Just One Star Shy: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Strangely Incomplete But Always Joyful

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie delivers colourful cosmic spectacle and plenty of familiar Nintendo charm, but its thin worldbuilding and safe storytelling keep it from reaching the same spark as its predecessor. It’s breezy, playful, and entertaining, even if it leaves its bigger ideas floating unresolved.

The Super Mario Galaxy MovieThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie may be all fun and games for the brothers spending their time in a new world, and as the only plumbers in Princess Peach’s realm, they’re helping keep the peace rather than fixing faucets. But none of them are exactly equipped to deal with their ruler’s current existential woes. When Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) admits she doesn’t know where she came from, the story quietly opens a larger mystery, one it only partially resolves.

That thread leads into the absence of Rosalina (Brie Larson), whose kidnapping by Bowser Jr. sets the events in motion. He leans fully into the shadow of his father, eager to prove himself through familiar cruelty. When this sequel is straightforward and paint-by-numbers, there’s not much to be excited over.

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Must-Read Comic Book Classic Cartoon Releases This Month

From bold crossovers to deeper character explorations, these comic book classic cartoon releases show how familiar worlds can expand in new directions while still holding onto what made them iconic.

Thundercats X Silverhawks- Road To War #1 - Comic Book Classic Cartoon ReleasesThis Spring, a growing wave of animated classics are finding new life on the page, and they are all now available at your local comic book store to pick up. Most of them will carry it, and for those smaller operations whose shelf space is small, they can order these titles in for you! From fresh comic book adaptations to ambitious crossovers, these stories go beyond nostalgia—they expand worlds that fans already love. Some fill in the gaps, others reimagine familiar arcs, but all of these comic book classic cartoon releases are worth your time.

Across publishers like IDW, Dynamite and Boom! Studios, there’s a steady stream of releases that stand out as true must-reads. There are others on the horizon as well—Mad Cave’s Casshan is slated for Fall, while their Gatchaman continuing adventures continues to build momentum.

For now, here’s a breakdown of this month’s must-read releases:

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With Dark Horse in Charge of D&D Now, It’s Not Just Another Ravenloft Comic

Ravenloft Comic Dark HorseIDW Comics’ run with the Dungeons and Dragons license ended last year, and following the success of Dark Horse Comics’ work with Wizards of the Coast, their releases are doing a touch better and the consensus is that fans like it. Ravenloft is the next release. After the first issue of The Fallbacks and the delayed release of the second, there are a lot of titles being planned getting back on track.

The four-issue miniseries written by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Amy Chu (Red Sonja) examines why this particular world is crumbling. Nobody knows why. Fortunately, monster hunter Ez D’Avenir is on the case. She’s searching the frozen wasteland of Lamordia for an undead creature that may hold the key to this world’s fate. But when Darklord Viktra Mordenheim catches wind of her quest, Ez is suddenly the one being hunted. Just how deep this series will go into the lore depends on Chu’s research. It’s also known as The Mists, a more compelling and scary reference in par with Silent Hill.

The art is provided by Ariela Kristantina (Adora and the Distance), colours by Arif Prianto (Poison Ivy, Green Lantern Corps), and letters by Haley Rose-Lyon (BUMP: A Horror Anthology, Jill and the Killers). Issue #1 will feature cover art by Guillem March, Riley Rossmo, Francesco Francavilla, Todor Hristov, and Angela Wu.

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When Project Hail Mary Is About Humanity’s Survival and One Man’s Dream….

…just what this film offers is more about the human need to connect, even in the emptiness of space. Project Hail Mary may feel long, but it serves a meaningful purpose.

Project Hail Mary Movie PosterAfter all the hype surrounding humanity’s return to the stars, Project Hail Mary is a film I had to examine after following the Artemis mission’s orbit around the moon. It may not sound exciting, but ensuring systems work before landing is critical. As for the starship Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is piloting to Tau Ceti, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I already knew this story. It’s not simply because the film adapts a novel of the same name, but because any geek knows it’s never wise to visit the Ceti system at all.

For any Trekkie, the “Ceti” designation is the ultimate red flag. It’s the neighbourhood of Ceti Alpha V, the wasteland where Captain Kirk exiled Khan Noonien Singh. Sending humanity’s last hope toward a star tied to pop culture infamy feels like the sci-fi equivalent of a slasher movie line, “I’ll be right back.” The real-world science of Tau Ceti is fascinating, but the meta joke is hard to ignore. We picked the one corner of the galaxy known for ear-slugs and vengeance. Thankfully, this film exists outside that shared universe.

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Tommy Johansson Unplugged! The Viking Who Sings Like An Angel

… and hye can shred too! Between the various bands hje’s been with and his solo work, Tommy Johansson has built a career that shows his diverse range of talent!
Between reworking classic rock and cartoon themes into metal anthems, his voice and musicianship make him a talent worth spotlighting.

Tommy Johansson 2Tommy Johansson is far more than a one-man act, whether he’s tearing through popular songs on YouTube or fronting Majestica. Back in 2000, the band was known as ReinXeed, but as the lineup changed, so did the name. The group built a strong following in Sweden, and Johansson’s self-taught musicianship gives their sound an energy that feels ready for a much wider audience. They are primed to be one of Sweden’s next great exports.

Nuclear Blast Records handles the band’s releases, and for anyone who likes their metal big, melodic, and unapologetically epic, Majestica is well worth checking out. But when Johansson started posting his takes on beloved 80s and 90s cartoon themes very recently, that’s when I took notice. He clearly has a deep affection for the Disney Afternoon catalogue, and his take on TaleSpin absolutely rips for all the right reasons. Then there’s DuckTales, along with a few surprises outside the usual nostalgia lane, including Sailor Moon sung in Swedish.

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Exciting Upcoming Comic Book Adaptations of Classic Cartoons From May Onwards

From what looks like a huge Power Rangers revival as one of the biggest comic book adaptations to emerge this year to Jem, what else can we expect?

Sleepy Hollow- The Witches of the Western Wood #1 - Comic book adaptationsThere’s something familiar about seeing these titles return, like catching an old cartoon during a weekend rerun and realizing it still holds up. Comic book adaptations have quietly become the place where those worlds continue, filling in gaps and pushing stories a little further than they ever could on screen. And the cinematic world should not be ignored. This medium is the perfect place for prequels or sequels when the budget does not allow for a continuation. Just look at our examination of Evil Dead over the years.

Sleepy Hollow:
The Witches of the Western Wood #1

IDW Publishing, May 6, 2026

This prequel revisits the gothic world of Sleepy Hollow, exploring the origins of its dark magic and the forces tied to the Headless Horseman. What stands out is the shift toward Sarah Archer’s past, giving the story a more grounded emotional core. It also feels like the Western Wood itself will play a bigger role, almost as a character shaping what comes next.

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