I am such a fan of the Muppets and Jim Henson. When I was a kid, the Muppets had the best game in town when it came to entertainment. Why, I even screamed “I DO!” during the wedding scene in “The Muppets Take Manhattan”, which led to a family joke that for years I was married to Kermit the Frog. That being said, I was excited to check out BOOM! Studios ongoing Muppet Show comic. I was hoping for a trip back to the Muppet Show of my youth, with humor that pleases both kids and adults, like when I watch reruns of the Muppet Show on DVD and catch jokes that I didn’t get as a kid. 
First of all, Roger Langridge is a great fit for this book. I’ve kept up with his blog, Hotel Fred, for quite some time now. I love his art, because it’s cartoonish without being juvenile. In the Muppet Show, it’s reminiscent of the drawings in the old Muppet Magazine. He seems to really get the vibe of the original Muppet Show and the way things looked in the Muppets’ heyday.
Langridge does double duty as artist and writer on this book, and he succeeds in both arenas. The story of the Muppets taking their show on the road is much like watching a sequel to the Muppet movies in the 80s, complete with a good message for the kids about friendship and sticking together. It’s a cute story and a fun read, something that would be a fun way to introduce your kids to comic books and/or the wonder of the Muppets. The humor is universal without readers feeling like he’s dumbing it down for the younger crowd, and I think it’s a great way to teach new readers some more difficult words, as the vocabulary is a little above what you’d find in a typical kids’ book.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the old Muppet Show and wants to take a nostalgic trip back to their childhood. While it’s not quite as funny as what Henson and friends did back in the 70s and 80s, this is pretty close. It’s a really fun read, and something that you can share with the next generation of comic book/puppet-based humor fans.
Written & Drawn by Roger Langridge
Stacey Rader
Senior Reviewer
geekyvixen@gmail.com
http://geekyvixen.blogspot.com
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Here is some very cool Smallville art from the episode “Warrior,” which airs January 29. This episode pokes fun at one of sci fi’s most revered events – the comic book convention. And DC character Zatanna returns.
“SMALLVILLE” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Warrior” (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)
METROPOLIS HOSTS A COMIC BOOK CONVENTION — DC COMICS’ CHARACTER ZATANNA RETURNS — Clark (Tom Welling) meets Zatanna (guest star Serinda Swan) at a comic book convention, where she tells him her father charmed a copy of the comic book “Warrior Angel” and it holds magical powers. A young man named Stephen (guest star Carlo Marks) steals the comic book and develops super powers, transforming himself into Warrior Angel and saving Chloe (Allison Mack) from a horrible accident. Meanwhile, Lois (Erica Durance) becomes jealous of Clark’s relationship with Zatanna. Allison Mack directed the episode written by Bryan Q. Miller (#3X5261).
Don’t forget Smallville returns to originals next Friday, January 22 at 8pm EST with “Disciple.”
“SMALLVILLE” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)
“Disciple” (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)
NO LOVERS, NO ALLIES, NO DISCIPLES; INTRODUCING DC COMIC CHARACTER THE DARK ARCHER — Oliver’s (Justin Hartley) past comes back to haunt him in the form of The Dark Archer (guest star Steve Bacic), Oliver’s former teacher, who seeks revenge on his student by taking aim at Lois (Erica Durance) and Chloe (Allison Mack). Oliver faces down The Dark Archer after his former mentor kidnaps Mia AKA “Speedy” (guest star Elise Gatien) but is pushed to his limit and Clark (Tom Welling) races to stop him from making another deadly mistake. Mairzee Almas directed the episode written by Jordan Hawley (#3X5260).
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In anticipation of the January 26th release of SURROGATES on Blu-ray & DVD, Disney presents a first look at the bonus features!
Featurette: Best Version of Yourself (Bonus)
Deleted Scene: Apologies & Theories (Bonus)
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Tessaract: Part 1 of 2Doctor Who #7 revolves around yet another villain who is out to get the Doctor for past events. Thanks to the Doctors previous adventure involving the Shadow Proclamation, someone has managed to tamper with the one device which would allow them to gain possible access to the TARDIS undetected: The Doctors ever trusty Sonic Screwdriver. This act allows the main villain to merge their ship with the TARDIS within Fifth dimensional space, creating a situation where not only is the TARDIS breached and boarded by a hostile force, but it’s control room becomes even more “lost”, and turns both ships into ticking time bombs. 
I liked how even amongst all the chaos, the Doctor manages to give one of the simplest explanations of how the TARDIS and its various rooms are interconnected, and how he is Psychically connected to the TARDIS, which is giving him a hard time keeping everything together. It’s explanations like this which make the series more accessible in my opinion, and bring it down to a level which anyone can enjoy.
Further along we learn the villain’s possible motives behind this attack, and it has to do with two of the doctors most notable companions: Adrid & Vislor Turlough. Both were companions to the Fifth Incarnation of the Doctor. Adrid was the one companion who seemed to die a “pointless death” in the eyes of many, while Turlough was the only companion who ever tried to murder the Doctor. I will not go into details here, but for those who wish to know more about these companions, I would suggest using your favorite online search resource to further investigate.
Overall, I found the first part of this story arc to be very informative, yet puzzling at the same time. But then again, what good Doctor Who story doesn’t start off like that? The opening scene will have fellow Whovian’s in stitches, and wishing they were in the Doctors current companions place. Access to certain Rooms within the TARDIS is usually off limits (and for good reason), so it’s nice to get a tour of its fabled interiors.
While the quality of the stories seems to be improving, I find the art continues in its minimalist vein. I understand that with a character like the Doctor, with the whole universe as your backdrop, less is more. But there does come a point where I feel more detail is needed in order to match the level of the story being told.
I would recommend this as a starting point for anyone who is interested in the continuing adventures of Tenth Doctor. But mostly I would also recommend this to any David Tennant fans out there that are looking for their Tenth Doctor Fix.
Writer: Tony Lee
Artist: Al Davison
Ed Rondo
Senior Critic
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Line of $1 Image Firsts Coincides with Free Comic Book Day 2010
Just in time for the ninth annual Free Comic Book Day, Image Comics is releasing Image Firsts: a line of titles re-presenting ten key first issues as an introduction to Image's most acclaimed titles. Priced at only a dollar, each first issue serves as the perfect primer to their ongoing series and collected editions, including THE WALKING DEAD, SPAWN, CHEW, INVINCIBLE, AGE OF BRONZE and many more.
"As discussions for Free Comic Book Day began, many of our retail partners brought up how helpful it would be to have additional, inexpensive supplements to our featured title, Silverline's FRACTURED FABLES, as a way of bringing in an even wider range of fans," explained Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "We developed the 'Image Firsts' program to showcase the great variety of titles we have to offer. Between the superheroics of SPAWN, INVINCIBLE, WITCHBLADE, SAVAGE DRAGON and YOUNGBLOOD to the science fiction of GIRLS and PROOF to Eric Shanower's historical epic, AGE OF BRONZE, and the horror of THE WALKING DEAD and CHEW, there's something for every reader, old and new."
All the Image Firsts will reprint the first issues of each series in its entirety, acting as the perfect primer to the ongoing series and their corresponding backlists. Available in the weeks leading up to Free Comic Book Day, the 10 Image Firsts titles will give retailers an opportunity to expose their incoming new readers to a broad range of Image material. Two titles will be released every week beginning March 31 and continuing through April 28.
All Image Firsts will be 32-page comic books priced at $1.00 and will be available for order in the February issue of Diamond Previews. The full schedule of Image Firsts follow the press release.
IMAGE FIRSTS SCHEDULE
IMAGE FIRSTS: YOUNGBLOOD #1
story ROB LIEFELD & JOE CASEY
art & cover ROB LIEFELD
MARCH 31
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
The original celebrity superheroes make their debut in this remastered tale by Rob Liefeld and Joe Casey.
IMAGE FIRSTS: THE WALKING DEAD #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover TONY MOORE
MARCH 31
32 PAGES / BW
$1.00
A continuing tale of survival horror in a post-apocalyptic world.
IMAGE FIRSTS: SPAWN #1
story TODD McFARLANE
art & cover TODD McFARLANE
APRIL 7
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Todd McFarlane's arcane superhero discovers the truth behind his unholy resurrection.
IMAGE FIRSTS: CHEW #1
story JOHN LAYMAN
art & cover ROB GUILLORY
APRIL 7
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Bizarre culinary crimes investigated by the FDA's premier psychic detective.
IMAGE FIRSTS: SAVAGE DRAGON #1
story ERIK LARSEN
art & cover ERIK LARSEN
APRIL 14
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
A lone supercop fights against a city of organized supercrime.
IMAGE FIRSTS: AGE OF BRONZE #1
story ERIC SHANOWER
art & cover ERIC SHANOWER
APRIL 14
32 PAGES / BW
$1.00
Eric Shanower's epic retelling of the Trojan War.
IMAGE FIRSTS: WITCHBLADE #1
story DAVID WOHL & CHRISTINA Z
art & cover MICHAEL TURNER
APRIL 21
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
The only weapon powerful enough to keep the forces of Darkness and Light at bay is in the hands of a New York cop.
IMAGE FIRSTS: GIRLS #1
story JOSHUA LUNA
art & cover JONATHAN LUNA
APRIL 21
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
A small town trapped in an invisible dome becomes the epicenter of an alien invasion unlike any other.
IMAGE FIRSTS: INVINCIBLE #1
story ROBERT KIRKMAN
art & cover CORY WALKER
APRIL 28
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
When a teenager inherits his father's superpowers, he learns there's much more to being a superhero than he ever anticipated.
IMAGE FIRSTS: PROOF #1
story ALEX GRECIAN
art & cover RILEY ROSSMO
APRIL 28
32 PAGES / FC
$1.00
Crypto-zoological horror as investigated by Agent Ginger Brown and her partner, Bigfoot.
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Marvel is proud to announce a bold new beginning for the critically acclaimed Marvel Adventures line with Spider-Man #1 and Super Heroes #1!
Perfect for readers of all ages, these two all-new series are the perfect jumping on point for readers new and old with oversized debut issues, packed with a full length all-new stories and bonus back up stories, just like the comics from when you were a kid! Subsequent issues will be regular sized and priced at $2.99, perfect for everyone’s summer reading!
“The Marvel Adventures line has been a runaway success for over 5 years now,” said Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Sales David Gabriel. “We’re extremely proud of not only the longevity of the line and the strength of the brand, but also of the quality of all the series. These are the perfect starting point for the youngest of readers. You’re going to see all the biggest Marvel heroes—Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and more—appearing in Super Heroes. Along with Spider-Man, these books are a fresh new start for the Marvel Adventures line—but with the same unparalleled all ages storytelling you’ve experienced!”
In Spider-Man #1, join Peter Parker as he balances homework, family and saving New York from the deadliest villains around! Acclaimed scribe Paul Tobin and fan favorite artist Matteo Lolli join forces to bring you Spidey’s newest ongoing series!
Join Iron Man, Marvel’s box office sensation, as he unites a team of super stars in Super Heroes #1! Tobin and dynamic artist Ronan Cliquet send the newly formed Avengers against Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants in a battle you can’t miss!
Fans and critics agree—the Marvel Adventures titles are a hit!
“Marvel Adventures Spider-Man maintains a sense of history while presenting Spider-Man in a thoroughly modern form”—Ray Tate, ComicsBulletin.Com
“For an all ages read, [Marvel Adventures Super Heroes] provides a great deal for younger readers, a few treats for old hands and the promise of stories that are not steeped in darkness”-- Doug Zawisza. ComicBookResources.Com
This April, there’s only one place for the greatest all ages, action packed super hero comics in the world—don’t miss Spider-Man #1 and Super Heroes #1!
Retailers, please check the Marvel Mailer and Marvel Retailer Resource Center (www.marvelretailers.com) for details on ordering incentives!
SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by MATTEO LOLLI
Cover by KARL KERSCHL
MARVEL ADVENTURES All Ages …$3.99
ON SALE IN APRIL!
SUPER HEROES #1
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by RONAN CLIQUET
Cover by CLAYTON HENRY
Variant Cover by TODD NAUCK
MARVEL ADVENTURES All Ages …$3.99
ON SALE IN APRIL!
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