Firefly Episode 1 Reviewed

Firefly is the 2002 sci-fi show with a western/steampunk twist to it. I thought reviewing the first episode for people searching for a fantasy show would be helpful so here you go. The show takes place approximately 500 years in the future and follows Captain Mal Reynolds and his ragtag of a space pirate crew who deal in black market smuggling all across the galaxy. The first episode properly introduces all the characters and what their role is on the ship. Character development is lacking a bit in the beginning but by the end of the episode, you have a feel for where all their hearts are.

The episode is a bit campy (Especially in the beginning) but if you look over that, the story is entertaining and original. I also enjoy how the show obviously takes place in the future but they don't shove it down your throats with crazy looking aliens all over the place and plasma gunfire flying everywhere. They're very calm in showing you that the show doesn't take place in this time frame. Which is different from other futuristic shows. And does anyone else see a resemblance in the ship's mechanic Kaylee with Battlestar Galactica's Cally? I mean even their names are similar along with their personalities. A bit odd...
Anyways, with an impressive soundtrack and an entertaining story, Firefly is definitely worth your time viewing, and if your looking for a classic show to call home, this one is welcoming with open arms.

Newly Released Marvel Teasers - Has The Ultron War Finally Arrived??

A few days ago, Marvel released a few teasers of a new event to happen this October right after the conclusion of Avengers vs. X-Men. Posters include the below.

Looking at blog discussions on websites such as IGN, many people believe that these posters are the first announcement of the Ulton War that Marvel has been teasing about for a while now (Ex. Marvel's Free Comic Book Day Issue) and as much as I'm excited to see the Avengers face off against one of their biggest rivals in a climatic limited series that will be as big as titles such as Fear Itself and House of M, I'm not so excited to see it being released RIGHT after the events of AvX. Like one post said on IGN, I think Marvel should let the aftermath settle with AvX before jumping right on in to the next main event. Ya know? Not just throw another big fireball of epic battles RIGHT after AvX.
Another concern that people are showing about this announcement is that they don't like how every year Marvel has a new big event (Secret War -> Avengers Disassembled -> House of M -> Secret Invasion and so on) but personally, I like looking forward to a new big epic story every year. Yeah I wouldn't mind if Marvel took a break every once in a while so I could catch up but if the stories are gonna be as good as House of M and Avengers Disassembled, I say keep 'em coming! Unless they're like this years event with JRJR's artwork which just does NOT match the storyline of AvX. Regardless of it's timing and what the event is, I'm anxious to see Marvel's news on these teasers later down the road.

Batman #10 Reviewed

BATMAN ISSUE 10 SPOILERS
With the DC New 52 Crossover event coming to a close, I'm anxious to see how they wrap it up. Earlier this month the Batman issue 10 came out and holy mother of god. What a cliffhanger... Bruce Wayne has a brother and he's leader of the Court of the Owls??? And he was running for mayor?? Talk about a twist! I had my jaw to the floor when i finished that issue and I can't wait for more.... WHY DO CLIFFHANGERS HAVE TO MAKE ME SCREAM IN AGONY??? Gah. Well regardless, Night of the Owls seemed to end up to be quite a clever story and I'm very impressed. Glad I kept up.

Epic Cover

Batman: Arkham Unhinged Comic Review Update

Okay. So this is an update to my previous Arkham Unhinged review. I've read issues two and three since then and all I've got to say is what the fraking frak. What happened??? This comic had so much potential thanks to the success of the ground breaking, addictive video game and they started off strong with an entertaining first issue with Catwoman and Two-Face back story and then there's these next two issues that were far from interesting. I'm definitely taking this out of my folder at my comic shop. The art is still cool but would be so much cooler if there was actually some god damn action every once in a while! I mean the second issue is Batman talking to Commissioner Gordon for the whole story and the third is just about the Penguin talking about how he used to be friends with the Joker or something. It was lame. I spoke to soon about this comic unfortunately. But I do have to admit. The covers to each issue so far have been pretty fantastic.

Superior Reviewed

I just finished the limited seven issue series Superior by Mark Millar  (Artwork by Leinil Yu from Secret Invasion) and despite where the first issue seemed to be heading, I will say it was worth the read and I am impressed..yet again. Millar has once again taken a cliche idea and made something original with it. The story is about a young 12 year old boy named Simon Pooni who has the disease multiple sclerosis. He's picked on by kids at school and his true friends are limited. But that all changes one night when a strange space monkey in an astronaut suit appears in Simon's room and changes the boy into the iconic hero Superior. Similar to the abilities of Superman, Superior has all the textbook symptoms of an old school hero. I don't want to give much away but all I'm saying are things aren't always the way they seem...

Superior is a fun, light, action-filled series that is clearly done by the brilliant mind of Mark Millar. With familiar artwork from Leinil Yu, I couldn't help but feel a skrull was gonna pop on in for a panel or two. Excessive f-bombs does make this a comic for a more mature audience. Surprisingly, the ending wrapped up with no noticeable cliffhangers like Millar's other pieces (Nemesis, Kick-Ass) which I think would be best. This isn't exactly a franchise that could go on for a sequel.

Apparently Millar announced that movie director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass director) bought the rights to Superior and is going to create a film adaption. Definitely will be worth seeing.

The Hobbit Trailer

Guys I can't wait. This year, I get to return to the world of Middle Earth (My ideal home is Bag End). The Hobbit is on the horizon. Although the trailer has been out for a few months now, I finally have viewed Peter Jackson's teaser to the prequel of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and oh mi god. This movie is going to be epic upon epicness. It's release date is for this December on the 14th, but judging on how awesome movies like this are usually pushed back a few months from it's original release date, I'm not getting my hopes up. I can't wait to see Jackson's vision of The Hobbit. I trust it'll be in good hands after seeing what he did with the trilogy. And Ian McKellen is Gandalf! He played the role perfectly in the earlier films!
Scenes I am looking forward to seeing are ALL Smog scenes, the giants turning to stone, and the riddles with the one and only Gollum... Brace yourselves guy. This is gonna be a real treat.

New Halo 4 Live Action Trailer W/ Gameplay Released at E3!

Yesterday, at the 2012 E3 conference, Microsoft released an all new Halo 4 live action trailer with about five minutes of game play footage and after viewing it, oh mi god am I excited. There are two videos. One that is shorter and does not have as much campaign footage and does not show the live action trailer but does have multi-player footage and one video that is seven minutes with the live action and only campaign footage The trailer shows UNSC marines lined up listening to a speech while the video flashes forward to their ship being infected by an unknown virus that takes over. It finally then jumps to Master Chief. The man of the hour and as he watches the UNSC ship (That resembles the Pillar of Autumn) seem to come through a portal of some sort (Possible a time portal) and fly over him with obvious complications. Chief watches it fly off in the distance as he's surrounded by nature. Obviously, he has progressed and landed on this turf since we last saw him in the Halo 4 teaser that was released last year. Will the game reveal what happened between that time gap? I hope to god they do.

If you read my earlier post about Halo 4, then I must make a correction. I was under the influence that the Covenant were gone but after watching the footage, there is a scene with two grunts, an elite and a jackal. So yes. The humans most hated enemy is back. As the elite charges you, it seems to be shot with an orange ray that disintegrates it in it's own footsteps. That is where the new alien species is introduced. They look to have a mix of organic and technology base to them and as Chief shoots some, they self destruct where others have the ability to teleport. He even does hand to hand combat at one point which is extremely bad-ass and when picking up one of the foreign guns, it seems to recreate and modify itself at the sense of his touch.
At the end of the video, a strange red symbol appears with the words "An Ancient Evil Awakens". My assumption? Forerunners. Cortana even mentions them at one point when discussing the aliens. So yes, mysteries of the Halo universe will be revealed in this new trilogy.

Earth 2 Reviewed (In a Nutshell)

Earth 2. New stories. New heroes. New villains. New universe. New everything. With issue 2 hitting stores soon, I thought I should hurry on up and review DC's start to their 'Second Wave' as their calling it and tell you guys all about this parallel world. With awesome art and a neat story line, I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. The cliffhanger to this one was already one that was too much to handle. I'm not going to give anything away but you'll be craving for part two as soon as you're finished. And they even got cool details down like the new Robin replaces Batman's son Damian in the original universe and becomes his daughter instead. This comic shows a lot of potential but at the same time, it also has much riding on it and I hope DC doesn't crash and burn with letting us readers down. So let's keep our hopes up and wish for the best guys! The second wave has begun!

Earth 2 & The Controversy It Has Spurred

Last month, issue one of DC's New 52 series 'Earth 2' hit stores and it hit hard with the information that in this parallel universe story, the Alan Scott Green Lantern is...yup. Gay. This is obviously DC's way of saying "Hey! We Support gays and lesbians!" Along with this controversial news, Marvel also has a little gay announcement in one of thier series right now involving Astonishing X-Men and a marriage with Northstar and his boyfriend Kyle. The event takes place in issue #51 of the ongoing series. Due to these announcements in the comic world in what seems to be an attempt to be connecting with minorities of the world, the group One Million Moms responded to this with a post on their site telling their fellow moms to

"Please send DC Comics and Marvel an email urging them to change and cancel all plans of homosexual superheroes immediately. Ask them to do the right thing and reverse their decision to have sexual orientation displayed to readers."


And I quote that directly from their pathetic, bullshit of a site. Their argument for why superheroes should not be gay or lesbian is because they feel superheros should be 'proper' role models for children and if they read those comics and see Northstar or Green Lantern kissing another guy they they will want to do it too... Um. Back up for a second. First of all, I don't even think that they will think anything of it if they are young enough and will just see two people kissing. Second off, I am POSITIVE that they will not want to imitate the superhero based on who that hero is dating or kissing. This One Million Moms is B.S. and should leave the comic industry alone. If they are this strong headed about the subject, then just don't let your kid read that comic. But don't try and ruin these events for us more open minded people who have grown up and aren't still living in the 1950's. Kudos to Marvel and DC for sticking to their guns. I applaud you.

My Steampunktopia

Have you ever seen The Lord of the Rings and thought "Wow. I wanna be there." Or read Fullmetal Alchemist and wished you were in those cities that Ed travels to? What about the video games Fable 2 or Bioshock with their beautiful scenery and historical look but have future like technologies?
Fellow alternative, fantasy, sci-fi, loving comrades. You are all invited to my future Steampunk themed topia. I've been contemplating this idea of mine for a while and I've come to the conclusion I must achieve this dream of mine. My goal is to either take the idea from the Truman Show (Jim Carrey) and build a large dome somewhere OR better yet, would be to find a distant island out in the middle of nowhere and start form scratch there. In my future community, all are welcome but if you wish to join my world, you must have a background check. Nobody with a criminal record or with a crazy past is allowed. This will be a peaceful, fantasy themed community that takes ideas from pop culture that surrounds us and brings those ideas to life. Take Rapture City from the video game Bioshock. I will be making a more ideal version of Rapture and I will take the place of Andrew Ryan. I will not be a dictator but more of an overseer. My fellow followers and I will set up a government that follows a more fair version of a Democracy. We will even create our own currency.
Now I'm not saying this will be an easy plan at first. It will take funding at the start but ideally, I would like to start from scratch and after my community is up on it's feet, I would like for our currency to take over and we rule our own community with no outside help. I'm offering a more peaceful way of living with all those geeks and fantasy lovers out there that wish to live in their dream world.
Concerns I have with my project are foreign countries interfering with my community/island/dome and declaring war or attempting to take over. If you join this community of mine, I wish to only create a community that wants to (In a way) leave this planet Earth and enter a new world.
Technology will take a futuristic twist in my world by mixing raw materials (Wood, iron, copper) and combining them with electricity and such. Solar power and windmills will be our source of electricity. No pollution allowed on this Steampunktopia. Houses will be straight out of books such as Spiderwick Chronicles and The Lord of the Rings. Take Bilbo Baggin's home Bag End (The house that's inside a hill) and put futuristic-looking technology inside it. That kind of thinking.
Dress wear will be simplistic looking with a fashion take. We would create our own clothes and all men MUST at least own a top hat.
Now my idea is still on the drawing board and I understand it does have kinks in it but with effort, planning, followers, and determination, Steampunktopia could be a dream come true. And you, my fellow alternative, sci-fi, fantasy lovers are welcome... To be continued

What The Hell Happened To The Incredible Hulk?

WARNING: Spoilers from Incredible Hulk 2011 Series
If you read Marvel's premiere event of 2011, Fear Itself, then you know the new Incredible Hulk ongoing series launched off based on one of Fear Itself 's epilogues. And have been reading it since its first issue and just finishing issue 7.1, I must say what the frak. So first, you seperate man from monster and now after KILLING Bruce Banner (Yeah that's right. Killing THE Bruce Banner), you have some bald clone hulk run around doing random ass s**t? What the hell Marvel? I've been reading this series from the start and still have yet to be impressed. With artwork that looks more like it's from the drawing board than a finished piece and stories that even in the Marvel Universe aren't possible, this new(ish) series is not one of my favs. Having been a large fan of the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk arcs, I was expecting more from this. Sadly, I was shot down. I really hope this series can get back up on it's feet because I do not want to have wasted a good $20 on all these issues I've bought from it. At least set things straight again in the Marvel Universe and bring back Dr. Banner. You can't just kill him off with a fraking gamma bomb.

Batman: Arkham Unhinged (Arkham City's Sidekick) Reviewed

Warning: Minor Spoilers for Batman: Arkham City Video Game
For fellow fans of the multi-platform video game hit Batman: Arkham City, I present to you it's back story sidekick, Batman: Arkham Unhinged. I picked up issue one today at my local comic shop and was hesitant on getting the second issue due to my trusty comic employee saying the first issue didn't have much of a cliffhanger. So here I am now with the first issue under my belt and I must say wow. If you have any interest in the video game, buy this comic. The first issue gives you the background info on Catwoman and Two Face's feud and how they both ended up in Arkham City. It also shows you how Two Face got Catwoman's stolen goodies. Filled with action on just about every page and quality art, Arkham Unhinged was definitely worth it's $3 price tag that it bears. And for all you women super hero lovers out there, do not fear. Catwoman's cleavage is VERY noticeable in this comic with plenty of shots that would make a stalker drool. I also must say that the cover art is VERY entertaining.
I hope this series has much success. Like I said, for any video game fans out there who don't know where to start with comics and want to start somewhere, here ya go.

Rubber - The Most Pointless Movie Ever Reviewed

So not only did I watch the indie hit Hobo With A Shotgun, I also watched the not-so indie hit Rubber. Following a tire named Robert who has physic powers and can blow stuff up, this movie will bore you to death but at the same time, you cannot stop watching... Well for me at least. My girlfriend fell asleep during it. Taking place in the desert, you view a group of randomly assorted people who watch from a distance with binoculars as they watch Robert encounter other human beings. After viewing this film, I feel I wasted 80 minutes of my life but at the same time feel happy that I have that indie under my belt. So if you have time to kill, why not watch this movie? At least you weren't like my friend who went to the midnight premiere in theaters (Yes he actually did that). This movie has absolutely no character development and BARELY any plot. Scratch that. It has no plot. But aside from all it's noticeable flaws, it is humorous and I did catch myself laughing at quite a few parts. But that's only because I enjoy random. You may not find it as funny. All in all, this movie is lame beyond belief but if you're a true movie lover or consider yourself a hipster, this is for you.

Hobo With A Shotgun Reviewed!

A while back, my friend came to school telling me about a movie he had watched on Netflix about a pissed off hobo (Played by Rutger Hauer) who was sick of crime. This is that movie. I had the... pleasure of finally viewing this movie tonight along with the film Rubber. The film was made in 2011 and is so underground, it doesn't even have a rating. The story takes place in a crap city (Probably based off Detroit) where a lonesome hobo drifts on in trying to save up enough money to buy a lawn mower (For $50) until he sees the hellhole the citizens are living in which seems to be ruled by a gang leader known as The Drake. So what to does this mild mannered hobo do? Buy a shotgun and clean up the scum of the streets. Jason Eisener is the director and I like how the movie has an 80's theme to it with a neat techno-ish soundtrack and the film is even vintage/old style. But be warned. This movie is NOT for children. Filled with gore galore, pedophiles, burning children and the f-bomb just about every other word, younger audiences should not be in the room.

Although the film attempts to be serious, you can't help yourself but laugh throughout it at it's cornball setting, dreadful one-liners, and its cheesy effects. It attempts to make you feel for the hobo and his prostitute friend he picks up later in the film but you can't help but not give two shits about them. Despite all the gore and violence, this is a light, fun movie to watch with your friends on a Saturday night. Don't be expecting any deep, moving story because you will not find it here. But I mean were you really trying to? It's called Hobo With A Shotgun for frak's sake.

JR JR's Art - Quick Post

Does anybody else how John Romita Jr.'s character faces are always drawn to be... smushed in a way? Or is that just me? Don't get me wrong. Kick-Ass art is epic and I love his unique way of art but he is definitely one of those artists and BAM! Instantly I can tell it's his work... I don't know. I just felt like posting this and wanted you guys' feedback!

The New Avengers (2004 Series) Reviewed! (Issues 1-20)

Oh. My. Gods. So as you guys know, I went to the comic convention last weekend and while I was there, I managed to finish my New Avengers collection from 2004. Now I don't know about you guys, but before I read a series, I need all the issues. I hate skipping issues. So when I managed to collect all 64 issues including the two annuals AND the finale, I was ready to go and damn that was a good buy. Bendis has done it again and just blown my mind with his story plots. I actually like Iron Man in this series which is weird considering I hate his asshole personality in all his other comics. And yes Spider-Man is as badass as ever with his smart-mouth jokes in the midst of battle and Cap is just the patriotic BAMF he is with standing in what he believes in. And Maria Hill is as annoying as ever. Just.... Over all, it is an incredible ongoing series and I'm glad they didn't just drop it after the events in Siege. I'm glad they started it back up (With what looks like Luke Cage being in charge). This series is definitely going down as one of my favorite ongoing series ever. Thank you Bendis and thank you Cho for such incredible artwork. He sure knows how to define those superheroes. And the artwork in each issue is phenomenal. You'll be stopping yourself to view the battle scenes such as Sentry's incredible fight with the mysterious force in the arc "The Collective". And thanks to the story arc "The Collective" right before the Civil War tie-in issues, I finally know what happened to Alpha Flight and why Omega Flight was born during the Initiative so that is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. (If you're wondering what I'm talking about, read the One-Shot Civil War: The Initiative). Well guys, I just HAD to review this series even though it is a few years old, I thought why not. Definitely give this title a shot if you haven't already. It should be sinful if you don't read this. That's all for now! Time to read some more of this epic series! Later guys

The Walking Dead Season 3 This Fall

WARNING: Season 1 & 2 Spoilers!
So season three of AMC's hit series The Walking Dead is supposed to air this Fall  with 16 episodes. And I am stoked. The prison is being introduced, Michonne is a new character, and rumor has it that The Governor is gonna be on the show!!! And if they keep all the sadistic stuff he does in the comic and put it in the show, I will be one happy fan. I just hope TV doesn't try to PG it all. But what I'm really looking forward to is watching Michonne's revenge on that son of a bitch (Cough cough castration). But I do have a few concerns with the upcoming season. Those concerns include them being in the prison for too long and it being dragged out (It was dragged out in the comic and that go somewhat boring) and because of the shit season 2 was with meaningless side plots and monologues that seemed to last forever, I fear season 3 will be the same.
Don't get me wrong guys. Season 1 was incredible with effects, plots, and character development given it only ran six episodes. I was always on the edge of my seat (The first episode with the tank?? Incredible!). But when season 2 aired, I was not impressed. The group stayed on the farm way too damn long and side plots such as the episode with the walker stuck in the water well was meaningless filler that didn't need to be included. Now yes, the last episode with Sophia coming out of the barn as a zombie was cool but even that was lame! I mean they spent the whole first half of the season with poor Daryl (Norman Reedus) looking for the kid. It just dragged out for soooooo long and it was unnecessary. So apart from my complaints with season 2 being bleh and boring, season 1 was incredible and I can't wait to see what season 3 has in store for us. I feel it'll be pretty awesome.

The Revamped Amazing Spider-Man Movie

So Summer is coming soon and with it comes an all new webslinger which most of you know from the hit The Social Network. Yes Andrew Garfield is back and he's playing the mild-mannered, awkward Peter Parker and all I have to say about this decision is... why? Stan Lee created Parker as a socially awkward, geeky, teenager who is the last person to have a girlfriend and so what does this new movie present? A suave looking young man who girls fall head over heels for and turn him into Spider-Man... nu uh. Not working out for me. Although the graphics look incredible and the are bringing in The Lizard (a.k.a Dr. Curt Connors), I just can't buy it that Garfield is supposed to be Pete. I mean Tobey Maguire played that role perfectly! Yeah he could have had more sarcastic and smart-ass comments while fighting but he got the dorky part spot on! This new Spider-Man movie does show signs of that smart-ass side though so I hope they deliver. That's one of my favorite traits of this costumed hero. Another improvement I see in this film is the change from Kristen Dunst to Emma Stone. Dunst always seemed a bit whiny in the older films and Stone isn't like that. Plus, Stone will be playing Gwen Stacey and NOT Mary Jane which is really cool considering Stacey came before Jane in the comic books. So am I weary of this Parker replacement? Yes. But this does look like a kick-ass movie and I cannot wait to see it once it hits theaters and you better bet I'll be one of the first to be reviewing here on the one and only, The True Life of a Superhero!

2012 Motor City Comic Convention

Sorry about the delay on posts guys! I've had comic book convention fever! After going Friday and Saturday, I'm exhausted and boy am I loaded. Where others went for the celebrities or that missing action figure or just to have a good time, I took my time seriously while I was there and there was no time for fraking around. I went hardcore looking for all the key essentials missing in my comic collection and boy did I score. Coming home with a little over 200 comics each of the two days (And finishing my Watchmen action figure collection thanks to my wonderful girlfriend), I'd say it was a success.
For those of you that have never been to a con, boy are you missing out. If you like anything pop culture related, this is your place and you will be among your fellow species. I know I was. Striking conversations with fellow comic book lovers about recent story arcs and former ones, I felt at home. And the costumes people create and wear?? Creativity at it's best!! I saw Altair, a Spartan from the Halo saga, Storm Troopers, a five year old dressed up as Hit Girl, Dale from the Walking Dead TV show after he was bitten, and many more! All with care greatly put into them. There's a reason I created a countdown for the Motor City Comic Book Convention. Because it is amazing to say the least. Again, I'm sorry guys for the late post. I've been busy with work and organizing my new comics and such but thank you for staying around to read!

Digital Comics. WTF

So I know this whole digital comics thing isn't new or anything and has been around for a while. But it's slowly rising up and really getting on my nerves. Comic BOOKS, keyword BOOKS, were made essentially as magazines released every month so you could read and collect and enjoy. Now, I don't know who's idea it was to start creating digital editions of comics but it's not gonna fly with me. No sir. When you turn a comic into something from hard copy to something you can only view through a digital screen, it takes ALL of the fun out of it! I mean my AvX issues have all come with codes you enter on Marvel.com or something and you can get a digital copy of the issue. Well guess what Marvel?? I don't want a digital copy! I want the hard copy I can take ANYWHERE and enjoy it anyway I want! What if something happens to your precious fake comic collection of digital files and it crashes or something? Or your internet shuts down and you can't punch in your stupid little code? Then you're fraked. Digital comics are the worst thing that could happen to the comic book industry because us true collectors want hard copies. Not files that ANYBODY could get. That's part of the fun in collecting comics. Hunting for that missing issue in your collection and when you offer digital comics, you take that fun out cuz you can just look it up on marvel.com or dccomics.com and bam! There it is. So yes fake collectors, enjoy your digital files but don't you dare call yourself a true comic collector you poser. Leave our hard copies alone. Rant over