Cheesecake art with bright red blood? You’d think summer was here with this happy imagery. One shot comics are always a great gift so throw out the chocolates and roses this year and give your lover the BOMB QUEEN VS. HACK/SLASH VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL
BOMB QUEEN VS. HACK SLASH VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL (DEC100437), a 32-page full-color one-shot from Shadowline and Image Comics, will be in stores February 9, 2011, for $3.50.
As most know the internet has been buzzing all weekend with talk of a VZ bound iPhone. The Boy Genius Report even went as far as to speculate on the launch date being Feb 3, 2011. This lines up with the Apple employee vacation black out, would definitely explain the shortage of iPhone 4 stock at ATT stores, and as much as any ATT employee would want to believe other wise, they knew as well as the rest of the world that it was only a matter of time.
I spent the weekend pondering the buzz around the internet, and finally decided it was time to put my thoughts down and maybe garner some discussion on the topic.
All hating of exclusivity aside, Verizon had the opportunity for the iPhone originally and turned it down. ATT was the company that jumped on the iPhone when offered, and as Apple’s partner launched the game changing technology in June 2007. November of the same year Android released, but it wasn’t until 2 years later that the Motorola “Droid” hit shelves. Since that point VZ and it’s sales people have been selling Android as hard and fast as they possibly can. This was a great move on Verizon’s part and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit the marketing behind it was genius. The entire Droid campaign gave you the impression that VZ was the only carrier with Android, and trust me it worked, I still encounter people that think it’s exclusive. Android is a gorgeous operating system for phones, and if you haven’t yet seen it you can read my thoughts on the iPhone Android war here
While watching CES, I saw big red announce around ten devices, and I saw ATT announce 20+. Both had large (keep your pants on folks I’m talking screen size here) Android devices such as the HTC Inspire (ATT), and the HTC Thunderbolt (VZ). Verizon spent a fair amount of time touting LTE and ATT showed off and discussed HSPA+. ATT seems to have a large slew of devices on the docket this year not just an iPhone. Watching the Verizon presentation at CES gave me the impression that all of their eggs are sitting in the Apple basket, and they aren’t concerned with a ton of other technology at this point. This is strictly opinion, but it seems a little more risky to do that when it’s no longer an exclusive piece of tech.
The second thought that has been rolling through my head this month is simply that VZ has been selling against the iPhone for 4 years now. Their sales people have talk tracks demonizing the device, and now they’re possibly in a position to sell it. We know it will move fast, we know that VZ enthusiasts will want to upgrade to it, is that gonna make their sales staff look like hypocrites?
Anywho, this is all speculation until Tuesdays press conference happens, until then I’d love to know what everyone thinks about it, you’re free to put up your anti-carrier slander as well, but I’d rather just discuss intelligently.
Welcome back to 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 sketch comes from Drew Pocza, who does the comics at Pokeweedcomics.com!
Welcome to another installment of The Big Movie Mouth-Off!
Starring Jeff Vice from MSN Entertainment and Jimmy Martin from SLUG Magazine (and both regular panelists on The Geek Show Podcast), the Big Movie Mouth-Off is produced and directed by Bryan Young (me) and Elias Pate from Big Shiny Robot! It appears on Xfinity On Demand in Utah and on Xfinity’s Channel 6, on line, and at Brewvies Cinema Pub.
There is a Big Movie Mouth-Off podcast as well, and you can listen to the latest episode here .
We have two reviews for you today, and the first is ‘Gulliver’s Travels’:
And the second is ‘The King’s Speech’ starring Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth:
The first episode of The Clone Wars for 2011 really kicked things off with a bang. ‘Nightsisters’ is the first part of a three episode trilogy devoted to Asajj Ventress’ quest for revenge against Count Dooku for his betrayal of her.
The episode is pretty straightforward and it serves its purpose well. Sidious, sensing that Ventress has grown too strong with the dark side of the force, orders Dooku to eliminate her. It’s an incredibly Sith like thing to do and caught between a rock in a hard place, Dooku carries out the order. The rest of the episode is Ventress working hard to stay alive and get revenge.
It’s hard to talk much about specifics here. This is the opening act of a three act play. It’s a setup. But it’s a very well put together set up, with very interesting players moving their pieces into place in very interesting ways.
This episode probably has more lightsaber dueling than the last 10 episodes combined. Anakin and Obi-wan spend quite a bit of time dueling Ventress and Ventress and her two Nightsister companions spend a tremendous amount of time fighting Dooku. My guess as to the reason there haven’t been as many lightsaber duels? They’ve been saving it all up for this episode. The choreography here was pretty stunning and must have been a nightmare to coordinate. The animators really got a feel for the fighting style of Anakin and Obi-wan from the movies and Ventress moves with a deadly grace that I just love to watch. But the real superstar in lightsaber combat always has been (and probably always will be) Count Dooku. His fighting style in the films was always incredibly powerful and elegant and they improved upon that tenfold here in this episode. And I must say, I’ve been dying to see this episode since Celebration V, when they showed snippets of Dooku fighting blindly… He’s a badass… There’s really no other way to put it.
As always, the animation and lighting department has continued to step up its game. The space battles were stunning, the landscape of Dathomir was intriguing, and Count Dooku’s palace had an incredibly beautiful and elegant architecture.
And as far as character design, Count Dooku’s pajamas will forever go down in the Star Wars history books. He looked like Hugh Hefner in his silk pajamas, but a thousand fold more deadly.
As I said before about the story, this is really the set up and it’s hard to comment on the overall writing. This is Katie Lucas (George Lucas’ daughter) writing here, and this episode is completely competent. Though it doesn’t surpass ‘Assassin’ as my favorite episode this season (by Katie or otherwise) this is episode is certainly getting us to where we want to be.
I’m thirsty for more and if they tease Savage Oppress (who was barely a whisper in this episode) I might explode. I suppose there is a reason Cartoon Network has dubbed this the “Nightsisters Trilogy” but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we want more Darth Maul-like goodness. And with Clancy Brown voicing him, we can’t get to him soon enough.
This was a very solid episode. And I can’t wait for more. This is a very solid start for Clone Wars in 2011.
And I’m sad I couldn’t make it to one of the screenings…
Dark Horse Comics sent me this lovely preview of an upcoming Star Wars comic book that I thought you guys might enjoy. This is the first issue of an all new series starring Darth Vader in the wake of Revenge of the Sith. Haden Blackman and Rick Leonardi are always fun to read and see and the art and coloring on these pages is pretty fun.
Here’s the breakdown from Dark Horse:
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1
Writer: Haden Blackman Penciller: Rick Leonardi Inker: Dan Green Colorist: Wes Dzioba Cover Artist: Douglas Wheatley (25th Anniversary cover), Tsuneo Sanda Publication Date: January 26, 2011 Price: $3.50 Still haunted by the events in Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader must set aside his past and put his future on hold for a mission to the mysterious Ghost Nebula to locate–and if possible, rescue–a missing Imperial expeditionary force.But what seems a perfect opportunity to lose himself in his duty is complicated by two factors: he is paired with a willful yet highly competent co-commander, and the officer they are being sent to locate is the son of Vader’s rising nemesis, Moff Tarkin.
In Las Vegas today, more details have been announced about the Star Wars Blu-ray set. We have a month of release (September 2011), prices, some information on the sets and a tremendously well put together trailer.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release Star Wars in three distinct sets to meet the needs of every Star Wars fan:
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray (9-disc Set includes all six films)
Star Wars: Prequel Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes I-III)
Star Wars: Original Blu-ray Trilogy (3-disc set includes Episodes IV-VI)
Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray will be available for $139.99 US/$179.99 CAN and the Star Wars: Trilogy Sets for $69.99 US/89.99 CAN. Pricing for each set will vary by international territory.
It seems as though they’re catering a little too much for those who dislike the prequels by offering two different sets, but that’s a minor complaint. The Ultimate 9 disc set is what everyone will want by virtue of all the special features.
Here is a link for pre-orders on Amazon, who is selling it for $50 off MSRP
In the meantime, head over to the Star Wars website and watch this trailer for the entire saga. I love seeing both trilogies intercut and interconnected, making this trailer twice as much of a treat for fans. Kudos to the editor of it… Though I did think it was a little weird that over the audio of Luke saying, “I am a Jedi, like my father before me,” they chose a shot of Anakin as he’s about to slaughter the sand people… Any way… Minor nitpick.
I’m going to go watch it again.
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 we talk about Michael Stackpole’s tremendous take on the superhero genre. I would recommend picking it up. You can get it for your kindle here, or go to his website to order it in other ways.
It comes highly recommended from me. I enjoyed it immensely. It’s a must read for any serious fan of the superhero genre.
To see the article as it appeared in print, click on the image below:
If you’re a regular follower of this column, you may know that sometimes I like to feature a character whose origins are tied into a current storyline. Today’s column is one of those. Unfortunately, those of you who were looking forward to the more lighthearted fare I promised last week will have to wait longer, in the meantime, have some ultra-violence as I relate to you the Secret Origin of Emperor Kurr!
Yes, Emperor Kurr. Regardless of what the title might say, this is “his” story. As we go on, you’ll realize why. We open on a starship orbiting the Earth. The Emperor orders all of its inhabitants be killed! You see, Kurr is of a race of nomadic aliens, dedicated to finding a planet they can call home. This is an admirable, if somewhat lofty, goal. Kurr wants his orders carried out immediately, but thankfully for those of us who live here on Earth, his advisors are a bit more level-headed.
Emperor Kurr, rocking the codpiece.
The advisors are very reasonable with their objections. Arguments like, there are billions of humans, it is against their beliefs to commit genocide, the fact that their prophecies say another planet will come along, Kurr is having none if it though, He says he wants this planet. There is more dissension in the ranks, so Kurr resorts to threats. This puts his advisors in line for the time being, but it also makes them see that their leader is an insane, psychopathic glory hound. They want to show him the error of his ways, they have the terrestrial broadcasts, but Kurr refuses to watch them. Drastic measures are to be taken and the advisors plan to abduct a human to prove how similar the two races really are.
In the meantime, Kurr addresses his empire. He tells them Earth is inhabited by primitive life, and while it pains him to do it, he has decided to eradicate them for the good of his people. What a guy. He then leads them in prayer, which given the scene directly before this one makes you want to kick him in the alien nutsack. Back in the lab, we see out two de facto protagonists have obtained a specimen.
Behold, The Savior of the Human Race! (no, really)
Through exposition, we find that our wayward human here is nearly genetically identical, aside from pigment and fin-heads. While this news is remarkable, our heroes realize that Kurr is way too far gone to listen to reason, and have to proceed a different way. It’s revealed that Kurr is one of the “chosen ones” a genetic offshoot of their race that are so adaptable, that their line are the default rulers of finny society. If only Kurr had an heir… that’s where poor, poor Geeta comes in. She makes her way to Kurr’s bedchamber and offers herself to him. Kurr informs her she does so at her peril, but knowing her duty she does so anyway. She may have wanted to rethink that…
There's a head joke here, but this scene is just too gruesome for jokes.
Kurr’s aides/advisors come to clean up the scene, remarking again to themselves how far off the deep their emperor has gone. Hope is not lost though. Weiko and Rech, our heroes have managed to salvage a fertilized egg from Geeta’s remains. Her sacrifice wasn’t in vain. So, now our guys have their heir, what to do about the Kurr problem? That’s where Human McNaughtyBits from earlier comes in.
But wait! Kurr is as cunning as he is ruthless, and has a contingency plan if Rech and Weiko don’t come through as soon as he wants.
I guess if you're an Image character, bug guns are inevitable.
Kurr offers the ultimatum that his doomsday weapon will be used if Weiko and Rech don’t have an alternative solution within a day. It seems obvious to me that he knows they’re up to something and is just looking for an excuse for carnage. A female office, Lorella points out that they’ve been scouting a planet for thousands of years, what is a couple more days for our boys to come up with a more amicable solution? His answer is to invite her to his bedchamber later. In the meantime Kurr goes to check on our lovable saviors. They show him their pet human, trying a last-ditch effort to appeal to his, well not his humanity, but to his “whatever his species is-ity”. It goes about as well as expected.
It isn't looking good for humanity, kids!
As if on cue, Weiko and Rech run and hide. You might think they’ve wussed out, but as soon as he finds and grabs Lorella, Kurr is shot in the head by Rech. Kurr is incredibly resistant to damage though, so you may think it’s about time to say goodbye to our “heroes” and you’d be right, but while Kurr is beating down Rech, Weiko literally blows part of Kurr’s brain out.
"It was either this or a hole in the... waitaminnit!"
Still, this does not kill Kurr. His brain cells are already regenerating, so it is decided since he now has no memory, to fill it with the five days of satellite feed they’ve gotten from Earth! Also, our schemers give Kurr as vasectomy , which should hold unless Kurr loses his lower extremities and has them grow back (spoiler: it happens eventually!). Weiko and Rech decide to dump him on Earth as now he’d actually fit in more there. I guess that make sense, but they are planning on unleashing an amnesiac genocidal maniac on an unsuspecting populace, so maybe they aren’t as virtuous as first thought. As a final act, Rech and Weiko self destruct their lab with them in it.
Later, we cut to Lorella addressing the empire, explaining their beloved emperor is dead, but has left an heir. Earth is left, as it is also revealed to the public at large that hey, humanity isn’t that primitive. The fin-heads leave, and all is well or is it?
The beginning?
And that ends this tale, but soon after, the amnesiac is discovered by the Chicago PD, and with no memory of past events take the name Dragon and becomes quite a likable guy. He becomes a cop, a family man and various other things over the course of his career, if you thought he was reprehensible in this story, try the normal Savage Dragon run, he’s like the complete opposite. Well, except for current issues where his brain was devoured and regenerated again to where Kurr resurfaces, but hey that’s another story!
This tale was first told in the Image Comics 10th Anniversary Hardcover, and was reprinted in Savage Dragon #0.
We have two new clips from the first episode of The Clone Wars in 2011. These come from the first part of the three episode Savage Oppress arc that was previewed last month theatrically to hundreds of lucky fans across the country.
From the official press release:
Troubled by Asajj Ventress’ growing prowess with the dark side of the Force, Darth Sidious commands Count Dooku to eliminate her. But Ventress survives Dooku’s assassination attempt, and the jilted former apprentice vows to take revenge, enlisting the aid of her kinswomen – the mystical Nightsisters of Dathomir – in her sinister scheme. Evil clashes with evil and sparks fly – igniting the fuse for the launch of the explosive second half of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season Three. Darkness falls and the end begins with “Nightsisters,” an all-new episode debuting at an ALL-NEW TIME – 8:30 p.m. ET/PT Friday, January 7 on Cartoon Network.
The first of a three-part story arc, “Nightsisters” pulls back the curtain to reveal bitter rivalries, seething resentments, shattered alliances and more – including the revelation of a dark sorcery as mystical and powerful as the Force itself. Wielded by the witches of far-off Dathomir, this sinister magic poses a threat to both the Jedi and the Sith, and a challenge to the delicate balance of the Force.
“We’ve still only seen a small sliver of what’s possible,” says Dave Filoni, supervising director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Not only are we seeing stories from different points of view, but we are constantly learning about new perspectives that shift the paradigm entirely.”
One of those new perspectives comes from Ventress herself. Previously represented primarily as Dooku’s grim shadow and an agent of evil, her secret history is revealed when she is forced to re-examine her allegiances. The hunter becomes the hunted, but she is quick to demonstrate that she is no ordinary prey. She strikes back with a vengeance, returning to the offensive as she responds to the insult and injury of her former master’s betrayal.
“Things are changing in The Clone Wars – permanent changes that will affect the whole Star Wars universe,” says Filoni. “We are about to start seeing some significant shifts, starting with the power structure of the Separatists and the Sith. We’re shaking things up for them, and you’ll see that our bad guys are going to react strongly to that. They don’t take it too well. What we’re seeing is the start of a chain reaction. Things are really about to pick up – and this is just the beginning.”