Zack’s Decade in Review

Comics

I would best describe the last decade in comics as “aggressively making up for the 90s”. Sure, not everything was gold and a lot of the “major events” featured strong openings with weak conclusions (well, except perhaps 52) but there was undeniably this open window of embrace for comics as a creative means instead of a sales means. The comics I tended to favour most were the ones that really had a knack for embracing story with visuals, treating the two as a pair, not playing favourites to either or. It could be a great story, or, it could have great art, but a great comic book means both will stick with you in the long run. Top choice, of course, goes to Paul Pope’s 100%. The gloomy yet fantastical portrayal of a future-punk NYC, and the dreaming artists, strippers and misfits that crawl around it’s streets. Like a Moulin Rouge that your parents don’t own the soundtrack to, 100% feels alive, the illustrations pulse crowded unheard sounds, and the heroes are so believably lost that you eventually sink into the same romantic hole they dwell in.

Taking a few steps to the side, but not too many steps, is DC’s Solo series. Short, too short in my opinion, but a successful experiment in showing what certain artists will do when you loosen their chain. Some still did superhero stories, some didn’t. Sergio Aragones, Mike Allred and the aforementioned Paul Pope all did personal anecdotes, refocused in the lens of a comic. The series was as creatively pleasing as it was enlightening to see how individual artists view their world and the effects it has on their craft.

Last but not least is a newer entry, and I really hope this won’t come off as superbly pretensions to drop something this obscure but its totally worth a hound down, I’m talking to the culture junkie savages I assume to peruse this site. LOSE #1 by Toronto local Michael Deforge is a stroll down a struggle that I can all too relate with. The constant clash between an artist’s personal creativity and their media, Saturday morning cartoon saturated mind that they sink with.  Deforge in almost an escape from the pop junk world begins to scratch back, mutilating and mutating Rocky and Bullwinkle. It’s a route many online one offs have taken, but this is the first one that feels like it nails it square over the head.
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Up Review

Up, the new animated feature from Disney/Pixar, is buoyant, but gets heavy. It’s a cartoon adventure that doesn’t talk down to its audience, child or adult.

The film begins with a young child, Carl, enthralled by newsreels of Charles Muntz, famous adventurer. Carl meets another Muntz fan, Ellie. Carl is silent and reserved, Ellie is active and excited. The two become friends and eventually marry. Their joy comes across clearly, as does Carl’s earnestness as he promises Ellie a trip to South America, just like Muntz.

Of course, life is not always fun. Carl and Ellie discover they cannot have children. They begin saving for a trip to South America, but day-to-day troubles keep them from ever going. At last, Ellie dies, and Carl is left alone, his neighbourhood demolished to make way for new apartments and sushi restaurants. Read the rest of this entry »

Dork Shelf Review: Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation wants to be a great film, but it has big shoes to fill.  The first two Terminator films were excellent, while the third was mediocre at best. Terminator Salvation aims to right the wrongs of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, bringing the franchise back to the darker more serious tone of the first two. The film has a fairly solid concept: a post-apocalyptic war against robots. The movie even has some great actors who turn out solid performances and the special effects are good. How could you go wrong? Based on my description, you would think this movie has all the makings of a great summer blockbuster: unfortunately this is simply not the case. 

Full review after the break; spoilers to follow. Read the rest of this entry »

Zeno Clash Review

Zeno Clash is a first-person beat ‘em up game from Chilean ACE Team. It’s a wonderful game world and a satisfying simulation of hand-to-hand (foot-to-face, club-to-head) fighting. Though briefer and more challenging than many high-quality first-person games, it’s a lot of fun to play through, and, in my opinion, worth your while.

You play as Ghat, a man that has just murdered his Father-Mother, a chicken-legged androgyne that carries its baby children in its coat pockets. You’re pursued by your siblings, eager to avenge the death of their parent, and are followed by Deadra, your female companion and backup. As you escape Father-Mother’s stronghold, Ghat tells Deadra about how he came to kill his parent. These flashbacks are playable episodes, and alternate with your escape with Deadra.

The full review is available below the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Star Trek Review

As a life long Trekkie, I went into the new J.J. Abrams Trek reboot/sequel with my expectations set to stun—fearing that if I set them to kill I would end up vapourizing myself… whatever that means.  Phaser analogy aside, I knew that J.J Abrams’ vision of Star Trek would be different from that of its original creator Gene Roddenberry. This Star Trek isn’t Roddenberry’s Star Trek; it is a familiar and yet altogether different beast. Many of Roddenberry’s hallmarks remain intact and for better or worse Abrams makes Trek his own with this film. Abrams’ Star Trek is cool, it’s sleek and it’s shiny, but I don’t know if that was what Star Trek was ever about.

Full review after the break. Possible spoilers to follow. Read the rest of this entry »

Venture Bros. Season 3 DVD Review

Behold the might of Jeff’s Venture Bros. Season 3 DVD review!

Bringing back the Anti-Gravity scale; things will be rated out of 1 to 5 G’s!

The Good
The Venture Bros. is incredibly well written and layered. It stands up to multiple viewings and every episode has commentary.

The Meh
While we have deleted scenes, they are merely mashed together storyboards.

The Bad
No other features beyond commentary and storyboards. I love this show and its creative team, but damn it, throw me another studio tour or how to draw Rusty Venture video!

Full Video Review after the jump.

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