It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 6

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA Season 6 (and all of them, really)
Ye Gods, I despise this show… it’s ugly, nasty writing acted in the style of 1970s shrieking sitcoms like LAVERNE & SHIRLEY by actors I just wanna punch in the face. Hateful characters all, it’s just exhausting.

Toddlers and Tiaras Season 2

TODDLERS AND TIARAS Season 2
If Hell existed, the “parents” on this reprehensible train-wreck would cohabitate with child molesters and spend eternity realizing that forcing their preschool-age children to dress like Lady Gaga and bump-n-grind onstage, often against their will (and hopped up on Pixie Stix), was a disgusting, exploitative, pathetic stab at reflected glory.

Parker: The Outfit

Richard Stark’s PARKER: THE OUTFIT adapted & illustrated by Darwyn Cooke
Cooke’s second Parker graphic novel takes our anti-hero from Florida to Scranton to Tahoe as he continues to take on (and out) the mobsters that are hunting him. Another beautifully designed tome (right to the endpapers) that uses numerous period illustration styles to evoke an early 60s aesthetic.

Superman: Secret Origin

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
Johns synthesizes the best aspects of the many Superman origins from the comics, movies and TV into what may be the definitive version of an oft-told tale. Superman (drawn to resemble Christopher Reeve), Lois, Jimmy, Perry and Luthor are deftly defined by a writer who truly GETS these characters.

Tinsel

TINSEL by Hank Steuver
Cultural anthropologist Steuver spends Christmas in Frisco, Texas to unwrap holiday meaning in the big-box-stored, mega-churched, unironic heartland, where his urbane, east coast cynicism is tested by the earnest families he surveys (sometimes with kid gloves). TINSEL is alternately moving, aggravating, funny and depressing… much like Christmas itself.

True Grit

TRUE GRIT
The Coen Brothers elevate simple genre with their trademarked lyrical usage of language and idiom, again pulling outstanding performances from even the smallest bit player. Roger Deakins’ majestic cinematography amplifies the scale, making TRUE GRIT feel timeless and epic. See it on as big a screen as you can.

Hawaii Five-0

HAWAII FIVE-0
Okay, the original series was “better.” Yeah, it’s blaringly loud, the product placement is obnoxiously omnipresent, Alex McLoughlin is no Jack Lord, Scott Caan looks like a midget, Grace Park can’t act and Daniel Kim probably misses Yunjim Kim. Who cares! It’s dopey fun. Bring on the Magnum P.I. cameos!

Screaming Females, Castle Talk

Screaming Females, CASTLE TALK
Maturation is a dirty word for some indie rockers, but New Brunswick NJ’s Females’ fourth full-length album is their best yet, more diverse, hooky and self-assured, yet still uncompromising in its ferocity. Tiny guitar-goddess Marissa Paternoster remains one of rock’s most mesmerizing frontpeople.

The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection

THE MUSIC OF DC COMICS: 75th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
While I already had most of this collection through soundtracks and downloads, it’s nice to have an official release of 31 superhero movie and TV themes. While some curious omissions (The Flash’s TV show, Teen Titans’ cartoon and Superman’s Broadway play) leave room for sequels, I’m not holding my breath.