Author: Pellegrinelli

Anyone who’s been to one will tell you that the conventions aren’t just for comics any more. But since I didn’t go back in the days when they were pure (assuming such days ever existed), I’m not a purist, and for me at least, they present a welcome opportunity to sample the digital wares of any publisher or developer before they bring them to market. We are the people who’ll lay out our hard earned shekels during release week, so why not cozy up to us now? Nothing creates a little buzz and excitement like a feeling of early exclusivity to your target audience. But like all things, the proof is in the pudding.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Unlike some of us here at Geekscape, I’m not a Red Dead Head. Before this past weekend, I hadn’t even played a demo for the game. I’m no stranger to Rockstar; on the last gen of console games, pretty much everything they did was a must-own for me (I even scored a 100% completion on Bully). But when the new Red Dead launched, other games held my attention. So playing their new DLC, Undead Nightmare, was my first real exposure to the game.

So how good is Undead Nightmare? Good enough to have me leaning solidly toward the core game as a must-buy, THAT’S how good. After a slight learning curve for the control scheme, I had a genuine blast running around as John Marston, taking out zombies. The demo consisted of several waves of graveyards; which, in the game, will function much like the regular gang hideouts.

You enter the graveyard, and light up the coffins you find using the torch, a new melee weapon. Lighting up the first coffin causes the zombies to start rising out of the ground looking for payback. In order to progress, you must light up every coffin in the cemetery, which also proves useful, as you can use the lit coffins as fire barriers. And yes, zombies burn, but they do take a while to get crispy enough to drop. Eventually the boss zombie rises, and you need to put him down along with whatever zombies remain in order to clear the graveyard.

Your other new weapon is the blunderbuss, a rifle with a bell shaped barrel that launches zombie parts, blowing up the undead on impact. You will probably end up melee fighting in Undead Nightmare a bit more than you’re used to in the core game, as pretty much every enemy is hand to hand and not shy; the zombies will pursue you relentlessly, and some are much faster than others. On the plus side though, a close up gunshot kill is spectacularly gruesome fun.

Sadly, I didn’t get to see any zombie critters, but Rockstar assured me, EVERY animal in the game is present in zombie form. And yes, that includes zombie horses, and YES, you can ride them, though they are a bit more ornery than regular horses. With regards to the story, they were mum on the details, except to say that you will see characters you put into the ground come back out of it, and there is a deeper mystery involved as to why the dead are rising in the first place.

I had a blast playing Undead Nightmare, and am looking hard at getting my own copy of the core game. After all, I now have the perfect t-shirt to wear while playing it. And Jonathan…doesn’t. I bet that sticks in his craw just a little…

Dead Space 2

The original Dead Space was probably my favorite game of 2008, so when I first heard there were plans for a sequel, my only questions were a) how soon? and b) could I speed up time until then? The answers to each being a) January and b) no, not unless I wanted to knock myself into a coma or freeze myself in a block of ice. And I think we all know how well that last option worked for Eric Cartman.

So when I saw that EA’s booth at NY ComicCon would be devoted entirely to the new adventure of Isaac Clarke, you can imagine how thrilled I was. Given the level of noise on the show floor, EA wisely provided high quality headphones to each station, which went a long way to showing off one of this game’s biggest assets: sound design. As in the original, part of the immersive horror experience is in how much you not only hear, but in how much you hear and DON’T SEE. Every footstep, every door lock, every hiss of steam, every claw scratch, every gibbering necromorph slathering for your blood, makes for one of the most atmospheric aural tapestries I’ve ever heard in a game. And when the sound gets overpowered by heavy machinery, or wiped out in the blanket of hard vacuum, look sharp; it’s a safe bet that you’re about to get hit.

And, to make things even better, this is a game that looks just as great as it sounds. The lighting and level design remain top notch, and from the looks of things, level design is going to differ significantly from the original. Dead Space largely kept you confined to the interior and hull of the Ishimura; the setting for this next installment, the colonial Sprawl, is much bigger in terms of scope. One area that was a highlight of the demo was a Unitology cathedral, and the amount of detail in the backgrounds was fantastic.

Dead Space 2 doesn’t look to be short on new ideas for gameplay either. In one section, I had to hack into a control console, a minigame which required a deft touch and good timing. After successfully hacking the console and applying some inhibitors, I switched off the room’s gravity, which brought me to the new revised zero-G gameplay. Unlike in the last game, where you would launch yourself from surface to surface using your targeting reticle, here, all you do is press on your thumbstick, and you’re free-floating. Then your new-fangled armor maneuvers you with the assistance of tiny individual jets in any direction (albeit a little slowly). Press the thumbstick again and you’re on the ground. This opens up some spectacular new possibilities for both combat and puzzle solving, and I’m anxious to see how the designers apply it to the rest of the game.

Not only does the gameplay bring new tropes, but so do your adversaries, the necromorphs. In addition to your run-of-the-mill hack-and-slasher types, there’s the pack, a group of child-like necropmorphs who attack you en masse. They’re lightweights in terms of durability, but when you have a group of twelve or more chasing you, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. Clearly, the old combat tactics you employed in the last game aren’t going to be enough, and that learning curve will make the experience fresh. And, you’ll have new weapons like the javelin gun (with a secondary fire that causes area effect electrocution) to help even the odds.

Everyone I spoke to at the booth was relatively tight-lipped about the storyline. However, given that at one point in the demo, I was attacked by a spacecraft through an exterior window, I think it’s safe to say that there will be more to worry about than necromorphs. As one of the producers pointed out to me, flying spaceships is beyond their skill set.

There are multiple factions with a lot at stake in the world of Dead Space: the cult of Unitology, the government, and the CDC, the mining corporation that set the events of the first game in motion. And Isaac will of course be caught in the middle, uncertain of who to trust. Given how the last game turned out for him, it’s no wonder he’s talking this time around, being more assertive and questioning. Should make for a great story, for what already looks like a polished game.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

When I saw Ubisoft listed on the show exhibitors, I had one thing on my mind: getting to play an AC: Brotherhood demo. Given all the new features in this installment of the franchise, the multiplayer, recruiting your own in game hit-squad, new weapons, in-city horseback play and combat, I’m eager to see how it all handles. And given that the game releases in November, this would be a fantastic opportunity for Ubisoft to show it off with a hands on demo on the show floor.

But all they bought was the fucking Michael Jackson Experience.

Let me repeat that.

All they brought was the FUCKING! MICHAEL! JACKSON! EXPERIENCE! The picture below is the closest I got to Ezio this con. And if I could have persuaded him to ‘chat’ with the folks in the Ubisoft booth, using those nifty retractable blades, I would have.

I understand that as a company, Ubisoft wanted to trot out their new cash cow that is probably one of their more expensive licenses. I understand that it’s a lively party game and it’s a great demonstration for motion control technology. But Ubisoft also needs to realize that at the end of the day, most of us who game, particularly those of us over a median age with disposable income, who attend these cons, aren’t interested in prancing around our living rooms to Billie Jean. I saw four people at the con dressed as Assassin’s Creed characters. As opposed to the zero I saw dressed as Michael Jackson. Good call, Ubisoft.

James Bond: Blood Stone

I had to stop by the booth three times before I got a crack at this one; there were only two demo machines to play on. But I have to say, it was worth the wait. Given that the Bond film franchise is tied up in litigation for the meanwhile, a Bond game that delivers could be a nice stopgap until things get settled. To that end, the game developers have pulled out all the stops. They got Daniel Craig and Judi Dench to provide voice work. They hired Bruce Fierstein, who wrote Goldeneye and two other Bond movies to come up with their story. They even got Joss Stone to not only do a voice, but to record a theme song for the game. More on that in a minute.

From the first gorgeously rendered cinematic, it’s clear that the game’s producers know, and are ardently faithful to, their source material. Judi Dench’s M is attending a G20 conference in the Greek isles, and it’s clear that something is amiss. A known arms dealer is up to no good, but M can’t get the conference holder to postpone a photo op that will likely be a target. Bond is en route, and M quickly dispatches him to deal with the arms dealer. In a nice reveal, Bond parachutes out of a transport plane, kicking a bad guy in the head as he lands on the deck of a yacht, and we’re off.

As the game starts, it’s clear, you have two ways to approach your missions: subtle and stealthy or guns blazing. There won’t be one right way to do anything, but one or the other will be the path of least resistance. Fortunately, Bond can slip into and out of cover as well as he can shoot. After infiltrating the yacht and taking down a few bad guys, you encounter the arms dealer. He gets away, and you begin your first set piece – a speed boat chase through the harbor. But of course, this being Bond, gunmen in boats will be shooting at you, in addition to a helicopter, until you get the opportunity to take it out with a well-placed shot to a nearby fuel tank.

After making landfall, you go through some more bad guys, only to learn that you’re too late – the car bomb is on its way. But thanks to a stolen Italian sports car, you’re in hot pursuit through winding roads and dangerous traffic. After catching up and delivering a well-placed ram to the car, it flips over and goes boom, and you get a chance to relax, having a martini with M.

Then cue the title sequence, complete with theme song by Joss Stone. This is a title sequence very much in keeping with the classic tradition of Bond openers: girls, guns, and gorgeous art design; it’s further proof that these game developers truly understand their license. Exotic locales, huge set pieces and chases, a killer score, a mix of stealth and gunplay, a dash of wit; from the taste I got, this game brings you the Bond you know and want. If the goal is to make you feel like you’re in that world, or watching one of these movies, then from what I’ve seen, they’re off to a good start. When the game releases next month, we’ll know for sure, but I’m very hopeful.

Goldeneye 007

I wasn’t part of the Nintendo 64 generation, but even I got in a round or three of Goldeneye. This was a game that truly brought deathmatching into the mainstream, even if it was only four player via splitscreen. And it was fun. Nothing brought a laugh quicker than turning your friends’ screens red via a lucky blast with the rocket launcher.

Given that I don’t own a Wii, my interest in playing the new Goldeneye was slight, but the demo booth had room on their couch, so it was too easy to pass up. The experience remains largely the same, though some of the customizable options (rubber and sticky grenades, paintball mode) seem new (though I could easily be wrong – I played the original only a handful of times). The player skins are also a fun and welcome option – and there were plenty to choose from. Baron Samedi, Dr. No, Jaws, Oddjob and many more were available.

Not much else to say – while the graphics and sound may be upgraded, the experience is entirely familiar. Which, if you love and miss the original, may be just what you’re looking for.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3

 

Now this is a bit more like it. I’ve been playing Capcom fighting games for nigh on twenty years (God I’m old), so the feel of picking up a controller and entering that familiar quarter circle motion is welcome and familiar. Given how long it’s been since a new Capcom fighting game has come along, it’s great to have a new one coming down the pipe in only a few months.

I wasn’t the biggest fan when the crossover series began with the tag system, and I was a little less thrilled when the tag system expanded to three characters, and condensed to one round of play per match, effectively slicing game time down by one half to two thirds. However, this was a vice mainly confined to the arcade (it sucks when you’re plunking down quarters to get less game), and in recent years, the console has been the way to play. And as I’ve played more Capcom games, the appeal of their original characters has increased for me. Getting to play a few rounds on Marvel vs Capcom 3 was a real pleasure; the rounds went by fast, but the game’s kinetic fun is more infectious than a dose of smallpox. And judging  by the lines at the Capcom booth, it’s catching.

Fighting games are very much an either/or proposition for gamers: either you like them or you don’t. So if you do, and you like Capcom’s series in particular, you’re in for a good time. In fact, given the roster Capcom has been pulling together, I would say GREAT time. Several of the character choices are proving to be unconventional (M.O.D.O.K.,  Amaterasu) and even nostalgic (Sir Arthur, Viewtiful Joe). There are plenty of the old favorites (Wolverine, Chun Li, Ryu, Hulk) and more conventional new choices (Dante, Deadpool, Super-Skrull, X-23). The emphasis is on speed and cunning; either overwhelming your opponent or seizing an opportunity. The updated graphics are gorgeous, and while the sound and music are a bit strident, they still convey a grand sense of fun. And the super moves are pure joy when you make them connect.

And for those of you sick of Deadpool (Jonathan), I think you’ll still have to laugh when he beats someone with his health meter.

Thor: God of Thunder

While the Marvel Video Game panel on Saturday didn’t provide much insight to how this game is coming along, press members did get special access to some developer footage behind closed doors at Sega’s vendor booth. While we didn’t learn or see too much, it was a decent hint of what’s to come when Sega publicly unveils more of the game in December.

Most of what we saw was concept art; this is game firmly set in Thor’s mythological world, Earth and city streets and other heroes won’t be playing a role in this one. Expect firescapes and snowscapes and trolls. The perspective is third person, from a bit above, and while the developers hesitated to equate the God of Thunder with a certain God of War, it feels like there are similarities from this first glimpse. In terms of scale, the game definitely will lean on the side of Godlike. Expect enemies, and bosses in particular, to be on a large scale, easily fifty feet or taller.

Of all the games I got a look at during the convention, this one was in the most preliminary stage. It’s hard to tell how the game is going to turn out exactly, and the play style is largely a mystery. But I’m intrigued enough for a closer look come December.

Captain America: Super Soldier

Sadly, the demo on display at the convention was NOT hands on. While the gameplay was live, only the developers were holding the controllers. But so far, this one looks like it has some real potential. The combat engine has clearly drawn some serious inspiration from Batman: Arkham Asylum. In terms of fluidity, in a simple controller scheme where the attacks are contextualized in combat from moment to moment, the similarities are readily evident. Cap punches, kicks, and dodges amidst groups of enemies, shifting from target to target with great swiftness.

But don’t be fooled, in terms of visual style, this is a distinctive game. Cap is a much swifter, stronger, more agile fighter, performing flip kicks and leaping off his enemies backs. He also has the shield, and it’s very much an extension of his body, integrated into most of his attacks. It’s also a great defensive tool, not only blocking long range bullets, but, with a well-timed button press, deflecting them back at his attacker.

The look is also markedly different. This is a game that draws inspiration but isn’t imitation. Cap is night and day from Arkham’s Batman; from his bold red white and blue union suit, to his acrobatic maneuvering through his environment. Time (and getting my own hands on the controller) will tell, but this could be a good one.

Dead Rising 2

This one’s only last because out of all the games I decided to write about, it’s already been released. Capcom still brought it to the convention, and why not? It’s a great game, filled tons of content that will make for a lot of replayability. And when I say ‘filled’ and ‘with tons,’ I mean those words literally. This game has more zombies per cubic meter than you’ll encounter playing an entire Romero movie. It also has more items and different item types than you can easily count in a short demo playthrough.

But perhaps best of all in Dead Rising 2 is the item combination system. Find a workbench, bring back a couple of items to it, and voila! New and fun ways to slaughter the undead. That metal bucket and power drill? Combine them to create an evil looking hat to slap on a zombie’s head and scramble their brains. Throw a car battery together with a wheelchair and you have a mobile, pushable instrument of capital punishment. And who doesn’t want to slice zombies in half with a laser sword? (Note: the word ‘lightsaber’ is trademarked by Lucasfilm Ltd.).

This is a beautifully rendered game, with an amazingly high number of onscreen enemies, tons of content, and endless customization elements for weapons and your character. Liven up any cinematic cutscene wearing your Davy Crockett raccoon hat! Take on your friends in a multiplayer zombie game show. Dead Rising 2 is absolutely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

In short: lots of great games at NYCC – much fun was had.

 

Hey there Geekscapists! Jim Pellegrinelli with some more NYCC panel coverage for you.  Here are some panels I was able to check out this Saturday:

Marvel’s Video Game Panel

They told us from the start, there would be a lot to cover in this panel, and man, they weren’t kidding. It’s funny, of the two big companies, Marvel is the one that always seems to have the upper hand with video game development (Arkham Asylum being the one notable exception) and the size and scope of this panel continued that trend.

First up, Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions. While the game itself is already out, the news from the panel was DLC, specifically, four cosmic Spider-Men for each of the four dimensions. The cosmic costumes will be available very soon, possibly within the month-no price given for the DLC as of yet.

Next up was Marvel Super Hero Squad: Infinity Gauntlet. The new game is coming to 360, PS3, and the Wii, you control multiple heroes at once (at the demo booth you could play with two). Usual suspects like Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man will be there, along with non-gaming regulars like Black Widow, Nova, She-Hulk and Falcon (according to the screenshots). Which further tarnishes my own opinion of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, whose character roster seems to consist mainly of X-Men, even when the Civil War storyline doesn’t call for it. What I would have given for this kind of roster selection in that game!

The story loosely follows the original Infinity Gauntlet story (this is a kids’ game after all) with a broad sense of humor (Hulk farts – this is Marvel Super Hero Squad after all). There looks to be plenty of content – playing through the storyline unlocks various challenge modes, including hack attack, and racing. Voice casting was also mentioned, and includes such notables as Mark Hamill (as the Red Skull) and George Takei (as Galactus!).

Following on the heels was another Super Hero Squad game, Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, their new MMOPG. This game seems capable of an even greater roster variety for players. According to the developers, eventually, almost any and every Marvel character would be playable.

At this point I couldn’t help myself, and shouted out ‘Howard the Duck!’

Which, to my pleasant surprise, was a notion they didn’t summarily dismiss. In fact, they affirmed that Howard, and even the notorious Squirrel Girl could eventually become a part of the action. As to whether or not they actually will, I suppose we have to wait and see. The game comes to Mac and PC in the first quarter of 2011.

After that came what was probably one of the bigger games of the show – Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Writer Frank Tieri talked briefly about the storyline (Doom and Wesker team up, hilarity and some greater threat ensue) and we got some more exciting news. The previous day’s Marvel vs. Capcom panel had unveiled two new Capcom characters, Sir Arthur (Ghouls & Ghosts) and Spencer (Bionic Commando). Today we got the two new Marvel characters (who had already been leaked on various sites – DAMN YOU INTERNET!). The loudest cheers went up for M.O.D.O.K. Seriously, how can you NOT love a game where you get to play as M.O.D.O.K.? And how could I resist showing you the video?



They showed the Magneto trailer next. Most of his moves we’ve been seeing since Marvel Super Heroes circa 1995, but his new specials do look pretty awesome, and seeing a classic character get updated with modern quality graphics is pretty nice. Given the fan response to this game at the convention (the line to play was ten deep and they had seven stations), Capcom will be raking in the cash upon release this spring.

Next were two games from Sega. First up: Thor, God of Thunder. We saw a short teaser trailer for the game (which showed almost nothing) then the game’s producer gave us a brief tease of the storyline, which seems pretty typical Thor. Loki causes trouble, Thor has to journey to the different worlds outside of Asgard, where he’ll fight Ymir, Surtur, and Ulik, before facing a final boss. Game will be released in time for the film, but the storyline is totally independent (I scratched my chin dubiously at that one). The full public unveiling of the game won’t take place until December, release date looks to be timed to coincide with the film. I’ll have a little more on this game in an upcoming article.

After that, the audience got a look at Captain America: Super Soldier. Writer Christos Gage talked about the storyline, which is set in World War II, and leads up with Cap investigating a Hydra force that possess advanced technology. The game is separate from the movie in terms of storyline, but releases in July to coincide with the film (hmmm, I’m sensing a pattern here…). We’ll see era-appropriate villains along the likes of Red Skull, Baron Strucker, Arnim Zola, Madame Hydra, and Iron Cross. The gameplay looks fairly similar to Arkham Asylum in terms of the combat mechanics, but Cap’s fighting style, thankfully, is different – much more acrobatic, and with defensive and long-range combat options via the shield. I’ll share more of my thoughts on this one in the aforementioned upcoming article.

Then came the X-Men Destiny trailer. No reveals, no hints, no NOTHING. Um, thanks for replaying a trailer everyone in the room has probably already seen. Can I have this five minutes from this panel back?

But then Xmas came early (see what I did there?), and our present: Capcom’s X-Men arcade game is coming to Xbox Live and PS3 as DLC! On-line multiplayer and all! Halleh-frakkin’-lujah! No price tag, no exact release date, but coming soon! SOON!!!

DC Universe Panel

I got to this panel a little late (after they had gone over some Wonder Woman details), but here are highlights for you:

Good response to a slide showing a $3.99 price with a line through it. One fan joked ‘So it’s $4.99?’ Yes, a number of DC books are holding prices at $2.99, though with only a 20 page count instead of a standard 22.  My ambivalence remains steady.

Batman and Robin will continue with Dick Grayson as Batman after Grant Morrison’s departure.

Birds of Prey’s next storyline will be the Death of Oracle. We got a cover image of Batman standing at her tombstone, complete with epitaph, ‘She Saw Into Our Souls.’ Writer Gail Simone promised wide-reaching consequences from this storyline, which, given how much DC’s heroes rely on Oracle, seems fitting. After that, we’ll FINALLY get that Catman/Huntress date, then a team-up with the Gotham City Sirens.

Paul Levitz talked about, how, in line with traditions of old, the DC readership would get to pick the new leader of the Legion of Superheroes in an upcoming storyline. Look for a URL and details on how to vote in issue #6. My vote’s for Polar Boy. Later on he revealed we’d be learning who would become the appointed 30th century Green Lantern of sector 2814.

Supergirl #60 will see a new creative team, new storyline, and a new villain, who ties into Geoff Johns’ Adventure Comics run.

We got a glance at the cover to Green Arrow #7; the Into the Woods storyline will wrap, and GA will be getting a new (and major) rogue in the upcoming storyline, Who Is the Black Arrow?

James Robinson talked about the JLA, showing a teaser image of Batman and a Dark Supergirl. Issue #50 will bring us the Crime Syndicate, along with a new villain. After that will be a new storyline called Shadow War, which kicks off with Eclipso murdering the Spectre (um…isn’t he technically dead already?). Look for a resurgence with Obsidian, Robinson is going to challenge the character and take him to new heroic heights.

Robinson went on to talk about a 12-issue Shade series, with three different artists handling the story, each tailored to handle specific sections of the plot. He let slip that he’s working on a Hawkman project, then backpedaled and mentioned his upcoming Congorilla one-shot.

Tony Bedard talked about his books, R.E.B.E.L.S., and Green Lantern Corps. The GLC will turn up in R.E.B.E.L.S., where he’ll also spend some time developing some character relationships/romances. The next GLC storyline will deal with the Weaponer who made Sinestro’s first ring. The Weaponer apparently thought that his life would turn out great after that, but it turned out to be the biggest mistake he ever made, and he’s out for payback.

Discussion shifted to Stracynski’s new Superman Earth-1 book, which takes place when a 21-year old Superman comes to Metropolis and has a ‘Gethsemone’ moment where he realizes how much he could have for himself if he uses his powers for personal success. The book will also explore the idea that Krypton’s destruction may not have been an accident, and it will feature a re-vamped Jimmy Olsen, who’s a bit batshit, taking crazy risks for his pictures.

After that came a discussion of the new Weird Worlds book, which will have three features: Aaron Lopresti’s Garbageman, Lobo, and a new cosmic character, Tonga (which is Spanish for thong), who combines ‘the power of the Silver Surfer with the personality of Sarah Silverman.’

Teen Titans was up next. With the addition of Damian Wayne/Robin creating some friction, a new storyline will kick off with issue #100, and we’ll soon see a new female Titan.

Gail Simone managed to work in some discussion of Secret Six (who apparently weren’t part of the planned topics-WTF?!?!?). In the current storyline, not everyone will come back from Skartaris. After that, there will be a crossover with Paul Cornell’s Action Comics, then a crossover with another DC team. I did get selected to ask an audience question, and I asked Simone if we would see the demented Six villain Junior again? She said nothing was planned for him yet, but that the ‘Get Out of Hell Free’ card from that story would in fact be used by someone, and it would NOT go well.

Green Lantern – the Animated Series

I ended up camping through another panel in order to guarantee myself a seat in this next panel, which for some unknowable reason the convention decided to stage in a VERY small room, given the high level of fan interest. This was our first real official word on this upcoming series, which was only recently announced. Anticipation was high, and rightfully so – Marvel may have the edge in games, but in animation, DC consistently turns out better product. Geoff Johns moderated, and from the show we saw Producers Jim Krieg, Giancarlo Volpe, and Executive Producer Bruce Timm. Since Jim and Giancarlo were relative unknowns compared to Timm, we got a brief bio on each: Volpe worked on King of the Hill, Last Airbender (the series, not the movie, relax!), and Krieg worked on Fox’s Spider-Man and X-Men series, and on Batman Brave and the Bold.

So here’s the skinny: Green Lantern will be a science fiction series, and most of the action will take place in space. It seems that on the frontier of Green Lantern territory, there’s trouble a-brewin’. Green Lanterns are getting killed, and the Red Lanterns are responsible, as their territory intersects. The Red Lanterns will be the major villains of Season 1 (though there will be others). Sinestro (and his corps) WON’T be appearing, and in fact it feels (given the discussion) that he won’t even be mentioned as he’s such a major part of next summer’s movie.

Given how prevalent GL has been lately and will be in coming months, the show is NOT doing an origin story to launch. Hal Jordan will (in typical fashion) launch himself into the thick of the trouble with the Red Lanterns. He’ll have a buddy-cop type of relationship with Kilowog (who is ‘the Murtaugh to his Riggs’), and a contentious one with the Guardians.

Concept art came next, and we saw designs and models for Hal, Kilowog, Salaak, Carol Ferris (who’ll pretty much be the only other major Earth-based character), Aya (a new GL created for the show) the Guardians (including Ganthet and Sayd) and Red Lantern villains Atrocitus and Zilius Zox. We also saw the vehicle design for the GL Interceptor; it was explained that it gets GLs around space faster than the rings can and conserves energy, in addition to being a regular set they can use, and undoubtedly another merchandising opportunity. Also, as a pilot, how could Hal NOT want to fly around what’s supposed to be the universe’s fastest jet?

We got about 20 seconds of test footage (voiced by Bruce Timm, so no hints as to cast yet), which, while darker than the show will look finally, did provide a good indication of the general animation quality. Said footage consisted of Hal and Kilowog taking on a group of Manhunter robots (so consider that another bonus character reveal).

With regard to plots, unrevealed characters, and other specifics, the main answer we got to audience questions was ‘Tune in and see.’ While no announcement was given as to casting, voice recording has been done for five episodes so far. Total number of episodes for the first season is 26, and they’re aiming for a prime-time slot. The stories will largely be stand-alones, but with an overall season arc. They are being held to network standards and practices, so while there will be death (and they were kind of coy if the Red Lanterns would vomit blood, it sounds more like they’ll make ring constructs and maybe breathe fire) nothing will be too graphic. Don’t hold out hope of seeing any other Lantern Corps besides Green and Red the first season, but after that, maybe. The one last major plot hint? While the show is space based, we will be seeing a fair amount of Carol Ferris…so the possibility of at least seeing her as Star Sapphire seems pretty possible. It’s still kind of early to know just what kind of show this will be, but so far, I’m cautiously optimistic.

Green Lantern – Emerald Empire Panel

This panel was kind of underwhelming to me. Most of the news and topics of discussion weren’t anything terribly new. For what is clearly going to be their most significant intellectual property in terms of market presence, this panel didn’t trot out anything that exclusive or unfamiliar. Most of the panel time was devoted to audience Q & A, which given the scope of most audience questions, kills a lot of momentum. Overall a disappointment. Some quick highlights:

Tony Bedard repeated his earlier talk about the Weaponer storyline in GL Corps, with the addition that it will feature a Sinestro/Kyle Rayner fight taking place during the Greenwich Village Halloween parade.

We’ll see more of Saint Walker in the Entity search over in the main GL book, and we’ll see what the Indigo Tribe is up to with Black Hand.

The pact between Atrocitus, Ganthet and Guy Gardner will be revealed in time for this spring’s Lantern crossover. It’s going to cause a lot of friction, and there will be a brawl between Hal and Guy in the crossover’s first issue.

The Flash will appear in the next issue of GL, to give Hal a quick ‘WTF?’ reaction to learning that Hal is working with Sinestro.

More mention of the Larfleeze Xmas special, another mention of the Dex-Starr Valentine’s Day special (guess that IS a real thing – cool), there will be a follow-up to the Dex-Starr back-up story from earlier this year, and a book focusing on one of the other corps (but no mention of which corps).

Talking about John Stewart, Tony Bedard said that a lot of discussion revolves around John needing to get laid. Bedard gave the convention the Freudian slip of the day: ‘I like that character. He seems very untapped.’

There was an audience member in a really great Larfleeze costume, complete with mask. His question to Geoff Johns was what was his most prized possession? Johns answered his comic with Larfleeze’s first appearance, which seemed to gratify Larfleeze. He tried to walk off with the microphone stand after getting his answer.

That’s all for now. Back soon with coverage on all the great video games I saw (and PLAYED!).

Hey Geekscapists! For those of you who haven’t been, New York Comic Con is steadily shaping up to be the East Coast’s answer to San Diego. Truthfully, I know that it can never BE San Diego (and judging by recent decisions, nowhere else can be either) but damned if everyone concerned isn’t giving it their best try. This is my second year attending, and by all accounts the event is steadily progressing to be as large and as important as possible in terms of size, scope, guests, and exhibitors. There’s literally way too much for any one person to see and do here, but over the next few days I will bring you coverage of as much as humanly possible. Here’s a brief rundown of some panels I attended today (Day 1).

Spotlight On Geoff Johns

This panel was a bit frustrating. There were a few tidbits of news, but nothing too earth-shattering. The discussion was built around audience Q & A, so things tended to wander a bit-and questions ranged from the appropriate to the inane. Summing up the most cogent bits of information I gleaned from the panel:

John Stewart will have a bigger role in Green Lantern Corps. There will also be a crossover between the three Lantern books in Spring of 2011.

With regard to Aquaman, Johns has significant plans for him in the months ahead. He feels Aquaman should be more of a leader in the DCU; to illustrate he discussed a scene he would love to write, but hasn’t: Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman ask Aquaman to rejoin the JLA. Aquaman tells them if they need a leader, he’ll be there. Next page, Aquaman calls a meeting of the JLA to order. All of which makes me despondent over the state of the Justice League books. And hopeful for an Aquaman ongoing.

Johns couldn’t tell us too much about the Green Lantern movie, but we did get to see the teaser posters, and he confirmed, the trailer will be in theaters attached to Harry Potter. Start counting the days.

In response to a question of whether or not there would be a Justice League or World’s Finest type of team-up movie like the Avengers, the answer seems to be no. Johns stated that DC’s characters are too big for that; they’re bigger than Marvel’s characters, more iconic. Compressing the stories, screen time and screen space for all of them into one two-hour movie would be diminishing. And while the idea of a Justice League movie is always pleasing, his logic makes definite sense. But, on the plus side,he said that once Warner Brothers finishes with Harry Potter, we could expect maybe two DC movies from them each year.

Upcoming storylines in brief: In Brightest Day, we’ll have White Lantern Batman in issue #14. Green Lantern #59-60 will focus on the Indigo Tribe and answer a lot of questions about them. Flash #7 will be a Rogues Gallery issue focusing on Captain Boomerang. The next major Flash storyline will be the first half of next year, featuring Hot Pursuit, a policeman speedster who uses a motorcycle and has a surprising identity. Johns joked (or DID he…?) about a Dex-Starr Red Lantern Valentine’s Day Special. Where he meets Krypto.

On another note, Johns talked about DC’s price freeze, keeping the majority of their books at $2.99. A fan rather adroitly pointed out that comes with a 20 page count instead of the standard 22. And on this note that provokes more ambivalence from me than anything else. I’ll move on.

 

Irredeemable/Incorruptible Panel with Mark Waid

These books are two of my current favorites, so a solo panel with just Waid and his editor was too good to pass up. He’s an entertaining and informative speaker. My personal favorite anecdote dealt with traveling in Singapore after the release of the Irredeemable story where Plutonian sinks it to the bottom of the ocean. If you’re ever in a similar predicament, turn your depiction of genocide into a compliment by saying how beloved the country in question was and how much their demise hurt global economics and morale. However, this may prove less effective when meeting with cultural ministers in the U.S. Embassy.

My second favorite anecdote dealt with the custom scent company Black Phoenix, who has a line of scents based on the characters in Irredeemable. Apparently, the scorched Earth smell they came up with for the Plutonian is somehow NOT desirable.

With regard to storylines, major shifts are coming up, particularly for Irredeemable. After the shocking reveals of last issue, Waid confirmed that yes, it was not a head game, Plutonian was speaking truthfully: Modeus is definitely in love with him. Issue 18 will establish the new dynamic between the two, now that everything has been laid out on the table. Issue 19 will continue that shake-up, and the global situation will also begin to see some change. Some of the other heroes will begin to take action in the absence left by the Paradigm.

Speaking of the Paradigm, we may have some more one-shots coming up exploring those members of Irredeemable’s supporting cast. With regard to the universe being opened up to include more ongoing books, Waid said definitely not, at least for a while.

For those of you waiting to see Max Damage and the Plutonian go head to head, you’ve still got a while to wait. The books will slowly draw together, but the story line where they come up against each other won’t take place until well into year two for both books.

And lastly, for still a bit further down the road, year three will begin exploring the Plutonian’s origin. The kicker? The Plutonian himself may not be in full possession of the facts about said origin.

 

DC Animation Screening

Comic convention crowds are a funny thing. They’ll collectively greet people like rock stars that the average American would walk by without a second glance. Case in point: when Bruce Timm took the stage for this presentation on DC’s upcoming animation projects he got a roar; some people even got to their feet. But I can understand, Timm is a guy who’s been successfully bringing superheroes to the small screen for almost twenty years. And to a crowd like this, he probably had more meaning to their collective childhood than the public educational system.

The first project on deck was Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam, the debut/featured title on a compilation DVD of four non-feature length stories starring secondary DC characters including the Spectre, Jonah Hex, and Green Arrow. While the new Superman/Shazam is another short, only clips were on display for the audience. Given that at last year’s convention, we were treated to the entirety of the new Wonder Woman feature in the screening, followed by a panel discussion, this was a little underwhelming.

The footage however, was pretty entertaining. While not drawing on a clear comic book storyline and art style as much of recent DC feature narrative has been doing, Superman/Shazam definitely has an influence from the recent Superman/Batman Public Enemies. It’s an origin team up story, and the action and story beats shown in the clips were solid. It’s also clearly got a sense of humor; Billy learns the hard way in one scene that using the Wizard’s name will always transform him, regardless of how bad the timing is.

But Superman/Shazam was just a warm up act for the real draw; premiere footage for the upcoming All-Star Superman DVD movie. While Timm acknowledged the designs took some work to balance, they are quite faithful to Quitely’s artwork, only the characters…don’t all look like former heavyweight boxers. Which is pretty much everything we could have hoped for.

We got to see three clips, and if they’re any indication, Timm and company are being extremely faithful to Grant Morrison’s storyline. The first clip was the film’s opening, featuring the spaceship rescue on the surface of the sun; everything was there, including Dr. Leo Quintum, Lex Luthor’s clone attack, and Lois and the Daily Planet staff (including Cat Grant making with a spicy double entendre) as she writes coverage of the rescue in advance. The second clip was a segment from my favorite chapter in the series, where Lois gains superpowers as her birthday present from Superman, and Atlas and Samson show up to vie for her affections. High comedy of Superman arm wrestling them both, mixed with romance as Superman and Lois tour Atlantis and share a kiss on the surface of the moon. Last up was a clip from the prison sequence featuring Parasite and Luthor. Timm admitted that not everything from the book made it in, nor is everything the same (and given the series ran 13 issues, and the movie will likely be in the 90 minute range, how could it be?). But while we only got a brief taste, so far, I’m pretty enthusiastic about All Star Superman. Timm says it’s probably his favorite of the DC DVD movies to date, and from what I’ve seen, I may come to share that opinion on release myself. This was one of the best Superman storylines of the last, or any decade, and it looks like DC Animation is trying hard to live up to that standard.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow!

When I was e-mailing a friend about my consternation that Sex and the City is currently a viable film franchise, she remarked: ‘I don’t feel the need to watch 50 year-olds try to be like 25 year-olds.’ Having now seen the second installment in said franchise, I can congratulate her on her trenchant insight, and her prescience, as demonstrated in the following scene:

After dressing down a boutique employee who suggested a dress was a bit too immodest for a woman her age to wear, Samantha wears said dress to a red-carpet film premiere. And there, wearing the exact same dress is…wait for it…Miley fucking Cyrus. After an all-too-brief moment of mortification, Miley smiles, says something complimentary about Samantha, and the two pose for photos from the paparazzi.

I can infer two things here, neither of them particularly pleasant. The first is that the Sex and the City creators view their characters as generational role models for girls and women to aspire to, and at this point, they’re so established that they’re canonical. Inside every girl is a Carrie, a Samantha, a Miranda, a Charlotte. Um…no. Please God no.

The second thing is that Miley identifies with Samantha specifically, and by the time she’s an independent adult she’ll be a sex addict of staggering, Caligulan proportions. Not sure if that’s just funny or a little sad, but it wouldn’t surprise me that the yoke of Disneyfication will cause her to act crazy once she shakes it off. But I digress.

Miley wants to play Samantha in the prequel…she’s gearing up for a very method performance.

Part of the reason I wanted to write about this movie, and the Sex and the City franchise in general, is that for certain women, this is the property that inspires their own special geek fervor. This is their Star Trek. There are no conventions, no costumes, no games, be they board, video or role-playing, but the loyalty and devotion that fans lavish on it has that same flavor. They watch the wardrobe choices and accessorize accordingly. They own all the DVDs and the original books, they can quote the characters, they remember all the plotlines from over 90 episodes to the point of who was doing whom when, which is probably their equivalent of USS Enterprise engine room schematics.

This isn’t that mysterious a reaction, since the original show does have a few virtues. Chief among them, it’s a story for women, geared towards them and their interests. Let’s face it guys, in terms of our share of the cultural marketplace, we are a spoiled bunch, and the majority of product, good or bad, is a big fat softball pitched underhand in our general direction, so an exception has inherent value. And while far from perfect, the writing could and did often click. The characters were distinct and well-defined. The dialogue was sharp, pun-filled and quippy. The city of New York was practically a character itself, and the series was a showcase for all things hip and trendy around town. Thematically, it played to its strengths, celebrating female camaraderie, liberation and empowerment, with a veneer of style.

Before you label me a fan, let me say the show wasn’t without serious shortcomings. It would be kind to refer to the characters as cynical, superficial and judgmental. There was a nasty undercurrent of vicarious living in the role of Carrie as narrator; for ¾ of every episode, Carrie narrates the goings-on of her friends (including them fucking), ostensibly in the writings of her column/book, which of course, begs the question, what friends in their right minds would allow her to do this? After reading her material, anyone that has a passing familiarity with them will be able to identify them and know the explicit intimate details of their lives. That’s not only outing personal secrets to the entire world, it’s exhibitionism by proxy, and it’s a wide distribution of sensitive info into a world full of unstable stalker types. Thanks, girlfriend!

There was also a lot of rub-your-nose-in-it materialism, turning beauty, wealth and style into virtues, and marginalizing anyone who lacked same. The conflicts often felt manufactured, the humor crass, and the resolutions pat and trite. All of which led to a big feeling of ‘who gives a fuck?’ when it came to the stakes. Will these unlikable narcissistic status obsessed women find love and happiness? It’s not life or death, it’s not even whether or not good things happen to the truly deserving, it’s generally well-off people whinging that they aren’t happy ENOUGH. Fuck them. Nothing truly terrible EVER happens to these people. Okay, one of them DID get breast cancer that last season, BUT, it was stage 1, she got ridiculously good health care and was back fucking her brains out by the end of the series’ run. Sometimes there’s nothing more patronizing than hearing how hard it is to live a charmed life. So again: FUCK. THEM.

The first movie affirmed and accentuated a LOT of the negative things about the show, and it was an excessively bloated piece of film making to boot. Extended costume parades to show off Sarah Jessica Parker in out of date fashions and bridal gowns? Multiple cross-cutting montages showing where every single character is at a given moment? Lame pubic hair and pants-shitting gags? Apartment interiors, gratuitous clothing and merchandising product placement, and a myriad of other lifestyle porn too lengthy to bear describing here? Check, check, check and check. The movie squandered whatever good capital the show had with me. Lazy writing, contrived situations, and the dialogue…! The writer never met a pun he didn’t like. Or a cliche. And they all swirled together and grew like mold in a bread drawer.

And as for the plot/characterization, here is my quick synopsis, which will spare you the two-and-a-half hours you’d wish you had back:

Carrie: Mr. Big is buying us a huge apartment to move into!
Miranda: If he doesn’t marry you and he kicks you out you’re shit out of luck.
Carrie: Mr. Big finally proposed to me!
Miranda: My husband cheated on me because I only fucked him once in six months so I’m not going to live with him any more.
Samantha: I’m still fucking my hot young guy.
Carrie: Mr. Big left me at the altar! Waah!
Samantha: Let’s all go to Mexico and use Carrie’s honeymoon cabana!
The girls all go to Mexico.
Carrie: Mr. Big hurt my feelings!
Miranda: I forgot to wax.
Charlotte: Oops I crapped my pants!
The girls return from Mexico.
Carrie: Mr. Big hurt my feelings!
Charlotte: I didn’t think I could get pregnant but somehow I am without trying. Yay!
Miranda: I’m sorry I said that thing to Mr. Big before the wedding that made him run off.
Carrie: Mr. Big hurt my feelings!
Samantha: My hot young guy is great, but I crave strange dick.
Miranda: Maybe my husband isn’t such an asshole, I’ll take him back!
Carrie: Mr. Big still loves me and I married him. Yay!

It shames me to my core that I remember enough detail of the plot to even write that synopsis. I still can’t even begin to explain why Jennifer Hudson was in the movie, except to prove that Carrie had at least one black friend.

Despite this, I am still such a cinematic masochist, I not only saw the sequel, I went to see it at a midnight premiere showing near Times Square. This was the hardcore fangirl crowd, and if you don’t believe me – I counted four guys in the whole screening besides myself. Pretty sure I was the only hetero male there voluntarily. During the pre-show entertainment, the crowd squealed and cheered for the trailer of the movie we were about to see. They did that for a lot of things. They squealed and cheered when the trailers started. When the opening titles started. The first time we saw each of the four girls. The reveal of Carrie’s closet which is the size of a studio apartment. The reveal of the gay best friends’ wedding invitation. Seeing any of Samantha’s boy toys without a shirt (there were numerous audience members fanning themselves at those, even with the Arctic-level air conditioning). When we got a poolside close up crotch shot of some dude’s sausage in a speedo. The first close-up of Carrie’s shoes. OF. HER. FUCKING. SHOES.

I was dimly hopeful that the crowd’s enthusiasm might rub off enough for me to not want to claw my own eyes out. In that regard, it was successful. I only wanted to jab a pen through my ear to see if I could somehow scratch the images directly off my cortex.

Ok, now for the plot synopsis – brace yourselves, it ain’t pretty.

The horror! The horror!

The girls attend the single gayest wedding ever for their friends Anthony and Stamford, the only two gay chacraters on the show, who originally hated each other so why wouldn’t they pair off and get married? I use the word gayest in the literal sense here – there’s swans and a gay men’s chorus in white tuxes and tails singing showtunes. And just when you think it cannot get one iota gayer, Liza Minelli shows up to perform the ceremony. And then she sings ‘All the Single Ladies’ in only a sequin blouse and sheer black pantyhose. Will someone please greenlight the Arrested Development movie so she can get a paycheck and we don’t ever have to see her do anything like this again? Please? Think of the children.

After enduring that camp overload, the threadbare plot begins to take shape. Carrie and Big argue about staying at home or going out. Miranda has a douchey boss at work who gives her a hard time because she has a vagina. Charlotte is overwhelmed raising kids who have the temerity to cry and need supervision, and the hot Irish nanny she hired likes to go around braless, and her husband and the cinematographer ogle her nipples through her tank top. Samantha rubs ointment into her vag and swallows more pills than Sylvia Plath to combat her menopause and stay horny, also relying on a book by Suzanne Somers that she at one point holds up like someone paid her to, or something, but nah, they’d never do that, too much ethics. A wealthy sheik offers Samantha an all expenses paid week at his hotel in Abu Dhabi to discuss some publicity job he wants to offer her. Or more likely to discuss a certain job he wants FROM her. But hey, it’s a free trip to a conservative Arabic country for a perpetual horndog who fucks anything that moves, what could possibly go wrong?

Because all their situations are so dire, Samantha decides they all need a vacation and sweet-talks the sheik into comping all four of them. Prepare for a truly disgusting and gratuitous display of material excess. Their plane flight has separate sleeping compartments. They get chauffered around Abu Dhabi in four white Maybachs. They each get a personal butler. Their suite was based on a design originally commissioned by Charles Foster Kane, but he rejected it for being too opulent. The puns start flying non-stop, and they’re all horrible. Bedouin, Bath and Beyond is, sadly, one of the better ones. The costume changes start flying as well, and damn, it gets bad – in at least two places in my notes I have written OH DEAR GOD WHAT IS THAT THING ON SJP’S HEAD?!?

‘I am woman, hear me whinge! On shoes and purses I shall binge!’

Carrie somehow runs into her ex, the guy from Northern Exposure who was less of a dick than Big. Samantha is despondent that the authorities at the airport took her hormone drugs, but when she sees this Danish dude in the desert who has a porn-star name she gets horny again. The girls go back to the hotel and sing ‘I Am Woman’ in a karaoke bar with a bunch of belly dancers gyrating on a catwalk, which is supposed to be empowering, or something. Carrie’s book gets a bad review in New York magazine and the girls decide it’s because the reviewer is a sexist guy whom they’ve never met nor read any other reviews by, but Carrie’s still bummed.

So the next night, while Charlotte and Miranda drink and talk about how much it sucks to be moms with full-time nannies, Carrie goes on a date with Northern Exposure and locks lips with him and is horribly guilty over it. Samantha goes on a date with Dick Spirt (seriously, that’s his name), fellates a hookah pipe in public and otherwise behaves enough like herself to get arrested. The hotel stops comping them for their $22,000 a night room the next morning, so the girls decide to leave the country rather than actually pay for anything themselves. Carrie realizes she lost her passport in the market, they have to go back, and Samantha has an altercation that results in a crowd of men wanting to stone her or hand her over to the cops, but she’s dumb enough to egg them on, waving her condoms in their faces and yelling that she likes sex. Some local women give them shelter, and wow, surprise, under their robes and veils they wear the same expensive fashions the girls do! I guess that means that underneath it all, every woman, no matter where she’s from, just wants designer clothing and to find true love. Um, you’d think in Abu Dhabi they’d want equal rights under the law and legal protection from getting beaten and raped, but hey, I’m a guy, what do I know?

So the girls make it home and everything resolves itself in the ten minutes left. Miranda finds a new job. Charlotte’s nanny turns out to be a lesbian. Dick Spirt’s dick spurts with Samantha while they watch 4th of July fireworks in the Hamptons. And Carrie and Big realize they’re such assholes that no one else in the world will have them and work things out; he buys her a diamond, she stays in with him to watch TV and eat take-out. That is how lazy this film is; NO ONE ACTUALLY SOLVES A PROBLEM ON THEIR FUCKING OWN. Two and a half hours of bogus conflict and lifestyle porn. I’m going to be truly despondent if it enjoys the same level of financial success as the last one. Moreso, actually, since this time I bought a fucking ticket.

While waiting for the show to start, I spoke to the woman next to me, an ardent superfan who’d been watching the series since the first season when she was ten years old. She gushed about how much she loved it and how closely she followed it, and I realized something a little frightening. When discussing the right topic, I sound EXACTLY like this woman. If I bring up Joss Whedon, or Pixar, or Alan Moore, or Lost, I sound the same, I know I do. She seemed like a nice girl, a bit tanked (pre-show cosmos), and her occasional shriek of joy may have given me mild tinnitus. But still, I won’t judge a fan based on the merits (or lack thereof) of their object. Like someone in a bad relationship, I just wish they’d move on and find someone better.