Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular ones! The Dace Man here, bringing you some breaking news that will change the landscape of late night as we know it!
Comedy Central suffers a huge blow by losing one of their top talents to CBS. According to CBS, Stephen Colbert has been given a five-year deal to be the new host of The Late Show. Still stationed in New York City, Colbert will move up the street and out of his Comedy Central domain to be Jimmy Fallon's competition in the Late Night Wars. After a decade of hosting The Colbert Report, he will lay down the role of crazy conservative to take a more casual hosting gig.
Many names have been rumored for who would take the seat after Letterman vacates in 2015. The extensive speculation has finally come to a close, a day after we debated the matter on The Dace Man Show. So much for Neil Patrick Harris taking the gig!
Best of luck to Stephen and his new gig over at CBS. I hope he still refers to us as the Colbert Nation.
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 of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course,the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a rare gun!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
There's a certain rhythm that's been established in the world of super hero entertainment; a random character's various trade paperbacks will be rereleased in a deluxe hardcover, followed by a movie or television show announcement, followed by a new series to make sure there's plenty of character X on the shelf by the time the adaptation rolls around. While this business model makes me wary of such new titles, I am happy to see it has warranted a new ongoing series for the Immortal Weapon, Danny Rand, entitled Iron Fist: The Living Weapon. The Ed Brubaker/Matt Fraction run has gone on to become a modern classic, leaving Iron Fist: The Living Weapon with large green shoes to fill.
The issue opens with Danny telling Brenda, a journalist, an exposition heavily retracing of the tragic family expedition to K'un Lun that led to the death of his parents. Following the interview and the origin story, Danny invites Debra home, giving us the first real look at his current mindset which is done best without any dialogue at all.He's a complicated mix of cynical and melancholy, perfectly depicted with three panels showing him alone, in bed with Brenda, and in the bathroom after their intimacy all with the same, flat expression.
Unable to sleep, Danny gets out of bed for a late night workout that illustrates, again, Marvel's strength for inventive visual art that reflects the story. The scene flips in an instant, however, when Danny leaps out his window, into the open air where dozens of ninja assailants repel from helicopters to attack him. In a fast, heavily narrated series of action pages, Danny uses his Iron Fist powers to light the helicopters on fire, burning the ninjas who are still attached to them by ropes. This ends up playing a lot like the infamous laser scene in Iron Man 2 when Tony Stark destroys an army of drones in one shot. It's anticlimactic and underwhelming.
Once the ninjas are dispelled, Danny returns inside to find Brenda under attack from a robotic, zombie ninja. Danny moves to attack the warrior, but his powers mysteriously misfire, opening him up to a hard hit from his foe. Fortunately, Danny is trained in all forms of martial arts and defeats the assailant without his powers. Just as he thinks the danger is over, a little girl emerges from the shadows and instructs him to return to K'un Lun before succumbing to the arrows in her back and falling, dead.The first issues are a difficult read. You have to establish a character and a world for them to play in while simultaneously establishing a story for them to work through. Iron Fist did all these things, though in a generic way. Iron Fist: The Living Weapon establishes Danny as a disenfranchised hero who has lost a lot and doesn't know what he wants for himself. His villains are generic ninja warriors who he dispels so quickly that you really could have inserted any other hero into this issue and had it work. The power misfire at the end is also a tired tactic to create intrigue. The worst part, however, was the heavy narration. It was completely counterintuitive to the loose, free flowing combat the book hopes to depict.
Over all, this book, at $3.99, will have to start delivering more unique story fast if it hopes to establish itself as much more than white noise.
What did you think of Iron Fist: The Living Weapon? Are you excited for issue two, or did issue one leave too much to be desired? Let us know in the comments section below.
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
Captain 'Merica 2
My take: Okay, it was worth the wait. I really enjoyed the movie, the action was dynamic, and the "spy stuff" was easy to follow. Now I can't wait for parts 3-12(?).
MCU Planned Out to 2028?
My take: Holy crap, these guys aren't kidding around. Though, movie-wise, 2028 is just around the corner, and the fact that they're thinking of these films in the terms of comic book storytelling makes me really excited. Imagine a year long story in a comic taking 12 months to tell. It would certainly take longer to tell in a film series with a "one every three years" schedule. I think one obvious arc seems to be letting the "Bucky Cap" story play out. Seems to be in the works already.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Reviews
My take: The reviews are rolling in and they, sadly, are exactly what you would expect. "Too long," "good chemistry," "bullet time." This movie sounds very much like a vehicle for toys and Sony printing their own money. Where the Marvel films have character, story and heart, I fear this new, expanded plan they have for Spidey is going to ruin the character's box office cred.
Chewbacca Returns
My take: Peter Mayhew will return and it has me thinking about that lucky guy out there who's job it is to decide what books, comics, movies, and episodes are official Star Wars canon. At one point, as do all living things, Chewbacca is killed. It literally took an entire planet to kill him, but I wonder if he won't go the way of Agent Coulson to have something to avenge in the next series.
Battlestar Galactica Movie?
My take: This will be a third take on the story as it won't be tied to the original series or the 2003 reboot. Interest level nominal, depending on how awesome the Cylons look. I wasn't a huge fan of the "infiltration" plot of the reboot, but otherwise enjoyed it.
TELEVISION
The Big Bang Theory / Star Wars to Crossover
My take: As a big fan of the show who is growing more disappointed in the lack of effort they seem to be putting in, I'm excited for this. I don't want this show to go the way of Drew Carey and start breaking the fourth wall, but any time there is a crossover with Star Wars, we say "it's a good thing Bart did that!"
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Ratings
My take: The show I never wanted is turning into the show nobody needs. A great opportunity to flesh out storylines, the series is floundering despite huge box office numbers for the MCU films. I'm down for a new movie a couple times a year but don't need the universe in my life 24/7. I have only seen the pilot so I'm partly talking out of my ass here. It didn't grab my interest and had almost every element I hoped it wouldn't (attractive conspiracy theorist who lives in a van? check). With no second season confirmed yet, it's either going to go away or this is all part of a bigger plan? Marvel is pretty sneaky and I wouldn't put it past them.
Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II
My take: I've always been a fan of parody until all the Scary Movies and their ilk ruined them. Robot Chicken, South Park, and even Family Guy have made the genre enjoyable and I love "crossovers" like this.
COMIC BOOKS
Death of Archie Andrews
My take: Archie Andrews will die in an upcoming storyline in the comic book ironically titled Life with Archie. It has Archie and comic books in every news outlet's online feed so, you know what? Bring it on.
Bring Back Damian Wayne?
My take: Is this still being discussed? My vote is no. He was an interesting character that came at a horrible time. He makes no sense and shouldn't be brought back from the dead. If anything, it's a Robin. Have a phone poll, it's easier than ever nowadays, DC. I'll support whatever the fans decide, even if they make the incorrect decision. DC already has characters like Harper Row and now Anna Aguila, do we really need the Robin pot stirred any more than it already is?
TECHNOLOGY
Comcast "the worst" as Time Warner Merger Filed
My take: If there is a good litmus test for America, it's when the worst company in the country can merge with one of the most important (entertainment-wise) and everyone just shrugs and says "what can ya do." The potential for this merger to make home entertainment less entertaining is way too huge., but money talks and this is happening whether you like it or not. Time for Amazon, Google Fiber, and the rest to take the stage and knock Com-TWC on their ass.
CELEBRITIES
WWE's Ultimate Warrior Passes Away
My take: What? Holy crap. Just days after re-appearing on RAW and being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame? It's like he was waiting for a proper farewell. He got a little crazy the last decade but I always appreciate those that made my childhood fun, and he was definitely on the list.
Mickey Rooney Passes Away
My take: I'll be honest, I was never his biggest fan, partly due to him simply "appearing" in films like The Muppets as a Stan Lee-like button. However, as I mentioned above, anyone who makes childhood magical gets an approving nod.
Wil Wheaton Touches Hearts
My take: For a guy pretty much hated by his fan base years ago, Wheaton has made the slow-burn comeback of the century. This week a video response at a 2013 convention about nerd-dom to bring us all closer together. Damn him. He's so damn cool now.
Watch out for this segment each and every Wednesday. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics?
Leave us a comment below!
Hey, hey, hey Dacetacular Nation! Chris "The Dace Man Dace" here after a month of madness! The fans took to the internet and voted in one of the biggest tournaments in Fanboys Anonymous history!
After 32 contestants, eight weeks, five brackets and thousands upon thousands of votes, an Internet Goddess was crowned for 2014! The internet sensation, Boxxy, dominated the brackets, and after a close race in the final round she etched her name in Internet history.
Surviving all five rounds, Catie soared passed the competition and won the whole enchilada. Check out her impressive stats from this years Internet Goddess tournament!
Round 1: 97% of the votes beating Chet Seigel
Heavenly Sixteen: 83% of the votes beating Lindsey Stirling
Elegant Eight: 65% of the votes beating Taylor Davis
Fabulous Four: 59% of the votes beating Colleen Ballinger
Heavenly Sixteen: 83% of the votes beating Lindsey Stirling
Elegant Eight: 65% of the votes beating Taylor Davis
Fabulous Four: 59% of the votes beating Colleen Ballinger
Finals: 66% of the votes beating Lara de Wit
The passion and support from her fan base launched Catie into the finals and the ultimate throne. Through the entire tournament, fans took to the Internet in support of their fearless and energetic leader to assure her the crown. Take a look at the response from the Boxxy Army below.
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| Fans React to Catie's Win |
In late 2008, Catie Wayne burst onto the Internet scene with an energetic vlog under the character of Boxxy. With high energy and talking about everyday life, Boxxy took the Internet by storm, including the infamous site 4chan. Her character was so unique it hooked the attention of the Internet audience, and was one of the original Internet phenomenons that generated a lot of attention both positive and negative. These days you can find the legendary Boxxy on her YouTube channel, ANewHopeee, posting videos on a weekly basis, though she's currently on hiatus. Until she's able to get back to making fans more videos, you can catch her over at Animalist on YouTube with her series, Weird Gross Beautiful.
Congratulations goes out to Catie Wayne on being Fanboys Anonymous' inaugural Internet Goddess! Also on behalf of myself Chris "The Dace Man" Dace and the entire staff here at Fanboys Anonymous, we'd like to thank you the fans for participating in the first ever Internet Goddess Award Tournament. Today begins the road to the 2015 Internet Goddess Tournament, so let the beautiful and creative ladies of the Internet continue to make it awesome!!
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 of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Follow me on Twitter @TheDaceMan. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case an Internet tiara—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.
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Nearly six months ago, the world was introduced to the hero of San Francisco through social media and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A five year old kindergartner, who was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia - a cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts - at 18 months old and has been in remission now for the past few years.
One wish that young Miles had was to be the sidekick to Batman, a wish that was granted by the city of San Francisco in 2013 as he paraded around town fighting alongside Batman against some of his greatest rivals.
Well, the City of San Francisco and The San Francisco Giants have called upon the help of the watchful protector once more. Opening Day 2014 at Giants stadium, Batkid threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Matt Cain, reminding the world and San Francisco their hero is still on duty.
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 of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this your trusty sidekick!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation!! It's been a while but The Dace Man is back, and boy does he have some video game news for you!
Have you been eagerly awaiting a new Borderlands game? Do you painstakingly wait each day for the announcement of Borderlands 3? Well that announcement still hasn't been made....but, we will be receiving a new Borderlands game to hold us over for the much anticipated Borderlands 3!
Announced today by 2K, fans will be given a prequel featuring Claptrap (which will be playable), four new hero characters, and a bunch of familiar faces. Keeping in tune with fellow franchises such as the Batman Arkham series and Metal Gear series, they are cashing in on this cash cow to give us as much, or little, content as they possibly can.
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 of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a rare gun!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Winter is coming... at least for another two more seasons of Game of Thrones. After the Season 4 premiere brought in record views, there's no shortage of beheadings in sight. The series has been officially renewed for Seasons 5 and 6, IGN reported.
Game of Thrones is the most-watched HBO series since the finale of The Sopranos in 2007. The fourth season premiered on April 6 to an average of 6.6 million viewers, HBO noted. Days later, the network committed to a fifth and sixth season.
The next two seasons will bring showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss closer to adapting the entirety of George R.R. Martin's ongoing seven-book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, on which Game of Thrones is based.
Season 4 follows the events of second half of A Storm of Swords, the third book in the series. The show is rapidly catching up with the novels, of which only five of the seven planned volumes have been published to date. Martin reportedly sat down with the show's co-creators to discuss how the books will end, just in case the TV series outruns the novels, Benioff said in the April issue of Vanity Fair. "We just sat down with him and literally went through every character," Benioff said.
The series' renewal doesn't come as much of a surprise, as Benioff and Weiss revealed to Entertainment Weekly last month that they planned on taking Game of Thrones to seven seasons. "Seven gods, seven kingdoms, seven seasons," Benioff told EW. "It feels right to us."
But after seven seasons, our time in Westeros is likely to come to an end. "We know there's an end somewhere in the seven- or eight-season zone," Weiss told Vanity Fair. "I think the desire to milk more out of it is what would eventually kill it, if we gave in to that."
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Are you excited for a couple more seasons in Westeros? Let us know in the comment section below.
Recent speculation and scuttlebutt pointed at Phil Lord and Chris Miller, directors of The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs as the frontrunners to replace Ivan Reitman at the helm for Ghostbusters 3.
According to Jeff Sneider of TheWrap, that is no longer the case.
Hearing LORD & MILLER ended up walking away from GHOSTBUSTERS 3 job. They were the studio's choice but wanted to keep their options open...
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) April 7, 2014
If this is true, it looks like this is yet another setback for this film, which has seen everything from countless delays to three missing cast members (Bill Murray, Rick Moranis and sadly, Harold Ramis). At this point, fans of the series might be better off wishing that the film doesn't happen, as opposed to getting a lackluster and rushed product that is inadequate for the job.
Who would you like to see direct Ghostbusters III? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Charles Soule and Javier Pulido have teamed up to bring us a refreshing new look at Marvel's She-Hulk. With issue #1 out since February, we have had a chance to get a feel for this series and get reintroduced to Jennifer Walters.
Walters, of course, has a long history in the Marvel universe. She was shy lawyer in New York who found herself in a life or death situation after getting gunned down by a crime boss. An emergency blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner, resulted in some interesting side effects. With green skin and super strength, her powers increase with fear and anger much like Banner. Her control over her transformation helps Walters in becoming a world renowned hero, a member of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.
"No one is only one thing." - She-Hulk
In her new series, Walters realized that the law firm she works for, only care about the publicity and fame she brings in as a super hero and not her skills as a lawyer. The first issue deals with her striking out on her own and setting up her own firm. Biting off almost more than she can chew, she now struggles with the day-to-day of running a business, an odd paralegal, and a growing list of villains who now have it out for her. Joined by her friend and employee Patsy Walker (Hellcat), She-Hulk is taking down the villains of New York in her own unique way.
With a character that has been written less-than-favorably in the past, Soule deals with the character remarkably well. Walters is a well-developed character who stays true to her morals without sacrificing any part of herself. The focus has shifted away from her physique and to her smarts. We get to see She-Hulk figure things out without use of force. While the fighting that does occur is off panel for the most part, it is not missed in the context of the story.
The art is semi-realistic and yet also capable of bordering on cartoony. Pulido has brought out the characters through use of bright colors, and clever design. The team has also made use of two-page spreads in an interesting way.
The two-page spreads showcase the action differently than they would have in the more traditional format with longer images, and longer sets of panels that affect the pacing. Some of these spreads have also broken out of panels and show the action as movement across a setting, such as Walters' tour of her new office building.
The two-page spreads are a lot of fun in print, but digitally they are bit of a nuisance. Depending on your app, the double spread could cause a lot of problems including having to tilt your screen, zooming and scrolling, or just plain cutting them in half. In a time where the majority of comics have moved to the digital format, this decision might hurt the series more than help.
So far, with three issues out, I give the series my approval, but with the caveat that you buy a print copy over the a digital one. So far we have seen three self-contained stories, leaving this reader hoping that an overarching plot for this volume will be present soon. The recent appearance of Doctor Doom gives a lot of hope in regards to the plot, and would be an interesting direction to take. However, I put my faith in the creative team to see where they will take us in the next few issues.
Walters, of course, has a long history in the Marvel universe. She was shy lawyer in New York who found herself in a life or death situation after getting gunned down by a crime boss. An emergency blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner, resulted in some interesting side effects. With green skin and super strength, her powers increase with fear and anger much like Banner. Her control over her transformation helps Walters in becoming a world renowned hero, a member of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four.
"No one is only one thing." - She-Hulk
In her new series, Walters realized that the law firm she works for, only care about the publicity and fame she brings in as a super hero and not her skills as a lawyer. The first issue deals with her striking out on her own and setting up her own firm. Biting off almost more than she can chew, she now struggles with the day-to-day of running a business, an odd paralegal, and a growing list of villains who now have it out for her. Joined by her friend and employee Patsy Walker (Hellcat), She-Hulk is taking down the villains of New York in her own unique way.
With a character that has been written less-than-favorably in the past, Soule deals with the character remarkably well. Walters is a well-developed character who stays true to her morals without sacrificing any part of herself. The focus has shifted away from her physique and to her smarts. We get to see She-Hulk figure things out without use of force. While the fighting that does occur is off panel for the most part, it is not missed in the context of the story.The art is semi-realistic and yet also capable of bordering on cartoony. Pulido has brought out the characters through use of bright colors, and clever design. The team has also made use of two-page spreads in an interesting way.
The two-page spreads showcase the action differently than they would have in the more traditional format with longer images, and longer sets of panels that affect the pacing. Some of these spreads have also broken out of panels and show the action as movement across a setting, such as Walters' tour of her new office building.
The two-page spreads are a lot of fun in print, but digitally they are bit of a nuisance. Depending on your app, the double spread could cause a lot of problems including having to tilt your screen, zooming and scrolling, or just plain cutting them in half. In a time where the majority of comics have moved to the digital format, this decision might hurt the series more than help.
So far, with three issues out, I give the series my approval, but with the caveat that you buy a print copy over the a digital one. So far we have seen three self-contained stories, leaving this reader hoping that an overarching plot for this volume will be present soon. The recent appearance of Doctor Doom gives a lot of hope in regards to the plot, and would be an interesting direction to take. However, I put my faith in the creative team to see where they will take us in the next few issues.
Marvel NOW! Guardians of the Galaxy/All-New X-Men: The Trial of Jean Grey Review
- Monday, April 7, 2014
Welcome to another Guardians of the Galaxy review! I reviewed both the first volume, "Cosmic Avengers," and the second volume, "Angela," as collected trades of the comic book series. Now that I've got myself a subscription to the series—allowing me to read entire story arcs before they're collected—I'll be reviewing the third and subsequent volumes ahead of their publication as trades. Today, I'll be reviewing a special crossover volume collecting Guardians of the Galaxy #11.NOW–13 and All-New X-Men #22.NOW–24, featuring a story called "The Trial of Jean Grey." So let's roll!
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| This will also be the cover for the trade. |
This obviously throws a monkey wrench into the teenage lovers' relationship, but before they can cope with it, a covert Shi'ar strike force attacks the X-Men and whisks Jean away. The Guardians show up soon after the kidnapping, in response to the alien force messing with Earth affairs.
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| Uncanny timing, guys. |
The issue also marks the departure of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) from the story line, as he sends the Guardians a message from Earth thanking them for allowing him to be a part of the team. Thus, Brian Michael Bendis ties up what could have been a confusing loose end.
The Guardians are alarmed and move to action when an alien ship enters Earth's atmosphere, and from there their story ties into the X-Men's. They team up to track down Jean and her kidnappers, during which they meet up with the Starjammers—a group of space pirates led by Cyclops' long lost father. You can imagine the interaction between young Cylcops and his father, who had already reconnected with his son years before.
While the three teams are on their quest, Jean is made ready for her tribunal, but the tribunal is interrupted by King J'son of Spartax when he tries to reason with Gladiator about the trial's absurdity. The X-Men, Guardians, and Starjammers eventually make it to the Shi'ar throne world where Jean is being held, and a huge battle erupts between the heroes and the Shi'ar Royal Guards. Young Jean discovers and uses a new power—one never exhibited by the deceased Jean—to bring the battle to a stalemate. She ends up leaving with her friends after Cyclops threatens to bring the Earth's entire population of superpowered beings down on Gladiator and the Shi'ar if they ever come to Earth again. The teams part ways at the end of the story arc, with Cyclops joining his father and the Starjammers, and Kitty hooking up with Peter Quill for a long-distance relationship.
The biggest hurdle this story presented for me was making me care about an X-Men story. I'm not a huge X-Men fan; I've never read a single X-Men title, and I've never cared about any of the characters. I know the gist of the Dark Phoenix Saga, however—you kind of pick up on these things as a comic book geek—and I've watched every X-Men film Fox has produced, so I'm not completely unaware of these characters. Once again, though, Bendis successfully pulled me into a property I had very little interest in, albeit temporarily and for this story arc only.
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| Holy crap, that's a lot of characters. |
As strong as Jean and Cyclops' in-your-face young romance was, it was Angela and Gamora's developing, quasi-romantic warrior's relationship that really took the cake for me. (Sorry, Peter and Kitty.) Drax suffered the most in this crossover, in my opinion, as his development took a back seat to that of the characters at the center of the story. He may have had one moment with X-23, but it wasn't enough for me to regard him as an integral member of the Guardians.
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| If Deadpool gets to marry someone, why can't Angela and Gamora marry, too? |
Guardians of the Galaxy/All-New X-Men: The Trial of Jean Grey gets 5 stars out of 5 for both the story and the art, making this the second Guardians of the Galaxy volume to receive a perfect rating from yours truly, despite all odds. Seriously, if you plan on reading Guardians of the Galaxy from trade to trade, don't pass up on this one just because of the crossover stigma most geeks suffer from. Pick this book up!
If you're both an X-Men and a Guardians fan, what did you think of this volume? Let me know in the comments section below. I'm definitely looking forward to writing my next Guardians of the Galaxy review in a few months, because that's when Captain Marvel and Agent Venom join the team! Yay!
For many big-budget movie producers, keeping the more secret details of your movie under wraps until its release can be a nightmare. It's all very well having your cast and crew sign the appropriate contracts and releasing the occasional teaser to keep the masses relatively well-behaved, but what do you do when the media is practically interrogating your employees?
On last week's Arsenio, actor Don Cheadle humored the possibilities of what lengths Marvel Studios might go to in order to silence their actors. Cheadle—the star of the Oceans trilogy and Hotel Rwanda—is currently best known as Colonel James Rhodes (aka War Machine) from the last two Iron Man movies and the upcoming main event Avengers: Age of Ultron. He was asked by host Arsenio Hall what will happen in the Avengers sequel. This is what happened...
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! Any hidden messages in there? Feel free to leave a comment below, and stick around for regular updates on Avengers: Age of Ultron from Fanboys Anonymous. Thanks for reading.
Episode 70 of the I Got Gameplay radio show is now live! On this episode, the gang discuss the history of Microsoft in a retrospective discussion about the number-two biggest company in gaming history and their console, the Xbox.
You can check out the episode by clicking on the following links:
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You can subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/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 appropriate link below! (UK and EU) http://nerdgenious.spreadshirt.co.uk/i-got-gameplay-retro-t-A25715613/customize/color/348 (US) http://nerdgenioususa.spreadshirt.com/
Welcome to another comic book review by yours truly. (These are fun. We should do these more often.) Most of my reviews are about either Marvel's symbiotes or Moon Knight. You can probably already tell this one's about the latter. Last month I reviewed the first issue of Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire's astonishing Moon Knight series, which won me over for its nostalgia and its new storytelling format. Today I'll be reviewing Moon Knight #2, so let's get to it!
As Ellis had suggested, this issue is its own self-contained story, following a storytelling format akin to what you'd see in a serial crime drama (like any show in the CSI franchise). Just as the previous issue's title, "Slasher," indicated what kind of criminal Moon Knight faced in that story, this issue's title, "Sniper," pretty much summed its story up.
Through these eight pages, the color white becomes ever more dominant as the panels begin to disappear with their victims. The creative team's goal was to make the color white as striking against other colors as it is in Moon Knight's costume. It's also a clever tactic on their part because it also conveys the idea of the "light at the end of the tunnel" that people are said to experience when they die. See? I can be deep, too.
After the last victim falls, Shalvey and Bellaire treat the readers to a beautiful New York City nightscape before they and Ellis plunge us into the action. It's a fight between the mystery sniper—boasting a very high-tech, high-caliber rifle—and Moon Knight, who dives from a unique Moon Copter and glides in sporting his new superhero suit. From there it's a quick battle, and then the entire situation is explained to our hero in the end.
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| Another strong one liner, Ellis. |
Shalvey and Bellaire continue to kill it in the art department, making this issue as visually entertaining and meaningful as the last. Moon Knight #2 gets 4.5 stars out of 5 for the narrative—half a star deducted for the absence of Marc's story—and 5 stars out of 5 for the perfect art.
Are you still enjoying this new take on the Lunar Legionnaire? What was your favorite moment from this issue? I want to know, so let me hear about it in the comments section below. Here's hoping you'll look forward to the next review!
On episode 5 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
We dissect what we liked and didn't like about the movie, mostly praising how well they were able to structure things and how happy we were with the finished product. We also give our thoughts on the future of the Marvel film franchise.
Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Sam Lascio, Nikki Mills and Tom Jackson.
Some topics we address:
- Comparison to Captain America: The First Avenger
- Action sequences
- Political plotline
- Breakdown of characters
- Cameos and references
- What's the next step in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Yet more news this week in regard to the current crop of superhero hero movies. Writer, director, and producer Luc Besson's phenomenal comeback kick starts in 2014 with the first trailer to his latest action thriller Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman!
The movie follows the titular character (Johansson) as she's dragged into a smuggling operation as a drug mule. A package of some unknown substance is sewn into her stomach for shipment. But the job goes wrong and the substance enters her bloodstream. You might expect her to overdose and die, but this is clearly no black tar heroin. Whatever it is, it triggers the development of superhuman abilities and mental evolution, making her unstoppable—as her captors are about to find out.
From what we can see in the trailer, this movie looks to be everything we've been waiting to see in the latest Marvel movie releases. Johansson's fans and Avengers fans alike have been pushing to see her really get to grips with the character of Black Widow. Well, not only will Johansson get to prove her mettle as a superhuman butt-kicker with Lucy, but anyone looking for an original thriller that delivers much more than it promises may find that Lucy delivers more than most of the recent big spenders.
The movie delves deep into the concept of what humans could achieve by using more than 10 percent of their brains. That is where Morgan Freeman's Professor Norman—a man studying this concept—comes into it. Lucy comes looking for his help after her predicament unleashes the full capacity of her rapidly evolving mind, demonstrating that our wildest dreams, such as psychokinesis, may only be the tip of the iceberg. The visual effects of Besson's latest film are stunning (though currently more than 10 percent of that is thanks to the captivating Johansson), and the action looks frankly gut-busting.
Luc Besson, a brilliant director who broke out in the nineties with La Femme Nikita and Leon (aka The Professional), has brought international film fans joy for over thirty years. He's one of few foreign filmmakers to truly thrive and endure in the US film industry. Aside from Taxi and The Fifth Element, he has also written and produced such gems as Taken, The Transporter, and most recently one of the late Paul Walker's final features, Brick Mansions (yet to be released).
Personally, I cannot wait for this movie. Sound off, fanboys! Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and tell us this doesn't look amazing. Thanks for reading.
Meet five-year-old Kristoffer Von Hassel, the youngest security researcher ever credited with working for Microsoft. He's just been paid off with $50, four free video games, and a free year of Xbox Live Gold membership for reporting a major security flaw in the Xbox One's log in security system!
Kristoffer recently managed to access his dad's gamer profile apparently by entering the wrong credentials and then filling the password entry box with spaces. As is with most innocent kids, the young boy's glee was replaced with anxiety, and the possibility of getting in trouble and having his games taken away got to him. With that, he owned up to his dad and they chose to report the flaw to Microsoft, resulting in a cache of goodies that Kristoffer's dad probably ran away with whilst laughing maniacally….
Sound off, Fanboys! Any of you just lose out on a second Christmas there? Comment below and thanks for reading.
Finally, the first teaser trailer to Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables 3 is here, and it looks awesome!
This old-school action movie franchise has been charging headlong and gathering momentum since its 2010 debut, bringing classic action movie legends together to make corny, high-octane, high-impact features. Even if you're not a fan, you can't deny that they do what they set out to do.
In the last installment, Sly and the Family Stallone went up against villains Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins for the murder of Thor's younger brother (Liam Hemsworth). Along the way, they got Arnie back and joined forces with Chuck Norris. That was a lot of fun, but just as Expendables 2 did a lot to improve on the first outing, developments over the last year suggest that Stallone has been doing a lot to improve on the franchise's prior lack of acting weight.Well, he's only gone and done that by adding Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kelsey Grammer, Robert Davi, Antonio Banderas, and Wesley Snipes!
Now, we all know Han Solo, Blade, Mad Max, El Mariachi, and Frasier, but I was particularly delighted to hear that a somewhat less famous actor, Robert Davi, had joined the cast. Some of you know him as the opera-loving Fratelli brother from The Goonies, but there's a hidden link here. He's been good friends with Schwarzenegger since a viewing of Die Hard, where Davi played FBI Special Agent Johnson. And so the family grows...
While we're waiting for more updates on EX3, why not take a look at our predictions for what Expendables 4 could look like!
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! Are we looking forward to a ridiculous amount of explosions and hilariously bad one-liners, or what? Comments below, and thanks for reading.
Hello, Fanboys (and Fangirls)! I'm baaaaack! Once again, I bestow upon ye the goo that keeps on giving: symbiotes! (Ew, get your minds out of the gutter!) This time, we shift gears back to pretty much the only symbiote character who has remained constant since his debut. That's right, I'm talking about the scourge of the '90s, the crimson killer, the one and only Cletus Kasady, a.k.a. Carnage. He's back again, and this time Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Helheim, Venom), Salva Espin (Generation Hope, Deadpool), and Veronica Gandini (Fearless Defenders, The Mice Templar) are pitting him against the '90s Marvel Universe's other famous whacko in red, in a match made in Heaven/Hell (you decide which). I'm referring, of course, to the brand spankin' new Deadpool Vs. Carnage 4-issue limited series from Marvel.
An official Deadpool/Carnage face-off has been on every nostalgic geek's wishlist since the '90s, and at long last Marvel has delivered. Expectations were high, as Bunn had big shoes to fill with both Deadpool and Carnage fans after his previous mildly successful work with both characters. He and his partners in crime definitely did not disappoint with the first issue, which—when summarized with only two adjectives—was both frenetic and funny. I'll be reviewing this limited series as a symbiote fan, but I can't deny that Deadpool has grown on me in the past few months.
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| Achievement Unlocked: Looks That Kill |
Now, for the actual story. This book picks up right after the events of Superior Carnage Annual, which Bunn also wrote, in which Kasady reunited with his symbiote and escaped from prison. (Check out my reviews of each issue of the Superior Carnage series here.) As is customary for Carnage, he celebrates his freedom with another murder spree somewhere near the Kansas state line. I'm loving how, under recent writers, Carnage is gravitating towards the Central and Southern United States. It seems to me that this complements Kasady's hickish/redneck character.By chance or Providence, while Deadpool is eating a bowl of cereal in his New York City apartment, he happens upon a news channel covering the aftermath of the Kansas bloodfest. Deadpool (being Deadpool) is more interested in finding a channel featuring Kat Dennings, but the universe eventually pulls him into a quest to track down and stop Carnage in a random and very amusing manner. The two finally meet—or, rather, Carnage meets one of Deadpool's explosive missiles before meeting the Merc with a Mouth himself—and begin their mad dance and cooperative comedy roast, setting the tone for the rest of the series: an entertaining pissing contest to see who's crazier. The book ends with the arrival of the series's first special guest, but without spoiling the surprise for you all, I'll give you one hint as to who it is: it's a fan favorite from Carnage's past.
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| Take note of the word balloon from the new player. |
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| Cletus on a lazy Sunday. |
I really have no valid complaints about this first issue about anything other than Kasady's mullet, which is a new haircut for the character. I wasn't a fan of Eddie Brock's mullet back in the '90s, and I'm sure not a fan of Kasady's mullet now. I was really liking the very Southern 'do and sideburns that Kim Jacinto gave him in Superior Carnage Annual, and I wish this new creative team had left that detail alone. Again, I have no valid complaints about this first issue.
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| BRAWNDO: IT'S INTEEEEEEEENSE! |
Which is your favorite of the two madmen in red? Who are some of the guests you're waiting to see pop up in this limited series? If you've read the book already, do you think I gave it a fair rating? SHOUT IT OUT in the comments section below, and follow The Venom Site for all of your symbiote needs! Pretty please?
Marvel's recent publishing initiative has led to a story structure that more closely resembles a television shows' season structures, which is a departure from the classic tradition of writers staying on books for long runs. While this shorter, more condensed type of storytelling is fun and keeps the talent attached to a title fresh, comics like Ultimate Spider-Man #200 stand as a powerful testament to the classic system. While it certainly isn't the most action packed issue, Ultimate Spider-Man #200 boasts strong character moments that can only happen in a book with such a singular, long-running canon.
The issue opens with Miles and Ganke on their way to Peter Parker's house at the invitation of May Parker to celebrate the fallen hero on the two-year anniversary of his passing. From there, we watch the book's supporting cast arrive, including Mary Jane, Spider Woman, Bombshell, Iceman, The Human Torch, Firestar, and Gwen Stacy. There's a nice moment in which Ganke gives Gwen a mysterious gift that wins him a kiss, though we never get to see what it is. Just as the party is getting settled, Tony Stark sends his regards in true Stark fashion via hoards of food delivered to the house, all prepared by a celebrity chef. Once Kitty Pryde and Kong arrive, the party goers and the issue finally settle down and embrace the elephant in the room.
From here, each of the main characters take turns explaining where they think Peter would be today via splash pages that depict the alternate futures they imagine. It's a lovely series of pages that are good comic book fun laced with a solemn emotional backdrop. Brian Michael Bendis certainly dreams up several fun scenarios as Mary Jane imagines Peter in a Scarlet Spider suit leading the Ultimates. Aunt May dreams up dozens of different costumes laced with Peter's gadgets to help the police. Gwen pictures Peter committing to a life of journalism. Miles thinks about what it would be like to be Peter's sidekick. Kitty imagines their love restored, and Bobby imagines an over-the-top action team with homages to the current Ultimate Spider-Man animated series.Each one is heartfelt and a nice reminder of everything that's happened over the course of the last two hundred issues. It's hard to make these sort of retrospectives seem sincere in mainstream comics. There's just something about the Ultimate Universe that allows its characters to feel the impact of the events they face more than in the mainstream (616) universe. Here, Bendis pens a nice tribute to both Peter Parker and, in a way, himself.
After Bobby finishes, the party goers find themselves saddened by the nostalgia they cloaked their stories in. This is when Miles takes a look at the impossible amount of food around them and invites the team to take it all to a local homeless shelter where Peter's friends and family spend the rest of the day handing out food to the homeless. It's a nice gesture that would have served as a satisfying moment, but it seems Bendis has no intention of slowing things down at issue #200.
A silhouetted figure who bears a considerable resemblance to Peter Parker watches the party guests leave in the final moments of the issue. Usually I'd chalk this up to some kind of shock tactic to get readers to jump on board the new series, but with the demise of the Superior Spider-Man series being used to put Peter back in the suit before Amazing Spider-Man 2 drops, it's reasonable to believe a similar editorial edict may have landed on Bendis' doorstep. Peter may in fact be coming back to the Ultimate Universe as well.
The various alternate futures for Peter Parkers made this issue solid, but the tease at the end really knocked it out of the park. The real triumph, however, is not just the great story, but the fact that it managed to be a landmark issue that really mattered. It seems that every few months some significant character is celebrating an anniversary of some sort, but those issues—all with an inflated cover price—rarely boast a story as solid as this one, let alone as significant.
While the possibility of Peter returning to the book is big, I think the real victory of the bigger take away is the standard of excellence Bendis has achieved for two hundred issues. The short series format is still being tested at Marvel, but books like Ultimate Spider-Man #200 remind readers that a writer with a single, strong creative direction can keep a book exceptional.
What did you think of Ultimate Spider-Man #200? Do you think that was really Peter in the closing moments of the book? Let us know in the comments section below!
