Mark Waid once again hits his stride in the final issue of The Unknown: The Devil Made Flesh. The story so far is that Cat Willingham (world’s greatest detective) is dying (literally) to solve the world’s greatest mystery—life and death. She’s discovered the mystery of a rash of serial killings in this small town, and now she, Doyle, and half the town are trapped in a cave. Will she discover the secret of the reincarnated soul and find out the greatest secret of all?
That part I won’t tell you. You’ll have to read for yourself. What I will tell you is that this is an enjoyable read. Waid is a master storyteller. The story is very simple, but suitably so. At its heart it’s a murder mystery, but the supernatural element is reminiscent of a Goon or Hellboy story: some tortured soul wreaking havoc until it can be at peace. Add in Adriana, Cat’s former partner, and her hidden agenda, and you’ve got yourself a fun read. The big reveal halfway through the book ties the story together, back to the first issue, in a very nice way and once again leaves the story totally open for a sequel.
Minck Oosterveer once again serves art duty on this book and does a nice job. My only complaint is that Catherine sometimes looks like she’s about to fall out of her top, which can be a little distracting. I understand the appeal of a sexpot heroine, but there comes a time when you just want to see Cat for the detective she is, not the cleavage she’s flashing. Cover art duty is shared by Erik Jones and Alexander Stojanov.
If you’ve been following this series, you know this is a must buy. If you haven’t, find the back issues and give this series a whirl. Better yet, support indie books and your local comic shop and pick up the 1st series hardcover and the back issues. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
Written by Mark Waid
Drawn by Minck Oosterveer
Stacey Rader
Senior Reviewer
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars returned Friday night after a couple of weeks off with the new episode, "Lightsaber Lost," in which Ahsoka teams up with an elderly Jedi Master to find her stolen lightsaber. While most of season two has been a vast improvement in quality over the first season, "Lightsaber Lost" is an episode which just did not work in almost any way. I would venture that this episode is probably the worst one of the entire series.
Structurally, it is similar to the detective story subplot in Attack of the Clones, which is a good place to start. It even features a lot of the same kinds of Coruscant underground locations and an appearance by librarian Jocasta Nu. It introduces Jedi Tera Senube, and that's where a lot of the problems start. Up until now, the show has done a great job with its Jedi characters but Senube is uninspired all the way through. He has two characteristics: old and British and reminds me unpleasantly of the Jetfire character from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The design elements of this episode go horribly astray in a show which has its own unique style and until now has featured some really outstanding design. In "Lightsaber Lost," there are lots of crowd scenes and the same character models are used over and over again. It seems some background characters are lifted straight from previous episodes with little or no changes. Its to the point where it seems like this episode is full of cameos. What's worse a character is introduced which clearly uses the Gha Nakt model from last season. This is a lousy idea for a couple of reasons, especially since Gha Nakt was a really unmistakable character and not just a regular Trandoshan. Mostly it just pulled me out of the story.
What few new designs are introduced are somewhat whimsical and silly, not unlike some of the podracers from Phantom Menace, as though the designers were randomly pulling elements out of hat and combining them together. Master Senube looks like a cross between a lipstick-wearing camel and an early 1990's skateboarder. One of the alien thieves has silly sideways eyes and mitten hands. This episode even introduces robotic Bobby police officers. Ugh.
What's worse is that the theft was unmotivated and unexplored. What were these two girls going to do with a lightsaber? And how was one of them able to use it so effectively? Should we feel sympathy for them? Are they victims? This might have been a nice opportunity to explore the lives of regular Coruscant residents. In an otherwise great season, I am writing off "Lightsaber Lost," especially since next week introduces the Mandalorians to the show.
Patrick Garone
Senior Reviewer
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DARK HORSE AND EA ANNOUNCE THE NEW SMASH HIT COMIC,
MASS EFFECT: REDEMPTION
THE YEAR’S MOST ANTICIPATED NEW COMIC SERIES EXPLODES OFF OF THE PAGE AND ONTO YOUR iPHONE!
Tomorrow, the year’s most anticipated video game Mass Effect 2 is released nationwide. In celebration, Dark Horse and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that the comic will be released to the iPhone mobile comics platform.
Mass Effect: Redemption tells the exciting back-story that led up to the events of Mass Effect 2, the eagerly anticipated video game developed by the award-winning creative team at BioWare. The game’s lead writer Mac Walters takes up the pen to give fans exclusive insight into the events that unfolded between the conclusion of the original Mass Effect, and the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Scripted by John Jackson Miller (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, The Invincible Iron Man) and drawn by Omar Francia (Star Wars Legacy), this four-part series explores the exotic and dangerous future Milky Way of Mass Effect, revealing previously unseen locations, aliens, and enemies of this rich science fiction landscape.
The Mass Effect trilogy is an epic science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, players will step into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, commanding a crew of the most dangerous operatives from across the galaxy on a mission so challenging that it’s potentially suicidal. Featuring intense shooter action, a rich futuristic storyline, stunning space exploration and emotionally engaging characters, the game delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC on January 26, 2010 in North America and January 29, 2010 in Europe and has been rated ‘M’ for Mature by the ESRB and ‘18+’ by PEGI (please visit www.esrb.org and www.pegi.eu for more information on ratings). For more news from the development team, please follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/masseffect2 or visit the game’s official website at http://masseffect.bioware.com/.
“We've been trying to figure out a way to not only profit from these new technologies, but to use them in a way that it would drive customers into the stores of our loyal retailers” said Dark Horse Director of Communications, Dirk Wood. “We came up with the idea of this staggered release in hopes of accomplishing just that.”
Mass Effect: Redemption is the fifth title to arrive in Dark Horse’s ever-growing stable of comics available on the iPhone platform. Other titles available now include Gerard Way’s smash hit Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction, Terminator: Death Valley, and multiple titles the critically acclaimed line of Star Wars comics. The first issue will hit iTunes February 3rd, just in time for the release of second issue of the series.
For more information, please visit http://www.darkhorse.com/Features/Mobile.
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Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today the March 17, 2010 release of Angelus #3, guest-starring The Darkness.
Featuring the series’ critically acclaimed duo of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic, the 32-page Angelus #3 addresses the long-established relationship between the Angelus and the Darkness, who have been diametrically opposed since the beginning of time. Once confronted by sometimes ally Jackie Estacado, bearer of the Darkness, in the midst of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Danielle Baptiste, the newest bearer of the Angelus, will see if she can choose her own path.
“Dani already knows that Jackie Estacado is a good friend to have,” said Marz. “She’s about to learn he’s a much worse enemy to have. The Angelus and the Darkness are eternal opposites, eternal enemies. Jackie’s not the sort to let friendship stand in the way of business, and letting the Angelus live is bad business.”
The series follows the origin of the newest bearer of The Angelus, the primal force of Light in the Top Cow Universe, Dani as she struggles to rectify the Artifact she embodies with her private life. Dani attempts to find solace in her hometown of New Orleans and has brought her friend/romantic interest Finch with her, but forces around her may conspire against the fledgling Angelus bearer. The series also serves as a lead in to next year’s Artifacts event series.
Angelus #3 will carry a cover price of $2.99.
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2.5” Elemental Qee Series from Toy2R
As a follow up to the widely successful Wood Grain Style Qee Collection, Toy2R continues to pursue perfection in developing various natural finishes.
Paying tribute to the living force of nature Toy2R presents the first series of Elemental Qees based on natural resources. These elements balance each other through opposites: water quenches fire, fire boils water, earth contains air, air erodes earth. From this first series, the Elementals, Stone and Wood, represent your Qee guardians and protectors.
Cherish these forces as they bring you luck and happiness sharing the living spirit of nature.
Dropping in February, this 25 piece assortment comes blindboxed and includes patented keychain attachment.
Stay up to date with the Qeevolution at www.toy2rusa, on Twitter @QEEBEAR (http://twitter.com/QEEBEAR) or at our Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toy2R-USA/210257137623?ref=ts).
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One of Science Fiction’s Greatest Villains Gets His Own Series!
A Fresh Dose of Bad Attitude From Show Creator Rockne S. O’Bannon
"What is it about villains that fascinates us so?
Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, Galactus, Magneto...
and in the Farscape universe it's Scorpius."
– Rockne S. O’Bannon
Farscape show creator
BOOM! Studios’ best-selling FARSCAPE series enters its second year with a fresh dose of bad attitude with the premiere of FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS – coming this April! Written by show creator Rockne S. O’Bannon, FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS brings one of the greatest sci-fi villains of all time to his own ongoing series.
An excellent new entry point for Farscape fans that might have missed the previous BOOM! Farscape series, FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS finds everyone’s favorite black leather clad villain - Scorpius - deposed from his throne on Hyneria and making a bold new discovery that could put him back on top of the Uncharted Territories!
Written by series creator Rockne S. O’Bannon and scripted by fan-favorite STAR TREK novelist David Alan Mack, FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS is the must have book of this spring.
"What is it about villains that fascinates us so? Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter, Galactus, Magneto...and in the Farscape universe it's Scorpius," said Farscape show creator and FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS writer Rockne S. O'Bannon. "Fans of Farscape who've always wondered what's going on in that sick little black leather clad head of Scorpius's are in for a real treat. And readers who are new to Farscape but whose tastes run toward the freakish, shocking, and totally unsettling should find the Scorpius books the perfect dark entry into the ongoing Farscape world."
"Our goal with the Farscape comics is always 'what is going to blow fans' minds?’ When Rockne told me his idea for this series I knew everyone reading these comics would freak,” said Farscape comics editor Ian Brill. “Farscape has some of the best fans in sci-fi and they deserve great stories. With FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS, Rockne and David Alan Mack are delivering a thrilling and intense experience. This is a book befitting the genius creation that is Scorpius."
"What the creative team on FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS is accomplishing is exactly what attracted BOOM! to FARSCAPE in the first place...phenomenal sci-fi adventures in a mythology that knows no bounds," said BOOM! Studios Managing Editor Matt Gagnon. "Scorpius is always defined in our minds as John Crichton's resilient antagonist, but Rockne and the team, from the first issue, will prove that there's more to our favorite half-Scarran, half-Sebacean than meets the eye."
Debuting on the SCI-FI Channel in 1998, FARSCAPE follows the adventures of astronaut John Crichton, who has a freak accident during an experimental space mission that catapults him across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield. Suddenly, he's trapped among alien creatures wielding deadly technology - a battle that 20th century sci-fi pop culture never prepared him for. Hunted by a merciless military race led by Scorpius, Crichton begins his quest for home from a distant galaxy.
A groundbreaking award-winning sci-fi production, FARSCAPE from The Jim Henson Company and [HALLMARK] has become a global favorite. Named by TV Guide as one of television's "Best Cult Shows Ever" and most recently named by EMPIRE Magazine as one of the "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time," FARSCAPE is known for the overwhelming fan-based campaign that led to its miniseries production. The show has continued to find new audiences as it airs in syndication and is available on iTunes and DVD.
FARSCAPE: SCORPIUS #0 is written by Rockne S. O’Bannon and scripted by David Alan Mack with interior art by hot newcomer Mike Ruiz. The debut issue features two covers in a 50/50 split, with art by Nick Runge and Chad Hardin, a 1-in-10 incentive cover and carries a Diamond Code of FEB100749.
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With the Surrogates Blu-ray & DVD about to be released, we sit down to chat with actress Radha Mitchell. How does the action star handle stunts in high heels? What’s it like to be a sex symbol? Read on for Radha’s insights into bruises, bungee jumps, Bruce Willis and lots more… 
What can you tell us about your new Blu-ray & DVD, Surrogates?
The movie is a sci-fi, action thriller and I play an FBI agent called Peters. The device of the story is that there is a surrogate technology being used in the world and the population is addicted to using it. You plug into a device, which is basically a robot, and that robot goes and performs all of your daily tasks for you. When that happens, you can manicure your life. You can organize and control how you want to live and how you want to feel. However, something goes wrong in this society and my character works alongside Bruce Willis’ character to figure out who committed a murder.
Tell us more about the surrogates…
When the story begins, the technology of surrogates has been around for years. It has been promoted because it’s considered extremely safe. You can have any kind of experience and not feel a thing. For example, you can jump out of a plane, but you’ll never be in physical danger because it’s all done vicariously. However, something terrible has happened to shake up this world – and it’s up to my character and Bruce Willis’ character to find out how and why this murder has occurred.
What would you use a surrogate to do for you? Perhaps you’d like to jump out of a plane?
I think you’d lose part of the experience if you used a surrogate for something like jumping out of a plane. Part of the experience is about risking your own mortality. I’d love to use a surrogate to do all of the boring things in life that I’ve done thousands of times before, like cleaning or household chores. However, I think I’d want to do all of the exciting stuff for myself.
Are you a daredevil at heart?
I haven’t jumped out of a plane, but I did consider it in the past. A friend of mine jumped out of a plane when I was in high school and I remember him coming back with the video, so I thought about doing it back then. Since then, I feel like there’s enough uncertainty in my life as it is without needing to add to the drama. But who knows? Maybe if the opportunity came along, I’d consider it again.
Would you ever consider a bungee jump?
Bungee jumping? No. My most daredevil experience has involved motorbike riding. I survived a motorbike accident because I fell off one, but I’m not too much of a thrill seeker in that sense.
Did you have many action scenes in Surrogates?
I have one action sequence, which was a lot of fun to shoot. I had to drive around downtown Los Angeles on the top of a bus – and my character had to jump from the bus to a car. It was all done in purple high heels, too. That’s the only way to do action scenes!
How much of the stunt work were you allowed to do?
I did some of the stunt work, but there was also a stunt girl on hand. The girl who did my stunts had to swing from ropes between buildings and things like that. There were lawyers on the set making sure I didn’t do too much, but I was allowed to run around in between fast cars and I was strapped to the top of the bus driving through the city. I discovered that I can jump from elevated sections onto targeted marks in high heels, which was fun.
Did you get any bruises along the way?
Yes, I did. I even got a scar. I got scratched jumping onto the back of a car where all of the windows had broken, but I was fine. You live with these things.
Are you an action fan?
I’m not a huge fan of action, but I like it when it’s well done. I like Asian action.
Do you like action roles where you get to kick butt?
I do. I filmed another movie recently where I got to shoot a fight sequence with a zombie and that was a lot of fun. Stunt men really shine in fight sequences and I got to fight a guy in full zombie regalia in a car wash. It was very dramatic and very fun, but I wasn’t in high heels for this one. If you can do it in heels, that’s always a plus.
How does it feel to be a sex symbol?
I don’t think I am a sex symbol. If I was a sex symbol, how would I feel about that? I think that it’s all other people’s projection. It can be fun, but it should never be taken too seriously.
What do you find sexy?
What do I find sexy in the world? I think I find the sun sexy. I think it’s sexy to lie around on the beach all day and have absolutely nothing to do. I think that’s sexy.
What are sexier scenes like to shoot on a movie set?
They are awkward. I wouldn’t wish love scenes on people. They are way too difficult to process. You just have to do them and not think about them.
How much fun did you have shooting Surrogates?
We shot a lot of the movie in Boston, which is a real gritty city where the people are great. I had a driver who had a duel life as a cage fighter, so he was certainly a lot of fun to hang out with every day. We were also near New York, so we could always disappear and visit the Big Apple if we wanted to. It was a big movie, so the sets were elaborate and it was bizarre to play these robots.
Why is it difficult to play a robot?
It’s difficult to play a robot and still keep drama within a scene because what’s robotic is not necessarily dramatic. However, it’s certainly interesting to watch a bunch of robots sitting around talking to each other. It’s an interesting concept to say the least. Playing a robot was a tricky challenge because you have to cut out any idiosyncrasies we have as human beings. You can’t slouch or shake your arms when you move. Robots are clipped, manicured and purposeful in their movements – and there was always someone on set to tell us if we weren’t doing it right.
What was it like to work alongside Bruce Willis?
That was a great experience. He’s the consummate action star and he’s a very funny man. He’s very similar to a lot of the characters he plays and it was a lot of fun to work with him. It was really interesting to see him in the dynamic of the set when he was there.
With the Surrogates DVD and Blu-Ray released soon, how much of a fan of DVDs and Blu-Ray are you?
I’ve just bought a Blu-Ray player and I’m looking forward to using it more. You know what? I love being able to watch movies whenever I feel like it, which is one of the joys of DVDs and Blu-Ray. You can just put on a movie whenever you fancy, which is a luxury that we take for granted – and it’s great.
What DVDs should everyone have in their collection?
I love the way that you can watch a whole season of a TV show in one sitting on DVD. In that respect, I really like shows like True Blood and Mad Men. However, when it comes to movies, everyone should have Blade Runner, The Matrix and Surrogates in their DVD collection.
Does this mean you are a big fan of sci-fi?
I’m not really, but Blade Runner and The Matrix are epic movies that have changed modern cinema. You should have some other classics in your collection, too.
SURROGATES is Available on Blu-ray & DVD January 26th!
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X-MEN: SECOND COMING (JAN100608)
X-MEN: SECOND COMING FINCH VARIANT (JAN100609)
Written by Christopher Yost & CRAIG KYLE
Pencils & Variant Cover by David Finch
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC—3/11/10, ON-SALE—3/31/10
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Renowned Director Shinji Aramaki puts Master Chief
in the spotlight for action-packed CG Anime episode
“The Package” within Halo Legends
Warner Home Video to Distribute Compilation DVD on Feb. 16, 2010
Acclaimed director/designer Shinji Aramaki takes anime to an altogether new level with an all-CG episode featuring Master Chief entitled “The Package,” one of the seven stories within the highly-anticipated Halo Legends.
Warner Home Video will distribute Halo Legends on February 16, 2010 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™, as well as single disc DVD, On Demand and Digital Download. The DVD anthology of episodic films based within the mythology of the popular game Halo is produced by 343 Industries, a unit within Microsoft Game Studios.
Aramaki’s Halo Legends episode, “The Package,” was produced at Casio Entertainment. The episode finds Master Chief and four specially-selected Spartans launched on a stealth cruiser and into the heart of a giant Covenant fleet in a bid to recover a valuable intelligence asset. While any Halo fan knows of the Spartans’ unparalleled ground battle superiority, “The Package” gives Aramaki the opportunity to exhibit the Spartans’ impressive fighting abilities in zero-G and while piloting never-before-seen light attack vehicles (packed with a multitude of surprising weapons). Beyond the space battle, the episode also features plenty of hand-to-hand combat aboard a Covenant command vessel.
A pioneer in CG animation, Aramaki is renowned for his direction and mechanical design on powered exoskeletons and his mecha and CG design on several anime series. He has also designed several Microchange toys that became Transformers. Aramaki’s most notable credits range from the visually stunning Appleseed and its sequel, Appleseeed Ex Machina to the innovative creative designs behind Robotech: Mospeada, Transformers (original designer of Soundwave, among others), Bubblegum Crisis, Full Metal Alchemist and Naruto.
As one of the group companies of the world-wide famous "Casio" brand of watch and digital camera, Casio Entertainment was founded in October 2004 for the purpose of planning and developing entertainment contents. The studio’s resume includes VFX productions like Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Dai Nipponjin (2007) and Symbol (2009), and CG work on the SquareEnix production Final Fantasy Advent Children and Final Fantasy Dissida.
Aramaki answered a few questions about the making of The Package. Without further ado …
Question:
How does Halo lend itself to anime/animation?
Aramaki :
Halo belongs to the battle-action genre as well as to Sci-Fi and most of its visual scenes look as exciting as the images from Sci-Fi illustration library. This makes the property suit to Anime/animation quite well. One more point why I think Halo suits Anime is that it is a story of a super hero named Master Chief in a vast background of Galaxy Wars which seems to be a grand epic.
Question:
What was the inspiration for your artistic vision in your episode of Halo legends?
Aramaki:
Master Chief is a super hero who is invincible on the ground battle. My utmost motivation in creating my episode is to see Master Chief also invincible in the aerospace.
Question:
Were there any particular images within the Halo realm that helped shape or drive your creative vision?
Aramaki :
The design of Master Chief itself inspires me the most.
Question:
Who were the other key individuals that brought this episode to life?
Aramaki:
Mr. Dai Sato, the script writer of The Package, is a guy who has a vast knowledge about Sci-Fi and videogames and also has an edgy creativity. I have wanted to have an opportunity to work with him for a long time.
Mr. Atsushi Takeuchi, who has designed the ONI stealth ship, is the only mecha designer whom I can rely on to ask to design things which I cannot design. When I am in a trouble, he can always help me and the result is more than I expect.
Question:
What did you set out to accomplish in this episode, and why do you think you achieved or exceeded your goals?
Aramaki :
I always wanted to make my own episode a non-stop action movie with a considerable density. For this purpose, Master Chief and his several colleagues are the most suitable heroes/heroin.
I owe the complete realization of my visions to the continuous efforts and the wonderful talent of the creative staff at Casio Entertainment, Inc. – and especially to Mr.Teruaki Shiraishi, CG Director of the episode. He is quite an enthusiast of Halo games and contributed a lot in increasing the quality of the episode especially in recreating the scenes from the videogames.
Question:
How important was having Halo gaming experience to bringing the world to life in anime?
Aramaki :
Since a long time before I became involved in this project, I have been a Halo player. After I got involved, I have played all versions many times for the purpose of knowing the details of which I was not sure, and I have noticed that there have been so many discoveries even in the replay.
Question:
Did you include any hidden images or behind-the-scenes “Easter eggs” within your episode for the devout Halo fans?
Aramaki :
The viewers will see other Spartans than Master Chief and a certain important character (you’ll have to watch and see). The viewers will find out that a machine gun turret can come out from a very unexpected place. I hope that everyone will enjoy it.
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Fanboy-themed stand-up show returns to the best comic book store in the world: Meltdown Comics.
Grok out with your Spock out at the geekiest stand up show in the world!
All-Fanboy Stand-Up comedy returns to Meltdown Comics on Friday, January 29th. "Comics And Comics" (featured on NPR) brings the geekiest stand-up show in the world to the world's best comic book store (http://www.meltcomics.com) !
Comedians will perform continuously from 7-10PM while the Grilled Cheese Truck (http://www.grilledcheesetruck.com) offers the tastiest and cheesiest sandwiches found anywhere.
The show is FREE!
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90046
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