As a film, Jaws is a force of nature, breathtaking in the perfection of craft on display. There’s a maturity to the filmmaking that seems beyond Spielberg’s years if you take into account where in his career he made such a film.

The acting in the film is pitch perfect: right for the movie, right for the era, right for the characters. There can be no arguments that the USS Indianapolis monologue is one of the finest ever given in the history of film. Seeing anyone else even attempt it is cringe-worthy. Robert Shaw is a force of nature himself in this film as Quint, the salty sea captain who is hired to kill the shark.

Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss fill out the cast, giving perhaps the finest performances of their lives.

This new Blu-ray restoration of the film adds back in a new character to the film: flawless sound and picture quality. I’ve seen this film about a dozen times on the big screen on 35mm. I don’t miss an opportunity to see it when it’s being played in revival houses. And comparing those viewings, and the viewings of my well worn DVDs, to the Blu-ray experience is a little disappointing, only because the Blu-ray looks so fantastic and this is the way the film should be viewed. The colors are crisp, the sound is so well-orchestrated, and the transitions look better than they ever have. The colors didn’t seem as though they were off, which is something you get with some Blu-ray transfers, but these felt just right.

Here’s a piece about the restoration:

As for bonus material, this Blu-ray is packed to the gills with every sort of thing you could want.

As for me, the new documentary (and the old one) are the perfect way to spend an afternoon recharging my creative batteries. The documentaries give you that feeling that you were there and all parties involved seem so enthusiastic about the work they did and the film they made, even 40 years out, that their enthusiasm is infectious.

After watching the film, I never wanted to get in a boat and go out on the water again. I’m not drunk enough for that. After watching the making of the film, I never wanted to get in a boat and make a film on the water more in my life.

This movie stands up so well that it’s hard to imagine why they don’t try making films this great anymore. I mean, some people do, but this film is just… It’s a pinnacle of cinematic achievement. It really hasn’t dated at all. What made it feel contemporary still feels contemporary, but it’s also something of a period piece as you look back on it. Can you imagine a film like this capturing the cultural zeitgeist again in this day and age for a summer blockbuster? It might just be too sophisticated… I don’t know.

What I do know is that this is a Blu-ray you should be picking up today. Or ordering from Amazon. It’s only $17.99 for the Blu-ray and DVD combo pack. Well worth the money.

I might be biased, though. I’ve picked up every version of Jaws they’ve ever released and kept coming back for more. There aren’t many films I do that with. Star Wars and Indiana Jones mainly. And Citizen Kane. And Seven Samurai. That’s a pretty small list of fine films that I have like 40 copies of.

Jaws is in good company.

Lost Tribe of the Sith kicks off in comic format this week, with a new story set in John Jackson Miller’s Lost Tribe. (more…)

Kerra Holt learns that nowhere is safe in this week’s Knight Errant. GONK checks in to see how the escape plan is going, in this double John Jackson Miller Star Wars comic week! (more…)

Upon first look there isn’t a whole bunch you’d want to be excited about with Bunibon. Unless you’re into 8 bit skill-based bunny bouncing. If you don’t think you are, try this one out, I think you’ll find that you are. The premise is quite simple, you’re in a weird universe filled with levels for an unknown reason, and you have to either tap right to bounce your Buni to the right, or tap left to bounce him/her to the left. While doing this you must avoid the baddies, spike traps, pit falls, or fireballs.




The game has a very minimal soundtrack, aside from sounds of bouncing, winning and, dying. With or without music it quickly sweeps you into the strategy and begins wasting your time like any well put together app should. The worlds change in theme and style as you progress past different boss fights, or as you map out “the Buniverse” on your own. I’m four hours into this one now, and I can’t tell you how addicted I truly am. The game is a scant $.99. Bill it to mobile, dig through your couch, clean out your cars ash tray, and buy this game.

I’m still slaving away to hit the “something extra” when you finish all levels. Let me know if you beat me to it.

The trailer doesn’t quite do it justice but… here it is anyway:

It’s taken me a long time to read this book. Not because it was bad, boring, or slow, like…say…Fate of the Jedi: Vortex… It took me a long time to read because I was savoring every moment. It’s not a book I wanted to end.

For a long time I avoided as much of the EU as I could, save the X-Wing and Wraith Squadron series. The fact that they let Michael Stackpole go and Aaron Allston was working on other series was always shocking to me.

I’ve been to plenty of conventions over the years and a question you always hear asked is “When are we getting more books in this series?”

Well, the time is now and the wait has been frustrating but well worth it.

Aaron Allston has given us a fast paced Wraith Squadron novel that feels equal parts Star Wars, Mission: Impossible, and The Guns of Navarone. But there’s so much more to it than that. It even opens with the most ridiculous Temple of Doom dance number opening with Piggy standing in for Willie Scott. Sure, it’s a distraction for the job they’re working on, but that’s the kind of fun you should expect from Allston’s latest (and hopefully not last) foray into the lives of Wraith Squadron.

The book doesn’t just deal with breathless military action, intrigue, and suspense, though. It also deals with much larger issues of getting older and not wanting to see the next generation take your place and get killed doing so. It deals with racism and prejudice, greed, military largesse, but never in a way that isn’t fun. You’re dragged through this mystery of a mission, working hard to unravel things, but like the Wraiths, you’re jerked to the next place before you can quite put your finger on what happened at the last place.

The book kept my heart pounding and a smile on my face, which is the best I could ask for from a Star Wars book. It deals with the Wraiths smashing a conspiracy to steal Alliance materiel and sell it on the black market…  The thing is that the story is almost just a really interesting coat hanger that you can hang the things that really matter onto. The characters and the action of this are what matter. The Lecersen Conspiracy is ancillary.

More than the long, multi-book epics, this book captured the feeling of Star Wars for me than any of those have (save, perhaps, Legacy of the Force.)

I want to see more standalone books like this with a sense of humour. And given the spot it ends, I’d love to see many more books in the series. I’d love to see more books set during the time of the original X-Wing books as well.

For Allston’s part, this book is everything he’s best at. It has a warmth and humour beneath the horror of what war is really like. But there’s also that pulse pounding intrigue that keeps you moving.

Like I said, as fast paced as this book was, I took it slow simply because I didn’t want it to end. That, and I thought the title implied an ending much more sinister and depressing and I was in no hurry to get to that point. I was foolish to think I wasn’t going to like the way things turned out, save a few surprises along the way.

There are going to be lots of satisfied Wraith Squadron fans after this book.

I would give this 5 of 5 stars as far as Star Wars books are concerned.

It comes out Tuesday, August 7th. You can order a copy from Amazon.

1×11 — Vortex — Odo themed episodes are interesting. Odo felt like the new Data, a man on his own with no family to speak of. This episode gave some hope as people from the Gamma quadrant spoke of Changelings. Since it’s the first time Odo found out he had a race somewhere else it’s also significant in that this is the first episode where Odo smiles. One of the other cool things that I never noticed until watching it this time through is they used Odo’s shapeshifting really well. In the scene where Quark is meeting with his associates he brings a liquid with five glasses but there are only four of them there. Because Odo is that fifth glass.

Morn is officially named in this episode and told to be quiet because he spoke too much, which is a good running gag.

I feel like Star Trek has used the bigger ship blows itself up in the nebula gag many times so the ending seemed a bit usual to me.

Rating: C

1×12 — Battle Lines — This episode isn’t the greatest but it has one of the most important decisions they made. Kai Opaka wasn’t a great character and getting rid of her for a much better Kai was an incredibly good decision. This episode has similar themes as many other Star Trek episodes, War is Hell, people will fight for no reason. All that stuff, and it gets into the hate that Kira has inside of her which is flushed out much better in later episodes. I don’t really have much to say on this one, this is a middle of the road episode.

Rating: D+

1×13 — The Storyteller — The best thing that happened for Bashir was O’Brien, this is the first time they paired the two but in future episodes their pairing becomes one of the most important parts of the show. I’ve said earlier that this current form of Bashir is quite annoying, luckily he takes his enthusiasm and channels it better later on. O’Brien as well gets a little annoying in this episode just because he’s so gruff, so annoyed by everyone and everything. Once both characters relax they become much better characters overall. O’Brien in this episode ends up becoming some sort of spiritual leader for a day in order to protect some people who’s old leader has passed on. As a cool note, apparently the script for this episode was pitched during the first season of TNG. It stayed on the shelves until the first season of DS9 came around.

The other side of the episode has one of the other great pairings in the show, that of Nog and Jake. Nog is an interesting character because the creation department at least in my estimation, never found a way to use Jake, but they did find a way to use Nog in what they likely would have wanted Jake to do. To be the son who follows his own path. Both Jake and Nog follow their own paths but Nog was a bit more successful at it then Jake was. It’s fun how there are a lot of seeds in these first couple episodes.

Rating: C-

I’m not one to front. I have no problem admitting that I had no idea what a Hellboy was until I saw the first movie in theaters. Holy Hell was I sold immediately. The solid one liners and insane visuals had me in awe. It was my introduction to what the Hellboy universe had to offer. It was also my first look into the world of Guillermo Del Toro, a dude who has since become one of my favorite people in existence. He fits in right above Henry Rollins and right below Kyle Kinane.

None of my viewing partners had any knowledge of the comics, or any other comics for that matter, so I had to take my research into my own hands. I picked up a few of the trades on the internet and was blown away by how on the head Del Toro’s film was compared to Mike Mignola’s source material. Sure there were a few adjustments. Tinkering is to be expected when any book is transferred to the big screen.

Because the town I was living in at the time lacked a real comic book store, I was unable to quench my thirst for any Hellboy themed merchandise. I set my sights to the internet. I was blown away by the amount of statues and busts and super bummed at the lack of moderately priced figures. I pretty much chalked my search up to a loss and just read as many of the books as I could, sticking to the Hellboy titles and saving all things B.P.R.D for later. I figured it was only a matter of time before my path crossed with that of some sweet Hellboy figure looking for a new home.

Fast forward a few years. I’m on a trip to Universal Studios and me and the main squeeze decide to check out a movie make-up exhibit where a lot of Hellboy movie prosthetics and props were on display. Like every exhibit in every theme park, there was a gift shop. I was stoked to finally have the chance to stock up on a few trinkets and figures. What I wasn’t stoked on were the prices. Especially the price of the 8 inch Hellboy Qee. I was just getting into limited vinyl toys and wanted so badly to add this to my collection. I think I remember the shop wanting $80. This was a little too rich for my taste. When we go back to the hotel I took a look on the interwebs for a better deal. No dice. Not even Ebay or Amazon offered a better deal. I added the item to my wish list. I closed the window. I cried myself to sleep on a fold out couch bed in the living room of our hotel. I wasn’t sleeping on the couch because Emily found my crying as a weakness and thought a night on the couch would toughen me up. I was sleeping on the couch because I was on vacation with Emily, her family, and her younger brother’s girlfriend who looked like Gollum if he had spent all day in the sun and riding on water rides. All the ladies in one room. All the men in the other. All the Patricks stay the shit out of our rooms.

Faster forwarding to a year after that. I had just received a bonus check from work for being the best and wanted to treat myself. As I was depositing the check in the bank, I knew exactly what a fraction of it was going to. Not groceries, not cat litter (use to learn the toilet like an adult), but a sweet ass vinyl figure of a man with a giant red right hand. Sitting down at my desk, a diet green tea Snapple in hand, I fired up the computron and meandered my way on to Amazon.com. What’s this? The 8 inch Hellboy Qee is but $46? Have the clouds parted to allow the Lord above to shower me with glorious rays of low low prices from her bosom?

The figure came and because I’m a dummy who cares little about reselling his figures, I opened it. I play with it. He sometimes fights my Bart Simpson Qee. He’s got a match scheduled with Homer Simpson Qee should the figure ever get released.

If you’re looking to get your hand on one of these bad boys try Amazon and ebay. They don’t go for much more than $50 and I think that’s a fair asking price. No one likes the fact that the new trend in toy collecting is charging an arm and a dick for vinyl figures.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @patdelaney1985

Thanks for reading.

Today’s review is going to be National Comics: Eternity by Jeff Lemire.

Before I review the actual issue, we need to talk about two things; National Comics and Kid Eternity. National Comics used to be an anthology series back in the forties, and DC’s current approach at reviving this old title is to do a series of One Shot stories to showcase some older or more obscure characters. This is the first in the series and it re-introduces the character Kid Eternity to the new DC Universe.

Last time anybody really saw Kid Eternity in the spotlight was in Grant Morrison’s mini-series titled Kid Eternity, and later his own ongoing with the same name as well. Well written and a little loony and wonderfully dark, definitely worth a look. Previously Kid Eternity’s powers used to be that he could call upon dead spirits to get help. His name was unknown and he would go by the name of Kid Eternity until he later found out his real name of Christopher Freeman, brother of Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel Jr. and later actually Captain Marvel). Boom! That’s what he was, and I could go into more detail, but you can do that yourself. Let’s get to the actual book at hand.

This issue does a great job at starting on square one. We’re introduced to Christopher Freeman, a coroner for the police department, he’s a bit of slacker and only gets to keep his job due to his deceased father’s reputation. His powers are different this time around, rather than calling on the spirits of the deceased by speaking their name he has to make physical contact and pull their spirit out of limbo, at that point the spirit walks around on our plane visible only to Kid Eternity (A.K.A. Christopher Freeman). He then talks to them to figure out how they were killed… and that’s the basics of the story.

The writing is fantastic, Lemire does a great job as normal with some great dialogue between the dead and Chris. His introduction of the character is also well done, we get a good feel to his personality while also getting a great understanding as to why he is the way he is. The rest of the cast is also well written, we get a good feel to everyone and I feel like they all get some sort of character development rather than getting some stock personalities.

The art is good too. Solid artwork by Cully Hammer and Derec Donovan. The art really sets the tone, realistic allowing for the bit of fantasy of having ghosts around. Fantastic use of shadows in my opinion (in other words, they didn’t go overboard on having too many shadows and darks around), but more than anything, I was really pleased with the faces on the characters, no two characters felt similar.

Definitely worth a look. If this is what DC wants to do with National Comics and Kid Eternity, then I have no problems with it. A great read, I felt like I got more out of this issue than I get out of most television shows.

I give this issue a 4 out 5.

It’s a great introduction to an old character with a new twist. The writing and art work well together, and I really enjoyed it, even if it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.

Two Questions though: Why didn’t he (or anyone else for this matter) call himself Kid Eternity? I couldn’t have made the connection of the name and characted if I didn’t already know enough about him. ALSO! Why did he wear red glasses, what purpose did they serve?

National Comics: Eternity is published by DC Comics in Single Issue format at 3.99.

All Images used in this review are property of DC Comics. In other words, I don’t own these images.

P.S. I get the feeling that DC wants to do a sort of Pilot Season (a la Top Cow) where they decided who gets to keep a title depending on the reception and sales of the issue.

Drinking Game Alert! Take a shot everytime I mention “Kid Eternity” take a double shot whenever I use “Eternity” or “Kid” separately.

Taco Bot is a favorite local comic shop employee of Arse-bot and Mexicus Prime and makes a delicious pancake. You can check out more of his comic book reviews over at Aldo’s Writing Space!

Last week, Telltale Games announced the arrival of their episodic Walking Dead games on iOS devices. Not being one to leave anything alone, I stayed up til midnight to ensure that I was one of the first to download…at least in my time zone..and I may have dozed off a little….I wasn’t first, or even close I’m sure.

Let’s keep in mind that I’ve already played the game on Xbox, and some of my colleagues here at BSR have played it on PC. But the idea of playing a point-and-click zombie adventure on a touch screen seemed to great to pass up. I’ll avoid re-reviewing the entire game, which is simply fantastic for the record. Instead I’ll highlight the differences that the touch screen brings to the game, and what they did right and wrong.

First things first I played the game on an iPad 2, nothing super fancy I do feel that playing on an iPhone would bring additional challenges with the smaller display. The game was much easier utilizing a full touch. Movement was controlled by dragging your finger across the screen to pull Lee in the direction you preferred. Not one for touch screen movement (especially when it utilizes an invisible, or barely visible joystick) I was surprised at how natural the movement felt, and how little I had to adjust. Instead of clicking the icons to begin an event or examine something, you simply tapped them, and all of the quick motions like pushing a zombie away or stomping it’s face in were performed by quick swipes across the screen or madly tapping the action icon. Thinking it could be over simplified I was again surprised at how fluid everything felt.

The game ran just as smoothly as it did on Xbox and PC, but I did notice some of the backgrounds were a bit more static than before. Where you may see a tree moving in the wind, or grass shuffling it was instead a still image. Character animations and any interactive item, however, were still just as good as the PC.

The story stayed the same, so I can’t really complain at all. Solid writing with the different characters remember your choices, comments, and overall demeanor which could lead to different effects throughout the game play.

If I had to pick a complain it would be the price. $4.99 per episode puts the entire series in line with the PC and Console versions. The entire series will cost the end user $25.00, and unless you snagged it on sale through steam this summer, that is pretty much the going rate. I realize that mobile devices are moving towards being considered a legitimate form of gaming, and should compete right along with PC’s. They simply haven’t hit that point yet. Maybe a slight price cut to say…$2.99 would ease iOS owners into the idea of playing some of their PC or Console content on their mobile devices.

My cheapskate personality aside this is a great play through. If you haven’t picked up the Walking Dead series by Telltale yet, this is a great opportunity to jump on and see a great story set in the Universe. Let’s not forget that Frank Darabont is overseeing the production side to keep everything in canon, and though the art style may look it. This game is not for kids, is not family friendly, and quite frankly I’m not sure it has a happy ending coming.

What’d you folks think?

If by some strange chance you’re unfamiliar with the “Heavy Metal” brand, the first thing you should know about Helldiver is that it’s full of gore and nudity, both gratuitous and exaggerated. Let’s put it this way: this isn’t one you’re going to want to read on the bus or subway. Helldiver‘s story also rides steady in the realm of “pure badassery,” so don’t expect any revelatory literary experiences. Do expect: demons, swords, guns, and a High Archon of the Order of Solomon with a black trench coat (stylistically reminiscent of Spawn’s cape) who uses the aforementioned lethal implements to dispatch many of the aforementioned demons. It’s a fun experience, to be sure, as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Not sure if you’ve noticed this, but the new “thing” around the pop culture scene seems to be angels and demons. (I guess everyone is over Vampires? Here’s hoping, anyway. Maybe they can be cool again in another few years. Damn you Stephanie Meyer!) So the Four Horsemen books are well timed to take advantage of the new trend. Our protagonist, Adam Cahill, is a man who’s given his life to his faith as a High Archon of the secret society The Order of Solomon. The Order has protected the Seven Seals—you know, the biblical ones that, once broken, usher in the end of days—but now they’ve gone missing, and a group known as the Nicolaitans are behind it. The Order calls in Adam, their heavy hitter, to take action. Bloody, bloody action. Eventually, Adam is sent to Hell—sorry, is that a spoiler when we’re talking about a book entitled Helldiver?—where he must track down some misfit companions, damned souls to help him save the world.

Michael Mendheim’s story is very entertaining, with great pacing that moves swiftly from important scenes to set pieces with very little lag time. Mendheim clearly has a knack for Heavy Metal’s particular blend of sex, violence, and incontestable badassery. He weaves the story all over the world and to realms beyond without leaving the reader disoriented, but it’s when we get to Hell that the fun really starts. The realms of Hell are many and personal, peopled by demons in disguise, and the first soul we encounter doesn’t even know she’s dead. From there, things move into a very surreal realm that Adam calls a “patho-reactive plane,” a manifested representation of the soul’s beliefs, fears, and inner demons which she must face. Pretty cool. There are a few off-moments in the writing, like when we get a flashback to something that happened all of six pages previous, or the odd, expository line once Adam gets to Hell, “Your soul can be extinguished, so don’t die again.” This raises the stakes, sure, because otherwise the reader might wonder, “What happens if he dies in Hell? Shouldn’t he just wake up back in Hell like in South Park?” but it still feels a little forced. Luckily these are infrequent, and the majority of the script feels pretty organic.

Simon Bisley’s art is really incredible, and so gritty you won’t believe it until you see it yourself. Unfortunately, this also makes the art occasionally unreadable. Sometimes there is so much going on in a single shot, and the frame composition doesn’t always help you parse out the action very well. These issues are (again only occasionally) exacerbated by strange proportion and foreshortening issues. (The Horsemen website offers a free, seven-page preview. If you’re interested, you would do well to check it out. Especially the gateway to Hell two-page spread, which is a guest painting from Joel Boucquemont.) Those minor issues aside, the art is a pleasure to behold. Chad Fidler’s coloring is vibrant, gorgeous, a great compliment to Bisley’s work, and just excellent all around. Strong color is a huge asset here, considering how many bullets and flames are in the book. There are plenty of frames that will just grab you and force you to examine them down to every detail because they’re just breathtaking. If you’re into totally-metal depictions of Hell, complete with melting faces, crazy demonic monsters, and absurdly-proportioned naked women, you’re going to want to check this one out.

Besides Bisley’s art, the graphical elements of the book are a mixed bag. For instance, the page frames are these lovely, grungy, organic things, they set such a perfect mood against Bisley’s art. On the other hand, the lettering and typographical sensibility is just awful, and this is simply bizarre considering the high production value in every other aspect of the book. It will probably bug some less than others, but to reference the free preview again, look at the voice of God on that same two-page gateway to Hell spread. I’m pretty sure that’s Times New Roman, and the speech bubbles are these ugly blobs that look like built-in Photoshop brushes. Many of the book’s sound effects also look like Microsoft Word WordArt (there are no examples of this in the preview, though). This does not look like the work of a professional letterer, and feels very out of place in an otherwise high quality comic.

Overall, if you can avoid rolling your eyes at some of these admittedly minor flaws, you’ll find an excellent read and a visual pleasure (mostly), but you have to be in the right mood for it. If that right mood strikes, you’re not going to want to miss this book.

(One last thing: Throughout the book, random letters in dialogue are colored red, so if this is some kind of letter jumble, and you can make any sense of it, be sure to let me know.)

[Connor Cleary is an author, video game columnist and critic, and a freelance web-slash-graphic designer. He is a reviewer at GameShark and an occasional opinion and analysis columnist at Gamasutra. His freelance design business is Four Stair Multimedia and Design. You can follow Connor @The_Blue_Key, or at fb/TheBlueKey, or check out his writing archive on tumblr, The Blue Key.]