deerstalker

In this BGN Podcast Extra, we chat with actor Kaci Walfall of the CW series Naomi.  This past week was the season finale and Kaci chats about the journey she’s had this year working on the show as well as what it has been like for her character Naomi.

Host: Ryanne
Music by: Sammus
Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

Writer: Stephanie Phillips / Artist: Flaviano / Boom! Studios

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, that Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” plays (or in this particular case, are written on the page) as a specter of death approaches to take a life. Grim #1 follows a grand tradition, a common story, a familiar narrative and starting, where we follow a Grim Reaper. In this case, the reaper’s name is Jessica Harrow, and Flaviano’s evokes all the tropes you’d expected while adding a distinctively modern flair to it.

Phillips’ narrative blends a lot of familiar tropes and arcs, and it’s in that unique blend that Grim #1 finds a niche. You get the depiction of the reaper leading a relatively deceased soul to the afterlife. You get the depiction of the not-exactly River Styx and the souls damned to some eternal punishment. You get the depiction of the not-exactly Purgatory in an excessive bureaucracy that some modern interpretations have leaned into. And you get the eventual pivot to the main narrative of Jessica Harrow’s journey.

Grim works because of Phillips’ awareness of the genre and the use of shorthand to help accelerate the pacing while still keeping us invested in Harrow’s own introspection. It’s a familiar set up, but it’s still executed tightly. You have to give props to Flaviano’s illustration, Renzi’s coloring, and Napolitano’s lettering. The combined visual aesthetic is striking, alluring, and has a fantastic, polished feel that shows a wide range of settings and action brilliantly.

While not the strongest first issue ever, Grim #1 is still a gripping first issue with a unique visual flair and tight writing. Grim’s familiarity works in its favor and innovative in its presentation. I’ll be sticking around for the next issue for sure.

8.9 “Scythes” out of 10

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Stanley Sugerman’s (Adam Sandler) love for basketball is unparalleled, but the travel weary Philadelphia 76ers scout who has higher ambitions of being a coach remains stuck on the road looking for the next unknown talent. His search around the world leads him to Spain, when he discovers Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangómez), an incredible streetball player with a troubled past. Stanley and Bo connect on and off the court, with their passion for the game and as loving family men who want to prove they can win, in basketball and in life. With the support of Stanley’s wife, Teresa (Queen Latifah), can the underdogs come out on top?

Hustle, an inspirational drama, co-stars Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Anthony Edwards, and Tobias Harris, is directed by Jeremiah Zagar and is produced by Sandler, Allen Covert, Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Zack Roth, LeBron James and Maverick Carter.

Hustle premieres June 8, 2022 on Netflix.

Writer: Skottie Young / Artist: Kyle Strahm / Image

Upon gazing on the furry blue gremlin with a solitary twig adorned on top their head, my first immediate thought was “Oh, I love them so much.” With a mischievous look in their eyes, a design that is both Skittermander-adjacent and also blue-Elmo-esqu, and accompaniment by an equally quirky companions, I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy Twig. And by the second page, where a combination slime/slug/squid thing name Splat sardonically replies to Twig about not being their alarm, that feeling was immediately confirmed.

Twig from Skottie Young (whose last series The Me You Love in the Dark was distinctively very much darker in nature) and Kyle Strahm, follows the adventures of the titular entity as they go about their lives. Strahm’s character design is simple and exceedingly effective, hitting all of the perfect elements to create an entity that I intrinsically want to root for. Young leverages that instinct and couples a playful cadence in Twig’s dialog. As Twig shows up to their new job as a messenger, the story begins in proper.

The vibrant world is bursting with character, and the world is very literally alive as trees, branches, and mountains converse with Twig as they descend into the Belly mines and receive their charge, a mysterious red jewel. The set pieces are fantastic, and the energy is radiant. Between the eye-catching pages and the fun dialog, there’s a lot to enjoy. However, Twig’s narrative during the first issue is just a tad bit flat. While there are a lot of interesting things to parse, nothing much particularly happened during Twig #1. This is an unusual complaint given that most try to pack as much stuff in as possible. However, the final page does hint at a grander myth arc and more serious energy, so we’ll see how things play out.

Still, I think even though it’s a bit of an uneventful start, the aesthetic alone should sell you on Twig #1. Young and Strahm play off each other wonderfully, and the end result is a strong start to a world that can stand proudly next to its nominal predecessors/influences of Bone and The Dark Crystal.

8.4 “Placeling” out of 10

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