Trailer Time: The Lego Movie aka The DC Comics Movie They Should Have Already Made

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ_JOBCLF-I You know what's ridiculous about all the DC characters in this movie? They're playing off of decades old canon because there's nothing modern that audiences know about the characters. I know you're thinking, "but Dustin what about Nolan's Batman and the new Superman" well let me know if you find any of those referenced in the trailer. Nope. Seriously DC/WB... you need to work harder on that shared universe thing. Marvel pumped out at least two movies a year for theirs... you're at... one. Great trailer! I'm looking forward to seeing this!

Review: Adventure Time – 2013 Spooktacular (One-Shot)

I love Halloween Specials. It's my favorite holiday, but since I don't drink, don't have kids, and there hasn't been a good horror movie in theaters since 1997 there aren't too many outlets to celebrate the spooky season other than seeing my favorite things tweaked with a bit of macabre creativity. 'Adventure Time' would seem to be the perfect children's media to have a Halloween Special, seeing as the show already has a pretty sneakily dark sense of humor, but this year's All Hallow's Eve comic is disappointingly lacking. The book consists of four stories, each written and illustrated by different people, anthology style. 'Costume Party' has the Ice King once again not invited to a Jake and Finn party, 'Secret Stache' shows the bare-lipped nightmare of Starchy the Gravedigger, 'Halloween Horticulture' introduces Pumpkin Princess, and 'Bad Girl Gone Good' has Marceline wrestling with the backfiring of her latest hipstery Aubrey Plazaesque prank.

kaboom_at_spoooktacular_001v1_a'Costume Party' is an old set up, one that's actually been done a couple of times on the show, but this time given a saccharine ending that feels extremely out of place for 'Adventure Time's world of confounded moral expectation and cheeky dickishness. 'Secret Stash' is more appropriately nightmarish, with a bizarre and impressively unsettling art style by Frazer Irving, but ends up being more like a drug-trip 'Outer Limits' episode then feeling distinctly Halloween. 'Halloween Horticulture' is the closest to the tone of the show, with weirdness and amusingly grim overtones, but again sort of shortchanges it's creepy ideas for a bland happy ending. 'Bad Girl Gone Good' was a decently cute idea, but doesn't contain any surprises and is illustrated in a style that seems a bit below professional. I've always appreciated the Kaboom! Book line's fondness for indie cartoonist style artwork, giving a wide range of artists to explore their licenses in unconventional ways, but the style on the final story was pushing the hand-made convention book style a bit too far.

It's cool to see a mixed bag of styles and stories, but for the most part the book was kind of tedious and felt more like a publishing afterthought than creative fun. For a book set in a fantasy world where anything can happen, no story took it any place interesting, and I ended up more engaged by the short preview comic in the back promoting the upcoming Osamu Tezuka inspired toon 'Steven Universe'. There's plenty of great Halloween content out there this year, but this round the 'Adventure Time' comic fell a little short.

Score: 2/5

Writers: Jones Wiedle, Bryce Carlson, Jay Hosler, Kevin Church Artists: Jones Wiedle, Frazer Irving, Jay Hosler, Jen Vaughn Publisher: Boom and KaBoom Price: $4.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Review: Infinity #5

There are certain words you can’t help but fall in love with, and use more frequently than you probably should. And I’m not just talking about words like “coccyx,” “vacillate” or “Lake Titicaca.” One such word that rubs a little lyrical Funk onto an otherwise tame vocabulary, for me it least, is “Penultimate.” More than any of its synonyms - of which, admittedly, there are few - it inspires a presence that is at once incendiary, terminal and looming. Encapsulating every inch of this definition by celebrating the stretching shadow of the axe before its fall, Infinity’s penultimate issue in its fifth part achieves the lexiconical symmetry that gets my diction good and hard.

I recently listed Infinity in the third slot of my Top Five list here at Comic Bastards, and while it’s not perfect, this book comes damn near close: an impressive feat for what many would simply (and incorrectly) accuse of being another event cash-grab from one of the Big Two.

Infinity #5In part five, one prong of the series’ multi-fanged conflagration seemingly comes to a close, with The Avengers splitting up throughout the universe to both inspire and lead the rabble of Builder-conquered worlds to freedom - in what is essentially a concise and hasty montage - before turning their attention to Thanos, whose attack on Earth rages. As much as I have enjoyed this former conflict thus far, there has been something niggling in the back of my head while reading this book, and I think this issue finally helped me figure out what that is.

As each planet is finally freed from the total (yet brief and almost inconsequential) oppression of its would-be tyrants, they each raise the banner of The Avengers, signaling that they are, like Earth, “An Avengers World.” Now, I don’t mean to get all heavy here, but to me, that image is peppered with a heavy-handed dose of colonialism: the civilized and brave Western/White Man (i.e., The Avengers, or more specifically, Thor, who the Red Skull recently pointed out as being the Aryan ideal), deliver inspiration, hope and backbone to the unfit and cowardly savages of the universe. To me, this felt a bit too much like the galactic version of the American wet dream, which I grant you makes a sort of sense, as the operation is led by the good Captain.

Now, I understand that this treatment is also a bit ironic, given how aliens in most comic book universes see Earth (most often referring to it as a “ball of mud” in some or another respect), but this lead-up to the big finish still feels a bit too loaded, nationalistically-speaking, not to mention easy. I thought that the Builder war would interact and coalesce more fully with the impending threat of Thanos, but it never really did, or at least not in the intriguing way in which I thought Hickman would be capable.

Saying that, we still do have one more issue of the Infinity series, so it’s possible that the Mad Titan’s invasion and pending infanticide - which are now firmly on-point as the main narrative - will brush shoulders with the dying gasp and flail of the Builder War, but that is going to be one frantic fold in an otherwise well-measured story. There are also the side stories in the peripheral titles like Avengers, which, according to Hickman’s classic postscript rubric, will play host to two more filler issues before the final culmination in Infinity #6, and I still have the utmost confidence in his ability to round out the story in his usual fulfilling way.

Speaking of which, with each passing issue, and particularly here, Hickman proves once again to be a deft hand at grandstanding, and I mean that completely as a compliment. I’m not sure there is another mainstream writer out there who can so completely fill his or her pages with this level of gravitas, be it in his omniscient narrator or in the dialogue shared between his characters.

Infinity #5 VariantLike the speeches for which Captain America has become so (in)famous, his story here is filled with an inspiring weight, levied well by the transitory victory celebration shared by our heroes. I’m still mildly dubious as to how this series will wrap up in its finale, but as a stand-alone issue, it still has the trepidatious anxiety that makes Infinity such a touchstone in event storytelling.

The artistic twosome of Opeña and Weaver continues to impress with uncommon rarity of quality, with only a few slight inconsistencies relegated within the portions of the book starring the Illuminati. Most everything else here feels chiseled and chipped-away, war-worn, scorched and callused. And yet, the visual team still dips into a phenomenally kinetic vigor. In its early pages, for example, there is an image of a particularly badass Hulk smash, the ferocity of which I personally haven’t seen equalled (at least in terms of interior art) for some time.

This action is similarly measured beside moments which may be quieter, but are no less scathed. Whether it’s a close-up of a scabbed and scratched, pruney purple face or the holographic sneer of one of this series’ breakout characters, The Ebony Maw, this book feels grand from afar, terrifyingly suffocating and bruised up-close, and desperately, almost tragically human.

Like I said, Infinity #5 isn’t perfect, with slightly worrying narcissistic undertones and a pace that is so furious it’s almost a blur. And yet, as an exemplar of the penultimate, this casts its shadow well with exciting flurries of action, a depth and tenor of voice that is both tremulous and booming, and a fully-realized artistic direction that has as much in common with an intricate painting as it does a well-carved chopping block. Hickman and co. have a lot to wrap up in a relatively short amount of time after this, but despite how fraught and frenzied this felt, I continue to enjoy the hell out of Infinity’s mad scramble.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artists: Dustin Weaver and Jerome Opeña Publisher: Marvel Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Do Want: Gundam Wing Zero One!

Okay this figure I would actually pay a hansom ransom for. I'm a huge Gundam Wing fan and would gladly pay shipping for this incredible figure that ships next February. It's so damn awesome and the fact that it transforms is just icing on the cake.

Attack on Titan: Female Titan Body Paint Cosplay Rules!

Well we haven't talked much about Attack on Titan this week so it's only fitting that I'd find an awesome cosplay for it. This female Titan is the shit! The model is Shelle-Chii and the artist and photographer is Jim McAvoy of ArtistiCurves. They make a great team and I hope to see more like this, and hopefully a male titan next time... no junk though that would break fiction.

Review: Crap Shoot #1

Catching up on my “pay what you want” titles, today I have one from Homesick creator Jason Walz. I like how he describes the creation of Crap Shoot, the gist being that he doesn’t have the time to commit to a large narrative and so he’s focusing on smaller stories that he’s able to finish and deliver when completed. It’s a great idea and definitely ensures that the fan base doesn’t forget about him since we all know that a majority of comic fans subscribe to the “what have you done for me lately” mind frame. The issue also has a very different set up as it includes two stories from Walz, a conversation/interview with Jeffrey Brown and a guest artist’s story. I’m going to cover the comic content because sum up a conversation third hand would be terrible, so I’ll leave the rest for you to discover for yourself.

The first story is called “Second Chance.” It’s an interesting story that begins with a child being born. The narration is in third person and it takes this event that’s happened to us all, this event that we’re all aware of but never think about and reminds you how shocking and incredible it is. That’s not where the story ends as we follow the character into maturity, but it’s this opening that grabbed me the most. It’s a great short story that is full of powerful, relatable moments.

PDF CRAP SHOOT 1-2-1The second story is called “Cosplay” and you can imagine what it’s about. The thing is the story doesn’t focus on the costumes so much as it does the people who Cosplay. And I’m not talking about their journey to becoming a cosplayer, just their mind-set. Two friends attend Comic Con dressed up and run into two women that are also dressed up, but as their “enemies.” One of the guys and one of the girls face off in a pretend battle while the other two more introverted friends take a liking to each other. It’s a cute story that gets the concept of cosplaying without trying to over complicated it or induce fake drama.

The guest creator’s story is called “The Deliberation of Psyche in Love and Mortality” and is by Trung Le Nguyen. I’ll be honest this is a story I can probably read a dozen times and take something new from it each and every time. I don’t know how to describe the story to you other than by saying that it’s inspired by Greek mythology and deals with love. The artwork is fantastic and has a huge range of skills attached to it. Every bit of the art is filled with solid colors and harsh lines and yet there is an overall softness to the look of the art. It’s definitely a great addition to the issue.

What I really enjoyed about this issue was that in a way it’s an anthology. Walz uses a range of designs for the different stories and with the mixture of a guest creator it really locks in that vibe. Also it’s kind of incredible how much work Walz has put into this issue. I’m sure certain things needed to be done on the art side in order to give the book an overall consistent look, but then when you add in the conversation (which is lengthy, but very informative) and the free music download you begin to see the effort that’s gone into it. Sure he’s not committing to a larger narrative, but maybe he’s committing to a larger amount of content.

If you just want to check out the first issue to get a feel for the series that’s cool, but I think for the amount of content that you’re getting it’s worth it to throw some money Walz’s way. The second issue is actually available as well and I will probably review it when I get a chance so feel free to check back for that or just try it out at the same time.

Score: 5/5

Writer/Artist: Jason Walz and Trung Le Nguyen Self-Published Price: Pay what you want Website

Review: This Bites #1

This Bites is about vampires; I know you’re probably like “I’m so tired of vampires” or you’re like “its Halloween… whoo! Vampires!” Whichever way you feel This Bites actually takes a fun approach the genre. Vegan vampire. That’s right go ahead and think about what being a vegan means and then add vampire to it… and now you’re getting the picture. It’s a concept that’s instantly fun, but its execution makes it even better. The story is narrated by a future version of our main character Jasper. He looks back at the night he became a vampire. He woke up to get ready for his graveyard shift at the record store only to discover he was out of soy milk for his cereal… probably some kind of vegan cereal… probably Kashi, I think that’s vegan. Anyways, he heads to the veggie mart and standing outside is an 80’s glam rock looking vampire. I mean he’s got vampire written all over him, but Jasper just carries on his merry way. On his way out the glam rock vamp bites into him. The next morning Jasper wakes up with puncture marks in his neck and his boss/friend calling him asking if he’s going to bother to come into work. Jasper doesn’t know that he’s been turned into a vampire until he arrives at work and his friend asks him about the blood on the back of his shirt.

ThisBitesReview-1This first issue really only serves to set up the plot and it’s very effective in doing so. We meet our supporting cast which is Jasper’s friend and Nana and are given the conflict of the series: Can Jasper remain a vegan while trying to cure his vampirism? It’s simple sure, but again it’s highly effective.

There isn’t a ton of dialog or narration as writer Jacques Nyemb (Not So Super) lets the artwork carry the story and it’s a wise choice. I mean I explained the entire first issue to you with two words “Vegan Vampire” so I can’t even imagine what else the characters or narration could have added that wouldn’t have detracted from the issue. Nyemb does a fine job of building the plot and keeping the story fun. There are so many visual gags about hipsters in this issue that’s the story didn’t need to be overbearing with dialogue or narration.

The art is fun and has an animated look to it. The look reminded me of Minimum Wage, but it definitely carries its own. Artist David DeGrand does a fantastic job with the visuals and as I said they carry the story. That art is where we see the visual gags and where the real narrative comes from. DeGrand captures the world of the vegan hipster that’s for damn sure. The character designs are cartoonish, but they really work with the story.

Is this an issue you’d die for, probably not. It’s very entertaining and fun, but it’s a great set up for the series to come. That’s also the problem with it; you really have to wait for the next issue to get a true idea of how the series will continue to be rather than this snap shot of the beginning. I’ll definitely be back for the next issue to see how Jasper the vegan vampire is holding up. If you want to check it out for yourself then check it out here, you can pay what you want for the book so show the creators some support and send them a few bucks so we can all get the next issue.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Jacques Nyemb Artist: David DeGrand Publisher: Not So Super Comics Price: Pay what you want Website

Review: Mr. Yang Fights Aliens #1

This book succeeds as many times as it fails. I know that’s a strange way to describe it, but that’s the truth. I laughed out loud at parts and I’m not sure I was supposed to, but there was something fun or at least entertaining about the way the story was presented, but overall it has a lot of problems. I don’t mean it as an insult when I say that it’s cheesy, but it’s very cheesy. It’s lovable because of that though. The book is from first time comic creator Mickey Lam and so I can understand why certain things are the way they are and it boils down to inexperience. The thing is that that inexperience is perhaps what makes it fun as well. There is something creatively wonderful about a product that has rough edges and hasn’t been smoothed out by the corporate machine. Some people will instantly be put off by it and I can’t blame them, but for me it had glimpses of Pinpoint to it and that made me enjoy the experience of reading it.

Mr Yang Fights Aliens LR-1The story opens up with two large panels of setting that establish that the story is taking place in London before we meet Mr. Jamie Yang, NQT. He’s talking to a parent of one of his students and is very sassy over the phone. After that we immediately meet a different student who receives the subtitle “Bad Boy” as he meets with two different teachers. They turn into aliens and eat the student and then we cut back to Yang as his boss tells him that he needs to mark his student’s books. Yang pops on a pretty cool coat and his boss inquires about it to which Yang responses with “I got it from your mum” and then peaces the fuck out for the day. After that we’re given a full-page spread of Yang standing around and thinking… and being sorry for himself. Some other stuff happens and eventually Yang is at home marking his student’s books when he hears someone call for help. He runs outside and finds a bum being sucked into a spaceship. He tries to help and gets abducted himself. Aboard the ship are a completely different species of aliens than we met before. Now Yang must fight his way off the ship and save the other abductees.

Okay I’m not opposed to thought bubbles in comics, but this book over does it. The one page splash is an incoherent bundle of thoughts that are just there. They don’t give any insight into the character other than to tell us facts about his life that aren’t relevant to the story at hand. There are plenty of more instances and really none of them help or progress the story or character development. The other thing is that there are also narrative captions/editor’s notes that also don’t really help the story or progress it. The dialogue is extremely weird at times. There’s a part where Yang finds one of his student’s abducted and it isn’t until he tells him that he saw the aliens cut off a dude’s balls and put them in a test tube that Yang really takes action. Again that’s where the cheesiness comes in.

The stories overall structure is poor. Really there’s no structure at all. The opening is disjointed and several scenes have little to nothing to do with the issue. There’s an entire scene with Yang meditating in the park that’s basically just there. The ending is also very strange as Yang obviously gets off the space ship since it’s not called “Yang Dies At Alien Hands on a Spaceship.” Usually once the objective is meet you figure the issue is done, but the story continues to go from there for several pages more.

The art isn’t bad. Mickey Lam actually sent me this book for review and really down played his skills. Sure you’re not going to find him working on a Marvel title tomorrow, but for an indie book it’s quite good. There’s still room for improvement, but there’s a style established and plenty of detail to the art which is usually missing from indie books. Yang’s hair covers his right eye throughout the book and in the beginning it’s like it’s not even there. That bothered me because I felt like you should be able to see a hint of it, but I didn’t. The action is fun as shit. Yang’s student beating the shit out of aliens was hilarious and fun. Overall it looks photo referenced which gives it a stiff look, but it’s not bad for a first comic.

This is a book that I think most people are going to love or hate. I don’t see a lot of in-betweeners because some people are going to look at it and only see the flaws and be unable to look past them, while others will only see the charm of the story and art. I’m in-between and so I can’t say you should definitely pick this book up or skip it. Lucky for you it will be available at this weekend’s Comica in the U.K. and you can check it out for yourself if you’re in the area. If you’re interested or curious you can also get it from Lam’s Esty shop which we’ll link below.

Score: 3/5

Writer/Artist/Creator: Mickey Lam Self-Published Price: Digital - $1.60 Print - $8.00 (Rough conversion) Website

Review: Next Testament #5

We slowdown in this issue, so please don’t expect blood gushing out everywhere. God and Julian want to desperately leave Hollywood. God has destroyed everything in the town. The place is in ruins, and I am not complaining. 1 God, 0 Hollywood. Julian seems less nervous about being around God. At first, we see Julian almost backing down from being God’s partner. But Julian is crazy and stays, and now he even seems to build more confidence being around this crazy crayon box. It is weird. If that were me, I would be nervous to answer the guy. Julian instead just points God to a new town, San Francisco, hoping he will like this one better than Hollywood. I can’t tell what he is going to like, hence why I am still afraid. Tristan and Elspeth are still on their journey. The couple is trying to keep some of their sanity by still being their cute selves; making jokes, complaining about each other. It shows how real the couple is. Clearly, their relationship will get tested, so we need to see how good it is beforehand. The couple meets some new characters who seem to have a big role coming up. One of them is Pastor Sam, and he is total God creep. For some reason, this fool and his fool followers think that this God is amazing. They make ridiculous claims about why God has killed so many. Well Tristan stands up for something else, and this is going to cause a huge rift. The comic just leads up to all these big events about to happen.

NextTestament_05_preview_Page_1I think this issue was made just so we could once again appreciate Haemi Jang’s art. It is incredible in this issue. Even without all the blood and guts, I still enjoyed every turn. At the very beginning, we see God telling Julian how he can travel so fast. It is through the colors, which is just a cool concept in itself, but Jang really brings it to life. I have said before that this comic isn’t for everyone, and I think it is the art that either brings you in or draws you back. For me, I love every page. The world seems so dull, but God brings in these new lights. I love the way it is done, and the symbolism behind it.

I really just can’t get enough of this comic. I fly through the issue every time. And every time I am hoping for more pages of brilliance. This week, it was a tad slow, but I think it was necessary in order to make sure the reader is real focused for the next one. God has some mighty plans up his sleeves, and Tristan is about to get himself in some very deep doo-doo with Pastor Sam.

Score: 4/5

Writers: Clive Barker and Mark Miller Artist: Haemi Jang Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Boom Officially Announces 'Bee and PuppyCat' Comic

It's a nice touch to put "of course we're doing the comic" at the bottom because who else would Cartoon Hangover suddenly partner with? That would be kind of a dick move. Anyways if you follow the Bee and PuppyCat kickstarter then you already knew about this comic. Part of me is excited about it, but I'll be honest... if there's no cartoon to accompany it then I don't know how much I'm going to enjoy it. On that note support the kickstarter!!! PROMO_Bee_Puppycat_REVISED

Review: The Powerpuff Girls #2

Well I decided to check in with this series again because I did have fun reading the first issue even if it really wasn’t created for me. It’s still predominately for kids and only kids, but there were some classic cartoon moments to enjoy in this issue. It also became very apparent that the voice acting for the series is severally missed. In the last issue we learned that Mojo Jojo wanted the antidote to Chemical X so that he could go back to being a regular monkey. The Professor of course administers it and there’s a slightly touching moment between the Professor and Jojo. It also reveals that their relationship is a bit like Curious George and the man in the yellow hat, if it had involved science and gone horribly wrong. The catch is that now Jojo is going to live with the girls and the Professor.

PPG_02-pr_Page_1The charm to this cartoon was that it almost always focused on the girls. Yes there were episodes in which the story would follow the villain or some of the supporting cast, but 95% of the time it was the girls. The reason being that it’s their world; they’re the stars. They’re actions and personalities are what give the rest of the characters their charm. Without them the world isn’t as interesting. The girls are in this issue a lot, but they aren’t. We’re really only given one scene that captures their characters and the rest of the time is spent building the plot. It made for a boring issue that wasn’t very funny and a set up for everything to go wrong in the next issue.

There are two problems with cartoon shows when adapted to comics, the first is the focus. Creators look at the characters they have and forget what the show is about which is what I’ve already talked about. I mention it again, because it’s become a common problem. The second problem is that certain characters do not translate to the page. I won’t spoil it for you, but a character with a very distinct voice makes an appearance in this issue and it fails on the page.  This is something that also happens often with cartoon adaptations because the creator’s want to get all the fan favorites in, but some characters should be left in the cartoon.

The art still manages to capture the look and style of the cartoon show, but the storytelling is choppy. I’m not even comparing it to animation now, I’m saying that compared to a normal comic book narrative it’s choppy.  Rather than feeling as a scene is playing out realistically it’s more like some describing a scene to you and using the phrase, “then this happened” over and over.

If you have a kid that’s a fan of the series then go ahead and give them this issue as they probably won’t notice or care about my criticisms, much like a die-hard of the show won’t either. For me though this series misses the mark when it comes to capturing the magic of the cartoon and frankly that’s important. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s clearly not made to capture a wide demographic either.

Score: 3/5

Writer/Artist: Tony Little Colorist: Jeremy Colwell Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search - Part III

For the better part of the year, Dark Horse has been playing out this adventure story that takes place after the Last Airbender TV show and before the Legend of Korra.  This story however, takes place while the members of Team Avatar are still quite young (i.e. no Abe Lincoln beard for Aang or threat of blood bending, Republic City, etc.). It does follow the continuum of “The Promise” story arc which was released in 2012 and directly began right where the TV series ended. “The Search Part III” is a 78-page conclusion that does wrap up the story in a nice neat package and it answers all questions that have been brought about during the previous two installments released in March and July of this year. The story up to this issue has been filled with murder, conspiracy, political intrigue, and “who’s the father” drama that might be a little more intense for the real young ones who are fans of the shows to understand or enjoy. For us older folks though, it’s all good.

“The Search” has consisted of Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Azula’s search for their mother Ursa (with the help of Team Avatar of course), and it answers questions as to what happened those many years ago when she mysteriously disappeared late in the night without a trace. All the members of the Team that we know and love have been a part of the tale thus far with the exception of Toph who conveniently sat out of this arc so to focus on her “metal bending school”.  In her replacement however is Princess Azula, fresh from a nice “stay” at a Fire Nation mental institution (It didn’t help). She is brought along to fill in for what can only be described as “psychotic relief”. Add to it two new characters, a brother and sister from the Northern Water Tribe, some Spirit World intrigue, and a setting of a mystical/creepy forest, and you have a decent story that was passed on by the Nickelodeon people for making this into a 90 minute movie.  Glad it was able to get some treatment in this medium however rather than being gone forever.

Avatar - The Last Airbender The Search Part 3 CoverThe writing and story itself is good.  Gene Luen Yang allows it to flow smoothly and with the exception of a real pedestrian explanation for “the letter” (no spoilers here), I think the overall plot is interesting and satisfying. Art wise however, it can only be described as okay. The Gurihiru studio draw the characters’ look as they should be and there is a Spirit World entity that got the artists paid. She is well done and quite well written.  In fact the entire forest sequences of Forgetful Valley are very good from the art and writing standpoint.

I was a little put off however in some of the other characters’ almost generic depictions, especially Azula.  Give the girl a little respect.  They have her drawn like a raving lunatic, looking like a modern-day Shazaam in full-blown psychosis (lots of bright lightning going on). As a fan boy, I always have found Azula to be a truly fascinating character. Here however, she is the quintessential loose cannon who continually stirs up trouble, gets bopped in the head with Sokka’s boomerang, and is being restrained like some wild animal.  Glad to see her wrap up in this tale was good though. It gives me hope for the future that Big A will one day return to be a real threat rather than an annoying inconvenience as she has been written and drawn here.

Overall, I feel that “The Search Part III” will please diehard fans of the series as it fills in some good back story and continues to add strength to the characters (minus Azula). As a casual fan however, I don’t think that this issue will be worth the investment (it is 78 pages long and lists at $10.99). I myself did enjoy the story enough to recommend it. Give it a try.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Gene Luen Yang Artist: Gurihiru Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $10.99 Release date: 10/30/2013

Review: Kiss Kids #3

The pint-sized versions of the glam rockers once again go on adventures.  “Calling Dr. Love” finds Star Child visiting the school nurse’s office over and over for some special medical attention.  ‘Field Trippin” means the gang goes to the museum for some hijinks of dinosaur proportions. In “Gah! All Night” supplies the chills and goose bumps for a fun little Halloween tale.  While in “Got to Choose” the child versions of the rockers debate pro-choice vs. pro-life issue.  Nah, I’m fucking with you.  The group tries out different types of gimmicks for their image only to learn the great lesson of being true to oneself—make up and all.

While this comic is goofy fun, it’s nothing great or fantastic.  You will get a kick out of the allusions to the songs and bands, but there’s not much more other than some fun illustrations to keep you reading all night and partying every day.

KissKids-03-pr_Page_1

Score: 3/5

Writers:  Chris Ryall and Tom Waltz Artist: Jose Holder Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Review: Itty Bitty Hellboy #3

If you would have told me that you could take the classic Dark Horse Comics' Hellboy title and turn it into a fun, kid friendly comic series... well I would have probably given you the name of a good psychiatrist because you were obviously delusional and maybe even a little bit dangerous. Hellboy is after all a cigar smoking, big gun shooting and monster evil battling demon. Demons and kids stories usually don't make it to prime time. Yet here I am, not only reading it for a review, but it is an issue #3 of all things. Means they already have two in the can. And after reading #3, I believe that it is safe to say that it should have some more issues on the way, hopefully more than the two remaining as this arc currently is supposed to be a five issue series. It quite simply is adorable! Now I never thought I would ever and I mean ever use the word "adorable" to describe anything about a Hellboy title as its dealings, though witty and fun, typically are pretty intense and concern wonderfully dark and macabre things. That said, I must say that Itty Bitty Hellboy nailed it on so many levels to make it suitable for a young audience. Using "adorable" to describe it is very fitting here. The story has everything going for it that a young child will love. And an adult, especially one which is a fan of Hellboy, they too will be able to enjoy and share this title that in the past, someone would have called social services on them if they did such an endangering thing as to share Hellboy with their young ones.

Itty Bitty Hellboy #3 CoverWith the story, everybody is here...Hellboy, Abe, Liz, Roger, et. al, and some of the baddies too with Baba Yaga being prominent in this issue (love her pail). There is intrigue, drama, adventure, and lots of pancakes. Even though the plot is fairly intense (as the gang must deal with a "relocation" to a not so desirable place),  I found the story to be very age appropriate and it may even help kids deal with fears that they would have in reading the more adult version if this title.

All the characters are very innocently drawn and likable, even the evil ones, with the plot line being entertaining enough for kids and adults. The guys behind Aw Yeah Comics are responsible for this and I can think of no better group of people as they have been down this path before with kiddie comics. This is the type of comic that the "cool" parents would present to their kids to read...And it works! It really works!

Reading the letters at the end of the story and seeing all of the artistic renderings presented by kids, it becomes obvious that the ladies and gentlemen of Dark Horse Comics are really onto something. They are inspiring a whole new generation to one of its most beloved franchises and in the process; they are inspiring the youth to develop their own skills that may in the future help them to become aspiring writers of their own.  For this, I applaud them. Likewise, I applaud writer/artist Art Baltazar and Franco for their loyalty to the brand and in making a youth oriented book in the style of Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures that stays true to its source. I highly recommend this book, especially if you have young children. Rock on guys, rock on.

Score: 4/5

Writers: Art Baltazar and Franco Artist: Art Baltazar Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 10/30/13

Season Pass For Dead Rising 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew4Vqmi9KcY Capcom will include four DLC packs with new characters, gameplay and missions. Not only that, if you do pick up the pass they'll add in,  "Nick Ramos Tribute Pack" that has a muscle car and an additional costume. Price wise the fun will run you $29.99 or you can pay $9.99 for each.  So be prepared to enjoy Dead Rising stuff like, "Operation Broken Eagle," "Fallen Angel," "Chaos Rising," and, "The Last Agent," I'm sure there will be stuff that takes place in the DLC that has zombies in it.

Yay to Season Passes...

You can live the dream on November 22, 2013.

Calvin and Hobbes Dancing Animation is The Best Thing You'll See Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWsmB4SjGJw I love the fact that Bill Watterson is never going to allow Calvin and Hobbes to be corrupted by other faucets of media. I'm okay with that. It means that people have to make fan films like this that are cool. This is going to get giffed a lot, but animator Adam beat you to  it! Also be sure to read his "About" section on youtube because he's very respectful of the material and Watterson's wishes.

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