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 […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Steven T. Seagle Artist: Teddy Kristiansen Publisher: First Second Release July 2013 Website: www.firstsecondbooks.com What if you were a genius? Having your intelligence far beyond any of your family or peers? Passing grades up by leaps and bounds like it’s a walk in the park? A big fish in a minuet pond? That’s […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Written by: James Asmus Art by: Tom Fowler Published by: Valiant Entertainment (www.valiantcomics.com) They are billed as the world’s worst superhero team. That’s a tough act to follow. In the 90’s, Quantum and Woody were in a league all their own. With the humor, the amazing characterization, the goat: it was one of the […]
Review by Christopher Guzman-Pastrami Nation Writer: Joe Casey Artist: David Messina Publisher: Image Comics (www.imagecomics.com) Joe Casey and David Messina dig deep in the third issue of their new series, The Bounce. The story takes off at an, umm, awkward ending of issue two where Jasper and Terry catch each other with their pants down. Well not exactly, well one […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Joe Casey Artists: Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury, Ulises Farinas Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Release July 2013 Website: www.darkhorse.com Back in the 90’s, there was an imprint called Comics’ Greatest World, and it bolstered quite an impressive line up. X, Ghost, Titan, Agents of Change: there was a plethora of heroes surviving in a […]
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer and Artist: Nobuhiro Watsuki Publisher: Shonen Jump/ VIZ Media Release June 2013 Website: www.viz.com The Rurouni Kenshin franchise has been around for some time now. Fans of anime and manga know the tales of the legendary Battosai the Man Slayer, set in the Meiji Era in feudal Japan. If you don’t, or if […]
By Nolan P. Smith Pastrami Nation (Victorville)— Wolverine is one of Marvel Comics most beloved franchises, shining brighter than any of his X-Men teammates. The old Canucklehead has been a part of all of the X-Men films, including his own spin-off, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was luke-warm at best. In 2013, the weight of the X-films falls once again on […]
By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Pacific Rim has been a movie on my radar since it was first announced. Monsters fighting massive, man made robots with glorious amounts of destruction to be had: it seemed like the ultimate action flick. Of course, those purveyors of negative press across the globe had plenty to say about Pacific Rim before it’s release, […]