Saturday, November 30, 2013

Tsubasa - Reservoir Chronicle: Sakura 02


tsubasa - reservoir chronicle cosplay - sakura 02




Sakura, the Princess of Clow Kingdom, lost her powers and her memories because of a powerful force, causing her to be weak and confused. Her memories take the form of feathers scattered in different dimensions which she and Syaoran must collect in order to return Sakura back to normal.



Ichihara Yuuko aids them by giving her Mokona, in exchange for her memories of Syaoran. Yuuko calls her "a favored daughter of the gods" due to her unbelievable good luck.



Another beautiful cosplayer from Comiket! Unfortunately, we can't see her face clearly, but the photography is still superb. Wonderful job to both the cosplayer and the photographer!



EDIT: Thanks to the cosplayer, Kashino Rei, for contacting me! Apparently, this is not from Comiket, but rather in Hanami, an event in Germany! You may view the original image in her Deviant Art account!


Technorati tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, xxxholic, tsubasa, reservoir, chronicle, sakura, princess, clow, kingdom, power, memory, feather, scatter, dimension, syaoran, ichihara, yuuko, yuko, mokona, favored, daughter, god, good, luck, unbelievable, comiket, japan, photography, photo, photographer, , , , , , , , , ,

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Dark Magician Girl

yu-gi-oh! cosplay - dark magician girl


One of Yugi's signature cards in his Magician Deck, the Dark Magician girl is considerably weaker than the Dark Magician. She compensates this by gaining attack points for every Dark magician in the graveyard.
During the "Dawn of the Duel" arc, it is revealed that she is actually the spirit of Mana, a childhood friend of Atem and Mahado. She becomes Mahado's apprentice and followed in his footsteps, even after death. Just as Mahado's spirit rose to become the Dark Magician, Mana's spirit became the Dark Magician Girl.
Beautiful cosplay! I found this from Jamaipanese, and it was taken during the Tokyo Game Show in 2008. Thank you very much for sharing this photo!
Technorati Tags: nanao, cosplay, research, yu-gi-oh, dark, magician, girl, muto, mutou, yugi, signature, weakness, compensate, attack, graveyard, dawn, duel, monster, spirit, mana, mahado, pharoah, atem, apprentice, jamaipanese, tokyo, japan, game, show, 2008, photo

Friday, November 29, 2013

Bleach: Ichimaru Gin 02


bleach cosplay - ichimaru gin


Graduating from the Soul Society's Academy after only a year, Ichimaru Gin became captain of the 3rd Division after serving under Sosuke Aizen as the lieutenant of the 5th Division. He joins Aizen when he escapes to Hueco Mundo in order to fulfill Aizen's plans to "change the world". The only person he seems to truly care about is Mtsumoto Rangiku, a childhood friend and lieutenant of the 10th Division under Hitsugaya Toshiro.



I have no idea why he's carrying Gin's portrait. Maybe to show that the old Gin as a captain is dead and a new Gin, labeled a traitor, is born? It's scary at how similar they look though. Nice cosplaying!


Technorati Tags: nanao, cosplay, research, cosplayer, bleach, ichimaru, gin, graduate, soul, society, death, god, reaper,third, tenth, division, fifth, aizen, sosuke, serve, under, escape, hueco, mundo, change, world, person, care, matsumoto, rangiku, childhood, friend, lieutenant, captain, hitsugaya, toshiro, portrait, dead, traitor

Naruto: Haruno Sakura 03


naruto cosplay - haruno sakura 04




Known to have deep feelings for Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura kept he hair long at the beginning of the series mainly because she heard Sasuke preferred girls with long hair. As she began to spend more time with him as a teammate, Sakura became concerened that Sasuke would abandon her and the rest of Konohagakure because of his lust for power. When her fears prove to be correct, she does everything she could to stop him from leaving, even confessing her love for him and offering to join him, to no avail.



Cute Sakura cosplayer! I do prefer her with long hair too. I'm not sure why she chopped her hair off, but I think it was because of one of their tests in becoming a ninja? Anyway, great cosplaying!


Technorati tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, naruto, haruno, sakura, uchiha, sasuke, hair, long, series, anime, manga, girl, teammate, concern, abandon, konohagakure, lust, power, fear, prove, correct, stop, confess, love, offer, avail, test, ninja, , , , , , , ,

Thursday, November 28, 2013

The Prince of Tennis: Niou Masaharu


unknown cosplay 037 - the prince of tennis cosplay - niou masaharu


There has been a steady stream of unknowns lately. I think I should get myself updated with the latest anime and games.



If only I had more time in my hands. But I guess that's what they all say right?



Alright, we have a white haired bishounen this week! He could probably be anyone, but the design of his jacket might set him apart from everyone else. Any guesses would be appreciated, but I hope more people would leave their names this time when they comment! Even if you don't have a website, you can just leave that field blank, and your name will still register in the name/url choice. Thank you to everyone who has been pointing me to the cosplayers' websites!



EDIT: Thanks to anon for letting me know this is Niou Masaharu from the Prince of Tennis!


Technorati Tags: cosplay, holic, cosplayer, costume, role, play, roleplay, unknown, entry, 37, update, anime, series, manga, game, time, white, hair, bishounen, week, design, jacket, apart, guess, name, comment, website, field, blank, register, choice, url, ,

Bleach: Kurosaki Ichigo 02


bleach cosplay - kurosaki ichigo


Kurosaki Ichigo has natural orange hair that always gets him into fights with bullies. He doesn't care what other people think about him and doesn't seem to mind fighting bullies either. He met Chad when they were still young, who was also a target for bullies because he refused to fight for his own sake as promised to his grandfather. Ichigo then decided to make a pact with him that they would fight for each other's sake.



I couldn't believe this was one of Jin's works when I first saw it. She really does know how to take on the character she's cosplaying, so much that it's hard to tell it's her! Great job, Jin!


Technorati Tags: nanao, cosplay, research, bleach, kurosaki, ichigo, natural, orange, hair, fight, bully, care, think, people, mind, chad, chado, sado, yasutora, young, child, children, target, promise, grandfather, decide, pact, sake, each, other, jin, jonson, character

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles: Jill Valentine


resident evil: umbrella chronicles cosplay - jill valentine


One of the original protagonists of the series, Jill Valentine returned in Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles as a member of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). She then works with Chris Redfield to expose and destroy the Umbrella Corporation where they are forced to defeat Umbrella's newest BOW, T-ALOS.



I wasn't too sure if I could post this in my other blog, given the guidelines there, but I had to show this awesome cosplay! I guess RE fans would tell me that Jill doesn't really have bangs (well, she does, but only a few loose strands) and that she lacks that white sweater tied around her waist, but really, isn't this a great cosplay of her? Good job!


Technorati tags: cosplay, holic, cosplayer, costume, role, play, roleplay, resident, evil, umbrella, chronicles, jill, valentine, original, protagonist, series, game, member, bioterrorism, security, assessment, alliance, chris, redfield, expose, destroy, corporation, force, defeat, bow, t-alos, bsaa, blog, guidelines, awesome, re, fan, bangs, white, sweater, waist, gun, biohazard, , ,

Silent Hill: Homecoming: Siam


silent hill: homecoming cosplay - siam


One of the harder, non-boss monsters to kill in Silent Hill: Homecoming, Siams appear to be two humanoid figures fused together and tied with a series of bondage gear and straps. The male side attacks while the female side is significantly weaker. Siam first appeared in the Police Station and, for some reason or other, always appear when Elle Holloway is in trouble or missing.



Wow, this must have been hard to cosplay as. The guy must be pretty strong to have carried the girl on his back. I wonder how they got in costume... and how did they get out of it? Great work though! Thanks for sharing!


Technorati tags: cosplay, holic, cosplayer, costume, role, play, roleplay, silent, hill, homecoming, siam, non-boss, monster, killer, two, humanoid, figure, fused, together, series, bondage, gear, strap, male, side, attack, female, significant, weak, appear, police, station, reason, elle, holloway, trouble, missing, hard, guy, pretty, strong, carry, girl, back, out, , ,

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

He Is My Master: Karauchi Anna 02


he is my master cosplay - karauchi anna 02


I forgot about this picture from Comiket, since I wasn't sure who she was at first, but I finally confirmed that this is from He Is My Master, Karauchi Anna!



Anna is actually bisexual and has a crush on Izumi. At first, she is attracted to Yoshitaka, but after Izumi's relentless efforts to make her stay away from Toshitaka, Anna mistook this as a sign of interest. She thus became one of Yoshitaka's maids in order to follow Izumi.



I guess it could be considered an honest mistake? Haha, thanks to Ojii-san for sending this!


Technorati tags: cosplay, cosplayer, holic, role, play, roleplay, costume, anime, manga, he, is, my, master, karauchi, anna, comiket, 2009, bisexual, sawatari, izumi, yoshitaka, nakabayashi, relentless, effort, stay, away, sign, interest, maid, follow, honest, mistake, ojii-san, , , , , , , , ,

Chobits: Chi 07


chobits cosplay - chii 06




It seems like a tradition now to have Chi as the one who greets everyone.



Merry Christmas, minna-san!


Technorati tags: nanao, cosplay, research, cosplayer, manga, anime, chobits, clamp, chii, tradition, merry, happy, christmas

Sunday, November 24, 2013

SDCC ’13: Trask Industries Unveils Their Sentinel Design for ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’


ku-xlarge4




Besides the panels, with their exclusive reveals and extensive line-up of stars, the best part of San Diego Comic Con is all the cool shit everyone brings! Last night Nerd Bastards went inside The Ender's Game Experience. Soon, we'll have an update from the Godzilla Encounter. We mentioned this recreation of The Walking Dead's infamous prison constructed on the showroom floor, and here - thanks to io9! - we've got our very first look at the Sentinels from FOX's X-Men: Days of Future Past,


Click to view slideshow.

What do you think? I absolutely love the clear face shield. It gives this design a unique detail, but with its purple color scheme and those soul-searing, red eyes, these Sentinels evoke the same fear and dread as any from the comics or cartoons. I wonder how big they're going to be? And I can't wait to see more than just the head, don't you?



Keep it tuned to Nerd Bastards for even more up to the minute SDCC coverage!


SDCC ’13: Nerd Bastards Gets Up Close and Personal With Godzilla


G5edit




[Editor's Note: Last night Manny Lozano took us inside The Ender's Game Experience, today he's back - after barely escaping with his life! - from Legendary's Godzilla Encounter. Check out his impressions of the up close and personal encounter, pictures from the exhibit, and if you're attending SDCC make sure you to see it for yourself!]



The Godzilla Encounter is one of the most highly anticipated experiences being offered at this year's San Diego Comic Con. Legendary has created an immersive experience that celebrates the legacy of the original movie monster while simultaneously getting fans excited for Gareth Edward's 2014 film.



Participants enter a recreated Tokyo street, complete with a walk-up cafe, that features a wealth of Godzilla memorabilia; including movies, comics and clothing that the King of Monsters has been featured in over the years.



Before long, a proximity alert sends everyone off the streets and down into a series of underground bunkers filled with frantic scientists and soldiers, scrambling to prepare for Godzilla's imminent strike on San Diego. We enter a crowded elevator in an attempt to reach a secure location, but the monster has taken its toll and we are forced to exit on the 25th floor, which is half destroyed.



Huddled together, we hear Godzilla make his approach. Stomp. Stomp. We are faced head on with the monster and the experience concludes with his iconic roar.



Longtime fans of Godzilla will appreciate this version of the monster, which harkens back to the original but has just enough changes to draw in new viewers. Register for The Godzilla Encounter by visiting the Legendary Entertainment booth, #3920 on the convention floor and download the app (ed. more on the app below the cut!) to unlock exclusive bonus concept art! It's a can't miss!


G1


G2


G3


G4


G5


G010


G9


G011


G012


G014


G06


G07


G08


G13



Stay with Nerd Bastards all weekend for even more from San Diego Comic Con!




MJD Delivers "Monster Mobile App" to Promote Godzilla Encounter at Comic-Con


Agency Leverages Cutting-Edge Qualcomm Vuforia Technology To Market Legendary Pictures' Upcoming Blockbuster


San Diego, CA (July 18, 2013) - MJD, a leading creative innovation agency, announced today the launch of the San Diego Comic-Con Godzilla Encounter mobile application, to promote the film's 2014 release. Pushing the boundaries of technology and imagination, MJD leveraged the Qualcomm Vuforia augmented reality platform to bring this concept to life. The Vuforia SDK is a product of Qualcomm Austria Research Center GmbH, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated which is the world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies.


"This film (Godzilla) is going to be a huge blockbuster and we needed a solution that was equally massive to penetrate the market at this year's Comic-Con," says MJD's CEO, Jeremy Duimstra. "The Qualcomm Vuforia platform enabled us to create an app that unlocks new experiences from signage and posters, driving deeper engagement and more awareness for the film."


Working with Legendary Pictures and their marketing team, MJD built a multi-layer mobile solution that delivers excitement for both new and existing Godzilla fans. Engaging users in a one-of-a-kind Comic-Con adventure in downtown San Diego, the native app initiates a Geiger counter that leads users to a real world "aftermath" of a city destroyed by the legendary radioactive monster. Other special features are unlocked from users engaging in on-location activities and anticipation for this event is already receiving tremendous social buzz. Through a separate collaboration between Legendary Pictures and Qualcomm and its subsidiaries, Qualcomm Vuforia technology was also selected to power the Pacific Rim movie app.


"This has been an amazing project for our team to be a part of," Duimstra explains. "The Qualcomm Vuforia platform allowed us to take this even further then we hoped and we're thrilled that MJD was able to work with Legendary on this project and contribute to the spectacle of this year's Comic-Con."


The Godzilla Encounter app is now available for free download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. The event experience will be live during San Diego Comic-Con from Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 21 and available to all attendees with a valid badge.


Saturday, November 23, 2013

Webb Tries to Not Spoil ‘Amazing Spidey 2′ in New Interview


amazing-spider-man




We'll get some kind of official new details about The Amazing Spider-Man 2 when the panel on the film is joined at San Diego Comic Con later today. In the meantime though, Screen Rant got a chance to interview director Marc Webb and tried to worm some definitive answers in regard to some of the rumors swirling about the film.



As an opener, Screen Rant's Amy Nicholson asked Webb if Black Cat would have her bad luck powers in the film?



"Hmmm, I don't even know if Black Cat is in the movie...," he replied



Deftly deflected. How about whether or not the film ends with the death of Gwen Stacy? Well, the exchange went like this:



Amy: How intense it was shooting [Peter and Gwen's] final scene?



Webb: Um... whadda mean, the last scene in the movie?



Amy: I'm trying to get you to talk about her death.



Webb: Listen... the world we're trying to create is... it's partly obligated to cannon, but you also have to deviate from the cannon occasionally and so the... y'know... Andrew [Garfield] and Emma [Stone] and Peter and Gwen are - I mean, they're something really joyful and wonderful about that relationship and it's a lot of that stuff from the first movie [that] will continue in this second movie... [trails off].



I think Amy almost broke Webb there. So let's talk about something a little less spoilery. For example, the thematic arc for Spider-Man going into this film, what challenges await the web-slinger in this sequel and how will he overcome them?



"Y'know, if the last movie was [asking whether] Peter Parker can be Spider-Man, this movie is about if Spider-Man can be Peter Parker. At the beginning of the movie, he is extraordinarily capable, he is very good at being Spider-Man. There's a virtuosity there, he's so confident in the midst of total pandemonium that he may, uh, feel a little too confident and other elements of his life may erode because of that... I'll say this, [the theme] has something to do with time and the nature of time and the first shot in the movie... it's a watch... a ticking clock..."



"Ticking clock?" Does that suggest that Spider-Man will team-up with Jack Bauer? I digress, but it does open us up to a segue regarding the over-bloatedness of the film with so many new characters including the confirmed Norman and Harry Osborn, Electro and Rhino to rumored characters like the Black Cat and whoever Sarah Godan is playing. But Webb says relax because he and the writers are playing with creating a bigger universe here and telling a story that can unfold with multiple characters over multiple movies:



"Yes, yeah, listen, part of the fundamental concepts, the conceit of the universe that we're making is that it started... in that first movie we tease up, for example, Norman Osborn. He was an entity, he was around but you didn't see him onscreen. That allows you to unfold stories over a longer period of time and so you can create a sort of nuanced and complex world... The Rhino is in the movie for a very short time, because we're sort of teasing out the possibility of something more interesting happening there."



Hm. Could Webb be hinting at that Sinister Six rumor? I think we've made him sweat enough today, but if you want to watch the whole blow-by-blow, check out the video below:



src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LgYGtvtuxwo?feature=player_embedded" height="310" width="550" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0">



Source: Screen Rant


The Critics Have Spoken: ‘R.I.P.D.’ Sucks, And It Sucks Hard


ripd-poster




R.I.P.D. (Rest In Peace Department), the film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics series, opens in theaters today and the critics are unsurprisingly unimpressed. It stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges and according to the reviews... it absolutely sucks. Like, the kind of sucking that actually sucks so much, it sucks.



It's not unexpected, honestly. Although apparently the original comics have some sort of merit to them, the bits that we've seen of the film before its release were already doused in suckage. Whether this is due to the fact that Ryan Reynolds is the kiss of death for any comic book movie, although for some reason he keeps being cast in them, or because the writing just genuinely sucks... I suppose it really doesn't matter. It just sucks.



Hit the jump to see the critics go to town.



Just Not Good, says Hollywood Reporter:



How R.I.P.D. otherwise spends its time is on wearily familiar old pro/young hot shot macho competitiveness, with Roy holdings his frontier experience over the 21st century neophyte and the latter occasionally surprising the graybeard with his abilities. Bridges rolls the words around in his mouth in all sorts of juicy permutations to fairly amusing effect, just as he gets some decent mileage out of how Roy still hasn't really gotten over the manner of his death, having been eaten by coyotes, his bones been carried off hither and yon. But this is not the stuff of which blockbuster box office returns are made.



On the technical side, there's nothing new here, nor can the film measure up to what's been done visually in this summer's expensive commercial bellyflops. The 3D is here is surpassingly unimpressive and sometimes a distraction.



Ouch. Soulless with no love from the filmmakers, says mania:



We're left with the kind of inept effort that makes you wonder if anyone in Hollywood even likes the medium they spend so much time and money perpetuating. The cast can be forgiven if not excused - their laid-back charm is the only thing between us and total disaster. The rest of RIPD is truly soulless, and if we don't outright hate it, it's only because it fails to generate sufficient cause for such passion. That would mean caring about what happens on screen. The filmmakers clearly didn't, so why should we?



A movie that's a rip-off and still manages to suck miserably. The ghost police film has been deemed dead on arrival. Thanks, NYPost:



For a movie that so strenuously rips off "Ghostbusters" and "Men in Black," "R.I.P.D." manages to be come up with fresh new ways of being absolutely terrible. The plot manages to be fully predictable and freakishly bonkers at the same time, seemingly born of the same kind of brainstorming-on-L.S.D. session that must have given us "Howard the Duck."



McDonald's value meals have more emotion than this garbage. Damn, fearnet:



Aside from some half-decent CGI work and some legitimately lovely Boston cinematography, there's nothing for me to pull out of my "good news" bag. R.I.P.D. feels like it was made entirely by computers, truth be told, and no amount of tongue-in-cheek wackiness will make a viewer forgive the tiresome plot, the confused narrative, the wheezing banter between the two leads. the sadly perfunctory and wholly unnecessary attempt at "actual emotion" in a movie that's about as heartfelt as a McDonald's Value Meal, and the look on all the actors' faces that all but screams "Gimme my check and get me outta this movie.



Tried and achieved an epic failure, says joblo:



R.I.P.D is bad enough that once it finally comes to an end (with another big action set-piece that destroys most of a city, this time Boston), I felt like I had been sitting in the theater for hours and hours. To my surprise, the movie wasn't even ninety minutes long, but it felt endless. R.I.P.D isn't just bad, as say- RED 2 is. This is the kind of fiasco that seriously damages careers. The big action sequence probably had the studio hoping they'd get another AVENGERS. Well, that's exactly what they've got here- another AVENGERS. Too bad that the AVENGERS movie it's like is not the Marvel Blockbuster, but rather the 1998 flop with Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes. That's pretty bad.



The obituary was already written, according to Variety:



Thank heavens - or at least the "Department of Eternal Affairs" - for Jeff Bridges, whose hilariously free-associative performance as a 19th-century frontier marshal-turned-21st-century undead lawman is like an adrenaline shot to the heart of "R.I.P.D." A generally uninspired mashup of "Ghostbusters" and "Men in Black" (plus a sprinkling of "Big Trouble in Little China"), the film is most notable for having had its obituary written by the press, and even its own studio's marketing department, well before its release. While the end product still seems all but certain to turn up DOA at this weekend's box office, the pic itself isn't quite the calamity some portended, due largely to Bridges, some genuinely impressive visual effects and one of the few running times of the season well under two hours.



These reviews are all consistently, conclusively terrible. That's quite an achievement.



Source: Comic Book Movie


Friday, November 22, 2013

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Is Planned Out Through 2021

At this rate they're all getting a movie.



At this rate they're all getting a movie.



Wired recently wrote an article on the guy who makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe happen, Kevin Feige. He was there when it first started, he's the one laying the roadmap... and he let slip an interesting nugget during the interview.



The whole article is actually fairly fascinating; Feige comes off like a nerd livin' the dream. But for our purposes, the relevant item is this:



"I could arguably say what we're planning for the year 2021," Feige told WIRED. "Will that happen? I don't know. But what we planned for 2015 in 2006 is happening."



This raises the question of what his plan is, in the first place. We know sequels to Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers are on the way, and Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man are in the works. And that there are three unnamed films on the way for 2016 and 2017. But man, that's a tantalizing hint.



We know what a few of these movies will be: Black Panther was heavily hinted at a while back and Doctor Strange has been in development for a while as well. But Marvel has also been pretty consistent, putting out two movies a year, every year, since 2011. 2014 and 2015 are holding to the same pattern.



So if that holds, there are another eight movies Marvel is thinking about making, and they can't all be sequels. Let the speculation begin!


‘This Porno Has Too Much Nudity’: The ‘Kick-Ass 2′ Crew Comment On Jim Carrey (VIDEO)


Jim Carrey in Kick-Ass 2




Jim Carrey disavowed Kick-Ass 2 back in June, saying he couldn't support the level of violence after the Sandy Hook shootings. (To be fair, Kick-Ass 2 is awesomely violent.) Carrey is not on the movie's press tour now, which might get super awkward when media outlets ask everyone else there about his absence. Oh, what do we have here? A video of Digital Spy doing just that? Roll that beautiful bean footage.







Writer Mark Millar, director Jeff Wadlow, and stars Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse seem to be in agreement that Jim Carrey calling the movie too violent is the best thing that could happen. Millar claims they've received $30 million worth of free publicity from the mainstream media because of those two tweets by Jim Carrey, including 20 minutes of free coverage on Good Morning America. Wait, Good Morning America is still a thing? Ugh.



Millar also said, "I'm delighted with Jim Carrey, this is amazing. For your main actor to publicly say, 'This movie is too violent for me' is like saying, 'This porno has too much nudity.'"



He said it in a Scottish accent, though, so you may have thought he was saying, "This power cord is tuna noodley."


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Welcome to the Vitka Zone



In "Independents Day" Nerd Caliber provides short reviews of noteworthy comics and books NOT produced by a major publisher.



Be afraid. Be very afraid... and amused, it turns out.



Space Whiskey Death Chronicles, indie author William Vitka's gripping short story collection finds the edges of classic science fiction and dark fantasy and dives headfirst into the horrible abyss beyond. There are no guarantees of happiness and fewer assurances of safety in Vitka's universe.



His work evokes the best of the "Twilight Zone" and "Tales from the Darkside." It's a completely fresh voice sharing a horror that feels as authentically eldritch as anything Poe and Lovecraft invented.



If you're looking for a nice story that makes you feel good about being a human, look elsewhere. If you want a story with a small epiphany at the end, where everyone is sadder, but wiser at the end, just put this book down.



There's no comfort here. Being a human in Vitka's fiction is like being an insect in a world much larger and more terrifying than we could realize. We cannot hope to influence our destiny. The best we can do is resist, futilely, the incredible forces that will certainly overwhelm us. Somehow in this real world full of science and math that is so far beyond our understanding, his work feels terrifyingly relevant.



Yet, it is to his credit that his writing moves the reader along quickly, as if some kind of joke that is teasing you toward the punch line. Jack the Ripper is a hero of the world. We are a family running out of oxygen in the deep reaches of space. Gremlins are helpers. All of your preconceived notions of good and evil mean nothing as each tale requires a total shift of perspective.



It's the mark of great stories that even when you can guess the ending that the journey was worth the time invested. This collection meets-and exceeds-this goal every time.



I rate it five Cthulhu tentacles out of five.



Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Space-Whiskey-Death-Chronicles/dp/162007155X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375211633&sr=1-4



Follow William Vitka here: https://twitter.com/vitka









RWBY: Review and Relations



So I didn't know about RWBY, much to my shame, until a fellow MuseHack author pointed it out. Just another sign of the important of keeping up on things.



RWBY is a cgi-animated series by the famous Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth. There's many ways to describe it, but basically it's what you get when a team of people get together with their voice talent, design talent, and modern software, and do an anime-inspired series using CGI. There's a lot of Rooster Teeth personnel involved in this, so if you're acquainted with them, you've heard of them.



(Yeah, you'd think *I* would have kept up on something this professionally geeky. I am filled with shame).



So anyway, what is RWBY? It's a mixture of re-interpreted fairy tale characters in a world where humanity is beset by horrible creatures known as The Grimm. Specialists who stand against them are known as Huntsmen and Huntresses, and humanity's big edge over The Grimm is magical Dust, which powers weapons and provides a numbers of effects. Helping train potential Huntsmen and Huntresses are various academies, including Beacon Academy, where the story kicks into gear.



(A lot to keep track of? There's a wiki already.)



The story centers around Ruby Rose, which as you may guess is a Little Red Riding Hood concept. Only Little Red Riding Hood did't build a giant reconfigurable scythe/sniper rifle under tutelage of her uncle. When she tangles with the criminal gang of charming-but deadly Roman Torchwick, she gets the attention of Beacon Academy and gets moves ahead a few years . . . and you get to meet many fellow students who may seem a bit familiar in some fairy tale ways . . .



So it's a lot of elements we've seen before. But is it good or not?



And here's the odd thing in reviewing it; the best way to describe the series is sincere. There's actually a lot of good stuff here, and there are flaws, but the sincerity really makes it something different. I enjoyed it, but part of the fun was I felt I was having a great time with the people who make it. It connects.



RWBY pretty much bursts with love for what it's doing, for doing crazy stuff, for having a ball with it. You can see lovingly created craziness and little details, stylistic takes, and plenty of references. I consider it enjoyable because the staff is taking you along for the ride. There's a personal, hand-crafted feel to this that adds a special something.



Now it's not going to be for everyone. You may not like the CGI animation, or the use of tropes, or whatever. But I think it's something to appreciate and to check out - also because it's made by people like us.



So to make this review complete, let's list the pros and the cons of the series.



Pros:


  • There's a fusion of anime and video game styles here that's very promising, and often reminiscent of Suda 51 s works. I think there's a chance for some real interesting aesthetic development.
  • At times it goes utterly artsy - check out the trailer for White, which really blew me away.
  • There's plenty of puns and elements on fairy tales, and not just the obvious ones. Just the head of Beacon Academy, Ozpin, has a name that's a reference to less known elements of the Wizard of Oz. This promises to be a fun treasure hunt.
  • The story has actual world building and a background. Things are actually going on.
  • The sincerity. Again, that goes far.
  • Though I note below I felt the voice acting quality is erratic, everyone throws themselves into the role. Special props to the actress doing Ruby Rose (Lindsay Tuggey) for her unbridled enthusiasm, and Jaune Arc (Miles Luna) for having to walk the difficult line of making a character dorky but likable.
  • I'm glad to see a series focusing on strong female characters.
  • Roman Torchwick is awesome. But I'm biased.

Cons:


  • The style of the show at times veers. I don't think the game/anime fusion aesthetic is quite settled. I expect this to improve in time but it can be jarring. I felt the Black trailer showed ways that you can fuse the aesthetics very well.
  • The CGI is decent, but doesn't always work right for expressions or body language, and I felt sometimes character expressions got lost. There's also times where I wanted more detail and things were "too CGI."
  • The voice acting quality was erratic as noted. Again I expect this to improve.
  • The series does use several common tropes. I don't mind if they're done well, but this may not appeal to everyone.

So that's my take. Personally, if you're any kind of anime, game, and CGI enthusiast you should check it out. It really is a great example of what people can do when they team up and cut loose, and you might find it's something you've been looking for.



Because it's made by people who ask what'd happen if you gave Little Red Riding Hood a gun-scythe, or armed Goldilocks with wrist-mounted blasters.



You know. US.



- Steven Savage



Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/.









Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NEW BATMAN TOYS - LEGO BATCAVE the Second Version!


At the recent 2011 New York Comic Con there was a lot of hype about LEGO TOYS bringing back the LEGO BATMAN Merchandise. This is great news for Bat-Collectors because this stuff was extremely cool! Not only were the toys wonderful but they based a video game on the figures that proved quite popular. Now, you know the BAT-BLOG.COM is gonna be all over this so please stay tuned to that. In the mean time, here's a photo of the brand-new 2nd Version LEGO BATMAN BATCAVE for you to drool over, click on it... I'm lovin' it! ( Poison Ivy and Bane! )

BATMAN FANS - Halloween is Just Around The Corner!




This post is a message to all Friends of the BAT-BLOG.COM. I'm asking you to please send us your Vintage Family Photos showing you dressed, in costume, as a BATMAN character. We prefer older pics but if it was last night then that's cool too! You see, every year at Halloween we sort of go crazy with these kinda pictures...ha ha! So, Please send yours today, our email button is always on the top right-hand side of this page. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

NEW BATMAN COLLECTIBLES - Wonderful BATGIRL and CATWOMAN PULLIP DOLLS From JAPAN!









POW! Here are 2 brand-new Bat-Collectibles to keep an eye out for because they're both extremely cool! I mean, I totally love these!! Here are BATGIRL and CATWOMAN Dolls made by Pullip Toys of Japan. These awesome Japanese Toys were sold as an EXCLUSIVE at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con! But don't worry, they're also being sold online & finding them is pretty easy. They retail for around $130.00 each. In one photo you can see their nice Display Boxes. The dolls are really great. I like their big heads ( ha ha ) & the costumes are wonderful. Also, the very last photo shows 2 variations that were EXCLUSIVES in Japan only. They were sold at the "Wonder Festival" & are limited to 400 pieces each. Personally, I like the SDCC versions better because their hair color is more accurate.

BATYY HALLOWEEN - Robin and The Riddler in Battle!




RIDDLE ME THIS, "What is it that no man wants to have, yet no man wants to lose ?" Answer: A Lawsuit! Ha Ha! Sorry, I had to do a wacky riddle because this next group of pictures feature the Riddler! Yes, Gotham City has recently been threatened by the Prince of Puzzles. But wait! Robin is on the case & ready to fight crime! What will happen next?!

These fun pics were sent in by our friend Jessica to share the Halloween Costumes that her & her friend Linh made this year. Jessica is Robin & Linh is the Riddler! Both costumes are totally great! I have always felt that homemade outfits are the very best & this is total proof. I wanna thank them both for taking the time to shoot these wonderful photos. Plus, I hope that they, and all BAT-BLOG Fans, have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Monday, November 18, 2013

New BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT Toys - Mini Mez-itz Figures Box Sets by Mezco!






Next year, around April 2012, be sure to keep an eye out for these special DARK KNIGHT MOVIE 2" Mini Mez-itz Figures and Toy Vehicles made by MEZCO. They will be sold in different boxed sets. The 1st one will feature the TUMBLER Batmobile & it comes with a Mini-Batman 2" Mez-itz Figure.


The next one will also be a "Vehicle Boxed Set" & it comes with Batman, The Joker, and The Bat-Pod Motorcycle all packaged together in a special collector window box.


Then, a 3rd Set will have four 2" Mez-itz Figures and you'll get Batman, The Joker, Scarecrow and Two-Face!


Then, the last 2 photos show some BATMAN and JOKER Figures that are going to be a little bigger, at 6" tall ( and also, sold separately ).