Alien Vs Predator: Requiem Review

Hey Kiddies! It's me! Joshiebear! Ok I'm back. I've finally graduated and thus will (hopefully) have more free time to post stuff for your reading pleasure. Today, as you might have guessed from the title, I'm going to review the sequel to the crap-tastic silver screen grudge match known as Alien Vs Predator. Is Requiem better? Worse? As good? Read on!

Since I was a little booger eater I read the dark horse comics featuring these two deadly species scrapping through the universe and jacking up whatever humans got in their way. I loved all the movies when I was a kid, and crapped my pants when I saw the Alien skull on the predator ship in Predator 2. That's why I was there opening day when Aliens Vs Predator came out in theaters a few years back, despite the PG13 rating. I had faith. Oy.

My heart was broken. The movie was so tame and the predators, for the most part, sucked, getting their noob-ish space-asses handed to them left and right, which is very un-predator-esque. When they said they were doing a sequel, I reserved my judgement, and last night, I went out to see it. Before I get into this movie, let me tell you what was wrong with the first movie, in case you haven't seen it. In a movie called BLANK vs BLANK, your really want to see those two blanks fighting a considerable amount, and that just didn't happen. It was more like BLANK kills BLANK without incident repeatedly. That and it was really central on the humans, not really showing too much of the perspective of the Predator, who I believe is a viable protagonist in the story. And it was PG13. Every single Alien and Predator movie is rated R. All of them. When you put them together, you'd expect that the blood and gore Fit would REALLY hit the Shan, but alas, it was all very hum drum.

BUT ENOUGH about the movie that isn't the movie I'm reviewing. Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem is a vast improvement on it's predecessor. It is not flawless, but at least it holds true to the title. There are Aliens. There is a Predator. They do 'Vs', lol. Here's the setup. It picks up right where it left off at the last movie. The Predators are leaving the Alaskan facility when the 'Predalien' pops out of Red Claw, or whatever the main Predator's name was, and starts jacking things up on the Predator's ship, effectively taking out all Predators and causing the ship to crash land in a remote town in Colorado in the woods. Before you can say 'Chestburster' 2 facehuggers find their way onto the faces of a father-son hunting team. Meanwhile, far away on the Predator homeworld, the distress signal of the ship is received by what we can only presume is the Predator version of a badass, because he immediately hops onto his ship and leaves all on his own. Don't worry, I haven't spoiled anything, this is all in the first five minutes of the movie. What follows is one Predator taking on a ton of Aliens and indeed, the Predalien, who acts as sort of a mini-queen in this flick, while the town is effectively gang-raped by all the Alien hulabaloo, which is pretty fun to watch.

The Brothers Strause did a pretty good job at pulling this franchise out of the muck it's been in and returning it to the realm it should be in with what they were given. No more CG aliens, no more quick cuts disguising dismemberment. It's all back to it's roots, thank God. It's monsters just getting all up into the guts of your innermost squeemish fears. They even have some great callbacks to older movies with lines like "Get to the Chopper!" which made me squeel like an Alien you might hear over a com-link while in the midst of a firefight. There is a pesky story, but it doesn't really get in the way of the action. It's just some people drama in the form of bully picking on nice but troubled kid, but that just sets it up nicely for the moment you know the bully is going to be on the receiving end of a secondary retractable jaw.

It's not exactly where an Alien Vs Predator movie should be in my own opinion, because I've always been a fan of the whole "Future Space" setting with the Space Marines and Power Loaders, but it's good for sweeping the last movie under the rug and moving onward. I really hope that someday they make another movie and do it in the future, but just like this one, just add some space marines into the mix. All in all I'd give this movie a B. It's no cinematic masterpiece, it's just a grudge-match that delivers on the VS.

Holiday Challenge - Win Heroes Season 1 DVD Set & More!!!

I am running a challenge this holiday season, all you gotta do....is enter. That's right...no questions to figure out...no long essays to write, just send your name & email address to

nick@aboutheroes.com

with the subject line: HOLIDAY CHALLENGE, and your entered!

Now....what is the swag you ask.....

-Heroes Season 1 DVD Set

-Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E #5 - Crayon Butchery Variant Edition

and MORE.

Three winners will be picked via a hat drawing on the podcast episode on/after January 15th.

Basically the first prize winner gets first pick at three items from the list, the second place, second pick, the third place, third pick.

(Dan, Omar, Melanie, Chris, Ben, and me....not eligible)
(Any knocking on Green Lantern #25 in an actual entry will result in immediate disqualification....and maybe some mocking by me on the podcast)

Again email nick@aboutheroes.com with the subject line of HOLIDAY CHALLENGE.

All entries must be received by no later then January 15th 2008.

Oh....and if any of them are humorous we might read them on the air!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

OLYMPUS

Writer(s): Geoff Johns & Kris Grimminger
Artist: Butch Guice

Olympus follows a group of student archaeologists as they uncover an ancient greek vase appearing to be Pandora's Box. Well....the moment they discover what they have in their hands, all hell breaks loose. A huge storm erupts out of a clear blue sky, and as they try to get to dry land they are boarded by some unsavory thieves. The thieves mistakenly board the students' vessel in a misguided belief that it was carrying smuggled diamonds. In the end the storm rocks the boat back and forth knocking everybody out and eventually beaching the remainning ship on a odd looking island. A statue of Zeus stands tall over a large portion of the island and the archealogists start to realize...maybe the island is actually the home of the greek gods, OLYMPUS. The rest of the story from here has students and crooks both making their way to the top of the island in the hopes that placing the vase in its' supposed resting place will set things right and help them to return home. Various greek mythological creatures attack the group as they make their trek up, a Cyclops, Minotaur, Gorgon, etc., you name it, these people ran into it. The story ends very cookie cutter, the students aka good guys end up surviving and making their way back home, along with the one or two misunderstood crooks.

The writing overall for this trade...wasn't too shabby. Geoff Johns & Kris Grimminger write this mini and whereas Johns' prominence is already well established, I am now interested in seeing what else Grimminger has written. Though well-written, the story is not perfect though. You have the cliched bad guy who is really good at heart, the dumb blonde who actually is smart, and of course the ending itself which....well...its a smidge corny. All of that being said though if you can suspend your cyncism for a bit and just enjoy this trade for what it is, it's not bad at all.

One of the best things about this trade is the art of Butch Guice. Guice has a very sharp, gritty style in this trade that you can clearly see permeating throughout the panels. From his penciling of the giant Cyclops to his depiction of the Minotaurs' Maze, you are treated to some nice illustrations that still maintain a sense of reality to them. Guice is unique in this title, his style reminding me of more recent work by Jock in Green Arrow Year One. The sketch gallery at the end of this trade is something to really geek out over too...I mean some of Guice's work in these sketches...yeah....intricate is the word folks.

Overall, though the story for this trade is only moderately above average, Butch Guice's pencils push it over the edge. B-

About Heroes Episode 84

In our Christmas morning episode (in which I think we completely forgot to talk about our favorite Christmas specials, our planned topic), we follow up on last week's episode by discussing some of the best books from that week, including Nightwing 139, Salvation Run 2, Green Arrow - Black Canary 3, New Avengers 37, X-Factor 26, Booster Gold 5, and X-Men: Die by the Sword 5. I also get my rant on about DC Direct action figures, and everyone else, all of whom have already seen I Am Legend, discuss it. And finally, I've added a little bonus for the Doctor Who fans out there. Merry Christmas!

About Heroes, Episode 84

Steam Detectives Vol. 1

Steam Detectives Vol. 1
Story & Art By Kia Asamiya

Steam Detectives is a collection of stories based around an abandoned boy detective (think Batman as a kid with less angst). Narutaki: Boy Detective was left alone in the world early on when both his parents were killed by a mysterious villain...affected by this horrible event, Narutaki strives to solve crimes and help the fair Steam City, trying in a way to fill his fathers' shoes as protector to the city, whilst at the same time trying to find his parents' killer.

The first case in this series gives you the general backstory on Narutaki, not revealing everything but enough to get you interested. As the story progresses you are introduced to Ling Ling, a freightened nurse looking for Narutaki's protection from the "Steam Snatcher" a rogue that has been roaming Steam City, draining people of their blood. As the story nears it's end, Ling Ling is revealed to have been acting in cohoots with the Steam Snatcher aka her father, so as to keep him alive longer in his robotic form. Narutaki battles the huge robot but only till the TRUE villian appears....the one who murdered his parents....the PHANTOM KNIGHT. Apparently Phantom Knight lied to Ling Ling about blood transfusions saving her fathers' life and had her kill a decent amount of people for no other reason then to get Narutaki's attention.....twisted....yeah...just a smidge. The end of this case has the Phantom Knight escaping and Narutaki forgiving Ling Ling for her past crimes and having her join his team.

Yeah....I have a problem with this....a chick kills a crapload of people but...ALL IS FORGIVEN...oh and you can join my team! Whu whu WHAT?

Dude....she killed a lot of people...manipulated or not....this is not a person you really wanna let on your team....just saying.

The rest of the cases within this first volume are alright. Kia Asamiya's writing is ok...it's not great and it's not horrible. General dialogue between characters is predictable and has a A to B to C an so on type feel. I think as you get toward the fourth & final case, in this volume, Asamiya's writing does grows a little more though, introducing more interesting character dynamics with the appearances of Lang Lang and Le Bread the Boy Criminal.

The art within this volume, I liked a LOT. Asamiya shines at times when illustrating huge massive battles between man and machine. Many people will give me crap for praising Asamiya's art style, saying something like it's derivitive of past manga art styles but, I like it...plus it's the first manga-esque volume I've ever read so it's all new and exciting for me.

Overall I'd say check this out if you got the time.B-

Monday Manga Reviews: Happy Holidays Edition!

Black Cat vol. 1
Story & Art: Kentaro Yabuki
Translation: JN Productions
Adaptation: Kelley Sue Deconnick
Publisher: Viz

I really never know what to expect from certain titles. Especially when it comes to titles of manga. Black Cat has nothing to do with superstitions or a certain voluptuous silver haired burglar that hangs with Spider-man. The story is about Train “Black Cat” Heartnet and his partner Sven Vollfie. They are known as sweepers, which is just another word for bounty hunters who take on the most dangerous kind of work. By the time we get to the core of the book we meet the thief Rinslet Walker, who is in need of help from Black Cat. Rinslet is after some research data, but to obtain it, she needs crime boss Torneo Rudman out of the way. Of course, there is enough bounty on his head to entice the sweepers to join with her. They discover that Torneo is researching nano technology, and he intends to build an army of super human clones. While Train is off gather information on Torneo, Sven meets a little girl named Eve. He has no clue that Eve is one of Torneo’s research experiments, and she's also a highly skilled assassin. Even with a few slow chapters towards the beginning, this book has so many ingredients that make it work: Likeable characters, snappy dialogue, lighthearted story, and action packed gun fights. I anxiously await the next chapter in their story. A-

D. Gray-man vol. 7
Story & Art: Katsura Hoshino
Translation: Toshifumi Yoshida
Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Publisher: Viz

D. Gray Man is set at the end of a fictional 19th century Victorian England. Allen Walker is a boy who appears to be 15 years old but isn't at all what he seems. Walker is an exorcist, born with a cross embedded into his hand that is a powerful weapon that he uses to battle Akumas. Akumas are weapons of evil that use a human soul as their power, and a human skin to hide within. After a huge battle, Allen disappears and it’s up to Lavi and Lenalee to find him. However, what they don’t know is that Allen is now in the care of the Asian branch of Black Ministry and he is trying to regain his innocence (the substance that makes his left arm a weapon). There are so many things that seem to have inspired this manga. It’s a mix of H.P Lovecraft, Batman, Harry Potter, Death Note, and Dragon Ball Z. The story develops at an acceptable pace, and the action is completely gorgeous. His art also reminds me of greats such as Mike Mignola Arthur Adams, Sam Keith, and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. It’s a fantastic style and clear to see what his panels are portraying, but during some fight sequences, it can be a bit blurry to see what the characters are doing. This is a very fun book, not only for fans of manga, but funs of just books as well. B+

Disgaea 2 vol. 2
Story & Art: Hekaton
Cover: Takehito Harada
Original Story: Nippon Ichi
Publisher: Broccoli Books

If you don’t already know by now, I’m a huge fan of the world of Disgaea. I have played all the games and just a month ago reviewed the figures released by rosenqueen.com. So to say that I just had to read the manga based on one of my all time favorite games is a bit of an understatement. In the first volume we are introduced to Adell, a boy who is going to kill the Overlord Zenon to break his town’s curse, and Rozalin the daughter of the demon who was summoned by Adell. Now she is starting to develop feelings for Adell, but how can she fall for a guy that is going to whack her dad? Ahh, now you are trying to understand the messed up beauty that is the world of Disgaea. To top off the mix feelings that Rozalin is having, we also get more of the self-proclaimed dark hero Axel and the return of Etna (those of us that have played the game knows that this can only mean more trouble). The story is funny, the characters unforgettable, and where else are you going to hear a penguin like creature known as a Prinny say the word dood? I really love the presentation that Broccoli has done with this manga. The thick paper, the beautiful semi-glossy cover, the color pages (even if it’s only 2 or 3), translation notes, and the preview of volume done in the style of the game! If you haven’t played the game, at least read this manga; you won’t be disappointed. A

Museum of Terror vol.3
Story & Art: Junji Ito
Translation: Naomi Kakubo
Lettering: Studio Cutie
Publisher: Dark Horse

And just in time for Christmas I wrap up this review with Museum of Terror volume 3, just to get the Holiday spirit rolling! After reading the first two volumes of this phenomenal series, I was expecting to read more of the disturbing Tomie stories, but instead I got 12 different short stories that ran in horror serials from 1987 to 1990, and I’m satisfied with that. It’s not that I was sick and tired of Tomie, but Ito is such an amazing horror writer, I wanted more of his other stories. With each story, you can tell that Ito’s art and storytelling get stronger and exponentially better. By the end we have a clear understanding of what his strong points are. The stories range from gory to haunting and from creepy to heart wrenching. The problem with this collection or any collection for that matter with such a big gap in years is that the art towards the beginning years is lacking. This wouldn’t be a problem, but for stories like these, you really need that shock value to translate well in your art. So I think some of the creepier moments often fail, because the art and the overall effect just didn’t deliver. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather read these stories any day than watch slasher flicks or “new” Hollywood horror movies. Do I still highly recommend this book? Absolutely! B+

The Ring vol.1
Story: Hiroshi Takahashi
Art: Misao Inagaki
Original Story: Koji Suzuki
Publisher: Dark Horse

It’s very hard for me to get scared or freaked out watching horror flicks anymore. I think it comes from years of my childhood just numbing myself to that genre of movies and comics. Then in 1999 I was introduced to Ringu, a movie that would later be Americanized as The Ring. After the first time watching that movie, I was really creeped out, hell even the American version creeped me out to the point I couldn’t sleep at night. This manga is based on the novel that inspired the movie and it’s the story of Reiko, a journalist that is searching for the truth behind the mystery involving a cursed videotape that is somehow responsible for the death of her niece. The curse is that anyone who watches the tape will be dead a week later. She locates the tape and watches it and now has a week to try to break the curse. The eerie atmosphere of the movie is convincingly captured, but for some reason I got more of a story from the manga than the movies. There was a wonderful dynamic between Reiko and her ex-husband Ryuji in the manga. The art here is definitely not your typical glittery wide-eyed shoujo style, although Mai, who is drawn kind of cute, is closest to it. It feels somewhat outdated even for 1998 (when the book was originally published), but it really works with the eerie story. Some of it is pretty macabre, such as Reiko waking up to the sight of a bloodied Tomoko and that scene in the well with Sadako still sends shivers down my spine. The creators have sparked a fantastic mythology that will never be forgotten. A

The Ring vol.2
Story: Hiroshi Takahashi
Art: Meimu
Original Story: Koji Suzuki
Publisher: Dark Horse

So yeah, I couldn’t put down the Ring volume 1 and I just had to read volume 2. That was my mistake, because I went into this book with high expectations. Hell, I didn’t think I was going to get a Halloween pt. 3 or Psycho 2 kind of sequel out of this book. Instead of reminding me of a horror story, this book read more like a poor man’s version of Akira. This is the story of Mai Takano, Ryuji’s student that appeared briefly in volume 1. Now, both her and Ryuji’s son Yoichi have developed psychic powers of their own and are being haunted by Sadako. Instead of moving ahead with the story, it seems like we’ve taken two steps back. The feel of the first volume is lacking in this sequel. There is no sense of eeriness or being utterly terrified do to the pacing of the storytelling. The art, while being completely gorgeous, is the wrong choice for this book. It’s too clean and crisp, it really feels more like a pop manga artist or someone more suited for a shojen story. Meimu doesn’t do a good job depicting the gruesome and frightening atmosphere. The saving grace of the book is Sadako; getting more of her and the psychology of her character really save this book from a lower grade. You really don’t need to read it to enjoy the rest of the series, unless of course you are a completist. C-

About Heroes Episode 83

Here's nearly an entire show dedicated the the conclusion of the Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps war, as well as our picks for best of 2007!

About Heroes, Episode 83

Monday Manga Reviews: Coyotes, Goddesses, Dark Ones, and More!

Coyote Ragtime Show vols. 1 & 2
Story: Ufotable
Design: Haruo Sotozaki
Art: Tartan Check
Publisher: Broccoli Books

I really don’t understand the title of this boo, but I can say that I really love that cover. An old guy and a little girl holding guns. If that doesn’t scream badass, I really don’t know what does. Planet Graceland is about to be destroyed within seven days. The pirate king Blues has stashed treasure in this planet and seven days is enough time for Mister to bust out of jail and try to get this treasure. However, the treasure is not all that he is going to find, because the dead pirate king also left him his daughter Franca for Mister to take care of. As if the police wasn’t the only trouble, now the master criminal Madame Marciano wants that treasure for herself and sent the 12 (hot) sisters to deliver Mister and Franca to her. I’m so glad I read volumes 1 and 2 back to back, because the first volume was used as a set up to introduce the characters, their attitudes, and settings. But volume 2 really pumps out the action, suspense, and insane galactic shoot outs. Unfortunately, the characters are real stereotypical, but not to the point where they are annoying. Check’s artwork really has me hooked too; it’s clean and crisp and knows when to deliver some great-ass kicking scenes. While volume 1 sets up everything and the pacing is a little slow, volume 2 really puts you in the edge of your seat. B+

Densha Otoko vol. 1
The Story of the Train Man Who Fell in Love With a Girl
Story & Art: Wataru Watanabe
Original Story: Hitori Nakano
Publisher: CMX

I happen to think of myself as pretty knowledgeable of the Japanese culture, pop or not, so I was really surprised that I had never heard of this “train man”. To be honest from the cover I thought it was about a train that develops feelings for a girl. I was way off, let’s just say leave it at that. This is one of many stories that were inspired by a true story about an otaku that stands up against a guy harassing a girl in a train. They end up developing a relationship from this meeting that eventually inspired novels, manga, a TV series, and a movie. This particular version is about Train (the characters are never referred to by name), who is your regular dorky looking otaku and his encounter with a smoky old man that was bothering Hermes. Most of the time in this volume is taken to show the reader how much of an otaku Train is. He looks for romantic advice in chat rooms like Yahuu japan.com. By the end of the book he does get a big dinner date with Hermes and we’ll see where this relationship will go. The art varies between crisp and realistic to just foggy and unreal in typical manga form; this is most prominent whenever Train panics. I really enjoyed the story and the characters and I’m very jealous of Trains toy collection. I can’t wait for the next volume. B

Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human Error Processor
Story & Art: Masamune Shirow
Translation: Frederik L. Schoot
Publisher: Dark Horse

So here is the deal: If you haven’t read the Ghost in the Shell Manga or Ghost in the Shell 2, go out and buy them right now. They have both been translated by Dark Horse and are both phenomenal and different enough from the movie to keep you entertained. To save some time in this review, if you don’t know what Ghost in the Shell is and shame on you. “Here”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_shell is a great little entry to catch you up. This particular volume is a collection of stories that were never before translated and fit between the ending of GIS 1 and the beginning of 2. Four different stories that that deal with the Section 9 daily work and what they do to fight crime in the digital world and in our real world. So if you are expecting to see Major Kusanagi in these stories, you might be a little disappointed. I can tell you that she does make some nice cameos though. Unfortunately while we do get some great action sequences and fantastic vehicle chases, we get more of the extreme hard to follow dialogue when Masamune tries to dive in to the nature of human consciousness. This is evidenced by the voluminous notes on his sources and they are found all over this volume. On the plus side it is a small complain and the footnotes help the story move along. To me, it’s always been about the artwork and Shirow can draw some attractive women and some gorgeous and detailed settings. This is a fantastic presentation that Dark Horse put together because the design of the book is exquisite. Going back to this world of cyberpunk and futuristic science brings back so many memories and I wish at least once a year I could get to revisit. A-

Oh My Goddess! vol. 6
Story & Art: Kosuke Fujishima
Translation: Dana Lewis
Adaptation: Alan Gleason & Toren Smith
Publisher: Dark Horse

If you have read my past reviews or listen to the podcast whenever we talk about manga, you know that Oh My Goddess is among my top three favorite manga of all time. Not only is the art beautiful, but the stories compelling and it just makes you fall in love with the characters more and more. Each characters sounds so different and unique and yes, while Fujishima is responsible for this; I really don’t think that the translation and adaptation team gets enough credit for their work. The well written dialogue and detailed narration makes the stories so much more enjoyable. This volume picks up where we last left off with Belldandy and Skuld trying to stop their sister from releasing the Ultimate Desctruction weapon. What terrible master Urd doesn’t know is that she was just being used by the Great Fenrir Wolf that infects his hosts and can never be put down. So what happens when Keichi is infected by this virus? Well, I really want people to pick up this book, so let’s leave it at that. Of course that’s only the first half of the story because the second half of the book is a cute little short story about little Urd and a date with a boy. It’s really difficult to find flaws in these early volumes of Oh My Goddess and it’s not because I’m biased, it’s just because they are that damn good. A

Sword of the Dark Ones vol. 2
Original Story: Yasui Kentaro
Story & Art: Kotobuki Tsukasa
Co-designer: TASA
Publisher: CMX

I have been anxiously awaiting this volume. Ever since the cliffhanger ending from the first book kept me wanting for more. Harman Cartel vs. Leroy Schwartz. In believe that Leroy is the partner that Cartel has been looking for, he lets Schwartz (and the reader) know about his lycanthrope powers. That when cornered against an enemy Leo can turn into a wolf-like creature and release his full potential. Funny enough Schwartz true form is more demon like than anyone expected. While he does succeed in making Leroy release his true form, we are introduced to yet another character, a Dark One by the name of Charvert. Yes I wanted to see a fight between Cartel and Schwartz, but I really didn’t need one that dragged on for more than 100 pages. It was one amazing fight though, panel after panel of blood splattering and missing limbs. It was intense to say the least. I wish we had more story though, because I just found out that this series is only 3 volumes long and I have no idea how they plan on wrapping up all the loose ends in one more volume. However, I still look forward to the next installment. B

Tanpenshu vol. 2
Story & Art: Hiroki Endo
Translation: Kumar Sivasubramanian
Lettering: Steve Dutro
Publisher: Dark Horse

The second collection of stories by Eden’s Hiroki Endo is finally here. Well, here being in the sense of my hands, but it has been in stores since June of 2007. These are all collected short stories Endo did before his Sci-fi epic Eden was released. This book collects four stories in which three of the stories have teen and early-twenties protagonists, and of course, much like the first volume sex is important, if not explicit in all. Hang, is a sci-fi story in which Megumi loves Shokichi, who also happens to be in love with her, but her relationship with her big brother really drives him crazy. Her brother, by the way exists, after the loss of his body, in an artificial head equipped with recording capabilities. He wants the two to have sex so he could record it. Like I said it’s a weird relationship between sister and artificial brother. In High School Girl 2000 Endo (himself) reminisces about having sex and lost youth. There is a two part story called Platform and it’s about a younger son's vengeance on his gangster father for exploiting the girl he loves. Then there was the funny Boys Don't Cry, in which two classmates have unrequited loves of a different kind. Every single panel is food for the eye, I swear. The stories are moving and the art carries them to a new level. Highly recommended A+

Variante vol. 1
Story & Art: Iqura Sugimoto
Translation & Adaptation: Sheldon Drzka
Lettering: Melanie Olsen
Publisher: CMX

When I read the premise of this book the first thing that came to mind were those cheesy 80s and 90s movies where an normal innocent person gets a limb transplanted from a psycho killer and it also reminded me of the movie Idle Hands. But this book is so much more than that. It’s a mix of horror, mystery, and all in your face action! Hosho Aiko died when she was 15 years old. But, before she was killed she saw her parents get brutally murdered by a creature. She then awakens in a hospital and when the monster that killed her parents shows up, she remembers everything and her arm turns into a monstrous powerful weapon. Now she is drafted as an employee of Atheos to battle Chimeras that are attacking people. But can she cope with an arm that has a mind of its own? The story is very gory and violent at times so there is a reason for that mature readers warning on the book. It does add to that element of creepiness that sets the tone to expect from the rest of the series. While the artwork is detailed and dark, for some reason some of the adults still manage to look like kids. For example the investigating agent Sudo and Dr. Kochigawa look like teenagers. I really dug this series and I can’t wait to find out what happens to poor Aiko. A-

The Bookshelf: Triple Daredevil Review

Daredevil: Father
Writer and Artist: Joe Quesada

Ever remember people saying that Joe Quesada had forgotton how to draw at one point? After reading this abysmal story, I now believe them. Joe Quesada's Daredevil here is a bulky, grimacing beast, unlike the one he had drawn with Kevin Smith 10 years back, and every other interpretation of the character. The story here is that there is a serial killer going out and cutting out people's eyes, while Daredevil does nothing, and in the end, it's all his fault. Well, partially anyway. Quesada introduces some new super-team called the Santerias who do nothing but fight with Daredevil in the two issues they appear in, and their inclusion in the story has nothing to do with the ongoing plot. There are some asides to a young, media-mogul, who has daddy-issues too, and he funds the Santerias and asks Daredevil to look into this serial killer. Daredevil refuses because the killer is not striking inside Hell's Kitchen, so it's not his problem, that is until he finds out that all of the victims are his former clients, and that the killer is someone he knows. All of these plots converge in issues 5 and 6 of this mini, showing me that issues 1-4 were pretty unneccessary and that you could've picked up issue 5, read the recap page and finished the mini. That's not good for a story. Quesada seems like he's reaching out in every direction here, which leads to a sloppy plot, and an even sloppier finish, leaving me to close the last issue with disgust. I went into this thinking it was going to be a story that harkened back to Matt's Father, Quesada tried to do this, but got so wrapped up with everyone else's daddy-issues that he forgot that Jack Murdock was supposed to be the centerpiece of the story. It's because of this that the story gets lost. If Quesada had kept everything in check, this might have been a mediocre story, instead of an abysmal one. Quesada is trying to do too much here, and it all gets lost in the shuffle. As for the art, People weren't kidding that his "One More Day" stuff was his best in awhile, because the stuff here looks more cartoony and less detailed than any of his previous work or his new stuff, and that's bad for an artist who is known for a dynamic, detailed style. I don't know if Quesada was so loose to try and get a nostalgic feel in the art, or because his Editor-In-Chief job at Marvel got in the way of the quality. Richard Isanove does the colors here, with his digital painting style, and I almost wish he didn't. Every panel has some wierd color filter. Flashbacks are all yellowed, like on old paper, Daredevil scenes are bathed in red, and the Matt Murdock scenes have a blue hue. This doesn't work well across the board, because it makes the book look monotone. There is nothing to keep me looking at the page, since, because of the coloring, it all looks the same. I want the coloring to make me stop and smell the roses, this stuff didn't. All in all, don't spend your money on this book because you're wondering what the hassle was all about with the delays way back when, grab it in a bookstore, take 20 minutes and skim through it. You won't be thouroughly impressed to buy it after that. D

Daredevil: Yellow
Writer: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale

One of many "Color" books by Loeb and Sale, this one focuses on Dardevil and his time at the beginning of his career, in his Yellow costume. A majority of the book focuses on his origin, slightly altering it more than I've ever seen. In this book, Jack Murdock is killed while Matt Murdock is studying in Law School. Everywhere else, Jack Murdock is killed while Matt is a young boy. It doesn't do much to serve the story, other than place it within the first year of Daredevil's first appearance. Anyway, Matt fights some gangsters, it's all pretty standard stuff. The real star of the book is Tim Sale, who's work is phenominal in whatever form it appears, whether for DC, Marvel, or on the Heroes TV show. If you're looking for a book that cover's Dardevil's origin without feeling dated or tying into any continuity, this is the book for you. If you're looking to introduce someone to Daredevil, this might be the book to do it. A solid comic story with some fantastic art. C

Out of all the Dardevil stories I've read, which really is limited to these three, plus Kevin Smith and Brubaker's first arc, this was the best. Like Daredevil: Yellow, this is an origin story, though it ties in the origin everything Loeb left out, mainly Stick and Elektra. Elektra has been trained by the Hand and is addicted to killing people, but must start confrontations to with thugs to do so. Stick, here is a mysterious janitor who trains Matt in his dad's gym at night. It's not clear why he trains Matt, what is clear is that he's dissapointed in Matt when he uses his skills to fight crime, though his black-sillouhetted boss is not. This is like Batman: Year One, but for Daredevil. I think it might not be as revered as that, because, essentially, Miller is applying his Year One formula to Batman. It introduces a young boy, his dad dies, he trains, meets a female villain, and fights crime. The Kingpin also makes his first appearance here, and his rise to power is quickly established in a few, pages, and that's all we need to know, we can fill in the blanks ourselves. That might be what makes this story so great, is that we're able to fill in the blanks ourselves, with whatever we want the blanks to be, or whatever continuity we know and love. This is pre-Goddamn Batman Miller, so it must be good, right? Fear not, it is. John Romita JR, does a formidable job on art here. I'm not quite sure whether it's because of his love for the character, or because the acrobatic Daredevil is slightly similar to the lanky and acrobatic Spider-Man, which he so greatly draws. And, it's not heavily inked by Klaus Janson, so there is no muddiness to the art, like on that last issue of World War Hulk. This is good quality Miller and Romita JR, and should not be missed for any comic fan, even if the Daredevil costume never appears in the actual story. A

About Heroes Episode 82

In our second episode this week (we're catching up for lost time, you know), we talk about the ending of Heroes, Justice Society of America 11, Justice League of America 15, Ultimates v3 1, All-Star Batman 8, Countdown Arena 1, Teen Titans 53, Green Lantern Corps 18, What If - Rise and Fall..., Lobster Johnson 4 and Annihilation Conquest 2.

About Heroes, Episode 82

ADDED PODCAST ASAP

We didn't forget about putting up the podcast for Friday that we promised at the end of the last podcast! We had a few things come up all of a sudden, and as soon as Dan gets the chance he will load if up for you. Rest assured though that it is recorded and to the best of our collective abilities we will try to stick to the Tuesday morning release for regularly scheduled podcasts.

Thanks and Stay Geeky!

PS: This is the new International Teaser Poster of the Joker for THE DARK KNIGHT returns, fitting I think for anyone pissed about not hanving the friday podcast, listen to the joker when he asks, "Why so serious?"

Green Lantern #25 - SUPER-SIZED FINALE!

Green Lantern #25
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis & Ethan Van Sciver

I am....a very picky person. If given enough time, I could find something to grip about in almost any comic, a panel here, some clunky dialogue there, etc. I say this because THIS single comic, is probably the greatest I've EVER read thus far.

Chris read this issue before I got a chance to, he said and I quote: "It's probably the best single issue that has come out this year". I of course couldn't believe him, even saying such a thing, no...sorry...best of the YEAR?

I finished the comic two hours ago...my mind is still saying "OH SHIT THAT WAS TIGHT!" Hell I even called up Omar at 9 FREAKING PM. to tell him to read it.

This comic is the best comic I have EVER read...EVER.

Geoff Johns is a great writer but, it is with this issue that he has reached a pinnacle. The pacing, the flow, all of it panel to panel, it's great. The issue starts with rings flying above Earth (both yellow and green), next page EPIC BATTLE SCENE!! I am talking Green Lantern members and Sinestro Corp members getting BRUTAL. This two-page spread sets up the breakneck pace for the whole rest of the issue. All the GLs are fighting here then after that ANOTHER two-page panel spread of all the heroes in DC fighting the Sinestro Corp in NYC. You got Superman trying to hold down the crazy-ass Superboy Prime, half of everybody fighting the Anti-Monitor, and just numerous GL vs Sinestro Corp battles going on. Next thing you know they flash over to Hal/John/Kyle/Guy talking with Ganthet about the Book of Oa. The prophecies the Guardians have been discussing but, only vaguely so. The origin of the OTHER lanterns. Loads of questions are answered. Everything is tied in.

and many many other fantastic panels, these two artists give this issue an extra dose of adrenanline on an already roller coaster issue.

This issue made me laugh, cry (only a little...shutup!), and geek out! I give it my highest grade ever..A to the 3rd power

About Heroes Episode 81

We're back, and making up for lost time with the first of two episodes this week! In this episode, we catch up on e-mail, and discuss three of the major arcs: the X-Titles' Messiah Complex, Spider-Man's One More Day, and Batman's Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul.

About Heroes, Episode 81

Monday Manga Reviews: We gots maids, magical girls, and even little dinosaurs!

Emma Vol. 1
Story & Art: Kaoru Mori
Translation & Adaptation: Sheldon Drzka
Publisher: CMX

I know that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but every time I walked by the manga section of my local book store and saw the cover to Emma it would remind me of OEL (original English Language) manga art. Like the guys that do Megatokyo or Fred Perry’s Goldigger. So I was really surprised when I realized that this book was authentic. Even looking at the art inside of the book reminds me of some fan art I have seen. Emma tells the story of a young Victorian/Edwardian maid and her forbidden romance with a gentleman from a large merchant house whose family has aims for him that are much higher than just some maid. Volume serves as an introduction to the characters and places. Emma is shy, kind, and intelligent. The exotic Hakim, prim Mrs.Stowner, the somewhat daft and dashing Young Master Jones and other supporting characters that make this book an entertaining read. The story has a very slow pace to it, but it really suits this story just right. I really think this book needs to be in classrooms as a perfect example of what happens when great literature meets art. Sure the art is not the high peek of the series, but that story really carries the book. A-

Gakuen Alice Vol. 1
Story & Art: Tachibana Higuchi
Translation: Haruko Furukawa
Adaptation: Jennifer Keating
Publisher: Tokyopop

In the tradition of Card Captor Sakura, Saint Tail, and Magical Girl Pretty Sammy (my personal favorite) comes a girl by the name of Mikan. Before I even opened the book, I knew there was a huge following of this series already. Lucky for me I don’t buy into the hype and try to make my own judgment of books. Mikan is a girl that moves with her friend Hotaru to Tokyo, when Hotaru is accepted to Alice Academy. Come to find out that she too was accepted to attend the school for people with special abilities. While the story moved slowly towards the beginning, I found myself really into the book by the end of the story. I really like the supporting cast as well like Hotaru, Luca, and Yuu. Yes it does seem like your typical “magical girl” story, but throwing in crazy things like the killer teddy bear, mutated chick, and the over the top goofy hijinks makes this manga stand out. Higuchi has a nice and clean artwork that works perfect for stories like this. The only downside is that it’s very simplistic and some characters seem to look like each other. B+

Gon
Story & Art: Masashi Tanaka
Publisher: CMX

You may be wondering why I didn’t give credit to a translator and an adaptator, I’m not even sure if that’s the proper title for that job. Well, this book has no dialogue or narration, just pictures and wonderful pictures at that. About 10 years ago DC released the Gon books under their Paradox Press label and I was hooked from the very first book. Now under the CMX label the books are being rereleased in a smaller and more affordable format with the original color and b&w art. Gon is a little dinosaur (I believe Tyrannosaurus) that roams the wilderness minding his own business and defending the weak animals of the forests. As an artist telling a story without words is probably the greatest challenge. A story with no humans and just cartoonish animals and a small dinosaur is a great accomplishment. Tanaka is a master at storytelling. Not only is every panel filled with gorgeous and detailed art, but the entire book is done in this perfect sequential art form. I can’t praise the book enough. Sure it reads fast, but you’ll be looking at the amount of detail for days. A+

Madara
Story: Eiji Otsuka
Art: Sho-U Tajima
Translation & Adaptation: Michael Niyama
Publisher: CMX

I was a little confused with the way the book was printed, because this book feels and looks like a manga, but for some reason it reads left to right like a manhwa. Well anyway, on to the review. Madara is your stereotypical boy destined to be the great savior of his village and possibly the world. While an invasion of his village causes him to release the true power of his mechanical limbs along with Kirin he sets on a journey to face the demons that threaten his world. Of course the reason he is doing this is because the village blacksmith’s dying words are a revelation that Madara’s real body parts were divided amongst King Miroku’s eight generals. In order to restore his real body he must destroy these eight generals. The story really feels like an RPG; searching for pieces of something and taking on eight castles with eight generals are all elements of RPGs. While I have a special place in my heart for games of that genre it still doesn’t fix what was wrong with the story. It’s just really predictable and confusing at times with names of towns and people that are just an over abundance of information. The main characters are one dimensional and can be annoying at times. The art is very 90s manga art style and while I consider it great, some people might think it looks out dated. However, it can be confusing at times and the over the top gore doesn’t add anything to the story. C-

Missing: Spirited Away
Story: Gakuto Coda
Translation: Andrew Cunnigham
Cover & interior design: Jose Macasocol Jr.
Publisher: Tokyopop

I’m just going to tell you right now that this book has nothing to do with the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away. Since I’m a huge fan of Miyazaki I saw the title of this book and got really excited thinking it was a novelization of that great movie. Was I let down that it had nothing to do with the movie? Sure. Did the book itself let me down? Absolutely not. Missing is a modern fantasy/horror novel that involves high school students that deal with supernatural events. Kyochi Utsume disappeared when he was a small boy. Vanished from our world and has recently returned to the human world. It turns out that he and his brother were captured by a kami-kakushi as kids. This encounter left Kyoichi with the ability to smell the other world. Since his brother didn’t make it back with him, he wears nothing but black in his honor and he seems to frighten people with this look. Ayame was once a creature of the other world, but now lives in ours and when the two meet nothing will ever be the same. Damn, I couldn’t put this book down. The adaptation was amazing, the language was perfect and a bit romanticized, and the story sometimes left me with a little creepy feeling inside. I highly recommend this book and I just found out there was a manga adaptation I need to check out. A

Noise
Story & Art: Tsutomu Nihei
Translation: Stephen Paul
Adaptation: Nathan Johnson
Publisher: Tokyopop

This story is set in the world of BLAME. While I have never read Blame, I am familiar with Nihei’s work on Wolverine: Snikt and the Halo graphic novel. After reading this book, I really don’t think it’s necessary to read BLAME to understand what is going on here, but I really want to now. Detective Musubi Susono and her partner Kloser are investigating child kidnappings. Right after they find the missing children murdered, Kloser is viciously murdered and Susono is caught in a cat and mouse game with the killer. With her identity wiped out from the citizen registry she has to survive on her own without the use of assistance from society. I really dug the artwork, it’s sketchy, dark, and use of heavy inks makes it hard to follow sometimes, but you get used to it. I can’t imagine another type of art style working for a book with an incoherent story such as this one. Yeah, unfortunately that is the flaw of the book, while the story could have been great, it just didn’t make much sense. I’m not sure if the parasites were successful infecting the city or what. I just wish there was more to this story. B-

Gotham Underground #2

Writer: Frank Tieri

The Trials of Shazam #10

Writer: Judd Winick

Ultimates 3 #1

Writer: Jeph Loeb

Joshiebear's Zany pic posts of famed irregularity!!!

Found these. They made me laugh. So hard. So. Goddamned(batman). Hard.

WorldWarHulk, how it would honestly, really go down:

Love it. Ta!

> -Joshiebear

Monday Manga Reviews: From demons that grant wishes to good witches

Love Attack Vol. 1
Story & Art: Shizuru Seino
Translation: Adrienne Beck
Adaptation: Magdalena Sniegocki
Publisher: Tokyopop

No, Love attack is not a song by Bad Company. Although, if you’ve heard the lyrics to the song it kind of relates to the story in Junai Tokko Taicho (Love Attack)! In a twist of sorts, Chiemi Yursa is a high school girl whose record is anything but perfect. She has been suspended for bullying other students and fighting more than once and she’s not even half way through her first year. This all might lead to an expulsion, unless she can convince Akifumi Hirata, the nastiest fighter in the school to clean up his act. Funny enough the two biggest bullies in the school are the sweetest couple when they are together. While I hate being biased in saying that the art is very shoujo with all the big eyes and pretty boys; I have to say that Seino can pull off some great clean action scenes. The story while predictable, still holds my interest because I really like Cheimi, I mean she’s not your typical girly girl. It’s your typical shoujo story with plenty of comedy, romance, misunderstandings, and fights. On a side note, I’m still trying to figure out who that girl on the cover is. While I’m sure it’s supposed to be Cheimi, in the manga she looks like she has light hair not black. B-

My Dearest Devil Princess Vol. 1
Story: Makoto Matsumoto
Art: Maika Netsu
Translation: Satsuki Yamashita
Publisher: Broccoli Books

Alright picture this scenario: One guy. Three wishes. Half naked demon hottie granting wishes. Keita picks up a box that contains the demon girl Maki in it. Maki can grant Keita three wishes in exchange for Keita’s soul. Until he decides what to wish for Maki decides to stay and live with him until he is ready. Now she attends his school and if his classmates aren’t trouble enough a little angel by the name of Sheeta appears to cause more havoc. I really can’t say much about this book other than it was nothing more than fanservice galore. Every ten pages we are either shown a panty shot, a shower scene, or funbags all over Keita’s face. There is even a little bondage scene that involves holy water being poured on Maki. Even though I think of myself as a pervert, I really think they overdid the fanservice here. It adds nothing to the story (what little there is to begin with) and gets annoying more than anything. The one good thing I can say is that the art is really good. Well, at least the ladies look really good, for some reason the male characters look like they stepped out of a Beyblade episode. If you like nothing more than to look at panty shots and cleavage teases every 10 pages this book is for you, just not my cup of manga though. D+

Ororon: The Complete Collection
Story & Art: Hakase Mizuki
Translation: Tomoko Kamimoto
Publisher: Tokyopop

This was my first time reading this series. Even though it came before Baku, Asian Beat, and Demon Flowers I really don’t know how I missed this story the first time around. Because I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed The Demon Ororon. Chiaki is an orphan and a rather strange, lonely girl who attracts all the wrong sorts of people consisting of spirits and ghouls. She encounters a beautiful bleeding young man and decides to help him. In return for her help Chiaki acquires a wish and much like Oh My goddess, she wishes for this demon to stay with her. He's the good-looking, cynical, sharp-dressing, chain-smoking Demon King of Hell. And he's having a rather rough time being king, because of a bounty on his head, his family hates him, and his friends are trying to murder him. I had so much sympathy for Ororon and his relationship with Chiaki; I couldn’t help but route for them. Now don’t let the fast paced introductory chapters lure you away from this book, because Mizuki does try to introduce too much and too fast. I found the exaggeration of perspective and elongation of the character's bodies (specially those necks) to be visually interesting and well-used to help tell the story. The only complaint I have is that at times the male cast all look the same. In my mind at least the lead - Ororon - should stand out from the pack. Still, you get used to style and can usually manage to distinguish between them all eventually. I really enjoy Mizuki’s art because for the most part the drawings are clean and uncluttered even the fighting sequences are easy to follow. This however changes towards the end as new characters are introduced and there is just an over abundance of fights in small panels, it does get hard to follow. Although the cover is a bit misleading; this book is full of fighting, blood, gore, death, and a tragic love story to get the attention of any reader. B+

The Good Witch of the West:
The Girl of Sera Field
Story: Noriko Ogiwara
Illustrations: Haruhiko Momokawa
Translations: Agnes Yoshida
Adaptation: Natalie Baan

I read Wicked a few years ago and L. Frank Baum’s books are some of my favorites. Hell, I still think that Return to Oz from the 80’s is better than the original Wizard of Oz movie. With that being said, you might just laugh and skip my review. Well going by the title, I really thought it was going to be a book related to the world of Oz. So I was disappointed when I didn’t recognize any of the characters or settings, but by the end of the novel I fell in love with this world that Ogiwara created. Firiel lives in the remote highlands with her father, who happens to be an astronomer. Her and her friend Rune go to a royal ball and she catches the attention of the prince. On her way home she is attacked by mysterious men in robes. Then the secrets start to unveil as all of the sudden her past comes back and haunts her; Because she might be heir to the throne. I really couldn’t put this book down from beginning to end and the words are so descriptive that I could picture every scene take place with ease. Granted, I have a vivid imagination, but those pictures by Momokawa are just amazing. I just found out there was a manga too, so if it’s anything like this. Count me in. A-

The Other Side of the Mirror vol. 1
Story & Art: Jo Chen
Translation: J.Y. Standaert
Adaptation: Kereth Cowe-Spigai
Publisher: Tokyopop

Hmm…. this is another book this week with a song like title. Although, typically I think of Lewis Caroll not Bob Dylan when I think of mirrors. If you’re not familiar with Jo Chen’s artwork well then you’ve had your eyes closed. With work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Runaways, Thor, Street Fighter, and Dark Minds it’s hard to miss her unique art style. Yes, I’m a fan; I have a picture of the Xander cover from the Buffy series on my wall at work. I don’t think that Xander has ever looked so badass! Well anyway back to the review. The setting is New York city where two unexpected couple meet. Lou is an alcoholic, who makes his living out-drinking people at bars. Sunny is a prostitute who was a southern belle runaway. As soon as they hookup they start looking for a way out of their world and start having faith in a humanity that left them behind many years ago. The story is very adult oriented and deeper than that initial layer. The artwork is phenomenal. Chen manages to capture so much human emotions in one picture than most artist do in their entire career. Sure the pictures are in black and white, but they are still fantastic. Fans of Chen will already be picking this up, but I highly recommend anyone to give it a try and be pleasantly surprised. All this and you get some fantastic additional sketches and a beautiful chromium cover. A