“Who said anything about volunteering? We can haggle over price later.” --Quark
The mysterious plague episode is the baked potato of the Star Trek franchise. It’s the staple, presumably what the writers do when they don’t have anything better on the agenda. “So, what’s the plan this week?” “I dunno, Ira, how about a mysterious plague?” “GOLD! You’re spinning gold right now!” It might seem shocking that DS9 dipped into that well so quickly, but they showed more restraint than TNG whose “Naked Now” was the very second episode ever. Fortunately, this doesn’t feature Denise Crosby with bizarre ‘80s hair either.
The following is an interview with comic book editor and creator David Leach regarding the upcoming release of Psycho Gran, a digital comic that follows a five-foot high, mauve-haired, bespectacled psychotic granny with a pan-dimensional, sentient handbag called Percy, a flying dog called Archie, and a pathological loathing of rudeness. In this interview, Fanboy Comics Managing Editor Barbra Dillon chats with Leach about the initial creation of the Psycho Gran comic book series, his experience in various aspects of the comic book industry, and what new and returning fans may expect from the rambunctious granny!
This interview was conducted on March 28, 2014.
If your only reason for picking up The Detainee by Peter Liney is the publishing buzz about it being a Hunger Games for adults, don’t; however, if you want to read a novel with a dystopian look at ageism, an examination of an extreme example of a police state, and a dose of The Lord of the Flies blended into a unique vision of the future, this may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. Liney’s characters and world manage to get under the reader’s skin even when the exact details are a little off-putting.
The Fanboy Comics crew discuss their reactions to the 16th episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., who's a double agent, and their issues with Deathlok! Enjoy an audio commentary on the episode "End of the Beginning" by FBC President Bryant Dillon and FBC Contributor Tony Caballero.
MINOR SPOILERS
"Oh, hello there, gentle viewers. You caught me catching up on an old favorite. It's wonderful to get lost in a story, isn't it? Adventure and heroics and discovery - don't they just take you away? Come with me now, if you will, gentle viewers. Join me on a new voyage of the mind. A little tale I like to call: Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyrs." - Andrew Wells
For those who are unaware, it is no secret that I am a major Buffy the Vampire Slayer addict and proud of it. The fact that both Buffy, and its spinoff Angel, have continued in comic book form is nothing less than my fanboy dream come true. That said, I could have never predicted that these new "seasons" would not only be considered official canon but would include the blessing and involvement of Buffy's creator, Joss Whedon!
If you enjoyed either the Buffy or Angel TV series in the past but haven't made the jump to Dark Horse's amazing comic series, then you are truly missing out on some of the greatest moments in these beloved characters’ histories. (Hell, Angel & Faith: Season 9 may be the best season of Angel yet!) That said, never fear, my lapsed Scoobies, for here is your chance to jump back on the Slayer train and join the Buffyverse fandom as we begin the journey of Buffy: Season 10!
Throughout their history, it’s not been uncommon for comic books to jump into significant social commentary. For example, 70 years ago, Superman fought Adolph Hitler (not much of a fight really), and in the 1960s the mutants of the X-Men were a not-very-thin allegory for the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Doom’s homeland of Latveria was a fictional stand-in for any of the Soviet satellite countries during the Cold War. So, it will be interesting to see how general audiences respond to the social commentary that abounds in the terrific sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Take 3 parts Romero-style zombies, 2 parts Frankenstein, 1 part MacGyver science fair project, and about 20 parts sheer messed-up creepiness, and you get ’68: Rule of War #1 from Image Comics.
For fans of the independently created documentary STRIPPED, the big day has finally arrived! STRIPPED, a film that brings together the world's best cartoonists to talk about the art form they love and what happens to it as newsprint fades away, is now available on iTunes, and the film's co-creators, Dave Kellett and Frederick Schroeder, are hoping to make the film the #1 seller on iTunes for just one day. Given the incredible amount of support demonstrated by the film's fans during its initial Kickstarter campaign, it is very likely that STRIPPED will do just that.
Taking Eden brings us a heavy dose of urban horror/fantasy, and the occult in this ongoing comic series by Jason Beckwith and Malcolm Johnson with art by Niño Harn Cajayon and colors by Gonzalo Duarte. A dark tale of a young woman’s passage into adulthood and where she fits into the world, this story delves into themes of innocence and the price we pay to recapture it.
John Connor is back in full force in this latest installment of Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #5 from Dark Horse Comics. J. Michael Straczynski of Babylon 5 fame, along with numerous other credits, writes this ostensibly final series with art by Pete Woods, colors by Matthew Wilson, and lettering by Nate Peikos of Blambot. The heat is on as Skynet begins to employ its new weapon against the humans.
