Fanboys Anonymous

On a special podcast for Fanboys Anonymous, the panel breaks down their initial reaction and their overall thoughts about the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens released earlier today.

Do we have a bad feeling about this or has it pumped us up and made us believe that they've restored balance to the franchise?

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Chris Dace, Eddie Siqueira and Larry Deuber

Some topics we address:

• Who is this new Sith lord and what's up with his cool new lightsaber design?
• Is John Boyega a real Stormtrooper or a double agent?
• That's totally Benedict Cumberbatch doing the voice over, right?
• Daisy Ridley just has to be the daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa
• The beauty of the visual effects
• and more!

You can watch the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Our first look at Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens has been released today with teaser trailer #1!

You can check it out right now on iTunes or watching the embedded YouTube video below:

My initial reaction: the visuals are BEAUTIFUL. I'm still really worried that we're going to get a film that's going to play too much to the Original Trilogy fan base and won't have any of the positives of the Prequel Trilogy (ie, the Jedi Order). My least favorite aspect of the Star Wars franchise is when the fun depends on you being a fan or astounded by the concept of alien cultures and spaceships and blasters, so if this focuses on Storm Troopers and the Millennium Falcon and we don't see a reformed Jedi Order, I'll be disappointed. That being said, we do get to see a brand new form of lightsaber that resembles a normal sword, so that's very interesting. I'm also still hoping that Domhnall Gleeson is playing Ben Skywalker.

We recorded a special podcast where a few of us elaborated on our thoughts. You can listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher or watch the YouTube video embedded below:


What do you think? Are you pumped?! Does this look awesome or are you starting to get even more anxious? Tell us what your thoughts are in the comments below!

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

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer to Hit Theatres.

My take: This weekend, the teaser trailer for next December's movie that will break the internet will hit theatres. Even as a fanboy, I'm trying to avoid spoilers for this film but this might be unavoidable due to temptation levels being off the charts. However, I recall the trailer for The Phantom Menace giving me goosebumps, only to punch me in the gut several months later. I'll have to play this one very carefully.

Jurassic World Dino Revealed.

My take: Speaking of spoilers, if you don't want any, skip this paragraph. An image from LEGO has revealed a white dinosaur that is featured in the film. It's clearly intended for evil purposes, considering it's name is the Diabolus Rex.

Interstellar "Unlimited Ticket" Offered Through AMC.

My take: All AMC stubs can be upgraded to see the movie as many times as you want. The justification being that people love it so much that they want to see it over and over again. I saw this movie a couple weeks ago and I have to call bullcrap on that.

TELEVISION

Brace Yourself. Winter Break is Coming.

My take: With many shows going on hiatus, expect some action packed cliffhangers in the next few weeks. The Flash and Arrow are set to cross over ands should give booths shows a huge boost.

Constantine in Danger?

My take: If you're watching Gotham but not Constantine, you may want to make the jump. It's lacking in the ratings and a second season is debatable. In my opinion, it's a far superior show and deserves some love! You can also support online. use #SaveConstantine, tweet to @NBCConstantine.

COMIC BOOKS

Spider-Verse a Blood Bath.

My take: A fun idea is slowly turning into a gruesome experiment both for writer Dan Slott and his fans and haters alike. Seeing Peter Parker murdered multiple times is unsettling on a number of levels. I thought I'd ride this out stress-free but my anxiety and blood pressure rise with every issue. I guess something's working…?

I Finished Batman: Zero Year Finally.

My take: A little late but it's new to me. I heard this was an epic story that cemented several things in Batman, Jim Gordon and The Riddler's backstory. I didn't really get that impression at all and found this story, yes this comic book story, completely unrealistic.

Howard The Duck New Ongoing.

My take: Howard feels like the character people miss when he isn't around but don't care when he is. If this book is fun and quirky and well written, I would look forward to picking it up. If it's just offbeat and nonsensical, I don't see his aging fan base sticking around for long. Best case scenario, this leads to a new movie that's actually awesome (even though I did like the first one a lot when I was a kid).

It looks as though Oscar Isaac's name is going to be huge in the next two years. Not only does he have a leading role in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, but he has just been cast as En Sabah Nur in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse film.

For those who are unfamiliar with the character, the titular character is perhaps the biggest villain in the X-Men universe. Although Namor is the first mutant for publication history and Selene is classified as the first recorded mutant, the concept of "the first mutant" in general is oftentimes associated with En Sabah Nur. He was an Egyptian with gray skin and blue lines around his lips—but besides having an ugly mug, he also developed enormous powers. After being exposed to the Celestials (those big robot guys from Guardians of the Galaxy that were responsible for the fashioning of the Infinity Stones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity, which will not have any influence over this film at all), Apocalypse's powers over the years have included super strength, flight, teleportation, energy manipulation/absorption/blasts, super speed, telepathy, telekinesis, technopathy, bio-molecular manipulation which allows him to change his body's size and shape, add extra mass to it to become nearly invulnerable, and of course a badass suit of armor that makes him look like a cross between a blueberry processing machine and a ventilator that the Batman villain Bane would kill for.

In a previous edition of Fanboys Cast, some of us gave our opinions on who should be cast as Apocalypse. None of us had Oscar Isaac pegged for the role. I'm rather unfamiliar with his work, so I have no opinion in terms of his talent. He does have the look to convince me that he was Egyptian, so that's a big plus. Considering the amount of buzz around him as an actor combined with some great casting in the franchise's past, I'd have to assume he'll do the role justice and that I've got nothing to worry about.

But what do you think of this decision? Is Oscar Isaac the best man to bring the big guy to life or is there someone else better suited for the role?

Every time a new James Bond film is in the works, speculation runs rampant for four aspects more than anything else: the title, the song, the girls, and the villains.

Currently, we're still in the dark about pretty much everything for the next installment in the 007 franchise. Bond 24 (working title, as it always is) has not announced a single official bit of news. However, if you are to believe the latest rumors, the title theme may be done by singer Sam Smith, French actress Léa Seydoux may be one of the Bond girls, and we may know who our villains are.

The story going around right now is that Dave Bautista (of WWE and Guardians of the Galaxy fame) may play the muscular henchman role, "Hinx", and Christoph Waltz (known best for his roles in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained) could be the lead villain.

Just who is that villain? Franz Oberhauser—the son of the late Hans Oberhauser, who was a ski instructor and a father figure to 007. Or, as alternatively reported...ERNST STAVRO BLOFELD.

*Head explodes*

Blofeld is Bond's archenemy. He's the Joker to 007's Batman. Blofeld is the head (or "number one") of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization. For those that think Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division) is a mouthful, try "SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion" on for size. In the original Ian Fleming novels, Blofeld is one of the very few villains to live past one book and pop up multiple times. In fact, if you rule out Bond himself, Moneypenny, Q, M, Felix Leiter and a couple others, Blofeld is one of the few characters in general to appear several times in the series. As far as the movies go, he was seen (kind of—you didn't get to see more than his hand in some movies) in Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever and For Your Eyes Only, where he was finally killed off for good.

Now that the series has been rebooted, Bond fans have been wondering when the top terrorist cell would return. It seemed as though this is what we were building up to in Casino Royale, but we were derailed with the half-assed Quantum group in Quantum of Solace. [Side note: Why try to justify the title by naming the organization that, when you had a perfectly good scene to explain it already in the film with Mathis talking to Bond about getting over Vesper? He could have said the whole "quantum of solace" speech from the books there and you'd have a beautiful title with a lot more symbolism behind it instead of the shitty alternative that we got.]

When we last left the series, it was getting closer to its roots than it has been in years. We have Q and Moneypenny back in the mix and M's office is even restored to the pre-Brosnan era look. Could the trend continue with Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. returning as well?

Keep in mind that at one point, Kevin Spacey was rumored to bring the role back to the big screen. When Ralph Fiennes was announced for Skyfall, fans jumped the gun and thought he would be playing Blofeld instead of the new M. So while the end of the last film has put the franchise back on the old track in a lot of ways, that doesn't necessarily mean that S.P.E.C.T.R.E. will be in this at all, let alone that Blofeld will make an appearance and be played by Christoph Waltz, who has not even been 100% confirmed to be in the film period.

But wouldn't it kick so much ass if this were true? Waltz has the gravitas to pull off this role in his sleep. He's amazing at portraying villains on screen, but Django Unchained proved that he has a likable charisma for a heroic role as well. If Blofeld is adapted in a way where he feels as though he's not necessarily the villain the first time we meet him, this could be a great origin story.

What do you think? Would you like to see Blofeld as the main villain of the next film? If so, is Christoph Waltz the man to cast or is there someone else better out there?

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:

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!

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.

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.

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? 

Storm 5 cover art by Stephanie Hans.

Death of Wolverine: Aftermath

Storm #5 is the concluding issue of the fallout from the death of Wolverine, as the cover demonstrates.

Stephanie Hans continues to provide the covers with electrifying homages to Wolverine. Storm is resplendent, standing over a pile of knocked-out bad guys, with lightening shooting from her hands in the fashion of claws.

The imagery is fierce and strong, an extreme contrast to the cover for Storm #4. The emotional weight that Hans brings to the cover art is fantastic and seems to show the various stages of grief Storm is experiencing, from depressive crying to burning anger, all of which can be found in the emotions of the weather.

The eye of a storm is the center of calmness among the destructive forces of nature. It is a period of respite to gather one's wits and prepare to battle again as the eye passes by. Consider this a strategic time when a person caught in a terrible storm could yet survive, depending on how they use this time to plan. As we move through Storm #5 it is uncanny how we see Storm act when she has a moment to gather her thoughts and approach the next course of action: facing off in battle against a champion of an opposing organized crime clan.

The gauntlet is thrown down.

As Storm soon finds out, the precarious balance that Wolverine held in place with Yukio is difficult to maintain. Storm #5 shows just how much of a master strategist Storm is, as she tries to maintain this balance of power. While reluctant to fight in the place of her former lover, Storm realizes that Wolverine's aggressive approach hid a more calculated understanding of such clan politics.

Yukio explains the balance Wolverine helped build.

Greg Pak delivers one of the best issues in the series thus far. As an ongoing series, Storm has been held together by Pak showing the audience what a complex character Storm is. This has taken place in a variety of locations and among diverse situations. This issue is the first carryover story that spans sequential issues. By achieving this, Pak builds a better narrative, which feels less interrupted by the next issue.

As the story races to its climax and Storm sets up her plan to balance the clan's infighting, her strategy is undermined  by an interesting twist from Yukio. The overall story is a fine tribute to the relationship of Wolverine and Storm; it is fitting that Storm is attending to Wolverine's unfinished business in a manner that would please him. It echoes the gentler and more thoughtful man encased in an adamantium shell that we saw, not the berserker Wolverine was once known as.

Storm #5 continues a strong art run by Victor Ibanez and Ruth Redmond. This issue also sees Craig Yeung pick up some work on the inking process with Ibanez. The inks have a heavy set feature against Redmond's colors. The earthy tone and feel is carried over from earlier issues, as the backdrop of a desert setting plays host to many of the scenes. Redmond plays with a lot of brown and red as the setting turns from a brazen twilight through to the dark of night. As we have seen, Ibanez shows a lot of emotion, with careful attention to facial depiction and anatomical structure. It is the nuances of a character's face and the intentional but fleeting gesture of an arm or shoulder that carries a lot in the art of Storm.

Storm prepares for battle.

As a combined package, the creators on Storm impress each issue. This is a monthly book I look forward to picking up and savoring the reading experience. Some Marvel solicitations are seeing the end of some fine runs of both art and storytelling, but I certainly hope Storm bucks that trend and can go on strongly.

Make sure if you aren't already, you stick this one on your pull list and your local comic book shop and then as always come and let us know what you think, by leaving a comment below.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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).

You can check out the podcast below on YouTube, iTunes, and Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!

Nothing Fits cover by Alex McCrone

Want to go on a journey? Lets go to a place where Nothing Fits.

This is a world where a dastardly villain, Solemn, has taken prisoner Charlie, the hero of the story, and cloned her, just as he has himself for a nefarious purpose, what unravels is simply an intriguing story. Oh, and there is a reanimated adolescent, ancient Egyptian mummy as well.

Nothing Fits is a whimsical tale that has been a labor of love, published online since 2011 by Mary Tamblyn and Alex McCrone. While it has been coalescing within the artistic endeavors of the creators for much longer, it has now come to fruition, with the collected work recently being produced thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier in 2014.

The tale is a linear narrative that explores the challenge of a power-hungry villain who attempts to get what he wants through the use of cloning. A little magic and science are melded together into one during the plot. We get a sense of the development of a larger political play as we go further, but the more interesting aspects of the story are reserved for the main characters' relationships.

Initially the comic was produced page by page and uploaded online over a lengthy period of time. An in-depth review was completed earlier this year to bring the story together for printing; because of this method being used, some of the plot details were quickly established and just as quickly any nagging questions about possible holes, were explained away within single pages. The aim was not to foment an in-depth exploration of characters, at least to begin with, but to establish the world as it is in Nothing Fits and then leave the tale to be told before the reader.

The story makes use of a variety of character tropes, such as a snake being the villain, rats being subservient creatures to the overall plot, and humans ultimately wanting to fulfill their own selfish desires. While there are no heavy pieces of characterization, we do get to see development within the story, which is pertinent to Tamblyn's need to guide us through her world.

The art has a great feel to it that is unencumbered by its free style and simplicity. Alex McCrone composed the art freehand, but the need to manage the production process in an efficient manner meant he then scanned the images for digital touchup and coloring. This approach left a rawness that links the artist to the audience in a refreshing manner. The same can be said of the custom font, which is actually made from Tamblyn's own handwriting.

A nice aspect of the art is the color scheme employed to draw out the story. Primarily yellow, red, green, and blue are used to wash the pages with a thematic tone, which you don't even realize is there until you're deeper into the comic.

Charlie gets a dramatic green wash.	Solemn is a deadly foe.

Nothing Fits is a fun comic to while away some time. You will be taken for a journey to a place you didn't know existed, and when it is time to come back to reality, you can't help but have a smile for having been there. You can feel free to check out Nothing Fits by visiting the website here. Should you feel inclined to go one step further, you can also purchase the published book by visiting the online store.

For a self-published comic coming from the ends of the Earth, this is a good way to display the talent from New Zealand comics. Nothing Fits is surely to be only a stepping stone for the creators to more projects (one of which, the Rosetta Phone, can be seen here). It is refreshing to see such different and engaging stories from independent comics and even more so when its closer to home.

As always, Fanboys and -girls, make sure you check out the online version of Nothing Fits and let us know what you think with a comment below.

Welcome to the latest edition of Making the Grade—a new review format segment here on Fanboys Anonymous where we break down the five major components to something and give it a score based on the standard report card lineup: A, B, C, D, and F for a total failure.

The next report card is for the third installment of the series The Hunger Games entitled The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1—directed by Francis Lawrence; written by Peter Craig (screenplay), Danny Strong (screenplay), Suzanne Collins (adaptation); starring Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark), Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy), Donald Sutherland (President Snow), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket) and Julianne Moore (President Alma Coin).

CHARACTERS: C+

Is it bad that I want President Snow to win and I'm rooting for him? Does that make me a terrible person? Of course, if this were reality, that wouldn't be the case, but I like his character more than pretty much anyone else.

Natalie Dormer and her film crew were pretty bland and for the most part, so was everyone else. I do like that Gale had some more time to be worth a damn instead of just some guy in the background, but I feel as though his true time won't come until the second half. I'm digging Jeffrey "Q" Wright and I'm missing the interaction between Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) and the noticeably absent Claudius Templesmith (Toby Jones).

ACTING: C+

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but I felt this was lacking some pizazz. Jennifer Lawrence was pretty wooden this time around. There's nothing that makes me feel as though she is the only person that could bring the Katniss character to life. Ironically enough, part of the film discusses this lack of enthusiastic acting in reference to Katniss herself. I do think Lawrence is overrated, but a good actress nonetheless, so it was disappointing to see what felt like a phoned-in performance.

The same applies to almost everyone else, too. Liam Hemsworth is just slightly sad and brooding. Josh Hutcherson just looks scared (except for the very last shot). Woody Harrelson isn't as fun as he was before, nor is Elizabeth Banks. This is maybe the first time that I didn't think Philip Seymour Hoffman was a creepy bastard, so he pulled off being on the heroic side and deserves a pat on the back. I was curious as to how they would get around his death, but didn't catch anything odd. Julianne Moore is someone I'm on the fence about. While I have nothing specifically positive to mention about her performance, that's not to say that I have negative things, either.

Essentially, this boils down to everyone being serviceable but not special.

VISUALS (FX, MAKEUP, COSTUMES, SETS): B+

There were a few times where things looked a bit hazy to me. Granted, this might have been the screen itself that I was watching it on, but I would assume that would have translated to it happening more often and not just in some more complicated shots (such as Katniss exiting the jet). Some points are deducted for that.

However, everything else looked solid. Nothing felt out of place and fake. I couldn't really tell where the CGI blended in with the sets, so that's always a positive.

Side note: the outfit Katniss wore was definitely a step down from the previous films. Yes, I know that the story dictates that, but while that's not the reason I saw the film, anyone who was hoping for a similar scene will be disappointed in its absence. No cool fire effects this time around.

MUSIC & SOUND: B+

The big takeaway from the music side of things is Jennifer Lawrence's rendition of "The Hanging Tree". I mean, hell, it's used as an influential part of the film's plot itself and not just supplemental to the audience beyond the fourth wall. It's a catchy song that gets stuck in your head and definitely pulls off being a sort of depressed caged bird song.

I'm not a technical expert on sound design, but if there were any cracks in the seam, I didn't notice them. Everything felt up to par. Unlike with Interstellar, I could hear everything everyone was saying at all times.

Outside of that, the score wasn't really memorable, nor was it bothersome, but pretty straightforward down the middle.

TONE (ACTION, ROMANCE, COMEDY): A-

After the events of the last film, we knew things would be bleak. They kept that going, as they should have. There were a couple of chuckles along the way, but nothing to distract you from the reality of the situation and take you out of the moment too much. War and rebellion isn't fun—it's the suffering that comes before the breath of fresh air. This needed to be dark and more depressing than anything else and it pulled it off. I could see some people complaining about that, wanting it to be a more upbeat movie because they were looking for the distraction, but if that was the main thing you were looking for, you should have gone to see Big Hero 6 instead. As far as the romance side of things goes, I like how it is being teased that Katniss has feelings for both Gale and Peeta. Personally, I'm rooting for Peeta to come out on top in the end (no pun intended).

FINAL GRADE: B-

I originally went into this series a bit reluctantly, watching the first film a year after it had been released in preparation for watching Catching Fire, but I'm glad that I decided to give it a shot. The series is entertaining and a much better alternative to something like Divergent. I'm a bit stingy with my money and I wouldn't have been too happy with putting out $10 to see something that didn't deliver, but I was overall pleased with it and I'm glad I saw it today instead of waiting for it to come out on DVD or any alternative. I'd suggest you do the same.

Stay tuned for our next Reviewpoint podcast where we break the film's hits and misses down in a roundtable discussion!

On episode 8 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:

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!

On episode 7 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 last edition in this series is:

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!

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::


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

On episode 6 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 third edition in this series is:

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!

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:

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!