Friday, April 29, 2011

COMICS!! Review: Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2

Originally posted on my ComicVine.com account.

Amongst the tales of daring do and superheroism I picked up this week at the local comic shoppe, the one book I looked forward to more than all was actually about a monster mindlessly destroying Japanese cities. Maybe that's why Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters by Phil Hester and Eric Powell has so much of my attention; because it's something different.

Of course differentiation doesn't necessarily mean quality, so how does the second issue of Godzilla hold up?

Tokyo SOS

Godzilla #2 picks up from the dire situation of the first, with Godzilla continuing his unstoppable rampage through Japan. Things go from bad to worse, however, when two more monsters join the fray with Anguirus arising from the sands of Mexico and Rodan hatching from a radioactive crystaline egg in Russia. The story is told through the eyes of several hapless humans witnessing the bizarre and terrifying events, and with even the US stumped as to how to stop the monsters, things show no signs of improving.

Once again, Eric Powell employs a strange trifecta of tonage (stay with me here) in this issue to mostly great effect. People are dying. Elements of tragedy are explored. But at the same time, the book also has an extremely dark sense of humor to the whole thing. Powell's nearly fearless here with the stuff he goes for, and was pretty successful at drawing both a groan and chuckle from me at every turn. Of course, it goes without saying how great Phil Hester's art is, and those harsh and jagged pencils of his seem to go together with Powell's storytelling like peanut butter goes with jelly.

Collateral Damage

At the same time, the darker tone of story is also a bit of a downfall. It's true, in movie continuity, Godzilla hasn't been the truly campy deal that made him (in)famous, but I think that might be what most people expect out of their Godzilla comic. Yet here are kids getting gobbled up by monsters and some politically charged satire among other things. This of course is no fault of Powell's or Hester's, but at the same time, if people were expecting big monsters slugging it out in vacant city backdrops (which seems to be next issue...), then they may be a bit off-put.

The Godzilla Power Hour

Regardless, Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #2 is just good sardonic fun. Sardonic fun featuring giant monsters. It may not be the typical reason you find yourself at the comic shop for, but I'd say to make room in your budget for something different. And when it's delivered with this quality, anybody with a passing interest in Japan's largest export should give it a try.

Godzilla smashes a deserved four stars out five. TASTE THE DIFFERENCE!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Head to the Rotunda...

...for all your RAW recap goodness. This week's train-wreck now up at that OTHER blog of mine, Rix Wrestling Rotunda.
Getchoo some!

Monday, April 25, 2011

COMICS!! Review: Power Girl #23

This review was originally posted on my ComicVine.com account. That's HERE!

Power Girl might just be the most consistently good book I've been reading since I've thrown my hat back into the crazy world of comic books. Whether that's because the character herself is just about everything I like in my superhero(ine) protagonist, or because the writing of Judd Winick and the the art of Sami Basri has genuinely been THAT good is beyond me, but quite frankly I don't care. Power Girl's awesome, and #23 continues that streak of awesomeness.

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

And really how could it not, with the last sighting of Power Girl had her fighting magic dinosaurs alongside her cousin, Superman. The source of these beasts, a magic thief calling himself Siphon, has captured Zatanna and is intent on making her powers permanently his own. Really, what could have just been a silly, but entertaining side story, actually ends up with Power Girl making a very important step in growth for her character.

And that's really what this book was missing. Sure, Karen's gone through a roller coaster of events both mental and physical since Winick's taken the reigns, but the status quo has always been maintained throughout. Now, we actually get a sense that PG's really got a direction to head in now, and is now fully fleshed out as a superheroine. Combined with Winick's uncanny sense of humor, that makes for a great issue. Few titles make me chuckle like his Power Girl.

Sami Basri continues to provide the solid artistic backbone for the series. There's not much more I can say about his art here that I haven't already stated a bajillion times before, but he continues to maintain the series unique look.

Whu Oh...

The only criticism I'd level is that, now seeing Power Girl and Zatanna side by side throughout most of this issue, you can see somewhat of a sameness with which Basri draws his females' faces and figures. It's not huge, and it's not as if I expect every heroine to look drastically different, but I feel that Power Girl does have a bit of a distinctive build (being an extremely tall, well-muscled, and well... endowed female character).

I also felt that the introduction of the Siphon character ended up being a bigger throwaway than I would have liked. I assume he may return later in PG's book or in some other title, but he felt more like a clever plot device than an actual character or threatening villain.

My Dream Girl

These issues aside, this is just a fun conclusion to a great two-parter. I can say that I've yet to read a comic that began with our heroes fighting magical dinosaurs and that ended with such a huge character advancement. The funny thing is, it was handled in stride and without fanfare or much ado. And that's what I really love about Power Girl as a series, it just has this quiet un-assuming pace and existence, but consistently churns out some of the better story-telling in DC comics. I can't wait to see where Power Girl goes from here.

Issue #23 gets a solid 4 stars out of 5.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

My New Blog...

I've decided to move my recaps and analysis of professional wrestling into their own realm. I figger that, for anybody who actually does read this blog, I'd give 'em a heads up so if they happen to ask themselves, "Selves... where the hell are the pro wrestling updates?" they'll know.

So without further ado, I introduce you to the Rix Wrestling Rotunda.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Rix SmackDown! Sum-up 4/22/11

So, did you guys miss this week's installment of SmackDown!? Well... surprisingly, so did I. Yeh, sometimes these things just slip my mind, or I find something else more pressing than the watching of professional wrestling (BLASPHEMY). Nevertheless, as I assumed this week's SmackDown! would more than trump RAW, and because I genuinely was interested in seeing how some of the storylines went down.

And from what I saw from the raw (and I mean raw, as the video quality is terrible) footage from SmackDown! from WWE.com, I was right to be hopeful. In the weak prior to the shake up that is the Draft, SmackDown! finishes strong with some good matches, good story-telling, and just a good overall feel. I can't go quite as in depth with all the stuff that happened this week, but here goes my analysis.

  • The Bombastic Bag Man: Cody continues his descent into madness as he hits the ring and, following another melodramatic speech, he starts distributing paper bag masks to the audience (I shit you not) as some form of symbolic "hiding" of everyone's inner ugliness... or something. Yes, this could be considered some form of rip-off of the Beautiful People's schtick they used to do, but hey it was fun. I'm liking Cody's ridiculous new Phantom of the Opera deal, and this new paper mask thing just adds another layer of crazy.
  • Oh, and there was also a match. In a rematch of their Wrestlemania battle, Rhodes faced off against Mysterio. The finish of this match seemed to come relatively out of nowhere, but that was soon revealed to be because the two had 10 or so minute segment where they brawled on the outside, in the audience, and all over the place. It wasn't horribly exciting stuff, but luckily, the feud that's been brewing between these two helped to sell the idea of them really wanting to hurt each other. In the end, Mysterio takes the match, but Rhodes gets the last laugh by laying out Rey and slipping a paper bag over his head. Goofy stuff, but goofy in a likable way.

  • Team Tensions: The Corre continues their slow train wreck of a disbandment into this week's SmackDown!, but at this point, the amount of bitching they're doing to one another is fairly entertaining. I personally like most of the members of the Corre (not you, Heath), and whenever these guys get more screen time, I'm a fan, but I was getting tired of them being made to be such a TERRIBLE team for no goddamn reason. Now, at least their constant in-fighting makes it obvious why these guys aren't living up to their potential. Various Corre members see action later in the night.
  • But of course who cares about that stuff when LayCool are having relationship issues!? Yeah, I personally could really care less about this dumb angle, but I have to admit that I didn't hate their small segment here, mainly because it ends with Michelle McCool attacking Layla. Are LayCool over? Well, methinks the Draft next week could end with these two ladies ending up on different shows. That's alright by me.

  • Swagger Squash: Jack Swagger has sadly been caught in a bit of a dead-end angle lately playing second banana to Michael fucking Cole. I have to admit my gut reaction to when I saw Swagger premier (around the time I stopped watching wrestling) was to automatically hate the guy. However, since then, I've come to realize he's actually a pretty good worker, and though I don't think he's the next Kurt Angle (which seems to be the direction WWE wants to take him in), he deserves much better. Perhaps as a way to keep him still somewhat threatening, he gets a short squash match here against Trent Beretta. Swagger hits all his big spots and gets the win. A squash is a squash, but this one at least seemed to have some purpose.

  • New Tag Champs: Returning to the Corre's troubles, it was only a matter of time before they lost some gold. Wouldn't ya know it, but Gabriel and Slater drop the belts this week to Big Show and Kane. Big Show showed some good athleticism here, but more than anything this match was basically used to progress storylines. The Corre now loses their tag belts, and Gabriel and Slater are at each other's throats. Do I suspect Show and Kane will stay tag champs for long? Maybe not, but I've got no problem having those veterans carry the straps for a while.

  • Masters vs. McIntyre: My man-crush on Drew McIntyre continues this week as he takes on Chris Masters in a really entertaining match. Honestly, the good part about McIntyre at this point is they've established him as a threat, but one whose arrogance and overconfidence can cost him any match. They play that up here as Masters and McIntyre actually have a really good back and forth. Stiff as they are, there were some really good high-impact spots between these two, including a diving shoulder block by Masters and McIntyre nailing ANOTHER hugely stiff clothesline. I can't attest to what it's like to wrestle these guys, but with the intensity they provided in the match and their own stiff styles, it was just a lot of fun. McIntyre picks up the win in what was my favorite match of the night.

  • Barrett Escapes the Boom: Fairly entertaining match between Kofi Kingston and Wade Barrett for the IC Championship. Again, the storytelling, particularly with Ezekiel Jackson at ringside, made up for any actual shortcomings, but these two are talented dudes who know how to work. The thing I disliked about this match was the finish. Barrett cheats to sneak past Kingston, but it just perpetuates the feeling that nobody in the Corre is an actual threat. Sure, Zeke took out Kingston a week ago, but Barrett, Slater, and Gabriel are constantly being made to look dumb. Fine match, I just wish the finish would have had Barrett actually taking the match with skill rather than cheating. It's also of note that the crowd's reaction (the show was in London) when Barrett nearly landed Wasteland was pretty hilarious as a collective roar seemed to erupt, followed by a disappointed hush when Kingston countered.

  • ADR is Poop: Lastly, Alberto Del Rio throws a retirement party for Edge. Remember that terrible Michael Cole segment from RAW? That was goofy "not wrestling" nonsense done wrong. This was goofy "not wrestling" nonsense done right. Del Rio genuinely seemed to be having fun as he unveiled gag after gag, and that fun was not lost on me (though it may have been on the audience). Of course, Edge appears and does his usually devastation on the microphone (including calling ADR and his party-goers "poop"), and Christian comes in to physically break up the party. A good way to end the show, one that can't be faulted for lack of wrestling because, there was actually a lot of wrestling on this damn show (imagine that). It was fun, and it's good to see Edge again while he's still there.
Overall, the SmackDown! before the Draft was darn fun, and it's bittersweet that a majority of this talent will likely find its way onto RAW following Monday. I give SmackDown! for the 22nd a solid 4 stars out of 5.

Monday is the Draft, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it to provide my own apt brand of analysis to it. Look for that, and more blogs relating to wrestling, video games, comics, and everything in between, in the coming week.

Until then, stay tuned to The Machine...

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Rix RAW Recap 4/18/11


On my SmackDown! sum-up last Saturday, I had praised WWE for having a pair of really solid shows that week. I've just now started to get into the swing of the WWE today, and after two great shows, I was fully excited about this week's RAW.

Unfortunately, following a pretty limp couple of hours, the "hot streak" is over. Don't get me wrong, last night's RAW wasn't horrendous, it just didn't have too many high spots that made it worth catching. Let's take a look at the run-down.

  • R-Truth's Heel Turn: Just a week removed from his big win that granted him a number one contender's spot at Extreme Rules, R-Truth opens the show and warms up the audience. John Morrison comes out and the two have a fairly entertaining exchange, one in which Morrison points out some of R-Truth's faults. I thought this was heading in the direction of making R-Truth the flawed hero in WWE, but instead, Morrison challenges R-Truth for his spot and, to my surprise, beats him fairly quickly. R-Truth then goes on a tear and destroys Morrison in a heel turn that ends with him smoking a cigarette *GASP*. The actual wrestling wasn't terribly exciting, but a decent amount of story-telling and a pretty weird way to open the show. Unfortunately, that's about as good as it gets tonight.

  • Ziggler is Seriuz Biznezz: Squash match featuring Evan Bourne taking on a new-look Dolph Ziggler. I honestly have to say that, despite a decent push to make him a "serious" heel, Zigg just never had a look that I could take seriously. Now, he's gotten rid of the silly blonde mop for a more steam-lined 'do, and is playing his character a lot more straight. I personally find this to be a welcome move, and Zigg showed off some decent intensity and technique as he squashed Bourne. Bourne kinda deserves better, but somebody's gotta make Dolph look good.

  • An Unlikely Duo: Next up, the Miz stages a sit-in in the middle of the ring to coax a move by the RAW general manager. However, Miz's heterosexual life-mate, Alex Riley, and Sin Cara have a match scheduled, but rather than be left to wolves that are Miz and Riley, Sin Cara gets some back-up in the form of John Cena. The match becomes a tag team match, and a fairly solid one at that. My biggest problem with it is that, while I want Sin Cara to be successful, and he's way over with the crowd, he keeps botching spots at least a few times each match. Maybe it's because he's a little rough around the edges, or his fellow wrestlers aren't used to working with a performer his speed, but he botched some more moves here, including the finish. Decent match, I just wish Sin Cara could have hit some of those spots better. Then it may have been a GREAT match.

  • Eve Torres beats that other Bella twin: Another Divas match happened. To be honest, it was a really solid match, and I'm beginning to think Eve Torres is a pretty decent performer. The problem, again, exists in the lack of drama or story-telling here. No audience reaction to speak of. I would love for the Divas division to become a genuinely competitive division, I just don't know how they can get their audience to care about it.

  • Annnnnd Cole Completely Derails the Show: Seeing as the show was in London, someone on the WWE writing staff decided it'd be a good idea to have Michael Cole be knighted by the "Queen". What resulted was a segment that was far too long, far too ridiculous, and just far too... long to be enjoyable in the least. I'm not even going to get into details of what happened, just that it's this kind of stupidity that makes me second guess my enjoyment of professional wrestling. If the bit leads to something, then fine. This did not, so it is not fine.

  • Squash Match #2: The palette cleanser for Mr. Cole's terrible segment... isn't really a palette cleanser. No, instead, it's a throwaway squash match between Sheamus and Santino. Sheamus destroys Santino. That's about it.

  • Orton vs. Punk THE RETURN: Now fully deflated, RAW heads into the main event featuring C.M. Punk and Randy Orton. This should, by all accounts, be a great match, and it is pretty solid. It's a bit slow-paced, but there is some genuine intensity in these two's rivalry. The problem existed only in the fact that by this time, RAW's telecast is limping to the finish, and although Orton and Punk have a good match, it's not great. And certainly is not good enough to salvage the meh RAW. Orton manages to outsmart Nexus, and the curtain falls on another RAW.
The problem I feel with this edition of RAW is just that, aside from the opening number, no story-lines arose or were furthered. Without any sort of emotional investment or compelling story, RAW needs to instead fall back on the quality of the wrestling. Sadly... there just wasn't much of that going on this week. It certainly wasn't OFFENSIVELY bad, except for maybe the Michael Cole segment, but it wasn't super entertaining either.

However, I've got high hopes for this Friday's SmackDown! and hopefully, with the WWE Draft looming, some new story-lines emerge out of the ether.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Rix SmackDown! Sum-up 4/15/11


Friday Night SmackDown! has come and gone once more, and, seeing as Edge has just retired, leaving the World Heavyweight Championship vacant, it was shaping up to be quite a doozy. Does it live up to that promise?

  • "Ai neber like you, Teddie!": Alberto Del Rio opens up the show with what at first seems like is going to be a fairly respectable speech concerning Edge's retirement, but in predictable fashion, it eventually comes down to him wanting the belt to be handed over to him. Teddie Long comes out to tell him that "it ain't goin' down like that", and that he will face the winner of the main event of SmackDown! at Extreme Rules for the belt, instead. The main event will be a 20-man battle royal. The opening did what it had to and established the main event, and it was pretty humorous seeing Del Rio seethe over his misfortune.

  • The Corre Slowly Implodes: The Corre, following their recent character assassination, continue to in-fight. With the 20-man battle royal looming, the "tension" rises. Zeke has a fairly forgettable match with Kofi Kingston, the only amusing spot being him tossing Kofi into his Corre teammates who sit ringside at the announce table. Zeke then attempts to work the mic, showing me that he is similar to Ahmed Johnson in more than just ring presence. I'm tiring a bit of the Corre continuing to exist when they are so obviously going to disband, but their appearance on this episode was less annoying than on RAW.

  • Lay-Cool do... something: Yep. I couldn't tell you what, because as I stated on the RAW recap, the women's division in WWE has so little talent or genuine character (none of which is in Lay-Cool), that they don't seem to care about it, so why should I?

  • Cody of the Opera: I've always kind of liked Cody Rhodes, but I can't argue that he was always a little boring. Now, his character is positively over the top, and it's actually pretty entertaining. Cody works the mic and talks about maiming Rey Mysterio. It's all good cheesey heel stuff, and sets up the next match featuring Rey and Drew McIntyre.

  • McIntyre and Mysterio go to War: I can't say I'm a huge Drew McIntyre fan, mainly because I haven't really ever seen the guy work, but DAMN this was a good match. It's probably the power of Mysterio to make most guys look really good, but this was just a really well-paced, really well put-together battle these two had. Heck, I say one of the marks of a good match is when I can't predict WHO is gonna take it in the end, and this match definitely had that element. Good spots, including a really high-impact clothesline by McIntyre from his knees in corner, and a fantastic see-saw battle. Mysterio takes it with the 619 into a body-splash.

  • Battle Royal: On to the main event, and to be honest, with Christian in this match-up, I feel it was a fore-gone conclusion he'd win. Kudos to the announcers for down-playing his presence in the match and adding some tension, but I feel the battle royal was just a "clever" way to make Christian opposite Del Rio at Extreme Rules. Battle royals, however, are a favorite of mine, though their quality usually is dependent on the big spots involved, and the impromptu story-lines that emerge. This one had some pretty good ones, with Big Show being eliminated early, Kane going head to head with Brodus Clay, Justin Gabriel turning on Wade Barrett, and Michael Cole taking a 619 for Jack Swagger. Again, it was all window dressing to disguise the predictable finish of Christian winning, but it was entertaining window dressing nonetheless.
And thus ended another WWE show for the week, and to my surprise, it was damn entertaining. It did have a bit too much "fluff" for my liking, never really taking off until the back half, but great in spite of that fault. I'm happy to say it was a pretty solid week for sports entertainment.

Even better if you're catching Chikara's King of Trios this weekend.

SmackDown! gets 4 stars out of 5 for this week.

COMICS!! Review: Birds of Prey #11

This review was originally posted on my ComicVine.com account. To see that, click HERE.

What is Love?

The romance comic is something that's all but disappeared from modern comic shoppe shelves. I would argue that this is because romance comics were terrible, misogynistic drivel, but that'd be beside the point. Modern comics have moved far beyond that to the point where two potentially lethal, vigilante loners can have a relationship that is both fun and realistic (well, as much as a relationship between two such people can be). Is there love in the air between Catman and Huntress?

Birds of Prey #11 has Huntress tracking the men behind a Gotham City jewelry heist, one of which whom has a hostage with a dangerous case of asthma. Who should she run into than Catman of the Secret Six, and the two's mutual attraction for one another takes off as they track the crooks down, and it becomes obvious that this night means more to the both of them than simply teaching some lowlifes a lesson, as both seem to be using each other as a form of redemption. Of course, when Catman and Huntress are involved, a happy ending may be a bit too much to ask for.

The Purrr-fect Match?

Since this book is penned by Gail Simone, writer of Secret Six (which has quickly become a favorite of mine), it'd be reasonable to assume that this story is going to be an excellent read. And, who would have thunk it, it is. Simone really understands these characters (as well she should, as Catman in particular has risen to prominence solely thanks to her), and there's a strange feeling throughout that this could almost be an entirely new series featuring these two. The dialog is sharp, and there's a hopeful tone throughout. Again, however, with the character's involved, it's not surprising when Simone takes the book into a darker place for the finale. It was genuinely heart-breaking.

The artwork by Pere Perez is similarly excellent. We're talking about the mean streets of Gotham here, but the art never becomes solely monochromatic like so many other "darker" stories become. This helps maintain that spark of hope that Simone keeps burning as events unfold, and Perez does a great job of also capturing the emotions of many scenes, using both characters and atmosphere alike. It also must be stated that I absolutely love the cover by Stanley Lau here. Honestly, I want this thing on a poster or something.

Too Good to be True

While this would be the part where I nitpick about something to justify this as a true "review", I'm not gonna do that. Sometimes, comics are just that great. Birds of Prey #11 is that great. It's a sweet, exciting, and heart-breaking stand issue that stands on its own. You don't need to have too much knowledge of either of Simone's series to enjoy it, just the slightest interest in the characters involved. At DC's new low price of $2.99, you really have no excuse not to pick it up.

Birds of Prey #11 steals 5 stars out of 5.

Friday, April 15, 2011

i-Rix Review: Dragon Age II

This was originally posted on my GiantBomb.com profile. You can find that HERE.

Sequels will never be judged on their own merits. It's an almost sad fate that all are resigned to. When the original game is bad, middling, or only good, that leaves plenty of room for its successor to impress and improve. However, when the predecessor is a game that is so revered and praised as Dragon Age: Origins, where does that leave its sequel?

On its own merits, Dragon Age II is a great game with a darkly pessimistic narrative, smart tweaks to the formula in favor of accessibility, and tons of content for RPG buffs to sink their teeth into. It isn't (and shouldn't be) its differentiation from Origins that DAII should be condemned for. No, what makes DAII a great game, but disappointingly so, is the inherent lack of polish and immersion-shattering shortcuts throughout. They're surmountable, but they're things that shouldn't have to be surmounted.

STORY

Dragon Age II follows the rise of power of one Hawke. A refugee from Lothering on the continent of Ferelden, Hawke and his family flee the Blight for the city of Kirkwall in the Free Marches. Starting off in the slums, Hawke must rise out of the muck and corruption of the city in the prevailing years following the Warden's triumph from Origins. The player will form a rag-tag posse of his or her fellow down-trodden, and elevate them through a misguided trip to the Deep Roads, a foreign invasion, and a city-wide civil war.

On the whole, Dragon Age II plays with the idea that nobody is "perfect" more than its predecessor ever did. Every single one of your party members could be said to be nothing less than a scumbag, but it's that feeling that drives the narrative. Hawke is a desperate person driven to desperate measures, and throughout the various choices in the plot of DAII's central plot threads and secondary story lines, the player will find out just what they're willing to compromise in order to reach their desired ends. It isn't the sweeping call to arms that Origins was, and it even takes place primarily in a single city, but it's a far more personal story that plays on the more "real" elements in Dragon Age lore.

CONTENT

Being the single player RPG that it is, the campaign (and inevitable DLC release) is all you're getting with Dragon Age II. As such, I can only explain the content of DAII as it compares to another Bioware game, Mass Effect 2. If one takes the straight line approach, Dragon Age II takes an almost disturbingly short time to finish. However, if played that way, you're not really getting the narrative tapestry of the game. There are oodles upon oodles of side-quests and companion activities in the game, and they all play into your relationship with your party and the city itself. As such, depending on what you do and do not, you're going to get content that's either open or closed to you. Regardless, my personal playthrough which involved tons of side-questing and exploration of relationships led to a play time of just under 40 hours. That puts the content available in DAII at just about the standard for your average RPG.

GAMEPLAY

Having tons of content makes little different if you don't have a good time playing the game. Personally, as a console player, I hated playing Dragon Age: Origins. As a game, it's tough to "hate" playing it and still have a positive feel about the whole thing. That was because the experience and immersion quality was overwhelming in that game, and I'd say it is even more-so with Dragon Age II. This is partly because your character actually has a voice now, so rather than be a mute marionette for the story to happen around, you're actively taking part in it. This also goes for the fact that, spending the entire time in a single city, you become attached and integrated into its identity.

But that is also one of DAII's biggest problems. Where Bioware could have used this fact to design a city that was genuinely interesting and fun to romp around in, Kirkwall is fairly bland. You'll become acquainted with the same city centers that, by the time hour 10 rolls around, you're going to know Kirkwall like the back of your hand. That doesn't exactly scream ADVENTURE!

It also doesn't help that when your questing leads you out of the city, you'll encounter one of the more egregious errors Bioware commits here. Instead of constructing wholly unique locales, Dragon Age II relies almost exclusively on recycled dungeons, mansions, and warehouses. One has to simply inquire as to why this is. The game takes place in a single city with limited environments, was it truly a difficult task for the developers to come up with unique areas for the player to explore? It's true that the game is far less about an adventure than it is about presenting a more character-driven experience, but that doesn't excuse sending the player into the same environments being sold as being distinct from one another.

And although DAII does take a step backwards in that sense, I feel like it takes a greater step forward in terms of actual controls and gameplay. Again, I'm a console player, and Origins was primarily a PC gamer's game. With II, the gameplay is faster and more forgiving. Depth still exists in character building and setting up tactics, but things like character-position in battle and other micro-managing aspects are far less important. Personally, I found these additions make the game far more fun to play, but also one that doesn't have quite the satisfying or rewarding experience for strategy buffs. It's also worth noting that the player only has control over the armor that Hawke wears in-game, making a more stream-lined experience (again, like in Mass Effect 2), but one that doesn't necessarily have a positive or negative effect on the game.

PRESENTATION

Dragon Age II is a far better looking game than its predecessor, and yet it doesn't breach the ceiling of mediocrity. Although player models look and animate much better, everything still contains a very generic, blocky, and un-detailed look to it. The newly designed aesthetics give the game a better identity, but there is enough of the generic holdings on from the previous game that it's never wholly interesting to look at. Also, in the 360 version, there are some RIDICULOUS graphical glitches that permeate about 60% of the game's cutscenes. When models are shrinking and twitching during serious happenings, even if for a few seconds, it really jars one out of the experience.

Luckily, Bioware once again nails it on the sound front. A sweeping orchestral soundtrack backlights some fantastic voice-acting. Each character really feels human (or... Dwarven, Elven, or Qunari as the case may be), and it really helps with the feelings of attachment or resentment you'll feel for each. Hawke him or herself also is backed by a solid voice-actor, although they can occasionally skew a bit too far into the campy direction.

FINAL VERDICT

I don't think that sticking closer to Origins would have made Dragon Age II a better game, far from it. I think the distinctions and departures from the original are what make it a great game, and one that can stand on its own two feet. However, what I can fault DAII for are its genuine feeling of unpolished incompleteness. That doesn't mean it cannot be enjoyed, but when a game wishes you to drive double digit hours into its world, the experience best feel wholly immersive. You can, and I believe, should immerse yourself in Dragon Age II, but you may need to turn a blind eye to some of the uglier elements of the package.

Because of that, Dragon Age II slays a difficult 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Rix RAW Recap- 4/11/11


Professional wrestling has been a passion of mine since I was just a small Hulkamaniac. I've found my love and respect for the industry has grown and evolved over the years, through ups and downs. Despite many assertions that mainstream professional wrestling isn't at its top form right now, I've somehow managed to get back into it to the point where I find myself not only willing, but qualified to comment on some of the live events.

This post will be something of an experiment to see if that thought is true, as I'll run down the events of last night's episode of WWE RAW and give my impressions about its individual parts and itself as a whole.

  • The Gauntlet is Thrown: RAW opens with what tends to be its opening, and that is a lot of exposition. However, I actually like the direction this RAW took, and as Cena started talking about the predictable stuff (his Wrestlemania experience, his challenge to the Rock), he's actually interrupted not by one, but by four other superstars each asserting their right to get a piece of the spotlight Cena seems to bogart all for himself. What results is the issuing of a 5-man Gauntlet match with Cena, Orton, Ziggler, Morrison, and R-Truth for the number one contender's spot. I like the almost self-referential nature of this opening, and felt it was a nice carrot on a stick to keep you around for the main event, if only to see something different.
  • Kong is koming: A promo for Awesome Kong plays, which for me is both good and bad. Good because I think Kong is great and will bring a much-needed element to a fairly weak women's division in WWE (outside of Beth Phoenix, Naty Neidhart, and a few others), but also bad because I'm not sure if WWE's audience ever cares that much about actual competitive women's wrestling. Case in point...
  • Eve Torres Loses to one of those Bella twins: This wasn't a bad match, especially not from a Diva's standpoint, but the fact that nothing got any sort of crowd reaction, not even the finish (which came out of nowhere, if you ask me), just reinforces how bored the WWE audience is with the Diva's title. It changes hands. Nobody cares. Even I, who acknowledge it was a decent match, didn't FEEL anything from it (and don't take that out of context).
  • Sin Cara Arrives: A luchador getting a huge push in WWE? Well, I don't expect it to last long, but Sin Cara has been pretty impressive with his athleticism in limited appearances. Here on RAW, he puts on a great match with Primo, and I mean MATCH because it isn't a squash by any measure of the term. Great spots, good back and forth, and despite a botch towards the end, an impressive finish. I look forward to seeing a lot more of Sin Cara.
  • Corre-ing the APPLE: The Corre nearly disbands after some in-fighting, which made me VERY hopeful as the Corre has done worse than nothing in recent weeks. However, they're interrupted by the odd comedy stable of Santino Marella, calling themself APPLE (which has the "way too talented to be here" Daniel Bryan on it). I expected APPLE to win and the Corre to be over and done with for good, but sadly the Corre squeak by and live to see another week in a forgettable 8-man tag match. Probably the lowest point of the show.
  • Edge says Goodbye: Edge has been one of the superstars of WWE that I've seen arrive and now leave in my lifetime, and it's really sad to see him go. In an extremely heart-felt speech, Edge relayed his health troubles, recanted memories (all of which I remember personally), and said goodbye to the business and fans he loves. Genuinely heart-wrenching, and I am one of many who will be an Edge-head for life. Thanks, Edge.
  • The Gauntlet: Lastly, the lengthy main-event takes place with Miz and Riley at ringside. While that personally made the ending of the match fairly predictable for me to call right off the bat, this was still a fairly entertaining main event. It had its high points and low points, but it was pretty damn hard to call, especially after Orton was eliminated early on and R-Truth made it all the way to Cena. Even the "predictable" ending turned out to have a swerve, as after Miz and Riley interfere with the finale of Cena vs. R-Truth, the RAW GM buzzes in to make the Extreme Rules title match a triple threat between Truth, Cena, and Miz. I'm not certain how the match will turn out in the end, but the Gauntlet was entertaining, made R-Truth seem like a genuine contender, and gave the writers something to build up over the next few weeks.
Overall, last night's RAW was extremely enjoyable. It did have its ups and downs, but bolstered by some good story-telling, a strong showing by Sin Cara, an emotional farewell by Edge, and a lengthy and fairly entertaining main event, it was a RAW that used its time effectively and has me intrigued to see more.

4 stars out of 5.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

"Honor or Dishonor": 5 Ronin Review (possible spoilers)


This review was originally posted on my profile at ComicVine.com. See that right HERE.
      Or, "4 Ronin and a Pissed off Lady"
Or, "4 Ronin and a Pissed off Lady"
As one who actually relishes continuity in comics, it takes a lot for me to buy into the "What If?" story. I usually find myself wondering (likely ignorantly) whether it's worth investing in characters and universes that I'll likely never see again. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Superman: Red Son, but at the end of the day, I do walk away from that story a little disconnected knowing that it's an isolated corner of the DC Universe that, should it ever arise again, won't do so in a capacity that I'd find satisfactory.

So it was with that kind of prejudice that I jumped into Marvel's 5 Ronin mini-series. I've always been fascinated by tales of feudal Japan and the samurai and daimyo that formed its backbone, and throwing in characters modeled after some of Marvel's most popular heroes turns that fascination into genuine intrigue.

After walking the path of the 5 Ronin, what are my thoughts on the series as a whole? Well, let's take a look at the big picture and see if we can judge these 5 issues together, linking the common themes as well as distinguishing the strengths and weaknesses of each installment.

PLOT

As one might expect, 5 Ronin takes place in feudal Japan at the coming of the modernization. Gunpowder and corrupt daimyo have transformed the once "simple" samurai culture and lifestyle into something far less romantic. In this new age, 5 unfortunate souls find themselves without purpose. Among them, a "samurai who cannot die", a ronin turned monk with a monster inside, a man with nothing to lose who becomes death incarnate, a geisha with a mysterious past, and a drunkard who does not even remember who he is. They all share one thing in common, however, as each can trace their misfortune to the corruption of their daimyo, and each sets out on a journey to kill him.

STRENGTHS

What is perhaps the thing that surprised me most about 5 Ronin as a whole is just how much it plays itself as a straight samurai fantasy. Hell, without the name of each character the ronin are based off of adorning the front covers and some aesthetic similarities, these could be wholly distinct characters (and they pretty much are anyway). Peter Milligan pens the tales, which each can be considered somewhat self-contained. The way Milligan does this is extremely clever, as he weaves each character's history throughout the tale as it happens in real-time. This helps to drive each issue forward. Coupled with Milligan's dialog, which comes off as authentic without seeming stereotypical for a Japanese period peace, it's just really cool to see the individual myths unfold.

There is also a central narrative going on (as should be expected with a mini-series), and the themes that permeate it are actually really intriguing. It basically deals with individuals seeking the same ends independently from one another, and enabled by a single force. The comic often deals with the idea of the "old ways" being lost in favor of a the "modern", but often leaves it ambiguous as to which is the better path. This ambiguity is also central to a few of the ronin's quests.

Speaking of which, out of the 5 tales, the Wolverine and Punisher-inspired are the strongest. While the others have their strengths, both these tales really capture the ruthless and extremely ceremonial culture of the samurai best. They also feature some of the best art of the series (Laurence Campbell and Tomm Coker, respectively), showing a dark and gritty style almost reminiscent of film noir. As I'd consider the samurai genre and noir being strangely similar, the look just works. The covers by David Aja and others are also fairly amazing.

WEAKNESSES

With 5 distinct ronin in 5 distinct issues, the cannot all be winners. The tale that sticks out like a sore thumb to me is the Hulk story. I was pretty excited to see how Milligan would interpret the character in a samurai drama, as he's pretty far from fitting into the genre, but unfortunately I'm not sure his story works. It's a situation of not getting enough time for the character to be fleshed out, and his particular tale and his motivations for also wishing the daimyo dead seems a tad weak. This is also the case with Psylocke and Deadpool, but unlike those characters where the reasoning is either purposely ambiguous or inconsequential, I feel like the Hulk story had untapped potential that wasn't reached.

In fact, that's probably a good analogy for the entirety of the series. For better or worse, this was a 5 issue mini-series that used each issue to introduce and flesh out a single character. Some characters appeared in multiple stories, and one even catalyzed the story, but in the end, it felt like this was a great introduction to a memorable tale that frankly never happens. The ending is bound to be a tad disappointing to most people. I feel like this was intentionally done by Milligan to perpetuate the feeling of pessimism present throughout most of the stories, but the lack of a big pay-off is sure to piss some people off.

FINAL VERDICT

Wolverine: 5 stars. A great stand alone tale that plays off the character's inspiration well. Sets up the basic idea of the story, but is extremely satisfying by itself. Fantastic artwork.
Hulk: 3 stars. Decent concept, but not fleshed out enough for it to work. The character comes off as the weakest in the series. Artwork is good.
Punisher: 5 stars. Perhaps the best of the stand-alone stories. Classic tale of vengeance with decent twists on the formula. Favorite artwork of the series.
Psylocke: 4 stars. Great characterization, but a tad lacking. Interactions with the Wolverine character both adds to and subtracts from the character's tale. Artwork is passable.
Deadpool: 2 stars. Ends the series on a bit of a low note. The character himself is interesting, but lacks depth (like his inspiration). Artwork is good.

5 Ronin seems like a great introduction to and foundation for an interesting series. The problem is, there's no sign that anything will be built off of it, and sadly the series we're left with doesn't really add up to the whole of its parts. The tales, especially Wolverine and Punisher, stand on their own and are fantastic samurai dramas that should be enjoyed by just about anyone. The others can certainly be enjoyed, and the series as a whole is not bad in any sense of the word. It is, however, extremely flawed, and the fact that the narrative doesn't so much lead up to a climax as it simply ends is the most disappointing part.

Despite this, I give 5 Ronin gets 3.5 stars out of 5. There are parts of this series that deserve to be read and enjoyed, but only the devoted need follow the entire narrative thread.
-ImperiousRix