Capsule Review: Lanterns and More

Now that I’ve finished the script for the next issue of Rob Hanes Adventures, I’m finally catching up on some shows and films.

Lanterns (HBO/Max)

Though I’m not up to date on most current comics and recent Green Lantern continuity, among comics fans, this series has been very divisive.

Though the series jumps around in time, it primarily focuses on the relationship between an incredibly cynical and embittered Hal Jordan, the first Green Lantern from earth, who is training the person who will eventually succeed (or, rather, replace) him, John Stewart, who has experienced his own trauma by essentially being groomed into being fearless from a young age by his parents (the term “tough love” doesn’t come close to describing the way he was raised).

A main complaint of the series is that both Lanterns are very unlikable and don’t feel particularly heroic—indeed, one must wonder why they were chosen for these jobs. There also are lapses in logic that sometimes don’t make sense or ring true. That said, the series has kept my interest because of its unpredictable twists, often leading to episode cliffhangers that have kept me looking forward to the next one.

It will be interesting to see whether the series will stick its landing and, hopefully, explain the reasons for Jordan’s bitterness.

The Gentleman (Netfix)

Though on paper, this series also has “unlikeable” characters since it’s set in the drug trade underworld, it nevertheless possesses a sense of humor, as well as the usual stylish bravado typical of producer/director Guy Ritchie, who created and is involved with this series. In fact, I’d describe the series as positively Shakespearean.

Actor Theo James plays Eddie Horniman, a British aristocrat who discovers on his father’s death that the family estate is part of a huge illicit international pot trade operation (he soon discovers other old estates in the country are involved). Initially anxious to get out from under the thumb of the crime family that runs the operation (his main contact is the sardonic Susie Glass, daughter of the man who heads the organization, played winningly by Kaya Scodelario), Eddie soon discovers that he has more of a gift for thriving in the criminal underworld than he cares to admit. In essence, this show, Downton Abbey meets The Godfather, follows Eddie's ascent (or descent?) into becoming a ruthless crime boss.

Like Lanterns, the show is incredibly bingeable from episode to episode. It too suffers from some lapses in logic that made me question whether Eddie’s presence and decisions were actually helpful to the Glass crime family (leading me to half-joking with my wife that they should have named the show, “A Series of Unfortunate Incidents,” but it nevertheless is fun and addictive, boosted by a terrific supporting cast that includes Joely Richardson, Vinnie Jones, Daniel Ings, and the ubiquitous Giancarlo Esposito.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple+)

This winning series comes from legendary tv creator David E. Kelley, starring Elle Fanning as Margo Millet who, after becoming a single mother as the result of an ill-advised affair with her college professor, turns to OnlyFans and the sex work industry to make ends meet.

I admittedly approached this show with a little bit of trepidation because of Kelley’s reputation as a creator of “chick shows” that have never really been in my wheelhouse. That said, even though the series has some of Kelley’s trademark glibness, the characters and performances are winning and makes the audience emotionally invested. It helps that it has an outstanding cast, including Fanning, Michelle Feiffer as her partying single mom (Feiffer is married to Kelley in real life), Greg Kinnear as Feiffer’s pastor fiance, Nicole Kidman in a recurring role as a former female wrestler/now lawyer, and Nick Offerman as Margo’s former wrestling father. The entire cast is terrific, but the show really took off for me when Offerman’s character, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, comes into the picture.

Ted Lasso (Apple+)

Back for an unexpected fourth season, the popular show picks up a little where the original three series run ended, when Ted is hired to coach Richmond’s new women’s football team, dubbed the Lady Greyhounds. With him along with this journey are his ex-wife and son, and many of the show’s familiar faces have returned.

The main arcs appear to be Ted re-finding love (including for himself) and the woman coach who Ted takes over from, Alice (played by Tanya Reynolds, who I first saw in the Netflix series Sex Education), who must overcome her resentment and bitterness over a football career cut short. Of course, the show also features the ongoing relationship between Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and other original cast member characters like Coach Beard and team owner Rebecca, while also focusing on the lives and relationships of the women’s team.

At times the show feels forced as it tries to recapture the lightning of the original series, but in the end, the show still successfully ultimately embodies the same heart and heartfelt commitment to showing often wounded human beings trying to overcome disappointments and the obstacles in their lives, and becoming their best selves.

Reacher (Reacher)

Though I’ve enjoyed Reacher, it’s a very workmanlike series—it doesn’t really break new ground, simply featuring a Shane-like character who rambles into town, comes across trouble and injustice, often breaking and bending the rules to get the job done. In fact, I’ve often compared it to the Lethal Weapon franchise, where the good guys investigate a mystery, then attack the bad guys’ lair and shoot its up, often with the help of a team. 

But, at the end, the series is very watchable, helped by the presence of its star, Alan Ritchson, a beast of a human being (and I mean that as a compliment) who perfectly embodies the superhuman bigger than life titular character.

I greatly enjoyed this third series, which I felt opened up the series a little more, particularly compared to the second series, with international intrigue becoming part of the backdrop.

Coyote vs. Acme

Notoriously shelved by Warner Brothers as a tax write-off, Coyote vs. Acme was released after being saved from the dustbin by Ketchup Entertainment.

The movie features perhaps some of the best animation mixed with live action since Who Framed Roger Rabbit. SNL alum Will Forte plays an accident compensation lawyer who halfheartedly agrees to represent Wile E. Coyote in a lawsuit against the Acme Corporation (represented by a slimy lawyer played by John Cena). It’s a fun bit of nostalgia and silliness that features many familiar players from the Warner Brothers cartoon catalog, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, and many more—the deepest cut (and a personal favorite) being Peter Lorre who famously appeared as a caricature in a Warner short back in the day.

I enjoyed the film though, in truth, the hype over the film perhaps raised my expectations too much. But it certainly deserved to be released

Odyssey in Hollywood

Report on LBCC 2026

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth at Long Beach Comic Con! I was delighted to see long-running fans and friends (some of whom I’d just recently seen at San Diego Comic-Con!), as well as make some new ones. Someone even stopped by to pick up some recent issues, who said he’s read and loved my stuff since the 1990s—picking up my original OG Adventure Strip Digest series at his local comic book store—and called them “pure comics joy” lol.

Truth be told, attendance was a bit low—but that said, I did cover the costs of the show, and as I said in my post about the first day, I was happy to see that many attendees were interested in buying and discovering new comics. So had attendance and foot traffic been stronger, I’m confident I would have done even better! Hopefully, the new organizers of LBCC will use this experience to improve the show.

The one advantage of a smaller show is the opportunity to chat and catch up with people. In fact, because of the smaller crowds, I purchased a selfie with actor Diedrich Bader, the first time I’ve done something like that! I’ve always enjoyed his work, but when I saw there wasn't anyone at his table, I decided to go for it. He was very down to earth and easy to talk with, and I had the chance him how much I particularly liked his voice work on the Brave and the Bold animated series, which he appreciated. (I wished I had mentioned Office Space too!) After I told him I was exhibiting, I asked if I could shared some of my comics with him, to which he was very gracious. I came back a bit later and handed him a couple of issues that he appreciated.

My table was near the back which actually wasn't an issue the first day, but on the second day, people didn't seem to be making their way to our end (and this was a consensus with my neighbor exhibitors). Even the celebrity autograph area was pretty dead. That said, sales for me the second day were slow but steady enough to make me happy when I saw my final tally after I got home, but had their been more attendees and better foot traffic, I could have done even better since, as I said, people were buying. On both days, by mid-afternoon, the floor was really empty, as if people went home early.

Hopefully, the organizers will learn to adjust to keep people engaged and excited for the whole day—I thought they should have taken advantage of some of the celebrities there by creating some kind of mainstage Q&A panels in the middle of the floor like they do at LA Comic-Con. And making periodic announcements and reminders about being sure to visit artist's alley and other vendors, and to raise the fun, excitement and energy level of the show (they did use the PA system periodically, so it's there.) Based on how I did and my relatively low overhead, I'm willing to exhibit there next year.

Anyway, I’d be up for doing the show again next year and hope this experience will help the new organizers/management of LBCC grow the show. 

See the entire photo gallery.

Beauty Killed the Beast!

SDCC 2026 Report

Click here to go directly to the photogallery for the 2026 San Diego Comic-Con.

Now that I’ve returned home, unpacked and reconciled my sales from the show, here’s a report on this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Continuing a practice I started a couple years ago, I stayed an extra day and drove home Monday morning, rather than Sunday evening after a long final day of exhibiting.

This year’s Comic-Con turned out to be a bit of a roller coaster, though it ultimately turned out to be a pleasant surprise. After a slow start Thursday and Friday, sales came roaring back on Saturday and Sunday—in fact, it was one of my strongest shows ever! On Sunday, people all of a sudden seemed ready to buy. Sales were boosted by relatively big ticket items that were popular, particularly the five trade paperbacks for $40 deal and all 27 issues of Rob Hanes Adventures for $50 offer! (Deals, I should add, that are also available at my webstore!) Sales of original art—sketches and especially cover art—also have boosted the bottom line in recent years.

So my thanks to everyone who stopped by—as always, I had a great mix of longtime fans and new people discovering the series for the first time. I love that people don't get hung up on having to buy issues in order or purchase the entire run—people are happy to pick up issues that sound fun to them. The Death at Comic-Con issue (#18), the baseball issue (#10), and the 1930s soldier-of-fortune homage issue (#25) are all perennials.

I also participated in more after hours activities than usual. As mentioned in earlier posts, I had a late dinner with friends on Wednesday after Preview Night. On Friday, I attended another dinner organized by Margeaux Pepoy (I forgot to take a group photo!) Following dinner, I popped into the Eisner Awards. Afterwards, I planned to walk back to my hotel from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront via the marina behind the convention center to check out the overnight line for Hall H and other activities, but forgot—d'oh! I did bump into fellow artist Don Nguyen on the walk back though and talked a bit with him.

On Saturday night, my wife got tickets to see Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman’s Hollywood Babble-On show at the American Comedy Co. comedy store in the Gaslam . My wife is a big fan of the show and we’ve seen the duo's show about five or six times in the past, where they primarily spout about pop culture news in a hilarious and inappropriate manner, riffing off each other. Ever the geek, Smith gave a first hand account of being backstage at Hall H during the Marvel panel as well as the Spaceballs panel.

And in keeping with the this year's theme of unexpected encounters, Kevin Smith snuck up behind me and interjected a comment into a conversation I was having as the line made its way into the club. I was remarking to a friend how Garman, a fan of the 1960s' Batman tv show who later became friends with Adam West, was largely responsible for getting him his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As I said this, someone behind me bellowed, "Yes, he did!" and when I turned, there was Smith smiling behind me! Evidently, he was running late from his own panel in Hall H, and had run in just as we were let into the club to be seated (about 20 minutes late). I quickly thought of taking a selfie with him, but it happened so quickly, the best I managed was to pat him on the shoulder lol.

In my posts during the show, I mentioned spotting comedian/actor Marc Maron walking by my booth during the show, as well as comedian Thomas Lennon, who stopped to chat—I met Lennon at last year's Comic-Con and then bumped into him a month later in L.A. where we chatted again! Other people who came by my table were actor David Dastmalchian and Richard Taylor, founder of Weta Workshop. When I saw him strolling by my booth with a companion, I called out his name and he turned to wave—I took the opportunity to gush and tell him how much his work on the Lord of the Rings films meant to me as a lifelong Tolkien fan. I’m sure he’d heard it all before, but he was incredibly kind and appreciative.

In addition, on Sunday morning, the last day of the show, I bumped into Jenny Blake Isabella in the lobby of my hotel! Jenny has been a huge supporter of my work over the years, so I'm glad I had the chance to congratulate her on the Bill Finger Award she received at the Eisner Awards. She was about ready to fly home and was glad to hear that she had a wonderful time as a guest of the show.

Anyway, it was another memorable and successful San Diego Comic-Con. Next up is Long Beach Comic-Con in September! Below are a few additional photos from the show, with the full gallery available here.

Countdown to SDCC '26 (I)

All the Right Financial Moves (I hope)

A little over a decade ago, I made an effort to become more financially literate, which became an off-and-on passion. I mean this in the sense that, with finances, while it’s good to stay on top of things and occasionally fine tune, your best bet is to simply set things up correctly and then leave it alone and let it grow.

Recent life changes have led me to a new flurry of financial moves that I thought I’d share, both on the personal and business fronts. (One of these included moving to a new phone carrier, Voiply, that I covered in a previous post.)

First off is the fact that my wife and I recently began managing the finances of an elderly family member. In reviewing her existing brokerage account at Fidelity, I noticed that the dividends that had been paid out of her investments sat in a cash sweep account that collected no interest, so I opened a high-yield online savings account at an online bank where we could hold that money until we needed it, moving most of her regular low-yield savings there. However, after some research, I subsequently learned that Fidelity already has a reputable Cash Management Account (CMA) that earns interest even slightly higher than the high yield online banks!! All it required was a simple flip of the switch to change the Fidelity cash sweep account into a CMA (technically changing the “core” position of the account).

In fact, it led me to open my own cash management account in my own existing Fidelity account. But I had an ulterior motive—it turns out that the account comes with a debit card that carries NO foreign transaction fees and refunds all ATM charges! Since my wife and I may be traveling overseas soon, I thought it would be prudent to open an account in anticipation of that trip.

Fidelity’s CMA is not a checking or savings account—in fact, technically, it’s a brokerage account. But it has no connection to the markets, so doesn’t rise or fall in value, and always stays at one share equaling one dollar. In practice, it acts as a sort of hybrid checking and savings account. (It’s not FDIC protected, but rather protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)). But it earns interest at a high rate.

It’s a long story, but I actually have maintained two checking accounts for years—one for everyday expenses and the other mostly to pay bills, such as my mortgage, credit cards, utilities, phone and internet, streaming services, etc. The second everyday account I’ve kept mostly out of sentiment since it was a bank with a branch across the street from me that felt like a neighborhood bank because I had a safe deposit box there and the staff knew me. Over the past few years, however, the bank did away with their safe deposit boxes and then closed the branch nearest to me. With that personal connection gone, I’ve decided that if the Fidelity CMA works out, I will close that second checking account and migrate to Fidelity for everyday expenses. (The only other advantage of my current old account is that transfers from my Chase account to the bank were instantaneous, not a wait of a day or so.)

On the business front, I also opened a new business banking account at a bank called Found. I’ve had a business checking account for years at a local community credit union, but it required a linked savings account with a minimum $100 balance, so basically I’ve always had $100 sitting there that I couldn’t access. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that my Amazon seller's account wouldn't connect to it because of its nature as an online bank. This turned out to be dealbreaker, but since neither account costs money, for now I'll hold on to both accounts to see if this issue gets worked out, and as a failsafe for now as I connect the new account to my existing other vendors that pay me like Square, PayPal, etc., to ensure nothing gets lost in the tracks.

08/30/26 UPDATE: Because of the above-mentioned connectivity issue between Found and Amazon, I ended up going with another bank for my business checking, called Relay Bank, which connected with Amazon seamlessly. Though Relay also is an online bank, apparently, it is partnered with a true brick and mortar bank, which made it compatible with Amazon. I should add that Fidelity's CMA account similarly partners with other certified banking institutions in order to provide the same services, including FDIC coverage.