Written: Chris Ballew/ Jason S. Finn / David Michael Dederer/Al Yankovic
Parody: “Lump” by The Presidents of the United States
Another topic that Al uses in his songs was movies. He has spoofed Spider-Man, Star Wars, and this one, based on the film Forrest Gump. Al’s video is another example of what Weird Al does as he parodied the Presidents of the Unites States as well. Ruth Buzzi guest starred as well.
Lyrics
Gump sat alone on a bench in the park “My name is Forrest”, he’d casually remark Waitin’ for the bus with his hands in his pockets He just kept sayin’ life is like a box of chocolates
He’s Gump, he’s Gump What’s in his head? He’s Gump, he’s Gump, he’s Gump Is he in-bred?
Gump was a big celebrity He told JFK that he really had to pee He never feels too dumb because His mom always told him stupid is as stupid does
He’s Gump, he’s Gump He’s kinda square He’s Gump, he’s Gump, he’s Gump What’s with that hair? Wow!
Run, run Run, run, now Forrest, run Run Run like the wind now Run, run Run, run, now Forrest, run Stop!
His buddy Bubba was a shrimp-lovin’ man His friend with no legs he called Lieutenant Dan His girlfriend Jenny was kind of a slut Went to the White House, showed LBJ his butt
He’s Gump, he’s Gump He’s not too bright He’s Gump, he’s Gump, he’s Gump But he’s alright Wow!
Is this Gump out of his head? I think so Is this Gump really brain dead? I think so Yeah, woo! Did this Gump make lots of bread? I think so And that’s all I have to say about that
Written: Mick Jagger/Daryl Hall/David A. Stewart/Al Yankovic
Album: Polka Party
Release: 1986
Parody: “Ruthless People” by Mick Jagger
This is another hidden gem as Al parodied a title track to the movie Ruthless People. It was deep on the album Polka Party but was always a personal favorite.
Lyrics
They only show you their gums when they smile Ain’t got a tooth in their heads now, how vile Only can eat things like pudding and applesauce They never have to buy toothpicks or dental floss
Hey, stand up Toothless people, their breath is lethal, want to tell you Hey, come on, stand up, get on your feet Toothless people, old and feeble, what I say
No more of those pearly whites will they possess Their oral hygiene is frightful, a mess Lots of ’em suffering from trench mouth and gum disease At least they don’t have to worry ’bout cavities
Hey, stand up, take out your teeth Toothless people, old and feeble, oh yes
You can brush ’em, you can floss ’em They’re something you just can’t ignore If you lose ’em, you’re in trouble ‘Cause the tooth fairy won’t come no more You need something to show your dentist The next time he makes you say “Ah” You don’t want to have to wind up Eating all of your food through a straw
You’d better brush your teeth now (hey) Toothless, toothless, toothless, toothless people Hey, stand up, toothless people
Who knew that what I really needed was Santos and Mel doing karaoke?
The ending episode of season two was filled with moments that brought such humanity to the show.
Noah Wylie is an amazing actor. His performance as Robby was sensational. He goes through the wringer during this episode as many of his co-workers and friends face him down with the concerns that he is considering ending his life. At the end, it felt like a moment shared with the little baby that had been abandoned in the beginning of the season was more helpful to Robby than anything else. He spoke to the baby about all the things she will see in her life and you could tell he was also talking about himself. I know Noah Wylie is the star of this show, but that does not mean that he is free from consequences of his potential actions.
“I got a good feeling you’re going to be just fine.” Robby said this to the baby, but was he actually talking to himself?
Babies were an important fixture of this episode as Robby and Abbot were able to team up (with a whole room full of personnel) to save a woman and her unborn baby when she was seizing from pre-eclampsia (a blood pressure disorder that can occur around 20 weeks of pregnancy). She was doing a Wild Birth, a birth without medical treatment or with the help of doctors. That sounded insane to me, but I googled it an it was a thing. The show certainly showed how these consequences could have had a tragic result.
Langdon and Robby had their conversation, but it was not what I had envisioned. I had hoped to see Robby come and tell Langdon that he respected what he has accomplished, but instead, Langdon turned it back on Robby, telling him that he needed help. It was probably a more honest interaction than the happy resolution I had in my head.
The Pitt is a fabulous show and the second season was every bit as great as the first season. There are plenty of questions going into their third season including the fate of Dr. Al-Hashimi, who Robby insisted tell the admins about her seizures.
That emergency c-section was rough to watch.
The mid-credit scene of the karaoke was life-affirming as was the ending sequence with some great fireworks. It was the 4th of July remember.
We got a massive battle in space between the Viltrumites and Mark, Nolan and the rest. I mean… brutal and bloody.
Grand Regent Thragg seems to be unstoppable. He crashed through Mark, Nolan, Oliver… and decapitated Thaedus.
However, the biggest and most vicious maneuver of the whole thing was when Mark, Nolan and Thaedus flew through the planet of Viltrum, completely destroying it. Seriously, that was a horrific choice, even though the planet did not have much of a population remaining (and most of them are flying around space and fighting Alan and the others).
Thragg and the remaining Viltrumites disappeared after Thragg left Nolan, Mark and Oliver floating in space desperately imjured.
I really thought Nolan was dead from this. Why were the other Viltrumites seemingly easier to kill than Mark and Nolan? Is it just because they were the “red shirts?”
Apparently, it looks like Thragg and the Viltrumites are on their way to earth.
Welcome to EYG Favorite Covers of the Week. There are some strong covers this week so let’s get going right away…
Also-Rans: Mad Magazine #49, The Thing on the Doorstep #3, Venom #257, Dead Teenagers #2, Smile: For the Camera #2, X-Men United #2, Ice Cream Man #45, Nectar #2, and Monster and the Wolf (D Cover).
Bronze Medalist
Narco #2
Cover art by Daniel Hillyard & Dave Stewart
Narco was a great first issue and this looks to be a very compelling. The blood all across the cover and the black and red makes this work so well. And I want to know what is going on. That is the sign of a good cover.
Silver Medalist
Monster and the Wolf #3
Cover art by Mark Spears
Last year’s champion has not been as dominant this year so far, but the cover for the new series, The Monster and the Wolf, is a beautiful cover with a werewolf in the snow. The colors work so well and the lovely blue/white cover is the contradiction to the Black and red title.
Gold Medalist
The Hab #1
Cover art by Charlie Adlard
The new Bad Idea book has a awesome cover with the white hands reaching for the sky. There is a question about what this book is about. I love contrast of the hands to the surroundings. It is a beautiful cover.
Lots of funny puns involving boogers. What more can you ask? This was a wonderful surprise the first time hearing Weird Al’s debut album, as I do not remember hearing it on the Dr. Demento show. I did see Al perform this live in concert at one of the times I saw him play.
Lyrics
Gotta boogie Gotta boogie Gotta boogie Gotta boogie I gotta boogie (gotta boogie) Gotta boogie (gotta boogie) I gotta boogie (gotta boogie) Gotta boogie on my finger and I can’t shake it off
Well, I went out to a party just the other night I was jammin’ to the music, I was feelin’ alright I was burning up the floor like a disco maniac When my woman said, “Baby, why’s your hand behind you back?”
Gotta boogie (gotta boogie) I said boogie (gotta boogie) I gotta boogie (gotta boogie) Gotta boogie on my finger and I can’t shake it off
I can’t pick it off (uh uh) I can’t flick it off (uh uh) I sure ain’t gonna lick it off (oh no) So I guess I’m gonna have to learn to live with it
I gotta boogie (gotta boogie, uh huh, he’s gotta boogie) I gotta boogie (gotta boogie, uh huh, he’s gotta boogie) I gotta boogie (gotta boogie, uh huh, he’s gotta boogie) Gotta boogie on my finger and I can’t shake it off
Gotta boogie (Boogie) Hey, you wanna boogie? (No man, I don’t wanna boogie) Wanna boogie? (Get that boogie out of my face) Do any of you wanna boogie? (No!)
Gotta boogie on my finger Gotta boogie on my finger Gotta boogie on my finger and I can’t shake it off
The Boys final season has been really brutal and all of the lies are coming back to haunt people.
Maverick was the son of Translucent and he joined up with Butcher’s gang as he believed that Homelander was the one who killed his father. Butcher’s group let him believe this even though they knew that Hughie was the one who killed Translucent.
We find out why Soldier Boy did not die from the virus. The first generation of V1 was in Soldier Boy’s blood. The compound was highly dangerous, only working five times.
This leads to Homelander to search for V1 so he could be immortal like his father.
Ryan returned with anger of his own. Homelander beat the crap out of him at the end of the episode. Butcher had tried to convince Ryan to throw the virus in Homelander’s face, killing him. Of course, it would also kill Ryan. Thankfully, Butcher’s insane plan was broken when Dr. Sameer Shah discovered another truth that Butcher killed Victoria instead of Homelander. Shah destroyed the virus that had been made.
Who knew that Mork & Mindy was a Netflix Documentary?
And a cool invisible fight with Maverick taking on the very visible Hughie. Poor Maverick gets killed.
The Boys are struggling through the season so far. Homelander is getting crazier by the episode. Soldier Boy and Firecracker had sex. Annie took off after Hughie nearly died.
Lots of big things happen as the show has five remaining episodes.
Songs in medley: “Twelfth Street Rag,” “State of Shock,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “Method of Modern Love,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” “99 Luftballons” (sung in German), “Footloose,” “The Reflex,” “Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” and “Relax”.
Lyrics
You’re takin’ to me good, Just like you know you should. You get me on my knees, Please, baby, please.
She looks so great, every time I see her face. She put me in a state (ooh, state of shock)
Top coat. Top hat. I don’t worry, ’cause my wallet’s fat. Black shades. White glove. Lookin’ sharp. Lookin’ for love. They come a-runnin’ just as fast as they can, ‘Cause every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man, hey!
Whoo! Ah ha!
Oh, what’s love, got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a second-hand emotion? What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?
M E T H O D O F L O V E, It’s the method of modern love.
Owner of a lonely heart. Owner of a lonely heart, Much better than the Owner of a broken heart. Owner of a lonely heart.
We’re not gonna take it. No! We ain’t gonna take it. We’re not gonna take it, any more.
Neun und neunzig luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont. Denkst du vielleicht Grad an mich. Dann singe ich ein Lied fur dich.
Now I gotta cut loose. Footloose. Kick off my Sunday shoes. Please! Louise! Pull me off-a my knees. Jack! Get back! Come on, before we crack! Loose! You’re blues. Ev’ry body cut footloose!
So why don’t you use it. Try not to bruise it. Find time, don’t lose it.
Bang your head. Metal health’ll drive ya mad. Bang your head. Metal health’ll drive ya mad.
Relax, don’t do it. When you wanna go to it. Relax, don’t do it. When you wanna come. Relax, don’t do it. When you wanna sock it to it. Relax, don’t do it. When you wanna come. When you wanna come. When you want to come.
Daredevil: Born Again S2 E5 is a rough one. Vanessa survived the initial injury at the hands of Bullseye last episode, but eventually succumbs at the end of the episode. The episode played like a “life-flashing-before-here eyes” for Vanessa as she flashed back to the art gallery and the night she met Wilson Fisk.
The episode had a bunch of flashbacks because this is the long awaited episode that saw the return of Foggy Nelson, albeit in flashback only. I know there were a lot of people who were in the “Foggy faked his own death” camp, but this sure feels like an end to those wishes. I do have to say that I am not sure what the purpose of the flashback was for Foggy, outside of getting Foggy back on screen. Foggy’s acquaintance from his youth who they got off the charges he was facing was a strange situation too. I feel like this guy is coming back in the story at some point.
We also got some appearances from Wesley from the original series during these flashbacks. Of course, Karen killed Wesley back during that original run on Netflix.
Daredevil and Bullseye are on the run from the AVTF after the confrontation at the gym. Bullseye seemed ready to die and tried to get Matt to leave him behind, but Matt was not having any of it. When he brought Bullseye into the hideout where Karen was staying, she gave Matt a look like she was ready to rip his throat out before she killed Bullseye. This might be a spot where the relationship between Matt and Karen is tested.
Daredevil dropped a hint about a “nurse” he knew that could help Bullseye. Could this be an allusion to Night Nurse aka Claire?
Speaking of being tested, what will Wilson Fisk do now that Vanessa is gone. When the doctor walked in to talk to Fisk, I joked that he was going to be killed if Vanessa did not make it. I am now worried about that doctor.
The doctor is just one step. The Kingpin is going to bring the fire to New York City. This is going to lead to the arrival of Jessica Jones, I bet.
I was also very worried that BB was in the trunk of that car that Buck and Daniel drove to Albany. I was concerned for Daniel too, as Buck seemed to be preparing to kill him as the leak. I have heard the online speculation that Daniel might be the MCU’s Rose, and I wondered if this was going to be proven untrue today.
This was a great episode highlighting Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance as Wilson Fisk when Vanessa came to for a short time. He is absolutely stunning as this character and having what has been Wilson’s heart ripped away from him. He deserves an Emmy nomination for this work.
Amazing episode that was tricky, but it hit every beat.
Written: Ivan Doroschuk/Sherwood Schwartz/Frank De Vol/Al Yankovic
Album: “Weird Al” Yankovic In 3D
Released: 1984
Parody: “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats
Style: Synth-pop/new wave
Here is another song where Al dives into television, including the actual lyrics from The Brady Bunch TV show. Parodying the popular one-hit wonder, “The Safety Dance,” Al showed his versitality.
Lyrics
You can watch Mr. Rogers, you can watch Three’s Company And you can turn on Fame or The Newlywed Game Or The Addams Family I say, you can watch Barney Miller, and you can watch your MTV And you can watch ’til your eyes fall out of your head That’ll be okay with me And you can watch (TV!)
You can watch Johnny Carson you can watch Phil Donahue And you can use TV Guide to help you decide with a capsulized review Say, you can watch 60 Minutes, even Captain Kangaroo But there’s only one set, so whatever you watch Well, you know I gotta watch it too
Say, give it up, give it up Television’s taking its toll That’s enough, that’s enough Gimme the remote control I’ve been nice, I’ve been good Please don’t do this to me
Turn it off, turn it off I don’t want to have to see The Brady Bunch Not The Brady Bunch Well, The Brady Bunch Yeah, The Brady Bunch
It’s the story of a lovely lady Who was bringing up three very lovely girls All of them had hair of gold, like their mother The youngest one in curls It’s a story of a man named Brady Who was busy with three boys of his own They were four men living all together Yeah, but they were all alone
Until the one day, one day When the lady met the fellow And they knew, and they knew It was much more than a hunch That the group This group must somehow form a family That’s the way, that’s the way That’s the way they all became The Brady Bunch
Well, The Brady Bunch Yeah, The Brady Bunch Well, The Brady Bunch Oh, it’s The Brady Bunch It’s The Brady Bunch Oh, The Brady Bunch, yeah
Oh, The Brady Bunch It’s The Brady Bunch Well, it’s The Brady Bunch Well, it’s The Brady Bunch Well, it’s The Brady Bunch It’s The Brady Bunch
I have been down on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters over the last few episodes. I absolutely can’t stand Cate as a character and her consistent dumb actions just make me want to stop watching the show.
I have been close to just dumping this show form the watch list.
This episodes was much better, mainly because it focused on Lee, with both Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell playing Lee in the same scene against each other. While there are some holes in the concepts (which I tried to push out of my head), the performances from the father/son duo was fabulous. In particular, Wyatt Russell was extraordinary with the situation that he found himself stuck in.
The scenes got even more intense when young Lee learned that he was talking to himself as an older man. The conflict within Lee’s face over the idea that he could just step forward and have a life with Keiko was written across it.
This was strange, because I felt the stakes in these scenes because I was never sure if something would have happened to change history. I really thought something could have happened, and that was a nice change for the past events. They have always been the best scenes of this show, but there was always the idea that nothing was going to happen to out main three. That was not this.
Yes, I basically ignored the Cate scenes, especially after she fell into the well and was perfectly fine.
I do think that this show has bought itself at least another episode of my viewership. We’ll see how long it lasts.
I jumped back into Agents of Shield last night and watched five episodes of the fourth season.
“Deals with our Devils”
Episode seven: Coulson, Fitz and Robbie are stuck between dimensions after last episode’s explosion. They can see and hear the others, but they could not interact with them.
May is desperate to save them, and she thinks the answer is inside the Darkhold and she gave it to Radcliffe. The idea of having Aida read the Darkhold in order to save Coulson and Fitz came up.
Meanwhile, the Ghost Rider spirit possesses Mack and he heads out to extract some vengeance. Robbie makes yet a second deal with Ghost Rider if he comes back to him. He would swear to keep working with the Rider to find vengeance. It agreed.
Aida ended the episode creating an artificial brain.
“The Laws of Inferno Dynamics”
This brought the mini-season arc of Ghost Rider to an end, as Robbie and the Rider are trapped in the other dimension with Robbie’s uncle Morrow.
Aida was in the heart of the attempt to stop Morrow’s bomb, and because of her action, she was allowed to remain active by Mace.
Daisy is seen by the press, but Mace stepped up and cleared her name. He reinstated her as an Agent of Shield.
However, we discover that Aida has replaced May with a LMD, and she is holding may prisoner.
“Broken Promises”
This kicked off the LMD story arc for season four for the next seven episodes.
Aida turned on Fitz and the Shield agents when they came to reprogram her brain to rid it of any remnants of the Darkhold.
Aida attacks the Shield base in search of the Darkhold. She gets her hands on it, but she gets beheaded by Mack.
Mack and Yo-Yo are fabulous this episode as they are going on about robots and how they are always turning on humans in the movies. Their banter about robot movies was my favorite part of this episode. When Mack cuts Aida’s head off , he says “Roll credits.”
We discover that Radcliffe had been working to get his hands on the Darkhold this whole time. He is quite the rat bastard.
Senator Nadeer’s brother is revealed to be Inhuman and she ends up shooting him in the gut. She has the Watchdog dispose of the body and they dump it in the water. We see a new cocoon form around him.
“The Patriot”
We get the background on Mace and the truth behind him. Turns out, Mace is not Inhuman. Instead, he has been taking a shot that gives him temporary super strength. He always has one of his men nearby with a briefcase containing the shots for any emergency situation.
However, he gets caught in the woods, with Coulson and Mack, by some rogue Hydra agents hired by the Watchdogs. His shots are destroyed and his secret comes out.
They are saved by Daisy and May (the LMD). Coulson convinces Mace to stay as the face of Shield, doing the political stuff, while Coulson takes the head of operations.
“Wake Up”
May is trying to escape, but we find out that she is not actually escaping. She is in the Framework and she is repeating everything in her “attempt to escape.” The Framework will become one of the major arcs this season in Agents of Shield.
There is a Senate hearing that does not go well.
The May LMD realized that she was the leak that caused Coulson and Yo-Yo to get caught breaking into the Senator’s office. She confronted Radcliffe and realized that her programming prevented her from telling the truth to Coulson or from hitting him.
Radcliffe is captured by Shield at this point, but Fitz figured out that this Radcliffe is also an LMD.
We learn of some tragic back story for Mack, whose daughter died days after she was born. mack and Yo-Yo grow closer.
Written: Dan Reynolds/Wayne Sermon/Ben McKee/Daniel Platzman/Alex da Kid/Josh Mosser/Al Yankovic.
Album: Mandatory Fun
Release: 2014
Parody: “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
This song really spoke to me…. especially that line that says I can’t reach the remote control…
Lyrics
I’m waking up, in Cheeto dust My belly’s covered with pizza crust I’m using my inhaler now I’m out of shape, fattening up I’m sipping Coke from a Solo Cup Donut crumbs are upon my lips, whoa
The TV’s on, I really hate this show I can’t reach my remote control Welcome to my new place, to my new place Sorry it’s a cramped space, but it’s my place Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, I’m so inactive Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, highly inactive
My muscle’s gone, I’m atrophied Always lose my fight with gravity I rest my bones, and just chillax, whoa My NordicTrack’s collecting dust And my StairMaster’s a pile of rust This is it, The Inertia, whoa
I can’t get up, this couch is part of me I’m growing cobwebs on my knee Pretty sad for my age, sad for my age I could break my rib cage, here is my age Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, yes, quite inactive Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, not very active
Near comatose, no exercise Don’t tag my toe, I’m still alive
I’m giving up, my energy is shot I’m never moving from this spot Never move from this place, move from this place I’ll stay here in this place, right in this place Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, just so inactive Whoa oh, whoa I’m, really inactive, not so attractive
It is EYG Comic Cavalcade time. It was another fun week. I got some deliveries from Midtown Comics this week too, including some Daredevil #1 blind bags and some variants.
Comic of the Week
The Fury of Firestorm #1
Firestorm has always been one of my favorite DC characters. I enjoyed the original appearances of Robbie Raymond and Martin Stein, combined into one being with amazing nuclear powers. It was exciting to hear that Firestorm would be back in his own limited series. Then, the first issue was excellent with a mystery behind what is going on. Good stuff.
Books this week:
Amazing Spider-Man #26. Written by Joe Kelly with pencils by Francesco Manna & Ed McGuinness. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Marte Gracia. I also picked up the Spider-Gwen variant cover by David Nakayama. Death Spiral Part 7 is picking up the pace as the Carnage/Torment team-up gets even more dangerous as they are looking for a spiral for Spider-Man.
Neighborhood Watch #1. Written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated and cover art by Haining (Silver Medalist). The new book from Boom! Studios deals with a couple of neighboring towns: Willow Haven and Open Arms, and its neighborhood watch program. There is a murder that happens too.
Uncanny X-Men #26. “Careful What You Wish For” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by David Marquez and Matthew Wilson. The kids of the Haven House are being grabbed and their histories are suddenly strange. And … the New Mutants? What is going on here?
Uncanny X-Men Annual #1. “The Rise of the Regulators” Written by Gail Simone & Mikki Kendall with art by Francesco Mortarino with Elisabetta D’Amico. Cover art was done by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson. This story was a great bit with the history of Haven House. That history is known as the Regulators and they have a tie to pre-adamantium Wolverine. I love when the history of the area folds in with the mutants.
D’Orc #3. “A Bit Light-Headed” Written, drawn and cover art by Brett Bean. D’Orc faced off with a powerful dwarf with a big hammer. I have truly been enjoying D’Orc. The humor of the book has been great and D’Orc and his crew are deep in action too. Solid book.
The Muppets Noir #2. Written, drawn and cover art by Roger Langridge. Kermit is still unconscious and the rest of the Muppets were trying to decide what to do about the show. Meanwhile, the detective Flip Minnow continued to try and solve the case and find Meringue Crustworth. The noir world introduced us to Staler & Waldorf, the Swedish Chef and Sweetums. Lots of Muppet fun.
Mad About DC #1. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian. Guest editor (for some reason) was Chip Zdarsky. I also picked up the foil issue of the same cover by Dan Panosian. This was one of the books I got from Midtown this week. It was a fun version of Mad Magazine focusing on the characters of DC. Tons of satire and humor.
Baby Garfield #1. “Baby Garfield’s First Word” and “Baby Garfield’s First Hairball” Written by Grace Ellis (1st) and Michael Northrop (2nd). Art for the two stories was done by Asia Simone and Rob Justus respectfully. This was another book I got from Midtown Comics. I was not the biggest fan of Garfield, but I considered picking this up on the shelf. When I did not get it, I got it and I liked it. I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed this book.
Everyone Loves a Jewel Thief #1. Written by Aaron Campbell & Tim Seeley with art and cover art by Aaron Campbell. Ignition Press has been huge lately and has been very successful. We have yet another new book, this one compiling a team of jewel thieves.
Dead by Deadlight #1. Written by Derek Fridolfs with art by Dean Kotz. Cover art was done by Alex Horley. This is a survival online game adapted into the comic form by Titan Comics. There are some horrific imagery in this book and it is a compelling start. The killer is definitely scary and I am curious to see how this book progresses.
Cosplayer Versus Shark #1. “Part One: Up from the Depths” and “Part Two: It’s Always Shark Week!” Written by Pat Jankiewicz and art by Shaun “Spanky” Piela. This was a wild and weird one shot that reminded me of a Carl Hiaasen novel, specifically Chomp. This is a lot of fun.
Pretty Hate Machine #1. Written by Ryan O’Han & Tim Seeley with art by Paolo Armitano. Cover art was done by Todor Hristov. Another new horror series, this one based upon the album from Nine Inch Nails. The new Mad Cave book was very entertaining and the imagery was scary.
Something is Killing the Children #46. “All Her Monsters” Part Six. Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated and cover art by Werther Dell’Edera. It has been quite a few months since we have seen Erica Slaughter. It was great having Something is Killing the Children back on the reading list. It is consistently one of the best books available when it is out.
Estuary: A Ghost Story #1. Written by David “DB” Andy & Tim Daniel and illustrated and cover art by Maan House. What is better than combining nun horror with aquatic horror… plus a ghost story of a shipwrecked Spanish vessel. Another new series from Oni Press.
Iron Man #4. “No Escape” Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Carmen Carnero with Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. Tony Stark is trying to find the winner of the Tony Stark Award, who has been grabbed by AIM. However, he comes across a different type of AIM… Advanced Iron Man.
Wolverine #18. “Clash of the Champions” Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Martin Coccolo. Cover art was done by Dan Panosian (Bronze Medalist) . Wolverine faces off against Hercules, controlled by The Adamantine. It is a bloody and brutal war between Logan and Herc. And this will bring Athena to the fray.
Black Cat #9. “String Theory” Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Gleb Melnikov and Andres Genolet. Cover art was done by Adam Hughes. MJ and Black Cat find themselves in alternate universe, living all new lives. Are their new lives what they really want?
Mortal Thor #9. “Inevitable” Written by Al Ewing with art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross (Gold Medalist). Sigurd has to deal with a threat from the Radioactive Man. Sigurd is preparing to launch an assault on Roxxon.
Space Ghost #10. Written by David Pepose and art by Jonathan Lau. Cover art was done by Francesco Mattina. Space Ghost faced off with something than no one can defeat…time. Specifically, Tempus the Time-Master.
Web of Venom #1. Written by Jordan Morris and art by Luke Ross & Ramon Rosanas. Cover art was done by Stefano Casselli & Federico Blee. We got another book featuring a symbiote and a new Venom form. This time is is Boomerang, aka Fred Meyers. I’m not sure why we need to have yet another symbiote anti-hero running around. The story was fine, but I am not sure why it is needed.
Twilight Zone #6. “Growth” Written, art and cover art by Nicole Goux. A sad story about a girl with a plant that was alive… an actual baby.. and the hatred that people who are different face. This one turns out tragic, much like many of the Twilight Zone episodes.
Bleeding Hearts #3. Written by Deniz Camp and art and cover art by Stipan Morian. The Vertigo zombie book is back this week and the Zombie boy is showing signs of being more than just another in the hungry horde. What does that mean? Bleeding heart continues to be one of the more intriguing Vertigo books.
Other books this week: Murder Podcast #6, Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #4, Blood & Thunder #12, Absolute Green Lantern #13, The Nice House by the Sea #9, and Alice: Forever After #3.
Quick Hits: Moonstar #2 was released this week as Danielle Moonstar is on the mission. I picked up two covers from Midtown Comics this past week. Both with the guest appearance of EYG Hall of Famer “Weird Al” Yankovic. The first one was World’s Finest #50 with Al and his accordion hanging out with Batman and Superman. The other was Bizarro: Year None #1 where Al is portrayed as the “Normal Al” Yankovic, with a briefcase. I love Weird Al so I knew I wanted to find these two covers for my collection. Hello Darkness #20 had a collection of fun horror short stories. My favorite of the stories was “The Thread” which was pretty gross in the end. Transformers #31 focused on Megatron taking the next step in his status, in a manner I would not have expected. One of my favorite books this week is one of the oddest team-ups I have ever seen. It is Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theater Presents Romeo & Juliet and Godzilla #1. It is as wild as it sounds. Speaking of wild, the team up between Ash and Archie continues in Archie x The Army of Darkness #3 from Dynamite Comics. This one had a cool cover that nearly made the medal round. Sai: Dimensional Rivals #4 kept going into multiple worlds in search of the seventh stone. The idea of the different art in the different universes makes this book original. And finally, Speed Racer: Tales from the Road #1 which featured the winners of the Mad Cave Studios talent search.
We get more with Dunk and Egg as the second episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms continued. Dunk has started to see his friend and mentor Arlan in a different light as he spoke of his life and no one remembered him.
Dunk approached the Targaryen princes Baelor, Maekar, and Aerion, who have arrived for the tournament, and asked if they would vouch for him. Baelor did remember Arlan and agreed to vouch for Duncan.
Dunk went to buy new armor, which led him to sell his horse Sweetfoot. Dunk did show some ability with handling horses as he calmed one down that had been upset by its rider.
He also had asked Tanselle to paint a new coat of arms on his shield, though he was not sure what to have on it. After some thoughts and suggestions from Egg, he settled on an oak tree with a shooting star above it.
Dunk and Egg participated in a tug-of-war with Lyonel, who was taking it fairly lightly. They did wind up winning.
I am still amazed at the size of the actor playing Dunk. He towers over everyone in the town and one would wonder why people do not look up to the character more, figuratively.
At the end, Dunk is able to place Arlan in proper position in his mind, and swears that he will be Arlan’s legacy.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 