Welcome back to the twelfth of Convention Sketches!
We feature a convention sketch here every week. We’ve got a whole pile of our own, but we want to see yours, too. Email us convention sketches you want to show off and let us know what website you’d like credited for it. (bigshinyrobot(at)gmail.com)
This week we bring you a Batman sketch from Dick Giordano from DC Comics fame!
In the last two episodes, we’ve watched as Asajj Ventress was betrayed by Count Dooku and she has toiled her hardest to lay a trap for his treachery. In doing so, she returned home to Dathomir and sought out the help of the Nightsisters who provided her Savage Opress as an instrument of her revenge. He was placed with Dooku as his new apprentice and assassin and that’s where things were left in the second episode of this three episode arc.
This third episode, “Witches of the Mist,” largely follows Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (who have been unusually absent for the most part this season) as they hunt down the mysterious Sith assassin who has been tasked by Dooku to abduct the King of Toydaria.
Basically, the first two acts of this episode are putting all of the players in place so we can see some of the most intense, emotional lightsaber battles with high stakes we’ve seen in this entire series. And there are some pretty fascinating Sith training scenes that have very obvious echoes to the training scenes in The Empire Strikes Back. It was an excellent touch.
If you haven’t seen this episode, stop reading right now, watch it and come back.
You’re back? Good.
So, Obi-Wan and Anakin disrupt Savage’s abduction of King Katuunko and he is killed in the process. It’s a spectacular battle and it’s impressive to watch Savage fight. He is the polar opposite of Dooku. There is no grace or fluidity to his fighting, it is all anger, hatred, and tree-chopping. It is brutal and he relies on the brutality of his emotion to make up for his technical deficiencies.
It’s a different sort of lightsaber style than we’ve seen and watching two competent and graceful fighters (Anakin and Obi-wan) try to compete with him is something to be seen. They struggle. It doesn’t make sense. The best way I think I can describe it is by playing poker and trying to read the hand of someone who is betting, but hasn’t even looked at their cards. It’s just so completely unpredictable with nothing to rely on.
When Savage inadvertantly kills Katuunko during the fight and after his escape he presents the corpse to Dooku, Dooku is as forgiving as you’d expect a Sith lord to be and is ready to execute Savage.
And that’s when things get incredible.
Asajj shows up, reawakens the brainwashing in Savage and the two of them work to kill him. The fight is breathtaking.
But it gets more complicated because Obi-Wan and Anakin have caught up to them and the fight splits up between the Jedi vs. Savage and then Dooku and Asajj. It’s… quite a thing to see.
But sure, the episode was great, the animation was stellar, the fight and action choreography was second to none and the writing was beyond compare. Katie Lucas has seemed to have taken all the right cues from her father because she did a masterful job in putting all of the players into place for this third act of the arc. It built into an excellent and emotionally satisfying crescendo. There was reason and motive behind every action and it was all laid together excellently.
But that’s not what anyone is going to really talk about this episode.
Everyone is going to talk about the revelation at the end of the episode. I am pretty damned impressed that no one broke the news of this to me, since it’s been out there in the ether since the screenings last month.
Darth Maul is back?
According to Mother Talzin, he survived. There is no proof that Talzin is telling Savage the truth about his brother, but the implication is stunning enough to get us speculating from now until doomsday. Could you imagine what it would be like to see Darth Maul back (bionic legs or however) teamed up with Savage Opress, back to slaughter Jedi? It would be incredible. But who knows. Perhaps Talzin was just sending Savage somewhere where he couldn’t do any damage until the time was right for him to come back.
Overall, this was an intensely satisfying episode and it might have overtaken ‘Assassin’ as my favorite episode of the series. If it doesn’t, it’s only because the arc didn’t have enough Ahsoka.
We’ve all seen the official release photo of Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, but it wasn’t exactly a “full shot”. Well, MTV got their hands on a photo from the set of a stunt Spidey doing his thing!
Now, keep in mind this is most likely a costume specifically for stunts, but it gives us a great view of what the new Spider-Man costume will look like!
In particular, this Spider-Man costume has red eyes for some reason, if I were a betting man, I’d guess the eyes on the “main” costume will still be white – and the sneaker-style boots could also be an aspect of this stunt suit (also, note the “web shooters”!). But just like anything like this, we will have to wait and see!
Personally, I know it’s a pretty wild departure from the classis suit we saw in Raimi’s films, but I am kind of digging this new take. To me, it seems to mix classic Spider-Man and ultimate Spider-Man with a twist of something new.
Update: Mr. Derek Hunter just brought up an excellent observation in the comments that I am, frankly, embarrassed that I missed! There are definitely touches of the 2099 Spider-Man costume integrated as well it looks like! Could just be the way it was designed, could be totally intentional . . .
Another great observation by commenter “MattDoc” on the color of Spidey’s eyes:
It almost looks like the red in the eyes is coming from some red lighting in front of him. Notice the red hues on the blue section of his upper right arm? The entire head looks like there is some extra red light on it, especially when you look closely at the shadows.
Share your thoughts on this new Spider-Man costume in the comments below!
I got this email today from a reader:
So, I found a random website with what looks to be a movie poster, and I’m wondering if you guys know what the hell this is?
http://www.stormageddonmovie.com
I know of your fondness for the obscure, and it looks like there’s hockey, pizza, and.. well, a crowd of arms involved.
Any ideas? Stormaggedon. Sounds like something Klaus Kinski would star in.
– Doc Derz
I did a little google style detective work and can’t find anything on a movie anywhere… all I can find is links and articles about that “Storm of the century” that only hit a small part of the country, but the media went apeshit over… So… WHAT IS THIS!?
Is it a poster for a legitimate film being made? Is it just some fan art that a guy, who’s really good at mimicking Saul Bass, went through the trouble of buyiing a domain and posting a poster for something that doesn’t exist? I need to know!
The thing that gets me is the domain: stormageddonmovie.com… specifically the movie part… okay… time for some more detective work.
Okay- so- I see a guy holding a hockey stick and what looks to be a pizza box… he’s staring down an army of what I’d like to assume is zombies… I mean, the name Stormageddon denotes… well… a storm… mixed with some sort of Armageddon-like event, and in light of the recent “media frenzy” over a blizzard that didn’t actually happen, I could see someone trying to cash in on current events, and I can also see someone trying to cash in on the recent zombie craze AND I can see someone trying to mix the two together- I mean… this poster doesn’t really point in any other direction… at least to me.
Let’s not mention the “tagline”… biting? come on! it’s got to be zombies! Maybe its all about zombies attacking in Canada! The whole hockey stick/frost bites twice/crazy arm thing is a bit too prominent for it not to be something Canadian AND zombie related! COME ON!
Maybe I am just hopeful that someone out there is working on a “Zombie Snow Storm Movie” called Stormageddon.
What do you guys think? Do any of our readers have any information on this project?
Every week for about 2 1/2 years the fellows from the Geek Show Podcast have been bringing you an excellent, hilarious, geeky hour of geekiness every week. For almost two of those years, I have been producing a video version of their show for Xfinity’s Utah On Demand system. Their licensing agreement was such that the content was exclusive to them, but we’ve since worked it so that it is only a window of exclusivity and now we’ll be getting the show every week on the internet.
Be sure to check out their website and subscribe to their podcast. The show’s regular panelists includes Kerry Jackson, host of X96’s Radio From Hell, Leigh George Kade from Grimmleigh’s Fiends, Shannon Barnson, my co-host at the Pub Quiz, Jeff Vice and Jimmy Martin from the Big Movie Mouth-Off, and Scott Pierce, television critic for The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Geek Show will be putting the video up on their website, and we’ll be putting it up here as well… You know… Since I produce it, damn it.
This first episode to appear online is also the first episode from 2011.
They discuss a lot of topics in these two half hour segments and it’s a blast to watch. So, without further ado:
And part two:
Big Shiny Robot! has a weekly column in the Salt Lake City alt-weekly IN Magazine and every week we bring it to you on the site.
If you live in the greater Salt Lake area, you can pick up a copy of IN Magazine up from one of their ubiquitous newsstands, and we would highly suggest that you do.
You can read the online version of the story here.
This week’s article discusses cons you can still get tickets for that you might want to plan on attending… I know I’m hitting at least one of these this year… How about you?
When Archie Andrews took a walk down the forked road in 2009 he lived in two separate realities and married both Betty and Veronica. Now, in Life With Archie both futures are explored and the hi jinx continue in Riverdale long after the romance is gone. Personally I can only see Archie with Betty an Reggie belongs in jail!
LIFE WITH ARCHIE #7 is on sale next week 1/26/2011
SCRIPT: Paul Kupperberg
ART: Norm Breyfogle, Joe Rubinstein, Jack Morelli and Glenn Whitmore
COVER: Norm Breyfogle and Tito Pena
Robert Schilling's Winning Archangel Submission
We here at Big Shiny Robot have told you about Super Hero of the Month a few times now, but this blog is really starting to demand attention if you love your superheroes and art!
Super Hero of the Month, a friend of BSR’s also based out of Utah, has only been around a short time. Alex, who runs the site, kicked off their first contest late last year with a redesign contest asking all you artists out there to redesign the Boy Wonder. Since that time there has been a contest featuring redesigns of the X-Man, Angel, and he is preparing to wrap up his latest contest featuring Black Cat this weekend – which will be followed by his next contest, redesigning Harley Quinn.
Each of these contests have garnered some fun and amazing artwork featuring artist’s own take on these characters, and frankly, it’s something to behold. One could easily “waste” a solid hour or two just parusing all of the submissions from the contests thus far – which I would encourage you all to do. Each contest has a different sponsor providing a worthy prize for the winner(s) and Alex does a fantastic job making sure each submission gets some attention.
If you are an artist who is constantly looking for a reason to bust out your art gear, you really need to head on over to Super Hero of the Month and check out their calendar of upcoming contests, and then get those creative juices flowing! If you’re not an artist, you still need to add this site to your favorites, follow them on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook to see the latest submitted art as it comes in!
So what are you waiting for? Get on over to Super Hero of the Month!
I’m sure if you’ve read comics for a while you’ve seen the symbol above. It is the seal of approval for the Comics Code Authority. The code was a form of censorship that was created in 1954 in response to questionable content in comic books such as violence and gore in horror comics among other things such as sex. While publishers weren’t required to follow the code, many magazine distributors refused to carry comics that didn’t have the seal on it. In 2001 Marvel comics dropped the code completely to use their own ratings system like the one that DC will be using.
Starting this month DC titles will no longer carry the Comics Code Authority seal and move to their own rating system. I didn’t even know anyone still published comics under the Comics Code. Jim Lee posted this official statement on the official DC blog, The Source:
As of January 2011, DC Comics titles will no longer carry the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval. In 2011, DC Comics will employ a rating system consistent with that of the rest of the industry, as well as with our digital releases, which already utilize a rating system. As for our Vertigo comic books, they will not utilize the rating system, because they will continue to be labeled as “For Mature Readers”.
Beginning with our April 2011 titles, all DC comic book covers will utilize the following rating system:
E – EVERYONE
Appropriate for readers of all ages. May contain cartoon violence and/or some comic mischief.
T – TEEN
Appropriate for readers age 12 and older. May contain mild violence, language and/or suggestive themes.
T+ – TEEN PLUS
Appropriate for readers age 16 and older. May contain moderate violence, mild profanity, graphic imagery and/or suggestive themes.
M – MATURE
Appropriate for readers age 18 and older. May contain intense violence, extensive profanity, nudity, sexual themes and other content suitable only for older readers.
After doing some research and looking around I found that now there are only two publishers left that still use the Comics Code, Archie and Bongo.
Entertainment Weekly got to break the story that Liam Neeson is indeed returning to The Clone Wars in an upcoming arc that explores the prophecy of the Chosen One. He is reprising his role of Qui-Gon Jinn.
Reading this news brought shivers down my spine.
Fans will remember Qui-Gon’s brief appearance in Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars show, but it wasn’t voiced by Neeson.
Perhaps my biggest complaint with Entertainment Weekly’s coverage here is the tone they strike about The Phantom Menace and the prequels, as though the news lede here is that we should be shocked Neeson would want to come back after such a movie. It’s just disheartening to see how often the film is reviled in the press. But that’s a different story.
Liam Neeson is returning to that Galaxy Far, Far Away. EW has learned exclusively that the actor will reprise his Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace role as doomed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Jan. 28 and again on Feb. 11. He’ll be voicing Qui-Gon, who appears to Obi-Wan Kenobi in visions, in a three-part arc about his former protégé Anakin Skywalker’s destiny as the Chosen One.
They have an exclusive video clip, though at press time it wasn’t functioning. As soon as they get it working, I’ll update this piece with my thoughts about it.
The more I think about it though, the more curious I am about how they’re going to tie this in to Yoda’s comments about Qui-Gon in Revenge of the Sith and Yoda hearing Qui-Gon screaming when Anakin slaughters the sand people in Attack of the Clones…
Secrets revealed? This is it!