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Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #14 Review
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
I’m really going to miss this book when it’s gone. Issue #14 is infused with the same strong balance of emotional gravity and comedic whimsy that Matt Kindt, Alberto Ponticelli, and Jeff Lemire have cultivated since the series’ instantiation. Take a trip with Frank on this bittersweet quest to save the world.
I’ve had my eye on Velcoro for some time, and this is his moment to shine. He gets a pretty decent character arc to go with a good deal of jocularity and a powerful watershed event. The banter between Frankenstein and Velcoro drives the issue and allows the book to find higher highs and lower lows.
The quest that he and Frankenstein are on is a bit more difficult to describe, though. The MacGuffin for which the two supernatural agents are looking certainly sounds like a big deal, but, being so separated from the happenings of Animal Man and Swamp Thing, it feels very parenthetical.
The storytelling is quite well done for the most part, with the aforementioned humor and drama spiriting the book onward. There is one noticeable wrinkle during the trip to the island, but it’s more of a minor complaint than anything a potentially derailing problem.
Ponticelli’s illustrations benefit the story a great deal, with the clearly-conveyed scale setting the stage for some jaw-dropping moments. The characters are given substantial detail that enhances the intensity of the fight scenes and keeps the eye busy, even on a second reading.
It’s easy to write off a lame duck title, especially when it’s playing a support role in a larger event; but, it would be a mistake to look past this month’s issue of Frankenstein.
Poet Mase is a regular contributor to IGN who is looking forward to next issue's showdown! Follow Poet on Twitter @PoetMase, or post a message on his IGN profile PoetMase.
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Grand Theft Auto V Details Revealed
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
The first official details about Grand Theft Auto V have been announced. In the newest digital issue of Game Informer, Rockstar has revealed that the game will have three playable characters -- Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Players will switch between characters “constantly” with a single button press, allowing them to see missions from different perspectives.
Michael is a retired bank robber in his early 40s who is now in the witness protection program, and whose wife has burned through his substantial fortune, causing him to get “back into the game.” His friend Trevor, the second protagonist, is around the same age as Michael and described as a “drugged out psychopath” who's a career criminal and prone to violence. The final character, Franklin, works as a repo man and is younger, in his mid 20s. Franklin is described as "the young and capable one of the bunch." All three come together to perform heists, which are described as “a big theme in the game.”
Players will experience missions as different combinations of the three, and each will have a different skillset. For example, in one heist mission, Michael rappels down the side of a building while Franklin uses a sniper rifle from afar and Trevor flies in a helicopter above. Players can switch back and forth between Michael grabbing a target inside the building or Franklin trying to snipe enemies inside. Once you escape, everyone meets in the helicopter, and the player can choose to fly it as Trevor, snipe other pilots as Franklin or fire a gun from the back of the vehicle as Michael.
Los Santos will be the biggest open world in Rockstar's history, "bigger than Read Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto IV and San Andreas combined." Players will also be able to explore underwater areas of the city.
Rockstar has also changed driving mechanics, noting that cars “hold to the ground a bit better” and have “a little more physics on them,” making driving feel more like a racing game. Shooting and melee combat have also been improved, as have pedestrian models (some pedestrians have now been mapped using motion capture for more realistic movement). Rockstar also hasn’t employed any celebrities to provide voices for the game.
Heists will be a key element, but players will also experience elements similar to Red Dead Redemption’s dynamic encounters, including stopping to check on broken cars and picking up hitchhikers. Players will also be able to chase and catch muggers or rob cash vans.
Characters can be customized by changing clothes, but height and weight customization isn’t included. The phone will also return for obtaining important info, but now allows players to access the internet, among other things. Some items previously only accessible from the phone in Grand Theft Auto IV will simply be accessible on the map.
Each character will have their own social circle -- Michael has his son (Jimmy), Franklin has a "crazy friend" named Lamar and Trevor has a paranoid conspiracy theorist friend named Ron. Separately from missions, players will be able to switch between characters and see them living their daily lives. You'll be able to switch between characters at any time when you're not in a mission.
Players won't be able to own real-estate, but there will be an economy for players to spend their money. GTA V has non canonical connection to the PS2-era Grand Theft Auto games, so don't expect to encounter C.J. or Tommy.
Grand Theft Auto V was originally announced in October 2011, followed by the first trailer in November. The idea of multiple playable characters was actually rumored early on, first suggested the day after the original announcement.
Rockstar will release the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto V on November 14th. For all the details in the trailer, check out our live Rewind Theater of the trailer that day, plus a ton of additional info throughout next week.
Source: Game Informer
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.
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Sweet Tooth #39 Review
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
If you’re looking for all the feels, they are in Sweet Tooth #39. The penultimate issue of the series and the conclusion of Wild Game, Jeff Lemire crafts a heartbreaking finale to Gus and Jepperd’s journey. I’ll avoid direct spoilers, but suffice it to say that this is the issue fans of the series have been simultaneously anticipating and fearing, and I can confirm that all of your fears/wishes come true.
Make no mistake, this is the issue that holds the final confrontation between Jepperd and Abbot, leaving the coming issue #40 to act as a sort of epilogue to the series as a whole. As such, this issue is jam-packed and deftly paced, but not at the expense of the necessary character beats that bring the entire arc of the series full circle. Lemire makes this issue about fathers and sons, ultimately culminating in a confrontation of feelings that has so long been simmering under the surface but never really given a chance to boil over. Here, Lemire effectively gives certain characters spectacular send-offs that not only call back to moments throughout the series but also serve to forge a new path for others.
The artwork remains consistent with what we’ve come to expect from Sweet Tooth, with several nice touches laced throughout. An opening splash page that features Abbot holding a gun to Gus’ head has the feint suggestion of a skull forming in the grey sky above, adding a grim ambience to the entire scenario. Later, as Jepperd undergoes an attack by wolf creatures, Lemire takes advantage of a two page spread that intercuts his battle with some notable moments from across the character’s history. It’s scenes like these that make this issue truly memorable and a fitting end for the story about the boy with antlers.
We’ve still got one issue to go – which Lemire promises will be far happier than this one – but issue #39 holds so much emotional resonance that you’ll be hard pressed to continue reading the rest of your comics from this week without your mind wandering back to Sweet Tooth.
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He thinks knows the world needs more horror comic books.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #15 Review
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
Tom Waltz and Kevin Eastman have been dragging more and more classic TMNT characters and elements into the new series in recent months. Issue #15 throws Leatherhead into the mix. Though the book hardly needs another villain at the moment, Leatherhead nonetheless enjoys a solid introduction into this new continuity.
The writers briefly establish Leatherhead's origin as another of Baxter Stockman's out-of-control experiments before shifting back to the present. The Turtles are currently searching for a new base of operations, which seems like another unnecessary addition considering how recently they moved into April's antique shop. In any case, issue #15 winds up offering a fun little blend of intrigue, horror, and levity. In the case of the latter quality, Splinter is given the opportunity to stop being so dour all the time and bond with Casey Jones. As far as horror goes, the creators offer up a cool sequence that sees Leatherhead stalk the Turtles in the shadows.
That fight sequence is expertly rendered by Andy Kuhn. While Kuhn's facial work is a bit bland compared to Dan Duncan's, his work is packed with kinetic energy and enough light and shadow to really pop off the page. The series continuously sets a higher visual standard for IDW's licensed comics.
One downside to this issue is a familiar complaint with the series -- it more or less requires readers to have read the April O'Neil micro-series one-shot to fully appreciate the events within. I understand that IDW is paying homage to the classic Mirage series by resurrecting the micro-series format, but in many cases these stories would have been better served by being integrated with the main book. After eight one-shots, maybe it's time to give it a rest and focus squarely on this series.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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Ghosts #1 Review
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
Ghosts is Vertigo's latest seasonally appropriate anthology issue. As the simple title suggests, the various stories in this book explore the concept of ghosts from a variety of angles, some much more literal than others. While every Vertigo anthology has at least some worthwhile material, they also ask a lot of readers with the $8 cover price. Luckily, in terms of both the creative talent involved and the quality of the stories, Ghosts is one of Vertigo's better efforts.
The obvious headliner of this issue is Ghost for Hire, a joint effort between Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire and one that makes a strong case for why Johns should venture outside of the DC Universe more often. It's a fun, charming tale that could just as easily be placed in an all-ages anthology. The other highly significant entry in the issue is Joe Kubert's The Boy and the Old Man. While visually rough since Kubert wasn't able to do more than layout the story before his death, the story is a very heartfelt and engaging look at an elderly, terminally ill man fighting to protect his grandson. It's difficult not to read a deeper significance to the story given Kubert's unfortunate passing.
Plenty of other strong material rounds out the issue. Paul Pope and David Lapham team for a sci-fi pirate epic called Treasue Lost. Here the ghost theme is at its most tenuous, but who cares when it allows Pope to do more of the surreal, creative storytelling he excels at. Gilbert Hernandez's The Dark Lady is an initially somber read that takes a fun turn towards the end. Al Ewing and Rufus Dayglo's The Night After I Took the Data Entry Job I was Visited By My Own Ghost may be obnoxiously titled, but it offers a fun twist on the "Ghost of Christmas Future" formula.
There are a few missteps here, to be sure. The Dead Boy Detectives in 'Run Ragged is enjoyable and visually diverse, but it ends abruptly and encourages readers to wait for the next Vertigo anthology for a continuation of the story. Amy Reeder's art is a highlight in Wallflower, but the idea of two lovers becoming metaphorical ghosts to each other sort of fizzles out by the end. The only story I actively disliked, though, was Bride. Though it too boasts some strong visuals, the storytelling was pointlessly obtuse and the main characters thoroughly unlikable.
Yes, $8 is lot to ask for any comic, but Ghosts offers a wealth of content, and quality content at that.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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AvX: Consequences #3 Review
♦ by Unknown Wednesday, 14 November 2012 Thursday, 8 November 2012 Wednesday, 7 November 2012 Wednesday, 31 October 2012 Wednesday, 24 October 2012 0 comments
The second issue of AvX: Consequences improved on the first by narrowing the focus down to Cyclops and the conflicts immediately surrounding him. Issue #3 takes a somewhat broader approach again, though the result still feels more cohesive than it did in issue #1. This is a series fans of Gillen's X-Men work won't want to skip. In some ways, it serves as a better coda to Uncanny X-Men than it does AvX itself.
Cyclops' prison woes remain the central focus of Gillen's story. As much as we may all want to hate Cyclops for his actions during AvX, it's hard not to feel bad for the guy as he fights for his life and can now count the number of allies he has left on one hand. The political prisoner angle is working well so far. Gillen also explores some of the spiraling effects of Cyclops' incarceration, such as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s debriefing of Wolverine and the status quo of some of the Phoenix Five. Though he doesn't even appear directly, Magneto has a nice standout sequence through his little contribution to the story this week.
Only two sequences feel a bit of out of place in this issue. The Iron Man material doesn't feel particularly relevant or necessary, reading more as though Gillen felt obligated to include more Avenger characters even though this has quickly become a very X-Men-centric series. Gillen also addresses the current whereabouts of Hope. While this material should please fans of his Generation Hope run that craved a more conclusive finale, it too feels disjointed relative to the rest of the issue.
Scot Eaton handles the artwork this week. His style falls closely in line with issue #2 -- solidly rendered, but not particularly flashy or memorable. Like Tom Raney in issue #1, Eaton seems to struggle with Captain America's overly busy new costume. Thankfully, it's a new costume we probably won't be seeing after this book wraps.
Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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