History’s “Vikings” Keepin’ It Real

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History Channel’s Vikings was my biggest surprise series last year.  Although on the History Channel, Vikings isn’t a documentary, but instead a very well done drama.  I was happy to see that Vikings was renewed for a second season and that the first is now available on dvd and Blu-Ray.

Thanks to Coming Soon’s Report from the Set of History’s Vikings for reminding me.

Remastered “Nosferatu” Coming Soon!

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Horror fans are going to love the newly remastered Blu-Ray edition of F.W. Murnau’s classic Nosferatu.

Filmed in 1921, the film borrowed…

“heavily from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula without permission… All known prints and negatives were destroyed under the terms of settlement of a lawsuit by Bram Stoker’s widow. However, the film would subsequently surface in other countries…“

and will soon be available for collectors.



Sons of Anarchy #1 / Z-View

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Sons of Anarchy #1  of a six issue mini-series from Boom! Studios Writer: Christopher Golden Artist: Damian Couceiro Colors by Stephen Downer Cover Shown: Damian Couceiro

Sons of Anarchy fans will be excited to get their hands on a comic series featuring their favorite motorcycle outlaws.  Writer Christopher Golden gets the feel for the characters right and artist Damian Couceiro creates likenesses that are generally very good.  Yet for all that, something feels a bit off.

The Sons are on a mission to deliver an item to a bar.  The stop off to give Tig time to grieve at the grave of his daughter.  When Tig returns to the gang, Jax is ready to call the whole thing off.  They don’t and go to the bar where Tig gets into a fight to defend a woman getting abused by her boyfriend.  Tig beats the boyfriend down and then gets a beat down of his own from the guy’s friends.  And while Tig’s getting his butt handed to him, the Sons are watching.

 Really?  Yep.  Really.  Then Jax negotiates a peaceful resolution.

There’s a subplot about a woman on the run that ends up at the Sons’ garage looking for shelter… and a couple of hitmen known as the Ghost Brothers who are hired to find and kill her.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Hercules: The Rock & Steranko

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The picture above is the latest in a series of set photos that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared from location filming of Hercules: The Thracian Wars.  If you’d like to see the other photos, Coming Soon has them.

Set for a July 14, 2014 release, Hercules: The Thracian Wars is directed by Brett Ratner and based on Radical Comics series of the same name.

If Johnson’s photo as Hercules seems familiar, you probably remember seeing this version of Steranko’s cover prelim for Radical Comics or this Steranko prelim or perhaps Steranko’s finished cover.

Z-View: Zero #1

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Zero #1  from Image
Writer: Ales Kot
Artist: Michael Walsh
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Cover Shown: Michael Walsh

SAVING THE WORLD. ONE MURDER AT A TIME.Edward Zero is the perfect execution machine – a spy who breaks the rules to get things done. When a stolen device appears in the center of a long-running conflict, Zero comes to retrieve it.  The problem is, the device is inside a living, breathing, bio-modified terrorist and there’s an entire army after it.

Zero is sent into a war zone on a mission to retrieve a piece of technology.  Unfortunately that technology is located in the chest of a biomodified Hamas soldier who is locked in a death battle with a similarly equipped Israeli soldier.  Zero must work his way in avoiding soldiers and find a way to neutralize one or both super-soldiers.

Zero is ruthless in getting the mission completed, but there’s more to him than just a killing machine.  And that is one of the things that makes this an interesting story.  Kot provides a framing sequence that leaves the reader with enough questions to want to come back for more.  Walsh’s art dramatizes the story with a stark bold touch that works to show the brutality in Kos’ story.

The issue isn’t for kids since it features violence and sexual situations.  Or for adults offended by either.

Rating: B+

The Devil Doesn’t Want Me

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See the mug above.  That’s Eric Beetner.  

I first learned about him from his 60 Second Book Reviews blog.  Beetner’s reviews, for the books that I’ve read, are directly in line with my thoughts. So, if Beetner likes it, it’s a good bet that I will as well.

Then I learned Eric Beetner was a writer of crime fiction and his books were all getting 5 star reviews. Now I was intrigued.  So I bookmarked Beetner’s blog.

Next I discovered this trailer for Beetner’s The Devil Doesn’t Want Me. Nice.

So I broke down and ordered Beetner’s Dig Two Graves; One Too Many Blows to the Head and A Bouquet of Bullets.  I’ve read and enjoyed and highly recommend all of ’em.

Z-View: Kiss Me Satan #1

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Kiss Me Satan #1 of a five issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Victor Gischler
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Cover Shown: Dave Johnson

Barnabus Black is a fallen angel.. one of the many that followed Lucifer out of Heaven and the only one who decided to return.  Only going back isn’t that easy.  Black must earn his return.  In the best of worlds that wouldn’t be easy.

Now that Black has a retrieval team from Hell on his tail things just got a whole lot harder.  Especially since he’s been given the task of protecting an old woman with psychic powers from a criminal organization led by werewolves.

Victor Gischler has set up a story that could easily become silly.  Yet, if you’re willing to by into the supernatural elements, you’re in for an action-packed thrill ride.  Juan Ferreyra’s art is a joy and walks the line between serious and cartoony to perfectly fit the story.

Rating: B

Z-View: Hit #1

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Hit #1 of a four issue mini-series from Boom! Studios
Writer: Bryce Carlson
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Colors by Archie Van Buren
Cover Shown: Ryan Sook

Los Angeles.  1955.  Crime is rampant.  Corrupt cops and judges are making it easy for thugs like Karlo “The Shark” Infantino to beat the system.  As Detective Harvey Slater says, “Just because you’re proven not guilty doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

Slater leads a squad of cops are unofficially sanctioned to take out the criminals that the courts can’t.  So where does that put Slater and his crew?  They’re killers working outside the law.  Doesn’t that make them as bad as those they’re putting down?  What happens when clean cops start investigating them?  And how is Slater going to explain a dead cop in his apartment?

Carlson has tapped into a story with a lot of potential.  Fans of crime fiction, James Elroy, LA Confidential and the upcoming Mob City are going to be all over this.  Del Ray’s art evokes the time period and is complimented by Van Buren’s colors.  I’m looking forward to the second issue!

Rating: B+