• Title: Pretty Little Liars – Turn of a Shoe
• tv.com: link

While trying to get a peek at A‘s RV things the Liars have an eventful night as Mona (Janel Parrish) is attacked, Emily (Shay Mitchell) injures her shoulder on the eve of a big swim meet, and the group discovers that their enemy is back in possession of the lair. Spencer (Troian Bellisario) is further shaken when she learns Toby (Keegan Allen) knows a little too much about the night’s events for her comfort as well as dealing with the fact that she has been denied admission to the college of her choice (and the only acceptable college for a true “Hastings”).

As Aria (Lucy Hale) begins self-defense classes from an insightful and cute older boy (Ryan Guzman) – just her type, Ezra (Ian Harding) offers to help Spencer on her college application essay in which he fears she may be leaving a bit too much of herself bare. Meanwhile, Hanna (Ashley Benson) spends a little time with Alison’s mother (Andrea Parker) and begins to grow suspicious of her own mother’s (Laura Leighton) vague answers about her time in New York and several clues that make her suspect her mother isn’t telling Hanna the whole truth about her trip.

Emily’s attempt to self-medicate her shoulder and win the meet leads only to further injury but also cause her to finally come clean to Paige (Lindsey Shaw) about A’s recent attack. Meanwhile, just as the other three are given a new clue to Alison‘s (Sasha Pieterse) activities the summer before she disappeared, it literally flies the coop. However, they are left with a phone number which may, or may not, offer some insight into the events that led up to Alison’s gruesome end.

The introduction, and quick removal, of the parrot is an odd choice as it promises a new possible (although not entirely reliable) source of information for the Liars only to taken away just as it offers them a new clue. The show strongly suggest Hanna’s mother was with Detective Wilden (Bryce Johnson) the night of his death and is mostly likely the female suspect the police are searching for (and the one A already knows about). Allison possibly being alive is discussed again by the group, whom Mona is still having a hard time cozying up to, but the Liars are unable to come to a consensus on who saved them the night of the fire, and why.

• Title: The Shadow #14
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Chris Roberson
• Artist: Giovanni Timpano

The Shadow comes face-to-face with the self-appointed angel of death and gets his butt kicked by the dual-katana wielding vigilante known as The Light. The Shadow is unable to stop the glowing assassin before she makes an attempt on another man’s life, he is however able to get the man to a nearby hospital. Sadly, it’s not safe enough from her reach.

So far I like the idea of The Light better than the execution, but it is nice to see The Shadow come up against a rival with a purpose and (far different skill set) to rival his own. The comic ends with Lamont Cranston putting the entire legion of The Shadow’s eyes and ears on the case to find the mysterious woman.

I’m curious to see how long it will take The Shadow to turn his gaze on the nun at the dead man’s hospital who matches both The Light’s description and temperament, or if it will be another member of his network that makes the discovery. For fans.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

• Title: Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – Five is Enough
• tv.com: link

While hosting a Kung Fu tournament between the Furious Five and Po (Mick Wingert) and the warriors of the Onyx Temple, Shifu (Fred Tatasciore) becomes increasingly paranoid that Po and the visiting Master Chao (James Sie) are planning to replace him as the master of the Jade Palace. Shifu decides to enter the contest to prove he still has what it takes, meanwhile the real threat to the village comes in the form of the dangerous Kung Fu master Pai Mei (Clancy Brown) who arrives in the Valley of Peace just after all the masters except Chao have embarked on their competition.

Shifu’s attempt to act young and fresh leads to a variety of unfortunate phrases, each more painful than the last to his students (and the audience). Only after realizing his mistake does Shifu stop acting like a fool, but by that time Pai Mei has caught up with the Kung Fu master who bested him and sent Pai Mei away in exile years ago. Po and the Five arrive in time to try and save their master from Pai Mei, only to fall to his mastery of the dreaded blast punch. Only Shifu’s last-second feint giving Shifu the time necessary to analyze Pai Mei’s moves and find a way to counter them and save the day.

Although there is plenty of action, and threats both real and imagined, “Five is Enough” is at times painful to watch because of Shifu’s behavior and awkward attempts to come off far younger than his years. Although he gets far less screentime, Pai Mei makes for a far more effective villain than the Three’s Company-style misunderstanding.

• Title: King & Maxwell – Pilot
• tv.com: link

After a somewhat lackluster Pilot episode, the show’s second episode finds Maxwell (Rebecca Romijn) a prime suspect in the assassination attempt of a Georgian diplomat (Shawn Doyle) that got one of his Secret Service agents shot. Given her past association with the diplomat (who she once threatened at gunpoint) and the care someone is taking to frame her for the current crime, Maxwell is questioned by Rigby (Michael O’Keefe) and Carter (Chris Butler) and ordered to stay away from the suspect. Ignoring the warning, King (Jon Tenney) steps in as Maxwell’s lawyer and the pair do some of their own investigating while also dealing with exonerated serial killer Edgar Roy (Ryan Hurst) who shows up on their doorstep unannounced for the job they promised him.

With Edgar’s help, King and Maxwell track down the young woman (Chanelle Peloso) the diplomat drugged and sexually assaulted years ago who is still haunted from the events that took place years ago when she was only 14 years-old. The second-half of the mystery involves a dead Georgian revolutionary in an apartment from an apparent suicide who called both the office and Maxwell’s cell pone over the past few days but hung-up each time without leaving a message (making it look to Rigby like he was working with Maxwell).

Although the truth behind the assassination plot is a little too convoluted for my tastes, “Second Chances” does make some headway in terms of character development. Romijn and Tenney’s reportiore isn’t quite natural yet, but it is an improvement over the Pilot. Although it somewhat awkwardly works Edgar into the office, his addition gives the show an increased quirky feel that serves it well. There are still issues, however, such as its overreaching plots and the fact that a former Secret Security officer like King being less security conscious than seems prudent for a man in his line of work.

• Title: Worlds’ Finest #13
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Paul Levitz
• Artist: Robson Rocha

The latest issue of Worlds’ Finest picks up with Power Girl and the Huntress looking for answers as to how long Desaad has been masquerading as as Michael Holt and how his illegal takeover of Starr Industries was allowed to continue. Oh, and they fight a really, really big dog.

While working to create a new evil minion (a gruesome subplot I could have done without), Desaad sends a giant hell beast after the heroines. Fighting it off once, the pair are later attacked a second time in Helena’s favorite safe house when the dog tracks them down.

For a series that has been schizophrenic with its art, we finally get an issue with a single artist. I don’t love Robson Rocha’s art but it’s passable and he certainly has a flair for drawing Power Girl in action. The idea of the pair fighting a giant hell dog sounds more fun that the actual adventure, and I could do with less Apokolips-centric storylines (which at this point doesn’t seem likely). Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

Actress Amber Heard is the cover girl for the 2013 June/July issue of Malibu Magazine. You can find pics and a behind-the-scenes video from her photoshoot inside.

• Title: Burn Notice – The Complete Sixth Season
• tv.com: link

The Sixth Season of Burn Notice begins with Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) in prison and Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) provisionally back to work with the CIA chasing down Anson (Jere Burns) and trying to earn Fi her freedom. By the season ends Michael will be presented with the opportunity he would have killed for in the show’s First Season but here it will cost him dearly.

Highlights of the season include an out of control Michael in the season premiere, the return of Kristanna Loken as Anson’s stooge Rebecca, the return of Barry (Paul Tei) and the death of Michael’s brother, and Michael working with Card (John C. McGinley) and the CIA to find Tyler Gray (Kenny Johnson). The second-half of the season puts Michael, Fi, Sam (Bruce Campbell), and Jesse (Coby Bell) on the run from Olivia Riley (Sonja Sohn) after Card’s death and forced to crash with smuggler Calvin Schmidt (Patton Oswalt), Sam getting shot, and the season finale where the fallout of Michaels actions force him to accept a deal to keep his friends and family out of prison.

Given the season’s various twists and turns (Fi in prison, the death of Nate, Sam getting shot, and the entire team on the run from the U.S. Government, and a deadly new adversary in Tyler Gray), the Sixth Season turns out to be one of the show’s best. The four-disc collection includes all 18 episodes, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and audio commentary for the “Shock Wave” by writer Matt Nix, director Renny Harlin, Donovan, and Campbell.

[20th Century Fox, $49.98]

• Title: Superman: The Animated Series – Feeding Time
• tv.com: link

With a new Superman in now in theaters every now and then I’ll continue to take a look back at the hero’s more memorable moments on both the big and small screen. Making his first appearance in comics way back in 1966, the Parasite has been a classic Superman villain for nearly 50 years. “Feeding Time” reintroduced the character as a small time thief and janitor for S.T.A.R. Labs whose exposure to an experimental chemical turns him into the Parasite (Brion James) and sets him on a path of revenge against the member of the crew (Robert Patrick) who roped him into the robbery and whose recklessness caused Rudy to be exposed to the experimental chemicals which left him transformed and with the ability to temporarily steal energy and knowledge from anyone he comes into contact with.

The stronger or smarter the individual the Parasite comes into contact with the stronger he becomes. This isn’t good news for Superman (Tim Daly) who accidentally supercharges the city’s newest super-villain and allows the Parasite to become a one-man crime wave. To stop Rudy, Superman relies on the help of both Jimmy Olsen (David Kaufman) and Professor Emil Hamilton (Victor Brandt) who provides Superman with a protective suit that allows the Man of Steel to battle the Parasite without coming into direct contact with him. Even with the suit, Superman is only able to defeat the creature by exposing the Parasite to Kryptonite.

The Parasite makes for a great edition to the animated series rogues gallery. Although Hamilton’s invention of the suit at the beginning of the episode is a little too coincidental, Superman finds quick use for here. The Parasite’s unique condition also presents intriguing problems for the hero, for while juiced up on Superman’s powers Rudy also has full knowledge of Superman’s life out of his tights as Clark Kent. Sadly, he will only make a handful of appearances on the show and later on Justice League.

• Title: The Shadow
• IMDB: link

Available on Blu-ray for the first time, 1994′s The Shadow starred Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston and his shadowy alter-ego with the ability to cloud men’s minds to make himself invisible. Based on the pulp hero who made his appearance more than 80 years-ago, the screenplay by Walter Koepp may be a little too cheesy for some, but Baldwin and some nice period set design help sell a film that’s far more entertaining than it has any right to be.

After the brief origin for Cranston’s brutal time in the Far East as the muderous opium warlord Ying-Ko, and his training to fight the evil in his past and learn the mystic arts which will serve him well in the coming years, the movie picks up years later with The Shadow dispensing justice in New York City. Helping The Shadow is an organization of those he’s saved over the years and a little mind control that Cranston uses to make sure his uncle (Jonathan Winters) doesn’t allow the police to look to closely into the vigilante’s heroics.

The Shadow’s latest case involves the arrival of another student of the Tulku who journeys to the United States to make war with the famous Ying-Ko. Believing himself to be the last living descendant of Genghis Khan, Shiwan Khan (John Lone) kidnaps a local scientist (Ian McKellen) and uses his research to create the world’s first atomic bomb. To save the city The Shadow will have to rely on the help of the scientist’s daughter Margo Lane (Penelope Ann Miller), who is immune to the hero’s mind-control tricks. Peter Boyle and Tim Curry also round out the cast as henchmen to The Shadow and Shiwan Khan respectively.

Earnest to a fault, The Shadow is an awful lot of fun (even if it is a little too bloodless for a movie about a character who carries around a pair of silver .45 Magnums that are certainly not for show). Baldwin is terrific selling the Golden Age earnestness of the hero and, despite the fact that I don’t like the idea of her resistance to his powers, Miller is well-cast as the spirited Ms. Lane. Lone is stuck with the goofiest of the movie’s roles, but Khan’s abilities (including being able to make an entire luxury hotel disappear) make him a suitable threat to The Shadow.

Sadly, the new Blu-ray doesn’t offer any extras, featurettes, or commentary for the film. However, it’s certainly a step-up from the Full Screen DVD edition that was previously available.

[Universal Studios, $19.98]

• Title: Star Wars #6
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Brian Wood
• Artist: Carlos D’Anda

Disobeying orders, Luke and Prithi head out in search of the rest of the squadron. Finding the group and a severely wounded Leia in an equally damaged X-Wing, the pilots put their heads together and come up with a plan to trap the Star Destroyer Devastator and the TIE Intereptors quickly closing in on their location.

Although the plan isn’t all that well explained by writer Brian Wood, the effects are impressive. Most impressive. The fallout earns Leia an extended stay in a Bacta tank with C-3P0 and R2-D2 and promotions for both Luke and Wedge now that the princess is out of commission for the time being.

With Han Solo stuck on Coruscant and out of contact, and a pissed-off Col. Bircher wanting revenge for his lost Star Destroyer, it becomes even more necessary for the rag-tag fleet to find the mole. Sadly, it appears the group will move forward without Prithi who leaves after witnessing the depths of Luke’s feelings for Leia. I like the character, and I’m hoping we’ll continue to see more of her in the months to come. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $2.99]