January 2012

Usagi Yojimbo #143

/ / Comics

usagi-yojimbo-143-coverThe rabbit ronin’s wanderings lead Usagi Yojimbo to a village where a local soy sauce maker is under attack by his ruthless competitors.

Usagi stops the arson set to destroy the factory but soon realizes the town’s local authorities have no interest in stopping the violence. Given that the brewer has no one else to turn to Usagi decides to stay in the town for a few days.

Sakai is known for using issues of Usagi to describe and educate young readers on various aspects of Japanese life. Here we get quite a few pages of Usagi learning the lengthy process of how soy sauce is made.

The issue may be a little light on action but there’s plenty of foreshadowing to next issue’s conclusion of this two-part tale that tells us there’s a big battle or two coming if Usagi is to save the brewer from his enemies. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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The Flash #5

/ / Comics

the-flash-new-52-5-coverThe Mob Rule story arc ends, although it looks like the character is going to stick around the New 52, as the Flash is able to stop Darwin Ellis‘ out of control experiment, to solve Mob Rule’s degeneration problem, from exploding and taking an entire Central City block with it.

Although the Flash is able to save the day none of Mob Rule survive leaving Manuel to blame the hero for their deaths. I was hoping the arc would end the character’s involvement in the series but it appears he’s going to be sticking around, and with an ax to grind.

The issue also sees the Flash save Iris West from the prison break at Iron Heights and learn Ellias’ terrifying theory about the Speed Force which could mean the end of the Flash for good.

Once again Francis Manapul delivers another terrific looking comic. I’m glad to see the end of the Mob Rule story arc and the chance to see the Flash deal with a problem with the Speed Force and the return of his Rogues Gallery in the next couple of issues. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Drive

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Drive
  • IMDB: link

drive-blu-rayBased on James Sallis‘ 2005 novel, adapted for the screen by Hossein Amini, Drive stars Ryan Gosling as a getaway driver with no name who finds himself in a sticky situation when he breaks his own rules. If this sounds a little like The Transporter franchise, well it is, but director Nicolas Winding Refn decides to treat a rather ordinary action tale as an art house film drawing comparisons to dramatic action films of the late 60’s and 70’s like Steve McQueen‘s Bullit.

The Driver has everything he needs. His evident skill gets him consistant stunt car work and the far more lucrative (though far less legal) jobs no one else can do. His business partner (Bryan Cranston) has just closed a deal with a mobster (Albert Brooks) to buy a stock car which will allow the Driver to finally hit the big time. But when the Driver allows himself to be sucked into the troubles of an attractive neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her young son (Kaden Leos) by agreeing to help her husband (Oscar Isaac) pull off a big score things go horribly wrong.

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Chuck Versus the Goodbye

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Chuck – Chuck Versus the Goodbye
  • tv.com: link

chuck-versus-the-goodbye

If the second-to-last episode of Chuck spent a little too much time setting up all the pieces in anticipation of one final hour, the show’s finale delivers a jam-packed episode full of callbacks from the show’s earlier years, one last performance of Jeffster, the return of the Intersect to where it rightfully belongs, and a tearful farewell to the show’s fans who have fought to keep Chuck on the air every single season for five years.

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