Sunday, April 07, 2013

A Sunday Review

TV this week:

  • Doctor Who: "The Rings of Akhaten" - Not a lot of plot, but a lot of very interesting moments and build up. This had some character building that may become vital in the future, and some sweet moments with a young guest. I've got mixed feelings about it. Not my favorite, but not bad.

  • Young Justice: "Depths" - Oh wow. This makes up for that other episode. I seriously considered not finishing this episode after what I was seeing, but wow... I'm glad I finished. Wow. Now I just want to see how this season concludes.
  • Young Justice: "Satisfaction" - That's not what I was expecting... I'm amazed at how good this series got even as it was racing toward the end of its run.
  • Young Justice: "Darkest" - This one is a double-ouch episode. Kaldur is truly frightening in so many ways. The massive destruction was yet another moment of shock. I just didn't see that one coming. Lots of twists and turns in this series.



This week's movie was The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. This movie falls into the "so bad it might be good" category, particularly in the beginning. It starts out so terribly cringe-worthy that I wanted to turn if off and never look again. But either I adjusted to it or it got better, probably a bit of both... because I managed to sit through until the end. This will never be on my list of favorite movies, and it's not something I would even recommend, but it's not too bad.



DCBS
Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:
  • Feb 20th
  • Justice League #17 - I want to hate Geoff Johns for this story. I want to say, "No way. Vulko would never do that!" I want to deny it completely. However, I can't. The motive is correct, even pure. The nature of the whole thing is awful, yes, but I could see Vulko scheming desperately. And I could see him doing this. Ouch.
  • Justice League of America #1 - Ug. I don't suppose this is going to be much good. I'll get it for a bit anyway. Nu52 Waller is so wrong it's not even amusing.
  • Green Lantern #17 - Eh, not horrible.
  • Green Lantern Corps #17 - The torture of Guy Gardner. Ok. Not really my thing.
  • Green Lantern: New Guardians #17 - And... the torture of Kyle. Lovely. Is this whole second crossover done yet?
  • JSA Liberty Files: The Whistling Skill #3 - I was beginning to think I'd never understand this book at all, but as the flashbacks start to fill in, I think I'm beginning to understand the rest. Three more issues to try to figure it out.
  • Batman Beyond Unlimited #13 - That first story was very nearly incomprehensible. The other two were ok.
  • Young Justice #25 - And that's the end. Huh.
  • Fables #126 - I'm not liking this Brandish guy at all. Don't think I'm supposed to.

  • Feb 27th
  • Aquaman #17 - Having Aquaman uneasy with his subjects definitely harkens back to the Silver Age books. I don't like Murk, or what he represents. This book just got very interesting. I hope others are finding it so, as well.
  • Arrow #4 - Three different stories, three different levels of quality. None of them are bad, per se, but none of them really made me want to watch the show any more than I currently do.
  • Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time #2 - Ooooh, I liked this one. I want more like this. Heck, more second Doctor adventures, period. Good stuff.
  • Doctor Who V3 #6 - Um, I was good right up until the whole reignite the sun thing. I'm not really sure what the diamond or the Doctor had to do with that.
  • MacGyver: Fugitive Gaunlet #5 - While the story isn't bad, the artwork could have used some work. Again, the bit in the back about the origin of the show is better than the comic itself.
  • Peanuts V2 #6 - Peppermint Patty just doesn't look right in a dress.
  • Steed and Mrs Peel #5 - Nice set up, with a decent bit of strange Avenger action.



Fortean Times #290
Fortean Times #290 (August 2012). I suppose the cover would have more impact if I were a Londoner. Or even British. As is, I found it slightly dull. My husband is a big Olympics fan, however, so I was intrigued by the article. It turns out to be a fairly comprehensive overview of creatures found in the Thames River and nearby waterways. Not bad.

Another article is about the original Olympic games, focusing on the aspects of the games modern folks might find most surprising, including routine disfigurement in sports like boxing and fatalities.

A third article is about Lazarus Syndrome, people who are clinically dead for some amount of time and yet somehow revive and continue life. The article cites dozens of examples and is part one of a two-part look at people who come back from the dead.

Good stuff in Strangedays, as usual, although the bit about cannibals was a bit too much for me. Yikes. The 2012 Watch is an Olympic special focusing on conspiracy theories about the games, which did not come true. Since we're all still here. And so is London.

Science is about space exploration and how private enterprise has started to take over. It compares the future of space exploitation to the beginning of the internet and how those who jumped in early generally became very rich. Hmmmm. Ghostwatch seems to be about ghosts that range a bit further than a single building. Mythconceptions asks about the origin of superglue.

Alien Zoo is about Tasmanian wolves, winged cats and black tigers. I have to feel sorry for the winged cats. The wings are usually either clumps of matted fur or a rare feline skin condition. No idea if it hurts or not, but it doesn't look comfortable. Classical Corner is about soldiers and war, mostly soldiers and how they are discussed in ancient writings. Fortean Traveller visits the Czech Republic to retrace the steps of John Dee.

Archaeology's main piece this month is about acoustics and various studies done on them. It mentions the vaguely Stonehenge linked tests done in my corner of the world at the Maryhill Stongehenge replica (which is made of concrete, which has completely different acoustical properties and thus isn't a really good test) along with a few other studies that were poorly reported by the media and don't really prove much one way or another. A very short second piece talks about obsidian knives found in central American that suggest human sacrifice prior to the time of the Aztecs.

Konspiracy Korner is about cover-ups, sometimes lasting decades, of events that are well enough documented that anyone who looks can find the truth. Sounds like certain drone attacks that the US currently is denying. The UFO Files is all about the nature of memory, and something more people should read. Blasts from the Past is about fairies, airships and space travel. The Fortean Bureau of Investigation visits a conference on unknown animals held in Belgium.

The Forum starts with an article on ascribing motives to alien events and then goes on with an article about "dark" fairy tales, particularly Snow White and the evil queen. The Reviews section again has fantastic reviews of many books, movies and games, good and bad. A mystery is solved in the letters pages. And the It Happened To Me bit had one gloriously spooky story, probably terrifying more due to its lack of detail than anything else.



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