Stan Sakai is a multiple Eisner winner. He is a community friend to artists and writers and he is a fan favorite to comic book readers from the last three and a half decades. He also knows how to spin an amazing tale and he’s doing just that for his classic character everyone knows even if they’re not a reader. Even people not in the comics world recognize the bunny samurai from pop-culture such as the guest appearances of Usagi in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated universe. In Stan’s new story the character Miyamoto Usagi is now twenty years older in the future. He is still fighting the good fight but in this samurai story, fans will see the destiny of their favorite characters such as Usagi.
Usagi is a general for a powerful Lord Noriyuki who is in conflict with a devious and evil Lord Hikiji. In the final battle as Miyamoto fights for victory a mysterious metal rocket crashes onto the battlefield and what emerges becomes an enemy of both sides that possibly neither side can defeat. For an special look at the book check out the preview from Dark Horse below the solicit and don’t forget to leave a comment or reach out to us on Twitter if you’re looking forward to this anniversary story from master story teller Stan Sakai.
Usagi Yojimbo: Senso #1 Writer & Artist: Stan Sakai Cover Artist: Stan Skai and Tom Luth On Sale: August 6th, 2014 Format: B&W, 32 pages; miniseries Price $3.99
For more information visit Dark Horse’s website where you can pre-order the comic from TFAW.com.
Weekend Movie Previews: Jump Street and Dragons 6/13/14
Awesome, a light week of releases, so I can sit back and take it easy and not stress my brain too much writing these things up.
Before we get started though, I would like to welcome you all back to the BSR! Weekend Movie Previews. This one is for the weekend of June 13, 2014. Per usual, before we get started, a quick disclaimer. All of the film information presented here, including the plot summary, has been pulled from the Opening This Week page of IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/nowplaying/). I have not seen any of these movies at the time of this writing. Join us this week as we preview 22 Jump Street, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rover, and more.
22 Jump Street (2014)
R 112 min – Action | Comedy | Crime
Directors: Phil Lord | Christopher Miller
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Nick Offerman
Summary: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
Thoughts: It seems like it was only just yesterday that we were drooling endlessly over a Lord and Miller movie. Oh wait… It basically was. The Lego Movie has gotten all kinds of endless love, and the filmmakers have been soaking in that impenetrable haze of infallibility. They shouldn’t get too used to it, but based on early reviews, they are probably still good through this movie. The first Jump Street movie was surprisingly likable, and was able to pull off the comedy reboot in a way that Starsky & Hutch, and Dragnet struggled with. Here’s to comedy sequels and reboots that don’t completely suck.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
PG 102 min – Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Director: Dean DeBlois
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson
Summary: When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
Thoughts: This is the second sequel opening this weekend, and the one that I am probably a bit more interested in seeing. The first movie was a lot of fun, and a big step up thematically and storywise from what we can generally expect outa Dreamworks Animation. The one thing that I am not as excited about is Jay Baruchel’s voice. After This Is The End and the endless profanities there, it feels weird to hear that same voice in a children’s cartoon. Also, I am surprised that they actually have a sequel, considering that they also have a TV series based on the same characters and situations.
Summary: When motocross and heavy metal obsessed thirteen-year-old Jacob’s increasing delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father, Hollis, must finally take responsibility for their actions and for each other in order to bring Wes home.
Thoughts: I am not sure how to feel about this movie. It looks technically great. But it is about several things I have no interest in: MotoCross and Bad Parenting. There is probably a reason those two things are always popping up together. Does Juliette Lewis even age? She still looks like that same endangered little girl in Cape Fear.
The Rover (2014) – [Limited]
R 102 min – Crime | Drama
Director: David Michôd
Stars: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field
Summary: 10 years after a global economic collapse, a hardened, ruthless ex-soldier tracks down the men who stole his only possession. As he travels through the lawless Australian outback, he takes a damaged young man as his unwitting accomplice.
Thoughts: This looks almost like a prequel to both the original Mad Max and The Road. And man, I love when Guy Pearce plays beat up. And it is good to see that Robert Pattinson is not content to rest on his vampire laurels.
Summary: On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness – only to find himself in a waking nightmare.
Thoughts: The summary for this movie above reads like a completely different movie than the trailer presents. Actually, the movie the trailer presents is close to indecipherable. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with the majority of you that trailers shouldn’t give away the whole movie, but man, let’s at least get in the ball park with them. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the actual movie turned out to be a Will Ferrell comedy.
Now, it’s your turn – if you have seen any of these movies, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Weekend Movie Previews: The Fault In Our Tomorrows 6/6/14
Geez, there are a ton of movies opening this week. And it is a beautiful day outside. I can either spend a bunch of time trying to be relevant and resonant about Tom Cruise, and YA adaptations, or I can go outside and get some sun. So, I am gonna blow through these as fast as I can.
But first, welcome back to the BSR! Weekend Movie Previews. This one is for the weekend of June 6, 2014. As always, before we get started, a quick disclaimer. All of the film information presented here, including the plot summary, has been pulled from the Opening This Week page of IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/nowplaying/). I have not seen any of these movies at the time of this writing. Join us this week as we preview Edge of Tomorrow, The Fault In Our Stars, Trust Me, and more.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
PG-13 113 min – Action | Sci-Fi
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
Summary: An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy.
Thoughts: I am actually pretty invested in seeing this. Tom Cruise is a complete outlier for me. Everything I have read about him and everything I see of him outside of his movies (interviews, etc) makes him seem like some kind of weird robot creature that is only pulled out of cryo for press tours. But there is always something to like about his movies – whether it is his all in, can do attitude or just the amount of craft and effort that he wills into existence in the production. The early reviews have all been good as well (our own Swank-mo-tron weighs in here).
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
PG-13 125 min – Drama | Romance
Director: Josh Boone
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern
Summary: Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel’s other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.
Thoughts: The trailer is making me bawl uncontrollably. No way am I going to see this movie at the theater. In public. Surrounded by a bunch tween girls and their moms. I will just have to wait for it on digital release. But seriously, I think this is probably going to be the box office monster of the summer. I can’t wait to see what they do in the sequel. Be sure to check out our own CitizenBot’s review here.
Obvious Child (2014) – [Limited]
R 83 min – Comedy | Romance
Director: Gillian Robespierre
Stars: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, Gabe Liedman
Summary: A twenty-something comedienne’s unplanned pregnancy forces her to confront the realities of independent womanhood for the first time.
Thoughts: I have a lot of familiarity with the Stand-up Comedy Scene, especially the bombing on stage part. I just wanted to say that up front, for no real reason other than I don’t think Stand-up Comedy will have a lot to do with this movie, other than backgrounder in which to stage exposition. Plus, the trailer just didn’t seem to ever want to end. No idea. Maybe it will surprise and be good, but, like any mediocre comic with stage fright just before going on, I have a bitter uncomfortable feeling about this.
Borgman (2013) – [Limited]
113 min – Thriller
Director: Alex van Warmerdam
Stars: Jan Bijvoet, Hadewych Minis, Jeroen Perceval, Alex van Warmerdam
Summary: A vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.
Thoughts: Holy crap! What is this? It looks totally insane, but in a good European Art Film sort of way. No idea what is going on, other than a general “someone is going to die horribly and for a reason that will make little to no sense”.
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013) – [Limited]
R 85 min – Documentary
Directors: Beth Aala | Mike Myers
Stars: Tom Arnold, Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Shep Gordon
Summary: A documentary on legendary Hollywood insider Shep Gordon, who fell into artist management by chance after moving to LA straight out of college.
Thoughts: This is Mike Myers first real self-generated project since his semi-retreat from the spotlight. He really hasn’t made anything big for a while and has been kinda hovering under the radar for a couple of years. It will be interesting to check this out, since it seems very personal to him, and not something you would expect from him normally.
Anna (2013) – [Limited]
R 99 min – Drama | Thriller
Director: Jorge Dorado
Stars: Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Brian Cox, Indira Varma
Summary: A man with the ability to enter peoples’ memories takes on the case of a brilliant, troubled sixteen-year-old girl to determine whether she is a sociopath or a victim of trauma.
Thoughts: I don’t know which is more creepy: poking around in the subconscious of someone else, or having Mark Strong be the person poking around inside your own subconscious.
The Sacrament (2013) – [Limited]
R 95 min – Horror | Thriller
Director: Ti West
Stars: Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Kate Lyn Sheil, AJ Bowen
Summary: A newsteam trails a man as he travels to an undisclosed location to find his missing sister. Upon entering “Eden Parish” and meeting the community’s leader, it becomes apparent to the newcomers that this paradise may not be as it seems.
Thoughts: I’m joking. The film trailer embedded above is for a different movie with the same title. Here is the real trailer. Cults are super creepy. And so is VICE. This looks like a good combination of the two creepy thnigs.
Trust Me (2013) – [Limited]
R 90 min – Comedy
Director: Clark Gregg
Stars: Clark Gregg, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, William H. Macy
Summary: In an attempt to sign a Hollywood starlet, struggling talent agent and former child star Howard Holloway must contend with her volatile father, a scheming long-time rival, and a producer and casting director who despise him.
Thoughts: I totally expected to hate this trailer and was planning on pulling the wiki entry for Life With Mikey to make fun of it, but holy cow, look at that cast! I am sure it isn’t ground breaking or new or anything, but great actors having fun and chewing scenery is always worth a watch.
Now, it’s your turn – if you have seen any of these movies, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
One of the new comics announced by Legendary this week is “Epochalypse”. Written by Jonathan Hennessey and Drawn by Shane Davis. This post-apocalyptic time adventure has “resynchronization agents” trying to put a crumbled world back together THe short synopsis makes it look interesting and the art below is definitely worth checking out. SO here is your preview!
With May 9 right around the corner, Spiders Games and Focus Home Interactive are ready to release “Bound By Flame”. The game will be releasing for PS4, Xbox 360 and PC this Friday and the developers have released a trailer that goes in depth on the music, as well as a look at your hero with customization options and new screen shots of your party characters. You can check them out below, and be sure to check back as we will be streaming the game upon its release!
First here is the music trailer with a look at the sound track!
Next up, your companions!
Sybil, the young mage, provides excellent long-distance back-up and uses a special skill that enables her to heal you during combat. Randval the warrior excels at hand-to-hand combat and will divert the attention of your opponents, leaving you free to attack safely and to cast your devastating fire spells! Rhelmar the elf is an expert in ranged combat and will rain arrows down on your enemies while you charge into the heat of the melee. The witch, Edwen, has mastered certain hitherto unknown dark and mystical arts. She is able to devastate adversaries at long range with powerful magic spells, and can temporarily take control of an enemy’s mind and turn it against their allies. Last, but not least, Mathras is no ordinary undead… more ancient than the Ice Lords themselves, Mathras has perfected the art of swordsmanship and melee combat over the last several thousand years. Like Edwen, he can also reverse the allegiance of an opponent for a short period using his willpower alone!
Your companions also play an important part in the story, as they all have their own reasons for fighting at your side and may be driven by honor, vengeance or mere curiosity. You will gradually develop friendships, rivalries and even romances with them along the way, and your actions and decisions will influence your relationship with each one, so make sure you don’t upset your best friend!
Sybil the mage
Edwen The Witch
Rhelmar the ranger
The Warrior, Randval
Mathras, the undead
We’re just five short days away from this phenomenal looking RPG. Sound off your thoughts below!
COMICS: ‘Spider-Verse’ Promises Every Spider-Man Ever
As far as early sneak peeks go, this one is quite a bit early because the book isn’t due until November 2014. Apparently though, it totally warrants it. I think the press release from Marvel speak for itself, as do the images below. That being said the plan appears to be to put in one comic, “Spider-Verse”, every Spider-Man in history!?
Images Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment
I’ll point out as many as I can and let you fill in the rest in the comments below Marvel’s official press release (for the full sized image click here).
Every Spider-Man in History Unite for SPIDER-VERSE!
This November, prepare for every Spider-Man…ever! Marvel is proud to announce Spider-Verse, the biggest Spider-Man story of the year from New York Times Best-Selling Spider-Scribe Dan Slott and blockbuster artist Olivier Coipel!
Kicking off this November in Amazing Spider-Man #9 (with a special lead-in story on Free Comic Book Day), Slott and Coipel assemble an legion of Spider-Men from every corner of every universe. Peter Parker, Miguel O’Hara, Miles Morales and many, many more must unite to stop a seemingly insurmountable super-powered foe. Morlun, an incredibly powerful villain has returned with a singular and terrifying goal – exterminate every Spider-Man in every universe! It will take thousands of spider-powered heroes to battle back the greatest threat to this universe or any other!
“The scope of this event is so big, the word ‘epic’ just doesn’t do it justice,” says editor Nick Lowe. “The story is just huge and heartbreaking and has necessitated spreadsheets to organize all the Spider-Men. Luckily we have a writer who has proven time and time again he can thread impossible story-needles [Slott] and the most versatile character artist in the business [Coipel].”
Fans can see the first hints of this event in April’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 but will get their first real taste of Spider-Verse in Marvel’s Free Comic Book Day Guardians of the Galaxy issue this with a special 5-page lead-in story available for free at all participating comic shops on May 3rd. This fall, Spider-Verseunites every Spider-Man in history to drive back the forces of darkness. But will an army of Spiders be enough?
Don’t miss the blockbuster Spider-Man event that will have the Marvel Universe on the edge of its seat when Spider-Verse hits comic shops this November! Plus, don’t miss the start of the next big chapter in Spider-Man history in Amazing Spider-Man #1 on-sale this April!
Spotted in the expanded cover for “Spider-Verse” #1 above is regular Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man (Miles Morales and Peter Parker), Spider-Woman AKA Jessica Drew, Ultimate Spider-Woman AKA Peter’s Clone AKA Jessica Drew AKA Black Widow, Spider-Man 2099 Miguel O’Hara, Spock (Spider-Man possessed by Otto Octavios), Scarlet Spider v1.0, Scarlet Spider v2.0, Spider-Man with Iron Man Tech AKA Iron Spidey, Spider NOIR Spider-Man, Spiderman the Other, Black Spiderman aka Symbiote Spider-Man, 8 limb Spider-Man, Spider-Girl, Carnage, Venom, Spider-Pig AKA Spider-Ham, Earth-X, & Captain Spider. That’s all I’ve got, tweet me with what I missed @MarkAvo and please put them in the comments for everyone else to see.
COMICS: Take a Test Drive of ‘All-New Ghost Rider’ #1
Fans of Ghost Rider have been disappointed by Marvel Comics in the past. From lackluster movies to storylines being cut off in the middle by abrupt cancellations, Ghost Rider never seems to have it easy. What the cursed rider does have though is extremely loyal fans and a rich mythology. The Marvel NOW! campaign continues to create excitement with “All-New X-Men” #1. Felipe Smith will helm the words while Tradd Moore rides shotgun on art duties. For an early peek at what the book looks like, as well as some of those variant covers, follow past the official statement by Marvel below. “All-New Ghost Rider” #1 rolls into spinner racks this March.
Start Your Engines – Your First Look at ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER #1!
This March, a new legend is born on the streets of Los Angeles in ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER #1 – the high-octane new series from writer Felipe Smith and artist Tradd Moore! All-New Ghost Rider #1 will continue the exciting wave of All-New Marvel NOW! series with a brand new & sensational take on the Spirit of Vengeance!
A high speed street race in East LA leads a young man down the fast and furious road of destiny. Amid an East Los Angeles neighborhood full of gang violence and drug trafficking, 18-year old Robbie Reyes explodes onto the scene as the newest Ghost Rider!
“In Robbie Reyes, Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore have created one of the most complex and likable characters to be granted great power — and a great ride! — and learn the great responsibility that comes with both,” says Editor In Chief Axel Alonso. “Reyes comes from a very different zip code than Peter Parker, but his story is universal.”
“His vehicle of choice, the automobile, very clearly sets him apart visually,” says series writer Felipe Smith in an interview with Marvel.com “In comparison to his vengeance seeking predecessors, he’s very young and inexperienced in most aspects of life; but as a the product of a harsh inner city upbringing, Robbie’s street smarts, overall distrust for most people, and clear contempt for his violent surroundings make him the perfect host for a Spirit of Vengeance.”
But motorcycles and cars were just the beginning! Robbie has the ability to turn any vehicle into a flaming engine of retribution. And he’ll need it. War is brewing in the criminal underworld. But crime and corruption have a new enemy. With the pedal to the metal, Marvel’s newest Ghost Rider puts vengeance into overdrive!
Who is this new Ghost Rider? And how did he come to possessed with such awesome power? The answers will be revealed when the explosive ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER #1 sets comic shops ablaze this March!
All-New Ghost Rider #1 Written By: Felipe Smith Art & Cover by: Tradd Moore Variant Covers by: Felipe Smith, Mike Del Mundo, Skottie Young
preview art courtesy of Marvel Entertainment
If you’re exited about Ghost Rider let us know about it in the comments or on Twitter @BigShinyRobot & @MarkAvo.
We have a preview of “Eschalon: Book III” from Basilisk Games! It is waiting to be green lit on Steam, and can be purchased via their website here.
This game is made for classic RPG fans. Everything from character creation to combat mechanics is reminiscent of “Icewind Dale”, “Baldurs Gate”, and other classic RPGs. Check the video below and share with your friends.
We’ve been reporting on the upcoming final issue to the Eisner award winning Daredevil for months. We also told you how writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee hinted at the end of Daredevil on Twitter, and also how those creators revealed that the end was only the beginning. This February Daredevil comes to an end with issue thirty-six and reboots in the spring as part of the Marvel NOW! initiative.
The Daredevil NOW! renumbering is also coming with a huge change in Matt Murdock’s life. Will the Sons of the Serpents win the day? Will Foggy succumb to the cancer that’s been killing him despite the situation bringing him and Matt closer together? Rumors have been flying all over the Internet that Daredevil is going to relocate to the West coast of America. Will we be seeing The Man Without Fear balancing precariously above the pavement of the Golden Gate bridge?
The only thing that is certain is that the ride that is coming to an end this February is only a refueling; because, Mark Waid and Chris Samnee haven’t finished with Matt Murdock yet. Take a look at the spectacular work Chris Samnee put into issue 36 below the solicit. After that, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments or by sending a tweet to me @MarkAvo.
DAREDEVIL #36 (DEC130738) Written by: Mark Waid Art by: Chris Samnee Cover by: Chris Samnee FOC 1/27/14, ON-SALE 2/19/14
As with any mainstream comic book, jumping in can be done any time because the story is likely to never end. That still doesn’t make high numbered books for characters with decades long histories any more appealing to someone that doesn’t want to feel like they’re missing out when they buy an issue. Marvel Comics is in the process or making it easier for new readers to join in on the fun and making comics seem less intimidating to the uninitiated by printing their point NOW! issues. These issues are a continuation of the regular series but do a great job of filling in important information for the new reader while having enough new content to please everyone who has been following along since the beginning.
“Thor: God of Thunder” was on many “Best of 2013” lists and was very favorably reviewed by fellow Big Shiny Robot Jeff Michael Vice, aka Jerk-bot. The book continues to please as it moves into the new year with this new point NOW! issue. The art by Esad Ribic is, as usual, spectacular. The variant covers will please anyone who likes to go the extra mile for a fancy topping on the same chewy comic book insides but don’t take my word on either account. Follow past the solicit for some amazing preview artwork.
THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #19.NOW (DEC130667) Written by: Jason Aaron Art by: Cover by: Esad Ribic Variant Covers by: Clay Mann & Simone Bianchi Animal Variant by: Jenny Parks FOC – 1/20/2014, On-Sale – 2/12/2014
Preview covers and pages courtesy of Marvel Entertainment
