Dredd Gets A (Comic Book) Sequel: Today In Science & Science Fiction
Dredd was one of the best surprises of 2012. It was one of those flicks that perfectly understands the nature and appeal of the character, and it served up a kick-ass, hyper-violent story about the infamous Judge on a tight budget that never restrained it. It was exactly what many Dredd fans wanted from a Dredd movie, and it got right everything to godawful 1995 Sylvester Stallone movie got wrong. Karl Urban does a perfect Dredd scowl and he honored the source material by never once taking off his damn helmet. The fact that screenwriter Alex Garland had plans for a full trilogy of Dredd movies we’ll probably never see still stings, but today we can soothe that pain just a little bit thanks to Dredd: Underbelly, a comic-book sequel set in the movie universe and which follows another adventure of the Judge and his psychic partner, Anderson (played in the film by Olivia Thirlby). We’ll have our review of Underbelly up soon, but in the mean time you can check your local comic shop to get a copy of your own.
The one-shot sequel to the critically-acclaimed movie! In the wake of Ma-Ma’s death, other criminal gangs in Mega-City One are moving into the power vacuum, trying to fill the gap in the market left by the Slo-Mo drug. When a corpse dump is discovered in a rad-pit, the bodies are all revealed to be mutants. Could the dead be connected with an outfit smuggling illegal refugees into the city from the Cursed Earth? Dredd once again teams with Psi-Judge Anderson as they scour the underworld for the perps responsible, to bring them to justice!
Today in Television
Inside Stephen Hawking (PBS, 10/9c)
Physicist and cosmologist Stephen William Hawking’s life story — as only he can tell it — premieres Jan, 29th at 10pm (EST) on PBS. Beyond the public scientist, Stephen reveals intimate glimpses into his private life.
Revolution (NBC, 8/7c) — “Happy Endings”
Monroe (David Lyons) leads Connor (Mat Vairo) and Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) on a risky mission, as Miles (Billy Burke) and Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell) keep an eye on things in Willoughby. Meanwhile, Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) gets a new assignment and Aaron (Zak Orth) reunites with an old friend.
The Tomorrow People (The CW, 9/8c) — “Sitting Ducks”
Stephen (Robbie Amell) feels uneasy about his fellow trainee Hillary (guest star Alexa Vega, “Spy Kids”) who has a secret agenda of her own. Stephen’s mom wants the family to go camping including her new boyfriend Peter (guest star Robert Gant), whom Stephen seems to be having a difficult time reading. Knowing he is going to be out of town, Stephen asks for Cara (Peyton List) and John’s (Luke Mitchell) help to make sure that everything is ok with Astrid (Madeleine Mantock) while he’s gone.
Today in Comics
Black Science #3 (Image Comics)
Shell-shocked and battered, Grant McKay and his team are stranded on the front lines of the European savages’ final standoff against the Sons of the Wakan Tech-Tanka. Will this inverse manifest destiny claim the life of a member of the Anarchist League of Scientists? Or will they be betrayed by one of their own?
Clone #14 (Image Comics)
‘NO MERCY’ When America’s war against the clones reaches a fever pitch, can Luke lead his brothers to salvation?
Ghostbusters #12 (IDW Publishing)
The end of the year is a hectic time for most businesses, and the Ghostbusters are no exception. Beset from all sides by a surge in spectral activity over this particularly busy season, they’re looking forward to a little bit of a break once the new year hits. But recent supernatural symptoms shown by the City that Doesn’t Sleep are coming to a head, and the Bogeyman has arrived to take the city’s future!
Guardians of the Galaxy #11 (Marvel)
“The Trial of Jean Grey” The Guardians of the Galaxy get a reminder of Earth when they cross paths with the All-New X-Men during the TRIAL OF JEAN GREY! When an alien race discovers that the original Jean Grey is back on Earth, they decide to hold her accountable for the acts of the Dark Phoenix, and it’s up to the Guardians to help the X-Men save her. You won’t want to miss the first encounter between two of the biggest franchises in the Marvel U!
Saga #18 (Image Comics)
Our heroes’ stay on Quietus reaches its inevitable conclusion.Our heroes’ stay on Quietus reaches its inevitable conclusion.
Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1 (Dark Horse)
Malcolm Reynolds’s crew shook the ‘verse to its core when they laid bare the crimes against humanity undertaken by their sinister government-the Alliance. Always outlaws, Mal, a very pregnant Zoe, new pilot River Tam, and the other surviving crew members are in greater danger than ever. Meanwhile, everyone is asking the same question…
Star Trek #29 (IDW Publishing)
The all-new Five Year Mission of the Enterprise continues as Captain Jane Tiberius Kirk and her crew encounter a never-before-seen enemy in deep space! Wait… Jane Kirk?
What’s going on?!
All will be revealed in the first chapter of this new two-part story overseen by STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci!
Marc Singer (January 29, 1948)
Children of the Eighties, take heed! Today one of the great genre icons of our childhood celebrates 66 trips around the sun. Marc Singer (above left) actually has two unforgettable roles lurking deep in my nostalgia vaults. He strapped on a loincloth and communed with animals in the 1982 fantasy flick The Beastmaster, which went on to spawn a couple of movies and a 2001 TV series (where he played a supporting role, rather than Dar the Beastmaster himself). But he had an even bigger genre role in the original V TV movies and series spinoff, playing cameraman Mike Donovan, whose snooping reveals that the seemingly benevolent alien Visitors are actually carnivorous reptiloids who are up to no good. Following the same pattern as with Beastmaster, Singer popped up in an episode of the V remake series in 2011.
Singer has appeared in tons of other stuff over the years, including sci-fi shows such as a 1974 episode of Planet of the Apes, the Highlander TV spinoff, and the ‘80s incarnation of The Twilight Zone. He’s still working these days, having appeared in two films last year, but he’ll always remain an unforgettable part of my childhood. Here’s wishing him a happy birthday!
