Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Monday, April 28, 2014
Death in comics isn't something readers are shocked or worried by anymore. However, Marvel hopes it has a hit on their hands this September with the self-descriptively-titled Death of Wolverine.
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| "I'm the best there is at what I do. And what I do…is die." |
When DC killed Superman off in 1992, kicking off a 22-year fad of dying heroes, they knew they had to make it seem real. They presented a foe who was Superman's equal, but first they spent weeks tuckering Man of Steel out. Years later, they did the same thing when Bane broke Batman's spine. Batman was exhausted from weeks of sleepless nights capturing his entire rogues gallery. Bane attacked and defeated a man on his last legs.
Marvel seems to be taking a similar approach with Death of Wolverine.
The book will release weekly throughout September but will be preceded by this summer's 3 Months to Die, which first robs Wolverine of his healing factor.
“For a long time, no matter who Wolverine was battling, he’s been the eternal victor,” says Michael Marts, executive editor at Marvel. “He almost always comes out on top. Now he finally comes up against an adversary that he cannot win against, he cannot fight. What does that mean for this character who’s been around for hundred years?”
The book will feature an adventure that takes Logan out while reflecting on his past. Readers can expect it to feel like a "remember why you love Wolverine so much" retrospective. The aftermath will be the other heroes of the Marvel Universe reacting to, and moving on from, his death.
As most fans are aware, however, Logan will be back at some point. He already died, anyway, in a story titled "Logan Goes to Hell" where he literally died, went to hell, and clawed (again, literally) his way out. Heck, as I write this, we are experiencing the return of Peter Parker from his death in the Spider-Man books. Not to mention the recent return of X-Men's Nightcrawler.
Here is an early sketch from the upcoming series, showing Logan in pretty rough shape.
Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly:
So enjoy this story for what it is: a series to highlight what we love about Wolverine, a character who has been on multiple teams for so long that this will ultimately have a lasting effect when he disappears. How will the Avengers carry on without their mad dog? How will X-Force continue without their rogue leader? How soon before they wear dog tags reading "What Would Wolverine Do"?
Death of Wolverine will be written by Charles Soule and drawn by Steve McNiven. Issue #1 hits shelves on September 3rd, with the final issue coming out September 24th.
What do you think? Could we use some time off after decades of Wolverine overkill?
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Sunday, April 27, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular Nation! Check out episode 43 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Frank Ward, Michael Burhan, Aaron, and Travis Goss! We have an exciting adventure in store for you today!
Join the Dace Man and crew this week as they break down the following:
::SPORTS NEWS::
- Current NHL playoff results
- Current MLB standings
- Current NBA playoff results
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
- Only one who did research…surprise, surprise
::FRANK'S CORNER::
- Uberfacts…cause he has a mouse in da house
::CELEB NEWS::
- It's melting pot of Hollywood!!
Plus the High Five: Top 5 Musical Artists We Want To See Live and The Douche Bag of The Week! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!
Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | I Got Game Play | Geek Speak | Rose Colored Reviews | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
- Saturday, April 26, 2014
Remember that villains trailer Beenox unleashed a while back for their Amazing Spider-Man 2 videogame based on characters and events from the upcoming films? The one that got me excited for Cletus Kasady's (a.k.a. Carnage, Venom's psychotic symbiotic spawn) debut in a film-verse Spider-Man video game? Well if Beenox didn't sell me with that trailer, it just did with the brand-new launch trailer exclusively revealed over at MTV.
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| "WHO WANTS THE GIZZARD?!" |
Yep, that was Carnage in all of his bloody glory. 'Scuse me while I hyperventilate in a corner…
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| They say my jazz hands are a sight to DIE for! |
I love the classic Carnage design that the art team chose to go with for the videogame; it's very Mark Baley-esque while incorporating the monstrous feet designs he gave the character later on in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. Hopefully this design is a foreshadowing of things to come in the Venom spin-off film, in which the Amazing Spider-Man film producers have teased at Carnage's inclusion. Let's just hope that Venom's design from the Amazing Spider-Man 2 mobile game doesn't even make it to the concept board for his film.
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| Option B, please. I'd rather not have a Spider-Man 3 repeat design. |
Also of note is Shocker's recent addition to the excitingly expansive villain roster for the game. Shocker and his alter ego, Herman Shultz, have been getting time in the spotlight over at the film's viral Tumblr site, The Daily Bugle, so perhaps the game too will confirm The Daily Bugle's faux news blogs as canonical to the film-verse.
CARNAGE RULES! Right, guys…? Let me know in the comment section below, and don't forget to follow The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and points of views!
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
You're probably wondering why Fanboys Anonymous, a website dedicated to entertainment, technology, and geek culture, is featuring a device that is primarily sports related. The answer is simple. When we see something that has the awesome potential to change lives for the better, we like to pass on the good word!
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| Disclaimer: Doesn't come with electronic Darth Vader sound effects! |
To those who know him, Bas Rutten is many things. The Ken and Frank Shamrock–era MMA legend, from Tillburg in the Netherlands, is a former three-time King of Pancrase world champion, UFC heavyweight champion, MMA coach, television personality, and film actor. He is known for Fuel TV's comical self-defense show Punk Payback, as Kevin James's coach in Here Comes The Boom, and as that guy who caused a spleen to explode on Fight Science.
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| Henry Winkler can't breathe, fetch me "The Official Bas Rutten O2 Trainer!" *wink-wink* |
To look back on his career, one wouldn't imagine an unhealthy and heavily asthmatic young bully victim and Bas in the same room. In fact, back in the '70s, Bas Rutten was that kid, but upon sneaking into a viewing of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, Bas became a fanatic of martial arts and trained his way to become the practical killing machine we know and love today (notably a karate and tae kwon do black belt, and a Muay Thai kickboxer).
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| Bas kicking a dude in the head. |
Ever the creative and energetic personality, Bas has created the O2 Trainer to condition the lungs and promote better respiration and endurance during and after physical training. As a result, this product not only helps you to make the most of your cardiovascular workouts, it simply makes for better all-round breathing. What's more is that testimonials have proved that the Bas Rutten O2 Trainer is already helping proactive people overcome their asthma and giving them the opportunity to live healthy lifestyles they could never have otherwise dreamed of.
So if you're sitting indoors, browsing the Internet, watching movies, and reading comics on a sunny day by no fault of your own, you may consider visiting the official page and seeing if this is for you. I have a feeling that this is going to change a lot of lives. Victory dance?
Sound off, Fanboys! For all the complex-sounding devices and drugs that come and go in the world of sports and online shopping, once in a while there comes something that just makes sense. Maybe spread the word, if you have an unhealthy friend or two, because it may be worth a read to them. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below. You can also visit the official Facebook page here!
Posted by
Unknown
- Friday, April 25, 2014
Starting today, April 25, through October 17, David Hasselhoff is touring Europe for a huge celebration of the '80s and '90s. This is a live 3-hour show featuring many of our favorite artists such as Vengaboys, Rick Astley, Samantha Fox, and more! Alongside our hair-band heroes will, of course, be host David Hasselhoff and KITTitt, his artificially-intelligent car from
Knight Rider.
Thrown in with this nostalgic-gumbo to get your blood pumping with flair will be "flashback videos, lasers, and amazing pyrotechnics and special effects." The lucky countries to be visited will include Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Croatia, Netherlands, and more! For all of your news and information you can visit celebrate80s90s.com or watch Hasselhoff's promo below. Tell us what you think; will this shindig rock the house, or are you betting on a drab party?
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
Fresh off the press is the lengthy new football (soccer to you Americans) promo commercial from sports clothing giant Nike starring some of the biggest names around, and not all of them are football related!
Featuring the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pronounce that drunk), Nike uses the lengthy commercial to promote its new football gear, such as the 2014 England shirts, which have already caused outrage this year with a hefty price tag of £90. Yup, you read that right. £90 for one shirt.
Most of the way through the video, however, who else appears but none other than the Hulk, as portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers! Not being a football fan myself, it's the best part of the whole thing, except for the guy taking a ball to the face at high velocity. Comedic suffering always gets my vote.
At least now England fans know where their hard-earned money has gone so far. What dedicated fan would begrudge themselves a shirt over a week's wages? Only I'm guessing that, if England doesn't do so well this year, fans will be expecting not just the Hulk, but Cap, Iron Man, and the rest to avenge their wallets.
Sound off, Fanboys! What did you think? Is Nike shamelessly capitalizing here, or maybe it's a matter of ego? Comments below and thanks for reading.
Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Thursday, April 24, 2014
So, Avril Lavigne's latest video release for "Hello Kitty" has caused all sorts of mixed (mostly degrading) commentary from the anonymous culture that festers the Internet. The video is weird, bizarre, very pseudo-Japanese, and an ode to J-Pop/Otaku culture. Avril Lavigne abandoned rock long ago for more profitable teen-pop with the release of her third album The Best Damn Thing in 2007. So what's terribly new about this?
The same would happen with Britney Spears some time ago. Any release was the object of scorn and mockery from a demographic quite oblivious to the deity-status these artists hold among the average adolescent teenage girl (and, I'm not admitting anything, but some guys appreciate the looks). I suppose it becomes easier to just pick one out and call it a bad seed than to admit the whole basket is rotten.
The negativity that Avril, the dancer/singer (or whatever she might be) received is uncalled for. I'll say it, write it, I really don't care—I stand by it. The video is annoying, the music even more, and I don't like anything about this single. What about the rest of the top 40s? Don't they deserve some backlash?
This episode reminds me of when Rebecca Black released "Friday," her "hit" YouTube single. A flurry of foul-mouthed anecdotes and commentaries best described the video, in short, as "total shit," which is insane. I cannot understand the difference between a Rebecca Black song and a Kesha tune, as it is all the same processed, canned junk food, although one sings of fruity cereal and the other begs for cock.
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Avril's Hello Kitty is garbage.. what
about stuff like this? |
Some will call me elitist, but I can't help it if I grew up in a time when pop music had Michael Jackson, Queen, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey on top of the charts. There was a standard then, and 12-year-old kids were not necessarily the target audience (until The Backstreet Boys came around). Music was still music, not a product to be sold.
What was sad is that although there always were mall-music singles in any given point of pop history, a lot of artists were accused of "selling out." One example I can think of is the Red Hot Chili Peppers when Californication and By the Way found their place in the market in the early 21st century. "Too commercial," fans would say. Don't expect 40-year-olds to jump around and sing about crushing pussy like they used to. Besides, once you sign with a label, it's selling out no matter how you look at it. Trust me, I'm an engineer; the music biz is dirtier than you think.
Fast forward to present day, and I can't even distinguish singers from one another anymore, it's all robotized, "melodyned," "autotuned," and "vocodered" to the point where I have to keep traveling back in time to discover new music, regardless of genre. I know there are some bands out there that deserve recognition, like The Black Keys and such. However, they are a minority when in fact a song like "Hello Kitty" would have been a minority until around 15 years ago.
Lolz whatever, I'm bored 21st-century style of this ridiculous gossip-jabbering when we should be engaged in an all-out war against mediocrity. I guess I'll leave it to Avril to close this off with her reply to the "Hello Kitty" video being racist. Has anyone criticizing ever seen Japanese pop culture? Like, comment, ばか.
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
Greetings Fanboys and Fangirls, and welcome to the celebration! What are we celebrating, you ask? Well, who authored this post, and what do I usually write about? That's right, I'm here to talk about the one and only Venom and his twisted family! This May marks the Venom symbiote's—and symbiotes in general—30th anniversary, and to celebrate we at Fanboys Anonymous and a few special guests are sharing our favorite symbiote moments across comic books, television, and film. First, a little perspective.
In May of 1984, a bold new Spider-Man materialized with (a human) Doctor Curt Connors under an arm through an otherworldly portal into New York City's Central Park, sporting a mysterious (and sexy) black and white suit. On that day, the symbiotes—a parasitic life forms boasting incredible powers—were born. That black suit would go on to become one half of one of Spider-Man's greatest and most iconic foes: Venom. I suggest checking out Marvel's special birthday post about the origins of the Venom symbiote to commemorate the occasion, and check out all of my past articles about Venom and symbiotes.
Since its creation, the Venom symbiote has been a mainstay in Spider-Man's legacy. It has spawned (directly and indirectly) 11 unique symbiotes within its lineage, including fan favorites Carnage and Toxin and five other named symbiotes from across the Marvel Universe, including relative unknowns such as Krobaa, Dreadface, and Zzxz. Carnage shares three out of four animated television series appearances with Venom, and with the recent addition of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 film as confirmed by an Easter egg in some bootlegged film footage that was quickly taken down by Sony, the Venom symbiote will have had two blockbuster, live-action film debuts. With an official Venom film spinoff in the making, there's no doubt that the mysterious, living black costume from Amazing Spider-Man #252 has had 30 years of resounding success overall, give or take the few roller coaster ups and downs it experienced in the '90s.
So without further ado, I hand this article over to the fans and a comic creator who made the symbiotes what they are today, starting off with my own favorite symbiote moment.
Orion Petitclerc's Favorite Symbiote Moment
I'm a sucker for anything to do with Eddie Brock, the original Venom host after Spider-Man. I especially loved Eddie's evolution from Venom to Anti-Venom. Eddie went through some hard times before this: his cancer was in remission; he lost his faith in the symbiote; and his hatred for Spider-Man became confused and less venomous over time. He was in a crisis and death was approaching fast, but then BANG! He's given new life and a new purpose as the Anti-Venom.
After his rebirth in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man, Anti-Venom began his new lease on life first in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #2, which demonstrated nearly perfectly how Eddie had evolved from a villain and part-time lethal protector to a redeemed anti-hero. In this issue, he rescued Jenna Cole—a teenage junkie—from the poisons she put in her body and, in turn, gave her new meaning.
After this issue, she returned in The Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Anti-Venom—New Ways to Live limited series as Anti-Venom's new sidekick, but then she was never seen nor heard from again. (An injustice to the dynamic relationship they shared.) In their first issue together, though, Anti-Venom became a guardian angel for Jenna, and she became the living embodiment of his conscience. That's my favorite symbiote moment and, consequently, Anti-Venom is my favorite symbiote character.
Andrew Baker's Favorite Symbiote Moment
"Planet of the Symbiotes," a high-ranking moment for me, established that the symbiote's extraterrestrial race lived by parasitically attacking the bodies of other life forms. The Venom symbiote was deemed insane and imprisoned by its own species because instead of using up old hosts, it chose to establish a mutually beneficial symbiosis.
My absolute favorite symbiote moment, though, begins after Spider-Man learns of the symbiote's true nature. He happens upon the symbiote's prison module on Battleworld and releases the symbiote onto himself. He's overwhelmed and frightened by its power, so Pete has it analyzed only to learn that the costume is an alien symbiote that permanently fuses to its host. Mister Fantastic and the Human Torch help Spider-Man contain it using sound and fire, but being the sneaky parasite that it is, the symbiote escapes and takes Spider-Man hostage by forcibly bonding itself to him.
Then in the famous bell tower incident, Spider-Man uses the church bells and his sheer willpower to strip the symbiote from his body. Spider-Man and the symbiote are both drained, but, sympathetically, the symbiote gathers the last of its strength to carry Spider-Man's sagging body to safety. Interestingly, it's the same moment that causes the lethal love-hate relationship between the two.
Of all of the Spider-Man symbiotes, Mac Gargan's (originally the Scorpion) Venom is my favorite, but he wouldn't hold a candle to Carnage should Sony lose its conscience and film the R-rated Marvel film incarnation of the violent, deadly symbiote spawn.
Aaron Lanton's Favorite Symbiote Moment
My favorite symbiote character is the Venom symbiote itself. Prior to the Superior Spider-Man debacle, the symbiote was the original version of an outside force taking over Peter Parker's body. Most comic book fans' love of the symbiote was the result of seeing its manipulation of Peter through the seduction of power. Peter realized that his supernatural abilities improved in every measure while using the symbiote. Later, he realized this came at the cost of relinquishing full control of his actions. The symbiote sought to take over Peter's body and nearly would have without some luck on Peter's part. Peter would try all sorts of tactics before learning of its weakness to strong sonic waves.
Future Spider-Man films with the symbiote should consider this approach to the character. Spider-Man 3 did a horrible job of demonstrating why the symbiote was a problem for Peter outside of him becoming a jerk under its influence. Peter was tempted to steal, attack without holding back, and be selfish because of the symbiote's influence. Showing his internal conflict to audiences would captivate movie audiences and bring a nerd tear to the those of us who remember the good ol' days.
Tony Mango's Favorite Symbiote Moment
Whenever someone mentions symbiotes, my mind almost always runs to that same image that started it all for me: the big guy—Eddie Brock—in the church. I've never been one to follow the comic books themselves; rather, I prefer the accompanying films and television series. Because of this, I was not too familiar with Secret Wars and the origins of the symbiotes in general. My first introduction to the character was in Spider-Man: The Animated Series and the story arc built around Eddie Brock.
While Peter's time in the church is a physically painful sacrifice of power for the greater good, Brock's time is an emotionally painful request for power for his own selfish needs. It's a visually cool scene that's packed with emotion and greatly alters the fate of two characters in one shot. It also stays true to the running theme of the Spider-Man series as a whole: Peter Parker makes all the sacrifices in the world in the name of responsibility, and this universe just keeps kicking the poor kid when he's down by twisting it and making many of his own worst enemies in the process.
For that matter, as far as I'm concerned, there is only one Venom, and his name is Eddie Brock. Mac Gargan will always be Scorpion to me; Angelo Fortunado is nonexistent for all I care; and Flash Thompson is Peter's bully and eventual friend but no "Agent Venom," and so on.
The Venom Site's Favorite Symbiote Moment
In my first trip ever into a comic book shop, I spied the glorious golden cover of Amazing Spider-Man #375 and knew I must own it! I recognized Spider-Man but had never heard of Venom before. Twelve-year-old me loved everything about this issue, and this classic '90s comic is what brought me into the world of Marvel and comics in general. From that moment on, I was hooked. Venom would be my guy, and I would own all of his stories! I would buy his action figures! I would collect his comic cards!
There is just something about rooting for the bad guy that is so fun. Whether it's because he is pure evil and throwing Spidey around like a rag doll or because he is doing his own kind of justice as a Lethal Protector, Venom's stories always appealed to me.
In Amazing Spider-Man #375, Mark Bagley truly defined Venom's classic look; however, the great thing about the symbiote is that there is no standard look, so artists can take liberties and make each version his or her own. Like Erik Larsen before Bagley and Clayton Crain after him, I enjoy seeing the different visual versions of this character. While I have been enjoying Thompson's run as Agent Venom and I love all of the diversity between the symbiotes in the Marvel Universe, the original Venom with Brock as host will always be my favorite symbiote, and his appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #375 will always be my favorite moment.
Aaron's (@Bizarnage) Favorite Symbiote Moment
I have always been a fan of Spider-Man's evil doppelganger, Venom. I can't exactly explain what my original fascination with this character was, but it was fun reading about Eddie Brock and his symbiote partner getting themselves into daring and crazy adventures, like fighting an army of miniature goblins or having a symbiotic smackdown with Carnage inside the Internet, along with the occasional brooding over Spider-Man, protecting the innocent, and nibbling on brains on the side.
Over the years the symbiotic duo would grow apart: Eddie became the healing Anti-Venom (my favorite symbiote character), and the symbiote would bond with other hosts, the most recent being Peter Parker's old high school bully, Flash Thompson. I had complete disdain for Marvel's new gun-toting Agent Venom and just wished we could have our old lethal protector back.
Then Venom (Vol. 2) #7 dropped during the peak of the "Spider-Island" event: Venom vs. Anti-Venom, Round 2! This time around, we would have a Venom who was trying to be a hero like Eddie and not a villain like Mac Gargan. The battle was epic: spanning from a church to a parallel building, filled with powerful dialogue from Anti-Venom telling Flash that he's no hero while Flash tries to convince himself that he is, and topping it all off with an ending that would make any Venom fan giddy. It may be one of the newer symbiote events, but this monumental clash of old-school meets new-school has become my favorite moment.
Cullen Bunn's Symbiote Contributions
FA: How and when were you first introduced to Marvel's symbiotes? Would you consider yourself a symbiote fan from before or after your work with Marvel?
CB: I guess my introduction to Marvel’s symbiotes was way back before we even knew they were symbiotes! I remember a friend of mine bringing a copy of Amazing Spider-Man 252 to gym class. It blew my mind and, even though I wasn’t a die-hard Spider-Man reader, I started picking up the book to see where Marvel was taking the story.
FA: How did you land your symbiote gig with Marvel, and what was your reaction?
CB: Then Spidey editor Stephen Wacker and I had worked together on Avenging Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Season One. When he called me and asked if I’d be interested in co-writing the "Savage Six" arc of Venom, then taking over the series, I was thrilled.
FA: When you were working with Marvel and the symbiotes, how did you contribute to the legacy? What more (or less) do you wish you could have accomplished during that time?
CB: There were a few things I feel I contributed to the legacy. I feel that I left a couple of interesting things behind. The idea of Crime-Master being part of something bigger, a kind of secret cult of crime, is something that I threw in during the "Savage Six" arc, and I think it could have been really expanded. Given time, I would have circled back to that.
I also think Mania is a character who could find an interesting place in the Marvel Universe. And Eddie Brock as Toxin—I was so happy with how that character came across in the series. Given more time, I would’ve loved to expand any of those storylines. Also…Venom-Mobile? Hail Mary, the Mother Superior of Punishment? Those things were so awesome, I can hardly live with myself!
FA: What is your favorite symbiote moment of all time from comics, film, or TV—regardless of whether it was a moment you or someone else created?
CB: There’s a moment [from The Superior Spider-Man #24] when Mary Jane cowers away from Peter because she thinks he’s Venom. I thought that spoke volumes about how scary the character could be. It was a very chilling moment for me.
FA: Who is your favorite (canon) symbiote character of all time—regardless of whichever universe or continuity he/she/it is from?
CB: Is it cheating if I say Mania? Obviously, I love the character, and I think there’s a lot of story that could be told with that character. I feel similarly about Toxin. I think Eddie deserves his chance to shine with that symbiote.
