Arrow: The Complete First Season (Blu-Ray/DVD/Ultraviolet)

arrow-s1With the CW’s “Smallville” (thankfully) dead and buried, “Arrow” just seemed to be the next step for the network. Green Arrow was one of the most popular elements of the later episodes of “Smallville,” thus Green Arrow is given center stage. Except, the producers make the wise decision of setting aside the bland Justin Hartley for the charismatic and often dazzling Stephen Amell. Fans of DC know the basics of the Green Arrow legend, and the character isn’t entirely an icon, so the writers are free to take liberties. And I’m quite happy that those liberties result in quite an entertaining and exciting Green Arrow adaptation.

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Our 5 Most Hated Superhero Costume Changes

Electro-SupermanIn the late eighties, all of the nineties, and some of the early aughts, comic books were our number one hobby. We collected literally every comic that drew our interest. Over the years, especially in the nineties, many of the major comic book companies attempted to draw in new readers by changing the costumes of some of their major superheroes and super villains. If that wasn’t bad enough, for a very long time, many of the live action efforts for superhero movies often got the superhero costumes so painfully wrong, that it was almost tough to admit to anyone that you were a fan of comic books. Over the years, superheroes have undergone a lot of major changes to their costumes in many platforms, and these are five of the worst that we just can’t get over.

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Beware the Batman

No longer just a channel that plays cartoons non-stop, the Cartoon Network here in America now only really airs series that make returns on their investments. When not buying cheap animated shows from Canada, the Cartoon Network looks for shows that will garner profits from merchandise only. After their entertaining “Green Lantern” series and the critically acclaimed “Young Justice” failed to show a profit, the Network cancelled both series and replaced them with two substitutes guaranteed to make money. The first was a watered down version of their aught hit “Teen Titans,” and the next is yet another animated series starring Batman.

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Man of Steel (2013)

Man-of-SteelMuch in the way Bryan Singer practiced with “Superman Returns,” director Zack Snyder displays amazing restraint and subtlety with his version of Superman. Which is surprising considering Zack Snyder is hardly ever about subtlety. This is the man behind the loud and sophomoric “Sucker Punch” and “Dawn of the Dead” after all. But with “Watchmen,” Snyder proved he could disassemble the superhero mythology and completely lands his masterpiece with his iteration of Superman. “Man of Steel” garners a ton of heart and soul, with a tale of Clark Kent’s journey for a sense of purpose and belonging in a home world that’s not his own.

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The Comic Bucket List #1: Superman for All Seasons

“The Comic Bucket List” is a limited column where we review 25 comic books and graphic novels we’ve been meaning to read for years. We discover if they were worth waiting for, or if they never quite lived up to the hype they promised.

SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS
1998
Jeph Loeb, Tim Sales

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