Having been a casual gamer for the majority of my life, I imagine that those in the know would find it odd that Penny Arcade had previously passed by me unnoticed. First created by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, Penny Arcade quickly established itself as one of the most popular online comics. With its unique brand of satire aimed at the gaming culture, the webcomic became an internet sensation, attracting the attention of gamers and non-gamers alike.
First debuting in 1998 on the website loonygames.com, Penny Arcade’s popularity gradually increased, prompting Krahulik and Holkins to create their own website where Penny Arcade still resides today. With an ever growing readership of over 3 million people a day, Penny Arcade has certainly carved out a niche for itself.
Those heading into the 11½ Anniversary Edition hoping for a “collection” will be sorely disappointed. This more of a documented history of the webcomic’s origins, from Krahulik and Holkin’s first meeting in a spring semester journalism class, to its eventual publication, and concluding with comments from its fans.
Contained within is a detailed retrospective featuring discussions with the creators on their ideas and influences, transcripts, convention photos, as well as commentary on select strips. Also included is a gallery of art and sketches from a multitude of artists. Also of note is a timeline detailing key moments in Penny Arcade’s history. This is broken up into small blurbs that appear at the bottom of every other page.
For those who are not familiar with the series, this book is an excellent primer. It’s clear that a great deal of effort went into making this book something that the fans could truly appreciate. Regardless of whether you were familiar with them before or you are just discovering Penny Arcade for the first time, after digging through the trivia, origins, and interviews it’s impossible not to respect Krahulik and Holkins for everything they have accomplished.
The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: the 11½ Anniversary Edition - A
Black Lagoon Volume 7-8 Story and Art: Rei Hiroe Rating: Mature
Roberta, the head matron of the Lovelace family, returns to Roanapur to dole out vengeance on those who murdered her master, in the process plunging the entire city into a warzone. Sensing the potential chaos this might cause, the heads of their respective mafias hold a meeting to determine just how to handle the situation. Of course it’s not long before Rock and company are dragged into it when a second maid arrives in town seeking them out.
Fabiola, the younger but by-no-means less dangerous maid, is there on behalf of her master, Garcia, to request the aid of the crew in tracking Roberta down. Rock and Benny are more than ready to help but Dutch and Revy would rather not stick their necks out. After an enlightening conversation with Rock, Revy agrees to tag along. Unfortunately for them, Roberta’s target is the United States. Unwilling to let her vendetta interfere with their operations, the mafia decides to take whatever actions necessary to protect their business, even if it means tearing down everyone in their path. Though the bulk of the story focus’ on Roberta’s destructive quest for vengeance, many of the supporting cast also get the spotlight shown on them. Scenes featuring Eda serve to clarify her reason for being in Roanaour and readers are also given a glimpse into Chang’s true character. Even bit characters like Shenhua and Sawyer set their time to shine. Both volumes are filled to the brim with action scenes that stand out as bullets and blood feature heavily. It’s nonstop explosive action done with a Hollywood like flare. The creative layout of the panels and the engaging use of the characters captures the audience and keeps them hooked for the long haul. These are two solid entries into the series. When fans crave an action series with a healthy dose of wit, Black Lagoon will provide ultimate satisfaction. Black Lagoon Volume 7 – A+ Black Lagoon Volume 8 – A+
Ultimo Volume 1 Original Concept: Stan Lee Story and Art: Hiroyuki Takei Rating: Teen
Yamato is your average run-of-the-mill high school student who’s more concerned with getting the girl than he is with saving the world. That all changes when he discovers a mechanical boy named “Ultimo” who is designed to be the “ultimate good”. Unfortunate for him, Yamato becomes tangled up in a centuries old battle between good and evil thanks to a promise his ancestor made to Ultimo in another life.
Ultimo is helmed by two legends of the business, Hiroyuki Takei of Shaman King fame and Stan Lee, the father of modern super heroes. Interestingly enough, Lee is only credited with the original concept while Takei seems to be handling both story and art though the interview within would imply that the two are dovetailing their ideas off one another. Also of note is the fact that Lee is drawn into the story as a means to get the plot rolling.
We find out that Ultimo is just one of hundreds of mechanical creations, also known as Karakuridoji, that are meant to battle each other to decide which is superior: good or evil. Ultimo’s polar opposite is Vice. He is the personification of evil and receives power boosts every time he spreads fear and destruction. Both of them are destined to duel one another until one finally triumphs over another. While Ultimo is entertaining, it does fall into the typical trappings of the shonen genre. The unwilling hero who suddenly discovers a great power all the while being clumsy in front of girls not to mention the Pokemon like setting are prime examples. The art style is also inconsistent as some panels are beautifully detailed while others appear rushed. It doesn’t take away from the overall entertainment but it would be nice to have pages look consistent. The designs of the characters themselves are a plus as their frail bodies and oversized limbs make it different from the majority of the work on the market. Stylistic issues aside, the story is compelling enough that it is worth checking out at least once. At the very least, if for no other reason than to glimpse Stan Lee’s first foray into the world of manga. Good versus evil may be clichéd but Ultimo delivers a read that is satisfying enough that the audience will want to see how the story unfolds.
Dragonball Z; those words have become synonymous with anime. The series, originally crafted by the legendary Akira Toriyama, has captured the attention of its audience and influenced multitudes of creators. More than ten years after ending its run on television, the series has managed to stay in the public eye thanks to countless media offerings ranging from toys to games to DVDs. Funimation, the company that owns the rights to the series, has done a thorough job of keeping Dragonball Z on the market, making it easily accessible for fans both new and old.
This latest release, the Dragon Box, is actually a reproduction of a set released in Japan back in 2003. Housing an impressive 42 episodes, the Dragon Box sets have long been looked at as the definitive release of the series. Using the original Japanese film cells, the series is digitally restored. This means less grain, more vibrant colors, and even the music the 5.1 surround sound treatment. As if that wasn’t enough, the episodes are presented in their original aspect ratio, a point of controversy that was caused when earlier releases cropped them.
The episodes collected here are comprised of the Namek and Ginyu sagas which are in turn part of a larger arc commonly referred to as the Freeza saga. The set picks up with Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma arriving on planet Namek hoping to use the dragon balls to wish their friends who perished in the battle with the saiyans back to life. Back on Earth, Goku is hospitalized after the climactic battle with Vegeta and thus kept out of the majority of the action. Elsewhere, Vegeta, having healed his own wounds has also set his sights toward Namek with the goal of achieving immortality. Even worse, the galactic tyrant Freeza, whose power dwarfs anything the Z-fighters have faced before, also desires the dragon balls and has already begun laying siege to the planet and its populace.
While Gohan and Krillin opt to keep hidden until Goku arrives, Vegeta slowly whittles away at Freeza’s empire, even managing to steal the dragon balls he had acquired to that point. This prompts an outraged Freeza to call in his five strongest soldiers, the Ginyu Force. Meanwhile, Goku makes preparations for the upcoming battle, training in 100x Earth’s normal gravity as he touches down on Namek, just in time to prevent the Ginyu Force from slaughtering his friends. Goku dispatches the Ginyus, critically injuring himself in the process.
Having suffered one humiliation after another, Freeza enters the fray, leaving Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta in dire straits until Goku recovers.The sudden appearance of Piccolo helps to tip the scales but does little to stave off Freeza’s relentless asualt as he reveals his terrifying ability to transform. With Freeza’s power steadily increasing, the grim reality begins to set in that not everyone will make it out of this alive.
This selection of episodes represents some of the best the series has to offer. The dramatic tension is affecting as the odds are continuously stacked against the desperate warriors.
Action has always been Dragonball Z’s strong pointand this set doesn’t disappoint, featuring multiple battles between Vegeta and Freeza’s various henchmen. If there is one drawback it’s that a few of the fights are drawn out and should only last half as long as they actually do.
This is a stellar DVD in both packaging and design. Included is a hardcover book with character biographies, sketches, and episode summaries. The disks themselves are housed within a pair of attractive books that, when put together form an image of Goku.
Despite this possibly being the most comprehensive release Dragonball Z has ever been given, it easy to recommend but difficult to defend. If you are a true Dragonball Z enthusiast, chances are you already on the series in some form or another. It was just recently that Funimation released the season sets that included both the option of both English and Japanese music; though hardcore fans may find those less appealing due to the cropping of the image. Fans also have to consider the fact that Dragonball Z Kai is scheduled for release in May, promising new music, a new dub, and better pacing.Ultimately it boils down to personal preference.
Having said that, this set is recommended for purists as this is the way the show’s creators originally intended it be viewed. In any case, with the multitude of options available to fans, there really is no reason why Dragonball Z isn’t in their collections. Dragonball Z fans have never had it this good.
Compressing a story as large and complex as Naoki Urasawa’s manga series “20th Century Boys” is no easy task. The task would be daunting for any filmmaker; thankfully, director Yukihiko Tsutsumi was more than up to the task, taking the Peter Jackson route and condensing the series into a trilogy that is meant to be viewed as one massive film.
It’s never easy being the middle component of a trilogy but “the Last Hope” fulfils its role very well, bridging the gap between the first and third movie while pushing the plot forward while still maintaining an identity of its own.
Jumping forward 15 years after the events of the previous film, now referred to as “bloody new years eve”, the enigmatic friend has consolidated his power and expanded his influence over all of Japan. Kenji Endo, the protagonist from the first movie is dubbed a terrorist and presumed dead. Most of his comrades who banded together to stop friend and prevent the “book of prophesy” from being fulfilled have either been captured or just altogether vanished. Instead, Kenji’s niece Kanna has taken up the fight against Friend in an effort to prove her uncle’s innocence.
Kanna’s determination lands her in a re-education center where she attempts to uncover Friend’s true identity. While her role is not fully explained, she is considered something of a savior as she can convert others to her cause and even displays ESP.
Sometime between the first movie and this one, a second book of prophesy has emerged. The book states that a savior will rise only to be slain before the masses. Most believe this to be Kanna though the film also hints at there being the possibility that it is in fact Friend.
As with the first film, the action jumps between various time periods, building on the mystery of Friend’s true identity. While some answers are given to questions raised in the first movie, even more questions arise as Kanna digs deeper into Friend’s history.
With the introductions of the main characters out of the way, this installment was allowed to breathe more and move at a brisker pace. Despite clocking in at around two and a half hours, the film is gripping and clever enough that it is never in risk of being boring. Most of the credit belongs to the cast who had an entire first movie to flesh out their characters so that the audience would be invested in them.
Since this is only the second of the planned trilogy, the film leaves it’s viewers dangling on a pretty major cliff hanger that sets up the third and final film nicely. There is less exposition and more action as the series gears up for its inevitable conclusion. The ultimate revelations to come should be enough to entice fans back, if for no other reason than to see their patience rewarded.
