ROBOTS, MONSTERS & ALIENS ... OH MY!

The release of PACIFIC RIM this summer really geeked me out because I grew up a huge fan of Giant Robots versus Monsters stories which really haven't been that popular last few decades until Guillermo del Toro re-energized the genre with his blockbuster movie.  In the movie, aliens breed giant monsters and send them to Earth through a trans-dimensional portal to wipe out the human population so the aliens can recolonize the planet for themselves.  To defend the planet, giant robots called JAEGERS are created to fend off these monsters which have been named KAIJU (Japanese for "strange creature).

While they may seem cheesy now, I never missed a chance to watch The Adventures of Johnny Sokko & his Flying Robot

Ultraman

or Godzilla

I remember watching these tv shows and movies as an elementary school kid while playing with my Shogun Warrior toys recreating epic battles between robots and monsters...those were the good old days.  Now maybe with PACIFIC RIM and the upcoming new GODZILLA movie a new generations of kids, and their geeky dads, can enjoy a renewed era of story-telling in this genre.  Check out this trailer to the new GODZILLA movie coming out in 2014:

Can't wait for the new movie to come out to get a your monster madness fix, well don't fret because IDW Publishing has a new line of Godzilla comic books on the market now and next week you can purchase the graphic novel accumulation of the first story arc of the series in GODZILLA: RULERS OF EARTH VOLUME 1 hitting store shelves on December 17, 2013.

In the Godzilla comics there are two variety of monsters, ones that have evolved from radiation and pollution mutations on Earth and ones, that like in Pacific Rim, are sent by aliens who want to take over our world for themselves.  The comic also introduces a new cast of characters called Megazoologists who are academics studying these new creatures and often time need to be rescued by the military cast who are fighting off these monsters.

The artwork in this comic is bright and crisp giving the impression that you are watching an animated special on TV versus reading a publication.  The quality of the artwork really enhanced the story and made the book interesting to flip through.  Plus the story lines were well scripted making for a fun read.  Due to violence and graphic nature of the book it may be a little much for young children, but for an older grade school kid, teen or adult who has an interest in monsters I'd recommend adding it to their bookshelf.

For more information, visit http://shop.idwpublishing.com/comics/series/godzilla.html

DISCLAIMER:  I received an advance copy digital pdf of GODZILLA: RULLERS OF EARTH VOLUME 1 to review from the publisher.  The opinions in this post are my own.

DC COMICS HAS DOUBLE SUCCESS WITH ITS VIDEO GAME & COMIC BOOK DYNAMIC DUO

My college years were filled with a lot of late evenings tackling my buddies in exhausting bouts of combat as we all strove to be the campus champion in Mortal Kombat.  This game had cutting edge graphics and features for the time and was a great way to release some of our scholarly anxieties and just have some youthful rambunctious fun.  I've wondered over the years why video game publishers have never made an exhilarating combat game that allows players to bash comic book super heroes and villains  against one another.  Well the waiting ended this year when the creators of Mortal Kombat took its game engine updated with today's graphics and processing technology to produce INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US.

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US pits the DC Comics super heroes of "our universe" against their personalities from an alternate dimension on  Xbox and PlayStation consoles.  The game play is fun and full of special effects and feature moves that keeps the games interesting.  It's a brawling good time for fans of Superman, Batman and the like.  The weakness of the games is an odd ball plot and lacking script for the game's "story" but that is overcome by the sheer fun of the game's one-on-one battle sequences.

Don't fret though because DC has addressed the limitations of the game's script with an incredible new comic
book series with the same name as the video game but with its own stand alone in-depth story.   Often times these type of tie-in comics are just meant for marketing purposes and don't have a lot of effort put into them making them not worth a glance, but I have to say DC has embraced this effort and made this an extraordinary piece of work.  I was riveted to the pages while reading it and enthralled by the storyline of this comic book series.  The comic has decent artwork but it is the story that draws your interest and hooks you.  This was one of the best comic book reads I've had in a few years and highly recommend it whether or not you are interested in the video game.

While of course the story has super hero battles it also has a philosophical undertone exploring the balancing
act of giving up "freedom" to gain "security" that combined with good character plots and scripting makes this title a winner.  The comic book series revolves around how an injustice is done to Superman and how superheroes based upon that act as "gods" among mankind in response.  There really are some hard hitting sequences in this comic that go a lot darker than the "Smallville" type portrayal of the DC universe that many people associate with its super heroes.

The story starts with the Joker tricking Superman into killing his pregnant wife, Lois Lane as well as their unborn child, with his bare hands and in the process also causing a nuclear explosion that decimates his adopted home of Metropolis killings it entire population of 11 million people.  This pushes Superman to his breaking point.  He pledges to stop all violence in the world.  Instead of protecting humanity from threats so they have the freedom of self determination, the Man of Steel determines that he well  decide the rules by which mankind conducts itself and behaves.  This places Superman at odds with Batman who doesn't believe that super heroes should be acting like "gods among us" in determining how much freedom or control the people of Earth should have over their own behavior.

 The plot of INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US really places Superman who has been know for upholding "truth, justice, and the American way" into a grey area between good guy and bad guy which is highlighted in one scene where he tries to put down a citizen protest and is yelled down being told "you think you can come here and hover above us all with a scowl and some special powers and tell us what to do?"  This dynamic really makes the story an entertaining read that I couldn't put down.  So far I haven't figured out if the comic book story is taking place in an "alternate reality" like the video game and is explaining how the Superman Regime from the game began or is supposed to be taking place in the "main stream" DC universe.  While there are similarities between some things in the game script and the comic book story there are also lots of differences too. DC Comics does call the series a prequel to the video game though which has to make you think maybe this is the alternate reality setup.  I guess I'll have to just keep reading to find out.

Missed the monthly serial issues of the comic? Don't worry you can catch up with the first 5 issues all bundled together as a hardcover edition.  INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US - VOLUME 1 went on sale August 13, 2013.  Check it out!

Also if you are interested in the game console video game and/or the comic book there also is a great iPad game that I've downloaded and been playing quite a bit lately...it's become my favorite game beating out Angry Birds: Star Wars for my attention...and its FREE.  I just beat a number of challenges to add General Zod to my online cast of characters.  You can download the game from the iTunes store.

Kudos to DC Comics for making their INJUSTICE video game and comic book a great dynamic duo!

DISCLAIMER:  I was provided a complimentary digital advance readers edition pdf of INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US-VOLUME 1 from the publisher.  I was not compensated for this review and the thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

GI JOE - A REAL AMERICAN HERO

I remember being in elementary school and running home from the bus stop to make sure I didn't miss a minute of the GI JOE animated series on TV.  At that age I was playing with the toys, reading the comic books and watching every episode of a show were the majority of the dialogue was the phrase "yo joe!" ... and I loved every minute of it!  This was during the first few years of when the toy line was reintroduced in the 1980s (they had been sold in the 60s & 70s looking more like guy Barbie dolls with beards and guns before being turned into "action figures" in the 80s) when there was a focus on some level of military realism with the brand.  The GI JOE of my youth had an infantry man "Grunt", a radio operator "Breaker", a ranger "Striker", a bazooka soldier "Zap", and a Commando named "Snake Eyes" that wore traditional military uniforms and used weapons you'd think real soldiers might be using in combat at the time.  The GI JOE characters evolved over time so that the characters became more fantastic and scifi-ish.  Unfortunately, the toys I see at the store now don't resemble anything that I relate to when thinking of GI JOE.

I came across this video that provides a great overview of the "original 13" which are the characters I associate with GI JOE from my childhood.  Check this out:

I have some hope though for a renewed development of the GI JOE franchise after reading IDW Publishing's  new monthly comic book series that debuted this year.  The GI JOE of my youth was a clandestine force of the best soldiers in the U.S. military taking on the threat of a secret international terrorist organization called COBRA.  IDW has modernized GI JOE for today's times.  COBRA doesn't lurk in the shadows anymore in this new adaptation but is rather a household name for the atrocities it has committed.  GI JOE is public now too.  Everyone knows about GI JOE and the military uses them as a promotional tool to gain public support and recruits.  The leader of GI JOE actually says that they will be using their likenesses and stories for toys, comic books and movies to promote the military.  A fun nod to the toy line and this new comic book series.

The new comic book series keeps some of the classic cheesiness of GI JOE of old though.  For example, the only person to die when the Joes' helicopter is shot down is the soldier wearing a parachute.  One of the bad guys controls crocodiles who he sicks on people.  Cobra's vehicles look more like toys than realistic fighting machines.  That being said, the new comic books have great art work and nice scripting to make them a fun and enjoyable read for both kids today and their 40 year old dads who enjoyed GI JOE when they were kids.  The artwork provides the feel of watching the story as an animated tv show as you read through it enhancing the enjoyment of your reading experience.

There were some interesting takes on bringing GI JOE into modern times that caught my eye while reading the first 5 issues of this new series.  GI JOE is exposed to the public by a "wikipedia leak"; a blogger who heavily uses twitter is added to the GI JOE team as an embedded journalist; and the character ShipWreck has the real life parrot that used to accompany him replaced by a mini-drone called a parrot designed to provide surveillance, scouting and communications support.

If you've missed out on the first monthly issues of GI JOE from IDW PUBLISHING they have compiled the first five into a graphic novel titled GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT that will be available for purchase soon. Here's the link to it on Amazon where it is available for pre-order:  http://www.amazon.com/G-I-JOE-Volume-1-Homefront/dp/1613777051/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

Here's a preview of some of the pages you'll find in GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT.  On a final note I just feel the need to yell out "Yo Joe!"

DISCLAIMER:  I received a limited use digital pdf copy of GI JOE/VOLUME 1: HOMEFRONT to use for this review from the publisher.  I did not receive any compensation for this post and the thoughts/opinions in it are my own.

There really is a Fix It Felix Jr video game!

Growing up in the 80's one of my biggest thrills was a trip to the local arcade and playing the high-tech 8-bit games of the time, like Donkey Kong, Burger Time, Q-bert, and Pacman, with their neon blinking lights and chirping sound effects that left us kids in awe and amazement.  My favorite video game of the time was Popeye which I spent hours upon hours playing with dollars upon dollars of quarters.  You played the famous comic strip sailerman trying to grab the hearts thrown out by your love Olive Oyl as the bully Bluto chases after you trying to knock your block off.  But if you gained enough points and grabbed a can of spinach you could super punch Bluto off the screen and keep him from kidnapping your beloved Olive Oyl.  Compared to today's three dimensional high definition games that you can play online against dozens of people who can be located anywhere in the world at once Popeye is really "old school" but it is still one of my favorite games of all time and I have really fond memories of those arcade visits of my youth.  I really wish someone would make an adaption for my Ipad or Iphone of Popeye like they've done for Pacman and Frogger. Unfortunately, Popeye is a Nintendo creation which at the moment won't publish their games, like Donkey Kong & Super Mario Brothers, for smartphones and tablets because they see it as competition to their own game counsel business.

I rented the Disney movie Wreck It Ralph and watched it with my kids last night.  The movie brought back a lot of nostalgia for those arcade games of my youth.  In the movie Ralph is the bad guy in an arcade game called "Fix It Felix Jr" which is celebrating its 30th anniversary thus putting it's origination at around the time period games like Popeye and Donkey Kong were popular.  Ralph "wrecks" an apartment building in the game and throws bricks at Felix Jr, the "hero" of the game who fixes the damage caused by "Wreck it Ralph" with a magic hammer. "Wreck it Ralph" becomes tired of being overshadowed by Felix Jr. and being treated poorly by the other characters in the game so he sets out to turn himself from "villain" to "hero" in which the movie's adventures ensue.  For more about the movie visit the official Disney site  http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/  

 While watching Wreck it Ralph my kids were asking me if they could get the "Fix It Felix Jr." video game to play. I smiled and told them I didn't think it existed and was just a part of the movie but curiously typed "Wreck it Ralph" into the Apple app store search feature on my Ipad.  Low and behold what did appear? The "Fix it Felix Jr." video game did exist and it was available for FREE on the app store!  Disney has recreated the "Fix It Felix Jr." game from the movie in all its 8-bit graphics glory.  My kids and I have had a blast playing  it this weekend ... I guess you can go back to the arcade again! I really enjoyed sharing an experience with my children that was similar to my own childhood experiences where we all had fun playing together.  Whether or not you grew up in the Pacman/Donkey Kong generation I think anyone will have a good time trying out this fun retro themed video game.

CLICK HERE to download the "Fix it Felix Jr." video game from the Wreck it Ralph movie.

I'm an ios guy with iphone, ipad & itouch mobile devices so most of my posts about tech stuff will have Apple app store links ... that doesn't mean there aren't similar apps for androids, windows, etc just means I may not have looked for them.