April 2012

Avengers vs. X-Men #2

/ / Comics

avengers-vs-x-men-2-coverFor an entire issue that only covers a handful of minutes this one’s full of action. Picking up right where issue #1 left off the Avengers invade Utopia and throw down with the X-Men as Captain America tries to talk some sense into Cyclops before the Phoenix Force arrives from deep space.

There are quite a few interesting match-ups as we get Cap vs. Cyclops, Iron Man vs. Magneto (which isn’t as over as fast as you might assume), Colossus vs. Red Hulk, Storm vs. the Black Panther, and Wolverine sneaking into Utopia through the sewers to assassinate a teenage girl… you know, for the good of humanity.

But it’s bad news for the Avengers as it seems Cyclops has bought Hope enough time as the Phoenix has indeed started to rise. The fallout of this issue, in two weeks, should be very interesting. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
  • IMDB: link

mission-impossible-ghost-protocol-blu-rayDirected by Brad Bird, the latest Mission: Impossible flick puts Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) together with a new team (Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner) to stop a crazy Russian (Michael Nyqvist) from starting a nuclear war.

After an attempt to retrieve information in the Kremlin ends in disaster with the team blamed for a terrorist bombing the IMF is disbanded leaving only these four agents, and whatever they have with them, to stop the real terrorists and prove their innocence.The mission will take the team from Russia to the United Arab Emirates to India. For more on the film check out my original review of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

The movie works as well on Blu-ray as it did in theaters. The story and stunts hold up quite well and even knowing the small twist of Ethan’s wife (Michelle Monaghan) won’t spoil anything for you a second time around.

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In Plain Sight – The Medal of Mary

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: In Plain Sight – The Medal of Mary
  • tv.com: link

in-plain-sight-medal-of-mary

The unexpected return of James Wiley Shannon (Stephen Lang), Mary’s (Mary McCormack) father, brings all kinds of new trouble Mary’s way including the return of Agent O’Conner (Will McCormack) who needs Mary’s help to get her father to testify against his old boss Cormac “Sully” Sullivan (Steve Eastin) which might put Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) and Brandi (Nichole Hiltz), as well as Mary’s half-brother (Aaron Ashmore), in danger.

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Batman #8

/ / Comics

batman-new-52-8-coverDC’s new Bat-Family summer crossover begins here. The Court of Owls story explodes into other Bat-titles as “Night of the Owls” finds several Talons sent to assassinate Gotham’s most prestigious citizens – including Bruce Wayne.

With Batman busy fending off the killers sent after his alter-ego, Alfred sends out a distress call to all members of the Bat-Family (Nightwing, Red Robin, the Red Hood, Batgirl, the Birds of Prey) with a list of the Court of Owls’ targets.

Although I’ve been lukewarm on Scott Snyder’s Court of Owls stories the past few months, now with the Talons unleashed on the city and several more Bat-folk looking to show up in the coming months, things certainly seem to have picked up in a hurry.

The structure of the book is a little odd as the first half is written by Snyder with art by regular Greg Capullo. However, the second-half of the story, drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, has a completely different look (which still works, although not quite as well). Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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