TOP GUN MAVERICK MOVIE NIGHT

Finished out this Veteran's Day with a Family Movie Night watching TOP GUN MAVERICK courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment providing me a free Blu-ray of the film. The summer blockbuster movie of 2022 is now available to add to your home entertainment video library on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital formats. TOP GUN MAVERICK is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for sequences of intense action and strong language. Who is ready to fly into the danger zone with Tom Cruise?!

After more than 30 years of service as a top naval aviator, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot. Yet, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past when he returns to TOP GUN to train a group of elite graduates and comes face-to-face with Lt. Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of his former wingman "Goose." Bitter rivalries ignite as the pilots prepare for a specialized mission, which will require the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.

Of course, being a home video release there is bonus content to enjoy in addition to the feature presentation when watching TOP GUN MAVERICK on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital. Bonus content includes a number of featurettes and two music videos:

Cleared for Take Off -- Witness the most intense film training program as the cast prepare themselves for filming while pulling multiple G's in a fighter plane.

Breaking New Ground: Filming Top Gun Maverick -- Prepare to take flight as you go behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew of Top Gun Maverick on a journey to capture the most spectacular aerial sequences ever.

A Love Letter to Aviation -- Tom Cruise shares his passion for aviation as he pilots his own aircraft, a vintage World War II P-51 Mustang, which would have been the Top Gun aircraft of its day.

Forging the Darkstar -- Pushing limits beyond Mach-10, the future of aviation is unveiled through an impressive experimental aircraft specifically designed for the movie.

Masterclass with Tom Cruise: Cannes Film Festival -- Tom Cruise discusses his incredible career at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. 

"Hold My Hand" Lady Gaga Music Video -- Watch Lady Gaga's music video for her standout hit on the Top Gun Maverick soundtrack.

"I Ain't Worried" OneRepublic Music Video -- Check out the music video to an original new song from OneRepublic.

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SOLDIER STORIES

On comic book shop shelves this Veterans Day is a one-shot collection of stories created by veterans who are aspiring authors paired with professional artists. SOLDIER STORIES from Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, is an anthology taking examples of real-life warfare reimagined to be told in a variety of genres including sci-fi, horror and personal memoir. These four military tales are written by veterans who served in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to Afghanistan. I picked up a copy for myself while perusing the new comic books that were out this week.

The SOLDIER STORIES in this comic book include the horror genre "All Clear" written by Megan Ferrell Burke with art by Arture Lauria. This story pits soldiers against one another after a squad survives a chemical attack but finds itself short on the gear needed for everyone to make it safely to a rendezvous point for extraction. Brian Anthony shares the perils of interpreters that help foreign forces in their homelands from a science fiction angle. His story "Terps" features artwork by John Bivens.

Jalysa Conway makes readers ponder if utilizing military drones makes killing too easy and desensitized to being like playing a video game. Her editorial "Game Over" features art by Annapaola Martello. "The Great Man" by Reverend William Bellamy shares an autobiographical moment of a man who goes from battling in Vietnam to fighting discrimination in America. Unfortunately, Rev. Bellamy passed away before this comic book reached publication, but his story lives on through the people who read it. 

SOLDIER STORIES came about when novelist and screenplay writer Ken Pisani served as an instructor for a Writers Guild of America workshop for veterans. He pitched a partnership between Top Cow Publications and the United States Veterans Artists Alliance which resulted in the SOLDIER STORIES comic book. Pisani created a writers room where Anthony, Burke, Bellamy, and Conway worked together to cultivate their stories with some help from his mentoring. The writers then worked with artists from Top Cow Publications to combine their words with illustrations to be published as the comic book on store shelves now.

It made for a nice Veterans Day read. I'm glad I picked up SOLDIER STORIES to bring home with me. Whether you are geeked about military adventures or are just looking for something out of the ordinary to read, SOLDIER STORIES is a comic book you should check out.  A nice reminder that the comic book medium is so much more than just superheroes and monsters. It is art and literature as well as the effort and experiences of people like these four veterans who want to entertain and educate people with the stories they tell through comic books.