Reviews

It's no secret that, before he came to comics, Paul Dini worked as a writer in animation on series including Batman: The Animated Series and, before that, Tiny Toon Adventures --- both from the then-resurgent Warner Bros Animation studio. Dark Night, his new graphic memoir detailing a traumatic event from that time in his life, is premised as the Dini of 2016 pitching the story as he might have pitched an animated episode, pinning sketched-out storyboards to a wall before an unseen audience that will have their say when his presentation is over. The elaborate narrative set-up isn't the only unusual thing about Dini's Dark Night. Unlike the vast majority of comics memoirs, in which the memoirist is also a cartoonist and thus writes and draws the story, this one has the more traditional division of labor/creation of superhero comics, with Dini scripting and artist Eduardo Risso handling the art. And it's also got Batman in it. A lot.

A long, long time ago, a massive spaceship crashed on Earth. Thanks to an opportune volcano eruption, the inhabitants of the ship were woken up just in time to enjoy the '80s. Unfortunately, not everyone on the ship is a good person... or robot. While the Autobots befriend the humans they encounter in the hopes of finding a way back to their home planet, the Decepticons immediately set to work on a plan to eliminate the Autobots, take over Earth and return to Cybertron to rule. Over the years, the story of the Transformers has taken many forms, from different animated series to movies, comics and games. One thing always holds true though --- Autobots and Decepticons really can't stand each other. That rivalry serves as the backbone for Hasbro's newest mobile game, Transformers: Earth Wars. A base-building strategy game, Earth Wars follows suit with Clash of Clans and Rival Kingdoms, putting you in charge of creating the perfect base for your faction and working to stop the other side. The formula might be similar to what you've seen before, but Earth Wars has enough new wrinkles to make it stand out beyond the license.

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a federal holiday to commemorate the memory of the men and women who died serving in the Armed Forces. It's also the end of an interesting month for fans of Captain America. In his 75th year of existence, the Sentinel of Liberty has starred in one of the most critically acclaimed superhero films of all time, and he's been the subject of a controversial new storyline in the pages of Captain America: Steve Rogers #1. Yet whatever his status in the comics, he remains an icon to the public at large, standing for the platonic ideals of the American nation at its very best. One of the best examples of what he represents comes from a series of one-shot comics telling of Cap's exploits in World War II and Iraq, with a shared focus on the ordinary soldiers fighting beside him.

Last year's Peanuts Movie did the near-impossible and pulled off a successful translation of Charles M. Schulz's iconic style and characters from their native 2-D to CGI. That technical breakthrough was the film's real marquee attraction; the story was just a greatest hits. Structured over an entire year, you got the Red Baron, the Little Red-Haired Girl, the whole deal. Despite the deep melancholy and ennui at the strip's heart, Peanuts is a comic ultimately built on comfort and refuge. Knowing that, it's easy to see why the new Boomerang/Cartoon Network series, Peanuts, went the route it did. Rather than attempt to modernize or emulate newer shows like Steven Universe or Adventure Time, Peanuts opts for a familiarity that perfectly evokes the feel of the comic strip.

If you came to Sugar Creek Casino's Event Center in Hinton Saturday night expecting to see a love fest between to 90's country power house groups and their long loyal fans, well you got what you came for.

Today is, of course, April Fool's Day, which means that there's a pretty good chance that you're going to be spending a good amount of time dodging "pranks" that are really just lies masquerading as good-natured shenanigans. If that's the case, and you're looking for something to read while you try to dodge all the mischief in the air, then I have some good news. Comixology is celebrating the day with a big sale featuring that most Aprilest of Fools, the Joker.

The kind of headphones you use for music offer a bit of insight into your tastes. You might be content just to use the little buds provided with your phone, as they're fairly perfunctory but work just fine. Then again, you might want a more personal space with your music, and may have invested in a better set of headphones that sonically immerse you in your own world. The same could be said of gaming headsets, which have exploded these past few years as online gaming, eSports, and streaming have become more commonplace. Some players might be fine with the default headsets packed in with their consoles, but others will want a more specific bit of gear tailored to their exact needs. The Corsair VOID Surround falls between the basic and high-end experiences, offering a comfortable set of over-ear headphones with sound quality that puts the budget earpieces to shame. Though it doesn't have quite as much depth or range as some ultra premium competitors, Corsair's latest headset does do everything they can do nearly as well at a fraction of the price.

Late last year, Mezco revealed the Star Trek license would be part of its One:12 Collective series, beginning with the most memorable science officer in fiction, Mr. Spock. Though not due to arrive on shelves until later this spring, Mezco surprised us with a pre-release version at Toy Fair earlier this month. Though it doesn't come with all the accessories, the Spock we got was the final figure version, which gives a strong enough idea of what to expect from the complete release. As we'd expected from the production photos shared in December, the One:12 Collective Mr. Spock is another fine entry into what is quickly becoming Mezco's signature figure line. Out of the box, this pre-release Spock includes the base figure, the posing stand and a Starfeet insignia base matching Spock's rank. The retail version will come with an alternate head, multiple alternate hands, a phaser, tricorder and communicator. Kudos to Mezco for thinking to include the "Live long and prosper" salute hand in this version though. The simple hands would have been fine, but at least now we can honor the man the way he should be remembered forever--as a kind, smart man who wanted nothing but peace and prosperity for all life.

Did FOX meet our lofty expectations for one of the most beloved musicals of all time?

Lawton native and Executive Producer of 'Last Man Club', Linda Pandolph is excited about the future of her first feature length film.  With more than a thousand likes on Facebook and over 10,000 followers on Twitter, 'Last Man Club' is earning public support.  That's one of the steps to making it's big screen debut.

When the CBS Supergirl TV series was announced, and then when its premiere approached, and again when it turned out to be a really good show, one question was repeated among the fans of the character: Where is Supergirl in the comics? Thankfully that question has now been answered with Adventures of Supergirl by Sterling Gates and Bengal, a digital-first series set in the world of the TV show.

Well if you went to see The Last Witch Hunter this weekend, you can consider yourself a member of a pretty small club.