The finale of Black Bird on Apple TV + was satisfying. It was also sad. I had been cautious to look at any reports about the case, since this is based on a true story of Jimmy Keene and Larry Hall, so I would not know how it turned out. This episode saw Larry draw a map and carve a little bird for each of the girls that he murdered. He sent the map to his brother. I was not sure the reasoning behind that, but Jimmy was able to get a look at the map.
Sadly, the map was not specific enough for Jimmy to get any details outside of a general location and, in the end, none of the girl’s bodies had been recovered.
The final scene between Jimmy and Larry was powerful, as Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser just knocked this scene out of the park. Jimmy tried to convince Larry to let the parents of the victims know where their daughters were buried and Larry did not understand why he would do that. You could see Jimmy slowly reaching the point of breaking from the horrors that Larry was laying out in front of him.
Watching Larry’s face as his evil continued to shine out was a frightening occurrence and showed what kind of actor Paul Walter Hauser could be.
In a fictional tale, ,they would have found the graves of the victims, but, with the true story, those remain a mystery.
I am very pleased with the way Jimmy Keene’s life played out both on screen and in real life. The show added “boxed text” at the end to give us some falling action for this story, including what happened to Jimmy, to his father, Larry and Larry’s brother Gary.
The strength of this series was absolutely the performances of its two lead stars, both who had been nominated for Emmy Awards with Hauser winning Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.
Next week, we start a new series for the Sunday Morning Sidewalk. I decided to watch another limited series that won some Emmys, this time on HBO Max entitled DFT St. Louis featuring Jason Bateman, Linda Cardellini, and David Harbour.
I was in the theater watching Practical Magic 2 and there were a couple of young women sitting a couple seats away from me. They were enjoying this movie so much. They were crying, gasping, leaning on each other and reacting to everything that was happening. It made me remember how I reacted to Avengers: Endgame on the first watch. There was an energy coming from them that was wonderful.
I wish I would have liked the movie anywhere near what they did.
I just watched Practical Magic for the first time earlier this week in preparation for this movie, and, while I did not like it that much, I am glad I watched it, because you needed to know the story of the original in order to know what is happening.
The curse of the Owens sisters (Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman) takes front and center once again as Sally’s husband Gary died off screen, confirming that the curse was still going on. The story transferred to Sally’s daughters, Antonia (Maisie Williams) and Kylie (Joey King), as they were coming to celebrate the birthday of Aunt Jet (Dianne Wiest). Sally had kept her daughters in the dark about their background as witches so when Kylie came with a boyfriend (Xolo Maridueña), things take a turn for tragedy.
The actors are all likeable. I have to admit to only seeing Blue Beetle when Xolo Maridueña was on screen. I was also happy to see Stockard Channing, who I really thought was dead.
The story felt very shaky and I found it to be the biggest weakness of the film. The writing was silly and it was really predictable. I was rolling my eyes several times.
I am glad the young ladies in my row enjoyed this so much. I did not hate the film, but I did not find it any better than the original, which I thought was below level.
“Spoiler: Dexy’s Midnight Runners Get a Royalty Payment”
I have not been much of a fan of the last couple of weeks of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. It had felt lacking of any real story beats and, despite the enjoyable cast, I was not pleased with what they had given us. The episodes felt too short to have any sort of a developed story.
Then episode seven was dropped on HBO Max and I was back in, full bear.
In this episode, the crew wind up in a universe where everyone has telepathy, which is a great hook for some funny comedy bits. It also has one of the best defenses to the power ever imagined… singing Come On Eileen in your head.
Also, one of the funniest lines came from Bert wondering why Kripke’s mind has a lisp.
But the episode had more than that. It had a sudden twist as Stuart and the group run into another Stuart and the group with their own machine. Then a military version of the group showed up. Suddenly, the mystery of the show was slapping us in the face.
I loved this idea that there may be countless Stuarts jumping around the multiverse, all trying to figure out what is happening.
Who started this whole thing going? Why did alternate Stuart come to see Big Bang Stuart only to do the same thing again?
I’m intrigued and excited. There are only three more episodes of the show, and I hope that means that we get some of the mysteries answered. However, since the show has been renewed for a season two, I’m worried that it will be spread out over the years.
Bernadette made a memorable appearance in the Telepathy universe as a tap dance instructor with a bunch of foul-minded little kids.
Few movies cause a flood of tears like Coco does. The scene near the end when Miguel sings “Remember Me” to his Grandma Coco is the most beautiful scene and, absolutely, falls into the category of Pixar moment (right up there with Bing Bong’s “Take her to the moon for me” line in Inside Out). Coco won two Academy Awards, for Best Animated Feature Movie and Best Song.
Voice cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Edward James Olmos, Alfonso Arau, Selene Luna, Dyana Ortellí, Herbert Sigüenza, Jaime Camil, Sofía Espinosa, Luis Valdez, Carla Medina, Polo Rojas, Montse Hernandez, Lombardo Boyar, Octavio Solis, Gabriel Iglesias, Cheech Marin, Blanca Araceli, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Salvador Reyes, and John Ratzenberger.
It’s Monday and this is what I was afraid of. With school starting, the time I had over the summer was gone and I was unable to get the Comic Cavalcade finished simply because I had too many comics to get everything read on time. It will be a challenge every week, and I did not even go to a movie at Cinemark this week.
Comic of the Week
Void Rivals #33
Void Rivals had been a successful series that I had gotten somewhat tired of over the run of the last 30+ issues. Since the first ten or so of this book, I have not been a huge fan. I would still buy the book and it did have some positives here and there.
Then, they have added the Spaceknight Rom to the roster.
Suddenly, I love this book and the story is fascinating… all because there is Rom. I like the adjustments they have made to Rom’s character and the introduction of Carpet is interesting. It is great that a book can reinvent itself and freshen up its own tale.
Books this Week:
Amazing Spider-Man #35 (LGY ASM #999). Written by Joe Kelly with art by Francesco Manna. Cover art was done by d McGuinness. Peter and May have a heart to heart about Peter’s current feelings and Spider-Gwen goes crazy, forcing the Web Slinger to try and prevent Damage Control from taking her away. This issue ends with a massive reveal that will lead into Amazing Spider-Man #1000 in a couple of weeks.
X-Men #36. “A Theft” Written by Jed MacKay with pencils by Netho Diaz. Cover art was done by Netho Diaz, Sean Parsons & Arthur Hesli. The Chairman (aka alternate version of Hank McCoy) approached Magneto with an offer to cure him of the problems he has been having with his powers if he would join the 3K. Magneto told him to go pack sand. Thus, Chairman nearly killed the Master of Magnetism. The X-Men are ready to face off with 3K once and for all. This will be kicking off the DNX crossover.
Rocketeer: Infiltrator #2. Written by Gabriel Hardman with art by Dean Kotz. Cover art was done by Dean Kotz. We have more Rocketeer action with Nazis and movie makers. I have liked this short series so far and it might have me looking into future versions of The Rocketeer moving forward.
Detective Comics #1112. “Flight, Finale” Written by Tom Taylor with art and cover art by Mikel Janin. The story featuring Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and their old friend Prion ended as the heroes tried to help Arabella find the closure she needed. I liked this story as it sets up from the past and the future both. Tom Taylor does a fabulous job of weaving everything together in a sweet arc.
Flash #36. “The Speed Was Power, and the Speed Was Joy- Part VI” Written by Ryan North and illustrated by Gavin Guidry. Cover art was done by Gavin Guidry and Adriano Lucas. Flash is putting his new Flashes of Insight to the test by heading over to Metropolis. However, it seemed as if a trip to see Green Arrow may have not been Wally’s best choice. Oliver was less than enthused with the way Wally has been going about his work lately and he called in the Justice League. Trouble for Flash.
Operation: Iron Coffin #2. Written by Kenny Porter with art and cover art by Tyrell Cannon. I also picked up a B cover with art by Juan Ferreyra. Dracula is on the Nazi train and making his way to the children who he sired. Things are very bloody and not going very well for Dracula. There is one more book in this series set for next month.
Hammerfist #1. Written by Rick Remender with art and cover art by Steve Epting. Here is a great, new crime/action/supernatural series with a main character that is anything but likeable. Mike Denton is a deadbeat father, a drug addict and a hitman. Yet he winds up with a weapon that ends up with him that requires him to put aside his selfishness to save his daughter. Great first issue, and I almost gave this the Comic of the Week.
Universal Monsters: Blood of the Wolfman #3. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Leomacs. Cover art was done by Leomacs & Pip Martin. Adam turned himself in when he was feeling as if he was responsible for the slaughter at the college dorm. Oh, he was responsible and that would not be the only slaughter in this book. Look out police department.
Denver #1. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray with art by Pier Brito. Cover art was done by Amanda Conner. Variant cover D art was done by Dave Johnson. Water is rising, and the planet is being overwhelmed. Max Flynn is here to protect his family at any cost. This was originally a Kickstarter back in 2014 and now it has found its way to Mad Cave.
The Greatest American Hero #2. Written by Don Handfield & Joshua Malkin with art by Alper Geçgel. Cover art was done by Erwin Arroza. Variant cover B art was done by Eranga Devasurendra (Gold Medalist). Variant cover C art was done by Rafael Loueriro (Bronze medalist). Ralph Hinkley is back and he is right in the middle of trouble once again. Now, he is not only struggling to be able to control his suit, but he is an old man too. This has been an epic series so far from Amp Comics and I am excited to see it continue.
Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy #1. Written by Ram V and art and cover art by Mike Perkins. The new comic from DC’s Vertigo imprint was released this week. Rookie psychic Daniel Burroughs joined Division 9 and they must stop someone from stealing the head of a giant-king, which would break an ancient ward protecting Britain from invaders.
Wolverine #26. “Savage Journey” Written by Saladin Ahmed with art by Julius Ohta. C0ver art was done by Dan Panosian. The Savage Champions have made a return to get Logan’s help. I am unfamiliar with the characters of the Savage Champions, but they were very intriguing.
Batman: Bad Seeds-Sunset #1. Written by Matt Fraction & G. Willow Wilson with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Cliff Rathburn. Cover art was done by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cliff Rathburn & Tomeu Morey. The new big Batman crossover featured Gotham getting overwhelmed by prehistoric plants. Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy, is the new Gotham Mayor and it does not seem as if it was a wise vote.
Fall of the House of Slaughter #4. Written by Tate Brombal and illustrated by Adriano Turtulici. Cover art was done by Sam Wolfe Connelly. This is the final issue of this four-issue mini series that is going to lead directly into Eric Slaughter’s return in Something is Killing the Children #50.
The Lion King #5. Written, art and cover art by Edwin Galmon. Simba and Nala are able to find the missing elephant and return them to their family. I have loved this series featuring these characters. I thought it might be the final issue of the series, but it looked as if the book will start a new arc next month featuring Timon and Pumbaa. Cool.
Excommunicated #4. Written by Jeremy Robinson and art by Tiago Palma. Cover art was done by Flaviano Armentaro. Josephine is now a saint and her power is dominant as she is taking on the demons. I liked this short series that feels like it could be more to the story.
The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #3. Written by Gail Simone and art by Elisa Romboli. Cover art was done by Oliver Barrett. In this issue, we get Wei “The Great Wall” Zhang vs. Ramon “The Lion” Valdez. I did love the way the comic followed the story of Ramon, seeing all of the troubles he had and his attmept to overcome it. This has been an excellent book so far.
Black Cat #13. “XIII: Fatalism” Written by G. Willow Wilson and art by Andrew Genolet. Cover art was done by Josemaria Casanovas. Black Cat and the Punisher have to team up to take on a monster escaped from the Negative Zone. Singularity showed up to lend a hand. Then, Punisher’s dog is okay and forgives Felicia. Black Cat has been an awesome book.
Justice League Unlimited #22. “Escape from Powers Planet: Part Three” Written by Mark Waid and art by Dan Mora & Fico Ossio. Cover art was done by Dan Mora. Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, and Mister Terrific are on the planet Dronnda trying to recapture the JL Power Bank. However, Amazo showed up to make thing bad. Mister Terrific takes all of the powers and kicks some butt.
What If…? X-Men #1. “What If Cassandra Nova Killed Charles Xavier?” Written by Ashley Allen and art by Sumit Kumar. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. Cassandra Nova kills Professor X in the womb in this book, but, again, it feels like just half of a story. It was an interesting story but I could tell as the book was coming to an end that they were going to not fully conclude the book again. That is a little annoying.
Tomb of Apocalypse #1. Written by Ashley Allen and art by Domenico Carbone. Cover art was done by Rod Reis. I have to say, when I saw a book with the title Tomb of Apocalypse, I did not think that the main protagonist of the book would be Jubliee. It was a solid book though.
Other Books this Week: X-Men Outback #3, Hidden Springs #4, Ghost Pepper #14, Terrorbytes #9, Star Crossed #2, Predator Versus Planet of the Apes #2, Dog Tag #4, Conan the Barbarian #34, and Pretty Hate Machine #5.
Quick Hits: Two books this week came out that I already had gotten out of MASK blind bags. MASK: Origins #1 and Rom #1 were both in blind bags (technically I ordered the ROM #1 off eBay), and out before. However, the Rom #1 was a die-cut cover, so there is that. I am happy to have the Rom cover. Terminal #2 dropped this week as the new universe of these heroes continue. It is horror anthology week too with Hello Darkness #24 and the R.L. Stein book Stuff of Darkness #1. Hello Darkness has multiple short stories and “The Cat in the Coffin” is the story behind Stuff of Darkness, which felt kind of childish to me. Wanda is out there challenging multiversal powers in Sorcerer Supreme #9. The only Queen in Black comic this week is Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #2, focused on Eddie Brock combining with Sleeper. This felt like it should have dropped before Queen in Black #3 as it occurred before that issue. Gambit Wanted #2 sees Gambit taking on Bullseye in New Orleans in a flashback story. Final Boss #9 is on the level of Invincible bloody this week as Tommy takes a serious beating. Kingdom of Earth #2 sees a character named Virago (nicknamed “Guilly the Guillotine”) decide to not kill Frankie, who chooses to follow him. Land of Never #3 gets truly brutal as Peter really goes off the deep end. I was actually scared a bit from the brutality of Peter. The Eye Collector #3 continues to be the weirdest book of the month. I really am not 100% sure I know what is happening, but it is awesome to look at. Corpse Knight #5 felt like it took a different path for Foy as a truth is revealed. Another Ignition Press book that has been pretty good is Bloodland #6, with yet another vampire tale. More monsters are around in Minotaur #2 with photographer Gloria Monday after the story. Black Star #2 featured a time jump as the questions around Dashiell’s control over his powers deepen. There were two Absolute books this week as Absolute Wonder Woman #23, kicking off a new arc for the Amazon, and Catwoman #3 were released. Bad Thoughts #3 was the silver medalist for the EYG Favorite Comic Cover of the Week.
What a great hour of television episode four of Black Bird was. There were two or three times when it literally gave me chills. Paul Walter Hauser was outstanding as Larry, reflecting back upon his childhood with Jimmy.
Both men had terrible childhoods, even though Jimmy’s started out looking great. Playing catch with his father in the park, looking forward to a great life, even to the NFL. It would not be.
The dialogue of this episode was outstanding and did so much of the heavy lifting for these two characters. Hauser’s delivery was spot on and I totally bought him as a unbalanced serial killer. However, there were so many moments where you almost related to or wanted to like Larry. Every time it got too close to feeling for him, Hauser would deliver a line that shocked you right back into the knowledge that this guy is a vicious killer.
The flashbacks were very effective, especially the ones with Larry. I was not as much of a fan of Jimmy’s flashbacks, especially with the time where his mother’s new boyfriend broke Jimmy’s ribs. The actor they cast for that young Jimmy just did not feel like someone who would grow into Taron Egerton. That pulled me out of that scene which does a lot to inform us on the man Jimmy would become and how he would think of women.
This dialogue-heavy episode followed on opening where there was a prison riot that was exceptionally violent. Larry had told Jimmy that it was “Riot Quiet” around the prison, foreshadowing the events of the violence. The riot led to Larry being placed in charge of the clean-up crew in the cafeteria section of the prison, where the main part of the riot took place. Larry showed his capabilities of cleaning, showing how knowledgeable he was in the area. He clearly knew how to remove blood stains and the such.
Again, every time you thought maybe Larry wasn’t as horrible as you thought, suddenly he was saying something or making a gesture that reminded you how evil this guy was.
Two more episodes of this compelling drama and I am anxious to find out what happens. I am trying to ignore my inclinations to look up the true story and see how things played out in real life. I am curious, but I am dedicating myself to no spoilers.
I knew something was going to happen, but I did not expect there to be a mushroom cloud.
And now I wonder… did the people behind the creation of the silos… know the bomb was going to be dropped. I even considered myself… did they set off the explosion themselves? Otherwise, it sure feels like a ton of coincidence happening here.
The penultimate episode of season three was explosive in many ways besides the huge nuclear bomb that goes off at the end.
How does Bernard survive this time? Could it be that we finally saw the end of the road for Tim Robbins? Bernard, who turned himself in as part of the plan, is sent out of the silo to clean, without a suit. We see his nose start to bleed and he slumped next to the tree. I have no idea how he could have survived. I have a feeling Bernard is now gone.
Bernard’s cleaning was meant to be a distraction as bombs were going off in the silo in an attempt to pinch off the poison. We left the episode as Camille was running out of the cafeteria in an attempt to prevent the revolt.
I wondered last week what was next for Daniel and Helen. I did not know they were together and then Helen was pregnant. When the bomb went off, Daniel was pulled into silo 1 and Helen was taken into silo 17. Could Helen give birth to a baby that is a descendent of someone we know?
The Algorithm is being set up to being a real person and not a machine. I think there is a good chance that that voice is Daniel… though I have no idea how that would happen.
This was a great episode and it sets up next week’s season 3 finale beautifully.
I wrapped up season one of Boston Legal on Hulu this afternoon with some great episodes.
These episodes included:
“It Girls and Beyond”
“‘Til We Meet Again”
“Tortured Souls”
“Let Sales Ring”
“Death Be Not Proud”
Some amazing guest stars started to show up, as a couple of the regulars from the first half of the season were starting to be phased out. Some guest stars included Betty White, Carl Reiner, Courtney B. Vance, Chi McBride, Shelley Long, Kerry Washington, and Freddie Prinze Jr (resuming his role as Donny Crane).
“Death Be Not Proud” sent Alan to Texas to try and prevent an execution of a man with an IQ of 80, whose confession may have been coerced, and might be innocent. It was a powerful episode with an end sequence that was very difficult to watch. I think that was clearly the intention of the scene, even though we mostly focused on Alan and Kerry Washington’s character Chelina.
Bernard Ferrion returned from earlier in the season and Katherine (Betty White) took him under her wing, especially after Alan rejected him once again. I know this is leading to a big story in season two.
One of the funniest running gags in any episode was how uncomfortable Brad was with the word “lesbian,” and how the others around the Crane, Poole and Schmidt offices wouldn’t let him off the hook.
The idea of Denny Crane having Mad Cow Disease happened in these episodes. It would be Denny’s fall back stance against the potential Alzheimer’s that he had.
Alan continued to have terrible behavior in a lot of instances, while trying to do what he thought was right. Even though the others at Crane, Poole and Schmidt had troubles with Alan, it seemed as if they still took advantage of Alan and what he would be willing to do to get things done. Shirley actually went to Alan to co-chair a case where she did not want to do the closing because she did not want to go to the level she thought she would need to go. She knew Alan could do so, despite it being a case of police brutality/torture that Alan did not want to be a part of. There is a lot of hypocrisy when dealing with Alan.
Lori, who in these episodes had really seen her screen time diminish, had reached the end of the road with Denny’s constant sexual harassment. She told Shirley that she wanted to formally charge Denny with it.
I do believe that there is an episode that is missing from the season one list. I am not sure what is going on, but I am going to go investigate what has happened.
Sunday afternoon and I am ready to start working on the EYG Comic Cavalcade. I am still worried about writing this when school starts. I stayed home Saturday and spent all day reading comics, but when some more movies come out in the theater, that option won’t be around. Because of time, I might have to write the Comic Cavalcade before I read everything. We’ll see how it goes.
Comic of the Week
The Last Driver #1
I almost chose Redcoat #19 for this award, but I could not overlook this comic from Image. It is such an original story and the format of the book was awesome. Sean Murphy and Simon Gough are the creators of this book and they do a great job of creating a new world and making it feel lived in in the very first issue. We also have compelling characters introduced immediately and I was engaged with them.
The format of the book, turned to the landscape look, was so great and I wondered why comics didn’t do this more often. I think it is similar to Anime from Japan, except this starts at the front instead of from the rear.
Books this Week:
Redcoat #19. The creators are Geoff Johns & Bryan Hitch. Cover art was done by Bryan Hitch and Brad Anderson. I read this one early this week, and I was totally flustered by it. It was so good and it made me feel something. I saw the tragic events coming in the middle of the book, but I really wished I was wrong. I wasn’t.
Uncanny X-Men #34. “Chapter Two: Repent.” Written by Gail Simone with art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by Luciano Vecchio & Matthew Wilson (Silver Medalist). More mutant goodness as we see more of the new demonic face of Gambit and Rogue attempting to save him. We also have a new character at the end of the story named Howler, who looked very cool. There’s also a new villain named Repent. Lots going on here.
Mortal Thor #800. “Ouroboros” Written by Al Ewing with art by Pasqual Ferry. Cover art was done by Alex Ross. Variant cover C art was done by Declan Shalvey (Gold Medalist). The 800th issue of Thor comes along taking Sigurd in a new direction. He has to do battle with the Serpent. There are a cople of back up stories in this issue, including stories written by Chris Condon and Kieron Gillen.
Queen in Black #3. Written by Al Ewing with art by Iban Coello & Paco Medina. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. The third installment of the Queen in Black includes Spidey, Venom and Dylan trying to get to the Baxter Building. The issue ended with Torch, Nova and Captain Alliance facing off with a Firelord symbiote. Not good.
Punisher vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #2. “Central Intelligence” Written by Dan Abnett and art by Alvaro Lopez. Cover art was done by Jonas Scharf & Alex Guimaraes. Early days of the relationship between Spidey and Frank Castle as we see the connection between them and the differences of them as well.
Daredevil #5. Written by Stephanie Phillips with art and cover art by Lee Garbett. Daredevil’s first arc comes to an end as Daredevil battled the new villain Omen, ho either dies at the end or only seemed to die at the end. It was not clear.
Spider-Man/Hulk: Fire and Brimstone #1. “Sacramental Health” Written by Kevin Smith & Andy McElfresh with art by R.B. Silva & Federico Blee. Spider-Man and the Hulk wind up facing off with a group of villains called The Manosphere, including Absorbing Man, Stilt Man, Plantman, Molten Man, Sandman, Titanium Man, Mole Man, Man-Bull, and Everyman.
Avengers Armageddon #3. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Ario Anindito. Cover art was done by Dike Ruan & Moreno Dinisio. Wolverine tracks David Colton and things do not go well for him. Things in this comic are turning to a really bad situation. Nuclear weapons are launched at the end of the book. This book is going to alter the Marvel Universe moving forward.
Zorro’s Legacy #2. “Friend or Foe.” Written by Dan Abnett and pencils by Aaron Lopresti. Cover art was done by Aaron Lopresti with Walter Pereyra. David de la Vega jumps into action as a present day Zorro as his uncle Donny recovers in the hospital. This new take on Zorro is a fun new way to look at it and I have been enjoying this book.
Altered States: Warlords #3. Written by David Avallone with art by Mariano Benitez Chapo. Cover art was done by Joseph Michael Linsner. This issue of the Warlords focused on Tarzan’s arrival, joining up with Red Sonja and John Carter. There is only one more issue of this story which seems very quick as these characters have only just arrived.
The Last Starfighter #2. Written by Benjamin Raab & Deric A. Hughes with art by Willi Roberts. Cover art was done by Taurin Clarke. The construction of the Star League is underway, though problems arise very quickly and the end of the book is highly tragic and surprising.
Lazarus Order #1. Written by Sloane M. Siegel with art and cover art by Juan Doe. With a plot overview: In a medieval world, illness causes monstrous transformations. The Lazarus Order uses devout plague doctors who trade their freedom and lifespan to God for supernatural powers.
Junk Punch #3. Written by Paul Tobin with art by Carlos Javier Olivares & Christine Larsen. Cover art was done by Carlos Javier Olivares. I have been enjoying this book and, even though it still feels like it has one main joke, it has yet to become old. They added in an origin story for Clara and a steamroller. This is still a hoot of a story.
If Destruction Br Out Lot #4. “The Mystic Chords of Memory.” Written by Matthew & Mark Elijah Rosenberg with art by Andy MacDonald. Cover art was done by Andy MacDonald & Francesco Segala. The plot synopsis is Abe, a robotic replica of Abraham Lincoln, struggles with a dangerous “spark” addiction. He uses jolts of electricity to numb his memories of a mysterious human girl he encountered.
Something Epic #14. Written, Illustrated and Cover art (all three covers) was done by Szymon Kudranski. Dracula is dead. He is the latest character that has fallen during the course of the investigation by Nora and D. Ducktive. This is just one of the most entertaining book of the month mainly because you have no idea what might be happening next.
Dead Acre: Black Badge #2. Story by Rhett C. Bruno & Jaime Castle, written by Cullen Bunn with art Riley Brown. Cover art was done by Riley Brown & Fares Maese. Dead Acre is a supernatural Western following the exploits of dead demon hunter James Crowley.
Mister Nemo #2. Written by Nark London with art by Alden Kaye. Cover art was done by Duncan Rouleau. This comic book after two issues has been a hugely entertaining one. I have thoroughly loved these first two issues as we get to know Mister Nemo and his attempt to recruit others for his team. The spy aspect is just as good as the rest.
Nightwing #141. “The Courthouse” Written by Dan Watters with pencils by Denys Cowan. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Will Nightwing turn himself in as he has been requested to do by the police of Bludhaven? Or will someone else step forward to support Nightwings story about what happened on that freeway that killed so many people.
Hornsby & Halo #15. Creators are Peter J. Tomasi & Peter Snejbjerg. Cover art was done by Francis Portela & Brad Anderson. Variant cover B done by Francis Portela. After the team up with the Trillion Dollar Kid, Hornsby & Halo are trying to get back to their lives. Meanwhile, a new group of Unbelievables called the DeadTones arrive and are ready to rock.
War Wolf #8. Written by Steve Orlando with art by Marco Perugini. Cover art was done by David Talaski. Bruin faces off with his alien son. The final fight wrapped the series up with a nice bow. I enjoyed this sci-fi/space opera story told in this series from Mad Cave.
Absolute Green Arrow #4. “The Longbow Killer Chapter 4” Written by Pornsak Pichetshote with art by Rafael Albuquerque. Cover art was done by Rafael Albuquerque & Marcelo Maiolo. This comic has really taken a step toward real horror, as we get a couple of scenes that shocked me, including a hand being decapitated that was unexpected. The mystery about who Green Arrow is deepened as it went along. This is one of my favorite Absolute books.
Absolute Flash #18. “Now You See Me.” Written by Jeff Lemire with art and cover art by Nick Robles. However, I do love the Absolute Flash series as well. Wally faces some new villains. What happened to Grodd at the very end of this book? It seemed very shocking, but maybe it is magical.
What If …? Runaways #1. “What If the Runaways Hadn’t Run Away?” Written by Rainbow Rowell and art by Zulema Scotto Lavina. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. This was one of the better What If books during this recent new run. I really enjoyed how the Runaways were written in this and how things played out. The only problem I have with these What Ifs are it done not feel complete at the end. Each of these new What If books should be double issues to tell their story more completely.
Dispatched #2. Written by B. Clay Moore with art by Daniel Gete. Cover art was done by Daniel Gete & Lee Loughridge. This has been one of my newest favorite books of the month. It makes me think a lot of the movie Die Hard and the TV series MacGyver. “Ben”, our delivery driver, is in the building showing off his tremendous, but mysterious skills.
GI Joe #25. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Tom Reilly & Andrea Milana. Cover art was done by Tom Reilly. The Baroness is on the run after Hawk killed a witness. It was not Hawk, of course. It was Zartan, but he took advantage of the undercover to make it look as if Baroness was the actual killer. The GI Joe force called Nightforce is on the case. Can GI Joe survive this internal struggle?
Bug Wars: The Coming of the Wardoom #1. “Bugs in the Walls” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Mahmud Asrar. Cover art was done by Mahmud Asrar & Matthew Wilson. Bug Wars is back with Slade Slaymaker struggling to get through the day as cockroaches crawl all over his body…even while he was at school. It did not do great things for his reputation.
Other books this week: American Caper #10, Lady Mechanika: Mechanical Menagerie #4, Bishop #3, Reborn: Ultimate Impact #4, Everyone Loves a Jewel Thief #4, Inglorious X-Force #8, and Star Trek: The Last Starship #10.
Quick Hits: We are kicking off this week with an ashcan from Marvel’s upcoming Midnight Universe. The Midnight Universe Black & White Ashcan Edition is a cool ad for what is coming in September from Marvel. Monsters abound in Dark Horse’s Only the Savage are Left #3. This week’s Queen in Black: Defenders of Light and Dark #2 featured a close-up on Cloak & Dagger. The new issue of Mad #601 had a fun cover featuring Alfred E. Newman as the Devil in Hell. The final issue of Image’s Nights #20 came out this week. This has not been my favorite book recently since around #7 or #8, but I kept buying it to keep my collection complete. Alien King Killer #5 wrapped itself up with this issue. Kyle Starks’ Vertigo series End of Life #7 is getting rough on Eddie. Vampyrates! #2 has vampire action on the seven seas. How could you ask for more than vampires and pirates? Tankers vs. Ancient Aliens #3 goes way back for some origins. I mean, way back. A great cover from Mark Spears appeared on The Phantom vs. The Singh Brotherhood #1 where the Phantom has to go into a prison to help stop an incursion. Nathan Fillion’s concept Witness Point #2 continued with the story of the town with all of the witness protection people hiding out. Doesn’t seem like it isn’t going to last much longer. We dived into the reason why some racers are monsters in M1: Monster Racing League #3. Rogue and Captain Marvel have a great scene between the two of them in the finale of Captain Marvel: Dark Past #5. This book kind of gave Rogue another sister. The Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day #4 comic has received an extended run and this issue included a Mister Negative controlled Punisher. Then, Lucky Devils #9 was released and was initially the final book in the series, but at the very end of the book, it stated that there would be a Lucky Devils #10 to wrap things up. Killer Influences #2 is getting darker, which is impressive considering this was about a serial killer. Kill Switch #4 is another series this week that feels like the book is over, but the story is not done yet.
Jimmy made his first contact with Larry in this episode that saw everything else on the edge for the informant.
Jimmy’s father showed up to see him and flashed his old badge for some favors from the guards, unwittingly blowing his cover. One guard in particular, Mr. Carter, who blackmailed Jimmy for 10 grand or else he would tell everyone that Jimmy was here as a snitch.
Jimmy was summoned to the in prison Italian Mafia Don, and he waded through that issue too. Oh, it was the real life Mafia head Vincent “the Chin” Gigante played by Tony Amendola. He wants Jimmy to play boccie with him.
The main course of this week’s episode was the dialogue between Jimmy and Larry. There was a scene between them that absolutely was frightening. Both Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser were tremendous in their roles and in this moment. The tension built by the face of Hauser and his chilling words was amazing.
It had an impact on Jimmy too. When Jimmy told Agent McCauley about Carter, she told him they would get him out of prison. He should go into isolation until they could get the paperwork done. McCauley was having doubts about the case, afraid that Larry was just a sad and sick serial confessor, or that they would never be able to get the goods on him.
When asked what would happen to Larry if Jimmy went into isolation, McCauley answered that the judge could find the confession coerced and let him out into the world.
Jimmy had already seen the evil in Larry, convinced he was guilty. Jimmy insisted that he would stay and get the info. It was an unselfish turn for the drug dealer, because he knew allowing Larry out would be way worse than anything else.
I’m in on this show, and I am excited to see what is going to come down next. I didn’t realize that Jimmy’s father was being played by Ray Liotta, and that this was his final role before his death.
I am now caught up on the Rick and Morty series, finishing up with the episode 10 that debuted on HBO Max today, but had been shown on Comedy Central earlier in the summer.
The new episode started off as an enjoyable story of Morty going through the multiverse and attending other Morty’s funeral. Morty is discovered as he was watching the funeral by a family that was grieving “Mort,” the kid who was so much more successful and loved by his family.
Morty started spending time with this family, thinking that they were better than the family he had. Morty found out that this Smith family was extremely crazed and chasing after him to replace their Mort.
Morty went to this universe’s Rick, who had stopped drinking, had gotten married, and was living a happy life as a college professor. This was when the episode took a darker turn that I was not a real fan of.
As Rick was trying to help find a way to get Morty home, I knew what was going to happen. I knew that Rick was going to need to go back to drinking to get the work done. Watching Rick throw away his life, his sobriety, his wife to the bottle was so sad and too predictable. I wanted this Rick to not transform into yet another drunken Rick.
Of course the ending was anything but predictable as the whole family is butchered in their final confrontation. This allowed Morty to get back to his regular universe with a happier feeling toward these people.
The whole motorcycle scene at the end of the episode was odd.
Overall, this was an up and down episode for me, and with different shades of dark, it did not do well for me.
There is a season 10 in works right now with a rumored release during the summer of 2027.
I watched episodes 7, 8, & 9 of Boston Legal tonight. They fell around the Christmas holiday as there were some background mentions of Christmas, including a crossdressing mall Santa that had been fired.
There were several questionable lawyering tactics used by the lawyers at Crane, Poole & Schmidt. And it was not just Alan Shore. In fact, it seemed that most of the lawyers on the show were influenced by Alan’s iffy choices. Some examples:
Lori pretended to be a therapist to meet with a client who verbally made threats to murder his wife to his therapist.
Denny went ahead and outed a whistleblower on the stand after Paul Lewiston specifically told Alan not to do it.
Tara approached another attorney on a case and pretended to be a flight attendant to get info on the case.
Brad, very jealous of Alan, made a wager on a case with Alan and then tried to manipulate the outcome by getting a unfavorable judge assigned to it.
Even Paul Lewiston turned a blind eye on Lori’s trouble which led to the wife, fearful for her life, shoot and kill her husband, who used the therapist to get out the bad thoughts only and had no intention of ever following through with it.
Meanwhile, Alan is just trying to do the right things for his clients, albeit by some methods that should not be done. Paul actually recommended a couple of times for other lawyers to approach Alan because he knew of ways to get things done.
Jon Bernthal appeared as a friend of Lori’s who wound up getting shot in the shoulder when he tried to hold up a convenience store. They were able to convince a judge that Bernthal had the right to not allow the doctors to take the bullet out. The bullet was the only evidence they had against him. Tara got info from Alan about a doctor (working as a vet) who could take out the bullet without giving it over to the police.
These three episodes were all good, but maybe not as awesome as some of the others. Next episode looked like a banger.
I do love this show. It is so well written and acted.
William Shatner may be most well known forever as James T. Kirk, but his best career performances come as Denny Crane. The buffoon-like behavior hiding a deep seeded concern over his health. Arrogant and sarcastic, Shatner’s eyes revealing the truth.
James Spader brings such a complexity to Alan Shore. He is willing to do anything, even step over the lines or morality, to get things done. Many times, his motives are pure. His methods, on the other hand, are anything but. Simplicity, Tara described Alan as split into three people: the Good Alan, the bad Alan and the Naughty Alan. Though it may be too simple for this character, the description does work.
It was sad the way Alan took advantage of Sally, which seemed to be a way for Alan to get Sally to leave him. There is a deep neurosis to Alan and his relationships pay the price. Yet, he is completely loyal to former lovers and women that he respected. He is a contradiction in terms for Alan. It is why I was so happy that, at the end of episode 6, when it appeared that he was going to go and have sex with Dana Delany’s character, a woman he always had desires for, but he turned up in a motel room with Tara instead. Had Alan slept with Delany, the betrayal would have been tough to swallow, especially after he dealt with Delany’s husband’s infidelity. I don’t want Alan to be a hypocrite even if he had many otehr bad traits.
Episodes 3-6 again do not focus as closely on Alan and Denny’s relationship as they could, but there are moments. When Alan came to share their whiskey in Denny’s jail cell after he was charged with contempt of court, they exchanged a wonderful scene where Denny worried about his mental capacities. The whole possible Alzheimer’s Disease arc and how it could destroy the image and legend of “Denny Crane” follows Denny through the entire series.
Alan and Denny are together when Denny lets it slip that Donnie Crane was not his son after all, only for Donny to hear. Freddie Prinze Jr. appeared as the supposed son of Denny Crane, and his devastation in this scene made it all the better.
There are several fun moments of Fourth Wall breaking during the show. In this crop of episodes, my favorite was when Alan Shore said he wanted to be on cable because that was where all the best work was happening. Of course, Boston Legal aired on ABC.
Episode five featured one of Alan’s top line closing arguments. We have not seen too many of those yet in the season, but there will be plenty more to come. This one was just right on the nose for his case that you can tell how the case will go.
Lori is involved more the last few episodes, and they are still teasing a potential relationship between Alan and Lori. Probably one that would be highly toxic.
I have been seeing a ton of clips of Boston Legal on TikTok recently, and it influenced my decision to start a rewatch of Boston Legal. I found it on Hulu and I discovered that there were only five seasons. I really thought there were seven of them. Episodes varied per season as season one only had 17 whereas season 2 had 27 of them.
Watching these first to episodes of the series, it struck me how this cast changed over the years. Some of the characters of the first season were flashes from my memory, such as Lori Colson, Tara Wilson and Sally Heep. These women were replaced as the years moved on. No Shirley Schmidt, though I do think she comes soon in season one.
The appearance of the black Little Orphan Annie was a classic case that I did not think was in the premiere episode. It featured a cameo from the Reverend Al Sharpton as Denny’s “Rabbit out of a hat.”
It showed how questionable Alan and Denny’s tactics were at times when they were doing things that were for the “greater good.” I loved how these characters were shades of grey. They are complex and written so amazingly.
Alan Shore debuted on The Practice, as did Denny Crane. Their relationship was not as prevalent in these first two episodes as it would become. The chemistry between James Spader and William Shatner was off the charts. They were better than most couples on TV at the time. These first two episodes did not feature it as much.
Denny’s ongoing inner doubt about his lost of his abilities was highlighted early here and would be a major plot point through to the end of the series.
It was fun to see Elizabeth Mitchell, who I got to know as Juliet from LOST, make an appearance in episode two here. She played one of Alan’s ex-girlfriends who was committed after she tried to kill Alan. Alan helped defend her when she was trying to be released from the asylum. This story extends into episode three.
This David E. Kelley project joined several other Kelley shows that I loved (including Picket Fences, and The Practice).
I am looking forward to watching this 100 episodes moving forward.
Good morning all. Here is the first August edition of the EYG Comic Cavalcade. Summer is flying by and I have been enjoying my time off. My friend Todd is off on an adventure to Connecticut to go to a comic convention in search of wild signatures ranging in price. Good luck, Todd.
This week saw a group of ashcans released at the comic shops and I picked up several of them. There was the Kai-Sei Era Preview: Godzilla, Dark Horse’s Canto: The Clockwork Chronicles, Any Given Smile/You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive from ID Dark, and Star Trek/Start Trek: Zero Point. Ashcans can be a fun little preview and, at times, surprisingly collectible.
Comic of the Week
The Omega Book #1
A new Mad Cave book came out this week with a couple of cool covers, both A and a couple of variants. Written by James Patrick and illustrated by Pauli Junquera, we have another new book that features a protagonist that is a priest. Of course, Ordained was a huge hit for Bad Idea, and if The Omega Book can reach that level of entertainment, we’ll be in great shape.
It feels very different from Ordained, however, as this deals more with a mysterious book that holds the secrets of the universe. There is a family tie in the story as well, grounding what could have been a wild cosmic ride.
Books this week:
Fantastic Four #15. “Somewhere, Something Incredible…” Chapter One. Written by Ryan North and penciled by Humberto Ramos. Cover A art was done by Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado. I also picked up cover E by Kris Anka (Gold Medalist). IT FINALLY HAPPENED! THE REAL CELEBRATION OF THE FF’S 65 ANNIVERSARY… JOHNNY STORM GOT RID OF THE MUSTACHE!!!!!! I’ve hated that mustache and with Johnny getting rid of it, the FF book is perfect again. Okay, that may be a touch hyperbolic, but I am glad it is gone. Ryan North even used the end of the mustache as a major story bit. Hallelujah.
Endeavour #3. Written by Stephanie Phillips and art and cover art by Mark Laming. This might be the final DSTLRY book that started before the company’s troubles only to be delayed for months. This was one of my favorites before the shut down and I enjoyed this finale. This felt very much like Lord of the Flies on a deserted ship with a scary virus. The ending is nearly exactly like Lord of the Flies.
Uncanny X-Men #33. “Wild Ride,” Chapter One: “A Different Kind of Prison” Written by Gail Simone and art by Luciano Vecchio. Cover art was done by Luciano Vecchio & Matthew Wilson. As Rogue and Gambit go to see Gabriel, Devil Hunter for help with the evil inside Remy, the New Mutants (formerly the Outliers) are struggling with the departure of their parental figures. Another strong new story arc from Gail Simone. Uncanny X-Men has been my favorite X-book for awhile now.
Queen in Black #2. Written by Al Ewing with art by Iban Coello & Paco Medina. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, & Frank Martin. After issue number one from last week, issue two followed up on the action with the Symbiote Intelligence. Dylan Brock is also front and center in this story as there is a coming of age arc inside the giant crossover.
The Smart Division #1. Written by Zack Kaplan and illustrated and cover art by John J. Pearson. A new mystery series from Dark Horse paired up an odd couple of FBI agents to investigate what seems to be the perfect crime. How does AI factor into this story? Set five minutes in the future, this is a clever book with a great premise.
Amazing Spider-Man #34. Written by Joe Kelly and penciled by Ed McGuinness. Cover art was done by Ed McGuinness & Marcio Menyz. I also picked up Cover E by Simone Di Meo (Bronze Medalist). Spidey and Agent Griffyn team up again, this time to face off with Electro. Meanwhile, the new wrinkle in Peter’s life, Cormac, is getting closer with Aunt May as this series continues its march to #1000 Legacy.
Power Rangers: Green #1. “The Dragon’s Grave” Written by Paul Allor with art by Gustaffo Vargas. Cover C art was done by Chris Mooneyham and cover F foil was done by Tony Harris (Silver Medalist). I am not a big fan of the Power Rangers, but I did like the character of Tommy Oliver, so when I heard the green Ranger was getting the future apocalypse/loner treatment like Last Ronin did for the Turtles, I gave this a chance. Tommy was not as alone as I expected in the book, but it was a fun enough read to continue on with the Boom! Studios comic.
White Sky #5. Written by William Harms and art and cover art was done by JP Mavinga. Violet is in all kinds of trouble as she is in search of her father. The ghosts all around her are only getting more dangerous and the chance of a ghostly invasion increases. White Sky has been a great series so far and the personal note at the end of the issue from writer William Harms gives us even more insight into his mind when creating this story.
Chachu #1. Written by Iman Vellani and art and cover art by Marianna Ignazzi. Written by Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani, this is the story of a 19-year-old Pakistani-Canadian girl who goes to California with Hollywood plans, only to meet up with her uncle, whose wife has disappeared. The pair team up to try and solve the mystery.
Minor Arcana #17. “The Lovers: Part Two” Written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Jeff Lemire & Letizia Cadonici. The relationship between Teresa and Missy is investigated through a series of flashbacks as they search for Brad inside the Edgewater Hotel pocket dimension.
Ripcord #5. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Aneke. Cover art was done by Jorge Fornes. Dillon has been searching the Australian Outback for her missing sister, Janelle, and trying to avoid the creatures that had been created by the drug called “Ripcord.” The series ended with this issue, leaving us on an odd final line from Dillon, insinuating that she was not going home despite saving her sister. Not sure what that was meant to imply, but the book has been a great read, especially with some of the best art/colors of any book on the stand.
The Deadman #3. “Helter Skelter” Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art and cover art by Martin Morazzo. Deadman takes a trip to Hell. The story is told in a remarkably original fashion very much in the style of Ice Cream Man. I have mentioned that before when talking about this series, but this issue is truly one that uses that style. Looks as if Deadman is heading in the opposite direction next issue, so there could be some fireworks.
Iron Man #8. “Attack of Whiplash” Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Carmen Carnero. Cover art was done by Ryan Stegman & Frank Martin. The villainous Whiplash is back to challenge Tony. There is a second Whiplash that showed up at the end of the book. And, who is the new Citizen V? Lots of things going on with the new Iron Man book which is also building toward Legacy #700.
Royals #5. Written by Derek Kirk Kim with art and cover art by Jacob Perez. Paul and Castor have been reunited in their attempt to rescue the other twins, Minah and Minee. Royals has been a lot of fun through five issues, and next issue will be the conclusion.
Ben 10 #4. “Man of Action” Written by Steven T. Seagle with art and cover art by Robert Carey. Ben and his family go to the circus. Nothing could happen there, right? Unless there is a giant scary clown as the main attraction of the circus… along with other weird bug type creatures. Add to the trouble that Ben is having his own struggles with the band and it all comes out with trouble.
She-Spawn #4. “How We Murdered Each Other” Written by Gail Simone with art by Ig Guara. Cover art was done by John McCrea. Our hero, Jessica Priest has to deal with the problem of the Terror Angels closing in on her and young Al. She also has to deal with the conversation of the future between the two of them. She-Spawn has been one of the biggest surprises for me this year as I never thought I would be this engaged in she-Spawn.
Fort Psycho #1. Written by Matt Kindt and art and cover art done by Brian Hurtt. An elite group of agents that had been formed by the government to prevent a major act of terror from the underground network called the Seven Seals, but the final conflict resulted in a terrible tragedy. Now the former operatives were sent to an island to serve their sentences. This was different than I expected, but I liked it a lot.
From Parts Unknown #4. Written by Adriano Ariganello with art and cover art by Daniel Caval. After the murder of Pietro, Bruno explodes and brutally attacks everyone around. However, this is exactly what the vampires wanted. Little did we know that death may not have held a finality for Pietro. The penultimate issue of this series was a bloody good time.
The Accessories #1. Written by David Dastmalchian and Leah Kilpatrick with art by Patrick Piazzalunga. Cover art was done by Lukas Ketner. Igor is tired of being overlooked by Doctor Frankenstein. Renfield is trying again to escape from the clutches of Count Dracula. Can the pair team up and accomplish what they have always desired? This is a clever idea and I really like the art in the book.
Captain America #14. “Hell’s Angel” Part 3. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Ton Lima. Cover art was done by Valerio Schiti & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Steve Rogers and Victor Von Doom persist in their attempt to recruit an army to do battle with Mephisto in Hell. Cap gets the bad news in this issue that one of the head people in Mephisto’s charge is the Red Skull.
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #7. “Badpools–Part 2” Written by Benjamin Percy adn art by Alex Lins. Cover art was done by Geoff Shaw & Alex Sinclair. Wade Wilson is fighting against his body pieces. This is a weird and wild arc for Wade. He is still dealing with his own loss which is the more interesting part of the issue.
Batman #12. “Verity” Written by Matt Fraction with art and cover art by Jorge Jimenez. We have the debut of Verity Pennyworth, the niece of Alfred and Verity has arrived to take her uncle’s place beside Batman. She wins over Damian, which was never a certain.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #7. “House Hunting” Written by Jed MacKay and art by Devmalya Pramanik. Cover art was done by Paulo Siqueira & Rachelle Rosenberg. Moon Knight recruited the new Midnight Sons to help him retrieve his friends and allies from the Mansion Ravenous. However, I guess you can never trust Moon Knight as he turned Daredevil, Blade and Ghost Rider over to Achilles Fairchild in exchange. I did not see that coming.
Absolute Superman #22. “Metallo” Written by Jason Aaron with art by Juan Ferreyra. Cover art was done by Juan Ferreyra & Ulises Arreola. Superman must fight the Absolute Metallo, who was the former Peacemaker Christopher Smith and the Kryptonite in Metallo is causing all sorts of trouble for Superman. All this with Brainiac on the outside looking in. This was a strong issue with Superman having to use more than just his power to stop Metallo.
Neighborhood Watch #4. Written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated and cover art by Haining. Bianca and Val are trying to protect Jill as past lies and her abuser catch up with her. We learn that Jill’s husband Erik may have been abusing her and could be the reason she is in a coma now. Bianca got caught by him as she looked for evidence in Jill’s house.
What If…? Captain America #1. “What If Captain America was Revived in 2099?” Written by Marc Guggenheim and art by Ron Lim. Cover art was done by Lucas Werneck. Steve Rogers was not found by the Avengers in this tale from Uatu the Watcher. Instead, he is revived in 2099 with the heroes of the time battling against Alchemax Stark-Fujikawa (the A.S.F.) and Steve faces off with the president of the United States… Red Skull!
Other Books this Week: Marvel Tokon First Strike #1, X-Men of Apocalypse: Omega #1, Marvel Rivals: Origins of the Hood #1, Lost Fantasy #11, 100 Bullets: The US of Anger #2, Bludwire #2, Conan & Dragonero #4, and Absolute Green Lantern #17.
Quick Hits: This week we saw the completion of the latest BBC Doctor Who book with Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker-Dawn of the Daleks #2. It featured the iconic Doctor villains, The Daleks, and their …origin? I’m not sure the time frame of this book, but I do like this snarky Doctor. Comics! The Magazine #6 is out this week with the Violence & Mayhem issue. The magazine featured an interview Matt Kindt and Brian Hurtt about the new Oni Press book Fort Psycho. The Other/Half #4 sees the reunion of Henry and Ethan. Ghost Machine: The Official Guidebook #5 concluded with a group of characters from Hyde Street. I love the handbook style Ghost Machine gave us and this issue had an interior different than the others. It is 65 years of Fantastic Four comics so to celebrate, Marvel released the Fantastic Four: 65 Years of the World’s Greatest Comic Covers #1. It is an interesting book that does give us all of the FF covers from their first issue from the 1960s. There are several stories from the life of Mary Jane Watson in Mary Jane: Face It Tiger #1. MJ is one of my favorite NPCs so I love that she gets the respect that she deserves. Bad Idea is at it again with a weird book called ReALLIGATOR #1. I did like this one more than the banana one from a few weeks ago, but this is certainly weird. Queen in Black has only one side book this week and it featured Eddie Brock. In Queen in Black: Venom Unchained #1 we follow Eddie in prison. There are just so many symbiotes in the Marvel Universe, I would not be opposed to limiting those down to one or two. Gotham Academy: First Year #6 ends its run with this book, which still sets Batman up as an antagonist for Olive Silverlock. MASK #3 was released, continuing the Energon Universe. Punchline and the Vaude-Villains vs. Violante #1 from Hero Tomorrow Comics is back, which apparently was a former book as well. Then, Babylon Cove #3 came out this week. The protagonist of this book, Heather, is not a very likeable character, and her hometown is getting a reminder of that. However, there seemed to be something more going down than just Heather’s rants. Dead Teenagers #5 wrapped its run this week with a “kind of” happy ending.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 