Comics Reviews: Batman 457, Detective 624, Legends of the Dark Knight 13

Batman 457 coverBatman #457 – “Master of Fear” – Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle/Steve Mitchell

Last issue, Batman found out Scarecrow was the one behind the recent spate of murders around Gotham, committed by ordinary people seemingly on a whim. Unfortunately, Batman ran right into Scarecrow’s trap and was captured. Scarecrow brags to Batman (and Vicki Vale, who’s also his prisoner) about how he mailed his new hypnotic drug to random people, knowing it would bring out any latent aggressive tendencies they had. The fright masks were an extra touch, since Scarecrow knows how freeing wearing a mask can be (as does Batman, of course). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 457, Detective 624, Legends of the Dark Knight 13”

Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 48, Green Arrow 39

Wonder Woman 48 coverWonder Woman #48 – “Fang and Claw” – George Perez/Jill Thompson/Romeo Tanghal

Last issue, Diana (aka Wonder Woman) and Donna Long (aka Troia) came to Greece in response to some shared dreams they’d both been having. Diana suspected Circe might have something to do with it and her suspicions seemed to be confirmed when they were attacked by a were-creature (reminiscent of the Bestiamorphs Circe used as pawns before). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 48, Green Arrow 39”

Frankie Drake Mysteries Season 2, Episode 1

Frankie Drake Season 2 titleThe Old Switcheroo – Director: Ruba Nadda/Writer: Carol Hay

This one starts with Frankie’s mom (Nora) announcing she’s now on the board of the Royal Ontario Museum. Nora insists she just wants to bring some life to the stodgy old institution, but Frankie assumes Nora is looking for new suckers to fleece. They attend a lecture by an archaeologist named Marian Hartley (played by Lara Jean Chorostecki from X Company), who talks about meeting Howard Carter on a train and being invited to join him in Egypt. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that actually happened to Frankie. She and Marian are old acquaintances (definitely not friends) and Marian has apparently appropriated one of Frankie’s adventures and made it her own. Continue reading “Frankie Drake Mysteries Season 2, Episode 1”

Comics Reviews: New Titans 71, Legion 13, Suicide Squad 47

New Titans 71 coverNew Titans #71 – “Beginnings … Endings … and (We Promise) New Beginnings” – Marv Wolfman/Tom Grummett/Al Vey

This one starts with the Titans returning from a mission against someone named Flashfire. They discuss Troia’s recent nightmares and say farewell as she and Terry head off to Greece (which means this intro takes place before Wonder Woman 47). The Titans part ways, but plan to get together for a party at a restaurant later. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: New Titans 71, Legion 13, Suicide Squad 47”

Comics Reviews: Justice League America 44, Justice League Europe 20

Justice League America 44 coverJustice League America #44 – “Pastiche” – Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis/Adam Hughes/Jose Marzan Jr.

Last issue, a struggling tabloid reporter named Wally Tortolini won a poker game with a bunch of supervillians, collecting their various weapons (Brainstorm’s helmet, Crowbar’s crowbar, Sonar’s gun, Cavalier’s sword, Black Mass’s armbands, and Blackrock’s … uh, black rock) as his winnings. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Justice League America 44, Justice League Europe 20”

Frankie Drake Mysteries Season 1 Overview

toasting AnastasiaWell, that’s the first season of Frankie Drake Mysteries done. I thought I would like this show—since I love the 1920s setting and I always enjoy seeing kick-ass women—and I was right. The Twenties (and Thirties) always have a slightly pulpy feel to them, giving off that Indiana Jones/GURPS Cliffhangers vibe that I love. The cars, the guns, the fashions, and the overall feel of adventure only enhances the fun. We’ve already seen Frankie interact with several real-life characters, so I hope we get more of that next season. For me, it helps connect to the characters when they’re dealing with real history. Continue reading “Frankie Drake Mysteries Season 1 Overview”

Comics Reviews: Batman 456, Detective 623, Legends of the Dark Knight 12

Batman 456 coverBatman #456 – “Without Fear of Consequence” – Alan Grant/Norm Breyfogle/Steve Mitchell

Last issue, an epidemic of so-called “Crimes of Whim” started, where seemingly ordinary, law-abiding people suddenly decided to become homicidal maniacs, all while wearing skull masks. Batman stops the latest one, a department store Santa who went on a killing spree. The cops tell him the perpetrators have nothing in common and don’t seem to be acting under the influence of drugs or hypnosis. When one of the cops mentions Vicki Vale’s investigation of a guy named Marcuse, he goes to check it out. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 456, Detective 623, Legends of the Dark Knight 12”

Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 47, Green Arrow 38

Wonder Woman 47 coverWonder Woman #47 – “Common Ground” – George Perez/Jill Thompson/Romeo Tanghal

As you can tell from the cover, this story features Donna Troy (aka Troia) as a guest star. In post-Crisis continuity, Wonder Woman had nothing to do with Donna’s origin; in fact, they haven’t even met yet. And we’ll have to wait a while before they do, since they start off on opposite sides of the world. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 47, Green Arrow 38”

Frankie Drake Mysteries Reviews: Season 1, Episode 11

Frankie Drake titleOnce Burnt Twice Spied – Director: Peter Stebbings/Writer: Michelle Ricci

This one starts with Frankie teaching Mary how to develop photos. They’re interrupted by a phone call, which Mary takes. A voice on the phone says “Blue Lemonade” and hangs up and when Mary mentions the cryptic phrase to Frankie, she takes off immediately. Continue reading “Frankie Drake Mysteries Reviews: Season 1, Episode 11”

Comics Reviews: New Titans 70, Legion of Super-Heroes 12, Suicide Squad 46

New Titans 70 coverNew Titans #70 – “Clay Pigeons” – Steve Erwin/Will Blyberg

This is a Deathstroke solo story about him getting involved in politics in the (fictional) South American country of San Miguel. Deathstroke is hired by an arms dealer and rebel sympathizer named Ramon Trujillo to destroy some weapons the government planned to use against the rebel forces. Without their weapons, the government is forced to release the rebel leader Jorge Zaxtro, a champion of the poor (and an old friend of Trujillo’s) who’s been in prison for twenty-five years. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: New Titans 70, Legion of Super-Heroes 12, Suicide Squad 46”