There’s a part of me that wants to write this review in total fanboy mode, because this book was just that good.  But as a professional I will strive to be objective in this review…with a bit of fanboy destined to slip through.

As part of DC Comics’ epic, universe altering storyline (no, not the last one, the one before that one) Bruce Wayne: Batman, is flung back in time by Darkseid.  The villain used his Omega Beam energy to remove Bruce from the current time stream with the most iniquitous intents, but more on this later.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne is a six part series during which Bruce finds himself traveling, seemingly aimlessly, through time.  As is to be expected with a Grant Morrison story six issues reads like a novel with so much going on.  No panels go to waste and any that don’t have dialogue are action packed.  To do justice to this series I would do an article on each issue…but that’s crazy so I’ll hit the high points and wet your beak so you’ll just have to go out and pick it up.

Bruce’s initial destination is prehistoric times where curious, though frightened, members of the Deer People tribe discover his ship.  Bruce emerges from a cave where the tribe’s wiseman is later seen underneath symbols (presumably he drew) of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern.

Bruce is disoriented, has no memory of who or what he is, how he got there or why.  There is a communication issue, which for the issue is on Bruce’s side (when he is speaking it is gibberish, the reader sees the Deer People’s language clearly).  But Bruce Wayne is still Batman, no matter what.  Once he is back in possession of his belt the body remembers, reflexes and uses are ingrained; even Darkseid can’t take that away from him.

Batman and the first member of the People of Bats tribe escape a fight with a rival clan by jumping over a waterfall and this is when the time-jumps begin. Bruce emerges from the pool in colonial America fighting a great sea monster; like I said…action packed.

Issue two is incredibly important for two reasons: first – it gives the first real insight as to how Bruce is moving through time.  What we are shown is that those in need that call out for assistance draw Bruce from where he is in the time steam to their place to lend them aid.  This is the principle continued through the remaining issues.  Second – the team sent to find Batman, consisting of Superman, Green Lantern, Booster Gold and Doctor Hunter are shown at the Vanishing Point (the nexus of all reality where the guardians exist who catalog everything that has or will ever be in existence) in hopes of better tracking Batman’s Omega Beam energy signal.  They arrive just as the timeline is ending and all historical data is being moved to a black hole for storage and safe keeping.

As the story progresses we see several iterations of Gotham until we eventually land in near-current time; essentially around the time Bruce’s parents were murdered.  Bruce meets his grandmother who suspects that Thomas Wayne was actually a villain and had Martha killed while he faked his death.

Because Bruce carries little memory of who he is this affects him less than one would suspect, but it still resonates as he begins to draw back the curtain of his essence.

The story of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne is as intricate as it is intriguing.  With each issue you are immediately drawn in to the new time period Bruce finds himself in.  Morrison manages to pull so many things together with themes running throughout.  He creates a new, rich vein in the Batman lore that would be well served to last a long time…ok, well with the New 52 it probably won’t last long, but still!

I was excited to pick this book up because I had heard such good things about it and I was not disappointed in the slightest.  This book gets a resounding A+ meaning it is a must read.  If you’re a Batman fan you’ll enjoy the richness of the story and the elegance Morrison writes the character.  If you’re new to Batman or haven’t found a story that made you like him, this will bring you into the fold for sure.

If you have suggestions for future Bin Fodder reviews, drop me a line in comments!  Or e-mail me at timblacksmith@8daysageek.com.

Check out this week’s Playlist!

Till next Wednesday…

This is your Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off.

Dishwalla – Creeps in the Stone, No Use For A Name – Sleeping In, Joshua Radin – Star Mile, Sensefield – Burn, Switchfoot – Dare You To Move, Panic At The Disco – Time to Dance, Chin Up, Chin Up – This Harness Can’t Ride Anything, Nirvana – Drain You, Dismemberment Plan – Play for the Piano, Jonathan Coulton – A Talk with George, Thursday – Jet Black New Year, Saves the Day – Rocks Tonic Juice Magic, At the Drive In – Pattern Against User

Questions or Comments? (754) 273-6397 (attn: Error Code 8 )

- Windows 8 upgrade program (LINK)
- Kickstarter helps start another business (LINK)
- New Macbooks on the way? (LINK)
- USPS won’t ship lithium ion batteries anymore (LINK)
- T-Mobile trying to sell its body again (LINK)
- Is Facebook killing sms revenue (LINK)
- HTC has some ‘splainin to do (LINK)
- Lightsquared on the way out (LINK)
- Nvida goes to the cloud (LINK) (ONLIVE)

Developer: ESPN Inc.

Price: Free

Rating: 2.5/5

Let it be known that I am a big baseball fan, and sports fan in general. Even if I don’t really watch a sport, I will still follow the news and keep tabs on it. So this app is something I was looking forward to using. I mean, a sports app made by ESPN? How could this go wrong, right? Unfortunately, this app is merely mediocre. It does what it advertises, keeping track of scores, stats, and standings. But it’s the execution that is lackluster. Yes, I can keep track of my teams, but the updates are patchy. I mean, the Blues were swept out of the NHL playoffs a week ago and the widget on my phone is STILL displaying the score of their final game. I am following the Cardinals, and it is baseball season, so there are other scores to report. What’s the point of a widget that doesn’t get updated regularly (a sports score widget at that!)? The notifications also suffer from this hit and miss updating. Also, it seems to force close quite a bit. I would also like to see the ability to follow specific athletes, rather than just teams, integrated into the app in the future. Another annoying facet to this app is that they place an article in the news section of each sport, then when it peaks your interest and you click on it, it is revealed to be an ESPN insider article, so you can’t read it unless you subscribe. There are positives to this app. Let me say that the coverage is comprehensive. There’s everything from golf scores to the latest NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL scores and news. So you can’t say that this app doesn’t keep track of your favorite sport. The app itself is clean and beautiful. ESPN really hit that balance between what is necessary and what is just eye candy. Overall, the beauty of the app and its’ comprehensive coverage of all sports is not enough to put it over top. The lack of adequate updates and notifications, coupled with the force closing issues, really hurt this app. More specifically the update problems, which are mind boggling considering score updates are such a huge part of this app. So if you’re ok with the occasional update or notification, and can put up with some force closing, then pick up this app.

App Name:  N.O.V.A. 3
Developer:  Gameloft
Price: $6.99
App-Aholic Rating: 4/5

For fans of XBox’s Halo series, Gameloft’s iOS installment of NOVA was well-received. The addition of NOVA 2 was even better. NOVA 2.5 (Gameloft’s ’12 April Fools gag that featured Kal Wardin hunting joyous Green Farm animals) was frightening. Now enter NOVA 3, Gameloft’s latest 3D endeavor. 

Contrary to what most of the buzz has been saying, this is NOT one of Gameloft’s 3 future titles scheduled to run Epic Games’ Unreal 3 engine. However, counting all the 3′s in this week’s blog post, 3 must truly be the lucky number, as it would appear the third contribution to Gameloft’s self-proclaimed blockbuster has a lot of refinement.

NOVA 3 begins in a more realistic location than the others, San Fransico, even if it is a futuristic, post-human version. No worries, though; your expedition will carry you into the space beyond soon enough into the adventure.

The Good Stuff: Addition of the sprint button is nice. There is a plethora of battle options to choose from (guns, grenades, special attack, etc). For fans of online multiplayer and Gameloft’s browser edition of NOVA, entitled N.O.V.A Elite, N3 has you covered! Even though this isn’t powered by Unreal 3, Gameloft’s own in-house engine system is truly shaping up into a nearly-worthy competitor for Epic Games. Maybe Gameloft will even opt out of their remaining 3 Unreal games? (only time will tell).

The Flaws: Unfortunately, awesome graphics means memory hogging and lengthy download times (approx. 44 minutes on a 4S w/ a moderately efficient wifi connection), something most current Gameloft games have suffered from.

Also, there still isn’t a crouch button? That’s kind of odd by this stage in the game, especially since Gameloft’s Modern Combat series virtually works on the same setup and includes a crouch switch, as well as a dive options, which is also lacking from NOVA 3.

In N1, the pistol option was a single limitless gun. In N2, the pistol option was upgraded to dual guns. In N3, the pistol option has been downgraded back to a single; this is saddening.

For a higher-caliber game such as this one, there are quite a few (lengthy) loading screens, sometimes occurring in the middle of action sequences. This is odd for two reasons: 1) Unreal 3 games, which are still slightly higher in quality than Gameloft’s, don’t have this problem.  2) It’s wild to think the 4S dual core processer and A5 chip are no longer good enough.

Overall: Of course, none of the negatives above are meant to take away from the positives. The overall product DOES display the quality any gamer would expect from the iOS powerhouse that Gameloft has become. For any NOVA (or Halo) fan, this third edition is a must-have for the collection. 

May as well just add it to your collection. This may be one of the best FPS’s you play all year!

Happy Downloading, Addicts

Questions or Comments? (754) 273-6397 (attn: ATR Movies )

Avengers and the future for Marvel and DC (SPOILERS)

• What we expect from the next wave
• Who needs to show up in the sequel?
• Can DC accomplish this?
• Amazing Spiderman, Battleship, MIB3, G.I. Joe, DKR, will Blockbusters benefit or hurt?
• Can DKR touch it?
• Is this the super breath these movies needed?
• Will Disney finally drop Pirates and Mars and focus on superheroes?

Anchorman 2 (LINK)
Red 2 (LINK)
“The Starving Games” another terrible Parody (LINK)
Sin City A Dame to Kill For teaser (LINK)

Jesse – The Avengers, Nick Fury: Agent of Shield (1998)
 

Jason – The Avengers, All the Marvel Movies
Brandon – The Avengers

Has Jason seen it: The Thing
Does Jesse like it: Ballistic: Ecks VS Sever

8. Peggy Bundy from Married With Children. Katey Sagal was awesome in the role as Peggy. I tried five sentences here to attempt and describe what her character was and failed. It was an odd and completely original role that will be remembered.

7. Skyler White from Breaking Bad. This is my GetGlue sticker. I don’t like Skyler White. I’m not sure I care about Walter White anymore. But I absolutely LOVE Breaking Bad and for good reason. It’s amazing. Brian Cranston wins Emmy’s for this show like Lance Armstrong wins Tour De’ France’s (not sure how to pluralize  Tour De’ France). And whether I hate Skyler or not she is a mom in one of the most awesome shows to ever flicker across a screen.

6. Shirley from Community. Even though she doesn’t parent her kids on the show she’s the mother of the study group. Community is brilliant and was just renewed for their fourth season

5. Tara from The United States of Tara. I just started making my way through this show on Netflix, it’s good, and Tara plays a ton of roles. So, four or five moms (and a dad) for the price of one.

4. Frankie Heck from The Middle. This show is the modern day Roseanne and Frankie represents some form the average mother in Middle America. Brick will likely grow up to rule nerd culture with an iron fist.

3. Athena from Battlestar Galactica . BSG is the (and I may go to Hell for saying this) greatest sci-fi show of all time. It is so EPIC and completely amazing that if you haven’t seen it stop reading write now, track it down on Netflix or wherever, and watch until you fall asleep. Wake up and watch again. Athena is a supermother in it. Mother of the Super Half Cylon/Human baby.

2. Cersei from Game of Thrones. A vicious mother of an awful little demon king in Game of Thrones . I could rant about how awesome GoT is but I’m sure you already know it is and love it to death. Cersei and her incestrious child wreak havoc all across George R. R. Martin’s HBO adaptation in Westros, ruling the Red Keep and pulling strings that are echoing every Sunday and driving me insane.

1. Gemma Teller/Morrow from Sons of Anarchy. Katey Sagal graces the list a second time. Once at the top and again at the number one spot. In the off season I almost forgot Gemma. Writing this and going through TV mom’s she popped up. Smoking in one hand and holding a gun in the other, that’s how Gemma parents. “I was put here to be a fierce mother…” She said herself in one ep. She is, the fiercest of all mothers and for that Happy Mothers Day.

Questions or Comments? (754) 273-6397 (attn: Error Code 8 )

- Flipboard apk available on XDA (LINK)
- AT&T Exec see the end of wifi only tablets (LINK)
- FreedomPop iphone case goes up for sale (LINK)
- CTIA 2012 – a look back (LINK)
- More DVD nags before the movie (LINK)
- Religious site contain more malware than porn sites (LINK)
- Mozilla told no by microsoft (LINK)
- Boot2gecko on Github (LINK)
- Google loses, so does oracle (LINK)
- CISPA what is it and what does it do? (LINK)

Diablo III

Release Date: May 15

Systems: PC, MAC

Did you know it has been 11 years since the release of Diablo II? Well, Blizzard, it took a while… but you finally made it. Along with a standard release, there is a special edition available, along with Diablo III themed products like a gaming mouse, mouse pads featuring the character types, and headphones. The single player and multiplayer options are still available, now with an online auction system.

Diablo III is a fantasy Action Role-Playing Game (RPG). Only the third major release in what is considered by many gamers as the most iconic RPG franchise of all time, Diablo 3 continues the land of Sanctuary’s battle against a reoccurring demonic evil, and provides players around the world with the opportunity to create the ultimate hero to quest against it with friends online, or on their own. Features include: classic dungeon crawling gameplay, a new batch of character classes, multiplayer options with friends and single player support with the help of AI companions, a new take on character skill assignment and health, online item auctioning, and compatibility with Windows and Mac operating systems.

Max Payne 3

Release Date: May 15

Systems: PC, X360, PS3

Now based in Brazil, after the vents of Max Payne 2, Max is a little older but just as deadly and full of angst. Here’s a helpful tip to anyone not familiar with the series: just play the games, don’t watch the movie. Do not ever watch the movie.

Max Payne 3 is the third release in the popular Third-Person Shooter series of the same name, and the first iteration of the series to appear on Next Gen gaming consoles. Developed by Rockstar Games, the creative minds behind the cutting edge GTA, Red Dead and Midnight Club game franchises, Max Payne 3 is a sequel to the second game in the series, and features an older Max Payne with a new life and job abroad. But as dangerous situations spiral Max’s life from bad, to worse, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Game features include: series first multiplayer functionality, a wealth of weapons, classic Max Payne Bullet Time and Shoot dodge functionality, extreme realism and special bonus features.

Game of Thrones

Release Date: May 15

Systems: PC, X360, PS3

Game of Thrones is an RPG based in Westeros that isn’t copied exactly from the book series; however, George R. R. Martin did supervise the original story used for this game. Play as one of two original characters. The decisions you make will change the Seven Kingdoms, for better or worse depending on who you and your alliances are. It features 30+ hours of game play, slow time during battles, and frankly, it’s in Westeros! As a GoT fan, any addition Martin’s amazing fantasy world is welcome.

Just don’t mess with the dragons. And the lady in red up there? If she belongs to the organization I think she does, stay away from her too. (Also, the show is amazing and the books are even better.)

Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Episode II

Release Date: May 16

Systems: X360, iPhone, WinPhone, PC, PS3, Android

Episode II, it feels like I’ve been waiting for you forever. Episode 1 feels like it came out ages ago, but that’s okay. Another addition to the very shiny Sonic 4, available on just about every system that you can play a game on. Tails is here, along with some new environments that really remind me of Sonic 3.

Battleship

Release Date: May 15

Systems: X360, Nintendo DS, PS3, 3DS, Wii

Dear Everyone of the World,

This is a game based on the 2012 movie, Battleship, where the ships the humans are battling are from space, and their armor is a lot cooler looking than that of the humans. From the screenshots found, there are a few “classic Battleship images,” like an actual ship grid… but let’s face it. The real game of Battleship is from Milton Bradley, and there’s a Star Wars version floating around somewhere in existence with my name on it.

Akai Katana

Release Date: May 17

Systems: X360

It looks pretty, and really confusing. Sorry, guys.

From the Manufacturer

Unleash the power of the Blood Swords…The Empire’s war has ravaged the world…the people are suffering in its relentless pursuit of domination using the feared Blood Swords. The sacrifices have been great, their deaths giving power to these blades. Do you have the strength to lead a small band of rebels to victory in the face of overwhelming odds?

Product Description

Unleash the power of the Blood Swords.The Empire’s war has ravaged the world the people are suffering in its relentless pursuit of domination using the feared Blood Swords. The sacrifices have been great, their deaths giving power to these blades. Do you have the strength to lead a small band of rebels to victory in the face of overwhelming odds ? Manufactured By Rising Star Games.

Copied from the Infinite site below, Levine’s message.

————————————-

A Message From Ken Levine

POSTED MAY 7 2012

When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing.

Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.

I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco.

The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.

What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite. The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity. Irrational Games is one of those rare developers lucky enough to ask the people who sign the checks: “Hey, can we have a few more of those checks?”

We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and GamesCom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February.

The final eleven issues of Crimson are designed as the conclusion of all that has come before and encompass one massive arc; basically the last year of comics was them handling their business and so that is why (unlike previous installments which were doing smaller amounts of issues that comprised individual store arcs).

To that end, let me say, it is clear that Augustyn and Ramos had a lot more story to tell, the final issue spends several pages at the end summing up what would have been the next story (which involved the Holy Grail).

As Crimson entered its final arc many things were brought to light, some of which I will detail in this article, some I will leave for you to discover on your own as you (hopefully) read the book.

Lisseth, mother of all vampires, has her desire for death and destruction come to a disastrous, if short lived, pinnacle.  She, teaming with the Dragons, seeks to end all of reality.  Through her unnatural powers she manages to close the gateway to heaven and hell (how this is managed, however, is never explained) and through doing attempts to set herself up as only deity.  Lisseth, though ageless and eternal, fails to account for the undying human spirit and will.

Alex Elder, our intrepid hero, is pushed, pulled, prodded, judged and all around mistreated throughout this final arc but in the end finds his “calling” as the Chosen One.  This, though, seems to come through not as any great epiphany but rather a cause an effect of the situation at hand.  It was somewhat of a crappy pay off for something that so much was made of throughout the series.  It’s like in a horror movie when the guy you suspect the WHOLE TIME because everything points to him as the killer turns out to be the killer.  Unsatisfying, to say the least.

Ekimus, it turns out, was truly the only friend Lucifer ever had and after they lost the war against Heaven set out to find peace amount humankind; through with war and all its evils.  What he found, instead, was humanity fearful of his difference.  They cast him out and he found comfort in Lisseth.  It’s not explained why she was an outcast…as she wasn’t even a Vampire until she drank Ekimus’ eternal blood.  Yet another part of the story omitted.

The ancillary characters, such as Scarlet X and Joe and Zophiel the fallen Angel, have parts to play in this final arc and side stories which dominate portions of various issues, but none of them really add or detract from the whole.  They seem, in retrospect, to be almost filler or merely a way to justify having certain things occur in the future and not appear as out of place.

Overall Crimson earns a solid B from this reviewer.  The story definitely has holes and if you are easily annoyed or offended by heavy references to religion then this may not be the book for you.  But the art is outstanding and the characters, though needing work, were at the very least interesting.

Next week I tackle a more contemporary book…check back to see what I have in store for you!

If you have suggestions for future Bin Fodder reviews, drop me a line in comments!  Or e-mail me at timblacksmith@8daysageek.com.

Till next Wednesday…

This is your Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off.

Check me out on Twitter @tim_thewriter

Dear Tom, how do I cook a grilled cheese properly?

 

The most important part here is having a fear about you that you might burn down your house at any second.  Smoke detectors going off, dogs and small children running in fear.  It sears in the flavor.  I prefer two slices of wheat, and two slices of american cheese.  A sprinkle of some garlic powder on the cheese and you have yourself a deliciousness that knows no bounds.  I have also heard that some people put velveeta on their grilled cheese.  This is dangerously messy, but the extra cheesiness might be worth it.

Here's an example of one I cooked up yesterday.

Dear Tom, why does a can of chili without beans cost more than a can of chili with beans?

 

Recently with the depression, the Oompa Loompas have been laid off.  With no real world job experience, the only job they could really find is taking the beans out of chili.  They don’t work cheap; Wonka was paying them in golden geese eggs.

Here's an Oompa Loompa driving to work.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed my article and Avengers.  I cannot stress enough how this is a must-see if you are remotely interested in the Marvel comic books turned movies.  See you next week creepers!

Episode 4

ALL:
What are you reading now/Spotlight on:
TIM: Earth2
BRANDON: G.I. Combat, Unknown Soldier
JASON:

Questions or Comments? (754) 273-6397 (attn: 8-Bits)

Brandon’s What are you playing
Dragon Age Origins

Developer: Workpail

Price: Free

The times we live in are great. The technology we have at our fingertips makes life exponentially easier. The Smartphone alone, with its plethora of apps, has taken us to a place where we can take care of nearly any important matter in less than a minute. This week’s Android app is just one of those apps. InkPad is a simple and easy to use app that allows you to make quick notes on your phone. Gone are the days of pen and paper notes. Personally, I use InkPad for quick notes, “To Do” lists, and most importantly, the grocery list. I cannot tell you how many times in the past I’ve written out grocery lists, only to realize that I had forgotten the list when I arrived at the store. This app eliminates the need for a written list, and it’s rare that I ever forget my phone. InkPad makes lists simple and quick. From the home screen, you can start a new list with no fuss. Once you get the new list started, you can choose the type of list you want to make. At the top of the list page, there is a shopping cart icon for shopping lists, a checked box for “To Do” lists, and a plain old’ piece of paper for a regular list. At the bottom of the list, there are conveniently placed icons that allow you to delete, share the list via text and email, or start another list. The best thing about InkPad is that it automatically saves your lists, so you don’t have to sweat the small stuff. There is also a sync feature on InkPad that allows you to have your lists backed up on the InkPad website. The beauty of this feature is that you need not create a personal account with InkPad; you can sign in using your Google account. If, for whatever reason, your notes are lost on your phone, you can simply go to the website and get your notes back. There is also a save to SD card feature that gives you even more back up. Bottom line is this app is simple, convenient, and makes life a little bit easier. If you don’t have it already, it’s definitely worth picking up.

FINALLY! After last year’s early winter console release of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 left the iOS market wondering where its edition escaped to, the AppStore was finally graced with the magnificent magical masterpiece this past Thursday. It would appear that from the get-go, the wait was well worth the product.

LEGO HP: 5-7 begins by updating the control pads, giving you a jump and function options that were not present in the first installment. Your character will also begin with several different spells that you can exercise without limitation. As you progress, you will also be able to tap into multiple characters (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dudley, and everyone else you’ve ever known from the HP series) and an array of special skills (Invisibility Cloak, Errol, Crookshanks, Super Strength, and more?).

Negatives: Yeah, I found one! While the amount of spells are incredible compared to the first LEGO HP, and the usage of these spells is easier, they are a bit cumbersome to flip through during battle. Not only that, but in battle, Reducto is the only spell that actually does any damage, while the other spells only seem perform their intended purpose on select enemies, those of which you’re not sure of until you flip to it, fire at the enemy, and he kills you back because your spell did nothing.

Subtle Drawback:
Being gorgeous and virtually flawless can sometimes come at a price. LEGO HP: 5-7 will take up a lot of memory space, as well as cause possible lag on older devices (my 4S has operated fine so far).

Bottom Line:
Gorgeous, functional, and loads more entertaining than its predecessor (which was also good, in its own right).

Sum It Up:
A must have for any fan of LEGOS, RPGs, magic, Harry Potter, and/or a combination of the above. In fact, you should probably just stop reading this now and download it here already!

———

Honorable Mention: While this week’s Apple App-Aholic entry was slated for LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 by default (due to its popularity and awesomeness factor), another game that was awfully stunning from app-release Thursday is My Little Hero. The whole premise is designed to look a tad juvenile (your supposed “hero” wears a cardboard helmet and wields and equally-pliable sword), don’t be fooled. A lot of time and refinement seemed to have gone into this one. The controls are smooth, the character movements are impeccable, and the 3-dimensional graphics aren’t horrible. So give it a try at the introductory price before NCsoft realizes this gem that they’re giving away for almost nill!

As always,
Happy Downloading, Addicts!

This year I only hit Wizards on 71st and Mingo in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I guess I was a sort of cheater as I brought the whole fam, and combined we got 20 free books. 22 if you count the free books Mike A. Kennedy was signing and giving out as well. I don’t feel like a cheater though, because my kiddies, Evan (8) and Dax (6), have been reading Tiny Titans and Batman Brave and the Bold more and more lately. All ten books they grabbed were books I won’t read; they really are their books. Still felt weird going through checkout with 22 comics that I wasn’t paying for.

The Pièce de résistance was Mouse Guard. Raising the Free Comic Book Day bar to new heights with their hardcover issue. I’ve read Mouse Guard on and off and it’s pretty good story wise and ABSOLUTELY AMAZING art wise. This will be the second hard cover Mouse Guard in my collection and it was free. I love it.

Other than the Mouse Guard though, the over-all haul felt a little lackluster compared to the Lantern Rings of FCBD past and The Astounding Wolfman #1 which is done by the brilliant Robert Kirkman. Most of what I saw today were books I had never read, don’t read, or collections of samples and previews for next year. Still an eventful day, wading through the line, picking my prizes and having a nice convo with Mr. Kennedy about comicing and how to break into the biz. So until next year FCBD, thanks for the goodies, and you are a brilliant Geek Holiday.

I’m extremely excited about to see the new style and theme that Amazing Spiderman is setting up for a future series of films.  As you can see from the screenshots direct from the trailer below Killer Croc looks pretty awesome.  Enjoy!

I was lounging on the couch in Star Wars PJ pants and my Celebration V exclusive Star Wars shirt, watching Teen Titans and drinking Diet Dr Pepper, when something popped into my head. Today is Star Wars Day.

In 1979 Maggie Thatcher, Britain’s first female Prime Minister, was elected. Her party placed an ad with the slogan “May The Fourth be with you”. This phrase posted two years after the first iconic Lucas film hit the streets, causing geek mania. The phrase, “May the Fourth be with you” echoes in geek infamy now and we celebrate it however we can.

Wear your colors proud today. Marathon it up with as many of the six films as you can. Beat the Force Unleashed again or spend the whole day on SWTOR.  A keystone of geek culture, Star Wars has been with us 35-years on the 25th of this month (same day we celebrate Geek Pride Day). Watch for the Lucas army as your out and about today, because it’s Star Wars Day. May the Force be with you.

Was The Avengers worth all the hype? I watched every Avengers start up and even the shorts so that I would experience this movie with the most informed geek mind possible. So, was it worth it? Let me break it down a little easier for you with some pros and cons. Pros, we always start with the good, it softens the blow of the cons, the pros, where do I start.

First, and honestly the most important for me is we finally see a good Hulk. This Hulk is angry and strong, and without knowing it, funny. No Ang Lee trying to add emotional layers to it, no Norton wanting more camera time than Hulk, sure Ruffallo was perfect as Banner, but dammit if The Hulk doesn’t steal the show when you see it.

The story is strong too, an alien invasion started by the god of mischief somehow makes perfect sense, and Loki’s constant bitching really helped to seal the idea that he would do something this terrible. The team isn’t perfect, it takes a tragic event to pull them together properly, and tragic is an understatement. Thor showing up even though at the end of Thor we were told he was stuck in Asgard was explained as well, even some of the side characters get an explanation of why they didn’t show up, fantastic stuff. Plus, there is some mystery at the end that you will be glad you saw.

The heroes worked together, I believe we got to see everyone team up in different combinations throughout the film, and whether you like the clever tactics of Cap and Iron Man or the smash tactics of Thor and Hulk, you get to see them along side each other. Just seeing Thor take a swing at Cap’s shield made me so excited, this was a risky move putting all of these leads in a movie, but it worked so well.

The Con’s are fewer, and a bit fanboyish, but here they go. First, WAY too much Hawkeye and Black Widow, I didn’t come to see people use conventional weapons and not flip cars. Cap seems to be put on the back burner a bit as well, serving mostly as a filler between the flashiness that is Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor. I have never really like Black Widow anyway, and even though she was much better in this film, she was still kind of boring. Hawkeye just seemed to be struggling, luckily they used him as a weakness check for the villains which made him more palatable, I would of still rather saw Giant Man and Wasp take the place of these two.

My only other complaint was that S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed useless, other than to serve as an awesome area for one of the better fights they really didn’t have a purpose. I like these guys as much as the next guy, but circumstances that would ruin a surprise of the film won’t let me get too much into to detail. Let’s just say that all the fun that has been created in previous movies with S.H.I.E.L.D. was removed in this one. The emotion that each other movie played with was ignored for the most part by this juggernaut.

Over all this movie was still A+ material, Taking my top spot from Hunger Games as Geek movie of the year. An instant addition into my  movie collection, and one of the best cinematic experiences as a whole that I’ve had in a while. The movie needed more heart, but it still delivered.

Minecraft

Release Date: May 9th

Systems: XBLA/X360

Do I even have to describe Minecraft to you? Anyone with a computer (and if you read this website, you probably have a computer) has heard of it and if you haven’t played it, you’ve seen someone play it or you’ve stumbled across screenshots of it. It’s Minecraft, the little game that went from a core group of geek to geekdom everywhere.

You can still play the older version for free on the PC, pay for the up to date and constantly updating version,  and now you can play it on your Box of X’s.

From the Minecraft Wiki:

Minecraft is a sandbox indie video game written in Java originally created by Markus “Notch” Persson, and now by his companyMojang AB. It is heavily inspired by Infiniminer.

From its creation, Minecraft was developed almost exclusively by Notch until Jens “Jeb” Bergensten started working with him, and has since become head of its development. It features music by Daniel “C418″ Rosenfeld and paintings by Kristoffer Zetterstrand. Initially released as what is now known as Minecraft Classic on May 17, 2009, the full PC game was released as Minecraft 1.0 on November 18th, 2011. Since it’s release, Minecraft has expanded to mobile devices and a version for Xbox 360; currently under development.

Minecraft focuses on allowing the player to explore, interact with, and modify a dynamically-generated map made of one-cubic-meter-sized blocks. In addition to blocks, the environment features plants,mobs, and items. Some activities in the game include mining for ore, fighting hostilemobs, and crafting new blocks and tools by gathering various resources found in the game. The game’s open-ended model allows players to create structures, creations and artwork on various multiplayer servers or their own single player maps. Other features include redstone circuits for logic computations and remote actions,minecarts and tracks, and a mysterious underworld called “The Nether”. The ultimate goal of the game is to travel to an alternate dimension called the End, and defeat the Ender Dragon.

Starhawk

Release Date: May 8th

Systems: PSN/PS3

A Playstation exclusive, shoot your way through a (western) Science Fiction adventure.

Product Description: From the creators of Warhawk comes a bold new 3rd Person shooter adventure where you can change the battlefield instantly in the heat of combat. In the future, humanity’s last hope lies in the lawless frontier of space where factions battle over the universe’s most precious resource, Rift Energy. Caught in the middle is Emmett Graves, an outcast gunslinger who is drawn back to the planet that abandoned him, to face a fierce outlaw and his warband of followers. Experience intense frenetic combat on foot, in vehicles, or in the air and discover a new type of shooter gameplay with the new “Build & Battle” system. Gain the tactical advantage by calling upon an arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and fortifications, violently delivered from an orbiting drop ship to help turn the tide of battle. Engage in epic 32 player online battles and see maps dynamically change depending completely on each player’s strategy or team up with friends and protect your claim against waves of AI opponents in online and offline Co-op modes.

Datura

Release Date: May 8th

Systems: PSN/PS3

A beautiful mind trip of a game from Plastic, creators of Linger in Shadows. Datura supports the Playstation Move. Though it isn’t necessary to use, it is recommended. Datura is a game of decisions and morals, and the more decisions you make, the more puzzles you solve, the more the landscape around you changes. Make yourself dark and twisted, the forest reflects it. The more good you do, the lighter it becomes, replete with butterflies and ambient music.

Another reason for me to get a PS3? Yes.