Category: Comic review

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.

My 10 favorite Spider-man villains, part 2

spidey comic 2

Here we continue with my list of favorite Spider-man villains, starting from the 5th spot to number 1. Here we get a lot of the big well known Spidey bad guys, the ones that test him the most, starting with…

kingpin spidey 5. Kingpin-

While just as much of a Daredevil villain, Spider-man has given Wilson Fisk a ton of headaches over the years. Fisk is a criminal mastermind and a brutal physical threat that can certainly take a ass kicking.

carnage spidey 4. Carnage-

With all the hype over Venom’s movie and many wondering why he wasn’t the villain revealed in Venom trailer 3 I have to give Cleatus a shout out. He’s a stark raving lunatic that won’t go down, loves Lynard Skynard, and warp his body into deadly things. Ain’t he a bundle of fun for the family?

doc ock spidey 3. Doctor Octopus/ Doc Ock-

My personal favorite rendition was Alfred Molina’s in Spider- man 2 , though I loved him in the animated series too and in Amazing Spider-man: Superior I loved seeing Peter’s former mentor try to live up to his enemy. Ock’s tentacles are some of my favorite weapons in comics that are frankly badass.

venom spidey 2. Venom-

Venom in almost every way is the dark version of Spider-man, and his story is full of sheer awesomeness and revenge. You can’t talk about Venom without bringing  up Spider-man: the animated series or Spider-man (N64)  .Of course Spider-man 3 didn’t do the character justice but the movie has promise. What makes Venom cool is the fact he means to do good at the expense of his hate for the wall crawler, and they do make an awesome pair in a fight.

green goblin marvel 1. Green Goblin-

No villain has really brought Spider-man the pain and hardship as the Green Goblin. Because of Goblin, he lost his greatest love Gwen Stacy, and his best friend Harry Osborn went mad after losing his father Norman, the first Goblin just eventually meet the same fate. The Goblin’s creepy outfit, Halloween themed arsenal, cool glider, and utter madness makes him my number one.

There’s plenty of other villains I’d like to include like Shocker, Hobgoblin, Kraven the Hunter, and Mysterio but that’s part of what makes Spider-man so great, he’s got so many great villains. I hope you enjoyed and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

My top 10 favorite Spider-man villains part 1

spidey comic 1

Spider-man has come a long way in the few years after Tom Holland’s spot on performance as the wall crawler in Captain America Civil War (Iron Man Side) , Spider-man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War . I’ve also been covering a lot of the trailers for the ps4 game. That being said, as much as our friendly neighborhood Spider-man, I love his villains just as much. In this post, from spot 10 to 6, let’s begin with…

lizard spidey 10. The Lizard-

Curt Connors was a teacher, scientist, and friend to Peter who had lost an arm and tried regrowing it with reptilian DNA with monstrous results. My attraction to him has always been the draw of how sympathetic he his on top of how viscous he can be… plus he was my favorite part of Amazing Spider-man

electro 9. Electro –

Ok, this is going to blow a lot of minds but I didn’t hate The Amazing Spider-man 2 as much as many did. I’ve never been a huge fan of Electro but I loved the power he had in the movie. Every game I’ve faced him in kicked my ass and electricity powers are sweet so here’s to the 9 spot.

scorpion spidey 8. Scorpion-

I always felt kinda bad for Mac Gargon, a guy who found himself in a raw deal. Yes he got strength, agility, and a suit that can up the damage he can take with a tail that can spray acid but the drawback is he’s stuck in the suit. Besides being awesome, whether its in Spider-man (N64) or Spider-man: the animated series , he’s a force to be reckoned with.

hydro man spidey 7. Hydro Man-

Water is everywhere, in fact, it’s a majority of what makes us up. Hell, most of our planet is water. When your girlfriend’s crazy asshole ex boyfriend is virtually indestructible and has an extremely accessible power source at his disposal, well Spidey is in for a hell of a fight.

vulture spidey    6.Vulture-

I have to admit, before Homecoming I never really understood why I liked Vulture so much. He looked cool in the Spider-man movie game, but he was easy as hell to take down, In Homecoming, Michael Keaton gave a great performance as a father trying to do right for his family.

I hope you enjoyed the first half of my list, the second half will be up later today. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 4

power rangers 4

Picking up where Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol.3 left off, the remaining Rangers find themselves being lured lured into Drakken’s clutches. Finster has created a small army of perfected Gouldars to meet them for an ambush once they cross worlds. The rebellion Zach and Trini lead is about to be crushed by Drakken’s army as Trini tells Billy how he died giving them the only chance they have left- the Triceratops power coin. Zordon finds himself dead in that time, caught in the loop racing in to help his rangers there. After a brilliant move on Trini’s part, Drakken’s power is disrupted as well as his army’s but can Tommy stop his evil self once and for all?

It was a badass end to this part of the story, but I do wish I got to see the final clash between the Green Ranger and Drakken, instead of them powered down. It is cool in the flashbacks to see rangers of other eras mix but ultimately fall to Drakken. the way they beat Drakken is kinda kooky but hey, it’s Power Rangers. If you’re a fan, I’d suggest the comics definitely for a good story and the nostalgic value alone. Thanks to my friend Autobot for loaning me the books; below are links to other Power Ranger comic reviews. May the power protect you and the gaming gods bring you glory.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: vol 1 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 2  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol.3

Power Rangers Shattered Grid Trailer

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol.3

power rangers 3

So without a truckload of back tracking, please refer to my posts on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: vol 1 and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 2 before continuing with the story. So Tommy and Billy are trapped in a alternate future dimension without there powers and without the other rangers, who sharing Tommy’s Green Ranger power, have started trying to restore Alpha and bring the fight to Rita. Billy and Tommy find themselves in a time of great destruction, where Rita has taken over and the Power Rangers have lost to a sinister Lord Drakken. Powers that once were theirs have been scavenged, given to Drakken’s army. On the other side, Trini discovers the Black Dragon shares some striking similarities to Tommy’s DragonZord. Lord Drakken is revealed to be a older Tommy, a Tommy that that stayed loyal to Rita and who killed Jason, who failed to harness the White Ranger power in time. Drakken fused both together and destroyed most of his former teammates and friends. After barely escaping, the duo find a resistance led by an older Zach, but what can they do without there powers?

I can’t help but be impressed by the Boom Power Ranger comics. I enjoyed the more intimate look into Billy, who was always one of my favorites. Drakken is menacing and well written, a cool and much needed threat against the Rangers. If you enjoyed the show or want a really good comic story, these should be high on your list. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Batman: Year One

batman year 1

There have been many upon many retelling of the origin of Batman and one of the most iconic is Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, which helped inspire Batman Begins. Year One as far as story is pretty self explanatory. Gotham is a crime infested hellhole full of crooked cops and mainly controlled by mob families. Young Detective Jim Gordon transferred willingly here with his budding family in search of money and a new start but quickly learns Gotham is no place for a good man. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne returns after nearly a decade abroad, prepared to seek vengance on the crime that took the life of his parents. At first, dressed in black he attacks the small time crooks to no avail. Using his fear of bats, his natural intellect, and the skills he learned across the globe, he chooses a new identity, something to scare the wicked. Gordon and the newly emerged Batman of Gotham are fighting for justice, but can they work together?

I admire the book for it’s intamcy in regards to Gordon and Wayne’s thoughts and stories. I enjoyed how Batman’s origin wasn’t tied to a specific super villian but fighting the crime families of Gotham. It was cool to see the thought processes behind Batman’s transform, as well the impact he makes on others. There’s an iconic scene where he engages the family heads directly that always stuck with me. I found it weird Catwoman started off as hooker in this and didn’t really think she needed to be there. I did see the animated film which was adapted really damn well and I recommend seeing in conjunction with the book or just on it’s own. If you want a cool origin and a good crime drama, this is well worth the read. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers vol 2

power rangers vol 2

Again, another shout out to Autobot for letting me borrow these books. Picking up where Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: vol 1 left off, tensions are at a all time high between Rangers, especially Zach and Tommy. The reason for Zach’s paranoia stems from a secret encounter he had with Rita, before the Green Ranger even appeared. Using his nature against him, he offered him the Green power to help bring order to the world if he would just abandon his friends and achieve the greatness he sought. He turned it down but he felt the overwhelming ease and guilt at the wanting he felt. A new monster, the Black Dragon, has descended on them, kidnapping Billy and zapping all the Rangers expect for Tommy’s, leading to Tommy and an unpowered Jason to lead a raid on Rita’s palace to free the captured Blue Ranger…Once again, I was really into this comic. The characters are done well, being fun but heartfelt, and the action is awesome. Seeing the Dragonzord in space was pretty damn sweet. If you liked the first volume, feel free to jump to into the second and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: vol 1

power rangers v1

To start, I’m going to start this four part review with a shout out to my friend Autobot who loaned me these comics. After the Power Rangers Shattered Grid Trailer , many were interested in the Higgins run of Power Rangers comics, to which we get the first volume.

Shortly after being freed from the grasp of Rita Repulsa, Tommy Oliver is finding the balance between being a normal teen and the sixth Power Ranger. The dynamic of the team has changed as the old rangers learn to adjust to there new teammate and former enemy. Tensions are high amongst the group; Jason and Tommy butt heads over leadership and Zach is ensure of Tommy’s true aligence after it appears Tommy can’t fully control the powers of the Green Ranger. Unbeknownst to the rest of the team, Rita is mentally torturing Tommy, trying to lure him back to her side. Or, does Rita have other plans?

I grew up with Power Rangers like many and to this day I still love the classic Mighty Morphin series so I loved this book. If your a die hard fan and are worried it won’t fit the show, rest assured, the characters act and look how they did then. What I liked is how it was just a little bit darker, but wasn’t as drastic as last year’s remake seemed to be. I couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series. The only issue I had was it felt short; there is a Bulk and Skull short at the end but I felt like it was there to pad the book up a bit. Either way, old fan or new, it’s definitely worth checking out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.