Hellchild: The Unholy review by Joe Grodensky

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Hellchild The Unholy: Angelica Blackstone Goes Out Fighting!Hellchild gets in her last licks in the series finale!

In the last issue of Hellchild The Unholy, Angelica Blackstone confronted Ouroboros. He was getting the best of her but did not kill her. Instead, he offers her a place alongside him as a “god.” Angelica refuses but does kill Jezebel which leads her to question herself and the others to question whose side she is really on. At the same time, a war between the underdwellers and the NYPD is about to erupt and blood will flow on both sides.

In the finale, Angelica is in the midst of riots, monsters, death and destruction as the uprising is in full effect. While she refused Ouroboros’s offer, she does make him believe she has decided to join him. In the middle of the fight, Jezebel reappears which confirms what Ouroboros told Angelica about her. Just when Ouroboros thinks Angelica is going to do his bidding, she does something else. Has Hellchild chosen sides or has she done what was needed for her to survive the battle?

Pat Shand did an amazing job with this final issue. It was a fitting end not only for the series but Angelica. We really see her come full circle. It certainly leaves an opening for Angelica to reappear in another series, whether it be her own or as a guest character in another title. Renzo Rodriguez did a great job on the artwork and gave readers something to remember. The colors of Walter Baiamonte added to that memory and made the series vibrant and bloody. Ario Murti and Hedwin Zaldivar gave the final issue a fiery cover to send the series off right.

Hellchild: The Unholy was a fun, well-written and well-told story that I will miss. Angelica was relatable in certain ways. She had inner demons, aside from the fact she was considered a demon, which she constantly battled with. She wanted to do good but felt it was not getting her anywhere with anyone so she decided to do her thing her way. It interconnected very well with the Van Helsing series which makes Zenescope such a great comic book company. They have a connected universe which flows smoothly between titles and characters. Hellchild: The Unholy is on sale now so check out your local comic book shop today!


Written by Pat Shand

Art by Renzo Rodriguez
Colors by Walter Baiamonte

Cover Art by Ario Murti & Hedwin Zaldivar

25 pages

(Joe Grodensky – @JoeGrodensky)

LEGO Worlds Review

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

Traveller’s Tales have used the LEGO license perfectly by building Lego Worlds as a rival to Minecraft. The game is loosely tied to some rules but has a nice structure in itself to keep the players interested. The premise has the player as a space traveller who gets bumped onto the world and has his ship broken. So, he rebuilds his ship and sets off in pursuit of new words. In the way, he finds out various devices which help in building, replicating and demolishing.


There is Discovery tool which is largely used throughout the game. Just point it to a new object, hit X when it gets highlighted and the item will be added in your vast library of parts and people. You can then deploy these parts and people whenever their need arises. Going on in the game you will also get the opportunity to build an entire world from the scratch. But before that, you will get introduced to and well versed with all the rules, options and controls of the game.


You get to do amazing things and go on adventures including fighting to save a queen or saving cavemen from the wrath of volcanoes. The most amazing thing is that everything that is part of the game world is made of LEGO. So, you have almost entire control and can copy, paint, build, destroy, almost anything you want.


You can do anything you want to. Create a mountain, replicate a castle, or dig out treasure. Sometimes you may get guided by the game, sometimes you will just want to get your hands dirty and create something amazing. But learning to use the tools and getting used to its not so intelligent input manipulation is hard. Your buildings may get fiddly in the beginning, put some time into and you become an expert.

The only flaw in the game is its issue of frame rate and the camera which gets upset in congested areas. It gets especially annoying when you are moving too fast and the game loads up the terrain slowly. In local co-op mode, the game gets really patchy and may feel like everything is just disconnected from each other. But with the gameplay being of a very relaxed nature, it never becomes much of a problem.

The game has a feel that it is the first towards a much greater game. Just some tweaks here and there and Traveller’s Tales might get something outstanding in line. Still, kids can get easily lost in its world for hours and the offline and co-op mode further complement those possibilities. This game is easily a 4 out 5 for its unique experience.

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​Red Agent Crosses The Pond To Fight a Deadly Foe!

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In the newest issue of Red Agent: The Human Order, Alpha attacks a highborn base in London and kills everyone there except an agent named Silk.  Britney and a fully-recovered Ava travel to London to meet up with Silk and aid him in defeating Alpha and his men.  Will the newly-formed team be able to make it out alive or will they be the newest highborn names on Alpha’s list of casualties?

This is one of Zenescope’s best titles right now.  Lou Iovino and Joe Brusha have put together a fun, action-packed adventure title that is constantly moving and has a fast, but not too fast, pace.  Britney is an awesome character and the best part about this issue is it is set in London.  Renato Rei and Eduardo Garcia did a great job drawing London in fantastic, and accurate, detail.  The art was brought to life in stunning fashion by the colors of Hedwin Zaldivar, Grostieta and Jorge Cortes.  The cover art of Britney set against the backdrop of Big Ben is one of the series’ best covers.  Riviero and Grostieta did a great job on it.

They say the only guaranteed things in life are death and taxes.  They forgot to add Zenescope publishing great titles to the list.  Whether it’s Van Helsing vs…, Spirit Hunters, Robyn Hood or one of many others, you will find a great comic book to read under the Zenescope label.  The best part is, these titles are only a click away at Zenescope.com.  Red Agent: The Human Order is out now so be sure to stop by your local comic book shop and pick up a copy today!

Written by Lou Iovino

Art by Renato Rei and Eduardo Garcia

Colors by Hedwin Zaldivar, Grostieta and Jorge Cortes

Cover Art by Riviero and Grostieta

25 pages

(Joe Grodensky – @JoeGrodensky)

Robotech #1: Titan Comics reveals full creative team, launch date & #1 variant covers!

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Titan Comics are thrilled to reveal variant covers and full creative team details for Robotech #1 – the influential anime classic returns this July 26 with a brand-new ongoing series packed with new shocks and surprises! 

 

The all-new Robotech comic series returns to Macross Island, where it all began! Writer Brian Wood, artist Marco Turini and colorist Marco Lesko have crafted a thrilling new tale that’s perfectly accessible to new fans, as well as providing a deeper layer of twists for old-school protoculture addicts!

 

First airing in the USA in 1985, Robotech was the gateway to anime for many fans – capturing their imagination with its epic generational storyline involving war, romance, and, of course, the transforming Veritech fighters that defend the Earth against extra-terrestrial attacks. 

 

Produced by Harmony Gold USA, the original 85-episode series delved into humanity’s struggle against a series of alien invasions, from the gigantic Zentraedi to the mysterious Invid, battling for control of advanced alien technology that crash-landed on Earth. 

 

​The debut issue comes with stunning covers to collect by amazing talents like ArtGerm, ​Karl Kerschl (Gotham Academy), Michael Dialynas (The Woods), The Waltrip Bros. (Robotech) and more! 


Robotech #1​hits stores and digital platforms on July 26 and will be able to order from the May edition of PREVIEWS (July Shipping).

LEGO Exclusive at Star Wars Celebration— Raffle Happening

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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars Celebration attendees will have the chance to enter a raffle to purchase a special-edition LEGO Star Wars set inspired by the Detention Block AA-23 from the original 1977 film! A Star Wars Celebration exclusive, the set includes Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguises ready to infiltrate the Death Star and rescue Princess Leia.

 

The opportunity to purchase this exclusive set is being raffled off on the Star Wars Celebration website prior to the event for attendees only, beginning now through 12:01AM EST on Friday, April 6th. All winners will be randomly selected to purchase the exclusive onsite at the LEGO booth next week, and will be notified by April 7th.

 

Here’s where attendees can enter the raffle to purchase the set— http://www.starwarscelebration.com/Events/LEGO-lottery/

  • Contains 220 pieces
  • $40
  • Ages 8-14
  • Limited quantities are available for purchase
  • This is exclusively available to Star Wars Celebration attendees

 

DC Collectibles Unveils New 2018 Cover Girls Collection with Artist Joëlle Jones

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(MARCH 31, 2017) — Eisner Award nominated artist Joëlle Jones has been tapped to take over the popular DC Collectibles Cover Girls statue line. Announced today during the DC Collectibles panel at WonderCon, the fan-favorite artist for SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER and LADY KILLER will give fans and collectors her unique take on iconic DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains. Jones will first take on mischievous vixen Harley Quinn, with Supergirl, Batgirl, and Mera statues slated to follow in 2018.

  

Created in 2009, the DC Cover Girls line has been graced by talented artists, most recently with famed designers Adam Hughes and Stanley Lau leaving their mark through creative interpretations of the renowned characters. With an already strong presence at DC through her work on the critically acclaimed comic, SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER, Jones will lend her unique style and uncanny ability to capture energy and expression, and hail as the first female designer of the Cover Girls line.

 

On the difference between creating 3D designs for statues in contrast to her 2D comic art, Joëlle Jones stated, “one of my favorite things about designing sculptures is being able to capture the essence of the character in statue form. Evaluating the small nuances you appreciate in a character and using that to dictate their gestures, allows opportunities for expression you don’t necessarily get when creating a comic book.”

 

Inspired by the powerful women of the DC Universe, Cover Girls has been a long-running line for DC Collectibles, with dynamic depictions of the most famous superheroines and supervillains in the form of premium 9” statues.

 

DST Serves Up New Drinkware at Your Local Comic Shop!

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DST Serves Up New Drinkware at Your Local Comic Shop!

 

This week, your local comic shop is the place to get great housewares, as Diamond Select Toys ships new glassware from some of your favorite movies and TV shows! Tumblers from The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Muppet Show, plus pint glasses from National Lampoon’s Vacation, are on sale now at your local comic shop, as well as your favorite online retailers. So find a shop at comicshoplocator.com, and reserve yours today!

 

Muppets Muppet Show Glass Tumblers

A Diamond Select Toys release! It’s time to get things started! It’s time to pour the drinks! You can’t help but smile when you’re drinking a tasty beverage out of these nostalgic glass tumblers featuring the cast of The Muppet Show. Inspired by fast-food glassware of yesteryear, these tumblers sport all-new original artwork spotlighting main Muppets Kermit, Fozzie, Bunsen, Beaker and the Swedish Chef, as well as their supporting casts! Each glass comes packaged separately, in a full-color window box.

Muppets Muppet Show Kermit Glass Tumbler (Item #AUG162573, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/muppets-kermit-glass-tumbler

Muppets Muppet Show Fozzie Glass Tumbler (Item #AUG162574, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/muppets-fozzie-glass-tumbler

Muppets Muppet Show Bunsen & Beaker Glass Tumbler (Item #AUG162575, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/muppets-bunsen-and-beaker-glass-tumbler

Muppets Muppet Show Swedish Chef Glass Tumbler (Item #AUG162576, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/muppets-swedish-chef-glass-tumbler

 

National Lampoon’s Vacation Movie Reelware Pint Glasses

A Diamond Select Toys release! Who’s the moosiest moose we know? Marty Moose! Who’s the star of our favorite show? Marty Moose! Relive the craziest road trip you never went on with these two pint glasses that are straight outta Walley World! With one depicting Roy Walley’s famous creation Marty Moose, and the other showing the full cast of Walley World characters, both glasses are the ultimate in cinematic souvenirs, inspired by the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation. Be the first in your neighborhood to drink like a Griswold! Each glass comes packaged in a full-color window box. 

National Lampoon’s Vacation Movie Reelware Walley World Pint Glass (Item #AUG162556, SRP: $10.99)

https://shop.diamondselecttoys.com/vacation-reelware-walley-world-pint-glass

National Lampoon’s Vacation Movie Reelware Marty Moose Pint Glass (Item #AUG162557, SRP: $10.99)

https://shop.diamondselecttoys.com/vacation-reelware-marty-moose-pint-glass

Nightmare Before Christmas Glass Character Tumblers

A Diamond Select Toys release! Raise a toast to the Pumpkin King with these four tumblers celebrating The Nightmare Before Christmas! Featuring all-new artwork inspired by the film, these fast-food-style glass tumblers also have mini-biographies of each character on the reverse side, and spotlight Jack, Sally, Oogie Boogie and the Mayor, along with some of Halloween Town’s other residents. Recommend hand-wash only. Each glass is individually packaged in a full-color window box.

Nightmare Before Christmas Glass Jack Tumbler (Item #OCT162589, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/nightmare-before-christmas-jack-skellington-glass-tumbler

Nightmare Before Christmas Glass Mayor Tumbler (Item #OCT162590, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/nightmare-before-christmas-mayor-glass-tumbler

Nightmare Before Christmas Glass Sally Tumbler (Item #OCT162591, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/nightmare-before-christmas-sally-glass-tumbler

Nightmare Before Christmas Glass Oogie Boogie Tumbler (Item #OCT162592, SRP: $9.99)

https://diamondselecttoys.com/nightmare-before-christmas-oogie-boogie-glass-tumbler

BLACK LIGHTNING STRIKES IN ATLANTA

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BLACK LIGHTNING STRIKES IN ATLANTA

 

Black Lightning First Image Revealed with Production Underway in Atlanta on New

Pilot for The CW from Warner Bros. Television, Based on DC Characters

 

New Costume Designed by Laura Jean Shannon

 

Please find attached the first image from The CW drama pilot BLACK LIGHTNING, from Warner Bros. Television and based on DC characters.

 

  • BLACK LIGHTNING stars Cress Williams (Hart of Dixie) as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning.

 

  • The costume for Black Lightning was designed by Laura Jean Shannon, whose many film and television credits include the upcoming Jumanji sequel, The Jungle Book, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Blade: Trinity, Good Girls Revolt and Iron Man, for which she was nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award.

 

  • Executive producer/writer/director Salim Akil said: “I knew way too much about the world as a young boy growing up in Richmond, California. I was no stranger to violence, death, hopelessness or the feeling that no one cared about what was happening in my life.

 

“Comics were a great way for me to escape. I was about 13 when BLACK LIGHTNING was created, and finally there was a Black Super Hero that gave a damn about our neighborhood and our lives.

 

“Resurrecting him at a time in our society when a sense of hope is lacking…BLACK LIGHTNING will be that hope. And in updating the suit, it will signal to a new generation that it’s time to harness and release our power, and become our own Super Heroes.”

 

  • Production is currently underway in Atlanta.

 

The first African-American DC Super Hero to have his own stand-alone comic title, BLACK LIGHTNING is based on the character created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden in 1977. Jefferson Pierce made his choice: he hung up the suit and his secret identity years ago, but with one daughter hell-bent on justice and the other a star student being recruited by a local gang, he’ll be pulled back into the fight as the wanted vigilante and DC legend — Black Lightning.

 

Greg Berlanti, Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil and Sarah Schechter are executive producers of BLACK LIGHTNING, from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Salim Akil is directing the pilot from a script he wrote.

LEGO Games Walkthrough Event

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Written by Crystal Greenwood

I was fortunate to be shown firsthand demos of LEGO Worlds, LEGO Dimensions, and LEGO CITY Undercover on the PS4. If you’ve never encountered a LEGO video game before, these are action-adventure (RPG feel) where you have to figure out puzzles, collect tons of coins and nuts, and, of course, build certain objects to help advance in the story. Each of these games have their signature LEGO interpretation of characters we know and love like Harry Potter, Princess Leia and Spider-man to name a few.

First was Dimensions with The Goonies pack. I feel if any parent my age was able to see how they translated The Goonies into a live, playable gaming experience, you would have goosebumps like I did. Three words sums up what I felt, Chunk’s Truffle Shuffle! The huge attention to detail from the developers shine through with this title, bringing to life something that they would absolutely love to see as a playable medium. Also, with the LEGO Toy Pad, the Sloth, One-Eyed Willy Pirate Ship and the Skeleton Organ minifigs, The Goonies was literally brought to life with impressive interactive gameplay. It doesn’t stop there. If you have other minfigs like Batman, Robin etc, you can still use them in any Dimensions game out there. It was crazy seeing the Batmobile put into The Goonies world while trying to find treasure! Sky’s the limit!

Next was LEGO CITY Undecover. Along with the theme of ’80s style, LEGO CITY Undercover felt definitely like the cliched, cheesy cop flicks back in the day. The cinematic scenes were very nostalgic from the news reporter to the guy-who-has-heard-of-the-lead-character-before-and-idolizes-way-too-much cliche, classic! When we finally got to the gameplay, driving around was great because even though there are linear missions, there are still opportunities to drive around and explore. The great feature is there’s no need for a map because there will always be a trail of coins and nuts leading back to the next advancement of the story. The gameplay was very fluid, engaging and fun. Just a pleasure to demo.

Then, the best was saved for last, LEGO Worlds. My words would probably not do this game enough justice. Even though I was catered to a completely unlocked experience, I was floored with the real-time rendering and how quick someone can seamlessly create whatever they wanted, seemingly out of thin air. In LEGO Worlds, your character is dropped off into a vast of hills and plains. It’s up to you to figure out how to survive and landscape to your liking. There is a mission, but mostly, there’s so much free range in creativity that it might just be forgotten after a while. Just seeing how the duplication gun would scan an object and then reproduce at will without any kind of glitching or buffering whatsoever was absolutely brilliant. Creating castles with lava moats that even takes life from your character was truly amazing as well. The physics were off-the-wall fun, making this title very easy to lose hours and hours on end and not feel a thing.

I walked away from seeing these demos wanting to run to the store and picking them up for myself, especially to play with my 5 year old and have a family night. I highly recommend these titles to gamers of all ranges from occasional to avid because there’s a tutorial in the beginning with each title. This a very important element, helping whomever to just pick up a game stick and start right away. And, with that, Happy Gaming!