Video Find: The Rutles sing "Living in Hope"

I love it when Barry gets the lead vocal.



New Comics Day: The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus 4

Click the links to order items from Amazon.

The adventures of comics' most put-upon super hero, the Amazing Spider-Man, continue! Brought you by Stan Lee, John Romita Sr., Gerry Conway, Gil Kane and Ross Andru, the saga ahead will captivate you unlike any Marvel comic has before. The Green Goblin is back! Gwen Stacy is missing! And it all leads to a confrontation atop the George Washington Bridge that will leave Peter Parker forever changed! It's the story that put a generation into therapy and cemented the Green Goblin as the defi nition of evil. And lest you think that's the only milestone in these pages, this Omnibus also features the debut of the Punisher, the wedding of Aunt May and Doc Ock, Harry Osborn's descent into madness and a new role for Mary Jane Watson!
COLLECTING: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) 105-142, GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES (1974) 1, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1967) 14

New "Black Mirror" trailers




Watch: New "Dark Phoenix" trailer


Coming up: Avengers vs. Fantastic Four


Out Dec. 17. Pre-order from Amazon now.

Details:

Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Marvel's First Family share some of their greatest adventures! First, it's the battle of the century -- the Hulk vs. the Thing! And it'll take the combined forces of both teams to stop the destruction! Worlds collide again when Ultron-7 crashes Quicksilver and Crystal's wedding! And the Avengers and the Fantastic Four each have roles to play in cosmic encounters with Annihilus and the Skrulls! Then, on a break from the FF, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman actually join the Avengers for the Super-Nova saga! The New Avengers and the Fantastic Four face the Kree - -but why are Hank Pym and the Mighty Avengers breaking into the Baxter Building?!

COLLECTING: FANTASTIC FOUR (1961)#25-26, 150, and 255-256, FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #19; AVENGERS (1963) #127, 233, and 301-303, AVENGERS ANNUAL #14; NEW AVENGERS: AAFES #1; MIGHTY AVENGERS (2007) #25-26


Watch: Summer in Hawkins "Stranger Things" Season 3 teaser

Watch: Aquaman vs. Great White Shark Mego set

Pop Life: Game of Thrones; Ramsey Lewis; Community

What I've been reading, watching, hearing, etc.


SPOILERS: After two, super-intense, episode-long battles, I found the final episode of "Game of Thrones" a bit slow and underwhelming. I appreciate the symmetry of naming Bran heir of the (now melted) Iron Throne elegant, but also a bit dissatisfying.

There were so many spectacular female characters on this show, it would've been nice to see one of them ascend. Why not Sansa or Arya? It's sort of like a presidential primary where there are lots of impressively qualified women in the race, but then somebody's creepy old uncle comes along and becomes the automatic front runner. Not that that would happen in our word. But, low-energy Bran (seriously, he looks like he's about to doze off half the time) has mystical powers and stuff, so there you go.

All-in-all, though, GOT was a captivating series. Lot of great characters and twists and turns. Not that it wasn't flawed. The torture, violence and, particularly, the sexual violence, was often more extreme than warranted. But I grew attached to many of the characters, some of which even made it to the end!

Now, will George R.R. Martin ever finish those books...?


Ramsey Lewis - "Mother Nature's Son." I picked this one up at a record sale a while back and found it unexpectedly groovy. I was expecting Beatles covers in Lewis' soulful trio format, ala his hit cover of "The 'In' Crowd." Instead, we get a batch of hot-of-the-presses "White Album" tunes with full orchestra and lots of wild, psychedelic production touches. Very much worth a listen.


"Community." My wife and I are re-watching this series on Hulu with our teen daughter and I'd totally forgotten how brilliant it is. The ensemble - including Chevy Chase, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale and a yet-to-break-big Donald Glover - is fantastic, as are the "meta" concepts. On-the-spectrum character Abed (Danny Pudi) treats life as a TV show or movie, a perspective that's reinforced by numerous concept episodes, which include parodies of "Doctor Who," a clay-animated Christmas special and, of all things "My Dinner with Andre." My appreciation is renewed - the smartest/silliest thing I've ever seen. If you haven't watched it, you're in for a treat.

Watch: G.I. Joe's "Bullet Man"

Man, I wanted this one. Never got it.


Video Find: The Spencer Davis Group performs "Gimme Some Lovin'"


Best comic book covers of the week

Coming up: Ditko is...Amazing! King Size


Out Dec. 17. Pre-order from Amazon now.

Details:

Steve Ditko is one of the most infl uential creative minds in popular culture. Steve Ditko is a one-of-a-kind visionary. Steve Ditko is the co-creator of Marvel icons including Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Steve Ditko is...amazing! Marvel proudly presents the incomparable Amazing Spider-Man work of Steve Ditko in our massive King-Size format. From Spidey's Amazing Fantasy #15 debut to the fi rst appearances of villains like Mysterio and Doctor Octopus, it's like experiencing these classics for the very first time. Ditko's Spider-Man adventures, including the Master Planner saga - an epic considered by many to be the greatest Spider-Man story - defined the spirit of a hero that has inspired millions. Also featuring a host of bonus material, including Ditko's original Amazing Fantasy #15 artwork!

COLLECTING: AMAZING FANTASY (1962) 15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) 3, 11-13, 24, 31-33 AND ANNUAL (1964) 1-2


 


Coming up: Iron Man - Invincible Origins


Out Dec. 24. Pre-order from Amazon now.

Details:

Howard Chaykin and Gerald Parel modernize the formative first days of a super hero and Pop Culture icon! Billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark lived a life of wealth and privilege. That all changed when an onsite visit to a war-torn nation went horribly wrong, leaving Tony gravely injured in the hands of dangerous extremists - one of whom was a former friend! When asked to build a weapon, Tony instead constructed a mechanized suit of armor and escaped. But the horrors he left behind are coming for retribution, and the only way to stop them is for the carefree playboy to become...the Iron Man! 


Comic Art: Original pages from "The Incal" by Moebius




Coming up: Tigra - The Complete Collection


Out Dec. 24. Pre-order from Amazon now.

Details:

Marvel's feline fury is on the prowl! Before Greer Grant Nelson became Tigra, she was the Cat - a costumed hero taking on foes like the Owl and the Man-Bull. But an encounter with the mystical Cat People soon unlocked her full potential - and Greer became Tigra, the Were-Woman! Transformed into a feline fi ghting force, Tigra soon made her mark on the Marvel Universe - clashing with Werewolf By Night, Kraven the Hunter, Red Wolf and more, and leaping into action alongside the Thing and Spider-Man! Plus, join Tigra on the trail of a killer in a moody crime drama illustrated by Mike Deodato Jr.!

COLLECTING: THE CAT 1-4; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) 8, 67; GIANT-SIZE CREATURES 1; MARVEL CHILLERS 3-7; MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (1974) 19; MARVEL PREMIERE 42; TIGRA 1-4; MATERIAL FROM MONSTERS UNLEASHED (1973) 10; MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) 125


Comic Book Art: Original art from "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" by Herge



Watch: "His Dark Materials" teaser from HBO

Watch: "Doom Patrol" full pilot from DC Universe

A free episode from DC's streaming service.


Saturday at the Movies: "Twist Around the Clock"