Tradio #16 - Something At The Window Is Scratching

Happy Halloween!  Today is a special edition Tradio for Something at the Window is Scratching by Roman Dirge and published by SLG Publishing.

This special Monday edition of Tradio focuses on a very non-traditional graphic novel by a very non-traditional creator.  Something at the Window is Scratching is a collection of poetry and art by Roman Dirge.  If you aren't familiar with Dirge, he is the creator of Lenore, (the cute little dead girl) and a friend and collaborator of Jhonen Vasquez, the creator of Invader Zim.  The volume is full of dark and delightful tales that reflect the dark humor of Dirge himself.  Varying from a page of text to several pages, Something at the Window is Scratching is filled with short pieces of poetry that tell stories that range from the disturbing to the funny and everything in between.  It is a lot of fun and the art that goes with each poem is dark and moody and wonderful.  You owe it to yourself to read this work.  Here is a short selection entitled, "weird family, weird baby". 

It's not a question
of maybe -
A weird family
makes a weird baby.

Children's tales for disturbed children indeed.  Have fun trick or treating...save me a popcorn ball.

Tradio #15 - Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft

This week's Tradio closes out October by bringing you Locke & Key, Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez and published by IDW.

That's JOE Hill...not JONAH Hill...totally different.  One is an amazing comic writer and son of Stephen King...the other is the chubby friend from Superbad.  Anyway, Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft tells the first story of the Locke family.  They are moving into their ancestral family home in the town of Lovecraft, Massachusetts after a great tragedy befalls one of their number.  Which one and why...well, that would be giving away way too much of a great story that you really need to experience for yourself.  What I will say is that there is a death that follows them and affects each member of the remaining family in a different way and the new home is full of it's own secrets that will lead to more and more story points as the series progresses.  If this first trade does not grab you, you may need a new hobby that doesn't involve reading.  The story is tight and full of twists and turns and the art is nothing short of perfect in both tone and execution.  Gabriel Rodriguez is a name that you are going to be hearing for many years to come...mark my words. 

But did I like it?  No...I loved it and you will too.  Why Fox passed on making this a series, I will never know, but you owe it to yourself to read this.  Settle in on a cool autumn night with a warm beverage and prepare to be scared and amazed as the best of a genre makes you remember why you love reading books with pictures in them.  Enjoy and see you back on Halloween for a surprise.

And now I know why they call it Rage...

Rage.  It is something I have struggled with for years...the emotion that is.  I have been known to get mad at the drop of a hat and go into a tirade that that is both scary and embarrassing.  Ask my kids...they will tell you all about Daddy's rage.  Now, Rage, the video game, I only struggled with for about about 20 hours. I guess "struggle" is the wrong word for it because overall, I really liked the game.  It is flat out beautiful and the shooting is as tight and responsive as any FPS you can find.  The problem with Rage is that for all it's highs, the lows are just...well...odd.  Odd choices in style.  Odd choices in focus.  Odd choices in how it all ultimately plays out.  So...let's jump into Rage and see what we can figure out.

Lets spend some time under the hood with this game.  First off, it can not be said enough just how pretty and smooth this game is.  It runs at a full on 60 frames per second through the entire game with no slow down whatsoever.  Considering just how pretty this game is and how much can be happening on screen at any one time, this is nothing short of amazing.  The textures and details are second to none on a console game and though there has been some people complain about the pop in of textures at times, it is only for a second as you enter from a loading screen...at least on the XBox 360 version.  Locales are varied and though you are in a destroyed future, there is a lot more to it than just dirt and rust.  Secondly, the control is spot on.  The first person controls are great and the gun play that you can get into is pretty amazing.  This is really no question since the game comes of ID software, who pretty much invented the FPS so many years ago.  Finally, the AI of the enemy characters in the game are great.  Taking cover, running away, strafing you...they can be pretty brutal and they aren't afraid to come after you in groups if need be.  There are "monster closets" at times, but when it happens, it totally makes sense in the context of the game and I never found it that annoying.

Next up is the game itself and the story.  This is the part that I am really at odds with.  The story is standard with no big twists or turns, but you get to do a variety of things that are fun.  It was always enjoyable to enter a new area and clean out the baddies and see what kind of variation you would see.  As you progress, you have an ever expanding arsenal at your disposal and how you approach new situations is up to you.  Want to sneak in?  Go for it!  Want to craft and send in a remote drone to blow up a group of enemies?  Why not?!?!  Want to shot a mind-control arrow into one person and have him take out those around him?  You can do that too!  It was a lot of fun to play with what was given and find junk to construct items and ammo with to help you feel like a bad ass.  In a lot of good ways, the game reminded me of Borderlands, with central points that you travel from in your dune buggy to get to other points to complete missions, though that travel from place to place was never as fun as Borderlands or as open-ended.  The times when you were in the dune buggy were just to get from place to place and though you had to fight other vehicles along the way, there weren't a lot of reasons to get out along the way.  The one other time dune buggies were important is one part that I didn't really care for in the game.  The races.  There is this whole race culture built into the game where from time to time you had to participate in a race to get a better vehicle to use out in the wasteland.  While the racing was OK in and of itself, it just was not as much fun as the actual FPS sections, which I wish is where they had spent time focusing on more missions.  A lot of the racing is optional, but if you don't do a lot of it like me, you may not get your worth out of what is offered.  Additionally, the multiplayer is ONLY this racing component, which is really a sad waste in my opinion.  Cooping the regular story would have been a blast.  Overall, the game is structured like an open-world game...but it really isn't THAT open-world.  You can tackle some things at the hud towns when you want, but when you get to the mission destinations, it is pretty much a straight shot from beginning to end with no reason to go back unless you get a new mission from a Job Board to go back.  There are mini games in the hub towns which are fun and can earn you some cash, with a card game setting you to scour the missions for new cards to build a better deck to play with (which was actually a ton of fun). 

Overall, I liked the game, but in the end, it left me wanting more...and not in a good way.  The ending it terrible.  There is a huge set up, but the last mission isn't very hard, has no boss fight (though it makes you think there will be), and all you end up doing is press some buttons, shot some baddies, and watching a cut scene with no way to continue playing in this "open-world" after the credits.  I might have gone back and raced some if I had been given the option to go back, but there as not real reason to or even permission to do that.  Is it a huge failure?  No...not in the least, but I wish it had been give some more time to get the parts that didn't work as well more time to develop.  This time of year is so choked with games anyway, giving a new IP like this a early summer release would have been spot on.  As it is, it is going to get lost with mediocre reviews and quick trade-ins.  It is certainly worth playing and DLC may improve things down the line, but if that is the case, it might be worth putting off playing for a while until we know that for sure.  As for buying new or used...well the new copy came with some sewer levels that I only ended up finding one of the nine of them available.  They are scattered through the wasteland, so unless you are really looking, you will never find them on accident and all they really give is more ammo, which you can buy anyway.  I would go used...but that is just me.  Hope that helps anyone on the fence about this really good game.  I hope they do a Rage II, Rage Harder in a few years...

Tradio #14 - The Roberts

This week's Tradio is the moody and very dark The Roberts, written by Justin Shady/Wayne Chinsang and illustrated by Eric Rose and published by Image Comics.

The Roberts collects the two issue mini series that tells the story of old people in an old folks home.  I will dispense with making jokes about that in and of itself since the last time I did, I got in trouble at work.  The interesting part of that is that two of these senior citizens are serial killers.  Well, they are retired from that "job" but they both have the distinction of being very famous for what they did and also for not getting caught.  What would happen if The Boston Strangler and The Zodiac Killer ended up together at the Shady Acres Retirement Home?  Would they be best of friends?  Bitter rivals?  Would they even be able to tell what each other are?  The story, told through photo-referenced, black-and-white art tells this tale in a way that makes you see the world through the point of view of each man as they slowly wind down in the winter of their lives.  Suspenseful and often tragic, it lets you see how these two men named Robert go about their lives when they suspect that someone else very much like them is in their midst.

Overall, I really like the story.  Long on dialogue, but given the length of the overall material, it doesn't out-stay it's welcome.  The art suits the tone of the story though you can tell at times just how photo-referenced it is.  Additionally, in this volume it includes a lot of extra material that shows what they writer and art used as inspiration and research and even reprints some very disturbing letters from other serial killers that the writer contacted.  Lots of good here that you can't go wrong with.

Maybe I Need An Intervention - My Secret Public Addiction

T-shirts...yeah...I love t-shirts.  Anyone who knows me well at all knows that I just can't help myself.  I see a cool one in an XL and I needs it!  One thing though that I get asked all the time is, "Patrick, what is your problem?!?!"  But more importantly, I get asked a lot, "Where do you get all those cool t-shirts?" So, I figured this would be a good place for me to post about that and point some of you all down the horrible road to finacial and closet space ruin that I am currently in.

Shirt.Woot - The Website that really started it all for me.  A new shirt everyday, a weekly contest where the top three, viewer voted-on designs are made, and the top 20 selling designs always in stock; there is always something new and the shirts themselves are good quality.  The designs run from art shirts to spins on pop culture.  Always something new and cool to see with the shirt of the day always being $5 cheaper than on subsequent days and best of all...free shipping! 

TeeFury - Another new t-shirt every day sites, but this one is one day only.  Once it is gone, it is gone with only the occasional grab bag offer to get you something you missed.  As good of quality as Shirt.Woot shirts with styles that tend to be very television and movie reference heavy.

Tanga - Tanga is an oddball on my list.  They have a lot of things that they have on sale everyday, as well as a t-shirt that is often very funny.  Most of the t-shirts are of the "words on a shirt" variety, but the styles are offered for more than one day and are available until they sell out.

Ript - Ript is very much like TeeFury in both offering and themes, though the shirts themselves are thinner and don't wash as well.  Might want to get a little bigger size if you get one from there because of shrinkage.

Think Geek - So many good things on Think Geek, with t-shirts having a big part.  Good selection, good quality shirts and you can usually find a coupon to help with the price if you buy several things...and I dare you not to buy several things.

Threadless - Lots and lots of original artists' designs that cover pretty much anything you would be looking for with regard to a unique shirt.  Can be kind of pricey though, so best to watch and wait for sales.

Tee Magnet - While not a site that sells a shirt itself, it is an aggrigator site that showcases many different sites shirts that are available that day.  A good place to check into daily to see if there is something that you have to have.

Tee Trade - Missed a shirt and can't find it?  Don't want to pay through the nose on eBay?  Stuck with some grab bag shirts that you will never, ever wear?  Tee Trade might be a good place to try.  Make an account and add shirts you have and ones that you are interested in and then see if you can trade straight for something you want.  Sometimes people will even sell pretty reasonably to you at pretty much cost.  Worth a look.

There are a lot of other places online to look for t-shirts.  Cafe Press, T-Shirt Hell, 80s T's, just to name a few, but I haven't used them...at least lately and can't really saw how they are.  What I can say is that if you want a something like a straight-up Thundercats t-shirt, just go to Target or Walmart or even Old Navy.  Cheaper than most places and no shipping.  Good luck in your hunt for the perfect shirt and if you become a hopeless addict like myself, I have formed a support group.  We meet Fridays @ 8pm.  Bring your own coffee...see you soon!

What's In The Box?!?!...again...

Hey gang...since you all seemed to like to see what I got in th mail that one time from Discount Comic Book Service, I thought I would post another one with a my supersized order for September that I got early this week.  It was pretty amazing...

Am I the only person who gets excited when I know that there is a package coming in the mail?  I love checking and rechecking the tracking confirmation until I know it is waiting on my front porch for me to carefully tear in to.  The box this time was pretty big and heavy.

So much stuff...and ooooooohhhhhh...a new t-shirt.

So...what do we have here?  Well, we have the new Previews with Marvel suppliment, nine single issues (two issues of X-Factor, two issues of The Boys, three issues of the Thunderbolts, Wolverine: Debt of Death, and a issue of Avengers Academy), twelve trades (American Vampire, Axe Cop, Avengers Prime, Irredeemable, Uncanny X-Force, Chew, Hellboy, Morning Glories, Wolverine, Crossed, iZombie, and Uncanny X-Men), and an awesome SHIELD t-shirt.  Pretty sweet haul, don't you think.  One of the biggest reasons it was so big was that my order got held an extra week to wait for the new Previews to get released, so it usually isn't that big of an order, but it was nice all the same. Some of the trades, I am giving something a shot to see if I will like it.  Like American Vampire, Uncanny X-Force, Avengers Prime, and Uncanny X-Men and the rest are all things I like.  Some I like more than others, but overall they still get my money whenever they come out (especially Chew and Hellboy).  Anyway, hope you see something there that might peak your interest and have you head down to your LCS (like Collectables Etc. if you are in the Central Kentucky Area).  Thanks for looking in my box.  Till next time, imaginary readers.

Tradio #13 - Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer

This week's Tradio continues that Halloween theme with a vampire hunter of a very different kind.  I give you, Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins from SLG Publishing.

You only think you know the story of Pinocchio...a dark tale, full of darker violence, and pitch black...ok...not really.  Though the story is in black and white and does have a dark take on the story of Pinocchio, it is very much an all ages read with plenty of wit and comedy to go around.  The story centers on Pinocchio and Geppetto being attacked by vampires who kill Geppetto and through an act of luck, Pinocchio discovers a new use for that wooden nose of his.  After this encounter, Pinocchio sets out to avenge his "father" with the help of Master Cherry the carpenter and the Blue Fairy.  The premise is truly inspired and the book is a lot of fun.  Does he get revenge on those that killed Geppetto?  Does he ever become a real boy?  Is there really a weapon called the Monsterminator?  Read it and find out.

As you can tell, I loved the book and it even got passed around at one of my schools by some of the teachers.  The art fits the tone and the writing is really good and very tongue in cheek.  You can't go wrong with this book and there have been a few sequels since that you may want to check out.  You really can't go wrong with Pinocchio: Vampire Hunter.  Till next time...

Candycorn and Scary Movies...Part Two!

Darn it!  I could not stop myself.  I kept thinking and thinking and there are so many good scary/horror movies that I love and I only pick thirteen!  Really?!?! So...I did some soul searching and here are thirteen other awesome ones that you can't go wrong with...

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Really in so many ways the movie that started it all.  Modern horror started here.  Scary and thought-provoking; it's as much a horror movie as it is a social commentary on what was going on at the time and the black and white still helps create a disturbing and minimalist masterpiece.

The Descent - What starts as a girls' weekend trip to go caving, quickly turns bad as they get lost and then gets really bad as they discover that they are not alone in the caves.  Strong women characters fighting for their lives while they are trapped with no escape.  Not for the claustrophobic.

Scream - Oh how quickly we forget just how good this movie was.  Sure the series got less and less good as time went on, but the original and arguably the first sequel were great.  Smart and funny and scary and launched and/or killed a few film careers all the while reinventing a genre for a new generation.

The Exorcist - Heck...the scenes in the hospital are scary enough for most people, but the movie is so disturbing in so many ways.  One of those few horror movies that are based on things that might have happened and it is all the scarier for it.

The Shining - Few things are scarier than Jack Nicholson at his best and this...this is him at his best.  The sense of isolation only adds to the overall sense of dread that looms over the whole movie.  Add to it a creepy kid, gallons of blood, and random disturbing scenes and you will forgive the lackluster ending.

The Keep - Why this movie isn't more widely available, I will never know.  To my knowledge, it isn't on either DVD or Blu-Ray, but it can occasionally be found on Laser Disk, VHS, and streaming.  Michael Mann creates a masterpiece of horror complete with Nazis, angels, and a very menacing evil force.  Add to it a great performance from Ian McKellen and you end up with a movie that more people need to see.

Saw - The movie that started the whole "torture-porn" thing was actually really good.  We tend to forget that it was good more for the intelligence it brought and less about gore...though that was lost in the subsequent sequels.  Twisty and suspenseful and will keep you guessing till the very end.

The Faculty - Two words...John Stewart.  No...not the Green Lantern, but the actor...as a teacher in a creature feature with a modern twist.  Strong performances that play on the sense of alienation we all had in high school creates an update to the whole Invasion of the Body Snatchers trope.

Halloween - Just the music alone will make you draw the covers up close to you.  Arguably the best of the slasher movies was a low budget wonder that made a career for John Carpenter.  So many jump out of your seat moments that will have you yelling for Jamie Lee Curtis to just get out of the house already.

Frailty - Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey in a movie that should so be a stinker is so very good.  The tale of brothers raised to kill demons by their father and how their lives change as they grow up.  The twist end is one that you will make you smack your forehead for not seeing coming. 

The Wicker Man (1973) - My God...not that Nick Cage turd.  No...the original with Count Dooku and that guy from The Equalizer.  The story of a good cop trying to solve a murder that doesn't seem to want to be solved that snowballs to and ending that is disturbing in so many ways.

Nosferatu - Black and white and silent and so very creepy.  As much a propaganda piece about Jews as a horror movie, it features one of the most iconic representations of a vampire.  Should be watched before seeing...

Shadow of the Vampire - ...this one.  A movie about the making of Nosferatu where the vampire really is a vampire.  Disturbing and funny at times with probably the best use of Willam Dafoe's funny shaped head to add to the creepiness of the vampire character.  A really good movie with a satisfying and scary end.

Man...that was fun.  I hope I finally have that out of my system.  I so love this time of year.  Feel free to add your own ideas of awesome movies...I love finding new stuff.  Till next time...

Tradio #12 - Hack/Slash: My Favorite Maniac

This week's Tradio is for the collected Hack/Slash: My First Maniac written by Tim Seeley with art by Daniel Leister and published by Image Comics.  Halloween approaches and I love me some scary books.

Hack/Slash: My First Maniac collects the four issue mini series by the same name that centers around a young lady by the name of Cassie Hack.  Sixteen years old and moving in with a new set of foster parents after she had to kill her mother and a murder called the Lunch Lady.  You know...typical teenager angst.  Anyway, the series centers on her dealing with the past events as they catch up to her in the present and we see her having to take down a self-styled serial killer based off a video game killer named Grinface.  We see how a young lady tries to fit into a new world with new friends and new adults, all the while trying to escape a past that doesn't want to let her go.  You can tell that the writer has a love for 80's slasher movies and the art titillates as well as scares, like a good slasher movie should. 

Overall, there was more that I liked than I didn't like.  The art is good, the writing is good, the coloring is good, but overall, it didn't grab me like I wanted it to.  From what I understand, this series was to be an introduction to new readers to the Hack/Slash series as it moved from Devils Due Publishing to Image Comics and I think it does a fair job with that, but I didn't feel that the overall story was as important as it should have been.  It is not bad, by any means, but it just isn't for me.

So...want to give it a try and see for yourself?  Just drop me a line at my email paleriderofdoom@gmail.com and I will randomly pick someone at random before the next Tradio is posted and send this trade right out to you.  As Halloween approaches, it might be a fun tale to get  you the 'holiday spirit" so to speak.  Hope to hear from you soon.

Anyone Up For Some Candycorn and Scary Movies?

I love fall!  Especially the whole month of October and Halloween.  Nothing in the world I like better than a good scary movie.  I thought I would spotlight ten thirteen of my favorites that you might want to check out to get you in the mood to pull the covers over your head and and snuggle with your honey...

Near Dark - A movie about vampires.  Not gothic, sexy, or sparkly, but the way they should be...dirty and bloody and not at all nice.  This movie was made by and with a lot of people behind Aliens and it is scary and fun and the way I like my vampires.  With Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, and Lance Henriksen.

Session 9 - Quite possibly the greatest thing David Caruso has ever been in.  A team goes in to clean out asbestos from an old mental institution that is getting renovated.  The patients are gone, but the memories of what went on there remain.  So creepy and Caruso delivers the best "f-you" ever in recorded cinema.

The Sentinel - A couple find an apartment at an amazing price that just happens to be full of creepy/crazy tenants and just might be over a gate to hell.  Scary and more than a little uncomfortable with a final scene that uses a ton of people with actual physical deformities that will haunt your nightmares for a few days after.

Slither - Nathan Fillion...as a small town sheriff...fighting a alien invasion...and it is hilarious and more than a little scary at times.  Smart and funny and it reminds you that Nathan Fillion is more than Mal or Capt. Hammer.

Shaun of the Dead - A no brainer, right?  ...um...that might have been a bad joke...  Another funny and scary movie that introduced me to Simon Pegg.  A ton of fun and will scare...just go watch it again...

The Thing - If this movie doesn't make you uncomfortable and scare your pants off, you are not paying attention.  Claustrophobic and will make your skin crawl.  Kurt Russell back when he was on top of his game was amazing to watch and the special effects from the days before CGI are nothing short of creepy as hell.

Alien - I have always thought of this as more of a horror movie than a sci-fi movie.  It creates such a sense of unease and dread and you never know where or when the title creature will strike next.  A movie that will get your heart pumping and holding your breathe at the same time.

The Audition - Awwwww...Japanese horror.  Usually more creepy and it has any right to be and this one has always affected me more than most.  A man is pushed by a friend to hold a fake audition to find a new companion after his wife passes away and he gets a lot more than he bargained for.  So visually disturbing and the end sequence is so unsettling.  Do not watch on a full tummy.

The Ring - Yes...the American one.  While the original one is great...this is the rare remake where they get it right.  The Japanese know that little girls are creepy and it translates really well here.  It puts a modern spin on horror that works really well.

Let Me In - I know it is blasphemy, but I like this remake a whole lot better than the original.  Much more streamlined and the scares are a little creepier.  Additionally, just the cinematography alone is worth the time watching it.  It is one of those rare scary movies where you really connect with the "monster" and don't feel as bad for the victims as you probably should.

The Blair Witch Project - Forget about the horrible sequel.  The original was great...especially the first time you ever saw it.  A movie where the scares are so much about what you don't see instead of the film makers pushing big computer effects in your face.  The sense of isolation and confusion really hit a nerve in all of us that leads to creeps that work.

28 Days Later - An abandoned London with scores of rage-filled people reduced to slobbing, wailing creatures.  Scary and fast-paced and you will yell at the screen for Cillian Murphy not to say anything in the church scene. 

Wolf Creek - Based on true events.  Few things are scarier in a horror movie and this one...oh this one is amazing.  You will never want to go on a road trip to somewhere in the middle of nowhere again...at least not in Australia.  No ghosts, werewolves, vampires, or monsters of any kind.  Just a crazy man, who is not as crazy as you wish he were.

So...there are some great movies to get you started this Halloween season.  Let us here any movie suggestions you may have.  Oh and while you are snuggling up to watch these, put equal parts candycorn, peanuts, and M&Ms in a bowl and grub heartily while you pull the covers up close.  Till next time...