Let's do a recap, shall we? When last we met our hero, er...villain, he had just finished a mid-air smash-and-grab and executed his former accomplices.
What does a former soldier turned professional con artist do when he can suddenly hear alien voices in his head? If he's Cole Cash, he waits for the hunters to find their prey so he can turn the tables.
Oct. 12 finally rolled around and at last Apple Computers released the newest entry into its mobile device operating systems, iOS 5. As reported by Apple, iOS 5 is packed with over 200 new features and improvements.
This year’s Earthdance was filled with love and happiness as it made it’s way to the Salano County Fair in Vallejo, CA. Being the first year Earthdance was held in Vallejo, I was quite skeptical with the location.
Fans around the world have long pondered the question of Superman’s limits. What sorts of punishment can the Last Son of Krypton take? We know, at this point what his physical capabilities are and what he can dish out. Can he stand up to thousands of volts of electricity at this point or will the Man of Steel end up as crispy as Colonel Sanders' Original Recipe? In this issue, that’s mostly what we'll be facing as we see the birth of one villain and the engineer of Superman's current predicament.
There's a new "face" in the Rogues Gallery of the Caped Crusader. Gotham has long been known for the odd assortment of villains it is home to. At the end of the first issue, we saw that a new villain removed the Joker's face at his request. This marks the first time in 71 years that there has been any real change in the Joker's appearance. Over the decades, however, there have been many new faces joining the ranks of Arkham Asylum's most notorious residents. None may be so terrifying as the new kid on the block, the jigsaw-faced Dollmaker.
On Aug. 10, The Holdup excitedly announced California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) as one of the two colleges to play at for their special college edition fall shows. Their Facebook status rocked likes from many CSUMB students within minutes of their update and their arrival on Aug. 26 was much anticipated. The Otter Student Union and hundreds of CSUMB students welcomed The Holdup and Dub Rock Record Label mates, Young Science for the first concert of the year at CSUMB’s primary venue, the Blackbox Cabaret.
Considering all of his strengths, it is a shame that Aquaman doesn't have a larger fan base—given that he's spent most of his time as the laughingstock of the DC comics’ universe. We've all heard the jokes and made more than a few. Yes, I'm guilty of it as well. What we need to focus on is the history behind Aquaman that made him the hero that he is. Here goes nothing, I guess.
The Fastest Man Alive hits his mark in record time. For those of you who don't know, shame on you, Barry Allen is the Scarlet Speedster. While working a case as a police scientist, or CSI for all of you TV-loving crowd, a lightning bolt struck a rack of chemicals, which doused him and gave him super speed. Becoming the Flash, Central City's resident crime-fighter, he is a symbol of hope for both innocents and super heroes alike. He even wore a Blue Lantern ring (the energy of Hope) during the events of Blackest Night. As fans learned last year, Barry is also the generator of the energy well known as the Speed Force, where all speedsters draw their power. With each step he takes, Barry adds to the energy of the Speed Force, meaning that he truly is the “Father of All Speedsters.”
What would happen if you gave a weapon to an artist? The universe's ultimate weapon, the Green Lantern rings are limited only by the bearer's will power and imagination. Think of the things an artist could create with that and the things such a wild imagination could create. That is what Kyle Rayner has always brought to the GL Corps. New Guardians is essentially the telling of Kyle Rayner and the various other Lantern Corps' place in the new DC Universe (DCnU). So, to kick off, let's do a basic run-down of Kyle Rayner and the multiple Lantern Corps (as of last year's Blackest Night, which somehow still happened).
The man of the atom is back and bigger than ever! Imagine Dr. Manhattan of Watchmen fame if he still held any compassion for humanity. That's what Nathaniel Adam brings to the table as Captain Atom, especially given that he was the original inspiration for the Superman of Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel: a government agent, who was once an Air Force pilot. In the old DC universe, Nathaniel Christopher Adam was accused of a crime he didn't commit and given two options: execution or a strange military experiment, after which he would receive a presidential pardon. Obviously he took the latter choice and became a hero, more clandestine and underrated than Superman, but with the same sense of duty.
Holy big top, Batman, the original Boy Wonder is back! That's right, the other half of Gotham's City's original Dynamic Duo is back with his own title. The original Robin is once again leaping across the rooftops of Gotham City. Now using the moniker, Nightwing, and doling out justice to the innumerable villains of his city, the surviving member of the Flying Graysons is as fun to watch as ever. After his parents were killed by the low-level mobster Tony Zucco, he was adopted by Bruce Wayne. Soon, he was donning the cape and tights as the first Boy Wonder. After a few years as Robin, he stepped out from under the Dark Knight's wing and made a new name for himself as Nightwing. Last year, due to Bruce Wayne's "absence" he took up the mantle of the bat.
What do the second Robin, a renegade archer and a vengeful alien princess have in common? They've all had short tenures as heroes. In the old DC, the Joker beat Jason Todd to death because the fans requested it. He was too judgmental, forceful with criminals and generally a bad Robin. When he came back, all of that made him a fantastic vigilante seeking justice by any means necessary. The Red Arrow, Roy Harper is the former sidekick to Green Arrow, former Teen Titan and apparent international criminal. This brings us to the femme fatale of the group, Starfire. Born a princess, then sold into slavery by her sister, she came to Earth and fought crime as one of the founding members of the original Teen Titans. Forget what you thought you knew about her. Love it or hate it, she's quite different by several accounts.
Mere weeks ago the Developer Preview of Microsoft’s newest entry into its long-running Windows series of operating systems opened for public alpha testing. Windows 8 has officially been released to developers and technophiles alike. Packed with hundreds of new features and a complete overhaul to the traditional Windows user interface (UI), but the question: is it worth the hype? I have been testing this new offering from Microsoft for the past few weeks and have been surprisingly impressed.
“Deathstroke the Terminator – The scariest badass on the planet.” This is the first line of Deathstroke #1. The man known as Slade Wilson has been a mercenary for decades by this point in the story. Not only is Slade a battle-hardened mercenary, he is also a master strategist. After losing his right eye, he volunteered for experiments, which increased his strength, endurance and healing abilities. While almost every person on the planet uses a maximum of 10% of their brain, Deathstroke uses 90 percent. This is a man who notably decimated a seven-member squad of Justice Leaguers in less than five minutes without breaking a sweat. With that being said, this is obviously a book about a villain.
Cole Cash is a charming con artist who has been traveling across the United States for the better part of the last decade, stealing from men just as dishonest as he is. There is, after all, no honor among thieves. Let’s go through a run down of the character in the classic WildStorm before we jump into the ins and outs of the issue.
Anyone who has read Green Lantern in the last 30 years, or even seen the recent film starring Ryan Reynolds and Mark Strong, ought to know the equal parts respect and disdain most fans feel for Sinestro. He is not only the enemy of Hal Jordan, but also the best friend of Jordan’s predecessor, Abin Sur. He is both a strong leader and elite Lantern, but in contrast, is the greatest enemy to the Green Lantern Corps.
Look, up in the sky … it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s probably not Superman just yet. The comic that single-handedly launched the Golden Age of Super Heroes, Action Comics starts back at number one. DC’s Man of Steel is just developing his powers. Merely able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, rather than fly, he is brand new to Metropolis. With many familiar faces showing up in the first issue, this is a stirring new take on one of the most iconic characters of the past century. Branded as more of a vigilante than a trusted ally of Justice, he is on the run from the cops and not yet working at the Daily Planet.
To kick-off the historical re-launch of one of the most successful and enduring comic book companies, DC has delivered their first new #1 in the form of Justice League. Written by Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns and illustrated by Co-Publisher, Jim Lee, this is definitely a book worth reading.
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash have been built up to astronomical proportions in our hearts and minds since our grandparents were children. We all know the names and origins of our favorite heroes. From the Last Son of Krypton and the Caped Crusader to the Amazon Princess, we have connections to the characters. These types of heroes from our wildest fantasies and most enduring hopes have fueled our imaginations since as far back as we could remember.
