My Singing Monsters Babies Series 1 Review

Rounding out the first waves of My Singing Monsters toys, Play Monster Fun! has released MSM Babies, and they are just too cute for words... But I'll try.

The first wave has Baby Toe Jammer, Baby Dnadidoo, Baby Pompom, Baby Furcorn, Baby Maw, Baby Flowah, and Baby Mammott. They're are extremely tiny and can fit easily in your hand. They come with an egg you can also store them in. They don't make music, but they're really great if you want something to remind you of your favorite monster without taking up too much space. 

Who would you like to see in the next wave of My Singing Monsters toys? Which island do you think they should next?

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My Singing Monster Halloween Spooktacle

We're back with more My Singing Monsters. Play Monster Fun! is giving us a couple of specialty monsters. For those who don't use the app, My Singing Monsters offers different skins for the holidays as well epic and rare versions of the monsters. They make the same sounds, but the changes in look add great variety to the islands, and makes breeding more of a challenge. If you couldn't tell from the title, this time, we're getting Halloween Furcorn and Mammott. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so these made me very excited.

What do you think of these, and who do you think Play Monster Fun! should make next? Which holiday should they tackle?

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My Singing Monsters Series 1 Toy Review - Plant Island

I can't begin to tell you all how excited I am for this review. For the uninitiated, My Singing Monsters started as a mobile app. You hatch eggs, and the monsters that come out each sing a melody. The more monsters you have, the fuller the song is. There are several different islands that play different songs. It's a lot of fun, and allows for a lot fun.

Across the Void - Very Mild Spoilers Review

Billed as "A visceral space thriller - perfect for fans of The Arrival and The Martian -following the sole survivor of a catastrophic accident in space that leaves her drifting in the void with only the voice of her estranged husband, a NASA scientist, to guide her back to Earth," Across the Void is written by S.K. Vaughn, which is a pseudonym for a Hollywood writer and director, with credits at Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Lionsgate. The man's clearly gotten around.

Now that I've told you what the press release says, I'll give you my version. The story is about Maryam "May" Knox, the brilliant commander of an exceptionally important space mission. She wakes up from a medically induced coma alone and with no recollection as to how she got there or what happened prior to the coma. Her only companion is the ship's AI, affectionately named Eve. Her ship is failing, resources are scarce, and she's still recovering from her coma. The bright side is she's able to communicate with NASA and her husband, Stephen (she has no memory of them being estranged). But there's much more to this story than meets the eye.

That alone would have gotten me interested in the book, but what really hooked me was how the book read. The chapters are small, similar to how James Patterson writes his books. The story jumps between the past, the present, May's point of view, and Stephen's point of view. They're all necessary to tell the story Vaughn is telling. With the exception of a few times towards the end, I was never confused between the past and the present. The book reads like a script. There are moments and chapters where visuals are so clearly defined. I can easily see where Vaughn's storytelling experience comes in.

The story itself is fairly solid. At no point was I bored with it. I was invested, and I cared what happened. However, there were some predictable moments, which were easy to suss out. One big plot twist I saw coming, and my reaction was, "Is this about to happen?" and on the next page, it did. Another add-on to that big twist, I thought, "Are the story really going to do this? I hope not," but it did a few chapters later. And then there was another moment towards the end, where someone behaved in a way I had hoped they wouldn't, but they did. A bigger plot twist would've been if the person didn't do the thing they did. Oh well. Vaughn is good at describing the more scientific and technical aspects of the story in a way that's easy to digest and understand, and he's good at putting you with the characters, and since much of the story is in space, you feel like you're there too.

There are some parts of the story that feel underdeveloped. And again, I think some of this might be attributed to Vaughn's other career. Certain relationships are clearly more contentious or complex, and the reader is able to discern it, but whereas if this were on screen, we'd be able to get more of the subtext and more subtleties of the relationships, but as this is in writing, some of it is lost, so certain developments don't feel as impactful as they could. This is especially noticeable in the end with one particular character.

Speaking of characters, I liked our protagonists. May is a smart, strong, determined, pig-headed, vulnerable character. You want her to win and survive. Stephen is very different than her, and sometimes she overpowers him with her big personality, but they clearly have a lot of love for each other. Even when we learn what led to their estrangement, you still want them to work things out, whether they reunite or are able to be friends, you just want them to stay a part of each other's lives. 

The antagonists are a little weaker. I don't think the reader gets enough time with them to truly connect with them in any meaningful way. This is especially obvious in the end. The story gets a little rushed, so the necessary character development needed to justify this person's actions never really hit for me. 

This goes back to my point about this reading like a movie script. A lot of today's action movies favor the action over the character development. That can work when you have stunning visuals, but when it's in written form, it's harder to cover up. And I prefer strong character development over crazy action any day. In book form, you can have both and should.

If you like space or thrillers or both, you'll like this. Faults and all, this story had me hooked, so grab some popcorn, a drink, and get cozy. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop. 

Across the Void goes on sale today. It's available in hardcover, eBook, and audio formats. 

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A RENThead's Review of RENT Live or a RENTview, If You Will

Let's give a warm welcome to our newest guest contributor, Joseph Sheets! As a huge RENThead, it only makes sense his first post for us would be a review of Fox's RENT Live. 

“Tonight’s show is in mortal danger due to technical difficulties” is one of several new and updated lines which took place during Fox’s RENT Live production. Spoken by Mark Cohen, narrator of the show, the line is a grim foreshadowing about the problems that would plague the production. One of the leads had broken his foot during the final dress rehearsal, leading to Fox airing pre-recorded footage. Some people had trouble connecting to the live-stream, or had blackouts, missing the opening numbers. While unfortunate, the show did its best to recover. And though it’s more “pre-recorded” than live, it doesn’t lose any of its charm and is an absolute delight.

RENT tells the story of seven artists struggling in the Lower East Side in the early 90s. An updated version of Puccini’s La Boheme, the show is famous for its representation of LGBTQ+ characters, rock opera score, and how it handles the topics of homelessness and AIDS victims. The fact a show renowned for its grit and edginess somehow managed to air on Fox is amazing. The fact the majority of the book remained largely unchanged is nothing short of a miracle. I’ve seen a lot of hate for this production, and a lot of it seems unwarranted. Let’s break it down:

Unboxed: Yellow Submarine "All Together Now" 4.5" Figures by Titan Merchandise

If you haven't guessed it by now, Titan Vinyls are some of my favorite items to review. There's so much variety and style to them. I love the franchises they get, even if I don't know all of them. The work they do is so creative. Take the Beatles and the Yellow Submarine waves. I never would have thought I'd want a line like this, but I do. It's just so much fun, and Matt and I had a chance to review the Yellow Submarine "All Together Now" deluxe black and white figures from Titan Merchandise.





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Kidrobot Megatron & Cobra Commander Vinyl Review

One of the awesome goodies Matt at Nerd News Today and I were able to acquire at Toy Fair 2018 is the Kidrobot Megatron and Cobra Commander vinyl figures based off of IDW Comics "Transformers VS GI Joe" comic series by Tom Scioli and John Barber.

I'm not as familiar with the comic series, but I'm a big Transformers and GI Joe fan. I wouldn't have initially thought to combine Kidrobot with these franchises, but I was wrong. I love this style, and the boxes alone make me want to display them somewhere. Watch the video to see the rest of our thoughts on this.

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Unboxed: Lego "Ninjago" Movie Mini-Figures

I think I've spoken about this before, but I have a serious minifig addiction. If I could, I'd have an army of minifigs lined up all around my home. Luckily, I don't have enough space (or money) to do that, but whenever I get the chance, I have a tendency to buy as many blind bags as I can.

Ninjago is a little weird for me. I don't really know the franchise. I've only watched a little of the show, and I've seen most of the movie. I was going to initially pass up on these blind bags, but then I saw what was included in this wave, and I was done.

I grabbed Matt from Nerd News Today, and the rest is history. Here's what happened.

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DC & Marvel Comics Fidget Cubes Review

Fidget spinners and fidget cubes have swept the nation as a device to help kids keep their hands busy so their minds can focus. It's a great idea. Granted, if misused, it drives parents and teachers crazy, but it's still a solid concept. I know adults who have started using them as well. Which leads us to today. Matthew over at NerdNewsToday and I are taking a look at the Zuru DC and Marvel Comics Fidget Cubes by Antsy Labs.

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Funko X-Men Mystery Minis Blind Box Unboxing and Review

Happy 4th of July! It seems weirdly fitting that today's video review is of a lovable group of outsiders who just want to be able to live their lives in peace and without being horribly regulated and restricted. That's right, Matthew at NerdNewsToday and I are reviewing America!

Ok, if you've read the title (I'm assuming you have), you know that a lie. We're reviewing the Funko X-Men Mystery Minis. The X-Men are my team. They're the ones I related to the most and were my gateway into comics. These Mystery Minis are near and dear to me. Of course, this means I'm about to be subjected to some kind of roller coaster of a ride while looking at these. Was this a good ride filled with happiness or one that left me bitterly disappointed? Keep going to find out.

Toy Review: Playmobil ECTO-1 "Ghostbusters" Set

As we're winding down on the Playmobil Ghostbusters line reviews, Matthew from NerdNewsToday and I get to the finest in ghostbusting travel, the Ecto-1.

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K'Nex Super Mario Mystery Figures Series 9 Unboxed

Matthew from NerdNewsToday and I are back with more blind bag fun! This time, it's the Super Mario Blind Bags from K'Nex. I've been a little behind on all things K'Nex. I hadn't realized they were making blind bags. This is Series 9. Where was I for the other 8? Watch and see.

Titans Vinyl Doctor Who: The Fantastic Collection Unboxed

This time, Matthew at NerdNewsToday and I are getting a little time-whimey with Doctor Who: The Fantastic Collection from Titans. We were able to unbox a full box, but did we complete the collection? You have to watch to find out. 

  

This is the start of a a beautiful and wacky unboxing adventure. Join us. We have pie. 

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My Little Pony Rarity Fashion Runway Review

So, I've decided to try something a little different and jump into the world of unboxing videos. I teamed up with Matthew over at NerdNewsToday (because he knows how to do these things), and we dived in.

First up, we got our hands on the My Little Pony Rarity Fashion Runway from Hasbro. Check it out. Let me know what you think (be kind, I'm learning). If you have any suggestions, sound off in the comments.

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Supernatural Keychains Are Here and They're Adorable!

I may or may not have a small blind bag addiction. Add that to a love of Supernatural, a sale, and coupons, and it leads to me getting 15 bags to open. Like I said, I MAY have a small problem.

Ghostbusters Key Lime Slime Twinkies Review

For the release of the new Ghostbusters movie, Hostess Twinkies have created a limited edition Key Lime Slime Twinkie. When I saw they were in my grocery store, I had to try them.

As you can see, the Twinkie looks like the normal Twinkie, but you can see a little bit of the green through the cake.

Flip it over, and you can really see the green. To be honest, it doesn't look the most appealing, but it does look fun.

[IGH] at the Movies: Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War opened on May 6th. After anxiously waiting and trying to free up my schedule, I was finally able to see it this past weekend. I can’t tell you what a relief that was. I’ve been avoiding all mentions of Civil War on my social media. It hasn’t been an easy task. I’m really proud of my friends for not spoiling the movie, because it was worth the wait.

There are a lot of reviews out there that can better dissect what works and doesn’t work, so I’m not going to dwell on that. Instead, I want to talk about some of the things that made an impression on me. 

Obviously, this post will contain spoilers

Review: House of Penance #2

By Reboot

After enjoying Dark Horse’s House of Penance #1 by Peter Tomasi (w) and Ian Bertram (a) as much as I did, I figured I should give issue #2 a go. So, did issue #2 keep the momentum going after House of Penance came charging strongly out the gate last month?

One of the first things I noticed as I read this issue is the pacing. As the first issue is a slow, methodical build-up to the unknown, the second issue wastes no time jumping in head first. References the characters bring up hints at the time period, such as how the construction workers mention the Spanish-American War and Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, but as the first issue takes the time to slowly drag you down into this world via the time period, issue #2 focuses nearly exclusively on the psychological horror of it all.

Review: Goldie Vance #1

Goldie Vance is about Goldie, a 16 year old who lives in a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the resort, and uses her smarts, skills, and knowledge of the ins and outs of the resort, to help the in-house detective, Mr. Tooey solve a mystery. 

Okay, while "help" is the right word, Goldie really just inserted herself into the case. A resort guest, Dieter Ludwig, has been robbed. What was taken is priceless to him. He needs it back. Much to Mr. Tooey displeasure, Goldie claims she knows just what needs to be done to find the necklace. Without giving too much away, one mystery is solved, but it opens up a can of worms, and Goldie has to figure out what's going on. 

This was a delightful comic to read. It's a little weird for me to use that word, but it fits. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This is just the first book, so we are introduced to a small host of characters, Goldie, Mr. Tooey, Goldie's stressed out father, Cheryl, the Alan Shepard loving front desk clerk, and Rob, the lovelorn valet. All are important to the story as they help set up the story and motivations, which drive the story. Goldie herself is plucky. I feel like she's who Veronica Mars would have been is she was around in the late 60's-early 70's, where this takes place. Goldie is smart, funny, and is driven to solve mysteries. And short. She's short and not to be underestimated. 

Review: Snowden by Ted Rall

By Reboot

Today I'm reviewing the new graphic novel from Seven Stories Press, Snowden, by Ted Rall. As you may suspect (or hey, maybe not. It has been a while.), this is about THAT Snowden. Edward Snowden. Before we go into this graphic novel specifically, I'd like to take a little time to tell you about who Ted Rall is.

For those of you who don't know, Ted Rall is an award winning syndicated political cartoonist who has been making contributions in that field for decades. However, his career is not without controversy. Over the years he's angered people with more than a couple of his cartoons. He was both incredibly critical of the American public for re-electing George W. Bush in 2004 and also called for President Obama's resignation. And in the field of comics specifically, he made remarks about Art Spiegelman that caused Ted Rall a great deal of grief shortly after. Even as recently as this past July, he caused controversy when a story he's shared in regards to an altercation with the LAPD back in 2001 was allegedly misrepresented, leading to him being dropped by the Los Angeles Times.

Now that you have some background on Ted Rall, let's dive into Snowden. The approach of this book is fairly 101. It goes over much of the basics of the story in an easy to follow, mostly linear narrative. In this narrative, we're usually given a series of facts, followed by Ted Rall's analysis of the data. Some of the analysis makes perfect sense and shows Ted Rall's experience as a seasoned political observer. 

A few of his observations, unfortunately in this review, really made me scratch my head. Ted Rall discusses how Edward Snowden was in the Boy Scouts and harps on it to the point of near obsession for a time, and tries to draw some sort of connection between what he was taught as a Boy Scout and how that may have some how directly led to what he has done. Moments like that sucked me out of the book and made me question the integrity of the piece. That's not the kind of reaction you want for your biographical graphic novel.

The art throughout the book is a mixture of both his own art, photographs, and screen captions. Ted Rall's style is fits well with a syndicated newspaper strip. It's rough, most of the characters drawn look similar, and lacks expressiveness.  Nearly every character has the same facial expression, but the art is just a tool to tell his story. Like how someone would drive a beat up used car with the idea of it is just meant to get you from point A to point B.

If you have a vague interest in politics, and have heard of Edward Snowden, but don't really know much about him, Snowden is a good book for you and I would recommend it. If you're a casual bio/autobio graphic novel reader with an interest in politics, I'd also suggest that you give it a peek. But if you are more into high art/experimental art in graphic novels, or are looking for deep cuts into Edward Snowden's life, you're not going to find it here.

Snowden is available in the US on August 25th.

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