Sunday, February 5, 2012 |
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Comics: Where good overshadows evilWhile comic-book industry news is usually all about characters, creators and circulation, sometimes the real world intrudes – for good or ill. This week, we have an example of each. Heroes Against Hunger On Jan. … |
Sunday, February 5, 2012 |
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‘Skyward Sword’ has plenty to enjoy; ‘Defiance’ offers intense experienceEach time I alert my wife that I’m reviewing a “Zelda” game, her first question usually isn’t, “Is it any good?” No, she asks: “Did they bring back the short, tubby guy from the first … |
Sunday, January 29, 2012 |
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Hits and misses upcoming on the silver screenIf you thought Hollywood strip-mined comic books for movie ideas in 2011, you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet. Which is not to say that all you’re going to see is superhero movies. Actually, so many genres, … |
Sunday, January 22, 2012 |
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Behold ‘Inner Sanctum’ of Colon’s workThe Golden Age of radio is a nearly forgotten era, which makes it all the cooler that writer/artist Ernie Colon has brought it back in graphic novel form. “Inner Sanctum: Tales of Mystery, Horror and … |
Sunday, January 22, 2012 |
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‘Star Wars’ still a Force; ‘Trine 2’ a fun puzzleIt isn’t often that I dive into massively multiplayer online games because of the time and dedication one must give to fully experience and appreciate what they have to offer. But queue up that “Star … |
Sunday, January 15, 2012 |
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Ghost Who Walks lives on in reprintsMy introduction to Lee Falk’s “The Phantom” was in comic books, not the syndicated comic strip. Thanks to Hermes Press, you can experience both at the same time. “The Phantom” is the great-granddaddy of costumed … |
Sunday, January 15, 2012 |
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New ‘Oregon Trail’ bogs down; ‘NCIS’ a big yawnAs a child in the 1980s, playing “The Oregon Trail” on an Apple II computer was my entry into video games. I’ve never looked back, but never forgotten that glorious game in which you pack … |
Sunday, January 8, 2012 |
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‘Annotated Sandman’ enhances Gaiman seriesEver since Neil Gaiman’s astonishingly literate “Sandman” series ran from 1989-96, I’ve wanted someone to point out the cool stuff I missed. And now, with DC/Vertigo’s lavish “The Annotated Sandman Volume One” ($49.99), that project … |
Sunday, January 8, 2012 |
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‘Origins’ recalls side-scrolling fun; ‘The Run’ worth taking for a spinIf nothing else, “Rayman: Origins” is a fine homage to 16-bit side-scrolling games of yesteryear. Winks and nods abound, giving older gamers a reason to smile when they stumble upon an Easter egg that recalls … |
Saturday, December 31, 2011 |
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Fun new adventures for beloved MarioSpeed. Nimble moves. Sharp reflexes. … |
Sunday, December 25, 2011 |
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Grant Morrison shows us what comics are all aboutIf you’re still looking for the perfect gift for the geek in your life, here’s our third and last round of suggestions: “Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can … |
Sunday, December 18, 2011 |
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‘Aliens: Infestation’ will take you back to the futureI didn’t have much interest in playing “Aliens: Infestation.” Then I saw the leaked trailer for Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Prometheus” film. It looks every bit the “Alien” prequel that fans have been hoping for, which … |
Sunday, December 18, 2011 |
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Christmas ideas for relative peanutsWe’re entering the home stretch on the holiday season, and I’ve yet to scratch the surface on potential gifts for the beloved geeks among us. Here are some more: Archie Comics has been pushing the … |
Sunday, December 11, 2011 |
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Absurdity makes ‘Saints Row’ fun; ‘Ultimate Marvel’ superior to predecessorMany games strive for an open world in which the game play is what you choose to make it. “Saints Row: The Third” accomplishes this like no other game has, and does so by imbuing … |
Sunday, December 11, 2011 |
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52 chances to make Christmas merryFrom Christmas to Kwanzaa, the holiday season provides an occasion for just about anyone of any faith to please the geek in their life with an appropriate gift. But what to get? Fortunately, publishers are … |
Sunday, December 4, 2011 |
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IDW planning even bigger ‘Infestation’IDW Publishing pulled off a storytelling coup in early 2011 when it involved a variety of unrelated, licensed books with a common threat – vampires. That worked so well, it’s going to do it again … |
Sunday, December 4, 2011 |
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‘Revelations’ decent end to ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ but latest ‘Lord of the Rings’ lacks thrillsIt’s time to say goodbye to Ezio and Altair, but not before venturing off into one last grand adventure with our favorite assassins of centuries ago. If you haven’t played previous games in the “Assassin’s … |
Sunday, November 27, 2011 |
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Flash on fast track to renewed popularityThe Flash has always been an important character in DC Comics mythology, and co-writers Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato plan to keep the super-speedster’s newly relaunched title that way. “I think he’s a central character,” … |
Sunday, November 20, 2011 |
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‘Skyrim’ richly rewarding; ‘Modern Warfare 3’ tops genreThere came a moment recently when I completed a small task and realized I was two hours and five sub-quests from where I had started. I paused, saved the game and noted that “Skyrim” had … |
Sunday, November 20, 2011 |
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Girl’s harsh life in Poland recounted in ‘Marzi’I doubt many of us have wondered what it was like to grow up as a little girl in Communist Poland, but after “Marzi: A Memoir” (DC/Vertigo, $17.99), I doubt many of us will ever … |
Sunday, November 13, 2011 |
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Inmates running asylum in ‘Arkham City’; ‘Uncharted 3’ deceptively goodIf you stripped away “Batman: Arkham City’s” DC Comics veneer and made the protagonist a goofy woodchuck matching wits with demented squirrels in a burned-down forest, it would still be stellar. Yet with Batman, his … |
Sunday, November 13, 2011 |
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Batman confronts the spirits of ChristmasIt doesn’t seem probable, but a new graphic novel with Batman at the center of a classic Christmas story is simply terrific. Lee Bermejo writes and draws “Batman: Noel” ($22.99, DC Entertainment) which tells of … |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 |
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‘Battlefield 3,’ ‘All 4 One’ better with multiple players“Battlefield 3” is, put mildly, a game of two halves. One half insults the very nature of military-themed games and the people who play them. The other half is a superbly rendered arena of hell … |
Sunday, November 6, 2011 |
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Angel anthology takes flight through Guay’s artOccasionally, someone executes a standard storytelling device with such dazzling skill that it reminds you why that device became standard in the first place. Rebecca Guay is that someone, with “A Flight of Angels” (DC/Vertigo, … |
Sunday, October 30, 2011 |
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‘Dark Souls’ blends skirmishes, visualsExtremely challenging but richly rewarding – if only that could sell you on the delight that is “Darks Souls.” Many will not enjoy this fantasy-adventure role-playing epic, primarily because it openly flouts the idea of … |
Sunday, October 30, 2011 |
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Crime doesn’t pay, but book doesIt’s said crime doesn’t pay, but “Crime Does Not Pay” sure did. Now, thanks to Dark Horse, we can see what made this particular comic book so successful – and notorious. “Crime Does Not Pay” … |
Sunday, October 23, 2011 |
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Talent shines through in ‘Batman: Year One’“Batman: Year One” is one of the most critically acclaimed and fan-revered stories about the Dark Knight. Wisely, Warner Bros. has hewed closely to the original for its animated adaptation. Originally published as a four-issue … |
Sunday, October 23, 2011 |
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‘NBA 2K12’ the only game in town; ‘X-Men’ dull from A-ZNBA fans, rejoice: This game is 100 percent labor-dispute free. I jest, but with little end in sight to the NBA lockout, this is the only chance hoops fans will get to play updated professional … |
Sunday, October 16, 2011 |
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‘Stargazing Dog’ an emotionally wrenching taleIt isn’t often that a graphic novel can bring me to tears. “Stargazing Dog,” by Takashi Murakami, did just that. It’s the story of “Daddy,” an ordinary Japanese man whose life slips a gear and … |
Sunday, October 16, 2011 |
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‘FIFA 12’ scores big; ‘Rage’ rocks apocalypseEA Sports has made significant alterations to “FIFA’s” core game play. These changes further solidify the “FIFA” franchise as the dominant soccer series on the market. The most noticeable modification is to how defenses work … |
Sunday, October 9, 2011 |
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Competing with humans makes all the difference in ‘Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine’Legions of “Warhammer 40K” fans have thrilled at the futuristic sci-fi universe in which armor-clad warriors face off against alien races for control of the universe. The tabletop game led to a series of turn-based … |
Sunday, October 9, 2011 |
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Jonah Hex headlines DC’s new ‘All-Star Western’DC Entertainment may have saved the best for last in its ambitious revamping of its entire line of superhero comics – and it’s a book that doesn’t have a single superhero. “All-Star Western” No. 1 … |
Sunday, October 2, 2011 |
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Putting the Wonder back in the Amazing AmazonSome things never change. One is human nature. Another is the vivid way writer Brian Azzarello brings human nature to life. “I go back to the same poisoned well over and over,” said Azzarello, writer … |
Sunday, October 2, 2011 |
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‘Resistance 3’ is last gasp for human raceYou have to commend the makers of the “Resistance” series for their boldness in killing off the protagonist at the end of the first sequel. Few franchises make such a leap, but in so doing, … |
Sunday, September 25, 2011 |
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New 52 only the start for DCDC Comics is in the third week of relaunching all 52 of its superhero titles in a single month, and it’s reportedly going big guns. But DC editor-in-chief Bob Harras is already thinking long term. … |
Sunday, September 18, 2011 |
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‘Bodycount’ offers only mindless entertainment“Bodycount” is like a summer movie: quick enjoyment, but no long-lasting satisfaction. This game does nothing to stand out in an overcrowded field of first-person shooters. The guns aren’t bad, but there are too few … |
Sunday, September 11, 2011 |
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‘Sidekicks’ charts unique path in familiar premiseFalling vaguely in this column’s bailiwick is “Sidekicks” (Abrams, $16.95), an entertaining young-adult novel set in a superhero milieu, written by Emmy-award-winning writer Jack Ferraiolo (“Wordgirl”). The star is 13-year-old Scott “Bright Boy” Hutchinson, sidekick … |
Sunday, September 11, 2011 |
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‘Dead Island’ alive with zombie actionThe hype for “Dead Island” raged after the trailer advertising the game quickly became one of the top video-game trailers ever created. Despite not fulfilling the sky-high expectations, the game will appeal to anyone who … |
Sunday, September 4, 2011 |
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Cool reception for August graphic novelsMaybe it’s the heat, but several graphic novels in August simply didn’t wow me. n “99 Days” ($19.99), by Matteo Casali and Kristian Donaldson, is the latest in DC/Vertigo’s crime-slash-mystery line of graphic novels. Set … |
Sunday, August 28, 2011 |
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DC considers itself No. 1 – 52 times overOn Tuesday, hundreds of comic-book fans, some in costume, will line up in front of Midtown Comics in New York’s Times Square at midnight. It’s a party, although some faint-hearts fear it will be a … |
Sunday, August 28, 2011 |
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‘Ms. Splosion Man’ offers challengesGrowing up, I always preferred “Ms. Pac-Man” to the original. The level design was more intriguing, and the cutscenes were injected with more humor. History repeats itself in “Ms. … |
Sunday, August 21, 2011 |
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Geary puts his deft touch on ‘Sacco and Vanzetti’Like most Americans, I first heard about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in school – my eighth-grade American history class. But it took Rick Geary’s new graphic novel for me to really learn about it. … |
Sunday, August 21, 2011 |
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‘Phineas and Ferb’ is simple fun; ‘Juarez’ misses markAs summer stretches on, most gaming companies release fewer titles, preferring to wait for the fall/holiday bonanza. This gives me time to review some games I might have otherwise overlooked. I’ll first admit to never … |
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