Every week I like to share my picks of the new comics in stores that Wednesday over on Grizzly Pullz, but I don’t always get to explain why I am loving a particular series. Today we will be exploring a mix of creator-owned titles from Image Comics you should be checking out, and why I love them. We’ll be looking at a few series that range from critically acclaimed to fan-favorites, and in some cases new titles just starting out. These lists are not only a chance for us to share some of the great series, but to offer a starting point for any comic fan, new or old, who are looking for a few titles to try out. It can be kind of daunting to jump into the world of creator-owned comics, but I’ll give you fair warning, you WILL be hooked.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Out Early, Thank You Hydra
Remember how we were going to get the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer during the October 28th Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode? Well someone decided to crash the party, and if you believe Marvel, it was Hydra.
Continue reading Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Out Early, Thank You Hydra
Gotham: Fox Orders More Episodes and Casts Fan Favorite
Gotham is getting better – the show at least, not so much the city.
As the weeks pass and Gotham improves, we see characters start to fall into their places a bit more evenly. After the fifth episode – titled Viper – we saw Edward Nigma actually appear to serve a purpose at the precinct. Sal Maroni shed his jolly gangster look for a more sinister persona. This one more resembling the head of a crime family, though oblivious to threat Cobblepot poses him. And Bruce Wayne, whom I’d been calling for less of, showed glimpses of the drive that will someday steer him into the cape and cowl. The drug story also sets up a later appearance from another major villain, as Viper is the precursor to Bane’s Venom. Overall, the Viper episode was the best we’ve seen thus far, edging out the prior week’s Arkham for that title.
Continue reading Gotham: Fox Orders More Episodes and Casts Fan Favorite
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2: Pac Is Making Quite The Comeback
Everyone’s favorite chubby chomper has had quite the resurgence these past few years. Bandai Namco has plastered his unmistakable likeness to new downloadable games, made him an official member of the new Super Smash Bros. and given ol’ Pac his own TV show. Last year’s video game tie, Pac-Man and The Ghostly Adventures, was a solid, but not to0 memorable romp through the cartoon’s varied worlds. This year’s sequel expectedly arrives with a few new elements here and there, but it maintains the mediocre quality that its predecessor exhibited.
Once again, Pac and his best buds are set on a mission to stop Betrayus’ new evil schemes. The plot here is your typical Saturday morning, half-hour story fare so there’s nothing too interesting occurring this time around. You’ll take on the role of Pac-Man and run around various worlds that open up as you complete entire sets of one. Each world comes with a nice variety of platforming sections that pit Pac-Man against moving platforms, plenty of ghosts and tricky jumps. The abundance of power-ups and enemies to chomp on are your usual Pac-Man platforming fare. Each world and its fitting themes look good enough. The familiar sounds associated with old school and new school Pac-Man should put a smile on fans of all ages, too.
From time to time, you’ll come into contact with certain items that change-up Pac-Man’s repertoire of moves. Pac’s bouncy form lets him smash crates and hop to higher ledges, while his Ice Form allows him to freeze water fountains and use them for extra platforms. These mechanics are fun to utilize, but the majority of them have been seen before. Most of the platforming sections and Pac-Man forms seen here harken back to the last game, making this sequel a retread that’s decent at best. Sure, eating hundreds of pellets and eating tons of ghost in succession is fun at first. But doing these activities over and over gets tiresome real fast…
The only fresh and new play mechanics added here are the on-rails shooting stages that include Pac-Man’s friends, Cylindria and Spiral. There is some extra fun to be had as you shoot down airborne ghosts, blast through obstacles, collect pellets and nab the highest score and medal you can. Nabbing high scores and medals across the game’s many worlds are fun in short bursts. But the all-too familiar gameplay and not-so-new Pac-Man transformations may bore you before too long.
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 is just more of the same. The game itself is a solid platformer that includes a few gimmicks that may keep younger games around long. As for the older crowd who may have taken a chance on the 1st game in the series, there isn’t much new and fresh to get attached to here. This sequel feels more like a inconsequential upgrade than an actual improvement to a somewhat decent prequel.
Images: Bandai Namco Games
Mezco’s Dark Knight Figure Owns The Night
Frank Miller has had an illustrious career, and most of it good, and maybe none of it better than his 1986 interpretation of Bruce Wayne’s dark future, The Dark Knight Returns.
Most fans know in extensive detail the world Frank Miller and Klaus Janson mapped out so many years ago, especially now with spin offs, animated features, and elements of their story shaping the basis of the new Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But it is the action figures that are the focus of this article. Numerous figures have been released over the years, the most famous likely being DC Collectables Unlimited series which had Batman, the bulky Superman, the female Robin and the pinstriped Joker, which were all collected in a special edition set retailing for about $90.
But now toy makers Mezco Toyz have gotten in on the action with their version of The Dark Knight and it’s something quite special. Below is the impressive array of stats on the figure which include three different pairs of hands and two faces.
- 1/12th scale fully posable collectible action figure
- – Hyper articulated body featuring over 30 points of articulation
- – Real fabric clothing
- Includes Four (4) pairs of interchangeable hands including:
- One (1) pair of fists
- One (1) pair of “holding” hands
- One (1) pair of posing hands
- One (1) pair of “Batarang” hands
- One (1) interchangeable boot with pistol holster – One (1) removable utility belt
- One (1) pistol
- One (1) grappling hook
- One (1) alternate head
- One (1) Bat-symbol display base
- One (1) articulated figure stand for multiple dynamic figure poses
- One (1) detachable cape-posing stand accessory
- Figure comes in fifth panel window box with slip cover
Now here is the action figure in all its glory.
As you can see, there are slight differences between this version and the comic reproduction DC Collectables put out. This Batman is less stocky, looking more anatomically correct in muscle size than the comic version. However the figure is still modeled well enough in that department that it still has an imposing presence. The chiseled chin and battle worn face is still there, but given a Mezco makeover. The detail to costume and sculpt design is amazing, and with the ability to pose this Dark Knight in numerous arrangements, it makes a welcome addition to the Batman figure family.
Mezco’s Dark Knight action figure is available for pre-order from their website now, but will not ship until January 2015. It’s priced at $65.00 and will no doubt sell out pretty darn quickly. So if you want the embodiment of justice in a dark DC future to be part of your household, I suggest getting that pre-order in, otherwise you may miss out on a superbly crafted item.
Images: DC Collectibles, Mezco
Grizzly Pullz: New Comics for the Week of 10/22/2014
Welcome back to our weekly comic pull list! We pick the new comics of the week, every Wednesday, that should find a way on to your pull list. Brand new series or the tried and true, there will be something here for you!
Too much with the rhyme? Yup, moving on.
Continue reading Grizzly Pullz: New Comics for the Week of 10/22/2014
Grizzly Bomb 