The first book of the “Cold Equations” trilogy was unusual in that it focused a great deal of time on one character’s narrative. While the story of Noonien Soong was interesting, and ultimately factored heavily into Data’s fate and the background of the entire trilogy, it wasn’t conventional material for a Star Trek novel.

It’s interesting to see how opinions about this novel have changed over time. When it was originally released as the debut novel of Robert Galbraith, it was given little attention outside of crime drama genre purists. But the attention given was almost universally positive, to the point where some folks were actually paying attention and wondering how this writer might evolve. And then the truth came out.

Generally speaking, you want a sequel to expand on what was built in the first film. When it comes to superheroes -- or heroes of any kind, really -- sequels present the opportunity to pave new ground, now that the origin story has been handled. Not so with Kick-Ass 2. Instead of building on what the first film provides as a foundation, it elects to jump all over the proverbial map.

Elysium has the feel of two movies awkwardly spliced into one. It sort of tells the story of two different worlds but there isn't that usual complexity that would make a film like this engrossing. The film is full of interesting ideas and questions about how to survive in a futuristic place like this and yet, there isn't enough time to cover it all. Character motivations become either simplistic or completely inexplicable. Judging by the pedigree of writer/director Neill Blomkamp, it had the potential to be another sterling entry in the science fiction genre. The execution just wasn't there.

The second “season” of the Fourth Doctor Adventures comes to close with the revelation of the true nature of Cuthbert’s experiment and the involvement of the Daleks. While it does a capable job of wrapping up the “season” and, for all intent purposes, bringing the relationship of The Doctor and Romana I to a reasonable conclusion, it does somewhat underwhelm.

The video game industry is growing up. It's maturing into magnificent pieces of art where important stories are told and breathtaking set pieces are shown. More and more companies are taking their games seriously to cash in on the "grown-up" sensibilities of the audience. Which is why I'm glad that Saints Row IV exists, because it is none of that - it merely wishes to be Fanservice for Gamers.

The second “season” of the Fourth Doctor Adventures turns back to the Conglomerate arc with the first of a two-part finale, “The Dalek Contract”. Three guesses which classic Doctor Who adversaries show up in this one. Not that it’s much of a surprise, given that the writer is also one of the more well-known voice actors for the Daleks!

Jonathan Morris was previously responsible for the second “season” premiere, “The Auntie Matter”, so I was a little worried when I saw that he was the writer for this particular adventure. I was also a little disappointed to discover that there was yet another side venture, instead of a return to the overarching Conglomerate story. Some elements kept me from getting too upset about it, but in the end, this is still one of the weaker efforts of the run.

“The Wolverine” is the definitive film version of the character, but it still falls short of being the best possible Wolverine film.

The Fourth Doctor Adventures take a detour of sorts, with the struggles against the Laan and the Conglomerate finished for a time, and reunite The Doctor with one of the more memorable guest characters of the Tom Baker years: Jago and Litefoot! Since their introduction in the classic serial “The Talons of Weng-Chiang”, Jago and Litefoot have enjoyed a long spinoff series of audiodramas for Big Finish.