3 Razors

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #249

G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero #249 comic reviewOkay, it’s been awhile since I’ve picked up an issue of G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero. So to catch-up: apparently Snake Eyes is dead, the JOEs have a new Snake Eyes on their team (which also includes Storm Shadow?!), and then there’s Dawn Moreno (a teenage athlete and Cobra recruit who Dr. Mindbinder gave all of the original Snake Eyes’ memories). Yeah, looks like I’ve missed a few things.

As the comic opens the Tokyo police are dealing with Dawn’s bloody swath through the Red Ninja temple leaving bodies and destruction in her wake. Meanwhile, our girl is inside the secret back room of the dojo in a fight with Firefly who, while initially overconfident, soon grows more than a little freaked out about warrior standing in front of him with knowledge no one living should have.

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DC Super Hero Girls – Ring Me Maybe

  • Title: DC Super Hero Girls – Ring Me Maybe
  • wiki: link

DC Super Hero Girls - Ring Me Maybe TV review

The four-part webisode “Ring Me Maybe” introduces Jessica Cruz (Cristina Milizia) as Earth’s newest Green Lantern. When Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) is called to Oa and Sinestro (Tom Kenny) attacks Earth, kidnapping various heroes, a new ring arrives choosing the fearful Jessica as its ring bearer. Initially too scared to accept the responsibility, even running away from the ring, Jessica is eventually talked in to accepting her role and proves to be a more than adequate Lantern by taking down Sinestro by herself while Batgirl (Mae Whitman) rescues her friends. While an unconventional Green Lantern, Jessica is a strong addition to the show’s line-up.

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The Ballad of Lefty Brown

  • Title: The Ballad of Lefty Brown
  • IMDb: link

The Ballad of Lefty Brown Blu-ray reviewWriter/director Jared Moshe‘s The Ballad of Lefty Brown is a passable, if forgettable, western starring Bill Pullman as Lefty Brown, a screw-up who vows to avenge the death of his closest friend (Peter Fonda). Meanwhile others, including the man’s widow (Kathy Baker) are more than willing to believe the crime was committed by Brown himself despite the scarcity of evidence (or credible motive). The performances are solid, and the western vistas are pleasant to watch, so even if the journey doesn’t lead anywhere all that interesting it at least makes for a modest diversion.

The film follows the cowboy’s misadventures, eventually leading to him discovering the real reason his friend was murdered and seeking vengeance against one of the most powerful men in the territory. The idea of turning the dimwitted sidekick into the central character goes against the western template, but that’s really the only place The Ballad of Lefty Brown strays from the expected in a rather straightforward revenge tale.

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Supergirl #18

Supergirl #18 comic reviewPicking up directly following the last issue, Supergirl #18 features the DEO unleashing a xenophobic alien on a high school dance in hopes of taking out the Girl of Steel. Our villain of the moment, an alien from a world destroyed by its exposure to extraterrestrial life, brings plenty of personal grief to the fight while believing removing Supergirl is ultimately the best thing for the Earth. When she discovers that Kara isn’t looking to change Earth, but that her adopted home and its people have changed Supergirl’s view of life, out antagonist loses the will to continue the conflict any further.

While the themes of the issue and worth celebrating, Supergirl #18 is a bit too on the nose for its own good in its allegory against anti-immigration policy in favor of a much more inclusive view of the world.

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Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #14

Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider #14 comic reviewThe latest issue of Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider is a bit of a departure for the comic as the primary story focuses not on Ben Reilly but on the other Scarlet Spider, Kaine. Really the only thing you need to know about the issues is this: Kaine fights a hippopotamus dude who would fit right in with Bebop and Rocksteady. If that doesn’t interest you, I don’t know what to say (partially because there’s really not much more to the issue). Still, Scarlet Spider versus Hippo!

Our title character does get a few pages, as he looks up an old Spider-Man villain who has located to Vegas. While attempting to scare Mysterio to stay on the straight and narrow path, Ben ends up only seeing a reflection of himself in the broken man who has been (like himself) literally to Hell and back and is attempting to put the shattered shards of his life back together.

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