What Is Techno Again?

Review: Biomega Vol. 1

I enjoy manga/anime more than I like to admit, that’s for sure, and Biomega currently tops my Japan-themed list. Okay, I’m also a sucker for science fiction … and horror … and pretty pictures, although there are some gritty ones in this  volume.

Tsutomu Nihei concocts a mind-bending new sci-fi horror that envisions humanity’s desperate future. In the hands of new wave idealists, a bleak outer space virus slashes through Earth’s landscape and corrupts healthy human beings, mutating them into zombie-like “drones” that meander hungrily and follow an unspoken code. Biomega propels readers into a dark age full of government conspiracy and media-driven health crises, and the further we explore, the more terrifyingly real and all too possible the world becomes.

Read the whole review at OneMetal.

Tags: Biomega, Manga, OneMetal, Tsutomu Nihei, Viz Media, Week of 3/8/10
Posted in Comics, OneMetal, Writing | No Comments »

Review: Witchblade #135

Another issue of Witchblade hit stands recently, but is it worth the cover price? Find out at OneMetal.

New York City police detective Sara Pezzini trades quips and counters blows with the green-haired Cyberdata fightin’ bot named Aphrodite IV. Top Cow’s latest Witchblade issue crashes the corporation’s party wide open, unveiling a familial welcoming crew. Unfortunately, the creators forgot to tidy up before the readers arrived.

Tags: OneMetal, Ron Marz, Stjepan Sejic, Top Cow, Week of 3/8/10, Witchblade
Posted in Comics, OneMetal, Writing | No Comments »

Marvel Meltdown: March ’10

The Twelve: Spearhead, X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #2, and Hulk: Let the Battle Begin comprise this month’s Marvel Meltdown docket at Impulse Creations. Check out previews for three of this Wednesday’s comics!

“Spearhead defies the aging, yellow color now often associated with WWII nonfiction and freshly portrays the tumultuous historical era through the eyes of a costumed reporter who walks unsteadily beside super-powered avengers.” - The Twelve: Spearhead

“Pixie Strikes Back #2 packs a delightful charm that glides past any age restrictions … despite whose invited to the “dazzling,” popular party.” - X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back #2

“‘Let the Battle Begin’ … succeeds as a superficial but highly entertaining short narrative.” - Hulk: Let the Battle Begin

Tags: Hulk, Impulse Creations, Let the Battle Begin, Marvel Meltdown, Pixie Strikes Back, Spearhead, The Twelve, Week of 3/1/10, X-Men
Posted in Comics, Impulse Creations, Writing | No Comments »

Shattered Memories: A Eulogy

Okay, this apparently went live Tuesday on the front page of Kombo.com, but I was too distracted by my recently defunct computer to notice. Anyway, I hope you take a moment to hop over to Kombo and check out my first guest article for them!

Over the years, my obsession for the Silent Hill games has nestled into my life like an infection. Akira Yamaoka’s music, which balances so beautifully against Mary Elizabeth McGlynn’s and Joe Romersa’s haunting vocals, effortlessly spreads its tendrils under my flesh. The gritty visuals poison my veins, the nightmarish town rots my bones, the psychological illusions deceive my brain, and the lingering terror grips my soul in my sleeping hours. Despite its deathly visage, I can’t help but experience a sort of inexplicable, Gothic fascination for the series whose stories have always rattled me. But when the recent Shattered Memories caused my dry throat to constrict and my eyes to wet, I knew the usual horrors weren’t culpable.

Tags: Climax Group, Kombo, Konami, Shattered Memories, Silent Hill, Week of 3/1/10
Posted in Features, Gaming, Kombo, Writing | No Comments »

The Crazies

Want to plunk down the cash for a good movie this weekend? The Crazies won’t steer you wrong. Just, uh … don’t drink the water. Check out the review at OneMetal.com.

Breck Eisner’s name occupies only a handful of film credits and claims even fewer directorial spots. The Crazies, a remake of the George Romero 1973 original, accelerates the rookie filmmaker into a potentially household name.

Welcome to Ogden March, where the Iowan fields reap plenty and infected water turns the kindly townsfolk into violent psychopaths who like to hum a creepy tune. Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell), escape government quarantine and regroup with Deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) and the teenage Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker). They fend off “crazies” and elude gas mask-donning soldiers while piecing together the rampant disease’s origins and nailing down an escape route. But not everyone ducks the infection … or the accompanying paranoia.

Tags: Breck Eisner, Danielle Panabaker, George Romero, Joe Anderson, OneMetal, Overture Films, Radha Mitchell, The Crazies, Timothy Olyphant, Week of 3/1/10
Posted in Movies/TV, OneMetal, Reviews, Writing | No Comments »

Lords of Shadow Dominates New Territory

Eager about the upcoming Castlevania game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360? I am, and you can pronounce your love by checking out these new screens and a quickie debate about Lords of Shadow’s direction over at OneMetal.

Are you prepared to whip and magically cast Dracula across vast stretches of, well, 3D expanse? The new screenshots and artwork batch uploaded today suggests a bigger, denser world for gamers to explore. But can the developers and the assisting Kojima Productions rework the aging series into a hot-blooded successor?

Tags: Castlevania, Kojima Productions, Konami, Lords of Shadow, OneMetal, PlayStation 3, Week of 3/1/10, Xbox 360
Posted in Gaming, OneMetal, Writing | No Comments »

Review: Ghost Projekt #1

March 10’s Ghost Projekt #1 (Joe Harris, Steve Rolston, Dean Trippe) from Oni Press is a satisfying treat of ghastly proportions. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out my review new on OneMetal’s front page:

Need to brush up on your Russian? A little rusty on your ghost legends? Next Wednesday, Oni Press generates a propitious wave of paranormal and nationalistic storytelling that targets our modern sensibilities and evokes a few, well, ghosts of the past.

Irrelevant to ghosts and Russians, I want to invite you (my readers) to spill your thoughts on this blog. Is there something you like, related to content or otherwise? Are you sick of looking at something? Maybe you just want to express your love for this little blog, or pitch suggestions on how you think it could be better. Either way, I’m all ears! Let me know either via the comments or email (wita.onemetal@gmail.com). I greatly appreciate any feedback!

Tags: Dean Trippe, Ghost Projekt, Joe Harris, OneMetal, Oni Press, Steve Rolston, Week of 3/1/10
Posted in Comics, OneMetal, Writing | No Comments »

Exploring Underground: Interview with Steve Lieber

Another interview touches down upon the Impulse Creations forums today, and this time I converse with artist Steve Lieber (Whiteout, Gotham Central) and briefly with writer Jeff Parker (Agents of Atlas, Fall of the Hulks) about their collaboration, Underground (Image Comics). If you’re interested in peeling back the pages, head over to Impulse now. Here’s a sneak peek just in case:

Steve Lieber and Jeff Parker’s Underground from Image Comics concludes next week. If you’re not on board with the environmental adventure that takes a dangerous turn, then dive in and enjoy. Series artist Lieber agreed to answer some of our questions about the comic that’s off-the-cave-wall exciting, and writer Jeff Parker jumps in, as well.

Impulse Creations: Thanks for sitting down with us, Steve, and agreeing to talk about your work on Underground! Can you tell us a little about the comic?

Steve Lieber: Underground is a comic about a fight over a big cave in a small town. Our heroes, Wes Fischer [Ed. note: the female lead] and Seth Ridge, are two Park Rangers in Kentucky. They come into conflict with some locals over what to do with the cave: preserve it for the naturalists or open it up for the tourists. Misunderstandings quickly escalate into violence, and the result is a deadly chase through the cave.

Tags: Image Comics, Impulse Creations, Interviews, Jeff Parker, Steve Lieber, Underground, Week of 2/22/10
Posted in Comics, Impulse Creations, Writing | No Comments »

Interview: Fraggle Rocking with Comic Writer Heather White

If you’re a Fraggle fan like Heather White, you’ll probably enjoy this interview I conducted with her regarding the upcoming Fraggle Rock comic series from Archaia. It’s full of good stuff, including her all-time favorite Fraggle. Check it out over at RadNerd!

Muppets and rock. Whoever conceived that match (Jim Henson) certainly knocked some socks off, and now Archaia Comics has adopted the one-two Talking Puppets punch.

I sat down with writer Heather White, who enthusiastically answered my pressing questions about translating the musical television show to the page. As we chat about the comic itself, Heather touches upon the Henson Company, gives the book’s other collaborators their dues, and discusses what Fraggle familiars and n00bs alike can generally expect from this all-ages medley. You might find that the switch from show to comic is a little more sensible than you might presume.

Tags: Archaia, Fraggle Rock, Heather White, Interviews, RadNerd, Week of 2/22/10
Posted in Comics, RadNerd, Writing | No Comments »

Review: Robot13 #3

Need another good comic recommendation? Check out Robot13, Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford’s quietly flourishing creation. If you like mythological stories, or just skeleton robot guardian thingies that look ridiculously awesome, then you’ll probably enjoy the indie book.

Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford’s singular Robot13 caps Book One with an earth-shaking finish that’s bound to pique your attention. Floating on the same wavelength as Hellboy, Robot13 trades the paranormal for the mythological and shapes it refreshingly well.

The comic fixates on a mechanical amnesiac investigating his own mysterious origins. For those unfamiliar with the fascinating yet surprisingly uncomplicated indie hit, its hero—a unique cross between robot, futuristic spaceman, and ancient skeleton warrior—reawakened and rose from underwater depths, saving innocent fishermen from monstrous, tentacled peril. Although the sea-faring crew expressed their infinite gratitude and even offered him a place on their boat, the lonely Robot13 yearned for something else: to return to his creator, the “Doctor” (and no, he isn’t British and doesn’t wield a sonic screwdriver).

Read the rest here.

Tags: Blacklist Studios, Daniel Bradford, OneMetal, Robot13, Thomas Hall, Week of 2/22/10
Posted in Comics, OneMetal, Writing | No Comments »