EYG Favorite Covers of the Week
October 23
This week’s favorite covers feature one variant and two A covers. One of the variants is a cool homage to a movie.
Also-Rans: Thanksgiving #1, Hello Halloween #1, Fantastic Four #4, Space Ghost #4, Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #3, Harley Quinn #55 (Pumpkin Spice Variant), and News from the Fallout #5.
Bronze Medalist
No Man’s Land #2
Cover art by Szymon Kudranski
A spooky cover using the skull formation mixing in with the snow. Szymon Kudranski is a great artist and I have missed his work. This cover is clearly a standout.
Silver Medalist
Terminator Metal #1
Cover art by Declan Shalvey
The new Terminator series from Dynamite kicked off with a solid issue one cover. The theme of the color scheme really worked with this book. The metallic look makes this a beautifully designed cover.
Gold Medalist
No Man’s Land #2
Variant Cover B
Cover art by Szymon Kudranski
I love the Silence of the Lambs homage for No Man’s Land #2, which lands twice in the metal round. In fact, No Man’s Land #1 was a gold medalist too. Szymon Kudranski had a big return to cover art with this two covers this week.
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #49
#49
The Tick (2001)
Spooooooooooooooon!!!!!!!!!!
“He is the big, blue “I am the wild blue yonder. The front line in a never-ending battle between good and not-so-good. Together with my stalwart sidekick, Arthur, and the magnanimous help of some other folks I know, we form the yin to villany’s malevolent yang. Destiny has chosen us. Wicked men, you face The Tick.“
Based on the NEC comic book and the animated series that followed, ths was the first attempt to bring The Tick into the live action superhero world. FOX brought the show to TV, making it a Seinfeld-like show. The network did not have much confidence in the show as they bounced it around the schedule and hardly promoted it.
Created by EYG Hall of Famer Ben Edlund, The Tick was a loving parody of superheroes and their tropes. It starred Patrick Warburton, in a great bit of casting, as The Tick. The show also had David Burke as Arthur, Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty and Nestor Carbonell (who would go on to be Richard on LOST) as Batmanuel.
There was more emphasis on character and dialogue than action, so some Tick fans found it less exciting than the animated show despite Edlund stating that this show was closer to the concept of the comics.
The show only broadcast 8 of the 9 episodes created and was canceled because of budget reasons. Still, this very short series was an awesome breath of fresh air and gave us another, some times more adult, look at The Tick.
The Tick will appear again during this Top 100.
Gen V S2 E8
Spoilers
“Trojan”
@%$^ yeah!
What a fabulous conclusion to this season. This finale was so great. Everything was right on point. From the Arrival of Thomas Godolkin to the seminars he was holding to the Godolkin/Marie showdown to the perfect timing of Polarity to the appearance of Starlight and A-Train… was just perfect.
The only question I might have had was did Godolkin go too quickly? Should we have built him up a little more. That is the only complaint I had with the episode.
I was sad to see Doug get killed. He had some awesome scenes of exposition and a fantastic one where he talked to Polarity about Andre. That was a beautiful scene ruined by Black Noir.
And the line from Polaris to Black Noir “You can talk now?” was hilarious.
I also loved the scene with Marie and Cate where Marie cured Cate was another wonderful scene in this exciting episode.
Sister Sage was all over this episode. Her “allowing” Polarity to escape was great.
There was just so many cool moments in this episode that I really hope these characters become a major part of The Boys’ final season.
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #50
#50
The Boys
Kicking off the top 50 is the Amazon Prime hit, The Boys. The Boys is one of the most graphic, shocking, envelope-pushing shows on any network.
Yet, it is not just about the shocks. It is about the characters, and that is why this show succeeds.
Homelander is one of the most complex villains on television today, a mass of insecurities and poor choices. He is also one of the most powerful beings in the Boys world.
The supes are anything but authentic in this world. They are some of the worst people but are seen by the public as heroes. Of course, a big part of that is Vaught and its propaganda crusade to make them look great.
The very first episode set the tone for the series. I’ll never forget the moment when Hughie held hands with his girlfriend on the sidewalk (she was on the street) and a blur of speed flew past, leaving Hughie with nothing but two bloody stumps of arms. That was supe A-Train and it started Hughie’s arc for that season.
Then, in season three we got the episode called “Herogasm.”
This show never skimps on the blood or gore, but does not depend on it.
Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, not receiving an Emmy nomination yet is a crime. He leads a cast filled with talented people including Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Jenson Ackles, Karen Fukuhara, Tomer Capone, Chase Crawford, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Cameron Crovetti, Jesse T. Usher, and an army of cameos and guest stars.
Season five of the show will be the final season and will drop in 2026.
The Uninspired (2009)
12 of The October 13
I had high hopes for this film.
The Uninspired was based on Kim Jee-Woo’s 2003 Korean horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters. I have never seen that film so I did not have to worry about a comparison.
According to IMDB, “Anna returns home after a stint in a mental hospital, but her recovery is jeopardized by her father’s new girlfriend and ghastly visions of her dead mother.“
I started with this movie and I was intrigued with what it was laying out. There was kept its story close to the vest at the beginning, and I liked the very beginning of the film. Then, it seemed to take a shift into a situation with a manipulative girlfriend that we’d seen many times before.
Sadly, that middle part of the movie was so dumb that the film skidded to a halt. It became nonsensical several times. Then, in the third act, the film went completely off the rails as the film tried to pull a poor man’s Sixth Sense twist that really did not work… at all. I found it to be totally ridiculous and it did not make any sense, nor did they care that it did not.
I was really disappointed with the film.
Only Murders in the Building S5 E9
Spoilers
“Lestr”
Okay, the ninth episode of season 5 was actually my least favorite episode of the season. Watching the tenants packing up and getting ready to move out was depressing and the distance between Oliver and Charles was uncomfortable and, seemingly, out of nowhere. I was not a fan of that.
It was neat to see Nathan Lane return to his role from earlier in the show. It was fun to see him (and his son),
There was too much of Lestr in this episode. I am not a fan of the robot.
Turned out that Lester, the real doorman, was the one who killed Nicky Caccimelio, with the elevator crank in an attempt to save the building. That was a good twist.
Who killed Lester? That is still up in the air, although they point a finger (quite literally) at Nicky’s mother, Nonna. I’m not sure she is the final killer, but I do expect that to lead to the final resolution in the finale next week.
How will they stop the Arconian from becoming a casino? I don’t know but I hope to find out.
Troll 2 Official Trailer/Netflix
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #51
#51
WWE Smackdown
“So, what do you want to talk about?“-Cody Rhodes.
I am a lifelong professional wrestling fan. I mostly watch the WWE. One of the shows that provide that fix for me is Friday Night Smackdown.
Smackdown has been all over the place. It was on the CW, UPN, Syfy, FOX among others. It is currently on the USA Network for two hours Friday nights.
The show was named after a line used by “The Rock” who would say that he was going to lay the Smackdown on someone’s candy ass. The Rock would refer to Smackdown as “The Rock’s Show.”
However, it became more than just The Rock’s show over the years. Smackdown was the main show for the Bloodline, one of the best storylines the show ever had with Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief leading his family in a power struggle with the good guys.
Smackdown has been seen as the 2nd tier show, behind Monday Night RAW, but there were many times where Smackdown exceeded its sibling show.
“If you smell…. what the Rock is cookin’!”
We are half way home. 100-51. Tomorrow, we start the top 50.
Bonus Action Vol.3 E3
Here is this week’s Bonus Action!
EYG Comic Cavalcade #175
October 20
Good day everyone. We are up to the #175 post for the EYG Comic Cavalcade. Who knew this would last so long. I feel as if I am getting close to getting this back on track to do on Saturday or Sunday. This weekend, I was busy with the October 13, but I think soon the schedule will straighten out. Monday night are never good to do these.
Books this week:
The Monster and the Wolf #1. Written, art and cover art by Mark Spears (Gold Medalist). The blind bags arrived from Kinesport this week and I was able to open all eleven books that I got. Two duplicates. I thought that was pretty good. The covers were all awesome.
Endeavour #1. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art and cover art by Marc Laming. I have been waiting for this DSTLRY book for quite a while. The Endeavour was a ship sailed by Captain Cook and this current day version turns into a “Lord of the Flies” type situation. Looking forward to continuing this one.
Don’t Forget Your Briefcase #4. Written by Eliot Rahal and art and cover art by Phillip Sevy. The penultimate issue of this Mad Cave book came out this week. I have really enjoyed this book so far with this political thriller.
Blue Falcon & Dynomutt #2. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Pasquale Qualano. Cover art was done by Lucio Parrillo. Blue Falcon is on a rampage, looking for the people who killed his dog. However, Dyno may not be official dead. We continue with the origin of Dyno-Mutt.
Nightwing #131. “Cirque Du Sin. Part 2: Circus Music.” Written by Dan Watters and art and cover art by Dexter Soy. Nightwing and Nightwing Prime are on a training mission but problems are happening. I am not sure if I am a fan of Nightwing Prime. It gives me those Spider-Man/Rek Rap vibes.
The Punisher: Red Band #2. Written by Benjamin Pearcy and art by Julius Ohta. Cover art was done by Marco Checchetto & Matthew Wilson. Punisher is back and he is out to kill everyone he wants. Kingpin is here too and things are nasty.
Unbreakable X-Men #1. “Guarding the Gate.” Written by Gail Simone and art and cover art by Lucas Werneck. I also grabbed the foil cover by Mateus Manhanini. This is a great story of loss and grief as Rogue dies and Gambit has to deal with his grief. I am very pleased that Gail Simone is continuing with one of the Age of Revelation books. I have been quite a fan of her Uncanny X-Men run so far.
Rogue Storm #1. Written by Murewa Ayadele with art by Roland Boschi. Cover art was by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. The Age of Revelation continued with this book with Storm and.. Rogue? Wait, didn’t Rogue just die in the Unbreakable X-Men #1? A cool idea to be able to maintain Rogue in this world.
Sinister’s Six #1. Written by David Marquez and art by Rafael Loureiro. Cover art was done by David Marquez & GURU-eFX. It is the X-Factor team, led by Havok, and they are dealing with Venom. I am not sure which Venom this is, but it was a fascinating book. It is unknown as to which ones are working for which ones.
Iron & Frost #1. Written by Cavan Scott with pencils by Ruairí Coleman. Dustin Weaver did the cover art. They were married once, but now we get to find out what the Age of Revelation holds for Tony Stark and Emma Frost.
One World Under Doom #8. “To Will the God” Written by Ryan North and art by R.B. Silva. Ben Harvey was the cover artist. Doom seems to be winning, battling all of earth’s heroes, but an unexpected collateral damage stops Doom in his tracks.
Captain America #4. Written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Valerio Schiti. Ben Harvey does the cover art. The big slugfest between Cap and Dr. Doom comes to a conclusion here and the “new” Cap goes to the brutality.
Incredible Hulk #30. “The Requiem Plain” Part Three. Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and art by Nic Klein. Cover art was done by Nic Klein. The final issue of Incredible Hulk sees Hulk and Banner split apart (yet again) which leads to another, very frightening version of Hulk. This leads to the new series, The Infernal Hulk #1.
Artillery: Weapons of Art #1. Written, drawn by and starring Jimmie Robinson. A new book from a new company. The company is known by Invader Comics. This is an intriguing new book with the concept of art being magical. The writer/artist of the book is also a supporting player in this book. Cool stuff here.
Justice League Red #3. Written by Saladin Ahmad and art by Clayton Henry. Cover art is done by Clayton Henry and Arif Prianto. The plans of Red Tornado continues as they rescue Red Canary and bring in Deadman (YAY!). Now they are heading off to take on Black Adam!
They Choose Violence #5. Written by Sheldon Allen and illustrated by Mauricio Campetella. Cover art was done by Rahzzah (Silver Medalist). This book comes to an end with this issue. This was quite a violent book and was very much connected with race. The covers have been spectacular.
Terrorbytes #1. Written by Mark Russell and art by Felix Ruiz. Juan Doe did the cover art. I had no idea what this book was, but between seeing Mark Russell as a writer and being a new book from Mad Cave, I decided to give it a chance. It was an intriguing new book with a mysterious future with AI. Looking good.
Survive #2. Written by Robert Venditti and art by Doug Braithwaite. Cover art by Eduardo Risso. The Bad Idea comic company has been doing some good work and this thriller involving a sinking submarine is an exciting and dramatic book.
Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe #4. Written by Gerry Duggan with art by Paco Medina and Javier Garrón. Cover art was done by Mark Brooks. We got giant Hulk vs. Godzilla. The Marvel heroes are pulling a whole Power Rangers concept with their giant robot to fight the King of Monsters.
Save Now #1. Written by Matt Kinot and art done by Tomas Giorello. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Another new cool book from Bad Idea. This was a story where one of the main characters can travel back in time to redo problems that he faced. It was pretty great.
Amazing Spider-Man #14. Written by Joe Kelly and pencils by Ed McGuinness with Todd Nauck. Cover art was done by Patrick Gleason & Marcio Menyz. I also picked up the variant cover by Lee Bermejo. We are back with Norman Osborn on earth as he struggled to maintain the mantel of Spider-Man.
Hector Plasm: Hunt the Bigfoot #1. Written by Benito Cereno and art by Derek Hunter. Cover art was done by Ryan Ottley & Dave McCaig. I do love bigfoot stories and this is a fun combination of ghosts and more. Hector Plasm is an intriguing character and it feels as if he has had other books prior.
Sonja Reborn #2. Written by Christopher Priest and art by Alessandro Miracolo. Cover art was done by Stjepan Sejic. The new Red Sonja with the mind swap is a fascinating story.
Other books this week: Ghost Pepper #4, Return to Skull Island #4, GI Joe #12, 30 Days of Night: Falling Sun #1, Good as Dead #2, The New Gods #11, Fantastic Four x Gargoyles #1, Superman #30, and Viking Moon #1.
Quick Hits: This week’s Bronze medalist was The War #3, which ended that reprint story from Hello Darkness. Speaking of that, Hello Darkness #15 had two covers this week that I bought including one by Jenny Frison. Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #5 was another final issue for a series. There was a new Christmastime story called Yuletide #1. Charles Soule’s The Lucky Devils #5 carries on as well. DC’s Absolute Flash #8 focused in on Barry Allen and his involvement in the project that led to Wally West becoming Absolute Flash. Everything Dead & Dying #2 continues its zombie story which is unlike most any other zombie story you’ll come across. Apparently, I got that a week late, though I did not realize it. We get some origin of Darkwing Duck in Darkwing Duck #6. Racer X #2 is a bit of a cross over with the last Speed Racer story, which was a weird POV shift. Tama #3 seems to be taking that character and making it antagonistic. The Tama character is very wild at this point. I picked up Titans #28 to give it a chance. I liked the Titans when they were being used in Tom Taylor’s Nightwing run, and I am giving this variation a chance as it moves into the big Darkseid return. Godzilla Escape the Dead Zone #3 finally gave us a shot of Godzilla in the book. Finally, there was Zdarsky Comic News#16 which is always a lot of fun.
Daily Countdown: TV Shows #52
#52
Ms. Marvel
The MCU always seem to do a great job casting their characters, but one of the competitors for best casting of all time has to be Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel.
The young girl is such a perfect Kamala Khan and she brings that amazing youthful energy to the project, full of joy and wonder.
I am going to echo what a lot of people have said about Ms. Marvel. The best part of the show, outside of Iman Vellani, is the family unit that is in place around Kamala. There is not one scene of this show that involves Kamala’s aprents, brother or friends that does not hit. Now, the villains and superhero parts of the show are not as strong for sure. I am not as down on this aspect of the show as others, but I can’t disagree that it does not reach the heights of the family.
The Disney + show brought its characters to the big screen in The Marvels and even had one guest star on Daredevil: Born Again (Mohan Kapur guest starred as Yusef Khan, Kamala’s father).
Kamala was revealed to be the first mutant in the MCU as they used the X-Men animated theme as a creative way to give out that information.
The Ms. Marvel was fun and energetic, filled with some of the most creative backgrounds in the MCU. I do hope we get more Kamala Kham as the MCU moves along.
Vampyr (1932)
11 of the October 13
In all honesty, I am not sure I have any idea of what happened in this movie.
The October 13 headed back to 1932, thanks to HBO Max, for a black and white gothic horror movie entitled Vampyr.
It is bizarre, wild, disorienting and nightmarish. And I am not sure I know what happened.
According to IMDB, “A drifter obsessed with the supernatural stumbles upon an inn where a severely ill adolescent girl is slowly becoming a vampire.”
The info drop they present us with included a lot of details that we have not seen in vampire stories before, which is fine, but it was a little difficult to follow.
The visuals of this movie, especially the odd out-of-body experience that our main protagonist, Allan Gray went through happened without any explanation at all. The death of the doctor at the end of the film, smothered in flour, was also as weird of an ending as you could expect. Then, Gray and Giséle, who had been kidnapped by the doctor, were on a boat.
It all feels more like a fever dream than anything else.
Isle of the Dead (1945)
10 of the October 13
With this year’s October 13, most of the films have been from the last 10-15 years. I wanted to find something older to add to the list, so I went to HBO Max and found a film from 1945 featuring EYG Hall of Famer Boris Karloff called Isle of the Dead.
According to IMDB, “On a Greek island during the 1912 war, several people are trapped by quarantine for the plague. If that isn’t enough worry, one of the people, a superstitious old peasant woman, suspects one young girl of being a vampiric kind of demon called a vorvolaka“
The film was a slow burn for much of the runtime, as the characters stuck on the island began to fall from the plague. However, once the identity of the “vorvolaka” was revealed and she went on her spree in the end of the film, the story picked up rapidly.
Boris Karloff gives a great performance as General Nikolas Pherides. The General was very much suspicious of Thea (Ellen Drew) and the combination of the sickness and his own paranoia led to a madness gripping him. Karloff was definitely the stand out of the actors involved.
The music of the score worked extremely well, creating a sufficient feel for each scene.
The story was simple and the horror did elevate near the third act. With a strong performance from an iconic horror actor, Isle of the Dead ended on a strong note.
Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)
9 of the October 13
This is the third Hell House film that I have seen. I have not gone in any specific order. I started with the original Hell House film and then, for the October 13 for 2024, I watched the Hell House LLC: Origins film.
This, the first sequel to the original, has been on my queue on Amazon Prime for quite awhile now.
The film had some moments to it, but it was a step down from the other Hell House films that I have seen. The found footage/documentary format does work well for this series. This film added the “Morning Mysteries” talk show idea to help build the suspense of what was going on.
However, the twist at the end was laughable. There were good moments leading into this, but none of them would be as remembered as this horrific ending twist. It is perhaps one of the worst ending sequences I have seen in a long time.
Even if I had been engaged with the film up until the ending, that would have truly wrecked it. As it is, I was mildly interested in the film prior to this, but it took a major nose dive after that.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 