Enjoy This Doctor Who Minisode by Neil Gaiman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eynl4tmqGk Well first off you're going to notice that the credits list Moffat as the writer but Gaiman explains on his blog:

It’s credited to Steven Moffat as writer, but then, they’ve credited me on the box as writer of The Name of the Doctor which he wrote and I didn’t, so there you go.

I'm actually really sad to the see the River Song storyline over and done with since it had tons of potential and was one of the coolest aspects of Doctor Who for me personally. That kind of story planning is something you rarely find outside of comic books. There are supposedly ten (or possibly nine) more minisodes featuring River and the Doctor on dates, but we'll have to wait to see if they make it out onto the net.

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Deadman Short Teased for DC Nation Block

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPNKVzOoLzM I know that some people haven't been a fan of the different styles for these animations, but I personally really enjoy the diversity and the experimentation. The Wonder Woman short still remains my favorite overall, but how can you not enjoy this cutesy version of Deadman? Can't wait to see the entire thing though since this teaser is real loose butthole.

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Episode 100 - This Thing Goes To 100!?

That’s right guys; we have made it to 100 episodes of the Comic Bastards’ CBMFP! To celebrate, we invite a handful talent that makes the site that we'll all love possible! So sit back and enjoy: Carl, Steve, Jordan and Eric as we talk about comics, play games and more. CBMFP episode 100 is GO! 100th Episode

Review: Thrud the Barbarian (Hardcover)

At first glance a new comic reader might say that Thrud the Barbarian is just a rip-off of Conan the Barbarian, after all they are both Barbarians. Thrud is in fact creator Carl Critchlow’s love note to Conan. Rather than attempt a serious story that would only bare further resemblance to his Robert E. Howard counterpart, Critchlow took the comedic approach. And thank God he did because I’m going to break some hearts and say that I like Thrud more than I like Conan. How could I not our first introduce to the character has him cutting a man’s head smooth off. This collection has several stories of Thrud, but the overall story is called “Carborundum Capers.” The king of Carborundum has made a terrible agreement with a wizard without first consulting his Chancellor. The Chancellor decides that the only way they can get out of the deal with the wizard is to have some knights kill him. They send for Sir Percival Pursuivant and the Magnificent Seven Knights of Saint Simeon the Saintly. The Knights are reached and begin their journey having only a few days to make it there before the wizard returns. Along the way they run into Thrud sleeping under a tree after tiring himself out with murder and drinking. Thrud wakes up and assumes they’re bandits and cuts one of the knight’s heads off. They try to explain that they’re not bandits, but Thrud isn’t one for listening… or logic. They end up fleeing, but Thrud begins tracking them down because he’s fucking crazy and will not be denied their deaths.

Thrud_the_Barbarian_coverHilarious. That’s the one word I would use to describe this entire collection. Thrud is a bad-ass character, but he’s also dumb as a bag of bricks. He truly lives up to the name of Barbarian and that’s why this book is so much fun. The story is simple, but the dialogue is witty.

The art is gorgeous and a first glance you wouldn’t even know it was a comedic tale. The detail that Critchlow puts into each panel/page is amazing. The comedic violence is one of the things I enjoyed the most about this series. It’s some of the best comic book violence I’ve read and no matter how many times Thrud chopped a dudes head off it was funny. The art and coloring are gorgeous and do an amazing job of creating and supporting the comedy.

Overall I was surprised by how short the collection was, but that’s just because I wanted more. I really hope that there is new life for Thrud though I imagine most of his journeys would be similar. The great thing about this collection is that it shows that you can have a character that’s homage to another, but able to become its own entity. This is a great collection for new and old readers so check it out.

Score: 4/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Carl Critchlow Publisher: Titan Comics Price: $19.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Review: Todd: The Ugliest Kid on Earth #5

Todd: The Ugliest Kid on Earth returned this week and I for one was grateful to have it back. The thing that’s great about this series is that it’s bound to be offensive, but then also make you laugh. I can’t tell you what you’ll find offensive or funny just that there is something within this issue that will make you feel one of two ways and that’s awesome. It’s like a mystery box of emotions is just waiting to jump out at you. Let’s start with that cover huh? That’s something someone’s grandmother probably believes and yet would be offended by, I personally couldn’t stop laughing. The issue starts off with a song and a check up with the series. In a way it shows the status quo of the title, but also introduces characters I don’t think we’ve met or really dealt with a lot yet. The real story begins with two-gun shots. Todd’s family is enjoying the riches of taking care of a movie stars bastard child and his father is gearing up for Comic Con by shooting two holes in the jacket of his The Albanian costume.

Huge side note; The Albanian’s story is fucking awesome. He wears the jacket his brother was killed in as a reminder of his death! Fuck yes that’s awesome. Spin-off please!

Sandy (the adopted child with a bag on her head) and the mother come out hoping that the old man has shot himself, but no such luck. This entire interaction is hilarious and a great reminder of why this comic is so much fun. Todd and dad head to Comic Con and you should just brace yourself for tons of jokes at the expense of Marvel and even a few Image titles. The bully kid of the series is wearing a “Fuck Rick Grimes” shirt which I hope becomes a real thing… otherwise CafePress here I come!

ToddUgliest05_coverThere is too much happening in this issue to sum up everything, but the bits with PBS and Charlie Rose being a devil worshiper were fucking awesome. The pot-shots on the Marvel and its creators cut deep. I mean DEEP! I don’t know if it was in jest or not, but I actually hope that it wasn’t because I agreed with all of it.

The writing is sharp and witty. Sure there is a ton of dialogue, but when you laugh twice within one word bubble you know that it’s worth it to read so much. The set up to this issue is interesting and now that the series is an ongoing it’s not as easy to see where the story is going in the grand scheme of things. For instance in the first four issues we knew the story had to resolve Todd being imprisoned for multiple murders he didn’t commit, but here… it’s a mystery. Could this story arc be resolved in the next issue or in seven? I don’t know but I’m looking forward to finding out even if it’s just in another three issues.

The artwork has maintained the same impressive amount of detail as the first series. There didn’t seem to be as much shadowing on this issue which gave it a slightly different look, but I still liked it. Also that could just be my opinion, but it didn’t look as dark. The convention stuff was my favorite part as a MAD magazine style was used for the comic creators; it was pretty spot on with some comedic liberties of course. Now I said that there was a lot of dialog, but the crazy thing is that there is a lot of art as well. It’s equal parts and that’s pretty damn impressive. It’s really as if the creators are pouring all their creative energies into this series and I can see and appreciate that.

This is one of those books that you can never do justice with a review because capturing what makes this title special would require reading it or a page by page recap… well since I didn’t do that last bit I guess you’re just going to have to read it. Hands down though this is my favorite offensively funny comic book on the market so check it out for yourself.

Score: 4/5

Story: Perker & Kristen Writer: Ken Kristensen Artist: M. K. Perker Publisher: Image Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 9/25/13

Steam Controller Actually Sounds Awesome

Not that you'd expect anything less from Valve and Steam, but it does in fact sound very cool. I'm not a PC gamer by any means, but having a controller that functions like this might make me one. Here's some of the details about the controller, but really if you want more info then check out this page. controller_bindings

The Steam Controller is designed to work with all the games on Steam: past, present, and future. Even the older titles in the catalog and the ones which were not built with controller support. (We’ve fooled those older games into thinking they’re being played with a keyboard and mouse, but we’ve designed a gamepad that’s nothing like either one of those devices.) We think you’ll agree that we’re onto something with the Steam Controller, and now we want your help with the design process.

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Traditional gamepads force us to accept compromises. We’ve made it a goal to improve upon the resolution and fidelity of input that’s possible with those devices. The Steam controller offers a new and, we believe, vastly superior control scheme, all while enabling you to play from the comfort of your sofa. Built with high-precision input technologies and focused on low-latency performance, the Steam controller is just what the living-room ordered.

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Prince of Tennis Statue is Cool

I really liked Prince of Tennis and so this statue is actually pretty damn cool. I don't know if I would pick up Kunimitsu Tezuka first, but if it was thrown my way I wouldn't turn it down either. Also this is labelled as Prince of Tennis II on Kotobukiya's FB page... not seeing the difference or if that's some licensing requirement for the second series of the anime.

Awesome Tohka Yatogami Cosplay!

I actually just started watching Date A Live a week ago, but it's actually okay. It's not the best anime as I feel that it really suffers from the harem comedy curse of too many love interests. Tohka is my favorite character on the show and this cosplay is very accurate... except for the glowing translucent stuff but I don't we have that tech yet. Enjoy.

Review: The Cute Girl Network (OGN)

I knew absolutely nothing about this graphic novel going into it. I saw MK Reed’s name on the cover and was like, “okay let’s give this a shot.” That’s honestly how I pick my books which is pretty weird considering I’m a reviewer and I rely on others to read my review in order to make their decisions, but I know that a vast majority of people that read don’t make their decisions on a whim. Some of the best stories I’ve ever read though were picked up on a whim and I include The Cute Girl Network among them. The thing about this story is that I laughed a lot, but it wasn’t because it was a comedy. This isn’t like some of the other series or issues I’ve talked about that made me laugh due to their off-the-wall humor or shock factor. This is a romantic comedy, but not the kind that Hollywood pumps out. This is a romantic comedy for people like me that watch and wonder why “comedy” was even attached to the descriptor. I found so much of this story relatable and hilarious because it was just slices of life. The characters and their experiences seemed plausible and genuine.

The way I like to describe the story is that it’s about an idiot that knows he’s an idiot and a skater girl that has dealt with the stigma of being a skater girl nearly her entire life. Our idiot Jack works as a street vendor that sells soup. Our skater girl Jane wipes out when she takes her eyes off of the road and hits a bottle cap which sends her to the ground just in front of Jack. He rushes to pick up her board as she’s standing up and they have a quick exchange. He offers her a free drink which she promptly tucks into the back of her pants to ice her coccyx. No names are exchanged and really it’s just a quick chance encounter.

At this point we follow Jane to work at the skate shop she works at. She’s quick to interact with her coworker’s jokes, but it’s not that she’s one of the “guys” but rather she has the same sense of humor. The owner asks her to help a customer, but the dude wants a man’s assistance. The irony of it is that he’s looking to buy a girl a skate board. After that we follow Jane back to her house where her book club is already in session. They’re reading a Twilight-esc story, but really the scene is there to introduce Jane’s friends and poke at the romance genre.

The Cute Girl Network CoverJack’s day is long and boring so he thinks about the cute girl he encountered and ends up mentioning it to his roommates later that night. His male roommate tells him to be assertive and ask the girl out on a date, but also be specific and have an idea of where you want to go. His female roommate has less aggressive advice, but Jack tells them that it doesn’t matter since he doesn’t even know her name or if he’ll ever see her again.

Well obviously they see each other again and they do start dating, but the conflict of the story arises when one of Jane’s friends sees her with Jack. She knows him because he dated another one of their friends and this begins “The Network.” The Network is a system that her friends developed to help smart single women from wasting their time dating idiots, losers and sleaze bags. Basically if you start dating a guy you put out an ABP on him and the Network will set up meetings with the dude’s ex’s and you can hear their stories. Well Jack’s roommate is a part of the Network and she informs him that they’re looking for info on him. His male roommate is in his corner because he wants him to defeat what he calls, “The Cute Girl Network.” I have I mentioned that I love it when a series can mention it’s title and not have it be really lame or break the fourth wall? I absolute love it.

Frankly if you’ve ever dated as an adult then you’ll probably enjoy this book. I can admit that I share things in common with Jack and that’s what made it humorous for me, but also seeing the other side of things made it more humorous. My wife told me on more than one occasion while reading this story that I was “laughing loudly” which kind of made me laugh more.

The story is extremely charming and offers a different look at dating. This is probably the most relatable romance story that I’ve ever read. It didn’t have a ridiculous premise or end with the characters chasing each other across the globe just to get married. Sure the “Network” seems like a goofy idea, but not really. With our digital era it’s actually quite easy to have a network like this and I wouldn’t be surprised if ones existed… I’m sure there’s an app or something.

While the story was great, what really sold all the jokes and created the heart of the tale was the artwork. The artwork is alive. I believed in Jack’s clumsiness, but also his good intentions. Jack says numerous times that Jane is awesome and I believed that as well. She does kick all kinds of ass especially when she tells off a skater guy that questions if she can skate or not, who then after seeing her skills asks her out. The artwork did more than visually bring about the narrative it created the entire world. Even an abstract idea like “The Network” came across as a physical object. My brain instantly pictured a series of texts going out and various women responding to it and that wasn’t in the book. It was just from the powerful expressions of the characters that my brain was able to see it. Physical humor in comics is difficult to do. It’s like an action scene, it needs to be easy to follow, but end with a punchline. There is tons of physical humor in this story which means that there are tons of punchlines as well.

If you read this review then that means that you won’t be randomly picking up this book and going in without a clue as to what to expect. I doubt that will change your enjoyment and it might even set you up to enjoy it more. All I know is that the romantic comedy genre is severely lacking in the world of comics/graphic novels and so this was a welcomed edition to a genre I enjoy. Hopefully Hollywood will also take a cue and stop pumping out the same script with a different setting and produce something that’s half as good as The Cute Girl Network.

Score: 5/5

Writers: Greg Means and MK Reed Artist: Joe Flood Publisher: First Second Books Price: $17.99 Release Date: 11/12/13 Website

Slap Some Sailor Moon On Your Finger Nails!

Like I said yesterday I'm not going to stop covering the variety of Sailor Moon merchandise out there no matter how weird it is for me to be covering it. That said I think the cohesion of the designs for these press on nails is not very good. It just looks like a random assortment of stuff stuck to your hands... but hey rock on if you want it!

Batman: Arkham Origins Has A Season Pass

Well I hope you like a shit ton of different looks for ol' Bats because you're going to get 'em! For $19.99  you'll get: Gotham by Gaslight Batman (wut), Brightest Day Batman ( Darkest Night was better but whatever), the New Millennium skins pack (shrug) and some Infinite Earths duds. Then there is an all-new story campaign with a mode called, "The Initiation", where the player will rock Bruce Wayne before he becomes Batman and square off in an ultimate duel with Master Kirigi, the man who trained Bruce from Batman #431. Meh.

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Review: Star Wars Omnibus - Wild Space Vol. 2

Yes, Dark Horse is still printing new Star Wars Omnibuses, the trade paperback record of one of the longest and most fruitful licensed comics relationships in publishing history. Of course by now Dark Horse has resorted to collecting unrelated material together and slapping an exciting sounding name on it, 'Wild Space' is just a grab bag of obscure Star Wars comics material, some canon but mostly not, that pads out a volume to keep the Dark Horse section fat at the local Barnes and Noble. And you know what, it's actually great.

'Star Wars: Wild Space' feels like a successful flea market run where you buy a bunch of comics you've never heard of before and spend the afternoon in the wonderful weirdness that exists right outside the edge of well-thumbed blockbusters. Dark Horse always seemed to display the utmost respect for the Star Wars franchise, but never felt too beholden to any monastic strictness of what Star Wars could mean. Remember the time Jabba the Hutt was almost assassinated by space weasels? Or the drama behind the scenes of the Boonta Eve Podrace involving a podracer/pop singer and his wager with Ben Quadraneros? No? Well 'Wild Space' does, and if your like me you'll find yourself smiling at some of the wacky nonsense the Dark Horse bullpen got into when they relaxed and had fun with the universe.

The book is divided into sections, each a collection of different kinds of stories from throughout the publishing history.

Star Wars Omnibus Wild Space vol. 2The first, called Visionaries, is a selection of stories from Dark Horse's wonderful anthology series 'Star Wars Tales', linked together by the tenuous thread that they were all illustrated by concept artists from 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'. By far this section feels the most like padding since the 'Star Wars Tales' series is already perfectly collected and picking stories out on this slim criteria seems to have little purpose other than buffing page count. The stories also are the weakest in writing, as the charm of 'Star Wars Tales' was always its art-gumbo style rather than regimented quality, but it's decent for the uninitiated. There's a Padme story illustrated by a landscape artist, painted like turn of the century impressionist art, and another one that inspired the cyborg enhanced Darth Maul from the final season of the Clone Wars animated series.

The second is a one-shot called 'Podracing Tales', a cartoony lighthearted backstory to the Boonta Eve Podrace from 'Episode One', giving all of the racer's motivations and schemes behind the scenes, from badly considered bets to bungled sabotage. While many older Star Wars fans may not appreciate being reminded of 'Episode One's existence in such exhaustive detail it's actually a fun part of the book, well written goofiness with cartoony art that gives it a flavor reminiscent of 'Star Wars: Droids'. Young Jake Lloyd Skywalker is blessedly absent, and the dense storytelling made me wish they'd done even more with it, another example of where the Expanded Universe took Prequel Trilogy material and made it infinitely more interesting than the films themselves.

Third, a series of Jabba the Hutt centric one-shots written by Jim Woodring during the mid-Ninties. Like a lot of other comics from the Ninties about the seedy criminal underbelly of the Star Wars Universe, the books are equal parts silly and sinister, exemplified in 'The Dynasty Trap' where Jabba finds himself mixed up with a psychotic and scheming crime family. Here, Jabba isn't the comfortable master of his domain we see in 'Return of the Jedi', but rather as much a swindler and jetsetting criminal as Han and Lando, getting in and out of tough situations with a combination of cunning and a bloodthirsty application of his bone-crushing girth. I imagine this is the section that veteran comic fans will have the most fun discovering or rediscovering, as it has that wonderful pre-prequel feel, before the franchise became more regimented and when the books were more imaginatively free-form. In addition there are two other stories in the same vein about Jabba with two other writers.

Fourth, something I was already very familiar with, the 'Tag and Bink' stories by writer Kevin Rubio and artist Lucas Marangon, about a pair of cowardly quick-thinking Rebel defectors that manage to participate in nearly every iconic moment of the film trilogy. It's clever imaginative parody with lots of memorable moments and one of my favorite versions of Lando Calrissian from the Expanded comics. Marangon's art is wonderful as well, with great comedic expression when drawing characters and clean impressive detail when drawing the classic ships and locations. From the much suffering Boba Fett to children trying to coach Episode II Anakin Skywalker on romantic dialogue 'Tag and Bink' is a great rarely seen gem of Star Wars parody. My one complaint is the bizarre absence of the 'Star Wars Tales' section of their saga, the only part missing of the series. Since they incorporated 'Star Wars Tales' content in the book I don't know why they'd leave the story out but it's an unfortunate bungle for whatever reason.

There's a Lando story unpaired with anything else, amusing but just kind of stuck in there, more appropriate to an inevitable Lando Omnibus.

Finally, this largely comedic book ends with a fitting tribute by legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragones and writer Mark Evanier to the Star Wars trilogy, featuring the creative duo going to LucasFilm to discuss making a comic for the studio. It's incredibly charming, with Aragones playing the fool and the two spreading their unique brand of buffoonery and self-deprecation over the canvas of the Original Trilogy. It leaves the collection on a great high note and is by far one of the best additions.

After reviewing a number of licensed comics in the last few weeks it turns out I had to go backwards to find much really worth reading. Not everything collected here is gold, and some of it is pretty bad in places, but you can feel artists and writers trying new things with the established series, or at least trying to tell a really fun story. Maybe it's because there's infinitely more you can do and say with Star Wars than you can with Mars Attacks or Godzilla, but I think it says more about Dark Horse as a publisher, as a company that has held a solid standard for writers and artists over the years that has made them one of the most consistently respected brands in the industry. The fact that Wild Space represents a scraping of what's left in their publishing collection barrel is an achievement in itself, showing what kind of stories treating a franchise with respect can make rather than milking collectors with disposable comics. Take the trip into Wild Space, you might never want to come back.

Score: 4/5

Writers: Various Artists: Various Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $24.99 Release Date: 10/9/13

My Top Rack: Sophie from Saga

There were a ton of great comics this week. Some of my personal favorites like Mind MGMT and Revival released this week and while I enjoyed both of those issues more if not the same amount as Saga; there was one scene that stole the week. If you read Jordan’s review this week then you know the scene or if you read the issue then you know as well. Sophie, the slave girl, and Lying Cat. Was there anything more powerful or moving in the world of comics? No there wasn’t.

I’m presenting the entire page below because even if you didn’t read the issue and don’t understand all the buzz around Saga, you’ll still be able to appreciate the power of this page:

Saga #14-21 copy

I don’t even think I have to say anything else about that scene and so I won’t. However I will quote a part of Jordan’s review because I think he nailed it.

Sophie talks to LC about herself as a girl would to any pet, looking good, saying things that any little girl may—and then her visage breaks. Fiona Staples deserves a ton of credit on this one; one expression says it all as the memory of the years of trauma this girl has had to endure comes flooding back. “Im all dirty on the inside” she says, describing the terribly dark and complex feelings in the best way a six-year-old could. But before she finishes her self-shaming, lying cat breaks in, “lying” and she hugs him.

-Jordan North