SNL Scraps: Aziz Ansari Makes Moves In The New Promo

Listen, we all know that Aziz Ansari is cool. He has to be, he played Tom Haverford on Parks And Recreation and Tom is obviously the coolest person in Pawnee. He's started multiple business, created some interesting new additions to the Snakehole Lounge's list of drink, and he knows how to party. Not to mention that his character on Master Of None loves pasta, which makes him cool in my personal book. So, obviously, Aziz will bring a certain flair to Studio 8H and the promos know it. I just hope that his phone doesn't go off during the show. The ringtone is funny, but it's not worth interrupting the sketches for it.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Critical Hits & Misses #116

• Over at the Guardian, Kat Brewster writes what playing video games taught her about vegan cooking. Who knew there were parallels between Dark Souls and doughnuts?


• Intersectional feminism is alive and well in the fabulous HELP US! GREAT WARRIOR (including Muslim and Trans characters), created by Madeline Flores and published by BOOM!

For today's musical hit, here's Breaking Benjamin and "Never Again."

Today's critical rolls: what have you learned from video games?


Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: we reserve the right to ban you for being a terribad citizen of the internet.

U.S.Avengers #1 Review: Land Of The...$kullocracy?

U.S.Avengers is a tribute to America, both the good and the bad aspects. I appreciate this, not only because the history of my country is a nuanced and controversial subject, with an equally controversial history, but also because I wouldn't really appreciate a "Rah, rah, rah! 'MURICA!" story at this moment in time.

This is best demonstrated at the beginning of the issue, where a heartfelt monologue by Roberto Da Costa immediately cuts to a group of villains espousing precisely the opposite of what he just said. The group is meant to be the polar opposite of what he stands for. The U.S.Avengers are about the optimism of America and the freedom to be who you are and help others. They are a diverse range of heroes. The villains?

Yeah...this is definitely because of the election. Remember, Earth-616 follows real-world politics.

Yup. Honestly, we don't see a lot of them, save for the opening battle. They're terrorists, but that's mainly it. It remains to be seen if they will appear again in later issues. On the other hand, our main antagonist for the evening is the Golden Skull. Man, how many characters are there with different variations on that name? We have Blazing Skull, the Red Skull, his daughter Sin, numerous Red Skull impersonators, and even Green Skull! What's next? After IDW and DC are done with Justice League/Power Rangers, will Bulk and Skull make a guest appearance? In all seriousness, he seems like a cool villain, with a wealth of material to mine if the intent truly is to parody Trump.

In between the battle, prerecorded video footage of each member of the team is shown, helping to simultaneously explain who they are to the in-universe audience and to anyone reading the comic. For the most part, they succeed in introducing the characters without requiring any prior knowledge. It doesn't work as well for Enigma or Cannonball, making some research necessary.

Still, for a first issue, it's very good. Al Ewing is one of the greatest comic book writers in the genre, and I hope that the next issue contains more of his trademark humor and action. At the very least, the short teaser for future events after the issue ends seems to indicate so. I hope that when Danielle Cage, otherwise known as the Captain America of the year 20XX arrives, there's some weird reference to when Squirrel Girl used to be her nanny. Definitely check it out!

U.S.Avengers is written by Al Ewing and drawn by Paco Medina. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S2 E6: "Who Needs Josh When You Have A Girl Group?"

This episode continues the last one's themes of bonding and feminism with Rebecca, Valencia, and Heather forming a girl group, immortalized in the amazing song "Friendtopia." Apart from a few lines, I absolutely love it. The conceit about literally taking over the world through the power of their girl group gets taken to a logical extreme when they start dividing up precisely what they would do when they rule the world. (Heather would slip poison in the water.) Even though her plans are horribly misguided, I do appreciate Rebecca's attempt to get Paula into the group. It's a good way to bring everyone together. I hope they can make up in the future. At least Paula gets to continue her awesome friendship with Sunil from the previous episode.

Trent, a recurring character from two previous episodes, has unexpectedly returned, and he's gotten even creepier. He's gone into full-on stalker mode. The cold opening, in a rare departure from the typical format, is completely devoted to his new plan to woo Rebecca by infiltrating Josh's group of friends and somehow managing to hang out with her. Later in the episode, he even gets his own solo number, "Trent Is Getting Ready Song, " which is actually a self-referential parody to season one's "Sexy Getting Ready Song."

He's meant to be Rebecca's male counterpart, but he's even creepier than she was before her character development. This is partially because he don't know his backstory or motivations for doing what he does other than an obsession with Rebecca and partially because he just seems so disturbing. I still remember when he broke into her house in order to fake being a couple in front of Josh back in the first season. In terms of other fairly minor characters, I'm happy that Maya is finally getting some development. Ever since her introduction, she's been used as an object of mockery by the usually-friendly Daryl. We finally find out why and, hopefully, it won't happen again.

Finally, Heather's "Stuck In The Bathroom" song was also wonderful. I feel like the style of the song was a reference to something, but I'm not sure what.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Jade Street Protection Services #Issue 3 Magical Mafia, Baby!

Jade Street Protection Services #3 gives a chance to world-build as we learn a bit more about this illegal magic stealing gang that’s been going after Magical Girls. So far we have villains who seem pretty standard, but also hints of emotional conflict that might come into play later. Not only do we learn our villain's plans but we also get a better understanding on how magic works in this world, something I would've preferred be covered in the first issue but it’s fine here.

This issue gives us some moments to see how our protagonists are handling the situation they are  thrown into, going from magical girl students to being targets.This issue gives us some solid character moments and balances the attention between a sizable cast.

The joy of settling into something new is undercut by the sense of dread as our leading ladies are offered the choice between hiding out like other magical girls have done before them, or doing something more than mere surviving. The concept of being “unsuitable” by the standards of the academy and the way it controls magical girls and the resignation to being considered unsuitable in society is a theme that once again pops up in this series. Unfortunately, before we can linger on about this concept our girls are once again thrust into a fight to save a certain someone we haven't seen in awhile.  What revelation will we see in Issue #4? I don’t know but I can’t wait to find out!

As always this series is brought to us by series creators Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay on writing duties, and LeLay on art. The issue is colored by Mary Jayne Carpenter. The flats are done by Elizabeth Kramer and smooth lettering by Taylor Esposito. This book is published by Black Mask Studios.

Elizabeth Ledwell is a witch who has a certificate in graphics communications she doesn't use.

The Flintstones #7 Review: The Essential Nature Of Humanity- Are They Dum-Dums?

After last issue's near-apocalypse, the time has come for the Great Gazoo to write up his report on the town of Bedrock. His chief assignment is to guard the townspeople from any extraterrestrial harm, but not from any local adversaries, like, say, prankster neighbors or a territorial dispute. This does apply to, however, enterprising aliens intent upon scamming them on out of valuable resources.

This doesn't parallel anything from our history. I don't see any similarities at all. Cough.

Mark Russell uses this to explore the nature of humanity and the goodness within people. On one side, we have the Great Gazoo's plot, saying that not everyone will do the wrong thing during a time of crisis. He observes a miner become trapped during an accident at Mr. Slate's company. There is a chance to save him, but the odds of it succeeding are precarious. Mr. Slate is against saving him just because he wants to get more work done. Of course, he does eventually get saved, but it's still a question of when the decision will be made and if he'll still be alive by the time it is.

Dude, maybe this is why no one would come to your 'end of the world party' in the last issue. You're a jerk and you only treat your employees with respect when it benefits you in the moment.

On the other hand, the Church of Gerald's subplot has a less optimistic take on society. The leader of the church unintentionally learns about the act of absolving sins in exchange for a monetary benefit. This leads to a paying system being set up. The larger the sin, the more gravel you have to pay. It does start out as a genuine attempt to help foster the better nature in humanity, but becomes corrupted by greed. The issue has an intelligent take on humanity and the essential qualities deep inside of us. Again, it doesn't have the meatiest plot, but if you view it as the second part in a two-part story, then it works.

The Flintstones is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Steve Pugh. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Critical Hits & Misses #115

• The New York Times discusses Ivanka Trump's dangerous form of "feminism" and how she's really just a huckster, selling us something that kind of looks like feminism but is really just about male power. 


• Ta-Nehisi Coates answers reader questions on his Black Panther series. He is asked about feminism in comics, and his answer is fabulous. 

For today's musical hit, Noah Cyrus and Labrinth perform "Make Me (Cry)."

Today's critical rolls: what are you favorite feminist moments in comics?


Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: we reserve the right to ban you for being a terribad citizen of the internet.

Deadpool The Duck #1 Review: A Simple Body-Meld Or Something More?

Typically, the Deadpool miniseries are decent, but almost all of them have one minor flaw: it takes a bit of time for the plot to get underway. This isn't necessarily an issue when you're reading a trade collection, but for the individual issues, it does make the story seem slow, initially. This is still true for this particular issue, but that doesn't make it bad. It just leaves you wanting more.

So far, the plot seems to be fairly simple: Deadpool is looking for some kind of alien menace and his newfound 'spirit animal,' Wolverine, is advising him on house decorating matters in a temporary facility. It's weird, but it's a Deadpool product, so I've learned to expect that.

Meanwhile, Howard is feeling depressed due to some recent calamities in the world and trying to snap himself out of it. He's trying to get away from all the chaos and find a quiet location. Just some peaceful contemplation and relaxation, basically.

Rocket Raccoon interrupts Howard's melancholy state, saying that something has been done to him. Before he can elaborate further, he goes feral and starts repeating 'space rabies.' They accidentally collide with Deadpool's potential new residence, and a mistake with the Merc With The Mouth's old teleporter mashes up Howard and Deadpool.

It almost strikes me that the concept could be a reflection of the manic-depressive state, or bipolar disorder. Deadpool would represent the manic side, full of excitement, recklessness, and most definitely a hallucination or two. The Wolverine 'spirit animal' definitely proves that. Howard would represent the other side of the coin, the depressive state. As noted earlier, he is definitely in the onset of a depression slump and taking steps to alleviate the affects. The literal combination of the two could be a depiction of it, but it's also possible that I am reading too much into it.

Despite the slow start, it is a good story. I appreciate the way that it sets up Deadpool and Howard's current emotional states. I'm not sure precisely what will happen with 'Deadpool The Duck' in the rest of the miniseries, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind a whole series just of Deadpool as a duck going on various adventures. The art is also great, providing a clean, clear cut feel to the story.

Deadpool The Duck #1 is written by Stuart Moore and drawn and colored by Jacopo Camagni and Israel Silva. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Life With Kevin #3 Review: Can't Stop The Chaos

In past reviews, I have noted that the amount of plot being stuffed into each issue of the miniseries seemed too heavy,  and expressed my worries about the eventual finale being able to accurately wrap up the dangling plot threads. So far, the second half of the run seems to be gathering up some of those threads and, if not concluding them, then at least some progress has been made.

Life in New York isn't as easy as Kevin thought it would be. The issue opens with him fast asleep on the subway, completely missing his stop and having to quickly commission an Uber to get back home. He isn't going to go rest, however, just quickly change before a yoga class with Paulo, a potential new beau. Unfortunately, a borrowed pair of ill-fitting shorts and an extreme case of flatulence cause no end of humiliation.

I never expected to see that particular sentence in an Archie comic before. Just be glad this isn't an Adam Sandler movie, Kevin, or something worse might have happened.

Still, he and Paulo kissed, so it wasn't a complete loss. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Kevin's work aspirations are going to be as promising. If you recall, he got roped into an on-camera news position after a reporter saw his looks. He has to report on puff pieces when he would rather be recording real journalism, preferably not on camera. Making things worse, Babs, his boss, had instructions from a higher-up at the network to boost her failing ratings by finding more excuses to get him on the show, preferably with a lack of clothing.

Executive mandates, everyone! I do like that the issue somewhat humanizes Babs. She isn't happy with this, missing the sense of purpose that came from real journalism instead of pandering to the audience. Reluctantly, she decides to get him on camera for a body waxing piece. Needless to say, it doesn't go well and he quits on the air.

Seriously, couldn't he sue them for this? She just stripped him on the air, without his consent or forewarning.

The rest of the issue has Kevin going on his promised prom date with a high school student. It's a nice moment, especially when he bonds with the student by discussing their shared backgrounds. He even gets Jason to open up to his crush. Possibly intentionally, his crush looks like Kevin did in his high school days. It all went very well, except for Veronica secretly tagging along and posting some footage online.

Life With Kevin #3 is an excellent issue, finally achieving the right combination of real-world situations and Archie Comics-style shenanigans. I'm interested to see how the final issue wraps everything up, especially with the news position. Technically, he only quit on the air, but they haven't fired him yet. The leaked footage could change something. I do not know when the final comic will come out, but I'll be sure to review it when it arrives.

Life With Kevin #3 is written by Dan Parent and drawn by Dan Parent and J. Bone. You can find it on the Archie Comics app.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.

Critical Hits & Misses #114

• In a bizarre turn of events, DC has cancelled the six issue Vigilante: Southland series halfway through its run. The remaining issues will be released along with the three already published (now returnable) in the comic’s trade paperback, out in May.


• Shea Strauss perfectly and hilariously captures the frustration of bra-shopping that most women can relate to in this comic series. 

For today's musical hit, enjoy the acoustic sound of Shinedown's "How Did You Love?"

Today's critical rolls: how much does bra-shopping suck for you? Any hilarious or horrific stories to tell us about?


Critical Writ has a super-duper strict comment policy that specifies a single rule above all others: we reserve the right to ban you for being a terribad citizen of the internet.