Sir John A. Macdonald was Canada’s first Prime Minister. He probably would’ve liked this beer a great deal.
Old Tomorrow – The History:
Old Tomorrow Brewing’s name is a nod to Canada’s history. “Old Tomorrow” is a nickname for Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, whose face graces each bottle and can of Old Tomorrow’s brews. Aside from being a nod to Canada’s history, choosing Sir John’s face as a brewery’s logo is a relatively cheeky idea since there’s some evidence that on top of being a statesman he was also a drinker. Old Tomorrow Brewing hasn’t been around long, just slightly more than a year, but the quality of their flagship beer, Canadian Pale Ale, proves that breweries don’t have to be old to make great beer.
Old Tomorrow – First Sip:
I’m surprised that a beer as amber as this is so smooth. Because it’s a take on my much beloved IPA, I expected a blast of bitterness when I took my first sip but was surprised to find that this beer’s most noticeable flavour is its sweet maltiness. Old Tomorrow Brewing’s Canadian Pale Ale, though it definitely has a bitter undercurrent, isn’t overpoweringly bitter like some IPA’s and APA’s. Instead, its bitter undercurrent helps provide the beer’s crispness, not relying on an overabundance of carbonation to do the job.
Old Tomorrow – Last Sip:
I must admit that Old Tomorrow Brewing’s Canadian Pale Ale made a serious impression: I’m even thinking of making it my regular-drinking beer. I generally find that beer drunk from a glass is better, and this beer is no exception. To truly appreciate the quality of Old Tomorrow Brewing’s Canadian Pale Ale, I suggest pouring it into a wide-mouthed glass. In a glass the beer’s foam will disperse the way it’s intended to rather than getting concentrated to the first sip or two, as happens when drinking from the can or bottle.
Other Comments:
Unfortunately, for those not lucky enough to live in Ontario, this review will be nothing but a tease. Sadly Old Tomorrow Brewing’s Canadian Pale Ale is only distributed in my home province, proving that the answer to the age-old question, “What’s so great about Ontario anyway?” is pretty obvious.
Dave Mirra, anX Games and BMX titan has died of an apparent suicide. He was 41 years old and is survived by his wife of ten years, Lauren Blackwell Mirra, and two daughters.
Late Thursday, 4 February 2016, afternoon Greenville, NC police responded to a call about a suicide. When police arrived on the scene they found 41-year-old Dave Mirra in a truck the victim of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Hours before his death Mr. Mirra posted two photos on his Instagram account, including one photo of him and his wife Lauren with the tagline: My rock! Thank god.
It is said that Mirra, a long-time resident of Greenville, NC, had been visiting friends early that day.
For those of you who are not familiar with extreme sports, Dave Mirra was one of the most accomplished BMX freestyle riders of all time. He medaled in the X Games every year from 1995 – 2008 and won 14 gold medals during his professional career. Mirra held the all-time X Games medals crown, with 24 career medals, up until 2013 when Bob Burnquist surpassed him.
Some of you out there may know him as the host of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge and from the two video games that bared his name. He was only one of two extreme athletes, pro-skater Shaun White being the other, to win multiple gold medals over three X Games. Dave Mirra also shares a spotlight with Tony Hawk and Joe Parsons as the fastest athletes to win 14 X Games medals; all of which accomplished the task in eight appearances. In 2005 Dave Mirra also won the Best Male Action Sports AthleteESPY Award.
In a statement made by ESPN they said of Mirra:
“Dave Mirra, your courage, determination and natural skill in everything you pursued pushed the world of action sports to become a better place. From all of us at X Games and ESPN, we salute your contributions. Our sincere condolences go out to Dave’s wife, Lauren, his daughters Mackenzie and Madison, the BMX community and friends of Dave Mirra.”
Mirra grew up in Chittenango, New York where he was discovered by the Haro Bikes BMX team in the summer of 1987 and a week later was signed to the team. He quickly became a standout and as his skills continued to develop he excelled at both flatland and ramp riding – this a rarity in the arena of BMX.
He became a professional rider under Hoffman Bikes. Dave Mirra was a driving force of innovation within the BMX community and his joy of competition drove him to become one of the top ramp and street professional BMX riders.
He suffered a near-death experience is December of 1993 when he was hit by a drunk driver. he suffered a fractured shoulder, a blood clot on his brain, and fractured skull. Upon his recovery, Dave Mirra would sign a new deal with Haro Bicycles for sponsorship and a year later the Extreme Games arrived on the scene – his life and career were forever changed.
In the inaugural Extreme Games (1993), now referred to as the X Games, Mirra earned a silver medal in BMX Vert – after that, his name became synonymous with BMX riding all over the world. His success as a rider earned him numerous sponsorships, medals, and magazine covers.
This extreme sports great is also remembered, revered even, for landing the first double backflip in X Games history – consequently he won a gold medal for his performance. His career as a BMX rider continued into the mid-2000s.
After a successful BMX career he moved on to Rally Car racing, from 2008-2013, and even competed in the event for the X Games. He became a factory driver for Subaru Rally Team USA in 2012-2013; his career best was fourth place in the Global Rallycross Championship series in 2013.
Mirra, ever the athlete and competitor, accomplished the additional feat of becoming a triathlon competitor. He finished 109th in the 2015 Ironman in Lake Placid, New York – his overall time was 11:00:54.
Many thought that after the accomplishment of becoming a triathlete was achieved that he had turned his attention back to his first love of BMX riding. It is reported that he constructed a vert ramp in a warehouse in Greenville, NC where he had live since the 1990s.
The town of Greenville, North Carolina is now home to over twenty professional BMX riders – Mirra and Ryan Nyquist were among the first to make their homes there. The community of Greenville, his friends, and fans worldwide mourn his passing and offer our condolences to his family.
Dave Mirra has left a giant hole in the world of extreme sports and in the hearts of those who loved him.
Writer Seth Grahame-Smith, while promoting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies spoke with Monkeys Fighting Robots and gave an update on the Beetlejuice sequel.
“I wrote the script a few years ago, and it’s one of those where everybody’s schedule has to clear up. The truth is, Michael Keaton has expressed publicly that he be willing to come back, and he’s interested in doing it. I know Tim Burton is interesting in coming back and doing it. We have a script. Now it’s just a matter of when everyone’s schedule aligns and whether the movie gods smile on us or not. I’m still hopeful it gets made,” said Grahame-Smith.
If you’re a pessimist, Grahame-Smith’s comment doesn’t sound so good, but it’s a positive sign to hear again that Keaton and Burton are onboard for the project.
Winona Ryder mentioned in August, that she will return to the film as well. Since 1988, Alec Baldwin has become a comedic genius, we asked Grahame-Smith how he could make a sequel to Beetlejuice without Baldwin.
“I would love it if we can find a way for him (Alec Baldwin) to come back. I mean he’s ghost after all. I guess we would have to explain how he and Geena (Davis) aged if they came back, but you know, look, I love the first movie is near and dear to my heart and have seen it probably close to, I don’t, at least in excess of 50 times in my life. Let me put it this way diplomatically, I would love if everyone involved in the first film could come back,” said Grahame-Smith.
In 1988, Beetlejuice made $73 million domestically ranking tenth on the year behind Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Big, Twins, Crocodile Dundee II, Die Hard, The Naked Gun, and Cocktail.
The original film starred Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffery Jones, and Winona Ryder.
Listen to the complete Seth Grahame-Smith interview below.
The Coen Brothers’ latest slapdash comedy Hail, Caesar! is a fun sendup of the 50’s Hollywood studio system that never really goes anywhere. Filled to the brim with star power, backlot sets, texture, and capturing a time gone by, it all looks and feels wonderful. Everything is nevertheless a little aimless, a little thin in the end. Still… as I bounce back and forth in my brain… it has all the Coen Brothers magic and quirk that immediately qualifies it as something wholly unique to their filmography, and even in its mediocrity it’s something better than just about anything else right now.
The film tells a day in the life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), the Production Manager at Capitol Studios – yes, that Capitol Studios from Barton Fink – who spends his days keeping the money moving behind the scenes. Eddie is a good man, a little too devoted to his job, guilt ridden over sneaking a cigarette here or there against his wife’s wishes. But this day, Eddie has his hands full. The film bounces from backlot sets to sound stages while Eddie must keep a dozen plates spinning. He’s moved B-Western megastar Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich, brilliant) into the stuffy soundstage of a drawing room drama, upsetting the director, Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Fiennes).
Mannix has to try and spin the potential PR disaster of the studio’s starlet, the bawdy DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johanson), being pregnant out of wedlock. There’s the potential of a new job at Lockheed. Then there’s the nosy twin sisters Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton), gossip tabloid queens in the vein of Hedda Hopper, itching to publish a juicy new scandal about the studio’s biggest star, Baird Whitlock.
Oh, right, and Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), the lush movie star, has been kidnapped from the set of his swords and sandals epic.
Whitlock’s kidnapping is a framing device of sorts. Clooney plays Whitlock like he does all of his Coen comedy characters, aloof and a little thick-headed. His kidnappers turn out to have a rather fitting 50s motivation, and they easily sway Whitlock over to their side because, well, he isn’t ever really listening. Meanwhile Eddie is trying to please everyone in front of him, and Brolin’s performance is wonderfully understated and self contained.
The best parts of Hail, Caesar! are when we visit these soundstages and watch these films being made. The studio system in Hollywood was like a machine, rifling through productions and moving their actors, mere commodities, from place to place to get the job done. One of the best parts of the whole picture involves the hayseed Hobie Doyle’s attempt at drawing room drama on the set of Fiennes’ “proper” film. There is Channing Tatum, and his film within the film, riffing on Gene Kelly with a great sailor-themed dance number. It’s a great number just as much as it’s an imitation, full of life and energy and thriving on its nostalgic origins. Cameos from Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill, and even Christopher Lambert (!) fill the periphery with some brief comedic asides.
And yet, when all is said and done, Hail, Caesar! never really goes anywhere. As a collection of moments, it’s brilliant. The humor is sharp and well-crafted, all the performances bounce off one another like a jazz band, and Roger Deakins’ cinematography is so brilliantly saturated. One moment in the third act, the story and old Hollywood studio pictures seemingly meld into a surreal blend of fantasy and reality, and it works. But something is absent, unable to tie these great pieces together like the last puzzle piece one character can’t manage to fit into his puzzle in a later scene. It isn’t perfect, but it’s worth seeing for anyone who appreciates the Coen Brothers’ craft and creativity, even when they miss the mark a little.
After another short break the second season of iZombie is back again, so how does ‘Fifty Shades of Grey Matter’ stack up against the rest of what iZombie has to offer?
Spoilers for iZombie Second Season Episode 11 ‘Fifty Shades of Grey Matter’
It would be a disgrace to write another word without mentioning the fantastic cameo by Kristen Bell. The scene, of course, starts off with Liv saying, “Oh, Kristen Bell, I’ve always felt a special connection with her.” Which is just, a great wink toward Rob Thomas, and his previous series, Veronica Mars. We then get to hear a paragraph or so of Kristen Bell reading smut… amazing.
Speaking of smut, Liv’s brain this week was pretty great. Achieving the balance of adding to the entire episode and changing her entire personality without getting in the way of the plot this episode had to deliver. Of course, Liv wasn’t the only horny one, with Blaine and Peyton doing the do, even the camera getting in on the act, with quite a few shots focusing on cleavage and other lewd angles.
Pretty Boy Drake was a large focus on the episode, him trying to break free of Blaine’s influence, before falling into Liv’s influence and, of course, reminding us that he is not a good guy. He is, however, just a pretty boy.
Peyton finally got some screen-time again, she and Blaine’s relationship that was super obviously going to happen has already hit its first obstacle. Primarily his past (and present) murdering and such. Also, the first scene with Blaine in it this episode, the organ scene, was just great.
Major also ran into some trouble this episode, almost getting caught by Dale and Clive (That one line, “You know where to find me.” Was really freaky). Another small touch was Major using Super Max to outrun the cops, adding further foreshadowing to his inevitable addiction to Super Max. Because, you know, Utopium wasn’t enough.
The murder this episode was pretty standard, it wasn’t bad but neither did it really bring something unique to the table.
While it can’t compare to the previous episode specifically, I’d like to highlight some other great exchanges ‘Fifty Shades of Grey Matter’ had to offer. The first being the ‘Atta Boy’ scene in the beginning of the episode. And the second, toward the end between Blaine and Dale.
“It was a coincidence.”
“I don’t know… seems pretty unlikely.”
“Yeah, that’s what coincidence means.”
All in all ‘Fifty Shades of Grey Matter’ did its duty. Filled with far more tension than any typical episode, though it failed to truly make a name for itself. Just another average iZombie episode.
In the second episode of season two of Monkeys Fighting Robots, your host Matthew Sardo talks with Seth Grahame-Smith the creator of ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,’ and Jake Marcionette, the youngest author to hit the New York Times Bestseller list with his book ‘Just Jake.’
About Seth Grahame‐Smith
Seth Grahame‐Smith is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and a screenwriter, producer and director of film & television.
In 2009, Seth’s novel “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list, single-handedly kicking off the “mash-up” craze. It’s since sold over two million copies and been translated into more than twenty languages and been adapted into a film.
In 2010, Seth co-created & produced MTV’s first live-action comedy, ‘The Hard Times of R.J. Berger,’ which ran for two seasons. That same year his second novel, ‘Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter,’ debuted at #4 on the Times list, also going on to sell more than two million copies. Tim Burton purchased the film rights to Lincoln and hired Seth to adapt it for the big screen. Seth’s screenplay was selected to the Black List in 2011. Warner Brothers bought the film rights to Seth’s third straight New York Times bestseller ‘Unholy Night.’ He’s producing the film with David Heyman (the Harry Potterseries).
Seth wrote the screenplay for Tim Burton’s ‘Dark Shadows,’ and is writing and producing a sequel to Burton’s 1988 classic Beetlejuice. He also recently wrote the screenplay for ‘The LEGO Batman Movie,’ a follow-up to the worldwide hit ‘The LEGO Movie.’
As a producer, Seth is overseeing film adaptations of Stephen King’s ‘IT,’ a feature-length version of the viral sensation ‘Kung Fury,’ the hit video game Five Nights at Freddy’s and the beloved young adult novel ‘The Scorpio Races.’ Seth is also producing ‘Lego: Ninjago’ and preparing a new film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ for Disney
Jane Austen was a wickedly funny and insightful writer. Her fans tend to be wickedly funny and insightful people.
Jake Marcionette is the youngest fiction author to ever become a New York Times Bestseller at just 12 years old with his debut Young Adult Novel, ‘Just Jake,’ which has sold millions of copies.
Now at 15 years old, Jake is again proving himself as a force of nature with his third Just Jake book, ‘Just Jake 3: Camp Wild Survival,’ available everywhere now.
When he isn’t writing bestselling books, Jake travels the country speaking to schools about writing and goal-setting. He also gives motivational talks to students around the world via Skype, helping his peers deal with being bullied, being the new kid in school, basically all the trials and tribulations of growing up. There really isn’t anyone quite like Jake!
There is no total victory. As viewers of The 100, we’ve been led to understand this concept very well. Sacrifice is necessary to achieve a semblance of peace and tranquility. The 100 has often shown that the bigger the sacrifice, the longer the extent of peace. Clarke mercy-killing Finn led to the tenuous truce between Skaikru and Grounder (losing Finn in the process). Then, Clarke and Bellamy committing the Mt. Weather genocide led to a peace that lasted the interminable gap between seasons two and three (at the expense of many innocent lives and pieces of Bellarke’s soul).
These grandiose gestures have the most immediate return on investment in this universe but it is the small act of kindness that plants the deepest seed, waiting to sprout and ensnare everyone in its path of nurture.
In “Ye Who Enter Here”, we are given the comeuppance for all the compassion doled out by our characters. It seems thematically fitting that Murphy and Jaha sit this episode out as Murphy knows firsthand how his compassion with Emori ended up killing the entirety of their traveling band across the Wasteland while also leading he and Jaha to the sure-to-be-poisonous City of Light ideology. Once again, it’s time for Clarke and Bellamy to learn from their wartime decisions.
When Bellamy infiltrated Mt. Weather in season two, he took pity upon his Grounder cellmate, Echo and made sure she and the rest of the Grounder captives had relative safety (before being saved entirely by Lexa). In the present, Bellamy and Octavia sit outside the Mt. Weather entrance as Echo is reintroduced to their lives, taken captive by fellow Skaikru Farm Station members. Echo and Bellamy most definitely remember each other and although Bellamy doesn’t know it yet, the trap has been set.
Also in season two, during Clarke’s takeover of Camp Jaha (today’s Arkadia), she lets loose Mt. Weather Lieutenant Carl Emerson. As Emerson was held captive by Abby, Clarke fought on his side during discussion of torture for information. When Clarke finally set him free, it was under the condition of sending a message to Mt. Weather, albeit under nearly impossible conditions considering the amount of air in his suit. Still, he made it back home and proceeded to continue wreaking havoc against Skaikru. Emerson, having finished his treatments to survive the ground outside, escapes Mt. Weather when things go south and becomes the Last Mountain Man, in the words of Ice Nation Queen Nia.
Each piece of compassion goes hand-in-hand during “Ye Who Enter Here” as Echo leads Bellamy and Octavia toward Polis under the guise of stopping an assassin who is sure to kill the entirety of the Skaikru delegation, sent to make another truce and reclaim Clarke.
The episode shows its deft hand in creating tension and subverting our feelings moments later as we pray Bellamy and crew arrive in time to stop the supposed assassination but also to not ruin this truce brewing between Skaikru and the Grounders as they start to accept the idea of becoming the 13th member of Lexa’s nation. In tow with Bellamy is Pike, who already hates the Grounders and throws down the gauntlet when killing an Ice Nationer in the tunnels beneath the alliance meeting (also forcing Bellamy’s hand to kill the second guard). We know of his hatred and are thinking about what effect these actions will have on any truce when the rug is pulled completely out from under us as the assassin is shown to actually be inside Mt. Weather.
Echo deftly led Bellamy, Octavia and Pike away from the real site of destruction (then sneaking away with equal deftness) as the assassin plunges his knife into the stomach of Bellamy’s current girlfriend (c’mon, we all knew she wouldn’t be long for this world) and enters secret codes which initiates a Mt. Weather self-destruct program. Raven and Sinclair, who were just trying to find missile launch codes to send death toward Polis hear Bellamy’s soon-to-be-deceased girlfriend as she tells them about the forty seconds they have remaining to escape. Sinclair barely makes it out, tracking the assassin and being rushed by him once exiting. Just before the assassin is able to cut Sinclair’s throat, Raven overcomes her sluggish speed and shoots the assassin dead. But it’s too late for all the innocent Farm Stationer men, women and children inside Mt. Weather as the entire thing goes up in a ball of flame.
All because Clarke and Bellamy decided to show a little bit of their mushy underbellies. Actually, mushy underbelly is a bit of an overstatement as they both did things we as decent humans wish we could do in those situations. I would want to save as many people as possible, no matter what their affiliation is. Captivity is captivity and I couldn’t stomach leaving someone behind to die. Leave it to The 100 to teach me a lesson when it comes to the longevity of compassion’s benefits. This isn’t normal life. This is survival. This is war.
At the end of the episode, Lexa swears her undying fealty to Clarke in private, showing another form of compassion. Lexa feels awful for her betrayal at Mt. Weather and may have just signed her own death certificate in kneeling to Wanheda. I want Clarke and Lexa to come to terms over the awful decisions they were forced to make (and let’s face it, Clarke would’ve totally done the same thing to Lexa if their positions at Mt. Weather were switched) but that isn’t how this world operates.
The stakes have been raised to such a high degree so early that I’m not entirely sure what kind of emotional roller-coaster ride we’re in for from here on out. “Ye Who Enter Here” is one of the best episodes of The 100 yet in showing us that the rules of war and survival preside over all others. Leave your love at the door as we continue down the path of lovely brutality that is season three.
Check out Monkey Fighting Robots’ reviews of previous episodes of ‘The 100’ here:
This past Monday, WWE Hall Of Famer Bret Hart announced he had prostate cancer and the sports and entertainment world stood still. An outpouring of support from Bret’s former peers and current superstars, among others, expressed their support for ‘The Hitman’.
A career spanning more than 30 years, beginning in Stampede Wrestling in 1978 and debuting in the WWF in the 1980s, Hart would find his first success as a tag team wrestler with Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart as part of The Hart Foundation. Winning the WWF Tag Team Titles on multiple occasions, Bret would then move into singles competition and embark on what would become a Hall Of Fame career. As a singles competitor he would enter into legendary feuds with his brother Owen Hart, Mr. Perfect, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and probably his greatest rival in Shawn Michaels. He would depart the WWF in 1997 and head to World Championship Wrestling after the now infamous ‘Montreal Screwjob’ at Survivor Series in Montreal. After a lackluster run in WCW, Bret would retire from active competition in 1999, reconcile with the WWE in 2005 and be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Hart’s entire career could be considered a highlight reel, here are some of the bright spots of the man known as ‘The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be’
Bret Hart Vs. Mr Perfect for the Intercontinental Title – SummerSlam 1991
Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect at SummerSlam 1991 photo: WWE
Hart’s first Intercontinental Championship would come during his feud with Mr. Perfect. This match was part of a feud between the two superstars that was ongoing for the better part of two years. Almost every confrontation between Hart and Perfect could be considered a 5 star effort. Mr. Perfect had held the IC Title for the better part of a year going into his match, ducking Hart’s requests for a title match. Hart would triumph and claim his first singles title in a match that is widely considered one of the best of the decade.
Bret Hart Vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin – Survivor Series 1996
Bret Hart vs Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1996 photo: WWE
This match is widely regarded as the one that made ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin a bonafide superstar. Billed as a #1 Contenders match, in which the winner would go on to face then WWF Champion Shawn Michaels. Bret Hart was currently playing the ‘bad guy’ role as the clean cut veteran butting heads with the disrespectful Texas Rattlesnake, who had been calling out ‘The Hitman’ in the weeks leading up to the event. During the match, Austin would incur a cut on the forehead, which would be openly gushing blood, when he was put into the Sharpshooter by Hart and would pass out, giving Hart a hard fought victory and a title match.
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart – WrestleMania X, March 1994
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart at WrestleMania X photo: WWE
A family affair in 1994 as Bret would take on younger brother Owen at WrestleMania. Previously working as a tag team within a reformed Hart Foundation, Owen would turn on his sibling to get out from under the spotlight of big brother Bret. Both men turned in a fantastic performance and would face each other a number of times throughout their respective careers in WWF.
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels – Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship – WrestleMania 12
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania photo: WWE
The match by which almost all ‘main event’ matches are measured against. Hart, the current WWF Champion against Shawn Michaels, seeking his first championship title. A 60 minute Iron Man match to determine a winner. Bret Hart would not win this match, but his strength was always his performance. No matter what happened, Hart would give 110 percent and perform flawlessly, win or lose. The crowd knew it, felt it, and would support Bret no matter where the storyline went.
You can show your support on social media using #GetWellHitman and these matches are available on the WWE Network, available on most streaming platforms.
Let us know in the comments if you have a favorite match or moment from Bret Hart
She may be 103-years-old but Dejah Thoris is ready to make some changes in her life. She has a new costume, a new name and she is dropping the traditional “damsel in distress” title. We have been waiting patiently for her reboot since it was announced in October 2015. And, now that her brand new #1 has arrived, it is hard to admit but… It is somewhat of a disappointment.
Conspiracies do not only cross countries, they cross the realms of imagination. It is a normal, bright day in Helium until the Jeddak (Jed) of the kingdom is discovered missing. Distraught by her father’s disappearance, the Princess, Dejah Thoris, must be strong for her people and begins preparations for her coronation. It is time for her to take the throne. But, just as the sun sets, a mysterious Councilman known as Valoris arrests the princess and seizes control of the palace. What follows can only be described as heart-wrenching and…
Incredibly cliché!
I was like many when Dynamite Entertainment announced their reboot of some of their strongest female leads: skeptical. But with one of the most innovative female creators, Gail Simone (Batgirl), at the helm, a level of trust was built within the industry. Then, on January 13th, 2016, Marguerite Bennett and Aneke’s Red Sonja #1 hit shelves. And it killed! Beautiful art, fantastic story that did not stray from Red Sonja’s strong history and yet just enough of an update to her personal appearance to appease the changing landscape of comics. It calmed the speculators like me.
So, I went in to the newest story from Dynamite with far more reasonable expectations. However, Dejah Thoris shattered them into several disappointed pieces. Written by Frank J. Barbiere (Five Ghosts) with art by Francesco Manna (Swords of Sorrow: Thoris Adler), Dejah Thoris #1 is probably one of the poorest titles I have read in the past several months.
Barbiere has a talent behind him and was a worthy pick for Dejah’s reboot, but his story telling did not seem to be on par. He had Dejah repeating herself over and over again in several panels, and not in the going-round-in-circles kind of way but more of the need-to-fill-panels kind of way. In multiple places, Dejah explains that she must seek out certain personal truths and follow her own path. This does break her from the typical damsel in distress role she has traditionally played since her creation over 100 years ago (A Princess of Mars) but it becomes so overplayed that by the end of the book her declaration of self-realization is almost eye-roll worthy.
And the art is almost as frustrating. Manna is a competent artist and I loved his work with Swords of Sorrow, but it was almost as if he wasn’t able to find his groove with this title. The art changes from lovely silhouettes and large emotional eyes to lost forms and oddly shaped features in less than one page. The constant differences between panels created so much aggravation that, for a moment, I almost could not finish the book.
For those who were looking forward to the new costume, which grossly differentiates from her original concept by Edgar Rice Burroughs, it hardly makes an appearance in this first issue. The biggest push from Dynamite was the idea of a more positive appearance of their female protagonists, ones that would match their domineering personalities. But, this issue merely whispers of the new Dejah, permitting only the first two pages to her new design. We will see more in future issues, since the story begins now and transitions us backwards. Yet for those who wanted the immediate satisfaction, like that of Red Sonja, you will have to wait just a little longer.
I do hope this is only the beginning. Dejah Thoris does fall short of touching the heavens in this new #1 from Dynamite Entertainment, but every series is always worth a shot. Her story line, though a poor start, does not stray far from her original character base and may find affection from those who have been reading her stories and that of John Carter’s for years. She is still the strong and intelligent princess of Helium who would put her life on the line for that of which she believed in. Maybe all the series needs to redeem itself is a few more issues.
Dejah Thoris #1 may not be my cup of tea, but it just may be yours. Make sure to stop by your local comics retailer and check out a copy today.
From The Oscars To The Super Bowl, This Is Lady Gaga’s World & We’re Just Living In It!
Ever since her television acting debut on American Horror Story: Hotel this past October, Lady Gaga has seemingly been on a non-stop roll of amazing accolades & performances. While the 6-time Grammy winner hasn’t released a new pop single since 2014, Gaga has been steadily stretching her musical and performance abilities beyond anyone’s imagination. Including her jazz collaboration with legend Tony Bennett & a jaw-dropping performance at last year’s Oscars, the “Bad Romance” singer was just preparing the world for her takeover of 2016.
In the list below, I’ll take you through all the pitstops Gaga is making on her domination of 2016:
1. Golden Globe Winner
-Somehow, someway…Lady Gaga is a Golden Globe winner! Even if Leonard Dicaprio’s reaction to Gaga passing him at the show is the most talked about moment from the evening; that doesn’t take away from the fact she took home gold. She won the award for ‘Best Actress In a Mini-Series or TV Movie‘ for her role as The Countess of American Horror Story. Gaga beat out the likes of a Queen Latifah, Kirsten Dunst, and Felicity Huffman to nab the statue. A hugely impressive feat for someone who’s just starred in their first major television role ever.
2. Performing National Anthem At The Super Bowl
-The Super Bowl is the most watch sporting event each year. With millions of viewers, anyone who performs at the event has a chance to be seen in households all over the country. This year, Gaga will be kicking off the event with her rendition of The National Anthem. This gives the chance for the Lady to showcase her ability to an audience that may have never seen her perform before. Her vocal ability is not in question but what will Gaga bring to The Super Bowl to make her performance memorable?
3. First Time Oscar Nominee
-After a stellar performance of a ‘Sound of Music’ melody at last year’s Oscars, Gaga returns to this year’s event as a performer again. This time though, she’s also a nominee! Landing a nom for “Best Original Song” with her song “Till It Happens To You”, the singer will hopefully add an Oscar to her collection of nearly 200 awards! She’ll be performing the nominated song at the event so look for the songstress to bring the house to tears with heartbreaking song!
4. David Bowie Tribute At The 58th Annual Grammy Awards
-What artist could pay tribute to the late David Bowie better than Gaga? Originally, Lady Gaga was working on a secret project with technology company Intel on something experimental for the show. After the passing of David Bowie, The Grammys & Lady Gaga decided that honoring Bowie will be the best use of the singer at this year’s show. Citing Bowie has one of her many influences, Gaga shall bring forth a touching and stunning 7-minute performance to honor the great music man! Will she mix Just Dance with Let’s Dance? Will she dress like Ziggy Stardust?
Tune in on February 15th on CBS to see!
5. New Album (Release Date TBA)
-Following her polarizing 2013 album ‘ARTPOP‘, Lady Gaga is finally working on her fifth studio album! While she hasn’t released a date or a name, the album already has an insane amount of hype. Bringing out hit music makers like Redone (Poker Face, Just Dance), Mark Ronson (Uptown Funk), and Elton John; the newest Gaga album dubbed LG5 is shaping up to be one of her best albums to date. The question now is: what will the album sound like? With influences in jazz and classic rock, LG5 could be another career defining moment to add an already memorable 2016!
Do you think this is the year of Gaga?! What’s the most Gaga thing you can’t wait to see in 2016?!
