Storm and Gambit One-Shot (Curse of the Mutants tie-in)

When it comes to tie-ins for comic book series I always want to read every single additional book I can so I can get the full story, but the majority of the time I cannot justify doing so because most of the stories aren’t anything crucial or even good for that matter, and it just costs too much. But, I decided to pick up Storm and Gambit because of three reasons. 1. The art is done by Chris Bachalo, 2. Its only a one-shot so even if its not great at least I got the full story, and 3. both Storm and Gambit are both great characters.

When I opened the book I was even happier that I picked it up because I quickly learned that this issue was incredibly important to the main storyline and I knew it would be worth the money it cost.

The story centers around Storm and Gambit and a mission they undertake into a secret Vampire lair in order to recover the body of Dracula. Little do they know is that everything is against them and not only are their mutant abilities going haywire, but there is no way they can get back-up from the other X-Men. The story goes on to have many interesting plot twists, and is action packed with exciting and gruesome battles where you get to see Storm in a form you never imagined. On top of it all, its One-Shot length is prefect and really goes from start to finish without a bump in the road.

On top of a great story, the art of Chris Bachalo (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men Legacy) is spectacular in this issue. He really has a style that perfectly fits the dark and dreary atmosphere of Vampires. He also does a great job illustrating the fight scenes, even when there is an overwhelming amount going on in the panels, he never makes them hard to follow or allows them to be jumbled. His art is pure beauty.

Overall this was a great book, and the story really fit perfectly into its One-Shot packaging. I had never read anything by Chuck Kim, but his writing was great and I think that he allowed for great chemistry between Storm and Gambit that really made the issue pop. When it comes to One-Shots and mini-series, comic companies usually slack on whom they have writing and drawing the issues, but with this One-Shot they did the complete opposite and I was very glad to see that. If you are reading Victor Gischler’s X-Men series and any of the other Curse of the Mutants tie-ins then this issue is a must. Don’t miss out.

9 out of 10

*Originally Posted on the Chris' Comics Official Website

Green Arrow #3 Review

This is the third issue in the newest Green Arrow series released by DC, and is just one of the many titles that is tied into the Brightest Day crossover that has been going on for the last four months. I have had an interest in reading this series for awhile since I really enjoy Green Arrow as a character, but have avoided it due to the fact that I am not reading Brightest Day in any way, shape, or form. I feel as though i would be lost at many points in the story, so I never gave it a chance. Finally after hearing it was a good book from so many people, I decided to suck it up and check it out, and to be honest I was completely wrong, I wasn’t really lost at all.

Issue three starts off after a more than exciting event that took place at the end of issue two; Oliver Queen had been shot in the head, ironically, with an arrow. As our hero lies there thinking he is going to die, a strange, unknown character rescues him. The story contains a lot of backstory, including information about the new character that has been introduced. But the majority of the backstory is about Green Arrows father and the corruption that surrounded him. One of the interesting things that occur in the book is the allusion to the Brightest Day, such as placement of the White Lantern symbol, the strategic use of the word “brightest” and the use of the term giving life. It is quite creative if you ask me.

The writing and art are great in this book. I was a big fan of J.T Krul on the last Green Arrow series, so to see him continue with the character was okay in my opinion. I was even happier to see that Diogenes Neves was working on the book; I was a huge fan of his art on New Mutants, so to see his talent being used in this book made me more than happy. Above all though, the best part of this series is the fact that DC has Mauro Cascioli doing the covers for this series. I loved his work on Cry for Justice and it is really hard to one-up his painted covers.

Overall, this was a great issue. Some downsides are that it is an information issue, so there isn’t a large amount of action, and the main thing that I did not like about this book was that it read too darn fast! But like I said, it was a fun read and is worked on by men of great talent.

8 out of 10

Originally Posted on the Chris' Comics Official Website

Arkham Asylum: Madness Quick Review

Story: meh.
Art: amazing.
A must have for Sam Kieth fans. For everyone else I would say it is a 3/5 star book.

The Brightest Day Cover Puzzle Final Image Revealed

Today the DCU Blog posted the completed image made up from the Brightest Day variant covers done by Ryan Sook, with a bit of help from DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee and artists Fernando Pasarin and Joel Gomez.  Along with the completed image DC has teased that the completed puzzle is an indication of things to come in the future of the DC Universe.

Of particular note in the image is the inclusion of the mysterious being who has been kidnapping the various entities of the emotional spectrum (who I think is either Sayd or Appa Ali Apsa) holding on to the white lantern and being surrounded by white energy.  It's also interesting that Jade has a white lantern symbol over her head.  

You can see the complete image by clicking the "read more" button.

Locke and Key: Keys to the Kingdom #1

Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom is the newest installment to the Locke & Key series from Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. Since I have never read an issue from the Locke and Key series before, but I had always heard that it was great, so I was happy to check it out.

The first thing that I think needs to be mentioned about this book is the art of Gabriel Rodriquez. First and foremost, the page layouts he uses are the most unique and interesting page layouts I have ever experienced. Rodriquez uses the middle of the page for his primary art consisting of four equal size squares, while the area around it is used for more graphic and detailed art, it’s astounding to say the least. On top of an awesome page layout Rodriquez’s art has this reminiscent feeling of Charles Shultz (Charlie Brown), even though his art is fairly detailed. I really enjoyed the intricate, yet simple feel to it.

The story by Joe Hill had a perfect contrast to it, showing how the soul of a person can effect their whole being, perfectly balancing a destructive to innocent ratio, which was able to feed both side of my person who looks for a solid story with solid emotion, as well as a good amount of violence as well. Another key aspect of Hill’s writing that I enjoyed was the dialogue he used, it was on par if not better than Brian Michael Bendis (New Avengers), who I consider to be one of the best dialogue writers in the business.

As for the issue itself, the first issue of Keys to the Kingdom is a touching story of childhood, as well as a story of jealousy and rage, a very interesting combo if you ask me. Bode discovers the animal key while in the park one day, and uses it to begin a very touching adventure of fun, love, and death. The story kept me on the edge of my chair the entire time and I was sad to see the issue end.

One of the best parts of this issue was the fact that even though I was a first time reader I was able to pick up on the nature of the characters and the storyline of the series, which is a definite plus. In addition, the story itself was self-contained and even if the reader chose not to read the next issue, there was conflict resolution at the end of the issue. Overall this issue was near perfect, which is why I am giving it a:

10 out of 10

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1

I remember hearing about this book a few months ago and thinking, another Green Lantern book? But after thinking about it, with Green Lantern being the biggest thing since sliced bread in the DCU why would I be surprised? When I opened this issue today I remembered the real reason I thought the book was a out of the blue, it was because the book focuses on Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Although a major player in the Green Lantern universe, it just seems out of place and un-needed that Gardner have his own book, but you cannot always judge a book by its cover, so I opened up and took a look for myself.

One of the first things I noticed when starting this book is that the art is great! Fernando Pasarin (JSA, The Outsiders) has a nice clean look to his art, lots of detail and style, which is definitely needed when it comes to a Green Lantern title. On top of that you have the great story telling of Peter Tomasi (Green Lantern Corps) that does not fail to deliver in this issue.

The story itself has its ups and downs though. Lets get the negatives out of the way first so that we can end on a positive note. Many Green Lantern fans may have noticed by now that they are not able to enjoy any of the Green Lantern books without taking part in the Brightest Day cross over that is occurring right now because of how intertwined the stories are, and with this book there is no exception. The entire story that is occurring in this issue stems off of an event that took place in Brightest Day #0, which I understand that major crossovers effect the other books involved, but not to a degree in which a new reader, or even an older reader in this case cannot enjoy the book. I myself was forced to drop all the Lantern books because I was not a fan of Brightest Day.

Lets switch from this negative attitude to a positive one. This book was not bad at all! Like I said before the art and story were great! The book has the perfect amount of action to information ratio and was a really great first issue. It delve deeper into the pact that was made between Gardner, Ganthet, and Atrocious, as well as shined more light upon why exactly the Blackest Night occurred. It demonstrated the over the top, powerful nature of Guy Gardner and his newly appointed authoritative role in the Green Lantern universe. To top it all of, there is a surprise ending that will leave any Green Lantern fan seriously wanting more!

8 out of 10

Scott Pilgrim Vs. is a really fun movie.

I really enjoy this film. Sure at first it is a little slow, but when the first ex shows up it goes into overdrive. Chris Evans and Brandon Routh play the two ex's that really steal the movie. Also I love how a ton of the movie's jokes are in the background. It is definitely worth the price of admission.

What do the Brightest Day Variant Covers Mean?

So yesterday I was picking up my comics from and, as always, chatting with the Jared about DC and Green Lantern. I tend to buy the variant covers of the Green Lantern related books and he was asking me about the Ryan Sook variant cover to Birds of Prey #4 and last week's Brightest Day #7. As we were talking we noticed that parts of Nekron featured in both of them and that the covers interlocked - so of course we both began to wonder if the rest of the Sook variants were all part of a larger image, but Jared didn't have the other books on hand for us to look at.

Doing some surfing, I found that John Babos over on the Comics Nexus site had discovered the same thing and he had all four of the first covers put together to reveal what does indeed amount to a larger image. When this is DC trying to drum up some buzz or if they are trying to be sneaky is anyone's guess, but it is pretty intriguing none the less. Here's the image they put in their article, however I've rotated it a bit so that the background image is right side up. Click on the image for a better view and after the jump I'll share my speculation about the image.

The first four Sook covers

DC's Secret Origin

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, Warner Brothers has put together a documentary on the history of the company that will be released to home video, digital download and on demand this November.

The trailer and the official press release from Warner Brothers can be found after the jump.

Deadpool #1000

Sadly, it is true. It probably has been roughly 100 issues since Deadpool 900 came out, so of course Marvel thought that it would be awesome to put out a Deadpool 1000. I am not trying to complain, I myself am a Deadpool fan, but I do think that his popularity and Marvel’s obsession with the Merc with a Mouth is getting a little out of hand. Regardless, Marvel put out a great issue with Deadpool 1000, way better than my expectations were set at.

Just looking at this issue caused me to think two positive thoughts. Number one, look at the size of this issue! It’s a HUGE book! And for the cover price of $5, it is definitely worth it. The second thing I noticed was the great wrap around cover by Dave Johnson. I always love seeing his covers, and he never lets me down when it comes to Deadpool (if you haven’t already, check out his connecting covers from Prelude to Deadpool Corps). Then when I opened the issue, I was even more impressed.

Magnus: Robot Fighter #1

Magnus: Robot Fighter is the second installment of Jim Shooter’s re-birth of classic Gold Key comics from the 1960’s; a few weeks ago I reviewed Dr. Solar issue 1. Although Dr. Solar was good, Magnus was even better. The issue starts out with pure action, in fact the whole issue is almost non-stop robot destruction at the hands of Magnus. Aside from the great action, this issue does a better job of showing Magnus’ background than the first issue of Dr. Solar did with Dr. Solar; the issue features a nice mini story about how 1-A raised Magnus to become the robot-fighting machine he grew to be. The art in the issue had this special feel to it, it made me reminisce of 60’s style art, but it also had that feel of modern day to it too, which was very intriguing. As for the writing, I felt as though Shooter’s story was more retro in its nature, reminding me of comics from the 60’s and keeping the natural feel of the character.

The issue kept an all around good feel to it during its duration, and has a very good ending that will have the reader wanting the second issue to come out. In addition to the action packed first installment of this arc, this issue, like Dr. Solar, had an extra story attached to it that is a re-print of the original Magnus: Robot Fighter from 1963. The issue gives insight as to what has been kept from the old series and what has been changed for the new. All-around, this issue was solid.



7 out of 10

*Originally Posted on the Chris' Comics Official Website

First Look at GL Movie's Kilowog

Behold the Wogster!

A while back some early concept art was leaked on the Internet, including some pretty good quality renders of Tomar-Re and Kilowog, the two main alien Green Lanterns getting a lot of screen time with Hal Jordan and Sinestro in the upcoming movie. With principal photography wrapped, the movie moves to the post production phase, which will be rather intensive considering the sheer volume of CG work that needs to be done. Today ComicBookMovie.com put out an image direct from one of their contacts in the art department showing a more or less finished version of everyone's favorite Green Lantern Drill Instructor.

While the image is not a good quality high resolution image, you can clearly see that there's been some changes made since the early concept art, which is to be expected as the crew begins to finalize the character designs for all the Green Lanterns we are going to see in the movie. It also would be absolutely no surprise if this is not the final look since we are still almost a year out, although one would expect some of this to be finalized sooner than later given that Geoff Johns said we'd see something more official looking than the teaser footage shown at this year's San Diego Comic-Con by the end of the year. I would not be at all surprised to see an official teaser trailer precede November's part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and you'd expect to see some of these characters appear in that footage. There's a side by side comparison after the jump.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Sequel is Named....

Batman: Arkham City. OK, I will admit the named is kinda stupid but this images are getting me excited.

No Words Necessary...

Bam ba ba bam bam bam.

Most Wanted

I've finally done it! 'It,' of course being successfully getting caught up on every aired episode of White Collar, now in its second season on USA. The series stars Matt Bomer (fondly remembered as the ill-fated spy Bryce Larkin on Chuck) as incarcerated art thief Neal Caffrey who stages a prison break, with only months left on his sentence, in an attempt to find his girlfriend Kate (Alexandra Daddario) whom he believes is in trouble. Kate, however, is nowhere to be found. Distraught and confused, Neal allows himself to be caught by FBI agent - and his original captor - Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). This time however, Peter strikes a deal with Neal: instead of returning to prison, Neal will use his considerable expertise to assist the FBI as a consultant in the White Collar crime unit, a security anklet monitoring him at all times.

White Collar is thrilling, action-packed, and undeniably fun, presenting unique cases for Bomer and DeKay's new brand of dynamic duo to solve. The two actors rapport is central to the show's success. They play off each other naturally, presenting a partnership, but perhaps more importantly a friendship, that is born out of a mutual respect. Rounding out the series' original core cast are Willie Garson as Neal's delightfully eccentric and paranoid close friend (and fellow con) Mozzie and Tiffani Thiessen (that's right, Kelly Kapowski!) as Peter's wife Elizabeth, a role that gives the series a bit of a real world, everyday, perspective.

The series seems to be not only playing all of its cards, but playing them extraordinarily well. The second season has witnessed certain changes that indicate series creator Jeff Eastin and company are perfecting the well-oiled machine they developed in the first fourteen episodes. Excesses have been trimmed; I never really jived with Natalie Morales' Agent Lauren Cruz and was glad to see that the actress has moved on to other things. Marsha Thomason (Lost), who appeared in only two episodes in season one, has been promoted to series regular. Thomason is at once sexy and...

If you're interested, continue reading my review here.

Batman: The Widening Gyre #6 Rant/Review

Very brief review of Batman: The Widening Gyre #6: it is trash. Kevin Smith has proven to me that he is not the guy to writea Batman book. The comic reads as if Smith just took one of his Clerks story and put Dante in the cowl. Also the story itself is uninteresting and tired. How many different women has Bruce thought about hanging up the cape for. And if that is not enough, Batman wets himself. Yep, that's right Batman urinates with his tights on. Awesome. Spoiler Alert: A betrayal means nothing if the charters that back stabs the other is a person we care little or nothing about. End of Spoiler. The art has improve since Cacophony, but still ain't great.

My final thought:

F*** this book.

Shotgun Opera

Shotgun Opera from Victor Gischler is anything short of phenomenal. Follow ex-mobster Mike Foley as he repays his Brother by protecting a nephew he has never met. On top of that, the reader will also follow the Cornwall family and how their highly trained, but highly dysfunctional family becomes intertwined with the Foley’s that will take both families on a ride full of bullets, explosions, and death. This is a story of murder, revenge, and payback is action packed and leaves the reader wanting more after each and every chapter. This is the 4^th book I have read from Gischler, and I am excited that I still have three more of his books to read.

The thing that was really awesome about Shotgun Opera is that the whole time I was reading it I thought that it would make a really awesome movie, and as I got further into the book that thought became stronger and stronger, so I decided that I should take it upon myself to brainstorm who would play each character in the book.

Mike Foley: Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight)

Andrew Foley: James McAvoy (Wanted)

The Man with the Voice: Kevin Spacy (K-Pax)

Nikki Enders: Angelina Jolie (Changeling)

Meredith Cornwall-Jenkins: Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

Linda: Vivica A Fox (Independence Day)

Lizzy Cornwall: Lyndsy Fonceca (Kick-Ass)

Ortega: Benicio Del Toro (The Wolfman)

Enrique Mars: Óscar Jaenada (The Losers)

I think these are some pretty good guesses for many of the main chracters in this book. If you want to know why, you will just have to read the book and find out, because it is definitely worth the read.

Buy the Shotgun Opera here