Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Saturday, September 27, 2014
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Amazing X-Men #11 Cover by
Carlo Barberi and Rachelle Rosenberg |
"World War Wendigo" 4 of 5.
Crises in Canada: the population is being overrun by a rampant magic curse. A small group made up from Alpha Flight and the X-Men are making their way to the source the outbreak to quell the out-of-control curse.
We are closing into the final stages of Craig Kyle's and Christopher Yost's first arc on Amazing X-Men. The story so far has been interesting to read and a fun experience. It is achieving a much sought after goal for X-Men fans by rekindling the feel of team adventures from previous runs from the X-Universe.
This does pose some unique challenges to keep in mind. A contentious point for consideration is the use of characters from other series that seem to be doing very different things in Amazing X-Men from their respective solo series. Wolverine is at Death's door in another series, yet here he has been transformed into a Wendigo; Storm is in Africa with Forge; and Nightcrawler is returning from a tussle with the Crimson Pirates. There is so much going on in the X-Universe that it can get mind boggling to try and piece the threads all together in a meaningful way. The reconciliation of this could be as straight forward as a simple time swing, i.e. the events in Amazing X-Men are not coincidental to those of other Marvel series; rather, they are complementary to them.
Given the number of characters being used in the narrative, it is not surprising that there is only so much space to dedicate to each. This balance must be struck by Kyle and Yost with Carlo Barberi to show a visually appealing story that captures all points of conflict. This is achieved, but it does mean the subplots are transitory as a result with characters moving in and out of the main plot.
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The Avengers lend a helping
hand against the Wendigo. |
The subplots are nicely tied in for Amazing X-Men #11. It is great to see this as we are pulled into the final issue. Yost and Kyle are beginning to wrap up their narrative and doing so by exploding open the conflict driving the main plot. Canada's problem has just spilled over into the USA and, from there, can go elsewhere.
For this, I don't feel there is a dominant character driving forward the narrative; the issue is more plot driven. However, it is nice to see the development of Northstar in comparison to his sister. It is telling that his time with the X-Men has matured his outlook on life and the role of superheroes. There seems to be a theme here with the role of Iceman being played up instead of just being a comedic relief for the more serious Wolverine or Storm. We are seeing sidelined characters come to the foreground in important ways.
This is supported by the art from Barberi, Walden Wong, and Rachelle Rosenberg. The colors from Rosenberg are reminiscent of the expected real-life settings of the Canadian wilderness. It is also nice to see the representation of the Spirit realm. Barberi, Wong, and Rosenberg bring to life the "beasts" of folklore with dramatic purpose. The conflict ensuing is displayed in a hectic manner to show the struggle for supremacy that is being wrought by Tanaraq.
The storytelling method is simple and effective for Amazing X-Men #11. Full-page shots are used to bring about the main point of focus for the page. This is then supported by various inserted panel shots to drive the story in the direction desired. The panels clearly bordered to ensure readability is paramount. There were a couple of dialogue pieces in this issue that I had to re-read to make sense, but I didn't find this detracting from the overall narrative, yet it did pause the pacing a little.
I have been reading Amazing X-Men for nearly a year now. It has been a great series and I am looking forward to the conclusion of the second arc with the next issue. What have you liked about it so far? Given the major events happening now or coming up from Marvel, what do you hope to see coming up in the series? Let us know and leave your thoughts below.
Posted by
Fanboys Anonymous
- Thursday, September 25, 2014
Fanboys Anonymous is partnering up with TV Store Online for a special giveaway contest where you can win a free Family Guy "You Suck" t-shirt by showing your support for the website where geeks go for everything nerdy.
Family Guy returns for its 13th season on September 28, 2014 with "The Simpsons Guy", a special crossover episode with The Simpsons, bringing the cartoon rivalry into canon. Are you a Family Guy fan more than a Simpsons fan? Tell the folks in yellow how you feel with this Stewie Griffin "You Suck" t-shirt:
HOW TO WIN
Participants can earn the equivalent of one raffle ticket for each of the following tasks they complete.
There are no limits on how many points you can earn:
1) Share the Facebook contest image post
2) Retweet the Twitter contest post
3) Share this link throughout the geek community (post a comment below linking to the forum, message board, subreddit, or website's page that you shared it)
You must be following at least one of the following accounts — but you earn multiple chances to win by following each one of them.
Like the Fanboys Anonymous Facebook page
Follow Fanboys Anonymous on Twitter
Subscribe to Fanboys Anonymous on YouTube
The more points you earn, the more chances you have to win! The winner will be chosen in a random draw and contacted through their social media account next week.
DISCLAIMER: The prize(s) that may be awarded to the eligible winner are not transferable, redeemable for cash or exchangeable for any other prize. If the winner has not redeemed his or her prize in 7 days, a new winner will be chosen. No points will be awarded to contestants who unsubscribe and resubscribe to an account. Only one point is awarded per account subscription. No members of the Fanboys Anonymous team are eligible to win.
Thank you for supporting Fanboys Anonymous and TV Store Online!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Wednesday, September 24, 2014
On episode 10 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about the upcoming 2014-2015 television show schedule for the new season.
The lineup for each of the major networks is broken down day by day. What will we be watching, what will we DVR and what will we pass on viewing?
Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Chris Dace, Shaun Walker and Drew White.
Some topics we address:
- ABC: Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Resurrection, Forever
- CBS: The Big Bang Theory, Scorpion, Person of Interest
- CW: The Flash, Arrow
- Fox: Gotham, Red Band Society, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Simpsons, Family Guy
- NBC: Constantine
- and more!
You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Tam To
- Tuesday, September 23, 2014
"In Case You Missed It" is a feature on Press Start that fills you in on great games that may have flown under your radar. Press Start's very own Andy Volk will fill you in on the details of this hidden gem that might be worth picking up!
This week, Andy takes a look at Transformers: Fall of Cybertron for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. A sequel to Transformers: War for Cybertron, Fall of Cybertron improves upon elements from the first game while making the experience feel fresh. Who can possibly complain about getting to control the loud-mouthed leader of the Dinobots, Grimlock? Definitely a game for fans of Transformers lore and platform third-person shooters.
Have you gotten the chance to play this game? Let us know in the comments what you thought of it. Also let us know which lesser-known titles you think we should cover on our next part!
Press Start films weekly and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Monday, September 22, 2014
September 23rd will be the 125th anniversary of Nintendo (more specifically, since Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo Koppai on September 23, 1889, which was originally a production company for playing cards rather than the video game juggernaut it is today).
In honor of this occasion, TV Store Online is selling special Nintendo-themed hoodies exclusive to their shop based on four of the iconic video game characters: Mario, Luigi, Wario from the Super Mario Bros series and Link from the Legend of Zelda series.
I was able to get my hands on one of these (I chose Luigi as that guy doesn't get as much credit as he deserves, even if he saves Peach) and I was very pleased with the outcome. These hoodies are not knockoffs or cheaply made—the officially licensed Nintendo product stamp should be an indicator of that alone. They represent the true colors and the spirit of the characters they embody.
Not only are they comfortable, but they are also a fun way to express your geek cred and love for your favorite of the characters. The top of the hoodie is fashioned to look like each character's trademark cap (except Link, of course, who isn't cool enough to have a green hat with an L on it, as that's Luigi's territory), which is a nice little addition to help it stand out more as the character rather than just being the overalls.
Luigi product description:
Have you ever wanted to be just like Mario's brother? He may not have been the main hero, but that doesn't mean he isn't one of the coolest Nintendo characters of all time! If you want to show some love for Luigi, check out this officially licensed Nintendo hoodie. Featuring his overalls and green suit with the "L" logo on top of the hood, this Luigi hoodie should please just about any fan of the notable sidekick. Let the world know who your favorite video game character is with this awesome Super Mario hoodie!
So if you're interested in picking one of these up, head on over to TV Store Online and embrace the anniversary of the undisputed king of the gaming industry.
Posted by
Fanboys Anonymous
- Sunday, September 21, 2014
Fanboys Anonymous is partnering up with TV Store Online for a special giveaway contest where you can win a free The Big Bang Theory Bazinga t-shirt by showing your support for the website where geeks go for everything nerdy.
The Big Bang Theory is making the move to Monday nights and kicking off its eighth season tomorrow night on September 22, 2014. When we last left the gang, Sheldon took off to uncharted territories. Where did he go? Why is he returning? One thing's for sure: we'll definitely hear him say his trademark catchphrase soon enough, so ring in the new season with style:
HOW TO WIN
Participants can earn the equivalent of one raffle ticket for each of the following tasks they complete.
There are no limits on how many points you can earn:
1) Share the Facebook contest image post
2) Retweet the Twitter contest post
3) Share this link throughout the geek community (post a comment below linking to the forum, message board, subreddit, or website's page that you shared it)
You must be following at least one of the following accounts — but you earn multiple chances to win by following each one of them.
Like the Fanboys Anonymous Facebook page
Follow Fanboys Anonymous on Twitter
Subscribe to Fanboys Anonymous on YouTube
The more points you earn, the more chances you have to win! The winner will be chosen in a random draw and contacted through their social media account next week.
DISCLAIMER: The prize(s) that may be awarded to the eligible winner are not transferable, redeemable for cash or exchangeable for any other prize. If the winner has not redeemed his or her prize in 7 days, a new winner will be chosen. No points will be awarded to contestants who unsubscribe and resubscribe to an account. Only one point is awarded per account subscription. No members of the Fanboys Anonymous team are eligible to win.
Thank you for supporting Fanboys Anonymous and TV Store Online!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Saturday, September 20, 2014
Hey, hey, hey Dacetacular Nation! Chris "The Dace Man" Dace here to honor some of television's hit TV shows as we roll into the 2014/2015 season! Join me on this quest as I bring to you some must-see TV shows this year!
Next up on Fanboys Anonymous's Must See TV event is the gem of the CW Network. Arrow was developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. It premiered on October 10, 2012 as part of The CW's line up and the answer to the departing Smallville. The comic-based show stars Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance), David Ramsey (John Diggle), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), and Paul Blackthorne (Detective Lance).
Like every comic book show that makes its way to the digital media, I immediately gave it a shot, and over the past two seasons I was not disappointed. Arguably one of the greatest comic book adaptations on TV today, Arrow has packed a lot of punch and has greatly expanded the world of The Green Arrow! I eagerly look forward to this season as the producer teased Ra's Al Ghul's Arrow debut.
The third season of Arrow premieres October 7, 2014 on The CW.
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 TV remote—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
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