Film & TV - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com The comics criticism you crave Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:26:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/comicsxf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-orange-favicon-2.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Film & TV - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com 32 32 107498702 Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer drops. Frank’s in it. https://comicsxf.com/2026/03/18/spider-man-brand-new-day-trailer-drops-franks-in-it/ Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:26:10 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56305 Marvel Studios dropped a trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on Wednesday, revealing what MCU grown-up Peter Parker is going to imprint on this time around.

The post Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer drops. Frank’s in it. first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 56305 Marvel’s Wonder Man surprises as actor’s tale, rom-com https://comicsxf.com/2026/02/05/marvels-wonder-man-surprises-as-actors-tale-rom-com/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55853 Marvel's Wonder Man is a story about acting, and about how being different can isolate you from the world around you, and what it takes to let someone in.

The post Marvel’s Wonder Man surprises as actor’s tale, rom-com first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 55853 Ironheart and Eyes of Wakanda are good Marvel Studios shows that deserved better from Disney https://comicsxf.com/2025/08/05/ironheart-eyes-of-wakanda/ Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=53696 I’m an ’80s baby, raised on bad sitcoms and movies with heavy-handed messages (and great soundtracks). The idea of Blackness then was still shrouded in otherness: Most programs either sought seamless integration with some small Black aesthetic flairs, or played up those Black aesthetics for comedic impact. So many of those shows seemed to be...

The post Ironheart and Eyes of Wakanda are good Marvel Studios shows that deserved better from Disney first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 53696 CXF’s Sinister Six reviews Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps https://comicsxf.com/2025/08/03/fantastic-four-first-steps/ Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=53685 After the dismal Captain America: Brave New World and the surprisingly endearing Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios has released one of its trickiest flicks yet based on the historically difficult-to-adapt Fantastic Four. Fantastic Four: First Steps stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn; and is written by Joshua Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and...

The post CXF’s Sinister Six reviews Marvel’s Fantastic Four: First Steps first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 53685 9 ComicsXF writers talk about James Gunn’s Superman, and whether Krypto is a good boy https://comicsxf.com/2025/07/19/superman-movie-roundtable/ Sat, 19 Jul 2025 13:10:06 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=53439 Three hundred years ago, metahumans emerged on Earth, ushering in a new age of gods and monsters. Three years ago, a hero named Superman emerged as the most powerful metahuman to date. Three minutes ago, Superman lost for the first time. With that opening crawl, a new era of DC films begins with Superman, starring...

The post 9 ComicsXF writers talk about James Gunn’s Superman, and whether Krypto is a good boy first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 53439 A frustrating finale for fans in Doctor Who’s ‘The Reality War’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/06/05/doctor-who-reality-war/ Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52928 Margot Waldman: When I started this series of reviews, I got something really pretty desperately wrong. I said that Russell T Davies had nothing to prove to me or to anyone else about Doctor Who. But I’ve realized that, no, he did. He had a big damn thing to prove because he had to prove...

The post A frustrating finale for fans in Doctor Who’s ‘The Reality War’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52928 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2 Episodes 10-12 https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/26/10-things-we-loved-in-star-wars-andor-season-2-episodes-10-12/ Mon, 26 May 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52805 It took us a bit to come to terms with our grief over the end of Andor, but here, at last, are 10 things we loved in Season 2 Episodes 10-12. Suiting Up  The beginning of this three-episode arc and its conclusion both have parallel constructions, in that the arc opens with Luthen preparing to...

The post 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2 Episodes 10-12 first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52805 Giant spectral bone horse-dinosaurs in Doctor Who’s ‘Wish World’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/25/doctor-who-wish-world/ Sun, 25 May 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52825 Armaan Babu: It’s the end of the world as we don’t know it. The Rani has swept in, and wasted little time in making and unmaking reality, ready to tear the world apart just to find whoever she’s looking for. It’s a hell of an episode, and the most I’ve enjoyed the series in a...

The post Giant spectral bone horse-dinosaurs in Doctor Who’s ‘Wish World’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52825 Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch adds depth to a family’s grief but subtracts in other areas https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/25/lilo-and-stitch/ Sun, 25 May 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52822 There’s no question that Disney is going a little too hard on live-action remakes. The fatigue is to the point that Snow White bombed incredibly hard. But Lilo & Stitch was already in the can, ready for Memorial Day audiences. I’ll say first, the original animated film is one of my favorites. It’s the last...

The post Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch adds depth to a family’s grief but subtracts in other areas first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52822 Graham Norton forebodes in Doctor Who’s ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/18/doctor-who-interstellar-song-contest/ Sun, 18 May 2025 17:22:44 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52677 Armaan Babu: I skipped watching the Eurovision finale, but it appears that no matter where you hide, Eurovision will find you. This week, on Doctor Who, Eurovision plays out for over 3 trillion fans across the universe. Margot, are you one of those fans? Margot Waldman: So. Look.  I have never watched Eurovision because Eurovision...

The post Graham Norton forebodes in Doctor Who’s ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52677 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2, Episodes 7-9 https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/13/10-things-we-loved-in-star-wars-andor-season-2-episodes-7-9/ Tue, 13 May 2025 19:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52628 The penultimate arc of Andor delivers a trio of phenomenal episodes, as the second season gets its big set piece in the course of chronicling some key Star Wars moments. Here are 10 things we loved about “Messenger,” “Who Are You?” and “Welcome to the Rebellion.” 1. The Chosen One Andor isn’t a series (or...

The post 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2, Episodes 7-9 first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52628 When is a barbershop not a barbershop? When it’s Doctor Who’s ‘The Story and the Engine’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/11/doctor-who-the-story-and-the-engine/ Sun, 11 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52580 Armaan Babu: If any story is told for long enough, you’re going to come to a part of it that tells you how important stories are. Writers can’t help themselves, and in their defense, they’re not wrong. Stories matter, and stories have power. Where critics like us come in is that we recognize that while...

The post When is a barbershop not a barbershop? When it’s Doctor Who’s ‘The Story and the Engine’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52580 B- and C-list characters deliver a solid B+ MCU movie in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/11/thunderbolts-review/ Sun, 11 May 2025 11:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52457 After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Thunderbolts* is directed by Jake Schreier and stars Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Russell Wyatt, Hannah John-Kamen and Lewis Pullman. NOTE:...

The post B- and C-list characters deliver a solid B+ MCU movie in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52457 10 things we loved in Andor Season 2, Episodes 4-6 https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/06/10-things-we-loved-in-andor-season-2-episodes-4-6/ Tue, 06 May 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52456 All eyes are on Ghorman, home of majestic twill, spiders and the Space French, as Andor‘s second season reaches its halfway point. Check out 10 things we loved in “Ever Been to Ghorman?” “I Have Friends Everywhere” and “What a Festive Evening.” 1. ‘Sacre Bleu!’ Modeling the Ghorman rebels on the French Resistance (and, to...

The post 10 things we loved in Andor Season 2, Episodes 4-6 first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52456 It’s not Ruby Sunday’s ‘Lucky Day’ on Doctor Who https://comicsxf.com/2025/05/04/doctor-who-lucky-day/ Sun, 04 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52450 Margot Waldman: It’s a strange thing to have a “Doctor-lite” episode in a season as short as this one is – but then, we had one last year in “73 Yards,” another ripped-from-the-headlines political drama (I’m not the first reviewer to compare these two episodes, not by a long shot)! I thought “73 Yards” was...

The post It’s not Ruby Sunday’s ‘Lucky Day’ on Doctor Who first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52450 Don’t turn your back on Doctor Who’s ‘The Well’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/04/29/doctor-who-the-well/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 23:32:23 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52388 Margot Waldman: On their quest to get back home to May 2025, the Doctor and Belinda make a slight detour 500,000 years in the future – and into what I think has been the strongest episode of the season so far. What do you think, Armaan? Armaan Babu: I’m behind you 100%. Well, behind-adjacent, as...

The post Don’t turn your back on Doctor Who’s ‘The Well’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52388 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2 Episodes 1-3 https://comicsxf.com/2025/04/29/andor-season-2-episodes-1-3/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52362 After far too long a wait, the second season of Andor is finally upon us! Just as the first season premiered with a three-episode release on Disney+, so too does season 2. But unlike season 1, the rest of this season will follow the same format, unfolding across four three-episode arcs. In these first three...

The post 10 things we loved in Star Wars: Andor Season 2 Episodes 1-3 first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52362 Doctor Who gets animated in ‘Lux’ https://comicsxf.com/2025/04/21/doctor-who-lux/ Mon, 21 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52297 The quest to get Belinda home leads to an abandoned cinema hiding a terrifying secret in Disney’s Doctor Who Season 2, Episode 2, “Lux.” Armaan Babu: If Doctor Who has taught us anything, it’s that it’s not so fun exploring all of space and time without a companion to help you through it. For this...

The post Doctor Who gets animated in ‘Lux’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52297 Russell T Davies tackles AI (and replays the hits) in Doctor Who’s “The Robot Revolution” https://comicsxf.com/2025/04/14/doctor-who-robot-revolution/ Mon, 14 Apr 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=52219 This review will include spoilers. Please be advised!  I’m not the first person to say that Russell T Davies really has nothing to prove anymore with Doctor Who. Like the Doctor himself, RTD has made a kind of habit of saving the world he loves so much from destruction – though in TV land, that...

The post Russell T Davies tackles AI (and replays the hits) in Doctor Who’s “The Robot Revolution” first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 52219 Superman trailer reactions: You’ll believe a CXF writer can cry https://comicsxf.com/2024/12/22/superman-trailer-reaction/ Sun, 22 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=51180 If you asked me about my fandom loves, it depends on the day. I might say it’s X-Men, and tell you about my love for Cyclops and Rogue. I might talk about Star Wars, and how Han Solo and Luke Skywalker’s hero’s journeys resonate with me. I might even talk about the pulp adventure of...

The post Superman trailer reactions: You’ll believe a CXF writer can cry first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 51180 Why that superhero movie about the guy who kills vampires has been delayed, REVEALED https://comicsxf.com/2024/10/27/fake-blade-notes/ Sun, 27 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=49441 The following are real* leaked notes from an unnamed executive** at a media company known for its superhero movies but struggling to produce a movie about a cool guy who kills vampires. Trusted sources*** have verified these leaks. The situation they present is about what everyone would expect. These emails consist of communication with a...

The post Why that superhero movie about the guy who kills vampires has been delayed, REVEALED first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 49441 Joker: Folie a Deux and Deadpool & Wolverine feed an audience screaming for more Funko Pops https://comicsxf.com/2024/10/13/joker-folie-a-deux/ Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:53:36 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=50429 This is a review of the movie Joker: Folie a Deux. As, in order to be considered for certain review aggregators, I have to give it a numerical score, I award Joker: Folie a Deux 0 out of 3 possible Jokers. Frank Cifaldi, host of the Insert Credit podcast, recently offered the following anecdote from...

The post Joker: Folie a Deux and Deadpool & Wolverine feed an audience screaming for more Funko Pops first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 50429 X-Men ’97’s ‘Tolerance Is Extinction Part 3’ ends a season of too much and never enough https://comicsxf.com/2024/05/17/xmen97-tolerance-extinction-part3/ Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=48969 Things are looking bleak for our merry mutants as Wolverine lies metal-less and bleeding and the Gold Team are captives of Bastion. The X-Men must regroup and find a way to fight the future (or just travel there) in the season finale of X-Men ’97, “Tolerance Is Extinction Part 3,” written by Beau DeMayo and...

The post X-Men ’97’s ‘Tolerance Is Extinction Part 3’ ends a season of too much and never enough first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 48969 Ripping through plot, ripping from X-Men #25 in X-Men ’97’s ‘Tolerance Is Extinction Part 2’ https://comicsxf.com/2024/05/13/xmen97-tolerance-extinction-part2/ Mon, 13 May 2024 15:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=48905 The X-Men reunite then split back up to face off against the dual threats of Bastion and Magneto in X-Men ’97 season 1, episode 9, “Tolerance Is Extinction Part 2,” written by Anthony Sellitti and directed by Emi-Emmett Yonemura “Tolerance Is Extinction Part 2” is emblematic of both the best and worst tendencies of X-Men...

The post Ripping through plot, ripping from X-Men #25 in X-Men ’97’s ‘Tolerance Is Extinction Part 2’ first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 48905 Bastion has an X-tinction Agenda on this week’s X-Men ’97 https://comicsxf.com/2024/05/03/xmen97-tolerance-extinction-1/ Fri, 03 May 2024 22:03:12 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=48818 Operation: Zero Tolerance stands revealed as Bastion launches his attack on mutantkind, the X-Men mount a desperate (and blade-y) counterattack and an old friend returns in X-Men ’97 season 1, episode 8, “Tolerance Is Extinction Part 1,” written by Beau DeMayo and Anthony Sellitti and directed by Chase Conley.  Say this for the series: It’s...

The post Bastion has an X-tinction Agenda on this week’s X-Men ’97 first appeared on COMICSXF.

]]> 48818