February 2020 Archives

There is no doubt that Xena is a force to be reckoned with. The Chakram-throwing warrior has faced off with formidable foes and even the gods themselves. What better way to celebrate her badassery than a trade paperback of Xena: Warrior Princess: Road Warrior, her recent series from Dynamite.

Written by Vita Ayala (Black Panther, Shuri, Wonder Woman, The Wilds), the run features art by Olympia Sweetman, Vasco Georgiev, Jordi Perez, and Erica D’Urso. Cover art for the 128-page book comes from artist David Mack. Read the synopsis from the publisher below:

Xena: Warrior Princess: Road Warrior

She has outwitted gods, defeated massive armies and found redemption through conquering insurmountable tasks.

In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings…a land in turmoil called out for a hero! She was XENA, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle! In this all-new series, writer VITA AYALA (Black Panther, Shuri, Wonder Woman, The Wilds) and artist OLYMPIA SWEETMAN throw Xena and her companion Gabrielle headfirst into a mysterious adventure. Can Xena discover the secrets of a village full of super-strong children, before jealous and petty GODS get involved?

Xena: Warrior Princess: Road Warrior is set to hit stores on Wednesday February 19. Head to your favorite local comic shop to secure your copy, and check out Dynamite’s website to order online. The Beat received the entire first chapter of the book. Read it here for free!

The New Zealand Herald took a look at some of the best spinoffs and of course, Xena: Warrior Princess is listed because it was a spectacular spinoff from it's parent Hercules.

SIDESHOW GODS: FIVE MORE TOP TV SPIN-OFFS
New Zealand Herald
20 February 2020

SETTING ASIDE the endless NCIS, Law & Order and Chicago iterations, here are some other great spin-offs with slightly more organic origins.

XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (1995-2001)

Cast in this New Zealand-shot series at the last minute, Lucy Lawless went on to become a queer icon thanks to her steely, textured and hilarious portrayal of a bad girl trying to do good. The show ended up surpassing its parent series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, both in quality and cultural significance.

Source: Printed Edition, NZ HERALD 20 February 2020

In a time when reboots abound from film to television, there are a few noticeable titles missing. The reboot of Charmed upgraded the story of witch sisters to fit a modern, intersectional audience. Roswell, New Mexico took inspiration from the original teen show but is back with the dream team that brought fans The Vampire Diaries.

Not all reboots evoke nostalgia. Rather, they make the franchise their own, like Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, turning the bright and sunny Sabrina the Teenage Witch into a gritty horror show. While the trend lasts, here are 10 shows that should get a reboot.

#5 XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS

The spinoff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys had its own successful run of six seasons. Thankfully, visual and special effects improved with advanced technology, which would make a reboot of the adventure dramedy even better.

It's hard to step into the shoes of the legendary Lucy Lawless, but another fine actress out there could take on the mantle. Also, the show wouldn't have to beat around the bush for so long regarding the nature of Xena and Gabrielle's relationship. It's time for the queer representation the fans deserve.

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Lucy voices the character of Nunchuck in the new Minions: The Rise of Gru.

A continuation of the 2015 film, this time in the heart of the 1970s, a twelve year old Felonius Gru is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. When the Vicious 6 fire their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles, Gru interviews to become their newest member. It does not go well, and only gets worse after Gru steals from them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles himself, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends."Minions: The Rise of Gru features a thrilling new cast of stars, including, as members of the Vicious 6, Taraji P. Henson as cool and confident leader Belle Bottom, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean Clawed, Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck, Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance and Danny Trejo as Stronghold. The film also features Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario, an aspiring mad scientist, Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow, an acupuncturist with mad Kung Fu skills, and Oscar winner Julie Andrews as Gru’s maddeningly self-absorbed mom."

Cast:

• Pierre Coffin as Minions
• Steve Carell as Felonious Gru
• Taraji P. Henson as Belle Bottom
• Michelle Yeoh as Master Chow RZA
• Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean Clawed
• Lucy Lawless as Nunchuck
• Dolph Lundgren as Svengeance
• Danny Trejo as Stronghold
• Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario
• Julie Andrews as Marlena Gru, Felonious Gru's mother
• Alan Arkin as Wild Knuckles

Well this is a first (not that Xena was listed as one TV's Best Spinoffs in Rolling Stone). We all know Xena was the best spinoff but I was alerted to this article by Renee herself! I'm not sure of the date of the article but that will be forthcoming.

Thanks Renee!

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Check it out, Pac-Ren friends and Xenites. #rollingstonemagazine Best TV Spin off XENA ????????

A post shared by Renee O'Connor (@realreneeoconnor) on Feb 2, 2020 at 1:14pm PST