Cosmic Book News

X-Men ’97 Ratings Fail To Beat Ms. Marvel
X-Men ’97 Ratings Fail To Beat Ms. Marvel
Superman Is Fake If He Can’t Kill Zod Says Zack Snyder
Superman Is Fake If He Can’t Kill Zod Says Zack Snyder
Fantastic Four: LaKeith Stanfield Rumored As Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: LaKeith Stanfield Rumored As Silver Surfer
Read More Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Read More Featured Articles
[page_title]
Comic Book News

“The Governor” Returns In This Week’s CBLDF Liberty Annual 2012!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3758:]]

This Halloween, amidst the ghosts and ghouls, we see one of the most vile comic book villains return in an attempt to fight censorship!

Image Comics has developed their fifth anthology benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) this week, and it is full to the brim with some of the best talents in comics today! From Howard Chaykin and Sina Grace to Andy Diggle and Ben Templesmith, fifteen creative teams and solo acts have emerged from every corner of the industry in order to fight censorship!

Consisting of short stories, splash pages and some of the most eclectic images in the comics world, this $4.99 anthology will donate all proceeds to to the First Amendment legal work of the CBLDF, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting the free speech of the comics community. 

Who better to stand up for free speech? Why, The Governor of course! Robert Kirkman’s most horrific creation to date, The Governor stars in his own short story in the anthology — and is sure to be a fan favorite! If you liked the ending from Season Three: Episode Three, you will be pleasantly surprised by Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s look into the mind of The Governor in this tale. At least we get a better insight into just how and why he created his “special” room! Creepy!

So, be sure to pick up the CBLDF Liberty Annual 2012 this week and become a super hero yourself by helping fight censorship!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3756:]]

ABOUT THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals. For more information, visit www.cbldf.org

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 4

Been There, SAW That: Is Paranormal a Fatigued Franchise?

A Film Review of Paranormal Activity 4

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

I used to be a big believer in the Paranormal Activity franchise because the first film presented a unique take on the haunting genre by melding it with the visual style of “found footage.”  The second film really expanded on this story’s mythos in its attempts to dig up the family history of the Katie and Kristi sisters.  Then the third film came along and took a step back to revisit the literal past of the sisters as pre-teens that basically confirmed everything that the second film postulated.  This brings us to the present day and Paranormal Activity 4 which certainly delivers some new tricks to the trade of visual effects and “authentic” surveillance footage, but grinds the progression of the overall story to a screeching halt.  Evil sister Katie is still up to no good with a child we presume is Hunter who both happen to be set up in a brand new neighborhood and the audience will never be told or shown how or why.  It is clear that the Paranormal franchise has resolved itself to max profits by saturating its sequels with fluff; not entirely unlike a certain Saw franchise that deployed 6 sequels that declined in quality yet were dirt-cheap to produce.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3711:]]

So mom, we totally got weird things happening around here.

Writer Chad Feehan joins PA veteran Christopher Landon in scribing a tale that makes no real attempt to connect to the narrative established in any of the previous films.  Simply carrying over the primary antagonist and dropping her in a completely new environment with no explanation how she got there is confusing to anyone who is familiar with the saga.  Sure enough, series mainstays like authentic and believable dialogue in addition to unassuming yet ever-threatening environments play to this film’s strengths, but none of it stands on its own as we’ve all seen this before.  It is so easy for horror franchises to fall into the whole auto-tuned, remix trap because to a large extent, the audience secretly covets the predictability as well as the same old gags that got people hooked in the first place (although the allure of mailing-it-in on the creativity front is perhaps more seductive).  The franchise fatigue of been-there/SAW-that shows at the box office as PA4’s money total is way behind its predecessor’s sales.  Needless to say, the much coveted word of mouth praise for these types of thrifty horror films isn’t there primarily because the story just isn’t there. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3712:]]

I’m used to appearing in other people’s houses.

I don’t mean to take anything away from the neat ideas the writers and directors came up with to keep the presentation of this film somewhat fresh.  Instead of camcorders, the protagonists rely on cell phones and laptop webcams to provide the handheld and static perspectives of the twisted events surrounding yet another seemingly innocent suburban family.  Once again the visual effects of ghostly apparitions and surprise scares are integrated seamlessly by effects supervisor Eddie Pasquarello.  Without question, the highlight of this film (effect-wise) is any scene that features the night vision exposed motion tracking dots of the Xbox Kinect in the family room.  Even scenes where nothing actually happens are creepy enough to heighten the suspense of the moment which primes the audience for very decent chills when something does.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3713:]]

I guess demons can enjoy Just Dance 4 like the rest of us. 

Horror films traditionally do not feature award winning performances and guess what?  Paranormal Activity 4 isn’t breaking that trend any time soon.  Of course, the very format of this film doesn’t exactly give any actor the opportunity to succeed.  Seldom is the case that anyone is in front of the camera long enough for the audience to read into the character’s expressions or emotions.  Often is the case where the actors are asked to do absolutely nothing during a scene in order to build suspense.  The entire cast does its job by presenting a well off, suburban family that isn’t entirely close, but not coming apart at the seams either.  The one standout has to be the young actress Kathryn Newton’s performance as the older sister, Alex because she happens to be featured more often than any other member of the cast.  Clearly, she is a very attractive girl that maintains the burden of making any kind of connection to the audience by conveying sheer terror and/or concern in what her character experiences.  Yes, PA4 continues to promote the significance of female characters over males (once again, a jerk of a boyfriend is featured in Matt Shively’s rendition of Ben).

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3714:]]

Why are all children creepy and evil in these movies!?

Let’s not mince words: Paranormal Activity 4 is another fun little “found footage” horror flick, but clearly a step in the wrong direction of franchise fatigue.  The audience is clamoring for a new perspective on this tiring formula.  For instance: who is collecting all this footage to designate the respective nights where “incidents” occur?  Where are the police amidst all these unexplained murders all these years?  If the K&K sisterly coven is real, is there no entity of holy and/or paranormal police to deal with these malevolent groups?  There is so much potential to warp the Paranormal formula to truly do the unexpected and feature a brand new perspective on these events which would revitalize the narrative and actually justify another sequel.  A fifth Paranormal Activity has been confirmed for next year in addition to a spinoff that will feature a Latin flavor to it.  Expanding the brand name is good so long as the fundamentals of fiction are being adhered to.  However, if remixing, retooling and rebooting is the engine of expansion, the audience will be sure to send a clear and expedient message that the “same old” isn’t worth anyone’s time or money.

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews

Review: Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale Beta (PS3)

Sony’s Latest Nintendo Rip Off

A video game preview of Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

I am a Sony kind of guy despite this current generation’s dominance by the Nintendo Wii and its signature motion control.  Sony never really believed in motion control as its own Six Axis system at launch was a mechanic quickly scrapped by software developers because it was just plain bad.  Yet Sony could not take its eyes off Nintendo’s sales.  Thus, Sony went the shameless route and made an all but exact copy of the Wii’s nunchuck controller in the Playstation Move.  The Move may work better than Motion Control Plus, but there are 2 reasons why Sony’s copy/paste failed: 1) It was released way too late in the PS3’s life cycle and 2) It was not implemented extensively into Sony’s first part titles like God of War and Uncharted.  Decisions like this explain why the Sony brand has fallen behind both Nintendo and Microsoft and I can’t help but think that had a more dedicated and focused effort in R&D as well as in the board room would have disallowed any corporate strategy that only focused on low-jacking the competition. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3703:]]

This looks good in theory, but haven’t we seen this before?

And here we are, once again, Sony copying one of Nintendo’s unique innovations in a 4 player simultaneous fighting game that features some of the most recognizable characters in games.  Of course, I’m referring to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Sony’s clone job in Playstation All-Stars.  Without question, Smash Bros. has infused much needed vitality in the fighting genre over the years by incorporating a multi-player party environment that no other fighter has been able to reproduce.  Playstation All-Stars is, for all intents and purposes, a verbatim reiteration that swaps Mario for Metal Gear and Pikachu for Parappa.  No amount of classy yet cryptic commercials from Sony indicating 10/23/12 as some sort of “game-changing” date is going to convince me that the release of Playstation All-Stars should be noteworthy because an impressive ad campaign doesn’t change what the product is: a simple game that comes off as a quickie money-grab for the Sony brand at the tail end of it’s current system’s life.

Story and Setup

There’s no real story to speak of in All-Stars, but then fighting games never seem to make ANY effort to push the concept of “story.”  (*Note: this is a not so subtle hint to software developers to maybe try this in future projects)  All the player knows upon loading the Beta demo is that 6 Sony brand characters are selectable and it’s time to punch people in the face once the game starts.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3704:]]

The roster lineup seems quite diverse.

The player gets to choose from Kratos, the God of War, the Twisted Metal psycho Sweet Tooth, a formerly skinny Fat Princess, the stealthy Sly Cooper, Killzone’s Colonel Radec and Parappa the Rappa who hasn’t made a relevant cameo in anything since PS1.  It’s nice to see some kind of visible scale between the selectable characters because it would just be ridiculous to see Parappa as large as Kratos, but I was somewhat surprised to see Sweet Tooth as the largest of them all (even bigger than Fat Princess).  Although there were only a couple of stages available in the Beta, every stage will be interactive and ever evolving, thus requiring the player to not only keep his or her eyes on the 3 other players looking to pulverize them, but also the very real dangers from the level itself that can also knock you for a loop.

Graphics

Sony will be the first to inform the gamer that the shear difference in graphic fidelity between All-Stars and Smash Bros. basically places these games on different planets all together.  It is true that the background stages and interactive elements look very crisp and bright, but the fact remains that being able to see the whole stage at the same time in addition to every other players’ characters requires a wide angle perspective that minimizes any appreciation for the character models themselves.  Sure, there’s no difficulty in telling the difference between characters (unless everyone chooses the SAME character), but the only time the player will be able to get a good look at the avatar they chose is in the opening seconds before the match begins.  Once the fighting starts the visual chaos of vibrant, fluorescent explosions dominate the screen.  This makes it quite easy for the player to completely lose track of the character they were controlling. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3705:]]

Stages and explosions are quite pretty.

Sound

The sound effects are pretty standard fare for a cartoonish style brawler so there really isn’t much to talk about with the exception of voice over work.  It does seem that Sony got the original VO actors to produce sound bites for their respective characters (which is great), but in game taunts between fighters are very minimal and often drowned out by the aforementioned “explosions” (which isn’t so great).  It remains to be seen if All-Stars will incorporate a fully functional single player story campaign to take full advantage of some of the most iconic voices in video game characters.  This would certainly be a great opportunity for the sound elements of this game to truly shine.

Gameplay

It’s always, always, ALWAYS about play and control and when it comes to the precision that most dedicated fighting genre players demand of tournament style 2D and 3D games; All-Stars will simply give those gamers headaches.  Combos are easily broken by other players butting in on a 1-on-1 situation but cannot be affected by the player that is being juggled.  Launching an attack after evading (hold block button plus directional) always seems to fail against rapid button mashing and the block button seems like an overall waste of time.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3706:]]

Button mashing is the ONLY order of the day!

The main reason for the uselessness of the block button is the lack of auto orientation towards the opposition that all 2D fighters enjoy.  There will always be opposition on either side of the player in All-Stars, therefore blocking cannot be relied upon by holding directional control away from any threat.  So yes, holding the block button will nullify attacks from the front, but there’s a million things happening on the screen that can hit you from behind, break the block stance and serve the player up on a combo platter for anyone else to enjoy.  Staying mobile and mashing buttons is the best way to go in this game, regardless of the player’s choice in avatar.

Pulling off a special move or super combo is nothing like Street Fighter style directional swipes.  They are as easy as pressing one button.  Alterations in attacks can be achieved by holding directional control while hitting X, square, O, or triangle.  Just like in any other fighting game, attack range and effectiveness is limited to the move set for each character and it is in this one aspect of gameplay where All-Stars deserves some recognition.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3707:]]

It either takes excessive skill or blind luck to consistently place first.

All the characters play with completely different styles.  Certainly, the player can select any character and button mash his or her way to success, but Kratos is meant to be played as a juggling combo specialist, Sweet Tooth is a slower tank using explosives to set up combos, Fat Princess is a different kind of tank that does better on the ground than jumping all around, Sly Cooper is all about stealth (his block button turns him invisible!), Radec is THE long range combatant and Parappa is only for the most skilled players wanting a challenge because his attacks have the shortest range and is pretty useless in general.

Final Judgment

I understand that this Beta was only a fraction of what the end game will involve, but it’s my understanding that expansions to this software will involve additional characters and having more options to do the same thing doesn’t seem too appealing.  Sony is relying on nostalgia to drive this game’s sales which also explains the effectiveness of its ad campaign that follows right in line with the very popular “Michael Ad.”  This game is not on the same level of greatness as its commercial and it would be downright highway robbery if Sony charges $59.99 for this frivolous attempt at originality. 

Playstation All-Stars is a game that appeals to a much younger crowd that doesn’t have the same desire for story, control and overall relevance.  It’s a pick-up-and-play experience that’s high on action, but low on sustainability (much like most of Nintendo’s Wii games today).  The most reliable strategy to win in this game is to build your combo meter to level 3, use it to accumulate multiple KO’s and then play it safe until the match ends.  It’s all very repetitive and bores me to tears.  Although 2012 hasn’t quite delivered the hype that preceded some of the most anticipated games for this year, there are still some big hopefuls on the horizon in Hitman: Absolution and Assassin’s Creed III.  Save you hard earned bucks for something like them and let Playstation All-Stars fade to black.

[page_title]
Comic Book News Marvel

The Triumphant Return Of An Avenger! Avengers #32 Spoilers

(Editor’s Note: Avengers #32 Spoiler Alert!)

 

We all know that the “death span” of a hero in modern comics is quite short, but for this hero, Bendis took his sweet time returning her to the land of the living. 

First seen in the pages of Avengers #31, our returned hero seems to have gotten herself into quite a jam with some alien races and is on the run for her life. Again! Trapped in inner space, she holds her own in a fighting frenzy against those who threaten her. But, eventually, the ever constant horde of combatants proves to be too much and the last we see of her wrapped visage is her pulling out an Avengers comm-card and sends out a distress signal.

Since that issue, the rumors have been flying as to who this “mystery” Avenger is and exactly what has happened to her. Most fans agree upon who this stunning character could be and with the release of Avengers #32 this week — it looks as though they have been right!

So, without further ado let’s welcome back…Janet Van Dyne a.k.a.. The Wasp! 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3691:]]

But, with her return comes some controversy and intrigue. Not only is Janet alive, but it seems she may have never actually “died” in the first place! It seems she somehow was diminished in size and sent into inner space this entire time! How? Why? Who knows? (Editor’s note: Seeissues “Avengers Academy” possibly for more!) But Bendis wouldn’t bring back such a fan favorite character just on whimsy!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3692:]]

We all know how deep rooted Marvel Comics has been as of late with the Marvel movie and television franchises. Will it really be that long before they incorporate one of the founding Avengers somewhere into their fold? We know that the Ant-Man movie is being formulated, even though the focus is on Scott Lang, could there be a spot for Janet Van Dyne in there as well? Personally, I am wondering if Joss Whedon might use her in his S.H.I.E.L.D. television show. Janet Van Dyne, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. — sounds pretty good to me!

Regardless of the speculation, it is great to have such a great female character back again!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Comic Book Pile for October 24th, 2012

 

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

( A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! )

 

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five titles to your list of goodies! Forget that “apple a day” nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health starts with these top five books of the week!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3666:]]

1.  Tharg’s Creepy Chronicles (GN):  A collaboration by some of the greatest British creators from the outstanding 2000 A.D. series of books, Tharg’s, has some of the most outrageous, terrifying and spellbinding tales you will read this Halloween season! From hilarity to nauseousness, this graphic novel has it all — including a tale from my personal fave – Mark Millar!

 

 

 

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3668:]]

2.  Lady Death #19:  The character that started the “bad girl” craze back in the nineties, Brian Pulido’s Lady Death has been churning out ghastly and gorgeous tales for over two decades! As the blood begins to congeal on the ground around her, Lady Death is left pondering just exactly where she belongs after the war in Hell has ceased. Do you stay with the evil you know or find out how evil you can be yourself?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3669:]]

3.  Revival #4:  This awesome take on the modern “zombie” tale has become a fan favorite and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon! As the “revived” begin to lose control of what little sanity they still have left, can the world survive a group of undead that just won’t die? What could be creepier on Halloween than an undead grandma that pulls out her own teeth and feeds them to cats? I’ll tell ya — NOTHING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3670:]]

4.  Ghost #1: She’s back again! But, can you really keep a good ghost down? Another nineties female lead character, but there is nothing “bad” about this one — just badass! A gun toting apparition that seeks vengeance, this limited series is all about possession and what it means to disappear into someone else. Plus, what better villain to have in your book than the Devil himself! Awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3671:]]

5.  Hack/Slash #19:  This perverse book about a girl that must destroy all forms of evil in the world, including her own mother, is the perfect Halloween B horror flick that you can peruse anywhere! Sultry and sadistic, it is the epitome of the modern slasher film about the sexy lead character that has to fight her way through all odds to survive!

[page_title]
Comic Book News TV News

Advanced Review: The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3653:]]

What better way to keep yourself up to date with all things The Walking Dead than with — The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine!

Hitting newsstands October 23rd, this 100 page behemoth, from Titan Magazines and Skybound, is bloated with more tasty tidbits than a “Well Walker!” From the forward, by the creator of it all, Robert Kirkman, to the “Secret Diary of a Walker” article, no page is wasted to fully immerse you in every nook and cranny of Kirkman’s award winning world!

From cover to cover, every nuance is touched upon. There are in depth interviews with Robert Kirkman, Danai Gurira (Michonne), Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick, artist extraordinaire Charlie Adlard and AMC’s The Walking Dead‘s executive producer Glen Mazzara.

For me, the Danai Gurira interview was something rare, giving an inside look at an extremely strong woman that portrays one of the biggest badasses on television. After reading the interview, there is no other woman that could possibly portray such a character as Michonne than Danai Gurira!

Fans of the show do need to be wary though, story spoilers abound in this issue as the entire comic book series is laid before you in the article, “The Story So Far.” Covering all major aspects of issues 1-100, there is a potential to learn things about Michonne and the Governor that may occur in Season 3! Even though the headlines blatantly state, “Spoilers Alert,” you know you will read on anyway — you just can’t help yourself!

You will see all thirteen covers to the horrifically amazing The Walking Dead #100, a preview of Todd McFarlane Toys second series of figures, an in depth look at the zombie zaniness at Comic-Con and a bevy of on location photos and articles from the set of The Walking Dead television series. You will gaze at previews of Telltale Games The Walking Dead episodic video game and even get a cool pic of the official The Walking Dead Plug ‘N Play game! Who doesn’t love that!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3654:]]

As amazing as all that sounds, it is the impressive articles that truly make the magazine shine. From the quirky, “The Secret Diary of a Walker” to “Choice Cuts,” – a look at the best and worst moments of different characters – there is no end to the range of quality to this magazine! My personal favorite is “Anatomy of a Story,” a dissection of a different story arc from the comic series. Each issue will take a deeper look into the creation of a tale and the evolution of the characters therein. It is something unique, catapulting this magazine above all others in its genre.

Everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – from everyone’s favorite zombie universe is featured in some way in this debut issue! Fans of the comic series, the television series, toys, video games and novels will be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of information bestowed upon you. Not an inch of this issue is wasted! It is 100 pages of pure The Walking Dead excitement from cover to cover! I am overwhelmingly impressed by both the quality and the overall execution of the entire issue!

So, if you need something to sink your teeth into until Sunday night, get to your closest magazine outlet and pick up the most outstanding premiere issue I have ever read! The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine — on stands now!

“This magazine will be your one stop destination for all the news pertaining to the comic, TV show, video game, toys, games, and whatever else exists in the ever-expanding Walking Dead universe! If it’s happening, you’ll find out all about it right here!” – Robert Kirkman.

“The Walking Dead Official Magazine” goes on sale October 23rd in the U.S., November 8th in the U.K. and December 18th in Australia and New Zealand. Digital editions will be available globally on the iPad, Nook and Kindle Fire from October 23rd.

Subscription Offer:
The magazine is currently offering fans an exclusive FREE The Walking Dead T-Shirt (not available in stores) with new print subscriptions. For more information on this subscription offer and other offers in your territory, visit the magazine website:
www.TitanMagazines.com/WalkingDead

Social Networking:
Readers can join the magazine on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with news and special offers:
www.Twitter.com/WalkingDeadMag
www.Facebook.com/WalkingDeadMagazine

    

[page_title]
Comic Book News Marvel

Op-Ed: Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic: The Decline of Marvel Cosmic under Alonso, Brevoort, Quesada, Whacker, Bendis, and Loeb

(Editor’s Note: “The Cosmic Triune” is a series of opinionated articles focusing on Marvel Cosmic.)

 

The Cosmic Triune

An Opinion-Editorial

By Timelord

 

Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic: 

The Decline of Marvel Cosmic under Alonso, Brevoort, Quesada, Whacker, Bendis, and Loeb

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3627:]]

In preparation for this article I re-read the very first Marvel Cosmic comic I ever purchased – The Mighty Thor #227.  It was published in 1974 with a cover price of 25 cents and I remember seeing it on the wire spinner rack in my home town’s mom and pop drug store.  I was fascinated by the cover art of Thor, Hercules, and Firelord, and the blurb promising me an epic adventure with our heroes and Galactus fighting Ego The Living Planet.  If you’ve never read it, it’s a top notch Cosmic story that holds up well to the present day.  It’s the story that made me a Marvel Cosmic fan – and – I would point out that the story takes place in deep space, has absolutely nothing to do with Earth, respects the space-based characters, and talks up to the readers as if they’re adults.  I also reviewed Nova Volume I, Nova Volume IV, DnA’s Guardians of the Galaxy series, Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet, Giffen’s Annihilation mini-series, Englehart’s Star-Lord origin story, and DnA’s Thanos Imperative mini-series as I consider these to be some of the best representations of Marvel Cosmic done right.

In February of 2011 I wrote an Opinion-Editorial called “Marvel Editorial to Cosmic Fans: We’re Just Not That Into You” and in August of 2011 I wrote a follow-up Op-Ed called Re-lauching Marvel Cosmic.  In “We’re Just Not That Into You” I described how latter day Marvel Editorial has disrespected and disappointed Cosmic Fans with their decisions about handling Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy; prompting a Twitter response from Marvel’s Tom Brevoort objecting to points I made in the article and prompting Mr. Bendis to block CBN from his Twitter feed.  In “Re-launching Marvel Cosmic,” which was published in response to Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy being put on “hiatus” with a promised quick return, I made suggestions about how Cosmic could be re-launched to better appeal to today’s Cosmic fans.  In response, Mr. Brevoort tweeted that I should just start reading Green Lantern.

After reading Loeb’s two Point One “Nova” (in name only) stories, watching Loeb’s treatment of “Nova” (in name only) on his Ultimate Spiderman cartoon, reading Bendis’ treatment of Guardians of the Galaxy (in name only) over the last three issues of Avengers Assemble as well as Bendis’ re-telling of Englehart’s Star-Lord origin story in the latest Point One – and comparing these efforts to the best of true Marvel Cosmic as identified above, I have some reactions to share.

If you take a look at the August 2011 “Re-launching Marvel Cosmic” Op-Ed – which basically identifies the most appealing elements of true Marvel Cosmic – and you compare it to what Marvel Editorial, Bendis, and Loeb are currently doing, you’ll see that they’re basically doing the opposite of everything that in the past made Marvel Cosmic great.

First, let’s consider Loeb’s juvenile treatment of – and I can barely write it without feeling sick – Nova.  In fact, to minimize the pain, I’ll hereinafter refer to Loeb’s treatment as “Nova In Name Only” or “NINO” for short.  As all true Cosmic fans know, Wolfman’s 1976 conception of Nova was street-level Spiderman-ish at first and toward the end of the run, he was moving Rich Rider toward more maturity and toward being more of a space-based character true to his origin story.  That’s not just my opinion or my analysis of The Man Called Nova series; Mr. Wolfman confirmed to me in a personal communication last year that he was going to move Nova to more mature space-based storylines had the series not been cancelled.  Later, Nova became the stand-out character in the New Warriors series and had two follow-up series where his earlier street-level Spiderman-ish characterization was retained by the writers of those series.  Then, Keith Giffen gave us Annihilation and everything changed for the better.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3628:]]

Giffen is quoted as saying that at first he didn’t understand Nova’s appeal.  Then he read through all the previous material and he understood what all us Nova fans – including Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning – had known all along.  The appeal was never the teenage Spiderman-ish routine.  The appeal was the potential – glimpsed in several Nova storylines and realized in a few – for a space-based para-military character that capitalized on the themes from popular science-fiction franchises of the past several decades such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and various video games.  Giffen’s re-characterization of Nova gave us a mature, confident, space-based, powerful para-military leader that the Nova fans wholeheartedly embraced as the realization of the potential we always knew the character possessed.  DnA retained this penultimate Nova characterization for most of their Nova Volume IV tenure which has been embraced by Nova fans as the best Nova series since Volume I.  So, for any bloggers and any Editors who condescendingly dismiss the complaints of true Nova fans in response to Loeb’s NINO as typical fanboy outrage about re-booting or re-characterization; I say in response that Nova fans have a history of embracing re-booting/re-characterization when it’s for the better; and only complaining when it’s for the worse.  NINO is for the worse.

Sad thing is – Loeb’s NINO is worse than re-booting or re-characterization.  It’s basically a hi-jacking of the character.  He takes some of the more interesting concepts from the true Nova’s history, modifies them in a manner disrespectful to the character’s continuity, waters them down to Earth-based street level, dumbs them down to juvenile level, and transplants them into an immature, obnoxious, un-likeable teenager named Sam Alexander.  I’m feeling sick again.  Gone is our powerful, mature, confident, para-military leader.  He’s been shoe-horned out of the way by bad Editorial decision making and replaced with a teenage Peter Parker-ish, powered down, ineffective teen twit that even the USM cartoon’s Spiderman doesn’t like.  Sam wouldn’t make a good sidekick much less a true leader. 

Truth is, Loeb doesn’t understand Nova.  He’s just trying once again to re-create Spiderman. It won’t work.  In this latest foray with Diamondhead, for the first time in 36 years of Nova fandom I was rooting for Diamondhead to win.  And it’s basically the same story as when NINO faced Terrax.  He basically gets his ass kicked, accidentally “wins” the fight, then runs off to find The Avengers.  Pathetic.  Mr. Loeb – you don’t understand Nova and Nova fans.  Your NINO is several orders of magnitude inferior to the original 1976 characterization.  Your NINO is un-necessary as Giffen gave Nova fans the Nova we had always wanted.  Your NINO is the “Nova” that no true Nova fan EVER wanted.  Your NINO is extremely disrespectful to the 36 year history of the character and to all long term Nova fans.  I used to buy two or more issues of every Nova comic to do my part in keeping sales high and the series going.  I won’t buy a single issue of NINO, and I hope it dies a quick cruel death and is quickly forgotten.  No Nova is better than NINO.

Now let’s consider Bendis’ take on Guardians of the Galaxy.  Or shouldn’t it be re-named Guardians of the Earth since Bendis has now made them Earth-based?  Or maybe he should just re-name his take Guardians of the Caribbean since he refers to Ship as a “pirate ship.”  Disney would probably love the conflation of two of its properties and see it as a way to make sure the Guardians of the Galaxy movie is a success.  I’m being sarcastic so don’t jump me about that last comment in the forums.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3629:]]

Don’t go pointing at the Point One Star-Lord origin story and telling me how good Bendis’ take is.  I agree that that story was well done.  But that’s a re-telling of a good Englehart story from the 70’s.  Bendis’ original take is exemplified in the last three issues of Avengers Assemble where the Guardians of the Galaxy play second fiddle to The Avengers in taking down Thanos who puts in his most bumbling performance as a Cosmic Cube seeking villain since the dreadful and infamous story where he fought Spiderman and Hellcat for a Cosmic Cube while flying in the “Thanos Copter” and ended up being led away in handcuffs by the NYPD.  So Tony Stark is smarter than Thanos and The Elders of the Universe? Really? So, Star-Lord, Drax, and Rocket Racoon deliver lines reminiscent of bad 1980’s cop movies/TV shows?  Also, stilted dialog, poor characterization, and complete disrespect for the concepts introduced by DnA that made their take on GotG good enough to attract the attention of Hollywood.  Did I miss anything?  Oh yes – I did.  What the hell is Tony Stark doing as part of the team?  Stealing the show if I guess right.  And again, to bloggers and Editors who would accuse me of DnA fanboy-ism; I invite you to read any of my reviews of their work on Nova and GotG.  I think they did the best take on Nova and GotG ever, but I was by no means easy on them.  I also did not follow their work on Heroes for Hire, Villains for Hire, or New Mutants, and I flat out didn’t like Annihilators.

Mr. Bendis – you don’t understand Guardians of the Galaxy or Science-Fiction.  Your take on GotG would have been average for popular science-fiction in 1955, but it’s not even close to good popular SF now.  And by the way sir, science-fiction fans prefer the shorthand “SF” and not the condescending term, “sci-fi.” Keep that in mind for your future interviews with your fanboys at Newsarama who should know better.  The galaxy/universe are big places and Earth is an insignificant part of the galaxy/universe.  Your reduction of concepts epic in scope dealing with the awe and wonder of the universe to parochial, Earthcentric, street-level tripe is disrespectful of the concepts that made DnA’s GotG take great.  There was no need to do this.  We already had a version of GotG very different from the original and embraced by the fans.  We didn’t want your “Cosmic Avengers.”  We wanted “The Cosmic Dirty Dozen.”  I won’t be buying your take.

The upshot is that Marvel Cosmic is no longer truly cosmic.  It has been reduced to hackneyed Earthcentric, small scope, street level, trite super-hero concepts with the characters just happening to have some connection to space. This is “pseudo-cosmic” at best.  So, until Marvel re-embraces the concepts that once made Cosmic great, I suggest that we refer to Bendis’ and Loeb’s efforts as “Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic,” and I urge the 40,000 or so loyal and true Cosmic fans to join me in boycotting Marvel Pseudo-Cosmic.  Pseudo-Cosmic is not better than no Cosmic at all.  It taints true Cosmic.  It corrupts good and true Cosmic concepts. It needs to go away quickly and be forgotten lest it become as much an object of derision as the “Thanos Copter.”

Comment on this article in the Cosmic Book News Forums

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Review: Harbinger #5

The Harada Foundation has been built to train and enhance the psychic potential of humanity. To help them become the best at their own abilities, to evolve them further than they would have been able to on their own. All this for the betterment of the world at large. Or so they are told!

Issue five of this amazing series, will wrap up the initial storyarc and eviscerate a path into the next one! Toyo Harada and Peter Stancheck, the Alpha and Omega, will tear this world asunder in order to defy one another. But will the boy who rose from streets, an addict with nothing to lose, be able to stop the monster that is Toyo Harada? Not on his own! Thus begins the expansion of the Valiant Universe and the arrival of — The Renegades!

Fast paced and hard hitting, Harbinger has consistently been a top-notch book every month! Filled with emotional duress and outstanding action sequences, Joshua Dysart has taken a concept and characters from the past and evolved them to a level that outshines everything that came before! The character of Peter Stancheck, is such a sorrowful icon – a character that is broken emotionally and is continually left to suffer. He literally has nothing left after this issue and that makes him a very dangerous character. One that we, as readers, can identify and empathize with. He is the everyman bestowed with a power that others seek to exploit with a chesire grin on their lips and a knife behind their back. 

This is the defiance issue, where some background characters make a decision to push themselves to the forefront and finally do something about the tyranny of Harada. It is a fundamental need to preserve oneself, but at what cost. Is it worth the lives of others in order to do so? That is the core of this book. What does it take in order for someone to do the right thing for someone else? It is a question well thought out and executed in this series, making it as effective emotionally as it is visually stunning!

This is where the battle lines have been drawn! The Valiant Universe is about to become a very different, very dangerous place and your have a front row seat!

Be bold, be daring, be — Valiant!

[page_title]
Movie News

TV Review: The Walking Dead Season 3: Episode One – ‘Seed’

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3598:]]

The Robert Kirkman machine continues to carve its’ way through the entertainment world, creating the high water mark for television dramas as well as the comic book industry. Never before have we seen such high numbers (14.2 million!) for a television drama, and certainly not for a “comic book show!” Why has The Walking Dead garnered such a high level of fan appreciation and followers — because it’s that damn good! 

Breaking the shackles of just another “cult classic”, TWD has worked it’s way into the hearts of more than just the fans of the original source material. Though the comic fans are ravenous about the show (especially me!), it is the drama/horror fans that have really added to the extremely high viewership. And for those fans, I give you a comparison between the comic and the premiere episode of Season 3.

(Editorial Warning: Spoilers “Dead” Ahead!)

Episode One deemed, ‘Seed’, begins after the harsh months of winter have come and gone. Our group seems to have fallen in line with Rick’s, “This is not a democracy” speech from the season two finale and they look hardened, weary and Lori is more than a little pregnant! Foraging from house to house has become the status quo, but Rick will not allow this group to degrade themselves any lower and knocks a can of dog food from Carl’s hands before he can taste it. As walkers begin to become more present around the house, the group leaves silently – more reminiscent of a military outfit than a family.

This is where we see the first separation from the comic and show. Even though the worlds and situations are the same, there isn’t that emotional detachment between the group as there is here. There is still the “family” feel to the group, even as they become used to the killing and actually excel at it, it has never become so militaristic. It is fantastic that the writers have incorporated this edgier feel to the show, and for finally making Carl the complete badass he is in the comic!

Next, Rick and his right hand man, Daryl (a character that I so wish was in the book!), stumble upon the prison while hunting for food. This originally takes place in issue 13 of the book. But, as The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine (to be released Oct.23) states,” Season three will be, at least in part, covering issues 13 through 48,” so, we are bound to see amalgams of storylines throughout the season. 

As the group hacks and slashes their way through the labyrinth of fences surrounding the prison, we can see that their prowess with weaponry has improved exponentially. Wielding pipes, hammers, hatchets as well as guns, they are conserving their bullets for the most of dire times and relying on “wetwork” instead to dispel the undead. They seem ready and relatively healthy to take on whatever may come their way. Something that is not present when first we see Andrea! 

The fan favorite, Michonne, has helped Andrea stay alive through the winter, but it seems all her work is for not. Michonne rumages through a drug store to find anything. She silently decapitates two walkers with her katanna before grabbing some packages of asprin off the floor and heads back to a small building near by. As she walks through a discheveled hallway we get a first glance at a weakened Andrea.  Andrea is extremely sick and tells Michonne to leave her here to die, she doesn’t want to be a burden any longer. The stoic Michonne tells Andrea that they will have to move on in a few days, and last we see of them, they have loaded Michonne’s zombie companions with their gear and are headed out into the world. This is a great dynamic for these two characters to be in. This meeting never happens in the book. Michonne was always a loner, besides her boyfriend and his best friend — her pet walkers! She was introduced to the group in issue 19, where she saves Otis from some walkers and follows him back to the prison. Since Otis is already dead in the show, this “Thelma and Louise” style story is a great way to build up both of these characters that are two of comicdom’s favorites.

Back to the prison! Rick’s “hit squad” enters the perimeter of the prison and slaughter walkers by the dozen. Just as they are feeling confident about clearing the section, riot gear wearing walkers emerge from around the corner! This is some of the most gruesome make-up effects I have ever seen on network television! The peeling off of the gas mask on the riot walker was so visceral, so disgusting that it only made me crave more! After feeble attempts to stab through the riot gear, Maggie plunges her machete up through the bottom of a walkers jaw to stop him. Her jubilant reaction to her handiwork was outstanding! After they clear the riot walkers, the group enters the prison.

Rick’s squad clears a cell block, finds keys to the inner areas of the prison and bring the rest of the group into their new home. Exhausted, they find cells to bunk in and settle in. Their is a great “Padme/Anakin” moment between Beth and Carl that reveals how far the Carl character has come since the last season. He is confident and deadly, making him project himself more as a protector than a child. In the book he is as lethal as any of the adults, but he also has Sofia to keep him grounded. Without Sofia on the show, maybe Beth will become his center, although the age difference is a little creepy!

Also, this is where we see the great divide between Rick and Lori. Rick is deeply removed from anything Lori has to say about the baby. He is the leader of this group, but no longer the loving husband. Does he blame Lori for the duel between himself and Shane? It is more than likely that he is afraid of losing her in childbirth and needs to distance himself from her to focus on the survival of the group. We also see a great conversation between Lori and Hershel. She confides in him that she hasn’t felt the baby move in a while and is concerned it is dead. She wallows to him about her fears of labor and the likelihood of she or the baby becoming walkers. She finally pleads with Hershel that if she or the baby turn, that he would kill them. This was an truly troubling scene and was a fantastic addition of emotion to the show.

Finally, the next morning, Rick, Maggie, Hershel, T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl all enter the bowels of the prison. During their search, walkers emerge from everywhere and the group gets separated! Maggie and Glenn hide in a room until the walkers have passed but they are lost from the rest of the group. Franticly, Herschel calls out for his daughter and is bitten in the leg by a walker that has been sitting on the floor! Panicked, the groups reconnect over the screaming Hershel and drag him down the hall as walkers emerge from everywhere. They bust a lock off a door, stumble inside and barricade the door. Rick looks at Hershel’s leg and decides that it must be removed in order to save him! Grisly effects abound as Rick hacks off the bitten area, and Hershel passes out. But, all is not over! Besides the walkers outside, there is a new issue to contend with. Daryl tells Rick to get down as he draws his crossbow upward. It seems they have entered the prison’s cafeteria and there are still prisoners here. Alive!

Outstanding first episode, that ampted the action up to eleven and the emotional duress through the roof! I was very surprised about Hershel being bit, especially since it was Dale that had his leg amputated in the book! More amalgam storylines abound and I couldn’t be happier! This show has become the pinnacle of drama television, forget the courtrooms and special crime units, life in a zombie filled world is where all the best stories can come from! 

As the season progresses and the Governor makes his presence known, the emotional aspect of the show will become heightened. There are things that happen in the book that I do not know how they will be allowed on network television. The Governor is an extremely twisted man and fans of the book are worried about how he will be used in the show. Well, from what Robert Kirkman has said, the fans need not worry. He has this to say about one of the most vicious characters in comics today,” … the threat of violence posed by the Governor, has not been diluted for TV!” With that said, hang on folks, it’s going to be one intense season!

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Sinister (2012)

This Film is Just Plain Evil

A Film Review of Sinister

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

“Found footage” films have all but oversaturated the horror genre in Hollywood recently and while this review acknowledges the fact that its intermittent use throughout Sinister is an absolute strength, “found footage” is not to be considered an instant win for any film.  Let’s also not split hairs about the rationale behind its rise in popularity.  From the production perspective, “found footage” continues to spread like wildfire because the reported budgets for some of the most successful films in this category continue to shrink exponentially.  Economic efficiency, more so than quality, aesthetics, relevance and social commentary, is what Hollywood’s about these days and despite the allure of the blockbuster film, “found footage” continues to self promote as a reliable cog in the assembly line mind set of studios.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3596:]]

Oh God, I hope this isn’t Cloverfield!

Sinister is a terrifyingly morbid exploration into the fascination with the depraved, vile and graphic imagery of live murder caught on film.  It’s one of those human nature situations where we are all stunned and disgusted by the train wreck, but are somehow compelled to continue watching.  This film, however, is quite clear about taking this phenomena and turning it into a morality tale (ooo, big shock there!) where those who behave irresponsibly get punished by otherworldly circumstance.  Writer/director Scott Derrickson is not reinventing the wheel with Sinister, but uses the narrative horror structure to highlight the “found footage” in order to maximize the terror on screen.  For the most part, this film will look and feel like your average horror flick, but then the audience is introduced to the first (of many) super 8mm murders and the intensity of the story shoots through the roof.  Sinister also attempts to be a paranormal investigation film, but I found the main character’s efforts in this regard to be moot.  The scares and suspense do not come from the investigation, but from the psychological torture and metaphysical danger the protagonist subjects himself to as a direct result of less than honorable ambitions.  Sinister is a story that successfully blends realism with fantasy by taking great pains to not abuse visual effects to reveal the supernatural until the last possible moment.   Despite the presence of several conventions (children, possession, isolation, morality tale), this film strikes a chord and is far more terrifying than most contemporary (American) horror films.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3593:]]

Invesitgative journalists get into this for the money, right?

This film claims to be budgeted at around $3 million dollars which is interesting if one observes the star studded cast of what would otherwise be described as a small, indie-horror flick.  Names like Fred Thompson, Vincent D’Onofrio and Ethan Hawke are all film and TV vets from various genres and none have ever been identified with horror.  At the same time none of these men are exactly monopolizing the limelight in LaLa Land either.  Still, these actors would all demand significant salaries for big studio or network television projects and it is surprising to find this many interested in working for scale (a.k.a. for free) on the same production.  Of the three, only Ethan Hawke is truly featured as he plays the protagonist Ellison Oswalt, a non-fiction writer who is desperate to research a new murder case to get his writing career back on track.  I was extremely impressed with Hawke’s performance because the man sold sincerity in every scene.  This is the kind of film that is the furthest from a “paycheck” for an A-Lister, but Hawke has always had a strong footing in the realm of indie productions.  He obviously had a genuine interest in this story and it reflects in his presence on screen.  Who knew Ethan Hawke could do horror? 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3594:]]

He’s scared.  The audience is scared.  Mission accomplished.

Fred Thompson is featured to a lesser extent playing a sheriff who interprets Oswalt’s novels as throwing decent police work under the bus.  Honestly, any elder thespian could have produced the grizzled, don’t-mess-with-this-town attitude that Thompson masterfully produced in limited opportunities, but his presence added legitimacy to this film.  Vincent D’Onofrio is criminally underused as his only appearances are limited to a few web-cam dialogue sessions with Ethan Hawke.  D’Onofrio is one of those unique actors who can deliver great, charismatic performances without the benefit of Brad Pitt-like looks.  His contributions to this film seem like a last minute favor that got cashed in by Scott Derrickson, but it paid off because D’Onofrio can make reading the phonebook look like compelling footage.  I wasn’t as impressed with the rest of the cast as Juliet Rylance’s chemistry with Ethan Hawke was spotty at best and the performances of the children: Clare Foley and Michael Hall D’Addario were easily the most forgettable in any horror film using children as a focal point for supernatural phenomena.  

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3595:]]

Without question, the dumbest moment in this film.  Thankfully, it’s the only one.

Sinister is a well made, suspense/horror film that was legitimately creepy.  There were points closer to the end of the film where I felt the need to simply close my eyes not out of fear, but out of disgust for the volume of executions the audience is subjected to.  The super 8mm murders are not particularly gory, but the fact that each execution is preceded by brief surveillance footage of each family enjoying each other’s company adds a level of perversion that I was not prepared for and never got used to.  I would not qualify this film as a hard “visual” R, but certainly as a no holds barred R for content.  This is not the horror film you sneak the kids in for and depending on the individual’s sensitivities, may be one to avoid entirely for adults if you find the concept of families being executed on screen as too much to handle.  Sinister pushes the boundaries and this is normally something I call for in filmmaking, but I’d be lying if I denied that part of me would have rather skipped this film all together.

[page_title]
Comic Book News Marvel

Advanced Review: Marvel Now!: Point One #1

The future of Marvel comics is bestowed upon us in Marvel Now! Point One. This is not the full scope, but rather, glimpses of some of the biggest and brightest new creations for 2013! A bevy of Marvel top talent has put their best foot forward to lay the foundation for the future, but, is it really worth the six dollar price tag?

Point One is an amalgam of intriguing tales and notable flops. Ranging from new characters like Miss America, revamping fan favorites such as Nova and even returning characters that have not been seen in a very long time — Forge! This book will leave fans in a “love/hate” scenario. Regardless of whom your favorite characters are, it is the quality of the tales that separate the good from the bad — not the character.

I do not pretend to know Marvel Cosmic — I am the “street” guy in the CBN offices. The last time I read a Nova tale, he was running with the New Warriors! But I enjoyed this slight glimpse into the “new” Nova. It was intriguing, referencing Rich Rider and his exploits a few times, and yet somehow winning me over with the “kid.” I cannot tell you if new or old fans will enjoy it, I can only tell you that I did!

But, the best story is that of Peter Quill. A jarring piece that grabbed me instantly! Not knowing a thing about Starlord, Bendis‘ tale made me want to! Fast paced, it’s placement in the book was perfectly balanced to excite the reader into the rest of the book. Unfortunately, the rest of the tales paled in comparison.

For me, the worst tale was the story of Forge and Cable. It was as misshapen as Forge’s leg, giving nothing for the reader to grab onto and feel invested in. I know these are just glimpses, teasers about the future, but, nothing here created excitement for said future. It was a ramble in order to show the mental duress of Forge, but it didn’t resonate well at all.

Nick Spencer’s wrap around tale of Nick Fury and a man proclaiming to be from the future, gave the perfect amount of direction to the overall book. A balance between the zany and profound, Spencer keeps it all in a well wound story that ends open-ended. The perfect stepping stone for the future of Marvel, one that is beginning to look brighter everyday.

But six dollars? Keep out all the advertisements and I would be happy to pay three!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: The Walking Dead #103

With all the hype AMC is getting with the fantastic television version of The Walking Dead, let’s not forget that this phenomenon began as “the little comic that could!” The heart and soul that exudes from the characters, started in twenty-two pages of black and white perfection! Issue #103 continues to prove that this “zombie” book is one of the best comics ever created!

Rick has a plan, a plan that he cannot let anyone know. A plan that will alienate him from the people he calls friends, and more importantly, from Carl. But he must not let that hinder his decision. If he wants his people to survive, they must truly fear what is to come!

Outstanding is a word that is all too often used to describe Robert Kirkman’s finest book. But, it is the exact word that falls from your lips as you read this issue. The pacing drives you forward into one of the most distressing issues to date. It is completely unnerving as Negan walks the hallowed halls of Rick’s community, with swagger and a venomous grin he changes the entire outlook of the series. Kirkman creates an atmosphere thick with agitation, so much so, that you dare not turn the page in lieu of tempting the fates! 

This series does one thing better than any book out there — makes you fearful for the characters! Not enough praise can be bestowed upon Kirkman for his creation of an emotional tether between reader and character. It truly is astounding!

So, does Negan and his trusty bat,”Lucille,” get to taste blood again? I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say this — Negan’s not the only one who gets to hold good ol’ “Lucille!”

[page_title]
Movie News

Stephen King’s Exclusive Horror Web-Comic Goes Live Today (10/15/12)!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3551:]]

 

 

That’s right, folks! Just in time for the Halloween season, www.stephenking.com has created it’s first ever exclusive horror web comic about Mr. King’s short story, “The Little Green God of Agony.”

First published in Stephen Jones’s 2011 anthology, “A Book of Horrors”, “The Little Green God of Agony” is a tale told from the point of view of a paraplegic millionaire’s nurse. Katherine “Kat” MacDonald is convinced that her patient could overcome his injuries and pain that he sustained in an airplane crash, if he would just try to endure the pain of his physical therapy. But, Andrew Newsome is just looking for the quick fix. Instead of pushing through the excruciating pain, he turns to a less conventional method. He hires a healer named, Reverend Rideout, who has promised to “expel” his pain!

Drawn by comic artist Dennis Calero (Legion of Super-Heroes, X-Factor), this exclusive web-comic will be released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next eight weeks — starting today! 

So head on over to www.stephenking.com and check out Episode 1! It will definitely help get you in the mood for the scariest time of the year. But, don’t take my word for it, this is what the Master of Horror himself had to say about it: “It rocks most righteously!”

[page_title]
Comic Book News

NYCC 2012: Walking Dead Exclusive Merchandise!

Just announced on Skybound.com, the website revolving around everything Robert Kirkman, we get to see the FINAL approved NYCC 2012 Walking Dead Exclusives! These will be in extremely high demand and will only be available at the Skybound Booth #1229! So get there early!

Below is the official press release from Skybound.com:

 

Michonne and Pets PVC Figure Set and The Remains t-shirt
 
Robert Kirkman, creator and writer of The Walking Dead and Executive Producer/Writer of the hit AMC TV show based upon his bestselling comic book series and graphic novels, saved the best New York Comic-Con Exclusive Merchandise for last. Kirkman and Skybound, his imprint at Image Comics, bring you a limited edition PVC figure of The Walking Dead fan favorite badass, Michonne. That’s right, everyone’s favorite katana-wielding survivor and her “pets” are immortalized as limited edition PVC figures to be devoured by the hordes at New York Comic-Con. Also, a limited-edition black 100% cotton t-shirt, The Walking Dead The Remains shirt, pays homage to the last of the original survivors.
 
[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3475:]]
 
The Walking Dead Michonne and Pets PVC Figure Set is a limited edition set available in three colors:
·         Grey, like the post-apocalyptic world the survivors are living in, is limited to 1000 sets, $15 each
·         Purple, like the stylish and unique Michonne herself, is limited to 250 sets, $20 each
·         Glow in the Dark, well, that’s just cool, is limited to 250 sets, $20 each
 
[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3474:]]
 
The Walking Dead “The Remains” t-shirt is limited to 250 shirts for $20 and if you’ve read the record-breaking 100th issue of The Walking Dead [Spoiler Alert], you know that means Rick and Carl, Michonne and Andrea. Show off your insider cred by sporting this tee and impress all the other aficionados of The Walking Dead comics and graphic novels.

 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3477:]]

Speaking of graphic novels — While you are waiting in line to meet the incredible Robert Kirkman, you may need something for him to autograph. Well, what could be better than the NYCC Exclusive The Walking Dead Hardcover Compendium (Red Foil Edition)? This beautiful crafted book is limited to only 1500 copies and will set you back $100! But it’s well worth it! 

 Don’t know when your comic gods can sign all your newly acquired goods? I got ya covered! Below is a full list of times and appearances for you so you can factor in all your other events!

So empty your bank account and get out there for the coolest swag from your favorite book! And please, somebody send me a “Remains” t-shirt! I’m beggin’ ya!

 

Skybound Signings:

 

Thursday, October 11th:

5:00PM-6:00PM         Robert Kirkman signing, creator/writer of The Walking Dead,                                               Invincible, Super Dinosaur and Thief of Thieves

 

Friday, October 12th:

1:00PM-2:00PM         Thief of Thieves signing with artist Shawn Martinbrough, writer                                            James Asmus and colorist Felix Serrano

 4:00PM-5:30PM         Robert Kirkman signing, creator/writer of The Walking Dead,                                               Invincible, Super Dinosaur and Thief of Thieves

 

TBD                             Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga sign advance copies of their                 upcoming novel, The Road to Woodbury. For further details, keep checking www.Skybound.com

 

Saturday, October 13th:

1:00PM-2:00PM         Witch Doctor signing with creator/writer Brandon Seifert and                                               creator/artist Lukas Ketner

5:00PM-6:00PM         Thief of Thieves signing with artist Shawn Martinbrough, writer                                            James Asmus and colorist Felix Serrano

 

Sunday, October 14th:

11:00AM-12:00 PM    Jason Howard signing, artist for Super Dinosaur

3:30PM-5:00PM         Robert Kirkman signing, creator/writer of The Walking Dead,                                               Invincible, Super Dinosaur and Thief of Thieves

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Review: The Walking Dead: Michonne Special #1

We are just days away from the third season of one of the most anticipated television shows in the past decade, and what better way to introduce all those fans to the resident katana wielding bad-ass, than too give her her own special!

Reprinting The Walking Dead #19 — the first appearance of Michonne — in conjunction with the Playboy “origin” story, we finally get a more solid look at what created such a fan favorite character. From using her boyfriend and his best friend as moving camouflage, to the first time Rick and Michonne meet, this was a nice overview of the character that has endured so much at the hands of Robert Kirkman.

Though regular collectors of the series, and the Playboy story, will see nothing new in this book; it is still nice to have both stories together in one place. A singularly hand held origin piece that can be accessed anytime for your perusing pleasure! No digging through back issues needed!

My only qualm with the book is the definitive difference in the quality of the grey tones and line art. The Playboy story is much darker in hue than the original series and Adlard’s pencils used to be much thinner, a crisper style with much more detail. I know Charlie Adlard had to quicken his art style a few years back to keep the pace of a monthly book on track, but there is a clear division between the two tales now. Silly, I know, but the rest is still perfect!

So before you head out to your TWD parties this weekend, I’ve been invited to attend a few, be sure to hone up your knowledge about that mysterious girl from Season Two! Michonne will be the word on everyone’s lips at the water cooler — don’t be left out!

[page_title]
Comic Book News Marvel

Advanced Review: Uncanny Avengers #1

Welcome to the most pre-ordered book of all time! The “Revolution” has begun and Marvel Now! is officially underway! 

Fan favorites, Rick Remender and John Cassady, have laid the groundwork for the future of the Marvel U. with a book that changes the status quo! Former heroes are behind bars, a classic X villain re-emerges with more than a little angst and a mass murderer gives a eulogy! Cyclops’ Extinction team is on the run and the mutant race is more hated than ever! Wait, how is this different? Because “big blue,” Captain America, has a plan to introduce the world to how heroic the X -Men have been over the years.

Everything tastes better when Cap’s got your back!

But seriously, Remender brings a voice to these characters – X-Men especially – that is just not found in their regular books. He brings a depth to them, a richness seldom found and it makes the debut issue of this series that much better. This book will sell no matter what, but it is the pitch perfect characterization by Remender that will keep the fans returning. From Xavier’s eulogy to the completely off-the-wall ending, you will be enthralled by every page. If this is the type of tales we can expect from the rest of the Marvel Now! books, we are in for a resurgence of the Marvel books of old!

Smart and intriguing with just a hint of Remender’s patented craziness — this one’s a solid read that will leave fans wanting more!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Batman #13

Scott Snyder has done something that has not been done in an extremely long time. He has taken a book, with one of the most recognizable characters in the entire world, and perfected it! This issue is completely devoid of banality, it is the pinnacle of great story making and no one should go without sampling it.

Everyone knows that issue #13 is the “return of the Joker”, we have all heard the hype for months, and it is well deserved! Everything about this book exudes fear. The art, the pacing, the reveal — virtually EVERYTHING — is unnerving! Your heart rate will quicken, palms will sweat and anxiety will rule the day as you tread deeper and deeper into the diabolical world controlled by the Joker. Gone are the hokey gag weapons and the imbecilic henchmen, this is a Joker that likes to get “hands on” with his work — to truly feel is art being perfected! He is more sinister, more lethal and even more cunning, making the Batman’s world a living nightmare that he is always one step behind in. And at the end of the day, the “detective” will fail and brutality will prevail!

Even though the meat of the book lies within the opening story, the back-up tale by Snyder and James Tynion IV, is a quintessential part as well. Revolving around the “Clown Prince” and his love, Harley, we find that their relationship has become as unhinged as the Joker’s face! The writing is volatile, making the conversation disturbing to say the least. You will gape in horror as discussion trends towards the removal of skin and you finally realize that this “Clown Prince” is no longer a joke. It is a menacing look at what the future will hold for Gothamites! 

THIS style of book is what has kept me reading comics more than half of my life! A tale that resonates with you, that leaves you bewildered and breathless. One that melds scenes from classic tales with current ones, building a richness of history and solidifying it’s future. A tale that can truly show how emotional and artistic the medium can be when it is not held down. A book that is pure gold  — tarnished with blood and soot!

Thank you Scott Snyder for creeping the hell out of me! It is amazing!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Archer & Armstrong #3

Fred Van Lente creates a seemingly never ending cavalcade of hilarity, excitement and action, in a book that deserves to be on everyone’s pull list!

Archer & Armstrong #3, brings the search for the pieces of the Boon full circle as Archer comes face to face with his past! Not only has he turned his back on his parents by teaming with, “He Who Must Not Be Named”, now he must explain his actions to the person he holds most dear — Mary-Maria! Plus, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — Ninja Nuns!

An emotional and enthralling read that will envelop your senses; A&A is one of those books that you look forward to ever month! It is witty and exciting, mixing “alt-history” and the ensuing hijinks of the best “buddy” stories to create a truly rare book that can please any comic fan! If you blended the intrigue and action of “National Treasure” with the charismatic characters of “Lethal Weapon”, you would be somewhere near the amazement that Archer & Armstrong brings — but, only near!

Clayton Henry, Pere Perez and Matt Milla converge their artistic talents to create a stunning visual experience that will tantalize the eyes! From highly stylized action sequences to tender emotional moments, this trio makes every panel jump off the page. There is nothing wasted, every miniscule detail has been paid attention to, making seemingly simple line art into something outstanding!

But, it is Fred Van Lente’s craftsmanship of the tale that keeps you enthralled. A page turner to say the least, it is rife with intrigue and captivating moments that keep you on the edge of your seat! Characterization is what comes first in this book and it is what will keep you coming back. From the aloof buffoon to the naive assassin, we are bewildered by how good a story about polar opposite characters can be. But it works — extremely well! 

This is the first book that begins the “shared universe” of Valiant Entertainment. From here on out, you will see details from other books working their way into different stories. Although they may seem miniscule at the time, these are the stepping stones that will solidify Valiant’s titles together. So, pay attention! You are on the cusp of seeing a universe being built before your eyes! Breathe it in!

[page_title]
Movie News

Just What the “DOC” Ordered: The October Storm!

 

(Editor’s Note: Our latest column to hit Cosmic Book News comes from Chris “DOC” Bushley who will be taking a look at the less “cosmic” characters in comic books with his “Just What The Doc Ordered”  OPED column!)

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

“Dueling Banjos”

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3412:]]

With the NYCC 2012 just around the corner, the “Big Two” are not pulling any punches to get you excited about their October releases. Even though the competition for your hard earned dollar is more fierce than it has ever been, the companies have two completely different visions on how to get the edge over the other! Let’s take a look at what Marvel and DC have in store for us and why it’s being dubbed — the “October Storm!”

Marvel Comics has wrapped up their most successful- and controversial- crossover yet, scoring the biggest sales and profit share in the first week of October with Avengers Vs. X-Men #12. But the masters at Marvel are not letting the intensity subside for a moment! October week two, showcases the end of Brian Bendis’ ten year run on Avengers with issue #31! Dubbed, “End Times”, it is a story that will cross between both Bendis written books, Avengers and New Avengers, and will not only change the status quo of the teams heroes, but also feature Dr. Strange in a larger role! Supposedly, his actions will lead directly into the future of Marvel NOW! Just enough push to lead into the movie hype!

As exciting as that sounds, next week also offers up the highest selling pre-ordered book of all time — Uncanny Avengers #1! This book not only begins the future of Marvel, but it also will have the mutant race becoming a more prominent fixture in all aspects of the universe! No longer will there be the distinct division between all things X and the rest of the heroes. Marvel Comics E.I.C., Axel Alonso, had this to say about the future involvement of the X-Men during an interview with CBR:

“ X-Men stories will continue to provide a unique reading experience that mines certain themes, but they won’t be so off to the side. In 2013, Mutants will continue to defend themselves from threats to their existence, but they’ll also be out there solving problems in the Marvel U, and “A+X” and “Uncanny Avengers” are your first glimpses of that.” 

Not to be outdone by their competitors, DC Entertainment, has some pretty large news of their own! Though they will not be ending their highest selling franchises and beginning with new number ones (again!), they will however, be focusing on the return of one of the greatest villains of all time! Finally, the Joker will be introduced to the New 52! Batman #13, Batman and Robin #13 and Batgirl #13, all are released on October 10th; kicking off the “Death of the Family” storyline that is said to “rock” the Bat-books! A “new” take on Batman’s biggest thorn, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have spent tireless moments perfecting the most menacing Joker they could think of. Though he is known for his devilish and demented antics, Scott Snyder is promising an even more horrific version of the “clown prince of crime.” Snyder goes on to share these thoughts about his Joker tale in an interview with IGN:

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3415:]]“He’s intimidating because there are so many seminal stories from years before that really are some of the greatest Batman stories ever… in Death in the Family, he uses Jason [Todd] to get at Batman in as many ways as he’s hurting Jason too. In that way, Joker would make the argument that, “I’ve never faced off with you guys, but now I’m looking you in the eye and I’m coming for you. I will tear down and kill and burn anything in your life to break you.” They’ve never faced a nightmare like the Joker is the idea, and he’s coming for each one of those characters individually.”

Although this storyline will sweep through all the “Bat-books”, Snyder goes on to say that you do not need to read every book in order to follow the story:

“What’s going to happen in Batman is a thousand percent self-contained; it’s going to be my big Joker story with Greg Capullo in Batman. You will not have to read another book to follow it whatsoever to follow it, I promise you that. It’s from #13-17, with a big, huge finale in 17 with an annual-sized issue – and we’ll be in the back-ups too, so it’ll just be a giant story that’s the equivalent of almost seven issues packed into five. Even though that will be completely self-contained in Batman, you will see Joker in the other series in self-contained ways similar to Night of the Owls, where he goes after those Bat-family members in ways that will give him a chance to completely unleash the most terrifying things you’ve seen in those series up to this point.”

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3417:]]Also, this month, DC Entertainment will be releasing their “Third Wave” for the New 52! Beginning with Phantom Stranger #1 by Dan Didio, Brent Anderson and Scott Hanna! This book will focus on the “Trinity of Evil” and why they were cursed to walk the earth for all eternity. Hopefully we will get some answers as to the events of Phantom Stranger #0, where we saw the creation of The Spectre, a glimpse of Pandora and the possible return of the Question! After the initial start week, we will see more “Third Wave” books that will focus on the history of the New 52 universe with: Sword of Sorcery #1 by Christy Marx and Aaron Lopresti and Team 7 #1 by CBN favorite – Justin Jordan and Jesus Merino! And let’s not forget another Scott Snyder book, stemming from the page of the “Court of Owls” storyline – Talon #1! 

All in all, October is going to be an explosive month for comics in general! With so many books coming out in the first two weeks alone and so few dollars to be spent, where does your money lie? Hit us up in the comments below and let us know what will get you through this comic book “storm” of greatness! I, personally cannot wait to see the Joker! But, no matter what your choices are, it’s a great time to be a fan!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #12

The amazing variant cover says it all — “The End,” but is it as epic as Marvel is making it out to be?

In some ways, yes; Marvel has recaptured the overall units sold in the months since Avengers Vs. X-Men has come out — no small feat since DC is right behind, chomping at the bit, waiting for Marvel to slip. And there are some truly great moments that occur in this book: We finally see the return of Nova, albeit for a mere moment and as someone we wish he wasn’t, but he is there. We also see some touching instances, too few and one in particular that I wish was especially more prominent, but they are there as well. The action is intense and the art was well crafted – an overall well done book – but was this the “epic” conclusion to the biggest event Marvel has tried to produce in decades?

Sadly, no.

This could have been a truly emotional tale of a man who was lost in order to save an entire race. A great character that has become a pivotal part of the entire Marvel U. in the last year. For a glimpse it was, but only for a glimpse. The defeat of the Dark Phoenix was quite unremarkable, but the direct moment before — could have been amazing! That’s how the whole book felt, like it was grasping for greatness and then watched as it slipped through its fingers. I am not trying to dissuade you from this book, the five dollar price tag may do that on its own, but it is a good read. I just wish there was more to it. 

The “Architects” have finished their opus. Whether we are fans of it or not, it is finally through. I, for one, felt that it was done well half of the time, the other half could have been forgotten. The Marvel Universe as a whole has not been changed for better or worse! It is the same status quo we have always had. Yes, new teams will emerge from this and apparently everyone will be some form of an Avenger! Whether they are Uncanny, Astonishing or Spectacular, does it really matter anymore when they are all in the fraternal brotherhood of Steve Rogers? 

All it took to wrap up this entire event was just three little words, so my review will be summed up by some as well, “What could’ve been!”

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews Video Game News

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Damnation

Forget “Retribution;” Damnation Shows Evil Going Global

A Film Review of Resident Evil: Damnation

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

We are DAYS away from the release of my most anticipated videogame of 2012 in Resident Evil 6 and Capcom saw fit to release its most recent CG film a week prior in an effort to prime American fans for the kind of story, action and thrills that will be awaiting us all on October 2nd.  What better way to do this than by giving the fans a prequel (of sorts) that bridges the gap between Resident Evils 5 and 6 without making any actual reference to either?  This may sound a tad curious, but I attribute that to Japanese sensitivities to the concept of plot which I will explain later.  This original film produced by the coalition of Capcom, Digital Frontier and Sony Pictures Entertainment joins its brother (Resident Evil: Degeneration) as the only two films to be part of the official Resident Evil cannon and unlike its predecessor, Damnation delivers a high fidelity experience that is sharp on looks and intense on action.

By the start of Resident Evil 5, the concept of international bio-terrorism is in full swing because the Umbrella Corporation allegedly goes bankrupt and in the process, all of its viral research and development hits the global black market.  Anyone with a WIFI connection and a few million bucks could become a bio-terrorist overnight.  Damnation further explores the investigation of B.O.W. (bio-organic weapon) sightings in an Eastern European (ex-Soviet Block) country with fan favorite Leon S. Kennedy taking the lead.  Leon arrives in this country with a very obscure status as he doesn’t represent the CIA, Secret Service or BSAA in any capacity.  The only thing the viewer knows for sure is that Leon is still some sort of US government agent as Ingrid Hunnigan (from Resident Evil 4) continues to relay intelligence to Leon via his cell phone.  Leon is in full tactical gear as the country is in the midst of a civil war and the action simply shoots through the roof once he starts jogging to his next destination.

The overall story of Damnation is much more concise than any of the games because it strictly gravitates around the plot of this one setting and main character.  However, the typical mood of conspiracy and betrayal is as consistent as any other chapter in the Resident Evil saga.  As this franchise continues to move slightly away from “horror” to feature more “action;” Damnation is yet another perfect (or terrible, depending on your point of view) example of this strategy.  The director, Makoto Kamiya wanted the events of this film to depict Leon S. Kennedy as he “descends into hell” which would seem to evoke more “horror” elements to this story.  Sure, Leon gets disarmed at some point and only has his bound fists to survive for a while, but the fact that this character IS Leon removes ANY semblance of threat because fans know he’s a mainstay of the franchise and he IS in Resident Evil 6 as a primary character.  There is virtually no element of horror to this CG film because there is no dedication to building suspense.  Doing so requires many more moments of silence to allow the audience an anticipation of fear which the bullet and explosion filled pages of this particular script are ill equipped to produce.  Oh well, I guess this just means Damnation must settle for being a really good action film with plenty of gory violence, gunplay and slow motion, close quarter combat. 

One other aspect of this story that demands singular recognition is the fact that the B.O.W.s being used throughout Damnation are within the framework of war.  As such, viewing classics like zombies, lickers, ganados, parasites and tyrants as alternatives to guns and grenades is a theme never before explored in Resident Evil.  What makes this exceptionally interesting is the unprecedented level of control that is demonstrated over these monsters in addition to the fact that they are used against each other on several occasions.  Ever find yourself cheering for the bad guy?  The player/audience has always seen these things as antagonists that need to be dispatched or avoided, but never as an option in combat scenarios.  It will be interesting to see if this concept is somehow applied to any gameplay mechanic in Resident Evil 6, so if it is – remember, you heard the prediction here first!   

Resident Evil has always been a character driven drama so I was expecting to learn a little more about Leon S. Kennedy, the man, during yet another one man mission against the undead.  After the events of Resident Evil 2 very little has been revealed about this man other than his continued involvement from a distance during the plots of every game and his hush-hush government training post Raccoon City.  Unfortunately, Damnation is not very forthcoming about any new details concerning Leon; maintaining his status as an ultimate bad ass with unwavering ethical integrity.  Ho hum.   

Whenever Leon is involved, it seems Ada Wong is not far to follow as she (yet again) appears to be infiltrating this particular dangerous environment as a spy working for “someone else” (not named Albert Wesker because he’s dead, at least I think).  If you have been living under a rock and have not seen any of the Resident Evil 6 trailers, Ada appears to be set up as the big bad in the upcoming game, thus working for herself all this time.  That certainly jives with her character type, yet Damnation is clear about establishing an unidentified employer backing Wong’s infiltration.  She’s still a sexy femme fatale and (you guessed it) very little else is revealed other than the fact that a more intimate relationship between her and Leon culminated prior to the events in Damnation.  She clearly cares about him, yet neither is truly smitten with the other despite an obvious attraction that was set up in RE2.

The rest of the characters in this CG film are not particularly interesting as they are dealt with (one way or the other) within the confines of this plot.  Degeneration approached its antagonists in the exact same fashion which, unfortunately, removes a healthy amount of danger and intrigue from these newly introduced characters.  I admire the Japanese filmmakers for creating this movie, but as a plot, does not stand on its own strength and really comes off as a strategic setup piece to get gamers used to the scale, scope and stakes of RE6.  These are the important bullet points I took away from Damnation:  1) Biohazards are potentially everywhere: from obscure rural communities to the largest of urban jungles in EVERY country.  2) Every variety of mutation you have seen thus far is probably going to make an appearance in the next game and the “zombies” that are supposedly making their triumphant return in RE6 are actually smart, weapon-wielding, ganados and not brainless T-virus victims.  3) Capcom’s marketing of the “3 campaign system” supposedly featuring 3 distinct play styles promising a return to “survival horror” in at least one of them is an absolute crock!  This film and the exceptional RE6 trailer attached to it cement this franchise in straight monster-slaughter action.  Accept it.

I liked parts of this film, but cannot admit to loving any of it.  The extra features on the Blu Ray disc are nothing to write home about, but the “making of” featurette is neat seeing the cast do all sorts of motion capture work on set.  I also found it interesting how this Japanese production company was using nothing but HP computer hardware for 100% of its production tools.  It’s just a simple observation.  This CG film is a vast improvement over Degeneration in almost every regard (look, sound and feel) with the exception of story.  Clearly, Capcom did not give director Makoto Kamiya the same leeway Paul W.S. Anderson had with his adaptations.  These films HAD to fit with the games and surely his options were limited.  Still, I was amazed that nothing more than the stellar action was at work in Damnation.  I wanted to see more character revelations, more connectivity with the games and overall more relevance, but what I got was more typical Eastern filmmaking that promotes style over substance; look over story.  The Blu Ray copy of Resident Evil: Damnation retails at $19.99 US dollars and I simply cannot recommend this film at that price to anyone besides serious Resident Evil fans.  If you find it on sale for $10, go for it, otherwise save that money for your pre-order of Resident Evil 6.

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Justice League Dark #0

Let me put the record straight, this is not Hellblazer, this is the John Constantine of the DCnU. In many ways it is close, but not so far as to say they are the same character. They share the same name and the same innate ability to be a deadly bastard when push comes to shove, but that is where the similarities generally end. And when it comes down to the bottom line, at least as of late, Jeff Lemire’s John Constantine wins — hands down!

An origin story, at least for the hows and whys of the trench coat, Justice League Dark #0 does a fine job of familiarizing the audience of the key players of the book and their roles in forthcoming storylines. It is a glimpse of Constantine’s “coming of age” trek to America, where he can build upon his magical skill set. It is also the first meeting of Constantine and Zatanna, a meeting that sets in motion everything we know about Justice League Dark thus far.

The name Jeff Lemire is synonymous with great stories, and this one is no different. He incorporates miniscule nuggets of knowledge from character back stories, thus enhancing his vision of the character as well as placating to the inner “fanboy” in all of us (thanks for the Mucus Membrane T-shirt nod by the way!). But it his depth of character he creates that separates him from most writers today. He reaches into a character, pulling them apart to see how they function, and evolves them past their current incarnations. He makes them richer, more complex and, in the case of John Constantine — darker! It is this evolution of the Constantine character in a 32 page format, that makes this book so perfect.

Fans of the Hellblazer series should be excited to have their favorite character mucking up the DCnU, and doing justice to the original incarnation as well. Fans of comics in general, will be ecstatic to finally get the New 52 origin of one of the most beguiling characters ever created — John Constantine!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Talon #0

James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder team together again, this time they bring you the harrowing tale of Calvin Rose — Talon! The first brand new hero introduced into the “Bat family” in the DCnU!

From abused child to trained killer, Calvin Rose, has been raised to look for the worst in people in order to justify his actions. Unfortunately, all he has truly seen the entirety of his life are horrific events. It doesn’t take much for the Court of Owls to mold this young man into the perfect weapon and point him at any target they choose. But deep inside, there is a conscience that whispers to get out, to be free. A conscience that will forever set him at odds with the Court themselves!

A tragic and emotional tale, Talon, is a classic warrior’s story. One where the main character must shed the shackles that bind him in order to find his own path in the world; even though his freedom means an ever increasing threat from those that wish to use him for their own devious plans. Calvin Rose is a character that is never truly left to his own discretion, even his freedom is seen as a misdirection by other people. A choice that will force him to fight or die, but death will only place him back in the arms of those he so desperately wants to forget. So, for Calvin Rose, their is only the choice to fight and escape. The two things he has done all his life!

A fantastic tale and a great way to introduce a new book for the “Bat family.” The Third Wave isn’t quite upon us yet, but if the other books are half as good as this one, we’ll be in for one hell of a ride! 

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Review: Justice League #0

Do not fret Justice League fans, although not a single Leaguer is seen in this book, it is still a great story that gives us the New 52 origin of Shazam!

Finally, no longer just a back-up story, Geoff Johns gives fans what they have been clamoring for! Billy Batson may have entered this series as a mere troubled boy, but he emerges as the wielder of the living lightning — Shazam!

The story is one of power and what you can do when the odds that have always been stacked against you, come crumbling down. What would you do if you were suddenly able to do anything you could ever dream of? What if you could do anything, but still retained the mind of a troubled youth — one that has seen too many hardships over the years? Would you squander it, do horrible things with it or just have fun with it?

Johns isn’t afraid to ask the smart questions in this book, but at times his tale seems to parallel Mark Millar’s Superior mini-series far too closely. Not to say this tale doesn’t have a unique story to tell, quite the contrary, but it does have similarities that are far too glaring. Similarities aside, the book itself is very well done and will make any fan glad that Shazam is back in the DC Universe!

As good as the core story is, the back-up is the one that will garner the most buzz. Written by Johns and drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, we are drawn into the web of the enigmatic — Trinity of Sin. We witness Pandora’s frustration over her judgment and finally get to see a fleeting glimpse of the mysterious “third” sinner. What we don’t know is why these beings are here, what they mean to do and if they are working for or against mankind. A truly rich and intriguing finish to a great book, one that will leave you with questions. Or better yet, THE Question!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile for September 19th, 2012

 

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

 

( A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER! )

 

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these five titles to your list of goodies! Forget that “apple a day” nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health starts with these top five books of the week!

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3211:]]

1.  Daredevil #18:  Continuing the further demise of Matt Murdock and “Foggy” Nelson’s friendship, this issue brings pack someone from their past. But can they truly be who they say they are? If it is, ol’ DD may be headed for the psych ward!

2.  Justice League #0:  Don’t fret JL fans, even though none of them are in this book, we get a great story of Billy Batson and the origin of — Shazam! Finally, there is no debate as to calling which character Captain Marvel anymore! Plus, is that the Question? Hmm?

3.  Lobster Johnson: Caput Mortuum (One-shot):  After a lackluster one-shot last time round, Mike Mignola more than makes up for it this time! High stakes action and Nazis on blimps? Who doesn’t love that?

4.  Red Hood and the Outlaws #0:  We all know the story of how Jason Todd died, but now we get to see his entire origin! From birth until now, Jason’s life has been full of tragedy, but what if it all hasn’t been by chance? What if someone has been manipulating every moment for their own sinister pleasure? This book is twisted! 

5.  Revival #3:  The “smart” zombie book, this one is completely different than all the others in the genre! Eerie and unnerving, Revival will get you that horror fix without falling into the trappings of dumb jokes and even worse scenarios. I just wish they would stop showing the “little white guy!” Creepy!

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Advanced Review: The Walking Dead #102

After the deaths of Glenn and Abraham, there has been a lull in action, but a real focus on how the characters develop from here. Kirkman has dialed the brutality back to a minimum, giving ample time to see exactly how Rick and crew choose to deal with their new world dynamic. A world that is now more dangerous than ever before, a world that must deal with — Neegan!

Though we all love the insane twists and turns that Kirkman does so well, it is the “quieter” times when his writing skills really shine. The introspective stories of these hardened individuals, are truly what makes this book stand out more than anything else on the stands today. And with issue #102, we get more of the same.

Touching upon every major character, Kirkman reveals Rick’s new strategy for survival and the reactions to it. This is the book where everything truly changes! The group’s function, their outlook and eventually, a shift in their core dynamic; sets the stage for something we have never seen before. Loyalties change, relationships become strained, secrets are sworn and Rick puts himself in the cross hairs for the good of the group. But does the group need him to be there to begin with?

Well executed and thoughtfully expressed, Kirkman is the best at deepening the emotional bond between characters and the readers! He makes it so easy to get lost in their world and even easier to care about them. Fans of The Walking Dead television show, will undoubtedly recognize some of the same plot threads from Season Two in this book. And even though you may feel a slight sense of deja vu, it is comforting to see some aspects of the different genres meld into great stories for both avenues. Plus, it will make it easier to become a fan of the comic if you haven’t already! But, who am I kidding? Who isn’t a fan already!

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: The Possession (2012)

More Creepy Girls with Long, Dark Hair

A Film Review of The Possession

By: Lawrence Napoli 

 

As we approach October, we are beginning to see a wave of horror films attempt to make some money before the next Paranormal Activity steals everyone else’s mojo.  As such, the whole “possession” motif is in full effect this time of year and it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish one from the other.  They all seem to feature creepy little girls with long dark hair and some (like The Possession) are based on true stories.  This movie involves exactly what the title suggests, but the tricky spin on the “true story” basis of this film is not the plot, but the setup surrounding the mysterious box that encapsulates a supposed demon.  As the story goes: a college student named Iosif Nietzke sold an ancient Jewish wine cabinet box on eBay which he specifically described as having bad luck surrounding it (as he began losing his hair after acquiring it).  A museum curator named Jason Haxton put in the winning bid at $280 and afterwards, several representatives of the Jewish community became aware of and very interested in this box.  A Jewish newspaper, The Forward published an article about these boxes and many rabbis offered to handle (even open) the box themselves.  Some went as far as suggesting that all digital imagery of the item be removed from the internet all together so as to prevent any possible spiritual invasion. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3107:]]

You may have seen something like this before

A few aspects of this setup have been written into this film as screenwriters Juliet Snowden and Stiles White establish some of these details within the first 5 minutes.  What follows, however, is a much more involved and dangerous series of events following a divorced couple, their two daughters and the utter torment that results once this box comes into their lives.  Overall the story is quite interesting, but not told in a very foreboding or terrifying manner.  In fact, The Possession is quite short on suspense which really detracts from the well conceived and executed supernatural phenomena as depicted on the screen.  When things happen, there is usually no dedicated buildup.  Most of the themes at work in this film are an amalgam of life lessons we’ve all heard before: had selfish parents been more concerned with their children, the kids would be less compelled to pull away and be drawn to “alternative” fascination.  I understand how a child’s proximity to danger (real-world or supernatural) is a horrific element in and of itself, but I feel this concept has been played out in contemporary horror so much so that every deadpan stare, every shriek and every contortionist’s wet dream doesn’t have the same impact it had 10 years ago.  There seem to be a few continuity issues towards the beginning of the film (ahem, the girl and her braces), but aside from that, scene transitions and dialogue are fairly kosher.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3109:]]

My name is NOT Samara!

All of the performances by the cast are respectable, believable and appropriate for the types of characters they are playing.  It definitely feels as if director Ole Bornedal directed his adult thespians as if this were a regular drama.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a very charismatic, yet self involved college basketball coach while Kyra Sedgwick plays a more conservative and annoyingly anal former housewife that is getting back into her own business as a jewelry designer.  It is a little easier for 2 actors to portray a divorced couple if they are written only as mutually hostile or friendly, but The Possession requires equal parts throughout this film and thankfully, Morgan and Sedgwick’s chemistry is more than capable of shifting gears in both directions at any given time.  Also, I found Matisyahu’s first feature acting role quite successful as Tzadok, the son of the head rabbi helping Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character.  Few musicians show any proficiency in an acting environment, but between him and Lenny Kravitz, these two men could be reversing that stigma.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3110:]]

I am a real actor now!

The children didn’t demonstrate quite the same impact, but were just as effective in their roles.  Madison Davenport’s performance as the older (and unaffected) sister, Hannah delivered your typical teenie-bopper, rebellious angst more concerned with popularity than anything else.  Natasha Calis, however, had much more on her plate being the possessed sister, Em.  Natasha’s transition from daddy’s little girl to creepy ghost girl was fairly impressive, but what I found more impressive was the discipline she showed in not breaking that disturbed demeanor once the box infects her character.  Her filmography already has her experienced in several hard edged films and although I was impressed with her acting maturity, I was uncomfortable with some of the costume choices that were made for her character that somehow highlighted curves on an 11 year old.  Perhaps I ought to be more alarmed by the glamour-shots both of these little girls have for their imdb.com pages. 

Visual effects supervisor Adam Stern only had a few moments to show some really disturbing digital imagery, but the rarity enhances the disturbing to the deranged.  The best digital effect was easily the fingers shown trying to crawl out of the little girl’s throat from the inside which isn’t a spoiler because it was shown in every trailer for this film.  Although some other effects like the moth infestation, teeth falling out and demon manifestations were well done, none were on the same level as the fingers.  This film had a budget of only $14 million dollars and chances are most of it went to the visual effects despite the fact there were only a handful of them.  Still, if done correctly, these really expensive seconds of screen time prove that horror can still produce financial successes provided the rest of the cast and crew will work for scale or less. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3108:]]

Somebody down there?

The Possession is a very decent horror film that is light on thrills, but solid on performances.  I’m hoping to get a more intense experience from at least one of the upcoming horror films, but I will not grantee it seeing how the Paranormal franchise may be turning into Saw.  This film is worth seeing if your horror itch needs to be scratched, but it doesn’t distinguish itself amidst the other average movies that fill out the post-summer-blockbuster-hangover-weeks.  It borrows far too much from The Ring and The Exorcist to be described as unique, but if you liked those films, you may not even care.

[page_title]
Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Awful, Just Awful

A Film Review of Resident Evil: Retribution

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

I don’t particularly care for Paul W. S. Anderson’s work as a filmmaker during his tenure as Capcom’s official Hollywood adapter of the Resident Evil franchise.  I believe Mr. Anderson only has a cursory understanding of the overall storyline which has afforded him the gall to write all of the iconic characters as secondary support roles that do not impact the story in any way shape and form.  Anderson has been quite blunt with his need to generate original characters that drive his vision forward which is why most of his main characters have been conjured out of thin air: Alice, Rain, K-Mart, L.J., the Red Queen, Luther West, etc.  I don’t mind the concept of expanded fiction referencing characters from the source material.  In fact, a great example would be The Walking Dead video game by TellTale Games.  The problem I have with Anderson’s use of character is twofold: 1) his original characters are quite flat and 2) the iconic characters are basically cannon fodder for Alice.  This is not good, not good at all.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3096:]]

Warning: gratuitous cleavage shot

Resident Evil: Retributionis a perfect example of a writer/director’s ego gone wild.  Anderson’s tunnel vision in using every film (including this one) to further explore and expand the bloated importance of the character of Alice has forced him to severely limit his options in terms of plot and the story suffers for it.  I will rephrase that last comment.  The story is perversely warped as a result of it.  Fans of the game series see a story in the film adaptations that is simply not Resident Evil.  Those who aren’t fans will experience this film as a sci-fi, action film unconcerned with details like “who are these people?” “where do they come from?” “what is happening here?” and “why is any of this important?”  It is true that Retribution opens with its signature review of the plot thus far in the previous films, but even with that refresher, the audience will be completely confused by the relevance of anything they are seeing that doesn’t involve Alice running away from monsters.  Despite frequent expository scenes that spoon feed the story, none of these moments address some of the basic viewer questions I mentioned earlier. 

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3098:]]

The “S” stands for “suck-ass”

On top of Anderson’s failings as a writer, his degrading ability to get decent performances from his actors is obvious.  Sienna Guillory apparently forgot how to act all together as her awkward line delivery made Jill Valentine look like she was in a high school musical.  Bingbing Li may not know the English language as all her dialogue seems like it was post-dubbed, thus making Ada Wong look like she was pulled out of a cheesy kung-fu flick.  Colin Salmon could not be persuaded to get in shape for this film and his performance as One in the first Resident Evil was Academy Award winning material in comparison to this.  Johann Urb’s rendition of Leon S. Kennedy seemed more concerned with the placement of his hair than coming off as a suave badass.  And Michelle Rodriguez should not be a professional actress in the first place. 

There are some shining lights to this film in regards to the performances.  Milla Jovovich will never win an Oscar, but she is quite comfortable in action films and the confidence she shows in Alice works for that character.  I still tend to snicker every time Alice tries to be poignant on screen, but then she punches someone in the face and it’s suddenly all better.  Aryana Engineer’s (an 11 year old) performance as Becky (Alice’s “daughter”) is uncharacteristically moving amidst the various degrees of anger-filled rage from the rest of the cast.  Her chemistry with Jovovich onscreen is charmingly sympathetic.  But the best performance is displayed by the (once again) underused Shawn Roberts as Albert Wesker.  The attitude, the snide remarks, the accent: this man simply embodies every inch of Wesker and for the life of me; I cannot understand how dense Paul W. S. Anderson must be to not feature this actor/character more.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:3102:]]

More of me would have made more millions for this movie

The action and effects in this film actually take a step back from the last film: Resident Evil: Afterlife.  The audience was treated to a slew of super human activity between Wesker and the Alice clones in that film and when compared to the bigger monsters and standard mass shootings of various zombie hordes in this film, I’m left unimpressed.  Hopefully the viewer isn’t turned off by slow motion as the visual effects company, Mr. X abused “slo-mo” in every, single, action sequence.  It was too much of the same old, same old.  As for 3D; DO NOT PAY TO SEE THIS FILM IN 3D!  The 3-4 instances of “things flying at the screen” do not justify the inflated ticket price to see a movie like this.  No other film franchise has taken advantage of the 3D scam more so than Resident Evil.  It is a major contributing factor for explaining how this saga could be described as “the most successful series of films based on video games.”    

Resident Evil: Retribution inspires little confidence in the franchise and even less in a software company as significant as Capcom.  Eastern developers have recently been falling behind the west, but when you couple questionable business moves like handing the Hollywood adaptation of your most prominent IP to some dude who happens to be married to Milla Jovovich must reflect disintegrating stock value.  As ridiculous and contrived as many of the moments in the Resident Evil game history are, none of them come close to the absurdity of Paul W. S. Anderson’s take on zombies.  If he plugged Star Wars characters into an Indiana Jones story, he’d genuinely believe he invented Episode VII!  This film is a pass.  Go see Expendables 2 if you need action, but you’re simply better off waiting to buy Resident Evil 6 for your Xbox or Ps3.  That is, of course, if this film doesn’t make you want to march to Capcom’s corporate headquarters and set semtex to the whole building.

[page_title]
Comic Book News

Review: X-O Manowar #5

The “Summer of Valiant” may be coming to a close, but the comics world continues to heat up each week as another Valiant book hits the shelves! Not only does Valiant strive to push their characters forward into the hearts and minds of fans, they also are bringing some of the best comic characters back to the forefront of the industry. This week it’s — Ninjak!

Robert Venditti’s tale of a man displaced in time continues here, and we get an inside look at just how emotionally scarred Aric is from knowing everything he has ever held dear is gone. Venditti makes the reader connect on a deeper level with Aric, revealing his vulnerabilities and even his arrogance while wielding the X-O armor. A flawed man in a desperate time, Aric is someone we can sympathize with and enthusiastically root for as he unleashes his frustrations upon an unwitting world! 

The juxtaposition between the morose barbarian Aric, and the calculated assassin Ninjak — is perfect. Ancient ideas and modern concepts clash in a too short battle. Their differences are vast, while their parallels end at a mounting body count. And believe me, the bloodshed is quite staggering in this issue! All the more reason to covet this series!

A fast paced, intelligent tale — Robert Venditti delivers lightening in a bottle yet again! If you haven’t picked up this series yet, there is still time to delve into the Valiant Universe. The “Summer” may be over but the “Arcs” are just about to begin!

Be bold, be unique — be Valiant!  

Start typing and press enter to search