Author: Clint Page

Amish Otaku, Caught My Eye, Comics, Features, Image

Caught My Eye: Noble Causes Archives Volume 1

Guest Post

Noble Causes is a book that has caught my eye for a long time, but I just never got the full urge to read it until the recent archive collections were solicited. While some comic books are often compared to soap operas due to the themes and long running plots, Noble Causes embraces that concept and bases the entire series on it.

That does not mean the comic is looking for an audience within stay at home moms and grandmothers, but that it focuses on the characters and builds on them in ways few other comic books do.

The release of this archive collection (and soon the second volume) coincided with a new push in the series. These two huge collections contain the entire series up to the point in the series where it takes a five year jump in the story as a way to get new readers to try out the series and feel comfortable with all the history of the title. From a marketing perspective, that seems like a good idea since DC did something similar with One Year Later following the Infinite Crisis crossover.

Continue reading “Caught My Eye: Noble Causes Archives Volume 1”

Clint Page
Amish Otaku, Comics, Marvel, Movies

Iron Man

I finally watched Iron Man. And because of it, I am writing the AO response. It was cool. Very cool. I do not know if Tony Stark was ever that cool in the comic book since I never picked it up. My version of the Iron Man origin comes from a kiddie book on tape and accompanying storybook which also featured the origin of Victor Von Doom, aka Dr Doom.

In the brief origin I read, there was not any room for Tony to be the Bruce Wayne on steroids playboy that he apparently is, just enough space for him to get injured, get saved by the Vietnamese doctor (this was an earlier version) and blast his way out of the cave in his going-out version of the Iron Man suit. The sound effects on the audio tape were fun. And honestly, I always remember Tony Stark having that creepy Steve Buscemi/John Waters style pencil thin mustache. Definitely not so cool.

Continue reading “Iron Man”
Ahmad Chaudhary
Amish Otaku, Caught My Eye, Comics, Features, Viper

Caught My Eye – Gypsy Joe Jefferson

Guest Post

It would seem that I’m turning into something of a roadie of writer Jason M. Burns, but the truth is he’s sending me advance things to review that no one else has! One thing that can be said about Jason’s work is that he has a billion ideas rumbling around in his head. I kind of think of him as a new up-and-coming version of Grant Morrison because he has some pretty out there ideas that are just different from what you’re used to. Gypsy Joe Jefferson proves this trend continues.

Gypsy Joe Jefferson is a former boxer who has retired from the sport due to getting older and not being able to compete with the new, younger guys. His wife is a corporate woman who landed him a gig in security where, naturally, the bigwigs decided to take more from him than his yearly bonus. The basic plot is that he was altered in such a way that after being around people for five minutes, they start to go stark raving mad. The story follows Joe as he comes to terms with this and tries to find those responsible. Continue reading “Caught My Eye – Gypsy Joe Jefferson”

Clint Page
Amish Otaku, PS2, Video Games

Shinobi: Don’t Call It A Comeback…Seriously

Shinobi is the Playstation 2 title that brought the classic Sega series to the 3-D generation, along with a new hero and a new mission. Although the game looks great and is constantly keeping the player on his toes, overall it does not feel like the comeback the franchise deserves.

You play as Hotsuma, the last of the famous Oboro ninja clan, out to avenge the death of your brethren at the hands of the sorcerer Hiruko. To make matters worse, Hiruko has resurrected your clan and forced them to fight against you – and one of the zombies is your own brother, Moritsune! So yeah, the storyline is nothing too groundbreaking, but it gives you motivation and opens up the game to some interesting plot points and character interactions.

Shinobi introduces a couple of new mechanics to the action/platform genre. The main means of combat consists of doing Tates, which is where you kill a certain number of enemies within a certain span of time. Doing so activates a cut-scene that shows Hotsuma striking a pose while his victims split apart around him. It’s a very slick touch, especially when done during boss battles. However, Continue reading “Shinobi: Don’t Call It A Comeback…Seriously”

William Hall
Amish Otaku, Comics

The Celebrated Cases of Dick Tracy

By Ahmad Chaudhary

Today is a little after my first-year anniversary with Amish Otaku, but this article is in celebration of my first year nonetheless. Dick Tracy has been my avatar since those first few days, and I have not discussed the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Famous Detective” even once. I did write on Torso, which believe it or not is markedly related to Chester Gould’s fictional crime stopper, who created Tracy in 1931 as a solution to the depression-era headlines that formed the successful part Elliot Ness’ career as a G-Man and at least the murder but not sexual aspects of the Cleveland Torso murders that ended Ness’ career.

If per se, your only perspective of Dick Tracy is (not quite as lantern jawed but pretty-damn close to) Warren Beatty in a yellow rain slicker yammering on his two-way wrist radio, hunting down grotesque criminals wearing not-so-subtle colors with minimal bloodshed being shown, you’re in for a surprise. The collection – anything but PG-13 – is very gruesome and is closer to Bonnie and Clyde, the film in which Beatty starred with Faye Dunaway, than the Dick Tracy motion picture, even though Celebrated Cases is in black and white and is composed of comic strips. Continue reading “The Celebrated Cases of Dick Tracy”

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Amish Otaku, Features, Kosher Kuts, Manga

Jew Unit’s Kosher Kuts: Fairy Tail

Guest Post

It has been said that every basic story possible has already been told. Derivation in Japanese manga in this day and age is nearly unavoidable and ends up being encouraged to attract readers who may not know art, but who know what they like. Eventually, though, mangakas must separate themselves from the pack somehow. With stories that have been told many times over – whether inspired by Genji, Journey to the West, or video games – the distinguishing attributes of the media are in the “how” and “why.”

An old plot can shine like new if it is presented in an interesting perspective or given significantly more depth than the reader had thought possible. The creation of an enjoyable world that the reader longs to explore certainly doesn’t hurt either. Even if the plot breaks down, good characters can carry a manga on their shoulders rather effectively. Quirkiness, character progression and the all-important empathy factor can all breathe fresh life into an otherwise mundane story. Successful manga tend to do one or the other fairly well. When the manga cannot, you get something like Fairy Tail. Continue reading “Jew Unit’s Kosher Kuts: Fairy Tail”

Joshua Goldberg
Amish Otaku, Comics, Features, Viper

A Dummy’s Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea #2

Guest Post

It wasn’t too long ago that I wrote a review for A Dummy’s Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea, but I was given an opportunity to check out issue number two in advance, so I figured I would dust off the cobwebs on my keyboard and give the second issue a mini review. The second issue in the mini series continues the trend of mixing humor and mystery with an assorted gang of interesting characters that is hard to put down.

I won’t go into the general plot in this review since I covered that in first review. The first issue leaves you on a cliffhanger and this one picks right up from there. But if you can’t find the first issue at your local comic shop, you won’t be too lost since it was written in a way that you can pick it right up.

One thing that I will give the writer, Jason Burns, credit for is that he knows how to set up proper cliffhangers in each issue. The first issue leaves you with one, and the second issue continues that. Having good cliffhangers is very important in comics and I think Jason agrees with me in that regard. The end of this issue leaves you in a place where you just have to march down to your local nerd den and plop over the money that Big Oil was expecting that week. Continue reading “A Dummy’s Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea #2”

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Amish Otaku, Nintendo, Video Games, Wii

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Wait is Over!

After nearly two years of waiting, the most anticipated Wii title to date has finally hit store shelves across America. Now that almost two weeks have gone by since it launched, everyone who wants to be playing it is.

For some people (myself included) the chance to play Super Smash Bros: Brawl came a little over a week after its initial release due to what Nintendo claims is a dirty lens. However, their top-notch repair team had my Wii back in my hands exactly seven days after it left and everything is running smoothly.

The first thing to mention about the newest member of the Super Smash Bros. franchise is that nothing of the general game mechanic has changed from Melee. In fact, the mechanics are so similar that you can play the game using your standard Game Cube controller with the same button set as the previous game. Continue reading “Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Wait is Over!”

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Amish Otaku, PSP, Video Games

Patapon: March to the Rhythm of War

If Patapon had to be pigeon-holed into a genre, I suppose it would be considered a rhythm-based near-time-strategy seasoned liberally with devices from role-playing games such as customization, creation and item collection.

You play the leader of the Patapons, essentially black and white eyes organized into a tribal structure. As their leader, it’s up to you to guide the Patapons out of their exile and into “Earthend.” Who exiled the Patapons? The Zigatons, of course. And what exactly is at Earthend? “IT,” of course. The Patapons live in a very simple world. Continue reading “Patapon: March to the Rhythm of War”

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Amish Otaku, Manga

Pumpkin Scissors: They March Among the Midnight Glow

Ryotaro Iwanaga’s Pumpkin Scissors takes place in a war-torn and crippled world, in the wake of a cease-fire with little food, infrastructore or hope for a better future. Now that the long war with the Republic of Frost has ended, the Royal Empire has set up a special army unit dedicated solely to war relief and reconstruction – Imperial Army Section III: Pumpkin Scissors.

The unit is little more than an agent of propaganda run by a nobleman’s daughter, 2nd Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin, until she stumbles upon Corporal Randel Oland. Oland was once part of a group of secret military units called “The Invisible Nine.” His specific unit was the 901-ATT Anti Tank Trooper, the Gespenster Jägers – or Death March Troopers. He’s seen more combat than the whole of Section III combined. Continue reading “Pumpkin Scissors: They March Among the Midnight Glow”

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