“The End and the Beginning of a New Age of Apocalypse” – Age of Apocalypse #14 Review

Introduction

                This is the first time I have read an Age of Apocalypse issue. So bare with me and say anything I don’t quite understand.  I always knew about the AOA characters and I always like the designs. So, I feel some interest in them. I just never got the chance. I even felt really disappointed when Wolverine and The X-Men cartoon got cancelled, because it was another missed opportunity to get to know them.  The only chance I had was in Uncanny X-Force. I actually liked the characters in there and it felt very interesting in how they interacted.  So, it’s great to have the opportunity here.

Story

                The teams are split in 2 or 3 teams to stop the two villains from destroying and fighting each other and everything that is around them while Dazzler’s team finally found the apocalypse seed to change or fix the holes of the universes. But when they obtain the seed Jean Grey and Nightcrawler tries to steal the seed for their own obtain. Then Dark Beast tries to steal back the seed from them. Meanwhile the Prophet gets killed from the New Apocalypse.

The Good

                I honestly didn’t like issue to tell you the truth. The only good thing I found in this issue is the characters designs and personalities or the dynamics they have between them. They had interesting dialogue and wish they could have interacted a bit more. It just feels really natural. Other than that everything was okay.

The Bad

                The pacing in this issue wasn’t really good. It felt really sloppy and just couldn’t mesh the action together. It would just jump from one character to another that you would get lost in what really going on. There just wasn’t any focus on the characters. I honestly think should have just focus on Dazzler’s team alone. I felt this team alone had more conflict and interesting interactions. The action felt misplaced and unorganized. It was like was watching a bad editing from a film. The teams were barely even fighting at all. It looked like they were pretty much watching the two enemies fight.  Hercules death in this issue was presented really badly as well. You don’t really get to see him die. He just gets shot and Kurt Waggoner is left to teleport with him letting him die. It just seemed strange how everyone didn’t have any emotion, forgot or didn’t care he died. It even felt strange for his boyfriend James Howlett from X-Terme X-Men didn’t even care. I kind of wish he stayed alive for a post appearance in X-Termination, because it could brought an interesting dynamic of seeing this relationship grow. The art was also really bad. It was just sloppy and badly drawn. The only time I felt the drawing was good was with Dazzler’s team. So the art felt out of place in there.

The Verdict

                I think this issue deserves a 6.5/2 ½. It really has the potential with good characters and conflict. It just wasn’t executed well here with the action and dialogue thrown back and forth at each other. Maybe this is why this series is getting cancelled which sucks because these characters are very interesting. Maybe some will be kept for X-Termination perhaps? I really hope that series turns out to be good with these amazing characters.

“R.I.P. Cliff Barker, you were a real hero!” – Animal Man #19 Review

Introduction

                I have read Jeff Lemire’s work in the previous issues of Animal Man during the Rotworld arc with Steel, Black Orchid, etc. I will tell you so far I was not impressed with those issues. It really brought Animal Man into a downhill. It just didn’t seem natural. The dialogue and action was just really bad. I was really shocked because I love his work in Justice League Dark. So was surprised he couldn’t present most of JLD characters well in those issues. But when I read this issue it was a complete turnaround.   

Story

                The funeral of Cliff Baker has just begun. Everyone goes through the emotion of his loss before they go. When they immediately arrive there is conflict because Ellen blames Buddy’s fault for his death. She no longer wants to be with him and want her daughter away from him. After the funeral, publicity follow Buddy Barker’s trail. Asking him questions and he eventually throws a fit and decides to leave to talk with the avatars. He tries to convince them to remove his and Maxine’s powers. But they refused and throw him out. So, he must face being a superhero.

The Good

                I really did like this issue a lot. The writing did improve from over the last few issues. It really feels nature in the characters to express their emotions. I’m glad most the beginning was silent, because the emotions felt really real. It was just good to see how angry Ellen and Buddy Barker to what has happened. I even liked how Maxine didn’t understand death. She really felt she was going to see him again the next day. It’s what kids really feel like when death comes around. It even reminds me of my cousin when her brother died. She just thought her brother was sleeping and she will eventually see him again the next day. So it was really realistic. Steve Pugh’s art in this issue was amazingly beautiful too. This issue was just perfect!

The Bad

                I didn’t find anything bad in this issue expect maybe for Ellen. I really didn’t like how she reacted towards the situation. I normally don’t like her character because to me she isn’t a good wife to Buddy. She has disliked him ever since he was a superhero. It just seems like she never like him for who he is as a person. She never understands how he risk, tried or even cares deeply for his family. Just seeing her angry makes me hate her even more. But see her like this made me realized she’s very flawed and that’s how most human beings are. So I decided not to take points off for this. I’m not sure but I also have read that Ellen was bit more lighthearted in the pre-New 52. So, I don’t know why the change. I guess it just brings in more conflict.

Verdict

                I’m going to give this issue a 10/5 because it was just perfect. The emotions were done nicely. The art and the story felt so real. I just couldn’t seem to find any mistakes about this issue. The channel 52 news was sort of mediocre because it didn’t mention anything about Cliff’s death only Robin’s death. So what can you expect? 

“Jimmy Olsen is that really you?” - Action Comics #19 Review

Introduction

Action Comics # 19 is the first issue with Andy Diggle and Tony S. Daniel. I’ve been really waiting for this issue to come around because I really didn’t like Grant Morrison’s run that much.  Because reading his puzzle formula feels like a chore and it’s frustrating to put pieces together.   Also this is my first time reading Andy Diggle’s book. So, I definitely like to see what his writing is like.

Story

                In this issue Clark Kent is having a sort intimidate conversation with Lois Lane in the Middle East.  Then as Superman, he’s off to fight someone who appears to be or look like “Jimmy Olsen” in a robotic suit. Lex Luthor is talking to his psychiatrist about his mental issues.  Then he’s off to talking to some woman about his plans to infect Superman with a kryptonite virus as he fights “Jimmy Olsen”. The virus is revealed after he defeats “Jimmy Olsen”.

The Good

                I really didn’t like this issue that much because not much went on.  The only great moment is Lois Lane and Clark Kent is talking to each other. They had a very normal conversation that had an intimidate stare. It’s sad they get distracted. But I really like it because it’s the first time we actually see Lois and Clark talk to each other alone. It really makes you relive the dream of them being together again. I do like the Superman and Wonder Woman relationship but I hope it doesn’t last forever. The pacing in this issue is also great because you don’t have to figure out a puzzle. It’s very straight forward. So, you will be glad about Grant Morrison formula is no longer around. The art from Tony S. Daniel is amazingly beautiful. It’s very detailed and way better than the previous artist.

The Bad

                The problem with the issue is that really happens except Superman gets infected. The action was okay. It just wasn’t over the top. I really didn’t like the hype about him fighting “Jimmy Olsen” because it wasn’t revealed as the real Jimmy Olsen and Superman didn’t really care or get really emotional when getting shot by the laser. I didn’t like the Channel 52 News. I think they should get rid of it because it isn’t really funny especially for Ambush Bug.  (I just realized this backup is in every series and I feel I shouldn’t base my review on it. So I just want to point out I don’t like it.)

Verdict

                The issue should get a 7.5/3 ½ because it’s average. It’s an okay book but I did like the writing of Andy Diggle. It’s better than Grant Morrison and I’m hoping to see more even if it’s for a few issues.

     

“Time to Roll Out” – Transformers: Fall of Cyberton Review

                I have been a big fan of Transformers ever since I was a child. I remember having the toys and loving the way you had to transform them.  They were honestly one of the best unique toys to play with.  I have grown up watching many of the series like G1, G2, Beast Wars, Transformers Animated and lastly Transformers Prime. I didn’t get to watch any of the Transformer’s Unicorn series or Transformers: Robots in Disguise because I didn’t have cable at the time. But maybe someday I will. I’m really a big fan of Beast Wars rather than G1 or G2 series because I have re-watched the G1, G2 series and they weren’t good at all. It didn’t age well with me. Beat Wars in the other hand, even re-watching it still had a redefine writing of the universe than any other.  If you’re wondering I don’t like the Transformers movies either. But besides not being a big G1/2 fan, I think these Cyberton games are great and they portray it very well. I honestly can’t wait until they land on Earth! I also love how this game has been recently portraying characters that have appeared in recent series, like Cliffjumper. I remember him from Transformers Prime. But he was only in 2 episodes, one was about his death and the other was a flashback. So, I’m glad they used the opportunity to flesh his character more in here. I have also played the first game and fell in love with gameplay and story. So I was very excited to jump on board of this game and expect a few comparisons from this review.

          The game starts with the Autobots in the Ark spacecraft escaping Cyberton. But they are attacked by the Decepticons which prevents them from escaping. So at the very beginning you play as Bumblebee to go look for Optimus. Once Optimus is found a cut scene is shown with Optimus fighting Megatron and Bumblebee jumps right in the middle leaving him severely injured. Then the game sets you on flashback to six days before this scene.  Now you get to play through a series of characters as both the Deceptions and Autobots find way to prepare their ships and evacuate Cyberton. But first they must find Grimlock and the rest of the Dinobots to activate the space bridge. You also play as the Decepticons with Megatron reawakening to take over the regime of Starscream. So, as Megatron is reclaiming his throne, you play as the other Decepticons as well. Then in the final battle you will get to switch sides between the two as they fight each other from attempting to flee.

        I think the story of this game was great! It was very compelling to see the many different personalities of the characters.  They had great dialogue with good humor and action. You will really enjoy the discussions between the characters’ relationships.  The fighting scenes were really good to see too. It felt like I was watching a movie.  The only problem I had was with Bumblebee because he didn’t have his voice actor due to him being mute in this one. Yes, it really pissed me off they went with the literature of that god awful Transformers movie.  That’s one of the reasons I hate those films because it takes out the great exciting risk and cool factor personality he has. So, I guess you can blame Michael Bay for influencing this story a bit. It really did feel he was lacking in personality here too. You lose his cool and cockiness attitude but still have his risk factor due to him jumping in the middle of Optimus and Megatron. Also, I will rant about it later about not him having an ability. But besides that the story is still good. I really feel it’s better than the first one. The biggest disappointment for the story mode was no co-op. I really didn’t understand why it was taken out in this one. All of characters except for a few exceptions like Bumblebee, Megatron and Optimus had a tag along character. Those characters could have been easily made to be a second player. It was really fun to play co-op in the first one, so there was no need to get rid of it. Plus, it could have opened the possibility for more characters.

       The controls are pretty much the same as Transformers: War for Cyberton. It still has RT to shoot, LT to aim, LB to sprint/dash, left analog to move/change form, camera/melee (RA), reload (X), jump (A) and Weapon change (Y). The only two features are the special ability and the hand switch to shoot. I honestly think these two features are great because it gives a different experience each time you play with a different character.  The switching hands give a better view for the gamer if you’re left and right handed.  The upgrading weapons feature is okay. But it doesn’t really add much because you can beat the game without the upgrades. So, there’s no force or unique effect on it.

      I think the characters in this game are great to play with.  My favorite two characters were Jazz and Grimlock. Jazz has a hooking ability that really made it fun swing wall to wall like Spiderman. But man Grimlock was amazing because he was so big and overpowered to the point you want to smash everything.  It was great using his sword to slash everything and when you turn into the T-Rex and get burn everyone down with flames from his mouth. Grimlock was just really exciting to play with. The most challenging character to play with was Cliffjumper because it was a cloak/stealth base mission. I’m not really good at those but he was still really to play with as well. Bruticus was very strong to play with but he was very stiff to control than Grimlock and he couldn’t really transform. I wish there was an extensive play on Shockwave because he was awesome to play with. It just seems really cool to send Rumble, Ravager and Laserbeak to help you out. It was so disappointing that he never has his own mission and you only get to play with him for like 10 minutes. The weakest characters in the game to me were Optimus, Megatron and Vortex because their abilities did add much effect in terms of gameplay. Optimus has a homing ability and Vortex had a shockwave to attack enemies that pretty much it. Bumblebee in other hand was the worst character to play with because he no ability. All you were able to do was shoot and drive and since he had no voice actor or personality. It didn’t make me have much fun to play with at all. I honestly hope Bumblebee will be more fun to play with next time because he’s my favorite character in Transformers of all time.

       The multiplayer is really fun and sort of smooth. You can really make a challenge because there isn’t that much players online that will tear you down. The downside for multiplayer is that you are forced to create your own character. You can’t play with any characters that are in the game already.  It really isn’t good for someone who just wants to jump in and play. I also don’t understand the difference between Conquest and Capture the Flag because they are mostly the same but with a score limit. They should have added a different type of gameplay. Escalation is sort of fun but it kind of gets boring after a while because you’re just killing a bunch of A.I.’s with online players. There isn’t a set goal in mind that you have to do.  So, it really doesn’t replace the co-op factor that was in the previous game. The downside of Escalation is pretty much the opposite of my last complaint in multiplayer is not being able to play with customizable characters. I honestly think they should have a combination of both to play with and it would have definitely replaced conquest mode.

      The customization in creating the characters is the best I ever seen in a video game. It is so fluent to the point where you can make any character in the Transformers universe.  You can customize everything from head to toe from the characters voice to their vehicles too. It’s also great that you can use any special ability to any character.

      The weapons in this game are pretty good. But they are not great in terms of upgrading because it’s not useful. My favorite weapons are the scatter weapon and the path blaster because they take a lot of damage and are very easy to shoot and aim with. The most disappointing weapon is the corruptor because it doesn’t have that much effect on the enemies. The grenades are really good too. The only one I found really useful is the black hole grenade. It really helps taking out multiple enemies onscreen.

       Overall, this game deserves an 8.5.  I think this was a really good game. I did enjoy the story and every single character in the game. The story was very compelling and emotional. I really can’t wait until they arrive on Earth because it will have a very different field of gameplay. I felt the gamplay was very fun and challenging with no frustration whatsoever. It was just fun the whole entire time. So, I will definitely play the next one. So definitely buy the game and I hope you will enjoy it gratefully. 

Justice League #1-12 “New 52” Review – Justice for One and For All

               I have been a DC fan ever since the days of the DCAU cartoons series. These cartoon series were so great that it encouraged me to read the comic books. When I started reading it really came with ease because most the characters were just like their cartoon counterparts. So, making the transition from cartoons to comic books felt really easy. I think that’s why people thought that DCAU series was so great. To be more specific, I started reading comic books right after Justice League Unlimited got cancelled. Yeah it was very sad time but I started to feel joy again reading these books. I read many series like Batman Hush, Infinite Crisis, 52, etc. But sadly I had to stop at One Year Later because time was really troubling me since I started college. I had no time to read so I stop reading comic books completely. Yeah another sad time had came but I got used to it. Fast forwarded to my 3^rd year when I heard the news of DC rebooting their entire DC universe I was sort of furious and mostly pissed off. Because I didn’t really like most of the costume designs and I was thinking all the characters I knew and loved were all gone. So as time went by after finishing college I began to reading comic books all over again. Boy, I was happy when I started reading the New 52. It really changed my mind and hoped for the better. Most the characters keep personalities, stories were good and I got pretty much use to the designs. Now that I read many reviews of New 52, I am motivated to write my own.

Justice League #1-6 takes place five years ago, when the team meets each other for the first time. There’s an evil threat of aliens invading the city.  Six great heroes decided to put their differences aside and fight off this new threat. Meanwhile the threat causes an accident to Victor Stone, a high school football kid. Now it’s up to his father to repair him and become a new hero, Cyborg. He eventually meets the others heroes and helps fight off Darkseid. The Justice League together as a team push Darkseid back to his portal while Darkseid marks that he will return.

Justice League #7-12 fast forwards the team to five years after the team has been assemble and gathered the publicity of being “the greatest super hero team ever”. Now there’s a new villain going by the name Graves. Graves was known as the author of the Justice League book called Justice League: Gods among Us.  The book was made after the man and his family was saved during the time of Darkseid’s fight. But since the tragedy his wife and daughter had obtained a disease and died. So, he now has this new found power and is trying to get his revenge on the Justice League. There also a few other things in these issues like Green Arrow failure to join the team, a sneak peak to Martian Manhunter’s secret behind the team, Steve Trevor’s past relationship with Wonder Woman, and the current Superman and Wonder Woman relationship. They also a Shazam feature included in each issue. Billy Baston is an orphan met by foster parents taking him home to meet the siblings. He struggles to get along with his family and the environment in school.

The Bad

               Justice League #1-9 was sort of really bad in my opinion. I really love Geoff Johns writing in Green Lantern because Hal Jordan seems like a real brave charmer. I also love his romantics with Carol Ferris. But in Justice League he acts like a real jerk which is out of character for me. I honestly don’t know what happened here. It feels so strange that Hal is a totally different person in Justice League than in Green Lantern and it’s also by the same writer. So it feels really out of place. Another thing I don’t understand is if Hal is acting like a jerk, why would Batman just reveal his identity to him? I mean really, Batman doesn’t know who he is. It’s been known that Batman has problem trusting people with his secrets and I really don’t see why he would tell someone he met in one day about his parents’ death and his identity. It’s too early for him to do that. Batman hasn’t revealed anything to Commission Gordon and has known him a lot long. This wouldn’t make sense for him to do that. After I read a few more issues I noticed everyone started acting like a jerk especially in the Shazam features. Seriously, Billy Baston yelling at the little girl just because she was annoying him was a little too much. I felt it was not needed. Green Arrow’s feature was okay. But I’m unsure if it was needed because Martian Manhunter’s secret wasn’t revealed. I guess we have to wait until JLA #1. I also think the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship should have went a little more slowly. Because I don’t normally see people pouring their feelings with a kiss unless they really know each other or have feelings they have been hiding from each other for a while. I also noticed the lines in Justice League were too cheesy as well. Words like “We got this” or “We got this, we’re the Justice League” felt too forced or corny in my opinion.

The Good

               I think Justice League got really good during the last three issues, 10-12. It seems like Johns eventually listened to his fans and changed the writing. He finally got rid of the all the jerkiness and cheesy words and made them the characters we all know and loved. The David Graves storyline was really interesting and I feel he’s a great villain. He really had a great purpose to fight the Justice League. The way to see his family die from a disease really made me feel bad for him. It was also cool to see all the great emotions affected each Justice League character when they see their dead loved ones. Jim Lee’s art was really amazing for me to see. I loved how the battles were really organized and each character had a chance to shine. There were beautiful colors in every issue as well.

  Verdict

               I’m giving these issues a 7.8 as a whole. I really dig the last three issues and I’m really hoping to read more. The writing has really gotten better and just had a bad start. I really loved Graves as a villain and I’m hoping see more of him in the future. I wonder what they are planning with Graves and Amanda Waller.

Note: I know this is a surprising score. But you got to understand when I don’t like something I’m going to point it out. I’m really not like other reviewers that just give it 5 stars just because it’s Justice League. I seen it a lot in comic vine which I think isn’t a good review. Every franchise has their faults and you have to really point that out. I’m just letting people know you’re not going to see that here.  

Jet Set Radio Review – I am Grinding Flawlessly

            When I was surfing through the net I read the news of Jet Set Radio being re-released in HD for Xbox 360, PS3 and Vita I was ecstatic. I was really happy to see Sega had decided to release one their best games ever made. When this game released I went to read the reviews mainly on IGN and Gamespot. I could not believe what I saw, IGN gave it a 7.5 while Gamespot’s was terrible by giving it a 4.5. It honestly showed that these reviewers didn't like the game and felt that the game was too challenging for them and didn't take the time to learn how to actually play the game. It’s seems they gave the game a bad review because they completely sucked in that game. This I feel you shouldn't do as a professional because it’s mostly your fault not the game. I also didn't remember the controls ever being bad as they described. Fast forwarded to a few months I decided to buy the game when it went on sale for $5. When I finally played I started to feel angered that the reviews butchered on how bad the controls were, when they weren't really bad at all. The controls were still the same but with a slight improvement of the second analog. Yeah I had little moments of getting frustrated with moving the character or camera a few times. But after I got the hang of it I was able to grind through the game flawlessly. Now that I finally let the air out of bashing this game I think it’s time for my in-depth review.

               Jet Set Radio was released on the Dreamcast in the year 2000. When it was released it was considered the most beautiful and unique (as it is still is today) of all time. This cell shaded game had many vibrant colors and a beautiful shade of art on the graffiti and characters as well. It was also acclaimed for many awards of its uniqueness.

   

               In this game, you played as the GG’s rollerblading through the streets of Tokyo-to and spraying graffiti on the walls. During the game you go against three rival gangs (Poison Jams, Noise Tanks, and Love Shockers) and getting stop by the cops and later on the Rhinos. You also meet Professor K who gives you snoops as he’s going on. He always seems to make you laugh and enjoy the story or feel of the game quite well. Also in the game you challenge new characters to play as by copying their moves or racing them to unlock them. By the end of the game, you meet Combo and Cube from Grind City who are looking for their friend that got kidnapped by The Rhinos. I don’t know why but he’s somehow never found (I remember him just betraying his friends and running away) and is completely forgotten about at the end of the game. It’s kind bad for story direction and I was kind of hoping to play as him.

               The graphics in this HD version are very clean and crisp. It really makes me think that this is the best looking HD game as of right now. Sega really cleaned out any of dirty sprites or blocks that these characters and stages had. It still has the characters’ blocky edges which I don’t think can be rid of unless they start from scratch.

               The controls are pretty much the same as the Dreamcast version except the 2^nd analog that helps you moved your character or camera at a good spot to help you grind or reach the rails better. This right analog control really helped me out. For example, when I challenged Garam I was able to jump to the other rail by moving the right analog without going too far and missing it. I was playing the Xbox 360 version so it had, A to jump, LT to spray and RT to speed up. You also had to move the left analog in different directions when it came to spraying big graffiti. It can be a little jarring at times. But I just simply use my right hand over the left analog. I use to do this in the Dreamcast days and it always made spraying more easily for me.  The most thing people tend to complain about is the camera and the character movement. Because the camera sometimes moves into an angle you can’t see and the character moves too far to the left and right when he jumps, making you missed the rails. Also, the camera doesn’t allow you to look around of the stage. It just fixes even when moving the right analog, which can be a pain when it doesn’t work. The thing about this game is you have to get skilled or get the hang of the controls. Once you do, you will forget or get over with the errors. Besides the game is fairly easy even with the big O’ tanks and helicopters are attacking you. I think the only time I got really got frustrated was at the last stage. Because it has a record player spinning on floor as you skate, which it can get you really dizzy. The game is very easy to get through and I managed to beat it in 12 hours. My favorite characters were Garam, Slate, Cube, Beat and Gum because they were very fast, smooth and carried a lot of cans. The other characters were okay. I didn’t get the chance to unlock the rival gangs and Pots. But I remember back in the Dreamcast days, he was the worst character ever! There is also  creating a graffiti mode. But it doesn’t really work out so well. So I prefer to just choose the big selection of graffiti once you get the graffiti souls.

               The level design is still looking pretty good with the HD graphics and I still feel they were very big compared to some newer games today. It wasn’t open world status, but it was big enough to run around freely. I really don’t understand what the reviewers were complaining when it came to level design. The only complaint I had was that I wish Grind City was much bigger like the others.

               The best thing about this game was the music because it really fits well with the game. I even sometimes sing out loud the songs as I’m playing (laughs). The music gives out a mixture of 90’s rap/hip hop, rock and techno. My favorite songs were Dracula, Rock it on, and Sweet Soul Brother. Sega managed to only miss two songs in this version which were only in the PAL version. So, I really didn’t care for it. 

               When I finish the game, I immediately started to play Jet Set Radio Future on my 360. I wish Sega managed to make an HD version of this game. So, they can fix all the massive slow down on some of the stages. I noticed some the quite differences I miss between the two games like being able to speed up because the boost really doesn’t help you out. I also missed using the analog and fighting the bad guys while spraying  because it made it more challenging. I also didn’t like the soundtrack as much of the first once. It was a better and much easier game. But it just made me miss a few things and the only great improvement was adding rollerblading tricks, better graphics and bigger stages. The characters also controlled better too.

               So, I really enjoyed playing this game and it really gave me flashbacks of playing back in the old days. But now I’m once again gushing for a sequel and now an HD version of Jet Set Radio Future. I am going to give this game a 9.0. I really hope you liked my first review and continue to read many more. Also, give me some comments below!