Spawn Kill Favorites: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
The good people at SpawnKill were awesome enough to publish my Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune review up on their website. Go check it out and support them, too! 
Archive for December, 2009
Review: Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom
On January 6, Arcana Comics is publishing an all-ages graphic novel by writer Bruce Brown and artist Renzo Podesta. I can guarantee that Podesta’s work on Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom will blow you away with its inscrutable style, but Brown’s contribution is another matter. You’ll have to head over to OneMetal to see what I mean.
As an architect of a genre once dubbed “weird fiction,” the creative engineer Howard Phillips Lovecraft envisioned a vast bestiary of creatures still highly regarded in pop culture and lore today. But the monster fabled as the Cthulhu earned its place as one of H.P. Lovecraft’s most notable and infamous fictional designs. In a new graphic novel from Arcana’s line comes Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom, an all-ages book that weaves the mythos from the very beginning—spotlighting Howard Lovecraft as a child swept up by a magical world beyond imagination.
Raven Gregory on The Waking
This week’s Impulse Creations article is up a bit early: an interview with Zenescope writer Raven Gregory. In it we discuss his upcoming comic, The Waking—which is a zombie book wrapped in a fresh disguise. It’s really good stuff, and I’m looking forward to reviewing it in February.
Raven Gregory is no stranger to fairy tales, myths, and the realm of horror. His work at Zenescope Entertainment has allowed him to transform classic tales such as Alice in Wonderland and Grimm’s Fairy Tales and redefine countless fable characters in between. Now the writer/creator is putting his zombie survival instincts to the test with a comic series called The Waking. Recently he sat down with us at Impulse Creations to discuss the book and what makes it different from the standard zombie fare.
Impulse Creations: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, Raven, and for giving us an advanced look at February’s The Waking. I can now vouch for its quality—it’s absolutely chilling. But since you’re the writer, why don’t you explain a little bit about the story for our readers? Vic Drujiniu is on board with you as artist. What’s the comic about, and how long will it run?
Raven Gregory: The story follows four detectives, in New York City, investigating two random murders as they begin to discover clues that the victims of these heinous crimes may actually be returning to avenge their own deaths. Now, in a race against time they must discover those responsible for the murders and uncover the supernatural source behind the “wakings.” The series is four issues long and both issue one and two will be in stores in February 2010.
Impulse: One of the things that really sticks out, especially with the first issue, is the narrator. He basically talks to the reader and cautions him/her to pay close attention. Most narration simply describes the scene and what the main characters are thinking. Why take this approach?
Gregory: A lot of it is because whether we see it or not, the story really is told from the perspective of the narrator who is also Vanessa’s partner. He is our everyday man, and while there are many characters in the series, it is really his story. Another big reason is that the issue is laced with clues that will play into the the “who done it” aspect of the story that becomes more and more apparent as the series progresses.
Read the rest here.
Bleepin’ Blips: Never-Ending Fantasy
Another Bleepin’ Blips article is on the front page of RadNerd—and this time it deals with none other than Final Fantasy. But what’s not to like about Final Fantasy, you ask? Just hop on over to RN and find out, and leave a comment under the tree! 
I want to know what you think!
Happy holidays! Drink lots of special eggnog!
Do you suffer from uncontrollable, bleepin’ rage at something in the gaming industry? Have you smashed TVs by flinging controllers, or made your thumbs bleed with all that unrewarded determination and mad skillz you’ve been dishing out? Here at RadNerd, we feel your pain. Literally. This new ongoing feature will channel our anger in a healthy way … we hope.
Fans of the runaway savior, Final Fantasy, know its golden past with fervor and pride. Given life by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original RPG was devised to save Square from what looked like inevitable bankruptcy and doom. But gamers loved the shining NES gem—with its Light Warriors and sleeping elf princes and time conundrums—and the rest is … well, history.
Over the years, Final Fantasy has earned a reputation for more than just stellar graphic innovations and remarkable storytelling: It’s also put on its weight in hours. Each installment seems to bring another clock bursting with minutes that shower down upon gamers in pretty little sparkles, dazzling them with expansive worlds, epic battles, and tear-jerking plotlines. But is it becoming too much? Has the scurrying of feisty Chocobos feet swept dust over that line that begs, “Enough is enough?” Should I make like a Cactuar and flee already?
New Writing Gig and Review
When I said last time that it’s been a busy week, I really wasn’t kidding. Today I resigned from the Girls Entertainment Network, where I’ve been Comics Editor for almost two years. I’ll definitely miss the site and all the wonderful people who gave their endless support, patience, and friendship. If it wasn’t for them and the opportunity they provided, I wouldn’t have grown so much as a writer.
But where one door closes, another opens, as they so often say. I’ve accepted a new position at OneMetal.com, where I’ll mostly be publishing comics-related news, reviews, and the like—but also some video games and movies stuff now and then, too. It’s a very cool site, and the staff has been extremely generous and kind in welcoming me aboard. If you wouldn’t mind taking a minute to leave a comment and pass along the link to my first article, that’d be awesome.
Additionally, you’ll be able to track everything I write for OneMetal on my shiny author page.
The review is of The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity, which comes out in early January from Vertigo. It’s fantastic, folks, so I hope you decide to pick it up (1/6 at your LCS and 1/12 in book stores). It’s only $10, which is even better.
Gifts won’t be the only things exchanged in the final days of 2009. Resolutions are the primary commodity of every new year, and they come and go with whims and that vulnerable platter of cookies your aunt just set out on the kitchen table. Everyone makes game-changing plans, sacrificing the little moments that become lost in the shuffle. This winter, instead of quaking boots and shattering earths, why not sit down with an equally breathtaking graphic novel? Sounds good, right? You bet your red and green-colored socks it is.
DC’s Vertigo division is essentially the dirty closet of the comics world. And while their books won’t make you lift an eyebrow at scandalous art, they will fulfill the expectations of readers looking for comics with a little more substance and mature themes. In comic shops on January 6 (or January 12 for book store browsers), writer Mike Carey and artist Peter Gross’ collaboration, The Unwritten, will arrive in paperback form. The volume binds the first five issues of the series, and before you let out that sigh of disappointment, keep in mind that these issues are particularly meaty. You know, in that wholesome good way.
Buffy’s Karl Moline Talks Willow Magic
Man, it’s been a busy week! Good thing I like this job so much. It does have its perks, after all—like getting to talk with Karl Moline, guest artist on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8: Willow one-shot out today. In the interview, Karl discusses the comic and the There’s Something about Willow issue.
A very special one-shot ships today from Dark Horse—and it’s just in time for the holidays. Avid Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans might not be able to have their favorite witch gift-wrapped under the tree this year, but they can snatch a generous dose of Willow action in today’s comic. Guest artist Karl Moline agreed to sit down and answer some of our pressing questions. Who is that serpent lady on the cover and what does she want with Willow? What’s it like working with Joss Whedon? And most importantly, who’d win in a pillow fight: Spike or Angel? Okay, I made that one up, but Moline does give us the behind-the-scenes skinny on the Willow extravaganza.
GEN: Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to talk shop with us, Karl! Let’s get down to business: the upcoming Willow one-shot. Regular Buffy artist Georges Jeanty is stepping aside for this issue. As co-creator and artist on the Fray-themed comics, what made you turn your focus from the future Vampire Slayer to the series’ number one redhead? How did you become involved with the one-shot?
Karl Moline: Well, while Fray has been my major focus with Dark Horse, I’ve developed a good working relationship with my editors and that has led to a few non-Fray related projects. I had a really good time drawing the Buffy characters, and Willow was probably my favorite of the bunch. I guess the Powers that Be felt I did a good a good job drawing her and thought of me for the one-shot.
GEN: That serpent lady on the cover—Willow has met her before, right? She seems to know a lot about Willow and her powers. How much of a role does she play in this issue?
Moline: We have seen her before, although her appearance was brief and somewhat mysterious. This issue will shed light on her ties to Willow and explain who she is and why we should care. Their history is important to Willow’s magic powers and fans will want to read this to get a clearer picture.
Read more at the Girls Entertainment Network. And while you’re at it, make sure to check out TheNerdyBird‘s chat with Georges Jeanty.
Game Over: Video Games on the Silver Screen
I really heart Spawn Kill. It’s bursting with video game action of every flavor, and it has a team of writers to its name who work hard and help make it such a thriving website and community. So I’m always giddy when they let me submit articles and get away with posting them as features. No, really. They spoil the crap out of me.
My latest read for them entertains the idea of why video game movies suck more often than not, and it mulls over possible causes and how they could be fixed … or at least bandaged to stop the massive bleeding. You get the idea, right? Make my day and check out the article by following this link into the depths of the interwebz (okay, I’m being dramatic, but today’s been an awesome day).
Video game based movies drag around an embarrassing history with a charm akin to a rotting corpse that was left in the sun, and frankly it’s not all that surprising. Some things own too much baggage to survive the transfer from medium to medium without dropping a few key items here and there, and oftentimes what does worm its way through the wreckage resembles a hideous mutant spawn that can barely manage intelligent human speech let alone impress anyone as some lovable lost puppy. Not much else needs to be said: Video game films are practically doomed from the start screen, much to the frustration of hundreds of controller-wielding fans.
But why do video games suffer from such a notorious reputation? Is it a crummy budget, bad casting, or just a bad batch of filmmakers and so-called creative minds? Maybe. But we all know that there’s too many awful video game movies out there to blame it on a handful of random factors. Books seem to revel in the highest adaptation success rate, with comics close behind and gaining speed fast. So is it just the medium? Video games aren’t always known for stellar storytelling, but die-hard fans are eager and willing to take up arms to defend their beloved games that, well … don’t suck.
PS3 Review: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
From childhood to adulthood, Naughty Dog has remained one of my favorite games developers out there. As a PlayStation owner for the majority of my life, it brings me the faintest amount of self-indulgent pleasure that all the alternative console elitists out there (the ones who refuse to pick up a PS3 for reasons other than price or dwindling ports on their television) don’t get to experience the exclusive Uncharted series. The sequel recently took the charts by storm as it featured a multi-player option that only added to the wealth of praise Among Thieves received. As dandy as that is, I took the time to sit down with the first installment before charging toward the latest and greatest.
I like to think of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune as the illegitimate, smart-ass lovechild between Tomb Raider and a Spielberg movie—notably Indiana Jones. Say hello to the hero: Nathan “Nate” Drake, voiced by the lively Nolan North (who voiced last year’s stylish new Prince of Persia and provided some killer Deadpool voice acting in Hulk Vs.). In the hunt for his ancestor, the explorer Sir Francis Drake, joins Elena Fisher, a nosy journalist determined to shake a few vines and nail the story of her career. Even in the midst of gunfire, Elena clings to her camera like its her firstborn child. With the gambling Victor “Sully” Sullivan at his side, Nate tries his best to ditch the in-your-face Elena, but when the search for Drake’s long lost find of El Dorado turns ugly with the arrival of more than a few unwanted guests, she becomes a useful ally with a mean survival instinct buried under all that curiosity.
Cue the entertainment. You won’t always have the support of Elena and Sully to rely upon for spoon-feeding—oftentimes you collect small relics and solve puzzles solo in a way that would make Lara Croft smile at your bug-free endeavors.
The story takes the gold in Uncharted. The plot begins on a tacky, overused note, but it quickly redeems itself. Things do get a bit whacky near the end, instilling you with a Resident Evil-like sense of panic, but the superb voice acting and engaging adventure combined smooth out any rough patches. Even the graphics are perfected—from the water realistic enough to touch to eerie forests, ear-ringing bazookas, and all the highly interactive characters in between. Eyecandy isn’t everything, though; the soundtrack constantly reinvents itself to a commendable degree.
There are some pitfalls scattered about, however. Despite the decent array of weaponry Nate can pick from like candy, a lot of them endure the full length of the game without much love. Ledges can be difficult to spot now and then, but they present no real obstacle to enjoying gameplay; jet-ski trips, on the other hand, lose their appeal once you discover the brainless inability to drive and shoot. Sticky cover morphs into something troublesome in the heat of jungle-themed showdowns. And speaking of those, the initial challenge of facing off against your fellow treasure seekers deflates into monotonous point-and-shoots at several places in the game, which itself runs a bit short.
All problems aside, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune marks a smart and entertaining ride through unknown, gold-rich territory. The adventure might resort to the typical happy ending, but the journey in between comes riddled with surprises, bullet showers, and enough charm to sink a U-boat.
Thanks to commenter Matt for the mock box art tip:
