Fanboys Anonymous

It's not easy being a fan of anything—doubly so if you're a Venom fan. We Venomaniacs (as I like to call Venom and general symbiote fans) have been through more disappointments and heartbreaks than we're credited for. Those who are general symbiote fans—people who follow anything and everything Marvel symbiotes (those living puddles of goo, like from Spider-Man 3)—suffer from becoming lost in the ever-expanding and changing cast of symbiote characters. Let's not forget about those poor Eddie Brock fans (among whom I count myself) and his continuity's constant manhandling by the myriad writers for the past 25 years. But we all carry on loving our Venom and symbiotes (even when Marvel goes and makes the Superior Carnage, *shiver*).

Expectations, excitement, and anxiety soared upon the announcement of a new ongoing Venom comic book series by Rick Remender (w) and Tony Moore (a), promising a new kind of Venom and a new host after 6 years under the torment of fan-hated host MacDonald Gargan—formerly and once again Spider-Man's long-time nemesis, the Scorpion. I, for one, didn't mind Mac-Venom during his run—I embrace each and every symbiote host, good, bad, or ugly—but even I longed for the good ol' Venom: Lethal Protector days when Eddie still wore the suit. What came in 2011 either blew away expectations or shattered childhoods, according to who you talk to.

In the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #654 a back-up story by Dan Slott (w), Paulo Siqueria (a), and Ronan Cliquet (a) titled "Rebirth" debuted Eugene "Flash" Thompson—Peter Parker's once high school bully turned best friend and avid Spider-Fan—as who would become one of the most popular symbiote hosts: Agent Venom. Fan reaction was grim and mistrusting in Agent Venom's early days, and many—including myself, to some degree—pined about the militaristic approach to our favorite character. Many to this day still refuse to accept Flash as Venom, but the character has grown to become almost as big of a cult favorite character as the original Venom. It's easy to measure Agent Venom's ever-increasing popularity: he received his own Marvel Select action figure just months before Eddie (not counting the Ultimate version), will receive his own Marvel Legends figure before Eddie, and will make his debut in the animated Ultimate Spider-Man television series before Eddie (Venom debuted in season one, but bonded to Harry Osborn). Additionally, many speculate Flash's iteration of the character would be an ideal and probable candidate for the promised Venom spinoff film.

Agent Venom enjoyed a moderately and relatively successful career: in addition to his main title, Flash joined the Secret Avengers for a short stint resulting in one of the hottest romantic pairings with the Valkyrie of Asgard (which was later revisited in the also-cancelled Fearless Defenders series); threw down with Carnage (the Venom symbiote's spawn, bonded to psychopathic Cletus Kasady) twice in both Carnage U.S.A. and the Minimum Carnage crossover; and was recruited into the Red Hulk's Thunderbolts—the latter of which is probably not the best example of success measured by fans, however (but still…).

Like all good things, though—and all things Venom—Agent Venom's adventures in his main title came to a sad end. Marvel's November 2013 solicitations, which were released in August, omitted any sign of a new Venom title. Not but a week after, Marvel and final Venom writer Cullen Bunn officially announced the series' cancellation after its 42nd issue. The news hit us all pretty hard, but it's not like we didn't see it coming: Venom's sales had always been in a constant state of decline and had enjoyed only a handful of increases during crossovers before returning to freefall.

Despite the sad news, many Venomaniacs—including myself and the series' writers—take pride in the longevity of the little series that could. Agent Venom's series is the longest-running Venom title in the character's history (47 issues total!), with Daniel Way's 2003–2004 Venom 18-issue miniseries coming far behind in second place. To commemorate the success of Agent Venom, please join me in a retrospective of Venom from 2011–2013.


AMAZING BEGINNINGS

Flash's journey as Agent Venom began, as I mentioned before, in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #654, in which we were introduced to his first supporting cast of characters: girlfriend Betty Brant (of Daily Bugle fame) and the operators of Project Rebirth 2.0—a secret U.S. military agency structured after the first Project Rebirth, which created Captain America back in World War II. Flash enlisted in Project Rebirth 2.0 to become America's next super soldier by bonding with the Venom alien symbiote, which was forcibly acquired from its previous host (Gargan).

Being a wounded veteran of the war in Iraq, Flash saw this as a second chance to serve his country, and the symbiote provided him not only the means to do so but also the legs he lost in his line of duty. The initial Agent Venom design by Moore (though drawn by Siqueria and Cliquet in this issue) featured a black ops design while retaining some of the signature Venom parts, including the white spider emblem on the chest and back, white-rimmed goggles, and white patches on the backs of his gloves. The story also set up a time limit of 20 missions to Agent Venom's career to avoid permanent bonding between Flash and the symbiote. Project Rebirth 2.0 would attach and detach the symbiote to Flash's body utilizing a sonic purge device for each mission and reserved the use of a potentially fatal failsafe explosive implant in the symbiote in the case that Flash lost control of it.

I really do miss the multi-gun...

There were a couple cool features introduced in this issue that were later forgotten about completely or left unaddressed. First, Flash was equipped with a cool piece of tech weaponry that I believe really fit Agent Venom's character: the multi-gun. Essentially, it's an all-purpose projectile weapon that adapted to the ammunition type it was fed, sort of in the way the symbiote adapts to its environment. So really, Agent Venom needed only one weapon throughout his career; but it seems that, somewhere along the line, Remender had forgotten about the multi-gun. Additionally, Slott had hinted at a Venom host between Gargan and Flash by the name of Cal Henriksen, against whom Project Rebirth was forced to use the failsafe device and then learned that it had the potential to kill the host. This is a plot thread I believe will probably never be revisited beyond Venom.

Agent Venom's second appearance followed in the "Flashpoint" feature story in Amazing Spider-Man #654.1 by Slott and Humberto Ramos (a), in which he conducted his first real mission (second when counting the training/synchronization testing in the previous issue). This issue set up a particularly interesting and different espionage angle to the character, giving the story a James Bond feel to it (Remender liked to call Agent Venom, "00Venom"). This angle, however, was almost never used again in the Venom series—at least, to me, Agent Venom's adventures didn't have that feeling.


Agent Venom's design was also slightly altered from his initial one: in Amazing Spider-Man #654, his costume featured a lot of white trimming around certain pads and armor pieces. In this issue, we got a darker design, leaving only the essential white details to distinguish the character as Venom (the aforementioned features); also, Agent Venom's armor carried a significant amount of weight to it compared with the previous issue, giving him more of a militaristic feel. This issue set up two key themes that would resonate later on in the Venom series as well. First, we got to see early on how Flash and Peter Parker's secrets clashed, creating an underlying rivalry that is essential to Venom's character and would later result in the best friends clashing in their superheroic alter egos (albeit they don't know each other's secrets).

Did Flash not pass the psyche evaluation? Hoo-boy...

Additionally, #654.1 introduced the conflict between Flash and the symbiote that would last until the final issue of Venom. When, during his mission, Flash's symbiote prosthetic legs were blown off, he lost complete control of his emotions, allowing the symbiote to take control and revert to the neo-classic Venom monster form. Flash was able to bring the symbiote under control after massacring the bad guys and was lucky enough to avoid Project Rebirth 2.0 from using the failsafe device due to communication failures.

TOUGHING IT OUT

With the debut of Venom #1 in 2011 also debuted new iterations of two classic Spider-Man foes: Jack O'Lantern and Crime-Master (whose villainous identity wasn't revealed until issue #3). Both would go on to become Flash's greatest foes. In issues #3–4, Agent Venom and Spider-Man faced off for the first time as both sought to save Betty from a grim fate at the hands of Jack and Crime-Master—except Spider-Man mistook Agent Venom, who, at the time, lost control and reverted to his monstrous form, for kidnapping Betty. Also, the failsafe device had been surgically removed in issue #4, thus removing the threat of instant death at the flip of a switch.

It's just a misunderstanding, I swear!

Issue #5 set up two of the most prominent overarching themes in the series that affected Flash up until the last issue: his struggle with alcoholism and the scars from his relationship with his abusive, alcoholic father—who was at the same time revealed to be dying from kidney failure. Both Remender and Bunn played heavily within these two themes and Flash's desire to emulate his hero—Spider-Man—and made Flash one of the most relatable characters in comics by setting him apart from Parker's supporting cast.

This was perhaps even more anticipated than Agent Venom vs. Spider-Man.

Issues #6–8 threw Agent Venom and Project Rebirth 2.0 into the chaos of the cross-title event, Spider-Island, during which the citizens—normal and super—suffered a lethal, transformative virus that endowed them with powers akin to Spider-Man's. Issue #7 introduced Agent Venom's third archnemesis in the form of Eddie—who, at the time, was playing the Right Hand of God and became the ultimate hero of Spider-Island as Anti-Venom. Eddie presented himself as every symbiote's greatest antagonist by devoting his life to their annihilation, automatically making the Venom symbiote and whoever played host to it his primary target. Agent Venom just barely won his first encounter with Eddie (almost losing the symbiote when it tried to bond with Eddie again), but it forever intertwined their fates. Issue #7 also saw the death of Flash's father, which would haunt him for many issues to come.

TO HELL AND BACK

After the events of Spider-Island, issue #10 disassembled Project Rebirth 2.0 at the hands of Captain America when he learned of its and Agent Venom's existence. This set up Agent Venom for his solo career for the rest of the series. Issue #11 showed us Eddie after sacrificing his Anti-Venom antibodies to save Manhattan from the aforementioned virus. Though depowered, he still intended to wage his holy war against symbiotes. Remender also revealed Jack's relationship to Crime-Master and a bit of his history in this issue, making one of the most vile and demented villains to ever spawn in comics.

Issue #12 reintroduced the Toxin symbiote—the spawn of Carnage—which was later revealed to have been forcibly removed from its original host, Patrick Mulligan, by the demonic Blackheart of Ghost Rider fame. This led Agent Venom to Las Vegas and an evil plot that came to partial fruition in the title's first big event, "Circle of Four," through issues #13, 13.1–4 (that's four books between 13 and 14!), and 14. This event assembled a powerful team-up of some of Marvel's hottest antiheroes to save Las Vegas and the world from becoming the new Hell: Agent Venom, Red Hulk, X-23 (the teenage, female Wolverine clone), and the new Ghost Rider (Alejandra Blaze). It also planted the seeds for the storyline that would eventually end the book, called "The Descent." At the end of "Circle of Four," Agent Venom was invited to join the Secret Avengers for his heroism in Las Vegas and Spider-Island, which spun off into the team's own title series.

Seriously, where did the webbing come from?!

We then revisited Eddie in issue #15 to find him hunting down and killing symbiotes Hybrid and Scream, making his way down his hit list to Agent Venom. A particular panel in this issue also set up a mindboggling mystery fans have been trying to figure out, but was never noted in the comics again: Eddie had somehow created webbing (off panel) to open a furnace and retrieve a heated knife (Note: Eddie no longer possessed a symbiote to create webbing). The issue also saw Betty break up with Flash after an abusive relationship.

SAVAGERY AND EVIL

Issue #17 began the epic showdown amongst Agent Venom and his archnemeses in the five-part "Savage Six" event (mirroring Spider-Man's own history with the supervillain team, the Sinister Six), and bonded Eddie with the Toxin symbiote to become the group's sixth and one of its most deadly members. Crime-Master and Jack assembled a team of D-list villains and revealed Agent Venom's secret identity to mount an attack on Flash's personal life out of vengeance. Agent Venom had to fight to protect those he loved most—Betty and his mother—from the brutality and vicious bloodlust of the killers, eventually being forced to reveal his secret to Betty. Broxin (as Venomaniacs lovingly refer to Brock-Toxin) mentioned a mysterious plot thread called the "Spawning" as he attacked Agent Venom in issue #18 that is again hinted at later on in the series but never saw the light of day. (Bunn mentioned building up to a "war of the symbiotes" in an afterword in #42 that he had planned to publish in the book—perhaps this was the final form of the "Spawning".)

In issue #20, Crime-Master revealed his identity as Bennett Brant—Betty's deceased brother reborn into a legacy of crime bosses. Betty accepted that her brother had died many years before and killed Crime-Master to save her ex-boyfriend in issue #21. After a brief exchange with Flash, Betty permanently wrote herself out of the series by saying she never wanted to see him again. Issue #22—Remender's final Venom book—tied up the "Savage Six" story with a hunt for Jack, who escaped in the fray of the final battle, and featured an emotionally beautiful story called "Father's Day" in which Flash finally had time to cope with his father's death and his personal problems. It cemented Jack's hatred for Flash for killing his illegally adoptive father (Crime-Master, as revealed in #11) as well. The book's artist, Declan Shalvey (who would later return to illustrate the pages of the Minimum Carnage tie-in and the "Toxic" arc) also defined Agent Venom's design for the remainder of the series, bringing a rough edginess to Agent Venom 2.0.

Well isn't this the most random bunch of giant demonic monsters you've ever seen?

Bunn took over as the title's last writer in issue #23, diving headfirst into "The Descent" with his "Monsters of Evil" story, in which he started to build Flash's new supporting cast with inquisitive reporter Katy Kiernan (who debuted in the Spider-Man: Season One graphic novel) and Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. During this story arc, Hellstrom revealed Agent Venom's part in a power struggle for the throne of Hell. The symbiote became possessed by a demon before Flash confronted Hellstrom's Monsters of Evil—an assembly of ancient, mythical, possessed creatures—and brought him to justice. Hellstrom then made a deal with Agent Venom that, while he was imprisoned, he would advise Flash on matters of the Descent.

Any self-respecting Venomaniac knows the true worth of this epic variant cover.

After "Monsters of Evil," Agent Venom's book crossed over with Scarlet Spider's (Kaine Parker, Peter's violent clone) in the cross-title mini event Minimum Carnage (taking up issues #26–27 and an epilogue in 27.1). During this event, Carnage escaped prison with the assistance of villains from the Microverse to aid in a plot devised by the Marquis Radu to destroy the Microverse—in effect, destroying the Macroverse as well. In issue #26, Bunn revealed a new tidbit of symbiote nature, which was then followed by Christopher Yost's Microverse history lesson in Scarlet Spider #11: symbiotes had inhabited the Microverse thousands of years earlier, but their very existence corrupted and decomposed the fabric of the Microverse and its god. They had consumed everything and nearly killed the god of the Microverse before they were exiled to the Macroverse. Both Bunn and Yost essentially created a new back-story to the symbiote race to add to their canon. In issue #27, Bunn honored an old symbiote trick that hadn't been seen or used since the "Planet of the Symbiotes" story arc from 1996: the psychic scream, which Agent Venom used to kill his and Carnage's symbiote army.

JOURNEY'S END

Flash coped with the experiences of Minimum Carnage in issue #27.1 and asked himself if he's fit to be a hero, reflecting on his past as a bully—again revisiting his struggles with his father. Realizing that he needed a change in his life, he decided he's going to leave New York City. In issue #28, Kiernan sent him to Philadelphia on a tip of paranormal activity, where Agent Venom went toe-to-toe with the U-Foes alongside his new romantic fling, Valkyrie. After foiling their plans and finding the city in need of a hero, Flash resolved to move to Philly for a new start.

Lucky son of an inkblot...

As Flash settled in at his new apartment in Philly and met the last member of his supporting cast—a student of his high school coaching class and next door neighbor, Andrea "Andi" Benton—Broxin was revealed to have survived his grim fate at the end of "Savage Six" and hot on Agent Venom's tail in issues #30–31. As Flash secretly began his vigilante career in Philadelphia (as to avoid suspicion from Kiernan and anyone else who didn't know his secret) in issue #32, a new breed of monster—dubbed the "Symbiote Slayer" (another mirror to Spider-Man's mythos: Spider Slayers)—emerged from the remnants of the U-Foes' paranormal experiments. Misfortune struck the Symbiote Slayer—who also hunted Agent Venom—when it happened to cross paths with Broxin, and an epic battle ensued in the pages of issue #33 in which also debuted Broxin's design evolution from his Savage Six appearance. Shalvey noted in his interviews that when designing the new Broxin, he was influenced by artists like Mark Bagley and Eddie's physicality as Venom in Lethal Protector, which won widespread approval from Venomaniacs. Despite my reservations for Eddie's new direction, even I have to admit I absolutely LOVE Broxin's new design. Shalvey really knew how to tickle my fancy!

This was the day everything went RIGHT.

Agent Venom and Broxin finally came to blows in issue #34, proving Broxin to be the superior symbiote (hint-hint, Marvel) in both power and experience. Flash managed to barely escape by using the symbiote sedative for his symbiote (given to him by Secret Avenger teammate, Beast) against Broxin. When Broxin returned for round two at Flash's high school in the middle of the school day in issue #35, they were forced into a temporary alliance as a small group of formidable Symbiote Slayers invaded the campus. Flash managed to avoid revealing his secret in public and struck a deal with Broxin after proving himself a hero in battle, in which Broxin would allow Flash to continue playing hero until the day he loses control of the symbiote, at which point Broxin would kill them both.

The series' final arc began in the following issue. Agent Venom began his war against the mysterious crime boss Lord Ogre, from whom he found much resistance. To deal with Agent Venom, Lord Ogre hired Jack (later revealed to have been a hypnotized employee of the Raft, in which the original Jack still resides) to kill Flash. Jack paid Flash's apartment a visit in issue #38 only to find Andi there, looking to confront Flash about his secret (which he accidentally revealed to her during class in a previous issue). Jack settled to kill Andi, who ran to her apartment and her dad. Jack pursued her but was met with Agent Venom during his attack. Jack managed to kill Andi's father in the fray and was about to kill her with a poison gas pumpkin bomb when Flash extended part of his symbiote to save her. Instead, a new symbiote spawned and took Andi as its host, birthing Agent Venom's new sidekick and responsibility: Mania.

Holy bad-ass sidekick, Venom!

In the following issues, Mania proved herself shockingly more adept at controlling her symbiote than Flash was at his. When news of Hellstrom's death arrived to Agent Venom, he visited Hellstrom's holding cell to find him alive. Hellstrom explained that when Flash was marked for the Descent, he had created clones to send out into the world as a means of exploring every possible avenue of life, and that the Department of Occult Armaments had been hunting down the heirs to Hell's throne (including Hellstrom's clones) and collecting their marks in a usurpation of power. Hellstrom then revealed to Flash that he no longer bore the mark and sensed that it had somehow been transferred.
Flash guessed right when he returned to Philly just in time to save Mania from the DOA, led by Crossbones, who had interrupted her vengeful attack on Lord Ogre. Mania, Venom, and Lord Ogre confronted the DOA, Lord Ogre fell in battle, and Mania and Venom managed a win against the DOA long enough to travel to a run-down casino in Atlantic City. Flash successfully summoned Mephisto to strike a bargain to remove the mark and demon that had been transferred to Mania, but they came under attack by the DOA once more. Mephisto summoned the Monsters of Evil and gave Mania their reins (previously Flash could control them because of the symbiote's possession, but now Andi was bonded to the possessed symbiote spawn). They managed to defeat the DOA once more, but knew that the DOA would hound Mania as long as she was marked. Agent Venom returned to bargaining with Mephisto, but even after Andi tried to bargain with him, Mephisto declined and faded away, claiming that he still had plans for Mania and that it wasn't Flash who made a bargain for his life back during "Circle of Four" (the four antiheroes had died and were revived by Mephisto at one point): it was the symbiote. The series ended with Flash reassuring Andi that he would help her find a way to remove the mark no matter the cost—juxtaposing his previous unwillingness to become a father out of fear of being like his own against the idea that he would have to be Andi's guardian anyway.

FINAL WORDS

It's really difficult to see a series I'd invested so much time, money, and devotion into simply fade away because of a small detail like money. It really is a small detail, too; I'd figured this series would survive on popularity alone, but sales are sales, and there just weren't enough to keep the book afloat. Slott has his own plans for Agent Venom that will come into fruition soon enough in the pages of Superior Spider-Man, but I don't think we'll ever see Agent Venom as we'll remember him ever again. The future is grim for symbiote fans: the new Superior Carnage has yet to live up to the original Carnage's standards, and there's much dread around Slott's plan to place "Superior" in front of Venom's moniker. We're all hopeful (for those who actually care) that Bunn's teased involvement with future symbiote plans in comics includes Mania, who was originally planned to join his female-centric Fearless Defenders title before it, too, got the ax. Let's not get started on the other lost symbiotes suffering from obscurity (Scorn and the Mercury Team symbiotes, anyone?).

I'm going to take a hint from Bunn and the Venom creators, though, and turn this into a happy ending. Like I said before: this is the longest-running Venom title in the character's history. That's something you can shake a stick at. The series managed to reel back some hope in the Brock fans' hearts. The symbiote's canon had been expanded and improved upon, and Bunn even managed a satisfactory call-back to Way's Venom run in the final issue—and that's a feat all in itself! The writers managed to turn D-listers into A-list superstars. And did I mention the Venom-Mobile? (Nope, but it was fantastically campy!)

It eats Spider-Buggies for breakfast.

So it's not the end of the world. Let's hope that Slott will be respectful of Remender and Bunn's work on Agent Venom (let's not hold our breath, however) and that Mania and the other symbiotes will see the light of day in Bunn's upcoming symbiote plans. It was fun while it lasted and will definitely be a treasure in my collection.

If you read a single issue of Venom, or have followed it since issue #1, tell us what you thought of the series and Agent Venom as a character. Tell us what you think will happen next for Flash Thompson and the symbiote. Share your love for that little puddle of black ooze, and leave a comment below!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy started life as a BBC radio show way back in 1978. It quickly became a cult hit in the UK, made a successful transition to TV, spawned a series of books and has since been released and re-released on vinyl record, audio tape, VHS cassette and DVD. In 2005 it finally made its way onto the big screen but, sadly, without the original cast and due in no small part to its reliance on special effects to carry some poor casting decisions and some unwise changes to Douglas Adams's drily ironic scripts, the movie version failed to capture the spirit and wit of the original.

It's on stage, but it's a radio show. Except it's not on the radio. So you can't tune in to another station.

The latest incarnation of this peculiarly British SciFi phenomenon is a stage adaptation, a self-styled live version of the radio show. It's a touring production with almost 50 scheduled dates around the UK and, last Sunday, I went to see it at the Rose Theatre in Kingston-upon-Thames. So, how was it? As mind-blowing as a pan-galactic gargle blaster, or as frighteningly awful as the ravenous bugblatter beast of Traal?

Vogons: the galaxy's demolition men. With (front row) a Vogon Miley Cyrus. You know, for their wrecking ball.

Down into the very depths of time

For those not familiar with the story, the basic premise is that the Earth is a huge computer, designed to find the answer to the ultimate question of "life, the universe and everything". The program will take ten million years to run and organic life forms (specifically human beings) form part of its components. So far, so SciFi. But this is not the Matrix or even Doctor Who and the story really starts when, in a flourish of mischievous, humour, the Earth is destroyed five minutes before the program is complete. Destroyed, I should add, by an alien constructor fleet (Vogons!) to make way for a hyper-space bypass!

Luckily, one human (Arthur Dent) survives, saved by his friend Ford Prefect who, he is surprised to learn, is really an alien from Betelgeuse. Ford has been researching the Earth in order to update its entry in the best-selling travel guide The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a kind of portable galactic version of Wikipedia, known as much for its inaccuracies as for the fact that emblazoned on its cover is one very important piece of advice: "Don't panic"!

Arthur Dent. Now iconic. But not as much as his dressing gown.

And, if that sounds like I've given away a lot of spoilers, don't worry. That's all just the opening set up! Still wearing his dressing gown and armed only with a towel (vital for inter-planetary hitch-hiking) and a copy of the Guide, so begins Arthur Dent's big adventure, bringing his quintessentially British perspective to bear upon space ships, distant planets and alien species. But, as much fun as it is, the chief reason for the popularity of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is not its plot.

Douglas Adams delights in playing with the English language, possibly more so than any author since Lewis Carroll and The Hitchhiker's Guide must have spawned nearly as many quotable lines as Monty Python. In addition, like Carroll's own Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Hitchhiker's Guide also boasts a unique cast of bizarre and memorable characters. It may not have a hookah smoking caterpillar or a disappearing cat but it does have a two-headed, three-armed egomaniac called Zaphod Beeblebrox (Galactic President, super-thief and creator of the aforementioned pan-galactic gargle blaster!), a manically depressed robot named Marvin ("Life; who needs it?"!), and an absent-minded designer of planets named Slartibartfast ("It scares the willies out of me!").

A whole new life, stretching out ...

So how well does this stage production measure up to the other versions of Douglas Adams's whimsical masterpiece?

Zaphod, Arthur and Ford. An infinitely improbable combination.

The first point to make is that the production is not a fully staged dramatic performance. As the title suggests, the stage is set up like a live radio show, with a row of microphones lining the front of the stage and the actors stepping forward to read from scripts as and when required. A sound effects desk is off to one side in full view of the audience and there's even a live band. There are some concessions to the fact that the performance is theatrical (the occasional prop, the Vogons' masks, a life-sized Marvin puppet and - most importantly - Arthur Dent's iconic dressing gown!) but, by and large, this is radio. But live. In front of an audience.

The first act hurtles through much of the "classic" episodes from radio and television, possibly moving too fast to give the comedy as much room as it really needs to breathe, but - for the assembled faithful in the audience (myself included) - that's forgivable. There's a lot of material to squeeze in and if some has to be truncated or hurried in order to cover more ground, it's a small price to pay!

The second act, however, fares less well. In a frantic attempt to include something, no matter how little or irrelevant, from every book, spin-off and musical cash-in (even a single by Marvin not featured in any of the shows!), the production loses direction. The plot becomes rambling and incomprehensible. Even the scenes which are included are often shortened, their punchlines cut so the cast can stumble scrambling into another.

Two-headed alien; sexy babe; and a robot. Everything a good SciFi show needs. With a man in a dressing gown.

Perhaps the most glaring example of a punchline sacrificed as a result of the show's random, patchwork approach to the source material is that, whilst the answer to "life, the universe and everything" (you know what that is, right?) is disclosed early in Act 1, the "ultimate question" behind that answer (the very question which we're told the Earth super-computer was created to find) is never mentioned in Act 2. Whether forgotten or discarded, the omission of that punchline leaves a huge gaping hole at the heart of the entire production. It's like sitting through the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and not being shown what happened to the Ring!

Marvin: the original paranoid android.

So much for the laws of physics

With a broadly satisfactory first act and a disconcertingly unfocused second, how then should this production of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy be remembered? Like the movie, I can't see it winning any new fans. The plot was just too scrambled and so much of the humour was marred by savage, injudicious editing and hasty delivery. However, my guess is that this show was never intended to appeal to the uninitiated. This is a show for the existing fan base. I doubt there were many in the audience last Sunday who weren't already familiar with one or other of the show's previous incarnations and, for them, there is a lot to enjoy.

It doesn't matter if some lines aren't delivered with perfect comic timing. The audience already knows them by heart and happily mouths each one along with the actors. Many of the key cast members are the original radio and TV actors, reprising their roles after a gap of more than 30 years. It's a joyful, joyous reunion and the audience is invited to be part of it. Just hearing Simon Jones (Arthur Dent) bemoan that he "never could get the hang of Thursdays" with perfect deadpan Britishness is enough to roll back the years, and there's simply no substitute for Stephen Moore (Marvin) miserably commenting on the sunset over an alien planet: "I've seen it; it's rubbish!"

Douglas Adams died in 2001 and, as the cast returns to the stage to take their bows, they turn and raise their arms, directing our attention to an image of Adams projected onto a screen above the stage. It's a fitting finale. As wonderful as the cast is, the real stars of The Hitchhiker's Guide will always be the author and the obvious delight he took in playing with the English language. If you're not familiar with the show already, the Radio Show Live is probably not the best of introductions to this SciFi Wonderland, but you really should seek out a copy of the original books or the TV or radio shows. Oh, and in case you have any difficulty understanding Adamsian English, don't forget to slip a Babel fish into your ear first!

What's your favourite version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Book, film, TV, stage or radio show? Let us know. Oh, and if you've seen or are planning to see the UK stage version, let us know what you think. Was it as welcome as a towel? Or did it just hang in the air, the way that bricks don't?

I am VERY excited to announce the news that a new ongoing Punisher series is in the works. From acclaimed writer Nathan Edmondson and artist Mitch Gerads, who spilled their guts on the project at the recent NYCC, this up and coming series is set to be a long-term gig for everybody's favourite skull-wearing, gun-toting, terrible-tempered vigilante and also promises some refreshing changes!

Just wet myself a bit...

It was only broken to Punisher fans a short while ago that there would be no more Punisher solo outings for the "foreseeable future" after Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto's brilliant John Woo techno thriller-styled Punisher/Omega Effect/War Zone run impressed fans old and new yet failed to meet sales targets last year.

Slow motion gun pose, trenchcoat flapping in the wind - thanks John Woo!

We all died a little inside, not knowing if "foreseeable future" meant until Greg Rucka stabbed his editor in the eye with a biro, or if "foreseeable future" was Marvel office monkey terminology for "HAHAHAHA…NEVER!!!" That sort of uncertainty really irks the Punisher fans across the world something terrible—the last fans on Earth you want to piss off being Punisher fans—so this new series is really awesome news. In fact, I don't know about any of you, but I'm just going to willfully wet myself some more. Just completely change the tone of my trousers, then sit here and smile to myself for a little bit.

Problems in the War Zone

Fans of Frank have been divided for a good few years now over some pretty mild liberties taken by Punisher writers, and then some massively courageous or possibly stupid ones. We have the moment Daken killed Punisher…*COUGH* yeah, right *COUGH*…only for him to come back as a freakin' half-robot Frankenstein's monster (although I do think Tony Moore's artwork greatly complemented Rick Remender's comical moments—PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!). Remender brought the character back to his rightful old self eventually, but that was when he too was cancelled from the gig. It pissed fans off that so many "Easter eggs"—so many problems that had the potential to be put right—were left unattended to. Daken may have had his comeuppance at the hands of Franken-Castle and Wolverine, but why did Frank go after Jigsaw instead of Osborn and The Hood? That's what the English call a cop-out, and it's not Frank's style to let bygones be bygones.

Uh-huh... reboot!

Then we have Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon killing off Garth Ennis' legendary Punisher MAX run, as that was also to be cancelled. Sorry, but to me, that came across as highly disrespectful to everything Ennis ever achieved, not to mention all the brilliant artists that worked with him. Dillon may have worked with Ennis on Marvel Knights, but his artwork was so lazy in comparison. I'd have even preferred it had ended with the artist that thought it a good idea that the Punisher look like Nicolas Cage, for cryin' out loud!

"How…in the name of Zeus's BUTTHOLE…did you get out of your cell?"

Then Rucka and Checcheto made everything all right. In fact, they gained fans in people that used to hate the Punisher, and that's a massive achievement. So then we're told "no more Punisher," and instead he goes to Thunderbolts, but that turns out to be a good thing, because that series is going from strength to strength right now, and it's made an unlikely leader out of Frank, not to mention quite the ladykiller.

"PUNISH MEEEEEEE!"

So, What Changes?

Following Frank's most recent Marvel Now! reboot, he's more lethal than ever, a lot more intelligent, and oddly enough, a lot more socially adept than he has been for the past 20 years. This can only be a good thing, and it can only set the tone for his new outing with the fantastic creative team-up of Nathan Edmondson and Mitch Gerads, who are responsible for works such as The Activity.

Is it just me that keeps thinking 'Syphon Filter'?

From reactions I've read, Nathan and Mitch's The Activity is as much a vital qualification, to make a new Punisher series the absolute mutt's nuts, as we need to see, and this series has come highly recommended to me. Yet Punisher really needs to be going from strength to strength with his recent rise in popularity, along with the return of some previously disenfranchised fans. So a change of scenery, rather than a change of personality or physicality, is the way forward. The new Punisher #1…

Heeeheeeheeeheee

…takes place in none other than the West coast's City of Angels, Los Angeles, and will do so for a long time, for reasons we do not yet know. Looking to "cut off the snake's head," a new mission he has taken upon himself, he has friends and allies indigenous to Marvel's U.S. West coast (including an "animal friend," perhaps Wolverine?), but is being hunted by a recognizable deadly foe. That is as much as we know so far, but what could all of this mean?

Who cares, it sounds badass. The fact that this new creative team under editor Steve Wacker is looking to give Marvel readers more of what they want from a Punisher series (hopefully a permanent one) and give us more of what Rucka did right—the mystery thriller elements of the likes of the Bourne movies and more "Frank time" away from his missions, essentially giving us an in-depth character as well as some serious action. This IS what Punisher fans want, am I right?

Why is it then that I get the feeling Punisher is coming back on a slightly parodied GTA San Andreas slant? Punisher is typically hardcore action, stunts, and dark, gritty psycho-drama. It's why the fans love the Punisher but it's also why non-fans don't like him. Putting Frank in a warmer, sunnier, more tropical climate full of street crime, gunplay, and comedy is surely going to take him down that route, especially if Marvel wants to capitalise on what is currently popular domestically and internationally (GTA V, the highest grossing media product of all time). I can most definitely get behind something styled that way, as some of Punisher's most politically incorrect hilarity of the past, featured in Ennis' Marvel Knights and MAX era, was not far off. Edmondson also spilled the beans on wanting a touch of The Fast and the Furious in there too, which only further confirms my expectations.

Edmondson was also excited enough to tell everybody that he also wanted more comedy time with Frank, and the funny side of Edmondson's own personality shines through as he jokes about so many possibilities. The idea of Frank being a fan of Rizzoli and Isles makes me chuckle without even knowing why that is supposed to be funny, but Edmondson's energy and enthusiasm are a great sign, as is the fact that Gerads' artwork is never anything less than lush.

Punisher #1 is set for release in early 2014, which is not so far away, but please stay posted for further news and feel free to comment. Does the news of Frank's return to solo format tickle your pickle? Do you look at that title picture and see

There’s a whole Batcave full of reasons why Batman is such an enduring and endearing character, but elasticity quickly encompasses many of them. Batman is an orphaned boy, yet he is vengeance. He’s a dark knight, while still the world's greatest detective and so much more. A character this multifaceted can encourage quite a bit of controversy over the best way to tell his story. While I won't get into whether or not there should be a Robin, I am willing to make a claim of who made the best Robin, or at least who could have. I'll champion the case for the only Robin so detestable his demise was actually fan voted: Jason Todd.

(Note: I’m looking at the history of stories told in the DCU, not just New 52 canon)

There are several cases you could make for the other Robins: Dick Grayson's relationship with Bruce and evolution to Nightwing, Tim Drake's deducing the world's greatest detective's best-kept secret, Damian's unparalleled training and possible birthright. While these are all valid points for characters who all brought something to the mythos, I think they all lack a core detail—the darkness. Bruce Wayne is many things, but so long as he wears the cowl, it's impossible to say that there isn’t at least a little darkness at the core of his character. It's the death of his parents that’s driven him all these years against both his classic and most recent villains. I believe it is this darkness that could have allowed Jason Todd to be the Batman's greatest ally, because in many ways, it made him Bruce Wayne.

Now that may sound a bit bold, especially when you consider the similarities in Bruce and Dick's origin stories. Both saw their parents die right before their youthful eyes. That's got to be a tie that binds. Although it may seem valid on the surface, I think the way Dick notably conducted himself as Robin refutes the possibility of the two empathizing over their shared loss. Dick is a circus performer at heart. As such, he was infamous for bringing theatrics to the role of Robin. Where Bruce is a wrecking ball of vengeance, Dick is a spring-loaded butterfly. Even if Bruce had found someone to mentor him through his struggle as he did Dick, I don’t think he would have been smiling and somersaulting his pain away as Dick did. It's just not who he is. This distinction further illuminates that Jason Todd is Bruce Wayne.

Jason also lost his parents and descended into darkness. I believe his story may have been Bruce’s had the young master Wayne not been privy to the comforts of an unimaginable inheritance and a butler always on standby to provide him with unconditional positive regard. I believe that by forcing Bruce to try and console and save Jason, he was forced to confront himself. That period of Bruce's life is what drives him. Having a character like Jason—who so perfectly embodies the toll that Bruce’s pain could take on a life—wield the mantle of Robin led to stories that simply would not have been possible with the others.


Sure, it is granted that I'm basing the case for the best Robin off what they could do for Bruce, but hasn't that always been the justification for a Robin? Tim and Dick were the lights in Bruce's life that kept him from going too far, and Damien... well, let’s not go there. By the time Bruce got to Jason, Dick had finished his tenure as Robin and been the positive force Bruce needed. This could have left Bruce and Jason in a position to go down the rabbit hole together to conquer their demons. There's a clarity that comes from helping others with a similar issue that you just can't come to on your own.

Bruce has all the gadgets, all the money, all the training and all the experience to make facing external threats a thrilling story. Much like Superman, however, his true challenge comes with confronting his own darkness each and every day. This is why Jason was, and remains, the perfect sidekick for Batman. Bruce Wayne will never face a villain worse than his past, and no Robin had ever been better tailored to help him face it than Jason.

Hello, my name is Travis. And I am a YouTube addict.

I have been a fan of the video service for as long as it has been around. I have seen David after his visit at the dentist's office, a cat playing piano, and TONS of videos of various reviews of video games. Because of these videos, I have decided this was something I wanted to do.

There is one reviewer/critic I have become quite a fan of over the years, and he is known to the YouTube community as TotalBiscuit. "The Cynical Brit" is the site's biggest partner with over a million subscribers to date. Most of his reviews cater to indie games.

TotalBiscuit's "The Cynical Brit" Logo

Even though he is one of the Internet's biggest celebs, he is not immune to receiving copyright strikes on his channel, especially if the strike comes from a game developer who has made a really bad game and cries like a baby if someone makes a "First Impressions" video and says how bad the game really is.

Here's the setup: Some time ago, TotalBiscuit received a review code for an Indie PC game called "Day One: Garry's Incident." Here's the video in question:


However, the crybabies at Wild Game Studios—more specifically the CEO, Stephane Woods—whined to YouTube and brought on a copyright strike which temporarily removed the video. What was TB's response?


As you can see, TB exposes some very unscrupulous business tactics at WGS. It seems to me Woods not only stands by his company's product, but also wants to eliminate any negative press against what appears to be a terrible video game. Furthermore, the previous video was reinstated after an apology was given to TB.

I have always believed in the saying, "There is no such thing as bad publicity." Critics do their jobs to help spread the word about a particular product, which does promote it whether it is good or bad. It is usually left up to consumers to decide for themselves if they want to purchase said products. Critics subject themselves to all different kinds of movies, television shows and video games, and they say whether they think these things are worth consumers' time and money. Critiques also pass along information to the uncertain individual who has no knowledge about the product. And for a company such as Wild Game Studios to act the way it did toward someone just doing his job might have damaged its own reputation.

So, what are your thoughts about this?

The first teaser trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier will hit in a few hours, giving us our first glimpses of the Winter Soldier himself, Bucky Barnes as well as I'm sure lots of action pieces and more.

Here it is, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Teaser Trailer #1:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is set for release on April 4, 2014. Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Georges St-Pierre, Hayley Atwell, Toby Jones, Emily VanCamp and Maximiliano Hernández with Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Redford. Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo. Written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely

What do you think? Are you more excited or more worried about what's to come with the movie? How is this going to measure up to Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and the rest of MCU's Phase 2? Tell us your thoughts on the comments below.


And just for good measure, here's Daily Asgardian News giving us a recut of Captain America: The Winter Soldier with Team America's "America, Fuck Yeah" song:

Episode 47 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. In this episode, the group discusses their favorite multiplayer moments. Featuring Mike Paden, Michael Burhan, Chris Locs, Shaun Walker, Travis Goss, Zack Latour and Kyla Dipietro.

You can check out the episode by clicking on the following links:

Lybsin: http://smarkoutmoment.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/igotgameplay/id570120518

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nerdgenious/igotgameplay?amp;refid=stpr

You can subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/IGotGameplay

Blog Talk Radio:

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You can join the discussion by going to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/igotgameplay

Join the IGG army in style by purchasing an I Got Gameplay T Shirt from our store:

To order yours just click on the link below!

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Check out Episode 18 of The Dace Man Show with regulars Gibby, Frank Ward, and Michael Burhan!

Join The Dace Man this week as he breaks down the following:

::SPORTS NEWS::

• NFL Week 7is etched in stone....time to rip the Monday Night Football game...Really Vikings?
• World Series is underway Boston v.s. St. Louis...boy, did I call it wrong

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

• This is were Gibby starts talking. Yeah believe it or not it spawns some fun.

 ::CELEB NEWS::

• Kanye proposed to Kim....Woooooo still not caring.
• HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEIRD AL!!
• Simon Cowell sings Power Rangers Theme for a million dollars!!
• Michael Jackson is making the most money in the after life according to Forbes Magazine
• Entourage Movie is a 100% go with production to begin in January.
• Cee Lo Green busted for Ecstasy
• Casey Kasem only has a few months to live.
• Dax Sheppard got hitched to Kristen Bell

We talk about our trip to the Renaissance Faire Plus the High Five: Top 5 Pokemon and The Douche Bag of The Week. All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!

Step onto the crazy train with Chris "The Dace Man" Dace this week on The Dace Man Show… cue the Final Countdown!!!

Follow The Dace Man on Twitter: @TheDaceMan

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

www.MegaPowersRadio.com
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www.Twitter.com/MegaPowersRadio

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.

MOVIES

Ming-Na Wen from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wants in on the new Star Wars films.

My take: Can you blame her? I'd kill for a role in those movies too.

Tom Hanks says he wants to be in a superhero film like The Flash.

My take: Give him a role! Make him the father of a superhero or a villain of some sort. Obviously, don't just give him any role that he wouldn't suit. Tom Hanks should not be Black Panther or Wonder Woman or Aquaman or something. But if he's interested in participating in a comic book movie, I'm sure there's a spot for him somewhere... maybe as Jay Garrick?

The Captain America: The Winter Soldier teaser trailer supposedly will have a run time of 2 minutes and 23 seconds.

My take: Can't wait!

Thor: The Dark World is estimated to open up with $75 million, which would surpass the previous $65.7 million made from the first movie.

My take: Makes sense.

Beetlejuice 2 coming soon?

My take: Is he going Hawaiian?

VIDEO GAMES

IGN has a 17-minute walkthrough of Batman: Arkham Origins. Check it out:


My take: I still don't quite get why Killer Croc is an assassin as opposed to, say, Prometheus or Wrath. Clock King would have been cool if Riddler doesn't get much focus.

TELEVISION

It looks like Beware the Batman has been cancelled, or "not cancelled but pulled until we decide to cancel it like we did with Young Justice".

My take: I've never seen it, so I have no attachment to it, but it seems like these DC animated shows are being burdened by the network that wants nothing but a super hardcore targeting towards really young kids. Batman: The Animated Series did well when I was a kid, yet that wasn't childish in content. I think this is all a marketing problem and people trying to formulate shows that are predicated on selling toys rather than just being good. Even Beware the Batman seemed like an attempt to put different stuff out there not for the sake of story, but for marketing...such as 'sprucing up' the 'boring' Alfred character by making him more action oriented so kids weren't bored and Katana to appeal to women.

HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES

Michael Bay was attacked on the set of Transformers 4 by someone wielding, of all things, an air conditioning unit.

My take: I wonder if it was a Decepticon.

Creating your dream comic and sharing it with the world isn't as easy as just picking up a pen. Even if you are an artist gifted in sketching, coloring, inking and writing, you need financial support and the attention of others to get your work published. There are a multitude of writers and artists out there who are trying to put teams together and looking for financiers who want to see these projects come together.

I'm sure most of you know about Kickstarter campaigns; I imagine many of the visitors to FanboysAnonymous.com have their own. For those who aren't familiar with the program, Kickstarter.com is a site where artists and writers can promote their works independently, with the hope of making fans and raising donated funds to move forward with their projects. One campaign in particular that I'd like to take a look at is for the proposed comic Earth Alliance.

I tend not to partake in the heavy military genre when I read, but in graphic novel/comic form, such art literature is absolutely mind-blowing to me. Space wars and explosions, fights, technology, and alien life suddenly take form. That's exactly the way I felt when I came across Earth Alliance. From the opening of the pitch video, I was floored. Maybe it's the music or the dramatic order of the art, but it turned into something I'm sad to say I don't have in my hands. I hope that one day I will.

The Story

In the year 2190, Earth is embroiled in an interplanetary war with an aggressive alien race called the Khuttari. The nations of Earth must decide whether to fight alone or form an alliance in order to defend the planet. Admiral Benjamin Ryan, a highly-regarded military leader, is chosen to lead the Earth Alliance forces and prepare for war. The Khuttari war is not the only conflict the admiral faces; he is also at odds with his rebellious 18-year-old son, Thomas. Thomas is headed down the wrong path and is forced to join the space service at the outset of the war. After entering the academy, Thomas forms a reluctant mentor relationship with Captain Miles Harper, the new Academy commandant. As the war progresses, Thomas and his father find themselves playing a pivotal role defending Earth from the Khuttari threat.

It looks as though Earth Alliance will a pretty good comic, and I'm waiting with my fingers crossed to see if it reaches its goal. The campaign ends on November 11, 2013, so to ensure we can read Earth Alliance one day, check out the Earth Alliance Kickstarter Campaign and donate a buck, or even a little more. There are gifts and sneak peeks available for those who donate. Don't forget to tell me what you think below.

Afro Samurai's director, Fuminori Kizaki, helms the animated adaptation of Platinum and Sega's hit video game, Bayonetta. Hitting theatres November 23rd, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate will run for two weeks in ten theatres and will be dub in Japanese. This differs from the video games which possessed an English track with only Japanese subtitles, even when released in Japan. Providing the voice for Bayonetta is Atsuko Tanaka who, in another Sega related property, voiced Eleanor Varrot from Valkyria Chronicles 2.

So, thoughts on the trailer? Please share below.