Fanboys Anonymous

As I start typing this, my heart rate is still elevated and I'm so angry that we have to wait until next week for the next episode. By now you all know the drill. Blah blah blah spoiler alert blah blah. So let's dive in.

Holy. Shit. I'm gonna start with the ending here. In season 5A Mike referred to Walt as the time bomb- and he kind of was when he killed Mike in a moment of pride and anger- but that was nothing compared to the bomb Jesse turned out to be. Not long after last week's episode ended I was talking to my friends about how I hoped Jesse would find out about Walt's involvement in Jane's death and Walt poisoning Brock. We all agreed that the latter was much more likely, and lo and behold, that happened here. I absolutely love the way it was done, with Jesse making the connection between Huell lifting Jesse's pot and the missing ricin cigarette, with Saul finally admitting to it; it was the second major confession in this episode. Part of what made that moment so great for me is I actually didn't know what was going on at first and then I had my epiphany moment and realized how perfect it really was. From the moment that scene with Jesse in Saul's office started, my whole viewing party and I started to feel uneasy. Something just felt...off about that scene, and I was extremely relieved that Jesse chose not to go with the "disappearer." Then after seeing Walt rush to the car wash and grab a gun he had hidden in the soda machine, I was expecting the episode to end with Jesse showing up there. Instead we got Jesse breaking into Walt's house and dousing the entire living room with gasoline. For a moment my friends and I thought that that explained the condition of the house in the flash forward teaser scene from "Blood Money," but after thinking about it a bit, the interior of the house wasn't singed or anything, so I don't think that's what drove the family out. Something is clearly going to stop Jesse somehow, but what?

Now for the other story aspect I've been waiting to be addressed and the first confession: the fact that Marie used Walt's drug money (thinking it came from gambling) to pay for Hank's medical bills and rehab, revealed here to be $177,000. With the episode titled "Confessions," I was expecting one of those confessions to be Jesse talking to Hank, and I was genuinely surprised that he didn't. So to see the first "confession" come from Walt, in which he accused Hank of being Heisenberg and essentially blamed Hank for almost everything that's happened in the entire series while claiming all he did was cook, was astonishing. In my mind, that is one of the worst things Walt has done in the entire series, and my mouth was literally hanging open in shock during that entire scene. Granted, Hank and Marie are the only ones who have seen the DVD, and as Hank rightly pointed out, it was pure blackmail and Walt had no intention of showing anyone else unless Hank kept up his investigation. Yet what makes it even worse is that paying for Hank's treatment actually adds credibility to the story! Now that Hank finally knows about the money, that's definitely going to change the way he handles the situation. Just goes to show that even if Walt is out of the meth business, Heisenberg is who this man is now.

Also great in this episode was when Jesse finally called out Walt on all of his bullshit. He is fully aware of the fact that Walt has done nothing but manipulate him for the longest time, and poor Jesse has had enough of it. Then Walt gave him a (VERY awkward) hug and he broke down crying. Maybe that made Jesse start to doubt his convictions a little bit, but any hint of doubt was immediately washed away when he later realized that Walt poisoned Brock. During a commercial break my friends and I had a big discussion about whether or not Walt was sincere in that scene. We all knew he wasn't, but I really WANTED to believe there was some sincerity there. Alas, that's just not who Walt is anymore. I just know that I hate this show and AMC for making me wait a week between episodes, but I absolutely love it and these last five episodes are bound to be one hell of a ride.

Now I decided to add something to my reviews that I'm basically shamelessly stealing from the great TV reviews done over at A.V. Club: their stray observations, random thoughts about things in the episode not discussed above, but I'll come up with a different name for them next week. Probably "Random Thoughts" or something like that since I'm lazy and I'll be balancing the next five reviews with my fifth year of pharmacy school.

• Starting with that scene. It was tense and actually very funny with Trent the waitor. Then Marie telling Walt to just kill himself was ice cold and a wonderful moment.
• It was also nice to have the "disappearer" brought up again to remind the audience that this guy exists since the flash forward teaser scenes suggest that Walt used this guy to change his identity. Also pretty funny that one of the updates in the Breaking Bad Story Sync was all about the vacuum cleaner that's used as code for contacting this guy.
• I assumed that someone or something would stop Jesse from lighting the White house on fire, but the "fix" for next week in Talking Bad just now makes me think maybe the inside of the house does burn: apparently the White family takes a "staycation" and the image made it seem like they were in some sort of hotel room or something. Maybe a temporary place to stay while the house is fixed up? It's probably not that obvious, but we'll see.
• Also just as I predicted last week, minus the teaser scene, this episode picked up immediately where "Buried" left off, and after that ending, it seems very likely that "Rabid Dog" will pick up immediately where "Confessions" left off. One continuous story indeed.
• Last thing I'll mention before I shut up: the opening scene with Todd. He told the story of the train heist back in "Dead Freight" and surprisingly left out the detail of how he killed Drew Sharpe. I was honestly expecting that little detail to surface, but nothing. And now the new meth operation spearheaded by Todd is on its way back to Albuquerque. Clearly this can't be good for Walt. Sooner or later this is one more thing that will catch up to him and bite him in the ass.

The world of video games over the passed few years has become more of an accepted medium in terms of storytelling, and has a culture and history as rich as many other forms of entertainment. Just as in the movie industry, there have been several games that have pushed the boundaries of the art form and transcended generations and characters that have become identifiable with the culture of gaming.

I like to consider myself both a gaming and film aficionado. I also recognize that this admission makes me a GIGANTIC nerd, and in true nerd fashion I would like to draw a parallel between two mediums and explain to everyone why Star Fox 64 is the video gaming equivalent of James Cameron's 1992 film, Terminator 2. Other than the fact that these games are both heavily rooted in science fiction (Star Fox slightly more accessible to children not withstanding), these two classic titles have a lot more in common than one might initially think at first glance.

Leaps And Bounds

The first thing I want to point out is that neither the original  Terminator nor the first Star Fox are bad by any means. They both were genre defining thrill rides that pushed the envelope in their respective mediums. I mean, an evil robot from the future coming back in time to kill the mother of the future leader of a resistance against said evil robots!? That's an intriguing plot if I ever heard one, and if you're not excited and scared by that concept I emplore you to check for a pulse. Seriously, you might be dead.


The original Star Fox game stretched the capabilities of the Super Nintendo to it's absolute breaking point. The first time I sat down and played it, my mind was blown. How did they make these 3D graphics? What black magic was this?  All the way up until the final battle with Ol' Whiteface (Andross, for those who didn't call him that) the game was a straight up blast. The fact of the matter is, there was only so much the SNES could do. Just like in 1984 even with a 6 Million dollar budget, those special effects could only go so far. Although that scene where the Terminator is chasing Sarah through the trash compactor is damn terrifying.

Regardless of how good the originals were, the sequels were definitely leaps and bounds ahead of their predecessors. In the case of Terminator 2, the movie was a thrill ride from start to finish. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next and I honestly still am even though I've seen the movie countless times to this day. When Sarah first encounters the reprogrammed Terminator in the hospital and is trying to crab walk backwards for her life. The drama, the fear in her eyes. It has to be one of the greatest moments ever captured on film. It took everything that was great about the original Terminator, polished it and turned it on it's head.

In terms of Star Fox, the graphics were given a huge boost and overhaul. Sure the gameplay was essentially the same, but who cares? This time the characters actually spoke ENGLISH instead of incoherent nonsense, which believe it or not made a huge difference. The fact that I no longer had to read the subtitles in order to understand what people were saying to each other was a great step forward for the franchise as a whole, and voice acting in games it's often something many gamers take for granted nowadays.


Standing Up To Time Itself

There were several great video games released on the N64 system back in it's hayday, but few games can actually be revisited without few or any criticisms. Sure, Star Fox 64 is not a perfect game, the multiplayer mode is laughable albeit entertaining. The reason why I say this game can stand up to the test of time is that the single player is still incredibly fun and challenging, in addition to the fact that the graphics really stand out as some of the best on the N64 and even to this day are a sight for sore eyes. I promise you, if you go back and play this game even right this very moment you can rest assured that this game is anything but ugly.

Terminator 2 is the movie industries Star Fox 64 for this very reason. The special effect have aged beautifully, and they are not over done nor do they overshadow any of the plot elements or take away from the acting in any way. It's hard to find an early 90's movie that makes such good use of technology that can hold it's own against later offerings. Even when compared to more recent blockbusters, T2 takes the cake. It is an incredibly beautiful movie, and I defy anyone to challenge that notion.

Too Many Sequels

Perhaps the only negative aspect of this comparison, this point actually has nothing at all to do with the titular products themselves. Both Terminator 2 and Star Fox 64 had a gratutitous amount of follow-ups that came very close to tarnishing the reputation that they both made on their respective industries. The third and fourth Terminator films were definitely entertaining at best, but the way the plot points of the first two were twisted in order to suit stand-in directors ideals completely undermined Cameron's original vision and in turn compromised the franchise as a whole. In my opinion at least, those movies shouldn't have existed. Plus, Arnie was basically absent in Salvation. Blasphemy.


The games that followed Star Fox 64 also undermined the integrity of the franchise by adding pointless characters (coughKRYSTALcough) and redesigning old fan favorites in ridiculous ways. It's safe to say that the franchise desperately needs a reboot, and anyone who played Assault and enjoyed it should definitely reconsider calling themselves a Star Fox fan.

What do you guys think? Is my assessment accurate? What other video games can we draw parallels to movies with? Leave comments below, and check back for more opinion pieces, news and other rubbish right here at www.fanboysanonymous.com

Episode 39 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. On this episode Michael Burhan, Travis Goss, Shaun Walker, Nick Enderle. Kong Long and the returning Lee Garasich, Brandon Liggan and Mike Paden discuss Gamescom. With news coming from Microsoft, Sony, Valve and EA about upcoming next-gen gaming, this is a show you do not want to miss with a rather hilarious panel of hosts.

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It's hard to watch the Pegg/Frost films without instantly comparing each to their preceding release (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Paul, etc) and comparing jokes, plot lines, and acting styles. So don't! Just sit back and enjoy. This movie is one of the top of the series with probably the most refreshingly unique characters for Pegg and Frost.

Whatcha' think?....Pub?

These are definitely a series of films that almost literally ask you to shut your brain off at the door and have a good 2 hours of fun. Although I didn't have as much of that fun with Paul, I certainly did with Shaun, Fuzz, and now World's End. I always enjoy the supporting cast in these films, as they are always written as equal characters and not just throwaway, one-dimensional people. They have backstories with the leads and goals of their own. We may not always see their story arcs through all the way as deeply as they deserve, but they are included consciously by the writers.

This movie had a main cast of six. Each character had a history with the other, and it all came out smoothly enough that it was fun to watch as old personal issues get drummed up as this rag-tag crew of aging men set out to relive their failed glory of 12-establishment pub crawl in their home town. It was difficult to swallow that these older, established men could be so easily convinced by Pegg's deadbeat character to play along for the adventure, but you have to kind of go with the flow a little. Each of the team has an established job and is doing well for himself, and aside from a few minor hang-ups we can all relate to (one is divorced, one feels trapped in fatherhood, etc) they have all turned out as normal adults. Which, of course, was never the plan in their youth, and Pegg's character won't have it. He manages to convince them all to meet up for a road trip back home for the pub crawl to end all pub crawls.

The team is easily convinced to go triumph over their greatest collective failure: 12 pubs, one night. The joke at the beginning is that they are all simply 20 years older now, and this seems like an exercise in futility. Then things get batshit crazy. The movie takes a turn I won't spoil too much of here, but the first big reveal in a bathroom was definitely the greatest scene in the entire movie. Well shot and well paced. And the aftermath was surprisingly believable, making the next hour a hell lotta fun.

The problem with a movie like this is it just gets too big for its plot devices. The build-up and reveal in Hot Fuzz seemed forced, but backtracked clues from throughout the film in a fun cut-to sequence ("a great big bushy beeaarrrrd!!!") made it easy to swallow. The last couple of scenes of the movie are the kind of reveals that make you sit there going "Whuuuuut…!?!" almost wishing the movie ended with unanswered questions. Remember season one of The Walking Dead where a scientist actually explains zombie-ism to the cast (sorry, walker-ism)? How necessary was that?! Completely "un."

I did enjoy World's End. I'm not sure how I'm sounding at this point, but it was a fun time at the movies, as they say. There were definitely several laugh-out-loud moments as the cast gets drunker and drunker while the movie progresses. Their conversations go just as yours do when you drink too much—around and around until someone yells "What the fuck are we arguing about!?!?" Good times.

Although I don't think this team will ever top Shaun of the Dead, they hit it out of the park on their first try. I would rank this one third, after Shaun and Hot Fuzz.

What is your list in order of "fave" to "not as fave" (or dare I say, "Best to Worst") of this family of films?

Nothing on the internet brings grand satisfaction like seeing another person fall and get hurt, especially while trying to look cool...except maybe cats, but someone else can start the Caterday pics here on Fanboys Anonymous.

I'm here to bring you the spills and aches that will make your own sides hurt, starting with this gem:

Hey Hey Hey Fanboy Nation, it is I, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace here today to run down the top 10 Nickelodeon Cartoons!! So strap in and let us get rolling on the Era of Awesomeness and the cartoons that made me demented and twisted as I am!!

Diving in at Number 10: SpongeBob Square Pants

Ooooooooooh Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? That's right SpongeBob Squarepants! Now I have not been a major fan of this franchise since it's incarnation  in May of 99 but never the less he is an icon of Nickelodeon. Spanning nine seasons an 185 episodes, SpongeBob has been a pop culture icon for over 14 years....yes let that sink in. To me the only saving grace to the show is his dim witted side kick Patrick. SpongeBob has conquered the airwaves and generations for a decade and a half with no end in site. Capturing the hearts of 2 generations and looking on conquering a third it is one of the longest running cartoons in Nickelodeon's history. SpongeBob was also the last Nickelodeon cartoon to have a major motion picture release globally with the self entitled The SpongeBob Square Pants Movie. As much as I wish this show would go away one can not deny the success and accomplishments of your little yellow squared friend. That being said lets go back to the surface and check out number nine.

Rolling in at Number 9: Rocket Power

Alohoa Little cuz! This group of beach bum pre-teens rolled across our television for 3 seasons and 61 episodes. Giving us the view of life through the eyes of kids who live down at the shore the entire year and not just the summer. getting into those every day pre-teen problems and having and Uncle Tito from Hawaii to me is a great combo for cartoon success. Having a ride variety of sports guests, such as the legendary Tony Hawk, the four Pre-Teens Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard popped on our televisions from 1999 to 2004. Week in and week out they would teach us the lessons of life at fictional Ocean SHores and the importance of friendship and family. That's why Team Rocket Power made it on the top 10 cartoons list! So now lets leave the coast of Northern California and head to the jungles of africa for number 8 on our list.

Swinging from the Trees at number 8: The Wild Thornberrys

Having a run from the Fall of 98 to 2004 the quirky family known as the Thornberrys graced our television screen following the adventures of Nigel Thornberry and his family. Cursed with the ability to hear animals talk Eliza, Nigel's daughter, begins helping animals as her family films a popular Nature show. Eliza's best friend Darwin, who is a monkey, helps her on her adventures to rescue animals and their needs in the safaris of Africa. Her sister Debbie tries to have a teenager life on the road and her adoptive brother Donnie is just the wild card bitches!!! The Thornberrys gave us 5 seasons with 92 episodes and appeared on the big screen twice, teaming up with another one of our featured shows on the list as well as their own feature length film. You Wild Thornberrys have mad the list and congratulations now lets grab some wood and head on down to the river for number 7.

Building a damn at number 7: The Angry Beavers

Lets put the title aside for a moment and look at a beloved cartoon from the 90s, The Angry Beavers. Brothers Norbert and Daggett appeared on our screens from April of 97 to November of 01. Giving us 4 seasons and 61 episodes the brothers introduce us to such friends as Stump, who literally was a stump, and a character based on Barry White....Barry Bear. Now the series is by no means a classic and one that really teaches life lessons. In fact the show is probably best suited for Cartoon Networks' Adult swim with all the in-jokes, adult humor and hell...the title. Yours truly though absolutely loves the series because of how cool and slick Norbert was and how moronic Daggett is. The series was staple in my child hood as I vividly remember the episodes and laughing my butt off before I got the adult humor. The two beavers never made it to the big screen and when it comes to Nickelodeon cartoons really didn't have that long of a run, but to me it was all fun cheeky humor and they deserve to  be on this list and especially at number 7. Now lets leave our wood behind with the Angry Beavers and make a wish for number 6.

Poofing in at number 6: The Fairly Odd Parents

Timmy is an average kid that no one understands. Mom and Dad and Vicky always giving him commands! That's right our favorite pink shirt wearing tween and his loveable Fairy Odd Parents!! Timmy Turner blasted on the Nickelodeon scene in the Fall of 1998 wrapping up the illustrious 90s Nick Cartoon Era! With his bumbling fool of a Odd Father Cosmo and the some one voice of reason Odd Mother Wanda, we have scene the trio in over 9 seasons and 131 episodes, thus far. The series still goes strong today bringing in a
newer younger generation as well as still hooking in the 90s kids who are well in their 20s now. With the ever slight hat tips to an adult culture as well as the slap stick comedy that keeps children entertain the series has managed to anamor 3 generations. They have also been able to pop out eight cartoon movies, one live action movie and three team ups with Jimmy Neutron. and impressive run if I do say so myself. The series is chugging along with no end in site, a tenth anniversary and a sequel to the live action film. So crowns off to you FAIRY! ODD! PARENTS! now lets head back to Middle School.

Running Late for school at number 5: Doug

Patty, you're the pickle in my coleslaw, Patty, you're the sugar in my tea, Patty, you're the relish on my hotdog, and Patty, you're the mayonnaise for me. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who could deny the awesome short and catchy songs from the main character and the band The Beats. Coming in at number five is the legendary Doug, and no not that shit Disney gave us. I'm talking about the 90s nick cartoon that aired from 1991 to 1994. Yeah Doug is as old as my brother. Now under the Nickelodeon run the animation wasnt as crisp and they didn't have Disney money for a movie but never the less we have the classic episodes. With his blue pal Skeeter, his green enemy Roger, and his blonde tan goddess Patty... Doug gave us the perspective of a young teen who just moved to a new town, Bluffington. With awesome catch phrases as "You Bet I Am" and amazing mating calls of the elusive nematoad the show still sticks with it's core audience from the 90s. I still yell Ka-lu-ka-coo especially when I try to imitate a bird. The show had 52 episodes with it's run on Nickelodeon before it got Disney money and ran an additional 65 episodes of a course or 8 years and 7 seasons. Sofortunately for us who stay up late to watch the 90s Are All That, Doug made a run but is currently not airing these days, but hey go on Amazon and buy the awesomeness that is Nickelodeon's Doug and will hit the Urban Streets for number 4.

Trolling the Urban Streets at number 4: Hey Arnold

Uh...Here we go, here we go....Arnold! That's right our favorite football headed, morally conscious fourth 90s nick line up. You can catch Hey Arnold on the 90s on Nick Segment during the week as well as DVD these days so one last time "Move it Foot Ball Head!" and lets crawl in to the top 3!
grader Arnold comes in at number 4. Spanning 5 seasons and exactly 100 episodes Arnold gave some important life lessons with his very diverse group of friends. Always the "Do the right thing guy" Arnold would help elevate his friends to a morally higher ground while also giving us some classic characters as Stoop Kid and Chocolate Boy. With his best friend Gerald by his side and his stalker/enemy Helga on his heels Arnold tried to live the life of a normal 4th grade, as normal as a cartoon would allow. He live with his bat shit crazy Grandma and his Awesome story telling Grandpa in a boarding house with lots of wacky tenants.  Arnold made it to the big screen like some of our other contenders on this list and then gracefully bowed out of the cartoon scene. Running from October of 96 to June 04 Arnold dominated the morality spot in our line up

Getting Diaper Rash at Number 3: Rugrats

Coming in at number 3 is the Iconic series that grab a generation of parent's wallets and bled them dry. spanning over nine seasons and 172 episodes these diaper heroes, known as The Rugrats, were one of the Nickelodeon's heavy hitters. having a run from 1991 to 2004 these babies saw the big screen three times. They have had numerous holiday specials, I for one received all of my historical holiday information from them, and have had countless video games and toys made from their success. As if nine seasons wasn't enough the little babies grew up to be teenagers in the series Rugrats: All Grown Up that ran for an additional 5 seasons with 55 episodes in a four year span. They are officially the juggernaut of cartoons when it comes to Nickelodeon. Though they did have a failed attempt of another spin-off Rugrats Pre-School Daze featuring Angelica and Suzie the series without a shadow of a doubt is one of if not THE most succeful franchise Nickelodeon has ever produced. These Babies, Tommy, Phil, Lil, Chuckie, Angelica Suzie and the future additions of Dil and Kimmie shaped my childhood. I seriously watched from 1991 to 2008 some form of Rugrats, to me that speaks volumes about how amazing and successful this Franchise is and was. So for all of you arguing why this is not number one and is number three I will tell you this. The top three was very hard for me to organize and you will see why. Though this is the most successful I have my reasons for number one and two. So lets bounce to Number two. 

Disturbing every ones memory of their Childhood at number 2: Rocko's Modern Life

I dare you right now to ask any 90s Nick watcher what is the one show they absolutely loved as a child and a way to short 4 seasons and 52 episodes the show had its original run from, starting on my birthday (kind of a big deal), September 18th 1993 and running to November of 96. This show was the counter-part of our number one and absolutely ridiculous. So i have to know "Where are you really really big man?" and will we ever get a Wacky Deli feature length movie? This Fanboy hopes like hell we do! So now it's time for the big reveal at number one....unless you were a dick and started from the bottom in that case you already know.
the majority will say Rocko's Modern Life. This show was edgy as hell to be aired for children and most of now look back and go "Oh Dear God how did we not get that". I bring this to you as number two because it is the most memorable show from our childhood and the most watched of the Nickelodeon Golden Age today. I still watch this show with a group of friends and laugh my ass off. I can not say the same for The Rugrats hence why I felt this would rank higher. The show followed a Wallaby, a Cow, and a Turtle through a bizarre and very adult themed world. In fact there are videos on YouTube that will show you hundreds of subtle adult jokes with in the show... To me this show will stick with me for the rest of my life and has unlimited re-watch value. Spanning

The Original Nicktoon at Number 1: The Ren & Stimpy Show

So this spot had to be reserved for one of the three original Nicktoons. The Ren and Stimpy show debuted in 1991 alongside The Rugrats, clearly geared to a very young audience, and Doug, geared to pre teen audience, as the off the wall adult humor that wasn't even going to try and hide it. The show was extremely controversial and has given us so many memorable lines and songs. I've been singing "The Log" song all week which in turn was what sparked me to write this article to begin with. They would have a run of 5 seasons with 52 episodes between 91 and 96. Spike TV tried to cash in on the 90s generation by reviving the series in 2003 but only lasted 7 episodes lacking the vibe and the glamour of the original run. So what would a Cat and Chihuahua possibly do to stay on the air waves for 5 years and be so iconic. The answer, absolutely anything rude and crude they could think of. Even though the show debuted around the same time as Doug and The Rugrats when asking most adults The Ren and Stimpy show is considered the original cartoon that drew to Nickelodeon hence why they are number one on our list.

Check out episode 9 of The Dace Man Show with regulars Michael Burhan and Brian Gibson! Also call-in guest Jeff Coop!

Join The Dace Man this week as he tackles:

:: Sports News ::

:: Weird World News With Gibby! ::

:: Celeb News This Week ::


Also the fan favorite segments: the High Five and the Douchebag of the Week


Step into the Crazy Train with Chris "The Dace Man" Dace this week on The Dace Man show....queue the Final Countdown!!!

Follow The Dace Man on Twitter: @TheDaceMan
www.Twitter.com/TheDaceMan

Catch The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8pm EST on Mega Powers Radio.

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The rest of the list:

DC has been making waves with their reboot of the universe in their New 52 line and things don't seem to be stopping any time soon.

The latest major change is targeted towards Lobo, an alien bounty hunter who is essentially a walking parody of all the stereotypes that 90s comics were fond of. He was a giant, muscular, biker alien covered in guns and chains who filled the "cool" killer antihero role to a nauseating level, in my opinion.

And now he looks like this:

What the frag?

DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras weighs in:

"Back when we introduced this “What’s New In The New 52” column, I told you that the most important word in The New 52 is “New.” We’re always striving to keep things exciting, different and surprising. Which is why JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.2: LOBO (from the creative team of Marguerite Bennett, Ben Oliver, Cliff Richards and Daniel Brown) contains a major surprise – one we’ve had planned for a while. The Lobo you’ve seen so far in the New 52 is not who you think he is. In this one-shot, you’ll be introduced to the real Lobo. A ruthless killer, Lobo is on a quest to kill the man who has taken his name.

This Lobo is equal parts strong, vicious, and driven. There’s a darker and more logical idea about what a force of nature like him is capable of. After all, this is someone who can infiltrate high society, fly a space ship, and adhere to a very specific moral code that’s not your typical anti-hero one. Oh, and, this one-shot takes place very far away from Earth. And when I say very far away, I mean it takes place literally on the other side of the galaxy."

What do you think of the new Lobo, who looks more like Johnny Depp than what everyone is used to? Is this a step in the right direction, or are you just waiting until Lobo goes back to this:

As the resident Canadian contributor, I guess I better comment on this…DC has announced in spring of 2014, they will be cancelling The Justice League of America series to pave way for it's replacement: The Justice League of Canada.

Eh?

This wreaks heavily of shades of Amazing becoming Superior over at Marvel. It feels like a temporary change based on one or two events that will not be in play a year from now. Those events in the New52 DCU would be "Trinity War" and "Forever Evil", shattering the teams across the board and forcing the JLA out of America.

The Simpsons are going to Canada! *GONGGGGG*

Though Marvel has famously had Canadian heroes in it's canon for years (Alpha Flight, Wolverine, Alex Trebek), this is DC's first foray into the country. Jeff Lemire, a Canadian, will be taking full control of the series (after the editors tell him what to change and then he does and then they tell him to change more until they are happy) so there is at least a solid name attached that isn't Geoff Johns.

Lemire confirms the team will consist of at least one new character of Canadian heritage and an old character revealed now to be a Canuck: fan favourite Adam Strange. The team will be a mix of heavy hitting well-knowns and new or lesser known heroes. I'm not sure what kind of "vibe" they're trying to send me here but I'm a little more than concerned at their future attempts at Canadian humour. Hopefully Lemire and company can pull it off.

Any fellow Canadians out there curious just what this team will have to do up here? Canada is vast with great distances between major cities. Even Superman might get bored flying through Saskatchewan.

Rose Colored Reviews is a series of nostalgic reviews of video games, television shows and motion pictures I have grown up with and see if they still stand the test of time. In the premier video, I will take you back to the year 1983 where I show where my love of video games began; at least where it started to my recollection.

In the premier episode, I will take you back to the year of 1983 with the release of Activision's, "Keystone Kapers," for the Atari 2600. I discuss my fond memories of the game and if it is still fun to play today.

80s box art galore!

Check out the video below for the full review. Thanks for watching!


Have you ever played Keystone Kapers? What are your thoughts on the game?

Leave a comment below!

Admittedly, Doctor Strange has not been one of Marvel's most well-known characters, but the Master of the Mystic Arts does (or used to) boast a broad range of powers and feats that put even the greatest A-list heroes to shame. Classic Strange has trumped Galactus, gone toe-to-toe with the Beyonder, outsmarted the Living Tribunal, and even overcame Death herself. Despite this, the contemporary writers of Marvel have almost made it their personal mission to relegate Stephen Strange to the rank of a C-list hero.

As far back as I can remember, I have been a loyal fan of Nintendo. Through its many ups and downs, this company has always been on the forefront of creating one-hundred percent pure gaming goodness.

Of course, as much as a Nintendo fanboy tries as hard as they can, there is no way you cannot think about the Mario Brothers whenever you think about "the Big N." With Luigi celebrating his thirtieth anniversary this year (his first appearance was in the 1983 arcade game appropriately titled "Mario Bros."), something has been on my mind for a long time and I feel it should be addressed.

Just by looking at the title of this blog, perhaps some of you are wondering where I have come up with this kind of idea in which Mario and Luigi could possibly be twins.

Lil' legends.

To give you an idea of what I am going to present as an argument, have a look at the introduction to the 1995 Super Nintendo classic, "Yoshi's Island."


Naturally, when you look at Mario and Luigi today, they are obviously not identical. But, they are fraternal twins. Until this game was released, many gamers have wondered exactly who was the oldest of the two. If you go back and watch the Super Mario Bros. cartoons which were released in the late 1980s and early 90s, it was noted by the Italian plumbers from Brooklyn in which Luigi is the youngest. This is also exemplified in the 1993 box office Bob-omb, Super Mario Bros.

The box office "Bob-bom" in the Summer of 1993.

Of course, when you look at the actors who portrayed them, you can tell Luigi is MUCH younger than Mario. There is a scene in the film in which Luigi explains how Mario raised him. This would lead some to believe Mario is his father which would not make any sense considering the people who have went to see this movie knows these characters are supposed to be brothers. But the movie was poorly written and the whole thing was a huge pile of Koopa poopa.

Anyway, I digress.

I have always been a die hard Super Mario Bros. fanatic. I will never forget the day I first played the original NES classic and fell in love with what would later become not only a legendary gaming franchise but also a gaming icon. Anyone who can identify Nintendo with Mario and Luigi knows these two Italian plumbers were the reason the video game industry was saved from total extinction. Plus, well... they look so darn cute as babies.

As fanboys and girls, we all enjoy a good movie every now and again, about as much as we all enjoy a good cry every now and again. Sometimes, you can kill two birds with one stone and watch a movie that makes you cry. Many of the most enjoyable and most highly received films across multiple demographics are animated movies, so in this article, I'm going to focus on a few of those films that can make me well up viewing after viewing.

Try not to cry. Cry a lot.

We all dread "the scene" that you remember from before. The one that made you cry the first time around. And possibly the second. And likely the third…..sometimes I'm distracted the whole film because I'm preparing for my reaction to that moment. Can I hold it in? Will anyone notice? Am I a man or a bubbling little school girl? It depends on the movie, now, doesn't it?


Caution: this article requires SPOILERS for full effect
Consider yourself warned…


The Iron Giant (1999)
Director Brad Bird got a huge boost from this awesome animated film that Warner Bros. famously botched the marketing on. It is very much a "boy and his dog" story (and certainly not the only one on this list) that has a charming 50's twist: the dog is a giant alien robot. I personally saw this movie seven times in the theatre, I felt a very strong connection to it (and wanted to support it).

Is it odd I'm taking a dump AT the dump?

The Scene: the movie ends with the town (and everyone in it) about to be destroyed by a nuclear missile accidentally fired by the film's antagonist, Kent Mansley (he works for the government). Right when the giant and the film's hero, Hogarth, have reached a true friendship, the robot chooses to sacrifice himself and fly up and allow the missile to destroy him instead of the town. Earlier in the film, Hogarth shows the giant some comic books and explaining that he is most like "Atomo", an evil, destructive, giant robot killing machine. But the giant is much more interested in the heroic antics of Superman. In the final moment before flying into the nuclear missile, the giant remembers Hogarth's wise words "You are who you choose to be"…to which the giant smiles and says "Superman" as he explodes in the summer sky, saving hundreds of lives.
Damned if that doesn't make me ball my eyes out every time. Just writing this story has my eyeballs wet. Damn you, Brad Bird!

Up (2009)
Though I find this to be one of Pixar's weaker films, the first quarter of the film sets up the love story of the main character and his now-deceased wife. We see their childhood together and see them bond over decades, going through relationship problems, including their inability to have children (much of this is done with pure visual sequences). The popular meme online cites these very few minutes of an animated film are "Still a better love story than Twilight" for a reason.


Toy Story Trilogy (1995-2010)
Though the original film and it's sequel don't contain many tear-jerker moments, they all lead up the the stellar, heartstring murderer that is Toy Story 3. Parts one and two have amazing moments that I find exciting and inspiring (Buzz flying in part one, the airplane/runway sequence in part two) but it's part three where they take a Super Soaker filled with lemon juice to your face.

There's a snake in my boo-hoo-hoo!

The Scene: Part 3 has two incredibly horrible moments for people who hate crying in public (hi!). First, the gang get tossed into a dumpster that takes them to the dump, where everything that can be destroyed, will be destroyed. They avoid getting cut up into bits only to find themselves trapped in a giant pile of items, leading into a pit of molten "lava". They fight to their fullest but soon realize they're all out of fight. They all give each other accepting looks of surrender, join hands and wait to die after decades of adventures together. But then they're saved and all is well! Just when you think you'll need to re-hydrate after crying into your popcorn bucket, there is a final scene in the film that pretty much everybody you know can relate to. The film sets up the backstory that Andy stopped playing with Woody and the gang years ago and all they want (as toys) is to be played with and loved by him. Andy gives his toys away to a loving little girl, but before he goes away to college, he and the girl play with them all "one last time". The importance of the moment is lost on nobody and if that scene doesn't make you, at the very least, tear up then you are an inhuman monster who deserves nothing more than to be killed and forgotten.

Monsters, Inc (2001)
One of the funnest and most endearing films, in my opinion. The movie seamlessly sets up the monster world and somehow explains the concept of how the doors work without using a single word to describe it to the audience. Genius. However, it's the relationship between Sully and Boo that really brings the story home. Having two young girls myself now, these scenes are even more tear-enducing than ever.

I balled my eye out.

The Scene: After an exciting climax through the door warehouse (and around the world, really), we are forced to say goodbye to Boo. It's easy to understand the importance of destroying Boo's door, the only way Sully could ever see her and when the two say their goodbyes, you really feel you are part of it. So when Mike reveals he has painstakingly re-created her door after (we can assume) weeks or months of hard work, the anticipation is a 30-second emotional roller coaster. Though the impact of the moment is lost on many by the fact that we don't get to see Boo again, I think it was a stroke of genius to leave her off-camera. It leaves the amount of time it's been open to the viewer and also keeps the beauty of their reunion to your imagination.

These are clearly just a few movies that make us all blubber ourselves into a frenzy while our kids look at us funny. I'm sure there are several more you can think of, so please chime in below and let's discuss!

The Guardians of the Galaxy movie is really heating up the buzz charts in the nerdiverse these days. With promises of a Galaxy Quest meets Ghostbusters tone, this could be one of the most entertaining stories of the current Marvel film franchise.

....silver bullets playbook?

Recent casting announcements include the continuing rumours of Vin Diesel (Fast movies) signing on and now Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, The Hangover II, The Hangover III) has apparently hopped on board to voice the loveable rodent "Rocket Raccoon". Fans were surprised this past summer when there was no voice announcement made at San Diego Comic-Con but this news comes better late than never.

Personally? I'm all for it. Like many, I was leaning more towards a gruff, excitable voice actor but if the film's tone is action-comedy, I think his voice will play well. Rocket Raccoon will also likely be paired with the baritone-voiced tree-man character, "Groot" so the more different their voices, the better.

The Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning saga of the space-faring team was some of Marvel's greatest stories of the past decade. Hopefully they capture that magic in the upcoming film (trilogy?).

Thoughts? How do you feel about the comedic Cooper playing the rough and tumble raccoon? Comment below!