Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Sunday, November 23, 2014
On episode 9 of the Fanboys Anonymous FanTracks podcast, the panel provides commentary for the Thanksgiving season by watching several turkey day-themed episodes of television shows. The latest edition in this series is:
Community
Season 4 - Episode 5 - "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations"
(original air date March 7, 2013)
Hosted by Tony Mango including Chris Dace.
After a short introduction, you will be told when to sync up your copy of the episode so you can follow along with our commentary. Follow the links below to listen to the podcast on either YouTube, iTunes, or Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Unknown
- Saturday, November 22, 2014
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| The 1999 collected edition. |
Just a few days ago, the FX network has confirmed to be developing a new drama series based on Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's groundbreaking graphic novel From Hell.
Considered to be one of the top ten graphic novels of all time, From Hell, which was originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1996 and finally turned into a 572-page collected edition in 1999, is based on the now debunked theory the Jack the Ripper murders were committed to cover up the birth of an illegitimate child by Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. In order to silence possible witnesses and gossipers, Queen Victoria enlists the help of the royal physician, Sir William Gull, a high-ranking Freemason who murders them and becomes the infamous serial killer.
With a plot-line involving multiple characters and over 40 pages of actual historic documents and references, the novel is a guttural study of Gull's genius mind slowly descending into madness:
While he justifies the murders by claiming they are a Masonic warning to an apparent Illuminati threat to the throne, the killings are, in Gull's mind, part of an elaborate mystical ritual to ensure male societal dominance over women. As the killings progress, Gull becomes more and more psychologically unhinged, culminating in a full psychic vision of the future during his murder of Mary Kelly.
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| Gull's mind starts to break. |
Though is it yet to be seen how faithful to the graphic novel the FX adaptation will be, executive producer Don Murphy, who produced the From Hell movie (don't watch it. It is really bad), believes a TV series "would be a great way to handle the material properly, giving the story time to play out and doing it justice."
David Arata (Children Of Men) will write the adaptation.
There is still no word on casting or even if the show will be as a one-and-done event series or if it will tell the book’s story over the course of multiple seasons. However, there is no doubt Alan Moore will not be involved in any way and will probably bash the show with all his might, as he hates any movie or TV adaptation of his work.
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| Alan Moore is not impressed. |
Let's cross our fingers, pray to the moon, squeeze our stress balls, and send some creative vibes to the folks at FX. If done right, the show can be as intense and gritty as Cinemax's period drama The Knick.
One can only hope.
Do you think the TV series From Hell has potential?
Is it going to be a hit or miss?
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
Every once in a while I'll take a chance on a comic book that catches my attention even if I've heard nothing about it before. I did this with Image Comics' Revival once; I'd never heard anything about that amazing supernatural crime thriller before seeing the cover to issue #1 at my local comic book shop, and I decided, "What the heck? It's only five issues in, so let's give it a shot." I've since been following the series (and you should, too). Another series I did the same with is from an even smaller and largely unknown publisher: Unlikely Heroes Studios, whose sole comic book series, Super!, really impressed me in an unlikely fashion.
Just recently, the publisher released the very first five-issue volume of their digital-only series (available only on comiXology) by creators Zack Dolan, Justin Piatt, Everado Orozco, and a handful of inkers including mainstay Laurie Foster as a printed hardcover trade collection. Fans of superheroes, I urge you to pick this book up. You won't be disappointed.
The series follows a ragtag team of amateur superheroes and their struggle to make a name for themselves in Cosmopolis, a city filled to the brim with superheroes and villains, against the immense popularity of the legacy supergroup, the People's Champions. Each issue explores a different member of the underdog group, which includes the no-shit-taken power woman, Blitz; the quip-tacular and hot-headed Furious Fire Ant; the mysterious and short-tempered Silhouette; the megalomaniacal and genius Professor Max Archer; the über-patriotic and gun-toting Blood Death; the Hulk-like, lightweight Unquenchable Lush; the nude speedster Streak; and the size-changing Super Sentai lovechild, Adventure Man Zero.
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Ah, this reminds me of taking on Nemesis in
City of Heroes…everything is a Nemesis plot! |
The team, though they all have the best (and sometimes selfish) intentions, always ends up fleeing the scene of a big battle whenever the law comes around or an angry casino owner demands repayment for the damage they cause. Whenever things seem to be finally going their way, though, their thunder is unavoidably undermined by the People's Champions. On top of all of that, they make themselves their own archenemies out of the supervillain cabal, the Fearsome Fivesome—another group of underdogs trying to make a name for themselves and lead by the Black Atom, who secretly has a close connection with Blitz.
What really turned me onto this series from issue #1 was something that took me a few moments to put my finger on. At first glance, the series looks like just another ambitious superhero comedy book that would just drown in the sea of other greater titles like The Amazing Spider-Man or Batman. However, there is a very special kind of love woven into every word and panel that turns Super! into a superhero genre love letter. It also reminds me a lot of the late and great City of Heroes, the superhero MMORPG from Paragon Studios and NCSOFT. Much in the way of the fan-created video game projects City of Titans (formerly The Phoenix Project), Valiance Online, and others, this comic was created in part by a CoH veteran (Dolan, who even once played as Blitz and Fire Ant and was a huge fan of the game's character creator) and possesses many similar themes to the game's canon, including a Paragon City in the form of Cosmopolis and a legacy group like the Freedom Phalanx.
I can't say enough how much I enjoy Super!, and I get the feeling that the series and its creators can go very far with enough support. The studio originally launched two Kickstarters—the first for producing the series' first issue and the second to fund their merchandising department and for creating the volume one hardcover—and will be starting up a Patreon campaign in the near future to continue funding more issues beyond their first volume. Follow Unlikely Heroes Studios at their website, on Twitter, on Facebook, or on their YouTube channel for updates and to learn how to contribute to the success of this truly deserving comic book series. Visit their website to order your copy of volume one or read the first five issues digitally on comiXology, which you can find here.
Now I can't properly close out one of my infamous comic book reviews without a rating, right? Super! Volume 1 gets 5 stars out of 5 for both the writing and art and a big "Good luck and Godspeed!" from me. What are you waiting for? Read more comics and discover new stories and creators! If you've read Super! before, what were your thoughts? Are you a CoH refugee such as myself, and did you get the same Paragon City vibe I did? Let us know in the comments section below!
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
Phew, what an issue! Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Welcome back to my review series of the increasingly superb Marvel comic book series, Moon Knight. What started out as seemingly disconnected microecosystems made into comic book issues has—as you can now tell if you've been following the series or my reviews—started to show their integrated skeletal system of a larger plot. The biggest lure for fans of the series when it started out was Warren Ellis and company's masterful weaving of the one-shot story, but after his and Declan Shalvey's departure from the book, writer Brian Wood and artists Greg Smallwood and Jordie Bellaire have kicked it into high gear as they steer the series into a different, albeit equally satisfying mode of storytelling.
Moon Knight #9 unveils a little bit more of the new creative team's master plan by revisiting the mystery of Marc Spector's psychiatrist—now given a name: Dr. Wahalla. In issue #7, the Silver Avenger discovered an assassination plot against foreign General Aliman Lor—a former despot of the small African nation of Akima—headed by none other than Dr. Wahalla. Then in issue #8, Dr. Wahalla knowingly sabotaged Moon Knight's heroism during the Freedom Tower hostage situation by informing the police of Marc's psychological imbalance, which subsequently landed Moon Knight on the police's most wanted list. In this issue, Marc confronts Dr. Walhalla during a hypnotherapy session by exploring her past history with General Lor and her motivations with betraying Moon Knight. The good doctor is not what she seems, though, and Marc's own tactics quickly backfire on him, leading to a shocking twist in Moon Knight history.
Wood played an interesting game with this issue as it mostly took part during the hypnotherapy session, which opened up a fun dynamic between Marc and Dr. Walhalla. Marc begins the dialogue in the issue by turning the tables on his psychiatrist so that throughout the entire issue both Marc and Dr. Walhalla are psychoanalyzing each other. It turns into a real cat-and-cat game (much like the intellectual games Light and L play with one another in Death Note, if I may make the comparison) that intrigues until the very end when Wood throws a curve ball into the mix that leaves the reader's mouth agape in awe.
On the art side, this issue feels very much like what we got when Shalvey and Bellaire were tangoing across the pages. I feel as if Smallwood's style for this series has evolved since his series debut in issue #7, and it seems as though he is quickly finding his groove with Bellaire as they begin to dish out a thematically similar style to the previous team's. When comparing the artworks of issue #1, #7, and #9 side-by-side-by-side, you can definitely tell that Smallwood is starting to shape up into the next Shalvey in this series. This is great news, since Shalvey and Bellaire's synchronicity helped to sell the book just as much as Ellis' writing and stardom did. This may be the closest thing Marvel has ever done to catching lightning in a bottle twice, and hopefully we'll get another six—or even more, ideally—issues to this ceaselessly impressive series.
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| This was one of the most important and powerful panels in the issue. |
Moon Knight #9 receives five stars out of five for both the writing and art. What more can I say? I was not disappointed with this issue or any other beforehand. How would you rate this issue, and how would you compare the new team's run to the old one's? Do you think Wood, Smallwood, and Bellaire have a chance at securing this series' staying power? Let us know in the comments section below, and continue following Fanboys Anonymous for more Moon Knight reviews!
Posted by
Orion Petitclerc
It's Carnage Hour once more, featuring the bloody, the macabre, the Carnage-Man! Ah, you gotta love the dark humor of this series. Welcome back to my review series on Marvel AXIS tie-in miniseries, AXIS: Carnage. Today I'll be reviewing the second of three issues, so sit back in your desk chair, turn off the world, and turn on the chaos!
In the last issue, Carnage began his solo career as a hero by saving a hooker from her abusive pimp and opportunistic news anchor Alice Gleeson from the new and supernatural serial killer, the Sin Eater. It's been a tough road for the former symbiotic serial killer known as Cletus Kasady since Doctor Doom and Scarlet Witch's inversion spell changed his morality; he's had to learn restraint and cull his bloodlust in an insane effort to become a superhero to make amends for his multitude of past sins. To help him learn to become the hero he's driven to be, Carnage kidnapped Alice in the last issue, convinced that a reputable news anchor such as herself could help him become good.
In this issue, writer Rick Spears and artists Germán Peralta and Rain Beredo give us a glimpse of an altered version of Cletus' past which shaped him into the serial killer he became while trying to give it a heroic spin to explain Cletus' new motivation. What's interesting to note is that Carnage has subconsciously inserted Alice into his memories as a sort of muse that inspires key moments in his history. The way the creative team works her into his history leads me to believe that Cletus' impression of Alice is beyond inspirational—perhaps he's harboring deeper feelings for his kidnappee? This would be an intriguing development especially when considering that the only other person Carnage has ever been extremely close with was Shriek, his frequent partner-in-crime.
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| Now, now, Carnage. We don't need a relapse of your Superior days. |
Another interesting development that is revealed in this issue is the Sin Eater's connection to Emil Gregg, the serial confessor who was linked to the first Sin Eater and Venom's origin. We find out what Emil has been doing during the Sin Eater's recent inquisition, which creates even more questions regarding the new Sin Eater's identity. As for the rest of the issue, we're given yet another joyride of Carnage attempting and partially failing at being a hero as Alice uses her kidnapping as an opportunity to advance her career.
Spears' writing is just downright fantastic for Carnage and this series. Not many can pull of a true Carnage comic, but he's definitely one of my favorite Carnage writers now—and that's saying something coming from an avid symbiote fan! Both Peralta and Beredo's art synergy is very reminiscent of one of my favorite artistic pairs, Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire (Moon Knight), which gains them bonus points for appealing to my own taste in modern superhero comic art. There isn't much more that can be said that I've already covered in my last review.
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| That's not how it works! That's not how any of this works! |
AXIS: Carnage #2 gets 5 stars out of 5 for the writing and 4.5 stars out of 5 for the art (a half point down because of the same gripes I had with the last issue). What did you think of this issue? Who do you think the new Sin Eater is? Can Carnage really pull off being a hero? Let us know in the comments section below, and continue following Fanboys Anonymous for more comic reviews by yours truly. Also, check out The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and point-of-views, plus its blog, A Dose of Venom, for a chance to win a Marvel Legends Agent Venom action figure during its Symbiotic Holiday Giveaway!
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Friday, November 21, 2014
On episode 7 of the Fanboys Anonymous Reviewpoint podcast, the panel reviews the latest installment of the Katniss Everdeen story by discussing The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.
The panel breaks down what worked in the film (Hit) as well as what didn't (Miss).
Hosted by Tony Mango along with Chris Dace, Johnna Wago and Stephen Wago
You can check out the podcast below on YouTube, iTunes, and Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Thursday, November 20, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 74 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, and Tricia Bell, and special guest Xander Demos!
::SPORTS NEWS::
- NHL stuff
- NFL week 11 is in the books!
- Plus more
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
- Short but fun...like a gherkin.
::FRANK'S CORNER::
- Still no sign of Frank. But hey, we got a theme.
::CELEB NEWS::
- Bill Cosby in hot water.
- The wedding of Charles Manson. He got married and you're not...tsk, tsk.
- Plus more…
::Who Said It::
VS.
Plus Gibby Sings and The 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 comfy seat in front of your computer—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
Anthony Mango
- Wednesday, November 19, 2014
On episode 5 of the Fanboys Anonymous FanTracks podcast, the panel provides commentary for the Thanksgiving season by watching several turkey day-themed episodes of television shows. The second edition in this series is:
South Park
Season 1 - Episode 8 - "Starvin' Marvin"
(original air date November 19, 1997)
Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Chris Dace and Mike Paden.
After a short introduction, you will be told when to sync up your copy of the episode so you can follow along with our commentary. Follow the links below to listen to the podcast on either YouTube, iTunes, or Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Unknown
- Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Yes, yes. This year's Annabelle was not a masterpiece, but who cares! The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, set to be released on June 10, 2016, seems to have all the right elements to be as awesome (if not even better) as its 2013 predecessor, which made a whopping $318 million worldwide.
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| Farmiga and Wilson as the Warrens. |
For starters, both the original director, James Wan, and writers, Chad and Carey Hayes, are returning for the sequel, which will focus on another case in Ed and Lorraine Warren's long list of real-life paranormal investigations. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will reprise their roles as the two investigators.
Although the official plot of the script has not been announced yet, here is a short account of the true bone-chilling story that inspired the movie: the Enfield Poltergeist.
It all started on the evening of August 30, 1977, at a council house in Enfield, North London, England. Single mom Peggy Hodgson was trying to put her four children—Margaret, age 13; Janet, 11; Johnny, 10; Billy, 7—to bed when Janet complained about her brother's bed shaking. Peggy did not pay much attention to it, but on the following night Peggy experienced something she could not ignore.
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| The Hodgson Family. |
After hearing a crashing sound coming from Janet's room, the single mother rushed in only to find a chest of drawers moving by itself. Suddenly, the chest was propelled toward the door by an invisible force. Scared, Peggy and her children ran to her neighbors' house.
Not knowing what to do, the frightened neighbors called the police. The attending female police constable, Carolyn Heeps, was not able to do much at the scene, since no one was breaking the law. However, she did see "a large armchair moved, unassisted, 4 ft across the floor."
Next, press. Daily Mirror photographer Graham Morris was contacted. He was able to capture some of the supernatural phenomena on camera, but things seemed to be getting worse.
After BBC visited the house to try to record some of the phenomena, the family finally sought help from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), which sent investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, a poltergeist expert who subsequently wrote This House Is Haunted, to investigate.
Grosse, when interviewed by Will Storr, recorded the chaos in the house:
As soon as I got there, I realised that the case was real because the family was in a bad state. Everybody was in chaos. [At first] nothing happened for a while, then I experienced Lego pieces [and marbles] flying across the room; The extraordinary thing was, when you picked them up, they were hot.
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| " I thought I was going to die," Janet Hodgson. |
Although many people experienced objects flying, furniture moving, and heard knocking coming from inside the walls, most of the activity seemed to be centered around 11-year-old Janet. The girl would go into violent trances and became certain she was possessed by a ghost named Bill Wilkins.
According to the paranormal investigators' reports, Janet would levitate and speak in an eerie, raspy voice when she was allegedly possessed by Wilkins. In one instance, a invisible force seemed to control a curtain, which tried to strangle her.
To this day, Janet stands by her story: "[The poltergeist] lived off me, off my energy. Call me mad if you like. Those events did happen. The poltergeist was with me and I feel that in a sense he always will be."
For a more on this true ghost story, check out the documentary below, where most (if not all) audio recordings of Janet's trances can be heard.
Cynics believe it was all a big hoax, but no one can deny the Enfield Poltergeist is one fascinating ghost story. It will make an awesome story for the Conjuring 2.
Do you believe it was real? Are you going to watch The Conjuring sequel? Leave your comments below!
Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Sunday, November 16, 2014
Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.
MOVIES
Suicide Squad Brings A-List Characters.
My take: Joker (Jared Leto, maybe) and Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) may appear in the upcoming film, a definite change from the B and C list characters the series depends on. Though they may be part of the story and not the team, it still adds the film into the new DC Cinematic Universe and, thus, Joker and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). A strange way to tease them for an upcoming Batman film, perhaps?
Batman v Superman Films "death of the Waynes" Sequence.
My take: Ugh. We can't get a Star Trek movie without an original cast member involved and we can't get a Batman movie without a "Thomas and Martha Wayne" flashback. I expect there to also be a shot of Krypton exploding and Clark jumping up in bed screaming, covered in super-sweat.
Doctor Doom is a Blogger Named "Doom".
My take: Not wanting to judge a film before seeing a single frame of footage, I'm still disappointed to hear any and all tidbits on the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. The supposed "down to earth" version doesn't work with the word "fantastic", or fans expectations. Actor Toby Kebbell recently revealed he will be playing the role of Victor Domashev, who blogs online as "Doom". He is an anti-social computer programmer and, eventually, becomes Dr. Doom. Who knows what this means for the origins of The Fantastic Four themselves.
TELEVISION
Dr Leslie Thompkins Added to "Gotham".
My take: …as a love interest for Jim Gordon. What? She's an obvious character to have on the series, and should have been since episode one. To have her as a love interest is certainly a twist, but an unnecessary one. She will also be a large excuse to have Bruce in the story more, which I'm not a huge fan of (sorry, kid).
The Flash Wins Best Show Thus Far.
My take: About half a dozen episodes in for the somewhat disappointing Gotham, the impressive Constantine and The Flash, the latter wins top honours in my opinion. The episodes are fun and the effects are great to watch, albeit the current "freak of the week" is growing tired.
Katie Cassidy Revealed in Black Canary Costume.
My take: Since I'm only in season 2 and this got spoiled for me, now it's spoiled for you, too! You're welcome!
COMIC BOOKS
Joker Returns in Batman.
My take: His return may feel a long time in the waiting but after getting a year long flashback story, didn't they technically just deal with him a couple weeks ago? In any case, he's back with a new face (as was inevitable) and another sales boost for DC.
Spider-Verse Finally Moving Along.
My take: After trudging through Edge of Spider-Verse, we're finally on our way. I'm curious what makes 616 Peter Parker so special and if it has any connection to 2015's Secret Wars. As long as Spider-Ham survives, I don't care who else they kill.
DC's Convergence Details.
My take: As excited as I want to be for this Crisis On Infinite Earths anniversary story, I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I'm a Pre-New-52 fan and hope some elements return from that era. Many of the teased characters (Donna Troy, Wally West) reek of "cannon fodder", considering DC's attempt at updating their roster.
Watch out for this segment each and every weekend. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics?
Leave us a comment below!
Posted by
Tam To
- Saturday, November 15, 2014
Nintendo is still wet behind the ears when it comes to including downloadable content for their big AAA releases. Regardless, you can rest assured that Mario Kart 8's first batch of DLC is extremely well done.
In total, Mario Kart 8 features two DLC packs: the first has just been recently released, while a second will be released in May of 2015. The first pack includes three new drivers, four new vehicles, and two new cups featuring eight new tracks.
Perhaps the most popular feature of this DLC pack is one of the new characters, Link from the Legend of Zelda franchise. This will be Link's first foray into Mario's crazy kart-riding antics, and it's safe to say that he fits in surprisingly well. Hearing Link excitedly yell in pure joy when performing tricks off of ramps or exclaiming cautiously when he's gliding through the air is something that will strike long-time Zelda fans as both jarring and satisfying.
Link is also accompanied by his own vehicle, known as the Master Cycle, which brandishes Hylian shields on either side and a horse motif. Not only that, but Link gets a whole track—no, a whole cup devoted to him in the form of the Triforce Cup. The tracks included in this are Wario's Gold Mine from Mario Kart Wii, Rainbow Road from Super Mario Kart, Ice Ice Outpost, and of course, Hyrule Circuit.
Check out this video to see Link, the Master Cycle, and the Triforce Cup in action:
Just when you think you've had enough DLC from the pack already, there's more! Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach make appearances as well. The following vehicles are also available: the Tanooki Kart, B Dasher, and Blue Falcon (on loan from Captain Falcon of F-Zero fame).
Joining the Triforce Cup is another new cup: the Egg Cup. This includes Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash, Excitebike Arena (paying homage to the old NES classic), Dragon Driftway, and Mute City from the F-Zero franchise. Check out the videos below to see those in action!
Have you gotten the chance to try out this DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 yet? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments!
Mario Kart 8 is available exclusively for the Wii U. DLC Pack 1 is available now, while DLC Pack 2 will be available in May of 2015, both priced at $7.99. Pre-purchasing both packs in a bundle for $11.99 will allow players access to new Yoshi and Shy Guy alternate character colors.
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