That Serial Killer With Sharks Movie, "Dangerous Animals," is Actually Good?

I saw some trailers for a movie where a deranged serial killer played by Jai Courtney feeds people to sharks. It looked absurd. I read it was directed by Sean Bryne, who hadn't made a movie since 2015, with a screenplay by Nick Lepard (their first produced screenplay). I didn't have high hopes, but then I've read it is actually...good? Jai Courtney is deliciously unhinged, and the sharks are more like the serial killer's tool (like a knife) than the focal point. The central story is a cat-and-mouse game played between Courtney's character, Tucker (portrayed with Courtney's native Aussie accent), and Hassie Harrison as an American surfer girl named Zephyr who is more tenacious than expected when attempts are made to feed her to some sharks. 

Hearing that the movie is so bizarre that it somehow works piques my interest. I may just try to make time to see in theaters or at least rent it via the internet when that becomes an option (flicks come to streaming for rental faster and faster these days). I guess, "Serial killer, but uses a shark as the weapon" can be a winning formula!

"Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls," is a Fantastic First Volume of an Astonishing True Story

Robert Smalls was a real person. His life story sounds so wild, you would think it had to be dreamed up, but it happened. He was born a slave, but through tenacity, ingenuity, and his remarkable intelligence ended-up doing so much that, "Defiant: the Story of Robert Smalls," will be a trilogy of graphic novels--even though what happens in this debut one is already astounding enough that if Small had only done what this book covers, it would still be insanely impressive. Smalls managed to work a number of jobs, buy his freedom, and eventually helped a number of slaves escape during the Civil War when he stole a Confederate warship and was able to pilot it into Union waters--earning a nice bounty for doing so. These events are the focus of this first volume, and future ones will touch upon how he ended up serving as a Union General on the ship he brought the Union, served in Congress, and helped create the Public School system. As some text instructions within the book note, it is strange that someone who did so much has remained a historical footnote instead of being celebrated in classrooms and discussed in-depth when it comes to American history.

This first graphic novel has been written by the talented Rob Edwards with Ray-Anthony Height providing art. Created in a partnership between Stranger Comics and the production company known as Legion M, the idea is to eventually have the graphic novel series turned into a movie. When I heard this I was a bit leery of receiving a review copy of, "Defiant," as there have been other occasions where subpar comics were created as thinly-veiled pitches for flicks (you might recall, "Cowboys and Aliens," but I barely recall it and I wrote about it once). That said, this was a superb comic that, regardless of any planned future film adaptation, is a great read. The plan for multiple volumes allows Smalls' story to really breathe, with the narrative framing device of him telling his incredible life story to a grandchild adding a nice touch of how we pass stories down through generations to keep them fresh in our mind--with Smalls' life being an epic yarn indeed.

I want to thank Stranger Comics/Legion M for reaching out to offer me an advance review copy of the first volume of, "Defiant: the Story of Robert Smalls." I loved reading it and would encourage you to get a copy now that it has been released to all finer comic shops and bookstores as of today. I look forward to the future volumes and eventual film production as well!

5 out of 5 Stars.

A Portable Xbox Handheld is on the Way This Winter

We've got the Steam Deck for playing PC games via Steam, and now we're gonna get the Xbox ROG Ally (and Ally X) PC Gaming Handheld...yeah, that's an awful name, but the device itself sounds interesting! Due this Winter of 2025 (but with no price yet revealed), this Xbox-branded computer-gaming tool will essentially allow people to play their Xbox Game Pass games while out and about. 

I like the idea where you can play many of your computer games and your Xbox games all via this device while you're on the go (maybe there will be one that works in Steam too at some point). The fact that the cost hasn't been revealed yet makes me think it is going to be cheaper than expected--and that'll be a fun surprise--or cost more than one would hope (consumers would obviously prefer the former to the latter). I imagine we'll learn more as an official release date nears.

"Marvel Knights: The World to Come," #1 is a Fantastic Read--and Generating Spec Heat as Well

Sometimes a new comic generates speculation heat due to movie rumors, controversy, or such. Sometimes, a new comic comes out that is an absolutely fantastic read. It isn't too often we get a comic that accomplishes both of these bullet points, but the first issue of, "Marvel Knights: The World to Come," pulls it off. I was excited for the series when I first heard amazing writer Christopher Priest was teaming up with skilled artist (and former Marvel EIC) Joe Quesada for the new mini-series set in a possible future for Marvel. Having read the debut, my elation was well-placed as between Priest's way with words and Quesada's art abilities, it is a fantastic first issue.

"Marvel Knights: The World to Come," jumps around in time. It starts far in the future and comes closer to the present at points as well. It discusses events we haven't yet seen that sound quite bad, and one scene in time focuses on the Black Panther, T'Challa, and a son named Ketema, challenging him for the rule of Wakanda. Oh, and Ketema appears to be lighter-skinned/possibly white or capable of white-passing if he's biracial. How exactly he is T'Challa's son will be explored in future issues, of course, but right now, the internet got itself into a tizzy. Clickbait sites started making jokes/assertions that this is somehow going to impact the Marvel movies and give us a, "White Black Panther," and people who don't understand this is an alternate timeline with plenty of nuances to the story (Christopher Priest works many layers and such into his work) are confused/mad/excited/all the emotions. 

This has also resulted in many copies of the comic selling, and it is going for above cover price on eBay (a one-per-store surprise variant is especially getting hot). Some sites have explained why this is interesting, but not controversial by any means. Still, plenty of other sites peddle manufactured outrage, and it has gotten the issue attention. But hey, sales are sales, and the comic actually being fantastic is great too. I look forward to future issues and any potential headlines they generate!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Shout-out to my Friend Ryan at Attix Comics

As you all know, I try to support my local comic shops as much as possible. However, sometimes when you're after certain comics, you need to turn to comic-book retailers on the good ol' interwebs. One of my friends I met via the internet, a fellow named Ryan, has a cool shop called Attix Comics. I've bought from him a number of times, and he always is nice, prices things fairly, plus ships stuff with excellent care. I wanted to give him a shout-out as I bought a handful of stuff from him recently, and I am always impressed with his stellar customer service. Check out Attix Comics if you need some comics shipped your way in the near future!

"Fully Loaded," #1 is a Kick to the Face of Sci-Fi Fun

When I saw the solicitation for Jimmy Broxton's new comic, "Fully Loaded," it sounded pretty fun. Set in the year 2065 with a 100-year-old former special forces operator-turned-mobster-turned-retired fellow getting caught up in trouble, I figured it was worth a read. Set to be four big issues, I greatly enjoyed the debut featuring Broxton's writing, art, and letters (he did basically everything)! Carson Blake is the, "Hero's," name in this grim cyberpunk future. He's not someone to be trifled with, but one of his only friends has had their family abducted specifically to get Blake's attention, so now he's going to (hopefully) save the day.

Broxton beautifully illustrates everything from barren deserts to jam-packed cities. His comic has the snarky tone you'd expect someone fed-up with the World's bullshit to have (Blake is narrating evertying that happens), but that dash of sincere despair mixed into the proceeding keeps everything from feeling overly cynical and sarcastic. Watching Blake tell us how the World fell apart but then managed to keep chugging along due to how us humans refuse to quit--for better or worse--and then witnessing the surreal future with all its strange tech is disorienting and disturbing--but all in a good way. I want to give extra plaudits to Broxton for the hilarious little faux-advertisements and historical excerpts at the end of the comic that help ground us further in this desperately awful future.

The first issue of, "Fully Loaded," is harsh, edgy, and just plain fun. I had a great time reading it and look forward to future issues from Brotxon and his publisher, Scratch Comics. I wasn't especially familiar with Scratch Comics before now, but if they put out stuff such as, "Fully Loaded," I'm going to explore them more, too!

5 out of 5 Stars.

The Switch 2 Officially is for Sale

The Switch 2 is (theoretically) available in stores now. I previously discussed that it looked powerful and pricey at its $450 price point. That assessment still stands. Plus, many--including myself to a degree--are wondering if we're even nearing seeing the end of consoles (as we know them at least), considering almost any console can play any game these days (except with Nintendo only sharing stuff with other companies a little bit). That said, besides one store accidentally stapling through the screen of the new console on any copies they sold, this seems to be a relatively chill launch. Some folks waited in line, and a number had success even without a preorder. I haven't read of any absurd fist-fights breaking out or thefts occurring. 

Not everybody who wants a Switch 2 on day one is succeeding at getting the console, while some folks got multiples to flip for a profit (as always happens). Still, initial glitches or quirky system rules aside, this seems to have been a pretty relaxed debut of the new console without being so laid-back as to create the impression of a flop (the Wii U tried so hard but failed so epically). I'm in no rush to purchase a Switch 2. Cost of it aside, I have plenty of games I need to get into via my Game Pass on my Xbox Series S, as well as some PlayStation 5 titles I want to sample still. I don't need to add another console with fun games into the mix when I'm as behind on trying titles as I already am. That said, I wish anybody who has already acquired a Switch 2 hours upon hours of fun with the new, "Mario Kart World," or whatever they choose to play.

"Tedward," and his Misadventures Make for a Hilariously Dark Comic

Tedward is his name and, "Tedward," is the title of the hardcover Fantagraphics book collecting an assortment of his adventures, which I was able to acquire (some stuff was previously published in individual comics or such). Tedward has a lot of awful stuff happen to him, but he kind of has it coming. Tedward is a loser, but thankfully, he is entertaining to watch in his misadventures that occur due to how much of a dud of a human he is. Created by Josh Pettinger, we laugh at much of, "Tedward," because it is funny and because of how glad we are the awful things witnessed aren't happening to us.

Within the, "Tedward," book a variety of vignettes occur, some end up forming an over-arching story with consequences and some just portray how amazing a job Tedward does at achieving nothing but failure. He gets roped into a job that sounds more like an MLM by the minute and involves him using a pressure washer on attendees at sex parties. He drives away a first date with off-putting comments and extreme acts of love-bombing (this comic is guest-illustrated by the fantastic Simon Hanselmann, a friend of Josh Pettinger). Oh, and the one woman he may have a chance of a relationship with due to shared interests and her being patient with his awkwardness, ends up falling apart when he tells the police he thinks she altered a television that requires quarters to operate. 

I especially enjoyed the story with a fellow Tedward meets who eagerly proposes they become best friends due to their shared interest in mopeds, but that whole ordeal ends violently when the man is more degranged than friendly (that incident is maybe a little less Tedward's fault, one could argue). Still, Tedward gets himself into bad situations and, through his own actions, makes them a lot worse. If Tedward were a real person, he'd be someone you look at with both disdain and pity. He's a pretty shitty guy, but his only skils are paper machie and saying the worst possible thing in a social situation so you almost feel guilty expending any energy disliking him--the guy sucks so why pile-on him?

Pettinger's art helps impart a great deal of the, "Vibe," we feel when reading about Tedward. He's both metaphorically a square and a literal blockhead with his awkward haircut. His fashion sense (or lack thereof) stands out amongst everything else. The world around Tedward pops with life--but he's a black hole of a human being. During a moment towards the end when Tedward has a near-death experience, the sudden shift of art into a fantastical and sci-fi look for a number of pages helps to only further emphasize how dull and dreary Tedward is when he's alive in our World--if you can call Tedward's existence living. 

Pretty much everyone else around Tedward has something (good or bad) that makes them interesting. Tedward, however? His biggest claim to fame is he once invented faulty, "Sex trousers," that make it easer than with regular pants with a zipper to take your penis out. Then, without having to take off your pants, you can have intercourse and avoid what Tedward believes is the worst part--legs touching. As I said, he is a black hole of a human, but watching him negatively impact the lives of anyone he encounters is fascinating--I highly recommend buying/getting from the library/etc. a copy of, "Tedward." He might be awful, but the book about him is great!

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Ugh! As If! Clueless," is a Fantastic Literary Exploration of a Superb Movie

I have a weird affinity for the movie, "Clueless." Advertised towards teenage girls when it was released and developed a significant LGBTQ audience, I don't seem like the targeted demographic as a cisgender, white, heterosexual man. However, as the author, Veronica Litt, extensively explores, one thing sticks out heavily with, "Clueless." Namely, its optimism. It is a movie you watch to feel good. There is drama, and there are conflicts, but at the end of the day, the main character (Alicia Silverstone's Cher) makes up with her friends, gets the guy (Paul Rudd), and becomes a better person by looking inward. "Clueless," hit theaters in 1995 and it is funny to think that before and after its release, there are just so many cynical and sad movies that don't assume the best of people or how we can grow as individuals. I'm a pessimistic and cynical person sometimes too, but a cheery and hopeful flick like, "Clueless," holds a special place in my heart, and it clearly does for Litt as well.

"Clueless," is by no means a flawless movie. Litt gives it the flowers it is metaphorically due while also interrogating some of the more questionable elements. Yes, Cher is portrayed as a chunk younger than her ex-stepbrother (a former step-sibling from one of her father's many marriages) she ends up falling for in a plot point that is a little iffy but mainly saved by how damn charming Rudd was (and still is). Yes, the movie's race-blind casting is admirable, but its total ignorance of touching upon racial politics intersecting with wealth at all is a big missed opportunity. The fact a movie in 1995 has an out gay character who isn't reduced to a stereotype or the butt of jokes (Justin Walker as Christian) is incredible. Still, that character is given little to do in the plot or shown with a boyfriend, whilst everyone else is hooking up, which is also a notable issue. Plus, the movie comes this close to criticizing how Cher wants the rich people to end up with rich people romantically and the lower-class with lower-class without outright stating as much, but at the conclusion, everyone is partnered up with their wealth, "Equal." These are all flaws that Litt has zero hesitation about diving into, while still making it clear she unequivocally adores, "Clueless," despite its issues, an opinion I share.

The famous yellow blazer.

Litt also digs into the rich irony that a movie critical of consumption and materialism ended up having a ton of merchandise by the time the television spin-off of the movie occurred, and ample tie-in goodies in the years since as our nostalgia for the film has been preyed upon by advertisers. Clearly, each chapter does a fantastic job examining different elements of, "Cluess," and where it succeeds or stumbles. This isn't an apologetic softball defense of the flick or a brutal take-down, it is a piece that isn't afraid to offer constructive criticism of, "Clueless," and honor how stellar a movie it is despite any issues. I loved reading, "Ugh! As If! Cluess," and would recommend you ask your bookstore/library/etc. to get you a copy. It just released into stores now (I was provided an advance copy for the purpose of review by ECW Press) and is a perfect companion to read between numerous rewatches of the film. Plus, with it announced a Peacock series following the characters in adulthood might be on the way the movie is fresh in everyone's mind too.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Music Mondays: A Parody of Kidz Bop That Actually Hits Pretty Hard, Who Would Have Thought?

Kidz Bop is a long-running franchise that takes popular songs and gets permission/pays money to do unique covers. Kidz Bop versions of songs feature children singing the tunes and on occasions where it is called for, changing lyrics. This can be vaguely hilarious as some songs have to be heavily altered to be more G-rated lest the kiddos listening be exposed to sex, drugs, violence, or other, "Adult," subjects. I don't know about you, but witnessing, "Hot to Go!" on the mega-television at Chuck E. Cheese when I take Clarkson there cracks me up--"Dancing here with me," instead of, "Doing it with me," indeed. That said, what happens if a song were so clearly not meant for children that to make it Kidz Bop-workable, you had to just change the whole song? That results in a Kidz Bop parody that slaps more than it has any right to.

JonFlëtch took, "Not Like Us," by Kendrick Lamar and made his own Kidz Bop-esque ditty, "We Ride the Bus." It alters the entirety of Lamar's song to make a young ears-friendly jam that is both intentionally funny and still quite catchy. Instead of pointing out Drake's questionable romantic interests with, "A-Minor!" the lyrics now discuss getting a good grade in school, "A-Minus!" and otherwise sound like what would happen if Kidz Bop actually tried to do ,"Not Like Us," for the youth--the deadpan near-authenticity of how it could work makes it even funnier. Much respect to JonFlëtch, he probably made the Godfather of parody songs, Weird Al Yankovic, proud!

"Paranoid Gardens," Was a Great Comic, as a New Review Reminded Me

Back in August of 2024, I reviewed the first issue of the five-issue mini-series, "Paranoid Gardens." I loved it and greatly enjoyed the whole thing when it was done. Teagan O'Neil has posted her review of the mini-series on The Comics Journal and she reminded me just how damn good a comic it was. Gerard Way of, "Umbrella Academy," and Young Animal imprint fame (he's also been in a band lots of folks like called My Chemical Romance, but I only know like one song) wrote it with Shaun Simon and the amazing Chris Weston provided art. Weston was the artist on one of my favorite comics/books/publications of all time, "The Filth," so anything they're involved in deserves attention--so combine that with how I love Gerard Way's comics and yeah, "Paranoid Gardens," is worth a read.

As I discussed and Teagan talks about too, the comic is very quirky with its strange medical facility that helps everyone from space aliens to superheroes and more. It is surreal and full of metaphors (a bit like, "The Filth," honestly) but at its heart is a story about healing from trauma. As Tegan notes, " It is definitely a good comic." Can't be more concise than that! I'd encourage folks to seek out, "Paranoid Gardens," for sure.

There is a Sandal With a Bottle Opener in the Bottom

Samii and I had finally gotten around to watching the first season of, "Fallout," on Amazon Prime (it was really good), and we had to put up with some ads. One ad that I at first thought was some kind of joke involved REEF sandals. These shoes apparently have a bottle opener on the bottom. Why? I suppose if you're at the beach and wanna have a bottle of soda/beer/etc. the idea is that it is helpful. The whole thing seemed odd, and my wife was so annoyed having to put up with ads, she decided she already hated the sandals for interrupting our show. That said, I wondered, were these sandals a silly gimmick or any good?

 From my looking around online, REEF sandals are apparently quite high quality and have great reviews. The bottle opener on the bottom is more a of, "Bonus," or calling card, than the main feature. People find them sturdy, comfortable...and they have a random bottle opener. The only complaint I noticed from digging around on the internet is that if you step in something soft and gross, it can get stuck in the bottle opener area--don't wear these on the farm unless you like manure in your shoes! Still, that qualm aside, REEF sandals are a bit pricey, but worth it after all--gimmick or not. Samii is still annoyed we had to watch the ad 50 or so times while we binged the season, however.

My Usual Disclaimer: REEF did not pay me to compliment their shoes or is even aware of my blog; I just felt like writing a post about them. That said, I as will always email them a link to the article to share my thoughts with them.

Clipse Has a New Album Coming After Years of Waiting

Pusha T and No Malice have not released an album as the sibling duo Clipse since 2009. They did solo projects and even reunited for some guest tracks and appearances as Clipse, but it has been over 15 years since an actual LP. That changes in 2025, however. On July 11th, "Let God Sort Em Out," will be released, with the single, "Ace Trumpets," being the first off the album to be released for our eager ears. With Pharellel Williams involved, it is bound to be good. Give it a listen...

That's some good stuff right there, riffing on various subjects from infamous Oscar slaps, to A$AP Rocky and Rihanna's relationship, to Mario and Luigi video-games, to Lion King movies. I look forward to the full album hitting the streets on 7/11/25.

My Sympathies to any Comic Publishers Still Dealing with Diamond's Nonsense

Diamond Comic Distributors was sold to Universal Distribution and Ad Populum. They split it up and seem to be breaking it down for parts. A lot of divisions were closed and one wonders how much longer, "Diamond," as we know it will be distributing any comics. Dynamite is probably the biggest publisher that didn't jump ship when everything went horribly wrong with Diamond, and they're displeased due to being owed at least half a million dollars. A fantastic smaller publisher known as Fairsquare Graphics had thoughts shared on Comicsbeat where it was discussed how Diamond was the best option for smaller publishers, even if it wasn't a great option...and then it all fell apart in 2025, quite quickly. As the head of Fairsquare, Fabrice Sapolsky, noted, "...after a whole roller-coaster soap opera style five months, Diamond has been sold in pieces to AdPopulum and Universal. The latter did not take over the books and comic book division. And the former bought it to, as it seems, fold it, and just keep the warehouse. What a waste." A waste, indeed, if Diamond truly will cease to exist in any functional form before the year's end.

Hopefully, a distributor who wants to work with smaller publishers does arise as PRH and Lunar tend to prefer, "Bigger dogs," so-to-speak. Diamond, to its past credit, would work with anyone who put up the relatively modest amount of funds needed to get their book sent to any stores that ordered it. That time has passed, however, and we live in an era where Kickstarter, direct-to-customer sales, print-to-order, and so forth may be the order of the day for your small and micro publishers. We shall see.

Peter David Has Passed

Peter David has passed. He was 68. David wrote a ton of comics I loved. One of my favorite comic runs has to be his extended tenure(s) on, "X-Factor," with the one post-"Houe of M," being extra stupendous. He was also amazing anytime he wrote anything Hulk-related, 2099-era stuff, and the list just goes on and on. David had suffered a number of health issues, including a 2012 stroke, followed by a number of issues post-2022. David at times faced some controversy for very public spats with other comic creators, and once apologized for anti-Romni comments he made at a 2016 comic-con panel. Considering some of the fiascos comic creators have publicly faced (Ellis, Gaiman, etc.), these are relatively minor blunders, but they got a lot of attention at the time.

The most recent comic by Peter David I read and quite enjoyed was a, "Joe Fixit," mini-series published in 2023 that focused on Bruce Banner/the Hulk's time in Vegas as the gray-skinned Joe Fixit back in a previous David comic run. It was incredibly fun and also featured a good deal of Spider-Man and the Kingpin being written as superbly as David could write any character (others online agreed with me). David was one of my favorite writers, along with Grant Morrison, Christopher Priest, and such. He will be deeply missed and leaves behind an amazing body of work in comics, prose, internet musings, and so forth.

"Deadpool/Batman," and, "Batman/Deadpool," Comics Are Officially On the Way!

It had been teased that Marvel and DC would be doing some crossovers, and I received a wild birthday present today with the official announcement of, "Deadpool/Batman," coming this September to be followed by, "Batman/Deadpool," in November. A lot of names are involved from big-time folks (Grant Morrison, Kevin Smith, Greg Capullo," to names that aren't as big but have talent (Zeb Wells, Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson). These two big comics will be published in turn by Marvel and DC--with back-up features of other characters in the respective Universes' crossover. It's been over two decades since the last (new) intercompany crossover between DC and Marvel, so this is quite big news.

More crossovers are apparently planned into 2026, and I am quite curious who else from the two companies will be meeting up in future publications. In the meantime, I'm pretty excited for this crossover of a quite serious hero (Batman) with a decidedly sillier sometimes-baddie/sometimes-good guy (Deadpool). I'll be sure to check this out!

I'm 37 Today!

Today is my 37th birthday. 37 is notable as being the twelfth prime number, a fun fact I learned today when I used Google. In fact, 37 is considered a, "Sexy Prime," as it is six more than the 11th prime number (31) and six less than the 13th prime number (43), as I understand it. So yes, I'm not getting old, I'm entering my sexy prime era!

I'm thankful to have been alive this long and hope to continue living many more years that I can enjoy with my loved ones. I'm thankful that at this point in my life that I have my wonderful wife, Samii, and my sweet boys, Clarkson and Gibson. I've earned some degrees and had various interesting jobs-- I look forward to doing more cool stuff as I age, too. I may, "Only," be 37, but I feel pretty accomplished!

When AI, "Reads," or "Writes," For You It is Garbage-In and Garbage-Out

I use Grammarly in my web browser. It assists me with correcting my spelling and fixing obvious grammar issues that I miss because me no always write goodly (that sentence set it off a lot). So, yes, I have used AI to help me with my writing in that regard. I have never, however, used it to write my opinion on something or do a work-type project. If I want to tell you a comic/show/movie is awesome or sucks, I'll just take the damn time to tell you. I won't say, "Hey, ChatGPT/Google Gemini/whatever summarize in 500 words why I think, 'Jurassic Park,' is one of my top three movies ever," when I could instead just tell you it why it rocks in 30 words or less--dinosaurs are awesome, Spielberg was at the top of his directing game, Ian Malcom is a sex symbol of a character, and velocorapors eating Samuel L. Jackson is twistedly hilarious. AI has its place, but when you rely on it to, "Look," at the internet and give you content, it is going to have horrific results because the internet is an awful place full of misinformation and outright lies (not my site though, I'm the best, please love me).

It is a case of garbage-in and garbage-out. The AI is going to write junk articles and we will use AI to look at the internet for us and summazie all that junky writing with the result being pure bullshit. Look at what happened when an AI wrote a piece about Summer fun for National newspapers and made up a bunch of books and authors of articles. We are letting the computer write nonsense, and then we don't even click the links to verify the legitimacy of the writing; we just let AI read it too and tell us the gist of something. It's like cliffnotes all-around, only if everyone involved had their head firmly up their ass. This isn't a surprise considering we have AI, "Writing," books for us too. Perhaps if we pay writers better, then it won't fall to AI to create our books or lists about books, or as author Gabino Iglesias puts it, "Pay writers, and then we can write these fake books that don't exist."

Oh, and for those curious, my other top two movies in no particular order are, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," and, "Network." I didn't need a damn AI to tell me they were my favorites either.

Consider Giving to the GoFundMe for Altered State Comics' Brandon

One of the owners of Altered State Comics, Brandon, has been diagnosed with cancer. I love the folks over at Altered State so much and would encourage everyone to give to the GoFundMe that was established for Brandon or to swing by the store and donate. As the campaign discusses, "Brandon now faces a challenging road ahead, including chemotherapy treatments that will require strength, time, and of course the occasional break from the day-to-day operations of Altered State (even though he'll still make himself work more than he needs to)." 

All the money raised will go towards medical bills and cancer treatment, keeping Altered State Comics open and running during his recovery, and supporting Brandon and his family during this very difficult time. Brandon is a fantastic individual, and I wish him and everyone at Altered State Comics the very best. Again, that GoFundMe link is here.

The Two Big Upcoming, "Avengers," Flicks are Delayed

The next two Avengers films are, "Avengers: Doomsday," and, "Avengers: Secret Wars." They were due to come out in May 2026 and May 2027, but have been pushed back six months to December 2026 and December 2027. I'm not surprised. I mean, considering it seems like basically everyone from a past Marvel/X-Men/whatever movie is involved in this, I imagine there are a lot of logistics to figure out in regards to actors' schedules, creating special effects, and the like.

I imagine when these two flicks do come out, they will be huge, making a lot of money and getting all the hype Marvel has desired but failed to attain since the one-two punch of, "Infinity War," and, "Endgame." My theory (and one others online have expressed) remains that with, "Secret Wars," we will do a big continuity reset so that all MCU-centric films will from that point forward be in a new Universe that takes pieces of all the movies but is a fresh World for anyone who wants to be able to have a brand-new starting point for Marvel flicks. That way, they can keep old stuff that works, dump stuff that doesn't, and add in new elements (live-action Miles Morales has got to be coming soon). We'll have to wait a little extra to see, I suppose.

There Are Two Comic Shows This Weekend!

This weekend, there will be two different comic shows/cons occurring. I'll be at one but am missing the other. Let's discuss..

On Sunday, there will be the always-delightful Spector Club show held at 7300 Lansdowne in Shrewsbury (the VFW). The show will have a bunch of the usual vendors and has posted that artist David Zimmermann will be doing commissions. Plus, Exterminator Comics is setting up for the first time in a good while with lots of cheap comics. I am excited to check the show out!

Today, tomorrow, and Sunday, the first-ever 2 Rivers Comic-Con is occurring at the Foundry Arts Center and the Steel Shop Event Center. It has a number of cool guests, but I most likely won't be attending as I'm busy with the kiddos today, have some obligations Saturday (pre-birthday celebrations and such), then will be at the aforementioned Spector club show a chunk of Sunday before tackling other commitments in the afternoon. I imagine my friends who are able to attend 2 Rivers will let me know how the show was, and I may be able to go to a future one. I hope that if you're in the area that you are able to go to one show or both--and that you have fun!

They Went and Killed the U.S. Penny

The United States Treasury unveiled its plans today to commit murder. The victim is over two centuries old, made of copper, and known as the penny. Yes, the Treasury confirmed plans to stop making our one-cent coins and effectively kill the penny. It's been talked about for years, even though we lose more money making nickels than pennies, and has been one of those pet obsessions of Donald Trump. 

The penny won't disappear right away, but eventually, any businesses engaging in cash transactions may need to round down or up. We also need to make nickels cheaper to produce--this has to be implemented, or else this cost-saving measure of getting rid of the penny could be messy because of how that will now be the lowest denomination coin and therefore may be the most-produced as the penny currently is/was. Many people don't use cash that much or put a particular, "Value," on the penny, often leaving them in little change trays at locations. I'm not going to argue that pennies are especially important to our economy and have to still exist, but I will miss them when they do mostly disappear from our currency exchanges in due time. At least ol' Abraham Lincoln still will get to enjoy appearing on the five-dollar bill.

"Heavy Metal Magazine," is Back With it's (Reboot) Debut Issue

"Heavy Metal," the edgy comic magazine, was due to return in 2025. Well, it is 2025, and here it is on newsstands and at comic shops. With the talented Frank Forte as the helm as EIC, I had hopes it would be an enjoyable read. I have good news in that it was a great (and big) magazine of fun!

"Heavy Metal," is known for wild fantasy stories, crazy sci-fi comics, and quite often plenty of boobs. This new iteration has all of that and more. There are some nonfiction pieces looking back at the previous generation of, "Heavy Metal," and all the talent involved. This may be a reboot of sorts, but it acknowledges where it came from. An absurd number of talents are involved in this debut, and it would take too big a chunk of space to name everyone, so I'll just spotlight that Jim Rugg's story of space aliens was my favorite with its retro-kitsch style--nothing was bad, however, so that's encouraging for the future issues as well.

In the old days a lot of comics were too squeaky clean besides the underground comix and magazines like, "Heavy Metal." I wondered if in this new era where plenty of indie comics push the envelope of content if, "Heavy Metal," could still stand out. Well, even if more comics these days have the violence and nudity some adults crave, "Heavy Metal," still provides a nice fantastical edge to everything with its wildly inventive stories, artwork, and all-around envelope-pushing vibe--even if that envelope is now more pushing the boundaries of creativity as opposed to simply shocking folks with nipples in a comic. Give this new iteration of, "Heavy Metal," a chance--I'm quite pleased with it myself.

5 out of 5 Stars.

News, Links, and Other Tidbits for May 2025

May Flowers, Still Getting Showers

We're past the halfway point of May. We got plenty of bad weather this month despite the supposed April showers giving us the May flowers, but so it goes. I feel like March was an utter slog, April did fly by, and May has moved at a relatively speedy clip as well. A number of interesting things have occurred that I would maybe not dedicate a whole article to, but I definitely want to mention. Let's get into it...

Things to Read

Marvel is going to be doing, "Retrovision," variant covers featuring various artists riffing on the Silver Age of comics and before. A number of these look really fun, and I love some faux-nostalgia.

For a title like, 'Mission Impossible," it is funny to think they're on the eighth, "Mission," or so with the newest flick. That said, Tom Cruise is an actor whom I don't like much as a person based on what I've read about him, but I will say the man is great in flicks. He and I also both love popcorn, apparently. The man downs a lot of popcorn, more than a reasonable person or even I would eat.

"The Precinct," is a new game set in the 1980's where you play a police officer with a top-down view reminiscent of the old-school, "Grand Theft Auto," series. Except, as I noted, you're a cop. It's a nice hook, but reviews of the game have been mostly middling. Perhaps I'll rent it for my PS5 or wait for it to come to Game Pass on the Xbox.

NPR ranked all of this season's musical guests on, "Saturday Night Live," as they've been doing for awhile. I mostly agree with the list except I'd move Lady Gaga from the #2 spot to the top and put Lizzo up higher as well, moving Chappel Roan down to where Lizzo was (still decently high). That's just me, though.

Bruce Springsteen is a popular musician and a human being with opinions. He expressed during a performance that he feels Donald Trump is unfit for office (for the record, I agree). Due to the fact Trump is a fascist, he can't stand someone using their freedom of speech to slander him. Hence, Trump is going to investigate Springsteen for...reasons? When a President can sic the government on people in a form of petty revenge for their thoughts, we've moved well into authoritarianism. 

I enjoy visiting Malls and my eldest, Clarkson, adores them as he can't get enough of the escalators and elevators there. Mad Cave Studios is releasing a new original graphic novel titled, "Xero," and it features subterranean and unending Mall that a man named Xero is stuck in looking for his girlfriend. Written by Vaho with art from Felipe Flores, the description mentions, "This haunting dystopian journey blends pop art, manga, and philosophical horror into a searing meditation on late-stage consumerism, false comfort, and the cost of waking up." I'm all here for it, even if this Mall sounds like a place I'd avoid.

Christopher Priest is such a good writer that I will read comics featuring characters I don't normally give a hoot about if he's penning their adventures. With that in mind, I've not read much of, "Red Sonja," but if he is doing the new comic, "Sonja Reborn," you can bet I'm gonna grab a copy!

Lastly, I've been greatly enjoying, "Yes Chef," on NBC/Peacock. It is another cooking competition show but it has some big names as judges (Martha Stewart and José Andrés), plus a clever, vaguely cruel twist where the winning chefs in a competition basically have to choose who gets voted off. It's worth a viewing.

MAX is HBO MAX...Again

You may recall when HBO MAX started just going by, "MAX," but everyone still called it, "HBO MAX." Well, I have, "Good," news, you can continue to ignore the idea of just calling it MAX because Warner Bros. Discovery has officially rebranded it right back to, "HBO MAX," for...reasons? I mean, people know, "HBO," can mean quality, so the streamer wants to come across as not just being trashy reality television--that's the job of the Discovery+ app, God bless it. When the change was announced, it was basically acknowledged people would mock it, with HBO's own John Oliver getting a shout-out; he did indeed go into this subject on his show, joining everyone in ripping HBO MAX for the rebrand-to-an-old-brand.

Sometimes, a rebrand can be the best thing possible for a company. For example, I just recently posted how the good folks behind the Pizza Cupcake were making new products and therefore changed their name to Incredifulls with the Pizza Cupcake as a product--that makes sense! Other times, however, a rebrand just looks stupid. This is one of those times. So, HBO MAX--in the words of music producer and inspirational speaker D.J. Khaled, "Congratulations, you played yourself."

The, "Battle Beast," Comic Blind Bags Were a Hit--Now Will Everyone Poorly Imitate Them?

Battle Beast is a character in the, "Invincible," comic universe. He just got a spin-off comic set in that World, and folks are going wild for it--but not due to the art or story (although it's a fun comic). You see, they did a blind bag promotion for this comic, and it has sold like hotcakes. There were multiple covers that were solicited, including cover C which was a polybag with a mystery cover inside. It could be almost any of the other covers, from a ratio to some kind of surprise. Folks bought these up and have enjoyed seeing some cool rare sketch covers, reprints of other fun comics (including a, "Marvel Team Up," with Invincible and Spider-Man that Marvel approved a new printing of), and these blind bags were only $3.99--making it seem like a pretty cheap buy-in to potentially get a cool and rare cover for less than a Mega Millions Quick Pick (ever since the price went up). I bought one to read and got...the standard cover B. Still, it was fun, but I have a big concern now: Everyone else is going to run this into the ground.

When a gimmick does well, everyone who can copy it will do so as long as there isn't some kind of trademark/copyright/legal issue to stop them. Glow-in-the-dark covers, lenticular covers, die-cut covers, they all became a big thing--it isn't just comics, either. When crafting weapons or food in video-games became popular, suddenly every game had some kind of hunting mechanic. When Marvel made a successful cinematic universe, all these other studios tried (and mostly failed) to do the same. If one idea does well, everybody who can attempt to replicate it will usually do so in some fashion--and most of the time not as well. 

An unexpected surprise option of the blind bags.

The, "Battle Beast," blind bag was a hit for Skybound (an imprint of Image) thanks to a number of factors all happening together. It is a comic featuring a popular character with the, "Invincible," show on Amazon Prime fresh in everyone's mind. This blind bag was cheap (for a comic), as well. Plus, it had some surprise comics nobody expected like the, "Marvel Team-Up," reprinting legit surprising folks.I don't look forward to DC or Marvel trying to do a blind bag variant themselves for a character nobody cares about and asking $9.99 for it, only to be surprised when it flops. 

You all may think I'm overworrying, but if somebody wants to bet me a dollar coffee from Scooters that within the next six months we will have at least six different blind bag promotions solicited (possibly from six different publishers, and maybe even from a single publisher that just goes all-in) I'll take at least one of those bets--where I'm the guy saying six-or-more and I'll feel pretty comfy with that wager. Let's see where the rest of 2025 takes us, I suppose, but I'm pretty sure my George Washington will be safe in my wallet.

I Tried That, "Dubai Chocolate," the Internet Keeps Talking About

The internet/TikTok will sometimes focus on random stuff. The color of a dress or whether 100 men could beat a gorilla in a fight becomes a huge discussion. Lately, "Dubai Chocolate," has been going viral. There are various brands of chocolate that count as Dubai Chocolate, but the basic idea is that it is chocolate with a filling made of kadayif and pistachio. I did not try the original version, but I bought a version sold at the Nuts and Candy store I like visiting. I enjoyed it.

One thing should be made clear: If you hate pistachios, you will in no way, shape, or form like Dubai Chocolate, regardless of the brand. If you enjoy Pisactho, however, it is pretty yummy. The chocolate (which can vary in quality by brand) generally complements the nutiness well. If you're buying the pricey Dubai Chocolate (some expensive iterations are out there) then you may enjoy Dubai Chocolate even more, but my generic version was pretty good too. Basically, if you enjoy the flavor of pisacho, you'll enjoy the pricey or cheap varieties of Dubai Chocolate/knock-off brands. Hell, you can find some at Costco now. I'd eat it again.

A Tornado Hit Parts of Saint Louis Yesterday and Caused Severe Damage

Yesterday showed how unpredictable the weather can be. In Ballwin and Manchester there was a bit of rain and some thunder...but little else. Chesterfield got hail so violent it busted car windshields, however. Then, parts of the city and county had suspected tornado activity that caused a ton of damage to trees, cars, and properties. A number of people died, and it is upsetting to see Saint Louis (or any area) suffer a natural disaster. The devastation is widespread, showcasing how one spot can randomly be fine, and 10 minutes away, a spot got clobbered. My heart goes out to everyone impacted, and I would encourage you to look into how to receive help (if you need it) or give help (If you want to volunteer/donate) at this link or via Googling how to assist, depending on your location.

When Even the, "Price is Right," Audience Groans At Your Product (an Apple Vision Pro) That Says a Lot

"The Price is Right" sometimes does a "The Price is Right at Night" special with significantly more expensive prizes, trips, and so forth. During a segment where everyone guesses the price of an Apple Vision Pro, even the closest bid was under by $2,000 or so, and the audience audibly groaned when they heard how expensive this device is—$3,500. I mean, this is a show where people get more excited over a coffeemaker than you'd think possible (and I'm saying that as someone who values their coffeemaker), so when even an audience on, "The Price is Right," can't get behind your product, that is saying something. Drew Carey even seemed surprised reading off the price tag.

I'm not exactly surprised the bids were low and the crowd was unenthused. I've always been skeptical of these virtual reality headsets and had extremely little excitement when this thing was announced back in 2023. If even Apple can't nail the whole virtual reality headset, "Trend," and they misfire, then perhaps this is a concept we should quit trying to make happen. That's my two cents, which is about how much I'm willing to spend on these VR headsets, as it is.

A New, "The Invisible Man," Comic is on the Way

I've been enjoying the Universal Monsters-themed comics from Image's Skybound imprint. Their sequels/retellings/etc. have been superb among the issues I have had the chance to read. That is why I'm excited for a new, "The Invisible Man," comic written by  James Tynion IV with art by DaNi and colors by Brad Simpson. There are old tales about an invisible man, more modern retellings and takes, and I have been a fan of many iterations. 

This version of the story goes with the solicitation of, "Jack Griffin has always been invisible to the people around him — at least in his own mind. But when an experimental breakthrough presents a path to make his dreams of invisibility a reality, no one — not even the woman he loves — will stand in his way. Witness Griffin’s legendary descent into madness as his humanity fades away and the monster inside is revealed, leaving only… THE INVISIBLE MAN!" Sounds like some scary fun to me; I look forward to the debut issue on August 27th!

The Full, "Superman," Trailer Is Out

I watched the new, "Full," AKA not teaser trailer for, "Superman." It appears to be action-packed with a dash of playful optimism (something we haven't seen for a while, considering the tone of Snyder's Superman-centric films). It asks serious questions about a Superbeing flying around the World and intervening in conflicts, but also manages to show Superman punching a Kaiju right in the face in epic fashion--we've got a variety of tones being balanced extremely carefully, in other words. James Gunn is the new overseer of the DC Cinematic Universe (with Peter Safran as well) and Gunn is in the director's chair for, "Superman." Warner Bros. Discovery has a ton riding on this movie being good and successful. This trailer makes me suspect he might nail it, with David Corenswet's Clark Kent/Superman looking like a great casting, and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane seeming superb as well. Give it a look below:

Doesn't that just seem fun? There are occasions I want to sit down and just see a fun movie--this looks like a good time that will fit the bill. "Superman," hits theaters on July 11th. I know I'm going to try and get my rear end into the theaters to see it!

The Pizza Cupcake is Now...Incredifulls!

Earlier this year I wrote about how I loved the Pizza Cupcake. As all of you readers might recall, I first found it Target. Well, the good folks behind the Pizza Cupcake appreciated my kind words and have kept me updated about their products since then. Now, they've done something quite interesting and changed the name to, "Incredifulls!" They still have the Pizza Cupcake but have released a breakfast item of egg and cheese--with more fun stuff planned.

I can't wait to try the new breakfast-focused Incredifull option (I'll be making a Target trip soon to get some) and will keep you all updated about anything else cool the company does!

Mike Wolfer Has Launched a Snazzy New, "Widow," Kickstarter With New-Reader Promotions

I've been a longtime fan of any works that are by or feature Mike Wolfer. He's spent the last two years re-releasing his, "Widow," series in full color, with uncensored elements, and edits done to art, dialogue, and the lettering itself (letterer Natalie Jane has been amazing too). Titled as, "Widow Unleashed," the series is now up to the 19th and 20th issues in the latest Kickstarter campaign! To celebrate two years of, "Widow Unleashed," previous back issues are 50% off, and these new latest issues are friendly for fresh readers wanting to dive in right at this point in the series. I'd encourage folks to check out Mike's latest campaign and take advantage of the discounts to stock-up on Widow-related goodness!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Motherly Figures

I want to wish a happy Mother's Day to anyone who is a mother, plays the role of a mother in a child's life, or has wanted to be a mother but has faced a struggle in achieving such a goal. I want to express a deep love and appreciation for all the moms I've had in my life, from my own awesome one (Ellen), to my Mother-in-Law, Kim, who we miss very much. I also, obviously, am thankful for and adore my wife, Samii, who is the mother to our kiddos! Happy Mother's Day to them and everyone else wanting to show some love to a mom/motherly figure!

Andre 3000 Dropped a Piano EP

Andre 3000 was at the Met Gala on Monday, and as with many there, he had a wild outfit. His getup featured a (simulated) piano strapped to his back, and at the same time, he dropped a surprise EP titled, "7 Piano Sketches." His website discusses how it was material recorded over some years that was meant, at first, more as an experiment to share with friends. It is a fun example of someone who is quite gifted just messing and having fun--with aurally enjoyable results. He is still not rapping, but he doesn't have to do that for us to listen. I've said before that Andre 3000 owes us nothing, so the fact he is giving us anything, be it an album with woodwinds or him tinkering at a piano, is lovely.