The Beguiled

The Beguiled is a remake of 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood as a wounded soldier brought into and tended by the residents of a Southern all-girls boarding school. Choosing to remake the film more from the perspective of the women rather than the male intruder in their lives, Sofia Coppola's version of The Beguiled is highlighted by strong performances all around but it's sadly also the least-interesting movie of the talented director's career.

The remake casts Colin Farrell as Union Corporal McBurney who is found by one of school's tweens (Oona Laurence). With the bleeding soldier loosing consciousness on arrival, the headmistress Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) chooses to tend to the soldier's wounds. As he heals the charming man makes effort to separately woo the various women of the house (whose number also include Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice, Addison Riecke, and Emma Howard) winning them all over to his side. However, the soldier certainly can't keep his empty promises to all the girls which leads to a dark turn and lots of conflict in the film's final act as the women discover the fox they've let into their hen house.

The Hero

The Hero is a fairly straightforward film about an aging actor coming to terms with his mortality after a troubling medical diagnosis forces him to reexamine his life. Western star Lee Hayden (Sam Elliott) is known really for only one role over his long career (which now consists mostly of commercial voice-over work for barbecue sauce). Elliot is well-cast, and makes the most of the character as he tries to mend fences with his estranged daughter (Krysten Ritter) and try to understand his new relationship with a younger woman (Laura Prepon) who walks unexpectedly into his life.

While not as ambitious as I'd like, director and co-writer Brett Haley delivers just what you'd expect from a film with this premise, ultimately The Hero fails or succeeds on the performance of Elliot who shoulders most of the film's emotional weight. Thankfully he's up to the task. I was a bit unsure about Prepon and her character, but her influence does drive some of the film's best scenes which include Hayden's audition won when his drug-controlled behavior at an awards show goes viral over social media. The Hero is a solid film. It won't wow you, but like it's leading character, it's slow and steady. Sometimes that does win the race.

Pretty Little Liars - Til DeAth Do Us PArt

The more television shows attempt to a super-sized wrap-up in a finale the more they seem to struggle with providing a fitting farewell. That's certainly the case with "'Til Death Do Us Part" which brings an end to seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars. To be sure, the end feels a bit off as the show already wrapped-up it's major storyline by unmasking the Liars tormentor and then jumping ahead five years into the future only to introduce another unseen attacking playing with their lives in the same ways. While last week's penultimate episode cleared the Liars of any criminal charges and brought an end (so they believed) to the games with A.D., the finale goes back to the well again not only with the return of their faceless adversary but also a reveal that includes twins. A rather forced next generation tease is also put on display here suggesting Rosewood is one fucked-up place to live and the trials and tribulations of the Liars might actually not be that special or unique after all.

Batman #25

Batman #25 offers very little of the Batman, and only one unspoken cameo for his new bride-to-be. Instead the issue sets up events for the comic's next big arc. While the Joker passes time shooting comedians who fail to make him laugh, the Riddler finds a way to bring his incarceration to an end by threatening the lives of the prison guards' children. With two of Batman's most notorious enemies at large it doesn't take long for the pair to cross paths. When the Riddler's suggestion of a team-up for the pair is rebuffed by the noisy end of a gun it proves to be the first shot fired in "The War of Jokes and Riddles."

Shadowhunters - The Fair Folk

Alec (Matthew Daddario) begins his new role as head of the Institute by setting up a council for the downworlders and inviting representatives of each faction to attend and discuss grievances. His next course of action is to send Jace (Dominic Sherwood) and Clary (Katherine McNamara), and tag-along Simon (Alberto Rosende), to the fairy realm to talk with the Seelie Queen (Lola Flanery) about the recent murders of Shadowhunters by one of her people. The Seelies' reputation for machinations and games proves to be true as a simple game forces a wedge between Simon and Clary by exposing Clary and Jace's feelings for each other. While the main goal is nothing more than creating chaos among the three, it's obvious that the Seelie Queen has big plans for Simon which don't involve the vampire having a Shadowhunter girlfriend.

Baby Driver

Written and directed by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is a fast-paced crime thriller overfilling with plenty of humor and music. Centered around a getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) attempting to pay-off a debt to local gangster (Kevin Spacey), the film is a mix of over-the-top action and characters and much more realistic violence and emotion. At times Wright struggles balancing the two sides of the film, especially in the final act which drags on with multiple epilogues, but when it works it's a joy to behold.

Preacher - On the Road

After a First Season which was mostly a prequel to the comic book series of the same name by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, Preacher returns with Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), Tulip (Ruth Negga), and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) hitting the road in search of the missing God. More in-tune with the nihilistic 90s comic series which spawned it, which is both good and potentially bad for the series going forward, the season premiere begins the long road trip for our unlikely threesome while also introduces a new threat in the Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish) who hunts down the preacher and is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way.

The Wild Storm #5

With The Wild Storm #5, writer Warren Ellis continues to build out the new universe by re-introducing old characters. The fifth issue gives us Zealot, who like everyone else is searching for Angela Spica but instead runs into an old enemy, a disconnected cameo by Voodoo, and the IO's premier assassin Michael Cray whose employers want him to do one more job before he succumbs to what is slowly killing him - find Angela. However, even after a brief examination of the facts he can already tell the woman is far more interesting, and far less of a threat, than she seems.

Hendo Art Wonder Woman at Fanime

Dark Matter - All the Time in the World

Owing more than a little inspiration from Groundhog Day, the first-half of "All the Time in the World" is perfect. Trapped in a time-loop forcing him to relive the same day over and over again, a frustrated Three (Anthony Lemke) struggles to convince the crew of the Raza what is happening and find a way to break the loop. There are several smart choice here, including starting with Three already stuck in the loop after several days and the use of the "Butterfly Effect" to explain the differences caused by his choices every time through the loop. Then there's the incredulity of his crewmates and the various ways he attempts, and fails, to convince them of the truth (including learning French). It's the best use of the concept I've seen on television since Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Cause and Effect."

Josie and the Pussycats #7

Josie and the Pussycats #7 is a fun single issue story in which Josie, Melody, and Val begin to see the fruits of their recent success and make an important decision about what kind of band they want to be going forward. After their performance the band has to decide whether or not to stick around and possibly claim their award or skip out early and perform at a local charity concert for a good cause (leaving their manager to make an uncomfortable acceptance speech). Was their any doubt what the girls would choose?

GLOW - Pilot

Well, that was... underwhelming. There's a moment about 30-minutes into the first episode of GLOW where it almost sells me on its premise, but that's quite a long wait for an episode that's only 37-minutes long (counting opening and closing credits). Based loosely off the 1980s syndicated women's wrestling league of the same name, GLOW introduces us to bad actor Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) struggling to find work of any kind in Los Angeles. After accosting a talent promoter in a woman's restroom, Ruth is given the opportunity to try out for a new concept put together by Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron) who hopes to take a group of semi-athletic women, untalented actors, and those apparently with nothing better to do, and turn them into a brand.

First Look - Pitch Perfect 3

Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Rebel Wilson, Alexis Knapp, Anna Camp, and the rest of the Barden Bellas return as recent college graduates who reunite to perform at a USO show in Europe. Pitch Perfect 3 opens in theaters on December 22nd.

B is for...

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #22

When the largest vault in the entire universe, an entire planet built for the security of countless treasures, comes under attack the first real test of the new alliance between the Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps begins. Partnered up with a member of the other corps, and led into battle by Hal Jordan, the response proves to be a tremendous success. However, the leader of the criminals believes he can destroy the hard-won piece between the two groups.

Pretty Little Liars - Farewell, My Lovely

The penultimate episode of Pretty Little Liars answers some questions while still leaving plenty to wrap-up in the series finale. With the police breathing down their necks, the Liars will come together in time to let someone else take the fall for one murder and discover the person behind the other. Apparently the game is over. Charlotte's (Vanessa Ray) murderer is revealed, and despite their adversary's multiple attempts to get the girls arrested for the death of Dunhill, Mary Drake (Andrea Parker) steps up to take responsibility for the whole sordid mess. The episode even picks up a loose thread of unfinished business between Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) and sufficiently wraps it up. So... what now?

Doctor Who - The Empress of Mars

NASA's discovery of human writing on Mars leads The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) to the red planet in 1881 where they find British soldiers helping an Ice Warrior mine the planet. The group's effort leads to the discovery of a tomb that hides something far more dangerous than the riches the soldiers believe. The men's curiosity and greed, and the fact that the TARDIS takes Nadole (Matt Lucas) and leaves without warning, push events forward faster than The Doctor can control, especially once the Empress of Mars (Adele Lynch) is awoken and provoked by a trigger-happy captain (Ferdinand Kingsley) with delusions of grandeur.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #11

Red Hood and the Outlaws #11 wraps up the four-part Artemis arc with the Outlaws finding themselves on opposite sides of the the Qurac conflict. However, it doesn't take much more of Akila's out-of-control behavior for Artemis to recognize her friend, dead or reborn, is long lost to her. The tragic end helps cement a bond between the former Amazon and Red Hood, although the issue's final panel does suggest some serious fallout for the other member of the team. As for Artemis, she's not got a new godly weapon (one that drove her oldest friend into a murdering psychopath) to look after. Yeah... that should end well. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

iZombie - Conspiracy Weary

Heading into the two-part season finale, "Conspiracy Weary" features Liv (Rose McIver), Blaine (David Anders), and Don E (Bryce Hodgson) all on Zombie Truther conspiracy brains. While the joke gets a bit stale by the end of the episode, the single scene of the three arguing and building conspiracies off each other's wild theories is pretty damn entertaining (as is the visual of the unlikely threesome sharing a brain following the rescue of Don E). Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) attempting to wrangle the three to solve his homicide turns out to be about as helpful as it sounds. Love takes a double whammy in this episode as Major (Robert Buckley) discovers a disturbing truth about Shawna (Sarah Jurgens) and Ravi's (Rahul Kohli) decision to tell Rachel (Ella Cannon) more about zombies turns out to have unintended consequences for all involved. One thin is sure heading into the season's finale two episodes, the truth about zombies isn't going to stay hidden much longer.

Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #3

While the third issue of Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider does offer a cameo of Kaine on the hunt for his clone brother, the majority of the comic deals with Ben Reilly's fucked-up Las Vegas adventure. With his lies buying some time from Cassandra Mercury, at the cost of a bomb in his neck, Ben is at least able to breathe again. However, when a group of spider-clad would-be heroes decides to show up in the casino our protagonist springs into action, playing the hero whether he wants to or not (at least for a little while).

Shadowhunters - Those of Demon Blood

When Shadowhunters begin showing up dead from apparent attacks by werewolves, vampires, and warlocks some believe that the downworlders are taking revenge for recent events. The Claive's overreaction of first demanding DNA samples and then attempting to forcibly implant GPS tracking chips in all downworlders only raises tension even further and even raises trust issues between the Shadowhunters and their closest friends. After starting the ball rolling, Inquisitor Herondale (Mimi Kuzyk) leaves events and the Institute in the hands of Jace (Dominic Sherwood) who Clary (Katherine McNamara) can't believe is so willing to go along with his new mother's edicts. The themes of the episode are a big hamfisted, but they do reinforce the fragile truce between the various groups and the underling resentments ready to boil over at even the smallest provocation.

Secret Warriors #3

On the run from Hydra and searching for one missing Inhuman, Daisy Johnson's band of warriors head to the mutant sovereign nation of New Tian where the group, understandably, has trouble making new friends. After dealing with the Beast and the welcome party who tell Daisy's team to leave, the group seek for answers in a secret outhouse. No, really. Where they encounter another Beast (seriously, how many versions of the same character does Marvel need).

The Freemaker Adventures - Home One

Season two of LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures begins with the Freemakers finding a new home with the Rebellion. While the humans prove their value with repairs and ability to trade for parts, Roger (Matthew Wood) ends up getting into trouble (although one of his stunts does earn him a medal when he unintentionally helps the Rebel Fleet take down a Star Destroyer). Another of Roger's screw-ups gets both the robot and Rowan (Nicolas Cantu) involved in a bombing run. Even Zander (Eugene Byrd) gets some short-lived glory by taking down an entire squadron of TIE Fighters... before blowing himself up.

Anaheim WonderCon 2017 Cosplay Montage

Detective Comics #958

Detective Comics #958 begins a new arc for the comic which will dive into a bit of Azrael's past while also bringing back a familiar face for DC fans (more on that later). While Bruce Wayne goes out of his way, even ingratiate himself to the Penguin, to get in position to attend a very private show, most of the comic centers around Azrael whose old friend shows up injured and with a warning. Tired of waiting for their avenging angel to take his rightful place, the Order of St. Dumas now has a new champion who it has let loose in Gotham to find their wayward warrior.

Dark Matter - Welcome to the Revolution

A distress call from their handler Tabor (David Hewlett) leads the crew of the Raza to a mining colony on the edge of revolt against their corporate overlords. With Tabor nowhere to be seen, the crew meet his replacement Adrian (Mishka Thébaud). With no one to rescue, Two (Melissa O'Neil) wants to get off the rock as soon as possible, but Six (Roger Cross) can't help but insinuate himself into the friction between the corporate guards and the workers which leads to even further complications when blood is spilled on both sides and the force behind the more militant group of workers is revealed to be the General (Andrew Jackson).

Powerless - Win, Luthor, Draw

Cancelled because it was too smart, funny, and interesting compared to the rest of NBC's current line-up, one of the remaining unaired episodes of Powerless hit he Internet this weekend. Featuring Adam West (who previously provided the narration for the show's pilot episode) in a guest-role as Wayne Enterprises Chairman West, the episode marks one of the actor's last appearances before his death. While the circumstances for the episode finally seeing the light of day are unfortunate, the episode is one of the show's best and gives us glimpse at where the show could have gone in further exploring the DCU had it not been cancelled.

It's A-Kon 2017 (Part 1)

Cars 3

I unapologetically love Cars and think Pixar's 2006 film is an underrated classic snubbed by those who have more trouble buying into its concept than any flaws in the film. It succeeds in creating a fully realized and imaginative world while providing us the best looking Pixar film to date. While I admit Cars 2 isn't in the same class, I still enjoy the sequel for the continued exploration of the world, its style, and the fun spy plot (even if it does feature too much of the franchise's most annoying supporting character).

Kill Switch

There's an interesting set-up in Kill Switch that sadly get lost by the one-note gimmick of the film's first-person presentation. While the flashbacks pull back and allow scenes to unfold naturally, every scene taking place in the present is shot like a first-person shooter (which becomes even more obvious once our protagonist starts to pick up weapons). Had director Tim Smit been more interested in making hard-core sci-fi the results could have been more compelling.

The premise of screenwriters Charlie Kindinger and Omid Nooshin's script is a company has found a cheat for clean energy. Their new invention will create a parallel Earth from which we will be able to steal all the resources we need. Will Porter (Dan Stevens) is aggressively approached by the group to join their team. And when things go wrong, like vehicles from the parallel Earth dropping from the sky through portals, it's up to Will to travel to the other side and set things right. And surprise, the world isn't devoid of sentient life as the scientists hypothesized. Instead it's full of doppelgangers (including coworkers Bérénice Marlohe and Tygo Gernandt) in a mirror reality devolving into chaos.

Shadowhunters - You Are Not Your Own

While Simon (Alberto Rosende) is given the shock of learning that Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Jace (Dominic Sherwood) aren't brother and sister, and Alec (Matthew Daddario) is surprised to learn that Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) and Valentine (Alan Van Sprang) have switched bodies, the biggest bombshell is dropped on Jace who discovers his true paternity. Most of "You Are Not Your Own" centers around the body switch that almost every character is unaware of, or fails to believe. The torture at the hands of the Claive while in Valentine's body isn't likely to help Magnus' relationship with any of the Shadowhunters. Thing get basically set back to normal by the end of the episode, but will have to see how much fallout the temporary switch makes on Magnus and Valentine respectively.

Green Lanterns #24

While filled with appearances by several other Green Lanterns, the focus of Green Lanterns #24 remains on Earth's two newest ring slingers with Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz completing their training and earning full status as Green Lanterns. For Baz this means putting up with Kyle Rayner, a pretty awful thought (especially when he makes an endless supply of duplicates of himself - the horror!). For Jessica this means besting Guy Gardner which, if your name isn't Batman, can be a challenge.

Pretty Little Liars - Driving Miss Crazy / Choose or Lose

As Pretty Little Liars moves ever closer to its series finale, the show finally presents us with a lead suspect as A.D., but given its years of red herrings, could this really be the identity of the Liars nemesis? Or, with only two episodes remaining, does the show have time for one last twist? There's quite a bit going on here as Aria's (Lucy Hale) friends discover her working for A.D., Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) decide to tie the knot, an old face returns to helm Archer Dunhill's murder, and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) finds some much needed comfort from an old friend.

Nightwing #22

While Tiger Shark works behind the scenes to further his influence in Bludhaven, Nightwing has a more immediate problem with the arrival of Blockbuster, however things aren't exactly what they appear to be.

Reel Hooligans versus Wonder Woman

A few days back I sat down with some Reel Hooligans to talk Wonder Woman. Take a listen.

Darth Vader #1

Set earlier than Marvel's previous Darth Vader series, the new comic begins shortly following the events of Revenge of the Sith with a newly resurrected Darth Vader sent out to prove his work to the Emperor and earn himself a new lightsaber. The logic of his mission seems a bit off, even for a Sith proving himself to his master, and I don't know how I feel about the comic's goofy explanation for where red Kyber Crystals come from.

Dark Matter - Being Better Is So Much Harder

Dark Matter returns for its Third Season with a premiere primarily focused on picking up the pieces of the crew of the Raza's failure in last season's cliffhanger finale. With the station destroyed, the blink drive stolen, Nyx (Melanie Liburd) dead, and war eminent, the crew is separated in a struggle to survive. Five (Jodelle Ferland) and Commander Truffault (Torri Higginson) manage to make it back to the Raza only to be forced to defend the ship from invaders without the crew's more skilled warriors. Thankfully for them, they have the Android (Zoie Palmer).

Jessica Jones #9

Things have hardly been easy for Jessica Jones since her new comic launched. Released from prison and working undercover to help Carol Danvers take down a dangerous threat, she finds herself right back in prison after choosing to antagonize Sharon Cater who comes calling when S.H.I.E.L.D. learns the missing Maria Hill has hired the private eye.

Batman #24

Batman #24 teases a major change for Batman. There's little to no action here as the comic focuses on two separate conversations. The first involves Batman discussing the future with Gotham Girl, where she might go from here, and his own reasons for crime-fighting. This conversation leads into the other part of the story with Batman seeking out Catwoman and making a very unexpected proposal.

Doctor Who - Knock Knock

"Knock Knock" puts a Doctor Who twist on a classic haunted house story. After Bill (Pearl Mackie) signs a release with five friends to rent a creepy old house The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) becomes concerned. Insinuating himself into their first night on the house, the Time Lord discovers there's more to the old home than just creaky boards and odd sounds. The house, or to be more precise the alien bug creatures in the house, it turns out consume the renters one by one for the Landlord (David Suchet) who has been feeding the creatures unsuspecting tenants for decades.

First Look - Black Panther

Marvel's first teaser trailer for Black Panther gives us our first look at the final Marvel film heading into Avengers: Infinity War. Chadwick Boseman reprises his role from Captain America: Civil War as the king and protector of Wakanda known as the Black Panther. Michael B. Jordan, Martin Freeman, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis also star. Originally planned for the Fall 2017 slot now filled by Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther opens in theaters in a far less prestigious February 2018 release date (notably the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to be thrown into the dumping ground of films).

Deadpool vs Fanime 2017

Kill la Kill - If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle...

The first episode of Kill la Kill introduces us to the rigid structure of the Honnōji Academy whose student council and their supporters are clad in super-powered Goku Uniforms which are the envy of the rest of the student body. The arrival of a new transfer student, a talented fighter with half a scissor-blade sword, will show the students that there is a match for even the mighty power of the the school uniforms.

Tom Cruise vs. The Mummy and Her Zombie Horde

It's been more than eighty years since the first Mummy movie was released by Universal Pictures. Over the years the studio has put out other versions of the story, most recently with the increasingly disappointing films starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. With The Mummy not only does the studio hope to reboot the entire franchise but use the film to relaunch several of their other classic movie monster properties as part of their new interconnected Dark Universe.

Megan Leavey

Based on the true story of US Marine Corporal Megan Leavey and her four-legged partner Rex who served two deployments in Iraq finding hidden explosive devices and insurgent weapons, Kate Mara stars as a lost young woman who finds purpose as a K9 handler. With the potential pitfalls of being both an uplifting military tale and a movie about a woman and her dog, director Gabriela Cowperthwaite and screenwriters Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, and Tim Lovestedt do a fair bit of work to not let things get too schmaltzy over the film's 116-minute running time (although at certain times in the film this becomes a losing battle).

As someone who doesn't mind a little schmaltz, as long as it serves the story (and it certainly does here), Megan Leavey delivers an engaging tale. Kate Mara may not be the typical idea of a Marine, but Leavey's story is hardly typical and the casting works. While she and the dog are the true stand-outs here, a grizzled Bradley Whitford (who it took me a moment to recognize) steals a scene or two as Megan's father. Harry Potter's Tom Felton also has a small role as a fellow dog handler. Less effective are the one-note performances of Edie Falco and Will Patton as Megan's mother and her boyfriend.

Jerry Maguire

Writer/director Cameron Crowe's quotable film is re-released on a 20th Edition Blu-ray set. Tom Cruise stars as sports agent Jerry Maguire whose late night epiphany about working better for fewer clients (and less money) costs him his job, his fiance (Kelly Preston), and all but a single client. Leaving his firm and striking out on his own, Jerry builds a new life supporting the difficult wide receiver (Cuba Gooding Jr., who took home and Oscar for his role as Rod Tidwell) and falling for the one woman (Renée Zellweger) and her son (Jonathan Lipnicki) who follow him to his new enterprise.

20 years later the film proves to still be highly entertaining. Cruise and Gooding are terrific, her role would make the fresh-faced Zellweger a star, and young Jonathan Lipnicki is ridiculously cute. Schmaltzy at times but with a big heart, the film is worth seeking out if you haven't seen it in awhile. It may not be Cruise's best, but it's certainly one of his most watchable films.

iZombie - Return of the Dead Guy

With no murder to solve this week the characters of iZombie have to find other ways to pass the time. For Liv (Rose McIver) that means hallucinating her old boyfriend after munching down on the brains of killer for Peyton (Aly Michalka). This puts more than a little crimp in her new relationship with Justin (Tongayi Chirisa). Major (Robert Buckley) has no such problems as his days and nights are full of lust and debauchery with his new friend Shawna (Sarah Jurgens). Ravi's (Rahul Kohli) time with the zombie truthers is a little less sexy now that they've captured Don E (Bryce Hodgson) and plan to expose the truth about zombies on a livestream. Oh, and Blaine (David Anders) gets an unexpected visit from his old boss.

Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #26

When the city is attacked by kung fu dragons Mystery, Inc. calls in some help to deal with the situation. Who do you call when kung fu dragons attack? Hong Kong Phooey, of course.

Shadowhunters - Mea Maxima Culpa

The end of the regular TV season and the slow roll-out of summer premieres has led me to give Shadowhunters another chance. Nothing has changed much since I last checked in on the show. Despite being captrued by the Institute Valentine (Alan Van Sprang) continues to scheme about collecting all the Mortal Instruments, the Institute remains remarkably dim when it comes to listening to its prize students, and Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Jace's (Dominic Sherwood) relationship hasn't gotten any less complicated now that they apparently aren't siblings (umm...what?). There are a few new storylines since I last peeked in, the first involves the new threat of the greater demon Azazel (Brett Donahue) wreaking havoc in the world and Isabelle's (Emeraude Toubia) addiction to vampire venom putting her in danger and meeting a new friend in a London Shadowhunter named Sebastian (Will Tudor).

Bambi

Released 75 years ago, Walt Disney's Bambi offers the coming of age story of a white-tailed deer named Bambi and friends Thumper and Flower. Because of the age of the characters varies ove the course of the story, multiple actors were brought in to do the voice work of Bambi and his friends. Although an older Bambi has a on-screen rival for the affections of his lady love, Disney goes a bit darker here with the looming threat of Man being the true villain of the film responsible for both the death of Bambi's mother and later the fire which threatens the entire forest at the end of the film.

Even with a focus on making the animals more realistic, Disney still lost money on the feature in its initial release. However, it made it's money back (and then some) with several additional theatrical releases over the years. Because of its darker themes the film was met with a mixed reception initially, but has earned it's spot over the years as one of the best animated films ever made.

The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #4

The penultimate issue of Dark Horse's five-issue mini-series offers a further look into the life of the mysterious Visitor. Set decades after the first issue, Hellboy has grown into the hero that the alien always hoped he could be. However, he and the B.P.R.D. still need his unseen help from time to time with anonymous tips and even taking down a cult leader when needed.

Batman: The Animated Series Catwoman Pop! Vinyl Figure

You can pre-order this Batman: The Animated Series Catwoman Pop! Vinyl Figure for the low, low price of $11.

Selena Gomez - I Feel What The Heart Wants ( feat. The Weeknd)

Here's Selena Gomez with the official video for "I Feel What The Heart Wants" featuring The Weeknd.

Rick and Morty (Free Comic Book Day 2017)

2017's Rick and Morty Free Comic Book Day issue reprints the opening issue of Oni Press' ongoing Rick and Morty comic. In Part One of the Wubba Lubba Dub Dub of Wall Street, Rick overreacts to Jerry's suggestion that Morty should get a part-time job. After signing up Morty in the stock market, Rick uses a device to tell the future to make business blissfully good for the pair. Of course, there are a couple of problems.

Batman and Harley Quinn trailer

I've got to admit I love Bruce Timm returning to the world of Batman: The Animated Series, however the recasting of Harley Quinn leaves something to be desired. Batman and Harley Quinn. The movie will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 29th.

KATSUCON 2017 COSPLAY SHOWCASE (4 OF 4)

5 Film Collection: Sci-Fi

The highlight of this three-disc set is Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity. While similar to Avatar in the movie experience isn't quite complete outside of an IMAX 3D theater, the compelling look at an astronaut's (Sandra Bullock) struggle for survival following tragedy high above Earth was compelling enough to earn the #2 spot on my best of 2013 list.

The rest of the collection certainly isn't up to that standard. However, Midnight Special is a solid film about a father (Michael Shannon) attempting to look out for his son (Jaeden Lieberher) who a cult wants for the boy's mysterious gifts.

Angel Season Eleven #5

Sent by Illyria through time into the vampire's past, Angel and Fred find themselves on a ship bound for the new world where its crew is being picked off by Angelus and Darla. As with the first opening arc, this isn't a walk down memory lane where Fred and Angel are observers to events, instead the pair are active in the timestream and able to make changes to the past.

Super-Heroes Card Trader - Wonder Woman Awesome Pack

For more super-heroes check out Super-Hero Pack 1, Pack 2, Pack 3, Black Cat Pack 1, Lara Croft Pack 1, and Harley Quinn Pack 1, Pack 2, Pack 3, Pack 4, Birds of Prey Pack 1, Memorial Day Pack 1, X-Men Pack 1, and the X-Mas Mega Pack.

Alamo City 2017 Comic Con - Memorial Day (Part 1)

Wonder Woman

Released on home video eight years prior to the character getting her own theatrical live-action film, the animated feature 2009's Wonder Woman offers an origin story for Diana (Keri Russell) loosely based on the 80s comic reboot by George Perez following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. While the film may have not been the critical or monetary success DC hoped for, it's held up fairly well.

As with the new theatrical film, Wonder Woman gives us the basics of Diana's origins, the arrival of Steve Rogers (Nathan Fillion) on the island of Themyscira, Diana winning the right to be called Wonder Woman, and the return of Ares (Alfred Molina) who plans to wreak havoc on Earth.