August 2013

Nova #7

/ / Comics

Nova #7It’s hard out there for a pimp, er.. new teenage super-hero. After saving the galaxy, Nova tries his hands at a little planet side heroics only to discover that 15 year-old with nearly unlimited cosmic powers isn’t always all that helpful for the day-to-day troubles inside the Marvel Universe.

Sam’s attempt to help in New York leads him to a confrontation with Doc Ock Spidey who puts the young hero in his place before sending him on his way. Nova is no more helpful in Los Angeles (where his big save disrupts an angered Joss Whedon’s latest movie set), or in a host of other places before the young hero finally returns home and helps repair the damage caused in New Mexico from his recent fight with Titus.

Although our hero isn’t able to get into much action, this issue is quite entertaining as Nova continues to struggle to grow into his role as a super-hero and try (and often fail) to learn the best way to use his powers to make a difference. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Longmire – Bad Medicine

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Longmire – Bad Medicine
  • tv.com: link

Longmire - Bad Medicine

Trouble comes in threes in the Second Season finale of Longmire as Walt (Robert Taylor) must deal with the accusations of Ed Gorski (Lee Tergesen) who holds the sheriff responsible for the injuries that put him in the hospital, Detective Fales (Charles S. Dutton) returns to the county with warrants looking to tie Walt and Henry (Lou Diamond Phillips) to the murder in Denver, and Branch (Bailey Chase) brings Longmire in on an apparent suicide connected to Cady’s (Cassidy Freeman) accident which, it turns out, may not have been so accidental.

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Batman and Nightwing #23

/ / Comics

Batman and Nightwing #23Bruce Wayne‘s obsession about his son’s death continues in this issue as Alfred reaches out to Nightwing when Batman becomes lost in a virtual recreation of events trying desperately to change the outcome and save his son’s life. Although the structure of the story feels a little off, the emotion works well especially once Nightwing, and later Alfred, join in.

With Nightwing’s help Batman is able to “save” Damian, but it’s the advice Dick gives Bruce back in the real world that seems to finally start the healing process. And the comic’s final few pages dealing with Alfred resetting the simulation shows us, and Batman, just how much grief the butler has been carrying around for allowing Damian out of the Batcave on that fateful night.

Although the final former side-kick issue is done, the comic will continue the Batman and… with villains such as Two-Face and Killer Croc leading into Batman and Carrie Kelly #25 which may, or may not, begin a new direction for the title. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Fables #132

/ / Comics

Fables #132The news that Rose Red plans to finally accept her destiny as the Paladin of Hope and reconstitute the Round Table spreads like wildfire around Fabletown, the farm, and the furthest reaches of every world where the message is spread. Taking a little time off from her new duty, Rose Red also confronts the still very much alive Prince Brandish with a machine gun leading to a discussion of just how the insane Fable would like to spend his immortality.

Although I’m still waiting to see Arthur and the old Knights of the Round Table (which we may have gotten a tease of here), the issue continues Red Rose’s story and makes something unexpected out of the continued existence of Brandish (something I’m not really in favor of).

It will be interesting to see who signs up for the new Round Table as the story continues to unfold and who Red Rose may have to pressure in to joining their ranks (even Brandish?). The B-story of this issue continues the so-far-failed attempts to reconstruct and resurrect the shattered Bigby. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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Mud

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

MudWhen two teenager boys in the Arkansas bayou discover a hermit named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) living in a boat stuck high in a tree after a recent flood it’s an encounter that will forever change all three of their lives. As a coming of age story, at its best Mud reminds you of Great Expectations or To Kill A Mockingbird as Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) get drawn into Mud’s world and learn hard lessons of life and love.

The themes of Mud keep recurring (perhaps a tad too neatly) as Mud’s troubled relationship with his ex Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) is mirrored with Ellis’ own early experiences with love and the impending divorce of his parents (Michael Shannon, Sarah Paulson) that threatens to destroy his home. Much of the plot deals with an old enemy (Joe Don Baker) of Mud out for revenge, but the real focus of the movie isn’t on the tension-building search for convict but on how Ellis and Mud’s experiences both change how they view the world and women.

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