The Bionic Woman #2
Written by Paul Tobin
Art by Leno Carvalho
Colors by Mark Roberts
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Paul Renaud
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Poor Jamie Summers. In Bionic Woman #2, she really gets put to the test of her new “powers.” This after thinking she lost her long-time boyfriend, Steve Austin, in a tragic explosion, then surviving an accident that left her almost dead. But thankfully, she got better. Better…stronger…faster.

Author Paul Tobin knows how to write two things really well: women and action. In a world where the only super powers that the main character has is being “really strong” Tobin makes this book exciting and intriguing all at the same time. Yes, being a cyborg isn’t really a huge super power in the current comic universe, but what I love about this is that Tobin MAKES it awesome in this world. One thing that I really like about the character of Jamie Summers is that she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. There’s no “I’m a machine, not a woman” tears or breakdowns or anything like that. Just straight-up butt kicking!

Fox has released a toned-down trailer for The Watch. Akiva Schaffer‘s new sci-fi comedy, formerly known as Neighborhood Watch, stars Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, and Richard Ayoade as a group of local neighborhood watchmen who stumble across an alien plot to destroy the world. Although the trailer tones it down, it is definitely better than the red-band trailer that was released earlier this year.

You can check out the new trailer below.

We also get a better look at the aliens the neighborhood watch group will be facing in the movie. Vaughn debuted the new trailer on Conan last week.

The Book of Alien
Written By: Paul Scanlon and Michael Gross
Published by: Titan Books
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Paperback

The Book of Alien by Paul Scanlon and Michael Gross was originally published by Heavy Metal Books in 1979. Ridley Scott’s return to science-fiction with Prometheus has sparked a renewed interest in the Alien mythos once again, so Titan Books has reprinted this 112-page art book, which features conceptual designs and illustrations that would come to define Ridley Scott‘s Alien as a science-fiction masterpiece.

The book features minimal information about the genesis of Dan O’Bannon’s script and the film’s production. Instead, The Book of Alien is an art book that focuses strictly on the visual aspects of Alien, filled with countless illustrations and photographs from the film’s production.

Artists Ron Cobb created hundreds of preliminary sketches of the interiors and exteriors of the Nostromo ship, which went through many design concepts, as well as the escape shuttle, Narcissus. Joining Cobb on the more human aspects of the film was artist Chris Foss, known for his covers of science-fiction novels and spaceship illustrations.

Orbit #8: JRR Tolkien
The True Lord of the Rings
Written by Brian McCarthy and Michael Lent
Pencils by Luis Chichón
Color by Luis Chichón
Letters by Luis Chichón
Cover by Hyunsang Michael Cho
Bluewater Comics
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

Love JRR Tolkien‘s writing or hate it, you have to respect the intricate fantasy world he built for his hobbits’ grand adventures. JRR Tolkien influenced an entire genre of fiction and his most famous offering, Lord of the Rings, inspired generations of devoted fans and writers.

Orbit #8: JRR Tolkien: The True Lord of the Rings gives readers a brief, 28-page glimpse into his life. The writers, Brian McCarthy and Michael Lent, manage to cover the major points in Tolkien’s life story. The comic book is a quick read, but the narrative never feels rushed. It’s like skimming a beautifully illustrated version of Tolkien’s Wikipedia page.

Jazz as a whole is still the most misunderstood and easily dismissed of any music in any genre. Most folks patiently let jazz zealots play their endless amounts of records for them (the jazz genre has multitudes upon multitudes of releases) and quickly denounce them as background soundtrack noise, jumbled notes, and arrangements better heard during shopping at convenience stores or waiting to be whisked up in elevators, than to give it the proper attention it deserves. For the most part, it’s one of the few musical genres that is decidedly rooted in American roots, and that’s not a statement of jingoism, simply pride. Jazz divides people like no other. Other than the rare popular jazz release or its usage in another forms of medium, (Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue,” John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” Herbie Hancock’s electronic “Rockit” or hip hop artists that liberally sample jazz sounds for example) ultimately, it seems like either one likes jazz music or they don’t.

To cap, as Frank Zappa so eloquently and hilariously put it as only he could on his 1974 Roxy and Elsewhere album, “Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny.”

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 Album Deal for May 2012, there’s a great deal on three classic jazz albums in MP3 format right now for only $5 each, and all are encouraged to check them out before the sales ends.

– Moanin’ by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
– Somethin’ Else by Cannonball Adderley
– Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter