Vixen and Its Diversity Problem

Vixen, Vixen, Vixen. I want to like you. I do. I just binged all six of your episodes. You’re a good show. The animation is nice. The actors are good. The story is good. BUT there is one big fricking problem – You don’t seem understand that there is more than one shade of brown. 

Okay, that’s unfair, maybe you know there are two or three, but come on! Mari kept changing tones, sometimes due to lighting, sometimes not. All of the African characters were pretty much the same light shade as both Mari and Professor Macalester. You showed two characters with darker tones, a cop and an assailant. This makes no sense to me. Look at your cast! They all have different skin tones. Why is that diversity not represented in your animation?

Also, have you been to Detroit? It’s consistently ranked in the top ten, usually the top five, of cities with the highest percentage of African Americans. So why did I see mostly white people?

And don’t get me started on Cisco? I liked how you handled Barry and Oliver. You captured their essences. And I liked the vibe of Cisco, but Carlos Valdes has a different skin tone than Grant Gustin and Stephen Amell. All you had to do was change his coloring a little bit, and he would have been perfect. If my Microsoft Word can give me customized shades, I think whatever animation programs you are using can do the same. It’s lazy. And this show is too good for to be screwed up by laziness.

Get it together, CW Seed. Vixen has a lot of potential. I want it to succeed, but I also want respectable representation of who these characters are and the environments they live in. You can do better. Do not fail this show.

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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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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Comic - Con Trailer

The new Dawn of Justice trailer has arrived, and I'll admit I'm now a little more intrigued by it. I've been fairly ambivalent to the whole thing because of the usual reasons, not a Snyder fan, hated Wonder Woman's outfit, and didn't care for Man of Steel, etc. etc., but this trailer makes me think there might be more to the movie than it just being a piece of mindless action. Take a look and tell us what you think. Does this make you change your mind? And is it just me or does Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor seem a little more like the Riddler than Lex?

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Black Widow Flash Mob #WEWANTWIDOW

Today, hundreds of cosplayers and internet supporters around the globe are taking a stand about the inequality of female super heroines in the media and on the shelves, especially for the First Lady of the MCU. We want to see Black Widow given the same attention as her male counterparts. She deserves it. We deserve it. Today, we want our message heard loud and clear ‪#‎WeWantWidow‬. 

Spearheaded by Kristin Rielly, mob captains from all over have been covertly coordinating these flash mobs to bring awareness in a positive and fun way. 

How you can help: You can find all the deets about this multi-city flash mob movement at http://riellygeek.com/WIDOW. If you're unable to get to one of these mobs, please spread the word online, using the hashtag #WEWANTWIDOW, change your profile/cover pic to featuring Black Widow or get dressed up at home and post pictures. Every little bit helps. 

Below is the press release:

“BLACK WIDOW FLASH MOB”

SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015 AT 12:00 P.M. LOCAL TIME 

WHAT :   We have coordinated a massive multi-city flash mob for June 6^th 2015, where hundreds of cosplayers will be dressed as Black Widow to send a POSITIVE message that this is a character we WANT to see more of. We want to see her star in her own movie, we want to see her on apparel, and she totally deserves her own action figure! 

Each city flash mob has a secret location where Natashas will appear, create buzz, get their images online, and trend our message #WEWANTWIDOW.

In collaboration with our cosplayers, we have hundreds of online supporters that will be simultaneously changing their profiles to a Black Widow image while sharing our flash mob photos across every social media site. 


When:    Saturday, June 6, 2015 beginning at 12:00 p.m. local time 

Where:   From Seattle to Boston, and Canada to Sydney

WHO:   We have hundreds of cosplayers and online supporters already signed up for this massive event. Our “City Captains” are the ladies organizing this important event in their hometown: Kristin Rielly (Founder & Event Coordinator), Jay Justice (Event Coordinator, Philly), Juli Mayers (Boston), Autumn Wheelock (NYC), Andrea Levine (NYC), Jennifer K. Stuller (Seattle), Theresa Marie Salvador (Tampa), Jennifer Williams (Las Vegas), Belle Bredehoft (D.C.), Tanya Wheelock (Orlando), Sarah Boutcher(Ottawa), Priscilla Crocker (Minneapolis), Kelly Kirstein (Detroit), Keisha Howard (Chicago), Courtney Cuellar (San Diego), John Marcotte (Sacramento), Stephanie Rector (Sacramento) , Catherine Kyle (Boise), and Variable (Sydney).

*In memory of Terrance Kelly, father of our honorary City Captain Bronwyn Kelly*

Lego History is Made on May the 4th Be With You!

Happy May the Fourth!  Today is the day that we all stop and celebrate Star Wars!  You know you love Star Wars.  Don't lie.  2015 is especially special since we are getting Episode 7 in December!

To celebrate all things Star Wars, the amazing people at LEGO decided to make history with a reveal of their new minifig Darth Vader, that for the first time has a life support collar and removable mask/helmet.

Courtesy of LEGO

Such great detail went into that minifig's face.  If you are eager to add him to your collection, you are in luck.   The new LEGO Star Wars Death Star™ Final Duel set including that awesome Darth Vader is available this June!

Until then, May the Fourth Be With You!



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May the Fourth Be With You!!

Happy May the Fourth!  Take today to celebrate all the awesome that is Star Wars!  Embrace the glory of the Force!  Or at the very least, wear a Star Wars t-shirt.

As a little May the Fourth gifty, check out Hasbro's time lapse video of fans building Cloud City! That's right, at Star Wars Celebration, Frank D’iorio’s Diorama Workshop built a massive Cloud City diorama at the Hasbro booth! They built it over four days, with the help of approximately 1500 fans who made custom pieces! The diorama is 640 square feet and consists of over 400 setpieces, including approximately 800 figures and toys by Hasbro and Kenner.

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BOOM! Studios Announces Debut of New Series: Broken World

Who doesn't love an adventure/thriller series during the Earth's last day? Very few people, and that's why BOOM! Studios is bringing us Broken World, a series that does just that. 

"April 29, 2015 (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios is pleased to announce the June debut of Broken World, a new sci-fi thriller and survival adventure series from Frank J. Barbiere (Five Ghosts, Avengers World) and Christopher Peterson (Grindhouse, Mayday). Broken World explores the lives of people left behind on the last days of Earth, perfect for fans of Y: The Last Man or The Massive.

 “It’s hard not to fall in love with a well-crafted survival story,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “From zombie viruses to post-apocalyptic wastelands, we all love to cheer for the last survivors. For BROKEN WORLD, Frank and Christopher have created an intense, riveting story about a woman who chooses to live on in a world facing an extinction-level event from the stars.”

 With a meteor days away from causing an extinction-level event on Earth, time is running out for Elena Marlowe. While most of the planet’s population and her family were approved by the government to escape on one of the giant spaceships headed to another planet, her application was denied due to her mysterious past. With the meteor fast approaching, Elena tries desperately to find a way to fake her way onto the last ship or else be left behind to die with the rest of Earth’s rejected denizens.

 Broken World #1 arrives in comic shops on June 3rd with a main cover by series artist Christopher Peterson for the price of $3.99 under Diamond order code APR151199. Also available in a limited quantity are a 10 Years incentive cover by Frazer Irving (Annihilator, Uncanny X-Men) and a retailer incentive cover by Christian Ward (ODY-C)."

Check out how beautiful this art is. 

I'm a big fan of Y: The Last Man, and I love those types of stories. I like Christopher Peterson and Frank J. Barbiere's previous works, so I'm into this. What do you think?

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First Glimpse of Justice League: Gods & Monsters

Bruce Timm is the pinnacle of DC Animation and has been producing some of the best animated shows over the years.  So you should be as excited as I that he is helming a brand new story in the newest animated release, Justice League: Gods & Monsters!  As per Warner Bros. press release:

Toy Fair '15: Must-Have Kickstarters

While wandering the toy fair floor, I checked out two Kickstarters up close and personal. And guess what? I liked them enough that I'm sharing them with you!

First up is the Four Horsies of the 'Pocalypse. It may sound ominous but who can be terrified of these cuties! Created and designed by Klim Kozinevich, this collection of art toys is just freaking gorgeous. I can't wait for the apocalypse to arrive at my house with Calamity, Clash, Ghost and Raven at the helm. These were preceded by the Maddie figure, whose Cthulhu-like presence is truly fearful. You can get the set of four in original coloring, glow in the dark or clear. If you want, you can also add in a Maddie figure too!

While at Toy Fair, the Bigshot Toyworks team highlighted these very limited edition colored Maddies, which are also available in very, very limited supply.

The clock is ticking on this, with about two days or less to hop on board the 'Pocolypse!

The next Kickstarter I'm highlighting is Ghostbusters:The Board Game from Cryptozoic Entertainment. Based on the original movie, this episode based board game is for one to four players.  It even includes original art from the comics!

While they didn't have many unrevealed tidbits at Toy Fair, talking with the Cryptozoic staffers about the game really showed the passion this team has for the product. They don't just want to bring out the game; they want to give fans the game they have been waiting for!

Everyday it seems a new stretch goal is unlocked and a new awesome character is revealed. They have more than doubled their goal and still have over three weeks left on the campaign. Get in while you still can!


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First Glimpse of Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts

We are definitely in Penguin-mode right now, especially with the amazing performance by Robin Lord Taylor on Gotham.  So, it's no surprise that we are seeing Batman's fishy villain in the newest animated release, Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts!  As per Warner Bros. press release:

Another storm is brewing in Gotham and it's not only raining 

cats and dogs but evil Cyber Animals! When the city is plagued 

by a slew of bizarre crimes committed by an animal-inspired 

villain squad known as the Animilitia – comprised of Silverback, 

Cheetah, Killer Croc and Man-Bat – Batman must swing into 

action to investigate. These animalistic villains bring new and 

exciting challenges for the hero of Gotham, and Batman must 

find a way to bring these criminal creatures to a halt! But could 

the Animilitia be working for powerful businessman Oswald Cobblepot 

a.k.a. The Penguin? How does The Penguin's new invention of robotic 

Cyber Animals fit into the mix? In the end, it'll the combined forces 

of Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Nightwing and Red Robin to 

combat these Animal Instincts.

This looks great!  The film will be released on May 12, 2015 on BluRay, DVD and Digital Download.  If you can't wait, watch the trailer below.

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[IGH] at the Movies: LEGO: DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League

Wilderowens and I attended the NYC premiere of 'Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League.' This was a treat because we got to see it with its intended audience - kids. There's something great about listening to kids go nuts over their favorite superheroes.

The movie begins in Metropolis with Bizarro "saving" some kids in a playground and causing a hefty amount of damage in the process. Superman comes to handle Bizarro and decides to take Bizarro to a slightly off-kilter planet that can be all his own. Bizarro understands that he's getting a brush-off, but stays. We flash forward a year, and Bizarro returns for unknown reasons. Superman is embarrassed he has to deal with him again and tries to take care of Bizarro on his own, but between Batman's paranoia and distrust of Superman, and the Justice League's desire to work as a team, Superman is stuck with everyone knowing his "dirty little secret." Bizarro breaks into LexCorp Labs and steals the duplicator device used to create him. He uses it on the Justice League, creating their opposite, bizarro version of themselves, then takes them to Bizzaro World. The original Justice League follows and there we find out why Bizzaro created a new team, and Superman learns to accept Bizzaro for who he is and as a part of his family.  

While this isn't my favorite Lego DCU movie, it's a solid story. I think the reason I didn't enjoy it as much as previous stories is because it felt a little rushed. If they had an extra 15 mins or so, it would have helped the story. That said, kids are going to love it. It's silly and funny, has a lot of heart, and it's made of Legos. How could they not like it?  

The visuals are wonderful. Because Legos have to move in a very particular way, you can see the creativity put into the movie. It's not just animation. It's animation and physics and a hint of wizardry combined. Two of my favorite moments were seeing Plastic Man take on Deathstroke and the troop of Boy Scouts take on Gorilla Grodd from the air and on the group.  

As usual, the voice actors are on point. Troy Baker is back as Batman/Batzarro, Nolan North as Superman/Bizarro, Diedrich Bader as Guy Garner/Greenzarro, Kari Wahlgren as Wonder Woman/Bizzara, Phil Morris as Green Arrow/Hawkman, James Arnold Taylor as The Flash/Desaad, April Winchell as Giganta, and Tony Todd as Darkseid. It's a great line up of talent and they deliver. Nolan North, in particular, needs special recognition because he really made me care about Bizarro. The first time he said he was saving Metropolis and smiled, all I wanted to do was give him a hug. By the end, I wanted to give him a good home with my Legos, which clearly means I'm a little nuts and in need of a Bizarro mini-fig. I'd also like to extend a special nod to Khary Payton, who voices Cyborg, and is the best fanboy anyone could ask for. I think he really represents what we would all be like if we were given the chance to hang with the Justice League. 

 Moving forward, I'd like to see more Lego DCU movies, particularly one that features the Flash who, due to time constructions, did not get a Bizarro version of himself, which was such a shame. I'd also really love to see more involvement with the female superheroes/villains. Wonder Woman is great, but there are plenty more females to use. In a fantasy, there'd be a movie strictly from the females' POV with the guys on the periphery, and the women not only save the day, but they'd point out how all the men get the credit while the ladies did all the work, but in a humorous and light-hearted way. 

On a parent scale of "oh please, not again" to "sure, we can watch it another 50 times," I'd rate this a "we can watch it a few times this week, but then we should read something." For those on the normal scale, I'd give this 3.5 stars out 5.   

LEGO: DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League will be out Feb. 10th. You can get it on Blu-Ray or DVD.

Courtesy of Wysefyre

All Other Photos Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

Andrew Jackson is a Jerk!

Yeah, he wasn't known as a warm, fuzzy or caring guy.  But this is especially true in the upcoming comic book Andrew Jackson in Space!  I am crazy excited for this book, mostly because it combines history and space, which I both love.

Now this book isn't going to just happen magically, thought that would be cool.  It's currently on Kickstarter, already fully funded but still needs to hit some stretch goals.  If the title doesn't sell it, then check out this description from creator Brian Visaggo:

In 1801, future President Andrew Jackson woke up on the far side of the galaxy. This lunatic frontier bastard is using every ounce of wit, courage, cunning, and unprovoked violence to make his way home to his beloved wife on Earth. Mixing equal parts Doctor Who and Indiana Jones, Andrew Jackson in Space is a pulp-style sci-fi adventure comic flung across thousands of light years, featuring vagrant queens, amazing artifacts, and a guy bursting into a courtroom brandishing a pistol.

The story sounds solid to me!  I am also loving the art and colors from Jason Smith and Harry Saxon. There are more preview pages on their Kickstarter page.  This fundraiser is ending in four days, so hurry over to their funding page and give them your money now!

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Snow Days Equal LEGO

As you may or may not know, [IGH] is based in New York City. We were scheduled for a giant, crazy, major storm this week. However, science happened and I was denied my chance to face plant myself into 3+ feet of snow. But because the city shut itself down, my day job followed suit and I got a snow day!!! 

Glorious snow day! How I missed you from my childhood. I couldnt just squander this precious gift on TV and the Internet. Why do chores when I can reenact snow days of old? In order to take full advantage of this uninterrupted playtime, I broke out my Legos.

I got this set as an event giveaway earlier in the week. And first, I set it up as the box suggested. One must follow the instructions. Sadly, this took way longer than it should. I obviously need to build more sets.

After it was all set up, I enacted the whole scene so Superman fails and Lois takes Zod down herself. Why? Because it's my snow day. Then I proudly showed it off to my roommate, who continued to do whatever grownup thing she was doing. All of this was followed by playing in the small amount of snow we got because it's still snow.

So, the next snow day you might be lucky enough to get, don't feel pressured to do grown up things. That's for the everyday pressures of life. Instead, break out your toys, sit on the floor and play.

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First Glimpse at Batman vs. Robin

Just as we get two new DC animated films released, news of the next one comes out!  The next DC animated film is Batman vs Robin.  As per Warner Bros. press release:

The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child but Damian Wayne 
is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a 
headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, Batman. 
While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, 
Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham’s 
secret society, known as The Court of Owls. It’s a dangerous journey that 
will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversary, each other! 

Based on the #1 best-selling graphic novel, Batman: The Court of Owls, 
this action-packed caper is one that fans won’t want to miss! 

This sounds great!  The film will be released on April 14, 2015 on BluRay and DVD.  If you can't wait, watch the clip below.

Geeky Resolutions for 2015

Another year, another fun-filled geeky time. I did a lot a crazy things in 2014 but to be honest, I kinda failed at my geeky resolutions from last year. Still, I had fun and experienced new things. Plus, how many people actually complete their resolutions anyways?! Those people are way too organized.

From the life experiences of 2014, I have my list of geeky resolutions for 2015.

Holy Frak Dredd!

I've declared my Dredd love before but I'm gonna stand up and say it again! I love Dredd!!

Apparently I'm not the only one! I just got a drool-worthy Dredd announcement.  Mezco Toyz released pics of their new 1:12 Judge Dredd collectible. He looks like he stepped right off the pages of Mega City One.  I just want to hug him and then use him to beat up my Superman action figure.

Happy 2015 from [IGH]!

Everyone at [insertgeekhere] wishes you an amazing 2015! We have so much to look forward to in the upcoming year!!!

Such as:
- Lots of fun Cons!
- At least four comic events in DC and Marvel
- The awesome return of Agent Peggy Carter
- AVENGERS: Age of Ultron
- Mourning of cancelled tv shows
- Bill & Ted Comic Series!
- Excitement about new TV shows
- Supergirl and Teen Titans LIVE!
- 60th Anniversary of Disneyland
- Mockingjay Part 2
- Another ton of complaining about Michael Bay

And so much more I am totally forgetting!! What geeky thing are you super excited for?!


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