The cover is sheer elegance in its simplicity...

Last summer, some of you might have missed The MiddleMan while it was showing on ABC Family. This year, you have a chance to correct that oversight. On July 28th, Shout! Factory is releasing this instant cult favorite on DVD. Based on the comics by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (the show’s executive producer) and Les McClaine, this show should be required viewing for any comics or science-fiction fan. Parallel universes, talking gorillas, zombie fish and evil luchadores are but some of the threats faced by the titular hero (Matt Keeslar), his protege, Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales), and their robotic “assistant” Ida (Mary Pat Gleason).

The show had so many strengths. First and foremost is the creative vision of Grillo-Marxuach, whose boundless enthusiasm and optimism is omnipresent throughout this series. Each episode was full to the brim with byzantine plots, over-the-top concepts and pop-culture references. The cast of telegenic and talented actors admittedly needed a few episodes to really find their characters, but the chemistry between all of the leads was evident from the first scene. Keeslar does an excellent job bouncing between playing a tough guy, a nice guy and the straight man. Morales shines as the Audience Surrogate who grows more and more accustomed to the increasingly bizarre situations she is put into each week. And Gleason was the first of the actors to really “get” what kind of show she was on, and as a consequence, steals every scene she’s in.  Special mention should also be given to Brit Morgan, who plays Lacey, Wendy’s best friend and roommate. Her character remains oblivious to the insanity, but she is not depicted as stupid, a credit to both Ms. Morgan and the writing staff of this show.

Since this is a Shout! Factory release, one can expect a lot of special features. A few of the episodes feature commentary, in which Grillo-Marxuach’s good cheer is both obvious and infectious. My personal favorite extra is a collection of every scene in which the “Wilhelm Scream” is used. Table readings, podcasts, and gag reels are also included in the box set.

And should you enjoy this series, you will soon be able to pick up “The Doomsday Apocalypse Armageddon”, the graphic novel adaptation of the unfilmed season finale, at comic shops everywhere.

And if you’re one of the lucky few who made it into Comic-Con this year, you can pick the DVDs up at the Shout! Factory booth (#3749), and the comic should be available at the Viper Comics booth (#1903).

Recommended for: comic-book fans; fans of Men In Black, The Tick, or the old Batman TV series with Adam West.

I’ve been reading Immortal Iron Fist since the current series began and I have dug it a lot. It’s probably one of my favorite series right now (next to X-Factor and Invincible) and this week I was just blown away.

Given that Matt Fraction ended his run with issue #16–which I was dumb and somehow didn’t realize–I was a tad skeptical at how this new arc was going to take off. Lucky for me, it ended up being fucking amazing and it seriously blew my mind. From what I’ve been hearing from Comic Con in San Diego, Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker (who co-wrote the first 16 issues together) are saying their series is going to look lame compared to what is coming from Duane Swierczynski in the near future… Really with one issue in I can already see it getting amazing. (Although, I loved the tournament from Fraction and Brubakers run).

**more review and spoilers after the break**

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