CloseUp with Candice Swanepoel

To promote their new push-up bra, The CloseUp, Victoria Secret called on South African model Candice Swanepoel. Inside you can find the TV spot for the campaign as well as shots of Swanepoel modeling the new line.

Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #11

Dangerous technology in the wrong hands is the common theme of all three stories in Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures #11. In the main tale, Nikola Tesla and his team are attacked by the Black Coat Army agents of the Triumvirate. Scattered, and with their base destroyed, the various agents eventually find themselves taken captive in the secret underground tunnels of New York City where the scope of Franklin Reade, Robert Trydan, and Jack Wright's plans are finally revealed.

The same theme runs through the first back-up story which features an Oval Office conversation between President Harry Truman and James Forrestal concerning the creation of a secret government science program to weaponize stolen Tesla technology.

The second back-up story, years later, involves Atomic Robo answering a distress call from the military who have gotten into a spot of trouble into the Vampire Dimension while using that same lost technology (a fact that doesn't go unnoticed by the incensed Robo). Worth a look.

[Red 5, $2.75]

Beware the Batman - Sacrifice

Anarky (Wallace Langham) returns to set Batman (Anthony Ruivivar) against the League of Assassins by stealing an important shipment from Lady Shiva (Finola Hughes) and offering to return it in return for the assassins acquiring a deadly virus from Gotham's Contagion Research Center. The anarchist promptly informs Batman and Katana (Sumalee Montano) of the villains whereabouts and then sits back to enjoy the chaos his maneuverings have caused.

Scarlet Spider #22

With his friends held against their will by Kraven the Hunter, Kaine works his way through the traps the mad man has set for him including Kraven's bloodthirsty daughter Ana Kravinoff who seems obsessed, like her father, with forcing the Scarlet Spider's murderous nature back to the surface.

Although I was sad (but certainly not surprised) to find out our other Scarlet Spider wasn't Ben Reilly, the choice of Kraven makes quite a bit of sense and allows writer Christopher Yost to play on the leftover threads of Kaine's death and Kraven's resurrection that tie the two killers together.

With the comic coming to an end with issue #25, and Marvel showing no real interest in using Kaine elsewhere, Yost is presented with a unique opportunity to end the comic on his terms. For at least a single issue Kaine is able to fight off what Kraven and his daughter demand of him, but given next issue's one-on-one battle with Kraven to the death we'll soon see whether the Scarlet Spider truly is a hero or a killer. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $2.99]

Hawaii - Five-0 - Aloha Ke Kahi I Ke Kahi

Hawaii Five-0 opens it's Fourth Season with Kono (Grace Park) and Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) on the run in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and Wo Fat (Mark Dacascos) surviving the team of soldiers sent to kill the prisoner. While interrogating the lone surviving assassin, who Chin Ho (Daniel Dae Kim) identifies as the nephew of the NLM leader (Nestor Serrano), Five-0's headquarters is laid siege to by a NLM terrorist cell (led by Martha Higareda and Henry Ian Cusick) who arrive not to save their comrade but to kill him before he talks.

Tom Strong and the Planet of Peril #3

Tom Strong and Val Var Gram's journey to find Tom Strange on the plague infested world of Terra Obscura lead the pair into the deserts of New Egypt to encounter old friends, a pair of gods (in the form of former heroes Mystico and Scarab now acting as the living embodiment of Egyptian gods), and new troubles in the refugee slums.

While including appearances by several familiar faces, and introducing a few new ones, writer Peter Hogan and artist Chris Sprouse continue to deliver an engaging journey as Strong and Garm search for a way to help with the plague and find the one man who may be able to help save Strong's daughter from dying in childbirth an entire universe away.

Although the get no closer to finding Strange, the pair are able to offer their support to the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. who will need their help to save the convoy which might hold another clue to bring the travelers from another world one step closer to their final goal. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

The Crazy Ones - Pilot

The Pilot episode of The Crazy Ones is a trainwreck. At times an amusing trainwreck to be sure, but the over-improvisational style of David E. Kelley's latest leaves something to be desired. For the first time since Ally McBeal, Kelley goes all-in on zany with this tale of a crazy father (Robin Williams) and daughter (Sarah Michelle Gellar) advertising firm attempting to save their biggest account with the help of a pop star who doesn't sing jingles.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #26

As "City Fall" continues Splinter is forced into a dangerous bargain with Old Hob and Slash which could cause all kinds of new problems for the Turtles down the line as the sesei procures mutagen for Old Hob in exchange for his help with the brainwashed Leonardo.

The rest of the Turtles seek for answers and assistance from various sources. Michelangelo hits up his old pizza buddy, Donatello and April look for help from a crazy inventor, and Raphael gets an offer of help from Angel (but learns the rest of the Purple Dragons are involved in their own issues).

As his brothers try to gather intel and resources, Leonardo leads the Foot into battle taking down the Savate and bringing the city one step closer to being completely under the Shredder's power.

Things are certainly looking bleak for our heroes as Leonardo (still struggling a bit against Kitsune's brainwashing) continues to help Shredder with his master plan. However, it appears Karai (perhaps with the assistance of Alopex) may have plans of her own. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

Elementary - Step Nine

Elementary opens its Second Season with the introduction of two familiar supporting characters, and a famous London address, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) head across the pond to help out Inspector Lestrade (Sean Pertwee) whose obsession with a murder has cost him both his job and good name. While visiting his old stomping grounds Watson suggests Holmes use the opportunity to make amends to those his addiction has harmed which Sherlock takes to heart and decides to help the disgraced detective rather than bring him to justice.

Glee - Love, Love, Love

Glee returns for a Fifth Season with the first of two Beatles episodes as Mr. Shue (Matthew Morrison) welcomes the New Directions back (from apparently some kind of mid-semester break as no one has graduated) with an assignment on the music of the band's early years. Sue (Jane Lynch)  returns from her suspension as well to promptly frame and force Figgins (Iqbal Theba) out as she takes over as McKinley High's new principal. Her first order of business is to demand national championships from both the Glee Club and the Cheerios if Will and Roz Washington (NeNe Leakes) want to keep their jobs past the end of the year.

G.I. JOE #8

As Duke's own friends continue to investigate him, the Mad Monk begins his campaign of terror using Destro's Batttle Android Troopers and providing G.I. JOE with three simultaneous threats in New York City by offering Cobra resources to the meth dealing Heathen Motorcycle Gang (under the command of Zandar and Zarana), a terrorist group planning to detonate a dirty bomb in the city, and an anti-immigrant group planning a biological attack on diplomats from the United Nations.

Spread thin across the city the JOEs attempt to neutralize each threat, but with the questions looming about Duke's loyalty, and the fact that the Mad Monk is only getting started, things are likely to get far worse for the team and their leader in the coming issues.

The issue also gives us more of Destro wooing the Baroness to his side to take down the Mad Monk, before the destroys all of Cobra with his insanity, as the pair indulge in an unusual game of skeet shooting. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

The Big Bang Theory - The Deception Verification

Leonard (Johnny Galecki) returns home a few days early in order to spend time alone with his girlfriend, but when Sheldon (Jim Parsons) soon becomes suspicious that Penny (Kaley Cuoco) may be cheating on his best friend with a new suitor he and Amy (Mayim Bialik) begin snooping. After discovering Leonard's deception Sheldon is sufficiently miffed. It's a good thing he doesn't hold grudges. Oh, wait...

The Michael J. Fox Show - Pilot

In a plot not that far removed from the actor's own struggles, Michael J. Fox stars as a news anchor who leaves his job to spend more time with his wife (Betsy Brandt), sister (Katie Finneran), and three children (Juliette Goglia, Conor Romero, Jack Gore) after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. The Pilot episode revolves around Mike driving his family crazy with his over-attention, Mike's old boss (Wendell Pierce) trying to woo him back into the studio, and Mike's daughter Eve (Goglia) making a sappy pseudo-documentary of her father's struggles to get out of her actual homework assignment.

Leverage - The Final Season

Sometimes bad guys really did make the best good guys. Nine months after Leverage went off the air for the final time the show's Fifth Season finally arrives on DVD. The final season offers a new home for the team, Parker (Beth Riesgraf) and Hardison (Aldis Hodge) as a couple, Nate (Timothy Hutton) making big plans, and the return of Sterling (Mark Sheppard) for the series finale.

Highlights of the season include insanely huge cons involving the theft of the Spruce Goose, faking first contact to drive their mark crazy, performing the impossible White Rabbit, solving the real-life mystery of D.B. Cooper, conning Capital Hill, stopping a terrorist plot, stealing Christmas from an evil toy manufacturer, and an injured Parker taking down a gang of thieves on her own.

Other episodes involve the team helping out a minor league hockey team and small winery, taking down a Wall Street swindler in Witness Protection, and Elliot (Christian Kane) enlisting the team to help out an old friend.

The Big Bang Theory - The Hofstadter Insufficiency

In the show's Seventh Season premiere Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) bond while Leonard (Johnny Galecki) parties in the North Sea on his science excursion, Howard (Simon Helberg) attempts to shake Raj (Kunal Nayyar) out of his funk caused by loosing his girlfriend (Kate Micucci) by taking his best friend to a faculty mixer, and Amy(Mayim Bialik) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) room together during a science convention out of town. The result is a rather lackluster opener to the season, with a few fun moments, that provides three separate stories, only one of which has much to offer.

Oh What a Rush

Even more than winners and losers, championship runs and crushing defeats, sports are defined by rivalries. In Rush, director Ron Howard and screenwriter Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, Hereafter, The Queen) turn their attention to Formula One and the mid-1970s rivalry between two upstarts whose competition eventually would make them both world champions.

The stark contrast in the two characters and the drama of the season screams Hollywood sports film, and I'm a little surprised it has taken this long for their story to find its way to the big screen. Without the backing of his family Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) bought his way into Formula One with a prickly personality and an unparalleled knowledge of getting the best out of his car. Lauda's main competition came from the charming but flighty James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) who despite lacking Lauda's single-mindedness made up for it in his own self-absorbed recklessness and resolve to prove he could beat anyone on a race track.

Don Jon

Written and directed by star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon is a romantic comedy presented from the male perspective that's likely to appeal more to men than women. A film about how a man loves porn more than the woman he's with is certainly a tricky topic for a date movie (while making certain aspersions to the emotional porn of romcoms and Catholicism along the way), but Gordon-Levitt manages to pull off the intriguing premise even if it looses steam when the film takes its inevitable dramatic turn.

Jon (Gordon-Levitt) really only cares about a handful of things in his life: his friends, his car, his apartment, his religion, and, even more than the bevy of beauties the man takes home every night, his porn. And he really takes his porn seriously. You might even go so far as to call Jon a porn connoisseur. Even when he begins dating the stunning Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), Jon is incapable at letting go of his true love which is always presented in a series of quick-cuts featuring the sound his Mac powering and various porn clips before the inevitable shot of a wad of Kleenex hitting the trash can.

Nashville - I Fall to Pieces

In the aftermath of the car crash Rayna (Connie Britton) languishes in a coma, Deacon (Charles Esten) is in jail facing drunken driving charges, and Juliette (Hayden Panettiere) worries the timing may tank her new album's release. Peggy (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) lies to Teddy (Eric Close) about loosing the baby to try and keep him, Scarlett (Clare Bowen) and Gunnar (Sam Palladio) each deal with their recent break-up in different ways as she throws herself into trying to get her uncle released on bail (despite his complete disinterest at leaving prison) and Gunnar lets himself get roped into a party thrown by his still closeted roommate (Chris Carmack) that gets a little out of hand.

Uncanny X-Men #12

Seeking refuge from current and future X-Men who would forcibly return them to their own time, the younger versions of Scott Summers and Jean Grey seek out Cyclops and his team in hopes of refuge. Cyclops answer is not surprising, although Emma is less than pleased.

Uncanny X-Men #12 is a solid issue, and on the plus side I'm able to follow the events of the Battle of the Atom crossover (which sadly doesn't involve Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi) without having read the other issues. As much as I liked the issue, however, it didn't sell me on buying an extra three issues before the storyline returns to this comic.

The dilemma Cyclops is presented with here, try to help the past version of himself and the love of his life (and continue to screw with the timeline) or abandon them is a tough one that the issue handles well. When the future version of the group shows up to forcibly take back the original X-Men, Emma Frost is surprised to find an older Jean Grey among them which should lead to a rather un-ladylike battle between the pair of Cyclops' exes. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

Person of Interest - Liberty

Person of Interest's Third Season opens up with Reese (Jim Caviezel) and Finch (Michael Emerson) calling on the help of Shaw, Fusco (Kevin Chapman), and the recently demoted Officer Carter (Taraji P. Henson) to help save a stand-up Naval petty officer (Rey Valentin) and his less scrupulous best friend (Alano Miller) whose sticky fingers while helping a group of Marine smugglers has put them both in danger.

I'd let this Wookie win

Here's cosplayer Liz Katz showing off Yandi's Chewbacca-themed Sci-Fi Furry costume. You can find the rest of the pics (and video) inside.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Pilot

Following events after the Battle of New York (the final act from last summer's The Avengers), Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. puts together an elite team to investigate and deal with new threats as the pop-up. The Pilot episode reintroduces us to team leader Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) who is apparently still breathing after being killed by Loki, and Maria Hill (guest-star Cobie Smulders reprising her role from The Avengers), as well as introducing a new group of characters to fill-out the squad.

The Blacklist - Pilot

Featuring a very Silence of the Lambs vibe, The Blacklist begins with Raymond Reddington (James Spader), one of the FBI's most wanted, turning himself in and agreeing to help them stop a Serbian terrorist (Jamie Jackson) with a death wish who has abducted a general's daughter (Delphina Belle) and plans to use her to detonate a bomb somewhere in Washington D.C.

Sleepy Hollow - Blood Moon

After receiving a vision from his dead wife Katrina (Katia Winter), Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) attempts to convince Abbie (Nicole Beharie) that a witch (Monique Ganderton) is on her way to Sleepy Hollow which a resurrected Dunn (John Cho) helps bring forth and lead her to her victims. After doing some digging, and prowling around in some Revolutionary War era hidden tunnels long forgotten under the streets of Sleepy Hollow, Crane and Abbie discover the witch is targeting the descendants of those who burned her at the stake.

Liz Katz: Stretching with Catwoman

Here's a little cosplay aerobics courtesy of Liz Katz.

Castle - Valkyrie

The Sixth Season of Castle opens with Beckett (Stana Katic) accepting Castle's (Nathan Fillion) proposal and two months later beginning her new job in Washington D.C. as a member of the Attorney General's special task force working on the theft of a "highly classified hardware security module" with her new partner (Lisa Edelstein). Returning from his book tour to Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) shacking up with a fruiterian he disapproves of, Castle decides to pay Beckett a surprise visit and, after stumbling on a piece of the file left unguarded by his fiance, he begins his own investigation which includes tricking Ryan (Seamus Dever), Esposito (Jon Huertas), and Tory Ellis (Maya Stojan) into doing a little research for him.

The Rogues #1

Although (like most DCU characters since the New 52 reboot) The Rogues are merely shadows of their former selves, The Rogues #1 is a fair bit better than the wretchedly awful Reverse-Flash #1. Of course since The Flash has already spent time fleshing out the history of The Rogues and their unnecessary power-infusion, there's actually not much for this latest Forever Evil tie-in issue to do.

The main purpose of The Rogues #1 is to restate the tension between Captain Cold and the rest of the team following their power upgrades, retrieve The Trickster from prison, and return the trapped Mirror Master from the mirror realm (at the cost of Glider). Sadly, the team is still without Captain Boomerang (who is stuck leading the New 52 version of the Suicide Squad).

The last part of the issue catches up with the events of Grodd #1 as The Rogues find themselves once again forced to play hero and save their city from the gorilla invasion as the Flash and the rest of the Justice League have been taken out by the Secret Society of Super-Villains. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

Lauren Cohan is no zombie in this month's Maxim

Here's a look at The Walking Dead actress Lauren Cohan's photo shoot for the October issue of Maxim.

Bones - The Cheat in the Retreat

As Cam (Tamara Taylor) deals with identity theft, Sweets (John Francis Daley) considers taking a leave from the FBI, and Booth (David Boreanaz) and Bones (Emily Deschanel) go undercover to investigate the murder of a Korean management consultant whose remains were found half-eaten by a bobcat on Indian tribal land. While stuck in group therapy with quibbling couples (John Ratzenberger, Millicent Martin and Greg Rikaart, Tim Peper) the pair investigate with the woman (Carrie Wiita) the victim was staying with at the couples retreat who was the man's mistress and not his wife (Brittany Ishibashi).

Morning Glories #31

Hunter takes center stage as the latest issue of Morning Glories continues to return to the revolving single-character issues following the aftermath of Irina's failed coup d'état. With guilt over the death of Zoe (who was killed while trying to kill him - and noticeably isn't included in the school's memorial for the fallen students) and several unanswered questions about the dreams and visions he saw with future Jade, Hunter heads to the Morning Glories Academy library hoping to find the poem and yearbook that each played prominent roles in what the young man saw.

Although he finds neither on his search, Hunter does make some new friends in the form of the school's secret A.V. Club, all of whom have a certain talent for viewing things slightly out of linear time just like Hunter. This leads to a discussion about the difference between dreams and reality. Morning Glories #31 continues to play with ideas of reality, time, and perception in this issue focused on the character who we've met who has the hardest time separating them. Worth a look.

[Image, $3.50]

Castle - The Complete Fifth Season

After four seasons Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle (Nathan Fillion) are finally together as a couple both in the police station and in the bedroom. Although the pair have to keep their relationship a secret for most of the season, various characters will discover on their own what the two are getting up to in the Fifth Season of Castle.

Highlights from the season include a two-parter involving the abduction of Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) and Castle meeting his father (James Brolin) during his Taken-esqe trip to Paris to find his daughter, Beckett tripping a bomb, murder by phaser at a sci-fi convention, a Bigfoot murder mystery, Ryan (Seamus Dever) going undercover to save an old flame (Cara Buono), Fillion reuniting with one of his Firefly co-stars (Gina Torres) for murder on reality-TV,  Beckett returning to work to take down Maddox (Tahmoh Penikett) and discover the identity of the man who ordered her mother's murder, the murder of a pop star, and the Rear Window style murder mystery created to celebrate the show's 100th episode.

Daredevil #31

There are equal parts good and bad to writer Mark Waid's thinly-veiled look at Treyvon Martin as Daredevil jumps into action when a Civil Rights leader apparently gives the names and addresses of twelve jurors to an incensed public following the acquittal of a man who gunned down a defenseless black teen and demands they take violent action.

Of course the circumstances are nothing more than more behind-the-scenes manipulation of the the Sons of the Serpent, but that doesn't stop Daredevil from having to put out the fire caused by the stunt (with the help of storm-cloud-seeding giant ants).

The ants are cool, as is the nice hospital sequence as Foggy tries to inspire other patients with Daredevil's example. However, once again the ridiculous behind-the-scenes power of the Sons of the Serpent storyline doesn't quite work for me, and, surprisingly, several panels from artist Chris Samnee look uncharacteristically rushed and not up to snuff. The cliffhanger ending hinting and the suicide of Foggy feels equally half-assed. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $2.99]

Beware the Batman - Control

"Control" returns Dr. Jason Burr (Matthew Lillard), his crush on Tatsu (Sumalee Montano), and his work on the Cortex when the League of Assassins send Cypher to steal the invention for themselves. The choice of Cypher continues the series attempt to pull from lesser known Bat-villains, although the character is certainly given an upgrade to make this version far more intimidating than the original.

Ms. Marvel by Callie Cosplay

Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins #1

The latest Bat-Family Forever Evil tie-in issue gives us a look at the leader the League of Assassins whose presence in the New 52 has been only (strongly) suggested up until this point. Although the .1 issue doesn't deal with the man's origins from the language used it appears Mike Barr's Birth of the Demon remains largely intact.

Instead, Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins #1 examines the man's rise to power and the creation of the League of Assassins, his battles with Batman, and his goal to reform the world in his own image in the form of the myth retold as Ra's al Ghul is sought out by a messenger of the Secret Society of Super-Villains hoping to bend The Demon's Head to their will.

Writer James Tynion IV and Jeremy Haun deliver a solid retelling of the various aspects behind the character even if he's decidedly lacking in the kind of crazed evil malice that has defined Ra's al Ghul since his creation. It's far from a great Ra's al Ghul story, but for those needing a primer on the character it's sufficient. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #3

Unable to sleep after his zombie marathon, Michelangelo leaves the sewers and hits the streets of New York only to find actually mindless zombies doing the Kraang's dirty work. At first his brothers are far from receptive to the idea, but under Splinter's orders Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello follow their brother topside to find out just what the hell is going on.

Although the aren't exactly zombies, the turtles are forced to deal with hundreds of New Yorkers sleep walking and delivering technological components to the Kraang. Without doing too much damage to the brainwashed sleepwalkers, and rescuing Dr. Sloane (the scientist whose research the villains from Dimension X have corrupted for their own purposes), the Heroes in a Half-Shell will set-out to save the day once more.

Any issue that forces the other turtles to take Mikey seriously is a good one. Although they aren't really zombies, Mikey's knowledge of the walking dead not only discovers the problem but helps the turtles defeat the Kraang. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

Naya Rivera (Terry Richardson photo shoot)

Fashion photographer Terry Richardson heats up his studio with these steamy pics of Glee actress Naya Rivera and her boyfriend Big Sean.

Transformers: Regeneration One #0

Sent traveling through time and space by Primus, Hot Rod finds himself in various settings all across time as Transformers: Regeneration One uses this zero issue to tie the existing comic continuity and the 80's Transformers movie together in a single issue. Although occasionally confusing, the comic mostly succeeds.

On his trip through time Hot Rod watches Optimus Prime sacrifice the Matrix to stop the Deathbringer, watch as the Earth is consumed by zombie Decepticons, see hidden origins of the early Transformers long purged from their memories, and on a planet of junk watch Galvatron fight to the death with a robot who looks very familiar.

Despite not quite following all the various plotlines (zombie Decepticons? and what exactly did Jhiaxus steal from the rest of the Transformers millennia ago?), the issue does well to deliver plenty of action and provide an opportunity to bring both the Matrix of leadership back into the original Marvel Comics continuity but introduce Rodimus Prime as well. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

Fables #133

An impasse between sisters temporarily halts Rose Red's new calling as the Paladin of Hope when Snow White discovers her sister is actually considering saving the man who held her captive and killed her husband. While Rose sees Prince Brandish as the perfect attempt to proves second chances can breed positive results, Snow has very definite feelings about never letting the villain loose to do any more harm to any member of her family.

Given the fact that neither will budge, the grudgingly new-formed friendship between the sisters falls apart as Rose decides, for good or ill, to make Brandish part of her new Round Table (even if it costs Rose her family).

Fables #133 presents a strong story in that both sister's points are valid from their point of view. It also gives us a very un-Disney version of Snow White's history as the character discusses with her daughter Therese the hard choices she's need to make over the years to survive. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

Stephanie Brown Robin by Kerraldine

Kerraldine is a British cosplayer, dancer, and podcaster. You can follow her on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Spider-Man Polystone Statue

As part of Sideshow Collectibles' J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man Collection, here's the Wall-Crawler himself in a new 19in. Spider-Man Polystone Statue which can be yours for the low, low price of $300.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Sixth Season

The Big Bang Theory's Sixth Season offers Howard (Simon Helberg) time aboard the International Space Station, a girlfriend (Kate Micucci) for Raj (Kunal Nayyar), Bob Newhart in an appearance as Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) boyhood hero Professor Proton, and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) given the chance to work with Stephen Hawking.

Highlights of the season include a D&D night for our the guys and their girlfriends, a trip to Comic-Con, Alex's (Margo Harshman) crush on Leonard which Sheldon handles poorly, Leonard, Howard, and Sheldon attempting to sell science to middle school girls, Sheldon attempting to nurse Amy (Mayim Bialik) back to health, a parking space dispute, Raj hitting rock bottom, Howard and Raj spying on Sheldon, the return of Will Wheaton, Sheldon's attempt to bond with with Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and in the season's best episode Sheldon's discovery of an unopened letter to Howard from his father which brings the whole cast together in one of the series' best sequences.

The Shadow #17

With The Light still on the loose, The Shadow and Margo Lane work to fit together the various pieces of the puzzle in order to uncover the deadly vigilante's identity before she kills again.

Although I think The Light storyline should have been wrapped-up here rather than being drawn-out for one more issue, I did enjoy the series spending an entire issue showcasing the deductive skills and process of both The Shadow and Margo Lane including investigating the weapon left by the killer, the impossible hospital murder, and uncovering her connection to the first victim.

By the end of the issue our hero will know the identity of The Light setting up the arc's final issue next month. From what we've seen so far the pair seem evenly matched in both skill, determination, and a belief that their form of brutal justice is for the greater good. Given this it may well be that only one will survive next month's likely deadly final encounter. My money's on the guy in the hat. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

Star Wars #9

Although we get glimpses of Han and Chewie's continued escape from Coruscant and Luke and Wedge fighting off barrage of Stormtroopers while searching for answers on-board the Star Destroyer Devastator (which attracts the attention of a certain Dark Lord of the Sith), most of Star Wars #9 focuses on what Leia finds in the shattered remains of her homeworld aboard a ship hidden in the asteroid field of what once was Alderaan.

After realizing just who the collector of the remaining vestiges of Alderaan truly is, and what he's responsible for, Leia is left at an impasse as to what do with the shell of the man whose expertise allowed the destruction of her world.

Making Tag Ragaren a sympathetic character is a nice twist for the issue, although I could have done with a little less of Leia's tale and more of an equal focus on Luke slicing through Stormtroopers with his lightsaber and Han and Chewie continuing to try and evade a some very persistent bounty hunters and make it off the Imperial homeworld in one piece. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]

Bar Refaeli is one Elle of a woman in any language

From earlier this summer here's a look at supermodel Bar Refaeli's cover shoot from the August issue of Elle España. You can find the rest of her pics inside.

Covert Affairs - Levitate Me

News of Teo's (Manolo Cardona) death, and that the terrorist people believe is responsible for the attack in Denmark is Arthur‘s (Peter Gallagher) son, leaves Arthur under military arrest, Joan (Kari Matchett) relieved of her duties and hospitalized with stress-caused pregnancy complications, and Annie hunted and alone in the cold in Germany. That doesn't stop our heroine from setting out to take down Henry Wilcox (Gregory Itzin) and get some justice for her fallen friend. Thankfully Annie still has some friends in the CIA including Auggie (Christopher Gorham) who, despite still being under review, ropes Barber (Dylan Taylor) and another tech into getting Annie the intel she needs to find out what Henry was doing in Frankfurt in the hours leading up the attack.

Reverse-Flash #1

I've been very selective in my choices for the villain .1 issues DC has put out as part of their Forever Evil tie-in. Some have been okay, while others have been mass printed travesties (kind of like the New 52 in general). I was hopeful for The Flash #23.2 as timing actually matched up well for co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato to offer up the origins of the New 52's version of the Reverse-Flash. As my pal Aaron likes to say, some presents are best left unwrapped.

There's really no kind way to state how awful this comic truly is. I can't lay the blame at artist Scott Hepburn who does a fair, if somewhat uninspired, job standing in for Manapul. I can, however, blame the two writers who spend an entire issue focusing on what only can be described as a whiny bitch of a character.

Vanessa Hudgens surfs for Marie Claire

To help promote her upcoming role as Cereza in Machete Kills, actress Vanessa Hudgens sat down for an interview and cover shoot for the October issue of Marie Claire. In the interview Hudgens discusses surf lessons, boyfriend Austin Butler, her obsession with self-improvement and self-help books, her fearlessness on-screen and choice for more adult and challenging roles such as those in Spring Breakers and The Frozen Ground, the sacrifices her parents made for her acting career, and the High School Musical franchise. You can find the pics from her photo shoot inside.

Red Sonja #3

Lost in the mountains, delirious and near death, Red Sonja's encounter with a white stag forces the She-Devil with a Sword to cease fighting the plague which is slowly killing her and lay down in the snow to await death. However, it appears the world isn't quite down with Sonja just yet as Ayla and Nias arrive with news of a cure.

Most of Red Sonja #3 takes place in an extended flashback sequence giving writer Gail Simone her chance to relate Red Sonja's bloody origins and the young warrior's first kill (slowly followed by 20 or so more) after being forced to watch her village ransacked and burned and her family and friends killed for no reason other than the boredom of the horde that cuts through them with wicked glee.

In the sequences that follow we see Sonja bury the members of her tribe before setting out for vengeance against those who have wronged them. One-by-one the forest girl hunts down and takes her own bloody vengeance on those who have destroyed everything she loved.

Sleepy Hollow - Pilot

Loosely, very loosely, based on Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, FOX's new series casts Tom Mison as Ichabod Crane (re-imagined as a Revolutionary War soldier rather than a superstitious schoolmaster) who in the opening scene beheads a dark figure who also manages to strike down Crane on the battlefield, becoming (as the Pilot tells us) forever linked by blood. More than two centuries later, Crane and the Headless Horseman both awake in modern times where their battle will begin again in Sleepy Hollow.

Astro City #4

It seems like a foregone conclusion in comics that someone born, or later gifted/cursed, with super-powers will one day take their place as either a super-hero or super-villain. According to the latest issue of Astro City, that's not necessarily the case.

Focusing on Martha Sullivan, a telekinetic who uses her powers not for personal gain or glory or to save the world, Astro City #4 gives us a look at an individual who uses her powers to get by but has no interest in using them as part of a grander design. Ben Parker may have called this selfish, but Martha and others known as Sideliners simply want to live their life in peace and relative anonymity.

Of course when villains such as the ridiculous Majordomo show up to forcibly recruit those like Martha who have no interest in their conquest, the Sidelineres do know how to defend themselves. Once again writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson find another niche in super-hero comics to explore with entertaining results. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]