Bi-weekly spotlight on comics

Hello everyone.  I know I’ve been gone for a while, but I’m back with more comic reviews for all you fellow nerds out there.  I normally pick up my comics on a by-weekly basis, so that’s how often I will be post ing these reviews.  Now without further ado, let’s take a look at what made it into my long box over the last few weeks.

As I have mentioned in a previous post (surely you’ve been reading all of them right?) Marvel is in the process of rolling out new number one issues of nearly all their comics, complete with a re-shuffled lineup of artists and writers. Marvel Now, as it is called, is envisioned as a way for new readers to have a jumping off point. These new number one issues are slowly rolling out over the next few months, and this week we will be taking a look at two of them, Iron Man and Deadpool, as well as a few other titles.

Iron Man issue #1

 

I have very mixed feeling about this comic. Overall, I felt a little disappointed with it. Let’s start with the artwork. Greg land is handling the pencils for this run. When there is action in the book, or when Tony Stark is in wearing the Iron Man suit, the artwork looks amazing. These scenes look like they are straight out of the Iron Man films. Here is an example….                                        

 

But when Land is drawing people, I feel like the quality dips tremendously.  Lands Stark, looks as though he is of Asian descent, and if that’s not strange enough, nearly every character in the book has a creepy smile on their face the majority of the time. Again, some examples….

 

 

There is no doubt that Land is very talented, there is a photo realistic quality to his work. But the facial expressions in this issue were very distracting to me.

So we’ve talked about the artwork, but what about the story? Kieron Gillen is the new writer for this series. I didn’t find the story in this first issue very compelling. I found Gillen’s Iron Man to be somewhat detached and even a little boring, a far cry from the Tony Stark were used to seeing light up the silver screen. I’m not expecting the comic book version of Iron Man to be a carbon copy of the film's, I was just hoping he would at least be as interesting.

I am more than willing to read a couple more issues and give this new creative team time to find their legs. I only hoped this new era of Iron Man would begin with a bigger bang, as this was one my most anticipated issues of the year.

 

Deadpool #1

 

 

Deadpool more than made up for all the disappointment I felt in Iron Man #1. Simply put, this was the most fun I have had reading a comic in quite some time. I recently became a fan of Deadpool while reading one of my favorite comics Avenging Spider-Man. (more on that later) Avenging is a Spidey team-up book, and the last few issues featured a hilarious story arc featuring none other than Deadpool himself!  I enjoyed those issues so much, that couldn’t resist the opportunity to begin reading Deadpool on a regular basis, beginning with the fresh start that Marvel Now could bring.

For those of you who are not familiar with Deadpool , he is crass, violent, comical, and crazy. The comics that feature Deadpool normally contain stories that are pretty far out there, and this new run is no exception.  Issue one begins a story arc that finds Deadpool hired by S.H.I.E.L.D. to take down resurrected deceased Presidents of the United States. Trust me, It’s as crazy as it sounds, and definitely unique.

This comic featured great writing by comedians Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. They had me laughing out loud on every page, and It’s refreshing to read a comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The artwork was equally impressive with the pencils provided by The Walking Dead co-creator Tony Moore.  The book looks amazing, and the level of detail put into of the panels was spectacular. I also want to give a rare shout out to an inker. Thanks to Val Staples, the colors really pop in Deadpool #1 and are another reason I enjoyed the artwork so much. They really help set the fun and wacky tone that will have me coming back to this comic every month.  As a Walking Dead fan, it was also a treat to see Moore’s artwork in color for a change. I now officially consider myself a Deadpool fan!

 

Avenging Spider-Man Annual #1 and #14

 

 

As I said before, Avenging Spidey is one of my favorite comics. The series began a little over a year ago with the creative team of Zebb Wells and Joe Madureira. The first arc had me hooked and was a perfect balance of great writing and amazing artwork. Joe Mad’s work from that arc still stands as some of the best I’ve seen since my return to comics.

However, the next several issues featured a revolving door of new artists and writers that never came close to the quality of the initial run. That trend however, seems to slowly be reversing itself. The aforementioned Deadpool arc was a shot in the arm for the series, and the two issues I am reviewing here were both enjoyable as well.

The annual features a team-up of sorts between Spidey and the Thing. The story was well written by Rob Williams. There are some pretty funny moments, especially towards the end when The Thing and Spider-man share a kiss. That’s right, a kiss!  You’ll just have to read it to find out why…. trust me, your going to laugh! Speaking of The Thing, the artwork in this book, provided by Brad Walker really shines when Ben Grimm is on the page. This is pretty impressive considering The Thing cannot be an easy character to draw!  Overall an entertaining issue for sure.

Issue # 14 starts a new run that finds spider-man returning to the Savage Land. This of course, means lots of dinosaurs! My favorite thing about this issue was the artwork featuring pencils by Aaron Kuder. The book looks great and has a much darker tone then some of the earlier issues of this title. I wasn’t very excited when I initially heard about this arc, but now I am really looking forward to the next issue so I can see what happens next!

AvX Consequences Issues 4 and 5

 

 

These two issues bring this mini-series to a close. I won’t spend a lot of time reviewing them. There was nothing bad here and nothing great either. We do get to some closure on Cyclops, and find out what role he will be playing in the Marvel universe going forward. There were however, a few pages that I really did enjoy. They show the contents of a letter that Cyclops had written for Wolverine. The letter helps explain the motivation for his next move, and gives a great deal of insight into the complicated relationship these two have with one another. The writer (Gillen again) does a good job of painting Cyclops as a shade of grey, rather than a simple black and white villain. For those of you who are interested to see what happens to Cyclops next, and I count myself as one of them, he will be featured in the upcoming comic “The All New X-Men” which debuts next week.

So what did you guys read over the last few week and what were your thoughts about the comics discussed above. I would love to hear your thoughts as well. Till next time, stay nerdy my friends!

 

 

 

WWE PPV Recap / Results

 

 

 

So as promised, I'm back with a recap of last nights WWE PPV Hell in a Cell!

 

I had a great time watching the event overall. (how bad can getting out of the house, chowing down at Buffalo Wild Wings, and hanging with friends and family really be??) However, This PPV left me a little disappointed on several fronts. First and foremost was the lack of the aforementioned cell. Why not have every match take place in the cage? Instead, we got plenty of Hell with very little cell. So lets take a walk through each match and see how it all went down shall we?

 

 

Alberto Del Rio vs. Randy Orton

 

 

The feud between Randy and ADR had been brewing for a few weeks and had provided some interesting moments. Most notably, ADR had began to refer to himself as the new "Apex Predator" of the WWE, a moniker that Orton has used for much of his career. Alberto had even stooped to openly mocking and mimicking Randy after his matches.

 

This was a pretty good match with a lot of back and forth action. Momentum swung both ways with Del Rio spending most of the match softening up Orton's arm in an attempt to lock in his finishing maneuver the "cross armbreaker" Orton also made several attempts to utilize his own popular finisher the RKO, but missed it on his first few attempts.

 

I must stop here and discuss one of my beefs with the WWE. Every time Randy Orton wrestles, he has to make multiple attempts before nailing the RKO. Time and time again, opponents find a way to get out of it!. Apparently the RKO is the most telegraphed move in WWE history. Its becoming quite cliche to see him miss the attempt only to redeem himself later in the match.

 

OK, now that I have that off my chest, Orton eventually did hit the RKO on ADR and it was pretty sick! your winner: Randy Orton, match grade: B

 

 

Antonio Cesaro vs, Justin Gabriel for the United States Championship

 

 

 

This match began a trend that would last throughout the evening, the Champion being introduced first. Shouldn't the contender for the belt be the one to enter the ring first out of respect for the champ? Apparently the WWE doesn't think so! This match-up was a pretty competitive. It featured a contrast of styles, high flying (Gabriel) vs. technique and strength (Cesaro) The WWE has been hyping up Cesaro's heel characteristics lately and have just begun to give the character depth. Therefore, even though the match was pretty good, you never really believed the belt was truly in jeopardy.

 

Your winner: Cesaro retains the championship. Match Grade B-

 

 

Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship

 

 

 

Again, Kofi's entrance music hit first, going against all my old school wrestling sensibilities. This match felt a little stale as it was the third bout between these two in a matter of weeks. I think both performers did an admirable job, it just seemed a little overdone at this point. I will say this, the ability of Kofi Kingston to hit his finishing kick "Trouble in Paradise" so suddenly and viciously, out of seemingly nowhere, is impressive. He actually kicked the Miz so hard a couple of weeks back that he split his forehead open (like for real not fake!) I have fond memories of the "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the The Ultimate Warrior holding this belt as a child, but I don't think I will  remember this match years from now.

 

Your winner: Kingston retains the championship. Match grade: C+

 

 

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players

 

Any match featuring Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara is bound to be entertaining, and this match was no exception. My hat is off the the Prime Time Players as well. Even though they are heels, I have grown to like this tag team quite a bit of late. (Millions of Dollars! Millions of Dollars!) The most memorable moment of this match was kind of frightening. Sin Cara had his neck bent at an awkward angle during one of the moves, and seemed somewhat off the rest of the match. I was sure the moment was not scripted, it looked really ugly. Luckily, we would later find out he was OK.

 

Your winner: Mysterio and Sin Cara. Match grade: A-

 

 

 

Team Hell No vs. Team Rhodes Scholars for the Tag Team Championship

 

 

 

Kane and Daniel Bryan who make up team Hell No have had a hard time working together of late. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow on the other hand have utilized tremendous team work to fight their way to the number one contender spot for the Tag Team Championship.

 

The match started with Kane and Bryan seemingly on the same page, but of course this wouldn't last long. trouble brewed late in the match when Bryan attempted a move off the apron and connected with Kane instead. This led to Kane going nuts and getting Team Hell No disqualified, keeping their belts however due to the DQ.

 

I must admit that this act is getting a little tired. This was once the funniest angle in WWE, but its luster is sadly starting to fade.

 

Your winners: Team Rhodes Scholars. Match Grade B-

 

 

 

 

The Big Show Vs. Sheamus for the World Heavywieght Championship

 

This was a very good match, and had the whole restaurant going crazy as the tide turned back and forth. Show hit Sheamus with a KO punch and Sheamus shocked the world by kicking out of the pin attempt that followed! If that wasn't unbelievable enough, Sheamus actually picked The Big Show up over his back, (for a few seconds even) then hit him with the signature move White Noise! I still cant believe how easily Sheamus picked up this giant! After finding a way to hit Show with the Brogue Kick, Show had his own unexpected kick out. After regaining the momentum, Show clocked Sheamus with yet another KO punch! This one proved too much for the Celtic Warrior and he finally fell to The Big Show! What a Match!! Best match of the PPV by far!

Your winner: The Big Show wins the title. Match grade: A+

 

 

C. M. Punk vs. Ryback for the WWE Championship

 

 

 

 





I must say that I was pretty pumped up for this main event! I have grown tired of watching Punk face John Cena time and time again. Ryback would hopefully infuse some new life into the Saga of C.M. Punk, the self proclaimed "best in the world".

 

In a short amount of time, Ryback has risen from relative unknown to fan favorite. I like Ryback, but anyone who watched wrestling in the late 90's cant help but draw comparisons to Bill Goldberg. Massive size, strength, and undefeated streak, it all seems a bit.... familiar. Ryback does however, seem like the perfect foil for the loud abnoxious Punk.

 

This had all the makings of a memorable match, Throw the menacing cell into the mix, and we could have had a truly great match on our hands. But of course, the WWE  had to go and ruin all that potential by utilizing the old bad guy referee routine.

 

Right as Ryback was about to hit Punk with the shell shock and seemingly bring Punks near year long title reign to an end, The ref hit Ryback with a low blow, then aided Punk with a quick 1 2 3.

 

Punk haters did get some satisfaction when Ryback chased Punk to the top of the cage and slammed him to the steel. Not only was the ending a huge let down, the match ended about 10 minutes early. I found myself wondering if something went wrong with the planning somewhere, was Punk supposed to crash through the top of the cell to the mat below? Hell in the Cell matches from the past would leave one to think that a wow moment was about to happen, but alas.... it was not meant to be. It will be interesting to see where they take Ryback from here. Will he continue to be a main event staple, or be shuffled back in the pack when Cena's arm is healthy again? Only time will tell.

 

Your winner: Punk retains the title (via cheating ref) Match grade: B-

 

In the end, the night was enjoyable as always, but the ending left much to be desired and lacked a wow factor. This is starting to become a pattern with WWE PPV's, they often don't live up the month long hype. Here's hoping that trend begins to change with next months Survivor Series.

 

 

 



 



The Saga Begins

One day into the blog and I have already decided on some changes. There is no way I can possibly cover 5 specific topics in each and every post and possibly keep you interested! So I have decided to just talk about whichever one is on my mind at the moment

So in this first installment of The Fan-boy Strikes Back, I wanna talk about comics. Why? because comics come out on Wednesdays... so of course, as always, I bought a few yesterday!

As I mentioned in my introduction, I have always loved comics, but just recently began collecting them again. When I was a kid, I was strictly a DC guy. (or kid I guess) Batman, Superman, and the Flash were my favorite characters.

 

I used to look down on Marvel and felt their universe was far inferior to that of DC. That's no longer the case. Fast forward to today and the tables have turned. Over the last five years or so, Marvel Studios have released some of the best Super Hero movies ever made, culminating with this years smash hit The Avengers.

 

These movies have helped me fall in love with characters like Captain America, Thor, and my personal favorite, Iron Man. These films are so captivating that they actually reignited my interest in comics.

 

Coincidentally my renewed interest aligned perfectly with this years biggest comic book crossover event, Avengers vs. X-men, so my collection began.... again. I loved AvX, and soon I was branching out into other Marvel lines. A little Spider-Man here, a little Wolverine there. If your not careful it can get out of hand quickly!

 

Comic books have changed quite a bit since my childhood. The biggest difference is the artwork. The work of today's pencilers and inkers is absolutely amazing. I feel like I have an art gallery in my longbox! The stories are also compelling, I cant wait for Wednesdays to come so I can find out what happens next.

 

I'm so glad I made it back to this great hobby and hope I never leave again. and don't worry about good ol' DC. I recently returned to them as well. The Flash, written by Brian Buccellato, and fantastically drawn by Francis Manapul, is one of my favorite titles out there right now. I've even started reading Batman again, but more on that another time!

So without further ado, here is what I've been reading over the last few weeks, special thanks to my friends at The Dragons Refuge in Peotone IL where I get all my comics. Those guys are great and I highly recommend you check them out.








 

Avengers Assemble #8

This is a fairly new title that serves as a nice jumping off point for fans of the Avengers film, and features the same cast of characters. The first story arc, which culminates in this issue, features a battle with the Mad Titan, Thanos. You may remember Thanos from the post credits scene at the end of the movie.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley have crafted a fun, eye popping story that has been entertaining from the first issue. However, the finale of this tale seems a bit rushed. This may be due in part to the upcoming Marvel Now initiative, which is a soft reboot of the entire Marvel line. A new creative team takes over next month with new stories to tell, so apparently the current team was forced to wrap it up in issue #8. Overall I highly recommend this book, especially for those looking to jump into comics from the Avengers film. This wasn't the best issue of the series, a villain like Thanos shouldn't be explained away so   quickly, but overall its definitely worth a read

 The Flash  #0 and #13

 

As previously mentioned, The Flash may be my all-around favorite comic right now. The art is the best I've seen (check out the samples below!) Issue zero, which serves as somewhat of a supplemental origin story gave some great background info on Barry Allen's childhood and the repercussions that drive his motivations as the Flash. Issue #13 transitions us into a new story arc featuring the villain Gorilla Grodd. My favorite thing about this issue is how The Flash is forced to work with the Rogues (a collection of his enemies) in order to contain the Gorilla threat. Pretty entertaining stuff! I have to read all of the Flash comics twice just to fully appreciate the visuals

AvX Consequences #2 and #3

This series showcases the fallout from Avengers vs. X-men. I was hesitant to jump on board with this 6 part series initially, for fear that it was created simply as way to cash in off of the success of AvX. The first issue didn't do much to alter my viewpoint, but issue #2 was a whole different matter! I really enjoyed it and issue #3! The art is not on the level of many comics that I read, but the dialogue between an imprisoned Scott Summers (A.K.A Cyclops) and a very angry Wolverine was compelling. It just goes to show that you don't always need non-stop action to make a great comic book. I'm officially on board now and can't wait for next week to see what happens next!

 

Well, we covered a lot today.... Ill be checking in early next week to talk about the results of Sunday nights upcoming WWE pay per view Hell in the Cell!!
 

Till then, may the force be with you! and don't forget to read your comics!

An Introduction

Hello friends! Welcome to my blog. This should be a lot of fun, and give me an outlet other then my wife to discuss all things fan-boy... I'm pretty sure she isn't really listening anyway!

This is gonna be a real mixed bag folks. The format may change from week to week as this thing evolves, but as we begin, this blog is going to be broken down into five sections which are as follows:

Comics

        


I am a huge fan of comic books, and recently began reading / collecting after a hiatus of several years. Each week I will let you know which books I have purchased, tell you what I thought about them, and make some recommendations for any new readers out there. I would love to hear what comics you guys are reading as well!

 

Movies / Television

     


What have my eyes been glued to on TV, ( or more realistically the DVR)  and  snapshot reviews of films I have recently seen

Sports

I have a love / hate relationship with my favorite sports teams. sit back and listen to me mostly whine, and occasionally celebrate my little corner of the wide world of sports

Video Games

What am I playing and why?  Reviews of the the latest games to arrive from my Gamefly game Q

Weekly Wrestling Wrap-up

We will discuss all things WWE: Raw, Smackdown, Pay-per-view re-caps..... Do you smell what the Fan-boy is cooking?



So there you have it folks... I hope you will join me on this journey. FANBOYS UNITE!!