Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Mentalist - Pink Champagne on Ice


While the CBI searches for a murderer Jane (Simon Baker) runs into a friend from his carnival days, a stage magician (Andrew Rothenberg) working in the same casino where the victim was employed as a security guard. Although his friend is happy to see him, okay not exactly happy after he ruins his act, Jane can tell Jack is hiding something.

The Transporter Malfunction


After Penny (Kaley Cuoco) gets both Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons) mint in box Star Trek transporter collectibles Sheldon struggles over the thought of opening the box to play with the toy.

Community - Digital Exploration of Interior Design


To help out Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) who is still angry about the new Subway that went in the Greendale cafeterium over her proposed sandwich shop, Britta (Gillian Jacobs) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) agree to get the truth behind the corporation's "corpo-humanoid" who has legally changed his name to Subway and enrolled as a Greendale student.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Wrath of the Titans

I'll admit to being somewhat surprised with Wrath of the Titans, not because it's good, but simply because it's far better than the utter trainwreck the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans turned out to be. Of course, that's not exactly a high bar to measure up to.

I'm a fan of the original 1981 Clash of the Titans which gave the story of Perseus (Harry Hamlin) the Hollywood treatment with some terrific stop motion monsters provided by legendary special effects creator Ray Harryhausen. For me, the 2010 supremely awful remake was like watching the entire cast dig up Ray Hauhausen's grave and with the sole purpose of taking turns defecating on his corpse.

With no direct film to measure up to, Wrath of the Titans is able to craft its own story (such that it is). The story picks up a few years after the end of the first film. Although a legendary hero, Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his young son Helius (John Bell) live simple lives of fishermen.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Paul Torday, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the kind of quirky reserved British romantic comedy that won't knock your socks off, but, when it's not getting in its own way, will deliver an enjoyable time at the movies.

Ewan McGregor stars as Dr. Alfred Jones, a scientist for the National Centre for Fisheries Excellence who is pressured by his boss (Conleth Hill), the British Prime Minister's Press Secretary (Kristin Scott Thomas), and the representative (Emily Blunt) of a Yemeni sheikh (Amr Waked) into helping the sheikh in his rather absurd dream to introduce salmon fishing to the deserts of Yemen.

Despite his incredulity at a project he believes impossible, Alfred finds himself in a situation where money is no object and the British Government, hungry for a good PR story, are willing to do anything to see the project succeed. And the longer he spends on the project the more Alfred becomes won over by the sheikh's dream and Harriet (Blunt).

We Need to Talk About Kevin

What if your child was responsible for a horrific event that changed not just the lives of your family but scarred entire community? Guilt-ridden and unable to leave and try to start a new life elsewhere, how would you go about your daily life knowing that any sense of normalcy was impossible?

Based on the novel by Lionel Shiver, We Need to Talk About Kevin, brought to the screen by writer/director Lynne Ramsay, focuses on the life of Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton) following the events of a school massacre caused by her teenage son Kevin (Ezra Miller). We watch as Eva becomes trapped in a series of events that unfold slowly destroying any chance she once had at happiness.

It's an intriguing take that doesn't examine the perpetrator of the crime or the specific series of events that led to the massacre, but instead gives us the perspective of the young man's mother, who despite her love for Kevin, has known there's something deeply wrong with her son for years.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Psych - Autopsy Turvy


After Woody (Kurt Fuller) makes a mistake on an autopsy in ruling a murder an accidental death, Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dulé Hill) decide to help the Santa Barbara coroner by finding the real cause of the man's death. While investigating the crime the pair run into their biggest fan, the owner (French Stewart) of a crime book store, who desperately wants to help with the case.

Breaking In - Game of Jones


When Molly (Erin Richards) senses a scam, Oz (Christian Slater) tries to prove the existence of Contra Security's non-existant top international salesman. Jealous of the attention the firm's fictional hero is receiving, Veronica (Megan Mullally) enlists the help of Cameron (Bret Harrison) to help make friends in the office which leads to poorly thought out "karaoke-luau-fondue-murder-mystery-cirque-du-so-game-night, and also comedy roast."

Joss Whedon and The Avengers


Marvel Studios has released a few behind-the-scenes shots from their upcoming summer super-hero flick The Avengers featuring Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), S.H.I.E.L.D. agents the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, opens in theaters on May 4th.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Smash - The Coup


In light of the mixed success of the workshop Derek (Jack Davenport) recruits an unsuspecting Karen (Katharine McPhee) to help him steal the musical from Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) by offering the Broadway newbie her own musical number in the show. The fallout from which leaves the show with a director at war with the writers and a play without a Marilyn Monroe.

Superman vs. The Elite trailer


In DC Comics next animated feature, Superman vs. The Elite, writer Joe Kelly adapts his own story ("What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?") which features Superman (George Newbern) dealing with a new group of powerful, but far less ethical, super-heroes known as The Elite. Pauley PerretteRobin Atkin Downes, and David Kaufman also lend their voices to the project. The movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 12th.

Captain Atom #7

Although I enjoyed the first few issues of Captain Atom I left for a few months as it explored the mutant dog/rat creature storyline. Now that that arc has wrapped I decided to give the title another look, and I'm glad I did.

The latest issue finds Captain Atom remember pieces of his past before the experiment changed him into the near omnipotent figure he is now. We also see what appears to be a future or alien version of the Captain who (in an odd choice) appears to be modeled after the Dominators. I'll be interested to see what the explanation for this will be (and I'll be hoping its better than much of the ill-defined logic we've seen across the New 52 so far).

The art by Freddie E. Williams II is still as good as I remember from the first few issues and writer J. T. Krul continues to tell some intriguing stories that are as much sci-fi (if not more) than super-hero tales. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Nightwing #7

As the big top explodes beneath them, Saiko and Nightwing have their final confrontation as the young man with some misplaced anger delivers a huge plot dump in the middle of their climactic final battle.

As in Batman #7 (also released this week) Dick learns that he was chosen by the Court of Owls to be one of their Talon killers. So... Haly's Circus is nothing more than an early training ground for assassins for a secret order who live beneath the streets of Gotham City?

When the Flying Graysons died and Dick left the circus and Saiko was chosen in his stead. Nice of them to have a runner up, I guess. Right? On a positive note the art by Eddie Barrows continues to impress. This is probably the best looking issue of the series yet. Too bad about the story.

We also get the same sequence of Batman knocking Dick's tooth out to prove a point as we did in Batman #7. It doesn't work any better here (in fact it works less because Saiko has already given him some of the information he seems shocked to hear from the Dark Knight Detective). Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Castle - 47 Seconds


Using video recordings and eye witness accounts to catch a killer Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) try to piece together the 47 seconds before the explosion of a bomb that killed five people and left 28 injured at an Occupy Wall Street protest.

Batman #7

After his hallucinatory drug-induced experience in catacombs of Gotham City, Batman finally makes it back to the Bat Cave and immediately goes to work dissecting the body of Talon for answers into the secrets of the Court of Owls. What he founds, however, only leads to more questions.

On examining the body Batman discovers the man turned into a killing machine is actually Dick Grayson's great-grandfather. He also uncovers the fact that Dick was handpicked by the Court of Owls to be one of them but his parent's death, and his adoption by Bruce Wayne put a crimp in their plans.

There was no real reason to tweak Dick's to include the Court of Owls (which is further explored in this week's Nightwing #7), but it's how Batman informs him (by backhanding him so hard he looses a tooth and nearly conciousness) that I found troubling. Like much of this story arc, the latest issue of Batman is a mixed success with many more Court of Owls stories on the way. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Carnage

Adapted by director Roman Polanski and writer Yasmina Reza from Reza's play God of Carnage, Carnage gives us two couples (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet) discussing a recent altercation between their sons when one strikes the other with a stick in the park.

What starts as civil discussion of the events soon leads the couples turn on each other and then their own spouses as all pretense is washed away. Think of it as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Lite.

The story would probably have worked better for me on stage where the characters are forced to remain on stage in the apartment where the audience can continue to watch the action unfold. The attempts at civility used to keep both couples together don't work as well on film where we know the camera can follow them out, and there are more than a couple of moments that should bring events to a close.

Monday, March 26, 2012

In Plain Sight - Four Marshals and a Baby


Things do get any less complicated for the Albequrque office of WITSEC this week. While Mary (Mary McCormack) struggles without a suitalbe babysitter she must also dealing with a witness (Jennifer Elise Cox) who Delia (Tangie Ambrose) discovers has been hiding an aggressive hoarding habit from the Marshals for years.

Justice League #7

There's so much wrong with the latest issue of Justice League it's hard to know where to begin. First, following the success of the team's first mission we skip 5 years ahead to present day, but the team still acts like they've only been working together for all of five minutes.

The conversion of Hal Jordan into early Booster Gold seems now complete as not only is Green Lantern used mainly for comic relief but he goes so far as to hit on the ex-wife of the biological warfare specialist during the fight with the spores he's been exposed to.

The art by Gene Ha at least saves us the characters posing and looking in different directions (mainly) but it's also dirtier and somewhat sloppier than the title's first six issues. And Geoff Johns dialogue continues to be so mindnumbingly bad it's getting harder and harder for me to defend him and blame it on DC Editorial. The fact that the story is also told from the perspective of Steve Trevor, a character who no relation to the team so far, seems oddly out of place as well.

Planet Comicon 2012


Comicon rolled into Kansas City over the past weekend bring with it Gil Gerard, Erin Gray and Felix Silla from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, G4's Blair Butler, Billy Dee Williams, a host of comic writers and artists, and tons of comics, toys, and collectibles. Here a few pics from the weekend which were highlighted by Gil Gerard naming Nathan Filion as the one actor working today (besides himself) he'd like to see in the role of Buck Rogers and Billy Dee Williams jokingly singing the Colt 45 jingle when asked what he'd most like to be remembered for.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Fairly Legal - Start Me Up


Still reeling from the news that Justin (Michael Trucco) cheated on her while they were married and the fact that the boat she was living on recently exploded, Kate (Sarah Shahi) gets a new job mediating a case between a hospital and the FBI who used their influence to bump a dying patient on the donor list in favor of an important witness for a case against the New York Yakuza.

Super Dinosaur #9

After three months where storylines really seemed to stall writer Robert Kirkman and artist Jason Howard deliver an action-packed issue that finds Derek and Super Dinosaur teaming up with Squidious and General Casey to stop The Exile and his Dino-Men from forcing their way into Inner-Earth through an erupting volcano.

Super Dinosaur #9 also finally moves the storyline of Dr. Dynamo's missing wife forward as not only does the doctor break Max Maximus out of prison for information about his wife but we are also given a glimpse of the woman held captive in suspended animation Maximus' secret base.

Throw in Derek coming clean with Miss Finkle about performing his examination through a robot, plenty of action around an erupting volcano, and the first look at the face of the new enemy when The Exile is unmasked, and it looks like the series is back in full-gear and a whole lot of fun. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Missing - The Hard Drive


After being shot and left for dead Becca (Ashley Judd) is forced to enlist the help of an old friend (Cyrielle Clair). In order to continue to search for her son Michael (Nick Eversman), Becca blackmails the Deputy Director of French Intelligence (Joaquim de Almeida) into offering his help, but the agreement they reach does mean Becca will have to give up something as well - namely the proof of the man's corruption she's using to blackmail him with in the form the witness (Lothaire Bluteau) who could put him away for murder and corruption.

Snake Eyes #11

"Cobra Command" continues as the JOE's try to pick up the pieces after being unable to stop COBRA from detonating nuclear weapons in Nanzhao. The remaining JOE's, including Flint, Hard Drive, Tripwire, and Roadblock, are fight for their lives against B.A.T. robots while Snake Eyes goes after Storm Shadow and his army of Arashikage ninja.

After dispatching quite a few ninja, Snake Eyes finds himself before his sword-brother who makes him an offer he can't refuse, and Helix can't believe. Admitting to Snake Eyes the the new Cobra Commander is now their common enemy Storm Shadow offers a truce between the two to cripple COBRA and take revenge for the assassination of his former master Oda Satori.

Snake Eyes turn is certainly of interest, and you'd have to assume the pair (for however long they can co-exist) will be a huge threat to COBRA and their new commander. Although unexpected it does give Snake Eyes a very real opportunity to take down the terrorist organization who the JOE's couldn't stop from nuking an entire country. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

Community - Contemporary Impressionists


The group reconnects after returning from winter break. Jeff (Joel McHale) admits to seeing a new therapist who has proscribed an anti-anxiety medication that sadly overemphasizes his worst qualities by making him even more narcissistic than usual. Meanwhile Annie (Alison Brie) becomes concerned with Abed's (Danny Pudi) new fixation of hiring celebrity impersonators for his own personal use - especially after the group learns he owes $3,000 to the service's owner who looks remarkably like French Stewart.

Friday, March 23, 2012

The Muppets

This past summer the Muppets returned to the big screen in a big way thanks to co-writer and star Jason Segel, along with some great (and Oscar-winning) songs from the Flight of the ConchordsBret McKenzie, and all of our favorite Muppet characters including Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire), Fozzie (Eric Jacobson), Gonzo (Dave Goelz), Rowlf (Bill Barretta), Scooter (David Rudman), Animal (Jacobson), Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mahem, Beaker (Whitmire), Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (Goelz), and Miss Piggy (Jacobson).

When the Muppet Studios are threatened by a greedy oil baron (Chris Cooper) who plans to tear the studio down to drill for oil, Walter (Peter Linz), the Muppets biggest fan, along with his brother Gary (Segel) and Gary's fiance Mary (Amy Adams) pull the Muppets back together to put on one more show. For more on the movie read my original review.

Friday with Zoe

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Psych - Let's Doo-Wop It Again


While Shawn (James Roday) recovers from a burst appendix Gus (Dulé Hill) enlists the help of his old a capella group (Jaleel White, Mekhi Phifer) to find the attempted murderer of an old friend (Cheech Marin) and the leader of an at-risk youth program.

Breaking In - The Blind Sided


Due to the number of lawsuits Contra has accumulated recently the new corporate owners insist ever job now include a protocol officer, in this case Molly (Erin Richards), to make sure they don't cross the line. For the team's latest assignment Cam (Bret Harrison) and Melanie (Odette Annable) are charged with tracking down a hacker named Rembrandt who isn't quite what they expected.

Atomic Robo: Last Stop trailer


The Fictory is now well on their way with their hugely successful Kickstarter campaign for a short-film featuring everyone's favorite robot scientist-adventurer Atomic Robo. They're doing so well in fact they've released a trailer for the animated short film Atomic Robo: Last Stop. (NOTE: Skip to the 4min. mark if you want to go straight to the trailer.)

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted trailer


The giant pansies from New York are still trying to make it home in the latest Madagascar sequel as Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman (David Schwimmer) are forced to join the circus to make it through Europe and earn passage back to America. Sacha Baron CohenCedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter. New characters are voiced by Frances McDormandBryan CranstonMartin ShortJessica ChastainJohn Di Maggio, and Paz Vega. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted opens in theaters on June 8th.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Hawaii Five-0 - Kalele


McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) is at a loss when his sister Mary (Taryn Manning) is arrested after only working as a flight attendant for a couple of weeks when she's blackmailed by a scary looking man (Tony Todd) into attempting to smuggle $20 million worth of conflict diamonds off the island.

Doctor Who has a new companion


Jenna-Louise Coleman will be joining the cast of Doctor Who in this year's Christmas special as the companion to supplant the Ponds (Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill) as the series goes forward into it's 50th Anniversary. The BBC is keeping the details of the character under wraps - "Who she's playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters. Even by the Doctor's standards, this isn't your usual boy meets girl."

Smash - The Workshop


A week has past and yet the cast of "Marilyn" will still need another half an episode in preparation for their all important workshop where they will present a rough version of the show to potential investors. Bernadette Peters makes a guest-appearance as Ivy's (Megan Hilty) famous Broadway mother, and Karen (Katharine McPhee) is forced to choose between attending the workshop or meeting with an influential music producer.

Batman and Robin #7

The Nobody story comes to an explosive conclusion and Batman tracks down Gotham newest criminal, and old rival of Bruce Wayne, as the maniac is slowly torturing Damian over Robin's comm system. Before the end of the night father and son will be reunited and Nobody will be defeated... for good.

The latest issue certainly doesn't skimp on action as Batman plows the Batmobile into a middle of a ship to save his son and then spends most of the comic battling the deranged son of Henri Ducard.

I like the simple dialogue and reaction shots between Damian and Bruce once the battle has ended. I'm far less pleased with the comic's final choice. I certainly understand it, and the story arc certainly gives the "justification" needed for that choice, but just as the pair were coming together the results of Damian's deadly action are likely to tear Batman and Robin apart, again. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Castle - A Dance with Death


Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) are called into investigate the death of a reality TV-star who was murdered minutes before her live appearance on the show. Suspects include a recently released contestant (Neil Brown Jr.) with an ax to grind, a young woman (Arlene Santana) who was blackmailing the victim, and the host (Adam Harrington) who threatened the victim's life a couple week's before her death.

The Three Musketeers

One year after breaking into the secret vault of Leonardo Da Vinci to steal plans for a flying war machine for France only to be betrayed by the duplicitious Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich), the thee most famous Musketeers Athos (Matthew Macfadyen), Porthos (Ray Stevenson), and Aramis (Luke Evans) find themselves down on their luck only to be roused back into action by the impetuous and cocky young D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman).

The screenplay from Alex Litvak and Andrew Davies far more resembles a braindead action flick than the original tale of Alexandre Dumas. As you'd expect from director Paul W.S. Anderson style and ridiculous action sequences involving flying boats take precedence over story at every turn as the Musketeers try to save their foppish king (Freddie Fox), prevent a war, get revenge on Milady, and relive their glory days.

Neverland

Written and directed by Nick Willing Neverland is a two-part mini-series and prequel to Peter Pan which throws in a little Oliver Twist for good measure. When we meet him Peter Pan (Charlie Rowe) is the leader of a group of young homeless thieves under the command of the Fagin-ish John Hook (Rhys Ifans).

While robbing an antique house the boys and Hook come across a mysterious glowing orb that is the man's ticket into a different reality. Simply by hitting the orb Hook transports them all into Neverland. The first we witness the orbs' power in in the mini-series opening scene in which an entire shipload of pirates, led by Captain Elizabeth Bonny (Anna Friel) find themselves transported to a magic land where they never grow old.

While Hook and the rest of the boys find themselves abducted by pirates who are obsessed with the magical properties of pixie dust, Peter and Fox (Lorn Macdonald) meet a tribe of Indians.

Monday, March 19, 2012

First Look at the CW’s Green Arrow


The CW has released the first promotional photo of Stephen Amell as Green Arrow. I'm not sure about you, but this sure doesn't scream Oliver Queen to me. Arrow follows the adventures of a billionaire who returns home after five years on a remote desert island to take on crime with a bow and arrow. You know, like one does. I don't know about you but I'm holding out hope all the trick arrows make an appearance. Katie Cassidy stars as Dinah Lance (um, where's that costume pic?). Arrow's pilot is currently being filmed.

(via Deadline)

Scarlet Spider #3

Despite his intentions to do anything else with his life, Kaine finds himself the popular new super-hero of Houston tracking down street criminals just like Spider-Man (okay, not just like Spider-Man), and still trying to find a way to protect the young illegal immigrant from the people who want her dead.

On the Aracely front Kaine gets some help from the hotel's bartender Annabelle Adams and Dr. Meland but things get far more complicated when Kaine learns the Doctor has a contract on his head from the greiving husband whose wife and child died on the doctor's table. Even more troubling is the fact that the Assassin's Guild now knows that Kaine is still alive and exactly where to find him.

Although I'm a little concerned that Kaine doesn't understand the basic concept of a secret identity (a doctor, cop, bartender, assassin, and a smuggled illegal immigrant all know he's the Scarlet Spider) things look pretty good for this title with plenty of action and some really good Spidey narration - Kaine-style. Best of the week.

[Marvel, $2.99]

In Plain Sight - The Anti-Social Network


After spending six-months at home with her baby girl Mary (Mary McCormack) returns from maternity leave to find Delia (Tangie Ambrose) has temporarily taken over Mary's desk in her absence and there's a government shrink (Ali Marsh) anxiously waiting to discuss the shooting from last season's finale just hours before Mary went into labor.

Prometheus trailer


In director Ridley Scott's return to the Alien franchise a team of explorers (Noomi Rapace, Michael FassbenderCharlize TheronIdris ElbaGuy PearceLogan Marshall-Green) discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Prometheus opens in theaters on June 8th.

Comic Rack

It’s a new week so it must be time to talk about comics! Welcome to the RazorFine Comic Rack boys and girls. Pull up a bean bag and take a seat at feet of the master as we offer you this quick list of all kinds of comic book goodness set to hit comic shops and bookstores this week from all your favorite publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Archie, Dynamite, Image Comics, and others.

This week includes Batman, Birds of Prey, Captain Atom, Deadpool, Fables, Generation Hope, Ghostbusters, The Goon, Jughead, Justice League, Memorial, New Mutants, Nightwing, Peanuts, Prophet, Reed Gunther, Snake Eyes, Super Dinosaur, Supergirl, Thunderbolts, Wonder Woman, X-Factor, Young Justice, the first issues of Ragemoor, Rebel Blood, Smoke and Mirrors, Stan Lee's Mighty, Supercrooks, and the final issues of DC Universe Online Legends, Heart, Kick-Ass 2, and Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes.

Enjoy issue #168

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sunday with Rachael

Captain America #9

As Tony Stark tries to figure out a cure to turn skinny Steve Rogers back into Captain America and the Falcon searches for the villains behind the madbombs, Sharon Carter finds herself aboard the Hellacarrier in the fight for her life against Machinesmith.

Although Cap doesn't get in on the action there's plenty to go around. Agent 13's battle with Machinesmith, which includes the super-villain taking over all aspects of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Hellacarrier, is a lot of fun. How Sharon manages to force Machinesmith's cooperation not only fits into her character but opens possible new trouble for Cap and friends down the line. The Falcon's story isn't as compelling, but it gets the job done by moving the story arc forward.

If I have one big complaint about issue #9 it's that the art by Alan Davis isn't as consistent as I'd like. Although the closeups look good, many of the other panels look rushed - especially the faces of the characters in some of the action shots. Here's hoping this is just a one-time problem. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

Fairly Legal - Satisfaction


When we last saw Kate (Sarah Shahi) she was being fired from the firm her father built by her wicked step-mother Lauren (Virginia Williams) in the First Season finale. With Reed & Reed on the verge of collapse not only does she appear to have her job back if she wants it (thanks to her brother's proxies which give her ownership of half the firm), but she'll also have to deal with an aggressive new lawyer (Ryan Johnson) Lauren has brought on as a partner.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Green Lantern #7

Hal Jordan's refusal to take on the role of Green Lantern at Sinestro's insistence leads to the pair battling between themselves on the rooftops of Coast City. Although it raises Jordan's ire, Sinestro can't find a way to motivate the greatest Green Lantern to continue the fight even when he threatens Carol's life.

Their fight is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of the Indigo Lanterns who abduct the pair forcing Carol to go into her own closet and pull out a certain piece of jewelry she had decided never to wear again.

Part One of "The Secrets of the Indigo Tribe" is supposed to shed light on the last of the rainbow colored ring bearers but all we're given here is more questions as Hal comes across a former (and very dead) foe who is now part of the tribe.

The Sinestro/Hal/Carol story continues to work but I'm less sure about where the comic seems headed next with the focus shifting to the Indigo Tribe and the Guardians search for "the first Lantern." Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Missing - Pilot


Remember those action-thrillers Ashley Judd made in the late 1990's and early 2000's (Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, High Crimes)? And you really liked that movie where Liam Neeson starred as a retired spy who traveled to Europe to find his daughter after she was Taken, right? ABC certainly hopes so.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #7

Given her current situation Buffy decides to move out of her apartment (not realizing that both Anaheed and Tumble want her to stay) and onto the bug ship with Spike. Because, you know, nothing says normal like living on an alien spaceship with your undead ex-boyfriend.

When Detective Dowling finds himself overmatched with a vampire nest he pulls Spike away from an awkward heart-to-heart with Buffy. It's the post-fight fallout however that will leave the vampire, and readers, stunned as writer Andrew Chambliss throws a huge curveball into a controversial, but very strong, story arc I've really enjoyed. I'm a little pissed at the decision, but I've got to admit I didn't see it coming.

I'm not sure exactly what this means for Buffy's pregnancy or her relationship with Spike, but from what we see at the end of this issue I'm going to assume things are going to get far more complicated before the season arc decides to answer either of those questions. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

Friday, March 16, 2012

Community – Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts


After an extended three-month hiatus Community returns with a fun, but not great, episode centered around one of the characters getting married. As Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) work to convince Dean Pelton (Oscar winner Jim Rash) to let them open a sandwich shop in the Greendale commons, Shirley is surprised the unexpected proposal of her ex-husband Andre (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) - complete with Boys II Men back-up singers and dancers.

Batman and Robin: The Musical


Joe and Al Kaplan are back with more musical Arnold awesomeness with Batman and Robin: The Musical. Well done! (Check some of the previous awesome: Conan the Barbarian: The Musical, The Thing: The Musical, Predator: The Musical, The Help: The Musical, Rocky IV: The Musical, Commando: The Musical, and, what's still my favorite - Total Recall: The Musical).

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Psych - Shawn and the Real Girl


When one of the contestants on a reality dating show is almost killed in an apparent accident the show's director (Lochlyn Munro) hires Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dulé Hill) to keep him alive and uncover the identity of person who wants one of his stars dead. To go "unnoticed" as they investigate the pair cast themselves contestants on "Paths of Love."

Reason #8 Why I Love DS9 – Far Beyond the Stars

"You can pulp a story, but you cannot destroy an idea! Don't you understand, that's ancient knowledge. You cannot destroy an idea! That future, I created it, and it's real!"

There are many reasons why I love Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and why it remains my favorite of the Star Trek franchise.

Reason #8: Far Beyond the Stars

Awesome Characters - Leia Organa Solo

There are characters we fall in love with. The perfect mix of actor and writer that breathes magic onto the screen or inside the television.

When we first meet Princess Leia Organa the plucky princess is standing toe-to-toe with one of the most intimidating villains in movie history - Darth Vader. Her ship may have been taken hostage, many of her guards may have been killed, but that doesn't stop Leia from standing up what she believes in, even if that stance comes at great personal cost.

Later tortured, and forced to watch her homeworld of Alderaan destroyed by the Empire, the princess' will is not broken. It's her quick thinking that leads her and her would-be rescuers out of a the detention area. And it's her ingenuity in placing the stolen plans and message to Obi-Wan Kenobi inside a small astrotech droid that saves the entire Rebellion and leads to two of its greatest heroes, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, being brought into the fold.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Breaking In - Who's the Boss?


Veronica's (Megan Mullally) first order of business now that she's taken charge of the company is to bring in some more paying customers. Unfortunately for Oz (Christian Slater), Cameron (Bret Harrison), and Cash (Alphonso McAuley) this means her attempt to nix Contra working their annual pro-bono contract for Maxim magazine.

Stormwatch #7

The world is attacked by alien race from another dimension known as the Daemonites who travel through dimensions in search of gravity which they mine and sell as a commodity. If they are aware of damage done to the lifeforms in the dimensions where the gravity miners strike they are unconcerned about it.

The title gets a new artist and writer but it may be too late to save the title, at least for me. Paul Jenkins makes a couple of nice changes. First, we don't get any awkward juvenile allusions to Midnighter and Apollo's relationship. Second, Jenny Quantum finally gets in on the action.

New artist Ignacio Calero also makes a tremedous difference. Although he's still stuck with the New 52 design of the characters they look much cleaner and better defined than in all previous six issues of the title.

However, there are some issues. The narrative forces the Martian Manhunter to be vague about his knowledge of the aliens for no other reason that to give us a final page reveal of the threat - even though this puts his teammates in danger.