Science Fiction

Darth Vader #1

/ / Comics

Darth Vader #1 comic reviewJust as the current volume of Star Wars takes place immediately after the events of The Empire Strikes back so does Marvel’s new Darth Vader series. Darth Vader #1 centers around the Dark Lord of the Sith seeking both answers and revenge against those who kept his son hidden. Even going so far as to ignore the Emperor‘s call, Darth Vader gathers a small collection of troops and scours the galaxy from Tatooine to Coruscant in search of answers.

Writer Greg Pak and artist Raff Ienco offer a trip down memory lane for both Vader and fans as searching for answers about Luke leads back across Anakin‘s own history. The comic ends with a tease which I suspect will be explained by the Amidala look-alike being identified as one of the characters who once posed as Padme’s doubles.

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Doctor Who – Spyfall

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – Spyfall
  • wiki: link

Doctor Who - Spyfall television review

The two-part opening to Series 12 of Doctor Who is notable for introducing Sacha Dhawa as The Master. In a move that’s becoming something of a thing for show runner Chris Chibnall and the show this season, Doctor Who makes no attempt to fit the latest version of the character into the show’s long-running continuity (troubling given The Master’s closed timeloop) or explain the paradox of Gallifrey’s destruction long before the events of “Hell Bent.” One thing I will give Chibnall credit for is attempting to capture a bit more of The Master from classic Doctor Who both in demeanor and in the return of the villain’s shrinking ray. As has been the custom of Doctor Who, the premiere opens a mystery to be solved by the season end, this time being the hidden knowledge which led to the premature destruction of Gallifrey.

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Star Wars #2

/ / Comics

Star Wars #2 comic reviewSet shortly after the events of The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars #2 continues the story of Luke Skywalker reeling from the revelation that Darth Vader was once his father Anakin Skywalker, and a fractured Rebellion struggling to continue the fight against the Galactic Empire.

If nothing else, this volume of Star Wars may be the one to examine the redemption of Lando (along with Luke coming to terms with his heritage and growing in the Force). With the Rebellion scattered and the cells unable to contact each other without alerting the Empire, Leia is needed by the leadership of the Rebellion putting Lando and Chewbacca in control of the search for their missing friend (which nearly immediately shows off Lando’s smooth talking while questioning his loyalty and the level he will go for self-preservation).

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Samurai Jack – Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XVI: Jack and the Smackback

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. While offering quite a bit of action, “Episode XVI” isn’t one of the series more memorable episodes. The premise is simple enough, Jack (Phil LaMarr) is captured (offering some visuals of Jack in chains which reminded me of 1982’s Conan the Barbarian) and forced to compete in gladiatorial combat in the Dome of Doom. Jack’s first battle is with the talkative Gordo the Gruesome with successive fights against more fearsome competition ending in Jack squaring off against six competitors at once.

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Doctor Who – Fugitive of the Judoon

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Doctor Who – Fugitive of the Judoon
  • wiki: link

Doctor Who - Fugitive of the Judoon television review

“Fugitive of the Judoon” offers several questions and few answers for an episode that sees the return of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), dire warnings about the return of the Cybermen, and the first appearance of another version of The Doctor (Tosin Cole) whose place in time makes no sense to either Doctor (or to most fans). Returning to Earth to find it being quarantined by the Judoon who are furiously seeking a fugitive, The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her companions buy some time while searching for answers which lead to her companions being stolen from the planet by Jack and The Doctor coming face-to-face with an alternate version of herself whose existence she cannot comprehend.

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