Get Some Hobbit Up in Your Hole!

If you're a little on the hobbitty side then you might  wish that you could decorate your hole with this newly released Comic Con poster for the first part of Sir Peter Jackson's epic The Hobbit. Aint it Cool showed it, I stole it, and I'm giving it to you. I'm a digital Robin Hood:

It's quite an enchanting and evocative poster, and perfectly captures beautiful vast expanses of scenery where absolutely nothing happens. Once Dark Knight Rises wraps up I guess we're going to have to be all about the Hobbit, so expect a lot more where this came from. 

And speaking of Hobbit holes, is there a market for a The Hobbit: A XXX Parody? Where's that announcement? Surely that will satiate a short, hairy niche? Only a matter of time. Remember, you heard it here first!

New "Marvel NOW" Faux Reboot Confuses Everyone!

Entertainment Weekly has news on Marvel's response to DC's New 52 with their own universe shaking relaunch dubbed Marvel NOW! which will begin in October. Except it's not actually a reboot. Although characters are changing costumes and alliances. And there'll be a whole host of new issue ones. And a lot of the teams have been split up and mixed together. And if the bulk of your Marvel knowledge comes from the films then prepare to be thoroughly confused.

Art by Marvel CEO Joe Quesada shows off the head-scratching new looks for the major players:

So seeing as how armour on the Hulk makes about as much sense as oven mitts on Wolverine, I'm going to assume that this harness is some kind of control mechanism? If so, I think it's sweet that they made it purple. "We're going to take over your body against your wishes, Bruce, but to make up for it we've made the mechanism purple. We notice you wear a lot of purple pants."

More befuddled cynicism, and another image, after the jump!

Pre-Order Hot Toys Dark Knight Rises Batman, Plus Premium Format Posion Ivy!

It seems every week now we're treated to a brand new Hot Toys pre-order and this time around it's the much anticipated Batman DX 1/6th scale collectible figure from The Dark Knight Rises. And then, as an added Friday surprise, Sideshow also has revealed their stunning 1/4 scale Poison Ivy Premium Format figure:

If you want to skip my rambling you can pre-order both from Sideshow right away! Here are the links:

Batman: Hot Toys DX Series Batman DX - The Dark Knight Rises - Sixth Scale Collectible Figure
And Ivy: DC Comics Collectibles Poison Ivy - EXCLUSIVE - Premium Format Figure
(If the site is down, keep checking! Looks like it's getting a workout today!)

And if you enjoy my rambling then join me for more thoughts and more images... after the jump!

Review: The Avengers Squinkies! WTF is a Squinky?

What is a Squinky? Nobody knows! Science is baffled! But when I saw that there was a set of movie The Avengers themed Squinkies I knew that I must buy them and science be damned! Besides, I needed the oddball Black Widow to add to my rapidly expanding collection.

So I may not have too many answers on the true nature of science/nature/God-defying Squinkies (I can tell you that they are small, and squishy, but you can’t eat them as they are made of a substance yet uncategorised by man) but I will open them up and let you see them with your own skeptical eyes.

Flubber? I think perhaps they are made of Flubber. To unravel this mystery... join me after the jump!

Eddard Starkwalker vs The Lion

Happy Friday everyone! It's just gone Beer 'o' Clock here in Perth, but if you haven't hit that point yet, then here's a video that'll get you through the rest of your day. We've all seen that scene in Game of Thrones where Ned & Jaime have a little swordy tussle, but we haven't seen it quite like this. Congratulations internet, you've done it again.

Thank GIF it's Friday

In this GIF I learnt that Dinklage and I have the same behavioral/thought processes.

Sucklord and Jason Freeny Collaborate To Destroy Boba Fett

You may know artist Jason Freeny from his dissected toy designs and illustrations (Lego man, Munny, etc) and you may know designer Sucklord from his bootleg toy designs (Gay Empire), but did you know they are working together on a super secret project?

The secret was just leaked via twitter, and I'm not going to be the one to hold it in.

Here is the sneak peek at the limited edition (50 pieces!) dissected Boba Fett.

I will gladly rip someone in half to get one of these.

(via Spanky Stokes)

Review: Hot Toys The Joker (1989 Version) DX Series!

Courtesy of our good friends at Sideshow Collectibles I couldn’t be more excited to unbox and review Hot Toys The Joker (1989 version) DX Series 1/6th scale collectible figure. I’ve raved about Hot Toys many times before but their DX lines represents the very height of high-end collecting.

You may find larger and more expensive statues, but I honestly can’t imagine that you will find anything currently available that matches the detail and craftsmanship that is present here. I promise that this one will blow your mind. Even the interior packaging is going to blow your mind. This is the sort of thing that you open in a sealed room, wearing white gloves, while sweating profusely. You need to sit down and take deep breaths before proceeding with this one.

We all love Heath Ledger Joker but don’t ever forget that Jack Nicholson is a legend and it was his iconic look and performance that, for many of us of a certain age, first cemented the Joker in our consciousness. Sometimes we need a reminder of that.

You’ll find the biggest reminder... after the jump!

Best New Music of the Last Few Months

Shockingly, we're halfway through the year now. That's crazy. There was some very good music that came out in the first quarter, and the second quarter didn't disappoint, either.

As always, you can check out my Favorites of 2012 Spotify playlist, or sample some of my favorites after the jump.

Review: The Amazing Spider-Man.

One would assume that at least part of the impetus for rebooting Spider-Man would be to wash away the taste left by Sam Raimi’s all-dancing, all-crying Spider-Man 3. To create fresh new take that wipes the slate clean and explores alternate possibilities. In many ways, The Amazing Spider-Man does just that, however, if the ubiquitous “car thief” sequence from the trailer has lured you into believing that this is the bright, fun, wisecracking Spider-Man adventure you've been longing for then you may wish to readjust your expectations. I’m sure that Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man cries at least half a dozen times in this movie. Far more than Tobey Maguire even. This teenage Spider-Man is still burdened by a whole lot of angst.

But that’s not to say it’s not worth your time. When it works I think it’s actually pretty great but it just doesn’t have the confidence or momentum to become one of your favourites.

To find out why... join me after the jump.

The Animated Ninja Turtles

Here's a pretty cool Ninja turtles tribute by Malcolm Sutherland

I love the dudes reason behind the video as well

"A tribute to the Ninja Turtles.. ever since I read the original black and white comics as a kid I have been a fan.

In TMNT Vol. 1 by Mirage Studios they frequently had guest artists and almost every comic was a totally different style. In particular, when I read #37 and #42 By Rick McCollum & Bill Anderson it totally changed my life. No kidding! Those books are so beautiful, and are so intense and full of magic that they left a deep mark on me. 

Anyway, I always wanted to do a TMNT comic myself, but in the meantime here is a fan animation instead. I know its super nerdy to make fan videos but I don't care, making this was like my 10 year old dreams come true.

Although it's my voice, the line that splinter says; "I am here, my son(s)" is from the first TMNT movie, made in 1990. It is one of my favourite moments because it always hits me as some sort of hidden zen-master-like riddle, as if he is actually saying "here we are, THIS is it" or something."

You should definitely check out some of  Malcolm Sutherland other animations as they are very rad. He's got such a beautiful distinct style

Oh and have you guys seen the new official ninja turtles show. Here's that trailer

Looks and feels a bit like the Teen Titans series (which I really enjoyed) but in 3d. I'm not sure what I feel about this though. I love the use of sound effects text and the design is growing on me. I'm sure I'll check out a few episodes

Comic School Review: Amazing Spider-Man #6 (1963): The First Time Spider-Man Pissed Off a Lizard!

In theatres across the globe, Monday-hatin’ Garfield Spider-Man is on the big screen, dealing with the consequences of pissing off a lizard. Now that’s all gravy, but what about back that time back in the sixties when the comic book Spider-Man first pissed off a lizard? How did all that go down? Why don’t we find out just how closely the movie matches the comic? Which lizard was more pissed?

Amazing Spider-Man #6 was written by the frighteningly prolific Stan the Man Lee with art by the totally badass Steve Ditko. I bought it from Comixology for $1.99 and you can too if you want to read along with me. You can even sit on my lap if you want to. Just saying.

Find out what it takes to piss off a lizard... after the jump!

Pre-Order Comic Con 2012 Exclusive Captain America and Commander Fox Right Now! (Plus more!)

So the good news is that even if you’re unable to immerse yourself in the heady sea of the Great Unwashed at this years SDCC, you can still get hold of a couple of awesome Comic Con exclusives from the privacy and sanctity of your own home!

Our dear friends at Sideshow Collectibles have a lot on offer this year and it’s available to purchase right now, ahead of the Con. Let me show you my personal favourites, starting with the exclusive edition of Hot Toy’s Captain America Rescue Version 1/6th scale collectible figure, in his “ZOMG I gotta’ go rescue, Bucky!” make-shift suit:

He'll set you back $219.99 and will ship within 2 - 3 weeks! You can pre-order him right here:

Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series Captain America - Rescue Version Sixth Scale Figure

More pictures and more stuff... after the jump!

What's Out? 4th of July 2012

Howdy y'all! Happy 4th of July America Day! What better way to celebrate than with the most American things of all? Comics and lists:

Stryder's Favourite Comics - 6/27/2012

Happy Canada Day, Happy Independence Day and happy anything else that people celebrate around the beginning of July!  Before we settle into summer though, let's just finish up June with the last 8 comics of the month!  All killer, no filler...let's get to it!

Batman The Dark Knight #10 - Since the New 52 began all those months ago, The Dark Knight has consistently been very well drawn but almost completely devoid of any interesting content.  The writing was cartoonish and full of holes, with one-dimensional characters and situations that made little sense.  They even managed to mess up their part of the epic, otherwise super-awesome cross-over event, "Night of the Owls"!

All of that is poised to change starting this month, as writer Gregg Hurwitz takes over the writing chores to give us a dark, visceral tale of children going missing on the streets of Gotham City, only to be returned, physically unharmed but so badly traumatized that they are near-catatonic.  The issue opens on an extreme close-up of our so far "mystery" villain (gotta be Scarecrow, I'm thinking) sewing his own mouth shut.  It certainly grabs your attention!

Not only do we get a creepy and disturbing mystery, but we are also treated to some emotional, in-depth moments for Bruce, as well as for both Damian and Commissioner Gordon!  Mr. Hurwitz seems interested in making them believable, 3-dimensional human characters!  Suddenly this title, my LEAST favourite of the Batman books, has me looking forward to next month!!  Excellent!

Of course there's another 7 books, including Justice League and Nite Owl, which we'll discuss After the JUMP!

Review: The Dark Knight Rises Movie Masters: Batman and Bane.

Last week when I reviewed Mattel’s 6 inch Movie Masters Catwoman (apparently with premium sculpting and articulation for the “Adult Collector”) I childishly lamented that I didn’t pick up the Batman so I could draw a comparison. Well wipe away those bat-tears because, thanks to a recent sale at Toys R Us, I now not only own screaming/spitting vigilante/maniac Batman, but also extreme sexual deviant/sadist Bane!

This is the make-up after the break-up.

How do these two dapper gents size up against crazy cat-lady Catwoman? Find out what I thought of all this... after the jump!

Nerd History: The American Tradition of the Hot Dog Eating Contest

I'm not sure what anyone else will be doing tomorrow, but I know what my plans are - to watch the yearly Hot Dog Eating Contest. The event goes back to 1916, when a group of immigrants started the contest to show their patriotism for the Independence Day holiday, and it's become a worldwide event with national live coverage. If you're unaware of this weird American tradition, the 2007 event is above, and I'd imagine there will be copious amounts of coverage tomorrow. Hopefully you can ketchup with this tradition!

America's Got Talent Quarterfinal Recaps: Dance + Paint = Win.

Is anyone watching Americas Got Talent? If not, I will recap it for you. It's easy to push this show off because it's a mainstream network big budget game show, but underneath all of the flashy graphics and commercials are some really talented people. There is also some crap, which we will get to.

Last night was the quarter finals. That means, we're into the final 48 competing acts, which will be cut down to 16 over the next 4 weeks. Each week we'll see 12 performances, and only 4 will make it through. I though that was pretty harsh going into last night, but by the end of the night, it was pretty clear who should be going through and who shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Click through the jump for video clips of the highlights. There is an amazing dance/paint art performance, a father/daughter duet that will hit you hard, a classic slapstick comedy/dance routine, and a guy who plays a shovel...

The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 21: Spider-Man 3!

The Book Was Better is a podcast where Jessica McLeod and I take the hastily-written tie-in novelisations of your favourite genre films and discuss, dissect, mock and make gross innuendo about them. This week we talk about the bloated, nonsensical, crying and dancing book-of-the-film Spider-Man 3! 

Are you excited about seeing The Amazing Spider-Man this week? See how you feel after this sobering reminder! Find out all about it by cramming us into your ear-holes!

Download Episode 21: Spider-Man 3 from the official site or subscribe to us on iTunes!

OMFG Figures Series 2 Revealed! Plus Kickstarter Info!

Back in February I received OMFG series one, October Toys' off-kilter homage to the tiny flesh-coloured M.U.S.C.L.E. figures of the eighties made possible by a successful Kickstarter campaign. And in March we encouraged you to vote for which five figures/artists would be represented in series 2. Well now the votes have been tallied and out of the 400 submissions, here are the five that have been chose to go into production (dependent on your help!):

They are: Puke Knight designed and sculpted by Jared DeCosta; Shirtle designed by Kenjitron and sculpted by George Gaspar; Cry-Borg designed by Andrew Scribner; Cuddlehard designed and sculpted by turboPISTOLA; and Grimm Gourd concept by ScruffyNerfHrdr, designed by Charles Marsh and sculpted by Mike Fleming Jr.

Cry-Borg was one of my own five votes! I don't recall seeing Puke Knight, but if I had I think I would have voted for him too because he's brilliant. You can find out more and reserve a set for yourself by supporting the freshly launched Kickstarter right here. I'll definitely be ordering a set!

Tuesday Bounty: Glorious Bounty Kicks Back.

It’s Tuesday and that can only mean a brand new page of sci-fi/humour comic Glorious Bounty, drawn by the deathly serious hands of Edward J. Grug III and written by me. This is the second last page of Book Three: The Convoluted Killbots! High-five Team Indie Webcomics of Marginal Interest!

When we last left the Bounty crew they were back in their reconstructed bodies, had mutilated their friend Kruckus to avoid a debt, and were leaving the planet. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a heartfelt epilogue!

Click to embiggen or view it on the official site:

And if you’re a Bounty virgin then why not get roughly manhandled in the back of the car by Book One: The Sexy Virus! You can start at the very beginning right here!

Superman and a not so super dad

A couple nice animations for the day. The first is a fan made "classic Superman" style featuring Bizarro

The film is a follow up to an earlier film "Superman classic" (click that link to watch).

Now here's a lovely little short about a dad who's got a couple pretty accident prone kids to look after

Comic School Review: The Incredible Hulk #4 (1963) Damn Commies!

It's been a couple of weeks since you and I have tried to make sense of an old school classic Marvel comic, so I thought that maybe we could snuggle up inside The Incredible Hulk #4 from 1963, a classic Hulk issue split into two "feature-length" (lies) Hulk thrillers!

Of course, we don't want to exert ourselves, so we'll just focus on the second story, Mongu!! Gladiator From Space!, because I am dying to find out why Teen Brigade leader Rick Jones is squirming in Mongu's ape-like arms like a little bitch! Will Hulk save the day before young Rick is violated? And what do those damn Commie pigdogs have to do with all this?

It's written by Stan the Man Lee with art by Jack the King Kirby and I bought it for $1.99 on Comixology. You can too if you'd like to read along with me! Let's do just that... after the jump!

Review: Kotobukiya Commander Bly

You may remember Clone Commander Bly from his 5 second starring role in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. You know, he was that guy who shot Aayla Secura when Order 66 was implemented! Aayla Secura! The blue chick with the...oh never mind. Let's forget about Team Lucas's ability to wring every last merchandising dollar out of the franchise, and check out this very kick ass vinyl statue from the good folk at Kotobukiya.

More Accurate Dungeons and Dragons

Saw this over at Dueling Analogs last week and thought I should share it with the class here. I assume we can all agree that a) the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon was hideous and b) this makes it a lot more palatable.

I do wish I thought of pitting solos against each other, though...

Saturday Night Board Games: Blending Kittens, Protecting Castles and Mathy Dynamite!

For the first night in what seems like forever, I was able to wrangle up my gaming group up on a Saturday night to play a handful of board games. It's more my fault than theirs, because I have been working non-stop on Pixel Lincoln. Even during the games, I had to pause for phone calls, emails and texts about Pixel Lincoln. But even with all of that going on, it was a bit of a break for me, and a great return to Saturday night board games.

Click through the jump to read all about our adventures in blending kittens, protecting our castle from waves of enemies, and a $2 game that turned out to be pretty awesome.