Have you heard the news? Disney is buying Marvel for $4 Billion in cash and stock.
Given how ludicrous that statement seems, I'll pause for those who just heard.
...
OK, feel better? Newsarama has already talked to several people 'In the Know' and slapped together a decent reaction story at THIS LINK, so check it out.
This is already one of those 'Internet cracked in half' moments, with every fanboy out there needing to run his mouth about how horrible a move this is or how wonderful. Personally, I have no opinion whatsoever, other than simply surprise, since NOBODY knows what this will mean for any of the parties involved. More than likely, the changes will be minimal. I mean. Joey Q is keeping his job. And Marvel's movie-rights deals are going to have to be honored. Really, the most pressing concern in the comic book world should be the status of Boom! Entertainment's many strong Disney titles.
This is a wait and see sort of deal. Still, this merger is very surprising, and something to keep an eye on over the next few years and beyond.
If I could have one and only one wish, though, I have to admit a Pixar X-Men movie would be just about the greatest thing since the Chipwich...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
"Batman: Arkham Asylum's" Best Moments; Ideas for Sequel
Check out my full review of "Batman: Arkham Asylum" at THIS LINK. As you will read, I fell head-over-heels in love with this experience, only to be sorely disappointed in the final moments in such a way that only "Fable II" had done before.
Consequently, I am not as quick as some others to anoint this the greatest comic book game of all time (I have a lot of appreciation for the "X-Men: Legends" series). What I will say is this is a strong contender for that role, as well as a strong contender for 2009 game of the year, because there was just so much to love in the first 95% of "Batman: Arkham Asylum." Here are my Top 5 favorite moments of the game, and the Top 5 things I want to see in a sequel.
My Top 5 Favorite Moments (PLENTY of Spoilers):
5) The revelation of the Batcave. There are moments in comics when you can't help but step back and say "Damn, Batman is cool." When Bruce reveals he has his own mini Batcave underneath Arkham Island, I had one of those moments (and another one is when he called in the Batwing out of nowhere just to get his zipline tool, which I cannot remember the name of at the moment). In truth, there were not that many uses for this Batcave. Sure, he concocts the Titan antidote here later in the story, but I image writer Paul Dini could have let him use an Arkham lab if he wanted to. No, the Batcave was just in this game because we had to see what a badass cool guy Batman is, and the moment delivered.
4) The opening sequence. Yes, it sounds weird that glorified opening credits ranks among my favorite moments, but few things compared to the glee I felt, playing this game early on the morning of its release, on little sleep, having awaited this game for so long — and as the Joker was wheeled through the halls of Arkham his voice and words felt as authentic as possible. Any fears I had for the storyline or realism were immediately washed away and I was immediately sucked into the world those characters inhabit.
3) The room near the water pumps patrolled by gunmen. This was the last and the toughest of the patrols to take down, and honestly it did take me a few tries. As far as I was concerned, rooms like this brought players as close as possible to Batman's true (if he wasn't fictional) way of operating. This particular room offered very little cover in the sky, so if a gunman spotted you at all, you best go down below into the grates and vents, not up, or else you're swiss cheese. The multiple walls to pull down also provided this room with the most potential for setting traps. A close runner up in the category of best rooms full of gunmen would have to be the one with the sabotaged gargoyles.
2) The welcoming committee when arriving at the party. I didn't have "Detective Mode" on when entering my favorite place on the Island (how cool was the Joker/TV interaction at the visitors center throughout the game?), so when I stepped inside and there were 20 thugs waiting for me, it was a shock. The only bigger shock? When they all started cheering for me, the guest of honor. There was no moment that better encapsulated the nutty personality of this storyline. And then, of course, I beat them all up.
1) The final Scarecrow hallucination. All of the Scarecrow moments were fun, but this was far an away the best idea Dini had in the game. Watching Joker drive Batman back to the Asylum at the outset of the delusion was the perfect way to knock players' minds for a loop, and then the choreography as Bats was wheeled into the Asylum was simply spot-on with the game's intro. And what would the scene be without nurse Harley at Mr. J's side?
P.S. — To be honest, I began this hallucination in a state of fear myself ... I've experienced The Red Ring of Death before, it was actually ironically sparked while playing "Lego: Batman," and the screen malfunctions at the start of the dream sequence made me briefly think I was about to go through it all again!
Top 5 Things I want to see in a Sequel
5) Wayne Manor, and the rest of Gotham. While the concept of locking Batman inside the loony bin with the loons gave "Arkham Asylum" an immediate hook, the execution of it, using the entire Arkham Island, proved this game was much more like Batman in a small town than one Asylum. So why not let our Dark Knight head home to Gotham proper for the sequel? In doing so, we would be allowed to explore the real Batcave and Wayne Manor, which would lead to what are always exciting moments in Batman stories -- when Wayne Manor becomes compromised. It worked in "Batman Begins," it worked in "Batman: R.I.P.," it worked in "Knightfall" and it would work here.
4) Matches Malone. As I said, I would want a sequel to deal in a large chunk of the Gotham we know and love, which would inevitably lead to more opportunities for detective work and possibly the need to go undercover to learn clues. Allowing us to play a level as Matches Malone, Batman's favorite undercover alias, in order to uncover the truth, would be an innovative concept every Bat fan could get behind.
3) More side quests. While enjoyable, "Arkham Asylum was extremely linear for an open-world game. Hunting down the Riddler's riddles was just about the only distraction from the storyline. A possible sequel would be wise to take a page from "Fable's" book and provide ample side tasks to fill out the surrounding world. Heck, there's always crimes to thwart in Gotham, right?
2) Robin. How many games nowadays don't offer multiplayer? And, a better question, how could this series neglect to add multiplayer when Batman so often works with sidekicks? He's got Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Huntress, Spoiler ... need I continue? Obviously, Robin (Tim Drake, preferably, in order to keep the Nightwing options open) would be the logical choice to give players the option of progressing through the bulk of the storyline in multiplayer. Given the importance of stealth in the game, multiplayer might actually make things tougher for a change.
1) Many, many more boss battles! The only consistent problem you can find with "Batman: Arkham Asylum" is the major lack of boss battles. Killer Croc is always lurking, but you never get to fight the brute. Sure, the sewer sequence was unique and challenging, but it wasn't a real fight. I LOVED the Scarecrow sequences, but it would have been helped by a fight with the over-sized Scarecrow at the end of the last of the sequences. And did I mention how horrendously weak the fight with the Joker was? In a game with so many monsters and A-list villains, the only real boss battle was with a giant plant.
I understand with a character like Batman and a rogues gallery such as he has, it's difficult to create challenging fights. But this game was sorely lacking in the "Legend of Zelda"-esque fights in which Batman can use a combination of his gadgets to take down challenging creatures. These developers could have done much better than pulling the Joker down with his back turned.
Consequently, I am not as quick as some others to anoint this the greatest comic book game of all time (I have a lot of appreciation for the "X-Men: Legends" series). What I will say is this is a strong contender for that role, as well as a strong contender for 2009 game of the year, because there was just so much to love in the first 95% of "Batman: Arkham Asylum." Here are my Top 5 favorite moments of the game, and the Top 5 things I want to see in a sequel.
My Top 5 Favorite Moments (PLENTY of Spoilers):
5) The revelation of the Batcave. There are moments in comics when you can't help but step back and say "Damn, Batman is cool." When Bruce reveals he has his own mini Batcave underneath Arkham Island, I had one of those moments (and another one is when he called in the Batwing out of nowhere just to get his zipline tool, which I cannot remember the name of at the moment). In truth, there were not that many uses for this Batcave. Sure, he concocts the Titan antidote here later in the story, but I image writer Paul Dini could have let him use an Arkham lab if he wanted to. No, the Batcave was just in this game because we had to see what a badass cool guy Batman is, and the moment delivered.
4) The opening sequence. Yes, it sounds weird that glorified opening credits ranks among my favorite moments, but few things compared to the glee I felt, playing this game early on the morning of its release, on little sleep, having awaited this game for so long — and as the Joker was wheeled through the halls of Arkham his voice and words felt as authentic as possible. Any fears I had for the storyline or realism were immediately washed away and I was immediately sucked into the world those characters inhabit.
3) The room near the water pumps patrolled by gunmen. This was the last and the toughest of the patrols to take down, and honestly it did take me a few tries. As far as I was concerned, rooms like this brought players as close as possible to Batman's true (if he wasn't fictional) way of operating. This particular room offered very little cover in the sky, so if a gunman spotted you at all, you best go down below into the grates and vents, not up, or else you're swiss cheese. The multiple walls to pull down also provided this room with the most potential for setting traps. A close runner up in the category of best rooms full of gunmen would have to be the one with the sabotaged gargoyles.
2) The welcoming committee when arriving at the party. I didn't have "Detective Mode" on when entering my favorite place on the Island (how cool was the Joker/TV interaction at the visitors center throughout the game?), so when I stepped inside and there were 20 thugs waiting for me, it was a shock. The only bigger shock? When they all started cheering for me, the guest of honor. There was no moment that better encapsulated the nutty personality of this storyline. And then, of course, I beat them all up.
1) The final Scarecrow hallucination. All of the Scarecrow moments were fun, but this was far an away the best idea Dini had in the game. Watching Joker drive Batman back to the Asylum at the outset of the delusion was the perfect way to knock players' minds for a loop, and then the choreography as Bats was wheeled into the Asylum was simply spot-on with the game's intro. And what would the scene be without nurse Harley at Mr. J's side?
P.S. — To be honest, I began this hallucination in a state of fear myself ... I've experienced The Red Ring of Death before, it was actually ironically sparked while playing "Lego: Batman," and the screen malfunctions at the start of the dream sequence made me briefly think I was about to go through it all again!
Top 5 Things I want to see in a Sequel
5) Wayne Manor, and the rest of Gotham. While the concept of locking Batman inside the loony bin with the loons gave "Arkham Asylum" an immediate hook, the execution of it, using the entire Arkham Island, proved this game was much more like Batman in a small town than one Asylum. So why not let our Dark Knight head home to Gotham proper for the sequel? In doing so, we would be allowed to explore the real Batcave and Wayne Manor, which would lead to what are always exciting moments in Batman stories -- when Wayne Manor becomes compromised. It worked in "Batman Begins," it worked in "Batman: R.I.P.," it worked in "Knightfall" and it would work here.
4) Matches Malone. As I said, I would want a sequel to deal in a large chunk of the Gotham we know and love, which would inevitably lead to more opportunities for detective work and possibly the need to go undercover to learn clues. Allowing us to play a level as Matches Malone, Batman's favorite undercover alias, in order to uncover the truth, would be an innovative concept every Bat fan could get behind.
3) More side quests. While enjoyable, "Arkham Asylum was extremely linear for an open-world game. Hunting down the Riddler's riddles was just about the only distraction from the storyline. A possible sequel would be wise to take a page from "Fable's" book and provide ample side tasks to fill out the surrounding world. Heck, there's always crimes to thwart in Gotham, right?
2) Robin. How many games nowadays don't offer multiplayer? And, a better question, how could this series neglect to add multiplayer when Batman so often works with sidekicks? He's got Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Huntress, Spoiler ... need I continue? Obviously, Robin (Tim Drake, preferably, in order to keep the Nightwing options open) would be the logical choice to give players the option of progressing through the bulk of the storyline in multiplayer. Given the importance of stealth in the game, multiplayer might actually make things tougher for a change.
1) Many, many more boss battles! The only consistent problem you can find with "Batman: Arkham Asylum" is the major lack of boss battles. Killer Croc is always lurking, but you never get to fight the brute. Sure, the sewer sequence was unique and challenging, but it wasn't a real fight. I LOVED the Scarecrow sequences, but it would have been helped by a fight with the over-sized Scarecrow at the end of the last of the sequences. And did I mention how horrendously weak the fight with the Joker was? In a game with so many monsters and A-list villains, the only real boss battle was with a giant plant.
I understand with a character like Batman and a rogues gallery such as he has, it's difficult to create challenging fights. But this game was sorely lacking in the "Legend of Zelda"-esque fights in which Batman can use a combination of his gadgets to take down challenging creatures. These developers could have done much better than pulling the Joker down with his back turned.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Buy Pile Report
Alright folks, we're going to make this quick. And no, it's not so I can get back to playing "Batman: Arkham Asylum." It's so I can go to bed ... in order to wake up extra early to play "Batman: Arkham Asylum."
What?!? There's a difference! I'm not an addict! I can quit anytime I want!
Where was I? Oh yeah, this week's comic books. And highlighting the week was one of the juiciest (yes, I said juiciest!) "Blackest Night" tie-ins yet: Green Lantern #45. This one had everything you could ask for and all without the use of any of the four Earth GLs (with the exception of two pages at the outset). So what did it have, you ask? Well, Sinestro and Carol Ferris have a heart to heart, with Carol showing her mettle and Sinestro really cutting loose with more pure power than we've seen out of him in a long time. We saw dead Sinestro Corps., lurking Black Rings, and we even saw Pariah making a very welcome cameo in his own special way.
And -- serious spoiler alert here -- does it get any better than the end of this book, with Larfleeze surrounded by Black Lantern Orange Lanterns?!?
While most comic events aim to reward readers for their anticipation, "Blackest Night" has an incredible talent for only making me anticipate the event more and more as the books roll on. And who doesn't love this production schedule, with at least one tie-in out every week?
Speaking of which, there were two "Blackest Night" tie-ins this week, the second being Blackest Night: Titans #1. I was on the fence about buying this mini or not, and now I am sure glad that I dug into my wallet for those extra three bucks. Not only did this book flat-out break my heart at one point (poor Donna Troy!), but it revealed something that's going to play into the main "Blackest Night" story (or at least I think it will). In these pages we see two Doves ... well, plenty of dead dove birds, but only two Dove heroes. We see Don Hall once again, still resistant to the Black Rings, and we see the woman who took up his mantle, Dawn. We also get to see Dawn's aura -- bright white. No predominant emotion. And the Black Ring could not read it. If you're looking into that "White Lantern" theory, there's a big clue right there.
And oh, by the way: Gar ... ew. Folks, this is NOT the mini to pass on.
So what else did we have this week? Superman #691 concluded the "Codename: Patriot" storyline with dubious and predictable results. General Lane's gambit played out with his desired result -- Earth now hates Kryptonians and all things Superman. predictable, right? But also incredibly dubious, seeing as Superman has to be about as popular and trusted as Jesus. How many times has he protected Earth? And we're not going to hear him out? This was dubious 25 years ago during the "Legends" crossover (yes, Morgan Edge, nice Glorious Godfrey impression), and it's dubious now.
I think I just set a world record for most times using "Dubious" in a paragraph.
Similarly dubious, for entirely different reasons, was X-Force #18. Overall, this issue is not bad. We just chug along with the storyline, Wolverine and Cyclops have a nice get-together, we get some cleanup from the last issue and Laura has a real pain in the ass day. But two pages are spent teasing to the upcoming "X-Force," "New Mutants," "X-Men: Legacy" crossover, "Necrosha." This tease included a man by the name of Eli Bard using his blackened hand to reanimate a corpse.
Yes, "Necrosha" will include a man who looks perfectly normal except for his black hand that can reanimate people. Where have I heard of that before? Damnit, this is going to drive me nuts. It's on the tip of my tongue.
Let's just move on, I'll think of it eventually.
I got two more and only little patience. Here's some quick thoughts:
Flash: Rebirth #4: Not the worst story, but if Geoff Johns' cards are all out there on the table now, then this event has to be considered a disappointment. The whole thing is feeling pretty convoluted right now, and if this is where Johns is taking these characters, I'm not sure I want to go along for the ride. Hopefully he finishes strong, but having to wait so many months for this issue made it easier to dislike this issue.
Justice Society of America #30: You'll love the use of new Doctor Fate, but we're starting to see the seeds for the JSA's split in this issue and I'm already not buying it in the least. Here's the problem -- we know too much of Magog's (likely) future. We know what he (likely) becomes. So even if his points have any merit here whatsoever, I cannot help but read all his actions as very misguided, if not flat out wrong. Consequently, I find myself very worried about the future for my favorite superhero team right now. But, as I've said the last couple of months, I trust Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges, so we'll see.
Whew! All done. Back to Gotham!
What?!? There's a difference! I'm not an addict! I can quit anytime I want!
Where was I? Oh yeah, this week's comic books. And highlighting the week was one of the juiciest (yes, I said juiciest!) "Blackest Night" tie-ins yet: Green Lantern #45. This one had everything you could ask for and all without the use of any of the four Earth GLs (with the exception of two pages at the outset). So what did it have, you ask? Well, Sinestro and Carol Ferris have a heart to heart, with Carol showing her mettle and Sinestro really cutting loose with more pure power than we've seen out of him in a long time. We saw dead Sinestro Corps., lurking Black Rings, and we even saw Pariah making a very welcome cameo in his own special way.
And -- serious spoiler alert here -- does it get any better than the end of this book, with Larfleeze surrounded by Black Lantern Orange Lanterns?!?
While most comic events aim to reward readers for their anticipation, "Blackest Night" has an incredible talent for only making me anticipate the event more and more as the books roll on. And who doesn't love this production schedule, with at least one tie-in out every week?
Speaking of which, there were two "Blackest Night" tie-ins this week, the second being Blackest Night: Titans #1. I was on the fence about buying this mini or not, and now I am sure glad that I dug into my wallet for those extra three bucks. Not only did this book flat-out break my heart at one point (poor Donna Troy!), but it revealed something that's going to play into the main "Blackest Night" story (or at least I think it will). In these pages we see two Doves ... well, plenty of dead dove birds, but only two Dove heroes. We see Don Hall once again, still resistant to the Black Rings, and we see the woman who took up his mantle, Dawn. We also get to see Dawn's aura -- bright white. No predominant emotion. And the Black Ring could not read it. If you're looking into that "White Lantern" theory, there's a big clue right there.
And oh, by the way: Gar ... ew. Folks, this is NOT the mini to pass on.
So what else did we have this week? Superman #691 concluded the "Codename: Patriot" storyline with dubious and predictable results. General Lane's gambit played out with his desired result -- Earth now hates Kryptonians and all things Superman. predictable, right? But also incredibly dubious, seeing as Superman has to be about as popular and trusted as Jesus. How many times has he protected Earth? And we're not going to hear him out? This was dubious 25 years ago during the "Legends" crossover (yes, Morgan Edge, nice Glorious Godfrey impression), and it's dubious now.
I think I just set a world record for most times using "Dubious" in a paragraph.
Similarly dubious, for entirely different reasons, was X-Force #18. Overall, this issue is not bad. We just chug along with the storyline, Wolverine and Cyclops have a nice get-together, we get some cleanup from the last issue and Laura has a real pain in the ass day. But two pages are spent teasing to the upcoming "X-Force," "New Mutants," "X-Men: Legacy" crossover, "Necrosha." This tease included a man by the name of Eli Bard using his blackened hand to reanimate a corpse.
Yes, "Necrosha" will include a man who looks perfectly normal except for his black hand that can reanimate people. Where have I heard of that before? Damnit, this is going to drive me nuts. It's on the tip of my tongue.
Let's just move on, I'll think of it eventually.
I got two more and only little patience. Here's some quick thoughts:
Flash: Rebirth #4: Not the worst story, but if Geoff Johns' cards are all out there on the table now, then this event has to be considered a disappointment. The whole thing is feeling pretty convoluted right now, and if this is where Johns is taking these characters, I'm not sure I want to go along for the ride. Hopefully he finishes strong, but having to wait so many months for this issue made it easier to dislike this issue.
Justice Society of America #30: You'll love the use of new Doctor Fate, but we're starting to see the seeds for the JSA's split in this issue and I'm already not buying it in the least. Here's the problem -- we know too much of Magog's (likely) future. We know what he (likely) becomes. So even if his points have any merit here whatsoever, I cannot help but read all his actions as very misguided, if not flat out wrong. Consequently, I find myself very worried about the future for my favorite superhero team right now. But, as I've said the last couple of months, I trust Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges, so we'll see.
Whew! All done. Back to Gotham!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Finally, a complaint about "Arkham Asylum"
After 12 and a half hours of gameplay, I finally have a single complaint about "Batman: Arkham Asylum." As I said last night, I can pick nits, but in terms of big complaints, this game has me giddy.
But finally, I have one. My angry little heart is almost happy that I finally have a complaint. Just before I had to shut off the Xbox and head into work, The COOLEST cinematic yet began playing. Literally, my jaw dropped. The only problem is, without warning, it stopped being a cinematic and I was dead. If I get the chance to do it again, I will sure as shoot be ready for it next time ... the only problem is, I won't get a next time.
As I said, I had to go into work. So instead of choosing "Retry," or doing what I normally do, which is just hold the power button on my controller, I (for some God awful reason) chose "Quit," which did not take me to the title screen, it took me to a graveyard I'd never seen before.
So there you go, my complaint, "Quit" made me miss something (which I will probably see once I play through the game again very soon).
I'm telling you, though, this game is THAT good.
But finally, I have one. My angry little heart is almost happy that I finally have a complaint. Just before I had to shut off the Xbox and head into work, The COOLEST cinematic yet began playing. Literally, my jaw dropped. The only problem is, without warning, it stopped being a cinematic and I was dead. If I get the chance to do it again, I will sure as shoot be ready for it next time ... the only problem is, I won't get a next time.
As I said, I had to go into work. So instead of choosing "Retry," or doing what I normally do, which is just hold the power button on my controller, I (for some God awful reason) chose "Quit," which did not take me to the title screen, it took me to a graveyard I'd never seen before.
So there you go, my complaint, "Quit" made me miss something (which I will probably see once I play through the game again very soon).
I'm telling you, though, this game is THAT good.
The Joker has hijacked this week's comic expectations
There will be no details on what to expect out of this week's comics. Check out the list of releases at THIS LINK.
If you're disappointed, blame the Joker. I rolled out of bed this morning, powered on the Xbox and proceeded to play "Batman: Arkham Asylum" for 11 of the next 14 hours. It's that good, folks. I cleared my schedule and made darn sure I wasn't supposed to do anything today, and boy was it worth it.
Don't get me wrong, I could pick nits if I really wanted to (and I likely will when writing the full review), but I have not been this thrilled as a comic-reading gamer since "X-Men Legends" came out.
As I said, I'll have much more to say very soon, but for now I need a little sleep so I can get in a few more hours of gaming before heading into the office on Wednesday. Good Night Gotham!
If you're disappointed, blame the Joker. I rolled out of bed this morning, powered on the Xbox and proceeded to play "Batman: Arkham Asylum" for 11 of the next 14 hours. It's that good, folks. I cleared my schedule and made darn sure I wasn't supposed to do anything today, and boy was it worth it.
Don't get me wrong, I could pick nits if I really wanted to (and I likely will when writing the full review), but I have not been this thrilled as a comic-reading gamer since "X-Men Legends" came out.
As I said, I'll have much more to say very soon, but for now I need a little sleep so I can get in a few more hours of gaming before heading into the office on Wednesday. Good Night Gotham!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Closer look at Project Natal
Our good friends at IGN.com ... OK, we've never met, but I'm sure if we met we'd be friends ... What? I can be personable and make friends sometimes! ... Where was I? Oh yeah, our good friends at IGN.com took a much more in-depth look at Microsoft's upcoming "Project Natal," so visit THIS LINK to read all about it.
IGN also raises the same questions I've had about the technology all along, wondering just how much something like this would help classically controller-based games. I have a feeling we're going to have to wait until launch to get a good answer.
IGN also raises the same questions I've had about the technology all along, wondering just how much something like this would help classically controller-based games. I have a feeling we're going to have to wait until launch to get a good answer.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
So what if "Final Fantasy XIII" is three discs on Xbox?
Follow THIS LINK to read what I'm telling you right now, "Final Fantasy XIII" will come packaged as one Blu-Ray disc for the PlayStation 3 but likely three (if not four) discs for Xbox 360.
The link will also tell you the games will look pretty darned near identical visually.
To this I can only respond, who cares if "FF13," or any game, is on multiple discs? I've heard over the years how Sony loyalists treat this Xbox flaw as some "PlayStation will prevail!" rallying cry, but I just don't see it.
Why? Because "Final Fantasy" titles have a long and successful history of multiple discs. I've played all of them, and they've never bothered me in the least. Heck, "Final Fantasy VII" even incorporated the disc break into their storyline. Back in the day, the only thing more epic than the concept of Aeris — decade-old spoiler alert — dying was the fact that the moment marked the end of a whole disc. As me as a youngster, this combination was packed with more mythos than was previously humanly possible.
I, for one, will walk fearlessly forward on my way to playing "Final Fantasy XIII" on my Xbox, disc changes or no. If we're lucky, it might even add to the experience once again.
The link will also tell you the games will look pretty darned near identical visually.
To this I can only respond, who cares if "FF13," or any game, is on multiple discs? I've heard over the years how Sony loyalists treat this Xbox flaw as some "PlayStation will prevail!" rallying cry, but I just don't see it.
Why? Because "Final Fantasy" titles have a long and successful history of multiple discs. I've played all of them, and they've never bothered me in the least. Heck, "Final Fantasy VII" even incorporated the disc break into their storyline. Back in the day, the only thing more epic than the concept of Aeris — decade-old spoiler alert — dying was the fact that the moment marked the end of a whole disc. As me as a youngster, this combination was packed with more mythos than was previously humanly possible.
I, for one, will walk fearlessly forward on my way to playing "Final Fantasy XIII" on my Xbox, disc changes or no. If we're lucky, it might even add to the experience once again.
Buy Pile Report
Well, as anticipated, it was up to Black Lantern Earth-2 Superman to save the day.
And while Kal-L wasn't quite enough to make up for the rest of the waste of space books out this week, but he sure was awesome.
Blackest Night: Superman #1 was everything you could ask for in a tie-in. For one, it's pretty clear that you really don't NEED to read this issue to follow "Blackest Night" proper. For two, any Superman-family fan will gush over this. With the possible exception of Power Girl's absence, given her connection to the character, James Robinson wrote the perfect zombie Kal-L story. I say that because it wasn't enough for him to simply write about Kal-El meeting again with Kal-L, he includes Superboy as a main character, and considering how "Infinite Crisis" played out, the choice was brilliant. Also, Kal-L brought another Black Lantern friend back with him that I wasn't expecting whatsoever (No, it's not Pa Kent, at least yet), but she too was just a perfect choice.
On top of all those good choices, we also get a strong first issue to this storyline which, while didn't include all that much action yet, definitely showed the potential for plenty. Also of note, this was the first time in the "Blackest Night" event that we have seen characters exude more than one emotion at once. Frankly, to me, this looked like a slight editorial mistake. But, if Robinson's script was on the level, then Superman showed the potential to wield just about any emotion you can ask for.
Unfortunately, the other three books I picked up this week were pretty disappointing.
Supergirl #44 was the third installment of the four-part "Codename: Patriot" crossover. Or, at least it called itself the third installment. Very very VERY little was advanced here, which, frankly, was a shock considering how short this crossover is. General Lane showed his plan is moving along, but we already knew the plan was to make Krypton look like a much bigger threat than it is, so what's new there? Lois Lane was still acting irrationally bitchy toward Supergirl, so what's new there? The only thing that we really saw was that that Mirage girl is fixing to trick Nightwing, Flamebird and Supergirl into looking very bad. That's it. Waste of time and money.
But, not as big of a waste of money was Superman Annual #14 was. This book, the "Secret Origin of Mon-El and his World," rarely even featured Mon-El!!! It was literally just the story of how Daxam was founded, and the big reveal was that for some God awful reason Robinson chose to make Mon-El's great great great great grandfather an Earthling. Let me tell you, when DC said it would be bringing the concept of annuals back a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. I loved annuals growing up and how they provided exciting, self-contained stories as a bonus to what I was following on a monthly basis. But, if DC keeps insisting on making these annuals glorified back-up tales, the concept is going to die again.
Speaking of back-up stories, Justice League of America #36, the second part of a three-issue story featuring the Royal Flush Gang -- a story which surprisingly had a very strong first issue -- spent most of its pages explaining the origin of the Gang. Let that set in for a moment. If you can picture a freight train coming to a screeching halt, that's what happened to the momentum this story built last issue. It's almost as if Len Wein had two-issues worth of story to tell and DC told him they needed three.
Oh well, at least we got more glorious zombie action this week. And now, back to "Shadow Complex." Jealous?
And while Kal-L wasn't quite enough to make up for the rest of the waste of space books out this week, but he sure was awesome.
Blackest Night: Superman #1 was everything you could ask for in a tie-in. For one, it's pretty clear that you really don't NEED to read this issue to follow "Blackest Night" proper. For two, any Superman-family fan will gush over this. With the possible exception of Power Girl's absence, given her connection to the character, James Robinson wrote the perfect zombie Kal-L story. I say that because it wasn't enough for him to simply write about Kal-El meeting again with Kal-L, he includes Superboy as a main character, and considering how "Infinite Crisis" played out, the choice was brilliant. Also, Kal-L brought another Black Lantern friend back with him that I wasn't expecting whatsoever (No, it's not Pa Kent, at least yet), but she too was just a perfect choice.
On top of all those good choices, we also get a strong first issue to this storyline which, while didn't include all that much action yet, definitely showed the potential for plenty. Also of note, this was the first time in the "Blackest Night" event that we have seen characters exude more than one emotion at once. Frankly, to me, this looked like a slight editorial mistake. But, if Robinson's script was on the level, then Superman showed the potential to wield just about any emotion you can ask for.
Unfortunately, the other three books I picked up this week were pretty disappointing.
Supergirl #44 was the third installment of the four-part "Codename: Patriot" crossover. Or, at least it called itself the third installment. Very very VERY little was advanced here, which, frankly, was a shock considering how short this crossover is. General Lane showed his plan is moving along, but we already knew the plan was to make Krypton look like a much bigger threat than it is, so what's new there? Lois Lane was still acting irrationally bitchy toward Supergirl, so what's new there? The only thing that we really saw was that that Mirage girl is fixing to trick Nightwing, Flamebird and Supergirl into looking very bad. That's it. Waste of time and money.
But, not as big of a waste of money was Superman Annual #14 was. This book, the "Secret Origin of Mon-El and his World," rarely even featured Mon-El!!! It was literally just the story of how Daxam was founded, and the big reveal was that for some God awful reason Robinson chose to make Mon-El's great great great great grandfather an Earthling. Let me tell you, when DC said it would be bringing the concept of annuals back a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. I loved annuals growing up and how they provided exciting, self-contained stories as a bonus to what I was following on a monthly basis. But, if DC keeps insisting on making these annuals glorified back-up tales, the concept is going to die again.
Speaking of back-up stories, Justice League of America #36, the second part of a three-issue story featuring the Royal Flush Gang -- a story which surprisingly had a very strong first issue -- spent most of its pages explaining the origin of the Gang. Let that set in for a moment. If you can picture a freight train coming to a screeching halt, that's what happened to the momentum this story built last issue. It's almost as if Len Wein had two-issues worth of story to tell and DC told him they needed three.
Oh well, at least we got more glorious zombie action this week. And now, back to "Shadow Complex." Jealous?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
'Shadow Complex' review
As soon as I get home tonight, the first thing I'm doing is getting on my Xbox and downloading "Shadow Complex." I'm sure I'm not the only one.You've heard of it, haven't you? Epic Games' new 3D, 2D-shooter which plays like a combination of "Metroid," "Castlevania," and "Legend of Zelda" combined. Yes, I have to stick 'ole faithful "Zelda" in there, since a good portion of this game revolves around puzzle solving. It was just released today, which is making sitting at this desk that much harder.
Need to know more? Click THIS LINK to the Journal's Gaming page for a full review. Until "Batman: Arkham Asylum" comes out next week, "Shadow Complex" is going to be my life.
'Fable III' announced!
Well, the long part of my week actually just ended. And it just so happens that the first news I read after my long week ended was cause to celebrate:
"Fable III" was announced today, with a release date of late 2010 (which likely means summer 2011, but beggars and chooser, you know?).
Check out THIS LINK to IGN.com for more news and descriptions of what to expect out of the threequel.
Two things of note here:
1) "Fable III" will begin by reading your "Fable II" game save, so you're going to want to really have the sequel mastered by the time you pop in the new game.
2) Unlike previous installments of the series in which you played a fledgling adventurer looking to make a name for himself, this time around you become ruler of all of Albion. BAM! It could be an awesome change, or it could make the game much too much of a resource allocator like some hospital management game. Still, it's something to anticipate.
"Fable III" was announced today, with a release date of late 2010 (which likely means summer 2011, but beggars and chooser, you know?).
Check out THIS LINK to IGN.com for more news and descriptions of what to expect out of the threequel.
Two things of note here:
1) "Fable III" will begin by reading your "Fable II" game save, so you're going to want to really have the sequel mastered by the time you pop in the new game.
2) Unlike previous installments of the series in which you played a fledgling adventurer looking to make a name for himself, this time around you become ruler of all of Albion. BAM! It could be an awesome change, or it could make the game much too much of a resource allocator like some hospital management game. Still, it's something to anticipate.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
This week's comic book expectations
Well, it's been a long day. Tomorrow looks like a long one too. So what is my light in the distance?
Black. Lantern. Earth-2. Superman.
BAM!
Well, that and a chipwich.
We're staring a slow comic week dead (no pun intended) in the eyes, but all that could be forgiven if Blackest Night: Superman #1 is as good as I'm anticipating it to be. Check out the full list of this week's comic releases at THIS LINK.
Last week, any remaining fears any of you may have had regarding the validity of "Blackest Night's" tie-ins should have been put to bed for good. "Blackest Night: Batman" debuted with the perfect mixture of humor, heart and horror (which, I now think DC should adopt that as the event's new tagline), and "Green Lantern Corps." once again showed how to add to a storyline without stepping on its toes. I can only expect a lot more of the same from "Blackest Night: Superman," which will feature Zombie Kal-L's return, as well as PA KENT. Could there possibly be more potential for humor, heart and horror?!? (See, it works!)
We've yet to see New Earth's Superman show up in "Blackest Night," so it should be interesting to see how Clark handles his dad and, well, himself rising from the dead. I am also curious as to how far into the Superman family of characters writer James Robinson digs here. Will he include Supergirl and her father? Will Superboy show up, and, if so, didn't Tanya Moon die? We'll see here and I'm guessing we won't be disappointed, despite my growing fear of anything Robinson writes nowadays.
Speaking of the Superman family, Supergirl #44 marks the third quarter of the "Codename: Patriot" storyline, which has me interested in General Lane's machinations for the first time in a while. Granted, I think we can all be pretty sure he's going to be double-crossing that Kryptonian "Patriot" real soon, but it's still the first one of his plans that has grabbed my attention. I'm also looking forward to the reunion of Kara and Thara. Personally, I would love to see those two kids kiss and make up (no, not that way, perverts), which would really fill out Supergirl's supporting cast as the series goes forward. That said, I'm pretty sure Nightwing and Flamebird will be making a mortal sacrifice within the next year. Just a hunch.
I'm much less hopeful for Superman Annual #14. For one, I think my feelings on Robinson's work of late is well documented. For two, this story will center on Mon-el's past life in Daxam, and the history of his people. Is anyone interested? I mean, Mon is a pretty decent character and all, but I just don't see where his past is going to become important. And didn't Peter Tomasi already paint us a perfect picture of Daxam when exploring Sodam Yat?
And don't forget about Batgirl #1 (we finally get to see if DC made the giant mistake of replacing Cassandra Cain!) and Justice League of America #36 (the second of a three-part series written by Len Wein which had a surprisingly strong debut despite the Royal Flush Gang).
Marvel's got less this week, but they do have Daredevil #500, a milestone issue in which Ed Brubaker promises to explain plenty about Kingpin and Lady Bullseye. If you've been following all along Matt Murdock's story, then you know this is a must-buy. If you haven't been reading, you should know this is a must-buy in trade form, and you should also know that issue #501 is likely going to be a real nice place for new readers to jump on board.
The only other books that are (somewhat) of note are Mighty Avengers #28, Punisher Noir #1 (yes, another "Noir") and X-Men: Legacy #227 (a "Utopia" tie-in).
And before I go, you may also be interested to know Archie #600 is out this week. Yes, THAT issue. The one titled "Archie marries Veronica." The one that got at least one fanboy to lose faith in humanity. I have to say, I am a bit interested ... if only because I have a sneaking suspicion the book will twist with Archie getting with Betty after all, and all those angry "Archie" fans can feel oh so foolish.
Black. Lantern. Earth-2. Superman.
BAM!
Well, that and a chipwich.
We're staring a slow comic week dead (no pun intended) in the eyes, but all that could be forgiven if Blackest Night: Superman #1 is as good as I'm anticipating it to be. Check out the full list of this week's comic releases at THIS LINK.
Last week, any remaining fears any of you may have had regarding the validity of "Blackest Night's" tie-ins should have been put to bed for good. "Blackest Night: Batman" debuted with the perfect mixture of humor, heart and horror (which, I now think DC should adopt that as the event's new tagline), and "Green Lantern Corps." once again showed how to add to a storyline without stepping on its toes. I can only expect a lot more of the same from "Blackest Night: Superman," which will feature Zombie Kal-L's return, as well as PA KENT. Could there possibly be more potential for humor, heart and horror?!? (See, it works!)
We've yet to see New Earth's Superman show up in "Blackest Night," so it should be interesting to see how Clark handles his dad and, well, himself rising from the dead. I am also curious as to how far into the Superman family of characters writer James Robinson digs here. Will he include Supergirl and her father? Will Superboy show up, and, if so, didn't Tanya Moon die? We'll see here and I'm guessing we won't be disappointed, despite my growing fear of anything Robinson writes nowadays.
Speaking of the Superman family, Supergirl #44 marks the third quarter of the "Codename: Patriot" storyline, which has me interested in General Lane's machinations for the first time in a while. Granted, I think we can all be pretty sure he's going to be double-crossing that Kryptonian "Patriot" real soon, but it's still the first one of his plans that has grabbed my attention. I'm also looking forward to the reunion of Kara and Thara. Personally, I would love to see those two kids kiss and make up (no, not that way, perverts), which would really fill out Supergirl's supporting cast as the series goes forward. That said, I'm pretty sure Nightwing and Flamebird will be making a mortal sacrifice within the next year. Just a hunch.
I'm much less hopeful for Superman Annual #14. For one, I think my feelings on Robinson's work of late is well documented. For two, this story will center on Mon-el's past life in Daxam, and the history of his people. Is anyone interested? I mean, Mon is a pretty decent character and all, but I just don't see where his past is going to become important. And didn't Peter Tomasi already paint us a perfect picture of Daxam when exploring Sodam Yat?
And don't forget about Batgirl #1 (we finally get to see if DC made the giant mistake of replacing Cassandra Cain!) and Justice League of America #36 (the second of a three-part series written by Len Wein which had a surprisingly strong debut despite the Royal Flush Gang).
Marvel's got less this week, but they do have Daredevil #500, a milestone issue in which Ed Brubaker promises to explain plenty about Kingpin and Lady Bullseye. If you've been following all along Matt Murdock's story, then you know this is a must-buy. If you haven't been reading, you should know this is a must-buy in trade form, and you should also know that issue #501 is likely going to be a real nice place for new readers to jump on board.
The only other books that are (somewhat) of note are Mighty Avengers #28, Punisher Noir #1 (yes, another "Noir") and X-Men: Legacy #227 (a "Utopia" tie-in).
And before I go, you may also be interested to know Archie #600 is out this week. Yes, THAT issue. The one titled "Archie marries Veronica." The one that got at least one fanboy to lose faith in humanity. I have to say, I am a bit interested ... if only because I have a sneaking suspicion the book will twist with Archie getting with Betty after all, and all those angry "Archie" fans can feel oh so foolish.
PS3 Slim Officially only $299
Big News! Sony has dropped the cost of the PlayStation 3 to $299!
Bigger News! Sony just announced the PS3 Slim officially, at a cost of $299! (Read more HERE). It will be out the first week in September.
In other words, it will soon be the right time to finally buy a PS3. Just don't buy one just yet, unless you're fine with outdated electronics which are 66% bigger than they need to be.
Frankly I was going to buy one anyway soon, with so many big games coming out in the next year ("DC Universe Online" and "Mod Nation Racers" should be enough alone), but this price means, definitively, Microsoft once again has competition to worry about.
Bigger News! Sony just announced the PS3 Slim officially, at a cost of $299! (Read more HERE). It will be out the first week in September.
In other words, it will soon be the right time to finally buy a PS3. Just don't buy one just yet, unless you're fine with outdated electronics which are 66% bigger than they need to be.
Frankly I was going to buy one anyway soon, with so many big games coming out in the next year ("DC Universe Online" and "Mod Nation Racers" should be enough alone), but this price means, definitively, Microsoft once again has competition to worry about.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Ballad of Ocho Cinco's Maddenoliday
Click THIS LINK to read all about Chad Ocho Cinco's harrowing experience trying to get online to play "Madden NFL 10."
It's about as intelligent as you would expect from a man who needed to change his last name to poorly-translated spanish. It's also about as intelligent as you would expect from someone who feels the need to tweet so much.
It's about as intelligent as you would expect from a man who needed to change his last name to poorly-translated spanish. It's also about as intelligent as you would expect from someone who feels the need to tweet so much.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Fanboys like all sorts of comics
Through the magic of the AP wire, I present to you the world's biggest "Archie" fanboy:
DALLAS — When comic book store owner Dave Luebke heard that after 67 years, the carrot-topped everyman of the comic world, Archie, was proposing to va-va-voomy rich girl Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, he decided to protest by selling his copy of the series’ rare first issue.
Luebke’s Archie Comics No. 1 sold for $38,837 when Dallas’ Heritage Auction Galleries offered it Friday. Heritage spokesman Noah Fleisher said the buyer was a longtime Archie reader and collector from Virginia who did not want to be identified.
“Betty is it. Not Veronica,” said Luebke, whose Richmond, Va., store has more than 1 million comics in stock. “This is serious.”
Thursday, August 13, 2009
'Blackest Night' top dog revealed
Click on THIS LINK to see the cover to "Blackest Night #5" and learn who the main villain behind the event is. Needless to say, spoiler alert!
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