Mary Poppins
2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD/Digital | DVD/Digital l Instant
Directed by Robert Stevenson
Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber and Ed Wynn
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: Dec. 10, 2013

Mary Poppins, the winner of five Academy Awards, flies onto Disney Blu-ray for the first time ever in honor of its (premature) 50th anniversary and the forthcoming release of Saving Mr. Banks. But is the Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke musical practically perfect in every way? The film, yes. The Blu-ray release itself, only practically, as the less-than-perfect presentation and lack of copious new supplemental material have much to be desired.

Critics and everyday individuals alike regard Poppins as one of Walt Disney’s finest achievements – if not his finest piece of cinema – for what the movie represented back in 1964, and how it holds up today. The film, inspired by the P.L. Travers work, showcases how the family dynamic of an early 20th-century clan in London is transformed by the introduction of one very ideal, precise and magical nanny. The tale captured our imaginations, portraying an atmosphere where children could leap into sidewalk drawings and a fantastic woman could soar above the cityscape with an umbrella and carpetbag in tow. The scene, utterly delightful. The people, certainly relatable. The combo, undeniably winning. But what makes Mary Poppins work so well? Credit a combination of elements at play.

As the co-creator of (among others) the Swamp Thing, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm, and most notably, Wolverine, Len Wein‘s imprint upon the comics universe has been huge. An artist, editor, and of course, legendary writer, Wein continues to make his mark in comics, as well as television, having worked on the critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the massively popular Ben 10series. Wein’s currently involved with new work for Marvel Comics, as well as a number of other media projects.

I had the opportunity to chat with this legendary comics writer during the Long Beach Comic Con. Wein discussed his beginnings, his editorial and television work, and offered insights on the changing industry.

Continue below to watch the interview!

Brain Boy #0
Written by Fred Van Lente
Illustrated by Freddie Williams II
Colored by Ego
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Cover by Ariel Olivetti
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 11, 2013
Cover Price: $2.99

Open up your mind and allow writer Fred Van Lente to introduce you to an early adventure of the trained telepath, Matt Price in Brain Boy #0. With illustrations from Freddie Williams II, this prequel issue to the new series from Dark Horse is one wild adventure filled with betrayal, espionage, and a plethora of mind control tricks.

In one of his first missions ever, Matt Price, also known as Brain Boy, is subcontracted by the secret service to help protect the president and a special package called the “football” at a world leaders summit. Able to read the thoughts of others as well as telepathically and telekinetically force them to do things against their will, Brain Boy is tasked with determining every eventual outcome in regards to the summit in order to prevent something catastrophic from occurring; however, when lethal assassins force their way onto the premises and the other secret service agents begin committing suicide, Brain Boy quickly discovers that he is not the only telepath in the vicinity — nor the world.

Last week, Smaug got out of his cave and took a small vacation to Los Angeles, which also was just in time to celebrate the premiere of Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. But how did he get there exactly? Well, the famed dragon teamed up with Air New Zealand of course, and flew across the Pacific, where he was welcomed at LAX airport by Jackson, two cast members from the film, and the New Zealand National Board of Tourism.

Okay that may be a bit too much, but to celebrate the release of the film, Air New Zealand completely transformed a seemingly normal Boeing 777, into the mythical dragon. Hit the jump to find out all the details of the plane, and some photos from the event, which we were able to attend.

Signal to Noise
Written by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Cover by Dave McKean
Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: December 11, 2013
Cover Price: $24.99

Like a special treasure tucked away for safe-keeping, Signal to Noise by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean has been pulled out of the trunk, dusted off, and re-issued in its entirety by Dark Horse in a single, stunning volume.

Originally serialized in the 1980s in the avant-garde fashion magazine The Face, Dark Horse pulled together the segments of this sobering tale of a filmmaker who learns he has a terminal illness and may never complete is magnum opus and first released them as a graphic novel in 1992. The story, however, takes on a completely different tone in our post-Y2K-crazed world than it possessed before, and that tone only helps to strengthen the message contained within.