Down to the final four: 2026 LCS preview

 There won't be any further, ah, divine intervention in these playoffs. Maybe.

Cleveland eliminated the Chicago White Sox with a 2-0 win Saturday night to earn a shot at reaching the World Series for the first time in 10 years by facing Tampa Bay. Tonight, however, the NLCS begins (8 pm, Fox) with Milwaukee facing defending champion Los Angeles.

National League:

Milwaukee vs. Los Angeles.

If the Dodgers want to be the first NL team to 3-peat, they have to go through the Brewers. Shohei Ohtani hasn't been as big a factor as he was last year, but the depth the Dodgers have is more than enough, with the likes of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, et al, backing up Ohtani. Los Angeles and their all-star pitching rotation will be just fine. For the Brew Crew. It's wait 'til next year. Again.

Pick: Los Angeles in 5.

American League:

Cleveland vs. Tampa Bay.

The Rays have had nearly a week's rest after sweeping the Yankees. The Guardians get just one day between last night's win and game 1 tomorrow (TBS). Momentum is on their side, but it's a case of who is hungrier. Sometimes, you just have to play the hot hand.

Pick: Cleveland in 6.

Of course, I could be wrong.

Post-season record: 5-3.

On The Shelf: A cable legend makes his comics debut, and a franchise returns

 News first, then reviews.

Dynamite has a trifecta of new books out in December, in time for the holidays, and that's not including the predictable holiday specials for Red Sonja, Vampirella, & Gargoyles. More on the latter in a bit.

Vampirella also stars in a new crossover miniseries with Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, the latest collaboration between Dynamite & Archie. The two share a beach house while Sabrina's on vacation, and there's trouble afoot. Can a part-witch and an alien vampire co-exist without driving each other crazy?

Cable legend Joe Bob Briggs, who's also done time on radio with his drive-in movie reviews back in the day, stars in his own miniseries, written by David Avallone. Joe's sidekick, Darcy, must've joined him when he debuted on Shudder 8 years ago. If you haven't seen Joe on TV, well, now you'll have some idea about what he looks like.

Finally, it's the comics return of The X-Files. We're bummed that Charles Adlard, who drew the original series for Topps 30 years ago, didn't come back this time. Don't expect this to be an ongoing, but, rather, another miniseries.

Dynamite is launching another crossover with Archie, arriving this week, by having The Terminator visit Riverdale. The publisher is also doing a facsimile reprint of the first-ever issue of Evil Ernie from the 90's, also in December.

Now, on to the reviews.

Speaking of Gargoyles, the series relaunches with writer-creator Greg Weisman having Goliath deputized by the NYPD while pursuing a gargoyle egg stolen by Demona. So, of course, the rest of the clan joins in. We'll see if Weisman gets a year out of this.

Rating: Incomplete.

Cheetara gets her own book again, this time meant to be an ongoing. The writers are veering too close to the supernatural elements for my tastes. With Greg Pak taking over a relaunched ThunderCats, this may be a jumping off point for some readers. I'm just not feeling this.

Rating: C.

Over the summer, IDW acquired Zorro from American Mythology, and gave Howard Chaykin a 3 part miniseries to write. A decent tale of Zorro fighting a battle against a duplicitous Irishman both as Don Diego and Zorro. Chaykin did everything but put Diego in bed with the pirate princess fighting alongside him.....!

Rating: B-.

Also from IDW is Zorro's Legacy, written by Dan Abnett, with the first two issues drawn by Aaron Lopresti. A fill-in covered issue 3. Yep, another attempt at modernizing the hero for today's audience. No indication this will be an ongoing, which is being cautious.

Rating: B.

So why is Space Ghost fighting The Herculoids? Chalk it up to the manipulations of an old enemy of his. The conflict will resolve around the 4th issue, and the villain gets a royal whupping.

Rating: B+.

Jason Aaron wrapped his Thundarr The Barbarian time travel miniseries with the predictable tropes, but also giving fans something they've waited 45 years for in the final panel, and if you don't know what I mean, you haven't paid attention to the series at all.

Final rating: B+.

Greg Pak is also responsible for Marvel's latest Planet of The Apes miniseries, which has a lone Predator on the planet. I didn't think they'd do worse than the miniseries with the Fantastic Four earlier this year, but they have. Decent art saves this from being a total bore.

Rating: B--.

Family/Fantasy Fridays: Herman The Rookie (The Munsters, 1965)

 From season 1 of The Munsters:

Leo Durocher appears as himself in this entry. Trying to teach Eddie how to hit, Herman (Fred Gwynne) hits a ball that goes 8 blocks from the community park to downtown, where it hits Durocher in the head. Durocher needs a power hitter, and he may have just found one in "Herman The Rookie". Directed by Jerry Paris (The Dick Van Dyke Show).

More examples of GOP stupidity

 Today, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to human rights lawyer Navi Pillay of South Africa. A certain sore loser in Washington was making last minute appeals to be given the prize, but, of course, came up short. If only because he was lying about his accomplishments......

"WAAAAHHH! I ended 8 wars! I am a hero! WAAAAAHHH!"

No, you're not, and never have been, Orange Pinocchio. You haven't stopped anything in terms of wars. The only stop you've made of late, aside from your lame-ass rallies, is at the nearest McDonald's for 6 double cheeseburgers.

The man doesn't get it, and doesn't want to get it. His ego & megalomania get in the way of reality, creating an ongoing delusional quasi-reality where he's beloved, if only by the voices in his head.

We're also learning that the Department of Injustice, under Todd "Bleached" Blanche, wants to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson on (false) charges of perjury before Congress after she testified four years ago. Another vindictive, petty, improper prosecution that won't go anywhere. Should the Democrats sweep Congress next month, color Blanche gone via impeachment.

The Democrats are already talking impeachment as it relates to Defenseless Secretary Pete Hegseth. Better Petey Eggs gets taken down before they even think about going after Orange Pinocchio again.

Petey Eggs, though, announced that the Pentagon will livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, who shot up Fort Hood a while back. He is set to be executed via firing squad on December 3.

Why a livestream? Not so much for people's morbid curiosity, but as a show of the administration's so-called "strength". I wouldn't be surprised if Hasan's lawyers make an appeal before December 3. Hegseth and the rest of the idiot squad want to scare anyone out of trying anything like Hasan, but this is the wrong way to go about it.

I'd sooner trust the next generation of Marx Brothers to lead the country instead of these clowns.

Musical Interlude: The Ghost in You (1984)

 England's Psychadelic Furs missed the Top 40 with 1984's "The Ghost in You". No supernatural elements in the lyrics, so it's not classified as "Spook Rock".

Weasel of The Week: John Doe

 This morning, the Yankees are packing up their gear and heading home after losing their ALDS to Tampa Bay, 3 games to 0, following a 4-3 loss Wednesday night. 

But, who's to blame? The Yankee offense finally showed up, and kept pace with the Rays.

As we're about to see, however, some dimbulb ruined the game for the Bombers. Brian Anderson & Jeff Francoeur on the call.

I get it. This clown wanted the ball in the worst way, but he should've kept his hands behind the boundary, and let it come to him. He exacerbated the situation by taunting Tampa left fielder Victor Mesa, Jr., who had homered earlier to put the Rays up for good, before celebrating with a friend.

30 years ago, Jeffrey Maier got away with one, in effect screwing over Baltimore. There've been others since, most infamously Steve Bartman in Chicago in 2003. Let the ball come to you. Don't reach out.  Unfortunately, too many of these folks disregard common sense, and our anonymous Weasel may find himself locked out of Yankee Stadium next year and beyond.

Tampa Bay, a 4-3 winner, awaits the winner of the Cleveland-Chicago White Sox series, which the Pale Hose lead, 2-1, heading into tonight's game (8 pm, TBS, HBO Max).

There's no more trying to hide it. Donald Trump has lost his mind

 You've heard about the Cornell rape case by now, how 7 students, two of whom have since been expelled, had gang raped a young woman. The victim went to university administration, which did exactly nothing.

Earlier this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul named AG Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the case. That set off alarm bells in the tiny mind of president Trump, who is whining that the perps won't get a fair shake with James.

Oh, really? Just because she nailed your sorry butt, doesn't mean she would win this case. You're already tainting the jury pool with your useless meddling & whining.

Farron Cousins sounds off on Orange Beavis' latest tantrum.......

This, on top of remarks made in Nebraska on Monday, where Trump insinuated he would let Iran bomb Los Angeles & San Diego, remarks the administration is trying to spin as a morbid joke. Trump wouldn't know a punchline from a serving line at Denny's.

The man is 80 years of age. Men at that age sometimes say things they would regret because they're not in total control of their cognitive functions. For Trump, it's just another day. And that's a mistake, too.