First Look: Archie Comics on Sale 6/25/14

Okay last batch of previews for the day and they're from Archie Comics, get to reading people.

JUGHEAD & ARCHIE COMICS DIGEST #3

Jughead’s pining for the coveted “Steadiest Customer Award” spot at Pop’s until he finds out some unfortunate news—he’s NOT Pop’s VIP customer! The mysterious Mr. Milkweed has been visiting the Shoppe by one day more than ol’ Juggie. Now Jughead’s determined to win the top spot any way he can. What will he do? And just who is this Mr. Milkweed? The answers lie in “The Milkweed Lament,” the zany lead story to a hilarious digest! Script: Craig Boldman Art: Rex Lindsey, Jim Amash, Jack Morelli, Barry Grossman Cover: Fernando Ruiz, Bob Smith, Rosario “Tito” Peña On Sale Date: 6/25 160-page, full color comic $3.99 U.S.

B&V FRIENDS COMICS DIGEST #239

Girl’s best friend (when it isn’t another girl) is her pet, of course! But what kind of fun can be had when you can’t even bring your best friend to the beach? Betty and Veronica have a big job ahead of them: find out how they can get their pets onto the beach without breaking any rules! Find out if they can pull it off in “Pet’s Rule,” the awesome lead story to this fun-filled digest! Script: George Gladir Art: Jeff Shultz, Rich Koslowski, Jack Morelli, Barry Grossman Cover: Bill Galvan, Bob Smith, Tito Pena On Sale Date: 6/25 160-page, full color comic $4.99 U.S.

MEGA MAN #38

The epic MEGA MAN / MEGA MAN X crossover event continues in "DAWN OF X" Part Two! We travel one hundred years into Mega Man’s future, where an ancient Wily weapon threatens all defenseless humans! It’s up to X and Zero to combat the lumbering metal monstrosity! Meanwhile, Emerald Spears terrorist-on-the-run Xander Payne tumbles through time—and sees something that will change him forever! Don't miss the event that everyone will be talking about, featuring brand new cover art from PATRICK "SPAZ" SPAZIANTE and an extra special character-packed collector cover from BEN BATES! Script: Ian Flynn Art: Jamal Peppers, Gary Martin, John Workman and Matt Herms Cover: Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante Cast Combo Variant Cover: Ben Bates On Sale: 6/25 32-page, full color comic $2.99 U.S.

ARCHIE COMICS SPECTACULAR: SUMMER DAZE

School's out for the summer in Riverdale, and the fun is just beginning! Join Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and friends as they go on vacation, go to the beach, work summer jobs . . . and avoid working entirely! This fun, pocket-sized collection features 128 pages of hand-picked, favorite fun in the sun stories, presented in high-quality, bright white paper with a cardstock cover. It’s the perfect book for any summer road trip! Script: George Gladir, Frank Doyle Art: Dan Parent, Dan DeCarlo Cover: Fernando Ruiz 978-1-619889-00-2 $5.99/$6.99 CAN 4 7/8 x 6 9/16” Trade Paperback 128 pp, Full Color Direct Market On-sale: 6/25

SONIC / MEGA MAN: WORLDS COLLIDE VOL. 3

The BIGGEST video game crossover event of all time ends here with the stunning conclusion to SONIC/MEGA MAN: Worlds Collide! Dr. Eggman and Dr. Wily are locked inside their flying fortress--the Wily Egg! Inside are all manner of powerful defenses, including Metal Sonic and Bass! Outside is an army--almost every Robot Master ever made! Dr. Light's life is on the line, and two worlds teeter on the edge of destruction! Enter Sonic, Mega Man and an army of their own! Sonic's friends join Proto Man, Rush and Duo in an epic all-out battle to break through to the evil doctors, rewrite two realities, and save their home worlds! Don't miss the third and final act of this epic 12-part Sonic the Hedgehog / Mega Man crossover event--"CHAOS CLASH!" WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE VOLUME THREE collects: Mega Man #27, Sonic the Hedgehog #250-251, and Sonic Universe #54 plus exclusive bonus features you won't find anywhere else! Script: Ian Flynn Art: Ben Bates, Gary Martin, Steve Downer, Matt Herms, and Jack Morelli Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and Ben Hunzeker 978-1-936975-97-6 $11.99/$13.99 CAN 6 5/8 x 10 3/16” Trade Paperback 104 pp, Full Color Direct Market On-sale: 6/25

Mega 64: The New Batman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hks1TN0U1No Mega64 breaths new life to the Arkham video game series.

Oh and if you don't think this is funny then there's a good chance that we can't be friends.

New Clip For Mood Indigo

I totally got sucked into this scene so hopefully the same happens to you! http://youtu.be/Yu0I0ZfLVGs

Eminently inventive Michel Gondry finds inspiration from French novelist Boris Vian's cult novel to provide the foundation for this visionary and romantic love story starring Audrey Tautou (Amélie, Coco Before Chanel) and Romain Duris (The Beat My Heart Skipped). Set in a charmingly surreal Paris, Duris plays wealthy bachelor Colin, whose hobbies include developing his pianocktail (a cocktail-making piano) and devouring otherworldly dishes prepared by his trusty chef Nicolas (Omar Sy, The Intouchables). When Colin learns that his best friend Chick (Gad Elmaleh, The Valet), a fellow acolyte of the philosopher Jean-Sol Partre, has a new American girlfriend, our lonely hero attends a friend's party in hopes of falling in love himself. He soon meets Chloé (Audrey Tautou) and, before they know it, they're dancing to Duke Ellington and plunging headfirst into a romance that Gondry rapturously depicts as only he can. Their whirlwind courtship is tested when an unusual illness plagues Chloe; a flower begins to grow in her lungs. To save her, Colin discovers the only cure is to surround Chloe with a never-ending supply of fresh flowers. MOOD INDIGO was nominated for three 2014 César Awards: Étienne Charry (Best Original Music), Florence Fontaine (Best Costume) and Stéphane Rozenbaum (Best Production Design).

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Release: Friday, July 18th (Limited) Director: Michel Gondry Writer: Michel Gondry & Luc Bossi (screenplay), Boris Vian (novel) Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Omar Sy, Aïssa Maïga, Charlotte Le Bon Distributor: Drafthouse Films Runtime: 94 minutes

Tekken Nina Williams Bishoujo Statue

It's June which means that statue and toy companies are revealing their December line of goods and as such Kotobukiya revealed their previously teased Nina Williams Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Bishoujo statue. That's a mouth full. I've always dug the Tekken series, I have fond memories of my brother and I playing a lot just to see the storylines which was our favorite part. Nina, she's my go to so this statue kick as much ass as she's about to do with that donkey kick.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Future Tech & Exoskeleton

Here's a look at some of the new stuff in this year's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare which is the first solo CoD from Sledgehammer games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKgWO1QAs3M

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare brings the technology of tomorrow to today's players. Sledgehammer Games co-founders Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey discuss how future tech and the exoskeleton redefine the gameplay of Call of Duty.

Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Broly Figure Will Crush Your Hand and Wallet

He's not terrible expensive especially when you look at how fucking big he is, but for $67.99 he's still going to put a dent in your wallet. Look for him in either November or December and until then gaze upon his specimen.

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Ms. Marvel Cosplay, Nuff Said

I dig the new Ms. Marvel and the new Captain Marvel, but there is a soft spot in my heart for this character design. I know it seems like she's a sex object because no pants, but unlike Wonder Woman I see this Ms. Marvel as a total bad-ass in the costume. She just looks battle ready. The woman behind the mask is Fanini Rabbids and while this is a pretty typical cosplay photoshoot, Artruro Vega takes a hell of a photo.

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11 Paper Place (Animated Short)

This is a very impressive animated short. It's a very creative idea and it manages to build a world quickly then present a conflict. It's not to be missed so check it out below. http://vimeo.com/94786328

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Trailer Time: Final TMNT Trailer

I posted two versions there's the supposed official youtube channel on in English and then there's a foreign language version if for some reason that gets pulled. I'll let you decide which is better. For me... this is the last post about this turd. In the trailer you see Turtles a lot and they just look like giant green turds. I can't deal with it so once again fuck this movie. Do your part to make sure it ends up like RoboCop and tanks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwXFsrp6WBs#t=26

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Artistic: Spectacular Avengers by Jake Parker

Jake Parker's "Spectacular Avengers" poster series is very cool. The coloring gives it a clean and simple look, while the line work is actually very detailed. They're very iconic and Parker uses layouts that draw your attention to the character first and foremost which is just great composition.

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Just What We Needed A Colossal Titan Themed Snuggie

It's not an official snuggie so it's just called a "cozy", but either way this wasn't needed. I'm sure people will still buy it if only to be ironic. I can already picture that one asshole that's going to wear it walking around a convention thinking their awesome and not knowing that they are in fact an asshole. I'd tell you how much it costs, but that would only encourage some of you to buy it.

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First Look: Aspen Comics on Sale 6/25/14

Preview time, we've got Aspen Comic's books for you this week so check it out!

FATHOM: KIANI vol 3 #4 Vince Hernandez – Story / Giuseppe Cafaro – Art/ Wes Hartman – Colors

Kiani has risen!

The stakes are higher than ever for Kiani, as she must find a way to overcome Luzhin and his soldiers in order to discover the whereabouts of her sister, Anika. However, Luzhin’s technology has allowed him to siphon the power of her Elite Blue blood, creating an infinitely more powerful adversary hell-bent on destroying her existence because of her betrayal!

FATHOM: KIANI vol 3 #4 is in stores June 25th, 2014!

ALL NEW EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS #5 Brian Buccellato – Story / Pasquale Qualano – Pencils / John Starr – Colors

The thrilling climax to this all new volume!

Executive Assistant Iris must square off against the full wrath of the deadly Han Li Shao, in an all-out battle for the survival of Cherry Blossom. And the ramifications of this epic struggle will lead to a rather stunning direction in Iris’ future!

ALL NEW EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IRIS #5 is in stores June 25th, 2014!

Cosplay: Madelyne Pryor the Goblin Queen

I'm always a sucker for Madelyne Pryor cosplay. It's such a cool character to cosplay as and yet I've only seen a handful of them and even less that I would say are good. BelleChere here has a great costume and so we can dig it. The photos by AnimazeGuy are pretty typical of every cosplay ever, but hey thanks for taking them all the same.

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Jessica Nigri Gets Her Magneto On

Do I even need to introduce Jessic Nigri anymore? No? Good, here's her Magneto and it's neato! Judge me for that pun after you look at the pictures.

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Honest Trailers: Portal 1 & 2

Accurate. I'm just going to leave it at that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV4AEBk6KDY

Do Want: Figuarts Vegeta Original Animation Colors SDCC Exclusive

As I've said on the previous action figure posts, SDCC is approaching meaning exclusives! This exclusive is particularly awesome because it's made by Figuarts and they make great figs. You might be thinking, "yeah, but they got the colors wrong." Nay I say, that's Vegeta's original animation colors which makes this even cooler. No price though... I'm sure it won't be terrible, but I'm expecting the eBay prices to be quite the reaming.

In this classic S.H.Figuarts rendition of Vegeta, he appears as you’ve only seen him in the original anime! Flash back to when Vegeta had reddish-brown hair and a completely different green and orange coloring for his Saiyan combat suit. Set comes with a rich variety of accessories for the ultimate action figure experience! Parts include folded arms, four interchangeable hand sets, including a special interchangeable “scouter crushing” hand part, three interchangeable face parts and head part with attachable scouter, tail parts, effect parts and special support stand for effect parts. This 2014 San Diego Exclusive is offered exclusively to fans in the US!

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Kotobukiya To Release First Appearance Batman Statue At SDCC

I'm not a huge fan of the first appearance Batman, his ears are just a bit too goofy for me. I am a fan of Bob Finger who made sure he looked better than was Bob Kane originally planned for the character. Too bad Finger's name isn't on the box, but fuckin'a Kane's name is HUGE! You can get this if you're attending SDCC this year, I'm sure they'll have plenty.

Review: The Jungle

Written by guest contributor Brian Roe

The third film in director Andrew Traucki’s “Trilogy of Terror”, The Jungle is a fast paced ride that at 84 minutes feels trim and to the point.

Rupert Reid plays Larry Black, a conservationist intent on finding evidence of the rare Javan Leopard. He enlists his brother Ben to film his expedition and they both head off to Indonesia, the camera rolling the whole time. There they meet Budi (Agoes Widjaya Soedjarwo) their Indonesian government contact and Adi (Igusti Budianthika) their tracker. There is a fast friction between Larry and Adi and it keeps even the day-to-day scenes tense.

After visiting a local shaman who gives them warnings that Larry willfully ignores the foursome head off into the vast jungle in search of their great cats. But of course they find much more than they bargained for.

Although Larry is a conservationist who really wants to save the leopard he is also a smug white guy who dismisses any native beliefs as nonsense and keeps pushing himself and his companions into situations that a more rational person would avoid. His ego manifests itself often and it’s this trait that threatens to doom him and his party.

I am one of those people who finds shaky-cam/found footage movies hard to watch. Often the camera movement is merely an excuse to cover up bad cinematography. That is not the case with The Jungle. The camera is controlled and is used to hide as much as it reveals. The constant shift between daylight to nighttime to night-vision view is used effectively. Along with some brilliant sound design the Indonesian jungle is made to feel humid, dangerous, and claustrophobic.

Another interesting technique is the use of Budi and Adi’s conversations in Indonesian to both give information and conceal it. Although Larry professes to know some of the language it is obvious that he can’t keep up with the rapid fire dialogue between his two native companions. Adi especially seems to be deliberately trying to turn the party back and seems to be equally warning and pleading with Budi and Larry to make the sane choice. But of course they won’t.

I was initially shocked by the rating of The Jungle being an “R” for Language. Really? I know that every PG-13 gets one “FUCK” only (say that in Connery’s voice) but honestly this movie doesn’t deserve an R even if the Aussie characters toss “fucks” around like sprinkles on a Homer Simpson donut.

It is frightening and tense but the bloodshed is really minimal and limited to the leftovers from various attacks. This is in no way detrimental to the effect of the movie and it’s actually fun to watch a film that isn’t trying to impress you with gore effects. Especially in an era of crappy CGI gore this was welcome. And the one truly creepy scene in this movie is truly worth the price of admission.

A lot of scenes that could have been drawn out to pointless lengths are trimmed to keep things moving and this results in a film that feels like a well executed commando raid. Get in, achieve the mission, and get out. And in a genre of film that can easily take itself way too seriously, The Jungle makes for a refreshing change.

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Score: 4/5

Director: Andrew Traucki Studio: Lightning Entertaiment, Screen NSW, and Mysterious Light Run Time: 84 mins Price: $19.99 Release Date: 6/24/14

Classic X-Men Era Psylocke SDCC Exclusive Bishoujo Statue

Kotobukiya is back at it again and with Comic Con approaching everyone is beginning to reveal their exclusives for the con. One of what I'm sure will end up being many exclusives from Kotobukiya is this Psylocke "Classic X-Men Era" Bishoujo Statue. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for Psylocke and a bigger sucker when she's in her Jim Lee costume. They didn't reveal the price but give the layout of this statue and the fact that it's still 8" tall... I'd say it's going to cost ya. Oh and it's limited to 1500 pieces never to be offered again.

Trailer Time: Love Is Strange

Here's the thing, this trailer isn't great. It's okay, but it makes it obvious that this film wants to pull on your heartstrings. That's all fine and dandy, but audiences have grown weary of that formula so it could turn against them especially when it's so obvious in the trailer. Still, the cast is interesting but we'll have to see who they are together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY4fkcbSfKg&feature=youtu.be

After nearly four decades together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan.  But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and - victims of the relentless New York City real estate market - temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home.  While George moves in with two cops (Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) who live down stairs, Ben lands in Brooklyn with his nephew (Darren Burrows), his wife (Marisa Tomei), and their temperamental teenage son (Charlie Tahan), with whom Ben shares a bedroom.  While struggling with the pain of separation, Ben and George are further challenged by the intergenerational tensions and capricious family dynamics of their new living arrangements.

Directed by Ira Sachs (KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, FORTY SHADES OF BLUE), LOVE IS STRANGE blends the romance of New York City's streets and skyline with a delicate Chopin piano score to poignantly capture both the lightness and sorrows of this modern day love story.