Well, it has finally happened. The album I've been looking forward to for so long has leaked. Streetlight Manifesto's "The Hands That Thieve" leaked yesterday and I have not stopped listening to it since. This thing is a freaking masterpiece, something unique that I haven't heard before. This is what the band was promising when they announced "Somewhere in the Between", their last original album which was released in 2007. So, I'm going to review the album, song by song. And, if I decide to, I'll link a video and/or a download link for anyone who would want to check out the album. And if you do like it, please buy it from the RISC Store, not from Victory Records. I've gone on record here and on Twitter that I hate Victory for what they have done to Streetlight. If you don't know what has gone on between the two, just Google "Streetlight Manifesto Victory Records" to find out.
"The Three of Us"
This song has actually been out for a couple weeks, as Victory released it as a single. Being the Victory hater that I am, I did not pay for the song (fuck you, Brummel!). I've always liked this song since the first time they played it during Warped Tour back in the summer. The break down is just epic as is the instrumental break towards the end of the song. But the most impressive part of the opening song is the lyrics. Tomas spins a great story into these lyrics, telling how a thief, the king and himself turned into a priest, a tramp, and himself. And towards the end of the song, you realize that the thief is the priest and the king is now the tramp. Interesting stuff there.
"Ungrateful"
This song actually sounds very "Gimpy", meaning sounding very much like Tomas' first band, "Gimp". The song sounds very much like one of his previous songs with the group and, somehow, it works on this CD. Probably the most "ska" song on the record, it is a call back of sorts to his previous sound: fast paced lyrics, "ska" guitar intro, guitar break down. Still, it's a good song, especially at 3:11, when the gang vocals take over and then we race towards the end of the song.
"The Littlest Things"
Thought to be called "Never Be Afraid" initially, I've always wondered how this song would sound recorded after I fell in love with it after hearing a live version it. And, man, it did not disappoint. I think the thing I like the most about this song is the instrumental part actually. It's more edgier than most of the other songs, and that's what I like about it. Then there is the ending, where Tomas uses effects to not really auto-tune his voice, but to make it quieter and echo-like. It is a really nice effect that really sells the song.
"The Hands That Thieve"
The title track. You would think that it would be good, right? Well, you are wrong: it's phenomenal! One of the most unique Streetlight songs to date, the song captures you right from the get go with the instrumental intro. Instead of the "ska" or "punk rock" feel that is normally associated with the band, this song has a more folk feel to it, something I never thought that would been able to be done so awesomely. Tomas' lyrics are, once again, deep. You can how when the band cuts out about 4 minutes into the song when it is just Tomas, then him and Jim, and then the group. Then after that, the ending is very Streetlight. I can't wait to see them perform this song live.
"With Any Sort Of Certainty"
Another song that has been out for a little bit, though it was the Toh Kay version. Side note: if you have not seen the video for this, do it. Here is the link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INb_G1Qhus0&feature=youtu.be. After hearing the Toh Kay version, I wasn't too sure what to expect with this song. It's a beautiful song when you listen to the lyrics in the Toh Kay version. And I was maybe a little nervous to hear if the Streetlight version would relay those lyrics in a similar way. Even though I'm fairly certain that I like the Toh Kay version better, Streetlight's version is a beast. Knowing the lyrics already does help as well, as I was able to belt them out. The break down is amazing though. You have have guitar, bass, and drums doing there thing while the instruments play some of the most distorted, screechy notes possible. And they fade in and out, like you are on a really awesome trip. But it works with this song. When you listen to the Toh Kay version, you never would have thought that something like that could work with this song. Finally, there are the goosebump causing gang vocals at 5:35. Even now, as I listen to it as I write this, I have goosebumps. I typically find myself rewinding the song to listen to them a couple times when I listen to the song.
"If Only For Memories"
Arguably my favorite song on the record, this song has another unique feel. Having a Latin feel right from the get go, the intro is possibly my favorite instrumental part from any Streetlight album (even better than Blonde Will Lead The Blind). And I absolutely love the lyrics to this song. I actually can't tell you much more about the song because I always get lost in the song when I listen to it. Did I mention that I love the instrumental parts yet?
"They Broke Him Down"
Another edgier song. The song is very Streetlight, something that you would expect them to play. However, I'm not saying that as a bad thing. With an album full of new, unique sounds, it's kinda nice to have a return to normality. Again, Tomas' lyrics take center stage in this fast paced song. When you actually listen to them, they really are some interesting and powerful lyrics. Honestly, I'm having a hard time writing for this song. Not because I don't like it, I just can't find much to say about it. I do love the ending though. I love how it ends with "it wouldn't be long til they broke me".
"Toe To Toe"
The last three songs on this album are an unbelievable trio, starting with this one. Right from the beginning, you have Tomas singing, and right there, you can hear how much his voice has matured since the earlier albums. The lyrics for this song are also so beautiful, at least to me. I don't know what it is about them, but I feel like I can relate to them so easily for whatever reason. There is also another great instrumental break, this time with a kickass bari sax solo, something that we haven't heard a lot of. Another song that I just love all around. If "If Only For Memories" is my favorite song, "Toe To Toe" is a close second.
"Oh Me, Oh My"
Another song that I fell in love with after I saw a live performance of it. Even though I had heard the live version a good number of times, I was not expecting this song to be as awesome as it is. This is the shortest song on the album, but that doesn't deter the fact that this song is jam packed with awesomeness. The horn parts are extremely catchy and I find myself whistling them almost every time I listen to the song. The lyrics are also easy to remember, allowing you to sing along with ease. Again, the gang vocals come back strong, as whenever they sing the chorus and the part at 2:53 are the best parts of the song.
"Your Day Will Come"
I actually had the opportunity to hear this song live (well, the Toh Kay version) when I went to the Revival Tour a couple weeks ago. Another side note: go to the Revival Tour if you ever have the chance. Without a doubt, it was the best concert I've ever been to. A whole heck of a lot of talent musicians who actually give a crap about music. Got to meet a lot of cool people like Jenny Owen Youngs and Toh Kay himself. But anyways, back to this song. As with the case of "With Any Sort of Certainty", having heard the Toh Kay version of the song, I didn't really know what to expect from the song. The Toh Kay version was already sounding pretty cool. Since this has leaked, I've seen a good number of people saying that this song was the best the closer Streetlight has done. And I have to agree with them. There is something about this song that seems so familiar yet at the same time new and exciting. Plus, I like that the title is a little parting shot at Brummel and Victory Records.
So, those are my thoughts about the songs. Such a strong, strong album from my favorite band. If the Toh Kay version is anywhere near as awesome as this (which I expect it will), then I will be a happy camper. Though it was a long, long, looooooooooong road to get here, Tomas and the boys have paid up with the best work they have ever done. And I can't be happier that with this album out, they are finally free from the hold that Victory has had on them for so long now. Though the band is going to be slowing down for a now, I will always look forward to more new music from these guys. I can't give this album a grade any lower than an A+. It is just a such unique and different sound than I am accustomed to hearing from this band. I might do something like this when the Toh Kay version comes in the mail (not spoiling that one for myself; I'm waiting for that sucker).
If you would like to listen to this wonderful album, here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8GyPwWAFwE. If you would like a download link, let me know here or on Twitter and I'll lead you on a path of wonderment. And, again, if you like what you hear, go and buy the album for the RISC store. Also feel free to go and buy the Toh Kay version. Amazon took down the demos, but you can get the feel of the album from the "With Any Sort of Certainty" video.
Thanks for reading! And fuck Victory!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
In Retrospect: A New Series
Welcome to "In Retrospect", a new blog series written by me. As you can probably tell by the title, this series will delve into my childhood, as I look back at some of the things I either liked or loved when I was a child. I just came up with this idea the other day when I was back home for Easter. So, I'm taking a stroll down memory road and reminiscing about my childhood. Do I like how it is now? Was it better now or when I was a kid? Is the subject even around today? Now that I'm 21, it seemed like a great time to look back on my childhood and basically talk to young me again.
For my first post, I decided to go to probably my favorite childhood TV show: Thomas the Tank Engine. I loved, loved, LOVED Thomas back in the day. And I'm happy to say that my youngest cousin, Devin, is too a Thomas fan. I don't know why I was so drawn to it, maybe it was my parents doing. But, man, did I love me that Tank Engine. Without a doubt, Thomas was my favorite engine, though I loved a lot of the engines. Percy, Toby, Mavis, Edward, Rusty; just to name a few. I had a couple of the toys and I played with them on the shelves that ran around our living room.
If I had to choose my favorite episode, I'd tell you that it would be nearly impossible. I particularly liked the episode where Toby had to cross the dam when it was falling apart. There was also the episode where Percy scared Thomas by making him think he was a ghost. And then, in retaliation, there was an episode where Thomas scared Percy with a Chinese dragon. Gah, so many good episodes!! I seriously cannot decide which one is my favorite. The voice acting on the show was top notch as well, with Ringo Starr doing his best work ever (not a huge Beatles fan over here, sorry).
So that was back then. Now, Thomas is still around, but he's gone through some changes. Not only did they get rid of the epic intro theme (which is in my top 5 favorite TV theme songs), but they changed the whole look of the show. Now, it is an animated show, whereas in the past it was a model and RC shot show. That was what was so great about the old show; the trains sort of looked real and they faces. Some of the best and funniest faces I remember came from that show. Now, with the show being animated, they don't have that same appeal, at least to me. However, though I might have my qualms about the new show, I absolutely love that my cousin is into Thomas as well. During Easter, my aunt and I put together a Thomas puzzle for him, only to have it destroyed moments later. Still, it's the fact that he acknowledges Thomas that makes me so happy. That was kind of the final sign I needed to start this series with Thomas. Seeing my cousin taking interest in something I used to love (and might possibly still love) just made me smile. I can only hope that if and when I have kids someday, they take an interest in some of the things I loved as a kid, a good number of things you'll see here in the future.
Well, I think that might be it for my first "In Retrospect" post. Seeing that this is the first one, it's going to be a little rougher than my fifth or sixth one. I just thought that this would be an interesting little series, something to keep me busy for some time. I already have about three fourths of a Word document page filled with ideas and I could easily have more if I really sat down and thought about it. So, needless to say, I'll have a good amount of material to write about in the future. Keep it locked on here for more reminiscing about the past.
And, come on! Who doesn't love this theme song?
Thanks for reading!
For my first post, I decided to go to probably my favorite childhood TV show: Thomas the Tank Engine. I loved, loved, LOVED Thomas back in the day. And I'm happy to say that my youngest cousin, Devin, is too a Thomas fan. I don't know why I was so drawn to it, maybe it was my parents doing. But, man, did I love me that Tank Engine. Without a doubt, Thomas was my favorite engine, though I loved a lot of the engines. Percy, Toby, Mavis, Edward, Rusty; just to name a few. I had a couple of the toys and I played with them on the shelves that ran around our living room.
If I had to choose my favorite episode, I'd tell you that it would be nearly impossible. I particularly liked the episode where Toby had to cross the dam when it was falling apart. There was also the episode where Percy scared Thomas by making him think he was a ghost. And then, in retaliation, there was an episode where Thomas scared Percy with a Chinese dragon. Gah, so many good episodes!! I seriously cannot decide which one is my favorite. The voice acting on the show was top notch as well, with Ringo Starr doing his best work ever (not a huge Beatles fan over here, sorry).
So that was back then. Now, Thomas is still around, but he's gone through some changes. Not only did they get rid of the epic intro theme (which is in my top 5 favorite TV theme songs), but they changed the whole look of the show. Now, it is an animated show, whereas in the past it was a model and RC shot show. That was what was so great about the old show; the trains sort of looked real and they faces. Some of the best and funniest faces I remember came from that show. Now, with the show being animated, they don't have that same appeal, at least to me. However, though I might have my qualms about the new show, I absolutely love that my cousin is into Thomas as well. During Easter, my aunt and I put together a Thomas puzzle for him, only to have it destroyed moments later. Still, it's the fact that he acknowledges Thomas that makes me so happy. That was kind of the final sign I needed to start this series with Thomas. Seeing my cousin taking interest in something I used to love (and might possibly still love) just made me smile. I can only hope that if and when I have kids someday, they take an interest in some of the things I loved as a kid, a good number of things you'll see here in the future.
Well, I think that might be it for my first "In Retrospect" post. Seeing that this is the first one, it's going to be a little rougher than my fifth or sixth one. I just thought that this would be an interesting little series, something to keep me busy for some time. I already have about three fourths of a Word document page filled with ideas and I could easily have more if I really sat down and thought about it. So, needless to say, I'll have a good amount of material to write about in the future. Keep it locked on here for more reminiscing about the past.
And, come on! Who doesn't love this theme song?
Thanks for reading!
When The Governor Comes Knocking
What. A. Finale.
As certain doors close, others open. Characters die while others are saved. I've only got emotional once during the Walking Dead (at the end of the Telltale game), but man, was I getting close tonight. The cause? The death of one of my favorite characters. Now, I don't normally say this in these reviews, but because it is the finale, I'll say it. There are some pretty big spoilers for the finale of the Walking Dead. Read at your own risk.
So, let's just get it out of the way: Andrea died. One of my favorite characters from the comics, gone. It might have been one of the most shocking moments I've ever experienced on TV. Sure, she might have been a bit aggravating in the show (especially when she continually sided with the Governor), but she was turning around all for it to be taken away by her only friend in Woodbury. And seeing Michonne break down like so many others this season just hit it home. True, Andrea did take her damn time trying to free herself, but it was still a somber moment in the end. It's definitely interesting to see a character that is still alive in the comics be killed off, especially as she is Rick's girlfriend currently. Such a sad, somber ending.
Another big story is the kind of sudden turn by Carl. He is all of a sudden a much colder person and I'm not so sure if I like that. I mean, he is still a kid who is going through the end of the world without a mother and a sane father. However, for Carl to shoot that guy when he was apparently laying down his gun was shocking, something that we had not seen from Carl. He's dissed Rick basically twice this episode and it should be interesting to see how Carl keeps growing up as the show progresses.
Now, we can get to the Governor. Let's just say that Phillip has finally become the ruthless Governor from the comics. A lot of people were thinking that Phillip was going to die in this finale, but I wasn't one. I didn't believe that Phillip's story was all told. However, I wasn't expecting Phillip's actions, killing all those Woodbury soldiers. With them dead and Rick taking the rest to the prison, how is the Governor going to rage his now much more personal war with the prison?
While the past two episodes were more character driven compared to this one, the finale had not a lot of them. We really didn't see the ramifications of Merle's death, nor any more with the wedding plot, though I was expecting that to happen in Season 4. Though, I did like the little Rick/Michonne moment and the Daryl/Carol moment.
Now comes the interesting part, the grading. I believe that this was one of the stronger episodes this season. Though it wasn't the strongest, I still felt it was a strong finale. The prison fight was a bit lackluster, as there wasn't a lot of fighting. However, there was still a good deal of action, just more personal. It's gonna take a bit to get over the death of Andrea, but I'm pretty sure I can get over it. So, out of 10, I'm going to give "Welcome to the Tombs" a 9.
So, there we have it. The finale has come and now we have the looooooong wait until October. Don't worry, though, as I'll have a Season 4 wishlist coming in the near future. Plus, I'll be writing reviews for Bates Motel and, when it returns, Warehouse 13. And there'll be comic reviews coming again (promises promises). Also, I recently had a thought about a pretty cool idea for a new series of posts. I'd like to turn it into a weekly thing, but it might start out as a once in a while post. The future looks interesting for this here blog, so keep an eye out.
Thanks for reading!!
As certain doors close, others open. Characters die while others are saved. I've only got emotional once during the Walking Dead (at the end of the Telltale game), but man, was I getting close tonight. The cause? The death of one of my favorite characters. Now, I don't normally say this in these reviews, but because it is the finale, I'll say it. There are some pretty big spoilers for the finale of the Walking Dead. Read at your own risk.
So, let's just get it out of the way: Andrea died. One of my favorite characters from the comics, gone. It might have been one of the most shocking moments I've ever experienced on TV. Sure, she might have been a bit aggravating in the show (especially when she continually sided with the Governor), but she was turning around all for it to be taken away by her only friend in Woodbury. And seeing Michonne break down like so many others this season just hit it home. True, Andrea did take her damn time trying to free herself, but it was still a somber moment in the end. It's definitely interesting to see a character that is still alive in the comics be killed off, especially as she is Rick's girlfriend currently. Such a sad, somber ending.
Another big story is the kind of sudden turn by Carl. He is all of a sudden a much colder person and I'm not so sure if I like that. I mean, he is still a kid who is going through the end of the world without a mother and a sane father. However, for Carl to shoot that guy when he was apparently laying down his gun was shocking, something that we had not seen from Carl. He's dissed Rick basically twice this episode and it should be interesting to see how Carl keeps growing up as the show progresses.
Now, we can get to the Governor. Let's just say that Phillip has finally become the ruthless Governor from the comics. A lot of people were thinking that Phillip was going to die in this finale, but I wasn't one. I didn't believe that Phillip's story was all told. However, I wasn't expecting Phillip's actions, killing all those Woodbury soldiers. With them dead and Rick taking the rest to the prison, how is the Governor going to rage his now much more personal war with the prison?
While the past two episodes were more character driven compared to this one, the finale had not a lot of them. We really didn't see the ramifications of Merle's death, nor any more with the wedding plot, though I was expecting that to happen in Season 4. Though, I did like the little Rick/Michonne moment and the Daryl/Carol moment.
Now comes the interesting part, the grading. I believe that this was one of the stronger episodes this season. Though it wasn't the strongest, I still felt it was a strong finale. The prison fight was a bit lackluster, as there wasn't a lot of fighting. However, there was still a good deal of action, just more personal. It's gonna take a bit to get over the death of Andrea, but I'm pretty sure I can get over it. So, out of 10, I'm going to give "Welcome to the Tombs" a 9.
So, there we have it. The finale has come and now we have the looooooong wait until October. Don't worry, though, as I'll have a Season 4 wishlist coming in the near future. Plus, I'll be writing reviews for Bates Motel and, when it returns, Warehouse 13. And there'll be comic reviews coming again (promises promises). Also, I recently had a thought about a pretty cool idea for a new series of posts. I'd like to turn it into a weekly thing, but it might start out as a once in a while post. The future looks interesting for this here blog, so keep an eye out.
Thanks for reading!!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
End of the Ricktatorship?
GAAAAHH!!! SO. MANY. FEELS!!!!
Man, the penultimate episode of this season hit hard. So many things happened, even though it wasn't an overly action packed episode. It was also the 180 of last week's episode, where it was Woodbury based with a brief glimpse of the prison. A very strong episode overall that preps us for the finale of the season.
The whole episode takes place the day that the Michonne deal was supposed to go down and Rick still wants to do the deal. However, bless him, he changes his mind. The only downside? Merle left with Michonne, but not for the reason you think. Surprisingly, for the episode before the big finale, this isn't a Rick-centered episode. Sure, he has his moments, but this is actual a Merle episode. It doesn't sound like it would be as emotional of an episode now, but it was. Merle tries talking Rick out of doing the wrong thing, know the Governor won't really keep the peace. So, what does Merle do? He removes Michonne from the equation, taking her for a little trip. And, of course, the characters and probably the majority of the viewing audience thought that he was taking her to Phillip to broker the deal and Daryl goes after him. However, Merle took Michonne so Rick COULDN'T make the deal, letting her go so he can go take care of business. After sharing a drink with some undead buddies, Merle leads a pack of walkers to the silos where the meeting was set to take place. While the Governor's men try to stop the walkers, Merle somewhat stealthily takes out his men, but it eventually leads to the Governor shooting and killing him. And then a bit later, in the moment that broke every single fangirl's heart, Daryl finds his zombified brother. Daryl breaks down, not unlike Rick after discovering about Lori's death, and puts his brother down for good.
Back at the prison, we had a couple of storylines going on. First, we had Rick finally come to his senses about keeping Michonne. Plus, we had Rick basically confront his visions of Lori, telling himself that it isn't real. As much as I liked seeing Rick a bit unnerved, it's good to see that he's going to be thinking clearer for the time being. With the Governor coming, Rick needs his mind to be as clear as humanly possible. We also had a nice little conversation between Carol and Merle. We also had Daryl call Rick "family" in a nice little moment. But we had the other feels moment too. In a very overdue talk, Glenn asks Hershel for his permission to ask Maggie to marry him. Without missing a beat, Hershel agrees and Glenn goes off to find a ring. And then, in a beautifully shot scene, Glenn gives Maggie the ring and she accepts. Then, Rick finally decides to end the Ricktatorship.
Without a doubt, Michael Rooker stole this episode. Merle has been such a fun, off-putting character that it is really sad, at least for me, that he is now gone. Like I said a couple weeks ago, Merle was the one source of comedy in this bleak and depressing show. Now that he is gone, the part of the show goes with him. And I have to applaud Norman Reedus. That was one powerful performance he gave when Daryl came face to undead face with Merle. I'm not afraid to say that there might have been a tear or two building in the corners of my eyes during that scene. It's going to be interesting to see how Daryl reacts next episode and if he'll want to leave the prison or wait to fight the Governor. Plus, it seems like the prison group are going to make a break for it. My question, which I posted on Twitter, is where are they going to go? Are they going to go back to Hershel's farm and take it back? Or are we going to get a swap, having the Governor at the Prison next season (if he lives) and Rick at Woodbury? Or, are Rick and his group going to discover the Alexandria Safe-Zone, their current home in the comics? I'm not expecting an answer next week, but it's a question that I'm going to be thinking about going into next week's finale. Titled "This Sorrowful Life", this was definitely an emotional episode and I'm giving it an 8.5 out of 10.
Join me here again next week as I write about the finale of Season 3 of the Walking Dead. Also, I plan on live Tweeting and writing reviews for Bates Motel and, when it comes back in a couple weeks, Warehouse 13. I promise to have comic reviews up at some point (maybe this weekend, as I have a short week with Easter break) and there will be no PS3 game reviews anytime soon, as my system is a freak and cannot be fixed. So, it's off to Sony for repairs. But anywho, I'm getting off track now. Again, join me next week right here as I give my opinions about the episode. Also, be prepared for a season wrap up soon after that and a Season 4 wishlist some time after that. And, if you feel inclined, join me as I live Tweet next Sunday. Should be a fun episode!
Thanks for reading!
Man, the penultimate episode of this season hit hard. So many things happened, even though it wasn't an overly action packed episode. It was also the 180 of last week's episode, where it was Woodbury based with a brief glimpse of the prison. A very strong episode overall that preps us for the finale of the season.
The whole episode takes place the day that the Michonne deal was supposed to go down and Rick still wants to do the deal. However, bless him, he changes his mind. The only downside? Merle left with Michonne, but not for the reason you think. Surprisingly, for the episode before the big finale, this isn't a Rick-centered episode. Sure, he has his moments, but this is actual a Merle episode. It doesn't sound like it would be as emotional of an episode now, but it was. Merle tries talking Rick out of doing the wrong thing, know the Governor won't really keep the peace. So, what does Merle do? He removes Michonne from the equation, taking her for a little trip. And, of course, the characters and probably the majority of the viewing audience thought that he was taking her to Phillip to broker the deal and Daryl goes after him. However, Merle took Michonne so Rick COULDN'T make the deal, letting her go so he can go take care of business. After sharing a drink with some undead buddies, Merle leads a pack of walkers to the silos where the meeting was set to take place. While the Governor's men try to stop the walkers, Merle somewhat stealthily takes out his men, but it eventually leads to the Governor shooting and killing him. And then a bit later, in the moment that broke every single fangirl's heart, Daryl finds his zombified brother. Daryl breaks down, not unlike Rick after discovering about Lori's death, and puts his brother down for good.
Back at the prison, we had a couple of storylines going on. First, we had Rick finally come to his senses about keeping Michonne. Plus, we had Rick basically confront his visions of Lori, telling himself that it isn't real. As much as I liked seeing Rick a bit unnerved, it's good to see that he's going to be thinking clearer for the time being. With the Governor coming, Rick needs his mind to be as clear as humanly possible. We also had a nice little conversation between Carol and Merle. We also had Daryl call Rick "family" in a nice little moment. But we had the other feels moment too. In a very overdue talk, Glenn asks Hershel for his permission to ask Maggie to marry him. Without missing a beat, Hershel agrees and Glenn goes off to find a ring. And then, in a beautifully shot scene, Glenn gives Maggie the ring and she accepts. Then, Rick finally decides to end the Ricktatorship.
Without a doubt, Michael Rooker stole this episode. Merle has been such a fun, off-putting character that it is really sad, at least for me, that he is now gone. Like I said a couple weeks ago, Merle was the one source of comedy in this bleak and depressing show. Now that he is gone, the part of the show goes with him. And I have to applaud Norman Reedus. That was one powerful performance he gave when Daryl came face to undead face with Merle. I'm not afraid to say that there might have been a tear or two building in the corners of my eyes during that scene. It's going to be interesting to see how Daryl reacts next episode and if he'll want to leave the prison or wait to fight the Governor. Plus, it seems like the prison group are going to make a break for it. My question, which I posted on Twitter, is where are they going to go? Are they going to go back to Hershel's farm and take it back? Or are we going to get a swap, having the Governor at the Prison next season (if he lives) and Rick at Woodbury? Or, are Rick and his group going to discover the Alexandria Safe-Zone, their current home in the comics? I'm not expecting an answer next week, but it's a question that I'm going to be thinking about going into next week's finale. Titled "This Sorrowful Life", this was definitely an emotional episode and I'm giving it an 8.5 out of 10.
Join me here again next week as I write about the finale of Season 3 of the Walking Dead. Also, I plan on live Tweeting and writing reviews for Bates Motel and, when it comes back in a couple weeks, Warehouse 13. I promise to have comic reviews up at some point (maybe this weekend, as I have a short week with Easter break) and there will be no PS3 game reviews anytime soon, as my system is a freak and cannot be fixed. So, it's off to Sony for repairs. But anywho, I'm getting off track now. Again, join me next week right here as I give my opinions about the episode. Also, be prepared for a season wrap up soon after that and a Season 4 wishlist some time after that. And, if you feel inclined, join me as I live Tweet next Sunday. Should be a fun episode!
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Just Moved In
You don't mess with the classics. That's what everyone says. If you mess with the classics, you really screw things up. But what happens if you mess with the stuff that happens before the classic? Well, that is where Bates Motel takes us. Set before the classic horror film, Psycho, the show deals with Norman Bates and his mom, Norma, and it shows us what happens that makes Norman do the things he does in the classic film.
So, what did the first episode show us? The whole Bates family, as you can probably guess, is pretty weird. It is interesting that it seems to be set in a somewhat modern setting, as Norman has a MP3 player and a cell phone. Yet there are some aspects that make it seem like things are a bit dated, but that's just a small little detail. The meat and potatoes of the show is the relationship between Norman and his mom, and you can already see a little bit of how their relationship parallels the known facts. Norma is already keeping her son away from social activities such as trying out for track and going to "study" with some school skanks girls. Plus, we get introduced to the strained relationship between Norma and her other son, Dylan. However, for the most part of the first half of the episode, everything seems pretty normal. That is, until the angry ex-proprietor comes a-knocking and proceeds to cut, handcuff, and rape Norma. Yeah, the show got dark real quick. And, to make matters worse for the Bates, Norma kills the loon in cold blood. Of course, because there was a blood stain from the body, the family must tear up the carpet, only to have the cops show up and question them. There is a lovely little scene where one officer Nestor (aka the Mayor of Gotham City. Seriously, that's the actor, look it up, I'll wait) is taking a pee with the body literally inches from him in the bathtub. While tearing up the carpet, Normie comes across a book, but we really don't know what it's purpose is yet. Then, Norma and Norman spend a little quality mother/son time as they head out on a rowboat to dump the body. Isn't that sweet? The ending of the episode is weird too, as we see some girl tied to a chair being injected with something.
Overall, this was a pretty good pilot episode. It's creepy but not overly creepy. They are planting seeds for the future; not only of the show, but for Psycho as well. It was nice to see Norman interact with girls his age, and I think this will be a big factor in the show. We already saw him interacting with two girls, both of which to seem to be interested in him, but we also saw him peeping on his mom changing, which is disturbingly creepy. However, there was a line in the promo for the rest of the season that stuck with me. Norma tells Norman that she is going to protect him. That just rubbed me the wrong way, and I think it will be a huge plot for the show going forward. However, the main plotline for these first couple episodes seems to be the explanation of the book Norman found and how it impacts his character. We've seen snippets of the pages, but what does it mean? How involved is it with the tied up girl? Who is he going to show the book to? Plus, you see how Norman deals with the murder and how he reacts to it. Overall, this pilot set up a lot of interesting stories for the future of the show.
I didn't expect to enjoy this show as much as I did. I just watched it on a whim, even though I thought it looked interesting when I saw commercials for it. I'm definitely interested in seeing more of this show. Overall, for the first episode of "Bates Motel", First You Dream, Then You Die, I give it an 8 out of 10.
More blog posts to come in the next few days. I had actually planned on finishing my movie review, but I got sidetracked by this TV review. So, that should be up most likely tomorrow. There is a good possibility I'll have some comic reviews coming down the pipeline as well, depends on how my week goes.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Whistle While You Work
Boy, was that a nerve wracking episode of The Walking Dead. What started out as an Andrea-central episode actually turned out to be an Andrea/Tyreese episode, which is what I loved about it. Two characters that have been sorta frustrating to the fans this season, obviously for different reasons, had their times to shine for the first time.
Seeing as the prison was in the episode for about 20 seconds (nice to see Rick made an appearance), I'll be dissecting this episode by character for a change. The first character is, obviously, Andrea. This is the first time that we have seen her truly against Phillip and, man, was that a nice change of pace. She went basically all out trying to kill him this episode and she almost succeeded on two occasions, if not for Milton and the Governor being totally awesome. I finally got to see the Andrea I've been missing for the majority of the season, the one that I enjoy reading in the comics every month. And, man, that warehouse scene was just so awesome. It was shot so well and it was pretty creepy, seeing Phillip hunt Andrea down like a horror movie villain. Probably the hardest part to see was when Andrea got within spitting distance to the prison and salvation, only to have it taken away by the Governor. If only Rick was a tad bit faster on his patrol. And that last scene, with Andrea in the torture room. I have my own theories on that, which I'll talk about in a little bit.
The Governor had an interesting episode, for sure. We had him whistling that damn annoying tune (it's still stuck in my head as I write this) and going full blown horror villain, as he creepily dragged that shovel around the warehouse looking for Andrea. Then you had him preparing his torture chamber, which everyone probably thought would be used for Michonne, but actually not. Yet we still saw him as the charmer, when he was talking with Tyreese and his group. These past few episodes have been great character building ones for the Governor, as he is finally become the villain we all know and love from the comics. I'm not going to say I'm excited to see how he interacts with Andrea in the torture room, but it's definitely going to be interesting.
For the first time in a long time, we had a substantial part for Tyreese, something that had been missing these past few episodes. We finally got see how he thinks about some of the Governor's techniques and got to see a little bit in the tension building in his own group. That tension lead to a big character moment for Tyreese, as he could kill his friend or let him live. However, the disappointing thing about his part was that he changed his mind, or at least it seemed like it. Earlier in the episode, he made his mind to get the heck out of Woodbury but at the end of the episode, he tells Phillip that he and his group will stay. It'll be interesting to see if Tyreese keeps his word or if he, like Andrea, sneaks off.
Finally, the final character I'll talk about is Milton. Though he didn't have a big part in this episode, the moments he had were pretty showing how he feels about Phillip. Like Andrea, he has grown to distrust Phillip, yet he protects him still, stating that the old Phillip is still inside somewhere. Also, we don't know who killed the Walkers in the pit and trailer, but I'm pretty sure it was Milton, who has become a traitor. These past few episodes, I've been having a bad feeling that Milton's time is coming to an end, and I now have a theory about how it will go down. With Andrea in the torture chamber, Milton will use the side entrance to check up on the Governor's actions and discover Andrea there. He'll release her, but get caught by the Governor while doing it. Milton will then sacrifice himself to save Andrea, with the Governor killing his right hand man. When will it happen, I don't know. I'd put money on it happening next week, but I'd understand if we have a prison only episode next week. It would make sense, as we would have this episode showing Woodbury, next week dealing with the prison, and then the finale bringing the two sides together in a fight to the death.
Overall, not an action-packed episode, but it was definitely an episode that played on one's nerves. As we build up to the finale in two weeks, we see Woodbury preparing for their attack on the prison. It'll be interesting to see the prison's response next week. A very strong episode for Andrea, Tyreese, and Phillip really helps propel this episode and build the tension and suspense. Overall, I'm going to give "Prey" a 8 out of 10.
I'll be posting again, probably soon, about a movie I saw the other night. That should be an interesting review. And then I'm slowly working on a comics post, with maybe a weekly review thrown in. And, when I get my Playstation 3 fixed, I'll start writing reviews and blog posts about the 6 or 7 game playthroughs I have planned. Also, I might have some video reviews coming in the near future, so keep watch for those.
Thanks for reading!!
Seeing as the prison was in the episode for about 20 seconds (nice to see Rick made an appearance), I'll be dissecting this episode by character for a change. The first character is, obviously, Andrea. This is the first time that we have seen her truly against Phillip and, man, was that a nice change of pace. She went basically all out trying to kill him this episode and she almost succeeded on two occasions, if not for Milton and the Governor being totally awesome. I finally got to see the Andrea I've been missing for the majority of the season, the one that I enjoy reading in the comics every month. And, man, that warehouse scene was just so awesome. It was shot so well and it was pretty creepy, seeing Phillip hunt Andrea down like a horror movie villain. Probably the hardest part to see was when Andrea got within spitting distance to the prison and salvation, only to have it taken away by the Governor. If only Rick was a tad bit faster on his patrol. And that last scene, with Andrea in the torture room. I have my own theories on that, which I'll talk about in a little bit.
The Governor had an interesting episode, for sure. We had him whistling that damn annoying tune (it's still stuck in my head as I write this) and going full blown horror villain, as he creepily dragged that shovel around the warehouse looking for Andrea. Then you had him preparing his torture chamber, which everyone probably thought would be used for Michonne, but actually not. Yet we still saw him as the charmer, when he was talking with Tyreese and his group. These past few episodes have been great character building ones for the Governor, as he is finally become the villain we all know and love from the comics. I'm not going to say I'm excited to see how he interacts with Andrea in the torture room, but it's definitely going to be interesting.
For the first time in a long time, we had a substantial part for Tyreese, something that had been missing these past few episodes. We finally got see how he thinks about some of the Governor's techniques and got to see a little bit in the tension building in his own group. That tension lead to a big character moment for Tyreese, as he could kill his friend or let him live. However, the disappointing thing about his part was that he changed his mind, or at least it seemed like it. Earlier in the episode, he made his mind to get the heck out of Woodbury but at the end of the episode, he tells Phillip that he and his group will stay. It'll be interesting to see if Tyreese keeps his word or if he, like Andrea, sneaks off.
Finally, the final character I'll talk about is Milton. Though he didn't have a big part in this episode, the moments he had were pretty showing how he feels about Phillip. Like Andrea, he has grown to distrust Phillip, yet he protects him still, stating that the old Phillip is still inside somewhere. Also, we don't know who killed the Walkers in the pit and trailer, but I'm pretty sure it was Milton, who has become a traitor. These past few episodes, I've been having a bad feeling that Milton's time is coming to an end, and I now have a theory about how it will go down. With Andrea in the torture chamber, Milton will use the side entrance to check up on the Governor's actions and discover Andrea there. He'll release her, but get caught by the Governor while doing it. Milton will then sacrifice himself to save Andrea, with the Governor killing his right hand man. When will it happen, I don't know. I'd put money on it happening next week, but I'd understand if we have a prison only episode next week. It would make sense, as we would have this episode showing Woodbury, next week dealing with the prison, and then the finale bringing the two sides together in a fight to the death.
Overall, not an action-packed episode, but it was definitely an episode that played on one's nerves. As we build up to the finale in two weeks, we see Woodbury preparing for their attack on the prison. It'll be interesting to see the prison's response next week. A very strong episode for Andrea, Tyreese, and Phillip really helps propel this episode and build the tension and suspense. Overall, I'm going to give "Prey" a 8 out of 10.
I'll be posting again, probably soon, about a movie I saw the other night. That should be an interesting review. And then I'm slowly working on a comics post, with maybe a weekly review thrown in. And, when I get my Playstation 3 fixed, I'll start writing reviews and blog posts about the 6 or 7 game playthroughs I have planned. Also, I might have some video reviews coming in the near future, so keep watch for those.
Thanks for reading!!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Ain't Exactly The Treaty of Versailles
Well, I'm back (again) after another short hiatus (I take them way too often). And, man, what an episode of The Walking Dead to come back to. You could definitely say that this is officially the calm before the storm as the two leaders meet officially for the first time. So, let's delve into this episode.
No actual Woodbury action this episode, but a lot of goodness happened in place of that. Obviously, the big story is Rick and Phillip finally sitting down and trying to talk it out, but I'll talk about that in a bit. Right now, I'm going to talk about the other meetings between Team Prison and Team Woodbury. You had Martinez and Daryl tag team and basically whip them out to see who is better. However, there was a pretty cool moment later when they share a smoke (curious that the smokes lasted this long) and discuss how the "truce" won't last for very long. Then you had the surprisingly funny Hershel/Milton moment that definitely left me wanting more moments between the two. Milton has slowly become a favorite character of mine, as he is starting to stand up to the Governor. Will this eventually lead to his death by the Governor's hand? I don't want it to happen, but I'm putting my eggs into that basket. And then you had lonely Andrea, who no one wanted to talk to for the most part. But then she had her scene with Hershel, which really sold her character as a troubled, confused person with not a lot of options. All she wants is to have peace between her two worlds, but, as we all expected, that doesn't look to be happening.
We had a little bit of prison activity, including something we hadn't seen in a long time: a Maggie/Glenn scene. I'm so happy to have those two reconcile, as they had been at odds since their return from Woodbury. I'm definitely happy that they didn't have to reconcile after Maggie tries to kill herself like she did in the comics. Though, I have to say, I wasn't expecting the sex scene at all. Then we also had Glenn, once again, getting beat up, this time by Merle, who wasn't in the funny man tonight. Instead, he wanted to go join the meeting group to make sure Daryl is safe. However, the group doesn't allow him, though Merle is persistent and even tries to convince Michonne to leave with him to help. I'm also happy to see Glenn continue to step up to be a leader, especially when Rick and Daryl are gone.
However, the big storyline was Rick and Phillip meeting. They have their first sit down meeting "without" weapons. Phillip brought some whiskey and they had a pleasant little sit down. They talk about their lives: Phillip's job before the apocalypse, Judith and who is her real father, and attempts to make some peace. Of course, the Governor gives Rick the key to surviving: handing over Michonne. And, possibly most shocking is that Rick is really considering giving her up. Seriously, Rick? WTF?
Overall, this was a pretty good episode. Wasn't the best of the season, but it was still good. I liked how, kind of like last week, we had a more character driven episode. It's definitely important to have those, seeing as we'll probably be seeing a lot of action these next few episodes. We are definitely racing towards the finale and yet another LONG break, but I'm expecting these next three episodes to be full of action and make that wait excruciating. I really enjoyed the moments of interaction between the two groups and I'm a little sad that they'll be going to war soon. It was just nice to finally see both worlds collide and see how they react to each other. However, the stakes are raised when, back at their respective camps, Phillip and Rick lie about what is going on. I'm still surprised about how Rick is strongly considering giving up Michonne. I understand keeping your group safe, but after what happened back in King County last episode, it really doesn't make sense and it would make Carl really upset. It's going to be interesting to see how Rick wrestles with that decision and how everyone else feels about it. I'm going to give this episode, "Arrow on the Doorpost", an 8 out of 10.
More reviews this week, as I once again promise to start blogging again. It might actually happen, seeing as I'm on spring break right now. So, let's just see what is going to happen. Also, I just wanted to put this out there: I live Tweet during every new episode of the Walking Dead. If you feel like it, come join me. All my Twitter info is on the side bar to the right.
Thanks for reading!
No actual Woodbury action this episode, but a lot of goodness happened in place of that. Obviously, the big story is Rick and Phillip finally sitting down and trying to talk it out, but I'll talk about that in a bit. Right now, I'm going to talk about the other meetings between Team Prison and Team Woodbury. You had Martinez and Daryl tag team and basically whip them out to see who is better. However, there was a pretty cool moment later when they share a smoke (curious that the smokes lasted this long) and discuss how the "truce" won't last for very long. Then you had the surprisingly funny Hershel/Milton moment that definitely left me wanting more moments between the two. Milton has slowly become a favorite character of mine, as he is starting to stand up to the Governor. Will this eventually lead to his death by the Governor's hand? I don't want it to happen, but I'm putting my eggs into that basket. And then you had lonely Andrea, who no one wanted to talk to for the most part. But then she had her scene with Hershel, which really sold her character as a troubled, confused person with not a lot of options. All she wants is to have peace between her two worlds, but, as we all expected, that doesn't look to be happening.
We had a little bit of prison activity, including something we hadn't seen in a long time: a Maggie/Glenn scene. I'm so happy to have those two reconcile, as they had been at odds since their return from Woodbury. I'm definitely happy that they didn't have to reconcile after Maggie tries to kill herself like she did in the comics. Though, I have to say, I wasn't expecting the sex scene at all. Then we also had Glenn, once again, getting beat up, this time by Merle, who wasn't in the funny man tonight. Instead, he wanted to go join the meeting group to make sure Daryl is safe. However, the group doesn't allow him, though Merle is persistent and even tries to convince Michonne to leave with him to help. I'm also happy to see Glenn continue to step up to be a leader, especially when Rick and Daryl are gone.
However, the big storyline was Rick and Phillip meeting. They have their first sit down meeting "without" weapons. Phillip brought some whiskey and they had a pleasant little sit down. They talk about their lives: Phillip's job before the apocalypse, Judith and who is her real father, and attempts to make some peace. Of course, the Governor gives Rick the key to surviving: handing over Michonne. And, possibly most shocking is that Rick is really considering giving her up. Seriously, Rick? WTF?
Overall, this was a pretty good episode. Wasn't the best of the season, but it was still good. I liked how, kind of like last week, we had a more character driven episode. It's definitely important to have those, seeing as we'll probably be seeing a lot of action these next few episodes. We are definitely racing towards the finale and yet another LONG break, but I'm expecting these next three episodes to be full of action and make that wait excruciating. I really enjoyed the moments of interaction between the two groups and I'm a little sad that they'll be going to war soon. It was just nice to finally see both worlds collide and see how they react to each other. However, the stakes are raised when, back at their respective camps, Phillip and Rick lie about what is going on. I'm still surprised about how Rick is strongly considering giving up Michonne. I understand keeping your group safe, but after what happened back in King County last episode, it really doesn't make sense and it would make Carl really upset. It's going to be interesting to see how Rick wrestles with that decision and how everyone else feels about it. I'm going to give this episode, "Arrow on the Doorpost", an 8 out of 10.
More reviews this week, as I once again promise to start blogging again. It might actually happen, seeing as I'm on spring break right now. So, let's just see what is going to happen. Also, I just wanted to put this out there: I live Tweet during every new episode of the Walking Dead. If you feel like it, come join me. All my Twitter info is on the side bar to the right.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Making Out With My Ghost Wife
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That is my reaction to this week's episode of the Walking Dead. Though the beginning of the episode was a little slow for my taste, it picked up excellently towards the back half. For the second episode of the second half of the season, it was a, as they have been saying, very cinematic.
Though this was a very Rick-light episode, he continued his trip into Loopytown. I must say, I really liked the beginning sequence though. Another silent, more character driven opening, it had Rick searching for Ghost Lori. Though I suspected it would be a jump scare moment, I was happily surprised to see Rick and "Lori" share a moment. And I'm really happy that Rick opened up to Hershel when he had the chance, instead of holding it and possibly making himself worse. And that look at the end of the episode, that makes me think that Rick's craziness is going to be set aside for vengeful, kickass Rick. Though I didn't like that Rick wasn't in the episode very much, it was made up for when the end came around.
Secondly, I loved Daryl in this episode. He saved a family, stood up to Merle, smashed two Walkers heads in, and, most importantly, he saved Rick's life. It's going to be interesting to see how Merle fits into the group, now that he basically has to be accepted into the group because he has no where to go and he helped save Rick's life. I do really hope that Merle stays around the show for a bit longer. As I tweeted out while watching the show, Merle is the one constant source of humor on this serious show and that is why I like him so much. I do wonder if Merle is going to fill in the role played by Martinez in the comics: staying at the prison, making Rick's group accept him, only for him to turn on them and prove loyal to the Governor.
Speaking of the Governor, I was a little worried at the beginning of the episode. After seeing him so badass last episode, I was a little taken back by his attitude at the beginning of the episode. His little discussion with Andrea was nice, though I'm surprised she actually bought it. Also, with his little talk with Milton, I hoped that Milton would warn Andrea. But I'm hoping that she discovers how bad he really is when she visits the prison, probably in the next episode.
Back at the prison, we got some different, though interesting stuff going on. We see Glenn gone all vengeful, a way we have not seen him before. Maggie doesn't like it and seems very distant, like she is going to possibly do something to herself because of the Governor..... Then we have Axel coming clean to Carol, and they share a couple of moments, showing their growing friendship and possible romantic relationship? Nope, as Axel is shot and killed during the Governor's raid on the prison. That raid, man, did it make my jaw drop when it happened. The moment right when Axel was shot, my jaw dropped and I was speechless, my mind racing, thinking "No....". That is why I love this show so much; you never know when someone is going to die and when something big is going to happen. Also, I have to give it to the Governor; the idea for the Walker bomb was really creative. Though, and I bet this is going to bug Rick, everyone's aim from the prison was just crap. Sure, it might have been shock and they weren't able to concentrate well, but man, did they suck at shooting.
Though I believe this was one of the best episodes of the season, I do have a couple qualms about it. First off, I wasn't a big fan of Rick not having a big part of the episode. But that is the smallest one I have about the episode. I know that the show isn't all about him, but it would have been nice to see him and see his search for Lori. Probably my biggest problem with the episode was the absence of Tyreese and his group. I know that Rick kicked them out last episode, but I didn't expect them to actually leave the prison. I just thought that they would head to another part of the prison and hide out there. However, they left, and it is left to be seen if Rick or anyone from the prison is actually going to go look for them again. Another problem I had was, again, Andrea. She is one of my favorites from the comics, and I just want to see her do something else than be clueless about the Governor. Vengeful Glenn, I have no immediate problem with, though I do hope that he and Maggie get reconcile soon.
Overall, one of the strongest episodes of the season, though it was a little slow for me in the beginning. I ranked last week's episode at a 9 and I am going to do so again. I am going to give episode 10, "Home", a 9 out of 10.
I'll be back next week with another Walking Dead review. Feel free to check back and, hey, if you really want, join me as I live Tweet during the episode. Also, I know I promised more reviews last week, but they're going to be put on hold for another week. I probably won't be able to do any this week because I'll be celebrating my 21st birthday on Thursday, then going home during the weekend. So, next week, look for the return of comic reviews, maybe with a special review surprise thrown.
Thanks for reading!
That is my reaction to this week's episode of the Walking Dead. Though the beginning of the episode was a little slow for my taste, it picked up excellently towards the back half. For the second episode of the second half of the season, it was a, as they have been saying, very cinematic.
Though this was a very Rick-light episode, he continued his trip into Loopytown. I must say, I really liked the beginning sequence though. Another silent, more character driven opening, it had Rick searching for Ghost Lori. Though I suspected it would be a jump scare moment, I was happily surprised to see Rick and "Lori" share a moment. And I'm really happy that Rick opened up to Hershel when he had the chance, instead of holding it and possibly making himself worse. And that look at the end of the episode, that makes me think that Rick's craziness is going to be set aside for vengeful, kickass Rick. Though I didn't like that Rick wasn't in the episode very much, it was made up for when the end came around.
Secondly, I loved Daryl in this episode. He saved a family, stood up to Merle, smashed two Walkers heads in, and, most importantly, he saved Rick's life. It's going to be interesting to see how Merle fits into the group, now that he basically has to be accepted into the group because he has no where to go and he helped save Rick's life. I do really hope that Merle stays around the show for a bit longer. As I tweeted out while watching the show, Merle is the one constant source of humor on this serious show and that is why I like him so much. I do wonder if Merle is going to fill in the role played by Martinez in the comics: staying at the prison, making Rick's group accept him, only for him to turn on them and prove loyal to the Governor.
Speaking of the Governor, I was a little worried at the beginning of the episode. After seeing him so badass last episode, I was a little taken back by his attitude at the beginning of the episode. His little discussion with Andrea was nice, though I'm surprised she actually bought it. Also, with his little talk with Milton, I hoped that Milton would warn Andrea. But I'm hoping that she discovers how bad he really is when she visits the prison, probably in the next episode.
Back at the prison, we got some different, though interesting stuff going on. We see Glenn gone all vengeful, a way we have not seen him before. Maggie doesn't like it and seems very distant, like she is going to possibly do something to herself because of the Governor..... Then we have Axel coming clean to Carol, and they share a couple of moments, showing their growing friendship and possible romantic relationship? Nope, as Axel is shot and killed during the Governor's raid on the prison. That raid, man, did it make my jaw drop when it happened. The moment right when Axel was shot, my jaw dropped and I was speechless, my mind racing, thinking "No....". That is why I love this show so much; you never know when someone is going to die and when something big is going to happen. Also, I have to give it to the Governor; the idea for the Walker bomb was really creative. Though, and I bet this is going to bug Rick, everyone's aim from the prison was just crap. Sure, it might have been shock and they weren't able to concentrate well, but man, did they suck at shooting.
Though I believe this was one of the best episodes of the season, I do have a couple qualms about it. First off, I wasn't a big fan of Rick not having a big part of the episode. But that is the smallest one I have about the episode. I know that the show isn't all about him, but it would have been nice to see him and see his search for Lori. Probably my biggest problem with the episode was the absence of Tyreese and his group. I know that Rick kicked them out last episode, but I didn't expect them to actually leave the prison. I just thought that they would head to another part of the prison and hide out there. However, they left, and it is left to be seen if Rick or anyone from the prison is actually going to go look for them again. Another problem I had was, again, Andrea. She is one of my favorites from the comics, and I just want to see her do something else than be clueless about the Governor. Vengeful Glenn, I have no immediate problem with, though I do hope that he and Maggie get reconcile soon.
Overall, one of the strongest episodes of the season, though it was a little slow for me in the beginning. I ranked last week's episode at a 9 and I am going to do so again. I am going to give episode 10, "Home", a 9 out of 10.
I'll be back next week with another Walking Dead review. Feel free to check back and, hey, if you really want, join me as I live Tweet during the episode. Also, I know I promised more reviews last week, but they're going to be put on hold for another week. I probably won't be able to do any this week because I'll be celebrating my 21st birthday on Thursday, then going home during the weekend. So, next week, look for the return of comic reviews, maybe with a special review surprise thrown.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Return of the Dead
And so it begins again. After a gruesomely long winter break, The Walking Dead has returned. No recap, but I'm giving my thoughts about the episode.
First off, I'm soooooooo happy to have this show back. During the break, I've truly become a big Walking Dead fan, obtaining all the comic issues and the game by Telltale Games (buy the game if you haven't yet. Guaranteed tears at the end). The wait was way too long and the days got so long as the date approached. But now, I feel so good to finally be able to talk about it.
I'll get to the Dixon brothers in a minute, but I must talk about the more pressing matter: Rick and his shattered mind. I thought it was weird when he started freaking out when he was looking at Judith, but I just accounted it to Lori's death still being fresh and not sleeping for an extended period. But then we got to the last scene, where he just completely lost it when he sees ghost Lori. Man, was that a creepy scene, one that I was not expecting. I wonder if he and Lori are going to have some conversations like they had over the phone in the comics. Either way, that was the absolute worst time for Rick's mind to break. Tyreese and his gang are going to question Rick now, not to mention what Rick's group thinks about him freaking out. What happens if, when the Governor eventually attacks, something happens to Rick like when he "saw" Shane at Woodbury? It's going to be interesting to see how everyone responds to Rick snapping, and to see how Rick himself deals with all of it, especially seeing as Judith has Lori's eyes. Is that all Rick is going to think about whenever he looks at his newborn daughter?
Now, on to the Dixon brothers. I was watching the show while watching the "Daryl" feed on Twitter explode and I was just laughing at all of it. I understand people being upset about their favorite character leaving, but it was crazy to see how popular Daryl really is. I knew that he was going to come back and when they released the preview for next week's episode, I heard Daryl fans sigh in relief. Did he do the right thing, going off with Merle? Both sides have their pros and cons, but if I was in Daryl's shoes, I would have done the same. Family is the most important thing in the world, and if you have the chance to be with family, then you take it. Out of everyone there, I'm surprised Rick didn't understand that. Sure, I get that no one on the show likes Merle (though he was absolutely hilarious in the brief airtime he had), but Rick has done so much for his family over the seasons, so I thought that he would at least understand a little bit. Also, I feel so bad for Carol (yeah, I said it). She's lost so many people that she was close to, and now, knowing that Daryl is alive but left, that one has to hurt. But it shows how strong a character she is. I don't know if she'll meet the same fate as she does in the comics (gruesome, by the way), but I kinda hope she doesn't.
On the Woodbury front, we FINALLY get to see the badass Governor. This Gov doesn't give a shit about anything or anybody, even Andrea. Honestly, I love it. Sure, the Gov from the first half of the season was creepy, but this is the Governor we all know and love from the comics. You can already tell he is ruthless now, and he is hellbent on finding the prison. I loved the scene in the beginning of the episode when he shot the walker and then just walked around the tear gas/smoke. I just sat there and thought to myself "This...this right here is the Governor". I was also happy to see a less annoying Andrea this week. She has become one of my favorites from the comics, so to see her like this was a little annoying, but this episode gives me at least a little hope that she will get better and come to her senses. I was wondering while watching the episode if Andrea is going to get some control of Woodbury, seeing her give that speech about surviving the apocalypse.
I'm a little surprised that Michonne wasn't in more of the episode. I'm even more shocked about Rick's decisions to not only planning on forcing her out, but also by his initial decision to refuse help from Tyreese and his group. Also, that little talk Hershel had with Glenn, telling Glenn that he is almost like a son to him? That one got me right in the feels. I'm also loving badass Carl. I loved how that one guy from Tryeese's group thinks they can take the prison group. Carl would've f*cked him up big time.
Overall, a very powerfully strong return for the top show on TV. The hardest thing is the grading of this episode. While it was a strong episode and I could not find any big faults in it, it wasn't my favorite episode of the season so far. It's up there, probably in the top three, but it wasn't my favorite. So, I'll give the episode a 9 out of 10, though it is the strongest 9 anyone could ever give a TV episode.
More reviews to come this week, as I'm hoping to start reviewing again. School's been rough so far and I haven't had a lot of time to do much besides that. But I have a broken PS3 (sad face) so I'll have more time to write. Especially with three highly anticipated books coming this week. I'll be back at some point this week, so keep a weathered eye on the horizon.
Thanks for reading!
First off, I'm soooooooo happy to have this show back. During the break, I've truly become a big Walking Dead fan, obtaining all the comic issues and the game by Telltale Games (buy the game if you haven't yet. Guaranteed tears at the end). The wait was way too long and the days got so long as the date approached. But now, I feel so good to finally be able to talk about it.
I'll get to the Dixon brothers in a minute, but I must talk about the more pressing matter: Rick and his shattered mind. I thought it was weird when he started freaking out when he was looking at Judith, but I just accounted it to Lori's death still being fresh and not sleeping for an extended period. But then we got to the last scene, where he just completely lost it when he sees ghost Lori. Man, was that a creepy scene, one that I was not expecting. I wonder if he and Lori are going to have some conversations like they had over the phone in the comics. Either way, that was the absolute worst time for Rick's mind to break. Tyreese and his gang are going to question Rick now, not to mention what Rick's group thinks about him freaking out. What happens if, when the Governor eventually attacks, something happens to Rick like when he "saw" Shane at Woodbury? It's going to be interesting to see how everyone responds to Rick snapping, and to see how Rick himself deals with all of it, especially seeing as Judith has Lori's eyes. Is that all Rick is going to think about whenever he looks at his newborn daughter?
Now, on to the Dixon brothers. I was watching the show while watching the "Daryl" feed on Twitter explode and I was just laughing at all of it. I understand people being upset about their favorite character leaving, but it was crazy to see how popular Daryl really is. I knew that he was going to come back and when they released the preview for next week's episode, I heard Daryl fans sigh in relief. Did he do the right thing, going off with Merle? Both sides have their pros and cons, but if I was in Daryl's shoes, I would have done the same. Family is the most important thing in the world, and if you have the chance to be with family, then you take it. Out of everyone there, I'm surprised Rick didn't understand that. Sure, I get that no one on the show likes Merle (though he was absolutely hilarious in the brief airtime he had), but Rick has done so much for his family over the seasons, so I thought that he would at least understand a little bit. Also, I feel so bad for Carol (yeah, I said it). She's lost so many people that she was close to, and now, knowing that Daryl is alive but left, that one has to hurt. But it shows how strong a character she is. I don't know if she'll meet the same fate as she does in the comics (gruesome, by the way), but I kinda hope she doesn't.
On the Woodbury front, we FINALLY get to see the badass Governor. This Gov doesn't give a shit about anything or anybody, even Andrea. Honestly, I love it. Sure, the Gov from the first half of the season was creepy, but this is the Governor we all know and love from the comics. You can already tell he is ruthless now, and he is hellbent on finding the prison. I loved the scene in the beginning of the episode when he shot the walker and then just walked around the tear gas/smoke. I just sat there and thought to myself "This...this right here is the Governor". I was also happy to see a less annoying Andrea this week. She has become one of my favorites from the comics, so to see her like this was a little annoying, but this episode gives me at least a little hope that she will get better and come to her senses. I was wondering while watching the episode if Andrea is going to get some control of Woodbury, seeing her give that speech about surviving the apocalypse.
I'm a little surprised that Michonne wasn't in more of the episode. I'm even more shocked about Rick's decisions to not only planning on forcing her out, but also by his initial decision to refuse help from Tyreese and his group. Also, that little talk Hershel had with Glenn, telling Glenn that he is almost like a son to him? That one got me right in the feels. I'm also loving badass Carl. I loved how that one guy from Tryeese's group thinks they can take the prison group. Carl would've f*cked him up big time.
Overall, a very powerfully strong return for the top show on TV. The hardest thing is the grading of this episode. While it was a strong episode and I could not find any big faults in it, it wasn't my favorite episode of the season so far. It's up there, probably in the top three, but it wasn't my favorite. So, I'll give the episode a 9 out of 10, though it is the strongest 9 anyone could ever give a TV episode.
More reviews to come this week, as I'm hoping to start reviewing again. School's been rough so far and I haven't had a lot of time to do much besides that. But I have a broken PS3 (sad face) so I'll have more time to write. Especially with three highly anticipated books coming this week. I'll be back at some point this week, so keep a weathered eye on the horizon.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
To Victory Records
Dear Victory Records,
FUCK YOU!!
Sincerely,
Me
Hello, everyone. I haven't blogged in a while, and there has been a good reason for that besides being lazy. School work has piled up and I'm working my hardest to keep my grades up. However, an issue has taken almost a forefront in my life and I wanted to ask anyone reading this to help me and my fellow people in our quest.
For those who do not know, I am a huge fan of the band Streetlight Manifesto. If you have never heard of them before, stop reading, go to Youtube and look them up. They have made some extremely awesome music over the years. They have put out four CDs, though two were cover CDs (one of the frontman's old band and one straight up cover CD). Currently, their newest album, The Hands That Thieve, is being held by Victory Records, their shitty record label. Through the years, Victory has screwed Streetlight over multiple times, upsetting them and the fans more each time. Sure, Streetlight likes to take their time with their original music, but we, the fans, are used to it. However, when a label holds an admittedly completed album from the fans because of stupid reasons, the fans revolt. People have been berating the Victory Facebook page and I, personally, have been taking to Twitter to get my point across. However, nothing seems to be working yet, as Victory seems to be ignoring everything with the words "Streetlight" and "Manifesto" in them.
So, what am I asking of you to do? Please, find the time out of your day to help our cause. You don't even have to like the band to write in. Write in because it is the right thing to do; what Victory and their boss Tony Brummel are doing is keeping a product from fans who have payed for it long in advance. Go to their Facebook, their Twitter, Youtube; hell, call them up and voice your displeasure in them keeping a band from giving fans new music. I know that probably not a lot of people are going to read this, but I just hope that one person finds what I'm saying inspirational and write into Victory about this situation.
If anyone from Victory somehow reads this, I want you to pass a message on to your boss, Tony Brummel: Hey Tony, stop being such a dick and release the album. You've pissed off the fans long enough. Stop being such a whiny bitch about the fans not buying this album from you because you honestly don't deserve the money. You and your label are just plain old shit and I feel sorry for anyone who works for you and know you personally. It's so unprofessional that you and your employees ignore us, the Streetlight fans, when we ask you about the proposed date that you were going to announce the release date. You could have at least wrote a statement about it, but no; you decided to keep radio silence. Thank goodness for Tomas filling us in on the situation, as we now know that this is all you.
As I wrote on Twitter, you brought this upon yourselves. Until you either give us, the fans, the album or at least a release date, you are going to berated. And trust me, it's only going to get worse the longer you hold out on us. So just give us what we want, and you won't be seen as big as jerks as you were before (except you Brummel, you'll always be a jackass).
Again, please help me and my fellow Streetlight Manifesto fans get what we want. It's not like we want much; all we desire is the release date of the album that has been years in the making.
I'll be back soon with some actual blog stuff.
-Steve, a proud Streetlight Manifesto fan
FUCK YOU!!
Sincerely,
Me
Hello, everyone. I haven't blogged in a while, and there has been a good reason for that besides being lazy. School work has piled up and I'm working my hardest to keep my grades up. However, an issue has taken almost a forefront in my life and I wanted to ask anyone reading this to help me and my fellow people in our quest.
For those who do not know, I am a huge fan of the band Streetlight Manifesto. If you have never heard of them before, stop reading, go to Youtube and look them up. They have made some extremely awesome music over the years. They have put out four CDs, though two were cover CDs (one of the frontman's old band and one straight up cover CD). Currently, their newest album, The Hands That Thieve, is being held by Victory Records, their shitty record label. Through the years, Victory has screwed Streetlight over multiple times, upsetting them and the fans more each time. Sure, Streetlight likes to take their time with their original music, but we, the fans, are used to it. However, when a label holds an admittedly completed album from the fans because of stupid reasons, the fans revolt. People have been berating the Victory Facebook page and I, personally, have been taking to Twitter to get my point across. However, nothing seems to be working yet, as Victory seems to be ignoring everything with the words "Streetlight" and "Manifesto" in them.
So, what am I asking of you to do? Please, find the time out of your day to help our cause. You don't even have to like the band to write in. Write in because it is the right thing to do; what Victory and their boss Tony Brummel are doing is keeping a product from fans who have payed for it long in advance. Go to their Facebook, their Twitter, Youtube; hell, call them up and voice your displeasure in them keeping a band from giving fans new music. I know that probably not a lot of people are going to read this, but I just hope that one person finds what I'm saying inspirational and write into Victory about this situation.
If anyone from Victory somehow reads this, I want you to pass a message on to your boss, Tony Brummel: Hey Tony, stop being such a dick and release the album. You've pissed off the fans long enough. Stop being such a whiny bitch about the fans not buying this album from you because you honestly don't deserve the money. You and your label are just plain old shit and I feel sorry for anyone who works for you and know you personally. It's so unprofessional that you and your employees ignore us, the Streetlight fans, when we ask you about the proposed date that you were going to announce the release date. You could have at least wrote a statement about it, but no; you decided to keep radio silence. Thank goodness for Tomas filling us in on the situation, as we now know that this is all you.
As I wrote on Twitter, you brought this upon yourselves. Until you either give us, the fans, the album or at least a release date, you are going to berated. And trust me, it's only going to get worse the longer you hold out on us. So just give us what we want, and you won't be seen as big as jerks as you were before (except you Brummel, you'll always be a jackass).
Again, please help me and my fellow Streetlight Manifesto fans get what we want. It's not like we want much; all we desire is the release date of the album that has been years in the making.
I'll be back soon with some actual blog stuff.
-Steve, a proud Streetlight Manifesto fan
Thursday, January 3, 2013
2012 Wrap Up
Well, seeing as 2013 is still fresh and new, why not go over the best of 2012. From music to movies to, yes, comics, 2012 was a great year for everyone it seems. Some of the categories I'll be discussing will have a list while others will only have one or two items mentioned with it. Also, at the end of this post, I'll get into what I'm looking forward to most in 2013. So, let's get on with the show.
Video Games
I've really become more of a gamer than I have in the past these past few months. Whether it be because of my sudden interest in gaming videos on Youtube or what, but I played some truly magical games last year. However, of all the games I played, there are two that struck me as the best games I have ever played. Yes, even better than Shadow of the Colossus, a game that I have loved for years. The games I'm talking about are Journey and The Walking Dead. Both games were initially only available via online stores, but the popularity of the games led to them being released on disc.
I first found Journey when I was looking at demos on the Playstation Store. It was highly rated and, after I played it, I realized that I needed to get this game somehow. When I finally bought it and played it for the first time, I discovered what I really loved about it: it truly reminded me of Shadow of the Colossus. There is absolutely no dialogue in this game; the only sounds heard in the game are the sound effects, the music, and the little sounds your character makes. The settings are just beautifully made, especially the snow and the "underwater" levels. However, the moment that brought a smile to my face was the first time I ran into another player. It was on the second desert area and I was wondering why my screen had a bright white section in one of the corners. Upon further review, I discovered another cloaked figure, and we started "talking" back and forth. It was truly an experience that I had never had before. We helped each other with a couple puzzles but, when I had to take a break for a minute, I came back to discover my partner gone. I was actually kind of sad about it, as I had become alone again. Overall, this game was just a beautiful masterpiece, one that I will play for years to come.
However, as breathtaking as Journey was, my game of the year was The Walking Dead. Made by TellTale Games, it was initially released in episodes, much like the TV show. When the game first came out, I was still getting into my The Walking Dead phase. By the time I bought the disc version of the game, I was in the midst of my new obsession. In short, The Walking Dead is now my new favorite video game. Just like the TV series, it is more character driven than zombie driven. To me, that is what made this game so fantastic. For the first time, I really felt like the main character, in this case Lee. Also, I got to see the outcome of my choices, whether they be good or bad. A couple of times, I made decisions based off what I would do, which typically was the better way to go, but a couple of times, my emotions got in the way, leading me to make more irrational decisions. No matter what my decisions were, however, the final episode got me. And, boy, did it get me good. I'm not going to lie; I cried at least three times during the finale. I still think about the finale on occasion. However, I have not played through the game, though I would like to soon.
Movies
This was a very strong year for movies. Between The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Amazing Spider-Man (just to name a few), comic lovers had their fill of their heroes. I saw a lot of films I had never seen before; to name a few: The Hunger Games, The Raven, Grave Encounters, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and Paranormal Activity 4. However, out of all of those films, my absolute favorite of the year was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Up until two weeks ago, I was ready to pronounce The Dark Knight Rises as my favorite film of the year. However, The Hobbit blew me away. It wasn't until I saw the film that I realized how much I missed Middle Earth. It was good to see the old gang again, especially Gandalf. I absolutely loved Martin Freeman as Bilbo, as well as Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. For me, the whole last half hour or so, basically when Bilbo meets Gollum for the first time on, is the best part. The riddle/lake scene was my second favorite scene; my favorite scene being the beginning with older Bilbo and Frodo. Even better yet, there are still two more Hobbit films to come this year and next. At the end of it all, The Hobbit trilogy might rival The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the better trilogy.
So, if I were to rank my favorite films of 2012, they would be in this order:
Music
Not a lot of new music came out for me this year, though what I got was really good stuff. Obviously, there was the huge hit Gangnam Style, which is way too catchy and addictive to not include on any 2012 wrap up. Though I only got a couple CDs this year (yeah, I still buy CDs mostly because my car has no MP3 jack), what I got were good stuff. I downloaded three soundtracks and bought one on CD, all of which were great listens. I downloaded the OSTs to Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Hobbit, while the one I bought was to The Dark Knight Rises. Another CD I bought was the newest release from one of my favorite bands, the ska band Reel Big Fish. They put out their newest album Candy Coated Fury, their first original record in a couple years. However, the album I was most excited for (okay, second most; more on that in a few) was Red from Taylor Swift. I've been a closet TSwift fan for a while and this year is when it really hit off. So, yes, I am a guy who, when Red came out, went out to Target and bought the special edition. I have little to no shame in admitting that. The album I was most excited about didn't come out. It got delayed because the bandleader is a perfectionist and never finished the album in an reasonable amount of time to have it released on the announced date. The band and record in question would be Streetlight Manifesto's The Hands That Thieve and Toh Kay's The Hand That Thieves. They were supposed to be out on Election Day, but about two weeks before the release date, leadman Tomas Kalnoky (Toh Kay) announced that they albums were being delayed until January 2013. Though I was distraught having to wait even longer for new original music from my favorite band, I knew that it was going to be worth the wait. Sure, it is a bit aggravating that they haven't released any new, original material since 2007, but I know that this album is going to be amazing. If you haven't heard their music before, check them out. They truly are a group of extremely talented musicians.
TV
This was the first fall season where I did not have Smallville to look forward to. I have to say, it was a little weird to go into the fall season not having Smallville to amp me up. Thankfully, I had another show to fill the void: The Walking Dead. 2012 was the year of The Walking Dead for me, as I started my new obsession for it towards the middle of the year. That included catching up on the entire TV series. It has now become my favorite TV series. Also, Warehouse 13 continued kick major butt, as it had its strongest season yet. Another show I started watching this year is New Girl. Yes, I, a 20 going on 21 year old male, likes watching New Girl. Other shows that I've kept up with are Tosh.O, Brickleberry (which is a very un-PC show), The Soup, Chopped, and Total Darkness, just to name a few that come to mind.
Comics
Well, what can I say about 2012 in the realm of comics? I'm pretty sure "crazy" sums it up pretty well. We had Zero Month, Avengers Vs. X-Men, Marvel NOW!, "Death in the Family", the "death" of Peter Parker (again), as well as other crazy stuff. Personally, I tried out a lot more comics this year than I have in past years and, though my wallet and parents don't like me spending a lot of money on comics, I've had a blast exposing myself to characters I haven't read before. Especially when Marvel NOW! kicked off, I jumped on a lot of new books, some possibly for the long term, some for an arc to arc basis. 2012 was a year of change for Marvel while DC continued to establish the New 52 even further as the second year started. For me personally, 2012 was a year of great stories, lots of Spider-Man goodness, my introduction to a lot of new Marvel books, discovering that I actually like the X-Men, thanks to Bendis and Immonen, and how great The Walking Dead really is.
2013
So, what am I looking forward to in the year 2013? Well, there is a lot of stuff to look forward to. In the theaters, I'm looking forward to The Man of Steel, the newest Superman film that looks really, really good. I'm also waiting on the edge of my seat for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second part of the Hobbit trilogy. Lastly, I'm looking forward to my annual Paranormal Activity fix, which will be coming, like it always does, in October.
Musically, the thing I'm looking forward to most is the release of the new Streetlight Manifesto/Toh Kay albums. I'd go into more detail on that, but I kinda already did earlier. So please refer to that for the music section.
I'm primed to be getting a good number of video games this year, something that has not happened in a long time. While some games are coming out relatively soon, like Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and God of War: Ascension, the games I'm looking forward to most either come out later in the year or don't have a release date yet. The game that I'm surprisingly pumped for and I believe will be my 2013 Game of the Year is The Last of Us, which is coming out in May by Naughty Dog (the same guys who did the Crash Bandicoot series). The other games I'm looking forward to, well, I'm not even sure when they are going to come out. Those games would be the necessary second season the The Walking Dead and a game I've been waiting for since, oh, about 2009: The Last Guardian, the spiritual sequel to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. I pray that this game finally sees the light of day in 2013.
Comics-wise, there is so much to be looking forward to. Off the top of my head, the two things I'm looking forward to would be the conclusion of "Death of the Family" in Batman and the beginning of Superior Spider-Man. Other stories I'm excited to read are "Venom Wars" over in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (the first chapter is phenomenal), the Riddler story in Batman, two new Scott Snyder books, The Wake and the unnamed but most likely Man of Steel with Jim Lee, discovering the mysterious threat in Daredevil, reading my second X-Men title (which was unheard of a couple years ago), and so much more.
Personally, I have some resolutions for the year 2013. Some more personal, some I'm happy to discuss. I would love to do better in school, make a good amount of money when I go back to work in the summer, and, probably the hardest one to achieve, find an artist for a possible comic book I would love to publish.
So, 2013 is shaping up to be a pretty good year, maybe even better than 2012. I hope that this year isn't filled with death and tragedy. There were too many last year and 2013 must be better than 2012. Hopefully, things will be much better in 2013 for everyone.
Thanks for reading!
Video Games
I've really become more of a gamer than I have in the past these past few months. Whether it be because of my sudden interest in gaming videos on Youtube or what, but I played some truly magical games last year. However, of all the games I played, there are two that struck me as the best games I have ever played. Yes, even better than Shadow of the Colossus, a game that I have loved for years. The games I'm talking about are Journey and The Walking Dead. Both games were initially only available via online stores, but the popularity of the games led to them being released on disc.
I first found Journey when I was looking at demos on the Playstation Store. It was highly rated and, after I played it, I realized that I needed to get this game somehow. When I finally bought it and played it for the first time, I discovered what I really loved about it: it truly reminded me of Shadow of the Colossus. There is absolutely no dialogue in this game; the only sounds heard in the game are the sound effects, the music, and the little sounds your character makes. The settings are just beautifully made, especially the snow and the "underwater" levels. However, the moment that brought a smile to my face was the first time I ran into another player. It was on the second desert area and I was wondering why my screen had a bright white section in one of the corners. Upon further review, I discovered another cloaked figure, and we started "talking" back and forth. It was truly an experience that I had never had before. We helped each other with a couple puzzles but, when I had to take a break for a minute, I came back to discover my partner gone. I was actually kind of sad about it, as I had become alone again. Overall, this game was just a beautiful masterpiece, one that I will play for years to come.
However, as breathtaking as Journey was, my game of the year was The Walking Dead. Made by TellTale Games, it was initially released in episodes, much like the TV show. When the game first came out, I was still getting into my The Walking Dead phase. By the time I bought the disc version of the game, I was in the midst of my new obsession. In short, The Walking Dead is now my new favorite video game. Just like the TV series, it is more character driven than zombie driven. To me, that is what made this game so fantastic. For the first time, I really felt like the main character, in this case Lee. Also, I got to see the outcome of my choices, whether they be good or bad. A couple of times, I made decisions based off what I would do, which typically was the better way to go, but a couple of times, my emotions got in the way, leading me to make more irrational decisions. No matter what my decisions were, however, the final episode got me. And, boy, did it get me good. I'm not going to lie; I cried at least three times during the finale. I still think about the finale on occasion. However, I have not played through the game, though I would like to soon.
Movies
This was a very strong year for movies. Between The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Amazing Spider-Man (just to name a few), comic lovers had their fill of their heroes. I saw a lot of films I had never seen before; to name a few: The Hunger Games, The Raven, Grave Encounters, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and Paranormal Activity 4. However, out of all of those films, my absolute favorite of the year was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Up until two weeks ago, I was ready to pronounce The Dark Knight Rises as my favorite film of the year. However, The Hobbit blew me away. It wasn't until I saw the film that I realized how much I missed Middle Earth. It was good to see the old gang again, especially Gandalf. I absolutely loved Martin Freeman as Bilbo, as well as Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. For me, the whole last half hour or so, basically when Bilbo meets Gollum for the first time on, is the best part. The riddle/lake scene was my second favorite scene; my favorite scene being the beginning with older Bilbo and Frodo. Even better yet, there are still two more Hobbit films to come this year and next. At the end of it all, The Hobbit trilogy might rival The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the better trilogy.
So, if I were to rank my favorite films of 2012, they would be in this order:
- The Hobbit
- The Dark Knight Rises
- The Avengers
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- The Hunger Games
Music
Not a lot of new music came out for me this year, though what I got was really good stuff. Obviously, there was the huge hit Gangnam Style, which is way too catchy and addictive to not include on any 2012 wrap up. Though I only got a couple CDs this year (yeah, I still buy CDs mostly because my car has no MP3 jack), what I got were good stuff. I downloaded three soundtracks and bought one on CD, all of which were great listens. I downloaded the OSTs to Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Hobbit, while the one I bought was to The Dark Knight Rises. Another CD I bought was the newest release from one of my favorite bands, the ska band Reel Big Fish. They put out their newest album Candy Coated Fury, their first original record in a couple years. However, the album I was most excited for (okay, second most; more on that in a few) was Red from Taylor Swift. I've been a closet TSwift fan for a while and this year is when it really hit off. So, yes, I am a guy who, when Red came out, went out to Target and bought the special edition. I have little to no shame in admitting that. The album I was most excited about didn't come out. It got delayed because the bandleader is a perfectionist and never finished the album in an reasonable amount of time to have it released on the announced date. The band and record in question would be Streetlight Manifesto's The Hands That Thieve and Toh Kay's The Hand That Thieves. They were supposed to be out on Election Day, but about two weeks before the release date, leadman Tomas Kalnoky (Toh Kay) announced that they albums were being delayed until January 2013. Though I was distraught having to wait even longer for new original music from my favorite band, I knew that it was going to be worth the wait. Sure, it is a bit aggravating that they haven't released any new, original material since 2007, but I know that this album is going to be amazing. If you haven't heard their music before, check them out. They truly are a group of extremely talented musicians.
TV
This was the first fall season where I did not have Smallville to look forward to. I have to say, it was a little weird to go into the fall season not having Smallville to amp me up. Thankfully, I had another show to fill the void: The Walking Dead. 2012 was the year of The Walking Dead for me, as I started my new obsession for it towards the middle of the year. That included catching up on the entire TV series. It has now become my favorite TV series. Also, Warehouse 13 continued kick major butt, as it had its strongest season yet. Another show I started watching this year is New Girl. Yes, I, a 20 going on 21 year old male, likes watching New Girl. Other shows that I've kept up with are Tosh.O, Brickleberry (which is a very un-PC show), The Soup, Chopped, and Total Darkness, just to name a few that come to mind.
Comics
Well, what can I say about 2012 in the realm of comics? I'm pretty sure "crazy" sums it up pretty well. We had Zero Month, Avengers Vs. X-Men, Marvel NOW!, "Death in the Family", the "death" of Peter Parker (again), as well as other crazy stuff. Personally, I tried out a lot more comics this year than I have in past years and, though my wallet and parents don't like me spending a lot of money on comics, I've had a blast exposing myself to characters I haven't read before. Especially when Marvel NOW! kicked off, I jumped on a lot of new books, some possibly for the long term, some for an arc to arc basis. 2012 was a year of change for Marvel while DC continued to establish the New 52 even further as the second year started. For me personally, 2012 was a year of great stories, lots of Spider-Man goodness, my introduction to a lot of new Marvel books, discovering that I actually like the X-Men, thanks to Bendis and Immonen, and how great The Walking Dead really is.
It was hard to hash out a list of my favorite comics of the year,
but here is the list of my top 5 favorite comics of the year.
- Batman
The best book on the shelves without a doubt. The stories that Team Batman have been telling have been masterful, from the conclusion of the "Court of Owls" storyline to the current epic "Death of the Family". Batman #13, the first chapter of DotF, actually might be the finest comic I have ever read. Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and the rest of Team Batman own this book and I'm so excited to see how DotF concludes. - Daredevil
When this book launched in 2011, I never saw myself enjoying the book as much as I am today. I was initially interested in the art by Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin. However, I'm now in for the long run. Mark Waid has made me love Matt Murdock, no matter what hell he is put through. - Amazing Spider-Man
Though Peter Parker's journey ended (for now), it was one heck of a year for my favorite hero. He gained and lost a side kick, took on not one, but two Hobgoblins, took on the Lizard and Morbius, went into space, met Miles Morales, and saved the world. Sure, he passed on (again, for now), but he went down a hero, fighting to wits end against one of his worst enemies. - Captain America
Without a doubt, this books is my favorite Marvel NOW! books (so far). Rick Remender has put Cap in a foreign land and forced him to survive. With art by John Romita, Jr., this book is one of my favorite looking books, as JR Jr. gets to draw crazy monsters. This is such a fun book and I'm happy I decided to check it out. - Ultimate Spider-ManThe story of Miles Morales continued and there was some gooooood stuff thrown his way. From meeting 616 Peter Parker to finally obtaining his webs, Miles has had a good year. You know, minus the fact that he was thrown into war for the first time and got stranded from home. And that his Uncle Aaron died. But you know, the future looks bright for young Mr. Morales, so he has that going for him.Fantastic FourYes, I'm cheating and putting one more book in my Top 5. See this as 5B to Ultimate Spider-Man's 5A. I've always been a FF fan, but I've never really read the book because Hickman built up such a daunting run, I never got into the book. When it was announced that Matt Fraction and Mark Bagley were taking over the book, I decided to check it out and I've really enjoyed it so far.
Just missing out on the list is a couple of great books: Captain Marvel, Smallville Season 11, Avengers Academy, Indestructible Hulk, Justice League, and Deadpool. Also, I would be amiss if I didn't add that I've really been enjoying The Walking Dead in comic form. I have every issue now, minus #104, thanks to the holidays. I finished compendium #1 before New Years and I'll be tackling #2 in a couple of days. And I still have a couple of Marvel NOW! titles coming out in the coming months.
Not only did I get introduced to new books and characters, but maybe most exciting was the introduction to new artists. Seeing as comics are a visual medium, being introduced to new artists is exciting, as you get to see different takes on characters you already know. Some of the new artists that I've grown to like/love last year were Olivier Coipel, Mike Allred, Becky Cloonan, David Marquez, Kenneth Rocafort, Dexter Soy, and Ryan Stegman. All of their different takes on characters, whether they be some of my favorites or new ones, were unique and awesome. Personally, the three that I'll be following closest will probably be David Marquez, Becky Cloonan, and most definitely Ryan Stegman.
Not only did I get introduced to new books and characters, but maybe most exciting was the introduction to new artists. Seeing as comics are a visual medium, being introduced to new artists is exciting, as you get to see different takes on characters you already know. Some of the new artists that I've grown to like/love last year were Olivier Coipel, Mike Allred, Becky Cloonan, David Marquez, Kenneth Rocafort, Dexter Soy, and Ryan Stegman. All of their different takes on characters, whether they be some of my favorites or new ones, were unique and awesome. Personally, the three that I'll be following closest will probably be David Marquez, Becky Cloonan, and most definitely Ryan Stegman.
2013
So, what am I looking forward to in the year 2013? Well, there is a lot of stuff to look forward to. In the theaters, I'm looking forward to The Man of Steel, the newest Superman film that looks really, really good. I'm also waiting on the edge of my seat for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second part of the Hobbit trilogy. Lastly, I'm looking forward to my annual Paranormal Activity fix, which will be coming, like it always does, in October.
Musically, the thing I'm looking forward to most is the release of the new Streetlight Manifesto/Toh Kay albums. I'd go into more detail on that, but I kinda already did earlier. So please refer to that for the music section.
I'm primed to be getting a good number of video games this year, something that has not happened in a long time. While some games are coming out relatively soon, like Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and God of War: Ascension, the games I'm looking forward to most either come out later in the year or don't have a release date yet. The game that I'm surprisingly pumped for and I believe will be my 2013 Game of the Year is The Last of Us, which is coming out in May by Naughty Dog (the same guys who did the Crash Bandicoot series). The other games I'm looking forward to, well, I'm not even sure when they are going to come out. Those games would be the necessary second season the The Walking Dead and a game I've been waiting for since, oh, about 2009: The Last Guardian, the spiritual sequel to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. I pray that this game finally sees the light of day in 2013.
Comics-wise, there is so much to be looking forward to. Off the top of my head, the two things I'm looking forward to would be the conclusion of "Death of the Family" in Batman and the beginning of Superior Spider-Man. Other stories I'm excited to read are "Venom Wars" over in Ultimate Comics Spider-Man (the first chapter is phenomenal), the Riddler story in Batman, two new Scott Snyder books, The Wake and the unnamed but most likely Man of Steel with Jim Lee, discovering the mysterious threat in Daredevil, reading my second X-Men title (which was unheard of a couple years ago), and so much more.
Personally, I have some resolutions for the year 2013. Some more personal, some I'm happy to discuss. I would love to do better in school, make a good amount of money when I go back to work in the summer, and, probably the hardest one to achieve, find an artist for a possible comic book I would love to publish.
So, 2013 is shaping up to be a pretty good year, maybe even better than 2012. I hope that this year isn't filled with death and tragedy. There were too many last year and 2013 must be better than 2012. Hopefully, things will be much better in 2013 for everyone.
Thanks for reading!
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