Love of Comics & Graphic Novels!

A fitting end to an amazing Series.

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 01:12:37 +0000

In 2005 Batman Begins hit theaters; it was released to very positive reviews from critics and movie goers alike. The movie started a new trend for Comic Book movies with its dark and gritty portrayal of the Batman. As great as Batman Begins was, Christopher Nolan topped it with the Dark Knight in 2008. Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker being the most memorable part of the movie, his dark and chaotic performance as the Joker is one not soon to be forgotten.

Now its 2012 and the final part of the trilogy is now in theaters. I have been waiting for this movie ever since I finished watching the last film. As I stated in my Quick Tip for the Dark Knight Rises “I' am HYPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For this movie” In the days leading up to the film release I almost couldn’t sleep waiting to see it. Will it be as great as the others? Will it answer all our Questions? Read on.

It’s been 8 years since Batman last scrambled across the rooftops of Gotham City, after being accused for the murder of Harvey Dent. Like Batman Bruce Wayne has also disappeared from the spotlight; locking himself in Wayne Manor as his company falls apart after a bad investment.

Gotham itself is in a state of calm as Commissioner Gordon has gotten rid of almost all the organized crime in the city. Unfortunately this is just the calm before the storm as Gotham’s reckoning is on the horizon in the form of Bane; a ruthless mercenary bent on

****************(SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!)****************

finishing what Ra’s al Ghul started in Batman Begins.

The Dark Knight Rises is an awesome movie, (no surprise there) yet I came out of the theaters with mixed feelings. Yes the movie was great but something didn’t sit right with me. The movie felt really rushed to me, the pacing was really fast like they had limited time and had to fill the deadline. Because of its pace it’s a little hard to follow at times. Despite this I really enjoyed the movie (yes I know I’ve said it three times already) it felt almost quirky at times having a lot of laughs despite its dark and serious tone. Luckily this is only in the first part of the movie.

I loved that the movie answers a lot of questions that I had from the last movies, I also loved the interaction between Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne (and their Alter egos), and like many of the comics it hints at a sort of love interest between the two. In fact the whole movie contains many references and homage’s to the comic books and past films; even the ending kind of hints at a passing of the torch to a certain character in the movie. (Watch the trailers again; I think you will know who I’m talking about). The Dark Knight Rises unlike most other movies out there isn’t very predictable, actually near the end is a big twist that only the most hardcore Comic book fans will pick up. ( I didn’t so it was a surprise to me)

Acting Wise; I felt that everyone involved did a great job I felt Christian Bales performance was lacking but just a little. I really loved Anna Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, she was very sassy and played her a lot of attitude. (No it wasn’t because of the skin tight suit). I absolutely Loved Tom Hardy as Bane, the character was menacing, yet despite his towering and intimidating demeanour, spoke with a very calm almost dignified voice. I was impressed with and really enjoyed his performance. Because of the mask he is a little hard to understand at times but his lines are clear most of the time.

I remember Joseph Gordon-Levitt from the TV show Third Rock from the Sun; looking at this movie and his performance in Inception really impressed me. I felt he did an awesome job with his character. Gary Oldmans Role wasn’t as big as it was in the Dark Knight, actually I felt that Joseph Gordon-Levitt got more screen time than he did, nonetheless his performance has remained consistent. Gary Oldman has always been one of my favorite actors ever since I saw him in Airforce One. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman didn’t get as much screen time as they did in previous movies as their roles were very small, despite this their performances were both great.

A don’t think I have to tell you guys to check this one out, cause if you’re a fan then chances are you’ve seen this already. If you haven’t already check out this movie, you will be blown away. It’s sad that this is the end but all in all the series is awesome and it’s great that it’s ending on its own terms. I really enjoyed it and I think fans and non fans will too.

'The Dark Knight Rises' And Rises And Rises (Video)

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 01:53:49 +0000

By Joan Alperin Schwartz
Okay, the bottom line...'The Dark Knight Rises' directed by the uber talented Christopher Nolan, is not only the very best comic book hero movie ever made, but in my opinion, it's worthy of an Oscar nod. That's how good it is.

The film, which was written by Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, with story by David S. Goyer, picks up 8 years after the death of Gotham's, D. A. Harvey Dent, as well as the demise of Bruce Wayne'/Batman's (Christian Bale) soul mate, Rachel Dawes.

For those of you who may have forgotten, Dent is the dude who went psycho and became the super evil 'Two Face'. Comissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) convinced Batman to take the fall for Dent's murder so he could implement extremely harsh anti crime laws.

And it worked. For the last 8 years, Gotham City has been crime free. Problem is...everyone thinks that Dent was a hero and Batman...a villain.

And speaking of the Batman...He's been hiding out in his mansion, suffering from depression and an assortment of physical ailments. In other words, he is one messed up Super Hero.

But soon everything is about to change for Batman and for Gotham.

To quote Selma Kyle, aka Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) as she dances with Bruce at a charity ball, thrown by wealthy philanthropist, Miranda Tate (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard),,,'There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne'.

And that's putting it midly. The storm comes in the form of a man known as Bane (Tom Hardy) Bane is a former member of The League Of Shadows. He's big, bad, brutal and extremely lacking in the looks department...In fact, the dude looks like an alien, thanks to a leather tubular mask that covers most of his face.

Oh and I should mention that Bane sounds a lot like, Darth Vader.

Terrorist Bane has two goals...Destroy Gotham City and crush Batman...

To say this guy has major anger issues is putting it mildly. You really can't blame him too much. He spent his formative years in a dark pit and had most of his face has been destroyed.. But hey, no one's childhood is perfect.

What I really loved about 'The Dark Knight Rises' besides the spectacular set pieces (74 minutes of the film was shot with the big Imax camera)) the story hooks you on a deep emotional level, lifting it above your typical 'comic book super hero' movie.

Batman/Bruce Wayne is tormented. His heart is broken and he's lost his direction in life. Even his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) begs him to...get out of the house and start living again.

And eventually Bruce/Batman does just that....

The supporting cast, including Joseph Gordon Levitt as policeman John Black, who knows Batman's true identiy and Morgan Freedman, as inventor Lucius Fox are all wonderful

Anne Hathaway, besides looking great in a cat suit, brings just the right amount of humor to her part.

The stunts, the vehicles, the action are just what you expect them to be and more. Plus there are a couple of surprises you won't see coming.

I gave 'The Dark Knight Rises' which opens in theatres Friday July 20, 2012, 5 bagels out of 5 (my highest rated film of 2012)

Check out our funny video for John's thoughts and his rating. And please subscribe to our channel at youtube.com/twojewsonfilm. Thank you.

Is it an "Amazing" reboot? Not so much, but still worth the watch.

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 17:25:23 +0000

If anyone knows me, they know that I hate reboots. So when I say that I really enjoyed this movie don't take it lightly, but before I get into that lets get the boring stuff out of the way. Back in mid 2011 I heard about the new Spiderman Reboot, as you might guess I was immediately critical of if. I felt that it was too soon to make a reboot to Spiderman and that it was just going the tell the same story over again. After watching the second trailer for the film I changed my mind.

Peter Parker is a teenager attending Midtown Science High School there he takes year book pictures. One Day after finding some of his dads old papers he visits Oscorp to Speak with Doctor Connors about his fathers work. While there he bitten is by a genetically enhanced Spider and develops various superhuman abilities.

Tragedy soon strikes though as his Uncle Ben is later shot by a mugger and dies. In anger he uses his new abilities to hunt down the man responsible. Things soon change when a monstrous creature emerges and starts terrorizing the city, instead of going after various muggers and car thieves in anger Peter decides to protect the citizens of New York from this new threat.

When I got back from the theater on Tuesday a bunch of people where asking me what I thought of the movie. I didn't have a definite answer for them because I was still trying to figure that out myself. In a way I still am, but I will say that The Amazing Spiderman is a good movie. I had tons of fun watching it, there is a bunch of humour and its really fast paced. When compared to the Sam Raimi Trilogy this movies feels very similar in some aspects but is also very different.

An example is Spiderman himself, not only does he look different but he is very Witty, more so than his Sam Raimi Counterpart. (Something I really liked) I also liked that the film stayed very close to the comic books. As a whole Its not better than the last movies but some aspects of it are.

I also really enjoyed the Darker plot behind the film, it went a bit deeper in to Peters parents past (mainly his Father) yet wasnt a large part of of the movie, it did however help to progress the story. At times the movie had an Spiderman 3 feel to it. Especially around the time when Peter was looking for his Uncles killer.

Acting Wise I thought Andrew Garfield's performance was great. At times there was a little overacting but overall he did a great job. At first I didn't think he would be a great fit for the role mainly because I haven't seen much of his movies. Now I take all that back. Despite the fact that Emma Stone was playing her usual character I think she did a great job as Gwen Stacey, I thought she was very charming and modern. As Dr Connors Rhys Ifans did a fine job, but I found the character of the Lizard to be forgettable.

Overall the Amazing Spiderman is a very well done, well made, and very fun movie, despite its similarities to the previous film. Fans of Spiderman Give this one a watch.

Spiderman 4…Wait, its not? Its a new one? They're rebooting the series?

Wed, 4 Jul 2012 16:24:55 +0000

It is impossible to not compare The Amazing Spider-Man to Spider-Man which has a 10 year difference in release date. It is a bit frustrating watching the entire origin story retold when most of America already knows what occurred. But here we are re hashing an old story. But to the credit of the movie's stars, director, and creative team they are able to create an interesting and engaging story. The Amazing Spider-Man is a solid summer blockbuster that has enough energy and fun story-telling to hold you off till The Dark Knight Rises comes out

This first part will hopefully answer the question as to why this movie is coming out and it all has to do with money. Had Sony decided to do a fourth movie with the entire crew they had on, a sizable chink of the movie's budget would have gone to the movie's stars including 50 million to Tobey Maguire and far more creative control to director Sam Raimi after having Venom shoved down his throat despite not wanting to deal with that villain. So it was cheaper to go out and get a new younger staff of up and coming actors that are bordering on the A-list if not already there and a director who has only done one other movie and that being (500) Days of Summer.

The other factor being that Sony was about to lose the rights to the character. Back in the 90's Marvel was hemorrhaging cash so they sold off their characters to various movie studios. Had Sony not made a new movie by this year the rights to the character would have reverted back to Marvel and they could have made their own movie. So that is why this movie had to be made.

So they went out and they got their younger cast crew. First off and this is an easy point to get past but how do Andrew Garfield, who is 28, and Emma Stone, who is 23, look like they belong in high school? But no movie high schoolers ever do. The next problem is that Garfield is a good looking guy, and doesn't really get the same nerdy image we got from Maguire when he played the young teen. But a credit to his skill Garfield is able to get at the awkwardness that any out of touch high school student may feel, making the character believable. Emma Stone may have been the best piece about this movie, and far better portrayed than Bryce Dallas Howard throw away part in the third movie. The chemistry between the two actors, who are dating in real life now, pops on the screen and drives the story forward. I loved Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben and thought he played a very strong mentoring figure, but there was no way that Sally Field was going to be better than Rosemary Harris for the role of Aunt May, Harris was perfect for that part just look at the difference.

But with a remake and re imaging of the series they have the opportunity to go in whatever direction they like, but when retelling the story that seems to be all they do, retell the story. Even if Uncle Ben is now played by President Bartlett how can anyone continue to feel for him if we know he is going to die every decade or so. Both Batman series got it right, with Tim Burton's he didn't feel the need to start Bruce Wayne out before he was Batman; everyone already knew he was. Christopher Nolan recreated the origin story when he rebooted the series because he took his Batman in such a different and grittier direction.

In Spider-Man we still see Peter Parker as a dweeby high school student who gains his power when he is bit by a radioactive spider and understands his responsibility after his Uncle dies. The only more depth we get is the audience watching Peter's parents walk out on him and the burden that leaves on the boy. He even reappears in a wrestling ring and lets his Uncle's killer get away, nothing has changed. To their credit, the creative team does a great job retelling the origin story, and connects you with who this Peter Parker is going to be. But it takes up the whole first half of the movie, and you almost wish they just could have skipped all that and gone straight to the action.

It is unfair to always comparing the two franchises, if you can judge this movie on its own merits it really is good. Garfield and Stone carry this movie and Webb writes towards that strength. It is easy to see just why Emma Stone is all over the place in Hollywood as she has become such a versatile actress. And Garfield does great with teenage angst. The on-screen chemistry bursts off the screen and you get a real sense of first love all on top of a gloomier timeline for Peter Parker. The visuals are stunning and there is a solid use of 3-D specifically in the fight sequences and inside the lab. It was also nice seeing our hero doing some live stunts instead of going straight to CGI as soon as the mask comes on. I didn't need the first person point of view as Spider-Man flies through the streets, but I respect Webb taking a chance and going for it.

The Lizard wasn't an especially daunting villain and his motives seemed too crazy and illogical even for a mad scientist. I really wish that the physical threat of the Lizard could have been what they made the Venom character into. Despite a darker tone, as the movie reaches its climax the characters get a little campy. That is understandable as that is always how Spider-Man was written, even though it appeared he wasn't that way at all until the movie reached its last few fight sequences.

There is a good movie in here and walking into The Amazing Spider-Man with low expectations helped. You expect to see the same thing, and unfortunately they show you the same thing. It is very similar to hearing your friend tell you the same story again and again, but you don't mind hearing it because it is a really good story. But in the back of your head you already know how this one is going to end. B-

Simply Amazing

Tue, 3 Jul 2012 09:12:14 +0000

Initially when a franchise reboots a series not five years from its last installment this can often be seen as assigned they've run out of ideas. It was reported inability to find a suitable script that drove director-producer Sam Raimi and the stars of the Spider-man series away from a possible fourth outing and forced Sony/Columbia start fresh.

Selecting upon relatively new Marc Webb who outside of "500 Days of Summer", had worked on music videos and most recently directed episode of the office and the pilot for lone Star, semi can very odd choice to turn over the billion-dollar franchise. The selection of American-born English actor Andrew Garfield also seemed to be an interesting choice did on the types of the wall crawler.

Thankfully this is exactly the fresh start that the series needed no I went into the film of the guarded and reserved expectations I must say that I'm absolutely delighted with how the final product came out as this is a very fresh and faithful adaptation of the beloved comic book character that in my opinion is the best adaptation to date on film.

The screenplay by James Vanderbilt was based on a story credited to three other writers all of whom clearly understand the character and the source material and are focused first and foremost would being respectful to it rather than putting their own unique stamp and take on the franchise.

The film does take a little bit of liberty by showing Peter Parker's parents as they play shown Peter in the custody of Ben and May Parker (Martin Sheen), and (Sally Fields) as they flee into a rainy night from implied danger, never to be seen again.

The film opens with teenage Peter (Andrew Garfield), plodding his way through high school. As brilliant is Peter is academically he is extremely awkward around girls especially the lovely Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), who never fails to catch his eye. When a clue from his parents past arises, Peter finds himself at Oscorp where Gwen works as an intern. Peter also finds himself on the radar of his dad's former partner Dr. Curt Connors(Rhys Ifans), who becomes intrigued by young Peter's scientific theories and even more so in his abilities when he learns that he is the offspring of his former partner.
Dr. Connors is working on cross species genetics and hopes that not only will it someday replaces missing arm, but will also pave a bold new direction for humanity.

During a visit to the lab Peter, is bitten by a radioactive spider, and as any fan of the series knows, begins to exhibit amazing strength, agility, and perception, as well as the ability to walk on walls and cling to ceilings. In a very refreshing return to form, Peter fashions his famous web slingers rather than have them be organic as the previous film series did.

When a twist of fate puts Peter on the path of vengeance, he becomes a masked vigilante who uses his newfound abilities to rid New York some of its less pleasant citizens. These activities do not sit well with Captain Stacy (Denis Leary), who also happens to be Gwen's father. As Peter and Gwen become closer, the duality of hiding his new identity from Capt. Stacy and Aunt May becomes even more imperative.

Now naturally would not be much the superhero film without a super villain, and Dr. Connors is more than willing to step up to this as faced with pressure from his bosses he decides to use an experimental serum upon himself. At first he is delighted as he seems to regrow his lost limb, but then in a Jekyll and Hyde like transformation he transforms into a gigantic lizard creature bent on revenge and destruction as he attempts to complete a plan that will devastate millions of New York citizens.

Since Peter helped provide the equation that led to the formula that transform Dr. Connors, he feels obligated to stop the raging creature and to save his mentor no matter the cost.

What follows are some truly spectacular action sequences including sewer battles in an extremely memorable finale across the Manhattan skyline.

While the film did take its time getting started is it established its back story and introduce the characters, once it got rolling it was an extremely fun and exhilarating ride. Garfield and Stone have a very good chemistry with one another and the reports of them recently dating off screen further solidifies their on-screen bond. Garfield wonderfully captures the conflicted emotions of Peter Parker as well as the brilliantly awkward genius that he is.

He runs the gamut of emotions from showing his anger and frustration to the dopey awkwardness of his interactions with Gwen and very believable manner. When he becomes infused with his new abilities you can almost share the glee that he has as he swings and flips around the landscape. The sheltered socially awkward young man when donning the mask is free to let himself go and he does this with a childlike delight as well as the trademark quips and wisecracks that made the character such a beloved icon.

Garfield handles the physical duties of the role quite well and shines both in and out of the costume. I thought Tobey Maguire did a fantastic job bringing the character to life previously, but in my opinion Garfield has captured the essence of Peter Parker/ Spider-man and made it his own with a truly wonderful performance all around.

Stone does a great job as the love interest in the film as she is more than just eye candy and the typical damsel in distress far too common with this type of film. She challenges Peter and you can see some gleeful delight in her eyes when Peter awkwardly stumbles around her in an attempt to ask her out, and that while she clearly is enjoying the situation is not about to make it any easier on him even though she's been waiting for him to muster the courage for ages. She's a strong and determined woman who gives a good range of emotions in her scenes and complements Garfield exceptionally well.

The supporting cast was very good especially Leary and Fields and Ifans does a good job as the quietly restrained Connors. In what could've easily been a scenery chewing over the top Machiavellian bad guy, Ifans portrays Connors is a very sympathetic and understandable figure. He is a scientist first and foremost who is trying to do what he believes is right. He is not suited for the political machinations of a large corporation and when he begins this transformation and the animal side takes over there is still a hint of humanity amongst all the CGI work for the re-imagined Lizard.

While it did take me a while to get used to the look of The Lizard having become accustomed to his portrayal in comics and cartoons, I have to say it was a good updating it still stayed faithful to the essence of the original character.

Webb wisely decided to shoot in 3-D and not do a post filming conversion, it is the visually captivating and at times stunning cinema photography that really sets the tone for the film. You can truly get an idea of what it is like to be Spider-man as he swings and flips through the city and the point of view shots of his web firing out to latch onto objects and take down opponents are a lot of fun. Webb clearly knows the subject matter and gets the most out of his very talented cast and tells a very entertaining yet human action story and lets the FX support the film rather than carry it.

The film was much better than "Spider-man 3" I am so happy that the franchise is in good hands and is moving forward in the right direction. Although the movie did take a while to get up to speed once it got rolling I did not want to and and I commented to my wife that I don't want to have to wait 2 to 3 years for the next installment of the film I'm ready for more now. As a lifelong fan of comic I can honestly say I am beyond delighted with the new film, cast, director, and direction for the series.

4 stars out of 5.

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Is Not That Amazing But It's Really Good - According To One Jew On Film

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 05:21:50 +0000

By Joan Alperin Schwartz

'The Amazing Spider Man, shot in 3D and directed by Mark Webb (500 Days Of Summer) is an edgy, emotional, action pack, at times, boring, movie. Yes I did use the 'b' word.

In this version, which is definitely in my opinion, an improvement over all the 'Spider Man films that came before, we meet Peter Parker (Max Charles) as a young boy.

His father, (Campbell Scott) a renowned scientist and mother, fearing that they're in danger, leave their young son in the care of his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Fields).

We flash forward years later...Peter Peter (Andrew Garfield) is now a skateboarder/science nerd/photographer filled witha bucket load of teen angst

Parker is an outcast in school, constantly getting picked on by the jocks. His only friend, is the gorgeous Gwen (Emma Stone) so things could be worse.

But Peter's life is about to change, when....

He finds one of his dad's old research papers. This sends him to the lab of his father's former partner, scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) who for years, has been obsessed with finding a way to regrow limbs. Can't really blame him, since he only has one and a half arms.

At the lab, Peter gets bitten by a genetically altered spider and well...the rest is history.

Watching Peter getting use to his powers is actually one of the more entertaining aspects of the film...That is, until he meets his nemesis...Not wanting to spoil anything, I'll just call him...A VERY BIG ANGRY GREEN LIZARD MAN...

Unfortunately, the action doesn't come until the last 40 minutes of the film and watching Peter's awkardness with Gwen, becomes grating after a while.

But having said that, if you are a fan of this genre, 'The Amazing Spider Man' is definitely a 'must see' for you.

The special effects are great and I liked Andrew Garfield quite a lot as the high flying/jumping/crime fighting/flawed super hero.

It's for that reason I gave 'The Amazing Spider Man' which opens in theatres, Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012, 4 bagels out of 5.

Check out our video for John's rating and more of our bantering. Oh, and to meet Noodle, our Diva
Japanese Chin.

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The Beast Unleashed

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:24:17 +0000

DC's New 52 was met with both criticism and joy when it released last year. Many of the titles in the release were disappointing, but "Animal Man," written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Travel Foreman, is one of a small handful of titles that actually lived up to expectations. "Animal Man" isn't as widely known as many of DC's other heroes, which might have actually helped this title be such a breath of fresh air when compared to other New 52 titles. Personally I had never even heard of Animal Man until I was offered this volume of issues #1-#6 of the New 52 era through Amazon Vine. I decided to give it a whirl and have to admit that I am now a fan of Buddy Baker, aka Animal Man. His power allows him to call on the different traits of animals (I'm assuming there's no limit to which animal traits he can call on) and use them to fight for justice. He takes on some of the physical traits of the animals that he calls upon as well. In this version of his story, Jeff Lemire shows us an Animal Man who is more content with leading protests and heading up animal rights campaigns instead of slugging it out with baddies on the streets of San Diego. His young daughter, on the other hand, wants to be a fighter just like her father used to be. The only scary thing about it all is that Animal Man knows that his daughter's power is even greater than his. When his daughter starts to flex her animalistic muscle, it attracts the attention of an ancient evil that plans to use her to bring down the entire world. This volume ends with Animal Man and his family fleeing this ancient evil, setting up a showdown in later issues of the comic. Travel Foreman brings gore to the forefront with his illustrations in this volume. If you're squeamish or can't handle rotting corpses or zombie-like creations, stay away. I had my doubts about this book when I first got it and flipped through the pages, as the artwork leads one to believe that this is nothing more than a blood and guts goofest. However, Lemire makes the story work amidst all of the gore. Overall, I'm excited to see how this tale ends. The ending left things wide open, and hysteria is chomping at the bit. Recommended, although only for older audiences, as some of the action might scare youngsters.

The Avengers (2012) Quick Tip by KingreX32

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:57:12 +0000

This movie is coming out Next Week Friday, and I cant wait. I'am, HYPED!!!! The Avengers looks great. One problem I had with some of the Marvel Movies was Samuel L Jackson's portrayal of Nick Fury, Based on the trailers and a few clips released by Marvel it looks like the character is going to be played alot more serious this time around and not have that "Samuel L Jackson type" personality about him.

A part from that the movie looks to have the same fun and humor I love about Marvel movies. The Avengers is Directed by Joss Whendon and features a great Cast, Chris Evans( Captain America) Mark Ruaffo (Dr Banner/Hulk), Chris Helmsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Junior (Tony Stark/ Ironman), Scarlett Johanson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner as (Hawkeye). A great Director and a great Cast, so I expect this movie to be Diamond plated Gold.

Looking Forward to this one.

Making Magic Isn't Very Smurfy

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:26:05 +0000

This collection of Smurf comics includes three different stories. The first is "The Apprentice Smurf" (this collection is titled under a slightly differed name). The second is "Smurf Traps" and the third story is "The Smurfs and the Mole."

In "The Apprentice Smurf" after watching Papa Smurf make a potion, the Apprentice Smurf wants to be a potion-maker, too. However, Papa Smurf tells him he's too young, but they'll talk about it later. The Apprentice Smurf can't wait and sneaks into Papa Smurf's house. His plan is foiled, but the other Smurfs play a prank on him. Dejected, he decides to sneak into Gargamel's house and steal one of the spells from his spell book. What follows is a disaster and a valuable lesson in patience and listening to one's elders. In the cartoon based on this comic, the Smurf apprentice is Clumsy Smurf, but he remains unnamed in this comic.

"Smurf Traps" is a much shorter comic. Gargamel uses a variety of specially designed traps to capture all the Smurfs. However, Papa Smurf escapes and plans a rescue mission.

"The Smurfs and the Mole" is another short comic. Brainy Smurf has his glasses stolen by Jokey Smurf. Meanwhile, a near-sighted mole pops out of the ground in the middle of the Smurf Village and destroys a house. Papa Smurf recruits Handy Smurf and Jokey (disguised as Brainy Smurf) to follow the mole and find out why it appeared in Smurf village for no apparent reason.

THE SMURF APPRENTICE is an enjoyable read. They aren't the best Smurf stories, but they aren't bad ones either. It's a short collection that makes for a quick read. This book is a must have for a Smurf fan's collection. Also recommended for younger children who enjoy comic books.

Geekin' Out On The Gulf!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:14:44 +0000

Coastcon is the oldest and largest science fiction/gaming convention in the state of Mississippi. It takes place in Biloxi, MS at the beautiful Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Each year the convention focuses on a different theme and this year was no exception. For Coastcon 35, the focus was planted on superheroes. The convention also fell on the weekend of St. Patrick's Day, so there were plenty of green beads, green accessories on costumes and countless Green Lantern t-shirts (Myself included on St. Patty's Day. I opted for the Dark Knight on Sunday).

The convention opened up on Friday with a performance by the Suzaku 7. Unfortunately I was not able to make it to the coast until Saturday morning, so I have to accept the opinions of other convention goers who claimed that the Suzaku 7 put on a great show.

Saturday morning found myself and a fellow member of the BayouCon convention staff arriving at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum around 9 AM. We set up our fan table (representing and promoting BayouCon) and took turns manning the table until other members of our group showed up. There were quite a few other fan groups, conventions, and clubs that were set up in the area with us, and I visited a number of their tables. I also caught up with a few old friends and made some new ones as well.

As usual, the gaming area was packed with table gamers and card gamers. This is a major part of Coastcon and has always been a great success for them. I'm not a gamer myself, but everyone who was partaking in the action appeared to be having fun.

The vendor area was packed with authors (including THE Timothy Zahn of Star Wars fame), comics, novels, toys, and artwork. I was particularly fond of RAK Graphics' work. This artist had hundreds of small baseball card-sized prints available for sell that featured his own interpretations of famous characters from science fiction, fantasy, film, and comics. I grabbed over a dozen of these cards and a few buttons and spent a lot of time talking with the artist, Robert Kraus. He was a very enthusiastic guy and when I mentioned how I just had to buy his prints of all four original members of KISS, he told me a story about how someone told Gene Simmons about his work and that Simmons actually sought him out to see the prints. I hope to run into RAK Graphics again at another convention soon.

I also ran into my friend, John Mangus, who now represents LucasFilms as Darth Maul. He was selling autographs for charity, so I snagged one of them and got a picture with him as well. We talked for awhile and then I had to get back to the BayouCon table.

Celebrity guests for the convention were Lindsay Wagner (of Bionic Woman fame) and Patricia Tallman (of Babylon 5 and countless other roles and stunt work). I didn't get to talk with Mrs. Wagner, but Patricia Tallman visited our table and was very nice to all of us. She even did an interview for one of the other BayouCon members who is doing a documentary on conventions. I didn't get Tallman's autograph, but she did impress me with how nice she was to all of us.

Saturday night is the biggest night for Coastcon. It features a "slave auction" in which "slaves" are sold to the highest bidder to do anything they request of them (within reason). This is all done for charity and for the convention itself. It is also done in pure fun. Basically the person who is "bought" just hangs around and has fun with their purchaser until the end of the Coastcon dance which follows the auction.

The dance itself took place at the convention hotel and was quite fun. St. Patrick's Day was the focal point of the dance and there were plenty of Irish delicacies to be tasted. There were also a lot of glow sticks, lasers, and finger lights handed out to the crowd.

Sunday found everyone moving slower, but there seemed to be more costumes than there were on Saturday. I took a few photos of the cosplayers and hung out at the convention until around 1 PM. I also visited with members of the Dustin Kahlil Band, a Steampunk band from Mississippi. I grabbed one of their CDs and took a quick photo with them as well.

Then myself and the other BayouCon representative hit the road to go back home to Lake Charles. I was very tired, but had a blast at Coastcon.

This was my second year at Coastcon, and I plan to make it an annual event for the foreseeable future.

The Amory Wars AKA What Coheed & Cambria are really singing about...I think

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:28:21 +0000

What did you like best about this comic or movie?
What I like best about this comic really depends on the issue. The one things that are consistently fantastic in this comic are:
1. The set designs are quite good, especially when it comes to the space settings
2. The action scenes are simply great, always fast paced and exciting

Action? Adventure? Boring?

Plot Summery: (As described by wikipedia...yes I am that lazy)
The Amory Wars is set in Heaven's Fence, a collection of 78 planets held in place by interconnecting beams of energy, known as the Keywork. The first half of the story narrates Coheed Kilgannon and Cambria Kilgannon's struggle against Wilhelm Ryan, the Supreme Tri-Mage (later referred to as the Archmage). The second half of the story focuses on the heroic journey of their son, messianic Claudio Kilgannon. Over the course of the story, Claudio assumes the mantle of The Crowing, foretold savior of Heaven's Fence. In the end, he will face the Archmage, absolute ruler of Heaven's Fence and the one ultimately responsible for the death of Claudio's family.

The Amory Wars is an incredibly fast paced epic spanning from the dawning of our protagonist Claudio powers and eventual transition into The Crowing, an ultimate warrior in this universe; and yes I do realize that having the name of the ultimate warrior being The Crowing sounds very forced and just strange. However, while the initial concept sounds very exciting, the execution comes across as very confusing as so many subjects are thrown at you all at once. In the first issue we are introduced to another galaxy, an entire society, vaguely described super powers based on genetic splicing, a tense family dynamic, all of which the writer, Claudio Sanchez, expects you to just accept. It maybe interesting but there is so much to take it

Who published the comic? Artist, Writer?
Writer & Creator: Claudio Sanchez (Of Coheed & Cambria fame Side Note: Listen to Coheed & Cambria, they are an incredibly talented progessive rock band)
Artist(s): Gus Vasquez later to be replaced by Chris Miller
Published: Image Comics

What's the bottom line? Recommended? Forget it?
It's very hard to describe whether I like or dislike this comic. While there are many fantastic concepts and unique is absolutely a word to describe this, there are also many convoluted parts and much of the dialogue is completely groan worthy. However, the more time I've given this comic, the more interesting it becomes. While the initial start up is very shaky when it comes to dialogue and art, there is something that constantly drew me in. As time went on the universe is more and more fleshed out and Sanchez's writing has improved dramatically. I'll admit I am still reading the series so a final verdict is still to be seen. For now though I would only recommend for the fans of the "Sci-Fi Fantasy" genre such as Dune, but still give it a shot, but try not to give up at first.

A Collection of Some of Barks' Non-Disney Comics

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:47:02 +0000

Carl Barks was an illustrator for the Walt Disney Company in the 1930s and 1940s. He became famous for the illustrations he did in print of Donald Duck and company. In addition for his work with Disney, Barks drew for several other comics. Among them were the "Barney Bear" stories for the "Our Gang" series published by Dell Comics based off the Warner Brothers cartoon shorts.

CARL BARKS BIG BOOK OF BARNEY BEAR is a collection of all the "Our Gang" comics #11-36. The comics feature Barney and his sidekick Benny Burro. Usually, Barney gets into some sort of trouble and Benny has to help him out of it. However, there are a few stories where Benny is the instigator of trouble and Barney is the person who gets them out.

The illustrations themselves are reproductions of the original comics with a slightly darker tint. The book also includes a detailed introduction, an essay about Barks work with Barney Bear entitled "Good Bear," and a biography about Carl Barks.

I like the look and feel of these comics because they are simple and playful. They are comics that kids of all ages could enjoy.

The stories themselves are somewhat repetitive and kind of bland. They aren't the best of Barks' work, but even if his name weren't on the book, there would be no doubt that these are Carl Barks illustrations.

Overall, CARL BARKS BIG BOOK OF BARNEY BEAR will appeal most to collectors and fans of Barks' work. Others who might be interested include fans of old-time cartoon-based comic books.

Panel Lord

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:01:16 +0000

There went an indisputable visionary of three mediums, whose artwork of comic books and feature film storyboards exerted a nearly incalculable influence and evinced as much from sources as disparate as Ukiyo-e prints and spaghetti western flicks. Having succumbed to cancer at the age of 73 during the same week in which conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars trilogy, E.T., Cocoon) perished, he's the second and greater of two phenomenal visual talents who left the world of speculative fiction richer.

No comprehensive overview of Giraud/Mœbius/Gir's works can be executed in the constraints of this format, but...

Blueberry:

Arzach:

The Incal:

Alien production artwork:

Tron production artwork:

Willow production artwork:

Silver Surfer: Parable:

Other works:

Storm (Marvel Comics) Quick Tip by kfontenot

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 16:21:04 +0000

While I can definitely respect the character of Storm for her longevity and her popularity, I can say with all my heart that I've always found her to be somewhat dull in my book.

Have A "Super" St. Patrick's Day!

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:32:04 +0000

In just a few weeks, Irish and Catholic folks and plenty of would-be Irish and Catholic folks will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day, a feast day set aside by the Catholic Church (and other churches as well) to recognize the patron saint of Ireland and pretty much all things Irish.

I will be in Biloxi, MS on St. Patrick's Day working at CoastCon, the oldest and largest science fiction/comic/popular culture convention in the state of Mississippi as a representative of BayouCon, a convention for which I am the vice president.

Each year CoastCon picks a specific theme to celebrate for the duration of the event. The settled upon theme is then represented in the form of the convention's mascot, Herbie Crab, who has been everything from a robot to a zombie crab. This year's theme is superheroes, and the convention's tagline for the upcoming event is "The Dark Crab Rises" (a reference to Batman to all of you non-comics people).

With the convention taking place on the same weekend as St. Patrick's Day, I've been inspired to create a list of "green" superheroes and villains who've graced the page, silver screen, and the idiot box over the years. Many of these heroes only wear the color green, but a few of them are physically green. A couple of those heroes listed here only occasionally wear green but do it with such style and swagger that I had to list them.

I hope you enjoy this list and have a great St. Patrick's Day!

Ten Reasons Why Batman Will Always Be Cooler Than You!

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:24:05 +0000

It's been said on many occasions and in many places that if any man, woman, or child could actually become a superhero, the hero they'd have the best shot of becoming would be Batman. Why? Because outside of his immense wealth, his amazing mind, his physical prowess, his mastery of multiple styles of fighting and weaponry, and his crime-solving skills, Bruce Wayne is just like all of us.

He has experienced loss in his family. He has just a few close friends that he really trusts. He's known to lose control of his emotions from time to time and he doesn't like criminals. I think we all share those qualities with the Batman at one time or another, right?

Still, no matter how close any of us come to being like ol' Batty, we will never be as cool as he is. Why? Read this little list of ten reasons and find out for yourself. Thanks for reading!

Johnny Blaze Gets "Cranked"

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:53:00 +0000

Nicolas Cage sets his head on fire once again in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and the results are mixed. While I wasn't expecting anything absolutely amazing, I was hoping that this sequel outdid its predecessor. In some ways it did, but for the most part this was a very standard "get from Point A to Point B" type of flick.

The plot was very simplistic. Co-writer David S. Goyer, who seems to only write films that are either awesome (The Dark Knight), or terribly mediocre (Jumper), puts his two-cents into this story along with Scott Gimple and Seth Hoffman. In it, we find Johnny Blaze in hiding attempting to harness the Rider that resides within him. He's found by Moreau (Idris Elba), a monk intent on making Blaze help him save the soul of a young boy named Danny (Fergus Riordan), who is in the crosshairs of the good ol' Devil himself (Ciaran Hinds). The Devil wants Danny's human form so that he can unleash a new reign of terror on humanity.

Blaze is eventually convinced to help the boy and his mother, Nadya (Violante Placido), escape to a hidden group of monks who can protect the boy and relieve Blaze of his curse. Standing in the way is Ray Carrigan (Johnny Whitworth), an agent of the devil who is given the simple task of capturing the boy and stopping the Ghost Rider.

The film is directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor of Crank fame, and as is expected, Spirit of Vengeance shares the feel and style of that film. The editing is dodgy, choppy, and desperate to appear visually cool and the film suffers because of this. There are a number of times in the film where there appears to be a massive build up to something awesome when......nothing. I couldn't tell you how many times the Rider looked up into the sky, yelled, expelled a bit of fire, and then hushed up and went about his business. It was an explosive film that lacked punch. The first film had a very "cool" style of its own and director Mark Steven Johnson nailed the imagery and feel of the flick perfectly. Neveldine and Taylor left me wanting.

Yes, the actually look of the Ghost Rider was very nice. I liked how the Rider was given a much grittier look (even his skull was grimey) and watching him ride his motorcycle that belched fire and smoke looked great, but the action was too paint-by-the-numbers for me.

I'm probably one of the few people in the world who liked Cage's portrayal of Johnny Blaze in the first film. In this go round, he's lost a bit of his swagger, but definitely "cranked" up the psychotic aspects of Blaze hinted at in the first film. I also believe that Elba did a decent job with what he was given, but I want to see him in a bigger role in a comic book film (Black Panther perhaps???). Hinds killed me with his stoic presentation of Roarke (the Devil in human form). I missed Peter Fonda's portrayal of the bad guy from the first film. Whitworth added a bit of humor with his role as Carrigan/Blackout, but was pretty much delegated to being a punching bag for Blaze. The rest of the cast did a decent job, especially for a Neveldine/Taylor outing.

Overall, the film made the Rider a much more menacing antihero and had plenty of action to boot. However, it lacked the style and general "fun" aspect of the first film. Is it a better film? Not in my opinion. I don't think it is much worse though.

I recommend the film to fans of Marvel Knight's other production, Punisher: War Zone (a film I enjoyed a lot more than this one). An R-rating would have helped Vengeance out a lot, as it did War Zone, but I'm assuming that they were going for the more revenue friendly PG-13 rating and killed the film as a whole.

Hopefully the film will be released unrated on Blu-Ray/DVD, and it will be much better for it.

To Hell and Back Again

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:48:04 +0000

Dante's THE INFERNO is one of those pieces of literature that has had a massive impact upon Western culture and its impact can be seen and felt even today. However, it's also a work that intimidates many people. Using Gustave Dore's famous black and white illustrations of THE DIVINE COMEDY and some of the dialogue taken from the text, Joseph Lanzara has molded together a work that is both breathtaking and highly accessible to a modern audience. Lanzara has streamlined the narrative, but readers who are new to Dante or THE DIVINE COMEDY will come away with some of the key points of the story as well as an appreciation of the vivid imagery contained within Dante's famed story after reading this graphic novel. DANTE'S INFERNO: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL makes an excellent introduction to THE DIVINE COMEDY, but it is also a work that students and fans of the text will probably enjoy and appreciate.

The Walking Dead Season 2 Quick Tip by woopak_the_thrill

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:21:34 +0000

Honestly, while I liked the first season of this AMC series, I wasn't as impressed with it as most folks. I know, this probably stems from the fact that I have read the comic series from issue # 1 up to the current issues, but I was a little saddened with the serving of the usual staples after a strong pilot episode. I feel that it had diverted heavily from the themes of the source material, but the season was better than most zombie movies these days anyway....

Well, season two takes off quite well and I was happy with what it did in mid-season. Characters such as Hershell and his family were introduced as well as something that may be a set up for something huge. I have to admit, while I wasn't all that crazy with Shane still being around, I do like what the script has done with him. Andrea, Glenn and Dale are starting to be developed and Karl finally gets to wear that famous hat of his Dad's. Sophia and her mother Carol are very different in this series, but Daryl is a good addition to the cast. I miss Tyrese....a lot since he still hasn't been shown in the series.

The script dragged a little in this mid season, but I guess I can expect that from a TV show. I have to accept that some elements cannot be done on TV....unless it is on HBO. My hopes are up for the series. I do hope they stay the course...but major characters need to start dying!

Full Review coming soon....once season 2 is over.

A New American Horror Saga Begins

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:31:16 +0000

Created by Scott Snyder, AMERICAN VAMPIRE VOL. 1 will always be remembered for being the "Vampire comic book that Stephen King wrote." I'm a fan of Stephen King's writing. However, King is only responsible for part of this volume. The book is actually split between two different stories split into four different chapters. One of the stories deals with the origin of the Skinner Sweet, the title character of this Volume of the comic. This is the story that King tells (though as he explains in the Introduction, he had to stay within the master framework of the story from Snyder). The second story takes place in 1920s Hollywood and isn't really about Sweet, but is about a young woman named Pearl Jones.

The origin story is told from the perspective of an aging author who is giving a lecture upon the re-release of his very popular horror Western, "Bad Blood". In 1880, the notorious outlaw Skinner Sweet has finally been apprehended and is placed under the custody of James Book of the Pinkerton Agency. Sweet is a man who has robbed lots of banks and killed lots of people in cold blood. He also has a penchant for eating candy. He knows he won't ever make it to jail because his gang is going to derail the train and set him free. Indeed they do, but what no one considers is that one of the financial backers of the Pinkerton Agency is actually a vampire who needs Sweet dead for his plans in the Wild West of America to come to fruition. That vampire kills Sweet and his gang, but before Sweet dies a drop of the vampire's blood splashes into Sweet's eye. So, Sweet comes back as the "first" American vampire (the story hints that there might be other American vampires out there). Unlike the European vampires, Sweet can walk in broad daylight and appears immune to many of the other weaknesses of those vampires. Oh, he's also got that arrogant, can-do attitude typical of all Americans.

The other story in the book is set in 1920s Hollywood. Pearl Jones is an aspiring actress. When she's invited to a private party thrown at the home of a major film producer, she thinks it might be the break she's been trying to get. As it turns out, the reason the party is so exclusive is that it's a special feeding party for vampires. Pearl is practically left dry and is found the next day by her roommate and boyfriend wandering in the desert with massive bite marks all over her. Pearl dies, but not before the creepy guy next door (Skinner Sweet) puts some of his blood in her eye. When she wakes up, Pearl is in the morgue and Skinner informs her of what he's done. He goes over a few "rules" with her and then leaves. As it turns out, Pearl is even a different type of vampire than Sweet. She grows massive monstrous claws and saber-toothed tiger fangs. Like Sweet years before, she's sets out to get her revenge (something Sweet approved). Along the way, she confronts her boyfriend Henry who loves her just as much even after finding out what she's been turned into. It's a love story far more interesting and realistic than the one in the Twilight books.

The illustrations of the series are done by Rafael Albuquerque. Besides just vivid pictures, he does a great job of using different color tones to capture the mood of the age. Sweet's death takes place in 1880 and though in color, it has a sepia-feel to it similar to that of old movie Westerns. Also, though it's a slightly different time frame, his 1920s Hollywood has the perfect blend of both the blithe and bleakness of the period.

I really enjoyed AMERICAN VAMPIRE VOLUME 1. Both of the stories were really interesting. The stories are intertwined, yet they are very distinct stories. Also, the conclusions of both tie-in nicely with the next Volume of the series. I enjoyed Sweet's origin story, but in all honesty I found Pearl's story the more interesting of the two tales. She's a much more likeable character than Sweet. Overall, this is a solid opening chapter to what appears to be a very interesting American comic book horror saga.

Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengence

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:17:04 +0000

There was no way anyone thought that Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance was going to be anything more than a bad movie. The only debate was if it was going to be so bad that it was good or that it was going to be just terrible. It had all the tools to be the former, I'm just not quite sure if the movie got there. As long as you don't get bogged down by things like acting, cohesiveness or consistency then there is a chance you may find the trashy fun in Ghost Rider 2 that I'm sure it was supposed to have.

Nicolas Cage returns as The Ghost Rider the superhero that always had the potential to be cool, just not if it was reigned in by a PG-13 rating. He sold his soul to Satan and now is consumed by this demon who hunts down evil men for the devil. The back story seems more or less irrelevant but the directing duo of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor does do something fun with it by animating the story to give the movie more of the comic book feel. Once they cut back to present day they can go right into the action. That may be the only thing they get right in the whole movie.

Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are the same duo who brought you Crank 2. I never saw that movie though because I believe Crank had a pretty solidified ending where there was no coming back from. Well apparently I was wrong so it is clear that these two have no problem dealing in the ridiculous including having the Rider piss fire. If any of you saw the trailer this may have been the moment where you laughed to yourselves and thought this may be a fun movie to see. While that scene may have been intended for more, it is such a throwaway moment that there is no doubt in my mind they put it in there just for the sake of the trailer.

Cage seems to only be putting in half effort in this one. You may be saying to yourself how does an Academy Award winning actor who has agreed to do whatever movie he can to pay off his massive tax bills put in even less effort? Well if there is one thing that ole Nic has become known for it is when he flies off the handle, and that seems to be the only time he puts in any effort into the movie. Add that to the fact that when Blaze became the rider he didn't need to show up at all thanks to CGI. Cage phones this movie in from the get go and that is saying a lot considering the movies he has been doing

They did everything they possibly could to ruin this movie, they made it PG-13, they shot it all in Eastern Europe to keep the budget low, they got rid of any semblance of recognizable actors they had from the original and of course they added an annoying child to the plot line. There are some of you that I'm sure will still find a way to enjoy the movie. But I think my head would have hurt less if I had left the 3D glasses off the whole movie. D-

Not exactly what i was expecting.

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:21:50 +0000

I never followed the Ghost Rider series, mainly cause my Mother is Christian; Dude with a flaming skull head No no, "Its demonic" she said. So I wasn't allowed to read the comic or watch the movie. Luckily I have some cool family members who (secretly of course) allowed me to watch it at their house. I pop in this DVD watch it and after is done the first thing that came out of my mouth was “GOD THAT MOVIE SUCKED” I was super disappointed. Fast forward to January 2012 I’m watching TV and a Trailer for a new Ghost Rider flick shows up, I’m watching this trailer and it looks really good, I’m liking the look of the action, it looks like it’s a fast pace than the last movie, I’m having high hopes right now. So Yesterday (Saturday February 18^th 2012) I go out to see it with a few…………..”Acquaintances”

Ghost Rider Spirit of vengeance takes place after the first movie (No really?), Johnny is still dealing with his curse of being the Ghost rider. He is soon approached by a mysterious church to save a boy being hunted by Roarke(aka the Devil). At first he refuses but soon finds out that this kid may be the key to lifting his curse.

Ummm yeah Ok………ummmmm yeeeeeaaaaahh. So…….. *scratches head* Where do I start. Ummm that was “intresting”. OK I will say this It was better than the first movie, I will give it that. And I will admit it was a super fun movie to watch (especially with friends). As I predicted (from watching the commercial) it was a really fast paced movie, it had a Crank 2/Roadhouse feel to it as evidenced in the shaky camera heavy metal style filming. At times though the movie felt abit too over the top and little immature (flaming pee really……Really……..Really) Perhaps it’s just me though as when I went to see this I was expecting it to be a little Darker and on a more serious tone than it was. Unlike the first film there is a ton more action and I really liked the updated Ghost Rider design. The Story wasn’t hard to follow and it wasn’t the greatest, if you watched the first movie and saw how it ended you will be wondering why he’s even trying to get rid of the curse in the first place. Some things didn’t make sense.

And that not the only thing the Acting was horrid I think now I know why my Sister hates Nicolas Cage, Dude seriously what was that? I understand your trying to keep within the tone of the movie but that was so amateurish its awful. And don’t get me started on the other guys, like Johnny Whitworth’s character Ray; the guy is just there, who are you?

Ghost Rider Spirit of vengeance is a fun, Wild, over the top, film filled with humor. It is the definition of thoughtless action. And that’s basically all it delivers on. If your going to see this movie for those reasons then by all means go ahead, watch it and enjoy. For everyone else if you are looking for that Dark portrayal of the character I suggest you stick with the comic books, or at least the first movie.

Green Lantern Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:45:24 +0000

Green Lantern has always been and always will be one of my favorite heros from the DC Universe. There have been many Lanterns in the Green form as I am sure some of you know. But most people will most likely know Hal Jordan either from the many popular comics, the animated features, or most likely from the live action flick. Regardelss this character has some of the coolest powers, battles, and stories to its credit.

Behind The Mask: My Favorite Costumes To See At Conventions

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 22:52:42 +0000

Costuming, or cosplay (a term which originated with costuming based around Japanese fiction), has taken off in the last couple of decades. Fans of everything from anime to science fiction have logged countless hours on designing, creating and perfecting their costumes.

As a person who attends multiple science fiction and pop culture conventions, I get to see many of these costumes on display. I have a very short list of cosplayers that I look forward to meeting at conventions and getting the chance to check out their latest work.

Many cosplayers have a large fan following. They even have Facebook fan pages and/or webpages solely dedicated to their work.

This list is simply a collection of characters that I enjoy seeing cosplayers tackle. While I've seen a number of brilliant anime costumes over the last few years, I'm not a very big fan of that subject, so most of my list is derived from science fiction and comic book characters.

On a personal note, I have made two very low-budget costumes of my own. I created a Doctor Octopus and a Mad-Eye Moody costume and have been making plans to start on a Klingon costume.

Thanks for reading this list. Feel free to comment on it or list your own favorite costumes!

The Big Easy Goes Bigger With Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 17:19:24 +0000

The second annual Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con was bigger, much bigger, than it's predecessor was in 2011. There was a longer list of celebrity guests, more comic artists, and, at least in my opinion, more vendors as well.

The event took place on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. This was the second visit that Wizard World made to the Crescent City, and they pulled no punches this time around. Once again I was there as a representative of BayouCon, a fan convention in Lake Charles, LA, and our little group put on Sci-Fi Jeopardy on Saturday. I have to give kudos to the Wizard World staff and volunteers for helping us make the set-up for our game easy and as pain-free as possible. The game was well received and we were actually asked to put it on at other conventions in the area.

The convention itself featured a litany of popular comic artists that included George Perez, Jesus Merino, Tyler Kirkham, and Stan Lee.....yep, THAT Stan Lee!

Lee had a line of fans that rivaled another guest of the convention, Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. The list of celebrity guests also included James Marsters, Lou Ferrigno, Mary McDonnell, Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints), Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints, The Walking Dead), Adam Baldwin, Ted DiBiase, Diora Baird, Adrianne Curry, and many others.

I was personally excited to get to meet Doug Jones, who portrayed Abe Sapien in the Hellboy films and the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He has portrayed a number of other characters over the years, primarily draped in masks, latex, or paint.  I talked with him for a very long time about how much fun Abe was. I also asked him if it was easier to portray characters behind a mask instead of with your own face on display. He said that having to sit in a chair for five hours to get "into character" behind a mask was no easy task, but when the cameras come on, it's easier to become the character.

I grabbed an autographed photo from him and he gave me a huge hug and patted me on the head, jokingly saying, "Be a good boy now, Kendall." He now tops the list of friendliest celebrities that I've met.

I also met Michael Biehn of Aliens and The Terminator fame, but I wanted to talk to him specifically about his role of Johnny Ringo from Tombstone. I asked him if he had any theories on how Ringo actually died. He shrugged a bit and told me that no one really knows. We bounced back and forth on the actual man who the character is based on and Mr. Biehn summed up the little discussion by saying, "The only thing I know for sure is that he didn't die like he did in the movie and he didn't shoot no priest." We talked a bit longer about the film and I found out that Ringo was Biehn's favorite bad guy to portray. He came off as a very cerebral fellow and I enjoyed my time with him. I got an autograph from him and happily headed on to the next celeb on my list, Peter Mayhew.

In all honesty, I had no plans to purchse three autographs. I knew right away that I was going to get one from Doug Jones, but I struggled with who to get a second one from. Thankfully I managed to budget quite a bit of surplus cash for this trip and had enough to buy an autograph and get a photo with the man in the Wookiee suit, Peter Mayhew. My encounter with Mr. Mayhew was brief. I shook his hand, he smiled politely, signed the autograph and then quickly posed for a photo with me.

Of course, meeting celebrities is only one piece of the puzzle that is Wizard World. Another excellent aspect of events such as this is getting to see some brilliant costumes and catching up with old friends Sometimes friends and great costumes combine into one entity. I've been a part of "convention culture" long enough to have gained quite a few friends and many of them were at the convention and I kept my eye out for one particular friend whom I hadn't seen in awhile. He had recently been posting photos of himself as Darth Maul on his Facebook page and I was desperate to see the costume in person.  It looked brilliant when I finally saw it.

After chatting with him for a bit, I moved on to other friends and snapped photos of them and their costumes and made a few new friends as well.

Representatives for Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, the newest Underworld film, a new Disney film entitled The Secret World of Arriety, and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo were also on hand and were giving out goodies left and right. I snagged a free Ghost Rider shirt for my daughter and a movie poster as well. The Disney crew gave me a movie poster and a ton of coloring sheets for my son and daughter. I won a The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo beanie. One of my friends managed to get an Underworld t-shirt also.

As the convention began to wind down, I visited a few vendors and grabbed some buttons (yet one more thing I don't need to collect but do anyway) featuring Doctor Who, Star Wars, The Big Bang Theory, and other things that I enjoy.

At my convention's fan table, I signed autographs as "Jacob Black," "Edward Cullen," and "Bella Swann" on some promotional posters we were given as promotional items. I did the autograph thing in an attempt to get people to actually take the posters (which we've had for over two years now and can't seem to get rid of). Most of my "autographs" included lines like "Do you smell a wet dog? Love, Jacob" and "I'm cold, dead, and lonely. Call me! Love, Edward." Many people got a huge kick out of the autographs and they would seek out their friends and direct them to our table.

At one point my autographs had become so popular that a few people who came to the table while I was on a break would ask when I was coming back so that they could get an autograph specifically from me even though other members of our group offered to sign the posters. It made me feel good to be quite honest.

According to a friend of mine who works closely with Wizard World, last year's convention had 4000 pre-sale tickets and this year's convention had 12000 pre-sale tickets. That's an increase of three times last year's sales! This caused major traffic jams at a few points during the convention, but overall the volunteers handled crowd control quite well.

Overall, Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con 2012 was a huge success. There was so much going on that the weekend seemed to fly by. I've already blocked out the end of January for 2013 and have plans to return again next year already.

If you plan on coming to Comic Con in New Orleans next year, get in touch with me. I'd be happy to go a bit more in-depth with the convention as a whole and also share a few tips on getting around New Orleans as well.

Spider-Man Carnage (Marvel Comics) Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:23:48 +0000

When Eddie Brck was put in prison his other breaks him out leaving behind a spawn of itself. This little guy takes a likeing to Brock's cell mate Cletus Kasady. In doing so he becomes Carnage and well lets Carnage reign. This is a great TBP for any new fans coming into it and old ones alkie who want to relive the memories.

Carnage Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:16:19 +0000

I have always loved the mad man known as Cletus Kasady especially as Carnage. I have always found him to be just the right kind of crazy that Spidey needs to battle every once in a while. Most villians have a reason to do what they do, he just does and I love that.

Spider-Man: Birth of Venom Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:11:13 +0000

Much like the Alien Costume Saga this one is a great read for people wanting to know how the suit came about. Of course Venom is one of Spidey's greatest villians and his orgins are right here waiting for you. I highly recommend this to all out there.

Spirits of Vengeance: Venom Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:02:49 +0000

One of my all time favorite stories out there and one of the coolest drawn ones ever. I loved this story with Venom, Spidey, Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, Hobgoblin, Demogoblin, Doppleganger and well just excellent situations in the sewers. Honestly this is a great story that makes enemies freinds and back again. This is a great TBP.

Venom Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:55:32 +0000

Ah yeah man love me some Venom, of course Eddie is my fav but every version of Venom has been cool. The latest on going one is an interesting take on Venom but I like it. Any way he is evey ones favorite villian/hero turned bad/good or how ever you have read it depending on quick Venom you were reading.

Amazing Spider-Man: The Saga of the Alien Costume (Marvel Comics) Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:48:49 +0000

Ah yes we all remember this one and we all know why, the black suit. The Secret wars lead to this and it made for a good read. You have the new suit on Spidey, Jack and Hob's in here and Puma of course. Also MJ plays an important role here as well or is that Black Cat, read and find out.

Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:12:00 +0000

Two of my favorites come together here as Ash breaks into The Marvel Universe to take on some zombies and such. I loved this series and how it continued the story and explained things a bit, plus ASH, all hail the king baby.

DC Motion Comics Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:05:15 +0000

Love these motion comics from DC since all have been great, of course I loved the Jonah Hex one and thought it was great. From the Batgirl one to Batman they ahve all been cool, but the best was the motion comic version of "Mad Love" starring my girl Harley Quinn, LOVE it.

Justice League Unlimited - Season One (DC Comics Classic Collection) (2001) Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:00:15 +0000

This was such a great show and I miss these so much, good thing we have DVD. Along side the excellent Batman aniated series and Superman's animated series this is one of the best animated shows ever.

DC vs. Marvel Comics Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:50:56 +0000

Oh what could have been and honestly should have been a mega classic. I awlways wondered what would happen if these two really went at it. In 1996 if I am correct was the year we got to see these two companies or should I say Universes going at it. It had its main battles and then of course cameos by other characters like Venom. Personally this is the type of story that really should have been a year long 12 issue story in my opinion. Maybe 6 at the least if done right, still there were some cool images throuout the story. The one thing I did love was my boy Ben Reilly as Spider-Man taking it to Superboy, that was great.

DC Comics Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:39:28 +0000

DC Comics is one of the big two and rightfully so since it has created classics. By classics I mean classic stories and classic characters. From Batman to Green Lantern all the way to Superman and Flash. Me personally I have always enjoyed the villians, Joker being an all time Fav. Still I love Jonah Hex and so many more but there is one reason I will love DC forever, Harley Quinn. I absolutely LOVE her.

Marvel Comics, DC Comics Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:47:02 +0000

The two most famous and successful comic companies out there, and rightfully so. There are some other big ones out there but even non comic fans have heard of Marvel and DC Comics. You have been under a rock if you haven't ever heard of Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, the X-Men and well every other hero out there that has had a blockbuster film over the years. You don't have to be a comic fan to be a fan of these companies, you may be a fan of the films. Any way these companies have created alot of classic characters and stories. Glad I am a fan.

Marvel Zombies Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:40:14 +0000

How great was this series here and if you have yet to read it I highly recommend it. It was followed by many sequels but the first is really a classic. The art work here and the over all fun of the story make it a great read. Even my boy Spider-Man is in all his zombie glory, what a great collection, plus the covers for each issue were cool.

Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Man Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:32:46 +0000

Have you ever wanted to see Spider-Man in his early years and how it all began, well you don't have to spend a fortune on all those old issues. Just pick this collection up and you can see Spidey in his very first apperance as well as some of his ealry and first issues. Great collection of the ealry years, highly recommended.

Marvel Civil War Quick Tip by FM_ALEX

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:15:25 +0000

I relly enjoyed this storyline in the Marvel world, it had some pretty interesting ideas going on in it. It is hard to believe that the story is years old now. Seems like it wasn't to long ago when this was spawing all kinds of spin off stories, tie ins, and cross overs. Any way the idea of number one patriot Cap. America going against the government and Sheild. On the other side was Iron Man and all those on his side. Heroes from all over would go on to choose sides, and all because of the Superhuman Registration Act. All kinds of things came out of this story, more on those if I review the TPB's.

A Big Nate Primer

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 03:49:52 +0000

BIG NATE AND FRIENDS is a collection of "Big Nate" comics. However, unlike the previous two collections of "Big Nate" comics from Andrews McNeel, this one is more of a sampling. Some of the comics go all the way back to 1996 when the comic wasn't very well known outside of education circles. Others have already been published in the "Big Nate" collections BIG NATE FROM THE TOP and BIG NATE OUT LOUD. Therefore, unlike those two books, there aren't really any ongoing stories. About the longest a story runs in this book is three strips and often the concluding strip for a storyline isn't included so you never see how things turn out. "Big Nate" is a funny comic with a lot of appeal among older elementary students and middle school students. This would be a good book to introduce someone to "Big Nate" and it's one that "Big Nate" collectors will probably want to own. However, beyond that the book really doesn't have much appeal.

I have never read the comic but I loved the movie - The Adventures of Tintin

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:39:32 +0000

I have never read the Tintin comics or the graphic novels, so I was not sure what to expect when I went to see the new movie. I knew Steven Spielberg was behind the movie, so my expectations were high. After seeing the movie I now want to check out the comics the movie was based on. Speilberg has created a very special and well done animated feature. The CGI effects works perfectly. The story moves along at a rockets pace. And I was completely captivated with the movie.
I thought it reminded me a lot of an Indiana Jones film. The exotic locations, the wild action sequences, and the special effects are all reminiscent of the Indiana Jones films, with a little Pirates of the Caribbean thrown in for good measure. There is no question that Speilberg took the source material seriously and is a big fan of the comics. He treats the subject with respect and great fun.

I loved the fact that they did not make Snowy the dog into a typical cartoon character dog. They allowed the dog to behave like a real dog, chasing cats, wanting food and treats. The dog was one of my favorite parts of the film.

I give the film 5 stars and recommend it highly. Its great fun. A animated film for adults that the kids will enjoy also if you bring them along.

Calling Down Emerald Thunder!

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:56:23 +0000

When Christmas morning finally arrived I, er, wait, my son ripped open his gifts. One of those gifts was the Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends Green Lantern Jet. The jet features three firing missiles that can be stored under the wings of the jet (one under each wing and one ready to fire), rolling gears triggered by kids, an opening cockpit, and a Green Lantern figure.

The jet is a perfect addition to any Imaginext playset, and it has already been on countless adventures with Green Lantern, Batman, Robin, and all of the other Super Friends. In fact, a few villains have managed to stow away on it as well!

The missiles fire a decent distance, but without so much pressure that they will injure a child, pet, or furniture.

The Green Lantern figure looks really cool, all the way down to his ring!

As with all of the Imaginext toys, the Green Lantern Jet triggers a child's imagination, giving them just the right amount of inspiration to create vivid worlds and scenarios in their heads.

Fisher-Price has a winner with the Green Lantern Jet. It's fun for me, er, my son to play with and features one of his favorite DC comics characters.

Recommended.

Lou Ferrigno Quick Tip by kfontenot

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:38:57 +0000

What a great story this guy's life is! He looked at his hearing loss as a challenge to be better and he became the Hulk! I'm going to get to meet him in January 2011 at New Orleans Comic Con! I can't wait!

On Brightest Beach, In Blackest Theater...

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 21:58:06 +0000

I have a terrible habit of getting into collecting certain things, amassing quite a collection, and then abandoning the hobby altogether. I hold on to most of my collection and will sometimes give bits and pieces of it away.

I've collected everything from pro wrestling figures to those mini football helmets you can get in candy machines.

I only have four things that I religiously collect, however, never wavering in my longing for them. Baseball cards, Nativity scenes, and KISS merchandise are my top three. The fourth thing in that list is that wonderfully mobile candy and it's excellent carrying case, the PEZ dispenser.

I have over forty PEZ dispensers in my possession, and a few of them are actually worth a decent amount of change. I have your standard, old school "no feet" dispensers, a few mechanical dispensers, and a lot of the newere dispensers with feet.

The newest addition to my collection is a 2011 Green Lantern Justice League dispenser. It features a bust of the emerald crusader with a black base. It came with strawberry and orange candy, as well as a mixed-up offering of raspberry/lemon that tastes just like Froot Loops!

Since I was on vacation last week, GL spent plenty of time at my side as I went on small errands and even a day trip or two.

This particular release also features Batman and Superman dispensers, but I already own three Batman dispensers and don't care that much for Superman, so I don't know yet if I'm going to get them.

Oh, and Santa Claus plans on leaving my son a Green Lantern dispenser in his stocking as well. Not to be left out, Santa will also give my daughter a Disney Fairies dispenser as well.

Collecting PEZ dispensers can be quite addictive. As soon as I believe I'm finished collecting them, a new dispenser comes along that grabs my attention. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the candy that comes with them is mighty tasty.

If you're a Justice League fan or a fan of DC Comics in general, the Green Lantern dispenser might be a cool addition to your comics collection, even if you don't own any other PEZ dispensers.

Check'em out!

Superman (Kal-El, Clark Kent) Quick Tip by KingreX32

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 16:39:15 +0000

I was never a fan of Superman. This guy is too strong, seriously the only thing that can hurt him is kyptonite. I guess thats why i like Doomsdayso much. He is the only one who is a real threat to superman.

Fantastic Four Quick Tip by CharlesAshbacher

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:37:25 +0000

The fantastic four was four people with distinct personalities and powers and managed to make them a team.

300 (2007 film) Quick Tip by KingreX32

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:50:20 +0000

Ive been contemplating weather to make this a review of a quick tip, looking at the type of Movie 300 is I think a Quick tip would be better. Now onto the micro review.

As we all know 300 is a stylistic retelling of the the famous Spartan battle of Thermopylae were 300 Spartans held back half a Million Persian troops.

Like I said the day I finished watching the DVD, "I don't care if its historically inaccurate, 300 is one badass film" And honestly like the movie Death Race what you see in the trailer for this movie is what you should expect to get. Nothing but half naked dudes beating and killing the crap outta each other, blood, excessive gore and many some nudity here and there. The story is simple, and don't expect much from the acting (although I LOVED Gerard Butlers Performance). The visuals were amazing looking almost like they jumped off of a page of a comic book.

Despite the half naked dude this is a certified guy movie, so don't really expect much other then what i mentioned above.

Graphic Novel About a Mid-Life Crisis

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:48:56 +0000

ASTERIOS POLYP, the title character of this graphic novel, is a famed architect, author, and professor, but when we first meet him at the beginning of the book he's living alone in a small apartment that catches on fire by a strike of lightning. In a series of flashbacks scattered throughout the book until the past meets the present-a present that finds Asterios working as a mechanic in a small town called Apogee-we learn about Asterios's early life, how he became so successful, how he met his wife, his struggles, and why he and his wife separated. Asterios is having a mid-life crisis and he needs to find peace not only with the man he was, but the man he has become.

Though a work of fiction, ASTERIOS POLYP is a real-world based graphic novel. Other than a few instances here and there (are they simply chance or is a higher power at work), the book resembles the life of a person living in our world. Many of the things that Asterios experiences are things that many middle-aged American men can probably relate to.

With that said, I didn't find anything extraordinary in ASTERIOS POLYP. There some interesting word games that go one with the names of the characters and places, but beyond that Asterios isn't a character I was able to relate to very well because he is so aloof and out of touch for much of the novel. I was pretty much apathetic about Asterios's plight for much of the novel. Overall, though ASTERIOS POLYP isn't a terrible graphic novel, it's not very compelling either.

Green Lantern: First Flight Quick Tip by kfontenot

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:59:25 +0000

I finally got around to watching this. It was really good, but I need to watch it a few more times before I post a review.