Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
If you’ve got an extra couple of million bucks lying around, you might want to think about bidding on Jesse James’ Colt 45 revolver that is up for auction on November 24th.
The provenance on the gun is solid, the historical value unquestioned and the demand among gun collectors high. Two million dollars may not be enough to win the gun, so don’t get your hopes too high if that’s all the cash you have lying around.
Source: DailyMail
Chris Mills currently writes three free weekly webcomics.
Three.
Free.
Weekly Webcomics.
I suppose I should have added, “Awesome!” but you know I wouldn’t be posting about them if they weren’t really good.
Grave Digger is my favorite of the bunch. Of course Grave Digger is one of my all-time favorite comics [let’s not limit this to just crime comics]. Rick Burchett provides the art and it is perfect. Mills and Burchett. ‘Nuff said.
Perils on Planet X is written by Mills with art by Gene Gonzales. If you’re a fan of Flash Gordon, John Carter: Warlord of Mars and good comics, you’ll dig Perils on Planet X. You can take that to the bank.
Femme Noir features the team of Mills [writer] and Joe Staton [artist] taking readers down the dark streets of Port Nocturne to follow the adventures of a mysterious female vigilante.
It is hard for me to believe that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy.
When I was in high school and we learned about World War II that time period seemed so far in the past. The great depression even farther back. At the time, both of those historical “landmarks” were less than 50 years gone by.
There are going to be quite a few shows revisiting the Kennedy Assassination and the effect that it had on our nation the world. Some of these programs will be geared to “new” evidence of multiple shooters and a conspiracy to kill the most powerful man in the world. I’m more interested in just revisiting the event and have already scheduled to dvr several specials… with more to come.
If you have an interest in the Kennedy Assassination, then you’ve probably started planning which specials to record and which to avoid. Perhaps we’ll learn some new information… something along the lines of the rarely discussed Air Force One audio recording taken during the flight of JFK’s body back to Washington, D.C. Jackie Kennedy was on board and watched as Vice President Johnson was given the oath of office that made him President of the United States.
JFK assassination researcher Bill Kelly says…
“The Air Force One tapes are sort of like the black box of the assassination. It has all the basic information there you want to know of what happened at the highest levels of government in the two hours after the assassination…”
Conspiracy buffs will love this… it appears that the tapes have been edited. If that is the case, and it appears to be true, then why were the tapes edited, what is missing and where are the original recordings.
Like so many things surrounding the Kennedy Assassination, isn’t it time for full disclosure? Fifty years has passed, you know.
Source: USAToday.
Jeff Somers, author of the highly recommended Avery Cates novels, is a Breaking Bad fan. So that’s another reason to like the guy.
Regular visitors know of my love for drive-in movies. Although most drive-in theaters have gone the way of laser disc players, drive-in movies continue to be made.
Which brings us to American Muscle. That’s the one sheet for American Muscle posted above. There’s no doubt American Muscle falls into the drive-in movie category.
Don’t believe me? Here’s a summary of American Muscle by Travis Stevens (who produced the movie)…
The movie’s about a guy, who’s been in prison for 10 years, gets released, and over the next 24 hours kills every single person who had a hand in him going to jail…
Yep. American Muscle has drive-in movie written all over it. In the old days I’d be looking forward to seeing it as the second or third feature at the local drive-in. Now I just have to wait for American Muscle to arrive at Netflix.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Way back in July I suggested that you join me on a trip down Dead Body Road.
Have you packed your grip? The journey starts in November and I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.
If you’re not sure that you’re ready, or you want to see more, CBR.com has the hook-up.
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
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.
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
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+
With just two crime / noir novels (Hell on Chruch Street and The Posthumous Man) to his credit, Jake Hinson has made a name as a new author to watch. Both novels were well received by fans and critics alike and get my highest recommendation. (I liked Hell on Church Street a bit more than The Posthumous Man, but they are both excellent reads so why quibble?)
Darwyn Cooke’s two graphic novel adaptations of (Donald Westlake aka) Richard Stark’s Parker novels have been resounding successes with fans and critics alike. So it only made sense that a third adaption, Slayground would be coming at Christmas.
Recently Cooke, the estate of Donald Westlake and publisher IDW announced…
For the first time, the Parker novels will be published in a deluxe, hardcover format, and with Cooke designing the series, as well as providing stunning color illustrations to accompany Westlake’s (AKA, Richard Stark’s) crime classics! The first book, The Hunter, will arrive in the first half of 2014. Additional editions will be released in chronological order thereafter.
I can not wait!
Source: Sequential Highway
There’s a new Crow mini-series coming in 2014 and it won’t be for the faint-of-heart.
The Crow: Pestilence will be written by novelist Frank Bill, the author who exploded on the crime fiction scene with a brutal one-two punch: his short-story collection, Crimes in Southern Indiana followed by his debut novel, Donnybrook. Bill will be joined by artist Drew Moss (interior art) and Crow creator, J. O’Barr (providing covers).
For the full story check out CBR.com’s The Crow Rises Again…
Here’s a really well done video summation of Breaking Bad. BEWARE SPOILERS!!
