Jessica Jones' Unintentional Easter Egg

So by now, most of you have probably tuned in and watched Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix. Wysefyre and I both really enjoyed it, but especially one particular part. I can tell you but be warned. It's spoilery so don't keep reading unless you watched the entire season.

Like, seriously. This is something that takes place in season one but hints to things potentially happening in season two.

Ok, if you are still here, it's at your own risk.

[IGH] Book Review: Trashed

By Reboot

Hey again! Hope you've all been well.  I recently read Trashed by John "Derf" Backderf to review for you all. Already being a big fan of another graphic novel of his, My Friend Dahmer, this was not much of a chore for me to read. And I don't think it will be for you either.

If you haven't already read My Friend Dahmer, I suggest you stop reading this review right now, go get yourself a copy, read it, then come back to this. It is easily one of the most fascinating autobiographical graphic novels out there. If you are unfamiliar, it's about how Derf was friends with Jeffrey Dahmer (yes, THAT Jeffrey Dahmer) in high school and examines Dahmer from his own perspective. This is a unique blend of slice of life meets page turning suspense just in the knowledge of knowing what will eventually happen.

First Glimpse of Batman: Bad Blood

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2016 is looking better and better as announcements keep rolling in!  At NYCC this year, we found out that the first DC animated release of 2016 will be Batman: Bad Blood!  Here are the details below.  As per Warner Bros. press release:

Fuck, I’m a Brony

Look, I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did. I had a lot of free time over the summer, so I figured I’d try a new show. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic seemed like a good idea. It's a popular show with a huge fanbase, plus my niece has been watching it, and it's nice to have more things to talk about with her. 

I grew up with the original MLP (yes, I am completely dating myself), and I loved it. I had so many ponies and the stable. It was one of the few buildings I ever own (my brother got Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain, I got Care-A-Lot and the MLP stable. Not sure if that was really fair, but that’s a different story), and to this day, giving them up is one of my biggest toy related regrets. I went into MLP: FIM skeptical as to whether or not it would live up to my expectations. Surprise, surprise, it did. Here are my thoughts on the show. 

Time to Put Your Money Where Your Worf Is!

A Diamond Select Toys release! Where’s the safest place on the Enterprise? Right behind Worf! Make your money that safe by putting it inside this 7” vinyl bust bank depicting Star Trek’s most famous Klingon crew member, with his phaser at the ready. With detailed, bust-quality paint applications and a coin slot on his back, this functional collectible is torn between two cultures – does he belong to both, or neither? You decide! Comes packaged in a clear polybag. Sculpted by Patrick Pigott!

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NYCC '15 PHOTOS!!!

This is just a small fraction of the photos we took at New York Comic Con. As always, it was a lot of fun. The cosplayers keep getting better and better, and I am grateful to have gotten some decent shots of the different panels. I know the photos will never be enough to show what NYCC is really all about, but it's a taste. For those of you who couldn't make it this year, I hope these will help entice you to come next. 

NYCC '15: Favority Cosplays

One of the best parts of NYCC is seeing all the cosplay.  And when I say all the cosplay, I mean it.  ReedPop makes a strong point of protecting cosplayer rights, and keeping the convention a safe zone.  So, if you came looking for amazing cosplayers in one spot, you will not be disappointed with NYCC.  You could spend all 4 days checking them out and only see a fraction of the different costumes and cosplayers in attendance.  

Here are just a very small sampling of my favorites from NYCC 2015!

NYCC '15 Final Thoughts

And now we close the books on another great New York Comic Con. Here are my final thoughts about the overall experience.

1) I loved the inclusion of the food trucks. As long as they stay stocked, it's great to have all the extra variety and not be stuck downstairs in the food court.

2) The organization for the Main Stage waiting pen was excellent. My only frustration was one day when my feet decided to rebel against me and I was in tremendous pain, I had to walk all the way down to where they were giving out the wrist bands to find out if the panel I wanted to go to still had availability. For the most part, the staff was good about keeping the white boards in the front updated, but there's still a little bit of room for improvement.

3) This is a little nit-picky, but I hope if anyone from NYCC reads this, they can pass on the message to future moderators and people who warm up the crowd. Please, please, please try to remember there are people sitting in the sides and the back of the rooms. I know time is limited and it's difficult to see through the crowds of faces, but it's frustrating for the fans who couldn't wait on line for hours or camp out in a room, who couldn't get close enough to the stage, to have a tiniest chance at winning a prize or answering/asking a question. Basically, the people who were lucky enough to get a good seat or were VIPs were the ones getting rewarded. I hate seeing how disappointed some kids were, because they would be jumping up and down, trying to get the attention of the warm up guys, and they were ignored because they were in the front, but on the side, or a little towards the back. I'm cynical and jaded, I don't expect to win anything, though it is always appreciated if and when it happens, but some of these kids looked so bummed, and all the guy needed to do, was look a little farther left or right. That's all. Give these people a fighting chance for a chance.

4) Crowd control is always desperately needed. I don't spend a lot of time on the main floor. My main focus is usually the panels. But this year, because NYCC has grown so much, it was nearly impossible to maneuver the main floor or downstairs with the panels. It was bordering on obscene how bad certain spots were. And those are the areas I think need an extra hand or two. The aisles right near any of the big booths could use additional staff (if there is any) to attempt to keep things moving. That could be something as simple as noticing someone looks lost and has stopped in the middle of the aisle, all that needs to happen is the person is either helped, sent to one of the help kiosks, or jus
t asked to step to the side, so others can walk through without bumping into them. Another example is with people taking photos of all the amazing cosplayer. I'm guilty of this too. If I see someone I want to take a photo of, I might end up blocking people for the shot. However, I strongly believe in taking the shot as quickly as I can and moving on. Some people don't do that or the cosplayers outfit is so good, they draw a crowd. That's great, but it would help is there was someone nearby to monitor the situation to see if too many people are stopping or being prevented from getting through. I've also had problems waiting on lines for some panels. If the line gets to big and goes past the designated roped off area, people get a little stupid and disorganized. There needs to be staff who understand what "walking the line" is. There are not enough people who know how to do that.

5) The addition of the Hammerstein Ballroom was interesting. There were panels I wanted to go to that were over there, but I couldn't because the distance would make it impossible to get back in time for other panels and events. i don't know anyone who went there, so if you know someone, please tell me what their experience was like. Did they have to walk over? Was there a provide shuttle? What was the environment like? Please hit me up in the comments and let me know. Thanks!

6) Do people actually use their NYCC Week card? The events are always so late. It makes it very difficult to go to them. Also, while the discounts are nice, I'm not a fan of spending a considerable amount of money on the ticket, to then have to spend more money if I want to go to one of the special events. I don't have enough money for that. I wish I did, but between the lateness of most of the events, coupled with the added expenses of the events, this is the second year, I have not been able to take advantage of my card.

7) Finally, I'd love to see Artists' Alley get a little more love. Yes, we know it's there, but it's also very easy to forget about it. Maybe an additional sign or two spread out throughout the Javits to just give it a little extra boost?

Please don't think I spent my time at NYCC miserable. I didn't. I got to see some amazing panels and meet up with friends I haven't seen for a long time. I talked to a lot of interesting people, and I had a lot of exhausting fun. I think I'm going to need a few days off my feet, but otherwise, it was mostly a good experience, and now it's time to start planning NYCC '16.

How was New York Comic Con for you? Do you have anything to add? Do you agree or disagree with me? Sound off in the comments!

NYCC ’15 WBTV Preview Night Screenings

As is the tradition, Warner Brothers treated us to sneak peeks of some of their upcoming shows. The shows listed were Supergirl, Containment, and Legends of Tomorrow, but instead of Legends, we were given Lucifer. We saw full episodes of Supergirl and Lucifer and the first half of Containment. Here are my thoughts on the shows.

Supergirl

Kara Danvers/Zor-El is bubbly, awkward, and desperately wants to help people. Her sister, Alex, thinks Kara should keep her powers under wraps, but an incident forces Kara’s hand and she becomes Supergirl. 

Tonally, Supergirl is closer to the Flash than Arrow, which is probably for the best. Kara screams bright colors. 

We’re introduced to Kara/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist), James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan), Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), and Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart). The relationships are fairly strong and well-developed. You believe Kara and Alex are sisters, Winn is Kara’s best friend, who has a massive crush on her, Henshaw is Alex’s tough boss, and Cat Grant is Kara’s boss and the Miranda Priestly/Perry White of National City.

The pilot is strong, but at the same time, I worry the show may be a little too bubbly. Kara’s perkiness occasionally borders a little close to being obnoxious. I hope I’m not wrong. I want Supergirl to succeed, because we need more strong female roles models like her, and the show seems like it will be a lot of fun.

Lucifer

Oh boy. Lucifer is going to be all kinds of trouble, and in the very best way. The gist of the story is Lucifer decided to take a “vacation” from Hell and now runs a nightclub with his trusty side-demon, Mazikeen, by his side. He lives a live of careless, reckless debauchery, but all that changes when a friend of his is murdered. Lucifer wants justice, so he teams up with LAPD Detective Chloe Decker to help solve the case. 

Tom Ellis as Lucifer is just… oofta. I can’t think of a better person to play this version of Lucifer (and I’m a huge fan of Mark Pellegrino’s version on Supernatural). He’s smarmy, charming, funny, a little repulsive, scary, and so damn magnetic you’ll want to sell your soul to him. 

I’m not sure how I feel about Chloe Decker. She’s a detective with a chip on her shoulder, and is somehow immune to Lucifer’s trick of getting people to tell him their deepest desires. She’s not a bad character, but she seems very stiff. I can’t tell if it’s the actress or the character. 

A fun surprise for me was DB Woodside. He plays Amenadiel, one of Lucifer’s angelic brethren, who’s been given the task to bring Lucifer back to Hell. He’s dark, broody, and seems to have a stick up his ass. I’m a big fan of DB, so yay! His chemistry with Lucifer is potent. They’re a powder keg ready to explode. I cannot stress how excited I am for this show. 

Containment

I hate to end this on a downer, but I don’t think this one is going to make it. Basically, an epidemic breaks out in Atlanta, and part of the city is quarantined. Families and friends are torn apart, people are dying left and right, there's rioting, and it’s your typical “what do you do in a crisis?” story. It’s not bad, but there’s nothing screaming “watch me.” If anything, Wilderowens and I couldn’t stop laughing at how many times the police/national guard/officials kept yelling “4-6 feet!” That’s how far the quarantined characters had to stay from people and the giant erected fence. It bordered on silly, and while I saw a few characters who might have been interesting, I’m writing this shortly after seeing it, and I can’t remember who anyone is. Here’s hoping the episodes get better as the show progresses, otherwise, it’s going to get cancelled. 

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LEGO Kicks Off NYCC with New Line NEXO KNIGHTS!

It's the end of day 1 at NYCC and already the amount of awesome is overwhelming!  LEGO kicked off the never-ending with the announcement of their new line, NEXO KNIGHTS! 

The Story of NEXO KNIGHTS from the LEGO Press Release:

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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