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Friday, November 4, 2011

Panel of the Week - 11.04.2011 - "What's up Doc!?"

So many big time books this week and I don't have more than enough time to review them all so I thought why not pick the best panel out of the pile of titles this week at least? Sounds like a good idea so here we go:

The best panel from this week goes to...

**(ROLL ON SNARE DRUM)**

***SPOILERS!!!***


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Alan Moore is Rorschach [Video]

This clip is from "The Mindscape of Alan Moore" where he talks about magnum opus - Watchmen - and how he and artist Dave Gibbons thought of the issues that they raised through out the book. Its good stuff especially coming the mastermind of the greatest comic book of all time.

But arguably the best part of this clip is down the 3 minute mark, where Moore himself reads some of Rorschach's lines, and damn.... its eerily creepy and awesome at the same time. No disrespect to Jackie Earle Haley, but fuck - Alan Moore IS Rorschach.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Weekend Recap - 10.23.2011: The Crow DVD Review and more Walking Dead goodness begins

This is a late post because its freaking Friday here already in the Philippines, but its better late than never right?

So this past Saturday I finally got to watch the hyped Brandon Lee cult-classic "The Crow" - a movie adaptation based on the gothic/horror comic book series from James O' Barr.

What did I think of it?

First off, let me say that the hype and legend surrounding this movie was very well deserved. I thought it was one of those stink 90s movies, but damn, Alex Proyas and the late Brandon Lee pulled it off and delivered a classic that will forever be remembered. 

Sure, Lee's death may have had a melancholic / nostalgic effect on viewers, but the movie itself - its quality, execution, fast paced action, and uber-dark setting - is something to behold and is a masterful work of cinematic art and rightly deserves its as one of the top 20 comic book movies/adaptations of all time, despite its very simple story and lack of character depth. 

Lee was perfectly cast as Eric Draven - brutally murdered with his girlfriend Shelley Webster on Devil's Night - who then eventually becomes the angel of vengeance aided by a  mysterious crow that somehow manages to bring him back from the grave, but this time, with god-like abilities that enables him to exact his own personal brand of dark, bloody, and violent justice. And all the critics were right. Lee - if he was alive today - would have been a superstar after this film because his true acting abilities showed here which surpasses of his dad, the legendary Bruce Lee. Hell, even this whole film was better than the movies Bruce has done in his lifetime.

Really enjoyed this film.  Lee's presence is such a powerful one that you get sucked in his performance and will make you wish that the man was alive today. One of the best action movies ever.

Favorite moments: 
Brandon Lee's MTV-esque transformation to the Crow (all with The Cure's "Burn" soundtrack in the background) is one of the greatest moments in cinematic history. 



And.... the final scene. Its a heartstring-tugger (at least for me).

------------
After that, the Fox Premiere of the first episode of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead  Season 2 titled "What Lies Ahead". 


Pretty slow build up story wise, but I can't complain because this drama series is just too damn good. Production quality, the script, writing, the tension buildup, and characterization is still phenomenal and never missed a beat.

And its unpredictability is off the charts. That's saying a lot because you see, I'm a big fan of the comic book (which is still on going right now) and I know pretty much what's going to happen. Or at least that's what I thought previously last season. There are those familiar scenes that harkens to the comic books, but then it quickly zig-zags and diverts into another scene that I have never seen/read before, and that's fucking awesome. Keep long time fans guessing and tell them:  "you think you know what's next huh? well, fuck - you're dead wrong." Add to that two AMC original characters that adds new dynamics to this series and everything is set for another compelling season.
 
Can't spoil anything about the first episode of S2 but it picks up where it left off last season, but this time there are more zombies, we see more character interaction, somebody gets lost, and the Rick-Shane-Lori dilemma is slowly unfolding just like Dale's (or Shane?) and Andrea's relationship. Finally, this episode's cliffhanger is one that would blow your mind and shock you - comic book style.

And yes, there's a lot of hiding under the cars going on in this episode. [via kitchensofa.files.wordpress.com]

Sorry, can't tell you even the slightest clue about it. That's why you gotta watch it and tune in to it every week 8:55 pm every Saturday (if you're in the Philippines).
(Hmm... Me thinks I have to review every episode I catch. We'll see).

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Comic Book Ratings - 10.27.11; Current Reading ; Keep Calm and Assemble Tee Rocks


 
It's been a busy week my friends so no comic reviews because I just don't have that much time to review so many titles every single week they come out of the shelves. But here's a rundown of last week's titles that I have read and my own personal ratings / recommendations as to whether or not you should buy them (maybe I would do this more often than my more "elaborate" reviews just because I'm too lazy).


Wonder Woman #2 - 5 out of 5 Zeus Lightning Bolts. MUST BUY.

Batman # 2 - 5 out 5 Batbikes. MUST BUY.

Supergirl #2 - 4 out of 5  Karas. Buy.

Justice League #2 - 4.5 out of 5 Mother Boxes. Buy. 

Catwoman #2 - 2.5 out of  5 Stolen Portraits. Read only.

Birds of Prey #2 - 3 out of 5 Katanas. Read only.

Red Hood and the Outlaws  #2 - 3.5 out of 5 Red Helmets. Buy. 

Nightwing #2 - 4 out of 5 Dick Grayson Jackets. Buy.

Batwoman #2 - 5 out of 5 Missing Children. MUST BUY.

Green Lantern #2 - 4 out of 5 GL Rings. Buy.

Batgirl #2 - 2.5 out of 5 Mirrors. Read only.

Punisher #4 - 5 out of 5 Vulture Claws. MUST BUY.

Fear Itself #7 - 2.5 out of 5 Asgardian Weapons. Read only.

Ultimate Comics X-Men #2 - 4 out of 5 Nimrods. Buy.

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 - 5 out of 5 Gankes. MUST BUY.

Superior #5  - 5 out of 5 Ormons. MUST BUY.

------------------

Currently reading Grant Morrison's comics history journal, part superhero genre analysis mixed with pop culture and divine allusions, part self-indulging, and part (boring) autobiography - Supergods: "What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human".

Though every comic book fanboy pretty much knows what he's going to say here in terms of comics history, Supergods still its a fun read, despite being frustratingly lengthy mainly because of some unnecessary personal stories featuring the occult, and some ill-researched factoids (e.g. Ultraman - which he describes as a "faceless-robot" was Japan's Superman clone).

Still, give it a try. Recommended for comic book newbies, GM haters and GM fanboys alike.

Doomed Planet. (Desperate Scientists) Last Hope. Kindly Couple.

And I still can't get over the usage of the awesome 3 panel opening sequence (minus the desperate scientists part) from Morrison and Frank Quitley's classic All Star Superman as this book's cover.

------------------

Finally a shirt worthy of your money.


This is a damn cool shirt. More of these and other superhero memes on shirts from Mighty Fine.

[via Comics Alliance]


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The number one reason why I love comics.

It is this magnificent scene and dialog from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' highly touted Watchmen (1986) - known by many as arguably the greatest comic book of all time and the only graphic novel that was included in TIME Magazine's Top 100 Novels.
 
(Click on the images to enlarge.) 
 
 
 
 

Beautiful prose, amazing artwork, and a whole lot of meaning than any other title in the medium packed in just 10 panels.

And this is not even the whole 12-issue book itself. 

If you haven't read Watchmen yet, please do pick it up and read it before you die. Its one of the greatest stories mankind will ever have and one of the rare books that gets better and better after every re-read. Its just that damn good.


Friday, October 14, 2011

Threesome Art - 10.14.2011

Here's a couple of awesomeness I found today. 

Starship Troopers tribute by Dan Hipp

I love Starship Troopers (and its alien bugs) even more. 'Nuff said.


Rejected cover for Uncanny X-Force by Rafael Alberquerque

Yes the same guy who is doing the covers and interiors for American Vampire did this Wolvie. Rejected? Seriously? 

Then there's Phil Noto and his Avengers Press Day photo that defies Father Time and all explanation. I'll let the picture and captions tell you why.

From the Hank Pym Photo Archives- Avengers Press Day  “Tony thought it would be a good idea to invite some of the press over to Stark Mansion to highlight some of the work we were doing as the Avengers. I took this photo during an interview with a team from The Daily-something-or-other. I do remember the reporter asking us what we thought about other heroes’ roles in the country’s affairs. Apparently their city had, as the woman reporter put it, ‘A one-man Avengers team.’


I didn't notice the uber-awesomeness of Noto's photo at first until I read captions. And then it hit me.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Designer Ashley Hay As "Ame-Comi Mera"

Apparently Ashley isn't just designing logos and anonymous facebook superhero avatars. Here's Ashley herself looking fabulous as Arthur Curry's (Aquaman) one and only love, Mera.



I love it when cosplayers are putting their 100% effort on being creative.

[via Ashley Hay's Google+ cosplay album]

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The First Official "Avengers" Trailer [Video]

I'm not kidding folks. This is our first glimpse of the bad-ass superhero movie. Yeah I'm putting it down already: THIS. MOVIE. IS. BAD-ASS.

Especially Tony Stark's last line. 




Couple of notes about the trailer and what could be expected in the film:

- there will be a lot of butting-heads early in the movie (naturally)
- Captain America is reminding us that he is not only a gymnastic-shield throwing artist, but also a military man trained to kill using fucking machineguns.
- Nick Fury finally gets something to shoot at.
- There will be SKRULLS invading earth and then there's Loki creating the fiasco.
- Black Widow is still bad-ass just like she was in Iron Man 2.
- Thor vs Cap? Nah. That Captain America is a Skrull posing as Cap.
- Wow, HULK is actually there!
- Hawkeye flinching his bow. Pfft. Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) > Clint Barton (Hawkeye) any day of the week.
-  Finally... and as always... Robert Downey Jr is gonna carry this film.

Now time to watch it again.


[via CBR]

Directed by Josh Whedon.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Latest Comic Book Reviews - 10.10.2011

Its been a busy week and a lot of fantastic comic books hit the shelves this week and the last. Here are some quick reviews from the ones that I've read so far:

X-Men Schism #5 - Nothing really new here, its just basically the culmination of all the pent up frustration and rivalry between Cyclops and Wolverine. Jason Aaron splits the X-Men into two after the savage 1 on 1 battle between general and soldier, masterfully illustrated by Adam Kubert. Its full of action, rage, and bittersweet emotion and its a fitting introduction to the newest development in everybody's favorite mutant universe. And I love the way Kubert draws that big fucking super Sentinel's hand. Now that the dust is finally settled, the question is: who was right? Are you Team Cyclops or Team Wolverine? Whichever team you are, be sure to read this before jumping into the two new X-titles by end of October.

Rating: 4 out of 5


The Walking Dead #89 -  After a long and boring No Way Out arc, Robert Kirkman comes back with what maybe his best issue so far since this zombie-apocalypse epic started. The Community has never been this tense - factions are forming due to mistrust, assassination plots are being mapped out, and Rick is starting to think that his son Carl is never the same after waking up from the coma - and Kirkman delivers every bit of awesome writing and character development in this issue. I like Adlard's energetic pencils here, showing his talent in creating the drama, suspense, and tension necessary in a masterful fashion. Can't wait to see how this latest development turns out for Rick and his gang. 

Rating 4.5 out of 5



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 - We pickup where we left off and my favorite turtle Raphel goes on to deliver some turtle-smackdown on an abusive father and saves his beat-up son (Casey Jones) in the process. It seems like Casey and Raph are going well together in this new found friendship, but things turn 180 degrees by the end of the issue. Can't spoil it here sorry, it was one of the best things in this book. Also, the story of how the turtles came you know... mutant ninja turtles is told, but I'm really not sold on it. Turtles can't become mutants and very skilled ninjas all of a sudden without training and some unexplained comics science. Another problem is the very lax art and the lack of detailed backgrounds hurts this otherwise dynamic and action packed issue. I will continue to read this anyway no matter what. Come on... its the Fucking Turtles.

Rating: 3 out of 5


Huntress #1 - Why does DC's mini-series are often better than a lot of their regular comic book titles? I'm bewildered. And that is such the case of Huntress. This is some great writing by Paul Levitz and puts a charming and feisty Helena Bertinelli in a trip to Italy to bust to what appears a drug smuggling operation. As usual with plotlines like this, Huntress quickly finds out that its not just an ordinary crime operation, and that there are far more powerful people running this whole shebang, which I guess will be the subject of next issue. 

Marcus To's pencils are good overall, but he's got a habit of illustrating movements that are impossible for a woman or a human being could do. On the upside, he was able to make Helena both sexy and kick-ass without showing panties and titties and leaves everything for the reader's imagination. Overall, this book is good and is something worth picking up especially for those who want to read more of DC's top-tier super heroines.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

More reviews after the cut...

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

How Mark Millar would've done DC's New 52

This is what the acclaimed writer of such titles like Wanted, Ultimates, Kick Ass 1 and 2, and Superior has to say:

"Congrats to Johnny DC for getting good numbers and plenty of returns on their investment on the DC reboot. But how would yours have been different? I'm taking today off to arse around, but before I go I'm curious: Who would you have nabbed for the books?

I love playing this game. My friends and I were chatting about it just this morning. DC would need to pony up serious cash (as Marvel's biggest creators [are] generally paid WAY more), but imagine you've got access to the WB vault and you can literally buy anyone. Even Image guys who were making a million an issue in the 90s. You've got access to EVERYBODY. How would your DC 52 differ? Mine, for starters, would be about 25-30 books :)

But go for it. I'd love Leinil Yu on Batman, McNiven drawing Justice League, Kirschl drawing Teen Titans, Brendan McCarthy on The Flash. Kev O'Neill (does the best aliens) on Green Lantern (with Pat Mills on scripts) and Frank Miller doing anything he wants."
That's pretty insightful. Leinil Yu illustrating the goddamned Batman? Awesome.

How about Ed Brubaker and Steve McNiven's Batman? Damn, that would be uber-awesome. 

And nice to see somebody who still believes in Frank Miller. He is not the best artist, but he's an awesome writer/artist who can take an idea and turn it into something epic. 

But I wish Millar wasn't such an egotistical prick. Saying that Marvel pays way more than DC is uncalled for, even if it is true. 

I am Maximus Deridius Meridius... no more.

Russell Crowe people. Former gladiator with a beautiful mind... now the father of a Kryptonian alien who eventually becomes the greatest hero the world has ever known.


That. costume.

Man of Steel has never looked this good until I saw this picture. Agree?

[via iFanboy]

DC New 52 Picks - Week Four Reviews

Alright, this is the final wave. I haven't read everything last week, but I'm going to review some of those that I picked up.


Superman #1 by George Perez and Jesus Merino - this is by far the most disappointing book that I read in the new 52. It wasn't that bad in every stretch of the imagination... it's just that I expected more from George Perez story and dialogue-wise. Having a young Superman / Clark Kent deal with the demolishing of the old Daily Planet and seeing the new office building and its new management is nice, but there was nothing new here. I mean, reporters, the Daily Planet, and Superman saving the day from a flaming alien is all the same to me - except that Supes here is a little brash and quips lines like Green Arrow.

The final pages showing Clark sucking it up and being a loser once again didn't help either, just like Perez' shallow storytelling that made me think that he was having a hard time finding the right words to describe all the action.

Merino's art wasn't that impressive but it was nice, with that old-school vibe to it as influenced by Perez' layouts, but I wish they could get somebody else better to draw Supes. 

Still, I'm going to read the 2nd issue just to see if they could bounce back. But right now, this is almost forgettable to me. Thank God we still have Action. 


Aquaman #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis - "How does it feel to be nobody's favorite superhero?" 

I mean let's face it - nobody likes Aquaman because he's a guy who only has powers when he is in the water and because we have this belief that HE FUCKING TALKS TO FISH. Who wants to have that kind of hero?

But damn, Geoff Johns' nails it by poking fun at Aquaman himself, using all the jokes that undermined the character all over the years. He gives Aquaman an almost Superman calm attitude with an almost cold demeanor, and this makes the character a sympathetic one at that. Right from the opening scene where Aquaman saves the day by taking down some robbers in a truck, we immediately see Aquaman making that i-dont-know-anything-about-that face when asked by the police if he needs water - which is illustrated right on the spot by Ivan Reis - sets up the whole tone of the story. 

Johns' continues his funny jokes even when Aquaman enters a seafood restaurant and gets backhanded compliments from people, and in the process, Aquaman becomes more of just a laughingstock - but a real superhero who knows exactly what people outside of his kingdom think of him and thinks that he deserves more than what people is crediting him for. 

Flashbacks showing a young Aquaman with his father sitting on a nearby shore together and introducing his beautiful wife Mera gives us the more sentimental and softer side of this hero, and the ending with those ugly looking water monsters gives me more reasons to read the next issue. 

Ivan Reis gives us his trademark detailed illustrations that trudges beautifully through all the action, horror, and the more serene moments. Very well done by my favorite Green Lantern artist.

To sum it up: Geoff Johns just made me a true believer . And that's that.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Walking Dead Season 2 Full Trailer

The drama, suspense, and struggle for survival has never been this high.




A little bit of overanalyzing here: judging from what I saw, it seems like this show is going on its own direction, and will not follow the path of the comic book storyline. I can't really say that I like that, but watching something that will actually surprise you is always good... so maybe, this will work for the TV adaptation.

Either way, I'm excited as hell for this.

Entertainment Weekly's "The Avengers" Set Photos Featuring Bobblehead ScarJo

We are all excited for the ultimate superhero team up aren't we? Okay. Now, dig on these exclusive set photos from Entertaintment Weekly featuring EVERYBODY.


This looks great, but fuck - what is wrong with Thor's nose (bad photoshopping), Captain America looking awfully confused, ScarJo's bobblehead and Mark Ruffallo with that stare?

Kowabunga!!!

I love the pizza + beer combo. That's by far my favorite food combination ever.

And I also love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 90s cartoon show, and even LOVE the fact that they are back with IDW's new TMNT book that came out a couple of weeks ago (it was a good #1 for the Turtles).

But this? This.. this TMNT pizza, edible art... whatever you wanna call it, just made me CRAZY for more turtle-power and pizza.


DC New 52 Picks - Week Three Reviews


I continue to review some of the new titles that I came across a week ago, and I have to say, this is a pretty successful relaunch so far, with the third with of publishing being the STRONGEST in my estimation.

Lots of good books, a few forgettable ones, and then some that caused some "controversy".

Ready? Let us begin. 


Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo - Ah... Mr. Snyder... again. And he hits his 3rd consecutive plus point in this whole reboot with his impressive Bat-writing which, my friends, will go down there together with Bob Kane, Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, and Grant Morrison to name a few. There I said it. Scott Snyder is one of the best Batman writers of all time. Period.

From the opening page of the book, we immediately see the dark and dangerous Gotham city and it gets even better with Snyder showing us all of the popular inmates of Arkham Asylym (and I mean everybody) going  toe to toe with the Batman. Then if that wasn't enough entertainment, Snyder throws in his ingenious plot twist, one that sees a familiar foe fight side by side with the Bat himself. And he does this marvelous opening sequence in just 7 freaking pages, which Capullo illustrates masterfully, unlike anybody I have ever seen draw a Batman action scene. 

And for those not keeping tabs at home, just a reminder: Bruce Wayne is back as Batman. So normally, former Batman Dick Grayson is back to being Nightwing, Bruce's son Damian Wayne is the current Robin, and finally, Tim Drake is Red Robin. The fun part is that Snyder uses a genius plot device that involves a newly developed face recognition gadget to introduce all of these four characters in one splash page. And speaking of gadgetry, we get to see Batman's good 'ol cave, complete with all his high tech toys... including the old school '89 Batmobile. All of this too looked great, because Capullo's great attention to detail.

The flawless execution of the story is what makes this all work, and Snyder does that by showing us both Bruce Wayne and Batman. He shows Bruce Wayne's plans for Gotham which immediately the notion that the man behind the mask is just as focused on saving the city he loves under just as he is hell bent on ridding Gotham City of evil when he wears the cowl at night. That's good stuff. Then he caps it off with some clever detective work with the GCPD, leading us to a cliffhanger that had me saying: 'the fuck!?'

When it comes to the art, I had nothing bad to say about Capullo here as you can see on the first two paragraphs. I just love how he draws Batman and his uncanny ability to illustrate exagerrated, but real facial expressions in his characters that brings a lot of emotion to each page. Case in point: Jim Gordon's splash page. 

All in all, this is the perfect Batman for the new generation. And with Snyder and Capullo teaming up for this, we can all say that the Bat-franchise is in good hands.

Rating: 5 out of 5



Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang - I was doubtful when I heard that crime-noir writer Brian Azzarello is gonna do Wonder Woman. You know why. But then I read this, wonderful book... and I just knew that we are going be in for a fun ride with Dian... and the crazy Greek gods.

Yes. The Gods are fucking crazy. Azzarello plants his seeds in this first issue by having Diana save a young lady named Zola from brute centaurs in bloody panels that I certainly liked. I mean, who doesn't like Wonder Woman acting like a warrior princess ala-Xena? Be it slashing and headbutting centaurs, I love this new version of Diana. Fierce, powerful, steady and... tall. And I mean, freaking tall. But at the same time, Azzarello shows us the soft side of this woman (with that scene where she checks on a bloodied Hermes), so its not like she's a blood-thirsty Red Lantern.

There's a lot of Greek mythology involved in here, and that's the stuff that I dig. Its interesting and it adds a whole new dimension to this Wonder Woman series.  I don't want to spoil anything here plot-wise, but I'm going to tell you that Zola is involved BIG time with one of these gods (if you're reading or have read Greek myth, then you'll know what I'm talking about).

I enjoyed Cliff Chiang's art, and its phenomenal in this issue. His effective paneling portrays the intense action perfectly, and his sometimes rough pencils is awesome.  He doesn't miss a beat until the end of the issue, and he does a great job making the sexy scenes work, meaning, he is able to make it look sexy without making it too gratuitous.

Great introduction for our new Wonder Woman. And seriously, I want more. And that's coming from somebody who hasn't read any Wonder Woman comic. 

Rating: 5 out of 5



Birds of Prey #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz - This one is a shocker. Shocking because I didn't expect much from BoP, but damn, this is one of those books that mixes an ass-kicking caper story with sophisticated sexiness so well, turning this into a fun and entertaining read with female fatales in the lead.

Nothing so impressive with the writing, but Swierczynski (fuck, that name is hard to spell) manages to pull it off with some decent dialogue,  a possible darker past for Black Canary (murder references in her speech bubbles, anybody?), and a new character - the tattooed and feisty Starling - who right now is by far the winner for my "Best New Character" award in this DC reboot, even though I don't know where the hell she came from. Being mysterious works doesn't it? 

Now let's take about Jesus Saiz' art. Its no doubt, the best part of this book, hands down.  His rendition of the woman anatomy isn't perfect, but he  managed to draw it realistically. There are a couple of T&A shots here and there, but Saiz made sure that it isn't the only thing that you're going to notice, mixing it with fluid action sequences (e.g Black Canary's first kick). Balance my friends is the name of the game, and Saiz captured that perfectly.

And let us not forget: Saiz illustrates the best car crash scenes EVER. Its forceful, in-your-face, and his level of detail  when it comes to all these stuff and debris flying around is spectacular. That's probably my most favorite part in this book.

So with that said, BoP works, but I just wish that the next issue (see? I got tired writing his last name) will avoid that flashback-present-flashback formula because it gets too confusing and in my opinion, not the type of structure you would want your readers to encounter in a #1 issue. Otherwise, its a solid title, and its worth giving it a second shot.

Rating: 3.5/5


Click on the jump for more reviews...

Wolverine gives Cyclops a big "EFF YOU!"

We know what happens after Schism and the Cyclops vs Wolverine throwdown. Two separate X-teams, two different leaders. All of this is going to happen because of a certain redhead chick that has done more for this franchise dead than alive (and yes, it was NEVER about using young mutants as soldiers in issue #4 of Schism).

What's funny about all of this? Is that even before the big event ends, we already know what Wolverine is going to do after all is said and done:

Give Cyclops a BIG middle finger. 

How? Check out the preview images for Wolverine and the X-Men #1 after the jump. 


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Power Girl is still in the DC New 52 Reboot!!!

But not as the Earth-2 Kryptonian we have always known and loved.

This is her now:


Her civilian identity Karen Starr - CEO of Starrware Industries - appears in the debut issue of Mister Terrific, and is "friends" with Mr. Terrific himself. Well, putting it more explicitly: they are fuck buddies. 

Love that jersey color.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I don't know what this is for, but what the hell... It's Batman by Phil Noto


From his blog:

"Batman - I was working on a very quick little Batman piece for something and it soon turned into this."

Something? Could it be a new DC graphic novel or one shot? Or could be hinting at doing something for DC related to the New 52 Batman? Because from the looks of this, its like a damn cover art. 

I know I'm not supposed to over-analyze things... but this is Phil Freaking Noto we're talking about.  And everything he does is noteworthy.

(You gotta love the Joker background doing his best impersonation of "The People's Eyebrow".) 

My Take On The Last Pages of Catwoman #1 [Spoiler Alert!]

***SPOILERS BELOW***
This comic book has been the most talked about last week. I'm not going to describe what made a lot of people mad, and just show you the images:




So its Batman and Catwoman getting jiggy with it. Big deal.

Folks, this is the new Catwoman. And the idea of an independent and strong woman who knows what she wants, totally in control is nothing but SEXY and most importantly, ADMIRABLE and RESPECTABLE as far as I'm concerned (come on people... its 2011. Its time to get over these kinds of things. sheesh). Finally, this particular scene(s) or comic book is not a direct statement that says: women are just sex objects or anything of that nature in my point of view.

After Schism: Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine & The X-Men #1 and #2 Covers

X-Men: Schism is drawing to a close and we already know what is going to happen after all is said and done. So here we go with the two covers for the first and second issues of what will be two separate X-Men teams: one led by Cyclops, and the other led by fan-favorite Wolverine.

First off, we have Uncanny X-Men #1 and 2. Looks like we got Mr. Sinister back in the rumble!

 UNCANNY X-MEN #1 (SEP110591)
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils and Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Inks by CAM SMITH
Colors FRANK D’ARMATA
FOC – 10/10/11, ON SALE – 11/2/111

UNCANNY X-MEN #2 (SEP110595)
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils and Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Inks by CAM SMITH
Colors FRANK D’ARMATA
FOC – 10/24/11, ON SALE – 11/16/11

And finally, the series that probably has the amazing art courtesy of Chris Bachalo. Wolverine & The X-Men #1 & 2:


WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #1 (AUG110653)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils and Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
FOC – 10/3/11, ON SALE – 10/26/11


WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #2 (SEP110589)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils and Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
FOC – 10/31/11, ON SALE – 11/23/11

Wow. Two great comic book series to be released not far away from each other. Better save your dimes now. 

[via iFanboy]

New X-Men Video Game Lets You "Choose Your Destiny" [Trailer]



Here's what I think about the trailer: I like the concept of this game, just like X-Men: Schism. Free roaming and smashing type of game with the player having the freedom to choose the side he is on. But damn, the graphics (based on this video at least) looks HORRIBLE.

Its 2011 folks. 'Gotta make something better than this. 

Just look at Batman: Arkham City.

Monday, September 26, 2011

DC New 52 Picks - Week Two Reviews


After reviewing a lot of the first week titles from DC's New 52 initiative, I'm back with more titles from their 2nd week of publishing.

So let's get in the bizniz, shall we?


Batman and Robin #1 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason -  Frankly, I was excited to read a book that finally stars father-and-son Bruce and Damian Wayne. Excited to see how their relationship goes and how Batman will deal with a spoiled brat of a son that he has. And it worked pretty well in this comic. The back and forth dialogue between them is fun, but Robin becomes more annoying everytime with his disrespectful banter and  "my way or the highway" style of doing things. I hope they will tone it down a bit.

Also, it was nice to see Batman celebrate the time of his parent's wedding instead of their deaths, and that signifies something on the lighter side that I haven't seen in the character in years. He's still brooding yes, but at least he makes an effort to forget the bad stuff and celebrate the good ones.

Finally, the action is well executed and was beautifully illustrated, but I wish their first encounter was with somebody more powerful, rather than just some bunch of ordinary thieves. Good ending with the mysterious Bat-killer and the Batman of Russia (yes, Russia has one. Read Batman Inc folks) in a pool of vat though. Its something that I could look forward to.
Rating 3.5/5



Batwoman #1 by JH Williams III and Haden Blackman - Its been a long time since I read a Batwoman story and the last one was way back 2010, with the incredible Batwoman: Elegy. So normally, I would expect nothing less but absolute perfection with this book.

And as expected - JH Williams didn't disappoint. 

He killed the storytelling (with help from Haden Blackman of course), infusing detective work with the horror genre, and then giving us his patented 2-page spreads of remarkable art filled with dynamic and fluid action sequences and awesome paneling that only JH Williams can do. The only problem I have (if there is anything), is that Williams had Kate spill all of her emotions in a spread just to keep new readers up to speed with what happening, and how the hell did we end up here. Its a beautiful storytelling technique, but its too confusing and too much to absorb, especially if you just have to understand everything through images. 

Still, this is the BEST book from that week, and its one of those comic books that you have to have in your hands in order for you to appreciate its beauty. That's right: JH Williams tells us that you can't read his book with a damn iPad (or any type of device for that matter)!

Rating: 5/5



Demon Knights #1 by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves - Are you a fan of magic, sorcery and dragons? Then this book is for you. Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, Demon Knights introduces the other side of DC, with sorcerers, dragons, medieval knights, and exploding babies. Wait... come again? 

Yes exploding babies. If that doesn't sound mystical (and creepy) to you, then I don't know what it is.

The book doesn't explain much as who these characters are and how are they related to each other, like you're supposed to know them already. The truth is, I don't know Madame Xanadu, Etrigan, Merlin and the Shining Knight and this was my first time encountering them in a comic, but what the hell... the comic is so damn entertaining and wonderfully drawn that I couldn't help but keep on reading. Its like reading and playing a video game with the detailed medieval environment, the familiar formula of a bleak but interesting prologue + characters meet and greet in a pub, then capping it off with DINOSAURS crashing the party. Yeah, dinosaurs. They're back! 

Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves are fcuking awesome. Now, they have to introduce all (if not some) of these characters in the second issue one way or another while getting them to kill some giant reptiles.

Rating: 4/5

Continue after the jump for more reviews...