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Walking Dead: Season 3 Premiere
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, Television, Image Comics,
Oh Walking Dead, you make this so difficult! That’s because it’s hard to write about The Walking Dead without giving anything away.
Season 3 just debuted on AMC and so much happened that's gasp-worthy and intriguing in a "What's next?" kinda way that to write it out is to spoil it for anyone who DVR'd it. Sure, a bunch of zombies get killed, things aren’t quite what they seem, and Carl’s getting pretty handy with a gun and hand-to-hand zombie-fighting is pretty intense (I could probably do it if I had to, but I'd almost certainly be bad at it).
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Reed Gunther: Cowboys, Monsters & Bears, Oh My!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Image Comics,
One of the great things I love about going to Comic Con International in San Diego is taking a stroll through the small press section, Artist’s Alley and the Image set-up. I never know what I’ll find, but I always find something interesting that nearly makes the whole convention worthwhile.
In 2011, it was Ian Churchill’s Marineman.
This year, it was Reed Gunther by Shane and Chris Houghton.
I’ve forgotten which one of the creators I met at the Image Comics booth (got to start writing these things down), but he hand-sold me a copy of Reed Gunther #2, one of the older issues.
This is a terrific comic book. The story is touted for all ages, and it truly is. I can easily see this being enjoyed by a 9-year-old and a 39-year-old - it’s just great fun with terrific storytelling chops on display by both writer and artist.
Click to continue reading Reed Gunther: Cowboys, Monsters & Bears, Oh My!
Master Of Kung-Fu #120
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Marvel Comics,
Doug Moench did not create Shang-Chi (Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin did), but when he took over the book, he ran with it, creating an epic 100-issue run on Marvel Comics' Master Of Kung-Fu that remains, I think, unsurpassed in its 1970s-1980s greatness.
Shang-Chi is the son of the legendary villain Fu Manchu. And the cast of characters that Moench added to the book include elderly Fu Manchu-hunter Sir Denis Nayland Smith and his muscle, Black Jack Tarr, Clive Reston (who is alleged to be the son of James Bond and a nephew of Sherlock Holmes), Leiko Wu, and a pair of recurring characters based on Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields.
Issue #120, January 1983, “Dweller By The Dark Stream,” is a stand-alone story, not part of some giant conspiracy-laden arc. All of the series’ regular cast is tied up with the exception of Shang-Chi. His planned meditation is interrupted by Rufus Carter, a former CIA agent (and former kickboxing champ) who some call “the ebony Bond.” Carter’s a one-eyed freelance private eye who persuades Shang-Chi to be his back-up man on his first case.
Click to continue reading Master Of Kung-Fu #120
Belkin AC1200 Wireless AC Gigabit router unboxing gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Galleries, Networking,
The next generation of Wi-Fi connectivity is 802.11ac, and routers are on sale now to provide the signal. The main problem? There are, literally, no laptops, tablets, or smartphones right now that sell with 802.11ac support built-in. Still, you have the opportunity to future-proof your wireless setup in anticipation for the arrival of the super-fast standard, and the Belkin AC1200 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router is one of the first available. We got one in for review, and we are in the process of putting it through its paces. In the meantime, while you wait for the AC1200 review, check out our Belkin AC1200 DB unboxing gallery, showing off the spaceship-like curves of the router. You can pick one up now on Amazon.
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The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Independent,
There are two kinds of music I don’t like: Country and Western. And there’s one kind of comic book I’m not naturally drawn to: the celebrity biography, particularly one of a musical act.
And yet at San Diego this year, I picked up a preview copy of Abrams Comicarts’ upcoming musical biography graphic novel The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song by Frank M. Young and David Lasky.
I’m not supposed to quote from it since it’s an uncorrected proof - a sampler - and only contains the first 64 pages out of 192, but based on what I read, I’m hooked.
The Carter Family is a legendary music act that featured A.P (Alvin Pleasant), Sara and Maybelle Carter and that, from 1927 to 1956, pretty much defined and set the standard for country music. They sang, recorded and kept alive classic tunes and also wrote their own. June Carter was one of the Carters and she eventually married Johnny Cash - the Carter Family had a long reach.
Click to continue reading The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song
Mister Miracle #19: Why I Hate This Comic
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics,
When my local comic book store bellied-up over the summer, I picked up some back issues at bargain prices.
One of them was Mister Miracle #19, a comic that I absolutely hate not because of the creative inside, but because of what it represents: everything wrong with corporate comics.
Mister Miracle #19 (September 1977) is the first issue of a reboot of the Jack Kirby title nearly 3 years after the series was cancelled at #18 (March 1974). When DC revived an old title back in the day, they preferred to keep the numbering intact because of the demands of newsstand distribution. Quite the opposite of what happens now.
It’s a fun revival by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers, who’d achieve greater impact with their work on Detective Comics at around the same time. Their story in MM #19 picks up pretty much where #18 had left off and it reveals how comics used to be written.
Click to continue reading Mister Miracle #19: Why I Hate This Comic
iPhone 5 review: This is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 to the world on September 12th, and just 9 days later, the smartphone launched. Pre-sales hit over 2 million in the first 24 hours alone, showing that there was massive demand for the newly redesigned iPhone. According to Apple, it's the best iPhone it's ever made, but does it live up to the hype? More importantly, os it worth your hard-earned cash? We've had a few days to use the iPhone 5 (as well as its built-in operating system, iOS 6,) and we’re ready to break it all down in our iPhone 5 review.
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Amazon Kindle Fire HD review (7-inch)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,
When Amazon announced the new Kindle Fire HD, it took a firm step into its transformation into a major player in the consumer electronics space. Jeff Bezos sold the fact that Amazon was in the unique position that allowed it to create a device that was about more than just the gadget itself--Kindle Fire is all about the services that are tied to it, and the Fire HD in particular is the cream of Amazon's tablet crop. Then the price was announced, and at $199 heads turned and ears perked. A high quality tablet that is completely tied in to Amazon's ecosystem with a great display, rock solid Wi-Fi, and stereo speakers for $199? Is it too good to be true, or is the Kindle Fire HD the king of the 7-inch tablet roost? Read on for our full Kindle Fire HD (7-inch) review.
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Western Digital My Passport for Mac 3.0 review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Product Reviews, Storage, USB,
Western Digital recently released its updated My Passport for Mac 3.0 portable hard drive, which now offers increased storage capacity, a redesigned look, and the welcome addition of USB 3.0 compatibility. Western Digital wants this to be the drive you turn to if you want a drive that offers fast speeds, secure encryption, and a level of fashion. Does it live up to its promise? That's what we aim to cover in our My Passport for Mac review.
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GeekDesk Max review
Posted by Taylor Peterson Categories: Features, Smart Home, Product Reviews,
If we had to guess, we'd bet you're probably sitting down right now. The problem is that sitting down for extended periods of time, all day every day, may be killing us. You may have heard of stand-up desks, and maybe even know someone who works in an office where this is an option. They don't choose these just to be different--the goal is to keep your metabolism, and muscle electrical activity performing optimally. This is where GeekDesk comes in. The company sells two different models of desks that allow the user to stand or sit--the best of both worlds. We received the GeekDesk Max for review, and it just so happens that this feature would turn out to be more than a simple Gear Live gadget review. Sure, sitting down may be killing us, but my story isn't about life expectancy, but rather bad posture and what I referred to as "my pinch" for at least 6 months. Read on for more on that, along with our full GeekDesk Max review.
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