Nightwing #117

Nightwing #117 ends Dick Grayson's sabbatical in Nanda Parbat training with Deadman. Sadly, in what feels like a missed opportunity, we only get a handful of panels of Batman standing in for Nightwing (along with a joke about how he "quipped twice" to keep the cover). In the mountains, Dick uncovers a truth that the recent tragedy brought to the surface (along with being poisoned and the stress of being framed for murder) allowing him to take the leap (literally) and the journey back to Bludhaven. 

Terminator Zero - Model 101

Despite showrunner Mattson Tomlin's assurance that the new Netflix anime set within the Terminator universe treats all the films as canon (a troubling proposition in its own right as the films don't really fit together), the opening episode of Terminator Zero feels distinctly separate and different from what has come before. Jumping between 1997 and a cliched workaholic father's science experiments and 2022 where the machines are hunting down the last of humanity, the most the show feels like the original Terminator is in a brave young woman (Toa Yukinari) running from, fighting, and escaping a Terminator after her. Although it appears both she and a Terminator will join the 1997 time fairly soon, in the opening episode it's definitely the weaker of the two stories.

Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow #5

The five-issue mini-series comes to a close with a battle between the bandits and the bounty hunters. An action-heavy finale offers plenty of action as the rabbit ronin Miyamoto Usagi and Yukichi fight alongside the bounty hunters against the much larger, but not nearly as well trained, horde of bandits.

Retro 50s Phantom Menace

Created by AI, here's a look what a retro 1950's Super Panavision 70 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace could have looked like.

Widow Clicquot

Widow Clicquot follows the struggles of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot (Haley Bennett) taking up the reigns of her husband's (Tom Sturridge) vineyard after his death with few allies (Sam Riley and Ben Miles), a vineyard in debt from failed harvests hemorrhaging money, life under the temperamental rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, and fighting both and the elements and a world uncustomed to a woman running a business. While attempting to honor her husband by producing wine he would be proud of, the film also intercuts moments of their marriage highlighting his temperamental nature which led to his death.

Batman: Caped Crusader - Night Ride

Hmm, okay? The oddest episode of the First Season of Batman: Caped Crusader introduces a ghostly anti-Robin Hood terrorizing the poor of Gotham City by robbing from charities and the like. While the episode's B-story continues to play out the seediness of Gotham City in Harvey Dent (Diedrich Bader) falling behind in the polls and accepting the help of Rupert Thorne (Cedric Yarbrough) which will have repercussions in the final two episodes of the season, this ghost story certainly seems a bit out of place. The ghost does weave into Harvey's story, giving him another public black eye and causing the candidate to take a hard look at Thorne's offer.

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #309

The battle for Springfield begins as the mutated solders from Cobra Island are dropped in the Midwest to fight the forces of Cobra Commander who are honored and inspired by their leader armoring up and taking the field of battle with them (but not really, of course, as our cowardly Commander instead has sent a proxy in his place). The mutants are having a rougher go at it than expected suggesting Serpentor Khan may soon join them.

Only Murders in the Building - Once Upon a Time in the West

Picking up the story at the same party shown in last season's finale, we get Mabel (Selena Gomez), Charles (Steve Martin), and Oliver (Martin Short) finishing their final podcast the next day before traveling to Hollywood to meet a producer interested in turning their lives into a feature film. While Charles is concerned with the absence of Sazz the podcasters won't be on the scent of a new murder until the end of the episode, returning to New York in Charles' apartment where the pieces begin to fit together and they discover there has been another murder in the building.

Wonder Woman #12

After the disappointment of last month's Absolute Power tie-in I wasn't particularly looking forward to more of the same. However, by offering us the unusual partnership of Wonder Woman and Damian Wayne who team-up to try and get answers out of Captain Boomerang of all people, Wonder Woman #12 turns out to be an unexpected joy to read.

A Discovery of Witches - Episode 1

The opening episode of A Discovery of Witches introduces us to historian and closet witch Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) who while working on research at Oxford University stumbles up on a long lost volume in the library that appears to her. The ripples of her exposure to the book ring across the school and raise the interest of the vampire Matthew Clairmont (Matthew Goode) as well as other witches and daemons. It turns out the lost manuscript involves the origin of supernatural species and may hold the key to their survival or extinction.

The Sintern

Your basic low-budget TV-movie style thriller, The Sintern stars Evelyn Giovine as a woman with a checkered past, an 80s perm, and horrible taste in men looking into the sudden disappearance of her estranged mother which she ties back to a megachurch. Verity goes undercover as the church's new marketing intern Charity, hoping to uncover the dark secrets the church holds (while completely missing the obvious truth she will need to have spelled out for her in the final 15 minutes of the film).

The Umbrella Academy - The Squid and the Girl

As the show moves into the rockier final episodes eventually limping to an unsatisfying series finale, the family, minus Klaus (Robert Sheehan) who begins his own misadventures getting stuck using his powers for his old dealer, go in search of Jennifer (Victoria Sawal) who wakes up to meet her kidnappers Gene (Nick Offerman) and Jean (Megan Mullally) and their cult is obsessed by helping bring about the return of the original timeline through a cleanse. Ben (Justin H. Min) eventually finds and rescues her which will turn out to be not great for the rest of the world.

Jenny Sparks #1

Planetary may be my favorite team, but Jenny Sparks is my favorite character from the WildStorm Universe. The Spirit of the 20th Century saved the world by herself and with various teams including the Authority until the end of the millennium which was the last we heard of her. After killing God, something referenced in this comic, she died (and left a gaping hole the team could never fill). As part of DC's Black Label, we get Jenny back... somehow. 

Leverage: Redemption - The Work Study Job

Breanna (Aleyse Shannon) brings a case to the team involving a college professor (Rob Benedict) stealing the work of a promising graduate student (Erin Ruth Walker). They start with setting up con in an attempt to extricate the professor from the university and dean (Walter Coppage) who is protecting him, but when that fails the team falls back on their confrontation-adverse client needing to prove her work at just the right moment and to just the right audience in the form of one of the university's biggest donors.

Star Wars #49

After being lured in to a trap by Ellian Zahra who still harbors a personal grudge against Princess Leia Organa, by using the Rebel squad made up of Alderaan survivors as bait, Leia and Luke (once brought back onboard from an escape pod) will need to fight against the vengeful Zahra seeing her last opportunity for vengeance and redemption slipping through her fingers.

Transformers 2023 #11

Transformers #11 sees a large amount of friction and frustration boiling over with the Autobots about how and where they should put their limited resources. Optimus Prime makes to key decisions in the issue and both appear to be the wrong ones by the end of the issue. First, he uses the last of the Energon to finish fixing Ultra Magnus. And second, he leads an attack on Shockwave's base to free the captured Cliffjumper and Jazz who the Decepticon is torturing for his own amusement. 

The Union

Thu Union is dumb even by the sliding scale of throwaway action movie standards. A blue collar intelligence organization (which no one has ever heard of) has allowed a list of all the spies in the world (which shouldn't even exist) loose into the world which will be sold at a blind auction to the the highest bidder. To get the list back, and prevent its sale by a privateer (Jessica De Gouw), one of the agents (Halle Berry) of "The Union" chooses to recruit her high school prom date (Mark Wahlberg) who never made it out of New Jersey and lacks both useful experience or a desire to get involved.

Retro 50s Batman

Created by AI, here's a look what a retro 1950's Super Panavision 70 Batman could have looked like.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Set hundreds of years after the events of the previous films, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes introduces a new protagonist to kick off a new trio of films which tease the return of humanity into the world as well. Noa (Owen Teague) encounters a rare smart human named Mae (Freya Allan) leading to a larger story for the upcoming sequels about the rise of humanity, although the conflict of this film will be more ape vs. ape with Noa standing up the the despot Proximus (Kevin Durand) who has destroyed Noa's home and abducted his clan to further his own ambition of unearthing and unlocking secrets of human technology.

Batman: Caped Crusader - The Stress of Her Regard

After seeing Harleen Quinzel (Jamie Chung)  as a recurring character in the previous episodes, you knew sooner or later we were going to get a Harley Quinn episode. Far less wacky than her introduction in Batman: The Animated Series, the version we get in Batman: The Caped Crusader plays on the psychologist's cold calculation and drive to make the wealthy men of Gotham City pay. Both Batman (Hamish Linklater) and Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy Brown) will uncover how the psychologist spends her free time breaking down the minds of men, brainwashing them, and driving them insane.

Jean Watts California Vlog

Hit-Monkey - Never Too Late

After wasting a good chunk of his new limited-time body on getting black-out drunk, Bryce (Jason Sudeikis) does manage to make a connection with his daughter and help the Assassins Cooperative take down another target with the help of and old friend (Jason Sudeikis) who can slow down time which provides the perfect counter to their target who can see seconds into the future and is prepared for all attacks. As you would expect, it's a bloody episode with some wallowing from Bryce which eventually does lead to the kind of honest admission Iris (Cristin Milioti) shows interest in.

X-Men #2

The second issue of the new volume focus on Cyclops leading his team of Magik, Kid Omega, Psylocke, Juggernaut, and Temper into the field. Arriving in San Francisco looking for a mutant, the X-Men find the city under siege from an alien invasion (or so it seems). In reality, the new mutant, Ben Liu, is causing the situation without even being aware of it.

Beetlejuice

Despite snagging the title, it's important to remember that Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) wasn't the main character of the 1988 comedy (in fact he appeared on-screen for less than 20 minutes of the film). Instead, the main characters are the recently deceased Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) struggling with life after death while haunting their country home which is being invaded by a New York real estate developer (Jeffrey Jones) and his odd family (Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder).

Delicious in Dungeon - Griffin/Familiars

Leaving the comfort of the Golden Country, the party sets off to find the Winged Lion who may help them in their quest. The change in scenery breaks the calming spell effecting Izutsumi (Mitsuho Kambe) as the group find themselves in a dwarven cistern deep in the dungeon. "Griffn/Familiars" is notable for several reasons including providing some backstory for the mad mage Thistle (Yû Kobayashi) and lay the stage for the tight-lipped Senshi (Hiroshi Naka) to provide information about his own past. The episode ends at the beginning of Senshi's tale. Before we get there, the party will have to deal with a Griffin (the first creature to have Senshi running in fear) but the Familiars created by Marcille (Emily Rudd) help take down the creature. Marcille is proud of her creations, although less so once  Laios (Damien C. Haas) begins cooking them for dinner.

Green Lantern #14

An Absolute Power tie-in issue, Green Lantern #14 gives us both Alan Scott and Hal Jordan as prisoners in one of the Bureau of Sovereignty's facilities. The two are dealing with their incarceration differently. While Scott remains in his cell for the entire issue, playing chess with the Amazo robot who stole his power and contemplating whether or not it can be turned to his side, Hal breaks out and spends most of the issue attempting escape (which he eventually succeeds in doing thanks to a little magical help).

The Umbrella Academy - Jean and Gene

The second episode of the final season deals with the fallout of Ben's (Justin H. Min) actions as all the members of the Umbrella Academy save one wake up with horrible hangovers and their powers restored (albeit slightly different in some cases) and the lone holdout will be forced to join them by the end of the episode. Restored, the family travels to sleepy town of New Grumpson, Maine to try and find Jennifer (Victoria Sawal), who will come upon Ben first while the rest of the family deals with the murderous intentions of the townsfolk who all work for Hargreeves Enterprises.

Sunday with Shay

Space Ghost #4

A new arc for Space Ghost kicks off in Space Ghost #4 with the prison escape of Zorak who is framed here as Space Ghost's most dangerous villain, a mad man obsessed with sacrificing lives to his god. Refusing to allow Jan and Jace to accompany him, Space Ghost leaves Ghost Planet in search of his enemy. However, choosing to answer a distress call, his two young sidekicks are the ones who stumble upon Zorak who now plans to use the pair as leverage to get what he needs from the hero.

The Dragon Prince - Love, War & Mushrooms

"Love, War & Mushrooms" offers two stories. The new quest involving Soren (Jesse Inocalla), Corvus (Omari Newton), and Azymondias to find the missing Zubeia unexpectedly ends after a single episode when the group encounter magic mushrooms who have shrunk the dragon down to size and are working to heal her. The story offers chances for Soren to be goofy and for Azymondias to learn his mother is safe. The other plot checks in on Lux Aurea and Janai (Rena Anakwe) still reeling from the betrayal of her brother lashing out at everyone including Amaya until she chooses to focus on the future of her people and not past mistakes.

Cover Your Ears

Narrated by Kate Moss, Cover Your Ears examines the topic of censorship in the music industry over the years for a variety of reasons including racism, culture shifts, obscenity, violence, sex, religion, politics, and protest, activism, and revolution. The film sets out to examine how music can be a mirror for the world, reflecting the good and bad of the times, and how censorship of music really only tackles a symptom pointing out a disease rather than the disease itself.

Scarlett #3

The suicidal heist teased in the last issue is delivered here as Scarlett infiltrates the impregnable facility and completes the assignment likely securing herself a spot within Arashikage. We get cameos from Storm Shadow and Jinx here fighting on another level of the facility and discussing the likelihood of Scarlett's success, but this issue really does center around our title character kicking ass for several pages as she works her way down the facility, first through shark-infested waters, and later through a slew of security and mercenaries.

SHAZAM! #14

Although Mary has successfully found Billy in the subway system, we don't get an appearance by our Captain in this issue (except in the outside realm he resides between times Billy utters the magic word) despite a growing need for him the hero to appear. The Submen are invading our world, despite a captive Freddy Freeman's attempts to argue for peace by pretending to be the ruler of Earth, and without the Big Red Cheese to stop them what will happen to Fawcett City and the world?

Batman: Caped Crusader - Night of the Hunters

Following the events of the previous episode, Batman (Hamish Linklater) is now public enemy number one with Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla) being put in charge of a new task force to take down the vigilante. She brings in Harleen Quinzel (Jamie Chung) for her take on Batman as well as stages fake muggings to bring him out of the shadows. When those fail, Flass (Gary Anthony Williams) and Bullock (John DiMaggio) decide on a more dangerous tactic that earns the ire of Gordon (Eric Morgan Stuart) but skewed public perception puts the crooked cops in charge of capturing Batman from this point on.

Uncanny X-Men #1

The first issue of the relaunched Uncanny X-Men jumps around quite a bit highlighting a world where mutants have retreated back into the shadows. The world has changed. The mansion is under the control of Doctor Corina Ellis whose plans involve stripping it of its history and using what she can for her own anti-mutant agenda. Some of the X-Men have travelled with Cyclops to build something new. However, others seem adrift. As Rogue asks, what is next for them?

Exploding Kittens - Shane & Chugger's

Devilcat (Sasheer Zamata) makes a new friend in the constantly complaining Karen while Godcat (Tom Ellis) attempts to help Abbie (Suzy Nakamura) and Marv (Mark Proksch) throw Travis (Kenny Yates) a half-birthday wild enough to convince a pair of cherubs he's ready to return to Heaven. Swinging at some pretty low-hanging fruit, but still managing some laughs, the episode goes hard at Karen, who the family basically frame for the death of the cherub's unicorn, and also at the Dave & Buster's style restaurant which Travis is obsessed with. Despite his hatred of the place, even Godcat finds a way to have some fun getting lost in whackamole which triggers both his cat-reflexes and his need to vent some aggression.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8

Mystery, Inc. help Batman on an odd case where it appears a giant has stolen oversized objects from the museum's new exhibit, although the evidence left behind is inconclusive. The issue also introduces Fred's hero trap creator Eivol Ekdal who designed several of the artifacts in the museum. In a typical Scooby twist, but without the last-minute unmasking, it turns out Ekdal is actually behind the the fake giant and tricks our heroes, trapping inside a giant pinball machine while he and his henchmen attempt to make off with the wealth of riches he has hidden in one his creations.

Can't Hardly Wait

1998's Can't Hardly Wait is more charming than it has any right to be. Filled with a number of young actors, several of whom would go on to have success in Hollywood in the years to come, Ethan Embry plays all-around good guy Preston Meyers who at the graduation party plans to proclaim his love to recently dumped it girl Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt) who he's been crushing on since Freshman year. Meanwhile, Amanda is attempting to discover who she is outside of being Mike Dexter's (Peter Facinelli) ex-girlfriend.

Hit-Monkey - The Rope

In an episode that features Bryce (Jason Sudeikis) and Hit-Monkey taking down a giant, who has grabbed the crazed Haruka (Ally Maki), by exploding from its head, "The Rope" provides some backstory for the mystical weapons such as the sword their friend is wielding along with a backstory for the Alderman and an introduction to the Assassins Cooperative who invite Monkey to join their cause. Quite a mix of exposition and action, "The Rope" also includes another deal between Bryce and the Devil which provides him with temporary use of a physical body on Earth (the cost of which will eventually come due).

Gotham City Sirens #1

Gotham City Sirens #1 is a confusing way to kick off an issue. More than once I went back to the cover to make sure I was actually reading the first issue of a new comic as we seem thrown haphazardly into a series of events writer Leah Williams assumes we'll understand. We get the hunting of White Rabbit (but not Jaina Hudson who Catwoman catches up to later) by a group of rodeo enthusiasts. Why any of this is happening, why Catwoman went looking for her, or how any of this fits into other events of the issues is (like everything else) clear as mud.

Delicious in Dungeon - Egg/The Golden Country

As the other party reaches the surface and discovers the dungeon may soon be in danger from elves who have arrived (which also provides some backstory for Kabru), a ghost leads our party to a new part of the dungeon which reveals Laios' (Damien C. Haas) destiny. Because we don't have monster attacks here, and the characters spend most of the time in this new community cursed with immortality deep in a peaceful pocket of the dungeon, the only dinner of note is the Eggs Benedict they eat prior to allowing the ghost to pull them into this new realm. However, there are plenty of docile monsters in the town for Laios and the others to nerd over. The episode feels very much like a transitionary one, pushing characters on to the paths for the final episodes of the season and setting up a new danger to the dungeon from the elves.

The Umbrella Academy - The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want

Set six years after the Third Season finale, The Umbrella Academy has returned to the present and a new timeline in which none of their powers exist. Going their separate ways, the family comes together in "The Unbearable Tragedy of Getting What You Want" for the birthday party of Diego (David Castañeda) and daughter Grace (Ciara Rose Feeney). The remain together for the rescue of Viktor (Elliot Page) who is kidnapped on the way to the party by an odd man (David Cross) with a story to tell the group about a missing girl (Katharine King So) who needs their help.

Black Widow: Venomous #1

I'm a little confused at the timing of this series (I know we're getting some kind of symbiote event so maybe that's why it was held off) but it sure seems like a series diving into Natasha's relationship with her symbiote would have made more sense before the Black Widow & Hawkeye mini-series that isn't even referenced here. Anyway, what we get here is a failed mission to open the issue which leads Natasha to go to school with Sliver (who is given a name for the first time) to work out the kinks of their relationship.

Batman: Caped Crusader - Kiss of the Catwoman

Of all the episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader, "Kiss of the Catwoman" is the closest it gets to Batman: The Animated Series and at times even Batman: The Brave and The Bold (given out title character's classic costume and posturing). The episode introduces Selina Kyle (Christina Ricci) as a socialite whose family fortune isn't what it used to be. Inspired by Batman (Hamish Linklater), Selina creates a costume of her own and commits a series of burglaries around Gotham City both for the needed income and for the thrill.

Nights #9

You have the feeling all through Nights #9 that this is the calm before the storm. However, at least for an issue, our characters are enjoying themselves in this Christmas trip to New York City for Vince's college admission interview and a chance for couples of Gray and Vince and Ivory and Molly to grow closer and everyone to have a fun relatively monster-free holiday apart from the craziness of their daily lives. Sounds boring, but it isn't as the title continues to deliver strong stories month after month.

The Lazarus Project - Episode 16

The Lazarus Project concludes with our time-traveling agents plans go mostly to shit, thanks to one member doing what's necessary to protect the future leading to the death of several of the team and all those from the past who knew about time travel. It's a bloody finale. While the episode ends with a tease of what a third season of the show might have looked like, the season finale works pretty well as a series finale with the time loop destroyed, and the future safe, but plenty of questions about the present as George (Paapa Essiedu) returns to a world different than the one he left with lingering questions about whether the actions of the Lazarus Project, and Sarah (Charly Clive) in particular, worked out for the best.

X-Force 1

A new volume of X-Force begins here with your basic assemble-a-team tale. After boosting his powers a bit in strange and mysterious ways, which I'm sure will have no unintended side-effects, Forge gathers a new team of X-Force together whose members include Sage, Captain Britain, Askani, Surge, and Tank. Along for the first issue, as a guest-star, just in time for his popular movie tie-in, we also get Deadpool.

Spread

After losing yet another job, being cut-off from her father (Diedrich Bader), breaking up with her boyfriend (Jonah Platt), and having no marketable skills, Ruby (Elizabeth Gillies) takes a short-term job as a temp for a struggling pornographic publishing house where her aggressive personality catches notice of the magazine's owner (Harvey Keitel) in need of a major gamechanger to save the company. Tasked with creating an app while struggling to work in an industry she doesn't respect or understand, Ruby eventually becomes invested in helping the magazine and preventing a corporate douchebag (Tim Rozon) determined to shut it down.

Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #4

After a successful assassination, Darth Maul is sent by his master to the Sith Temple on Ah Re Won in the Outer Rim where his attempts at mediating (as ordered by Darth Sidious) are interrupted by the unruly mayor of the town and loud and obnoxious tourists hunting creatures near the ruins of the temple who the Sith kills and leaves for the Karafankata only to have others come in search of them. Sigh, sometimes all you want is a little quiet.

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - The End of the Beginning

The season finale of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory features the Nublar Six staying alive and successfully exposing the black market dinosaur trade. Action is high in the episode that also reveals to the larger group Darius' (Paul-Mikél Williams) feelings about their missing friend. Rather than stick around, however, the group decides to follow the stolen dinosaurs to wherever they are being sent suggesting a new locale (likely staring on the ocean?) next season. However, the most notable moment from the episode comes from its epilogue teasing the return of the not-so-dead  Brooklynn (Kiersten Kelly)  in Season Two.

LEGO Ninjago: Shatterspin #1

The first issue of the new five-issue LEGO Ninjago mini-series sets the young champion Garmadon off on a quest to find the power necessary to save Ninjago from the Serpentine War. We get Master Chen presenting the quest to Garmadon who seeks the temple of the Forbidden Five, Elemental Masters from the Wyldness and founders of the Wolf Clan. Finding the temple and unlocking it turns out to be the easy part, but in doing so Garmadon also releases great evil which will need to be dealt with (but he also ends up with a cool hammer, so not all bad).

Find Me Falling

A half-step above your average Lifetime or Hallmark Movie, Find Me Falling stars Harry Connick Jr. as a aging musician hiding from the world, retreating to the place he was once happiest nearly two decades ago. Buying a house on a cliff in Cyprus known to locals as a good place to commit suicide, John isn't looking for anything more than seclusion and anonymity both of which go by the wayside when locals discover his identity and he runs into the love of his life (Agni Scott) still living in the same town.

This is SDCC 2024 Best Cosplay Music Video

Batman: Caped Crusader - And Be A Villain

The second episode of Batman: Caped Crusader starts when the actress Bruce Wayne (Hamish Linklater) is dating goes missing after their night out together. Batman's investigation leads him into a swordfight on the set (in proper Errol Flynn style). The fight's end leads our detective to uncover the bodies of a producer and co-star of the film who somehow Montoya (Michelle C. Bonilla) talked with after he was already dead (we also get an early scene where Montoya asks Bruce questions as well, seeing her appear multiple times over the course of the investigation).