Let’s face it, games have a critical place in modern society. We play at home on our favorite gaming consoles. We play online games. We play free games online. We even download game apps to play on the go via our phones and tablets. When you add up the costs of all those games, you’ll be surprised at how much money you actually spend on gaming.
How do you know if you’re spending too much? Take a look at the figures and see how you compare.
If you spend more money on games than movies, you’re not alone! In 2009, Americans spent $10.5 billion on video and computer games, accounting for about half of the game sales worldwide. Gamers come in all ages, but the average age of the most frequent shopper is 39. Both men and women contribute to this growing entertainment industry and nearly 70% of US households play games on a console system, a mobile device, or a computer. Moreover, the average person spends about $400 on games each year.
With an average price tag of $50 for new releases, video games for systems like Wii and XBox account for most of the money spent on games – about $10 billion in 2009. The average person only buys 3 or 4 new games per year, but many are spending less by buying their games used. A used game can cost less than $10, depending on the title, but may cost $40 or more.
If you’re a console gamer, consider these tips to save:
Buy used. Most stores guarantee their used games. You can usually find used copies of new titles shortly after their release.
Trade. Game stores that offer used titles usually also accept trade ins. Get rid of a few old games to fund the cost of your new ones.
Join a game club. These shops also offer incentive programs for frequent shoppers. You may have to pay for the membership, but the discounts, coupons, and other perks are worth it.
There are several options for gamers who prefer playing on their PC or laptop. Many titles made for consoles are also made for computers. Software games are the most expensive, typically ranging from $20 or less to as much as $75. Online games are a cheaper option and offer a variety of titles. Free Flash games can keep some gamers entertained for hours, but downloadable titles often feature better graphics and more enjoyment. You can buy a new game every month and still spend far less than you would on console games – typically less than $100 per year!
The best way to save on computer games is to join a game website. Many offer free accounts to play free solitaire card games and other free online games, but a paid membership is generally about $7 per month and includes one new downloadable game along with other bonuses.
Interactive gaming is quickly becoming the world’s number one form of entertainment. Whether you’re spending several hundred dollars a year on console games or sticking to free online games and apps for your iPhone, gaming gives us all a positive way to spend our time and money.
Bryan Singer to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past!!!
And the hits keep on coming. As though today’s Star Wars announcement wasn’t enough, the universe has decided to make geeks everywhere have to call the hotline because their erections are lasting longer than 4 hours.
You read that right, Bryan Singer will be returning to direct in the X-Men franchise. His last turn in the director’s seat in the franchise was 2003’s X2: X-Men United, which remains one of my top 5 comic-based movies of all time. The sequel to last year’s excellent X-Men: First Class, which Singer helped produce, has been long-rumored to be based on the Days of Future Past storyline written by Chris Claremont in the 80s as a way to synthesize the First Class actors into the world made by previous X-Men movies. This would ostensibly allow both James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart, Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen to appear in a storyline involving time travel and an apocalyptic future where mutants are put into camps and hunted as enemies of humanity.
Singer fell back into the director’s chair after it was announced that Matthew Vaughn, who directed First Class, would not return for the sequel. He will, however, serve as a producer and I’m sure his fingerprints will be all over the film, much as Singer’s were in the last film.
To me, this is perfect. I’ll get all of my favorite things: McKellen AND Fassbender, Singer directing, and one of my all-time favorite comic book storylines. I’m sure there are people less enthused. Sound off your opinion in the comments below.
Well, this isn’t what I ever thought would be commenting on today. Or ever.
But it was announced today that Disney is purchasing Lucasfilm for more than $4 billion.
Here’s the press release:
DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.
Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquireworld-renowned Lucasfilm Ltd, including legendary STAR WARS franchise.
Acquisition continues Disney’s strategic focus on creating and monetizing the world’s best branded content, innovative technology and global growth to drive long-term shareholder value.
Lucasfilm to join company’s global portfolio of world class brands including Disney, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel and ABC.
STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film targeted for release in 2015.
Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.
“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.
The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.
Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.
The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.
It’s not just this site, but CNBC is reporting it, as well as The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters, and every other site imaginable. I just received the official word from Lucasfilm with that above press release..
There is clearly a great many unknowns with something this big. What will a new Star Wars film look like? What will it feel like without a 20th Century Fox Logo? But there are many things to be grateful for: for one, this is George Lucas handing his baby over to the next generation on his terms. He will no longer be in full control of it and others will make the decisions, with him acting as creative consultant. We’ll get to see other filmmakers take on the saga, which is what many wanted and expected out of the Prequels. I love the prequels and wouldn’t wish them changed, but for many, this news is what they wanted.
And this can’t be bad.
Think about what the Marvel franchise has done under the Disney banner. It’s flourished and created some of the best movies and tie-ins in their genre EVER. What could this do for Star Wars?
For one, it’s almost certainly giving us a new movie. Will it be a continuation of the Skywalker saga? Will it be a new story altogether?
I have a theory about it: Lucas always said that his idea for Episode 7 and beyond when he admitted to having that idea was to have Luke passing the torch on to the next generation of newly trained Jedi, being the Obi-wan Kenobi character. Doesn’t it look a lot like what George Lucas is doing with this move? The story could very well mirror that sentiment.
And I’d love to see it, no matter how much it would mess the EU continuity up.
Does this open the door for the live action show? What does this mean for the continuation of The Clone Wars? Is Star Wars: Detours heading to Disney XD? There are so many unanswered questions… But you know where to get the latest news… right here.
Star Wars is something that you all know I hold dear to me and seeing it in the hands of Disney doesn’t feel like it’ll be a bad thing.
I’m excited for a new era of Star Wars and what is to come.
THE HISTORY GEEK #3: Ian Fleming’s Operation Ruthless
It felt appropriate that my History Geek Column this month would revolve around Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond. This story takes us before his days as an important officer and right into the heart of World War II, when he was working for British Naval Intelligence.
An Enigma Cypher Machine
During the war, it was difficult to crack enemy codes, particularly since the German’s were using Enigma cipher machines. They were mechanical and electrical rotor machines that automated cryptographic texts that the Nazis were using to relay orders to their submarines and other places. Since it was so difficult to decode without the use of one of the machines, capturing an Enigma machine became a Holy Grail for the British. (The machines themselves are endlessly fascinating and you can read more about them here.)
Perhaps the only way to capture an Enigma machine was to pull it right off a German naval vessel, but raiding a boat like that would almost certainly force the German’s to destroy so valuable a tool before the allied forces would be able to get a hold of it. A more devious strategy had to be devised.
That was Fleming’s job.
On September 12, 1940, Fleming wrote the following missive to the director of Naval Intelligence with his plan to capture a German code machine, dubbing it “Operation: Ruthless”:
TOP SECRET.
For Your Eyes Only.
12 September 1940.
To: Director Naval Intelligence
From: Ian Fleming
Operation Ruthless
I suggest we obtain the loot by the following means:
1. Obtain from Air Ministry an air-worthy German bomber.
2. Pick a tough crew of five, including a pilot, W/T operator and word-perfect German speaker. Dress them in German Air Force Uniform, add blood and bandages to suit.
3. Crash Plane in the Channel after making SOS to rescue service.
4. Once aboard rescue boat, shoot German crew, dump overboard, bring rescue boat back to English port.
In order to increase the chances of capturing an R or M (these are different sorts of German boats he’s referring to) with its richer booty, the crash might be staged in mid-Channel. The Germans would presumably employ one of this type for the longer and more hazardous journey.
NB. Since attackers will be wearing enemy uniform, they will be liable to be shot as franc-tireurs if captured, and incident might be fruitful field for propaganda. Attackers’ story will therefore be that it was done for a lark by a group of young hot-heads who thought the war was too tame and wanted to have a go at the Germans. They had stolen the plane and equipment and had expected to get into trouble when they got back. This will prevent suspicions that party was after more valuable booty than a rescue boat.
It certainly was a ruthless plan, as it was clearly a suicide mission for all those participating. Being caught in an enemy uniform negated all rules of war that the German’s only barely played by in the first place. It was bold and creative and the director of Naval intelligence thought it just might work, so he approved the plan.
Fleming went to Dover to oversee the mission, waiting for a German bombing raid with his team so they could simulate that perfect cover story for their rescue, but the right mission conditions were never met and the operation was eventually scrapped.
There was a great disappointment that the operation never went through since capturing the machine was vital to the success of the Allied war effort.
Eventually, the British would capture an enigma, but that wouldn’t happen until May of 1941, when the German commander of U-110 assumed his boat was sinking and ordered his crew to leave their Enigma and codebooks and abandon ship. They began fleeing the ship, but it wasn’t sinking. In an act of quick thinking, the British commander who had been attacking ceased his attack on the ship when he realized it wasn’t sinking, instead focusing on dealing with the fleeing Germans.
The German submarine U-110, captured by the HMS Bulldog, May 9, 1941.
His crew entered the ship and took everything aboard that was portable, including the code books and the Enigma, then sunk the boat so the Germans wouldn’t realize their codes had been broken.
The fact the British had an Enigma was so secret that it took even Franklin Roosevelt a year to find out when Winston Churchill told him about it personally.
For Fleming’s part, he eventually went on to write one of the most popular series of spy novels of all time and created one of the most iconic characters in film and literature in James Bond.
At the 2012 World of Horror Convention, I had the privilege of working at the Dark Horse Comics booth along side Dark Horse editor, Scott Allie, and Mr. Hellboy himself, Mike Mignola. Both were great guys who had some wonderful stories about the comic industry. Mike was very laid back; he seemed to be enjoying the fact that he was at a convention where he could actually walk around and check things out. He told me that at most other conventions he is stuck behind a table signing autographs all day long. It was pretty amazing to sit next to him for a couple of days and talk shop.
I have been a Hellboy fan for years, so I tried hard to keep my inner fanboy in check. On the last day of the convention he drew this quick sketch of Big Red himself. Plus, get ready for Hellboy’s return this December in Hellboy in Hell. This new series marks the return of Mignola. He will be completing both story and art on his most beloved character, something which he hasn’t done since 2002’s Conqueror Worm.
The Living Daylights might have one of the worst reputations of any Bond film. Timothy Dalton is looked down upon for his portrayal of 007, the cast is entirely new and different (save for Q) and we’re treated to what is essentially a reboot. But, let’s be honest, after the last few Roger Moore films, a palate cleanser was sorely needed.
This is a darker, grittier Bond than any since, perhaps, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and sees 007 working to aid in the defection of a Russian General. There’s a larger plot going on, full of nuance and interesting twists and turns, where the defecting Russian general is working for an arms dealer and trying to play the Americans and the Russians against each other. Caught in the middle is an adorable young cellist, in love with the General, but falling for a caring Bond, posing as the General’s friend.
I think this movie has a bad rap, and the more I see it, the more I love it. Hell, just watching that trailer linked above again has me wanting to watch it all over again. The other robots wanted to have a say on this one, so we’re once again opening the floor:
Swank-Mo-Tron: I think the first thing to talk about is Dalton. He’s the polar opposite of Roger Moore. He’s cold and lethal, but caring. He delivers to the part an edge that had been missing since Lazenby and was far ahead of its time. He really does balance the tough and tender elements of Bond in a way the franchise had lost for almost 20 years. And there’s that anger to him we hadn’t seen in quite a while either.
Shaz-Bot: There are two things I dislike about Dalton as Bond, and neither of them actually have to do with Dalton himself. The first is my own perceptions. I’ve seen Dalton in a ton of movies before his turn as 007, and it was difficult for me to accept him as Bond… at first. This movie really won me over. This brings me to my only other complaint about Dalton as Bond: He only got two films before the longest gap in the film series’ history.
Citizen-Bot: It’s no wonder Dalton was on the short list of people to play Bond when they were looking to cast someone after Connery. Dalton turned it down because he didn’t think he was old enough? No offense to Lazenby, but what if we’d had Dalton in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and the films never took their campy turn as Dalton’s Dark Bond kept them more grounded? No lie: all of my favorite Dalton roles, he has been the villain.(Toy Story 3, The Rocketeer, Chuck) Dalton plays Bond in the same way, which is why I call him Dark Bond. I’m sure there’s an alternate telling of The Living Daylights where Bond is the villain, a la Charlie Wilson’s War, helping Mujahadeen soldiers who would eventually become the Taliban and al Qaeda. . . tsk tsk.
Swank-Mo-Tron: One thing I love in this film is Bond’s professionalism. He doesn’t kill the girl because she’s clearly not a professional and that’s really the key to unravelling the plot. When he’s scolded for it, he has one of my favorite lines in the film:
“Stuff my orders! I only kill professionals. That girl didn’t know one end of her rifle from the other. Go ahead. Tell M what you want. If he fires me, I’ll thank him for it. “
Shaz-Bot: Bond’s professionalism actually put me off at first. Sure, he kept the girl alive, but only because he could pump her for information… or so I thought, again. Even then, aside from a few tender moments, Bond is almost all business in this movie.
Citizen-Bot: I disagree. It was refreshing to see someone who wasn’t always thinking with his penis or his ego. Later on when he tells Moneypenny his interest in the cellist is purely professional, there might have been some irony intended, but I could actually take it seriously. This guy’s duty is to Queen and Country, and he can get laid off the clock. He knows there’s a Russian spy killer program out there offing MI-6 agents, and he’s going to stop it. And the way he shows up Saunders in the operation helping Koskov defect, but then still says it’s his operation and he can take the credit for it– no politics, all business. All that being said, when he parachutes onto the boat in the opening sequence and the woman is complaining about not being able to find a real man. . .well, it’s a great opportunity for the rakish Bond to come out, and he does that well.
Swank-Mo-Tron: I also think the supporting cast in this film is great. John Rhys Davies as Pushkin, playing both sides. You’ve got Joe Don Baker as the eccentric arms dealer Whitaker who keeps the story entertaining. Jereon Krabbe is brilliant as the double-sided Koskov. And the girl, Maryam d’Abo, is soft and wonderful, stronger than most Bond girls, more vulnerable, and less likely to fall for Bond’s usual routine.
Shaz-Bot: I’ll give anything with Joe Don Baker a chance. He really puts the ‘fun’ in “fundamentally over-the top”. I have to agree with your praise of Krabbe, too. He played his character very well. At first, I thought he was a great guy, and then of course when he turned out to be a sleaze, I believed that as well. When it comes to d’Abo’s Kara Milovy. I like that she deviated from other Bond girls. She’s beautiful, but not in so much of a traditional sense. She is absolutely more naive, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t smart and resourceful. I’m glad her character wasn’t just window dressing to further the plot.
Citizen-Bot: And she doesn’t just immediately fall into bed with Bond, either. She actually drugs him and turns him over to her boyfriend, Koskov. And it’s good we get more of Joe Don Baker in later movies, too. But John Rhys Davies just steals the movie. And I loved how the henchman Necros was both over the top awesome and deadly, but also grounded more in reality. He’s as deadly as Odd Job, but uses a deadly walkman and molotov milk bottles, but has the Nordic/Teutonic features of Grant in From Russia With Love. It’s great, and completely fun while being completely believeable.
Swank-Mo-Tron: This film also has one of my favorite action set pieces: After taking off in a massive cargo jet from an airfield in Afghanistan, with a bomb in tow hidden in a Red Cross sack. If that wasn’t enough, one of the film’s principal assassins is also on board ready to kill Bond. They open the back of the plane and have a daring fight at 10,000 feet on this cargo net full of supplies, any one of which might be a bomb. It might be one of the best, most realistic stunt sequences in a Bond film and it often goes ignored in favor of flashier set-pieces in other Bond films.
Shaz-Bot: This film really hit the ground running with great action. The opening sequence with the 00-agents skydiving and the subsequent war games/jeep chase is great. The way Koskov is smuggled out of the country is really fun as well. The icing is of course the aforementioned mid-air fight. I liked that one because it didn’t seem manufactured, like a lot of latter day Bond scrapes tend to be. The main draw for me is that Dalton did do a lot of his own stunts. It’s a risk for an actor to do such a thing, but when it pays off, like here, it pays off beautifully.
Swank-Mo-Tron: Overall, this film balances all the elements that make a good Bond film far better than any had since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Timothy Dalton is an incredibly capable, underrated lead and the story is actually of consequence. This film tried to do what the Daniel Craig films did, but it did so 20 years too early, and so faded into obscurity. Rewatch this film. This film is an oasis after the desert of Roger Moore. I give it 4 Martinis.
Shaz-Bot: I very much enjoyed The Living Daylights, but I can’t give it the full 4 martinis. On one hand, this is a spy movie in every sense of the word. You have plot twists and turns, meaty amounts of intrigue and romance, and plenty of two-fisted action. On the other hand, the movie tends to be a little obtuse at first. Everything ends up making sense in short order, but the opening sequence is just kind of there until you see the attacker there shows up later tying things together. I’m not saying I need my hand held, but I don’t need to feel my way in the dark, either. Regardless, the strengths of this film highly outweigh the faults, so I give it 3.5 Martinis.
Citizen-Bot: It’s a huge palate cleanser after slogging through Moore and two sub-par Connery outings. It’s the first legitimately good Bond film since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. But compared to those real bars of the great Bond films like that and Goldfinger it’s close, but not quite. Bottom line: people need to give more respect to the Dalton Bond movies, but I’m more inclined to agree with Shaz here, so I’m going to go with 3 ¼ Martinis.
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates what would have been Bob Ross’s 70th birthday. Even though he’s no longer with us, he taught us that anyone can paint. All we have to do is believe in ourselves.
Ross started painting while serving with the Air Force. Where the snow-covered mountains inspired him. This new-found talent allowed him to make a living, culminating in the long running (1983-1994) PBS show, The Joy of Painting.
An interesting fact about the show is that Mr. Ross actually did it for free. The money he made actually came from Bob Ross Incorporated. You may have seen their distinctive packaging in your local art supply store.
Not only was Bob Ross influential with his paintings, but for me personally, his outlook on life is something to be admired. You see, when Ross was in the service, he had to bark a lot of orders and was generally “mean”. It’s to his credit that after his time in the force, he decided to never be like that again, and lived a happy and peaceful life. So, cheers to Google for honoring Mr. Ross with a doodle, and to end things, here’s a great video with the man himself.
This episode gave us the thrilling conclusion of the Onderon arc. It saw plenty of action, suspense, drama, and references to other pop culture franchises. Once again, our patience through the build-up and context of the entire arc paid off. At the beginning I really couldn’t care less about the fate of Onderon or it’s people, but after this fourth episode, I was invested fully.
The episode was absolutely gorgeous, and the look Onderon has echoes of movies like Casablanca or Raiders of the Lost Ark in the market scenes, but also the look of an exotic western through the battle scenes. There were also hints of classic Star Wars in there, too, with lines like “Yeah, but what good will that do us if (s)he gets (her)himself killed.”
And how could we not discuss the new Cylon Raider-like warships the Separatists are marching out in the war to smash the rebels of Onderon? They even say, “By your command.” I couldn’t have been more giddy as a pop-culture loving geek. And you all noticed the Empire Strikes Back like shot, right? Where Lux and Steela are kissing in the foreground with Ahsoka, the real point of the scene, looking on in the background. It was just like the Carbon freezing chamber with Vader and Fett in the background and Han and Leia staring sadly and sweetly at each other in the foreground.
But this episode certainly has a dark side, and it’s that dark side that makes this, perhaps, my favorite episode of the season so far.
You see, this is Filoni and team toying with us.
In this episode, Steela Gerrera meets her fate, sacrificing herself as a martyr, but there is a significant effort to save her that will have an emotional cost for all of her comrades, especially her brother, Saw. You see, Saw fired the shot that took down the Separatist ship that crashed into Steela’s perch, dangling her precariously over a chasm. Lux Bonteri (the object of Ahsoka’s secret desire) tries to pull her to safety but slips, only to be saved at the last minute by Ahsoka and her mastery of the force. She then sets her sights to Steela herself, but is shot in the back by the barely functioning, crashed ship.
Ahsoka goes down and Steela goes down.
It’s a tragic moment that instantly flooded my tear ducts with concern. Had Ahsoka and Steela both perished?
I forgot entirely that Ahsoka is already slated for more episodes and I thought she might have just been gone. When she got up, baring a wound on a shoulder I realized what had happened, but there was still that split second where I couldn’t be sure. This is what Filoni and team is going to do to us, as often as possible between now and the eventual time her fate is decided.
Will it be death? A turn to the dark side? Leaving the Jedi order?
We have no idea and Filoni and team are going to put pressure on those expectations until the thing we expect least is what’s going to happen.
Seriously, this episode packed a wallop and I couldn’t be more happy with how it ended up. This episode was balanced with the right mixture of angst, drama, and action. More like this, please.
I read a lot of comics every week. So much that it can be hard to peg down a review for each one. Then I realized we live in a world where people can express their thoughts in 140 characters or less, so why can’t I (give or take a few letters)? These reviews may or may not be a bit spoilery. You’ve been warned! Welcome to the first installment of… Gut Reactions!
Kamen Rider Manga #1: No other book this week has their main character fight and kill both Spider-Man AND Batman! (no relation) Legal digital manga is cool.
Bravest Warriors #1: Pendleton Ward could spit a concept onto a napkin and I’d probably enjoy it. Now we have another great all-ages book in the vein of Adventure Time.
Batman Incorporated #4: Maybe this iteration of Jason Todd will stick? At least he’s kinda sorta part of the Bat Family again. New 52 screwed this series, though.
Amazing Spider-Man #696: Hobgoblin vs. Hobgoblin to the death… until they realize they can kill others together! I enjoy this book more than I should, I think.
Talon #1: Talon gets his own Alfred (albeit with much more of an edge), a costume, and a purpose. This is definitely a book to watch.
Ghost #1: I really like Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel, but this doesn’t do it for me. Ah well. Not bad, just not for me.
The Shadow #6: Not especially thrilled with the WWII/Enola Gay comeuppance. I wish I enjoyed this book more than I do. I dig The Shadow, but not here. Awesome cover, tho.
Teen Titans #13: The origin of Wonder Girl in this issue is something I’d feature in one of my Secret Origins columns, but only to make fun of it.
Flash #13: I am intrigued by the portrayal of the Rogues here. Grodd is a bit too vicious for mehere, but hey, he is a humongous super-intelligent gorilla. He can do what he wants.
Firestorm #13: This read like an old-school comic in a good way. I hated this book when it started. That opinion has changed for the better.
A-Babies Vs. X-Babies: A fun little parody of the whole A Vs. X brouhaha. This book is worth it for the double-page splash alone. Loved all of the visual gags.
National Comics Madame X: I love these one-shots DC is doing, they all rule so far. I hate that they are one-shots. This issue would make for a good TV show. Get on it, DC/WB/CW/random letters!
FF #23: I’m really, REALLY going to miss Hickman on FF/Fantastic Four. This very fitting ending makes me want to re-read the entire run again.
Superman #13: Hey, remember Clark Kent? He’s in this issue! And he quits the Daily Planet to become a bum or something! Exciting!
Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who #6: I like this series, but it’s taken this long to get to any semblance of action. You can only geek out so much before you need the plot to actually move.
Invincible #96: A terrible jumping on point, but long time fans like, get a lot of interesting developments this issue. I seriously wonder what the heck #100 will bring, though.
And there you have it for this week. Agree? Disagree? Too brief? Let us know what you want out of this column!
