The Chicago Code

THE CHICAGO CODE
A shockingly good Jennifer Beals and a riveting Jason Clarke star as honest Chicago cops battling entrenched corruption (the always great Delroy Lindo) in a hostile environment. This show traffics in smart storytelling and vivid characterization that evokes The Wire and The Sopranos. Three episodes in, I’m completely addicted.

The Peanuts Collection

THE PEANUTS COLLECTION by Nat Gertler
A passionately curated, smartly edited and beautifully designed collection of Peanuts memorabilia nicely exploits the “treasures” format (although a bonus CD would’ve been great), bringing to light some art and ephemera that even longtime Schulz acolytes have probably never seen, no doubt adding items to many Schulz collectors’ want lists.

The Room

THE ROOM
Oh, hey, reader. I am telling you about this drama movie way later than should be telling you, but it has just been a movie I have seen. Hahahaha. It’s so bad/good that it tears me a part and everyone should have the same pocket comments when they see it!

Brooklyn's Finest

BROOKLYN’S FINEST
Antoine Fuqua’s tale of dirty, frustrated and tired cops coming to a confluence of death, vengeance and redemption is so rife with cop movie clichés that I’m shocked nobody had an Irish brogue. A lot of sometimes engaging buildup leads to a blunt, unsatisfactory conclusion that resolves almost nothing.

The Supergirls

THE SUPERGIRLS by Mike Madrid
A passionate, subjective history of female superheroes in comics from the Golden Age through today depicts how Wonder Woman, Storm, Batgirl et al have changed to reflect, and at times influence society’s mores. A lack of relevant illustrations is disappointing, however (and will force non-geeks to do some image Googling).

Louis C.K., Hilarious

Louis C.K., HILAROUS
I love Louis, but prefer it when he rants against our narcissistic, impatient, lazy, stupid, horny, gluttonous, feral natures rather than relating tales of single parenthood and middle aged body issues. This collection is evenly split, but the moments of pissy, pithy genius are well worth the wade.

The Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol.1

THE WONDER WOMAN CHRONICLES volume 1
Collecting the earliest Wonder Woman adventures in one affordable volume, these stories (alternately proto-feminist and chauvinist) are bizarre, kinky and strangely charming at the same time. H.G. Peter’s swoopingly awkward cartooning is one-of-a-kind. Some redrawn faces and modern coloring (common in Golden Age reprints) are disappointing, historically inaccurate edits.

Clash of the Titans

CLASH OF THE TITANS
I’m frankly at a loss as to why this movie was so eviscerated… sure, it’s cheese, but it’s some tasty cheese! Some good acting, mostly great effects (except for the highly disappointing Medusa), and a satisfactory script make for a fun slab of old-fashioned epic storytelling.

Everybody is Stupid Except for Me

EVERYONE IS STUPID EXCEPT FOR ME and other astute observations by Peter Bagge
This collection of libertarian screeds from REASON magazine by the creator of NEAT STUFF and HATE straddles a fine line between righteous anger and cranky bitterness, veering just a bit too often into the latter. Bagge’s art, once anarchically zestful, now feels forced and laborious, resulting in a tiresome read.

Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn

BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN, THE DELUXE EDITION by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely and Philip Tan
Grant Morrison tries to meld his trademark edginess with a lighter tone as Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne take the mantles of the Dynamic Duo, with mixed results (Robin’s a jerk). Quitely’s attention to detail is always a joy, but Tan’s artwork in the second half is muddy and clunky.