Season Finale: Top 5 of 2012

Delays

No episode of Digging for Gold this week, I'm taking a mini-vacation. Check back here the week after for a double-sized episode!

News and Reviews: 11/10/2012

News & Reviews: 11/6/2012

News & Reviews: 10/24/2012

Comic-Con Wrap-Up News!

Well, I'm back online at long last! (For now anyway). I've moved from text to a kind of half-slideshow/half-podcast thingy. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Since the time I recorded this, the "Omega Avengers" I mentioned have been revealed to be the new version of the Illuminati, as seen in Hickman and Epting's New Avengers to be released in January. More info here.


I'll be doing these videos as often as possibly (though probably not next week) and I'll also be continuing to provide choice comics-related tweets, so be sure to add this site back into your list of "frequently visited". ;)

Stay golden everyone!

Format Change

I'm constantly trying to make this blog a better place to get your classic comic goodness. Unfortunately, a lot of what I've been doing lately has been quite the opposite of that. I've kind of swerved away from my original focus without meaning to.

With that in mind, I've decided to suspend some of my weekly articles, so I can focus on reviewing classic comics. Like with everything, this will most likely be temporary. I'm constantly getting feedback from people that like the site and I want my fans (as little as they may be) to be happy.

If you want to hear my ramblings and musings about current comics, I frequently use twitter, much to the chagrin of everyone following me. Just look up @RedKamui and you'll be on the fast track to getting inside my brain. It's a gift and a curse.

So, like always, leave me some feedback if you are happy (or enraged) about this latest turn of events, and I'll see you all next time, between the panels.

Stay golden.

Building a DC Universe!

Just a quick shout out, today marks the release of LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes!

I haven't yet had a chance to play it, but it looks great. I urge everyone who's into comics, Legos, or just fun games to check it out. Look below for a review to whet your appetite and/or sway your interests:

Freaky!

What universe have I been dropped into where Ultimate Spider-Man actually puts out a good episode? That's right, the latest episode of Ultimate Spider-Man, "Freaky" was my favorite comic-show of this week. Granted, it only had one other show as competition, but that is still quite an achievement when me and most of the world are still grieving the loss of Spectacular Spider-Man.

Brian Wood Saves the Day!

Well..not exactly. I just have to give a shout out to the man that actually managed to bring one of my least favorite books into my Top 5, even if it's still not too high on the list. Kudos to you man! Anyways, let's get started, shall we!

Wave 3, Writer Shake-ups, and a Female Nightwing?

Hello boys and girls (the former much more than the latter I assume); welcome to another edition of Super Serial. If you want to know the bullet points of comic book news for this week, then look no further than this very page!

It's that time again for solicitations! For September to be precise, and DC sure has a surprise in store for everyone, prequel books! Yeah...prequel books...read ahead for more!

Old is "New" Again

Back in 1936 when people still had to wrassle dinosaurs for transportation, DC Comics had just launched their second ever ongoing comic book. Back then, their policy was "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And so the anthology comic known as New Comics came into being.

Superman: From Page to Screen

In March of 2001 Joe Kelly wrote a Superman comic that is remembered to this day as one of the best representations of what makes Superman so great. His moral fiber. His unwillingness to buckle or surrender to anything. I'm referring to Action Comics #775; "What's so funny about truth, justice, and the American way?" And today, that influential work of art has been adapted into an animated movie called "Superman vs. The Elite"

The Plot Thickens!

I'm of course, referring to the plot of Young Justice! This week marks Season 2's mid-season finale and boy is it a wild ride with it's fair share of twists and turns. It's my pick of the week.

We not only have the introduction of Carol Ferris, but also Nightwing and Artemis' long awaited return to the front lines! In "Depths" we have the Gamma Squad protecting a new martian communications satellite from the likes of Aqualad and Black Manta's troops. Let's just say it doesn't exactly go according to plan. I won't spoil it here but the end of this episode is a real game changer, and the fact that it's now going into hiatus is excruciating.

Aqualad is sinister and badass. He really does make a great villain; and his character progression was the most interesting part of the show up to this point. Speaking of budding villains, the sub-plot between Superboy and Miss Martian continues to unfold. More and more it seems they are prepping Megan for a turn to the dark side. Her moral choices are questionable at best, and the implication that she is erasing the memories of the entire team to cover up her "mind-rapes" is appalling. It's an interesting turn for the character that shows just how willing this show is to push boundaries beyond your average "children's cartoon".

As far as the rest of DC Nation goes, we have a repeat of Green Lantern and a couple new DC Nation shorts. First up was "Sword of the Atom: Part 3". I'm not really a fan of the Atom, but it was interesting at least. Since the story seems to be long-form, breaking it up into a bunch of one to two minute shorts was a bad idea. I would have rather seen this as a full-length pilot.

The opposite holds true for the other short, "New Teen Titans: Taped Before a Live Studio Audience". It was the very cliche premise of arguing friends dividing their belongings with duct tape, but it worked because it was merely a one minute gag. I'm a little worried that this new tone won't be able to sustain a full-length show. I'm guessing that when "Teen Titans Go!" does begin airing next year, it won't be as popular as the execs predict because it will be based off these shorts and not the original acclaimed show.

Marvel Universe was complete re-runs through and through, so I won't go into it. What we did have though, is the return of Iron Man: Armored Adventures! The show has been on hiatus so they could time its return with the theatrical release of The Avengers. I think it's a case of too little, too late because there seems to be only seven episodes left in the season.

The episode this week was actually a bit different depending on where you watched it. On television was premiered the episode "Iron Man 2099" which was a great episode. The problem being that I saw that episode on the Nicktoons website months ago since I watch everything online. For the website-goers, we got the episode "Ctl-Alt-Del"; a rather underwhelming episode featuring The Controller as the villain. Basically, the Controller brings Tony into a VR sim and tries to coerce Extremis out of him. That's pretty much it. Not bad, not great either. It doesn't help that the Controller is a wholly uninteresting villain. I don't think Marvel really knows what to do with this show, but here's to hoping it goes back to how great it was in Season 1.

And that's it for the shows this week. With multiple shows on hiatus, the urge to watch through these animation blocks is waning. They really need to get their act together with new episodes, or at least show re-runs of classic shows like JLU or Batman: The Animated Series. But that would be CRAZY

Until next time comics fans, stay golden.

E3 in full swing!

"E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo? What does that have to do with comic books?" you say. I give you: COMIC-BOOK VIDEO-GAMES! (and my thoughts on if they suck or not).

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Stupid title aside, I'm actually really excited for this game. The new Netherrealm Studios put out an amazing effort with their last title Mortal Kombat 9 and I think they can do the same here. I'm not exactly a fan of fighting-games but the single player story was top notch and it had a plethora of modes and plenty to do and unlock. So as long as this is "Mortal Kombat 9 with a DC skin" and has an interesting story-line similar in scope to MK9; it will be one of my favorite games of the year.

Nothing will stop me from hating the armor on The Flash though. WHY DOES HE NEED ARMOR?

Young Justice: Legacy

It looks like a poor-mans port of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. I'm not going to be that interested in the title until we get an update on which characters are playable. But I'm sure it will be fun for co-op purposes. Even if it turns out horrible, I'll still probably play it because the story-line seems to fill in a lot of the plot-holes inherent in the Young Justice tv show; and I can't have that!

The Amazing Spider-Man

This is the game I'm most looking forward to in the umbrella of "comic-book" games. And it's a movie-tie in game, what are the odds of that! Beenox has proved to me time and time again that they know how to make an awesome Spider-Man game. Combine that with the free-roaming aspect of previous Spidey games and you have the potential for a top notch entry in Beenox's library. Here's to hoping they have plenty of alternate costumes to swing around in!

The Avengers: Battle for Earth

I have never been a fan of motion gaming. I never will be a fan of motion gaming. It just doesn't work for me. I tolerate it with the Wii because Nintendo knows how to incorporate their gimmicks well; but for this....I'm not looking forward to it. Even if I did own a Kinect it seems to be a straight up copy of countless Kinect fighters I've seen before. Ugh...pass.

Marvel Heroes

Well, it looks to be an online version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. I can get behind that, especially with the prospect of a constantly expanding character roster. I'll try it out either way, but I doubt I'll subscribe unless it's free-to-play. I already have enough worries on my mind without adding another monthly charge onto things.

And those are my thoughts on the new games showcased at this year's E3. It's nice seeing only one of them being a movie-tie in game (and it looks good on top of that!). Of course, these will all pale in comparison to LEGO Batman 2; which comes out this month! June 19th to be exact. You all better pick it up and play it with me! Or I'll find you and force the game into your hands.

Until next time comics fans, stay golden.

A "Post-Avengers" World

We are now living in a "Post-Avengers" world. The after-effects of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight have finally lifted and a new air of care-free comic book movies has wafted into the Hollywood offices. Joss Whedon and his record breaking masterpiece have finally shown the big-wig executives that you don't have to be grim and realistic in order to be successful. A comic book movie is free to have a little fun!

Now if you haven't already noticed, The Avengers is one of my new favorite movies of all time. It embodied every single thing I love about comic books, and it opened the door for a plethora of new ideas that we never thought possible. Before The Avengers, did anyone ever think they would green-light something as silly as an Aquaman movie? Now it's closer than ever. Here's the latest news on all the comic book movies/tv shows coming down the pipeline. Be careful not to implode with giddy-ness as you read:

Warner Brothers

•  After this summer's "The Dark Knight Rises" and next year's "Man of Steel", not much was known about DC's plans for a movie universe. Until now!
• Reports now show that DC is planning a shared universe similar to Marvel's. To be "god-fathered" by Nolan (most likely as a producer), this universe will start with next summer's Man of Steel and continue with roughly two movies a year for the foreseeable future.
• The next movie to release after Man of Steel would be the sci-fi shoot-em-up "Lobo"; written by Brad Peyton. Much like last year's Green Lantern movie, it would still technically be canon to the new DC Movie Universe but have mere tangential connections to the other movies.

• A Justice League movie has been in the cards for a while. Will Beall is currently re-writing the script; and David Yates (of Harry Potter fame) is in talks to direct.

• Two movies are being penned to spin-out of the Justice League film: Michael Goldenberg is writing Wonder Woman; in addition to Marc Guggenheim & Michael Green on The Flash. All three writers had previously worked on the Green Lantern film.
• Other movies mentioned as possibilities were "The Batman" (a reboot of the franchise sans Nolan and Bale) Aquaman, Green Arrow, Suicide Squad, Shazam, and of course Green Lantern 2.
• On the animation front: the "New Teen Titans" shorts from the DC Nation animation block will be expanded into a full-length show titled "Teen Titans Go!" in 2013. The art style and tone of the show will be comedic much like the shorts; as opposed to the more serious nature of the original show.

 20th Century Fox

• The title "Days of Future Past" was registered with title registration board recently. For those not in the know, "Days of Future Past" is the name of an influential X-Men story arc written by Chris Clairemont. Fox has not commented on the matter, so I'm unsure if this will be the sub-title of the announced "X-Men: First Class 2" or a different movie entirely. The long awaited X-Men 4 perhaps?

 Sony

• The long dead "Venom" property seems to have been revived. Sony claims that the movie will serve as an updated origin for the character and finally give him the big-screen debut he deserves. It will be set in the same continuity as the recent Amazing Spider-Man reboot and could lead to a cross-over down the line. Josh Trank, who you may know as the director of Chronicle; is attached to direct. This news bodes ill for the supposed Fantastic Four reboot over at Fox, which also had Trank attached.

Marvel Studios

• Iron Man 3 has officially started filming; and in North Carolina! (My home state for those that don't know.) Both Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle will return; and it seems they both will be getting new suits (Cheadle's armor looks quite similar to the comic's "Iron Patriot"). The plot synopsis seems to be an adaptation of the Extremis story-line, with a bit of Armor Wars thrown in for good measure. It features Guy Pearce as the main villain Aldritch Killian, the scientist who creates an army of Extremis monsters. Coldblood (James Badge Dale) and Firepower (Ashley Hamilton) will also be featured. In addition to that, Ben Kingsley will play a mysterious villain pulling the strings from the shadows, and he's rumored to be the mighty Mandarin! Taking into account that A.I.M. will also be in the film to some degree; we have quite a hodge-podge of villains on our hands. I'm interested to see how it will all play out.
• The Thor 2 script is proceeding as well. The film will be directed by Game of Thrones vet Alan Taylor; and it's rumored to feature Enchantress and The Executioner as villains. Mads Mikkelson is attached to be one of those villains (I'm sure you can guess which one).
• Captain America 2 is a little further away, but at the very least it's found it's director! Or in this case, directors: Anthony and Joe Russo. These guys have previously worked on Arrested Development and Community, so I'm curious to see what Marvel is trying to do here. They have talent for sure; but can they tackle a big-budget action movie?
• As for the other "Phase 2" films, Marvel is being quite tight-lipped. An Avengers 2 is guaranteed, and an Incredible Hulk sequel is also likely; but what about new characters? A mystery movie is confirmed for release in May of 2014, but what could it be? Names like Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, S.H.I.E.L.D. and even more ballsy ideas like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Inhumans are all being thrown around. But only time will tell what really comes to pass. I'm hoping for Edgar Wright's long-gestating Ant-Man epic.
• Marvel has also been trying to break into the live-action tv scene, but to no avail. It had four tv shows in the pipeline, three of which are now cancelled (Powers, AKA Jessica Jones, and The Punisher). Only the Incredible Hulk series is still being worked on, but it's been delayed a season, and with a possible movie sequel; is it even necessary?
• The animation front is also in an upset. The recent rumors of the cancellation of "Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" now ring true. It will be replaced with a more kid-friendly show called "Avengers Assemble" that will be set in the same universe as the new Ultimate Spider-Man show and next year's Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. And the cries of fanboys was heard for miles around.

That was quite a mouthful of news...but it's been a VERY busy week. I'll leave you now with the new trailer for this fall's "Arrow" to debut on the CW. It's a little darker and edgier than I would prefer for a Green Arrow show, but it still looks interesting. Be sure to watch it and show your support so we can get more live-action comic shows made!

Until next time comics-fans, stay golden.

Back with a Vengeance!

Well...I'm not really venge-ing anything. But I'm back! I'm all settled into my new home and can finally devote some time to writing both this blog and other things. Look for lots of new updates all this week, I have a lot to tell you guys!

:)

Looking to the Future

Looking to the future, I'm going to be posting a bit less than normal for a little while. I have a lot of things in the real world pipeline, but I'll still update when I can. Check back every once in a while, this blog isn't dying!

Super Serial: Art Imitates Art

What a big week for comics! DC puts out its final issues of Blackhawks and the Uncharted mini-series, finishes up the over-looked and under-whelming "Rise of the Vampires" cross-over, and sets up its new line wide event "The Culling" with a prelude in Teen Titans #8!

Of course, the big news on everyone's minds this week is over at Marvel, with the final issue of the blockbuster mini-series Battle Scars. In it, they replace the current Nick Fury with a character more in line to the Sam Jackson interpretation. Whether you love or hate the idea of the Marvel Movie-verse influencing the comics, you have to admit that the future spy adventures of Nick Fury Jr. and Phil Coulson sounds like a fun idea.

That's not all that Marvel did this week either! They also wrapped up the amazing street level event "The Omega Effect" and finished several series such as The Twelve and the much under-appreciated Moon Knight. The latest Dark Tower mini-series also came to an end, and fans of that series will keep on enjoying it.



With all those books ending, replacements had to be made, of course. The "Marvel Universe" branding gets a new book based on the abysmal Ultimate Spider-Man television show and the Cap and Bucky book gets a re-title and a new direction in the form of Captain American &; a guest team-up book in the vein of Avenging Spider-Man. The first arc features Cap and Hawkeye fighting dinosaurs. Count me in.

In addition, the famous Jason Aaron run on Wolverine ended last month, with the team of Cullen Bunn & Paul Pelletier taking the reigns for now. It's only one issue in, but it's not exactly living up to expectations so far.

Last but also least, the new mini-series tie-in to the blockbuster event of 2012 kicks off. Avengers vs. X-Men: Versus (yes that's the title) takes fights from the main books and expands them to a book of their own. If you think that sounds wholly unnecessary and thoughtless than you'd be right. That's all I'll say on the matter.

AvX notwithstanding, Marvel actually had a great line-up this week. I had a hard time whittling down a Top 5, with Astonishing X-Men, Moon Knight, Uncanny X-Men, and Secret Avengers all just barely not making the cut. After much deliberation, here are my Top 5 for the week:






#5 - The New Deadwardians #2: Such a refreshing new series. An interesting murder mystery set in the backdrop of a Vampire/Zombie war. In Victorian England. Yes please. Its something that I've truly never seen before, and in this day and age of comics that is certainly a rare treat. Not much else to say, pick it up if you want a vampire or zombie story that isn't a carbon copy of all the others.

#4 - Ultimate Comics: The Ultimates #9: Wow does Hickman know how to tell an epic yarn. The big battle between the Children and the People finally kicks off, and to top that off we have a sub-plot of the American government taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. and launching nukes at Europe. There were at least two pages in this issue where I just stared at the art in awe for a good minute. This book seriously doesn't know the meaning of the word "status quo"; I'm eagerly anticipating where it goes from here.

#3 -  Daredevil #11: The conclusion of "The Omega Effect" is a slight bit of a disappointment compared to the other two issues; mostly due to the ending. The main goal of the arc was not really accomplished, and I wouldn't be surprised if an "Omega Effect 2" event pops up in a few months. Having said that it's still a great issue. Spider-Man is kind of unnecessary here, providing only comic relief, but the three other characters come out of this cross-over with a large amount of development. Punisher and his lady-friend are the best off in this regard, with hints of a new direction for Cole-Alves in the coming issues. If you are fan of any of these characters I'd advise picking up this issue, and the whole event.

#2 - Green Lantern: New Guardians #8: I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit of a fan-boy for the various Lantern Corps factions. This is probably the best Power Rangers comic I'll ever get. And if you are like me, you will love this issue. We are finally done with that Invictus arc (for now) and we get a stand-alone featuring Arkillo and the fate of the Yellow Lantern Corps after the events in the main GL title. I love the attempts to bridge an over-all GL continuity between the four books and this issue more than anything shows how every Corps is in dire straits. It's all building up to the "Third Army" event, and I couldn't be happier to be along for the ride.

#1 - FF #17:There is no question, every person on the planet should buy this issue. The premise is Peter Parker and Johnny Blaze are room-mates. Cue the insanity. That's really all you need to know. Dragotta is not exactly my cup of tea, but the art only slightly brings down the glory of the issue. If you think throwing a wild party with the Universal Inhumans sounds like fun, than you will adore this book. I don't want to give away too much but I'll just say this: Johnny Blaze getting arrested, hitting on a mounted cop, while his friend Midnight Blade hits on the horse. I've lauded the writing skills of Hickman before, but this is sheer brilliance. Go pick it up now.




And that's it! Tune in next time (tomorrow maybe?) where I'll talk about the shows for the week, which is quickly becoming the "praise Young Justice and then mention the other shows that pale in comparison" corner.

Until next time comic fans, stay golden!