Shootin’ the Shit: 2013 is going to be nuts.

December 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

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2012 is just about over. The holidays are wrapping up, the new year draws nearer by the minute, and we can start getting excited about the coming year. I’ve got plenty to say about everything from games to music to movies, so let’s take this one at a time. First off, games!

Games in 2013

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2012 had some awesome games, but 2013 is going to be a big year. We’re all anticipating announcements from both Sony and Microsoft regarding new consoles; Valve is hard at work on a mysterious “Steam box”; The Ouya promises to give independent creators a new open source platform; and Nintendo begins their first year of the Wii U’s life cycle. But none of that matters if the games aren’t good. We’ve got a year left with our 360s and PS3s, and my oh my, what a year it will be.

Obviously, the first quarter of 2012 is going to be insane and I could list a ton of great looking games here that will be dropping between now and March (Bioshock Infinite, Deadspace 3, Tomb Raider, Crysis 3…) The rest of the year is shaping up quite nicely as well. However, I’d be lying if I said those were the games I’m most looking forward to. My interests lie in the slightly-less-than-mainstream sector of the videogame market, and these five in particular have me literally jumping for 2013.

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate - My love of Castlevania has been well documented on Power Cords. I love Symphony of the Night and its sequels, and the entire series is filled with great, memorable games. Even though I have some reservations about Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, I’m optimistic. A new 2D Castlevania is almost as exciting as a new 2D Metroid, and beggars can’t be choosers.  Definitely on my radar.

Sir, You are Being Hunted - It’s really hard to describe this Kickstarter-funded indie game. So instead, I’ll show you the video that got me excited for the game in the first place. Keep in mind this is an extremely early build, but it still shows what the game is going for.

Double Fine’s Projects - I’m gonna cheat — instead of talking about just one game, I’m going to talk about THREE! Ever since Psychonauts and Brutal Legend, Double Fine Productions have remained a favorite studio of mine. Thanks to an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign, the studio is now hard at work on a brand-new adventure game. But that’s not all! In just a few days, they will be releasing their 2D adventure The Cave on Steam. BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! The company recently lifted the veil on their internal design contest, Amnesia Fortnight. Aside from being an amazing community- and charity-building event, Amnesia Fornight gave birth to new projects. One in particular from a previous internal event, Brazen, is a Monster Hunter-esque action game where Greek-inspired heroes battle mythic beasts. All these games look great, and further cement Double Fine as an important and special studio. Actually, speaking of Monster Hunter…

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate - While a lot of people (many Power Cords contributors especially) get into capturing and training pocket-sized monsters, I spend my time hunting and trapping giant ones. Monster Hunter is my Pokemon — or at least it used to be. I haven’t played Monster Hunter since the gen 1 games (Monster Hunter Freedom, specifically) but I cannot wait to get back into the series with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. And with Monster Hunter 4 hitting in Japan this year and hopefully North America soon after, there are plenty of epic hunts in my future.

Dark Souls II - The announcement of Dark Souls II took me by surprise; I wasn’t expecting a sequel to one of my all-time favorite games so soon. In fact, I wasn’t really expecting one at all. While some fans reacted harshly to early details about the game, this article put many of the concerns I had about Dark Souls II to rest. I don’t want an easy mode as much as the next guy (I sincerely doubt there will be one, just for the record) and I wish Miyazaki had a stronger presence in the design, but I haven’t been this stoked for a game in years. By far my most anticipated game of 2013.

One man's despair is another man's joy.

One man’s despair is another man’s excitement.

While those five may be the big ones for me, there’s more out there to be excited about. Phantasy Star returns with Phantasy Star Online 2. Retro Studios is working on a still-unknown project, and there are rumors of new Zelda, Donkey Kong Land, and Yoshi’s Island all on 3DS. And, if the promise Everquest Next pans out, it could be a truly revolutionary MMORPG. 2013 is going to be absolutely nuts. Oh, and there’s going to be another Castlevania game next year, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. So, yeah. Nuts.

Movies and Television in 2013

Movies and television are kinda Marshal’s bag, but I dabble. A while ago, I made the conscious decisions that film would take a back seat to my preferred entertainment medium, videogames. However, there are still some big movies and tv series I look forward to seeing. First off, Game of Thrones returns in April, and season 3 officially marks me not knowing what happens next in the series. Then, of course, the final season of Breaking Bad. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best crime drama series I’ve ever seen, and I’m eager to see the end. For films, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is my big one. It’s a year away, sure, but An Unexpected Journey was really good, and I’m excited for part 2. Finally, Guillermo del Toro’s next big-screen hit, Pacific Rim hits next summer. It may look like just another summer tent-pole blockbuster, but the Kaiju Monster fan in me sees something more…

Oh, and maybe show off more of the new Godzilla? Please?

Music in 2013

2012 was a pretty good year for music, but not amazeballs like 2011. In fact, it was kind of a lukewarm year, and I spent a lot of time with bands that weren’t the uber-extreme-disgustingly-filthy metal I’ve been blasting into my skull the past few years (check out my top 21 albums of 2012 here). I rediscovered my love for prog rock, stoner metal, and electronic music. In the past couple years, I’ve become a much more casual listener of music overall. Still, a bunch of great bands will be releasing new music next year, and I plan on reviewing and talking about these releases more actively.

New Year’s Resolutions

I want to read more. I was given a large stack of new books for Christmas, including a few new graphic novels. I enjoy reading quite a bit, and could really stand to spend a few more hours each weekend with a book. So that’s my new year’s resolution. I’m also making an effort to write consistently, but with so much excitement and what is sure to be a news-packed year, I doubt that’ll be much of an issue.

Power Cords in 2013

We’ve mentioned it before, but we’ve got big changes coming up soon. In fact, we’re just a few days away from finally making our announcement. What will it be? You’ll have to wait and find out, but I can assure you we’ll have plenty of new things to talk about next year. There will be more features, more reviews, more videos, more podcasts, new topics, new voices, but the same passion and identity we do our best to create. I’m really excited.

And with that, thus concludes regular posting on Power Cords for this year. Marshal’s got a list or two saved up for you guys, so stick around for those. But don’t take our silence for laziness — we’re hard at work on our next venture, and can’t wait to finally unveil it!

Happy New Year, and best wishes,

-Brendan, and the Power Cords crew.

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Orc Stain!

October 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

What the hell is an orc stain? A badass, shit-kickin’ comic book with an awesome world and bitchin’ art, that’s what!

What it is: Created, written, drawn, inked, and colored by James Stokoe (creator of Wonton Soup) and published by Image Comics, Orc Stain is one of the most fun books I’ve read in a while. Set in a hostile world overpopulated by warring orc tribes, where empires rise and fall constantly, giant beasts roam the wilds, and where the currency is the severed penises of rival orcs. The story centers around an Orc thief named “One Eye,” a mysterious orc with strange powers who makes a living cracking safes and taking burglar jobs from the leaders of the mountain tribes, whilst in the south an orc warlord — the Orctzar — has been leading his jungle tribe to victory, increasing the size of his massive empire. After a scuffle between One Eye and a rival orc results in a touch more destruction and dismemberment than anticipated, One Eye ends up attracting the attention of the Orctzar’s minions, as well as the help of a strange swamp witch.

Why I love it: because the book is fucking rad, that’s why! One look at the art and it’s clear just how much passion Stokoe puts into this project — it is, after all, done entirely by him. The art in Orc Stain is some of the best I’ve ever seen — no really, this is amazing stuff. The style is a mix between whimsical fantasy and dark sci-fi. It reminds me a lot of the art of Michel Ancel, Arik Roper, Zeno Clash, and even Brutal Legend all mashed together, but with a lot more gore and phallic imagery. Almost every panel looks like the cover for a metal record.

It’s not just the art, the setting is nuts too, filled with some of the most unique ideas I’ve seen in a long time. Giant bears act as safes, with lock boxes implanted in their stomachs and protrusions coming out of their shoulders which resemble birds but are organically connected to the internal structures of the animal; along the cliffs and ridges of the mountain region, giant stone heads of dead orc warriors and kings are stacked on top of each other, covered in moss and trees, becoming the very mountains themselves; every weapon is covered in spikes, scales, and eyes, and even a pair of testicles once in a while; and the currency is coins made from petrified orc “Gronchs,” while the larger ones are worn and traded as trophies.

But it doesn’t stop there: witches, ”love nymphs,” giant wig monster, monsters, blind bunny-warrior clans, sentient beards, and crabs that can be smoked as a psychedelic are just some of the examples of other beasts roaming this hostile land.

The over-the-top setting is delivered with a punk attitude that is as genuine as it is smarmy. Despite this, the story is actually very well written; you’ll come for the art, but stay for the narrative. I found myself invested in the story, and even surprised by some of the things that happened; anything is truly possible in this world. Even when certain plot points could be construed as cliche, they’re still exciting and interesting because of the setting and manner in which the happen.

It probably goes without saying that this book ain’t for kids, but it should also be noted that it isn’t sexually explicit either. More often than not, any genitalia seen is usually bereft of any body and splattered with blood.

Orc Stain is something of a triumph; while only 7 issues deep (with more to be released sometime in the future, albeit slowly — it is a solo side-project after all), the series is already one of the most well written, visually stunning, and conceptually creative books out there. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys badass, over-the-top settings, good stories, underground comics, and anyone in need of a new non-”super hero” story. You can buy volume 1 (issues 1-6) here, and issue 7 here, AND you can even read the entire first issue for FREE here!

And be sure to check out more of James Stokoe’s work here and here; he’s working on a Godzilla book AND a one-shot Spider-Man story where Peter Parker is drafted into the Vietnam war! …WHAT!? Keep your eye on this guy, folks, he’s goin’ places.

Poxa Gronka!

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Superman: Red Son

September 12, 2012 By 3 Comments

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What it is: It’s everyone’s favorite, (if you’re boring), super hero, Superman! Sent from space as a babe to us to fight for truth, justice, and long breadlines. Mark Millar writes this 180-spin on the man of steel as the common man’s crusader. Landing 12 hours behind the schedule of his original storyline causes him to crash on a farm in the Ukraine. No more apple pie and baseball for our beloved hero as he grows up to become the savior of the collective, the red hammer and sickle blazing across his chest.

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Why I dig it: It’s a highly creative story and one of my latest favored graphic stories. Mark Millar, of Kick-Ass fame, was truly struck by genius with this premise and translated the idea seamlessly to print with wonderful imagination while at the same time remaining very loyal to the original mythos of the Superman universe, (minus the whole communism thing, but you picked up on that, right?). The story features a very real Superman who is still very recognizable and relatable even when doused in red. He is still a hero through and through, only wanting to help people, Soviets and Americans alike. And since he’s faster that a Soviet court hearing, more powerful then vodka, and able to leap the Kremlin in a single bound, he is perfectly capable of doing so. The author also keeps it interesting by not repackaging the “capitalism=good, communism=bad” mantra that we in the 21st century find particularly tiresome, but instead focuses on the people within these institutions and how they themselves effect the systems of society. In addition to all of this we are treated to a wide cast of characters from the DC Universe who have gotten their very own reimagining, fitting nicely into the storyline. Possibly the biggest show-stealer is the Batman who is now an anarchist terrorist after his parents are gunned down by KGB. He bombs multiple buildings in one night and dodges KGB in the streets and alleys, sets up elaborate traps, ironically acting out very close to the Joker or even Bane in the Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight, the scourge of Superman and his new collective state.

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We are even given a showdown between this Batman and red Superman, something all of us DC junkies have been clamoring for, and it goes down deliciously as Batman nearly even defeats Superman. The rest of the cast is just about as interesting; Green Lantern as a retired airman gifted with alien powers, Bizarro as a genetic clone of Superman constructed by the American government as a counter measure to the Soviet’s Superman weapon, (General Turgidson would approve), Brainiac is still a crazed alien robot but is reprogrammed to aid Superman after his defeat. The most shocking of these reimagings however, is that of Lex Luther as he has hair, hair for Christ’s sake!

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He is also married to Louis Lane, now Louis Luther. Luther is an American scientist repeatedly hired by his government to destroy Superman and takes to the task with much devotion after Superman defeats him in a game of chess. He eventually becomes president of the United States, further pitting him at odds with the man of steel, who himself is now General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Yes, it’s all quite exciting and fun until someone loses their humanity but I would, in a move unprecedented here at Power Cords, offer some critique of this piece of entertainment. What I will say is that plot points and conflicts are very brief and at times the story feel rushed. A fight between Superman and Bizarro not lasting much longer than a few panels. This left me wanting more, unsatisfied at some points. Much of what occurs within the plot goes unsaid as well, making the reader have to fill in the gaps based off of what the characters say. Now I’m all for audience involvement but some plot points could have been flushed out and would have added greatly to the graphic novel. At a mere 68 pages, it is certainly not a strain on one’s reading abilities. Therefore I believe the author could have taken more time and pages to really give us a tale worthy of fandom.
I know, now there’s all these negative waves coming out of your computer screen but I could not risk my integrity as man who’s website you’ve just StumbleUponed and had to give you the full story. Ultimately the piece comes together to give us a good read and I suggest you take it.

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If Tarantino Were to Make a Super Hero Movie

July 31, 2012 By 1 Comment

During Comic Con fans who attended the DC panel were greeted with one of the most exciting events of the convention: Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino was a brief guest at the beginning of the panel announcing the upcoming Django Unchained comic book series. The writer/director mentioned that there was a lot of cut material from the film that wasn’t essential to the plot that really allowed for a lot of creative design in the project.

Now as exciting as this announcement was this was not the announcement I was hoping for when I first heard Tarantino was on the DC panel. The announcement I wanted to hear was that Tarantino was going to be directing an adaptation of a DC comic. I wanted to hear that Tarantino was directing a super hero movie.

Now I understand that Tarantino prefers to write and direct the films he writes and his ‘R’ rated style might not be ideal for the genre but bear with me on this. It is clear that Tarantino’s style might not be what DC was looking for their Flash movie but there are heroes and antiheroes out there that would fit perfectly with said style. While his movies might be best known for their violence they never rely on that violence to carry the film. They are such good movies because of the beautifully written dialogue between absolutely fantastic characters. The spectacular violence is just the cherry on top.

The following are a handful of characters who I feel Tarantino would feel right at home directing an adaptation of. They aren’t necessarily all DC characters or characters who haven’t had a movie adaptation yet just characters who I feel Tarantino could do something really cool with.

Deadpool.

The merc with a mouth. Deadpool is the first to come to mind when I think of Tarantino and a superhero. When I think about Deadpool I think of all of his punny jokes and excessive violence. Tarantino’s movies usually consist of a lot of this already and him making a Deadpool movie would just be synergistic. Tarantino’s dark and humorous style would be the perfect match for the witty and kick ass character. Lastly just think about the katana work we saw from Kill Bill. That would be an awesome movie.

Kick-Ass.

Kick-Ass has a dark and funny story and it didn’t rely solely on violence to be awesome. Just look me in the eye and say Tarantino couldn’t have done a better job than Matthew Vaughn. Kick-Ass has a lot of realistic and crime related violence. This is an area that Tarantino has dedicated the first half of his career mastering. He would have perfectly captured the dark humor, the violence would be spot on if not better, and he could have built on and made the already flavorful roster of characters that much better.

The Joker.

Now I don’t necessarily mean that Tarantino should make a Batman movie –an idea which I wouldn’t be too against either—but I really think that he would be able to do the Joker justice. The Joker is obviously a dark and humorous character and as I keep reiterating this is where Tarantino is at his best. If he were to give the character a go for it it would have to be a more grounded take on the character similar to Nolan’s Joker due to the grittiness that would be associated with that small potential that he could be real. Nolan is really the best at making an original, colorful, and all around awesome characters and I strongly believe that if he were to write a Joker it would very likely give Ledger’s portrayal a run for it’s money.

Lobo.

Dwayne Johnson has more or less confirmed that a Lobo movie is happening and I keep finding myself wishing that the project will end up in Tarantino’s lap. Sure the antihero does feel much more action oriented than some of the other characters but Lobo shares that same dark humor that Tarantino loves. Sure Lobo is a little over the top but just once again look at Kill Bill. The violence done there is certainly over the top but it is incredibly well done. It shows off that Tarantino is more than capable of depicting both clever and non-excessive violence but he is also great at the unneeded and awesome kick-ass violence, exactly what a Lobo movie would need.

Once The Man with the Iron Fists hits theaters this fall we should be seeing Tarantino kicking some major butt in the action genre and once again demonstrating to us that he is more than capable of producing an amazing superhero flick.

So what hero or antihero would you like to see the writer/director tackle? Would you like to see him do one of the characters I mentioned or is there another character you would rather see more? The ones I mentioned here were just the few that quickly came to mind but there are tons out there Tarantino would be great for. Be sure to let us know your thoughts and who you would like to see in the comments below!

 

 

 

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The Punisher is Doing Some Laundry

July 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There has recently been quite a bit of buzz around the Marvel’s upcoming short film but it is not the only Marvel short that deserves our attention. Amidst the excitement of all of the new reveals and announcements of Comic Con a brand new Punisher short film titled Dirty Laundry was released. Dirty Laundry features a brief cameo from Ron Perlman and stars Thomas Jane who is once again taking on the role of Frank Castle after eight years since he played the role in the 2004 film. While it might have been close to a decade since he has taken on the role he was as great as ever.

The film might only be a little over ten minutes but I would go as far to say that it is the best Punisher adaption to hit the screen to date. While it is brief, it does an amazing job establishing a story. We see Frank perhaps a little out of his prime and we see him drifting away from being the Punisher. And then we see the Punisher in him come back in glorious fury.

That was another thing I loved about this short, the entire thing could have been one big action sequence but it wasn’t. Ninety percent of the short film is spent building and creating the setting and establishing where exactly the Punisher is. We see him living in his van and doing laundry in some beat up, chewed up laundromat, washing his torn up clothes full of holes. Not only does the short show what he has been up to but it also reminds me why I fell in love with the anti-hero in the first place. The short really shows off just how dark this character is and how unlike other heroes he is willing to kill in the name of justice punishment.

As awesome as the short was and regardless of how much I loved that it didn’t rely on action, it is the Punisher and I do expect some kick ass violence and spoiler alert: I was not disappointed. The entire time we are seeing Frank look the other way while atrocities are committed directly in front of him and even when confronted by the films primary antagonist he still does not rise to face the threat. But after a little inspirational conversation with Perlman’s character Frank grabs a bottle of Jack and proceeds on to kick some major ass in a manner that would Harley Morenstein proud. While this entire furious throw down does feel quite a lot like either a Jack Daniels or Epic Meal Time advertisement it is still incredibly stylish and well done. I also have to admit, if any product was going to be integrated into a movie to be utilized as a piece of weaponry a bottle of Jack Daniels would be on the top my list.

The thing that gets me most excited about Dirty Laundry are the implications it has on the rest of the Marvel universe. Over the past years we have seen Marvel building on the universe one movie at a time culminating in The Avengers. Now that The Avenger’s has been released and was a clear hit we are seeing them build on it even more now with the Phase 2 films coming out in the next few years. There have been a ton of rumors that the course that Marvel has chosen is going to eventually lead into the Civil War story arc. Now don’t get me wrong, words could not describe my excitement if this were to actually occur but the thing is Marvel is going to need to introduce the rest of world to quite a bit more heroes before doing so.

Now the reason that this short is so awesome is that it demonstrates that Marvel is more than capable of telling a strong story of a lesser known character in ten minutes. Regardless of whether or not Marvel is building towards the Civil War storyline it is clear that they are building on something with as many heroes and characters as possible and it is unrealistic to expect a full length movie for each one. These short films ultimately allow for Marvel to build on their universe in a cheap and quick fashion, exposing and introducing the world to new faces meaning that there is more and more that is on the table for them. For example now that they have recently made a Punisher film I kind of feel like it isn’t unreasonable to expect some sort of appearance from Thomas Jane’s Punisher in one of the many upcoming Marvel movies. While The Punisher isn’t an integral part of the Avengers, he is definitely an integral part of the Marvel universe and could very easily make a cameo, especially now that the character has been reestablished.

Ultimately, Dirty Laundry is one of the better short films I have seen in a little while and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the character or super heroes in general. It is hands down the best Punisher adaptation to date. Dirty Laundry has got me hoping to see more of The Punisher in the future and has gotten me even more excited for Marvel’s upcoming short, Item 47. If Item 47 is anything like Dirty Laundry it is bound to be good.

With that being said be sure to check out the video and leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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Last Blood – Vampires Give Humans Sanctuary

July 19, 2012 By 3 Comments

Recent developments in the movie world have led me to revert to the comic book world! When checking up on upcoming movie trailers and news on Darkhorizons.com I stumbled on an article about a Movie adaptation on a comic web-series called Last Blood. The comics started back in December of 2006 and have since been growing in popularity over the years and fighting to be adapted to the big screen.

Having just begun reading the web-comic, I haven’t gotten too far but I’m enjoying what I’ve read so far. The plot is interesting–however overused the vampires and zombies have become lately–it’s exciting to see them used together in a non-fantasy setting. Not to mention the fact that instead of the main characters fighting against both zombies and vampires, they have instead found a common cause with the vampires.

I’m intrigued to see where they take the story and how they develop the relationship between humans and vampires. There are a good few years worth of comics to catch up on so I’m sure I’ll have a good time of figuring these things out and I’ll let you know what I think as I get nearer to finishing the series! If you’ve already finished reading or are currently making the delve–let us know what you think about it–or even if you’ve just got an opinion on the story and idea by itself! We’d love to hear from you in comments below or let us know at askpowercords@gmail.com

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The Art of Turok

June 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Just about done with Turok Week here at Power Cords. Seeing as how I’ve been talking up a storm about the comics series and the art direction of the videogame series, I figured it might be a good idea to post some of my favorite pictures, comics covers, and pieces of concept art from every corner of the Turok franchise, and to give you a sense of why I find Turok and the Lost Land to be so damn cool. Enjoy!

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Just who is this Turok guy, anyway?

June 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

So, as you can probably tell, it’s Turok Week here at Power Cords. Why? Well… because I felt like it, really. I just love the Turok comics, as well as several of the games, and I felt that it was a perfect time to talk about the character, and maybe even get you guys interested in the series as well.

I find it rather surprising that so few fans of the Turok videogames know about the comic book series. It’s arguably the best way to experience Turok, and I’d argue are much more enjoyable than many of the games to have been released. Of course the games are important too, and while I touch on them here I’ll be going much more in-depth with each one later this week. But today, I feel it’s important to introduce Turok in the way he was initially imagined: as a comic book character. [Read more...]

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Holy Shit x2! Anthony Bourdain writing a comic book!

December 16, 2011 By 1 Comment

–By Brendan

Two awesome discoveries in one day? Damn, I’m on a roll. The man, the myth, the legend: writer/chef/host of the excellent Discovery channel series No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain has co-written a new graphic novel called “Get Jiro!” along with Joel Rose, with art by Langdon Foss. The story has been described as ”…a gourmet slaughter-fest, sort of like ‘Fistful of Dollars’ meets ‘Eat Drink Man Woman’ and ‘Yojimbo’ meets ‘Big Night’ and ‘Babette’s Feast’; an ultra-violent slaughter-fest over culinary arcana.’ count me in! [Read more...]

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