"Batman Eternal" - It's Forever...for at least 52 weeks

Most people have heard the saying, “The beginning is the end,” or have at least heard the Smashing Pumpkin’s song by the same name. Needless to say, no truer words can be said about the first page of “Batman Eternal” #1. Back in April, DC comics began its weekly series “Batman Eternal,” which was followed by its second weekly series, “Futures End.” For the sake of confusion, I’m just going to be talking about “Batman Eternal,” but for those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the past 12 weeks, it might be time to leave your Batcave and visit your local comic shop.

                As I mentioned before, within the first pages of “Batman Eternal” #1, we know something is going to go terribly wrong in Gotham. The eerie seen of an unmasked Batman, broken and beaten, chained to the Batsignal, with Gotham ablaze in the background, can only hint that we are in for one heck of a year; but hey, getting there is half the fun, right? Some may be thrown off by the story because, although Batman plays a pivotal role, “Batman Eternal” involves the entire Bat-Family. The premise so far, without spoiling it, is that Gordon is caught on the wrong end of the law and it’s up to Batman and his partners from all over the world to solve a mystery that could prove Gordon’s innocence. Throw in the return of mob boss, Carmine Falcone, and the stakes are raised in discovering what role he plays in Gordon’s prosecution. 

                For fans of the Batman franchise so far, a weekly series involving the Caped Crusader is a nice way to get your Batman fix while waiting on the monthly Batman titles to release. Thankfully, “Batman Eternal,” is only priced at $2.99, which is relatively cheap considering the average $3.99 price tag of other books. I would recommend picking up the first 5 or 6 issues of “Batman Eternal” to at least see if you like it, and then see if you are hooked or not. Personally, where I stand with this book, I am really enjoying “Batman: Zero Year,” but ever since the Death of the Family storyline, readers have been trapped in the past with Batman in his earlier years. I much more prefer the mature Batman who is experienced, and what’s great about Eternal, is that you can have the best of both worlds. While Zero Year comes to a conclusion, you have Eternal to keep you in the present, and the timelines will never cross.

 

(November solicitation for Batman. At least now we know why Gordon is in cuffs.)

                At the time of the submission of this article, we are already entering week 13 of “Batman Eternal.” There is still plenty of time to grab the first couple of issues, and for the collector, I wouldn’t be surprised to see, come week 52, that issue 1 might already go up in price. If issue 1 promises anything, this will be a Batman story worth seeing how it plays out.

"Original Sin" - Some People Just Like To Watch

“Original Sin” is a story arch that has only just begun to rock the Marvel Universe. Uatu, the Watcher, a once thought to be immortal being, has been killed. The murderer is still on the loose, the Watcher’s eyes have been stolen, and the only thing that is for certain, is an arsenal of weapons from the Watcher’s collection is now in the hands of someone very dangerous. “Original Sin” is a major event spanning across a multitude of titles in the Marvel library, and it’s definitely going to leave scars across the timelines.

The main series of “Original Sin” started with the 0 issue and is continuing on in an 8 part series. 41 issues in all will cover all the tie-ins for this massive story, including “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Avengers,” “Deadpool,” and “The Fantastic 4.” In the 0 issue we learn a little more about who the Watcher really is. Never saying anything that has no value, the Watcher is a mysterious being who resides on the moon. Many of the Marvel superheroes know of Uatu, but because he merely does as his name suggests, he watches and never interferes, everyone leaves him to his own devices. Along comes Nova, a young boy who gets curious about the Watcher, and in an attempt to question about his Father’s ware bouts, in hopes that the Watcher may know, he proceeds to strike up a conversation with one of the universes most powerful beings. While with the Watcher, Nova learns of the Watcher’s past sins and how he came to reside on Earth’s moon. The Watcher’s home is revealed to be a vast structure of alien technology, and also houses a massive collection of the most dangerous weaponry ever created, including the Ultimate Nullifier, a weapon known to ward off Galactus himself.
 

As to what the original sin eludes too has yet to be seen. Either it is a reference of the Watcher’s past, or perhaps something much deeper, that will reveal who is behind the Watcher’s death. The Avengers are having their own trouble, being tossed around the timelines by the time gem from the Infinity Gauntlet, which may reveal a possible scheme put into place by Tony Stark to prevent a universe destroying event; but, at what cost, has yet to be seen. Deadpool is having his own issues dealing with his new bride and Nova is off searching for his Father, after learning of him being alive from the Watcher. Dr. Strange has paired up with the Punisher to investigate the means in which the Watcher was killed, and Emma Frost, Ant Man, and Black Panther have all teamed up to uncover the secret of who holds the Watcher’s eyes.

 

 Promotional, Watcher Bouncy Eye Balls

It’s been a while since I have been this excited about a Marvel event; the last one I can think of was Avengers vs. X-men. And, if you enjoyed AvX, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in this story. I’m not an avid reader of Avengers and a few of the lesser titles from Marvel right now, mostly because they never peaked my interest, but it’s an event like this that causes me to realize what great stories I have been missing. Right from the start of issue 0, I immediately fell in love with the Nova character; he seems so energized how Spider-Man used to feel. The Avenger’s books seem to have been picking up steam lately with the use, and destruction, of the Infinity Gauntlet by Captain America, and it seems the ramifications of its use are coming full circle in the “Original Sin” tie-ins. It’s not too late to start reading “Original Sin,” and in fact, you may get everything you need out of the 8 issue main story line, but you will definitely be missing out on some great stories that, as it has been promised, will change the Marvel Universe for a long time to come.

Book Review: "Vampire Hunter D" - Less Sparkles Guaranteed!

     This is a review that I have been wanting to do for a long time now. Comic books have been a big part of where my passion to write comes from, but at times its good to get away from all of the imagery and let the words do the painting. There are very few books out there that I will actually sit down and read; and in those rare instances that I am being forced to read a book I have no interest in for college, wikipedia is the first place I go for the cliff notes. Maybe it's because I am stubborn about what I choose to object myself to, or perhaps it's because I realize how important my time is, and I am very selective of what worlds of imagination I want to dive into.

     In 2000 there was an animated movie released called, "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust." Sometime between its debut and 2005, a friend of mine rented the movie and we watched it together. He explained to me there was an older movie made in 80s called, "Vampire Hunter D," which served as a prequel to this film. Now, keep in mind, this was pre-Twilight craze. My appreciation for vampires was limited to the works of Ann Rice, and especially Gary Oldman's portrayal in "Dracula," in the live action movie. I fell in love with the Vampire Hunter D character very quickly and upon its release in 2005, the first novel "Vampire Hunter D," written by Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano, was translated and released by Dark Horse. That Christmas my friend got me the first novel and I have been collecting them ever since.

     "Vampire Hunter D" centers around its title character, D, who is a dhampir, or a half man half vampire. The time frame for which most of the stories are set is 12,090 A.D. The world has been ravaged by all sorts of global chaos and whats left of the world is ridden by the remnants of ancient battles of humans and vampires. The books are very vague on how they approach the past. A big part of the mystery is what makes the world so compelling, and I believe it allows the author to continually invent new things that would make for an appealing story. All we know as readers, is that at some point, vampires ruled the world, and in some ways they still do. The higher up vampires were known as Nobles, who were highly advanced, eternal creatures, who created many of the monstrosities and technologies that are forbidden and in ill need of repair, but still manage to curse the human population. The few human colonies that still exist are left in the dark about the Noble technology and continue to try and live peacefully in a dystopian, almost steam-punk like world, but still manage stumble upon ancient artifacts, and even, what remains of the living Nobles themselves.

     Some of the great qualities about the protagonist, D, is that he is always described as a very handsome boy who cause women to fall head over heals for him, and make men very jealous. He is very quiet, and is always alert of his surroundings. It is never really mentioned of who his parents were, but some hints lead us to believe D's father was the vampire king, and could quite possibly be Dracula. In D's left hand is a symbiote that's name is never mentioned. This hand usually is the comic relief in many scenes and is very powerful, and capable of sustaining himself while D is incapacitated. D relies on his companion to dispel powerful magic, and to aid him in locating various Nobles that he is hired to slay.

     One of the things I enjoy about the novels is that they have such a wonderful cast of characters that are well developed, and D is the only constant in an ever evolving story -- instead, D is used as a vehicle to introduce the other characters that make each story stand on its own. I would say that at times, each story doesn't feel completely unique from the others, but the formula that each book uses, makes such a fantastic adventure that you don't care. In most cases you will end up wanting to get to the next story, just to see what happens next to D.

     As of right now there are about 20+ full novels that have been written, and most of them have been translated for American audiences. 2 animated films have been made, and in 2007, Dark Horse began publishing manga adaptations for each of the novels. There have been many speculations as to there being a continuing anime series or a live action adaptation, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. So, no matter what your preference is, you too can enjoy Vampire Hunter D in some form or another. I would recommend watching the 2000 animated film as I did, and if it doesn't peak your interest, don't force yourself to read the books. Most of the novels and manga can be picked up at any comic book shop that has a nice variety of reading material. It seems to be occurring theme where I live, that comic shop owners don't actually realize they are carrying the novels, and they are usually shocked when I tell them what it is. My hope is that soon this wonderful story will be presented in a way to unknowing audiences, and that it will encourage them to, once again, believe that vampires don't sparkle in sunlight.

One of the best cosplays I have seen.

Game Spotlight: Marvel Avengers Vs. X-Men Dice Masters by Wizkids

    Today I’m excited for two reasons, the first being that it’s my birthday– the second is because I learned how to play the new Dice Masters game, Avengers vs. X-Men, from Wizkids. Most comic enthusiasts will pick up on the connection between the game title and the story arc that ran in 2012. I picked this game up at my local game shop the other night while looking for some cheap thrills, (it’s ok, my girlfriend was with me at the time.) Little did I know that the starter sets would be sold out the following day, due to a low shipment that Wizkids was supplying all of the retailers in my area with. It took a few days, but now that my classes are winding down, I was able to find time meet up with a couple of friends to play test this masterpiece of a game.

     I grew up as a fan of the Marvel Masterpiece collectable card sets way back in the early 90s. So, I am no stranger to the idea of collecting massive amounts of cardboard that serve no real purpose, other than to fulfill my interest in fine art. That said, the collectability of this game is very high, but even more than collecting the cards, is the enjoyment of collecting the dice. I think this game has found a very nice balance between a collectable card game, and something that can be played to fill in those gaps of the day between reading comics and doing homework.

     If you have ever played a deck building game, then you will notice some similarities and functions of this game. The premise, and goal of the game, is that you are recruiting a team of heroes and villains to fight for you, and ultimately, using them to reduce your opponent’s life total to zero. The game can be easily modified to your play style, from novice, to expert, and even to outright ridiculous—the more characters, the more strategy is required. In total, there are 132 cards available to play with. The starter deck can be purchased at a very reasonable $14.99 price tag, and will give you everything you need to play a two player game. One quick note is that the box indicates that two dice bags are included in the box; these bags are paper, and I would highly recommend getting something that you can easily reach your hand into.

      When opening the box you might find yourself a little overwhelmed by the amount of dice you are given, but don’t fret, you will only be using about 12-16 of them yourself. Of course, your opponent will be using just as many, so hopefully you will be able to find your target over the copious amounts of dice that will be blocking your line of sight from one another. Along with the dice there are 38 preselected cards that are a mixture of characters that you will choose from, and community cards that you and your opponent will be able to add to your deck that is composed of dice. An important fact about this game is that you will not be handling the cards. The cards will be place in front of you and your opponent at all times, but it is the dice that you will be adding to your pool of dice in place of each of those cards. The guide has a pretty easy tutorial on how you should start a basic game, but I found it helpful to watch videos online and get help from the local comic shop employee who already had some experience.

     To start a game, you need to first pick out the team you want to play with. Each character card has a unique ability(s) that can be triggered once a certain roll requirement has been met by that character’s dice. One of my arguments about the cards is that there are 2 or 3 different versions of the same character, usually a common, uncommon, and rare version; however, the art on the cards is the same for each one. I really hope that in the future sets they will increase the collectability by adding different pictures on each card. But, while we are on the topic of similarities, each dice is designated for a specific character, and no matter what version of the card you are using, those dice can be used for any version of the card. Having multiple dice for a card is actually a good thing, because the more dice you have for a character, increases the amount you can add to your dice/deck, and in turn increases the probability of drawing them each turn. This is where booster packs come in—in each booster you receive 2 random cards and 2 dice, one for each corresponding card. Boosters are only retailing for about .99 cents, which makes this game easily affordable. Once you have purchased the starter set, it wouldn’t be hard to have a booster draft using three random packs.
Once your team has been selected, you will then need to select the community cards, also called basic action cards. You can have up to 4 of these cards available for purchase in game, at any one time. Some of the dice that can only be gotten in the starter box have markings that will not correspond to any character card; these are either sidekick/energy dice, or community/basic action dice. Before the start of the game, you would place 3 of the same color basic action dice on one of the corresponding community cards. These dice may be purchased with your roles from the sidekick/energy that you will be rolling for on each of your turns. Once you add these dice to your dice/deck, they are permanently there. Each player is also given 8 sidekick/energy cards at the beginning of the game, and your rolls will determine if you can buy community/basic action dice or character dice from your team.

      Without going into too much more detail about the game, because the instruction booklet does a pretty good job, I think AvX has real potential to be the next game we see in tournament play. I have already heard rumors of a DC and a Yu-Gi-Oh! version, set to be released later this year. I cannot confirm these, but I think that each expansion that comes out could be interwoven with one another, much like Heroclix. My final judgment of this game is that it’s very solid. With the right group of players, you may even be able to find a way to play a multiplayer version with some tweaking to the rules. Most games tend to be no longer than 15 minutes, but that depends on how many characters each player wants to use on their team. The art is fantastic, and owning just one of each of the cards to play with, allows for easy trading. If you get the chance to pick this game up, I highly recommend doing so.

"Reviews Reviews Reviews"

     Here it is, the 50th post to my blog. I wish some of my previous posts could have been longer, but alas, they are posts none the less. What I can bring you today is this link right here...

The Game Haven

     So, a local gaming shop/ comic shop called "The Game Haven," that's right around the corner from me, just recently had their website redone; and in an attempt to bring more traffic to the site, they asked me and a few other guys to write reviews for comics that might inspire people to swing by the shop for a good time (get your minds out of the gutter, it's not that kind of "Good Time.") So, I agreed to write a few reviews while they get some of the other features of the site up and running, and eventually people will be able to purchase Magic: The Gathering trading cards from their site. I think this venture could turn out to be a really big deal. I am pleased to inform you that I already have a couple of comic reviews up for your viewing pleasure. Mind you, that so far I have reviewed some fairly main stream comic titles thus far, but I may venture into some older trades that I feel are note worthy in the future.

     I hope all of my readers take 2 minutes out of there day to head to "The Game Haven" website and check out the reviews and let me, and my fellow reviewers, know how we are doing. And, as always, if you know of a book you feel should be reviewed, just send me a message. Until next time.

Radio Interview at WSU

Here is a link to the interview my team and I did at the local radio station at Wright State University. Compliments of my friend, Alexander Kinkade. Enjoy.

http://www.mixcloud.com/ak1bigal/comic-book-league-1-first-public-appearance/

The things we leave behind...

     I know its been a while since I made a post and I wish I had a better excuse than school and work, but honestly, if someone wants to do something, they will find the time to do it. With that said, things have been going very well for me recently. Last August I got a new job working in a call center, and one of the major benefits to it, other than not having to look a customer in the eye when you tell them their package isn't going to make it in time for Christmas, is the rewarding social skills. Yes, believe it or not, when you put all the visual insecurities of human interaction to the side, most people tend to come out of their shells and talk with you as if they have known you their whole life; of course they may be sweet talking you because, working in a call center, we have all the power on our side (of course we never abuse that...).
     So, why am I telling you about my job? Well, I can honestly say that this last 5 months I have been really blessed. My finances are growing, my relationship has just his the 2 year dating mark with my girlfriend, Mandi, and the Comic Book League organization I represent at Wright State University is entering its second second semester. For those that know me, they know that comic books and writing have been a passion in my life for quite some time now. My hope is to turn Angelicomics into my own publishing company, but until that day, I make due with what I can with exterior resources to fuel my projects. For anyone who is interested in making a splash in any career, the first thing they need to understand is that a big part of success is all about who you know.

 (Cross stitch courtesy of Mandilyn Horton)

     A year ago, (well, a year come February) I created Angelicomics as a way to put myself out there and get noticed. Since that time I have had over 5 thousand views on my blog. To most, this may seem small, but it's a start. After Gem City Comic Con 2013, I got together with Jesse Noble, the owner of the convention, and we put together a plan to start a student organization on campus that would house students who took an interest in comic books. The product was the Comic Book League.
      I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to President and facilitate for our meetings. It would take time, money (out of pocket) and the will to continue to do it, even if there were only one or two people who showed up. To my surprise, we have had a fairly consistent group of people coming to each of our meetings. Some nights were better than others, but there has been so much I have learned from this group over the past 6 months about being a leader. Being a leader to me, means being able to make tough decisions and the biggest sacrifice for the benefit of the group. Not to toot my own horn, but even when I didn't feel like going, I knew I had to. This was a commitment I made, not only to myself, but to those willing to show up each week. At times it was frustrating, because I knew that not everyone was there to learn about comics, but they were there for the community we brought to the campus; and I can appreciate that.

 (Comic Book League's final meeting of first semester)

    One of the biggest struggles has been trying to find books to give out for people to read, and in hopes that they would be inspired to break away from the simple Marvel/DC loop of comics. Each week would consist of me purchasing a few comics and usually throwing in a half priced gift card to get these students motivated to go places and read things. Of course, I saw the error in the random giveaway when I realized that people were getting prizes they would never use or read. I think its safe to say that everyone has their own taste in literature, and if I gave a Batman comic to a Bronie (My Little Pony enthusiasts), they were never going to read it. One student has about 15 dollars in Half Priced Books gift cards but can't even make it to the store.
     In order to solve this problem, I implemented an auction. By doing things each week, such as, going to a comic shop, giving a review of a comic they read or even donated money for prizes, I would award auction points for them to bid on prizes. What this allowed was a way for people who actually wanted prizes to bid on them, and it also helps relieve some of the expenses for those prizes. So far this new addition has been fun and refreshing.
     Being the President requires a lot of responsibility and sometimes there is a lot of regret for mistakes if something goes wrong. Thankfully nothing bad has really happened, other than the night we were going to talk about conventions and cosplay, (big mistake on my part). But, since I started this organization, so many good things have happened for me, and I feel will continue to help me in my pursuit of a career in the comic book industry.
     Last semester I was asked to open a panel discussion, of which Mark Waid was in attendance, on who the X-Men were. I've made new connections with the owners of both Gem City Comic Con and Champion City Comic Con, the creators of Twilight Star Studios and Vantage Inhouse Productions. Knowing that I will be graduating in the Fall I have had to start looking at what kind of organization, or legacy if you will, that I would leave behind in the Comic Book League. We have grown so much together as friends and we now have a committee of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These are people who I chose that I felt would best represent us as we continue past the second semester. One of the most important things as a leader is to embrace humility, to know when your time has come to pass the torch and hope that some part of yourself will remain as a memory; perhaps the same can be said about life and death.
     Again, I apologize for the long drawn out description of the past few months. On to new news, I am excited to announce that I am currently working on the first script of "Requiem" for it's comic adaptation. I am only about 6 pages in out of a possible 22 page book. I am hoping to have this done by April in time for Gem City Comic Con, to see if there are any interested artists who might want to pick it up. If all goes as planned, possibly by Champion City Comic Con, I may have a first issue for sale. Hopes are high but my schedule is still very busy with school and work. Be sure to look for me at this years Gem City Comic Con, I will be hosting a panel, what topic has still yet to be seen, but I assure you it will be fun, educational and fantastic.

Till next time...