Live-Action 'Attack on Titan' Premieres On A Subaru Commercial
The movie as I'm sure you've heard a billion times by now is set for a 2015 release and hasn't actually made it into pre-production, but the director is already drumming up money for the film. He premiered what the live action Titans will look like in a Subaru commercial. The finished product isn't terrible, but let's hope they put a little more effort into the Titans so they have the crazy eyes that actually make them so scary. Also I no longer want to own a Subaru. Here's the commercial...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVFEWg-43DE
...and here's the making of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK0yCeuBSqc#t=57
Review: Vreckless Vrestlers #0
Vreckless Vrestlers is awesome. It’s a story that’s told entirely through the art. Part of that comes from the fact that the creator Łukasz Kowalczuk hails from Poland and so he creates a story that anyone can read and enjoy. As he states on the inside cover “Vrestlers fight, not chat.” This zero issue actually doesn’t contain any fighting at least not between the Vrestlers, but rather sets the stage for their battles. Think of Boom’s Deathmatch in which heroes and villains are collected to fight to the death, but here our different Vrestlers are plucked from time and space for the 59th Annual challenge. Who’s in charge of this? The Manager. Seriously that’s his name and he’s pretty awesome. He really looks like he could be a wrestling manager. The issue is spent with The Manager as he pulls the different characters from their moments and places in time. Some of the fighters include: Sergeant Reptilion, Vegan Cat, Flatwoods Monster and The Original Hippie Killer to name a few. All great names and great character designs
The goal of this zero issue is obviously just to introduce the characters and gather them for the pending battles. It’s successful in that regards and very fun. While it’s a quick read it’s a worthwhile read. The lack of dialogue is actually kind of good thing because your imagination plays a role in the story. I can picture The Manager being sleazy and the fighters just hating him because he stole them from their homes and timeline and that’s cool.
The art is very fun. I’m not really sure how to describe the style since I don’t have a bases of comparison. The line work is very thick and all of the character designs have simple features. It gives it a cartoon look, but it still looks very mature. It’s clear that it’s made for adult readers even if the content is goofy and not serious. I really dug the art style and thought that it did a tremendous job of telling the story without any narrative to help.
This book is very indie, but you’ll be able to purchase it soon (we’ll include a link). The cool thing is that Kowalczuk is offering it digitally and in print. The print version actually has different Vrestlers in the back making them like trading card variants. I had a lot of fun with this book and I’m looking forward to when the no holds bar Vrestling begins.
UPDATE: The issue is available now, click the "store" link below!
Score: 4/5
Creator: Łukasz Kowalczuk Publisher: Vreckless Comics Website Store
Review: Hidden – A Child’s Story of the Holocaust
There is something particularly powerful about the comic medium; why else would it be used to tell deeply personal stories like Hidden. You can piece together a lot about the contents of the story just from looking at the cover and thinking about the name and you’d probably be right. This is still a story that you need to experience regardless of what you think it’s about. The story is told through the perspective of age as our main character is actually a grandmother. Her granddaughter Elsa wakes up in the middle of the night and finds her grandmother Dounia sitting on the couch looking sad. In the way only a child can, Elsa crawls her way into her grandmother’s arms and forces the story out of her.
From there and for the rest of the story we’re transported back to when Dounia was a child during World War II. We see the days before Jewish people were heavily persecuted and what the norm for Dounia was. Then one night her father tells her a lie. A simple lie to protect her as her mother sows stars on all of their clothing. He tells little Dounia that they’re family was asked to be sheriffs.
And there lies the strength of this story. It uses your knowledge of the events of WWII, the Holocaust and how frightfully scary it was to be a Jewish person in a Nazi occupied country. It doesn’t cram history down your throat and manages to find ways to simply explain the events as if it were being explained to… well a child.
Eventually what happens is that Dounia loses her friends, but she doesn’t know why. Nothing is different for her and her parents do their best to keep things normal for her. It’s a wonderful view into the world of a child that doesn’t see religion, nationality or anything else that clouds people’s minds when they look at other people. Instead you see how a child sees the world. Her friends are her friends and nothing changes that for her except for them.
Without giving away too much about the story, eventually the Nazi’s come from Dounia’s parents. Before they’re arrival though they hide Dounia and keep her safe. She stays for hours following her parent’s instructions until her downstairs neighbor finally finds her and brings her to her house. Thus begins Dounia’s life of being hidden.
What I think is powerful and different about this story compared to other tales that deal with the Holocaust and the atrocities committed towards the Jewish people during this time, is that it shows how it affected children and families. There were some that were protected from Concentration Camps, but their tragedy and journey was difficult for another reason. Dounia didn’t know what was going on and everyone kept her in the dark for her sake making everything scarier.
I don’t know if Hidden is based on a true story or if it’s just a compilation of stories made into one and frankly it doesn’t matter. The message is what matters and I’m glad that this story was told. I’m glad of the way it was told because while it touches on the bleakness of the events there is a sliver of hope that it delivers as well.
Another powerful thing about this story is that it’s appropriate for all-ages. Granted you will have to answer a lot of question from your child at the end, but it’s a conversation every parent should have. As for adults, it’s a good reminder for us as well. You don’t need a child in order to remember the horrible acts that were committed towards other human beings. This is a book worth experiencing so check it out.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Loïc Dauvillier Artist: Marc Lizano Colorist: Greg Salsedo Translator: Alexis Siegel Publisher: First Second Books Price: $16.99 Release Date: 4/1/14
Review: Rumble Moon #1
I think if I were to hang out with creator Skuds McKinley I would find that we have a lot of shared influences and interests. I feel as if I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but Rumble Moon comes across as if it was created for me. I know that’s highly egotistical of me and frankly silly to think. I know that it wasn’t, but at the same time so much of it appeals to my inner being that again… it feels that way. In actuality there were many others this was created for or at least supported the Kickstarter project to make sure that it was printed and if McKinley was able to make me feel special reading this story I can only imagine how everyone else felt.
Now to be honest a lot of my reviews are done off of a digital copy. That isn’t to say that I don’t still purchase the physical copies, but comics have become more and more digital for me as I take on more and more reviews. With Rumble Moon I supported the Kickstarter so that I would get a physical copy of the book. There was something about McKinley’s art that caught my attention instantly and made me want to physically hold this comic in my hands. I’m glad I did because it’s a wonderful print. The smell of the ink and the paper is like heaven. I could sit here and smell the book for the rest of the review and still tell you to purchase it, but I won’t. Then there’s the feel of the pages. Not quite glossy, but still a little roughness; the color of the page more orange then white, but still feeling of a high quality. I can tell you that this paper isn’t cheap which is why other publishers don’t use it, but if they did I would buy every issue. Rumble Moon feels like a comic. It feels like that special issue your Dad would randomly give you to read that you would hold on to and cherish regardless of the contents. Rumble Moon is special.
Now while I was instantly won over by the art, the presentation, the paper stock, I assure you I wasn’t a push over on the story. Thankfully I didn’t have to be, because the story is of the same level of quality. This really is the complete package.
The one-shot is broken up into smaller stories giving it an anthology feel to it. Each story follows its own set of characters and has its own narration style. I would love to say that I had a personal favorite, but I enjoyed every page of this book.
I will talk about the longest story because I mentioned similar influences and interests earlier. It’s clear that the last story “Mican” has an anime/manga influence to it. In the notes in the back McKinley describes it as “Post-Anime” in which he attempts to capture the guts and not the style of medium. He succeeds as he meshes elements of anime like mech suits, androids, and infectious parasites with an abandoned city, vinyl records and two friends that bust each other’s balls. It’s a very entertaining story.
McKinley describes his story process in the back of the issue and it’s very interesting. He took a free form approach in which he created the story page by page. You’ll be able to pick up on this a little while reading especially with “Mican” because of the length, but it’s actually awesome. It’s like you’re creating the story with him as another idea pops into his head and suddenly the story shifts getting bigger and bigger each time. It’s an incredible reading experience.
Where to begin with the art? It’s like Paul Pope, Moebius and Vasilis Lolos had a baby and that baby was Skuds McKinley and he had pencils in his hand upon birth and everyone was like, “that’s weird”, but then he drew his mother and everyone cried because it was that beautiful… I really fucking enjoyed McKinley’s style. I would say that it teeters more toward Paul Pope which is awesome to me, but McKinley brings his own flair making everything look cool. The main character in “Foxy Dolce” is one of the most attractive female characters I’ve ever read in comics. It’s not just her looks either; it’s that McKinley manages to visual display her personality as much as he captures her physical beauty. There’s an aura to her that spills out of the page.
All of the art is in black and white which works with McKinley’s style. It allows him to destroy a page when needed, cramming in every possible detail and then to contrast that on the very next page. Though he’s not relying on solid shadows like say Frank Miller, he is using the same concept and using it masterfully.
I’ve been trying to talk about the lettering more in my reviews because lettering does play a huge role in the story. It’s actually the thing we end up seeing the most, but talk about the least. I’m pretty sure that McKinley hand-lettered everything in this story and if that’s his handwriting then it’s pretty damn cool. It gives each story this personal touch to it. Suddenly you’re not reading a comic, but someone’s journal. It’s never difficult to read or follow and again it just looks cool.
I want more of Skuds McKinley’s work. I want him to create more and I sure as hell will support any and all projects he works on. I hope never to see him on a mainstream book because I’m more interested in his own ideas. The worlds he creates are the ones I daydream in and that’s awesome. I’ve been waiting for comics that really spoke to me and my influences growing up since… well since I was a kid. I think I’ve finally found a creator that does just that and I love it. Don’t do me any favors and check this out; again it was created for me, but you can do yourself a favor and check it out. I think you’ll like it.
Score: 7/5 (That’s Correct)
Writer/Artist/Creator: Skuds McKinley Self-Published Price: $1, $5 or $10 (depending on the version you want) Website
Review: The Return of Jeremy Munroe (One-Shot)
One-shot’s are probably the hardest thing to create in the comic medium. If you think about it creators have one issue to introduce the world, the characters and conflict/point of the story. That also means that if they fail in any one of those categories that the entire issue could fail. That being said let’s find out if The Return of Jeremy Munroe managed to rise or sink. The story is actually pretty simple to explain. A lot of the comic is actually told through the artwork which is a huge plus. We open with a woman, Linda, standing at the grave of her deceased fiancé. Before they could wed he was killed and now in mourning she just wants to see him one more time. Lucky her he shows up and though she questions his return some, she’s happy. How could she not be? The problem of course is that it’s not Jeremy. Where is Jeremy and will he show up to stop this imposter from harming Linda?
It’s a double edge sword with this one. I can’t tell you much about the story because it would make it pointless to read yourself, but at the same time the hook of the story is the ending. It’s a quick read because the art is the driving force of the narrative, but it’s very enjoyable. One criticism I would give to the story is that it’s relying on you connecting with the characters and I didn’t. Maybe it was the cover or the title, but I really knew exactly where this was going from the very beginning. That’s not to say that others will or that someone else might not connect on an emotional level, but I didn’t. I’m not downgrading it because of that either.
The art work is very strong. Brent Giles has a variety of angles that he uses to keep this story that takes place in one setting, interesting looking. It’s like a movie that stays in the same room, you have to be creative to keep it interesting and that’s exactly what Giles does. Giles gives the characters realistic facial expressions and while I didn’t emotionally connect to Linda, I did believe her emotions to be earnest and true.
I would say that this is a successful one-shot; you learn everything you need to in order for the story to make sense and be rewarding in the end. While I’ve read similar stories I was less moved by this one, but for a comic reader that’s looking to branch out from mainstream comics I would definitely recommend it.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Michael Edwards Artist: Brent Giles Publisher: E&G Comics Price: $4.00 + shipping If you're interested in the book email Michael at: gatecrasher6@gmail.com or Brent at: brent@figservices.com
Review: B-One #1
This issue was a palate cleanser for me. I know that doesn’t sound flattering, but I do mean it as an absolute compliment. If you follow my reviews then you have a window into my reading habits, my likes and dislikes and from there you could deduce that I end up reading a lot of the same type of material. Why? Because companies tend to find their niche and continue to produce the same type of materials month in and month out. Image titles tend to have an “Image” feel to them, whereas Dark Horse books can be spotted a mile away. It’s not a bad thing and it’s one of the things that make me enjoy the aforementioned companies and similar companies as well. It’s really basic math; company “A” uses formula 1-4, while company “B” uses formula 5-9. Again, you end up reading a lot of similar stuff or at least the vibe is the same.
Along came B-One which is hard for me to describe. There is and isn’t a connected narrative. There are reoccurring characters, but we’re seeing slices of their life rather than trying to pigeon-hole them into a story that follows a three act structure.
In particular I enjoyed a story that involved a creature with a gas mask face as it transforms into a human form. I’m not quite sure I got the exact point that creator Bob Ornelas was going for, but I definitely had my opinion on it.
And that is the beauty of this book, you can take a lot away from it or you can take some. It’s like an internship, you’ll get out of it what you put in and that’s fucking awesome. You can’t say that about mainstream comics because they’re not structured that way. They’re not ripe with metaphors nor do they resemble normal life in any way, shape or form.
I also liked the fact that B-One is a mini comic (size, not content). Ah the lost art of comics that come in all shapes and sizes. I can’t tell you how big the issue is because I don’t have a ruler and don’t find the exact size to be important, but it’s bigger than a Reader’s Digest. Its size is charming and very fitting of the stories. In a strange way it almost makes them more personal because of it.
With any comic, it’s not for everyone. If you prefer company “A” delivering formula 1-4 week in and week out then yeah it’s probably not for you. But the thing about that is eventually you’ll become a lapsed comic fan. It happens and it’s because people don’t want to venture out of their safety net and yet they get tired of the same thing over and over. Now I’m not saying that B-One is like changing religions, but it will remind you why comic books are the best creative medium on the planet. Narrative and art working hand in hand to tell you the story of two drunk guys yelling “Shark” at a party… you’re not going to get that anywhere else.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Bob Ornelas Publisher: King Bone Press Price: $3.00 (Currently on sale for $2.00) Website
My Top Rack: Rachel from 'Dead Body Road'
I don't know if you read Dead Body Road this week, but Justin Jordan introduced readers to Rachel. As I said in my review I don't think Rachel is a strong female character. I think she's just a woman. A woman I've met in real life over and over and while she is a total bad-ass, she is in a way that you'd use to describe any of the women from the say the X-Men or even Wonder Woman. She's just a fierce woman.
She proves this when she returns from the crappy diner bathroom to find two professional criminals sitting at her table waiting for her. She listens to their idle threats and then goes to town on the two men. Now this isn't the movies she doesn't deliver a kill blow or do anything more than create distance between herself and them, but that's her goal. She knows she has nothing to stop them, but distance is one thing she can give herself. She's very smart about it as she escapes through the bathroom window, but rather than running she grabs a board and cracks the head of the first asshole to crawl through after her. The most amazing part of all this? She's pregnant or at least we're led to believe that from her opening scene.
Rachel is fierce. I enjoyed every page she was on and appreciated how real of a character she was. No damsels here, just bad-asses. Check out issue two of Dead Body Road available now from Skybound/Image Comics.
ADHD: Ultimate Anime Hero
I guess the team at ADHD is on an anime kick. This one is actually pretty accurate, but you'll have to see what I mean by watching the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNhsXnxl04w#t=11
Cosplay: Sailor Moon and Chibi Moon... Because It's Sailor Moon!
Yup I'm a big Sailor Moon fan so how could I pass up on this Sailor Moon cosplay? I do wish there was more variety in the poses, but hey... what can you do?
Three Video Game Franchises That Deserve a Reboot
With the new console generation gearing up, there is a lot of excitement with what both the PS4 and Xbox One can do. New IP’s have been announced for these next-gen consoles that everyone is looking forward to in Titanfall, and Watchdogs. There are also old franchises that are getting a new start like Wolfenstein which is due out in December, and Thief which is due to be release in February. Seeing some of the older franchises still being produce for the next-gen consoles made me think of some old franchises that maybe developers could give a chance to. There were a lot of great games to choose from, but in the end these three I felt have some potential to make a big splash if given the right amount of time, and care.
1) Final Fight
This franchise in my opinion was one of the premier games for the SNES. A classic beat’em up which you could co-op with a friend and just beat up baddies until you reached the end. Sure it was a basic beat’em up, but the level of difficulty on the game was insane. Even with two players the game got harder and harder as you went through the levels. Part of what made the game so special was the storyline, Haggar, a former wrestler who turns Mayor of Metro City gets his daughter kidnapped by an organization named the Mad Gear Gang to send a message to the Mayor that they run the town, not the Mayor. Left without not many option, he takes it upon himself with the help of his daughter’s boyfriend named Cody, and his friend named Guy to clean up the streets and get back his daughter.
The second and third games of the franchise were great too, but the first game was the most fun. It felt like an 80’s action flick but with button smashing goodness. I know a lot of the characters from the Final Fight world have made their way to the Street Fighter universe as fighter to play as, but wouldn’t it be nice if the Street Fighter universe came to the Final Fight side? It would be cool to see Chun-Li or Guile team up with Haggar or Cody in cleaning up the streets in a button smashing way rather than doing half circles motions, or dragon punch motions. You could even use some of the Street Fighter characters as level bosses. Ohhh the thought of Zangief vs Haggar duking it out just made me have a nerdgasm.
2) Arch Rivals
This game was an arcade favorite of mine back in the 90’s, the game was later ported to NES and Sega Genesis. Basically, you have two rival schools duke it out on a 2-on-2 basketball game, but without any rules. The game was very juvenile, but it delivered in the sense that it wasn’t a serious basketball game. You’re just running up the score while trying to stop the opponent by using dirty tactics. With NBA Jam having a short revitalization in last gen console and NBA Street being successful for a short period of time, why not try it again? The cool thing about this franchise is that you can create an entire universe of players, without having to worry about players looking alike, or asking permission for likeness, because you are free to create any character you like with any amount of skill. The possibilities are endless with this franchise.
3) Contra
Another classic NES game that deserves a second chance in this gen consoles. Contra was one of those games that you would just light up bad guys until you were out of credits or until you beat the game. The game was difficult, but it was still very enjoyable. A cool way to revitalize this series would be tweaking the mechanics a bit from just shooting up bad guys. I’d like to see them use Bayonetta’s combo system and give it their own twist on rewarding the player for keeping shots going and extending kill streaks. That would give the game a different mechanic, but still keep what made the original game so good. -- Well, that about covers some of my picks for franchises that I would like to see get a second chance. I am sure as the console keeps picking up steam, we will get to see more old franchises and new franchises for this generation console and they will be great! What are some of yours? Leave a comment at the comment section. Happy gaming everybody!
Do You Have 3 Hours To Kill? Watch Every NES Start Screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOvaSOFLtJU#t=13 I don't know why you'd watch it, I'm just giving you options. I guess you could see how many you've played and or remember.
Group Review: Bad Ass #1
Each of the participating writers/reviews of Comic Bastards will give the issue a score of: Buy, Borrow or Pass along with a short reason for the score. Here’s a blurb about the issue from Dynamite before we begin: If Kick-Ass and Deadpool had a baby, it would be Bad Ass! The only difference being that Dead End is a villain through and through with no intentions of serving anyone. What makes Dead End so great is his self-aware humor and biting sarcasm - the mark of a true evil genius. Hard to hate and even harder to kill, Dead End is an eloquent psychopath who fights for something better than justice: himself.
Dustin: BUY
I think the description of Kick-Ass and Deadpool having a baby is a terrible one since I don’t like either of those series. To me Bad Ass was a romp. It was funny and yet well written. The opening page with its great narrative describing our main character’s view of the world was poetic. It was even more poetic when he said he hated everything that he described.
Maybe it’s just my fucked up view on life, but I loved Dead End the main character of this book. He was funny and his reverse luck type powers were awesome. He flips a coin and not only takes a dudes eye but causes a car crash and kills a bunch of innocent people. It was awesome and he only got better from there. His back story is interesting and I loved the build up for the final section of that as well.
The art was definitely a plus as well. Bruno Bessadi’s style is very detailed, but maintains this great look for the story. The character designs were freaking cool and even though I was more than a little confused when a talking Dragon showed up, I still thought he was cool looking. I guess you could say this comic was right up my alley. It was fun as shit and entertained me from beginning to end. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Samantha: PASS
While the concept of Bad Ass, focusing on the anti-hero, is a great idea, I felt lackluster when reading this comic. The anti-hero, Dead End, first shouldn’t be called a bad ass. When most foul mouth people use this word, we use it with positive notations. Dead End isn’t positive. He is downright evil.
The action supplied some entertainment for the issue. Dead End seems to be skilled when uses small devices, such as money or cigarettes. Using these small objects adds some allure to the overall fight scene focusing in on minute details. I also liked his look; a suit with Chucks. Very classic. So the images and action all work. It was the story that lacked some grip.
I don’t really get his purpose in being so bad. We flash back to him getting tortured as a kid, so maybe he focuses only on bullies. But the way he treated the young kid at the restaurant, I would say that isn’t the case. Maybe his motivations will be more clear in the following issues, but the first one didn’t grab my attention or sympathy for his adult lifestyle. Not to mention a Mozart-cat-women purrs her way into the picture. What is that about?
Steve: PASS
After reading the first five pages of Dynamite’s Bad Ass #1 - most of which had been released previously - I was properly psyched for this book. It looked bold, brash and most of all new. Unfortunately, the end product came across as just another Deadpool knock-off, but less funny. In fact, this book expends a lot of effort trying to fit into that “cool anti-hero” mode, apparently just for the sake of doing so.
The flashback scenes of an outcast life were tired and worn and his motivations (presumably chaos) are done better elsewhere. His power set is fairly interesting, sort of like an Amadeus Cho-meets-Bullseye, and while watching him fuck up a city block with a quarter and light up suckers with a single cigarette was fun, it also wasn’t anything I haven’t experienced before; nor was his voice, which was peppered too liberally with generic, sneering tough talk.
The art on the other hand is clean, tight and entertaining, and was the best part of the book for me. If only its levity could have been translated into the narrative, this would have stood a chance, but as it stands, it’s just your bog standard hard-ass story about a guy who apparently really likes the Miami Heat for some reason. I wouldn't say Bad Ass is ... bad, and I get that it plays off a one-note joke, but if that's all you want, you may as well just read Deadpool and be done with it.
Score: 2 Passes and 1 Buy!
Writer: Herik Hanna Artist: Bruno Bessadi Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 1/22/14
Review: Marvel Knights - Wolverine Versus Sabretooth
I’ve reviewed each of Shout Factory’s Marvel Knights animations and with each one I find myself saying the same thing over and over. The thing is I can’t judge the story because it’s a straight adaptation of the comic book. It’s basically just a motion comic done right and while it generally works, there’s usually a few rough spots. In the case of Wolverine Versus Sabretooth it’s the mixture of action and narration. You will be amazed by how much Wolverine narrates. It honestly becomes the most annoying thing about the story as writer Jeph Loeb recaps the previous issue each time. I remember being annoyed with that while reading the comic and so having Wolverine say all that exposition was pretty daunting. The sad truth is that there isn’t a lot of dialog or conversations in this animation; it’s all Wolvie talking directly to you. Like he’s watching the footage with you and he just won’t shut up. It’s like, “enough Logan… let’s just watch the movie.”
As for the action, Simone Bianchi’s style is probably one of the worst styles for this type of project that I could ever imagine. He’s a brilliant illustrator, but his work does not translate to animation. There’s a scene with Sabretooth scrambling to leave that they use twice and it’s ridiculous looking. He ends up looking like a paper mouse in a maze. There were times that it worked, but overall there would be these awkward moments of action that would hurt the animation more than help it.
To speak of the story, it’s terrible. It was a terrible choice because it takes place during so many Marvel events that even with Loeb’s abbreviated recap, an unexperienced comic reader is sure to be a little lost. The problem with this story is Loeb; he came on the book and did his usual Marvel twist, which is to say he broke something beyond repair because he thought it would be interesting. Well it made Wolverine not a mutant and then no one fucking cared to follow up with that bullshit so he’s mostly considered a mutant still. Sure they’ve ruined him further since, but it’s because of this story line that everything that followed was able to happen.
The reason I keep reviewing and following these animations is because I think they are actually good for comics. Every non-comic reader I show them to asks questions and wants to know more and in a way because there is so much happening in the story’s universe it helps hook them on the endless cycle of storytelling that comics are known for. The problem is that it then becomes someone else’s job to tell them where to pick up after the animation turns off.
If Marvel was smart about it they would choose titles that have a follow up. Only two of these animations have a follow up, but the others will never have a follow up. If you watched and liked Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk then you’re never going to have a follow up because the comic took a ridiculous amount of time to conclude and the landscape of the universe was destroyed by none other than Jeph Loeb.
It’s not a bad animation, but it’s not great either. The narration and Wolverine’s boring voice acting wear on you quickly and really they should have trimmed down Loeb’s original story since it was drawn out just to highlight Bianchi’s artwork which isn’t the star of this animation. There’s a lot of choices that should have been made differently on this one.
Score: 2/5
Studios: Marvel Knights Animation/ShoutFactory Price: $14.97 Release Date: 1/14/14
Review: Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z #1
To forewarn you there will be spoilers for this review. The digital comic is only ten pages so it’s a bit hard not to mention… well everything. This story is crazy. I wouldn’t say that it’s the best story I’ve read, but it was interesting enough that I would come back for the other two digital issues. It starts off with our Ninja Yaiba fighting some zombies. He’s a bit different from the few Team Ninja games I’ve played as part of his arm is cybernetic along with his face. His sexy red-headed partner tells him to get a new sword which sends him on a trip down memory lane why he still has the sword.
Our ninja Yaiba is shown practicing his ninja skills until his sister bumps him and sets him off. He continues to attack and attack her until he accidentally kills her. I use the term “accident” loosely because he really keeps after her. He asks for help, but the elders won’t because they don’t want her to be a zombie and live shamed. It’s more honorable for her to remain dead. Yaiba says fuck that noise and gets the scrolls to resurrect her himself, only to find that the elders have taken his sister's head and hidden it. This pisses him off so he kills all of them and then resurrects them as zombies.
Damn Yaiba calm the fuck down! I get that the elders fucked him and he has a great line that he says after he resurrects them, but he’s still an ass. I mean he ruthlessly came after his sister with his sword drawn and then was surprised when a kill blow landed. I mean… is he an idiot? That’s what I took from this story. Perhaps Yaiba is an anti-hero and I’m not supposed to like him, if that’s the case then mission accomplished. If I am supposed to like him I don’t see that happening.
I dug the art. Even though the story is over and done with before you know it, the art was very cool. Rafael Ortiz was a great choice for the ninja setting. His action sequences are very easy to follow and still look dynamic and fun. Coloring was also a huge success for the art making everything look vibrant and crisp.
Again this story is short and sweet and pretty damn crazy. I’ll be back for the rest of it, but now that I know what I’m dealing with I’m only looking for it to entertain me and nothing more. I don’t know exactly how it ties into the game, but that’s cool. It means they’re not just copying the plot of the game which is never fun to read, while this is.
Score: 3/5
Writers: Tim Seeley and Joshua Scott Emmons Artist: Rafael Ortiz Colorist: Carlos Badilla Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: Free Release Date: 1/22/14
Cosplay: Lara Croft Wetsuit... Because Wetsuit
Sure I'll buy it. Mainly I just like the fact that the photographer didn't go for the same boring poses, so thank god for that. Great photo set team.
Credits: Tanya Croft Alex Beyket
Not Another Sundance Movie "Trailer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spXU_kljHPE This is accurate. Very. Also Woodwinds for life!!!
Review: City – The Mind in the Machine #1
Of the three series that Darby Pop Publishing announced with their new line of books City: The Mind in the Machine has been the one I’ve been looking forward to the most. The concept of a man seeing through a cities camera system is just freaking cool and gives so many potential story lines that my brain began wandering long before reading this issue. But how does it all begin? Sure we know the hook of the series, but it would be bad form to just start us there. The issue kicks off with a look at all of the cameras in San Francisco running at once. In walks Ben the lead on the project currently known as “Golden Shield” to demonstrate to a Homeland security rep the potential of the project. They activate Golden Shield and suddenly an alarm goes off and a picture is constructed of a robbery and hostage situation. Golden Shield takes over and reroutes police and emergency workers to the situation, but here’s the kicker… it’s just some kids playing in a living room. The home security rep tells them that it’s missing the human element and that basically they’re going to pass on the project because of its coding flaws.
Ben goes through some typical problems at this point, his project is sunk unless he can fix it and he’s late on his rent. After spending the weekend coding he takes a break and hits the subway. He sees a suspicious character on board and sure enough there’s a chemical attack on the subway. Ben briefly wakes up and here’s the voice of his friend and boss Owen; he tells him he’s lost his vision but that he can help him if he gives him approval. When Ben wakes up again he discovers that he’s become the human component of Golden Shield.
It has a RoboCop vibe to it to be honest. It’s interesting because even though Ben gives approval you have to wonder how Owen was able to create his new eyes so quickly. It could just be a comic book moment in which I’m overthinking it, but it could be that Owen either made the accident happen or at the very least was prepared in case something like this should arise.
It’s a solid first issue. It gets a lot of the leg work out of the way so that the story can really get interesting. I know it’s only going up from here from the preview that was released to support the title and that’s what I’m looking forward to. Like I said the concept is awesome, but we need this first issue to set the stage. I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.
The plot for this issue is okay. Ben’s awkwardness with women and behind on his rent was very Peter Parker feeling and while that’s not a bad thing, it was a bit too thick for me. Overall though it had a good set up and I enjoyed the police raiding a living room of children without so much as looking in the window first.
The art work was also very solid. There were times when it carried the story and especially when it came to the cameras. Javier Fernandez does a great job of capturing camera visuals that we’ve all become familiar with thanks to TV and movies. To see it in a comic and done well in a comic was very impressive. Fernandez’s artwork definitely fits the story and I’m looking forward to seeing him illustrate more tech in future issues.
Now this issue didn’t knock my socks off, but that’s probably my fault. I’ve been dreaming of this book for a while now and I’m already looking forward to several issues in the future because of the potential. That’s not to say that this issue didn’t live up to expectations because it did, but I almost wanted it to be a little longer or to have trimmed certain scenes down so that more of Ben with the computer eyeballs could have been shown. Even still I’ll definite be back for the next issue and ones after that.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Eric Garcia Artist: Javier Fernandez Publisher: IDW/Darby Pop Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 2/12/14
Review: The Mercenary Sea #1
Image has been announcing books left and right lately and 2014 is already shaping up to be a strong year from them. The problem with that is that sometimes a book slips by or is forgotten because of all the announcements. I had the opportunity to read The Mercenary Sea prior to its release and I have to say that this book should be on more people’s radar. The story is set in the Pacific, 1938. For you those of you wondering what the importance of that year is, it’s in the days before the U.S. joined World War II. The opening is fantastic because it’s very suspenseful as we meet our team of mercenaries as they land on an island leaving their submarine a safe distance from shore. In this quick moment we get a quick look at everyone on the team. It’s a great opening scene that I won’t spoil for you.
From there we get to know the crew a little bit as they hang out with some natives of the island. Jack the leader of the group asks the tribe leader about an island filled with treasure and monsters that time forgot. Jack learns that the island is called Koji Ra, but that it’s the thing of stories, not reality. It’s clear that Koji Ra will play a part in the story eventually, even if it’s just Jack’s white whale.
Our group of mercenaries takes off for civilization and lands at South Haven. It’s clearly a pirate esque town from the way it’s set up. Jack asks one of his men, Jarreau, to drum up work and trade supplies while they too look for work. This leads Jack to his familiar watering hole where he’s greeted by a beautiful woman and a punch to the face from a very pissed off dude. This scene is used to quickly establish the caliber of man who Jack is as we learn that he sunk the man and his friend’s ships because they were enslaving people. We also learn that Jack can handle his own in a fight as he takes on three guys and wins.
This draws the attention of a man by the name of “Mr. Taylor” who just so happens to have a job for them, but not before he runs down the file he has on each of the crew members. Jack and Renner call him out instantly for being a spy and pass on the job. Really the scene is just a smart way to give the black & white details of each characters background. There’s no context to any of the events which leaves it open for further exploration in the story, but it’s a good start for the readers.
I really liked this issue. A lot of it had to do with artist Mathew Reynolds visuals. Writer Kel Symons understands that Reynolds can at times tell the story better than the narration and this is especially true of the beginning. There’s a bit of banter between the characters when they reach the island, but for the most part the intensity comes from Reynolds artwork.
His style has a classic look to it. I don’t want to say that its pulp inspired because it’s too clean and sharp for that. I honestly look at it and the first thing that comes to mind is animation and at times it looks very animated in the way it almost moves on the page. Reynolds style is familiar and once you read the issue you’ll see what I mean. You’ve probably seen fan art on the internet that looks just like it, but even though it’s familiar it’s still 100% Reynolds and the man can tell a story visually.
What really impressed me about his artwork was the fact that it captured the era with a lot of accuracy. The clothing, the fashion, the weapons and just everything visually look authentic. Even though the look was animated it still transports your imagination back to that time which is very powerful.
Now the writing has some familiar devices that stood out to me. They may not stand out to everyone because it really depends on your level of exposure to storytelling. Things like Jack proving his morals and fighting skills was reminiscent of Indiana Jones and even Serenity. The run through with the files was the same thing, a quick and easy way to give the reader info about the characters within the early moments of the story which can be found in any story involving con men. Even though these scenes stood out to me and I knew what the point of the devices was they were incredibly effective for the story.
I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t get into Symons previous Image title I Love Trouble, but here the story is much more grounded. The pacing is steady and while there are predictable elements of the story, I’m still very interested in seeing where it goes. I’m sure there will be plenty of twists and turns for the series.
Overall I like the setting and the period in which the story takes place. I like that it’s before the U.S.’s involvement in WWII and that it’s happening on the Pacific side of things. The approach is very different and in that regards isn’t following the beaten path that Hollywood has dredged over and over.
This is a really good first issue and I hope that people pay attention to it because it has the potential to be a great series. Sure the creators are some of the more established comic industry names working at Image, but that’s what’s made Image great… up and coming creators. With as many big titles coming down the pipeline they’re going to be hard pressed to beat The Mercenary Sea in my opinion. Do not miss out on this issue, my gut and experience tell me that’s it geared towards a second print already.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Kel Symons Artist: Mathew Reynolds Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 2/12/14
Review: The Almighties Origin
I read the first Almighties series a while back and I was pleasantly surprise with the book and now they are back, this time in the form of Super-Secret Origins. Well… I wouldn’t say its super-secret, but it’s an origin story of the other members. Mainly the origin story for four out of the five members: Maxitron, Nitefang, Mason, and Mrs. F. The story starts off with Stefanos meeting with Joe Cyborg. Joe proposes to Stefanos that The Almighties should be created into a strike force, but Joe Cyborg wants to go over the team members and see if any of the original squad needs to be tweaked before creating the new team. Joe quickly disregards Maxitron, because he knows he is the face of The Almighties so questioning if he is in the team was kind of a no brainer for Joe.
First on the list for review, NiteFang an average low-life Anarchist punk rocker from London who basically killed a bunch a punks one night just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then they traveled all the way to Canada to open up Ms. F file, her back story was interesting; she was bitten by a radioactive dust mite and her husband wouldn’t allow her to use her powers until she divorced him and now she is Canada’s newest hero. Once she is freed from her husband she turns to The Kruncher, Canada’s premier hero and gives a whole speech on how he was the reason she turns to being a super hero fulltime and now she wants to team up with him to clean up the streets of Quebec. The Kruncher hears the offer, but decides to decline because he cannot live the shame down of being beaten by a low power villain name The Robust Rabbit; and since his only victor has died in the hands of another hero, The Kruncher feels ashamed and doesn’t know if he can get back to crime fighting ever again. After hearing his reasons Ms. F calls The Kruncher a whiner and that he should get over it, she still leaves the offer at the table but flies out to fight crime in Quebec.
After going over Ms. F, Stefano and Joe Cyborg glance over Mason’s file in basically two panels which I thought was hilarious. Mason’s backstory is simple, he is an ex-solider sent to prison for crimes he didn’t commit and then he escapes prison to work as a soldier of fortune. Joe questions, if he can be controlled from his psychotic tendencies and from killing the targets they might face. Stefanos reassures him of it, since Mason listens to what Maxitron has to say. After going through all the files Joe comes to the conclusion that the odd man out is Nitefang. Stefanos disagree with this move and tries to justify to Joe that Nitefang is the “Gerry Halliwell of the team” that means in Stefanos words that Nitefang is the powerhouse of the group and without him they are in trouble, but Joe disagrees he says that there might be another option for The Almighties.
This version of the Almighties was still funny, but I thought it was lacking from the first issue I read. Most of the origins for me felt that they lacked a bit more of explanation. With the exception of Ms. F origin all the other ones were very quick and missed a golden opportunity to prop up their characters. The art was good, as the last issue I read, very cartoony with some over the top feel to the art. Overall, for being a free comic it wasn’t bad, it just felt a step down from the original Almighties.
Score: 3/5
Writer: Sam Johnson, Mike Gagnon Artist: Pablo Zambrano, Eleonora Kortsarz, Ron Gravelle, & Fran Jung Publishing: Actuality Press Price: Free Website