Voodoo #0 Review

Like Resurrection Man #0, Voodoo #0 is one of those Zero Month issues that simultaneously serves as a flashback tale and a series finale. One thing Voodoo has going for it that Resurrection Man didn't is that the ongoing plot threads will be continued in the pages of Grifter, meaning Josh Williamson isn't forced to tie up all the loose ends in the span of 20 pages. The result is a very straightforward but competently executed finale that offers readers no real surprises.

This issue opens as Priscilla finds herself a Daemonite captive and doesn't stray far from there. There are the obligatory scenes of confusion and Pris coming to grips with her newfound powers. Williamson does little more than elaborate on details that were already reasonably well developed earlier in the series. The dialogue is sort of a mixed bag. While Williamson relies heavily on Priscilla's internal narration, there's really no other way to convey her jumble of thoughts and emotions in such a sparsely populated comic. The stilted Daemonite dialogue is more of a chore, though at least one of the characters pokes fun at them at one point.

One area this series deserves ample praise for is the art. Sami Basri holds the distinction of being one of the very few artists to remain on the same New 52 title for these past 13 months. Through it all, Basri has delivered consistently clean, attractive work with a strong sci-fi flair. I can only hope DC has future plans for Basri that will result in an equally long stint. Maybe an ongoing WildCATs series?

On that note, though Williamson has few surprises to offer here, he does effectively pave the way for the Grifter/Voodoo partnership and helps transition readers into that series. All signs seem to be pointing to a full WildCATs reunion down the road. It may be that Voodoo functions better as part of a team than on her own.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.

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Ivan Reitman May Just Remake Ghostbusters

After all the "will they, won't they" drama surrounding a third Ghostbusters film, it sounds like Ivan Reitman may just call the whole thing off and start from scratch.

In a recent interview with Collider, Reitman was asked about the long-gestating Ghostbusters 3 and where the project was in development. In response, the filmmaker gave a rather unexpected answer: "I think Ghostbusters probably should be remade, if we can get it all right. We're working on it, so we'll see."

Brief as it is, this statement definitely seems to indicate that Reitman may be over trying to get a threequel off the ground, instead aiming for a complete do-over.

What do you think? Would you rather see a Ghostbusters reboot as this point as well? Or are you still rooting for the old team getting back together? Let us hear your thoughts in the Comments below!

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

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The Mob Doctor: "Pilot" Review

Advance Review: The first thing that FOX's new series, The Mob Doctor, has working against it is... its name. It's hard to not giggle and pre-judge a show with such a nail-on-the-derp title. Yes, creators often look for for a name that can singularly sum up their show, but I feel like a lot more people aren't going to be able to get past this silly title than will wind up eventually over-looking it. Also, it doesn't help that the show a mostly-laughable shlock-fest riddled cliches and familiar beats.

My Boys' Jordana Sprio (off her two-episode dramatic arc on Dexter last year) stars as Grace Devlin (a name not lost on anyone), a tough, punchy surgeon who grew up poor on the south side of Chicago. She's part angel, part lie/cheat/and steal if it protects the right people hellion. And her hospital rounds are filled with a rogue's gallery of characters you've seen before. Her bitchy rival (Jamie Lee Kirchner), her arrogant, weaselly boss (David Pasquesi, almost channeling his Strangers with Candy role) and wasted Emmy-winner Zeljko Ivanek as an extra-bland Chief of Surgery.

Instead of starting off the show with the story of how Grace became a doctor who moonlights for the local mob in order to pay a debt for her brother's life, we begin in the thick of it. Grace has been a "Mob Doctor" for years already and we're just catching up with her on a particularly busy day where she deals with a goon who has a screwdriver in his head, a kid with a gunshot wound, a girl from the "neighborhood" who's pregnant thanks to outercourse and an FBI witness in dire need of heart surgery. And once again, thanks to pilot-itis, everything moves at breakneck speed, with the writers thinking that fast stories and super-speed dialogue make things seem more urgent and characters seem more clever.

Spiro can be a fun and lively actress, but she crumbles here at the feet of sloppy sentiment and an interesting premise that's treated more like a glossy adventure series than a tension-filled drama. Grace's doctor boyfriend, Brett (Zach Gilford), is handsome and nice while the crooks she deals with, notably Michael Rapaport's Moretti, are dumb and mean. It's all flat. I will say that, toward the end, there's a surprise twist that gave the show a jolt, but it's all for naught. One would think, that given the premise, Grace would be desperately looking for a way out. That she's afraid of being caught and tired of keeping secrets. But she's not. In fact, when given the opportunity to actually leave criminal servitude and make a clean getaway, she stays. And becomes an even mobbier Mob Doctor! Her excuse is, naturally, family. Even though we meet her pushy mom and incompetent brother and see first hand that they're no treasure trove.

But she's from the south side. And just like Boston's south side, cinematically, family is supposed to mean more than anything, no matter how dopey and troublesome they are. William Forsythe, fresh off his Boardwalk Empire stint, plays a typically Forsythian role in the form of Constantine Alexander, a soft spoken crime boss freshly released from prison. And while his relationship with Grace might feel more interesting, and rife with potential, the fact that, right off the bat, Grace has accepted her lot in life as a physician for both sides of the law makes the show feel empty and harmless.

The Mob Doctor premieres on Monday, September 17th at 9/8c on FOX.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

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Journey Into Mystery #643 Review

It's a good thing Everything Burns is shipping at such a rapid pace. Last week's installment revealed that Loki's former partner and BFF Leah was plotting his demise. I would hate to be kept waiting any longer than necessary for an explanation.

Luckily, Matt Fraction and Kieron Gillen waste no time in getting to the heart of the matter. The explanation for Leah's sudden turn toward villainy is not only surprisingly satisfying, it pays off on material Gillen set up in the first arc of Journey Into Mystery. As I mentioned last week, this crossover is far more of a payoff to Gillen's series than it is Fraction's. Not only is it building on the framework Gillen set up, this issue hinges the conflict on Loki's shoulders more squarely than before. And as ever, Loki is more than up to the task of carrying the story. Gillen tackles him from a significantly different angle for most of this chapter. It seems almost certain that the newest revelation is merely a red herring, but it should be a fun ride while this story beat plays out.

The writers offer up some entertaining material involving the other Asgardians as well. Most notably, Volstagg settles uncomfortably into his new role as Asgard's steward. While there's a bit of comedy to this subplot, there's also a genuine sense of despair at the dark days facing his kingdom. The character has and continues to fare well in this book. The battle scenes across the Nine Realms are also enjoyable, though once again annoying brief and limited in scope.

The biggest problem with Carmine Di Giandomenico's artwork is simply that he isn't Alan Davis. The two styles really clash in the transition from series to series. It's a shame Doug Braithwaite couldn't have returned to deliver the same epic fantasy style he delivered during Fear Itself, as his style would have been a much stronger match for Davis'. Di Giandomenico's pages work well enough, they're just a bit cluttered at times. His Loki also has a tendency to shift dramatically in age from panel to panel. This may actually be an intentional effect, but if so, it doesn't work as well as it should.

Now that fans needn't worry about the Loki/Leah relationship being trampled, they can resume enjoying what is a very dramatic and worthy finish to Gillen's run.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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Avengers Assemble #7 Review

Avengers Assemble is a solid Cosmic Marvel series but a disappointing Avenegrs series. When you consider how many Avengers books there are on the stands, that's not the worst thing in the world. Issue #7 is easily at its strongest when the Avengers are relegated to the background and the cosmic characters take over. Brian Bendis opens the issue with a cool scene involving Thanos confronting the various cosmic bigwigs of the Marvel Universe. The Thanos in this series takes some getting used to, as he doesn't really seem to reflect any of the changes the character went through during Annihilation and War of Kings. Still, there's a definite appeal in seeing the old power hungry, unstoppable Mad Titan back in action.

Elsewhere, the issue follows the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in their escalating battle with the Badoon. There's some fun banter to be had involving the Guardians, as their snarky team dynamic is practically tailor-made for Bendis. But with the story reaching this level of scale, the Avengers are doing little more than getting in the way. The same problems with uneven character voices remain. Thor is the primary offender this month, as he seems to hop back and forth between his old-school, faux-Shakespearean speech and a more contemporary dialect.

At least the emphasis is less on dialogue and more on action this month. Bendis writes a fun, mostly silent sequence that sees the Avengers trapped in the vacuum of space. Unfortunately, Mark Bagley doesn't do enough to bring this sequence to life. His pencils continue to appear very loose and rushed, and neither the inks nor the colors do anything to breathe more life into the page.

Bendis would have a potentially much more interesting and enjoyable story on his hands if he were just writing a Guardians of the Galaxy comic. And perhaps one day he will be, and the Avengers will just have been a necessary evil in order to help provide causal readers a stepping stone into the Marvel cosmos. That still doesn't excuse this series for its storytelling shortcomings.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. He can't wait until he's old enough to feel ways about stuff. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

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