Mike Spring
Recap
Review
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – April 22nd, 2025
When I changed the name of this column to What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture last year, it’s because I wanted to reflect the various types of products I was receiving to review. This week truly represents that change, as — in addition to some notable home video releases — we have four graphic novels, a toy, a sticker book, and a postcard box set to share with you. And everything has a pop culture flare to it. Pretty cool! It’s truly a “something for everyone” kind of week!
In This Week’s Column:
- Tombstone (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
- Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
- Ultraman Z: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Extreme Competition (Graphic Novel)
- Godzilla Library Collection: Volume 4 (Graphic Novel)
- Pop Manga Stickerology & Pop Manga Postcards (Book & Postcards)
- John Cena [Farewell] Funko Pop #180 (Toy)
- Star Trek: Pleroma (Graphic Novel)
- The Well (Graphic Novel)
Tombstone (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)
The Movie:
At first glance, it might seem as if Sony has released Tombstone on 4K Ultra HD for the first time as a way to capitalize on Val Kilmer’s recent death, but I can assure you that is not the case. The release was actually announced a few weeks before the beloved actor’s death. It’s just a case of bad timing.
That said, it’s also good timing, in a way. And what I mean by that is, what better way is there to commemorate Kilmer’s passing than by rewatching one of his absolute best roles? The fan favorite film that retells the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, the film stars Kurt Russell, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Dana Delaney, Sam Elliott, and, of course, the late Val Kilmer, in the role that cemented “I’m your huckleberry” as a pop culture movie quote for the ages.
Tombstone is one of the few westerns of the modern era that transcends its western trappings while also remaining true to the western ethos. Unlike, say, Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the Dead, which feels like a modern film that just happens to be set in the 1800s, Tombstone feels like a proper western, yet it’s made in a way that reflects the quality of filmmaking of its time. The cast, the direction, the cinematography… all are excellent.
This week, Sony has released Tombstone on 4K Ultra HD in a gorgeous Steelbook release that features terrific artwork. It’s an absolutely outstanding effort than any fan of the film should want in their collection.
The 4K Video/Audio:
Tombstone looks and sounds amazing in 4K, featuring bright and vivid colors, terrifically sharp imagery, and deep, rich black levels. The print, of course, is devoid of any blemishes or debris. The film isn’t the most colorful movie ever made (there are a lot of browns and grays in the color palette), but the picture never looks monochromatic or lacks contrast. The surround soundtrack has a lot to work with and it doesn’t waste any opportunities to fill your living room with activity, but it also makes sure the quieter moments and the dialogue ring true and clear. There’s also a nice low end bass channel that gives some of the climactic scenes an effective rumble that you’ll feel in your chest. This is the kind of catalogue title I love to watch in 4K.
The Bonus Features:
While there are no new bonus features included, you do get one decent archival making-of and a couple of other extras included.
- The Making of Tombstone (27 minutes)
- Director’s Original Storyboards: O.K. Corral Sequence (4 minutes)
- Trailers and TV Spots
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
I absolutely love Tombstone, but it’s one of those movies that I don’t feel like I’ve watched enough times over the years. Now I plan to rectify that mistake with this outstanding new 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release.
Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
The Movie:
The first Batman Ninja movie came out in 2018, and while it wasn’t one of my favorite of DC’s animated movies, it was clearly popular enough to warrant this sequel, which picks up right where there original left off. Created by some major superstars in the world of Japanese anime, the film was basically created in Japan and then re-voiced for a western release.
This time around, Batman and his Bat-crew return from their adventure in the steampunk-biomechanical feudal Japan of the first film to find that Japan as a whole is gone. This has created a whole new multiverse in which the Yakuza are based on a floating island and the Justice League are at war as rival clans.
Much like the first film, this one starts off strong and then falters as it gets more and more over the top, although I will say that it came back around at the end and got me hooked in time for the climax. The filmmakers also did a weird thing where all the Yakuza-adjacent characters (or multiversal versions of Justice Leaguers) are rendered in a completely different animation style than the Bat-crew and their surroundings. The look is scratchy and rough, and it reminds me of the old Aeon Flux cartoon from MTV in the ‘90s. The dissonance between the two styles really threw me and I had a hard time getting past it. (There is, however, a scene that recreates the look and feel of an ‘80s anime cartoon’s opening sequence that is absolutely brilliant.)
The 4K Video/Audio:
Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League features a mix of hand-drawn and CGI animation that gives it a unique feel. It looks and sounds great, as an animated movie should on 4K. Blacks are deep and solid and image clarity is sharp, while colors are vibrant (and occasionally overpowered in a way that makes them leap off the screen.) The surround soundtrack also bolsters the presentation, with a generous spreading out of surround effects through each satellite speaker. Music is full and powerful, and the low end bass channel gives a nice underlying oomph. It’s a very strong A/V presentation overall.
The Bonus Features:
- Bringing the League to Japan
- Anime Action: Choreography the Fights
Digital Copy Included: Yes
The Wrap-Up:
As someone who’s not a huge anime fan, I can’t say the Batman Ninja films have really been to my taste. That said, however, I can see how people who are more into anime than I am would get a real charge out of these. If that’s you, I would definitely check out Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League.
Ultraman Z: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
The Show:
Specialty distributor Mill Creek continues their march through the Ultraman catalog with their latest collection, Ultraman Z: The Complete Series. One of the most recent shows in the franchise, this 32nd iteration of Ultraman came out in 2020, and it ran for 25 episodes, all collected here.
This time around, we follow Ultraman Zett, who was the apprentice of Ultraman Zero. Using what he learned from his mentor, who’s now a decade into his career, Zett works to become a member of the Inter Galactic Defense Force so he can help save the world from monsters, aliens, and the like.
As with so many previous Ultraman offerings, the show can be a little hit or miss. As one of the most recent entries, it’s a step above the series from the ‘70s and ‘80s, at least for me. While it still has that “grown-up Power Rangers” feel to it, the special effects and action sequences are pretty good. Sometimes the episodes are firing on all cylinders and the comedy and action work, and there are also some episodes that are a little cheesy and a bit on the dull side. But fans of Ultraman will likely dig in and enjoy the show. This four-disc DVD set collects all 25 episodes of the series.
The Bonus Features:
There are no extra features included, but you do get an exclusive Ultraman Trading Card Game card in the package, so that’s kind of cool.
Digital Copy Included: No
The Wrap-Up:
Being one of the newest shows in the Ultraman franchise, Ultraman Z features better costumes and special effects than some of the earlier efforts. This is a great collection with a lot of bang for your buck, so if you’re an Ultraman Ultrafan, it should be right up your alley!
Sonic the Hedgehog: Extreme Competition (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
Technically, this is Volume 18 of the Sonic the Hedgehog comics trade paperback collections from IDW Publishing, but that paints a picture like you need to read 17 volumes before this one to understand what’s going on, and that’s not the case. This 128-page collection consists of two Sonic one-shots, Spring Broken and Sonic’s Winter Jam, followed by a three-part story from Sonic the Hedgehog issues #69-71. The one-shots are obviously seasonally-themed stories, but the other issues make up a three-part story about Sonic and the gang entering the Clean Sweepstakes Race Around the World. You get all the usual suspects, like Tails and Amy, along for the ride, plus a mysterious racer called The Phantom Rider enters the fray.
I have to say, I’ve only read Sonic comics sporadically over the years, but I enjoyed this collection quite a bit. The stories are fun and in-depth enough to be more than just filler, but not so lore-driven that a casual reader can’t enjoy them. The book is also nice and high-quality, with a cover gallery included in the back that reprints all of the various variant covers for each issue. It’s a very strong entry in the Sonic comic book world.
The Specs:
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Length: 128 Pages
Retail Price: $16.99
The Wrap Up:
In the wake of the massive success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, you (or your kids) might be jonesing for some more Sonic content to digest, and if you are, Sonic the Hedgehog: Extreme Competition is a great way to scratch that itch!
Godzilla Library Collection: Volume 4 (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
Also from IDW this week we have the Godzilla Library Collection: Volume 4, part of an ongoing series of massive trade paperbacks that are reprinting the entirety of the IDW catalog of Godzilla comic books in order. Now, I love me some Godzilla, but I didn’t read most of the individual comics as they came out, so this is a great way to get caught up. This is the first one I’ve gotten to review, so I didn’t read the first three offerings, but while they are presented chronologically, most of them contain stand-alone stories or series, so you can jump in right here if you want to.
Some of the previous volumes have been made up of multiple shorter series but this one collects the 12-issue Rulers of Earth series by Chris Mowry and Matt Frank. In this one, we see the first annual Megazoology conference interrupted by a Kaiju attack, and we meet young megazoologist Lucy and armed forces commander Steven Woods as they get caught up in the Kaiju chaos. What I really loved about this book was right in the first issue, they had Godzilla face off against… who? None other than Godzilla from the 1998 Matthew Broderick movie! (A movie which I’m a fan of, by the way!) It’s a great story and the excitement just builds throughout the 12 issues contained herein. The artwork is also outstanding, giving us not just strong creature art, but the humans look good as well.
The Specs:
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Length: 280 Pages
Retail Price: $29.99
The Wrap Up:
I’ve been deep diving into the world of Godzilla over the past few years and I couldn’t have been more excited to read the Godzilla Library Collection: Volume 4. I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint!
Pop Manga Stickerology & Pop Manga Postcards (Book & Postcards)
The Book:
There are two new products out this week based on the pop manga artwork of Camille d’Errico: Pop Manga Stickerology and Pop Manga Postcards. D’Errico has made a name for herself in the comic book and pop culture worlds by developing a style called “pop manga,” which is sort of a mash-up of the Japanese manga style (obviously) and the “big eyes” paintings by Margaret Keane. They’re colorful, flowery, soft images, and they’ve really developed a fan following. Clarkson Potter has two new products for fans of d’Errico’s work.
First up is Pop Manga Postcards, a box set of 100 mini postcards featuring d’Errico’s artwork. There are two each of 50 different styles — one to keep and one to send! — and each one features a blank back so you can inscribe them and send them out. They’re high quality on sturdy cardstock and the printing is terrific, so they look really sharp. Then there’s Pop Manga Stickerology, which is — much like it sounds — a sticker book of d’Errico’s works. But what’s cool is that there are traditional cut-out style but then there are also full-page background stickers. So you can take the smaller stickers and use the full-page stickers as a backdrop, then peel the whole thing out and stick it on whatever you’d like. At 5×7, these are the perfect size for a variety of surfaces. The book has an animal theme, so a lot of the stickers are animals and flowers and such, but her trademark pop manga girls are present as well.
The Specs:
Stickerology:
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Length: 80 Sticker Pages
Retail Price: $16.99
Postcards:
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Length: 100 Postcards
Retail Price: $20.00
The Wrap Up:
If you’re a fan of Camille d’Errico’s unique artwork — or maybe looking for a gift for someone who just likes things like fairies and dolls and things of that vein — than these two Pop Manga releases will be perfect for you!
John Cena (Farewell) Funko Pop #180 (Toy)
The Toy:
Why did Funko send me an empty box that just says “John Cena” on it?
Okay, that joke KILLS if you’re a John Cena fan! (Because his whole thing is “You can’t see me,” as if he’s invisible. Just trust me on this one.) Available as a funko.com exclusive, the John Cena (Farewell) Funko Pop is #180 in the WWE line of Funkos.
I’m a huge fan of Funko Pops, and I do love me some John Cena. This variant, from his farewell tour, sees Cena wearing a “U Can’t C ME” hat as well as a a t-shirt brandishing a “The Last Time” t-shirt that ironically features a realistic image of Cena on it. The details are outstanding! It also features a limited edition sticker, as well as new technology that ensures its authentic. Here’s the scoop direct from Funko: “This exclusive collectible features our new authentication packaging. Using micro-optic technology that cannot be duplicated or replicated, these stickers contain unique item codes that can be officially verified through Octane5. Visit our Octane5 FAQ blog for more information.” Pretty cool!
The Specs:
Publisher: Funko
Funko WWE Release Number: 180
Retail Price: $15.00
The Wrap Up:
The John Cena (Farewell) Funko Pop is another outstanding Funko release and a must-have for fans of John Cena!
Star Trek: Pleroma (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
I’m a huge Star Trek fan. Like, huge, Have been my whole life. I’ve watched every show, read the novels, seen the movies… everything, And so, of course, I read the comics.
IDW’s current run of Star Trek comics has been a bit hit or miss for me. I had dropped the monthly Star Trek title from my pull list at my local comics shop, because I found I wasn’t loving reading it month to month. Well, it turns out the issue was largely the monthly nature of the book. Because the newest trade paperback collection, Pleroma — which picked up literally after the last issue I bought in monthly format — is pretty terrific. I honestly think that because the plots are so complex and the writing very dense (as you would expect from Star Trek), reading the comic monthly was too disjointed for me. But in collected form, where you can absorb the entire story in one big chunk, it makes much more sense and is a much more rewarding experience.
This book collects issues #19-24 of the monthly Star Trek series, along with Annual #1. In this outing by writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and artist Megan Levens, captain Sisko has to deal with the fallout of the revelation that Vulcan crew member T’Lir is much more than he’s previously let on. Meanwhile, ensign Lily Sato, who feels betrayed by T’Lir, is faced with a choice of her own when she’s approached by none other than Section 31. It’s a great storyline that starts off small and builds to bigger and bigger events.
The Specs:
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Length: 200 Pages
Retail Price: $19.99
The Wrap Up:
I’m so glad I got this book to review so I could jump back into the Star Trek comic book universe. Reading it monthly wasn’t doing it for me, but in collected form, this was an amazing adventure really captures the feel of the Star Trek universe.
The Well (Graphic Novel)
The Book:
I didn’t really know what to expect from Jon Allen’s new graphic novel, The Well, but I was absolutely enthralled by it. It’s not an easy book to describe. Allen’s art style, first of all, is kind of like a black-and-white Hello-Kitty-meets-Matt-Groening style. Which makes the fact that the story is a mix of drama, sci-fi, mystery, and horror even more of a surprise.
Veronika is a young woman who lives at home and is dating a musician. She’s unhappy and vaguely depressed, but she starts a new job at a company that makes energy-drink styled supplements. There, she quickly becomes friends with Persephone and Dave, and for a while, life just goes on as normal. But when Veronika encounters a strange creature in the bowels of the building, she realizes that all is not as it seems.
This new collected volume is a massive tome, a 7×7 brick that weighs in at over 700 pages. Which is good, because it’s a modified web cartoon strip, meaning each page is a pretty quick read. But because the book is so thick, it takes quite a while to read the whole thing, even if you move through each individual page fairly quickly. The story goes a number of different places, though, touching on depression, sexuality and relationships as well as mysterious creatures, psychic phenomena, and evil corporate overlords. It’s a heady mix, but somehow Allen makes it work and you will find yourself turning the pages faster and faster as the story goes on.
The Specs:
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Length: 720 Pages
Retail Price: $29.99
The Wrap Up:
I was really impressed with The Well and I can’t wait to see what Jon Allen does next. Check this one out if you’re in the mood for a graphic novel that’s a little bit different from the usual fare.
