It's Always Interesting When a Comic Gets More Issues Instead of Less

Often a comic will supposedly launch as an ongoing series but end up lasting all of 6-12 issues and become a, "Stealth mini-series/maxi-series." Not too often, a comic starts as a mini/maxi and is so popular that it becomes ongoing. It happened with the old, "Transformers," comic and was a recent occurrence with the smash-hit, "Something is Killing the Children," but again, it is rare. Hence, it is interesting to see, "Poison Ivy," and her self-titled series went from being launched as six issues, to twelve, to now being a full ongoing.

I haven't read the comic yet, but I've heard good things about it. Written by G. Willow Wilson with art done by Marcio Takara, I have noticed a ton of great covers for the series and as I said, I've been told the plotting and art within the comic are superb. A collection of the first six issues will be released as, "Volume 1," when the 12th issue hits stands and then the 13th issue will roll out after that, with more to come!

It is Odd How They Air Big Super Bowl Ads BEFORE the Super Bowl

Imagine you have a big television show or movie coming out. Then, a few days before it is set to release in theaters/on a streaming platform/etc. you just plop it on YouTube for everyone to see the highlights. I know an advertisement is different than a movie or show, but that's how I feel about Super Bowl ads being put online a number of days before the actual Super Bowl.

A part of me understands. Companies spend a ton of money to get these ads on the air and want to get their full monies' worth. If you spent 7 million just to broadcast your ad and even more on producing it and promoting it ya gotta squeeze that orange for all the juice you can. That said, the ads have always been a big selling point of the Super Bowl--especially for those who could care less about Football (you can't see this, but I'm raising my hand to identify myself). A person can avoid being spoiled, but I have never been especially upset about having something spoiled in a movie or television show, let alone an ad. Still, if there aren't cool new 30-second spots to get excited about because the Today show is already showcasing them or they're everywhere online, what's the point of shelling out all that money or watching the Super Bowl itself? 

There is the halftime show, I guess, but even though last year it was amazing it is a bummer this year we have Rhianna. I'm sorry but when you've got 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop Dogg (along with Anderson .Paak on the drums) and then give me Rhianna, that's a downgrade. I've never been a fan of her yodeling in most of her songs and hearing Rhianna was making new music again served to remind me how much I don't like her music.

We've got a bunch of spoiled advertisements, a mediocre halftime performer, and a sport I don't follow much at all. I'm still going to watch it because it's the Super Bowl and there is fun to be had in viewing it. I just find some decisions about showcasing the ads in advance or having Rhianna do the halftime show to be baffling choices.

This Comic Sales Report From Silver Sprocket is Interesting

Silver Sprocket is a comic-book publisher with a lot of great reads to the company's name. They also have a bookstore that sells a ton of independent comics from themselves and other companies. Avi Ehrlich is the head person of all things Silver Sprocket and shared with Comicsbeat what 2022 looked like in terms of sales at the bookstore. It is a fascinating peek at how indie comics and books do at a bookstore specifically tailored to those titles. I look forward to more great comics being published by Silver Sprocket and wish their store the best too!

HBO MAX and Discovery+ Will Not Be Merged After All

The big news for awhile was how HBO MAX would just go by, "Max," and was going to absorb Discovery+, turning them into one big service. Well, somebody crunched the numbers and even though HBO MAX/Max subscribers might like having some Discovery+ content, the folks who use Discovery+ have little interest in paying more money for a merged service (HBO MAX/Max costs a lot more than Discovery+). The plan to combine everything is officially scrapped. I guess there isn't a ton of crossover in people who watch prestige cable or DC superhero movie and junky reality television. I mean, I do that, but I'm a uniquely strange person.

HBO MAX/Max will still gain most or all of the content on Discovery+ but there will still be Discovery+ for people too if they're more interested in, "1,000 Pound Sisters," and, "MILF Manor," than scripted programming. Yes, those are actual reality shows I watch. Perhaps this is for the best. People who get Max can dip their toes into trashy reality T.V. and users of Discovery+ won't have to pay extra for movies or shows they have little interest in as opposed to the latest 90 Day Fiancé episode. Everyone wins, I suppose?

This IHOP Movie Ticket Promotion is Actually a Really Good Deal

I enjoy IHOP as I am a fan of breakfast foods. I am someone who will eat breakfast-related items any time of the day because no clock is going to control when I get some pancakes. To IHOP's credit, they are doing a movie ticket promotion that is actually a pretty good deal when you crunch the numbers.

Movie tickets are often expensive, running anywhere from at least $10 to often $15 or even more. If you spend $30 or more at IHOP in a single meal/transaction (not counting the tip, but you should treat your server well) and they'll give you up to $15 in Fandango credit to see the new, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," flick. Spending $30 shouldn't be too hard if you've got two or three hungry diners (or perhaps if you're just ravenous for a bunch of Rooty Tooty pancakes a solo person could spend that much). Then, you get basically half the meal covered in the form of a movie ticket to a highly-anticipated film.

Yes, you'll probably shell out some of your own funds due to convenience fees and such, but considering IHOP honestly doesn't owe you anything for your $30 besides a tasty meal, getting $15 in Quantum credit (as I'm now calling it) is pretty cool. Forget dinner and a movie, it's time for breakfast and a film.

Note: IHOP did not pay me to write this article or anything. I just like pancakes and movies.

"Where Monsters Lie," #1 is a Clever Take on the Mythology of Horror

Occasionally someone will jokingly ask a question along the lines of, "What does Jason do when it isn't a Friday the 13th?" or, "Wouldn't someone be suspicious of Jigsaw when he buys all the zany supplies for his deathtraps or needs help setting them up? Well, "Where Monsters Lie," takes that question head-on, bringing us the story of a gated community for serial killers, supernaturally powerful slashers, and there is obviously at least one murderous clown. Welcome to Wilmhurst.

It isn't clear exactly why this community exists and why it helps the killers stay shielded from society, plan their sprees, and buy the occasional snacks at the supermarket so they don't spook the locals, but hints are dropped about serving evil/Satan and plenty of ground is covered in this debut issue so I imagine future ones will lay things out even further. Whether arguing about messy trash cans being an HOA violation or who gets to go slaughter a local fair, there is a dark humor to the comic as it both lovingly alludes to horror tropes (the community is who helps sneak the seemingly-dead killers away anytime they're caught and allegedly killed) and deconstructs them--can a monster lose its edge and find more joy in gardening than slicing-up teenagers at a Summer camp?

Kyle Starks writes the comic and balances the macabre and silly with skilled ease. Piotr Kowalski's artwork is something I have been a big fan of since I first discovered his work on the seemingly-on-an-eternal-hiatus series, "Sex," with Joe Casey, and he continues to impress here. The colors by Vladimir Popov are a treat too, giving the seemingly serene setting of Wilmhurst a calm and muted tone while the killers seem to, "Pop," more against their seemingly benign homesteads. Everyone makes for a fantastic creative team and based on a surprising cliffhanger at the end of the issue which hints Wilmhurst might find its quiet days already coming to an end, I'm curious where the comic might be going as Starks could've spent tons of issues just exploring the day-to-day at Wilmhurst. However, after the debut issue, he seems to already be blowing up any hinted-at status quo. I would say, "Where Monsters Lie," is required reading for anyone who enjoys horror movies or clever explorations of them.

5 out of 5 stars.

I Tried Warheads Sour Green Apple Soda and it Was...Yummy?

I always enjoy sharing my thoughts on soda flavors. I continue to try and drink less soda, but occasionally the urge for sweetened and bubbly water strikes, so what can ya do? We spotted a soda made by Warheads (of sour candy fame) and of the flavors, green apple sounded like it might be the best. We bought it, I tried it, and I actually quite liked it.

To get the first thing out of the way, it is sour, but not to an overpowering degree. You definitely taste the apple flavor and have some sweetness before a slightly sour aftertaste hits and maybe makes you pucker your lips some. The apple sensation is pleasant and hits you more than the sour tang, resulting in a good balance overall. I was quite pleased with this Warheads Sour Green Apple soda and I'd drink it again or give the other flavors a shot. Should you see it in your grocery store and you're in the mood for a different kind of soda, try it out!

4 out of 5 stars.

The Grammy's 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Tribute Makes Me Tempted to Tune In

I have been critical of the Grammy's to a relentless degree on my blog. After all, the chances are surprisingly good they are corrupt, rigged, and generally repellent. Besides that time OutKast essentially took over the awards it has rarely been that fun to watch, an occasional fantastic performance by Kendrick Lamar or Kacey Musgraves winning a significant award aside. All of that said, I believe I want to watch it this Sunday due to a big tribute to Hip-Hop being planned.

Many agree this year is the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop. There may be some disagreement, but exact date you want to say rap music started aside, a big special segment is going to happen dedicated to Hip-Hop during the Grammys--the line-up is totally stacked too. From older artists to newer ones you've got everyone from Big Boi (of OutKast), to Nelly, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rakim, Queen Latifah, Eminem, De La Soul, and so many more. LL Cool J is going to introduce the segment and Questlove is the musical director/producer for it. I am legitimately interested in seeing this segment so I may need to watch the show as it is broadcast from the Crypto.com arena (yes, that is the actual arena's name for now until cryptocurrency finishes cratering and it changes names again). 

Even if I don't want to watch the rest of the show, I can always DVR it and view the tribute segment, I suppose. The Grammys will be on tomorrow, February 5th (at various times depending on your time zone, so check your local listings). I can't speak to the quality of the whole show, but this special part will at least be full of great artists!

"Tim Seeley's Lucky," is a Fun Combination of Horror and Heroics

"Tim Seeley's Lucky," features the writing of Tim Seeley and art by Troy Dongarra & Billy Parker. As I am a fan of much of what Tim Seeley has crafted I was curious about his superhero, "Lucky." Having read this one-shot that leads into a series this Summer, I found myself quite entertained! "Lucky," is the superhero moniker of a  young woman who was a part of the Superbeasts before they disbanded. They all lived in a World full of horror-styled creatures and were themselves monsters mixed with heroes (like a Shazam-styled Dracula). 

There actually is a free link/QR code in the back of the issue to a, "Superbeasts," comic that appeared in another collection but now can be read on the web to get some further background on this series if readers desire. I followed this issue of, "Tim Seeley's Lucky" before I ever read the prequel and understood everything fine, however. Dongarra and Parker give everything a cartoony and fun look full of pep, creating a zany contrast to the more monstrous designs. It works really well. Seeley's writing of Lucky, a now-retired hero reduced to food delivery, balances humor and humanity with ease. Seeley's a fantastic writer and his horror-inspired hero is good fun as she finds herself drawn back into crime-fighting over this issue.

I really enjoyed, "Tim Seeley's Lucky," and would encourage anyone who likes off-kilter tales of superheroes as opposed to more mainstream yarns to check this issue out. I look forward to the upcoming mini-series this Summer!

James Gunn and Peter Safran Announced Their Plans for DC's Film and Television/Streaming

James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to basically scrap the majority of what the DC film and television division was doing and rebuild it from scratch. They are doing so, with only a few, "Elseworlds,"-style projects happening still and everything else to be a part of a new continuity that mostly ignores all the previous films and the ones still coming out soon and wrapping up what DC has done so far. A big announcement yesterday occurred laying it all out. Let's discuss it.  

Tentatively titled as, "Chapter One: Gods and Monsters," the upcoming slate of movies and shows will include a Superman flick, a horror-styled Swamp Thing, the Authority, a streaming show with Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Booster Gold show, Batman with his son Damian, Supergirl, Creature Commandos (an animated project) a Green Lantern series, and I think I'm named everything. A lot was announced. Oh, I forgot a Wonder Woman show about her home, Themyscira, because it was said to be like, "Game of Thrones." I've always had zero interest in GoT or stuff inspired by it--this could very well be good though, my eyes just glaze over when someone says anything is like GoT.

Gunn and Safran will keep some previous actors and their characters, but a ton of stuff is getting tossed aside, and some fans think it is for the best and others are screaming on Twitter about their precious, "Snyderverse," being decimated. I honestly was indifferent to much of what DC was putting out (besides Gunn's take on the, "Suicide Squad,"), finding all that stuff fine but not amazing. With this new material I am intrigued in a Swamp Thing flick that is scary and The Authority could be cool--plus Viola Davis is awesome so more Amanda Waller is snazzy. Otherwise, I'm not exactly pumped about what's coming, but do enjoy much of Gunn's work so I'd imagine the more he is involved in a project the more I'll want to check it out. A lot of this stuff is a ways off so as these projects actually come to fruition it'll be a lot more apparent if we're in a new golden age of great DC films and shows, or if Gunn's new start turns out to be a false start. I'm thinking/hoping it will all be cool tho. At least, as long as WB's management isn't going to meddle too much, lest something else get the, "Batgirl," treatment.