First described to me as “Indiana Jones meets Tomb Raider”, this does Daomu #1 a disservice. Yes, the plot revolves around a secret society of tomb robbers, so the comparison is understandable, but the preceding quote is more of a marketing tag for Image to hook potential readers. Opening the comic though, the text on the first page reveals an even deeper back story and world mythos than those Western franchises ever achieved. The digitally rendered art, by Ken Chou, is so distinctly 21st century and “not-American”, that this tag line will feel almost misleading after finishing the issue.
This book is hilarious. The series continues to be a wonderful send-up of the Marvel Universe, while having more action in each issue than all the Wolverine titles combined. The dialogue, or should I say, ‘internal narration’, is fantastically crafted. It transforms this title from being violence-for-sales-sake into a fun, slightly crazy, and witty read.
LittleBigPlanet gradually went from something charming that I could do without, to an unavoidable video game staple. A game I could constantly sit down with to discover and rediscover the weird and wonderful things people were creating in their seemingly infinite spare time. Now we’re exploring the second entry in the series, and it's as curious as it is exciting. To gauge the game at launch requires a bit of foresight (and hindsight), but know this, LittleBigPlanet 2 is more than just a new batch of stickers and costumes.
Entry after entry Dynasty Warriors seems impressively dedicated to never, ever changing, no matter how much other games have progressed. But now Koei is moving on to new blood: Fist of the North Star: Ken's Revenge. And oh, blood there is. Kenshiro and his brutal Hokuto Shinken style have been bred to tally up a body count that would make Lu Bu envious, but is that what Koei needs to devastate this time around, or is life a privilege something this game does not deserve?
Despite it's generic qualities, which are numerous, The Mechanic maintains an appealing lack of moral rectitude throughout its running time. Jason Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a “mechanic”, which is code for assassin. He kills people for an unspecified evil corporate entity run by his mentor. The lack of specificity concerning his motivations is an asset to the film. It helps make the hackneyed direction by Simon West more palatable.
Oh, how far this series has fallen. When the ongoing Zatanna title first debuted, it was great. The art was stunning, the storyline intriguing and fun, and I was excited to see where Paul Dini would go with the character. But after a couple great issues, I knew that there was trouble on the horizon. Reading the latest previews, I noticed a new artist coming on to the book, and worse still — because this type of stunt is usually a good indicator of declining quality — the fantastic Stephane Roux, who had been doing the interior pages, would continue, but only be providing the cover art.
The much hyped, oft-speculated Fantastic Four issue that had generated so much buzz with the promise of a major character death has finally arrived in stores. But for me, what is much more interesting than the death of ----- ------ is the comic’s availability to consumers a day early.
Since the first Fable game, Peter Molyneux has over projected expectations of his now trademark series. All of it, as you probably know, has come off as a bit obnoxious and delusional, since, with the series bogged down by lazy combat and fart jokes, the fabled Fable has never really stood up to its own concocted legacy. Does Fable III offer a glimpse into Peter’s long-winded fantasies or will you just be absorbing more troll-related toilet humour?
I thought I was going to go to bed before midnight tonight. I've been a bit busy and sleep-deprived for the past couple days; this makes me question my decision to sit and read Jeff Lemire's Essex County all in one sitting. I have no regrets: instead, I'm wondering why it's taken so long for me to get around to it.
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev deliver another stunning issue of Scarlet. The writing is superb, the art is unbelievable, and what really makes this comic so interesting to read, is its level of realism. From the premise, to the character’s motivations, through to the detailed illustration style, the whole comic feels more like a gritty documentary in the vein of Restrepo or The War Tapes than a fictional bi-monthly book.
This is it. The end. After four years of Buffy comics, this is the last issue. Until Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, which is already confirmed. The last issue of this phenomenal run of Buffy comics is okay. Not amazing. Not bad.
If you like to smile and feel good, this is the comic for you. If all you want is gritty grim characters... read this issue, and see what a smile feels like on your face. I am an old-school Batgirl fan. If she isn’t Barbara Gordon, I don’t really care. I didn’t care for Cassandra Cain, and I certainly didn’t care about Stephanie Brown stepping into the role. I read the first few issues of the new series so that I could have an informed opinion if someone asked me about the title at the store, but that is it. So why did I read Batgirl #17?
It’s been less than 24 hours since I watched The Green Hornet, and I’m already having a hard time forming a strong opinion on it. I’ve definitely never seen a movie try so hard and turn out so immediately forgettable. I at least have to give the movie moxie points for doing something (or rather, everything) differently. The Green Hornet eschews the now-formulaic Hollywood superhero blockbuster formula in favour of (seemingly) bold choices.
A new Image title by Nick Spencer (Shudder Town, Morning Glories) and Christian Ward, The Infinite Vacation’s premise revolves around travelling between alternate universes, and the alternate lives you are living. I was completely stunned by this comic. The art - amazing. The story - fantastic. I can’t wait for the next issue.
Before I get into discussing Nic Cage's latest masterpiece, Season of the Witch, I want to discuss an article I read in the New York Times recently in which it is revealed that Nic Cage, the genius, left his role as the villain in this week's The Green Hornet because director Michel Gondry wouldn't let him use a Jamaican accent. WTF Michel? Do you think you know better than Nic Cage? Well, you don't.
