Blue Nexus #9--The Calm

            Kyle thought it was bad when he could only think about Brenda regarding the mystery surrounding her, like who she was and where she was from. But now, three days after fighting a battle with her—a battle in which she saved his life way more than just once—he couldn’t get her off his mind in that he wanted to be at her side all the time. Sometimes he had the urge to fight alongside her, given how exciting that was, but most of the time it was just to be with her, to hear her speak and to have fun.

Arrow "The Magician" Review

FULL SPOILERS FOR EPISODE

So this week on Arrow a lot happened but then again we're left with the same burning question of "Who the heck killed Sara?" Another suspect has been knocked off the list and now I honestly have no idea who was the one behind it. I mean, I'm pretty sure we're all out of big-time archers in DC, especially in Green Arrow lore.

Batman: Death of the Family Review

Not to be confused with the "Death in the Family" from some decades ago, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's 2012 "Death of the Family" Batman story is sure to go down as one of the best, perhaps even the best, Joker story of all time, up there with the likes of the aforementioned story, "The Killing Joke," and others. It was the introduction of Mr. J into DC's New 52 and boy was it one to be reckoned with, affecting not only Batman but all of the members of the Bat-Family including their associates, such as Red Hood's Outlaws and Red Robin's Teen Titans at the time.

The Flash "Going Rogue" Review

This week introduced to us not only the expansion of The Flash's universe but also added a bit of a tension to Team Flash as Cisco was doing some pretty smart, yet perceived dumb, things. I'll get to my thoughts on it as we dig into the episode.

By far the best part of the week was Emily Bett Rickards, aka Felicity Smoak of Arrow, being on as a guest. She brought all of her positive energy on Arrow, that juxtaposes with the gloom of Oliver, and it meshed very well with Barry Allen. It showed once again how perfect the two are for each other.

Hellsing Ultimate Review

So you know how some people are all "vampires are sparkly and shiny" or "vampires suck" or "blah-blah-monsters-are-dumb?" Well...

THIS ISN'T THE SHOW FOR THEM.

I can't explain to you how just...gruesome this show gets. It breaks every boundary. It just doesn't stop. It's extremely violent, full of gore and guns, and features one of the greatest characters ever--with my favorite voice actor attached in the English dub, no less--in just how much his sheer awesomeness constantly overwhelms the screen. Not only that, but he's probably the most over-powered character in all anime as he cannot die, even after he's been lit up like the fourth of July in bullets.

Is Halloween Still Scary?

This may be because I'm grown up, or it may be because of culture, but, I've come to notice something around this time of year. Halloween used to be about the ghouls and monsters. It used to be about going out at night to either gather in celebration dressed in our best (or most rushed, in my case) costume. It used to be about the fear.

Now, well, all I see is parody. Obviously there are the likes of the "Scary Movie" series, which are horrendous. But, the parody I'm talking about is unintentional. It's laughably bad horror, it's cheap, it's...gimmicky.

There may be but one exception to this and it's Cabin in the Woods, which is a horror movie that doesn't really serve as a horror movie but rather as a deconstruction of the horror genre.

'Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds" Review

I know that I'm a significant minority here, but I wasn't the greatest fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. It was cool, with a lot of throwbacks to the previous show, and had pretty cool archetypes (Elemental Heroes, Cyber-, Destiny Heroes, etc.) But, it was during this time that I decided to take a break from Yu-Gi-Oh!, both the TV show and card game. It just wasn't interesting my middle school mind anymore, not like the original series entertained my young elementary school imagination. Because...Dartz and stuff. That was cool.

So one morning, at around seven or so, on a random Saturday, I decided to check out Cartoon Network, see what was going on. And to my surprise...

CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES. 

Halloween Story teaser/excerpt/opening/stuff

So every year I at least try to write a story that deals with Halloween, be it characters or themes, as well as Christmas. Well after several years of running out of time, I finally finished one last year on time! This year, the process is running a lot smoother, and even though I'm not halfway done yet, I feel pretty good about where I am and that I'll finish it by next Friday (spooky spooky ghost puppet make-up day). With that said, I figured I'd drop the first few pages of the story for this year here, because I have a blog and can do that now. Hooray for opportunity. If you're interested in reading the story, leave a comment (or if you know me...tell me or something) and I can figure out somehow to get it to you. If not, then, enjoy this little excerpt anyway! Also don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@seanovan13) and Instagram (@seanovan10) for updates on when I upload!

The 100: "The 48" Review

One of the most underrated shows on television is back, finally! After leaving many threads untied and ending on quite the cliffhanger, the CW's The 100 returns in its next exciting chapter. And I mean, there's a lot to look forward to.

No more are we split between the Ark and the Earth. With the Kane-led Ark...people...on the ground, now we have two factions on the ground. And, of course, our continuing separate romance with Octavia and ya boy Lincoln. It seems that each significant leader now has their own group to take charge in and show what made them rise through the ranks in season one.

Age of Ultron Trailer 1 Thoughts

Comic-Con 2014 brought with it tons and tons of promotional footage. Photos had been leaked from the set, and everyday it seemed we were learning where Earth's Mightiest Heroees were shooting their next flick. Well, now we get a glimpse into their next big fight.

And they are SO DEAD.

Blue Nexus #8--I Will Fight

            “You promised me a dead super, and when you have his friends backed into a corner and manage to lead him on a wild goose chase still you cannot kill a boy!” shouted Dr. Boomer. Dr. Luna was leaning against Boomer’s desk, her chest puffed out as she had her arms crossed in front of her. Standing in the shadow once again was Gargador, only this time much less prideful. He was still sustaining the injuries taken in the battle against the red woman and Blue Nexus.

Arrow "Corto Maltese" Review

Alright so basically Laurel gets her butt kicked, Thea is Mia Dearden, and NYSSA!!!

See you guys next week.

Nah just kidding, I'll review this episode. But really if you just want the skeleton of it, the first sentence sums things up pretty well. Oh, and A.R.G.U.S. is in it because aren't they in everything?

The Flash "Things You Can't Outrun" Review

Well is Future Barry calling it right now.

I won't even bother with the excuse that this review is going up later than usual because I wanted to wait for the West Coast because if I really were to wait for that then I would be up until midnight and really folks I'm not feeling it on Tuesdays. But, I mean...it's still here?

This episode follows the Arrow Season 1 formula of having a villain per week but at least this show isn't riddling them with arrows in the chest. Well, I mean, they've died but at least they're in a safe prison beneath some scientists. That's a good idea, right?

Nah.

"Attack on Titan: Junior High" Vol. 1 Review

Ever want to imagine some of the most serious and intense human beings on television in cute little nugget-sized forms? Well, now you can!

Attack on Titan Junior High is a parody manga based on the vastly popular Attack on Titan manga series. If you're familiar enough with the story, you'll see quickly just how related the two are. The stories are the same basically have the same layout. Of course it's not nearly as serious and the Titans don't eat people at all, in fact you pretty much forget they're there until, well, they're there.

"Sonic Heroes" Review

There are just some silly games that you look on your shelf and realize, "You know, I had a lot of fun playing this when I was a kid. How's it hold up?" And it usually doesn't, but it's still fun to play for the nostalgia factor. One such game, for me, is Sonic Heroes, a Sonic game of course that features almost every Sonic character ever in one game to take on...well...someone. The real villain is a spoiler but there are some hints of who it is throughout the game as you progress.

Is it a good game? Yeah, it's good, not great. It's not one of the premiere video-games of the original X-Box generation but like I said, it's just a silly little game to play if you've got an X-Box or X-Box 360, or PS2. Or Gamecube/ Wii.

Blue Nexus #7--Of Aberrants and Aliens

            Everything seemed to be a dream following the kiss. There were but flashes of moments that he did things, end all else was a simple repeated memory of the moment. It was embedded in his mind so much that he wondered if it were programmed in him now. It wasn’t his first kiss so it didn’t hold too much value, but, ever since, he could think of but that one moment and that one person.

            Brenda, the apparent alien who could summon red force-fields and that had escaped slavery, simply swooped into his life, fought off a Demi-War God, and then kissed Kyle and left. He tried and tried to think of why she would do all this, and he wanted a decent explanation to it all.

Arrow "Sara" Review

As you who read last week may well know I kinda sorta flipped out over the reveal that Komodo was in this episode. Given the fact that he is my all-time favorite Green Arrow villain, as well as a favorite DC Comics villain in general, I had good reason to hype this episode up. Now, I know Arrow and how it tends to underplay its villains sometimes, so I figured that even if he was just a one-time deal, I wasn't going to complain and let it slide. I even considered the possibility of them killing him, and came to terms with that. It's happened before, you know?

Avengers + X-Men: AXIS #1

This makes, what, three event comics in 2014 alone from Marvel? Jeez, they really like these crossover events. But this one was supposed to be the biggie. Several books have already been announced to spin out of it, and it's supposed to change the face of the Marvel Universe as we know it. And if you're a Spider-Man fan, then it's double the fun because you also get Spider-Verse.

So much is going on that the main question remains: is it worth reading? Well lucky for you...I'm reading it, so I'll review it and let you know how the first issue went. Before getting started, I'll go ahead and say it's pretty cool and has a decently interesting concept: Red Skull is a psychic giant that's able to turn heroes against each other. In a way, it's similar to Original Sin, and we'll see an example of that in a moment.

The Flash "Fastest Man Alive" Review

Episode 2 was just kind of the same things that we saw in Episode 1, only, this time we were given more of a reason to feel for Detective West rather than see him as just a surrogate father figure for our super-hero. He defined his role in Barry's life and really had some emotional moments with the new super-hero.

MCU Civil War...heh?

Alright, look, let's be real here. The 2006 Civil War story was a pretty divisive story in more than just the context of the story. The fanbase is very split on its feelings about it, either loving it or hating it. Me? I kinda fall in the middle. The concept is interesting, sure. Splitting a team down the middle over a pretty intense issue.

The reason for it all is what kind of gets me. Forcing super-heroes to unmask takes away the main reason that they are a super-hero, and making them members of the government workforce, essentially, makes them agents of the FBI. On the other hand, forcing heroes like Captain America to become rogue is something that was kind of strange. It is good to see him stick to his guns but to see everyone else turn against him was pretty brutal.

Blue Nexus #6--The Red Woman

       
 “You want me to do what?” Mira asked.

            “Look for the g—guy—damn it this hurts—who hit me big time on Saturday, the sketchy dude, the cops are looking for him,” Kyle repeated over the phone.

            “Well you’re in luck that I’m at the mall, I’ll keep an eye out for him. Should I call the police or call you?”

            “I’m with Detective Patton right now, so you can just call me, it’ll be quicker and we’ll already know where you are,” Kyle said, nodding to Kip and Luke, who were the only people with him. They were standing at the entrance of the school.

Arrow "The Calm" Review

The CW's Arrow is finally back for the much anticipated Season 3 and while it does deliver and meet the hype, it's also a very slow episode. The title tells no lies, it is a very calming episode throughout most of it. In fact, I was getting pretty positive vibes the first ten minutes or so, which is impressive and unprecedented for any episode of the show. Oliver doesn't smile!

Five months separate the final battle with Slade and the entry of Ray Palmer, so it's a pretty decent amount of time. Also, interestingly enough, five months also separate where we left Oliver entering Hong Kong in the flashbacks to his continual escapes. He hasn't changed much appearance wise but is able to show off that two years separated from the playboy life has given him expert fighting abilities...as well as the ability to apparently access Chinese email websites while being chased. Huh.

Green Arrow #35 Review

Remember last week how I totally said next up was Wolverine #50? Ha! I lied/ misread my calendar. That comic was going to be for next week, until I decided to review AXIS #1 because new Marvel event comic just two months after "Original Sin"...yay!...?

So here we are with the good ol' Green Arrow again, but this time, there is a solid reason for it! The CW's Arrow premieres it's third season tonight, so reviewing a Green Arrow comic was a must. But which one?

The Flash "Pilot" Review

Finally! After what feels like an eternity, I'm back to reviewing TV show episodes the day of! Though not back in full-swing yet, as Arrow and The 100 have yet to return, we are starting off with one of the most anticipated shows of not just the season, but the whole year: the CW's The Flash.

I didn't watch the pilot when it was leaked online because, then, reviewing it just after seeing it wouldn't be as fun, would it? I don't mind waiting for the show, particularly because it builds the anticipation. I'm not knocking the people that watched it early, part of me does indeed wish I did, but I didn't mind waiting for it. Because it was well worth the wait...but I think people need to slow down the hype train.

How to Transition to Anime

Many of us who were actually allowed to watch Saturday evening cartoons eventually got the opportunity to watch anime in some form or another. When I was growing up, Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, the 4Kids dub of One Piece, Yu-Yu Hakusho, and many other shows were at our disposal to watch. Unlike most cartoons, these were fairly serious, contained heavy action and story elements, were sometimes creepy (looking at you, Orochimaru), and had blood in them...blood that was not colored out in a remastered edition.

Top 10 Favorite TV Shows

It's a topic I've wanted to discuss for a long, long time. Probably ever since I created that Top Ten Comic Book Movies list (which you can read here). I would say it's the hardest list for me to come up with, but, actually, that falls under the movie category. So if you ever see that, prepare your popcorn!

Okay how many readers did I lose with that pun?

Still here?

Then let's move onward!

Blue Nexus #5--Damaged Not Broken

       
  The trainer taped an ice-pack to him, Mira helping him breathe as she did so while Brian stood by the door and watched, and even Sandy managed to make it over somehow. He wondered how the rest of the game was going, or if the boys were able to mount a comeback or if the loss of Brian and Kyle had been just too much.

            The trainer told him it would take around three to six weeks to heal and that he should probably keep the ice-pack on him for the rest of the day, and that he was definitely out. The news of his status forced Brian to sigh and look away in disappointment. Kyle wondered if it were disappoint in the player or the injury, since Brian was very much looking forward to seeing Kyle play, apparently. Kyle felt the same for himself, wanting so badly to get on the field and play.

Star Wars Darth Maul: Son of Darthomir Review

I never got into Star Wars: The Clone Wars like I should have (I know, what kind of geek am I?) but that was because I watched a few episodes and was kind of interested but they were all just a bunch of Clone Trooper episodes and they were kind of “eh” so I stopped.

Not even when I heard that my boy Darth Maul was in it did I pick it up. I did watch the final few episodes he was in so to prepare myself for his own solo comic, though, which I decided I would check out. Leaving his story wide open like that forced my hand into looking at this four-part series, and today, we’re here to take a look through it all. Spoiler-free, but we’re taking a look through it anyway.