Friday, March 29, 2019

Tim Burton's Dumbo


Love him or hate him, words you don't usually hear to describe filmmaker Tim Burton are the exact same adjectives which are impossible not to use in talking about the latest Disney live-action remake of one of their animated classics. Burton has delivered a number of memorable films, and when he has failed he has often failed in spectacular fashion. Dumbo isn't bad, but it's bland, safe, unoffensive in the extreme, and utterly forgettable. Don't get me wrong, Dumbo is an okay way to while away a lazy afternoon. The CGI of the title character is impressive, and the performances from the human cast are more than adequate. There's just not much Disney magic this time around. And since Dumbo never talks, he comes off more of a trick dog than a fully fleshed-out character.

Sobibor

Based on true events, the Russian film Sobibor tells the story of a revolt and mass escape from the Nazi concentration camp of Sobibor led by Alexander Pechersky (played by director Konstantin Khabenskiy) in Poland during WWII. The film could use a little more nuance from the Nazis (led by Christopher Lambert) and a little less Russian nationalism (constantly playing up the importance of Russian Jews) for a more compelling story. Based on gripping subject matter, the film doesn't do much in the way to add artistry or historical context to the proceedings. The truth behind the film kept me more interested than the depiction of events. Honestly, I would have been far more interested in seeing a documentary of the Sobibor revolt rather than this dramatization.

Focused more on Nazi brutality towards the Jews than their escape for three-fourths of the film, Sobibor is at times hard to watch. The script also ignores historical context when it may get in the way of the story (such as somewhat fudging the number of escapees, and ignoring the large percentage who were either killed or recaptured by the Nazis).

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Firefly: Bad Company #1


The over-sized special Firefly: Bad Company #1 offers a further look at a fan-favorite character. Told mostly through flashbacks of Saffron while being interrogated by the Alliance, we learn a thing or two about the woman who nearly beat Malcolm Reynolds and his crew (twice). What's interesting about the set-up, is everything is told from Saffron's point-of-view, leaving us to wonder what (if any) of the story is true. While the agent attempts to make Saffron a deal, to team-up against Malcolm Reynolds, Saffron has other plans.

FBI - Apex


The focus of the latest episode of FBI is split as Maggie (Missy Peregrym) and OA (Zeeko Zaki) hunt for a serial killer who has drugged, raped, and murdered ten women. While half of the episode focuses on the investigation, the other half centers around the Deputy Mayor of New York (Sandrine Holt) getting in the FBI's way in order to manufacture another obstacle for the Maggie and company to overcome. Under the premise of not wanting to hurt the city's tourist economy, coming off like the Mayor in Jaws who thought it was great for vacationers to swim with a killer shark, the unseen Mayor makes (some pretty outrageous) demands of the team that nearly allow the killer to claim another victim.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Shadowhunters - To the Night Children


The search for Jonathan (Luke Baines) is momentarily paused as characters deal with the the massacre of Heidi's (Tessa Mossey) vampires on the pack. Unable to explain the supernatural circumstances to the police, Luke (Isaiah Mustafa) prepares to take the fall for the crime feeling guilty what happened on his watch. Maia (Alisha Wainwright) struggles with being the sole survivor (and plans her revenge) while Heidi sicks the Shadowhunters on her clan, denying any responsibility or involvement in the attack (while playing both sides against each other to increase her power and stature among the vampires). Although Heidi's plan succeeds, Maia finds a way to outsmart the vampire though her choice of vengeance doesn't sit well with Simon (Alberto Rosende). After a short build-up, Heidi's quick demise comes as a bit of a surprise although her actions, and demise, do force characters to consider the Accords and the laws they live by.

The Wild Storm #21


Although it checks in with the warring factions, the primary focus of The Wild Storm #21 is with Jenny Mei Sparks and the team she has put together. After learning about the existence of Apollo and Midnighter, and their stand against Skywatch, Jenny is all up for adding two more members of the group. It's Jack Hawksmoor that makes the connection about what Skywatch was after, along with a rather on-point comment about how crazy his world has become.

Arrow - Inheritance


As Emiko's (Sea Shimooka) relationship with Dante (Adrian Paul) is discovered, "Inheritance" offers flashbacks to Emiko's relationship with the terrorist and his organization: The Ninth Circle. While initially appearing to help Oliver (Stephen Amell) stop Dante, it doesn't take long for Emiko's true loyalties to be revealed as she distracts the team large enough to allow the Ninth Circle to acquire the ingredients for Sarin Gas which they plan to disperse using the stolen drones. Despite the betrayal, Oliver continues to cling to the idea he can save his half-sister, but what he doesn't realize is his sister isn't working for the Ninth Circle but running it. It turns out she's also the one responsible for the sinking of the King's Gambit and Oliver being stranded on Lian Yu.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Supergirl - The House of L


Supergirl has consistently been the best of The CW's super-hero shows for awhile now. And now it has a villain equal to its hero. After a short sequence showing Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) fight off Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), the rest of the episode features extended flashbacks from the day Lex was sent to prison to the present. Devious, manipulative, and willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants, "The House of L" reveals Lex's relationship to the "other" Supergirl that we saw show up in Kaznia at the end of last year along with highlighting the various plans and manipulations he's pulled off from a prison cell planning for this day. Although we get very little of Kara Danvers in this episode, Melissa Benoist is prominently featured as the show finally offers a true introduction to the Red Daughter.

Naomi #3


Still searching for answers, and sure the adults in her town know more than they are telling, Naomi pushes Dee for information. What the lumbering, but terrified, mechanic offers, however, shocks the adopted girl from Oregon. He and the love of his life were elite Thanagarian warriors who ran away from their duties to Earth, but were sadly were separated before she could join him.

Katsucon 2019 Cosplay Cinematic Part 2

Monday, March 25, 2019

Legacies - I'll Tell You a Story


"I'll Tell You a Story" answers several questions leading into next week's season finale. While Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) works through her feelings for her boyfriend using a magical prism (which offers most of the more lighthearted scenes from the episode), Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) finally gets some answers as Ryan Clarke (Nick Fink) reveals the truth about Malivore which was once a sentient being created to absorb dragons... and who is the father of both Ryan and Landon. While initially skeptical about both Ryan and his tale, Landon is won over by his story and makes a fateful decision to help restore his father to life.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3


There are some moments in Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3, where despite the alternate version of events and characters, writer Jordie Bellaire manages to capture some of the feel and magic of the show so very well. Two such moments occur based on discoveries Buffy makes in this issue. The first involves the creature released by Drusilla from Anya's magic shop, which despite its fearsome visage is actually a friend to the Slayer and her mission. The second is Buffy's shock at discovering that Giles plays the guitar... in public.

Whiskey Cavalier - Mrs. & Mr. Trowbridge


To prevent an exiled Romanian general from returning to his home country and using some recently purchased nerve gas to regain his power, Will (Scott Foley) and Frankie (Lauren Cohan) go undercover as a married couple and guests at the wedding of his daughter (Erika Kaar), who is blissfully unaware the her groom is actually an undercover agent (Joe Doyle). The mission runs into obstacles when the target remains apart from all the pre-wedding activities and Frankie's trouble with playing a loving wife (including an "affair" on their fake marriage that brings up trust issues for her partner). Despite the tension, the two are able to sell their marriage with the help of a convincing kiss, more convincing than either may have expected.

Katsucon 2019 Cosplay Fun

Friday, March 22, 2019

Triple Frontier

We've seen military heist movies before ranging from the likes of Three Kings to Broken Arrow. Unfortunately, Triple Frontier is more like the mixed success of the latter (although it lacks its crazy energy) even though you can almost feel its desperation to be compared to the former.

And while the film is likely to earn comparisons to David O. Russell's 1999 film by some, they are hardly the same. The comparisons are marginal and incidental involving the basic set-up of the film and its ensemble cast. To put it simply, Triple Frontier is a B-Movie with an A-List cast that often gets in its own way celebrating the soldiers it turns into mercenaries.

The movie stars Oscar Isaac as a former soldier now working in South America as a consultant for Colombian police struggling to take down a drug lord (Reynaldo Gallegos). Learning his target's location, and the fact that he's sitting on millions of dollars of drug money, Pope decides to enlist his old Army buddies (Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal) to head into the jungle, kill the target, and keep all the money for themselves.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

The Flash - Time Bomb


Team Flash may have defeated one Cicada (Chris Klein), but a new one has arrived from the future to continue her uncle's work. "Time Bomb" reveals the new meta-human killer to be Grace Gibbons (Sarah Carter) who has a lifetime of hatred boiling inside her, and her first target is the meta-human (Catherine Lough Haggquist) responsible for her parents' death. I've always like Carter, and her casting helps lessen the disappointing blow that the Cicada storyline is going to continue further into the season after it had apparently finally reached a merciful end. However, the episode's subplot involving Sherloque Wells' (Tom Cavanagh) unraveling Nora's (Jessica Parker Kennedy) secret thankfully looks to take precedence for at least the short term.

Calamity Kate #1


The first issue of Calamity Kate introduces us to our title character: a monster hunter from back east with a troubled past who shows up on the door of her college roommate in sunny California after five years without a word. Kate Strand has arrived in Los Angeles to make her fame and fortune as the West Coast's new premier monster hunter. Often referred to as "Calamity," it doesn't take us long to discover why Kate got that nickname.

Bull - Parental Guidance


The latest client for Bull (Michael Weatherly) and his associates is a defendant who is admittedly guilty of the crime he is charged with. A teenager (C.J. Valleroy) who lived nearly his entire life in isolation with his paranoid survalist father is left on his own after his father his killed and he is arrested for shooting at a police officer and social worker who were trespassing on thier property. To win over the jury, Benny (Freddy Rodríguez) works to convince the jury that young man was ignorant of the consequences of his actions, but to win the case they will have to prove just the opposite. "Parental Guidance" offers a clever late twist that rather than sink the lawyers' case, actually offers them a new avenue to explore and not only get justice for their client but provide for a future for a young man lost in the new world he finds himself in without his father.

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero - Silent Option #4


G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero - Silent Option wraps up with Ilsa and her human traffickers, with the help of Firefly, looking for revenge by targeting the suburban home of Helix's parents. Far too late do the villains learn that Helix's parents aren't your average suburbanites as it turns out the pair are more than capable of keeping the traffickers at bay until help can arrive.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Arrow - Star City 2040


Arrow spends an entire episode in the future with "Star City 2040" as Mia (Katherine McNamara), William (Jack Moore), Connor Hawke (Joseph David-Jones), Zoe (Andrea Sixtos), and Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) rescue Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and race to stop Kevin Dale (Raj Paul) from blowing up Star City. "Star City 2040" features plenty of questionable old age makeup and future tech as the heroes are not only to storm the castle and rescue the princess but even win back an old ally to their side. Still, Dale has big plans for Star City and Archer (which looks to be the thread which will eventually tie events back to the show's current storyline).

The Umbrella Academy - The Day That Wasn't / The Day That Was


We get alternate versions of the same day in back-to-back episodes, but because the focus of each episode is different not much repeats, although the family ticking off Vanya (Ellen Page), once again by excluding her, remains a constant. After a brief look at Klaus' (Robert Sheehan) time in Vietnam, much of "The Day That Wasn't" focuses on Number 5's (Aidan Gallagher) new job with the Temps Commission as the bides his time, and puts out a couple of poison pills which force Cha Cha (Mary J. Blige) and Hazel (Cameron Britton) into difficult decisions, before bombing the fuck out of the commission and heading back home with a lead.

London Fields


London Fields is a flawed but ambitious film that struggles mightily with adapting the 1989 novel of the same name for the big screen. The film's biggest strength is Amber Heard, cast in the role femme fatale Nicola Six who toys with men's affections for her own selfish gratification and amusement. Despite the film's many failings, Heard's performance isn't one of them nor is the cinematography of Guillermo Navarro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Pacific Rim) who so lovingly frames the beautiful star on-screen. Semi-clairvoyant, Nicola knows the time and place of her death (but not the identity of her killer).

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Transformers #1


For their latest Transformers comic, IDW enlists writer Brian Ruckley and artist Angel Hernandez to wind back the clock before the Transformers ever came to Earth and before the birth of the Decepticons. Transformers #1 offers two plot threads. The first involves Bumblebee and the newly-created Rumble traveling across the surface of Cybertron to a transmission station. Along the way they are joined by Windblade who is the first to notice something seriously wrong when they trio reach their destination.

Supergirl - O Brother, Where Art Thou?


As one villain exits another enters. Believing Manchester Black (David Ajala) to be behind the shooting of James "Don't Call Me Jimmy" Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), J'onn (David Harewood) redoubles his efforts to stop his schemes which are now aided by a Martian staff that makes him even more dangerous. While Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) works to keep the carnage at bay, J'onn will have to put aside his peaceful vows. Manchester exits in relatively forgettable fashion, considering all the trouble he has caused, but J'onn's actions in permanently subduing him foreshadow new problems for the Martian. This leaves Jimmy at the hands of doctors who can't save him and Alex (Chyler Leigh) alone to convince Kelly Olsen (Azie Tesfai) to consider a dangerous experimental cure. Alex forgetting her sister's secret identity has allowed the show to play on the old Superman trope of why the hero's alter ego missing important moments. Will these unexplained absences eventually lead Alex into doing a little snooping?

Domino: Hotshots #1


The first issue of Domino: Hotshots introduces us to the team put together by Black Widow to recover some dangerous alien tech. Fans of Domino's current ongoing comic (also written by Gail Simone) will recognize her two BFFs Outlaw and Diamondback. Rounding out the team are the Widow, Korean spy White Fox, and Wakanda exile Atlas Bear. The mission is obviously related an alien artifact which crashes in the Antarctic, but what is it? Why does Black Widow want it? And why does she need all the luck she can get to retrieve it?

Monday, March 18, 2019

Hawaii Five-0 - Pupuhi ka he'e o kai uli


The death of a fake window washer who it turns out was one of the world's most famous graffiti artists allows for the return of Gerard Hirsch (Willie Garson) when Five-0 reaches out to the former art forger for help in identifying the victim. I'm always happy to see Garson, although his return is a sad reminder that White Collar is no longer on the air. While false leads initially point to motives tied to the victim's art, Five-0 uncovers the real target to be the woman (Patricia Velasquez) the artist was harboring. Her outspoken nature about the evils of her government has branded her a traitor they would go to any lengths to see silenced (including killing the artist and torturing his agent for information).

Young Justice #3


Young Justice #3 focuses on the reunion of Impulse and Superboy while much of the issue fills in Superboy's backstory and informing his teammate, and readers, on how he arrived in Gemworld years ago (although there still is a question about how much time has passed in Gemworld since his arrival).

Legacies - Let's Just Finish the Dance


The Miss Mystic Falls Pageant will bring Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) and Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) closer together as Lizzie coaches the Tribrid to win the pageant (which nearly ends in a Carrie-level meltdown), but events surrounding the night will fracture several other relationships. Penelope (Lulu Antariksa) leaves the school, but not before breaking Josie's (Kaylee Bryant) heart one more time, and creating chaos by disrupting the relationships between Hope and (Peyton Alex Smith) and Landon (Aria Shahghasemi) by informing Landon about what Hope has been keeping from him and continuing her efforts to drive a wedge between the Saltzman sisters.

It's Katsucon 2019 Cosplayers Paradise (Part 3)

Friday, March 15, 2019

Fighting with My Family

Florence Pugh stars as the unconventional Saraya-Jade Bevis in this biopic of a real-life underdog making good. At the time when the WWE was stocking its women's division with models, the goth indie wrestler from an oddball wrestling family in Norwich, England would seem like a long shot to not only make the WWE roster but excel.

Knowing and trusting his source material, and putting his faith in his young stars, Stephen Merchant allows the stories of both Saraya and her brother Zak (Jack Lowden), who is passed over by the WWE, to unfold. For Zak it's the struggle of watching his dreams turn to ash while his sister is handed the golden opportunity he's sought his entire life. And for Saraya it's struggling to find her place in a larger ring, the one place she has always felt at home but is now full of more obstacles than she ever imagined.

Fighting with My Family is a crowd-pleaser featuring some great supporting performances from the likes of Nick Frost and Lena Headey as Sayara's parents and Vince Vaughn as the trainer who offers Sayara her chance and pushes her to succeed.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Whiskey Cavalier - When in Rome


After the mixed success of their first mission, and a little bit of training, the inter-agency team is sent to Rome where a the head of an Italian Fascist movement has hired a bomb maker in order to create a terrorist attack he can blame on an immigrant threat. As in the previous episode, much of the plot revolves around the growing pains of Will Chase (Scott Foley) and Frankie Trowbridge (Lauren Cohan) working together despite their different views of the world and how to best get the job done. Their bickering trickles down to the rest of the team as well, but when it comes time to save the day the various members pull together to defuse the bomb.

Green Lantern #5


Green Lantern #5 finds Hal Jordan working undercover for the Guardians of the Universe to infiltrate the Darkstars in hopes of uncovering the traitor within the Green Lantern Corps. We catch-up to Hal already playing his role as a disatisfied Lantern and a potential initiate for the Darkstars on the planet Vorr. Thrown out on his own into the wastes of Vorr, known as the vampire planet, Jordan is forced to prove his worth by surviving the hostile environment where everything wants him dead.

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Green Arrow #50

The latest volume of Green Arrow comes to a close with Oliver Queen on the run from the government. It seems word has gotten out about the secret box given to Green Arrow by the Justice League in case of emergencies, and those in power want it in their possession at any cost (even if that means calling on Black Canary to help bring the archer in).

The over-sized fiftieth issue is filled with tough decisions, as Dinah is forced to choose between Ollie and the black ops team sent to take him in. Writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing realize a simple truth early in the issue, it doesn't matter what is actually in the box only that there are those willing to fight for it.

Japan Weekend 2019 Cosplay Video

Atomic Robo & the Dawn of a New Era #3


Atomic Robo & the Dawn of a New Era #3 offers the return of a fan favorite character (and just in the nick of time). While fighting off the Space Vampires in Los Alamos, Vikram and Lang receive unexpected help by the sudden arrival of Jenkins who apparently faked his own death and has been secretly waging war against the creatures. While he has been able to hold off the Space Vampire invasion now Jenkins needs help, but unfortunately Tesladyne isn't what it used to be.

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Robin Hood

While marginally more successful than King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, the latest take on Robin Hood suffers from many of the same mistakes such as injecting modern sensibilities into the legend. After a brief introduction to Robin (Taron Egerton) in England, the film races the Lord of Loxley through the Crusades only to return him two-years later after his compassion becomes a problem for his fellow soldiers. Robin returns to find Marian (Eve Hewson) shacked up with another guy (Jamie Dornan) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Ben Mendelsohn) taxing the locals into oblivion. With the help of the Arab (Jamie Foxx), Robin becomes an outlaw to restore justice.

Mixing various elements from other Robin Hood films, and stealing the Zorro/Don Diego set-up as Robin tries to both woo the Sheriff while also stealing form under his nose, director Otto Bathurst's film is a mishmash of stories we've seen done better before. The result is a somewhat entertaining but completely forgettable take on the character that even Egerton's charm can't save.

Monday, March 11, 2019

Katsucon 2019 Cosplay Cinematic Part 1

Hawaii Five-0 - Ai no i ka 'ape he mane'o no ko ka nuku


Pairing up Danny (Scott Caan) and McGarrett's (Alex O'Loughlin) for their own subplot of providing protection to Danny's former mother-in-law (Joan Collins) leaves the rest of Five-0 to investigate the person responsible for spiking a supply of steroids leading to murder. Given the amount of time focused on Danny and Steve waiting on the famous author, it's a bit surprising that the subplot's payoff turns out to be so weak. While Amanda Savage explains her boorish behavior to her former son-in-law, she never apologizes for it (nor does her explanation excuse her actions). The storyline allows Danny to act as her punching bag, a common role for the character, while McGarret receives only her charm (only infuriating Det. Williams all the more).

The Superior Spider-Man #3


Apparently no one ever told the "superior" Spider-Man not to pick a fight with a herald of Galactus. With a little help, Doctor "No I'm Spider-Man Now" Octopus is able to siphon enough of Terrax's Power Cosmic to make it a fair fight between the Superior Spider-Man and the former herald.

Legacies - The Boy Who Still Has a Lot of Good to Do


When no one can find Rafael (Peyton Alex Smith), Landon (Aria Shahghasemi), or MG (Quincy Fouse) on the night of the full moon Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) begins to freak out. After discovering Landon talked MG into communicating with his absentee father (Quincy Fouse) who has not spoken to his son since he became vampire, Alaric (Matthew Davis) becomes concerned as well and enlists the help of Kaleb (Chris De'Sean Lee) while Hope and Emma (Karen David) attempt to get some answers out of a disoriented Rafael who can only remember fragments of the last 24 hours.

Saturday, March 9, 2019

The Flash - King Shark vs. Gorilla Grodd


The idea behind "King Shark vs. Gorilla Grodd" turns out to be more interesting than the execution, but that's not to say the latest episode of The Flash doesn't make the most of the scenes between Grodd and King Shark battling it out in the middle of Central City. The episode starts with Cisco (Carlos Valdes) having created a version of a meta-human cure and the team looking for a willing trial subject to test it on (the fact that Cisco is unwilling to test it on himself, as he still appears to want to rid himself of his vibes, but is willing to use someone else as his guinea pig feels a bit cowardly... but okay). For the team's subject they choose King Shark who Dr. Tanya Lamden (Zibby Allen) has worked with to regain more of his humanity. However, the device Lamden has been using is stolen by Grodd to enhance his own mental powers and force the entire city under his control.

It's Katsucon 2019 Cosplayers Paradise (Part 2)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #2


The BOOM! Studios re-imagining of Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues in issue #2 as we're re-introduced to more core characters from the series (and a couple of new ones). One of the biggest changes here is the new version of Cordelia Chase who has gone from bitchy clique queen to a character so sugary sweet even Willow is jealous. That's certainly a change, but I'll be curious to see what her discovery of vampires might do to her happy-go-lucky mood.

Shadowhunters - Original Sin


As Simon (Alberto Rosende) begins his quest to get his marked removed, Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and Luke (Isaiah Mustafa) begin searching in earnest once they find evidence to support Luke's theory that Clary (Katherine McNamara) is still alive. By the end of the episode Jace and Luke will get their reunion, but Simon's journey of trudging through the subways to talk to Cain (Pasha Ebrahimi) and performing rituals for the Seelie Queen (Lola Flanery) has apparently just begun.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Marvel's Carol Danvers


After dabbling in movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel goes all-in on more hardcore sci-fi with their latest film offering a sort-of alien protagonist in a rebellious Kree warrior who arrives on Earth searching for a scientist before the alien-shape-shifting Skrulls can get their hands on her. Complicating matters for Vers (Brie Larson) are her fractured memories of Earth, only recently returned from her interrogation with the Skrulls, which will not only lead her on a search for a missing scientist but also a discovery into who she is.

Arrow - Brothers & Sisters


"Brothers & Sisters" gets its title from the current storyline of Oliver (Stephen Amell) attempting to help Emiko (Sea Shimooka) and the future arc where William's (Jack Moore) struggles with the knowledge he has a sister (Katherine McNamara, whose conception has been confirmed in the current storyline). Meanwhile, most of the episode's action takes place in A.R.G.U.S.'s attempt use Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) and the Suicide Squad to capture Dante (Adrian Paul). Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) is less than pleased with the discovery that Diggle (David Ramsey) has let Diaz out of prison, and even briefly considers blowing the man's head off (although apparently she's far from the only one with murderous thoughts towards Diaz as Arrow finally seems willing to close the book on the character and move on).

The Reign of the Supermen

The follow-up to The Death of Superman jumps forward six months later as four new Superman have appeared in Metropolis, each claiming to be the original. Adapted from the comic arc of the same name, The Reign of the Supermen introduces us to the Eradicator (Charles Halford), Superboy (Cameron Monaghan), Cyborg-Superman (Jerry O'Connell), and Steel (Cress Williams). Each attempts to fill the shoes of the fallen hero, but with different motives and ideals in mind. Of course, before the end, the real Superman (O'Connell) will return (clad in the black and silver suit from the original comic run) to save the day.

While mainly focused on Lois Lane's (Rebecca Romijn) grief and investigation into the new stand-ins, the plot also involves Darkseid's (Tony Todd) latest plan to invade Earth involving one of the Supermen and turning citizens into conduits for Boom Tubes. The odd plan comes so close to success it even requires Lex Luthor (Rainn Wilson) to save the Justice League.

SHAZAM! #3


While Billy and the rest of the kids enjoy their time in the Funlands, it's Mary who suspects there is more going on than just sunshine, rainbows, and lollipops. Sure, King Kid seems pleasant enough, and is helpful in giving the group some background into the various lands long closed off from the Rock of Eternity, but there's obviously more to his backstory than he is letting on and he's a bit too eager to share in the magic of the wizard.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Supergirl - What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?


With President Baker (Bruce Boxleitner) continuing to take more of a pro-human stance, and the escape from prison of Manchester Black (David Ajala) who has teamed up with Menagerie (Jessica Meraz) and Hat (Louis Ozawa Changchien) to provide a pro-alien response to the Agents of Liberty, Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) struggles to find a right course of action. The discovery that the United States Government plans to launch a satellite which will shoot down all alien ships attempting to reach Earth, something The Elite plan to stop, only further muddies the water as Kara attempts to find a way to fight The Elite and still protect alien life on Earth (and in the skies above) without unintentionally helping either side in human vs. alien tension that is reaching a boiling point.

It's Katsucon 2019 Cosplayers Paradise (Part 1)

Monday, March 4, 2019

Action Comics #1008


Action Comics #1008 is most notable for returning Lois Lane to The Daily Planet newsroom for the first time in months. This includes some fun interactions between Lois and various of the newsroom (and one very important altercation that doesn't take place). We also some fun dialogue between Lois and Superman on the way in to work.

Legacies - There's a Mummy on Main Street


The latest episode of Legacies offers a road trip (featuring a montage of fun moments among the group packed into a minivan), the return of agents from the mysterious Triad Industries, Kaleb (Chris De'Sean Lee) being a team player, a mummy (which turns out to be one of the cooler monsters of the season so far), and a cathartic release between Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell), Josie (Kaylee Bryant), and Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) as old secrets and resentments boil up to the surface. The last of these helps explain Lizzy's attitude to Hope as Josie is forced to come clean about a mistake from her past that while damaging to everyone involved is also kind of sweet when put into context.

Cosplayer of the Week - Karrigan Taylor


Karrigan Taylor is a cosplayer and model. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also support her by purchasing photosets on her store.

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Carmen Sandiego - The Opera in the Outback Caper


Carmen (Gina Rodriguez) heads to Sydney, and later the Australian Outback, while trying to foil V.I.L.E.'s latest scheme involving launching a rocket prematurely and wreaking havoc on the locals. Part of V.I.L.E's plan involves hypnotizing a rocket scientist (Liam O'Brien) at the Sydney Opera House, and while Zack (Michael Hawley) and Ivy (Abby Trott) are able to prevent the scientist from launching the rocket, a brainwashed Carmen nearly completes V.I.L.E.'s plans.

The Good Cop - Who is the Ugly German Lady?


When a friend of Tony Sr. (Tony Danza) breaks out of prison and attacks a couple, injuring the husband (David Furr) and killing the wife (Hannah Tinker), and then shows up for sanctuary, Senior is put in a bind. Dressing Sherman (John Carroll Lynch) up as a woman, Senior attempts to hide him from Tony Jr. (Josh Groban), who is investigating the case, while doing a little investigating of his own and discovering he believes Sherman isn't responsible for the murder. Lynch proves to be a good guest-star despite some questionable writing. "Who is the Ugly German Lady?" is a goofy episode that takes Junior far too long to see through Sherman's questionable disguise (especially after they share a meal together). The framing of the episode also leaves no doubt from the opening scene who the real killer is. In the end it will take Cora (Monica Barbaro) making the obvious connection to save all three men's lives from the husband who has spent more than a year planning out the perfect murder and isn't willing to let anything jeopardize his plans.