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.

Make Educational Stops on Vacations a Family Tradition

We were driving away from the Gerald Eddy Discovery Center during our last vacation when my wife said to me “You know you’ve become your Father – you’re taking our children to all the same types of places your Dad dragged you to as a kid.”  She winked at me.  “I love that about you and our kids are going to have great childhood memories when they grow up.”

My Dad always included visits to museums and historical sites on every family vacation.  As a kid, I visited well known places such as Colonial Williamsburg, Gettysburg, and the Smithsonian Museums as well as spots more off the beaten path such as the Gnadenhutten Museum & Massacre Monument, Salamanca Railroad Museum and the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island.  These educational excursions have instilled in me a lifelong passion for discovery and learning.  

Now that I’m a Dad, incorporating educational stops in all our vacations has become a family tradition.  We’ve visited places with our kids like the Air Museum in Akron, American Museum of Natural History in NYC, Children’s Museum of Pittsburg, the Imagination Station in Toledo, Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry, and even stopped by the local Sanibel Historical Villageduring our beach vacation last winter.  

For suggestions on interesting places to visit on your next vacation, check out the Association of Science-Technology Centers website, contact the Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Bureau for the area you are visiting or ask locals for out of the ordinary suggestions.  Have a goal of making education entertaining for your kids on every trip!

Star Wars with a THE

The story that George Lucas originally presented to producers and studio executives was very different than the movie that hit theaters in 1977.  Lucas's rough draft screen play was more like a combination of the "first" three movies that eventually came out as "prequels" after the original Star Wars: Episode IV blockbuster that introduced us to characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo from a galaxy far far away.  His original screenplay focused on the adventures of a young Annikin Starkiller who is assisted in his exploits to tackle the evil Empire by an elderly general named Luke Skywalker and an alien lizard creature named Han Solo... oh and among other differences there aren't light sabers but rather "lazer swords" in this version.

Now Dark Horse Comics is adapting George Lucas's original screenplay to an 8-issue comic book mini series.  Titled "The Star Wars" the first issue goes on sale September 4th:

This is the first time that "The Star Wars" story has been shared outside the inner circle of 20th Century Fox and Lucas Film executives.  What a fun treat it will be for Star Wars fans to enjoy a different take on a familiar story.  This is the first time George Lucas has licensed the telling of his first story script and it is pretty interesting that he is having it done in the visual medium of a comic book.  In a nod to maintaining the original "feel" & "spirit" of the screenplay, Dark Horse has announced that the artists working on this project are going to base their work and model it off Ralph McQuarrie's Star Wars concepts.  McQuarrie created the original concept art for Star Wars that Lucas used for pitching and producing the movie.  Unfortunately, McQuarrie (who is one of my favorite science fiction artists) passed away in 2012.  Read my post on a "SciFi Visionary".

Can't wait until Sept 4 to get a look at "The Star Wars"? OK here's a sneak peek for you:

 Based on successful sales it also makes you wonder if they might continue "The" story in a new stand alone comic series after the original story is concluded.  So are you interested in a new take on the Star Wars universe or would you prefer to just stick with to one ad portrayed in the movies? What are your thoughts on this new ( or maybe we should say "old") Star Wars project?

A Hands -On Adventure in Ann Arbor

We took a road trip with our kids this weekend to Ann Arbor to check out their children's Hands-On Museum.  The museum has a focus on teaching children about the science behind everyday life through more than 250 exhibits that let kids touch, feel & experience demonstrations & experiments.  Admission is $10 per person for both children and adults.   It is located on Ann Street tucked away along a nice neighborhood in downtown Ann Arbor in close proximity to 2 parking decks and numerous restaurants.  The museum is divided up into 9 areas covering four floors: the "Concourse", "All About You", "Preschool Gallery", "Legacy Gallery", "Michigan Nature", "World Around You", "Lyons Country Store", "Light & Optics" & "Media Works".

The "Concourse" is the main floor of displays for the Hands-On Museum.  Some of the fun and interesting things they had on display were whisper dishes at either end of a hall that reflected sound waves so that you could hear someone whisper to you from one dish to the other, the Building in a Building that shows you how things like a toilet, furnace, insulation, and electricity work inside your house, Google Liquid Galaxy that provided a 3-D computer generated view of the world around us as if you were exploring the Earth from a visiting space ship, the Tornado Generator that recreates miniature tornadoes in front of your eyes, along with an area where you can play with huge building blocks, water tables, and an original World War 2 flight simulator.

The "All About You" area of the Hands-On Museum has a real ambulance on display where you can climb aboard and pretend you are on an emergency run.  They also have machines that you can interact with that let you hear your heart beat and do other things to explain health topics and let you examine your own physical fitness.

We spent the bulk of our trip in the "Preschool Gallery" that had a huge exhibit that demonstrates how physics work by shooting rubber balls through a metal obstacle course in addition to water tables, a fish tank with a real life Finding Nemo clown fish, a building blocks room, a play house and a miniature fire truck.

The "Preschool Gallery" is designated for children 5 and under.  It is a shame that the museum doesn't have the another physics display like the one in this area for older children to have access to because I believe it would be entertaining and educational for most grade school kids of any age.  It's nice to have a space for younger children to enjoy without being overwhelmed by "older kids" but this was one of my son and daughter's favorite parts of the museum and they'll be too old to experience it again if we go back again as they will be turning 5 in a few months.  My 4 year old twins did have a blast in this area though during our trip!

The "Lyons Country Store" is an early 20th century general store that shows store goods and toys from this time period.  What is most interesting about this display though is the 21st century tech it demonstrates ... there is a realistic 3 dimensional hologram that tells you about the store in the exhibit.  This probably was the Geek Daddy's favorite part of our visit. I wish I'd gotten a good picture to share with you but unfortunately all my photos just show a blur.

The "World Around You" had a really fun exhibit where you walked inside a circular area and pulled on a chain.  This action raised a screen around you that created a bubble film screen around you.  I hadn't seen this type of display before, based on the same premise as blowing bubbles in the back yard, and it was fun to play with.  The area also had a bee hive, a piano you could walk on and play like the one in the movie "Big" and some pipes that you banged on with a sandal to make music.  There also was a fun climbing wall for the kids along the back wall of the room. This was another interesting and amusing part of the museum.

The "Legacy Gallery" had some interesting mechanical displays including an awesome exhibit called the Magnetoscope which allows you to manipulate magnetic fields to create amazing patterns in fluid.  It also had an interesting maze display that shoots metal balls through it to explain how the Internet and email work.

Unfortunately, I have to say that the last three areas of the museum were somewhat lame and could use some work, even though our kids did have some fun in the "Media Works" area dancing in front of a screen that re-displayed their images on a big screen as colorful images that vibrated to their motion. That being said overall it is a very nice facility with friendly staff and we had an enjoyable experience with our visit.

If you live in Southeastern Michigan or may be visiting and have preschool, kindergarten or young grade school kids, I'd recommend stopping by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.  For families with older children, you may want to consider a trip to the Imagination Station in Toledo though.  Check out my post from our family's visit there: "Our Trip to the Imagination Station."

Jeffrey Brown wonders what Middle School would be like as a Jedi in new book

Cartoonist Jeffrey Brown who recently brought us the books "Star Wars: Darth Vader & Son" and "Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess" has a new book set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away coming out in September 2013.  In Chronicle Books' Star Wars: Jedi Academy, after being turned down for a spot in the Pilot Academy's Middle School program tween aged student Roan Novachez is taken under the wing of Yoda who trains him in the ways of the Jedi instead.

While Brown's Darth Vader & Son and Vader's Little Princess are filled with colorfully illustrated humorous sketches similar in characteristic to Gary Larson's The Far Side work but with Star Wars themes, characters and references; Jedi Academy is a vastly different book from his previous two Star Wars ventures.

Jedi Academy in contrast to the artwork shown above from Darth Vader & Son and Vader's Little Princess is more comparable to the style of Matt Groening's Life in Hell comic strips and books.that he created before coming up with the Simpsons. Jedi Academy is mostly in black and white and sketched out as if it was drawn as a journal personally by the main character Roan Novachez.  The artwork appears sketchy and amateurish but that is the creative goal of the author as he portrays the story as coming from the real journal of a middle school jedi ... somewhat like Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Star Wars.  There are pages of "hand written" journal entries and copies of school documents (admission letter, report cards) to go along with Novachez's sketches and cartoons.  There are also some "photographs" that were either mailed to Novachez or that he took during his adventures and added to his journal and look more like the work in Brown's previous two Star Wars books and show how the author is intentionally providing drawings in this story meant to provide perspective from a tween's view.  A nice touch to the book was the ending which encourages young readers to create their own journals and provides them with tips to what to include in one.

Jedi Academy would be a great book for kids age 8 - 11 to enjoy.  This book is geared more for children  and I personally really didn't find the book that interesting or enjoyable of a read from an adult perspective.  Fans of Brown's previous Darth Vader books need to know this book takes a very different approach to its artwork and layout than those other two books, which I personally really enjoyed reading both with my kids and by myself.  The cover artwork for Jedi Academy appears similar to the artwork in Brown's Darth Vader books so it is important for people to understand that this is not a sequel book to that series but rather a stand alone book that is completely different. That being said I believe this is a cute fun romp of a story with some nice life lessons for younger readers and any book that encourages an appreciation of reading with kids is a plus for this geeky daddy.  Keep an eye out for Jedi Academy for that young padawan  in your life.

DISCLAIMER:  I received a complimentary digital advance pdf copy of "Jedi Academy" from the publisher. The opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive compensation for this review.

Comedy Duo Parodies Blockbuster Movies & Hit TV Shows with Children in Song

Who needs to watch blockbuster movies or hit television series when you can watch instead online episodes of MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL.  Self-proclaimed "Internetainers" Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal who are known for producing humorous online videos have scripted and casted a troop of want-to-be child actors for a series of YouTube performances that mock the High School Musical movies and GLEE by performing parodies of movies and television shows.  The Middle School Musical clips portray the vibe of being at a junior high drama club performance combined with the witty scripting of Rhett & Link and entertaining performances by their tween cast.

So far there are three Middle School Musical performances that parody STAR TREK, SUPERMAN, & BREAKING BAD.  Word of mouth, Facebook LIKES & twitter RTs are getting around about this new sensation and if YouTube views continue to skyrocket I'm sure there will be more Middle School Musical performances to come! Check them out!

So which MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL is your favorite?

The Filibuster of all Filibusters: Patton Oswalt's Appearance on "Parks & Recreations"

I'll always think of actor/comedian Patton Oswalt as the character "Spence" from one of my favorite tv shows King of Queens.  He's had a lot of fan fare this year for another role though, his portrayal of "Angry Citizen" in an episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation.  In this appearance, to try and stop a vote by the Pawnee City Council he does a citizen filibuster.  The show's producer's told Oswalt to just wing it for what he said during the filibuster scene so he did an off the cuff one take oratory on his thoughts of what the new upcoming Star Wars Episode 7 should be about .. the scene's funny but also pretty impressive in that he just talked about what popped into his head and kept it going for the entire take with detailed information about the Star Wars and Marvel universes as he carefully packages them together as commonly owned Disney studios properties too.  Check out Oswalt's Filibuster from Parks & Recreation:

This scene has taken on new life now, as The Nerdist reports that fans of the Parks & Recreation clip are creating animated versions of Oswalt's movie vision.  Check out these fan animations of "The Filibuster" ...which one is your favorite?