2.5 Razors

Batman: The Dark Knight #9

/ / Comics

batman-the-dark-knight-new-52-9-coverI wasn’t a fan of this Bat-tile before the New 52 reboot and I’ve given the new volume a pretty wide berth. However, the latest issue had three points of interest to make me pick it up.

First, Judd Winick was guest-writing and although his his latest work hasn’t been his best, he’s produced good stories in the past. Two, the cover showcased Red Robin on the cover (who only appears in one panel, isn’t connected to the story at all, and doesn’t utter a word). Three, it was a Night of the Owls crossover.

The problem with this issue, as has been the trouble with almost all of the Night of the Owls crossovers, is that once again the focus here is on a villain, another Talon, instead of the comic’s main character. This issue is all about Alton Carver, the Talon sent to kill Lincoln March, and his history with the Court of Owls and Batman.

The focus is all wrong, the character teased on the cover isn’t here (I was looking forward to a Bruce/Tim team-up), and there’s just not enough here to justify picking up unless you simply want to grab all of the Night of the Owls issues. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

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Men in Black III

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Men in Black III
  • IMDB: link

men-in-black-3-posterWell that was… in 3D. I wonder how many film series will find themselves resurrected for the soul purpose of cashing-in on Hollywood’s latest love affair with 3D. If Men in Black III is any indication (a franchise that died a decade ago only to have it’s undead corpse dug up and trotted out to make a few dollars at the box office) perhaps movie studios may want to be a little more selective in choosing which movie series to resurrect.

Men in Black III isn’t a bad film. It has some enjoyable moments (like Bill Hader‘s cameo as Andy Warhol) and some nice performances. Hell, Josh Brolin playing a younger version of Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones‘s character) is almost worth the price of admission by itself. Almost.

However, the story is stuck in neutral with a generic time travel adventure involving a grizzled alien (Jemaine Clement) out for revenge. Much like Tommy Lee Jones (who only appears on-screen in a limited role this time around), the film simply feels tired and only vaguely aware of what’s going on.

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Nightwing #9

/ / Comics

nightwing-new-52-9-coverNightwing battles his great-grandfather William Cobb, the greatest of the Talons, and tries to save Mayor Hady from assassination as “Night of the Owls” continues. During the bloody battle which Nightwing barely survives we get Cobb’s backstory and his reasoning for joining the Court of Owls.

Although the battle between Nighwing and Talon works, the flashbacks take up far too much of the comic (you’d almost think Cobb was the comic’s main character). Neither Dick Grayson, nor the reader, really needs this amount of back story for the Grayson’s zombie assassin ancestor.

The Court of Owls storyline, which started in Batman, is working far better in than title than most of other Bat-titles it’s spread to this month. In terms of “Night of the Owls” this tie-in certainly isn’t a must-read to keep up with the main story, but for fans of Nightwing the action may, may be enough to still warrant picking it up. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

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Batman and Robin #9

/ / Comics

batman-and-robin-new-52-9-coverDamian gets his first solo mission of the New 52 in this “Night of the Owls” tie-in issue as he’s sent to protect Major General Benjamin Burrows from a being the latest victim of the Court of Owls.

Although it’s not a bad issue, Damian taking control of a small squad of soldiers to save their wounded leader, for Damian’s first big adventure on his own it’s far from memorable. The dialogue of Damian convincing the soliders to take his orders, and eventually lead them is pretty damn awkward. I’m also not totally sold on the art by Lee Garbett which in some panels feels a little too goofy for so serious a storyline.

If you’re only picking this up as a “Night of Owls” tie-in you could probably give it a pass. If, however, you’re a fan of Damian (even the New 52 version) there’s enough here to keep your interest, at least for awhile. For fans.

[DC, 2.99]

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Gothic Melodrama

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Dark Shadows
  • IMDB: link

dark-shadows-posterLike most of director Tim Burton‘s work Dark Shadows, a humorous hyper-melodramatic update of the 1960’s television show of the same name, gives us an offbeat sense of humor and the macabre, Johnny Depp, and a big-eyed, pale-skinned, waifish young leading lady. Dark Shadows certainly isn’t going to rank among the director’s biggest successes (Sweeney Todd, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands), but for most of it’s running time it finds a way to entertain by showcasing a tale of an 18th Century vampire thrust into the 1970’s.

200 years after being buried alive by the witch (Eva Green) who cursed him and left him to rot, Barnabas Collins (Depp) is freed from his coffin by a group of construction workers making way for a McDonald’s. Confused by the nature of the new world, Barnabas makes his way to his ancestral home where he meets his descendants Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer), Roger (Jonny Lee Miller), Carolyn (Chloë Grace Moretz) and David (Gulliver McGrath).

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