Search This Blog

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Walking Dead Season 2 Full Trailer

The drama, suspense, and struggle for survival has never been this high.




A little bit of overanalyzing here: judging from what I saw, it seems like this show is going on its own direction, and will not follow the path of the comic book storyline. I can't really say that I like that, but watching something that will actually surprise you is always good... so maybe, this will work for the TV adaptation.

Either way, I'm excited as hell for this.

Entertainment Weekly's "The Avengers" Set Photos Featuring Bobblehead ScarJo

We are all excited for the ultimate superhero team up aren't we? Okay. Now, dig on these exclusive set photos from Entertaintment Weekly featuring EVERYBODY.


This looks great, but fuck - what is wrong with Thor's nose (bad photoshopping), Captain America looking awfully confused, ScarJo's bobblehead and Mark Ruffallo with that stare?

Kowabunga!!!

I love the pizza + beer combo. That's by far my favorite food combination ever.

And I also love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 90s cartoon show, and even LOVE the fact that they are back with IDW's new TMNT book that came out a couple of weeks ago (it was a good #1 for the Turtles).

But this? This.. this TMNT pizza, edible art... whatever you wanna call it, just made me CRAZY for more turtle-power and pizza.


DC New 52 Picks - Week Three Reviews


I continue to review some of the new titles that I came across a week ago, and I have to say, this is a pretty successful relaunch so far, with the third with of publishing being the STRONGEST in my estimation.

Lots of good books, a few forgettable ones, and then some that caused some "controversy".

Ready? Let us begin. 


Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo - Ah... Mr. Snyder... again. And he hits his 3rd consecutive plus point in this whole reboot with his impressive Bat-writing which, my friends, will go down there together with Bob Kane, Jeph Loeb, Greg Rucka, and Grant Morrison to name a few. There I said it. Scott Snyder is one of the best Batman writers of all time. Period.

From the opening page of the book, we immediately see the dark and dangerous Gotham city and it gets even better with Snyder showing us all of the popular inmates of Arkham Asylym (and I mean everybody) going  toe to toe with the Batman. Then if that wasn't enough entertainment, Snyder throws in his ingenious plot twist, one that sees a familiar foe fight side by side with the Bat himself. And he does this marvelous opening sequence in just 7 freaking pages, which Capullo illustrates masterfully, unlike anybody I have ever seen draw a Batman action scene. 

And for those not keeping tabs at home, just a reminder: Bruce Wayne is back as Batman. So normally, former Batman Dick Grayson is back to being Nightwing, Bruce's son Damian Wayne is the current Robin, and finally, Tim Drake is Red Robin. The fun part is that Snyder uses a genius plot device that involves a newly developed face recognition gadget to introduce all of these four characters in one splash page. And speaking of gadgetry, we get to see Batman's good 'ol cave, complete with all his high tech toys... including the old school '89 Batmobile. All of this too looked great, because Capullo's great attention to detail.

The flawless execution of the story is what makes this all work, and Snyder does that by showing us both Bruce Wayne and Batman. He shows Bruce Wayne's plans for Gotham which immediately the notion that the man behind the mask is just as focused on saving the city he loves under just as he is hell bent on ridding Gotham City of evil when he wears the cowl at night. That's good stuff. Then he caps it off with some clever detective work with the GCPD, leading us to a cliffhanger that had me saying: 'the fuck!?'

When it comes to the art, I had nothing bad to say about Capullo here as you can see on the first two paragraphs. I just love how he draws Batman and his uncanny ability to illustrate exagerrated, but real facial expressions in his characters that brings a lot of emotion to each page. Case in point: Jim Gordon's splash page. 

All in all, this is the perfect Batman for the new generation. And with Snyder and Capullo teaming up for this, we can all say that the Bat-franchise is in good hands.

Rating: 5 out of 5



Wonder Woman #1 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang - I was doubtful when I heard that crime-noir writer Brian Azzarello is gonna do Wonder Woman. You know why. But then I read this, wonderful book... and I just knew that we are going be in for a fun ride with Dian... and the crazy Greek gods.

Yes. The Gods are fucking crazy. Azzarello plants his seeds in this first issue by having Diana save a young lady named Zola from brute centaurs in bloody panels that I certainly liked. I mean, who doesn't like Wonder Woman acting like a warrior princess ala-Xena? Be it slashing and headbutting centaurs, I love this new version of Diana. Fierce, powerful, steady and... tall. And I mean, freaking tall. But at the same time, Azzarello shows us the soft side of this woman (with that scene where she checks on a bloodied Hermes), so its not like she's a blood-thirsty Red Lantern.

There's a lot of Greek mythology involved in here, and that's the stuff that I dig. Its interesting and it adds a whole new dimension to this Wonder Woman series.  I don't want to spoil anything here plot-wise, but I'm going to tell you that Zola is involved BIG time with one of these gods (if you're reading or have read Greek myth, then you'll know what I'm talking about).

I enjoyed Cliff Chiang's art, and its phenomenal in this issue. His effective paneling portrays the intense action perfectly, and his sometimes rough pencils is awesome.  He doesn't miss a beat until the end of the issue, and he does a great job making the sexy scenes work, meaning, he is able to make it look sexy without making it too gratuitous.

Great introduction for our new Wonder Woman. And seriously, I want more. And that's coming from somebody who hasn't read any Wonder Woman comic. 

Rating: 5 out of 5



Birds of Prey #1 by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz - This one is a shocker. Shocking because I didn't expect much from BoP, but damn, this is one of those books that mixes an ass-kicking caper story with sophisticated sexiness so well, turning this into a fun and entertaining read with female fatales in the lead.

Nothing so impressive with the writing, but Swierczynski (fuck, that name is hard to spell) manages to pull it off with some decent dialogue,  a possible darker past for Black Canary (murder references in her speech bubbles, anybody?), and a new character - the tattooed and feisty Starling - who right now is by far the winner for my "Best New Character" award in this DC reboot, even though I don't know where the hell she came from. Being mysterious works doesn't it? 

Now let's take about Jesus Saiz' art. Its no doubt, the best part of this book, hands down.  His rendition of the woman anatomy isn't perfect, but he  managed to draw it realistically. There are a couple of T&A shots here and there, but Saiz made sure that it isn't the only thing that you're going to notice, mixing it with fluid action sequences (e.g Black Canary's first kick). Balance my friends is the name of the game, and Saiz captured that perfectly.

And let us not forget: Saiz illustrates the best car crash scenes EVER. Its forceful, in-your-face, and his level of detail  when it comes to all these stuff and debris flying around is spectacular. That's probably my most favorite part in this book.

So with that said, BoP works, but I just wish that the next issue (see? I got tired writing his last name) will avoid that flashback-present-flashback formula because it gets too confusing and in my opinion, not the type of structure you would want your readers to encounter in a #1 issue. Otherwise, its a solid title, and its worth giving it a second shot.

Rating: 3.5/5


Click on the jump for more reviews...

Wolverine gives Cyclops a big "EFF YOU!"

We know what happens after Schism and the Cyclops vs Wolverine throwdown. Two separate X-teams, two different leaders. All of this is going to happen because of a certain redhead chick that has done more for this franchise dead than alive (and yes, it was NEVER about using young mutants as soldiers in issue #4 of Schism).

What's funny about all of this? Is that even before the big event ends, we already know what Wolverine is going to do after all is said and done:

Give Cyclops a BIG middle finger. 

How? Check out the preview images for Wolverine and the X-Men #1 after the jump. 


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Power Girl is still in the DC New 52 Reboot!!!

But not as the Earth-2 Kryptonian we have always known and loved.

This is her now:


Her civilian identity Karen Starr - CEO of Starrware Industries - appears in the debut issue of Mister Terrific, and is "friends" with Mr. Terrific himself. Well, putting it more explicitly: they are fuck buddies. 

Love that jersey color.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I don't know what this is for, but what the hell... It's Batman by Phil Noto


From his blog:

"Batman - I was working on a very quick little Batman piece for something and it soon turned into this."

Something? Could it be a new DC graphic novel or one shot? Or could be hinting at doing something for DC related to the New 52 Batman? Because from the looks of this, its like a damn cover art. 

I know I'm not supposed to over-analyze things... but this is Phil Freaking Noto we're talking about.  And everything he does is noteworthy.

(You gotta love the Joker background doing his best impersonation of "The People's Eyebrow".) 

My Take On The Last Pages of Catwoman #1 [Spoiler Alert!]

***SPOILERS BELOW***
This comic book has been the most talked about last week. I'm not going to describe what made a lot of people mad, and just show you the images:




So its Batman and Catwoman getting jiggy with it. Big deal.

Folks, this is the new Catwoman. And the idea of an independent and strong woman who knows what she wants, totally in control is nothing but SEXY and most importantly, ADMIRABLE and RESPECTABLE as far as I'm concerned (come on people... its 2011. Its time to get over these kinds of things. sheesh). Finally, this particular scene(s) or comic book is not a direct statement that says: women are just sex objects or anything of that nature in my point of view.

After Schism: Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine & The X-Men #1 and #2 Covers

X-Men: Schism is drawing to a close and we already know what is going to happen after all is said and done. So here we go with the two covers for the first and second issues of what will be two separate X-Men teams: one led by Cyclops, and the other led by fan-favorite Wolverine.

First off, we have Uncanny X-Men #1 and 2. Looks like we got Mr. Sinister back in the rumble!

 UNCANNY X-MEN #1 (SEP110591)
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils and Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Inks by CAM SMITH
Colors FRANK D’ARMATA
FOC – 10/10/11, ON SALE – 11/2/111

UNCANNY X-MEN #2 (SEP110595)
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Pencils and Cover by CARLOS PACHECO
Inks by CAM SMITH
Colors FRANK D’ARMATA
FOC – 10/24/11, ON SALE – 11/16/11

And finally, the series that probably has the amazing art courtesy of Chris Bachalo. Wolverine & The X-Men #1 & 2:


WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #1 (AUG110653)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils and Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
FOC – 10/3/11, ON SALE – 10/26/11


WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #2 (SEP110589)
Written by JASON AARON
Pencils and Cover by CHRIS BACHALO
FOC – 10/31/11, ON SALE – 11/23/11

Wow. Two great comic book series to be released not far away from each other. Better save your dimes now. 

[via iFanboy]

New X-Men Video Game Lets You "Choose Your Destiny" [Trailer]



Here's what I think about the trailer: I like the concept of this game, just like X-Men: Schism. Free roaming and smashing type of game with the player having the freedom to choose the side he is on. But damn, the graphics (based on this video at least) looks HORRIBLE.

Its 2011 folks. 'Gotta make something better than this. 

Just look at Batman: Arkham City.

Monday, September 26, 2011

DC New 52 Picks - Week Two Reviews


After reviewing a lot of the first week titles from DC's New 52 initiative, I'm back with more titles from their 2nd week of publishing.

So let's get in the bizniz, shall we?


Batman and Robin #1 by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason -  Frankly, I was excited to read a book that finally stars father-and-son Bruce and Damian Wayne. Excited to see how their relationship goes and how Batman will deal with a spoiled brat of a son that he has. And it worked pretty well in this comic. The back and forth dialogue between them is fun, but Robin becomes more annoying everytime with his disrespectful banter and  "my way or the highway" style of doing things. I hope they will tone it down a bit.

Also, it was nice to see Batman celebrate the time of his parent's wedding instead of their deaths, and that signifies something on the lighter side that I haven't seen in the character in years. He's still brooding yes, but at least he makes an effort to forget the bad stuff and celebrate the good ones.

Finally, the action is well executed and was beautifully illustrated, but I wish their first encounter was with somebody more powerful, rather than just some bunch of ordinary thieves. Good ending with the mysterious Bat-killer and the Batman of Russia (yes, Russia has one. Read Batman Inc folks) in a pool of vat though. Its something that I could look forward to.
Rating 3.5/5



Batwoman #1 by JH Williams III and Haden Blackman - Its been a long time since I read a Batwoman story and the last one was way back 2010, with the incredible Batwoman: Elegy. So normally, I would expect nothing less but absolute perfection with this book.

And as expected - JH Williams didn't disappoint. 

He killed the storytelling (with help from Haden Blackman of course), infusing detective work with the horror genre, and then giving us his patented 2-page spreads of remarkable art filled with dynamic and fluid action sequences and awesome paneling that only JH Williams can do. The only problem I have (if there is anything), is that Williams had Kate spill all of her emotions in a spread just to keep new readers up to speed with what happening, and how the hell did we end up here. Its a beautiful storytelling technique, but its too confusing and too much to absorb, especially if you just have to understand everything through images. 

Still, this is the BEST book from that week, and its one of those comic books that you have to have in your hands in order for you to appreciate its beauty. That's right: JH Williams tells us that you can't read his book with a damn iPad (or any type of device for that matter)!

Rating: 5/5



Demon Knights #1 by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves - Are you a fan of magic, sorcery and dragons? Then this book is for you. Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, Demon Knights introduces the other side of DC, with sorcerers, dragons, medieval knights, and exploding babies. Wait... come again? 

Yes exploding babies. If that doesn't sound mystical (and creepy) to you, then I don't know what it is.

The book doesn't explain much as who these characters are and how are they related to each other, like you're supposed to know them already. The truth is, I don't know Madame Xanadu, Etrigan, Merlin and the Shining Knight and this was my first time encountering them in a comic, but what the hell... the comic is so damn entertaining and wonderfully drawn that I couldn't help but keep on reading. Its like reading and playing a video game with the detailed medieval environment, the familiar formula of a bleak but interesting prologue + characters meet and greet in a pub, then capping it off with DINOSAURS crashing the party. Yeah, dinosaurs. They're back! 

Paul Cornell and Diogenes Nieves are fcuking awesome. Now, they have to introduce all (if not some) of these characters in the second issue one way or another while getting them to kill some giant reptiles.

Rating: 4/5

Continue after the jump for more reviews... 

The Best Psylocke Cosplay EVER

I have seen a lot of cosplayers taking their own spin with Psylocke, but I just have to hand it over to Linda Le aka VampBeauty for her spot on portrayal of the X-Man. See it for yourself and prepare to be mesmerized:


... and another one - this time, and ode to a certain Jim Lee.



Stunning. The costume, the pose, everything.  What a lovely woman you are, Linda. But most importantly, thank you for bringing Psylocke to life!


'Threesome Art' - 09.26.2011 - The Bat and The Cat Special

Its been a pretty controversial week for DC because of what some people say as over-the-top, gratuitous sexual innuendos in some of their titles like Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 and (probably the HOTTEST book this week) - Catwoman #1.

So with that said, here are three of the awesome art picks that shows the goddamn Batman amd Catwoman's relationship (with relation to the ending of Catwoman #1) as interpreted by Eric Canete and Phil Noto. 
Click on images for biggies. 




Canete sent a powerful message to DC with his strip, while Noto... damn, Bruce and Selina just chillin' with pizza's and beer? That's a series that everybody's going to follow!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Porn Star Tanya Tate Reviews DC's Justice League & Batgirl #1!

My friend Tanya sent me an email with her video reviews of two DC New 52 titles, and I have to say, its pretty interesting what she's got to say about these two books. And I actually agree with almost everything she said and overall it was a good.

Go check Tanya's videos below and let me know what you think!







Friday, September 23, 2011

DC New 52 Picks - Week One Reviews

I know this is late, but I don't care. This article covers my review of some the titles from the first week of the game-changing DC Reboot.

I didn't read every DC book that went out, and basically just picked out the ones that interested me, so if you don't see any titles that you want to see I do apologize and cut me some slack. Thank you.

Let's get it on.

Justice League #1  by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee - two of the biggest superstar and writer tandems today team up to tell the story of how DC's flagship team came together, and their names alone makes for a great sales pitch. But the story itself  (though it focused more on Batman and Green Lantern bickering right from the start) and dialogue makes the book even more fun and sells the book even more. 

Set 5 years before the current continuity, JL is set at a time where costumed vigilantes are feared and hunted. The League isn't introduced fully here - no Aquaman or Wonder Woman which is a shame - but by the end of the issue, we see a certain stripe of red and blue knocking out big-mouthed Hal Jordan, and that's more than enough for me to get on board. There's also a lantern-ring theft moment featuring Batman (and his cold) grin at the middle part of the story, something that the comic book world will talk about for a long long time.

Its so good to see Jim Lee's art once more, and I feel that 90s vibe once again with his lines and exaggerated musculature, and his ability to tell a story hasn't diminished one bit.

Rating: 4 out of 5



Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales - I have only read a single Morrison book, and that's All-Star Superman which I really liked,  so I expected a lot of from this book that features a young Clark Kent (who works as a journalist for the Daily Star)  in his early days of vigilantism, way before he became Superman. 

And its safe to say that Morrison didn't disappoint. For one, he made this version of the hero more vulnerable and somebody who feels like a normal human being. Sure he takes on tank bullets and a high speed bullet train, but he gets wounded and weak in a degree, and is not the uber-powerful near-indestructible alien we used to know. That's refreshing. Also, I like the fact that this Superman defends the common man and deals with problems that human beings can relate to, such as scaring a corrupt official to spill out his beans. I can wrap my head around that. Its also a nice tribute to the early Siegel and Shuster stories of the 50s and 60s by the way, so a plus point.

In addition, introducted are the familiar Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen (who doesn't have any relationship with Clark at all asides from being a competitor working for the Daily Planet), and the ever bald Lex Luthor, who actually looks different here - and I meant that in a bad way. 

Morales' art isn't that impressive for me, but its passable, and he did a great job of keeping things going by having Superman running and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I want more.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5



Batgirl by Gail Simone and Vicente Cifuentes - They said that if there's one writer who can write Batgirl, its Gail Simone. And yes, she made a suddenly-walking Barbara Gordon the one and only Batgirl that I have known since the classic Batgirl: Year One.

And take note, the events that happened in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke still happened (which we see via Barbara's dream) so the continuity fanboys have nothing to worry about, but still, I can't help but wonder as to how in the world Barbara healed. I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the bone section where she was hit before.

Anyway Simone captures the correct tone for the character, making her an optimistic person who is determined to bring the pieces of her life back. But at the same time, Simone includes all the guilt and trauma in the world for her to handle, all the while facing a creepy and mysterious villain that uses a damn mirror. I don't know who this new villain is, but he surely looks formidable for Babs, especially now that our heroine is a little bit disoriented with all the shebang in her present and past life. 

The art is nice and shows Babs new costume with all the seams, and the action working hand in hand with Batgirl's internal monologue is fantastic. Over all, it was great to see the original Batgirl on patrol again, and I'm looking forward to number 2. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Click on the jump for more reviews...

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Back to blogging, Marvel Reviews... Daredevil, Captain America, Ultimate Comics Spiderman and more!


Man, I missed this. Been busy with my real life lately that's why I haven't got any posts for a long time, and I'm still pretty busy so I'm just gonna make this quick. 

So what's up? Well, I will tell you right off the bat that its a FREAKING GREAT time to be a comics fan now. No scratch that. ITS AWESOME!

Marvel is hitting the strides with their books and they have pretty much kept pace with their own new #1s, especially with their revamped Ultimate Comics line, and a new Punisher and Daredevil series that has kept me absolutely happy every month.

Here are my picks (ongoing series and individual issues) from The House of Ideas:

  • Punisher #3 (new ongoing series) by Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto - Frank Castle is back and is better than ever with Rucka writing a detective-themed and action packed book with good 'ol guns, knives, decapitations and badasserry that you can't help but scream the word awesome. Marco's art is on full force here with some of the most bad-ass action sequences in comics today featuring a high flying Vulture-Frank Castle battle in midair. Another reason why this is one of Marvel's hottest books. You gotta see it to believe it. 


  • Daredevil #4 (new ongoing series) by Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera & Marcos Martin - say goodbye to the old DD. This is a fresh take on the Man Without Fear and the man behind the suit, Matt Murdock. Waid has figured this hero out completely by balancing  the life and thought-process of the lawyer and the vigilante, and is starting to become of the greatest 'Devil runs since Frank Miller's. And the art? Gorgeous. The guy has mastered the ability to illustrate Daredevil's Radar Sense partnered with simple, yet dynamic storytelling sequences. This issue has some detective work, old-school vigilantism, and a tutorial on how to defend yourself in a gut-wrenching trial. Cool.


  • Captain America #3 (new ongoing series) by Ed Brubaker and Steve McNiven - I have reviewed issues #1 and #2 somewhere in this blog, and that's all I need to convince you that this is a gem that you should be digging. This time, Cap fights a gigantic robot in a Captain America costume! Full of non-stop fighting, chaos, and incomparable art, (that scene where Sharon throws the shield to Cap is priceless) McNiven and Brubaker continue their streak as they make this series completely unpredictable to make fans happy. Damn, how I wish they could make this a bi-monthly series already so I don't have to wait for 30 more days for the next issue.



  • Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic - after the horrible Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum, Marvel decided to reboot their continuity-free franchise for new and old readers alike. And issue #1 just hit the mark. Our heroes has to deal with an uprising threat to the US, but with little resources to back them up. Previous political overtones from Ultimates #1 and #2 are retained which sets up a connection to previous installments. Finally Esad Ribic's clean pencils blend in very well with the naturalistic dialogue and setting. Overall, a solid book that any Marvel fan (new and old) should pick up. 

  • Ultimate Comics: Spiderman #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli - you might have heard this in the news. Peter Parker is dead (at least in the Ultimate Universe) and now, we got a new #1 which means a new Spiderman. And he's black! He's Miles Morales! Ethnicity aside, this is a great start. New storyline, new hero, familiar villains and new power(s) that I haven't seen before. Then throw in Sara Pichelli's stunning art and I don't know what else would make you skip this. I'm sold on this one and I believe you will too once you read it. 

  • X-Men: Schism #4 by Jason Aaron and Carlos Pacheco/Cam Smith -This is it! Cyclops vs Wolverine. And it doesn't get any bigger than that. More importantly, this marks the beginning of the end of the X-Men that we all knew. By the end of this battle, the X-Men will be no more. Cykes and Logan battle it out in Utopia after a bitter disagreement, while a dangerous and powerful uber-Sentinel looks out to eradicate mutant kind. The stakes have never been higher, and the end coming closer. This is one event that you don't want to miss out on.

  •  Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 by Nick Spencer and Paco Medina - I never thought Spencer's writing will work on an X-book, but damn he does it. This is not the X-Men you were used to see in the past Ultimate stories. Mutants are being tortured and hunted more than ever, and the government is behind it all - while telling people and the media otherwise - making them look good on the outside. Sinister. What a great way to set up an intriguing storyline that sees Iceman, Human Torch and Kitty Pryde take center stage. Art is not great but good enough to make me try a second issue. Can't wait for the X-Men to re-group and kick the government's skinny fat asses. 

  • Fear Itself #6 (intercompany crossover) by Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen - ah the event that wasn't as big as it was dubbed. But still, I can't help but follow this and see our Avengers get newly designed Tron costumes and powerful RPG-inspired weapons courtesy of Tony Stark and Odin's Asgardian warehouse after that last panel. I know they will be kicking The Worthy and Sin's asses next issue, and Thor will go one-on-one with The Serpent himself to end things once and for all. Or maybe not. Nonetheless, this is a pretty cool issue. Stuart Immonen's art is another reason why this is on my pull list.


That's it for now folks. I'll be back tomorrow with my DC New 52 Picks that should at least help you choose the titles you will be spending your money on because like most of you, I'm just an ordinary guy with a decent work who just can't get every comic book that's on the stands right now. So we have to pick carefully. 

Are we good with that? Alright.

Now back to reality.