Victoria & Abdul is the extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s (Dame Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favor with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that the Queen’s inner circle attempts to destroy. As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity.

And we’re giving away two copies!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “VICTORIA & ABDUL” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

This is the second film starring Judi Dench playing Queen Victoria.  What was the first?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 December 31st, 2017.

Guest Post by C. Courtney Joyner

The first issue of CREEPY I ever bought from my neighborhood pharmacy featured a Frank Frazetta painting of a giant, bestial warrior, with horned helmet, gripping a bloody sword while inch-high villagers scrambled in panic around him. The cover shouted “THANE BATTLES THE BARBARIAN OF FEAR!” in green letters, so I assumed Thane was one of the tiny people being terrorized, and I had to find out how he defeated the monster.

Dropping forty cents on the counter was one of the best investments I’ve ever made, because I was finally introduced to the world of black and white horror comics, and the amazing art and story-telling skills their pages held that remain an inspiration to this day.

It was 1969, I was ten, and eating whole anything that had to do with horror, fantasy or science-fiction. The “monster explosion” of the early 60’s was dying a bit, but horror was everywhere, and it was glorious. The Universal classics played on TV for rainy Saturday nights, Hammer and AIP horrors were at the locals and drive-ins, and at the five-and-dime, there were games, coloring books, records, model kits, and trading cards.
And comics.

The world of genre fiction, has often been an illustrated world, thinking back to N.C. Wyeth’s paintings for the 1918 edition of Verne’s MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, or the plates created by J. Allen St. John for the original TARZAN hardcovers. Brilliant commercial art, the iconic images that identify these books to the world, but the idea that the words of great fantasy authors was somehow linked to the work of illustrators seemed more than trivial, and that was especially true in the judgement of comic books and newspaper comic strips.

That comic books were nothing to take seriously seems odd now, with entertainment and media practically ruled by Marvel and DC, not to mention Dark Horse. But even forty years ago, at a time when you bought comics from a spinning rack, and SUPERMAN was in syndicated re-runs, embracing comics was something you were supposed to grow out of, and back issues were for the trash.

This attitude seemed to be a hold-over from the notorious period in the 1950’s when horror comics came under the hammer of congress, effectively ending the EC line of CRYPT and VAULT titles, while some pale imitators still limped along, until they were wiped out also. Horror was alive in movie theaters, but not in comics.

Then, into this open grave stepped publisher James Warren.

I have to separate that thought, because Warren literally changed the playing field for illustrated fantasy and horror, by initiating his titles as magazines and not traditional comic books. By doing this, he made sure CREEPY, EERIE and VAMPIRELLA weren’t subject to the censoring of the comic code authority. If produced in the old format, as the EC titles were, the code would never have allowed those Frazetta warrior women, Wally Wood’s aliens, or the wild violence of Tom Sutton’s VAMPIRELLA stories.

Reading and re-reading the Warren magazines after bedtime, flashlight under the blankets, we were taken away by the economy of horror stories in six pages, with the artwork rolling the ideas, and atmosphere forward, and then surrounded us in pen and ink monsters for the twist endings. Uncle Creepy or Cousin Eerie would appear in the final panel snickering, Vampirella tended to giggle, for being so gullible.

Not every story was a gem, although writer/editor Archie Goodwin’s batting average in those early issues was amazing, but there was a quality level to the Warren magazines that, for years, didn’t dip.

In 1969, I was already a Warren fan, pouring over FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, and absorbing every bit of movie information that Forrest Ackerman offered up, but the black and white comics were a different style, for a different audience. They were actually more adult, or at least, for readers who had their learner’s permits.

Vampires, zombies, and even adaptations of literary classics, they were often deadly serious, with that final page, that the writer had pushed us toward at top action-speed, or led us as through a foggy cemetery, was always the killer: the artist’s image that gave nightmares for weeks.

One CREEPY story remains especially vivid, “Rock God” in CREEPY #32, written by Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Neal Adams, all inspired by a Frank Frazetta cover.

Ellison was shown the Frazetta painting, and conjured this tale of corrupt big business, mixed with the ancient black arts, with Adams’ graphics seamlessly jumping between time, human sacrifice, and the ultimate moment when the Rock God itself erupts in the middle of Manhattan.

Among more than a hundred issues of CREEPY, “Rock God” is a wonderful horror achievement, no matter what its form or publisher, and remains a high-water mark for the Warren magazine line.

The legend around the story’s creation only gets deeper when Adams told me that all of the original artwork was stolen from the Warren offices, never to be seen again.

Mention CREEPY to anyone now, and they’ve passed a few birthdays, their first memories are the images, starting with the covers, hitting us in the eye like a movie poster. And inside, the work of artists we knew from DC and Marvel comics, but being presented in finely shaded black and white, telling these tales, with each panel they drew being a new shot from the best horror movie ever imagined.

But, in the back of each issue, an order form for the paperbacks of Conan, Tarzan, and the works of Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells. No matter how much we loved the comics we were reading, there was always that little push for us to go back to the original literature.

Changes in staff and sales figures drove James Warren to cut costs for his illustrated magazines, at a time when Marvel introduced their own group of black and white’s, the titles not staying only within horror, MONSTERS UNLEASHED, DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG-FU, TALES OF THE ZOMBIE, TOMB OF DRACULA, DOC SAVAGE, and, under writer Roy Thomas, more than 200 issues of SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN rolled out of the Marvel factory.

When Marvel shut down this division, Warren was done, and the world of black and white magazines, finished. The Warren catalog has been re-printed, with focus on artists, so they can be seen in their glory, for nostalgia, if nothing else.

But fine illustration of horror and fantasy has always been an inspiration; to turn the page of Verne or Burroughs, and be faced with a rendition of what we just read, or to lose ourselves in the fun of a world of CREEPY and EERIE black and white horror, has noble, story-telling roots.

By pushing the bounds of the traditional comic book, those black and white Warren’s showed us what words could be turned into, and how they could evoke images, that hopefully, stay with a reader, and leave them with a shred of a nightmare, or thoughts of wonder, and a nod of creative inspiration.

Just as they’re supposed to.

C. Courtney Joyner is an award-winning writer of fiction, comics, and screenplays. He has more than 25 movies to his credit, including the cult films Prison, starring Viggo Mortensen; From a Whisper to a Scream, starring Vincent Price; and Class of 1999, directed by Mark Lester. A graduate of USC, Joyner’s first produced screenplay was The Offspring, which also starred Vincent Price. Joyner’s other scripts have included TV movies for CBS, USA, and Showtime. He is the author of The Shotgun western series and his latest book, Nemo Rising, will be released on hardcover from Tor Books on December 26th, 2017. 

Written by Pat Mills and Ken Armstrong
Illustrated by Ramona Sola and various
Published by Titan Comics
ISBN: 9781782768043
Released 8/30/17 / $34.99

As an Anglophile of long standing, British comics have been on my radar for at least 35 years. It was rare to find any in the US but I was regularly buying the weekly 2000AD by 1980. It was the sci-fi theme and the title’s self-referential sense of humor that initially attracted me and talented creators like Alan Moore, Carlos Ezquerra, Alan Davis, and Pat Mills that kept me coming back for more.

Unbeknownst to me at the time was that in 1976, just prior to 1977’s creation of 2000AD, Pat Mills had also created a similar weekly newsprint comics title called Action.

Now, at the time, there were a lot of UK comics series about sports, war, and comedy. Football heroes (soccer to us yanks) dominated the field of weekly comics. Action itself even debuted a footballer series called Play Till You Drop.

It was the Mills-created Hookjaw that attracted all the attention, though, and that was not necessarily a good thing! Inspired by the mega-hit 1975 feature film, Jaws, the concept was essentially to make the giant shark the hero of his own strip. But, of course, sharks eat people. And thereby came the problem.

I’m on record as not being a fan of sharks in movies, TV, comics or even real-life. I’m also not a fan of gratuitous blood and gore in comics, especially comics aimed at kids! That said, I make a bit of an exception for Hookjaw because it does have a kind of important place in homegrown British comics. In his too-brief Introduction, Pat Mills outlines the story of Hookjaw and the controversy the strip begat in England. More of this story can be found in the book’s backmatter.

The bottom line, though—important or not important in the evolution of UK comics—is that Hookjaw just really isn’t very good. Every story seems to exist just to find increasingly clever ways to offer up sacrificial victims of all sorts to the sparkly teeth of the title creature. The strip, like most of the country’s strips in those days, was usually in black and white, but on those occasions where it DID appear in color, there was a lot of red ink used.

The writing is quickly stretched to the limit and repetitive. The art is done up in that perfectly good but almost generic long-standing European style for boys’ comics. It wasn’t until the arrival of 2000AD that we would really start to see unique UK art stylists like Kev O’Neill and Mike McMahon come into their own.

Hookjaw received complaints, and the violent stories were toned down…although based on the evidence provided, not much and not often. The rest of the Action stories were fairly standard boys’ paper stuff and the title ceased publication after only a couple of years, taking Hookjaw with it. There’s an ad in the back of this book for a new graphic novel revival, though, which, in the wake of Sharknado, might take off.

From a historic view, I appreciate this collection and its thoroughness. Reproduction—at least in my PDF review copy—borders at times on shoddy with the color strips a bit “muddy.” The problem, as I stated before, is that Hookjaw on every level is more interesting than it ever was good.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome once again to our annual Holiday Gift Guide!

2017 has been a rough year as we’ve seen struggles across the United States and world. But as we head into 2018 and beginning with the Holiday Season, hopefully we’ll see some positive changes that will let all of us feel more secure and safe in this every changing climate. Whether you’re a first time reader or regular friend of FOG!, we hope that you enjoy our recommendations of some fantastic and hopefully, a bit unique gift selections that belong under the Christmas Tree, Menorah, Festivus Pole or Kwanzaa Bush of any pop culture loving aficionado.

I hope that you find some original and truly fantastic gift ideas among our selections!

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy season.

Nerd to your mother,

Stefan Blitz
editor-in-chief

Gift Guide Index:

• Glorious Must Have Items
• Tchotchkes and Stocking Stuffers
• Apparel and Accessories
• Music and Audio
• Toys, Games and Gadgets
• Art, Prints & Statues
• Comics and Graphic Novels
• DVD & Blu-ray
• Books & Literature

Produced by Matt Tolmach, William Teitler
Screenplay by Jake Kasdan, Chris McKenna,
Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner
Story by Chris McKenna
Based on Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black,Kevin Hart,
Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale

I saw the original Jumanji in the theaters and it wasn’t for me.

I had just graduated from college with a pretentious, film school degree. I definitely had my head up my you know what.

I did not appreciate it for what it was: a really magical movie that was loved and revered by an entire generation of kids.

Fast forward two plus decades later and there is a new Jumanji film out.

Three years after the passing of the legendary Robin Williams, star of the first film, this was a movie that had no reason to be made.

Or did it?

How do you make a sequel that can capture the same magic and feelings the original did for all those kids years ago when the original beloved star is no longer with us and those kids have now grown up?

The answer is you don’t. You make a new film.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle smartly does not add a “2” moniker to its title. It is not trying to capture lightning in a bottle for the legions of kids who loved the original film. In that idea, this is not so much a sequel but another story that both pays loving homage to the first film and it also is its own beast.

Nothing can ever be the first Jumanji, so the writers and directors create a whole new film, story, and characters with the game itself as it’s bridge. It updates the format in which the game is played in the film so this new generation of viewers can relate. Whether they should have or not, I loved it and thought it was exactly what it needed to be: a silly adventure film that will entertain today’s kids. Hopefully, the adults who were kids when the original came out can find something they enjoy as well.

This film tells the story of four high school kids from different cliques as they are all subjected to after-school detention.

There is the narcissistic, Bethany, who’s life is so wrapped up in her own selfishness as she spent her day taking selfie Instagram photos and earns her detention making a FaceTime call during a test.

The introverted and shy, Martha, who’s concerns about grades and academics wind up making her lash out at her gym teacher.

The jock and the nerd, Fridge and Spencer, respectively, who are caught cheating and lying to their teacher when Spencer finished Fridge’s homework so he doesn’t get kicked off the football team.

Their punishment is to clean the old AV room to make way for a new computer lab in the school. When they discover a strange video game machine called, you guessed it, Jumanji, they take a break from cleaning to play and in the process they are transported to the world of Jumanji.

Here, in this world, the kids are converted into the characters they chose. They must complete the game to return to their own world. Something else happens as well. The kids discover things about themselves and each other that allow them to grow past who they are upon entering the game to become better people should they complete the adventure.

This is your standard “discover the good in you” trope film. It is also the “coming of age” and “people aren’t who they seem to be” film. One part the old Dungeons and Dragons TV cartoon, one part Breakfast Club, and one part “buddy film”, the over the top schlock and silliness is, well, over the top. The cheese is thick and creamy, and the clichés stick out like a sore thumb. Who cares. It is fun. And funny.

This film never tries to be anything but a fun afternoon adventure film for kids. Every kid, and there were a lot of them at the screening I attended, howled and roared at the terrible jokes, the ridiculous stunts and thrilling hi-jinx.

The cast reunites Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as the video game versions of once close friends, Spencer and Fridge. I love their dynamic and will pretty much watch anything they do together. Or individually, for that matter.

Joining this “Laurel and Hardy” duo are Karen Gillian as the bookworm turned man-killer, martial artist, Martha, and funny man Jack Black, as the narcissist pretty girl, Bethany who obviously becomes an overweight, middle aged cartographer.

Together they discover Alex, a heavy metal drummer video game kid, who two decades before them, was sucked into the game and became an intrepid pilot. They are pieces of a well oiled machine that… well, needs to be oiled. They butt heads like people do and they eventually come together to defeat the cliché video game end boss played by Bobby Cannavale doing his best Billy Zane and Arnold Vosloo impersonation.

The jokes are over the top, the premise is ridiculous and it is fun as heck. Is it as good as the original? Probably not. The nice thing about it is it isn’t trying to be. For what it is; a fun Saturday afternoon adventure film with a heart, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle succeeds.

Like virtually every other movie geek, I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi this past weekend. In fact, like many a devoted Star Wars fanatic, I saw the movie more than once.

Though my immediate reaction was enthusiastic, I concede the most common criticisms of the movie are valid—it’s way too long; the new characters aren’t particularly appealing; some of the jokes and lines of dialogue feel out of place; and there doesn’t seem to be an overarching story where, by the close of this second chapter of this new trilogy, we should feel like we’re hurtling towards an inexorable conclusion.

Being a Star Wars fanatic of the highest order, I’m easier to please than most—I can discuss elements within each of the loathed prequel films worth celebrating—so while I find many things to quibble about in The Last Jedi I’m not gonna trash talk it while my opinion of it is still formulating.

I will, however, tell you about my favorite Easter Eggs in The Last Jedi that offer well-versed Star Wars fanatics a few wink-wink, nudge-nudge acknowledgments of the previous Saga movies.

Take caution: spoilers abound.

Echo, Echo

Right way, maestro John Williams offers the first of the film’s many audio Easter Eggs. As the opening text scroll crawls away into infinity and the classic “Star Wars” fanfare fades, the camera pans down the star field and we hear the exact same 10-note motif that kicks off A New Hope. Since every other Star Wars episode up ’til now has a unique musical motif bridging the fanfare to the film proper, repeating one here can only be seen (and heard) as an homage to the original movie.

As it turns out, the recycling of these opening notes is a fitting portent to what turns out to be Williams’ least inspiring Star Wars symphony, with far too many existing themes repeated and only one immediately recognizable new motif (we’ll call it “Rose’s Theme”) that I still struggle to hum even after two viewings of the movie and multiple playbacks of the orchestral soundtrack. Though they may not all count as true Last Jedi Easter Eggs, Williams works in familiar bits of “Leia’s Theme,” “Yoda’s Theme,” “The Imperial March,” “The Force Theme,” and “Rey’s Theme,” in addition to a lesser-recognizable cue from Attack of the Clones and reprises of “Scherzo for X-Wings” from The Force Awakens during two battle sequences.

The Cruelest Stroke

I was quite shocked to see Supreme Leader Snoke get dispatched midway through the new trilogy, having learned so little about him. Turns out, all the mystery built up around him in Episode VII matters not. Snoke’s midriff slice is a direct callback to Darth Maul’s demise in The Phantom Menace, and the brief sight gag of Snoke’s severed hand still resting on the arm of his empty throne pays homage to the many dismemberments throughout the saga—most famously Luke’s lost saber hand in The Empire Strikes Back and the lopped-off limbs of his father Anakin in Revenge of the Sith and Return of the Jedi.

Ramming Speed

The bit where Vice Admiral Holdo (purple-wigged Laura Dern) rams her star cruiser into Snoke’s Star Destroyer at light speed is one of the movie’s truly awesome signature moments, both visually and sonically. The few beats of aural disorientation as the sound drops out before we hear a planet-quaking explosion is a tip of the hat to the Jango Fett/Obi-Wan asteroid field dogfight sequence in Attack of the Clones.

I Heart Hoth

The climactic showdown on planet Crait happens on a white plain battlefield where the rebel base has a giant shield door fortification à la Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. The deployment of the AT-ATs during the battle is a further nod to the greatest Episode (so far) of the Star Wars Saga.

Rocketeers

Look sharp during Maz Kanata’s brief cameo: she flies up, up, and away in the same sort of rocket back-pack gear we once saw Boba Fett use in Return of the Jedi, previously worn by his father Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones.

Start With A Bang

The Last Jedi opens with a huge space battle just like Revenge of the Sith, the only other Star Wars episode thus far to feature a large-scale battle sequence at the head of the movie. You’d think there’d be more opening space laser battles among the films of a saga titled Star Wars, but then this one wouldn’t be such an apparent an Easter Egg.

Bleepety-Bleep-Bleep

A random mouse droid on Snoke’s star ship chirps a familiar sing-song-y salutation heard in the hangar of the Rebel base on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.

“That was too close”

Chewbacca, who sadly has precious little to do in The Last Jedi, gets one shining moment during the final battle where he draws off a squad of enemy TIE fighters and pilots the Millennium Falcon into the crystal caves and caverns beneath the mineral planet Crait. If this bit doesn’t remind you of Lando’s Falcon drive into the center of the superstructure of Death Star II in Return of the Jedi, turn in your Rebel papers and secret signet ring right now.

Totems? Since When?

Speaking of Rebels and secret signet rings, for a Saga that has so far been pretty light on totems, The Last Jedi has more than its fair share, and they mostly harken back to the woeful prequel trilogy. In the seven previous Star Wars episodes, the only significant totem is a charm necklace Padme gives to Ani in The Phantom Menace (Padme is buried with it at the end of Revenge of the Sith). Here, there’s the aforementioned secret ring that opens to reveal the Rebel symbol to would-be allies, but there’s also a pair of yin/yang necklaces that are of great sentimental value to its owners—and of convenient use during a particular hacking mission. If the ring and necklaces weren’t enough, Episode VIII introduces an ancient library of sacred Jedi texts heretofore unmentioned.

But wait, there’s even more: The Last Jedi has a Phantom Menace-type/midichlorian-level “WTF?” moment when Luke is in the Millennium Falcon cockpit and retrieves a set of shiny gold dice from what I can only assume was late buddy Han Solo’s rearview mirror. Having never before laid eyes on these gilded charms, we can only hypothesize they were part of Han’s accessories all along and that Luke is having a moment of remembrance for his recently smoted friend.

Later, during the battle of Crait, the dice reappear when Luke symbolically returns them to Leia. I’ll cue up the Blu-rays of the original trilogy to be extra sure, but off the top of my head after umpteen viewings of the classic films I don’t recall ever seeing a golden set of swinging cubes in Han’s space cruiser. The only thing that makes sense is that these dice will turn out to be something established in next year’s stand-alone movie Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The very thought of this feels cheap—that our understanding of an element in a core “Saga” movie would necessarily depend on something depicted outside the canonical films—but how else to explain a rather crucial prop?

Farm Fresh

Luke pinches out a few squirts of discolored milk from a buxom beasty on Ahch-To and gulps it raw and unpasteurized. Gross—and earns a few queasy laughs—but this gag is definitely an homage to the blue milk Luke once drank on Tattooine by the light of the binary sunset.

But Still No Double Shadows

Speaking of binary star systems, when we see two suns on the horizon of Canto Bight (and, unless my memory deceives me, also during Luke’s final scene on Ahch-To), it’s a loud shout-out to the iconic image of Luke gazing off at the twin sunset of Tattooine in A New Hope.

Dude, Where’s My Duel?

Sure, there are lightsabers in The Last Jedi—no proper Star Wars movie would be complete without them—but if you feel afterwards that something isn’t quite “right” in The Last Jedi, you may be experiencing withdrawal from lightsaber duels. Sabers are ignited in The Last Jedi, and they are swung in both attack and defense, but unlike the other seven core episodes, The Last Jedi doesn’t feature a proper “duel” where the wielders of the sabers are facing off against each other. Turns out, it’s a huge distinction. As such, the one flashback moment when Jedi Master Luke Skywalker attempts to strike down the growing menace Kylo Ren is the only time in The Last Jedi when two sabers clash in conflict—so we’ll call this brief moment an Easter Egg in honor of the dozen or so legitimate saber battles throughout the rest of the core Saga.

The Flash’s world spins out of control when his arch-nemesis Reverse-Flash puts the Scarlet Speedster into a vicious time loop in LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash, the latest animated film from Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and The LEGO Group. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will distribute the full-length movie on Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP) on March 13, 2018, and Digital on February 13, 2018. Order due date is February 6, 2018.

In LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash, Reverse-Flash manipulates the Speed Force to put The Flash into a time loop that forces him to relive the same day over and over again – with progressively disastrous results, including losing his powers and being fired by the Justice League. The Flash must find a way to restore time to its original path and finally apprehend his worst enemy before all is lost for The Flash … and the world!

Along the route, The Flash encounters numerous new characters being introduced to the popular DC Super Heroes series, including The Atom; B’dg, a squirrel-esque Green Lantern; a pair of legendary super pets in Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Super-Dog, Batman and Superman’s faithful canine pals; as well as Aquaman’s trusted seahorse, Storm.

LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash also features an original song, “It’s Magic,” written by Tim Kelly and Jeremy Adams, and performed with enthusiastic zest by the trio of The Flash (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Zatanna (Kate Micucci) and Doctor Fate (Kevin Michael Richardson).

The cast of LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash features some of the top voiceover artists in the industry, led by the aforementioned Taylor, Micucci and Richardson, along with Troy Baker (Batman), Nolan North (Superman, Killer Croc), Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman, Lois Lane), Dwight Schultz (Reverse-Flash), Eric Bauza (The Atom, B’dg, Jimmy Olsen), Tom Kenny (Plastic Man, The Penguin), Phil LaMarr (Firestorm), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Vanessa Marshall (Poison Ivy), Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Boomerang, Aquaman), Jason Spisak (The Joker) and Audrey Wasilewski (Mayor).

LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash is directed by Ethan Spaulding from a script by Jim Krieg and Jeremy Adams. Sam Register, Brandon Vietti, Jason Cosler, Robert Fewkes and Jill Wilfert are executive producers. Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan are co-executive producers.

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings The Flash front and center in this new film that delivers the fun, funny, action that our fans have come to expect,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “This is a perfect addition to the LEGO DC Super Heroes franchise.”

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

This is the Wednesday before Christmas! It’s also the last day of Hannukah! Let’s talk about some books you can read over the holidays starting with the week’s biggest release.

Dark Knights: Metal #4
Written by Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Greg Capullo

After Doomsday Clock, this is DC’s biggest hit of the year.

And why shouldn’t it be?

It features a good story by Scott Snyder. It’s got Greg Capullo giving us some of the best artwork of his career. And it’s got a crazy whacked out storyline that you can’t help but love. What’s better than that?

It’s also has a ton of creativity. This book has the Justice League in turmoil and scattered all over the place. Every single one of them has to deal with their worst fears all alone. Can they find their way out of it? Or will they succumb to the fear? They have an ally it seems. But can this “ally” be trusted to help?

Snyder writes a tale with twists and turns and it’s fascinating to see where it goes. You can’t predict it because the story is so out there. And I love that.

Capullo takes the story and translates it well. That means the art is kind of berserk, too. And I love it.

Pick this up! It’s awesome and once you start reading, I guarantee you won’t be able to stop.

RATING: A

Batman #37
Written by Tom King
Illustrated by Clay Mann

Another writer that has just had a tremendous year is Tom King.

This issue is the ending of the two-parter called “Superfriends.” Tom King mastered Batman. Now, he’s showing his strength writing another character with Superman.

The Dark Knight is engaged!

He didn’t tell his best friend, Superman.

Superman is hurt by this.

This leads to the two of them doing something neither one of them wanted to do: go on a double date with both of their loves. It makes for a comical and fun adventure.

King knows not just how to write the men. He excels at writing strong women as well.

The art by Mann is incredibly strong.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: put this guy on a Batbook. Immediately.

RATING: A

Aquaman #31
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Riccardo Federici

Man, what a great comic book.

Dan Abnett and Riccardo Federici make for one hell of a creative team.

The previous storyline with the Stjepan Sejic art was so spectacular that I eagerly awaited each issue like a little kid. Here, they keep the magic of the comic alive with strong writing and a new artist.

This is part one of the storyline “Take Back The Throne.” In it, Arthur joins up with Dolphin, Mera and that villainous Vulko to rally up the citizens of Atlantis.

Why?

To take back the throne from that fool! That’s why! But others may have their eyes on the throne as well.

Federici is just awesome. I hope he has a lengthy run on this title. Or hell, put this guy on Superman if Sejic returns. Kudos to whoever put this team together. They are tops.

RATING: A

The Wild Storm #10
Written by Warren Ellis
Illustrated by Jon Davis-Hunt

I have been loving this book as well. Warren Ellis writing a book is always a good time.

Here, he takes these old Wildstorm characters and spins one hell of a compelling narrative.

The WildCAT and Jackie King at IO are planning some elaborate schemes.

One heist could save the entire world. Yay!

One heist could utterly destroy it. Boo.

Will either of them survive these heists? Or are they really in for it?

Ellis keeps you guessing and he writes this story unlike any you’ve read with both dialogue and action.

Jon Davis-Hunt is one of the more exciting artists in comics right now. His art here is his best work. He keeps Ellis’s storyline alive and vibrant. I love his art. The whole package just sings. Pick this up. But start at the first issue for the complete picture.

RATING: A

Injustice 2 #16
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Mike Miller and Tom Derenick

I never thought I would be a fan of this title.

I totally am now after giving it a chance. You should too. It’s like a drug.

Tom Taylor is one hell of a writer and he knows how to keep me on the edge of my seat issue after issue.

This issue continues last issue’s storyline of trying to break Wonder Wonder from her prison!

It’s full of some twists I didn’t see coming and I loved that.

Plus, there is a short Flash story at the end that was like a great after dinner mint.

Taylor is the best writer you may not have heard of. The art is varied on these books but it’s always solid. The same can be said for this issue. Pick this up. Give it a chance. You may surprise yourself.

RATING: B+

Bombshells United #8
Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by Mirka Andolfo

This is another book that has been a pleasant surprise this year.

Marguerite Bennett writes an enjoyable tale here, and it’s been strong from the very beginning. I have been enjoying it very much.

This issue focuses on Batwoman.

She decides to leave Gotham behind, much to her chagrin. She decides to join the war in Spain and fight. The reason she does this is because she is in turmoil. I love the human aspect Bennett brings to this character. It’s nuanced and wonderful.

The art this time around isn’t as strong as some of the previous issues.

Still, the story is so strong, you almost look past it. Pick this up. It deserves a bigger audience.

RATING: B+

Future Quest Presents #5
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Steve Rude

This is the first of a three part adventure featuring Birdman as the focus.

It’s written by Phil Hester who isn’t my favorite writer. I love his art but his writing has always left me cold. Here, he does better than he has in the past. It could be that.

Or it could be the beautiful Steve Rude art that graces this issue.

A group of ancient gods are headed to Inter-Nation to destroy everything in their path. They would love for Birdman to join them. But of course, he’s going to fight them. He joins with his companion, Avenger, to fight them and to also find out who is behind their appearance.

So, the art. I have loved Steve Rude’s work since I first saw it on Nexus. I love it here even more.

He is the consummate superhero artist and I love his work beyond compare. Pick this up. It’s damn enjoyable.

RATING: B+

Superman #37
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Illustrated by Jorge Jimenez

This is how I like my Superman.

Tomasi and Gleason are the best writers Clark and gang have had in years.

They take Superman and give him a real spin. They make him human and give the title humor. They also make an adventurous story.

This is the first part of a crossover with the Super Sons and The Teen Titans.

In it, the Batman of Tomorrow comes to the present time to issue a warning. The warning is that Superboy is going to cause the deaths of a lot of people. But Superman will do anything to protect his son.

This leads to one hell of a conflict! The drama is at an all time high. There is also the feeling that this may lead to real changes.

The art is okay. I’m not a huge Jorge Jimenez fan but he does okay here. Pick this up. It’s very good indeed.

RATING: A-

Super Sons #11
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated by Ryan Benjamin

This is part two of the storyline continued from Superman #37.

Tomasi writes a nice second part of the story for sure, and it’s very strong work.

Robin is the one defending Superboy in this issue. He is trying to protect him from the Batman of Tomorrow. That Batman is crazy and will go to extreme lengths to get this Superboy.

The art is great! I love Ryan Benjamin. I said in the previous review that this could lead to some serious changes and cements that theory even more.

Pick it up. It’s very good.

RATING: B+

Ever since those fateful Easter weekend screenings of The Monster Squad at Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, in 2006, André Gower and Ryan Lambert – who played Sean and Rudy, respectively – have had plenty to do. Coming directly from a 17-day tour that encompassed visiting 17 Alamo Drafthouse theaters across America, their efforts have finally brought them to the cinematic oasis that is the Prince Charles Cinema in London, England.

Located just off Leicester Square, the Prince Charles Cinema has long been known for its eclectic selection of cult films and classics, and it therefore seemed like the perfect location for a 30^th anniversary screening. In keeping with the film’s recent surge in the popularity that prompted the Alamo Drafthouse tour, the queue of excited fans snakes its way around the corner from the entrance at Leicester Place into Lisle Street, extending far down the latter. With their trusty documentary crew in tow, Lambert and Gower walk along the long, winding queue to greet people and ensure that no one has mistaken this for the queue for the 30th anniversary screening of Dirty Dancing, which is playing at one of the large cinemas in Leicester Square.

Having gained a significant and very dedicated following of fans both young and old, there can be no question about the lingering appeal of The Monster Squad, not only as a nostalgic gem, but also as a creative work that transcends time. With the script being a cooperative effort shared by Shane Black and director Fred Dekker, the film is saturated with excellent wit and sincere charm, and the studio’s faith in the production was not missed on Lambert during production.

Ryan Lambert: “I grew up like everyone in that era; I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, E.T., Close Encounters, all those things. Then I’m suddenly of the set of The Monster Squad, and I remember thinking to myself that I was probably in one of those films and that I was going to be a frigging action figure! I thought all of these things were going to happen, especially in the last 20 minutes of the film with the big climactic ending; they’d yell action and then 15 gigantic wind machines would turn on and they’d throw debris at us, stop signs would be hitting us in the face… And we were harnessed up, flying through the air or shooting things and killing stuff – it was huge! It was something I thought I would never get to do, and it did feel like this giant budget, Spielbergian action piece.”

And there is indeed no moment as you are watching the film that you ever get the sense that this was going to be marketed as anything less than the more well-known 1980’s action adventure films featuring kids as the main cast. A such, it is highly evident from the final product that the $12,000,000 budget was competently put to use, suggesting that the studio had enough confidence in the film that the idea of The Monster Squad having multiple sequels seemed highly plausible.

Unfortunately, in spite of the excellent creative efforts put into The Monster Squad, it would be almost 20 years before the film would find success and Lambert would finally get his own action figure. With such a substantial delay from release to recognition, it begs the question why the film initially flopped in spite of having so many components that not only seemed to match the zeitgeist of the 1980’s, but have also proven to be sufficiently competent and intriguing to enable such a noteworthy resurgence, a question that Gower has also considered.

André Gower: “I think the reason was kind of twofold. Firstly, our marketing campaign was really… odd. It was kind of a rad marketing campaign that was like a call to action, which would’ve been great if there had been the internet or somewhere else to go, because the main marketing push was ‘wanted’ posters of the monsters.”

However, the marketing department clearly had not thought the campaign through, as Lambert adds that the Dracula poster did not even feature Duncan Regehr, who portrayed the bloodthirsty count in The Monster Squad, but instead a random guy in subpar makeup and cheap plastic fangs. Gower agrees that a photo shoot with Duncan Regehr would have been awesome before further elaborating on the wanted poster campaign.

Gower: “They listed these corny crimes for all of them, which didn’t make sense in the first place because this wasn’t a police procedural movie where we are hunting down the monsters. But the thing that killed me was the mummy one. It listed three crimes that the mummy was wanted for; crossing state lines to avoid burial, arms bandage and statutory wrap…”

The ill-fated ‘wanted’ posters from the marketing campaign for The Monster Squad.

While the 1980s are hardly remembered for their political correctness, it is still baffling to consider that not only did someone think of that problematic pun in the first place, but also that at no point in the process from brain fart to billboard did anyone think to put a stop to this questionable piece of marketing. Awkwardly inappropriate as it was then, one shudders to think about the kind of unbridled outrage such an ad would cause today.

Gower: “The other thing that I really think is the main reason why the movie didn’t do well, is that the trailer is pretty dark and scary, and the ads were as well, so I don’t think parents of 10-year-olds wanted to take them to see the movie because it was rated PG-13. On the other hand, The Monster Squad was too kid-oriented for all the cool kids that were old enough to go by themselves, so they went and saw The Lost Boys instead.”

“I always joke that we made the first tween movie, a market that wasn’t a thing then, but now it’s a big thing, so I always make this corny joke that had they known that and marketed it for that, we would’ve made The Monster Squad 11: Breaking Dawn by now.”

To make matters worse, The Monster Squad has a 15 rating in the UK, making it entirely impossible for the target audience to see the film on the big screen. Unsurprisingly, The Monster Squad only lasted a week in London back in 1987, which was absolutely unheard of at the time, not to mention even less time than the two to three weekends the film managed to stay in American theaters. Some very young fans at the 30th anniversary screening in London lamentably learn about the strict reinforcement of the BBFC rating the hard way by being refused entry into the screen, but the cinema and the two actors have prepared for this by keeping the youngsters and their parents entertained in the lobby before the kids are allowed into the screen for the subsequent Q&A session.

However, as discrepancies between the MPAA and the BBFC have long proved to be unavoidable, it is easy to see why the British decided that the film was deserving of a more severe rating; the fish man is breaking necks, vampire brides are being staked, and Dracula has a murderous penchant for lighting dynamite with his mind, but there are also other and perhaps even darker elements at play at a more subtle, thematic level.

One of the these themes is the subplot regarding the increasingly negative tension between Sean’s parents. Going as far as having his parents argue over marriage counselling – which in itself is hardly standard fare for a kids’ action adventure movie – but Gower notes that it did not stop there.

Gower: “Most people will have seen the film in a format with a morphed image. On the big screen, you would be able to see the luggage outside the house near the finale because the mom’s about to leave for good.”

Another unusually dark element is the presence of Scary German Guy; while the words ‘scary ‘ and ‘German’ have certainly been synonymous for yours truly in terms of linguistic studies, the character of Scary German Guy is a lot more than the oft used strange, supporting character whose arc goes from potential threat to helpful ally. A simple, but clever line followed by a pensive expression on actor Leonardo Cimino’s face and a closeup of his forearm adds substantially to not only the arc of that character, but also to the proceedings as a whole, essentially transforming Dracula from a campy, supernatural monster into a parallel of one of the most atrocious human monsters of all time.

“A lot of people refer to that scene where we see his concentration camp tattoo and learn that he’s a survivor of the Holocaust because the movie gets different then; it gets real. It adds this extra layer that’s really impactful because it’s a kids movie, but then all of a sudden you’re bringing in this survival story. And that’s what’s interesting about the character of Scary German Guy; he’s not only the funny, old, weird dude that helps you, he’s seen that kind of evil before, and because of that, he’s one of the only people that recognizes the peril and understands what’s going on in a different context. He’s not in the film much, but even as an older, frail guy, he steps up to face off against Dracula to show that he will not allow such evil to go unchallenged.”

On a lighter note, another aspect that attests to the enduring appeal of The Monster Squad is how quotable the film is. While Gower attributes the great characters and camp factor to Fred Dekker’s imagination, co-writer Shane Black – who was at the brink of stardom with Lethal Weapon – was unsurprisingly the mastermind behind the witty banter and buddy cop comedy dynamic that would make Lethal Weapon such a big success. However, the presence of Shane Black’s career-making knack for snappy dialogue would not only benefit the lingering appeal of The Monster Squad, Black’s involvement with the film would also become the selling point for a Hollywood A-lister to star in one of the best films of 2016.

“There is a great story about The Nice Guys, which a lot of people may not know. Ryan Gosling gets maybe 20 scripts a year, but he specifically chose to do The Nice Guys because he is a big fan of The Monster Squad and wanted to work with the guy that wrote his favorite movie of all time.”

Shane Black, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe on the set of The Nice Guys.

While on the topic of the masterminds behind The Monster Squad and considering the amount of reboots and sequels inhabiting the contemporary cinematic landscape, it seems only natural to ask the dynamic duo whether Fred Dekker and Shane Black have discussed revisiting the world of assertive kids who battle evil monsters.

Gower: “They have certainly talked about it and if it was the right situation, they would both want to do something, but it all comes down to timing and availability. Shane has been quoted as saying that he would love to revisit that world because it would be fun to see what that would look like, but it’s up to them or other powers that be to put something in motion.”

Alas, despite the exchange of ideas, there is therefore no official sequel to The Monster Squad in the works. Likewise, the proposed reboot of the 1987 film was also cancelled to make way for Universal’s Dark Universe, which was supposed to be the vehicle to introduce the classic monsters to a new generation, however, the 2017 version of The Mummy left this new franchise as dead in the water as a victim of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Another point of interest when discussing the resurgence of The Monster Squad is of course the current trend of revisiting all things 1980’s, with Stranger Things being in the driver’s seat of the seemingly unstoppable nostalgia train.

Lambert: “I think that the filmmakers, directors and writers that grew up in that era have now reached an age where they make their own content, so the Duffer Brothers are just drawing from their youth; that’s their jam. They’ve taken their influences and made Stranger Things, not as a rehash, but as an homage to the filmmaking associated with a different time period.”

Lambert and Gower at the Prince Charles Cinema, their crew documenting the event.

A significant element of contemporary popular culture is meta content. With some of the more self-aware and tongue-in-cheek elements of The Monster Squad, it is therefore tempting to draw a parallel between the inventive wit of the 1987 film and the current popularity of meta-filled narratives, just as conventions such as the various comic cons across the globe are booming and allowing people to bond through their fandoms. Thus, is it possible that part of the resurgence of The Monster Squad is owed to the film being ahead of its time and only now having a broader appeal thanks to contemporary tastes?

Gower: “I actually think that the resurgence of The Monster Squad pre-dated that a little bit, but it was supplemented by that. Our original fans finally had a place to congregate and talk to each other, and then it just expanded out to events and conventions, which built into that, and now everything’s about that. I think we slid in right before that kind of dynamic happened, but it just reinforced it because now those events and conventions are about what’s new, whereas it used to be about celebrating the stuff that only a few people like; the whole thing has been turned upside down.”

There is no doubt that the surge in popularity geek culture has experienced over the last couple of decades has enabled people to effortlessly find peers who share their interest in all manner of entertainment, be it film, TV, comics or whatever else you can think of. Whether it is huge conventions or packed 30^th anniversary screenings at an independent London cinema, celebrating your favorite pop culture content has never been easier. However, in the case of The Monster Squad, Lambert and Gower have embarked on a quest to thoroughly unearth the true reason for the delayed celebration of their film.

Lambert: “We weren’t sure if it was just a one-time thing you could attribute to a bunch of people that got together and decided to go see The Monster Squad, but then there was another screening, and then we went to a convention, and then we went to Comic Con and then the DVD came out and we did the commentary for that. After the DVD came out, we went to San Diego Comic Con and the line was around the block, and it was then we realized that something was going on, something that was different from other fandoms. If a new Captain America movie comes out and Chris Evans is attending, obviously there’s going to be a giant line around the corner, but that’s expected; we wanted to know why this was happening to our movie now as opposed to when it came out. There’s a story there, so what’s that story? It’s just something that became a giant question that I think had to be answered.”

Sharing Lambert’s zest for wanting to explore exactly what it is that draws people to The Monster Squad, Gower would eventually set the wheels in motion to create a documentary about the fandom, the release of which is imminent. Elaborating further on Lambert’s thoughts about the appeal of The Monster Squad, Gower follows up on Lambert’s musings, adding his perception of the appeal of their film.

Gower: “Some people say it’s a cult film, some people say it’s not a cult film, and to me it’s just a classic film because it was a big hit to me right off the bat. So we have this great back-and-forth between fans, academics and industry people who all have a different answer to what this film is and why we are experiencing this resurgence. We have so many people that care so much about this movie, which we appreciate so much, and it kind of gives us new life almost every day that this discussion happens, it just energizes us even more. It is something special and that’s what we’re trying to capture in this documentary; the essence of these experiences that we have and explain what that means to us and what it means to the fans. For 30 years, the fans have been celebrating this film, so what I want to do for the documentary is turn that celebration around and shine it back on the fans because we wouldn’t be here 30 years later without them.”

Ryan Lambert and André Gower all wrapped up in hosting an episode of Short Ends.

As the investigation into the motivations of the fandom spawned from The Monster Squad continues and the release of their documentary looms on the horizon, Lambert and Gower are currently hosting the second season of their show Short Ends. Available on Nerdist’s premium channel Alpha, Short Ends is an online short film festival that sees the duo curate short films, while also engaging in goofy gags and interviewing the filmmakers.

“Immensely stylish and darkly funny” (Brian Viner, Daily Mail), director George Clooney’s suspenseful thriller SUBURBICON arrives on Blu-ray and DVD February 6, 2018 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives on Digital January 23, 2018.

The idyllic town of Suburbicon is the perfect place for Gardner Lodge (Academy Award winner Matt Damon) to make a home. But beneath this tranquil surface lies a disturbing reality, where nothing is as it seems.  When a break-in leads to the shocking murder of his wife, Gardner must navigate the town’s underbelly of deceit and violence to protect his family from further harm.  “Full of twists and turns” (Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast), SUBURBICON also stars Academy Award winner Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac.

The SUBURBICON Blu-ray is packed with over 50 minutes of bonus content. Join Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac as they dive into the making of SUBURBICON and discuss everything from the script to casting and more. Plus, check out the film’s unique score and find out how the composer was inspired by the storyline. Also included is a commentary by writer/director George Clooney and writer Grant Heslov.

SUBURBICON Blu-ray

The SUBURBICON Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles.  The Blu-ray includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition
• Bonus Content:
  • Commentary by George Clooney and Grant Heslov
  • Welcome to Suburbicon
  • The Unusual Suspects: Casting
  • Scoring Suburbicon

SUBURBICON DVD

The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English and Spanish subtitles.  The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

suburbiconmovie.com

[=It’s a heck of a ride this week.

We’ve got highs, we’ve got lows!

Fun and fighting, emotion and action all on display.

Batman Teenage Mutant Turtles II #2
Words – James Tynion IV
Pictures – Freddie Williams II, Jeremy Colwell

This one definitely delivers what it promises on the tin – Batman, Turtles, and the wackiness when you mix them. The story is standard (not a bad thing mind you), Tynion has a good handle of how all the characters sound and think and where their stories are.

Pictures are practically impressionistic, characters look sculpted from wet clay with anatomy and proportion fluid from one panel to the next. It’s the artist’s flair and the funky premise of the whole book that lets these visuals dance on the page.

From where we left off last month, Bane is wreaking havoc in the Turtle’s New York. You know how effective the Foot Clan isn’t, and they were in disarray before he got there. Back in Gotham the Bat family and Donnie must borrow tech from the likes of Ra’s Al Ghul and Mister Freeze to get back to the Turtles before it’s too late.

It’s a fun romp with a distinct visual style that respects the rules of both universes. If it sounds intriguing flip through it to make that age old call for yourself – read now or wait for trade.

Batwoman #10
Words – Marguerite Bennett
Pictures – Fernando Blanco, Marc Laming, John Rauch

Ah, Batwoman. Visually and story-wise you do not disappoint. Kate has turned into a giant be-batsuited nightmare bat/wolf and she’s scaring the hell out of Scarecrow in this trippy wonderland dreamworld. (That’s a beautiful sentence, thank you for letting me express it)

The comparatively boring “shadowy organization representative” Fatima stands by and gloats (evil dude tip #439 – don’t do this, so dumb!) and then is chased down by the 10ft Kate until she turns a corner and then things start to get weird.

This book is a joy and it uses the medium to explore where they can narratively go.

I want to see how far this team can run; art can and should be challenging to the creators and readers.

Green Lanterns #37
Words – Tim Seeley
Pictures – Carlo Barberi, Matt Santorelli, Ulises Arreola

Remember that scene two issues ago of a murder on the planet of magenta tinted aliens? It came back up.

Simon and Jess get called to Ungara to solve the murder. Ripples from it have already enflamed xenophobia in the local populace. Evidence points to the recently introduced Molite refugees for the crime.

(I do question the scene where they sneak into the sewer system as sanitation workers, but their clothes are ring constructs and they use a ring to melt bars to get in… maybe the clothes only glow for the reader and appear normal in cannon?)

They find themselves immediately under attack from the Molites.

There’s pain and misunderstanding on both sides. If talking had happened before the killings (Molite eggs were crushed, whipping the refugees into a frenzy) them maybe this planet could have been the safe haven the Green Lanterns had hoped for.

Lots of action (more fight scenes in this issue than you’d suspect) sadness, introspection and in the end betrayal! (Secret undermining organizations my old tropey friend, nice to see you again. This time you’re called “Red Tide” and I’m sure we’ll get an earful about you – next time.)

Harley Quinn #33
Words – Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
Pictures – Brett Blevins, Otto Schmidt, Moritat, Alex Sinclair

Oh Harl, I’m so sorry. It’s the issue when they start to say goodbye to Mason.

The issue begins at his gravesite, where Harley is just trying to support others. For a person who has killed so many (even in this book) this side of it, feeling the impact of a death isn’t something she seems to be equip for and she admits to Ivy to be winging it. (It’s o.k. dear, we all do)

After a heart to heart where she tries to coax Madame M to eat anything, it’s back home to get the building ready for an incoming hurricane. Life does not stop for anyone.

Harley, after being told Madame M is taking some time away, goes to the roller derby to work through some of the emotional twists she’s barely been holding together within her.

There’s fun, heartbreak, violence and wonderful quiet moments within this family Harley’s built in her book.

Next issue we seek a change of pace with a road trip, I hope she can catch a break.

 
Justice League #35
Words – Christopher Priest
Pictures – Pete Woods

Criminal fallout from last issue places Diana in front of investigating detectives, very Law & Order, even down to a snippy banter back and forth over Diana’s “costume”.

What looks like a space spartan transports onto the Justice League Satellite fully armed, and it turns into a slight kerfuffle when the first person it comes across is Jess – using the restroom. After the expected fight, the intruder asks the whereabouts of Martian Manhunter (as he sloughs off the armor to reveal a humanoid form) and reveals that he’s a bounty hunter going by the name of “Glenn” Gammeron and he needs their help.

A “superbug” (literally, a space cockroach) escaped from a bounty’s ship and landed on Earth. The League must find it before it mates with the local variety and eats the world alive.

There’s some great visuals here, it’s a creative use of “all the creatures bunch up to become mega creature”, but I did not need to see a dog eaten alive – trigger warning there for people who can’t stand that.

A nice quiet discussion is had between Cyborg and Glenn, when each questions the other and Cyborg realizes his thinking is a bit Earth-centric. This has a nice payoff at the end (p.s. I don’t know the physical characteristics of other world animals either Glenn)

But our interlude must end as the footage from last issue gets leaked to the internet. Edited, unedited, who, why – we don’t know. This is gonna get rough.

 
Nightwing #35
Words – Sam Humphries
Pictures – Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo

Dick tries to keep the peace in Blüdhaven as a manipulatively charming man plays cards in a local casino.

Suddenly with a whispered word an old lady on vacation takes an offered switchblade and stabs the dealer in the neck. Both her and his eyes glow with a fiery red light at that moment. The only other person at that table, Guppy, can only watch in horror.

Nightwing takes down the “League of Limousine Assassins” a group that kills by running randos (random people) over while drinking rosé in the back of an armored limo, all dressed as… limo drivers (group’s name was too cool for the reality). But the car hits a tree that represents good in this city and it bums out Dick.

But he recoups, tries to enjoy some normal life time until he’s called out to solve the incident with the switchblade bubbie at the casino. Dick might know who it was, and the perpetrator might want Dick to know it was him.

More violent bonebreaking fun for our bruised and battered Batboy.

 
Teen Titans Go #25
Words – Sholly Fisch
Pictures – Lea Hernandez, Marcelo DiChiara

…no

No, no that’s not fair. This is a good time to bring back the debate of art vs. writing – which one is more necessary to keep you reading. This book has two stories, the first is drawn by Lea Hernandez who does yeoman’s work here recreating the style of the cartoon while the author does do a good job of recreating the story flow and dialogue of the show here in page form.

This is effort that fans of the show should appreciate, and there are many of them out there, this book has gone two years and the show has dominated all of cartoon network in a practical stranglehold.

Beast Boy brings the rest Hanukkah sweaters and paraphernalia without any knowledge of the holiday except “8 days of presents!”

At that moment Colossal Boy bops in from the 31st century convinced he is visiting the time of the Maccabees and wants to watch the assault on the temple and miracle firsthand (because he’s Jewish, but no character does their homework, and the wackiness is hurting me).

The Teen Titans instead of using logic or reason, recreate it to the best of their ability using villains luckily on hand because they’re afraid the hero from the future might crush them if they don’t.

The second story is worse. Robin gets annoyed when Beast Boy sings the “Jingle Bells” variation from Batman: The Animated Series (please don’t reference a better work in your writing). The discussion veers to a theory Beast Boy lands upon – Batman is Santa Claus. How long can you stretch out that premise? 10 pages. It ends with them being laughed out of the Bat cave but twist – they were right.

Marcelo DiChiara’s images do not raise the work as well as Hernandez’s did. There are facial exaggerations and body contortions that do the script no favors, but it deserves none.

From page 16, Cyborg: Sure “Keep Cyborg away from the cookies.” That is how Fascism starts…

No context can make jokes like that make sense or be funny.

 
Trinity #16
Words – Rob Williams
Pictures – V Ken Marion, Sandu Florea, Dinei Ribeiro

60 minutes to the New Year and Bruce is spending it chasing trucks around town with Deadshot, hoping with each to pick the right one before time runs out. It’s a kidnapping, and a car chase, and a night of introspection for all main characters involved.

Deadshot’s daughter was kidnapped by Kobra. They took offense to their leader being killed and promise to snuff her out at midnight if they can’t guess which van she’s in.

Meanwhile – Clark and Diana wait at Bruce’s party and wonder what the hold up is. That is until they see the explosion at 51 minutes to midnight.

Now with all four looking for the innocent girl, they reflect upon who they would hate to see lost to them and it gives fire to their efforts. They’re gonna need it, vendettas this big don’t stay personal especially when the group wants to make a big bloody fiery splash.

It’s tense, quiet, thoughtful and honest to the characters it portrays. It feels like a sorbet chapter before a big meal, so I expect with the coming year the ramp up to an exciting arc.

 
Wonder Woman / Conan #4
Words – Gail Simone
Pictures – Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan, Wendy Broome

This book is so fun and if I didn’t recommend it last time for the animated treatment let me correct that now.

Gail Simone has always had a talent with voices, especially children’s and it’s in splendid effect here. The team of Lopresti, Ryan, and Broome set a whimsical sometimes storybook feel to the pages that it would miss if translated to the screen (especially their creative borders for flashbacks) but I’d love to see someone (ala JoJo’s) give it a good honest try.

Having foiled the Corvidae sisters plans to watch them fight each other to the death for their amusement, they’ve gained another powerful enemy.

Conan remember the night at twelve he snuck away to join the young “Yanna” on her escape. We rejoin them both grown and almost to shore. Still chained together, after a little “light finger action” (that means pickpocketing- mind out of the gutter) they hit the local ale house. Diana drinks for the first time (that she can remember- amnesia) and after dinner passes out. The comely drink wench propositions Conan, the bar owner offers Diana a life of being his housewife but neither jumps at the chance.

The cur who sold the two into slavery is approached by the Corvidae. For their revenge they want all his slaves killed in front of Diana and Conan, mostly out of spite.

A bloody bar fight breaks out, Diana recovers enough to break the chain and join in and they steal their attackers horses (and the hearts of the bar’s staff). Diana got a vision while passed out, they now have a clue to follow!

And we end with how the two parted as children. Quiet, tragic, done lovely by people putting their heart into their art.

Cover art by James Clyne

Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, The Brothers Bloom, Brick) and production designed by Rick Heinrichs (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Captain America: The First Avenger), Star Wars: The Last Jedi, like every chapter before it, owes its visual language and fully imagined cinematic landscape to an incomparable art department: the Lucasfilm “visualists.”

In stores now, The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi explores their vision and illuminates their creative process in stunning detail. Featuring concept art, costume sketches, and storyboards, this book takes fans on a deep dive into the development of the fantastic worlds, characters, and creatures—both old and new—of The Last Jedi. Exclusive interviews with the filmmakers and with the Lucasfilm visualists provides a running commentary on this unforgettable art, and reveals the inspirations behind moviemaking magic at its finest.

LUKE & REY FIGHTING VERSION 2 by Seth Engstrom

KYLO RED ROOM 01 by James Clyne

PORGS COCKPIT 02  by Jake Lunt Davies

REY MEDITATE by Justin Sweet

DJ IDEA J by Jock (Mark Simpson)

GORILLA WALKING VERSION 02 by Kevin Jenkins

The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi  is available now

The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Phil Szostak, and Lucasfilm Ltd. © Abrams Books, 2017
(C) 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. And TM. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization

Produced by Mark Gordon,
Amy Pascal, Matt Jackson
Based on the book by Molly Bloom
Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin
Starring Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba,
Kevin Costner, Michael Cera,
Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp

Aaron Sorkin has a certain talent for taking the wild success of young white entrepreneurs and creating empathy and understanding for them over the course of two hours.

Molly’s Game is more of the same. What could have been a shallow reflection of privilege and just desserts is instead presented as a study of a young woman’s mistakes of flying too high too quickly and getting caught up and something far more nefarious then she ever intended.

At least, that seems to be the intention.

The film is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), who ran the world’s most exclusive high stakes poker game on both the East and the West Coast before being arrested for business contacts she didn’t even know that she had. As she faces the court, defended by a lawyer (Idris Elba) that is slowly growing in his understanding of how wrong his original perceptions of her were, we learn that the road to her notoriety is not the smooth and straight path the public may have believed.

Told through flashbacks, spliced in stock footage, and current sentencing, the film never strays from painting Molly as a victim of circumstance. It is strange that there is little to no balance of her own part in this mess. It’s almost as if Sorkin is treating her life story with kid gloves. The men that surround her are roundly villains outside of the almost angelic Charlie Jaffey, played impeccably by Elba. Indeed, if a strong, endlessly scrupulous, silver fox Black man is ever needed for a name brand director, Elba is justifiably at the top of every list in Hollywood at this point. Chastain speaks at a Gilmore Girls-esque clip, coming off as sharp and cool in an artificial way that makes it seem like she is always just a few bad turns away from completely breaking down from the weight of the charges levied against her. While her at times steely reserve does little to endear her to the audience, the flashbacks of a young woman trying to make it in a world of men prop up the empathy that Sorkin injects at every turn.

One of the better performances turned in is Michael Cera as Player X. After coming into the national consciousness as the sweet and naive George Michael Bluth of Arrested Development, Michael Cera has been taking edgier roles these past years. For as good as he is at playing a moral conscience, he is excellent as a complete jerk. When asked by Molly why he likes to play in this high-stakes game, he replies that he “likes to ruin lives”. And there is no mistaking that is exactly what drives him. Yet what should be complete hatred is also enviable and enticing in a way that speaks to Cera’s talent. Kevin Costner is also a strong supporting presence as her demanding and intense psychologist father.

A movie primarily about men sitting around a table playing cards and exchanging money could easily have significant amounts of downtime but the pacing and action is swift and decadent. Moving from swanky LA hotel rooms to decked out apartments looking over Central Park, the trappings of excessive wealth create a peek inside of a world few of us have access to. The change in wardrobe for Chastain, from dowdy department store dresses to tight low-cut masterpieces does an excellent job of showing how she polished herself to shine as bright as the diamonds that these men could buy and sell without thought.

There are certain flaws that cannot be helped with a story like this, especially as a failure of financial success from someone already born of privilege is a tough lift, at least in terms of empathy from mainstream audiences. But the glimpses of vulnerability that Chastain gives to Molly, an excellent job of casting, and the real (though almost tediously repetitive) insistence of her innocence makes it clear that as long as Sorkin is directing, the house will always win.

Produced by Elizabeth Banks,
Paul Brooks, Max Handelman
Screenplay by Kay Cannon, Mike White
Story by Kay Cannon
Directed by Trish Sie
Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson,
Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp,
Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp,
John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks

It’s the same old song and dance for the third outing of the Pitch Perfect franchise.

The formula, “weird and quirky women find sisterhood through cover songs and mediocre competition”, is as predictable as your 10 year old niece trudging through Greensleeves as a first recital piece

The camaraderie and chemistry between the main Bellas leads to a few bright moments, but at a surprisingly (thankfully?) brief 93 minutes, this film was not the swan song the ladies deserved for a franchise that has raked in over $400 million dollars.

After winning the World Championship, the Bellas go off on their separate ways into the adult world. But they find themselves uniting one more time at an overseas USO tour where the best act will open for hip hop producer DJ Khaled.

As the girls face the reality of post-competition life, they must find their own individual ways forward. Thankfully, they’ll always have their sisters as backup when they really need it.

As usual, the movie centers on the deadpan Beca, played by Anna Kendrick who is slightly more sentimental and group-oriented in this movie than previous outings.

The entire Bella cast reprise their roles, but there simply isn’t enough time to update about what they’ve been doing since the competition. It’s strange that the lack of backstory is noticeable, understandable, and thankfully absent all at the same time. The ship has sailed on creating emotional investment in the team as individuals and lines go to the same favorites as the last tw movies, like Hana Mae Lee’s always quiet and creepy Lilly.

The heavy lifting as far as comedy is reserved again for Rebel Wilson’s turn as Fat Amy. Her irreverence and physicality are very much needed to break through the monotony of songs that are so similar in choreography and execution that they become well-worn less than halfway through. Strangely, no men save for John Michael Higgins have returned. His reporting alongside Elizabeth Banks, shoehorned into the plot, remains snarky and worth more than a few snickers.

Perhaps most surprising are the additional actors new to this movie. Ruby Rose leads the competing band ever moist (yes, that is truly their name) and John Lithgow is woefully underutilized as Rebel Wilson’s estranged father. DJ Khaled basically plays the role that you would have given to Puff Daddy if this were the late 90s/early 2000s, meaning he is already larger than life so he can easily represent himself. His name is mentioned so often, you wonder if he actually partially sponsored the movie and it was a way to cover product placement.

As the competition moves forward, it is brought up yet again that the one with the most raw talent is Beca, yet at this point she has formed such strong allegiances with the rest of the Bellas that she is unwilling to fully pursue her own dreams if it means leaving them behind.

And unfortunately, there’s nothing really at stake in the movie to make anyone care about their futures one way or the other. Even the competition is treated as a bit of a parody of itself. Being that the bands that they are competing against are actual bands with instruments and original compositions trying for the chance of a lifetime to open for DJ Khaled requires a complete suspension of belief for a college acapella group to stand any sort of reasonable chance. This inability to create a sense of urgency or engagement is intensified by a shoddy subplot whose only silver lining is that it least gives us the chance to see some great ass-kicking physical comedy and fight scenes from Wilson.

Even with the talents of Kendrick, Wilson, Higgins, and Banks, Pitch Perfect 3 is more of a dive bar karaoke version of the brand than a stylized concert cover. And that is unfortunate, because after this movie there will surely be no one requesting an encore.

Produced by Laurence Mark,
Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping
Screenplay by Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon
Story by Jenny Bicks
Directed by Michael Gracey
Starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya
Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson

On Sunday May 21st of 2017, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus performed its final show.

This winter, director Michael Gracey gave us The Greatest Showman, detailing the beginnings of the birth of the circus started by PT Barnum.

While the actual circus was plagued with animal cruelty lawsuits and claims that it was antiquated, it never failed to put on an amazing show. It is too bad that this movie musical couldn’t bring that magic to the screen.

Hugh Jackman stars as Phineas Taylor Barnum, one of the founders of Barnum & Bailey Circus. As he hustles his way from street orphan to husband of high society Charity (Michelle Williams), he always has his eyes on entertaining and astounding the public. He gets his opportunity when he opens up show featuring the macabre and extraordinary. Even after partnering with Phillip Carlye (Zac Efron) to add legitimacy, Barnum stays dissatisfied with his massive success and keeps reaching for the stars. But will he manage to hold on to all the real and precious things that ground him?

This movie is a wonderful example of the reasons that decent songs and excellent actors cannot guarantee a movie musical success. Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron are two of the most talented and well-known male leads for musical films at the moment, even if Efron’s start was singing on the small screen. Yet their vibrant numbers (their duet “The Other Side” comes to mind as a well choreographed favorite), rarely occur at times where a song is the best choice for explaining a situation. A key component in the composition of a musical is that story and prose lead, and musical numbers accentuate. But the dance numbers and songs of The Greatest Showman are infinitely preferable to the shallow storytelling in between. and serve to highlight the failures of a lackluster script.

This film is about the larger-than-life beginning of one of, if not not the most well-known circus in the world. You could not ask for a better setup to provide reason for more extensive telling of the backstory or motivations of its supporting characters, but the opportunity is unfortunately wasted.

While always beautiful in both presence and voice, Zendaya’s character has no story outside of being a prop to extend the moral character development of Carlisle. In fact, only one character (Sam Humphrey as Tom Thumb), gets a brief opportunity to exist for more than a few lines outside of the circus ring. This is a loss as the glimpses we get of passion and vulnerability from the Bearded Lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle) inspire endless curiosity about her personal story. Yet we remain centered on a dazzling full tilt Jackman who barely leaves time for Michelle Williams’ lovely portrayal of his patient wife, or the standard class-clashing tragic romance of Efron’s rich playboy and Zendaya’s principled but lovesick aerialist. Their duet “Rewrite the Stars” is pretty but perfunctory, just like the rest of this film.

P.T. Barnum was a known shyster, and part of the entertainment was buying into the over-the-top claims. The Greatest Showman is too reserved to do his tale any justice. If anything, it is an opening act for audiences to explore a real life far more interesting than the pony show on screen.

Produced by Steven Spielberg,
Kristie Macosko Krieger, Amy Pascal
Written by Liz Hannah, Josh Singer
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Alison Brie,
Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood,
Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson,
Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Zach Woods
Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford

In a time where the leader of the free world is openly in rebellion against the press, it is no wonder that Steven Spielberg rushed to get the shooting script for The Post immediately after the 2016 election.  Producing this major film with a star-studded cast list in such a speedy manner gives us the opportunity to go into the holiday season with a movie overtly designed to keep audiences talking about the freedom of the press and the responsibility they have to educate the people about the truth, no matter what the powers-that-be may want to hide.

Though a nationally-renowned newspaper today, The Washington Post was originally a small family-run local paper. When a cover-up was brought to light through The New York Times publishing of the highly classified Pentagon Papers, it set off a battle between journalism and the federal government. In spite of an injunction levied against the Times preventing them from publishing any more of the damning documents, Post owner Katharine “Kay” Graham (Meryl Streep) and executive editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) go to print with the papers and end up as co-defendants in the Supreme Court. With high stakes on each side, the decision to publish and the legal battle that followed forever changed the relationship between those responsible for the damage and those responsible for reporting its extent.

The ties to the current environment are impossible to ignore, and Spielberg leans fully into the drama of the situation. There is little nuance and no ambiguity as to which side the audience should champion from the start. This is clearly meant as a David vs Goliath tale of triumph, and who walks into such a setup with the desire to provide a balanced defense for the giant? Shades of gray morality are shunned here. This was the discovery of the multi-term collusion of government officials as high as the Office of the President to send American youth to their deaths in an unwinnable war, simply to save face. The unabashedly crusading tone equates true nationalism with the willingness to fight for honesty in a time where Americans were only starting to express sincere distrust in the actions of Washington operatives.

Being a period piece, the touches that show how far removed we are from that time are wonderfully nostalgic. From close ups of rotary payphones (honestly, just the existence of payphones) and clacking typewriters to the sheer amount of actual paper flying around the newsroom, we are reminded by set pieces how far away we are from this era.

Yet, the discussions and arguments are written in a way that they could be used to defend CNN, The New York Times, or MSNBC’s right to report today. Spielberg brought on the screenwriter from Spotlight to assist with the original script from first-timer Liz Hannah. While at times the overt nature of the message infantilizes the audience, overall the effect is a passionate call to arms for the media. The energy of the newsroom is rounded out by a phenomenal cast of supporting actors, including Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Carrie Coon, and David Cross.

The Post marks the first time that Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks appear in a movie together. The two powerhouse veterans of film are at the top of their game with regard to their character acting. Meryl Streep in particular shows her skill in the way she pulls back when Kay is confronted with difficult decisions. As she anxiously looks at her notes during a board meeting, the fight between speaking up or letting someone else represent her interests plays across her face in the most honest of ways.

Just as reserved and resolved as Streep is, Hanks goes big with swagger and bravado as Ben Bradlee, providing a loud moral compass for Kay as she wrestles with the realization that the choice to print, to be in defiance of a Supreme Court injunction, and the very existence of the paper are all in her hands. Hanks plays into Spielberg’s designation of Bradlee as a crusader, but the film’s lack of narrative nuance is saved by the careful and quiet strength of Streep as she finds her nerve and resolves to side with the newsroom, no matter the consequences.

No one will go to see The Post and be surprised by the paint-by-numbers style of emotional manipulation. Yet this movie is not meant to be a message to those on the side of clandestine government operations that claim, justifiably or not, to protect its citizens.

This is a slick, well-produced love letter to the section of the public that has a stronger belief in the right of the press to serve the public interest through honest information, no matter how difficult the truth is to reconcile.

Welcome to the last Graphic Breakdown of the year!

Today we are talking about some independent books. Let’s waste no time and get started.

Assassinistas #1
Written by Tini Howard
Illustrated by Gilbert Hernandez
Published by IDW Publishing

There’s nothing better than a book drawn by Gilbert Hernandez.

As one of the creators of Love And Rockets, he just always puts a smile on my face. The story behind this comic is pretty interesting as well.

This book deals with a college kid named Dominic Prince who is gay. His mom didn’t pay his tuition. So she has to go back in the field as a kickass spy.

This time though she is taking her little boy with her!

Otherwise, he would have to get a terrible job and that’s not happening!

The story is light and fun. I laughed a few times and I was engaged the entire time. The art is tops.

Hernandez remains at the top of his field. Pick this up.

It’s a great alternative to a lot of the books out there.

RATING: A-

Doctor Radar #1
Written by Noel Simsolo
Illustrated by Bezian
Published by Titan Comics

This wonderful import is a book I have been hearing a lot about. I am glad I finally got the chance to sit down and read it. It’s incredible. The story and art are fantastic and I was enthralled by the whole thing.

The book takes place in Paris in the 1920’s. There is a gentleman investigating a series of deadly acts.

While he does that, he plays a terrible game with Doctor Radar.

But Doctor Radar is a terrible villain! Why would you do that?

The story is full of twists and turns.

The artwork is stunning. I read it twice just to look at the art.

It also boasts a great cover by one of my favorites, Mr. Francesco Francavilla. I was hooked from the moment I saw it. Great book.

RATING: A

Helena Crash: Fueled by Coffee
Written by Fabian Rangel Jr.
Illustrated by Warwick Johnson-Caldwell
Published by IDW Publishing

Warwick Johnson-Caldwell, the artist from this year’s Mr. Higgins Comes Home has another book out. And it’s this one!

This is a collection of the first few mini-series. It’s very amusing in general. I enjoyed it and was in the right mood for it too when I read it.

It’s the future! Coffee is illegal.

Helena is our main character and she is a courier. She delivers coffee to anyone who pays the black market price. Then, Helena finds herself in a gang war. What’s a courier to do? Survive, of course!

The story is cute and not too intricate. The artwork is the real draw here. Johnson-Caldwell is a true up and comer and this was his year. Pick this up and see what this guy can do!

RATING: B

Plastic TP
Written by Doug Wagner
Illustrated by Daniel Hillyard
Published by Image Comics

I have been hearing a lot about this comic book and I gave it a chance a few months back and was bored. So, I decided to give it enough chance.

Sadly, this is not my cup of tea.

This book is about a retired serial killer who travels around with a plastic love doll named Virginia.

Not since Negan and Lucille have there been a more awkward couple! Then, someone kidnaps Virginia. What’s going to happen?

Wagner’s writing is forced and I feel like he’s trying to hard to be weird. The art is also very clunky.

Some people may like this and they should enjoy it. I’m not one of them though.

RATING: D

Superb Vol. 1
Written by Sheena C. Howard, David F. Walker
Illustrated by Eric Battle,
Ray-Anthony Height, Alitha Martinez
Published by Lion Forge Comics

Lion Forge Comics is a line of comics that I was hoping would take off more than they did. They decided to put together a universe called Catalyst Prime. I tried a few. They range from pretty good to just okay.

Superb ends up being a just okay book.

This book shows us the perspective of high schoolers after a big event a year ago. Some of them have gained powers! Yet, they have to also deal with their daily lives on top of it.

This book plays like Valiant’s book Harbinger without much of the charm. It’s a little generic. That’s also how I feel about the art sadly. Still, they tried. It just didn’t work as much as they wanted to. Believe me, I wanted it to as it sounded interesting.

RATING: C

Youngblood Vol. 1: Reborn
Written by Chad Bowers
Illustrated by Jim Towe
Published by Image Comics

Oh, Youngblood. It’s the book that started Image Comics. Yet, it never had a good run on the comic. Heck, I don’t even remember them having a coherent storyline. That is what this book tries really hard to do. And does it succeed?

Well, yes. The good news is it’s at coherent. (I remember reading Youngblood when it first came out and it was a mess)

Bowers brings a little bit of intellect to the book with the plot. What’s the story? People use a Help! App on their phones and choose who they would like to save them. That, and the original team is scattered across the globe doing various things (one of even the President!)

I enjoyed it enough to recommend it. Which is a surprise to everyone including me! The art is pretty decent too. It may be the best Youngblood book yet. I’m not sure there was much competition on that front though.

 RATING: B+

Guest post by Brandon W. Hawk

With the release of Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, we have another installment in a saga that has captivated audiences for over 40 years. Even more than familiarity and nostalgia, the new movie offers an extension of the types of mythic stories that have entertained audiences for thousands of years.

When Episode VII: The Force Awakens came out, there were plenty of Easter eggs of medievalism. In this new film, we have even more.

For those interested in the medieval world, one feature stands out in The Last Jedi more prominently than the rest: the promise of books. The trailers featured both a shelf of books and a specific tome with tantalizing possibilities. After all, manuscripts have great potential to hold answers to questions about past and present. This is also the first Star Wars movie ever to include books in any respect.

After watching The Last Jedi, this article might as well be titled OMG L00K AT DAT CODEX!!!

[No spoilers yet, but there will be: watch for the warning below.]

Before exploring the role of books in The Last Jedi, it’s worth dwelling on the idea of books as a definitive piece of the medieval period. (If you’re really itching for Star Wars content, skip to the bracketed warning about spoilers below.)

One of the most distinctive technologies of the European Middle Ages is the book. In its most basic form, a book is a collection of pages (often parchment or paper) fastened together (often bound) with a hinge on one side. In its most usual form, the book is a bound object also known as a codex (plural codices). This medium is thoroughly medieval.

To many of us, the book is now a common object, an everyday commodity taken for granted. But this wasn’t always the case. (It’s worth noting that it’s still not the case in many places around the world.) Before the industrial revolution, books were not mass marketed and remained status objects.

The eighth-century St. Cuthbert Gospel: hailed as the earliest surviving bound manuscript from Western Europe. (London, British Library, MS 89000)

Types of books emerged in the early centuries of the common era, at the same time that Christianity arose as a major religion in the Roman Empire. Some late antique authors mention collections of wooden tablets, or collections of papyrus sheets, but the main medium for textual communication in the classical and late antique world was the roll. That changed when codices gained popularity. Books as bound collections of pages took hold between about 300 and 400. By the fifth century, rolls were barely in production anymore.

From the fifth century onward, the book became the dominant technology of textual communication in Europe. It remained a key medium throughout the medieval period and into our own so-called digital age.

Even the modern term for books derives from a medieval language. While the less familiar word codex comes from Latin, our vernacular term comes from the word boc in Old English, a language spoken in England between about 500 and 1200.

Books on a lectern in a classroom, from Rouen, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 1133 (14th century)

In The Last Jedi, the idea of the book is fully suffused into the Star Wars universe.

What makes the use of books in The Last Jedi so exciting is that it solidifies the centrality of the book as a storytelling medium present in Star Wars lore from the beginning. After all, George Lucas took his main influences from books: world myths and legends written down over the centuries.

Lucas drew much of his inspiration from the work of Joseph Campbell on mythology, and Campbell in turn loved Star Wars for its mythic nature. As is said in the documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy: “Like such epics as The Odyssey, Beowulf, and the legend of King Arthur, Star Wars drew from a shared pool of mythic archetypes.” It’s no coincidence that many of these myths and legends come from the Middle Ages.

With mythology in mind, Lucas originally imagined Star Wars as a story “From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the ‘Journal of the Whills'” (Laurent Bouzereau, Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, 3). In other words, the whole Star Wars saga rested in a type of bookish beginning. We’ve already had teasers about the so-called Whills in Rogue One. Before the release of The Last Jedi, speculation abounded that the book in the trailer might be connected with this “Journal of the Whills.”

[WARNING: SPOILERS exist beyond the image below! Read at your own risk and don’t say I didn’t warn you.]

George Lucas’s revised fourth draft of the script for Star Wars, from March 15, 1976, revised April 19, 1976, titled From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the “Journal of the Whills”. Image from Lucasfilm Ltd. and 20th Century Fox

While rumors that The Last Jedi features this “Journal of the Whills” don’t quite hit the mark for what we see in the film, the books do turn out to be sacred Jedi texts. We learn fairly early on in the movie that Luke found and studied them in his hermit life on the island planet Ahch-To.

A good portion of the movie takes place this hidden island that holds the ruins of an ancient Jedi temple. One of the secrets of this site is a large tree containing the Jedi scriptures. This poses intriguing parallels with medieval monasteries filled with the sacred books of Christianity like the Bible and works of the early Fathers.

These sacred Jedi books are in many ways much like the Bible in the Middle Ages. Although bibles are now largely found in single bound volumes, this wasn’t the normal case before the modern period. Some large bibles did exist with the whole Bible contained within, but they were rare and special. Many of the specific biblical texts (like Psalms or Gospels) circulated on their own, conceptually part of a larger set of related books. Such a notion is fundamental to one of the most common medieval Latin terms for the Bible: bibliotheca, or library. The idea of this kind of collection also aligns with ideas about libraries and books in the Star Wars expanded universe.

Like the Bible, the Jedi scriptures from Ahch-To seem to form a canonical library of sacred codices about the Force. Books seen in The Last Jedi raise many questions about the Force, the Jedi, and the role of such scriptures in the ancient religion of the Star Wars galaxy. They may even solidify connections between medieval ideas of biblical typology and the cyclical nature of the Star Wars saga.

A brief moment in one of the final scenes of the movie teases that we might still learn more about these books. But some mysteries remain hidden until the future.

Until then, bibliophilic Star Wars fans will just have to wait for the dvd release of The Last Jedi so we can go back to the scenes featuring these books, hit pause, and examine them

Brandon W. Hawk is a medievalist at Rhode Island College who writes about the Middle Ages, biblical apocrypha, and intersections with pop culture. He tweets at @b_hawk and writes regularly on his own website.

In 2017, television was more than a mere place were a person can waste a few hours watching a dragon burn the shit out of a Lannister caravan or watching baby Demidogs mature into monsters. It became a place for the surreal to grow and fester.

Thanks to today’s terrifying political climate, where every newscast appears to have zero chill and every Tweet informs us of new monsters lurking behind friendly faces, our pop culture has morphed. Our variety shows have become more relevant than the news, our movies have become two-hour editorials, our music have become monologues about the future and comedians have become politicians.

In between all those changes, there were the occasional glitches in the Matrix that made us all jump.

Here are a few that caused us to run to Tweet, talk or head to Tumblr the next day:

“There’s a mistake…’Moonlight’. You guys won Best Picture.”

Sheer pandemonium at the Oscars as the worst case scenario finally happened. The trusted team of PricewaterhouseCoopers flubbed the envelope hand-off, leading to a comedy off error worthy of a trophy itself. As the drama unfolded, poor Warren Beatty was left holding the bag on the stage, attempting to explain the impossible.

Lynch’s Atomic Bomb

Beautiful. Deadly. Strange. And perhaps the Lynchiest thing that ever Lynched in the history of Lynch.

Everyone was excited for the return of Twin Peaks, but few to anticipate episode eight, “Gotta Light?,” with it’s surrealistic beauty as it attempted to explain both the worst event man ever created AND how Bob was born.

The slow motion look at the detonation of the Trinity bomb coupled with the look of the creation of Laura in the White Lodge by the Fireman AND the introduction of the Woodsman gave audiences a television masterpiece like no other.

Also: The Nine Inch Nails.

Thank you, David.

Lady Liberty falls…sort of

On her Halloween show, Wendy Williams become a walking, talking metaphor when she passed out during a live show while dressed as American icon, the Statue of Liberty.

Shortly before the fall, the hostess began to slur her words before she stumbled.

Luckily, she came back after a short rest and was right as rain.

Paradise lost

Bachelor in Paradise was never what one would call a “think-show”…until it become the center of controversy. When a producer came forth with claims of sexual misconduct between contestants, the network shut down production, a shocking move for the reality money grab.

Every political sketch on Saturday Night Live

From Melissa McCartney driving around New York behind a motorized podium to every scowl delivered by Alec Baldwin’s now legendary Trump, Saturday Night Live has moved beyond the small screen.

The long-running laffer has transcended its realm as a late-night occasional viewing variety show for the happen-to-home or occasional streamer on a Sunday morning to the must-see viral clip smorgasbord on a Monday morning.

This is how America gets its news now.

The Megyn Kelly Shitshow

The former Fox pundit got into a tiff with her colleagues thanks to her clashing views on our President. So she packed her bags and took her conservation views over to NBC’s Today. Unfortunately, she had a bit of a rocky start at the Peacock.

Not rocky as in a few pebbles, but rocky as in an Indiana Jones size boulder chasing her down the hallway while poison darts are being shot at her by the Local 600.

Thus far, her sins have included:

• A cameraman stepped into frame and yelling “Sh*t.”
• Referring to plot points on Will & Grace as “gay things” to the cast
• Pissing off Jane Fonda by asking her questions on plastic surgery
• Celebrities are staying away
• Falling ratings

Attack of the Man Eating Vagina

American Gods was one of the best shows on TV that is probably never going to see a second season. Stuck forever in limbo due to the exit of its showrunners, audiences will be left with a great many questions…and disturbing images.

A scene that truly left its mark on audiences was the image of Bilquis, the Queen of Sheba, the God of Sexual Love, as she consumes her worshippers during sex through her lady parts. As her lover screams out words of adoration, Bilquis grows larger, until she completely absorbs her suitor.

At the end, she looks mildly content, but continues the hunt the next day, bringing her religion and very specific type of love to each person via her dating app. They look for companionship while she looks for food.

Gotta admit: That’s something you don’t see every day.

In ROM & The Micronauts #1, Baron Karza and D’rge, the Dire Wraith sorcerer, have joined forces to carry forward their equally malignant goals—Karza desires to conquer all of Microspace (again), while the Wraiths seek to awaken their Wraith God and conquer Earth! Now it’s up to Rom and the Micronauts to form their own alliance in order to stop the evil domination of two worlds! 

We had the chance to discuss the new mini-series with writer Christos Gage (Amazing Spider-Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), as well as his first exposure to the characters and writer Bill Mantlo’s influence on his work.

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FOG!: What was the genesis of the team up and where are the characters when the story begins?

Christos Gage: I don’t know the genesis because IDW approached me about the team-up…but it’s a natural! We pick up after The Micronauts and ROM one-shot First Strike storylines, but readers will get everything they need to know in ROM & The Micronauts #1. You don’t need to have read anything else.

Was your first exposure to these characters as toys or comic books?

Comic books, for sure. I got ROM #1 when it came out and fell in love at first sight. I found Micronauts a bit later, but that was great too. Space-opera and epic fantasy in the wake of the original Star Wars movie…it was just what my kid brain wanted. (And my adult brain, for that matter!)

The issue is dedicated to original Micronauts and ROM comic writer Bill Mantlo and longtime ROM artist Sal Buscema. Was Mantlo an influence on your work?

In a huge way. He was so good at world-building…or UNIVERSE building, often! But he never lost sight of the characters. I also learned a lot from the way he’d take toy-tie-in comics and never treated them like they were less legitimate than any other comic…he’d put all he had into making it great. Which is why we still remember them so fondly!

Bill Mantlo

When juggling so many characters in a team up such of this, do you find yourself gravitating towards one in particular that you can relate to or enjoy more, or do you try to treat them all equally? Is there a character in this book that you enjoyed writing the most?

It comes from character.

In this book, ROM and Acroyear had a lot in common – warriors, trapped in armor, stoic…so playing them off each other worked well.

But you do want to give everyone a moment. It’s whatever serves the story best.

You’ve written television, film, video games, and comics. What makes comics such a satisfying storytelling medium?

Because the only limit is imagination. And it’s just the right balance of collaboration vs individual effort. You work with a talented team and get the rewards of collaborating, but the team is small and close-knit enough that your voice comes through.

Besides ROM & The Micronauts, what else do you have coming up?

I’m writing for the PS4 Spider-Man video game, out in 2018; NINJA-K from Valiant, monthly; a Batman miniseries set in the world of the Telltale video game; occasional team-ups with Dan Slott on Amazing Spider-Man; and other things I can’t talk about yet!

What are you currently geeking out over?

For more info, visit ChristosGage.com

ROM & The Micronauts #1 is available now in stores and via digital.