Forget that this has to do with Absolut Vodka. This is one of the best animations I've seen possibly ever. The concept is brilliant, but then the mixture of CGI and 2-D animation as a story element was just wonderful. If you enjoy animation you should not miss this. If you just like cool ass concepts, then don't miss this either. Oh and yes, it is that Rafael Grampá. http://vimeo.com/89501438
Trailer Time: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Written by Guest Contributor: Jefferey Pinkos Look, folks, it’s that new trailer to the next installment of the rebooted Planet of the Apes series. Maybe that will get your minds off Michael Bay’s gritty, lipped Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer. (Which, to me, didn't look all that bad, but then I’m pretty forgiving on trailers and things featuring Michelangelo.)
Now I have problems with DOTPOTA’s predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, if any of you has time. The miscast James Franco. The misused John Lithgow. Really, 90% of the plot. I came for insane ape people killing sprees, not for some half-assed story about a miracle drug. But it seems we’ve ditched everything about the first installment, except of course for Caesar, Andy Serkis’s motion-capture antihero ape leader. Maybe each additional installment will have completely different casts, to better suit each additional story. That might be interesting. Navigate from story to story, groups to groups. But enough dreaming! Look! It looks alright! Like it might be good! No hint of a montage scene to The Specials’ “(Dawning Of A) New Era” or “Monkey Man,” however. Disappointed.
Bask in its potential.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0wP5ZkaUGg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3xRMRb6Yg
Call of Duty: Ghosts Devastation DLC Gameplay Shows Us ...The Predator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Xrul2xDDM
The second expansion pack dubbed, Devastation will have four new maps with cool names like: Ruins, Behemoth, Collision and Unearthed. There is also a new gun called the "Ripper" that looks like a gun that a man from the future would use to play Call of Duty or it's a brand new tactical 2-in-1 weapon with the unique ability to switch from SMG to AR and back on the fly, in the middle of combat. Whoa.
Here's hoping that these maps will be too large to find anyone one on them and make objective base game types frustrating and suck to play. Oh and The Predator and all of his awesomeness will be in the game. To what capacity is unknown but my guess is that he'll be cloaked and goosing all the players in the butt. Or he'll be doing something in the second episode of the zombie knock off, The Extinction that is included in the DLC. But it more likely that he'll be like Michael Myers from the first DLC pack that was kind of like a "care package" or streak or field order or what ever the hell they call it now...fucking stupid.
The $15 expansion will release on April 3 for Xbox 360 and Xbox One and then everyone else...whenever.
Here's A Scene From Tomorrow's Shield Episode... Did You Catch The Reference?
The reference isn't comic related, but it's clever if you get it. This is obviously the cold open and it highlights one of the weaknesses of the show... small talk. I know I bust on this show, but I watch it every week and my interest is in a sharp decline. So what is the problem? Well their talking and building history. Their history together as partners, but then also the history of S.h.i.e.l.d. The problem is... it's boring and forced. It doesn't come off as a conversation, but rather commercial for thread-count. What do you think? And are they ending the first season already?
I Promise You This Picture of Mystique Holding A Carl's Jr. Burger Is Real
Carl's Jr or Hardees, loves to tie-in with superhero movies. I don't know why since all of their promotions suck and I seriously doubt it brings in extra people. In fact the last time they had a deal going with Amazing Spider-Man I actually stopped going in... that's just me. This commerical... is terrible. It's so bad. It's not even good because it's bad, just bad. No Carl's Jr... you eat my ass like you mean it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJs8zC-AnQk
Poster Time: Palo Alto
I'm interested in this movie for a few reasons. The main reason being the cast which is a strange ensemble in my opinion. The other reason is that its Gia Coppola's writing/directing debut, but the material is based on a James Franco's book. It just seems interesting.
From writer-director Gia Coppola comes an astonishing debut feature that deftly captures the complicated ties, heightened emotions, and romantic highs and lows of adolescence. Based on several linked stories by James Franco, PALO ALTO is a teenage movie for the ages, made indelible though its ensemble cast featuring some of the most gifted up-and-coming young actors working today.
Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin -a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco). Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI - secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection - Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high-school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred's escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.
Directed by: Gia Coppola
Written by: Gia Coppola (screenplay), James Franco (book)
Producers: Sebastian Pardo, Adriana Rotaru, Miles Levy, Vince Jolivette
Cast: Emma Roberts, James Franco, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin, Claudia Levy, Chris Messina, Val Kilmer
Original Music: Devonté Hynes, Robert Schwartzman
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Runtime: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Hugh Jackman Singing Wolverine The Musical... Is Pretty Great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvRtKMxc88Q#t=29 I didn't see Les Miz so I didn't know Jackman had such a wonderful voice! On a side note I'm still not going to watch it either, but if he did Wolverine: The Musical I would totally go see it.
People Love Making Fun of X-Men: Days of Future Past -- Here's Two Parody Trailers
Okay so I'm starting off with the one you're instantly drawn to like I was and that's the Back to the Future/X-Men: Days of Future Past mash-up... it sucks. It literally just the trailer with Back to the Future II dialogue put over it and the background music dominates the audio. It's a bad video, but the idea was there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi26FeT88hI
The second one is a recut of the first teaser trailer and it's called Too Many Mutants... it captured my thoughts on this film and actually made me laugh so hopefully you enjoy it too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygkPlWqnXMs
Review: Veronica Mars
Written by Guest Contributor: Jefferey Pinkos The story is old now. Rob Thomas, creator/director/writer for the cancelled TV show, opened a Kickstarter account in the hopes of creating a cinematic continuance of our favorite teen sleuth and got blanketed with money. Now the movie’s available in VOD and in theaters, for your perusal. To see it, it provides evidence to one of two theories to determine the future of movie financing. (1) We will be buried with the studio system, no matter how innovative we get, no matter how hard we try. (2) “Off with studio execs’ heads!! Bring back Firefly!!” So on, so on.
Because it’s such an intriguing financial model, we here at Comic Bastards interviewed someone integral to the process, a donor, Jefferey Pinkos.
- Hi, Jeff. Hi.
- Is it more of the same? Yes. We get a mystery, we get the Neptune regulars — Veronica, Keith, Weevil, Logan, Piz —
- Piz? Yeah, I know. At the beginning of the movie they’re together.
- But later they aren’t. Well, one, spoilers. Two, duh. But I’ll get back to it in a sec.
- Sure. Sorry for interrupting. She’s with Piz, she’s a law school grad on her way to becoming a lawyer, he works for Ira Glass.
- For real? Yeah, I know. Anyway, Logan is back in the news, because he’s suspected of killing his pop star girlfriend. She rushes back to Neptune, to get some of that good-good and to, um, publicly exonerate him, too. She finds him changed; he’s a soldier now — forever solidifying his good intentions to her. At that moment, it’s counting down to them boning.
- Aww. Yeah, I mean I shipped them on the show, but for different reasons. They could never work. He acted out, she loved and hated it; blah blah blah. Put simply: It was interesting because it could never work out, despite everyone’s best efforts. It helped that every other boyfriend she had was so terribly underwritten. Take Piz — he liked music, he liked Veronica, that’s all we know — even after the movie, where he came off pretty well, I think, he likes NPR and he likes Veronica. Whereas Logan fought and relished in his father’s — by extension his own — fame. He loves Veronica, and he loved Lilly. Here, mere days after his girlfriend’s death, we see him lusting. It feels so inconsequential. That may be because of the format — he could appear brooding for an episode, ten minutes airtime tops, and we get it. The plot’s demands don’t have to upend the emotional reality.
- Okay, but do they end up? Sigh. Yes, and it’s awkward. It feels so eventual that when it happens, its muster just dissipates. Everyone’s sure it’s happening. Piz breaks up with her over the phone, like, really anticlimactically. “You like Logan, duh. I have no agency. I am only the nice boyfriend. I have no personality beyond the scope of my archetype. My name’s Piz.” Also, it’s like ten minutes after a truck hits her father and kills Deputy Sacks.
- OH WHAT SPOILERS. What? You had me spell out all the entire relationship stuff, but when some tertiary character beefs it, you get weird?
- Sorry. Something in my eye. Uh, plot. How’s that? It’s fine? Again, the problems of compressing what would be a season-long plot into, what, two hours, is that it feels rushed. The season-long arc could be brought forefront or relegated to a minor mention in an episode as the plot works. What the show did incredibly well is create a mystery’s effects on the community. Look at season three’s serial rapist plot. It worked because it stuck itself into the firmament of Hearst College and lingered and affected how everyone acted with one another. Here, all we have is the murder plot and Logan/Veronica’s Inevitable Romance.
- What else is new? Everyone’s good in their parts. Veronica is Veronica, Keith is Keith, et cetera. No one has changed. Logan slapped on a Navy Uniform of Personality Change which effectively neuters him from his volatile interest. He’s snarky, but there’s no danger. He’s an adult now, which I guess is good.
- So any notes for people who want to see it? It’s incomplete. The main plot is resolved, but there are two other plots that begin here when they really shouldn’t. These C- and D-plots (corruption in Neptune constabulary, who hit Keith and Sacks; Weevil got shot and someone forged evidence, why) should have complicated things for Ms. Mars. But she rightly moves them to the back burner, just like Rob Thomas should have.
- Boom. Boom.
- Thanks for talking to us. Any time.
Score: 2/5
Writer/Director/Creator: Rob Thomas Studio: WB Release Date: 3/14/14
Episode 126: Lake Flaccid
Welcome one, welcome all to another thrilling comedic episode of the CBMFP. This week we start you off right with that TMNT trailer that dropped after everyone and their mother that visited Cinema Con described the shit out of it. We also spend plenty of time talking about Spider-Man; including Spider-Verse and Spider-Man 2099. We even touch on Dave Rapoza's new comic project so check that out. Books we cover this episode include:
- Ghost Rider #1
- Silver Surfer #1
- The Cursed and the Damned #1
- Leftovers #4
And in case you missed it, here are the last two episodes of the CBMFP
CB Original - Listen To The CBMFP Crew Talk About Real Heroes
A few weeks ago we recorded an episode that had some "bonus" listening at the end of the normal episode. Kevin had read Real Heroes from Bryan Hitch and Image Comics and wanted to talk about it...so he did. I put together this video and hopefully the dumb pictures I added make it a little funnier, but really it's funny on its own. Enjoy and leave us a comment if you like this and we'll work on more. http://youtu.be/YQp39hbbWUk
And if you missed it here's the full podcast episode to listen to: Episode 123: Welcome To Wolf Country Mother Fucker
Review: Anne Bonnie #1
If like me you’re a complete sucker for pirates and an even bigger sucker for pirates plus magic… then you’re going to like Anne Bonnie from creator Tim Yates. What it comes down for me is Pirates of Dark Water which is an early 90’s cartoon that ran for twenty-one episodes before abruptly ending. Of course I didn’t know that at the time, as a kid I just waited patiently for the new episodes that never arrived. But it was Pirates of Dark Water that gave me my love of pirates and fantasy magic combined and those are the two biggest elements of Anne Bonnie. The story begins at sea where some pirates are attacking a trade ship; one of the men on board signals for help, but they all know that it’s a futile attempt. Back on land some soldiers on wall duty spot the signal… but then don’t send anyone to help. Times are rough because pirates are ruling the seas and the Pirate Queen Anne Bonnie is no longer present to control them.
After this introduction to the world we meet Ariana and Shen, as Shen tells her a story about Anne Bonnie. He stops the story when it gets too mature, but blames the fact that Ariana is playing around while he’s talking. She informs him of the pirate attack happening; he doesn’t quite believe her because she can see it without a telescope, but when he pulls his out to double-check… sure enough he sees the attack we already knew about. They’re interrupted by Lord Firestorm who is upset that Shen is out playing with Ariana instead of doing his work. Shen tells him that he’s noticed some things about Ariana, but Firestorm covers his hand in fire and gives him the pimp hand of all pimp hands smacking Shen to the ground. Lord Firestorm tells him that he’s not a free man and shouldn’t act or think like one.
Later that night Ariana sneaks out to see Shen who is preparing to run away. Before he goes he gives her a “key” and tells her to hold onto it until he returns. Flash-forward years later and Ariana is boarding a ship that is chained up with magic and happens to have a spot made for her “key.”
The idea of a pirate queen or female pirate isn’t a new idea, but the way Tim Yates has approached it is different and unique. The first thing to note is that when a picture of Anne Bonnie is show she’s not the quote-unquote “sexy” pirate, but rather a legit pirate. I think that’s something everyone can appreciate, but more so it plays to the fact that this is an all-ages title; meaning that kids and adults can enjoy it on the same level.
Yates does a wonderful job with the narrative, but more so with the dialogue. It’s very believable and the natural voice of each character comes across. Ariana and Shen’s bond is easy to believe because of their conversation and it happens so quickly that it’s actually pretty impressive how natural it is.
The thing about the art is that it’s the coloring that gives it an all-ages vibe. The colors are very vibrant and have an animated look. I hate to bring up Avatar – The Last Airbender, because of the obvious fire and fantasy connection, but it does remind me of that color palette in many ways.
The art itself is very detailed. The characters have unique designs and there is a worldly sense to the book as we see different nationalities throughout the story. Yates excels at facial expressions; from Lord Firestorm’s angry disposition, to Ariana’s youthful glee and sense of rebellion. There is some action, it’s not all sword fights and cannons, but it’s all very detailed and easy to follow. It’s also very intense when it needs to be. Overall the art is wonderful and a very powerful aspect of this story.
I was glad that I stumbled upon Anne Bonnie this week; I didn’t read a lot of stories with strong female characters and so this was a nice surprise. I know that I said its all-ages, but please don’t be fooled into think that it’s for kids only. If you really give this book a shot it’ll surprise and impress you. I know I’ll be back for the next issue, but hopefully you will too.
Score: 4/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Tim Yates Co-Writer: Lelan Estes Layout Artist: Tony Vassallo Publisher: Blue Juice Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 3/19/14
Review: Leftovers #4
In my lifetime I have read well over 15,000 comic books. The point of telling you this is not to brag, but to give context of my next statement… it’s hard to surprise me. There are always twists and turns, but rarely is there an idea that is so different that I say to myself, “I wish I had thought of it first.” Book four of Leftovers begins the storyline “The War for Kaleb” which is a three-part story, which will mean something by the end of this review. There is plenty to address about this issue, but the first and most glaring is the superhero on the cover. Instantly your mind has already determined what this book must be, contain and read like, but you would be absolutely wrong. Before I get into that let’s talk about Kaleb the main character and before we talk about “light” Kaleb that we see on the front cover wearing blue and yellow.
Kaleb suffers from an anxiety disorder, one that forces him to take pills basically for the rest of his life in order to live a “normal” life. In that regard you may instantly think that this book is then going to be like last year’s Boom Studios title Polarity, because pills and superheroes right? Well again, you’re wrong.
Now let’s back up at the beginning of the issue as we see Kaleb going through the motions, he gets up and gets ready for work and then commutes to his job via the subway. All the while light Kaleb is standing watch over him, but never interacting. On this particular day he meets Addison. From there we flash-forward months in to their relationship at a party to introduce the couple to each other’s friends and this is used to set up and establish where Kaleb and Addison’s relationship is currently.
It’s after this that we learn that Kaleb has an anxiety disorder when his friend Mike asks if he’s told Addison yet. Now here’s the surprise, because a third Kaleb shows up wearing red and black. So what’s up with these different Kalebs? Well the first one represents Kaleb’s personality on pills, looking out for him and even possibly leading him to his relationship with Addison. When he begins to doubt that relationship because he doesn’t know if it’s the pills or his real feelings… that’s when “dark” Kaleb shows up.
The story very much so reminded me about the old Native American tale about two dogs fighting, some days the good dog wins and some days the bad dog wins. Here though those dogs are represented by comic book superhero and supervillain and it’s pretty brilliant. At one point Kaleb goes off his pills and we see these two other Kalebs begin to fight and it is a visual representation of the battle happen inside of him. The pills versus his disorder and as the hero and villain do battle and damage their surroundings it can be viewed as the damage it is doing to Kaleb psychologically.
There is more I want to say about the story, but to really drive home the impact of the scene and issue I have to talk about the art. The entire story is in black and white with the exception of light Kaleb and dark Kaleb. I don’t know why Jason Pittman made the decision for the book, but it was one of the single greatest decisions he could have made.
While Pittman’s style is detailed it isn’t photorealistic, the black and white nature gives it a real-world vibe. The details that he puts into the world, especially the city, make Kaleb’s life very real. His journey to work could be your own. Essentially the black and white highlights his mundane and average existence which makes the battle of his personality all the more spectacular.
Since light and dark Kalebs are in color they stand out, but because they stand out so much they don’t seem real. They break the mold of a superhero story by coming across as the thing that stands out the most, but in a non-realistic way. In one hand it almost shows you just how ridiculous the concept is, but in the other hand it shows what a great piece of fiction they can be.
This is a simple and yet complex story and that’s what makes it so damn great. It’s hard to surprise me and it’s even harder to impress me to the point that this story did. The crazy thing about it, the truly crazy thing… is that I didn’t know that there were two more parts of the story until after I had read it. Even though this issue doesn’t resolve the entire story, the ending was so satisfying that it could have just stopped there. I think that says a lot about a comic when it can leave so much open and yet the reader is satisfied with what’s there.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Jason Pittman Self-Published Price: $4.00 Facebook Page Web Store
Review: MA
Creator Matt Huynh has a gift for storytelling; a vast majority of this gift resides in his artwork as he’s able to capture the human form in a realistic way with body language and facial expressions. Another part of this talent is that he’s able to say very little within a story and yet still say a lot. The thing about Ma is that it’s easy to sum up, but that’s not what Huynh is going for. He hasn’t created Ma in a three part structure in which the payoff comes from the narration. Instead the payoff comes from the emotional journey that the characters are on.
The story takes place in Malaysia and begins in the ocean. A boat of refugees is arriving in the midst of a storm which ends up dumping them just off of the shore. We meet our family a father and mother and their two children. The bulk of the story is of course focused on the mother. Her struggles to protect her children feed her husband and keep their family together. It’s emotional as you watch them endure a situation that’s only supposed to be temporary, but far surpasses that.
Now my interpretation could be a little off since it’s not spelled out for you in the pages; even though it seems to be about Huynh’s own family, he still leaves some aspects open for the reader to either get or not. Personally I like when a story is clear cut, but only if you see it that way.
As I said, this book is all about the emotional journey. Obviously I’m not a mother, but I could understand the characters struggle. I could understand why she would cry alone when she had a moment to do so. It was a touching and painful story to read at times, but Huynh does a wonderful job of making it relatable on the human level with his storytelling.
Huynh’s artwork is magnificent. His brush work on this story is some of his best, but what’s more impressive is that you can almost follow each stroke he takes and see the creation of each panel. A simple panel can offer so much more when you take this into account. Since the book is in all black and white ink work, Huynh works with the contrasts at time. Sometimes the light is the most important part of the scene, whereas other times the darkness is the focal point.
Additionally his breakdowns and panel layout is very impressive and different from a lot of comic books. Again though, this plays into the contrast; at times Huynh uses the full page and other times he leaves it mostly blank for the impact of a particular panel. This is particularly apparent when an old man begs for what little food the family has left and the mother is forced to ignore the pleading man for the sake of her own children.
Ma is a powerful story with amazing artwork to compliment it. While the story itself is incomparable to other comics, the feeling and vibe is something that I have experienced in other self-published work. It’s a style that I would love to see more and hopefully Huynh himself will be back with stories of a similar nature as well.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Matt Huynh Self-Published Price: $15.00 Website Buy it here: http://shop.matthuynh.com/ Read it here: http://ma.matthuynh.com/
Review: (Mostly) Wordless
I wish that there were more books like Mostly Wordless being published. I wish that there were more publishers like Alternative Comics that were willing to take a chance on books like Mostly Wordless. There isn’t one thing in particular that makes it great; all I can tell you was that as I held it in my hand I was swept away by its beauty, but it’s sheer artistic nature and the way it danced with my imagination. I didn’t set it down and become a better person having learned more or because my eyes were opened to the world around me; I came away with an overwhelming sense of joy and childlike imagination. I have since read it two more times.
Mostly Wordless is exactly what the title describes… mostly wordless. The first time words appear outside of a title or credits is on page twenty-two and even then it’s short and sweet. The reason the book is mostly wordless is because creator Jed Alexander’s artwork is so vivid, so realistic, that you can tell everything that’s happening in the story just from looking at the page.
The artwork itself is photorealistic and I wouldn’t be surprised if there weren’t referenced photos. Either way Alexander has captured realistic movement with the characters. From the little dog swimming, to a young girl dancing like a beatnik for fun. The motion and body language is very human, very natural and that’s definitely not something you always find in this medium.
I had the joy of reading it digitally which meant that I saw two pages at once, but the way that Alexander has set up each page is that there is no break in these pages. There is no “gutter” to divide them and without the center crease I experienced the book in its perfect form. In a lot of ways this reminded me of children’s books I read growing up that would do this exact same thing; by doing so there is a natural flow to the art and the movement of the characters. In a way it is one page setting with the characters moving throughout the page.
You could even say that this is a kid’s book in a way, but I hate to classify it as such because I had so much fun reading it. That and I don’t know if a lot of kids would understand the reason why there aren’t many words.
While I don’t see the average superhero comic reader picking this book up, part of me wishes they would. It’s an incredible piece of art and imagination. The stories are simple, but because the visual storytelling is so powerful it’s all you need for your own imagination to dive in and become a kid again. I know that some people will pick this up right away as they’d enjoy being transformed into a child just for a moment, but hopefully others will be bold and pick it up and dive in as well.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Jed Alexander Publisher: Alternative Comics Price: $18.95 Release Date: 5/13/14
Kimberly's Top Five - March (2014)
Next up is Kimberly with her picks for the month of March. If you've got a list we'd love to hear it, but in the meantime enjoy Kimberly's picks!
I’m not usually a fan of DC comics but occasionally I’ll give it a chance. At first, I didn’t think I would like the new Harley series but after the first issue I added it to my pull list. What I love most about this series is that it shows the softer side of Harley. Within the first couple of issues she had a long list of kills for dudes that mistreated animals. Her and stuffed beaver are an adorable duo that adds to the creepy cute vibe of the series. Honestly, I’m not sure what they are doing with the plot but who cares! The series is weird and entertaining.
I am so in love with this series. Yes, I am a new comer to ElfQuest but I became obsessed from the first issue. This month’s issue was just as beautifully illustrated as the last. There are so many badass ladies rockin glorious mermaid hair. Childhood me would have wanted to be Ember; hell even as an adult I want to be Ember. Though we are just in the beginning stages of this arc it doesn’t lack action and I would recommend this to any elf fandom.
I’ve always been a pretty big fan Pendleton Ward and adorable things. Honestly, what made me like Bravest Warriors is Catbug. Especially, this month’s issue was just cute overload with Catbug and other little creatures in various costumes. They are just feel good comics that make me laugh and their adorable friendships hug my heart.
Furious has become one of my favorite comics that has come out this year. I’m so impressed with the character development. Furious struggles with inner demons which yes are common among superheroes but her battle is very unique. Although you get to see this very troubling yet humanizing side of Furious it’s hard not to root for her. It shows her desperation to be okay with her past and the responsibility that comes with being a superhero. The whole series builds on uncovering who she is not only for the reader but I think for Furious too. I think Dustin said it best in his review with, “this series continues to get better and better with each issue and no… there isn’t another title out there that’s anything like it.”
So the last few issues of Adventure Time were these one shot stories that may have seemed like filler but I loved this month’s issue. Finn and Jake have this strange existential crisis which leads them to a chamber where they can leave their mortal bodies. There’s always this undertone of human complexities that adults can also enjoy in Adventure Time. Again, just at Bravest Warriors I like this comic because it makes me laugh and it has this innocent humor that’s so rare in comics. -- Be sure to check out the other "Top Five's" on the site!
Review: Revenge #2
Everybody wants revenge at whatever the cost. With so many focusing on revenge are we getting lost in this story as to who is crossing who? I’m not how this story will hold up or if it’s just a flash in the pan, but the art sure grabs you. The plan has hit little snag for Candy, the lawyer keep delaying the paper work to break the prenup she signed. Meanwhile her boy toy is enjoying the limelight of being Griffin Franks. Candy contacts the doctor to keep Franks alive and no pain meds because she wants him to feel everything. He explain this is going to double the price, but she assures him that it’s not a problem as long as he doesn’t mercy kill Franks. Meanwhile the real Franks is flashbacking between reality and his movies. He never served in Vietnam, but he sure can pull from it because of his movies. The flashback and hallucinations are insane from lizard people to Mouseyland characters. The doctor has extended an offer to Franks to take care of Candy if the price is right.
Candy has found a new lawyer and is ready for the stalling to stop. The holdup is Franks’ previous family that he is secretly providing for financially. Candy is pissed about this because she wants her revenge on what Franks did to hers growing up and what he turned her mother into after he left.
Some of the doctor’s minions are having their fun with watching Franks and his slow painful existence. This is as simple as daring to touch him, mocking him, and trying to get the girl to kiss him. After dunking the horned assistant they have awakened the Revenger.
The story seems shallow and really empty. It seems as if everyone in the story is taking some kind of revenge either on Franks, Candy or the Doctor. I guess you get that which the title describes… revenge. It does try to show Franks as having a heart and trying to make amends for his life by financially provided for his distant family. It’s a grasp to make him likable. The only real person I feel for is the horned doctor’s assistant.
The only grace in this book is the art. It’s freaking fantastic. It’s highly detailed and brings everything to life. Again it’s a definitely for mature readers. The action flows naturally in the flashback Nam scene. How Franks is portrayed now I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley or even a well-lit one, but he looks badass with no face.
This book is only good for the art; the story is too shallow to keep my attention. I don’t mind a mindless story, but this seems almost too much and too little. Sorry to say you lost me.
Score: 2/5
Review: Jonathan Ross Artist: Ian Churchill Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 3/26/14
Samantha's Top Five - March (2014)
Kicking off our Top Five Book selections of March is Samantha! Check out the books she picked as her best.
There were a lot of number ones that came out this month, and The Returning was by far my favorite. I loved every minute of reading it. The book takes a look at near death experiences and how these people change after the incident. This one of those series that just had a perfect start. The basic premise is very intriguing, Beth, our main character, has good grounds, and the art brings it all together. I always try to pick my Top Five Books based off of my excitement to read the next issue, and The Returning has done that for me. I truly want to see how Beth deals with her family's death and who the hell this stranger is that her dead boyfriend almost ran over.
We got Leo back! TMNT has some slowed down issues after their big battle in City Falls. But don’t think for a second that these slow issues aren’t worth the read. They bring in everything I love surrounding the Turtles; magic, brotherhood, and kick butt attitudes. This particular issue hit home with me because there are so many relationship problems happening all at once. Raph and Alopex have seem to break that alliance. April’s mom is getting in heavy with using ooze on her husband. And Leo is back to his normal self while in turn bringing Splinter back to go on the offense with Shredder.
MonkeyBrain brought out my next top comic with Headspace. This story is very unusual and when I say a statement like that it means I don’t fully grasp the idea. But Headspace is fully graspable and still gives you some twist and turns that make it a fun read. Shane is our player who lives inside a serial killer’s mind. Max, our serial killer, has got some stories to tell, but honestly I am more interested to see how the two are related and how Shane got into Max’s mind. He isn’t the only dude trapped up there either. Shane now has to find a way out all while protecting the people inside Max’s mind from these evil creatures. This comic has all sorts of layers.
There probably isn’t a month where this comic hasn’t been on my Top Five. I sure do talk about it enough. I won’t go into great detail then. Brubaker has given us another hit, and I can’t talk about a comic that measures up to the love I feel for this series.
Although #3 slows down the normal intrigue of the first two issues, I am still pretty stoked for this series. It has some great storyline, and all around appeal to all comic readers. And I am not going to lie my parents may have watched Who’s the Boss? and then may have named me after Alyssa Milano’s character. So yeah I am pretty boss..along with this comic. Ed and Nate bring in such a good friendship to a literal life and death situation. I am excited to see how it all concludes.
Review: The Cursed and the Damned #1
The comic book horror game is a vast bastion with tons of depth. But thanks to pop culture, zombies have been the creature of choice for a very long time. It’s not that they’re bad it’s just they have become beyond boring. So how do you spice them up? I think that N.A.S.’ The Curse and the Damned may have something… In the middle of Manhattan New York a handful of important people gather due to the fact that they were summoned by The Shifter and The Gray Clan. Three jungle cats enter the warehouse and begin to morph into a trio of humanoids. They are doctors that have been researching a cure for a curse of the werewolf that all of their people share.
As they dispute the idea of the cure the doctors tell the group that they have a human volunteer that is willing to take the cure. The plan is to bite the girl and see if she transforms to a werewolf. She agrees and the doctors put things in motion.
The girl is bitten and she slowly begins to slip into a coma. The doctors get nervous as they wait for her to change. Soon they rush her back to their facility and hook her up to life support. A few weeks later the woman is up and moving around. The doctors let her return home and promise to keep tabs on her. Satisfied that the cure is a success they decide to follow-up with their test subject one last time. With no response, the doctors send someone to check her place out. Once at her place they find the poor girl dead…the living dead.
The idea of The Curse and the Damned is not too original but it is a refreshing use of the typical horror creature tropes. Having the werewolves’ possibly screw themselves out of a possible cure and creating what could be an adversary in the zombies is very interesting. Also, the fact the wolves debated the trials of their “condition” really worked. It adds another layer to in their struggle and made the narrative more interesting. It would be nice to see this continue to be underlying theme.
Another surprise in this book was the art! It was very solid throughout. The copy that was reviewed was half-finished so not all pages were in color, most were in black and white and even light pencils and to tell you the truth I couldn’t tell you which one I liked more. No matter what, it’s a great looking book. The creatures look intimidating and the overall character design is just plain cool. Hat’s off to Francesco Laquinta and the whole team for that matter.
If you’re a fan of anything that The Curse and the Damned has to offer then this will be right up your alley. So do yourself a favor and keep an eye on this book and for that matter keep an eye out N.A.S Studios. You’ll be happy you did.
Score: 4/5
Story: David Sandoval Writer: Luis M. Cruz Artist: Francesco Laquinta Publisher: N.A.S. Studios Price: $4.00 Website
Jason Mewes Promotes Free Comic Book Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfHL1CIToQ0 This year, Free Comic Book Day is taking place on Saturday May 3rd at participating comic book shops across the country and worldwide! There are 60 FREE comics that are available to choose from for both kids and adults. Titles of comics include Guardians of the Galaxy, Spongebob, DC’s The New 52: Futures End, Teen Titans Go, Transformers vs. GI Joe, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty and more!
For more information about Free Comic Book Day, go to www.freecomicbookday.com. Also you can use the store locator at http://bit.ly/