Directed by Christian Gudegast (London Has Fallen), the film blurs the lines between good and evil by examining the rivalry between a police unit, led by Gerard Butler (London Has Fallen), and a crew of career criminals featuring Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Get Rich or Die Trying), Pablo Schreiber (13 Hours), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) and Evan Jones (A Million Ways to Die in the West).

Den of Thieves is a gritty Los Angeles crime saga which follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as they plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of Downtown Los Angeles. Filled with gripping, explosive action and an ending that left audiences stunned, Den of Thieves is an electrifying game of cat-and-mouse that critics call “a gritty, realistic, engrossing LA heist movie” (Michael Rougeau, Gamespot).

And we’re giving away a copy!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “DEN OF THIEVES” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Den of Thieves co-star O’Shea Jackson Jr. is the son of this iconic rapper?

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 May 6th, 2018.

For more details, visit Facebook.com/DenOfThieves

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Like most other American kids who grew up in the 1980s, my introduction to Josh Brolin happened with The Goonies, in which he plays the stereotypical Spielbergian big brother Brand to the treasure-hunting boy hero Mikey (Sean Astin). It helps that Brolin didn’t make another hit movie for nearly a decade following The Goonies, ensuring that his alter ego Brand would remain one of the defining movie good guys of the ’80s, his cinematic impact and influence undiluted by the actor appearing in any other similar role.

Some thirty-odd years later, Brolin is a full-fledged leading man primed to lord over a hefty chunk of the 2018 summertime box office, with starring roles in no fewer than three ambitious and highly anticipated sequels set for release over the next few months.

First up is a little movie you may have heard of called Avengers: Infinity War wherein, after a six-year tease, Brolin finally takes center stage as Thanos, the Big Bad of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A few weeks later we’ll get Ryan Reynolds’ sequel Deadpool 2, in which Brolin stars opposite the Merc with a Mouth as futuristic cyborg Cable, considered by comic book scholars to be one of the better Marvel antagonists.

Finally, at the end of June, Brolin returns to the gritty world of secret border skirmishes and brutal drug cartel wars in the sequel to 2015’s Sicario, titled Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

To prepare you for the imminent Age of Brolin, here’s a close-up view of Josh Brolin’s most essential big screen performances.

The Goonies (1985)

The prototypical big brother role in any given Steven Spielberg production tends to be part awkward dork, part fledgling heartthrob, and part ballbuster, and he must act the straight man while enduring the lunatic obsessions of his younger sibling(s). That Brolin stands out at all among the boisterous cast of junior misfits is an early testament to his confidence and charisma.

Flirting with Disaster (1994)

Having matured after nearly a decade of television, Brolin emerges as an exuberant supporting character actor in David O. Russell’s piquant meet-your-birth-parents comedy. His brief turn as a bisexual federal agent partners him with nebbishy control freak Richard Jenkins, and their snappy repartee is full of wonderful and escalating comic revelation.

American Gangster (2007)

Brolin is but one of an astonishing array of A-listers who populate the supporting ranks of Ridley Scott’s sprawling ’70s-era New York crime saga. Co-stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe tower over everyone else, but Brolin makes a strong impression as a corrupt narcotics cop, a nasty bit of villainy that recalls Nick Nolte’s chilling turn as a bad detective in Sidney Lumet’s Q&A.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

In the Coen Brothers’ 80s-era Western, adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel, Brolin stands out among a strong ensemble cast as a Texas everyman-of-few-words who happens upon a bag of cash and must elude various vicious men after it. Despite its infuriating non-ending, the film took home the top Oscars and has endured as a masterwork of modern-day film noir.

Men in Black III (2012)

Brolin rarely gets to do all-out comedy, but his spot-on take of a young unflappable Tommy Lee Jones in the time-travelling third MIB movie is a masterstroke of loving and merciless deadpan impersonation. Forget about Will Smith for another installment, and I could give or take Chris Hemsworth in the upcoming sequel/soft-reboot; instead, I’d pay to see another MIB picture with Josh Brolin any day.

Oldboy (2013)

I wouldn’t have pegged this remake of the Korean revenge thriller as something that would attract the interest of Spike Lee, but the controversial filmmaker’s brisk and brutal Americanization turns out to be a terrific genre exercise, brimming with operatic style, dark humor, and uncompromising physical and emotional violence. At the center of the maelstrom is a tour-de-force performance from Brolin as a shady character who is by turns eminently risible and utterly charming, ultimately worthy of our allegiance and yet wholly despicable through and through. Few actors can portray such a remorseless scum bag and still remain so compelling.

So, you’ve got some time off of work and instead of taking the time and money to hit a casino, get a hotel, have a few drinks and see a show, you’re already in the red without winning a cent.

Keep in mind this staycation idea might not be the ideal way to spend a week, but during a long weekend, it’s definitely doable.

Just remember not to gamble more than you intend or can afford to.  And have fun!

Play Music

The secret is to keep music playing all day and night. Preferably crooners like Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. and of course, Wayne Newton. Play it on a loop. It’s not for listening to, it’s for setting a tone.

Move the Clocks

Take the weekend off. Hide all of the clocks (and while you’re at it, close all shades/curtains. Make sure that your “casino area” is full of light. You need to eliminate any kind of factor that would assist you to determine what time it is.

Food and Drinks

Drink some booze if you’d like (beer works or pre-made cocktails) and balance a 4-1 ratio of 4 glasses of water to 1 cocktail, but make sure that you stay hydrated regardless. Make sure you have plenty of soda or your favorite caffeinated beverage on hand.

As for food, the secret is to graze.

Make sure you have lots of pre-cut vegetables, cheeses and other low-cal snacks. Plus, some microwavable items on hand: White Castle Sliders, Hot Pockets and popcorn chicken.

Choose Your Game

You might not be able to roam a casino, but thanks to sites like Lucky Lady’s Charm deluxe slot online, you don’t have to.

Online there are dozens of different gaming choices, but a major choice in your selection has to be safety.

According to Be Gamble Aware, “Most people gamble for fun and enjoyment. However, some people think of gambling as a way to make money, spend more than they can afford, or use gambling to distract themselves from everyday problems.”  They also provide tops that will assist in gambling more safely.”

Go Out For Breakfast

This is the perfect way to end your night at the home casino. Take a shower and shave and head out to your favorite local diner and have a great breakfast.

Then go home, clean up, count your winnings and step back into reality.

Dan Dare Vol. 1: He Who Dares TPB
Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Alberto Foche
Published by Titan Comics
ISBN: 9781785861475
Released 4/24/18 / $16.99

Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future is a sci-fi version of Biggles, the quintessential British flying hero, mixed with a pinch of Buck Rogers and a dash or two of Flash Gordon.

He’s had his own radio show and his own cartoon show but he’s best known for his 17-year run in the 1950s and ‘60s British comic weekly, Eagle.

Seems like someone is always convinced that this legendary space hero needs to be revived and yet that never really seems to quite work out.

Case in point is Peter Milligan’s revival at hand, with art by Alberto Foche.

Milligan—one of the most successful modern British comics creators (with many US credits to his name including a run on Batman)—manages to revive at least some of the feel of the original.

The problem, of course, is that the original’s phenomenal success beginning in 1950 depended on England’s post-war mood. As the ‘60s dawned and the UK became the new focal point of style and music, Dan Dare’s old-fashioned sensibilities in a future setting just didn’t speak to the reader anymore.

The very Briticisms that make Dan Dare “Dan Dare” come across almost as parody when done today without any sense of irony. This particular Guardians of the Galaxy-style space opera brings back Dan and most of his old mates and teams them up with a very modern blue feminist alien for a bit of culture clash between conservative and liberal, old and new.

The other thing that made Dan Dare “Dan Dare”, of course, was the Mekon.

Memorable to any who ever saw the strip, the Mekon is a dwarf-like bald green alien with a watermelon-sized super-brain. As Dan’s arch-enemy—and easily the most interesting character in the whole strip—he returned regularly over all the earlier incarnations and he’s here again, as well! Only…he’s emasculated.

Early on in the book, we find the Mekon imprisoned but mellowed and reformed, leaving Dan moping around throughout the story, longing for the excitement he used to have when the Mekon was trying to take over the galaxy.

All his friends try to convince good ol’ Dan that the Mekon is faking it but, despite lingering doubts, he maintains his faith and is shown over and over again to be in the right!

The Mekon really HAS reformed!

As much as they clash with the series raison d’etre, the various scenes with Dan interacting with the Mekon are the most interesting throughout.

Everything eventually leads up to a rather anti-climactic climax and an ending that was telegraphed from the get-go but seemed far too long in coming. Milligan manages to leave enough loopholes, though, so it’s entirely possible that we may find out in the next volume that things actually aren’t at all what they seem.

Bottom line: Personally, I think Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, works better in the past, but if they have to revive it, this is an admirable effort and an unusual, enjoyable mix of styles that almost actually works.

If you’ve never read Dan Dare before, you won’t appreciate it fully, but still a good read.

Booksteve Recommends.

Panel: An Hour Alone with Howard Chaykin

If you’re familiar with Howard Chaykin (Divided States of Hysteria), then you know what an opportunity this panel presents! It’s Howard Chaykin unfiltered, open to questions and discussion. Nothing is off the table during this can’t miss hour of programming!

Information about Comic Con Revolution is available at ComicConRevolution.com.

For updates, follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Produced by Kevin Feige
Screenplay by Christopher Markus,
Stephen McFeely
Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Chadwick Boseman, Tom Hiddleston,
Tom Holland, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt,
Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Don Cheadle,
Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Dave Bautista,
Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Mackie, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel,
Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Letitia Wright,
Winston Duke, Pom Klementieff

I won’t be revealing any spoilers in this review except to say bring someone with you so you can hash it out afterwards. Audiences will leave Avengers: Infinity War with their jaws on the floor, but not in the way you might expect.

There are several crowd-pleasing scenes that will have you cheering and some that will leave you gasping.

Die-hard Marvel fans can’t miss it: Casual fans might get lost.

Pretty much everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe joins forces to save the universe from the unstoppable Thanos (Josh Brolin) in this much-anticipated crossover. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (as well as the Guardians, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and Black Panther) are practically elbowing each other out of the way for the higher cause here, so of course there’s a death toll.

To say that the stakes have never been higher is a ridiculous understatement. And the film rises to that challenge, despite having to juggle so many characters, locations and conflicts.

Infinity War repeats what worked so wonderfully in the first Avengers: The delightful ego clashes, misunderstandings, and new nicknames that result from characters used to being the center of their own universes crossing paths for the first time.

Watching Tony Stark meet (and raise an incredulous eyebrow) at Doctor Strange and Peter Quill is alone worth the price of admission.

A surprising amount of characters make an appearance, but only a few get a real story arc or significant screen time. It’s a testament to the strength of these characters that even brief scenes can be satisfying. A few get short-changed (including some of your favorites, probably), but that’s unavoidable.

Disregard the cast listing on IMDb, by the way. Unless some of those actors are in deleted scenes, it’s not accurate as I write this.

I won’t reveal all of the unexpected team-ups here (the above-mentioned meet-ups were all in pre-release trailers), but it’s worth noting that Thor retains much of his jokey persona from Thor: Ragnarok, which helps make his story line one of the most enjoyable.

With so many smart-asses vying for the spotlight, the film does dish out a few too many one-liners. But the balance tilts more towards mayhem and tragedy as the film goes on: As Thanos adds Infinity Stones to his specially-forged gauntlet, he gets closer to being able to fulfill his twisted plan of killing half the universe.

Like Black Panther‘s Killmonger, Thanos’s motivation is understandable: He doesn’t want to see people starve or societies fail due to overpopulation. But his chosen solution is so extreme that it defies imagination.

Despite the Hulk-sized Thanos being entirely CGI, Brolin’s performance (and the FX that brings Thanos to life) stands among the best of Marvel’s villains. Although, for my money, he still can’t beat Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger or Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who didn’t have to act via motion-capture or from behind a mask.

The film delivers terrific characters beats and interactions and stunning battle scenes. If it’s a bit too heavy on the CGI, well, that’s to be expected.

We’re going to be debating what this film means for the rest of the MCU for a long time. Or at least until the next MCU film comes out.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Produced by Kevin Feige
Screenplay by Christopher Markus,
Stephen McFeely
Directed by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth,
Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Chadwick Boseman, Tom Hiddleston,
Tom Holland, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt,
Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Don Cheadle,
Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Dave Bautista,
Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Mackie, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel,
Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Letitia Wright,
Winston Duke, Pom Klementieff

Let’s be honest, nothing I write will sway you to see or not see Avengers: Infinity War.  Billed as the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far; an event uniting the all of the franchises together and face off against Thanos, I can’t help but think I was hoodwinked.

I can’t fully review the film without revealing some key plot points and story revelations.  That being said, I will, in fact, discuss the fact that what was promised wasn’t particularly what was delivered.

First off, this is not a stand alone film.  In fact, it’s a two and three quarter hour set up to Avengers 4: We’re Not Done Just Yet.  Exactly what they claimed that it wasn’t.

Second, yes, characters die.  Unfortunately, none of those deaths feel final, and worse, there is zero emotional connection to them.

Third, characters are missing.  Two notable characters are missing from the opening sequence, as well as others throughout, with no explanation.

Fourth, this isn’t the big movie we were promised.  As a matter of fact, all of the characters find themselves splintered into smaller groups.  Not only do we not get to see the majority of the cast interact with one another, but also they are unaware of each other’s agendas.

Fifth, don’t trust the trailers.  There are character(s) that we see within several shots (one in every trailer and commercial) that don’t appear as shown.

And finally, the big purple herring: Thanos.

After ten years, his master plan is underwhelming.  Sure, it’s grandiose, but the execution in the film lacks the much needed emotional threat.  Things just kind of happen.  And like the two previous Avengers entries, that includes the heroes fighting off armies of CGI creatures.

Ultimately, for me, the film was startling underwhelming.

Look, if you enjoy these movies (which, I do), it’s hard to imagine that this film could live up to what you want it to be.  The chemistry of the cast (any appearance of The Guardians) and performances (Notably, Brolin, Hemsworth and Pratt) is solid and despite my frustration with this film overall, I don’t feel like it can truly be judged until I see Avengers 4 next year.

Produced by Tarô Maki,
Ryuhei Kitamura, Ko Mori
Screenplay by Joey O’Bryan
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
Starring Kelly Connaire, Stephanie Pearson,
Rod Hernandez-Farella, Anthony Kirlew,
Alexa Yeames, Jason Tobias

Long road trips can be pretty boring; even when you have a group of six to get to know along the way. When that trip becomes a life or death struggle in the middle of nowhere you get more than you bargained for.

And sometimes less.

Downrange was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, most noted for Midnight Meat Train, a film adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story. He’s also done many manga-based live action adaptations for the Japanese market.

Working with Joey O’Bryan on the story and from O’Bryan’s script, Kitamura tells the story of six people carpooling through the California countryside when their SUV has a blowout.

It is eventually discovered that the tire was shot and two characters are sacrificed quickly to show the rest that there is a serious sniper threat and that they are all targets. The main problem I had with this setup was that the first characters are shot with no gun sound alerting the others and even though there is a significant amount of gore, the clueless others nearly stumble into it before noticing something is wrong.

This movie has a lot going for it. The camera work is very smooth. The editing is well done. And even the acting is, for the most part, fairly believable. At one point I was reminded of the five archetypes from Cabin in the Woods (Whore, Athlete, Scholar, Fool, and Virgin) and how they are all represented in the six main characters; with six you get an extra Fool.

From this I was able to accurately plot out the film and guess who the last survivor would be.

This gets to the one saving grace of the film. Once the movie gets far enough along some external elements trigger action that has been missing from most of the film. This last bit of intense activity; including a somewhat hokey yet satisfying ending will make the film worth it to many who watch.

Somebody out there will like Downrange, but it isn’t really me.

I found this to be a tedious film with unbelievably silly gore uncharacteristic to the subject matter. There are films like Meatball Machine Kodoku or Robogeisha, where over-the-top gore works. But with a film centered in a realistic portrayal of a suspenseful life or death situation, this is out of place and distracting.

A film like Blue Ruin has a much better portrayal of gun wounds, even a sniper head shot, that adds to the drama and suspense. Downrange would have done better to emulate the effects of that film. For me the dragging of the first three-quarters of the film and the out-of-place over-the-top gore effects damage this film too much.

Downrange will be available exclusively on Shudder starting April 26, 2018

It will also screen at New York’s Nitehawk Cinema (with director Ryuhei Kitamura in attendance) beginning on Friday, April 27th.

Ten years and eighteen movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has lead us to the moment fans have been waiting for as Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters this weekend.

The trailers have revealed glimpses of all-out war, hence the title, along with the powerful infinity stones and the big purple bad guy who has been the looming threat over everything that has occurred in the MCU. Thanos is coming, and he is the ultimate evil in the universe.

However, Marvel has only produced a small handful of compelling antagonists. That can’t happen with the extraterrestrial warlord; Thanos needs to be the villain of the ages.

Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, and more recently, Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger are revered as the MCU’s standout bad guys. However, the two men in question have dabbled on both sides of the tracks.

Killmonger was exhibited as the antagonist in Black Panther. However, his intentions made him a sympathetic protagonist in the eyes of many.

Loki’s actions throughout his appearances have been a seesaw of darkness and light. The cunning trickster kept Thor in exile while plotting his siege of the throne in his MCU debut. The Avengers saw Loki lead the Chitauri to Earth and nearly decimated New York while wielding the blue energized Tesseract.

A revengeful Loki aided his brother in The Dark World to defeat Malekith, only to fake his own death and forged rule over Asgard. Loki’s ruse was discovered in Ragnarok, only to be jettisoned off world where he played both sides, helped save the people of Asgard before its destruction, all while reacquiring the Tesseract.

Loki is seen handing over the Tesseract in the Infinity War trailer. Thanos is the assumed recipient, however, could it be a ruse? Either way, the god of mischief will probably join whatever team can ensure his own wellbeing and survival. Loki’s dog eat dog mentality, while destructive, also produces some good-natured deeds. There can’t even be a whiff of anti-heroism with Thanos.

The source material always presents Thanos as a game-changing presence that requires every heroic asset available to stop him.

In the film, there needs to be no mustache twirling and no vague reasons for conquest. Everything about Thanos needs to be fleshed out, so we have a clear, deep-rooted understanding as to why Thanos embarks on his destructive path in Infinity War. It is possible though, however unlikely, that Thanos is a red herring.

Avengers 4 is allegedly not a continuation of Infinity War and the only two Marvel films before the fourth installment, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel go backwards in time as opposed to moving forward the story of the MCU. Maybe, Thanos is the setup for an even more dangerous threat.

Win, lose or draw in Infinity War, Thanos needs to leave an indelible impression on moviegoers.

Whether he dies or survives come April 27th, Thanos needs to be the Darth Vader of the MCU. His presence needs to be filled with memorable moments, unforgettable lines of dialog that will augment the character for years to come. Josh Brolin, who will play the “Mad Titan,” is a great actor with a great voice and has the talent to bring that ultra-dark intangible to the character. The question remains, will Marvel give him enough material to allow him to rise far above the pile of subpar villains?

Some will say it doesn’t matter if Thanos is just another disposable MCU bad guy. People don’t watch MCU films to see the antagonist rule the day or take over the world. People stream, rent and go to the theater to see Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Captain America do their heroic thing in specular fashion. After all, the movie isn’t called Thanos: Infinity War.

Yes, so far, Thanos has spent most of his limited screen time sitting on a floating throne in space. To paraphrase Tony Stark, however, those were previews, and April 27th is opening night. That is when the cosmic cube wielding, infinity stone wearing, death-loving titan will be unleashed.

Avengers: Infinity War will present the most extensive superhero assembly ever seen. That is the allure. That is what appears on the marquee. And that is what has drawn billions of dollars at the box office. Still, it takes two to tango, and it’s time for the MCU to up the ante with their villain game. Thanos is the perfect character for that objective. After all, he is responsible for this massive gathering of heroes, narratively speaking.

Just in time for summer break, Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” from acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, comes home May 29 on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere and June 5 on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD and On-Demand. The stunning story of an ordinary girl’s extraordinary adventure through time and space offers exhilarating entertainment and positive messages for the whole family—encouraging self-confidence, inclusion and pushing imagination to the next level.

Families who bring home “A Wrinkle in Time” will go behind the scenes to meet the talented crafts persons, actors and filmmakers who brought to life every spectacular detail of this triumphant tale. Bonus material includes an extended featurette providing inside access to the A-list cast and crew; insightful audio commentary from director Ava DuVernay and team; deleted scenes; bloopers; and two music videos, including “I Believe” performed by GRAMMY-nominated music mogul DJ Khaled and featuring GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Demi Lovato.

More than 50 years after Madeleine L’Engle’s young adult novel “A Wrinkle in Time” was awarded the prestigious Newbery Medal, the big-screen retelling of this timeless classic takes audiences on a transformative journey, exquisitely illustrated through jaw-dropping visual effects, a stirring musical score and diverse, star-studded cast. Three celestial guides, Mrs. Which (two-time Academy Award nominee Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling), come to Earth to share their wisdom and love with struggling eighth-grader Meg Murry (Storm Reid) as she journeys across dimensions with classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) and younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) in search of her father (Chris Pine), a world-renowned physicist who mysteriously disappeared four years ago.

As fantastical as the film’s premise and imagery may seem, “A Wrinkle in Time” centers on a universal human need that feels particularly relevant and relatable today. “This is a story about belonging,” says DuVernay. “It’s about a girl who just doesn’t feel strong in her mind, body and spirit. But through this epic journey, she finds her strength and learns that the center of the universe starts inside her. It’s about Meg feeling like she belongs in the universe and has a mighty part to play… as do we all.”

Bonus features include**:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

• A Journey Through Time – Take an up-close look at the making of this magnificent movie with Director Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, and the cast and crew.
• Deleted Scenes (with optional director audio commentary)
  • Ant on a String
  • Aunt Beast
  • Meg Learns About Calvin’s Dad
  • Papergirl
• Audio Commentary
  • Director Ava DuVernay
  • Producer Jim Whitaker
  • Co-Screenwriter Jennifer Lee
  • Production designer Naomi Shohan
  • First assistant director Michael Moore
  • Editor Spencer Averick
  • VFX supervisor Rich McBride
• Bloopers
• Original Songs/Music Videos
  • “I Believe” performed by DJ Khaled featuring Demi Lovato
  • “Warrior” performed by Chloe x Halle

For more information visit Facebook.com/WrinkleInTimeMovie   

Titans Annual #2
“The Great Brain Robbery”
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Tom Grummett 
Published by DC Comics
Released 4/25/18 / $4.99

Titans Annual #2 is the conclusion of Dan Abnett’s last arc on the run he revitalized for DC two years ago, before the Titans teams and the Justice League get rebooted after Scott Snyder’s May event, Justice League: No Justice.

It pulls together the lead team’s core four – DC’s original sidekicks Dick Grayson, Wally West, Roy Harper and Donna Troy – for one last adventure together, pitting them against two of the most memorable villains from the pages of the Teen Titans defining classic era; the brilliant commando simian, Monsieur Mallah, and his beloved leader, the diabolical, disembodied Brain.

With all that, and a title for the issue that reads, The Great Brain Robbery – Cyborgs, Assassins and One Angry Ape, you’d think this would have all the makings of an unbeatable comics masterpiece. And yet sadly, it falls well below that bar.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking the effort.

I’m generally a great fan of Abnett, and he’s done solid work on this title. One of Abnett’s enduring strengths is he knows the lexicon of good comics storytelling. He knows the beats and the hooks and the pithy repartee, and the important place of soap opera, and how to create good narrative tension. And he’s imaginative, with an excellent ear for the wonder and joy of his medium.

And all of that is present here too. It’s just, maybe it’s all there just a little too much.

It’s not entirely his fault. Coming off of the high, and the big reveal, of his Dark Troia storyline – a nod to the classic Who is Donna Troy? arc by George Perez that Abnett has been laying the groundwork for throughout the entire run of his series – everything that follows is bound to feel a little anti-climactic. Add to that the fact that this stretch clearly serves as a bridge to whatever is to follow in the summer of 2018, one that evidently required the very unlikely disbanding of the team – by big daddy Justice League, no less – and already the whole set up feels forced.

That doesn’t change as our heroes inevitably rally, come together, and save the day, even as it serves to prove to the League and I suppose to the Titans themselves, that really, after all, they are A-list players. I mean, we already know they’re all A-list players. The New 52 reboot not-withstanding, these characters all have tremendous history and anyone who has followed DC comics for any length of time, understands just how proven the core Titans are. Heck, Dick Grayson’s been bounding around as Nightwing for 30 years now.

That’s arguably been the crux of the challenge to this whole project, and I’ll say again, that on the whole Abnett has done a solid job of pulling it off. Weaving a narrative to re-introduce Wally West prime and re-band the original Titans, now as fully formed adults, is no easy piece of sleight-of-hand. If it has been unsatisfying at all, it is in the way that so much of the old ends up being rehashed, perhaps overly so, in order to make that effort palatable. Some of that works, some of it doesn’t. But that’s the gig.

In this final scene of the final act, all the strands of the last several months come together. And all the elements are there. Mallah has created a highly addictive street drug, the use of which is helping the Brain amplify his cyborg-brain capacity. Chesire is helping them up the traffic and thus, Brain’s evolution into a disembodied godlike intellect. And it all would have worked too if not for Arsenal’s dogged interference. But no one takes Roy seriously, and the Justice League has been deftly, if surprisingly, outmaneuvered by the Brain. Mallah and the Brain here, are revisioned as B-list villains, levelling up to outwit and defeat the Justice League. In this new DCU, it’s the Titans first encounter with them (really? *sigh*), and it’s a good thing they manage to come to Arsenal’s aid at the last minute, or else all of reality itself would end up being putty in the Brain’s, er, hands.

Yes, the Titans ultimately foil the Brain’s master scheme. Yes, Troy overcomes her insecurities and follows her heart to rally the team. Yes, Roy is redeemed, despite an indiscretion with Chesire and her inevitable betrayal. Yes, Dick, sort of, obnoxiously apologizes for losing faith in their friendship. And yes, Mallah’s devotion to the Brain proves stronger in the end than all their evil schemes.

Ostensibly, in this new 52, all for the very first time. But on top of the formulaic predictability of it all, so much of how that all plays out is foreshadowed, over and over, before it happens – hell, even as it is happening – that in the end, it sort of leaches a lot of the joy out of the whole escapade.

Oh well.

It’s a triumph for the Titans at least, and it’s an acceptable conclusion to their re-introduction phase to this new DCU. What comes next should be a whole new mixture of characters and plotlines, and I hope Abnett and the other authors on the top tier team books will take full advantage of that, to create wholly new and original developments for our favorite core characters in the months and years to come.

Just as it should be. Titans Forever.

From our friends at Film Jackets, we’re giving away this awesome t-shirt depicting Thano’s Infinity Gauntlet Stones, pretty much guarantees that no one wants to mess with you (especially if you have purple skin)!

And we’re giving away one of these cotton shirts to a Forces of Geek reader!

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

Who created Thanos?

Please include your name, and address and size (SMALL-XXL).

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

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on May 6th, 2018.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corp #43
“Darkstar Rising”
Written by Robert Venditti
Illustrated by Rafa Sandoval
Published by DC Comics
Released 4/25/18 / $2.99

Issue #43 of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps is the second issue in Robert Venditti’s “Darkstar Rising” story arc.

For the last several years Venditti and DC have been slowly but steadily rebuilding the core framework of the Green Lantern space mythos, to reinstate the Corps and the Guardians as the pre-eminent Universal protectorate of the DCU.

Along the way Venditti has had fun drawing on a wide swath of DC’s intergalactic baddies, from the Sinestro Corp, to Brainiac, to the alternate-Hal Parallax, even, most recently, Krypton’s own General Zod (and son).

Now it’s the Darkstars turn.

The Controllers, the Guardians’ ancient hereditary adversaries, have returned, more fanatical than ever, and in a bid to wrest authority from the Lantern Corps they have re-forged a veritable army of their old Darkstar war suits.

Trouble is, the new Darkstar mantles have gained sentience somehow, rather brutally overthrowing their makers. Their collective, now-autonomous mission: to establish themselves as the dominant force for order in the Universe by meting out a particularly lethal code of justice.

The first step in that campaign is to find hosts for each battle-suit, and the first selected for the privilege is Tomar-tu, son of legendary Green Lantern Tomar-re. (He’s the yellow one, with the beak and head-fin.)

Tomar-tu is currently serving time in space prison for the crime of murdering a cosmic despot surrendered into his custody. In our first issue the suit appears with an offer of freedom and tremendous power, at the very moment that Tomar-tu is confessing a lack of remorse for his crimes to Hal Jordan, who just happens to be visiting his old friend’s son at the time.

Tomar-tu accepts the suit, along with its sinister-appearing bonding process, and escapes. Hal, with his knowledge of this new deadly threat, returns to the Corps to convince the Guardians to take the fight to the Controllers home-world.

This issue is the follow-up to that, but things don’t exactly go as planned. The Corps quickly find themselves outgunned and out-maneuvered, with a show of Darkstar force that makes it clear that in a show-down between their very different brands of justice, a newly formed, under-manned Green Lantern Corps may have trouble stemming the tide of a recruitment drive that threatens to make lethal force the new standard of police authority in the Universe.

To kill or not to kill is an old theme in comics, one which has received a variety of treatments, especially since the 80’s.

In keeping with Hal’s status as one of DC’s core icons, it’s not likely that we’ll see much ambiguity here. So far, Venditti has shied away from going terribly deep into any exploration of conflict in the heroic character. Hal himself has never been one for deep introspection, and now with fellow earth-born lanterns John, Guy, Kyle and the entire remaining Corp to handle, there’s not a lot of room for that anyway. Most of the tension in this book seems to be caught up in displays of power, and a good deal of posturing, two things Vendetti has made something of a hallmark for this iteration of Hal and his space-corp buddies.

There’s a rather offhand effort to test Hal’s own resolve on the issue, but aside from a pregnant pause or two – presumably to make the character more relatable to a segment of his audience that Vendetti may have good reason to believe wrestles with these issues daily themselves – there isn’t much doubt introduced.

That’s good given the importance of resolve in a ring-wielder. Neither is there any particularly impassioned defense of the value of life or the significance of restraint when you’re the one holding the biggest gun, however. Maybe that will change. For now though, it’s almost as if we’re being told the exercise isn’t necessary. We know who the good guys are – they’re the ones who just won’t kill to enforce their authority. Period. It’s not yet clear that this story-arc is meant to do more than re-enforce that concept.

Though to be fair, I’m not sure, for the purposes of rebuilding the brand, that it really needs to.

Also, to be fair, one recurring theme Vendetti has managed to address throughout his run – appropriately so – is the importance of free will and the critical significance of personal choice.

This storyline is entirely in keeping with that. With only one more story arc to go before Vendetti ends his run on the book, I suspect he’ll want to drive that point home with this one, and indeed, there’s already a lot of that language in the last two issues. Perhaps he’ll have a compelling twist or two for us in the issues ahead.

This month’s issue is illustrated by Rafa Sandoval. He’s my personal favorite of the too-frequently rotated roster of this book’s artists, if only because his vigorous drawing and eye for staging, to my mind, suits a book that is meant to be epic in its scope. It helps the script achieve a greater sense of cinematic drama, and I’m certainly in favor of that.

All in all, this is a pretty-looking issue, that serves primarily as a narrative bridge to set the stage for whatever happens next. More to come.

Back in the glory days of Saturday morning cartoons, there was a wide berth as to what can be made into a cartoon. Movies, toys, TV shows were all game for a possible half-hour toon up when it came to filling the Saturday morning slate.

In the ‘60s thru the ‘90s a popular trend was to take a popular celebrity and give them an animated makeover.

In fact, getting your own terrible cartoon in which a celebrity was grouped with curious kids and possibly a talking animal use to be a tell-tale sign that you made it in Tinseltown.

Now that Saturday morning cartoons are a thing of the past, so is the trend up churning out mediocre kiddie shows to ride the coattails of whatever celeb is hot in that moment.

But never fear! Thanks to YouTube, their recycled animation goodness lives on.

Here a quick look at a few of the standouts…

(Please note: Going to exclude entries based on movies and TV, but rather individuals who got their own cartoon show. So no Ghostbusters, Laverne & Shirley in the Army or animated Rambos).

The Beatles (1965-67)

The show centered on the shenanigans of the Brit pop group as they visit new countries and attempt to outrun fans.

While adorable, the real Beatles hated the show so much they refused to take part in The Yellow Submarine in fear it would resemble their earlier toon outing.

Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down (1970)

A Saturday morning miss that shined a spotlight on all of Lewis’ characters. While the opening credits are memorable, the rest of the show will go down in history as a second-rate cartoon with slightly racist undertones.

Hey, at least there wasn’t the animated adventures of The Day The Clown Cried.
Fun fact: The main character of Jerry was actually voiced by David “Squiggy” Lander of Laverne & Shirley fame.

Harlem Globetrotters (1970-71)

Brought to you by Filmmation, the half hour laffer was not only the first toon to feature a black cast, but also featured the vocal talents of the legendary Scatman Crothers.

Each week, our heroes who settle conflict, neighborhood issues and general problems in their neighborhood using possibly shady basketball technics that were in no way regulated by any basketball association.

The best of the show was easily the super funky theme song that is my current earworm.

The Jackson 5ive (1971-72)

A super groovy set of musical brothers offer an “alternative facts” history lesson on the backstory of the famous Motown singing group. In the pilot episode, the gang save Diana Ross’ pet snake and opts to mentor the boys as they try to break into the music industry.

Fun factor: The voice of their producer (an unnamed cartoon version of Barry Gordy) was Paul Frees, best known for his work as the Ghost Host in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion and the voice of Boris Badenov.

The Osmond Brothers (1972)

And because we can’t have nice things without immediately destroying it, the Jackson 5ive cartoon quickly gave way to a slightly terrifying version of the Mormon singing sensations. Featuring five identical figures with the same hairstyle and toothy grin.

Mister T (1983 – 86)

Based on the greatest former bouncer that ever lived, Mister T followed the heroic antics of Laurence Tureaud’s alter ego as he steered a gymnastic team through life’s problems. Each adventure ended on a cute little life lesson like the dangers of strangers and how why you should tattle on your uncle if he is also a cat burglar.

Fun fact: Taught me the phrase “Oh my stars and garters.”

Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling (1985-86)

Starring Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Junkyard Dog and all your favorite wrestling superstars from WWF in the ‘80s, this show pitted the “good” wrestlers against the “bad” wrestlers in everyday antics outside of the ring.

It also featured music videos because every six-year-old needs to hear Captain Lou Albano attempt to hit a high note.

Camp Candy (1989-91)

John Candy was so beloved in the late ‘80s that NBC gave him his own cartoon. The toon followed the fun antics of the larger-than-life camp counselor as he teaches kids about nature while battling land developers and other counselors.

Kid n’ Play (1990-91)

If you loved the movie House Party, you’ll tolerate this cartoon. Follow the adventures of the hip-hop duo as nobody is trying to get laid and everyone raps about how to live a better life through manners and good decisions.

Hammerman (1991)

Running for only a single season, the animated adventures of MC Hammer did little to capture the minds and hearts of the ‘90s kids. The show centered around youth center counciler Stanley Burrell and his pair of magical dancing shoes that turned him into a superhero.

Also, the shoes can talk.

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

ProStars (1991)

Iconic athletes Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Bo Jackson starred in this mediocre oddball toon about sports stars who can turn into superheroes to keep mad scientists from stealing the Stanley Cup.

Reread that last sentence and take it all in. It happened.

Jackie Chan Adventures (2000 – 2005)

One of the few real person toon shows to survive outside of the ‘80s, this adorable animated action show featured Chan as he used martial arts to battle bullies and thieves. An adorable niece sidekick and grumpy family elder rounded out the show, which managed to stay on the air for five year.

The Terrifics #3
“War Wheel of Doom”
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Joe Bennet
Published by DC Comics
Released 4/25/18 / $2.99

The Terrifics! DC’s newest team of super-friends!

Or, ok, maybe not friends exactly.

More like a conscripted chain-gang of super awesomeness. That portrayal is probably more accurate at this point.

But they must be named the Terrifics for a reason! Must be a story in there. Three issues in, and that saga is still playing out. In a finely mangled mélange of action, repartee, super-science and all-around crazy.

If there was one word I might select to describe what’s going on in this book it would have to be… Bizarre.

Not to say that that’s a bad thing. Fact is, I kinda like it.

I do.

At least I think I do.

Jeff Lemiere is no stranger to the strange.

And he has a pretty good track record when it comes to throwing unlikely random elements together and making it work. His exemplary work on his own Black Hammer series being a fine case in point. That’s good. Because the nature of this entire project pretty much requires it.

The Terrifics is the latest book in DC’s recent, fairly heavy-handed effort to model new creative projects off of some of rival Marvel Comics’ most successful titles. In this case, it’s with a brand-new A-team that’s more than a little suggestive of the mighty Fantastic Four. (Shh! Don’t tell.) Though again, it’s hard to call them a team at this point. And it’s still unclear just how well it’ll all come off.

That’s OK. For now, I’m content to see Lemiere casually throw together several of my fan-fave, under-utilized DC heroes into a sequence of highly (highly) improbable events, just to watch what happens.

Who’s who, do you ask? Metamorpho is our lovable, emotionally-tortured powerhouse. Plastic Man is, as usual, a combination of hyper-elastic ingenuity and impetuous cray-cray. Mr. Terrific is the team’s necessary brilliant scientific mind, a veteran adventurer whose assumptive command presumably leads to the naming of the group.

And then there’s… Linnya Wazzo (aka the 21st century Phantom Girl of the planet Bgztl and seemingly descendant of Tinya Wazzo (a 30th/31st century member of the Legion of Super-Heroes).

Linnya’s the single, seemingly ineffectual female member of the group. Or is she? She’s young, unsure of herself, and, oh yes, chronically intangible. But she’s got a pretty potent explosive touch!

So, there’s that. If this all seems, as it should, to cut the barest outlines of a new FF, the similarity ends about there. And that’s good. Aside that is, for the penchant our brave heroes apparently have, right out of the gates, for encounters with the, well, fantastic. Which also is good.

Here’s the sit-rep: Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific, while off helping to save the universe from Scott Snyder’s demonic Batman universe, has had his life’s work bought out from under him by the megalomaniac multi-millionaire Simon Stagg. Arriving at Stagg’s compound to confront the weasel, Terrific finds Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho, stuck in the form of a great elemental construct he has foolishly agreed to adopt in order to help Stagg (once again, foolishly) open a portal to this self-same Dark Multiverse which has nearly just destroyed our own. Pulled inside while trying to solve Metamorpho’s problem, Mr. Terrific frees Plastic Man from a traumatized cocoon state (in the shape of a Plastic Man-colored egg naturally), and then all three rescue Linnya from a doomed existence as a living phantom on the giant corpse of a dead – whoops, now re-animated – space God. Oh right, and Tom Strong shows up, ala a Princess Leia-esque hologram, to warn of a dire inter-dimensional threat.

Yes, that Tom Strong.

Did I mention bizarre?

That’s OK, they all escape, return to our own universe, close the portal, and make to go their separate ways. But they can’t! The odd dimensional energies of their adventure have somehow bonded the quartet together. According to Mr. Terrific’s terrifically calculated readings none of them can go more than a mile from the others without “exploding in a flash of dark energy.” Sucks to be them.

Thankfully that seems to be about the way they feel about it too. One of the thing that makes this super strange, dare I say, ‘forced’ assemblage of heroes work from a reader’s perspective, is that none of these characters seem to get along very well at all. Which is fun.

Linnya is sweet but, like, kinda sad. Rex is dependably grumpy and caustic. Plas is, well, insufferably Plas. And Holt is a pre-occupied stick in the mud who hasn’t the time for things like social niceties or playing nursemaid. He’s got problems to solve! Wrongs to fix! He can’t be bothered! In other words, he’s kind of, as Rex succinctly puts it, a dick. (And I’m pretty sure that’s a comics’ first.)

Still they’re stuck together. Our third issue is all about driving this point home and providing the bare bones of a status quo for the team on which to hang this all on. (Don’t worry they’re all gonna bunk it at Stagg’s while Mr. Terrific works on fixing their problem. OK.)

Joe Bennet’s art is sufficiently dynamic to be engaging. I’m not as enamored with it as I am with Ivan Reis’ lead work in the first two issues, but his highly illustrative style is distinctive and fun. Think a cross between Phil Jiminez and Robert Crumb. It’s a little like something out of Heavy Metal, which is a good look for the book, if for some reason we’re losing Reis on the run.

Meantime, there’s a monstrous alter-Metamorpho running around amok somewhere in middle America. Apparently. I’m sure we’ll figure that all out soon enough. It surely can’t be our Metamorpho. Rex is busy trying to not fight with his girlfriend, Simon Stagg’s daughter Sapphire, who true to form refuses somehow to see that her father is a lying manipulative scumbag, despite the fact that he’s directly responsible for turning her lover’s face into a calcified freak-show. Poor Rex.

And then there’s the giant rogue War Wheel. Obviously.

The whole thing is a little hard to get a grip on frankly. And that is either a sign of its inevitable demise, or… its genius. I’ll just go with option B for now. Like I say, I’ve always loved each of these characters, so it’s hard not to want to see this book succeed.

And if anyone can pull this off it’s Lemiere. Long as he can keep the dialogue entertaining, and the hits a-coming, it’s just a matter of time before he pulls off the sort of emotional pay-off he does so well, the ones that make good comics, good.

Perhaps a quick jaunt to outer space will do the trick. Next issue!

Produced by David Kitchens, Markus Linecker,
Dustin Coffey, Alex D’Lerma
Written and Directed by Alex D’Lerma
Starring Dustin Coffey, Linda Burzynski,
Ed Aristone, Lori Petty

Do you really want to live with an agoraphobic, environmentally obsessed weirdo?

Chet, the main character asks this question but it’s also a good one to think about watching Fear, Love, and Agoraphobia.

With this slice of “not normal” life you’ll be faced with again and again with this question.

Alex D’Lerma wrote, directed and produced Fear, Love, and Agoraphobia as part of “The Cinema Gym” actor and director coaching group he runs with over 20 members of the gym in front of and behind the camera.

This is his second feature and the film has won awards at some of the festivals where it played.

The film follows Chet played by Dustin Coffey, who has appeared in American Horror Story and 2 Broke Girls, as an agoraphobic video editor that is obsessed with environmental issues. Chet’s Mom and Step-dad relocate to another city. Chet decides it’s too much of a move for him so he stays in their old house but needs a roommate to help with bills and run errands like going to the store.

Chet eventually decides on Maggie, played by Linda Burzynski who has appeared in Animal Kingdom and American Crime, who previously was living in a friend’s van having spent most of her money trying to get her PTSD suffering husband out of a life sentence at a penitentiary. Maggie has a confrontational nature and a drinking problem.

The story tells an interesting tale of a person with a mental illness where there are good days and bad days and many days that are in between. The way the agoraphobia is handled is probably the best part of the film. Chet’s struggles and his developing relationship with Maggie are handled in a way that seems natural even when Maggie, thinking she’s helping, pushes Chet into a situation that causes him to break down.

Where the story falters is the sub-plot with Maggie’s incarcerated husband Rick, played by Ed Aristone. The interplay between Rick and Maggie just doesn’t seem realistic and the resolution to the sub-plot just left me thinking it was hastily done to get it over with. Where this sub-plot did work was when it helped deepen the relationship between Chet and Maggie. It helped give Maggie a reason for her behavior and some of the bad choices she makes. And as she shares her pain with Chet, he, in turn, opens up to her and some very real character interaction occurs.

One of the real highlights of the film is watching Lori Petty, Orange is the New Black, Tank Girl, and A League of Their Own, play a bar-owning “Obi Wan” style mentor to Maggie’s out of control spiral around her husbands conviction.” I’m not objective in that I really like Lori Petty as an actress and she doesn’t disappoint here. The role is an obvious add-in designed to get a bigger name in an easy to film small role that will help in marketing the film. Alec Guinness played the same kind of role in Star Wars and if this film gets a wider audience because of Petty’s involvement it’s all for the good.

So this is not a perfect movie.

The Rick story line did nothing for me and that leads directly to the next thing that disappointed me, the ending. The movie has fear, from both Chet and Maggie, and agoraphobia, from Chet, but love? I think in many ways both Maggie and Chet kind of fool themselves about what kind of love they are in, Maggie with Rick and Chet with Maggie. I felt the ending was moving into an exploration of this but the whole thing was just kind of dropped and the movie was over.

But even with the imperfections, I would recommend this film for the parts that are good.

Fear, Love, and Agoraphobia is currently available On Demand
on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play.

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown!

It’s the end of the month! Summer is around the corner! Let’s talk comics!

Batman and the Signal #3
Written by Tony Patrick and Scott Snyder
Illustrated by Cully Hamner

This title has been great!

Duke Thomas as the Signal is a great addition to the Bat-family. In this book, he’s is shown to be more than capable of headlining his own book. He is well developed and likable.

However, in this issue, Duke is in a lot of of trouble.

In fact, he seems to be over his head. Gnomon and his crew are a little hard to find. Duke’s trying to track them down to no avail. He needs a bit of help from the Bat-family to get this villain!

Can he do it?

Gnomon also has a link to Duke’s past. It’s all very well handled by the writers. The art by Hamner is good and worth waiting for (this title was delayed).

All in all, this is a fine entry in the Bat-universe!

RATING: B+

The Flash #45
Written by Joshua Williamson
Illustrated by Duce Fernandez

This latest storyline in The Flash called “Perfect Storm” has been great!

Gorilla Grodd has been used in quite an excellent way here. This has continually been fun and this issue is no different!

Grodd tears apart Central City. It’s up to the Flash to stop him and fix the entire mess. Lightning is raining down!

Turmoil is everywhere!

Can things turn around for Barry?

Or will Grodd win spinning the world into hell?

The story is tops. The characterizations are handled extremely well. The art is decent too. This is a great lead in to The Flash Wars! It should be very exciting!

RATING: A-

Doom Patrol #11
Written by Gerard Way
Illustrated by Nick Derington

This book has a frustratingly long delay between issues.

Then it comes out. And the reader is instantly charmed and delighted!

Gerard Way knows how to write a satisfactory book and it’s pretty damn wonderful.

This is is the ending of the “NADA” storyline.

The Doom Patrol fights Dada in this issue and it’s pretty damn crazy! Robotman fights someone we haven’t seen in quite awhile. And Casey and Terry go on a new exploration. All of this may have some deadly consequences.

The story is a blast. The art by Derington is just phenomenal. I’m obsessed with his art and I love the way he draws and tells a story. This is a great last issue of this storyline. Definitely a good read.

RATING: A

Batman Beyond #19
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Phil Hester

This series has been great.

This latest storyline entitled “The Long Payback” has been tops. Jurgens has a great knack for writing these characters and it’s been highly enjoyable.

Melanie is in trouble from the villain known as Payback.

Terry is beaten up. Bruised. Hurt. Can he get himself together long enough to save her?

Or is Batman going to fail once and for all?

I love that Phil Hester is drawing this series. He did such a cool job on this issue. It’s something we haven’t seen before on this character which I love.

Where will it go from here?

I have no idea. But I’ll be reading for sure.

RATING: B+

Suicide Squad #40
Written by Rob Williams
Illustrated by Eduardo Pansica

This is the finale to the storyline “Breaking Through The Wall.”

Nothing much happened in this storyline and this was a rather dull issue. Rob Williams needs to pass the writing reigns to somebody else at this point.

The Suicide Squad is facing off against The Wall. It’s a hell of a lackluster battle.

They have to beat him too.

Otherwise, the United States government may be demolished in the process.

The art is decent enough. But this book needs to pick up.

It’s been stuck in a funk for a long time and I know Williams can do better than this.

RATING: C

Raven: Daughter of Darkness #4
Written by Marv Wolfman 
Illustrated by Pop Mhan

I really love this title.

Marv Wolfman is one of the great writers of the comic medium, and here he shows us why yet again. I love what he is doing here and it works really well!

There was an experiment at 2MorrowTek and it has awoken and broken free!

Guess who is on their hit list?

You guessed it! Raven!

What’s she going to do? Fight back of course!

Pop Mhan has never been my favorite artist but here he does some excellent work. The storytelling is sharp and exciting. The action sequences are what he excels at best.

All in all, it’s an enjoyable book.

RATING: B

Mother Panic: Gotham A.D. #2
Written by Jody Houser
Illustrated Ibrahim Moustafa

This book is weirdly great. Jody Houser is a cool writer who makes compelling stories.

This second series is a good time and perhaps even better than volume one. I’m glad because it’s a good character we have here.

Mother Panic has to rescue someone who is extremely important to her. Problem is, that person is inside of one of the hardest places to break into: Arkham Asylum!

She reaches out to Catwoman to help her. But will she?

This is a great alternative look at Gotham City. With Ibrahim Moustafa, this title may finally have the artist it needs. It’s visually cool, and the storytelling is wonderful. If he can stay on it, this could be a swell book to read in the coming year.

RATING: B+

Imaginary Fiends #6
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Stephen Molnar

Well, this is it. The final issue of this series. I won’t be sad to see it go as it wasn’t very interesting. Tim Seeley had a great concept that he didn’t really run with. And that’s a shame.

Special Agent Crockett has a final confrontation with Fraidy Cat and her gang! Can Crockett take them down?

Melba, meanwhile, must deal with the monster that is inside of her. Otherwise, her Imaginary friend, Polly Peachpit, will meet her fate!

I couldn’t wait for it to end. I lost interest in this about halfway through and couldn’t get it back.

The art is the best thing. I hope Molnar finds another, better title now that this is wrapping.

RATING: C-

Teen Titans #19 Written by Ben Percy and Illustrated by Scot Eaton

This is a title that needs a revamp. Or a new writer.

It isn’t that Ben Percy is a bad writer or anything. It’s just that this title isn’t the Teen Titans I know and care about. So, it’s a bit hard for me to get into on the outset.

Beast Boy is out of control. The Puppeteer has turned him into a villain who cannot he stopped!

But the Teen Titans will dare to try and stop him and save the day! Of course they will! Can they do it and in the process, stop the Puppeteer as well?

I’ve never been a big fan of Eaton’s art. Here is no different. It just doesn’t fit for me and makes the separation from these characters that I feel even deeper than before. Maybe it’ll pick up.

RATING: C

Motherlands #4
Written by Simon Spurrrier
Illustrated by Rachael Stott

This book has been pretty good thus far. However, if this keeps going the way it’s going, it could actually be one of the greats from Vertigo Comics.

Simon Spurrier could be on the verge of breaking out.

Tab And Selena literally hate each other here. Their relationship is deteriorating fast and has hit its breaking point.

They are forced to go their separate ways. Selena then, gets into a bit of trouble with the Braintrust. But she can’t exactly remember why!

The story twists and turns in ways I wasn’t expecting. The art is perfect for this title and moves it along at a rapid fire pace.  The covers by Eric Canete are the cherry on top for this series. It’s got two issues left after this and I can’t wait for them both.

RATING: B+

Detective Comics #979
Written by James Tynion IV 
Illustrated by Alvaro Martinez

This is part four of Tynion’s storyline “Batman: Eternal!”

Thankfully, it’s the home stretch of Tynion’s run writing this title. Fresh blood is needed here.

Ulysses Armstrong knows everything there is to know about Tim Drake!

He also knows how Tim is going to turn evil!

So Ulysses is off take Tim Drake down! If and when he does, he’s going to release a horrible menace!

The writing is just okay. It doesn’t have any real spark anymore. The art is okay too.

Let’s hope this turns around before the big issue 1000!

RATING: C+

Produced by Liu Jian, Yang Cheng
Written and Directed by Liu Jian
Starring Yang Siming, Cao Kou, Ma Xiaofeng,
Zhu Changlong, Cao Kai, Zheng Yi

There’s always been a conflict with animation between kids shows and more adult fare from people like Ralph Bakshi.

Have a Nice Day is squarely in the adult animation arena with it’s minimalist style and violent story-line.

Writer, director Liu Jian tells the story of Xiao Zhang, a driver for a low-level gangster in an unnamed city in southern China, who steals one million Yuan Renminbi (about $150,000 US Dollars) to help his girlfriend fix a botched plastic surgery operation.

But Xiao Zhang is an inept criminal and through his clumsiness gets involved with a malign inventor, a hit-man butcher, a greedy motorcycle punk and others all chasing after the dream of easy money.

They intersect with violent and bloody results while hapless Xiao Zhang stumbles along being far luckier than he should be.

The film has been described as being like an animated Tarantino film, but that’s just because it is a violent caper film with some interconnected parts. But where Tarantino likes to have his characters talk at each other and ramble on and monologue between the action, Liu Jian has a more reserved style. Many of the characters barely speak and long passages will go with only action and no dialog and no voice-over. The film reminded me more of True Romance (written by Tarantino but directed by Tony Scott) than any other film.

Have a Nice Day also has a minimalist animation style. It reminds me more of something from Adult Swim. It is a stark contrast to the lush multi-layered animation of Studio Ghibli or Disney. Often a static background will be broken by one or two animated areas. It draws the eye and focuses the attention but sometimes left me scanning the screen for anything else that might be moving. Combined with the sparse dialog, the animation created a great sense of dejection and despair that permeated the lives of these desperate characters.

The film took three years to make with Liu Jian doing most of the animation himself. This is Liu’s second feature length animated film and at 77 minutes doesn’t overstay its welcome.

This is an engaging film that brought together many elements of life on the edges in Southern China. I plan on watching it again and telling all of my alt-animation friends to do the same.

Have a Nice Day is now available on DVD.

Produced by DJ Dodd, Mike Epps,
Ken Gorrell, Susan Correll
Written by Zak Knutson,
Andrew Sipes, Dana Snyder
Directed by Zak Knutson
Starring Ryan Kwanten, Maggie Grace,
Mike Epps, Russell Peters, Brooks Braselman,
Clancy Brown, John Malkovich

There’s really nothing like the experience of Comic Con.

Meeting up with like-minded individuals to celebrate a shared love of comics, anime, movies, pop-culture, and more. It’s where cosplay is not only accepted, but praised.

Where nerds are treated like kings and queens, and entertainers and artists are revered as gods.

However, for washed-up TV actor Keith Mahar, conventions are just another reminder of just how miserable his life has become. As a former child star of an 80’s television show, he spends his days failing to make a name for himself.

As a result, his fame and existence has withered to nothing.

To make matters worse, Keith’s former co-star and Supercon’s big ticket draw for the weekend is Adam King — who is a constant reminder of his failure. When Mahar’s close friends working the convention: cartoon voice-over actor Matt, comic book artist Allison, and 80’s TV star Brock, are all banned from the convention by King (thereby losing money in the process), he decides to take action against his rival. In a desperate claim to “take back Supercon for the fans” he, along with his friends, plot to steal King’s Supercon earnings.

The most gripping aspect about Supercon is that it’s based on the possible real events of DragonCon. Supposedly, four guys dressed up as Stormtroopers then walked into the count room and stole a large sum of money. They managed to escape by blending into a parade of marching Stormtroopers. Throughout the years, the story screamed to be made into a movie. The issue is that this isn’t the movie it deserves.

Supercon is a well-intentioned terribly misguided film that manages to fall flat despite having a rather impressive cast… member (John Malkovich). Despite extensive knowledge of the convention scene, writers Andy Sipes, Zak Nutson, and Dana Snyder seem lost when trying to convey the magic of the con experience, the lure of meeting your hero, and the passion of the fans. People whine, the sets are cheap looking, and the costumes are poorly designed. Even with a limited budget, there’s no heart built into the script. As a result, actors are hindered and don’t possess the ability to pull in the audience. Instead they recite their lines and are forced to perform flat slapstick humor as the plot disintegrates before your eyes.

There are small moments where Malkovich shines by simply being himself. However, he is only one man and cannot carry the weight of an entire movie. Ryan Kwanten hasn’t been enjoyable to watch since his role in True Blood, and he still faces the same dilemma. Playing Wheeler, Kwanten once again doesn’t stand out. As the film progresses, he manages to blend into the cast until he’s completely forgettable. Lastly, there’s Mike Epps as Gil Bartell who has the ability to shine with his background in comedy and improv. Unfortunately, he too fails at uplifting this project with his poor attempt at comedy.

Supercon is an unfunny mess, which is disappointing despite its potential. With too many writers working on the script, Supercon is misdirected, discombobulated, and forgettable. The most painful aspect is that it had the ability to be an indie darling beloved by folks Comic Con attendees.

Instead, it doesn’t even deserve to be admitted to any event.

Supercon is now playing in theaters and is available on Digital HD.

Produced by Claire Jones, Robin Gutch
Written and Directed by
Andy Nyman, Jeremy Dyson
Starring Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse,
Alex Lawther, Martin Freeman

Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories is an effective, creepy film that is also a nice spin on the horror anthology subgenre.

Nyman plays Professor Goodman, a professional skeptic and charlatan debunker who receives a cryptic invitation from his idol (who has been missing for years and presumed dead), a fellow skeptic, to meet and talk.

When the meeting takes place, the idol is prickly and condescending and tells Goodman that his life’s work is shite. The dying man implores him to debunk the three cases he’s been unable to solve to give him peace of mind before he succumbs.

Thus sets up the sorta-kinda anthology aspect of the film as Goodman pursues the stories and the protagonists in order to prove them wrong. We witness Goodman contacting the involved parties and the ensuing reenactments of the events.

One cannot stress enough how important the superb acting contributes to the effectiveness of Ghost Stories.

As sinister and skin-crawling as the filmmaking is, it would be for naught if it weren’t for the committed performances, beginning with Nyman’s.

Impressive because he’s simultaneously repellent and sympathetic, Nyman holds our rooting interest throughout, mainly because, hey, this stuff isn’t really happening, right?

There is an interesting philosophical thread throughout the film, as one character remarks to Goodman, in so many words, that Goodman would be happy to prove there is no afterlife so he would not be held accountable for the transgressions in his life.

The big reveal/twist ending, while interesting, effective and dramatically thorough, didn’t really address the thematic/philosophical underpinnings of the rest of the film. I won’t divulge more, but I sincerely wish the denouement – without tying everything in a bow – would have incorporated those elements into a cohesive whole.

That said, Ghost Stories is a solid scarefest with a few pop-out-of-your-seat moments, that is well worth the time of horror fans.

Ghost Stories is now playing and is also available On Demand.