Showing posts with label hulk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hulk. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Thursday, 21 June 2012
New Comic Day June 20th 2012 Overview
The overview for my reservations this week. May contain minor spoilers. Certain issues will be reviewed in detail shortly.
Avengers vs X-Men #6
The battle continues in AvX Round 6, but it takes a turn for the peculiar. After last issue when the Phoenix Force splintered into the Phoenix Five; Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik and Namor, there were a lot of excited short gasps. So many questions were raised. Were they answered? Not really.
It's not secret that I am siding with the Avengers in this fight. I always considered myself and X-man (for reasons explained shortly), and for some reason I just can not believe that Scott would be so, so freaking careless. Yes ok there is an issue saying that now but still he risked everything, every living thing in the world, just for a couple of hundred. He would never have attempted to sacrifice the majority for the minority in the past. Yes he's been through a lot, that doesn't mean he's right, that mean's he's now a super villain. The issue makes you doubt that the Avengers are the good guys until the end. Granted subtle hints and Phoenixclops anger issues pop up occasionally and their general disposition towards people. Yet the Avengers act on impulse and attack purely because they were fighting to begin with. Beast and Black Panther are the only two Avengers who stop to think about it.
Oh and the question of Cyttorak and Colossus? Ignored here and in Uncanny. I guess we're going to have to wait if he continues to be the Juggernaut. Also, I won't lie, I do not wait with baited breath for what I am sure will be a steady stream of character deaths starting next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #14
This AvsX tie-in issue, doesn't really tie-in. It follows Mr. Sinister in his underground kingdom, with his own civilization. "Sinister London" is quite awesome, some how Steampunk and Cyberpunk all at the same time. It really is enjoyable to read. Despite this, I feel like the "tie-in" element, Sinister's discussion on how he will defeat the Phoenix, won't actually come to fruition. I feel that this was more a set up for Uncanny X-men later on and not really to do with AvsX. I could be proven wrong, I just doubt Sinister will show up in the main arc and save the day.
Overall though, I did enjoy the comic, the art was great and the story fun. Plus I am a big Mister Sinister fan. Of course being British I have a soft spot for genetic super-geniuses from England in my comics.
Astonishing X-Men #51
My first and only issue of Astonishing X-Men. Comic book history was made yesterday in this issue. It features the wedding of Jean-Paul "Northstar" Beaubier and his boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu. I should now clarify this will be my only issue of Astonishing X-Men because I read Uncanny, not because of the wedding.
I bought the issue to show my support for Marvel having the guts to make this move. Yes we all know DC made Alan Scott gay, but going ahead and doing the wedding was a great move and shows true support. We can't get away with out discussing my opinion on this so before I get onto the comic itself I will say; I am straight, I am married and I love my wife. I however totally support "gay weddings." I do however hate the term, I think there shouldn't be an issue and that it should just be a wedding. People should marry who they want when they want. That is all I will say.
This issue will get a big review soon so I won't say too much, but overall it's not awful but it feels like there are some major problems with it. Still if you are a supporter of the wedding buy it regardless of flaws!
Hulk #54
Ah Red Hulk, you are so peculiar. This issue starts off surprisingly slow from last issue. Luckily it does pick up about half way. This Mayan thing is a bit weird. They are claiming they are gods, they seem to have the ability to travel around the world and imply that they are going to take over the world. Are they about to suggest that they used to rule the world? That wouldn't fit with world history would it? I mean there are parallels between Greek and Roman gods, but are there any between the western classical period and the Mayan gods?
One major issue I have with this is the Mayan names, they are seemingly authentic but because of that they are very hard to pronounce and therefore become easily forgotten. Another big problem is the art on two of the Mayans. One is some sort of "Nature God" who is very tree like, it's hard to make head nor tail of where he is but it's not as bad as what can only be described as the Balrog God. "Shadow and Flame" work good as an idea, but when drawn on big full page spreads, two next to each other, it makes it hard to really look at. In fact I almost read it as a double page spread until I noticed the art didn't line up properly.
Overall though, the story is still interesting enough for me to still want to see what happens next. Granted that is because Red Hulk just kick's major (Mayan) ass!
Stay tuned for more detailed reviews, especially of Astonishing X-Men #51.
Avengers vs X-Men #6
The battle continues in AvX Round 6, but it takes a turn for the peculiar. After last issue when the Phoenix Force splintered into the Phoenix Five; Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik and Namor, there were a lot of excited short gasps. So many questions were raised. Were they answered? Not really.
It's not secret that I am siding with the Avengers in this fight. I always considered myself and X-man (for reasons explained shortly), and for some reason I just can not believe that Scott would be so, so freaking careless. Yes ok there is an issue saying that now but still he risked everything, every living thing in the world, just for a couple of hundred. He would never have attempted to sacrifice the majority for the minority in the past. Yes he's been through a lot, that doesn't mean he's right, that mean's he's now a super villain. The issue makes you doubt that the Avengers are the good guys until the end. Granted subtle hints and Phoenixclops anger issues pop up occasionally and their general disposition towards people. Yet the Avengers act on impulse and attack purely because they were fighting to begin with. Beast and Black Panther are the only two Avengers who stop to think about it.
Oh and the question of Cyttorak and Colossus? Ignored here and in Uncanny. I guess we're going to have to wait if he continues to be the Juggernaut. Also, I won't lie, I do not wait with baited breath for what I am sure will be a steady stream of character deaths starting next issue.
Uncanny X-Men #14
This AvsX tie-in issue, doesn't really tie-in. It follows Mr. Sinister in his underground kingdom, with his own civilization. "Sinister London" is quite awesome, some how Steampunk and Cyberpunk all at the same time. It really is enjoyable to read. Despite this, I feel like the "tie-in" element, Sinister's discussion on how he will defeat the Phoenix, won't actually come to fruition. I feel that this was more a set up for Uncanny X-men later on and not really to do with AvsX. I could be proven wrong, I just doubt Sinister will show up in the main arc and save the day.
Overall though, I did enjoy the comic, the art was great and the story fun. Plus I am a big Mister Sinister fan. Of course being British I have a soft spot for genetic super-geniuses from England in my comics.
Astonishing X-Men #51
My first and only issue of Astonishing X-Men. Comic book history was made yesterday in this issue. It features the wedding of Jean-Paul "Northstar" Beaubier and his boyfriend, Kyle Jinadu. I should now clarify this will be my only issue of Astonishing X-Men because I read Uncanny, not because of the wedding.
I bought the issue to show my support for Marvel having the guts to make this move. Yes we all know DC made Alan Scott gay, but going ahead and doing the wedding was a great move and shows true support. We can't get away with out discussing my opinion on this so before I get onto the comic itself I will say; I am straight, I am married and I love my wife. I however totally support "gay weddings." I do however hate the term, I think there shouldn't be an issue and that it should just be a wedding. People should marry who they want when they want. That is all I will say.
This issue will get a big review soon so I won't say too much, but overall it's not awful but it feels like there are some major problems with it. Still if you are a supporter of the wedding buy it regardless of flaws!
Hulk #54
Ah Red Hulk, you are so peculiar. This issue starts off surprisingly slow from last issue. Luckily it does pick up about half way. This Mayan thing is a bit weird. They are claiming they are gods, they seem to have the ability to travel around the world and imply that they are going to take over the world. Are they about to suggest that they used to rule the world? That wouldn't fit with world history would it? I mean there are parallels between Greek and Roman gods, but are there any between the western classical period and the Mayan gods?
One major issue I have with this is the Mayan names, they are seemingly authentic but because of that they are very hard to pronounce and therefore become easily forgotten. Another big problem is the art on two of the Mayans. One is some sort of "Nature God" who is very tree like, it's hard to make head nor tail of where he is but it's not as bad as what can only be described as the Balrog God. "Shadow and Flame" work good as an idea, but when drawn on big full page spreads, two next to each other, it makes it hard to really look at. In fact I almost read it as a double page spread until I noticed the art didn't line up properly.
Overall though, the story is still interesting enough for me to still want to see what happens next. Granted that is because Red Hulk just kick's major (Mayan) ass!
Stay tuned for more detailed reviews, especially of Astonishing X-Men #51.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Hulk #8 (Vol. 3) A Ranty Review.
Ok, so Hulk once upon a time would easily be considered one of (if not totally) my favorite heroes in all of the comic book industry. Like many thin geeky kids with slight anger issues, I always related to (and envied?) Bruce Banner. The idea that if he lost his cool he could hurt those around him, those he cared for. Yet at the same time, the idea that he did have to lose control to also save those he cared about. Truly it is one of the greatest comic book ideas of all time. So naturally now that I have finally resettled into my life, and I've started my reservations up again, The Incredible Hulk was one of the first ones I picked. Issue #7 Vol.3 being the first I managed to grab.
Issue #7 was great. I mean it is a little hard going for people like myself, who have been out of the loop a while. It does however cover a lot and brings new and returning readers up to date (mostly). So Banner and Hulk were separated, and Banner went mad. Becoming a archetypal mad scientist, Banner started to hunt the Hulk. So naturally big green hunts him down and, wait, he kills him?! Ok that I do not like. I am not totally opposed to character deaths. Except I have always maintained that at his heart the Hulk is gentle. He would not kill. Also, killing Banner seems, well, redundant. Especially in the over the top gory way they do it. Either way this issue isn't too awful and the art is amazingly well drawn. Too bad that it doesn't continue that way.
Check out that cover! Banner's dead, Punisher fighting the Hulk, Hulk looks pissed and the title "Stay Angry" can only mean good things! Too bad the title is a lie. The art suddenly changes from Portacio's artistic and realistic pencilings to Dillon's child like cartoon style. Hulk is bald, which he was in #7, but previously it was implied to be due to the Gamma explosion. In this Hulk barely is bigger than a man, he looks dumb with the bald head thanks to the art, and it gets worse. He does not fight the Punisher. In fact, this is a team up. What makes it worse is that the Punisher should definitely not be drawn in a cartoony style. Especially if you're going to have him torture some one.
To make matters worse, killing Banner off was entirely pointless and it hasn't been more than an issue yet! No Banner is alive and just as evil as ever (apparently remember that last time I got to read any he was still the good guy), and is some how part of Hulk again. "Stay Angry" relates to the switch around, no longer is Banner trying to not be Hulk, it is Hulk trying to not be Banner. I would say that is original, except that we know that Hulk always tried to stay as the Hulk once he was out. They always have been separate people. So this isn't original it's just back tracking.
The closest we get to this cover is when Punisher shoots Hulk several times in the face, at Hulks request, after they've already teamed up for most of the issue. Yeah, the cover is a lie. The art makes it tacky, the story line is boring, and kind of insulting. If anything it makes the previous issue totally worthless. Why bother to kill Banner off in a gory, hideous way (designed only to shock of course) if you are only going to have him continue to be Hulk's big villain?
Overall this issue has put me off reading the Incredible Hulk. I may return to him one day in the future, but for now I am going to settle for reading the (surprisingly for me) better Red Hulk comics. I suggest that everyone do the same. Let us hope that one day the Incredible Hulk will return!
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Anyone who is at all interested in the Avengers, is also probably (even if it's only slightly) interested in gaming. So naturally they would be interested in the fact that the Avengers is one of the few comic book movies not to get a pre-film tie-in game.
Initially there was going to be one, created by THQ Australia, which got cancelled because THQ shut down that studio. Personally, I hope they're kicking themselves thanks to the box office of the Avengers movie. If you are interested, Kotaku has some interesting footage of the pre-alpha. Interestingly enough this game was going to be on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
I say 'interestingly enough' because there is now going to be an Avengers game released, by Ubisoft. Only on 360 on Wii U. Yeah, they've decided to drop what looked like a good and interesting game concept by THQ and go for gimmicky Kinect and Wii U stuff. Fun.
Regardless, there is a reasonably good (or at least addictive) Avengers game, that you can play right now. Right this very second in fact! For free! Marvel: Avengers Alliance!
Ok so it is a Facebook game. I will just wait a moment whilst you groan about that.
Initially there was going to be one, created by THQ Australia, which got cancelled because THQ shut down that studio. Personally, I hope they're kicking themselves thanks to the box office of the Avengers movie. If you are interested, Kotaku has some interesting footage of the pre-alpha. Interestingly enough this game was going to be on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
I say 'interestingly enough' because there is now going to be an Avengers game released, by Ubisoft. Only on 360 on Wii U. Yeah, they've decided to drop what looked like a good and interesting game concept by THQ and go for gimmicky Kinect and Wii U stuff. Fun.
Regardless, there is a reasonably good (or at least addictive) Avengers game, that you can play right now. Right this very second in fact! For free! Marvel: Avengers Alliance!
Ok so it is a Facebook game. I will just wait a moment whilst you groan about that.
It's actually pretty good though. Yes there is the option to spend money, which probably does give you and advantage. I've only spent money once for this, and to be honest it was in a massive moment of stupid weakness. It was a special offer of $1 for 20 gold (normally $5 I think). Regardless. You can play this entire game for free, never having to spend money. Granted you might go slower than those who spend their whole pay check each month, but you're still going to be able to afford food after you play.
The wikipedia page refers to the game as a "Turn Based Social Game." Whilst that is accurate, I have considered it more of a "Semi-multiplayer Action RPG." In some ways it reminds me of a watered down Final Fantasy game. There is a storyline, and although it's not that deep, it isn't insultingly poor to the material either. It does a decent job of coming up with a reason for you to be constantly seeing these different characters.
The graphics are pretty decent, you can tell who each character is, and there are alot of characters. Which, is probably the biggest real issue. You'll want them. I have been playing since just before Avengers came out here in the US. I only just got Hulk. Granted I have a handful of characters, I could of gotten him sooner if I really waited. Except that you start realising that you need other characters. Different "classes" etc, and that one you're waiting for probably won't be as useful as this one that you don't really care about. Except you can spend money to help with that.
Characters are purchased with Command Points. Command Points aren't too hard to come by in game, you can get them as drops from bosses, and the boss reward has a chance of being Command Points too. Of course, it's easier to just by Gold. Gold is, well inexpensive really, but still more expensive than free. One Gold can be exchanged for two Command Points. So Hulk who costs ninety, suddenly is quicker to get.
The game also creates a decent reason to replay, not by simply making you need to grind to continue. Instead it rates the mission out of five stars. Each time you play it you add your score on. So instead of having to try from zero each time, you actually build up to five stars. Each star weilds a different prize, which you get regardless of if you over shoot it. So if you get two stars straight away, you get both one and two star prizes. Four stars gets you a Gold, five stars gets you five Command Points.
There are extensive walkthrough and guides available, such as The Marvel: Avengers Alliance Wikia which gives great ideas such as how to beat certain bosses, or how to improve on getting your Command Points.
Overall, for a free game, it does Marvel justice, and is a great thing to play in your down time. It's also a great thing to fill the void before the (probably terrible) Avengers game comes out for Kinect, or the free Marvel Universe MMO comes out. I really recommend trying Marvel: Avengers Alliance!
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