'Helix': an Infectious Science Fiction Thriller Series

BY AARON SAGERS
(Originally published at Huffington Post)

A remote research station in the arctic operates beyond international law. The scientists there toy with Mother Nature and unleash a new kind of virus that causes the infected to become mindless, enraged and super-strong. And who should come to the rescue but a small team of CDC experts on the trail of a pathogen unlike any they, or anyone, has ever seen.

Sound familiar? It is, but in all the right ways. Combine elements from John Carpenter's The Thing, The X-Files, Outbreak, 28 Days Later and Lost, and the result is Helix: Syfy's compelling new science fiction thriller series that gets under the skin and demands continued viewing as treatment.

Premiering Jan. 10 at 10 p.m., Helix is the brainchild of creator, and former World Bank and Federal Reserve worker, Cameron Porsandeh and executive produced by Ronald D. Moore of Battlestar Galactica. Not surprisingly, a handful of producers from The X-Files, Lost and Contact are also on board. Set in present day, the show is a freaky, paranoia-and-hypochondria-inducing trip where humans are as dangerous as the virus -- but make no mistake, that virus sucks too.

New comics: May 15, 2013

BY DAVID BERCK

This week’s featured releases is a varied lot. We’ve got a new series based on a Cartoon Network hit, a new retro sci-fi series based on classic Battlestar Galactica, which will hopefully satisfy the purists who had problems with the Syfy series and some just really cool sounding new series. It seems like there isn’t much coming out from the HUGE main titles we’re used to seeing from Marvel and DC, but that’s OK. It just means more to look forward to in the near future. Including the newest of X-Men titles next week.

Boom! Studios

Regular Show #1
Eight different covers, including a subscription/pre-order variant and a boxset of each.
Boom! says: “Regular Show ... It's anything but. Cartoon Network’s powerhouse series now has its own comic book series! Hot on the heels of the smash hit adaptation, Adventure Time, KaBOOM! unveils the next all-ages comic phenomenon! Join Mordecai the Bluejay and Rigby the Raccoon, a couple of best bros in their twenties just tryin’ to chill for a bit, man. But when you’re livin’ in as crazy a world as they are, no day can be called...regular! Ask your retailer about the pre-order variant by Chris Houghton (Adventure Time, Reed Gunther) and the incentive variant by Dustin Nguyen (Batman, L'il Gotham)!”