Fanboys Anonymous

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys out there.


MOVIES

The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

My take: Sorry, I was a little late in seeing it, and short of wading through yet another review, I'll give the Cole's Notes version. For the most part, all other reviews are speaking true: the greatest praise of the film is that "it's better than the first one." I think the Spidey suit design is awesome, very basic, just like in the books. I loved seeing it in action. However, the plot has a billion holes that put almost everything in the series into question. For a quick example (not a huge spoiler), if everything centers around genetic manipulation for superpowers, why are all the potential villain's abilities purely through technological items? Does The Rhino have rhino DNA? I sincerely doubt it.

Star Wars: Storyboards.

My take: Any art geek worth his salt should be crapping his pants right now. The Star Wars Storyboards: the Original Trilogy is the release of 1,200 storyboards from those films. We all know the movies so well that going over these sketches will be like entering a wonderland of imagination that ultimately made those films a reality.

The Power Rangers Are Back.

My take: I'm not as big a fan as Chris but I understand this has made some certain people in the world giggle with joy. All I know is that I thought the pink ranger was cute when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure I was right. If this movie does well in the North American market, expect to see A) more Godzilla and B) an Ultraman Movie at least be talked about in Hollywood.

The Hobbit Title Announced.

My take: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies just makes me think "Man, I hope so." I would love to see some action from this series that has almost put me to sleep twice. Peter Jackson's reputation is sadly tarnished a little by expanding this story into three films. This could have easily been a 4-hour movie that made over a billion dollars and everyone would have been happy.

TELEVISION

Gotham TV Series Trailer.

My take: I'm not a fan of the idea of this show. Although I don't consider myself a devout "purist," I still see myself scoffing "What? How's that supposed to work?" every time something happens that throws canon out the window. I was originally quite interested in seeing the story of a young Jim Gordon, but I'm not so interested in seeing a brooding 10-year-old Bruce Wayne in the mix. Time will tell and, overall, the trailer was kind of good (aside from the overused, dramatic BRARRRRMMMMMMM noise).

Star Wars Rebels Trailer.

My take: As mentioned, the familiar ships, closed-quarter action, and fun just might be returning to Star Wars for the first time in a while. I completely skipped The Clone Wars but will definitely be checking out Rebels.

Star Wars' Working Title.

My take: Let's just remember "Blue Harvest," people. This is early, and the names might come flying at us like crazy until the official one is announced. The only reason for anything right now will be to get press, therefore, I shouldn't pander to them and should stop typing immediately!

COMIC BOOKS

Original Sin Takes Off.

My take: All murder mysteries will start slow and hopefully end with a bang. I'm personally putting a lot of expectations on this story because I gave up on Marvel events after the ill-conceived Fear Itself wasted months of my time and money. This story has great potential, bringing up dirt from everyone's past that is sure to put them all at odds. This could be an end point of Marvel's "Heroic Age."

Star-Lord / Rocket Raccoon & Groot Books.

My take: Marvel's confidence in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie is growing. To put a random movie like this out is risky enough, but to have Peter Quill have his own book for the first time in decades? Then give Rocket Raccoon and Groot a book that is, essentially, a sci-fi sitcom? I give them credit for going ahead and hope these books take off, I love the characters (and Scottie Young!).

DC Launches Future's End.

My take: I rag on DC a lot, and this series is a great example of why. After launching The New 52 just a few years ago under the guise of bringing in new readers, why would DC introduce a story that thrives on questions and confusion? The elements already thrown into this book only raise the eyebrows of longtime readers who see possible connections based on decades of familiarity with these characters. DC should listen to their fans, who are still unsure of exactly who's who now, and focus on telling modern stories without multiple universes and time travel. These stories serve only to introduce alternate versions of characters their readers don't even know. If they end up liking Superman of Earth-14 better than your own Earth-1 (our) Superman, you're in trouble.

GAMES

Titanfall a Huge Sales Giant.

My take: Physical copies only hit almost a million sold in just three weeks. Of an Xbox One game. This shows one of two things: A) Xbox One is really popular and is the next big thing or B) Xbox One owners have seriously been waiting for an actually good game to play. Even though Gears of War was a hit, and Xbox's key game, the console didn't rely on its sales. Xbox One is hit-or-miss in popularity and long-term game sales will ultimately tell us how well they're really doing.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Trailer.

My take: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare features Kevin Spacey not just as a voice actor, but also his likeness. That's a new twist for actors doing voice work. This also heightens Spacey's "cool" factor and will probably bump Netflix's House of Cards ratings up a little. It's all connected whether you think so or not, people. The game is likely going to be huge, with reality bending to ultimate levels as players get advanced abilities for the first time in this game series. I haven't bought a Call of Duty for years but will probably check this one out.

CELEBRITIES:

Bill Gates Set to Be a Trillionaire. My take: Based on investment and income projections, Bill is set to be the world's first trillionaire. Generally, I'd be so jealous as to never applaud anyone so wealthy. However, if you follow Bill Gates' money history, the guy gives so much money to so many worthy causes, his growing wealth only helps us all. There a lot of rich a-holes out there; Bill may not the coolest cat out there but he's one of the best.