Jurassic World: Chaos Theory - C13v3rGr186

"C13v3rGr186" steps away from the current storyline of the new island to fill in the gap of Brooklyn (Kiersten Kelly) starting with the events that occurred prior to the attack and also what happened to Brooklyn after she was saved by Ronnie (Carmen Moore). Much of this we've seen before, or has been directed alluded to. We see her visit to Kenji's father with the added context of what she was after, the misunderstanding with Darius (Paul-Mikél Williams), and the night she lost her arm. Although considering letting the others know she's alive, Brooklyn ultimately decides to keep it a secret to protect them and play on the advantages of being dead as she goes after the Broker on her own in a storyline which will eventually get away from the writers but starts with just being a very questionable decision.

Red Sonja 2023 #15

Over the years Red Sonja has been several things. As Red Sonja #15 opens she is both revered as Goddess and an imprisoned captive as the war between the living and the dead continues to rage. By the end of the issue Sonja's captivity won't be a problem, thanks in part to her going all stabby-stabby and killing the man who had planned to sacrifice her on an altar to enhance his power, and thanks in part to the arrival of the army of the dead hunting her and adding to its number with every slain warrior who crosses its path.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft - Big Lies, Small Secrets

With no leads to follow Charles Devereaux (Richard Armitage), Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) heads to Paris to investigate what led him to seek out the stones and more information about The Light. Although we get plenty of action in the catacombs beneath the city, made more exciting by hallucinogenic mist being pumped in by The Light, the episode is most notable for the introduction of Lara's estranged childhood friend Camilla Roth (Zoe Boyle). More than just another friend who Lara pulls into danger (seriously, she's an awful, awful friend), unpacking Camilla and Lara's baggage, including the rather awful way Camilla's father pitted them against each other as children, makes for a large part of the episode but ultimately leaves them better than they've been in years.

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #2

It only took two issues for me to lose whatever interest I had in DC attempting to milk more story out of Batman: The Long Halloween. Issue #2 goes through the motions with the calendar moving from Halloween to Thanksgiving with Batman hitting dead end after dead end in his search for the missing James Gordon. The comic features callbacks both the the first issue, returning Catwoman for some pretty awful flirting and then offering no insight into the case, and to the original series with Calendar Man providing Robin with a clue.

Batman: Caped Crusader - Savage Night

After a short stint in Arkham Asylum for evaluation, the First Season finale features Barbara Gordon (Krystal Joy Brown) attempting to convince Harvey Dent (Diedrich Bader) to work with her but all the fight seems to have gone out of the defeated former District Attorney. Kidnapping Dent during a prisoner exchange, Flass (Gary Anthony Williams) and Bullock (John DiMaggio) plan to kill Harvey, who in the skirmish ends up cuffed to Babs and running for their lives on the Gotham docks.

Only Murders in the Building - Escape From Planet Klongo / My Best Friend's Wedding

The Fourth Season of Only Murders in the Building comes to a close with a trip to the set of Ron Howard's (appearing as himself after a long tease that suggested he might not make an appearance) new film, the reveal of the killer and his motive, and a wedding (along with the tease of a new murder to solve next season). Along with Howard's appearance, which actually confirms one of Oliver's (Martin Short) outlandish stories, the final two episodes fill in the gaps to Sazz's (Jane Lynch) murder providing not only the motive writer turned stuntman turned writer Marshall P. Pope (Jin Ha) but the events which led up her death.

Space Usagi: White Star Rising #1

Rabbit Ronin in spaaaaace! Picking up after the events of Space Usagi: Death and Honor, the following 90s three-issue mini-series continues the space adventures of Miyamoto Usagi's descendent (also confusingly named Miyamoto Usagi) defending the Shirohoshi clan in the far future against the Kajitori. As with Death and Dishonor (also originally published by Mirage), this is the first time White Star Rising has been released in color.

Retro 50s X Men vs Street Fighter

Anora

Anora (Mikey Madison), or Ani as she prefers, is a fiery young stripper at a Manhattan club leading a mostly unremarkable life until the night Russian man-child Vanya (Mark Eidelshtein) walks into the club. Hitting it off, Vanya returns night after night eventually paying for private dates with Ani leading to a weeklong girlfriend experience of booze, drugs, sex, and partying ending in to a trip to Vegas, an unexpected proposal, and marriage. It seems Ani has hit the jackpot a rags to riches story. However, when Ani's family discovers what Vanya has done things get nuts.

Coraline

Returning to theaters for the film's 15th Anniversary, I had much the same reaction to Coraline that I had the first time I saw it in a theater. The dark tale of a young girl (Dakota Fanning) discovering a secret world of "others" who resemble her family and friends but with buttons for eyes is a vivid and creative use of stop-motion. However, the first-half of the film of Coraline exploring the magical world, and comparing her drab reality to it, has always left me a bit cold. For me, the film only picks up when the more sinister elements of the "Other Mother" (Teri Hatcher) are exposed and Coraline goes into survival mode.