Whether or not each of its characteristics are given equal and sufficient attention, the sheer brashness of its commitment to mix and mingle seemingly disparate themes, images, and concentrations is a laudable effort in itself.

There’s a certain joy to be felt when discovering a new voice in film. Taking the risk to sit down in and watch a director’s first feature, witnessing how they grapple and contend with cinema. Each year, there are great debuts, to be sure, but in 2015, it seemed to me to be unusually strong …

David Bowie acted in his share of films, but sometimes, all he need was one song to leave an impact on a movie.

Part 2 of our first look at TV in 2016 looks at the most exciting series back for another round.

  With the recent conclusion of the 73rd Golden Globe Awards and the announcing of the 2016 Oscar nominations, awards season in Hollywood is officially upon us. Now’s the time for filmgoers to binge on all, or as many of the Oscar frontrunners as possible before February 28th. Some of us get as much, if …

Released 75 years ago, Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion (1941), his fourth film to be made in the United States, was a departure from his previous films. Unlike The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935), or The Lady Vanishes (1938), Suspicion eschews the globetrotting and spying that made those films so exhilarating. It’s …

Network is easy to avoid. On the surface, it looks like another dated boardroom drama about white men who argue about white, male issues. On top of that, its director, Sidney Lumet, has an established legacy of maleness and moralism. 12 Angry Men (1957) is a courtroom drama about one man’s attempt to prove another …

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Written by Chuck Hogan Directed by Michael Bay U.S., 2016 After the box-office success of Lone Survivor and American Sniper, the cottage industry of military themed January releases continues to go strong. Whereas those films came from Peter Berg and Clint Eastwood, directors known for taking a backseat …

With this issue, the “Vader Down” crossover concludes mostly the same as it began and then unfolded: with a series of fun moments in service of an incremental, mostly-incidental plot.

Looking at renowned director Kobayashi’s output in the early to late 1960s, one is struck by his string of films from 1962 to 1967, which begins with Harakiri, continues with Kwaidan and concludes with Samurai Rebellion. With those three films Kobayashi places himself in some illustrious company with the likes of Hitchcock and Spielberg, filmmakers that also delivered multiple movies in rapid succession, each met with near universal acclaim.

David Bowie’s death came as a shock to many. I had awoken during a night of restless sleep and decided to put on Bowie’s newest album as I tried to fall back asleep. Before I had drifted off again there was an alert on my phone, a rarity that late at night. It was difficult …

Amidst the rumors that Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter has been trying to dismantle the Fantastic Four franchise, Marvel gave them the perfect send off in Secret Wars #9

2016 will be a year for Aftershock, Garth Ennis, and some great comics journalism.

Robin War #2 has a pretty big plot twist, takes some risks with the character of Dick Grayson, and has an energetic blend of art styles from the big painted imagery of Khary Randolph to the slow burn storytelling of Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez.

Queen is a tense and relevant political thriller that asks the hard question: Do you trust your government?

Red Sonja #1 has anything a fan of female fronted sword and sorcery comics could want from political intrigue and commentary to sweeping landscapes from Aneke and colorist Jorge Sutil, who gives Hyrkania the bluest skies and greenest woods as a facade for the corruption that infects this land that seems semi-utopian on the surface. (Namely, random settlers give Red Sonja sass when she offers to protect them for food, drink, and shelter.) And there also plenty of earthy humor and wit in writer Marguerite Bennett’s script, who continues to keep Red Sonja stinky from the moment she pulls the heart out of a bull monster. Bennett also explores Sonja’s approach to romance and relationships as well as her need to always be fighting or protecting someone and balances it nicely with the political intrigue.

John Flood #6 is a revealing issue that utilizes both the telling script of Justin Jordan, the stunning artwork of Jorge Coelho (whom easily has his most intensely drawn issue) and the colours of Tamra Bonvillain who switches between wide open blue/green skies to red blotches of blood that stain clothes and splatter from the moments of violence.

Major takes another major step in his still-unrevealed plan against Vaughn, while Clive and Agent Bozzio inch closer to capturing both Major and Blaine in a set of promising storylines.

Even if you haven’t read Princeless, Raven, The Pirate Princess is a delightful comedy adventure story that doesn’t require knowledge of Princess Adrienne’s adventures to enjoy it. With expressive art and an introductory story that hits all the right notes, The Pirate Princess shows why pirates will always be cool. Especially when those pirates are girls looking for revenge and adventure.

I am looking forward to the new Dynamite relaunches of 2016 because it will be great to see excellent writers, like Bennett, Barbiere, and Leth, combine both pulp, classic horror, and modern sensibilities in putting a fresh coat of paint on these iconic and timeless female characters.

Warning: May contain minor spoilers on class stories and on Shadow of Revan and Fallen Empire stories. I’ve been playing SWTOR for several years now and I’ve always had backstories for my characters in the world of role-play. I’ve never actually sat down to write them down however, so I’m glad to have a good …

A maverick gets attacked by bears. They’re beaten down by a cutthroat, capitalist system and threatened by partners who aren’t as trustworthy as they seem. After a series of blows and ostensible defeats, they persevere. Inspired by dreams of family, they ignore their detractors and challenge the machinations of evil commerce. In the end, they …

With Born Again, the greatest Daredevil writer gives readers the quintessential Daredevil story. It’s a story that has a soul to it, overflowing with literary themes, and social and political commentary. Miller’s writing is probably the best it’s ever been and artist Dave Mazzucchelli is on the top of his game. Miller writes a crazed Matt Murdock phenomenally (Probably because he can pretty much only write crazy people.), Nuke is imposing and horrific, and Captain America is so well written that it’s a crime that Miller was never given an opportunity to write the character’s title. Daredevil: Born Again is a great comic book that does everything perfectly. It’s an incredibly nuanced story of good vs. evil, but can be analyzed on a myriad of different levels. The most important thing about Born Again is that it demonstrates that absolute evil can be combated and defeated wherever the smallest sliver of hope remains.