Fanboys Anonymous

"I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And, I was really...I was alive." -Walter White

It's hard to believe that Breaking Bad is over, but in ending when (and how) it did, it cemented its place in television history as one of the best television shows in history (arguably THE best, but that's not a debate to have right now). If I had to sum up this episode in one word, it would be "closure." Just like in the previous 61 episodes, things just clicked in a way that was not at all obvious yet made perfect sense for the story, and this episode proved that even in his endgame, Heisenberg was as brilliant as ever.

I had no idea where this scene was going, and it was absolutely perfect.

When Walt was trying to track down Gretchen and Elliot, I truly believed he was planning to kill them. Then I was proved wrong when he gave them all of his money and demanded that they give it all to Walt Jr. on his 18th birthday as a trust, and he (perfectly logically) explained that it would make sense coming from them due their history with Walt and the fact that they've proven to be extremely charitable when it comes to people suffering from the consequences of drugs. The scene only got better when the sniper beams targeted the two of them, and Walt's threat if they chose not to give the money to Junior or if they gave any of their own money instead was amazing. And leave it to Breaking Bad to make the scene EVEN BETTER by revealing that the two hit men were actually Badger and Skinny Pete with laser pointers and having them be the ones to have Walt realize that Jesse was still alive and cooking. A great final scene for those two characters.

Walt's last goodbye to his family (minus his son) actually did make me very emotional. After all it was in this scene that Walt finally admitted what's been obvious to us viewers for a long time now: that his "all for family" excuse was bullshit. He's done what's he done, as the quote I opened this review with states, for himself, and all because he liked it. Obviously Bryan Cranston played this scene very well, but Anna Gunn was right up there with him, and you could see her regain so much respect for her husband for finally being honest about something. It would've been nice to see them again after the scene, but the physical evidence that Walt gave her should be enough for the cops and DEA to let her off the hook. As I voted in Story Sync, that scene was both fitting and tragic.

Then Walt tracked down Jack, and the whole thing was turned up to 11. Finally seeing Walt's contraption in use to take everyone down was so visceral and so, so satisfying. As was seeing Walt still try to protect Jesse by tackling him to the ground and taking a bullet himself in the process. And I wanted to cheer when Jesse got his revenge on Todd and took him out. It was pretty sad (but absolutely right) to see that Jesse and Walt's relationship was truly beyond repair, and I was also relieved that Jesse didn't pull the trigger. Even if Jesse didn't notice that Walt had been shot, I personally don't think he would've been the one to kill Walt. As much of a monster as Walt is and as much as he deserved to die, I still don't think Jesse could bear to kill one more person he didn't absolutely need to kill, especially since that person did just save his life and free him.

Finally we got the absolute right ending for the series; Jesse was free to create whatever life he wanted for himself, and Walt was left alone to die. The fact that he died in a lab- the place he felt most at home- was perfect. Goodbye, Walter White/Heisenberg. The slogan for these final episodes was "Remember My Name." Indeed we will.

Random Thoughts

• That flashback showing Jesse making his box, the one thing in school he truly put all his efforts into, and the abrupt cut to his current state in the lab was heartbreaking.
• The very quick flashbacks to the previous flash forward scenes were an extremely effective way to get us all up to speed again, and I also loved the flashback to the very first episode while Walt was standing in the living room.
• I absolutely loved Lydia's death. Walt once again showed his genius by recognizing her habits and planting the ricin for her to put into her tea, and kudos to Vince Gilligan- the writer and director of "Felina"- for making it obvious without explicitly showing Walt do it. Then seeing her at the end clearly close to death and having Walt tell her what he did was awesome.
• Speaking of Vince Gilligan's directing, there were so many great shots in this episode, from Lydia unknowingly adding the ricin to her tea to the reveal of Walt hiding out at the Schwartz residence and the reveal of Walt there in the kitchen with Skyler.
• We never did find out what "Felina" means in the episode, but considering it's an anagram of "finale," maybe that's all the meaning we need. If anyone knows something that I don't, please sound off in the comments!

I just want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone involved in Breaking Bad for five incredible seasons, all topped off with a fantastic ending, and thank you to everyone who has actually read my reviews and helped our little site grow just a bit more every week. That may be all for my Breaking Bad coverage, but keep checking back to see what we're up to here at Fanboys Anonymous! And I leave you all with this:

Not my image, but still hilarious.

Geek Speak LIVE! is a weekly radio show with an explosion of nerd conversation. Join hosts Craig Kellerman, Travis Goss, "Classic" Dave, Michael Burhan, and Mike Paden as they rant on movies, TV, video games, comics, cartoons, technology, and whatever else is sparking our attention.

:: This week we discuss ::

The Announcement of SteamOS - Valve releases the first of a three part announcement involving revolutionizing the living room. It's a Linux based computer operating system that will be available for free.

Facebook for Trekkies - Are the girls you find on normal social networks repulsed by your Spock ears? Now there's a place for you!

IDA Complains About Grand Theft Auto V - Apparently in a game involving murder, drugs, rape, and various other criminal activity the most heinous feature of GTAV is the ability to hunt deer. Should we arm the deer and see if hunting really is still as fun?

The 2013 Emmy Awards - We go over the nominees and winners of each catagory.

The Over-saturation of Super Hero Movies - Seems like every other movie trailer these days has a cape in it. Is the end anywhere in sight?

The Current State of the Ninja Turtles - There's an active series on Nickelodeon, 2 new games due out soon, and a movie in production. Has the franchise reached it's highest point yet?

Actor of the Week: Nicolas Cage - We review Nicolas Cage's entire filmography.

It may take a while to reach foreign shores but, here in Blighty, the first episode of the BBC's new fantasy series Atlantis aired last night. It was trumpeted as having been made by the same team behind Merlin, a series which was an international hit for the Beeb but which, for me, never quite managed to decide whether it was meant for adults or children. Maybe Atlantis would have a clearer idea of its target audience.

A classic in the making? Or an epic fail?

The Greeks have an (English) word for it

LIVE FROM NEW YORK IT'S THE DACE MAN!! Well not really live...and I'm in New Jersey but I'm back with another Fall season premiere and how it ranked on The Dace Man scale. This week we saw the kick off of the 39th season of Saturday Night Live . Now what will the season have in store for us sans Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armison, and SNL Legend Bill Hader?!? Lets first take a look at the brand new cast before diving into the new season. Series regulars returning are Kennan Thompson, Seth Myers, Bobby Moynihan, Nasim Pedrad, Jay Pharoh and Taran Killam. This year also saw the promotion of Featured players Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong to the Not ready for Prime Time Players main eventers. The new string of featured players now reads Beck Bennett, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Mike O'Brien, Noel Wells and Brooks Wheelan. With the cast hammered out lets dive into the episode featuring SNL Alum Tina Fey hosting!

The show kicked off with a the usual C-SPAN  title card and then into a skit about Obama and his Obama care. We saw several cast member give complaints about the proposed Obama Care. We saw SNL regular Jay Pharoh playing President Obama, which I for one think he hit spot on. The cast runs through till they get to the end where President Obama introduces a young man from New Mexico who was effective by the terrible medical standards in America......enter Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad played by Aaron Paul.explain the situation with Mr. Walter White..."Don't you wanna know what happened to him?" The cast yells no exit Jesse. The short cameo was very funny has me hooked to hang around for the rest of the episode. So Jay screams live from New York and Away we go!

Tina Fey makes her way to the stage for her monologue where she, like every one else who's ever hosted the show, states she's glad to be here yada yada yada. The joke coming out of that was the fact she no longer has a a show and needs to be on TV to maintain her SubWay status. Nice quip and I'm still with ya. She goes on to poke fun of how she never had a reoccurring character  through the nine years she worked there it hit with audience but not so much me because I remember Tim Meadows kicking the show off that way before introducing the reoccurring characters of SNL singing we are the world and he stating that he did not have a reoccurring character even though he had been on the show for X amount of years. Tina would then go on to introduce the six new cast members in a funny song, that did not show her ability to sing, but definitely hit her strong point of comedy. With the monologue in the bag lets break down the rest of the Season 39 premiere Clips Worth Watching and Things We Cant Unsee.

RECAP

• Girls Promo video that aired after the Monologue it made me smile and I was laughing by the end so well done on this. Tina Fey saved what would have been a trainwreck with out her
• They then rolled into a Skit about boarding airplanes. Being a man that travels for work week in and week out this one hit home and I was cracking up. The whole spot with Kennan Thompson and the oversized bag speaks so many volumes and I hate dealing with that which cause me to laugh when he exclaimed "Oh It'll Fit!"
• New Cast Member or Arcade Fire Member - Kennan made this skit until Lorne Michaels appeared and ended it on a perfect note!
• The E-Meth commercial. Aaron Paul is the man
• Arcade Fire Performance....Big ol' Meh.
• Time for Weekend Update with Seth Myers....and Ceily Strong. Thus beginning the experiment to replace Seth Myers once he leaves for Late Night. Honestly I feel any one will be better than Seth Myers. Im hoping Cecily you do better than him. As for late night...damn it....Just bring back Norm McDonald.
• Another note from Weekend Update.....Drunk Uncle is by far their best thing going and of course Aaron Paul is still the man!!
• Cinema Classics - This skit was a miss to me. I didn't find it funny and I'm usually a big fan of weird quirky humor. At this point I also noticed Tina Fey said Buh Bye weird and Kenan said it the same way at the end of this skit...so It looks like an Inside joke may have been occurring .
• "Cars for Sale" Segment - Another miss for me. I don't know why this didn't land for me personally because the live audience sound into it but I didn't even crack a smile...sorry
• Once again....sigh....Arcade Fire. What the hell is happening on my screen.
• Shoe Commercial Skit. Was actually pretty funny started of slow but they drove it home along with the show.

Overall I'd give the show a thumbs up. It was decent and had several moments where I was cracking up and that's the whole point of the show right? I think the biggest down of this episode is when they announced Miley Cyrus as next weeks guest....blah. Hopefully they turn it around like they do with most train wreck celebrities.

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, just yell LIVE FROM NEW YORK!!, and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

For many Star Wars fans, desires of having a lightsaber in their hands has been dreamt about ever since the first movie came out on May 25, 1977. Soon after, fans have fantasized about having their own lightsaber battles. Although we are still a long, long ways away from having anything of the sort, scientists at Harvard and MIT just might have something which is a start in this direction.


Could we eventually have our own lightsaber battles?

According to an article by Ryan Whitwam of Geek.com:

A team of scientists from MIT and Harvard have been herding photons through a cloud of super-cold atoms in an attempt to get them to do something that was once considered impossible — bind together.



Courtesy of Geek.com

Whitwam continues:

The team used a vacuum chamber filled with rubidium atoms to facilitate the formation of photonic matter. The cloud of gas was cooled to within a few degrees of absolute zero using (fittingly) lasers.

Of course, there is still much research to be done. While this could possibly be a step in the direction for the creation of laser swords, "A few photons sticking together is a long way from a lightsaber, but we can still dream, can’t we?" said Whitwam.

Google it! It's a company that plays an important role in all our lives, so...how do they get away with neglecting users? Easy... They play an important role in all our lives. The call to commit some man power to answering the cries of users who need it can go unanswered for an eternity because the collective neglected will never trump the number of Googlers Googling. In other words, answering to issues, more specifically from AdSense and, in the new arena of online video advertising, YouTube, is an effort that might cost.

The Google logo is known everywhere, recognizable even to the illiterate, despite it's letter composition.

Why else would users be screaming from the rooftops to no avail. AdSense's first policy statements are:

All publishers are required to adhere to the following policies, so please read them carefully. If you fail to comply with these policies without permission from Google, we reserve the right to disable ad serving to your site and/or disable your AdSense account at any time. If your account is disabled, you will not be eligible for further participation in the AdSense program.

Perhaps it sounds legit at first, but considering the company lends no plausibility to the idea of extenuating circumstances, the rules begin to seem much harder on the user... Unfair even. The worst part about the entire situation is that, having set a standard of perfection from writers and video makers, the company retains the right to make any change they please to adjust any mistakes that may have been made. The very next lines go:

Because we may change our policies at any time, please check here often for updates. In accordance with our online Terms and Conditions, it's your responsibility to keep up to date with, and adhere to, the policies posted here. Exceptions to these policies are permitted only with authorization from Google.

When you first begin writing internet articles, one of the hardest issues you will have to fight with is not clicking on ads, especially on sites where there is no preview mode offered, or the preview mode opens into windows that are difficult, slow, or clunky, or simply irritating to use, because you will find that publishing prematurely and clicking it over to a live site is way easier. Want to show your girlfriend your web article? You better print a copy, because if she makes the mistake of clicking on an ad, it's over. The first line of the Invalid Clicks and Impressions policy states:

Clicks on Google ads must result from genuine user interest. Any method that artificially generates clicks or impressions on your Google ads is strictly prohibited. These prohibited methods include, but are not limited to, repeated manual clicks or impressions, automated click and impression generating tools and the use of robots or deceptive software. Please note that clicking your own ads for any reason is prohibited.

The issue with that is that someone you love could be looking over the live version of your article and be genuinely intrigued by an ad, leaving the impression Google is looking for, or rather the one you are not. Or, in the middle of a computer freeze/lock up, the ever so familiar aggravated mouse jerk and click flurry that we all think will somehow revive our glitched digital windows could easily result in impressions Google is not looking for. Each impression is worth pennies; the take a penny leave a penny, or the "keep the change". Literally, just pennies, however Google AdSense generates five billion dollars a year, so I was blown away that the company doesn't just adapt a method for the program that can simply ignore clicks that are invalid, since it can certainly afford to. From the investors to the coffers to the users, you would think a company as resourced as Google would have put such measures in place already. It's a change I think we all could embrace.

Beyond the strict policy, you are given a chance to dispute the issue... Which takes weeks and generally ends in a no answer, whatever the excuse may be and, in general, Google enjoys partaking in the fun of being a tad mysterious. If you shut your account down thinking you could start up another, because you clearly operate at an entirely different pace than the gargantuan hippopotamus company, think again! The company has a strict one lifetime account policy to boot. There are no second chances. If they close your account and you would like to have them readdress your case, because you don't feel they looked closely enough at the issue, tough luck. Because you are no longer a Google AdSense client, you can't get to a contact form. Is there a complaints section? Nope. If you eventually squeeze into some sort of hidden contact form which allows contact with AdSense, the forms themselves say they will basically throw the form away if it involves invalid clicks at all. Essentially, they want to be in your face when you would like to Google, but you are just an obstacle if you would like some extra consideration (AKA: The stockholder is the only Googler that matters).  Users be damned! There's a Googler born every quarter second and that's where the money is.

There are about 255 babies born every minute. That's a staggering number of people for Google to be interested in getting money from in some sort of way, but not interested in hearing from to address account issues and mistakes.

You don't have to be hugely invested in the production of YouTube videos to know what I'm talking about, but after using YouTube a little, you will quickly realize Google has tightly wound it's parasitic roots into the brand since the purchase. If you don't remember the purchase date, just remember, it didn't happen too long before everything you loved about YouTube changed. Does this sound familiar?

Thank you for your account suspension appeal. We have decided to keep your account suspended based on our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

The issue? Did you really even break the rules? Generally, these statements from YouTube(Google) really mean,

We here at YouTube(Google) don't care enough to investigate, but we care enough about pretending to care that we assign automation to handle all our appeals.

My guess is that any number of complaints against the company will go unheard, unless they come from someone with a fancy stake in the company. My opinion is that Google, and everyone that's dipping into it, are too buried in cash to hear, or perhaps they are too buried to care. If you don't believe what I'm saying, I suppose you could just Google it.

I, like most, always find myself in the mood for horror come autumn time. Thanks, Halloween. Good horror can be hard to find. Thankfully, I have the perfect solution!

Creeped out yet?

Yamishibai is a (mostly) well done, very atmospheric collection of horror shorts. As a play on Japanese Kamishibai, the show has a look all it's own. The show features a different horror short each episode, and never exceeds the five minute mark. The majority of shorts played so far have been exceedingly creepy, but like every show not every episode is a hit. I would love to give a synopsis of one of the shorts, but they're better experienced via the medium they're given.

And thanks to the folks at Crunchyroll, you can check it out for free! Episode five is one of the stronger episodes in the show thus far, so definitely check that out and make up your own mind. It's only five minutes! You've got nothing to lose! Do it! Peer pressure!

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!!!

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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!