Wetting the whistle after the Olympics Warner Bros Guess what cheeseballs, it is Summer Olympic time! I was too cool to watch them in 2000 and in 2004 but after watching a little bit of the Beijing games, I am hooked again! I spend my nights with the Olympic broadcast on the left side of the screen, The Wire on the right side of the … Continue reading Superman Screws Up Olympics!
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| Devil’s Due Publishing |
Guest Post
My stalking habits of Jason M. Burns and Joe Eisma continue with this review of Serpo out of Devils Due Publishing. What can I say, these guys seem to have single handedly sucked me in using their tractor beam from their mother ship. Serpo is a sci-fi story that is based on the “true” events following the alien space ship crash in Roswell, New Mexico.
The Dummy’s Guide to Danger: Lost at Sea team of writer Jason M. Burns and artist Joe Eisma have re-united on a project spearheaded by the TV producer Vin Di Bona. The interesting thing about this story is that is based on the true events that played out of the UFO that supposedly crashed back in late 1940’s. The events that transpired are documented in extensive detail on the website www.serpo.org. Assuming this story did indeed happen, reading the graphic novel plays out more like a documentary than a sci-fi thriller. Continue reading “Caught My Eye: Serpo”
Guest Post
“I believe in Harvey Dent.”
The statement is briefly mentioned in Batman: A Long Halloween, but belief in all things hopeless and Gotham related is a theme in this book. Readers with Superman-tinged hearing will also remember the quote from permeating The Dark Knight, in case anyone has seen it. 400 million dollars later, the last statement is as dry humor as I can produce and after having written Bat-mania for three consecutive months, I have only now begun to get a little bored.
Anyhow, Long Halloween is a follow up to Batman:Year One, and the sequel you will note has not been crafted by Miller and Mazzucchelli as the first was, but be aware that Jeph Loeb and Sale did get permission from the legend to write it. This follow up chronicles a period of time after the original post-Crisis origin story and follows Batman on the hunt of a killer known only as Holiday since they only strike on holidays. In the meantime,every classic Batman villain becomes entangled in the plot including the Joker, Catwoman, Riddler and even the Mad Hatter. A mob war has also exploded between the Maroni and Falcone families keeping Batman, Dent and the police in general as busy as possible during the course of the 368 page book.
Having never read anything by Jeph Loeb or having ever investigated Sale’s artwork, this was a very pleasurable first experience, in which a highly structured story is enveloped in mythical, dramatic, Art Nouveau-esque visuals.
Continue reading “Bat-mania: Batman: The Long Halloween”
You knew it was coming and now it is upon us. Eidos has just announced a new Batman game in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The new game is titled Batman: Arkham Asylum which promises to be “a dark, action packed videogame adventure.”
The setup of the game is Batman is delivering The Joker to Arkham Asylum where a trap is set for him by the myriad denizens of Gotham’s madhouse. The press release says Arkham Asylum will deliver an “immersive combat gaming experience” with an original script by Paul Dini. Continue reading “Eidos and Warner Bros. Announce Batman: Arkham Asylum”
In the year 2239 war rages across the European continent as Africa and China fight a bloody and brutal conflict. A deadly virus known as FCN, “the deadliest pandemic that the world had ever known,” has killed untold masses of people across the world. The survivors are left to try to live through a war they neither asked for or deserved.
Whereas the Chinese fight with human soldiers, the African soldiers are transgenetic creatures made by the shadowy company Mappo which rules Africa in all but name. In other words Europe (the backdrop for War Toys) is being overrun by an army of African animals genetically modified into humanoid forms.
War Toys is essentially a prequel to the larger Elephantmen universe. It’s the story of how that world came to be born out of the ashes of the world we know. Aside from just being a very engaging sci-fi war story, War Toys is also a thoughtful exploration on what it means to be “human.” Continue reading “Review: Elephentmen: War Toys”
The ultimate East meets West collaboration is finally coming to our shores in the form of Ultimo. This is the product of Stan Lee, creator of Spider-Man and the X-Men, and Hiroyuki Takei, the creator of Shaman King.
So what’s this Ultimo story about anyway? From the Viz website:
“High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. ” Continue reading “Stan Lee’s Ultimo in Sept. Shonen Jump”
Guest Post
“A richly thrilling crime saga,” concludes Rotten Tomatoes about The Dark Knight.
The truth, no doubt but where did the noir-ish Batman come from? Certainly there were some elements in Batman: The Dailies 1943-1946, which I reviewed a few months back, but from the start, Batman was always a detective and lacking superpowers he has to use cunning, as well as a smattering of clever gadgets, to get the best of the villains. Well, the answer to that lies in the dark, dank and moody Batman: Year One. From the onset is raining and depicts the arrival of Chicago native Lieutenant James Gordon, who is praying that his wife, Barbara, is not pregnant and that they will not have to enduring raising a child in crime infested Gotham.
Let us step back for a moment. Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy, the noir-strip that had a significant influence on Batman, always unofficially set Tracy in Chicago, where he lived and the Windy City was Gotham in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
Year One, like Tracy, is about crime. Gotham is dirty up and down, from prostitution, gangs and drugs in the Eastern End to up and down the police force, even as high as Commissioner Gillian Loeb who brings Gordon in because of his ability to keep the media away from his mishaps while on duty. The Commissioner is dirty and sees this is as an invaluable asset.
Guest Post Anyone remember when Chucks aka Converse All-Star sneakers were worn only by nerds and you could routinely find them on the clearance racks? I do and though this was about ten years ago, sometimes my biggest concern then would be whether or not they’d even be around at all. These days I hardly even wear Chucks anymore, instead favoring their yuppie summertime cousins, … Continue reading Bat-mania: Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Batman Hi
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| Warner Bros |
Guest Post
I’m sitting here on my lunch break eating store brand beef ravioli which, from my understanding is genuine hardboiled noir cop food. Canned and cheap, it even resembles chili very nicely when served up in a two quart bowl. Having been up since 5AM and it is now 4:50PM. I am only halfway through my shift which means plenty of black organic high test will be flowing and I don’t mean sweet crude, but coffee, another staple of the noir detective’s diet.
Over nine hours earlier, I was riding in the back of a Chrysler 300C, a bold shouldered, elegant and luxurious muscle saloon. Since my $5000 Subaru was having brake issues I was in no room to argue being escorted in style in this high speed boulevardier. Factory dressed in Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl with tasteful chrome accents, the vehicle has enough accentuation to differentiate it from the numerous lesser 300 models, many of which do not possess the 340HP Hemi motor.
Intimidating style. Power. Purposeful handling. Luxury. Excellent view from the front or the back seat. This seems like the kind of car Bruce Wayne would get carted around in or not hesitate twice to man handle by the big fat wheel if he were nowhere near as filthy rich. But it is a start and is one of the finest automobiles I have ever ridden in and I felt a little, but not much, like Wayne in riding in the commodious rear seat. After all, one of the recent comic book Batmobile’s had featured a big 300-like chrome grill.
There we have it. With my lunch, I had my Lt Jim Gordon diet and with my ride to the IMAX to see The Dark Knight, the closest semblance to the Bruce Wayne fantasy that I may ever see. Our showing was at 9AM and thankfully I bought tickets last Wednesday since all subsequent showings were sold out.
Continue reading “Bat-mania: The Dark Knight IMAX Experience”
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| Dark Horse |
While I was a fan of the first Hellboy movie I never followed the comic or delved into the animated shows. Going into Hellboy II I was relieved that I didn’t need to rely on the canon to follow the story or make the connections.
If you’ve seen the first movie the first 30 minutes of the film will be a bit tedious. You don’t need to see the first movie to follow the story but the character introductions in the movie are a bit awkward, especially so if you’ve seen the first film.
The film opens in the past, after the end of World War II. Hellboy is still a juvenile (portrayed by a very annoying child actor) and his adopted father is reading him the legend of the Golden Army as a bed time story.
Many generations ago the humans and the fair races lived in relative peace until the greed in the heart of humanity overwhelmed them and they set out to purge the world of the supernatural. Upon a brutal defeat at the hands of the humans, King Balor of the elves is approached by a master smith of the goblins who proposes to build the king seventy times seventy (4900) golden automatons to aid their war against humanity. Continue reading “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
