2.5 Razors

King & Maxwell – Pilot

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: King & Maxwell – Pilot
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King & Maxwell - Pilot

Based on the series of novels by David Baldacci, TNT’s latest procedural drama stars Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn as a pair of former Secret Service agents turned bickering Washington D.C. private detectives. After a ridiculous bit of nonsense involving the pair chasing a blackmailer dressed as a beaver through the city, the “Pilot” episode begins with the murder of an old friend of King’s (Tenney) who was working as the attorney for alleged serial killer Edgar Roy (Ryan Hurst) at the time of his death.

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Daredevil – Dark Nights #1

/ / Comics

Daredevil - Dark Nights #1The eight-issue anthology series Daredevil: Dark Knights begins here with a three-issue arc from writer/artist Lee Weeks featuring a befuddled Daredevil mugged in a snowstorm who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of who he is or explanation for his enhanced senses.

The amnesiac aspect of the story is its weakest point, although it allows for a couple of humorous moments including a doctor and nurse opening their mystery man’s briefcase to learn they have an Avenger in their midst. Even without his full faculties Daredevil dons his costume and goes back into the blizzard to find a crashed helicopter with the heart needed to save a young girl’s life.

The triple-obstacles of Matt Murdock’s injury, the blizzard, and his amnesia (which also effects his acrobatic stunts) is a little much. I prefer Weeks art to the story, but there are enough nice touches here to not let me dismiss it out-of-hand. The first issue doesn’t do enough to sell me on the new limited series, but it doesn’t turn me off either. Depending on what else hits newsstands that week, I would consider picking up issue #2. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $2.99]

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Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1

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Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1The Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual picks up the recent storyline as a mind-wiped Jason Todd returns home to the secluded island with Starfire and Arsenal only to begin investigating the past he worked so hard to forget. Yeah, nobody saw that coming. Sigh.

The annual gives us a pair of notable guest-stars first being Arsenal’s mentor Green Arrow (who is way too young to have trained someone Roy’s age, making for some incredibly awkward flashbacks). The second is far more interesting as Chesire is introduced as one of many assassins looking to cash in on the bounty on Jason Todd and his friends. Although she’s unsuccessful, she does pave the way for the next wave of killers who include Bronze Tiger. With the title going to such lengths to reintroduce old characters I have to wonder if this is the title where Catman might make his return.

A whiny blank slate Jason Todd is about as bland as it sounds, and although Chesire’s appearance works the issue has a hard time determining just how many powers this new version of the character actually has (she can phase, now?). Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $4.99]

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A + X #8

/ / Comics

A + X #8The concept for A + X is pretty simple. It’s your basic team-up issue with one member of the Avengers working with one member of the X-Men. Broken into a main story and a back-up story (featuring a different team-up) I’ve found the series to be occasionally entertaining but also inconsistent as usually one story in each issue is far better than the other. A+X #8 marked an occasion where I liked the possibilities of both team-ups.

The first story gives us Spider-Woman and Kitty Pryde working together to take down the Absorbing Man and agents of A.I.M. in the New York underground. Although it was Spider-Woman’s inclusion that made me pick up the issue, the story is actually far more about Kitty Pryde and how scary powerful she has become. In truth Jessica Drew is little more than back-up here.

Although I’ve never been a big fan of Hawkeye, I really enjoyed Deadpool Team-Up and the idea of Deadpool driving any Avenger crazy for half an issue appealed to me. Despite having some nice moments as well, the story isn’t nearly as zany or outrageous as I was hoping. Hit-and-Miss.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Fables #129

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Fables #129The Snow White arc comes to an end with the character (finally) refusing to no longer play the victim to Prince Brandish physical and mental attack which over the past few months has included breaking her arm, turning her husband into a glass statue, threatening to murder her children, borderline sexual assault, and keeping her hostage from the rest of Fabletown.

As her friends work to cancel the magical protections surrounding Brandish, Snow and the man claiming to be her true husband have a final duel which leaves Snow White free of Brandish but not without a price as one of Fables leading characters won’t survive the issue (although in a land of magic and resurrection anything is possible).

I’ve had very mixed feelings about this arc which cast Snow in the role of victim for fall too long. Although she finally gets some justice, the loss of Bigby actually makes it feel like Brandish is the real victor here. Hit-and-Miss.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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