October 2013

Ender’s Game

  • Title: Ender’s Game
  • IMDB: link

Ender's GameOriginally written as a short story published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, author’s Orson Scott Card‘s story of a complicated boy who is humanity’s best chance at survival took another eight years before it was released as the full novel Ender’s Game. I first read the novel more than two decades ago. It’s held-up remarkably well, although given its subject matter I doubted would ever be made into a movie.

Adapted and directed by Gavin Hood the story of Andrew “Ender” Wiggin isn’t an easy one to pull off, especially in under two hours. Although the timeline is heavily condensed, and the subplots involving Ender’s siblings is largely ignored, the movie gets far more right than I expected.

A lonely child with a good heart but a special talent for measured brutality, Ender Wiggin isn’t the easiest of protagonists to put on screen. The best choice Hood makes is to cast Asa Butterfield in the complex role that requires us to feel for the situation the young man finds himself in but also be a little taken aback by the methods he uses.

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Arrow – Crucible

  • Title: Arrow – Crucible
  • wiki: link

Arrow - Crucible

Felicity‘s (Emily Bett Rickards) assumption that the city’s new leather-clad vigilante isn’t so much obsessed with the archer but Laurel (Katie Cassidy) leads to an official rooftop meeting between Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and Black Canary (Caity Lotz) who is revealed to be Laurel’s presumed dead sister Sara. Sara’s sudden arrival raises several questions for Oliver who knew Laurel’s sister survived the shipwreck but has no idea what to do with her reappearance in Starling City, and from Sara’s conversation with Sin (Bex Taylor-Klaus) we know she’s not so sure either.

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Transformers: Regeneration One #95

Transformers: Regeneration One #95Cybertron is at war as the Autobots fight off both Decepticon forces and Bludgeon and his Warworld. Although the issue doesn’t feature Galvatron (who is certainly conspicuous by his absence) Transformers: Regeneration One #95 features a host of familiar faces including Omega Supreme, Blaster, Soundwave, and Shockwave and Starscream who are still debating what their role in the battle should be. Oh, and Grimlock? He’s back!

Finding evidence of Matrix energy below ground Kup leads the Wreckers on a search for answers. Sadly for most of the team, Bludgeon decides to follow and makes short work of pretty much all of Kup’s friends. However, the sudden appearance of Rodimus Prime freshly returned from his time-travel odyssey helps turn the tide.

The issue ends with several questions still unanswered about the future of Cyberton, but with Rodimus Prime the Autobots have a new leader and with Bludgeon’s defeat the comic should be able to turn its attention back on Galvatron and the Decepticons and the lingering issues on Earth. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Beware the Batman #1

Beware the Batman #1Hitting comic shops the same time that Cartoon Network announced they have shelved the cartoon its based on for the rest of the year, the first issue of Beware of the Batman should please fans of the show and give younger audiences a new Batman comic to read.

The writing by Ivan Cohen is better than many of the episodes of the half-hour cartoon as Batman uncovers the latest scheme of Simon Stagg who takes advantage of his new high-tech locking mechanism that actually leaves most of the city open thanks in part to the meddling of Anarky and an Occupy Wall Street-ish group. And there’s also an explosive plot timed for the Fifth of November.

Artist Vecchio does a fair job in trying to adapt the show’s sleek CGI-animated look to the printed page. The comic’s continuity is a little perplexing as Katana seems to be Batman’s fully-fledged partner (something hard won on the series over several weeks) but is still in possession of the Soultaker Sword. Small continuity issues like that aside, the first issue does a good job is selling the all ages Bat-book. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Person of Interest – Mors Praematura

  • Title: Person of Interest – Mors Praematura
  • wiki: link

Person of Interest - Mors Praematura

While Finch (Michael Emerson) helps an estate investigator (Kirk Acevedo) look into the questionable death of his foster brother (Michael Esper), tries to track down Root (Amy Acker) who has kidnapped Shaw (Sarah Shahi) in order to enlist her help for a mission for The Machine which has come to understand the need for self-preservation and has chosen the two women to help keep it safe against an imminent threat.

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