Parker: the Hunter

RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE HUNTER by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Cooke’s unabashedly retro style (particularly this less polished version) fits this crime noir graphic novel like a tailored suit. A supremely unlikable protagonist doesn’t hamper the enjoyment of this visceral tale of revenge and retribution. Booze, broads, blood and betrayal make for a read that’s not for fanboys only!

83rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

83rd MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE
The one reason to watch NBC’s annual advertainment crapapalooza: To make fun of it! Watch Matt Lauer wince as he reads his scripted gags! Carly Simon lipsynchs (why use microphones?) in front of skating Care Bears near the Hamburger Helper float under a giant floating Pillsbury Doughboy! KILL ME NOW!!!

2012

2012
Roland Emmerich destroys the world again, but at least he’s getting better at it. If you ignore the Everest-sized plot holes (two years? Really?) and teeth-grating stock movie clichés (Shut up and save the people already!), 2012 is actually a fairly fun ride. Okay, except for the chasm-jumping Winnebago.

Trauma

TRAUMA
I never saw this DOA NBC medical drama, I’m reviewing it based solely on a line from a commercial, wherein an EMT actually says to someone with some life-threatening emergency, “DON’T YOU DIE ON ME!!!” Call me reactionary, but that alone was enough to keep me far away from TRAUMA.

Was Superman a Spy?

WAS SUPERMAN A SPY? AND OTHER COMIC BOOK LEGENDS… REVEALED! By Brian Cronin (Plume)
This collection of urban legends about comic book culture doesn’t contain a slew of revelations for the hardcore geek, but it’s still a fun read (despite a preponderance of exclamation points). Kudos to Cronin for clearing up some muddled history (e.g. the impetus for Batgirl and the Fantastic Four).

30 Rock

30 ROCK
Despite a rather intense dislike of Tina Fey, I swear I’ve tried to like 30 ROCK. But the overly mannered broad humor of this show just makes me wince (ala the execrable SCRUBS). Yes, Alec Baldwin verges on genius, but he’s lost in a sea of painful, unfunny mugging.

Mercy

MERCY
The Jersey City setting (one character lives in my building) drew me in, but this NBC nurse drama is yet another cliché-ridden predicta-fest populated by pretty (unappealing) people and caricatures. Parallel characters (naive young nurses Zoey and Chloe!) beg unfavorable comparison to Showtime's far superior NURSE JACKIE. DVR, delete!

Eugene Mirman, God is a Twelve Year Old Boy with Asperger's

Eugene Mirman, GOD IS A TWELVE YEAR OLD BOY WITH ASPERGER’S (Sub Pop Records)
Eugene Mirman’s aptly self-proclaimed absurdist comedy is rooted in the kind of brain-twisting wordplay that usually works better read than heard (he often reads letters and lists onstage). Still, Mirman is a singular voice in the often stale stand-up community and the title bit is pure genius.

The Office Season 6

THE OFFICE Season 6
While I’m really tired of the Jim & Pam Show and wish there weren’t so many fuzzy feel-good endings, The Office remains worth watching, thanks to the strong (if recently underused) ensemble cast. Still, despite a few standout episodes (primarly “The Lover”), the show mostly feels past its prime.

Green Lantern: First Flight

GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
One of DC Comics’ untapped A-listers, Hal Jordan finally gets some respect in this new animated take on the pre-eminent GL’s (and arch-enemy Sinestro’s) origin. A lot of action, intrigue, violence and humor is packed into 77 minutes, setting a cosmically high bar for Ryan Reynolds’ 2011 live action film.

Strange Tales

STRANGE TALES
This three issue series looses alternative cartoonists on the Marvel Universe (ala DC’s BIZARRO COMICS) with mixed results. Paul Pope’s Inhumans, Nick Bertozzi’s look at Modok’s ripening and Jeffrey Brown’s “Fantastic Fool’s Day” are all beautiful, but a few too many twee or amateurish strips bring down the overall quality.

Where the Wild Things Are

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
I wanted to love this, but Spike Jonze’s take on Maurice Sendak’s classic ode to imagination feels sad and curiously hollow. Despite a few nice moments, the sum (hampered by Karen O’s grating soundtrack) invokes some hipster Levi’s ad, leaving me not only markedly umoved, but often bored and annoyed.

By the People: The Election of Barack Obama

BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA
Initially conceived as a portrait of a galvanizing young politician, this documentary evolved during filming into an inside chronicle of the Obama team’s brilliant Presidential campaign. The film feels a bit rushed at times, but overall it’s a dizzying, often candid and intimate time capsule of a historic election.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM Season 7
While sometimes still verging on self-parody, the 7th season of CURB is reinvigorated by Larry’s separation from Cheryl and, yes, the SEINFELD reunion. Larry, Jerry, Julia and Jason are obviously having a ball playing off of each other (Michael? Who knows?) and it’s ridiculously fun to watch. “Krup you!”

Ruby Spears Superman

RUBY-SPEARS SUPERMAN
Despite the involvement of DC Comics alumni (writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gil Kane), this 1988 Saturday morning Superman suffers from network restraints and sloppy animation. A few tales hold up, but this is mostly another piece of nostalgia that’s better left in the fuzzy part of the brain.

Connective Tissue

CONNECTIVE TISSUE by Bob Fingerman (Fantagraphics Books)
Part H.P. Lovecraft, part Harvey Kurtzman, part Russ Meyer: That’s Bob Fingerman, the dark genius behind this tale of a zaftig video store clerk’s meat-candy bad trip. Using just a loose outline, Fingerman did the book’s illustrations first, filling in the prose later, resulting in a beautifully loose, dreamlike structure.

Bored to Death

BORED TO DEATH
Jonathan Ames’ nominally autobiographical “noir-otic comedy” casts Woody Allen’s MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY with a gaggle of Wes Andersonian misfits. Jason Schwartzman is charming as ever and Ted Danson steals every scene as a bored narcissist desperate for excitement. The show’s Brooklyn Hipster vibe would grate if it wasn’t so funny.

Mad Men Season 3

MAD MEN Season 3
Existential angst, marital woes, corporate uncertainty and overall anxiety overwhelm this season as the staff of Sterling Cooper deal with the end of the shiny, polished postwar era. The inevitable JFK assassination episode felt eerily dire and painfully real, foreshadowing a milieu shift to the more turbulent Sixties next season.

Schulz and Peanuts

SCHULZ AND PEANUTS by David Michaelis (Harper Perennial)
This exhaustively researched biography paints an illuminating, sometimes heartbreaking portrait of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists (note I didn’t limit it to “cartoonists”). Selected PEANUTS strips correlate directly to Charles Schulz’ many demons (even infidelity) while reminding the reader what an extraordinary observer of human nature he was.

Star Trek

STAR TREK
Self-avowed non-Trekkie/er J.J. Abrams crafts a highly successful reboot of SF’s sturdiest franchise, nicely balancing drama, humor and action. But STAR TREK’s fuel is characterization, and the stellar cast rides nicely on the shoulders of Chris Pine as a worthy successor to William Shatner’s iconic James T. Kirk.

Visqueen, Message to Garcia

Visqueen, MESSAGE TO GARCIA (Local 638 Records)
Visqueen leader Rachel Flotard’s musical ode to her late father is neither maudlin nor overly sentimental, but a raucous, smart slab of inspired ebullience. A peppery balance of hooks and sometimes startling nuance, this quantum leap forward for the Seattle band is easily my favorite record of the year.