What a haul of comic books this week. I got over 50 books this week, though there are several variant covers involved. Last week, there were no variant covers int he medal winners, but this week there are two of the three.
It is also surprising because officially, I picked up like seven Superman/Spider-Man #1s, and five MidKnight Man #1s with Mark Spears, and none of them made the medal platform this week. Amazing.
A bunch of the also-rans, including one that I really wanted to give a medal to, but just came up short.
Also-Rans: Hyde Street #11 (this is the one that really came close), Superman/Spider-Man #1 (multiple covers), MidKnight Man #1 (Cover A was my favorite of these), W0rldtr33 #19, Feral #21 (cover A), Feral (Cover B), White Sky #2, Return to Sleepy Hallow #5, and Universal Monsters: Phantom of the Opera #2
Bronze Medalist
Ripcord #2
Cover art by Jorge Fornes
What a beautiful cover with the wolf dominating the pink sky, blood dripping from its fangs. The shadowy figure standing in silhouette of the sun. All of this is just great. Jorge Fornes has been carving out a good year for himself.
Silver Medalist
The Peril of the Brutal Dark #2
Variant cover C
Cover art by Leandro Fernandez
Any time I spot a variant cover on the stands that just grabs my attention, it has a good chance of ending up on this list. I love the black and white cover that really gave me a noir vibe.
Gold Medalist
Final Boss #5
Variant cover G
Cover art by Tyler Kirkham
This book was in my box at In This Issue. I did not order the variant cover. I usually have the cover A pulled for me. I don’t know why this was in my box, but I am not complaining about it. What a bloody, brutal and awesome cover featuring Invincible.
Style: This is a style parody of Bob Marley and other reggae music
One of the wonderful hidden gems on the In 3D album. Buy Me a Condo satires the American lifestyle.
Lyrics
Gonna buy me a condo Gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting Get a wallet full ‘o credit cards I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I gonna get me da T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
Wo, used to live in Jamaica But I don’t live dere no more Had to change me lifestyle Do t’ings I never done before So now I’m just a lonely Rastaman Living in dis American town Gonna sell me Bob Marley records Gonna get me some Jackson Browne
I gonna buy me a condo Gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting And get a wallet full ‘o credit cards, eh I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I gonna get me da T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
Wo, gonna cut off me dreadlocks T’row away all me ganja I’ll have a Tupperware party Maybe join me a health spa I’ll get a bowl of plastic fruits And a microwave oven, too Then I’ll have the neighbors over for a weenie barbecue
Gonna buy me a condo Gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting Get a wallet full ‘o credit cards, oh I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I get a funny little T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
Ain’t gonna work in de field no more Gonna be Amway distributor Ain’t gonna work in de field no more (no, no) Gonna be Amway distributor
Ja, ja, ja, life is so very hard I need a (ja) ja, ja, ja jacuzzi in me back yard
Oh, I gonna buy me a condo Gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting Get a wallet full ‘o credit cards, eh I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I gonna get me da T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
What’d you say?
I gonna buy me a condo I gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting Get a wallet full ‘o credit cards, oh I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I gonna get me da T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
What’d you say?
I gonna buy me a condo Gonna buy me a Cuisinart Get a wall-to-wall carpeting And get a wallet full ‘o credit cards, oh I gonna buy me a condo, never have to mow de lawn I gonna get me da T-shirt wit’ de alligator on
Fact: Doors keyboardist played keyboards on the studio recording of the song.
Album: Alpocalypse
This song was released before the album among a group of songs called Internet Leaks, which included four new videos.
The song is an amazing style parody of The Doors. So much so that you might think it is a stright up parody of a specific song.
Lyrics
Whoa, yeah!
You’ve got a ’65 Chevy Malibu With automatic drive A custom paint job, too
I’ll trade you for my old wheelbarrow And a slightly used sombrero And I’ll even throw in a stapler, if you insist
Craigslist! I’m on Craiglist, baby, come on! Yeah
Well, we shared a quick glance Saturday at the mall I never took a chance Never approached you at all
You were a blonde half-Asian with a bad case of gas I was wearin’ red Speedos and a hockey mask Come on, let’s find that love connection that we missed
On Craigslist! Yeah, Craigslist, come on! I’m on Craigslist Oh, baby, maybe you are too! Be bom ba chomb cadonk bin bam boo!
An open letter to the snotty barista At the Coffee Bean on San Vacente Boulevard: I know there were twenty people behind me in line But I was on a cell phone call with my mother Didn’t you see me hold up my index finger? That means, “I’ll order my soy decaf hazelnut latte in just a couple minutes” So, what’s with the attitude, lady? No tip for you!
Got a trash can of Styrofoam peanuts You can have ’em for free You can drop by on the weekend And pick ’em up from me But the trash can ain’t part of the deal Only givin’ you the peanuts Get real! Don’t have no Hefty bag, so bring your own Don’t bug me with questions on the phone Don’t ask for help, don’t waste my time And don’t complain, ’cause they won’t cost you a dime Just ask yourself: Do you want my Styrofoam peanuts? You can have my Styrofoam peanuts Do you want my Styrofoam peanuts? You can have them all
They’re on Craigslist, yeah! Craigslist! Ow, baby, come on! I’m on Craigslist, Craigslist, Craigslist! I’m on Craigslist, Craigslist, Craigslist, now
Daredevil: Born Again premiered its first episode of season two tonight on Disney + and I am all in already.
This was a great first episode which featured some exciting action, some intriguing characters, and enough suspense to build on moving ahead.
Matt Murdock is missing. Or at least, he is not showing his face around New York. Meanwhile, the Mayor of New York, Wilson Fisk, has armed up the battle against vigilantes and has empowered his brutal strike force to be able to do whatever they want. It is kind of close to home these days.
Matt and Karen Page are working together, in the shadows, trying to bring Fisk down. Daredevil (with the awesome DD on his costume chest plate) kicked off the episode by boarding a ship that was smuggling weapons into New York. When the captain realized that Daredevil was there, he sank the ship. He said it was his orders.
Fisk was involved in the arms smuggling, of course, so he is anxious to salvage what had sunk. When the attorney general came to see him, it seemed as if Fisk was in some trouble, with words like oversight being bandied around.
However, into the office strolled Matthew Lillard, suddenly taking over the scene completely. Lillard is playing someone named Mr. Charles, and he apparently has some big time connections in the MCU. While he was grandstanding in the Mayor’s office, the attorney general received a phone call after which he immediately folded. During the one-sided conversation, we heard him say the name Ms. de Fontaine.
What??????
Obviously, this is a reference to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the character played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Falcon & the Winter Soldier, Thunderbolts and Wakanda Forever. Last we saw Val, she was head of the CIA and putting together the New Avengers, in a backhanded, manipulative manner. I did not expect that name drop to come, but it only added to the curiosity and intrigue that I felt for Mr. Charles. I look forward to seeing this guy moving forward.
Heather Glenn is back and being a horrendous person. She is on the hook in the Kingpin’s organization doing dirty work, such as falsifying the psych report on Swordsman to make it look like he is not a balanced individual. Yet, it seemed that Heather may be the one who is less than balanced as she is hallucinating images of Muse. I hope this use of Muse will be able to rebuild him from the character assassination that took place in season one. The way Muse was written and the lack of development of Muse was easily the worst part of season one. Maybe this will be a fascinating way to bring the specter of Muse back in a scary way. Plus, who deserved it more than Heather?
The episode ended with the AVTF beating up Cherry at the end, but not before he was able to signal Matt to come help him. Matt showed up in his Daredevil outfit, but Cherry was having a heart attack, which distracted Matt. The AVTF agents were able to get down the distracted DD and peeled off his mask, finding out that Daredevil was Matt Murdock. Before they were about to put a bullet in Matt’s head, several sniper-like bullets came through the window and killed the agents.
It was a shocking end to the episode and I, like I am sure everyone, thought this was Frank Castle. However, when the knife came flying into the room with the symbol on it, with the words “You’re welcome” written on it as well, I realized it was not Frank Castle who saved Matt’s life.
It was Bullseye. Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter himself. The man who shot and killed Foggy in season one. It certainly appeared as if Bullseye could be part of Daredevil’s team to oppose Mayor Fisk, proving the old adage that the “enemy of my enemy is my friend”… well, maybe not friend. Reluctant ally? Blood feud enemy?
This was a great kick off to the new season. I loved Matthew Lillard and just how brutal Daredevil is. I am excited about seeing the return of Jessica Jones, who is not in this episode. Can’t wait for Krysten Ritter to reprise her Netflix role. Jessica Jones is actually one of my favorite comic characters and I loved season one of her show. Season two was okay, and I never saw the third one, but I am so pleased that Jessica Jones is back in the MCU.
Sadly, this is the penultimate episode of season 2 of Paradise on Hulu. It has been so great that I don’t want to see it end. We get some major events occurring in episode 7.
Xavier & Teri are reunited and are on their way back to Colorado. Of course, first things first… they had to get Bean, who was being held by Gary the Mailman. Xavier wanted to just blow him away, but Teri had a more diplomatic path. She talked to Gary and dealt with the emotions he was revealing, and confronted him over the murder of Enos. Gary cried and accepted the fate, and never got his head blown off. Bonus for Gary.
Meanwhile, we were seeing how Sinatra was continually manipulating everyone. She meets with Link and they have a tense back and forth. However, Sinatra makes a shocking discovery… or at least a possible discovery… is Link her supposedly dead son Dylan? Could that be? Could this be the variable that brings Sinatra down?
The outside forces are preparing for their attack… maybe cause Link enjoyed that apple pie so much.
It sure seemed as if Gabriela stabbed Jane in a shower, and left her bleeding out and dead. Now, there is no confirmation that Jane is dead and she feels like that type of supervillain that you can’t just expect to be killed by a stab wound or two. You have got to finish her off when you have a chance. So while she could be gone now, I would not be surprised if she crawled her way out of that shower.
We got a flashback to see more of President Cal Bradford before his murder. It is always great to see James Marsden in Paradise, so every flashback with him is thoroughly welcome. Cal was inspecting everything with Sinatra and making like a prophet and calling that the bunker would go down one day. Surely this is meant as some foreshadowing for what is to come.
This finale should be full of surprises and action. Maybe we will finally find out who the mysterious “Alex” is, as Sinatra arrived at a location, put on a jacket, and greeted Alex. This was after Link had told her that he was after Alex. I have no idea who or what Alex is, but I can’t wait to find out.
Parody: “Got My Mind Set On You” by George Harrison (Originally recorded by James Ray in 1962)
Album: Even Worse
Released: 1988
The first parody in the Top 100 is a parody of George Harrison’s big hit in 1987, Got My Mind Set on You. I am a big Beatles fan so the song by Harrison was a personal favorite and Al’s version was very funny.
Lyrics
This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long
Couldn’t think of any lyrics No I never wrote the lyrics So I’ll just sing any old lyrics That come to mind, child
You really need words Whole lotta rhyming words You gotta rhyme so many words, mm-mm To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it To do it, to do it right, child
This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long
I know that you’re probably sore ‘Cause I didn’t write any more I just didn’t get to complete it So that’s why I gotta repeat it
This song is just six words long (six words long) This song is just six words long (six words long)
Oh I make a lotta money They pay me a ton of money They’re payin’ me plenty of money To sing this song, child
I gotta fill time Three minutes worth of time Oh, how will I fill so much time, mm-mm I’ll throw in a solo, a solo, a solo A solo, a solo here
This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long This song is just six words long
This song’s got nothin’ to say But I’m recording it anyway I know if I put my mind to it I know I could find a good rhyme here
Oh, you gotta have-a music You need really catchy music This song has got plenty of music But just six words, child
And so I’ll sing’ em over And over and over and over And over and over and over, mm-mm And over and over and over And over and over and over again
Six words long, six words long Six words long, six words long Six words long, six words long
This song is just six words long It’s just six words long
Jackson Park Express is one of the longer songs Weird Al has done. It runs 9 minutes and 4 seconds. It is an epic love story between two people who see each other on a bus for the first time. The romance lasts until the woman gets off the bus, without ever speaking to the man.
Ah, love.
Lyrics
Tuesday morning, 8:15 I was riding to work on the Jackson Park Express Seemed like any other day Then my whole world changed In a way I never could have guessed ‘Cause she walked in Took the seat right across the aisle I knew we had a special connection The second I saw her smile
She smiled as if to say “Hello, haven’t seen you on this bus before” I gave her a look that said “Huh, life is funny, you never know what’s in store By the way, your hair is beautiful I bet it smells like raisins”
She looked at me in a way that asked “Did you have a nose job or something? I’m only asking, cause your nose looks slightly better Than the rest of your face” I arched my eyebrow, ever so slightly Which was my way of asking “Do you want my old Hewlett-Packard printer? It still works, kinda And I got a bunch of ink cartridges left”
Then, she let out a long sigh Which, I took to mean, “Uh” “Mama, what is that deodorant you’re wearing? It’s intoxicating Why don’t we drive out to the country sometime? And collect deer ticks in a zip-lock baggie”, oh yeah
I gave her a penetrating stare Which could only mean “You are my answer, my answer to everything Which is why, I’ll probably do very poorly On the written part of my driver’s test”
Yes, it all happened On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express
I knew she was starting to fall for me ‘Cause she crinkled her nose, which unmistakably meant “Baby, lets wear each other’s clothes And speak in a thick German accent And, maybe someday we can own and operate Our own mobile pet-grooming service” I couldn’t hold back my feelings I gave her a look, that said “I would make any sacrifice for your love Goat, chicken, whatever I could never hold you close enough Let’s have our bodies surgically grafted together Oh, surgically grafted together”
She picked up a newspaper, and started reading to herself Which I’m sure, was a way of telling me “When you’re cold, I will warm you When you’re shivering, I will hold you When your nauseous, I will give you Pepto-Bismol every hour For as long as the symptoms persist” Oh, I, I never, ever want to see you cry So, please let me cauterize your tear ducts with an arc welder Then, I glanced down, at her shirt, for a second In a way that clearly implied “I like your boobs”
Yes, it all happened On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express
I cleared my throat quietly, and then, I looked away And I’m sure it was obvious to her, just what I was trying to say I was trying to say, “Hey I’d like to make a wall-sized mural out of all the dead skin cells That you slough off while you sleep at night” Whoa-o-Oh, “I’d like to rip you wide open And french-kiss every single one of your internal organs Oh, I’d like to remove all your skin, and wear your skin, over my own skin But not in a creepy way”
Then, I’m pretty sure, she looked at me, out of the corner of her good eye And, though, she never spoke a word, this is exactly what I heard She was saying, “Oh! I wanna make out with you, in an abandoned toll-booth, in the middle of a monsoon I wanna ride dolphins with you, in the moonlight Until the staff at Sea World kicks us out I want you inside me, oh, like a tapeworm”
I pointed to the side of my mouth, as a way of indicating “Hey, I think you got something on the side of your mouth” She licked the corner of her lips, as if to say “Here?”, I nodded, implying, “Yeah, you got it”
And, then the bus stopped, at 53rd Street, and she got up suddenly “Where are you going?”, pleaded my eyes, “Baby, don’t you do this to me Think of the beautiful children we could have someday We could school them at home, raise them up the right way And protect them from the evils of the world Like Trigonometry and Prime Numbers, oh no Baby, please don’t go”
She brushed my leg, as she left the bus I’m sure that was her way of saying “I’m sorry this just isn’t working out You’re suffocating me I need some space to find out what life’s all about So, goodbye forever, my love”
And deep inside, I knew she was right It was time for us both to move on And no, I never got her number, oh no no She never bothered to leave her address, oh But, as long as I live, I’ll never forget Those precious moments we shared together
On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express On the Jackson Park Express
I started season four of Agents of Shield that featured quite a few changes and one massive guest star…Ghost Rider!
Gabriel Luna appeared on the show as Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider. The addition of the Ghost Rider to Agents of Shield may not have seemed to work on paper, but the execution of the character in the show is extra special. The flaming skull of Ghost Rider was just sensational looking for the TV show.
The show also gave us a new director, an inhuman named Jeffrey Mace (who would be the Patriot in the comics). Mace stepped up after Coulson rejected the director position because he did not want to be the face of Shield. Mace has super strength and got in an awesome fight with Ghost Rider.
Daisy was out of Shield again, running around on her own. This gets a touch boring because she seems to always be running away from the team. We know she was always going to come back and I wish her character would have something new.
Fitz and Simmons seem happy as a couple even though their new positions in the rebranded Shield makes things difficult for them.
We get an introduction to the Darkhold in this season, even if it seems to be a different book from the one that would appear in WandaVision and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. It is just as much trouble as that book though.
We get more details on Ada and the Life Model Decoy that will become more important later int he season.
This was an exciting six episodes and I am looking forward to the wrap up of the first “pod” of eight episodes for season 4.
It is the EYG Comic Cavalcade. It has been a busy weekend once again. I generally like to have this done before Sunday evening, but time got away from me.
Plus, it is taking a little longer because I am being distracted by season four of Agents of Shield, with the Ghost Rider appearing.
Comic of the Week
Dead Teenagers #1
Written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Dead Teenagers follows a group of friends stuck in a time loop, reliving their high school prom night and dying repeatedly until something in 2026 might cause the loop to be broken. This was a great new horror comic and a fun read.
Silver Medalist
Books this week:
Amazing Spider-Man #24. Written by Charles Soule with Joe Kelly and guest artist Jesus Saiz. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Lorenzo Ruggiero & Dean White. Death Spiral continues with this issue of Amazing Spider-Man that includes Spidey, Venom and Carnage wind up facing off with Torment. The dialogue between Spidey and Venom/MJ is some of the best of the book.
Exquisite Corpses #11. Written by Che Grayson with James Tynion IV with art by Gavin Fullerton with Michael Walsh. Cover art was done by Michael Walsh. We are down to Pretty Boy and Fox Mask Killer in the big tournament. Exquisite Corpses has been one of the best comics over the last year and it is building to its last couple of issues.
Wrestle Heist #4. Written, Drawn and cover art by Kyle Starks. The big pay per view event, Fightsgiving XIV is here and Sterling Steele and his crew are preparing to pull off their planned heist. However, there is a problem. Hanson knows the heist is coming because of the traitor in Steele’s team. Great kayfabe action.
The Sentry #1. Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Christian Rosado. Cover art was done by Alex Maleev (Bronze Medalist). Bob is back, struggling to keep balance with his other side…the Void. After Sentry’s appearance in Thunderbolts MCU movie, the return to the comics was inevitable.
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #2. “Bad Omens” Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Geoff Shaw. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Alex Sinclair. Deadpool has suddenly someone providing him with info on future events.. and he has found a way to make money saving them. While it is still snarky Deadpool, the mystery of what happened to his daughter is creating a new emotional Wade.
Infernal Hulk #5. “All His Servants” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with penciled by Kev Walker. Cover art was done by Nic Klein (Gold Medalist). Bruce Banner has to come back. He tried to stay out of it, but he realized that he was not able to stay away. The Infernal Hulk is making thing tough.
Captain America #8. “Doom’s Shadow Part 3” Written by Chip Zdarsky with artist by Jan Bazaldua. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti & Frank Martin. Cap inside Latveria continues as he and Alina Von Doom are trying to find the weapons of Doom before anyone else does… including Thunderbolt Ross.
Nightwing #136. “The Crossroads” Written by Dan Watters and pencils by Denys Cowen. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. A new story arc kicks off in Nightwing entitled “Bludhaven Lore.” Nightwing picks up a woman on the freeway. That sounded much less dangerous than it turned out to be.
Geiger #22. Written by Geoff Johns and art by Gary Frank. Cover art was done by Gary Frank & Brad Anderson. Geiger and the Northerner are on their way to Detroit to try and find answers about the Unknown War.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #2. “Agency” Part Two. Written by Jed MacKay and art by Devmalya Pramanik. Cover art was done by Paulo Siqueira & Rachelle Rosenberg. While Marc Spector and Zodiac are “teaming up,” Bushman is making his return, preparing to murder Marc Spector.
Cyclops #2. “Seeing Red Part 2” Written by Alex Paknadel with art by Rogê Antonio. Cover art was done by Federico Vicentini & Marcio Menyz. Cyclops is in the woods, being chased by the Reavers, and he has lost his visor. I have enjoyed the first couple of issues with Cyke.
X-Men #27. “Danger Room, Pt. 2” Written by Jed MacKay and penciled by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons, and Fer Sifuentes-Sujo. The new group Danger Room is featured through this issue.
Ultimates #22. Written by Deniz Camp with art by Juan Frigeri. Cover art was done by Dike Ruan & Neeraj Menon. Ultimate Captain America and Ultimate Bucky and their story. This has a terribly tragic ending that was extremely surprising.
Mortal Thor #8. “A Tragic Tale of Asgard.” Written by Al Ewing with art by Juann Cabal. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. No Mortal Thor in this issue as we spent the time in Asgard with Magni and a strange rabbit.
Absolute Flash #13. “Mirror Master Part One” Written by Jeff Lemire with art by Haining. Cover art was done by Nick Robles. Wally and Linda spend some time together… until they get pulled into a mirror. If you know Flash, you know what this is leading to.
Sam and Twitch Case Files #22. Written by Thomas Healy with Todd McFarlane and art by Von Randal. Cover art was done by Raymond Gay with Steve Canon. A guy from a former case texted Sam and Twitch to come see him, only to be found by the pair, dead. Appearing to be a suicide, something did not fit together and Sam is in a dangerous place.
GI Joe #20. Written by Joshua Williamson and art by Andrea Milana. Cover art was done by Tom Reilly. Duke meets Optimus (no longer Prime). A truce between the two was a fascinating result between GI Joe and the Transformers.
Barbarian Behind Bars #2. Written by Elliott Kalan and art by Andrea Mutti. Cover art was done by Francesco Tomaselli. Darcor continued to be held in prison and the process moves along. The Mad Cave series is one of the strangest and most original on the market.
Planet She-Hulk #5. Written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Aaron Kuder. Cover art was done by Aaron Kuder & Sonia Oback. She-Hulk is fighting across Sakaar and it seems like she has taken a specific position… Queen?
Devil on my Shoulder #4. Written by Kyle Starks with art by Piotr Kowalski. Cover art was done by Piotr Kowalski with Brad Johnson. The final issue of the series finds our heroine finish her path of vengeance against the men who had assaulted her years ago.
Other Books this Week: Kill All Immortals II #3, Super Creepshow #1, Leprechaun Horror Comics #1, Ghost Pepper #9, Mary Sue #5, Ultimate Wolverine #15, Deathstroke the Terminator #1, and American Caper #5.
Quick Hits: Wanda vs. Agatha highlighted the story in Sorcerer Supreme#4. DC had a couple of new number one issues this week, Lobo #1 and Batwoman #1. Neither one was interesting enough for me to continue. Batwoman was the most intriguing one between the two, which was not what I was expecting. D’Orc #1 had a third printing this week. Another new cover by Brett Bean. Racer X #5 is back within the world of Speed Racer. X-Men of Apocalypse #3 is still in the Savage Land as Gambit and Rogue matchup again. The horror book The Thing on the Doorstep#2 is one of the books that I did not get to read yet. That also goes for End of Life #2, the Vertigo book. The Lucky Devils #7 is still one of the best and most beautifully drawn books on the market. New Titans #33 show the new team roster. The Last Day of Lovecraft #5 sees this series end. Finally, the one shot book from AWA Pick Up #1 has not yet found its way on to my CLZ app. Not sure what is taking so long for it to be on it.
We are moving along through the final season of Sha Na Na with episodes 10-14. There are some interesting things happening in these episodes.
Strangest of the episodes was when Frankie Avalon wanted to join Sha Na Na… and they did not want him. It was a fun switch up from what their normal story with guest stars were. They were playing off the Sha Na Na-Frankie Avalon in Grease bit. Avalon performed the Beauty School Drop-Out song from Grease with the Sha Na Na guys in pink dresses.
In the 13th episode, there was a nice shout out to the Lady in the Window, who has been gone this season. Played by Jane Dulo, the guys said that they had missed the insults that she would give to them since she had “moved away.” Johnny then put on a wig and gave some insults to make them feel better. I could not find a reason for the character to be gone, but clearly, this was a way to honor her.
Johnny Paycheck, Andy Gibb, and Mary Macgregor were the other three guest stars among this group of episodes. Paycheck did his famous “Take this Job and Shove It” song on the stage.
Episode 10 had a strange dual song at the end on the stage. First, it was Jocko and Ginger singing Ol’ Black Magic and it was immediately followed up by Lenny singing Daddy’s Home. I have never seen them do two songs in a row.
Whoa. Big episode. Major reveals leading into the finale. This was the first week that I really wanted to keep watching instead of waiting until next Sunday.
However, I am not sure how I feel about the reveal that it appeared that we got. I can’t see them doing this as a huge red herring at this point in the series. There really feels like there are some gaps in this potential solution that are very coincidental. It makes me think that there is something major missing yet.
Jack’s sister Zoe was murdered this week in a shocking moment. This was after she went to Jack and begged him to listen to her. As always, Jack was just too buried in his own crap to pay any attention to her. Zoe was worried about being the next victim and she wanted to tell Jack something about Anna. The show does a tremendous job of pointing the finger of suspicion at Anna until the last bit of the episode.
How much guilt will Jack have since his sister showed up practically begging for help and he blew her off?
That is until we see that the hotel rooms for Anna and Richard had been canceled and they had no where to go. Richard took Anna to his in-laws place, through the most dense forest around. The tension of that trip was tight as Anna recalled a memory of a time when the five of the friends, including the heavy-set girl named Kathryn (who we saw a few episodes ago in a flashback), who wound up getting raped at this get together.
We find out that Kathryn is dead as well. Zoe had told Priya while she was at the police station about Kathryn. Priya has been focused on the four friends, two of which were murdered. Priya was looking closely at Anna as a suspect.
When Anna and Richard arrived at the lake house, Anna discovered that Richard’s wife and her rival at the station, Lexy, was there too. Anna saw some pictures on the wall of Lexy’s family, her parents and … there was pictures of Kathryn too.
Could Kathryn be related to Lexy? Were they sisters?
Does that mean that Lexy is the killer? Does Richard know or is she just stringing him along. And if that is the case, there is one big thread that bothers me. When the murder of Rachel first takes place and Anna wants to follow the story, she specifically requested Richard as her cameraman. Isn’t that a huge coincidence that makes me unsure about the entire situation.
There is also the fact that Rachel was blackmailing somebody, and her husband, in a taunting scene with Jack, implied that it was not him she was blackmailing. Could it have been Lexy? Richard? Was this all a big revenge scheme to get back at the girls who were so mean to Kathryn when they were in school together? Why would it take so long? Is it connected to Kathryn’s death?
There feels like there are a piece or two that will connect everything together to make it all make sense… or at least I hope it does. Next Sunday I will watch the finale of the limited series and I hope it ties together well.
Featured songs: It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It),” “Brown Sugar,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Under My Thumb,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Miss You,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Get off of My Cloud,” “Shattered,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”.
The first of multiple polka medleys to appear in the Top 100, this song included songs only from the catalogue of the Rolling Stones. Usually Weird Al polkas include songs from a variety of artists, but this one breaks that trait.
Lyrics
If I could stick my hand in my heart Spill it all over the stage Would it satisfy you, would it slide on by you Would you think the boy is strange? Ain’t it stra-a-ange?
If I could win, if I could sing A love song so divine Would it be enough for your cheating heart If I broke down and cried? If I cri-i-ied?
I said, ah, no, it’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it Ah, no, it’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it, like it, yes, I do I really, really, really, really do-do-do-do-do, hey
Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields Sold in a market down in New Orleans Scarred old slaver knows he’s doing all right Heard him with the women just around midnight (Brown sugar) How come you taste so good? (Brown sugar) Just like a young girl should
I saw her today at the reception A glass of wine in her hand I knew she would meet her connection At her feet was a footloose man You can’t always get what you want You can’t always get what you want You can’t always get what you want But if you try sometimes, you might find You get what you need
You need honky tonk women Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
Under my thumb, the girl who once had me down Under my thumb, the girl who once pushed me around It’s down to me, yes, it is The way she talks when she’s spoken to Down to me, the change has come, she’s under my thumb
So goodbye, Ruby Tuesday Who could hang a name on you? When you change with every new day Still, I’m gonna miss you
Please allow me to introduce myself I’m a man of wealth and taste I’ve been around for a long, long year Stole many a man’s soul and faith Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name ‘Cause what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game
I said hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud Hey (hey), you (you), get off of my cloud Don’t hang around, ’cause two’s a crowd
Laughter, joy and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex Look at me I’m in tatters (Shadoobie, shattered) I’m shattered (Shadoobie, shattered)
This doesn’t happen to me every day, whoa, my (Let’s spend the night together) No excuses offered anyway, oh, my (Let’s spend the night together) I’ll satisfy your every need (Every need) And now I know you’ll satisfy me My-my-my-my, my-my-my Let’s spend the night together Now I need you more than ever Let’s spend the night together Now (My-my-my-my, my-my-my)
I can’t get no satisfaction I can’t get no girly action ‘Cause I’ve tried (and I’ve tried) and I’ve tried (and I’ve tried) And I’ve tried (and I’ve tried) and I’ve tried (and I’ve tried) I can’t get no I can’t get no I can’t get no Satisfaction, satisfaction, satisfaction Hey
I found this episode very disappointing. They spent most of the time with the present day crew, which I dislike so much. Outside of Kurt Russell, there just is so little that interests me with them.
It did seem as if Cate was pulling her head out of her ass. If she can become less of a stupid character maybe I can stomach the present day more.
I guess the episode was just here to waste time as the doohickie that was stolen last episode is being retrieved. Feels like a waste of time.
It looked as if the big secret about Lee and Keiko might be revealed. Lee is clearly the real father of Hiroshi instead of Bill Randa.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 