May 2013

Atomic Robo Free Comic Book Day 2013

/ / Comics

Atomic Robo Free Comic Book Day 2013Every year you can count on Atomic Robo to deliver one of the best comics of Free Comic Book Day. The 2013 issue features out intrepid science adventurer (who just happens to be an atomic-powered robot built by Nikola Tesla) taking on a rogue robot.

Full of humor and action, Atomic Robo Free Comic Book Day 2013 is mostly centered around Atomic Robo getting his butt kicked for most of the issue. Thankfully, he knows to bring back-up. The issue should work for both longtime fans of the comic and new readers who are getting their first taste of Atomic Robo zaniness. For those who weren’t able to get their hands on a physical copy of the issue writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener have put the entire adventure online.

The issue also includes a look at a new Red 5 series, Bodie Troll featuring a cute troll with ADHD incapable of scaring anyone. It may not be as good as the Atomic Robo story, but it’s goofy and fun. Worth a look.

[Red 5, FREE]

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Superman: Unbound

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Superman: Unbound
  • IMDB: link

Superman: UnboundBased on the 2008 Superman: Brainiac arc by Geoff Johns, DC’s latest animated feature introduces Superman (Matt Bomer) and Supergirl (Molly Quinn) to a redesigned version of Brainiac (John Noble) for the first time when the Collector of Worlds heads to Earth to add Metropolis to a collection that already includes the Kryptonian city of Kandor. The result is a solid entry into the DC Animated Universe whose main issues come more from the original source material rather than the adaptation.

Given her role in the film this could easily have been titled Superman/Supergirl: Unbound as much of the emotional weight of the straight-to-DVD animated feature falls on Superman’s younger cousin. Screenwriter Bob Goodman also increases the role of Lois Lane (Stana Katic) and makes some intriguing parallels over the course of the film between how both Brainiac and Superman try to control those of interest to them.

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Doctor Who – Nightmare in Silver

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – Nightmare in Silver
  • tv.com: link

Doctor Who - Nightmare in Silver

Blackmailed by her two young charges, Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) gets The Doctor (Matt Smith) to take Angie (Eve De Leon Allen) and Artie (Kassius Carey Johnson) to Hedgewick’s World of Wonders, the universe’s greatest amusement park which spans the breadth of an entire planet. There are only two problems with the trip. First, on arriving the travelers learn the park is closed. And second, with the arrival of fresh young minds, a small group of Cybermen begin to awaken after being dormant for 10,000 years. Things get even more complicated with the leader of a group of soldiers has standing orders to blow up the planet if the Cybermen ever reappear and The Doctor runs off to get himself assimilated leaving Clara in charge.

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Batman and Red Hood #20

/ / Comics

Batman and Red Hood #20How can a comic that starts off so well end in the kind of trainwreck that will damage two of DC’s Bat-books for months to come? The latest issue of Batman and… gives us a team-up of a more brutal Batman than we’ve seen in a while with Red Hood who has finally found some peace with his mentor after the fallout of mostly wretched Death of the Family.

The only good thing to come out of Death of the Family was bringing Jason Todd back into the fold. Well, that was short lived. When Batman tries to force Jason to face his death and resurrection, hoping for clues to do the same to Damian, the hard earned respect between the characters is thrown away in a handful of panels (perhaps for good).

Although I think Todd overreacts to Batman’s grief, the result is to push yet another member of the Bat-Family further from the Dark Knight Detective. Batman and Red Hood #20 also offers another appearance by Carrie Kelley looking for Damian, teasing that she’s not going away anytime soon. Pass.

[DC, $2.99]

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Jack Reacher

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Jack Reacher
  • IMDB: link

Jack ReacherBased on the character created byLee Child, Tom Cruise stars as former Military Police officer turned professional nomad Jack Reacher who shows up after an old enemy (Joseph Sikora) is arrested for killing five people. What follows is part dumb action movie and part conspiracy thriller as Reacher uncovers the troubling fact that, as much as he wants the man to be guilty, the Army sniper the police have in custody was framed for the crime (which itself has complicated reasons far beyond a random crime by a lone gunman).

Reacher is the typical old school 80’s action hero, smarter than everyone else and able to take down five men without even breaking a sweat. Rosamund Pike stars as the man’s attorney, who also happens to be the daughter of the city’s cutthroat District Attorney (Richard Jenkins). Pike’s main job in the film is to get Reacher engaged in the case and then constantly question his theories before finally being relegated to the damsel in distress.

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