June 18, 2013

Graphic Novel Review: God Hates Astronauts-The Completely Complete Edition

Review by Nolan P. Smith Publisher: Self-Published Release May 2013 Website: http://www.godhatesastronauts.com/ You might notice that there is a publisher missing above: well, that’s because this amazing hardcover collection of God Hates Astronauts: The Completely Complete Edition, is self-published by the writer/artist/creator Ryan Browne (his work on Image Comic’s Bedlam is pretty amazing). Though the website Kickstarter, Browne collected his […]

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June 18, 2013

Pastrami Flick Review: Man of Steel

By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation You’ll believe a man can fly: that was the tagline to the now classic 1978 Superman film starring the late, great Christopher Reeve. Bringing the iconic DC Comics character to life is no easy feat, as the weight of the DC Universe’s cinematic fate rests on his cape. The 2006 Superman Returns tried to capture […]

Nolan Smith Comics 0 2 min read
June 9, 2013

Pastrami Comic Review: Occupy Comics

Writer: Various Artists: Various Publisher: Black Mask Studios Remember when the whole “Occupy Wall Street” stuff was all plastered across the television? The 99% against the 1%? I’m not big on politics, but I remember the argument, I remember what both sides were saying. So, now let’s take a literary and visual look at the situation through the Occupy Comics […]

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June 6, 2013

Pastrami Flick Review: The Hangover Part III

By Nolan P. Smith (Victorville)—It was one of the funniest movies in recent memory: The Hangover was a hit, no doubt about it. Then, with the anticipation for the sequel reaching an all time high, the series failed to deliver. Instead of everything we loved in the first film, we got pretty much the same film, but much darker, and […]

Nolan Smith Movies 0 1 min read
June 6, 2013

Pastrami Flick Review: Fast & Furious 6

By Nolan P. Smith (Victorville)—Fast cars, fast action, furious explosions; these are all aspects we have come to love about the Fast & Furious series. What started in 2009 as a pretty cool flick with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and some amazing cars has now become a full-fledged film franchise. With this being the sixth film in the series, does […]

Nolan Smith Movies 1 1 min read
May 20, 2013

Pastrami Flick Review: Star Trek-Into Darkness

By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation (Victorville) To boldly go where no one has gone before: that is tagline that everyone remembers. Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry, has stood the test of the time, with plenty of memorable moments, both on television and on the small screen. In 2009, the Star Trek brand was reimagined for a new generation, with […]

Nolan Smith Movies 0 1 min read
May 19, 2013

Pastrami Comic Review: Cyborg 009 Chapter 000

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Fans of anime and manga know all too well what Cyborg 009 is. Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, Cyborg 009 has been a manga, and anime, and a pop culture icon since it’s inception in 1964. This year, the property is becoming a comic book, straight from Archaia Entertainment. Now, when I say comic, I […]

Nolan Smith Art 0 1 min read
May 5, 2013

Pastrami Film Review: Iron Man 3

By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation When we last saw the armored Avenger, Iron Man, he was fighting side by side with the likes of Captain America, Thor and the Hulk as they fended off aliens and a god. That was what cemented the new cinematic Marvel Universe as a household name. With Phase 2 comes sequels’, starting off with the […]

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April 10, 2013

Pastrami Flick Review: G.I. Joe-Retaliation

By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation (Hesperia) In 2009, a childhood property came steamrolling onto the movie scene, and many of us had high hopes for the return of G.I. Joe. Unfortunately, the film had only a few bright spots, not enough to redeem what many saw as a train wreck. A sequel was green lit, G.I. Joe- Retaliation, at it […]

Nolan Smith Movies 0 1 min read
March 19, 2013

Pastrami Comic Review: Saga #11

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Brian K. Vaughn Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Image Comics FOR MATURE READERS In case you haven’t jumped aboard yet (why wouldn’t you???), Saga is Image Comic’s space faring epic about a forbidden love that springs forth a new life, and all the craziness in between. In the last issue, it ended on a […]

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March 12, 2013

Comic Book Review: Five Weapons #1

Written by Jimmie Robinson Art by Jimmie Robinson Published by: Image Comics Website: www.imagecomics.com By Nolan Patrick Smith High school can be tough enough on a teen. Those awkward years that go in to trying to obtain that almighty diploma and get the heck out as soon as possible are years we all remember, and maybe shutter at. But what […]

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February 26, 2013

Video Game Review: DMC Devil May Cry

Review by: Nolan P. Smith Developers: Ninja Theory Publisher: Capcom Genre: Action Rating: M for Mature In 2001, the gaming world was introduced to a game that literally bursts with style: Devil May Cry. The adventures of the red clad demon hunter Dante wowed fans for four games, but by the forth game the formula had become a bit tiresome. […]

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February 21, 2013

Comic Book Review- Saga #10 -Come Together

Review by Nolan P. Smith Writer: Brian K. Vaughn Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Image Comics Website: www.imagecomics.com As the poet Robert Frost once said, “nothing gold can stay.” A truer statement couldn’t be said, especially when looking at Saga #10, by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples. The tension builds, the chess pieces are all in place: now, it’s time […]

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February 10, 2013

Comic Book Review: Harbinger #0

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Joshua Dysart Artists: Mico Suayan and Pere Perez Publisher: Valiant Entertainment We are a product of the world we live in: nothing is clearer than that after reading the epic zero issue for Valiant’s Harbinger. Toyo Harada is one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, as well as being […]

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February 6, 2013

Snapshot #1 Review- What Would You Do?

Review by Nolan P. Smith Writer: Andy Diggle Artist: Jock Publisher: Image Comics Website: www.imagecomics.com It’s a pretty typical occurrence: finding someone’s cell phone. The temptation to keep it is there, as is the thrill of looking through the lens of someone’s private life. But what if you find something that you can’t take back? Something that changes your life […]

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February 2, 2013

Parker Review-Does Statham Still Got It?

The Parker series of novels by Donald Westlake are some of the most entertaining books out there, which is without a doubt. The film Parker is based on the book “Flashfire”, one of over twenty Parker tales in existence. With such a legacy behind it, how does this 2013 Jason Statham vehicle measure up to it’s printed word predecessors? Directed […]

Nolan Smith Movies 0 1 min read
January 14, 2013

X-O Manowar #8 Review- The Boiling Point

Review by Nolan P. Smith Writer: Robert Venditti Artist: Lee Garbett Publisher: Valiant Entertainment Website: www.valiantcomics.com The Valiant universe came back in 2012 to a extremely strong showing. X-O Manowar led the charge, showing the world why the gold and blue hero has remained a pop culture icon since the previous Valiant run. This current run has reintroduced the world […]

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January 14, 2013

Saga #9 Review- The Will Strikes Back

Review by Nolan P. Smith Writer: Brian K. Vaughn Artist: Fiona Staples Publisher: Image Comics Website: www.imagecomics.com Saga has been, hands down, a runaway hit. From the first issue in early 2012, the book has showed originality at its finest. Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples have created a book that continues to get better and deeper with each passing […]

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January 12, 2013

The Victories #5 Review- It’s All Down to This

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Michael Avon Oeming Artist: Michael Avon Oeming Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Website: www.darkhorse.com This series has been building to a boiling point, and with the last few issues it’s been going at light speed. Now, with the big finale for this mini series, how does Oeming’s The Victories end? Liked it started: with […]

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December 30, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Django Unchained

By Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation When writer/director Quentin Tarantino makes a new film, the masses usually take notice. The man who brought the world Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, and most recently Inglorious Basterds is back, and back with a bang. Django Unchained brings the over the top violence that fans have come to expect, but how does the rest of […]

Nolan Smith Movies 0 1 min read
December 7, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Invincible #98

Fans of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead: you have no excuse not to try his superhero epic, Invincible. Heading towards its 100th issue, the world of Mark Grayson, aka Invincible, looks to be ready for another massive shake up. Issue #98 is the first in the new story arc, The Death of Everyone, so you know this is going to […]

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December 6, 2012

Chopping Block Review: FF #1

So with the Fantastic Four being relaunched, so was its sister title, the Future Foundation (or FF for short). When the Human Torch died a few months back, the team donned black and white uniforms and became the Future Foundation, with Spider-Man as a member. The book was top-notch, but with Marvel NOW comes change, and I think this book […]

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December 6, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Fantastic Four #1

The Fantastic Four: the first family of super heroes. They have seen quite a few changes in their decade spanning career: we saw Reed Richards, The Thing and Johnny Storm die at different times, we have seen replacements and fill in members on the roster, and we even saw the team change to the Future Foundation for a bit. But […]

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December 6, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Captain America #1

With the slew of Marvel NOW releases, this one is one of the headliners, and for good reason. This is a relaunch of the flagship character of the Marvel Universe, the sentinel of liberty himself, Captain America. But, like many of the Marvel NOW books, this isn’t the first, or even third time the book has been relaunched at #1, […]

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December 6, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Deadpool #1 and #2

The Merc with a Mouth is back… again. The ultra popular masked madman has always been popular, ever since he debuted in The New Mutants all those years ago. But in the last few years, Deadpool fever hit like never before. He was in the Wolverine movie…kinda. He was in Marvel Vs Capcom 3, and has his own video game […]

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December 3, 2012

Chopping Block Review: The Indestructible Hulk #1

Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Leinil Yu Publisher: Marvel Comics Website: www.marvel.com SPOILERS AHEAD The Hulk: the jade giant of the Marvel Universe. The powerhouse of the Avengers, and the self-proclaimed strongest there is. We saw him flatten Loki in The Avengers this year, now he’s back with a brand new series as a part […]

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December 3, 2012

Chopping Block Review: Nowhere Men #1

Science is all the rage right now, and why shouldn’t it be? Think of some of the most successful properties out right now, and let’s draw the scientific link, shall we? The Walking Dead is television’s smash hit and an amazing comic book: link to science being the zombie outbreak, how it started and how it works. Breaking Bad, the […]

Nolan Smith Art 0 1 min read