ROH All-Star Extravaganza Review

The Lowell Memorial Auditorium was once again treated to an action-packed night of squared circle mayhem as Ring of Honor brought their All-Star Extravaganza pay-per-view event to the Mill City. The best way to describe the ROH product for the uninitiated is to call it pro wrestling with a side of sports entertainment.

WWE’s presentation favors the reverse ideology, but there is a die-hard fan base that ROH caters to that’s not into all the pomp, circumstance, and melodrama. The storylines are simple enough to follow, but it’s the matches that keep the ROH faithful coming back for more.

My fellow wrestling promoting partner in crime, Ryan and I attended the show with piqued interest since neither us of go to Ring of Honor shows that often. In fact, this was only my third ROH live experience and my first in twelve years. Plus, some of the biggest moments in wrestling history have occurred in Lowell, and All-Star Extravaganza could provide another. Continue reading “ROH All-Star Extravaganza Review” →

WWE Backlash 2016 Review

After a six year absence, Backlash returns to the WWE event calendar as the first SmackDown brand pay-per-view of the new era. Check out my review of the show as things kicked off with a fantastic women’s championship match and ended with a great WWE World title showdown.

Boom Studios Unleashes ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Vol. 1

Normally, a comic book series based a popular television show delivers more of the same at best while often providing a watered down version of the source material.

Kyle Higgins makes BOOM! Studios’ run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers a compelling exception to the rule by using familiar elements to serve the narrative in a fashion that triggers nostalgia while touching on things that the kid-friendly show ignored.

Here, Higgins and company sprinkle in safety concerns and protocols that remind, or perhaps, enlightens the reader that no sane person would want to live in Angel Grove due to the amount of monster activity that plagues the city.

Also, how come no one ever attacked the Rangers at home? Why is it that only Jason and Tommy’s Zords saw one on one combat? All of these things and more come into play throughout the book.

Click here to read the entire review at Forces of Geek.com

SmackDown BreakDown 8/30/16: Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

Atlee Greene and Adam Kohn review the 8/30/16 episode of WWE SmackDown Live and also discuss Alberto Del Rio’s departure from WWE and more.

He-Man and She-Ra Guide Channels the Power of Greyskull

Last year, Dark Horse unleashed the Power of Greyskull with the release the He-Man art book and a collection of the old mini comic books. Now, writer, animator and He-Man expert James Eatock has assembled the ultimate companion guide for the original animated series that was a capstone of the 80’s cartoon era.

Did you know that He-Man started off as angry and impatient before he gained his good humored personality? What about the fact that Orko was originally going to be named Gorpo? He-Man and She-Ra: A Complete Guide To The Classic Animated Adventures is a near 600 page hard cover juggernaut that will require some prime real estate on your bookshelf.

Every single episode of the Filmation animated series starring He-Man & She-Ra, the movies The Secret of the Sword and A Christmas Special are summarized with a wealth of information that is beautifully laid out in a cohesive manner that is easy on the eyes and super fun to explore.

Click here to read the entire review at Forces of Geek.com

Thank You, Scott Snyder

I’ve lost confidence in my writing as of late. I second guess every word and rewrite every sentence more times than I would like to admit. My friends tell me not to worry and that I’m my own worst critic. Last weekend, I learned that a critically acclaimed writer goes through something similar.

I covered a panel at Boston Comic Con, where Batman writer Scott Snyder and artist Gregg Capullo shared their experience crafting such an iconic superhero. Snyder is arguably the definitive narrative voice of the caped crusader and the love and admiration he has for the character is clear with every turn of the page.

Snyder was extremely open with some of the trials and tribulations he’s endured since he took on Batman’s ongoing series in 2011. “That sentence sucks” is a constant voice of creative doubt that is interlined in his thoughts.

In many respects, Scott Snyder’s work is the perfect example of everything I aspire to be as a writer. It was refreshingly honest to hear that he has fears, doubts and anxiety when he writes, just like me.

I wrote a review of Scott Snyder’s panel, and to avoid getting paralysis by analysis, I focused, found my direction, typed it up, and stayed the course in spite of the urge to highlight, right-click, and press delete.

Click here for my review of the panel at Forces of Geek.com

Superman vs. Aliens

The year is 1995 and like many teenagers entering high school, football practice, parties, social status, pro wrestling, (which didn’t bode well for my social status) and that pesky thing called homework occupied my time and took me out of the comic book game.

That didn’t stop me from noticing the onslaught of promotional material, whenever I would walk by my local comic book shop for the first DC/Dark Horse crossover featuring the Man of Steel and the Alien Xenomorphs from the film series.

For the first time, the Dark Horse Comics/DC: Superman, a 400-page trade paperback version of this intergalactic smackdown as well as other cross company collaborations featuring Superman, has been released just in time for the 30^th anniversary of the sci-fi blockbuster Aliens.

Featuring a cover promoting Superman fighting Aliens seems a little misleading, as I was surprised that the second half of the book has nothing to do with the Alien franchise. The stories of Superman/Tarzan: Son of the Jungle and Superman/Madman Hullabaloo do little to augment the event advertised on the cover. Superman vs. Aliens and the 2002 sequel Superman vs. Aliens: God War spearheads this collection.

Click here to read the entire review at Forces of Geek.com

SmackDown Live Breakdown: 8/2/16 Episode

Adam Kohn and I breakdown anything and everything that was SmackDown Live this past week.

Exploring the Origins of Suicide Squad: A Comic Retrospective

With Suicide Squad’s theatrical release this week, it’s only fitting that we go a little retro and explore the comic book origins of the murderous band of thieves and rogues.

I saw the movie last night, and it was interesting to see the differences between what director David Ayer produced on screen and what writer John Ostrander presented on the printed page.

Everyone knows the story by now, but here’s a quick review for the ill-informed. While held in captivity, some of the world’s most notorious supervillains are forced into the ultimate ultimatum by taking part in missions that are nearly impossible to survive. If one agrees, good. If one does not, they go anyway, and if you try to run…BOOM, your head explodes.

Sadly, there will be no mention of Harley Quinn since these stories take place prior to her first appearance in Batman: The Animated Series (1992).

Amanda Waller is front and center as the shrew and vindictive puppet master pulling the strings. While Waller doesn’t smile in the movie, she puts on a happy face while manipulating President Ronald Regan into approving the assembly of Task Force X.

The film gives audiences one big mission, while Trial By Fire sets the reader up with several missions over the eight issues it collects. Ostrander takes full advantage of the political climate in the 1980s with monstrous jihad terrorists and super-powered Russian soldiers that threaten the good name of democracy like never before.

Heck, even the Female Furies of Apokolips get in on the action, which immediately increases the stakes.

Doing the government’s dirty work in order for time to be taken off of their sentences entices some of the world’s most dangerous criminals who are forced into this virtual no-win situation is standard fare in DC Comics lore.

When we see the team in the comics for the first time, the roster and some of their circumstances are a little different from the film. Deadshot is more of a prison trustee who operates in the field without an explosive device attached to his body.

Captain Boomerang is a conniving cutthroat who uses deadly boomerangs to get the job done…yes, it sounds silly, but it works. There is no code among thieves with this Aussie as he is always looking for a way to escape from the clutches of Amanda Waller and his forced commitment to her expendable soldiers. In fact, the good captain sabotages missions to serve his own needs, and if that’s not enough, he’s a little racist, too.

U.S. Commando Rick Flag is charged with keeping the squad of criminals in check, which comes with a lot of headaches. Flag’s motivations for agreeing to shepherd such devious souls stems from a sense of duty to his country, along with trying to live up to his father’s legacy. A generation earlier, Flag’s father led the first, and much different, incarnation of the Suicide Squad that was not comprised of villains. Flag’s romantic interests come into play in the film and in the comic, which brings about some interesting situations, considering he is so gung-ho about following orders.

Movie trailers have revealed that the sword-wielding heroine known as Katana helps Flag keep the baddies in line. However, in 1987, the comics went with Bronze Tiger to be second in command. While he doesn’t appear on screen, he is the world’s greatest martial artist who is looking to atone for the vile acts he committed while being brainwashed by the League of Assassins.

Enchantress’ story/origin is pretty much the same, but giving any more notes and comparisons might give away more about the film than I want to spoil for our readers. Ostrander makes great use of her throughout the narrative, while Luke McDonnell’s illustrations bring a sense of wonder and danger when she uses her powers to mess with people’s minds.

This collection is essential for any Suicide Squad fan.

The first adventures of the team’s modern incarnation and the secret origin of the group’s ancestral roots, will leave readers with a deeper appreciation for the characters and the overall mythos presented.

During several missions, the team experiences a wide array of situations that test the characters’ physical and mental limits. Some can only take so much, while others will fight until the bitter end to escape the confines of Louisiana’s Bell Reve Penitentiary.

War Wheels, time travel, an eclectic group of characters, and watching Amanda Waller lay the smackdown on anyone who gets in her way is more than worth the price of admission.

Originally written for Forces of Geek.com on 8/5/16

Cage Hero: MMA Comic Book Review

When MMA star Randy Couture fought Tim Sylvia in March 2008, he did so against the wishes of the MMA faithful. People were concerned for his safety as Couture was 43 years old and coming out of retirement to battle the much larger champion who stands at 6 feet, 8 inches, tips the scales at 300 lbs. and is 13 years his junior.

Couture rocked the monstrous Sylvia with his first punch eight seconds into the fight and dominated the entire affair in an awe-inspiring performance to capture his third UFC Heavyweight Championship. That night, “Captain America” went from hero to legend.

In the pages of Dynamite Entertainment’s Cage Hero, high school student and wrestling sensation Ryder Stone learns about his true destiny when he joins a super-powered team of mixed martial arts fighters and strives to live up to his adopted name, Legend.

Click here to read my full review at Forces of Geek.com