Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Sunday, November 9, 2014
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Uncanny X-Men 27 cover by
Bachalo and Townsend |
Rise again, Cyclops, the master strategist...
We are facing a crucial test for the Uncanny X-Men. Their mettle continues to be pushed, yet we may still see the Mutant Revolution roll onward despite the obstacles before it.
The X-Men have been set the ultimate task from their former leader, Charles Xavier, to find and neutralize a potential catastrophe caused by the reawakened powerful mutant Matthew Malloy. To this end, leaders from the Xavier and Jean Grey schools have banded together in an uneasy manner to fulfill Xavier's last wishes. However, they are too late, and although S.H.I.E.L.D tried to intervene, Matthew's powers have been unleashed on an unsuspecting populous.
Brian Michael Bendis continues to strive to deliver a suspenseful story that plays up well the different ideological approaches of the main mutant factions. Surprisingly absent in issue #27 of Uncanny X-Men is any follow-up of the argument among students of the Xavier school. After the rancor that arose during their training session last issue, we are left hanging about the result of the dissipating positions of the student body. The main focus of the current issue sits squarely on the threat of Matthew Malloy.
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Rachel Grey tries to control
the mind of Matthew Malloy. |
As we find the super-powered Malloy in this issue, he is trying to come to terms with all that has happened in his life. The mutant power, the deaths, and the deceptions from Xavier are all amounting to an unhinging that could be terrible to behold. As the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D team up to try to replace the status quo, we get to see just how powerful this new mutant is and find that the threat could not have been more underestimated. The most surprising twist comes in the form of a straight on approach from Cyclops that offers a vindicating moment at the conclusion of Uncanny X-Men #27. What a way to lead into the next issue, with such open possibilities and consequences as a result.
It was nice to see Bendis show some humor, with the arresting moment between Wolverine and Cyclops on the helicarrier, but it was also nice not to have the guilt/death of Xavier angle further thrown over the pages of this series. Although Cyclops's actions have brought about the current state of affairs, as a result of killing Xavier, and that cannot be down played, it would be easy to take the issue too far and sideline the proper plot. Bendis and the editorial team have shown restraint in picking up which threads of the story to bring to the fore.
Chris Bachalo continues with the art in Uncanny X-Men #27. The cover by Bachalo and Tim Townsend is proactive. It shows Cyclops in profile, shooting out a trademark beam from his eyes. However, directly in front of his face is a hummingbird, around which the eye beam is guided. This shows tact and skill, which we have been led to believe Cyclops no longer has because the Phoenix episode damaged his power set. This imagery, coupled with the actual story content of Uncanny X-Men #27, may be heralding a return to form for the mutant revolution leader.
The interior content of issue #27 shows a stronger array of art than we have recently been provided in this series. That isn't to say that previous art was not good; by all means, it has a distinctness that sets it apart from other X-Men titles. I simply mean that for this issue of Uncanny X-Men the flow, line work, and panel arrangement are that much more cohesive, and the finished pages sing a sweet harmony. Of particular note, there are some beautiful images of Matthew Malloy from Bachalo, and the colors from Jose Villarrubia and Rain Beredo on this character in the opening three pages are just fantastic.
All in all, Uncanny X-Men #27 is picking up the story and art in a pleasing manner. Other recent issues have been fine, but this issue is stepping it up a notch, which is nice to see. The story elements are all in place to continue in a direction that I didn't see coming during this arc. With the alternating artists, we are able to see different interpretations of the characters, but it is a long game in terms of feeling the cohesion that the story is striving for.
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| The X-men combined struggle against Matthew Malloy |
I look forward to seeing where we will go next, but as always we want to hear what you think of this comic. Make sure you leave a comment below, or tweet us or leave a message on Facebook. Be sure to come back next time, as Cyclops tries his hand at helping Matthew Malloy overcome the powers threatening to bring the mutant world crashing down.
Posted by
Eddie Siqueira
- Saturday, November 8, 2014
Often, the greatest works of art, through whatever medium or format, come to this world because stars align. I found this to be the case with Fight Club.
The author's afterword offers a better insight to the origins of the novel. It was a simple but well executed exercise in short story writing (thanks to a black eye the author received one summer), which earned it front-to-back treatment into a full-fledged book. Granted, it did not hit the #1 spot on The New York Times's bestseller list upon release, but when David Fincher came along, Fight Club became a household name—at least to oppressed, middle-class men with nothing to lose or fight for.
The film did wonders for Palahniuk's career, aiding in its takeoff and making his other books more notorious. The question is, was Fight Club, as a book on its own, really that great? Take into account that I have devoured the movie somewhere around 20 times in the past 10 years or so. Whether you liked it or not, the film is unquestionably a directorial masterpiece, but that is not our concern. In true bookworm fashion, let's dissect my edition's 218 pages and weigh its pros and cons.
It goes without saying, but, spoiler alert ahead.
Aside from the obvious Brad Pitt/Edward Norton/Helena Bonham-Carter association in my brain, I found it difficult to separate the movie's grittiness and imagery at first but gradually discovered that the book seemed far darker. Our nameless protagonist narrates the story but in such a way his speech is never in quotations. Only the other characters' (including Tyler Durden) spoken lines are quoted, making us navigate the story from within the mind of the narrator. I felt strongly that this aspect gave us more proximity to the characters than the third-person approach of the movie.
A lot of one-liners made it to the silver screen directly out of the pages, along with many of the scenes. The fragmentation of events is made even more in-your-face by the insomniac telltale of the narrator, dipped in a split personality disorder that is subtly revealed, much like in the film, but the impact wasn't as dramatic carried out linguistically.
Unfortunately, maybe because I know every frame of the movie, I was unfazed by most of the literary version. Although it is the original story of Fight Club, it's almost like it was a rough draft for a movie script. The language itself isn't poor—far from it—but the book cuts through events too fast sometimes. It's as though the movie was meant to be.
The major differences are some closer looks at certain characters, such as Marla Singer, whom I found to be more involved with the narrator in the movie than in the novel. Some one-liners were a bit different and the homemade explosives are described in more detail.
What David Fincher turned the written words into is nothing short of genius. In fact, rumor has it Chuck Palahniuk likes the movie's ending over the book's, which had an unexpectedly upbeat view of life that completely contrasted everything written up until then.
This is a good read, for sure, but it's eclipsed by the Hollywood adaption. I'll give it a 3 out of 5. I watched the movie first, and this is not one of those cases where the book is better—clearly, I favor the film. The originality of the story, which is not about a fight club but rather what's in the frame: social disparity, loneliness, romanticism, and frustration add to the score. What do you think? Is the read better than the film? You are not the safety of your Internet-procrastinating silence—comment!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Friday, November 7, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 72 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Frank Ward, Tricia Bell, and special guest Jiggley Jones!
::SPORTS NEWS::
- San Francisco took the World Series.
- NHL is a thing right?
- NFL week 9 is in the books!
- Plus more…
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
::FRANK'S CORNER::
::CELEB NEWS::
- Ex-NFL cheerleader accused of rape
- Artie Lang in hot water
- Plus more…
::Fantasy Celeb. Warfare::
VS.
Plus Gibby Sings! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.
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!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Posted by
Jonathan Jackson
- Thursday, November 6, 2014
A poster for Syfy's anticipated Sharknado 3 has been spotted out in the world by news and fan website Shock Til You Drop, and this time it looks like it could have a sci-fi element to it!
The only plot summary released is that the film brings the franchise's hilariously bizarre weather phenomenon span the East Coast of the United States, from Washington, D.C. to Florida.
The poster shows outer space, rockets, and glowing shark eyes. I really hope this is genuine, as it will raise the bar on Syfy channel's excellent B-Movie offerings.
Sharknado 3 is due to be released 2015. Watch this space for more information.
What could be better than sharks in space? Why not let us know in the comments below.
Posted by
Ronnie Brown
- Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Ever since Ocarina of Time 3D was released for the 3DS back in 2011, fans have been wondering if Nintendo would take the next step and give Majora's Mask the same 3D remake treatment. Finally, during a Nintendo Direct three years later, Nintendo has announced The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D!
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| It's about time! |
Little is known about the game other than it will be released in spring 2015. For me personally, just the fact that this game exists is all I need to make me beyond excited right now.
What do you guys think? Are you ready to revisit Termina for another three days? Let us know in the comments!
Posted by
Johnna
- Tuesday, November 4, 2014
This year's Youmacon was wonderfully fun and full of talented and inspired cosplayers. My husband and co-host of Addicted to Anime, Stephen, and I spent two amazing days at Youmacon and saw so many amazing cosplays. I can't put them all here because there are so many photos, although you can see them on our Facebook page. Because of the sheer size of Youmacon, we're sure there are also plenty of other amazing cosplays we never even got to see. I'm going to share with you some of my personal favorites that we were able to snag photos of.
This group of Legend of Zelda cosplayers definitely caught our attention! The Navi cosplayer stayed in character the entire con, chasing people around the con and shouting "Hey! Listen!" and "Watch out!"
This Celestia Ludenberg cosplay from the anime Dangan Ronpa was beautifully put together, right down to the oversized hair. Detail to the dress was also spot on.
These Kirito and Asuna cosplayers from Sword Art Online caught our attention with their attention to detail. Their weapons are perfect, right down to Kirito's dual wielding.
I saw this cosplay while eating lunch and I just had to approach her. The pictures truly do not do this cosplay justice. I cannot for the life of me remember just what she was cosplaying, but I couldn't leave this cosplay out.
This Maka Albarn cosplayer, from Soul Eater, was traveling with the previous cosplayer. It seems that good cosplayers travel in groups! It's obvious she put a lot of effort in to her prop and thought into her cosplay.
This Kiki cosplay, from Kiki's Delivery Service, is a simple yet wonderful piece. Kiki's Delivery Service is a film by the very popular Japanese film director and artist, Hayou Miyazaki.
Assassin's Creed is by far one of my favorite video games. I was ecstatic to see such a talented Assassin's Creed cosplayer. Both her outfit and her props were splendidly made—she even had a functional hidden blade!
We found this gorgeous pair when leaving the People Mover! The picture does not do their face paint and custom lenses justice, trust me. They were cosplaying as their own original characters.
I enjoyed these cosplays of these characters from the Dragonball series, but what really caught our attention was the Flying Nimbus they had created that was even capable of moving. I saw them wheeling around the convention on their Flying Nimbus on more than one occasion!
This Lucy Cosplayer from Elfen Lied made Stephen and I immediately become giddy! We're both huge fans of that anime, and she was the first cosplayer in the many, many conventions we have attended to actually create the vectors. She said that this was her very first cosplay that she has ever put together.
This was only Part One of this photo series. Soon I'll be releasing Part Two, so keep an eye out for it. Until then, let me know what you think in the comment section below!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Monday, November 3, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 71 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Frank Ward, Tricia Bell, and very special guest Indie Rocker: Ed Roman!
::SPORTS NEWS::
- MLB World Series enters game 7!
- NFL week 8 is in the books!
- Plus more…
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
::FRANK'S CORNER::
::CELEB NEWS::
- Benidict Cumberbatch rumored to play Dr. Strange
- Marvel Phase 3
- Neil Patrick Harris joins American Horror Story.
- Jose Canseco is an idiot.
A Douchebag of The Week All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.
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!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
The interior content of issue #27 shows a stronger array of art than we have recently been provided in this series. That isn't to say that previous art was not good; by all means, it has a distinctness that sets it apart from other X-Men titles. I simply mean that for this issue of Uncanny X-Men the flow, line work, and panel arrangement are that much more cohesive, and the finished pages sing a sweet harmony. Of particular note, there are some beautiful images of Matthew Malloy from Bachalo, and the colors from Jose Villarrubia and Rain Beredo on this character in the opening three pages are just fantastic.
