This Week in FlashForward - 11/5/09

Episode 7 - "The Gift"

Zach says: This week is a little more interesting and involves a few more peoples' stories and brings to light the possibility of the flash forwards not actually predicting the future. The episode starts with the investigation of the Blue Hands, who are actually a group of people who didn't have a flash forward. The troupe of FBI agents infiltrates a party and captures one of the main leaders of the group.

The rest of the episode mostly deals with whether or not Aaron Stark's daughter is still alive, which we learn about at the end of the episode, or so it would seem, but this fact doesn't negate his flash forward. However, there is an event that pretty positively confirms that not everyone's flash forward is the future. It's a bit upsetting, but it proves that things can change, unless the guy has a twin or something. I think this week's episode was a bit better than previous one's, but it's still slow going figuring out what caused the black out.
Zach's Score: 7.5/10

JDW says: Agreed with Zach, this week's FlashForward was definitly way more interesting than the last couple of episodes. And it was really nice to get insight on characters we didn't really know much about. But also, considering how quickly the first few episodes got in on finding how who or what caused the black-outs, it's a shame that the last few episodes, including this one, has avoided that.

Also, the character played by Dominic Monaghan who was a mysterious inclusion last week, shows up in this episode, in a two second, non-speaking role. A note to FlashForward writers, that is not how you introduce a new, and possibly very important character. Otherwise, the sudden, unpredictable loss of one of the series' characters was kind of sad, and will certainly change how the world of FlashForward thinks.
JDW's Score: 8/10

Overall Score: 7.8/10

Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu

This Week in Fringe - 11/5/09

After a two week hiatus due to crappy baseball (yeah, I said it!) Fringe is finally back, and so is this feature! Let's get started:

Episode 6 - "Earthling"

First things first, I think I may need two weeks in between every new episode of Fringe. Perhaps it was because of the episode itself, or cause of the long time gap, but this week's episode wasn't as tiresome to watch as the rest of the cliffhanger-avoiding episodes. Because yes, this week's episode continues to avoid the alternate universe and frozen head storyline, which is still pretty bothersome that they do that.

Instead, this week's case is one part Hollowman, and one part Spider-man, as it deals with a shadowy parasite (think Symbiote) that has come from space and feeds on sick people's radiation treatments and then in turn makes them into dust... and it's all because of a cosmonaut.

Overall, it was definitely an interesting case, and certainly one of the better episodes when it comes to the off-story episodes. But as I said, I'm not sure if it is because of the time gap that this felt so fresh, or if the episode itself was just good. So I'm going to just score this favorably, but not too favorably.

Overall Score: 8/10

Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu

Daybreak, Episode Two review

Well, it looks like I went and read the next volume of Brian Ralph's Daybreak, despite having mixed (though positive) feelings after reading the first book. And, because that first book was a Hidden Gem, I think it's OK to just call this one a standard follow-up review.

Also, being that Daybreak started as a web-comic from Bodega Distribution, you can still read an excerpt from this second volume with cab be found at Bodega's blog.

Story
Episode Two, as one would hope after the way the first book ends, continues right after where you left off: alone with your one-armed, helpful companion, and a tag-along dog, trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world with mysterious beings following you.

Unlike the first book, there's not really any new characters introduced, except for one... who basically is only there for one page before the book ends. But like the first book, there isn't any real explanation of what it going on yet, which is kind of annoying. All I'm saying is that a character name isn't really asking for much, let alone some back story.

Writing
As said before with the first volume, the writing isn't really a key part of what attracted me to this series. And quite frankly, it's not even a prominent part of the book, despite the inclusion of its neat first person perspective. The writing will get you through the book, but it isn't really anything that will blow you away.

Artwork
Sticking to the same two-tone, brown on white, six panels per page design of the first book, there really isn't much to say about the artwork in Daybreak Episode Two. But that, unlike the writing, isn't exactly a bad thing, as it works really well for the book and makes it standout from anything else you'll find on the bookshelves at your local comic shop.

Of course, there is some mild upgrades from the previous book, like busier panels (which may or may not be better depending on the reader), more dynamic artwork angles and such; just don't expect it to be night and day from the last one.

Overall
Daybreak, Episode Two definitely has the same feel as the first book, especially when it comes to the writing and great artwork. However it also retains the mysterious/cheap left in the dark feeling of not exactly knowing who it is you are with and not knowing what's going on. And to further the feeling, the peak action part of the entire book, is cut short as the book ends, a.k.a. the book is saying, "Oh, you spent $10 on this book? Well, now you have to pay another $10 for what looks to be some answers." At least the first book's cut-off was in the middle of an engaging scene.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

If you can't find Daybreak at your local comic shop, Amazon.com thankfully carries the first two books, but it doesn't look like they carry the third yet.

For more on Brian Ralph, visit his website, BRalph.com

This Week in FlashForward - 10/29/09

Sorry for the delay again, scheduling conflicts and what not.

Episode 6 - "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps"

Zach says: This week's episode seems to be staying true to the current formula that FlashForward is employing. There is a section for drama, one for some investigating into what or who may have caused the black out, and then an intriguing end. The drama pertained to the autistic kid, Dylan Simcoe, escaping the hospital and winding up at the Mark and Olivia's home. But when Olivia comes home to see, Lloyd Simcoe and Mark in her living room, things get a bit crazy, with the couple getting into a bit of an argument.

The investigating had to do with the people that attacked the FBI troupe on last week's episode. Demetri found a blue hand tattoo on one of the assassins, and so they went looking to Baltimore Street, which was mentioned in Mark's flash forward. Their search actually leads to some findings, but are they relevant? And then the ending of course is the best part, and will keep you guessing until next week, where hopefully something interesting will turn up.
Zach's Score: 6.5/10

JDW says: As Zach said, FlashForward has seemed to finally get comfortable with its plot, no longer choosing to drown its viewers with new information upon more information... but has this actually been a good thing? In my opinion... no, after a few week of not really getting any new info, I have to say I much liked it better when I was given too much.

Also, there was a lot of things that didn't seem to make much sense. For instance, everyone's flash-forward takes place at the same time, right? Then why is it that in the first episode, Mark's daughter said she saw that, "There will be no more good days," and yet in this episode it seemed like her flash-forward was just her and Dylan eating cookies in the kitchen. Which would also mean that they were alone in the kitchen when they were supposedly asleep in Oliva and Lloyd's vision.

Not to mention, throughout the episode they made it seem like Demitri and the other FBI agent could see Mark's flash-forward, and to me that was just poor directing. And what was the deal with Dominic Monaghan's character? Hopefully next week gets better.
JDW's Score: 6/10

Overall Score: 6.3/10

Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu

The Waters of Mars coming December 19th

Well consider this to be awesome news for Doctor Who fans living in America, instead of waiting a whole year to catch the upcoming Doctor Who special, "The Waters of Mars," we only have to wait a month! Yes, it's still a decent wait but, it's not the seven month gap between the UK and US airing "The Next Doctor" and the four month gap for "Planet of the Dead". This next special will be premiering on BBC America on December 19th at 9 PM ET/PT, just over a month after it plays on November 15th on BBC One in the UK .

The release from BBC America also goes on to say that David Tennant's two-part finale as The Doctor, "The End of Time," will be airing during the Holiday season, with airdates being released in early December. This two-part special will notably be what ushers in new-comer Matt Smith as the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, with his episodes (Series 5 of the current Doctor Who series) airing sometime later in 2010.

Lastly, BBC America mentioned the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the specials, all set for release on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.

- Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars" - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: "The End of Time" (2-disc release) - DVD/Blu-ray
- Doctor Who: Specials Collection (5-disc release) – DVD/Blu-ray - contains "The Next Doctor," "Planet of the Dead," "Waters of Mars" and "The End of Time"

No prices were given, but if I was to go by current BBC America DVD collections pricing, I'd say they're going to be damn expensive... But the Specials Collection seems like the best buy if you already own the previous Doctor Who series' DVDs, as the specials pretty much make up their own Series 4.5.

I think it's time to start getting excited Doctor Who fans!

via BBC America on Facebook

I CRUSH YOU! With a Nintendo DSi LL

Yes, the rumors you may have heard elsewhere were true. Nintendo (of Japan at least) will be releasing yet another iteration of the Nintendo DS. This time however, things are a little different... instead of making a slimmer sleeker system, Nintendo decided to take the already slim and quite nice DSi model... and made it larger (yes, believe it or not) but adding 4 inch screens to the device, a pen-like stylus, and giving it a classy set of colors (Wine Red, Dark Brown, and Natural White).

As you can see from this helpful image I made for you (from material on the system's official website of course), the DSi LL really topples the DSi in sheer size, not to mention how much it outsizes the DS lite (whose screens are already smaller than the standard DSi).

I'm still not sure why this seems like a good idea though. Perhaps it's because I'm not an old person and I'm quite pleased with the size of my DSi, but I just don't see the practicality in 1) releasing another DS model so soon after the latest, and 2) releasing such a large system targeted a what I think is a niche market. Someone should tell Nintendo that people stopped liking massive portable systems when Game Gear failed. I seriously think this will go the way of the Game Boy Light and never hit US shores.

Visit Nintendo of Japan's Official Nintendo DSi LL website for more info

UPDATE! Looks like the system is, for whatever reason, actually coming to North America and Europe some time next year. However in both regions, the system will be called the Nintendo DSi XL; apparently LL is the Japanese equivalent of XL on say, t-shirt labels. This looks like one Nintendo handheld I'll actually refrain from buying.

After Thoughts: Awakening signing at Jim Hanley's Universe

Whoa, what's this? Actual content after a three day gap? Yes, and this content is pretty neat, I think. As you may have known by following our Twitter account (and if you don't, I'm upset with you), the artist, Alex Eckman-Lawn, and author, Nick Tapalansky, of Archaia Comics' Awakening came to Jim Hanley's Universe in New York City today to finish up their Halloween signing tour.

So, order of events: Today was a pretty gross day in New York, what with the raining continuing from last night, and then there's the fact that Jim Hanley's Universe (which is located right across from the Empire State Building) isn't exactly right next to where I live, so that meant I had to walk a nice distance in the rain as well. But who cares, right? Let's get to the good stuff!

The signing was scheduled from 4-7 PM, but being the person I am that thinks I do things much slower than I actually seem to do, I got to Jim Hanley's at around 3:20. And to my surprise, no one was there yet (despite the staff their telling me I should arrive early a few weeks ago). So, I decided to do some browsing while I waited for everything to start, and I soon saw Alex Eckman-Lawn arrive. Now, here's a fun fact, Alex and I frequently talk online (not that it has any effect on how I write regarding his work) but we'd never spoken in person.

Being a not-creeper, I went up to him, introduced myself and we soon went browsing around the shop. And I'll tell you this much, browsing comics with somebody who's actually in the industry is pretty rad (and yes, I use the word rad). Nick Tapalansky was stuck in traffic (and who can blame him, it's NYC and crappy weather) but when he eventually came I said hello and he joked about the "password" I was supposed to say if I arrived without my book. I then took a couple of photos of the two of them to post here, but of course I failed and the few I took at the moment came out blurry...

Eventually the signing started... but I was the only one there still. Which was surprising but I'm still unsure, I mean, the book isn't exactly HUGE in terms of media coverage, and the creative team (Alex and Nick) isn't exactly well known, and Archaia isn't exactly the money-house that is Marvel; plus, I'm sure the bad weather drove away an casual shoppers looking to get some autographs of people they don't know. Regardless of what was on everyone else's mind, I have to say, I enjoyed browsing comics with Alex and I appreciated Nick's humor of saying that I'd get a post up here on VFH within the hour (which I didn't, sorry Nick! Ha ha). Can't really ask for much more than that, especially on a crappy day like this, I just hope that more people showed up after me because these guys deserve it.

Also, by showing up to the signing, I should be getting a preview of the next Awakening book within the next few days. When I do, I'll be sure to share my thoughts with you readers.

More thoughts at The Work of Jared D. Weiss

Here is the new A-Team

Not that it's my most anticipated film of next summer, but the first official photo of the new A-Team for next summer's feature film re-imagining of the classic 1980s TV series has been released:

And for comparison purposes, the original A-Team:

I must say, the likenesses are really spot on. Sure, the initial show's idea is being modernized a bit, what with the characters being Middle Eastern war veterans instead of Vietnam vets. And just because they look similar doesn't mean the characters will feel similar.

So, I think it's still a little early to judge the film, and considering I've only watched a handful of episodes from the actual show, I don't think I'm exactly the best judge in this situation. But I will say this, Liam Neeson + Gun + Cigar = Hilariously Awesome!

The A-Team will be released in theaters June 11, 2010

This Week in FlashForward - 10/22/09

Episode 5 - "Gimme Some Truth"

Zach says: This week, the plot progresses quite slowly again, like last episode. There are minor plot points here and there, but the main focus seems to be on developing the characters a bit and the drama. However, the episode gets you psyched at the beginning, as you see an interesting action scene, but then quickly showing a "39 hours earlier" dialogue to make you wait till the end of the episode to see what went down, which was quite interesting actually.

The main plot though, was to show a bit of Janis's life, and how she happens to be a lesbian, making her getting pregnant in the six month away flash-forward that much more interesting. There are also government hearings going on to see what different agencies believe should be done to solve this mystery, as well as root out any doubtful leads, like the FBI's. One specific lady has great doubts about the work the FBI team is doing and thinks funds should be cut, however, with a few cards up his sleeves, Standford gets some strings pulled.

Overall, the episode wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite as exciting as the first couple. There is more development going on now, both with characters and situations, but not so much with solving the mystery behind the flash forward. However, it would appear that next week's episode will have some more awesomeness, so stay tuned.
Zach's Score: 7/10

JDW Says: Like last week, I'm going to cut to the chase and not offer up another summary, because quite frankly, you don't need to read the same thing twice, and Zach's summary is more than enough. But I have to agree, the pace of this episode is much slower than say they information pack first and second episodes, as it seems that the show is starting to get a bit more comfortable with its characters. But that's not a terrible thing, as there's much more focus now, even if that focus isn't mystery solving.

In comparison, the episode is also a return to form after last week's awkwardly comedic tone. However, there was one, relatively violent scene, and yet it had the most unfitting song playing over it and I wasn't sure whether or not it was supposed to be funny or if it was so unfitting that it just was rediculous. But yeah, the trailer for next week's episode, looks quite promising.
JDW's Score: 7/10

Overall Score: 7/10

Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu

Hidden Gems: Daybreak, Episode One

What's this? A truly independent comic book review? Yes, while most book's I've reviewed are from actual independent publishers, this time around I've decided to review something that's more in the underground comic realm, and being that it's from 2006, places it in the Hidden Gems category.

Originally published online on Bodega Distribution's blog, Daybreak is Brain Ralph's third published comic book, although I haven't actually read the previous ones, I have browsed his first, Cave-In. And, going by the title of this article, you should know that Daybreak is (currently) a 3-part series, with each book spanning about 50 pages and going for $10 each.

Story
The story of Daybreak, at least within the first book (since I haven't read the follow ups yet) is an interesting one. And by interesting I mean that I don't know exactly, as the book never really explains what is going on.

What I could gather however is that the reader is a character within the world, which has been destroyed by some unknown, beast-like creatures. And essentially, you are guided by an unnamed, one-armed young man who is helping you survive.

Writing
Because of Daybreak's quite different way of treating the reader like a character, I have to say, it is unlike any other book or comic book I've ever read. And for better or worse, the lack of explanation adds a lot more mystery to the series.

But at the same time I see that as a weakness, because by not explaining anything, even by the time you get to the end of the book, it really feels like it's alienating the reader, even when it's actually including you. Regardless, the writing works for the book, and there's a nice touch of humor for the post-apocalyptic world.

Artwork
What caught my attention of Daybreak when I was browsing the underground comics shelf was it's artwork. Brian Ralph's style is very much that modern, minimalistic cartoon look that's been gaining in popularity these days in both comics and animation. Not that I have anything against it, in fact I find that style really appealing.

What's even nicer is the paper the artwork is printed on. You obviously can't really feel it from the computer screen, but it's got this recycled paper feeling that just works so well with the look of the artwork, which is all printed in one tone of brown. It's much different looking than anything else I've ever pulled off a bookshelf, and I think that's something to be appreciated.

Overall
Daybreak is certainly one of the more visually appealing, and visually distinct books I've read recently. And it's really nice to see something published with that minimalist cartoon style, in a finely printed book at that. But at the same time the artwork can't make up for the writing, which isn't bad, but it's just ... in a sense annoying. Why? Because you're not given any explanations for the setting despite being an included character, and by the end of the book you still don't know.

I mean, I understand the point of getting the reader to buy the following book, but when I'm not sure what's even going on, I'm even more unsure if I'd want to spend another $10 to just be left without answers again. But in its defense, you could get a book like Star Trek: Countdown, which has less pages, and unappealing artwork for about $20; in that situation, Daybreak looks a bit better.

Overall Score: 8/10

If you can't find Daybreak at your local comic shop, Amazon.com thankfully carries the first two books, but it doesn't look like they carry the third yet.

For more on Brian Ralph, visit his website, BRalph.com

Teenage Mutant Nickelodeon Turtles

Here's a surprise, Nickelodeon, the Viacom branch known for its cartoon/kids programming channel has gone and purchased the rights to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And when I say that I don't just mean they got the broadcasting rights to the original animated series and the more recent 4Kids one...

No, they got the full deal. Broadcasting rights, development of a new CG-animated series set for 2012, development for a new feature film that would be released with Paramount, and they would also cut a nice cut of the merchandising, including the ever popular toy line. Click the following link for the full press release.

via Toon Zone

The Work of Jared D. Weiss

Hey, sometimes we all have to do a little shameless self-promotion. And considering I do run VFH, and cater to all of you wonderful readers, I figured, hey.. why not?

I have just finished launching my new, art focused blog:

As one would assume, this new blog is a way to keep anyone interested in my artwork (and other projects I may or may not take part in), up to date with what ever it is I may be doing. All, in fully written out, image supported, proper form; as opposed to the Twitter I've been using in preparation for this.

It also means that my internet time will now be divided between my personal work and the work I do here at VFH. So if you're noticing a lack of content from myself, chances are it's because of this. But, of course, I can't speak for the other staff members...

Anyways, please, if you could, do me a favor and check out the site. There's still a few things I need to work out in the coming days, like graphic links, and an RSS feed, but as of right now the site is ready for reading!

Thank you all!