Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Friday, August 15, 2014
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| Nova Special #1 Cover by Gary Choo |
The end is in sight!
The concluding issue of the No End in Sight arc for Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, and Nova is upon us. Sean Ryan has pulled together three big titles for Marvel to deliver this story.
It is great to finally see the threads of this little jaunt come together. My last review of Iron Man Special 1 was a little mixed. While the story was developing fine, the art was pulling back the narrative a little. Can this be redeemed, as hoped for?
The crossover with Nova seems to make more sense than the Iron Man issue. The linking of teen characters, who face similar challenges such as superpowers at a young age, makes this more homogenous.
But also, the story just flows better here. However, as far as the story goes, what does it achieve?
Well not to be outdone by his younger self, the current version of Cyclops has also ended up in space, albeit not by choice. As his students and Nova now connect to save the day, it is great to see the next generation of characters take a driving seat in the story. This seems to match the faith Marvel has in expanding the exposure of writer Ryan for this crossover arc. Ryan has done well to craft a believable story spanning different titles. The pitch and volume are unique to this writer and so we shouldn't expect that same outcome as the regular series writers.
As far as concluding the story, everything is tidied up nicely. In fact it is great to see some experimentation with the writer and artist, John Timms, when they approach the paneling in a different manner in Nova Special 1. The pace is quickened by their multiple use of close up, small square panels to get the view of the various characters during this issue. This is balanced by some wide angle, full page layouts on other pages.
The visual style utilised in Nova lends well to supporting the story and is an improvement. It is also nice to see some further character development.
In Nova, we see the title character continue his journey of discovery which is a hallmark of the regular series. The final few pages show this particularly well with the use of silent observation for Nova. We are also treated to see Triage from the Uncanny X-Men questions his place (and the new wave of mutants in general) amongst the previous generation. There is a tender moment of response from Magic to Triage which adds depth to the story.
There is one moment that is questionable however in Nova Special 1. A panel of the Uncanny X-Men teens, just after they have show up to save Cyclops, shows Tempus exclaiming she has 'read her mind', when speaking of another opposing character. However, as far as I am aware (correct me in the comments if need be) I didn't think telepathy was part of her power set. It would seem either this is something new of the comment and speech bubble should have been coming from Mindee, the Stepford Cuckoo, on the other end of the same panel. Is this an oversight on the artists part or the building of the story for Tempus in the upcoming Uncanny X-Men Annual later this year.
As far as the art on show in Nova Special 1, John Timms (pencils), Roberto Poggi (inks), and Ruth Redmond (colors) combine in a most adequate way. Of all three issues in the No End in Sight arc this has to be the most pleasing visually. There is a gelling of artists here which caps of the story in a fine fashion. The art and colors seem to do here what was needed from the outset, so it is great to see this achieved.
Overall, I would say the No End in Sight story is a worthwhile read. It is nice to see the variety of talent Marvel has to produce comics. It is a journey to see them develop over time, as much as it is to enjoy these regular characters.
Let me know, did you enjoy these special issues? What was your favourite part of No End in Sight? As always leave your comments below.
Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Thursday, August 14, 2014
A hurricane of revamped retro games has appeared in the past several years. Sooner or later, Gabriel Knight would have to make a return. Indeed! At this year's Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, Sins of the Fathers will be showcased.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers' creator Jane Jensen is on the helm for this complete remake from her Pinkerton Road Studio. At first notice, it looks fantastic and yet nostalgic, as every screenshot is instantly recognizable to those who savored the original back in 1993.
Now the greatest question is: will the new voice actors be as legendary as the original cast comprised of Tim Curry, Mark Hamill, Michael Dorn, and Leah Remini? Will the game play exactly as the original?
Well, those were two questions, but others arise as well. Will the game be set in 1990's New Orleans? Or is it a @twitter world? Judging by the generic 386 Desktop PC on Mosley's desk, it's probably a period piece. Will there be new puzzles? Will it be as difficult?
I played and overplayed the original and still revisit some gameplay videos from time to time. This revamp seems so faithful to the first one, it doesn't even look new - in a good way.
I'm only vaguely concerned about the vocal talent, though judging by the video, there seems to be nothing to worry about.
Gabriel Knight had three installments back in the 1990's, Sins of the Fathers (1993), The Beast Within (1995), and Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999). One of the finest series of adventure games, perhaps ever, Gabriel Knight has became a cult hero for supernatural yet perfectly believable mysteries set in New Orleans, Germany, and France. I shan't spoil anything (oh, how I want to) but rest assured: the storytelling in this franchise is unparalleled. It's so simple, involving, imaginative, and down to earth, you'll wish you were in the French Quarter, visiting the voodoo museum.
The best part is that you absorb so much from the cultural backgrounds of the location. I've never played a game where I learned so much history and insight about a place - and I'd been to New Orleans, previously!
Have you played the original? Looking forward to this revamp? Comment!
Posted by
Unknown
- Wednesday, August 13, 2014
We at Fanboys Anonymous are still stunned by the recent news of Robin Williams' death by apparent suicide. I don't wish to focus on the details but rather celebrate the man's incredible career that spanned five decades, ranging from his humble beginnings on the stand-up circuit to the breakout role he enjoyed as Mork to an Oscar winning turn in Good Will Hunting. I'll start off here with what will be a group effort from us.
Williams could do it all. Comedy acting, performing stand-up, drama, he was as adept at pushing the "creepy" buttons in films like One Hour Photo and Insomnia as he was pushing those goofy buttons in comedy vehicles like Mrs. Doubtfire. He was fantastic at both portraying the everyman and the eccentric weirdo who is so likable you forgive the excessive behavior.
Mork & Mindy, that strange, odd, over the top gonzo TV series from the late '70s/early '80s, was the perfect showcase for Robin Williams' early career; that manic, energetic, wild craziness that he was able to hone into a weapon of comedic power that catapulted him into super stardom. He later segued into leading roles like Good Morning, Vietnam, for which he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. I can't think of the film without hearing his voice screaming the title. Good Morning, Vietnam demonstrated his ability to do drama as well and he segued this skill into his next role, Dead Poets Society.
Dead Poets Society is my Robin Williams' film and my favorite performance of his. Perhaps because this speaks more to my generation, perhaps because I was an English major in college, or perhaps because I adhere to the idea of "carpe diem" his Mr. Keating espoused during the film that I treasure this movie so much. The same with The Fisher King, where Williams gave a performance etched with such incredible sadness it's a wonder he was able to make it through the film without breaking down completely. It's deep and powerful yet filled with his manic comedic talents.
Who could forget Aladdin and his wonderful work as the Genie? It's Williams at his best, blasting through with improvisations that would leave most comics on their backsides laughing their asses off and choking on dust. This role was made for him and his touching moments (telling Aladdin to believe himself, saying how much he wishes to be free of the lamp) are as memorable as the funny bits. I can never get enough of this film and Robin made everything better because of his talent and ability.
From Chris Dace:
I was first exposed to Robin Williams in the Disney classic Aladdin. The movie immediately became my all-time favorite Disney movie, which still rings true today, and Genie is by far one of my favorite animated characters of all time. Throughout my childhood, and even throughout my adulthood, I gravitated to Robin Williams films such as Hook, Patch Adams, and Good Morning Vietnam among many others. During my high school years I became involved in the acting program and really was set on the comedic roles more so than the dramatic roles. The first role I was ever cast in was an ill banker in Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor." There was a lot of physicality when it came to the role and humor derived by the energy and movements of myself and my counterpart. I remember watching Jim Carrey and Robin Williams to see how their energy and the smallest movements could cause an entire theater to erupt into laughter.
That trait I would carry through my run as a live theater actor and is something I currently reflect upon to produce the wild man character I portray as a wrestler. Whenever I find myself writing for a character who is high in energy but needs the ability to have those serious heartfelt moments, I often find myself reflecting on movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji. It is my hope that when a viewer or reader views my work they can sense the inspiration of many comedians and actors I pull from. Although not all of what I do and write is directly derived from the legendary Robin Williams, a huge portion of who I am as a comedic writer was inspired by the early antics I was exposed to on multiple occasions.
The key thing about Robin Williams and the work he has left behind for us is the rewatch value and the everlasting comedy that resonates across multiple generations. The fun kid-like exterior we have had the pleasure to know over the past few decades is a true diamond in the rough and without a doubt leaves a very large hole in the world of comedy. However large the hole may be in the comedic world, though, it is just a small portion of the larger hole in the world left behind by the man that Robin Williams was. He was a man who was not only generous but truly caring and inspirational to many people across the world. It is with a heavy heart and deep sorrow I say goodbye to a legend and thank him for all that he has left behind in his absence. Heaven now has one of the most ultimate comedy show line-ups featuring some of the greats taken from us too soon like John Candy, Phil Hartman, John Belushi, Chris Farley, John Ritter, and now headlining the icon Robin Williams.
From Eddie Siqueira:
Patch Adams is the movie that convinced me once and for all that fighting for the greater good is something we possess from day 1. It germinates inside of us and we must nourish it. Shine brightly in whatever field you wish to with honesty and love, it will irradiate and spread onto others. Happiness wins over all. I don't think any other lead actor could have pulled off the sincerity of the film.
From Mike Paden:
When writing the breaking story for Fanboys Anonymous on Robin Williams' passing I was struck with a lot of hurdles. From the start, I had a hard time believing that it was even possible to be true. But after searching for backing sources it became undeniable. So I wrote perhaps the toughest article I have ever written in my experience as a journalist.
The next obstacle was something that every actor could only dream about when one writes their obituary. I couldn't decide what movies to choose as a representation of his career because there was just so many memorable ones! They span across genres from fantasy, thriller, animated, comedy, drama, and every type of combination there in. I could've had paragraphs just listing the titles of Williams' most beloved roles.
I'll always remember him most for a role that actually didn't involve his physical presence: The Genie. The comical wish-granter from Disney's Aladdin was easily my favorite character from the series and perhaps even from the entire Disney family. His delivery; the way he'd bombastically stumble and pop between different personalities—it was a fantastic display of energy and screen presence.
He was a natural at his craft. It's a shame that we never will see what could have been with a longer career. It's an even bigger shame that someone who brought so many smiles to people's faces spent the last of his days in so much pain. I hope this event will cause people to mature to the existence of mental illness and the necessity to improve our treatment of it. Robin Williams will always be remembered in the world of comedy and film. A legend that will be passed from parent to child, sibling to sibling, friend to friend for generations to come. "No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change this world." -Dead Poets Society
This is Will Molinar again, signing off. We're sad, we're crushed, we are devastated. O Captain, My Captain, you will forever be in our hearts. Carpe diem, gather ye rosebuds, seize the day! And share with us some of your favorite films of Robin Williams.
Posted by
Unknown
- Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The Land of the Giants is an episodic sci-fi thriller set in the future year of 1983 which charts the trials and tribulations of the ill-fated passengers and crew of The Spindrift. The Spindift is a sub-orbital passenger-liner which took off from Los Angeles bound for London using the then (and now) fictitious concept of parabolic trajectory whereby the ship was supposed to fly just above the ozone layer. Unfortunately, the ship enters a space storm and crash-lands on an inhabited planet which parallels earth in all but two ways – the people living on the planet are perhaps one to two decades behind humans in terms of contemporaneous technological development, oh and, err, they are about 72 feet tall!
When the ship lands on the planet, the crew don't immediately realise that they are on a land inhabited by giants. Instead, given the vegetation that they have landed in (which, like every other thing on the planet is gigantic in size), they incorrectly assume that they have landed in some sort of forest or on a tropical island. Needless to say, it is not long before they encounter a giant; whilst attempting a failed take-off from the planet, a particularly unpleasant looking bespectacled specimen attempts to grab the ship and stares into the cockpit.
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| The special effects aren't great but they aren't bad either. |
This sets the scene for the premise of the rest of the two series' action – our heroes, the crew and passengers of the Spindrift, through a process of exploration and conjecture manage to work out that they have indeed crash-landed on a giant planet. They also realize the 'jungle' they have landed in is actually just some undeveloped scrubland at the edge of the giants' city. From here-on-in, they scavenge for parts to repair their ship, attempting but always failing to leave the planet. All the while trying to evade capture by the giants who are aware of their presence on the planet and sets traps to catch them (it becomes clear as the action of the show progresses that numerous "little people" have arrived on the giant planet thereby suggesting that the giant world is in some sort of parallel universe). The reasons that the giants wish to catch them are many and varied: The scientific community want to carry out experiments on them or force them to divulge information about their superior "earth technology". Also, spoiled brattish children want to keep them as pets or toys and travelling circuses want to put them in their stage acts.
Naturally, not only are the giants a problem on this planet, so too are the disproportionately large dogs, cats, spiders and all manner of other hazards. Of course, just traversing such a massive landscape causes issues. Tables, chairs, curb-stones, and telephones (objects that we consider as utilities or labor-saving devices) are an absolute nightmare for the "little people" who have to fashion tools to climb up or use them. This includes the ingeniously crafted cotton and safety pin grappling hook rope and razor blade axe, made from scavenged materials discarded by the giant society. Even empty bean cans etc provide an invaluable source of sheet metal for our heroes!
So, what makes this now rather old sci-fi show so good? Despite its age, The Land of the Giants is fantastic, not least because of the set design and "stunts" carried out by the actual main-cast of characters. Yes, some of the ginormous creatures such as cats and bugs look obviously green screened or added-in. That said, the program has aged very well. The edge-of-seat action coupled with the feeling of apprehension as the audience thinks about "will they or won't they get caught?" is still as fresh now as it was back then. The show owes its greatness to the somewhat capricious nature of its director Irwin Allen. Despite fading into obscurity now, in the '60's through the '80's, he was famous for producing such episodic programs as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Lost in Space; The Time Tunnel; The Swiss Family Robinson and Code Red along with such films as The Poseidon Adventure and The Swarm which gained him the moniker The Master of Disaster. However, as alluded to previously, it could be argued that he was also the master of irrational decisions, often refusing to work to smaller budgets than the massive (for the period) ones agreed –if Wikipedia is to be believed, $250,000 per episode!
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The first edition DVD case, designed to look like one of
infamous traps set by the giants to catch the "little people". |
In summary, whilst given the square-cube law that the premise of this show is total nonsense, there is never a dull-moment in the world of The Land of the Giants. It is definitely worth a look either if it's your first time around, or if you watched it in your youth and fancy a revisit.
It is on general release on DVD and the first edition is particularly good as the outer case is fashioned to look like one of the traps used by the giants to capture the "little people".
Do you have the box set? Were you a fan? Let us know in the comments below.
Posted by
Mike Paden
- Monday, August 11, 2014
Academy Award winning actor & comedian Robin Williams died this morning. He was 63 years old. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed, though Marin County Coronor's office suspects it to have been suicide via asphyxiation. The following statement was issued by his publicist:
Robin Williams passed away this morning. He has been battling severe depression of late. This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.
Williams rose in popularity as a stand-up comedian and with his role on popular television series Mork & Mindy. As an actor he is known for parts in Dead Poet's Society, Aladdin, Hook, Jack, and Jumanji; but he took home an Oscar for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting.
He will be reprising his role as Theodore Roosevelt in the third installment of the Night at the Museum franchise due out this December. Fox released a statement of "There really are no words to describe the loss of Robin Williams. He was immensely talented, a cherished member of our community, and part of the Fox family. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and fans. He will be deeply missed."
It was recently announced that he'd also be reprising his role as Mrs. Doubtfire in a sequel directed by Chris Columbus. The status of that film is now unknown.
What are some of your favorite Robin Williams memories? Leave them in the comments below. Goodbye o captain, my captain!
Posted by
Jonathan Jackson
Starship Troopers' Clancy Brown has landed a villainous role in CW's Arrow spin-off The Flash…
The veteran actor will be playing General Wade Eiling, often known as simply The General in the DC comic book world.
In the show, Eiling will be heading up a black ops army team who are in pursuit of Kelly Frye's Plastique in the hope of using her as a human weapon.
Clancy Brown has played various army and authoritarian roles in the past, playing Captain Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption and Sargent Zim in Starship Troopers as well as noteworthy villains like The Kurgan in Highlander and Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's Carnivàle (a personal favorite of mine).
Brown is also no stranger to comic book roles, having played Red Hulk, Lex Luthor, Odin and Taskmaster in a long string of voice-acting roles.
The Flash airs in the US on October 7, details for the UK are unknown at this time.
What are your thoughts on The Flash casting so far? Why not let us know in the comments below.
There is one moment that is questionable however in Nova Special 1. A panel of the Uncanny X-Men teens, just after they have show up to save Cyclops, shows Tempus exclaiming she has 'read her mind', when speaking of another opposing character. However, as far as I am aware (correct me in the comments if need be) I didn't think telepathy was part of her power set. It would seem either this is something new of the comment and speech bubble should have been coming from Mindee, the Stepford Cuckoo, on the other end of the same panel. Is this an oversight on the artists part or the building of the story for Tempus in the upcoming Uncanny X-Men Annual later this year.
