3.5 Razors

The Shadow #0

/ / Comics

The Shadow #0Although the timing of the one-shot seems odd with Howard Chaykin‘s mini-series (and that crappy current-day comic) being Dynamite’s only current titles involving The Shadow, The Shadow #0 offers us an one-shot at the opposite end of the spectrum of Chaykin’s tale be giving us a peek at the vigilante’s earlier days and his ties to an escape artist named Harry Houdini.

Although we get a brief flashback with Lamont Cranston training with the magician, the main focus of writer Cullen Bunn’s story involves Houdini’s competitors targeting the man’s wife after the magician’s death. Knowing what evil lurks in the hearts of men, and with a substantial debt to pay, The Shadow steps in to make things right.

Although the final interaction between The Shadow and the widow is a bit clunky, the use of a secret cabal of magicians as bad guys with all kinds of tricks up their sleeves is an intriguing idea that is left open-ended when the villains manage to allude the vigilante’s usual swift justice. Worth a look.

[Dynamite Entertainment, $3.99]

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House of Cards – The Complete Second Season

/ / Home Video
  • Title: House of Cards – Season Two
  • wiki: link

House of Cards - The Complete Second SeasonBookended by the deaths of major characters in both the season opener and the season finale, the Second Season of Netflix’s House of Cards continues the devious machinations of former House Whip turned Vice President of the United States Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) whose quest for power has not been satiated now that he has found himself one step away from the most powerful office in the land.

The main conflict of the season comes from Frank’s repeated attempts to drive a wedge between President Walker (Michael Gill) and his trusted advisor billionaire Raymond Tusk (Gerald McRaney) while continuing to move chess pieces around the board including backing the upstart Jackie Sharp (Molly Parker) to fill his old role in the House and play a dangerous game putting the U.S. economy and its trade status with China in serious jeopardy. Once completed, Frank must deal with the fallout of the situation including weathering the President’s disfavor.

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Fables #142

/ / Comics

Fables #142While those behind the scenes, including Maddy, continue to push Fabletown into a war between Rose Red and Snow White, including a spell which puts the two women in off-setting pairs of magical armor, White is far more concerned with the news that an out-of-control Bigby has been sighted in the Mundy world. In a world where symbolism matters far more than it does it ours, it is important to notice Snow White is cast in the black armor suggesting (at least in the view of the person behind the spell) that she has apparently been cast as the villain in Fabletown‘s downfall.

Despite Snow White’s statement of having no interest into going to war with her sister the comic continues to push the story forward. We are also offered more of Lancelot as Rose Red’s lover (and his role as the possible Guinevere in the new story who might betray her to… Snow White?). The shattered Bigby’s return muddies the water a bit (or is it the distraction needed to cause the final wedge between sisters?), and we’ll have to wait and see how long it takes for Fabletown’s various magic users to discern the missing piece of the great wolf is being used to control him. Worth a look.

[Vertigo,$2.99]

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Rookie Blue – Two Truths and a Lie

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Rookie Blue – Two Truths and a Lie
  • wiki: link

Rookie Blue - Two Truths and a Lie

Picking up the thread of last week’s episode, 15 Division comes together to search for the man (Andrew Butcher) who they believe murdered and stuffed a beloved teacher into the trunk of his own car. Believing the recently-pardoned convict may have been doing a favor for a friend on the inside, Swarek (Ben Bass) and Andy (Missy Peregrym) begin questioning suspects in the prison who knew the man best.

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Graceland – H-A-Double-P-Y

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Graceland – H-A-Double-P-Y
  • wiki: link

Graceland - H-A-Double-P-Y

Mike‘s (Aaron Tveit) Washington D.C. and Graceland lives collide with the arrival of Jessica Foster (Emily Rose) who puts Paige‘s (Serinda Swan) investigation into the human trafficking of Eastern European girls on hold while pushing Mike to make a hard connection between Carlito Solano (Erik Valdez) and the drug smuggling in the passenger buses. Forced to physically attack Carlito to stop the crazy would-be drug lord from killing his sister, Johnny (Manny Montana) is forced to go to extremes and play on Carlito’s obvious attraction to the undercover agent.

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