TITLE: Hydro Thunder Hurricane
PLATFORM: XBLA
DEVELOPER: Vector Unit
PUBLISHER: Microsoft Game Studios
ESRB: E
RELESASED: July 28

By Eric Stuckart
Creator, Destroyer

The second release in Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade event is Hydro Thunder Hurricane, the sequel to the arcade classic Hydro Thunder. The powerboat racing game is steeped in the original arcade racer’s nostalgia, and makes for a fun, fast paced racer.

At the start of the game, there are only a few challenges open and a single boat available, but placing in events earn the players points based on rank. Points unlock everything in the game from boats and paint jobs to new events. As the game progresses, the player will learn that there are three difficulty tiers, Novice, Pro and Expert, applied to both the events and the boats.

There are four types of events that players can take part in: Race, Ringmaster, Gauntlet and Championship. Races are self-explanatory; featuring sixteen contestants in total, while Ringmaster tasks you with racing through rings on the course, slalom-style, and Gauntlet is a time trial of sorts, except that the courses are full of exploding barrels that need to be avoided. Championship events combine the other three events into multi-event competitions for more points.

Image from joystiq.com.

The main name of the game is speed, first and foremost. So much emphasis is put on this that the borderline-inane game announcer is always yammering on about you needing to use, get more, or are running out of boost. What is boost? Boost is speed. Throughout the game’s eight courses are nitrous cans that both add to the boat’s speed and allow you to jump. Also, players can use boost to jump over other opposing boats on the courses. Skilled players will learn quickly the fine art of ‘drafting’, or driving in opponents’ wakes to get a bit of a speed boost and jump over them to overtake them in races.

The game’s ‘easy to learn, difficult to master’ aesthetic is put to the test, as the difficulty curve ramps up considerably once getting through the Novice events and a portion of the Pro ones. The Expert levels get to a near-impossible level of challenge, but that calls for no more than a need of practice. Besides, the game’s point system allows for players to replay previously won events as many times as necessary to unlock everything in the game, so there’s no need to feel forced into getting better just to open up all the game’s tracks and events.

For completists and achievement hounds, there are ten hidden packages in each level; some are easy to find, while others are not. Also, intrepid players will go out of their way to find the hidden shortcuts in each of the tracks, as having a good memory will take them far in the game’s more difficult courses later on

But this wouldn’t be a Hydro Thunder game without the theatrics. The original’s loud, in your face nature has not been forgotten, and the level design won’t let you forget it. Players will be subjected to such ridiculous tracks as Lost Babylon, a race through ancient ruins in the jungle, complete with river monsters, and Area 51, which takes a detour through another planet. Want to see what it’s like to race through the Halls of Asgard? It’s here. If this all sounds tongue in cheek, that’s because it’s supposed to, and it makes for a lighthearted gaming experience not really touched on in this gaming generation’s obsession with realism and seriousness.

Image from joystiq.com.

While the single player has plenty of ground to cover and will take even racing game enthusiasts a good amount of time to complete, there is an equally fun multiplayer aspect, which is sure to be a big draw for the game. Hydro Thunder Hurricane features local splitscreen as well as online multiplayer, but I for one will be using the local multiplayer much more.

With fast load times, fast paced races, and a heavy emphasis on fun, I really can’t find too much to complain about with this game. It’s visuals don’t live up to the standard of, say, your average sixty dollar full retail game, but that really shouldn’t be counted against it, as this downloadable title is a fourth of the cost of the average new game, and with plenty of replay factor and a hell of a lot more imagination to its track design than the average racing game, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a must have for fans of arcade racers.

RATING: 8/10

Front page image from joystiq.com.

TITLE: Dinner For Schmucks
STARRING: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
DIRECTOR: Jay Roach
STUDIO: Spyglass Entertainment
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 114 min
RELEASED: July 30

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

“Thank God for Steve Carell.”

That’s what the cast and crew of Dinner For Schmucks should be saying to themselves right about now. Without Carell, this movie wouldn’t have much going for it.

Dinner For Schmucks is an Americanized version of a French film with the same premise entitled The Dinner Game. In order to get a big promotion, Tim (Paul Rudd) is invited to a company dinner party to which employees must bring an “idiot” to. Whoever brings the biggest idiot wins…something. I’m not sure what, exactly. But in Tim’s case, it would have earned him a promotion.

Enter Barry, an IRS employee and mouse taxidermist Tim meets on the street one day. Barry is an idiot…for some reason. We’re never given a concrete reason for why Barry is so different, he just is. He’s socially incompetent, always says the wrong thing, and has a lot of the traits of your typical buffoon-with-a-heart-of-gold character.

Thus, the predictable story unfolds: Barry comes into Tim’s life, Barry ruins Tim’s life piece by piece, Tim gets mad at Barry but sees that he has good intentions, and you can probably figure the rest out for yourself.

Photo from RottenTomatoes.com.

Schmucks is a predictable, textbook ’80s/’90s odd-couple comedy. The only thing that might make it stand out at all is Steve Carell’s work. Most of the laughs come from Barry saying things that are bizarre, out of left field, or given some of Carell’s funny inflections or vocal tones. Paul Rudd, whose comedic chops are well documented, is stuck playing the straight man to Carrell’s buffoon. Zach Galifianakis (who officially has the hardest name to spell since Arnold Schwarzenegger) gets some laughs, and he and Carell have good chemistry. But Galifianakis’ screen time is limited. Jemaine Clement plays a weird artist character that did almost nothing for  me.

The most disappointing thing about this film is it felt like it could have been so much better. We’ve seen Carell and Rudd do fantastic work together in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Director Jay Roach also has a great background, having directed the Austin Powers and Meet The Parents films. No doubt the studio was hoping to capture some of that magic with Schmucks, but the material simply isn’t good enough.

Dinner For Schmucks made me laugh at certain points, but on the whole it wasn’t a good movie. One of the elements that undoubtedly led to its downfall is moviegoers will likely expect it to be in a similar league as Anchorman, Virgin, and some of the other great comedies Rudd and Carell have worked on. But it doesn’t hold a candle to any of them.

Bottom line: Don’t be a Schmuck. Wait for this movie to pop up on cable.

RATING: 3/10

Front page image from RottenTomatoes.com.

ARTIST: Periphery
ALBUM TITLE: Periphery
RECORD LABEL: Sumerian Records
RELEASED: April 20th

By Justin Polak
Co-founder, Ambassador to the Mushroom Kingdom

I love the progressive genre.  From the early 70′s psychedelic based bands to the modern heavy metal ones, I am always in the mood for an epic sounding adventure.  Periphery clearly wants to throw their hat in the ring with their self-titled debut, but does it pull me like so many progressive albums I got into throughout the years?  Well, the answer is both yes and no.

I’ll start with the good news.  The album does have fast, layered guitar work, which I’ll admit I am a sucker for.  Even though the solos don’t compare to other works I have heard, by no means are they bad.  With time, I am sure I’ll appreciate them more.  The drum work is also amazing.  This is the first band in quite some time that had me focusing on percussion more so than other instruments.  I find this especially odd because a lot of their songs have a similar tempo.  Sure, it’s talented when you go all over the place with drums, but they must have done something right to hold my attention without resorting to changing it up all the time.

I also thought the electronic elements, though mainly present at the end of a few tracks, were very unique.  I certainly wasn’t prepared to hear anything like that on this album, and it caught me off guard in a good way when I first heard it.  I only wish that they incorporated it in their actual songs more instead of using them as a way to close off the last minute of a song.  It’s a shame too, because I believe Periphery could have pulled it off after giving this album a few listens.

Photo from myspace.com/periphery.

Which brings me to the bad news.  The similar tempos for most of the album may have worked for drum track, but I couldn’t stand the rhythm guitar.  Look, I love a good “jugga-jugga-ja-jugga jugga” as much as the next man, but I found it very distracting as it is present in just about every song.  Maybe it was mixed too loud for me, or maybe I couldn’t help but imagine a twenty stringed guitar set to 11.  Oh sure, that sounds awesome on paper, but it was just too damn distorted–and I love distortion!

I also can’t get behind the vocals.  I honestly tried…I really did.  I mean, I have no problem with Robert Smith’s vocals for god’s sake, but Spencer Soleto’s voice sounds too cartoonish when it reaches a low growl.  When it get’s high, it makes Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta fame sound tame, which I guess accomplishes something.  Be warned:  If you are anyone who absolutely can’t stand vocals that constantly switch from dirty to clean on a moments notice, then you won’t be a fan of Periphery.  I personally let it pass, but as I made clear by now, I just wish they were better.

I will say that there were a couple of moments on the album that I can’t help but mention, as I believe it shows Periphery has much room to grow, and can be a serious contender in the Progressive Metal genre.  At the end of one of the tracks midway through the album, there is a sketch that briefly talks about the band members in a mock 40′s style advertisement.  It was amusing, but not laugh out loud funny.  The reason why this is notable to me is that it shows that Periphery doesn’t take themselves seriously, which I think is key to any progressive band’s lifespan.

The other moment is the closing track “Racecar,” which is a fifteen minute monster that did a flawless job of holding my attention.  I could take or leave the other tracks on any given day depending on my mood, but I will always be ready for “Racecar.”  It has a haunting melody which sounds like a grotesque version of early Yes, believe it or not.  If “Racecar” is a sign of things to come from Periphery, then we might just have another winner on our hand.  But for now, their self-titled debut makes for an interesting listen, nothing more.

RATING: 6.5/10

Front page image from sumerianrecords.com.

TITLE: Modnation Racers
PLATFORM: PS3, PSP
DEVELOPERS: United Front Games, SCE San Diego Studio
PUBLISHER: Sony Computer Entertainment
ESRB: E
RELEASED: May 25

Wow. Okay…hang on a sec. After a few rounds of Modnation Racers, I think I might be color blind. Think I’m kidding? There’s actually a warning before the intro, telling people prone to epileptic seizures to be mindful when playing. Combine that with the tiny white text placed on bright-colored backgrounds in between gameplay sequences, and this game will irradiate your eyeballs.

But if you can get past that (maybe wear some sunglasses?) it’s actually a pretty cool game.

Modnation Racers is more or less exactly what it sounds like: A kart racing game featuring colorful characters and cartoony action. The most obvious comparison to be made here is to the Super Mario Kart games. And from a gameplay stand point, the Modnation and Mario Kart are indeed cut from the same cloth.

Thankfully, Modnation is able to establish an identity all its own by allowing the player an unprecedented and unparalleled number of creative possibilities. Players can create their own characters, their own race cars, and even their own race tracks. The longer you play the game, the more doors and possibilities open up. It’s almost overwhelming to have to much freedom.

Image from playstationlifestyle.net.

The player takes the role of Tag, a graffiti artist and wannabe racer who ends up in the big leagues, and has to take on the best of the best. Though Tag starts off with a specific car, costume and body, he can be changed on a whim throughout the game. Just look at the characters on the box. Look at all their different skin colors, costumes and cars. THOSE are the kind of options you have to work with.

The game also has infinite replay potential. Whether you want to throw your own customized racer in against your buddies, or hop online and compete with some teenager from Arizona, if you’re into this game, chances are you’ll be happy for a long, LONG time.

The actual racing mechanics have their ups and downs. In my experience, if you’ve played one racing game, you’ve (to an extent) played them all. So in that sense, the controls were easy to pick up. I found the steering to be a little wild, but that may have been my relative inexperience with racing games in effect. Also, I found the power up/weapons/shield system hard to get used to. Similar to Mario Kart, the race tracks are all littered with power ups. Each power up grants Tag more energy, which he can use to power the numerous features on his cart. But again, that might simply be a matter of putting more time into the game.

Image from gamerfaqs.com.

In all honesty, the biggest problem I have with Modnation is the color scheme for the menus in between gameplay. They’re an eyesore. As I type this, it’s been over an hour since I shut the game off, and I’ve still got traces of a headache. When the inevitable sequel comes around, the folks at United Front seriously need to chillax on all the loud colors.

But despite the fact that my family’s black cat now appears to be yellow with pink polkadots, Modnation Racers is a fun experience for gamers, particularly those that love to customize their avatars for a more personalized experience.

RATING: 9/10

Front page image from thegameraccess.com.

TITLE: Die Hard: Year One, Vol. 1
AUTHOR: Howard Chaykin
ARTIST: Stephen Thompson
COLLECTS: Die Hard: Year One #1-4
FORMAT: Hardcover
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $19.99
RELEASED: April 13

It’s John McClane’s turn to get the year one treatment, as Die Hard: Year One explores the origins of the unstoppable action hero when he was a lowly New York City cop.  When I first heard about this comic, I was stoked seeing how I am a huge Die Hard fan.  On top of that, I always wondered what the early days of McClane were like, seeing how he was somewhat of a veteran even in the first Die Hard film.  Is Year One an awesome spectacle of McClane’s exploits, or does it fall flat like Hans Gruber?

To be honest, I am sort of mixed on this one.  One, it is very interesting to see McClane in regular Cop clothes—and with a full head of hair!  To see New York in the summer of 1976, celebrating the country’s bicentennial celebration is also a very obvious and Die Hardish set up.  However, the story as a whole is odd and very awkwardly executed.

My first problem is the constant monologuing.  Imagine if you heard the inner thoughts of McClane in the movies; the dialogue would be cluttered and would get in the way with the action on screen.  Only in the comic I found my eye darting around far too often because keeping up with all of the sporadic text.  It didn’t hinder my comprehension of the story, but it made for a very annoying read at certain points.

Die Hard #4, Page 15

The other problem is story itself.  You will not find a high octane action fueled rollercoaster story here.  Nope, no seeing McClane perform the impossible and flaunt it in the face of death, for the most part.  The story is a crime drama, while told well, just does not feel like Die Hard. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go into this thinking McClane would be shooting two rifles and shouting his most famous catchphrase at all times.  It’s just that it’s very disorienting to see a Die Hard storyline to be so tame.  I didn’t expect, or want, his origin story to outdo any of his movie adventures, but even McClane himself looked bored.

Having said that, the artwork is gorgeous.  McClane looks a little strange to me, but that just might be his 70′s hair and law enforcement attire throwing me off from what I would expect from the Die Hard films. I did feel like I was looking back into the 70′s as I turned through the pages.  The only problem I had is that some of the facial expressions were a bit too cartoonish for me.

At the end of the day it is only worth checking out if you are a hardcore Die Hard fan.  I do have hope for the series as time goes on because it does end with more potential for John McClane to really get himself into trouble, like we are all used to seeing.  However, for now, Die Hard: Year One isn’t much to brag about.

5/10

TITLE: Broken Bells
ARTIST: Broken Bells
RECORD LABEL: Columbia
RELEASED: March 9

TITLE: Dark Knight of the Soul
ARTIST: Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse
RECORD LABEL: Capitol Records
RELEASE: July 13

By Chris Kromphardt
Staff Writer, Justice Administrator

One is already a stand-out album of 2010. The other was just released July 13, despite being originally slated to come out—and leaking—back in 2009. Their common denominator: producer/self-proclaimed auteur Danger Mouse.

In a 2006 interview with Chuck Klosterman, Danger Mouse—who at the time had been producing Demon Days with the Gorillaz and St. Elsewhere as Gnarls Barkley along with Cee-Lo—likened his approach to producing to writer-director Woody Allen’s approach to filmmaking. Mouse describes an epiphany he had after watching several of Allen’s films: “‘Why do I relate so much to this white 60-year-old Jewish guy? Why do I understand his neurosis?…And what I realized is that they worked because Woody Allen was an auteur.’” Danger Mouse sought to emulate this creative approach as he says no other music producer has, envisioning his role in producing—directing—musicians as guiding them so as to realize the singular conception that is in his head.

Danger Mouse’s producing role enables him to work on numerous projects with multiple artists at a pace any one musician would be crazy to try to match. Earlier this year another Danger Mouse-produced album, Brothers by the Black Keys, was released. His polygamous approach to musicmaking provides a lot of music to sift through to assess his claim of being an auteur.

Broken Bells is the self-titled release by the duo of Danger Mouse and singer James Mercer of The Shins. (Mercer also appears in a track on Dark Night of the Soul, ”Insane Lullaby”, actually predating Broken Bells). It helps to think of Mercer as the lead actor; DeNiro to Mouse’s Scorcese. His work with The Shins was good but often repetitive, whereas Broken Bells sees Mercer demonstrating much greater range. “The Ghost Inside” is a great example of layered vocals; all of them are Mercer’s, some in falsetto, some not.

Danger Mouse lays the foundation with a catchy syncopation, and numerous audible flourishes seamlessly accompany Mercer’s alternating singing styles. A talented producer working with a clear vision and a versatile leading man makes Broken Bells an album you’ll actually want to listen through in its entirety—and if you’re like me, many, many times—because each song’s fresh and yet part of a cohesive whole.

Dark Night of the Soul sees a lot more people thrown into the mix, including an actual director, David Lynch (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks). Lynch himself could be considered an auteur, given that his work exemplifies the leitmotif of being pretty messed up. Most tracks are performed by different artists, including The Flaming Lips, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Mercer, and Iggy Pop (Lynch provides some vocals as well); as a result it’s hard to assess Danger Mouse’s role—if any—as an auteur, especially because he shares credit with Sparklehorse.

Talking about Dark Night, he said: “As we finished the songs with the various artists, we started to notice some interesting patterns…We’d never given specific direction to any of the singers involved, nor had we played them any of the other songs on the album. Yet there seemed to be common themes in the lyrics and feel of the songs. There was pain, revenge, war, twisted dreams and other beautifully haunting visual aspects to it all.”

Dark Night of the Soul doesn’t suffer from lack of vision in the slightest, but it’s one where all of the parts are key; it’s collaborative. The change in style from song to song does create an ambiance of delirium, and as accompanied by the booklet of photographs that’s Lynch’s handiwork, the album’s a pretty harrowing experience.

So what conclusions can we draw from Broken Bells and Dark Night of the Soul about Danger Mouse’s auteur aspirations? The former is a clear example of such a theory, while the latter is more of an accidental one. Danger Mouse doesn’t just produce singles—in fact, he leaves the singing and a lot of lyric writing to the musicians. So, because it seems, short of consulting a director’s commentary, that it’s difficult to discern Danger Mouse’s role on individual tracks, perhaps it’s wise to evaluate his body of work on whole albums; both Broken Bells and Dark Night of the Soul exhibit album-wide vision.

Or to put another way: Woody Allen? Meet Danger Mouse.

RATINGS:
Broken Bells: 9.5/10
Dark Night of the Soul: 8/10

Front page image from vitalicnoise.com.

ARTIST: Avenged Sevenfold
ALBUM TITLE: Nightmare
RECORD LABEL: Warner Bros.
RELEASED: July 27

By Eric Stuckart
Creator, Destroyer

It may have took the loss of brother, friend and drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, but Avenged Sevenfold have managed to push through the grief and loss by creating one of the most solid and impressive releases of their careers.

Sure, the album still stretches beyond a number of genres, and some work better than others, but their anything goes attitude and mix of G’n’R’s snarl, Metallica’s heft and a bunch of other more disparate influences culminates in a great rock record.

Nightmare, their fifth full length and third on Warner Bros, opens with the self-titled track and some tinkling ivories, a nod to their flair for the theatrical, and the band clearly just go for broke this time around. Some of their past trademarks have returned from the dead; M. Shadow’s screaming, for one, is a welcome return, and should finally quiet the rumors that he wasn’t able to do it anymore.

Photo from avenged-sevenfold.web.id.

When the band announced that Sullivan had passed away late last year, they had followed it up saying that they felt it necessary to honor Sullivan and complete the album that he had put so much into. They found a friend in virtuoso drummer Mike Portnoy, of Dream Theater, who stepped behind the drumkit, and the fit is so well that it almost sounds like The Rev never went away. Portnoy wisely plays to his fill-heavy strengths without going too overboard, fitting Sullivan’s style quite well, but his intro mini-solo at the start of “Natural Born Killer” is one hell of a jaw dropper.

This album also shows the band stretching out in some newer directions. The last two minutes of “Buried Alive” wouldn’t sound out of place on a Megadeth album, and the opening to the aforementioned “Natural Born Killer” is likely one of the heaviest songs the band has ever recorded, while “God Hates Us” mashes the sound of their pre-major label days with a heavy dose of Pantera’s stomp and groove, with some of Shadows’ fiercest vocals since Waking the Fallen.

While much of the band’s material has always touched on death and loss, it truly carries a whole new meaning on Nightmare; Sullivan co-wrote all of the songs with the band, and considering his death, much of the lyrical content almost serves eerily as foreshadowing. That heavy atmosphere hangs over the entire album, and it obviously affected their songwriting. Gone are the senseless odes to partying and living dangerously, replaced with odes to loss, regret and death.

“Fiction”, featuring his last recorded vocals, is the kind of song that will make the hairs stand up on your neck, because knowing that he died three days after he completed writing it just really hits home. The song’s first line is him singing “now I think I understand how this world can overcome a man,” and it reads like his last will and testament.

Album closer “Save Me” follows in the band’s tradition of having one epic length song on each of their albums, and this one is no exception. Clocking in a little past the ten minute mark, it’s probably the band’s most accomplished attempt at this yet. Compositionally, the song flows particularly well from one segment to the next without sounding like a hodgepodge of parts. Perhaps it’s due to Mike Portnoy’s experience in these matters with main band Dream Theater, but the song just seems more together than “Strength of the World” or “Little Piece of Heaven”, their last two stabs at overlong songs.

Synyster Gates also has truly come into his own as lead guitarist on this album. His playing has slowly over the past few albums evolved from all flash to actual soulful phrasing. That’s not to say he doesn’t shred; his soloing has also improved exponentially, but his playing is just more evocative.

Overall, Nightmare is a pretty sad album, but this is the type of album that would have never existed were it not for the loss of The Rev. Avenged Sevenfold stepped up to the plate and delivered the most mature, developed album of their careers, and while it’s likely not going to sway the detractors, Nightmare definitely serves as fine tribute to a fallen friend.

RATING: 9/10

Front page image from facebook.com.

TITLE: Batman: Under The Red Hood
WITH THE VOICE TALENTS OF: Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles, John DiMaggio, Neil Patrick Harris, Jason Issacs
DIRECTOR: Brandon Vietti
STUDIO: Warner Premiere
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 75 minutes
RELEASED: July 27

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with this film.

As a die-hard DC Comics fan, these direct-to-DVD films Warner Home Video have been putting out in the last few years have been pretty hit-or-miss with me. Even with Bruce Timm, one of the men behind the iconic Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited as their producer, I have yet to see one that’s really blown me away the way those shows did.

Batman: Under The Red Hood didn’t blow me away either, but it came closer than any of its predecessors did. It wasn’t great, but it was good.

The film is an adaptation of Judd Winick’s big story arc from a few years back called Under The Hood (Winick also wrote the screenplay and pitched it to DC). Without spoiling anything, it ties into the murder of Jason Todd, the second boy to take on the mantle of Robin, at the hands of The Joker. Years later, a new vigilante called The Red Hood appears in Gotham City. Oddly enough, The Red Hood was a title The Joker took before he had his accident and became The Harlequin of Hell we all know. You can probably connect the dots for yourself on this one…

I’ve always had a bit of fanboy fickleness about these direct-to-DVD features, because despite the involvement of Timm, casting director Andrea Romano, and numerous other creators that worked on Batman and Justice League, Kevin Conroy, who voiced The Dark Knight in both those shows hasn’t always been cast as Batman. Yes, I understand they need to branch out, and let other actors play the character. But ask any fanboy, and they’ll tell you Conroy captures the essence of Batman perfectly. The same goes for Mark Hamill, who played The Joker under Timm’s watch. While Conroy has worked on some of these DC features, any time he’s left out, it feels like the movies scores under par by default.

But even with my stubborn demand for Conroy, I have to admit Bruce Greenwood turns in a damn good performance as The Dark Knight. I’m now convinced that if we can’t get Conroy, he’s the next best choice. And considering this was his first time playing the character, that’s saying something. Neil Patrick Harris also plays a good Nightwing, though one could easily tell he was lowering his register at times. It’s harder to judge Jensen Ackles’ performance as The Red Hood, because this movie marks the first time (to my knowledge) that character has been portrayed on film. But I had no problems with what he did.

Image from DC Comics.com.

In terms of performance, the film’s biggest question mark is John DiMaggio, who plays The Joker (and oddly enough, Bender on Futurama). It felt like he grew into the character more as the movie progressed, but it wasn’t consistent. He was calm and collected at the start of the film, but he lacked a certain underlying lunacy that he had at the end. Now that he’s got one performance under his belt, I’d be open to seeing him try again, but he was average at most in this film.

What surprised me (and a lot of other fans, from what I’ve been reading) is some of the violence in this film. It has more blood than any animated DC film I’ve seen, and it has some really gruesome action, mostly from The Red Hood himself. For instance, there’s a scene where he causes a thug to burst into flames, and we see his body flailing. There’s also a brutal fist fight between he and Batman in (of all places) a bathroom, where you can almost feel their bodies slam against the porcelain. It’s actually really cool. You’d never see that in Batman: The Animated Series.

The emotional center of the film revolves around Batman, The Joker, and the death of Jason Todd. For my money, one flaw the film had was that we learned about Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Jason as the film progressed, instead of at least having a strong emotional scene up front. I think that would have allowed the Jason Todd character to carry a bit more weight during the movie, thus making certain scenes mean that much more.

The movie also has a bit of a rushed pace, which unfortunately is something I’ve come to expect from these DVDs. I always get the impression that if they could make the material into a miniseries or something, they could absolutely knock it out of the park.

The DVD also includes a bonus short film featuring Jonah Hex, which a lot of fans will tell you blows the movie out of the water. We also get a look at Superman/Batman: Apocolypse (which DOES have Kevin Conroy in it!), and various trailers for other DC animated movies.

I feel like Bruce Timm and his crew upped their game a bit with Under The Red Hood, because of the more emotional subject matter, and some of the intense fighting sequences. It’s not perfect, and it didn’t blow me away, but I think they’re that much closer to making a movie that does. As long as you know what shortcomings you’re facing with this film, and you can live with them, I’d say it’s worth a buy.

RATING: 7.5/10

Front page image from angryweb.net.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder 

Image from WWE.com.

Mark Caponi and Shad Gaspard are venturing into the world of comic books, which is quite a departure from their normal world inside a pro wrestling ring.

Shad Gaspard currently wrestles for World Wrestling Entertainment, simply as “Shad.” Until recently, he had a street thug-type persona, working in a tag team called Cryme Tyme. Caponi is a retired wrestler. He worked with WWE in 2004 and 2005 as “Muhammad Hassan,” a Middle Eastern character tired of being stereotyped and held down because of prejudices related to 9/11. Hassan’s persona was extremely controversial, and WWE was eventually forced to drop it altogether, and subsequently release him from his contract.

Image courtesy of Gaspard's MySpace page.

Now, the two have come together as the writers of Assassin & Son: Path of Vengeance, which will be released by Blackline Comics, with the art done by Randy Valiente. 

Its release date has yet to be announced, but Gaspard recently posted the cover and synopsis on his MySpace page. 

Gaspard called the book a “gritty crime/action adventure revolving around Donovan Braddock, one of the world’s deadliest assassins, and his young son Matthew. Donovan Braddock is part of an elite crime syndicate known as “The Horsemen,” given their name because each member represents one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Donovan Braddock is known as The Horseman of Death, a deadly assassin who is struggling with his conscience and his job. That is until he meets a mysterious woman named Jasmine, and everything changes. He must now choose between the job he was born to do, and his own conscience struggling with his inner demons, as well as the deadliest men of the world’s dark underbelly. He tries to leave his old life behind, but his wife is murdered  in front of him and their young son, leaving them with no choice but to walk as Assassin & Son on their path of vengeance…”

The official web site for Blackline Comics can be found here. 

Front page image from ecwfrenchtribute.free.fr.

Image from Newsarama.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder 

Dwayne McDuffie, who famously served as a writer and producer for Justice League Unlimited announced on his blog today that Warner Home Video’s next direct-to-DVD feature involving DC Comics will be an adaptation of All Star Superman, the best-selling miniseries by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. McDuffie is attached as a writer.

Released in 2005, the 12-issue series went on to win an Eisner Award in 2006 for “Best New Series,” and won the same award for “Best Continuing Series” in 2007. It also won two Eagle Awards in 2006 for “Favorite New Comics Book” and “Favorite Comics Cover” (for issue 1). 

The plot focuses on Superman’s response to the revelation that he has only a year left to live. 

Warner Home Video’s latest DC release, Batman: Under the Red Hood, was released today, and will be reviewed on Primary Ignition later this week.