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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Stop Motion Film: My First (True) Attempt


Stop Motion Film:
My First (True) Attempt At Making A Stop Motion Film Using Blu-Ray DVD's

Enjoy!



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

DC January 2013 Solicitations

January 2013 DC Solicitations:

BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN #5
BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS #5
BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN #6
JUSTICE LEAGUE #16
AQUAMAN #16
WONDER WOMAN #16
THE FLASH #16
GREEN ARROW #16
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #16
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #16
THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #16
EARTH 2 #8
WORLDS’ FINEST #8
ACTION COMICS #16
SUPERMAN #16
SUPERBOY #16
SUPERBOY ANNUAL #1
SUPERGIRL #16
TALON #4
BATMAN #16
BATMAN, INCORPORATED #7
BATMAN AND ROBIN #16
BATMAN AND ROBIN ANNUAL #1
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #16
DETECTIVE COMICS #16
BATGIRL #16
BATWOMAN #16
CATWOMAN #16
BIRDS OF PREY #16
BATWING #16
NIGHTWING #16
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #16
GREEN LANTERN #16
RED LANTERNS #16
GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #1
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #16
GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #16
GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS ANNUAL #1
THE PHANTOM STRANGER #4
SWORD OF SORCERY #4
ANIMAL MAN #16
SWAMP THING #16
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #16
FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #16
DIAL H #8
DEMON KNIGHTS #16
I, VAMPIRE #16
TEAM 7 #4
THRESHOLD #1
DEATHSTROKE #16
ALL-STAR WESTERN #16
GRIFTER #16
STORMWATCH #16
BLUE BEETLE #16
SUICIDE SQUAD #16
TEEN TITANS #16
THE RAVAGERS #8
LEGION LOST #16
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #16
DC COMICS ARROW #3
AME-COMI GIRLS #4: FEATURING
POWER GIRL
HUMAN BOMB #2
JSA: LIBERTY FILES – THE WHISTLING SKULL #2
BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #12
BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED #10
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #4
SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #9
JOE KUBERT PRESENTS #4

Please enjoy these fun new titles from DC Comics. I'll soon post the 2013 Solicitations from Marvel NOW!

Out!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

DC Up's and Down's. The NEW 48?

In January 2013, DC Comics will end 4 titles bringing it down to 48 instead of 52 but there is still a search going on to see who will replace the 4 cut-off titles. Blue-Beetle's end will mark a set-up for it's new title (without a clearly know date as to when exactly that will be).

Frankenstein: Agent Of S.H.A.D.E., Blue Beetle, Grifter and Legion Lost will be getting cut from the line up in January 2013. Despite these cuts, these four stories were among the original, first wave stories in The New 52 line up back in September 2011. G.I. Combat will also be joining the ranks of the previous four in December. The New 52 will be ending with Threshold.

The new Justice League Of America will be kicking off the month of February 2013 which will bring the count back up to 49 but the question is, which books will be filling in the last three ranks of the new 52?

A representative from Newsarama.com asked DC Comics this question but as of press time, DC Comics has not been able to post a response back to Newsarama.com. When Newsarama.com reps were at the 2012 New York Comic Con, these reps heard news that Scott Snyder and Jim Lee will be hosting a new Superman sometime in 2013 but there has been no confirmed dates yet as when that will exactly be so this can be ruled out as a replacement for February 2013's line up. To make matters even worse, no news on current or new titles going into the new year were ever spoken of at the New York Comic Con.

DC Comics, in the past year, have been gracious enough to immediately replace titles that were canceled but now it seems as though DC Comics is slipping up a bit. Is this an accident or a clever ruse for something bigger to come?

All we know at this point is the name of the titles for January 2013 release, and those are:
Batman Family
Justice League Family
Green Lantern Family
Superman Family
The Dark Family
The Edge Family
&
Young Justice Family

Whether this change and/or slip is an accident or not, DC Comics recently has been having some troubles of their own with Cartoon Network. And by that I mean, pulled animated television shows. Some DC Nation shows were abruptly taken off the air without notice or fair warning which did not settle well with the nations of fans out there. The drop was replaced by an hour-long show of Dragons: Riders Of Berk. Of these titles that were pulled were, Young Justice, Green Lantern and shorts that include Amethyst. The good news is that they will be returning January of 2013 but no one knows just yet why this has happened. The bad news......pissed off fans of DC Nation and other sorts of fans alike.

So what's really going on with DC Comics and DC Nation?

No one really knows. Mum's the word for right now it seems like so stay tuned and I will provide some more details as they come in.

Out!

Monday, October 15, 2012

It's Official! Podcast Is Up!

Hello everyone.

A quick note here to let you know about the new Podcast System I just implemented.

Hop on over to my second blog: Comic Eye Podcast.

and please subscribe :)

Thanks.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

CBReview: Grifter #0 and #1

I know I am a bit behind on this one here due to the fact it is now up to #13 now but I felt Grifter #0 and #1 needed it's own little review. What I mean by little is actually a little review haha. Nothing too long this time.

So here we go.

Grifter #0 brings together the concept of the blurred origins of Grifter. It begins with Grifter stating just how easy his job is and how he enjoys it with the help of his "two brothers" but something starts to feel a little off for him. He begins to question the sense of the scene of where he is at and questions if what he is doing is what really is happening at that very moment. It escalates into him about to go into shock when he is now pointing a gun at the back of one of his brother's head. It's in this moment when he realizes it's not real but notices behind a sketchy character. He see's this hooded individual and questions if it's a hologram or a ghost due to its transparent appearance. However, that wasn't the only thing on the list of strange things he notices. He now notices that he "thinks" he knows this person but doesn't know how or why he does. He knows the persons name as well but again doesn't know how or why. He sees the mysterious man talking to him but can barely hear him. He's able to make out the word "programming" but this doesn't make sense to him at all.  This is where you now learn he is floating inside a lab cylinder tank. Before you know it, this mysterious man is more than a figment of his imagination. Why is this man now helping Grifter aka Cole Cash? And why does Grifter wake up later to only reveal this isn't the first time this has happened to him? You will have to read #0 to find out.

Grifter #1 Finds himself on a plane but this turns out to not be an ordinary plane ride for Mr. Cash. The plane has already taken off and now there is no way out of it now. His plane passenger in the seat next to him turns out not all she seems to be as well. There are little excerpts here and there showing that there "voices" inside Grifter's head. The "nice" little passenger asks if he is okay and then the next panel shows Grifter in a paranoid like state stating "I think there's one of them on this plane" and of course Grifter just shrugs it off stating he just needs some aspirin. His first problems begin when he gets up to get medicine and the stewardess reminds him he may not get out of his seat just yet. The next panels show that "nice" little passenger thinking/questioning herself how Grifter knows already what the voices in his heads plans are and mentions the fact she will kill him before the plane lands. Grifter freaks out after hearing this news and points out she is going to kill him but no one listens. The woman pulls out a needle from her hand but Grifter is quick on the draw and gets her before she gets him. The rest of the passengers only simply saw that Grifter killed the "poor little passenger" and yell out he is a murderer. Grifter attempts his escape. Now why did the passengers only see Grifter as a simple murderer? Why is he trying escape? You will have to read #1 to find out.

Marvel NOW! and Scott Summers!

As I have mentioned before - Amazing Spider-Man will be coming to an end after it's #700 release in December which will then soon pave the way for Marvel NOW! So what does this mean for Spider-Man?

Well fortunately Spider-Man will be making his return with Marvel NOW! as mentioned above but not only that - Spider-Man's new launch will begin shortly after the end of Amazing Spider-Man in January of 2013. Writer, Dan Slott, sure has stressed over the changes that changed Peter Parker aka Spider-Man has gone through and stresses of the big things that will be happening in the lead-up issues as well. Now you've already seen the introduction of "Alpha" - a minor kind of "sidekick" to Spider-Man who's origins are that of like Spider-Man's own.

Spider-Man #698 will be a very huge turning point in the ending of the series as well so be sure to look out for that as well.

The other real interesting piece of the ending of Amazing Spider-Man is the soon to come Marcos Martin variant covers celebrating the many talents of whose work has made it all the way up to #700.

Apart from Spider-Man, let's now take our focus over to the All New X-Men. Recently, I had picked up the free previews magazine and something struck me with a heavy gasp and it's going to blow you out of the water as well. From the beginning, we see a very particular mutant stress his, well, stresses over the fact of being an X-Man trying to save and protect the humans while the humans are the ones attacking mutants. He tries to make it clear that he is done being a X-Man and will no longer serve the humans. *Guessed it by now I'm not revealing that characters name till you see for yourself ;)* That will only be a little snip-bit that I will allow myself to mention here. It is a guarantee that you will never see Scott Summers the same EVER again!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Temptress Of Nature!

Today the Wife and I decided to take a stroll around town and by stroll I mean walk around town because my truck was recently repossessed lol. Upon our travels we stopped by the local comic book store, "Dr. Fantasy's Comics N' More," and was just doing some normal browsing. Upon my browsing I suddenly had remembered that today was shipment day for the store. I then went to the lovely lady up at the cashier desk and asked her if "Fanboys Vs. Zombies #7" had arrived yet and to my sadness, she said tomorrow. Here's the interesting fact about it though; as popular as this comic book been becoming, I have always been able to find current and past issues lying around at my two favorite stores, so this makes me a very happy man because I had also realized that on Friday I am going to my other favorite store to see the store owners.

"O' Temptation! How art thou a heartless bitch!" as the saying goes.

I had only one goal in mind and that was to have something to eat next door from the shop and get one comic book today but that unfortunately didn't work out. It was such a beautiful day today! I ended up walking out of that store with 3 comic books, "Grifter #0 and #1" and "Green Arrow #13" and not only had lunch at my favorite restaurant "Johnny Rockets" but ended up walking around the mall, walking around Target, stopping by the Harkins Movie Theater and seeing "Taken 2," a decent movie with a bad ending.

Needless to say, the wife and I had a wonderful time today just walking around town and chatting it up with each other despite wasting more money than we said we would but that's okay though because I have a backup plan and things will be just fine.

Oh and did I mention that I'm getting a Scooter Moped soon? Oh yes! As Stan Lee would put it......Excelsior! :-D



Monday, October 8, 2012

The Reward & Other Flashy Fun

So today I received my first winners badge from winning Devin O'Branagan's September Flash Fiction Contest. I was very excited when I received it today. This makes me feel better as a writer. This day is becoming even better and better. I'm getting a Moped soon, the Wife just got a new job, I just got a new job. I might get a courtesy patrol position at my apartment complex which includes discount on rent too (woohoo!) So yes I am very happy man right now.

I will admit though, my story could use a tiny bit of changes with a couple grammatical errors but hey, that's okay because I can just adjust the writing a little bit and then it is perfect. For all of you blog readers and writers, I shall post the story here. Keep in mind that this is the original script without changes made to it yet.
A Teachers Magic

The first day of school had arrived and the thralls of the summer vacations past never seemed to equate my emotions I carried through the first day of school. The bright yellow sun shone down on the sickly red brick building known as the “school-house”. The clouds loomed in small numbers casting small shadows on the grassy knolls outside the main entrance. The students of previous years hanged around and some went in – they knew the drill. The new students were easy to spot from their obvious bodily expressions indicating their confusion as to where their new class is at. Although, there was something particular about this day that didn't seem like it was all the rest. Was it because I advanced to the junior year? Was it puberty? Something told me none of those questions had proper answers.

The bell rang and I started to walk through the main entrance of the school-house to only have metal detectors waiting for every student and members of the school staff. Ah, the same old routine. Once I passed by the hulking, minimally-waged paid Security Guard, I started walking through the newly painted white halls with lockers on both sides towards the expected same old drawled down home room. As I walked closer and closer to the dank home room, butterflies in my stomach kept growing stronger and stronger with every step.

“What’s going on?” I asked myself in a low whisper.

I noticed the prettiest girl in the home room, Fiona, and her goon squad was staring at me with a bewildered look.

Walking into the home-room, there in front of me, writing away with chalk on the black chalkboard, was my answer.

She smelt of dead dry leaves and IcyHot ointment. She was draped in a potato-sack looking poncho, two scarves draped around her neck and bulging eye-glasses which looked as though they magnified her eyes like a close up of a fly under a microscope. As I started to make my way towards my seat, the key lanyard hanging out my pocket caught onto one of the desks and pulled it out of its position causing a loud screeching noise against the hard wooden floor. She turned around quickly but seemingly without a fright though which was strange.

“Well, hello there little one, find your seat yet? Or did it find you? Hehe!” she snickered.

“S-s-Sorry Ms.……” I started.

“Ms. Hopper it is dearie,” finished the strange teacher.

Embarrassed now, I returned the desk to its former position and sat down into my own desk. Once I thought that this couldn’t get any worse…….it did. I looked up to see the teacher starting to dance in a circle and chanting,

“Vim, Vam, Vaboom – sang the dead man’s tomb!”

To make matters worse, the rest of the students started pouring during the middle of her trance-like dance. Some students tried to hold back their laughs while others just stared with a bewildered look on their faces wondering what they were in for this school year. MS. Hopper stopped suddenly and slowly stood up straight and stared back at all the other students that now filled the room. She noticed one of the boys, Henry, filming it all with his newly purchased black iPhone 4S. Whether it was by coincidence or not, the phone suddenly started to spark, cracked and fell to the floor in several pieces. Needless to say, it was strange but Henry was not a happy camper. How was he going to explain that one to his parents?
The class lecture began like normal with the entire regular curriculum but during the last 15 minutes of class will never be forgotten till the day I die.

“Class, this is all well and good for your education but what about THE ADVENTURE?!” started yelling frantically.

“The adventure?” Susie asked confused.

“YES SWEET DEAR!” she continued yelling.

“Let me ask you this class! Do any of you believe……..in MAGIC?!” asked Ms. Hopper.

“Magic doesn’t exist you crazy old bat!” screeched Henry.

“Really Mr. Hunter?” replied Ms. Hopper.

“Dap, Doop, Dappitty Dap Dap! Let the tamed be named the dame!” chanted Ms. Hopper as she pulled out a wand like tool beneath her brown potato-sack looking poncho.

Every student in the class room including myself gasped with amazement. The room fell silent for a few moments. Well….that was until a low snicker started to be heard and just like a contagious illness – it spread throughout the whole classroom until there was a strong plethora  of laughter. What happened to Henry you ask? Well let’s just say he never heard of Cinderella before!

“Now class, without magic in your lives, you will cease to exist as a whole. Imagine yourself waking up every morning knowing you had to go to school. That’s magic! Now imagine your thoughts when you are studying your homework to succeed in school. That’s magic! Beginning to see the picture here darlings?” inquired Ms. Hopper.

It was as though it was a military school because everyone answered in sync to this obviously crazy but intriguing teacher.

“Yes, Ms. Hopper!”

“Every day you come to class and if you can keep the magic to yourselves, I will perform more magic for you. And if you get good grades my dearies, I just might consider teaching all of you……Magic!” Ms. Hopper stated with sneakiness in her voice!

Everyone’s faces lit up with glee at this news. Everyone thought to themselves the same as I.

“Magic? Oh Wow!” or
“Can I turn my boyfriend into a toad?”

No matter what they were thinking, every student in that class room all thought the same thing…….

“This year is going to be very awesome!”
                                                                                                             

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Top 5 Nazi Zombie Movies

So I've been looking around on the internet about anything zombies and particularly came across a website that mentions the Top 5 Nazi Zombies ever made.....with a tiny ass review that doesn't do the review process enough of mere justice.

So here is my review of the Top 5 Nazi Zombie movies ever made.

We start with #5 - the worst on the list here.

#5. Zombies Of War:

Originally made in the UK, the US made it's own version (although not much better) called "Horrors Of War" with a little bit of a clean up on the movie sleeve itself as well. The premise of the story is is that it takes place during World War II and a group of soldiers come across a tamed version of the first zombie made by a Nazi scientist. The group of soldiers is then tasked with, after learning more information about the secret projects by the Nazi scientist, to hunt him down and kill the man. Along the way, the soldiers run into all sorts of problems from running into firefights with other Nazi's and at times running into Zombies themselves. As much as I would like to review movies - I will not give away the ending.

Plot: Poor Plot
Acting Abilities: Terrible

#4. Oasis Of The Zombies

Directed by Jess Franco. All I can really say about this one is is that there is a bit more Zombie action going on here and the acting is a bit better apart from Zombies Of War. The graphics, make up and what not go to a whole new length as well despite it being made in 1981. Oasis Of The Zombies has also shown up in some other countries as well including Mexico. Of course, the acting is a bit different, a few different actors, the music, etc....

Plot: Decent Plot
Acting Abilities: Average

#3. Dead Snow

I am actually quite impressed with this movie despite it having a lame sense of comedy half-way through the movie. The pros of this movie go to the graphics and make up. It is very impressive of how they made the Nazi Zombies look. The cons will have to go to not only the lame humor half-way through but the cliche old man in the cabin giving a history of the area that set off the mood for the scary woods.

Setting is quite impressive for this movie. There's some decent acting and the drive the characters have, including the zombies, really give the movie and the concept life.

Plot: Decent Plot
Acting Abilities: Decent

*Worth Watching*

#2. Shock Waves

Starring Peter Cushing. The action from this movie seems to be a bit more intimidating. The zombie like characters are much more like real humans with real actions versus the typical slow moving zombies. As I said - Intimidating. There isn't too much to be said about this movie except for the chill factor when the zombies are coming out of the lake. The synopsis is basically about some people are on a beach vacation on an abandoned island which they come to find out is inhabited by a crazy Nazi scientist that has been creating Nazi Zombies. A little bit of a downer is the lack of blood/gore. Scariest part = the Nazi zombie rises out of the water behind a unsuspecting prey and takes him down beneath the water and drowns him.

Plot: Decent Plot
Acting Abilities: Decent

*Worth Watching*

And we finally come to the number one Nazi Zombie Movie.

#1. Zombie Lake

Starring Howard Vernon. This film is only worth watching for its effects and for the women's naked volleyball team zombie attack. Yes! That's right! There's quite a bit of nudity in this one. This one is more of a laughable zombie movie versus anything else. However, it is also a work of genius as well. The plot is great for it being made in 1981 and the acting is sometimes not all there but there are some good moments as well.

What's worth watching is more for the nudity and sometimes laughable plot but other than that there is some high and low moments.

*Worth Watching*

Well that's the end folks! Hope you all enjoyed this mini-review and hope to hear what you all have to say about them.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Marvel NOW! A Whole New Avengers? Or Flop?

So what does Marvel NOW! have to offer?

That's a very good question to ask because so many comic book fans and even the newer generation of comic book fans see that Spider-Man and Wolverine are going to end after #700 and heavily fret over this news. However, the good news is is that Spider-Man and Wolverine will NOT be ending after #700 but will be simply getting a reboot to fit the modern universes of today. Marvel NOW! is nothing more than a compilation of reboots of Avengers and the X-Men mostly.

The latest news coming out of the Marvel Universe shows a three issue arc called "Avengers World." The three issue arc presents how the Avengers must become something bigger and something more than themselves. The first issue begins with the Avengers facing a threat nothing like they have ever faced before. A back story of Tony Stark and Captain America is also told about how the two have quietly been collaborating with each other to create a contingency plan for events such as this new threat they are facing.

Johnathan Hickman, writer of the new Avengers, goes on to reveal the storm front of "established" characters to appear in this astounding series beginning in issue #7 and #8. A total of 24 characters will eventually make it into this line up and by the time 22 characters have been brought in, at least 12 are females or minority.

When asked what are the challenges in balancing such a large cast of Avengers, especially with multiple new characters, this was his response:

“We thought a lot about this, how to make something like this work. Just thinking of a structure with the rest of the guys. We have a monthly ongoing Hulk book, and a Wolverine book, and a Captain America book… We have all of those books. So if you write a book about the Avengers, and it’s a team of all of those guys, really you limit yourself and what you can do in terms of character development. Structurally, we’re going with three issue arcs that are really big stories.”

Seems like with the reboot that Marvel NOW! plans to make, old-school Marvel ideas will be scrapped and the Marvel Universe will now be taken into a whole new direction. Some can debate that this is a bad idea for Marvel to take everything and everyone into a whole new direction but some can also debate that a whole new direction is just what the Marvel Universe needs in order to peak the curiosities of the whole new generation of comic book fans that are discovering Marvel and even the DC Universe.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction is a sure-fire way to increase one's writing ability. It has enabled me to write better as well. The topics that you receive to write about are a lot of fun. For instance, the last Flash Fiction Contest was in September and the topic was "First day of school and you think your new teacher might be crazy or supernaturally strange." The photo associate with the topic shows one of Hermiones teachers from Harry Potter. This gave me my inspiration for my story. However, the story could be a bit edited and then re-published to seem better.

All of you already know I'm a Writer trying to accomplish the goal of having my comic book published this Fall as well.

If ya'll want to check out my September Flash Fiction story, visit: forum.devinwrites.com
*make sure to leave out the "http://www." or it wont show*