Category Archives: Reviews

Booster Gold 52 Pick Up Review

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Booster Gold has always been a pretty fun character to read about. Usually his fans have to be satisfied with just seeing him in a supporting role, but this time he’s the main character. The comic looked like a lot of fun and early on I could confirm my guess. The stakes may not be world shattering (Well, some may argue that the threat is very real) but the villains are decently tough.

Booster Gold is back in the modern world and he’s ready to join the Justice League. They remember some of his past exploits and are pretty happy to welcome him on board, but he learns that a time traveler is on the prowl. He plans on destroying the league by means of time travel and altering the past. Booster Gold must sacrifice his reputation and go stop the villains. Usually my plot analysis is a little longer, but that’s basically the plot.

All right, I do have some issues with time travel. It’s the ultimate cop out that a writer can pull so that he can change anything. Let’s say that someone wanted it so that Superman never died against Doomsday. Pull a Flashpoint or a Superboy Prime reality punch and you can erase it. No matter what excuses the heroes make for altering time, once you’ve done it there is no turning back. Well, actually there is. Once again, we’ve got time travel for that. (Age of Ultron pulled it off twice in a row after all) The thing is, if you’ve altered time once, then you may as well continue to alter it. Make it so that a lot of the negative things never happened. Instead the heroes tend to play favorites.

There were also some time theories in this comic that I didn’t agree with. There are parts of time that were meant to happen…Destiny if you will. I don’t believe that for a second. Booster Gold goes back in time and repeatedly tries to stop one of DC’s big turning points. He keeps on failing and Rip (The Time Hunter) tells him that he will never succeed. Why? Because it’s a solid space in time and it cannot be altered. See, I have multiple problems with this. Now, I could believe that if the time were so sturdy that time travelers simply couldn’t enter through it, (Of course you could just go further in the past and wait until you hit that day) but to actually go to the past, but you keep on losing because of destiny? I just don’t believe it. Booster Gold gets beaten by humans and he loses in ways that just don’t work. Destiny definitely can’t stop him, or at least not in the ways that it happens.

Another thing, when you change the past, you usually just create an alternate future. It won’t affect the future that you are from, which is why time travel is ultimately meaningless in solving one’s problems. (Of course Marvel also forgot that when they made the Age of Ultron event soooo…) The book doesn’t really address any of that so I thought that the overall time travel was a little sloppy. Of course, if you ignore the specifics of the time travel it can still be fun to look at. Sometimes things just don’t need to make sense. The universe is massive so there are bound to be things that just don’t work.

Booster Gold was a solid lead and he showed us that he can actually be a pretty deep character. He’s decently tough, but the comic didn’t portray him to be as powerful as he normally is. His buddy Skeets was also pretty cool. He definitely keeps Booster Gold at the ready and he’s a fun addition to the cast. Rip, The Time Hunter, helps him through the comic as well. He’s pretty good for the most part, but I didn’t care for his interrogation. Good guys should never resort to using such a violent style. A couple of Blue Beetles also appeared and they did all right. I think Jaime was a little under powered to match the other guys, but they still did good.

I’m a little skeptical that the Justice League didn’t suspect anything. I don’t know, Superman and Batman can be pretty smart. Also, Barry Allen and Wally West appeared. They didn’t really look that good though and I’m calling plot hax. Supernova also appeared in two different versions. The first guy was pretty cool and he’s definitely a good video game player. The 2nd guy had a pretty big plot twist, but it came out of left field. I still think that the 2nd Supernova makes for a pretty good villain, but his character is pretty generic.

Now, I may have had a lot of criticisms with this comic, but that’s just because I have very specific time travel laws that I think most media should follow. Especially if they’ve already picked a time travel theorem, then they should stick to it. Also the comic is a DC comic so I tend to be a little more skeptical than usual. (Since DC’s awesome!) It’s definitely a pretty solid comic and I recommend checking it out. The art is also consistently good for the comic and it’s one of DC’s better showings. The comic is actually a decent jumping on point for new DC readers. It’s fun, the stakes aren’t too high, and you’ll get to meet a lot of DC’s finest characters. Of course, if you’re already a big DC fan, it could help you to appreciate the comic even more.

Overall 7/10

Green Lantern Battle of The Blue Lanterns Review

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Battle of the Blue Lanterns is another installment in the Green Lantern chapter book series. This time, Hal Jordan is enjoying a nice vacation when it is cut short by a new assignment. Hal must go take down the Manhunters and save the planet. Meanwhile, the Blue Lanterns want Hal to become one of them.

The plot is pretty good, but Hal Jordan looks pretty bad. It’s actually not his fault, but that of his GL Power Ring. Getting hit by one attack is enough for it to lose 20% power. That’s a pretty big decrease for just one hit and if the ring were this weak in the comics or shows…Hal would be dead by now. Every time Hal Jordan shoots a laser or makes a construct, his ring gets even close to losing all of its power. That was my main flaw with the book, since it felt like they were under powering Jordan so that the Manhunters would be a threat.

The Blue Lanterns were all right. Two of them got to appear, but only Saint Walker really got a role. His colleague had taken a vow of silence and did not get any lines for the book. Saint Walker’s BL ring is pretty good as long as a GL ring is around. Hal Jordan was still the best character in the book, but you gotta admire the spirit of the Manhunters. They rarely give up, even when they’re obviously losing. There was also a super large “Grandmaster” Manhunter who was pretty cool…he was just a bit weak.

Overall, this was one of the better DC chapter books. It’s always fun to read about the Green Lanterns since their rings can do just about anything. I think that the title is a little misleading, but the Blue Lanterns do battle a bit towards the end. I’d recommend this fun addition to the DC franchise.

Overall 7/10

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Review

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Final Fantasy is a legendary video game series that just about every gaming fan has heard of. Whenever you think of an RPG, Final Fantasy will be the first series that pops into your head. The series practically defines the genre and has had many excellent games in the past. (With more coming in the future) After the…interesting Final Fantasy film that had come out earlier, Advent Children was definitely a welcomed surprise. This time the film was going to be set in the VII continuity. (While we still struggle to find out where they got the Spirits Within plot from!) The movie is set after the Final Fantasy VII game so it is definitely exciting to see what the characters have done with their lives after the game ended.

Immediately you can tell that this won’t be your average CGI film (Not usually a big fan of those) and the animation is very well done. A battle scene happens almost immediately between Cloud and a gang of newcomers. The fight scene is definitely intense and a nice foreshadowing of what is to come. It effortlessly blows away just about any other CGI film and we’re just at the opening scene! After the fight, we find out that Cloud is now part of a mail delivery service. After some discussions between Cloud and a character that may surprise some people, we go to another scene.

Tifa and Denzel are waiting for Cloud, but it’s been a while since he returned. They are attacked by one of the new villains and it’s the only pure hand to hand fight in the movie. I like hand to hand fights (Almost as much as sword fights) and it was pretty good. Cloud heads to the Forgotten City and takes on the three villains. Of course the battle did feature hostages and interference from another character so the conclusion wasn’t completely satisfactory.

The climax happens soon after and the villains summon the legendary Bahamut SIN! From there on, the rest of the film is really just one large action scene. We get to see many cameos from the VII cast and they all pitch in to help. Cloud’s big battle against the three adversaries is epic and they’re battling while atop motorcycles and moving at high speeds. (Cloud will always be the strongest Final Fantasy protagonist!)

The soundtrack in this film was incredible and I like just about every one of the tracks. Sephiroth’s new remix was great and it definitely made his scenes have a very grand scale effect. During the last battle we also get a pretty good track by the name of J-E-N-O-V-A which is pretty fast paced and fun to listen too.

Once again I’ve got to say that the fight scenes were spectacular. They’re the best that I’ve ever seen from a CGI film and I doubt that it will be surpassed anytime soon. The fight scenes were very fast paced, but you could still follow along and really feel every blow.

Cloud reprises his role as the main character from the games and he’s a solid lead. He’s definitely not as happy in this film, but he still proves himself as a hero. Sometimes he may appear uncaring, but when he knows that someone’s in danger, he’ll head off right away. He’s battling through a sickness the whole time, but he never complains about it and fights to his last breath. His swordsmanship is definitely excellent and while he’s constantly outnumbered, he always holds his own.

Denzel is a boy that gets some decent screentime. I wouldn’t call him a bad character, but he wasn’t that necessary to the film. He was just there to be there I suppose. Aside from Cloud, Tifa was really the only hero to have her own fight. It was a good battle and she got to show off her super strength, but I would have liked the fight to be a little longer. It was still a pretty good role overall and while I think that she could have helped in the climax (Make it 2-3 odds) at least she helped against the Bahamut. Cloud’s other friends get cameos to help, but they’re really too small to be mentioned that much. Vincent had one critical scene, but I would have liked him to fight some more. (If you’ve played Dirge of Cerberus then you will know just how much he could have helped)

The three villains are all right. I definitely don’t like them as characters, but they’re good as villains. Kadaj is pretty much the leader of the trio and he tends to call the shots. His skills are definitely not as good as Cloud’s and in a one on one fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Not to say that he’s weak. He’s a very powerful fighter and he would do good in many other franchises, but against Cloud he never stood a chance. Luckily for him, he’s got his two backup members. The three of them tend to gang up on Cloud during their fights. Loz has super speed, which is pretty cool to watch, Yazoo is the group’s long range fighter, and Kadaj is the close combat fighter. Together they make a very dangerous fighting force. The monster known as the Bahamut SIN also appears and he has a decently cool design. It was a good way to bring in the whole cast together to fight him, but he’s definitely not one of the stronger characters in the film. Still, he’s a decent addition if you like seeing monsters battle.

Sephiroth is naturally the villain that sticks out from the rest. His first scene set the tone immediately. (Catching Cloud’s powerful slash with his bare hands) He is leagues ahead of any other villain in terms of power and speed. His skills even seem to surpass Cloud’s by a considerable margin and it feels like he’s toying with him the whole time. Sephiroth is pretty awesome and I can see why he’s a fan favorite. I agree that he’s one of the best Final Fantasy characters out there. All of his scenes are extremely epic and he knows how to be dramatic.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is currently my favorite CGI film and one of the greatest films of all time. The action scenes are very good and the animation is definitely excellent. Cloud’s ultimate attack is stunning and it’s an attack that you will remember for a long time. I highly recommend this film to all viewers and Final Fantasy fans will get a kick out of it. Even if you haven’t played Final Fantasy before and you don’t recognize the references to the past, don’t worry about it! It’s still a very enjoyable film and you’ll end up liking Cloud by the end. If you want a little extra action I recommend buying the Blu Ray version. It’s uncut and features some additional scenes that help you enjoy the overall experience even more. I’ve watched this film many times over the years and I’ll continue to watch it at least once a year.

Overall 9/10

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Marvel Masterworks The Mighty Thor volume 4 Review

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The Mighty Thor is easily one of Marvel’s most popular characters and his comics have been published and republished in many different collections. The Marvel Masterworks lineup includes some insight from Stan Lee which Marvel fans will be especially happy to see. The quality level in which the comics were printed is pretty good and they did a good job choosing the cover for the collection. A very nice piece of art!

The collection starts out with a bang as the Absorbing Man attacks Thor with his signature wrecking ball. His abilities are pretty potent and by making contact with Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, The Absorbing Man’s power skyrockets and he becomes virtually indestructible. His abilities are definitely risky though and if he were to touch glass before getting hit, it would be the end. The battle between Thor and The Absorbing Man is pretty good and it’s closer than you may have figured. Of course just having strength is not enough to win a battle against the Prince of Asgard!

This comic was one of my favorites from the collection. It’s always nice to see an opponent who can actually give Thor a good fight, since his battles are always epic. Unlike the modern comics, Thor shows off his super speed a lot in the comic and uses his combat experience to aid him in the battle. It was definitely a well written battle/comic.

Later on, Loki brings the Absorbing Man to Asgard where he wrecks havok upon the realm. Unfortunately, without Thor, the Asgardians go down pretty quickly. Finally the only opponent left to defy the Absorbing Man is the legendary Odin! Thor heads to Asgard, but will he make it in time to save Odin!?

Well, this comic was also pretty good. We got to have a pretty high stakes battle between Odin and the Absorbing Man. Some fans may be skeptical as to how the Absorbing Man could give Odin any sort of fight. (Much less an evenly matched one) The comic has a good explanation for this at the end so it was believable.

In the next part of the comic, which lasted the rest of the collection, Hercules comes down the Earth and starts causing some trouble. Thor had finally wrapped up all of the various problems and obstacles that had kept him from Earth, so he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Hercules already there. Jane Foster isn’t particularly welcoming about the whole thing, but before she can talk things out with Thor, Hercules slams into him from behind with a solid hit. Thor has been ignoring him and he didn’t like that. Thor is never a fighter to stay on the ground and he immediately retaliates.

Hercules and Thor is pretty similar to the Thing and Hulk rivalry. Hercules is definitely a powerful opponent, but his level of power is nothing close to Thor’s. There were many times during the comic that Thor could have finished him off, but he didn’t. Thor knew that a single full powered hit could end up destroying Hercules and he was also hoping that Hercules would learn not to always resort to fighting right away. In his youth, Thor had also been pretty hotheaded, but he has learned to try and talk things out more through the years. Hercules will hear none of it and the fight continues. The fight becomes less one sided once someone intervenes and wrecks the honor of the battle.

In the next part of the Hercules saga, he goes to the movies and gets easily tricked by Pluto into signing a contract. Now, Thor must fight in Hercules place and defeat all the legions of Pluto. It’s a pretty solid way to end the collection and we see Thor go up against many powerful adversaries. Even the Crusher appears, but he learns that his unstoppable grip may be stoppable after all!

After each comic, there would be a mini segment about Thor’s adventures back in the olden days. He looks pretty much the same (Since he’s an immortal) and his friends are still present. The comics are pretty fun and the Warrior’s Three gets a much bigger role. They aren’t quite as action packed or as high stakes as the main comics, but they’re pretty fun to read. They also deal with the end of the universe as we know it!

All of the comics were pretty fun to read and this is currently my favorite Thor collection. We got two pretty great fights in the form of Thor vs Absorbing Man and Thor vs Hercules. Thor was a very good protagonist and I can see why he acquired such a large fan base right away. I much prefer this portrayal of him to his recent incarnations. Thor never backs down from a fight, but he also knows when to turn away and attend more pressing matters. Even if it means defeat, Thor will end up doing what he feels is right. There are several times where Thor knows that he cannot win, but he fights until the bitter end anyway. Unfortunately, Thor is probably the only character that I really enjoyed a lot. I can’t say that I liked Odin (He made some pretty iffy calls) and the rest of the Asgardians were all right. Balder was decently good and Volstagg definitely had some good lines as well. Loki pulls a lot of tricks as per usual, but he’s not supposed to be a very likable character. At most you can sympathize with him a little bit. Hercules and the Absorbing Man can be interesting characters, but I definitely wouldn’t be putting them on my really good characters list for now.

This is certainly the Marvel Masterworks volume to purchase if you are a Thor fan or if you enjoy Marvel Comics. The page count is pretty good and the price is definitely worth it considering how much fun the comics are to read. I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out.

Overall 8/10

Eleventh Hour Review

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The Eleventh Hour is a Superman short that was created over 50 years ago. The animation holds up pretty well and even though it’s only about 8 minutes long, they manage to get a solid plot inside. Superman decides to sabotage to Japanese on the eleventh hour of each night. He always manages to make it back home, but he gets sloppy and they see him. They take Lois as a bargaining chip, so now Superman’s got to hurry and rescue her! The villains are pretty tricky and they actually land some bullets on Superman. The climax is pretty exciting and Superman definitely cuts loose against them. I dare say that they won’t be forgetting that fight in a hurry! It’s a fun Superman short and all Superman fans should enjoy it.

Overall 7/10

Yugioh 3D Bonds Beyond Time Review

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I was highly anticipating this film from the moment that I saw the first trailer. Seeing the three main characters from their respective series in one film would be immensely awesome. I’m a big fan of crossovers and especially when they’re done right. Yugioh has always been an incredible franchise and the three series that were being crossed over into one series were all amazing! (Yugioh GX 10/10, Yugioh 9/10, Yugioh 5Ds 9/10) When you’ve got three series as well made as those three meeting up in one film, then you know that it’s going to be amazing.

Of course, that could make the film confusing for non Yugioh fans right? How can you keep up with all of the mythology and easter eggs that only Yugioh fans would catch? Well, the film has a quick introduction to each of the characters before the actual film starts. It’s pretty awesome and they did a good job of highlighting the critical moments for each character. It’s a good explanation of the past events and I’m sure that you’ll have a good understanding of the series by the time it’s over.

The film starts out with Yusei dueling a mysterious duelist. Yusei is holding his own, but the new opponent doesn’t play by the rules and quickly escapes the duel after stealing Yusei’s best card! Yusei gives chase thanks to the incredible power of the Crimson Dragon which allows him to travel through time.

In the slight past, Jaden is defending the city from a group of dragons. Their master is the same mysterious duelist who faced off against Yusei, Paradox! Jaden activates his Yubel and Supreme King eyes and summons his all mighty Neos! Seeing as how Jaden is the strongest of the three protagonists, I have no doubt that he would have crushed Paradox in this scene. Of course, they are interrupted and the scene shifts back even more into the past.

Yugi Moto was attending a celebration and he seems to have forgiven Pegasus. His Grandpa seems pretty happy about the whole thing as well, but the dragons appear and quickly lay waste to the city. Paradox deals some immense damage to the environment and there are many casualties. Someone dies and Yugi must end Parodox once and for all!

Yusei, Jaden, and Yugi meet up in the past before Parodox could destroy the city and unite to duel against him. All three of them use very different decks, so teaming up could be risky. In one of the best scenes of the film, they all power up with their unique abilities. Yugi’s is the most traditional as he lets Yami Yugi take control. Yusei unlocks his Signer abilities and Jaden goes into total battle mode. Unlike a certain Man of Steel, they make sure to evacuate the city before they start their climatic duel. We don’t want any casualties right?

From the 3 main characters, Yusei gets a bit more of a focus than the other two. It makes sense since he’s had the least amount of time to leave an impression on his fan base. (Yugi = 200+ Episodes. Jaden = 170+ Episodes. Yusei = around 150 episodes) Also, Yusei was the most current at the time (Sadly, Yuma is now the newest protagonist) so fans may be able to relate to him the most. Yusei is a solid character and he’s pretty confident in his abilities. When he meets up with Yugi and Jaden, it gets a little rough for him since both of them are better duelists. Yusei is an A-S rank duelist in his own right, but these guys are living legends. Still, Yusei fights until the end and he proves to us why he’s the hero.

Yugi is the original master duelist and he’s the King of Games. All games, I might add. He’s not just a master duelist, but he is unbeatable in whatever game he tries. It’s all thanks to Yami Yugi who is another soul that rests within Yugi’s body. He has the uncanny ability where he (seems) to be unable to lose any game unless he wishes to lose or is not in his right mind. Yugi is a decently good character, but for most of his epic scenes I’m talking about Yami Yugi. Yami Yugi appears right before the duel starts and you can immediately tell the difference between him and Yugi. His cape seems to flow with the wind more and he’s much more confident. His cards may be a lot older than Jaden’s or Yusei’s, but he still manages to show the others why he’s known as the best. Yami Yugi has the most experience with the Shadow Duels and he’s definitely not afraid of Paradox.

Jaden is the man in the middle. His series wasn’t the most positively received and people tend to forget him a lot more than the other two. I’m in the minority, but I think that Jaden is the best duelist from the three. He doesn’t need extremely overpowered cards to win his duels and he does it through pure skill. Unlike the others, Jaden seems to be able to make his cards do real damage in the world. Not to mention that he’s easily got the best attitude from the three. He treats the whole thing like a game and if you thought Yami Yugi was confident, just check out this guy! Jaden’s easily the best Yugioh character of all time and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Paradox is the main villain of this movie and he wants to change the future. It would seem that card games are more deadly than we could have ever thought possible. To prepare himself, he stole some of the most powerful dragons in the Yugioh universe and created evil versions of them. Paradox is definitely out of his league considering that he’s fighting three of the best duelists of all time. Still, he manages to give them a decent fight and proves his worth as the villain. In the actual duel, I dare say that Jaden put up the best fight. Yusei did all right, but he set himself up for destruction a couple of times. Yami Yugi had some critical saves when it came down to his turn and he had a solid offense. The reason that Jaden did the best in my opinion, is that he not only dealt intense damage to Paradox (Destroying two dragons) but he also saves Yugi and Yusei quite a couple of times.

Also, I can’t forget to mention the amazing soundtrack. They did a really good job of making sure that the music played at appropriate times. Jaden’s (Awesome) theme played when his turn came to duel and it was definitely a great throwback to the old days. Likewise with Yugi and Yusei when their turns came to fight. I’m happy to say that I immediately recognized all of their themes and the soundtrack helps you to appreciate your Yugioh knowledge from watching the shows. It’s an incredible movie for everyone, but Yugioh fans can especially appreciate some of the smaller things that only they would pick up.

This is definitely a film that I’ll always remember and I’ll be watching it many more times in the future. They should definitely make another Yugioh crossover in the future. While it would be extremely difficult to be better than this one, (Near Impossible) I know that it would still be awesome. Seeing them all on the big screen (I saw this one in theaters!) was a truly great experience and there will probably never be a film as good as this one. There was nothing negative about it and I would say that this was the perfect film. I only allow one perfect score for each category and this is definitely the film that earns it. Naturally I completely recommend this film to all audiences and you should watch it as soon as possible.

Overall 10/10

Dragon Ball Z Super Android 13 Review

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Dragon Ball Z is an incredible franchise that has spawned many video games and movies in the past. This is the 7th film in the series (I’m not counting Dragon Ball at all in this review. I’m only talking about the Dragon Ball Z days) and it definitely defeated the previous six films.

The film opens up with Goku and his family shopping and then settling down to eat some good looking food. It’s a pretty happy way to start the film and seeing the city was definitely unexpected. The Z fighters are usually on the go or fighting in the mountains. Trunks, Krillin, and Roshi are waiting in line to make it to a show (in a very awful subplot) but as per usual they didn’t think ahead. After a lot of crushing realizations, they join up with Goku and pals. At a very top secret base, the androids wake up and immediately head for Goku. Due to their scanners, they find him pretty fast and commence their attack by blowing up the building.

Dragon Ball Z never disappoints when it comes to a fight and that was the perfect way to start the film off. The Androids don’t take time to act mysterious or talk tough in the shadows. They just barge in and blow up the place. It’s definitely a very efficient way to get Goku’s attention. The rest of the film is a huge fight against the three androids and that’s a very good thing! The fight scenes in this film would put just about any other big franchise to shame. (Marvel, DC, Nintendo, Sega, etc) The villains are immensely powerful and they actually manage to give Goku an impressive fight. Granted that he was being attacked 2-1 for his first battle, but it’s still a feat.

As I mentioned earlier, there are three androids. Android 15 has a pretty large hat and “cool” sunglasses to remind us that he’s the most stylish of the three androids. His rival in this film is the (vastly superior) Vegeta. I’d personally go ahead and say that Android 15 is the weakest of the three, but considering that he’s still a faster than light, planet buster, he’s still strong enough. As for Android 14, he seems to have a lot of raw strength, plus he’s definitely the quietest of the bunch. His rival in this film is Trunks and he makes sure to give him a good fight. He’s immensely powerful and a pretty decent villain. I much preferred him to Android 15.

The film was named after the final Android and that’s definitely for a good reason. He’s much more skilled than the other two androids and he is able to fight on par with Super Saiyan Goku. He’s incredibly good at martial arts and he has a large array of energy attacks. I liked his character and he was definitely to the point. He attacks Goku and is possibly winning, but then he pulls the ultimate Dragon Ball Z villain technique…He transforms! After merging with the parts from the other androids, he is able to become the Super Android 13. In this form, the combined might of the Z fighters seems to be no match for him. I’d easily say that he’s an S rank fighter in this form and he could easily annihilate the planet with a single blast. He made for an extremely awesome final boss and the fight scene is intense.

Goku is pretty awesome in this film and he shows us what a true hero is. He stands up for all that is right and he’s someone that everyone can look up too. He takes a huge beating for the majority of the film, but he always gets up. He fights pretty well and even though he was outnumbered for a while, he managed to hold his own.

This is one of the only films where (Future) Trunks gets to appear. He does pretty well for the most part and while he’s significantly weaker than his fellow Saiyans, he gives it his all. For a while it is just him and Goku against the three androids and he made for a good ally. Piccolo appears very briefly, but he manages to have a critical moment where he saves the life of one of the Saiyans. Unfortunately, he is no match for the villains so he doesn’t look particularly great in the fight scenes.

Krillin and Gohan try to lend some moral support, but that’s about all of the support that they can give in this kind of fight. Once Vegeta shows up (Apparently he was inside a glacier or in the ocean…) things definitely look up for the heroes. He has a spectacular entrance and it should remind everyone why he’s the greatest Saiyan. (He’s my favorite anyway)

This film has everything that you could have hoped for as a DBZ fan. There were spectacular fighting scenes, the Saiyans all got some pretty good screen time, and they actually got to fight in the city for a little bit. The only negative in the film would be the Roshi and Oolong subplot, but that couldn’t bring down the rest of the film. It was just far too good. This is one film that I strongly recommend as it’s one of the greatest films of all time.

Overall 9/10

Xmen Blank Generation Review

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Xmen is definitely a pretty big franchise and there are a lot of different series currently being written. This series is about Storm’s group of Xmen who stop threats that could endanger the other groups. So, big shots like Cyclops and Wolverine aren’t really present, but a comic should be able to succeed even without them.

A mad scientist finds the bodies of many ancient mutants that he uses to create mutant monsters of immense power. There was a flaw in the design so they aren’t very stable, but they are pretty dangerous nonetheless. The Xmen find out about this danger and they head out to find all of the samples and secure them before the government or other unwanted parties have a chance to do so.

The team of Xmen that Storm has assembled are Pixie, Psylocke, Domino, and Colossus. Definitely not the strongest team of fighters out there, but they can still tackle this threat with ease. Storm makes some pretty risky calls and even tries to keep Cyclops out of the loop. Cyclops didn’t get the role of leadership by staying on the sidelines and he takes steps to find out what has been going on. Aside from some decisions, Storm was still pretty good, but it was a little uncharacteristic when she threatened Colossus. Could she back up her brave words? It would be close, but I think that Colossus would be able to win that battle.

Domino is all right in this comic, but she just looks a little weak. Likewise with Colossus and Psylocke. They just feel like they’re all talk in this comic, but there wasn’t a real enemy to battle in this story. That could be why they didn’t look so impressive. Pixie isn’t a fighter, but at least she continues to master her teleportation and is quickly becoming the team’s greatest asset. As I said earlier, there are no real villains to discuss in this comic.

The art is all right for the most part, but it takes a dip during the 2nd half. The scene with Cyclops telling Storm about how tricky the situation is, was probably the worst part of the comic for the art. The art also had other scenes where it dipped and it’s certainly not going to be a selling point in this comic.

Overall I’d say that it was an all right Xmen comic. Probably a little more boring than an Xmen title tends to be, but it can’t always live up to its name. Considering that there was no real fight scenes or any sense of danger, the comic was decently good. I’d recommend this comic if you want to know more about the mutants of the past, or you just want a break from the usual mutants like Cyclops and Wolverine.

Overall 6/10

The Incredible Hulk Crossroads Review

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The Incredible Hulk is definitely one of the more popular Marvel characters out there and he’s been through a lot. This particular graphic novel features the Crossroads arc, but that one was hardly my favorite. Still, it’s the Hulk so you can’t go wrong….right!?

After Nightmare messed with Hulk’s mind, Dr Strange was “forced” to banish him from earth and into the Crossroads. (Even though it was Nightmare’s fault) The Crossroads is a place between dimensions. It contains countless portals that lead into different worlds, all of which were specifically picked so that the Hulk wouldn’t be able to harm anyone. He also placed a spell on the Hulk, so that he would be warped back to the Crossroads if he became discontent. The plan was foolproof right? There is also a comic that retells Hulk’s origin, but makes sure to add a lot of tragic and sad scenes to make his life even more miserable. I have to say that it’s a bit unneeded (Since he’s one of the most tragic heroes of all time as it is!) but I guess it may help you to sympathize with him even more. The origin feels like something out of Xmen.

Well, the problem with making sure that the worlds wouldn’t be hurt by Hulk was…that they were all massively stronger than the Hulk. Personally, I thought that the comics didn’t do a good job on showing us that. Instead the Hulk appeared to be much weaker than usual. Of course, that’s usually the case without Bruce Banner inside of him (Did I mention that Bruce Banner died psychically?) Things definitely got dicey for the Hulk and if you don’t like the Crossroads; I’m afraid that you’ll be spending a long time there.

The Hulk is the main character of course and he gets a lot of screen time. For the most part he doesn’t have that much of a mind and he’s a rampaging monster. Later on, he starts to grow smarter and smarter, but he does tend to regress back to his savage state. The Hulk is a decent protagonist, but he’s definitely not the greatest one. I prefer when the Hulk can think, but preferably when he doesn’t have to talk that much. (Unless he’s World War Hulk!)

The Puffball Collective is another major character. He/She/It is stuck on the Crossroads and it unable to get out. They try to go after the Hulk whenever he visits a planet, but to no avail. Eventually the Hulk gets a space crew to help him save the Puffballs. Then, there is a big plot twist about the Puffballs. It was definitely in line with what usually happens to the Hulk.

The Hulk created 3 monsters based off of his emotions and personalities. (If they’re who I think they are, then they lead into a pretty epic arc for the Hulk later on) One symbolizes his rage, The 2nd symbolizes his reason, and the 3rd is his intelligence and survival instincts. They help the Hulk comprehend what is happening and guide him through the tough parts. I can’t say that I really cared for them, but they at least added some dialogue to the comics.

The Hulk meets the Alpha Flight over time and they were the protagonists of that comic. They did all right, but they were definitely outmatched from the beginning. “The Hulk is the strongest there is” is what the catchphrase is after all and it may ring true in this particular comic. Dr Strange makes many cameos, but mostly to wonder if he did the right thing. The Hulk also tackles the U Foes and they definitely gave him a good fight. Their abilities are pretty lethal.

The Hulk went through many planets and I wouldn’t be able to name them all, but some examples include: A Desert Planet, A planet ruled by dead skeletons, A planet where the green civilization was taken over, A planet filled with explosive fruit, A planet filled with giant monsters, A planet where a human landed and quickly became king, etc.

Overall, this was definitely one of my least favorite Hulk arcs. The premise was interesting, but I didn’t care for many of the planets that he visited. Also, I’m used to the Hulk smashing anyone who gets in his way. I’m afraid that things rarely go that way. Still, the comic was good overall and I’d recommend it to Hulk fans mostly. Some of the comics can be good popcorn fun and it’s always cool to see the Hulk have his moments of glory.

Overall 6/10

The Messengers Review

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The Messengers is an intriguing title, but nobody really gets to carry the message. After Roy Solomon loses his job and the family is pretty low on cash, they decide to go live on a farm. There’s not much to do around there, but the place looks all right. It’s not my type of place since there are way too many insects and bees around the flowers, but it could be worse. Jess starts to see ghosts and human/zombie hybrids around the house, but only her kid brother seems to notice them. The ghosts start to get more and more destructive, but how can she deliver the message to her parents?

Well, this movie deals with supernatural creatures who possess reality warping abilities. It wasn’t stated, but that power seems to make the most sense based on their feats. They can wreck the place and then bring it back together, Summon Crows, and even turn the very ground into mud. Of course, while the ghosts may be super powerful…they never show it. Sure, they can attack kids, but they seem to be afraid of showing themselves to the parents. So, for all of their power, they can’t win the big battles and they tend to need some help. They were incapable of overpowering the main character (Jess) and even once someone had thrown the main villain into the mud…they couldn’t keep him in. These guys were hardly the strongest ghosts out there.

I never really liked any of the cast, but they were all right. Jess was your average teen protagonist who can see the ghosts, but can’t convince anyone. Her kid brother lost his ability to talk after a car crash. Her parents are trying to live life to its fullest on the farm, but it’s tough work since the stains on the wall never go away. A stranger whose name is John (Suspicious eh?) comes along and says something about how this would be a good opportunity for him. He decides to work for sunflowers until the main characters get enough money to pay him.

I don’t think that I would let a total stranger live on the farm, but to each his own. I think I would have been satisfied with the ghosts, but at the end there is a plot twist which makes them a little irrelevant. Or at least it makes them less frightening. I didn’t like the plot twist and it brought the film down a couple of notches along with the obligatory animal death. If you’re a fan of horror movies, then maybe you’ll enjoy this one. (I’ve never been a horror fan myself)

Overall 2/10