The Fanatical Review - "The Apocalipstix (Oni Press)"

Title - The Apocalipstix

Publisher - Oni Press

Format - Digest-Sized; 144 pages

Cover Price - $11.95

What started out as a self-contained story in an anthology titled Rumble Royale from The Royal Academy of Illustration and Design and continued in a new story in 2007 Free Comic Day comic, The Apocalipstix finally gets its due in a digest-sized original graphic novel (or as the people who only speak in acronyms say, OGN) from Oni Press.

Hard rockers Mandy and the Mittens (Lead Singer Mandy, Drummer Megumi & Bassist Dot) were all set to make their big break when a strategically placed nukes rain down and practically wipe out the entire civilized world. Now, they have to travel cross-country to get to the big Battle of Bands concert. If they win, free gas to the next stop in the tour. But if they lose.. Well, let's just say that it's not pretty to say the least.

The Apocalipstix has something for everyone; lots of guns and exploding stuff for action fans, hot babes for the good girl fans, large ants for the sci-fi lover and even a love interest for the romance readers (you know who you are). The three-chapter book itself plays out like a breakneck Rock and Roll Mad Max road story with a slight dash of Xenozoic Tales for good measure. Ray Fawkes writes a mean action storyline with a decent cast of engaging characters with a fun dialog. And Cam Stewart outdoes himself by bringing his superb animation-flavored art and imbibing it with a sense of craziness. I was also impressed with Stewart's ability to draw each woman in the band differently; you'd be surprised how many artists in the industry fail to do that.

So, if you are tired of the latest in the cape-and-tights mega crossover or bored to death with those over-compressed six issues stories that should really only last three, you should definitely take The Apocalipstix for a ride.

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The Fanatical Review - "Fathead Tradeables 2008"

Being the curious type as well as a recovering sports card collector, I was more than intrigued by the newest offering by Fatheads aptly named Tradeables. For the uninformed (or uncaring), these Tradeables are basically mini version of the original Fathead product, which are reusable wall/window clings. When to the ordering website, here's the following product description:

Order Your FREE SAMPLE and we will send you one of the following Fathead Tradeables Authentics:

Tom Brady
LaDainian Tomlinson
Peyton Manning
Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Drew Brees
Terrell Owens
Adrian Peterson
Brian Urlacher
Champ Bailey
Ben Roethlisberger
Vince Young
Maurice Jones-Drew
Clinton Portis
Brian Westbrook
Carson Palmer
Shawne Merriman
Steve Smith
Larry Johnson
Devin Hester
Marvin Harrison
Reggie Bush
Troy Polamalu
Ray Lewis
Andre Johnson

You pay only $1.99 shipping and handling

YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO GET A SPECIFIC PLAYER
NO RETURNS

After reading the list of possible names available, I decided to place an order for the max of three "free" Tradeables @ $1.99 S/H per card. In about a week, the items were delivered in a medium envelope via regular USPS shipping with each Tradeables in individually sealed, foil-lined Fathead logo envelopes.

The Good - The product itself is not bad with two player-specific clings on one "card". The vinyl seems to adhere and remvoe without much effort and does not leave any noticible residue. And the look of the card reminds me of the old oversized Topps cards of the early 80s.

The Bad - A couple of drawbacks to the Tradeable is that the back of the card is very generic Fathead background with basically nothing associated with the player on the front of the Tradeable.

Another problem that I had with this product is the lack of variety specified on their advertisement. Granted, I was not expecting Fathead spokemen Urlacher and Roethlisberger with Brady included in the three that I ordered. But I received not one, not two, but THREE Larry Johnson tradeables. Freaking ridiculous. How can you compare a product without having at least two different items to evaluate? Again, as my former collector self would have said, nothing pisses you off more than getting tripicates of any one card (other than MJ's rookie Fleer card).

The Final Word - Obviously, a judgment cannot be rendered by looking at three of the same card. But with the lack of product quality control as well as the lack of any player info on the back of the item, I can't fully recommend Tradeables without a fair comparison of the product; especially at the price point of $14.95 per pack (5 cards) or $149.95 for a box of 10 packs.

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The Fanatical Review - "Iron Man (2008)"

In case you just woken up from a year long slumber, Paramount Pictures' tentpole summer live-action superhero movie, otherwise known as Iron Man, was released late Thursday night. The barometer on the buzz for this movie was set pretty high when there was a small preview of the film shown during the Iron Man panel at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and has steadily rose with every new glimpse of the completed film.

But Internet buzz does not always translate into huge box office dollars (Snakes on a Plane, anyone?) or well-reviewed films; especially with the fans. So, the real question is - Does Iron Man bring the goods?

In a resound two words - Hell Yeah! Not only does the script for the theatrical version of Iron Man remains true to its comic book heritage, the movie also brings the sense of humor, adventure and limitless possibilities that only could only be done in a four-color world where a multi-billionaire inventor/industrialist can change his personal ideology practically on a dime and dress up in his creation to save the world.

One nitpick that should be noted is that the end of the conflict between Iron Man and Iron Monger seemed rather rushed and didn't fit with the overall tone of the movie. But it is understood since the movie ran over two hours and the extended fight sequence will probably find life in the DVD release of the movie.

On the acting side, Robert Downey Jr thoroughly placed his stamp on Tony Stark by bringing both the hard-partying, trust-fund-baby lifestyle and the grief-stricken, responsible man-of-action sides of Tony Stark to life. His sardonic delivery gives a good bite to Stark's sarcastic quips. It is just hard to imagine this is the same actor that has walked through so many roles some as recent as The Shaggy Dog.

And while the movie is about one man's transformation from an iron hearted man into a true iron man, he does not go it alone. Jeff Bridges does a masterful job as Stark Industries partner and "concerned" father-ish figure Obadiah Stane. Gwyneth Paltrow infuses the character of Pepper Potts with a sense of feminine strength in between all of the testosterone. If there was one nebbish part, it was the role of Jim Rhodes played by Terrence Howard who's controlled performance didn't jibe with the character from the comic books. But Rhodey's more looser personality might be more on display on Iron Man 2.

And if Downey's performance is the #1 reason to see the movie, the CGI FX should be #1a. To see Iron Man in all of his suit development stages from his hand-made original armor to his final Mark III red and gold one was a sight for more than just the eye. The flight and fight sequences were excellent and certainly benefit from the advancements made in digital modeling technology that were lacking in films like Daredevil.

Overall, this movie may not be on the same level of fan frenzy as other Marvel icons such as Spider-Man or Wolverine. But this movie forces not only non-comic book readers but fanboys/fangirls alike to see Iron Man for what he is - the spirit of inventing and adventure that few comic book heroes can do. And this movie does it well.

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The Fanatical Review - "The new NFL Shield Logo"

Recently, the NFL decided to revamp their shield logo. For what reason, I have no idea but the new logo (for those who may not know) is the one on the right and it is unequivocally worse the the original source material. This point cannot be argued by anyone who doesn't have a vested (meaning financial) interest. Just compare the two. The new one looks like a cheap Korean knockoff.

Instead of refining the most iconic logo in all of Professional Sports, the numskulls at the National Football League went with the philosophy, "Less is More" and cheapened the end result. By removing almost all of the stars, taking off half of the laces and blocking the letters, the logo looks like it's been dumbed down; as if today's fan can't handle the flourish of the L or the pageantry of the stars.

This change wasn't necessary if only to sell more product to the fans by enticing them to buy new jerseys with the new shield on them. That type of money grabbing is not only exploitative but detrimental to the growth of the league. Using a football analogy, the NFL tried a end around reverse for a touchdown by changing their logo and ended up with a strip fumble returned for six.

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The Fanatical Review - "The Mike O'Meara Show"

The Mike O'Meara Show came to life yesterday afternoon at 3PM EST on the WJFK airwaves (and through syndication across the country). Normally, when something like this happens (usually in TV), it is considered a spin-off. It could be two ways - either like Frasier or The Tortellis. Personally, I was hoping for the former but preparing myself for the latter.

After listening to the entire show via Podcast (at the WJFK website - no iTunes support yet), it was neither as I found a talk radio show that decided to find its own voice by mergering a bit of the old bits and trying out some new things resulting in a somewhat off-balanced broadcast. That comment is, by no means, a half-empty, pessimist opinion.

The first part of the show was devoted to trying to establish what the new show was going to be about - from cast member involvement to topics being cover to even (gasp) live calls from listeners being taken. The talk seem somewhat stiff and guarded as th new direction of the show was being detailed. The ground got even shakier in the third segment when Craig Laughlin, the color analyst for the Washington Caps, was brought on the show to answer questions from both the cast and the callers. Midway into the segment, I thought that I had walked into this millenium's Ken Beatrice Show. It's not like I hate sports radio, but there's enough of that call-in radio show going around the dial right now.

Once that segment was out the door, I think the show began to find it's legs by highlighting its stars rather than outsiders (guests and callers). It started with a segment with Buzz Burbank giving short hits of news (a new bit that is scheduled for the top of each hour) and finally, the crew relaxed and began to banter back and forth with more frank discussion. Subjects such as Robb's hidden Catholic ties, the Obama/Clinton spinning of the word "bitter", Beth Ann's new enhancements and their choice of personal lube were great. The bit about the Employee of the Month was pretty solid as well. And of course, the news with Buzz was just as it was before, with Mike and Robb interrupting and improvising with voices and jokes with a gem about the John Adams HBO mini-series in the middle of the seventh segment . The end was somewhat unstructured and abrupt but that should become better as the show goes along.

The Mike O'Meara Show does carry the weight of 23+ years of The Don and Mike Show influencing listeners as it tries to stand out on its own. So, they are already at a disadvantage going in. Monday's show more or less tried to balance the general feel of the old show while providing some new content. The final results are still inconclusive but overall, the show looks like its heading in the right direction as long as it avoids the oncoming call-in radio format.

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The Fanatical Review - Femme Noir: The Dark City Diaries

Femme Noir: The Dark City Diaries #1 (of 4)

Writer: Christopher Mills
Penciler: Joe Staton
Inker: Horacio Ottolini
Colorist: Melissa Kaercher
Cover Artist: Joe Staton (Regular); Brian Bolland (Variant; shown above)
Publisher: Ape Entertainment

Book Synopsis: On the mean streets of Port Nocturne, justice is blonde. Join writer Christopher Mills and Eisner award-winning artist Joe Staton as they crack open the case files of crime fiction's most unusual sleuth in an attempt to unmask the mystery woman known only as… Femme Noir!

Review: It's a difficult task to make new crime/pulp comic books without coming off as dated or a rip-off of previous classic works. It's also hard to pull new readers in with a first issue of a new mini-series about a female protagonist. But the Femme Noir new mini-series from Ape Entertainment appears to have made the difficult seem easy.

This book is a quick read; but it is, by no means, an old recycled story. The story just pulls you in from the get-go with its rain and whiskey-soaked images and hard-boiled narrative. Mills pulls an interesting twist for the noir genre by using the male PI as more of a plot device to help advance the narrative forward from one scene to the next as a means to introduce each of the possible female suspects and their motivations behind possibly being the avenging vigilante. The dialogue and language used is pitch-perfect which only enhances the mood of the book.

Comic vet Staton bring his A game to this book. There is an Eisner-esque influence/vibe through out the book but there's no David Mack-like cut-and-paste job here. Yes, the three female leads are somewhat similar in looks and form and I think that it is intended. They aren't just the same figure with different hair colors and clothes. The city and backgrounds are solid and it actually seems to revel in its dark shadows. And my favorite scene is on page 6. When the assassin and his moniker are revealed, the book just reeks of classic 70's comics to me in a very good way.

Overall, Femme Noir: The Dark City Diaries #1 takes a relatively underutilized genre in comics and makes it a viable one. The action is fast and the women look even faster. And while the story concludes without the big reveal of the title character, it does whet the appetite for the next issue, which is what any good introductory issue should do.

For those of you who are into the alternative cover thing, be on the look out for variants by Matt Haley on Issue #2, Phil Hester on Issue #3, and Mike Weiringo on Issue #4. This issue was solicited in April Previews Catalog and can be pre-ordered through your local comic book store by using Diamond Code #APR083545.

More information on the whole Femme Noir series and its webstrip incarnation can be found at its website, Femme-Noir.com.

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