Posted by
The Dace Man
- Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Ahoy Ahoy there Dacitionians....Chris "The Dace Man" Dace back from the great beyond to pring you the top 10 comic book events that need to be incorporated into an animated TV series or given it's own run. It's hard to deny with the huge success of shows like Arrow, Smallville and The Walking Dead that comics are taking over prime time. So why can't a nerd like my self hope for some of these iconic stories to brought to life.
Coming in at Number 10 is, a bias pick of this fanboy, The Deadpool Corps. I know what you're thinking "Chris we just got a damn video game, calm the hell down". Well I'm an eager beaver and this run made me laugh. To witness Deadpool to come to life for a 12-24 episode run is wishful thinking...especially on the Disney channel... but one can hope right? That's why Deadpool Corps is coming in at number 10 go big or go home with five times the amount of Deadpool!
Coming in at Number 9 is a run that will eventually hit the big screens for all of us nerds to enjoy as hinted by the last block buster Marvel's The Avengers is....drum roll....The Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet. Like I said this is coming to the big screen soon which why I ranked it at number nine but there's alot of material here with Thanos, that I find hard to believe will be covered in a two hour movie. One of The Avengers first major story arc could have had a great run with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but I know what Disney is doing here. Milk this cow for what it's worth....heading to number 8!!
Landing in the Number 8 spot is one of Spider-Mans Arcs and probably would be another Rated R show...move it to HBO with Deadpool Corps...You're Welcome....This gem is Maximum Carnage and Minimum Carnage. I absolutely loved the Carnage comics I read thus far and looking forward into finding many more of these gems.Following the not so stable life of a serial killer,
Cletus Kasady,he does exactly what his name suggest....Absolute Carnage. Now there's still hope for Carnage to make a run on Disney XD's Ultimate Spiderman but that clearly means he's gonna be watered down and will probably not kill one single animated citizen of New York...sigh. To do Carnage justice they'll clearly have to do some animated film, which marvel seems to frown upon!! The only area where I feel like DC is kicking Marvels ass and why you don't see to many DC events on here. So hopefully one day we'll get to see Maximum Carnage and get to see the lunatic Cletus run around and kill hundreds of people. Spider Man needs a good villian to make us fans just go...whoa. Hopefully Cletus will be our man. Cletus2016 now on to number 7!!
In blackest day in brightest night, Beware your fears made into light, Let those who try to stop what's right, Burn like his power, Number Seven's Might! That's right flying by in a Yellow blur is ONE of Geoff John's masterpieces Green Lantern Sinestro Corps War. Setting up for another story here on the list, Sinestro's Corps Wars is a fantastic story where Sinestro is doing what he does best...being Sinestro. After yielding the light of Fear Sinestro has set his sites on the Guardians and his hell bent mission on breaking them. Though he may lose the Battle the war has only begun. A great read which would turn into a great miniseries. Sinestro has quickly become one of my favorite characters in the DC universe and to see him square up with Hal Jordan and all the other Green Lanterns on a tv screen would be absolutely amazing! Now on to the big number 6.
Coming in at 6 and wrapping up Part 1 of our lists is a Marvel event that did find its way to a video game and the reason it shows up at 6 Marvel's Civil War. Now this one was tough I enjoyed the series, which is why it made the list but there were a few things that irked me about it that kept it out of the top 5. The concept of Iron Man v.s. Cap is a great idea but i fell like Iron Man was batting for the wrong team and Cap should have been the guy in the middle with serious commitment issues. Even if Steve was pro registration it would have made more sense. He was a man built to serve his country and never once faltered from what was best for the American People until he went completely rogue in this mini series. Don't get me wrong I really did enjoy this huge crossover event but I guess I'm just being picky and and would have liked to see things a tad bit different, which could happen...insert smiley face. Imagine Civil War coming to the new Avengers cartoon and being a huge crossover for all Marvel shows and movies. It be epic and that's the reason we bring the only Civil War we can enjoy to number 6.
Join me next week when I bring you the top 5 Comic Book Events that need a TV Run.....So now for the Road Dogg rant.....As always check back regularly to see what Chris "The
Dace Man" Dace is
looking at, and no not just porn, as well as all other bloggers
here at Fanboys Anonymous. So for The Few, The Proud, and of course
The Dacetacular, grab a beer, or in this case a phone and call up the Animation Studios, and check out what's going on here in the
Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
I'm not going to start off with a lame introduction to this issue, because I want to jump right in. WOW. Uncanny Avengers has impressed me a lot in the past, but this latest issue stands out even more than its predecessors as a truly well crafted and visually brilliant piece of work.
The book begins with the introduction of a long-time Avengers antagonist, Kang the Conquerer, who has a role that is yet undefined in the whole scheme of things. Still, there is a connection there that whets the appetites of readers without confusing them. Next, we jump into the recruitment of some new Avengers to the team. Writer Rick Remender has chosen his characters well, playing with individuals that are both connected to the current set of mutant Avengers but also that have been influenced greatly by the late Charles Xavier.
The most moving part of the book is Alex's speech to the media. Taking off his mask and identifying himself as the kid brother of the now mutant terrorist Scott Summers, he speaks truly to Xavier's dream and shows that he is indeed capable of leading this new collaboration between humans and mutants. But, then again, what's an Avengers book without some action? Another long-time Avengers villain shows up to ruin the day and some events occur that may be game-changing for one or two characters.
The writing style of Remender seems to have changed from the narrative-heavy style of the previous issues to a more hands off approach. This is complemented by the introduction of Olivier Coipel's artwork, which tells a whole other story by itself. There are no other words to describe this art than "eye candy." There is a fine attention to detail that is refreshingly potent, and the characters are expressive and dynamic. Heck, it's eye candy simply for the fact that Captain America takes three whole panels to put his shirt on (not to mention some classy highlighting of some female characters' assets)!
Uncanny Avengers #5 is an impressive book. If you haven't picked up a copy of this series yet, then I would recommend starting now while you still can. I would even go so far as to say that Uncanny Avengers stands as the flagship Marvel NOW! series and represents the pinnacle of what it means to make comic books.
Since the start, Uncanny X-Force has been a very strong book. With a great cast of characters, an interesting story, and drop-dead gorgeous art, this book has certainly been one of my favorites and is definitely not being released fast enough! Uncanny X-Force #3 dropped today, and I was right there to scoop it up!
Having been completely overwhelmed by Bishop at the end of the last issue, the mutant strike force reluctantly teams up with Spiral in order to find the missing girl, Ginny, who is also a new mutant with psychic talent. Sam Humphries does an excellent job at quickly and concisely filling readers in on the situation and allowing long-time readers to have their memories refreshed on past events and characters. Perhaps better than previous issues, the action in this installment flows very nicely and is not quite as hectic even considering the jump to an entirely different scene with an entirely different set of characters.
I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it again and again: Ron Garney's art is amazing. The penciling matches the tone of the series beautifully, and the transition from the real world to Bishop's inner mind allows for even more expressive artwork. On top of the great writing, this issue was simply visually stunning.
Uncanny X-Force is shaping up to be one of the top new X-books. We still have no idea what's going on with Bishop, but it's definitely something worth investing time in. The meshing of these characters is brilliant, showing that Humphries has a strong concept of each individual and knows exactly the direction that he wants to take with them.
After last week's rather disappointing issue of X-Men Legacy, I was left feeling a little betrayed by the previously great writing of Simon Spurrier. What seemed like a randomly placed tangent-of-a-story line developed the plot very little and was admittedly a little weird. The romance between Blindfold and Legion certainly has potential, though, and it is something that is thankfully executed a little more gracefully in X-Men Legacy #8.
This issue and the last have in common the fact that David is still "taking it slow" and helping out in little ways here and there. After discovering a new mutant on an "astral date" with Blindfold, he unfolds a plan to use the new mutant's powers to elect the first mutant president of the United States. This is certainly an intriguing proposition, and it is an angle that I think gets lost in all the good versus evil that goes on in the Marvel universe. Having a mutant president would certainly bring amount change, but, at the same time, there are moral issues that David encounters, as well. As you might expect, he abandons his plan and does the "right thing" in the end. While this portion of the book certainly did not have a huge impact overall, the moral lesson and character development was endearing and admittedly made me smile at the end.
The other component of this book deals with a bit of plot movement, as we begin pulling the curtain away from the unknown personality that has recently been lurking in David's mind. Is it Charles Xavier? We still don't really know for sure, and the lovely ambiguity of the writing and Tan Eng Huat's artwork allows for the brilliant depiction of this mystery.
X-Men Legacy seems to have slowed down considerably as of late, and, as evidenced from the last issue, it can get a bit tedious. This issue, however, is an exemplar for how taking it slow can really allow for some very subtle and delicate story lines that actually allow for some very deep characterization. David Haller makes for a nice foil to the X-Men, giving a new perspective on the mutant cause and how change can happen.
After image upon image and teaser upon teaser, the highly anticipated full-length trailer for The Wolverine (2013) has finally dropped! I've got a few thoughts of myself for what this movie is going to bring to the table, but I guess now is as good a time as any for you to check it out for yourself, eh?
"Eternity is a curse." What a fitting line for the start of a Wolverine movie. As you all no doubt are aware, Logan is more or less immortal. With a mutant healing factor and an adamantium-laced skeleton, he has taken the worst the world has had to offer and time after time again come out on top, even out of the grip of death itself. As has been previously reported by both director James Mangold and lead actor Hugh Jackman, this next installment in the film introduces us to a broken character, whom is struggling with the fact that he is a little more than just mortal.
Knowing a little bit about Wolverine's history and analyzing the bits and pieces of this trailer, one can begin to build a clearer picture about what this movie is going to be about. If you didn't know, Logan has lived for a long time. During that time, he has served in various historical wars, including World War II. From the looks of it, Logan saved a young Japanese man during his service in Japan who has been searching for him ever since.
As repayment for that debt, Logan is offered an experimental treatment that would severely inhibit his famed healing factor. Sure, it seems like a good idea at the time. What mutant hasn't considered what it would be like to be normal? Well, obviously, the movie's plot will no doubt pick up when trouble comes walking in, probably with the face of Hydra.
Naturally, being the super hero that he is, Logan fights desperately to stop Hydra, ultimately coming to the realization that his powers are both a gift and a curse that he has to bear. The experimental treatment is ineffectual, and Logan comes out on top as badass as ever. After all, "What they did to me, what I am... Can't be undone."
What do you think? Do you agree with my predictions?
Canadian MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre has apparently been cast as Georges Batroc the Leaper in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
This comes off the recent news that both Robert Redford would join the cast as a senior member of SHIELD named Pierce and that former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista would be Drax in another Phase 2 film, Guardians of the Galaxy.
I'm actually very pleased with this. I'm assuming that the role that Batroc plays in the script is minimal and I've always been a huge fan of these movies incorporating cameos for characters in the comics rather than creating new ones (similar to how they used Arnim Zola as a scientist aid for Red Skull instead of thinking of him as too big of a character to include in that capacity). Since the role will most likely be small and an action sequence, what better person to get than someone who is already athletic, brings a natural French influence to the role, LOOKS like the character, and is perhaps most importantly popular enough that he could give the film more of an exposure?
What do you think of this casting choice as well as the inclusion of Batroc the Leaper in the sequel? Leave us a comment below!
With news that an official, full-length trailer for the upcoming X-Men film The Wolverine will be dropping on March 27th, fans have been anxiously waiting on the edge of their seats. Well, prepare to change your underwear, folks, because a very short teaser was released today via Vine. Check it out here.
From these very brief glimpses of what is to come, our Fanboys Anonymous experts were able to make some statements about the new film:
1. There is going to be a Hydra tie-in
2. Jean Grey will be making an appearance
3. The Silver Samurai will be making an appearance.
Episode 5 of the monthly Fanboys Anonymous roundtable discussion meeting podcast brings up the question "What Super Power Would You Like to Have?". Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Sean Mitchell, Nick Abrams, Mike Paden, and Sam Lascio.
Some topics we address:
The #1 superhuman ability we'd like to have
The worst super powers
Unique super powers
The ethics of super powers - would you be a villain or a hero?
You can watch all the parts of the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!
Welcome back all to the latest video on route to the road to E3, in this latest video I talk about the possibility of Mega Man being a possible third party character in the fourth Smash Brothers game.
Capcom has publicly stated their interest in working closely with Nintendo to develop games for their new Wii U console. With that being said and potential of the two companies working a little more closely, could a deal be made to perhaps insert Mega Man into the Smash franchise?
We may all have our doubts on this with Capcom's recent burial of the character and franchise as a whole which includes the infamous rib where Mega Man was not so gracefully portrayed when Capcom gave him the appearance he had in Street Fighter X Tekken. Not to mention there is always speculation that if Capcom does provide Nintendo with a third party character they could always choose Ryu, any other Street Fighter representative or someone entirely different.
However hugely requested characters have paid dividends for fans of this series before as Sonic who was not only the most requested third party character but also the most requested character for Brawl ended up making it into the game as Sega obviously was able to come to some sort of agreement with Nintendo for the appearance. Will Capcom be the next success to that? As of right now it still remains to be seen but game director Mashiro Sakurai has stated on many occasions he wants a roster that reflects more of an old school feel to it for this next game, and who better to represent as far back as the Nintendo Entertainment System itself than Mega Man?
Wolverine, buddy, what are they doing to you? It's no secret that I haven't been a fan of Frank Cho's Savage Wolverine. While the artwork and parts of the writing and dialogue have been just fantastic, the one aspect of the book that fails every single time I've read this series is the characterization of Wolverine. Frank Cho is just not getting it, and it's killing an otherwise entertaining book.
If you came here expecting to see something different, I suggest you walk away now. This issue was like waiting for the horrible thing you know is going to happen to happen. In this case, that horrible thing was the appearance of Wolverine. Admittedly, I enjoyed the first half of the book greatly. Amadeus Cho is comically taking advantage of the situation he is in, and, at the same time, we get a clearer picture of the big picture behind this story.
Then, it happens. Wolverine makes an appearance, and it all goes downhill from there. The internal monologue is perhaps the worst part of it all. What Cho writes as Logan's thoughts are not believable, and I find myself thinking time and time again that this is not Wolverine. It's just not. What I would give for someone else to take over with the writing and have Frank stay on as the artist...
It's a shame that a book with such potential could have been ruined so much by a writer's perception of a character. In the case of Bendis and Emma Frost, it's mostly forgivable due to her relatively minor role. A case like this, however, cannot be forgiven, as the whole point of this series is to tell a Wolverine story. You just can't go mucking it all up when it's this kind of a situation, bub.
Cue the ominous and dark music, because it's New Avengers time! With the fate of the entire universe in the hands of a select few, New Avengers has made for a fantastic couple of books so far, wrought with moral questions and dark deeds. Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting paint the story of a dying world and how far people are willing to go to save it.
Having avoided near disaster in the previous issue through the loss of the Infinity Gauntlet, New Avengers #4 opens with some fresh ideas to prevent the end of everything. Mr. Fantastic and the Black Panther have an obviously scientific solution to things, while Doctor Strange, as is usual, has a dark spell to remedy the situation. The entire book, as well as the entire series, is a constant tug of war between right and wrong, and this issue, like its predecessors, conveys the message beautifully.
While I'm not generally a fan of the overuse of shadows, the art style in the book is fitting. Although the dialogue displays a certain level of confidence, it is clear from the facial expressions and use of shadows that there is also a hint of shame mixed in there, as well.
One thing that I am worried about however, is that this story may develop into something bigger than it already is. The series runs the risk of going over peoples' heads as the heaviness of the plot mounts. It's a line that Hickman has walked perfectly so far, but there's a chance that he might cross is in some future issues.
I will admit that the talking and moral acrobatics can get a little tiring, and I'm glad that New Avengers #4 ends on a note that will no doubt bring some fighting action in the next book. After all, while the mind is certainly a powerful weapon, it's oftentimes not as satisfying as a good spell, claw strike, or repulsor blast.
All-New X-Men is a series that has some pretty high expectations coming from readers. When you do something like bring the original five X-Men of days past into the present, well, there's a lot of different things you can do with that. Who better to undertake such a project than Mr. Brian Michael Bendis?
The book opens with a scene of the young X-Men being trained by Professor Kitty Pryde. This is something that I've been waiting for since they first introduced Kitty as the instructor of the young X-Men, and it's nice that it's finally happening. Predictably, the team is inexperienced, unbalanced, and a total mess. Seeing Kitty, a previously "new" X-Men member, coaching the senior X-Men of her time is surprisingly satisfying, and the interactions between the characters are very much on point. The clash between Jean and Kitty is also well-written, showing how Jean's manifestation of telepathy has gone somewhat awry without the tutelage of Xavier.
Perhaps where the book begins losing some of its steam is when the plot shifts over to Mystique's story. Her true intentions are really not quite clear yet, and there is no real indication of how she ties in with the big picture other than her previous interaction with Scott. At this point, it all seems pretty extraneous.
As always, this issue of All-New X-Men ends with a bang, accompanied by the art of Immonen. While I am a little disappointed with the pacing of this issue, my excitement for what inevitably comes next somewhat overshadows that opinion.
Although I was a late bloomer when it came to appreciating the new Cable and X-Force series, I must say that it is shaping up to be one of my favorite books to date. With its witty writing and fantastic artwork, there's little to complain about with this series. Cable and X-Force #6 hits shelves today, and you can be sure that I was there to swipe it off the shelf.
After last week's short respite for our valiant (anti) heroes, the story adopts a noticeably faster pace in this issue. There were several things going on in the book, which led to a sometimes hectic comprehension of what was actually going on in the larger scheme of things. Moments like the recruitment of Boom Boom and Kitty's letter were welcome components to the story but were largely overshadowed by the pace of the issue and the action that takes place. I didn't feel like I had enough time to completely digest a certain plot element before another one was abruptly introduced. Perhaps Hopeless felt the need to make up for lost time after the last issue. Who knows?
As always, the artwork by Larroca was spot on, complemented by D'Armata's colors. I feel like Colossus' power instability was especially well done in this book, as it's something that we haven't really previously seen. The change in Peter's appearance from panel to panel was well done, and it really gives the impression of how unstable the Phoenix Force has made him.
All in all, Cable and X-Force #6 went much like my St. Patrick's Day weekend: a messy blur of fun. Elements of the story, had they been drawn out a bit, were quite intriguing, but the pacing of the book made for a rather confusing experience. Still, there is a semblance of a coherent story in the works, so I'm not complaining too much at this point.
Howdy Fanboys I'm back with my latest video to counting down the the fourth Super Smash Bros. game as we continue along the road to E3 2013. Here is yet another wish list video as requested by my subscribers via YouTube and personal email.
This video is a simple combination of ideas of some changes I think the Smash series should take going forward as it takes it's next step into this new generation of gaming. A more polished single player mode that offers individuals way more than the first three games ever could.
As well as certain touch ups to the multi-player and drastic changes to the online play system and content, which is a must for this game and will be the make or break of it's long term success overall. More videos to come in the next number of weeks hope to see you all then.
Guardians of the Galaxy seems to be gaining steam as Former WWE superstar and pro wrestler Dave Bautista (aka Batista) has been cast in the role of Drax.
Those of you who know Dave Batista will understand the choice in casting. The character of Drax is a big and aggressive superhuman - something that the hulking Batista could easily pull off in terms of his stature.
The main issue with this casting is that director James Gunn and the Marvel Studios team are casting talent from various backgrounds whom are tried and tested in other fields as opposed to film, such as protagonist Chris Pratt's involvement in television (namely Parks and Recreation). I'm sure that this may end up being a tremendous production on Marvel's part, but there still lies a hint of wonder as to why Marvel has decided not to cast bigger stars from the film industry.
Stay tuned for further updates on Marvel's Phase 2 film GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
Episode 16 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. On this episode, Michael, Sean, Nick with special guests Mike Paden and Brandon Liggan discuss MMORPGs. They're a constant craze in PC gaming, but do they have a future on console platforms?
You can check out this episode and the previous two by using the following links:
Free to play gaming has become common place in this day and age, as gamers start to tighten their wallets developers are looking into more ways to draw players in, free to play has made it so gamers don't have to part with an upfront fee, and thus creates a cheaper alternative for those of us who have no money but still want to enjoy the newest games.
Here's a list of my top 5 free to play games that i can't get enough of:
1. Happy Wars (Xbox Live Arcade)
Happy wars by all means is a free to play that tops them all grabbing elements from most MMORPG's and blends them nicely with cute games such as little big planet the game manages to drive you in and keep you locked in for hours of fun gaming.
The game is set in a kingdom that has been torn apart you play on an opposing team of Warriors, Mage's and Clerics that hunt down the opposition in order to build towers and destroy enemy castles so that you may sit on top as the one ruler of your kingdom.
2. Game Dev Story light (IOS and Android)
Game dev story is takes you behind the scenes of a start up gaming coming, you (the boss) assemble your team in order to produce the years biggest gaming hits, you level up each team mate in order to elevate skills and increase your chances of winning the game of the year award.
Whilst this game is highly addictive and is great on passing the time it lacks in long term playability, in the end once you've secured all licenses and have managed to build your own console there is merely nothing left for you to do.
Knights of Pen and Paper was a sleeper hit I managed to secure on my I phone via app of the day and it has yet to disappoint, the game is a fun duplication of dungeons and dragons having RPG elements and those of ingame as your characters are seated around a table with the games master shouting orders at you, what makes this game so fun is that you can level up your characters and earn money in order to make your team unstoppable.
With all these positives the only negative i see in this game is that its long, it takes time to level up and decide on the right characters and stats to build your team properly in order to truly complete the game I myself am now on 2100 days ingame and don't see an end in sight.
4. Gears of War Judgement Online Multiplayer Beta (Xbox Live)
Have no money to buy the actual game?, have an itchy trigger finger?, then why not download the free online multiplayer, the best part is that all XP earned is transferred to Gears of War Judgement once you purchase the full game!. Each player is placed in teams of humans or aliens as you attempt to secure your location or destroy it, the negative to this game is the download time and as with all online multiplayer players are booted without notice which can cause players like myself to turn the damn thing off!.
5. plants vs Zombies (PC. Xbox Live, IOS)
This game is not necessarily free to play on Live and IOS but does hold free to play status on flash hence the reason it's being listed.
For those who love tower defense games then you'll love plants vs Zombies.
You place Plants in the direction of Zombies trying to stop the hordes from making it to your location, its a fun game but get tiresome in the end, thus the ranking at number 5.
Since the reversal of roles between Doc Ock and Peter Parker, things in the Spiderverse have seemed rather tense. Now don't get me wrong, I like tense. A little friction hasn't killed anybody and makes a rather intriguing story. This is why Superior Spider-Man is so special - it's fresh, intriguing, and, well, controversial.
The story starts with Parker/Ock trying to find a killer known as Massacre. Ock attempts to put a stop to this deranged menace by violating every civil right the people of New York have, becoming the eyes and ears of the city through equipping his spider bots with sonic waves similar to what Batman did with cell phones in The Dark Knight. Slott explores a duality in a sense that Spidey/Ock actually believes that he is doing the right thing he and eventually comes to the conclusion that taking a life is justified, with the loss of some key characters and some comedic undertones put in for the laughs. I believe Slott has done something with the character that hasn't been done in years - he's made Spider-Man interesting again.
If you are as old as I am, you will remember the original Tomb Raider. And if you're as old as I am, you remember trying for hours to make Lara Croft topless in her mansion pool.
O, prepubescent curiosity. What lengths a young boy will go to see a pair of pointy 3D animated boobies...
When the first image of the new, gritty remake of Tomb Raider's Lara Croft was released, I was instantly excited and anticipated the game's release date. Lara now looked real. Not only real, but young and fragile, armed with only a bow and arrow. My curiosity for Lara Croft went from childhood perversity of wondering what her triangular breasts looked like, to wondering why she is not the bad ass woman heroin who we all knew and loved years ago.
The story begins with a young, inexperienced (giggity) Lara on a ship, searching with a team to find a lost, ancient city located on a distant, Asian island. Then, disaster strikes. Their ship is split in half. Lara and the crewmen are forced to swim to shore of the nearest island. Lara quickly learns that they are not alone when she is knocked unconscious. She wakes in a cave, hung upside down and wrapped in clothe. You must swing Lara to a nearby fire to light the clothe on fire in order to free her. Once free, Lara falls from a great height and lands onto some sort of metal spike on the ground which pierces right through her side. She takes hold of the metal spike and rips it clean out of her body. Everything turns white. Your vision blurs, throbs. You need to find your way out of here.
By now, my nipples are so erect. They actually tore through my t-shirt. They were so hard, I could hang my car keys from them.
As I move along through the cave, you can see Lara looking around, feeling the walls. The smallest things that Lara does on her own to interact with her surroundings makes the game feel that much more believable and realistic, aside from the game's incredible graphics and visuals.
Then, I come to a point in the cave where Lara has to crawl throw a small, narrow passage. As she enters, a man grabs her from behind and tries pulling her through. It seems as though the cave could collapse. I have to break away from this apparent enemy by moving the left joystick rapidly back and fourth. I failed and a giant boulder comes crashing down on Lara's body, trapping her. Then, another comes down, smashing her head into the ground.
My mouth dropped. That was such an unexpected brutal death scene. So, I assumed that there would be many, many more ways Lara could die. So every chance I got to make Lara die, I did. And there are A LOT of ways. A lot of BRUTAL, brutal ways. Here's a link for those of you who are curious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmVvazuFQXY Aside from the game encouraging me to let Lara die...
Many people were calling the Tomb Raider remake an "Uncharted rip-off." I would have to disagree wholeheartedly. First of all, Tomb Raider came first. If anyone ripped off of anyone, Uncharted ripped off of Tomb Raider. Nathan Drake is the male version of Lara Croft. Second, Tomb Raider plays and feels completely different from Uncharted. It brings a lot more to the table that Uncharted never did. For instance, the open world map. But I can see where people are coming from.
The best way I can describe Tomb Raider is "Batman: Arkham City meets Uncharted." You have the ability to obtain salvage points from breaking open boxes, looting enemies, and skinning animals that you can kill on the island. With these points, you're able to upgrade weapons and equipment (ei. fire arrows, rope arrows, climbing ax shotgun, assault rifle, and handgun). You also obtain skill points to unlock different abilities in the three different skill trees; survivor, hunter, and brawler. There are campfires all around the island that you can use to fast travel, upgrade, or add skill points.
There are many side missions as well as the main quest. One of which is the tombs. The game wouldn't be called Tomb Raider if you weren't able to raid a tomb or two. The tombs are giant puzzles that you need to solve in order to find the treasure at the end. The puzzles are very fun and force you to use your brain in order to solve them.
The enemies you face are just like Lara and her crewmen. People who went in search of the same lost city and got shipwrecked and marooned on the island. But, unlike Lara and her friends, these men all seem to be a cult following an ancient religion like myth of the lost city. And yes, it's a sausage fest. I won't spoil why, but there are no women in this cult. You also have an animal threat, the wolves. Though, they're not as frequent as the human enemies, they provide a real sense of danger when attacking.
The game does an amazing job showing the growth of Lara Croft. The once fragile little young woman is quickly forced to shape into an instinctual killing machine. The trials she faces are brutal and dangerous and are made more believable by the game's beautifully realistic structure of the island and every little bit of detail put into the game.
Like I stated on my new soon to be released podcast called "Joystick Jerks," hosted by the "Toxic Network" (ToxicNetwork.net), I rated this game 9.5 pointy Madonna tits out of 10. It's a must play for anyone who loves action adventure type games such as Uncharted and Batman: Arkham City.
When Ultimate Comics Wolverine was announced about a month ago, I think a lot of people sort of had a "really?" type of moment. If you're not familiar with the Ultimate Universe in Marvel, Wolverine has been dead for quite some time. Announcing this title meant that either A) they were bringing Wolverine back from the dead or B) they were telling a story from the past. Either way, the series didn't seem too appealing.
Well, color me red, because I'm embarrassed (and relieved) to say that's it's neither of those! Ultimate Comics Wolverine is shaping up to be a tale about not only the late Wolverine but also his son, Jimmy Hudson. The story follows an "unfinished family business" sort of plot line, which plays in perfectly with the fact that Jimmy never really knew his father. This type of a story not only gives us a little more time with our favorite adamantium-laced mutant, but it also moves the current story forward and develops a previously untouched character.
The writing by Cullen Bunn is spot-on with the characters he uses. On the other hand, David Messina's work is a departure from the more "traditional" look of most characters. Jimmy and Kitty Pryde quite frankly don't look anything like they've looked like in past Ultimate books, and I haven't really decided whether or not I like that. Messina's drawings are top-notch, with very expressive faces and portrayal of body language, but I feel a tad bit thrown off my just how different the characters look.
Overall, what started out as a reluctant read turned into an all-too-short one. Ultimate Comics Wolverine manages to set up a very nice plot that'll give readers insight into present and past characters alike. This isn't what I thought it was going to be, and, boy, am I glad about that!
Coming in at Number 10 is, a bias pick of this fanboy, The Deadpool Corps. I know what you're thinking "Chris we just got a damn video game, calm the hell down". Well I'm an eager beaver and this run made me laugh. To witness Deadpool to come to life for a 12-24 episode run is wishful thinking...especially on the Disney channel... but one can hope right? That's why Deadpool Corps is coming in at number 10 go big or go home with five times the amount of Deadpool!
Coming in at 6 and wrapping up Part 1 of our lists is a Marvel event that did find its way to a video game and the reason it shows up at 6 Marvel's Civil War. Now this one was tough I enjoyed the series, which is why it made the list but there were a few things that irked me about it that kept it out of the top 5. The concept of Iron Man v.s. Cap is a great idea but i fell like Iron Man was batting for the wrong team and Cap should have been the guy in the middle with serious commitment issues. Even if Steve was pro registration it would have made more sense. He was a man built to serve his country and never once faltered from what was best for the American People until he went completely rogue in this mini series. Don't get me wrong I really did enjoy this huge crossover event but I guess I'm just being picky and and would have liked to see things a tad bit different, which could happen...insert smiley face. Imagine Civil War coming to the new Avengers cartoon and being a huge crossover for all Marvel shows and movies. It be epic and that's the reason we bring the only Civil War we can enjoy to number 6.
