Batman: Arkham City Review

Batman: Arkham Asylum is considered one of the best games in the video game medium. Not only did it feature total immersion into your character, but it gave you an open and detailed world filled with smart villains, helpful allies, and enough trivia and side content to keep you entertained long after the main story was finished. Now, combine that with the stigma of video games based on comic book properties, and Rocksteady performed a miracle. A sequel was inevitable, and the question becomes; can lightning strike twice? Find out after the break!

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Batman: Arkham City
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Single Player
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Square Enix and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
ESRB Rating: T For Teen
Price: PS3,PC, 360: $59.99

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Pros
Story: Arkham City takes you into the game, fighting masterminds, minor villains, and even allies.. Each story, aside from some hiccups, dovetails into the main narrative with ease, and the player feels the urgency the rest of the NPC’s feel. The dialogue is mostly top-notch, almost everyone feels in characters, and the added story details you unlock, the side missions and the main missions all give you a complete experience very akin to a well written story arc in comics.


Gadgets and Combat: The gadgets you unlocked in the last game are mostly kept, and the new ones add many layers to the game. The wonderful part about Batman in the comics is not only his willpower, but that he can think himself out of most situations. The game fosters that feeling with gadgets that truly make you feel that if you sit down and plan out something, you can achieve it. The reversal system, and the system that allows you to use gadgets in your combat combine to make you feel like Batman at his most Morrisonian (Grant Morrison) “Bat-God”, and leaves a very satisfied player. Altogether, you feel like a world-class martial artist, and a brilliant gadgeteer that can solve or combat anything.


Middle Ground
Graphics: It seems unfair to judge the graphics of the game too harshly, after all most of the game is lovingly rendered. The backgrounds look fantastic, the characters represent themselves well, but once things are in motion, the game has serious issues. The greatest issues are clipping with the cape and other characters, and the camera during fights. The one time you do not want to be confused, is during a fight and the camera has a nasty habit of moving in a wrong direction during climatic exchanges, not to mention the clipping of the voluminous cape can distract during a mass fight, along with issues with stepping through people, being stuck in doors, etc.


Cons
Characterization: The characterizations of the criminals, specifically Two-Face and the thugs are one note, bordering on parody. I know most developers want to save the big moments for the bad guys, but I found the utter lack of differentiation of the thugs problematic. Not only that, but Two-Face was lacking a lot of the complexity that other villains in the game displayed. Two-Face fans may be extremely disappointed in his portrayal here.


Violence and Sex: The disturbing violence in the game should be a warning to all parents who buy this for their children. Batman repeatedly abuses criminals, even some who do not deserve such harsh treatment in the game. Only the lack of blood makes this game a teen rating. The utter brutality in the game (bones breaking, dropping off rooftops, unprovoked violence etc) is disturbing as Batman is deemed heroic or even funny with each crunch.


The other issue is an old enemy of video games; sexism. When Catwoman was announced for the game, a lot of people were excited. Excitement sort of faded when it was revealed that she was only in a few missions, and faded a bit more when it was revealed what she looked like. Media consumption is part of what the rating system is all about, and when you see the game and how it refers to Catwoman and other female characters as “bitch”, the talks about lewd things that the men would do to the women, the costume designs, the camera angles; many might think twice about buying the game. It’s a major issue for the medium, the overt sexualization and misogyny directed towards the characters, show an institutionalized sexism that is impossible to ignore. The characters can be sexual, and perhaps it is in character for criminals to be misogynistic, but the camera angles that act as a voyeur (like Catwomans introduction), the avalanche of derogatory words towards women, the costume designs, the objectivication, the list goes on. Be vigilant when buying or renting this game.


Overall/Verdict
Overall, Batman: Arkham City is a fine game. Lightning will strike twice, but the scorch marks remain. It puts the player into the shoes of the iconic DC hero, and creates a world that is brutal and exciting for the characters and player to explore. The worrisome aspects of the treatment of women and the excessive violence might put off some parents, but overall the game is a fantastic recreation of Batman, and I recommend it with the hope that Rocksteady and DC Comics take the time to improve aspects of the game in a, hopeful, sequel.

Saints Row: The Third - Review

Since 2006, “Saints Row” has been gang-banging its way out of the shadow of its fellow third-person shooting, open world, gun-toting, car-stealing extravaganza, “Grand Theft Auto”. With this third installment to the series, Saints is looking to expand that gap far beyond what many would have ever believed. Though gigantic purple dildos played a major role in the advertising campaign of the game, that isn’t the only ‘gap enlargement’ tool at play here.

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Saints Row: The Third
Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Single Player, Co-Op
Developer: Volition, inc.
Publisher: THQ
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Price: $59.99

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Right off the bat, Saints Row: The Third’s over-the-top action hits the stage with an epic bank-breaking and mid-air battle prologue, setting the tone for much more extreme gameplay elements to take place down the line. You return as whatever (unnamed) custom boss of the 3rd Street Saints you decided to craft or download from the game’s in-depth initiation station, male or female.

The game’s story is fun. It is your duty as the boss of the Saints to recapture your gang’s clout in the city of Steelport by buying up property and beating out other gangs through violence or challenges, which wind up being violent, anyway. The Saint’s gang members’ working relationships come off as believable and genuine, greatly in part due to the quality voice performances of the game’s cast. The plot is full of twists and turns, with hard-hitting ‘holy shit’ moments aplenty. An aspect that makes the game’s narrative work so well is the dialogue and voice acting of each individual character as you progress through the game. There are also ‘choose your own adventure’ elements that provide a tinge of welcomed replay value. That factor plays a major and minor role when it comes to the game’s ending. Major because the choice you make forever changes the face of aspects of the city; minor because you have the choice to go back and get the alternate ending. One is indeed more satisfying than the other.

Saints Row: The Third plays near to the style of an arcade adventure. The default shooting configuration may be a bit sluggish for those more experienced, quick-to-react gamers. Head shots and nut shots being the key to stopping an assailant cold is very gratifying. The driving is fairly far from a simulation experience. Things like power-sliding can be pulled off without a hitch once you understand the simple control of the driving mechanics. Yes, some vehicles do feel heavier than others, but you will only have to adjust slightly to get used to each particular set of wheels. The game’s assorted flying contraptions control much closer in style within their vehicular grouping. There are also boats in the game…but they don’t matter when it comes to the grand scheme of things.
Rounding off the SR3’s base story are an assortment of mini-games that must be played in order to obtain 100% of sections of Steelport. These, and the three tiers of difficulty of each challenge, keeps things from becoming too repetitive when it comes to progressing through the campaign.

Combat, health, weapon, and car upgrades will make your adventure in Steelport easier as you go. The gun pickings have their typical pistol, SMG, and rifle selections; however, it is the other special gun options that make SR3 outstanding as a third person action game. Car modification is possibly the most gratifying and addictive hobby in SR3. With the customization options of each individual ride, you may want 2 or 3 of a kind in your garage, as if you are preparing for your own personal ‘tricked-out-whip’ convention.

There is nothing graphically groundbreaking about SR3. That’s not saying it isn’t a pretty game, though. The colorful Steelport environment holds up fairly well, considering there is no apparent loading time during travel from one section of the city to another. The loading doesn’t really come into play until you change instances or die. With the graphics engine does come a load of glitches that may be encountered during your exploration sessions; mostly getting stuck in walls.

All in all, Saints Row: The Third is a fun game, once you get past the fact that most of the NPC’s in the game drive as if they have Tourette’s syndrome. The level of customization is notable. Custom fashion, custom gang, custom cars, and low speed rickshaw chases make SR3 more of a unique experience than a mindless slaughter fest GTA clone. It’s over the top action will excite most crowds, causing a lot of “Oohs” and “Oh Damn’s!”. Despite all the story has to offer, SR3 is short, if you choose to go simply from one in-game mission to another. If you do choose to go for 100% completion, you could easily squeeze 40 hours of gameplay out of this one, not including Whored mode. THQ has yet to announce what the DLC content will be, but after playing through the game’s story completely, there is a chance a good portion of it will be story based.

Your Life of Privilege

“A primary function of art and thought is to liberate the individual from the tyranny of his culture in the environmental sense and to permit him to stand beyond it in an autonomy of perception and judgment.” Beverly Sills
 
First, thank you everyone who read last weeks post on Art and Criticism. I talked about how awareness was needed and criticism was good for showing both merits and faults, now we’re expanding that idea. The culture and media we consume, along with individuals we engage; are all seeped in an invisible world of privilege.
 
What’s privilege? Betty Brown states, “Privilege is: About how society accommodates you. It’s about advantages you have that you think are normal. It’s about you being normal, and others being the deviation from normal. It’s about fate dealing from the bottom of the deck on your behalf.”
 
With privilege defined, let’s identify our own. Personally, I identify as a white, male, straight, educated, able-bodied, western, healthy, heterosexual. It’s easy to make a larger list, but I wanted to give a small example. These are my privileges, things I benefit from; while existing in society’s institution. Identifying can cause people to become defensive so remember, this alone does not make you an enemy, though it can draw suspicion. This isn’t about guilt, but about building compassion. This isn’t about you, this is about awareness both inside and outside yourself. It’s about changing perception (identifying), educating yourself (reading and critiquing) and finally joining the conversation (applying).
 
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says ‘Morning, boys. How’s the water?’ And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes ‘What the hell is water?’ ― David Foster Wallace,This is Water
 
The difficult task of identifying our privileges is done, though with constant observation, listening and engagement, we might identify more. It’s important to remember that privilege is both outer (society) and inner (psychology). Changing our perceptions is inherently difficult. The goal is similiar to Neo from the first Matrix; when he saw and understood the Matrix code.
 
Unfortunately, it’s improbable to get to that zen like state. It’s akin to wearing a friends prescription glasses, your vision is blurred, its painful, and you want to take them off as soon as possible. I’m asking you to leave them on, because the pain will subside, the vision will get clearer; though a blur will always be prevalent. We can never stop questioning our privileges, constantly checking ourselves and absorbing different perspectives. The code will become clearer; the blur giving way to awareness and self-appraisal. So, lets train ourselves using different mediums.
 
The following examples will not include all oppressions. They are tools to begin a discussion and make the invisible world more tangible. This will be difficult, in fact you might reject it, but try and push past the pain of prescription glasses and pierce the illusion of The Matrix. Ok, lets take a look!
 

The Help, a popular movie released this year (that I haven’t seen), has received criticism for how it portrays POC (people of color). The film follows Skeeter (Emma Stone), as she writes about the trials of African-American women in the 1960’s. The issues focus on how the story distorts the history and trials of African Americans in the time period. What other movies fall into the privilege trap?
 

Red Hood and the Outlaws,one of the New DC 52. The issues of this comic have been spoken across the blogosphere, but this picture might help identify the privilege. Look at this picture and see what would inspire strong posts from women and others about Starfire, the woman in the picture. Is it her posture? Is it the positioning that seems to facilitate a male gaze? Read the issue, and identify what the non-privileged discussions are talking about.
 

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is a recent entry into pop culture. Can you identify the institutionalized videogame privilege? Has it gotten better? Count how many characters are in this game. Then ask yourself how many people of color there are? How many women? How many LGBT? Now look at your videogame library and ask yourself the same questions.
 
“The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.” ― David Foster Wallace, This is Water.
 

The invisible world is now discovered, testing senses and awareness. Through criticizing (merits and faults) all that we consume and interact with; the invisible world will never slip from our grasp. Our first instinct is empathy, but our privileged psychology often taints well-meaning empathy, and marginalizes.
 
Compassion is our goal, and remembering you’re not evil; rather it’s about awareness and opening ourselves to criticism, suspicion (when we join conversation), and overcoming our innate defensiveness. A language to respect the non-privileged will develop; mistakes will be made by joining the conversation, but overcoming our natural defensiveness is important; as we strive to acknowledge our personal privilege and improve.
 
Diving into non-privileged discussions (made to avoid patronizers) will be difficult; remember this is not about you; discussions, rantings and general lack of trust towards you are the effects of being privileged. We have glimpsed the invisible world and awareness; through criticism, trial and error combined with meaningful dialogue; can improve our respective mediums and culture.
 
 
 

Resources:

Finally, A Feminism 101
Fantastic Outline of Privilege and how to Overcome
XOJane
A Structural Definition of Privilege
Privilege in Action
TransGriot
 
Image Sources:
Thumbnail Black Lava, White Privilege from TransGriot, Matrix The Matrix and Quantum Conciousness, Striving Cruzine, The Help USA Weekend, Starfire Beyond the Bunker, MVC3 Attack of the Fanboy

Review: Eightarc’s Ebony Fusion Joystick

When it comes to fighting games, most players choose to use a joystick instead of a controller. There are many types of joysticks available from different companies. MadCats are dominating the market with their Tournament Edition fightsticks. However, MadCatz do not make a joystick that can be played on the PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 (dual mod). Of course you could modify your joystick for it to do so, but that would cost over a hundred dollars and you’ll need to know what you’re doing if you aren’t having someone do it for you. So, what complete high quality dual mod joystick could you get for a reasonable price? Eightarc and Quanba have teamed up to make premium joysticks and I got my hands on the Ebony Fusion joystick. Is this the stick to get for all your fighting game needs?

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Ebony Fusion Joystick
Works On: PlayStation, PC, Xbox 360
Company: Eightarc/Qanba
Price: $184.99 (Plus Shipping & Tax)
Comes With: Joystick, Headset, Cleaning Cloth, 2 Button Covers

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The Body
The body of the is constructed with ABS plastic and has a matte finish. With this type of construction, the joystick has toughness and is impact resistant. So if you drop your joystick on accident, then it should be just fine. The body also has smooth curvature wrist rest that make your wrists feel comfortable while playing. The underside of the stick has rubber feet and a felt bottom. The rubber feet are standard for most joysticks as it helps the stick from not moving while on a surface. I feel that the felt bottom is better than the usual metal bottoms as it prevents the stick from sliding while using it on your lap. The USB cord is on the side of the stick and it’s eight feet, two inches long which is a good length. It has its own compartment to store the cord in, so no need to fuss. One gripe I have with the stick is the headphone jack for the Xbox 360. Standard Xbox 360 headsets have a 2.5mm plug that fits in the controller perfectly. The Fusion Ebony has a 3.5mm jack which means if you want to plug in your Xbox 360 headset, you’ll have to buy an adapter or use the headset that came with the stick. However, the headset that is included feels very uncomfortable. You can find the adapters at a Radio Shack and they run for about five dollars.


The Parts
Now, to the meat of the arcade stick. The actual joystick is a Sanwa JLF and the buttons are the Sanwa OBSF-30. Sanwa is the standard arcade stick parts used in arcade machines and sticks. The Sanwa joystick and buttons are very responsive and are some of the best parts you could find on the market. Of course, there are other companies like produce joysticks and buttons that people to tend to like. But if you want the golden standard of arcade parts, Sanwa are the way to go.



The Look
The Ebony Fusion has a black and white scheme that looks pretty damn sexy. It reminds me of a classic piano. The Eightarc logo is placed where the joystick is, but it looks good. It has a very simplistic look to it and I appreciate that. Most of the time, arcade sticks have art on the stick that does not look good or just has the logo to a specific game. With the Eightarc stick, you could keep it nice and simple. However, you could also add in your own art.


Modding
With every arcade stick, you’ll be able to customize it. With Eightarc, it’s no different. Just unscrew the eight screws on the bottom and open up to see the insides of your stick. By doing this however, it will void the warranty so make sure you want to open it up. You can swap the buttons and joystick, change the art, and add any cosmetic touches such as LED buttons if you dare desire. Eightarc also sells clear panels and gives the art template on their website so making your desired stick art is very easy. Even though modding the stick voids the warranty, it’s great that Eightarc gives you the assets needed to mod.



Functionality
So, how well does the Ebony Fusion work? It works like a charm. The joystick and buttons are very responsive, but maybe too responsive for some people. However with sometime to get use to the stick, they will feel just right. Pulling off moves in Street Fighter were easy to pull off. You can’t say that it was the joystick’s fault anymore! You’ll also be able to assign turbo to buttons as well. However, fighting game fans don’t use turbo right? The main feature about the joystick is that it can be played on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. This is a great thing to have if you are going to a tournament running multiple consoles or if you have both a Xbox 360 or PlayStation. It is as easy as toggling a switch on the stick to the system you want to play then plugging it in. Simple as that!


Overall/Verdict
Eightarc’s Ebony Fusion is a high quality joystick that every fighting game fan should have. The parts are top of the line, it looks great, and the stick is reasonably priced. Also, the ability to play on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC is just awesome and very useful. However, I wish they made the headphone jack a smaller size, but getting an adapter will fix that easily. So if you are looking to get a premium arcade stick, Eightarc’s Ebony Fusion is definitely something you want.


Check out Eightarc to buy arcade sticks, parts, shirts, and more!

Art you not entertained?

“Art is moral passion married to entertainment. Moral passion without entertainment is propaganda, and entertainment without moral passion is television.”~Rita Mae Brown
 
During an interesting debate with fellow bloggers, it came to my attention that deep analysis of popular culture and the entertainment through various mediums (comics, film, music etc.) it churns out isn’t needed. The idea was, these things are meant to be just entertainment, not art. I thought the various mediums were pumping out art, not just entertainment. “Its just a comic.” “Its just a game.” Can anything be quantified as “just” anything? In my stubbornness, I wanted to shout out that art and entertainment were separate things, and to illuminate their differences and to show how they could be reconciled so we could do real criticism about what mediums produce.
 
Then the article morphed when I came upon my own realization.
 
I realized I had created a false distinction. Seperating art and entertainment is not sufficient. Its a false division. Regardless if low to high brow, objective and subjective. Entertainment wants to inform, even at a subconcious level, while art wishes to entertain, even if its just the artist themself. The truth, if we can attempt to discuss such an abstract thing, is that we are to be responsible for what we put out in our mediums. We ought to be willing to look at every aspect, inspect it, and critique (find merits and faults) it without fear.

 
“Too often we… enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” - JOHN F. KENNEDY
 
As a society, it has been ingrained the idea of pass or fail, making money or losing money, to determine success. An idea that is anathema to experimentation. But from the low brow and banal to most experimental and high brow , the subject must be critiqued. Not to disparage the artist or the medium, but to elevate it, to improve it and to show how it has or will impact us. Whether its a toy that has dangerous characterizations, to a game to a comic to a novel to a film. We must criticize, for if we do not, we are irresonsible. Entertainment seeps into our culture, we consume it and digest it and process its contents through our own perceptions. We must be wary of what we are consuming.
 
If a person eats a doughnut, they are aware of the implications, yet can also enjoy it. Same with eating fruits and vegetables. The difference is unlike art, food has a tangible influence and rating. We want to know what our food is made of and how it has or will impact us. We see its effects on our health, and to remain ignorant is to become unhealthy, another thing we can see. To be ignorant of the art we consume, means to be ignorant of its effects on society and ourselves, something that we cannot easily see or understand.
 
Our responsibility; as educators, reviewers, commentators, bloggers and as human beings is to do this. This is, again, not to weaken or take the fun out of our entertainment but to strengthen it, to enlighten, to simply be aware. For without that, we are sitting at the doughnut shop becoming diabetic, becoming overweight, becoming sick, and dying. Because no one told us that we could eat something else, or ought to. We just consumed, and never questioned.
 
“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.”- Socrates, Greek philosopher (469-399 BCE)
 
Resources:
 
A list of places you can go that are rampant with critical thinking of various mediums.
 
Son of Baldwin
DC Women Kicking Ass & SDCC Batgirl (Kyrax2)
Nerdy Bird & The Mary Sue
Too Busy Thinking About Comics & Sequart
Film Critic Hulk & Asking The Wrong Questions
Ars Marginal & Penny Arcade: Extra Credits

 

Just some of the sites I go to. Places I don’t always agree with, but they do help me think. For anyone out there reading, add in your own links to places that help you think. Enjoy, and I hope you enjoyed this article. I will be back to talk about individual stuff next time, but I wanted you all to know where I was coming from. Let everyone know what you think, here, tumblr, twitter, facebook or wherever you can find us :)
 
Images Courtesy of: Creativity Unleashed; Gladiator. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Russel Crowe. Dreamworks Pictures/ Universal Pictures. 2000.; ProBlogger; Taught to Think; Homer Simpson Wikipedia ; Jodi Truscott Blog

Btp: Aquaman #1 Review

This article was submitted by Ryan Green. If you would like to submit an article, please e-mail to myself at jadams@nerdiest-kids.com or contact@nerdiest-kids.com
 
From animated portrayals in the ‘Super Friends’, to short skits in ‘Robot Chicken’; Aquaman is often the most ridiculed super-hero out there. Not just in popular media, but in comic books as well. Due to rapid creative team switch ups, Aquaman has been everything from a teenage pretty boy, to king, to eco-terrorist, all the way to a zombie, and has had almost as many continuity problems as Hawkman!
 
However, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel with this week’s release of Aquaman #1, which is part of the “New 52” relaunch by publisher DC Comics to bring more readers into comics and the DC Universe. Spearheaded by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado; this creative team seems passionate about bringing Aquaman to the forefront and in the same league (figuratively and literally) as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern and The Flash. Such passion and love for a character is always a good sign when dealing with a new creative team, and now with Aquaman #1, out in stores, we can see firsthand just how this new take on the character works.
 
The beginning of Aquaman #1 is all about introducing Aquaman as a major power house and player in the DC Universe. As you can see in the images and preview below, Aquaman shows feats of invulnerability, great strength and, (not shown in the preview) the ability to super-leap. The great thing about these pages is that not only are they awesome Aquaman moments, they are also logical Aquaman moments for a character built to survive in the harsh environment of Earth’s oceans. This is great to witness as it shows that we finally have a writer taking Aquaman seriously, and showing he is a serious “heavy weight” in the DC Universe. Johns seems so confident in this characters ability to hold his own title that, rather than use an established Aquaman villain, he has elected to introduce us to a new foe in the form of carnivorous, horror movie-looking creatures of the deep (hence why the first Aquaman storyline of this series is called “The Trench”).
 
That’s not to say that this first issue is solely action. Like the master storyteller he is, Johns also manages to add a key ingredient in the recipe to make this story all the more enjoyable: Humor! Johns is acutely aware that the underwater hero has an unfavorable reputation, and is often seen as a joke despite the fabulous feats of power he shows throughout the issue. The highlight of this being a scene with a “blogger” in a restaurant, who constantly ridicules everything that fans have said about Aquaman for years (such as his ability to talk to fish, even though he claims he merely cajoles them to his whim) and flat out calls him a laughing stock. The reaction Aquaman has is logical, and creates a great sympathy for the character.
 
Blended in with plenty of action and humor, Aquaman #1 also has a great many heart-filled and compassionate moments. In the restaurant scene described above, Aquaman has a moment of reflection about his late father; later taking a moment to reflect on a lecture his father once gave him on responsibility as a child. Along with the empathy point of an adult figure from his past, we also see a great moment where he helps the citizenry in less action-star ways. It gives us two great things about Aquaman: it entrenches him in the superhero genre with a patriarch origin, and makes him unique with the lack of a secret identity and the reasoning for it. Finally, a unique part of this opening issue is the fact that the series has dual protagonists. Along with Aquaman, there is his wife Mera (refreshing to see in the land of comics: a happily married couple).
 
When it comes to art, it is hard to top the linework of Ivan Reis. Here, Reis’ talents are fully utilized , showing incredibly realistic facial expressions from Aquaman and all the other characters to convey personality and emotion. From the anger of the bank robbery, to the love from Mera, Reis captures the full spectrum of human emotion with his pencil. If he can and Johns can keep this momentum up, this will be a truly classic series.
 
No expense is spared for the details of this issue, as along with great pencils, the colors and imagery from inker Joe Prado on this entire issue stand out and hold your attention. The rendering of Aquaman’s costume, opting instead to do away with the garish orange color of Aquaman’s shirt for more of a shiny and metallic golden look instead, befits a former king! Prado’s mastery of color isn’t just for the Sea Kings wardrobe; he effectively bridges the look of a sun filled day, with the horror of the main adversaries. A fantastic and difficult feat to pull off!
 
After 70 years of being the butt of many jokes, and ridiculed in every manner possible, it’s good to see someone finally giving Aquaman the long overdue respect he deserves. Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado’s Aquaman #1 is a fantastic and entertaining tale, and is set not only to be another success in DC’s “New 52” initiative but will not disappoint new & old Aquaman fans alike. Honestly, I felt more like this was the first act of a movie rather than just the first issue of a comic book storyline, and I already can’t wait for issue #2!

“The Strange Talent of Luther Strode” SNEAK PEEK

Finding a new comic title that’s exciting and somewhat fresh is hard to do these days, but every now and then you stumble on something really cool.  The last title I had the pleasure of really sinking my teeth into was Lil’ Depressed Boy (still one of my favorite Image titles) but now Image is throwing out an amazing hero/slasher/nerd-turned-bad-ass title called The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, written by Justin Jordan.  You may have seen this title in a recent Previews issue and thought to yourself “well, this looks interesting.”  As it turns out, it is.  And it’s not just interesting, but it’s fun and different.  I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I first saw it, thinking “yeah, yeah, I’ve seen this before.  Nothing new.”  I’m happy to say that I was wrong and now I’m on the Luther Strode bandwagon.


We’ve all seen the story where the nerd needs a change in his life so he goes out to do something about it and, VOILA!  Superhero.  This starts out similarly but with a bit of a twist in that not only does his body change physically into a magnificent figure of a man, but he gains incredible fighting skills all because he’s learned to focus and concentrate.  The magic of Luther’s choice is no super-soldier serum or radioactive experiment, but a book called “The Hercules Method”, the end-all-be-all of changing that pathetic little form into an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator.  And though he seems to maintain his sense of self there are hints that maybe this new technique he’s discovered is doing more to him than just making him tougher.


After Luther beats up the school bully, in a fantastically bloody fashion, and gets the girl the meat of the story starts to develop with a mysterious bad guy who’s got a thing for tying people up like mummies.  Our beloved baddie seems to have some strange talents of his own and is looking to expand his ranks.  Perhaps with one beaten-up bully?  Fascinating… and a plot point I look forward to reading.  There is also hint of a dark past with Luther’s father that I’d like to read more about.


This title is one that anybody can enjoy.  If you like superheroes, you’re good.  If you like hack and slash, you’re better.  If you like mystery, you’re set as well.  Luther becomes the equivalent of a Batman-esque figure rather than a Superman or other over-the-top heroes, which is what makes him so interesting.  There’s a bit of a darkness inside him that he probably didn’t even know was there, but I’m sure we’ll get to see it soon enough.  Another beauty of this title is that you can see where Justin Jordan gets part of his slasher influence from by simply looking closely at some of Tradd Moore and Filipe Sobeiro’s art (Voorhees High School?  Brilliant.).  I’m not one to give out spoilers, so the fact is that you’re going to have to read this one on your own.  That said, you probably won’t regret spending only $2.99 on this sweet new title that’s slated for an October 4th release.  Below are a few pages for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of Image Comics.


[gallery columns=”4”]

Hollywood’s Reboot Mania

Hollywood has entered a vicious circle. One of reboots and remakes because, apparently, no one can think of anything original anymore. Should Hollywood really be so desperate to try and leech off the success of old shows and movies? Is there something I’m missing here? Because, let’s be honest, the success rate has been less than stellar for the majority of these remakes. Let’s take a little walk-through:


In recent years superheroes have been Hollywood’s big thing, which I’ll admit that I love. The success of the Dark Knight series and Ironman have been welcomed by nerds all over the world, but why so many reboots? Fantastic Four was only launched as a movie in 2005 and had it’s sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer, two years later, but a relaunch is already in the works and set for 2013. Isn’t that kind of soon? Superman Returns was only released in 2006 but the reboot, Man of Steel, is also slated for a 2013 release. You could make a somewhat valid argument for both movies to relaunch, don’t get me wrong. For instance, you can’t have the same guy play both The Human Torch and Captain America (valid point, but hardly a reason for complete reboot), or that Superman Returns was really a continuation of the old Christopher Reeves movies while Man of Steel is supposed to be starting fresh. Again, valid point. But where’s the excuse for Spider-man? It all just seems too soon.


Now what about movies like Star Trek and Transformers? Okay, Star Trek was everything trekkies have been dreaming about for years, no doubt. I had several nerdgasms when I first saw it and approve of everything J.J. Abrams did with Star Trek. Transformers is a similar story, but that’s because J.J. and Michael Bay are nerds themselves and dedicated to making the things they loved as kids into something people of the 21^st century can continue to enjoy. But then there are movies like G.I. Joe and The Smurfs, which failed on so many levels. Why? Because they were out to make money rather than keep things interesting for fans.


But enough about movies, let’s look at television. Have you heard that Hollywood is remaking the 80’s drama Beauty and the Beast? You know, the one with Linda Hamilton. Yeah. Why are they doing that now? Of all shows you chose to reboot from the 80’s you pick Beauty and the Beast? Don’t get me wrong, I have a special place in my heart for that show, but seriously. What about shows like Moonlighting or Family Ties? Both great shows that people would love to see again. Hawaii Five-0 and Thundercats are showing quite a bit of success because of good writing, but I shudder to think what will become of Beauty and the Beast because Battlestar Galactica it is not. Especially if they do to it what they did to Strawberry Shortcake (you know, completely destroy and bastardize it). I thank my lucky stars no one has tried to do the same to Rainbow Brite, and we can only be grateful that no one picked up on the reboot of Wonder Woman, which was sure to be a complete disaster based on what was surfing around the internet.


When it comes down to it it makes perfect sense to reboot something for a new generation, or even remaking a successful foreign film with American actors, but at what point does the process become too much? Hollywood seems to be grasping at straws, very thin ones at that, to get any little piece of popularity that once was into modern day TV or film. What’s next? Classics like The Big Lebowski or The Godfather? Maybe Enter the Dragon or Gone With the Wind, or if they’re really feeling frisky then maybe Billy Madison or Tank Girl. Heck, I’ll admit that I’d watch a remake of Murder She Wrote if they did it right. But therein lies the problem: doing it right. We’ve seen the massive failures of some shoddily thrown together movie that someone had a great idea for but then left it in the hands of people who had no idea what the original idea was, or thought that their idea (which had very little to do with the original other than characters) was so much better.  It seems Evil Dead will be getting the rebooting experience soon as well.  Here’s to hoping they keep it campy and fun and don’t completely destroy a cult classic.

Diversity and Disability

With the relaunch of the DC Universe happening next week, and the various promo and previews we have been subjected to, a lot of opinions of the relaunch has spread across the internet. From generally positive to virulent negativity, we have run the gamut of emotions. Without going into the business end reasons for this relaunch, we do have to talk about a few things. DC, and superhero comics in general, have always had a rather contemptuous relationship with diversity. Whether it be race, gender, sexuality, religion or whatever boat you are in, superhero comics rarely give you much to identify with if you are not a straight, white male. When a character DOES show up that is diverse, readers latch onto them, and identify and really become a part of the readership. But what happens when that changes? The DC relaunch has, according to imagery, given Barbara Gordon the ability to walk, after 20+ years being disabled. How has the readership responded?

I am going to give each and every one of the nerdiest-kids a challenge.Pick up and read Batgirl #1 when it comes out, and also read the various blogs, and podcasts that I am linking. Now ask yourself how you would feel if a character you identified with underwent such a change? Would you feel passionate enough to raise a voice? Our patriarchal privleged culture needs to wake up to these issues. Gail is aware of these, and is addressing them, and the opposing voice is (usually respectively) also voicing their opinion. Now its time for you to voice yours. Follow Gail Simone on twitter, read the comic when it comes out, and read these blogs and listen to these podcasts. Let the Nerdiest Kids know how you feel about diversity in not only comics, but all your entertainment. Its all our problem, no matter how much of a minority is there. No one should feel excluded and everyone should have a hero they want to emulate. Leave your comment below.

Facebook homepage https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbaras-Not-Broken/216306118404228
Bleeding Cool Article: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/07/17/give-batgirl-the-chair-by-eric-glover/
Reaction to the Above article: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/08/14/confessions-of-a-sadistic-disability-fetishist-a-batgirl-story-by-eric-glover/
A blog about disability and pop culture: http://whereslulu.com/2011/07/20/reclaiming-batgirl/
Kevin Smith talking about it in a podcast: http://www.thefastertimes.com/politicallycorrectpop/2011/07/18/kevin-smith-mentions-tfts-batgirl-article-on-podcast/