March 2011

Red Sonja: Revenge of the Gods #1

/ / Comics

Some characters are hit-and-miss. Red Sonja is one of the characters who has more than her fair share of misses, but every once and awhile will surprise you with a strong story. I’m not sure that this is that story, but it better than some comics featuring the fantasy heroine that I’ve read.

Revenge of the Gods picks up where Red Sonja’s last mini-series Wrath of the Gods ended. Loki has been defeated by the She-Devil with a Sword and is now banished to the harsh reality of Earth, but that doesn’t mean the god is going to take his fate lying down. With the help of a band of marauders and cut-throats he begins to plan his revenge and return to power by setting his sights on the kingdom of Vannaheim not realizing the city holds a dark secret that if unleashed could destroy everyone in the land.

It’s not a great read, and I’m not thrilled with the art of Daniel Sampere, but fans of the character should enjoy themselves. And, despite being tied to an earlier adventure, there’s little here a casual reader should need to follow the tale. Hit-and-Miss.

[Dynamite, $3.99]

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Darkwing Duck #10

/ / Comics

If you thought magic dinosaurs were going to be the coolest thing you read in comics this week you were wrong. The latest Darkwing Duck shoves so much awesome into one issue I’m surprised it doesn’t explode.

After evading an army of Eggmen by using every secret device built into the flying spy-car (including one which disguises them as the llama from The Emperor’s New Groove), Darkwing Duck and Steelbeak break into the secret headquarters of F.O.W.L. (only to be followed shortly Gossalyn and Honker).

In the belly of the beast, so to speak, our heroes run into all kinds of obstacles including, but not limited to, the following: guillotine blades, alligator briefcases (briefcases with actual alligators inside), secret bookcases, Ammonia Pine, and a giant robotic walrus.

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Power Girl #22

/ / Comics
  • Title: Power Girl #22
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer:Judd Winick
  • Artist:Sam Basri

power-girl-22-coverIn this issue Power Girl and Superman team-up to fight magic dinsosaurs running loose in the streets of New York City. Let me say that again – Power Girl and Superman vs. Magic Dinosaurs! What more could you possibly need to know?

The B-story for part one of “Up, Up & Away” centers around Power Girl’s alter-ego getting her company back. The timeline for this seems a bit off as it seems to be jumping ahead a couple of months after the events of Justice League: Generation Lost have been wrapped up. This, as you might expect, is somewhat problematic. However, I did like the scenes involving Superman talking to Kara about the problems with making her secret identity into a public figure and the possible ramifications if someone recognizes Karen Starr, CEO as Power Girl.

We also get a cameo from Zatanna, with the promise of more of her and Batman in the next issue as well. Sounds good to me. Oh, and did I mention this one has magic freakin’ dinosaurs?! Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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The Next Three Days

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Next Three Days
  • IMDB: link

How far would you go for the person you love? That’s the central question at the heart of writer/director Paul Haggis‘ dramatic thriller The Next Three Days.

After his wife (Elizabeth Banks) is incarcerated for a murder she didn’t commit, and every legal option is exhausted, John Brennan (Russell Crowe) decides to take the only choice left. He begins planning to break his wife out of prison and flee the country with their young son (Ty Simpkins).

Haggis delivers a compelling thriller filled with hard choices as John finds himself going further and further down the rabbit hole. The film is scattered with an assortment of strong supporting roles (Olivia Wilde, Jason Beghe, Liam Neeson, Aisha Hinds, Brian Dennehy), but the weight of the story falls entirely on Crowe’s shoulders and, not surprisingly, he delivers.

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Coming Soon

/ / Film News & Trailers
  • Title: Larry Crowne
  • IMDB: link

Larry Crowne marks the first time since 1998’s That Thing You Do! that Tom Hanks has directed himself (or anyone else) in a feature film. Hanks stars as Larry Crowne, a middle-aged man who goes back to college after losing his job and soon falls for his professor (Julia Roberts). Taraji P. Henson, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw also star. The film opens in theaters on July 1st.

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