I had no idea what this movie was last week when it debuted as the number two movie at the box office. I heard some talk about it this past week after its massive success. That certainly put it on my radar.
The film was written and directed by YouTuber Markiplier and is based on a video game from 2022 by David Szymanski. Markiplier said the the film would be self-financed and that he would star in the film. With a small budget of $3 million dollars, Iron Lung made a whopping $30 million + worldwide.
With the huge story of the self-made man overcoming the Hollywood order to make a hit movie, the question was, “Was Iron Lung any good?” Sadly, I did not enjoy the film as much as I had hoped that I would.
According to IMDB, “In a post-apocalyptic future after ‘The Quiet Rapture’ event, a convict explores a blood ocean on a desolate moon using a submarine called the ‘Iron Lung’ to search for missing stars/planets.“
The convict was played by Markiplier, aka Mark Fischbach, and the setting was definitely an effectively claustrophobic thriller with an air of uncertainty. I would even go as far as to say that the best part of the film was the setting as it created the desired effect of the audience.
Unfortunately, I found that the story did not grab me and that I found it dull. If I am being honest, I dozed off a couple of times during the movie, so it might not be fair to judge it, but I can say that the story failed to maintain my attention.
I am very happy for Mark Fischbach and I am impressed with his success with this movie. Maybe I should give it a rewatch some day, maybe when it arrives on streaming. As for now, I would recommend people go see it to support someone who is not letting the challenges stop him from reaching for his dream. I just was not much of a fan of the part of the movie that I saw.
2.5 stars
(I reserve the right to raise or lower this score in a future viewing)
I was unaware that the first two episodes of Shrinking season three were already out on Apple TV +. When I was on Amazon Prime, I saw Shrinking with a “New Episode” tag on it and I looked to see two episodes were out already. I was excited because I enjoyed the first two seasons very much.
About halfway through the first episode, I realized how sensational the writing of this show is. The characters are so witty, funny, quick. I was laughing throughout the entire show. Everyone is so brilliantly written and developed that I am constantly amazed with the show.
Michael J. Fox appeared in the first episode as, what we would later find out, a delusion that Paul was seeing because of the Parkinson’s Disease. While it is supposed to be a bad thing, it was so awesome to see him and I think he and Harrison Ford worked so well together. Parkinson’s is truly a horrible disease, but it is great to see this show address it straight forward.
Paul and Julie wind up getting married in the first episode and it was just perfect Shrinking storytelling. Everything was so wonderful that even the old curmudgeon Paul seemed to enjoy himself.
There are so many excellent story arcs kicking off here including Jimmy trying to move along into a new relationship with Sofi (played by Cobie Smulders), Paul’s Parkinson’s, Alice’s going to college, Brian’s trouble with the baby mom and so on.
Brett Goldstein came back for episode two and it felt like his story came to a conclusion. He had a nice goodbye with Jimmy and Alice and he shared a powerful scene with Gaby.
This show does such an amazing job of feeling like real life while being unbelievably funny and poignant at the same time. Every actor on the show delivers their lines perfectly and the chemistry of the cast is off the charts. I am so happy Shrinking is back for season three and has officially been renewed for seaosn four on Apple TV +.
What I have been dreading all season long finally came to head, and it was right at the end of the episode.
Louis has been a gigantic foreshadow the first four episodes of this season. I was hoping that I was not picking up on the hints that were being dropped, but, damn it, it was exactly what it seemed. And then to leave it as a cliffhanger was just rude.
That will be for next episode, I guess.
The relationship between Robby and Langdon is coming to the forefront and I believe the forgiveness of this pair is a major arc of the season.
One of our patients from last week, the waitress with the sepsis, continued to slip. When her boss called her, threatening her to get to work, Robby took the phone from her and let him have it. I loved that moment so much. I actually threw my hands into the air afterwards.
Another new patient is from a prison. This is another one that feels like it will be something that was developing into the near future.
It seems like Ogilvie has taken Whitaker’s place as having horrible things splattered on him. This week: explosive diarrhea after performing a fecal disimpaction, which was horrific. Oh, and he may have been exposed to tuberculosis.
The Pitt has been so strong, yet again. There are so many things that feel like are building over the year. I do love this show.
“Who is the super hero? Sarge? No. Rosemary, the telephone operator? No. Penry, the mild-mannered janitor? Could Be!“.
Written: Hoyt Curtin, William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera
Performed: Scatman Crothers (who voiced the character of Penry/Hong Kong Phooey)
Narrator: Don Messick
A short-run series from Hanna-Barbera that I loved as a child. I was always so excited when Hong Kong Phooey came on, and a big part of that was the fun theme song that went along with it. How many animated program theme songs ended with some scat?
“Chik chong, chiki chong, chiki chakka, chik chong. Chika bak chak chakkin’ and a bow wow wow“
I have been saying that the season two of Fallout has not been my favorite and that I had some trouble getting into it. The last few weeks have been picking up for me. Then there was the finale.
Holy crap! I loved this one. I am totally satisfied with the finale, “The Strip” and I thought this was easily the best episode of season two.
I actually think every storyline that has been building up this season came with a sensational end (or perfectly continued cliffhanger).
I have never liked Maximus more than I did this episode.
His reunion with Lucy is something I did not know that I wanted.
The end of the Lucy-Hank story was more poignant that I expected.
Maximus vs. the Deathclaws was freaking awesome.
The flashbacks with Cooper and his wife were powerful too.
That cockroach attack was brutal.
The return of NCR
“Initiate phase two”
The Ghoul opened his wife’s pod, and no one was there.
And WAR is coming to the Wasteland
Liberty Pride post credit scene
And then there was the line of the episode that might have changed everything…
“The surface is the experiment, not the vaults.”
These words from Hank before he threw his own switch and refreshed his memories were ominous and made me wonder what is going to happen.
I was really engaged with this episode and I am excited to see what the next steps are for this show.
Note: a famous 12-bar blues instrumental featuring a driving surf-guitar riff, prominent horns, and a vocal chorus chanting “Batman!” 11 times
Campy and energetic, this theme fits the tone of this Adam West/Burt Ward series to a tee. This theme has become iconic over the years throughout all the various iterations of Batman.
An intriguing week with a couple really great covers, but not as deep as some weeks. I had a hard time choosing the top three, but it was not as deep of a week as usual.
Also-Rans: Superman: Chains of Love #1 (C cover), Twilight Zone #4 ( A cover), Twilight Zone (B Cover), and Ripcord #1.
Bronze Medalist
Sam and Twitch Case Files #21
Cover art by Van Randal
I find this awesome cover a little creepy. I will say that this guy made me think of Muse from Marvel. The black and white always makes me happy and the red hands is even creepier.
Silver Medalist
War Wolf #4
Cover art by David Talaski
War Wolf #4 has a really cool cover that makes me feel like an old time newspaper, especially like a tabloid newspaper. I find this a clever use of the cover to help make me more excited for the book.
Gold Medalist
Uncanny X-Men #23
Cover art by David Marquez & Matthew Wilson
A great shot of the Uncanny X-Men cast in the darkness. I love this cover. It truly stands out making these characters look bad ass.
Sanford and Son was another show that I watched irregularly, but it definitely had an energy to it. I will say that the theme has a personal connection for me. Back when my friend group would be gaming, one of my more eccentric friends, David, would take the little noise maker (not exactly a kazoo, but in the same concept) and he would do the beginning of this theme. It became a regular part of the game session.
This is exactly what I was hoping for when I heard that there would be a Muppet Show special on Disney +. A show full of nostalgia and fond memories of a show of the past filled with humor and music of the present.
A show with voices that are different, but still familiar. With guest stars that are as happy to be there as I am watching.
I did not know much about Sabrina Carpenter, but she fit right in to the guest role. She had a beautiful voice and sang well with both Kermit and Miss Piggy on the song “Islands in the Stream.”
Seth Rogan, one of the executive producers, made a funny appearance as did Maya Rudolph. I liked how they had interspersed humans into the audience along with the typical Muppet characters. Maya was in the crowd and fit right into the weirdness of the show.
I was hooked immediately, from the slow walk of Kermit into the theater, to Ralph’s piano version of Rainbow Connection as background music to the absolutely wonderful theme song that I unabashedly sang along with and played twice.
This year is the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show and this special was a way to help celebrate that momentous occasion.
My favorite song was the “Blinding Lights” version performed by Rizzo the rat. The finale with all of the Muppets doing “Don’t Stop Me Now” from Queen was another highlight.
I hope this does gangbusters for Disney + because this is an IP that Disney owns that has been woefully underused over the years. The Muppets are back in the perfect place for them. Where it all started. Where they can “play the music” and “light the lights.”
Performed: Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (both voiced by Mel Blanc)
Animated by: Gerry Chiniquy
The Looney Tunes are all-time classic cartoons and I can remember watching this theme in multiple variations over my childhood years. Whether it was the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show or The Bugs Bunny Tweety Show or just the Looney Tunes, I would love this opening. There are many times where this just pops into my head and I have to sing. This had to have a spot on this list.
Season two continues to be fire as multiple storylines are combining into some excellent action and storytelling.
Skye is reunited with her mother in Afterlife, the location where the Inhumans are living. Sure, there is not any of the named Inhumans like Black Bolt or Medusa, but there are several intriguing characters. We are introduced to Lincoln, who becomes more important in the Shield series.
Skye is training, trying to control her quake powers. I remember not being a fan of her changing her name but this time through, I am not bothered by it. While she has not officially changed to Daisy Johnson yet, I believe in it more. It could be that I actually spent more time with Daisy Johnson than Skye (Five more seasons).
The show was trying desperately to make Coulson look like he was dirty, keeping all these horrible secrets and even betraying those around him. I hate the idea that May seemingly is being convinced. Still, it is clear that Coulson is the hero that he always has been.
We get the final reveal about what happened with May in the situation that led to the nickname “The Cavalry” and why she hated that name so much. It was an emotional situation where she had to kill an Inhuman girl to save everyone. It changed May for the longest time, costing her May’s marriage and her ability to be in the field.
Ward back and “sort of” working with Coulson has provided some tense moments, including Fitz’s reaction. Hunter has his share of funny lines. I remember why I liked Hunter as much as I did.
Just four more episodes of season 2. Lots of things happening.
Once again, I am very late with this column. Still, with the Genre-ary coming to a close until 2027, I hope I can get this back on a more regular basis.
I have been picking up a lot of back issues recently, both from my two comic shops and off eBay. I am still working on Marvel Team-Up from In This Issue, the Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 books I am missing, and I got a bunch of Sensational She-Hulk during John Byrne’s run.
I need to catch up with putting these books away too. I have a couple of large piles awaiting me to put them in the proper boxes. I need to get this done before the next round of new comics on NEW COMIC BOOK DAY, which is just a couple of days away.
Books this week:
Survive #5. Written by Robert Venditti with art and cover art by Doug Braithwaite. Survive has been one of my favorite books of the last several months. The Bad Idea comic was very cinematic in its storytelling. ZI will say that I think the conclusion was a little short of what it has been so far, but I can understand that I had the bar set really high. This was a wonderful five issue series.
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Federico Vicentini. Cover art was done by Francesco Mobili & Marte Gracia. Spider-Man and Rapid team up to try and stop the weirdness of Screwball in this fun pairing.
Iron Man #1. “A New Nightmare” Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Carmen Carnero. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. There is a brand new arc for Tony Stark, as he is still just pushing the limit. So much so that a new group of Illuminati are looking into what they need to do to keep Tony Stark under control. Good start for the armored Avenger.
Malevolent #1. Written by Justin Jordan with art and cover art by John Bivens. I also picked up the Cover B which may or may not be done by Phil Hester. Either Hester or Jorge Corona. 30 years before, demons were unleashed into the world of humans. However, now humans have created a weapon to kill the demons… if she does not kill the humans first. Interesting new dystopian future story from Image Comics.
Wrestle Heist #2. Written, Drawn and Cover art by Kyle Starks. Is Grave Digger the best wrestler to never win the big one? And who is Ocho Bolo? How does it all work together in this pro wrestling saga? What evil plan does promotor Buddy Hanson have? We know he has one.
Infernal Hulk #3. “Whatever Happened to Bruce Banner?” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with pencils by Kev Walker & Nic Klein. Cover art was done by Nic Klein. We get a look in this issue of where Bruce Banner is and how his life is going. Iron Man and Reed Richards make a cameo appearance looking for help to face the Infernal Hulk.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #42. “Webs of Regret: Conclusion” Written by Cody Ziglar with art by Marco Renna. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Neeraj Menon. This is the final issue of Miles’s current book as he and Peter take down the Assessor. I enjoyed the banter between the two Spider-Men in this book and I expect that Miles will be back in his own title sooner rather than later.
Spirit of the Shadows #1. Written by Daniel Ziegler & Nick Cagnetti with art and cover art by Nick Cagnetti. Erik Leroux was a musician who loved his music and his love, Katrina. His sudden death sent his soul to a carnival-like Spirit World beyond this world. But death did not end things for Erik. Another intriguing horror series from Oni Press.
Feral #20. Written by Tony Fleecs with art by Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez. Cover B art was done by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner & Allen Passalaqua (Bronze Medalist). I do love these horror covers that Feral has been doing the last year plus. It has also been one of the best books on the market consistently every month. The issue is tense and suspenseful and you are never sure what is going to happen next.
Dust to Dust #7. Written by JG Jones & Phil Bram with art and cover art by JG Jones (Gold Medalist). Dust to Dust has not been seen since #6 came out August 2025. I looked that up and, honestly, it felt like it should have been much earlier. It was a pretty good issue considering I was uncertain about what was going on.
Strange Tales #4. “Hela on Earth?!” Written by Jeremy Whitley and art by Bayleigh Underwood & Carola Borelli. Cover art was done by Bayleigh Underwood & Jim Campbell. Hela is here. The young heroes in Strange Tales, including several Runaways, Spider-Gwen and Wiccan & Hulkling wrap up this short series.
Detective Comics #1105. “The Courage That Kills Part Five” Written by Tom Taylor with pencils and cover art by Mikel Janin. Things are going really poorly for Batman, who is infected by Lion’s virus, and realized that the whole thing was a distraction.
Final Boss #3. “Stage 3: The Wharf” Written by Tyler Kirkham with art by Tyler Kirkman with David Miller. Cover art was done by Tyler Kirkham. The video game-like book that reminded me of Street Fighter continued this week with some solid action. This has been a fun book that makes me feel like I am playing a video game.
Absolute Batman #16. “Bat Out of Hell” Written by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta with art by Nick Dragotta. Cover art was done by Nick Dragotta & Frank Martin. We continue the team up between Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman as Batman and Wonder Woman head to the Underworld to look for a way to help Bruce’s friend, Waylon. Not sure things worked well.
Drawing Blood #10. Written by David Avallone with art by Ben Bishop and cover art by Kevin Eastman. Another book that is back after quite a long layoff. This book about a comic artist who is trying to deal with his greatest creations being changed for a movie has been pretty solid. I actually felt like I was able to get back into this book easier than some of the others that take the long break.
Punisher: Red Band #5. “Urban Warfare” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Julius Ohta. Variant cover art was done by Clayton Crain. This red band book came to an end, but it sounded as if this series was being picked up in the next Punisher book coming soon. I am still not sure what the continuity of this book is and I am not sure what that means for the next Punisher #1. I guess we will see.
Marvel Zombies: Red Band #5. Written by Ethan S. Parker & Griffin Sheridan with are by Jan Bazaldua. Greg Land & Rachelle Rosenberg did the cover art. This was a great version of Spider-Man in the zombie world. I thought this use of Spider-Man was right on spot. Jean Grey was back again as Phoenix.
Justice League Unlimited #15. Written by Mark Waid and art by Dan Mora & Sean Izaakse. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. Mister Terrific and the time misplaced Leaguers have had better days. Batman and Superman do not make it and we find that we have a traitor in the group. JLU has been good during this time of KO, when all the main Leaguers are gone.
Justice League Red #6. Written by Saladin Ahmed and art by Clayton Henry. Cover art was done by Clayton Henry & Arif Prianto. The drama around the Red Tornado and the Crimson Cloud ended in this issue as the JL Red brought the end to this saga.
Terminator Metal #4. Written by Declan Shalvey & Rory McConville with art by Fabio Gallo. Cover art was done by Declan Shalvey. This was one of the better issues of the Terminator books, going back to the original series. I really enjoyed this issue a lot.
Absolute Flash #11. “The War of the Flashes” Written by Jeff Lemire with art and cover art by Nick Robles. This has a feeling of a big finale happening as Absolute Flash is getting a lot of the story from ghost Barry Allen and is preparing to take on all the problems.
Escape from Skull Island #1. Written by Simon Furman with art by Christopher Jones. Cover art was done by Maria Wolf. The story picked up from Return to Skull Island, a mini series from last year. There is a lot of Kong in this book, but he had seen better days.
Void Rivals #26. Written by Robert Kirkman with art by Andrei Bressan. Cover art was done by Lorenzo De Felici. The Quintesson War Part 2 is underway and we meet the bizarre Quintesson judge, Judge Naven. Once again, the book has broughtDarak andSolila are back together again. Still the best this book gets is when they are together.
Absolute Wonder Woman #16. “Season of the Witch, Part 1 of 5” Written by Kelly Thompson and art by Hayden Sherman. Cover art was done by Hayden Sherman & Jordie Bellaire. We get the debut of Absolute Zatanna and the Absolute Suicide Squad. Zatanna is taking Diana’s magic powers away from her.
KO: The Kids are all Fight Special #1. Written by Jeremy Adams with art by Travis Mercer. Cover art wa done by Bruno Redondo. This is a one shot that kind of brings together a bunch of the young heroes of the DC universe that are on their way to the Titans series. This was an interesting group of characters and I may give this a chance when they become the new Titans.
Other books this Week: Tales of the Shadowman #2, Astro Quantum #1, The Author Immortal #4, Harley Quinn x Elvira #4, Lost Fantasy #7, Blink and You’ll Miss It #5, DC’s Supergirl: Next Door #1, Conan the Barbarian #28 (Silver Medalist), and Be Not Afraid #5.
Quick Hits: Another good use of Spider-Man is in Marvel’s 1776 #3. I hate it when books use Spidey but do not do him justice or have him do things that are not in his character. This one has done a solid job. A new book from Invader Comics is Do Not Disturb #1. It is a noir-type book dealing with a character that has died and a mystery. It’s pretty good. Save Now #0, the origins of the Save Now characters is strong too. Wanda vs. Agatha Harkness in Sorcerer Supreme #2. More Oz action in No Place #3. The horror anthology book Hello Darkness #18 has some of the most original stories in all of horror comics. A one shot book following up on Bug Wars was released this week with Bug Wars: The Spyder Wytch Special #1. I picked up Sonja Reborn #5 from Dynamite, ID’s Return to Sleepy Hollow #3 and Absolute Martin Manhunter #8.
The Andy Griffith TV Show theme is one of the most recognizable songs around. How many times do I whistle along as Andy and Opie walk to the fishin’ pond?
However, much like Bonanza, this well-known instrumental does feature lyrics.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 