Norman Rockwell put the teacher on the edge
of her seat. The child alone was enough
to make anyone sprout horns. She spanked
with a comb, like is tradition on white
canvas. It’s not your fault for being
sensitive to gender. Protect your cheeks. I’d self-
identify as a Cyclops. I’d buy a print for forty
copies of your stroll. Norman Rockwell will
have the special of the day. The boy likes to match
his hunting bag to the size of the copper’s
arm. The copper self-identifies with meat. You would
like the shiny chrome there. You would like
to spin on ink. Norman Rockwell broke the
black-board by scratching the teacher’s
face. The teacher broke the child by calling
it “boy.”

by Matt Fraction (writer), Greg Land (pencils), Jay Leisten (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The X-Men attempt to stave off the Predator X attack.

What’s Good: This is an action comic, pure and simple and in that capacity, it delivers; it’s big, bloody, and explosive.

Better still, Matt Fraction makes the most of the fact that it’s a team based action comic.  One really gets a sense of strategy in the X-Men’s dealing with the Predator Xs.  Abilities are used in perfect concert and the X-Men feel like a well-trained, well-oiled machine.  Multi-level, cooperative strategy is employed as the mutants essentially combine and chain each other’s abilities in a sort of cooperative harmony that was clearly quite well thought out by Fraction.

Taking this perhaps a little more literally is Fraction’s use of Rogue.  He uses her power absorption ability to synchronize X-Men mutant abilities, allowing him to essentially play a cool and creative game of mix and match with mutant powers.

While action-based, the issue is nonetheless not without development.  A very interesting Phoenix-related occurrence happens with respect to the Cuckoos that is foreboding and is sure to pay dividends at a later date.  Furthermore, the last page of the book is similarly intriguing, as we get a look at Danger’s idea of a prison.  Those who have read William Gibson’s foundational cyberpunk novel ”Neuromancer” will probably get a kick out of the scene.

On art, Greg Land actually acquits himself quite well, particularly for his often-weak standards.  While certain female faces do lack detail or appear a little awkwardly photo-referenced, there aren’t any real catastrophes this month.  Compliments are due, however, for Land’s drawings of the Predator X monstrosities, which look horrifyingly savage and distinctly alien.  That last page with Danger was also quite beautiful.

What’s Not So Good: While the use of teamwork in harmonizing abilities and employing strategy was impressive, that doesn’t change the fact that this is just one big, extended action scene across 21 pages.  In other words, it’s hard not read this without realizing that while you’re entertained, the book nonetheless feels strangely hollow, shallow even.  Indeed, this is mainstream comics at its most popcorn superficial, the sort of book that the indie comic fan no doubt points to in horror.  That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it also means that the book doesn’t summon any sort of emotion beyond the base-level amusement that comes with reading a good action scene.  It’s not a smart read in the slightest, nor is it a dense one, though it is enjoyable for what it is.

Also, some of Fraction’s voices are still off.   He struggles with Rogue’s colloquial accent, for starters.  At times it disappears altogether or is at least very minimal, while at other times, she sounds like a painfully exaggerated hillbilly.  Fraction can’t seem to find a middle ground, nor can he find consistency.

Magneto’s voice also feels problematic this month and reminds me of Fraction’s struggles to write Xavier’s voice in past issues.  At times, Magneto just sounds too young, hip, and catchy, particularly with his battle banter.  Worse still, in a later scene, he goes back to the more aged, formal tone we saw last month.  Like Rogue, not only is the voice problematic in itself, but it also lacks consistency.

Conclusion: Enjoyable for what it is, this issue still feels a little thin due to its not striving to be anything more.

Grade: B -

-Alex Evans

Marvel Comics Retro 5 by marvelclassics
Create your own custom t-shirts with Zazzle

Out of all of the X-Men I think that Cyclops has to be my least favorite. The fact that he has his own vintage hoodie tells me though that some of you do like him. Since that is the case I thought that I would post this one out there for all of his fans. Enjoy!

Fozzie

Ninya

Emma

Pucker up for Alien kisses his Holiday Season.  Grab your own Alien at www.adoptanalien.etsy.com

Dark Avengers #3

A continuación, comenzamos con una serie de resúmenes de lo que hasta ahora ha sucedido con Dark Reign, la forma es sencilla, como es una saga que abarca varios títulos Marvel, iremos dando resúmenes generales de  varios de esos títulos, comenzando en este caso con Dark Avengers, a disfrutarlo:

Después del final de Secret Invasión, donde Norman Osborn se ve convertido en el nuevo héroe americano,  ha quedado a cargo de la nueva fuerza policial de la tierra, solo que ahora ya no será llamada SHIELD, sino HAMMER, para ello, contacta a Victoria Hand para que sea su asesora, además, Osborn se lanza en la búsqueda de los que serán los nuevos miembros de los Avengers, siendo  su primera opción nada menos que Bullseye, la siguiente opción es Carol Danvers, quien decide no seguir en un grupo que estará bajo las órdenes de Norman, ahí, Danvers se entera de que tanto Ares como Sentry han decidido unirse con Norman, Danvers se vá de la Avengers Tower mientras Norman dice: “Hay más Miss Marvel de donde vino esa”, dirigiéndose entonces a Moonstone, ofreciéndole el puesto y el nombre de Miss Marvel, obviamente Moonstone acepta.

El siguiente es Venom, quien como sabemos ahora está unido a Mac Gargan, el antiguo Scorpion, justo después de haberse comido a uno de los Skrulls capturados en la gran batalla final de la Secret Invasión, Norman le da una fórmula a Venom que lo hace ver mucho mas humano, mas presentable, si es que cabe el término, aquí si cabe el término, Mike Deodato, hace gala de  su ingenio y la pose en donde Venom adquiere su forma “presentable” es la misma  que aquella en donde Peter Parker se unía con el alien de Venom en el clásico Secret Wars, el siguiente miembro de los Dark Avengers es Daken Akihiro, el hijo de Wolverine, quien tiene prácticamente los mismos poderes que Logan, el último en integrar el equipo es Noh-varr quien tomará el lugar de Captain Marvel, una vez reunidos todos en la Avengers Tower, Osborn se da cuenta de que hace falta algo en el equipo, Ares le dice a Norman que lo que le hace falta al equipo es un símbolo, ya que tanto el Captain America o Iron Man representaban mas que simples hombres, son símbolos,  entonces es cuando Norman con ayuda del ser conocido como Ghost abren una de las puertas secretas de Stark, en donde están guardados varios diseños de armaduras de Iron Man, Osborn se convierte en Iron Patriot y hace su presentación pública de sus Avengers, cuya alineación queda como sigue: Ares, Sentry, Miss Marvel ( Moonstone), Wolverine (Daken Akihiro), Hawkeye (Bullseye), Captain Marvel (Noh-varr), Spider-Man (Venom) y Iron Patriot;  justo en eso, Doom que había sido llevado de regreso a Latveria como un gesto de buena voluntad de Norman después de su reunión con otros grandes villanazos de la tierra, se ve atacado por Morgan Le Fay, quien busca venganza por que según dice ella, Doom la ha utilizado para hacerse de conocimientos sobre magia y ocultismo.

Mientras Norman Osborn les presenta a sus Avengers a Victoria Hand, quien será la segunda al mando, Doctor Doom es atacado por Morgan Le Fay y una horda de seres demoníacos, Doom intenta oponer resistencia pero sucumbe ante el poder de la hechicera, y cuando ésta está a  punto de acabar con el, aparecen los Dark Avengers para salvar a Doom, y en un acto de suprema violencia, Sentry, por órden de Norman asesina a Morgan Le Fay, arrancándole literalmente la cabeza del cuerpo, y cuando los Dark Avengers creen que el peligro ha pasado, Sentry repentinamente explota, mostrándose Morgan de regreso, diciendo que ha utilizado sus poderes de viajar en el tiempo para volver justo exactamente después de morir, pero de un tiempo un poco mas atrás, Morgan usa sus poderes para convertir a Venom en un mostruo mas irracional del que ya es, atacando éste a Ares, tratando literalmente de tragárselo.

Resulta que Morgan Le Fay ha usado sus conocimientos de viajes en el tiempo,  para ir conociendo los poderes de sus enemigos, y asi poder derrotarlos es por eso que cuando llega de regreso a la pelea con los Dark Avengers, sabe cuales son sus puntos débiles, y justo después de escapar del intento de ser tragado por un irracional Venom, Ares es convertido en piedra, mientras el resto del equipo sigue enfrentándose a las hordas demoniacas de Morgan, en eso, el nuevo Hawkeye, le mete una andanada de flechas que  acaban con Morgan Le Fay, otra vez, pero ella de nuevo regresa, lanzando un ataque aún mas fuerte, Iron Patriot se lleva Doom quien ha recuperado la conciencia, pero no la movilidad tratando de encontrar una respuesta para vencer a Morgan Le Fay,  Doom al principio se niega a darle acceso a Osborn sobre control del tiempo mediante un cubo temporal, pero al final accede, el plan es viajar en el tiempo para derrotar a Morgan antes de que ella viaje al presente a enfrentarlos, asi lo hacen, viajan en el tiempo para enfrentar a Morgan, Doom ya recuperado usa sus conocimientos en magia para mandar a Morgan Le Fay a la época de los Dinosaurios, ya que si la mataba, alteraría su propia línea de tiempo, mientras los Dark Avengers que realmente la pasaban mal,  quedan libres después de que Doom vence  Morgan, los demonios han desaparecido, así cuando los Dark Avengers vuelven a la Avengers Tower ven en tv que Clint Barton, ha aparecido en los medios acusando a Norman de ser un psicótico asesino, y diciendo que  tarde o temprano, la gente se dará cuenta de que poner a Osborn al mando es un error, ya que está usando a criminales haciéndose pasar como héroes y que necesita ser detenido, en esas están cuando  al llegar a la torre se encuentran con que ahí esta Sentry, quien supuestamente había muerto en la pelea con Morgan Le Fay

Ya en la torre Avenger,  los miembros del equipo han decidido tomarse un descanso, Ares regresa a su casa en la ciudad, concretamente en el Bronx, mientras Osborn trata de limpiar su  nombre y justificar sus acciones en una entrevista en televisión, Miss Marvel (Moonstone) tiene un encuentro sexual con Noh-varr y  la ciudad de Los Angeles se ve atacada por un ejercito de seres de debajo del mar, la entrevista con Norman es interrumpida, los Avengers deben hacerse cargo de la situación de inmediato…

Namor es mandado llamar para una reunión con The Cabal, asi se hace llamar la reunión secreta de villanos,  Norman le ordena literalmente a Namor que se haga cargo de la situación, ya que los atacantes de Los Angeles han sido identificados como Atlantes, Namor se niega rotundamente, mientras tanto, Noh-Varr ha desaparecido después de su encuentro con Miss Marvel,  lo que causa que el resto del equipo crea que Miss Marvel ha manipulado al nuevo Captain Marvel de alguna manera.

Entonces, Norman ordena a Sentry que se haga cargo de la situación en L.A., asi lo hace, atacando una base atlante en el fondo del mar, pero llevando a un prisionero con él, que termina siendo la merienda de Venom, quien al tragarse al ser, solo dice: “Sabe a Sushi”,  Norman entra al  lugar en donde están las armaduras de Iron man, cuando se desploma y  comienza  a decir: “No… yo estoy a cargo…Yo, no tú….. Yo…. Yo estoy a cargo…” y una voz  que curiosamente está enmarcada por globos de texto verdes le dice: “Oh Norman… Norman, Norman…. Deja de engañarte… Estoy aquí….Siempre estoy aquí”

Aquí es donde se cruza el cómic de Dark Avengers con  Uncanny X-Men, en el crossover Utopia, en donde Norman trata de apoderarse de los recursos y manipular a los mutantes que ahora viven en San Francisco, tiene lugar la  creación de unos Dark X-Men, que incluyen a Namor, White Queen, Mimic, Cloak, Dagger, Wolverine (Daken)  y Weapon Omega quienes enfrentan a unos rebeldes en San Francisco, esos rebeldes incluyen a Hellion, Avalanche, Lorelei, Sunspot, Adam X, Meld, los Dark X-men sofocan la revuelta rápidamente, al mismo tiempo, Cyclops se reúne con Norman Osborn en Alcatraz, Osborn trata de manipular a Cyclops, pero éste solo le dice a Norman que se rinda, Osborn se sorprende de las agallas de Cyclops, mientras  los capturados en la batalla son llevados ante Osborn, quien ha desarrollado una maquina llamada Omega Machine, en complicidad con  Dark Beast,  los Dark Avengers están algo celosos del equipo de Dark X-Men, lo que provoca ciertas fricciones entre ellos, en el complejo donde tienen detenidos a varios prisioneros, entre ellos Beast y Charles Xavier, quien contacta telepáticamente a Emma para pedir su ayuda, desafortunadamente, Emma tiene que seguir con el engaño con Osborn para no comprometerse….

Siguiendo con el cruce en Utopia, los Dark X-men se encargan de Simon Trask y su banda de Bio Sentinels, cada dia de la semana van limpiando el desorden en San Francisco, pero entonces, cuando Dark Beast se propone drenar las energías  mutantes de Henry Mccoy para darle mas poder al Weapon Omega, mediante la Omega Machine aparece X-Force,  (Wolverine, Domino, Warpath, X-23, Arcángel) acompañados por Magik, quien ha sacado a todos los prisioneros de ahí, y se preparan para darle una paliza al Dark Beast, quien clama por la ayuda de Weapon Omega, en eso los Dark Avengers que se preparaban para salir hacia la costa este de los USA, son avisados del ataque, pero Norman ordena que sean los Dark X-Men quienes se hagan cargo de X-Force, cuando el enfrentamiento esta a punto de darse,  Emma Frost se encarga de Daken y Namor se encarga de Mimic, lo que deja claro que Emma y Namor siempre estuvieron del lado de Cyclops y no del lado de Norman,  Cloak y Dagger quienes ya tenian dudas de seguir con los Dark X-Men se unen a  X-Factor en la huída, en eso, Cyclops, quien está aliado con Nick Fury pone en Marcha el plan secreto,  emerge del Mar el complejo llamado Utopia, justo en la bahía de San Francisco,  como ha sucedido en las últimas semanas, Cyclops utiliza los medios, para informar que ya no serán perseguidos ni cazados y que el resto de la humanidad no debe temerles, pero ya no tolerarán mas abusos, Norman pierda la cordura y Ordena  que le lleven la cabeza de Namor, el corazón de Frost y que Cyclops sea testigo de todo eso….

Ares regresa a su casa en el Bronx y encuentra a su hijo Alexander, quien tambien es un dios, concretamente el Dios Phobos, sabemos que la relación entre ellos no es la ideal entre padre e hijo, Alexander dice que ha visto a Ares en la TV  y le pregunta si “el asunto de los mutantes” ha sido lo correcto” y Ares le dice que trabajar con Norman Osborn es lo correcto, Ares se va y en eso, llega al departamento EarthQuake, quien es parte de los Secret Warriors de Nick Fury, Alexander se va con ella, pero en eso, se descubre que Ares los está siguiendo a través de la ciudad, cuando llegan a la base “secreta” de los SW, Ares comienza a destrozar el lugar, Nick Fury le hace frente, tratando de hacerlo entrar en razón. Ares decide que si Alexander ha decidido unirse a Fury es por decisión propia, asi que lo deja  a cargo de Fury y se aleja del lugar. En la Torre Avenger, Lindy la esposa de Sentry  le dispara con un arma especial que al parecer le hace bastante daño.

Después de eso, los Dark Avengers se hacen cargo de Man-Thing, mientras dos chicas desaparecen literalmente en un pueblito llamado Dinosaur, en Colorado, una de ellas es hija del Secretario de estado, asi que los Dark Avengers deben hacerse cargo, para eso, mandan a Sentry de avanzada, pero al llegar, algo comienza a atacarlo, sus manos comienzan a incendiarse, mientras un tipo de sombrero lo contempla divertido, Sentry explota y los Dark Avengers llegan a ayudarle, cuando llegan al pueblo, las comunicaciones se pierden y Norman tiene un lapsus, cierra sus ojos y al abrirlos se lee una voz que le dice: “Y aquí esta….Norman Osborn…. Rey del mundo… me parece chistoso… por que no me parece que estés a cargo de nada…” la persona que habla es nada menos que Molecule Man, quien esta sentado en una especie de trono, pero no solo eso, está acompañado de Mephisto, Zarathos, Enchantress y el Beyonder…

By Mike Carey (writer), Daniel Acuña (artist), Daniel Ketchum (associate editor), Nick Lowe (editor)

The Story: Rogue has entered Emplate’s dimension using the astral projection power of Trance to search for Bling!.  She found her, but also got discovered and is now running from astral monsters.  In the meantime, her teammates are trying to bail them both out.

What’s Good: I really enjoyed the whacked-out settings Acuña brought to life for this issue.  We’ve got a weird, other-dimensional castle, retro-tech, bizarre monsters that look like Cambrian explosion rejects, and chase scenes galore.  Acuña also drew an effective Scott Summers.  Given that Acuña is playing penciller, inker and colorist, he does pull off some of his trademark effects well, like where he changes color abruptly without the inker’s lines to separate the changes.  With Acuña, black is only used for true shadows and the rest of the definition he gives with different patches of color.

My first thought on the story as a whole was that it felt a bit empty.  Nothing had happened except that Rogue’s conflict had been decided.  But on second glance, this is a passable rescue plot set in a really original place (for this team).  And the X-team on Earth is working pretty hard on making this rescue a success, which drives up the tension even more.  The bits with Dr. Nemesis and “the smart team” were fun to read.  And, this issue is dominated by an effective chase conflict with Rogue.  Not sure why I had an initially negative reaction to the book, unless the art had a hand…

What’s Not So Good: Acuña’s art takes a bit of getting used to.  Since I’m talking about some of it here, I obviously haven’t completely come around to it yet.  I mentioned the great setting and background work above.  On most characters though, his style rubs me the wrong way.  The body proportion distortions, the occasionally crude and generic facial expressions, and the stock poses give all the characters an unnatural look.  And, just as an aside: The dumbest looking, least related cover of the week award goes to…. Legacy #229!

Conclusion: Diehard X-fans should certainly get this.  Carey has publicly stated his mission of really developing Rogue and Gambit and a few other, so if you’re a fan of any of those characters, you should get the book.  If you’re an occasional reader and you don’t get this issue, I don’t get the impression you’ll be missing out on something that to sends ripples through the X-universe.

Grade: C

-DS Arsenault



Cyclops Retro by marvelclassics
See other 4 color T-Shirts

Now I have to admit that cyclops has never been my fav. Marvel Comic’s character but this vintage hoodie still rocks. What do you think?

It had been a pretty long while since I started expecting the sequel to Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006) sequel and finally, I have got it and finished the game twice. It is a bit odd, because I had really expected much more from this game and at the end, it kinda feels like a dissapointment. Because of my console, the version I will talk about is the Wii version of the game.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, previously known also as Fusion, basically follows the same path of the original game in terms of gameplay. Up to four players can join during anytime of the game, choosing 4 characters among 26 playable Marvel heroes and villains and overcoming each obstacle on their way. One of the new aspects of the game is the fact that now, thanks to the fusion power the characters are able to combine their powers, realeasing a powerful blast of mixed abilities. This new feature, apart from the story, are the only new attractions of the game, so we can say there’s a bit lack of originality.

The characters have improved in a lot of aspects, specially the visual one, but surely fans of the previous game will be struck by the fact of not having really new superpowers. Indeed, almost all the attacks of the first game have come back, with the exception of few that were changed, into something a little bit better, or something even worse. Teamwork is still the same, and the enemy’s level of intelligence becomesa challenge in some moments of the game, but there’s nothing really splendorous. Expectations about the new characters like Jean Grey, Penance, Psylocke, etc. fade quickly, as you realize some are the obvious replacement of the ones in the first game that didn’t enter in this second round (like Psylocke, who is basically Elektra). Some others continue being as good as they were, and pretty few have become really stronger.

The game’s plot follows the Civil War story, on which the heroes have to choose between accepting the Act of Registration from the Government, or not. Depending on what you choose, some characters will be available or not, and missions will change, according to the story you’re playing. Nevertheless, the way the plot is told becomes sometimes quite boring, and you just skip the info in order to start playing the missions. The S.H.I.E.L.D. blue points, where you save your progress and change your team are now spread in not very useful locations, unlike the previous game, and you can’t change characters who have died in battle anymore. You have to bring them back to life using the Fusion, and in the Wii version, there are no costumes for the characters. 

Bosses have a balanced level, and the locations, although they are not as exotic as in the prequel, are now made with more detail, giving the game a pleasant visual effect. Missions have become shorter in lenght and not very dinamic in some moments. A good improvement from the first Wii version is that the Wii Remote Control is now more enjoyable without being an irritating feature. Attacks are not made by the control’s movement anymore, and isntead, it is required only in specific actions.

So, in general, MUA2 it’s the same game as the first one with some improvements but no really outstanding feature, a story that can be sometimes hateful, and cool characters that still, have something which doesn’t really fit at all. A good avergae game, but the first one is really missed by the player while he plays this one.

So, here’s a list of all the playable Wii characters, with a brief opinion of mine (based on my playing with them), and more images. Leave your comments as you wish!

1.- Captain America: He’s basically the same as in the first game, and his attacks are overpowered by most of all the other characters. A shield is not very useful, really… Grade: Useful in some moments.

2.- Iron Man: With some new improvements, Stark’s armor is not only a reliable backup, but also quite an offensive fighter. He’s not only powerful but also resistant. Grade: Essential for victory!

3.- Thor: The mighty Nordic God might not seem trustful in this game, but hides great power in his hammer. Strong and offensive, clearly a great choice. Grade: Good choice!

4.- Hulk: This new ally it’s powerful by nature. His only “but” is that he requires “rage” for some of his attacks, but it’s a good companion in rooms full of enemies… Grade: Good choice!

5.- Spiderman: The web-head neighbour it’s the master of agility, and along with his spider powers becomes a useful tool whether for running away, or fighting multiple enemies at a time… Grade: Essential for victory!

6.- Mr. Fantastic: Thanks to his elastic powers, he can reach enemies that are not close to him, but his physical power from the last game, went from 5 to 2 so think about it… Grade: Not the best, not the worst.

7.- Invisible Woman: Susan’s powers have increased from 5, to extra 5, becoming quite a good heroine to play with. Not only will she protect her mates using big shields, but also her “fusion” abilities end up with massive destruction! Grade: Essential for victory!

8.- Human Torch: Johnny’s fire power is strong, and used in a proper way, becomes destructive, besides, his combinations with the other heroes always result in total blast, surely, one hell of a flame! Grade: Good choice!

9.- The Thing: Ben’s physical power it’s the same, but unlike the first game, he’s a little bit faster. This allows him to act like a big bull enemies can’t run from!!! Grade: Good choice!

10.- Wolverine: The iconic X-Man, remains the same as in the prequel, but his lack of power is far more visible. It’s not a good idea to use metal claws against metal armors… Grade: Useful in some moments.

11.- Storm: Storm’s lightnings are a good weapon when a lot of enemies surround you, but… apart from that she has nothing really good to add, except (maybe…) her fusion compability… Grade: Useful in some moments.

12.- Cyclops: This new player seems to have a poor gameplay, but his optical powers ban that statement and make him a good mate rivals can’t deal with. Grade: Good choice!

13.- Jean Grey: She’s probably one of the best newcomers to the game. Not only can she revive with her powers, but also ask her Phoenix’s soul for help and play with telekinesis as if she were playing with dolls. Grade: Essential for victory!

14.- Iceman: Basically the same as always, Iceman icy powers are useful for freezing enemies once and for all, trapping them in what can become a massive punching bag. Fast, agile, and a good shooter… what else do you ask? Grade: Good choice!

15.- Gambit: Another newcomer who impresses with her explosive cards. His shooting ability is stunning, and more when his cards fly everywhere without even aiming at an enemy! Grade: Good choice!

16.- Psylocke: This lady’s pink powers are not very realiable and you’d prefer to take Jean instead of her. Her pink blade is probably a good weapon, along her butteflies, but she’s not the latest warrior… Grade: Useful in some moments.

17.- Deadpool: This mercenary is everything but rubbish. He shoots as fast as you blink your eyes, teleports, jumps, throws granades and starts the massive attacks as fast as he says: “Hello!” His resistance and health powers… make him the perfect back-up. Grade: Essential for victory.

18.- Daredevil: Not a very impressive character, Daredevil shows us agile movements and baton-based hits. Nothing really amazing. Grade: Not the best, not the worst.

19.- Songbird: Another newcomer who seems to offer a lot, but at the end is just another normal mutant. Her sonic powers are only impressive when the fusion is made. A bad point: she can’t attack while she flies… Grade: Not the best, not the worst.

20.- Blade: The old vampire hunter was weak and this new version of him… is still weak. Surrounded by all the other mutants, he barely even disappears among them. Some attacks have become stronger, and the gunshot is probbaly his best feature. Grade: Useful in some moments.

21.- Ms. Marvel: We still wonder why did she return. She’s not amazing and her attacks do a damage level of mediocrity. The only plus is that she’s strong, but in that case… better take Hulk or the Thing. Grade: Stay at the base.

22.- Penance: This mysterious guy doens’t seem to be strong or physically impressive, although visually, he is. Has energy attacks based in getting pain, but his really strong point is the “fusion” move, that ends up sometimes in total destruction. Grade: Not the best, not the worst.

23.- Luke Cage: This warrior is anything but spectacular. Maybe his fists against the ground are something but aparte from that… the chain, the punch… just don’t really work. Grade: Stay at the base.

24.- Venom: One of the two villains available, Venom it’s one of the best newcomers. His slow melee moves are compensed by really good attackas using his symbiotic abilites, which are able to drain enemy’s life in less that 1 minute! Grotesque, sometimes is the best… Grade: Essential for victory!

25.- Green Goblin: The explosive pumpkins he throws make up for his lack of physical damage. Basically that’s all he does… oh, did I mention he launches missiles? Grade: Not the best, not the worst.

26.- Nanyte Nick Fury: This android version of Nick Fury is strong, and has some good attacks… but he’s lack of visual compability with the rest of heroes, makes him a little odd. Apart from that… his sniper rifle deserves some views. Grade: Not the best, not thw worst.

We do feel sometimes the need of using Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Moonknight or Colossus right? Hahaha… among all the mentioned, who’s your favorite???

PD: Sorry for writing such a long entrance…

Want You to Want Me Part Three: The Revolution Will Be Televised

Writer: Daniel Way
Penciller: Paco Medina
Inker: Juan Vlasco
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Assistant Editor: Jody Leheup
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover: Jason Pearson
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It’s hard to believe this is only the third issue of Deadpool that I’ve bought new of this series. Since picking up #15 to “try” at a friend’s persistent urging/recommendation, I’ve gone back and bought issues 12-14, the Secret Invasion trade, the Deadpool/Thunderbolts trade, a Suicide Kings hardcover, Merc With a Mouth 1-3 (and 4 “new”), as well as Deadpool #900 and Deadpool Team-Up #899. (And of course, also picked up this week’s Amazing Spider-Man #611 just because it had Deadpool in it).

As the above paragraph probably suggests…I’m hooked. I’m a total sucker for anything Deadpool right now. Of course…that’s for good reason The character’s at the top of his game under the various creative teams right now. And over-exposed or exploited as the character may be, I’m thoroughly enjoying such a concentrated dose of the character at present.

This issue picks up on Deadpool seeking to prove himself to Cyclops, that he can cut it s an X-man. Cyclops is handling a sensitive political situation, and Deadpool doesn’t exactly help. His involvement leads Cyclops to send Domino after the Merc…and a misunderstnding with her overhearing Cyclops talking to Wolverine keeps them from hanging onto Wade once they have him. We’re also given a sort of wacky take on H.A.M.M.E.R. and its agents that fits perfectly with Deadpool. The ending sets up the concluding chapter of this arc on a fairly generic cliffhanger.

The art’s good stuff here, and I continue to really enjoy Medina’s work. This contrasts with the cover art, which–while amusing enough–isn’t all that appealing. Still, I’m thankful for the interior being to my liking.

I like that this title is fairly well self-contained; despite the large number of other Deadpool comics and appearances going on at present, this story isn’t forced to acknowledge all of that; its story is its own entity.

This isn’t a great jumping-on point, really (but certainly is not the worst, thanks to the “Previously Page” that Marvel actually does very well with). As a whole, this really feels like the “main” Deadpool book, allowing the other books their status as “secondary” or “side” titles. This seems the book you’ll want to give a look at if you’re interested in Deadpool’s place in interaction with the current Marvel Universe’s ongoing continuity (Dark Reign and all that).

All in all, another solid issue, and I’m ready for the next.

Story: 7.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 8/10

I laugh everytime I watch this!

Rowdy, Cyclops & Sweet Toof – The Wall

Fake – Painting God

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

The Story: Cyclops sends Domino to do what she can to keep Deadpool from killing Mr. Kincaid. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn relishes watching the mutant’s situation and does what he can to make it even worse.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: I didn’t really mind seeing Deadpool take a back seat to the X-Men last month because of the type of story Daniel Way is telling with “Want You To Want Me.” Way had to set up the situation with Mr. Kincaid and the X-Men, so it made sense to use Deadpool as an obstacle rather than the main character. That same approach doesn’t really work as well in Deadpool #17. While the comic is certainly funny (when Domino comes face to face with her biggest fear, I literally laughed out loud) and Deadpool flavored (Way’s ‘pool dialogue is as humorous as always), the X-Men just simply aren’t as entertaining as Deadpool is. Sure it’s fun to see some of them dragged down to his level and the Norman Osborn stuff is unexpectedly clever, but, as a whole, Deadpool #17 is more entertainingly solid than memorably good.

Simply put, the idea behind the current Deadpool arc is far better than the way it is being executed. Deadpool as walking potential PR disaster for the mutants is a funny, clever way to use the character in a way that fits really well within current Marvel continuity. Instead of focusing on the way Deadpool navigates the situation, however, Way chooses to focus on how the X-Men and Osborn react and deal with Wade Wilson. That is fine and dandy to a point, but when I pick up a Deadpool book I do it to read a story mostly about Deadpool, not the X-Men or Norman Osborn (both the X-Men and Osborn have enough books anyway…Deadpool has just recently started to catch up).

As expected, Deadpool #17 is one slick looking book. Paco Medina and his team do a fine job telling the story and their character work is really strong (thought the focus on Domino’s body is quite obnoxious). While some of the exaggerated expressions are a bit much and a few panels look rushed, as a whole, I’m really happy with the artwork throughout the latest issue of Deadpool.

Conclusion: A little more Deadpool would have gone a long way towards making Deadpool #17 a better comic book. While it’s far from bad, Deadpool #17 isn’t as strong as some of the other issues of Deadpool.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Today I was drawing the X-Men and I was looking at back issues for inspiration.   I kept returning to the issues drawn by the late great master Dave Cockrum. There’s just something fascinating about his linework!  I couldn’t ask for a better artist to emulate. Here’s some images that I found from his tribute website.  I encourage you check out more of his work.  Here’ some of my favorites below!

The whole gang is here in this classic look at the X-Men. Now that I think about it, I think my favorite X-Men from this era are the top three in this image.

Avengers Assemble! Well, at least three of them took the time to show up. Hawkeye, Goliath and Black Widow look positively dynamic in this piece. I’m not keen on the random shape behind them, but I’m sure Dave had his reasons.

Once upon a time, Mantis and the Swordsman were newlyweds! Now Mantis is green (Does anyone know how that came about?) and a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Swordsman is no longer among the living. There’s that distracting shape in the background again. Grrr.

The Vision and Captain America arrive late to my Avengers Assemble call. Better late than never as they say. I’m loving how haunted the Vision looks and Cap’s expression is priceless.  I think the circle works better here than the amputated triangles shown in the two images above.

It’s a Knight! Of horses? Or maybe he’s the Rook! Could he be the Rook Knight? Does he have special chess powers? I don’t know. However, I really love the design of this character from his winged helmet to his science fiction boots. Cockrum knew how to design a costume, sometimes merging seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive whole!

Cockrum’s creation, the amazing Nightcrawler, is having a bit of a hard time in this last image.   Dave obviously had a great sense of humor.  The inclusion of the vulture is simply too funny!

Thanks for checking out Dave’s art with me! I hope it inspires you like it has me!

BLINK just opened this past Friday @ The Brick Lane Gallery in London, featuring Sweet Toof, Tek33, Cyclops, (Burning Candy), Cept, Rowdy, and also including works by Banksy, Blek Le Rat, Nick Walker, and others.

(via Brick Lane Gallery)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Links to Everything covered in this Episode!

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a Primal Root review

So, here’s the deal. You receive a box from an elegant older gentleman with a half eaten face who decides to play Deal or No Deal. Ready to hear the conundrum? Okay, you have a little gadget with a seductive, bright red, candy like button on the top of it. Press that button and you receive One Million Dollars in cold hard cash but some poor schmuck you’ve never laid eyes on will die because of your short sighted greedy stupidity. If you don’t press it…well, yeah, nothing happens. You get 24 hours to chew on that before the game show buzzer from hell is picked up and taken away forever.

Stimpy facing this same predicament back in the day.

This is the situation Norma (Ms. Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James “Cyclops” Marsden) find themselves in back in 1976. Norma is a mild mannered disfigured school teacher whose gnarled foot she displays to her curious class in an early fetishistic scene. Her hubby Arthur works for NASA designing lenses for the Viking 1 which sends images back to Earth from the surface of Mars which brings the question of life on other planets into the equation.

"Think we'll be able to afford something to wash the blood off our hands?"

Even before the button is even pressed ( I am not spoiling anything. This happens in the first 15-20 minutes) the Lewis families’  world is filled the the proverbial Richard Kelly strange shit and once pressed the strange shit gets magnified. People keep getting nose bleeds, there are suburban zombies, water portals (a recurring Kelly favorite) kidnappings, loss of senses, unexplained murder, huge leaps of logic, and the NSA. The late night gang who listens to George Noory on Coast to Coast AM will eat this stuff up with a knife and fork!

And as any rational human being would have guessed there are some dire consequences for this decision. The decision to end one human being’s life for simple monetary gain sets off a chain reaction leading to far more difficult decisions.

The Box is filled with interesting ideas that don’t seem to congeal into a solid, finished piece. Like Kelly’s debut film, Donnie Darko, the film has all the logic of a fever dream. This is the kind of stuff I love, honestly. When a film isn’t afraid to not make sense or explain itself or to hand itself over in a neat little package. The Box is not that kinda movie. It’s not easy.

Cameron Diaz lost without a map in The Box

It’s beautifully shot, expertly composed, unabashedly bizarre, and even well acted. Well, with the exception of Cameron Diaz, who is the canker soar on the gum line of this movie. Really, the film kept me interested as it hurled one idea after the another at me but every time Cameron Diaz showed her dopey face I was pulled right out of the film. Her acting is high school drama class caliber and is embarrassing to watch. She tries, you can see her straining to be credible, but her emotions just come off as completely false. Even in her most dramatic scenes you just can’t believe her. She needs to stick to Ashton Kutcher comedies.

James Marsden is in The Box

Luckily, she has a damn fine supporting cast backing her up in the form of the dishearteningly underrated James “Cyclops” Marsden who gives a believable and well composed performance as the better half of the married couple. But the man who steals the show is the ever brilliant Frank Langella as the horribly scarred mystery man, Arlington Steward. This could easily have been a one note performance if handled by any other actor but Langella gives this character ominous overtones while also, somehow, being empathetic. There is a humanity behind all the formality and matter-of -factness.

"Hello, I am Frank Langella. I am here to make your movie good."

Sure, The Box is weird, crazy and off kilter. It’s moody, mellow dramatic and prone to flights of fancy.  But at the end of the day it’s a brain teasing mystery. Ad if there’s one thing I love it’s a mystery. I am proud that Richard Kelly stays true to what he wants his work to be and refuses to make his films easily digestible. The Box could easily be seen as a metaphor for mankind’s relationship to God or as a fable of man’s inhumanity towards man, or even simply a film about alien invasion. They are all good theories but there are no clear answers here.

The Box is a strange, pretty package filled with some sci-fi paradox’s. It is not a good film but it certainly an interesting one. At the end of the day it plays like David Lynch Lite.

Stay Trashy,

-The Primal Root

Gillian Jacobs plays Dana the babysitter in The Box. Hot and a sense of humor!

These are some of the newest little cuties that have been found in the reaches of space and are now up for adoption.  They are all ready to go and looking for that very special home.  Remember try to get your aliens before this Saturday the 7th, because many aliens will be taken out of the shop for the weekend to visit a local art show and if they are adopted will not be able to return.  Others who are not adopted at this weekends art show will return for Monday… but please get your aliens now and don’t be disappointed.

by Warren Ellis (Writer), Phil Jimenez (Pencils), Andy Lanning (Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Art hang-ups and the lack of plot development aside, the Warren Ellis/Phil Jimenez run on Astonishing X-Men got off to a pretty nice start. As a fan of the Brood, I can’t help but look forward to what Ellis has up his sleeve.

The Story: The X-Men deal with a strange biological Sentinel and unexpectedly find themselves up against Brood as well.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Astonishing X-Men #32 is, well, a whole lot like Astonishing X-Men #31. As you’ve no doubt guessed, that’s both a positive thing to say about the book in some ways and a negative thing to say in others. It means that the latest Astonishing X-Men is one hell of a fun, action-packed thrill ride. It also means that the art issues are still a problem and that the current arc’s overall plot only advances over the span of a few pages.

The script for Astonishing X-Men #32 is filled with loads of dialogue that could only come from the mind of Warren Ellis. From the pet names Beast gives to Abigail Brand to the sarcasm that drips from nearly every word bubble, the dialogue is so awesome, so distinctly “Warren Ellis,” that you can’t help but wonder what other type of magic he could work with some of the other Marvel teams. All that good dialogue comes at a price, however, as the story sort of takes a backseat to the action. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since seeing the X-Men do what they do best is almost always a good time, but it does leave the book feeling a little light on plot.

Phil Jimenez’s detailed, dynamic artwork in Astonishing #32 leaves little to be desired from a storytelling standpoint. Especially since the artist’s character work is far more consistent than it was in his Astonishing debut. Visually, Astonishing X-Men #32 is not perfect, however. The problem is that Frank D’Armata’s colors simply overwhelm Jimenez’s pencil work far too often. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that D’Armata’s slick, shiny color work makes some of the action almost indecipherable at times. Some panels/scenes are so awash in a “motion-blur” effect that everything sort of blends together in a way that’s downright hard to follow.

Conclusion: Light on story, but packed with lots of X-Men action, Astonishing X-Men #32 is definitely worth your time and money if you’re a fan of Warren Ellis or Phil Jimenez or both.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

November 7th and 8th kicks off my Holiday Arts and Craft Fair Season.  I take most all my aliens out of my shop each weekend to display at these fairs.  Some of these aliens are adopted on the spot and never return to the shop.  Others will return during the week.  This year it is particularly important for you to get your aliens early and quickly, as there is a very limited quantity this year.  As many of you know I am very pregnant and due right after the Holidays, therefore I will not be able to offer as many aliens this year as I have in the past.  Once they are gone they are gone.  I will only accept special orders on a case by case basis.  THIS WEEK you will have the best shot at getting the Alien you’ve had your eye on. 

If you would like to adopt any of the aliens you see above, I would ask that you do so soon.  They were just recently added and with their cute little tongues and kissing lips, they are sure to go quickly.  Please go to www.adoptanalien.etsy.com right away to adopt your own little alien!  Let the Craft Fairs Begin!

The 7 Month Belly

Baby Boy

Just giving all of you an update.  I’m alittle over 7 months along now.  The baby is very healthy and active, always moving and kicking.  More updates and photos soon!

I apologize to my loyal readers (there are about 15 of you) for my absence this last week. The blog has been vacant because I went on vacation. It was lovely. I went to Calgary to visit my long-distance boyfriend, bought comic books with no provincial sales tax, caught up on The Guild, watched Batman: Brave and the Bold, and slept. A lot.

I’m still in relaxo-mode, and have nothing pertinent to report, so instead I will bombard you with pictures of me and my friends on Halloween. Enjoy.

@poissonlivre as Beast/Hank McCoy

@bbosma as Scott Summers/Cyclops

@SlowDecade as a hipsterish Batman

@MarkCluett as Wilco: The Album: The Costume

And yours truly, as The White Queen/Emma Frost

And that’s just the icing on the cake. Click here to see such figures as Michael Bryant, Minnie Mouse, a horrible pregnant lady, and Zombie National Post.

]]> http://geeknewstoday.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/superheroes-on-twitter/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:46:38 +0000 gntjake http://geeknewstoday.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/superheroes-on-twitter/ http://mywifemademewatchthis.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/%e2%80%9cmy-life-in-ruins%e2%80%9d-is-my-big-fat-greek-tragedy/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:38:35 +0000 mywifemademewatchthis http://mywifemademewatchthis.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/%e2%80%9cmy-life-in-ruins%e2%80%9d-is-my-big-fat-greek-tragedy/

Mention Greece to the movie-going public and they’ll think of John Travolta. Mention it again, saying “No, stupid, the country. Grease is spelled with an A.” After they finish punching you, three things will pop into their heads as they walk away: that old building with the columns, that funny flat bread, and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

Nothing says “hey, you liked that Greek wedding movie starring Nia Vardalos, maybe you’ll like this Greek vacation movie with Nia Vardalos” like “My Life in Ruins,” which, if you read the first part of this sentence, is about a vacation in Greece.

Here, Georgia/Nia Vardalos is an American bus tour guide in who is so dully perceived by the tourists she guides that she’s about to be fired. Transfer this success rate to another profession (say, brain surgeon) and you see how much sympathy this generates. In moviedom, there is a fine line between being in a job you hate and being in a job you’re terrible at. In the much better “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” Vardalos seems very capable at her humdrum travel agency job where she book trips to (wait for it) Greece.

…And here she’s a travel guide in Greece. Same movie universe or is that the fanboy inside talking?

In any case, Vardalos seems to have taken a while before heading back to the Greek well, especially if you consider the string of flops she had. But thanks to her appearance in that slightly more successful Greek movie, “My Life In Ruins” will likely become part two of a Vardalos trilogy; finished only when they find a another Mexican-American to star in a Zorba The Greek remake. I have a feeling her non-Greek-centric movies will be viewed by film historians the same way literature professors see Aeschylus’ lost plays. (Strangely, “Prometheus and the Tour Bus” is one of these “missing” works.)

Since “My Life In Ruins” (it’s a pun get it? get it?) is geared towards a mass audience, we rely on handy stereotypes to get characters’ motivations established quickly. Are there Australians on the bus? Then they better have beer in their hands in every scene. British? They better be an old and fussy couple. This method of generalizing is acceptable in a movie like this, largely because it is unlikely any Australians or Britons will see it because they are too busy drinking and fussing.

What follows is the standard These-People-Who-I’m-Repulsed-With-End-Up-Redeeming-Me approach. What I don’t get is, this formula would be greatly improved by the presence of a Cyclops or two. Certainly it would add to the drama if Polyphemus picked off a crusty Greek tourist. But this, along with the Spartan diaper from “300” that Richard Dreyfus was supposed to wear was probably chopped out in post-production.

No doubt the one thing people will take away from “My Life in Ruins” is the name of the hunky Greek bus driver and love interest Poupi Kaka. Yes, that’s his name and yes, this joke gets the biggest giggle in the whole movie. The Kaka name sets up for another equally middle school larf concerning Poupi’s nephew (hint: it’s ain’t Kostos).