3.5 Razors

Fairest #15

/ / Comics

Fairest #15With Fairest #15 writer Sean E. Williams and Stephen Sadowski step-in to tackle a Hindu legend and introduce a new character to the Fables universe. Nalayani is the toughest and smartest warrior of a small village continually under attack by both rogues and wolves.

With her village in desperate need of aid, Nalayani travels to the new Maharajah (who is not what you’d expect). On the way she will make an unusual friend in a Tabaqui, a jackal who proves to be more trustworthy than she first suspects, and will have another run-in with the rogues which will teach the men the errors of messing with a woman known for her skill with a bow.

More off the beaten path than the more recognizable characters of the first few arcs, this opening issue of Nalayani and her story is well told and the art works well. The stylized lettering by letterer Todd Klein leave something to be desired as at times some of the wording is difficult to read, but overall Fairest #15 succeeds in selling it’s latest arc and an intriguing new character. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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Arrow – Darkness on the Edge of Town

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Arrow – Darkness on the Edge of Town
  • tv.com: link

Arrow - Darkness on the Edge of Town

Following last week’s revelations, Laurel (Katie Cassidy) makes and important decision concerning her feelings for Ollie (Stephen Amell), Walter (Colin Salmon) readjusts to life after captivity, Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) concludes his final preparations for The Undertaking by killing every seismologist who has knowledge of the project, and Oliver, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), and Diggle (David Ramsey) work together to try and uncover what Malcolm has planned and just how Moira (Susanna Thompson) fits into the picture. With the help of Diggle, Ollie stages the kidnapping of himself and Moira, and through a little rough play acting gets all the information he needs about the seismic device from Unidac Industries and Merlyn’s plans to level the Glades.

…

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Castle – The Human Factor

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Castle – The Human Factor
  • tv.com: link

Castle - The Human Factor

Beckett (Stana Katic) and Castle’s (Nathan Fillion) latest investigation is stymied when Homeland Security closes the crime scene of the car bombing. Without a body or a crime scene, Beckett continues the investigation by talking to the victim’s widow (Catherine Dent) and son (Shane Coffey) who believe he was killed for his whistleblowing website which revealed highly damaging documents concerning corporations, politicians, and several government agencies. Things get even more interesting when they discover their victim was killed not from a car bomb, but by an unmanned aerial drone. Despite Castle’s assertions that the drone may have achieved sentience and attacked on its own, Beckett begins looking into where the drone came from and why it was used as a bizarre method of murder.

…

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47 Ronin #4

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47 Ronin #4The calm before the storm finds the ronin of Lord Asano scattered across the land working as farmers or laborers, or, as in the instance of Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshio, shaming any lasting respect they might have by playing the role of a town drunk. After months of planning, Kira Yoshinaka has finally been lulled into a sense of security and begins to fire some of his guards and spies as he plans to move into his new palace.

Hearing the news they have been waiting for, the group finally gathers to fulfill their vow to return the honor of their fallen lord and exact their vengeance of Kira. Oishi joins the group, after taking care of a spy who has glimpsed his drunken buffoonery is nothing more than an act, setting up for what should be an action-heavy final issue next month.

Writer Mike Richardson and artist Stan Sakai’s retelling of the classic Japanese legend has been heavy on story and character, but that should change with the series’ finale. (And, even more importantly, it will free Sakai to return to doing what he does best – write and draw Usagi Yojimbo.) Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.99]

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Detective Comics #20

/ / Comics

Detective Comics #20The Emperor Penguin storyline comes to an end as Batman battles Ogilvy, the self-proclaimed new crime king of Gotham who stole the Penguin‘s money and operation for his own. Underestimating his opponent, Batman arrives to discover Ogilvy has been busy by combining the stolen Man-Bat serum along with a version of Venom and a little contribution from Poison Ivy to craft himself into a legitimate super-villain threat.

Although I think Ogilvy is made too much of a threat too quickly, the fight between the would be king and Batman works well (even if it does require the Penguin to save our hero). It also gives us one of the better original New 52 villains. Batman makes up for the ass kicking he takes by putting down Ogilvy in short order, but he can’t take away Ogilvy’s short-lived victory.

The issue also includes a back-up story involving Ogilvy’s transport to Blackgate Prison and look at his origins. The story also brutally foreshadows the fact that the new Bat-villain is only getting started. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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