New column: STILL/MOVEMENT

by Mike Hansen

I’ve got a new column over at The Geekiary called STILL/MOVEMENT. I’ll be posting a lot over there from now on. Hope you like it.

I accepted the invitation to join the Geekiary team because the site has a great group of people and is incredibly well-managed by site owner Angel. The site’s massive audience doesn’t hurt, either.

I’m not giving up on All Day Comics: I’ll keep this site open for other stuff. But expect much more regular posts over at the Geekiary. Hope you follow me over there and check it out.

 

Sakura Con 2014 Cosplay, Under the Sun

I dropped by this year’s great Sakura Con for a few hours.

Held in Seattle, Sakura Con remains the largest gathering for anime and manga enthusiasts in the Northwest US. There was plenty of additional action behind the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.

The timing was good; the rain of the past few days finally stopped. And the day was Easter Sunday, adding to the festive nature and smiling faces of those present. Some cheered, others danced and played games.

Most of those present were wonderful people in colorful costumes, in tribute to various anime and manga programs and games (and distantly related science fiction and fantasy).

Here are some favorites among them…

Cosplay Fun at Emerald City Comic Con 2014

It’s been a few weeks.

I have fond memories of Seattle’s great Emerald City Comic Con. Many of them are best summed up by the following pics of con attendees, representing as best one could; by those dressed up in colorful costumes, often as characters familiar to the surrounding fandom.

Let us say hello to a few of our friends…

(IMAGE HEAVY POST)

ADC Comic of the Day: AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE

by Orion Tippens

Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Artists: Francesco Francavilla, Jack Morelli
Publisher: Archie Comics Publications
Start release: 2013 – ongoing
Frequency: monthly, ongoing

Synopsis:

Jughead is hungry…for human flesh?!

Yes. Afterlife with Archie is set in an alternate, less cartoonish continuity of popular Archie comics, where the small town of Riverdale is overrun with a horrific zombie epidemic; after local teenage witch Sabrina casts a necromancy spell in an attempt to revive Jughead’s dog, with unintended consequences. Living death spreads throughout Riverdale, sending America’s favorite teenager, Archie, and his non-infected friends fleeing for their lives. Their youthful life of milkshakes and sock hops is now a post-apocalyptic nightmare.

Thoughts:

Who would have thought that Archie Comics could be a source for modern horror, suspense, and drama? Yet here we are – and the result is terrifying, brilliant, and fun.

As a fan of horror and comics, I was hooked from the opening page. Not so much for the tired gimmick of zombies; but the attention to what makes the best of this sub-genre wonderful: the stage environment and the players present. We have suspense and supernatural horror mixed with casual social commentary. When done well, any overplayed genre can be made fresh and enjoyable.

Plus, I love the biting and screaming.

The

POLARIS watched 300: Rise of an Empire

300:  Rise of an Empire….and blood….lots of blood….

“Blah, blah, blah, blah FREEEEDOOOOOMMMMM!!!”

So it’s finally happened.  For years now we’ve been hearing about how there was going to be a sequel to the surprise hit 300.  Which, of course, begged the question of what was left to tell.  We already got the Battle of Thermopylae in all its gory glory and the very last shot is that of the Battle of Plataea which finished off the Persian invasion once and for all.  For this installment we get what was more or less going on at the same time, but on the water elsewhere.  And it is GLORIOUS.  This movie easily falls into the category of “historical fiction,” and fiction it is – because while they do hit the major points of what was going on, they take some generous liberties for the sake of streamlining the story and making an entertaining film.  Not that I’m complaining.  I actually really enjoyed the movie, and while it’s not as game-changing as the first one was, it was a worthy successor.

“I am a God-King! You’d better believe it’s this big!”

First of all, if you enjoyed 300, you’ll enjoy this film.  If you hated it, you’ll probably hate this film for much the same reason.  It’s clear that the filmmakers looked at what was most loved about the original and said, “more, more, more!”  Innovative camera shots, color schemes and lighting…More!  Slow-mo action sequences so as to not miss a single frame of swords slashing through flesh and blood…More!  A man buffet of six-pack abs…More!  Gushing

Comic of the Day REVIEW: Doctor Who Special 2013 #1

(Another winning write-up by Orion, folks! Do the Doctor Who comics live up to the TV show’s greatness? Does the story’s young-female Doctor Companion function as a Mary Sue for a middle-aged British writer? Are comics readers and DW fans ALL Special Snowflakes? Read on, and find out…)

by Orion Tippens

ADC Comic of the Day: Doctor Who Special 2013 #1

Writer: Paul Cornell

Pencils: Johnny Broxton

Published by: IDW Publishing

Released: Dec. 2013

Notes: One-shot, self-contained story

STORY:

The Doctor meets…Doctor Who?!

After a mishap send the TARDIS astray, our favorite Time Lord stumbles upon a world most familiar to us readers.

This is our real world, or as the Doctor puts it; a world of “anti-fiction,” “non-fiction,” and “un-fiction.” Here, all of the exciting moments in the Doctor’s life are passed off through stories, through a fictional TV show called “Doctor Who” staged with special effects. “Doctor Who” is well-received by its huge fandom base, very popular at geek conventions, and a growing oncoming merchandising storm.

The Doctor is

Comic of the Day: Shifter

Comics of the Day Review:

Shifter: Interactive Graphic Novel (for mobile devices, IOS version)

by Orion Tippens

Writer: Brian Haberlin and Brian Holguin

Pencils: Brian Haberlin, Geirrod VanDyke, Kunrons Yap, Chan Hyuk Lee

Letter: Francis Takenaga

Published by: Anomoly Productions

Date released: Jan 23, 2014

Pages: 875 panels of art, appendix text (book is 224 pages)

Rated: 12+

Notes: Also in print as a graphic novel with augmented reality options.

The UAR app for Shifter is a separate app and not a subject for this review. The app reviewed is currently the iOS version (Version 1.0) read on my iPad 2

The following review contains mild spoilers, and focuses on the story and app viewing technology.

Story:

Shifter is set on an ultra-modern-day planet Earth (after a mysterious prologue, that occurs six months later): we meet Noah Freeman, an everyman centered on his job of drone-controlled environmental data collection. All seems well with his secure job and upcoming engagement, until a casual hiking trip goes very wrong; Noah is thrown down a waterfall by a duo of sinister mystery men, and survives only to stumble upon a portal leading into some strange, other-dimensional plane of existence.

Here, Noah finds himself conversing with a sentient, spherical device. With that, he discovers a power within his surroundings to travel back to select times and places, but only through a choice of collected creatures and persons. Many specimens are extinct, and are of different sizes and personalities. One is human – a female Celtic warrior – with whom he develops a friendship. As a possessor of each specimen, he also shares its experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Such new explorations are exciting for Noah, but he seeks out a way to revisit to his old life. But he discovers himself wanted for murder – and a grand conspiracy behind it all. Now, he must use these new powers to set his original life right…

Comic(s) of the Day: Injustice-Gods Among Us v2 #1-3

by Orion Tippens, ADC

Comics of the Day Review:

Injustice: Gods Among Us volume 2, #1-3 (single digital issues)

Writer: Tom Taylor

Pencils: Bruno Redondo

Inks: Julien Hugonard-Bert

Published by: DC Comics

Note: The single digital issues of Injustice are later collected and released in print.

Story:

Set in an alternate DC universe and based on a videogame (as a prequel, so far), Injustice: Gods Among Us brings us a familiar continuity gone horribly wrong.

Spoilers ahead:

These issues continue a long story from Injustice Gods: Among Us volume 1, in which Superman is now a megalomaniacal psychopath with murderous tendencies, much later after the death of his wife and unborn child. He declares himself sovereign of Earth and drug dealer of special performance enhancers – all for the making of his “better world.” Meanwhile, Batman is recovering from bad injuries, remains in hiding while building his own insurgency to this super-regime. Also, cosmic forces are showing an increasing interest in this developing situation.

Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of this series, my favorite guilty pleasure in mainstream comics: not so much for the videogame tie-in but for the creative writing and freedom involved. The writer from the very beginning took this control, and the destinies of our familiar DC universe cast, and ran away with it all. Injustice is

Tolkien expert POLARIS is back with her look at THE HOBBIT 2!

The Hobbit….Take 2 or 2.0

“Wait a minute, I don’t remember this scene in the book…”

Another year, and another Hobbit movie has come to remind us why we love Middle Earth so damn much.  Which is great, because this is one hell of a fun ride and The Two Towers it is not.  I am at times torn over what to think of the film.  And while ultimately I will need to see the third installment to decide my final opinion of this film, that doesn’t mean that I’m about to let this one sit by the wayside and not review it until the third one comes out next year.  For me there’s a lot to love, a little to wonder about, and just a smidge that makes me sit back and go, “really?”  So on with the show.

See this movie….on a giant screen…IMAX if you can.  As with the other 4 movies, the shots are breathtaking, the scenery gorgeous, and Peter Jackson’s attention to detail unreal.  I’ve always enjoyed how he doesn’t just show you New Zealand in all its glory masquerading as Middle Earth.  He shows it in such a way that you could really believe that you were watching this take place in some otherworldly realm.  The surroundings are such a part of the story and fit so well that at times it’s very hard to believe that CG didn’t create the wondrous landscapes displayed before us.  The setting is as much a part of the stories as the actors and it is something that deserves to be watched on the biggest screen possible.

“Is it my turn to talk yet?” “NOT YET, BIFUR.”

The actors very much continue to inhabit their characters rather that just perform them on screen, but as with the first one, with a cast so large there are those that get shortchanged, more so for the dwarves in this one that the last one (which is saying something).  Little more than half of them seem to speak more than one sentence, and the bulk of the dwarf screen time appears to be split between Thorin, Kili, Balin, and Dwalin, with just a sprinkling of Fili and Bofur.  Oin gets a bit of a promotion in that he actually gets something to do this time around, but as it was I’d had to look up which one he was once I got home because I don’t recall his name being mentioned at any time.  The others are relegated to once again having single lines, background group speaking, and generally crazy hairstyles in a vain attempt to keep them memorable as they do little more than fill a space in the company.  It’s a difficult conundrum when dealing with thirteen dwarfs who even in the book only had a couple standout members, though Peter Jackson does try to remedy this somewhat with some changes to the story (more on that bit later). Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen continue their awesome streak, and Richard Armitage gives great depth to Thorin Oakenshield as we see his character go from semi-brooding dick to caring leader to greedy asshole.  It’s great seeing Orlando Bloom crop up as Legolas once more (who at this point if I see him in a movie in normal clothes it just seems wrong), and the inclusion of Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Thranduil’s Captain of the Guard, makes for some fun fight scenes and some….interesting twists (again, more on that bit later).

“KHAAAAAAAAN!”

Then there’s Benedict Cumberbatch.  Holy fuck.  The more I see this guy the more I fucking love him.  Giving voice to both Smaug and The Necromancer, he brings those characters frighteningly to life just as Andy Serkis did with Gollum.  He’s actually managed to gain entry into that rare group of actors for which if they’re in a movie, even if it looks terrible, I will watch it at least once because I’m willing to bet that even if the movie sucks balls said actor will not, making it worth a watch.  He’s a talent to behold, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.  But “what of the story?” you may ask, well…

ADC Comic(s) of the Day: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29-30

Orion Tippens

All Day Comics

Comics of the Day Review:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #29-30

Writer: Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz

Pencils: Kevin Eastman and Ross Campbell

Published by: IDW Publishing

Notes: Current single monthly issues of an ongoing series, a separate re-imagined continuity to the more widely known TV series and movies.

Story:

In the countryside of Northampton, Massachusetts, our Ninja Turtles and their master Splinter find themselves in desperate need of recovery, both physically and emotionally, after a difficult battle with their nemesis the Shredder. Helping them along are their human friends, Casey Jones and April O’Neill – who provides shelter in her parents’ farmhouse.

The Turtles engage in the simple life, and must bond once again as brothers. However, complications happen with Leonardo’s developing PTSD, resulting from brainwashing by the Shredder. Add an unwelcome stowaway: Alopex, a mutant fox and former ally to the Foot Clan. Meanwhile, April uncovers her own family secrets, adding to and expanding the Turtles’ origin. And a mystical connection develops through Tang Shen, the spirit mother to our Turtles. All may never be the same again for our Heroes in a Half Shell.

My thoughts:

I engaged in reading the latest issues after admiring the magnificent covers, and connecting back to my childhood nostalgia. I had yet to read the previous issues, but I’d heard good reviews of the overall run. This fresh arc also seemed like a good jumping-on point. Also, the synopsis was