Matt Coughlin
E-Mail: matt@altgn.com
Yahoo IM:
AIM: mjc819
Jabber:
Web Page: http://altgn.com
Registered Since: 2007-09-19 02:33:02
Profile: Matt can be found in the Milwaukee area going to college. He'd much rather be playing on his Xbox 360 or reading his weekly comic purchases, and as we all know, all work and no play makes Matt a dull boy.
Posts by mjc:
XBLA Rocky and Bullwinkle Review
April 17th, 2008Before I move things into specifics I should start by mentioning that this game will appeal mostly to those who saw the famous cartoon. If you walk up to one of today’s youth and ask them if they know who Rocky and Bullwinkle are, they will most likely give you a puzzled look before going on about Ben 10 or Hannah Montana. Does this mean that those who are out of the loop with these characters should avoid this game? Not in the least.
The mini-game collection games have grown continuously over the last couple of years through the releases of various WarioWare titles, and it was clearly the influence for this game. The developers over at Zen Studios crafted this game with various little nods to the cartoon which it is based off of. From the outset you get a sense that this game is something unique, even the menus that take you to the action are stylized to look like the exterior/interior of a movie theater. The menus here put others to shame, without a doubt.
As you enter the movie theater you are given three paths to take; the Reruns, the Boxtop Shop, and the Select a Show. The Rerun option allows you to create your own level of mini-games, much like splicing film together. (They even display film reels here in the menu) This option in the game allows for you to either make the easiest or most incredibly punishing level that you want, its all up to you. The second option is the Boxtop Shop, where you spend the points you earn from playing the various mini-games. Items for sale in the shop range from score bonuses to extra time and lives that will aid you in completing levels. Having these items at your disposal can make the game exponentially easier, or even harder if you choose not to use them. The third and final option in the single player is the Select a Show.
The Select a Show is the main attraction of the game, this is where you will spend most of your time. You enter a darkened theater where you initially have the option to play the Rocky and Bullwinkle Shows. These shows are themed after the individual characters and each part of the level has a certain objective to complete with only seconds to achieve it. With over a hundred different games to try out you will have a lot on your plate. As you progress farther into the game harder character themed levels appear to test your skills. Almost everything you can think of from the show is here to entertain you again. You’ve got Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Two No-Goodnicks, The Fractured Fairytales, The Peabody Show, The Dudley Show, and The Aesop and Son Show. Gameplay ranges from simple button-pressing to the pulling of triggers and rotation of the joysticks. Sounds easy right? Wrong. This game will punish you if you even look away for a slight moment as you need to time things correctly while using great hand-eye coordination. Certain mini-games will require more work than others, and you can easily figure out which ones are your favorite.
That’s not to say that this game is without flaws, oh no. There are times where you are certain that you pressed a button, or tapped a trigger when the game doesn’t pick up on it. Often this can lead to failure. The games themselves are very fun to play but there is a certain degree of recycling that is done between all seven of the shows and that kinda brings the entire game down. Beyond that the game offers some decent entertainment from which you can spend an afternoon just having some simple fun.
Pros
-Excellent presentation, colors pop out from HD sets, the mini-games are clever and fairly well executed, and the varying modes allow for some more fun after the main shows are completed.
Cons
-The soundtrack is extremely basic, this may be caused from the limitation that Microsoft places on XBLA games but it was tiring nonetheless. There is some slight regurgitation of game play with different skins slapped on them, but it doesn’t get too old. The option for online play would have been excellent, but it is missing from the final version.
Final Words
Rocky and Bullwinkle is definitely worth a look if you are into mini-games and you remember the show from your childhood. The games themselves vary enough to keep things fresh and the characters are used in clever ways within each level. Presentation and colors pop off the screen and the animation is as good as it can get for a game of this type. If you really enjoy the cartoon series or you happen to have 800 MS points around, give this game a shot. It’s not mind-blowing but it will give you some entertainment on a rainy afternoon.
4 out of 5
Share:
Magento Returns to the Marvel Universe
March 4th, 2008What could the Acolytes possibly want with the mind and body of Charles Xavier? Add Magneto’s interest into the mix and that’s a recipe for disaster! Xavier’s life hangs in the balance as the quest to save the most important mind in mutant history begins. In X-Men: Legacy #209, from fan favorite writer Mike Carey and with rising star artists Scot Eaton and Billy Tan, and a cover by superstar artist David Finch, the quest for mutant survival barrels on!
Jesse Schedeen of IGN.com says, “Trust me, this is one X-book you’ll want to keep on your pull list.”
Marvel urges retailers to check their orders on X-Men: Legacy and all X-Men: Divided We Stand tie-ins, as the future of mutants in the Marvel universe is revealed and as critics continue to hail the current direction of the X-titles!
What sort of repercussions will there be as the journey into Professor Xavier’s mind continues? Will the reveal of long lost memories and important x-facts be detrimental to the cause? Find out the answer to these questions and more in X-Men Legacy #209!
I strongly suggest picking this book up, Mike Carey has done a very impressive job of handling the core X-Men team since his arrival on the title. The mutants are struggling to survive more than ever, and it sure makes for a more interesting read. Look for it 3/26/08 at a comic shop near you.
Share:
Microsoft Shorts the Customer…Again
February 12th, 2008I’ve been looking forward to the North American release of Lost Odyssey for the past couple years. Every time E3 rolled around I would wait for new videos and screen shots that might show any new kinds of information. Now, on the eve of it’s release to mass market, certain gamers have gotten a hold of copies through local retailers. What does this all amount to?
Not many US gamers played Blue Dragon, the first game from the beloved Hironobu Sakaguchi and his new Mistwalker studio. Upon opening the case you were treated to the picture of all three game discs stacked upon one another in one slot. It seems as though Microsoft has done it again, only this time they have made it worse.
First off, we have the Asian release of Lost Odyssey. Notice the wider case and separate spokes for the discs.
Here you see the treatment gamers in the US receive.
What you see above is exactly what you get when you open up your copy. The first three discs are stacked in one slot while the fourth and final disc is kept in a paper sleeve. This is so incredibly lazy, and fully devoid of class. I thought that Microsoft would have made the case a bit better this time around judging by how heavily they are advertising and pushing this game here in the US…but I guess I was wrong. We can only hope at this point that Microsoft will revise the case and ship out replacements for those who bought a copy.
(Many thanks to NeoGAF users boco77 and vexvegaz for the example pictures)
Share:
BKV writes Logan
February 1st, 2008 Those of you looking for a fresh take on Wolverine…look no further. I too have grown tired of the ways Wolverine is being used in the Marvel Universe, in that he shows up in more places than he should. Mini-series and projects such as this give me a reason to care about him, even if he tends to be overexposed to readers. Enjoy!
See Wolverine like you’ve never seen him before! Printing in color and exhilarating variant black and white issues, Logan #1 (of 3), places Wolverine in one of his first battlefields to settle an old score. A fascinating, all-new adventure full of twists and turns, this action-packed series is the latest in the Marvel Knights line and is sure to turn heads in the tradition of Silver Surfer: Requiem, Captain America: The Chosen and Spider-Man: With Great Power. Loaded with a bunch of long-lost memories, Logan sets up to slice and dice his way into an old foe in a way only Logan knows how.
Logan #1 (of 3), penned by critically-acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughan (TV’s LOST, Y: The Last Man) and art by esteemed artist Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets), explores a totally new part of Wolverine’s sordid past!
LOGAN #1 (of 3) BLACK AND WHITE VARIANT (DEC078147)
LOGAN #1 (of 3) (JAN082192)
Written by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
Art & Cover by EDUARDO RISSO
Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC – 2/14, On-Sale – 3/5/2008
LOGAN #2 (of 3) BLACK AND WHITE VARIANT (DEC078148)
LOGAN #2 (of 3) (FEB082269)
Written by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN
Art & Cover by EDUARDO RISSO
Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory …$3.99
FOC – 3/13, On-Sale – 4/2/2008
Share:
Simone Bianchi Joins Fantastic Four Creative Team
January 18th, 2008In a surprise announcement, Marvel announces that Simone Bianchi (Working with Ellis on the nex arc of Astonishing X-Men) will be providing the variant covers to Millar/Hitch’s run of The Fantastic Four!
Marvel is proud to unveil the newest honorary member of the Fantastic Four—superstar artist Simone Bianchi! The hotly-anticipated Fantastic Four #554, from award-winning writer Mark Millar and award-winning artist Bryan Hitch (the dream team behind The Ultimates and Ultimates 2), now features a previously-unannounced variant by Bianchi!
Rocking the Fantastic Four at their core, the year long World’s Greatest storyline will leave you breathless as Millar & Hitch take the FF where no superteam has gone before! Who is MRS. Fantastic? Who joins Invisible Woman’s new team? And just what does Dr. Doom have planned? These answers and more arrive in this all-new, can’t-miss storyline by Millar & Hitch, beginning in Fantastic Four #554, now with a Simone Bianchi variant cover!
FANTASTIC FOUR #554 (DEC072181)
FANTASTIC FOUR #554 BIANCHI VARIANT (DEC078057)
FANTASTIC FOUR #554 SUYDAM SKRULL VARIANT (NOV078182)
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH
Variant Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
Skrull Variant Cover by ARTHUR SUYDAM
Rated A…$2.99
FOC—1/24/08, On-Sale—2/13/08
Share:
Comic Reviews for 1/16/08
January 17th, 2008Welcome to the (hopefully) weekly comic reviews! As a relatively poor college student, I lack the funds to buy a majority of the books that hit stands each week, forcing me to pick out only the books that I think are worth purchasing. Hope you enjoy!
Angel: After the Fall #3
-May fortune smile upon Brian Lynch, Joss Whedon, and Franco Urru. I must admit that I was cautiously optimistic of this series since the first issue hit a couple months ago, but any hesitations have been erased with this issue. Lynch has an uncanny ability to channel Whedon’s style of writing, right down to the mannerisms of each character. Spike is just as funny as he was in Buffy/Angel, and Angel still has that tendency to quip during fights. Franco Urru does an admirable job with this issue, just as he has with the previous two. If I had any problems with his art it would be that it seems too much like a cartoon, I would much rather have a more detailed and realistic penciler on the project…but I digress.
There are some small issues I have with the book though, but I feel that they can be remedied without much trouble in the coming issues. We’ve been thrown into this desolate situation without much explanation, and Whedon has already said that they are planning to do a separate issue detailing the night when our heroes met in the alley for the final fight. If things were in my hands I would have started the series with that issue and then carried on to the story being told now, but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk. Despite some small problems with Urru’s art, I feel this maxi-series is beginning to take things in stride…especially with the surprise curve ball thrown on the last page of the issue.
Angel: After the Fall #3 gets 3.5 out of 5
The Umbrella Academy #5
-I spotlighted the first Umbrella Academy issue a couple months ago as the beginning of a series that should be watched by fans of creative and fun comics. Let it be known that the gas pedal has not been let up, and that Way and Ba have been delivering a hell of a story month in and month out. When I bought the first issue I had doubts, knowing that Gerard Way was the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, a band I really don’t care for one bit. I still don’t like them, but his talent as a writer has shown itself in spades as this series has moved forward. Clever and interesting characters, situations, and the overall mythology of their world has drawn me in a way most comics cannot. What I see in him is a younger version of Grant Morrison (A bold claim, I know) in that they both have a knack for creating or reviving fun characters, all while putting them in crazy and entertaining situations.
Gabriel Ba…what can be said about him that hasn’t been already said by others? His style is an echo of something you would expect from Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) because of the way he draws characters and environments. He can either draw simplistic scenes depicting dialog between characters or in the case of this issue, draw a panel which is more detailed than I would have liked it to be. (As soon as you see it you’ll understand) I really hope that he collaborates with Way in future series of UA, as it will be hard to picture the characters and universe without him. This issue delivers some answers all while raising more questions as to the motives and murky pasts of certain characters. If you enjoy a fresh story with great writing and art, don’t hesitate to pick up this series.
The Umbrella Academy #5 gets a 4.5 out of 5
The Amazing Spider-Man #547
-I’m having fun with Brand New Day, a lot of fun. I might have mentioned in my review of the previous issue that I didn’t care for One More Day, and while that is true I’ve decided to leave OMD in the past. Move on. I haven’t enjoyed Spider-Man as much as this until now, and thank goodness Marvel is sending it our way three times a month.
I’m going to spare you guys the chore of reading my praises for Dan Slott and Steve McNiven, instead we’re gonna focus on how well this issue did continuing the story. Last issue we were introduced to Mr. Negative, a new villain to add to the already immense rogue gallery for the old web-head. This time around we see him up to no good with a member of the Karnelli family, one of the more prominent crime families in NYC. Without giving too much away, I will only mention that the simple mugging that Peter was part of last issue has more of a lasting effect than you would have thought, bringing about a series of events that begin to unfold in this issue. Slott and McNiven were somehow able to make this work, and it’s one of the more entertaining books on shelves. If you have doubts about where Marvel is taking Spidey, don’t worry. He’s in good hands.
The Amazing Spider-Man gets a 4 out of 5
The Immortal Iron Fist #12
-The 7 Capital Cities of Heaven arc has been going on for 5 issues now, and I have yet to tire of the story being told by Fraction and Brubaker. In this issue they continue their juggling of story lines between the tournament, Danny Rand’s exploits, and the adventures of Danny’s father during his stay at the city of Kun-Lun. It seems as though Aja has been struggling to keep up with the deadlines, so much so that Kano and Hollingsworth were brought on the share the duties. It’s not as bad as it seems, while the three pencilers have varying styles, they blend together much like the work done on Captain America between Perkins and Epting.
I have almost no problems with the writing, but I have had a pretty small problem keeping up with the story. When I got home from the shop today I opened up this issue, but before I started reading I was totally dumbfounded, I couldn’t really remember the specifics of the characters or anything. I had to dig through my back issues to find the beginning of the arc so that I could refresh myself. Don’t get me wrong, this is more of a personal problem and not one to hold against the creative team. If you enjoy some great kung-fu action with your stories, be sure to check out this book. It’s most definitely one of Marvel’s more overlooked titles.
The Immortal Iron Fist gets a 4 out of 5
Share:
Warner Shelves Justice League Film
January 17th, 2008Variety reports today that Warner Bros. Studios has shelved the upcoming Justice League film, mostly because of the writers’ strike.
“Justice League” is no longer moving faster than a speeding bullet.Warner Bros. let the options lapse on the young cast that director George Miller chose to play DC superhero staples. The studio, which had set Tuesday as its greenlight deadline for the pic, confirmed Wednesday the project is on indefinite hold.
Project now most likely won’t get under way until late summer or fall at the earliest.
Cast members were informed late Tuesday their options would not be exercised, but they were also assured the studio is determined to make the film with them in it. But before that can happen, there are several problems to be resolved.
The studio’s reasons included not getting the official response it needed on tax breaks from shooting in Australia. And while WB execs like the script they got from Kieran and Michele Mulroney, it would benefit from a little more work, something that isn’t possible because of the writers’ strike.
This doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I still don’t think that WB should move forward with such an ambitious film before getting the basic origin stories out of the way. On top of that they chose not to cast Christian Bale or Brandon Routh in their respective roles, rather they went for all new faces. While this news doesn’t mean that the movie is canned completely, we won’t be seeing it anytime soon. I would much rather they scrap the live action idea and go with CGI, as it would look better and be more cost effective. Stay tuned to Altgn.com for more news as it comes down the pipeline.
Thanks to Variety.com for the scoop.
Share:
Comics for the week of 1/16/08
January 15th, 2008The following products are expected to ship to comic book specialty stores this week. Note that this list is tentative and subject to change. Please check with your retailer for availability.
PREMIER PUBLISHERS
DARK HORSE COMICS
SEP070030 DARK HORSE HEROES OMNIBUS TP $24.95
OCT070112 DISNEY PIRATES O/T CARIBBEAN PIN GACHA PI
JUL070074 DISNEY PRINCESS FIGURES SER 7 GACHA CAPSULE PI
SEP070031 DOCTOR GRORDBORTS CONTRAPULATRONIC DINGUS DIRECTORY HC $12.95
OCT070011 FEAR AGENT #18 HATCHET JOB (PT 2 OF 5) $2.99
NOV070044 GRENDEL BEHOLD THE DEVIL #3 (OF 8) $3.50
SEP070037 GROO HELL ON EARTH #3 (OF 4) $2.99
SEP070100 KOTOBUKIYA ROYAL GUARD VINYL MODEL KIT $125.00
NOV070141 NINTENDO ANIMAL CROSSING CHARM FIGURE SER 2 GACHA CAPSULE PI
AUG070181 SIMPSONS DIORAMA #3 MOVIE GACHA CAPSULE PI
NOV070047 UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #5 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP070134 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL PI
NOV070138 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL (O/A) PI
OCT070106 WTP PEEK A POOH SER 15 GACHA CAPSULE SCHOOL (O/A) PI
DC COMICS
NOV070285 100 BULLETS #87 (MR) $2.99
JUN070286 AME COMI BATGIRL VINYL FIGURE $39.99
JUN070287 AME COMI CATWOMAN VINYL FIGURE $39.99
OCT070244 AMERICAN VIRGIN #22 (MR) $2.99
NOV070200 BIRDS OF PREY #114 $2.99
NOV070183 BOOSTER GOLD #6 $2.99
NOV070193 CATWOMAN #75 $2.99
SEP078087 CATWOMAN #75 VAR ED $2.99
NOV070204 CHECKMATE #22 $2.99
OCT070223 CIPHER VOL 10 $9.99
NOV070203 COUNTDOWN SPECIAL THE NEW GODS $4.99
NOV070166 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 15 $2.99
NOV070288 DMZ #27 (MR) $2.99
OCT070251 DOOM PATROL TP VOL 06 PLANET LOVE $19.99
OCT070254 FIGHT FOR TOMORROW TP (MR) $14.99
NOV070205 FLASH #236 $2.99
NOV078069 FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG $2.99
SEP070219 HARLEY QUINN PRELUDES AND KNOCK KNOCK JOKES HC $24.99
OCT070224 I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANYONE VOL 03 $9.99
NOV070208 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17 $2.99
NOV070247 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES IN THE 31ST CENTURY #10 $2.25
NOV070267 PROGRAMME #7 (OF 12) $2.99
NOV070189 ROBIN #170 $2.99
NOV070252 SCOOBY DOO #128 $2.25
NOV070217 SHADOWPACT #21 $2.99
NOV070264 WILDSTORM REVELATIONS #2 (OF 6) $2.99
NOV070272 WORLD OF WARCRAFT #3 $2.99
IMAGE COMICS
NOV072010 76 #1 (OF 8) $2.99
AUG071997 AMORY WARS #5 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072012 CEMETERY BLUES #1 $3.50
MAY071848 FELL #9 $1.99
OCT072010 GRAVESLINGER #3 (OF 4) $3.50
OCT072011 HAWAIIAN DICK #2 $2.99
JUL071960 SPAWN #174 $2.95
OCT072021 STEVE NILES STRANGE CASES #3 $2.50
OCT072022 STRANGE EMBRACE #8 (OF 8) (MR) $3.50
NOV072058 SWORD #4 (MR) $2.99
SEP072029 WITCHBLADE BASRI CVR B #113 $2.99
SEP072028 WITCHBLADE CHOI & OBACK CVR A #113 $2.99
MARVEL COMICS
NOV072132 AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #16 $2.99
OCT072078 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #547 BND $2.99
NOV072134 AVENGERS CLASSIC #8 $2.99
NOV072189 CABLE DEADPOOL #49 $2.99
NOV072234 ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $16.99
NOV072233 ESSENTIAL MARVEL SAGA TP VOL 01 $16.99
NOV072215 FANTASTIC FOUR AND POWER PACK DIGEST TP $7.99
OCT072187 HEROES FOR HIRE TP VOL 03 WORLD WAR HULK $13.99
NOV072208 HOUSE OF M HC $29.99
NOV072212 HULK PREM HC THE END $19.99
NOV072213 HULK PREM HC THE END DM ED VOL 8 $19.99
OCT072100 IMMORTAL IRON FIST #12 $2.99
OCT072102 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #113 $2.99
OCT078499 INCREDIBLE HERCULES #113 VAR (PP #796) $2.99
NOV072148 IRON MAN POWER PACK #3 (OF 4) $2.99
SEP072250 KABUKI REFLECTIONS #9 (MR) $5.99
NOV072158 MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #20 $2.99
NOV072156 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #35 $2.99
NOV072159 MARVEL ADVENTURES TWO-IN-ONE #7 $4.99
NOV072161 MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #5 $3.99
NOV072117 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED ILIAD #2 (OF 8) $2.99
NOV072193 NEW EXILES #1 $2.99
NOV072194 NEW EXILES #1 GOLDEN VAR $2.99
NOV072168 NEW WARRIORS #8 $2.99
NOV072183 NEW X-MEN #46 MC $2.99
OCT072101 PENANCE RELENTLESS #4 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072225 THUNDERBOLTS BY ELLIS VOL 1 FAITH IN MONSTERS TP $19.99
OCT078510 ULTIMATES 3 #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG WRAPAROUND VAR (PP #796) $2.99
NOV078021 UNCANNY X-MEN #493 2ND PTG VAR $2.99
NOV072188 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #21 $2.99
NOV072152 WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH WARBOUND #2 (OF 5) $2.99
NOV072214 X-FACTOR PREM HC MADROX MULTIPLE CHOICE $19.99
NOV078022 X-MEN #205 2ND PTG VAR $2.99
WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT
NOV073221 WIZARD ANIME INSIDER NANA CVR #53 $4.99
**********
COMICS
NOV078042 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #1 3RD PTG (PP #797) $3.99
NOV078120 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #2 2ND PTG (PP #798) $3.99
NOV073636 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #3 $3.99
OCT073741 ARMY OF TWO GN (MR) $14.99
NOV073320 BETTY #171 $2.25
OCT073464 BLOODRAYNE AUTOMATON CVR A $3.99
OCT073465 BLOODRAYNE AUTOMATON CVR B $3.99
NOV073422 BONE COLOR ED HC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES $19.99
NOV073421 BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 07 GHOST CIRCLES $9.99
OCT073700 BONEYARD #27 $2.95
OCT078534 BTX GN VOL 14 (OF 16) (PP #796) $9.99
AUG073691 CANTARELLA VOL 9 GN (MR) $10.99
OCT073912 CASE CLOSED GN VOL 21 $9.99
NOV073272 CHUMBLE SPUZZ GN VOL 01 KILL THE DEVIL $10.95
SEP073889 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE HC VOL 01 WIND IN THE WILLOWS $17.95
SEP073888 CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED DELUXE SC VOL 01 WIND IN THE WILLOWS $13.95
OCT073455 CRUSHING LOVE GN $12.95
NOV073535 DF GRIMM FAIRY TALES #1 ALT CVR $10.00
JUN073584 DISNEYS DUCKTALES BY MARV WOLFMAN SCROOGES QUEST TP $15.99
OCT073354 DOMINION #4 (OF 5) (RES) $3.99
OCT073542 EC ARCHIVES CRIME SUSPENSTORIES HC VOL 1 $49.95
SEP073420 ESCAPE O/T LIVING DEAD RESURRECTED TP (MR) $29.99
NOV073639 FALLEN ANGEL IDW #23 (MR) $3.99
SEP073280 FEMFORCE #142 $6.95
AUG073352 FINAL GIRL POCKET MANGA VOL 01 (MAR078373) $15.95
SEP073903 FURRLOUGH #178 $3.99
SEP073930 GIANT SHANDA ANIMAL #12 (MR) $4.99
NOV073706 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC ALI BABA $26.60
NOV073707 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC GUAN YU $26.60
NOV073708 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC HERO TWINS $26.60
NOV073709 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC PEREUS HUNT FOR MEDUSAS HEAD $26.60
NOV073711 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE HC TRISTAN & ISOLDE $26.60
NOV073712 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC AMATERASU RETURN OF THE SUN $8.95
NOV073713 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC ATALANTA RACE AGAINST DESTINY $8.95
NOV073714 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC DEMETER & PERSEPHONE $8.95
NOV073715 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC JASON QUEST FOR GOLDEN FLEECE $8.95
NOV073716 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC ROBIN HOOD OUTLAW OF SHERWOOD FOREST $8.95
NOV073717 GRAPHIC UNIVERSE SC YU THE GREAT CONQUERING THE FLOOD $8.95
OCT073919 GYO GN VOL 02 (2ND EDITION) (MR) $9.99
NOV073516 HEROES ARE EXTINCT GN VOL 03 $12.95
AUG073692 HIKKATSU VOL 2 GN (MAR078244) $10.99
SEP073867 HONEY SENIOR DARLING JUNIOR VOL 1 GN (MR) $9.99
NOV073513 ILL BE YOUR SLAVE GN (MR) $12.95
SEP073637 INSOMNIA #3 $7.95
NOV073325 JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #26 $2.49
OCT073904 KAMIKAZE GIRLS NOVEL $9.99
AUG073693 KING OF THE LAMP GN (MR) $10.99
MAY074057 KISS COMIX #181 (A) $7.99
JUN074204 KISS COMIX #182 (A) $7.99
AUG074346 KISS COMIX #183 (A) $9.95
NOV073540 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER THE WORLD ASKEW #4 (OF 4) $2.95
NOV073698 LADY DEATH #0 SUPERNATURAL EDITION $11.99
OCT073506 LAST MUSKETEER SC $12.95
OCT073596 LIFELIKE HC $19.99
OCT073739 LOVE BYTES GN $9.95
NOV073511 LOVE SHARE GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073508 LUST KINKY ONLINE PERSONAL ADS FROM SEATTLES STRANGER HC (MR) $19.95
NOV073776 MANGA BIBLE SC FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION $12.95
NOV073601 MIKI FALLS GN VOL 04 WINTER $7.99
OCT073509 MOME GN VOL 10 $14.95
OCT073732 NANCY DREW HC VOL 12 DRESS REHEARSAL $12.95
OCT073731 NANCY DREW SC VOL 12 DRESS REHEARSAL $7.95
OCT073242 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #156 $2.99
OCT073707 OPERATION LIBERATE MEN GN VOL 02 $9.99
SEP073904 ORGASM ADDICT COLLECTED EROTICA OF JK BLACKLIN VOL 1 (A) $6.99
NOV073327 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #118 $3.69
NOV073514 PARTY GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073427 PASTEL GN VOL 09 (MR) $10.95
OCT073504 PINUP ART OF DAN DECARLO SC VOL 02 (MR) $18.95
OCT073921 REFLECTIONS THE ARTWORK OF KOSEN (MR) $14.95
OCT073718 RESURRECTION #2 (MR) $3.50
SEP078073 RUROUNI KENSHIN VIZ BIG ED GN VOL 01 (OF 9) $17.99
OCT073428 SCHOOL RUMBLE GN VOL 08 (MR) $10.95
NOV073407 SIMPSONS COMICS #138 $2.99
NOV073329 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #184 $2.25
NOV073632 ST TNG INTELLIGENCE GATHERING #1 (OF 5) $3.99
OCT073874 STRANDED #1 $2.99
NOV073743 STRANGE DETECTIVE TALES DEAD LOVE #1 (OF 3) (O/A) (MR) $3.95
SEP073929 STRAWBERRY PANIC MANGA (MR) $9.99
SEP074036 TALL TALES OF VISHNU SHARMA PANCHATANTRA #1 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
OCT073585 TRANSFORMERS DEVASTATION #4 $3.99
AUG073869 TREASURY VICTORIAN MURDER VOL 2 JACK THE RIPPER SC NEW PTG $9.95
OCT073362 TWO GUNS #5 (RES) $3.99
OCT073295 VOICES OF LOVE GN (A) $10.95
OCT073293 WALKIN BUTTERFLY GN VOL 2 (MR) $10.95
JUL073797 WEDNESDAY CONSPIRACY VOL 3 RESTLESS PEOPLE GN (MR) $12.95
OCT073294 YAKUZA IN LOVE GN VOL 1 (A) $12.95
AUG073774 ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS VS AMAZONS #2 (OF 3) $3.99
My picks for this week are below, in full color thanks to Midtowncomics.com!
Share:
Amazing Spider-Man #546 Review
January 10th, 2008Brand New Day is upon us, but how good can it be considering the train wreck of One More Day still lingers in our minds?
The answer is that it’s good, much better than I expected. Before I delve into BND, I feel as though it’s my responsibility to vocalize my thoughts on OMD. The Back in Black arc which came out around the release of Spider-Man 3 wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. It seemed like a good idea, but I always had that part of my brain reminding me that they only brought back the black suit for marketing purposes. When all was said and done Aunt May took a bullet meant for Peter, then was placed into a hospital under critical condition. This forced Peter to exhaust all his known contacts with hopes that someone, somewhere, had a way to bring May back from the brink of death. Eventually he crossed paths with Mephisto, a demon who up until this point has had a fairly small amount of stage time in the Marvel Universe. Mephisto gave Peter the choice of either saving May or saving his marriage with MJ. He chose to save May.
This brings us to ASM #546, written by Dan Slott with the pencils done by Steve McNiven. After surfing some message boards frequented by die-hard comic fans, I must admit that I had a predisposition to disliking this issue. Many people have sworn off Spider-Man, and some have sworn off Marvel all together because of the status changing events which occured in OMD. I felt as though it was unfair to ditch Spidey at this point, mainly because things can only go up from here. Sure, I’m a bit weary of this whole idea of essentially launching Peter back to the days before he was married to MJ, but I think that these new stories should bring about some cool new characters. (Including the baddie you see in the image above)
The first thing that came to mind after reading this issue was that it was fun. Pure, unadulterated Peter Parker as we had known and loved him back when things were more adventurous. I can tell that Slott is having a heck of a time writing Peter without all the strings attached, and it really should make for some entertaining stories in the coming weeks. Steve McNiven’s pencils are just about on par with what he brought to the table during his stint on Civil War, meaning that they are very clean and crisp. As an added bonus we have been promised that this will be a weekly title, so there is pretty much no chance of a delay so long as something horrible doesn’t occur.
The only thing I can really rag about when it comes to this issue is the way in which this new “day” fits in with the rest of the Marvel Universe. We see a front page framed in Jonah’s office that features the assassination of Captain America..so we know that this is current times. Heroes and villains alike have “forgotten” that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, but they do remember that someone unmasked themselves as Spider-Man during the events of Civil War. Hopefully these things are explained better in interviews with Quesada or the rest of the ASM team, as it really was the only thing that bothered me with this issue.
I am willing to stick with ASM so long as things don’t get too ridiculous. Lets hope that the things Marvel have planned can overcome the shadow of OMD..as that is the only thing holding BND back from any real widespread critical acclaim.
Amazing Spider-Man #546 gets a resounding 4 out of 5.
Share:
Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day”
January 7th, 2008Comic fans around the country collectively died a tiny bit after reading the finale to “One More Day“. What could have happened to make so many fans go into a temporary state of rage? Joe Quesada is the Editor in Chief over at Marvel, and he has been pretty vocal about his stance on Spidey’s life for the past couple years. What took decades to build was essentially demolished during the span of a single mini-series. Mary Jane and Peter ceased to be a married couple, Peter’s secret identity was re-established, and Harry Osbourne was brought back from the grave. What does this mean to the casual fan? Not much, especially if you haven’t been following Peter’s story for the last couple years. All you need to understand is laid out in the picture below. Released today by Marvel, it will be included in the first issue of “Brand New Day” which happens to release this Wednesday. The image is incredibly large, too large to fit in the space provided, so I have a link to the fill size below.
There are a couple things you can ascertain from it is that Peter once again lives with his Aunt May, and that Harry has returned from a year long vacation to Europe. Beyond that, we learn that Peter’s mechanical shooters are back, that MJ lives in Hollywood, and that Peter has remembered things from before Mephisto took away his marriage. I’m not terribly excited for “Brand New Day”, but I am willing to give the first issue a shot just to see how things might pan out. The sad thing about OMD is that it was incredibly well written and the art was pretty decent, it was just that the core idea was way too horrible to maintain it’s end of the job. Here’s to hoping that Marvel can salvage some part of the Spider-Man we have come to know and love the last couple years.
Share:
Starcraft 2 coming for Xbox 360?
January 1st, 2008Here at Altgn, we received an interesting piece of information from a regular poster on our boards. He was taking quizzes through the Microsoft Retail Zone, which is a website interface used to further educate employees of electronic retail stores. While taking the quiz for “Universe at War”, he stumbled upon a cool little gem that might come to pass.
6. Which of the following are defining features of Universe at War?
1. The first ever Xbox 360/PC cross-platform RTS
2. Tactical dynamics create the best RTS until Starcraft 2.
3. Truly unique factions and customization
4. Free one-month Games for Windows LIVE Gold subscription
5. All of the above
6. None of the above
Could this be an unintentional sign given by Microsoft that the long awaited Starcraft 2 will be coming to Xbox 360? As some might remember, Blizzard allowed ports of Starcraft to both the Nintendo 64 and the Playstation. Ports of recent PC RTCs have come to 360 such as Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2, and Command and Conquer 3. Both have been received well by console gamers because of their impressive control schemes, previously a massive hurdle to jump for previous RTS console ports. Whether this is simply a misunderstanding or not, this is an exciting rumor nonetheless.
Share:
Last Chapter of ‘One More Day’ Leaked!
December 27th, 2007The internet has been ablaze with rumors since the announcement that Joe Quesada would be working with JMS on the biggest Spider-Man story in years. Some knew almost immediately what the course of action would be, knowing that Joe Q is a big fan of the times when Peter Parker was a bachelor. The basis for OMD is this; Peter Parker unmasked during Civil War, thus making his identity public. It was only a matter of time until someone took advantage of this situation, and the Kingpin was the first to take a shot. Hiring a sniper, his intention was to kill Peter..only Aunt May took the bullet instead. Now with Aunt May in grave condition, Peter exhausts every avenue he could think of in hopes of finding someone that could help his Aunt.
Ultimately, fans knew it would come down to a certain situation. Peter strikes a deal with Mephisto, a high class demon of the Marvel Universe. He has two choices, he can either restore his secret identity and keep his marriage or he can save his aunt, restore his secret identity, and lose his marriage. I will not post the scans directly in this thread, but I will link them for those who wish to see the final pages of the last issue of OMD. Before I do that however, check out this quote from JMS earlier in the year:
“There’s a lot that I don’t agree with, and I made this very clear to everybody within shouting distance at Marvel, especially Joe Quesada… there was a point where I made the decision, and told Joe, that I was going to take my name off the last two issues of the OMD arc.” Eventually Joe talked me out of that decision because at the end of the day, I don’t want to sabotage Joe or Marvel, and I have a lot of respect for both of those.” Link
Follow these links for the final pages of the closing issue.
Share:
Chloe Sullivan making her way to Superman
December 17th, 2007It looks as though Smallville’s aspiring reporter will finally be making her debut in the realm of comics. Joining the already pretty meaty supporting cast of the comic, Ms. Sullivan will be continuing her career of reporting at the Daily Bugle. During a discussion with the good folks at Newsarama.com, Kurt Busiek and Superman editor Matt Idelson spilled the beans as to what the short term plans are for the character.
But bringing a television character to comics does come with some hurdles. Even though they are owned by the same parent company (Time-Warner), DC had to get clearances with Warner Bros. as well as actress Allison Mack, both to use the character as well as to make sure the comic book version looked like “Chole,” but not exactly like Mack (likeness rights are a whole other ballgame).
Nor will the “Chloe” of the comics be a mirror version of “Chloe” of Smallville, Idelson says. “‘Our’ Chloe is clearly inspired by the Smallville character, right down to wanting to be a journalist, and being roughly the same age as the Smallville character. And she’s still Lois’ cousin. Beyond that, though, since she’s obviously a different age than Clark and Lana, she’s got to be her own, unique character.”
Not a bad idea on DC’s part really, it would be best if the stories being told about Chloe in Smallville were kept separate from those that will be told in the Superman monthly title. Earlier in the article posted at Newsarama, Busiek mentions that this is not the first time in which a character was brought in from a spin-off Superman title. (That honor belongs to Supe’s pal Jimmy Olsen) Busiek just wrapped up his “Camelot Falls” arc, which was a longtime coming with all the setbacks it had to endure. Next to the Morrison/Quietly run on All Star Superman Busiek has done a heck of a job maintaining the core Superman book, bringing new ideas to the table that really made for an entertaining read. Look for Superman #674 on sale March 12, 2008.
Thanks to Troy Brownfield and the crew at Newsarama.com!
Share:
Square-Enix Announces Spring 2008 Lineup
December 17th, 2007Fans looking forward to all the spin-offs and new IPs from Square-Enix will have to wait just a tiny bit more. Among the slew of games planned to be published by SE this year, a handful have been announced for release in North America. You’ve got spin-offs from Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and even a brand new title for the DS titled “The World Ends with You” spearheaded by the director and art team who brought you the Kingdom Hearts titles.
Fans Advised to Warm Up this Holiday Season in Preparation for an Assortment of Exciting New Adventures
Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in North America, revealed today its first offerings for 2008, with entries that will launch fans into a fast-paced, action-packed new year. This latest announcement brings forth four new titles for the coming year, including releases for the Nintendo DS, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the Wii.
DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors sets the action in motion as the newest entry in the franchise that has captivated more than 43 million fans worldwide. The premiere RPG franchise makes its debut on the Wii as an immersive action-adventure accessible by players of all ages.
Following suit are powerful, engaging adventures in the handheld arena. FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates for the Nintendo DS offers endless entertainment with its fun-for-all multiplay feature, while CRISIS CORE(TM) -FINAL FANTASY VII- for the PSP system reunites fans with the most recognized RPG characters created by world-renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura’s latest designs lend a hip, urban edge to THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, a stylish new RPG title for the Nintendo DS.
Warm ups are recommended for fans who intend to take on these exciting new challenges that are headed their way!
DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Developer: Eighting Co., Ltd.
Planning: Genius Sonority, Inc.
Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii
Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Music: Koichi Sugiyama
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: February 26, 2008
Developed from the ground up to take advantage of the Nintendo Wii and its motion-sensing technology, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is set to slice its way onto Nintendo’s next-generation platform. Use the Wii Remote to slash, parry and blast your way through a land filled with trademark DRAGON QUEST foes! Developed with both long-time fans and casual players in mind, DRAGON QUEST SWORDS: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is poised to take video gaming to an entirely new level of fun and interaction.
The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/dqswords.
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Ship Date: March 11, 2008
Few titles epitomize the essence of multiplayer camaraderie like the FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES series. Released in 2004 as an innovative title that took advantage of the Nintendo GameCube-to-Game Boy Advance connectivity, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES pioneered an entirely new gameplay experience that expanded the horizons of conventional RPG gaming. Primed for a release on the Nintendo DS, FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates is poised to continue this tradition by providing fans with two distinctly unique games: a fully fleshed single-player RPG experience and an addictive multiplayer element for up to four players.
The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/ffccnews/.
CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: PSP system
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB: T (Teen)
Ship Date: March 25, 2008
CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-, the highly anticipated entry in the COMPILATION of FINAL FANTASY VII, takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII saga in an all- new action-packed experience. Developed exclusively for the PSP system, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- marks the return of the celebrated characters and game world that mesmerized more than 9.8 million gamers around the globe. With inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation and an engaging battle system, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.
The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/crisiscore.
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd./ Jupiter
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB:TBD
Ship Date: Spring 2008
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, is an exciting new title developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS handheld system. Previously known as Subarashiki Kono Sekai on its release in Japan, THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU is an innovative new title from Square Enix that fully utilizes the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, and takes major influence from Japan’s modern day culture including its people, music, clothes, food and design.
Thanks to Gaming-Age for the heads up on this one.
Share:
Shepard Book’s Past to be Told
December 14th, 2007While on the Browncoat Cruise this past week, Ron Glass (who portrays Shepard Book in Firefly, Serenity) announced that Dark Horse Comics will be releasing a graphic novel based on Book’s past. Wait a minute…didn’t Joss say that he would tell Book’s story only if there was another movie or TV show? He did, but it seems like the realm of comics is treating the crew of Serenity very well. The initial miniseries came out before the theatrical release of Serenity, and it served as a direct prequel to the film. Another miniseries is planned for release sometime next year titled “Better Days” which will detail what exactly happens to the crew when a job goes right for them. (Whawawhat? A job finally goes right for our big damn heroes? Sweet!) I’ll let Cedric of the Bedlam Bards fill you in on exactly what happened during the cruise with this announcement.
After dinner on the first night, we sang a few songs at the opening ceremonies, where Ron Glass revealed the first of several tidbits about Shepherd Book’s past. Apparently, there is going to be a graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics, titled “A Shepherd’s Tale.”
Joss gave the go ahead for this announcement, so it looks as though fans of the ‘verse have a little something extra to look forward to in the coming year.
Share:
Loading ...
