Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword #6 (of 6)

Flash Gordon: The Invasion of the Red Sword ends here. I've found the latest mini-series from Ardden Entertainment more frustrating than the first but it's had just enough moments to make me pick up the final issue which finds Flash Gordon uniting the various factions of Mongo to drive the Earth soldiers known as the Red Sword off of Mongo and back to Earth.

Once again the comic relies far too much on paragraphs of exposition and dialogue, especially from Flash and Zarkov. The actual battle only takes place on a few scatter panels between character discussions of the situation and flashbacks to Zarkov's past and his connection with the leader of the Red Sword.

It's not a great conclusion, but it does wrap up the main story as well as lay the foundation for the next mini-series which looks to have more of Ming and Queen Azura. Hit-and-Miss.

[Ardden Entertainment, $3.99]

Covert Affairs - What's the Frequency Kenneth?

While keeping up appearances at her Smithsonian cover Annie (Piper Perabo) is approached by an agent (Tony Curran) of MI6, who, not knowing who Annie really works for, tries to recruit her to work for the British Government. Annie takes an immediate shine to Kenneth (Curran) and, with Joan's (Kari Matchett) approval, gets her first taste of life as a double-agent.

Secret Avengers #19

Captain America, Sharon Carter, Moon Knight, and Black Widow go undercover in the East European city of Symkaria to uncover the source of what they believe to be the black market sale of Super Soldier Serum to the Shadow Council. What they uncover, however, is far more interesting.

It turns out the mysterious weapon being sold isn't a drug at all, but magical properties of ancient creatures which can possess and enhance a person's abilities, strength, and skill.

Intriguing story by writer Warren Ellis, and I like the twist when the team finds something they weren't expecting. There's also a nice scene between Black Widow and Agent 13 about whether they can trust the word of a guy who believes he's empowered by an Egyptian god when he tells them the soldiers are possessed.

Warren Ellis is proving to be a good match for this book. I've only been disappointed with one of the issues since he took on the title, and I'm looking forward to see what else he might have in store for this team. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

Usagi Yojimbo #142

The rabbit ronin's wanderings lead him to cross paths with a quartet of ice runners who he finds under attack by a gang of bandits.

After lending his help Usagi Yojimbo learns the from the remaining ice runners that they are carrying ice from the frozen mountains (in the middle of summer) for their Lord Ito who will present the ice as his gift to Lord Hijiki who will be visiting the province the following day.

Not only is the honor of the their lord at stake, but the Lord Ito has made a wager with Lord Motooka on his clan's ability to deliver the ice, and, as Usagi knows far too well, Motooka doesn't mind playing dirty.

Usagi offers his assistance to the remaining runners. Although he isn't able to save their lives when they are attacked again, he is able to deliver the ice and save their clan's honor.

Another great tale by artist and writer Stan Sakai. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

Annihilators: Earthfall #3 (of 4)

Now that the Annihilators and Avengers have stopped beating the snot out of each other and taken down the base of the Universal Church of Truth on Earth they're faced with a new problem. The Magnus has been reborn, his essence has been implanted in a group of human children and grows more powerful every second.

The two team's quibbling on moral grounds about what to do with the children leads to even great problems when the Magnus imprints himself on 30% of the U.S. population and an army of Templeships show up to collect their deities.

Rocket Raccoon and Groot get the short end of the stick again, only earning a total of five pages here which sees the pair jumping through various simulations run by Mojo. (The ads for Rocket Raccoon and Groot action figures are a nice touch. Maybe someone at Marvel should actually get on that.)

With only one issue left it looks like both stories (even if the second isn't being given as many pages as I'd like) look set to go out with a bang. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

The Smurfs

The Smurfs were a staple of my Saturday morning cartoons growing up. For those unfamiliar, Smurfs are small blue magical creatures named after their most prominent characteristic (giving us characters like Handy Smurf, Jokey Smurf, Poet Smurf, Sneezy Smurf, and the like). They live in mushroom houses, feed on Smurfberries, and spend most of their time singing and hiding from an evil wizard who wants to destroy them.

Fleeing from the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria) a handful of Smurfs find themselves pulled through a magical portal into our world. Now Papa Smurf (Jonathan Winters), Smurfette (Katy Perry), Grouchy (George Lopez), Brainy (Fred Armisen), Gutsy (Alan Cumming), and Clumsy (Anton Yelchin) find themselves in New York. To find their way home they enlist the help of a stressed out marketer (Neil Patrick Harris) with an egomaniacal boss (Sofía Vergara) and a pregnant wife (Jayma Mays).

Flash #3

Thanks to a super EMP whammy Central City in a total blackout, every electronic device including cars and planes are non-functional, and so its up to the Flash to save 3.5 million people from the dark.

As the Flash races around the city the clones of Manuel close in on the original and Iris West's trip to Iron Heights prison, now in dark lockdown, gets the intrepid female reporter far closer to one of the Flash's Rogues than she ever wanted.

Once again Francis Manapul gives us a strong story to go along with some absolutely beautiful art. There are also a couple of fun moments here including Barry on horseback and some early narration explaining how the Flash learned how to use his speed in various ways (and why he never drinks coffee).

Fans of the Golden Age should also pay attention to the mention Keystone City, especially now that we know some form of an Earth-2 Justice Society of America is scheduled as part of DC's New 52. Best of the week.

[DC, $2.99]

Shame trailer

In Shame Michael Fassbender stars as a sex addict whose unique lifestyle is interrupted by the unannounced arrival of his equally screwed up sister (Carey Mulligan) who decides to stay on his couch for an indefinite period of time. Nicole Beharie, Alex Manette, Hannah Ware, Elizabeth Masucci, James Badge Dale, and Anna Rose Hopkins also star. The NC-17 rated film opens in theaters in select cities on Friday.

Comic Rack 156

It’s a new week so it must be time to talk about comics! Welcome to the RazorFine Comic Rack boys and girls. Pull up a bean bag and take a seat at feet of the master as we offer you this quick list of all kinds of comic book goodness set to hit comic shops and bookstores this week from all your favorite publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Archie, Dynamite, Image Comics, and others.

This week includes Angel & Faith, Archie, Avengelyne, Avengers Origins: Thor, Fables, FF, Ghost Rider, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Hack/Slash, Irredeemable, Queen Sonja, Savage Dragon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Trek, Super Dinosaur, Tiny Titans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Uncanny X-Men, The Walking Dead Weekly, X-Men Legacy, the first issues of Atlas Unified, Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Uncharted, and the final issues of Herc, Jack Avarice is the Courier, Red Skull, and Samurai's Blood.

Enjoy issue #156

Deadshot...

...just likes to shoot things.

Saturday with Stana

My Week with Marilyn

It's almost as shame Michelle Williams is so good as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn because her performance could easily overshadow what is one of the year's best films.

There have been plenty of films I've enjoyed and appreciated in 2011, but I've waited a 11-and-a-half months to walk out of a theater and say I love a film. That streak is now over.

My Week with Marilyn based on Colin Clark's memoir, recounts the young man's first experience working on a film as the third assistant director of The Prince and the Showgirl directed and starring renown British actor Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and American sensation Marilyn Monroe (Williams).

Melancholia

It begins, and ends, with the end of the world. The latest from riter/director Lars von Trier is a bleak examination at the lives of two sisters in the days before the arrival of a mysterious planet on a collision course with the Earth.

We begin with Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) who are late to their own wedding reception. At first this cute occurrence of a limbo driver not being able to navigate the narrow drive to where the event is held seems nothing more than a mildly diverting challenge for the new couple to navigate. We soon learn, however, that the newlyweds have all kinds of problems they will struggle through on this night.

Covert Affairs - Horse to Water

When a longtime CIA asset is killed Arthur (Peter Gallagher) suspects a former CIA analyst (Bruce Davison) convicted of treason, and currently held in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison, may be behind it. The CIA decides to look into both of the man's daughters to see if they are involved.

Birds of Prey #3

The entire team is assembled (well, almost, but we'll get to that in a minute). Black Canary's worst fears are realized as Starling and Kantana are less than thrilled with the fact that Poison Ivy has joined the team. To tell the truth, I'm with them.

Because this is DC's reboot it wouldn't be complete without a complete character redesign for Poison Ivy. Although it is a shock that the character is one of the few female DC's characters that got less sexualized as part of the New 52.

The issue itself, once Starling and Katana stop trying to kill their new partner, isn't great but it works well enough to keep my interest (even if the art looks extremely rushed). The issue ends with a cliffhanger as Black Canary learns she's a ticking timebomb set at the mercy of whoever is in charge of this legion of invisible assassins.

The real interesting tidbit is the news that Batgirl won't just be guest-starring over the next couple of issues but will become a permanent member of the team beginning next issue. Babs inclusion could be just what this book needs. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

Batman #3

Since the reboot all the Bat-titles have had their hiccups so I can't fault writer Scott Snyder too much if the latest issue of Batman isn't as good as the first two. Issue #3 showcasing Batman's detective skills (THANK YOU!!!) as the Dark Knight Detective uncovers a secret conspiracy hidden in the homes of Gotham City's wealthiest families for decades.

Greg Capullo's art feels a little rushed in some of the panels, especially Batman's fight with the Whisper Gang in the Gotham City subway. Thankfully the fight is saved thanks to a Batman's ingenious solution to take down the entire gang with the flip of a switch.

As to the Court of Owls, the uncovering of the mystery works well enough, but the conspiracy and super-secret organization full of people dressed up as owls hiding in the homes of Gotham's most wealthy doesn't come off any better than it sounds. Issue #3 isn't a good as I'd like but it's still the best of the Bat-titles. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

The Muppets

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's been a long time since the The Muppets took Manhattan, had a great caper, or set their sites on an original movie. Sure there was that attempt to give Gonzo his own film, and the series of movies adapted from literature to star The Muppets over the years, but for the first time in a long time, with no small part to Jason Segel, The Muppets are back.

The story begins with brothers Walter (Peter Linz) and Gary (Segel) traveling to Los Angeles with Gary's longtime girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams). Although the trip was initially set as an anniversary getaway for the lovers, Gary brings Walter along to let him realize one of his dreams by visiting Muppet Studios.

Walter is crushed to find the studio in disrepair and horrified to learn that an oil tycoon (Chris Cooper) is set to take ownership of the property and destroy it. The Muppets have only one chance, the contract leaves a clause that they can buy back the studio before the deadline if they can raise $10,000,000.

Hugo

For the first half-hour or so of Hugo you're wondering to yourself why is Martin Scorcese directing a children's story about an orphan who lives in a train station with a broken robot?

Don't get me wrong, the characters are engaging and the look of the film (especially in 3D where the effects bring to mind a child's pop-up book) are terrific, but the question still remains. And then this film about an orphan and his automaton becomes a story about a famous filmmaker and the celebration and preservation of old films, and you know exactly what struck the director's fancy.

When we first meet Hugo Cabaret (Asa Butterfield) he's living in the walls of the Paris train station. The son of clockmaker (Jude Law), Hugo was orphaned when his father died in a museum fire. Now all Hugo has to remember him is a notebook and a broken automaton his father was attempting to fix before his death.

The Descendants

On the beautiful islands of Hawaii, Matt King's (George Clooney) world crashes down when the real estate lawyer is hit with two bombshells at once. First, he learns that his wife (Patricia Hastie), who suffered a boating accident and has languished in a coma for weeks, isn't going to get better. Her living will makes it obvious what will happen next, even if Matt and his two daughters aren't ready for inevitable.

Things only get more complicated when breaking the news to his oldest daughter Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) Matt learns his wife has been having an affair and it's this, not the daughter's recently troubling behavior, which was the cause of the friction between mother and daughter in recent months.

Castle - Kill Shot

When a sniper starts killing random New Yorkers the NYPD is on the case, but the type of killings push Beckett (Stana Katic) over the edge, making her remember her own shooting. As her friends try to cover for her, the post-traumatic stress proves too much to handle.

Morning Glories #14

It looks like we'll have to wait at least a month to find out what exactly has happened with Casey and Miss Hodge. In the latest issue we see the fallout from Hunter's blow-up with Zoe from her point of view, intermixed with the beginning of Woodrun, and odd flashbacks to Pilgrims torturing a man to get information out of girl who bears a resemblace to Jade in the year 1653.

In a nice move, writer Nick Spencer chooses to give Zoe a moment to actually feel the hurt of Hunter's comments, and the overheard gossiping of the other girls before returning to full bitch mode and deciding on a slow revenge.

For an issue centered around arguably the series most unlikable character, this one turns out to be pretty good. I liked how the Pilgrim story eventually worked itself around to the main tale. We see a little of Woodrun from Zoe, Hunter and Jun's point of view but (not surprisingly) things turn ominous just as the comic comes to a close.

The mystery remains two-steps out of reach for the characters and audience alike, but I'm so enjoying the ride that (at least for now) I'm not too worried on the destination. Worth a look.

[Image, $2.99]

The Tree of Life on Blu-ray

The Tree of Life is one of those rare films that you can use as a barometer to judge other's tastes in films. If they dismiss it completely for its odd editing, non-linear structure, and perplexing nature that will tell you one thing. If they simply praise the look of the film and its challenging storytelling without noting its obvious flaws that will tell you something else.

The Tree of Life is a very good, but sometimes maddeningly frustrating, film. The director gives us the story of a family in Waco, Texas, in the 1950's. We also get a much shorter look at one of the children (Sean Penn) years later. Interspersed with these tales is the origin of the universe and creation of life on Earth.

Those who don't wish to be challenged by a film should give The Tree of Life a wide birth. You'll need patience and a willingness to accept the kind of journey on which it wants to take you.

Justice League #3

After a promising start I thought writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee lost their way with the series' second issue, but I've got to say this one's almost everything I wanted it to be. Sure, I've got a few minor quibbles (like someone yet again telling Hal how to use his ring) but if the series can deliver this much fun on a monthly basis (and, I'll admit, that's a big "if"), I'm going to be very happy.

As Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash battle the legions of Parademons invading the Earth a new face joins the fight (after she finishes her first ice cream cone, of course). This Wonder Woman is a warrior born itching for a little action, and when the demons show up she's more than happy to join the fray - much to the amazement of Hal and Barry.

The open sequence with Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, and the little girl who introduces her to ice cream might be a tad too cute for my tastes, but once the Amazon joins the fight the comic really picks up. We also get our first look at Aquaman and Cyborg.

Chuck Versus the Business Trip

After calling in an old friend (Bonita Friedericy) to remove the Intersect from Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and getting the CIA to call off their hit, Chuck (Zachary Levi), Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), and Casey (Adam Baldwin) still have to deal with one assassin sent by Decker (Richard Burgi) who can't be recalled and has never failed to complete a mission.

Captain Atom #3

Captain Atom's burgeoning understanding of being able to use his powers in a much grander scale takes the hero around the world in a blink of an eye and eventually to Libya where he runs into the one hero on the planet that also lives at a pace far quicker than the average human being: The Flash.

I've enjoyed the first couple of issues of this series, and when you throw the the Flash into the mix you're going to have to do quite a bit wrong not to get me on-board. The issue centers around two characters who are isolated because they see so much more by living between moments we take for granted. The interplay between the characters works wonderfully, but once again the situation intervenes and Captain Atom's attempt to help looks far more nefarious than he planned.

The final page of the issue also give us the first appearance of General Eiling, the man (at least in the old version of the DCU) responsible for the creation of Captain Atom. It will be interesting to see how this version fits into Atom's backstory. And, thankfully, we get an issue without the mutated monster dogs. Must-read.

[DC, $2.99]

Comic Rack

It’s a new week so it must be time to talk about comics! Welcome to the RazorFine Comic Rack boys and girls. Pull up a bean bag and take a seat at feet of the master as we offer you this quick list of all kinds of comic book goodness set to hit comic shops and bookstores this week from all your favorite publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Archie, Dynamite, Image Comics, and others.

This week includes Annihilators: Earthfall, Aquaman, Blackhawks, Brilliant, Doctor Who, Fantastic Four, The Flash, Futurama Comics, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, Hellblazer, Incorruptible, Infinite, Invincible, Invincible Iron Man, Kick-Ass 2, The Mighty Thor, Red Sonja, Richie Rich, Savage Hawkman, Secret Avengers, Superman, Teen Titans, Usagi Yojimbo, Wolverine and the X-Men, X-Men Legacy, the first issue of Diablo, and the final issues of Flash Gordon: Invasion of the Red Sword, Teen Wolf: Bite Me, and Ultimate Hawkeye.

Enjoy issue #155

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Mitefall!

After watching Batman (Diedrich Bader) and Aquaman (John Di Maggio) stop Gorilla Grodd (Di Maggio) from stealing a ocean laboratory with the use of robotic sharks Bat-Mite (Paul Reubens) laments the Silver Age hijinks of his favorite show who he believes has jumped the shark (literally!). In the mood for a more dramatic version of the Caped Crusader the imp decides to use his power to sink the show for good in Batman: The Brave and the Bold's final episode.

Burn Notice - Necessary Evil

Agent Pearce (Lauren Stamile) assigns Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) to run an operation putting Sam (Bruce Campbell) and Jesse (Coby Bell) undercover in a recently reopened chemical plant with ties to Liberia. Their mission is to uncover why a weapon engineer (Rick Gomez, the younger brother of Chuck's Joshua Gomez) is acquiring guidance equipment and long range weapon components and discover who he is working for.

The Big Bang Theory - The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition

Despite his initial disinterest, when Stuart (Kevin Sussman) shows a romantic interest in Amy (Mayim Bialik), Sheldon (Jim Parsons) is forced to reevaluate his relationship when the woman who, at least after this episode, he can no longer refer to as not his girlfriend.

The Mentalist - Pink Tops

When an undercover narcotics officer (Natalia Castellanos) working to take down a local drug kingin (Kamar De Los Reyes) is shot and killed in a back alley the CBI is called in to investigate but ordered by her commanding officer (Dean Norris) not to reveal her true identity to anyone involved in the case.

Snake Eyes #7

Snake Eyes and the ailing Duke have kidnapped Rodrigo Vargas and taken him to his laboratory in Albania in hopes of finding a cure for the Madness Bug running rampant in Zimbabwe and slowly eating away at Duke as well.

There are a couple of nice moments between Snake Eyes and Duke as the ailing JOE asks his friend to abandon him if the madness makes it impossible to complete their mission. Although Snake Eyes has nothing to say (as usual), you get the feeling he'll do everything possible to complete the mission except abandon a friend in need.

To help them infiltrate the lab Snake Eyes calls on Kwinn to cash in an old favor. Once in the laboratory, however, the JOEs learn the antidote doesn't actually exist and there's a full army of Cobra agents who don't take kindly to a pair of JOEs hijacking one of their facilities.

There are some nice character moments, and even if more of the action suggested rather than on-panel this time around it looks like next issue should ramp things back up again. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

Person of Interest - Foe

The latest number from the Machine turns out to be Cold War spy (Alan Dale) who has been off the grid for more than two decades. Bearing an intense hatred he has returned to take vengeance on this former teammates (Larry Pine, Kent Broadhurst, Sherman Howard) for their betrayal, his incarceration, and the death of his wife Anja (Laila Robins).

You're spending Christmas with Who?!

The first trailer for this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special "The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe" has been released. From BBC: "Evacuated to a house in Dorset from war-torn London, Madge Arwell (Claire Skinner) and her two children, Lily (Holly Earl) and Cyril (Maurice Cole), are greeted by a madcap caretaker whose mysterious Christmas gift leads them into a magical wintry world." Bill Bailey, Arabella Weir, Alexander Armstrong and (of course) Matt Smith will also appear. Take a look and see what you think!

Like Crazy

Like Crazy wants to be this year's Blue Valentine. Paradoxically it also wants to be a romantic love story. Despite some nice performances and an understated feel, the movie leaves much unsaid about a pair of people who, even after spending two hours with them, we're not sure if they belong together.

The film has a documentary feel that stresses real moments. This gives us small petty fights and cute moments with the pair in bed together, but it also shares with us long stretches that would have been better off on the cutting room floor. Too often the film's rabid embrace of realism gets in the way of basic storytelling.

Like Crazy begins with the meeting of British exchange student Anna (Felicity Jones - think a more bubbly version of Emma Roberts) and Jacob (Anton Yelchin). The pair hit it off immediately and the glory days of their relationship is a montage blur until Anna's Visa expires and she has to return home. Against the advice of some very cool movie parents (Alex Kingston, Oliver Muirhead) Anna overstays her time in America.

Psych - Shawn Interrupted

"He's the only one of us who could pass for someone in need of institutionalization."
"I'll take that as a compliment."

When Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) solves a case all by himself Shawn (James Roday) grows suspicious, and not only because the detective throws himself a party to celebrate. Lassiter's party comes to a screetching halt when he learns the murderer has gotten off on a plea of temporary insanity and will be sentenced to a mental health facility instead of prison.

Competing Snow White trailers

We've got two Snow White movies on the way and both trailers have finally hit the Internet:


Snow White and the Huntsman stars Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White (Kristen Stewart) into the woods and kill her by the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) but becomes her protector instead. Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, Nick Frost, Toby Jones, Ray Winstone, Lily Cole, and Bob Hoskins also star. The film opens in theaters on June 1st.


In Mirror Mirror Julia Roberts stars as the evil Queen who exiles Snow White (Lily Collins) from the kingdom to the forest where she enlists the help of seven rebels to win back her birthright. Armie Hammer, Sean Bean, Nathan Lane and Michael Lerner also star. The film opens in theaters on March 16th.

Glee - Mash Off

Things heat up on the latest episode of Glee as Puck (Mark Salling) proclaims his love to Shelby (Idina Menzel), Finn (Cory Monteith) and Santana (Naya Rivera) begin a war of insults that will end with one of them in tears, and things turn negative in both the school and state elections.

Harry Potter and the Complete Collection on Blu-ray

Seven books, eight films, spanning an entire decade. The complete Harry Potter collection is available for the first time on Blu-ray and it's definitely worth picking up (even if it is definitely lacking in terms of extras).

For the first time I sat down and was able to watch the entire Deathly Hallows in one sitting, and I've got to say it holds up well. From glancing through the collection the other titles also work well on Blu-ray. Warner Bros. has a larger set ready to hit stores next year, but, unless you're a total Harry Potter maniac, having all eight films on Blu-ray in one slim case is all you really need.

The set is listed at $140, but with not too much searching you should be able to pick it up for about half that price (a little less than $10 per Blu-ray isn't too shabby). The series has its highs (The Prizoner of Azkaban) and lows (The Order of the Phoenix), but it's a great collection to own, especially at this price.

Covert Affairs - A Girl Like You

Annie's (Piper Perabo) favorite Mossad agent (Oded Fehr) pops back into her life pretending to be an agent of the CIA in hopes of talking with an FBI informant, the co-owner of international construction firm involved in various illicit activities. Annie is tasked by Joan (Kari Matchett) to find out what exactly Mossad is after and why Eyad is so desperate to talk to the informant.

Green Lantern #3

Despite their initial distrust of each other Hal Jordan agrees to help Sinestro take down the Sinestro Corps and liberate his home planet of Korugar.

The issue also foreshadows a new player in the galactic events of the DCU. Given what they deem is the failure of the Green Lantern Corps the Guardians of the Universe decide they need a new solution to keep the peace. Yeah, I'm sure that will work out well (just like the Alpha Lanterns and New Guardians).

Despite the odd ending that suggests Sinestro might be replacing Hal Jordan on a more permanent basis than anyone assumed, the issue works well enough. However, I am growing tired of Sinestro showing up Hal in every single issue. Once again we get another instance of Hal not knowing how to use his ring. Seriously? I understand you want to show Sinestro as as more experienced, but removing all of Hal's years of service (which didn't get rebooted, remember) doesn't seem like the best option. I like that Hal enjoys his ring, now lets see him know how to use it. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Hawaii Five-0 – Ike Maka

When a disfigured body is discovered in the trunk of a stolen car Five-0 attempts to identify the victim. Identification becomes a problem, however, when the team discovers the John Doe recently went through extensive plastic surgery and even after finding his doctor (Hank Stratton) the team is no closer to knowing his real name or what he looked like before his surgery.

Batgirl #3

I still miss Stephanie Brown, I'll freely admit that. Of all the comics that went away in favor of DC's New 52 Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl was the most consistent and showed promise to get even better with time.

Stephanie was a Barbara Gordon Batgirl for a new generation. Strong, opinionated, quirky, intelligent, kick-ass, and always wearing her heart on her sleeve. Why would we need Babs back in the Batsuit when Steph was honoring her so well?

I also miss Oracle, and her partnership with Black Canary, Huntress, Zinda Blake, and the rest of the Birds of Prey. It's in her years in the wheelchair, not before, that Barbara became a real fleshed out character that was one of the most inspiring in all of comics.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series - Beware My Power

The two-part opener of Green Lantern: The Animated Series throws us right into the action rather than waste time with an origin episode. After averting a little danger on Earth, and accidentally crashing a billion dollar jet, Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) is summoned to the Green Lantern homeworld of Oa for disciplinary matters given his last assignment in which he headbutted a respected ambassador.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine #3

The world without magic storyline continues as Buffy and the Scoobies are faced with two oddities that need answering. The first is Severin who has an unusual power to rip the demon from vampires and return the human body to a natural state of death. The second is the overly aggressive nature of vampires who have been sired since the Seed was destroyed.

Spike's investigation into the Siphon will answer one of Buffy's questions (if he's not too late for our plucky heroine). As to the vampires themselves, it appears with the hell dimensions now closed from our reality new vampires are really vampires, they're zombie vampires, or zompires as Xander names them.

I was really impressed with issue #3, especially the dialogue and character interactions which felt much more natural and Whedon-esque than the previous issue (also penned by Andrew Chambliss). The story arcs seem more focused and character driven, and there's some great humor throughout. If this is where Season Nine is going to go, I'm on-board. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.99]

Doctor Who - Series Six (Part Two)

By Silencio Lake, on the plane of Sighs, an impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike the Time Lord dead. The two-disc set collects the final six episodes of Series Six including The Doctor (Matt Smith) facing his death at the hands of River Song (Arthur Darvill).

Although the collection doesn't include a great stand-out episode there are several good episodes including "Let’s Kill Hitler" and "The Wedding of River Song" which wraps up River Song's story arc and gives us the conclusion of the series cliffhanger. Craig (James Corden) returns for "Closing Time" and Rory (Arthur Darvill) is forced to make an impossible decision in "The Girl Who Waited." We also get a spooky hotel, and the somewhat less spooky insides of of terrified child's cupboard.

The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13

With Batman near death the Phantom Stranger assembles Robins throughout time to save the Dark Knight Detective. Dick Grayson (in his original Nightwing costume), Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian, and Carrie Kelly are all brought together to save their partner.

After some initial in-fighting (including Damian and Steph going at it over whether a girl can actually be Robin) the sidekicks come up with a plan. They will sneak the dying Batman into one of Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits and use it to revive him.

Longtime Batman fans should definitely seek this issue out and pick it up. Aside from being the only comic where you're going to get this assembly of characters, writer Sholly Fisch and artist Rick Burchett take time to make several references to Batman's history including "Robin Dies at Dawn."

Chuck Versus the Frosted Tips

Morgan (Joshua Gomez) finally goes all the way to the Dark Side by betraying the team and his best friend by stealing the data for their latest mission and agreeing to work for Verbanski Corp. The Intersect that was left for them didn't come from Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) and now it's destroying what little remains of Morgan's original personality.

Legends of Awesomeness - Hometown Hero

When Mantis (Max Koch) receives an urgent message to return home to his village Po (Mick Wingert) decides to tag along. Once there the Dragon Warrior realizes why the Praying Mantis didn't want any of his friends to occumpany him on his journey.

Comic Rack

It’s a new week so it must be time to talk about comics! Welcome to the RazorFine Comic Rack boys and girls. Pull up a bean bag and take a seat at feet of the master as we offer you this quick list of all kinds of comic book goodness set to hit comic shops and bookstores this week from all your favorite publishers including DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Archie, Dynamite, Image Comics, and others.

This week includes Avemgers, Batman, Blue Beetle, Birds of Prey, Captain Atom, Catwoman, Deadpool, Dream Reavers, Elephantmen, Ghostbusters, Green Lantern Corps, Incredible Hulk, Jughead, Justice League, New Mutants, Nightwing, The Punisher, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Snake Eyes, Thunderbolts, Transformers, The Walking Dead, X-23, X-Men, Young Justice, Zorro Rides Again, and the first issues of Carbon Grey Origins, End of Nations, Godzilla: Legends, Hawken, Kirby: Genesis - Captain Victory, Mudman, and Pilot Season: Seraph.

Enjoy issue #154