Best TV of 2013

Even as The Lone Ranger and Man of Steel shook our faith in popcorn movies to the very core, there was sanctuary on our living room couches in what’s turning into the golden age of television. As Walter White’s life imploded, or as Don Draper broke his daughter’s heart, or as the Stark lineage shrank before our very eyes, our favorite characters’ misery gave us unprecedented joy in 2013. But it wasn’t all darkness and heartache: there was the triumphant return of Arrested Development and Eastbound and Down and plenty of laughs with goofy new kid on the block, Brooklyn

Panels and Frames: Turkey Time Machine

Thanksgiving is upon us, America. I used to think of Thanksgiving as the holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas. Sure, there’s a great dinner in there, but it doesn’t have the taboo overtones of Halloween, nor does it have the gleeful anticipation that surrounds Christmas. Thanksgiving is centered on an enormous supper with family. Its practice is, ideally, wholesome (even if its storied origin may not be, but that’s a tale for another time). Over the past few years, I’ve come to appreciate Thanksgiving in its own right. It’s a time of reflection – a time to be thankful for

Our Heroes Matter

I grew up flying around Metropolis with my good buddy Superman. My parents introduced him to me when I was five. His movie was on TV and they taped it for me. I proceeded to spend all my afternoons and weekends with him, fighting crime and exploring the universe. We were always on a quest. Sometimes it was a simple quest, a quest for justice. Someone had been wronged and we were off to right it. Our quests for truth were more complex. We had to set aside our super speed and heat vision and use our powers of deduction