Behold the Geek! - A look at all things comic and awesome

My Week in Comics: Wolverine and the X-Men #5

2012-02-10T17:02:00.000+08:00

How do I describe Wolverine and the X-Men #5 in one word? "Crazy".

And that's exactly why I like it. Series writer Jason Aaron is taking Wolverine and his merry band of X-Men to places both unseen and unheard of, and it makes for a comic you just don't see from anywhere else.

So you wanna see just exactly what they teach in this school? Aaron takes a simple biology class and cranks it up to 11, in a fun and visually amazing sequence (with big thanks to Nick Bradshaw's amazing art) that encapsulates the direction the book is going. But it's not all just fun and games. I like how Aaron juggles so many emotions, so many characters in this book like it's no big thing, while still reading like a cohesive whole. From monetary problems (running a high-tech school for mutants isn't exactly cheap) to the problem of a pregnant Kitty (!), to giving the students of the school their small moments to shine, Aaron balances all that while still making the book fun to read.

I've already mentioned Nick Bradshaw's art, but it bears repeating: it's amazing. It may not have the crazy kick of Chris Bachalo, but Bradshaw's distinct style works to give this book a little bit more clarity and focus. And hey, if you wanna see clean-shaven and a-little-bit-too-gorgeous Wolverine, this is the book for you!

It's funny, it's scary, and it's comic book fun. Wolverine and the X-Men #5 is good comics, and we need more of this than ever. This gets a 4.5 out of 5.

Become Earth's Most Fragrant Heroes with The Avengers Cologne

2012-02-10T13:47:00.000+08:00

Ever dreamed of becoming your favorite super heroes? We all did. But is there anyone who dreamed of smelling like one? Because that dream comes true right now.

A company called Jads International, LLC. apparently tied up with Marvel to produce a line of colognes based on the upcoming superhero movie The Avengers. Yes, you heard right. Perfumes that smell of Earth's Mightiest Heroes are soon to be a reality!

It's absolutely amazing how we came to this, and equally amazing why nobody thought to do this before. Smelling like superheroes? Who doesn't want that? Some of the scents are pretty straightforward, like the "reserved and sexy" scent of Patriot (based on Captain America). But then we get the ones like Smash (the one based on the Hulk) and suddenly your mind explodes. What does a ton of green, sweaty, hormonal rage smell like?

On second thought, that might just be my signature scent after all...

You can find out more about the other heroic variants (before you ask...no, Mark VII does not smell of self-importance and vodka) in the Jads International website.

Dark Lich's Linkblog: Money Sink Edition!

2012-01-31T15:26:00.000+08:00

It sucks to be a geek's wallet right now.

The last week alone was bursting with news about fun and exciting stuff to spend your money on. From toys to full-scale replicas, the world is giving us great reasons to subsist on cup noodles and water for the next few months!

For starters, Magic: The Gathering's latest expansion, Dark Ascension, is coming out this February 3. I'm so easy I put down wads of dough for a booster box, but if you're not as easy as me, you can check out the full list of cards at Wizards' Dark Ascension Card Image Gallery before taking the plunge.

Oh hey, Good Smile Company is putting out a sweet-ass Figma of Samus Aran from Metroid: Other M! And it comes with her Morph Ball form! Oh hey, my wallet's crying! Unfortunately for it, my love for shiny things compels me to buy this figure, which you can also do with this preorder link from AmiAmi.

Finally, CBR reports that eFX Inc. will be making collectible prop replicas based on the upcoming The Avengers movie! Get to wield Cap's shield, and even wear Thor's helmet that he wore for all 20 seconds that it was onscreen! Are you ready to plunk down more than a thousand dollars for these babies? With that sweet, sweet shield, it's mighty tempting to do so!

Enjoy the links! As for me, I'm off to find other means of monetary compensation...

Underworld: Awakening Movie Review

2012-01-21T12:59:00.003+08:00

If there's one thing the Underworld series of films had going for it, it was their interesting take on vampires and werewolves. It resulted in movies that were silly but rich in history and flavor. So what does Underworld: Awakening, the latest movie in the series, do to enrich its mythos?

It does away with it entirely.

When Selene (Kate Beckinsale) wakes up naked in a lab with no memory of why she got there, she escapes only to discover that humankind has found out about the existence of vampires and lycans, and in an event called "The Purge", wiped them out from the face of the planet. The vampire-lycan war for domination became a war of survival, with Selene apparently the last of their race...until a mysterious girl comes into her life carrying a secret that just might save the world...or destroy it!

I could understand where they were going with this. With Selene having killed off every single vampire and lycan elder (including the first vampire, lycan and immortal, natch), enemies are understandably hard to come by. Not to mention that lycans have jobbed to vampires since forever. Awakening's solution to this problem might not have been elegant nor easy to swallow at first, but as the mystery becomes clear it opens up exciting possibilities. It's unfortunate then that the movie they built around it is hard to watch, literally and figuratively.

I mean, the action is intense and delightfully gory (probably the goriest Underworld movie so far), but then somebody decided it would be a good idea to light the movie like a bad rave, with blinking lights that made the action hard to follow and put me on the verge of an epileptic seizure.

The people fare no better. Awakening just proves Beckinsale needs someone to play off of, whether its smarmy vampire elders or hybrid boyfriends. Here she has neither, and whoever gets to share her spotlight here has little time to make us care what happens to them. Hell, even Beckinsale isn't that fun to watch, looking more emaciated than sexy. The only saving grace is the final boss of the film, a scary sonovagun whom you need to see to believe. Too bad that it's too little too late.

By throwing away everything that made it good in the first place, Underworld: Awakening became just another bad action-horror flick. In the age of Twilight, vampires and werewolves needed a good shot in the arm. Unfortunately, this movie ain't it.

My Week in Comics: January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T13:48:00.002+08:00

Girl troubles? In my comics? You don't even know the half of it! But I digress...it's time for the most verbose comic book reviews around! What did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

I love me some fist-to-face action in my comics, and Supergirl #5 has it in spades. Mike Johnson and Michael Green takes Kara out for a sightseeing tour of *gasp* Krypton! Or what's left of it. But what she finds here might just be the end of her!

Color me weird, but I like how. This isn't slow-for-slow's sake...Michael Green and Mike Johnson are growing Supergirl's character in the pace they think is best, and it's a pace I'm comfortable with. We get some meaty (read: wordy) revelations on the origins of the dreaded Worldkillers (the mysterious murderous beings Superman mentioned in issue 2), and the obligatory 'misunderstanding throwdown' between Kara and this new character called Reign, drawn superbly of course by Mahmud Asrar. It results in pretty slim content, but it makes up for being just so darn fun to look at.

I've been keeping the faith these past few issues, and the creative team hasn't steered me wrong yet. Supergirl #5 may be a pretty wordy little side excursion, but what we do have is nice. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Gosh, it's been ages since I last saw an honest-to-goodness comic book team-up issue that wasn't hyped to hell and back. By virtue of that fact alone, Daredevil #8 rises above everything else this week!

I'm a sucker for heroes teaming up in comics, and if you've only been reading comics these past few years or so, you'd know that it's a rare occurrence outside of overhyped events. So color me awesome'd by this wonder of a comic book. It's got everything I want: Mark Waid's tightly-woven story about Daredevil and Spider-Man teaming up to go get the bad guys, with the minx-y Black Cat making it hard (hee!) for both our heroes, who leap and bound through every page courtesy of Kano's amazing and dynamic art, coupled with some smart and funny banter and sexual tension you can cut with a chainsaw!

Trust me, my pithy words can't do justice to this book, and the entire two-part story (starting with Amazing Spider-Man #677) itself. Daredevil #8 is good comics, filled with stuff we haven't seen or felt in comic books in a long time. This gets a 5 out of 5. Pick this up on sight (pun definitely intended!)

Can't get enough of The Geek's reviews? Then head on over to The Outhouse, where I reviewed Danger Girl: Revolver #1, the start of Abbey Chase and co.'s new adventure! Girls Protocol, I call it!

Good comics week is good! What did you pick up this week? What did you think of the comics reviewed this week? Why aren't you picking up Daredevil yet? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: Fatale #1

2012-01-06T13:27:00.001+08:00

The legendary team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips returns to the seedy underworld of noir in Fatale #1, a new mini-series from Image Comics. When Nicolas Lash meets the mysterious Jo, he gets more than he bargained for, as he gets entwined in a decades-old mystery full of corrupt cops, dark rituals, and a secret worth killing for!

Brubaker is right at home writing crime noir, with all its depressing tropes and trappings, and that often makes his work an acquired taste. I didn't feel his previous work like Incognito: Bad Influences, but with Fatale the added hint of the paranormal makes it interesting for me. It's certainly a challenge reading through this, as Brubaker hits you with a lot of characters at once, only relying on snippets of their conversations for hints on who's who and what's what. But it's that feeling of confusion and helplessness that adds flavor to the story, and as the mystery opens up to the characters, you're right there with them. With the mystery involving cults and ritual sacrifices and the paranormal...I'm guessing the next issue is gonna keep me up at night.

The art of Fatale is delightfully dark, with whatever light there is illuminating only something even darker and bloodier. Sean Phillips has mastered noir atmosphere, from the dingy bars to the beautiful dames to the smoke-filled air, complimenting Brubaker's story like nothing else. What can you expect from such a storied collaboration?

Fatale #1 is not your usual first issue, but it's not your usual book. With the promise of a Lovecraftian mystery brewing for our poor characters, Brubaker and Phillips managed to grab me hook, line and sinker. If noir might not be your thing, this might just be the book to convince you other wise. This gets a 4 out of 5.

Top 5 Dragons in Comics

2012-01-05T12:59:00.000+08:00

2012 is awesome by virtue of one simple, Chinese Zodiac-based fact: 2012 is the Year of the Dragon!

But dragons aren't just for zodiacs...comic books have their fair share of big, scaly firebreathers. From the tiny to the titanic, the cool to the sizzling hot, we're counting down the top five dragons in comics in today's Top 5 Thursday! Get ready...I've counted them down so you won't have to!

5. The Great Red Dragon

When you're a dragon this ancient and powerful, you get to relax a little. The Great Red Dragon is the chillax'd guardian of The Valley in Jeff Smith's Bone, who often comes to the aid of Fone Bone during his misadventures there. He may look carefree and laid-back, but our top five dragon would fry you where you stand just as much as he'll defend you from stupid rat creatures. And that's, like, a fact, dude.

4. Dragon Man

It takes a special kind of crazy to decide to invent an android that looks like a cross between a caveman and a dragon just for an experiment. What kind of experiment do you need a man-dragon for? Regardless, our fourth best dragon in comics has evolved into a badass dude who can take on the Fantastic Four and Hulk by himself, and even got smart enough to join Reed Richards' Future Foundation!

3. Shenlong

Shenlong isn't just any dragon...he's a wish-granting dragon! Debuting in Akira Toriyama's Dragonball manga, our top 3 dragon will grant the wish of anyone who can summon him by collecting all seven Dragon Balls. A task easier said than done, but the awesome image of a dragon the size of a mountain granting your every whim is worth the dead friends and landscapes destroyed you had to go through to do it!

2. Lockheed

A list of top dragons in comics wouldn't be complete without the alien-slash-dragon-slash-superhero-slash-secret agent that is Lockheed! Pet Avenger, agent of SWORD and sometime pet of Kitty Pride, this little dragon's got big heart, going on all sorts of adventures you wouldn't imagine a dragon the size of a house cat would survive in. Which he does. But even guys like Lockheed have to bow down to the biggest dragon of them all...

1. Fin Fang Foom

Everything about our top dragon in comics screams awesome. His name, when translated, means "He whose limbs shatter mountains and whose back scrapes the sun." He's as big as a skyscraper. He's an alien conqueror. His archenemy is Iron Man. He used to be a chef at the Baxter Building. And he's badass enough to wear gigantic purple underpants. How do you beat someone like that? You don't, and that's why Foom is irrevocably number 1!

And there you have it, the big lizards of comicdom as counted down by yours truly. What did you think of the list? Know of any other comic book dragons worthy of being on the Top 5? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading!

7 Things to Look Forward to in 2012

2012-01-03T17:17:00.164+08:00

Happy New Year, fellow geeks! Whatever you may think about the year 2012, there's no denying that it's the most exciting year yet for us geeks, with the most anticipated movies, the coolest new toys, and the hottest new comics all coming out this year! Join me as I list down seven of the most noteworthy things I'm looking forward to this 2012!

Heroclix!

It's been a while since I picked up a Heroclix figure, and 2012 might just be the year I get back to clixing! The collectible superhero miniatures game has had a good 2011 with great expansion sets like Giant Size X-Men and Superman, but the upcoming 2012 sets will blow those out of the water! It's not enough that Wizkids/NECA are making an Avengers movie set (teased with a figure of movie Captain America!), but my man Galactus is set to make his debut inside a freaking booster pack (!) with the upcoming Galactic Guardians set! My wish for a Nova Prime Heroclix just came true this 2012!

Comic Book TV shows!

If 2011 was the year of the comic book movie, 2012 could be the year of comic book TV. A lot of comic book-based TV shows are being developed that we might see happen this year, from a Punisher crime drama to a Guillermo del Toro-helmed Incredible Hulk TV show to a live-action Powers. Good or bad, the very prospect of seeing superheroes on primetime is exciting. Like I don't watch enough TV!

The Avengers movie!

2012 is shaping up to be the year of the Avenger with what arguably is the most anticipated and unprecedented movie in history! Four different heroes from four different movies coming together to kick epic amounts of ass...not even the ho-hum marketing for this movie can dampen the awesomeness of the idea alone. Chris Evans as Cap, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk in a single movie throwing down against that magnificent bastard Loki? Chalk me up as first in line when the calendar hits May 4!

New indie comics!

Creator-owned comics and indies have been growing in strength, and 2012 has a lot of great indies coming out like Van Jensen's Snow White: Through a Glass Darkly to Ed Brubaker's Fatale to even fun stuff like Sharknife Double Z that are all vying for your hard-earned money. If you're tired of the same superhero comics, 2012 is a great year to try something new!

The DCnU!

When DC Comics relaunched their entire line of books, the first thing they did was do story arcs for all their books. Some of those story arcs will be ending this 2012, and so I'm looking forward to what DC is really capable of. Will they do single-issue stories like they said, or will they just do what they always do? Is the DCnU just a crazed fad or is it here to stay? The time for introductions is done. 2012 is the time to get SOMETHING done!

Marvel Legends!

Hasbro's popular line of 6-inch action figures is set to make a comeback this 2012. Wave 1 will feature figures of Steve Rogers, Iron Man, Hope Summers and the return of the Build-a-Figure gimmick in the form of big bad Terrax! And if that wasn't enough, a new Wolverine, Punisher and a Nova Prime are just some of the figures about to become Marvel Legends! My wallet is so angry at me right now...

The Dark Knight Rises!

Bane + Batman + Catwoman + Christopher Nolan + the final installment of the billion-dollar Batman movie franchise + the cryptic promise that "The Legend Ends" = the one movie in 2012 you and I would be crazy to miss. Will it be the penultimate Batman movie? Is it as bad as everyone hopes it will be? Will we be watching it? That last one you know the answer to!

There you have it, just some of the exciting news and events to look forward to in 2012. From toys to comics to movies, 2012 is set to keep geeks busy the whole year! So what are YOU looking forward to this 2012?

Behold the Geek! Best of 2011: The Comics

2011-12-30T14:43:00.024+08:00

A few winks left and we're about to leave 2011 behind and welcome the brand-new 2012! 2011 was a good year for geeks, with fun TV shows coming out, a slew of comic book movies to watch, and a comic book industry that broke new ground in ways no one even dared to! So join me as we look back in the year that was and award the best, the worst and the different in Behold the Geek!'s Best of 2011!

Welcome back to our Behold the Geek! Best of 2011 special! We've taken a look at MOVIES, now let's shine the spotlight at 2011's best in COMICS! From Best Writer, Best Artist to Kitty Comic of the Year, I awareded them now so you won't have to!

News of the Year -- DC Relaunch/Reboot

The answer to "Who had the biggest balls in 2011?" was definitely DC Comics, who shook the comic industry to the core by up and completely rebooting their entire line of books, effectively starting over from scratch! They caught a lot of flak from hardcore fanboys and longtime fans for this drastic move, but the ensuing buzz lit the internet like an overachieving Christmas tree. On August 31, Justice League #1 shipped, and the rest of the new #1 books followed soon after. When all was said and done, Justice League #1 sold more than 200,000 copies, making it the best-selling book of 2011, along with a dozen more books reaching the 100,000+ copies mark, a number never before seen in that many books in years.

Kitty Comic of the Year -- Neko Ramen

Tokyopop may have folded, but it left us a with the best kitty comic this 2011: Neko Ramen. This little manga about a ramen shop owner who just happens to be a cat was a laugh-a-minute comedy romp of gastronomical proportions! This special award is for the one book that got me curled up in a ball, clutching at my stomach from so much laughter and manly tears. I hope some other publisher picks this up...2012 needs Taisho, dammit!

Best Writer -- Mark Waid

Choosing this year's best writer was hard, but I had to give this one to Mark Waid, if only for the fact that he had the guts to do something different. His Daredevil is colorful, adventurous and fun, but behind that smile still lingers the pain that has haunted him all these years. Building on what came before, Waid turned DD into a character we can all relate to, a guy who's had bad days and good days, but still going out and doing what he loves doing. If Waid keeps this up, 2012 might just be his year too.

Honorable mentions: Rick Remender on Uncanny X-Force, the bloodiest good time you can have in a Marvel book.

Best Artist -- Paolo Rivera

No other artist this year has come close to matching the fun creativeness of Paolo Rivera. His work on Daredevil is some of the best I've seen in a long time, made even more impressive with the fact that he's turned a comic about a blind superhero into a visual feast! Consistently great work from an artist to watch out for in the coming year.

Honorable mentions: Mahmud Asrar on Supergirl, Jerome Opena on Uncanny X-Force, Cameron Stewart and David Hahn on SuicideGirls

Best Story Arc -- The Dark Angel Saga from Uncanny X-Force

Rick Remender's The Dark Angel Saga blazed a trail of blood and murder in the pages of Uncanny X-Force, and it was an enjoyable ride every step of the way. Guys like Fantomex and Deadpool stole the show, Psylocke and Archangel's doomed love story broke my heart, and the entire affair was like watching a movie about X-Force with the budget of Lord of the Rings with Jerome Opena, Mark Brooks and Esad Ribic on art. An epic storyline however you slice it, this is an X-event 2011 won't soon forget.

Best New Series -- Wolverine and the X-Men

Funny how it took a schism to make the X-Men fun again. Our Best New Series has been firing on all cylinders since issue one, bringing us balls-to-the-wall action that only Wolverine and a motley crew of mutants in a school for mutants can deliver. I mean, they got Krakoa and the Hellfire Babies causing hell in their school...and that's just issue 1! Jason Aaron bringing on the crazy, Chris Bachalo tearing it up on art, and ideas as wild as the school it's happening in...a recipe for success and another book to watch come 2011!

Book of the Year -- Daredevil

Daredevil did in 7 issues what most comic books have been trying to do for years: entertain. Mark Waid returned the smile to Matt Murdock's face, along with his sense of fun and adventure, in Marvel's Daredevil relaunch, and it just got better from there. A far cry from the grim and gritty reality that surrounds it, Daredevil delivered old-school comic book fun month after month courtesy of Waid's scripts and the bright, fantastic art and colors of Paolo and Joe Rivera, Marcos Martin and Javier Rodriguez. Daredevil was heads and shoulders above the rest this 2011, and that's why it's Behold the Geek's Book of the Year!

And those were my picks for 2011's best in comics! 2011 went out guns blazing...a good sign that 2012 will be nothing short of awesome! So what were your picks for this year? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading and have a Happy New Year!

Behold the Geek! Best of 2011: The Movies

2011-12-30T10:22:00.005+08:00

Let's start with the world of MOVIES! A lot of great movies came out this year, from the flashy Sucker Punch to the mighty Thor. Check out our special awardees, including my pick for Movie of the Year!

WTF Are You Doing? Award -- Green Lantern The Movie

What do you get when you take a popular and visually interesting DC character and add a 200+ million dollar movie budget? It doesn't add up to the Green Lantern movie, that's for sure. Green Lantern was supposed to be DC's next superhero epic that isn't Batman, but what we got was a ho-hum, overproduced mess. I mean, how do you mess up a movie about a guy who can make laser fists with his mind? Apparently the folks at Hollywood had lots of ideas how.

Nothin' But Eye Candy Award -- Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch wasn't that good, but damn if it was a feast for the eyes! Our Nothin' But Eye Candy Awardee was filled with chicks who battled three-story tall samurai armors and dragons in fantastic worlds while wearing miniskirts, leather chaps and chain mail. Eye candy doesn't even begin to describe what Sucker Punch had, and for what its worth, it's what it had going for it.

Guilty Pleasure Award -- Transformers: Dark of the Moon

I liked it. I know I shouldn't have, but I did. Michael Bay apparently knew the exact amount of Rosie Huntington-Whitely, robots fighting and explosions to trigger this pleasant feeling I get when I actually enjoy a movie. Which in the case of this movie, I really shouldn't have. But as much as I deny it, I watched it twice...and I still liked it. Such sorcery deserves a BtG! Guilty Pleasure Award, and a plea to my handful of readers not to tell anyone.

Movie Villain of the Year, All Years -- Tom Hiddleston as Loki

This is a villain you can't help but root for. Tom Hiddleston's breakout role as Thor's brother Loki set the standard for all comic movie supervillains this year, with a performance so awesome you can't help but sympathize with him. Doe-eyed brother in one scene, snarling psycho the next, sympathetic son in another, Tom Hiddleston played the hell out of the God of Mischief, so much so that his role inspired a million fanarts, gifs and Tumblr blogs dedicated to him!

Magnificent bastard, a true bro and a cool villain...it would take a hell of a lot to knock Loki off this pedestal!

BtG! Movie of the Year -- Captain America: The First Avenger

Choosing the best geek-out movie of the year was hard...a LOT of awesome movies came out this year (some of them coming out just a week apart, even!). But if I had to pick the one movie that stood out among the rest this 2011, it's Captain America: The First Avenger.

The Joe Johnston-helmed flick hit all the right notes, starting with Chris Evans' spot-on take as Steve Rogers/Captain America (probably the most perfectly cast role ever!) .The action is superheroic and fun, Peggy and Steve's on-screen romance was the cutest we've seen and the entire movie was chock full of inspiring and epic moments that exemplified what Captain America is all about, and what we should all strive to be. Everything about it defied expectations, making for a highly entertaining movie that's distinctly superheroic, and that's why Captain America: The First Avenger is our Movie of the Year.

Congratulations to our 2011 winners! Thanks for reading and watch out later for the second part of our Behold the Geek! Best of 2011 special, featuring COMIC BOOKS!

My Week in Comics: December 23, 2011

2011-12-23T13:39:00.000+08:00

The Christmas weekend is upon us, and Santa thought to bring me not one, but four awesome comic books to review this week! Oh joy! What did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

Supergirl #4 has the Maid of Might trapped by the billionaire evil genius Mr. Tycho, and a last minute save might mean her salvation...or something much worse!

The book is still on slow-burn, but I love how organic it's all coming together. We're seeing Kara slowly grow into the Supergirl she's meant to become, and all the emotional beats needed are there to see her through. Michael Green and Mike Johnson are naturals at writing Supergirl, no doubt about it, so much so that I'm wondering why they haven't written her sooner! The star of the show, though, is Mahmud Asrar's art. His Supergirl is young, beautiful and powerful, and you can see from his dynamic and exciting pencils that Asrar was born to draw superhero books. It's safe to say that Supergirl #4 is one of the better-looking books this week!

Supergirl is blessed with a creative team that really works, and this ish is proof positive of it. This ain't so great as a standalone issue, but as part of an ongoing narrative, it's one of the better issues the book's had. This gets a 4 out of 5.

Wolverine's wetworks team winds it down with a done-in-one in Uncanny X-Force #19. In the aftermath of the harrowing Dark Angel Saga, the team deals with the fact that there's a teenage clone of Apocalypse walking around. It's nature vs. nurture at its weirdest!

Rick Remender used the issue to tie off some loose ends and plant the seeds for juicy future plot points to develop. Teen Apocalypse being honed to become a superhero is a stroke of genius, and I love how Remender makes parallels to him and a certain super man. Not everyone agrees though, and it's interesting to see whether Teen Apocalypse will grow up to prove them wrong...or right!

The book is also full of fuzzy warm and sad and tense moments, from Betsy and Warren's heart-to-heart to Wolvie's touching plea for Age of Apocalypse Jean to stay. Remender shows that he knows how to write compelling drama, and the book is the better because of it. I do take issue with the fact that the revelation of their wetworks team is met with a stern telling-to instead of the freak-out I was expecting. A secret that big and that bloody should have been given the gravity it deserves. Robbi Rodgriguez steps up for Jerome Opena and Esad Ribic on art, and though his cartoony style might not be your cup of tea, he's got the storytelling chops to complement the story wonderfully. All in all, it's a good issue that wraps it all up nicely, but with a little space for you to peek at what's waiting inside. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Daredevil's gone snowblind in Daredevil #7, where Matt and a bus full of blind kids get into an accident and are left to fend for themselves in the middle of nowhere. The Man Without Fear has faced all kinds of deadly threats...but is he prepared for a threat like this?

I've been harping on and on how Daredevil is a great book, and I'm sorry but I'll say it again: this is a great book. It might lack the fun superheroics of previous issues, but writer Mark Waid is a master at turning a story as simple as Daredevil stranded in the middle of nowhere with blind kids into this tense, emotionally charged look inside what makes Daredevil tick. Waid's story doesn't feel forced, doesn't feel hokey or anyything, and it's made all the more better with Paolo Rivera, Joe Rivera and Javier Rodriguez's triple tag-team on art. These people how to do atmosphere, piling on the windswept snow in this ish and often making you feel as blind as the kids stuck in it. Great, great stuff.

If you haven't been paying attention to Daredevil yet, this is as good a place as any to start doing so. Great writing and gorgeous art, you can't ask for anything better than this. Daredevil #7 gets a 4.5 out of 5.

And so we come to Wolverine and the X-Men #3, a book that's, pardon my language, fucking awesome.

I've never read any Jason Aaron stuff before this series, and from what I can tell he's writing to my specific interests: mainly, mind-blowingly awesome and fun ideas that encapsulate what comic books are all about. So Krakoa is attacking Wolvie's school, the teachers and students are fighting for their lives, and their only hope is a punk named Quentin Quire? It's a recipe for disaster, but it's a disaster perfectly orchestrated by Aaron to showcase these characters in the most awesome light possible. Pardon the haters, but Aaron actually made me like Quire. After that revelation, anything is possible!

And you know what? This book proves that anything IS possible. And that's why I freakin' love this book. Even Chris Bachalo steps up to deliver a knockout punch of awesomeness with his dynamic art. You often can't tell what's going on, but Bachalo makes it so crazy exciting! And then you get to that big splash page of Wolverine, claws bared and with the entire school behind him, snarling at the Hellfire Brats to "Stay the hell away from my school." and all of a sudden you're catatonic, your brain unable to process the image. It's that good.

I'm still freaking out as I type this! If you open up the dictionary to the definition of awesome, you'll only see a picture of Wolverine and the X-Men #3. This is what comic books are all about. I cannot recommend this book, this series enough! This gets a well-deserved 6 out of 5.

Wow! If this isn't a good week in comics, I don't know what is! Got any comments? Suggestions? Exchange gifts over the holiday weekend (kidding...or am I?)? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading and have a very Merry Christmas!

Santa Cosplay Comic Covers!

2011-12-22T10:53:00.023+08:00

'Tis the season for a lot of thing: advent wreaths, presents under the tree...and cosplaying as the jolly old man himself! Just check out these Santa-rrific comic covers!

Richie Rich Fortune$ #9 (Harvey 1973)

Spider-Man: Christmas in Dallas (Marvel 1983)

Walt Disney's Christmas Parade (Dell 1951)

Adventures of Superman v1 #487. Cover by Jerry Ordway. (DC Comics 1992)

Man-Thing v3 #3. Cover by Liam Sharp.(Marvel 1998)

Marvel Holiday Spectacular. Cover by Ed McGuinness. (Marvel 2009)

Archie's Christmas Stocking #2. Cover by Dan DeCarlo. (Archie 1992)

Punisher X-Mas Special. Cover by C.P. Smith. (Marvel 2006)

Bone Holiday Special. Cover by Jeff Smith. (Warrior, 1993)

The Transformers (UK Edition) #41. Cover by Will Simpson. (Marvel 1985)

Super Robot Chogokin Megazord is Coming!

2011-12-21T18:00:00.006+08:00

Are you familiar with the mighty Daizyujin?. I won't blame you if you said no. But maybe you'd recognize it by its Americanized name...the Megazord.

Why did I ask? Because there's a kick-ass toy of it coming real soon!

JEFusion reports that the upcoming new release for the Super Robot Chogokin line is none other than the Daizyujin from the sentai series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger! The Daizyujin oozes nostalgia for 90s babies because of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, where it was better known as the Dino Megazord.

Isn't he a beauty? As a kid who lived and breathed the 90s, this news is huge for me. A fully poseable Megazord from my childhood that won't cost an arm and a leg? Where do I sign up?

No release date yet, but you can check out more info about this and other Super Robot Chogokin toys coming out here and here (links are in Japanese).

Christmas in Comics!

2011-12-20T10:52:00.000+08:00

There was a time when it snowed in comic books.

And I’m not talking about those giant-sized holiday specials, either. I’m talking about the time when you opened up your favorite comic book and hey, Spider-Man is having an adventure and OH MY GOSH IT’S CHRISTMAS OVER THERE!

I don’t know about you, but I used to get a kick out of seeing Christmas-y things in my comics as a kid. Sure Marvel had their Marvel Holiday Specials before, but there’s something a little more special about picking up a regular issue and seeing Spider-Man pass by a blinged-out-for-the-holidays Rockefeller Center on the way to kicking bad guys in the face. It made me feel like my favorite superheroes and I are on the same dimension, the same calendar page.

Heroes having adventures over the holidays isn't new. One of Batman's earlier adventures was during Christmas in Batman #9, considered to be Batman's first Christmas story!

Art by Bob Kane.

Spider-Man had a love-hate relationship with Christmas, what with him swinging around New York patrolling during the holidays and not snuggling with Mary Jane under the warm blankets (because screw OMD). But I loved the fact that Spidey celebrated Christmas just like me.

A panel from X-Man #24. Art by Roger Cruz.

A panel from Sensational Spider-Man #24. Art by Todd Nauck.

It's not just Marvel...DC had its share of adventures during the holidays. One of my favorite stories was in Starman #27, where Jack Knight helps a down-and-out Santa. Warning: this WILL bring a tear to your eye!

Art by Steve Yowell.

Also, during that weird Warrior phase he had, Guy Gardner's bar was open during the holidays, and everybody was invited!

A panel from Guy Gardner: Warrior #39. Art by Marc Campos.

Not just the stories, I loved it when my favorite artists get to depict Christmas in their books. This Joe Mad splash page from Uncanny X-Men #341 blew me away as a kid and remains one of my favorite images ever!

Art by Joe Madureira.

It's sad that with long storyarcs and 'writing for the trade', we'll probably never get to see seasonal issues like these anytime soon. But if you're itching for some stories set during Christmastime, the intermittent holiday specials and spectaculars put out by the Big Two are your next best bet.

So what were your favorite comic book holiday stories? Let's talk about it in the comments! Happy holidays and thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: December 16, 2011

2011-12-16T10:42:00.000+08:00

Don't you just hate hiatuses? Stupid real life interfering with my comics fun...but I digress. Let's jump start this blog again with the most verbose comics reviews around! This week, I'm reviewing two explosive endings to two great comics! What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

Bonnie Lass #4 is a maelstrom of maritime insanity, which is my fancy way of saying it's crazy good. Last issue saw Bonnie and her crew being sucked into a watery vortex courtesy of a very large and very angry Leviathan. With the evil Ebb Tide group wanting a piece of the action, and a sea monster running amok, it's going to take a hell of a lot of luck to get out of this mess in one piece (no pun intended)!

The miniseries wraps things up splendidly, with an exciting action sequence involving tons of seawater and ammunition that would make Michael Bay proud. I love it when storylines end with a bang, and Bonnie Lass #4 did just that. It does get a little chaotic in some parts when you can't seem to follow the action well, but I guess that's what Michael Mayne and Tyler Fluharty meant to do. Mayne's art is his usual art nouveau-ish best, with a little sprinkling of anime-style goodness that I like. More books should look like this!

Bonnie Lass #4 is a one-two punch of great comic entertainment. I can't wait to see what Bonnie Lass will be up to next. This gets a 4 out of 5.

And now we come to Uncanny X-Force #18, the grand finale to the magnum opus that is Rick Remender's The Dark Angel Saga. Archangel is a few steps away from resetting evolution, and the only thing standing in their way is the new pairing of Fantomex and Psylocke!

They say all good things come to an end, but they never factored in just how good an end this one is. Remender went balls-out with this storyarc, showing us a ton of explosions, mangled body parts, heroic sacrifices and the undeniable power of love.

I say that because in the end, this is ultimately a story about the love of Psylocke and Archangel and the sacrifices one must make for the one you love. As mushy as it sounds, it lends a hopeful and very romantic undercurrent that tempers all the wanton carnage this book is known for. It's action-packed, but it's also a bittersweet love story. And when you see how Remender decides to end it all, I'd be shocked if you don't shed a tear. It's fitting that Jerome Opena and Esad Ribic, both regular series artists, team up to bring all this to life, and they match Remender's story with the same quality art they've been known for since this book started.

Uncanny X-Force #18 and the entire Dark Angel Saga will go down as one of the best and most memorable storylines in recent years, and you can quote me on that. This gets a 5 out of 5.

Two great comics, two great finales! That's a winning week, if you ask me! Speaking of which, let me know what you think about this week's comics by leaving me a comment below! Hope you enjoyed this review, and thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T10:30:00.005+08:00

It's been a VERY busy November for me...but not busy enough to buy comics and review the heck out of them here at Behold the Geek! You're in luck, because two of the best books in the stands right now are in my pull list this week! What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

In The Sixth Gun #17, Gord Cantrell is given a sadistic choice between his past and his future, while Becky learns about the Sword of Abraham's true intentions and goes on a one-woman rescue mission...to save Drake Sinclair!

This ish reads like a darn good season finale it's crazy. The book wraps up the running "Bound" storyline in a very satisfying way. Gord Cantrell, someone whom I thought was just some guy in the series, came out of this arc as a deep, interesting character and quite possibly a major player in the destruction of the Six. Becky also gains access to one of the Sixth Gun's hidden powers, and the fact that she uses it to find the one person she's worried about the most makes it all the more sweeter.

Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree are their usual best here. The splash page at the end in particular is such a powerful dramatic image, worthy of hanging in an art gallery! It's that kind of quality that makes this book stand out from any comic in the racks right now.

The previous issues of the "Bound" storyline were pretty slow-moving, but I should have known better than to doubt Bunn and co. The payoff was well-done, so much so that issue 18 can't get here fast enough. This gets a 4 out of 5.

And so we come to Wolverine and the X-Men #2, which is quite possibly the most insane comic book issue of the year. The school literally rising up to attack the students and teachers, the Hellfire Club brats throwing Frankenstein monsters armed with flamethrowers at them...and that's just the first few pages!

Series writer Jason Aaron opens up a floodgate of whoop-ass in this issue, as Wolverine and the X-Men get thrown out of the proverbial frying pan and into a vicious and brutal attack that just might end their teaching and heroic careers for good. This ish ramps up the action quota by 200% (good news for those who thought the first issue was sorta dull), which is worth the cover price alone!

It's not all mindless action though. Aaron sprinkles in a few short and sweet character moments throughout, including one that might make longtime readers go "Yowza", and some Crowning Moments of Awesome courtesy of Iceman and even the Hellfire Club that would make you involuntarily fist pump out of glee. Heck, throw in one of the X-Men's earliest foes wrecking stuff and we have yourselves a winner!

The issue gets a boost from Chris Bachalo's frenetic and stylized art, though there is such a thing as too frenetic. Most of the time you don't know what's going on (the wild layouts don't help) but I guess that's what Bachalo was aiming for. What we do get is amazing, though, and elevates Aaron's story in a way no lesser artist ever could.

I don't think I've ever read a series where your mind is blown by issue 2. Issue numero dos, people! Wolverine and the X-Men #2 is crazy good, despite its minimal flaws, and deserves a 4.5 out of 5.

Awesome week in comics, if I do say so myself! What did you think of this week's comics? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading!

Victoria Court Has An Enterprise Room

2011-11-23T17:56:00.003+08:00

Talk about giving a new meaning to "Full speed, Mr. Sulu...".

Victoria Court, they of the shushing logo and the dead-of-night check-ins, revealed pictures of their brand-new Enterprise room. A name as auspicious as it sounds, because Victoria Court basically made an homage to the bridge of the USS Enterprise, complete with a Captain's chair and those cutaway view screens of the Enterprise's schematics!

Of course, this being a motel, there's also a super-sized bed and private Jacuzzi in case you want to make like Captain James T. Kirk and mack on sexy alien ladies in the privacy of your own Enterprise bridge. Suddenly, I could hear thousands of Filipino Trekkies scrambling to spend a night with their special someone in here. The roleplay possibilities are endless!

Check out more pictures at Victoria Court's Facebook fanpage.

My Week in Comics: November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T11:56:00.001+08:00

Girl comics are always welcome in my pull list, and this week's comics is a good example of why! X-23 may be gone, but there are a lot of comics starring girls out there that are worthy of your cash...like the latest entries to My Week in Comics! What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

This week in Supergirl #3, Kara Zor-El still can't believe ~~it's not butter~~ Krypton is gone, and she goes off in search for clues in the 'pod' she came in when she crash-landed on Earth. But there's someone else interested in the pod - and in her little alien self - and it's going to take all of her power to survive them!

Supergirl is still slow-burning its way out of the introduction phase that most of the DCnU is in, which could be good or bad, depending on who asks. I think it's nice, if only because Michael Green and Mike Johnson writes an interesting Supergirl. She's a little impulsive, a little naive, but a potential female powerhouse, as seen in this issue. There are a lot of surprises here, including clues to Supergirl's new powers, which is pretty cool, but longtime DC fans could get knocked out of the loop. A new baddie in the form of one Simon Tycho, trillionaire scumbag extraordinaire, has some dastardly plans for our Maid of Might, and right now I'm genuinely interested to see what happens next.

Mahmoud Asrar's art in this ish could use some stronger inks. The style he used here has that unfinished, sketchy Francis Manapul look to it, which isn't so bad, but seeing how great Asrar's art looks when finished off with some inks made me wish it did have some. Nitpicky complaint at best, since it's still a pretty good-looking book starring a pretty good-looking heroine. If this keeps up, I could stand that slow-burn for a little while longer. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

And so we come to a new debut here in My Week in Comics, Bonnie Lass! I heard good things about Red 5 Comics' Bonnie Lass during my daily internet dives, and I liked what I saw so much I hunted down the first two issues. Best idea I've had all year!

Last issue, Bonnie and her crew inspected a mysterious lizard statue that might hold the key to the treasure called the Eye of the Leviathan. It's the one treasure that Bonnie's father, the infamous pirate Cutlass, never found, and for Bonnie this is the perfect opportunity to make a name for herself and get out of her dad's shadow. Now in Bonnie Lass #3, the statue has revealed its true purpose, and Bonnie is in a whole lot of trouble. What's a buxom pirate to do?

Kick ass, that's what!

I really, really like Bonnie Lass, and not just because of her obvious, *ehem*, charms. I'm all for fun comic books, and this comic book is straight up fun. Writers Michael Mayne and Tyler Fluharty have made something refreshing and different with Bonnie Lass. It's a no-fuss adventure you can dive into and enjoy the moment you pick up an issue. It's a little rough around the edges though, especially when it comes to dialogue and storytelling, but the art makes up for it. Mayne's style is a mix of art nouveau and anime that just works. Art nouveau, man! Never thought I could say that word together in a sentence about a comic book!

It has its flaws like every comic does, but the sheer fun factor outweighs any negatives. Bonnie Lass #3 is more of the stuff I wish more comic books these days had. She gets a well-deserved 4 out of 5.

Great stuff all around! Bonnie Lass is my new favorite comic, I tell you what! Got any comments? Suggestions? Want to discuss the early years of the art nouveau movement? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T13:41:00.000+08:00

Happy 11-11-11, fellow geeks! The auspiciousness of this date is suspect, but who am I to avoid the bandwagon? But I digress...it's time for the most verbose comic reviews around! What did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

The action reaches a fever pitch in Uncanny X-Force #17 as the team (or what's left of it) scrambles frantically to stop Archangel/Apocalypse from committing genocide on the entire planet!

A LOT happens in this issue, which is good and bad in itself. Wolverine and the rest of the still-functioning X-Force try over and over again to stop Warren from blowing up the entire planet, and to see them straining under all that pressure feels like you've been walking on a treadmill for hours. Even a surprise assist from the Age of Apocalypse X-Men isn't enough to stop this guy. Just what kind of hax does Archangel have right now?! But hey, like that old Magic: The Gathering card said, "The tougher to crack, the sweeter the snack."

At least Jerome Opena is still busting out that gorgeous art for this book. I love his take on Archangel here. He's never been as graceful, as regal, and as goddamn scary as he is right now. A plus however you slice it.

The ending promises a showdown of all showdowns next issue, and with how much Rick Remender is spoiling us with his writing so far, the expectations for the grand conclusion is astronomical. In a way, Uncanny X-Force #17 feels incomplete as a single book because of it. What we do have is nice, though, and deserves a 4 out of 5.

Never thought we'd see Artifacts as my pick of the week, but surprise surprise! Artifacts #11 did a lot of things right! With the Curator/Survivor on the verge of collecting all the Artifacts and destroying the world, it will take a miracle to save the day...specifically, a miracle like the 13th Artifact!

Ron Marz has been a bit all over the place these past few issues, but here his writing is tighter, his dialogue less corny and carried more weight, his action scenes are better planned and the result is just an exciting and enjoyable comic. The shift in quality from meh to great is so jarring, I had to double-check to see if I was still reading the right comic.

It's interesting how this all can be traced back at the very beginning, when The Curator first appeared, and how Marz orchestrated everything leading up to this event. This is literally years in the making, and I hope the pay off is as big as it promises! The art team of Jeremy Haun, Michael Golden and Sunny Gho capped it all off with some great art. The action is easy to follow and the book feels more finished than previous artists' attempts.

It's too bad that it took 11 issues for the creative team to bust out the big guns. but I guess it's better late than never. This gets a 4 out of 5.

Can't get enough of The Geek's reviews? Visit The Outhouse and check out my review of Magneto: Not a Hero #1! Magneto? A hero? Pish-posh, I say!

Good week is good! Who said comics don't surprise you anymore? Anyway, if you liked these reviews, or have any comments or suggestions for future ones, let me know by dropping a comment in the comment box below! Thanks for reading!

So there's a Robot Damashii Heroman out...

2011-11-05T10:38:00.000+08:00

Why wasn't I informed about this?!

Bandai released a Robot Damashii [Side Hero] figure of that Stan Lee anime Heroman! Watched the anime, thought it was meh, but Heroman himself had a pretty cool design. Now he's got an action figure out this October (!), I totally didn't know about it, and it's gorgeous. Y u no tell me, news feed?!

Reviews are already rolling in. Check out some awesome pictorial reviews here and here.

Top 10 Cool Comic Book Characters Who Wear Glasses

2011-11-03T11:17:00.002+08:00

It's Top 5 Thursday, with a twist! Today we're featuring a guest post from Kimberley Newey, a "Canadian/British writer of comics, films and the occasional webisode". She's a huge geek, and I'm honored that she chose to contribute to this little blog of mine! Her guest post is a top 10 list of the coolest glasses-wearing comic book characters! Wanna know who she thinks makes the list? Read on to find out!

When I was growing up (in the 80s and 90s), glasses were seen as exclusively geeky and decidedly un-cool. These days with the influx of designer frames and celebrity’s donning many intricately created designer prescription glasses; they have emerged as a cool, chic and stylish accessory. As a result, many with an eye for fashion and style are choosing to wear glasses rather than contacts purely for the fashion statement a great pair of glasses can create.

In the world of comics however, glasses have always been seen as more than just an accessory or a sign of geekdom. Glasses, sunglasses, and variations in between have been used to define character attributes, maintain hidden identities, and cover up mutations or strange features.

Comic artists use glasses to demonstrate or emphasize aspects of a character, and this isn’t always down to whether a character is geeky, nerdy, or intelligent. The inclusion of glasses, sunglasses, or variations thereof on a character design can greatly effect how the character is interpreted and must be considered carefully by the artist.

Here in ascending order are the top ten “cool” comic book characters who wear glasses:

10. Kevin (Sin City)

This creepy cannibal psychopath should not really get any cool points except that he wore his glasses very well. His simple round frames have become iconic for their ominous implications. All of this earns him the bottom slot (and a good solid punch).

9. Thessaly (Sandman)

From Neil Gaiman’s magnificent epic comes this bespectacled bookish vixen, an ancient Greek witch who was once a lover to Sandman and, later, to one of the Endless, Dream. She is ruthless and proud, though not malicious. Her main focus is self-preservation and as such she would not hesitate to kill anyone who would seek to harm her. She is equally very passionate and has been known to have quite multifaceted emotions, which earns her cool points. She is a very interesting character. Just don’t get on her bad side.

8. Bruce Banner (The Hulk)

Bruce Banner is well known as a reserved and withdrawn physicist who unintentionally creates a rather large alter ego, The Hulk, with impulsive tendencies. Banner himself doesn’t embody much in the way of cool but for his deep capabilities of love. The Hulk is an incredibly heroic character who is an embodiment of the otherwise restrained aspects of Bruce’s personalities. With throwbacks to classics like Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, it’s hard not to give Bruce Banner and his glasses some quality cool points.

7. Matt Murdock (Daredevil)

This fearless vengeance seeking hero wears sunglasses by day and a mask by night. His blindness caused by a radioactive substance resulted in heightened senses and powers which aided him in becoming a hero. With his nickname “the man without fear” he has definitely earned himself some cool points (except when played by Ben Affleck).

6. The Corinthian (Sandman)

The Corinthian appears in a number of Sandman comics. Originally he was created by Dream as a nightmare. Unfortunately once created he goes rogue, failing to fulfil his design and becoming a true nightmare. He wears sunglasses due to the fact that he actually has no eyes; in their place are mouths with jagged teeth. He is most definitely not a good guy, but he is a very cool character and an impeccable dresser who is decidedly suave even at his most disturbing.

5. King Mob (The Invisibles)

From the brilliant mind of Grant Morrison, this character is named after a London “Situationist” group. He is the leader of a counter terrorist team, and a revolutionary ex horror writer. His complex personality, intelligence and unfortunate violent tendencies, which he himself is wary of, make him a very exciting and cool character.

4. Kitty Pryde (X-Men)

Probably one of the most interesting and understated female characters in the X-Men universe particularly in Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men series, Kitty Pryde will always have that element of mysterious cool down pat. She does not currently wear glasses but during the comic House of M, we find out that as a teenager Kitty went through serious headaches as part of her mutation. She wore glasses at this time. Despite not currently wearing glasses, she makes the list for being an incredibly cool and complex female character.

3. Clark Kent (Superman)

What list can include cool comic characters who wear glasses without mentioning Clark Kent? Clark’s magic glasses seemed to have the ability to disguise his true identity, while the silliness of such a claim is joked about to this day, the fact remains that Clark Kent is one of the most iconic glasses wearing comic book characters of all time.

2. Cyclops (X-Men)

Cyclops remains one of the most popular comic book characters for his loyalty, ethics, self-discipline and incredible leadership qualities. He wears a specially made visor which has changed shape and style over the years. He also wears ruby quartz sun glasses when not ‘on duty’.

1. Spider Jerusalem (Transmetropolitan)

Spider Jerusalem is the epitome of irreverent cool. Warren Ellis’ creation embodies a sleek cyberpunk style, following the life, battles, and misadventures of gonzo journalist (inspired by Hunter S. Thompson). Jerusalem is dedicated to fighting oppression, corruption, and abuse of power by the government in an attempt to prevent their world from becoming even more dystopian than it already is. Jerusalem is a flawlessly written character who is unquestionably cool and thus, he is undoubtedly the winner.

I'm Too Sexy (for this book)

2011-11-02T19:41:00.000+08:00

What do you expect out of a book called 100 Sexiest Women in Comics?

See, I saw this book in Previews the other month, and it was cheap enough to warrant a look-see. I was expecting something comprehensive, coming from guys as classy as Comic Buyer's Guide, but instead it was like reading one of my Top 5 Thursdays, only they're sold for $8.99 and probably just as fun to read.

The book's list had its share of sexy mainstays like Red Sonja (who tops this list at Number 1), Vampirella (#35) and Witchblade (#7). But then we get to entries like Triplicate Girl (who beat out Vampirella of all people at #33!), 1940's Patsy Walker (#95) and Harlequin (an old Green Lantern villain), characters who don't exactly come to mind when I think about the modern definition of sexy, and I start to wonder what it takes to get into this list. Why not Dawnstar or Princess Projectra instead? Or Angela Devlin from Codename: Knockout? or Medusa of the Inhumans? Or any of a dozen other 'sexy' females that bounce around comics these days? Who exactly are they making this book for?

And the art is making me scratch my head. I guess there's a historic value in using scans from vintage comics to accompany this list, but some of the choices seem arbitrary. Using Betty Cooper's modern look, but using Veronica Lodge's vintage one? And Alan Kupperberg's Venus is beautiful, but Carlo Pagulayan's or Leonard Kirk's version from Agents of Atlas reflects her modern appearances better. And it's not like they didn't have access to it...they used Namorita's modern appearance in the list, even from the same series Venus was in!

Okay, shutting up now.

Sorry. I just realized that lists are serious business for me. The book just had a lot of things that detracted from the fun to be had from a list like this. For $8.99 though, I guess I can't complain.

But as I type this, our company's on-the-job trainees (who are both girls) seem to enjoy browsing through it and discovering new comics characters. Shows you what I know.

KARL KESEL LAUNCHES JOHNNY ZOMBIE WEB COMIC!

2011-11-02T11:10:00.003+08:00

Official Press Release

TAUT TALE OF UNDEAD TERROR!

ALSO: A CHRISTMAS STORY

Karl Kesel— a writer and artist who has worked on many of Marvel and DC’s top titles, and come oh-so-close to winning a number of industry awards— launches his first creator-owned web comic on October 31, 2011. JOHNNY ZOMBIE debuts on his Mad Genius Comics site, madgeniuscomics.com

“I’ve wanted to do a zombie comic for many, many years,” Kesel said. “Excuse the pun, but I’m no Johnny-Zombie-come-lately to the living dead. I left in the middle of Romero’s Night of the Living Dead the first time I saw it in the late 70s, it creeped me out so much (I was a sheltered teen, okay?)— and then ended up in the front row to watch the original Dawn of the Dead during it’s opening weekend a few years later. Those experiences scarred me for life, I’m happy to say.

“About a year ago I wondered: could you do a zombie Christmas story? The two genres are so opposite— zombie stories have a core sense of hopelessness, and Christmas stories are all about hope. Almost instantly, however, an idea came to me. And I realized it was also a perfect story to feature a character that’d been kicking around in my head for a few years— Johnny Zombie.

“On one level, Johnny Zombie is the world’s biggest, baddest zombie fighter. His main weapons are a blue metal bat named ‘Babe’ (after Babe Ruth) and an armored glove he calls ‘Jawbreaker.’ His symbol is a kind of unsmiling smiley-face with a bullet hole in its forehead. And that stuff’s all very fun and very cool, but there’s a deeper level to the character, something going on below the surface, that I don’t want to say too much about. I want people to read the story and, hopefully, start to figure it out themselves.

“I actually pitched Johnny Zombie to a print publisher a few years back, but their “zombie slot” was filled, so they passed. That’s when I started eyeing the internet. I mean, the web’s the future of comics. And it’s probably the most exciting thing to happen to comics since… well, since the early days of the newspaper strips. Just like then, everyone’s making it up as they go along, trying to figure out how the pieces fit, what works and what doesn’t. I’ve told people I’m doing a web comic and they’re excited, sure, but the most exciting thing to me is how many of them say ‘I’ll add it to my list— I read so many web comics!’ These are people who don’t read “normal” comics— but they’re reading web comics!”

Kesel had been trying to figure out how to fit a web comic into his life for a number of years. “I’m not a fast worker, so don’t have a lot of free time to take on extra work. A web comic was always a ‘someday’ project.

“Then my wonderful wife Myrna and I decided to adopt a baby. That was the tipping point. It suddenly became about my legacy, and what I could leave behind for our son or daughter.”

Kesel named his site Mad Genius Comics (where he is “Using My Power For Good, Not evil. Mostly.”) because “I plan to do any number of characters and concepts at Mad Genius. Some of these comics will be drawn by others, some I’ll draw myself, and I wouldn’t rule out me drawing someone else’s story, but I’ll always own or co-own anything that appears on Mad Genius Comics. Remember— I’m doing this for the kid!”

Johnny Zombie’s first story is penciled by David Hahn, known for his art on BITE CLUB, SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE, MARVEL ADVENTURES: FANTASTIC FOUR, FRINGE, HERC, and ALL-NIGHTER. “I love David’s work, and knew his style had enough edge for a zombie story, but was also open enough to fit a Christmas story. And, selfishly speaking, I’ve always wanted to ink David, so this was one way to finally get that chance!” The story is colored by Grace Allison, a recent graduate from the Savannah College of Art and Design and one-time intern at Portland, Oregon’s Periscope Studio, where Kesel met her. “She’s got so much talent beyond coloring,” Kesel pointed out. “I’m lucky I got to work with her before the rest of the world discovered her.”

“I’m not expecting to get rich off Mad Genius,” Kesel laughed. “I’d be thrilled— and pretty surprised— to just break even! I’m following the ‘Iron Man Business Plan’— exist in obscurity for 40 years, then have a hugely successful Hollywood movie made and become an overnight sensation. Anything happens faster than that is icing on the cake!”

madgeniuscomics.com

johnnyzombiecomic.com

My Week in Comics: October 28, 2011

2011-10-28T12:08:00.001+08:00

Witches and ghosts and (dare)devils invade my comics this week! What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

For a book with Zatanna and Constantine on the cover, Justice League Dark #2 is a Deadman-centric issue. Peter Milligan makes Deadman out as a dude who just wants some lovin' from his girlfriend Dawn Granger (aka the superhero Dove), even if it means going about it the wrong way. The very wrong way. Oh, and Zatanna and Constantine trance themselves out to battle Enchantress where it hurts. Slow day for JL Dark.

I was hoping it could pick up the pace a bit after a pretty eventful first issue. I didn't see what Deadman's intimacy problems had anything to do with the problem at hand, what with people currently being attacked by tornadoes of rotten witch's teeth and murderous hardcover books. I was ready for some heroics already, but alas I was denied.

At least the art was nice. Mikel Janin's work here is a slight improvement over the last issue. Add to that a shocking revelation that could turn this whole shindig inside out and we're looking at book that's a little below average, but not bad.. This gets a 2.5 out of 5.

With Drake Sinclair gone MIA, his friend Gord Cantrell takes the reigns in The Sixth Gun #16. Gord is reminded of his gruesome past, while Becky Montcrief discovers something not quite right about the Sword of Abraham! When you can trust no one, who do you trust?

This whole story arc is a bit subdued, and the history of the Six Guns isn't exactly clear yet, but given Cullen Bunn's stellar track record with this book so far, I trust him to take this someplace interesting. There are a few interesting revelations, like Gord's ties with the big bad General Hume, and some newly-discovered powers of the Sixth Gun in Becky's possession, which I love. Brian Hurtt is back doing what he does best, which is drawing the world of The Sixth Gun the only way he can: splendidly. I adore his artwork, and here's hoping he sees this book till the end.

The Sixth Gun #16 is par for the course, but what a course it is. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Daredevil is sitting pretty again as my comic of the week, and for good reason. Daredevil #5 is awesome.

I can't reiterate how fun Daredevil is. You want intrigue? Here's a HYDRA conspiracy for you. Want danger? It's Matt Murdock (who is blind by the way, in case you forget) and his blind client Austin Cao versus a special ops team with guns in THE DARK! Want Daredevil go mano-a-mano with a supervillain? A big one is coming this way, and it's not looking good for the Man Without Fear!

This is a smart and fun book, hands down. Mark Waid is taking Daredevil to brand new directions without sacrificing or changing anything else about the Man Without Fear. It's also pretty educational. If you ever wanted to know how smuggling works and how supercrime organizations like HYDRA and AIM use it, read this book. If you ever wanted to know how to vividly recall memories you thought long lost, read this book. If you want to see Matt Murdock beat up spec-ops soldiers with a cane and a smile, read this freakin' book!

Marcos Martin's art is as amazing as ever. It's not everyday you get an artist that delivers as much, if not more, creativity as the story he's drawing for. His work is clean and fun to look at, and it meshes well with Waid's story, turning this issue into a one-two punch of comic book awesomeness you don't see in comic books very often.

If you're not buying Daredevil yet, consider yourself warned: you're missing out on some unadulterated comic book fun. This gets a 4 out of 5. Pick this up now!

BONUS CONTENT! Can't get enough of The Geek's reviews? Then head on over to The Outhousers, where I reviewed Wolverine and the X-Men #1, a new #1 straight outta Schism and into a new and exciting direction for Marvel's merriest mutants!

Wow! It's a pretty amazing week for comics so far! Got any comments? Suggestions? Want to ask yourself why you aren't picking up Daredevil or The Sixth Gun yet? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

Batman: Arkham Asylum Full-Size Costume!

2011-10-26T12:01:00.000+08:00

A full-size Batman: Arkham Asylum costume exists right now. Your Halloween is invalid.

Check out batpiriss' insanely awesome project at TheEffectsLab.

Dear Creature Review

2011-10-22T12:09:00.024+08:00

I didn't know what I was getting into when I was emailed a PDF review copy of this quaint little graphic novel called Dear Creature, but I always love getting books to review.

I just didn't know how much I'll love this one.

Dear Creature is the debut graphic novel of one Jonathan Case, and to say that it's a love story unlike any other is a pretty big understatement. The hero of the story is Grue, a sea mutant whose taste for human flesh is outweighed by his love for the works of Shakespeare, which he finds stuffed inside cola bottles. Our Bard-quoting hero finds a kindred spirit in whoever is sending those bottles his way and decides to search for his mysterious benefactor. He finds her, a scared and lonely woman named Giulietta ("Mark the romance of that name," says Grue), and together they learn what it truly means to love and be loved for who you are.

The one thing that stands out for me is the sheer artistry of the entire thing. Jonathan Case is a witty writer and a solid comic book artist at the same time. It's insane. He's like the Swiss knife of comic books, and my jealousy knows no bounds!

For starters, his character work is aces. Grue as the monster with a beautiful heart is interesting and fun to read. He's charming, eloquent and morbid, and his love story with Giulietta is sad yet sweet. But they're not the only characters in this romantic play. The supporting characters like Giulietta's protective sister Zola, Henry the policeman and even the three crabs that hang around Grue who provide both crack wisdom and comedic relief have roles to play in this story. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded comic book than this.

The entire comic is in glorious black and white, and once again Case showcases his mastery of the medium here. His sequential storytelling skills are amazing, even more with Case's unique art style. Panels flow naturally and his pacing is perfect. I was grinning the whole time I was reading it...it's like I'm watching a clinic on comic book storytelling!

Dear Creature is a solid book, whimsical, weird and wonderfully made. I'm a sucker for love stories like these, and if you like your romance a little bittersweet, you'll love this. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy, from your local comic shop or book store or online. I know I will!

My Week in Comics: October 21, 2011

2011-10-21T10:29:00.026+08:00

Superman is having a really, really, really rough week. But I digress...it's time for the most verbose comic reviews around! What did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

It was a pretty long wait, but Justice League #2 is finally here. You know what that means? Superman versus everyone! Victor Stone's dad being a total doucheasaurus! And The Flash finally shows up!

The big three-way between Supes, Batman and Green Lantern was an exciting mix of splash pages and posturing, and I loved the fact that the Flash is on GL's speed-dial (Get it? Ha-HA!) At the very least, Superman came out looking good here instead of jobbing to Batman or anyone else. He desperately needed that kind of push. And yes, I read it like a main-event PPV wrestling match. I'm funny that way.

A LOT of things happen in this issue, which is saying a lot, considering how boring the first issue was. The Justice League is finally looking more and more like a team, sprinkled with a little DCnU-style bickering, and Geoff Johns' build-up for the big, bombastic cliffhanger was great. Jim Lee is Jim Lee, but the added challenge of drawing the Flash made Lee's art more dynamic this time around. The result is just a better comic, and after its lackluster showing last issue, JL definitely needed it.

Justice League #2 is a huge improvement over the first issue, which isn't saying a lot, but it's a welcome change. Let's just hope it picks up some more after this. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

If you're Supergirl, how do you defuse a tense situation? By punching it repeatedly until it goes away, of course! At least, that's what I got out of Supergirl #2, where a confused Kara Zor-El comes face to face with Superman! But how will she handle the fact that her cousin is now a full-grown superhero?

I hope the cover doesn't give too much away.

Michael Green and Mike Johnson sets up the entire issue as a no-holds-barred brawl-for-all between Supergirl and Superman, filing in the blanks to Supergirl's past and present along the way. Unfortunately it all makes Kara look like a compulsive, trigger-happy teenager. I don't blame her, judging by what happened last issue, but Supergirl isn't doing anyone any favors by punching the next guy who tries to calm her down. At least all that punching made for a very action-packed comic, and Mahmoud Asrar's art rises up to the occasion. The art and the action is dynamic and raw and exciting...you'd be hard-pressed to call this book boring-looking.

As it is, Supergirl #2 is a good comic that went to places the first issue didn't. It set up Kara and Superman's relationship, moved the story forward, and looked damn good to boot. This gets a 4 out of 5.

"Punch first, ask questions later" seems to be the order of the day for the DCnU! Let's hope these are just growing pains! Comments? Suggestions? Read anything interesting this week? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

The Geek Visits: Mint Museum of Toys

2011-10-19T14:32:00.002+08:00

A toy collector? History buff? Going to Singapore? You owe it to yourself to visit this place.

So I was in Singapore for the weekend, and I had to stop by this cool place near Raffles that I've been hearing about recently. It's a vintage toy museum called Mint Museum of Toys, and being the toy collector that I am, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Mint (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys) Museum of Toys boasts of being the world's first purpose-built museum for toys, and it's insanely awesome. From the collection of Mr. Chang Yang Fa, Mint Museum of Toys is vintage toy heaven, with toys from almost every corner of the globe spanning 100 years of history.

It's a quirky little place that just oozes fun. The elevator even has a rocket ship printed on the door to make it look like you're blasting off to some big adventure! Cool.

Each floor of the museum is dedicated to a theme, from Outer Space to Characters to Childhood Favorites to Collectibles. Outer Space had tons of cool vintage robot toys, Buck Rogers toy blasters, Dan Dare memorabilia and even Star Wars figures!

I could imagine robot-loving toy collectors' heads exploding as they step into this floor!

The Characters floor was more up my alley, with superheroes like Superman and Batman being represented in vintage toys from the US and even Japan, where the Dark Knight is apparently very popular. It blows my mind just how huge the scope of Batman toys were back then!

The floor also had cool old toys of Japanese favorites like Astro Boy, 8-Man, Kamen Rider and more. They may look pretty simple, but the craftsmanship and creativity of these toys are worth a look.

Stepping down into the Childhood Favorites level floors you with Popeye, Tintin and Mickey Mouse toys. Awesome stuff, and some of these toys, like most of the ones in this museum, are insanely rare and go for as much as $35,000!

The Collectibles floor housed a pretty eclectic mix of toys, with historic handmade Chinese dolls sitting side by side with Barbies and Matchboxes. The Chinese dolls were probably history's very first Hot Toys, with detailed faces and clothes that make them look like they're actually living, breathing people!

It'd be wrong not to mention that the building that houses the museum itself is pretty cool (and an award-winning design, no less). I like the contemporary design of the place...it balances out the vintage-ness of the toys and makes the entire museum a hip and trendy place to be in. It even has a restaurant downstairs called Mr. Punch, and it's filled with vintage advertising signs!

The museum's admission price for adults is S$15, which is a bit steep, but the museum's contents warrant the price, I think. If you're in Singapore, have an hour or two to spare, and want to hang out in a hip museum full of cool toys, you can't go wrong with a visit to Mint Museum of Toys.

For more info, visit the Mint Museum of Toys website at www.emint.com.

Jaded #1 Review

2011-10-17T13:44:00.002+08:00

The question of "What happens when the world's greatest hero goes bad?" has been asked many times before, from Mark Waid's Irredeemable to the Justice Lords from the Justice League cartoon. Now the question is raised once again, this time in Iron Age Studios' Jaded #1.

"There's no such thing as super heroes," says writer/creator Jon Santana, and with that thought he set out to create a world where the world's greatest hero snaps, and someone has to pay the price. Jaded #1 is divided between the past and the present, with the first part recounting the moments leading up to the heel turn of a superhero called Sovereign, and the second part introducing the mysterious forces tasked with stopping Sovereign from destroying them all.

Part 1 is a pretty straightforward story. Sovereign stops a jumper from killing himself, and we get a glimpse into what makes Sovereign tick. I like that we immediately see that Sovereign is a pretty powerful guy, able to hold a conversation with a suicidal man while saving the city from muggings and fires at the same time. But there's a hint of a hero who's just about tired from dealing with all this, his fall from grace slowly creeping in but you can't help but watch.

The second part fast forwards to the present, and we are introduced to a team of supers tasked with stopping Sovereign and his reign of terror. It doesn't help that the team is just as psychotic as the man they're tasked to stop, and it's interesting to see where Santana will take this.

Too bad the art takes it all down a notch. A comic book is a visual storytelling medium, and a good comic has the writing and art working together to tell a story clearly. Unfortunately, Part 1 (drawn by Kim Jacinto) is probably the most confusingly drawn story I've seen. Sure the art has that nice, cartoony style, but poor storytelling choices (you'd never know that speck in the city skyline was a person jumping to their death from a building) and boring and confusing panel compositions (characters appearing and disappearing on panel for no reason) kill the suspense quick. Jimbo Sagrado's work on Part 2 fares better, with art that has a lot of action and atmosphere, and the one that really feels like a superhero comic book.

As indie creators trying their hand at making a comic book, the Jaded team gets a pass. For a 1st issue indie, Jaded #1 is actually a pretty good effort. If the next issue gets better art and a cohesive story, it just might make it big. The book was launched at the New York Comic Con, with the full release set for Fall 2011. Visit the Iron Age website for more info. (A PDF copy of the comic was provided by the publisher)

Happy Anniversary, Behold the Geek!

2011-10-16T00:10:00.000+08:00

We've come a long, long way, baby!

On this day, exactly seven years ago, a dude with a dream and too much time on his hands created a blog. Seven years later, that blog is now the awesome comics and pop culture blog known as Behold the Geek!

It's been one heck of a ride, and I'm awfully proud of what I've accomplished all these years! Allow me to take a look back at all the things this little blog has accomplished. For posterity, of course.

Behold the Geek! since 2008 has had about 41,000+ pageviews from more than 25,000 visits from more than 140 countries. I've got dudes from Russia checking in, Brazil too. Hello guys!

I've reviewed more than 200 comics, both in random reviews and in 75 editions of My Week in Comics. That's a LOT of comics!

My reviews have been featured by the likes of Ron Marz and Jim Zubkavich and the guys from Super Real Graphics and Dynamite Entertainment. I've been quoted in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (for my Tekken movie review) and even got a quote in the back cover of Neko Ramen vol. 3!

My most popular posts so far have been Thor's Movie Mjolnir Papercraft, my Tekken movie review and my Transformers Cyberverse Ironhide toy review.

Wow. I've accomplished a LOT, haven't I? And it's only going to get better from here! Thank you for joining me in celebrating seven years of Behold the Geek!, and here's a toast for more awesome years of blogging to come!

Happy Anniversary!

7 Things I Learned to Do Because of Comic Blogging

2011-10-11T12:47:00.001+08:00

You learn something new every day. For me, it took seven years.

Not because I'm slow, but because of this little blog you're now reading. Working on Behold the Geek! has been one big, long learning experience, and it's because of this blog that I learned to do and try new things. Let me tell you seven things I learned to do because of blogging...and maybe you might learn to do the same too!

I learned to try new things

I used to HATE trying out new comic books. I loved my routine pulls, content with the fact that I was reading stuff I love. But thanks to blogging, I ~~was forced~~ learned to take off these blinders and actively seek out new books to try. I discovered some of my new favorites this way, like The Sixth Gun and SF Legends: Ibuki, and it also diversified my reviews, giving much-needed relief for my readers who are about to go into a coma reading reviews of the same two books every month. More or less. :)

I learned to read bounce rates

It took me a while, but only through this blog did I learn that high bounce rate=bad, low bounce rate=good.

I learned to network

Now, I'm not exactly the shy type, but when it comes to networking, I sucked hard. Can you blame me? Established comic bloggers and creators aren't exactly the type of people you tap on the shoulder casually to say hi to. But thanks to this blog, I learned to reach out and touch people. Now I've got big-name people on my email list, and it still blows my mind to this day.

I learned to use Google Reader like a boss

If you've ever watched or read Watchmen, you might remember a scene where Adrian "Ozymadias" Veidt sits in front of a sea of TV monitors, watching and digesting information through all of them at the same time. That's kinda how I feel when I use Google Reader, and because of this hobby I learned to read and skim and digest my news feed of all the comics news and commentary sites like Ozymandias did!

I learned to save

Okay, so I haven't saved much, but Behold the Geek! is the reason why I can afford to buy comics and toys to review. A portion of my paycheck automatically goes to the BtG! fund the moment it lands in my hands. Good thing if I want to review the freshest comics, but not if I want to eat.

I learned to be patient

Growing a blog is like playing SimCity: it's slow, hard as heck, and aliens can come and wreck the place when you aren't looking. Okay, maybe not the last part, but thankfully if there's anything this blog taught me to do, it's to have the patience of Buddha and Jeff "The Dude" Bridges put together. Online popularity doesn't happen overnight, and I learned to just do what I gotta do. Sooner or later, the fangirls will come. I just gotta be patient!

I learned to write, write, WRITE!

Writing is a passion of mine that didn't really have any sort of focus before. An unfinished story here, a short article there, poetry that are better served lining the floors of bird cages...I was all over the place. Now that I've got this blog, I've got the one place I can channel my writing powers into, and I get to write about stuff I love! How's that for a hobby?

Learning is fun! And blogging at Behold the Geek! just made learning double fun! So what did you learn during your blogging days? Let me know in the comments below! You're celebrating with me as we count down to the seventh anniversary of Behold the Geek! Watch out for more goodness as we come ever closer to October 16! Thanks for reading!

Seven Years of Behold the Geek!

2011-10-10T09:50:00.021+08:00

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOOOOWN!

After dealing with dinosaurs, taking a vacation and getting extreme, it's time to formally count down to the seventh anniversary of this little blog I'd like to call Behold the Geek!

Join me in a week of madness, mayhem, and maybe a little bit of blogging too as both clock and calendar wind ever so slowly down to October 16! Get excited! No, scratch that...get SUPER excited!

And sorry for the posting hiccup...I was reminded that my awesome geeky body is fragile and prone to un-awesome flu. But now I'm back! Let's do this!

First Impressions: Innistrad!

2011-10-05T11:02:00.002+08:00

Wizards of the Coast just released a new Magic: The Gathering expansion called Innistrad. From the spoilers and set pictures, it's filled with ghosts, demons, werewolves and undead.

They had me at undead.

Note that I'm going into this as a collector first, player second. Read on!

Man, I don't even remember the last time I bought a booster pack of Magic, much less played a game of it, but the set theme was too cool to resist. I've often wanted to take a crack at Magic again before this (the last time I played was with a Goblin Grenade deck. So 1990s), but seeing the recent cards with their crazy effects and mind-numbingly imba stats (along with the Planeswalker mechanic) made my head spin like an out-of-control Beyblade.

Good thing that Innistrad has that back-to-basics look and feel that got me interested, and I was lucky to get wind of its release date (September 29) So off I went to Neutral Grounds yesterday to see what the fuss was all about.

I bought some boosters at Php160 a pop. 15 cards for that price was pretty good. And buying boosters made me feel like I was in grade school again feeling up card packs at Cards 'R' Us.

I especially love the Double-Faced Card mechanic, where you can flip a card ala Yugi-Oh to transform from one creature to another. Cloistered Youth turns into an Unholy Fiend, Hanweir Watchkeep turns into a werewolf...now, I'm the last person you should ask about how good a Magic card is, but they look like fun creatures to play. They were some of my wants from this set, so color me pleased.

I still remember the levels of rarity in Magic, which is why I was happy to see a few uncommons and rares in my packs. I don't think I've ever gotten a rare in a booster before. Heretic's Punishment, Divine Reckoning and Nephalia Drownyard are awesome and crazy powerful.

I'm thinking of collecting the entire set of Black because...vampires! Would it hurt to get a lich one of these days? Still, Falkenrath Vampire is cool.

I really love the horror theme of Innistrad. The designers can get really gruesome and pants-crappingly scary. The gorgeous art sells it too. I know some Magic players who don't really notice the art on the cards, but I do. Skeletal Grimace is one badass scary card!

And now I end this post with a hilarious story. I brought along a friend of mine and asked her to buy a booster to try her luck. Understand that this friend of mine has what I call the Deathtouch, where anything she blind-buys (booster packs, toys from gashapon machines) always contain the worst possible result. Always. Since this was the last booster I was buying, I thought, "A booster full of duds wouldn't hurt."

So she picks out a booster, and I open it. Remembering what I read about Magic boosters, you're guaranteed at least a rare in every pack. Lo and behold...no rares.

The Deaththouch is real!

However, it was only when I got home that I noticed this card with a red rarity symbol, one I've never encountered before. I went searching for answers online, and it dawned on me what it was.

It was a new rarity, the Mythic Rare, one in every eight boosters.

The Lady with the Touch of Death just got me a frikkin' Mythic Rare.

And there goes my first impression of the latest Magic: The Gathering set. I'll get around to buying an Intro Pack of Innistrad to get a better feel of the set, and maybe see if I can shake my rusty game. Till then, thanks for reading!

90s Trading Cards are Awesome! [90s Week]

2011-10-04T11:12:00.003+08:00

You ain't a 90s kid unless you had one of these.

They're comics trading cards, a staple of 90s memorabilia that's as much a symbol of the decade as pouches. In celebration of 90s Week, let's shine a spotlight on the trading cards that defined my childhood...and maybe yours!

In the 90s, comics trading cards were all the rage. Fleer and Skybox ran ads in comics, which in turn got kids like me to buy some. My friends and I went nuts over them. We drooled over the kids with the authentic (and expensive) cards, while the poor guys like me settled for one or two real cards and a couple hundred fakes. But you know what? We traded each other for them either way, and the charm of these little paper cards never really went away.

And I'll make sure it stays that way, with a rundown of my favorite trading card sets from the 90s!

MARVEL UNIVERSE TRADING CARDS (Impel)

It remains one of the biggest bragging rights you could ever have as a 90s kid: having a set of Impel's Marvel Universe trading cards! Whip one of these out and you'll be the talk of the playground. Bullies would target you. Your best friends would either want to trade or scheme against you. It's like Game of Thrones, but instead of an Iron Throne, it's a Wolverine or Celestials card.

Impel didn't realize how much these cards meant to me as a kid. These things sparked my interest for memorizing useless comic book trivia. I learned how to draw by drawing the Wolverine and She-Hulk cards (which unfortunately meant I could only draw Wolverine and She-Hulk). My imagination blossomed as my mind filled the spaces between the power rankings found behind each card (Spider-Man has 6 agility! Watch out, Hawkeye you slowpoke!). And finally, it was the gateway that lead me to become a collector, making me appreciate the vast universe that was Marvel in the 90s.

X-MEN TRADING CARDS (Impel/SkyBox/Fleer)

One of my most cherished memories of childhood was when my mom came home with a surprise for me getting good grades at school: X-Men trading cards! Sure she got me bootleg copies (since money was tight) but I got myself a Wolverine, which automatically validated the whole thing. Moms are awesome!

Anyway, Impel and SkyBox's series of X-Men trading cards were an iconic part of my geeky childhood. Amazing art by Jim Lee and other X-artists up front, those power charts at the back (replaced by a dossier in Series II), those little X-tra Facts and DNAnalyses...my kid self ate it all up like Star Margarine on rice. It's one of the few trading card sets I promised to complete someday, including our next entry...

MARVEL MASTERPIECES (Skybox/Fleer)

Marvel Masterpieces was the be-all, end-all of trading cards when I was a kid. Imagine, having been used to seeing your favorite comic book heroes and villains in flat, 2D drawings on paper. And now here they are, painted in this realistic style like they're actually living, breathing people! My 10-year-old mind was utterly blown.

Marvel Masterpieces first came out in 1992, and remains one of my most favorite trading card series ever. I had a soft spot for the first set, painted by Joe Jusko, and I also used his art to teach myself how to draw. Series 3 then introduced me to Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, painters whose style I absolutely love to this day. Their work inspired me to become a painter, until I went to college and found out I suck at painting. Still, Masterpieces!

I'm still waiting for the day somebody relaunches Marvel Masterpieces into a sketchcard-less, fully-painted thing of beauty my kids will drool over just like me. Until then, at least I have my memories of this amazing series tucked away in the ring-binder in my brain like a super-rare.

Thanks for following me on my trip down the trading card-paved memory lane that was the 90s! Did you collect trading cards as a kid? Which ones were your favorites? Leave me a comment below and let's trade nostalgiabombs! Thanks for reading!

Stunning Steampunk Lady Monday

2011-10-03T14:00:00.017+08:00

Steampunk ain't your cup of tea? Let cosplayer lady_wolf_star change your mind in this beautifully vintage cosplay shoot. Steampunk never looked this good! Check out the rest of her gallery over at Flickr.

From Pouches to Prophet: Why the 90s was Awesome [90s Week]

2011-10-03T12:00:00.002+08:00

What do you remember about the 90s?

Ask any comic book fan about the 90s and they'll probably mention at least one of three things: big guns, Wolverine and Punisher knock-offs, and pouches. Lots and lots of pouches.

But no one remembers that the 90s was awesome.

It's a controversial view, for sure, but dig deeper into the pouches and the rubble and you get an era of comics that might never be seen or experienced again.

Maybe I'm biased. I got into comics during the early 90s, when my tita bought comics in the States and brought them as pasalubong when they came home for Christmas vacation. As a kid I poured over every single one, from 'roided-up freaks like Cable to badass clawed guys like Wolverine and his slew of knockoffs. I saw Superman die, Batman get his back broken, and Image unleash their creations onto the world. I collected those free trading cards that came in those comics and bartered most of my stamp collection for a copy of Marvel's Swimsuit Special. I loved every single moment of it.

I didn't notice the proliferation of pouches, or the incessant need for comic characters to have the words blood, kill or death in their names, or even the speculator market that saw the rise of gimmicks like lenticular covers and publicity 'deaths' and tacky merchandise. I didn't care that I was witnessing everything wrong with comic books during that time. All I saw was that comics were huge, and I could talk about the latest adventures of WildC.A.T.s and Generation X with anyone at my school. Anyone.

Can you say that about comics right now?

Despite the 90s being called The Dark Age of Comics, to me it wasn't as dark as they make it out to be. In fact, in the face of all the shiny chrome comic book covers and its explosively action-packed contents, it was probably the brightest it could be.

Sure it all eventually crashed when the speculator bubble popped, and it suddenly became hip to rag on Rob Liefeld and Spawn, but I will look at my stacks of X-Man, my copies of Heroes Reborn, and my Marvel Masterpieces trading card binder and be reminded that I wouldn't be the geek I am today without that little decade called the 90s.

Were you a 90s kid? What's the most awesome thing you remember about the 90s?

Get EXTREEEEME for 90's WEEK!

2011-10-03T11:00:00.003+08:00

It's the age of gatefold chrome covers and impossibly huge guns, of Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee. It's the most explosive, bloody and eye-bleedingly shiny era in comic book history, and it's time someone stood up to take notice!

I'm talking about the Dark Age of the 90s, and I'm here to say it's not as dark as people make it out to be! Hold on to your butts, coz I'm about to shed a light on all the awesome stuff that little decade gave us, with the most EXTREEEEEME theme week you'll ever see in your blog-reading existence!

It's 90's Week here at Behold the Geek! Get excited!

Check back here for updates of the most extreme week in the blogosphere!

From Pouches to Prophet: Why the 90s Was Awesome

90s Trading Cards are Awesome!

Guest Post Week: This Isn't Just for Boys (I Am A Girl and A Geek)

2011-09-30T11:05:00.003+08:00

Today's guest post is from Friend of the Geek Maia. She blogs at kurosawabride.wordpress.com and she's probably the biggest fan of the Clark x Lois pairing you and I will ever meet. Seriously, she loves it like Galactus loves eating planets! Read her thoughts on what it's like to be a girl geek below!

With the advent of New York Comic Con, writing this essay has taken on a new meaning for me.

I think back now to how I grew up and what I was surrounded with that made me a girl who loves video games, reads comics, breathes Dungeons and Dragons, and dreams of saving a galaxy far, far away.

Believe me, I haven’t stopped.

Twenty-one years ago, I picked up my very first comic book, and I fell in love. I was 6 years old, curious and wide-eyed in the public library, leafing through whatever books I was able to get my hands on. One of them just happened to be a hardbound volume of Silver Age Superman comics. I remember my feet dangling from my chair, and swinging in growing excitement as I gazed over each panel. It was like opening a gateway to a different world and my imagination grew immensely.

When I got to the issue that had Lois Lane officially introduced (I had not yet read the old issues of Action Comics where she was already kick-ass), my heart leaped, I felt myself smiling, and the rest – as they all say – is history.

I remember reading pages upon pages of mythology – Greek, Roman, Norse, you name it – then trying to incorporate them in stories I would make up. I remember the fights with my brother over his Transformers toys, arguing over which member of Bioman we were more suited to be (we both wanted to be the red leader), being glued to the TV when the Ninja Turtles cartoons were on. When the X-Men animated series became popular, we role-played our favorite mutants with our neighbors, and I was always partial to Rogue, while the kid who had a crush on me was Gambit.

While all my dolls that relatives gave me sat ignored on a shelf, I was fighting over our Nintendo console because I wanted to continue where I left off with Super Mario Bros. I went through each level, gritting my teeth and then swearing inwardly when I’d defeat another of Koopa’s minions, only to be told that the princess WAS IN ANOTHER CASTLE. You try sitting through the afternoon on a weekend and have all your hard work going through the pipes and getting killed repeatedly by goombas and killer clouds obliterated by a stupid mushroom telling you that your bitch isn’t where she’s supposed to be. Let’s see if you don’t develop anger issues.

Wow, I actually seethed just remembering those afternoons, so I’ll stop.

What I’d really like to write about is the startling difference between then and now in the way people acknowledge that I’m a girl and a geek.

Years ago, people thought it was the strangest thing for a little girl to like comics and video games. These things were associated with little boys, and I’m sure that even if my family never said a word, they used to hope that I wouldn’t grow up to be a lesbian. While part of it is cultural, it also served as a reminder of how wide the gap still was between both sexes. As I grew older, I felt the reception of people towards my interests slowly change. Where I’d once been called “weird” and “strange” for my geeky interests, I’d be told I was cool to like the things boys liked.

However, not all were receptive to this.

I’m talking about the misogynist geeks I’ve encountered who sadly live in a world where they feel that girls having these same interests are basically encroaching on their masculinity. Just looking at the sheer number of attendees to comic and anime conventions should be an implication that things have changed. I am meeting more and more girls who openly admit to reading comic books, playing video games, or being emotionally-invested in an anime series that I wonder: “Why are there still people who vehemently reject the idea that girls can like these things?”

Let’s face it, some of the most successful comic creators, artists and writers of this generation have been female, and they have a loyal male readership. Yet, I remember being subjected to the mocking laughter of a guy who said that girls couldn’t draw comics (WHAT?!). In Japan, a majority of the mangaka are female and are spoken of in high regard, by both male and female readers alike. In recent years, more and more females have gone on to win video game tournaments and establish that chicks playing video games are just as good as their male counterparts. I, myself, enjoy a good game of Diablo 2 because it’s honestly fun.

So why the gender discrimination in this day and age? And over a non-issue?

I remember fighting with a kid who didn’t let me borrow one of his Superman comics, when I was 8. He kept saying I wasn’t allowed to read it because I was a girl and I yelled “It doesn’t say ‘For Boys Only’ you jerk!”

And when you think about it, none of the video games come with that label either.

So is this really still necessary when things are clearly changing?

I’ll leave you all to think that over. In the meantime, I have some zombies to decapitate.

Guest Post Week: Origin

2011-09-29T13:19:00.001+08:00

Our next guest post is from Friend of the Geek Larry. He's currently working as (in his own words) "an all-around guy (director-art director-video editor-motion graphics artist-storyboard artist-producer-copywriter-internet freeloader) for a Cable TV Network". Noice. He blogs at theyoungflaneur and he's got a story to tell about a topic close to our hearts: origins.

Everyone has his own origin story. And this is how mine started…

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state, then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...

The Earth began to cool,

The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unravelling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!

Yeah, I was just watching season 5 (episode 2) and laughing at the nerds. Haha. Nerds.

Unlike common geeks, I do not collect comic books, action figures or rare items from conferences (I’d totally spend my money on movies instead). I’m pretty much the basic type, someone who’s simply an enthusiast. I wander around and fill my head with these interesting stories, giving me fresh ideas as I continue my life as an artist.

I had a pretty standard geek childhood, I grew up reading Spider-man comics, watching classic Fleischer Superman cartoons, playing Metroid on Gameboy, Super Mario Bros and Contra Wars on Nintendo Family Computer, Metal Slug on Arcade, I cosplayed Spider-man and Superman a couple of times, pretended to be Robocop in front of my parents, played Magic and Pokemon cards, finished most Pokemon games (Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold and Silver), joined a comic book society in elementary, believed I was Darth Vader, played Battle Realms and Warcraft, got hooked on Anime, finished Kingdom Hearts, read the whole Harry Potter series, finished God of War and Crisis Core: FF VII on PSP and Divine-Fisted seven characters in Tekken. Eventually fell in love with movies and geek art. Yeah, I had a normal life.

Along the way, a friend of mine introduced me to Alex Ross and Mark Waid’s epic semi-conclusion to DC Universe’s greatest heroes – Kingdom Come. *play heavenly sound* Instantly, I got hooked. It was like having an epiphany. It was glorious. It was 10x better than the time when I heard the news that Pokemons aren’t limited to 151 or the time when I found out that there are other Lanterns other than Green and Yellow ones. My imagination immensely grew and I knew from that moment that something special happened to me. With the addition of death, time and physics (while maintaining rich personality) to the lives of my favourite heroes, I became very critical with the storytelling. Each character had a story connected to another. And with each page of wonderfully watercoloured illustration, I was lured deeper into the imaginary world. After reading the whole thing, I remember pausing for a while as I stared at the front cover. It felt amazing. I’ve never read anything like it before. I soon realized that not all stories (that are told) are worth meddling at, and that mostly realistic ones make a strong impact to the reader. Metaphors became constant to me every time I analyze something. The learning never stopped since that moment. And each day I became more critical.

I got my own copy of Kingdom Come for a short while (until a friend of mine flattened the sharp edges and destroyed its mint condition.. no, his name isn’t Jon David Garcia) and eventually gave it away. I thought I don’t need it anymore because the essence is already stored in memory crystals (similar to Kal-El’s), hidden in my myogenic muscular organ otherwise known as the heart.

Guest Post Week: A Not-So-Geek’s Geekiest Moment

2011-09-28T10:27:00.001+08:00

Our next guest post comes from Edz from doodlemind.com. She's a prolific writer who has written for magazines ("which you have to scour bookstores to find"), books (which she'll finish once she gets around it), and comics here in the Philippines. Today she talks about her not-so-geeky moment that might just be the geekiest moment anyone could ever have!

When Behold the Geek! asked me to guest blog about my geekiest moment, I was like “Eh?” I don’t even know what a geek is. I don’t know if being called a geek is actually a good thing. And I sure as hell don’t know if there is something in my whole library of experiences that could be considered a geeky moment.

After a short chat with The Geek about the definition of a geeky moment (which all but composed of three to four lines of text), I finally came up with one.

It was over a year ago when I went to the Komikon Summer de Avance at the UP Bahay ng Alumni. I’m not too much of a comics fan but since my friends, the Bayan Knights, are going to be there, I decided to drop by and pick up a few of their titles as well.

Most Filipino comics fans will probably have read, seen, or at least heard about Culture Crash Comics. After Funny Komiks (and I can attest that you are NOT a true Pinoy comics fan if you don’t know Funny), C3 is my comics of choice – one that I patiently waited to appear in the shelves of National Bookstore. I do admit that for a high school girl who went to a Christian school, reading comics is a bit weird. Or geeky.

Now let me tell you that during those years, I was in a serious phase of “I-want-to-write-my-own-novel-slash-story”. Stories kept brewing up inside head and several more ideas kept overtaking each other that I couldn’t formulate a streamlined enough concept to begin with.

When I first saw PASIG, a dystopic, post-apocalyptic story plotted in the titular city, I was in comics-cloud-nine. PASIG had everything I wanted in my own story – cool weapons and a whole lot of fight scenes; a futuristic society; a twisted love plot (I *am* a girl after all); a strong heroine that can kick ass; and an enigmatic hero that can kick even more ass. For my fourteen-year-old self, PASIG was perfection.

I was sorely disappointed when they cut C3 short a few years later, around 2005. Luckily, Taga-Ilog, PASIG’s artist and writer, decided to take the web and indie comic route and my PASIG fix was back on.

You can imagine my surprise when, as I was walking around (the UP Bahay ng Alumni) and looking at all things geeky, I saw a stack of yellow sitting on a table. I squealed – “PASIIIIIIIIIIIIIG!” – then clapped my hands over my mouth when I saw Taga-Ilog himself sitting behind the table. His lips turned up into a small smile and he immediately pulled a copy to sign. “Ano pong pangalan n’yo miss?” (Miss, what's your name?)

So I told him my name, he signed my copy, and I made a noise that sounded like “Auuuuuwwwwwrrr!” – like a self-satisfied cat, loud enough that Taga-Ilog could hear and he smiled that half-amused, half-bemused smile again. I realize that his message was probably the same as everyone else’s but I didn’t care.

I was happily living in my geeky moment.

Guest Post Week: Taibani

2011-09-27T10:30:00.002+08:00

Today's guest post is from a friend of the Geek who goes by the pseudonym claudiakat. Calling her an anime and manga 'enthusiast' is the understatement of the year, all years. She loves anime and manga with a passion that makes my love for comic books look like idle curiosity! But it seems we both found a common ground in all this as she talks about this little-known anime series that might just be right up my alley...

It's not a well-known fact that I was a comic book geek growing up. Before my love for manga and anime, I was reading comics with the best of them. I enjoyed The Death of Superman and read basically anything that has Gambit and Rogue in it. In time I moved on to manga and anime, thinking I was leaving my history with comics behind.

But then, this little anime caught my eye. It gained amazing popularity in such a short time so I became intrigued by it, so I sat down and got to watching it, never realizing exactly how big this was going to be.

The anime was called Tiger and Bunny.

Theirs is a world where a semi-futuristic, re-imagined version of New York City known as Sternbild City is protected by a group called Heroes. They are people who have superhuman abilities also known as NEXT. Heroes here have a slightly different connotation since they do not only save people, they have to make it look good. Their every move is being broadcast live as a reality show. They endorse products (the reason for sponsor's logos on their suits), sing and dance for the people's entertainment...in short, Heroes are celebrities.

The main protagonists, Wild Tiger aka Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr. were assigned to become partners by their CEOs. They started off having trouble working with each other thanks to their conflicting opinions of heroism. In order to save the city and solve the murder of Barnaby's parents, they have to work together and eventually learn to trust one another.

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi is known as 'The Crusher for Justice". It may sound like a cool name but is in fact coined from his very bad habit of making unbelievable amounts of collateral damage wherever he goes. Despite being awkward and usually oblivious to almost everything around him, the 'old man' kept a lot of secrets from the world and his own partner.

Barnaby Brooks Jr., nicknamed BUNNY by Kotetsu on the grounds of him preferring high kicks and his Hero suit helmet having protrusions like a rabbit's ears, is cool, calm and collected. Unlike Kotetsu who runs headlong into a situation based on instincts, Bunny prefers to use his brain and think and plan everything thoroughly. He also never had a secret identity unlike all the other heroes who kept their faces behind their masks and used hero names.

Tiger and Bunny deals with superheroes and their relationships with each other, the people they protect, their own problems, their conflicts and their struggles...but it also doesn't forget to have fun. Tiger and Bunny have that little something extra that keeps me coming back for more, like the characters posing for pictures with girls and having sexy pictorials (Barnaby in skimpy trunks? IS THIS CANON? YES IT IS. YOU BET IT IS CANON.), Kotetsu being princess-carried by Barnaby in almost every episode...well, you get the idea.

But in the end it's the characters who keep me glued to the screen in every episode, especially Kotetsu. Being past his prime, hated by a daughter who doesn't know what his job is, ridiculed and disliked by most because of the collateral damages he leaves behind and being compared to the much younger, handsome and agile Barnaby, he was truly in a compromising position. And yet it doesn't seem to faze him in the least and he still goes on doing what he believes is right.

So yeah, when I start to think I left comic books behind, I'll just watch Tiger and Bunny and remember that comic books never really left me...they just came in a deliciously different package.

”I realized that you don’t set your own limits. Even after I lose all my powers, and get mocked by everyone, or looked ridiculous, I’m not going to let that stop me. I'm going to stay as a hero 'til the very end. I’m not going to give up! It doesn’t hurt to have a hero who’s uncool, right?"- Kotetsu T. Kaburagi a.k.a. Wild-Tiger

Guest Post Week: A Gathering

2011-09-26T12:00:00.003+08:00

Our inaugural guest post comes from blogger Dom G! Dom's 365daysofcomics.com started out as a comic book blog that allowed him to work on his writing skills while writing about something he enjoyed a great deal...comics. He wrote a post every day of the year last year! After a year's worth of writing every day Dom is clearly right-up there with Dickens, Tolkien, and the guy who wrote the Sesame Street song when it comes to skill and execution. Unfortunately for us, he now writes at his convenience which means only a few posts a week. Some say he has gotten lazy. Others say he got a girlfriend. Whatever the case may be for that lazy lonely sucker, I'm glad I was able to get this little ditty from him before he gave up writing entirely and moved on to his true love...dance!

There was to be a gathering.

I was about 10 years old and new to the San Francisco Bay Area when I was introduced to my mother’s co-worker’s child. I didn’t have many friends yet, and my mom set me up with this unknown kid on one of those play dates that parents think are so cute. I was not comfortable with it. But hey, I’m the kid and mothers know best.

My mom was, and still is, one smart motha- (Shut yo’ mouth!). Just talk’n bout my motha!

This kid opened up my eyes to the world. When I went to his house to hang out and spend the night I had the awakening of my life. I was introduced to many things such as the fact that the Michael Jackson song from the end of the film Free Willy was on the “Dangerous” Album, and that you can eat clusters of granola by the handful…and it tastes like heaven. While these things were amazing new experiences, they were just the tip of the iceberg. Ironically enough, when the sun set…I saw the light.

I didn’t quite get it. The set seemed a bit cheap. But there was something about this “Late Night” duo of Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter that appealed to the core of me…or maybe that was the granola. My new pal and I stayed up late and laughed the night away: about what, who knows? It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I had fun because of some goofy red-head and a shorter blond…and to this very day (even when Andy left the show for awhile) the duo is still bringing a smile to my face nightly.

After the hour of comedy ended we watched “Red Dwarf”, a British comedy that I didn’t get as much, and then moved on to a strange new card game which involved pictures of creatures and plots of land that somehow gave dragons the power to attack. I was introduced to, and taught, Magic: the Gathering.

Magic at this point in 1993 had just been created and few people (including myself) had known about it. I was instantly hooked. Powered by a few plains, my Serra Angel with a sword could own, but like whatever.

I came home with a pack of cards the kid gave me for free so that I could play with others who also wielded the knowledge of Magic, and of course, the cards. Oddly enough, I never saw or heard from that kid again. It’s like those old movies where a supernatural friend helps someone out and at the end of the movie the main character and the supernatural friend are talking, but the main character looks away for a moment as he is talking and says, “I think it’s all gonna workout, don’t you?” Then the main character looks back to see the supernatural friend is gone because it served its purpose and the main character no longer needed the supernatural friend. A friend steps into frame and says, “Don’t I what?” The main guy looks around then smiles to himself and says, “Nothing. Come on, let’s go home.”

It was just like that for me and that kid. I don’t even remember his name. (sigh)

Like I said…there was a gathering.

When I went home I found that none of my small group of friends were interested in playing Magic the Gathering. Plus, the local comic shop did not sell the cards right away (they later did the next year). I was a bit down on Magic until I saw a random flyer at the grocery story about a Magic the Gathering convention coming to town. I wrote down the time and place and began to mentally prepare.

When my father dropped me off, with $10 for lunch, at the old airplane hangar in town called, “The Barn” (makes no sense) I had no idea what I was in for. I had never been to a convention before and assumed that I would walk into a large room of tables with people playing Magic: the Gathering, so the only thing I would have to worry about is finding a seat. I was a little off with my convention prediction.

There were a bunch of tables set up for vendors selling everything from cards, to art, to bags of gems. Apparently, the gems were your life points. Every time you were attacked and took a certain amount of damage you had to swallow a gem or something…? The first person to choke…loses! I guess I’m still not too clear on the point of a sack of gems.

Past the vendors was what I expected to find: chairs, tables and nerds. These guys looked legit. Several stacks of cards and just the right amount of mana covered the tables. I was young and alone so I felt a bit uncomfortable, but eventually I decided to just take a seat next to some older guys and watch. I learned how to become a skilled chess player by watching my dad play, so I thought I might as well sit next to an older guy to learn strategy.

After walking the vendor’s tables and watching a few games I realized my deck was out classed, so I did the only appropriate thing I could do. I spent my whole $10 lunch money on one card which would make my whole deck better. Adding one card was sure to turn the tide in any match. I believe that card was a “Wraith of God” card which kills all creatures currently on the board, but I can’t say for certain because it was so long ago and so not worth $10. I eventually traded in that card to a card collectible shop for a few baseball cards which unfortunately did not kill all of the creatures on the Red Sox.

After losing a few games to people who would play me, my father came and got me at the designated spot, at the designated time, because that’s what we did before cell phones…we planned ahead. I remember feeling like I had a fun time and when my father asked me what it was like I played it cool and said something along the lines of, “It was alright. Just a bunch of geeks at a gathering.”

Behold! Guest Post Week!

2011-09-26T11:00:00.004+08:00

What better way to celebrate my blog's 7th anniversary than to get other people to celebrate it with me!

This entire week, bloggers and writers from all across the blogosphere will be posting with the theme, "Moments in Geek", sharing their geekiest experiences with me and the rest of our geeky brethren! Their first brush with fandom, a geeky show no one talks about...the sky's the limit! It's GUEST POST WEEK here at Behold the Geek! Get excited!

Check out the guest posts in store for you!

Dom G (365daysofcomics.com) shares a story about A Gathering.

claudiakat (claudiakat.deviantart.com) loves Tiger and Bunny and she wants to share Taibani with you!

Edz (doodlemind.com) shares a Not-so-Geek's Geekiest Moment.

Larry (theyoungflaneur.wordpress.com) talks about an Origin.

Maia (kurosawabride.wordpress.com) wants you to know that being a geek isn't just for boys!

My Week in Comics: September 23, 2011

2011-09-23T10:58:00.000+08:00

Men without fear and maids of might are dropping by for one exciting week in comics! What did I get myself into this week? Read on and find out!

First up is Supergirl #1, the exciting debut of Superman's cousin in the DCnU! Our heroine crashes to earth in a meteor, and the military rushes in to contain her. What's a Kryptonian girl to do? Why, kick their asses of course! For 20 pages!

Yes folks, the first issue of Supergirl amounts to one entire fight scene stretched through 20 pages! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (much), because what we do get is fun enough, and writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson make use of the action to slowly introduce us to Supergirl's powers as they pop up one by one under our yellow sun, which is a nice touch. Supergirl could have been one boring issue, but Mahmud Asrar on art makes it work. His action scenes are fast-paced and killer, and he draws one hell of a cute Supergirl. Needless to say Asrar just sold me on Supergirl's new costume in ways I can't explain.

For a single issue, Supergirl #1 leaves some to be desired, but it's as cool an intro to Supergirl as we're gonna get, and it's easily one of the most newbie-friendly books out of the New 52. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Wonder Woman is back to wearing pants and kicking ass...and she's all out of pants!

Wondy's first issue in the DCnU has her headbutting centaurs to protect a woman who may or may not be bearing the child of a certain Greek All-father, which is more awesome than it sounds. Brian Azzarello's gritty and bloody take on Wonder Woman might not be everyone's cup of tea, but he makes it work here. Taking Greek myths out of the sky and into the blood-soaked ground, Azzarello gives Wonder Woman a chance to stretch her Amazon muscles and then some. Deflecting ~~bullets~~ arrows with her bracelets, whipping out the Lasso of Truth, kicking ass, showing off her gorgeous legs...it's got Wonder Woman written all over it.

I didn't feel Cliff Chang's stylized art at first, but he does draw a really pretty Wonder Woman. The action is intense and gory, with decapitated horses and arrows being pulled out of abdomens all in delicious bloody detail. I guess Azzarello wasn't kidding when he said he's turning Wonder Woman into a horror comic. I can't tell at this point in time whether change is good or not, but Chang's art makes it at least a little bit interesting.

It would have been nice to see Wonder Woman break out of that limbo she's in with the force of a thousand suns, but I guess this horrific tale of horny gods will have to do. This gets a 3 out of 5.

And so we've come to Daredevil #4, which is quite possibly the closest to perfection comic books can get.

No hyperbole here, folks. If you want a fun comic, if you want to show people the potential of comic books, this issue is what you pick up. Mark Waid and co. pushed the storytelling capabilities of the comic book medium to its fullest here, and I freakin' love it.

You'd think an issue mostly filled with Nelson and Murdock talking about their new self-representation deal, or Matt Murdock talking to a new client who might just have bitten off more than he can chew, to be boring, but Waid writes with a certain enthusiasm that makes the mundane exciting. The story is playful and fun, something Daredevil hasn't been for a good part of the 2000s, and it just rubs off on you in a good way. Waid even throws in a sequence where Daredevil makes his rounds catching muggers and saving babies from burning buildings, slivers of superheroism that's missing in a lot of books right now, and Waid earned my eternal gratitude for it.

Marcos Martin steps in for Paolo Rivera on art duties, and thankfully he didn't disappoint. Martin takes Rivera's lead from the previous issues and turned in art that's as wildly creative and as exciting as his predecessor (come on, check out dat cover!). Muntsa Vicente tops it all off with vibrant colors that make the art pop off the page, and the result is a comic that not only reads like a dream, but looks like something worthy of an art gallery.

Daredevil #4 is freaking amazing, period. I've never been excited to pick up a comic book when it came out until now, and Waid and co. changed all that. This deserves a 6 out of 5. Pick this up now!

That's a pretty awesome week, if you ask me! So what did you get this week, and why aren't you buying Daredevil yet? Drop me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

My (Awesome) Week in Comics: September 16, 2011

2011-09-16T10:30:00.001+08:00

Guess what? The comic gods doth smile upon me, as they gift me with two amazing comics this week. Two! That's more than one, people! You don't get these often, so hang tight because it's time for the most verbose comic book reviews around! What did I get myself into? Read on to find out!

Mark Waid ends Daredevil's initial storyarc with a loud, ear-splitting bang, as Matt is caught in the clutches of the supervillain Klaw! The hypersensitive senses of Daredevil versus Klaw the Master of Sound! It's the final round in Daredevil #3, and only one gets out alive!

Waid knocks it out of the ballpark again with another fun issue. Superheroes being super, drama that makes sense, a happy ending...I could go on and on why this issue is good. Klaw versus Daredevil was the match of the century, and Waid just made Klaw interesting again while giving DD a much-needed challenge in one fell swoop!

But I think a big part of what makes it good lies in the shoulders of Paolo Rivera, Joe Rivera and Javier Rodriguez on art. This is a fun book, and this art team underlines that fact with art that's stylish, exciting and colorful. Paolo and Joe take visual cues and storytelling to the next amazing level, while Javier Rodriguez splashes on some color that's appropriately superheroic. Take a seat, grimdark, and let the bright shine through this time!

Daredevil #3 a well-rounded comic where everything works. These are the kind of comics you show people who haven't seen comics before to read, digest and love, and you can quote me on that. This one is a 5 out of 5.

If ever there's a plan for an Uncanny X-Force movie, I ain't watching it if Rick Remender ain't writing it.

Case in point: Uncanny X-Force #15, part 5 of Remender's Dark Angel Saga. Our heroes are left broken and battered by Archangel, with Fantomex, Deadpool and Deathlok (that's a lot of deaths) regroup ingto find a way to finish this fracas once and for all. But what can a mutant Frenchman, an undead cyborg and a merc-with-a-mouth do against the new Apocalypse and his powerful Horsemen?

A lot, apparently.

I've been enjoying the heck out of this series, and Remender hasn't stirred me wrong yet. The Dark Angel Saga reads like a blockbuster action movie, filled with intense firefights, superhuman drama and a little bit of comic book craziness that's missing in a lot of comic books right now. Using The World to force-evolve the Earth and start mutantkind from scratch? Only in Uncanny X-Force!

Remender is having fun with this book, even more so with this arc. There are a lot of surprise reveals, including one involving the Celestials that blow away every preconceived notion you have of Apocalypse. It's that kind of out-of-the-box storytelling that I love, and who better to make those wild ideas work than Jerome Opeña on art. He's been drawing the hell out of this book, and he can keep up with Remender's frenetic ideas. I don't say this lightly, but this book has to be seen to be believed.

Uncanny X-Force #15 is building to a climax I can't wait to see, and that's how good comic book stories go. This is a 5 out of 5.

Wow! This is probably the best comic book week this year! So what did YOU get this week? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

Planet X Trinoma Relocation Sale!

2011-09-14T14:07:00.000+08:00

This is the sale to end all sales...Planet X Trinoma is having a Relocation Sale from September 12 to 30, 2011!

Don't worry, they're not leaving yet. They're moving to a smaller yet still awesome kiosk in the same mall this October 1. Because of it, they're unloading a ton of their stuff on us geeks to ease on the moving!

Grab new comics, TPBs, hardcovers and manga at 35% off, or buy 5 pieces or more to cut that discount down to 40%!

Want action figures, statues and other collectibles? Get 'em for 25% off!

I'm dropping by one of these days for my personal favorite: back-issues all for P50 per issue! Score! So if you're ever around the Trinoma Mall this September, drop by Planet X Comics on the 2nd floor and buy some comics! I know I will!

Hot Babes and Dinosaurs!

2011-09-09T13:00:00.002+08:00

What is it with dinosaurs and hot women in comic books? We'll never know, but one thing's for sure...they look good together, as evidenced by these comic book covers!

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs #6. Cover by Mark Schultz (Epic Comics, 1990)

Cavewoman: Jungle Jam #1. Cover by Paul Renaud (Amryl Entertainment, 2006)

Eerie #97. Cover by Val Mayerik (Warren, 1966)

Jungle Girl #2. Cover by Adriano Batista (Dynamite, 2007)

Wonder Woman #97. Cover by Irwin Hasen (DC Comics, 1942)

Dino Island #1. Cover by Jim Lawson (Mirage Publishing, 1993)

Dinosaur Rex #3. Cover by Henry Mayo (Upshot, 1987)

Jungle Girls #14. Cover by Rik Levins (AC Comics, 1993)

Mystic #32. Cover by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan (CrossGen, 2000)

Shanna the She-Devil: Survival of the Fittest #3. Cover by Khari Evans and Jimmy Palmiotti (Marvel, 2007)

Thanks to ComicBrowser.com and the Grand Comics Database!

My Week in Comics: Action Comics #1

2011-09-09T11:06:00.000+08:00

It's a weird, weird time to be able to say you own a copy of Action Comics #1. But it's true. Thanks to the big DC reboot, the legendary comic book is given a brand new first issue for a new generation of readers, courtesy of Grant Morrison and Rags Morales.

Action Comics #1 perfectly captures the 'forget everything you know' thrust of the DCnU. This isn't the Superman you grew up with, not by a long shot. Here he's basically a super-powered vigilante, more proactive, a little bit cocky, and not afraid to stick it to The Man and teach the greedy and corrupt a lesson. A Superman that battles social ills instead of costumed bruisers? It's more likely now, more than ever, in this scary new world. Of course, this story being set in Superman's newbie years, the cockiness could be excused, and it's interesting where Morrison takes it from here.

The big draw here for me is the DCnU Lex Luthor. Here he's more of the subtle evil genius, laid back and sipping soda while watching his devious plans to help the military capture Superman bear fruit. When Luthor thinks big, he really thinks big, and when you see what he does to Superman here, it's a crowning moment of awesome for him akin to walking away from an exploding warehouse without flinching. Nice and awesome!

Since the ho-hum-fest that was Justice League #1, you immediately notice how action-packed Action Comics #1 is, and it's made even more apparent through Rags Morales' amazing art. Every move Superman makes has the appropriate oomph of a man destined to be the world's most powerful hero. You feel his strength, his speed, his abilities in every page. It's fast-paced and fun, and now Morales is an artist to watch for me.

Action Comics #1 is old-fashioned, comic book fun for the new generation. It's an exciting debut for DC's greatest superhero, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Don't worry, dudes. We still have the original Action Comics #1. Let the new kids have theirs. This is a 4 out of 5.

Top 5 Dinosaur-themed Toys

2011-09-08T17:26:00.001+08:00

We've all had our share of toys when we were kids, but there comes a time in your young life when you know the usual toys just won't do. And so in celebration of Dinosaur Week, I'm taking this opportunity to list down the top dino-themed toys!

Prepare for your faces to be rocked clean away by the coolest, the largest, the most expensive and the most mind-blowingly good dinosaur toys of our time! Get ready! I'm rating them now so you won't have to!

5. Jurassic Park

It's a movie about dinosaurs...it would be crazy not to make a toyline based on it! Jurassic Park spawned a series of realistic-looking (if not realistically-colored) dinosaur toys of all shapes and sizes, along with hapless human figures to serve as their meals. You wouldn't buy a Dr. Grant figure just for show, right?

The dinosaurs were realistically sculpted, often had soft skin to mimic 'dinosaur' skin (awesome!), and the big dinos were huge. Huge. The Bull T-Rex alone was like 2 feet long, and it can "eat" smaller figures and actually swallow them! Wicked!

4. Bone Age

I loved looking at old Kenner catalogs when I was a kid just to see one of my childhood holy grails: Bone Age, the toyline that was dinosaur and construction kit in one. The awesomeness of cavemen riding animated dinosaur skeletons were not lost to me, nor was the fact that these skeletons can be reassembled to form anachronistic planes, helicopters and missile launchers. They don't make toys like this anymore, I tell you what!

Why this toyline wasn't as popular as it should have been is weird, but the image of a T-Rex skeleton turning into a battle fortress will be etched into my mind forever.

3. Dinobots

The Transformers were responsible for a lot of things, not the least of which is introducing us to powerful dinosaurs that transformed into robots! Grimlock,Slag, Swoop, Sludge and Snarl made up the Dinobots, and their figures were some of the most iconic of the Transformers toyline. Who wouldn't find a dinosaur that turns into a giant robot with a sword cool? Sure they were basically bricks, but 25-plus years later, they still hold special places in TF fans' hearts.

2. Zoids

Zoids is a popular Japanese franchise centered around robotic-looking model kits of fantastic creatures, notably dinosaurs. The modern model kits were great, but some of the earlier releases were some of the most awesome pieces of engineering you've ever seen, with complicated designs and assembly and featured motorized walking actions.

Some of the best Zoids were also the biggest, with figures like the Seismosaurus being almost three feet in length, and King Gojulas absolutely towering over the rest of the toyline with ease. Got one of these as a kid? Consider yourself king or queen of the street. For reals.

1. Dino-Riders

Ahh, Dino-Riders. The toyline that not just tickled the minds of an entire generation of future dino-addicts, it set the bar to heights no other dinosaur-themed toyline can hope to reach, ever. If your mom bought you the T-Rex, she loved you. If she bought you the Brontosaurus, she really loved you. If she didn't buy you any Dino-Riders...you're doing something wrong!

Tyco tapped into a goldmine of ideas with the Dino-Riders, warring races using the awesome power of dinosaurs to wage war on each other. It's got everything: sculpts so good it's Smithsonian-approved, fun action features like motorized walking, and a wide selection of dinosaurs to choose from. Even now the image of dinosaurs strapped with laser guns and missiles still explodes people's minds all over the planet, and we owe it all to this sweet, sweet toyline. Harness the Power of Dinosaurs, indeed!

And there you have it, the top dinosaur toys as ranked by yours truly! Man, I miss my Dino-Riders toys...anyway, if you've got comments, suggestions, or just plain want to freak out with me on how awesome toys were back then, leave me a comment and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

Best and Worst Dinosaur Cartoons of the '90s

2011-09-07T11:25:00.000+08:00

It paid to be a dinosaur in the 1990s.

For some reason, the '90s had more dinosaurs on-air than any era before it. '90s kids consumed a consistent diet of dinosaurs, lasers and explosions every morning...how cool is that? That stuff's freakin' addictive, and you can bet that as a kid I was glued to my seat whenever my favorite dino-shows were on.

And so, in celebration of Dinosaur Week, I went back in time to revisit the cartoon dinosaurs that defined the extreme '90s! From the anthropomorphic to the annoying, from the Cadillac-driving to the cutesy, we're ranking the best and worst dinosaur-themed cartoons of the '90s!

EXTREME DINOSAURS

With a name like that, it could only come from one point in time: the '90s. Anything "extreme" was in vogue in those days, and in 1996 Mattel decided to cash in on the trend with a series of toys featuring 'roided-up dinosaurs doing, well, extreme things. And so the Extreme Dinosaurs was born. And where a '90s toyline was, a TV show wasn't far behind, and thus we were treated to more or less the equivalent of one of my 10-year-old self's fever dreams.

With names like T-Bone, Stegz and the prolific Spike, the Extreme Dinosaurs were deliciously '90s, and they fought what were basically chiseled velociraptors with retainers in their mouths amidst wanton destruction and explosions. If Michael Bay made cartoons in the '90s, this would have been his magnum opus.

Rating:

DINK, THE LITTLE DINOSAUR

This is as kiddy as a dinosaur can get. Dink aired in the very early '90s and was basically the poor kids' The Land Before Time. It was pretty cute in a way, and it gets points for having the legendary Frank Welker as part of its cast of voice actors, but it was too cutesy for its own good. It does get a pass though for having Dink be such a bad enough dude to be considered an enemy by a goddamn Tyrannosaurus.

Rating:

CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs spun off from the comic book of the same name by Mark Schultz. The animation was gorgeous for its time, and the image of driving around in a Cadillac in the 26th century among dinosaurs probably exploded a lot of little kids' minds back in the early '90s.

I feel sorry for not catching this on TV when it was on, but from what I've seen, it looks and sounds awesome. If I ever saw Hannah Dundee on TV when I was a kid, it would have been an awkward phase of puberty for me.

Rating:

DINOSAUCERS

Now we're getting to the good stuff. Dinosaucers was a cartoon series in the late '80s that featured anthropomorphic dinosaurs from outer space that battled it out ala The Transformers. The noble Dinosaucers fought the evil Tyrannos using fists, claws and rayguns, and they even had ~~meat shields~~ human allies called Secret Scouts who were basically useless in a war between giant anthropomorphic dinosaurs.

It was a winning formula (it certainly was for me) and Dinosaucers became a favorite of mine as a kid because of it. My favorite part has got to be when they shed their human-like ways with a push of a button, "dinovolving" into their true dinosaur forms to basically curbstomp the poor Tyrannos, who were taking a page from the Stegosaurus' playbook by owning brains the size of walnuts. It was crazy, stupid, and very '80s fun. Also, dat opening theme.

Rating:

DENVER, THE LAST DINOSAUR

Ugh. Denver, the Last Dinosaur was the bane of my childhood existence, for reasons I cannot fathom but nonetheless burn deep inside my heart like an all-consuming flame. Denver tried too hard to be 'hip' and 'cool' and 'cute', and his human friends were annoying. It had promise, certainly, and it was 'dino' in its own way, but when your sworn enemy is an evil concert promoter (certainly the most evil of promoters!), there will come a time when you gotta ask yourself if you can stomach 50 episodes of that. Avoided the failing grade due to his pretty catchy theme song that you just can't get out of your head decades later.

Rating:

DINO-RIDERS

Human history has seen its share of great inventions: the light bulb, the printing press, the automobile, and humans riding dinosaurs strapped with laser guns and missiles. Dino-Riders was the be-all and end-all of all dinosaur cartoons back in the day for this geek, and even though it was primarily a vehicle to sell Tyco toys, it made its mark by how crazy awesome the concept of Dino-Riders are.

Dinosaurs get a choice of either being befriended by the peaceful Valorians or mind-jacked by the evil Rulons. After that, they're outfitted with mounted laser cannons, trapping nets and other weapons. Only then will they get to dance the dance of steel and flesh against other dinosaurs in a war of survival. It's probably a rite of passage for children to see a giant T-Rex turned into a mobile attack platform armed to the teeth with missiles and laser guns. And if it's not, it should be. Because that's just freakin' awesome, man.

Rating:

Man, it really was a pretty awesome time to be a kid in the '90s! Agree with my ratings? Think I forgot a show? Leave me a comment and let's talk about it! I hope you're enjoying Dinosaur Week! Thanks for reading!

The Best Dinosaur Game EVER

2011-09-07T10:55:00.001+08:00

In the spirit of Dinosaur Week, I'd like to take this opportunity to share this delightful. dino-themed Flash game with you. It's fun, it's biting social commentary, and it's called Robot Dinosaurs That Shoot Beams When They Roar.

If that image doesn't speak to you on some spiritual level, you're doing Dinosaur Week wrong. It's got alien dinosaurs in jetpacks that spew lasers when they roar! You know you wanna play it!

Five Things About Life I Learned from Jurassic Park

2011-09-06T12:16:00.005+08:00

Imagine me as a kid, sitting in one of the top right rows of this dark cinema, craning my neck to get a better view of the action on screen. It was raining in that scene, and the little people in their little jeeps were looking around like idiots. And then, outta nowhere came this gigantic monster, its bloodcurdling roar pierced the air and my ears. It bared its teeth. It looked at the trapped little people in their little jeeps. Dinner was served.

It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the movie was Jurassic Park, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.

I'll never know when I got bit by the dinosaur bug, but it was Jurassic Park that ignited that spark that turns me into a blithering blogger when faced with pictures of tyrannosaurs. I watched the darn thing more than 20 times, my prized VHS copy rewound almost raw, and would drool at the site of its toys at the mall. But it wasn't just fascination that I got from that movie...I also learned a couple of things about life that you may not learn without having faced an angry T-Rex.

Be careful what you wish for.

John Hammond must have been such a kid at heart to think about buying an entire island, loading it with amusement park rides and tampering with Mother Nature just to be able to say he owns a theme park with dinosaurs. But thanks to him, I now know you don't always need what you want. An island full of giant dinosaurs may sound awesome, but don't be surprised when you get exactly what you wanted.

Cardio. Cardio. Cardio.

I was a pretty skinny kid, and I couldn't do pull ups (even with help) to save my life. But seeing Dr. Grant and the two kids basically go through the workout of their lives running from velociraptors or climbing down trees to avoid being run over by a jeep made me realize how important it was to stay fit. Now I go jogging with officemates twice a week, with the thought of a 'raptor chasing me giving me that extra edge to keep me going.

Don't imitate...innovate!

Innovation is the spice of life, and Jurassic Park taught me that it's fun to do something new and exciting. Who knows? It might save your life! Dr. Grant using those signal flares to distract the T-Rex somewhere else? Fun! Ian Malcolm just doing the very same thing but luring the T-Rex to him instead? Not fun. It was an innovative way to almost get yourself killed, I'll give him that.

Don't sweat the small stuff...the big stuff will sweat them for you.

I always sweat the small stuff...until Jurassic Park made me realize that I'm not doing anyone any favors by doing so. The little problems often require the little solutions...or as those velociraptors trapping Dr. Grant and co. during the movie's climax proved, the big ones. Never thought an opportunity would come when I could shout "T-Rex to the rescue!"

Dinosaurs are awesome!

All I can say is, I learned that living in a world that once had things like T-Rexes and Brontosauruses walking the Earth is freaking awesome.

Jurassic Park is the gift that keeps on giving! These are just some of the lessons I've learned from watching this groundbreaking movie, and I hope you find more to learn! Thanks for reading!

It's DINOSAUR WEEK!

2011-09-05T12:38:00.006+08:00

They're huge, they've got talons, spikes and sharp teeth, and they eat each other raw. They're dinosaurs, and they're the most awesome animals that have ever walked this earth.

It's no wonder then that, together with my insane, borderline obsession with these great lizards, I now dedicate a whole week to these majestic killing machines. It's DINOSAUR WEEK here at Behold the Geek! Get excited!

Check back here for updates on the most dino-rrific week of all time. OF ALL TIME!

Five Things About Life I Learned from Jurassic Park

The Best Dinosaur Game EVER

Best and Worst Dinosaur Cartoons of the '90s

Top 5 Dinosaur-Themed Toys

Hot Babes and Dinosaurs

And so we've come to the end of Dinosaur Week! I don't think I'll see another showcase of dinosaur awesomeness this epic, but like these legendary reptiles, all good things must come to an end. Thanks for hanging out at Behold the Geek! all week for epicness of dinosaurian proportions. Till the next theme week....thanks for reading!

Crowning Loki of Heartwarming Monday

2011-09-05T09:44:00.002+08:00

Because sometimes, just sometimes, Loki can be a pretty cool guy.

Featured is Tom Hiddleston as Loki with a small child during a New York shoot of the upcoming Avengers movie. Source unknown. Lucky kid :(

It begins...

2011-09-01T12:25:00.002+08:00

Oh man oh man oh man oh gosh!

This is it! We're counting down to the whopping seventh anniversary of this little blog!

What does that mean for you, dear readers? From here to October 16, prepare to be struck week in and week out by a cornucopia of comics and awesomeness! Theme weeks! Guest posts! Thrills! Chills! Spills! All in the might Behold the Geek! manner!

Are you ready? See you next week week as we kick off our month and a half long countdown to Seven Years of Comics and Awesome!

My Week in Comics: Uncanny X-Force #13

2011-08-26T15:00:00.000+08:00

Imagine losing the daughter you never had, finding the deceased love of your life alive, and finding out you became a genetic despot in an alternate universe. It's enough to make anyone go...berserk.

Yeah, Wolverine doesn't really have it easy, and Uncanny X-Force #13 offers no reprieve.

Rick Remender is on a roll here. Juggling an ensemble cast of crazy characters while letting everyone have at least one badass moment, on top of telling the vicious climax to The Dark Angel Saga...lesser writers would have folded on the first order of business. Lots of great character work here, especially Wolvie and Jean Grey. The longing in Wolvie's voice for the redhead is palpable and heartbreaking, while Jean is torn between love for her husband-turned-Apocalypse and her duty to stop him. It makes for some interesting drama, one I never thought I'd see in a comic filled with dudes disemboweling other dudes. Don't worry, it's balanced by a heaping serving of violence and Fantomex and AoA Gambit being dicks to each other. ("Your French accent, it's fake, oui?" "Still more dignified than your mutt Creole, yes?") Awesome.

More awesome is Mark Brooks, together with Scott Eaton, on art. I've always loved Brooks, and his work on this issue is his best yet. It's crisp and clean, he's got the sequential storytelling chops, and he draws mean action scenes. Helping him out in a couple of pages is Scott Eaton, who matches Brooks' excitement and storytelling (without aping the dude's art style) well. It's a two-fisted helping of art that just works for a book like this.

In the end, Remender teases us with the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers, and you'll be hard-pressed to not be afraid for these poor X-People when the next issue rolls around. Uncanny X-Force is filled to the brim with action, drama, short and sweet character moments and awesome art. Comics don't get any better than this. This gets a 4 out of 5.

BONUS CONTENT! Can't get enough of The Geek's reviews? Then head on over to The Outhousers, where I reviewed Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1, the opening salvo to the explosive Ultimate Comics relaunch!

Good comics all around! See you next week when I tackle the big DCnU reboot! Thanks for reading!

Super Underpants, RIP

2011-08-25T12:23:00.002+08:00

The writing's on the wall. The DCnU reboot. The leaked photos from Zack Snyder's The Man of Steel movie. They all make manifest the one thing we all fear: that Superman's wearing-briefs-on-the-outside days are over.

Yes, friends, Superman's iconic red trunks have been removed from history. That they decided to underline that fact in Superman's upcoming movie, which is sure to ingrain that image in the minds of pop culturedom forever, is the final nail on the coffin.

Truly a grim day...nay, a grim lifetime for all of us. My future child will never get to run around with a cape and his briefs on the outside while whooshing all over the house, because that's not how Superman looks like anymore. I just hope that whoever decided against keeping Superman's crimson underpants didn't think that he's doing the world a favor. You have doomed children's dreams, sir!

Join me in going 'half-mast' in memory of this devastating event. Let the world know that once upon a time, Superman did not go commando!*

*Okay, so my reaction isn't really as drastic as this one. Henry Cavill looks great in those set photos. Now to wait and see how they'll avoid making him look too much like a certain superpowered Muppet...

Anatomy of a New Comic Book Reader

2011-08-24T13:43:00.002+08:00

They're the reason for all the shake-ups, the retcons, the renumberings, the deaths and the gimmicks. They mean sleepless nights for anyone working in the comic book industry. They're both a mystery and damn open book. They're new readers, and their story is legend.

The term "New Reader" has been bandied around for a good part of 2011, even more so with the DCnU reboot looming just over the horizon. Comic book companies are aggressively seeking out these new readers to bring some new blood into the hobby. But what makes them tick? What exactly are these people made of? Let me attempt to list down what I think the anatomy of a new reader is.

The New Reader...

...likes pop culture

His Holiness the Pope is a pretty cool guy. He’s also the last person you would think would want to read Batman or the Ultimates, or any form of comic book for that matter (correct me if I’m wrong, just giving an exaggerated example). With comics these days only being sold in comic shops and specialty bookstores, and the stories becoming increasingly complex, it takes a special kind of person to have the guts to walk in a comic shop and, despite being a total newbie, ask for a comic book.

That’s why the new reader must be someone with their finger on the pop culture pulse. They’re ‘in’, they like movies, they play video games, and comics are just within their radar to get these guys to actually notice them and take a look. It helps that we've got the recent slew of comic book superhero films these past few months alone...now no one has any excuse to say they don't know one superhero!

...likes reading

Reading is fun! Who doesn’t like reading? Okay, so there are some people who don’t, and that’s the point. Comic books are a storytelling medium, one that relies on an ongoing narrative that practically demands your attention. Add the fact that some comics have been telling ongoing adventures for the past 50 or so years and you get the same reaction one has when trying to get to the other side of an enormous, bottomless chasm using a flimsy rope bridge. Comic books need new readers who like reading, don’t care where they start, and would keep reading.

...is smart

One of the biggest mistakes companies like Marvel and DC make is thinking they could snare new readers with cheap gimmicks, shocking storylines and the like. The new reader of today, faced with all sorts of options for their personal entertainment (movies, video games, TV), isn’t going to fall for your silly tricks. The new reader knows what they want and how to get it, and if they find something to like about comic books, trust them to keep buying.

...has money to burn

I don’t need to tell you money’s tight, but I’ll tell you anyway. Money’s tight. But for a comic book fan, money’s no object when it comes to their favorite titles. I mean, I’m willing to spend just as much money on The Flash as I did SuicideGirls and 15 Love. At this point, I'm convinced longtime comic book fans like me are the only ones who can stomach paying $3-$4 on a 20 page pamphlet every month! That’s why it’s important for a new reader to have the funds necessary to buy trades or read comic books month in and month out

All these ingredients make up the ideal comic book reader. They're pretty basic points, but as comic book companies scramble to connect with the increasingly complex market called new readers, I think it's the basic that gets overlooked often.

But there's a bonus part to this anatomy, one that I think is an essential part of being a new reader that most companies tend to ignore.

The new reader is YOUNG

You don't just read comics. Comic books become a part of your life. And there's no better time to instill that idea than when a potential new reader is young. When a kid gets used to comic books at an early age, no matter if they move on to video games or girls or studying hard, the seed for a potential new reader is planted.

Some of comic books' biggest fans started out as kids. George R. R. Martin owe his reading habits to comics. Jim Shooter was into comics at a young age, and worked in the industry at 13 years old! I was a kid when I read my first comic book (good ol' Wolverine #89) and I never looked back. Guys like Marvel or DC don't realize how important Marvel Adventures or Tiny Titans or simply toning down the immature content of existing books is to getting one step closer to getting new readers on board!

Get 'em while they're young, and it's all a matter of reaping the fruits later.

*****

Looking at the list of DC Comics' 52 titles coming out in the next few weeks, do they pass the criteria I set above? Those into pop culture would definitely recognize Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. DC more or less promised the return of done-in-ones, so those who like reading will get a kick out of reading new adventures every month. The smart ones will research their ideal first comic (psst, Justice League looks nice). And when all is said and done, you can be sure people will find something in there worth plunking down dough for.

But what about my bonus criteria? Will the young ones get to enjoy these as much as we (might) will?

Only time will tell.

But hey, congratulations for getting this far, and thanks for reading!

Hot Toys Cutie Monday

2011-08-22T09:44:00.002+08:00

This is Yulli. She's down-to-earth. She's insanely pretty. She's also sculptor of the year, all years.

Ms. Yulli here works as lead sculptor for Hot Toys, the Hong Kong-based company that makes amazing 1/6th scale collectible figures based on popular movies and pop culture. She's responsible for the awesome and eerily life-like likenesses for the figures of Jack Sparrow and Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight.

Yes, she can sculpt better than you. And yes, you wouldn't want it any other way.

So to all aspiring sculptors out there, if you wanna get with someone like Yulli, you better step up your game! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to work on my nonexistent sculpting skills...

My Week in Comics: August 19, 2011

2011-08-19T10:57:00.000+08:00

Not-so-happy endings and new beginnings were in store for me in my comics list this week. What did I get myself into? Read on and find out!

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Zatanna #16 is by no means a bad issue. In fact, it's a sort of tongue-in-cheek send-off for our hero, as Adam Beechen gives us a tired and weary Zatanna wanting nothing more than to get some beauty sleep before her big show in D.C. without some pesky visitor from Limbo Town wanting to learn how to rule the multiverse.

Knowing that this is the last issue of Zatanna before the big DC reboot, Beechen does his best to at least subtly acknowledge the reboot and wave goodbye to the audience before closing up shop himself. The last page even ends with Zatanna in a bikini drawn with love by Victor Ibañez (the issue's artist), telling "D.C. (get it?) ticketholders" to "live with it" as she takes a well-deserved break. Sly, but good.

You can catch Zatanna rubbing elbows with other magic folks when Justice League Dark #1 drops on September 28. Until then, this gets a 2.5 out of 5.

And so we've come to Daredevil #2. If you though the first issue was simply a flash in the pan for Mark Waid, let this ish school you. Hard.

Seriously, this is Waid schooling everybody else on how to write a superhero comic book. You've got a tightly packed, compelling story in Daredevil's search for clues to his former client's inability to find anyone to defend him in court. Waid writes with a confidence I don't see too often in comics, and he packs in as much narrative in this book, even going so far as to building on what came before, making this slim pamphlet read like a crime novel starring a blind dude who can kick your ass with a billy club. A comic that's actually worth the $2.99? You're looking at it.

Speaking of looking, the book also has awesome visuals courtesy of Paolo and Joe Rivera. It's been a while since anybody has actually shown Daredevil's unique view of the world, and the Riveras' creativity shines through in every panel. I especially like Javier Rodriguez's colors. It's bright and fun, just like a superhero comic should. Couple that with an exciting and unusual revelation at the end and a cameo by Captain America that ends with DD and Cap fighting and you've got yourself a recipe for what arguably is a well-done comic book.

If you're a fan of superheroes, do yourself a favor and follow Daredevil's adventures. You will not regret it. A solid 5 out of 5.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but Marvel's on a roll with ol' Hornhead here! I'll be missing Zee, though. Will you miss her too? And what did you think of this week's comics? Leave me a comment and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

Webcomics I Love: Cat Versus Human

2011-08-17T13:32:00.001+08:00

I'm missing my sweetie so much these days, what with her on the other side of the globe and all. And so, I dedicate this Wednesday to her by featuring another cat-themed webcomic! Feast your eyes on Cat versus Human (http://catversushuman.blogspot.com)!

Cat versus Human is the brainchild of one Yasmine Surovec, she of the sexy hair and the penchant for making cute comics about cats. Cat versus Human relates her day to day observations about her own cats and the feline species in general, but we all know it's just an excuse to draw cats doing cute, silly and absurd things. But what an excuse it is!

It's funny, oftentimes sweet, and Yasmine's drawings have that style that I love. A complete package of cat drawing goodness! So what are you waiting for? Visit Cat versus Human now!

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes

2011-08-16T11:51:00.001+08:00

Who said spirituality and superheroes don't mix?

I did, at least, before I chanced upon The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes during one of my book runs a couple of days ago. I'm a comic geek and even I knew the author's name emblazoned on the front cover. Deepak Chopra? The New Age guru, talking about superheroes? What sorcery is this?

Believe me, it's really not that far-fetched. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes sees Deepak Chopra and his son Gotham (of Liquid Comics fame) shed light on unlocking our potential using the example guys like me are familiar with, namely superheroes! Superman? Batman? Daredevil? Iron Man? They're masters of spiritual gifts that you can actually harness!

It's terribly interesting, if only to see Deepak Chopra and Batman in the same sentence. Superheroes have gone a long way to even be talked about this way, and it's fun to see someone like Chopra namedropping Iron Man and Dr. Strange while talking about finding your inner superhero through the seven spiritual laws that superheroes apparently follow: Balance, Transformation, Power, Love, Creativity, Intention and Transcendence. With son Gotham supplying the superheroes and dad Deepak supplying the insight, you get a book that tackles spirituality and philosophy through the world of comic books and the heroes who inhabit them.

Sounds deep? It sorta kinda is. Let's just say this isn't the book you reach for when you want some light reading about supers. Chopra delves into some pretty heavy stuff here. Each spiritual law, each chapter gets deeper and more complex until the last few pages of the book becomes a mind-blowing, oftentimes rambling, stare-into-the-secrets-of-the-universe epiphany of the Self that might scare off laymen. It's a good thing that Chopra takes the time to list down exercises called "Activate Your Superhero Brain", practical tips on how to live these laws in your own life, which include basic meditation and simply welcoming every day as a new day , which is pretty cool.

I love how it warrants multiple read-throughs to absorb it all. Chopra is insightful without being heavy-handed, and he handles superheroes with the same respect he gives Buddha and God without sounding like a poser. There are some times when Chopra's superhero naivete shows through (like calling Bullseye a 'superhero' and mis-attributing a quote by him to someone else), but that's just the comic book geek in me nitpicking. The book is worth the look, regardless.

Did anyone else pick this up? If you're a fan of superheroes, what did you think of it? If you've never touched a superhero comic in your life, did you relate or learn anything from it?

My Week in Comics: August 12, 2011

2011-08-12T10:53:00.002+08:00

It's superhero comic book events galore in My Week in Comics! With two of the biggest event books in comicdom coming out this week, this is gonna be a doozy! But I digress. It's time for the most verbose comic book reviews around! So what did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

It's unfortunate that Fear Itself is a victim of comic fans' cynicism. But can you blame us? Event after event, year after year, amounting only to so much supervillain posturing and superheroes standing around just to facilitate the change in status quo. And it's unfortunate that Fear Itself #5 is more of the same. The Serpent posturing, calling our heroes 'children', the heroes basically barging in fists-first without thinking...

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate thinking this way. Comics are supposed to be simple but fun entertainment! But I just can't say that I was entertained by this book. It's obvious that Matt Fraction is channeling something, the bombast and verve of superheroes of yesteryear. There are slivers of over-the-top superhero comics in here, and its a refreshing change from the dull and grim events before it. But it all falls flat, coming across instead as overcompensating to hide a paper-thin plot.

At least the action sequences are appropriately badass (it's been a while since I saw Thor whip out his God of Thunder card), and a curiously convenient but interesting plot point pops up that could be useful down the road, if only Fraction takes the time to write our heroes actually thinking first before trying to punch an Asgardian god in the face. It's like these people haven't read The Infinity Gauntlet before, much less take part in it! Stuart Immonen's fight scenes are epic, though. That puts the issue a bit ahead. Unfortunately, it's a little bit too late. I'm out. I'll have to look to spoilers to find out what happens next. Dropping this book while I still can, and giving this a 2 out of 5.

The last issue of Artifacts ended with Jackie Estacado mackin' on Sara Pezzini while the big bad Survivor succeeds in collecting the majority of the Artifacts! It might not look bad for our heroes yet in Artifacts #9, as the Thirteenth Artifact has been found, and Jackie and Sara...have sex?

Wow. That floored me. It's been a while since I saw a sex scene in comics (not that I'm looking hard for it, mind you) and Artifacts #9 just gave everyone a heaping double page spread (hee!) of it. I'm sure it's a useful plot point down the road, but it just seemed weird. But hey, who am I to question Ron Marz's plans?

If there's one thing going for it, it's that this ish finally sheds light on the Survivor's mysterious past. It gave the Big Bad of this event some much needed depth. Now I know why he does what he does, and I'm excited to know if our heroes will survive the experience. But judging from the state our bound and gagged heroes are in, especially now that the Survivor has gotten almost all the Artifacts, it's gonna be a tough road ahead. Pretty straightforward storytelling, which is cool.

Jeremy Haun's art is a refreshing change of pace from Whilce Portacio's frenetic pencils, but like the previous issues, poor sequential storytelling spoils everything. Aside from the PG-13 sex scene, everything else lacked the oomph of excitement or the clarity needed to sell the drama of Marz's words. It's all plain, and plain isn't what you pay $3.99 for.

At the very least, Artifacts is doing something exciting for the Image universe. Three more issues to go! This one is a 3 out of 5.

Not that good of a week, but man if that Thor-Hulk fight right there didn't give me goosebumps. So what do you think of events? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it. Thanks for reading!

Top 5 Most Badass Autobot Names

2011-08-11T15:50:00.002+08:00

Welcome to our two-part celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie! We've taken a look at the top 5 most badass Decepticon names (which wasn't a walk in the park, I assure you!). Now let's count down the top 5 most badass names in the ranks of the heroic Autobots! We count them down so you won't have to!

5. Ironhide

Our top 5 most badass Autobot name is a familiar one, belonging to one of the iconic and badass Transformers out there. Ironhide is the gruff weapons specialist for the Autobots. He's built for war, and he's got the scars to prove it. The dude just sounds invincible (just don't tell movieverse Ironhide that), and is practically the robotic equivalent of R. Lee Ermey. Can you expect anything else from a robot named Ironhide?

4. Boss

Look at that name. There's no getting around it. It's that badass. Even the simple act of introducing himself sounds like a declaration of awesomeness."Hello. I'm Boss." Aww yeah.

Boss is the subcommander of the Turbomasters, Autobot cars whose engines transform into powerful weapons. Even his car mode (a futuristic Batmobile car) is boss, and his toy's weapon can shoot missiles like a boss. I should know. I almost took my sister's eye out with it when we were kids. Now that's boss!

3. Grindcore

Our third most badass Autobot name belongs to a 'bot who was flashing devil signs the day he was born. The name Grindcore evokes the image of ears bleeding over distorted guitar riffs and blast beats, and the Autobot named after it rocks just as hard. The Autobot known as Grindcore first appeared in the comic book adaptation of the first live-action Transformers movie, and even got a badass toy out of the deal. But even a heavy metal name like Grindcore pales in comparison to...

2. Grimlock

The worst thing a Decepticon can do on this earth is to call a giant robot that turns into a metal T-rex named Grimlock "stupid". And our second most badass Autobot name agrees. Grimlock is the leader of the heroic Dinobots, who are basically robot dinosaurs, which are basically the best things ever. Grimlock may be a little slow on the uptake, and would just as quickly stomp on his fellow Autobots as well as Decepticons, but you can't deny the appeal of a child-like, hulking brute of a robot whose name reminds every Decepticon out there that there's an Autobot willing and able to tear them a new exhaust port.

1. Omega Supreme

The most badass name in the Autobot ranks is fittingly owned by one of the biggest to ever exist. Omega Supreme is built like a citybot and armed like a battleship, perfect for his role as the last line of defense for the Autobots. It's a name so badass, you could put it on anything and its badass quotient ups 500%. Call your beat-up Corolla Omega Supreme and watch yourself rule the road. You could name your child this and watch bullies squirm at the mere mention of his name. Win-win for the Autobot with the most badass name ever!

That's our top 5 Autobots with the most badass names. I hope you enjoyed our double-feature here on Top 5 Thursdays, and I hope you join Transfans all over the world in celebrating all things Transformers! Thanks for reading!

Top 5 Most Badass Decepticon Names

2011-08-11T12:26:00.001+08:00

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the premiere of The Transformers: The Movie, the movie that introduced us to Unicron, Galvatron, dead Optimus and rockin' Stan Bush! To celebrate this momentous occasion, I scoured the Ark's archives for the most badass Transformers codenames ever!

The Transformers, in its 25+ year history, has had its share of badass names. You could never really forget a name like Optimus Prime or Tryptichon, and so we celebrate the names of the Transformers who, when pressed for an introduction, need only to say their name once!And since it's like choosing your favorite children, I'm breaking down this countdown into two parts, one for the Autobots and one for the Decepticons.

So let's start with those dastardly Decepticons! Which names evoke the most badassitude? I ranked them now so you won't have to!

Oh, and you know what I learned from all this? Pretenders get the most badass names.

5. Octopunch

If you don't think this name is badass enough, I pity your lack of imagination. It's names like these that made Saturday afternoons worth living, as you imagine an evil robot that dresses up as a deep-sea diver from hell punching his enemies twice in the solar plexus, twice in the back of the head and four times in the face for good measure.

4. Skullgrin

Autobot nightmares almost always involve Skullgrin here, our top 4 most badass Decepticon name ever. There's no redeeming factor to a name like Skullgrin, nothing you can spin as cuddly or cute about it. The name is just straight-up scary. It doesn't help that his Pretender shell is basically the stuff you check your closets every night for: a demonic barbarian sporting a bleached white skull with devil horns for a head. That's okay, robots don't need sleep anyway.

3. Gutcruncher

Oh Gutcruncher, you so badass. With a name like that, your reputation certainly precedes you. I don't even know what a Gutcruncher is. Does he have abs? Is it a new exercise machine that blasts your abs and obliques? I bet this Decepticon doesn't care. He's a robot that drives his very own fighter jet.

A Transformer. Who drives a fighter jet. I love Transformers so much.

2. Hun-gurr

Whoever thought up of this name hopefully got a raise, a bonus, and a nice Boracay vacation for his whole family. There's no other name in the Decepticon ranks that evoke as much badass as Hun-gurrr here. I mean, he's both hungry AND angry! Two sins for the price of one! As a Terrorcon, he likes to nibble on Autobots while feasting on the spoils of the Great War, all while sitting pretty with a name any 80's kid would wish he was born with. But they might change their mind with our Top 1...

1. Bruticus

Bruticus claims the dubious title of most badass Decepticon name, for no better reason than the name is nothing short of brutal. He's the sum total of the Combaticon combiner team, and his name sounds like a sadistic Roman gladiator. He's one of the strongest Transformers ever, and Autobots pray to Primus that the Combaticons don't feel like combining during one of their daily skirmishes. A giant homicidal Transformer composed of army vehicles deserve a name like Bruticus, and certainly deserve the title of most badass Decepticon name ever!

And those are our top 5 badass Decepticon names. These evil robots may have gotten the short end of the goodness stick, but they more than made up for it with names only a sick and twisted Megatron would love!

Stay tuned for the part 2, with our top 5 badass Autobot names! Thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: August 5, 2011

2011-08-05T11:29:00.002+08:00

I love me some ladies, and it seems my week in comics agrees with me! So what did I get myself into this week? Step up, hunker down and start reading to find out!

X-23 #13 sees Laura going back to New York to search for clues to her past. Just in time, because a malevolent being is about to make The Big Apple's his deadly playground!

A sorta weird issue IMO, but maybe that's because the Future Foundation (formerly the Fantastic Four) makes a cameo in this ish. I always seem to break out into hives when those low-key books dip back into the main Marvel U. At least X-23 and Spidey's interaction is sorta kinda cute, but Marjorie Liu just used up her allotted pages to set up a new big bad for Laura to confront, and not much else. To be continued, indeed. At least Phil Noto's art is nice, and that's all I can say about that. This one's a 2.5 out of 5.

After falling out with her coach last issue, Mill Collins is swept off her feet by handsome coach/agent Cal. But is there something her new boy toy isn't telling her? And will Mill Collins ever prove she's got what it takes to be a tennis pro? 15 Love #3, which came out this week, has all the answers.

I just realized my buying of 15 Love amounted to very expensive curiosity. It's a story that's been on bank for years, which they decided to release as three double-sized issues instead of a graphic novel. The wait between months didn't hurt, at least Andi Watson made sure the drama was interesting enough to make you come back for more. I feel sorry for Mill here, surrounded by vested interests who didn't make a difference one iota on her training to be a better tennis player. It did show that Mill had the drive within her, and that she only had to believe in herself to let it all out.

Pretty inspiring stuff. The focus, though, was all over the place. I didn't have time to care about a plot point when a new one crops up in its place. It just feels a bit rushed. At least Tommy Ohtsuka did a great job making Austen's script exciting visually.

It was fun while it lasted. 15 Love may not be remembered for much, but if you're into tennis mixed with a little bit of high school drama, this is as good as it will get. This gets a 3 out of 5.

As far as fanservice is concerned, SuicideGirls #4 delivers. Just when you think it couldn't get any crazier, or naked-er, the final issue of this mini-series just lets it all out in one all-out rescue mission that lives up to their name!

What can I say? I love nicely drawn chicks kicking ass, and this book delivers on that aspect. Sure, the rest of the book doesn't make a lick of sense once you think about it too much...but then again, you're reading a comic that's got naked, pierced and tattooed girls engaging cyborgs and maniacal cult leaders in fisticuffs. Series writer Brea Grant rolled with the concept, and I appreciate her giving us at least a few surprises that might have made me go WTF, but got me glued to the page nonetheless.

Oh man, what am I saying? This is teetering towards the 'turn off your brain' category, a term I absolutely abhor with all of my heart! But look past that, and it's a satisfying finale to a pretty simple story, made more awesome by David Hahn on art. Every page is sexy, tongue-in-cheek and well-drawn. Best looking book this week.

It feels weird saying this, but this book was having fun. Crazy, beautifully drawn fun, but fun nonetheless. This is a neat and quick ending to a mini-series that defied expectations, just like the girls the book's named after. This is a 4 out of 5.

Another week saved by half-naked women with piercings! Agree? Disagree? Want to connect with the other guy who bought an issue of 15 Love? Leave me a comment and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

WTF Comic-Related Search Keyword of the Day

2011-08-04T15:57:00.001+08:00

So I was checking out my blog's stats in my Blogger dashboard when I saw in the Search Keywords section, mixed with the usual geek and thor movie hammer searches, the single search term "zatanna" "toilet" "paul dini".

I don't know what's more messed up, that I might have posted something in this blog that contains these altogether disparate elements.or the fact that someone searched for this and might have actually found what he was looking for. Zatanna...and a toilet?

I don't even want to know what those "suspicious quotation marks" are for.

Webcomics I Love: Tozo - The Public Servant

2011-08-03T12:18:00.000+08:00

Welcome to another installment of Webcomics I Love! This week, get ready to get lost in the world of Tozo, The Public Servant! (http://tozocomic.com/)

When Detective Inspector Tozo is asked to investigate the murder of an employee of the Financial Exchange, he has little idea that the trail will lead him into a shadowy and deadly world of political intrigue, smuggling and religious conspiracy.

I'm a sucker for detective stories, and Tozo's mystery's got me hooked. But Tozo isn't just a detective story. It's also the story of this amazing world where the past and future collide. It's a place where automatons (read: robots) walk the streets and steam-powered ships soar the skies, with a little bit of intrigue spliced in between. It's all terribly interesting, and the art has that Hergé flourish that fits the story so well.

So what are you waiting for? Start bookmarking Tozo now!

Captain America: The First Avenger Review

2011-07-28T13:24:00.001+08:00

*SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT*

Finally, the perfect Captain America movie is here.

And I don't use the word perfect lightly. For this comic fan, there is literally no better character study on what makes Steve Rogers the symbol he is today than Captain America: The First Avenger.

Let's take a look at why.

It all starts with Chris Evans. The guy absolutely owns the role of Captain America, so much so it brings tears to my eyes. This is Evans we're talking about here, the guy who played loveable douche-bags in Scott Pilgrim and Fantastic 4, surprising his haters by bringing some unexpected gravitas to a role as big as Steve Rogers. It's mind-blowing. At one point, Steve tries to enlist again after being denied a whopping five times, and he tells his friend Bucky, "There are men laying down their lives. I got no right to do any less than them." It's a simple line, but its the way Evans said it with such sincerity and nobility that sent shivers down my spine. He turned it into a defining moment, one of many throughout this movie, that showed Evans gets this character and fits him to a T.

The cast was great. No real stinkers or duds like previous Marvel films. Stanley Tucci was heartwarming-ly brilliant as Dr. Abraham Erskine, the inventor of the Super Soldier Serum and a momentary father figure to Steve Rogers. Hugo Weaving rocks as the Red Skull. Tommy Lee Jones was both hilarious and kickass. Even the Howling Commandos (at least, we comic fans know it's them) were equal parts funny and badass. I'm such a guy, of course, to highlight Hayley Atwell (bless her voluptuous heart) as special agent and Steve's love interest Peggy Carter. Her on-screen romance with Evans was one of the cutest I've seen in a Marvel film so far. I loved how old-school and natural it is. They don't make romance like they used to!

If anything takes away from the experience, it's how the entire movie rushes to the ending once Steve fully becomes Captain America, mighty shield and all. Most of Cap in action amounted to just cut scenes. And when the time came for the big showdown, the plot even goes as far as pointing out Red Skull's hideout out of the blue to get to the climax quicker. We don't really get to see Red Skull develop as a worthy nemesis for Captain America, save for a few parallels between them (both are products of the Super Soldier Serum), and the final showdown between Red Skull and Cap suffers because of it.

But then again, maybe that's not what the movie was going for. More than anything, Captain America: The First Avenger is an inspirational movie, filled with powerful moments that not only show Steve's rise to greatness as Captain America but also illustrates the attributes of what makes a good man.. If you don't openly weep during the final ten minutes of the movie, you are beyond saving.

A pitch perfect film no matter how you slice it. Captain America: The First Avenger is no less than the perfect superhero origin movie. You can quote me on that.

My Week in Comics: July 22, 2011

2011-07-22T14:57:00.000+08:00

Man, hiatuses are NOT fun. Good thing the comics keep coming so I have something to talk about here! So what did I get myself into this week in comics? Read on to find out!

The clock winds down for DC's Mistress of Magic. Come September, this little book goes the way of the dodo by way of the big DC reboot. Which is sad, since it looks like the Zatanna title is just biding its time, waiting for the ax to fall. That's not to say that Zatanna #15 is bad, though. It's a standard done in one by Derek Fridolfs filling in for Paul Dini (if ever Dini comes back at all) that sees Zatanna flexing not just her magical muscles, but her actual ones, as she's forced to fight for her life when evil-doers with machine guns come knocking her door!

It's a nice enough issue, showing us a Zatanna that's more than capable of handling her own even without her magic. She thinks on her feet, and isn't afraid to put a foot into someone's face if magic just doesn't cut it. It's an aspect of her I don't see very often, which makes this issue at least a little different. Jamal Igle is his usual best here, busting out a gorgeous Zatanna in the middle of great-looking and dynamic action scenes.

It's sad to think that there's no Zatanna ongoing in the grand scheme of the coming DCnU . It does raise questions as to why we keep buying DC's stuff when it will all be more or less history come September. Maybe I'm crazy like that. Regardless, without the shadow of DCnU hanging over it, Zatanna #15 is a good, action-packed done-in-one. This gets a 3.5 out of 5.

15 Love is a weird book. Not because of the content, but because its better suited as a manga than a 3-issue miniseries worth 250Php a pop. But I digress. Let's take a look at what it's about first.

15 Love #2 continues the drama from issue 1. Mill Collins is slowly shaping up to be a tennis prodigy, and it only took a slob of a coach to make it happen! But the climb to the top of the tennis world is paved with bitchy arch-enemies, handsome distractions and an unexpected gig as a model (Mill the Model...where have I heard of the before?) Will she be able to focus long enough to get out of last place?

I picked up 15 Love on a whim since it's so far out of Marvel's field, and I'm a sucker for manga. I enjoyed what I read, but I had this nagging feeling that I would have enjoyed it more if it was in manga form. 15 Love #2 gives me more of that feeling. Andi Watson tells the story at a fast clip, firing off development after development faster than you can read them. A LOT happens in this book because of it, which is okay since it really gives it that anime episode feel.

Speaking of which, Tommy Ohtsuka provides art in this series (complemented by Guru eFX on colors), and his style serves the story well. Ohtsuka does manga style good, and fans will find a lot to love with that look. It could have used a little polishing up in the storytelling department (a lot of weird composition choices), but that's moot since this series has been in the can for years now.

This is a teen drama book, no question about it. Not exactly something you wait a month to read what happens next for, which is probably what comic book readers thought too. That's sad, since there's a lot of potential in this book. With the last issue on the way, 15 Love will only have to worry about getting out there than getting bought. 15 Love #2 is a 3.5 out of 5.

And so we come to Daredevil #1, a new ongoing and a new beginning for Matt Murdock and his high-flying alter-ego. I have to warn you though: it's colorful, it's fun, and it's exciting. In other words, it's damn good.

After years of being life's punching bag, Daredevil sheds some of that heavy emotional baggage and returns to his swashbuckling roots courtesy of writer Mark Waid. I absolutely love the lighter and fun tone of this book. I never thought I'd live to see the day grim and gritty take a backseat to fun superheroics, but here it is!

Waid obvioiusly had fun writing this issue. It just oozes of Silver Age superhero fun, I had to double-check to see if I was still in 2011. In the first half of the book, DD stops The Spot from kidnapping a mob boss' daughter, and we're schooled on the basics of Daredevil's powers and abilities through an exciting and smartly played action sequence. That's what you call learning while having fun!

Of course, it's not all fun and games for Daredevil. He's been through a lot of hell lately, from running The Hand to having his secret identity leaked to the public, but Waid doesn't ignore what came before, nor does he let them define his story either. Waid weaves all that into his narrative and provides some interesting challenges not only for Daredevil but for his alter-ego Matt Murdock to overcome, like having to deal with Matt's newfound celebrity status as the man who might be Daredevil. Needless to say I'm now excited to see what happens next.

What puts this issue even more over the top is the art. Paolo Rivera and Joe Rivera takes the task of translating DD's unique powers to the printed page and gives us a visual feast that has to be seen to be believed. The depiction of DD's 'sonar sense' is awesome, and the art dances to the beat of the story in a way that makes it so easy and fun to read. Want to know how Daredevil 'sees' The Spot? Trust me, you'd want to pick up this book to find out.

I'm still pinching myself, because I can't believe a comic of this quality came from Marvel, let alone exists. Daredevil #1 is the best single issue that came out this year, full stop. This is a 6 out of 5. Pick this up on sight!

Marvel's got a hit in its hands with Daredevil. You can quote me on that. So what did YOU pick up this week? Is Daredevil made of win or fail to you? I really want to know! So leave me a comment and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

My Week in Comics: July 8, 2011

2011-07-08T13:39:00.002+08:00

Another Friday rolls around, which means it's time for another My Week in Comics! What did I get myself into this week? Read on to find out!

Let's get this out of the way first: Fear Itself #4 is not very good.

I've been reading comics for a good part of my life, and I've come to accept that decompressed stories and mega crossover events are the bread and butter of comic books. It's ugly business, for sure...and Fear Itself #4 is just making it worse.

So the Serpent is using the Worthy to recharge himself through the fear they generate as they rampage across the globe. With the Serpent fully powered up, he will be ready to face Odin, and that fight will only mean bad news for the Marvel universe. So what do the heroes do? Why, bring back Thor, Iron Man and Steve Rogers together, of course!

And that's as far as you can go with this issue. Matt Fraction was too concerned with giving panel time to the dozens of Fear Itself tie-ins to bother with actual story progress. All this amounts to is a lot of fantastic imagery and posturing with neither emotional weight nor sense, not to mention the huge amount of disjointed scenes that rival those of Final Crisis! Panels upon panels of places and people I'm supposed to care about, wasted because I had no reason to.

Even as a straight-up superhero story, Fear Itself fails. They're the greatest heroes that Marvel has ever assembled, facing powerful and mystical fear avatars, and everyone's big plan is to keep punching? Where's the heroic edge? The common sense?

Am I being cynical about this? Am I just a crusty old fart that doesn't like what these newfangled comic books are doing these days? I don't know. But what I do know is that four issues in, and Fear Itself is STILL spinning its wheels in place. It's been made clear that this isn't an event book. It's a handed out brochure for all the Fear Itself tie-ins out there, and I sure as heck didn't sign up for that. This is a 2 out of 5 by virtue of Stuart Immonen's amazing yet tragically wasted art. Something big is brewing in the next issue, and Marvel's got one last chance to turn this around.

On the other side of the pond, Flashpoint #3 is starting to get interesting. Barry is burnt to a crisp, but he's not about to give up trying to regain his superspeed! Just in time too, as Barry, Cyborg and Flashpoint Batman are racing to stop global war by recruiting the greatest superhero that they know!

As much as I hated the first two issues of Flashpoint, I admit that Geoff Johns stepped up his game here. A lot of stuff happens, and they all clue you in on the world of Flashpoint and the inevitable climax its building up to. I didn't feel lost at all while reading this, and I'm actually interested in how these motley crew of heroes will pull this event off.

The cover alludes of course to a meeting with Flashpoint Superman, and what our heroes find is the ultimate twist in this book. Suffice to say it's an unexpected twist to the idea of Superman, and I'm excited to see where Johns goes with this. But it's not just Johns...Andy Kubert is taking Flashpoint to great heights with his art. He totally sells the scale of this issue (and of the entire event) well, and the detail is above and beyond what you'd expect from an event book.

Flashpoint #3 is a study on how you write and draw and event book. It advances the story, clues you in on the current state of the universe it happens in, and is drawn well. If not for some unfortunate typo errors (did editors fall asleep or what?) in the book, this would have been a stellar issue. As it is, it's a good 4 out of 5.

Can't get enough of The Geek's reviews? Head on over to The Outhousers, where I reviewed X-23 #12! Trust me, you'd want a manga by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda after this!

Comic book companies never tire of event books, do they? Let's hope they do this week one better. Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Leave me a comment below and let's talk about it! Thanks for reading!

Finding The Greatest Superhero Ever

2011-07-05T16:43:00.003+08:00

Who is the 'Greatest Superhero Ever'?

I know we all have our choices, our favorites. Some would say Green Lantern or Batman or Ms. Marvel or even Squirrel Girl. Nate Grey was freaking awesome for me once, and Nova still holds a dear, overpowered place in my heart. But it's interesting to see how the term itself could become the very idea of the superhero 'standard' in the world of comic books.

The idea is that the Greatest Superhero Ever (or GSE) sets the tone of the narrative universe they live in. He or she becomes the living personification of what all their world's heroes aspire to be. It's the one question any hero asks themselves: "What would the Greatest Superhero Ever do?" And when the situation is at its darkest and most dire, the triumphant orchestra piece you hear is the sound of the Greatest Superhero Ever coming to save the day.

Let's take a look what makes or breaks the Greatest Superhero Ever. (For this blog post, I'll be focusing on the Big Two, since they both have, more or less, a clearly defined Greatest Superhero. Feel free to suggest other comic book companies and who you feel their Greatest Superhero is in the comments.)

DC had Superman as its Greatest Superhero Ever, and for good reason. He was the first of them all (for a time), he was certainly the most powerful, and his unwavering stand for truth and justice held him to a standard every other hero aspired to. Superman's status as GSE was made manifest in Mark Waid's Kingdom Come, where heroes devolved into grim n' gritty anti-heroes without the Man of Steel's example. In Grant Morrison's Final Crisis, it was Superman who saved the Multiverse, literally wishing a happy ending for all of us.

On Marvel's side, the GSE who comes to mind is Captain America. He's punched Hitler in the face, and has even stared down the mad Titan Thanos during the Infinity Gauntlet storyline. The moment he comes into a room, or arrives at a battle scene, he commands respect and admiration from his peers. When Cap shouts "Avengers Assemble!", you can be sure that each and every single hero within earshot will do exactly as he says, and it usually involves some epic superheroism.

But sometimes its not all about paragons of justice or war heroes. Sometimes you get something completely different, and the flavor of their universe changes with them. Take Marvel's Dark Reign, for instance. There, Norman Osborn set himself up as the Greatest Superhero when he became the Iron Patriot, even though we (the readers) know he's really a murderous scumbag. Because of it, there was a tonal shift in the universe and the heroes that occupied it.

The idea of a Greatest Superhero Ever makes me take a good look at DC and its upcoming reboot. There's little I can add to the tons of opinion pieces out there about the DCnU that hasn't been already said. But I AM interested to see who emerges as DC's GSE in the coming months. Superman has fallen to the wayside, with the last heroic thing he's known for is walking across the US in search of himself. This is DC's chance to really define the superhero standard to which its heroism is measured. With a supposedly clean and trimmed slate, the one hero who rises above all others will set the tone for the rest of the 52 (!) books coming out, and I'm both scared and excited to see what happens next.

What other qualities do you think a Greatest Superhero Ever should have? Which other comic book universes you know that has one? Let's talk about it in the comments, okay? Thanks for reading!

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T08:00:00.002+08:00

Captain America Cubeecraft by Daouide (daouide.deviantart.com)

Happy Independence Day to my readers up in the good ol' U.S. of A! And since we shared holidays before (back when the Philippines celebrated our Independence Day on the Fourth of July), I'd also like to wish everyone a happy Filipino-American Friendship Day! Brofist naman dyan!