The five-part miniseries that preceded the “Transformers Prime” computer-animated series is edited together and collected on the DVD “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising.” Less clanky than the feature films but more mature than the original 1980s cartoons, “Darkness Rising” is a hybrid that should appeal to both younger and older, nostalgic fans.

The “Transformers Prime” series features two voices well-known for their association with the characters. Frank Welker, who voices Decepticon leader Megatron, and Peter Cullen, who voices the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime, reprise their roles in this series. They first voiced the characters in the 1980s cartoon series, and Cullen also worked on the Michael Bay films as the voice of Optimus Prime.

Megatron leads the Decepticons, a cadre of sentient, evil alien robots who can transform into forms resembling Earth vehicles. They’re opposed by the Autobots, robots from the same planet who want to protect Earth’s inhabitants. Optimus Prime leads this group. Based on the toy line from Hasbro, the Transformers first appeared on television in a 1980s animated series and have since appeared in multiple animated incarnations and three live-action feature films.

In “Darkness Rising,” Megatron has discovered the energy source “Dark Energon,” which he uses to create robotic zombies.

Steve Blum, known for voicing Wolverine in multiple Marvel Comics projects, takes Megatron’s Lt. Starscream to a darker level than viewers have seen before from the character.

“Darkness Rising” is also more female-friendly, with Autobot Arcee and the female rocker Miko. Miko is one of the human cast members, along with computer geek Raf and the hardworking Jack Darby, who is something of this series’ Sam Witwicky stand-in.

Great battle scenes and a top-notch voice cast (including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a small role) make “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising” a good bet for fans of action-packed animation.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Matt Smith and Steven Moffat each settle in more comfortably in their second seasons on “Doctor Who,” the science fictional BBC production about a time-traveling benevolent alien. He traverses time and space in the TARDIS, a ship that’s bigger on the inside than the outside, and that looks from the outside like a 1950s police call box.

Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are the Doctor’s main companions for this series. He also frequently crosses paths with River Song (Alex Kingston), who has a connection to all of the principals, and whose meetings with the Doctor occur in jumbled chronological order.

Moffat took over as executive producer from the much-acclaimed Russell T. Davies. His main push seems to have been giving the seasons more of an arc, which is in full effect this season. The Doctor, played by Smith, is faced with his upcoming death in the season’s first episode, and while the season has its detours, clues and movements key to the overall arc are seen throughout.

The Blu-ray contains the episodes “A Christmas Carol,” “The Impossible Astronaut,” “Day of the Moon,” “The Curse of the Black Spot,” “The Doctor’s Wife,” “The Rebel Flesh,” “The Almost People,” “A Good Man Goes to War,” “Let’s Kill Hitler,” “Night Terrors,” “The Girl Who Waited,” “The God Complex,” “Closing Time,” and “The Wedding of River Song.”

The sixth series Blu-ray set kicks off with the Christmas special, “Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol,” which features the Doctor time-traveling through various years with a young man in order to avoid a particularly Scrooge-like fate.

Neil Gaiman (“Coraline,” “The Sandman”) writes the episode “The Doctor’s Wife,” in which the Doctor follows a distress signal to a mysterious asteroid searching for another Time Lord. The asteroid’s secret will threaten the TARDIS, and reveal much about the Doctor and a longtime relationship.

By the time “The Wedding of River Song” concludes, the questions raised by “The Impossible Astronaut” have been answered, and the mystery of the creepy villains the Silence has been at least partially unveiled. Smith remains a quick and quippy Doctor when it’s called for, but he also manages to pull real emotional depth throughout, as well. Gillan and Williams are well-cast as the charming but frequently star-crossed lovers who have served as the Doctor’s most recent companions.

The Blu-ray contains lots of extras, including between-the-episodes “Night and the Doctor” scenes, Comic Relief 2011 mini-episodes, prequel trailers, audio commentaries and featurettes.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Long-suffering “Captain America” fans finally got an A-list, top-notch film version of their favorite character when “Captain America: The First Avenger” came out earlier this year. But some disappointed Redbox patrons may instead find they’ve rented the TV movies “Captain America” and “Captain America II: Death Too Soon,” both originally shown on TV in 1979, and now out on DVD.

The movie takes a ton of liberties from the comics story. Reb Brown stars in both TV films as Steve Rogers. Dr. Simon Mills (Len Birman) wants Steve to take the FLAG formula, a sort of “super-steroid” that was developed by Rogers’ late father. Because his father experimented using his own DNA, the formula is only likely to work on someone in his family. Rogers refuses, but when he’s nearly killed investigating the death of a friend, Mills decides to use the FLAG formula on him without his permission, giving him peak human strength and other abilities. Unfortunately, all this origin means it’s over an hour into the film before Steve gets into Captain America gear, and when he does, he looks more like Evel Knievel than Captain America. His motorcycle, judging by the screen time it gets, is also a very important part of the film.

The first film must have been successful enough, despite making not too much sense, as most of the cast returned later that year for “Death Too Soon.” Connie Selleca (“The Greatest American Hero”) replaced Heather Menzies (“Piranha”) as Dr. Wendy Day.

The terrorist Miguel (Christopher Lee, slumming it) has stolen a rapid aging formula that he will use on a major American city if his demands are not met. (Thus causing — “Death Too Soon.”)

Steve tracks Miguel down to a small town, where he falls in love with a local woman, tussles with local roughnecks, and eventually tracks down the bad guys. Compared to the first film, this one’s semi-watchable, and Lee chews up the scenery with vigor. Hungarian-born Heidi Fleiss ex-boyfriend Ivan Nagy directs, and Captain America’s costume is closer to something that looks like the comics’ Captain America. It’s still pretty much a mess, but, prior to this year, “Death too Soon” was arguably the live-action Captain America to watch.

The Shout Factory Double Feature of “Captain America” and “Captain America II” has no special features to speak of, unfortunately. I’d love to have heard commentary from the directors or star about how these films were made.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Batman: Year One Two-Disc Special Edition DVD

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s “Batman: Year One” is a comic-book classic, recounting the early adventures of Batman and police Lt. James Gordon in a corrupt, crime-infested Gotham City. The story was originally serialized in issues 404 through 407 of DC Comics’ “Batman” title in 1987.

“Year One” has been influential in nearly all the Batman adaptations in other media since, including “Mask of the Phantasm” and Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” Miller’s darker takes on Batman in “Year One” and the earlier “Dark Knight Returns” were influential on the 1989 “Batman” film as well.

With so much history hanging on this story, there’s a lot for the direct-to-video animated adaptation to hold up. The extremely faithful adaptation, produced by Bruce Timm and co-directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, succeeds as the best direct-to-video DC Comics movie to date.

The cast includes Ben McKenzie as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Bryan Cranston as James Gordon, Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Katee Sackhoff as Sarah Essen. Cranston, whom many know from “Breaking Bad,” is a fantastic Gordon. “Year One” is Gordon’s story as much as it is Batman’s, and Cranston hits every emotion needed to pull off the complex character. Gordon’s a good man and a good cop; but Gotham City will put both of those characterizations to the test, as corruption and double-dealing test his faith and resolve.

Extras include a “Catwoman” short, written by Paul Dini; two Catwoman-centric episodes of previous “Batman” animated series; and a documentary on the importance of Miller and the “Year One” story to the Batman mythos.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Marvel Comics’ top-tier team of superheroes stars in “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” which features Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, among others.

With “The Avengers” set to come to theaters in 2012, it’s a nice bit of multimedia synergy — but it’s a well-done animated series, as well, culling bits from both the classic and “Ultimate” lines of Marvel Comics, as well as the cinematic universe, to create a hybrid that takes the best of all worlds.

In the third volume, the Avengers face the Masters of Evil, a group of Avengers foes gathered by Captain America’s enemy, Baron Zemo. Though the Avengers appear to be down for the count after Zemo attacks their mansion, Zemo hasn’t accounted for the bowman Hawkeye or the Wakandan king Black Panther, two Avengers who weren’t there at the time.

The second episode on the set, “459,” brings the Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell into the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” continuity, as an alien sentry comes to Earth as a harbinger of interstellar war.

A three-part storyline features the time-traveling dictator Kang the Conqueror and is reminiscent of the great Kang storylines from the Avengers comics.

And in “Widow’s Sting,” Hawkeye and Mockingbird are on the trail of the apparent double-agent the Black Widow.

Eric Loomis brings a Robert Downey Jr.-esque flair to the brash, sarcastic Iron Man, and veteran voice actor Fred Tatasciore returns as the Hulk after playing the character in direct-to-DVD films and video games. Brian Bloom (“As the World Turns”) voices the heroic Captain America, while Rick Wasserman (“24”) plays the Norse god of thunder, Thor.

There’s some anime influence, but “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” animation style is probably somewhere between Marvel’s more traditional superhero style and a full-on anime production. It’s similar in look to the recent “Wolverine and the X-Men” as far as art style is concerned. Former “X-Force” comics writer Christopher Yost is the series’ head writer and story editor, and wrote the “Masters of Evil” episode included in this collection.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Stand-up comedian Bert Kreischer crisscrosses the country for his Travel Channel series “Bert the Conqueror,” in which he tries out challenges from roller coasters to mud diving to catfish “grabblin.”

The Season One DVD contains nine episodes of “Bert the Conqueror,” along with a bonus disc featuring documentary programs.

In the premiere, Kreischer visits Cedar Point, Ohio, to attempt the “Fearsome Foursome” — riding the park’s fastest and tallest coasters in under an hour.

Despite a fear of heights, Kreischer manages to try out these challenges.

In the Las Vegas episode, Kreischer becomes the first regular citizen to jump from the Stratosphere hotel, the highest controlled free fall in the world at 855 ft.

Kreischer’s screams and facial contortions allow the viewer to feel some empathy while, through solid camera work, getting a feel for the experience without the stomach-churning drops.

While most of the adventures involve heights or speed, they don’t all. After visiting two roller coasters in Tennessee, Bert finishes his trip by trying to bare-handedly catch a catfish in the Tennessee River as part of what the locals call “catfish grabblin.”

Kreischer also develops an intimate acquaintance with mud. In San Antonio, Kreischer drag races a truck on a mud track; in Florida the mud gets even more ingrained as he takes part in a belly-flop championship on a mud farm.

Besides the bonus disc, which features five documentary shows on competitions and amusement park rides, there aren’t any special features on the DVD.

Viewers’ enjoyment of the show likely is tied to how much they enjoy roller coasters and to what extent they want to watch a grown man scream. But it’s an interesting travelogue for the adrenaline junkie.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Forensics: You Decide

A selection of five episodes from the Investigation Discovery program “Forensics: You Decide” has been released on DVD by Discovery Communications and Gaiam Inc.

The program presents real-life cases in which forensic evidence can potentially be interpreted two different ways.

Each episode examines a case and questions experts on both sides. The show reveals the jury’s decision in each case but also asks viewers to make up their own mind on the interpretation of the evidence.

The most compelling episode is the first, “Blood Brothers,” which takes place in Lawton.

In January 2008, Greg Maurek stood trial in the death of his brother, Peter. The trial in the Comanche County Courthouse lasted a week. Greg Maurek told investigators Peter had committed suicide, but unusual circumstantial evidence — the gun being found with the safety on, and the blood spatter on Greg — led to Greg’s arrest in connection with the death.

Investigators on each side line up their evidence — and as each layer is peeled back, more about the final moments of Peter’s life is revealed. It’s a compelling case of personal tragedy, completed with the cooperation of Greg Maurek and his sister Marta Moore.

The circumstances of each case are tragic, but it’s very informative to learn more about the science used by investigators trying to solve a case.

Another case involved etymological and botanical evidence to determine the approximate dates a crime took place — which was especially important, as the prosecution needed to prove the murder could have taken place before their chief suspect was incarcerated.

The show is an interesting look at how investigators and legal teams prepare for a trial, showing the real-life counterparts of shows like “CSI” and “Law and Order.”

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Thor: Tales of Asgard

A young Thor stars in “Thor: Tales of Asgard,” a direct to DVD and Blu-ray Marvel animated film that explores the youth of the god of thunder. Before the days when he wields the powerful hammer Mjolnir, this young Thor (“Matthew Wolf”) is a brash young prince who bristles against control and craves praise.

Wrapped in a painted cover by Alex Ross (“Kingdom Come,” “Marvels”), the “Tales of Asgard” DVD explores a quest by Thor for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur.

As Thor nears adulthood, he has never explored beyond the borders of Asgard. As the prince of the fantastic realm, he’s not had to challenge himself — everyone kowtows to his wishes. His worldview is challenged only by Sif (Tara Strong), a female friend who has had to battle the patriarchy of Asgard — and eventually leaves — to get her chance as a warrior.

The Warriors Three — Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg — embark on a journey along with Thor to find the sword, the quest for which Thor sees as a test of his burgeoning adulthood. The group is joined by Thor’s brother, Loki (Rick Gomez), who begins the film as Thor’s biggest fan.

The group expects a simple treasure hunt, but more danger is at hand than they realized. The heroes journey to Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants, as they seek the sword. Their actions kindle hidden aggressions that threaten Asgard itself.

The fantasy tale has sharp animation and rollicking adventure, and should satisfy fans of the genre.

Extras include an audio commentary with supervising producer Craig Kyle and screenwriter Greg Johnson; a second audio commentary with supervising director Gary Hartle, animation director Sam Liu and character designer Phil Bourassa; a featurette on the making of the film; and a bonus episode of “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Scarecrow and Mrs. King season 2

Once and future “Tron” Bruce Boxleitner was a TV staple in the 1980s, playing charming spy Lee Stetson in “Scarecrow and Mrs. King,” the second season of which is now out on DVD. Stetson, code-named “Scarecrow,” is partnered with suburban housewife Amanda King (Kate Jackson, “Charlie’s Angels”), used by the agency as a civilian asset.

While it’s a little tough to buy the premise, the chemistry of the leads makes the show work. The show, much-requested on DVD, has been coming out at the pace of one season per year.

Season two introduces some globe-trotting locations in the first half, with episodes filmed in London and Munich.

In the season’s first episode, Lee and Amanda travel to London to track down “the Mongoose,” who Lee believes is a former classmate of Amanda’s.

Jean Stapleton is introduced in a recurring role as Lee’s former mentor, British secret agent Lady Emily Farnsworth.

As a divorced mother of two who’s also heavily involved in espionage, Amanda often calls upon her mother, Dotty West (Beverly Garland), to help out with the kids. Garland is a treat every time she appears.

Amanda gets more deeply involved in espionage in season two — for a time even entering a training program to become a full-fledged operative — and the possible romance between Scarecrow and Amanda heats up as well. In the episode “Ship Of Spies,” Scarecrow and Amanda are married at sea — though it’s all part of a mission.

Amanda’s rise at the agency doesn’t sit well with agent Francine Desmond (Martha Smith), but they are forced to work together, going undercover as maids in “Life of the Party.”

The show is light, escapist fare with an extremely slow-burning romance between the leads mixed with quick-witted repartee.

The DVDs have no bonus material but contain all 23 episodes of season 2, which ran from October 1984 to May 1985.

— Matthew Price

A lot of teenage boys have issues with their fathers. Duncan Rosenblatt’s issues go a little farther.

Duncan’s a half-human, half-dragon hybrid, and if being the new kid in school is tough with a bad complexion, imagine how hard it is when you have Duncan’s craggy half-dragon exterior.

“Firebreather” is an Image comic book by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, in which Belloc, the King of the Monsters, and Margaret Rosenblatt, regular human woman, gave birth to Duncan, who’s now facing everyday teen problems despite not being an everyday teen at all.

The idea, which has been adapted into a Cartoon Network computer-animated movie out on DVD this week, sprang from a pitch Hester and Kuhn prepared in the 1990s. The pair had an idea to do a book of teen versions of some of Marvel’s superheroes.

“We really wanted to do a teen hero book,” Hester said in an interview with The Oklahoman. “All of the heroes kind of wind up at this generic age of 29.”

Hester speculated that if it’s tough to be Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, as an adult, imagine how tough it would be to be orange and rocky as a teenager, when everyone’s concerned about image and looks.

When the book wasn’t picked up by Marvel, Hester and Kuhn continued to develop the idea.

“That idea stuck in my mind, what would it be like to be a teenage monster?” Hester said. “We kept working on it and refining it until it became ‘Firebreather.’”

Getting the film out

The series eventually launched with Image Comics as part of a superhero line that included Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible.”

The book, launched in 2003, has been in development since shortly after the comic book came out.

“One of the cool things about comics is, it seems like producers like to hang out in comic shops,” Hester said.

The “Firebreather” property was considered for a live-action adaptation and a 2-D animation before Cartoon Network decided on the 3-D CGI adaptation. Hester says he’s pleased with how the film turned out.

“They hired really talented people, and they just let them do their thing, so we didn’t have too much to worry about,” he said.

“Aeon Flux” creator Peter Chung (“The Animatrix — Matriculated”) directed the film, and James Kreig (“Ben 10: Alien Swarm”) wrote the screenplay.

“(They) just use our book as a springboard, and let those guys riff, and it turned out great,” Hester said.

What’s next?

A new printing of “Firebreather Volume 1: Growing Pains” includes the original miniseries and the 60 page one-shot “Firebreather: The Iron Saint” as well as an expanded sketch section.

The second issue of Firebreather’s third volume, “Holmgang,” is scheduled to ship in April.

“It’s a Norse term for a duel of honor,” Hester said. “It’s about Duncan dueling with some long-lost members of his family for the right to ascend to his father’s throne as King of the Monsters.”

Hester, who calls himself a “huge Godzilla fan” is currently drawing “Godzilla” for IDW and writing “Wonder Woman” for DC Comics, in addition to his work on “Firebreather.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The 12-issue comic-book series “All-Star Superman” by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely was one of the most critically acclaimed comic books of the recent past. The love letter to the Silver Age version of Superman highlights what was great about the Man of Steel while updating it for a modern audience. Clearly, screenwriter Dwayne McDuffie — who passed away last month — had his work cut out for him in adapting it to a 75-minute animated film.

However, McDuffie — known for his work on shows including “Justice League Unlimited” and “Static Shock,” as well as numerous comic-book credits — mostly succeeds.

Superman’s final days on Earth are explored as Lex Luthor has unleashed an ingenious plan to finally put an end to the Man of Steel. Luthor sabotages a spacecraft’s scientific mission to the sun. When Superman rescues the craft, he is oversaturated with radiation, accelerating his cell degeneration beyond even his super-metabolism’s ability to repair.

Fearing he won’t be able to cheat death this time, Superman comes clean with Lois Lane (voiced by Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”) and confronts Luthor (voiced by Anthony LaPaglia) for a final time.

James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”) voices Superman and Clark Kent. While he has a soft, Midwestern charm, he doesn’t own the character the way previous animated Supermen, including George Newbern and Tim Daly, have.

It is pretty cool to hear the Daily Planet’s Perry White voiced by Ed Asner, though. While some could criticize the film for being too episodic, I think the film works as a salutation to a hero and is one of the best DC Entertainment direct-to-DVD releases thus far.

“All-Star Superman” is executive produced by Bruce Timm and directed by Sam Liu (“Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths”).

— Matthew Price

The “Doctor Who” Christmas special starring Matt Smith as the Doctor comes to DVD. While it’s not exactly the time of year for a Christmas story, this is nonetheless a charming episode that mixes the Charles Dickens tale with the science-fiction zaniness of “Doctor Who.”

Matt Smith is the latest to play the Doctor, a time-traveling alien who is the last of his kind. He looks human, though he has a sonic screwdriver that can overcome nearly any technological impediment, and the TARDIS, a time-traveling ship that looks from the outside like a 1950s police call box. He often traverses time and space with companions to avoid being alone; as “Christmas Carol” begins, his latest companions have been married and are honeymooning aboard a space cruiser.

When their space cruiser runs into difficulties and may crash, the Doctor attempts to intervene. Michael Gambon plays Kazran Sardick, the “Scrooge” of this tale, an elderly man who controls the skies of his planet. With the Doctor’s companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and her husband, Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill), trapped in the spaceship above, the Doctor needs Kazran to allow the ship to safely land. But Sardick refuses.

Needing to save his friends and the 4,000 others in danger, the Doctor goes back in time to determine the cause of Kazran’s stubbornness. Christmases past, present and future play a part as the Doctor and Karzan alter history — but will it be enough to save the passengers?

The Doctor’s travels through time with Karzan range from the fun to the hilarious to the downright heartbreaking. Smith, who is as quick and as quippy as previous Doctor David Tennant, at 28 brings a youthful exuberance to the role. However, he’s also able to appear wise beyond his years when he needs to convey the full experience of the Doctor’s 900-plus years of life.

Ultimately, “Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol,” like Charles Dickens’ original, reminds us to be mindful of those around us and to fully embrace life.

Extras include a making-of documentary and a concert of the series’ music.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Read more: http://newsok.com/dvd-review-doctor-who-a-christmas-carol/article/3541367#ixzz1EO4LWuNG

When Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” ended after seven critically acclaimed years on television, the show’s fan base still had an interest in the characters. Whedon elected to continue the series through the medium of comics, in a Dark Horse series called “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8.” Those comics have been animated and voiced in the motion comic, produced and directed by Jeff Shuter, and is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

The first 19 episodes have been animated, featuring Buffy and her gang training the large number of slayers that were created in the series finale of “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.”

After the destruction of her hometown of Sunnydale, the superpowered vampire slayer Buffy Summers moves her base of operations to Scotland. Housed in an old castle, Buffy, Xander and Willow attempt to train the next generation of slayers.

But the U.S. government may have questions for Buffy. And vampires aren’t taking a vacation either, as Japanese vampires raid the castle for a powerful weapon.

Faith, who previously fought with and against Buffy as another slayer, is called in by Buffy’s mentor, Giles, to scope out a rogue slayer who could potentially bring about the end of the world.

The series looks good, as illustrated by Georges Jeanty. The translation to the motion comic format works well for the most part.

Writers for the motion comics include Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan (“Lost”) and Drew Goddard.

The voice acting may be where the series takes the most heat from fans — none of the original “Buffy” cast return to voice their characters in the motion comic. The actors for the most part resemble the vocal characteristics of the originators of the characters, though they aren’t attempting an out-and-out mimicry.

The disc contains Blu-ray and DVD copies, trivia, comic-book covers and a featurette.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

BBC’s update of the Sherlock Holmes stories moves the famed detective from the Victorian era into the modern age. After a bit of disorientation as Sherlock Holmes texts and uses computers, viewers will settle into the well-acted series.

Benedict Cumberpatch (“Atonement”) is Holmes, a “high-functioning sociopath” called upon by Scotland Yard for particularly tricky cases. Though he’s a genius of observation, he doesn’t have much in the way of friends. When Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman, “The Office” in Britain) needs a roommate and a new direction in life, he is introduced to Holmes. Holmes’ obsession with the details and excitement of crime-solving intrigues Watson, who becomes Holmes’ partner.

Cumberpatch and Freeman have witty and deadpan repartee, and while this Sherlock can veer on the edge of creepy, Cumberpatch also infuses him with charm and charisma. Scotland Yard’s LeStrade (Rupert Graves) seems more competent than a lot of the fictional representations of the detective and appears to humor Holmes’ oddities because he knows it will help him save lives.

Rather than keeping a journal, this modernized Holmes chronicles Sherlock’s activities in a blog. Other well-known Holmes characters including Sarah, Mycroft and Moriarty appear, as does the famed address of 221B Baker St. The show has managed to add “CSI”-type elements without removing the examination of behaviors that are the hallmark of Holmes.

The three episodes that make up Season 1 are perhaps similar in execution but are clever and exciting enough to leave viewers wanting more.

— Matthew Price

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series

When it was announced in the late 1990s that “Batman: The Animated Series” would end and be followed up by a “Batman in the future” show, there was fan skepticism. Was this just a ploy to sell some new toys? But with producers Bruce Timm and Paul Dini among the responsible parties, the skepticism was unfounded. The story of a new hero taking up the mantle of the Bat 40 years in the future became a techno-styled animated noir classic.

With “Batman Beyond” seeing renewed popularity in the form of a new comic book series, new fans can experience the originals in a new three-season set.

After Bruce Wayne has retired as Batman, teenager Terry McGinnis uncovers his secret and takes on the role of Batman to help a Gotham City slipping back into the dark.

McGinnis’ youthful enthusiasm and tendency to make mistakes will recall Marvel Comics’ original “Spider-Man” stories but with a definite “Bat” feel.

All 52 episodes of the three-season run are included, along with commentaries and documentaries. Fans who bought the three single-season sets only have one new disc of extras to look forward to, however.

The new disc contains documentaries and the new film “Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics,” narrated by Ryan Reynolds.

The show is a fantastic example of animation from the beginning of the 2000s, though the shows don’t appear to be remastered. And there are some things that the “Complete” doesn’t include: The “Return of the Joker” Batman Beyond movie isn’t included in this set, and neither is the “Justice League Unlimited” episode called “Epilogue” that essentially wrapped the “Batman Beyond” series when the show wasn’t renewed for a fourth season. Given the limited amount of “Batman Beyond” content out there, it would have been nice to make this set truly complete.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

BRING THE BACON

Kevin Bacon tells Philadelphia Style that he will play mutant villain Sebastian Shaw in “X-Men: First Class.”

TRON STOP-MOTION DEBUTS

For his latest stop-motion animation project, NewsOK videographer Kyle Roberts tackled “Tron: Legacy.” Shooting more than 800 photographs in the dark, co-host Kyle Roberts used light-painting to make his subjects — the light cycles from “Tron” — race.

CHRISTMAS COMICS

Comic art from “The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories.”

Craig Yoe, who previously edited and designed “The Golden Collection of Krazy Kool Klassic Kids’ Komics” has collated another collection that should delight young and old alike. “The Great Treasury of Christmas Comic Book Stories,” includes John Stanley (“Little Lulu”), Walt Kelly (“Pogo”) and Richard Scarry (Little Golden Books).  Read more in this Friday’s Weekend Look.

DOCTOR WHO GIVEAWAY

Find out the winners of our Doctor Who DVD and Blu-ray giveaway!

Men of a Certain Age DVD

Scott Bakula, Ray Romano and Andre Braugher might not be the first three actors you’d think of putting together, but they work well as a group of college buddies facing middle age in “Men of a Certain Age” on TNT. The first season, with 10 episodes, is out on DVD.

Romano plays Joe Tranelli, a divorcee who is frustrated by missed opportunities and the failure of his marriage.

Bakula has an easy charm as Terry Elliott, an actor facing a declining career, though he’s still able to nab more than his share of much younger women.

Braugher, possibly one of the most underrated actors of his generation, plays Owen Thoreau Jr., a car salesman with a strong sense of morality trying to get out from under the thumb of his domineering father.

“Men’s” look at middle-age friendships among men makes it a bit of “Sex and the City” for dudes. It’s not overly sitcom-y or wacky, but it tries to show the dilemmas faced by men of this age group and realistically convey how these characters would deal with them. Romano is the biggest surprise; his character is pretty far from “Everybody Loves Raymond’s” Ray Barone. Tranelli desperately wants things to work out for his kids and hopes that there’s something more to come in his life besides regret, but some days has difficulty convincing himself. This low-key dramedy gets a lot of things right, starting with the cast, and provides a genuine take on male friendship that draws its humor from the reality of the situations.

Extras include commentaries by co-creators Romano and Mike Royce with Braugher and Bakula on the season premiere and finale. The set also includes a gag reel, deleted scenes and featurettes.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

DOCTOR WHO GIVEAWAY

As the 11th Doctor comes to DVD for the first time, we’re giving away a set of the fifth series!  Leave a comment on this post with your favorite Doctor to be entered for a chance to win.

The fifth series of “Doctor Who,” which stars Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor, and Karen Gillan as his companion Amy Pond, is on sale now.    The DVD contains all 13 episodes of the fifth series, along with hours of extras.

WIZARD WORLD AUSTIN/THE CROW

Stephen Norrington (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) is reportedly out as director of “The Crow” reboot. Mark Wahlberg is rumored for the lead. Creator James O’Barr hasn’t had much to do with the films after the original 1994 film starring Brandon Lee, but he is prepping a new, “Author’s Edition” of the graphic novel. He’ll be in Austin this weekend for the Wizard World Comics convention, along with Adam West, Burt Ward, Michael Golden and many more.

WALKING DEAD GETS SEASON TWO

The zombie horror survival series The Walking Dead, based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, is coming back for a second season.

“BATMAN LIVE” HEADING FOR EUROPE

It was announced today that the “Batman Live” world arena tour is kicking-off next summer.

It will tour the UK and Europe, beginning in summer 2011 and arriving in North America by summer 2012.

REVIEW FILE:

Matt and Kyle review Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #6, Ant-Man and the Wasp #1, and Amazing Spider-Man #648, kicking off the “Big Time” storyline.

Following in the footsteps of David Tennant as the Doctor, the time-traveling Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, was going to be a tough task. While Tennant was the tenth to play the titular Doctor, he had developed an adoring fan base for his cleverly quirky Doctor in seasons two through four of the modern “Doctor Who.”

Relative unknown Matt Smith (“Party Animals”) took on the role and has made over the Doctor in his floppy-haired image. With new companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), this Doctor skews younger but provides many of the same thrills as “Doctor Who” has provided since its 2005 revamp.

Steven Moffat, who wrote “Who” episodes including “Blink” took over the reins of show runner from Russell T. Davies. His Weeping Angels return to vex the Doctor and Amy in one of the season’s creepier episodes.

The season-long arc dealing with the crack in the world found in Amy Pond’s wall provides a solid story line; meanwhile, fans get to see the new Doctor face off with Daleks, Cybermen, subterranean reptiles and more.

With a new Doctor and a new companion under the hands of a new show runner, the fifth series of “Doctor Who” does have a slightly different feel, but the charmingly goofy Smith and the witty and gorgeous Pond will soon win over most. The reappearance of River Song (Alex Kingston), who is very important to the Doctor’s life in ways neither the viewers nor the Doctor yet know, adds fun and depth to the fifth series.

The 13-episode series on DVD has a suggested retail price of $79.98, which might be a bit steep in these days of Netflix and iTunes downloads. But the BBC does provide a solid amount of extras, with “Doctor Who Confidential,” which looks at each episode; commentaries; outtakes; video diaries; and scenes that connect the episodes.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Green Lantern in "Legends of the Super-Heroes"

Warner Archive has released the “Legends of the Super Heroes” 2-part series on DVD.   This show, which starred Adam West and Burt Ward, is a fairly horrific representation of DC’s comic-book heroes, but to some degree it must be seen to be believed.  Here’s the description:

Heroes and villains of DC Comics square off in the two-part, live-action, made-for-TV (with a laugh track!) smackdowns of Legends of the Super Heroes. The Challenge: Batman and Robin (Adam West and Burt Ward of the live-action Batman TV series) lead The Flash, Green Lantern and more JLA members against The Riddler (Frank Gorshin reprising his TV role), Mordru, Weather Wizard and other Doom-dealers. The Legion’s ultimate gambit: trick the heroes into downing a diabolical depowering drink! The Roast: Poking fun beats swapping punches when celebrity host Ed McMahon emcees a rowdy rave-up. Who knew DC Super Heroes and villains packed as much verbal wit as physical grit when not locked in mortal combat? These Legends will leave you laughing.

Warner Archive puts out some really esoteric stuff, and it’s great if you’re into the more oddball stuff gathered in the Warner coffers.  “Legend of the Super-Heroes” certainly applies.  Newsarama has a clip, to give you an idea of the quality of the print, as well as the quality of the programming.

- Matt Price

Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man 2"

Flawed heroes are what make Marvel superhero films interesting, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said in a news conference promoting “Iron Man 2,” released recently on DVD and Blu-ray.

“When it comes to larger-than-life characters like our Marvel superheroes, a flaw is what makes them human and is their most important aspect,” he said. “We can push that flaw as far as we can, just short of puking into a toilet.”

Kevin Feige

Feige was referring to an alternate opening to “Iron Man 2,” included on the Blu-ray, which opens with Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, with his head in a toilet.

“While we liked the notion of starting off with our hero in an unexpected manner, ultimately (director) Jon (Favreau) felt it was best to see Tony first revealed on the Stark Expo stage,” Feige said.

Feige said the comic-book inspirations of films such as “Iron Man 2” will allow Marvel to make exciting stories for years to come.

“We have the incredibly unfair advantage of almost 70 years of material, all of which has been revamped and refreshed over the decades in comic book form,” Feige said. “Our job is to look at the rich history of these characters and pick the best stories to tell.”

Feige mentioned in particular Matt Fraction’s “Invincible Iron Man” comic books informing the Tony Stark in “Iron Man 2.”

“We’re huge fans of the Fraction run,” he said. “It was a big part of our discussions for part 2 and continues to be part of our conversations of how the character will be moving forward.”

Multiple new armored suits for Iron Man appear in “Iron Man 2.” Feige said he was most proud of the development of the suitcase armor, which Tony puts on after being attacked in Monaco by Whiplash (Mickey Rourke).

“The suitcase suit is the thing we are most proud of and was the very first new suit we discussed,” Feige said. “Because it was right out of the books and because at the time we had no idea how we were going to pull it off.”

Feige praised the work of designer Ryan Meinerding and the designers at D-neg, saying they made the suitcase armor into the “showcase suit” of this film. It’s the suit featured on the cover to the Blu-ray release of “Iron Man 2.”

Marvel Studios remains busy, as filming just wrapped on “Thor” and continues on “Captain America.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to be back in the mode of introducing characters to the audience for the first time as we did with Iron Man in 2008,” Feige said. “I think that moviegoers are in for a big surprise when more of Thor and Captain America is revealed in the coming months.”

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Smallville Season 9 DVD

The Kryptonian military leader Zod (Callum Blue) is Clark Kent’s opponent in the ninth season of “Smallville,” which brings in more characters from the DC comic books.

At this point, Tom Welling has played Clark Kent longer than Christopher Reeve or George Reeves, though he hasn’t donned the famous red-and-blue suit of Superman. His journey toward becoming the Man of Steel continues in Season 9, as a younger version of Zod (who previously appeared in seasons 5 and 6 of “Smallville”) seeks to regain his powers and take over Earth.

The cyborg Metallo, played by Brian Austin Green (“Beverly Hills 90210), kicks off the season with an appropriate sense of menace. Toyman also gets the spotlight early in the season, as he continues a feud with Green Arrow (Justin Hartley). Surprisingly, the Wonder Twins from the old “Super Friends” cartoons are translated to “Smallville” style reasonably well in the episode “Idol.”

The season highlight is the two-parter “Absolute Justice,” which introduces Hawkman and the Justice Society of America to the “Smallville” mythos.

Erica Durance, who plays Lois Lane, has great chemistry with Welling; the developing romance between Lois and Clark is compelling.

Despite a few clunky episodes (notably “Warrior”), Season 9 finds “Smallville” regaining its footing as it heads toward what’s been announced as its 10th and final season.

DVD extras: deleted scenes; a “Kneel Before Zod” featurette looking at Zod’s appearances in comics, film, animation and live-action TV; a “Justice for All” featurette exploring the adaptation of the Justice Society of America to television; and commentaries on episodes “Idol” and “Kandor.”

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Wolverine and the X-Men Final Crisis DVD

The final three episodes of the first season of “Wolverine and the X-Men” come to DVD in the “Final Crisis Trilogy.” With tons of characters packed in, and the culmination of the 26-episode season, this may not be the prime jumping-on point for this series. But “Wolverine and the X-Men” ends with an action-filled epic.

Emma Frost, a telepathic mutant who can encase herself in diamond skin, helps the inner circle of the Hellfire Club, a group of mutant telepaths, to capture Jean Grey. The club has designs on using Jean’s Phoenix powers

Magneto, meanwhile, has taken control of the government’s Sentinel program, initially designed to hunt mutants, and plans to use it to attack Genosha, sparking a mutant-human war. Jean is the only one with the power to stop these sentinels, and without Jean, the dystopian future that Professor Xavier has warned the X-Men about will come to pass.

Wolverine receives a warning from the future saying he should trust — but whom he should trust doesn’t come through.

The writers have taken influence from the “X-Men” films and story lines such as “Days of Future Past” and Grant Morrison’s “New X-Men” to create the most mature look at the X-Men in an animated series. While the show focuses on the Wolverine character, the conceit of his leadership of the X-Men — something that would seem to go against his loner status — is explained well. Steve Blum provides quality vocal work as Wolverine; closer to Clint Eastwood than Hugh Jackman but appropriately flinty.

The show’s creators provide commentary on the three included episodes. “Wolverine and the X-Men” comes to a well-plotted finale. But since this final DVD set includes only three episodes, it may not be a cost-effective way to enjoy the program.

— By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

A parody of and homage to the “old dark house” films of the 1930s, this 2009 movie created by Larry Blamire is a love letter to films of the past.

When Sinus Cavinder’s will is to be read, a motley group of relatives and hangers-on converge on the Cavinder Mansion on a dark and stormy night.

When the lawyer in charge of the will is murdered before the addendum to the will can be read, it’s up to plucky reporters Eight O’Clock Faraday (Daniel Roebuck) and Billy Tuesday (Jennifer Blaire) to get to the bottom of the mystery. With the bridge out and no way to leave the mansion, possible supernatural high jinks and killers on the loose, it’s only a matter of time before more are murdered.

Roebuck and Blaire let loose rapid-fire dialogue in a “His Girl Friday” style, and the whole affair is reminiscent of classic Abbott and Costello films. Betty Garrett (“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”) makes a great appearance as Mrs. Hausenstout, stealing the few scenes in which she appears. The smarmy Burling Famish Jr., played by Brian Howe (“Journeyman,” “The Pursuit of Happyness”), is another standout.

Fans of more recent spoofs such as “Clue” and “Murder by Death” will recognize what’s going on here, and while a few jokes don’t hit the mark, “Dark and Stormy Night” is still filled with laughs.

Perhaps a bit overstuffed with characters, “Dark and Stormy Night” nonetheless provides plenty of entertainment, especially for fans of the genres being spoofed. It’s also a horror-mystery that can be shared with the entire family, which could add to the appeal.

Extras include a color version of the film, a gag reel, an audio commentary and a “making of” featurette.

— Matthew Price

Lost: The Final Season

A mystical hidden island featuring the castaways of the crashed flight Oceanic 815 is the setting for one of the most acclaimed modern television dramas.

In the final season of “Lost,” the castaways were featured both on the island, and in a “flash-sideways” world, in which the characters we knew were in different situations back home. The ultimate conclusion of the series tied the sideways world together with the world of the island.

With some truly fantastic episodes (“Ab Aeterno,” “Everybody Loves Hugo”) and only a few clunkers, “Season 6” isn’t the best season of “Lost,” but it is a satisfying final season, something that’s tough to accomplish on television.

What may draw many fans to the collection is “The New Man in Charge,” a 12-minute epilogue to the series that answers some of the most-asked questions about “Lost.” This and the other extras provide incentive for fans that have already seen the episodes to buy the set.

Despite some fan disappointment, the stories of season 6 are strong enough to hold viewers’ attention, and are worth re-watching in the Blu-ray format. The Blu-ray features 1080p video, and looks and sounds outstanding.

There are audio commentaries on four episodes: LA X, Dr. Linus, Ab Aeterno and Across The Sea.

A mini-featurette called “Lost in 8:15 – A Crash Course” gives a “previously on ‘Lost’” update for seasons 1-5.

The 38-minute documentary “Crafting a Final Season” talks about how “Lost” came to a close, and talks to other showrunners about ending a popular series.

Two other documentaries discuss the influence of Joseph Campbell; and the meaning of the flash-sideways. Behind-the-scenes shorts and deleted scenes and bloopers are also included.

- Matthew Price

Titan Maximum Wallet

Want to win a swank Titan Maximum wallet, or a DVD of the first season?

You can win these cool prizes from Nerdage by e-mailing mprice at opubco.com with what kind of robot you’d like to pilot!  Funniest and/or most original answers will be selected by a panel of experts at Nerdage HQ.   Must be 18 or over!  Want to avoid creative writing and buy your own?  Wallet available at the Adult Swim shop here and the DVD is available at this link.

Titan Maximum Season One DVD

Here’s the show description: The team that brought you Robot Chicken is ready to transport you to the far-flung future and beyond the stars with the first season of Titan Maximum on DVD! Marvel as the reunited members of Titan Force Five slam evil with their giant robotic powerhouse, Titan Maximum, and valiantly generally combat the heinous machinations of their former teammate-turned-villain, Gibbs, in his attempts to conquer the entire Solar System. This nine-episode set delivers plenty of alien monsters, Titan Power Punches, and skintight-jumpsuit-clad, catfight-prone female lieutenants.

The show was created by Robot Chicken executive producer/co-creator/writer/director Matthew Senreich and Robot Chicken co-executive producer/head writer/director Tom Root.  The stop-motion, 1980s adventure recalls shows like “Thunderbirds” and “Voltron,” but with an Adult Swim twist. Set 100 years in the future, the Titan Force Five protect the Solar System as the pilots of the spaceships that combine to form the robot Titan Maximum. Robot Chicken executive producer/co-creator/writer/director Seth Green serves as the show’s executive producer along with Senreich and Root, and also voices the show’s villain, Gibbs.  Robot Chicken veterans Breckin Meyer, Rachael Leigh Cook, Dan Milano, Eden Espinosa and Billy Dee Williams serve as voice actors for the series.

- Matt Price

Felicia Day

In just the latest sign that geeks rule the earth, Felicia Day has topped Katy Perry with the No. 1 best-selling pop music video on iTunes in the United States and United Kingdom.

On Aug. 4, “Game On,” a Bollywood-themed gamer anthem by Day and the cast of the Web series “The Guild” topped Perry’s “California Gurls” on the chart. It’s the second music video for the “Guild” crew, who last year released “Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?”

“The Guild” is in its fourth season online as a Web series; the third season was recently released on DVD. “The Guild” follows the wacky real-world antics of a group of gamers who play a “World of Warcraft”-like game.

In a recent interview with The Oklahoman, Day, who created, writes and stars in the Web series, talked about the differences between creating a Web series and a traditional television show.

“The privilege I have with a Web series is that it doesn’t have to be as episodic as TV would be, where characters kind of stay emotionally static, and they go through different ideas every week,” Day said. “I think it’s important that like, just in real life, people are changed by what happens to them.”

She also said because people tend to watch Web series on a browser, they need to stay shorter and more on point.

“You can’t have as much space or time to tell the stories,” she said. “So you really have to kind of be ruthless and say we have to cut down to the bone.”

At Comic-Con International, it was announced that further “Guild” comics would be released this fall, following the well-received miniseries written by Day. She talked about writing the “Guild” miniseries and how it focused on some of the drama behind the characters.

“The comic, especially the way it started, is a lot more dramatic than some people actually expected,” Day said. “Because to me, these characters do come from a place of loneliness, and that’s why they’re together. So there is a hint of reality and a little bit of sadness in everybody. And for me, that’s kind of the basis of everybody finding themselves online.”

Day said she was pleased with the response, especially from comic-book fans.

“The biggest compliment is when somebody who’s a hard-core comic reader (gives) me a compliment, because I feel like comic guys and geeks are the most hardcore of the bunch, and I know they aren’t going to cut me any slack,” she said.

This fall, five one-shots featuring the main characters of “The Guild” will be released by Dark Horse. The first one-shot, “Vork,” will be co-written by Day and Jeff Lewis, who plays the Vork character.

“There is a lot more to be told in that format; because the great thing about comics is you don’t have to worry about the production values or how expensive something’s going to be to shoot, you just write it,” Day said.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Felicia Day (“Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”) returns as Codex in the third DVD collection of the popular Web series “The Guild.”

As the third season begins, the group of gamer friends who make up the “Knights of Good” in a “World of Warcraft”-like game are fracturing. When they are publicly humiliated by a rival guild, The Axis of Anarchy, led by Fawkes (Wil Wheaton of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Vork (Jeff Lewis) resigns as leader, throwing the entire mess to Codex to handle.

A member short after Tink (Amy Okuda) defects to the Axis, Codex invites a new member to the Guild. Hoping to avoid asking love-struck Zaboo’s (Sandeep Parikh) sadistic new girlfriend, Riley (Michele Boyd), she instead invites Clara’s (Robin Thorsen) completely game-inept husband, George (Brett Sheridan). He’s so hopeless at the game, the group thinks he may be a saboteur.

Meanwhile, the Axis continues to humiliate the Knights, in game and out. Bladezz (Vincent Caso) nearly gets expelled after questionable materials are found in his locker; additionally, his modeling pictures are posted online with disastrous results.

Codex eventually pulls the group together for a final confrontation with the Axis that’s enthralling and hilarious. “The Guild” remains a must-watch for gamers, but even those who don’t play online games will recognize these characters. More clever and deeper than it gets credit for, “The Guild” is among the Web’s best series.

This DVD includes all 12 episodes from Season 3, along with bonus material not seen on the Internet.

— Matthew Price

Saturday Morning Cartoons of the 1980s vol. 1

Warner Home Video’s “Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s, Vol. 1” makes me want to pour a big bowl of sugary cereal and sit down for a few hours of relaxation through questionable animation.

The shows included on the DVD aren’t the best of the 1980s, though they are nostalgic fun for those who grew up in the era. Included are 11 episodes of mostly short-lived cartoons:

“The Biskitts”: These were the Smurfs of CBS (though not nearly as successful) as cute, tiny dogs attempted to keep the king’s treasures safe from the king of a rival land.

“The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley”: Based on Martin Short’s “Saturday Night Live” character, the dorky Ed Grimley had a 13-episode animated run in 1988.

“Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos”: This 1986 five-episode run inspired a comic-book series and an action-figure line. Oklahoma-born Norris introduced each episode in a live-action segment, then wrapped it up at the end.

“Dragon’s Lair”: Based on the fantasy video game that featured art by former Disney animator Don Bluth.

“The Flintstone Kids”: Like the Muppet Babies, only here it’s the Flintstones as kids.

“Goldie Gold and Action Jack”: A socialite and reporter have adventures.

“The Kwicky Koala Show”: One of the final shows directed by Tex Avery.

“Mister T”: An animated version of the “A-Team” star coached a gymnastics team and solved mysteries. The live-action Mr. T provided introductions and wrap-ups.

“Monchichis”: Cute monkey-like creatures starred in this show based on the Mattel toy line imported from Japan.

“Thundarr the Barbarian”: Popular with comic-book fans, as the show was created by Steve Gerber (“Howard the Duck”) and featured production design from Jack Kirby and Alex Toth. Thundarr was a Conan-inspired adventurer in a post-apocalyptic world.

There’s also a bonus featurette in the DVD set called “Lords of Light!: Thundarr the Barbarian.”

— Matthew Price

- Matthew Price