Samurai Jack – Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. While offering quite a bit of action, “Episode XVI” isn’t one of the series more memorable episodes. The premise is simple enough, Jack (Phil LaMarr) is captured (offering some visuals of Jack in chains which reminded me of 1982’s Conan the Barbarian) and forced to compete in gladiatorial combat in the Dome of Doom. Jack’s first battle is with the talkative Gordo the Gruesome with successive fights against more fearsome competition ending in Jack squaring off against six competitors at once.

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Primal – Spear and Fang

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Primal – Spear and Fang
  • IMDb: link

Primal - Spear and Fang television review

Genndy Tartakovsky, who gave us the brilliance of Samurai Jack, turns his attention to the “dawn of evolution” for a new series featuring a caveman and dinosaur. The pair are united in the first episode of the series, “Spear and Fang,” through tragedy and shared loss. Presented without dialogue and set to a classic score, the series doesn’t play with aspect-ration like Jack did, but does offer plenty of close-ups and slow-motion to underscore ideas and feelings. While I cringe at the thought of certain people mistakenly believing the show’s plot somehow legitimizes the inane idea that man and dinosaurs ever co-existed, Tartakovsky provides an intriguing set-up here that delivers on the show’s title given the emotions it puts on display.

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Scooby-Doo! – A Clue for Scooby Doo

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Scooby Doo, Where Are You! – A Clue for Scooby Doo
  • wiki: link

Scooby-Doo! - A Clue for Scooby Doo television review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to Scooby Doo, Where Are You! for another mystery involving some meddling kids and their talking dog. A trip to Rocky Point Beach leads to the discovery of a glowing ghost haunting the shore in an old diving suit. While legend says the Ghost of Captain Cutler has been making yachts along the coast disappear, it’s actually not all that far from the truth as the ghost is in fact the very much alive Cutler who had been stealing ships to resell them. The episode is notable for Mystery, Inc. doing a bit of underwater investigating, Scooby-Doo (Don Messick) discovering a valuable clue, the simple yet visually-impressive glowing ghost, a trap which (as always) fails to work as intended but still nabs a ghost, a few red herrings (including a book of witchcraft), and the unmasking (notable for even surprising members of the Scooby gang).

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Guardians of the Galaxy #1

/ / Comics

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 comic reviewIf you are thinking, didn’t Marvel just reboot this series less than a year ago? You are not mistaken. Marvel Comics relaunches the title once more with Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon being pulled into the fray by Richard Rider who is seeking any heroes he can find to help stop the sudden appearance of of the Olympian Gods who are making a deadly swath across the galaxy.

While I’m not wild with the art from Juan Cabal, especially the look of Star-Lord (what’s up with the slicked-back hair and skinny jumpsuit?), I will admit I do kinda dig Rocket in a suit. The choice of Peter to answer the call against Gamora‘s wishes, and without her help, also means the full roster isn’t going to be on display (at least not at the beginning of the adventure).

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Far Sector #3

/ / Comics

Far Sector #3 comic reviewThe rookie Green Lantern’s investigation into murder in the City Enduring continues in Far Sector #3 which expands on the personal relationships Sojourner Mullein has made since coming to the city and explore how her past colors her duties as a Green Lantern.

Things get a bit more political in the series’ third issue growing factions within the city reach a breaking point and the Green Lantern struggles with her role to keep the peace in a city that hasn’t known crime in 500 years. The idea that emotion is literally the cause of conflict between factions is an intriguing one, especially with the lives of an entire civilization at stake. Suppressed emotions have kept them safe for centuries, but what if that is no longer an option?

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