In the third act of Sony’s video game comedy, Pixels, Josh Gad’s Ludlow professes his love to his 8-bit crush, the deadly assassin Lady Lisa, while she has him pinned down by a pair of swords. I hoped she would run him through with the blade instead of falling for his romantic gestures because Gad’s annoying and uninspired performance represents the film’s overall tone.
Continue reading “Pixels is Pixelated”
Would you be surprised if I told you that Ant-Man is a comic book character created in 1962 by industry legends Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby, and Stan Lee? Would it also surprise you to know that Ant-Man is also a founding member of the Avengers?
You probably didn’t know that based on what has transpired on the silver screen with Marvel thus far. It’s ok, though, really. The prospect of a superhero that plays with ants doesn’t sound like a financially viable project for movie executives to invest in.
However, we got a talking Raccoon in a film, and it made millions.
Ant-Man is a character that really never did it for me. That all changed as Director Peyton Reed’s theatrical interpretation lit up movie screens in the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Continue reading “Ant-Man Crawls to Prominence”
Last Friday, in the main event of Bellator 138, Kimbo Slice knocked out Ken Shamrock. The former bare-knuckle brawler seemingly came back from the jaws of defeat as he escaped from a rear-naked choke and landed a right hand that sent Shamrock crumbling to the canvas.
The thing is, there are a lot of people who are questioning the integrity of the bout. Some scoff at the very idea that there was anything fishy with the bout, while others believe without question that the fix was in.
When examining these matters, the two big questions you have to ask yourself are why the event would unfold this way and what Bellator has to gain from Kimbo getting a big win on national television? Continue reading “Shamrock vs. Kimbo: A Work of Fiction”
Rexodus TPB | Writer: James Farr | Artist: Jon Sommariva | Colorists: Camila Fortuna, Dustin Evans, John Rauch | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Release Date: June 24, 2015
“Daddy needs you to step away from the apex predator,” Dr. Dixon nervously says to his 12-year-old daughter, Amber, as she accidentally awakens a living and breathing dinosaur from a 64 million-year cryosleep and brilliantly and humorously sets the tone for this fast-paced intergalactic tale of survival.
If you look at the cover, you see a little girl with an orange T-Rex who is wearing body armor and ready to attack the enemy.
“Maybe this is a comedy, a parody that is only meant to deliver a good laugh,” I thought as I judged this cover. Not that there is nothing wrong with a parody. James Farr and Jon Sommariva take what we know about these historical beasts and flip it upside down.
However, once you immerse yourself in these colorful pages, it becomes evident in a short amount of time that Rexodus delivers so much more than its perceived intent.
Changing what we know about history and our place in the universe had been done before. So, if I were to tell you that dinosaurs could walk and talk, you wouldn’t be so surprised.
Kelvin Sauridon is a relic of a time long ago and finds himself in the 21st century and realizes that everyone he loves is gone. However, something survived with him in the form of the life-sucking entity called The Black Blood.
Amber Dixon is a spunky and extremely savvy young lady who isn’t afraid of much, considering she gets thrown into this crazy interplanetary adventure and handles it like a champ.
The relationship between Kelvin and Amber is the centerpiece of the story.
James Farr handled this with a different type of care and perspective. Amber is anything but a damsel in distress that a person her age would normally be portrayed as. In fact, she helps Kelvin, and he quickly gains a sense of admiration for her. They’re both a fish out of water in this situation, but when the time calls for it, Kelvin is the protector as Amber looks for a way to assist.
Jon Sommariva’s illustrations remind me of a well-drawn animated series that has a strong and pronounced presence throughout the book. The design of the dinosaurs, or in this case, “Disaurians,” is well realized and made to look more humanoid in their portrayal.
My only complaint with the book is that on a few occasions, certain panels don’t completely jive with what’s taking place. In one instance, a small and conniving dinosaur is stepped on by his very large superior. In the next panel, the little guy looks fine and not even bothered by the trauma he experienced.
Stories with multiple layers sometimes fail to find a voice that connects with the reader because they can’t decide what they are trying to be. Whether we are talking about a goggle-wearing fighter pilot pterodactyl who loves to go fast or a surly triceratops who kind of has a Han Solo thing going on, all of the story elements are executed at the right moments and to perfection.
Laughter filled my soul at times, while other moments captivated my imagination by the real stakes involved. Then, there was an occasion or two that made my eyes water a little bit.
What ultimately makes this graphic novel unique is its simplicity. It is easy to follow and aimed at a younger reader. Rexodus is an eclectic gathering of heartfelt action, adventure, and humor that is highly imaginative and never lets up.
Originally written for Forces of Geek.com – 6/24/15
It took Dan Henderson 28 seconds to prove the naysayers wrong on Saturday night in New Orléans as he dispatched of Tim Boetsch. The catalyst for Boetsch’s demise came in the form of an H-bomb special that crumbled the barbarian, causing him to count the lights in the Smoothie King Center. Continue reading “Big Easy Win for Old Man Hendo”
The middleweight showdown between Dan Henderson and Tim Boetch will headline the latest UFC Fight Night card from Louisiana on Saturday evening. Both fighters are coming off losses, but the bigger story here is that Henderson, a legend in the sport, has won only one of his last six fights.
With his 45th birthday right around the corner, could this be the last time we see ‘Hendo’ grace the cage? Continue reading “Henderson’s Last Ride?”
Christmas of 1984, times were tough for my family as we lived in a crammed one room apartment. I was only four years old, so I didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. I really had no concept of Christmas, so I was surprised when there were four wrapped presents waiting for me when I woke up that morning.
The first two were Superman and Batman action figures courtesy of Kenner’s Super Powers line. Presents three and four were He-Man and Skeletor of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe collection. To be more specific, it was the Battle Damage He-Man and Battle Damage Skeletor, not the regular figures. Continue reading “Masters of the Universe is Kind of My Jam”
Planet Hulk #1 | Writers: Sam Hunphries, Greg Pak | Artists: Marc Laming, Takeshi Miyazawa, Leonard Kirk | Colorist: Jordan Boyd, Rachelle Rosenberg, Tamra Bonvillain | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: $4.99 |
Sam Hunphries and Greg Pak hit comic book fans with a pretty snazzy 1-2 punch as they implement the beloved story arc of Planet Hulk into Marvel’s current big event, Secret Wars.
The other part of the combination deals with a gladiator Steve Rogers and his trusty steed in the form of a giant red t-Rex, Devil Dinosaur kicking ass and taking names.
I couldn’t help but notice the bump up in price compared to the other Secret Wars tie-in books. The book is certainly thicker, but does it add up in the realm of content? Of course, all things in Battleworld leads back to Doctor Doom, who is now referred to as God Doom.
Seeing a beaten down Steve Rogers being forced down at the feet of Doom harkens back to Secret Wars circa 1984. Doom obtained ultimate power in that outing, and Rogers got into his head by turning his own hubris against him.
Their interaction in this current state of affairs dropped some hints about whether or not Doom remembers everything before Marvel’s version of the big bang. It would make sense considering he is the shot caller, but many of the characters remember bits and traces of their past without realizing what it really means.
Enough about Doom and Rogers, though. The book is called Planet Hulk, and you want to hear about how they wreck shop and cause total destruction. Greenland is the name of this Gamma-infested region that has been carved out for Hulk-like beings.
Sam Humphries sets things up nicely by establishing how dangerous this place is as it is conveyed to be the most feared place in Battleworld.
Greg Pak writes a nice little back story that shows life in Greenland before, well, it turned green. The cover had a retro sixties vibe, which almost seemed like a gag at first.
However, even though Battleworld is a bastardization of reality, these are still real people who live their lives until things took a turn for the worst. Pak’s gives Planet Hulk perspective through this origin story.
Most of the time, tie-in books fail to add any real depth to the overarching story they are trying to enhance. While it would have been nice to see more of Planet Hulk in its current form, Humphries did a great job of establishing everyone’s role where green goliaths appear to play background noise to a much larger issue at hand.
Score: 4 out of 5
Secret Wars #2 | Writer: Jonathan Hickman | Artist: Esad Ribic | Colorist: Ive Svorcina | Cover: Alex Ross | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: $4.99
Enter Battleworld, a new plane of existence somehow created in the wake of the Marvel universe’s destruction. It’s a crazy, dark place where the characters we know have new lives and have taken on radically different roles. A seemingly medieval symmetry encapsulates the motif and lifeblood of this realm.
Various families and houses squabble, politic, and plot to expand their dominion under the watchful eye of one supreme monarch. While there are certainly no songs of fire and ice, I got the impression that winter is coming. Continue reading “Secret Wars #2 Review”
The UFC makes its debut in the Philippines this Saturday as Frankie Edgar, and Urijah Faber will tango in the main event. While the card boasts what should be some fun fights, the five-round featherweight attraction between the two former WEC and UFC champions could very well be MMA’s version of the Thrilla in Manila.
Fight night is a term that encapsulates the evening’s combative festivities. However, this event has the unusual distinction of airing in the early a.m. to compensate for the twelve-hour time difference. One would wonder why such a big fight would be booked for this particular show, but the UFC’s aggressive push in the Asian market probably answers that question. Continue reading “Calling The Shots: Frankie Edgar vs. Urijah Faber”
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