Planet Hulk

Ah yes, I’m sort of kind of making a comeback to the blogging field. Isn’t that nice of me? Anyhoo, next up in the "Thing’s I’ve read but haven’t gotten around to reviewing" category is “Planet Hulk” a story about Hulk kicking some ass.

What? You say Hulk always kicks ass? How very true indeed. But in this book, Hulk’s asswhooping ability turns out to be an advantage, rather than a curse. In this story, Hulk has been banished to the deep regions of space, hopefully never to be seen again. This leads Hulk into a more exiting adventure this time, unlike those suckers stuck in Civil War. Instead, Hulk has crash landed on a planet in an earlier stage of development. A planet where people still hold Gladiatorial matches, and keep slaves. Hulk is captured on this planet, and is forced to smash his way to freedom. Along the way, he teams up the freaks he is supposed to be fighting in gladiatorial combat, and starts a rebellion. Yes, because Hulk is THAT awesome.

Is this book good? Hell yeah, this is now my favorite book by Marvel. It’s a book where Bruce Banner is a hindrance to society, and Hulk gets to be helpful. Hulk is struggling with Banner. Hulk gets to smash freaks, zombies, and overthrow an evil Empire. Hell, it would even serve as an excellent conclusion to all of the Hulk stories (*sigh* too bad that would end sales, now wouldn’t it) It’s exiting, action packed, and hotblooded. And you can tell that the creators put a lot of effort into this project. They even included an miniature history for the planet Hulk invades, and how the empires run, where they get their technology. It’s got all of the details that make a good comic. It show’s Hulk’s anger, his struggles, and how much society shuns him, and the fact that he has the capacity for good at the same time. Hell, I may even go check out the sequel “World War Hulk.” If you only have to read one thing by Marvel this year, read this, and you won’t regret it. Now then, next thing on my backlog of things that I need to review.

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Artist Profile: Andrew Dickman

Nightwing Year One

Hay guys, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. Anime club’s showing an anime starting from the end, so I’ve vouched not to have the ending blown

Although people say that Superman is a dick, I must say that he isn’t the only dick in Superhero comics. Batman can be a real dick sometimes too. This book starts with Batman being a dick to Dick Grayson, the original Robin, causing him to quit. This causes Dick to attempt to branch out as his own Superhero, living without the bat. A great idea for a story, because it shows that superheroes CAN grow and change, despite what retcons do tell us.

Is this book good? Yes, it’s very good, especially for an origin story. Should you read it? Sure, go ahead, if you wanna see Robin move out from Batman’s place. I’d say this is a pretty good superhero story, if not for the sole fact that it changes something in the DC continuity, and for the better at that. So check your local library, order online, or wherever you go to pick up comics.

More reviews to come, since I happen to have time right now.

Pixel Lust

Ever since I’ve been blogging, I’ve always felt the need to do a valentine’s special.

Usually I moan and bitch about how stupid this holiday is, But this year, I’m feeling extra optimistic. This year, I’m feeling pretty optimistic. I’m going to focus on the positive aspects of romance, and discuss my opinions on several subjects.

Oh wait, this is me. That means I’m going to discuss my favorite fetishes, and discuss which video game/anime chicks I find HAWT. YAY ^_^

Fetishes

Robot Headgear- Oooh, yes, something that almost always gets me exited. I can’t explain why, but I find big, antennae-like pieces of metal to strangely arousing. I particularly like the ones that look sort of like Elven ears, such as Kos-Mos ver.4. Another good one is Chacamaru(sp) from Negima. They really bring attention to a girl’s face, which is one of the main reasons I find robot chicks hot.

NEXT- You know what I find really hot? A girl with a large, round pair of….. glasses. Yeah, the bigger the better. I like the big ones, Like what Naru from Love Hina wears. Their freakin’ awesome, for some of the same reasons as the robot headgear. Perhaps I’ve grown to like them because they’re associated with bookworm types, which I find cute. Or perhaps it’s because whenever somebody has a makeover, glasses are the first thing to go. Which is stupid. Glasses are very cute, and quite often greatly amplify a cute face, bringing somebody from pretty cute to OMGFREAKINKAWAIII!

Gothic Lolita- Y’know, I’m kinda funny. Most guys seem to get exited the less clothes a girl wears, but I get more exited the more useless accessories and more elaborate an outfit is. Bikini? Woop de doo, I can get that in a sports magazine. Maid outfit with dozens of ribbons and buckles, stockings, lacy gloves, and other useless accessories…? *drools* Well, I guess you can say it’s the thought that counts…. Those outfits take FOREVER to put on. It’s probably a bigger pain in the ass than putting on that cross academy uniform in my closet.

People

Haruhi Suzimiya- Our lord and savior, her will be …. Wait, what am I doing? Gah, Haruhism, you stupid fake religion! Anywhooo…. Haruhi is awesome because she’ll rape you if you disagree. She does what everybody else wishes they were brave enough to do, and if you got a problem with it, TOO BAD! The world will know how to live an awesome life, or suffer the consequences. It’s hard to tell if she’s the protagonist or the antagonist sometimes, but that’s part of the fun with that show

Lenneth Valkyrie-(Valkyrie Profile) IT SHALL BE ENGRAVED UPON YOUR SOUL!
Odin’s warrior of justice, sent to slay the undead and evil people among the world., and to gather powerful warriors to fight when Ragnarock comes. Yeah, it’s an RPG where the main character is both female and a warrior (Paladin or archer actually, but whatever) and I like it. Seriously, the main girl in a JRPG is usually a healer, and it gets stale. Now then, a goddess of death gathering the souls of the world’s best warriors? FREAKIN’ AWESOME!

KOS MOS- (Xenosaga) Ah yes, how did I discover my fetish for robot headgear? Why, we can thank Kosy-Wosy for that. She’s wonderful, because of her robotic attitude, which often manages to triumph over any foe. Spock would be very pleased with her. Whether it’s her attitude, her long blue hair, or her ability to solve all problems by shooting things, she makes a wonderful impression on anybody playing Xenosaga.

Chie Satonaka- (Persona 4, Girl in the green jacket in that picture up there) Y’know, actually, this girl’s been driving me crazy. She has like… none of the things I normally find attractive. No glasses, no giant headgear, her hair’s pretty short ( I normally like it long) hell, her most defining feature is a green jacket she always seems to wear. So why do I like her so damn much? Because… her personality’s pretty cute. There, I said it. She’s cute because Persona 4 is a 60+ hour long game where you really get to know the characters. Chie just happened to grow on me. And really, out of all these people mentioned, she’s the one I wanna date the most. All of those weird things she does. The obsession with meat (meat flavored gum….wtf?) Her complex with people. Her jealousy over her best friend. Oh yeah, and she quotes Bruce Lee a lot, so you can tell she’s a keeper. She’s by no means perfect, but she does her best to defend those she cares about. She livens up the party, and often has great ideas (Okay, she usually just suggests that we kick their asses) Have you ever heard an RPG character suggest that we go powerlevel for the sole purpose of beating the shit out of somebody? Her personality’s perfectly believable which is a plus. Her weirdness, her bravery… shes just so… just…. CHIE CHAN! *fanboy squeal*

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 review

Yeah, yeah, I know, where the hell have I been for the last three weeks? Well, I had final exams and they were fairly stressful. After that….. Well, I went to the mall and bought a copy of Persona 4. And played it nonstop It was pretty freaking awesome. Imagine if they took everythincg great about Persona 3, made it better, gave it better plot and characters, and released it. That’s pretty muh what Persona 4 is. And it’s pretty sweet.

This game (like 3) is one of the strangest gaming experiences I’ve ever had. It’s a bizarre fusion of a dating sim and an RPG. Although this appears to be a major genre clash, this game manages to mesh them in a method that enhances both genres. The dating sim helps you care about the people you’re fighting evil with…. And the fighting evil makes you actually care about these people. I guess you could say it’s like a superhero movie. Spider man is more relatable due to Peter Parker, and you actually care about Parker because he has Super powers. The two become inseparable, and the end result is quite entertaining. This time around, the party functions much better, feels closer together, and feels more alive than in Persona 3.

Oh yeah, the main plot. People are winding up dead. At the same time a urban legend is believed to show people their soul mate. The main character investigates this, and finds out that the two are connected. This leads to you entering an alternate dimension inside the TV… where you gain the ability to summon an alter ego known as a “Persona.” The plot manages to be more personal than most RPGs, and revolves more around the characters than the universe around them. It’s not about a freaking apocalypse (at least not until the end) which is pretty cool, cuz I’m getting sick of the apocalypse. Better yet, the plot has multiple layers, and just when you think you have it figured out, it throws another curveball at you. Probably one of the better plots I’ve seen in a game.

I like this games method of awakening a Persona user much better than the one in Persona 3. Hypothetically, anybody in this game could summon a Persona, while in 3, you had to shoot yourself in the head. (Thanks to that game, I’m entirely unphased when somebody sticks a gun to their head) Instead of just a few chosen to use Personas, anybody can use them, assuming they are strong enough to survive a certain encounter in the TV realm.

Gameplay: Well, it works. You live your life as a normal high school students, make friends, hit on girls (Chie-chan ^_^) and fight crime. You have two separate sets of stats, your combat stats and your social stats. Social stats are important because they dictate whether your character is a loser who has no friends, or the guy who knows everything and hot women fall in love with on sight. Also, it dictates whether or not your character has the spine to do stuff (Like, I dunno, tell somebody off, crack jokes, e.t.c.)… so you should probably pay attention to them. Also, they help you make friends…. And the power of friendship is quite prevalent in this game. If you have a close relationship with your friends, they will do cooler stuff in combat, like to tag team attacks, or heal status conditions. It really makes the party feel like a group of people rather than some numbers. Simply put, S-links have a much larger effect in this game than they did in Persona 3. Combat stats do the same thing they do in every other RPG, unsurprisingly.

Bosses are interesting in this game. They employ vastly different strategies, and keep you guessing. If you don’t know what you’re doing, this game will eat you alive. It’s got lots of side bosses, and the dungeons manage to be about as hard as the one in Persona 3. The design of the dungeons is quite interesting, at least concept wise. What other game will make you fight your way through a steamy bathhouse to rescue a person trapped inside a sick fantasy?

Anyhow, this game manages to take a brilliant idea (Persona 3) make it BETTER, and releases it.

Related Articles:
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

You can purchase the game on Amazon here:

Persona 3 Review

Hey… I have a gun and a monster is about to attack me! I Know! I’ll shoot myself in the head!

Ah, the Persona series. The very reason that I haven’t been making any new blog entries. I actually played this game about two years ago, when it first came out, but I’m going to talk about now… to prepare people for the MASSIVE FREAKING PERSONA 4 Review that I’m going to write. Until that time though, I’m so freaking addicted to Persona 4 that it’s ridiculous.

Persona 3 is a very… unique game. It’s part dating sim, and part dark RPG. ….yeah, those two we’re definitely meant to go together. This weird combination creates a wonderful gaming experience that is relatively unforgettable, although it comes with some flaws…. Some expected, some aren’t.

First thing I like is the gameplay. In many games you get to be a super powered-person, but you don’t really get to control what that person does in everyday life. This one let’s you cover every aspect of your character’s identity. It’s not as open ended as say, Morrowind, but for a Japanese RPG, there is little competition. The other part, the combat, is also pretty interesting. It’s very deadly, where a single mistake could send you back to the title screen. Hence, you are always thinking on your toes. Unfortunately, this means if you get hit by a Death attack, you will lose a few hours of playing. Also, it has an intense combo system that enemies will employ against you. Every time you or an enemy uses an attack that the target is weak against, you get a free attack. Some enemies are merciless about this. Worse yet, you get a game over if the main character dies, regardless of whether or not the rest of the party is still standing. You can employ these tactics against your enemies though, making this one of the most hard-core RPG’s I’ve ever played.

The Persona system: I’m not going to discuss shooting yourself in the head to cast spells here. By the end game, it becomes about as significant as any other spellcasting animation. What’s more interesting is your ability to gather several different monsters known as “Personas” and fuse them into other monsters. Combining these allows you to create versions of monsters with all kinds of weird abilities. It’s fun, and will keep you busy for a while.


The S-Links: The dating sim part of this game is known as S-Lnks…. Or the people your character is friends with. By building relationships with people, you can get various bonuses, mostly in the form of EXP while fusing personas.Some of the people are pretty interesting, others are less so. If you build a strong enough relation with somebody, you can create even MORE powerful Personas. Yes, this game has mechanical benefits for using the power of friendship.


The characters: Best overall cast ever. At least on the hero’s side. You work with an entire team of characters who are likable, developed, and interesting. And it gets better! You know how in RPG’s they railroad the main character into a relationship? This game doesn’t do that? Go ahead; date one of the NPC girls for all it cares! This game may not have any character that sticks out as the best, but the cast is well rounded enough that together, they compete with the party in Xenosaga. Well, most of the cast…. Koramaru doesn’t count.

The problem with having a great cast of heroes is that you need a cast of villains to match them. These villains are not present. There’s a few guys who try to match you, but they sort of start sucking towards the end. Then…. Ugh… don’t get me started on the last boss. Every bit as exiting as wet cardboard…. She has a nice theme song, but she does NOTHING to earn it. At the end it’s all like “uh yeah, we need a main villain, so this big mean thing is bringing the apocalypse.” OH NOES…. *sigh* C’mon, these guys needed the Joker or something, not what was given.

Should you buy this game? Heck yeah, since it’s pretty unique and interesting. If you want an RPG that leaves the Final Fantasy mold, by all means try this one. It started at 40$ and has only gotten cheaper. It may drag for a few parts, but it does give you your money’s worth, and it is a really refreshing experience.

Now, I’m going back to play Persona 4. Imagine everything good about Persona 3, but MORE of the good stuff. Expect the fanboy infused report soon.

Related:
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 review
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne review

You heard me! Buy this game! Fes version is cheaper and comes with post game content. Original version is cheaper and comes with an art book

Ryan and Sean’s not so Excellent adventure Review

Oh. Em. Gee. go see this movie!

Ah, one of my favorite Youtube celeberties made a big time movie. If you aren’t familiar with them, go watch their channel now, and if make sure you watch How to be Ninja.

Ryan and Sean is about the character in the title’s adventures. It’s like a two hour long version of their youtube channel, except with an ongoing plot that sort of ties it together. More importantly, they parody popular ideas, and act like ninjas. They manage to make a gay joke that’s actually funny. Half the female cast is actually men in drag. They break into song repeatedly, and dance provocatively. All in a classic Nigahija fashion.

Is it worth your time? Definitely, assuming you like their youtube channel. It’s full of quick cuts and WTF moments. The cast is excellent, although it contains a lot of jokes about Asians and midgets. Most of the gags revolve around visual humor and the characters acting really dumb. I loved the insane fan guy with his shrine where he worships Ryan and Sean. The special effects are terrible, in a home video fashion. Sometimes they are so freaking bad it’s good. It’s definitely hilarious if you’re into internet humor. That is a bit of a problem though. For those of you who don’t get internet humor, this movie will appear flat-out dumb. It’s nothing if not niche. If you like these guys’s Youtube channel go see it. I was exited as soon as I heard a remix of The Ninja Glare.

The Dark Knight Review

(Taken from my myspace, decided it was relevant with the DVD release)

What are dense? Are you retarded or something? Of course I had to see the Dark Knight. This was the story about a comedian in a dark and hypocritical society, while some guy dressed as a bat ruins his fun.

A bit after Begins, everybody feels much braver. A lawyer named Harvey Dent is even pushing criminals off the streets. This is causing problems, as the criminals are on their last legs. Things are looking up for gotham. However, there are those who are against gotham being redeemed. That's where our good friend the Joker sets in. Now, Batman ends up getting an appropriate opponent. Ah yes, this is where this movie really shines. Now, Batman must deal with a genuine psychopath, who is out for a bit of fun. What is really great is how we get to know this Joker. We get to learn how he feels about things, and why he lives the way he does. It's all deliciously sick. Your stomach will turn while you enjoy yourself. Really, Ledger steals the show with his performance. It is delightful.

Why was this movie good? It was dark and twisted. That, and it was a bit funny for all the deliciously wrong reasons (Watch me make this pencil disappear!) That, and it is one of those sequels that trumps the original. Since this had a good original, that is really saying something. The acting is quite good, and everybody does a believable job. This is quite a feat when the movie is about a guy dressed as a bat chasing a clown who loves the way people scream when you stab them. Anyway, this film is quite enjoyable, as suspending disbelief is incredibly easy, which is always good for a fictional film.

Anyway, I do have a few nitpicks. I really think that subplot they introduce towards the end could have used its own movie. Honestly, it felt a little tacked on, and any antagonist was bound to be overshadowed by the Joker. Also, the action wasn't that great. Well, a few scenes were, but mostly it felt like car chases for having car chases. Also, the hype. It obviously did not live up to it. It was a great movie, but with this hype, the only way it could live up to it would be if Jesus came back to see the movie (credit to Itsjustsomerandomguy.) And it dragged a little. Like I said previously, if they left that subplot at the end for it's own movie, it would have been much better.

Should you watch the movie? If you haven't, I want you to turn off your computer and go see it right now. RIGHT NOW. It is incredibly entertaining, and reminds us why we watch movies. It's entertaining, the dialogue is good, and it overall leaves you pretty satisfied. Well, or a little sick. Either way, it's all good fun, right. Lets put a smile on that face….