Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Tuesday, April 29, 2014
In late 2013, Marvel continued making Fanboys and Fangirls giggle with TV news. They had already provided us with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., wasn't that enough? Nope. They announced a deal with Netflix to produce multiple series featuring Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist, culminating in a team-up series titled The Defenders.
A question looming over many people's heads was, due to the series being on Netflix, was it tied to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Joe Quesada, guesting on Kevin Smith's Fat Man on Batman podcast, confirmed that they will be. This means that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., these series and every Marvel movie are connected.
“Although these are superhero stories, this is different now. This is the street level," Quesada said, "this is the street level noir side of the Marvel Universe. Something that you haven’t really, really seen in any of our Marvel movies. And probably more ground level, than I think you’ve seen. This is not like us doing Batman, Dark Knight or any of that stuff. This is very Marvel doing street level superheroes.”
The first series, Daredevil, will answer some further questions. For example, do these stories take place in "current" time? Will stories guest star MCU heroes and villains?
Luke Cage is famously known as a '70s jive talkin' hero and Matt Murdock's Hell's Kitchen has always been very "Gotham City" where today's real Kitchen is a more modern place. This could also be connected to Daredevil's unexpected move to San Francisco in the comic books. Perhaps the series will take place there in some part? It would be exciting to think that Daredevil and Thor could shake hands one day, but putting these stories in the past also opens up some neat possibilities. Personally, I can't wait for Stilt-Man to show up.
Daredevil will premiere in 2015, so get ready for casting ideas. Any thoughts on who should wear the cowl that isn't Ben Affleck?
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
- Monday, April 28, 2014
Welcome to another edition of Right in the Feels, where this time we will be exploring some of DC Comics' most gutting moments. Last time we explored some of Marvel's tearjerkers and ballbreakers. They will be hard to beat, even taking into consideration the frequently pessimistic nature of the DC Universe, but let's see what we have in store for you!
As rivals go, there are moments when Marvel and DC couldn't be more different, and there are moments when they couldn't be more similar. What separates them? Characters, for one, may have their comparisons (Moon Knight and Batman, Aquaman and Namor, Deathstroke and Deadpool, and Thor and Hawkman (kind of)), but aside from their back stories and superpowers, they're really separated by storytelling.
1.) CATWOMAN GIVES HER BABY UP FOR ADOPTION
There is nothing like a swift reality kick to the fantasticals when it comes to your favorite caped crime-buster. We're all so often lulled into a false sense of emotional security by the everyday drama, the comedy, and the campiness of the Batman comics (when they're not in "full dark, no stars" mode, where you at least expect bad things to happen). Then along comes a moment where you don't quite know how to feel. After all this time, we're well accustomed to the many colorful characters of Gotham to the point where we've felt a lot even for the bad guys!
Following Infinite Crisis, Selena Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, went through a period of readjustment; namely, pregnancy. Her baby, Helena (Huntress in other realities), could have changed her and turned her away from her life of crime and conflict. However, with the clear and present danger that all of Gotham's most dangerous criminals would be hunting mother and child, Helena's survival to adulthood was questionable at best, and we all know that happiness never lasts in the DC Universe.
Therefore, Selena wasn't forced to put Helena up for adoption but knew it was the right thing to do, even if the decision would either destroy her or haunt her forever. It was bound to be the latter, and Selena was even refused her desperate request to have her memories of Helena wiped away. You wouldn't wish it on your enemies (with the exception of reporting the Joker to social services), and you wouldn't want it for Catwoman. It really changes your outlook on comics and all that you thought they represented…
2.) BARRY ALLEN DIES RACING TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE
During Crisis on Infinite Earths back in 1985, that evil bastard Anti-Monitor planned to destroy Earth and many different ones in other dimensions with his massive weapon…
Now that you're over the initial laughter of Barry Allen coming to the realization that Anti-Monitor wasn't talking about his Anti-Babymaker, but an actual world-destroying Anti-Matter Cannon, you can see where this is going, maybe. The Flash has never been known for brute force or fancy fighting moves, yet his use of the Speed Force made him a hero who could be relied on to go the distance, and that's what he stood for. This is what made the Flash such a lovable hero. He was about the sheer bravery over the violence.
Taking the chance that he could destroy this WUD (Weapon of Universal Destruction, obviously) and save the universe, Barry was pretty certain that it would spell his own death, and he was right. Literally running for his life and the lives of everybody else, his body fails to resist the power of the weapon's concentrated anti-matter as he destroys it, and so he literally disintegrates into nothing, all the while screaming for help. This is a dated comic, but I think it still translates very well.
Heroes sometimes suffer some gnarly, disgusting deaths; deaths they do not deserve and that their fans never forget. Barry's death is like the story of a man that goes from Olympic hero to cancer victim over the space of a few pages, and as we watch him waste away, crying for his life. Oh man, the feels…
Barry's death was also notably sad because unlike every other fan favorite, he stayed dead for over two decades while his family went on to suffer other twisted fates!
3.) THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN
There are two important factors I'd like to address regarding the legendary Superman vs. Doomsday story, which ended in the death of DC's golden boy. First, I don't see how fans can't remember events such as these and then hate the Man of Steel movie with such passion. Here are Supes and Dooms going at it like two old ladies fighting over the last bottle of lavender spray at Ethel Austin, and they're hitting each other so hard that buildings are practically exploding from the impact force!
 |
| "Aaarrgghh, dammit, why you gotta be so pointy!" |
In Man of Steel, General Zod and his merry band of miscreants own Supes so damned hard, and he suffers so damned hard. I mean, seriously, how easily could Zod have finished the job? If we were to see this scene recreated for the latest installments of the franchise, Doomsday would murder the ever-loving shite out of Kal-El, and I think it would translate magnificently.
Second, whereas back in the day Superman fans were subjected to one of the most shocking events in DC's history which left so many upset, this story left me seriously pissed off. And pissed off is a feeling. Pissed off is an emotion. The fact that Superman (just like old buddy Barry) knew that success would come with the ultimate price wasn't a matter that he could sit down and think about. It was a matter of having no choice and fighting to the death, knowing that without his sacrifice, nobody else would survive in the wake of his death.
So as Lois Lane, emotionally destroyed, runs to the side of the dying Superman, all the other heroes in attendance (who did practically fuck-all to help during the fight) just stand around like they're contemplating hot dogs and donuts. The flag made from his torn up cape with the S symbol *choke* is where you know this is ending very badly. Then Lois is told to suck it up so she can report the news. Meanwhile, Jimmy Olson has already been happily snapping away with his crappy little camera, and heroes are actually shouting at each other rather than thinking of how to help, because they're clearly so helpless at that moment.
Superman was so indestructible that they can't even administer first aid, and so his own strength becomes his own weakness in the end. Sure, the Kryptonian would return. I don't think anyone feared that he wouldn't; but the gravity of the situation was truly mind-blowing!
4.) SUE DIBNY IS MURDERED
Reader discretion is most definitely advised on this one, as DC exercises it's skills in shocking and intolerable cruelty. Back during Identity Crisis, Sue Dibny, the wife of Elongated Man Ralph Dibny, was raped and then murdered…
Like I say, DC is known for its unique comedy and fabulist originality, but then it is also known for its suddenly steep descents into dark despair. You see, whereas Marvels villains tend to be more lighthearted about their failings, DC's hold serious grudges and will kill you and your family for spoiling their fun.
When Ralph got home to find his wife dead and burned to a crisp after the killer set their house on fire, we catch a full-on display of him coming literally unraveled; his jaw hung slack along with everything else (because in that moment of absolute hell, he fails to controls his abilities). But it's not that scene that is the entire cause of his pain alone. The torturous linchpin of all that is wrong about this lies at the bottom of the page...
Sue didn't die alone!
5.) DAMIAN WAYNE
Part of you immediately wants to scream, "why the hell can't you keep your Bat Wang in your Bat Kecks, Batman?" It's just not as simple as it appears on the surface as to why Batman's Robin is a ten-year old boy. I mean, hello?! We're not just fighting any old crime here. Does nobody remember every death that ever took place in the DC Universe, let alone the Bat Family? Does nobody remember Jason Todd being beaten to death by the Joker?
Well, hey, this was no ordinary kid Robin: this was Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne and that cold-hearted psycho bitch Talia Al Ghul. He hated his father ever since they were introduced under hostile circumstances; he was an insolent little brat with a forked tongue. From there on, you'd have been heartless not to love him!
Once Damian was accepted into the Bat Family as the new Robin, it seemed that Batman was back into brighter, less cynical territory. Damian should never have been put in this position by any means, but he was just too awesome of a ten-year-old kid to not want around insulting the hell out of Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Alfred.
Then suddenly, in Death of the Family, he was impaled on a sword! Bruce and the family, destroyed! Even Talia, who had disowned him, destroyed! Their son had become something greater and purer than both of them despite being torn between their conflicting personalities. After his death, you realize that he was on the sure path to someday becoming a better Batman than his father had ever been. And then that refrain between father and son…
 |
| Gahhh…the Feeeelzzzz. |
Sound off, Fanboys! I hope you enjoyed this latest installment and that you'll be coming back for more. Next time we'll be studying singular characters and getting deeper into their stories, so if you like any particular stories that weren't mentioned here, feel free to comment below and thanks again for reading!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Sunday, April 27, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular Nation! Check out episode 43 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Frank Ward, Michael Burhan, Aaron, and Travis Goss! We have an exciting adventure in store for you today!
Join the Dace Man and crew this week as they break down the following:
::SPORTS NEWS::
- Current NHL playoff results
- Current MLB standings
- Current NBA playoff results
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
- Only one who did research…surprise, surprise
::FRANK'S CORNER::
- Uberfacts…cause he has a mouse in da house
::CELEB NEWS::
- It's melting pot of Hollywood!!
Plus the High Five: Top 5 Musical Artists We Want To See Live and The Douche Bag of The Week! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!
Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | I Got Game Play | Geek Speak | Rose Colored Reviews | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
- Saturday, April 26, 2014
Remember that villains trailer Beenox unleashed a while back for their Amazing Spider-Man 2 videogame based on characters and events from the upcoming films? The one that got me excited for Cletus Kasady's (a.k.a. Carnage, Venom's psychotic symbiotic spawn) debut in a film-verse Spider-Man video game? Well if Beenox didn't sell me with that trailer, it just did with the brand-new launch trailer exclusively revealed over at MTV.
 |
| "WHO WANTS THE GIZZARD?!" |
Yep, that was Carnage in all of his bloody glory. 'Scuse me while I hyperventilate in a corner…
 |
| They say my jazz hands are a sight to DIE for! |
I love the classic Carnage design that the art team chose to go with for the videogame; it's very Mark Baley-esque while incorporating the monstrous feet designs he gave the character later on in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series. Hopefully this design is a foreshadowing of things to come in the Venom spin-off film, in which the Amazing Spider-Man film producers have teased at Carnage's inclusion. Let's just hope that Venom's design from the Amazing Spider-Man 2 mobile game doesn't even make it to the concept board for his film.
 |
| Option B, please. I'd rather not have a Spider-Man 3 repeat design. |
Also of note is Shocker's recent addition to the excitingly expansive villain roster for the game. Shocker and his alter ego, Herman Shultz, have been getting time in the spotlight over at the film's viral Tumblr site, The Daily Bugle, so perhaps the game too will confirm The Daily Bugle's faux news blogs as canonical to the film-verse.
CARNAGE RULES! Right, guys…? Let me know in the comment section below, and don't forget to follow The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and points of views!
Posted by
Fellonius Munch
You're probably wondering why Fanboys Anonymous, a website dedicated to entertainment, technology, and geek culture, is featuring a device that is primarily sports related. The answer is simple. When we see something that has the awesome potential to change lives for the better, we like to pass on the good word!
 |
| Disclaimer: Doesn't come with electronic Darth Vader sound effects! |
To those who know him, Bas Rutten is many things. The Ken and Frank Shamrock–era MMA legend, from Tillburg in the Netherlands, is a former three-time King of Pancrase world champion, UFC heavyweight champion, MMA coach, television personality, and film actor. He is known for Fuel TV's comical self-defense show Punk Payback, as Kevin James's coach in Here Comes The Boom, and as that guy who caused a spleen to explode on Fight Science.
 |
| Henry Winkler can't breathe, fetch me "The Official Bas Rutten O2 Trainer!" *wink-wink* |
To look back on his career, one wouldn't imagine an unhealthy and heavily asthmatic young bully victim and Bas in the same room. In fact, back in the '70s, Bas Rutten was that kid, but upon sneaking into a viewing of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, Bas became a fanatic of martial arts and trained his way to become the practical killing machine we know and love today (notably a karate and tae kwon do black belt, and a Muay Thai kickboxer).
 |
| Bas kicking a dude in the head. |
Ever the creative and energetic personality, Bas has created the O2 Trainer to condition the lungs and promote better respiration and endurance during and after physical training. As a result, this product not only helps you to make the most of your cardiovascular workouts, it simply makes for better all-round breathing. What's more is that testimonials have proved that the Bas Rutten O2 Trainer is already helping proactive people overcome their asthma and giving them the opportunity to live healthy lifestyles they could never have otherwise dreamed of.
So if you're sitting indoors, browsing the Internet, watching movies, and reading comics on a sunny day by no fault of your own, you may consider visiting the official page and seeing if this is for you. I have a feeling that this is going to change a lot of lives. Victory dance?
Sound off, Fanboys! For all the complex-sounding devices and drugs that come and go in the world of sports and online shopping, once in a while there comes something that just makes sense. Maybe spread the word, if you have an unhealthy friend or two, because it may be worth a read to them. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment below. You can also visit the official Facebook page here!
The first series, Daredevil, will answer some further questions. For example, do these stories take place in "current" time? Will stories guest star MCU heroes and villains? 
