Super Bowl XLV Trailers

Seems like the last time I did this was back in 2009, but who can blame me? It's not like there were that many great films last summer... Regardless, I watch the big game for the commercials, more specifically, the trailers:














There's a few missing, like Fast Five, Battle: Los Angeles, Limitless, and Rio... but they weren't very exciting trailers. But that Super 8 trailer... that's the most awesome thing I've seen in a long time. Can't wait!

First Look: Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man

It may not come out until 2012, but here's the first look at Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man from Marc Webb's unneeded reboot of the film franchise...

While it's thankfully a tangible suit and not CGI like Green Lantern's costume (that's a rant for another time), I can't say I've very pleased with this... for one it just doesn't look like any other Spider-Man costume before it. Where's the webbing that looks like webs? The stripe that connects from the shoulders to the hands? The waistline? And why does it still not look like something that Peter Parker could make himself?!

Sure, the previous costume wasn't perfect, but with one look I could tell it was Spider-Man! It at least followed the design of the original look in the comics, aside from the silver webbing. But what the hell is going on here? What's with the spike design in what seem to be separate gloves? Why would you put a long narrow torso piece on a guy that's already tall and skinny? At least Toby Macguire was stout, the costume suited him, this just looks weird.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Spider-Man 1 and 2 are probably my favorite, most memorable superhero films, sure the third film was pretty bad, but there was no need to reboot it already. I'm bitter about it now, and I'll probably be bitter about it until a trailer comes out. But seriously, let's try making films of other superheroes before we start rebooting ones that were already fantastic...

Iron Man 2 Review

It's here! The sequel to the surprise summer hit of 2008 and the sequel to the movie that could've been our first movie review but we didn't start movie reviews until slightly after I saw the film so... enough of that. But it should be worth mentioning, that opening weekend, in 2008, was the first and last time I saw Iron Man and if I had to judge that film at that time, I'd of given it an 8/10. It was a good movie, and told Stark's story well, and looked great, but I wasn't blown away. But what about the sequel?

Two years later, a brand new movie, with a chance to go beyond the origin story and into the original storyline realm, and it's all a bit of the same really. The biggest issue Iron Man 2 has is the biggest issue that a lot of sequels have (Spider-Man 3, the entire X-Men franchise, those awful Schumacher Batman films), fitting in way too many new stories and characters for one film. Sure, the inclusion of more characters is looked at as fan service, giving fans the chance to see their favorite characters on screen, but it really is more annoying because it just makes things muddy.

So what's the actual story then? Well, I'll try to do this as spoiler free as I can, but I'll fail, and it'll be just as messy as it is in the film. First off there's the story of the film's villain, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who is made up just for the movie combining elements of Iron Man foes Crimson Dynamo and Whiplash/Blacklash. Vanko's motivation to kill Tony Stark because Stark's father deported Vanko's father to Siberia and gave him a miserable life. Then there's Tony's story, which is all about how he deals with the public image and perception of Iron Man now that he has revealed his identity and then how that effects his companions Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, who takes over for Terrance Howard from the first film).

But that's not all! Then there's the story of Justin Hammer, another wealthy inventor and arms-dealer, but just doesn't have the same edge that Tony Stark has, until he gets the right help. And there's also the little story of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) from S.H.I.E.L.D. who are monitoring Stark for the Avengers Initiative. Like I said, a lot, and that's without me even discussing the progression of the story, which I won't do, not after all that.

So, in terms of story, the film is a mess. Samuel L. Jackson is barely in the film despite what one would have thought from Iron Man 1's after-credits scene and all the ads, and the parts he is in are just him being his unintentionally hilarious self. And while I think Don Cheadle did a much better job than Terrance Howard as Rhodey, you barely see the character to even get any fealing for him, plus most of his scenes are in a suit. And Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow comes off as very boring, and lacks the character's Russian-ness, though she is visually appealing to say the least... Point being, all these characters are there, but they don't really do anything. If anything, the film should've really been about the rivalry between Tony Stark and his competitor Justin Hammer, which it was, but without all the fluff and extra characters that ended up getting more of a focus, because really, Sam Rockwell was the co-star here.

Everything else... the CGI was top-notch as usual, I really enjoyed how CG and real-life blended in really well in the first film so it was great to see that still in full effect. And there is a huge final battle scene near the end that animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack) storyboarded and it surprisingly shows despite it being live action, definitely one of the highlights of the film. The music? I could have done without all the AC/DC and cheesy guitar-rock, but it was almost fitting for a semi-trashy film that can never tell you when it wants to be taken as a drama or a comedy. Speaking of which, was drunken Tony dancing in the Iron Man suit really necessary? Have we learned NOTHING from Spider-Man 3? C'mon...

Overall, the film isn't bad. If you liked the first film, I think you should see the second, just to see it. But don't expect to be blown away. And to the people that really like the first film... what the hell? Really? You thought Iron Man was that great, what movies have you been watching?

Overall Score: 7.8/10

Spider-Man gets Rebooted

It's the comic movies of the night! Sony Pictures has announced that the 2011 slated Spider-Man 4 film is no more, and the studio with start from Peter Parker's high-school days with a new cast, film crew, and release date set for 2012.

That's right, after two fantastic films and one not so great, Sam Raimi, Toby Maguire and the rest of the cast and crew that made the Spider-Man film franchise so memorable will not be returning when the web-slinger comes back to theaters next time. There's no work on the new cast/crew for this Spider-Man reboot, but Sony and Marvel seem pretty set on that 2012 release.

Personally, I'm a bit upset. I liked the Spider-Man films... except for the third; but regardless I was really looking forward to what Sam Raimi had in mind for the next film, if anything I was just looking for proper closure because I didn't get it from the third film. Plus I liked Raimi's filming style, I thought Toby Macguire was a believable Peter Parker, and Bruce Campbell was just awesome as usual.

But what bothers me the most about the reboot is that it hasn't even been ten years since the first Spider-Man released, isn't a reboot a little soon? I mean, I can understand why Marvel chose to reboot film franchises like The Punisher and Hulk (and DC with Batman) so soon after their first releases because those films just weren't that great to carry on. But Spider-Man 1 and 2 were some of the greatest comic adaptations of all time. Maybe Marvel should try making some new film franchises that are good (Iron Man is close, X-Men... not so much), instead of just rebooting already done characters. It's quality, not quantity that counts, I don't care what that check from Disney tells you.

Check out the lengthy press release at Ain't It Cool News

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 follows the same design as its predecessor, while of course tweaking a few things here and there. You still control four heroes from the Marvel universe, powering them up as you go through a new story that harks to the Civil War comic series. If you like the Marvel line-up, then there is plenty to enjoy, but if not, then you won’t see more than a button masher here.

The story starts with Nick Fury calling four heroes to his side to help out on a special mission to stop the Latverian prime minister, Lucia von Bardas from supplying weapons to super villains. Their mission is successful, but it brings trouble a year later when Lucia returns for revenge and destroys a major US city. Awkwardly though, the story quickly shifts to the super heroes themselves, as a registration act is put in place by the US government. Some heroes decide to register, while others believe it an outrage. This pits the two groups against each other, and the previous storyline is all but forgotten.

From that point though, you can choose which side to take; anti- or pro-registration, which will slightly change the storyline and missions, until later in the game where it comes together again. While this does allow for multiple play-throughs, each path actually plays almost identically, which I found to be very disappointing. However, there are some super heroes that are distinct to each side of the conflict, so you have to be on their side to use them in battle, which could sway your initial decision one way or the other, but the heroes I ended up going with; Wolverine, Gambit, Spider-Man, and Deadpool; could be on either side.

You can choose from a list of 24 heroes to play as, although many have to be unlocked as you progress. Most of them are simply unlocked as you advance, but some of the stronger characters, like Thor and Jean Grey, are unlocked by collecting various items. You can swap out characters at any time you like via the pause menu, as well as amp up your characters’ stats or assign boosts.

One of the collectibles you’ll find hidden away in levels or earn after defeating bosses are boosts. You can assign three boosts at a time to your entire team, and they do a variety of things. Some boosts up your defense against things like fire or lighting, while others increase the percentage of damage you do, or give you special abilities, like restore health for melee attacks. There are tons of these to find and experiment with to make them the most beneficial and complimentary to your style and characters. Another option at your disposal is upgrading each character. You earn XP by fighting and gain power orbs by breaking objects or defeating foes, and these can be used to power-up a character, making him or her stronger or use new abilities. By default, this is all done automatically, but you can change it so you can upgrade the abilities you want.

The actual gameplay is fairly simple to grasp. For starters, you run around with four characters at once, with direct control over one at a time, with the other three keeping up with you fairly well. You can switch between the four on the fly via the d-pad, while the left thumbstick controls movement and right controls the camera. Quick attacks, for the PS3, are performed via the X button, while strong attacks are done by the O, holding it for a charged attack. You can jump and double jump with Triangle, and grab with Square. The shoulder buttons are used to toggle special attacks and options. Hold R2 and press X, O, Triangle, or Square to perform a power, or R1 and a button to use a health pack on a character. A power would consist of the super hero’s power, for instance, with Spider-Man, you can shoot out webbing projectiles with X, do a spin move with O, and other such things. In fact, these type of attacks correspond with almost every character, with projectiles assigned to the X and a wide radial attack with O. The other two must be unlocked via leveling up and do a number of different things. There is a meter that depletes when you use power moves, so you can’t constantly use these special abilities, but the meter refills automatically and fairly quickly, so don’t be scared off by it.

Holding L1 will allow you to block, while tapping it will give you the ability to dodge incoming attacks. L2 works like the R’s and requires you to hold it and press another button, this time allowing your current character and the other one you select to perform a fusion attack. These are massive attacks that come in three varieties; guided, clearing, and targeted. Each hero pairing is assigned one of these types, and they appear with the button needed to press to perform it, so you know what will happen. While each pair does generate a unique visual effect, each type is relatively the same. Clearing dispatching 10 or so nearby enemies, while guided allows you to run around the map and take out as many enemies as you can for 10 or so seconds. Targeted is particularly useful during boss battles, as you can only target one enemy, and then do massive damage to him or her.

These fusion attacks can only be performed when you fill a special meter, which is done by attacking enemies. Once the meter is full, you earn a star, which allows you to do a fusion attack, and you can hold two stars at a time, or three if you have a special boost equipped. Each fusion attack has a special requirement, which if met, will earn you a health pack, two of which can be held at once.

The two health packs are fairly limited, and you’ll find yourself leaving a lot more behind, as you simply don’t have to use them very often, at least not on normal difficulty during the first 2/3 of the game. While it is easy to see which hero is badly injured, by their icon flashing red, you’ll be required to cycle through all of them to see which one needs a health pack otherwise, which is annoying. Heroes can also faint if their health meter gets depleted, but they can just as easily be revived with a health pack. And if you have young kids or you’re just not good at video games, you can play on easy, where your heroes can’t faint at all.

The game is split up into a variety of missions, which will have you beating down a ton of enemies and a couple of bosses until you get to the end. You just follow the path they put in front of you, destroy a few objectives, and continue forward. If you aren’t sure where to go, you can click on the R3 button to flash a directional arrow in the way you need to go. There are a few types of enemies, but aside from that, they are all the same. You’ll have to fight wave after wave of the exact same enemies, and then take on a couple cool super villains, or other heroes later on. Some areas will require a bit of strategy, and some enemies have shields and the like which must be taken away before you can damage them, but there is no real skill required. This game is a button masher, and while you can choose your fusion attacks and powers, you’re going to be doing the same attacking again and again, so it gets a bit repetitive.

Outside of the missions, you can explore your base, which will change throughout the game. Here, you can talk to other super heroes, pick up art bundles, and replay old missions. The demo center, aside from allowing you to replay the old missions, also lets you play through challenges. The challenges are pretty cool in that you can earn medals depending on how well you do, which net you XP or special boosts and other such goodies. There is also a trivia game you can play, which isn’t too difficult, but another nice distraction for those wanting to brush up on their Marvel knowledge.

The game doesn’t offer too much else. It’s fun while it lasts, if you like the characters. I beat the game in about 6 hours, but it could take you considerably longer if you choose to talk with every character you can, do all the challenges, collect everything there is, and answer all of the trivia questions. Each character also has an alternate costume, which is pretty cool. However, there aren’t any amazing puzzles or anything and you just beat up on the same few enemies again and again, so it gets a bit stale, although playing with all of the famous heroes is fun.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 does a fairly good job at pleasing fans, with presenting a ton of characters, some of which are some what obscure, and letting gamers play as their favorite heroes. Each characters' powers are really cool and there are a ton of collectibles and art to pick up to expand the gameplay, but at its core, this title is a button masher which can get repetitive for gamers.

Overall Score: 7/10

Posted in collaboration with GamersPlatform

Disney buys Marvel for $4 Billion

Call this the most surprising thing I've heard in a long time, but as of this morning, Disney is the works of buying out Marvel Entertainment. Under the deal, it would mean that Disney owns full rights to over 5,000 Marvel properties.

What does this mean? To be honest, I'm not sure yet. There's a lot of things that make sense, such Disney already owning the broadcast and distribution rights to Marvel cartoons of the '90s such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, and more, all of which currently air on Disney XD; not to mention that they also air re-runs of the latest Spider-Man cartoon, The Spectacular Spider-Man.

But then there's the stuff that brings confusion. Like, what will happen to shows like Wolverine and the X-Men and Iron Man: Armored Adventures, both of which air on Nicktoons Network; and then there's The Black Panther on BET and Marvel Super Hero Squad on Cartoon Network set to air later this year. Also, there's already pre-existing deals for upcoming Marvel films and games such as Iron Man 2, Thor, and more, which are being produced with studios such as Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, amongst others.

The one aspect that really has me curious is Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. Not that I had any intention of going there any time soon, but if recall correctly, about 50% of that theme park is dedicated to Marvel and its characters. So does all of that just get chopped off Universal Studios and sent to Disney World? If so, that's got to be really painful for Universal's tourist attraction rate. If any more news comes from this deal, I'll be sure to inform you.

via AP (Yahoo!)

SDCC 09: Marvel Anime

Yes, you read that right, as announced at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel and Mad House have teamed together for two anime productions, Iron Man and Wolverine. While the details from ToonZone are sparse (I'd tel you more myself if I was actually at the convention), but they do have this poster:

And if posters of a decent looking Iron Man and insanely effeminate Wolverine don't do it for you, then thankfully there's teaser trailers for both the rad looking Iron Man and the kind of lame looking Wolverine online (click the links).

I know, I favor DC over Marvel a lot of the time... but from looks of these right now, Batman: Gotham Knight looks like the more successful translation of 'American superhero to anime' than these two Marvel projects look to be. Only time will tell I suppose... but seriously, the hate is just going towards that awful Wolverine character design, the Iron Man trailer was pretty awesome.

via ToonZone

After Thoughts: Free Comic Book Day 2009

As you may have known, whether it be from my constant reminders or otherwise, today was Free Comic Book Day across North America. Being in the city increased my freebies, as I actually visited three shops, each with their own way of handing out the free books.

First shop of the day was Forbidden Planet, considered to be one of the premiere comic shops in New York City; and they even have some other global stores. I arrived early, because I found out last week that the first 300 customers would receive all of the day's comics, where as later customers would only receive a few. When I arrive at about 9:20, there was already a line of 50 or so people, so I was pretty much set. Apparently Hugh Jackman was at the store yesterday, so there was a lot of promo stuff left over for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In fact, I got me two foam claws, and a FCBD issue of Wolverine, actually signed by Hugh Jackman; lucky me!

As for exactly what I got? Where to start?! List is in same order as photos, left to right: G.I. Joe/Transformers Animated double issue (IDW), Worlds of Aspen (Aspen), Nascar Heroes (Nascar Comics), John Stanley's Melvin Monster/Nancy double issue (Drawn & Quarterly), Radical sampler (Radical Comics), Love & Rockets: New Stories FCBD (Fantagraphics), Impact University vol. 5 (Impact), Hot Lists (Wizard), DC Kids #1 (DC), Warhammer Online: Prelude to War (Boom! Studios), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 25th Anniversay reprint (Mirage), Contract #1 (First Salvo), Cyber Force/Hunter Killer: First Look (Top Cow), Cartoon Palooza #2 (Ape Entertainment), Bongo Comics Free-For-All! (Bongo), Comics Festival! (Legion of Evil Press), Cars: The Rookie #1 (Boom! Kids), Blackest Night #0 (DC), Atomic Robo/Drone/We Kill Monsters (Red 5), The Mighty Archie Art Players #1 (Archie), Arcana Presents (Arcana), Shonen Jump Special (Viz Media), Owly and Friends (Top Shelf), Aliens/Predator double issue (Dark Horse), Resurrection (Oni Press), Savage Dragon #148 (Image), Star Wars: The Clone Wars/FCBD sampler (Dark Horse), Sonic: Evolution of a Hero (Archie), Studio 407 Sampler (Studio 407), The Stuff of Legend (Th3rd World Studios), Attack of the Alterna Zombies! #1 (Alterna), Wolverine: Origin of an X-Man (Marvel), and a Magic the Gathering novel sampler. In short, I got a hell of a lot; like, it took me over an hour to get that all down.

The next shop I went to was just a few blocks away, St. Mark's Comics. It was the first time I've ever been to the store, and quite frankly, I can't find a reason to ever go back there. I didn't even bother getting free comics there, because they basically were only handing each customer one issue from the day's selections. I know they're free, but there's no need to hoard.

The last shop, Cosmic Comics, is shop I have been to before. It's not a place that will blow you away, but if you're looking for back-issues they have a decent selection. The way they set up their Free Comic Book Day was with a line up on the wall, a decent amount of the day's titles were available, and each customer was allowed to choose 8. I picked a few doubles of what I had already, but I also got a hold of a few I surprisingly didn't get from Forbidden Planet.

From left to right again: Mercy Sparx #1 (Devil's Due), Star Wars: The Clone Wars/FCBD sampler (Dark Horse), The Avengers (Marvel), Blackest Night #0 (DC), *explanation below*, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 25th Anniversay reprint (Mirage), William Shatner Presents (Blue Water), Fist of Justice (Digital Webbing Press), and Gold Digger #1 (AP Entertainment).

The middle comic is interesting. As I went to check out, what I assume was the manager handed me an old looking comic, Battlestar Galactica #1, published by Marvel. The book feels old, looks old, and I even checked inside and all I could find were copyrights for 1979, nothing about reprints or anything, and this thing is mint! So, luckily, I bought some sleeves with cardboard backing and I put the issue in right away. If this thing is for real, then that's pretty cool, but I'll have to look into it. Oh, I also bought the first issue of Scott Pilgrim while I was there, so you can hopefully look forward to a review later.

All in all I think today was good. I got a huge selection of comics thanks to Forbidden Planet's generousity, and the fact that I got stuff from two store. Personal highlights: Blackest Night #0 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, if you try to get anything from today, get those. Sure a lot of the others may be crap, but it's crap I didn't have to pay for, and who can argue with that? How did everyone else fair with Free Comic Book Day?

Visit FreeComicBookDay.com for more info on all these comics.

First image from Iron Man 2

USAToday.com has an exclusive first image from Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, the sequel to last year's surprise hit ... Iron Man (what else?).

As you can see, Robert Downey Jr. is back as Tony Stark, and now has a fancy new lab with four of his suits on display. Though, if I remember correctly ... wasn't that first suit (all the way on the left there) destroyed? Continuuity errors Mr. Favreau? Tsk tsk.

Iron Man 2 is currently filming, but is set to release in theaters on May 7, 2010.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is back!

Sure, we may have had issues with Capcom in the past, and I really am a DC fan when it comes to comics, but it puts a smile on my face to know that I'll finally be able to own Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for a reasonable price! (Take that $80 used Playstation 2 copy at Gamestop!) Check out the reveal trailer below (cue cheesy 80s rock):



Sure, a brand new Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 would've been more appreciated, instead of yet another Capcom port, but at least this is a port of a game so rare and sought out that it's really hard to complain. While the game is set for release on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network this summer, PS3 owners get a special treat; as a demo for the game will be available this Thursday!

Full details at Playstation.Blog

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Marvel announced today, a brand new animated series based on their superhero team, The Avengers; titled The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, is expected to premiere in the long away, 2011 . Despite being the same cast of characters, the series will be unrelated to the Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2, and the Next Avengers direct-to-DVD animated films.

This is the latest in announcement in a recent push for Marvel animated series, including Wolverine and the X-Men, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Marvel Super Hero Squad, and The Black Panther. While all of these are currently in production, Marvel has already released an entire season of the hit Spectacular Spider-Man series, with 2 more seasons in the works.

See the full announcement at Marvel.com

Banned Dexter's Lab short online

This short from Dexter's Laboratory's sub-series, Dial M for Monkey, titled 'Barbequor' is allegedly banned in most places around the world because of its portrayal of gay stereotypes, it also incorperates allusions to alcohol abuse. Other than that it's a pretty amusing tribute to Marvel Comics' characters. The funny thing is though, despite being banned in most nations, including the US ... it's available on Cartoon Network Video, right now.

Cartoon Network Video - Barbequor

Sadly, I cannot embed CN Video, so you'lll have to make due with the above link. I happen to like the short, it's amusing to see a clever spoof of Marvel's Galactus, Devourer of Worlds; not to mention the Justice Friends, which are also Marvel spoofs. This short also marks the only time you see the Justice Friend, Snow Man.

Stephen Colbert, Presidential Candidate

... In the Marvel Universe! Back in January when Mr. Colbert had his little stunt as a Presidential Candidate, one of the guests on his Colbert Report was Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada. On the show, Mr. Quesada informed Colbert that Marvel would be "campaigning" for him.

Now that Stephen Colbert's run for the seat is over, Marvel has gone and captured all of the scenes in which Colbert '08 can be seen in the Marvel Universe.

Marvel.com - Colbert for President

Marvel Noir

Marvel Comics is no stranger to alternate universes. For example there's Marvel universe run by zombies, pigs, one set in 2099, and another in 1602; but this latest one has me interested. Marvel Noir takes the companies greatest heroes, and re-imagines them as if they came from the 1930s.

Three promotional images of X-Men Noir


Spider-Man Noir

I really enjoy Noir sytle; it's part of why I enjoy Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and why "Detective Story" was my favorite part of The Animatrix. For that alone I'm eager to see where this project goes, though I'm leary that it's style, and obviously its medium, may bring it too close to Sin City territory. Hopefully the 1930s culture they plan to bring into this will seperate that though, too bad we'll have to wait till 2009 to find out.

via Marvel.com