Batman: Arkham City Comic Book Miniseries by DC Comics

The Dark Knight gets even more back-story for the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game

Batman fans, get excited, get very excited. The upcoming Batman: Arkham City is receiving its own six-issue comic series from DC Comics. This series will help bridge the gap from 2009’s excellent, nay amazingly amazing Batman: Arkham Asylum to Arkham City. The writer is Paul Dini who’s handled the two games as well as Batman: the Animated Series. What this means is the story is in very rock solid hands. The first issues land in May, yes two issues a month, in both digital and print modes. The accompanying image is by concept artist Carlos D’anda and it’s a thing of beauty that moves the gritty realism of the Arkham games into comic form.

Here are some official detail but needless to say this should make the wait for Arkham City all the easier.

“BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY comic book miniseries announced!

Written by Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini (who also penned both Arkham games) and drawn by Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City concept artist Carlos D’anda, BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY picks up one year after the original game, where former Arkham Warden turned newly elected Mayor of Gotham City Quincy Sharp has decided to close down the infamous institution. In its stead, he establishes “Arkham City,” the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, inmates can roam free and do whatever they want as long as they don’t try to escape. To run this urban prison, Sharp has appointed Dr. Hugo Strange, a man who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Each issue of the miniseries will be available day-and-date digitally worldwide for $2.99 each. These releases will alternate with 8-page digital-first interludes that will expand on the story included in the miniseries. Written by Dini and drawn by a variety of artists, these digital stories will focus on The Dark Knight’s many enemies as they vie for power in this new city within a city. Each eight-page digital-first interlude will be available for .99 cents, releasing in between issues of the miniseries, and will later be included in print in the BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY collected edition.

“The digital first stories offer a unique incentive for fans to experience interesting and exciting stories beyond the pages in the printed comic,” said Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher, “The additional pages will serve as interludes within the regular issues and won’t be necessary to follow the main story of the miniseries. Fans will also be able to read these interludes in print later, when we publish the collected edition.”

Read the comic before you play the game, and keep an eye out for the issue #1 variant cover, utilizing in-game graphics. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY will double-ship in its first month, with issues 1 & 2 landing in May.”

UDON to release Mega Man Gigamix manga series

UDON and Capcom are set to unleash another great title. Are you paying attention?

Comics and video games go together like peanut butter and jelly, Mork and Mindy, beer and … well the point is they exist very nicely together. While big boy publisher like Marvel and DC Comics put out many video game tie-ins they are not the leader when it comes to comics based on video game series. UDON rules the day thanks to their relationship with Capcom and the slew of Street Fighter, Darkstalkers and Mega Man comics (just to name a few). UDON keeps the stories going through every iteration of their games from the more well known titles to the little guys. The latest video game related title is Mega Man Gigamix. Check out the exclusive images below then head over to UDON for more on Gigamix.

The question is why should gamers care? Simply put, for fans of these storied franchises getting this quality of artwork and story is just plain awesome. UDON hooks up some silly comics (check out the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom) to hard bound beautiful art books for the classy collector. The manga follows a more traditional manga format smaller than comics and in black and white. Mega Man Gigamix offers up very detailed art with the same unusual cast of baddies to fight found in the games. Here is the synopsis from UDON …

“This past year, Hitoshi Ariga’s classic Mega Man Megamix manga series was finally brought to English readers, much to the delight of Mega-fans who had been waiting to read the manga since its Japanese release over ten years ago. Now, with another decade of experience under his belt, Ariga is back with the all-new Mega Man Gigamix, an epic 3-volume manga series set to become the greatest Mega Man story ever!

Gigamix Vol.1 sets the stage with an exciting outer space adventure where Mega Man faces off against the Robot Masters of Mega Man 3, as well as the gigantic Gamma robot! The space setting of this tale acts as a prelude to Gigamix Vol.2 & 3, where all robots good and evil alike must join forces to defend the Earth from the ultra-powerful Stardroids! This two-part epic features every single Robot Master from the first eight Mega Man® games, plus fan favorites like Bass, Treble, Proto Man, Duo, the Stardroids, Rush, Beat, Roll, Dr. Wily, Dr. Cossack, Dr. Light, and of course the blue bomber himself – Mega Man!”

So there it is. UDON, a fine publisher of Capcom based comics (and more) is hooking up fans of Mega Man with some excellent content and that’s just the tip of the ice berg folks. Checkout UDON for more and enjoy the images.

Archewood Papercraft: Phillipe

Phillipe is a character in Chris Onstad's Archewood comics. Download here.

Dusk volume 2 Impression

More vampire action for Eve awaits

Dusk volume 2 from David Doub gets deeper into the vampire world main character Eve lives in and shows the harsh reality she has to embrace as well as a lighter side. Eve is a deep character and even after reading two volumes of Dusk there is still so much more to be explored. Let’s take a look at each chapter and see how the unique art and story compare, which dominate, which wither. Most defiantly worth noting that the cover art by Joamette Gil is outstanding and shows off a level of passion only a master and servant in love could share.

Route 66 – Art by Sean Carner: Eve encounters a hunter and after some banter it’s time to race in two slick cars. Storywise that’s it, an evening race for Eve that introduces the threat and thrill of hunters. Fun story with art that reminded me of Archie comics (look it up young-uns). A fun look at Eve with a serious ending, great way to start the book.

Bad Mojo – Pencils by Jolene Houser, Inks Jerry Gonzales: A darker tale that shows the world of those with power, the ability to create hexes. One such user targets Eve but finds her power is not up to snuff. Story point of note is the introduction of another faction against the vampires, regular human, thinks wiccans, which know how far they can go against not only vampires but their servants such as Eve. The art goes from being solid to lose but overall relays some great emotion in the characters for their loss and anger. Using Eve as more a third party in this tale shows the flexibility of Doub’s world.

The Endless Desert War – Art by Zhongping Chem: A short tale about Eve and a dead soldier. Not too long on story but the art is unique, very heavy on shadows that reminds of a younger day of Hellboy art. Lots of potential, good start but overall not too memorable.

Obey Your Master – Art by Jerry Gonzales: The art is very simplistic with minimal background work but it’s the story, building a connection with a servant to see the brutal ending. If ever a tale shows the fine line Eve tows with her master it’s this one where humans are cattle to the most powerful of vampires and their ways.

Love in a Bottle – Pencils by David Faught, Inks Walter Jimenez II – Another short tale for Eve that shows off her partying, fun side. The art is a more grownup, detailed take on Eve and it works well, again with potential.

Teenage Vampire Drama – Art by Jolene Houser: The art style is closer to being pure pencil work with minimal ink, but it works really well. Yes there is the polish issues seen in other tales but the story is a trip. Is this a poke at all the teen vampire tales? That’s all I can think as the story of a teen vampire and his human love, how it plays out and how Eve scares them straight is great.

Good Samaritan – Art by Jerry Gonzales: Few pieces of art, not too detailed but they are meant to support the novel style story. Yet another new direction for talking about Eve as her style and world has been established. Could we see a longer novel format for Eve, an origins tale down the road?

Overall if you picked up the first Dusk and enjoyed it, this is more of the same. Solid story telling with art that ranges from simple to solid. A great mixture of fun, action packed and sad tales that shows a world of vampires both brutal and full of rules. The bonus sketches look great and I personally would love to see a tale with just these pencils, free of ink just for a changeup … but that’s just me. Vampire tales are so much fun and unique and Doub has entered this world with both fangs blazing.

Superman Batman Apocalypse Movie Impression

DC nails another feature this time detailing the arrival of Supergirl

Thank you DC for bringing back the voices that matter. The voices I’m referring to are Kevin Conroy as Batman and Tim Daly as Superman in the latest DC Comics animated feature Superman Batman: Apocalypse. While the animation may vary, having a stable and close to iconic group of voice actor’s helps fans identify and tie together these heroes whom we love. The banter, the way the actors work together, it’s just nice to see and it continues what has been an outstanding and somewhat surprising run of animated features from DC, ones that tie into various comic story treads. Past dandies include Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and Green Lantern: First Flight which have been good but Apocalypse takes it to such a sweet level … let’s take a look at what I’m blathering about.

A crash landing in Gotham harbor triggers a series of events that will see Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman go head-to-head with Darkseid. The question is what crash landed to cause such a monumental battle? Her name is Kara and she’s another surviving Kryptonian and Kal-El’s cousin. Kara holds untapped power, power Batman does not trust, that Wonder Woman wants to train and that Superman wants to embrace and believe in. If having the holy trinity of heroes interested in you wasn’t enough Kara has also drawn the attention of a more sinister, purely evil player in Darkseid. As Darkseid puts his plans into motion its Kara who’s front and center as the battle begins on Apocalypse and continues on Earth. What’s a girl to do with so much power, a new life and all shades of good and evil wanting to control you … shopping anyone?

Ok so cheesy ending to the synopsis but not too far off once you watch. That’s the key, you will need to watch if you’re a DC Comics fan, fan of Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman or just love what’s a well created piece of comic animation. The character design is mostly great. The ladies have a very anime vibe to them with nice curves, clean figures and larger ‘anime’ type eyes. Superman and Darkseid retain their closer comic and animated Justice League look while Batman goes in a taller, darker model. Its bats that seems a bit off in certain scenes as he does not have the heroic look of Superman and Wonder Woman all the time … hard to describe but he misses in a few scenes in his looks. Now this is nit picking at its finest as this feature really comes close to the feelings, the epic battles felt in Justice League and the voice work really, really makes this feature shine. The story moves along at a nice pace and manages to touch on enough key points without glossing over too much. Days, weeks and months pass but there is not feeling of drag or missing pieces in the story. Knowledge of DC Comics will help but is not 100% needed to enjoy Apocalypse.

So where does that leave the overall package? Solid voice work, great character design, quality animation and a story that paces itself between plot and action without missing a beat, well it’s a can’t miss feature. No quirky trouble in parallel worlds here, this is a great animated feature and one that’s I highly recommend. Hell, it even made me like Superman a little, a little.

Impression: Mass Effect Redemption Dark Horse comic

Mass Effect Redemption Dark Horse comic Impression

Another massive, popular gaming franchise gets the side-story treatment with Mass Effect: Redemption from Dark Horse comics. This collection bridges the gap from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2 and with PlayStation 3 owners about to get a taste of the franchise it’s good to get all the story one can. So what’s the deal with Redemption and why should gamer care, let take a look.

The Story – Commander Shepard is dead … or is he? This is a question Dr. Liara T’Sonia looks to answer as she travels to the Terminus Systems and the lawless Omega station. Teaming up with Feron, Liara must deal with the militant Blue Sun, Cerberus and the Collectors all in a race to recover Shepards body and find out exactly what value the body of a hero holds.

The story is very straightforward even with the various factions involved. Liara gets her answers and the stage is set for Mass Effect 2. While it’s a good story it is needed more for those familiar with the franchise. Characters, settings and factions are explained in enough detail but for such a massive game it just feels a bit light. Liara is an annoying character and frustrating as she shows such strength and weakness at the same time. The action does pick up and the pacing is well done but it’s a link in the larger chain the is Commander Shepards story, one where he is pretty absent.

The Design & Art – The cover art is poster perfect but the internal art is, well it’s adequate. This is not art that will blow comic fans away but it’s not bad by any means either. Characters and settings retain the look established in Mass Effect and the level of detail is sufficient it’s just not top level, detailed art. A good looking comic that lets the story shine as the star.

Why Gamers Should Care – Mass Effect fans on Xbox 360 get to learn a bit about the story between the games already enjoyed while PS3 owners can get a taste of what’s to come. Gamers should care because Mass Effect has such a strong storytelling element getting more in comic form is just too sweet to pass on.

Overall Mass Effect: Redemption is a must have for true Mass Effect fans. It’s got decent art with a strong story that bridges the gap from one outstanding game to the next. Comics as well as anime are intertwined with the world of video games so don’t miss out when media such as Redemption presents itself.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Dark Horse comic Impression

Dark Horse provides the prequel comic for BioWare’s upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic

Even with a game like Star Wars: The Old Republic which will be full of history and back-story there is always room for more outlets to tell the tale. Enter Dark Horse and their three issue Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace comic which introduces the main players, conspiracies and a few settings in which gamers will immerse themselves. The question is why should gamers care, what is the point of reading these comics? What about the comics themselves? How does the art stack up, the characters and writing, all solid or no? Well, let’s take a look.

The Story – After centuries spent on the outer reaches of the galaxy the Sith Empire has returned to wage war on the Jedi and the Senate they serve. With both sides spread across the galaxy engaging in battle that ends in stalemates the Sith Dark Council decides to extend an offer of peace to the Galactic Senate. The question is can it be trusted or is the ensuing cease fire just a way for the Sith to move their forces in secret? The two sides meet on Alderaan to discuss the treaty but not everyone involved believes the proposition. As Sith Lords with their own agenda invade Corusant many are swept up in conspiracy filled agendas. As the war begins anew Jedi and Sith will clash with bounty hunters and senate soldiers thrown into the fray and nothing in the Old Republic is safe.

High level view of the story setting the stage but the story does much more than by introducing the key players in the upcoming BioWare game. Meeting Jedi Satele Shan, Bounty Hunter Braden and Lt. Tavis makes these books worth the read. These are just three of the characters, main ones in these comics, that set the stage for what to expect in The Old Republic. They show a few of the character classes, how they interact and how unique this game will be. Different personalities, agendas, settings … it’s all laid out here for fans itching to get into the game. The comics do a good job of setting the stage for such a grand story.

The Design & Art – The look and feel of the Old Republic has been established for years and seen in the Knights of the Old Republic games and comics. Jedi, Sith, troopers and bounty hunters all have unique attributes within a set mold and this can also be expected of the game. The art is very, very solid with a realistic look to each character and setting. TOR won’t win any awards on its art but it gets the job done and looks way better than some of the previous Star Wars comic art. Good effort and shows Dark Horse did not mail it in on this series to make a buck.

Why Gamers Should Care – Characters, planets, settings, design, story … the beginning for The Old Republic video game. When it comes to a game like TOR fans expect an engaging story, which they will get, but having a chance to expand that story in a good comic, well that just can’t be missed.

Overall having read prior Dark Horse Star Wars comics and seen the variety of art from poor to outstanding, The Old Republic finds a nice niche above middle ground. The story is solid but the game will be needed to complete it while the art is better than average. There is solid pacing and readers get a taste of all aspects of conspiracy in TOR. The game is going to be outstanding and the comic has set the stage.

Marvel Bishoujo from Kotobukiya in 2011

Wonder Woman and Rogue Highlight some amazing Kotobukiya 2011 statues

Coming next year from Kotobukiya are a few very, very sweet Marvel, DC and Star Wars figures. These are incredible statues, not action figures, but pieces to display. Enjoy the images below and check out the following product details. I’ve reviewed these in the past and am amazed at the quality and materials used.

DC Comics Wonder Woman Bishoujo Statue

A Kotobukiya Japanese import! Celebrating this year’s 75th Anniversary of DC Comics, the DC Comics Bishoujo Collection (combining DC’s super heroines and villains with traditional Japanese styling’s) continues with the prettiest member of DC’s “Trinity” Wonder Woman! Since her comic book debut in 1941, Princess Diana has been an icon of female power, intelligence, and grace. Arriving in “man’s world” from the Amazonian island home of Themyscira, Diana donned a red, white and blue costume to protect the world as Wonder Woman! The timeless character appears for the first time in the Japanese bishoujo (pretty girl) style inspired by Japan’s renowned illustrator Shunya Yamashita.

Joining the Gotham City duo of Batgirl and Catwoman in the DC Comics Bishoujo Collection, Wonder Woman is truly a force to be reckoned with. The every-dynamic Amazon stands surrounded by her full panoply of weapons and equipment, ready to face any threat. Dressed in her iconic and colorful costume, the muscular and buxom Wonder Woman shows plenty of skin and looks sexier than ever! Diana holds her magical Lasso of Truth in both hands, ready to capture you and force you to tell her all your secrets. As with her compatriots, Wonder Woman has an incredible Bishoujo-styled face which is framed perfectly by her flowing long black hair and tiara.

Wonder Woman is constructed of high-quality PVC plastic and stands just over 9 inches tall (in the magnificent 1/7 scale) atop an exclusive Amazonian base complete with her spears, shield, cape, and helmet! No Bishoujo collection will be complete without her. Available in May.

X-Force X-23 Fine Art Status

A Kotobukiya Japanese import! X-Force is the hottest mutant team right now in the Marvel Universe, with the current launch of Uncanny X-Force burning up the shelves everywhere. Teaming up the most vicious and morally flexible heroes, Wolverine leads the ultimate strike force willing to do anything, at any time to protect the world’s mutant population. Kotobukiya is proud to present the first member of an all-new X-Force lineup of Fine Art Statues, X-23! Appearing first in the television series X-Men: Evolution in 2003, X-23 was later introduced to the Marvel Comics universe. She is no less than a female clone of Wolverine, created to be a deadly weapon and outfitted with adamantium-coated claws in her hands and feet! After discovering her true identity and joining the good guys, Laura has become a key member of X-Force.

The deadly mutant is mission-ready, scouting out her target before a precision strike. Standing ever alert, X-23 wears her current X-Force uniform complete with skin-tight suit (that leaves her midriff bare), belt, bracelet, and intricately laced boots. Laura’s trademark weapons, her claws, are unsheathed; two stand out from each hand while a solitary spur extends from her left foot. The ultra smooth adamantium blades stand out in stark contrast to the intricate sculpting and texture of her body, complete with musculature and clothing effects. The expert tracker comes with two heads so you can display her as you prefer: wearing her mask and a teeth-baring grin or sans mask and a more serene look on her face!

Sculpted by Erick Sosa, X-23 stands approximately 11 inches tall (1/6 scale) perched atop a New York City building rooftop. Catch her now, because she is just the first a new X-Force series bringing your favorite mutants to life! Available in May.

X-Men Danger Room Sessions Rogue Fine Art Status

A Kotobukiya Japanese import! The amazing X-Men Danger Room Sessions Fine Art Statue series continues with its fourth member and one of the most powerful mutants in existence, Rogue! Born Anna Marie in Mississippi, the young girl’s mutant powers first manifested during a kiss with her childhood boyfriend. Suddenly she found herself absorbing his life energy, and subsequently ran away, taking the nickname Rogue in the process. When touching a mutant, she absorbs powers in addition to memories and skills, making her incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous. During her early career she battled the current Ms. Marvel and seemingly absorbed her flight and super strength permanently. She has been a steadfast member of various X-Men teams for years, and of course that means she’s spent quite a bit of time in the Danger Room. Ever since the early days of Marvel Comics’ mutant adventures, “X” teams have trained together in the ultra high tech facility known as the Danger Room, equipped with state of the art adaptive combat and athletics routines that challenge each participant in unique ways. The training facility has been featured prominently in X-Men comics over the years, as well as in various cartoons and the third X-Men film.

Based on a concept from the artistic pair of Manuel and Leo Silva, Rogue embodies both power and beauty. The spirited mutant is posed dynamically flying in the air, with one foot barely resting on the smashed face of her previous opponent. Meanwhile, Rogue wields a chunk of the Sentinel’s brain as a weapon, preparing to hurl it into the next one to challenge her. The mutant hero’s classic costume is beautifully recreated, with the bright green and yellow of the bodysuit standing out within her dark brown jacket. Always enthusiastic in the heat of battle, Rogue’s face is perfectly sculpted to show off her fighting spirit!

At nearly 12 inches tall, Rogue is perfectly in scale (1/6) with the other Danger Room Sessions members Wolverine, Psylocke, and Sabretooth. Sculpted by Erick Sosa, the X-Man is completed by her amazing Sentinel face base on top of a mechanical projector. Every mutant in the Danger Room Sessions series is mounted on a unique Danger Room holographic environment with translucent parts that glow with a built-in LED light in the base. Available in July.

Marvel X Black Cat Bishoujo Statue

A Kotobukiya Japanese import! Joining the rest of the amazing beauties of the Marvel Comics universe in the revolutionary Marvel X Bishoujo Collection (combining iconic super heroines and villains with traditional Japanese stylings) is the sexy sometimes ally and girlfriend of Spider-Man, Black Cat! A cat burglar by trade, Felicia Hardy has gone in and out of a life of crime to fight true evil on many occasions, including with the new Heroes for Hire. Black Cat comes to life in the Japanese Bishoujo (pretty girl) style based on original character art by illustrator Shunya Yamashita, and is the first in the series to be enlarged to the 1/7th scale.

Black Cat is one of Marvel Comics' most beloved beauties, first appearing in the pages of the Amazing Spider-Man in 1979. She is captured here in mid-leap across the skies of New York, a sultry combination of her comic book look and the bishoujo style. Leaning on one leg, Black Cat twists and balances herself in an alluring pose made all the better by her skintight costume complete with fringes at the neck, elbows, and knees. Her incredible mane of white hair flies out beside her in long tendrils that only slightly cover her striking Bishoujo-styled face (complete with authentic mask)!

Black Cat stands just over 9 inches tall (in the new Marvel x Bishoujo 1/7th scale) atop an exclusive display base consisting of a miniature building in deep perspective and an adorable plush Spider-Man. Sculpted by Takashi "GILL GILL" Tsukada, Black Cat is taking this Bishoujo line to all new heights!

Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back Darth Vader ArtFX+ Status

A Kotobukiya Japanese import! The hit line of smaller scale Star Wars ARTFX+ Statues continues with more of your favorite heroes and villains from the original films in the all new Saga Collection! Joining the initial releases of Boba Fett and the Stormtrooper 2-Pack comes none other than the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader!

Ruthless and powerful, Darth Vader stands at the ready with the knowledge that his mastery over the Force can overcome any enemy. His classic armored suit has every detail you’ve come to know and love since Empire Strikes Back was first released 30 years ago. Intricate sculpting brings out the different parts of his chest piece and belt module, while his gloves are accurately textured. Of course, the most attention to detail was put into recreating Vader’s helmet! Darth Vader has a standard stance standing tall with his hands at his belt, though he does come with bonus arm parts for alternate poses. And, like the other ARTFX+ Statues, he has magnets in his feet for display on the included base!

ARTFX+ Statues are fun-to-assemble pre-painted snap-fit kits that can be easily put together in seconds without glue or modeling skill. Darth Vader stands approximately 8 inches tall (1/10th scale) and is the perfect centerpiece for your Saga Collection! Available in May.

So there it is, some very fine looking ladies and one dark and dreary guy to light up collectors shelves everywhere in 2011. Very excited, check out more at kotous.com.

Transformers: War for Cybertron on PS3 Impression

A fans dream and gamers delight. Transformers: The War for Cybertron on PlayStation 3 is as much for gamers who grew with the franchise as it is for gamers looking for a solid single and multi-player experience different than other titles on the market. A deep knowledge of Transformers will enhance the gaming experience but is not mandatory as the narrative is clear and moves at a fevered pitch putting gamers into both Autobot and Decepticon roles while offering up faceless, class based bots online full of upgradable goodness. Is this it? Impression over? Nope, let’s take a deeper look.

Gameplay – Play through a third-person adventure as both Autobots and Decepticons from the rise of Megatron to the acceptance of leadership from Optimus Prime. The single player campaign puts gamers into the blossoming civil war and takes them all over Cybertron and its moons running and gunning and of course transforming to accomplish objectives. It’s a fan-service filled single-player adventure with a robust multiplayer, online mode piled on top. Deathmatch, Power Struggle, Conquest, Cod of Power and Countdown to Extinction are the modes of play (team deathmatch also) and while multiplayer won’t rewrite the Halo and CoD’s of the gaming landscape it’s well executed and fun. Gamers can choose a specific class of robot, level them up and take the action online with gameplay that offers up transformations on the fly. Every class of character is unique with unique skills, a nice, deep online experience awaits.

Graphics – The characters look great and transformations are fluid. Some of the cutscenes and up close shots show pretty plain details but the in-game look more than makes up for it. Cybertron and its moons feel connected but sport a look that separates each level. The cinematic scenes will get fans juices flowing like no Transformers game before it. The grunt transformers also look rock solid and well designed. The best looking Transformers title yet.

Sound – It starts with the legendary Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and never slows down. The voice work rocks, sound effects are true to the animated heritage and the background music delivers to fit the pace. Transformers delivers in the sound department.

Design – Mixing design elements from both the prequel stories on the new movies and the original comics and cartoon. The design of not only mainstream characters but secondary grunts shows a familiarization with the source material, fans folks, this game was made by fans and the design shows in each bot. The planet of Cybertron is a well designed character with levels requiring transformations to advance and a different feel to each setting. Using a Decepticon based beginning leading into Autobot based moves the story along wonderfully.

Miscellaneous – Fan-service galore. This is not a Fallen driven story, it’s one based on the mythology of the Transformers franchise pulling in plenty of characters and references to the cartoon and comics. It does not hurt this is a rock solid action game but when it’s wrapped in so much fans will dig, it’s simple a game not to be missed.

Overall Transformer fans should already own War for Cybertron on whichever system they own. It’s packed with great fan-service, a worthy story driven narrative that puts gamers in the driver’s seat. Seeing so many characters in their original Cybertronian forms is a joy and the voice work is rock solid. Level design can feel familiar but gamers won’t notice when Trypticon is bearing down on you. Fans looking for a fun, different, online experience should also take a look as this is a surprising deep online experience that requires more than plain-ol-fragging. Who knew transforming into a jet could cause so many lock-on issues?

Dragonstorm #0 Impression

In my younger days I remember when Valiant comics was going strong and Image comics really raised the bar and took many a great artist from both DC and Marvel comics. The page quality went up, price went up, comic collection went way up. For these smaller publishers an artist was also the creator, story teller, something very familiar to manga fans where artist/creator are usually one in the same, but not here in the states. There is a reason Chris Claremont rocked X-Men way back with great stories and let the artist do their thing. Its hit and miss, just ask Rob Liefeld. The truly great aspect of these newer companies was the new characters, stories and settings getting more notice. Indy comics but with bigger names and top tier creative groups. Some good, some bad but all exciting to read and see.

While not quite getting the pub that Image did, Unstoppable Comics’ has offered me this feeling of nostalgia with Dragonstorm #0. A new hero, new story, new art but how original is it? How good is the art for the price? A cool title does not mean a good book and being a zero issue offers a glimpse of what Dragonstorm is all about. So let’s take a quick peek at the story and art (so far) and see if Dragonstorm is raging storm or just a sprinkle.

Issue #0: Dragonstorm is tracking his missing master, Okun and must walk into a trap in hopes of finding him. After taking on waves of mindless foes in an abandoned New York warehouse a deadly foe presents himself, one that will either crush Dragonstorm or bend to his will in the search for Master Okun. Series Plot: Dragonstorm is a hero, fighting for right but a twist of fate sees him raising the granddaughter, Lillian, of his greatest enemy. The villain, Balagron, tracks down Dragonstorm and he in turn must send Lillian away for her own safety. A storm rages within Lillian as she must balance the teachings of Dragonstorm against her very heritage, a battle which could tip in either direction. Dragonstorm must wrestle with this sad fact as he continues to train and protect Lillian.

So that’s the story. Issue #0 offers up a nice look at the art by Nicholas Valente. It’s solid, not amazing, but a solid and well drawn hero story that feels more like ninja action than a super hero. The action is fast paced and well done. The only negative is the limited number of characters in this issue. Bad guys are generic, Dragonstorm wears a mask so can’t comment on detail here and only one unique character makes an appearance and he’s so-so looking. Need to see more characters, setting and environments to really judge the art but overall it’s not bad so far … so far.

The story is the intriguing aspect. Written by Jay Rosario this tale of a hero vs. villain is nothing new but the potential conflict in Lillian feels very Star Wars-ish. A dark heritage but light teachings. Potentially a good story of right, wrong and the gray between. Much potential but for now we shall have to wait and see how issue 1 turns out. That said if you’ve read and dig this issue then check out the series. If you’re a fan of something new, action stories with good art and cool looking heroes then give Dragonstorm a spin.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame on Wii Impression

If Adam West’s Batman and the animated Justice League: Unlimited Batman had a love child it would be Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The art style, humor, voice work and flow of the latest Batman animated series combines old school characters and settings with updated humor in a side-scrolling adventure that fans will dig. Say hello to Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame for the Nintendo Wii (also on the DS with some connectivity bonus).

Gameplay – An old-school 2D romp through locations from the animated show. Batman, Robin, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Blue Beetle … and so many more DC Universe heroes makes appearances either as fully playable or support characters so don’t be fooled into thinking Batman is all there is. The gameplay is very straightforward with the content the star so not much to learn. Run, punch, kick, jump while upgrading gadgets and powers. The controls work very well with the Wii controller integrating shake moves that are more than a gimmick. This game is about the fans but the gameplay rocks, is solid and fun to play. While this is a Wii game, The Brave and the Bold would be perfect, just perfect as downloadable content for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, top notch idea.

Graphics – The Wii was made for this art style. The bright colors, bold lines and flat color scheme look great on the Wii. Each level contains a nice level of 2D depth and the game is true to the animated series in overall look and feel. The animated segments deliver a nice change of pace from the static talking heads that carry much of the story. A good looking game especially on an HD TV with proper cable connections.

Sound – Excellent background music, some pulled from the anime, moves the action along at the perfect pace while the banter between characters is perfectly delivered. For a Wii title, Brave and the Bold deliver the goods on the voice, music and sound effects front.

Design – Established from the animated series but superbly delivered in an action game format. Making a good Batman game was not possible, just not possible until Arkham Asylum hit and now The Brave and the Bold are keeping the good bat vibes going.

Miscellaneous – Bat-Mite connectivity through the Nintendo DS. The DS offers up a full heaping of Bats action but this nice reward for fans who invest in both titles, or have friends who have shows very nice use of the Wii and DS connectivity possibilities.

Overall, Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame feel like a solid downloadable title in a retail body but it’s worth the purchase. There is a lot of game to entertain and drive gamers and fans. This is not a casual game as the Wii is known for but rather a shout back to solid gameplay from action games seen on the NES. Batman fans will enjoy and gamers will find there is more than fan service on this disc.

Read the developer interview now.

Interview Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame

Batman: The Brave and the Bold brings a campier, more humorous look at the Dark Knight's adventures and the upcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame is taking that humor and action to the Nintendo Wii and DS. Why should Bat's fans take notice, why should DC fans take notice? We went to the source to find out as Adam Tierney, WayForward Designer/Director of Batman the Brave and the Bold the Videogame for Wii and Sean Velasco, WayForward Designer/Director of Batman the Brave and the Bold the Videogame for DS chime in on what the adventure is all about.

Why should Batman fans, new to Brave and the Bold, give this new adventure a spin?

Adam Tierney (director of Wii game): If you haven’t seen the TV show the game is based on, I’d definitely recommend giving it a look. As a huge fan of all things Batman, I was skeptical at first of this lighter, sillier portrayal of the Dark Knight. He’s hardly dark at all! But the writing is so sharp, funny, and the characterizations of each hero are so fresh, you can’t help but fall in love with it.

With the game, we essentially wanted to create four playable ‘episodes’ structured like the TV show. From our first discussion with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the concept was that gamers would essentially ‘play the cartoon.’ So instead of creating a game like most superhero games, where you have a cutscene, followed by speechless gameplay until the next cutscene, we have constant, running dialogue (over 400 pages of it) of our heroes bantering, bickering and discussing the current mission. The end result is really unlike any other action game on the market.

Sean Velasco (director of DS game): With the DS title, our focus has been on embracing the strengths of the platform. We have amazing renditions of all the characters and environments using WayForward’s signature pixel style, and our gameplay is suited to faster pick-up-and-play sessions with emphasis on teaming up and kicking butt.

Will the game retain the same fun, campy humor as the show?

Adam: Absolutely. We worked with the TV show’s writers to ensure that the dialogue and humor felt very true to the source material. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment also brought in the cast of the TV show to record for the game, from Diedrich Bader as Batman to Paul Reubens as Bat-Mite.

What games influenced the direction of Batman: The Brave and the Bold?

Adam: The core combat is a blend of old-school brawlers such as Double Dragon, mixed with modern juggler/fighters. We looked at games aimed at younger audiences (like the LEGO series) in regard to risk/reward systems, since the target audience skews a bit younger than most superhero games. We also pulled elements from other Batman games where it made sense, like the gadget inventory system and lunge attacks inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Sean: Platformers like Mega Man and Metroid inspired some of our core mobility, but Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame is also very combat heavy. I’m pretty proud of the depth we managed to cram into the combat system, which you could say is a bit similar to the next-gen games. I am extremely reverent towards the perfection of the combat in that series!

Why go with a side-scrolling style vs. a more 3D adventure?

Adam: For a couple of reasons - first, and most important we wanted to match the look and feel of the TV show as faithfully as possible. If we recreated the characters in 3D, it wouldn’t feel like playable episodes. Our animators used the very same models, and frame-by-frame process, as the animators on the Batman: The Brave and Bold TV show, so the end result looks strikingly similar.

Second, WayForward excels at classic, 2D animation. We put out quite a number of 3D titles as well, but if you look at 2D game development, we’re maybe the only developer producing this magnitude of classic frame animation in games. I believe the final animation frame count for the Wii game was around 16,000 frames, each frame illustrated by hand, from pencils to digital inks and colors.

And third, the core combat has its roots in games like Double Dragon and Street Fighter, so 2D art and gameplay matched those sensibilities. The game does feature some very impressive 3D backgrounds and special effects, but the playfield and characters look straight out of the cartoon.

Sean: With the DS, the answer is clear. Awesome pixels games are our specialty, and adding Batman to the mix is too good a formula to pass up.

How different was development from Wii to the DS?

Adam: Both projects were in development at the same time, and share a lot of similarities: episodic structure, some heroes, villains, and locations. However, the Wii game had more of an emphasis on storytelling, and its combat was predominantly brawler-influenced.

Sean: As Adam was saying, we were on two different development tracks. The DS game has more of a focus on platforming and classic game sensibilities. The games came out with some core similarities, but the cool part is that each one is its own unique experience.

How much will motion/stylus controls play into the game?

Adam: Keeping combat as precise and tight as possible is absolutely essential for any good fighting game. At the same time, the game is being developed for the Wii, so to not take advantage of the system’s more unique attributes would be a missed opportunity. All core combat occurs on the analog stick and face buttons, and the Wii Remote’s IR and motion functions are used for powering up jump-in heroes (shaking) or special aiming.

Sean: Our game focuses on the top screen as the playable portion. The bottom screen is used for selecting gadgets, swapping heroes, and also acts as a heads-up-display.

Which in-game character is the most unique, fun to play? (for you)

Sean: Batman! The Caped Crusader has an awesome array of moves, a huge arsenal of gadgets, and a bunch of great little dialog quips. The other characters are great partners that add a lot of flavor to the game, but I have to go with the tried-and-true.

Adam: I’d have to go with Guy Gardner. When you have a ring that allows you to construct anything in your head, the possibilities are endless. The animators had a lot of fun varying up Guy’s attacks visually, so you’ll see him construct chairs, baseball bats, anvils, all in the blink of an eye with each button press. His gadgets are also a blast to play with, since they’re very IR driven and can be projected anywhere onscreen. Using a giant fist, he can slap enemies around, or pick them up and hurl them at one another.

Are there any surprise characters not mentioned yet we can be spoiled/teased with?

Adam: Definitely. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has been announcing characters over the past few months, and there are plenty left. The 5 playable characters in the Wii game are now known, but we’ve only revealed some of the jump-in heroes, and only a few of the villains. The number I’ve heard is over 60 prominent DC Universe characters between both games. As a tease, I could say one of the game’s episodes deals with a 100-year-old grudge against Batman.

Sean: Sorry, I can’t be monkeying around with any clues at this time!

Are there characters unique to the game not seen in the cartoon?

Adam: In a sense. All of the characters in the game have appeared in the cartoon, but some of them had only minor or non-speaking parts, so for the game we were able to develop a voice and persona for them. Catman was a character that only appeared in a teaser sequence in the show, and we were really able to develop his personality in the game as a hilarious key villain. The thing about the show is that sooner or later, everyone in the mainstream DC Universe gets pulled in. So even characters we had an interest in using that weren’t from the show, ended up being written into the show by the time the game went into production.

What's next for Batman, more Brave and Bold adventures on the Wii and DS?

Adam: The game is coming out September 7th!

Batman: Under the Red Hood Movie Impression

When I was younger the Death in the Family storyline in Batman comics touched me in a unique way at a very young age. This was not a super hero dying but a boy, savagely beaten by a psycho that turns a dark knight even darker. It was a story that said the good guys can lose; they can die and is still a favorite today for me. But this is the realm of comics and who really stays dead in comics? Batman: Under the Red Hood is the latest animated feature from the DC Universe and its rock solid on so many levels beginning with the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of the Joker. From the beginning the inclusion of Ra’s al Ghul will tell viewers where the story is going in the first five minutes but it still does not detract from the feature. Let’s take a look at this from a few angles.

The Story – A new villain takes control of the drug trade in Gotham and the Dark Knight must confront his past to reveal just who the new Red Hood is. To confront this new treat an old partner, Nightwing, lends a hand and two of his greatest rivals are taken on in the Joker and Ra’s al Ghul. Who is the Red Hood and why do his moves, techniques seem so familiar? To fight in the present Batman must confront the past.

Such a great story and one fans should and will know. In case not I’ll try to avoid SPOILERS but please take note. While fans will know where the Red Hood is coming from, who he may be, getting there in an animated manner is a treat. The story is well told with great drama brought on by the next two points. What DC is doing with these animated features is bringing to life some of the best stories from DC printed past. Batman fans do not miss out on this story.

The Animation – Yet another animation style is brought to Under the Red Hood. There was a time when the Batman/Justice League/Superman designs of recent years dictated all DC animation, the best being Justice League Unlimited but no longer. Each new tale from Wonder Woman to Green Lantern is different, as different as the artist that pens the comics we fans love. The animation and design in Under the Red Hood is more realistic than anime-ish. This is great in that the more realistic Joker brings home a more psychotic look and feel, gets home the severity of the murder he commits. The humanism of Batman, he’s a man angle, is easier to relate to thanks to the animation style. The action is superb and would make a great live action Batman tale … just forget the cyborg battle, that’s more super hero than anything else in this feature. Great animation folks that sets the emotional and action terms from the press of play.

The Voice acting – Emotion is real and felt. Joker is cold and methodical and while we long for the crazy of Mark Hamill the work delivered by John DiMaggio shows a crazy and real Joker. Bruce Greenwood does a great job with Batman showing signs of emotion, despair, regret and plain coldness while Jason Isaacs as Ra’s could have been a little more arrogant but he does show decent range. The rest of the cast, Neil Patrick Harris as Dick Grayson, is ok but Joker and Batman set the stage and delivers the emotion started with the animation. It’s a sad and somber tale with some funny lines from Wade Williams as Black Mask.

Overall Batman: Under the Red Hood is a must own, MUST OWN, for all Batman fans. He is the world’s greatest detective but not infallible and seeing him face his past, his greatest failure is a heart string pulling tale that sets a new bar for DC animated adventure. I’ll watch again and again and am pulling out my old Death in the Family comics (first print) to revisit the original tragedy. Emotions are the best selling point, stop reading and go out and buy/rent now folks.

Iron Man 2 on PS3 Impression

Movies based on comic books. Bad history but good recently. Spider-Man, X-Men and Batman have all made the leap from great comic books to good if not great movies for fans. Iron Man 2 is the sequel to the tier-2 of these recent good movies. The first Iron Man surprised many and was a good movie with cool special effects. The sequel takes it down a notch but still offers up plenty of comic fan goodness. The pre-requisite video game is an improvement over the first Iron Man title from Sega but still comes up a bit short. What is it about video games based on movies based on comics that makes a title like Iron Man 2 on PlayStation 3 suffer? Let’s take a look and then ponder why.

Gameplay – Fly around, run around, attack from close (bad) and attack from far (decent). Customize your suit, new weapons and load outs. Sounds like a rock solid formula built around the Iron Man universe but sadly controls lag, do not give the responsiveness gamers should expect, should get. Iron Man could have used the Zone of Enders formula, or even Dynasty Warriors Gundam to mimic one robot/mech/armor taking on waves of cookie cutter bots but for some reason it does not. The cut scenes, the movie, show what Iron Man and War Machine can do so why not in the game? All this said it’s an improvement from the first game, so by Iron Man 3 Sega should have this one nailed down.

Graphics – PlayStation 2 delicious. Yup, with all the graphical power we have Iron Man 2 offers up good looking armor but robotic looking characters, bad animations and just blandness. There is no wow factor in the look and feel of Iron Man 2, it gets the job done but when has anyone bought a game because it gets the job done?

Sound – Background metal is not bad at all for fans of the genre and moves with the action. Sounds are decent from weapons to explosions but it’s the voice acting which needs mention. Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson reprise their roles and do so in fine manner but the rest of the cast utilizes sound alike which doesn’t capture the wit of Downey or anyone else. One liner, jokes, banter feels off and very forced, a shame since the movies actors did so well with their parts.

Design – Bland at times, pulled from the movie at others. The story design is the biggest flaw as it contradicts the movie on a few occasions. The armor design is set while the creation, look and feel of Ultimo and Crimson Dynamo is pretty decent, something fans will enjoy. Levels, objectives are not well designed; it’s just not a lot of fun.

Miscellaneous – Holes in the story. How does Tony’s house get fixed so fast and what about Ultimo and Crimson Dynamo? Their creation is a bit off in the overall movie universe as is Tony’s interaction with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Overall, Iron Man 2 was a good theatrical sequel. Iron Man 2 the video game was better than the original, an upgrade in every area from the first Iron Man game but when gamers can point to a last generation title like Zone of Enders, to show better mech/armor combat, one has to wonder why with all the background and tech can’t publishers improve upon the formulas of old. Hey, we don’t see Tony Stark using his original armor do we? Iron Man 2 is great for fans of the comic and much better than most licensed gaming titles but still falls short of how good the Spider-Man video games were.

DC Comic Animated Movie Impressions

A look at Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Three movies, one universe. DC Comics, much like Marvel, has been putting out animated features that pull from a variety of their comic properties. DC has a rich history to pull from with excellent animated series for Batman, Superman and Justice League, series which introduced an entirely new generation to characters and settings higher priced comics may have missed. These animated series have set a high bar on voice acting and how characters are seen so how do these three new features measure up? Lets take a look.

Wonder Woman – Princess Diana, born and raised on the secluded island of Themyscira, longs to see the world outside her tiny island. The crash landing of pilot Steve Trevor and escape of imprisoned God of War Ares gives Diana the chance she’s longed for. Assigned as an escort for Steve her mission is changed when she must hunt down the escaped Ares and prevent his planned rise to power.

This is an origin story, one updated a bit but delivered quite well. An opening explains the history of the Amazons and quickly jumps into present day with a grown Diana. Enter Steve Trevor and some chance events and it’s Diana vs. Ares. The story moves along quite well and the voice acting is great. The strongest part of this movie is it’s rock solid animation that feels similar to Justice League: Unlimited but is unique in it’s own way, almost anime-ish. This feels like an extension of what DC animated is known for going back to the TV roots and who knows, maybe it’s a pilot for a longer running series.

Bottom line, great story, animation and voice acting make this a must for all DC and Wonder Woman fans.

Green Lantern: First Flight – A crashed alien ship, a mysterious ring and a new life begins for test pilot Hal Jordan. Chosen by the ring, Hal is summoned to Oa to stand before the Guardians and be judged worthy of being a Green Lantern. Senior Green Lantern Sinestro takes Hal under his wing as they investigate the location of the missing yellow ore, the only power that can challenge the incredible power of the Green Lantern Corp. As they continue to investigate Hal is quickly faced with revelation that not all Lanterns are good. When the fate of the universe is on the line can one human make a difference?

The second origin story of the three that thrust Hal, the white Lantern folks, into his new role really, really fast. Strange thing is he takes it all in stride, flying, aliens, space travel … quite amazing. The rest of the story feels like an extended Justice League episode. The animation is unique, maintains the plain look and feel DC is known for (sharp, solid colors and minimal shading). The action is fast paced and there is quite a bit of humor mixed in like a giant fly swatter, funny stuff. The voice acting is classic DC minus the too cocky Hal. He just comes off as a bit full of himself, something just strikes him as off.

Bottom Line, First Flight is a decent origin story with decent animation and good voice acting. Sadly Green Lantern’s adventure, fight against Sinestro is not as cool as those first encounters of Wonder Woman, Bats or Supes. Fans of Lantern should most definitely give this one a spin but for most DC fans take a rental first.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths – A parallel universe Lex Luthor travels universes seeking the help of the Justice League to combat the evil Crime Syndicate on his planet. This syndicate made up of Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman among others utilizes mafia like tactics to control the world from behind the governments. As Owlman puts his own agenda into motion not only are two Earths at risk but all of reality.

This story was done before, and better, in the original Justice League episodes. The story feels forced and very Watchmen like especially once Owlman puts his plan into motion. Nothing about this DVD feels good. The voice acting is not bad but it’s a slap in the face to fans of DC animation as there is no personality in these voice actors, they are not Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman. The animation is way different than the established DC Universe look and feel and it’s just ugly. The character designs suffer at times, it just does not feel right. The other universe counterparts are stereotypical from Ultraman’s Italian mafia look to Black Lighting wearing a ‘bad ass’ vest showing off his chest. Why not just slap a goatee on every character so we know they are evil?

Bottom Line, is this movie is sub-par on so many levels. The design and animation are poor, voice acting, while not bad is like wrong sounding muppets to quote Stewie. A re-cut and piecing together of the original Justice League episodes would have been better. Sad considering the other quality DC has put out recently.

Overall, Wonder Woman is top notch, Green Lantern a step below and Justice League … well that is just sad. A great time to be a DC Comics fan with so many series being put out but tread carefully as not every offering is of the best quality.

Comics: Scarecrow Papercraft

The Scarecrow (Dr. Jonathan Crane) is a character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He was a former psychiatrist who uses a variety of drugs and psychological tactics to exploit the fears and phobias of his adversaries, the Scarecrow is a member of Batman's rogues gallery. Download here.

Iron Man Armored Adventures Season 1 DVD Impression

Iron Man Armored Adventures is an animated, computer generated animation, telling of a young Tony Starks adventures as he creates the Iron Man armor and deals with both childhood and business issues that come with being a boy genius. It’s no secret that these younger Stark adventures are inspired by the recent movies and look to take advantage of the steam from said movies but is it a cheap knockoff or a truly worthy stand alone, let’s take a look …

The Story – Tony Stark may be a teenager but he’s a genius on par with his father who created Stark Industries. A tragic accident sees Tony’s father killed while he survives. In the blink of an explosion Tony’s life is turned upside down as his father’s company is taken over and he’s relegated to living with best friend Rhodey while assimilating into school. As Tony continues his father’s work he encounters new enemies from the Living Laser to Crimson Dynamo to the Mandarin just to name a few. Tony must develop new armor and trust in his friends in order to recover his father’s company and figure out just who was involved in his demise. It’s not easy being a boy genius.

The Design & Animation – The design mirrors those seen in Marvel comics but puts a younger, more polished spin on things with a computer generated (CG) animation style that is more comic than anime. The characters seem a bit puppetish at times but the action is top notch and fast. The look and feel of characters such as Iron Man, War Machine, S.H.I.E.L.D. and even Nick Fury is enjoyable and seems to draw from the recent Iron Man movies. The use of CG makes for a quicker product that may not seem as polished as some animations but it works very well and gives Iron Man a more technologically advanced feel which it deserves.

Overall, Iron Man Armored Adventures is worthy of standing on its own two legs. Iron Man is a long, good and storied comic with two good movies behind it and a few older animated series. Armored Adventures adds a new spin to the classic story and formula introducing familiar characters with revamped looks and mechanical designs. The changes to the story, pacing and action really adds up to a DVD set that young fans will dig but older comic geeks will also enjoy. This is not your father’s Tony Stark and these new adventures will only enhance fans enjoyment of the movies and comics.