IMAGE Wytches 3 by Snyder, Jock and Hollingsworth
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Wytches 3 cover by Jock and Hollingsworth |
Issue #3 plays on some of the darkest fears we can have. Writer Scott Snyder is playing it close to home, as testified in the post issue notes of the issue, by bringing to the fore every parents' worst nightmare—the missing child fear.
Elaborating on this, Snyder explains that the extrapolated concern is the need for a parent to protect their child and the helplessness they feel when this is impossible, such as from the Wytches.
At the heart of this, Snyder is exploring a richer aspect of the psychotic realm of human nature. This is the capacity for atrocity and harm against one another. The idea of the pledge, which is fleshed out a little more in the third issue, is nothing more than a device one person can use against another to bring harm by way of the Wytches. This replaces a more personal sense of conflict, but the damage can still be the same, if not worse.
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The Wytches will get you! |
It goes without saying that the imagery in Wytches from Jock and Matt Hollingsworth is more akin to art in the more traditional sense of the term than that associated with comic books. There is a style here that is unique and striking. It has to be read as a whole experience to appreciate the collaboration between art and story and the creators as a whole.
The process pages from Hollingsworth at the end of the issue, which details how the colors are added to the inked pages from Jock, are eye opening. The steps involved and time it must take to render the final effect makes the reader appreciate just what is involved on producing a high quality comic such as this.
IMAGE continues to produce dazzlingly high quality comics and Wytches is out selling the creators expectations as a series. Given this, what do you think about this issue or the series so far? Does it meet your expectations? How does it compare to other work by these creators? Make sure you leave a comment below.
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Storm #6 cover by Stephanie Hans |
Storm #6 picks up straight after the events of Yukio's betrayal of Storm's trust and the battle of the clans in Vegas.
Storm is indignant about the events we saw in the previous issue, and is heading home aboard a private charter plane. The mix of passengers on board is used to great effect by writer Greg Pak, each playing a role in the drama of the current issue. Between a medical courier, a politician, and a snobby upper-class women who has an anti-mutant attitude, Pak has an eclectic mix of support characters in this issue. It is great to see each used in a meaningful way here and from the cliff hanger ending in the next issue.
Pak's writing has been of a high class, consistently throughout this series. Issue #6, however, is an issue that's in transition. Pak is bridging the first part of the series, which has dealt with various figures from Storm's past, with a forward looking story in this issue, building up on a plot that will span multiple issues.
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Storm boards a flight to trouble |
Combining the artistic differences in this issue with the story's transitional feeling means that Storm #6 does feel like an in-between issue in the series. Despite this, the issue has a nice flow and set action piece, which show cases Storm's increasing confidence with her powers. We have a good set upon this issue, which looks to be rounded off in the next.
What did you think about Storm #6? How did you find the different art team? If you have been following the Save Storm campaign for the series, what do you think about the extra attention the series is receiving being from this? Make sure tell us your thoughts and leave a comment below.
On episode 14 of the Fanboys Anonymous Group Meeting podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about what the good and the bad things that happened in 2014 as far as nerd culture goes.
What were some of our favorite moments where we geeked out and some of the times when being a fanboy was painful to experience? What were the best and the worst aspects of the entertainment industry, pop culture, and everything else from our perspective?
Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Mike Paden, Stephen Wago, Shaun Walker and Drew White.
Some topics we address:
- Movies that were incredibly successful or box office bombs
- Our favorite television shows from the 2013-2014 or 2014-2015 seasons
- The songs that got stuck in our head or we couldn't stand hearing
- The Fappening, The Interview, and other hacks
- Tales from conventions representing Fanboys Anonymous
- and more!
The Dace Man Show Ep 79 - Merry Dace-Mas (2014 Recap Show)
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 79 of The Dace Man Show with host Chris "The Dace Man" Dace as he takes a look back at 2014!
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
On episode 9 of the 4 Reel Movie Club podcast, Fanboys Anonymous members give their thoughts on four Christmas classics for the holiday season.
Carnage no more…? Not so fast! You haven't even read my review yet! Welcome to my review of the final chapter of one of the best Carnage comic book miniseries in recent years, AXIS: Carnage #3.
In the last issue, Carnage saved reporter Alice Gleeson from the marauding and macabre Sin Eater, a wraith seemingly resurrected from Spider-Man and Venom's past. Carnage takes the opportunity given to him to learn about how to be a good person and a hero from Alice, of whom he's grown fond and idolizes as "one of the good'uns," to paraphrase from his other appearance in the main Avengers & X-Men: AXIS event series. Being good isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Carnage struggles to cope with his inner demons as the Sin Eater continues to hunt Alice down in his serial murder spree.
This issue picks up after Sin Eater has captured Alice once again, leaving Carnage in the sights of a pair of surface-to-air missiles and certain doom. In his brief stay in limbo at the gates of heaven, the angelic aspect of Alice delivers to Carnage a familiar, yet mispronounced Uncle Ben motto as one of the greatest lessons a hero can learn before he pulls himself back into the land of the living. Now, as far as Rick Spears is stretching Carnage's invulnerability to the point of indestructibility against friggin' missiles, one should note that the symbiote and Cletus Kasady have evolved so much throughout the years they've been bonded that they have become something of a comparative powerhouse—a Superior Carnage, if you will. (I suggest reading Superior Carnage to catch my drift.)
Alice finally uncovers the truth behind the Sin Eater's secret identity (it's rather convoluted, but hey—that's comics for ya'!) and Carnage ultimately saves the day only to learn one final lesson about being a hero. Spears leaves Carnage as a bright-eyed do-gooder in the end so Cletus' redemption story could continue in AXIS, but despite the new status quo for the character, I feel that this is the best next step for him. The way Spears redeemed Carnage was just thematically fitting and, more importantly, satisfying. I'm hoping we get to see more stories after AXIS and Carnage's upcoming cameo in Nova in which he gets to be a hero—a new Lethal Protector, for the lack of one. (Sorry, Broxin [Eddie Brock as Toxin], but you'll get that title back when creators start including you in comics again!)
Once again, Germán Peralta and Rain Beredo outdo themselves with the art in this issue. Their combined skills and style, to me, are very reminiscent of those of Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire's—two of my favorite modern artists and Marvel superstars. I still have issues with Peralta giving Carnage a tongue, but I think I'm going to overlook this minor blemish this time around.
AXIS: Carnage #3 gets 5 out of 5 stars for both the writing and art, leaving me more than impressed with this tie-in series overall. If you've read this issue, what were your thoughts on the way Carnage was redeemed as a hero? Would you like to see him get his own series with the new status-quo, or do you want him to be the villain you loved him as again? What could this All-New Carnage (hint-hint, Marvel!) angle mean for his relationship with Spider-Man and Eddie Brock? Let us know in the comments section below, and keep following Fanboys Anonymous for more comic book reviews by yours truly. Also, don't forget to check out The Venom Site for all of your symbiote news, reviews, and point-of-views!
Speaking of Carnage, why not play the brand-new Venom pinball table from Zen Studios available on Steam and iOS and Android devices? It features Carnage, too!
Viola Davis is Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad - Plus Details of a Batman v Superman Script!
Earlier in the week, Latino Review broke a scoop they'd apparently been working on cracking for a while. It's another addition to the Suicide Squad cast, one that should have implications for further DCU films. It's reported that Viola Davis has been cast as Amanda Waller in David Ayer's "Dirty Dozen with superheroes" flick.
As we ourselves reported not long ago, there were a number of actresses considered for the part, among them Octavia Spencer, Kerry Washington, and even Oprah Winfrey. Viola Davis won out in the end, and now the studio is trying to figure out how to work around her TV schedule, as Davis headlines the ABC show How To Get Away With Murder.
In DC continuity, Amanda Waller starts her career as a congressional aide, a political operator who rises to the highest levels of covert government operations and eventually takes charge of Task Force X, the Suicide Squad. Because of the number of villains cycling through the Squad, Waller often crosses over into many heroes' stories, coming into consistent conflict with Batman, among others. For a long time, she worked closely with Lex Luthor under interesting circumstances (Luthor was elected President of the United States, but that's another story).
It's said that Jesse Eisenberg will play a part in Suicide Squad as well, reprising his Batman v Superman role as Lex Luthor, so this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as they say. Waller tends to be near whenever anything shadowy happens in the DCU, so look for her not just in this film but in others to come—though I should say that there are no details for how many films Davis is contracted for.
Speaking of Batman v Superman, there have been a few more rumors given new life by information supposedly gleaned from a Chris Terrio draft of the script dated a month before production began. While that isn't the final shooting script, and the script could even change over the course of postproduction (gotta love modern Hollywood), it's likely reliable info, at least for the general direction of the film if not the absolute specifics.
Addressing fan concerns over Superman's wantonly destructive actions, the Man of Steel in this film is apparently not at all happy about having to kill Zod in his first film. He even goes on to tell another villain, later in the film, that he'll take him to jail rather than "snap his neck." And for the more spoiler-minded, during a major fight in Batman v Superman, General Swanwick tells his men that Superman will shift the fight away from populated areas, another response to the major damage done to both Smallville and Metropolis in Man of Steel.
Whom is he fighting? That's a BIG spoiler. I'll post a picture at the very end for the more curious. Otherwise, how do you think the DC Cinematic Universe (the DCCU?) is shaping up? Discuss below, and be merry about it!
Ready?...
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Boom. |
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Nightcrawler #9 cover by Nauck and Rosenberg |
Nightcrawler is up against the heroic teachers from the Jean Grey School, who have been possessed by an old and deadly foe: the Shadow King. On top of this the Crimson Pirates are thrown in the mix for a bit of fun.
Issue #9 of Nightcrawler continues the story set up in the previous issue but is spliced with flashbacks to the Xavier School for the Gifted days of the X-Men. Approaching it in this manner, writer Chris Claremont uses familiar territory to flesh out more of the plot. I am not entirely convinced that this adds a lot for the audience, but it does feel fondly nostalgic.
As a series, Nightcrawler has a lot of action and appeals to a wide audience. It is a straightforward and uncomplicated story, involving a large number of recognizable X-Men characters. In addition to the diverse cast, Claremont's story continues to be dialogue heavy, giving letterer Travis Lanham plenty to do in this issue. Despite the unsubtle approach to narrative, the plot is quite linear, clear, and holds itself together well. Given this, artist Todd Nauck streamlines an aerobatic and swashbuckling adventure around the character rapport.
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Nightcrawler trains with the X-Men |
Nauck continues a strong run of form for the series. His style is complementary to Claremont's approach to the story. As a result, pages of art flow in a consistent manner with an even balance. A nice standout in this issue, Nauck's work on the flashback settings has the right feel and pays homage to past interpretations of X-Men characters. To bring the art to life, Rachelle Rosenberg provides vivid colors that are sharp and crisp.
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A possessed Psylocke tracks down Bess |
Rosenberg focuses on characters, with their colors the dominant feature on each page; the backgrounds, while beautiful, are thus relegated to a lesser role. By doing this, Rosenberg works well with Nauck and Claremont to make this a character-driven story, which is where Nightcrawler hits the mark as a series.
What do think of how the characters are driven in Nightcrawler?
What do you think the strengths of the series are?
Leave your thoughts below or post a message on our Facebook page, and come back next time to see our response.
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Amazing X-Men #14 cover by Kris Anka |
After the high of last month's issue, Amazing X-Men is back under the regular creative team, but this time seems a little different.
Don't worry, this is a good thing.
When the World War Wendigo arc concluded, the story, while still fun to read, was a little flatter than when it had begun. However, things seemed to be changing for the better in the series now, as this issue solidifies the keen storytelling dynamics that helped launch the series last year.
So what is this change?
Amazing X-Men #14 has heart. There is feeling behind the storytelling and art, and it leaves the reader with the distinct experience that comes from feel-good comics.
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The inversion spell shakes things up for Nightcrawler and Mystique |
It is great to see Chris Yost pick up some of the threads unraveled in the first arc of the series. The implications of Nightcrawler trading his soul to return to the land of the living haven't yet been fully explored by Marvel. In issue #14, we begin to see the peril of this dawn on Nightcrawler's mother, Mystique. Her own new sense of morality comes from the inversion caused by the spell from the Scarlet Witch and Dr Doom in AXIS. As with any big publisher's comic event, it is sometimes the stories on the periphery that turn out to be the most interesting. This issue is one such example.
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Nightcrawler in the moon light |
The combination of the past couple of issues and the quality of the artistic team bode well for the next arc of Amazing X-Men. I hope that we see the continuity issues sorted out that hindered the previous arc, because the "Once and Future Juggernaut" has the potential to be a great story.
With the fallout from AXIS spilling to various corners of the Marvel Universe, what did you think of Amazing X-Men #14? The current artistic team seems to have settled in now, do you like their style? What do you want to see from next month's issue?
Hit us with your thoughts down below, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook and leave a comment there.
The crew at Press Start decides to take to the discussion lounge one last time this year in order to chat about their experiences with this year in gaming. They also go over what they're looking forward to seeing in 2015! Warning: Opinions ahead!
What are your thoughts about the year 2014 in gaming? If you ask this producer about what the best titles of 2014 are, I'd have to say (in no particular order) Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls II, and Shovel Knight are the top three title released this year! What about you? Let us know in the comments below.
Press Start films weekly and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The Dace Man Show Ep 78 - The Dace Report: Ode to Truthiness
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 78 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Nicholas Andrew, and Tricia Bell.
::SPORTS NEWS::
- NHL Rankings
- NFL week 15 is in the books!
- Plus more
- Dropped his briefs.
- Top 10 Colbert Report Moments according to EW Online.
- The Colbert Report Final Show on the horizon
- Spiderman to Marvel?
- Plus more…
Plus Gibby Sings! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
South Park Audio Commentary "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" (Season 1 Episode 9) – FanTracks #13
On episode 13 of the Fanboys Anonymous FanTracks podcast, the panel continues its Christmas-themed television shows series by providing commentary for perhaps our shittiest episode of FanTracks yet:
Season 1 - Episode 9 - "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo"
(original air date December 17, 1997)
After a short introduction, you will be told when to sync up your copy of the episode so you can follow along with our commentary. Follow the links below to listen to the podcast on either YouTube, iTunes, or Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Subscription models have rapidly dominated the entertainment market with Netflix leading movie and television streaming and Spotify leading in music. The pay-per-month deal is an attractive offer for those who frequently binge-watch movies and whole TV series late at night where no one can see their baggy eyes and mounds of junk food (one more episode, I swear!). Now, in an attempt to lure movie lovers off their couches and back into the theater, AMC will pilot their own monthly subscription service: unlimited movies for a flat rate of $35.
AMC, the second-largest movie theater chain behind Regal Entertainment with close to 5,000 movie screens around the country, has partnered with MoviePass to test run a subscription service that allows members to see one film a day for a monthly fee of $35 for standard films and $45 for IMAX and 3D.
According to the Denver Post, AMC Theaters and MoviePass will test market the service, called MoviePass Premium, in metro Denver and Boston AMC theaters in hopes to revive the steady decline in theater attendance. With the box office reaching an all time low in summer ticket sales since 2001 (no movie topped $300 million), MoviePass Premium may drive extra traffic to theaters. It's an ambitious plan, but like both the music and news industries, film is fighting a tough battle with the Internet.
Since 2007, moviegoing has seen a downward trend among young adults, as reported in Nielsen's 2014 Moviegoing Report released last week. Audiences between the ages of 12 and 24 years old had a 15.5 percent decrease, seeing an average of 7.1 movies a year, one point less than the relatively stable 25 to 44 age group.
"Millennials are consuming things differently, and that includes going to the movies," Stacy Spikes, MoviePass's chief executive and co-founder told the New York Times.
Streaming content instantly appeals more to young adults, initiating the decline as an unlimited amount of movies are readily made available for just $8 a month on Netflix or found for free elsewhere on the Internet. According to the Nielsen Report, 87 percent of young adults say they stream movies or TV shows, with more than 60 percent stating they've streamed at least two films in a single day. That same age group are reportedly more likely to see a movie in a theater as a group and rely on social media as a trusted source of movie information.
To combat that trend, AMC's average ticket prices increased 5.3 percent this year to $9.48, according to the New York Times, and reach as high as $15 in New York City, making this is a great deal for film enthusiasts that will take full advantage each month—even if you see at least three movies each month, it still saves you enough money for popcorn.
This isn't the first time AMC attempted to gauge consumer interest; last month they offered unlimited viewings of Interstellar to AMC Stubs members for $19.99. However, while theaters will be paid full price for every admission, they will need to rely on moviegoers to not actually increase their attendance. It's a simple economics trick that works similar to gym membership: "Some overuse, a lot underuse," Spikes told the New York Times.
The subscription service is expected to launch Jan. 5 and will be available on a limited basis, allowing subscribers to see any movie only once. Additional cities will be added based on the success rate of the service. "This is something we'd have to figure out and road-map together," Spikes told Denver Post. "We will follow whatever patterns we see."
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 77 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, Nicholas Andrew, and Tricia Bell.
- NHL Rankings
- NFL week 14 is in the books!
- Plus more
- Lots of hate crimes going on in the world.
- The Dace Man takes over the segment and gives you the Top 10 states where hate crimes are committed.
- Sony Hacking Crisis!
- P-Diddy takes a swing at Drake
- Plus more…
Plus Gibby Sings! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Colb-Era End of An Era: A Look Back at The Colbert Report
Fanboys Anonymous hosted a special Group Meeting retrospective podcast dedicated to The Colbert Report in honor of the series finale.
Strap in and Better Know A Colbert Report, as Chris "The Dace Man" Dace and Mike Paden give you all the truthiness the nation can handle.
After nine years Stephen Colbert will be signing off on Comedy Central one last time but before he gives his final word, join us as we look back at the memories Stephen has left for us.
After serving a grateful Fanboy Nation, we the Fanboys, salute you for your service. Thank you for the memories and best of luck at CBS!
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime