Review by Jason T. Smith Written by Paul Allor Art by Ross Campbell Cover by David Petersen Published by: IDW Publishing Looking for a good comic to read? Are you a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? How bout dinosaurs? If you’ve read this article up to this point then I’ll take that as a yes. With that being said […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith (Victorville)— In 2011, we were given Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which I felt was a hug misstep for the franchise. As the build up for Transformers: Age of Extinction built, the word going around is that this would be a new start, a step away from what made the previous film fall short. Did […]
By Nolan P. Smith (Victor Valley)— The story of sleeping beauty is one everyone knows: the cursed slumber, the evil witch, true loves first kiss. Well, this is a totally different take on the classic tale, as we see what really happened to a fairy named Maleficent. Does this film spread its wings and become another Disney classic? I find […]
By Nolan P. Smith (Victor Valley)— The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs. With the first film, the world was introduced to Marvel Comic’s merry mutants, and the second one retained the momentum. Then came “X-Men: The Last Stand”, which seemingly buried the franchise with one film. With 2011’s “X-Men: First Class”, we got a new, younger cast […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Victorville, CA)– “I hate sequels.” That is what I always hear from friends, acquaintances and random strangers. But why? Sequels have the opportunity to ramp up the quality since the first film. They can learn and adapt from mistakes and build off of the character development set forth in the initial film. So, with […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Victorville, CA)– He is known far and away as the King of the Monsters. It is a title he has held onto since he crashed on the scene back in 1953. A heroic monster who took on all competition, defending humanity from threat after threat. But now, time might be his toughest enemy yet: […]
Developer: Crystal Dynamics Publisher: Square Enix Platform: X-Box One, PlayStation 4 Review by Nolan P. Smith (Victorville, CA)— In March 2013, Square Enix released the relaunch of their Tomb Raider franchise, and it was met with great reception. But with the next generation of consoles upon us, Square Enix decided to release a Definite Edition of the game for the […]
Developer: Double Helix Games, Rare LTD Publisher: Microsoft Studios Platform: X-Box One Review by Jason T. Smith (Victorville, CA)— Anyone who is a fan of fighting games knows the name of Killer Instinct. A classic game for the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, the game was a hit back when arcades were all the rage. When the X-Box One launched, […]
By Jason T. Smith Developer: TT Games Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Systems: X-Box One, PlayStation 4, X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS (Victor Valley)— Legos, the building blocks of creativity. Many of us played with them when we were kids, building creations that weren’t on any instructions, but rather straight from our […]
By Jason T. Smith Developer: WayForward Technologies Publisher: Capcom Systems: X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC (Victorville)—“Life is like a hurricane,” many of us remember the familiar show tune line from the animated series DuckTales, which ran from 1987-1990 on the Disney Afternoon programming block. In the midst of the animated series, a game was released for the NES, […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith (Victorville)—This time of the year is usually pretty slow in regards to films being released on the big screen. This three-month window, from January to March, is usually a bit sluggish, with no real blockbusters gracing the screen. Well, The Lego Movie has gone against that notion, and shows why it is truly a blockbuster. […]
Developer: Infinity Ward Publisher: Activision Platform: X-Box One, X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Windows Review by Nolan P. Smith (Victorville, CA)—The Call of Duty franchise has become a franchise in the video game industry. Every year, gamers across the globe clamor for the latest installment, whether they are single player fans or multiplayer warriors. Call of […]
By Jason R. Smith- Pastrami Nation Developer: Crytek Publisher: Microsoft Studios Platform: X-Box One (Victorville, CA)—When Microsoft released their next gen system, the X-Box One, late in 2013, they released games that could show off the power of their new system. One of those games was Ryse-Son of Rome. A game that captured our attention since it was first announced, […]
Review by Jason R. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Tim Siedel Artist: Gabriel Guzman Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Released: December 2013 Website: www.darkhorse.com The first issue to Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows takes place a few months before and a few months after the events we know as Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith. It is a story […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Apple Valley)— The legend of the 47 ronin is well known across the globe, as a group of masterless samurais went on a journey to avenge their fallen master and restore honor to their names. The film 47 Ronin is loosely based on this story of honor, but does it live up to the […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Apple Valley)— Ever wonder what it would be like to walk among the dinosaurs? To be face to face with the prehistoric beasts that wandered the Earth all those years ago? That’s the hook for Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, but does stand tall? Or should it have remained in the past? The CGI animated […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Apple Valley)— The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a runaway hit, leaving fans wanting more from J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe. So when it was announced that Peter Jackson, the director behind the Lord of the Rings films, would be making two films based on the Tolkien prequel, The Hobbit, fans were ecstatic. Then, when […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Apple Valley)—Walt Disney Animation Studios have produced some of the most memorable fairy tale based animated films of all time. The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid: the list goes on and on. Now, in 2013, Disney brings another fairy tale to life with Frozen; does it warm the heart or […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Victorville)—We knew the console wars were going to be tough. Both the PS4 and the X-Box One released in the same month, both with massive marketing campaigns and both boasting that they are the future. Well, both systems are now available, and I was able to get a Day One edition of the X-Box […]
By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation (Hesperia)—Superheroes are all the rage in films these days; from Marvel to DC, to Dark Horse and more. With this year alone, we saw the release of Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, Kick-Ass, and more. Marvel Studios is back with another sequel, with one of the Avenger’s big three, Thor, at the forefront. Thor: […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writers: Jonathan Hickman and Mike Costa Artist: Di Amorim Publisher: Avatar Press Released: September 2013 Website: www.avatarpress.com FOR MATURE READERS God is dead. That is a pretty shocking title, right? I didn’t quite know what to expect from this book: the cover was very secretive (at least the one I got): very iconic, with […]
Review By Christopher Guzman- Pastrami Nation Writer: Victor Gischler Artist : Juan Ferreyra Publisher: Dark Horse Comics- www.darkhorse.com Vampires, Werewolves and Demons: oh my! Oh my indeed, Nation! Believe it or not, we read a lot of comics, and once in a while comes along a series that hits you like a bus. Kiss Me Satan is definitely a bus […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: J. W. Rinzler Artist: Mike Mayhew Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Released: September 2013 Website: www.darkhorse.com It is one of, if not the biggest, franchises in the entertainment industry: Star Wars. We know the movies, we love the characters, we know the lines from the films and love the ride at Disneyland. There are […]
By Christopher Guzman- Pastrami Nation Created by : Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge Writer: Mathew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon Artist : Breno Tamura, Gus Storms Guest Illustrators: Tyler Crook, Toby Cypress and David Murdock Publisher: Black Mask Studio in association with Soul Temple Entertainment Black Mask and Soul Temples gangster horror story 12 Reasons is gangster, homie, and I do […]
By: Christopher Guzman-Pastrami Nation Joe Casey and David Messina are all over the place in the fourth book of their new series The Bounce. When I say all over the place please understand that it is in a good way. Arguably the best, most in depth issue yet. This issue has everything: not only do we get to see an […]
Review by Frank Guzman III and Christopher Guzman-Pastrami Nation Writers: Art Baltazar, Franco Artist: Art Baltazar Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Website: www.darkhorse.com The fight between good and evil continues as the BPRD ( Bureau for Paranormal Research Defense) fights for justice and the biggest cardboard box you can find. Art Baltazar and Franco, known for “Superman Family Adventures “ bring […]
By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation (Victorville)— In 2010, a superhero movie unlike any other made it’s way to theaters. Super powers? None. Tragic hero origin? Not here. Over the top violence? Plenty. The movie was Kick Ass, a relatively low budget film about normal, powerless people becoming super heroes, and it was a hit. Three years later, we get the […]
Review by Christopher Guzman- Pastrami Nation By: Brian Reed and Marco Castiello Publisher: Dark Horse Comics- www.darkhorse.com Thoom! The inaugural issue of Dark Horse Comics Halo: Initiation is here and it hit like arty down range. There are always two sides to every impact: those sending the fire and where it lands with those receiving it. This issue takes place […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Paul Pope Artist: Paul Pope Publisher: First Second Released: July 2013 Website: www.firstsecondbooks.com Gather around, everyone, and let me tell you about the last time our hero was seen. Let me tell you about a story 100 issues in the making. Let me tell you about the Death of Haggard West. Now, […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Adam Egypt Mortimer Artist: Darick Robertson Publisher: Black Mask Studios Released: July 2013 Website: http://blackmaskstudios.com FOR MATURE READERS A demon infested future with winged cars, talking guns, cloned human meat on the menu, and drugged out people doing eight balls of Syphilis: sound crazy enough for you? Welcome to a crazy little comic […]