Leaping Into the New Year: Hey 2011!!!

So its that time of the year again. A new year is coming and time to say goodbye to the past, so here I am writing my year end entry.

Yesterday, one friend of mine posted a status on his Facebook wall where he said that the Jan 1 should be the brother of April Fools Day because people make resolutions every year but they don't make it happen. I kinda liked it, so I "liked" his status so to speak. It was pretty clever.

Yeah, we make resolutions every year and say "yeah I'm not gonna do this anymore", but we keep on coming back to the old habits and break our promises. And I admit, I do the same thing too. But  which is better? Create resolutions, try to make them happen and try to change your self for the better, or to have never set a goal and never tried at all?

I'd go for the latter. Simply because, there's no harm in trying and I believe me when I say, better die trying than not to try at all because God will not stop believing that you can be better.

I have been at crossroads in my life, done things here and there that I really thought would help me but they didn't. Things that just offered temporary happiness but didn't give me a whole lot of true peace and joy.But God saved me and he has not abandoned me after all of the things that I have done. He has given me another chance to prove myself and work things out for his purpose.

Superman: Earth One Makes Comic Book Resources' Top 100 Comics of 2010

Leading online comic book site Comic Book Resources (CBR) has launched their annual top 100 countdown of the best comic books for this year and they have J Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis' Superman: Earth One graphic novel at #86! Wow, that's quite and accomplishment I would say, for a novel that had a completely different take on the Man of Steel's origin.

Here's the review from their site:

"I'm not going to lie to you. When I first saw Clark Kent in a hoodie, I wanted to scream. And yet JMS and Shane Davis delivered a near perfect Superman story that was so well done, it ranks right up there with John Byrne's "The Man of Steel" and Mark Waid's "Superman: Birthright" as definitive takes on Kal-El's origin tale."

- CBR Staff Writer Jeffrey Renaud

And he's right. I never doubted the book when it came out and it pretty much rose up to the occassion and met most people's expectations. Superman in his hoodies doesn't seem to be the traditional way to do the character, but that's exactly what makes this graphic novel rock. It was supposed to be different, and they did a heck of a job selling their idea to readers. So congratulations to DC, to Shane Davis and to JMS for this wonderful accomplishment.

For CBR's complete list, click here.

Comic Book Review: Astonishing X-Men Vol. 1 - "Gifted"

s,

I remember when I was about 10 years old, me and my brothers watched "The X-Men" tv series every week and imitated our favorite characters. Mine was Cyclops. I would act like I got those cool shades and fire blasts of energy from my eyes, then one of my brothers would come at me like Wolverine with three sticks between his fists, slashing his way and beating the hell out of me. Good times.

So the X-Men had a profound impact on my childhood. They were my first superhero team, and Cyclops was my first favorite comic book character long before I loved Superman. 

Enter The Astonishing X-Men. A 2004 ongoing series written by Joss Whedon and illustrated by John Cassaday that focused on a new roster featuring Wolverine, Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), Beast, Colossus, with Emma Frost and Cyclops in the lead of the team. This was the first X-Men comic book that I have read in 20 freaking years.

This comic book was a continuation of the previous X-Men storylines years prior to 2004, but I didn't really care much about trying to get to know what happened in the past, mainly because past stories gets too confusing. On to the review.

First story arc is titled "Gifted" and it basically introduces the main team players that we're going to see through out the book. Here's one of the early panels showcasing Cassaday's exceptional art:

The X-Men (from left to right): Beast (Hank McCoy), Emma Frost, Wolverine (Logan), Shadowcat (Kitty Pride) and Cyclops (Scott Summers)

More Cool Toys From Hot Toys' Anniversary Blast

I'm not doing anything right now and since this is toy day, then lets get rollin' with more of Hot Toys' new figures featuring Iron Man, Thor, Spidey, and a couple of celebrities like Indiana Jones, the Predator, the Terminator, the zombie killing Alice from the Resident Evil films, and Bruce Lee!  I just can't get enough of these wonderful pieces of art.

Go see 'em all by clicking the link after the jump.

[images courtesy of tomopop.com and Tokyo Hunter. For the gallery, click here]

Iron Man's Mark V Armor as seen in Iron Man 2

"Im your friendly neighborhood!"

Iron Man Art Show from Hot Toys' 10th Anniversary Event

Having the internet is a thing of beauty and it allows you to discover things that you would normally see in a daily basis. Came across a website called tomopop.com, where they showcase and review some of the best and toy creations out there today which designs ranges from anime, cartoons, comic book characters and many more. Its definitely for toy fans and for the young at heart.

So much for the introductions. Tomopop apparently has featured Hot Toys' 10th Anniversary celebration from Tokyo, Japan featuring their custom made Iron Man movie toys and Iron Man statues that vary in design.  Japs really have a knack for creating something unique and they did just that with the Iron Man armor and I dare say people, Tony Stark with their crazy designs.   Man, I wanna have one of those right now. 

Take a look at some of my favorites from their gallery after the jump:

Captain America Toy Promo Art With Winged Helmet!

Saw these promo pics from ComicBookMovie which showed the "Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece" Captain America art which is most likely what the actual toy would look like and it looks awesome.And I believe that this is what Chris Evans would look like too in the film. Looks bad-ass if you're going to ask me.

[Click on the images to enlarge]
 

Notice that there are wings on the side of the helmet? Now that's what I'm talking about sticking to tradition. Cap would never be complete without the winged helmet. 

Sadly, we still have to wait for a couple of months before we get to see this on the big screen. Patience patience patience. 

[images courtesy of RealIrOnMaN of spidermedia.ru to comicbookmovie.com]

Stanley "ARTGERM" Lau's Artwork Reeks of Awesomeness

Another week, another new gallery. This time, its `Artgerm and his works that are featured today. He's one of my favorite artists out there in deviantArt. 

I think I first fell in love with his art with his Flash and Impulse airbrush which I also showed here somewhere (I forgot what the entry was and I'm too lazy to try to find it now so I apologize..), and now I see more new illustrations and man, they are beautiful! I'm kinda biased with DC characters so you would definitely see a whole of 'em here, but he's also got some cool Japanese heroes too so I threw them in.

Take a look at more of my favorites from his gallery after the jump:

Batman

Comic Book Review: Punisher MAX (Punisher: Frank Castle)

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artists:  Various

 Issues: 75 issues (on going series format)

Published by Marvel Comics (under their MAX imprint)

Yes guys, I'm still readin' some comic books and this time its the adventures of the one and only Frank Castle aka The Punisher under Marvel's MAX imprint.

The MAX imprint basically equal to DC's Vertigo line of graphic novels and essentially enables writers to create stories with a lot of explicit content. So you are right if you are thinking about a lot of foul language and sexual innuendos, because this is what this book contains together with a lot of good 'ol violence. Oh yes, The Punisher is as bad as ever before.

Take note that this Punisher comic book is set in a different timeline, apart from the mainstream Punisher novels. Here, Frank Castle , has been a vigilante for 30 years since his family's  massacre by the mob, and is responsible for over 2000 murders approximately - mafioso bosses, gangstas, KGBs, members of the Taliban, Russian secret agents, and even the small time rapists, drug dealers etc, name it. He's wasted  and punished them all.  He also ages in real time, unlike the Marvel Universe version who doesn't age a bit because of the floating timeline. 

What Christmas Is All About - from the Battle Pope Christmas Pope-tacular Issue

Before Robert Kirkman's smash hit The Walking Dead, there was Battle Pope - a story about a violent and womanizing Pope [Leopold Oswald II] who was selected by God to save humanity from demons with Jesus Christ as his sidekick. And I'm not joking.

Anyway, they had a special Christmas comic which showed Jesus Christ lamenting about people forgetting him during his birthday and blames Santa Claus because of overshadowing his birthday with toys and candy bars. Let's get on to the scenes shall we?

Then he gets angry at a kid staring at a bunch of toys in a toy shop:

The guy does have a point, doesn't he? And who says you won't get a good thing or two out of comic books? Moving on...

Comic Book Review: Daredevil - The Man Without Fear

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Writer: Frank Miller

Artist: John Romita Jr.

Published by Marvel Comics

Daredevil has been in the comics scene since the 1960's and his character has gone several revamps, but nothing truly captured the character's origin like Frank Miller's  Daredevil: The Man Without Fear released in 1993.

Collaborating with one of the greatest comic book artists of all time in John Romita Jr., this 5-issue mini series tells the whole story of one young Matt Murdock, of his life in  the dungy streets of New York City's Hell's Kitchen, and how he came about to be the man who dresses like a devil spawned from hell - who fights for justice and the oppressed.

The son of champion boxer "Battlin" Jack Murdock (who also works  for a mob boss known only as The Fixer), young Matt is just like any other kid in the neighborhood who gets bullied almost everyday by his peers. Until one fateful day, while trying to save a blind old man from being run over by a truck loaded with radioactive chemical drums, Matt Murdock accidentally became the victim with all the muck spilling all over him, rendering him sightless - but his remaining senses were heightened to near -superhuman levels.

A mysterious blind man named Stick shows up and decides to take Matt under his wing and hone his skills in order to take advantage of his new found abilities. But things we're not easy for Matt, and making it harder for him is an unfortunate event that would change his life forever.

All-Star Superman DVD Box Art and Trailer

Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's award-winning 12-issue limited series All-Star Superman is one of my most favorite Superman tales and arguably the best ever told. It takes the Man of Steel back to the roots of his character by playing with his mortality and focuses on how he spends his last moments on Earth after finding out that he is suffering a severe case of radiation poisoning.

And now, DC is bringing the whole comic book to life with an original animated movie and is scheduled to be released on February 2011. I can't wait to get my hands on this to witness the world's greatest superhero save the world - ONE LAST TIME.

Check out the DVD Box art and the trailer below for some All-Star goodness.

All-Star Superman Trailer:

 

 

[image via MTV.com]

Comic Book Review: Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

Writer: Brad Meltzer 

Artist: Rags Morales

Issues: 7

Published by DC Comics 

When the spouse of a Justice League member is brutally murdered, the superhero community was left in panic, fearing that their wives and relatives might be next. They hunt the one responsible for the murder, as long forgotten-secrets re-surface, threatening to separate team and cause rifts to their friendship. What started as a big manhunt has now become a battle from amongst them. 

DC's controversial 2004 miniseries tells the story of the greatest human tragedy of them all . Battling through pain, despair, and most importantly, doubt - these superheroes find out that they're still not as close as a group as they thought they were, as they search for the person responsible for the wicked assassinations. Finding themselves collectively afraid and in panic, they must do whatever it takes and even at some point - bend their view of what is right and wrong - to bring about the justice that they are looking for.

My Top 9 Comic Book Movies of All Time

Since I'm a fan of comic books, I have virtually watched every superhero/comic book film out there - except for a few good ones - like Sin City and V for Vendetta for example, which is a shame really. Anyway, I have been running out of things to write on my blog and I don't want to fill this up with comic book reviews all the time.

There were a lot of comic book movies that I own on DVD, some of them are good, some of them not, and only a few are memorable, and I will going to list them down in no particular order.

So without further ado here are the best comic book movies that I have watched:

Spider-Man

The original is always the best as they say and this first Spidey flick proved that. It told the classic Spiderman origin, of how an ordinary school geek named Peter Parker became a super powered hero because of a bite from an irradiated spider, and learning that "with great power comes with great responsibility." Our friendly neighborhood hero surely didn't disappoint, with Tobey Maguire playing an excellent lead role. 

Favorite Scene: What else? The Mary Jane-Spidey upside down kiss in the rain. 'Nuff said.

 Batman (1989) 

The mother of all Batman movies. Tim Burton (of the Edward Scissorhands fame) directed this new take on the Batman mythos (new at the time at least) while comedic actor Michael Keaton took on the role as the caped crusader. The villain? The Joker played by the legendary Jack Nicholson. Loosely based on the Alan Moore classic "The Killing Joke", it gave new breath to the character and paved way for the creation of the Batman franchise. It is still one of my favorite Batman movies and I remember being so excited every time it was played on TV. It was that memorable - especially Jack's performance.

 Favorite scene: The first ever Batman-Joker face off. 

Comic Book Review: Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk

 Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk

Writer: Damon Lindelof

Artist: Leinil Francis Yu 

Issues 6

Published by DC Comics 

Its one of those Marvel dream matches that you wanted to see. You know, the big angry green Hulk vs bigbad savage Logan aka Wolverine. One is as strong as he could possibly get when pissed off, and one is good at what he does best (and what he does is not really nice). When you put those two together, you're definitely in for some good 'ol ruckus and violence.

Ultimate Wolverine vs Hulk is set in Marvel universe's Ultimate Marvel imprint, where their classic characters are re-introduced to a new generation of comic book readers, especially to those who don't want to read the older stories, origins and all that. Of course, some of the characters are a little bit altered (like their origin stories and physical appearances), but that doesn't make it less fun.

 

Anyway, story goes as this: Dr. Bruce Banner, the lead scientist who was assigned by the American superspy group code-named S.H.I.E.L.D to re-create the super-soldier serum (the one that made sickly Steve Rogers into a enhanced super-soldier named Captain America in 1945) in order to create more super powered humans, went nuts (mainly because of jealousy) and injected himself of the serum and turned into the rampaging monster The Hulk - killing 800,000 people in New York City including innocent kids - until the newly formed superhero group The Ultimates , apprehended him.

Greg Horn art featuring Charmed and Jenna Jameson

Time for our usual art gallery feature where I post wonderfully made illustrations by comic book artists, be it pro or amateur. I just try to express my appreciation for comic book art I find on the web, and we have Google to thank for that.

Now we got the extremely talented artist Greg Horn who has worked with virtually every comic book company - Marvel, DC, Top Cow, Image, and some independent companies like Virgin Comics. Here featured is his magnificent poster of our three gorgeous witches for the "Charmed" comic book, and not only that, he's also got some covers for the "queen of p0rn" - Jenna Jameson's (if you don't know who Jenna is, try to Google her name. She's pretty popular)  comic book: Shadow Hunter (which I might read. Kind of intrigued. Its Jenna Jameson anyway).

You can click on the images to enlarge:

Greg's 'Shadow Hunter' Covers Featuring Jenna:

So Jenna's got other talents as well asides from.. um.. you know..

Looks pretty cool having that mystic sword

Greg's "Charmed" Poster

[Images via Greg Horn's website]

 

Comic Book Review: Battle Pope

**WARNING: MAY CONTAIN OFFENSIVE ADULT CONTENT**

Battle Pope

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Tony Moore

Issues: 13

Published by Image Comics

Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore's The Walking Dead was a smash hit. It gave you everything you could ask for in a zombie-themed comic book: suspense, horror, action, violence, and non-stop surprises. But never did I thought that they would have created a crazier one in Battle Pope, which came before their more popular novel. Not to mention that it is as funny as hell.

Let me tell you right now that this not your ordinary comic book. No, not at all. Its particularly offensive especially for the religious types, because the main character is a drinking, violent and womanizing Pope (Pope Leopold Oswald II, if you want the full name) who did whatever he wanted to do, had sex with women, raised hell and gave the middle finger to anybody who pissed him off.

A sword-slashing and trigger happy Pope? That's kinda cool.

After God cast his wrath on Earth and condemned everyone because of their wrong doing, the demons, led by Lucifer -  (yup, just like the one in the Bible) stampeded their way to Earth. So God appoints somebody who protect the humans from these filthy abominations, and guess what -  he picks the Pope.  The bargain was, if he succeeds in defeating the demons, then he will have his chance of getting that one way ticket to heaven. Woohoo! Sounds like a plan. Then it gets even wackier when God tells him that he would have a  special sidekick to help him in his mission.

I'll give you a chance to guess who the sidekick is. He deserves the special mention. When you have your guess, click on the jump to read the rest of my review. (No Google cheating please...)

Watch Christian Bale Sing "The Powerpuff Girls" Theme

Christian Bale (Batman) and Mark Wahlberg (Marky Mark)  having a good time promoting their movie "The Fighter" (based on the life story of real life champion boxer Micky Ward). Check out the video and listen to The Batman sing some "Girl Power".

Every Zombie Kill from The Walking Dead

For all Walking Dead fans out there, and especially those who are tuning in every week on their TV sets to catch a new episode of this hit TV series - Youtube's got a video of all zombie kills from season one. I recommend you to watch this while eating. Enjoy!

Comic Book Review: Marvels

 Marvels

Writer: Kirk Busiek

Artist: Alex Ross

Issues: 4

Published by Marvel Comics

A tale of how the Marvel Universe came to be, starting in the 1930's with the original Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner, to the 40's with Captain America and his sidekick Bucky, to the forming of the original Avengers and Fantastic Four, finally to the age of mutants in 1979, starting with the world-famous X-Men. Alex Ross (Kingdom Come) and Kurt Busiek (Superman: Secret Identity) gave me more than what I could have asked from a 200-page Marvel comic book. It showcases heroes and villains in one full story through the eyes of Phil Sheldon - an aspiring photojournalist who goes on to witness everything from his bachelor years until he raises his own family.

Batman: Arkham City Trailer

The sequel to the critically acclaimed game Batman: Arkham Asylum is coming out this fall, and from the looks of the fresh new trailer, this game would surely rock everybody's control pads even more than its predecessor.

Check out the absolutely stunning CGI game trailer:

Comic Book Review: WE3

 WE3

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Frank Quitely

Issues: 3

Published by Vertigo

This is the first time that I've read a comic book with animals as the center of attraction. Yes animals. Mainly a dog, a rabbit, and a cat in a sci-fi action story of friendship and freedom.

Trained to replace human beings as soldiers in warfare, these robotic-ally enhanced animals - who call themselves WE3 - escape the captivity of the US government after hearing that they are going to be killed by the same people who created them. And as they journey across the country, they are hunted down by the army together with other robot controlled animals, with varying reactions as they cross paths.

Grant Morrison puts forth a futuristic concept of animal soldiers: They are armed with suits or robot armor with various weapons like claws, missles etc and computer programmed helmets to help them communicate and understand human beings. They're trained to be ruthless and aggressive against the enemies of state and eliminate any hostile forces, replacing human beings as the ultimate war machines.

"Thor" Trailer Finally Surfaces The Web

Thanks to Yahoo! Movies, I finally had a glimpse of the latest Thor movie, scheduled to be released on May 20, 2011 in 3D.

Banished by his father Odin for instigating a war in their already peaceful Asgard realm,  the powerful but arrogant God of Thunder Thor finds himself on Earth, away from his beloved kingdom. But as the mightiest and darkest forces from his world come to threaten the humans and Earth, Thor, together with his indestructible magical hammer Mjolnir, would come to face the biggest challenge and learn what it really takes to be a true hero.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston and Ray Stevenson.Directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Adam Hughes' Comic Book and Fantasy Babes

I have featured some of Adam Hughes' works from his deviantArt page but this is the first time that I truly looked at this full gallery of comic book and fantasy babes. He  has worked on the Tomb Raider (Top Cow), Wonder Woman series and currently with DC's Catwoman.

He's got a very distinctive " pin-up" style of illustrating all these characters together with some realism that gives these babes a fresh look. The fantastic curves doesn't hurt either. Definitely one of the best to draw the female anatomy out there. 

Get ready for some girl power by clicking after the jump:

Official 'Thor' Movie Poster

Finally we got a shot of the first official movie poster courtesy of Marvel.com and ComicsAlliance. 

This one looks better than the previous teaser poster that I saw online a couple of months ago, with better graphic presentation and lettering. And I just love the Mjolnir. Only downside is the black and white style they used which could have made Chris Hemsworth look better.

Check it out:

Does Batman Even Celebrate Christmas?

Since the yuletide season has arrived and Christmas is around the corner, let us see how our superhero friends, especially the Dark Knight are spending their time during Christmas. We all know that Batman doesn't smile a lot, loves shadows and the night, so it would be interesting to see him celebrate one of the most bright and lively days of the year.

We got some visual aids for you so you can see how The Bat celebrates Christmas through the years.

So he does celebrate Christmas based from this cover from Batman #45. He's got gifts, acts like Santa Claus with Robin and jumping out from that box for dramatic effect. Bat-and-pixie-in-a-box.

From Batman # 15. Way way back his early days.

This one is the cover of Batman 27. Batman and Robin helping good 'ol Santa with his gifts. He's all smiles you see? Never thought he could do that before.

Just found this on Google images so i don't know if this is from a comic book, but I think not. Anyway, Bats is not to happy to see Santa join the JLA. Don't you think he's a big kill-joy?

 

Another pic from Google Images.And guess who's not smiling. Right.

I love this portrait from Alex Ross. He perfectly illlustrates the JLA furnishing that big christmas tree and everybody is happy doing it. But what strikes me most is that Superman notices the lonely Batman looking from outside and calls him out to join them. I felt sorry for Batman when I first saw this, but overall a great portrait showing the real Spirit of Christmas.

The Batman himself getting "The Tumbler" as his christmas gift? You gotta be kidding me. They should've included this in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight".

If you thought that the previous image was sweet, check this one where Batman gives a gift to Jim Gordon. Thoughtful isn't it?

But I guess after all the cheesyness of Batman giving gifts, smiling, hitting on Grandpa Jim and all that, everything would be ruined if you mention the words "parents" and "Christmas" in a single sentence:

Superman's Secret Superpower: The Cellophane "S" Attack

Let's go back to Superman II, the movie. There was one scene where Superman (played by the immortal Christopher Reeve) was battling three of the Kryptonian prisoners who escaped from the Phantom Zone - Zod, Ursa, and Non. Non flew to attack Superman, when the Man of Steel magically conjures a cellophane "S" symbol right from his chest, then throws it at Non. The cellophane gets bigger before it hit the guy, then finally covering Non with red and yellow cellophane everywhere like he was a netted fish out of the ocean.  And to top it all off, it suddenly disappears after the poor guy hits the ground. Legendary.Click on the video below:

Why the hell should Superman have a combo attack and have it named as the "Cellophane S Throw"? Was this supposed to be his finishing maneuver? A cellophane throw that covers bad guys like sticky semen and then suddenly disappears to the victim's bewilderment? Its so bad that its hilarious and horrible at the same time. I can't still get over it after so many years. Probably the dumbest Superman scene EVER.

I'll leave you with one Youtube comment which pretty much made my day:

"My Superman T-Shirt doesn't do that shit, man"

Hahaha.. God Bless all the Superman T-shirts.

Cool Superhero and Celebrity Artworks From deviantArt

Was just browsing the web for some pictures and I decided to create this entry and compile all of the coolest artworks i found from the best artists on deviantArt, which includes top notch artists for Marvel and DC Comics.  I don't want to focus solely on comic book characters here so I threw in a couple of classic characters from movies, cartoons, TV, and games.

Thanks to all these fantastic artists for sharing their wonderful works. And without further ado, here are the best deviantArt has to offer:

[Click on the images to enlarge]

 Power Girl sketch by *AdamHughes

Comic Book Review: Lex Luthor - Man of Steel

 Lex Luthor: Man Of Steel

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artist: Lee Bermejo

Issues: 5

Published by DC Comics

Just like Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke, the story of Lex Luthor: Man of Steel is narrated by non-other than Lex Luthor himself, who we know as Superman's greatest adversary. We know him as the evil billionaire and intelligent business man who stops at nothing to get rid of the Last Son of Krypton.

But the striking difference of this comic book title is that Luthor isn't depicted here as a ruthless individual, but rather a charitable one - which is very different from what we have read through the years. Nonetheless, he still dreams of a "World Without a Superman" and wonders why people have embraced an alien who shoots fire from his eyes just because he looks human. He despises everything that Superman is and believes that one day he will stop at helping people to finally conquer the world. So he takes matters in to his own hands and creates a plan to stop and discredit Superman to the entire world. 

We get to see Batman here as well and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, who does some sort of business together with Lex Luthor to defeat Superman. What now? Luthor + Batman > Superman? I honestly never saw that coming, but they did team up here for a while which was surprising. Oh, and Lex gets to make love... with a robot. Seriously. You always have to admire it when writers try to mix up new concoctions in a comic book and the team of Azzarello and Bermejo did a heck of a job in that department.

The narratives and dialogues are fantastic and partnered with an dirty and sketchy art, I would have to say that this is a great read and would make you see Lex Luthor and Superman in a different light. Had real fun reading it.

3D Models by David Munoz Velazquez

I don't who David is, but I really applaud him for his wonderful 3D model of the Man of Steel. And what makes it even better is that he used Christopher Reeves! Its old school meets modern Superman... and its good... real good.  (See more of his mouthwatering art in his gfx site here.)

He's got other works such as paintings, drawings and more 3D models featuring Batman, Dragonball's Freeza, and a Star Wars Storm Trooper. Gotta love 'em.

This is how Superman should be done. Man, I want this as a poster!

Green Arrow Year One

Green Arrow: Year One
Writer: Andy Diggle
Artist: Jock
Published By DC Comics

I have never been a fan of Green Arrow and never read a single GA comic book. But since I see the character in CW's "Smallville" every week, I kinda got interested in looking out for a good GA title. And thank God for Andy Diggle and Jock for creating Green Arrow: Year One.

The story tells us how Star City's resident billionaire playboy Oliver Queen changed his ways from a happy-go-lucky and reckless guy with no sense of direction, to a Robin Hood-esque hero who fights for the oppressed after being stranded in a deserted island for two years where he learns how to hunt  for himself using his wit, resourcefulness, and archery skills. Things were looking good for Ollie until he discovers that the island is not really deserted as he initially thought, and from that point on, we get to see his character develop to the hero that he is destined to become. 

Diggle is absolutely masterful on his writing and I really liked the way he gave emphasis to the Oliver Queen's transformation to Green Arrow. His storytelling and pacing is great, and combined with good characterization, i can't really say anything else but praise for doing such a great job. Same thing with Jock who just killed the whole book with his impressive illustrations and panels, backing up Diggle's writing while providing action-packed art that will surely make you wishing a Green Arrow movie soon.

 

I would recommend this comic book to anyone even to those who aren't familiar with Green Arrow. Diggle makes it easy for everyone by creating a story that is easy pick-up and understand even by new readers. You won't need a comic book background or GA history lessons to enjoy this book because the whole thing is just that plain and simple. Its Robin Hood meets Robinson Crusoe with high-octane action sequences ala-Die Hard. A definite four-star blockbuster from DC.

Download Green Arrow: Year One via Hotfile (66.2 MB)

Comic Book Review: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard 
Issues: 78
Published by Image Comics

Zombies. Death.

That's what you think when you talk about the living dead: walking carcasses that roam around looking for flesh and ready to devour.

But that's not what The Walking Dead comic is all about. It is more than just zombies and death itself. Actually, it is the opposite of all that. It is a story about life.

The whole story is centered around Rick Grimes, husband, a father of one and a police officer from Kentucky who wakes up in a hospital from a semi-coma after getting himself shot in a middle of a gunfight together with his friend, Shane. He finds out quickly that nobody is around at the hospital, only to learn that the whole world has been stricken by a zombie apocalypse. He then begins his journey and hopes to find his wife Lori and son Carl, and other possible survivors while trying to set-up a peaceful and normal life in an otherwise abnormal world.

The walking corpses aren't the ones who are making the noise here.What makes the whole thing so good are the interactions between the characters in the story and how their characters develop as they go into different emotional and mental challenges. Each and every character has a different personality that complements the main character and all others, and combined with a great story filled with topsy-turvy turns, surprises, betrayals and "oh shit" moments, The Walking Dead gives you a perfect balance of just about everything in the emotional spectrum.

When it comes to the art, it is good and definitely gives off such emotion from the characters. It was a nice thing that they did the black-and-white colors on the whole book. I can't imagine it being colored, due to the fact that there are a lot of gory scenes that some people might not be able to take.

To wrap up, The Walking Dead gives us a glimpse of how a zombie apocalypse looks like, and how would human beings think and react in that environment. You will wonder how possibly you can survive in such a stressful and terror-filled world, where death is just always one wrong move away. 

But more than surviving the zombies themselves, The Walking Dead shows that the real fight for survival is not against the dead - but with the living, yourself...and your sanity.

Rating: 5/5