Fanboys Anonymous

Just a few days after it aired in the US, we here in dear ol' Blighty got to see the pilot episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD for ourselves last night. Anthony has already posted his initial thoughts, but what did we think of it on this side of the Pond?

Well, as far as this particular Brit is concerned, it was ... ordinary. For those of us of a geeky disposition, there was nothing so bad that you'd feel compelled to reach for the remote but, for anyone not already versed in the world of Marvel comics, there was nothing to make you want to continue watching the next episode either.

Even Marvel realised an apostrophe-'s' would spoil their logo.

Great expectations

Fanboys and girls have a tendency to over-react to news of any forthcoming show with a SciFi or fantasy theme, especially if it's based on a comic, and that leaves a lot for the show either to overcome or live up to. Ben Affleck as Batman? The internet has already decided that simply has to be dreadful. How could it be otherwise? A TV show based on the work of the GCPD but without Batman? Pfft!  Why would anyone watch that? Constantine? Yay - sign us all up now! And so it was for Agents of Shield (it's no use - I can't keep pandering to the tawdry marketing gimmick that is the "Marvel's" prefix!) Even before the first frame had been shot, comic fans worldwide were working themselves up into a frenzy of anticipation.

Agent Coulson. Just the man you want in charge when there's a clean-up in Aisle 3.

It would be superb! It will be written by Joss Whedon! It's a superhero show without superheroes! (Huh? Then why all the negative reaction to the GCPD show?) It would star Agent Phil Coulson from all those wonderful movies! Yay! Except ... wait a minute. Agent Phil Coulson is boring. I mean, don't get me wrong - he's supposed to be boring. The reason we love him is precisely because he remains down-to-Earth, bland and ordinary, even while surrounded by larger-than-life egocentric super-beings. He's a foil, not a leading character. Take away the Gods and monsters, and he's your average guy who could just as easily be managing your local supermarket or cashing your paycheck at the bank.

To work as an interesting character, Coulson needs to be surrounded by superheroes. And, frankly, so does the show. As if to underline this fact, the first advert break last night included a trailer for Thor: The Dark World, and my interest level in the show peaked immediately. Of course, it subsided again as soon as the show resumed but, for that brief moment, I had a glimpse of why the show wasn't working and just how good it could have been.

Non-entity crisis

Sadly, Coulson's team adds little to the mix. A group of uniformly pretty and largely interchangeable young men and women, they really bring nothing of any particular interest to the table. Oh wait ... one of the girls had a pristine English accent of the type you only hear in drama schools and middle class dinner parties, and one of the guys had a British accent too. I'm not sure which British accent he had, but I think it was supposed to be Scottish. If so, I'm sure we can look forward to him referring to single malts in the very near future. Yup. As far as characterisation is concerned, that was about as deep as it got.

The full team. Can you spot the difference?

For me, great characters can save a mediocre show. Without characters we can identify with and care about, however, the show is going to need a fantastic premise and/or absolutely jaw-dropping special effects of the type we've never seen before. That's why we all loved The Matrix in spite of Keanu Reeves, right? So how did Agents of SHIELD measure up in the story department?

Deja vu

So so, is the answer. Pedestrian, would probably be the kindest description. I don't think I'm giving away too much of the plot if I say it's about a secret organisation dedicated to "containing" super-powered beings. The trouble is, we've seen it all before and the show wears its influences on its sleeve for all to see. In fact, at times, there's possibly more entertainment value to be had from spotting the ingredients that Whedon has borrowed/stolen from elsewhere than there is in watching the show.

'The Hood' as seen in 'Smallville'. I mean 'Arrow'. I mean ... oh, you get the idea.

The pilot starts with a couple of seconds from the Avengers Assemble movie (yes, that's what it was called on this side of the Pond!) to remind us that we're in a New York which has become aware of the existence of aliens, superheroes and all manner of inexplicable tech. It ends on a car gag (yes, the car gag!) appropriated from Men in Black. In between, there are whole scenes which could have been taken direct from the likes of Mission Impossible, Heroes, Alphas, Arrow and even Marvel's own X-Men-in-all-but-name series, Mutant X. In short, the show feels ... tired. And if a show feels tired after only the pilot episode, it doesn't bode well for the future.

Future shocks

To be fair, there are hints of more interesting plot lines to come, foremost among them being the question of just how is it that Agent Coulson is alive. I mean, we all saw him killed by Loki, right?  He believes he was only technically dead for a mere eight seconds before being revived, but there are suggestions of something more at work here. Is he a clone? A Rimmer-style "hard-light" hologram? A cybernetic being? Someone resurrected with alien tech, gamma radiation or super soldier serum?

We don't know. And therein lies another problem: Whedon has a track record of hinting at bigger things at work behind the scenes and never fully resolving them. He did it with Firefly. He did it with Doll House. He seems to believe that because Buffy ran for seven seasons and its spin-off Angel ran for five, his shows will always run indefinitely and he can therefore afford to continue to tease us with the promise of better things to come, never considering the possibility that something stamped with the Whedon brand might actually be cancelled before he has a chance to deliver. Will that happen to Agents of SHIELD? Only time will tell, but based on the lacklustre pilot episode, I wouldn't bet against it.

Agent Coulson dying in the 'Avengers' movie. His TV show may not be far behind.

For now, I'm prepared to give the show the benefit of the doubt and I'll be tuning in next week for the second episode. I'm by no means hooked, however. Unless it picks up quite dramatically, I'm probably not going to make it beyond the third. I just don't have that kind of super-stamina. Do you?

We have all known how crummy G4 has been lately with its nonstop reruns of wonderful, classic shows, including Cops, Cheaters and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Additionally, we have known G4 was to have had its lifeline pulled to make way for Esquire Network. With a further additional, NBC Universal decided to keep G4 on the air and turn the Style Network into Esquire.

Well....

We will miss you, G4

It looks like NBC Universal has taken G4 out to the pasture, pulled the trigger and killed it. On October 10, the channel will be no more. It will cease to be. It will expire and will go on to meet its maker. It will be a stiff. Bereft of life, it will rest in piece. If they would not have strayed away from what the channel once was, it would have gotten better ratings. Its crappy programming has now made the channel history. Its off the twig. It has kicked the bucket. It has shuffled off its mortal coil. Run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible.

THIS IS AN EX-CHANNEL!!

For a more serious take on it, here is a document which suggest the demise of one the greatest channels to have fallen from grace.

Document stating the death of G4.

G4, we thank you.

CORRECTION: The document applies to Cablevision customers in Connecticut. At this time, a date for G4's complete cancellation has not been finalized.

For those who don't know the man by name, Shinichiro Watanabe is a man to pay attention to. Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and most recently, Kids on the Slope, are all stellar and unique shows. Watanabe's works will always be important to me. Cowboy Bebop was the first anime to show me the power the medium has. (If you're somehow unfamiliar with his work, for the love of god buy Cowboy Bebop immediately.) Pairing that potential with Watanabe's unique sensibilities and the results are always something never seen before.

I may be biased but this screenshot sold me immediately...

There isn't a lot of information floating about the tubes as of just yet, but the series is pegged by Watanabe himself as being purely comedic. The show is based around alien hunter Dandy, the "dandiest man in space." In an interview with the folks of Anime News Network, Watanabe says how this show will be drastically different from anything we've seen in a comedy series thus far.

Dat title screen!

"I feel that current animation trends are a bit toned down. Things could be bigger and more extravagant in anime. That's what I'd like to express. I feel like I want to make anime that destroys the norms, something that would be strong even if it is unconventional. I want to do things that other people haven't done before, and not get trapped up in those "this has to be done this way" sorts of ideas. I'm always wanting to try new stuff. At the same time, I want Space Dandy to be something you can still have fun with and just enjoy as a comedy. Every week the main characters will go to different stars, but from star to star, entirely different themes will be explored, and that means we will completely change over the style of everything each time. There will be different art styles, different moods, different directing styles, all completely unique for each episode. At the same time, there will be aliens from other planets every week, but every planet has different designers, so there will be lots of varied designs in one place onscreen."


Wow. Well that sounds...spectacular. Based on the teaser alone this already seems to be over the top and ridiculous. Those are two things I love in a comedy. I can only pray the good folks at Crunchyroll will be all over this, because I want to pour this shit into my face IMMEDIATELY.

Speedrunners is a side-scrolling racing game about superheroes competing to be the first at the scene of a crime. Players take control of our saviors who wound each other with boxes, spikes, hooks, screws, rockets, and bombs before someone claims victory by being the first to run off the screen while in the lead.

The game can be played with up to 4 players locally or through online multiplayer. It’s an incredibly fun experience that has to be seen to be understood. For that reason, I will be streaming Speedrunners on September 28 from 1 PM ET to 4 PM ET at www.twitch.tv/handsnface.

For more on Speedrunners, please take a look at the Steam store page which features more trailers, a forum, and options to access the open beta.

Also, if you have suggestions for video game soundtracks to jam to during the stream, please add them in the comments.

Aaron, out.

Patience is a virtue. Since it is Villains Month, however, it seems only appropriate that my patience, and virtue by extension, be cast aside. This revelation came just in time for me to review a villain title I had been looking forward to, Green Lantern 23.4: Sinestro.

After reading Batman 23.2: Riddler, I wasn't sure if I'd go back for more Villains Month, but the idea of an issue all Sinestro's was too good to pass up. Sinestro played a pivotal role in the building of Geoff Johns' legendary Green Lantern run. He's a multilayered villain with morals and motive beyond money and not liking heroes very much; plus he makes awesome constructs. It is because of all of this that I am afraid to say this issue was the worst kind of disappointment, a flashback issue. Let me rephrase that, not just a flashback issue, an origin issue.

That's right, an origin issue for one of the lead characters in one of DC's leading properties. Worse yet, the issue falls back on the ever-exhausting plot device known as Lyssa Drak to tell this tiresome tale.

Lyssa's origin goes back to the celebrated Sinestro Corps War arc in Green Lantern. Since that time, however, she's quickly fallen from feared Sinestro Corps soldier to founding member of the Exposition Corps. She kicks things off in classic info dump form, delivering a monolog to rationalize all of her talking to come. (This way no one in outer space judges her) We then launch into the epic origin of Sinestro.

This became frustrating fast as it immediately builds to one of the most exhausted Green Lantern moments, the one where we see them light up in the suit for the first time. These guys have lost and regained their rings so many times in the last few years that a shot of them making a Green Lantern costume like this one is almost at once per graphic novel rate. I'd be surprised if you're allowed to pitch a story without one.

The rest of the book, then, is really just a colorful Wikipedia page although it moves far too quickly to really paint an accurate portrait of Sinestro. Here are the highlights; Sinestro was an architect, he got a ring, became a dictator, got beat up and his ring taken, made a new ring, got beat up, got his old ring back, got beat up, got his new old ring back and beat some people up, and then he flew away. All of that for the price of a gallon of gas. Take that recession!

My original understanding was that Villains Month was supposed to show what the villains were up to while the heroes were out of commission due to the events of Forever Evil. Batman 23.2: Riddler showed me this needed to be bigger than a villain pulling off a heist. I thought Sinestro would be just the guy to find something more meaningful to do with the free time. DC, however, chose to pass up on this opportunity to remind us where he came from and what he was doing in the Spring. Hopefully it's to set the stage for the soon to be announced Off Broadway surprise smash hit "Springtime for Sinestro".

Perhaps the fault is in my logic in the selection of the book. Maybe the real advantage in Villains Month is for the publisher. It's a chance to let the villain breathe a little without the hero to share page time with. I could see this working for a more obscure villain like…and that's how this reviewer just talked himself into giving Villains Month another go.

Have any books released so far? Leave suggestions below and stay tuned to Fanboys Anonymous see which villain I take on next.

A long time ago inside a forgotten drawer far far away, George Lucas found a rough draft for Star Wars and realized he hadn't yet monetarily capitalized on every bit of the original trilogy.

Begin humming John Williams…now!

There's a new Star Wars series on the shelf. The big deal? This one is supposedly based off of the "original rough-draft screenplay" by the big man himself. I'm going to preface my review by saying I am going to cover the book fully believing the sales pitch, thus not spending much time debating the blaring references to the prequels and the issues with legitimacy these could cause with a more cynical mind. Since fear leads to the Dark Side, and the Dark Side leads to people creating Jar Jar Binks, lets press on without fear of a Lucas Film scheme and just enjoy some new Star Wars. The book opens with crawl, of sorts, setting up the world. Basically, there is a big rebellion, cleverly titled The Great Rebellion, between the Old Empire and the New Empire with the "Jedi-Bendu" as the real casualties. The "Knights of the Sith" have allied themselves with the New Empire and have been hunting the Jedi-Bendu.

The story begins on the Fourth Moon of Utapau which I can only guess was the way Lucas had his Scrabble tiles arranged when brainstorming Sci-Fi planet names. Watch the vowels, George. Living on the moon of extra vowels we meet Kane Starkiller, Jedi-Bendu warrior, father to Deak and Annikin, and owner of the last Rob Liefeld 90's helmet.

Starkiller is in the middle of a training session with Deak when a ship lands nearby. The trio mounts a stealth op that runs awry when the pilot is revealed to be a red light saber wielding Sith! Annikin quickly draws his good guy red… apparently all light sabers are now red which means we'll have to leave the discerning of Sith lords from Jedi to physical disfigurement and a muted wardrobe pallet. Starkiller, who had gone to scout ahead, leaps heroically into the fray and bisects the Sith Darth Maul style, but not before the villain can strike down Deak. After a quick funeral pyre, I think the ability to quickly erect a funeral pyre is a requirement to being an action hero, Annikin and Starkiller take to the stars.

In another part of the galaxy that's far far away we get star destroyer galore and a look at the emperor. This is where the main flaw of the issue, and premise, come forward. These pages are slow and the dialogue is a bit bloated. These things are understandable when an author is working on a rough draft. This is because you don't usually publish a rough draft for mass audiences. While I think the idea is fun, I'll assume they tried to keep the work as authentic as possible. While I think this is valiant the story suffers for it.

During a Hitler-esq speech on Alderann by the emperor we learn that the Jedi-Bendu have become the villains around which the planet has been rallied. One ominous villain meeting in a secret room later and we get the first of two big reveals, Vader. Physically scarred and wearing dark colors, at least the Sith are consistent, this Darth Vader is a careful balance of Michael Fassbender and Kingdom Come Superman. He stands with two conniving sirs known as Governor Hoedaack and Vantos Coll and discusses the possibility of Jedi still existing. When Vader attempts to dismiss the claims, Vantos Coll reveals he had, in fact, witnessed a "General Skywalker" leading a rebellion. A few ellipses and a change of scene later and the second great reveal unfolds; Luke Skywalker has a Rob Liefeld helmet too.

He's also considerably older and bears a confusing resemblance to Starkiller. I guess we'll have to bank of Luke's new silver fox status to set the two apart. He carries on with a meeting in which he and a small tribunal discuss war strategies, but we quickly walk away from this to watch Princes Leia leave for Space College. I'm not sure what Space College consists of, but if it's anything like American college its most likely about parties and Bantha chases.

The issue finally winds to a close with a ruckus in the halls of Luke's ship. A few angry shouts and stern warnings later and Luke and Starkiller are reunited. Their pleasantries quickly fade, however, when Starkiller, in true "they're tearing me apart Lisa" fashion, rips off his shirt and reveals that he is A. mostly cyborg, and B. dying. No rest for the Jedi-Bendu, however, because something big is on its way, big enough to be the climactic cliff hanger of the first issue of this new, yet old, spin on Star Wars.

Although I wasn't sure when I picked up the book, I can now say I'll be checking out the next issue of The Star Wars. While I was skeptical coming in, the over the top ending of the book helped put this entire series in perspective for me. While I wouldn't recommend it across the board to Star Wars fans, new or old, I would say that it makes for an entertaining novelty. It's sort of like an over the top DVD extras feature. Besides, I've always believed the best part of coming into Star Wars late, aka not being one of the one's in the theatre from opening weekend of the very first film, was discovering there was this massive new world to learn about, both on the story and production end. This book successfully adds to both, although the quality of said addition is open to debate especially since not much really happened in this issue. Fortunately, Star Wars fans are a resilient breed, so hang in there and let us know what you thought while we await issue two.

Google turned 15 years old today, so they're letting everyone play a pinata game. Yaaaay! Google's also proven that they have learned nothing in 15 years when it comes to providing decent customer service.

Blow out the candles and wish Google didn't suck so much!

Just to inform everyone, the Fanboys Anonymous YouTube channel has been terminated wrongfully due to a lot of people flagging the Wolverine review video angrily as they neglected to read the word "review" in the title - or the description stating that it was not the movie and an episode of a podcast - or the comments that state that it isn't the movie.

Since Google operates under the idea that they shouldn't have any customer service, if you have a situation like this pop up where you need to talk to someone about fixing a problem, you're just out of luck.

It doesn't matter if you appeal the decision, because YouTube's bots will just assume you're wrong because they don't look into the actual situation. Shoot first, never ask questions.

They've got a lot to deal with and they just assume "oh well" for the little guy. So what, if you're suffering from a problem where your account is terminated for the wrong reasons? Just start from the ground up again. You don't really matter to Google because you're not one of their investors or anything of the sort.

If you call up Google's phone numbers (1-650-253-0000 or 1-650-214-6064) you're either going to get an automated message telling you to fuck off and go to the website for help or you'll get some random call service receptionist that is pointless and only tells you the same thing. Thanks, Agent 3996!

The forum for Google Help products is absolutely pointless. Normally, you can expect to be completely ignored. At best, you can expect a few other people that have the same problem telling you "sucks dude, I'm having it too, does anyone else have a solution?"

Google's answer to customer complaints is to give them nothing but a message board to vent and expect other people to do their job for them and if they can't, as it requires action on Google's part, then tough shit.

For a billion dollar corporation, you would think that they'd put at least a modicum of effort into trying to have a customer service, but whether you're someone with a terminated YouTube account for the wrong reasons, your Blogger stats always show different results for each month, your AdSense account is frozen at the under review stage, or whatever the issue....Google could not care less.

Congrats on 15 years of ignoring your customers, Google! I hope that you have fun changing the layout of your YouTube settings again tomorrow to keep yourselves busy.

Efficient is a good way to describe Raymond's writing on the whole. Henchmen's narrative is deft and agile, confronting Gary's depression, failed marriage, lost job and attempted suicide in the opening pages, all with a swift pace and a lightness. Don't expect Watchmen levels of weight. We as readers partake in Gary's sadness, but the comic doesn't dwell on it. In the hospital after his Tylenol overdose, the doctor informs Gary that he is in liver failure and can no longer drink alcohol, to which he replies, "I don't drink. I only do over-the-counter painkillers." Offering a quiet, "Heh..." to his physician's stony glare.

These tragic moments are covered so early and so quickly because while Henchmen is a story about feeling expendable, it is also about finding your place once more. In a way that is not unlike a melding of Office Space and The Monarch and his dubious henchmen from The Venture Bros., Gary discovers that corporate incompetence extends outside of the office. As Striker and Head Pin exchange incorrect puns in a battle of (dim) wits, Gary remarks "Different job. Same idiot boss." It's succinct and efficient, yes, but it's about as sharp and fresh as a Dilbert strip.

Taking his life into his own hands, Gary convinces a small group of henchmen to follow him instead, escaping with the money. Once again, in a way that is not unlike Office Space, or almost every movie you've ever seen, Gary's sudden streak of leadership and out-of-the-box thinking saves his bacon. His depression is cured, his broken marriage begins to suck less, and his heroics gain him the respect of the local henchmen. The sequel hook comes when Gary, having a drink at the bar with his fellow hench-buds, reacts to a news story that Japan will begin manufacturing Henchbots, threatening the job security of henchmen everywhere, by suggesting they start a union. Naturally, the organization of which quickly becomes Gary's job.

The story is a tight, quick package, which is simultaneously its strength and its weakness. It's a fast, pleasant read, uninhibited by any pretensions, but as a comic and a story is breaks close to no new ground. Even the hench twist has been done before. Readers looking for an enjoyable read will find it here, but don't expect to be wowed.

I'd say the same thing about the art, too. It's competent and unobstructive to the reading experience. The backgrounds are simple, or flat, and the line work is clean-- though in the coloring process, the whites of a few dozen eyes were sacrificed. There's a page that sticks out to me, however, when Head Pin is revealed for the first time. The panel takes up two-thirds of a page, and while Head Pin himself is very detailed and well-shaded, he's up against a flat purple gradient. It's the second-largest panel in the book, and most of its negative space is a flat purple gradient. If there's anything about the art I'd consider a misstep, it's the lack of background details in featured panels. I get that this is a two-man operation on a shoestring budget, but I hope, going forward, that a little more effort can be squeezed in where it counts.

Overall, Henchmen is a solid debut, and while I don't think the story is the funkiest of funky-fresh, the notion of organizing a union of henchmen has juice. It occupies an odd liminal space in Comicdom, though. It may be too 'literary' to appeal to the mainstream comic reader, and it may be too quick, too simple, too well-tread for the more stuffy graphic novel reader (me). I'm intrigued about the future of the series, but I'm not sold on buying issue two just yet. If I had to rank Henchmen using the score from a bowling frame, I'd give it a 7-10 split. Unpack that as you will.

::SPORTS NEWS::

• Oracale wins the boating competition and Gibby knows to much about it..
• Mayweather wants Miley to walk him to the Ring next fight!
• NFL Week 3 is in the Books
• What the MLB Post season could look like as of September 25th 

• We basically mock Gibby and his inability to hold our attention

• Weston Cage goes toe to toe with Tommy Lee
• Amanda Bynes is not mentally stable to withstand trial.
• Jon Gosselin is Now packing heat
• And More!!

Also The DaceMan's High Five: Top 5 PodCasts/ Radio Shows and count em 3 Douchebags of the Week all that and more only on The Dace Man Show

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

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

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Hey there F.A.N. tonight you get a two-pher from The Dace Man as I run down another new Fall premiere. This time it's a completely new show that happened to follow the original show I was watching previous to it Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. That show would be, for thos of you who turned off your DVRs and TVs immediately after AoS, The Goldbergs. Now I've always been one to be bluntly honest with you F.A.N. and I would be lying to you to say I was eagerly awaiting this debut. The fact that I watched it was merely cause I was hanging with my buddy and we left the television set on. Picture this it's 2013 and we're watching a sitcom set in the 80s...what is this the answer to the lack of That 70s Show? So we gave it a try since it was on. I can not deny I was coming in mostly negative on this thing but after watching the premiere I must say the Dad, played by Jeff Garlin, and the Pops the grandfather played by, George Segal, these two hooked me. The quirkiness of the two sons buckled me in and the the relationship with the Dad and sons drove it home. I found my self near tears with some of the jokes that were laid out in the pilot episode. Needless to say i will be hanging around after AoS to catch up with The Goldbergs. The cherry on top of this sundae as well, the show is produced by Happy Madison and Patton Oswalt narates it... I'm in.



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, your R.E.O. Speedwagon Cassette, and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Crude, crass, and vulgar. When I had first heard of Rat Queens, I had imagined Skullkickers with chicks. When I went to pick it up my local comic book store, that’s just what the guy behind the counter said as well. This is a sort of half-truth. Both Skullkickers and Rat Queens play off the classic Dungeons and Dragons in great satirical comedy, but in two very different ways. Now, bear in mind we have only just seen the first issue of Rat Queens. While Skullkickers revels in over-the-top machismo and ultra-violent antics, Rat queens, with no shortage of said violence, definitely curves towards a more uncouth and sexual humor. It’s a read best left on a high shelf lest a young individual were to pass by. It’s sure to offend a few people, and kindle the hearts of feminists everywhere.

Rat Queens follows the tale of our all-female gang duly titled the Rat Queens. They are one of many gangs within the Palisade who are wreaking havoc within the city limits and the people are tired of it. Apparently there was a time when these gangs took up arms against monsters and various invading forces that sought to destroy, or otherwise cause problems for the Palisade, but now they have settled down into a raucous life of sin and debauchery. Given the option of banishment or service to the crown, the Rat Queens opt for the quest assigned to them; rid the Hindman Cave of its supposed Goblin population. It’s a simple little ditty and nothing too impressive at this point in time, but it’s got lots of room to grow.

Page 5, Panel 1 of Rat Queens Issue #1

Initially I felt the story to be a little redundant. I've read this a hundred times and really, why do I need another fantasy RPG on my bookshelf? That comment aside, I feel that among the many other fantastical tales out there, this book might accomplish a few minor tasks that others don’t. Primarily, I’m really enjoying the comradery among the girls. Betty, Dee, Hannah, and Violet play off each other quite well and I’m looking forward to more of their off kilter conversations in further issues to come. Secondly, within a single issue I already have a pretty firm grasp on the back-stories for two of the four girls and it didn't feel like I was being force fed. That’s a huge accomplishment. It didn't take a monologue or diary entry to do it, just clever conversation and a little intuition. That’s a win for me.

Page 7, Panel 5 of Rat Queens Issue #1

The creative team behind this book features Kurtis J. Wiebe as our scriptwriter and Roc Upchurch on art. Kurtis is known for his work in Peter Panzerfaust and a big Shuster Award win for his book Green Wake. He has also written for The Intrepids and Debris, two more Image Comics titles. John Upchurch, who goes by the alias Roc, is providing the eye candy for this marvel after making his debut in Image doing the cover art for the series Vescell. More then what Kurtis will be providing us in terms of story, I am quite intent in seeing the continued works of Upchurch in whatever he may do. He has a style that isn't as cookie cutter as most individuals in the industry at this moment and so far I am a big fan of those doe eyes and cute button noses. Roc has been quite open about his work on Rat Queens and you can see more pages in future issues at his blog site here.

Issue #1 Promotional Cover Done By Fiona Staples

For a damn good time, Rat Queens is a definite suggestion for you pull list. I suspect that not only will we continue to see the same great things that are happening in this first issue in future issues, but also a whole lot more. If you are a fan of wily women and loose lips, this might be the tale for you. If you have ever played D&D with your bros and wondered what it might be like to have a girl at the table, this is definitely the comic for you. If you've ever wondered why the most masculine and chiseled of heroes always hog the spotlight, well women, this could be the story for you too.

Finally, if you manage to snag yourself a copy, as I hear they have sold out, give me a shout and let me know what you think. Which one of the girls do YOU have the biggest crush on?

*update: Looks like this will be on ongoing series. Hurrah!

Hey there F.A.N. The Dace Man is back with another article here on Fanboys Anonymous. I's that time of year again...Fall. Time for Hoodies, campfires and of course ALL NEW SEASONS OF OUR FAVORITE SHOWS!! So what better way is there to kick off the Fall other than television. Yours truly finally got a chance to sit down and watch the Season Two opener of NBC's hit show Revolution. Now I'm not going to sit here and pretend I caught every episode last season and suspensefully watched week after week. That's just not my style. My Style is power watching on Netflix the week prior so I can pretend I'm a huge fan....don't believe me check my FaceBook and see how I orgasm over Breaking Bad....I was 4 1/2 yrs late on that one. But I will admit I was on the edge of my seat for the Season One ending. Now I'm going to alert you the following review will go into detail about the Season One Finale and Season Two premiere so if you wanna get in on the action I suggest you turn back now......

Decided to stick around? Awesome! So at the end of Season One the power was back on and Randal went all Patriot like on us and launched nukes at both Philadelphia (well I'm dead) and Atlanta. to neutralize the two radical territories on the East cost. With mere seconds left on the count down  the crew we've come to love has to some how turn off the power and stop these nukes. Bee Tee Dubs....Randal locked the bulletproof room up and shot the button to disable it.... the crack in The Liberty Bell is gonna get a little bit bigger.... Jump a whole summer, yeah Im sad it's over too, to the Season Two premiere Born In The U.S.A. and we are six months in too the future....Da Fuq?!?!?? There's a purpose. Apparent Miles, Rachel and Aaron have settle down in a community living with Rachel's dad and Aaron is settled down with a girl. We find that Charlie, any body else say charlie like the Candy Mountain video?...no? ... just me?...sorry back on track... Apparently Charlie is on a Mission in the Plains Nations tracking down Former General Monroe. Which brings her to New Vegas, Fall Out esque, where she tries to assassinate the man only to watch him get kidnapped.  Mean while all the way back on the East coast we find Tom and his son searching for his wife in a refugee camp outside of Savannah when The Secretary of the State comes sailing up the river on a raft telling the Refugees the power Hungry Monroe Nation and Georgia Federation launched the nukes in a desperate attempt to seize power. Our boy Tom knows the truth and it gives him a new will to live, and he is immediately back to his scheming ways.

 Man I think Giancarlo Esposito is by far one of the best Actors on TV these days, on that note back to the small community Miles and Crew are at with that one dude who was on Law and Order SVU for a season... Miles attempts to leave the community on the request of Rachel's father. Prior to the conversation between Miles and Rachel's Father we see Miles at a shed coming out all bloodied and then setting it a blaze. He flashes back to that on several occasion through out the episode....even visits it once as he's leaving.  When Miles finally hits the road he notices a couple of bandits raping and pillaging... he takes one down and decides he'll bring him back to the community. There he warns Mason, That dude from Law and Order SVU for one season, and Rachel's Dad he's part of a war clan. Time to prepare for another war. While all this is occurring we find out Rachel went nuts after the fateful night the power went back on and this being six months later, she's finally getting her shit back together you know just in time for the Season Two Premier and another war. As Miles and Sheriff Woody er I mean Mason prepare for the bandits a few manage to sneak it pass the A-Team's defenses. and in the process KILL AARON!!! At this point Aaron had been noticing some weird things to do with fireflies and having issues of his own dealing with the night the power went back on. He was merely trying to protect his new squeeze, and if I may say so myself was decently holding his own, until the guy slashed him across the chest with a machete thus ending Aaron life. Miles and Mason, now I'm thinking of Falling Skies, well those two All Stars got captured. They did manage to free some future rape victims though....Yay! So the first episode has ended in complete turmoil...Monroe was kidnapped....Charlie messed up her assassination attempt...Miles and a new guy are captured...Rachel is bat shit cray....Tom and Son are planning to overthrow a government that was already overthrown....and Aaron's dead..... but wait AARON WOKE UP!!!


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, an electrical pulse, and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

After morphing together the cast of the Star Trek movies and television series here, artist ThatNordicGuy is at it again, merging the two actors that have played Charles Xavier and Magneto in the X-Men film series to create the "perfect" versions of these X-Men characters.

Obviously, these do not include the little children versions, as that would be incredibly difficult to pull off. They include James McAvoy morphed with Patrick Stewart for Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender morphed with Sir Ian McKellen for Magneto.

Check them out! Pretty awesome, right?

Michael Fassbender & Ian McKellen Merged as Magneto	James McAvoy & Patrick Stewart Merged as Professor Charles Xavier

Anyone who is an action buff knows who Schwarzenegger and Stallone are. In fact, plenty of people, who aren't exactly action movie fans, know who they are. 

Even at their ripe ages, they can not go into public without being noticed. Of course, if they didn't want to be noticed by adoring fans, it goes without saying that Comic Con isn't the place to do it.

Stallone, most known for his Rambo movies, which feature a treasury of stealthy Green Beret ass-kickings, and his Rocky movies, which follow the fictional boxing legend, Rocky Balboa, starting when he wasn't so much a champion, has been a fan favorite for a long time. Earlier on, specifically in his First Blood, Rambo and early Rocky films, he was known for his medium size and impossible cut.

Stallone's "cut" was a deep one.

Schwarzenegger, also a fan favorite and five time Mr. Universe and seven time Mr. Olympia, on the other hand, has been a Herculean hulk for as long as the world has known him. From Hercules in New York (one of the worst movies on Earth who's description is in the title), to his better titles like Total Recall, a science fiction action film, and his Terminator movies, which are science fiction time travel action films, Arnold has always been a massive guy and has usually been portrayed as such. Even in his softer films, like Jingle All the Way, with his combed hair and mountain town daddy look, it's hard to play him down as sort of a normal everyday dad.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is large and in charge.

The question on the top of everyone's mind, however, is the question to be answered here... Or perhaps it's less a question and more an assumption and one that might possibly effect the movie's take at the box office. Escape Plan, which is set to rock, hopefully, on October 18, 2013, will be starring both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger and they ain't no fresh puppies. At 1,000,076 years old (Schwarzenegger at 66 and Stallone at 67), everybody is curious as to what they might have to offer the action world. In fact, it was my first thought. 

I could have tried to cut their tree trunk legs to count the rings and find their ages, but I took Google's word for it, because under the feet of these gargantuan men, I'd probably sustain an owie.

Thinking back though, with consideration to my attitude previously, I never would have doubted my childhood heroes, but something is lost when you age. As a matter of truth, I was doubting Stallone just within the last decade. Rambo 5: The Last Stand was unimaginable to me, but my son and I still went to see it. "This kid only knows Jason Statham and the Toby McGuire version of Spider-Man son!" I thought. With no knowledge of my youth heroes, I was delighted in knowing I could change that with a more modern movie. 

Rambo five picks up with the action hero long after his run-ins with the old general.

So what do they do with a movie when the action hero gets older, probably finds it more difficult on his knees to run and should more than likely take it easier, which they touch on in Balboa if you can remember. Simple! Said actor beefs up and prepares to become a monster of a man that packs the wallop of a super cannon. 

When my son and I saw Rambo on the big screen, the first thing out of his mouth was, "whoa". I didn't even tell him that the guy wasn't always so huge.

It was in high school that I saw Arnold in his last Terminator movie, returning after an extensive sabbatical from the Terminator films. When Terminator 3 came out in theatres and I was much younger, there was no doubt in my mind that it would be raw. Of course, it ended up not being all that great, because the film tried to gain appeal too much through sex by casting Kristanna Loken, but I loved it none-the-less, especially seeing Arnold return in a role I had been waiting years for. 

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine's total domestic gross was $125,322,469.

So what was my take on Arnold's performance? Actually, I was quite impressed. He got around without ailment, every bit as action able as I remember, which is a nice way of saying I was terrible enough to think he wouldn't. So, after that, I was pretty let down not to see him in the modern Christian Bale addition to the Terminator movies, which begs the question, why then did I doubt these men when I know they are probably more than capable? At their ages, they can most definitely show me up no matter what the task may be. As a secondary consideration, more thought out, I don't see age as a reason this couldn't be a good movie at all. Even if it bombs, I'll be sitting front row on day 1.

I don't like to tell people I'm into boardgaming. It elicits strange looks. When I meet folks for the first time and they ask about hobbies, I just say that I'm into gaming. They get that. Most of the world has heard about video games or played them and they know they're fun. But I'm not really talking about my PC or my Xbox, even though I have those, too. That really isn't my primary hobby. The problem is that when I tell people—even other gamers—that I'm into boardgaming, they look at me with this gaze that says "really?" out of the corner of their eye and they invariably ask "like Risk?" or "like Monopoly?" Sometimes, I get "like Settlers?" Maybe you're asking the same question. I wouldn't put it past you, I have a lot of gamer friends that don't do board games. This is a geek website, so I'm guessing most of us know what Magic the Gathering is, or Warhammer 40k. Maybe you think that's what I mean. That isn't what I mean either. So there's this problem because of the lack of exposure to the hobby and the wealth of poor analogues, when you ask boardgamers what the hobby is like, it is extremely difficult to explain.

It is difficult for one reason because I am forced to say, that technically, yes: they are board games like Monopoly or Risk or Settlers. It is the only thing I can compare it to. Yes, in broad terms, these games are like Magic: the Gathering and Warhammer 40k. It is a bit like asking if a Jeep is anything like a Lamborghini. They're really not very similar if you know anything about cars, but they are similar if your frame of reference is an automobile. They both travel at high speed along a road, have four tires and a windshield. Pretty much the same thing, right? Similarly, most modern board games aren't really very much like the games most people know, other than that they have bits and pieces and they're all played on a table. So people give me weird looks. Or video gamers ask me if I play Magic: the Gathering or Warhammer. I don't, for the record.

This problem of explaining what it is I do for fun is compounded by the fact that making a hobby out of boardgaming doesn't make sense to people because the few board games people are actually familiar with aren't really very fun. They're games you played when you were a kid because you were bored and didn't have anything better to do. I've pretty much just given you the entirety of what people perceive as the hobby-ish side of board gaming. Risk, Monopoly, and Settlers of Catan are pretty much it as far as the mainstream is concerned. Sure there's Scrabble and some weird party games out there that pretty much insure you hate your life for however long you're stuck playing it, but in general, those are the games that the vast majority of the mainstream knows about. How can you make a hobby out of that? How could you even enjoy doing that?

So much time, so little fun.

I honestly don't enjoy those things. In fact I avoid them as if they were plague-laden blankets. The issue is that until Settlers of Catan came out, that's all there really was in the hobby, aside from wargames, RPGs, and board game rip-offs of Dungeons & Dragons. I think some of those games are great, even today, but their barrier to entry is pretty high. None of them were easy games to get into, most looked pretty boring, and a lot of them required a lot of time just to set up, let alone to play. And there was a stigma around them that suggested if you were into this kind of gaming you lived in your parents' basement and didn't ever see sunlight.

Things are a little different, now. In 1995, the Settlers of Catan hit German audiences. It was a board game Messiah, of sorts. Settlers ensured the game lasted an hour to an hour and a half. Now you don't need to have gobs of time to play a game, like you did with Risk or Monopoly. It included all the decisions that those two games had, but it had more of them more often with less time between them. Settlers had the spatial aspect of Risk, deciding which territory was best to get into, with the gathering and negotiating that was so much fun in Monopoly. Most importantly, everybody can get something on every turn, whether it is their turn or not, and since everybody can trade with the active player, everybody has something to do all the time; downtime is no longer an issue like it is in Risk. Having a variable setup insured that no two games played alike, protecting the game against feeling like a chore, or like it was playing out the same way it always did. The game, in essence, was all about making itself as fun as possible. It didn't stand in its own way. It didn't need to be this thing that you got out because it was raining and you had nothing better to do for several hours. You could bust it out after dinner, drink some beers, hang out with your friends, and get punched in the gut by the freaking robber. You could have fun with your friends around something that itself was fun to play. That's awesome. And that could sum up modern board gaming pretty well.

You're doin' it right, Settlers.

The Settlers of Catan was brilliant for its time. It did nearly everything right, and it set an example for the future of the industry. Designers, with fresh ideas of what a board game was and what it could be, started pumping out games that were nothing like Settlers, but held to the same tenets that had made Settlers great, designing games that were fun, instead of games that were chores.

That's not to say that Settlers is a perfect game. It isn't. And to be quite honest, I started playing Settlers around a decade ago, and there's nothing I would like better than to toss every copy of the Settlers of Catan into a woodchipper. That's because that as of right now, there are thousands of titles just sitting on the shelves of game stores, waiting to be discovered and played. Just within spitting distance, I have games about building civilizations, creating a trade empire in the Middle Ages, running a noble family in medieval France, the first train companies in Germany, solving mysteries with Sherlock Holmes, putting down insurgents and drug cartels in Columbia, and even a game about being a near deity and being given the choice to burn monasteries and raid innocent villages. I have games about city building and mushrooms and zombies and revolutionary France and building the Vulgate language in Italy and working as a team to keep your spaceship from exploding and a game about being stranded on a deserted Island. And those are just some of the ideas behind the games that I can see on my shelf as I'm writing this.

Part of the hobby is just collecting. Finding designers you like and gathering their work is a lot of fun. Seeing all the bits and pieces that come in the box is always pleasurable, too, especially if there's a lot to eyeball, or if the art is particularly eye-catching. Some people turn upgrading their components into a hobby all on its own. Of course none of it would matter if the actual games themselves aren't fun to learn and play. As it happens, there's as much variety in how you play a game as there is variety in the themes of those games. The most important bit though, is that you can't really game alone. It is a social hobby. If you're a boardgamer, you gather with friends and family to experience something together, to enjoy each other's company. You get to be clever and compete in good natured competition. Laugh when an opponent makes a terrible roll, taunt them when you're in the lead, console them if their luck is truly terrible, chatting when it isn't your turn or in between games. It's an excuse to sip a beer and laugh and enjoy the people you're with and the game you're playing. What comes from it, in my experience, is the formation of personal, interconnected communities of people with a common interest and wildly different backgrounds. It is such a pleasure to be a part of the hobby if for no other reason than because the community is a necessary and vibrant piece of that hobby. The relationships and the community is why I game, and that, more than anything else, is what is special about being a boardgamer today.

We take all kinds.

In my next post, I'll recommend some good games you can crack open if you're interested in getting something to the table. I will ensure they're easy to teach and learn, will be easy on the wallet, and play in less than an hour. Let me know about your gaming experiences and if you have any favorite games for newbies in the comments!

Maybe "rookie" isn't exactly accurate, as I've had work published in other companies over the years, but as far as being in the majors (Marvel and DC) I'm practically a newborn and a rather lucky one at that.

I'm Joseph Silver and I have the distinction of being able to say that I'm a freelance comic illustrator published by DC Comics. I can't begin to tell you how many years I've been waiting to write that sentence (or one like it, Marvel's name would be just as awesome here) and have it actually be true. But, with the Animal Man annual #1 hitting the stands last year, I became just that: a pro freelance inker.

Animal Man annual #1 page 24. Pencils by Timothy Green II. Inks by Joseph Silver

But once that happens, there are a lot of realities you need to be aware of that you would likely have no way of knowing otherwise:

Understand the reality of self employment

I have worked in the retail industry most of my adult life, so getting an opportunity to work my dream job was not only a dream come true but also a complete change in the way I made money and my work environment. I was not ready for that change.

If you're not accustomed to self-employment, you don't really understand how hard it can be to work from home. This means being productive in the same environment that you generally relax in and to work around all the stuff you bought to be comfortable. After all, that's what home is—your comfort zone. Many artists work out of studios with other artists because working at home can be too much of a hassle if you live with family or have made a family of your own.

Another one of the trickiest parts of the process of being a comic pro, though certainly not the only one, is that you file taxes quite differently. This means there is no one deducting taxes from your check, reimbursing you for supplies, or often as you're starting out, paying for you to get to conventions to promote your work and do more networking. You have essentially become your own business agent, tax preparer and travel agent.

Stay ahead of your current project

Until you've built a base of customers (in this case editors) and creators that want to work with you once an assignment is done, you have to have more work to maintain a regular income. You have to be looking for work as you're doing assignments, regardless of how much you love working on it or how solid your creative team is. Creative teams turn over in comics on a very regular basis and if you can't adapt to the environment, you will starve.

Work with your editor, not for just yourself

Regardless of the public perception, the comics industry is very much a business, and the editor has one of the hardest jobs in that business: keeping artists on a monthly schedule. This is in addition to maintaining the story plots in numerous capacities. It's about creating synergy with all parties (writers, pencillers, inkers, letterers, and colorists) and when an editor gives the new guy a chance, he's taking a risk on his title based not just on the quality of your work, but how reliable you are. This isn't to say disagreements and such will never happen with an editor, but it should never be a reflection of an inability to do the work. The more you can be counted on and the easier you are to work with, the more opportunities you will be afforded. The editors are the people you need to deal with when looking for work.

So I guess what I'm saying is….

It's not just about how good you are

Obviously, to even get a foot in the door you must be a capable storyteller, illustrator and have a solid grasp on working from a script (or writing one as the case may be). But everyone already in the business already has talent in those areas. When you get into comics, you're competing for work with everyone else and they have the benefit of a working relationship with others in the business. In many cases, they have many years of a head start. So when you land that first assignment, ask yourself how well you communicate with your team. How well do you understand what is being asked of you? And most importantly, how well can you make that deadline? Reliability in comics is your lifeline and can be a huge part of your reputation.

These are the things an editor will want to know about you as you're working on that first job. It will make or break you, regardless of how well you draw. You have to be at least as reliable as every other person on that book.

You are on the ground level

I am going to say this as nicely as I can: no one owes you anything just because you landed a job in the business. When you finally get that first break, it is your responsibility to make the best of it. To make the absolute best first impression you can. If for whatever reason you don't immediately start getting more work, it in no way reflects whether you deserve an assignment or not. The first thing you have to realize is how competitive this business is. People that have been doing this professionally for years don't always land the assignments they want, and as this is work for hire, you really are only as good as your last assignment and the reputation you get as an artist.

The most successful guys—regardless of your opinions of them—worked their asses off in the trenches sometimes for decades to make the careers they have. Greg Capullo, Mark Bagley, Mike McKone, Paul Pelletier…these guys worked a long time to get the distinction and reputations they have in the business, and rightly deserve them.

You have to be at least as hungry as they were to get in and stay there. And at least as respectful of the business you're entering. It is in no way easy, and not everyone gets to be a star. Make the most of your first opportunity and be ready to work like never before.