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New Assortment of The Walking Dead Minimates Coming to Toys“R”Us!

February 21, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

The fifth season of The Walking Deadrecently returned to television screens, and soon a new selection of The Walking Dead Minimates will arrive at Toys“R”Us with a vengeance! Based on the best-selling comic book by series creator Robert Kirkman, the latest figures from Diamond Select Toys include some of the comic’s most popular characters, as well as the line’s first fan-chosen figure!

Coming to Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and Toysrus.com in March, the new assortment features characters from the “All Out War” story arc featured in issues #115-126 of The Walking Dead, based on artwork by series artist Charlie Adlard. In the arc, Rick’s group teams up with other communities against the powerful Saviors group.

The assortment features four two-packs, each pairing a human character with a zombie. The human line-up includes:

Alexandria Rick Grimes – Living in the walled city of Alexandria with his fellow survivors, Rick leads the community to war against the Saviors. Rick comes packaged with a Balding Zombie.

Negan – Negan is the leader of the saviors, and enforces their draconian laws. He is deceptively polite, but has the potential for terrible violence. Negan comes with a gate-guarding Thug Zombie and his barbed-wire baseball bat Lucille.

Ezekiel – Ezekiel is the leader of the Kingdom, and plays the role of king with gusto. When Rick votes to stand against the Saviors, Ezekiel agrees. Ezekiel comes with a Mauled Zombie. Available exclusively at Toys“R”Us beginning in March.

Andrea – One of the few remaining members of Rick’s original group, Andrea has become an excellent shot, and is Alexandria’s resident zombie sniper. Andrea comes with the Prom Zombie, who was the winner of a poll conducted by the official The Walking Dead magazine to be the next zombie Minimate. Available exclusively at Toys“R”Us beginning in March.

Each 2-inch Minimates mini-figure features 14 points of articulation, as well as interchangeable parts and character-specific accessories. A companion assortment at comic shops will feature figures of supporting characters Jesus, Dwight, Chris, Derek and Holly.

Don’t forget to visit your local Toys“R”Us store or Toysrus.com in March to find your favorite characters from this latest assortment!

Jeff Lemire Article

February 20, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

By Steven Biscotti

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Alternative Mindz to conduct an interview with Jeff Lemire. It would be an understatement to say that I jumped at this opportunity – I leaped! Jeff Lemire is one of the hardest working and most talented of writers we have in the industry today. Not only has he written for Valiant and DC Comics, but he also has work for Marvel and Image. His upcoming title, “Descender” found Sony buying the rights for a film adaptation and is already one of the most highly anticipated releases for this year. “Descender” releases March 2015 and in our conversation, Mr. Jeff Lemire had more than enough to say about it to make this a book that you should immediately add to your pull list. Oh, and he has a little book about Marvel’s Hawkeye coming out this year too. Like I said, he’s one of the hardest working in the industry. Without further ado, here is Alternative Mindz candid discussion with Jeff Lemire.

Alt. Mindz: Hello, this is Steven with Alternative Mindz. Hello Jeff.

Jeff Lemire: Hey, how are you doing?

Alt. Mindz: I’m good. How are you?

Jeff Lemire: Good. Thanks.

Alt. Mindz: Thank you for speaking with us today and I just wanted to say, first and foremost, we really admire all of your work and this really means a lot that you’re taking the time to speak with us today.

Jeff Lemire: Oh, it’s my pleasure. I appreciate it.

Alt. Mindz: I’d like to say congratulations on “Trillium” being named one of the top ten graphic novels for teens. I think that’s an amazing accomplishment.

Jeff Lemire: Thank you very much. That was a nice surprise. Yeah.

Alt. Mindz: That really had me thinking about the changing tides of the comic industry and I was hoping we could speak about that. You’ve been in the business for quite some time and we’ve seen a clear signal that comic book writers are being respected in a way we have never really seen before. I’d like to get your thoughts on that.

Jeff Lemire: Yeah, I completely agree. When I was a kid growing up you would go to a bookstore and I remember being amazed the first time I ever saw a graphic novel in a regular bookstore, you know? I think it was probably ‘Dark Knight Returns’, ‘Batman; Year One’ back then in the mid 80’s. You would see ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Watchmen’ to really sort of break through to mainstream culture and start to get respect. Outside of comic book culture, with mainstream culture, now that was thirty years ago and in that time its changed so much to the point now that graphic novelists and comic book writers and artists are the vanguard. I think we’re really leading the way in putting original content out there, into the world that is challenging people and entertaining them in new ways. You could see Hollywood certainly following our lead now and that switch from this sort of ghettoized thing that was looked at as totally a children’s medium and now seen as, rightfully seen as, a leading popular art form, certainly seen as literature. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am and wouldn’t be able to have the career that I have doing the type of work that I do if it wasn’t for those thirty years of other people laying the ground work. Starting with Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Art Spiegelman and then running to people like Jeff Smith. I could just start listing all the great people that laid that foundation and earned that respect for us to be able to do what we do and be successful at it. Certainly for me I feel blessed that I came intro the industry ten years ago and it couldn’t be a better time to be doing what I’m doing. The kind of work that we’re doing is so strong now and comic book audiences have become so much more diverse and so much more knowledgeable that it allows someone like me to make a really good living doing what I love to do and I feel really, really blessed.

Alt. Mindz: I’m glad that you mentioned that writers/artists have become “the vanguard of original material” and I think that’s so clear with so much of your work. I’m sure it’s quite exciting when studios are having intense bidding wars over your material and knowing that your work will be what inspires the next group of artists. How does that feel to have a book [Descnder] that isn’t even out yet that already has so much attention?

Jeff Lemire: I think it speaks to what we’re talking about and the appetite for original material is really large right now both in Hollywood and in what Hollywood could turn into films because they’ve kind of run out of remaking all their films. Even for comics I feel like the appetite for original material is so strong right now with the rise of Image and BOOM and these other creator owned companies. I think you really see Marvel and DC struggling to maintain the readership because, and I try to say this as nicely as possible because I still work for some [of those companies] but you could only re-launch the same characters so many times, over so many years, before people start to turn towards wanting to see new ideas, which is why it’s a great time to be doing creator owned work. Speaking to the excitement around film adaptations and things like that, to be completely honest, it’s very nice and flattering to have these things happen for a financial point of view, and that’s certainly good as it allows me to do more creator owned stuff, but for me I don’t need my work to be turned into a film to feel validated or important. It’s the comic book that I feel is the most important thing and I know with Dustin [Ngyuen] and I creating “Descender” that the film option and [it being] essential that they developed it is not nearly as exciting as putting the comic book out every month, and letting that be what it is. I feel like that’s what we’re most passionate about and will remain most excited about.

Alt. Mindz: I agree with that. How far into “Descender” are you and Dustin at right now?

Jeff Lemire: Well I’ve written eight full scripts and that Dustin is on the third issue. I have the whole series really tightly plotted right through the end. Part of “Descender”, part of the nature of “Descender” is that there is a couple of big mysteries that are at the center of the story and a big mythology that I developed. I wanted to make sure I had the answer to all of those mysteries before we started the actual comic, I wanted to know where everything was going and that I had a satisfying solution to the answers to the big quetsions that we raised early on. I didn’t want to be scrambling near the end to sort of be trying to make sense of everything by throwing out cool ideas. I really spent a lot of time months before we ever wrote the first script, just developing the mythology and really plotting out the story from issue to issue to make sure it all tracts well. It’s pretty well developed and at this point it’s just a matter of me sitting down and making out those outlines and writing a script each month and I’m pretty far ahead. I’m well into the second arc and Dustin’s cruising along now on the third issue. The first issue took him a bit longer. It was an extra-sized first issue and just painting the whole thing and being a big science-fiction story dealing with so many different alien races and worlds, and all this technology that he sort of had to do a lot of design work on that first issue that now that it’s sort of established we’re feeling pretty comfortable with where we’re at.

Alt. Mindz: I really like the idea of how you’ve created this whole universe. I remember you had mentioned in a previous interview that you’ve created a bible of sorts governing your creations.

Jeff Lemire: That was part of all that pre-development ahead of time. I wanted to make sure I knew where everything was going. Dustin and I sort of mentioned that with the initial idea of “Descender” that he really wanted to draw a lot of different worlds and different environments; not just be stuck on the same planet all the time. To keep it fresh for him I kind of took that to heart and really tried to develop this whole solar system where the story takes places. To give each planet in the book that we’ll see a completely different feel and different environment with a different race and culture that obviously takes up a lot of time, but it was also partially by doing all that stuff it really allowed us to make the deal with Sony and not be bid on by all these different studios because I had done so much prep work that I could show them the complete story and this completely realized world before we even started the comics. So in the end it all paid off in that respect too.

Alt. Mindz: How long have you had the ideas for the worlds of “Descender” and the initial story?

Jeff Lemire: The initial idea for the story, I think could probably be traced back to a year ago. I would say I was coming off an exclusive at DC and in wanting to do more creator owned stuff “Descender” was one idea that just started to pop up. It was very general and a very big idea, but just had something to do with robots. In starting to talk with Dustin was when it really started to grow. I just tried to sit down and create a fully realized world with different planets and each planet having a different purpose and voice in the galaxy. It was really over the last year, but I think it was probably last Spring when I started to focus on “Descender.”

Alt. Mindz: It has a great unique flavor to it and I couldn’t be more excited to see fans pick up “Descender.” I’m happy to see that it’s with Image because they seem like a great company.

Jeff Lemire: Yeah, they’re great and from a business point of view they’re wonderful. The contracts that they have our very open and allow the creators to really control the property in every aspect from on the printed page to having Dustin and I to have full control over like what we ended up doing with the film rights and everything else – from a business point of view they’re really great. Right now, to be honest, all of my favorite comics are being published by Image and all my favorite creators are working at Image. It’s just a really exciting thing to be a part of this and it feels like a real golden age of creator owned comics right now being put out by them every month. Such a diverse library that they’re putting out every month, so many different kinds of books that they’re all so good and Dustin and I really wanted to be a part of that. It is exciting, you kind of feel like a family right now with people like Jamie McKelvie and Kieron Gillen “The Wicked and the Divine”, Jason and Jason with “Southern Bastards”, Brian K. Vaughan and Scott Snyder, and Kelly Sue DeConnick and all these other wonderful creators doing really special work right now so it’s great to be a part of it.

Alt. Mindz: I’d like to talk about “Hawkeye” before we finish. For people that haven’t read “Hawkeye” and may only be familiar with him through “The Avengers”, why would you recommend someone adding this to your pull list?

Jeff Lemire: Hawkeye was a very daunting book to take on just because of previous incarnations from Matt Fraction and David Aja and Andy Rucik that was so successful. Those guys really brought a very personal point of view to a superhero comic with their run on “Hawkeye.” It didn’t really feel like a super hero comic. It felt like a real sort of story of what a super hero would do in his time off living in Brooklyn. To see other stuff behind the scenes on his days off and it felt like a very personal book and I wanted to continue that but also put my own spin on it. I didn’t want to just repeat what they did so luckily I’m working with a great artist Ramon Perez, who’s a great cartoonist in his own right. I think we’ve really come up with a take on “Hawkeye” that’s as individual as what they had done but also very much our own. This book will really explore Hawkeye from a lot of different points of view. The narrative is sort of split 50/50 between Hawkeye now in the present day, his adventures as an Avenger and sort of with his partner/protégé King Bishop, the other Hawkeye and that will be split 50/50 with the story of Hawkeye’s childhood, him with his brother growing up in the circus and sort of seeing all the things that made him become Hawkeye so we’re sort of doing a duel narrative, switching back and forth and time jumping to make it quite unique. Ramon’s really developed a completely different visual style for both the present day and the past and it’ll be stunning visually for sure. I’m very excited about the book and it doesn’t feel like a superhero comic. It feels like an indie comic in a lot of ways . This is much less traditional superhero arcs and much more a character study of these great characters. It really does feel like one of my more of intimate projects for sure.

Alt. Mindz: Well, I’m really looking forward to seeing what you have in store for the fans. We’ll be sure to look out for you, bet it at Special Edition, SDCC, or NYCC because we’d love to shake your hand. Thank you again for spending some time with us.

Jeff Lemire: Thanks so much. Like I said I feel really blessed to be able to do the kind of things that I want to do and to have it be successful enough to have this as a living. To all the people that read and support the work, I’m very grateful.

New York Times Bestselling author Jeff Lemire is the writer and artist beind the acclaimed graphic novels SWEET TOOTH, Essex County, The Underwater Welder and the popular sci-fi love story, TRILLIUM. Jeff is also a prominent writer for DC Comics where he currently writes the monthly adventures of GREEN ARROW and JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED. He has also written the monthly adventures of ANIMAL MAN, SUPERBOY, JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, FRANKENSTEIN: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and THE ATOM.

In 2009 and in 2013 Jeff won the Schuster Award for Best Canadian Cartoonist. He has also won The Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent. He also won the American Library Association’s prestigious Alex Award, recognizing books for adults with specific teen appeal. He has also been nominated for 6 Eisner Awards, 5 Harvey Awards and 6 Shuster Awards. in 2010 Essex County was named as one of the five Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade. He currently lives and works in Toronto with his wife and son.

Marvel to Offer FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Spanish Language Translations

February 18, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

Marvel to Offer FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Spanish Language Translations
New York, NY—February 18^th, 2015— Marvel is already bringing the biggest heroes, the biggest creators and the biggest stories to FREE COMIC BOOK 2015. But for the first time ever, we’re bringing the excitement of Free Comic Book Day to Spanish-speaking Marvel fans. Today, we’re proud to announce that this May, Marvel’s stellar Free Comic Book Day stories will be available in a special freeSpanish Language Edition! Featuring a new cover by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw, three of this years can’t-miss Free Comic Book Day stories will be available together in one Spanish language comic.

“I’m thrilled to offer these Free Comic Book Day stories in Spanish the same day as their English language counterparts,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Making the stories we create more accessible and available to a wider audience is essential to the continued growth of the comic industry.”

Presenting Secret Wars #0, All-New, All-Different Avengers FCBD, and Uncanny Inhumans FCBD in Spanish, the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition will be available exclusively in comic shops on May 2nd – the same day as the English language FCBD titles.

“Free Comic Book Day is a chance for publishers to offer gateway stories that will keep fans coming back the rest of the year and beyond,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “By offering our Free Comic Book Day stories in Spanish for the first time ever, we’re committed to expanding our audience to one of the largest growing demographics.”
Working closely in conjunction with Marvel and Disney marketing departments, the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition represents the first effort in a renewed focus on expanding growth of Marvel Comics to an increasingly diverse audience.

Retailers: Check future Marvel Mailers for instructions on how to order the Free Comic Book Day 2015 Spanish Edition.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015 SPANISH EDITION

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN, CHARLES SOULE & TOP SECRET
Art by PAUL RENAUD, BRANDON PETERSON & TOP SECRET
Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
Coming May 2^nd

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit www.marvel.com © MARVEL 2015

The Simpsons 25th Anniversary Wave 5 Action Figures Revealed!

February 18, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

Hillside, NJ – February 18, 2015 –The National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA), an entertainment conglomerate and global leader in licensed consumer goods, in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, announced today the next line-up of celebrities as part of THE SIMPSONS exclusive “25 of the Greatest Guest Stars” program. The fifth installment of talent in this limited-edition boutique collection includes Matt Groening, Lenny Kravitz, Adam West, Stan Lee and Tom Petty. In addition, the fourth wave of celebrity figures and merchandise featuring Buzz Aldrin, Tom Jones, Elvis Costello, Weird Al and Aerosmith is now available at various retailers, including Toys“R”Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com, as well as Hastings.

The limited-edition boutique collection includes a diverse array of products including figures, collectibles and apparel featuring the animated likenesses of 25 of the most celebrated guest stars as they appeared on the show. This is the first time in THE SIMPSONS’ 25-year history that merchandise has been designed around celebrity guest stars like Hugh Hefner, James Brown, Yao Ming, Tom Hanks, Kid Rock, The Who, Britney Spears, Mark Hamill, Lucy Lawless, Penn and Teller, Bret Hart, Stephen King, Leonard Nimoy, R.E.M. and Tony Hawk.

The “25 of the Greatest Guest Stars” program launched in early 2014, with product roll-outs continuing throughout the year. New products will continue to be introduced every two to three months, featuring different groupings of guest stars, with limited quantities available at select retailers worldwide.

For more information about the “25 of the Greatest Guest Stars” program, visithttp://thesimpsons.necaonline.com.

About THE SIMPSONS
The longest-running scripted show in television history, THE SIMPSONS exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. Currently airing its record-annihilating 25th season, THE SIMPSONS has won 31 Emmy Awards was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012 for the theatrical short “The Longest Daycare.” They have been the subject of a hit feature film, created a revolutionary virtual coaster ride at Universal Studios, received a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame and been honored with five U.S. postal stamps personally designed by Matt Groening. Named the “Best Show of the 20th Century” by Time Magazine, THE SIMPSONS was also named “Greatest American Sitcom” by Entertainment Weekly in 2013.

On August 21, 2014, FX Networks’ channel FXX kicked off an exclusive cable run with a record-breaking 12-day, 552-episode marathon of THE SIMPSONS, airing all 25 seasons of THE SIMPSONS in sequential order with THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. The marathon catapulted FXX to the number-one ranking in cable in key young adult demos on numerous nights of the marathon. In October of 2014, FX Networks will launch SIMPSONS WORLD, a technologically groundbreaking non-linear digital platform for every episode of THE SIMPSONS available through its FXNOW app.

THE SIMPSONS is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the Executive Producers. The Gracie Films Worldwide Brand Division develops and produces the licensed content for the series. Film Roman, a Starz Company, is the animation house.

About Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products
A division of 21st Century Fox and recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, the flagship studio leading the industry in supplying award-winning and blockbuster primetime television programming and entertainment content.

About NECA
National Entertainment Collectibles Association Inc. is a media and entertainment company operating in the United States and internationally, with three segments: Consumer Products, Filmed Entertainment and Online Retail/Digital Distribution. NECA is the leading designer, marketer, and worldwide distributor of licensed entertainment consumer goods based on some of the world’s most established and beloved properties, providing products across all consumer categories and distribution channels. Together, NECA’s divisions provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution to elevate each property, maximizing exposure and reach, while protecting the vision of the creator. As a result of NECA’s singular passion and reverence for the intellectual property backing its products, some of this generation’s most recognized content creators enjoy working with NECA, allowing us to help bring their vision to their audience. For additional information, visitwww.necaonline.com.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain-What do we know so far about the story?

February 17, 2015Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

It has been over one year since the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and fans including myself are anxious for the release of MGS5: The Phantom Pain. This game has been in development for about 4 years now and the release is coming sometime this year for the PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. For this entry, I will explain what we know about the story and characters so far based on trailers and interviews from the Metal Gear creator himself, Hideo Kojima.

SETTING.

The theme for this game is “Race and Revenge” as with the story touching upon the misunderstanding, prejudice, hatred, and conflict caused by the difference of language, race, custom, culture, and preference.

Kojima set out to depict the damage present in all returning soldiers in The Phantom Pain. Physical injuries such as the loss of limbs, and emotional wounds created through the loss of comrades and loved ones will all be part of this theme of pain. Kojima said that having his characters lose limbs is one way to depict the pain they carry.

This game follows up from the ending of Ground Zeroes where MSF (Militaires Sans Frontières. Big Boss’ private military company) has been under attack by XOF due to an Trojan Horse Operation carried out by SkullFace. Once Big Boss saved Kaz Miller and escaped from their base which was under destruction, Paz (who was rescued hours before) revealed that there was a second bomb inside of her. She then jumped out of the chopper but unfortunately, she jumped out too late before the bomb exploded, sending it careening into a pursuing XOF chopper. Since after that scene faded to black, we are not sure what happens next but we do know that in the hospital near by when Big Boss, Kaz and a third patient are treated in a nearby hospital and Big Boss fell into a coma.

9 years later (keep in mind that this game takes place in 1984. This is the sequel to Ground Zeroes and that took place in 1975 and the prequel to the very first Metal Gear which took place in 1995), Big Boss Awakens from his coma and the doctor informed him about how long he has been there. Also, Big Boss’ left arm is missing and replaced with a prosthetic hook and he has a shrapnel debris on the right side of his head. Later that night, The hospital is attacked by XOF where they also killed many patients. A patient going by the name of Ishmael aids Big Boss with his escape since he is way too weak and his muscles atrophied. During the escape, we see a young Psycho Mantis, a ghostly flaming figure of Volgin from MGS3, a flaming whale and more. After some time, Ocelot appears and rescued Big Boss as they escaped the area.

A number of days later with recovery included, it s time for Big Boss to go on his first mission and it is at Afghanistan. Kaz Millier has been held hostage for 10 days Prior to Big Boss awakening up from his coma. his mission is to rescue him within 3 days and leave the area. While all of this is going on, a new unit formed between a Big Boss, Kaz and Ocelot and it is named Dianond Dogs. It’s purpose is to take back revenge to Cipher/The Patriots to what happened 9 years ago and for soldiers to have a home without any control of Cipher or any government. This is all we know about the story for now so I am glad that Hideo Kojima is not spoiling too much.

LOCATIONS

Since this will be a first for the Metal Gear series to be an open world stealth action game, the maps in the game will be much larger than any other Metal Gear game to date. Troy Baker who is doing the voice acting for Ocelot, recently stated in an interview that the game’s very larger scale and map size is much bigger than the highly popular open world RPG game Skyrim. The comfirmed locations where the story and missions will take place at will be in Cyprus, Afghanistan and Africa.

In the Metal Gear series, Hideo Kojima has always used real life events in his fictional universe. For example, the hospital escape sequence and attack is a reference to the Princess Mary hospital attack/suicide bombing that happened in Cyprus in 1983. Between 1979-1989, the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan took place and in this game, most of the areas on the Afghanistan location are under Soviet control. The location of Africa, we know a few things that happened in that time period such as the Mozambique Civil War. There are also child soldiers in this game being shown that they are participating in the war.

And finally, Outer Heaven, Big Boss’ military nation in which we first found out in the very first Metal Gear, is located in South Africa so this game may possibly introduce us to the creation of Outer Heaven.

CHARACTERS

Big Boss/Venom Snake (Voiced by Kiefer Sutherland)

Once a legend and an enemy to others, Big Boss is back and is ready too take back revenge against Cipher for what they did to him 9 years ago. He is no longer the same person he once was anymore as he is deprived with nothing but hate and pain. He leads the new unit Diamond Dogs as his quest for revenge begins. Nobody is sure about how he lost his left arm and how that debris got on his head but we will sure find out once we play the game for ourselves. He will stop at nothing whether if his actions are for good or for bad. Pretty much, he is turning into the main antagonist against America in the first Metal Gear.

OCELOT (Voiced by Troy Baker)

A triple spy, agent for Cipher/The Patriots and someone who idolized Big Boss since the 1960’s, Ocelot returns in this game. Ocelot is also on Big Boss’ side for the quest for revenge but we don’t know why. We however, do know that in the beginning of the Soviet Invasion, It was during this time that he became feared amongst the mujahideen as a sadist, for which they named him “Shalashaska.” At some point, he also ended up working in the Soviet Union’s concentration camps as a special torture advisor. Ocelot also joined the Diamond Dogs unit as he became the interrogation specialist and the weapons trainer for the soldiers.

KAZ MILLER (Voiced by Robin Atkin Downes)

Kaz is more hell bent on revenge more than both Big Boss and Ocelot. I would be too if I’ve lost my unit, been captured by the Soviets, tortured and lose my arm and leg. He is also the sub-commander for Diamond Dogs but unlike when he was the sub-commander for MSF, he shows no mercy and does not hold back on his anger. The Developers of the game stated that Kaz this time around will be unpredictable so I am looking forward to seeing how darker they will take the character’s direction.

QUIET ( Voiced and motion capture by Stefanie Joosten)

There is only a few things we know about this mute sniper.

She cannot talk but can make sounds.
She has special abilities.
Ocelot tortured her for reasons unknown as of right now.
As stated by the developers, there is a reason she does not have on a lot of clothes but we will have to find out once the game releases.

SKULLFACE (Voiced by James Horan)

The man and leader of XOF who caused the destruction (under Cipher’s orders) of MSF 9 years ago, is here again. There is a lot we know about SkullFace we know since Ground Zeroes but there is a lot more we need to know in this game. One of the most important things that we need to find out is when and where did him and Big Boss meet before since he said in one of the recording files to Chico that “me and your Boss go way back”. what will be his motives in this game and at the near end of the E3 2014 trailer for this game, we see him and Big Boss in the same location where a Metal Gear is. Will he side with Big Boss in this game or will he not? I consider him the Joker of the Metal Gear series as his torture audio files in Ground Zeroes makes him one of the most convincing villains in the series for a long time.

ELI (Voiced by Piers Stubbs)

Another character we do not know too much about besides the few scenes we have seen him in the recent trailers. Many fans including myself may think this kid is the Young Liquid Snake (Big Boss was cloned by a project which caused him to have 3 sons in 1972. Solid, Liquid and Solidus Snake). He looks very similar to him, he was in Afghanistan in the 1980’s, and the bible reference where David ( Solid Snake’s real name) was the superior son while Eli was the inferior. There are many more theories to back this up that Eli is liquid Snake since his real name went classified for so many years until maybe now.

HUEY EMMERICH (Voiced by Christopher Randolph)

The father of Hal “Otacon” Emmerich. Huey is suspected that he was the sole person that lead to the destruction of MSF but there are also other theories to why Ocelot and Kaz tortured him. We also do know that he is not in a wheelchair no more as he now uses bipedal legs to help him walk.

There are many more characters that we do not know yet and I have not explained such as Ishmael, Psycho Mantis, Code Talker and more but their bios has not been fully explained yet but again, I am glad that Hideo Kojima is not spoiling way too much. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain should be released sometime in 2015. Next month, I will cover the gameplay and multiplayer aspect of the game.

follow me @julianexcalibur

Movie Reviews: 50 Shades Of Grey

February 15, 2015Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

Let’s get this out of the way—those going into Fifty Shades Of Grey expecting an erotic experience are going to be disappointed. The sex scenes are all tastefully shot and, save for the much-ballyhooed BDSM trappings, not especially provocative. (The French were right on this one.) But even if the film were NC-17-level explicit, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference. Leads Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, both of whom spend the majority of the film supposedly desperately longing for each other, have so little chemistry that it gives the sexy goings-on a rather clinical feel.

Hardcore fans of the book may also be disappointed. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who reportedly clashed with author E.L. James over nearly every aspect of the film, brings an arch, irreverent take to the story that makes Fifty Shades Of Grey occasionally resemble the American Psycho of mommy porn. The film benefits greatly from discarding the authorial voice of the book (Anastasia Steele’s inner goddess remains silent, thank God), and where James’ frankly embarrassing dialogue does come through, it’s played for laughs. (There are no “holy crap”s, but there is one “holy cow.”) Ostensibly erotic moments, like a stolen kiss in an elevator, come with a punchline, reinforcing the notion that Taylor-Johnson doesn’t want us to take all this swooning romantic nonsense at face value. It’s got a Danny Elfman score, for god’s sake.

However, somewhere around the first sex scene the winking self-awareness begins to recede, and to its detriment, Fifty Shades Of Grey starts taking itself seriously. By the time we actually get to the light BDSM—images of women bound with rope that Ana finds horrifying are more Helmut Newton than Kink.com—the 125-minute running time begins itself to feel like a punishment. That’s also when Taylor-Johnson begins trying to shoehorn a feminist message about sexual agency into what is essentially a fairy tale with MacBook Pros (suave billionaire prince comes to sweep ordinary girl off her feet and tell her she’s special). The results are mixed—it’s more empowering than the book, though that’s not saying much—but you can’t fault her for trying.

Another aspect of the film that might be subversive, provided it was intentional, is Dornan’s performance as 27-year-old billionaire and kinky Prince Charming Christian Grey. Dornan appears to have mistaken lack of affect for mystery, and despite his assertion that he’s “50 shades of f***** up,” he has about three shades, four at best. The character’s creepier, more abusive tendencies, while impossible to remove entirely (can we just mention that he tracks Ana’s location by tracing her phone?), are downplayed, and Christian functions as a sort of well-dressed Wikipedia article about BDSM onto which Ana can project her inner conflict. The Fetlife crowd is right to object to the book’s (and film’s) continued insistence that Christian is kinky because he was abused as a child—somehow his protestations of “It’s just the way I am!” never quite stick—but the cinematic Christian Grey is too toothless to really be threatening.

Dakota Johnson, on the other hand, is the unexpected highlight of the film. She gives Ana a strength of personality that’s lacking in the book, subtly transforming the character from a breathy house-mouse who never makes eye contact into a glamorous, intelligent woman who knows what she wants and has no problem articulating it. The story begins when Ana visits Christian’s office to interview him for her college newspaper, a meeting that wouldn’t have happened if Ana’s roommate were not sick that day. Charmed by her shyness, Christian begins aggressively pursuing Ana, showing up unannounced at her workplace and at the bar where she drunk dials him one sodden night after her final exams. In the book, he maintains dominance throughout, pressuring her to sign an (unrealistic) D/s contract that will make her “his.” One telling change between the book and the film is in the negotiation of the contract between Christian and Ana; a dinner scene where Ana struggles to maintain composure is replaced by a playful “business meeting” proposed and controlled by Ana. She’s stringing him along, not the other way around.

These aspects of the film—making the hot guy (the ostensible draw) the most boring part of the movie while imbuing the female lead with personality, presenting the submissive as the partner truly in control of the situation—could be seen as subversive. They might even be empowering, as much as a story about a woman’s desire to fix a damaged man with the power of love can be. And we’ll see if Fifty Shades Of Grey is the subject of revisionist think pieces in the decades to come. It certainly won’t be remembered for its technical merits, as Taylor-Johnson has crafted a bland, slickly unexceptional-looking film with a soundtrack of cover songs as empty as the echoing expanse of Christian Grey’s high-rise.

The answers to these questions might lie in the ending of the film, which Taylor-Johnson wanted to change from James’ version. (Plot revelations ahead, obviously.) In the film, Ana runs out of Christian’s apartment after he finally, at Ana’s request, shows her the true extent of his sadism. He runs after her, and as the doors of the elevator close, she turns and yells “Stop!”, which turns into an exchange of pleasantries echoing their initial meeting. Taylor-Johnson wanted to change Ana’s assertion to “Red!”, their agreed-upon safe word. It might seem like a small change, but think about that for a minute. In Taylor-Johnson’s version, Ana knows this is all a game, and she can end it at any time. In James’ version, Ana is still in thrall to Christian, a more romantic and, not insignificantly, sequel-friendly version of events. In the end, James won the argument, and the movie stayed true to her vision. Maybe that’s why it fails.

I give this film a 1.5/10. Watching this was like watching The Undertaker lose at WrestleMania to AJ Styles. I would rather take a bad episode of WWE Monday Night Raw than this.

Follow me @julianexcalibur

Lego and DC Comics Presents: Justice League vs Bizarro Justice League

February 13, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

In what can only be called a giant in the children’s world, Lego has dominated the world. Their crossover into the realms of licensed properties and the establishment of a film and video game empire has made Lego a global phenomenon and much more then interlocking blocks.

Enter Justice league vs Bizarro Justice League, another smash hit for the team that once again has our old established heroes microsized and absolutely adorable.

The story centers around Bizarro Superman, who (if you ask my 3 year old) steals the show. Bizarro tries in vane to help the city of Metropolis but ends up reaking havoc, forcing Superman to trick Bizarro into going to another world. Of course, things in the DC Universe aren’t as simple as that.

What happens next, I will ask you to find out by watching the film yourselves. It’s fast-paced and funny, a film for the whole family.

There are two distinct reasons to buy the BluRay: first is the gag reel.
The gag real arguably is almost as, if not funnier than, the film. Second is the inclusion of the exclusive Bizarro Batman mini figure.

I give this film a solid 3.5/5. Your kids will love it and you will too.

Kotobukiya official image of Age of Ultron Hulk vs Ironman

February 12, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

TRANSFORMERS: Robots in DisguiseSpecial Primetime Premiere Airs Saturday, March 14 on Cartoon Network

February 12, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

TRANSFORMERS: Robots in DisguiseSpecial Primetime Premiere Airs Saturday, March 14 on Cartoon Network

Bumblebee Takes the Spotlight in an All-New Animated Series from Hasbro Studios

Cartoon Network will unleash transformers: Robots in Disguise on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. (ET/PT) with a special one-hour premiere event. The latest installment in the iconic franchise features an all new animation style, and builds upon the lore of the iconic Transformers franchise filled with great humor and lots of fun adventure for fans of all ages.

The new series begins as Bumblebee must step up to be a leader in the years after we left the Autobots in Transformers Prime. Summoned by Optimus Prime to save Earth from a new Decepticon threat, Bumblebee puts his lighthearted mettle to the test after assembling a rogue team of young Autobot action heroes. Bumblebee must balance his job fighting off evil with being equal parts squad leader and coach to a rascally band that needs constant coaxing to learn how to work together. The results are comical when the cool rebel Sideswipe, elite guard cadet Strongarm, bombastic dinobot Grimlock and overly-excited mini-con Fixit must balance keeping the team together with chasing and capturing their new enemies in every episode packed full of action, fun and adventure.

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is the #1 U.S. television network in prime among boys 6-11 & 9-14. Currently seen in 96 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in Emmy-winning original and acquired entertainment for kids and families, along with industry-leading digital apps and online games and pro-social initiatives such as the award-winning Stop Bullying: Speak Up campaign.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About Hasbro Studios

Hasbro Studios is responsible for entertainment brand-driven storytelling for Hasbro across television, film, commercial productions and short-form content. It develops, produces and distributes TV shows based on Hasbro’s world class brands, including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and FAMILY GAME NIGHT. Many of these shows air on Discovery Family Channel and on networks in more than 180 territories globally. Since its formation in 2009, the studio has received nine Daytime Emmy wins.

On the film side, the studio has developed and produced a number of features based on Hasbro’s brands. In addition to partnering with leading studios, the Company intends to make movies based on new and existing Hasbro brands for audiences globally through the Allspark Pictures film label. Films in development or planned for release, include OUIJA (Universal), CANDY LAND (Sony), G.I. JOE 3 (Paramount), JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS (Universal & Allspark Pictures), MAGIC: THE GATHERING (21st Century Fox) and an animated featured based on MY LITTLE PONY (Allspark Pictures).

DC COLLECTIBLES UNVEILS 2015 LINE-UP

February 12, 2015Rob Leave a Comment

DC COLLECTIBLES UNVEILS 2015 LINE-UP INCLUDING NEW ACTION FIGURES FROM HIT TV SERIES “ARROW” & “THE FLASH” AND AN ALL-NEW DC COMICS “ICONS” ACTION FIGURE LINE AHEAD OF NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR

First-Ever Batmobile Scaled for 6’’ Action Figures Inspired by Batman: The Animated Series Set to Debut in 2015

Burbank, Calif. – February 12, 2015 – DC Collectibles, the exclusive line of toy and collector items from DC Entertainment, will showcase its new 2015 action figures, statues and lifestyle products at the 112^thNorth American International Toy Fair in New York City. This year’s lineup will feature a wide variety of television products including action figures and other collector items from Warner Bros. Television’s critically acclaimed Arrow, The Flash, Gotham andConstantine television shows. DC Collectibles will also introduce a new 6’’action figure line called “DC Comics ‘Icons’” based on the art style of world-renowned comic artist, Ivan Reis.

“2015 is going to be another groundbreaking year for DC Collectibles,” said Geoff Johns, chief creative officer of DC Entertainment. “#DCTV has exploded and so we’re following suit with figures and props. Also our new ‘Icons’ action figure line will be a new core universe of heroes and villains led creatively by the great Ivan Reis.”

“Being part of this project is a great honor,” said artist Ivan Reis. “Knowing the ‘Icons’ action figures will be based on my art adds a new level of inspiration to my work. I was also thrilled to learn this series will feature many classic versions of the characters that were part of my childhood.”

DC Collectibles will also expand its best-sellingBatman: The Animated Series line with a fifth wave of action figures and new product inspired by Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. In addition, DC Collectibles will also debut their first-ever 6’’ scale Batmobile from Warner Bros. Animation’s Batman: The Animated Series, which will feature light, slide-able door access and room for two 6’’ action figures.

“Of the new figures from our Batman: The Animated Series line, we really expect fans to go crazy over the one-of-a-kind Batmobile. There has never been a Batmobile based off the series in this scale before, and we are very excited to be the first,” said Kevin Kiniry, Vice President, Creative Services at DC Entertainment.

Other new products scheduled for 2015 include additions to the DC Comics Prop Replica Lifestyle line, new statues from the highly popular DC Comics Bombshells and Covergirl series, and a new Batman: Black & White statue based on the original Harley Quinn concept art by Paul Dini. There will also be additions to the DC Comics Super Hero Bust Line and Superman: Man of Steel statue line.

DC Collectibles 2015 slate of new product include:

TV Series Action Figures from The Flash andArrow:

· Arrow: Felicity, Diggle, Arsenal

· The Flash: Captain Cold

DC Comics Props:

· The Flash TV show Reverse-Flash Ring Replica

· Doctor Fate Helmet Replica fromConstantine

NEW LINE – DC Comics Icons 6’’Action Figures:

· Wave 1: Deadman, Green Arrow, Batman, Mister Miracle

· Wave 2: The Flash, Black Adam, Blue Beetle, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) Deluxe Figure

· Wave 3: Superman, Aquaman, Harley Quinn, Atomica

Batman: The Animated Series:

· Wave 5 Action Figures: Mad Hatter, Bane, Nightwing, Scarecrow

· Batmobile (large enough to seat companion action figures in vehicle)

· Batman: The Animated Movie: Mask of The Phantasm (2 pack)

DC Comics Bombshells Statues:

· Batwoman

· Catwoman

· The Joker & Harley Quinn

DC Comics Cover Girl Statues:

· Red Lantern Bleez

Batman: Black & White Statue:

· Harley Quinn Designed by Paul Dini (based on his original Harley concept)

DC Super Pets Plush

· Krypto

· Dex-Starr

· Hoppy

· Streaky

DC Comics Super Heroes Busts:

· Catwoman

· Deadshot

Large Scale Statues:

· Gotham City Garage: Harley Quinn Statue

Superman: Man of Steel Statues:

· John Romita Jr.

· Cully Hamner

· Darwyn Cooke

About DC Entertainment:

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.