It’s about time.

I’ve been waiting for years for a well-made action figure of Cyclops in his classic costume, and it’s finally been made for me, complete with puffy seventies boots and gloves. This is Cyclops from the Dark Phoenix saga, from his days at the forefront of the X-Men, before he became the progenitor of the most chronally-disfuntional family ever.

I really dig this figure – he’s got all the posability of Marvel Legends, without most of the problems that the overabundance of joints brings to most of the other figures in the line. His ball-joint shoulders are offset from his torso a little bit, but that’s the only articulation-related issue here. He’s also a little bulkier than he should be (he ain’t called “Slim” because of his Atlas-like physique), but that’s a classic problem in his depiction in the comics. His chin also seems a bit too prominent.

I’m not thrilled with the paint job, though. The entire figure (except for the exposed face) is covered in a black wash, which makes it look as if Cyclops has either just emerged from a sewer or he’s been changing the oil in the Blackbird. If Cyclops has been through so much that his uniform is so filthy, it ought to at least be torn a little bit somewhere.

My issues with the paint applications aren’t so great that they make me dislike the figure, however; this is a great depiction of Cyclops. It’s also the first Cyclops figure I can remember that doesn’t have a light-up visor. While I understand that ‘action features’ are anathema to the Marvel Legends line, it somehow doesn’t seem right that Cyclops’ visor doesn’t light up.

Cyclops comes with a clear base that plugs into his back (so he can fly, I suppose).

Even after all these years reading this manga I still play the Number one song in the back of my head when reading the fighting sequences.  While the world may not ever know why Tite Kubo decided to call this book Bleach, but at this point does anybody really care what this series is called?  Anyone else find themselves calling Ichigo Bleach at times?  I can’t be the only one. The stakes have never been higher. Orihime is still held captive at the hands of Aizen and Ichigo and pals have to rescue her before it’s too late.  Sure it may sound like the plot of some videogame, but there is just way too much awesomeness in this series not to get all giddy about.

There just doesn’t seem to be an end to this Hueco Mundo arc and in a way it could really go on forever. The battle is getting heated as Ichigo takes a back seat in order for Tenth Company Captain Hitsugaya to take on Espada Halibiel.  As his friends stall Aizen, Ichigo and Rukia fight Yammy, but will he get to his friends in time to save them?   Some may see this book as nothing more than 200 pages of sword fighting action, but who reads a shonen series for the character interaction and poetic writing? You get what you paid for and that is one kick-ass battle after another with some surprises and memorable moments along the way. The art remains the same steady beat that it began with. Kubo gives it his all to blow us away with some great action sequences. Sure it’s one huge fight but I always find myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.  I’m sure one day we’ll see Ichigo and gang take down Aizen and while part of me wants to see that; another part just wants the battles to go on and on.  B+

The Flowers of Evil Vol. 3

Story & Art:Shuzo Oshimi

Publisher: Vertical

The cover of the books really hooked me.  The facial expressions are so great, and the dialogue bubble just makes me feel like they truly are talking to me.  With that being said, I ended up reading volumes two and three of this series in the same morning.  I couldn’t stop to take a shower!  I think it’s because I could experience socially unacceptable actions through the characters.

So volume two ended with the cliff hanger of what will happen when Kasuga’s classmates find that he and Nakamura completely trashed their classroom.  I feel so bad for Kasuga and all the crap that’s piled on top of him throughout the story.  Yeah, at first no one finds out about his vandalism spree, but his girlfriend does, although she doesn’t care and wants to stay with him.  Poor guy has to choose between his goddess of a girlfriend and the psycho chick who messes with his mind.  I’m betting he’s going to go for Nakumara because even though it’s COMPLETELY cool that Saeki understands Kasuga, that makes her fall from her idol status of being perfect and unattainable.  Stupid boys.  ;p

I give The Flowers of Evil an A not because Oshimi necessarily crafted a complex story, but because I truly enjoyed it and couldn’t stop reading it.  The art is fantastic, and I always appreciate when an author includes notes at the end of each chapter.  They really help me understand that it’s not just a story about being perverted.  It’s about the darkness of youth, and I completely relate to that.

One Piece Vol. 63
Story & Art by Eiichiro Oda
Translation: Lance Caselman
Adaptation: Laabaman, HC Language Solutions Inc
Publisher: Viz

The very thing I have to point out is that the chapter picture of Luffy on the very first page is probably the worst picture I’ve seen Oda draw of his main character. He might have been on an off day, but the way Luffy is standing there and his legs just look tiny compare to his upper body…yes I know the guy is made of rubber! This story is so beloved over in Japan that fans up roared when Oda announced that he was halfway through, and I can see why. I am definitely going to miss it. Even though Oda has assistants to aide him in producing this story, I am still impressed that he has been going strong all these years with stories that are chock full of detailed art and tons of dialogue. Alright, soo Luffy and his crew finally make it to Fish Man Island, which reminded me of the scene in Star Wars episode 1, where the Dungans live. I can’t believe I made an episode 1 reference. So in a series of flashbacks we learn more about Jimbei and Arlong and their relation to the fish people. We are introduced to a group called the Celestial Dragons. It’s really cool to see Oda tying all these cultures and characters together. I noticed in the last few volumes that the art seems to be cluttered on some pages, just way too much going on. And while sure the art is very distinctive with accentuated features on the characters; it is still simple. But come on, it’s not really the art that makes us love these characters; it’s the amazing and emotional storyline from cover to freaking cover!

Boy having a kid and updating your website really takes a toll on you.  Anyway after a small break.  Your manga review crew is back! We start off with a book based on one of my favorite anime.  It is based on the movie with the same title by Makoto Shinkai.  I remember watching Voices of a Distant Star and people comparing Shinkai to Miyazaki and his movies to those of Studio Ghibli.  For some reason I seem to be the only to disagree and compare him to Nicholas Sparks.  I always end up crying tears of joy and sadness. 

The story is about Takaki Tohno and his friendship with Akari Shinohara.  It blossoms at an early age when she transfers to his schools.  They bond quickly because of similar interests such as staying inside during recess.  Unfortunately Akari’s family moves again, but they decide to stay in touch through a series of letters.  Through time like most of us do as we get older, the letters get fewer and fewer.  However, we get a wonderful reunion between the two characters, but its short lived as it ends in heartbreak.  For the next decades this really affects the way Tohno lives, as he never got over that pain.   .  Even though women come in and out of his life, he still has sadness to him.  In a way I wish he had ended up with Risa and not Akari, but by the end of the book I felt like this story could really go anywhere. I loved it because of how real this story can be.  There are no spaceships, aliens or demon hunters between these covers; just dreams, heartbreak and love

The novelization is different enough to make you want to relive the story.  Yukiko Seike adds her own levels of imagery and emotions with the characters that changes the story a bit. Her art is really however falls a little short, because I had a hard time keeping up with who is who and in a dramatic series that is very important to me. However as a manga adaptation of one of the most beautifully colored anime out there, she had her job cut out for her from the get go.  She does manage to pull off some stunning visuals with the backgrounds and settings.   It was still a fun title to read with enough of a closure to keep most satisfied, but some wanting more. B+

The Flowers of Evil vol. 2
Story & Art: Shuzo Oshimi
Translator: Paul Starr
Publisher: Vertical

The first thing that caught my attention about this book is that simplistic cover.  Much like the first book which featured a smiling Nakamura this book features Kasuga shrugging away like the hero of the series that he is.  Simple, but so much is said about the character from that picture.  The premise of Flowers is a pretty straight forward tale of breaking out of your shell….and let’s not forget a story about what it really means to be a pervert.   Takao Kasuga is a guy we all knew in school or were in school.  He is your average teenager who is neither a hero nor a villain; Just a regular guy who is getting by and trying to find who he is before adulthood.  He is in love with the class beauty Nanako.  In a moment of impulse Kasuga steals her gym outfit only to be caught by Nakamura, the class bully who is always causing trouble.  Being a troublemaker she sees potential in the not so innocent Kasuga and forms a contract with him. Part of the deal is he has to wear the gym outfit under his clothes on his first date with Nanako.  I love the idea of finding a character like Kasuga in a book.  Oshimi excels in showing expressions of extreme guilt, malice, addiction and insecurities. The endless possibilities of Nakamura are another thing I love about the book.  I have no idea what she’s thinking or what she is going to make Kasuga do next.  I can see this ending two ways.  He either snaps and kills Nakamura or kills himself.  I guess we will find out soon.  An excellent and unexpected read from one of today’s greatest manga publisher.  A

What they say: After losing both an eye and an arm to treachery while on a mission for his clan, Samanosuke (Kinnosuke NAKAMURA) becomes a ronin who calls himself TANGE Sazen. When a stolen urn that contains the secret to a treasure worth a million gold coins falls into his one remaining hand, all sorts of villains, including a high-ranking Shogunate minister, plot to relieve him of his burden — and his life.

Unfortunately for them, TANGE has developed a unique and deadly one-handed fighting style, which means his enemies will have their hands full — at least while they still have their heads!

TANGE Sazen is one of Japan’s most popular samurai characters, the equivalent of Zorro or The Lone Ranger in the west.

What I say: Here of late I have been watching quite a bit of Asian cinema, and the stuff I have enjoyed the most is the samurai films. Secret of the Urn is without a doubt one of the best ones I have seen. This tale, featuring a framed samurai that lost an eye and an arm for his loyalty. He becomes a ronin. Years later he becomes involved in a case involving a stolen urn wanted by several parties, including the clan that wronged him. Ronin Sazen sees this as an opportunity to take revenge and have some fun with the other parties at the same time. He takes over a group of criminals and begins his plan.

Tange Sazen is a great character, and he played to perfection by Kinnosuke Nakamura. He is obviously having a blast playing this role, and it shows on the screen. The film looks great, sounds great, and is a a true joy to experience. The various twists and turns of the story are well played. Other than a couple of very short blurry sections, the transfer is gorgeous. Colors really pop.

Film: 9/10
DVD: 9/10

What they say: A minor quarrel escalates into a duel. A death creates a debt of honor. The demands of honor outweigh the demands of justice, and force friends to spill each other’s blood. And the need for victory requires the sacrifice of honor.

One simple argument spawns death, madness, and a final confrontation that will leave the sandy soil soaked with blood.

What I say: Revenge is a twisty tale of a duel gone wrong and how one little slight in the world of samurai can lead to major repercussions. The film is told out of order with preparations for the final battle going on as we flash back to the events that brought us here. The life of a samurai was surely difficult, and always having to save face and be “honorable”. Honor is usually used against the lower ranks. And that truly comes into play in the tragic ending.

This film is fantastic! I really loved how to story came together and the writing was excellent. Performances were all very good. Even though the film is in black and white it looks stunning. A great transfer backed by a well shot film always is a treat for the eyes.

Film: 8/10
DVD: 10/10
Highly recommended!

Both filmmakers have a history with making YouTube videos, with Trank making viral fan films in the same found footage style (click here to see one).

Max Landis is the guy behind DRUNK COMIC BOOK HISTORY and COOKING WITH COMICS. A fanboy take on the webseries Drunk History, Max recounts some popular Batman history to the camera while his friends reenact it in as cheaply as possible.
I became a pretty big fan of these. Me and my friends still quote “No it doesn’t matter…I love you…instead be Robin.” or “OK! For the FORTIETH TIME! HE’S KILLING PEOPLE!”

So you can imagine my shock that the guy who did these now has a major motion picture coming out! (And my further shock to find out he’s the son of legendary director John Landis!)

Reviews for CHRONICLE have been pretty positive right now, but apparently Max hasn’t forgotten his roots….
Like Drunk History, he’s bringing out some A-List talent (and a nicer camera) to help bring his recount of the famous Superman storyline to life. Not sure if this will be done in same Drunk History style or if their doing something different, but I will watch it either way.

Also, I’m as much of a fan of Simon Pegg and Elijah Wood as the next guy, but I’m not gonna lie and say that I will miss the cast from his original videos.

That being said, Simon Pegg in a fake beard (is he playing Professor Hamilton?) can only mean greatness.

CHRONICLE is out today!

Airgear vol. 21
Story & Art: Oh! Great
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: Kodansha

I ever reveal that anytime I read this series, I want to dust off my old rollerblades and go outside and bust my ass?  Because, that is exactly what would happen if I did that.  I’m 33 now, I can’t be doing silly things like that; bones would take too long to heal and then I’d have to take time off work.  Oh to be young again, thank you Airgear for making me relive those young days, however.  If you aren’t familiar with AirGear it is a manga by Oh Great, who not only has a badass name, but is also the same mastermind behind Tenjo Tenge. The story is about Ikki Minami, a 13-year-old junior high gang leader, also known as Baby face of East Side. He suffers a humiliating defeat by the an air-trekking gang called the Skull Saders, who then go on to target the friends and classmates he can’t protect. His foster family, the Namayoma sisters, notably Ringo, Ikki’s childhood friend mysteriously reveal themselves as the legendary Sleeping Forest, assisting Ikki in entering the Airtrek world to redeem his pride. Now we see Team Kogarasumaru preparing for their battle to come against Sora and the rest of Team Genesis.  This training is pretty intense as teammate goes against teammate in a mountain town.  Of course training wouldn’t be training if a Dragon God didn’t show up to stir up trouble between our gang. It’s up to Agito to take down Lind and it’s a fight to remember.   Oh! Great really lives up to his name when it comes to his artwork; it’s actually better than great, it ‘phenomenal. His art is detailed and expressive without ever being crowded or confusing. Amazing as always. Just enough comedy to keep it light, but can get very intense with dramatic situations and perils. B+

Animal Land volume 3
Story & Art: Makoto Raiku
Translation: Stephen Paul
Lettering: Janice Chiang
Publisher: Kodansha

This is the first volume of Animal Land I have read and it’s also the first work of Raiku’s that I have experienced.  To be perfectly honest there wasn’t a moment that I was lost.  The recap pages really helped out a lot and the explanation of characters and villages at the beginning were perfect.  So jumping into this book, I really didn’t know what to expect.  Looking at the cover I figured it would be a comedy or something like Pokemon, where a kid goes around and collects animals all over the world and puts them on a CD (those things still exist)? Either way none of that happens within these pages.  The story is about a world where no humans ever lived.  So animals roam this world and just like humans: live in peace, go to war, and are very selfish.  Along comes Taroza, a human raised by a tanuki.  He tries to explain things like sharing and helping other animals to every animal he meets.  Sometimes this doesn’t go over well.  Taroza isn’t the only human in this world as we learn in this volume.  Capri is a girl that is traveling with lions.  She tries to seduce Taroza and he rejects her approach.  Feeling rejected she swears to kill and eat him and orders an attack on his farm.  There is also an episode zero at the end of the book, which is the story of Kuro and how he meets Segio.  The story is cute.  I happened to fall for its charming characters and wonderful artwork.  It also doesn’t hurt that my two year old loved looking at the artwork with me.   I happen to hide the darker parts of the story away from her though.  B

Princess Knight volume 2
Story & Art: Osama Tezuka
Translation: Maya Rosewood
Publisher: Vertical

Let me just say that this manga is really difficult to read when you’re holding a newborn!  It’s 350 pages long, and it doesn’t take all but a few seconds to read each page; therefore, I constantly had to turn the pages in this thick book while balancing a baby. 

In this last volume, Tezuka finishes the overall story arc with Madame Hell, but he kills off two of my favorite characters!  Of course I didn’t expect him to spend more than a panel or two on their deaths since the story moves so fast, but still…, I wanted the characters to be remembered or mourned or something…  Well, it’s just for fun, and doesn’t include deep character development.  In fact when Princess Sapphire and Prince Charming finally reunite, it’s just one panel.

I was a little disappointed in the last story arc with the goddess Venus.  I suppose I wanted the story to end with Madame Hell since she was the villain most of the time.  The characters just kept running around with Venus after them.  I did like Friebe though, a strong female knight who falls in love with Sapphire.

Basically, I gave this a B because I enjoyed reading it, so that deserves a high grade, but it’s not a story that will stick with me.  It kind of seemed like he just kept writing it for fun without any direction, but he’s the godfather of manga, so he can do that.

X Volume 1 omnibus
Story & Art: CLAMP
Translation: Lillian Olsen
Lettering: Annaliese Christman
Publisher: Viz

As most of you know, this is my favorite work by CLAMP, well this and Magic Knight Rayearth.  Back in the day when I collected Animerica magazine I would make sure the first place I went was the middle of the magazine to read the current installment of X/1999, as it was called during its initial publication.  The story is about the end of the world as it comes about in the year 1999. Keep in mind these were originally published in 1996 so things were looking bad for Y2K back then.

Kamui Shiro comes back to Tokyo after his mother’s death to face his destiny.  He has been gone from Tokyo for six years.  It is at the advice of his mother that he finally returns.  Not really knowing why he exiles himself from his old friends Kotori and Fuma, because he doesn’t want to get them involved in what’s to come.  What is to come is a huge battle between the Dragons of the Heaven and the Dragons of the Earth.  It is up to Kamui to decide who he wants to join and what he wants to protect the most.

The series was put on hiatus with volume 18 and fans, including myself have been waiting anxiously for the true ending of this masterpiece.   This version includes the first three volumes along a glossary, mini character bios, notes by the creators, and over 20 pages of gorgeous color artwork and title pages. Finally after all these years, I get to see the credits of who really does what in the world of CLAMP.  Who is the art director, who is the story writer?  They finally broke it down at the end of the book and I get to see who is who.  Thank you Viz for bringing this book not only back into print, but for giving us the cake and the icing.  I can’t thank you enough.  A+

 One very magical thing about super heroes (animated, illustrated, or live action) is that they usually have a battle cry. Some sort of call to arms to make evil doers cringing with fear at the sight of our favorite costumed crusaders. Who doesn’t love to hear Captain America shout “Avengers Assemble?” Which kid from the 80′s didn’t get goosebumps every time Prince Adam pulled out his magical sword and said “By the Power of Grayskull, I Have the Power!” Believe me, I’m not the only fan who gets an adrenaline rush hearing Tommy shout “It’s Morphin Time!” Basically, a great rally cry from our heroes really sets up an epic story/cartoon/movie/show. But there is one battle cry I haven’t heard in a long time. You see my friends, Drake Mallard, aka Darkwing Duck has decided to hang up his costume and try living a normal life after his cartoon series ended. But evil doesn’t sleep, and Drake once must again don the tights and shout out one of the all time best  battle calls in any form of entertainment: LET’S GET DANGEROUS! With that said, let’s take a peek at the return of Darkwing Duck courtesy of Boom comics.

 Again, the story takes place about one year after the series ended. Drake Mallard is working a 9-5 desk job for a corporation call Quackwerks. Drake’s faithful sidekick/roomie Launchpad Mcquack has returned to Duckburg. His daughter Gosalyn is attending a private school which is the only reason he has this mediocre corporate job in the first place. Crime is no longer an issue in St. Canard due to Quackwerks army of robotic soldiers. Even former villains like Megavolt are forced to hang up their tights and work for Quackwerks. All in all, things are far different since the DW cartoon series ended.

 But again, crime never sleeps. The quackwerks robots begin to enforce a super strict form of totalitarianism over the city. Acts such as littering or downloading a song of the net begin to register with the Quackwerks robots as a criminal offense and they turn on the citizens of St Canard with a strict zero tolerance punishment system. When Gosalyn’s best friend Honker Muddlefoot downloads a song, he is captured by the robots and taken to the main Quackwerks offices for his punishment. Drake feels helpless in stopping the robots. Finally, Gosalyn rushes downstairs with the Darkwing Duck costume. Drake, feeling helpless says “I’m going to write a strongly worded memo at work tomorrow.” Gosalyn, one step ahead of him shows him the costume “You could do that, or you could let Darkwing Duck take care of this!”  Oh hell yeah, I could instantly hear the Darkwing Theme Song playing in my head while reading this scene. Epic comic book moment here my friends!

 Meanwhile, Megavolt is recruited by his former Fearsome Five teammates

(Bushroot,Liquidator,and Quackerjack) to put the band back together. Oddly, Negaduck, the leader of the group is absent. When Megavolt questions where Negaduck is, Quackerjack goes off and tells him never to mention that name again. The group informs Megavolt they are going to attack Quackwerks main offices. Megavolt throws out the suit and tie and dons his old costume, smirking at the thought of getting revenge on his current employers. Again, you can almost hear Hank Azaria’s voice while reading the Megavolt dialog. This is a great blending of story and art, makes you feel like this is a new Darkwing Duck animated series story. It’s that good!

 Ok, so on to our hero. He heads to Quackwerks and makes his long overdue comeback. “I am the terror that flaps in the Night! I am the classic rock act that never retires! I am Darkwing Duck!” Darkwing enters Quackwerks and begins to search for info on who is backing the entire Quackwerks corporation. He has no luck in searching for info on the computer databases and is soon discovered by the security robots. As things look really bad for our hero, Launchpad McQuack and Gosalyn arrive in the Thunderquack jet to save DW. While Darkwing was back in action, Gosalyn returned to Duckburg to get Launchpad in hopes of helping DW and the city. Finally, our heroes are all back together. Sadly, DW and Launchpad still aren’t getting along. Why? Well, it all goes back to Negaduck. Insert flashback scene—

 Before Quackwerks was founded and Drake quit the hero biz, Negaduck caught Launchpad picking up two outfits at a dry cleaners. One was the attire of Drake Mallard, the other was the classic Darkwing Costume. Following Launchpad home Negaduck returned to the Fearsome Five’s lair. He gave his partners a rather large sum of cash from their last caper and told them he was done. When Quackerjack questions why their leader is being so generous with sharing the loot, Negaduck reveals to Quackerjack that he found out DW’s secret identity. He has no need for money or the group. Quackerjack wants in on this realizing it is the opportunity of a lifetime. Negaduck laughs, stating “Going after Darkwing Duck’s secret identity,going after his life,is a job fit for only the best villain this two bit town has to offer! Face it clown, you’re just not mean enough for this!” So now you realize why Quackerjack has such a vendetta against hearing the name of his former boss.

 Negaduck broke him down to nothing but a joke and he hopes to change that.

 When Negaduck attacks Drake and his family things look bad. Around this time, the Quackwerks robots arrive and arrest Negaduck. Drake realizes his daughter was put in danger and decides that it’s in his best interest of hanging up the cape and hat. The quick interference of the Quackwerks robots makes him feel like his isn’t needed as a defender of the city anymore and his number one priority should be keeping Gosalyn safe.

 So the flashback helps establish why DW retired, why he and and Launchpad partered ways (Drake chewing Launchpad out for being so careless) and why Negaduck severed ties with his Fearsome Five allies. But things continue to get worse. The fearsome four chase our heroes in their own flying aircraft and everyone ends up at the Quackwerks main office tower. There they are all captured by the person behind Quackwerks in the first place: DW’S first opponent ever, Taurus Bulba.

Before we got to seeing some footage, we were first introduced to the creative team to the show.

Director/Writer Frank Darabont, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Producer Gale Anne Hurd, Make up efx master Greg Nicotero, and head of AMC SVP of original programing Joel Stillerman.

A quick roundup on some of the information we got:

-Gale (having a hand in a few comic-to-movie properties) got involved after hearing the popularity of the series and then reading the book.

-Darabont, a huge horror fan, discovered the series at his local comic shop. Upon reading it he realized that the story that series was telling was the apporach he wanted to do for a zombie movie, a genre he’s been trying to figure out.

-Stillerman loved the idea of the series, BUT he loved the talent that was already involved (i.e. when your script says it’s written by Frank Darabont and when you find out that the producer is Gale Anne Hurd, you might want to make that show happen.)

-They also annouced that the score of the show would be done by Bear McCreary, the composer for Battlestar Galactica.

Soon, they finally showed the reel.

The first scene we get is the first scene from the comics. Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes and his partner Shane have a blockade in the middle of the road, as a run away car comes straight towards them.

The police blow out the tires and soon the car is tumbling over to the side of the road.

A shoot out with the crimals erupts, ending with Rick getting shot and knocking out.

Suddenly, Rick wakes up alone in a hospital (yeah, yeah, we know, we know “Just like 28 Days Later…”)

We soon see the nightmare that Rick as woken up from.

The reel shows scenes with Morgan(played by Lennie James) a survior that finds Rick, a few quick scenes with Lori, Carl(!), and Amy in the survivor camp, Rick walking around dead bodies stacked on top of each other, Rick riding a horse in the middle of Atlanta…oh, and ZOMBIES. Tons, and TONS of zombies.

Great stuff, and the look as this classic cinematic feel to it.

After the footage was shown, some of the cast came to the panel and joined the stage…

Andrew Lincoln (who plays Rick Grimes), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes), Jon Bernthal (Shane), Laurie Holden (Andrea), and Emma Bell (Amy). Micheal Rooker was hanging in the audience as he will be playing Merle Dixon (a new character made for the show I believe).

Heres a quick breakdown on the Q and A:

-Andrew Lincoln( whos brittish) got wind of the project after his agent gave him the sides. He went to his local comic shop in England and found out that the comic is the stores biggest seller.

-Lincoln auditioned his scenes with Jon Bernthal(who had his dog with him) in Frank Darabonts garage! Lincoln credits Bernthal dog for getting him the part.

-Sarah Wayne Callies blames Greg Nicotero for ruining her life! She points out that up until recently she had no scenes with the zombies yet. After finally sharing screen time with the undead, she’s had nightmares since. Funny moment during the panel was that a few Zombies (or Roamers) were walking near the stage, Callies was freaking just a little.

-Frank hopes that some legendary horror directors (::coughGeorgeRamerocough:::) could work on the show in it’s second season.

-Fan favorites Micchone won’t show up in the show till the second season. (Though Darabont is DYING to bring that character to life)

-The show is shot on Super 16mm, giving it that classic grainy look.

-The chacter of Tyrese will show up in second season too. Darabont , while auditioning actors for Morgan apparently saw plenty of guys he would be great for the part (Kirkman jokes that the show would have 3 Tyrese’s)

-The show will follow the series pretty closely, but “vering off the path” to introduce new ideas, Darabont says they will make sure that they will go back to the path that Kirkman left.

-The DVD could have the option (at least for the pilot episode) to watch in black and white!

A great panel for sure.

The Walking Dead comes out in October on AMC.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed volumes 1 and 2 of this series. I’m not a big wizard fan (let the Harry Potter fan-boy emails come) and I really got bored with Rave Master, because Mashima never stepped outside of his formula and the story was going nowhere. But, this was something that brought me back to my child hood and I really got that sense of adventure when Natsu, Lucy, and Happy took off for Fairy Tail. Now the Dark Guild Eisenwald are going head to head with Fairy Tail for the Lullaby (no, not what you think, but a magic weapon). Eirgor, leads the mission to broadcast the Lullaby all over town. Titiana Erza sends fire mage Natsu and ice mage Gray after Eirgor himself. All hell breaks loose and there was plenty of action in this issue to make up for the lackluster second volume. Mashima manages to keep the momentum going, but with villains, now that the villains are finally proving to be more than a thorn on the side to our heroes. With one hell of a cliffhanger he has really up the ante in this volume and it just keeps me wanting to come back for more. As always there are wonderful translation notes in the end, but this volume also has a Happy the cat mini story. The only bad thing or good thing, depending on how you look at it, is that I can see this series going on forever, much like One Piece. This book is hilarious and gives nudges in the ways of relationships, but leaves enough room for the reader to wonder about who might end up with who. It’s got a perfect mix of action and magic that any manga reader will appreciate. A