Fatale #1 Review

Ed Brubaker’s Fatale combines 1950’s noir with the horror approach of H.P. Lovecraft to bring us a crime story. We begin at renowned author Dominic Raines’ funeral, coordinated by his godson, Nicolas Lash. As Lash leaves the gravesite, he bumps into an eye-catching woman named Jo, who reveals a connection to his family.

Later on, catastrophe enters Nicolas’ life going eighty miles an hour as car chases, explosions, attempted murder, a killer airplane, and lost body parts set the stage for a trip to the past that begins to unravel a mystery.

If you are looking for something besides the superhero thing, look no further because this is it! This is not a story you can simply skim through as you really need to read every word balloon and examine every panel to truly take everything in and enjoy. To drive the point home on how good of a tale this is, my wife is an avid book reader who never picks up a comic book.

She read this one and can not stop talking about it and feels February is too long to wait for part two to be released. I completely agree, and so will you if you pick it up.

Grade: A-

Daredevil #7 Review

Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil has been simply amazing, and lucky number seven is no exception. Matt Murdock takes some students from the Cresskill School for the Blind on a field trip that quickly turns into a quest for survival.

Harsh weather conditions render Matt’s powers next to useless, and the terrified children create some tense moments page by page. Waid’s script and Rivera’s complimentary artwork shows the gravity of a tense situation that makes you wonder how he will get them out of this one.

I also found myself thinking about how anyone could find success in that situation, considering the circumstances. This book will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end, which all great comic books accomplish.

Grade: A-

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire – Iron Eclipse #1 Review

Star Wars: Agent of the Empire – Iron Eclipse #1 | Writer: John Ostrander | Art: Julien Hugonnard-Bert & Stephanie Roux
Colors: Wes Dzioba | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Price: $3.50

One thing that is awesome about the Star Wars comic books is the ability to enjoy new adventures in the expanded universe. Most of them have the same theme of Jedi vs. Sith and Empire vs. Rebellion. Agent of the Empire is something I haven’t seem come down the pipe in a while. Worry not for those who fear change, you will absolutely scream “Now that was a Star Wars book!”
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WCW S.L.A.M. FORCE #1 Review

I can’t believe I forgot about this gem produced by World Championship Wrestling and released by Marvel Comics. S.L.A.M. Force (Secret Legion Against Monsters) was a group put together as a covert group to battle supernatural forces of evil. The members of this elite fighting forces is an interesting selection, to say the least.

Their first mission takes them to Antarctica where our warriors of the squared circle have to stop some bad guys from uncovering the missing link and using its powers for world domination. These comic books came with each purchase of a Slam Force action figure. The story is cheesy but it’s “Great Expectations” compared to the Ultimate Warrior’s comic book. Now, let’s meet our heroes.

sf_benoitcomic — Chirs Benoit: Kind of has a Wolverine thing going on. Makes sense since it was his nickname

sf_nashcomic — Kevin Nash: Has a rock & roll Thor type of character. The giant hammer is appropriate since he is in a Sledge Hammer match this Sunday and it can be used in burying people which he is an expert at

sf_gbergcomic — Bill Goldberg: “Hulk Smash” first & asks questions later. Makes an error or two for a poor lack of judgement in the book

sf_hartcomic — Bret Hart: Marvel gave him the Hawkeye treatment. No powers. Expert with an bow & arrow. Makes sense since his name is the “Hitman”. I just don’t know how we can expect him to fight the forces of evil with the guy who ended his career in Goldberg

If you would like to read the book in its entirety then click here

sf_stingcomic — Sting: They and made him Morbius. He is the leader of this pitiful little band.

Man of Steel vs. Faith of Man

In pop culture folklore, Superman is Earth’s greatest hero. Anyone can quote his mythological attributes of being faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Over the years, the last son of Krypton has taken a back seat to superheroes such as Iron Man and Batman.

Society’s disillusionment with Superman stems from a lack of realism in which he solves the world’s problems. Being able to jettison an aircraft carrier into outer space with the ease equivalent to us mere mortals throwing a roll of toilet paper is lost on people. Or, maybe our ability to suspend reality has been severely limited to the complexity of the times we live in today?

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Can The Count Handle A Little Mayhem?

Spike TV’s swan song to The Ultimate Fighter has produced one of the most exciting seasons in years. The coach’s battle between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping is an evenly matched fight that should produce a lot of action. This will be Mayhem’s first fight since September 25, 2010, when he submitted a past his prime and first ballot hall of famer, Kazushi Sakuraba. This will also be Mayhem’s first fight back in the UFC since he lost a unanimous decision to Georges St. Pierre in 2005.

Miller was a dormant member of the Strikeforce roster despite CBS denying him entry on shows because he caused a post-fight brawl with the Diaz Brothers on live television. On the other hand, Dana White had no reservations about bringing the Bully Beatdown host into the promotion for a second go-around.

The Ultimate Fighter season III winner, Michael Bisping, finds himself coaching his second squad of UFC prospects. He has remained a staple in the middleweight division for quite some time, and now, the Englishmen look to shut up the loud-mouthed Mayhem and be next in line to fight Chael Sonnen.

Bisping is riding a three-fight winning streak with his last victory against middleweight journeyman Jorge Rivera. His second-round TKO finish of the Massachusetts native made him no friends when he spit on Rivera immediately after the fight was called to a halt.

Yes, Rivera taunted him with a plethora of slanderous YouTube videos leading up to the fight. Still, fans thought they were funny. “The Count” is a fighter people love to hate. He is booed more than most and has never been able to embrace the villain role.

Their styles will surely make for an exciting fight, but the most likely scenario for a finish is if Mayhem can control Bisping in his guard long enough for a submission off his back. Bisping will look for the knockout with his technical acumen, but his lack of punching power will make this an impractical task. Miller’s striking is elementary at best, and he needs to take the fight to the ground if he wants to win.

Bisping will look to stay off the ground but has been known to jump into someone’s guard to apply a little ground and pound. Miller’s takedowns are seldom clean, and he has to work from the clinch to achieve his objective. Bisping’s experience with high-caliber wrestlers will pay off for him, and thus, he will control the majority of the fight.

The Pick: Michael Bisping by unanimous decision.

Why No Love For Jr. Pac-Man???

Santa Claus was extremely generous in 1987 when he left the Atari 2600 and my first video game, Jr. Pac-Man, under my tree. While my friends were accustomed to playing with Junior’s parents, I enjoyed the prospect of riding around a maze in a tricycle. What I want to know, though, is how come we can’t get any love for the little guy? Continue reading “Why No Love For Jr. Pac-Man???” →

The War of Attrition: Henderson vs. Shogun

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was one of the greatest fights in the 22-year organized history of mixed martial arts. Years from now, historians will chronicle this epic encounter as one of the sports’ legendary nights. This fight had everything you could ask for. It was a brutal symphony of action, excitement, suspense, and drama between two veteran warriors with an undeniable will to win. Hendo was awarded the unanimous decision victory as all three judges scored the bout 48-47.

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All Guts & No Glory For Roode.

wm14 — Austin wins WWF belt at Wrestlemania 14

Remember when Stone Cold Steve Austin went over on Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 14? I remember because I was at the Fleetcenter that night. Wrestling fans all over the world rejoiced because the Austin 3:16 era had arrived. Now, imagine if Shawn Michaels had won that match and Austin pinned Shawn in the rematch at the following months Unforgiven pay-per-view? Can’t picture it? Well, let me paint it for you. The revitalization that occurred in professional wrestling because of the Attitude era would have never materialized.

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Wrestling Flashback: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin

Survivor Series 11/17/96
Madison Square Garden
New York, New York

“If you liked Tyson vs. Holyfield, your gonna love this” Jim Ross

The quote by Jim Ross helped set the tone for the Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin encounter as they engaged in an intense stare down, followed by a pair of middle fingers by Austin before the opening bell. Everyone remembers their match at Wrestlemania 13. The Survivor Series bout gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the great matches of this business. The story leading up to and during the match was simple and effective.

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