Fanboys Anonymous

July's Most Worthy Unique Comic Campaigns On Kickstarter

Posted by Anonymous - Monday, July 28, 2014

Chess Comic Bookmark, Poster,Game Kickstarter Accessories
The first campaign, Chess, is a story is about a young girl and a wildly imagined world. The girl, named Elise, comes into the possession of a mystical tome and gets transported into this world, Newland.

This is complicated place of wondrous magic, action, adventure, and conflict. It's also a place the girl would like to someday, sooner than later, hopefully escape. Before that, she has to learn to survive it someway or another. In the spirit of Spirited Away and Alice in Wonderland, she is pitted in situations of side-taking.

Chess Comic Free HD Kickstarter videoThe best part about this comic is that it was written from the mind of a seven-year-old childbedtime stories that turned into a saga about a young girl trapped and alone. Unless you hate children, drop by and donate to the Kickstarter Campaign.


Black and White Holocaust Comic Art

Simply enough, this second campaign, Soviet, is what the artist and writer says it is; memoirs of this young woman's grandmother, written from her grandmother's personal writings, only with a fictional twist. Born in 1910, this poor Jewish woman survived many a war and then lost nearly her entire family during the Holocaust.

In the spirit of a well-known southern film from decades ago (guess it if you can), this woman's get-up-and-go is unmatched. She teaches herself to read, supports her family with back-breaking work, and joins the communist party. She works her way up to secretary status for the NKVD (pre-KGB), a volunteer nurse during World War II, and a sergeant in the Red Army. Lola passed away long ago, but you can read the memoirs complete with the beautiful art of her grandaughter. Definitely drop in on the Kickstarter and help out.


The third most worthy comic campaign? Welcome to A Softer Apocalypse. The world is slowly depleting. Wear and accelerated tear are tearing the Earth down, epic economic collapse is a given, disease is a wilfire. What do we do now? The population are evolved; some super-heroes are among us. They could help or hurt, but help is unlikely, not because they can't, but because their powers are more harmful than hurtful. Each day is less than definitely going to lead into the next. What would you do? Would you collaborate with those around you and try to extend the future for as long as you can, or run and scream in frenzy. A Softer Apocalypse favors the softer, more kind side of humanity. Scope the vid and check out the Kickstarter. Tell me what you think downstairs.

Marvel's The Avengers was the biggest hit of 2012 and has the third largest box office take in movie history at over $1.6 billion. This puts it behind James Cameron's juggernauts Titanic and Avatar. That's big business for Marvel, and the film changed the cinematic landscape forever. Superhero films were already blowing up thanks in part to mammoth hits like The Dark Knight, but The Avengers was different. Marvel changed things because now we have a slew of team-up films in the works, including DC's Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which is a precursor to a Justice League film.

HD desktop Marvel's The Avengers wallpaper
There is also a new Fantastic Four film in the works, some more of everyone's favorite mutant team, the X-Men, is getting another sequel, and some spin-offs featuring Spider-Man's villains are on the slate—most notably The Sinister Six. Seriously, film studios with any kind of superhero team-up potential are scrambling to get these films out pronto and take advantage of what Marvel's cinematic universe was able to capture in 2012. Who can blame them?

What some of us lose sight of is the actual film series, The Avengers, that started this whole craze in the first place. What about them, huh? Don't Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye get to come back for more and show these upstarts who is boss? Hell yeah they do, and they shall be unleashed next year in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. We've gotten a small amount of images the last few weeks leading into this year's San Diego Comic-Con, and this weekend they showed a sprinkling of footage from the upcoming film.

Iron Man Avengers: Age of Ultron Captain America

Some of the images, like above, are pretty gnarly, and show what is at stake for our heroes. A minor SPOILER about the plot: Tony Stark creates a robot intelligence named Ultron in order to protect all of the Avengers from harm; the thought is, this robot can go out and kick some butt saving the world while the living beings stay out of harm's way. Ultron does their job so they can live safely. Sounds like a plan but we all know what the road to Hell is paved with. Needless to say, Ultron goes haywire and things go downhill from there.

The Comic-Con footage shows some more tidbits like the Hulk battling some Stark robots, a team of superheros attempting to lift Thor's hammer, Mjolnir (with Iron Man joking about what happens if he succeeds), and then Captain America's shield, which happens to be split in half. Ouch. What worked so well in The Avengers was the combination of humor, pathos, high stakes, and how well both the characters and actors worked together. It's really a great film that does everything right. I saw it three times in the theater and from what I'm seeing so far with Age of Ultron, it looks like part two will pick up right where the first one left off.

Marvel's The Hulk smashing
Another thing they have hinted at is the idea the Hulk might be getting a solo film—the third one in a decade. Director Joss Whedon finally got the Hulk right in The Avengers, and I think they will set this separate storyline up by demonstrating how dangerous the character is and perhaps send him away from Earth, like in Planet Hulk. That fits the character and what he is capable of very well. For those that have seen the animated Ultimate Avengers, you know what I'm talking about. In that film, the Hulk becomes a menace to the whole team and must be put down.What follows is a slug fest beyond belief and I would love to see that on film.

So what else should we expect from Age of Ultron? Any ideas of how else they might use this sequel as a springboard for other Marvel films? If we know anything, we know they are great about weaving various films together in a cohesive whole; this should be no different, right?

Gal Gadot is a Risky but Interesting Choice to Play Wonder Woman

Posted by Unknown - Sunday, July 27, 2014

So the outfit for Wonder Woman has been revealed at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, and geeks around the world are either breathing a sigh of relief or scratching their heads. Some might be doing both, like me.

sexy model with tight fitting clothes showing long legs and cleavage
I guess I'm slightly in the former camp as far as the costume is concerned and somewhat on the latter's side as far as the actress is concerned. Yeah, I'm still not convinced Gal Gadot is the right girl for the job. See, I think she has the look down, she does appear exotic and Mediterranean like Wonder Woman should, but she is also too damn skinny for my taste.

I like my Warrior Women thick and strong, and Gadot is built like a 12-year-old girl. Ugh. No thanks. She also hasn't proven her acting chops, yet so I'm very curious why Snyder chose her in the first place. Because of the Fast and Furious movies? Really, Zack. C'mon, dude. I'll reserve judgement until later, but it doesn't look good so far.

I want Ben Affleck to be great as Batman as well, but what in his past would lead any of us to believe he fits the role, even as the writers have envisioned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to be? If they are taking a page from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, fine, it looks like they are, judging by the color pallet thus far, but Ben Affleck? Dark and gritty and beat up, tired, strung out from fighting crime broken-down 50-something Batman... and you cast a guy that looks like an Ambercrombie and Fitch catalogue?! Affleck is too handsome and young looking to fit this style.

Again, I want this thing to be great, I'm a huge fan of both characters and DC in general but all the choices they have made so far are perplexing to say the least. Sure, both Ben and Gal are actors and with costumes and make-up they can be gritty and whatever, but the initial casting choice is odd.

skinny sexy young girl modeling showing skin

So am I crazy? I mean, yes, I know I am, but about this? Will Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck prove me wrong? Did Zack Snyder choose the right actors for what may be the biggest film of 2016? I really hope I'm wrong about this one. Sound off below!

Avengers audio commentary Earth's Mightiest Heroes Michael Korvac season 2 episode 6
On Episode 3 of the Fanboys Anonymous FanTracks podcast, the panel provides commentary while watching the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed episode of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon television series.

Season 2 - Episode 6 - "Michael Korvac"
(original air date May 6, 2012)

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Caitlin Dooley and Sam Lascio.

After a short introduction, you will be told when to sync up your copies of the two episodes 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!


logo Stitcher Radio icon transparent logo iTunes icon transparent

The Season 7 finale of The Big Bang Theory sprung the news that everyone desperately needed to hear when Leonard and Penny got engaged (seriously this time). After a series of major changes, including living arrangements and the fire that destroyed the comic shop, Sheldon (who makes it well known that he hates changes) boards a train to find himself, prompting questions even Jim Parsons doesn't know the answer to: is Sheldon being written off?

Will Sheldon Cooper be returning to the Big Bang Theory?

"I haven't read [the script] yet, so I don't know," Parsons told USA Today outside Comic Con International. "I know that Sheldon left on a train at the end of last season, and my first question was 'are you writing me off?'"

Earlier this week, rumors circulated the Internet that Parsons quit The Big Bang Theory after the satirical news site, Empire News, claimed an on-set fight between him and co-star Johnny Galecki caused the actor to walk off the set and quit. Bazinga!

While those claims are indeed false, Parsons, along with co-stars Galecki (Leonard), Simon Helberg (Howard), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), and Kunal Nayyar (Raj) have yet to sign on a contract to return to the number-one television comedy, negotiating major salary increases (around $1 million per episode). Mayim Bialik (Amy) and Melissa Rauch (Bernadette) have both secured deals with Warner Bros. granting pay raises, according to sources from The Hollywood Reporter.

Writers of The Big Bang Theory once again took center stage on the BBT panel on Friday at Comic Con, which not even Parsons was part of. The spoiler-free and actor-free panel discussed some burning questions for next season, including whether Penny and Leonard will actually get married. Showrunner Steve Molaro reassured fans that there will be no rush there.

With a guest ape-earance (ha) by Wil Wheaton in a monkey suit, the panel even showed a hilarious faux-trailor for Penny and Wheaton's movie, Serial Ape-ist 2: Monkey See, Monkey Kill. Watch the trailer below.


Jim Parsons will be co-starring alongside Rihanna in the upcoming Dreamworks animated film, Home, which will hit theaters in March 2015.

Season 8 of The Big Bang Theory is scheduled to return to CBS in September.

Where do you think next season will take Sheldon? Do you think he will ever return to Pasadena, or do you think he's happier just riding the trains? Let us know in the comments below.

SDCC '14: Leaked Pics of Batman Armor, Bat Symbol Footage

Posted by Anthony Mango - Saturday, July 26, 2014

Batman armor vs Superman in Dawn of JusticeBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice just keeps pulling out one gem after another to continue building momentum at San Diego Comic-Con this year.

On top of the first look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and our first color confirmation for Ben Affleck's Batman, there are some leaked photos of the footage that was shown as well.

In the footage, Batman—who is dressed in armor that is obviously inspired by The Dark Knight Returns, which is no surprise—stands in front of the Bat Symbol in the rain. Who else is there? Oh, just a pissed off looking Superman, that's who.

This is just pure awesome. I still maintain what I've said before, that I'm not loving the logo and it would be better if it had more defined points and a sleeker look to it, but so far, that is the only negative out of costumes and such that I've seen. The Batmobile, the outfits that the holy DC trinity have on (both the gray suit and this armor for Batman) and everything else has been amazing.

evilos72 on YouTube has been kind enough to pass along the footage for everyone to see below:


What do you think of these leaked footage? Is Superman about to get taken down from that wicked armor, or is Batman biting off more than he can chew?

Leave us a comment below!

Mindwyrm Short Story Donation Gift - ACD RewardControl Alt Delete Command Comic Kickstarter CampaignGamers and comic heads, with each new day, the possibilities for a 3-D simulation world are ever growing. Video games and even holographic technology can only go so far before it's time to start plugging in Matrix style, or perhaps we don't plug in, but just adopt a surreal concept of video game real life. Catch my drift?

What's your game? Maybe you play a simple The Sims, life and taboos, or perhaps you play a rock 'em and sock 'em game of Grand Theft Auto. Everyone is different, but the fact that we all like to escape is the same for us geeks across the board; we love to escape real life. We love to escape... reality.

Imagine this: whatever you do in your every day, you are awarded EXP and level ups, never mind what atrocities you commit. Shopping is a game. Work is a game. Crime is a game. The story line details for ACD are a little vague, but the implications are quite defined. Real life, Game On! Watch this Alt Control Delete video, and since I know you want to, flip some dimes at the campaign. Tell me what you think downstairs.

viking age as a comic
Can comics entertain us while
educating about the past?
We all love a bit of blood and guts. The gory stuff that entertains. But what about when it tries to educate us? How well do we edu-tain now a days?

Eric Knipper has attempted just that by exploring the world of the Viking Age through comics. The Ebook, The Viking Age As a Comic, provides a meaningful examination of the attempts to meld educational topics such as history with the medium of comics as entertainment. It also shows how the artist produces the work.

Knipper is clearly influenced by a previous project with a local National Museum, but it is interesting to see what role comics can have in mainstream educational institutions.

The result is a worthwhile read, if simply for the instruction on how this could be possible.

While there is not a lot of comic content in the Viking Age, Knipper is insightful, even poetic in his description of the process used to craft his work. It is clear that the history of his native Denmark is important to Knipper, and his aim to bring the Viking culture to life in a modern sense is a lofty ideal.

The images that accompany the Viking Age are detailed and depict a familiar sense of setting for the period drawn. It is clear from reading this that thoughtful attention is being applied to the project. It would be great to see more of the finished project.

Another notable example of historical storytelling through comics includes Maus, the holocaust survivors' tale by Art Spieglman. This specific text was used in a university history class I took several years ago, but left an undeniable impression.

Knipper tries to build on a tradition I encountered through Maus of embodying character and emotion to historical settings, to convey an educational message. This is no easy feat to pull off, but must be carefully considered as a worthwhile venture.

You can find The Viking Age As a Comic by Eric Knipper here.

Let me know what you think about this and other comics as history down below.

Use the force Fanboys for Star Wars #1
Marvel Star Wars #1 by Jason Aaron and John Cassady
'The Force is Strong With this One!'

Marvel's Cup O'Joe panel at SDCC '14 has teased the masses and made grown Fanboys all around squeal in delight.

After much fanfare and recent announcements about the return of Star Wars to Marvel Comics from IDW, it has been revealed that Star Wars #1 will be out in Januaryand it isn't alone. Darth Vader and Princess Leia are also getting in the build up to next year's much anticipated movie.

The comic series will tie into the movie universe and build the story between the various movies. Marvel stalwarts Jason Aaron, Mark Waid, and Kieron Gillen will be writing with art by Salvador Larroca, Terry Dodson, and John Cassady.

Star wars princess leiaMarvel also took the opportunity to put to rest those nasty rumors about Fantastic Four and X-Men being cancelled. Emphatically they stated "nothing is being cancelled." X-Men lead writer, Brian Bendis, demonstrated how some stories for the All New X-Men and Uncanny X-Men will continue to develop characters such as Eva Bell, Angel, and X-23.

It seems there is a lot of juice left in the tank here. This can only be a good thing as the stories being developed going forward tie back into juicy little plot developments we have already been given. The recent disappearance of Eva Bell during a training mission in the Uncanny X-Men is just one such example that was teased with accompanying art.

The panel was a delight for fans to have fears allayed, rumors quashed, and sneak peaks revealed. Spider-Man Spider-verse tid-bits and Silver Surfer solicitations aside, what did you enjoy? What are you looking forward to? There is so much more to come, so tell us below!

Batmanvs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer and Comic Con TeaserWhat is up Fanboys and Fangirls? Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is back again, patrolling the Interwebs to get you the latest updates from this year's San Diego Comic Con. Earlier this morning Warner Bros. Studios held a panel to discuss their upcoming projects hosted by the luckiest man in show biz Chris Hardwick, seriously this guy gets all the cool panels. The films officially scheduled to appear on the panel are The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Jupiter Ascending. Of course surprises usually slip their way in to these types of panels due to the overwhelming desire from the internet fan base to see projects not listed.. This article happened to capture the first 10 mins of the panel that lead Zack Snyder on stage and a brief clip of Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Enjoy the description from ComingSoon.net! as soon as a video is available you bet your bottom dollar Fanboys Anonymous will bring it toy you!!

"It was short but got right down to the heart of the matter. Set at night, in pouring rain, it begins on a rooftop with Ben Affleck’s Batman - in souped-up armor much like he wields in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, including glowing eyes - pulling a tarpaulin off the Batsignal. It shines into the sky, and then - illuminated against the clouds, flecked with lightning, standing inside the symbol, is Henry Cavill’s Superman. And he does not look happy, his eyes glowing red with burgeoning heat vision ray. The camera tracks in on Batman’s face as he grimaces… and cut to black. No dialogue at this point, so there’s no idea of what Affleck sounds like as Batman, or indeed a wider sense of the story, but the message is clear: Clark and Bruce are going to face off, and Bruce has enhanced his Batsuit to compensate for the most powerful man alive."
Also this beautiful poster was shared with us nerd today too! The first official look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Thoughts?
News and Rumors on Wonder Woman's role in Batman vs. Superman
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 your Comic Con Badge—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!


Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

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In yet another sign that Marvel is really putting a lot of stock into the Guardians of the Galaxy series, a new animated television series has been announced.

images Guardians of the Galaxy series photos

While some of Marvel's cartoons have been met with very positive reactions (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes—which, of course, was cancelled), others have been subject to lots of criticism (for instance, Ultimate Spider-Man, which doesn't seem to be going away and has influenced the tone of many other shows).

The film has not even been released, yet plans for a sequel and this new TV show prove that Marvel has the utmost confidence in this brand. Years ago, the executives and powers that be hinted that their game plan was to create an entire series based off this concept and make it their own Star Wars, so to speak, and it looks as though it's paying off.

But is this too much? Will fans get sick of the team if they are oversaturated with them? Surely, there has to be a point where one can have just too much Rocket Raccoon...right?

Tell us what you think of these plans and what characters you'd like to see in the cartoon in the comments section below.

full Wonder Woman costume Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Gal GadotJust as anticipated, DC and Warner Bros. have given us an image of Gal Gadot dressed in full Wonder Woman gear to tease us for the upcoming Zack Snyder film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The photo depicts the princess of Themyscira in an outfit similar to her classic look, but with a bit more of a gladiator edge to it. The rumors are true that she will be carrying her sword around, although the also-rumored shield is absent here.

One thing that may startle fans is the lack of color, as she is lacking the traditional red, yellow and blue associated with her costume. That may just be a manipulation of the image, however, as pretty much everything we've seen so far has had this same sepia tone to it, including Superman's photo.

I, for one, am happy with this design. She's retained virtually everything that should be expected of her appearance even down to the bracelets and lasso. The W-logo is present, as is bird at the top of her corset (is it technically a corset?). The skirt makes much more sense rather than wearing leggings or taking the opposite route and giving her practically a thong. She's even rocking the headband!

I'm not sold on Gal Gadot playing the part until I see some actual footage, and even then, there's a chance the script could kill it for me. However, this is yet another step closer to making me excited for the film and less nervous that it will turn out to be a disappointment.

Now bring on the picture of Lex Luthor and help calm my nerves about that casting decision as well!

What do you think of our first look at Wonder Woman? Does Gal Gadot look the part, or is she still too skinny and not muscular or busty enough to pull it off?

Drop us a comment below and tell us what you think!

Orange is the New Black Season Three Official Trailer
If you're a fan of Orange is the New Black, I'm afraid I've got some bad news! Pornstache a.k.a. Officer Mendez will not be returning to Litchfield for the third season of the Netflix original series.

Actor Pablo Schrieber announced via Twitter that he will be taking time away from handing out shots at the all-women's prison. This is due to scheduling conflicts with his other show, HBO's upcoming comedy The Brink. However, knowing how much his fans adore him, he did his best to set us at ease that we have not seen the last of his iconic upper-lip bush.
The last we saw Pornstache he was being carried away to prison himself, so creatively, this could not have worked out any better. While he'll surely be missed in season three, we can only hope for him to make a loud return in season four.

Orange is the New Black S3E1 Free Stream

Will you miss Mendez, or do you say good riddance? Drop your thoughts below!

Harry Potter's Spider-Man outfit Daniel Radcliffe costumeOkay, so I now love Daniel Radcliffe. Yes, I have a mini man crush on the kid. At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, the former Harry Potter star showed up wearing a Spider-Man outfit. We walked the floor in the costume, saying later in an interview he did it so he could enjoy the convention and not be swarmed by fans in his first appearance at the annual convention of all things geek. How cool is that?

That's pretty awesome on his part. Radcliffe is a true fan of geek culture. Hell, he's such a big part of thanks to his role as Harry Potter he is as much a part of geek culture as Mark Hamil's Luke Skywalker or Ford's Han Solo. Harry Potter is a nerd icon. Perhaps Radcliffe did this as a stunt to help promote and bump up his own film Horns coming out later this year in October but who cares? It's really great he is able to embrace his inner geek and be there amongst the other fans.

It's also nice to see Mr. Harry Potter keeping busy with new films, too. Radcliffe seems to be liking the horror genre as well, with what I thought was a solid film in The Woman in Black from a couple years ago plus the aforementioned Horns, about a man that wakes up with two horns on his head. He is also set to star as Igor in the upcoming 2015 film Victor Frankenstein, a re-imagining that will focus on the humpbacked assistant instead of the the Monster. Maybe Potter boy will break free of his ultimate nerd label with these more macabre films.

Or is this Spidey donning act by Radcliffe further proof Harry Potter will always be a geek? Was it cool or just a stunt to promote another film? Let me know down below in the comments section.

Hey, hey hey Dacetacular Nation! Chris "The Dace Man" Dace here with some more San Diego Comic Con Coverage and this albeit a tad bit later than when the panel actually took place is huge news for us Marvel nerds!

Yesterday Comic Con played host to Marvel, in one of many panels they will be having, and their projects that will be airing on TV sets come this fall. If you were one of the lucky individuals who had the privilege to sit in the iconic Hall H you were greeted by a video with Patton Oswald reprising the role of Agent Koenig.


I for one am ecstatic for the announcement of Mockingbird joining the cast of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Not only is she an eventual Avenger but she also tangos with Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye every now and again so maybe we'll have a cameo from some of the infamous S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who have been on the big screen!

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 your Comic Con Badge—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

News and rumors of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.


Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

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This Friday at San Diego Comic-Con the CW network unveiled our first look at season three of Arrow; the hit series based on the DC Comics' franchise Green Arrow. The episodic adventures of Oliver Queen and crew will continue the story of his struggle to have order in Starling City, maintain control of his family business, keep his team united, and reveal more about his past.
Excited fans at Comic-Con’s ARROW panel on Friday, July 25, 2014, got their first glimpse of the action-packed series’ third season, including views of Colton Haynes in the Arsenal costume, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer and Karl Yune as Maseo.
- Warner Bros. YouTube Channel


Arrow returns October 8, 2014 on the CW network. What do you think of our first look at season three? Is it a must-watch? Let us know in the comments below, and keeping coming back to Fanboys Anonymous for more SDCC and Arrow news.

At a panel at this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed by X-Men: Days of Future Past that writer Simon Kinberg had originally put my favorite X-Men villain Juggernaut in the prison break scene instead of Quicksilver. Now look, before I get started on my bitching and moaning about them changing it, let it be known I freaking loved that scene with Quicksilver in the prison where they freed Magneto. It was a highlight of a great film. "Whip. Lash!" Super cool, super funny.

X-Men: DOFP Quicksilver scene Pentagon Sexy Hugh Jackman ShirtlessThen again, Juggernaut is the supreme badass of all time in the X-Men's rogues gallery. I love him. It's a character that seems simple at first glance; he just smashes stuff, right? Once Juggernaut gets rolling, nothing on this Earth can stop him. In the comics he was unstoppable and oftentimes the poor X-Men were outmatched and overwhelmed whenever he showed up. He's almost impossible to deal with on a physical level, and thus they were forced to beat him some other way, using their impressive teamwork and Charles Xavier's leadership skills.

Speaking of Professor X, Juggernaut, AKA Cain Marko, is Charles' stepbrother. See, there is some depth to this character; he and Charles have a history that has yet to be explored on film. The Juggernaut appears in X-Men 3: The Last Stand but there is no mention of his relationship with Professor X or the fact he is not a mutant. Lame. Can we all be honest for a second here? Good. The only reason Bryan Singer changed this prison break scene (right in the middle of production for Days of Future Past!) was because he was butt hurt about what Bret Ratner did in The Last Stand.

Sexy Shirtless Hugh Jackman Wolverine Star of X-Men FranchiseThat's the truth, and everyone knows it. Luckily it worked out, because Singer is a talented director and the scene with Quicksilver was fantastic, but as a huge fan of Juggernaut I would have killed to see him smash up everything in sight. I'm not the biggest fan of The Last Stand, but it's okay overall; there are some good things about the film. However, the wasted opportunity they failed to see with Juggernaut tears at me. How the hell do you not have he and Colossus duke it out at some point?! I mean, c'mon! That would have been awesome, but we got nothing.

While I enjoyed the scenes with Quicksilver in Days of Future Past, it felt like another missed opportunity for the character of Juggernaut. Quicksilver also felt a bit shoehorned-in to me. Wolverine just happened to know some guy that could help them? Just like that? Sure, whatever, it's a comic book movie, I can give them some leeway for things like that; it was an awesome film, franchise continuity issues aside. It reinvigorated the series, and I can't wait for X-Men: Apocalypse to hit theaters in 2016.

So as great as Quicksilver was, is there anyone that would have loved to see Juggernaut instead? Should the character make an appearance in the next film?

SDCC '14: Eisner Award Winners List

Posted by Sean Hamilton

Pizza Dogs, Sexy Criminals, Epic Space Sagas the 2014 Will Eisner Awards winners have been announced.

Eisner Awards Logo

Always a highlight during Comic-Con International, the awards were presented during a Gala ceremony on Friday July 25.

There was a strong nominee list by comic industry fan favourites, many of which picked up an award. When it comes to the publishers, IDW, Dark Horse, and Image are represented well compared to Marvel and DC.

It seems Saga and Hawkeye still have what it takes, both titles continuing on from last years win, with awards this year also.

Eisner Comic Industry AwardsThe awards definetly seem to show a drive to innovate the industry, with out-of-the-box creativity and story telling that not only engages new approaches, but pushes boundaries.

The full list of Winners were:

Best Short Story
  • Untitled by Gilbert Hernandez, in Love and Rockets: New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
  • Hawkeye #11: “Pizza Is My Business,” by Matt Fraction and David Aja (Marvel) (PIZZA DOG!!!)
Best Continuing Series
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image)
Best Limited Series
  • The Wake, by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy (Vertigo/DC)
Best New Series
  • Sex Criminals, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky (Image)
Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
  • Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco (Dark Horse)
Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
  • The Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks (Dark Horse)
Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)
  • Battling Boy, by Paul Pope (First Second)
Best Humor Publication
  • Vader’s Little Princess, by Jeffrey Brown (Chronicle)
Best Anthology
  • Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
Best Digital/Webcomic
Best Reality-Based Work
  • The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker (M Press/Dark Horse)
Best Graphic Album—New
  • The Property by Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
  • Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground by Donald Westlake, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
  • RASL by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
  • Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips, vol. 1, edited by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
  • Will Eisner’s The Spirit Artist’s Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
  • Goddam This War! by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Pierre Verney (Fantagraphics)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
  • The Mysterious Underground Men by Osamu Tezuka (PictureBox)
Best Writer
  • Brian K. Vaughan, Saga (Image)
Best Writer/Artist
  • Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories #6 (Fantagraphics)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
  • Sean Murphy, The Wake (DC/Vertigo)
Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
  • Fiona Staples, Saga (Image)
Best Cover Artist
  • David Aja, Hawkeye (Marvel)
Best Coloring
  • Jordie Bellaire, The Manhattan Projects, Nowhere Men, Pretty Deadly, Zero (Image); The Massive (Dark Horse); Tom Strong (DC); X-Files Season 10 (IDW); Captain Marvel, Journey into Mystery (Marvel); Numbercruncher (Titan); Quantum and Woody (Valiant)
Best Lettering
  • Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground (IDW)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Best Comics-Related Book
  • Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, by Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell (LOAC/IDW)
Best Scholarly/Academic Work
  • Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation, edited by Sheena C. Howard and Ronald L. Jackson II (Bloomsbury)
Best Publication Design
  • Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (LOAC/IDW)

What do you think about the winners? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Boom Studios has announced a Star Trek and Planet of the Apes crossover at Comic-Con International. The comic book crossover will pair the original U.S.S. Enterprise crew with Taylor, Nova, and the cast from the original Planet of the Apes film. The plot is still under wraps, but a small teaser has been released:

"With the Klingons secretly backing a renegade gorilla general in a coup for control of Ape City, Captain Kirk finds himself in the uncomfortable position of having to help out Dr. Zaius' orangutans."
Star trek/Planet of the apes crossover Comic-Con announcement

IDW will publish the crossover, which will mark the first time BOOM! Studios has partnered with another publisher on a series. Together they will bring Star Trek, licensed by CBS Consumer Products, and 20th Century Fox’s Planet of the Apes together in a way that is sure to delight existing fans and make new ones.

"Planet of the Apes and Star Trek are groundbreaking science-fiction properties and both deal with many of the same social issues and themes," says Greg Goldstein, IDW President & Chief Operating Officer. "A crossover between the two is a natural and long overdue."

read Star trek/Planet of the apes online free"Before I could read comic books as a child, I could watch science fiction on my television. My dad used to wake me up way past my bedtime to watch Star Trek in syndication—it came on after the nightly news—and I took a Planet of the Apes lunchbox with me to kindergarten every day," says BOOM! Studios Founder and CEO, Ross Richie. "Suffice to say, teaming up these two titans of science-fiction on the page in a way that they probably will never meet each other on the silver screen is a huge moment for me personally and emotionally."

The creative team will be a mix of proven experience and new blood, with scripts by beloved Star Trek scribes Scott and David Tipton (Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2) and interior art and covers by the British newcomer Rachael Stott.

I will definitely be keeping a close eye on this, as these are two of my favorite films/TV series as a kid growing up.

If you could have a crossover of your two favorite TV series made into a comic, what would they be? Why not let us know in the comments below.


Review of Storm #1 by Grek Pak

Posted by Sean Hamilton

Storm's a-brewin'!

Storm #1 review Cover Art Victor Ibanez Grek Pak Marvel
Lightening Strikes for Storm #1

Marvel has just released the next series in their line of mighty female titles. Grek Pak is back with the X-Men since his work on X-treme X-men wound up in 2013. Pak delivers us Storm as a strong African woman and mutant leader. It is not surprising Marvel has chosen this self-titled series to continue to show strides in diversifying its titles range.

As far as the story goes, it was a quick jaunt to set up the on-going series. The material covered does well to introduce the main character, but besides this, there is only a small supporting cast made up of fellow X-Man Hank (Beast) McCoy and Creep, a student at the Jean Grey School for High Learning. It is anticipated that more characters released through this series will have stronger links to Storm than other aspects of the X-Men community of comics.

The issue has swift pace due to the average number of panels per page, though it doesn't quite lift the action sequences out in the book in a noticeable way. This is also due to the character-driven dialogue which focuses on the often contradictory characteristics Storm exhibits.

Storm #1 Internal Art Fanboys Anonymous Victor Ibanez Grek Pak MarvelStorm is a noble, fierce woman not to be trifled with, as evident in her ability to drive back a Tsunami during this issue. However, Storm is also confrontational and proud. You get the sense here that Pak is exploring how best to reveal these various facets of Storm's personality to the best effect. He does this well by contrasting Storm's emotional outburst towards the student Creep as her Headmistress, with Storm's compassion and understanding showing by the end of the book.

The art by Victor Ibanez captures a certain gritty mood that is apparent on the first few pages, but drops seamlessly to the background by the book's end. It isn't in-your-face art, but in this manner it doesn't detract from the story either. The colors by Ruth Redmond adds a grounded and earthy feeling to this issue. They also help bring a sombre mood to the story, which seems to match the emotions portrayed throughout.

Storm #1 delivers what it needs to as the beginning of the series. The story is centered on establishing the lead character and setting a platform from which to launch the first arc. This seems like a nice lead into the series and there is a sense much more may be delivered as it continues. It would be great to see this title expand and cross-over with further character interaction from other X-titles. The potential is there, the delivery is fine, not a bad read to wind down the week with, but let us know what you think in the comments below.

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