Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
- Thursday, April 17, 2014
Hello Symbi-dopes and Dead-heads! Welcome to the review of the second issue of Deadpool Vs. Carnage. Let's not waste too much time and get right to it, yes?
Okay, I lied: we have to waste just a little bit of time before we can get to it. Don't fret, though! I'll make this as quick as possible. First off, I just wanted to let you all know about a couple of Carnage-related news bits: Cletus Kasady and his symbiotic alter ego will be making his first film-themed debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2's video game and has been teased to be the main villain for the spin-off Venom film. Looks like 2014 may be a bigger year for our psychotic symbiote than anyone anticipated!
Now let's recap issue #1. Our tale began with Carnage beginning a brand new murder spree hot out of jail and Deadpool happening upon a news station covering the story. By providence, Deadpool went on a hilarious journey to track down and kill Carnage once and for all, quickly drawing first blood and startling the heck out of Kasady. The issue ended with the first guest star of the limited series making her deadly entrance and literally melting Deadpool's face off: Carnage's old gore gal, Shriek.
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The government probably spent millions
in developing anti-symbiote weaponry. |
Issue #2 picks right back up with Shriek and her boo having their fun with Deadpool's blasted and battered body, giving Cullen Bunn—our writer—a golden opportunity for exchanging witty snipes between the main men. As it would be expected from the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool really knows how to pick at Kasady's scabs and exploits every opportunity to do so, if not simply just for the fun of it. Bunn really plays up Deadpool's playfully planned improvisation to school Carnage on the whole chaos business he's so desperately trying to preach and live by and show the reader the fun in organized chaos.
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| Apparently not Deadpool's biggest fan. |
We also get some great moments in which Deadpool interacts with the normal crowd, although that's really stretching it for the voluptuous Doverton character he stumbles into. (Okay, enough with the bad puns.) Doverton apparently plays a key part in Deadpool's hunt for Carnage because he's on the same crazy wavelength as the two loonies, but whether he will be making any more appearances in later issues is questionable.
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I bet editor Jordan D. White had to change "fridging" to
"frigding" to avoid backlash. Oh well. |
The issue ends with a highway chase scene, Shriek ending up in a questionably critical condition after having her head driven through a car windshield, and Carnage and Deadpool preparing for round two. Once again, Bunn delivers a frightfully frenetic, hilarious, and reference-filled issue in which he allows both characters to really let loose and be who they were meant to be: Deadpool and Carnage. Salvador Espin and Glenn Fabry once again delight with their colorful and highly animated art, shining its brightest with Deadpool's characterizations—most notably under the mask, which is perhaps the biggest challenge many artists face with the particularly emotionless prop.
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Some Cullen Bunn Easter eggs. Right: "The Storage Bunn-galo" in Deadpool Vs. Carnage #2. Left: "Bunn's Truck Stop"
in Deadpool Vs. Carnage #1. |
Deadpool Vs. Carnage #2 receives, again, 5 stars out of 5 for both art and writing, making it another must-read issue. No, really; pick the first and second issues up already if you haven't and let the creators know how much you love them. Then tell me what you thought of issue #2 and my review in the comments section below. Oh, and don't forget to continue following me here on Fanboys Anonymous for the next issue's review AND follow The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and points of views!
Posted by
Anonymous
- Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Indie comic supporters and enthusiasts, I've found another one for ya! I stumbled across a preview for a graphic novel I think is going to be great. Thus far, I get a very "Max Payne meets ghost" vibe in this Kickstarter campaign I'd like you to scope out.
Ike Taylor is a 1950s detective and WWII vet who knows how to get things done. In fact, you might say he's very hands-on. He's had some marks against him for thinking with his fists too much, but hey, it was the 1950s.
One day, as Ike looks into a murder on behalf of a high-rolling Hollywood producer, he loses his life in a Chinatown warehouse as a result of supernatural forces. The warehouse then becomes his prison for the better part of 60 years, until it's destroyed. The result? Ike is set free in the modern world to investigate his own death.
Obviously, being a specter—while better for getting into closed or secret places—makes it awfully difficult to get things done. What would you do? Maybe rent a body. Well, that's what Ike would do.
The Kickstarter campaign hints at the possibility of Ike righting some of the wrongs done to him and helping out the love of his life. There are a million places the creators could go with it, and it could be a fantastic read. Check out Dead For Hire and tell me what you think downstairs. Indie?
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
- Tuesday, April 15, 2014
This past Saturday turned out to be a real treat for about two thousand lovers of classical music and thrash metal. It turns out that legendary '80s metal musician Dave Mustaine of Megadeth performed in concert with the San Diego Symphony!
The show, billed as Symphony Interrupted, featured mad axeman Mustaine (or as I like to call him, Megadave) blasting out such classics as Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries after being introduced through the orchestra's rendition of one of Megadeth's own classics, Symphony of Destruction.
If you're expecting an epic live album in the vein of Metallica's 1999 concert S&M, featuring the late great composer and conductor Michael Kamen, you'll just have to chill your bean for now. Saturday's Symphony Interrupted was the very first in a line of shows currently lined up in other parts of the U.S. As Megadave himself said, right now it's still in development. So as awesome as it may seem already, this clearly isn't a flash in the pan, and could turn out to be something mega indeed.
When Mustaine—Metallica's original lead guitarist—was fired from the band, nobody expected that he would form and lead Megadeth, the one band of its era that truly challenged Hetfield and Ulrich. While Metallica had their own unique style that helped put them on top, Mustaine challenged thrashers and showboaters alike with his incredible guitar showmanship. He incorporated classical styles into his song writing and solos, which had been done successfully only by the likes of Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, and Yngwie Malmsteen. But unlike them, Megadave was doing it and singing over it at the same time. And now he's pushing his own boundaries once more by performing to a classical standard.
So, in time we may not only get an album and/or video of Dave Mustaine in concert, we could even have Megadeth with the San Diego Symphony somewhere in the near future. Who knows?
Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! You want this. Don't lie. It may seem too much to ask to see Megadeth follow in the footsteps of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Kiss, Pink Floyd, and Metallica, but if you don't ask, you don't get. Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a comment for us below!
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
In a recent interview with IGN, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, the producers of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, were asked about a certain symbiotic serial killer appearing in the upcoming Venom spin-off film. Though not committing to a solid "yes" or "no," the idea of including Carnage in the film as an antagonist tickled their fancy, to say the least.
"What a great idea," Arad replied. Tolmach added, "Exactly. The idea of Venom and Carnage…taking it into consideration. Watch out for this Venom movie. We are crazy excited."
Crazy, he claims? Both Venom and Carnage's characters are insane in their own rights, but I would be really grasping at straws to say Tolmach's choice of words is any indication of an answer. Evidence of Cletus Kasady's rise in The Amazing Spider-Man's extended universe, however, may be providing the answer most geeks are hoping for.
A couple of weeks ago, I reported that Beenox had revealed Kasady and Carnage's appearance in a trailer for the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game. Then just this last week, the film's viral Tumblr account, The Daily Bugle, posted a faux news report written by none other than Eddie Brock himself about Kasady's escape from jail and subsequent internment at Ravencroft (notably famous in the character's comic book history).
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| Rhino from the game (left) and Rhino from the film (right). |
The last film-verse video game featured a cross-species Rhino character similar to the first film's Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard, and since The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will feature a markedly different take on the villain, it only stands to show that the video games in no way share or extend the canon of the film-verse. Only the debut of next month's Spider-Man film will confirm if any of The Daily Bugle's faux news blogs hold any ground as legitimate extensions of the franchise's canon, thus practically confirming both Kasady and Brock's existence in the film-verse canon. There is no doubt that Carnage is being lobbied about as a popular villain choice to include in the film-verse canon, so hopefully this lobbying translates into a firm confirmation eventually.
I've had my doubts about the upcoming Venom film after Arad's rather upsetting news the last time around, and I still seriously doubt Sony will give us the R-rated film both characters deserve; but for me, I'll be happy if it turns out a satisfactory Carnage and an improvement from Spider-Man 3's Venom.
"WE WANT TO HEAR YOU SCREAM!" Are you looking forward to a Venom versus Carnage showdown on the big screen? Which comic book story arcs do you want to see adapted in the Venom film? Who are your fan casts? (Ryan Kwanten as Brock and Robert Knepper as Kasady, for me!) Comment below, follow me on Fanboys Anonymous, and follow The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and point-of-views!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, April 14, 2014
On episode one of the 4 Reel Movie Club podcast, Fanboys Anonymous members gave their thoughts on four classic movies from the mind of comedic genius, Mel Brooks.
Host: Chris Dace
Panelists: Tony Mango, Mike Paden, Michael Burhan, and Travis Goss.
THIS MONTH'S SET OF MOVIES:
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Spaceballs
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Unknown
- Sunday, April 13, 2014
The Ultimate Universe has escaped death once again—recently at the hands of Galactus—and is now poised for a new tomorrow. Although Ultimate Spider-Man #200 kicked off this new chapter of the Ultimate Universe, it's All-New Ultimates #1 that gives us our first real look at the world post-Cataclysm.
Miles Morales' best friend, Ganke, kicks things off by being mugged early in the morning by a pair of men who look part lizard, part Savage Dragon. Cloak and Dagger promptly arrive and thwart the mugging, though how is hard to say as the action panels are a bit difficult to follow. The real take away here is that lizard men with scaly handle bar mustaches are now canon. Cloak and Dagger take Ganke to an abandoned church, which they are using for a secret base, where Miles awaits their arrival. Elsewhere, a group of police offers break into a drug lab which turns out to be empty, though they find a green cadaver with melted flesh. We watch a Serpent-like person complete with boils flee through a back alley, though the police are none the wiser.
Back in the base, Jessica Drew shows up with Bombshell and gives the various heroes S.H.I.E.L.D communicators, making their team official. She then briefs them on a local gang, "The Serpent Skulls," who are dealing a Roxxon drug that's a derivative of the one that gave the team their powers. They break the group meeting, agreeing to sweep the streets and begin chasing down leads. Jessica heads over to Kitty Pryde's house where the two discuss Kitty's new found celebrity. It's a pretty frustrating couple pages as it's Kitty's only appearance in the book even though her story, having publicly defeated Galactus thus massively swaying pubic opinion of mutants, is the most interesting. Sadly, she's only used for a few conversation pages where she uses her powers to complete mundane tasks, like fetching a napkin, to make the dialogue interesting.
Later, Bombshell follows her ears to somebody shouting next door while coming home from a date. She stumbles across the Serpent Skull we saw leave the drug lab and quickly engages him and his tech-wielding sidekick. Jessica Jones promptly arrives to join the fight debuting a new costume, and demands to be called Black Widow for reasons they don't care to explain in this issue. It feels forced. The police then arrive as Spider-Man and Cloak and Dagger simultaneously swoop in. The team battles the Serpent Skulls to a stand still, which falls apart when Spider-Man dodges a desperate attack by one of the Serpents, allowing the acid-based attack to fall on one of the police officers. As the team reels from his mistake, dozens of other serpents emerge from all around, circling them.
All-New Ultimates #1 kicked off the Ultimate Universe's new super group with a whimper. There's this idea in comics that teenagers can only take on rookie or youthful threats, which decreases the scale of the book and deflates the grandeur of these heroes. This is a group of individuals who just helped circumvent the apocalypse at the hands of a giant cosmic entity and they're now having difficulties battling bikers with acid touch. Perhaps Cataclysm left a lot to be desired, but this just feels like the Ultimate line took a bold step forward, then two large steps back. The unsure tone of the book fits a world that's rapidly changing, but the overall product is simply underwhelming at best. Bendis had hinted that he has big plans for Ultimate Spider-Man. Hopefully he starts holding the other members of the Ultimate line to a similar standard of excellence.
What did you think of All-New Ultimates #1? Are you happy the Ultimate Universe survived, or has this book left you longing for a reboot? Let us know in the comments section below!
Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Friday, April 11, 2014
Rejoice! Blizzard's online card game, Hearthstone, has barely been out of beta for a month, and already an expansion of sorts has been announced: Curse of Naxxramas! To be released over the course of five weeks, it is bound to bring new life into the newborn Blizzard game. A proper release date has not been set.
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| New bosses! |
There will be five wings in the necropolis of Naxxramas, and apparently, you will be able to purchase this via real-world money or in-game gold. We'll have to wait and see just how much gold will be required - all the more reason to improve your wits, intuition, and (if possible!) luck to start winning in Play, Ranked, or Arena mode.
The precept in Curse of Naxxramas will be to adventure into a dungeon and face several of Kel'Thuzad's "bosses," each with unique cards and abilities. The progression of this single-player game will probably be similar to the tutorial tree the first time a player starts Hearthstone. Oh, and the goodie: as you progress into the dungeon, you get new cards as well! Also, class-specific challenges will be available. Intriguing and geeky, to say the least. I dig!
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| New board! |
A lot of deathrattle cards have surfaced as well… maybe a death knight hero will be added? What do you think? New hero? No? Comment, for the King!
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| New cards! |
