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Win ‘Void Star’ by Zachary Mason

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Not far in the future the seas have risen and the central latitudes are emptying, but it’s still a good time to be rich in San Francisco, where weapons drones patrol the skies to keep out the multitudinous poor. Irina isn’t rich, not quite, but she does have an artificial memory that gives her perfect recall and lets her act as a medium between her various employers and their AIs, which are complex to the point of opacity. It’s a good gig, paying enough for the annual visits to the Mayo Clinic that keep her from aging.

Kern has no such access; he’s one of the many refugees in the sprawling drone-built favelas on the city’s periphery, where he lives like a monk, training relentlessly in martial arts, scraping by as a thief and an enforcer. Thales is from a different world entirely—the mathematically inclined scion of a Brazilian political clan, he’s fled to L.A. after the attack that left him crippled and his father dead.

A ragged stranger accosts Thales and demands to know how much he can remember. Kern flees for his life after robbing the wrong mark. Irina finds a secret in the reflection of a laptop’s screen in her employer’s eyeglasses. None are safe as they’re pushed together by subtle forces that stay just out of sight.

Vivid, tumultuous, and propulsive, Void Star is Zachary Mason’s mind-bending follow-up to his bestselling debut, The Lost Books of the Odyssey.

And we’re giving away two copies!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “VOID STAR” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Zachary Mason received a doctorate from this university?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 30th, 2017.


‘Teen Titans: The Judas Contract’ (review)

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The classic Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans story, The Judas Contract has been updated and fit into the current DCAU by director Sam Liu. While there are some key elements to the story and an overall respect for the source material throughout, this is very much a 2017 DC Comics Animated movie.

The team differs from the original Titans, an additional time frame and a sinister vibe and double-cross from the movie’s villains Brother Blood (Gregg Henry) and Deathstroke (played by the late, great Miguel Ferrer) add another layer to the dense story of betrayal from inside the team. Our animated Titans are led by Starfire (Kari Wahlgren) and the red-Bat New 52 Nightwing (Sean Maher).Beast Boy (Brandon Soo Hoo) returns as a major star in this one as he faces off against his crush and newly initiated team member Terra / Tara Markov (Christina Ricci).

Noticeably absent, likely for Justice League reasons is Cyborg, but Raven (Taissa Farmiga) and Blue Beetle / Jamie Reyes (Jake T. Austin) round out the roster.

Though credited as creators of the source, Wolfman and Perez aren’t involved with this incarnation of The Judas Contract (though the four issues are available on ComiXology). Ernie Altbacker (Justice League Dark/Static Shock) penned this adaptation which has a lot going for it, not least of all the integration of modern versions of the characters, including everyone’s salty 10 year old, Damian Wayne / Robin (Stuart Allan).

A rogue has infiltrated the Titans in order to collect powers for the advancement of Brother Blood and H.I.V.E. by way of being manipulated by Deathstroke. Deathstroke’s contract with Sebastian Blood is to feed a nefarious machine that can suck the powers from each of our heroes and transfer them to Blood.

This is the 28th in the Animated Movie series, but the 8th in those set in the New 52 Universe. Here’s to hoping they don’t “Rebirth” the heck outta the DCAU, it’s confusing enough. Those that may follow my reviews (and those that don’t – hi!) will see a mostly favorable nod toward animated DC properties of all ages. This is where DC and Warner have Marvel beat in my opinion, and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is no exception. I really enjoyed this one, if merely for the fact that I wanted to do the research and read the comics after moderating a panel with Marvelous Marv Wolfman last year where he talked of his most precious creation, Raven.

I’m not a big Titans’ fan, more of a Nightwing fan, but as Scooby-gangs go of course I can play along. The New 52 Damian is even more fun to hear sass back and gets humanized a bit  more for me in these movies, making me enjoy this Robin. Might we see a Dick Grayson Batman and Robin DCAU movie? I can only hope.

The worst part of this movie was that Terra seemed a bit young to be moving from stealing a kiss from Beast Boy to wanting to cozy up to a grey bearded Deathstroke. Eww. This definitely wasn’t necessary and was a little gross. And so was Batman and Batgirl getting Batty in the belfry in The Killing Joke. Someone on the creative team needs to cut this stuff out and give these young girls some agency. I’m still scratching my head as to how old Tara was supposed to be in The Judas Contract.

Big points for a Kevin Smith cameo teased early on in the film, and Beast Boy appearing on his podcast. I know it is fan service but it seemed pretty natural and funny.

Big plusses as to what makes the movie work is that the foundation of the story is so strong it would be hard to mess up. Added touches like Blue Beetle’s side story with his family (the scarab dislikes his Dad) were charming and nice. Robin searching for Tara while she sneaks off to meet up with Deathstroke is exactly what he would do. He loves to patrol!

We see the giant T (Titans Tower) as a living character itself, with a ‘Danger Room’ style training gym, and Avengers Mansion type facilities, giving these Titans a place to call home. It’s not that special, I guess, compared to X-Mansions and other superhero hideaways but it is nice to shift attention away from the Batcave occasionally.

Starfire struggles with moving into an apartment with Dick but also with her leadership skills and her relationship with Nightwing. The sexual chemistry between these two is off the charts! Look out, Babs!

No spoilers here, but this is another solid animated movie and makes me grow closer to the Titans as a concept.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is now available on Digital HD,
Blu-ray Deluxe Giftset, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD

 

Graphic Breakdown: Batman Watches The Watchmen…Finally!

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Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown.

This has been a hell of a week for comic books. Let’s start with the best of the week!

 

All Star Batman #9
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Jock

I’m just going to come right out and say it: if you put Jock on a title, I’m buying it. I don’t care what it is. Jock is one of my favorite artists. His work is dynamic, well paced, and original. His artwork on this book is stunning as well.

This is the end of the storyline “Ends of the Earth.”

This issue features a battle of the wits against a surprise villain.

Snyder handles it with his usual pizazz. The writing is wonderful and deep. It’s a good read overall.

If you haven’t gotten in on this book, do so. It’s not only one of the best reads, month in and month out….it is also one of the more intelligent books out there.

This is a fine book indeed. Tell your friends.

RATING: A

 

Deathstroke #17
Written by Christopher Priest
Illustrated by Joe Bennett

I talk about every issue of Deathstroke like it’s the second coming. Here’s the reasons why: First, the covers. The covers on this single issue are by Bill Sienkiewicz and the other is by Shane Davis. They are both amazing. Pick one. You can’t go wrong.

Then there is the interior art. The art is always strong no matter who is doing it.

Finally, the story. Priest has crafted one of the best books to come out the past year.

This is part six of the “Twilight” storyline. It’s damn good. This issue focuses on a fight between Deathstroke and the new Power Girl. It’s action packed and plain awesome.

Pick this book up. For the best experience, pick it up from the beginning. Well worth your time.

RATING: A

 

The Wildstorm #3
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Jon Davis-Hunt

Warren Ellis is crafting quite a masterpiece on this title.

Ellis has been writing a lot of books over the years…some are bigger hits than others. For me, this is one of the bigger hits.

It takes characters you may remember and spins them around and takes them someplace new.

Angela Spica is wounded and she is on the run. Can she survive the forces that are after her? Is there something new that will help her her out of this? And will that something new change the universe as we know it?

It’s a great story. The art is something special as well. Jon Davis-Hunt really turns in some amazing artwork here. Pick this up. It’s another intelligent comic book, and I’m loving every second of it.

RATING: A

 

Batman #21
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Jason Fabok

All right. This is a pretty damn good Batman book. Finally.

Tom King does a really nice writing job here. It’s a great step forward for the book in general. It’s also a step forward for the Rebirth storyline.

Batman is in his cave playing with the Comedian’s button.

Then, the Reverse Flash shows up. He fights Batman. That’s pretty much all that happens.

King does his usual thing of focusing on something specific and lingering there. He does the same in this issue.

Yet, this time it’s actually thrilling.

A huge chunk of that has to do with the artwork of Jason Fabok.

Fabok does a killer job here. It’s passionate. The storytelling is top notch. He just blows everyone else who has worked on this title since last year out of the water. It’s awesome.

Pick this up. It’s an incredible chapter in the Rebirth storyline. Maybe the best yet.

RATING: A

 

Nightwing #19
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Javier Fernandez
Published by DC Comics

You would think with such a cool title bad “Nightwing Must Die” for a storyline, this book would have a lot more energy. As it stands, its a passable story with a passable plot line.

Dick Grayson has to confront demons from the past in this issue. It’s a fairly standard read. It should be more fun.

Seeley should be taken off this title at this point. He needs to recharge the old batteries so to speak.

The art isn’t bad. I wish it were more exciting. At this point now?

We need a Rebirth for the Rebirth on this title.

RATING: C+

 

 

Superman #21
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Patrick Gleason

Another fine issue of Superman hits the stands this week! I cannot think of a time I’ve been this excited about a Superman title coming out.

Tomasi and Gleason really have found their groove here. Each issue feels like it links to the Rebirth mystery. It feels like clues have been strewn throughout the books. I cannot say enough about it all.

The mystery behind Hamilton gets even deeper in this issue.

And Superman has to make a choice about killing someone…in front of his son no less! There is tons of drama and suspense.

The last page killed me. It’s beautiful and mysterious. It gave me chills and I don’t even know why. That’s a testament to great storytelling and this book has it in spades.

RATING: A

 

Aquaman #21
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Scot Eaton

The H20 storyline continues On in this issue! It’s a fairly cool entry into the Aquaman mythos. The whole story went a little wacky.

Luckily, I love wacky.

This was a good time.

So apparently Aquaman and Mera discover exactly what it is they are hunting for. It wasn’t what they were expecting however. It turns out the strange water in the ocean is actually a portal to an alien world.

Like I said before, it’s wacky.

Abnett handles the writing well and the art by Eaton is good. Pick this one up. It won’t change your life, but it will entertain you for ten minutes or so.

RATING: B+

 

Lucifer #17
Written by Richard Kadrey
Illustrated by Lee Garbett

This issue is another solid entry in this comic book series. It continues the storyline “Blood in the Streets” and it’s a fairly good issue overall.

Richard Kadrey deserves a lot of credit for that. His writing is very good, and draws the reader right in. Lucifer is recovering from a demonic drug. Meanwhile, an assassin is trying to take him out. It’s a good hook, and Kadrey really brings it home.

The art is good too. Garbett has a real feel for this book and it shows.

Overall, a solid read. This is a sleeper book you should pick up.

 

RATING: B

 

 

Trinity #8
Written by Cullen Bunn
Illustrated by Emanuela Lupacchino

This is a follow up to the Superman: Reborn storyline! The opening sequence features Superman vs. Superman! It starts off kind of fun. Then, the whole thing fell apart for me.

The problem is, the whole issue just repeats information we already know.

Yes, there is someone who messed with time.

Yes, it involves the Watchmen. Let’s just get to it already.

I’m tired of the Green Guy in the hood and cloak who may or may not be Ozymandias from Watchmen staring at a screen saying “something is coming!”

The art is very good but I’m not a Cullen Bunn fan…at least when he writes for mainstream. The whole issue feels redundant. Pass.

RATING: C

 

Welcome To The Planet: “Have I Ever Told You That ‘Cave Carson’ Is Brilliant?”

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Cave Carson is the undeniable winner of ‘Best Book Of The Week’ but it was a fierce competition with Super Sons and Green Arrow.

Green Lanterns and Superwoman feature stories with shining moments that ultimately fall short. Despite each storyline burgeoning with the potential to tell groundbreaking stories about mental illness they seem to reluctantly skirt around the issue and then actively avoid dealing with it. Odyssey of The Amazons and  Justice League are the most fatigue inducing reads, guilty of that old tag ‘Made For Trade’, but both with a noticeable lack of content to fulfill that promise.

If you disagree I’d like to hear why, perhaps you though Justice League was superb? Maybe you just don’t ‘get’ Cave Carson?

This is my look into the DC Universe this week!

 

ODYSSEY OF THE AMAZONS #4
Writer: Kevin Grievioux
Artists: Ryan Benjamin, Don Ho & Tony Washington
Cover: Ryan Benjamin, Matt Banning & Alex Sinclair

The Amazons are taken to Valhalla, heavenly home of warriors who have fallen in combat where they meet Odin himself.

Hessia, through the Norse queen learns where the Amazons came from and the secrets of their race and how they the warrior race spread across the globe. Valhalla holds many more secrets but Hessia refuses to give up on her mission and swears to find a way back to Earth to rescue her remaining sisters who are now captives of the Jotun Storm Giants. A war is coming and Hessia and her sisters are the only ones who can fight it.

I know it might just be me but I’ve given up.

Hessia and her teams search, the battles, the fate… it all leads to boredom.

You may think I’m being cruel but no matter how you dress it up this story is overlong and anything it had going for it was not enough for a six parter – it was a 3-4 parter at most. The padding is insufferable it is like watching an a soap opera. Unless this story has some kind of bigger pay off for the DCU and Themyscira and Wonder Woman I fail to see the point of the story because it is not painting the Amazon history in a positive light.

ISSUE RATING 3/5

 

SUPER SONS #3
When I Grow Up – Part 2: Sibling Rivalry
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Cover: Jorge Jimenez & Alejandro Sanchez
Variant Cover: Dustin Nguyen

Jon and Damian are up against their own fathers but nothing is as it seems in this mystery as the World’s Finest turn out to be androids!

With Kid Amazo on the rampage Jon befriends the villains sister but even with her aid the two boys struggle to fight back. Kid Amazo creates androids of the boys making the threat even bigger. Reggie is determined to win the day and unless Damian and Jon pull together and help Sara this child of the Amazo Virus might just succeed.

The strength of this book is character. Jon and Damian make this a joy to read, their constant bickering yet obvious kinship make it a far from formulaic read.

I’m not sold on Kid Amazo yet mainly because he’s been alluded to a lot but not seen and the bait and switch with Clark and Bruce was just cruel!

I love the energy not just shining through the writing but the artwork too. The boys seem to come to life in these pages in a completely different way to elsewhere in the DCU.

ISSUE RATING 5/5

 

GREEN ARROW #21
The Rise of Star City: Part 1
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Cover: Juan Ferreyra
Variant Cover: Mike Grell & Lovern Kindzierski

Reminiscent of the first season of Arrow, The Ninth Circle are proving to be a deadly threat for Ollie and Team Arrow – perhaps even his biggest.

There is more to the Star in the city name… it is more like a deadly pentagram and its curse has begun to gain momentum. With several of the cities most powerful men and women as members and Ollie now an outlaw, the city is in now at the mercy of this dark organisation.

Throw in Lexair Flight 733 and the return to bullet train assassin Eddie Fyers and Oliver Queen’s discovery of a family connection to the Circle and Rebirth gives the emerald archer a threat even he might not be able to defeat.

Emerald Outlaw was an interesting read, the Return of Roy Harper was enjoyable but now we’re seeing all the little story and character threads that have been in play since Rebirth began coming together. Unlike many other books, Green Arrow and Supergirl have incorporated much of their television adaptations into their modern stories. This is understandable considering they can draw upon elements that were popular in the show and create a bridge between them without alienating the original fans.

I never knew the character before Justice League Unlimited aired so my connection to the book is the series and I like Percy blending the elements.

Juan Ferreyra’s art proves a winner too with some stunning layouts of the crash and the city burning down in the climax. We also have that breathtaking cover, only Batwoman‘s painted covers come close to its perfection.

ISSUE RATING 5/5

 

BATWOMAN #2
The Many Arms of Death Part 2: Running Up That Hill
Writers: Marguerite Bennett & James Tynion IV
Artist: Steve Epting
Cover: Steve Epting
Variant Cover: J.G Jones

Kate Kane has returned to Coryana to discover why Monster Venom has suddenly shown up there – a place tied to her originals, the place where her Batwoman identity was born. Coryana is not the paradise Kate remembers as her former closest friends, and confidants are now her deadliest enemies. If they fail to kill Kate they suffer her proposed fate instead and a villain known as The Knife is determined to put an end to Kate at all costs.

After a very weak start, Batwoman abandons much of those confusing (and equally dull) flashback sequences and focuses on expanding upon the story further rather than dwelling on the past.

Kate begins using her skill, her experience and her determination to give the quest meaning and for us the reader, a jumping on point to begin the journey.

It is a slow burner of a book I’ll tell you that much but if you have the patience it is worth the wait.

ISSUE RATING 4/5

 

SUPERWOMAN #9
Steel Resolve (Superman Reborn Aftermath Tie-In)
Writer: K Perkins
Artist: Stephen Segovia
Inker: Art Thibert
Cover: Billy Tan & HiFi
Variant Cover: Renato Guedes

When Lana unleashed her solar flare it was so powerful it seems to have left her completely powerless.

For Superman, this couldn’t have come at a worse time as he is trying to muster the forces of the Super Family to fight whatever threat Mr Oz represents.

For Lana, her life is again thrown into disarray.

She had only just gotten used to being Super, after being desperate to be free of the curse of her powers and now she is left with a desire to help but no means to do it.

Lana pushes Nat, Lois and John Henry away when they try to support her and it takes Clark opening up about the events of Reborn and his insights into Lana’s inner strength that helps Lana pull herself together.

A fight between the SCU’s newest recruit, Atomic Skull, and super villain Remnant forces Lana to face up to herself and her destiny.

A poorly timed tie in and though forging the Clark/Lana bond anew is necessary, Lois, who is now familiar with the fact she was also Superwoman is completely relegated from the story and even more bizarre, Lana has no superpowers now and the issue spends it’s entirety building up Lana to embracing her role as a hero.

Steel and Natasha are also left at the curb and a subplot with Atomic Skull is awarded more page time.

After such a turbulent introduction and all that character work it seems wholly bizarre that it is all dispatched with in favour of such a dull follow up. I can only hope that either the book gets back onto a familiar track or forges ahead offering something bold and new because this almost felt like it was a ‘ book wind down’ and if not for Clark’s comment that he needs all the Super Family ready for an upcoming battle I’d be inclined to believe my feelings.

ISSUE RATING 3/5

 

CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE #7
Have I Ever Told You The Story of When I Saved Superman?
Writers: Jon Rivera & Gerard Way
Art: Michael Avon Oeming
Cover: Michael Avon Oeming & Nick Filardi
Variant Cover: Robert Hack

Team Carson, the refugees, Wild Dog and a now cybernetic eyeless Cave have managed to temporarily evade EBX, Whisperer and his mutant army.

An odd time then that Cav begins to reminisce about his adventures of yesteryear with the Superman but the vision has more to do with the battle in the here and now than even Cave realises and when Doc Fijal revives him he discovers a week has passed and Whisperer has brought his threat to the surface world!

The writers and artist have teased Superman for a long while in the book and to see Cave actually fighting side by side with the Man of Steel is brilliant.

It isn’t a real team up, not in the traditional sense as even while it plays out it becomes clear it is a more polished idealist narrative but unlike Superwoman’s more ‘on the nose’ approach this story had a more subtle influence. A strangely timed, break in the story for such a lengthy flashback but then again, after last issue’s gruesome climax we needed a little respite.

ISSUE RATING 5/5

 

HARLEY QUINN #18
Red Meat Part 2: Reduction
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner
Artists: John Timms, Joseph Michael Linsner, Alex Sinclair & Jeremiah Skipper
Cover: Amanda Conner & Alex Sinclair
Variant Cover: Frank Cho & Laura Martin

Mayor Deperto has been determined to lower the rate of homeless people putting a strain on the cities resources but when his assistant reveals she hired cannibals to remedy the situation, far from being horrified the Mayor is elated!

With Harley Quinn a threat to their plot, a gang of thugs has captured her and only Eggy and Red Tool can help.

With the plot a success the Mayor and his assistant offer to pay the cannibals and send them on their merry way, however, they have other ideas. Now Harley is their captive, the city is at their mercy and because of their involvement, the authorities are powerless to stop them.

Step in Red Tool and Eggy with a deadly rescue mission.

Harley’s book is always one for over the top story-telling and this is no exception. It is a book that requires you to embrace its style and accept its many elements without question. The rotating art team is one that makes it difficult to enjoy as it constantly changes however the writing remains strong and true to character so I’m enjoying this off the wall style.

ISSUE RATING 4/5

 

GREEN LANTERNS #21
Polarity Chapter 3: Flatline
Writer: Sam Humphries
Artist: Robson Rocha
Inkers: Daniel Henriques & Joe Prado
Cover: Lee Weeks & Dave McCaig
Variant Cover: Emanuela Lupacchino & Michael Atiyeh

Seth flatlines and both Jessica and Simon fight to try to get him to a hospital.

Emerson, consumed by his Dr Polaris identity is the only thing standing in their way.

Simon tells Emerson of his rings healing powers and offers to use his will to heal the dying man but it doesn’t work and in revenge Polaris uses his immense power to pull the JLA Watchtower plummeting to Earth. Distracted the two Green Lanterns allow Polaris to escape and using their power prevent its crash. The two heroes can barely catch their breath before John Stewart tells them they are being relieved of duty as Lanterns of Sector 2814 and a new destiny on Planet Mogo awaits them.

Taking a few steps back the storyline has been tip toeing around the story elements Humphries has introduced. It never really takes full advantage of Dr Polaris’ mental state and aside from setting up Emerson as a future foe. The Lanterns mishandle every aspect of going up against this foe and worse still their dispatch to Mogo meant there was no time to deal with the death they could have prevented, the foe they could have saved and their own character development.

ISSUE RATING 3/5

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE #19
Timeless Part 5
Writer: Bryan Hitch
Artist: Fernando Pasarin
Inker: Matt Ryan
Cover: Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan & Brad Anderson
Variant Cover: Yanick Paquette & Nathan Fairbairn

The Justice League reconvene in the present day as Molly reveals her plan to smite the Earth of all metahumans.

When Superman stands in her way and reveals to Batman and the others that they have been deceived Molly swears to kill Lois and Jon as her first act.

The team stands together as Tempus reveals Molly has used them to drain the Timeless’ power for her own use. The League stands together and protects Lois & Jon and with the help of the team at Infinity they are able to render Molly powerless. The threat however is not over as Molly tells them by defeating her they have started a chain reaction for something even worse to come into effect… something not even they can hope to stop.

Overlong… wait I’ve used that a few times in this column haven’t I?

Well this is just as padded as Odyssey Of The Amazons and fitting I suppose that it bookends the column.

Part two retold part one and though there were one or two scenes that progressed the over all story, Timeless dragged along unnecessarily and that ‘shocking climax’ from the solicit description only served to created even more of a wait. Let’s be honest had there been better on point storytelling both Tempus & Molly wouldn’t have been around for conjecture five issues later.

ISSUE RATING 3/5

 

FOG! Chats With J.T. Krul, Writer of ‘Sand+Bone’

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Comics writer J.T. Krul is best known for his work recently on Green Arrow and Teen Titans, but cut his chops at Aspen with Fathom and Soulfire. His latest book, Sand + Bone, from Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray’s Adaptive Books, J.T. and artist Andrea Mutti tackle PTSD and an unexplained supernatural phenomenon.

Sean Hitcher has just returned from war. He didn’t die in Iraq, but part of him wishes that he did. He’s home now, back in the small Midwestern town he grew up in. But he is haunted by nightmarish visions of killing and carnage that seem to be the result of severe PTSD. But are they? Is there something he’s missing. …

As mysterious acts of violence spread throughout the town, Sean begins to wonder if there’s more going on than he originally thought. What terror did he experience on the battlefield, and what horrifying secret did he bring back with him?

J.T. took some time to discuss Sand + Bone, PTSD and working with Adaptive Books.

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FOG!: Thanks for joining us to discuss Sand + Bone! First off, we can’t ignore the art on this book. How did you hook up with Andrea Mutti?

J.T. Krul: That was actually thanks to Jimmy and Justin. They’ve been working with Adaptive to develop their graphic novels, and as we started putting the project together, they recommended Andrea. His style works great with the tone and vibe of the story we are telling. It’s dark and brooding, with a lot of the mystery and the drama hidden in the shadows. And, Vladimir Popov really complements Andrea’s art perfectly, adding a sense of texture and grit in his colors.

The book deals with soldiers suffering from PTSD — and returning home after the war. How is that homecoming different these days as opposed to different generations? Or has homecoming always be as challenging and timeless as war itself?

I think life after war can be challenging for any service member no matter which particular conflict they faced. In terms of how it’s different, I think part of it is the extent to which the wounds and the pain are hidden in many cases. Nobody doubted the horrors faced in the first two great wars, but talking about it wasn’t something that was done for the most part.

I recall a story about one WWII soldier whose own family didn’t even know that he served until after his death. Society almost compelled them to suffer in silence. Likewise, those from the Vietnam War also struggled with the yet-to-be diagnosed PTSD, but for them, the negative stigma of the war led them to be rejected after they came home.

To me, that also seemed like one of the greatest failings of this nation. Here we had young people, many drafted against their will, forced to take part in an unpopular, and when they finally made it home – their nation (and their citizens) shunned them to a certain extent. For today’s veterans who saw war in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, I think there is something of a disconnect.

 

Everyone is quick to wave a flag or wear a yellow ribbon and state their support for the troops, but the fact of the matter is that we are not doing anywhere near enough to take care of them. We’ll cheer a soldier in uniform standing center ice at a hockey game, but as a nation we leave them with inadequate care and support.

Without spoiling anything, Sean does transition in a huge way. How will people like his ex Hannah’s reaction to this change affect his ability to adapt to his new situation?

Sean changed on the battlefield, and for him there is no going back, no recovery, no cure. In much the same way that the reality of his time in service (what he’s seen and done) creates a barrier between him and people like Hannah, so too does his new reality.

What – in your opinion – is the #1 thing people should be aware about veterans with PTSD? Also, what got you interested in making a book about the subject?

More than anything, people need to be aware of how big a problem it is throughout the veteran community. So many soldiers may return home physically intact, but their damage is buried within. Too many of those who have fought for this nation take their own lives because the help they need is just not there, or they lack the access, or they get lost in the societal false narrative that such problems are a result of their own weakness.

I’ve met many service men and woman while working the comic industry, and I have seen their struggles and heard their stories. Aside from the families directly affected, wartime goes largely unacknowledged here at home. So, any chance we have to shine a light on the price they pay, I think it’s a good thing.

Is Sand + Bone meant to be a continuing story, is this the first volume with more to come?

Not to reveal too much, but I think it lends itself to the possibility for more to come.

What role to Jimmy and Justin play with Adaptive Books and this book?

Jimmy and Justin have played an integral part in the development of Sand + Bone. They bring a tremendous amount of talent and experience with them and have been involved every step of the way. Adaptive is really showing itself to be adept at mining the right kinds of stories and having people like Jimmy and Justin helping out really elevates the entire process.

Do you have and more books coming down the pike? Where can we follow you on social media?

I have published the first two novels in my Lost Spark series and continue to write regularly for comics. With Aspen Comics, I have a new volume of Soulfire in stores right now, and later in the year I’ll be launching the third volume of my creator-owned fantasy adventure series called Jirni. People can reach me on Twitter @jtkrul.

Sand + Bone is available now.

‘Wet Hot American Summer’: The Roleplaying Game Comes To Kickstarter

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Put on your cut-off shorts, wail on your acoustic guitar, and make sure you’ve got your 20-sided die, because The Devastator, America’s only all-humor press, is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund an officially licensed role playing game (RPG) based on the classic comedy film WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER.

Approved by WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER co-writer and director David Wain, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FANTASY CAMP is an old school tabletop RPG that allows fans to play as a camper, counselor or staffer, such as Coop, Beth or Gene, and experience one insane day at Camp Firewood. Hump a fridge, end up at a secret pizza party, or save the camp from a renegade piece of Skylab, just like in the original film!

“Who wouldn’t want to play an RPG with drugs, sex, and talking vegetables?” said WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FANTASY CAMP co-author Lee Keeler. “We are thrilled to be working with David Wain, and are glad that he hopped on board when we pitched him the idea for the game.”

“WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FANTASY CAMP is both a compelling stand-alone reading experience and just plain fun to play,” said The Devastator co-founder and game author Geoffrey Golden. “The game includes three customizable story-paths: Save the Camp, Superstardom, and Bonfire Boinking. But even if you’re allergic to the idea of playing an RPG, you’ll want to read the rulebook, which was ‘written’ by The Indoor Kids in 1981.”

“You don’t have to be a crowned class B Dungeon Master to play this game,” said Devastator co-founder Amanda Meadows. “If you’re terrible at math, you’ll still enjoy the experience. My partner co-wrote this game and he’s absolutely terrible at math.”

“Hey now,” said Golden. “But she’s right. Damn you, Emerson College!”

If funded through Kickstarter, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FANTASY CAMP will be available to backers in November 2017. Talent from the WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER film are already backing the RPG, with a book forward from David Wain and “game tip” interviews with actors Michael Ian Black, Joe Lo Truglio, and Marguerite Moreau on how to kickass playing as their characters McKinley, Neil, and Katie. As campaign perks, backers can get the book as a digital download, or as a physical copy (some of which are autographed by the game’s creators). The Devastator will even mail you postcards from Camp Firewood or an actual bottle of dick cream. Backers will also have the chance to play the game early with the creators!

“This summer, Netflix will release WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: TEN YEARS LATER,” said Amanda Meadows. “But today, summer comes early with this RPG, and the Dice of Fate is in your hands.”

The WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FANTASY CAMP
Kickstarter campaign is live now and runs through May 17th.

To pledge your support, click HERE!

For updates, follow @DevastatorPress on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Win ‘Sword Master’ on Blu-ray!

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In this beautifully shot wuxia epic, a powerful swordsman is haunted by the destructive impact his deadly talents have on others. Weary of the bloodshed and violence from the martial arts world, he banishes himself to the humble life a vagrant, wandering the fringes of society. But his violent past refuses to let him go quietly. The master swordsman must regain the ability to wield his sword and fight those disrupting the peace he so desperately craves.

Director Derek Yee joins forces with producer Tsui Hark to bring this classic story of a master swordsman to life.

And we’re giving away three copies!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “SWORD MASTER” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Producer Tsui Hark, who is one of the great names in modern Hong Kong cinema,
got his education at this United States university?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 30th, 2017.

‘The Promise’ (review)

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Produced by Eric Esrailian,
Mike Medavoy, William Horberg
Written by Terry George, Robin Swicord
Directed by Terry George
Starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon,
Christian Bale, Daniel Giménez Cacho,
Shohreh Aghdashloo, Rade Šerbedžija

 

The Promise centers on hopeful Armenian medical student Mikael (Oscar Isaac), as he takes the dowry from his engagement to a local village girl to study in Constantinople. While staying with his uncle he meets the beautiful and bewitching Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) who is from a neighboring village.

Unfortunately she is in a relationship with American reporter Chris (Christian Bale).

As the Turkish empire becomes increasingly hostile toward Armenians, their relationships with each other are tested.

Set in the time of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks, The Promise gives a harrowing account of tragedies that are still denied today by the Turkish government.

It is unfortunate that director Terry George decided to shoehorn a love triangle between Chris, Ana, and Mikael into what could have been a great movie about Mikael’s journey from a time of hopeful dreaming to deadly fear of his own government. The love story would not be such a dreadful addition if any chemistry existed between Ana and either man. There was no believable passion in any of their scenes together. Even as Mikael pulls Ana close to indulge in their desires, it feels cold and forced.

On the other hand, when the story focuses on the plight of the Armenian people in a world where Turkish aggression leads to the state sanctioned murder of their community, it shines. Here is the George we know from Hotel Rwanda, who can create heart wrenching shots of tragedy that suck the very air from your lungs. A scene where Mikael clutches the body of a loved one and chokingly cries out his despair is especially chilling. However, death and violence are not as prevalent as the sweeping romance the film keeps dragging us back to. This movie would have been greatly improved if the ratios were reversed for the two storylines. It is not that the movie needs more violence; it is simply that the genocide is a far more interesting story.

With the soap-y script that the actors were given, they were still relatively interesting across the board. Oscar Isaac was strongest when not burdened by love scenes. His turn in the middle of the film at a work camp particularly stands out as an excellent 20 minutes of story. Watching Isaac struggle to return home and the following march to Musa Dagh with other survivors in the region is part of the upturn in the movie’s pacing. Bale plays an honest and ethically unflappable Associated Press reporter with his usual brilliance. Even as a complete savior persona his character is likable and worth rooting for. The weakest performance is turned in by Le Bon. Her acting is serviceable, but pales next to her costars ability to draw focus even in silence.

The Promise is an old school romantic historical drama but it feels overly syrupy when it strays from history and chooses drama. But the story of an underpublicized genocide is worth the ticket price if only to bring knowledge to a conversation that has needed to happen. This is a flowery but well-meaning start to that discussion.

 


‘The Lost City of Z’ (review)

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Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner,
Anthony Katagas, James Gray, Dale Armin Johnson

Screenplay by James Gray
Based on The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Directed by James Gray
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson,
Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Angus Macfadyen,
Ian McDiarmid, Franco Nero

 

What if you were given the chance to rewrite history?

In recent months, many screenwriters and directors have been faced with this dilemma. With the surge of true cinema audiences have seen dramatic interpretations of moments in history previously unknown to the greater public. How did stories like the black women computers at NASA or the man who made McDonald’s what it is today escape big screen treatment?

In The Lost City of Z James Gray brings to light the strange tale of British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared on an expedition to the Amazon in the 1920s. But bad pacing and a formulaic treatment of the best-selling book undo anything novel about this story.

The film follows Fawcett (Charlie Hunnan) as he journeys to map the Amazon River in service to the Royal Geographical Society. When he returns, he presents the idea of “Zed”, an unseen site deep in the Amazon he believes will hold the ruins of an ancient civilization. Accompanied by his assistant Henry Costin (Robert Pattinson), Fawcett continues to return to the Amazon even as the trips become decidedly more dangerous.

Director James Gray adapted the film himself and gives far too kind an interpretation of the plight of Fawcett. The original book by David Grann has been criticized for extrapolating from limited evidence, and Gray is guilty of a similar crime. The overly straightforward role of “conscious white explorer” gives no rough edges or questions of character to Percival Fawcett. Instead, virtually every stodgy white man that he encounters (which in this movie, nets you 80% of the rest of the cast) plays a racist heartless Eurocentric villain. It works out very well for deifying Fawcett’s work, but not as successfully for an entertaining performance. Grann was able to include more nuance in his book but Gray has gone with the most basic ideas for his adaptation.

It is very unfortunate for Charlie Hunnan as he starts off relatively strong but is given so little depth of character hat he is forced to run at the exact same pace for over 2 hours. In his supporting role, Robert Pattinson gives a refreshing and engaging voice to the movie. His take on Costin ranges from wry to thoughtful, cautious to heroic. At one moment he is strung out, suffering from illness and sores. But in a moment he rallies to assist his companions. Without him, the movie would be interminable.

When history has already written an interesting story, it is even more depressing when it does not translate to other media. The Lost City of Z had the potential to study the motivations of European adventurers, determined to leave no section of the continent unexplored. But unfortunately this movie gives us nothing new in the tired “green-hell” genre. Audiences would be better off spending two hours in their local library, reviewing the original literature.

 

‘Born in China’ (review)

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Produced by Roy Conli,
Brian Leith, Phil Chapman

Screenplay by David Fowler, Brian Leith,
Phil Chapman, Lu Chuan

Directed by Lu Chuan
Narrated by John Krasinski

 

Released in time for Earth Day, Born in China is the latest addition to the Disneynature’s True Life Adventure series.

This is not your standard nature documentary, rather it is a series of slice of life vignettes. The focus is to connect audiences on a personal level with these wild animals, so that viewers are invested in the animals’ future long after the film is over.

Narration by The Office’s John Krasinski is light and humorous, and beautifully supports the writing that works to draw parallels in our everyday human lives with the lives of the film’s subjects.

Shot in the diverse regions that China has to offer, the film Born in China follows four animal families.

Dawa, the Snow Leopard, fight’s to maintain her territory and provide for her young cubs, not unlike the plight of most single moms. Tao Tao is an adolescent snub-nosed golden monkey dealing with feeling of displacement in the family due to the birth of a younger sibling. Ya Ya the Panda’s story is not unlike many mother’s struggle to let go of a child as it learns to become a self sufficient adult.  Only the story of the Chiru, the Tibetan Antelope, feels like a Discovery Channel show.  The narrations subtle tongue in cheek humor is a gift for the adults while the kids laugh at the funny animals.

The cinematography is exactly what you would expect from a large budget documentary, simply breathtaking.  The film is brimming with beautiful vistas, stunning macro shots, and memorizing time lapse photography.  Director Chuan Lu has gathered a talented crew of nature cinematographers who have pieced together a beautiful collection of stories.  The photography displays both the beauty and dangers of the remote landscapes.  Because we are following living animals, not all the stories end well. The brutality is handled in a truthful nature with sensitivity towards young viewers. It is a film that you may have to have some conversations with your children afterward about the cycle of life, but won’t have them crying in their seats during the film.

While this type of nature film will never be the blockbuster that their animated cousins are, it is heartening that Disney will still back and distribute these kinds of films. It is films like Born in China that plant the seed for young, impressionable audience to see the world in a larger view.  It is also laudable that Disney will donate a portion of the the opening weekend proceeds to the World Wildlife Fund for the benefit of Snow Leopards and Pandas.

So, celebrate Earth Day with a few new families.

 

‘Atomic Blonde’ (SXSW review)

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Produced by A.J. Dix, Eric Gitter,
Beth Kono, Kelly McCormick,
Peter Schwerin, Charlize Theron
Screenplay by Kurt Johnstad
Based on The Coldest City
by Antony Johnston
Directed by David Leitch
Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy,
John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan,
Sofia Boutella, Toby Jones

 

I’d be lying if I said I understood every plot point in Atomic Blonde, the bombastic new action film from director David Leitch (John Wick).

After discussing the film at its World Premiere during SXSW, I found I wasn’t alone.

The story is secondary, a mere co-star to its jaw-dropping, choreographed fight sequences, each one upstaging the next.

Not that it matters, the film is based on the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston, which is set around the collapse of the Berlin Wall during the late 80s.

Charlize Theron is Lorraine Broughton, a tough-cookie spy for MI6 who is forced to partner with a Berlin station chief played by James McAvoy. You’ll be paying attention more to the fact that Theron has never been more badass, and yes, I’m saying this only two years after her Imperator Furiosa stole Mad Max Fury Road from under Tom Hardy. McAvoy is distracting as well in a good way, combining a touch of sly wit under his gritty, untrustworthy character.

I’m a sucker for any film that dedicates its entire soundtrack to 80s new-wave and post-punk, and Atomic Blonde gets a lot of its strength from just that gimmick alone. Compared to the also premiering Baby Driver at the Austin fest, Blonde is more authentic in its use of 99 Luftbaloons during an interrogation or my now favorite use of Father Figure outside of Keanu. Combined with an often eye-popping set production design, that has one foot in Michael Mann’s Thief and another in William Friedkin’s French Connection, there’s a lot to worship.

Focus Features released a restricted trailer back in March that gives a little taste of something that I hope most audiences discover themselves without spoilers.  Opening with the moody, platinum blonde Theron cocking her gun in a dirty, shaky elevator to a slowed down cover of New Order’s Blue Monday, the action starts up the moment the doors open. “How do you feel, to treat me like you do?” echos over just a minute and 13 seconds of a single take fight between our hero and her bad-guy assailants. Out of context, and without the full intensity of the seemingly endless violent sequence, it’s a sampler. As are the dry, humorous one-liners from her supporting cast or the hinted at relationship with Sofia Boutella’s French operative Sandrine.

I get the eagerness of the studio to showcase the goods, and I love the trailer’s meticulous edit of every punch, kick and gunshot to Queen’s Killer Queen. Focus may have a Blonde franchise in their future (Johnston’s most recent book is a prequel), and they’re trying to secure that the film opens big on July 28th.

Frankly, Atomic Blonde may be even more of a teaser itself for David Leitch’s Deadpool 2 than the stuntman turned director’s short film before Logan. The dude knows how to form a fight, and should be on the short-list to direct the next Bond.

For all of its skillful style, Atomic Blonde still seems about one action sequence short, but that’s like asking for too much of a good thing. The plot is merely a breather for the more intense adrenaline-fueled fracas.

None of it’s MacGuffins matter, as long as you’re ready for the ride.

 

Atomic Blonde opens on July 28, 2017

 

Win ‘Punching Henry’ on Blu-ray!

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In this hyper-intelligent comedy, a journeyman comedian is lured to L.A. by a TV producer (J.K. Simmons, Whiplash) who wants to make him a reality star. As reality sets in, he must decide whether his legacy will be to tell jokes for a living or become the butt of them. With an all-star cast including Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Jim Jefferies, Doug Stanhope, and more, PUNCHING HENRY is a hilarious and heartwarming glimpse behind the curtain at the weird world of comedy.

And we’re giving away three copies!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “PUNCHING HENRY ” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Punching Henry co-star J.K. Simmons won an Oscar for this 2014 film?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 30th, 2017.

TV Rewind: The First (and Only) Annual NBC Yummy Awards

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Once upon a time a Hollywood producer was rich and powerful, but lonely, so he wished really, really hard for a son of his own.

Then a Blue Fairy appeared and brought his bag of cocaine to life.

Many years later, that bag of cocaine would grow up to write, produce and direct the 1983 Yummy Awards for NBC.

Back in the day when TV execs would use far-out and bizarre prime time specials to sell their Saturday morning lineup, the Yummy Awards aired to get kiddos jazzed about the upcoming season of morning toons.

An odd combination between Circus of the Stars and a televised press junket where no one wants to be there, the Yummies is a snapshot of a innocent time when networks can deliver kids an hour-and-a-half commercial for their upcoming lineup and make them stoked to see it.

This, friends, was marketing at its best. But entertainment at its very worst.

On the surface, it was so ‘80s you could practically smell the sheer amount of  Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers in the room. Mr. T! Howling Mad Murdock! Ricky (not Rick) Schroeder! Gumby! The Flintstones! Alvin and the Chimpmunks! Bozo the Clown! Tina Yothers! The sheer star wattage and Aqua Net was too much to handle!

Each and every star was there to market their show or help showcase a Saturday morning cartoon to help fulfill the terms of their contact. Even Ricky looks a little defeated by this smorgasbord of mediocrity, and he’s only twelve.

The true highlight of the show wasn’t the disillusioned and bored stars who were hurrying through their jilted dialogue, but the cartoons themselves. In 1983, the NBC lineup was actually in top form, featuring the Smurfs, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Mr. T Show, to name a few.

What wasn’t great were the discount costumed knock offs NBC threw together at the last minute to portray these heroes of the weekend. Gumby is lumpy and obviously bitter about Eddie Murphy’s portrayal of him on SNL while Ice-Man looks like a cross between a Space Jockey and one of the silver-painted dancers who do the robot on Venice Beach.

It was an innocent time run by people fueled by illegal substances and Tab soda. People who were creating content for kids but have probably never met, talked or hung out with children before and had no idea what they wanted. It was a time when networks thought they had to sell kids on Saturday morning TV habits with complicated schemes involving Lee Curreri serenading a kickline of Smurfs, a scene I’m 70% sure I’ll be describing to a therapist in the near future.

Saturday morning cartoons are a thing of the past, thus we will never again have a primetime special featuring second-rate versions of our cartoon heroes trying to convince us to tune in. But thankfully, we can still revisit occasional thanks to YouTube.

And laugh. A lot.

 

Shout! Factory TV’s ‘Crash Course in Better Driving’ Livestreams Tomorrow, April 22

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Just in time for Distracted Driver Awareness month, Shout! Factory TV is admitting liability for a livestream sure to combat the epidemic with its Online Crash Course in Better Driving. The Shout! Factory TV original event puts the pedal to the metal with driver’s education videos, classic Mystery Science Theater 3000 shorts, and a feature presentation of Scream Factory slasher Fender Bender on  Saturday, April 22 at 12 p.m. PST at ShoutFactoryTV.com.

Fasten your seatbelts for a crash course like no other. Throughout the livestream, our esteemed instructor Wilbur P. Thudbutter will discuss topics like automotive safety, dealing with road rage, and how not to be stupid behind the wheel. Learn proper driving techniques, watch thought-provoking driver’s education videos, listen to guest instructors from MST3K and enjoy the extreme driver’s ed film, Fender Bender, which shows what can go horribly wrong after even a minor accident. Terrifying and educational! Plus throughout the course, take part in our interactive quiz and compete with other viewers to see who’s a good driver, and who should be banned from the roads forever.

Evocative of the horror-thriller classics of yesteryear, Fender Bender brings you back to a time when the boxes on the shelf at your local video store beckoned you with masked, knife-wielding maniacs and a twisted sense of morals.  Written and directed by Mark Pavia (Stephen King’s The Night Flier), the movie stars Makenzie Vega (The Good Wife), Dre Davis (Pretty Little Liars, Scavenger Killers), Cassidy Freeman (Smallville, Longmire) and Bill Sage (American Psycho, We Are What We Are).

Seventeen-year-old Hilary has just received her driver’s license… only to have her first accident shortly thereafter. Innocently exchanging her personal information with the remorseful stranger behind the wheel, Hilary returns home for a quiet evening with friends. But when the man she so readily handed all of her information to reveals himself to be something much darker and sinister than she could imagine, Hilary finds herself in a head-on collision with terror.

Shout! Factory TV’s Online Crash Course in Better Driving will be streaming live from noon to 5 p.m. (PST) on Saturday, April 22nd at http://www.shoutfactorytv.com/ and on Pluto TV, CH 512. For mobile, tablet and connected TV devices the marathon is accessible via the Pluto TV app. The marathon is also available via Pluto TV in the living room (Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Android TV devices, Chromecast and Apple Airplay), on the go (apps for iOS, Android and Amazon) and at your fingertips on PC’s, Mac’s or on the web.

Online Crash Course in Better Driving viewers can join the conversation and participate in quiz questions using the hashtag #DistractedDriving while they watch.

 

Facebook.com/shoutfactorytv
@ShoutFactoryTV

 

Win ‘Silicon Valley: The Complete Third Season’ on Blu-ray

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From Mike Judge and Alec Berg comes a new season of the Emmy-nominated comedy that takes viewers inside Silicon Valley‘s high-tech gold rush: a land of big ideas and bigger egos. After last season’s shocking ending, which found Pied Piper celebrating legal victory just as Richard (Thomas Middleditch) was ousted as CEO, Season 3 picks up where we left off, with Richard offered the diminished role of CTO and the rest of his team – Erlich (T.J. Miller), Jared (Zach Woods), Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) and Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) – facing the question of just how far their loyalty extends. With a new no-nonsense CEO hell-bent on transforming everything from Pied Piper’s offices to its business agenda, the guys must find a way to triumph in the war of Art vs. Commerce, maneuvering the many competing interests along the way.

And we’re giving away three copies!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “PIED PIPER ” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

T.J. Miller who plays Erlich on Silicon Valley, previously worked with creator Mike Judge on this 2009 film?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 30th, 2017.


Race Hustling: How Samuel L. Jackson Complicates Racial Issues in Genre Films

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Kong: Skull Island burst its way into multiplexes to usher out this past winter, presenting tons of movie monster bombast and over-the-waterfall-and-through-the-rocks action thrills meant for 3D.

The movie, a prequel to the 2014 Godzilla set at the end of the Vietnam War, doesn’t waste time getting us to Kong, either.

A military-escorted group of scientists arrive at Skull Island in a company of helicopters. They then begin dropping depth charges during a survey, which unsuspectingly draws out Kong. Enraged, the giant gorilla smashes several copters, kills a dozen men in creatively shot, spectacular fashion.

The commanding officer’s helicopter is struck and goes down. That officer, Lt. Col. Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), survives and wreck and stands in hateful awe of the raging beast.

The camera locks onto Kong’s eyes, then cuts to a close-up of Packard’s eyes. The film locks onto Kong and Packard’s eyes a second time, during the third act, when Packard tries to kill Kong and avenge the deaths of his men.

In these moments, Kong: Skull Island connects Kong and Packard, as combative beings whose intentions of protection through warfare are seen as atrocity.

Or, to put it bluntly, the camera work equates Jackson, a black man, with an ape.

Hand, meet forehead.

But hey, it wouldn’t be a King Kong movie without questionable racial stuff thrown in the mix, right? We also get a tribe of silent Pacific Islanders, a shipwrecked white soldier (John C. Reilly) using a katana blade presumably left to him by his deceased Japanese foe-turned-friend, and a pair of woke white protagonists (Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson) trying to save Kong from the bad black man.

And that black man? He’s as savage as the giant ape, but for evil.

At least Kong: Skull Island tries to balance this out by having a black man and Asian woman on the side of the good guys, as part of the group of monster-hunting scientists.

None of this casually racist stuff detracts from the movie, which is big and dumb and generally lazy in its use of archetypes. (The lead female character is an empathetic photographer? The lead male character is a tracker hardened by loss? Woof.)

It doesn’t really distract from Jackson’s performance, either. He’s good in the role. But then why wouldn’t be he? He’s Samuel L. Jackson.

At the very least, it’s another in a trend of genre films in which the white male protagonist saves the day against an army of foes made up of people of color and women (or both).

And Samuel L. Jackson has been in the middle of this trend.

Think of the 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service, based on the Mark Millar/Dave Gibbons comic book series The Secret Service. The big bad in the story is a billionaire cellphone entrepreneur who plans to save the planet from global warming by killing off most of humanity through satellite-assisted mind control. But not before he abducts his favorite sci-fi celebrities such as Mark Hammill and Patrick Stewart.

Add to this how insecure this technocrat is about impressing his model-hot girlfriend, Ambrosia Chase, who’s only with Arnold for his money.

In the comic book, Gibbons draws Arnold as a nerdy-looking white man, with bad haircut, glasses, a cable turtleneck sweater. In other words, exactly as you’d expect the character to look.

But when it’s time for the movie, Arnold is renamed Richmond Valentine. For the role, Jackson is dressed in sweatsuits, popped collars, ballcaps turned sideways, and apparently his own eyeglasses. And he’s got a lisp! It’s more Russell Simmons than Bill Gates.

None of it appears to inform the character. He’s a collection of costume pieces and swagger. But, really, who cares? Jackson is having a hell of a time because he knows this is a cartoon and is playing it as such.

However, because of the VIPs Valentine has decided to keep, including most world leaders, it feels like he’s not remaking the world into something else, but doing a smaller version of the same world. Why would he, a black man, mastermind such a thorough replication of the system? It just doesn’t feel genuine.

Then add to it how Eggsy goes from Eminem street youth to learning upper-crust, WASPy refinement, to take on a black man and a fatally handi-capable woman with razor-sharp prosthetic running blades. (Coincidentally, the woman is Algerian-French actress Sophia Boutella, who wore alien makeup in Star Trek Beyond and will threaten white good guy Tom Cruise in the relaunch of The Mummy coming this summer.)

Or, take Jackson in the remake of RoboCop. He plays right-wing talk show bloviator Pat Novak, who is used ot frame the film. But Jackson, in his peak-lapeled suits, straightened hair and rah-rah-America diatribes, basically is playing Bill O’Reilly.

The wig really sets it off. Jackson looks like he’s in some kind of racial drag. It may as well be Chappelle’s Show. (Which is ironic, in that Chappelle’s caricature of a white man’s speaking voice is as good as it gets.) Ultimately, it’s distracting that Jackson is playing this role, because it’s Bill O’Reilly.

And no matter what you say, I can’t buy Sam Jackson as Bill O’Reilly.

Jackson of late appears glad to step all over racially problematic and complicated roles in genre films, and that includes when it’s a role made for a black actor.

We have Jackson’s work with Quentin Tarantino – a man often accused of exploiting racial stuff though his liberal use of nigger and nigga in his screenplays – as proof.

In Tarantino’s 2012 blaxploitation Western Django Unchained, there’s a perverse thrill to seeing the unapologetically black Jackson play Stephen, a house slave of main villain Calvin Candie. Jackson plays Stephen with shifty-eyed, condescendingly vicious, self-abasing fervor while looking like Uncle Ben fresh off the box of rice.

Sure, Django Unchained is the same film in which a runaway slave shoots a master’s entire family and burns his plantation big house to the ground, all in the name of rescuing his wife. However, Django spends most of the film acting as sidekick to the slavery-hating Dr. King Schultz, who comes off as more heroic in the film. Even the black hero has a white hero.

Tarantino and Jackson teamed up again in The Hateful Eight, another Western mixed with a murder mystery. Jackson, who plays former Union soldier and current bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren, is centered in the film’s most talked-about scene. Warren gives a monologue toward General Sanford “Sandy” Smithers (Bruce Dern), an old, proud Confederate veteran, about how he killed Smithers’ son Chester for head hunting black folk after the war.

But first, Warren says, he forced a pleading Chester to strip completely naked at gun point in the cold Wyoming mountains and walk several miles in the snow before Warren forced him to perform oral sex. Warren lavishes over each graphic detail, making sure to note his “warm black dingus” while the scene is intercut with a flashback.

As transgressively bold as this monologue sets itself up to be, am I really supposed to be rooting for sexual violence as payback? This ends up being another episode in fear of a black penis. Sexualized violence, a frequent item in Tarantino films, again meets white America’s torturous, fearful relationship with black masculinity.

And even though Tarantino is turning upside down the great American rape myth, which launched The Birth of a Nation and countless lynchings, we’re still left with a threatening black penis.

Oh well.

Kong: Skull Island wasn’t Jackson’s only foray into the jungle this past year. He also played a supporting role in The Legend of Tarzan as the real-life historical figure George Washington Williams.

Williams was a former soldier and preacher who found his niche as a journalist and writer on African-American history. Born in Pennsylvania, Williams ventured to Africa and wrote on the atrocities associated with the enslavement of the Congolese people under Belgian King Leopold II’s orders to supply rubber.

It’s great that a big Hollywood movie decided to expose its audience to George Washington Williams’ bravery and Leopold’s atrocities – two things likely not well known these days. “I was able to portray a real life character who actually went to the Congo and exposed King Leopold,” Jackson said at the premiere. “I think that’s important for us as a people to understand.”

However, when you know Williams’ biography, the fact that he is wedged into a Tarzan movie, playing sidekick to a white man supposedly more African than the black man helping him, is sorta insulting, right? Shouldn’t George Washington Williams get his own movie?

Jackson is enjoying himself, getting paid to perform in the kinds of action-adventure fantasy films that would have captivated him as a child: spy thrillers, giant monsters, cowboys, ape-men and cyborgs.

“It’s like I say, sometimes I just do movies that I would’ve gone to see when I was a kid,” he told Vibe magazine when promoting Tarzan.

If anything, Jackson’s presence complicates much of the casual racism baked into these genres. Whether it’s enough, I don’t really know.

At least he is entertaining.

He is Samuel L. Jackson, after all.

Graphic Breakdown: Nostalgia Goes Wrong in ‘All-Time Comics’

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Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown…the Friday Edition!

Here are some fine comic books to start your weekend.

 

The Shaolin Cowboy: Who’ll Stop the Reign #1
Written and Illustrated by Geof Darrow
Published by Dark Horse Comics

Geof Darrow is one of the most detailed, crazy artists this world has ever seen. His work on Hard Boiled is the stuff of legend.

Yet, his art has slowed down a bit in recent years. It hasn’t been as detailed. It hasn’t been as crazy. Until now.

The newest entry in the Shaolin Cowboy saga is classic Darrow: It’s full of energy, style, and wit. There’s not much of a story. Just fighting. And craziness. And fighting. And more craziness.

Darrow keeps us interested though with his hyper detailed artwork.

Every character tells a story…and that’s where the real storytelling takes place. It’s all in the details. And this issue has PLENTY.

Buy it for the artwork. It’s stellar. It’s damn enjoyable. Even with the lack of a traditional story? It’s damn enjoyable.

RATING: A-

 

Soupy Leaves Home
Written by Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated by Jose Pimenta
Published by Dark Horse Comics

This is a nice surprise. I had never heard of this. Yet, it’s one of the best graphic novels of the year.

People may know Castellucci from the Young Animal comic Shade The Changing Girl. That’s a great book. Here, she proves that it’s not a fluke.

This book starts off in Depression era America. Pearl Plankette is a young girl who has run away from home. She does this to escape an abusive father. Pearl decides to dress up as a boy named Soupy and start a new life. She meets a hobo and makes her way to the sunny state of California.

The writing is beautiful. The artwork is gorgeous. It’s perfect for ages ten and up. You can’t ask for a better book. Recommended.

RATING: A

 

Regression #1
Written by Cullen Bunn
Illustrated by Danny Luckert
Published by Image Comics

Man, Cullen Bunn is a fantastic writer when he isn’t writing superhero fare. This is a perfect example of what he can do.

This is a smart, well written comic book from start to finish. I can’t wait to see where this series goes.

Adrian is a man who is haunted by nightmares. He decides to go see a hypnotherapist.

What can possibly go wrong?

Well, a lot apparently. Adrian’s world goes bananas and the reader gets to benefit!

Bunn writes a hell of a comic. The art by Luckert is truly fantastic. He’s come a long way from his Atomic Robo days.

This is a good debut! Get in on the ground floor of this book.

RATING: A-

 

All Time Comics: Crime Destroyer #1
Written by Josh Bayer
Illustrated by Herb Trimpe and Ben Marra
Published by Fantagraphics Books

I have to be honest: I had a hard time getting into this book. It feels like a book that came out in the 1960s.

Yet, it lacks any charm that a book from that time period would have.

Josh Bayer has written a story that “feels” like a classic Marvel Comic. I wonder if he was paying homage here? It is he playing it straight?

Either way it doesn’t work. I cared about none of these characters.

The late Herb Trimpe provides the art in this issue and it’s the best part. I cannot recommend this because I’m not sure why it exists.

RATING: C

 

All Time Comics: Bullwhip #1
Written by Josh Bayer and Ben Marra
Illustrated by Ben Marta and Al Milgrom
Published by Fantagraphics Books

Here is the other All Time Comics book that I read this week.

It’s equally as unspectacular as the previously reviewed book. The lead character is slightly more interesting but not enough to really make a difference.

Bullwhip is the heroine of Metro City! She aims to the city safe!

And…that’s about it.

There’s nothing thrilling going on here. It’s a shame because the whole thing just feels wrongheaded.

The art isn’t bad. Still, spend your money on something else.

RATING: C

Win ‘Rugrats: Season 1’ &‘Rugrats: Season 2’ on DVD!

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A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do in the all-new DVD releases of Rugrats: Season 1 & Rugrats: Season 2. Told from the perspective of a group of adventurous and imaginative toddlers, Rugrats transformed the most mundane activities into unforgettable adventures. Led by fearless leader Tommy Pickles, the gang can turn an ordinary trip to the park into a journey across the Sahara in search of water, a visit to the plant nursery into a jungle trek to find a cure for “jungle beaver,” or a search for cookies into a prehistoric fantasy. Together, there’s no adventure too big and no problem they can’t solve… or at least nothing that a good nap won’t help.

Rugrats premiered on Nickelodeon in 1991 and is beloved by millennials as one of their favorite childhood TV shows. With heartfelt and adventurous stories, Rugrats: Season 1 & Rugrats: Season 2 are sure to fill the nostalgic hearts of fans who grew up with the show as well as bring new joy and excitement to a younger generation. Episodes of Rugrats currently air on Nickelodeon’s daily ’90s programming TV block, “The Splat,” from 10pm-6am (ET/PT) on TeenNick.

And we’re giving away two sets of Rugrats: Season 1 & Rugrats: Season 2!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “RUGRATS” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

Who is the only cast member to appear in all 172 episodes?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 7th, 2017.

It’s ‘Alien Day’! Win a Copy of ‘Aliens: Bug Hunt’

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To commemorate the return of the iconic Xenomorphs to the big screen in May 19th’s Alien: Covenant, today (April 26th) has been officially deemed ALIEN DAY

And to celebrate, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Titan Books to give away three copies of their new book, Aliens: Bug Hunt.

When the Colonial Marines set out after their deadliest prey, the Xenomorphs, it’s what Corporal Hicks calls a bug hunt—kill or be killed. Here are eighteen all-new stories of such “close encounters,” written by many of today’s most extraordinary authors.

Set during the events of all four Alien™ films, sending the Marines to alien worlds, to derelict space settlements, and into the nests of the universe’s most dangerous monsters, these adventures are guaranteed to send the blood racing—

One way or another.

Featuring the work of Paul Kupperberg, Dan Abnett, Rachel Caine, Yvonne Navarro, Christopher Golden, Matt Forbeck, Ray Garton, Weston Ochse, David Farland, Larry Correia, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Brian Keene, Heather Graham, Mike Resnick, Marina J. Lostetter, James A. Moore, Scott Sigler, Tim Lebbon, and Jonathan Maberry, this story collection is not to be missed!

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “BUG HUNT” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

In the Alien series, what is Ripley’s first name?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 7th, 2017.

 

For more information on all ALIEN DAY activities, go to AlienUniverse.com.

‘David Lynch: The Art Life’ (review)

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Produced by Jon Nguyen,
Sabrina S. Sutherland

Directed by Jon Nguyen
Starring David Lynch

 

Fascinating documentary about the famed filmmaker focuses on his early years and his artwork. The only films discussed are his preliminary shorts and first feature, Eraserhead.

However, we’re treated to a wealth of home movies throughout as we follow Lynch in his boyhood in Missoula, Montana, Spokane and Virginia.

We learn that he felt his time as a boy in Spokane was a wonderful time for him, a state of bliss that was taken away in one fell swoop upon the family’s move to Virginia, where young David was quite unhappy.

David Lynch: The Art Life is a chronological examination of Lynch’s youth, intercut with present-day David creating works of art in his Hollywood Hills home. While we see and hear about other prominent figures from his life, only Lynch is interviewed on camera.   The result has the feel of a feature-length interview in a very good way.

I’ve been a fan of Lynch since my dad took me to see The Elephant Man when I was eleven. A few years later, when in high school, I was blown away by Blue Velvet and thus became a rabid fan.

I’ve read and seen a fair amount of interviews with Lynch in the years since, including the essential Lynch on Lynch.

Even so, there are a lot of anecdotes, stories and observations in The Art Life I had either forgotten or never heard in the first place.

There’s the famous-to-his-fans, seminal anecdote of his mother refusing to buy young David coloring books, because she feared it would retard or even destroy his creative impulses.

But there are many, many other tales here that I’ve not heard that are equally (and in some cases more) important in the shaping of young Lynch as an artist and as a man.

He is extremely confessional and open throughout the film and becomes emotional at several points, including a cryptic aside regarding an adult neighbor that Lynch leaves unfinished.

While it would be wonderful for there to someday be a career-spanning documentary on Lynch, a la last year’s De Palma, The Art Life is invaluable as a record of Lynch’s musings on his youth and his art.

Certainly worthwhile for devotees of biographical docs and those interested in art and artists, The Art Life is absolutely indispensable to Lynch fans.

 

For screening information visit facebook.com/davidlynchtheartlife

 

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