Blog Archives
Heroes and Villains – Reviewing Recent Comics 6-14-2017
This time on Heroes and Villains, we’ll be looking at a variety of comics out this week and last, from a variety of genres. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern #5, Predator vs. Judge Dredd vs. Aliens #4, Bitch Planet Triple Feature #1, Kill the Minotaur #1, Space Riders: Galaxy of Brutality #2, American Gods #4, Harrow County #24, Geek-Girl #4, Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original #11, Normandy Gold #1, the Savage Dragon: Warfare trade, and the new book on Reed Crandall from TwoMorrows… This is a loaded week, so who cares about Secret Empire when we have so many other cool things to check out, be warned, there may be spoilers…
American Politics Are Out Of This World In ‘Saucer State #1’ On The Wednesday Run
I would have thought we’d have heard something “official” about alien encounters by now.
And by “official” I mean something on social media – from the sitting President of the United States. If anyone were to read government classified material and leak it at 2 a.m. via Twitter, it would be Trump, don’t you think?
But that hasn’t happened. Yet.
Maybe he’s been too busy hiring and firing.
Maybe he’s been too busy with his own office shenanigans.
Then again, maybe that classified material we all think exists – doesn’t after all. And what a major disappointment that would be.
Still, while waiting for that late-night tweet, there’s a government-alien-conspiracy comic book we should all be reading…and the first issue of a brand new volume drops today with Saucer State #1!
By the Book: Arrival
Arrival …um …arrived in US theaters over the weekend. Based on Ted Chiang’s Nebula and Sturgeon award winning novella, The Story of Your Life, the movie opened to mostly good reviews and a modest third place domestic box office take. How did the movie hold up to its source material? Let’s chat after the break (and yes, lots of spoilers!)
“Stranger Things” Spooks Us Back into the Supernatural 1980s
While it’s the job of a publicist to sell audiences on entertainment media, sometimes there is false advertising. Not so with Stranger Things, the latest offering from The Duffer Brothers (Wayward Pines). The show is described as “a love letter to the ‘80s supernatural classics that captivated a generation,” a synopsis that might sound cliché but is delightfully accurate.
Stranger Things is set in the small town of Hawkins, Minnesota in 1983. For those of us who grew up during that decade and think of it with fondness, our first instinct is to look for mistakes. The folks behind Stranger Things, however, have done their homework. The production design and costumes make us truly feel like we’re in 1983. This is not the glossy Miami Vice ’80s or even the 1998 version as seen in American Psycho; this is the station wagon, button-down shirts, wood paneling, macramé and latch-hook, crappy TV sets, last gasp of the 1970s-version of the ‘80s, which is exactly what it was like for most of us in middle-class America.
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Biff Bam Pop’s Alien Invasion – Less Lee Moore Shows “Signs” Of Being Terrified Of Aliens
Back in the day, a.k.a. “The Nineties,” I was a huge fan of The X-Files. Despite the show’s obsession with revealing the truth about aliens among us, that aspect of the ongoing mythology didn’t freak me out very much. Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t secretly wishing that aliens would abduct me. I just thought aliens were more interesting than scary. I even read Transformation, the sequel to Whitley Streiber’s infamous alien visitation saga Communion, and while it was definitely eerie, it didn’t keep me up at night the way Stephen King’s The Shining had back when I was in high school.
Like many Americans, I liked M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, so I was pretty stoked when Signs was announced. Keep in mind that Mel Gibson hadn’t gone full-Holocaust-denier-crazy yet, so he was still a viable Hollywood property. Keep in mind, too, that people still thought of Shyamalan as a viable Hollywood property, i.e., The Happening was still a few years away.
Maybe I was tired and overemotional that night in the theater, but I was simply not prepared for the terror that Signs would inflict upon my naïve little brain.
The X-Files: Season 2
“The X-Files” is returning to FOX on January 24, 2016. Join Mieke Zamora-Mackay as she recaps each season for this popular TV show in preparation for the arrival of “The X-Files” Season 10. After a bout of some serious jetlag and a nasty cold, Mieke is back to recap super eventful season two.
Defiance S03 E09: Ostinato in White
Hot Damn! Datak is the man! This season of “Defiance” has been amazing and, on last week’s episode, we were treated to a spectacular end of General Tak’s army thanks to our favorite rascally Castithan. But, we’re not out of the woods, yet. There’s a new threat; a new monster and, it has something to do with Dr. Yewll. Read the rest of this entry
Defiance S03 E03: The Broken Bough
“Defiance” is back and the Tarrs are already in trouble. On the last episode, they were forced to spy for General Tak and if they don’t, Alak’s head will be stuck on a stick. Will the Votan Collective succeed in talking over Defiance? Read the rest of this entry
Defiance So2 E12: All Things Must Pass
Well, my little Votans, this is a bittersweet post because tonight is the last for the season. Yep, it’s a two-part season finale of “Defiance” and I’m going to miss those wacky yet lovable townsfolk of Defiance. Last week’s two-part episode focused on the women of Defiance, both alien and human. They don’t take Shtako from anyone. Hell no! Who cares if civilization has collapsed like an old party balloon; The gals of Defiance can take care of themselves. The men, on the other hand, could use some help. Read the rest of this entry
Defiance S02 E10: Bottom of the World
Last week’s episode of “Defiance” had us rejoicing Kenya’s return, but alas, it was short lived and we found out that Pottinger and Dr. Yewll were in the business of making clones. Tonight we are treated to a double header, so let’s get to it. Read the rest of this entry
