Reviews

Comic book review: Blade of Warrior: Kshatriya

Virgin Comics sent us the first issue of Blade of Warrior: Kshatriya, a brand new comic book from writer Arjun Gaind and artist R. Manikandan, and here is a review and a short preview of the first five pages.

The basic plot of the comic covers the history of an ancient Indian kingdom where a young boy is crowned as the next king, but his jealous older brother will have none of it and proceeds to make a deal with an evil spirit to help take back what he feels is rightfully his.


Comic Book review: The Black Coat - 52 page standalone

One of the highlight of Comic Con for me was discovering the comic book series The Black Coat, created by Ben Lichius and Francesco Francavilla. It’s a swashbuckling tale of a Zorro-like hero during The American Revolution period of the United States history, with a hefty dose of monsters and creepy villains thrown in for good measure.

If you enjoy history, and also love comic book superheroes, it’s a great series. The writing and historical aspects of it are fantastic, and the artwork (mostly black and white) seems to jump out at you from the pages.


Movie review: The Hammer (2007) by Mike

Who would have thought Adam Carolla could make a decent romantic comedy about boxing?

Or a decent movie for that matter?

But that’s just what he did in The Hammer, a film that stars Carolla as a 40-year old construction worker who used to be a pretty solid amateur boxer before giving it up.


Movie review: X-Files: I Want To Believe (2008) by Mike

I wanted to believe that the newest X-Files movie was going to be awesome and mind-blowing, but instead experienced what amounted to a long-lost episode from the TV series.

And that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I was a huge fan of the Fox hit and just seeing Fox Mulder and Dana Scully one more time is always welcomed.


Movie Review: You Don’t Mess With The Zohan (2008) by Dave

Zohan Dvir (Adam Sandler) is seemingly the best assassin/anti-terrorist fighter in his country, but he wants to leave that life and become a hair dresser.  He decides to move to America and become just that and along the way meets some terrorists who vow to kill him.  Also, he struggles to get a job as a hair dresser and when he finally does he makes the failing salon he works for become the most popular place in town.  The popularity does bring unwanted attention to himself and his employer though.


The Dark Knight - A second viewing, spoilerific review

I was lucky enough to go see The Dark Knight a second time this weekend, something that I rarely have a desire to do with most films.

In fact, I can name the few movies that I saw in theaters multiple times within a week or two of the opening: All three Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park


Movie Review: The Dark Knight (2008) by Jason

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.


Movie Review: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007) by Dave

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is at it again.  In National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Gates is faced with the accusation that one of his ancestors actually helped in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  As Gates tries to discover the truth and prove the innocence of his family name, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) is trying to use Gates to find the treasure he wants.


The Pop Critics gang reviews The Dark Knight

On Tuesday we posted about a Pop Critics outing in Phoenix to see The Dark Knight. Well, that took place earlier this morning at 3:15 AM. Joining me were Richard Porter, Cap’n Schwartz and The Trousered Ape. If you spend any time reading the comments on our articles here, you know these guys’ names.


Movie review: The Dark Knight (2008) by Mike

To butcher a famous line by Jack Nicholson, the original Joker from Batman:

“I have given a name to my Oscar….and it is Batman.”

More specifically, The Dark Knight.

I know there are movies yet to come this year that will be brilliant and amazing. Maybe the Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be a movie that warrants Academy attention.

But if there was ever going to be a time that an action-packed, superhero adventure was to win that coveted Best Picture OscarThe Dark Knight is it. Hands down. And I wont forget to mention a Best Supporting Actor nod as well.


Movie/DVD Review: “Batman: Gotham Knight” (2008)

I’d been wanting to see Batman: Gotham Knight ever since I first heard about it. The screenshots we saw early on, and then the five-minute scene we posted totally got the blood flowing.

There was another reason to check it out. Word was that it bridged the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, due in theaters this Friday.

That’s all a thing of the past now. I’ve seen it and loved it.


TV Review/Recap: “Flashpoint - Scorpio” (2008 - Pilot)

Another new summer show hit the scene on Friday night. It’s a crime drama called Flashpoint on CBS, and stars a few familiar faces, like Enrico Colantoni and Amy Jo Johnson. The series follows an urban police squad, which we see handling a hostage situation on the very first episode.

The episode was called Scorpio and trying to review it has proved to be somewhat of a conundrum for me. On one hand, it seemed like a normal pilot episode, but on the other it could have almost been a random one from the middle of the season.


Movie review: “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008)

Ah yes, Hellboy, the demon superhero with the red Invulnerable Right Hand of Doom. Oh how I’d want one of those!

After a couple of disappointing efforts in Wanted and Hancock, I went into Hellboy II: The Golden Army looking for something surprising and fresh the week before The Dark Knight comes out and crushes the world as we know it.


Comic book review: “Batman R.I.P.” (Issues #676, 677, 678)

This new, six-issue series by Grant Morrison, called Batman R.I.P., has really been a tough experience for me. So far we’ve gotten half the run, with issues #676, 677 and 678.  The story is supposed to be a massive one for Batman fans, one that you cannot miss.


Movie Review: “Sex and the City” (2008)

I never expected to be writing a review for the Sex and the City movie. I watched some of the television series, but not enough to have any desire to see this film.

But after a summer filled with superheroes, violence and action, a silly romantic comedy actually seemed like it would be refreshing