Posted by
The Dace Man
- Monday, January 5, 2015
Can't stop, won't stop! The Dace Man is back bringing you some more news, this time in a galaxy far, far away.
It is being reported by Twitch that lead actors from The Raid—Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman—have suited up and will be making an appearance in the J.J. Abram's installment of Star Wars. Currently, not much is known about their roles or the amount of film time the trio will see, but it seems to be a good sign that Abrams is sticking to his more traditional filming philosophy by casting these three men. All three men are accomplished and well known martial arts experts with the ability to wield just about any weapon—say like a lightsaber, perhaps?
Stay tuned to Fanboys Anonymous as we get more information on this developing story. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is set to open December 18th 2015.
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 Martial Arts Expert—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Download The Graduate by our friend Mike Neuse FREE by clicking the picture below!
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Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Sunday, January 4, 2015
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All-New X-Men Annual cover
by Andrea Sorrentino |
The triumph and trial of time travel.
The Uncanny X-Men Annual was a great story, as we followed the adventure of the young time-displaced X-Man Eva Bell. The art from Andrea Sorretino and Marcelo Maiolo was fantastic. We were tempted, by the end, with a delicious cliffhanger ending, to be picked up in writer Brian Michael Bendis' other X-Men flagship title.
When we left the trail of Eva Bell, the young mutant had just landed in prehistoric times, a charging triceratops bearing down on her. Eva had traversed multiple time periods, established a young family in the future and witnessed the demise of her mentor, the Sorcerer Supreme Ilyana Rasputin. Bendis continues the journey in the All-New X-Men Annual.
Bendis makes his readers feel the emotional weight of Eva's personal anguish as she attempts to find her family in the year 2099. An early surprise in this issue is the appearance of Morgana Le Fey, who had been banished to the prehistory during the Dark Reign storyline from Marvel. Le Fey tries to manipulate Eva to help both of them escape the past.
Following Eva's escape through a picturesque time-scape, she winds up back in 2099, yet due to the butterfly effect and an accessible explanation about the impact of time travel from a new Sorceror Supreme, it is a different one from the time passage she left. It is during this passage that Bendis shows wider audiences just how broken the time spectrum is for Marvel, which could be a speculative lead in to upcoming events in the Marvel calendar this year.
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| Eva Bell jumps back to prehistoric times |
Carefully reading between the lines, a clue is deposited here for the earnest observer. Bendis explains that by Eva traveling back and forth through time, her family does not now exist; the effect of time travel negated her previous time spent in 2099. If this is extrapolated to other Marvel characters and storylines, e.g., the original X-Men in the regular All-New X-Men series, it is possible that at some point their adventures may be held up to the same butterfly effect and consequences by Marvel. It will be interesting to see how this plays into the Secret Wars event later this year.
Sorrentino's art is just as good as it was in the previous part of this story. As with most Bendis-written stories, there is a lot of panel work, but this is pulled off superbly by Sorrentino. The panel arrangements are mostly conventional, but mixed up every 4–5 pages by some some original Sorrentino flair. There is a great feel and tone emanating from the artwork, brought to life by the colors of Maiolo. The dreary future in dark yellow and brown hues is a nice contrast to the prehistoric greens. Of special mention for both artists are the double-page spreads of Eva's epic time travel journey back to the year 2099 and the butterfly effect explanation pages. These both have a lot of time and effort in the spreads and are truly magnificent to take in, each requiring some extra time to appreciate the extent of the art involved.
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| Eva Bell traverses time |
The collaboration across both X-Men annuals for the artists mentioned above has been a great way to cap off 2014 for the X-Men series. The story of Eva Bell has a certain satisfaction to filling in the missing parts regarding her role in Uncanny X-Men. This had been played up by both Marvel and Bendis to build up to the release of these annuals and has been pulled off well. This is largely due to the artistic talents of Sorrentino and Maiolo.
While this may have ticked the boxes for us, let us know what you think about the All-New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men annuals. What do you think of the art? Did the story live up to your expectations? Leave your thoughts below or post a comment on Facebook or Twitter.
Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Saturday, January 3, 2015
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Magneto 13 cover
by Dan Panosian |
The "Protector of Mutantkind" is looking to the future on Genosha.
AXIS has come and gone, but the effects will be felt for some time with Magneto. Writer Cullen Bunn is back to his psychological best with Magneto #13.
Anyone coming to this issue or series expecting a rambunctious adventure about mutants will be sorely disappointed. This is not that sort of comic. It is a thriller, taking its time to build suspense and story, both of which Bunn has shown adept skill with in this series so far.
With this issue we delve more into the character of Briar Raleigh, in fact, Magneto is really only seen in the closing pages. Yet his presence is felt everywhere in the story. For a man such as Magneto, his reputation breeds mystery, intrigue, and despair. Above all else, the master of magnetism induces fear of what could be done, should he wish to unleash his vengeance. It is this threat that is the underlying glue of the issue.
It is great to see Bunn shift the focus to Raleigh in this issue; readers were anticipating seeing more on her relationship with Magneto prior to the events of the previous AXIS tie-in issues. We get to see some of Raleigh's motivations and history in issue #13. The slow, methodical pace set by Bunn here is superbly enhanced by the art of Javier Fernandez (pencils and inks) and Dan Brown (colors).
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| Magneto during a flashback |
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| Feel Magneto's self-righteous indignation |
Fernandez's approach to storytelling in his art is a great match for the feel Bunn is effecting on readers in Magneto. The choice of shots to string out the back and forth narrative between Briar and Henry during the exchange in the underground mutant memorabilia market illustrates this. The seediness of the setting is given a gritty tone by Brown, who also plays up well the fake personas of the Magneto groupies in Magneto #13 by giving them a contrasting color arrangement in candy pink. Brown does well with the variety of scenes drawn, using contrasting color palettes throughout the story. This is carried over with the variances on each flashback to distinguish the different characters' memories being retold.
The artistic team continues to set a great standard in this series. With a few more series coming to an end in the Marvel library, it is great to see this one continue. The uniqueness of a comic like Magneto needs to be celebrated more than the industry media has allowed for so far. It is time to trumpet this series and send home a message that this type of book is worth the effort and difference.
What do you think about Magneto #13, Fanboys and Fangirls? What about the series as a whole? Do you love the approach and feel? Make sure you leave your thoughts below and continue to pick up this little gem.
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Friday, January 2, 2015
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 80 of The Dace Man Show with host Chris "The Dace Man" Dace as he and his friends ring in 2015!
Happy New Year to all the Dacetacular listeners out there in our Fanboys Nation! Chris "The Dace Man" Dace along with his co-hosts ring in the New Year with friends and family! Join them as they partake in one of the rowdiest episodes of the year, we promise episode 81 will bring the return of sanity or the usual amount of insanity they bring.
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!
Download The Graduate by our friend Mike Neuse FREE by clicking the picture below!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Thursday, January 1, 2015
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| Cyclops #8 cover by Alexander Lozano |
Cyclops is a hero in the making.
With the series Cyclops, a new generation of comic enthusiasts gets to see the rise of one of the most important figures among the X-Men as a teenager and mutant. At the same time, we are fortunate to see a range of artistic styles and expressions of the characters surrounding Cyclops, some of which are being managed on the periphery.
This time, the Starjammers are safe, and just in the nick of time. This doesn't really come as a big surprise; the drama set up around this plot point wasn't particularly strong because it competed with the captivity of Cyclops and Corsair. The Starjammers' dire situation served its purpose and now has been resolved and handed off, with the team to be reunited at some point in the future. Given this, it feels like we can move on and focus on father and son again.
It is good to see writer John Layman and editor Katie Kubert make this decisive move. The more entertaining aspects of the story are about Cyclops and how he will save his dad and get free of the pirate Malafect.
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| The Starjammers are saved |
Now that we are three issues into the next arc and the creative team has had some time to gel, I admit I am missing the previous approach to colors in this book by Chris Sotomayer. Any change in the balance of the creative team would of course produce a new feel to the series, yet comparing Sotomayer's colors from the first arc to now, the style is less dramatic now. While this probably suits the style Javier Garron brings to the pencil and inks, it is a shame, because Sotomayer was integral to the great artistic look of Cyclops from the start, and now his work seems downplayed a little. A great take-home message from this, however, is the importance a colorist has in the final product audiences view; this should not be underestimated.
Regardless, Garron has settled into the art role well now and is making this series his own. There is more confidence coming through in the art, I find this represented in the double-page portion in the very middle of Cyclops #8. It is from here that the story itself is starting to get interesting, much like the titular character is in this issue. It also seems as though Garron is toning down the previous cartoon qualities of the art.
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| Cyclops helps save the Starjammers |
Layman is picking up the tempo in the second half of this issue. Within a few pages we see Cyclops save his fellow pirate crew members, two deaths, and most importantly the Vortex is introduced. This last item will play an important part of the upcoming event from Marvel, Black Vortex, early in 2015. Then let's not forget the romantic interest in the series picking up a notch, with Vileena making a move on Cyclops, whose awkward demeanor was a priceless moment.
Cyclops is starting to feel like a series back on track. While I'm still not sure about the longevity of the series, and Marvel certainly isn't squeamish about cancelling a series that isn't performing, we are at least getting a more entertaining issue here. The incorporation of the series into the Black Vortex event could help lift its exposure, yet on the other hand the this is the type of book that could have a predetermined fate once the main character is reunited with the other original time-displaced X-Men.
Despite this, what do you think about Cyclops #8? Do you think the series is back on track? Where do you see it going in the future? Leave us your thoughts and comments below.
Posted by
Mike Paden
- Tuesday, December 30, 2014
A legendary voice for 90's kids, Christine Cavanaugh, passed away on December 22nd at 51 years old. The full details of her death remain unknown, however her catalogue of work is something unforgettable.
She is perhaps best known for performing the voice of Chuckie Finster on the hit Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats. She is also known for roles such as Dexter on Dexter's Laboratory, Oblina on Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and the titled oinker from Babe.
Cavanaugh retired from voice acting in 2001 and has since remained out of the spotlight. She leaves behind no children but was a godmother.
What were your favorite Christine Cavanugh roles? See her whole career on
IMDB.
Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Monday, December 29, 2014
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Wytches 3 cover
by Jock and Hollingsworth |
Oh the suspense! I may not have been much of a horror fan previously, but I am very quickly changing my tune thanks to Wytches.
Issue #3 plays on some of the darkest fears we can have. Writer Scott Snyder is playing it close to home, as testified in the post issue notes of the issue, by bringing to the fore every parents' worst nightmare—the missing child fear.
Elaborating on this, Snyder explains that the extrapolated concern is the need for a parent to protect their child and the helplessness they feel when this is impossible, such as from the Wytches.
At the heart of this, Snyder is exploring a richer aspect of the psychotic realm of human nature. This is the capacity for atrocity and harm against one another. The idea of the pledge, which is fleshed out a little more in the third issue, is nothing more than a device one person can use against another to bring harm by way of the Wytches. This replaces a more personal sense of conflict, but the damage can still be the same, if not worse.
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| The Wytches will get you! |
Snyder begins to bring in more back story in Issue #3 of Wytches. The characters are given more depth, particularly Charlie Rooks, Sailor's father. He is the star of this issue, and despite Sailor not being present for much of the issue, the central character remains prominent in an off page role. It is the little things that are starting to set this story apart—I wont quite look at needles the same way again after this issue—and Snyder is setting us up for a climatic first arc in the next few issues.
It goes without saying that the imagery in Wytches from Jock and Matt Hollingsworth is more akin to art in the more traditional sense of the term than that associated with comic books. There is a style here that is unique and striking. It has to be read as a whole experience to appreciate the collaboration between art and story and the creators as a whole.
The process pages from Hollingsworth at the end of the issue, which details how the colors are added to the inked pages from Jock, are eye opening. The steps involved and time it must take to render the final effect makes the reader appreciate just what is involved on producing a high quality comic such as this.
IMAGE continues to produce dazzlingly high quality comics and Wytches is out selling the creators expectations as a series. Given this, what do you think about this issue or the series so far? Does it meet your expectations? How does it compare to other work by these creators? Make sure you leave a comment below.
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Saturday, December 27, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 79 of The Dace Man Show with host Chris "The Dace Man" Dace as he takes a look back at 2014!
Merry Dace-Mas to all and all a Dacetacular Night! The crew is off enjoying Christmas Eve with their friends and family, meanwhile The Dace Man himself will take you through the halls of Dace Man Show past. Join The Dace Man as he replays some of the highlights of 2014 in this end of the year recap on Christmas Eve!
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!
Download The Graduate by our friend Mike Neuse FREE by clicking the picture below!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
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