The Cardboard Kingdom By Chad Sell 282 pages, $12/99/$20.99, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
All too often the Young Adult graphic novels crossing my desk live in worlds of fantasy and science fiction, borrowing heavily from what has come before, resulting in a colorful sameness to so many. As a result, The Cardboard Kingdom is a breath of fresh air.
Cartoonist Chad Sell has assembled a team of writers — Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez – to visit a multicultural neighborhood filled with imagination. The boys and girls like to play make-believe games but do so taking ordinary cardboard boxes and turning them into costumes, props, weapons, and the like to aid in their games. Consider it early cosplay training.
This vividly illustrated series of vignettes and short stories has a nice blend of Caucasian, African-American, Indian, and Latin American playing together and as with all friendships; there are strains, fights, and tentative steps at making up. Also unlike so many other YA works, the parents are not all supportive or all clueless, there’s a similar mixture of types, which adds an important dimension to the stories.
Sell’s artwork is clear, his storytelling strong and we see the children as they truly are and as they imagine themselves. Often, there are several silent pages where the writers let the visuals do the heavy lifting. While these are all short works, easily read in batches, there is a continuity throughout the long summer so you can follow a progression.
We watch the children experiment with being heroes, villains, and monsters along with rivalries and unexpected alliances. There’s Jack who wants to be a sorceress and while mom is okay with her son in a gown, but disapproves of his character’s meanness. Miguel and Nate seem to really like one another but struggle with those feelings while playing their traditional male roles. Amanda’s dad speaks little English and represents his Latin home’s conservative values setting up some at-home conflict. Then there’s Sikha, the oldest in the group, is left looking after her brother Vijay, because their single mom works long hours.
Everything builds up to the last all-out campaign before school begins, leaving the readers satisfied with their summer vacation to this imaginative and worthy neighborhood. This is aimed at 9-12 year olds and is highly recommended.
ComiXology announced on Friday it is releasing creator-owned comic books and graphic novels for the first time as part of its comiXology Originals program. The premiere digital comics service announced four new comiXology Originals titles spanning fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and superhero genres via a livestreaming event on Twitch. Readers can dive into the debut titles through a variety of ways: they are free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited and are also available for purchase on Kindle and comiXology.
The new comiXology Original releases include: Savage Game created by NFL player Ryan Kalil, written by Shawn Kittelsen, and art by Chris B. Murray; Superfreaks fromwritersElsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet, with newcomer artist Margaux Saltel; Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty from writer Richard Starkings, and artists Axel Medellin and Boo Cook; Ask For Mercy from writer Starkings and newcomer artist Abigail Jill Harding.
The debuts feature a host of industry firsts, including:
All issues of the Superfreaks series are available to read now perfect for binge reading
In addition to digital, Savage Game is available in print exclusively through Amazon.com via Print-on-Demand
Collections of Elephantmen and Ask for Mercy will also be available in print via Print-on-Demand, with future comiXology Originals trade collections and graphic novels also available in print
Savage Game sees noted cover and fine artist Chris B. Murray’s interior art debut
Superfreaks artist Margaux Saltel also makes her series debut
Ask For Mercy artist Abigail Jill Harding makes her series debut
“We’re proud to offer these creator-owned titles where creators keep their IP rights and are motivated to bring their A-game to the benefit of readers everywhere,” said Chip Mosher, comiXology’s Head of Content. “Helping bring these incredible titles to fans lets us experiment with different release strategies like a binge-style drop of a whole series, high quality print-on-demand, and day-and-date inclusion in Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited.”
The new comiXology Originals titles were announced in tandem with a livestream event on Twitch, hosted by noted esports personality Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham. During the livestream, which was screened at viewing parties at Amazon Books retail locations and Amazon Pop-Up kiosks across the United States, comiXology unveiled its “Always Original” ad campaign that spotlights the characters featured in today’s new releases. Customers attending the viewing parties were offered free print copies of the Savage Game graphic novel on a first come, first served basis.
The company also teased the next wave of comiXology Original titles to be released in the coming months, announcing an impressive list of creators, including: Tyler Crook, Kristian Donaldson, Alti Firmansyah, Sam Humphries, Megan Kearney, Kel McDonald, Hope Nicholson, Mike Norton, MK Reed, Mark Sable, Tim Seeley, C. Spike Trotman, Jen Vaughn, and Magdalene Visaggio. More details on upcoming releases will be unveiled during Comic-Con International San Diego 2018.
Customers can enjoy today’s releases on a variety of Amazon’s membership services. Prime Reading offers Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more all at no additional cost. Kindle Unlimited offers over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and select current issues of popular magazines for just $9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. ComiXology Unlimited now offers over 15,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at comixology.com/unlimited. All titles are also available as individual purchases on Kindle and comiXology.
Hyacinthe was still basically an innocent at the end of the two albums collected in The Night Shirt, but the back half of the Early Years sub-series, collected in the English-language book Innocence Lost
, definitively turns him into the older, cynical Keeper that we see in Dungeon Zenith. He starts off still as the somewhat deluded and not-particularly-effective nocturnal vigilante The Night Shirt, but keeps learning the world has greater and greater depths of suffering and venality and nastiness than he ever expected.
Even what he thought would be his triumphant moment — saving his love, the assassin Alexandra, and falling into bed with her — is sordid and twisted. This is the point in the long Dungeon series when that Gallic fatalistic philosophy really starts to kick in: that the world is horrible and will never be right, and that random events toss us around, no matter what we want.
That’s the story of the first book collected here — Une Jeunesse Qui S’Enfuit, as it was in French — which follows immediately on the stories in The Night Shirt. Hyacinthe is getting somewhat better at his vigilante activities, but he’s continually stymied at the difference between how he expects the world to be and how it actually is. The first few pages show that brutally: he can find and defeat criminals, but can’t return the money they stole to the random people it was stolen from, or even give it to an orphanage successfully. And then he goes to woo Alexandra again, becoming fully a part of her world in ways he never expected.
By the end of that story, Hyacinthe has become the man who will be the Keeper eventually: he’s finally had it beaten into him how Terra Amata really works, and he can make that world work for him. We see him get more and more confident as the story goes on, as more and more of his illusions are broken and he finally learns to take the cynical, horrible world as it comes.
It’s a tragedy, if you like. Hyacinthe is the only major character in all of the Dungeon books who ever tried to do good altruistically. And he only succeeds in any of his aims once he gives up on that forever.
The second book here is After the Rain (Apres La Pluie in French; it actually has an inter-title to give it an English title, which not all of the Dungeon books do), which takes place several years later. It’s set in the immediate aftermath of the Monstres story Heartbreaker, but, if we’re reading in this order, we don’t know that yet. We begin with Hyacinthe at the grave service of his wife, Elise, who was just assassinated.
The roles have switched: Alexandra is now chasing Hyacinthe, and she’s trying to stop the construction of the subway under the city for Hyacinthe’s old professor, Philip Cormor, as a way to get back Hyacinthe. That subway will make a lot of money for Hyacinthe and his partners, but it’s also likely to completely undermine Antipolis and destroy the city. But since when does anyone in Terra Amata think about problems tomorrow when they can get something they want today?
It’s not as simple as convincing Hyacinthe. It’s not even as simple as getting him, as the Night Shirt, to threaten all of the government officials. And Hyacinthe both wants Alexandra — or his idea of Alexandra — and isn’t ready to actually be with the real woman she is. So it all goes wrong: Hyacinthe is seriously injured and becomes suicidal. Work on the subway begins again. It all goes to hell.
In the end, Hyacinthe is in the Dungeon, surrounded by his monsters. It’s a happy ending, I suppose: his wife is dead, his city is destroyed, the Assassin’s Guild he ran shattered, but he’s back home and in a stronger position than ever.
Like the first volume, this is written by the creators of Dungeon, Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim, with art by Christophe Blain. These are dark stories, taking place on rainy rooftops and dark rooms and caverns far beneath Antipolis, and Blain is very good at darkness and sudden violent action. He has the knack of drawing enough to show a whole world without drawing every last detail — some of the Dungeon artists to come will be more detailed, or less. Blain was a good choice for the stories set in crowded, noisy, messy Antipolis; others will do equally good work for different places and times.
I see I’m not talking about the humor much yet: these books are funny, and some sections even comic — but Early Years has a humor more sardonic than joking, and a tone like whistling past the graveyard.
BURBANK, CA (May 30, 2018) – The latest season of Gotham, the hit FOX drama, shows the first signs of the emergence of Gotham City’s iconic Super Hero along with other DC characters that fans have come to know today. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) is set to release Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season on August 21, 2018 featuring every episode that drew an average of 4.4 million Total Viewers weekly along with brand-new extras exploring the DC characters that fans have come to know, love and love to loathe. The set will be available on Blu-rayTM (including Digital Copy) and DVD for $44.98 / $49.99 SRP.
Horror fills the streets as season four of Gotham witnesses the emergence of the criminal landscape for which Gotham City is best known while Bruce Wayne begins the path to vigilantism, showing signs of the caped crusader to come. Gotham City Police Department Captain Jim Gordon and Detective Harvey Bullock remain at the forefront of the fight against the most depraved and unhinged villains from Penguin to The Riddler and numerous others in between. Detective Gordon also finds himself fighting personal demons like never before.
Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season features an all-star cast lead by Ben McKenzie (The O.C., Southland), Donal Logue (Grounded for Life, Vikings), David Mazouz (Touch), Morena Baccarin (Homeland, V), Sean Pertwee (Elementary), Robin Lord Taylor (The Walking Dead), Erin Richards (The Quiet Ones), Camren Bicondova (Gotham Stories), Cory Michael Smith (Carol), Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield), Chris Chalk (Rent), and Drew Powell (The Mentalist). Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf) and Alexander Siddig (Game of Thrones) join the cast this season as Sofia Falcone and Ra’s al Ghul respectively. Developed by Bruno Heller, the series is executive produced by Heller, Danny Cannon and John Stephens. Based on the DC characters, Gotham is produced by Warner Bros. Television and returns for a fifth and final season.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is excited to release the next chapter of FOX’s hit drama series Gotham,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “Veteran fans and newcomers alike will be drawn to the villainous allure of Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season.”
With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 4-disc Blu-ray will feature a high-definition Blu-ray and Digital Copy of all 22 episodes from season four.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Best of DC TV’s Comic-Con Panels San Diego 2017
Solomon Grundy: Born on a Monday
The Sirens Take Gotham
Deleted Scenes
22 ONE-HOUR EPISODES:
Pax Penguina
The Fear Reaper
They Who Hide Behind Masks
The Demon’s Head
The Blade’s Path
Hog Day Afternoon
A Day in the Narrows
Stop Hitting Yourself
Let Them Eat Pie
Things That Go Boom
Queen Takes Knight
Pieces of a Broken Mirror
A Beautiful Darkness
Reunion
The Sinking Ship The Grand Applause
One of My Three Soups
Mandatory Brunch Meeting
That’s Entertainment
To Our Deaths and Beyond
That Old Corpse
One Bad Day
No Man’s Land
DIGITAL
The fourth season of Gotham is also currently available to own on Digital. Digital allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital is available from various retailers including Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. A Digital Copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage.
BASICS
Street Date: August 21 2018
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 1,320 minutes / Enhanced Content: 83 minutes
DVD: Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
BD
Price: $49.99 SRP
4 BDs
DVD Audio: English (5.1)
DVD Subtitles: ESDH, Spanish, French
DVD
Price: $44.98 SRP
5 DVD-9s
DVD Audio: English (5.1)
DVD Subtitles: ESDH, Spanish, French
BURBANK, CA (May 30, 2018) – The eternal wait is over as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you Lucifer: The Complete Third Season on DVD on August 28, 2018. A Top 10 program on FOX, Lucifer delivered over 5.2 million Total Viewers weekly.* Put on your devilish grin as you indulge on all 26 hell-raising episodes from the third season, and fulfill your deepest desires with extra features including the 2017 Comic-Con Panel and a new featurette. Lucifer: The Complete Third Season will be available at all major retailers and is priced to own at $39.99 SRP. Lucifer: The Complete Third Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.
*Source: Nielsen National TV View, 2017-18 broadcast season to date (09/18/2017 – 03/18/2018), Live + 7 Day ratings; excluding movies, sports, repeats, specials, less than 3 telecasts.
Lucifer: The Complete Third Season will be available on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archive Collection. The Blu-ray release includes all bonus features on the DVD, and is also arriving August 28, 2018. Warner Archive Blu-ray releases are easily found at wb.com/warnerarchive and your favorite online retailer.
Entering its third season, the story of the original fallen angel continues. As Season Two came to a close, Lucifer (Tom Ellis) took care of a little problem called Mom, aka Charlotte (Tricia Helfer). But now he’s facing an even greater challenge – finding out who kidnapped him, and why his angel wings are back. In addition, Tom Welling (Smallville) joins the cast as Marcus Pierce, an accomplished police lieutenant who is everything Lucifer is not – strategic, reserved and well-respected. But perhaps even more annoying are all the things they have in common. Both men are charming, charismatic and handsome as hell. So, when Pierce starts developing a connection with Chloe (Lauren German), Lucifer’s devilish traits are inflamed.
“From powerhouse producers Jerry Bruckheimer Television, we are excited to heat up your home entertainment centers with the next installment of the critically acclaimed series,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “Catch up on all 26 episodes from Season 3 with hours of frighteningly fun entertainment and frivolous adventures.”
The series stars Tom Ellis (Rush, EastEnders), Lauren German (Chicago Fire), Kevin Alejandro (Southland, True Blood), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), DB Woodside (Suits, 24), Lesley-Ann Brandt (The Librarians), Aimee Garcia (The George Lopez Show, Dexter), and Scarlett Estevez (Daddy’s Home), with Tom Welling (Smallville) and Rachael Harris (The Hangover, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid). Based upon the characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for Vertigo from DC Entertainment, Lucifer is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television. Developed by Tom Kapinos (Californication),, the series is executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean films), Jonathan Littman (The Amazing Race, CSI franchise), Joe Henderson (White Collar, Almost Human), Ildy Modrovich (CSI: Miami, Californication), Kristianne Reed (CSI: Cyber) and Sheri Elwood (Call Me Fitz).
SPECIAL FEATURES
Lucifer: 2017 Comic-Con Panel
Lucifer Returns! Bringing the Hit Show to L.A.
Off Script with Tom & Tom – Actors Tom Ellis (Lucifer) and Tom Welling (Lieutenant Marcus Pierce) interview one another on their roles and life on the set of Lucifer.
26 ONE-HOUR EPISODES
They’re Back, Aren’t They?
The One With the Baby Carrot
Mr. & Mrs. Mazikeen Smith
What Would Lucifer Do?
Welcome Back, Charlotte Richards
Vegas with Some Radish
Off the Record
Chloe Does Lucifer
The Sinnerman
The Sin Bin
City of Angels?
All About Her
’Til Death Do Us Part
My Brother’s Keeper
High School Poppycock
Infernal Guinea Pig
Let Pinhead Sing!
The Last Heartbreak
Orange Is the New Maze
The Angel of San Bernardino
Anything Pierce Can Do I Can Do Better
All Hands on Decker
Quintessential Deckerstar
A Devil of My Word
Boo Normal
Once Upon a Time
DIGITAL
The third season of Lucifer is also currently available to own on Digital. Digital allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital is available from various retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, GooglePlay, Vudu, Xbox and others.
DVD BASICS
Street Date: August 28, 2018
Price: $39.99 SRP
Presented in
16×9
widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 1,560 min
Enhanced Content: Approx. 60 min
5 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – ESDH and French
Burbank, CA, May 29 – Watch an unshakeable bond form between an extraordinarily intelligent gorilla and noteworthy primatologist when Rampage arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital.
Global icon Dwayne Johnson headlines the action adventure “Rampage,” directed by Brad Peyton.
Rampage also stars Oscar nominee Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Malin Akerman (Billions), Jake Lacy (Girls), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), P.J. Byrne (The Wolf of Wall Street), Marley Shelton (Rise), Breanne Hill (Frontier), Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Matt Gerald (Daredevil), Jason Liles (Death Note), Demetrius Grosse (The Brave) and Will Yun Lee (Hawaii Five-O)
Peyton directed from a screenplay by Ryan Engle, Carlton Cuse, Ryan J. Condal and Adam Sztykiel. The film’s story was written by Ryan Engle.
Rampage was produced by Beau Flynn, John Rickard, Brad Peyton and Hiram Garcia. It marks the third collaboration between Johnson, Peyton, Flynn and Garcia, following the international blockbuster hit “San Andreas,” Warner Bros.’ highest grossing film of 2015, as well as 2012’s global smash “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” Executive producers were Marcus Viscidi, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Jeff Fierson, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener and Michael Disco.
The creative team includes director of photography Jaron Presant, production designer Barry Chusid, editors Jim May and Bob Ducsay, and costume designer Melissa Bruning. The music is composed by Andrew Lockington, who created the scores for “San Andreas” and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” Serving as co-producers were Wendy Jacobson, Josh Mack and Dana Robin.
The Rampage creatures were brought to life by acclaimed VFX supervisor Colin Strause, with five-time Academy Award-winning visual effects company Weta Digital.
Rampage will be available on 4K Ultra HD for $44.95, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack for $44.95, Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and DVD for $28.98. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D high definition and high definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features a Blu-ray disc with the film in high definition, a Blu-ray disc with the special features in high definition, a DVD with the film in standard definition and a Digital version of the movie.
The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Rampage will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame.
Also, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D discs of Rampage will feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.
Rampage will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.
Fans can also own Rampage via purchase from digital retailers beginning June 26.
SYNOPSIS
In 1993, a breakthrough new technology gave scientists a path to treat incurable diseases through genetic editing. In 2016, due to its potential for misuse, the U.S. Intelligence Community designated genetic editing a “Weapon of Mass Destruction and Proliferation.”
Johnson stars as primatologist Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people at a distance but shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, incredibly rare albino silverback gorilla who has been in his care since he rescued the young orphan from poachers. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size.
To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created super creatures tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with discredited geneticist Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
Rampage 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-Ray, Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:
Not A Game Anymore – From arcade sensation to movie monster epic, we explore how the Midway video game inspired the filmmakers to create the ultimate disaster film.
Gag Reel – Hilarious outtakes and mishaps captured during production.
Deleted Scenes – Deleted scenes that barely missed the final theatrical cut.
Rampage – Actors in Action: Strap in for a wild ride as Dwayne Johnson, Joe Manganiello and the cast prepare for the film’s demanding stunts and explosive set pieces.
Trio of Destruction – Follow the innovative design team and the artists at Weta Digital as they bring to life the biggest and baddest monsters for the film’s climactic battle royal.
Attack on Chicago – Director Brad Peyton reveals the challenges of filming on-location in Chicago and turning digital destruction into a cinematic reality.
Bringing George to Life – Discover the wonder of what it’s like to be a gorilla, as movement coordinator Terry Notary teaches actor Jason Liles how to move, behave and become “George.”
Rampage DVD contains:
Not A Game Anymore – From arcade sensation to movie monster epic, we explore how the Midway video game inspired the filmmakers to create the ultimate disaster film.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On June 26, Rampage will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On July 17, Rampage will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT DIGITAL
*Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.
BASICS
PRODUCT SRP
4K Ultra HD Combo Pack $44.95
Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack $44.95
Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99
DVD Amaray (WS) $28.98
Standard Street Date: July 17
EST Street Date: June 26
DVD Languages: English, Canadian French
BD Languages: English, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Canadian French
BD Subtitles: English, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Canadian French
Running Time: 107 minutes
Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief language, and crude gestures.
DVD: DLBY/SURR DLBY/DGTL [CC]
Blu-ray: DTS HD-MA
So, there’s a world where all of the superheroes get their powers from food. It’s not actually weirder than any other superhero universe, to my mind, but it’s definitely weird in a different direction. I like that, since superheroes tend to be all too much of the same thing all the time, but I know mine is a minority taste in the vast land of ComicShopia.
(Oh, and I’m sure a lot of people — maybe even the creators — would object vociferously to my characterizing bizarre and impossible food-related abilities as “superpowers.” Those people are wrong, and probably too uptight, as well.)
Anyway, there are “food weirdos,” as one character calls them. They have long, silly, Latinate terms to explain what it is they can do, which are often dangerous or violent and are also, of course, silly. John Layman and Rob Guillory told a long, funny comics story in that world, and called it Chew. That comic ended a couple of years back, but I’m still catching up.
(If you are also catching up, I started off by reading the smaller paperback collections: see my posts on volumes one
and two
and three-through-five
and six
. I’ve now switched to the medium-sized hardcovers, which each collect what would otherwise be two paperbacks, and have discovered there are now jumbo-sized hardcovers, making the just medium-sized ones difficult to find.)
So this one isChew: The Omnivore Edition, Vol. 4, at the roughly two-thirds point in the overall story. If you’re new to Chew, don’t start here.
A very sad thing happened to our central hero, Tony Chu, at the end of the previous volume — I’m not going to say what it is, because many of you reading this might actually want to read Chew yourselves. I will instead be vague. The aftermath of the very sad thing permeates this entire volume — all ten issues reprinted here. The overall plot — the search for the evil “vampire” who has been hunting other food weirdos and killing them to harvest their powers, the secret behind the bird flue epidemic that is this world’s immediate divergence point from our own, and various interpersonal and inter-departmental squabbles involving Tony and his friends and the various government organizations they work for — is also charging forward, in its own weird and quirky way.
So, frankly, there’s not much I can say about this volume. Lots of stuff happens, and it is generally silly and/or goofy stuff — though it can all be taken seriously within the deeply quirky world of this story — but it’s all stuff that follows on from stuff that happened earlier.
Don’t start here. But do read Chew, if you haven’t before. You can probably get the first collection cheaply, in print or electrons, and this is a book that definitely continued as it began. It is weird from top to bottom, in a lovely, fun way.
BURBANK, CA (May 29, 2018) – The future is bright. Prior to its fourth season return on The CW, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray and DVD on September 25, 2018. Fans can get up to speed with all 18 captivating episodes from the third season, plus timeless special features including the show’s 2017 Comic-Con Panel, an epic crossover featurette, a gag-reel and more. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is The CW’s #3 show among Total Viewers, with over 2.6 million viewers tuning in weekly. ⃰ DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Third Season is priced to own at $29.98 SRP for the DVD and $39.99 SRP for the Blu-ray, which includes a Digital Copy.
*Source: Nielsen National TV View, 2017-18 broadcast season to date (09/18/2017 – 03/18/2018), Live + 7 Day ratings; excluding movies, sports, repeats, specials, less than 3 telecasts
After defeating the Legion of Doom, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow face a new threat created by their actions. By revisiting a moment in time that they had already participated in, they’ve essentially fractured the timeline and created anachronisms all across time! In Season Three, the Legends must find a way to return all the anachronisms to their original timelines before the time stream falls apart.
“After three seasons, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow continues to score in ratings and ranks as one of top series for The CW,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, TV Marketing. “Featuring all four episodes from the popular DC Crossover Crisis on Earth-X Event, DC fanboys and girls will be eager to add the Blu-ray release to add to their collections.”
With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 3-disc Blu-ray will feature a high-definition Blu-ray and a Digital Copy of all 18 episodes from season three.
The third season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow stars Victor Garber (The Flash, Titanic), Brandon Routh (Arrow, Superman Returns), Caity Lotz (Arrow, Mad Men), Franz Drameh (The Flash, Edge of Tomorrow), Maisie Richardson-Sellers (The Originals), Tala Ashe (The Carrie Diaries), and Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash), with Nick Zano (The Final Destination), and Dominic Purcell (Prison Break, The Flash). Based on the DC characters, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Blindspot, Black Lightning, Riverdale), Marc Guggenheim (Arrow, Freedom Fighters: The Ray), Phil Klemmer (Chuck, Political Animals), and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, The Flash, Blindspot, Supergirl, Black Lightning, Riverdale).
BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES
The Best of DC TV’s Comic-Con Panels San Diego 2017
Inside the Crossover: Crisis on Earth-X
Post Production Theater
Gag Reel
18 ONE-HOUR EPISODES
“Aruba-Con”
“Freakshow”
“Zari”
“Phone Home”
“Return of the Mack”
“Helen Hunt”
“Welcome to the Jungle”
“Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4”
“Beebo the God of War”
“Daddy Darhkest”
“Here I Go Again”
“The Curse of the Earth Totem”
“No Country for Old Dads”
“Amazing Grace”
“Necromancing the Stone”
“I, Ava”
“Guest Starring John Noble”
“The Good, The Bad and the Cuddly”
DIGITAL
The third season of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is also currently available to own on Digital. Digital allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital is available from various retailers including Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. A Digital Copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage.
BASICS
Street Date: September 25, 2018
BD and DVD Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx 1080 min
Enhanced Content: Approx 113 min
DVD
Price: $29.98 SRP
4 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – ESDH, Latin Spanish, French
BLU-RAY
Price: $39.99 SRP
3 BD-50s
BD Audio –DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – ESDH, Latin Spanish, French
BURBANK, CA (May 29, 2018) – Just in time for the fourth season premiere on The CW, catch up with the most courageous Super Heroine on TV, who flies into danger to save her city as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you Supergirl: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray and DVD on September 18, 2018. In Season Three, Supergirl reached almost 3.2M Total Viewers for each original episode.⃰ Fans can purchase the set which, in addition to all 23 super-powered episodes, contains the DC Crossover, the show’s 2017 Comic-Con panel, featurettes, and more! Supergirl: The Complete Third Season is priced to own at $44.98 SRP for the DVD and $49.99 SRP for the Blu-ray, which includes a Digital Copy. Supergirl: The Complete Third Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.
*Source: Nielsen National TV View, 2017-18 broadcast season to date (09/18/2017 – 03/18/2018), Live + 7 Day ratings; excluding movies, sports, repeats, specials, less than 3 telecasts.
In Season Three, Kara Danvers grapples with the sacrifices she’s made personally while saving National City as Supergirl. She even considers covering up her human identity altogether. Being human and vulnerable is hard. Maybe she’s better off embracing her alien DNA and only being the “Girl of Steel.” As Kara struggles with her path forward, she continues to work with Hank Henshaw and her sister, Alex, at the Department of Extranormal Operations to battle all threats to National City, including new villains Morgan Edge, and the “Worldkiller,” known as Reign. Everything Kara’s ever known and everyone she’s ever loved will be tested in all 23 supercharged Supergirl adventures.
“The series incorporates diversity, fairness and empowerment, and our fearless female Super Hero is a perfect role model in today’s times,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “We’re excited to release the Blu-ray and DVD with in-depth bonus content in addition to the 23 action-packed episodes. Fans and newcomers alike can catch up on all their favorite moments from Season Three, and prepare for the highly anticipated fourth season of this hit series.”
With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, Supergirl: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. In addition to featuring all 23 episodes of season three in high-definition as well as a digital copy of the season, the 4-disc Blu-ray will also include all four crossover episodes, a tremendous value and collectors opportunity.
Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist (Glee), Mehcad Brooks (About Last Night, Necessary Roughness), Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy), Jeremy Jordan (Smash, Newsies), Katie McGrath (Jurassic World, Merlin), and Odette Annable (The Astronaut Wives Club), with Chris Wood (Containment), and David Harewood (Homeland). Based on the characters from DC by special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family, Supergirl is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller.
BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES
The Best of DC TV’s Comic-Con Panels San Diego 2017
Inside the Crossover: Crisis on Earth-X
She Will Reign! featurette
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes
23 ONE-HOUR EPISODES
Girl of Steel
Triggers
Far From The Tree
The Faithful
Damage
Midvale
Wake Up
Crisis on Earth-X: Part 1
Reign
Legion of Super-Heroes
Fort Rozz
For Good
Both Sides Now
Schott Through The Heart
In Search of Lost Time
Of Two Minds
Trinity
Shelter from the Storm”
The Fanatical
Dark Side of the Moon
Not Kansas
Make It Reign
Battles Lost and Won
DIGITAL
The third season of Supergirl is also currently available to own on Digital. Digital allows consumers to instantly stream and download all episodes to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital is available from various retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. A Digital Copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage.
BASICS
Street Date: September 18, 2018
BD and DVD Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx 1,380 min
Enhanced Content: Approx 100 min
DVD
Price: $44.98 SRP
5 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1)
Subtitles – ESDH, Latin Spanish, French
BLU-RAY
Price: $49.99 SRP
4-Disc Elite 4 BD-50s
BD Audio –DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – ESDH, Latin Spanish, French
A wise man once said “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Usually in summer school.” No, it wasn’t George Santayana. It was me; I lied about the wise part. But whoever said it, the sentiment is true, so it would behoove Oliver Queen not to start planning that Disneyland vacation just yet. He has some summer schooling in his future.
First, I’m going to SPOILER WARNING you that I’m about to give away much of the plots of the Arrow episodes “Brothers in Arms” and “Fundamentals.” If you haven’t seen them, you might want to stop reading and go to Disneyland in Ollie’s stead.
Okay, now I’m about give you some needed background information by blitzing through about two-thirds of a season’s worth of Arrow episodes in just one paragraph. Pay attention.
Oliver Queen, who is both the Green Arrow and the mayor of Star City, is under investigation by both the FBI and Star City, for being the Green Arrow; which violates Star City’s anti-vigilante ordnance. Meanwhile, crime boss Ricardo Diaz, has taken control of Star City. So much so that in the Arrow episode, “Brothers in Arms,” Ollie could only find seven officers in the entire Star City Police Department who weren’t on the Diaz payroll. And in another episode which I’ll get to presently, police officers actually address Diaz as “Boss” right on a public street. That’s a level of corruption that would make Gotham City take notice, and Tammany Hall take notes.
Having brought you up to speed speedily, we go back to “Brothers in Arms.” Dinah Drake and the other six police officers who weren’t under Diaz’s thumb got intel that Diaz’s right-hand man, Anatoly Knyazev, was about to make a drug drop. They conducted surveillance and watched Anatoly make the delivery. So they arrested him on the scene and with the drugs.
Only to have Star City District Attorney Sam Armand immediately kick the case. Ostensibly he dismissed it because the police didn’t have a warrant when they arrested Anatoly. In reality, Armand was one of the many Star City officials on Diaz’s payroll. Like I said, Diaz’s corruption was more wide-spread than chlamydia in a whore house.
Now, I recognize that Armand would want to get the case against his boss’s right hand man dismissed. Still, it’s doubtful that he would have done so in such an obvious manner.
Dinah might not have had a warrant, but she did have reliable intel that Anatoly was making a drug delivery. They watched Anatoly go to the spot where the delivery was scheduled to take place and saw Anatoly give a briefcase to the man who met him at the delivery site. Anatoly’s actions corroborated Dinah’s reliable intel. The combination of observations and intel would have given Dinah probable cause to believe she had seen Anatoly commit a crime. When the police see a crime being committed, they can make an immediate arrest without having to obtain an arrest warrant first. Courts don’t actually require the police to tell the perp, “Wait right here while I go and get a warrant so I can come back and arrest you.”
Most district attorneys wouldn’t dismiss this case because of a lack of a warrant. They’d let it go before a judge who could hear the evidence and decide whether the arresting officer had sufficient probable cause to make a warrantless arrest.
Armand should have let one of Diaz’s corrupt judges dismiss the case. Or had one of the other corrupt cops steal the evidence, which would have necessitated the charges being dropped. Then no one would have suspected him. Instead, he chose to act in a way that was sure to make mayor Oliver Queen suspect that he was on the take and fire him.
After Ollie verified Armand was on the take, Ollie fired him. Along with police captain Kimberly Hill, who was also on the take. Like I said earlier, the corruption in Star City was so wide-spread, you could plot its growth on graft paper.
Which only created new problems for Ollie. When you’re the subject of criminal investigations, firing some civil servants might cause them to go to the TV news, claim you fired them to impede their investigation, and accuse you of obstruction of justice.
Can you guess what Armand and Hill did for the cliffhanger of “Brothers in Arms?”
In the next episode of Arrow, “Fundamentals,” the Star City City Council held a hearing to determine whether it should impeach Mayor Queen. At the end of the episode, the Council voted to impeach Oliver. At which point, Oliver, told Deputy Mayor Quentin Lance that he’d been impeached, so Quentin was the mayor now.
Which isn’t the way it works. As anyone who to learn from the history of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton would know.
An impeachment is an indictment, not a conviction. Articles of impeachment are the formal charges brought against the official. They lay out what high crimes or misdemeanors the official has committed to warrant said official being impeached, but they don’t remove the official from office.
When the House of Representatives voted to impeach Andrew Johnson or Bill Clinton, neither president was removed from office. Both continued to serve as president, while the Senate conducted a trial on the House’s articles of impeachment. If either man had been convicted in the trial, then he would have been removed from office. History tells us that the Senate acquitted both presidents and both served out their full terms. Without any interruption in their being President.
So, even though Star City City Council voted to impeach Mayor Queen, he wouldn’t have been removed from office or turned power over to Deputy Mayor Lance. He would have continued as mayor while some other body conducted a trial. He would only have been removed from office if he was convicted of those articles of impeachment. At some later time.
Speaking of later times, I know that earlier I said I’d write about yet another episode of Arrow presently. Well, to pervert an old saying, there’s no time in the presently. I’ll have to write about that episode in future columns. But they’ll be goodies. Remember all the fun we had dealing with the Arrowverse episode about the trial of The Flash? Next time it’s the trial of Green Arrow.
All too often the Young Adult graphic novels crossing my desk live in worlds of fantasy and science fiction, borrowing heavily from what has come before, resulting in a colorful sameness to so many. As a result, The Cardboard Kingdom is a breath of fresh air.
We watch the children experiment with being heroes, villains, and monsters along with rivalries and unexpected alliances. There’s Jack who wants to be a sorceress and while mom is okay with her son in a gown, but disapproves of his character’s meanness. Miguel and Nate seem to really like one another but struggle with those feelings while playing their traditional male roles. Amanda’s dad speaks little English and represents his Latin home’s conservative values setting up some at-home conflict. Then there’s Sikha, the oldest in the group, is left looking after her brother Vijay, because their single mom works long hours.
