Independent Opinions, News, and Reviews of Graphic Novels, Manga, and Comic Books
I adored the Heartstopper graphic novel when I read it two years ago. So I was thrilled to discover that the Netflix TV show version is one of the best comic adaptations I’ve ever seen. Heartstopper is all about cute boys in love, and it’s wonderful. It’s written by Alice Oseman based on her own graphic novels and directed by Euros Lyn. It’s incredibly faithful, but not detrimentally so, and the changes it makes — primarily expanding the cast — […]
Read more
It’s a shame that we’re finally seeing many more diverse takes on the superhero genre now that it’s been so overworked. The exhaustion of fans and creators with this genre means no one’s sure what to do with it any more, so we’re finally getting characters beyond the usual white guy. That’s a very admirable thing… but I still have to care about the story and cast. It’s entirely possible to applaud something for existing while not finding it to […]
Read more
I’m thrilled that Warner Archive has been releasing this late 1980s sitcom to DVD. I always liked this show, as I was labeled a “gifted and talented” student in my school days. (Don’t know what to do with smart kids who get bored easily? Give them more work.) It’s about an honors history class in a New York City high school, taught by aspiring actor Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman). I enjoyed this sitcom, both then and now. Out this coming […]
Read more
As a bit of nostalgia, I bought the Voyagers! The Complete Series DVD set this summer. The series ran for one season, 20 episodes, from 1982-1983. I loved the concept — a befuddled time traveler, part of a group fixing mistakes in history, lost his instruction book (a popular concept of the time) and teamed up with a kid who knew a lot about history. The traveler was Phineas Bogg, played by Jon-Erik Hexum (known for dying young after an […]
Read more
I didn’t watch Prodigal Son. I gave it a try, because Good Omens and Staged made me a huge fan of Michael Sheen, and this was such an unusual choice for a role. He plays a convicted serial killer whose son (Tom Payne) is a really messed up (obviously) profiler for the FBI and NYPD. The son is able to think like a killer but lives in fear he will become like his father. I didn’t stick with it, though, […]
Read more
review by KC Carlson I always knew that the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1960s were kinda odd (like super-powered ants and brain-dead detective squirrels —- and that’s just the start), but for the strangest of the strange, you should check out the new Warner Archive Blu-ray collection of The Herculoids: The Complete Original Series. (The studio provided a review copy.) The show originally debuted on September 9, 1967, on CBS. It centered around the family of Zandor (father), Tara […]
Read more
I have done myself, and you, a disservice, by watching Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season several months ago (it was released at the end of January), making notes, and then neglecting to write them up while I still remembered the details of the show. (The studio provided a review copy.) Now, the main recollection I have of these nine episodes is that I’m glad they got me to watch the first season of the show, because it’s a refreshingly […]
Read more
I still love Legends of Tomorrow. The show has a sense of fun and playfulness and not-taking-anything-too-seriously that is so necessary to keep from getting bored of superheroics on TV. So many of the episodes and seasons follow formula — and those expectations are part of the genre, and there’s nothing wrong with that — that I want a little something more to keep my interest. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Fifth Season came out in September, but since […]
Read more