Blog Update

Hello everyone who stumbles upon my little blog here.  I haven't been able to update the blog at all these past few weeks for a plethora of reasons.  However, my finals are next weeks so I'm hoping to start updating on a more reliable schedule starting on Cinco de Mayo.  I've got a lot to do these next few days but it'll all be worth it in the long run. So please bear with me. It won't be too long until I start posting again.  I have two posts that are half way done so I'm hoping to get them done soon and to post at least one before the end of the weekend.  I'll be doing a lot more movie reviews this summer, starting on Cinco de Mayo with the Avengers.  I'll have those plus the Dark Knight Rises, the Amazing Spider-Man, possibly the Raven, and, a little farther into the year, Skyfall, Les Miserables, and the Hobbit.  Hopefully, I'll have some new CDs to review as well, as a few of my favorite music groups are promising new albums before the end of the year.  I'll still be continuing with my comic reviews while spicing it up with some TV reviews as well.  Of course, these won't be the only things that I'll be doing on the blog.  I'm trying to think up some new, creative things to make my blog different from the others.  One possibility would that I've been thinking about is starting my own web comic series.  It won't be a pretty comic (honestly, it'll probably be stick figures) but it is an idea.  Either that or I will start my own short story adventures here on the blog.  Just something a little bit different from the normalcy of this not-so-random Random Blog. So, again, please bear with me as I make it through these next few days.  This summer is going to be a fun time and I hope that you will join me.

Probably the only things that will keep me sane during finals week.

The Walking Dead Finale Play-by-Play and Review

Starting off right where last episode left off, it shows Rick and his son trying to get back to the house while a shit load of Walkers start coming towards the farm.  The two lock themselves in a barn while the others make a game plan for getting off the farm, arming themselves with every gun they can.  Back at the barn, Rick and his son pour gas all over the barn and tells Carl to drop it when he gives the word.  After goading the Walkers into the barn, Carl drops the lighter, igniting them while the others arrive in their getaway vehicles, killing the stragglers.  Quickly, the farm is getting overrun by the Walkers while whoever was driving the RV gets devoured by the Walkers.

The ladies try to get Herschel to leave the farm, but he just keeps on shooting, hoping to give them cover. However it doesn't work as one of the girls gets eaten while the others try to escape.  Everyone ends up scattering and Rick saves Herschel's life and convinces him to leave the farm with him, hoping to find the others somehow.  Everyone leaves the farm, not knowing if the others made it or got eaten by the Walkers as scenes of the overrun farm are shown.

The next morning, everyone is still freaking out, wondering who made it and questioning if they are the only ones who made it off the farm.  Rick, Carl, and Herschel make it to a survivor camp, hoping to find Lori there.  Rick tells his kid to calm down and Herschel tells Rick to take Carl to safety.  Herschel tells Rick that he'll stay behind, saying that he has nothing left to live for anyway.  Eventually, everyone meets up where Rick is and people start wondering what happened to the others, the ones who died on the farm.  The caravan of survivors leave, deciding that the last member of their group is either dead or on the run and that there is no way to find her.

Cue Andrea, showing that she is still alive but running low on ammo.  Back with Rick and the group, they discover that they are low on gas and ammo.  They decide to set up a camp and, more importantly, that they must stick together at any cost.  Though the group is doubting his theory, Rick is determined that there is a place where they can stay and make a fortress.  Rick tells the group that everyone is infected, revealing that he was told in the last finale that everyone is infected by the zombie plague.  Keeping up with the reveals, Rick admits to Lori that he killed Shane, stating that he had no choice when Shane attacked him.  Lori is not too happy by this and Rick seems to be all by himself now that his reveals are all out.

Back with Andrea, we see that she has no ammo and is tired.  She gets attacked by a Walker but gets saved by a hooded person carrying two walkers in chains behind them.  Back at camp, the group starts considering turning on Rick, upset about him keeping the CDC secret from them.  The group tries to go find supplies but Rick won't let them.  As the episode ends, we are shown a shot of something in the background. But what is it?

Review


Holy crap.  That was one kick-ass finale.  So much drama and killing.  That was beastly.  They answered so many questions but that still lead to more.  Obviously, the big thing in the episode is that the group left the farm and are thrust out in the world again.  This time, however, they don't have a lot of ammo and everyone is edgy, busting Rick's balls every chance they get.  Rick, thanks to all the stuff that's happened the past few episodes, is no longer a push over and is ready to take control of this group.  He's a man who has been pushed over the edge and I'm wondering if this is just a phase or if it is Rick's new personality.  Something interesting is the return of the helicopter, first seen in the pilot.  One has to wonder if it is tied into the building shown at the end of the episode (prison?).  The only thing I didn't like about the episode was Lori's attitude when Rick tells her about him killing Shane.  But besides that, this episode was balls to the wall from the get go and it was a great finale.

After catching up on the entire second season over the past few weeks, I am totally in love with the Walking Dead.  It is probably my second favorite scripted show, behind just Warehouse 13.  The long wait between seasons means that I will probably start reading the Walking Dead in comics form, just because I've heard that they are so good.

Grade: 9.5 out of 10

A Day of Reviews Part 1-The Comics

Hello there. This is going to be a huge, massive, crazy long review post, seeing as I was in Spain last week and I've had a backlog in comic reading. Not only will there be comic reviews, but there will also be some TV reviews, something that I have not done in what seems like forever, plus a few movie reviews. So, there will actually be two review posts, one for comics and one for the rest of the stuff.

Amazing Spider-Man #680 & #681

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The first part of Spidey in space, the final arc before Ends of the Earth, reunites Peter with his best guy friend, Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch.  After a hilarious scene involving Peter bringing Torch back up to date with the world, the duo go into space for a rescue mission to save John Jameson.  Of course, nothing goes smoothly and discovers that Doc Ock is behind the whole situation, sending his octo-bots on to the space station as a part of his master plan.  The issue ends with the trio getting ready to face a horde of octo-zombies under Doc Ock's control.

The second part continues the pulse pounding action with a whole bunch of explosions and a meeting between Spider-Man and Doc Ock for the first time in what seems like forever.  Thanks to some quick thinking by the web head, Doc Ock's plan seems to fail.  After some more quips and some planning, Spidey uses his magnetic webs to gather all the zombies and, using an escape pod, the group land back on Earth safe and sound at spring break in Daytona Beach.  Little does Spidey know, however, is that Octavius's plan has finally come together and will be set into motion in near future. 

Written by Dan Slott and Chris Yost, this is the typical funny yet dramatic Spider-Man story that almost everyone loves.  Given that Ends of the Earth is rapidly approaching, having a comical two parter is a perfect way to ease into it, especially given that Doc Ock plays a big part in this story.  For me, however, the true star of this two parter was Giuseppe Camuncoli.  His artwork truly shined during this story as it was the strongest it has looked since he joined the book and I cannot wait until "No Turning Back", Giuseppe's next arc and the tie-in to the Amazing Spider-Man movie.  I didn't believe it was possible, but my excitement for Ends of the Earth increased thanks to this extremely well done arc.

#680 Grade: A

#681 Grade: A

Ultimate Spider-Man #7 & #8

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The continuation of the new storyline, these two issues are drawn by two different yet extremely talented artists.  In the first issue of the two issues, Miles really starts his Spider-Man training by watching parts of the Spider-Man movie filmed during the Hollywood arc of the first volume of Ultimate Spider-Man.  After discovering that his dad hates super powered people like himself, Miles decides to go out and tryout the limits of his powers.  Cut to Uncle Aaron, who is interrogating the Tinkerer about the quality of his products and, eventually, the new Spider-Man.  Aaron eventually discovers that Norman Osborn created the first Spider-Man and that  Miles was bit by a spider very much like the one that bit Peter Parker.  Meanwhile, Miles takes on and defeats Omega Red, proving that his training is starting to pay off. The issue ends with Aaron confronting Miles at his school with what seems like an agenda.

Issue #8 picks up right where #7 leaves off, with Miles telling Ganke to leave so he can talk to his uncle alone.  Aaron tells Miles that he knows that he is Spider-Man and he then attempts to blackmail Miles into working with him.  However, the school security shows up and forces Aaron to leave the school campus but not before Aaron tells Miles that they will be talking soon.  Elsewhere, Captain Quaid talks to the Kangaroo about the new Spider-Man and the Scorpion is shown to have come to America in search for the Prowler aka Aaron.  However, the Scorpion realizes that the gangs in New York need a kingpin and that he is the perfect person to fill that position.  Later, Miles sneaks out of his room to suit up and get some air, thinking about what his uncle had to say earlier when the Ringer shows up and almost defeats Miles but the young hero defeats the thief.  Miles prepares to leave the scene when Frank Quaid and his squad show up, demanding to speak to Miles.

After a slightly slow beginning, Ultimate Spider-Man has finally begun to return to form.  I love the way that Bendis is writing Miles and his development over the last few issues.  One of my favorite scenes from the series so far was in issue #7 where Miles, his mom, and his dad are all sitting at the dinner table discussing super heroes.  For me, that moment seemed like a strong catalyst for future angst for Miles, wanting to tell his folks about his double life but doubting if he will be accepted.  Though these issues are fairly well done, there are a few things that I did not like.  The major one was the characterization of Omega Red in issue #7.  I don't know why, but I believe that Omega Red should be more of a threat, not like the Shocker or Ringer.  

Art-wise, two great artists tackle the books in the forms of Chris Samnee and Sara Pichelli. First off, I enjoy both artists though I prefer Pichelli more.  I don't want to like Samnee's art for whatever reason but I cannot bring myself around to doing so.  Chris's work has always been a touchy style for me strangely but I really enjoyed it this issue and I hope he continues to draw this well over on Daredevil. Then there is Sara Pichelli.  What can I say, I love her artwork.  I cannot believe that there was a time where I did not like her work and now she is one of my favorite artists in the business.  Though this will probably be her last work on the book for a little while seeing that she is working on the Spider-Men mini-series, just having her draw an issue made the book feel like home again. Next issue is the first issue for new Ultimate Spider-Man artist David Marquez, who will be rotating arcs with Pichelli, and his stuff looks great as well. The book that got me into comics continues to impress and it does not look like it will be taking the foot off the peddle any time soon.

#7 Grade: A-

#8 Grade: A

Venom #13.4 & #14

 

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These issues are the final two in the "Circle of Four" storyline and they are pretty good.  Lots of drama, backstabbing, and heroics, despite the difficulties that the team has working together.  #13.4 starts with Doctor Strange and Daimon Hellstrom trying to keep hell from spreading to the rest of the Earth.  The spirit of vengeance escapes from Strange and starts heading towards Johnny Blaze, as Alejandra "died".  However, just before the spirit reaches Johnny, Gari Oyle, Blackheart's "girl", steals it and brings it to her man.  However, the heroes emerge safe and sound and agree to team up to stop Blackheart from taking over the world.  Before they do so, however, Hellstrom gives into Blackheart's coaxing and he and Strange are taken by Blackheart and Hell spreads.  The team puts their plan into action and attempt to get the spirit of vengeance back but the plan falls apart after Alejandra betrays the team.  However, the issue ends with Rulk merging with the spirit of vengeance and the Venom symbiote.

At the beginning of #14, the finale, we are shown a de-powered Flash, taking down as many demons as he can before he is ripped to shreads.  Jump to Ghost Rulkenom, who has taken the battle to Blackheart, and then to X-23, who tries to help Johnny Blaze before she is attacked by Gari Oyle.  Alejandra picks up Flash just before he is killed and he forces her to follow the plan, as all she wants is the spirit of vengeance back.  After Rulk accidentally powers Blackheart up even more and Alejandra pushes Flash out of a taxi, Flash and X-23 team up and blow up Gari Oyle.  Meanwhile, Blackheart and Rulk continue to fight and Rulk gets his hands on Blackheart's antithesis mirror, creating the one thing that can defeat the demon.  After Blackheart is defeated, Alejandra reclaims the spirit of vengeance, much to Blaze's dismay, Flash gets the symbiote back, and Captain America arrives with a gang of heroes.  Cap tells Flash that he is under arrest but Rulk stands up for Flash, telling Cap that Flash is a hero.  The Hanks, Pym and McCoy, offer to power down the symbiote and make sure it stays dormant, allowing Flash to remain Venom. Cap agrees to this and lets Flash off the hook.  However, while things look all good for the heroes, Daimon sees that Rulk, X-23, and Flash have been marked by the Devil.

"Circle of Four" is over and I must say, I really enjoyed this storyline/mini event.  I went into the event thinking that I was going to get it when it was all over but I picked up #13 and instantly changed my mind (scroll down to see the review or just click here).  These two issues, done by regular writer Rick Remender, wrap up the story very well while at the same time open doors to the future, especially with 3 of the 4 heroes being shown to have been marked by the Devil.  Art wise, both issues had two Venom regulars back in action, with Lan Medina drawing issue #13.4 and Tony Moore drawing the epilogue issue #14.  Moore is probably one of my favorite artists at Marvel right now and Medina is proving that he is going to continue to amaze me.  I wish more books had mini events like this, as it was a very well done event that seemed to read better than some of the recent big time summer events.

#13.4 Grade: A-

#14 Grade: A-

Avengers Academy #27

 

The Runaways arrive at Avengers Academy, but not for education.  Instead, they are looking for a dinosaur not named Humberto.  They are asked by Chase, a member of the Runaways, to help find his pet dinosaur named Old Lace.  However, before the Runaways are detected on the premise, Humberto and Julie talk about Striker being gay and are shocked to see him holding a huge press conference, announcing that he is coming out of the closet.  Though Striker thinks what he did was the right thing to do, Julie is upset about what Striker did and storms off.  While Pym looks for Old Lace, the Runaways and Academy kids converse and start bonding while Pym and Tigra discuss what they will do about the Runaways, seeing as they are a bunch of kids.  Using the amulet that is inside Humberto, Pym transports everyone to another realm where they discover Old Lace.  However, the reuniting is brief, as the Runaways then discover the professor's plans for them and decide to take actions into their own hands.

Just like Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers Academy is having a fun little two parter before a big, dramatic storyline; in this case, the tie in to Avengers vs. X-Men. Though I have little to no experience with the Runaways before this two parter, it is very reader friendly for people like me (I do plan on reading Runaways in the near future BTW).  For me, my favorite scene was the moment that Julie and Karolina.  Slowly, Julie Power is becoming a favorite character for me and I honestly don't know why.  The Runaways and Academy kids are written with good chemistry and the writing itself seems pretty spot on.  Then again, it is Christos Gage writing, so anything else would be a surprise.  Karl Moline steps in for art duties for this two parter and he does a pretty good job. Some things seem a little rough for my taste but it was overall a job well done (PS. Hazmat looks to have....grown a little in the eyes of Karl compared to other artists, not that I'm complaining). Oh, and David Lafuente did the covers for this two parter. As stated before on this blog, I love Mr. Lafuente's art so it's good to see it again.

Grade: B+

Batman Beyond Unlimited #1

 

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An issue I just bought out of whim might become the second regular title I pick up from DC comics.  I've always been a fan of Batman Beyond and I decided to give this title a shot. Boy, am I happy I did.  I loved the Justice League of tomorrow, especially the new, young Green Lantern and Bats, of course.  However, I believe that the main reason I bought this after a look through was the art by Dustin Nguyen on the JL Unlimited section.  His art is a beautiful thing and I plan on hunting down the first two trades of Batman Beyond just for his art.  Not much else to say because this issue has been out for a while plus it was a #1 so there really was a lot of set up for both sides of the story.

Grade: B

Okay, I am officially caught up on my comic reviews for the most part. My collection has some holes in it right now (still missing Daredevil #9) so I might review them if I get them in the near future. Get ready for next week's comic reviews because there is some goooood stuff coming (Batman & Ends of the Earth Part 1). I'm going to have some movie and tv reviews coming in the near future and then on Sunday, I'll be reviewing the finale of the Walking Dead as close as I can after the episode ends. Heck, I might do a special blog review for that. 

Finally, a band to check out that I recently have started listening to: Rodeo Ruby Love. They be good.

Shadow of the Colossus

This is going to be an extremely long post that I've worked on for a few days.  This is my analysis of the hit Playstation 2 game "Shadow of the Colossus".



Shadow of the Colossus was released by Sony on October 18 and received critical acclaim. It is the story of a boy who travels to the Shrine of Worship in the Forbidden Land to revive Mono, a girl which he has some type of relationship with.  With only his trusty steed Agro by his side, Wander must confront 16 monstrous creatures so Dormin, the lord of the Forbidden Land, will bring Mono back to life.

I was introduced to this game in 2009, if I remember correctly.  I went over to my best friend's house to spend the night (aka play video games all night) and he introduced me to this game. I had never heard of it but I was intrigued none the less.  One sleepless night later, I was hooked on the game.  Him and I, we spent countless hours trying to beat this game.  Eventually, I got it for my birthday and I started on my own trek across this mystical land, hunting down these creatures. After a few play throughs, I finally understood: This would be the closest to perfection that a video game could get. 

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The art in this game, as you can tell by these pictures or just looking at a video from the game, is something that no normal video game has.  The art is detailed down to the last brick; hell, even areas that didn't make it in the game are more detailed than some games released around the same time.  The detailing is so spot and so distinct that so many people recognize it and love it.  They try to find faults in it but cannot do so, thus proving that the game has few, if any flaws. 

Something that really hit home for me, as a music major in college, is that there is a lack of music or sound overall in the game.  With exception to when you battle the Colossi, the game puts you in a real world situation; you are out in the wild with no one else besides your horse. There is not going to be any music, any sound out of the normal sounds of nature.  That is what I remembered most from my first play through of Shadow of the Colossus: the lack of music made me feel more in tune with game.  While the majority of the games I play have background music to make me stay focused on the game, Shadow did not have music but I was more focused than ever when playing. It does hurt, though, when music does play, it is typically amazing.  Whether it was the art or just the story, this game had me.


http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Features/2011/02/the%20top%207%20disastrous%20game%20romances/wander_carrying_mono_done--article_image.jpg

Now, comes the story analysis.  Here we are, video gamers, expecting to have a full back story explained to us as we normally do.  The game has to give us that, right? They have to give us some kind of reason on why this guy is going through this brutal challenge to bring back this girl. Nope, and that is another reason why I love Shadow.  The creators do not give you a story; instead, they make you think about it and come up with a possible story for yourself.  Are Wander and Mono lovers (my, along with countless others, theory) or are they brother and sister? What happened to Mono? How did Wander get the sword and find the Forbidden Land? There are so many un-answered questions through out the game and there is no right or wrong answer.

When it comes to the Colossi, they are a thing of beauty.  Personally, my favorites are Gaius, Phalanx, and Malus.  Though your objective is to kill these beasts to revive someone close to you, one cannot help but wonder if what you are doing is wrong.  I'll get into this a little bit later, but these creatures seem so innocent and it makes you wonder if you should fight them.  Made up of the pieces of Dormin, the ruler of the Forbidden land, the Colossi realm in their own separate areas, not giving a care about the world outside of their own little section.  These beasts are just beautiful looking and the challenge of conquering the beast becomes more fun yet frustrating the further you go in the game.


http://teamico.wikia.com/wiki/File:Agro_6.jpg

Now, what would a Shadow of the Colossus post be without mentioning probably the most important character of the game: your horse Agro.  Agro is your trusty stead through out the game, getting you from location to location.  He sticks with you through thick and thin, aiding you in your battle against the Colossi.  And no matter what happens to you, Agro always comes back to you.  Eventually, as you progress through the game, you realize how precious Agro is to the game, as he is the only living, non-Colossus being that you encounter on a regular basis and no matter what, the player and Agro develop a bond.  Sometimes its a good, friendly, loving bond whereas other times it is an angry, hateful bond.  But no matter how you feel for Agro, you cannot help but have tears come to your eyes when he sacrifices himself to help you finish your task.  Honestly, to this day I cannot watch this and not get teary-eyed.

Dormin.  Take all this stuff I've talked about and you've got one of the best games to ever come out.  If you have never played this game before, do it now. My mumbo jumbo does not do the game justice and it is something that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lives.

http://www.ign.com/images/games/shadow-of-the-colossus-ps2-490849/1175607

Here is the final proof that this video game is the best ever. Though it is a short clip, there is so much there. So, take it in and enjoy.

Quick Update

I will have comic reviews this week, they are just going to be a little delayed and will possibly include comics that have been out for a few weeks.  I've had a tough time getting all the comics I want so I'll be able to, this weekend, to get all the ones I'm missing. Not only that, but I'm also working on the monster Shadow of the Colossus post that I plan on posting before I leave for Spain for spring break. 

Also, before I go, I would like to say this to Victory Records: Fuck you guys. I cannot wait until Streetlight Manifesto is off your shitty label and they can put out awesome music without having to deal with you idiotic douchebags anymore. If you do not know what is going on, please read this.

Alright, I need to go back to work on the Shadow post. Or homework. Either one works.

via IGN.com

Delayed Reviews

Due to being gone for the Ohio Music Education Association conference, I was unable to review the 4 comics I got on Wednesday.  Also, the speculation post that I mentioned in my last review will happen soon.  I was unable to post it earlier because of computer troubles.

Amazing Spider-Man #679.1


http://marvel.wikia.com/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_679.1

Marvel starts up the .1 issues again with Amazing Spider-Man #679.1.  The issue, rather than setting up the next Spidey blockbuster "Ends of the Earth", instead sets up "No Turning Back", the tie in to the Amazing Spider-Man movie.  Despite not foreshadowing EotE, we do get some glimpses into not only the future of the book, but we get a nice look at Uatu Jackson, the young gun at Horizon Labs.  Next to Grady, Uatu has been my favorite Horizon supporting cast, despite not knowing much about them.  Seeing as Uatu had the .1 issue and Grady had "I Destroyed Tomorrow", I'm beginning to wonder if Dan is slowly going down the Horizon list and giving much needed exposition for these characters.  Also, we get to see the friendship between Morbius and Max Modell.  Max is giving Morbius his blood so Morbius can work on a artificial plasma, but Morbius is more focused on getting rid of this own cravings.  Of course, Spider intervenes when Max is in trouble and that eventually sets up Max declaring to step up security, making it that much harder for Pete to get in and out as Spidey.  Another small glimpse we get into the future of the book is when we see what Peter and Uatu are working on: a machine to de-skin the Rhino, something that we will most likely see in "Ends of the Earth".  The big tease, however, is the final page, showing Morbius keeping an eye on the Lizard.

For a .1 issue, I thought it was a pretty well done issue.  However, it just felt like there was something missing from the book, something that would have made the book really good.  Dan Slott teamed up with Chris Yost to write the issue, which I have no problems with.  I enjoy both writers a lot so this was something that I was perfectly okay with.  The art, however, by Matthew Clark was just...I don't know. It was good, but something just seemed off. I'm not 100% sure.  Like I said earlier, while this was a good issue, there was just something missing for me.

Grade: B

Venom #13.1


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This came out last week so I'm not going to spend too much time on this issue.  The art in this issue was extremely good and the writing, done by Rob Williams, was equally as good.  I definitely enjoyed the heroes going up against their opposites and Rulk trying to get a handle on the situation but getting no where.  Again, not much here because I was behind on reading Venom so let's grade this and move on.

Grade: A

Venom #13.2

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=11436

Part three of the "Circle of Four" storyline, this issue ends with enough cliffhangers to make a person demand for the next issue the moment that the issue ends.  Again, written by Rob Williams but with art done by Sana Takeda, this issue continues to build on the great building blocks already set.  Our heroes are trying their hardest to get what they want done and not really helping each other, which is why they find themselves in difficult situations at the end of the issue: they all seem to have been killed. Now, are these deaths for sure? Hell no, seeing as the event continues. But it is a great cliffhanger to leave the readers waiting on the edge of their seats for the next installment of this sage. 

I was intially weary of this mini-event but when I read the first part, I decided I would get the event, but in a few months when they would be in the half off box.  However, now that I've gotten the first three issues, I cannot imagine not getting the rest when they come out.

Grade: A

Batman #6

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The only DC book I get (for now) continues to be just so freaking good.  Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo just KILL on this book month after month and have made Batman become my favorite superhero just behind Spider-Man.  Not only is Batman the best book DC is putting out, one may argue that it might be one of the best books from any company out right now.  After last month's mind trip issue, Bruce finally goes on the offensive and fights the Talon.  Though the issue seems shorter than normal, Scott and Greg make up for it by Batman doing what Batman does best: kick ass and take names.  Not only does Bats beat the crap out of the Talon, but he also thinks of an ingenious way to get out of the Owl's maze.  All of this is leading to the massive story "Night of the Owls", which is going to be so awesome. 

Grade: A

Sadly, that is all for now. Unfortunately, I do not have reviews for Scarlet Spider #2 or Daredevil #9 (<- not being able to get that one makes me upset), as I was either unable to go to my local comic shop to get it (SS) or they did not have it when I went (DD).  I've got a few posts lined up for the upcoming week and, if I get the game for my birthday, I will start a new feature called "The Ico Diaries", detailing my adventures in the hit game. BTW, I have a post about Shadow of the Colossus and why it is the best PS2 game in the world. Good night.

Time Travel Galore

I hate time travel. From movies to TV to comics, time travelling was always the one thing that made my head hurt. Though I understand it now, time travel is still a baffling thing for me on occasion. Today, I got three comics with two of them dealing with time travel. Joy.

Amazing Spider-Man #679



The second part of "I Killed Tomorrow", it picks up right were we left off by saying what many expected: "Oh, the end doesn't happen in the PM, it happens in the AM!!!".  Guest starring Grady, Silver Sable, and Flagsmasher, this issue is jam packed full of fun and great art.  Dealing with time travel is always difficult but when you put a time limit on when you need to get something done just amps up the tension. Dan Slott doesn't just wrap up the story in a great way, but he also injects his love for Doctor Who and rightfully so. How can you resist Dr. Who references when dealing with time travel?  Three things I loved/found interesting in this issue:

1. Silver Sable kissing Spider-Man. Huh? That kinda threw me for a loop.  I know bunches of people (including me) want to see MJ and Pete get back together but this possible pairing intrigues me.
2. Speaking of MJ, for whatever reason, this issue solidifies the idea that MJ is madly in love with Peter. We all know that she still loves him, but for whatever reason, the way that she is drawn and the way she talks to Peter in this issue leads me to believe that she still loves Peter.
3. I loved the scene with Spidey, Madame Web, and Robbie. It's totally how I feel on occasion when dealing with time travel stories.

This was another great issue by the Spidey team. Dan's writing is in top form yet again and Humberto's art is A-rate. This was a good two parter for Humberto and I'm a little upset that we aren't going to see him for a bit (though I have heard rumors that he's drawing the two middle issues of "Ends of the Earth").

Grade: A

Avengers Academy #25


The penultimate issue of the Hybrid/future Reptil arc brings a whole bunch of action, some tender scenes, and two people I was definitely not expecting show up. Ever since I jumped on this book, Christos Gage has put out great issue after great issue and this one continues the streak. Though some didn't like the Fear Itself tie-ins, I thoroughly enjoyed them and I've loved this new "season" so far. The art by Tom Grummett is gorgeous and Christos's writing is great.  I loved the future scenes with present day Reptil, future Finesse, and their daughter.  For me, it was those panels that they shared that really made the issue great.  The biggest surprise in this issue were Jocasta revealing that she faked her death, Veil returning to help finish Hybrid's entrapment, and Jocasta proclaiming that Avengers Academy must be shut down. None of these things were anywhere close to what I was expecting, but that is what made this issue so much fun.  Plus, it lead to a great cliff hanger that I can't wait to see concluded.

Grade: A-

Venom #13



Wow, just wow. I loved this issue. Though I've enjoyed this series so far, this issue was just amazing.  Whether it was Tony Moore returning for art duties or just the start of a great storyline, this issue was my favorite issue this week, which was a hard thing to do this week. I was actually waiting for all these issues to come out and then getting them all at once but now I'm going to get all of them when they come out. Flash is going into a dark place and I can't wait to see what Remender does, especially with him and Betty.  This arc brings in a few characters that I typically don't get to read (mainly because their books were cancelled-X 23 and Ghost Rider) but I'm pumped for reading them and getting to know more about them.  I loved how they intially had the four different storylines eventually meet up. And the last few pages with the double page spread of the heroes and the demonic opposites were great pages. I am loving this book and I'm expecting this storyline to be awesome.

Grade: A+

Next time (tomorrow hopefully), I'm digging into a bunch of future comic stuff. Like this:


WHAT?!?

Hasta luego mi amigos.