Review: Captain America #615.1

This week there are two Point One issues, Captain America and Thor. Seems to me like Marvel is trying to bring in new readers who may be trying to get some more background before the movies come out.

This post is SPOILER-FILLED so if you are allergic to spoilers,

go read another tasty article on [insertgeekhere].

Captain America #615.1 starts off with a new Captain America, and Steve Rogers ain't happy about it. At the same time, we see Rogers burnt out and missing his glory days. When the new Cap gets captured on his first day by A.I.M., Rogers jumps into action to save him, then tells him to get lost and leave the shield behind. At the close of the issue, we see Nick Fury and Sharon talking about how Fury set up the new Cap to manipulate Rodgers into being Captain America again.


This issue really drew me into the story, even with the gaps in background. Brubaker created a story that touches on the struggles of Steve Rogers not being Captain America. Additionally, with Fury trying manipulate Rogers back to the mask and shield, I can feel where the story is heading, and I am curious to see how they get there.


For a Point One issue, it felt like the start of a new story, even though there wasn't as much background as I would have liked. It also got me invested in the character, which is what will keep me reading. If Marvel wanted me to get excited for the comic and the movie, they succeeded.

My Point One Journey so far:
* Review: Uncanny X-Force
* Review: Hulk
* Review: Deadpool
* Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

* Review: Wolverine
* Review: The Invincible Iron Man
* My Point One Plan
* The info about the Point One Initiative


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Review: Uncanny X-Force #5.1

I'm sorry that the Uncanny X-Force #5.1 review is late but this was the hardest Point One review I have had to write.

The story is the continuation of the current storyline from the first few issues. This is a team of asassians made up of former X-Men characters; some I know and some I don't. In this issue, they appear to be getting revenge on those that attacked them first. There is also a side story of killing a child clone of Apocalypse. Needless to say, this was a very dark issue, in both story and art.

This issue did nothing for me. Didn't invoke any emotions, with the exception of being confused. Unlike the other Point One issues I read, I had no background on this issue. I do feel it may have been better if I knew the entire team. Since I have had very little exposure to mutants outside of the more popular ones, I had to rely on the story to drag me in. It referenced way too much without giving any detail. At the same time, it failed to make me invest in the characters. If the story had spent a little more time on the characters, it may have pulled me in rather than push me away.

This is a hard book to jump into when you just don't have any background. When reading this issue, I did feel like it would better suit a current Marvel reader who had read other X-Men books. The Point One initiative is supposed to reach not just in the dark readers like me but also consistent comic readers who just haven't read a certain title. In the latter, this fulfills their goal. However, since it is so low in the issue count, if you like this issue it won't be hard to catch up.

Coming up this week, we have another Point One double duty of Captain America #615.1 and Thor #620.1. Hopefully I will get even more excited for the movies!! Hopefully....

My Point One Journey so far:
* Review: Hulk
* Review: Deadpool
* Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

* Review: Wolverine
* Review: The Invincible Iron Man
* My Point One Plan
* The info about the Point One Initiative


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Wonder Woman: First Look

The first picture of Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman has been released and is already causing a lot of debate. Take it in, think about it and then read my thoughts below...

© 2011 NBC/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo Credit: Justin Lubin

For the most part, I like it. I think the designers worked hard to blend the iconic look of Wonder Woman with the newer, updated one that's been in the comics, while trying to add a little something for just the show. My biggest issues are that the boots are the wrong color and it's very shiny, but I guess I can live with that. 

There are many interesting discussions about the outfit going on across the web, and one of the comments I came across talked about how it was too "Halloween costume trashy." I love this comment because my original thought was that it would make a decent Halloween costume, but my next thought was "At least it's not as trashy as some of the other super heroine costumes out there." If I was going to go as Wonder Woman, I'd be more inclined to wear this than the other types out there.

I've seen other comments from other articles discussing not just the look of the outfit, but also the actress wearing it. Adrianne Palicki is a wonderful actress. I have enjoyed a lot of her work, but I tend to agree that part of why the outfit is coming across a little "porn star/trashy/Halloween-y/etc." is because she is not statuesque enough to really own it. She is slighter than what one would expect of an Amazon. So it comes down to the physicality and how one carries themselves. If you put a woman like Lucy Lawless or Gina Torres in this, they would own it on an entirely different level. In this photo, I am not seeing the Amazonian power I equate with Wonder Woman. 

What I would love in the next photo released is to see a less forced and uncomfortable picture that allows us to see exactly what the creative team saw in Ms. Palicki that made them say she was the right person to play Wonder Woman.

To learn more about the various fashion changes Wonder Woman has gone through over the years, check out this great article by Alan Kistler, who writes the "Agent of S.T.Y.L.E" column for Newsarama.

What are your thoughts of Wonder Woman's new look? Comment below

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Sunday Links for March 20

This week brought a lot of great announcements with C2E2 just starting! None of the IGH team could make it, and it looks like we are missing something amazing!

Best news I heard all week? Sailor Moon is coming back to the US, in brand new graphic novels! I was a big fan of the show and can't wait to start reading all new stories.

Den of Geek wrote an fantastic article about whether belated sequels are better than franchise reboots. I have to admit, I am a little excited for Scream 4 but terrified that it will disappoint me.

Warren Ellis, in his effortless entertainment for me, has challenged fans to redesign the cover of Fantastic Four #1, without knowing any details of the comic. Check out some of the great covers that people came up with over at Comics Alliance. After seeing these, I have two questions: What is Roargasm's power and where is my Horde Granny one-shot?!

Kotaku has an article about the abuse that women gamers receive. I wish I could say that this is the first time I have read an article about this, but sadly it's not. In the article, they highlight a website called Fat, Ugly or Slutty, which compiles all of the inappropriate comments that gamers get sent. Some of them are funny, some are stupid, and some just are lewd. Not surprisingly, all of them seem to have spelling errors. Please be safe out there, and if you receive anything threatening in-game, please report that player immediately.

The CBLDF issued an advisory this week about the legal dangers of crossing international borders. Apparently, US Border Control can and will check and seize anything without cause, just because it might be illegal. Because of this, many adult comics have been the cause of problems.

On my want list are these K'Nex Mario Kart toys! I'm a big fan of Mario Kart, despite the fact that Getsuyobi beats me every time. I finally have a way to get back at the Goombas that ruined my chances at winning! I'm a little sad but I will have my revenge!

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Video Friday: St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day was yesterday, and I don't know about you but I'm still feeling a little green. No, I'm not sick from alcohol poisoning. I'm just feeling the spirit of the holiday. So we're going to celebrate with St. Patrick's Day inspired videos.





You can never go wrong with dancing monkeys!





A most touching and heartwarming rendition of Danny Boy





And now I leave you with one of my new favorite videos from the gang at CollegeHumor. Absolutely brilliant.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Review: Hulk #30.1

This week we are treated with two Point One titles, Hulk and Uncanny X-Force. My Uncanny X-Force review will be out soon, but here is how I feel about Hulk.

Hulk #30.1 actually follows the Red Hulk, Former General Thunderbolt Ross. Right off the bat, we learn that Ross had a few issues with the Hulk and misused his power in an effort to destroy him. He faked his own death and ended up storming the White House. But now he is a good guy, working for Steve Rodgers and Bruce Banner, the Original Hulk. His crazy monster hating apparently spread to an officer that replaced him when he "died." Now he is being hunted just like he hunted Banner, by his friend, General Reggie Fortean, who doesn't know that his old friend is who he is trying to kill.

The Hulk Point One issue provided a great background for the Red Hulk character, while starting a new story. Ross is a compelling character that truly seems torn about what he has done in the past and what he is today. Not to mention, he has got a little attitude, which I love. However, wasn't this supposed to be about the Hulk? Bruce Banner never makes an appearance. I feel like I did for Amazing Spider-Man, they promised me one thing and gave me another. Marvel bait and switch! I know that this is supposed to bring in new readers and introduce them to characters but let's be honest for a second. These new readers have to want to read comics, so they already have some geek background and probably know something about these characters.

Yes, I know that Red Hulk is on the cover like Venom was on the cover of ASM. However, as a potential new fan, I have the right to expect the title character to be in their own introduction story. If I wanted to be introduced to Red Hulk, I would buy a Red Hulk book!

As a introduction to a character, this was a good story. It was ruined for me by the fact that I feel like Marvel is using the classics to sell me the second string cast.

My Point One Journey so far:
* Review: Deadpool
* Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

* Review: Wolverine
* Review: The Invincible Iron Man
* My Point One Plan
* The info about the Point One Initiative

The Comics & Art Community Stand Up for Japan

By Rob Dobi

As Japan deals with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and now the threat of a nuclear meltdown, individuals, organizations, and charities have been mobilizing all over the world to help get relief to the people whose lives have been turned upside down by this tragedy. Given what a strong influence the Japanese art and comics industries has been on the world, artists from the communities have been creating beautiful pieces and events to show their support and help get aid to Japan. I came across this great article for the Comics Alliance about this. They will be constantly updating the article as more creators get involved. Here are a few of the amazing works available. Check out the Comics Alliance article for more information about purchasing any of the pieces.

By Linda Yuki Nakanishi

 By Anthony Brian Villafuerte RN aka zerobriant

By Aoiro Studio

Without Japan, we wouldn't have Nintendo, anime, Godzilla, Ken Watanabe, sushi or so many other awesome contributions. Anything you can do to help, no matter how small, will make a difference. And in this case, you would be getting phenomenal art. Do what you can.

Sunday Links for March 13

This past week was filled with sadness as the worst earthquake in their recorded history hit Japan, resulting in a Tsunami felt throughout the entire Pacific. For more information about how you can help, here's a great article by the Huffington Post. If you are still trying to locate someone, Google released a people finder tool to help. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected.

Free Comic Day is fast approaching, and I can say that I am excited. Not just for the free books but because I never know what I will find. Bleeding Cool has previews for all 33 fcbd books for this year.

Stan Lee is cracking up geeks everywhere this week by finally answering the age old question from Mallrats, "What is the Thing's dork made of?" The answer is what we all expected.

If you are a big Scott Pilgrim fan, you will be happy to learn that there are four unreleased songs from the movie. They are from Beck, who did all of the songs for Sex Bob-omb.

Over at Geek to Me, they have a guest editorial from Sean “Blazek” Emes, who makes a very good argument that competitive gaming should be considered a sport. Having suffered from Wii elbow, I can say that gaming can be very, very physically dangerous.

Next time someone tells you that comics are pointless, idiotic reading for kids, make sure to show them this. For Women's History Month, the Smithsonian has created videos and comics to teach kids and adults about some of science's most influential women.

Pssst... Did you know that we are having a Bonanza? A crazy Autograph Bonanza where we give stuff away? Wanna take part? ;)

And now, just because its funny, I give you Angry Batbirds. You can check out more of them here.

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Are You Ready for an Autograph Bonanza?

If you have been following [insertgeekhere] lately, you may have noticed that we have gone to a lot of events lately. Combine that with my secret stash, and do you know what I have? A BONANZA!


Not just any bonanza, but an autograph bonanza! And I'm not just calling it that because I like the word bonanza. We have a crazy amount of autographed items to give away!


We have in stock:

Supernatural: Origins #6 signed by artist Matthew Dow Smith

American Vampire #12 signed by writer and creator Scott Snyder

Comic Book Comics: All Lawsuit Issue #5 signed by writer Fred Van Lente and artist Ryan Dunlavey

The Fall signed by writers Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan


And for good measure, a sealed death bag of Fantastic Four #587, which has a chance of being signed by Jonathan Hickman.


Excited yet?!


To win, you gotta follow us at @ighinsider and tweet this or post it on our Facebook page. Do both for double entries!

"Come on down to [insertgeekhere]'s Autograph Bonanza!" 

Contest ends March 26th at midnight EST and is open to US and Canada only.

Video Friday - Geeky Fun!

We interrupt your life to bring you today's Video Friday. So kick back, relax, have a drink, and enjoy.... 


To begin, let's take a look at a clip from the latest Super Sentai show in Japan, known to us here in the States as Power Rangers. I have no idea why it happened but it appears as though every Power Ranger that ever existed was called into battle. This is their fight.





What do you do when you find who you think is the perfect person, only to discover they have one tragic flaw that you cannot look past? This is what Mikey Mason explores in his song, She Don't Like Firefly. (Warning: Major spoiler if you've never seen Serenity, and if you haven't, why not? Go get it as soon as you finish this. GO!)





Now, time for some nerdy mathematical, musical fun. It makes sense, given the close relationship between music and math, that people would create a musical version of Pi. This just happens to be one of the best ones I've seen. A special thanks to Jeff, for sending this my way.





What happens when you're sooooooooo bored and happen to be a marshmallow? I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say this is brought to you by the creative forces behind Charlie the Unicorn. You be the judge.





And now, I return you to your regularly scheduled life. Hope you enjoyed the break.


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Who knows the Night Folk?

I met Matthew Dow Smith at NYCC when I was wandering through Artist Alley, just checking out what people had out. I stopped at his table because of the Supernatural comics, and he was kind enough to sign a couple for me. I started following his work, and I have a fondness for his artwork. So when I heard he was starting a new project, I knew that I wanted to be on board.

Here enters The Night Folk, a novel written and illustrated by Smith. It has been something he has worked on for years, and is ready to take the final push to finish it. The Night Folk is a world hidden from us and is only discovered by young Victoria. Take a look at his Kickstarter video.

It has an interesting premise but what really drew me in was the art of the villain. It just chills me the way that a villain should.

In addition to releasing some art, Smith has also released part of the first chapter and a related short story. The story has a great vibe, and I can definitely see potential in where he is going. I have personally supported this and I hope you do too! Go check out The Night Folk Kickstarter page for more details!

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Take a moment to think about this on International Women's Day

This is a powerful short video from the James Bond crew that was specially commissioned for International Women's Day. While there is humor to it, it is very shocking to hear some of these statistics, and I commend Daniel Craig for taking part. This is the first film featuring Bond to be directed by a woman.

Go check out We Are Equals for more information.


Directed by acclaimed 'Nowhere Boy' director/conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood, scripted by Jane Goldman ('Kick Ass') and featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench reprising her role as 'M' and Daniel Craig as 007/James Bond.




Thanks to Jen Stuller for showing me this!




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Art Spotlight

Here are a few pieces of art that have really struck me as great over the past few weeks. If you see something that you want featured, email me at insertgeekhere@gmail.com.



I found this on Agent M's blog. Created by Chris Giarrusso, this throwback to the Peanuts gang is almost as cute as the SuperHero Squad! Make sure you check out his sketchbook!



Beware the Daleks for they shall take over the world! I love this great piece from Jimiyo, although it does make me sad that R2-D2 didn't make it. I bet he put up a hell of a fight though. *sniff sniff* In other great Jimiyo work, he has this epic Vader poster.




This is the first painting, titled Pan Man, from Quinn Michaels that he did on his iPad.... I have an iPad and I have failed to receive these results! He has an amazing gallery on his site that you MUST check out!


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Sunday Links for March 6

After this week of quoting the insanities of Charlie Sheen, let's take a look back and see what else we missed....


The big movie news of the week was the release of a very creepy looking Red Skull from the new Captain America movie. Love the look and I am totally getting more excited by the day! In DC movie news, there is a rumor floating that Aragorn himself, Viggo Mortensen, is up for the role of General Zod in the new Superman flick. You all know how excited I am for Superman, and I would love to see Mortensen be the baddie.


CBLDF announced this week, in conjunction with Cryptozoic Entertainment, their new trading card series called The Liberty Trading Cards. The set will include sketch cards, chase cards and autographs, along with more than 70 of today’s top creators. I guess the new trend for geeks is trading cards, after the Geek A Week cards went on sale last month. CBLDF is also fundraising with 100 Words, a poem about death written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by Jim Lee. The poem can be purchased for $0.99 in the DC Comics app from comiXology, with all of DC's proceeds going to the Comic Book Legal Defense fund.

This past Wednesday was the 25th Anniversary of She-Ra, the pinnacle female from the MotU shows. As someone who grew up telling people that I was the Princess of Power, among other things, I am excited to see that She-Ra lives on in the memories of others, inspiring many as she inspired me.


If you head over to Google today, you will see a tribute to Will Eisner. Today would have been his 94th birthday, and it kicks off Will Eisner Week. MoCCA in NYC is starting a Will Eisner exhibit this week, along with the “In the Spirit of Will Eisner” show with Eisner-influenced pieces. There are events happening all over the world, so check Will Eisner Week to see if it is happening in your area.


This one really gets to me. MTV Geek puts out a list of the 10 Best Post-Apocalyptic Comics and Resurrection isn't on it?! I mean, some of these are great series but Resurrection is just a superb alien apocalypse tale. Go read it.


Whew, we made it through without a single Sheen reference....oh wait. I just gotta post this! Comics Alliance has paired Charlie Sheen quotes with superheroes, and it is just too perfect. Enjoy or weep. Your choice.



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Comics Book Comics Release Party

This Wednesday, I attended the Midtown Comics Release Party for Comic Book Comics #5 by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey. This series studies the history of the comic industry, with this issue dedicated to the comic lawsuits. Also on the panel was Jeff Trexler, the pro bono lawyer and writer for Newsrama, who consulted on the issue. The panel was expertly moderated by Midtown Comics' own Thor Parker, who introduced himself this time. ;)


The lecture started off with the guys telling us two of the stories from the book. This was the same slide show given at the NYU law school. The two stories they read were The Grabbers and Mouse Pirates. The Grabbers is about the copyright fights between creators and publishers, with a focus on the Copyright Act of 1976. The Mouse Pirates is about a publisher that parodied Disney characters into porn. Both Van Lente and Dunlavey (Dunlavey even had a cold!) impressed me with how well they did voices for all of their characters. Guys, if comics doesn't work out, go into voice acting.

After storytime, we learned about how this issue came to be. It took a long time to research for stories. After Van Lente wrote it, they had Trexler check everything. He did say that Van Lente did a great job on research.


One fan asked how this series has been received by Marvel, since they both have worked for Marvel. According to Dunlavey, Marvel is a big fan of this series and even tried to do one with him but it didn't pan out. Van Lente did stress that the stories in this issue reflect very different regimes in these stories. Trexler added that comics like this and internet forums have made companies rethink how they handle pursuing cases. They are now much more open and transparent.


The best tidbit that came out of this whole discussion is this from Van Lente. When discussing the impact that this history had on the industry compared to other industries, he said that the history of comics is held up by certain franchises, which makes it hard for creators to parody or satire. The companies may never be able to pay back creators.

I even asked a question! I asked about the stories they found that didn't make it in to the book. There were two stories they mentioned. One was about the Trademark and Copyright characters on the front of the book. They had a story about the differences between trademarks and copyrights, but Van Lente said it just didn't fit with the flow. The other story was a comic version of the Creators Bill of Rights as an airline pamphlet. When Dunlavey began to sketch it out, it was just too big of an undertaking for it to fit. I would still like to see that if you get a chance though!


Finally, we got a little insight into the next issue, which is sadly the last one. In it is the Future of the Comics Industry including Japanese comics, graphic novels, digital comics and piracy.


If you are interested in the law or comic history or just plain fun, go pick up this issue. I personally find the law incredible boring but this kept my attention. They made the subject matter fun and easy to understand. The story they didn't read, 1986 AD is a fascinating read about how American Comics impacted in Britain with Captain Marvel at the center of it all! Go pick it up today!!!


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Review: Serpent's Storm by Amber Benson

 

In anticipation of Amber Benson’s signing tomorrow at Midtown Comics, last week, I picked up her new Calliope Reaper-Jones book, Serpent’s Storm. Then I proceeded to finish it within a few days.

I’ll admit with her first book, Death’s Daughter, it took me some time to really get into it. I don’t know if it was because there was so much information that needed to be given or something else, but while I like it, it didn’t wow me. It took a second reading for me to truly appreciate it.

With her second book, Cat’s Claw, I felt like I was popping in to see how an old friend was doing and catching up with her life. I guess because I was more familiar with the mythology, I was able to quickly get lost in the story.

Serpent’s Storm is a completely different story. This is not a quick “how are you doing?” This is “entering a convenience store to get coffee, only to find it’s being held up.” It starts off with a quick recap and update with our heroine, Calliope, and then BAM! You’re thrust directly into a story that is far darker and more twisted than the previous ones.

There is an epic feel to this story. People get hurt or die and there are betrayals. There are battles and help from unlikely sources. There’s love and broken hearts. There are also a couple of spicy sex scenes because no epic story would be complete without a few really good sexcapades.

What I love about this book is not only does Amber create a story that has a sense of largeness and could have easily spiraled out of control, but she keeps it tight and focused as Callie deals with every challenge and obstacle that is thrown at her in her clumsy, spazzy, fiercely determined, strong willed and oh so human way. Minus the special familial circumstances, Callie is someone we all know. And that is what makes her great.

What it comes down to is this – Amber Benson tells a great story. This is a story that will give you satisfying conclusions while leaving you wanting more. These are characters you can’t help but invest in. You want to follow them on their journeys and see where life takes them.

I don’t have a ratings system so let’s just say I give it two thumbs and big toes up and I can’t wait for the next book. 

Amber Benson will being signing Serpent's Storm with Anton Strout, who will be signing his book, Dead Waters, at Midtown Comics Downtown tomorrow at 1 PM. Come on down and say hi!

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Video Friday!!!

Good day, gentle readers. It's time for another installment of Video Friday. Today I'll be offering a smattering of the more amusing and interesting videos I've come across on the web.


Did you know a new Ben and Jerry's flavor was recently introduced? On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Wednesday evening, Jimmy debuted his flavor, Late Night Snack. It is a concoction of vanilla bean ice cream with a caramel swirl and fudge covered potato chip clusters. And just how did this come about? Last summer, Jimmy performed a musical tribute to the ice cream gurus with his "vocal group", Ladysmith Snack Mambazo. One thing led to another and ice cream magic was born.





Did you know Justin Bieber was on CSI? He played a most angry young man who eventually met with an untimely demise. But that's not the whole story. At least, according to some. Here is one man's theory on what REALLY happened.





How we handle rejection is one of the ways we can tell how one can handle life. Here a father shows his child a rejection letter. I think we can safely say this is one of the better ways to turn something unpleasant into something memorable.





Let's move on to something a little... darker. Dark side darker. We all know that Toyota commercial featuring the child dressed as Darth Vader. What if things were a little different? What if he really did have the power? Let's find out.





You've all heard about the Robocop statue that is going to be built in Detroit. Well, right before it was announced, the man himself, Peter Weller, made a statement to Detroit explaining why this needed to happen. It's because of this and the love and devotion of his fans that Robocop will watch over Detroit for years to come.

And finally, because I would like to leave you in the mood to get out and dance, here is a compilation of some of Sam Rockwell's finest dance moves. The man does like to move and thankfully, he does it well.





Fare thee well, gentle readers. Until we meet again.


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