Forum 2.0

The Weird, the wacky and the wonderful: Three graphic novels to make you say "What th--?"

 By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Sept. 9, 2021 — The Teetering Tower of To-Review is once again in danger of falling over and destroying the city, so let’s pull out some graphic novels to relieve the pressure. Today’s theme: Books that ar

Read more…

First Looks: 'The Flash' s8, 'Riverdale' s6, 'Hit-Monkey,' Star Trek: Discovery' s4, 'Cowboy Bebop'

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

 

Nov. 25, 2021 — Last week was a big week for genre TV premieres. Let’s get started:

 

THE FLASH

The Flash stars (clockwise from top) Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/Flash, Candice Patton as Iris West, Danielle

Read more…

Who Are Those Guys, the 'Hit-Monkey' edition

 

The macaque in the sunglasses is our star, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. Bryce is the ghost at his right, voiced by Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso). (Courtesy Marvel.com)

 

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Dec. 9, 2021 — Marvel’s Hit-Monkey came

Read more…

November brings more cool TV shows, from 'The Freak Bros.' to 'Hawkeye'

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Nov. 4, 2021 — The fall avalanche of cool genre shows continues! Here are some interesting ones:

'Marvel Studios’ 2021 Disney+ Day Special'

Nov. 12, Disney+

A whole bunch of stuff will be happening all over

Read more…

Kirby, DeCarlo and Gaiman: Three masters, and the GNs they've left us

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

April 3, 2021 — It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned that we are in the Golden Age of Reprints. But we still are, and it’s worthwhile to check in now and again on the latest, greatest collections:

The Co

Read more…

Let's play 'This a Real Thing in Marvel Comics, True or False, Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. edition'

That really is a comically large head. (Courtesy Marvel.com)

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. is so preposterous, one might assume that most of the silliness is invented for the show. Amazingly, most of the nonsense ha

Read more…

Where have all the big movies gone? To 2021, that's where

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Jan. 7, 2021 — It’s time for the annual look ahead to the new year’s most exciting movies!

Which — thanks to COVID-19 — is going to read a lot like last year’s look ahead to the new year’s most exciting mo

Read more…

DC's Future State opens up tomorrow ... for two months, anyway

In DC’s Future State, the new Amazing Amazon is Yara Flor (left) and the new Man of Steel is Jonathan Kent. (Cover art to Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1 by Lee Weeks, copyright DC Comics)

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Dec. 24, 20

Read more…

'WandaVision' episode 9 left us with questions. We've got answers!

After six years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) has finally become The Scarlet Witch. (Courtesy Marvel.com)

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

March 11, 2021 — So did you watch “The Series Finale”?

Q: Which

Read more…

'Freiheit,' 'Nubia,' 'Tamba': When comics tell important stories

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Feb. 25, 2021 — Graphic novels have become an essential part of our entertainment consumption, especially in the kids and young adult categories. In addition to be entertainment, though, they can also be imp

Read more…

'GoT,' 'Vikings,' 'Sabrina': Three shows that failed to stick the landing

 By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Feb. 18, 2021 — We are lucky to live in the era of Peak TV. But, as with every explosion of light, there are shadows. A dark side. And in the case of Peak TV, it’s the ending.

The TV landscape is littered

Read more…

DC Comics launches 'Infinite Frontier,' a linewide reboot (sorta)

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

March 4, 2021 — So, DC Comics has rebooted its superhero line again. Except not really.

Through much of last year, the DC superheroes battled through something called “Dark Nights: Death Metal,” in which pre

Read more…

Five genre shows end seasons in August, but four will return

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

AUG. 20, 2020 — This is a month of endings.

No less than five of the Captain’s favorite genre TV shows have reached a season finale. Maybe it’s only noticeable because the pandemic has delayed the beginning

Read more…

'Loki' season finale: A Kang by any other name would conquer just the same

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

July 22, 2021 — If you watched the season finale of Loki on Disney+, you may be saying to yourself, “Self, I sure wish I’d read the comics and myths this show is based on, so I would understand this gibberish

Read more…

'New Mutants': Good idea, great characters, bad timing

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

Sept. 4, 2020 — The New Mutants, the final, no-kidding X-Men movie by Twentieth Century Fox, finally made it to the theaters after three years of delays. What a long, strange trip it’s been.

That trip really

Read more…

X-Men's "Hellfire Gala" had one last surprise, and it was deadly for a major character

Comics artists just love to homage the Pieta. (Art by Mark Brooks, copyright Marvel Comics)

 

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

July 8, 2021 — The Hellfire Gala had one last party favor up its sleeve last week: the death of a popular characte

Read more…

From Batman to Dracula, three recommended graphic novels

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

May 20, 2021 — It’s time for the Graphic Novel Review Roundup!

 

THE BATMAN’S GRAVE

By Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan and Alex Sinclair

DC Comics, $39.99

Alfred has a nice plot all picked out for Br

Read more…

Christopher Gold discusses expansion of 'Outerverse' with Lady Baltimore

Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens #1 shipped in March, with the second issue arriving April 21. (Cover art by Abigail Larson, copyright Dark Horse)

 

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

April 22, 2021 — Most folks are probably familiar with w

Read more…

'Zack Snyder's Justice League' runs four hours, but still doesn't finish the director's grand plan

Unite the Seven! Only we’re missing someone, as Zack Snyder’s Justice League stars only six characters (from left), Ray Fisher as Victor Stone/Cyborg, Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/Flash, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Sup

Read more…

It's a big comics week on TV

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier follows Sam “Falcon” Wilson (Anthony Mackie, left) and Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as they try to continue Captain America’s legacy. (Courtesy Marvel.com)

 

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agen

Read more…