The Arena Jaragua in Santa Catarina, Brazil, will be treated to a middleweight clash with huge divisional ramifications. Luke Rockhold is the former Strikeforce kingpin looking to establish himself as a serious contender in the UFC. Vitor Belfort is the old lion that can still maul anyone who enters the cage.
Continue reading “Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold: A UFC vs. Strikeforce Tale”
Justice League of America #3 | Writer: Geoff Johns | Art: David Finch & Richard Friend | Colors: Sonia Oback | Letters: Rob Leigh | Publisher: DC Comics | Price: $3.99 | From my column at Forces of Geek.com
JLA improves upon the mistakes of the canceled Justice League International series by making the little things matter. For example, The U.N. commissioned the JLI with the intent of having a culturally diverse squad with no hidden identities.
A.R.G.U.S. runs this particular show, and Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor calls the shots. Geoff John covers a lot of ground with this issue that serves as the tip of the iceberg.
“Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away — what are you?” Captain America
Emotionally shaken from the events in The Avengers, Tony Stark struggles to find meaning in his life. Meanwhile, the sins of the past come back to haunt Tony even further as he arrogantly shunned the harbinger of his doom, scientist Aldrich Killian, played by Guy Pearce, fourteen years earlier.
Continue reading “Iron Man 3 Review”
In the Summer of 1996, Professional Wrestling’s Monday Night Wars were heating up. The nWo became an instant ratings bonanza for World Championship Wrestling while the World Wrestling Federation was struggling for their piece of the pie. In August of that year, Jim Ross announced that Diesel and Razor Ramon were heading back to WWF. This created a tidal wave of controversy as the men who performed as Razor and Diesel, were under contract to WCW.
Continue reading “What if the Fake Diesel and Razor Ramon Actually Worked?”
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 | Writer: Brian Michael Bendis | Art: Sara Pichelli | Colors: Justin Ponsor Publisher: Marvel Comics | Price: $3.99 | From my column at Forces of Geek.com
The thrilling conclusion to “Venom War” brings about a personal tragedy for Miles Morales. These things and Spider-Man go hand-in-hand so it was only a matter of time before our young hero suffered this particular wound.
Continue reading “Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 Review”
Dolph Ziggler cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Alberto Del Rio to become the World Heavyweight Champion. It was a moment many wrestling fans have been clamoring for and it occurred the night after WrestleMania 29. That’s the problem, it happened after, and not at WrestleMania.
Continue reading “The New WWE – for better or for worse?”
Daredevil #25 | Writer: Mark Waid | Art: Chris Samnee | Colors: Javier Rodriguez | Publisher: Marvel Comics |
Many have tried, but the genius that is Mark Waid has finally done it. He has managed to instill fear into the man without fear. The awesome cover drawn by Samnee and Rodriguez tells the whole story.
This is a brutal battle involving a killer specifically trained and designed not only to kill Daredevil but also to do it while being better than him in his form of fighting. It’s the ultimate mind %$#@& that Daredevil may not be able to come back from.
That says a lot, considering what Mark Waid has put this man through. From bloody punches to bone-crushing blows, every aspect of this fight is brilliantly illustrated by Chris Samnee. This was not your typical back-and-forth battle where the bad guy pulled out a fluke victory.
The killer, whose ninja outfit combines Daredevil’s red and yellow costume, was three steps ahead at every turn. He looked pretty badass while handling. This is the type of work that made Mark Waid the Eisner award-winning writer that he is.
Superheroes always triumph in the end. However, Waid manages to put the devil in such peril that it seems inconceivable that he can actually win. Then, out of nowhere, he comes up with a plan that ensures victory.
Like every story arc before this one, I have no idea how he gets out of this one, but I can’t wait to see how he does it.
Grade: A
Star Wars #4 | Writer: Brian Wood | Art: Carlos D’Anda | Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb | Cover: Alex Ross | Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Price: $2.99
Personally, this is one of my most anticipated titles of the month. Brian Wood has done something very special here. He expands on the mythos that make this franchise so amazing while keeping its familiar and celebrated voice firmly intact.
In the Shadow of Yavin, the Rebels are looking for a new base location, but the Empire shows up at every turn and every scouting mission. This leads Leia to conclude that a spy is among their ranks.
Wood’s script shows a perilous sense of danger for the rebellion because no matter how many secret protocols are created, a fleet of Star Destroyers appears in the blink of an eye. Leia runs out of options, and you start to feel that she may never find a new home base.
That is a testament to how well this book is constructed because you know they eventually find the planet Hoth, yet it completely sucks you in. Han and Chewie’s escape from an imperial garrison on Coruscant while flying through the planet’s lower levels. Everything about the chase, from the dialogue to the art direction, made me feel that I was watching this unfold in a movie.
I’ve said it for the last three issues, and I’m going to say it again. If you are not reading this series, you are doing yourself a huge disservice as a comic book or Star Wars fan. Read it now!!!
Grade: A-
Action Comics #19 | Writer: Andy Diggle | Art: Tony S. Daniel, Batt | Colors: Tomeu Morey | Letters: Carlos M. Manqual | Publisher: DC Comics | From my column @ Forces of Geek.com
Now, this is what I’m talking about!
Smashing giant robots and some great interactions between Lois and Clark make this the Superman book we should have gotten when the New 52 began. The ongoing Superman series is a cluster&%#$@, Grant Morrison’s run on Action Comics had its hits and misses, and he borders on being an arrogant frat boy in Justice League.
The brass at DC Comics can’t agree on the Man of Steel’s character portrayal. This is evident by this being the first and only issue written Andy Diggle since he left the company due to “professional differences.” Furthermore, Tony S. Daniel will finish scripting the arc using Diggle’s plot and will leave the series after.
That is a real shame because this is the first time Superman has felt like Superman. This story takes place one year before the New 52 began, and Lex Luthor is up to his alien-hating ways. His portrayal thus far has been disappointing, but Diggle changes that.
Luthor hatches a plot that will tear Superman apart from the inside out. We’ve seen this kind of thing happen to Superman in the past. However, he has had Batman and others to help him. He doesn’t have that this time, so he is alone.
Tony S. Daniel is always money in the art department; this issue is no exception. His depiction of Lois is spectacular and the perfect complement to Diggle’s interpretation of the character. Of course, his work shined most during the battle scene where Superman unloads on some bad guys after being blasted out of the sky and charges at them after saying, “ Didn’t throw the first punch. I’ll throw the last.”
There was no Sholly Fisch backup story, which was usually the best part of the book. Honestly, as much as it might be missed, it was not required, as everything is straightforward. While I worry about future installments due to the creative shakeup, this issue is something Superman fans can be proud of.
Grade: A-
With WrestleMania 29 upon us, I got the sudden urge last week to dig into my DVD collection and watch WrestleMania 2. It’s not the most popular Mania of all time, but it was a big deal back in 1986.
The first time I watched this event was in the early 90’s when I rented it from a mom and pop video store that had a massive wrestling collection. I believe this was the first time I had watched it since and boy, did I forget a lot about this event! In fact, I forgot so much of what happened that I almost turned in my wrestling fan card.
Continue reading “Things I forgot about WrestleMania 2”
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