Batgirl #18

batgirl-18-coverHere’s something you may have not known: Stephanie Brown tastes like Christmas. Not surprising mind you, just food for thought. This Valentine’s issue pairing of Batgirl and Klarion the Witch Boy out to stop his familiar from a murder spree while it searches for true love isn’t exactly you average Batgirl tale. It’s not every day our heroine finds herself shrunk and trapped in a magic snow globe.

What works here is how Stephanie Brown is immediately put on the defensive by dealing with a magic user – not something that comes up regularly in her patrols on the streets of Gotham. Still, Stephanie adapts and agrees to help the Witch Boy after Klarion returns her to normal size (dashing her dream of fighting lice alongside the Atom in what would surely be an epic team-up).

Of course this includes dimension jumping, trying to prevent herself from being burned at the stake, fighting off a Witch Boy’s cat (which turns out to be a man-sized vicious were-cat), and even kissing Witch Boy in front of her friends. Weird, but also worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Coming Soon

  • Title: X-Men: First Class
  • IMDB: link

The first trailer for X-Men: First Class has been making its way around the ‘net and I finally decided to post it here. What little we see here doesn’t make me feel much better about the project, but I do like the design of the classic X-Men costumes. The film stars Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Emma Frost (January Jones), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), the Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Havok (Lucas Till), Angel Salvadore (Zoë Kravitz), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), and Professor X (James McAvoy) and hits theaters this June.

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The Deadly Art of Science

  • Title: Atomic Robo Vol. 5 #3 (of 5)
  • Comic Vine: link
  • Writer: Brian Clevinger
  • Artist: Scott Wegener

“The Deadly Art of Science” continues as Atomic Robo learns from vigilante Jack Tarot (somewhat successfully), fights a giant robot (less successfully), and learns a few things from Jack’s daughter Helen (smoochie-smoochie!).

Although Tarot has little respect for out hero’s ability in the field (he’d rather work with a gorilla), Tarot is impressed with his scientific knowledge and astounded when Robo helps make a break in the case. What else can the vigilante do but reluctantly agree to train the troublesome robot?

A very enjoyable issue all around punctuated with Tarot’s increasingly short-temper towards all of Atomic Robo’s “help.” And aside from giving or hero his first kiss, Helen also teaches him a lesson about family which gives us a nice closing sequence between Robo and his creator Nikola Tesla that brings the pair’s confrontation earlier in the issue full circle. Worth a look.

[Red 5, $3.50]

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The Perfect Movie for Valentine’s Day

  • Title: Love Actually
  • IMDB: link

love-actually-dvdWritten and directed by Richard Curtis, Love Actually is a celebration of love. More than that, however, it’s a celebration of movie love. The film is jam-packed with characters, stories, situations, sampling the best romantic comedies have to offer. It’s not a spoof of romcoms, but a celebration of the best movie romances have to offer.

The film focuses on eight couples, each in a different part of their relationship as well as two additional stories which help tie them together: an aging rock star (Bill Nighy) and his manager (Gregor Fisher) attempting to win a holiday contest and jewelry store attendent (Rowan Atkinson) who shows up only when needed.

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Waitress

  • Title: Waitress
  • IMDB: link

A film about pies, all types of wonderful pies with funny names like “Pregnant Miserable Self Pitying Loser Pie,” and “I Can’t Have No Affair Because It’s Wrong & I Don’t Want Earl to Kill Me Pie.” 

If you haven’t eaten beforehand, and even if you did, this film will make your mouth water.  Add to that an off-beat love story, more than a little tragedy (mixed with more than a little humor), two extremely likable stars, and you’ve got a recipe for a film that is well worth your time and might by this year’s Little Miss Sunshine

Adrienne Shelly‘s final film is a tribute to her writing, directing and acting ability, and a bittersweet reminder that this is the last piece of pie on the counter.  Savor each bite.

Trapped in a loveless marriage to a complete jerk (Jeremy Sisto), Jenna (Keri Russell) discovers she’s pregnant.  Far from bringing her joy however, the news just makes her more sullen and sad as she sees nothing but an empty future

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