drqshadow

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Posts posted by drqshadow

  1. But they weren't contacted by Sony lawyers. It was a seemingly random Taiwanese firm.

    If it doesn't involve a price cut (and maybe even if it does) I'm not particularly interested. I seriously doubt I'll buy a PlayStation during this generation - I love the 360 and I've already got a Blu-Ray player, so unless they bring out something totally mind blowing I'm off that wagon.

  2. Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America #5 - I was sure I'd missed the conclusion to this mini-series years ago, so when I saw it back on the shelves I snagged a copy on instinct alone. Turns out I did actually have a copy and had just forgotten everything about it. I kept waiting for something to happen, but for once we're treated to a major nonviolent event that actual remains that way. No surprise attacks from the Red Skull, no missiles pointed at the ceremony, just a grieving nation and a set of long-faced superheroes in their civvies. Cassaday's artwork floats from stirring to dull and back again several times. He sets an intense mood at the issue's onset - a slow pan back from Cap's casket, drawn by a single horse through the dreary streets of DC - but then slips up when Tony and the Falcon are delivering their eulogies. Really, really didn't like his rendition of the Thing, either. He gets a few chances to knock our socks off, via a set of flashbacks to crucial moments in Steve's life, with some more successful than others. Cap's final resting place was a nice touch, but otherwise this was just OK.

    6/10

    The Walking Dead #51 - I stocked up on every issue the local shop had on its wall this week. This one was the crown jewel. Kirkman's story has everything: action, humor, horror and a heartbreaking reveal near its conclusion that left me thinking about it for days afterward. I didn't even need to know the back story between Rick and his family to appreciate the moment, and Adlard's artwork matches the mood perfectly. Smart, succinct, successful storytelling (say that ten times fast) with effortless dialog and top-notch characterization makes this title worthy of all the praise. This is the way to jump into a new series - one of my favorite single issues of the year.

    10/10

    The Walking Dead #52 - Not quite as accessible as the previous issue. A few familiar faces pop up this month, which left me feeling like a bit of an outcast. Kirkman doesn't make them intimidating or anything, but he also makes it clear that they share a long, rich history with the leads that I'm unaware of. Adlard's artwork may be better than last month, though... some of these compositions are jaw-dropping in their simplicity, while still managing to fill the page with an incredible level of detail. More than any of the other issues I've read, (of which there are now a few) this didn't stand on its own and felt like part one of a lengthy story arc. It's still great, but a few steps below perfection.

    8/10

    The Walking Dead #53 - The reunion continues, with a few unexpected party crashers. If I was feeling left out by the joyous reconciliation last month, that feeling was multiplied by three this month, as Rick and friends stroll into an entire village of old friends. The plot keeps moving along at a good clip, though, and each "new" face gets enough time to themselves that I was able to easily identify every personality before the end of the issue, which was missing from last month's story. I love that: Kirkman is so careful to make new readers feel welcome, while at the same time rarely holding anything back from his die-hards. There's something new and exciting for everybody.

    9/10

    The Walking Dead #54 - Didn't take long for a few tempers to flare. What's nice is that the narration never chooses sides, doesn't designate a charming good guy or a dark, myserious bad guy. It's just two perspectives on a common problem that don't exactly line up. This cast is almost strong enough to write for themselves, so all Kirkman needs to do is introduce a moral quandry and toss in a herd of zombies to produce some serious drama. I'm not sure about the new additions to the cast just yet, but they're nothing if they aren't colorful and that's a good first step in my book. It's a little bit dialog-heavy in the first half, but I don't know how else the situation could have unfolded.

    9/10

    Also, two contributions to IIWY? this week: Buck Rogers #0 and Viking #1.

    Comics: 82, TPB: 5, Graphic Novel: 1

  3. James, my deepest condolences. Having lived through the slow degradation and eventual demise of my original Rock Band drums, I know the kind of guilt, frustration and loss you're going through. Even now, I see the wear and tear accumulating on my RB2 set and understand, one day, I'll have to wave another tearful goodbye.

    Good bye, sweet friend. May your kick pedal shake the heavens.

  4. Dark Avengers #4 - Well, shit, did this concept just click into place? I think it did! Between Doom surprising me by sensibly shooting down Osborn's suggestion they toy with the past, and Bullseye exchanging pleasantries with Venom on the battlefield, this issue was just plain fun. Maybe I missed out on something by skipping Thunderbolts all this time, but the idea of a teamful of genuinely rotten supers just feels right to me at the moment. It certainly makes a nice change of pace from the usual stilted, buddy-buddy tone of mainstream hero books. Of course, they aren't doing anything particularly noteworthy, but the character interactions are enough to compensate for now. Deodato's artwork has its highs and lows - I really didn't care for his take on Moonstone as a walking, talking sex object wearing body paint. The rest of the team looks fine, though. I'm glad I took the plunge and started up on this series; I needed something to replace Mighty Avengers in my pull list.

    7/10

    Comics: 75, TPB: 5, Graphic Novel: 1

  5. Well, James, then you'll be pleased to hear that all your effort will not need to be duplicated for the XBLA version. All characters and costumes will be unlocked right from the get-go. The price point is indeed 1200 MS points, as well.

    Source

    I may or may not pick this up. I was stoked for SSF2THDR but haven't played much of it at all, and I can't help but think it'll be the same with MvC2.

  6. Thanks, gang!

    Mike, believe it or not I had it marked down as a borrow initially, then changed my mind when I realized I had almost nothing negative to say about it. In retrospect, I think I agree with you - it's a strong borrow, rather than a weak buy.

  7. After much gnashing of teeth, I was finally moved to upgrade my HDD to the 120gb model. Bastards, asking $150 for that much space when I can get a TB for less than a hundred...

    Happily, I've noticed a significant improvement in the speed of my console since the addition.

  8. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - Hadn't read this one in ages! Although the MSRP is now nearly than triple the $3.95 I originally paid for it, that's still a bargain. What I found most impressive about it this time around is how much story Augustyn and Mignola fit into such a short amount of space. This is an entire trade's worth of plot development smashed into a novel that's scarcely bigger than two single issues, but it doesn't feel hurried, rushed or any shorter than it needs to be. The concept of a Victorian Batman works even better than you'd expect, although he only appears in-costume for a few short scenes. Though I wasn't entirely taken by the whole Bats vs. Jack the Ripper dynamic, it's refreshing to see a one-shot Bruce Wayne period piece with only a fleeting mention of the Joker, so kudos for that. And Mignola, naturally, is Mignola. This came fairly early in his career, so his work isn't quite as refined as it later became, but I wouldn't trust these characters in this era to any other artist and he delivers. A very solid book, good for a short afternoon's entertainment, that doesn't overstay its welcome.

    8/10

    Daredevil #118 - I'm not really sure what to say about that issue. Brubaker had me hooked on his run almost from the word go, but these last two arcs have really let me down. It's tough to root for a guy when he's interested in nothing more than constantly digging himself into a deeper hole, and that's all Matt's been doing for the last few years. Which isn't exactly new... in fact, it seems like that's been a golden ticket to surefire success on this title over the years. But where Miller, Bendis and even Kevin Smith succeeded by dragging Murdock through the wringers, Brubaker is stumbling. I think it's because he's robbed the character of his vigor. Matt just doesn't care any more, so watching him fall further and further into trouble is starting to seem like whipping the handicapped. We've got some serious potential in the machinations behind the scenes here, especially considering the bombshell Foggy drops midway through this month, but it's all being lost on an unrewarding main plotline. The mix-and-match artists of this arc really aren't working, either. Call this disappointing through and through.

    4/10

    Ex Machina#41 - Well, that was quite the cold open. I've been lukewarm to this series for quite a while, but the opening dialog this month was just what I was waiting for. Finally we've got some direction, both inside and outside the mayor's office, and I'm anxious to see how it all plays out. I also can't imagine Mayor Hundred is nearly as naive about January's real intentions as Vaughan is making it seem, although he does have some kind of penchant for writing innocent, gullible male leads so who really knows. Tony Harris has been solid on this series from the start, and shows no signs of relenting now. It's nice when your patience with a slow series finally pays off.

    8/10

    New Avengers #52 - I'll be honest: I've never been a fan of Dr. Strange. I know the guy has his share of support, but I've just never been any less than completely turned off by the whole "mystic arts" corner of the Marvel Universe. My eyes glaze over, I have to read speech bubbles three or four times over just to get the jist; it's almost a chore to get through. So, naturally I'm not all that taken by this arc, which focuses almost entirely on Strange's search for a successor. It's a different angle on the subject, with the Doc stepping down as Sorceror Supreme of his own volition, but I simply cannot get into it. On the visual side, Chris Bachalo's guest-spots aren't quite as good here as they were last month, but they still bring the right emotions to the right places. Sadly, Billy Tan is also providing artwork for this series, and he remains disgracefully bad. I think Ms. Marvel had six cheekbones in one panel. This is not my cup of tea.

    3/10

    Also, two contributions to IIWY? this week: DMZ #41 and The Walking Dead #60.

    Comics: 74, TPB: 5, Graphic Novel: 1

  9. Call this the catchup edition.

    Marvel Knights: Angel #3 - Issue #2 was nowhere to be found. Maybe I should have popped for the TPB collection. I kept waiting for something terrible to happen in this issue, but instead it caught me by surprise by focusing on Warren's jubilation in response to the sprouting of his wings. I've read the same old "mutant gets new powers, freaks out, gets run out of town by villagers with torches" angle so many times that it was really nice to see the other side of that coin, a kid who's utterly stoked about his mutation. Some of the developments hinted at the end of the issue weren't quite so unusual or even original, but hey, good with the bad.

    8/10

    Marvel Knights: Angel #4 - Adam Pollina's artwork continues to blow me away within this series. In issue #3 he took my breath away with a full-page spread revealing the breadth of Warren's wings for the first time, and here he stunned me with another gorgeous cover and several more masterpieces inside. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa quickly and neatly wrote his way out of the infuriating little corner he'd worked his way into at the end of last month and set the stage for the big finale next time around. Probably the weakest issue of the series, as some of the kids' antics push the limits of believability, but overall it's still worth reading.

    6/10

    Marvel Knights: Angel #5 - Keeps up a frantic pace from front to back, which is all you can really ask of a mini-series concluding issue. Pollina rebounds nicely from a shaky start to deliver on some of the best moments of the series, particularly when he allows a driving rainstorm to take shapes not entirely unlike Van Gogh's Starry Night. I was hoping for a slightly longer touch on Angel's transition from student to X-Man, but I don't think the story really needed it and this already has enough going on as it is. I'm really glad I took a chance on this series, it was a good reminder of what the core X-Men books used to be like, ages and ages ago. Just a cluster of kids going through some unprecedented changes together, trying to help each other find the courage to carry on.

    8/10

    Kingdom Come #3 - The spark. Waid and Ross spent three issues building up this house of cards, and I could almost feel their shared excitement as they filled their lungs with enough air to blow it all back down again. It's great to watch the individual arcs of all this book's supporting characters - Von Bach, Power Girl, the Satanist guy with nipple piercings... they each have a clearly defined progression and if you look in enough corners the whole world is laid out right there for you. This issue had so many enormous moments, it's tough to keep count. Clark and Diana discussing life, the universe and everything in the vacuum of outer space, Bruce's ultimate redemption, Captain Marvel's sudden, jarring arrival... this series deserves all the credit it gets. As a consistent detractor of Alex Ross's, that isn't especially easy for me to admit. This is his finest work, and it's more than likely the same story for Mark Waid.

    10/10

    Kingdom Come #4 - One of the best fight scenes ever, and undoubtedly the most shocking conclusion to one. It's been so long since I read this issue, that final climactic moment at the end of the brawl literally left my jaw agape. Again. What's amazing about this issue is that it can do mindless violence while at the same time carrying on a fascinating dialog on each corner of the battlefield. It merges dozens of ongoing plot threads without feeling complicated or losing touch with the essence of its message. And at the end of it all, Kingdom Come doesn't tell you who was in the right and who was in the wrong. That judgment is left for the reader to decide. Terrific ending to an all-around epic mini-series. And I never use the word "epic."

    10/10

    Also, two contributions to IIWY? this week: Timestorm - 2009/2099 #1 and Daredevil Noir #1. One of which I'd already read, so it doesn't really count.

    Comics: 69, TPB: 5

  10. I'm home now, and can report that I left out Avail (x2), The Suicide Machines, (twice, both before the original drummer left and they started to suck) They Might Be Giants, The B-52's, The Descendents, Weezer (in support of the Blue album), That Dog, Ani DiFranco, The Supertones, Ghoti Hook and Weird Al.

  11. I struggle to recall. Over the years I've seen Primus probably a half dozen times, Ween several times, The Cure thrice, Duran Duran, Ozzy, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Reverend Horton Heat, Blue Oyster Cult, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beastie Boys, Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Flaming Lips, The Breeders, Toadies, The Killers, Tool, Rob Zombie... I've kept many of the ticket stubs, so I'll probably add more later this evening when I can take a look.

    My most recent show was Dan Deacon in Tallahassee last weekend. It was phenomenal.

  12. I haven't read the book but it should be noted that this is not intended as an event and has not even been treated as one from marketing so let's not get on that bandwagon just yet.

    That's good criticism. Although I used the word twice, I wasn't exactly expecting an event from this issue. I was more bemoaning the fact that there's almost no action whatsoever, which is especially weird for a double-sized superhero book.

    Reading back over it, I can see how you got that impression from the review. :P

  13. Marvel Knights: Angel #1 - I guess I missed this series when it was first being published. Stumbled across the entire run on the shelf this past week, when I didn't have anything new in my pull file. The writing is terribly corny at parts, and it's tough to look past the glaring flaws in continuity, but underneath all of that is a strangely appealing story about a kid who doesn't know why his body is turning on him. This is a five-issue mini, and I can already tell how it's going to play out just from the way everything's been set up, but I fully intend to see it through anyway. A big part of the reason is Adam Pollina's artwork. I've been aware of him for ages, appreciating him from a distance, but this is the first time I've seriously inspected one of his books. It's downright gorgeous and refreshingly original. I love the exaggerated bodies and bizarre accents he grants to each character, and he sets a scene like few others. Angel wouldn't be worth a second glance without his aid

    7/10

    Daredevil: Noir #1 - I know, the premise alone sounds like an exercise in redundancy. The regular Daredevil series has been an excellent example of modern noir for years now, why bother giving it an out-of-continuity, genre-specific mini-series? (Man, that's a lot of hyphens) Strangely enough, it's actually worth a closer look. Tomm Coker's artwork is breathtaking, and could easily carry the show by its lonesome. Sharp, vivid linework, beautiful decaying cityscapes in the background, efficient use of pointillism and constant throwbacks to the early days of comics abound, and I couldn't get enough. The story's no slouch, either - it's both familiar and foreign. Matt still has the same powers, but he's a private eye instead of a lawyer. He still wears red, but the costume looks more homemade. As someone who's getting really sick of all the retellings going on these days, it's nice to see one story that can manage to do so without making me yawn.

    8/10

    Deadpool: Suicide Kings #1 - I've never been a frothing Deadpool fanboy, but I had nothing else in mind when the guy at the counter suggested I pick up the last remaining issue left on the shelf and I'm glad I did. This won't make you go into deep thought or anything, but sometimes it's nice to shut off your brain and climb on board a roller coaster. Suicide Kings reminds me of the early days of Spider-Man, when you could just jump in and have some fun without worrying about a big, heavy melodrama falling into your lap. Of course, there weren't quite as many guns, deaths or explosions in those old issues as there are here, but some things have to change with the times. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record by this point, but the big star of this show was the artwork. Carlo Barberi is a great compliment to the character and the tone of the story - he never takes himself too seriously, and that's liberating. All around a fun little package.

    7/10

    Also, two contributions to IIWY? this week: The Flash: Rebirth #1 and Dead Romeo #1

    Comics: 63, TPB: 5

  14. RONIN

    So I took a little detour from Frank Miller's Daredevil to check out this little baby, which my buddy had picked up on a whim. He said he never finished it and after finishing it, I really understand why, it's terribly DULL.

    I don't disagree, but I think it's one of those books that grows on you over time. I'd compare it to Blade Runner - the first couple of times through I really didn't care for it because it seemed so bleak, dry and emotionless. In subsequent viewings, though, I slowly started to fall in love with it. Now it's one of my favorite movies. I wouldn't quite say the same about Ronin, but I definitely think there's more to enjoy if you can get past that first reading.

    Miller's artwork really is revolutionary in that book, too. There was nothing even close to that in the mainstream market at the time it was published.

  15. New Avengers #51 - This reads like a lesson in good visual storytelling, with Billy Tan providing a fascinating example of what not to do and Chris Bachalo repeatedly stepping in to show us the way it's supposed to be. Bachalo is showing glimpses of his old form this month, particularly on the splash pages - his rendition of Dormammu on the issue's first page is breathtaking, and his take on the Cowl midway through is even better. Tan, meanwhile, seems to have replaced Clint Barton's head with a pumpkin and broadened his shoulders beyond any semblance of reality. I didn't even recognize Carol Danvers until someone addressed her by name, three or four pages after she'd appeared. Kind of a filler issue, with a few cute character moments but nothing I'd have been sore about missing. Sure

    Spider-Man unmasked in front of the team

    and all, but that kind of lost its impact the first time it was done (and then immediately undone) and within two pages he's

    bouncing around on a rooftop without it

    like nothing's wrong. Whaaaat?! I'm thinking about ripping the Billy Tan pages out of this issue and pretending that's the way it's supposed to be read.

    6/10

    Daredevil #117 - An off month from both Michael Lark and Ed Brubaker. Lark's artwork feels excessively simple this month; his lines are thicker and clunkier than usual, and he's missing the emotion that usually characterizes his work. Murdock has almost completely lost touch with reality, taking stupid risks as Daredevil that should've damned him but have instead rolled right off his back. He's fighting a losing battle to keep the wife he doesn't truly want, beating down the middle man with little justification and getting into arguments with the Kingpin's cronies on his front doorstep. Surely the media and the feds haven't abandoned his case so quickly? He feels like a guy who's lashing out in all directions, someone who's about to get burned, and I'm not sure I like that direction. Also, the Kingpin's return to New York hasn't reverberated nearly as loudly as I'd hoped.

    6/10

    Top 10: Season Two Special #1 - This was, hands down, my absolute favorite of the ABC titles Alan Moore published early in the decade. Sadly, if not unexpectedly, it hasn't held up nearly as well without Moore's loving touch. It still benefits from the fantastic setting, the giant supporting cast and the skewed perspectives that were established in "Season One," but it feels hollow. These look like many of the same characters I loved in the first series, they've just been lobotomized. Gone are the inventive superpowered crimes, the colorful police force and the heartfelt nods to pop culture in the background. In their place is a single lead character (who, aside from her purple skin, is completely unrecognizable) a watered down courtroom drama and much more blunt, obvious visual puns strewn around the page. This isn't all that bad of a story, but it sure as hell isn't worthy of the name. Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder and this series wasn't as good as I'd remembered.

    5/10

    Wolverine Saga #1 - Freebie I was handed at the checkout counter when I made last week's purchase, I guess intended to fill everybody in just in time for his big motion picture later this summer. This is an all-encompassing retelling of every noteworthy moment in Logan's life, and has basically informed me that he's already met every single character in the Marvel Universe, often before they became heroes or villains. It's all text, spiced up with random panels from memorable issues featuring the character. Nice to have it all collected in one place, but reading it in one sitting, it becomes obvious just how ridiculous, overthought and convoluted his history really is. So he fought in six different wars, fell deeply in love with a busload of lovely ladies and lost/regained his memory weekly for over forty years? And he's only been in-costume since the '90s? After working my way through this, I'm now of the opinion that no further paper needs to be dedicated to the character because every possible storyline involving him has already been told three times over. Cripes.

    2/10

    Also, two contributions to IIWY? last week and two this week: Battle for the Cowl #1, BPRD: The Black Goddess #3, Groom Lake #1 and Sherlock Holmes & Kolchak: The Night Stalker #1

    Comics: 56, TPB: 5