| AE-WW2 Rulebook Review |
[Feb. 25th, 2008|09:54 am] |
After much anticipation, the new AE-WW2 rulebook finally made it to my house, a long with a good portion of the available German models and the Soviet special model. I hold all rulebooks that I acquire against what I consider to be the gold standard of rulebooks: the Infinity book and the Flames of War v2 book. Both books were depicted in beautiful full color, hardcover, and extremely well detailed and laid out. So how does the first offering from Darkson Designs fair?
The Rules
At first glance, the AE-WW2 rules appear to be standard skirmish rules with action points and alternating activations. Darkson applies a few twists to this rule set, especially with the great implementation of Drive. Most games use a Command/Leadership/Motivation rating for each model/unit, but this rarely has a large impact on the game. Penalties to this stat are always temporary and it never actually feels like the event taking place in the mission accurately reflect upon this rating. Drive does it right, but having permanent as well as temporary penalties to this stat. As your detachment starts to crumble, so does the desire to keep fighting. Not only does this capture the idea better, but also makes skills that regain Drive all that more useful.
The Detachments
AE-WW2 takes a different approach to list building. Instead of the usual points system with additional rules for unit inclusions, we get detachment templates that specify rules for selecting models/units, various upgrades allowed, and some options. This system is extremely quick to use and still offers the variety of options that other points-based systems do. The only criticism I can make here is that after spending time with the detachments as well as the models I had, I always ended up with the Experimental detachment. For me, there is no point in playing an alternate WW2 without the 'weird' stuff, but I found I could not accomplish this to the level that I wanted without that detachment. Of course, new detachments could always fix this, and it really is a minor gripe.
The Heroes
Along with choosing the models/units to fill out the detachment, one or more can be upgraded with a Hero type. These range from the generic Archaeologist or War Hero, to the faction-specific, such as the American Eccentric Millionaire, or the German Assassin. In all, this concept adds a great deal of flavor to the detachment-building process. For effectiveness, I found the German Assassin to appear as the best (although the Eccentric Millionaire was a close second). The Soviet options seemed less impressive than the others, and overall I found I was dipping into the Generic heroes for all of my Soviet lists.
The Americans
The American faction is based around 'sci-tech' advances, and features an abundance of cool weaponry and machinery. The Buffalo Armored trooper with his Tesla cannon, the rocket troopers with their Tesla pistols and the robot troopers are all examples of the interesting stuff available, along with the usual stuff like Airborne troopers, normal GIs and Mechanics.
The Germans
The German faction is centered on genetic advances, and as such has some of the weirdest options available. The Emaciated with their claws, the massive Sturmaffe, the flame-throwing Feuersoldat and the absolutely maniacal Mad Doktor all illustrate the incredible flavor that this faction has. The SD agent probably one of my favorite options in the book, as he appears to have sprung straight from an Indiana Jones movie to terrorize the AE-WW2 world instead.
The Soviets
The Soviet faction, with their focus on psi-powers, is hands-down my favorite of the factions. The psi-officer, psi-commandos, chumans, banshees and the Latent Psi hero all rate highly for me, as the psi powers give a lot of flexibility to the play style. Clouded Minds immediately was number one, as the +2 cover save meant that a lot of these troops would be much harder to damage at a distance. I saw uses for the other powers as well, but I do feel that the Push power is slightly underpowered (someone please prove me wrong on this one!).
The Models
If there is one spot to be critical, it is on the models. I feel that Darkson has done an excellent job of improving the model quality. I approve of the number of options that come with the models, but at the same time struggle to assemble them. My hands are too large to get all the tiny pieces to fit just right, and I won't mention the number of times I have uttered curses at the older models. I also find the base tab that fits into the slot to be extremely varied in size and shape and rarely fits the slot on first try. These are again minor criticisms, as the models are highly detailed, offer a abundance of configurations and continue to get better with each release.
The Layout
I enjoyed the book's layout immensely. It came packed with fluff, full color pictures, the core rules, scenarios, and lots of faction information. Most importantly, a full set of references is located at the back for easy lookup.
Final Thoughts
I have to give top marks to Darkson Designs for this rulebook. They have effectively combined a myriad of options into an elegant game system. The quality in every aspect is superb. I can honestly say that I can't wait for the Occult expansion! |
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| Television, or something like it |
[Feb. 5th, 2008|12:21 pm] |
Show most likely to join my top 5 when Green Arrow and Black Canary are on it- Smallville. This season has been pretty poor so far, with the lame cloned brother of Lex storyline, and the serious absence of Lois (not to mention the Bizarro stuff). Queue the return of Green Arrow and the arrival of Black Canary. In fact, scrap Smallville and just give me a show with those two!
Show that started off great but has since become lost- Lost. Talk about a show that has gone nowhere fast. The first season and parts of the second season were excellent, with lots of mystery surrounding the island. I found this season's premiere to be horrible, with nothing really happening at all. The flash-forwards continue to reveal that only a few make it off the island, and not everything is rosy for the island-escapees, but other than that we got nothing for the extended wait. Its time to pick up the steam on this show.
Show that everyone loves that I hate- Dexter. I'm sorry, but after one episode I never wanted to watch this again. For me, if I can't identify with the main character, its hard to watch a show. Dexter is completely foreign to me, and I have a hard time looking at him as anything more than a serial killer. I now something find this fascinating, but I just find it repulsive.
Show most likely to make my Top 5 once more episodes are aired- Eli Stone. I've covered this show already, so here is hoping the rest of the season are as good as the first episode.
My Top 5 Current TV Favorites:
5. Stargate Atlantis- This show is just hanging on by a thread. I really enjoyed the start to the season as it took the team quite awhile to save Atlantis and land it. Then there was a serious lull until the show built to the mid-season "finale", which was a great showdown with the replicators again (and revealed repli-Weir as the season villain). The lull is back in full swing again, as this show starts to follow the SG:SG-1 pattern of two good episodes followed by one earth-based one with a low budget.
4. Dr. Who/Torchwood-I pair this together because BBC has such short seasons. For me, the first season of the rebooted Dr. Who was average. once David Tenant became the new Doctor, the show became much improved. Season two's finale was the main high point, with season three having some excellent episodes (the family two-parter was fantastic) before running into a rather poor finale. I have high hopes for the new season coming up. Torchwood, for me, was hard to jump into a first. It either had really good episodes or completely forgettable ones. Season two has been much stronger, with 3 great episodes already out there.
3. House-I think all House viewers know how great this show is. The writers are especially on point, realizing that several story-lines had run their course in season two. For season three they removed the current team and set up a survivor-like competition for the positions. This kept everything fresh and supplied a lot of humor to balance the medical drama. Overall, season three has been the best yet.
2. Chuck-For me, this show has a winning combination of humor and spy action. A lot of people can relate to Chuck, and many aspects of his life. At first, I was worried that they were going to run out of things to do with the Intersect computer in his head, but they have navigated those waters safely, and have put together some fun episodes along the way. Here is hoping for a solid second season.
1. Psych-This show easily beats all competitors in my view. They have successfully captured several excellent characters who all interact perfectly in the confines of a show that is part comedy/part detective story. I have never laughed harder at a show, and am hoping that its move to a larger network will spell long term success. |
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| Eli Stone |
[Feb. 3rd, 2008|11:25 am] |
Its been so long, but I felt compelled to comment on the premiere of this show. I saw a pre-screener of the first episode over the Christmas holidays, and absolutely loved the show. Being a huge Johnny Lee Miller fan, I was happy to see him in a lead role. The supporting cast is just as strong as anything with Victor Gerber in it rocks (I'll still see him as Sidney's father in Alias).
The show finally aired after the season premiere of Lost. Lost itself was a complete disaster of an episode. With a finite number of episodes left until completion, they seem hesitant to do anything with the story. An hour passed and I felt more confused than before. Jeph Loeb really has his work cut out to get Lost back on track, because right now the title aptly describes the plot: totally lost.
Eli Stone was another matter. Watching it for the second time, I enjoyed it even more. It tackles the great concept of faith, but not in a religious manner. At one point Eli states that he doesn't believe in God. His acupuncturist responds that he believes in things like justice and love. Those things are God. Throughout the show he struggles with his visions, and whether or not they are just the result of his brain aneurysm screwing him up, or if they really are prophetic. Finally, Eli comes to terms with his dead father, who he hated and blamed for many wrongs. After so much time, he finally realized what his father had gone through. This, in particular, hit hard for me, as I blamed my dead father for a lot of things that went wrong in my family. I have since forgiven him, but it took a long time. I'm not even convinced that my brother has forgiven him at all.
To anyone who missed the show, try to watch it. It was a completely different type of television programming. In the hour I laughed hard and cried just as hard. I felt joy and sorrow for the tragic hero, who's lifespan is severely limited, but his capacity for changing the world has no ceiling.
And a note for those who heard about the controversial court case featured in this show, about the possible link between child vaccines and autism, the show is fictional. Besides that, they never say that there is a definitive link. In fact, they go so far as to say that there isn't. The episode really isn't about that, though, although the media will have to believe otherwise. It is Eli's journey that matters. Only that. |
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| Saying Goodbye to 2006 |
[Jan. 11th, 2007|09:46 am] |
Best Comic
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Marvel - New X-Men: easily my most enjoyable read of the year, Yost and Kyle crafted a book that was equal parts funny and heart-wrenching, with plenty of action tossed in. This book reminds me of decades ago when I enjoyed the New Mutants so much
DC - Mystery In Space: in a tough call, Starlin's tale of Captain Comet's rebirth is as solid a space opera as you can get. It helps that Shane Davis' art is superb. Runner-up is Green Lantern, as an excellent title.
Best Event
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Marvel - Annihilation: Everything was done right in this event, from the four mini-series to the main title itself. The storytelling was spot on, DeVitto's art was amazing, and the restructuring of Marvel's cosmic landscape was done elegantly. This is a shining example of how to concoct a major event. Runner-up is Planet Hulk, which finally gave the Hulk a place to be used to his fullest without collateral damage.
DC - None
Worst Event
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Marvel - Civil War: if Annihilation was the right way, Civil War was the wrong way. Between massive delays, poor storytelling and just stupid ideas (cloned Thor), Marvel's giant event was a monumental failure up to this point. Most books were tied up in this crossover, ensuring you either bought a ton of books, or almost none at all.
DC - 52: DC attempted something monumental here with a weekly comic for a year, and have succeeded admirably. Unfortunately, they decided to trot out the C-list of the DC universe for the main characters, leaving casual DC fans (like myself) puzzled over who is who. Animal Man, the Question, Rene Montoya, Black Adam should not be your featured characters in any comic. Just the idea of dropping $3.50 a week on a story featuring such low-interest characters is appalling.
Best Comeback Character
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Marvel - Nova: He goes from a loser on the New Warriors team to the possessor of the full Nova Force and the leader of the forces battling Annihilus. It was some turn around for Richard, who will get his own series in April. Runner-up is Moon Knight, who made a triumphant return to the Marvel universe in his own title.
DC - Red Tornado: With the relaunch of JLA, Red Tornado got to sit front and center for the first story arc. It was an excellent way to kick off the new series while not focusing on the typical trio. Runner-up is Captain Comet, who got a complete face-lift in the Mystery In Space limited series.
Worst Team Consisting of B-list Characters with Dumb Names
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Marvel - Thunderbolts: Between Radioactive Man, Songbird, The Fixer and Baron Zemo, this is an incredible collection of villains/heroes that are never on the Marvel map. Every issue illicited a 'who are these people?' followed by 'who cares?'.
DC - Justice Society of America: Wow, are these guys a collection of Chumps. You have the ancient Wildcat, Flash (with a soup bowl on his head) and Alan Scott, Hourman (who fights crime one hour at a time), Liberty Belle, a super-powered Doctor (Midnite), Mister Terrific (who is smart), Damage and Stargirl. Nobody can forget the Zorro-wannabe Mr. America in the first issue either. These are the creme de la crap of the DC world.
Book With the Most Shipping Delays
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Marvel - Civil War: good ole CW shipping months late.
DC - Wildcats: Leave it up to Jim Lee to be six months between issues.
Worst Book Period
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Marvel - Wonder Man: Make it go away
DC - Flash: Oh this is garbage.
Best Stable of Books
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Marvel - X-books: With New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, and X-Factor all is right in the mutant world.
DC - Green Lantern books: It doesn't get much better than Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps and Ion.
Most Unredeemable Character
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Marvel - Ant-Man: Its all in his title.
DC - Guy Gardner: he is an arrogant pig and thats the way he likes it. |
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| Comic Reviews for September 13th |
[Sep. 14th, 2006|10:48 am] |
Annihilation #2 written by Giffen: It feels like a lot more than a month ago that the first issue came out, such was the anticipation. The first book was a 5-star rating and this one easily matches it. Devitto's art is simply amazing; it easily surpasses everything else on the shelves. On top of that, the story and characters are fantastic. We are treated in this issue to Thanos' capture of Moondragon (and subsequent message to Drax), Ronan's inevitable confrontation with Kree commanders, and then the arrival of Ravenous and the Centurions. Next issue promises to have a huge battle followed by the collapse of the United Front. If I were to make any criticisms of the book, it would be that it ended too quickly and not enough of Nova. These are incredibly minor nitpicks, and only spring from the how great this story really is.
*****
The Incredible Hulk #98 written by Pak: I haven't touched a Hulk book in a very long time, but a Wizard preview of this issue had me interested. The Planet Hulk storyline has Hulk in space on a lengthy sci-fi adventure. This was a brilliant move by Pak as it allows the Green Scar to cut loose without the writers worrying about killing humans or other collateral damage. This issue features an amazing confrontation with the Red King's Shadow warrior, which ends in a draw when the Spikes arrive, setting up next issue's HUGE battle. Lopresti's art was great, as was the story and pacing. I immediately ebayed up the missing Planet Hulk books to see how he got to this stage. With another 9 issues set in this story before he makes his grand return to earth (next summer's big event, World War Hulk), this can only get better.
****1/2
New Excalibur #11 written by Tieri: This was an enjoyable tale that took me back to the old Excalibur days of time-traveling. In this book the team travels back to Camelot to save Merlin from a dragon attack and then to prepare for a coming assault. Ryan's artwork is decent (although a lot of people hate him) and will be missed when he moves to the Runaways with Whedon.
***
Thunderbolts #106 written by Nicieza: Finally Zemo and his team make a move for the final wellspring of power, only to be confronted by the Squadron Sinister. Outnumbering them greatly, the T-bolts easily win, paving the way for Zemo to take the power. Of course, the Grandmaster makes an appearance, but is defeated by Zemo (his power is really jumped up these days). We are treated to the final traitor as Joystick reveals her stick was designed to disrupt the wellspring (not absorb it as Zemo thought). Boom is how the issue ends. This story is moving along nicely, and seems to be heading towards something large (further hinted at by Marvel themselves) and Grummet's art is decent as always.
***1/2
Green Lantern Corps #4 written by Gibbons: GLC has been on my chopping block since the second issue. The first story arc struggled as the art was a muddled, dark mess. Gibbons single-handedly resurrects this book as he takes over the art chores for the new story arc. It was bright, appealing and overall panels were laid out well enough. Its still not a top level book by any means, but at least it should be entertaining for the next few issues.
***
Green Lantern #13 written by Johns: A three-week delay and this is what we get? There are countless panels were the rushed artwork is completely apparent. While the battle with Hank Henshaw and the Manhunters is somewhat entertaining, this book just feels all over the place. At the end, the Guardians heap all kinds of hints onto the reader with discussion of '52' and Superboy Prime without actually explaining anything. This story arc had so much promise and fell apart in this issue.
**1/2 |
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| Comic Reviews for September 6th |
[Sep. 6th, 2006|04:21 pm] |
Outsiders #40 written by Winnick: I normally give a title I am trying out 3 issues to get me somewhere. In the world of comics, thats usually half to three-quarters of a story arc, so that's usually a good indication of the creative team. With the Outsiders, in three whole issues, the team has been captured by a talking ape and a talking brain. That's it. Other stuff is hinted at, and some doctor guy is revealed at the end, but in actuality, NOTHING actually happens in these books. It might be passable if the art was decent, but its not. The blandness of the story matches the blandness of the art as the Outsiders have become the first title I drop.
*
Hunter-Killer #7 written by Waid: With H-K back on schedule I was excited for what this issue may reveal. What a letdown this ended up being. It slowly reveals the secret behind Morningstar and him taking over the country, halts mid-story, to be continued next issue. This could have all been revealed in one book, instead of dragging feet for two issues. Of course, it was a cop-out maneuver to stay on schedule for the next little while. Artistically speaking, Eric Basaldua seems to be a Silvestri clone to the point that I would not have known a different artist had been involved had I not known Marc couldn't keep a ship date to save his life. If Silvestri can be replaced that easily, lets get this title trucking somewhere. Anywhere.
**1/2
Mystery in Space #1 written by Starlin: Jim Starlin, of Marvel cosmic universe fame, shows up in the DC world to add his cosmic flavour by reviving Captain Comet. Of course, he also kills him off and brings him back in what can only be the most confusing first issue ever. Comet is narrating his capture AFTER his death and resurrection, both of which take place in the book after his capture. Confused? Me too. At least the art was decent. This book still has some great potential, as long as Starlin can straighten out the story a bit.
***
OMAC #3 written by Jones: I'm not really sure what to say about this one. OMAC feels like I really should have started at the beginning, as this issue joins the plot already well into the swing of things (of course its #3 of 8). Michael Costner, the last OMAC is struggling with his power while we see the beginnings of a new Brother Eye being created. Artistically, it was decent, but could have used full view panels of OMAC. A lot of it was too cluttered.
***
The All-new Atom #3 written by Simone: I've had Simone recommended to me before, so the all new Atom seemed like a good starting point. I wasn't disappointed, as the writing style was on another level in this book. Between the quotes of famous scientists and the humour, it felt like a story that immediately pulled me in. On top of that, Ryan Choi (the new Atom) seems more suited for a hero in this age. DC has done this before (look at Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern or Bart as Flash) with great success. I know the art has been a sore spot for many Atom readers, but I wasn't nearly as upset with it as most people. Maybe thats because I've been staring at the horrid work in GLC and Ion.
****
Uncanny X-Men #478 written by Brubaker: This story arc has been moving a bit slowly (considering 4 of the 12 issues are done already), but starts to pick up with this issue. Arriving at a Shi'ar space station, they quickly learn that the inhabitants are not what they appear to be. Lots of action takes place, and Tan's art never looked better. Overall, Brubaker's formula of advance plot-action-advance plot seems to be working well here. While I am still waiting for something a little more earth-shattering to come along, this is a step in the right direction.
***1/2 |
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| Why Marvel Sucks |
[Sep. 6th, 2006|10:55 am] |
This past weekend was the Comics Expo in Toronto, and corresponding with a visit to Canada, Marvel announced the revival of the recently-deceased Alpha Flight team. Operating under the name 'Omega Flight', this team is supposed to spring out of the aftermath of Marvel wide-sweeping and poorly executed 'Civil War' event. At first, this news really excited me. Finally, back to a Canadian superhero team!
Then they spoiled a shaded team image, revealing a team that consists of Talisman, a Spider-Woman variant, Guardian, a Captain America/US Agent character and Beta Ray Bill. What?!?! The majority of this team are not even Canadian, and that's assuming that the person in the Guardian costume is. It could be as bad as 1/5 Canadian. How is that representing country? What's worse is that whether its US Agent or Captain America, they have absolutely NO RIGHT on this team. I've read some arguments that its Captain America and not Captain USA, but the moron wears the US flag on his body! It just seems so typical of Marvel (and Americans) these days, to kill off the only Canadian superteam and then rebirth them full of Americans (and an alien) and think its step in the right direction. If its Steve Rogers fleeing to Canada because he lost the Civil War, then he should be executed. The thought of him representing Canada because he was kicked out of the US makes me sick.
This is only the latest in Marvel's blunders. Their largest recent failure being the Civil War event itself. It fails both in terms of story and the actual books themselves. With the delay of the actual Civil War book (due to an artist who can't get done on time), the majority of the books have been pushed back. This further pushes back the books that were supposed to spring from the aftermath (like Mighty Avengers) and basically puts almost the entire Marvel universe in a state of turmoil.
Looking closer at the event itself, it was a terrible idea to put Captain America versus Iron Man. Stark has been made out to be a villain in almost every crossover of this event, and he continually gets railroaded while hapless fan-boys cheer for their incredibly lame Captain. When it comes to characters, Iron Man far outstrips Cap. Stark has a rich history as a womanizer, secretary of state, alcoholic, arms developer, etc that makes him very meaty for story, while Steve Rogers is basically an idiot with a shield (and a dumb A on his forehead). There is no great story to his secret identity. He is nothing more a soldier created to hype up the USA. Look at all of the great heroes, and how their secret identities make the character: Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Bruce Banner as examples. There is no way any of these characters would be nearly as interesting without their non-superhero identity. So right from the start Cap is inferior to Iron Man. That's not even taking into account that Stark could absolutely destroy him in a fight.
To finish it all off, it is almost impossible to pick up a Marvel book without those annoying words 'Civil War' scrawled across the front. Even books that are remote to the universe (like the recently re-launched Moon Knight) will eventually crossover before all it said and done. Essentially, they have hijacked all of the Marvel books for several months, resulting in one story through everything. This is great if you are enjoying the story, but otherwise it is a complete and utter turnoff. Thats the main reason that I have switched over to more DC books. My Marvel list has dropped to about 4 books, and 3 of which will see Civil War crossovers in the next few months.
It's just far too disappointing. |
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| Comic Reviews for August 30th |
[Aug. 31st, 2006|10:56 am] |
Superman/Batman #29 written by Verheiden: I'm hoping that this new writer has somewhere concrete he is going with this title over the next few issues, because his first two have been an absolute mess. Artistically, Van Sciver is one of the best DC have, but his Clark and Bruce pale in comparison to when Hal Jordan shows up, proving once again he should be back on the Green Lantern title. That aside, this story is floundering around with no real focus. Whatever/whomever is causing all this weirdness hopefully will be revealed next issue and can be resolved in short order. It's too bad, too, because this should be one of the big DC titles.
**1/2
Teen Titans #38 written by Johns: this book has been interesting lately, as it becomes obvious Johns is building towards something big, namely a showdown with Deathstroke's Teen Titans East. I like the current incarnation of the team, especially with what is taking place between Robin and Wonder Girl. DC has done a great job in turning the Robin character around. Story-wise, this was a setup issue, preparing the team for the search for Raven, the inevitable reveal about the traitor, and then the confrontation. The future looks bright for this title.
***
Trials of Shazam #1 written by Winnick: This was the quintessential story-starter that doesn't do much except re-introduce the character. In this case, its Captain Marvel. In it, he engages in several battles with magical monsters, establishing the unstable state of the mystical realm. In the end, the twist is that Billy is becoming Shazam (to replace the dead wizard). Of course, this is obvious as the 12-issue story is about Freddy Freeman undergoing the trials to become the next Captain Marvel. Howard Porter's painted art made this book beautiful, and the rest of the series should be just as stunning.
***/12
Cable & Deadpool #31 written by Nicieza: Every month I look forward to this book, as it is the funniest thing on the shelves. Deadpool is one the best characters is comicdom, being both witty and dangerous. This point is driven home as be mocks Cap, Falcon, Hercules and Goliath while beating them down. Eventually Cable shows up to subdue him, but for a time there he was dealing with his opponents quite well. The meat of the story is Cable confronting the President. Overall, I am not a fan of the Civil War event, but at least this book maintains its humor and action while tying in.
****
Runaways & New Avengers #2 written by Wells: I picked this up based only on a Wizard preview showing the appearance of Marvel Boy. Stefano Caselli's art looked so gorgeous I just had to get the book, despite knowing nothing about either team. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the story, and will probably check out both titles in the future. While the New Avengers are a little more dull than the fairly original Runaways concept, they came across decent. Of great note is that while this is a Civil War book, that is only the jump-off point for the story and didn't tie in too much.
**** |
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| Comic Reviews for August 23rd |
[Aug. 25th, 2006|12:50 pm] |
So I might as well start with the big one:
Justice League of America #1 written by Meltzer: This book has a lot going on it, and thats hardly a bad thing in these days of heavily decompressed stories. Just take a look at Bendis' run on Daredevil to see whole comics that have absolutely nothing going on in them. Meltzer starts things off with the big 3 debating potential JLA candidates. Batman chooses who he can trust, Superman chooses those who are good and Wonder Woman selects based on tactical advantage. This quickly gives way to the main part of the story surrounding the return of Red Tornado. This time around, Reddy is going with a human body, while Dr. Impossible steals his robot self. Arsenal, Hal Jordan, Vixen and Black Lightning all make appearances in this book, and while it doesn't actually get the reader anywhere, it gets you good and ready. The focus on a less popular character: Red Tornado, is a brilliant choice, and the change from robot to human form is a nice way for Meltzer to make him all his own. I'm really looking forward to where this goes. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the art, which was exceptional. All in all, this was a great relaunch for what should be a flagship title for DC.
****
Batman #656 written by Morrison: The first of Morrison's issues was rather dull, just setting the stage for the son of batman storyline. This one kicks in to high gear as Bruce takes on hordes of ninja man-bats in a glorious battle leading up to reveal of the son at the end. Since Morrison and Kubert are staying on for a long run (15+ issues), this book promises to be huge for the next year. Kubert's art in the past has been decent without reaching exceptional for me, but in here he does great work.
****1/2
Flash #3 written by Bilson and DeMeo: The Flash relaunch has been largely underwhelming, for the most part because of the extremely slow progression of story. Bart is hesitant to go down the route of the Speed Force again, and only does so to save a love interest. Meanwhile his friend, who recently acquired some powers, is mroe than happy to attempt crim fighting, if unsuccessful. The fill-in artist did a terrific job, and I suspect most people would prefer him to the regular penciller. Overall, this book has great potential, largely based on the main character, but it just needs to get there faster.
***
Robin #153 written by Beechen: Tim Drake is one of the best characters that DC have come up with when they started restocking old heroes (Kyle Rayner is another great one). He is highly intelligent, a skilled combatant and a computer genius. Plus, he did away with the horribly gear Robin used to wear. That alone scores huge points. This issue pairs him with the son of his father's murderer, making for an awkward teamup while searching for a nuclear device. While not quite on the same level as JLA or Batman, this book is pure enjoyment amplified by great artwork.
***1/2
Wolverine/Darkness One Shot: I'm a fan of the Darkness and wish would Top Cow would speed up his return, so this was a must buy, even if it contains the ever-hated Wolverine. The art by Tyler Kirkham is amazing, but the story isn't. It shows how Logan has encountered the Darkness before, killing the grandfather of Jackie. This time around, they stop the fight before things get lethal, ending in a drink. The art gets a thumbs up, but the story was mundane.
** |
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| Comic Reviews for August 16th (part 2) |
[Aug. 17th, 2006|01:47 pm] |
cont'd
Green Lantern Corps #3
This book has gone downhill since the first issue. The Recharge mini-series was well done and had decent art. Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner made appearances, but Guy Gardner was at the core of the story, so it made sense for the GLC monthly to centre around Guy. The book is supposed to have a gritty police feel while maintaining its space-sci-fi roots. Unfortunately, it fails horribly here. It is painfully obvious at the end of issue #2 that Lantern Natu is still alive and its a ploy to catch the killer. With no real twists coming, this book plays out by the numbers and is generally uninteresting. The art is really lackluster and dark, with poor colouring choice. Overall, this is the first of my books to be on the chopping block.
*1/2
The Boys #1
For mature readers, Garth Ennis' book tells the tale of a group of people who's job it is to keep super heroes in line. We are introduced to the leader, Billy Butcher, as well as recruit-to-be Wee Hughie. Amidst, gore, violence, swearing and sex the groundwork is laid for the team and the plot-line quite nicely. With break-taking artwork, and a very different take on superheroes, The Boys looks like it could be quite entertaining.
****
52 #15
Being the first issue of 52 I've read, it was hard to tell what was going on. This one focused on Booster Gold, and the issues he has with the media and the perception of him. I can't really comment much on the 52 series, although I respect the tremendous effort DC is putting out to get this book shipped weekly.
N/A |
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| Comic Reviews for August 16th (part 1) |
[Aug. 16th, 2006|03:06 pm] |
A big week is here with six books so this will be done in two parts. Next week is back down to three books, with two of them being DC books that missed their release date (Flash and JLA).
Iron Man #11
We are so close to finishing up the Execute Program story arc and having this book catch up to the Civil War event. It's too bad that once again not much happens in this book. Oh, the person who is behind the implant in Stark's skull is revealed and the way Stark beats the Sentry is totally classic, but really this is just a set up for the last issue in this arc, where Iron Man will take on all of the suits he has been building. The next issue is going to be great, while this one was only ok.
***
Ion #5
This series has been moving very slowly, but I like the Green Lantern part of DC, so I have stuck with it. Issue 5 was the reward for my tenacity as finally Kyle and Hal come face to face with the Ion-impersonator. After a brutal battle Kyle comes out victorious, all the while discussing the situation with Hal. For once, I didn't mind the art either, as it seemed to work this time. The mystery behind the plans for Ion still remain intact, meaning we will see some more twists as the story progresses. Really, this story should have reached this point one issue earlier, but that is a small gripe.
****
Hunter-Killer #6
H-K is such an impressively well-written story, so its too bad this has been delayed for over six months. Finally arriving with the promise that the next three books are ready to go, issue six picks up the tale of Ellis as he struggles to put the pieces together while working for Hunter-Killer. Of course, the story features a great meta-human hunt (see the past few issues like the girl that kills everything around her) and ends with a somewhat interesting plot-twist. Of course, the solicitations for issue 7 speak of the origins behind Morningstar, leaving us waiting for the next one. I would like to give this book a great rating because I love this story, but the lateness brings it down.
***1/2 |
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| Comic Reviews for August 9th |
[Aug. 16th, 2006|03:06 pm] |
This was a very light week, but feature a book I was very highly anticipating: Annihilation.
Annihilation #1
It did not let down at all. With no ads in the book at all, it was jam-packed with everything that makes the Annihilation event so superior to Civil War. Rich Rider is at the forefront of the main story, along with Drax, Ronan, Gamora (who is shacked up with Rider) and Peter Quill (former Starlord). Firelord gets to put on a show before a cataclysmic battle pitting Galactus and Silver Surfer against Tenebrous and Aegis. The art was spectacular, the story advancement was great, and by the time it ended I couldn't wait for the second issue.
*****
Fathom #11
I have been enjoying the second Fathom volume a great deal, but this issue seemed to get nowhere fast. There was a great deal of dialogue surrounding lethal vs non-lethal force, but all in all, this was a filler issue to get to the final issue (whenever that may ship). For once I will say an Aspen comic had sloppy art, as it was very hard to tell what was going on from panel to panel.
*** |
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| Comic Reviews |
[Jul. 26th, 2006|02:28 pm] |
With not much to do except sit and wait for bugs to come in, I've been reading a lot of comics lately. I tend to be very fussy about the characters and art. For instance, I won't touch a spiderman or superman comic. Ever.
Here we go:
Daredevil vol 2 Guardian Devil story arc written by Kevin Smith (of Clerks fame). It's too bad Smith doesn't have the time to keep writing comics, because this was one of the best stories I've read recently. It built so well to a great climax, while exploring a lot of religious aspects that are largely ignored in comics. At the heart of it was if DD was a man without fear, he was a man without faith. Quesada's art really helped as well, as he ranks among my favorite artists. Too bad his EIC job keeps him from drawing much.
Daredevil vol 2 Echo story arc written by David Mack. The second story arc wasn't as impressive as the Guardian Devil one, but was still great. Of course, Quesada's art shined, but the really enjoyable part was the dynamic between a blind man and a deaf woman.
Daredevil vol 2 Scoop story arc written by Brian Michael Bendis. First of all, the art flip-flopped all over the place on this story arc, and really wasn't all that great following Quesada's work. The story was excellent, as Matt Murdock represented a client who wanted to sue Daredevil. Unfortunately, who was all behind the scheme wasn't dealt with very well and left to linger as this arc concluded and DD moved into the return of the Kingpin.
Daredevil vol 2 Murdock Papers story arc written by Brian Micheal Bendis. It must be said that Alex Maleev's art is either loved or hated. There is no inbetween. Personally, I don't like it that much, *but* it does work within Daredevil's world, so its acceptable. The story here is the fake papers the Kingpin has on DD exposing him as Murdock. All the way there is a great confrontation with Bullseye and the return of Elektra before DD is finally brought before court and sent to jail. These leads into Ed Brubaker's current storyline called A Devil in Cell Block D where DD is on Ryker's Island, the same place the Kingpin is locked up in.
Daredevil: Father mini-series written and illustrated by Joe Quesada. This is an exceptionally well done stand-alone story done by Joe Q. It takes place during a summer heatwave as a serial killer is loose. The story builds up to an inevitable conclusion and then pulls the rug out from under you with the ending of issue 5.
Annihilation mini-series. Of the four mini-series, Nova is by far the best. Written by Abnett and Lanning, this is a great story changes the cosmic landscape of Marvel while setting up Nova for a cataclsymic confrontation with Annihilus. With guest appearances by Quasar and the new (and improved) Drax, this lead in to the Annihilation six-issue series is perfect. The same cannot be said for the Silver Surfer series, which returns SS to the side of Galactus. Too bad the art was so horrible that it was barely discernible what was going on. Of the four, Ronan and Super Skrull were surprise series in how good they were. Keith Giffen wrote Ronan, and allowed the character to grow into someone who will play a pivotal role in Annihilation. Super Skrull, alas, did not survive his mini-series, but it was a great tale nonetheless.
Ion maxi-series written by Ron Marz. This was first tentative attempt to read a DC book. Ion is the powered up Kyle Rayner of Green Lantern fame. Too bad its taken 4 of the 12 issues to get anywhere in the story. Of course, that would be perfectly acceptable if the art was spectacular along the way. It wasn't. I don't know where they got Greg Tocchini from, but he should be sent back. This made me remember why I don't like DC much: their artists are inferior.
Green Lantern One Year Later story arc written by Geoff Johns. While I'm not a fan of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, this has been an excellent arc so far, with a great plot and decent enough art. I wanted Van Scriver on this after his stunning work on the great Green Lantern Rebirth mini-series, but Reilly isn't too bad.
Uncanny X-Men Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar story arc written by Ed Brubaker. I have been away from the X-men for quite awhile, so this seemed like a good returning point. Brubaker assembles a new team with some lesser-used characters like Warpath and Havok and sends them into outer space for what is shaping up to be a great story. Billy Tan's art has been great as well, which was part of the attraction to this series. |
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| I Stand Corrected |
[May. 29th, 2006|10:32 am] |
In light of how bad X-Men 3 was, I'd have to say that Da Vinci Code wasn't all that terrible. The latest X-Men, on the other hand, was that bad. It was just horrid from start to finish, lacking any really concrete plot, abusing characters left and right, and basically taking a giant dump on the hallowed Phoenix Saga of X-Men comics of old.
Lets start with the characters:
Cyclops: he basically showed his face for about two scenes, had a couple lines with Logan and Jean and then was gone. There wasn't even a death scene, he was just gone. Now I've been pretty annoyed with the handling of Cyclops in the past two movies (he had one scene in X2 and then was a bad guy briefly for his altercation with Jean), but this was tragic. The story of the Phoenix was about Scott and Jean. Wiping him out this early showed they either didn't want to pay him or were miffed that he joined the Superman Returns cast.
Mystique: they had done a wonderful job with this character leading up to this movie, but once again destroyed it. She had two brief but cool scenes, then was 'cured'. Her betrayal of Magneto was barely covered with the briefest of scenes and then she was gone. At this point I was beginning to think they just didn't have the budge to pay these bigger name actors.
Professor X : Xavier was quite pivotal in the first two, always showing the reasonable side to Magneto's more aggressive nature. In this one they make him act like a prick to Wolverine and kill him off in one of the cheesiest scenes ever.
Colossus: talk about the screw, this is one of the students to step in to fill the holes and he gets a few minor cameos, before basically being the guy that tosses Wolverine.
Iceman: finally seeing him ice-up was gratifying, as was his quick beatdown of Pyro (who utterly sucks). What wasn't cool was the fact that he was absent for the first half of the movie, then has a scene with Kitty Pryde (whom we've barely scene), pisses off Rogue and then is just around for the finale. Not at all what I was expecting after his increased exposure in X2
Rogue: Once again, only a two to three scene appearance here, which is starting to look very odd. After all the story development done in X1 and X2, what happened here? Its easy to understand that she would want to take the cure, but we don't even see it happen. Her decision was glossed over in very much the same fashion as Mystique's betrayal.
Angel: another throw in. They could have had anyone create the Cure with various reasons, but decided to relate it to Warren. Once more, a two to three scene cameo appearance with minor dialog. What is going on here?
I could go on and on about the characters but I'll leave them there. Even if they fixed some of the problems related to the characters, the plot (or lack thereof) was totally laughable. The scene about moving the bridge to Alcatraz was downright terrible and the "final stand" battle was atrocious. This was just a poorly paced movie with no character development and it was an insult not only to comic book fans but the first two X-Men movies.
And to top it off, Kelsey Grammer as Beast just looked stupid. |
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| The Da Vinci Code Sucked |
[May. 23rd, 2006|10:32 am] |
I think the title sums up my feeling pretty nicely. I didn't really care for this much-hyped movie. It was dreadfully done. I think we all know that Ron Howard does not excel at making flicks that have action elements in them. Let's see where this thing fell apart.
First of all, I'm not offended by the religious aspects. If there ever was something I could get behind, its the idea that the church deified Jesus after his death, and that he was only a man. That sounds about right. So the gist behind the plot didn't bother me, then what did? The acting was so bland. Paul Bettany was supposed to be frightening as the albino monk-assassin, Silas, but came across more as a joke. I think they didn't do enough with this character. Tom Hank's character was also pretty dull and not fleshed out well enough. We knew he was claustrophobic, but did that really matter? And somehow he is a master of anagrams. Where did that come from? He also just happens to have a friend who knows so much about this stuff. How convenient.
So they run around a bit, solve some anagrams, run around some more, get shot at by a guy from the Swiss Bank, who's motives aren't clear at all before he is ditched from the movie altogether. Then they end up with Magneto who tells them all about the greatest con of mankind. Again, how convenient. Some more running ensues, some double-crosses, some cheap sleight-of-hand and we are at the ending, wondering where this really should have gone.
Through the whole thing there was an elderly lady behind me harumphing at every supposed religious slight. Hank's character said it best "it's what you believe", but please, don't annoy the crap out of me while watching a movie. |
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| Not So Lost |
[May. 15th, 2006|01:40 pm] |
So when Lost's first season came out on DVD, Shauna and I ended up watching it straight through for several days. We didn't finish until about the second episode of the second season had aired. At that point we didn't bother trying to figure out what was going on.
This weekend, feeling really bored, we grabbed all 21 episodes of the second season off of a friend (using not so legal means of course) and watched it in its entirety.
There is something very different about Lost. Its a tv show that doesn't feel like one or come across as one. The plot inches forward at a snail's pace and yet just enough happens to make you want to see the next episode. The concept of exploring each character's past while moving forward introduces viewers to the characters in a way that couldn't be captured another way.
That being said, man do I hate some of the characters. Particularly, when the episode is focused around Charlie, Claire or the baby I find myself not caring at all. Its not like Sawyer, where you hate him for a reason and know that he is a very complex character. I just truly find the Charlie character dull. And I despise Claire running around shrieking about her friggin baby every two minutes.
On the other hand, Mr. Eko is bad ass. I think I would be extremely concerned if he woke up next to me, grabbed an axe, and announced he had to find someone.
And yes Lost is infuriating, as it just opens up more questions instead of resolving ones we've already had and you start to get the feeling they aren't totally sure where they are going with it. Still, its ten times better than almost anything else on tv. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 27th, 2006|02:47 pm] |
So with the new budget fast approaching, Stephen Harper is apparently going to keep his promise to cut the GST by 1%. I'm sure this was a big selling point to many an ignorant Canadian.
Now he is pressuring the provinces to harmonize their provincial sales tax with this lowered GST to create an HST. Sadly, though, with such a harmonized tax, we would end up paying the full 14% on anything that requires PST, even if they were GST exempt.
So the end result is that while the GST is cut, and he keeps his promise, if provinces adopt this HST, it will end up costing us a lot more.
Way to go Canada. |
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| Sore Neck |
[Apr. 17th, 2006|04:35 pm] |
Well finally my neck and should pains are going away. Of course, I had to see a chiropractor and after x-rays and the like, it was determined that my spine was curving the wrong way. Nice. So now I go three times a week and have to wear a traction device every night.
At least its working. Too bad it cost like $2,400. Work only covers a tiny portion of that. |
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| First Time Out |
[Apr. 17th, 2006|04:29 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  stressed | ] |
I've moved my diary/journal to here as I've grown tired of the spyware problems at the place site I was at. So with that in mind....
I saw King Kong on the weekend. Oddly, it took me this long to see it. When it was in theatres I made every excuse not to sit through 3 hours of a CGI giant ape. Well it finally caught up with me as I lost a perfectly decent Saturday evening watching this trash. Most people that know me know that I am harsh on movies. Even ones I really like take some abuse. I think its fair to say I really detested King Kong. It was long, drawn out and extremely boring. Fine, they are on the island, cool. Did it really require two hours of running around to get the point across? Peter Jackson should have taken a very large knife and sliced out huge portions of this thing. By the time they got back to mainland I just didn't care anymore. What a miserable piece of cinema.
On the flip side, I did enjoy Lucky Number Slevin. Sure it had plot holes so big you could drive a truck through them. So what? It entertained me, and when you come to the end of it, that is all that I ask.
So then I come to the previews for Flight 93. I really have strong feelings about this movie. It just feels too soon to be doing movies about 9/11. I mean, I go to movies for entertainment purposes. I don't feel its the right thing to go to a theatre and see a movie about real life heroes from our generation. It feels like it is marginalizing what they did. Save the story for the A&E documentaries and the like. And make no mistake, those people on that plane are incredible heroes. They knew they were going to die, but had the resolve to make sure there would be no other deaths. I don't know, it just seems off to me. Maybe it will be done tastefully, but Hollywood makes me doubt more than ever. |
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