Category: Comic review

Infamous

infamous

We all have the ability to be special, and we all have the ability to ride our paths towards good or evil. Infamous took this very much to heart and made one of the few games where I could be a real superhero or the ultimate outlaw. The choice comes down to you.

Cole Mcgraph was your average guy living in Empire City: he was a bike messenger, he had a girlfriend Trish and a best friend Zeke…until he delivered the wrong package. The Ray Sphere. He accidentally triggers it, starting a cataclysmic event that would lay part of Empire City in ruin, many dead, and Cole changed. He discovers the power to control electricity.  Empire City becomes quarantined by the feds and hell breaks loose amongst the gangs that emerge under the First Sons and there leader, Kessler. As Cole learns to control his power, and fights for survival, will he become a symbol of hope or dread?

For those who played the game, you’ll know how much I over simplified some pretty good plot points. Either way you play, there is a good story that is very much worth 2 playthroughs.  That’s where Infamous shines, depending on how good or evil you become, you’re the side effects to your powers change, even getting a special ability based on your karma (evil was my favorite). Much of the gameplay is divided into parkour and third person shooting and flows pretty easy between the two, as the game progresses you do start feeling almost god like which is awesome, especially if you go evil. For the good story and fun gameplay, there are some peeves I have with it. Cole can die easy as hell in the beginning and not being able to touch water is annoying as hell; another aspect I found irritating as hell in the beginning was the parkour which felt clunky but thankfully other abilities you get throughout the game make traveling more fun and way faster. The score varies from bland to epic and the voice acting is solid. In the end, if you want to play a different kind of superhero game that tries to be special, Infamous is well worth a try. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Mo Amer: The Vagabond

As some of you may have noticed I have been back on my stand-up kick lately, so today I was checking out Mo Amer. I hadn’t seen him before or even really heard of him beyond seeing him as I scrolled pass on Netflix. The good news is, I am happy I decided to watch this. This Arab American Muslim uses his experiences to make people laugh in unexpected ways. Admittedly in today’s world, many people would see some of his jokes as inappropriate, for example, he talks about how his brother Omar decided to become a pilot or that he has a nephew named Osama and he can’t really use his name at Walmart and has to use fake names. Which he finds it unfair because all the terrorist attacks from white people haven’t forced people named Timothy to change their name.

Again obviously with context, these jokes make more sense, but if reading about this strikes a nerve with you, maybe you shouldn’t watch him. However, I enjoyed it including his story of going back to Kuwait, the country his family fled when he was 9 to do a comedy show for the troops. For me, it was a pretty cool perspective from a comedian. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Green Lanterns rebirth: Rage Planet

lanterns rage planet

Over the past few years I’ve been watching how DC’s rebirth has been going and finally I took my first step in with the newest Green Lanterns series, following the adventures of new Green Lanterns, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz.

Baz, a troubled, arrogant young Muslim found himself in deep trouble with the government only to be rescued by the fabled Green Lantern ring; Cruz is a young woman who had fallen victim to depression, anxiety, and Agoraphobia after a tragedy befell her. Both are assigned to protect Earth by legendary Lantern Hal Jordan, but when he notices the friction between the duo, he assigns them the same power battery, forcing them to work together. What could go wrong? A exiled, fugitive Guardian finds his way to Earth searching for Jordan, finding his way to Baz’s family with a powerful weapon that can potentially dwarf the Green Lantern’s ring. But this event gets swept aside when the Corp’s nemesis and Red Lantern leader Atrocitus plans to unleash Red Dawn on the Earth, infecting the world with rage. Can these rookies work together, get a grip on there powers, and stop the rage?

Rage Planet is a good start for DC rebirth as well as for a Green Lantern or comic fan. Baz and Cruz are solid characters I found relate-able, especially Cruz who struck a note with me. Atrocitus has some awesome moments and some depth to him that makes him one of my favorite Lantern characters. It’s a good start up story and I’d say its well worth a read for fans and readers new to comics. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

R.I.P Stan Lee, a legend

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I’m very sad to say a few days ago we lost a beloved icon in nerd history, the man himself Stan Lee. For those who didn’t know ( how can you not in this day and age, but hey it happens) he was one one Marvel comics earliest writers giving us such beloved heroes such as the X-Men, The Fantastic 4, The Incredible Hulk, Dr Strange, Daredevil and Marvel’s iconic Spider-man. Stan Lee helped revolutionize the way we think of superheroes and villains because him and Marvel were the first to treat them like real people that dealt with real issues: the F4 were a dysfunctional family, the X Men were outcasts in a time of the Civil Rights and several other movements in our country- Magneto was a traumatized holocaust survivor, the Hulk openly talked about the effects of child abuse, and Spider-man was an average teenage geek. Marvel characters were the first to feel like us, people we knew. I once heard Stan Lee say the point was that any of us could be heroes, no matter what and the world was full of them. I took that to heart a lot as a kid.

He’s appeared in so many shows, video games, and of course his awesome cameos in Marvel movies, which sometimes were the best part. I think I speck for nerd kind when I say I don’t what will be harder, seeing Stan Lee’s final cameo with a dedication at the end of the movie, or watching a movie all the way through and knowing he won’t be there.

In closing, I just say be a true believer: believe in the extraordinary, believe you can be extraordinary no matter if your thin, big, small, where you came from, what color your skin is, or even if you’re a chess geek that got bitten by a spider. There is a hero in all of us, even the villains, and we are all people. From Savior and I, rest easy Stan Lee and for those he inspired in his wake- Excelsior!

The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning

hills beginning

I’ve been asked where my love of comics began and it feels strange to say but it all started with a movie tie in book, namely the prequel story to the The Hills Have Eyes(06) as told through the perspective of Hades, the first mutant and main antagonist of The Hills Have Eyes 2 . A small mining town in the New Mexico desert gets ordered to evacuate by order of the US government. Poor and prideful with nowhere else to go, most of the citizens stayed. A band of army men dispatch themselves into the town to try forcing the people to leave. After a women’s family is killed and she’s raped by one of the army men, she vows revenge. The bombs begin to drop soon after and the people flee into the mines. For years they fall as the townsfolk live underground. The woman is blessed with a baby, but the massive child hardly resembles human. Hades is the first of a new kind.

After Hills 2, I was pretty damn let down by the series but the Beginning restored my faith. Beginning, like the first, is a multi-layered revenge story. It’s bloody, shocking, and badass and pretty much everything I loved about the first movie. Hades is much more sympathetic and gruff as a main character and I like that from the get go we are lead to follow the mutants as the protagonists and humans are the bad guys. The book is paced very well and a must read for fans of the series. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

The Dark Knight Rises

dark knight rises

You know how people say there are no perfect trilogies? Most of us have our subjective favorites, but 9 out of 10 times the landing at the end may not be perfect. After how insanely epic Batman Begins and the The Dark Knight were, how did the final installment land?

8 years have passed since the death of Harvey Dent and Batman disappeared. Everything Dent did has been upheld under the Dent Act, locking up hundreds of criminals. Crime seems low, Gordon is nearly obsolete and Bruce Wayne is a battered recluse living in the renovated Wayne manor. Physically and emotionally he’s been torn down and Wayne Enterprises is bleeding money. A mysterious philanthropist named Miranda Tate and notorious Rowland Dagget are clawing for the company from 2 sides. After a run in with a cat burglar, Selena Kyle, Wayne discovers bad times are going to come again. A masked mercenary has come to Gotham with a small army of highly trained soldiers at his heels, working to break the city from the inside out. Enter Bane, the man who broke the bat; can the citizens of Gotham survive without there protector?

This is going to sound weird but despite how flawed it is, I do love this movie and I think, logical leaps aside, it’s a great end to the trilogy. I have to say Tom Hardy as Bane steals the show with his great dialogue, intimidating physical presence, and strange accent; I do wish Nolan picked a better explanation for Bane’s mask. I don’t get why Venom couldn’t be a mix of steroids or something, it didn’t have to have outrageous effects. I personally really like Anne Hathaway as Catwoman although she doesn’t have the cat puns or  the trademark whip. The supporting cast is great and I liked the inclusion of the “John Blake” character. I felt Bale’s performance in this was fine but I hated how much he growled as Batman and well, here we come to the logic leaps. Batman is paranoid and an extremely cautious character by definition so why the hell would he reveal all his secrets to a chick he slept with a couple days prior , let alone be shocked when she betrays his ass? Questions like this, how the hell he could get across the world and back to a quarantined Gotham in less than a day kind of break immersion. Another little issue I have is the final act drags a bit after the climax with Batman and Bane. It may sound like I’m nitpicking this movie but there’s great story arcs and a very powerful message in this final chapter that completes the trilogy quite nicely. In the end, it’s not perfect but it’s a damn good way to end the legend of the Batman. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Dark Knight

dark knight

For a long time there was a debate on the greatest superhero movie of our time, either Dark Knight or Avengers . Which ever side of the spectrum you personally fall on, it’s one of those few movies that is simply great.

Months after Batman Begins , Gotham is starting it’s turning point. Jim Gordon and Batman have fought to take on the mob with the new, handsome DA Harvey Dent and have pushed them to near extinction. A tomorrow is on the horizon it seems where Gotham would no longer need Batman; he sees how the people look towards Harvey’s warm, earnest smile for hope- a good man without a mask, the hero Gotham deserves. But what’s standing in the way? In there desperation, the mob turned to a mad man without scruples, without morality and is determined to watch Gotham fall into chaos and Batman become the lunatic he was meant to be: enter the Joker…

This is one of the rare times I believe a movie deserves the praise it gets. Bale again is great as Batman at the height of his reign with a a fantastic supporting cast. Heath Ledger as Joker was terrifying; I’m ashamed to say I was one of the nay sayers who hated on him when it was first announced he would be Joker but the second I saw him I was speechless and he truly changed the game and was a legendary villain. A huge actor overlooked in the movie is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent and subsequently Two-Face. He absolutely nailed what made Harvey’s fall tragic while maintaining the menace and stature he had in Batman: the animated series . The plot is winding and well paced, full of real suspense and great action and character moments. The score, cinematography, and story are top notch. The movie is damn near perfect in my opinion and it’s a must see masterpiece. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Batman Begins

batman begins

My dream in life has been to always create a superhero story as well as good horror story. As a kid, I looked up to superheroes but none of there movies ever sparked my soul. I almost gave up on my dream, that was until Batman Begins.

Bruce Wayne, young, angry, and self destructive after watching his parents murdered in front of him as a child. Gotham City is rotting from the corruption within, the streets desperate. Caught in his own pain, he abandons his wealth and ventures to the other side of the world , trying to lose himself and learn how to stop injustice with nothing at all. In a jail cell, a man named Ducard offers him a choice- keep wasting his life or push himself farther than he ever could and become a member of the League of Shadows. He gives his all in training but something is missing. Their leader, the mysterious Ras Al Ghul, commands Wayne to take a life to prove he is ready for there movement to put an end to Gotham’s decadence as to make the world a better place. After a epic battle that seemingly destroys the League, Bruce returns home to his last remaining family, his butler Alfred and a plan to use his skills and the technology from his family’s company to become the hero Gotham needs and the symbol criminals fear. Here is how Batman Begins…

Until Batman Begins, I never felt a superhero’s story could feel like a real story. There had been greats before like X- Men and Spider- man 2 and even Tim  Burton’s Batman was classic but none of them resonated with me like Begins. Christian Bale is perfect as all 3 aspects of the character in this movie. I loved how the movie is grounded but mythic by the philosophy of Batman and the foes he faces. The supporting characters are damn great and are very well written. The movie’s writing, score and cinematography are stunning and the story and pacing flow wonderfully. I have little grips here and there like I think Scarecrow could have had more threat to him and more could have been done with the fear images. Many argue how great the movie was, many more say the sequel was far superior but it will always hold a special place in my heart. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Nailbiter vol 2: bloody hands

nailbiter v2

A special thanks goes out to my long time friend Violet who got me volumes 2 and 3 as a birthday gift after finding out how nuts I was after Nailbiter: vol 1 there will be blood ; absolutely awesome gift…

The town of Buckaroo is suffering a familiar hit after the Murder Store was burned to the ground, the local high school asshole/ reverend’s son ended up dead, press and attention are running amok again as a new killer in the long line of Buckaroo Butchers seems to be afoot. A big, broad shouldered figure in black wearing a horned mask. Nick Finch, enraged after finding what was left of his best friend is out to track down the secret of the Butchers and stop them once and for all; Sheriff Shannon Crane is trying to keep the peace but it’s easier said then done. Finch finds a family of bee obsessed red necks; the long time town bus driver loses his mind and tries to “cleanse” the children’s souls by drowning them in the river. This madness and more while the horned killer watches and Finch is pushed to the edge, driving to Warren- The Nailbiter- for answers…

Volume 2 is strange but another great addition to the series. This world feels oddly realistically crazy, I can’t say it ever felt too scripted but rather natural how much of it goes down. At first, it does feel like filler but it does help build up to the madness to come. I like the chapter about real life comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis and his journey to Buckaroo and the chapter about Crowe the bus driver. As before there  are grim undertones of dark humor that work pretty well in a dark story. The art is creepy and looks good. Overall, if you read the first book, the second won’t disappoint and I can’t wait for the third. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

New Suicide Squad: Pure Insanity

suicide squad insaneSuicide Squad

Amanda Waller, one of the grayest characters in DC, heads Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad. In Pure Insanity, we begin with her being removed from the spot and hot shot politician Vic Sage. Sage wants to reinvigorate Task Force X by making some radical changes to the crew. for one, he enlists the help of super mercenary Deathstroke to provide support for the team, despite the antagonistic relationship between him and Deadshot and against Waller’s strong wishes as well as the new criminal calling herself “Joker’s Daughter”, which pisses off the already unstable Harley Quinn to say the least. Joker’s Daughter and Deathstroke aren’t tagged with the accustomed nano-bombs. The bright side is  the crew has Aquaman’s nemesis Black Manta. The team’s mission- infiltrate a Russian facility on there soil while fighting deadly robots. After the team dissolves into madness, Deathstroke betrays them, Deadshot is damn near crippled, and Manta takes charge, they are thrown into service, this time aided by ninja Manbats and notorious Flash villains Captain Boomerang and Reverse Flash, the team is sent to infiltrate a lab in China experimenting with creating Meta Humans. Waller has her luck cut out for her as bad decisions and the madness of the Suicide Squad threatens to damn them all…

This book is a good example of what I loved from the  Suicide Squad  movie without the dumb shit. The stories are fast paced but there’s still some great character moments- especially from Waller, Harley, and Manta. Manta steals the show in my opinion; this was my first real experience with him and he quickly won my heart. there is some good dark humor and a lot of action. In the end, if you’re new to DC or the new 52, this is a good solid place to start. May the gaming gods bring you glory.