4.5 Razors

Spenser: For Hire – A Madness Most Discreet

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Spenser: For Hire – A Madness Most Discreet
  • IMDb: link

Spenser: For Hire - A Madness Most Discreet television review

Throwback Tuesday takes us back to the mean streets of Boston and the travails of a smart ass private detective. It was common in the 80s for shows to do episodes involving Soviets wishing to defect to the United States. Spenser: For Hire offers a twist to standard tale when Spenser (Robert Urich) is hired by a Russian ballet dancer who actually wants the private detective to help her return home. The episode is notable for pointing out several of Spenser’s rules, one of which is simple: clients lie. Anna Maria Kolvo (Maria Holvoe) is no exception as she offers only a partial truth when hiring the detective and only reveals the rest of it after an attempt is made on her life.

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Leviathan Dawn #1

/ / Comics

Leviathan Dawn #1 comic reviewThe next chapter of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev’s Leviathan tale begins here. The are two stories taking place in Leviathan Dawn #1. The first involves new character Kingley Jacobs taking a look at the destruction which Leviathan has wrought and putting together a team from the ashes of the various spy agencies Mark Shaw left in his wake.

Jacobs’ recruiting pitch begins with Steve Trevor who was meant to be Leviathan’s fall guy until Shaw’s identity was exposed. To that group, Kingley adds Lois Lane, Green Arrow, the Question (who is already investigating in Beijing), Mr. Bones, Kate Spencer, and one of the recruit who nearly kills Trevor before he can make his sales pitch and who the others are less than thrilled about. An unorthodox team to be sure (featuring some fun dynamics), but does this new version of Checkmate stand a chance versus Leviathan?

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The Flash – Grodd Friended Me

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Flash – Grodd Friended Me
  • wiki: link

The Flash - Grodd Friended Me television review

The theme of “Grodd Friended Me” is letting go of the past and accepting change, whether you’re ready for it or not. After a post-Crisis check-in which suggest there are an unimaginable number of changes to the timeline such as Pied Piper (Andy Mientus) being a meta-criminal, an experiment goes awry leaving Barry (Grant Gustin) trapped in Grodd‘s (David Sobolov) mind. However, revenge isn’t what the super gorilla is after, instead a remorseful Grodd wants the Flash’s help to escape the mindscape prison A.R.G.U.S. has constructed for him before it crumbles under the weight of both minds. The combined force of Barry and Grodd merging their consciousness, resulting in one fast gorilla, is just what is needed for the pair to get past a familiar gatekeeper and return to the real world.

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Superman #19

/ / Comics

Superman #19 comic reviewSuperman #19 offers a follow-up to last month’s issue in which Superman revealed to the world that he and Clark Kent are the same person. There’s not much fallout here, other than Clark getting fired from The Daily Planet (for all of about 10 seconds before being re-hired) and some awkwardness of his co-workers getting used to the new normal. Superman still hits the streets to save the day and look to the stars to take on intergalactic threats.

The folks at the Planet, in Metropolis, and in the Hall of Justice seem totally onboard with the reveal suggesting it may be a bit before any possible negative consequences raise their heads.

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Superman #18

/ / Comics

Superman #18 comic reviewWhat’s so interesting to me about Superman #18 isn’t how it fundamentally changes the character going forward in a major way but how well writer Brian Michael Bendis presents the idea as a natural evolution for Superman. While the issue jumps around a bit here and there, including nice moments of Clark Kent’s separate conversations with Jimmy Olsen and Perry White, the main focus in a press conference Superman calls in front of The Daily Planet revealing his dual identity to the world. That isn’t to say Clark Kent is going away, he’s remaining at The Daily Planet, it’s just now his co-workers (and the entire world) know that he’s also Superman.

A staple of the super-hero genre since it’s inception, the alter-ego has been used to allow heroes to lead something of a normal life while not in tights and to protect their loved ones who might become targets from their enemies. Let’s face it, Lois Lane is already getting into life-threatening situations and the realization that she’s married to Superman should actually make her safer. As for a normal life, that’s the interesting twist which Bendis delivers here centering on the character’s internal moral compass and the first word in his slogan “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.”

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