romero, the world’s greatest ninja. Removing the Ninja Steel around the Prism, Dane revealed the Ninja Power Star within.

When the vile space villain, and champion of the Galaxy Warriors show, Galvanax arrives at Dane’s home he sends his eldest son Aiden into hiding with the Ninja Steel whilst he faces Galvanax in order to save his youngest son Brody, who has been taken prisoner. During the battle between Galvanax and Dane, the Ninja Nexus Prism appears and allows Dane to remove the Star within, transforming him into the Red Ninja Steel Ranger.

Despite this, Galvanax defeats Dane and claims the star for himself. Before the power can enter Galvanax, Dane destroys it with his sword, shattering it into six separate stars that return to the Prism. With Dane now vanished, Galvanax takes the Prism back to his ship, along with Brody.

Ten years later, Galvanax has yet to retrieve a Ninja Power Star from the prism, and is using the contestants of Galaxy Warriors to try to remove a Star for him. When Galvanax and his lieutenants choose to return to Earth to find the Ninja Steel, Brody fears for his brother’s safety.

Aided by his friends Mick and Redbot, Brody steals the Ninja Nexus Prism and flees to Earth. Seeing Brody crash down to Earth, two local students, Sarah and Preston, arrive to see if anyone needs help. Attacked by one of the monsters Galvanax has sent after them, they each pull a Ninja Nexus Star from the Prism and transform into the Red, Blue, and Pink Power Rangers.

Landing on Earth separately to Brody, Mick is aided by another pair of local teens, Hayley and Calvin. Together the three of them are able to find the missing Ninja Steel hidden at the local school, and Hayley and Calvin receive their own Ninja Power Stars, becoming the White and Yellow Rangers. Using the local school as their base of operations, the new Power Ranger team fight off the monsters that Galvanax sends after their Ninja Power Stars, whilst Mick and Redbot forge new Ninja Star weapons for the team.

When a mysterious Gold Ranger arrives, the team discover that the famous country music artist Levi Weston is the sixth Ranger. Revealing that upon receiving his Ninja Power Star he was captured by Madame Odius, Galvanax’s chief advisor, Levi puts his music career on hold in order to aid the Rangers in their battle.

After working alongside the Rangers for some time the group learn that Levi’s memories were tampered with whilst he was the prisoner of Madame Odius. When his memories are returned to him, Levi learns that he is in fact Aiden Romero, Brody’s older brother. With his memories now returned, Brody and Levi are able to reconnect as a family.

In Galvanax’s latest scheme, he tricks Princess Viera, a member of the Royal Family of the Lion Galaxy into fighting the Rangers, making her believe that they are evil. Upon learning that the Rangers are in fact kind and caring people Viera begins to see that there are ways to rule other than with strength.

Sending a monster against Viera and the Rangers, Galvanax was able to disable Viera’s ship, the mighty Fire Lion Zord. Her ship damaged and unable to fly, Viera is now trapped on Earth along with the Power Rangers…


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Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth: Issues 1-5 Recap

Originally published on Set The Tape

Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth follows on from the popular ‘Mega-City Zero’ storyline that ran for the complete twelve issue run of the second volume of Judge Dredd. Ten years after the events of ‘Mega-City Zero’, which saw Dredd waking up a thousand years into his future to find civilisation as he knew it gone, Dredd and the rest of the judges are now trying to put society back together.

This is a big shift for the Judge Dredd series, with the futuristic structures of the Mega-Cities replaced by sprawling wasteland and small settlements, and a world that was built around the Judges to one where people don’t want them around anymore. What this does, however, is give the book a fresh new feel, one that helps it to stand apart from other Judge Dredd stories.

Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth begins with a focus on the construction of the Mega-Rail, a huge train system that will connect hundreds of outposts and villages, enabling the citizens to travel between them more easily, and to allow the Judges easier policing of their territories.

Unfortunately, many of the villages that they intend the Mega-Rail to service don’t want the train or the return of the Judges. This is something of a refreshing change from previous Judge Dredd stories I’ve read, where people are afraid of the law, and the only ones who challenge it are criminals. Here, however, you have ordinary people standing up for their beliefs, and it makes things less clear cut than before.

There are a number of times throughout the series where the reader is presented with a situation where you have to question if the return of the Judges is a good thing, if people’s freedoms are being taken away. In the middle of this drama there’s a new threat beginning to appear, one that leaves the bodies of victims behind without their skeleton. Falling victim to this threat after a bloody battle, Judge Dredd finds himself without his bones, and with only a year to find his original skeleton before he dies.

Working alongside other Judges, such as Judge Quill, Judge Lolo, and series mainstay Judge Anderson, Dredd tries to get to the bottom of the mystery and locate his skeleton. Along the way they discover a group of rival lawmen, the Neon Knights (who look like a cross between the Judges and the KKK), as well as a robot uprising.

The parallels between the Neon Knights and the KKK are most obvious in the third issue of the series, where they are tracking down a robot who has run away from her ‘owner’. This robot looks and acts human, and wants her people to have rights. Despite arguments that she has her own thoughts and feelings she’s taken by the Neon Knights and essentially lynched. The scenes are hard to read, with the parallels to America’s racist history (and some current events) delivering it with much more emotional weight.

Whilst these stories initially seem unconnected it begins to become clear that they play a larger part in the mystery around the missing skeletons as the Judges uncover a plot to create robots that are indistinguishable from humans, who use biology to mask their true selves.

As the fifth issue ends, Dredd and Lolo are ambushed by a new adversary, barely more than a sentient skeleton, who proves incredibly vicious and near unstoppable. Whilst Dredd and a badly wounded Lolo struggle to find a way to stop their new foe, Quill is investigating a possible connection between the skeleton thefts and the Mega-Rail construction…


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Power Rangers Ninja Steel – Who’s Who in Season 1?

Originally published on Set The Tape

The latest incarnation of the Power Rangers universe, Ninja Steel, is currently halfway through its first season.

We’ll be reviewing the season and looking at the show in more depth, but before we do, we thought for those of you unfamiliar, we’d give you an idea of Who’s Who in the show…

Brody Romero / Red Ninja Steel Ranger (William Shewfelt)

Ten years before the events of the series, Brody was kidnapped by the villainous Galvanax after his father Dane, a ninja master, vanished stopping Galvanax from obtaining the Ninja Nexus Prism.

Raised on board Galvanax’s ship, the Warrior Dome, as a slave, Brody escaped with his friends Mick and Redbot when he learnt that Galvanax was returning to Earth in order to obtain the mysterious ninja steel. Having been imbued with powers from the Ninja Nexus Prism, Brody leads the team as the Red Ranger.

Sarah Thompson / Pink Ninja Steel Ranger (Chrysti Ane)

A new student at Summer Cover High, Sarah is a mechanical genius, and the brains of the team. Addicted to speed, Sarah created her own super powered hoverboard (one that actually hovers, not the ones you can get in the shops).

She can get carried away a times and find herself becoming too focused on her end goals, but is always willing put her abilities to use to help the team and provide them with their latest gadgets.

Preston Tien / Blue Ninja Steel Ranger (Peter Sudarso)

The son of a wealthy businessman in Summer Cove, Preston recently lost his mother. Kindhearted and loyal to his friends, Preston loves magic and to entertain people.

Since obtaining his Ranger powers from the Ninja Nexus Prism he has also developed the ability to perform real magic, though only to help others.

Hayley Foster / White Ninja Steel Ranger (Zoe Robins)

Hayley is an adventurous young woman who loves the outdoors and nature, something that is reflected in her love of nature.

Hayley has a pet siberian husky called Kody, and is in a relationship with Calvin, the Yellow Ranger.

Calvin Maxwell / Yellow Ninja Steel Ranger (Nico Greetham)

Calvin is the team mechanic, having created the Mega Morph Cycles. Despite being afraid to drive thanks to an accident in his youth, Calvin eventually overcame his fear.

Calvin is in a relationship with Hayley, the White Ranger; the two of them being the first Rangers to be in a relationship before receiving their powers.

Levi Weston / Aiden Romero / Gold Ninja Steel Ranger (Jordi Webber)

Levi Weston joined the Ninja Steel Rangers later than the rest of the team, having been captured by the villain Madame Odius upon receiving his powers. A famous country singer, however, he cancelled his world tour and enrolled in Summer Cove High to be with the Rangers and help them with their mission.

Some time after joining the team, the Rangers learnt that Madam Odius had actually tampered with Levi’s memories, and that he was in fact Aiden, Brody’s brother. Having hidden the Ninja Steel and gone into hiding under the identity of Levi, Aiden now serves alongside his brother as a Ranger.

Mick Kanic (Kelson Henderson)

A shapeshifting alien on board Galvanax’s ship, Mick made friends with the young Brody and took care of his, raising him to the young man he is today.

Escaping to Earth with Brody and Redbot, Mick now poses as a shop teacher at Summer Cove High, where he assists the Rangers and forges new Ninja Stars for the Rangers, unlocking new powers and abilities for the team.

Redbot (the voice of Byron Coll)

Redbot is Brody’s friend from the Warrior Dome, Redbot fled to Earth with Brody and Mick.

Living at the Ranger’s secret base, he lends moral support to the team and has become a close and valuable friend to the Rangers.

Princess Viera (Ruby Love)

A member of the royal family of the Lion Galaxy, Viera travelled to Earth to challenge the Rangers to prove her strength. Upon learning that the Rangers were in fact heroes Viera learnt that kindness is more powerful than strength.

Now an ally of the Rangers, she lends her ship to them to become the massive Lion Fire Zord.

Dane Romero (Mike Edward)

Brody and Aiden’s father, Dane is the world’s greatest ninja. When the Ninja Nexus Prism landed outside his home he managed to unlock its abilities and became the first Red Ninja Steel Ranger.

When Galvanax arrived to take the Ninja Nexus Prism and claim its powers Dane battled the villain, preventing him from taking the power, but was lost in the process. His whereabouts, and what happened to him is currently unknown.

Galvanax (the voice of Richard Simpson)

The reigning champion, and producer, of the Galaxy Warriors show.

Obsessed with unlocking the powers of the Ninja Nexus Prism, Galvanax sends contestants from across the universe to challenge the Rangers in order to take their powers so that he can rule the universe.

Madame Odius (the voice of Jacque Drew)

The personal adviser to Galvanax, Madam Odius is incredibly deceitful, with a network of spies across the galaxy.

Despite appearing to assist Galvanax, Odius has plans of her own, having previously held the Gold Ninja Steel Ranger prisoner for her own schemes without Galxana’s knowledge.

Ripcon (the voice of Campbell Cooley)

The second in command to Galvanax, Ripcon was the monster that took Brody prisoner ten years ago, and has been tormenting the young man ever since. After Brody fled the Warrior Dome and became a Power Ranger the animosity between the two grew, with the pair engaging in several duels.

Ripcon was eventually defeated by the Rangers when they combined their two Mega-Zords.

Cosmo Royale (the voice of Campbell Cooley)

The host of Galaxy Warriors, Cosom Royale is responsible for sending monsters after the Rangers, and for making the monsters grow to huge proportions using the gigantification ray.

Cosmo appears to care little about beating the Rangers or obtaining the Ninja Nexus Prism and their powers, but rather on getting good ratings.

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