Comic Book Reviews for 8/22/12

It's a big week in comic book history, as the beloved wall-crawler celebrates fifty years of thwipping and thwarting bad guys all across the Marvel Universe. To celebrate, Marvel has unleashed an over-sized (and double-priced) issue of The Amazing Spider-Man. Also this week, one of our favorites, The Rocketeer, returns in a new standalone adventure by the acclaimed Daredevil team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.

Over at DC, Batman goes incognito (and Bat-Cow returns), the game changes in I, Vampire #12, and Doc Manhattan makes his Before Watchmen debut.

DC COMICS

All-Star Western #12

Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti | Art by Moritat

"Apparently no one told Jonah Hex that the Night of the Owls crossover is done and he doesn't have to deal with the Court of Owls anymore. All-Star Western #12 sees Hex and his buddy Dr. Arkham in the clutches of the Owls, with only the foul-mouthed Tallulah Black still free to save the day. I worried about how well Tallulah could carry the issue given how obnoxious her dialogue can sometimes be, but she fares better this month than she has in the past. Hex still manages a fair amount of screen time thanks to a lengthy flashback sequence. For the most part, this issue offers a fun wrap-up to the current conflict, with ample doses of violence, humor, and scarred bounty hunters getting frisky." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Batman Incorporated #3

Written by Grant Morrison | Art by Chris Burnham

"It should be no surprise that Batman Incorporated #3 is a really good comic book. Every issue before it was pretty awesome. Sure, it's easy to drown in the deep, deep waters of Grant Morrison's Batman opus, but this issue stands on its own as a really great Batman tale even if it's drenched in the bizarre pathos of Morrison's Dark Knight saga. Oh yeah, and Bat-Cow is back and living in the Batcave. That alone should make this issue a must-buy." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.5

Batman: The Dark Knight #12

Written by Gregg Hurwitz | Art by David Finch

"There is not much new ground being covered in Batman: The Dark Knight #12. It feels like a story that has been done before. It promises new, shocking insight into Batman's past, but it's really just the same old stuff. Nothing exciting, nothing new. If you have read a Scarecrow story before, then most of what you'll read in here will feel like a retread. Because it is." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1

Written by J. Michael Straczynski | Art by Adam Hughes

"Of the various Watchmen protagonists, Doctor Manhattan might just be the most difficult nut to crack as far as writing a spinoff series goes. For one thing, the character exists on a fundamentally different plane, not perceiving time the same way as a normal human and thus isn't well suited to the traditional flashback approach. For another, Watchmen #4 casts a looming shadow. That was the chapter which featured Jon on Mars, reflecting back on his life's journey in a very fractured but wholly engrossing narrative. Can even a writer of J. Michael Straczynski's caliber compete with that?" -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.0

The Flash #12

Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato | Art by Francis Manapul

"A year’s worth of Flash villains have all come together to make Hell for the Scarlet Speedster, but the lines in the battlefield aren’t as clearly drawn as you’d think. There are three different sides. Maybe four. It’s hard to tell because this issue’s plot moves at breakneck speed to set up a dire situation for The Flash Annual #1 and thus sacrifices any compelling motive behind the six villains’ actions. That said, the art looks spectacular from beginning to end. This issue reminds me of a bag of popcorn: it tastes great but it's all empty calories." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.5

Green Lantern: The New Guardians #12

Written by Tony Bedard | Art by Tyler Kirkham

"As a Green Lantern fan, this title has held a special place in my heart, but it’s hard to ignore the lack of grace in its storytelling. For a year’s worth of issues, the characters have talked and fought their way through each story development without reaching that next level of depth and intrigue that we often seek out in today’s comics. The story bends at the whim of which spectacle it wants to show off next, and while it attempts to find a heart in Kyle Rayner, it never gives the reader a compelling reason to truly invest emotions in him." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

6.0

I, Vampire #12

Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov | Art by Andrea Sorrentino

"Joshua Hale Fialkov has somehow topped the jaw-dropping events of I, Vampire #6 to once again devastate the status quo with a surprise conclusion. Yet no matter how outrageous his plot twists, he seems incapable of doing wrong. If you’re not reading I, Vampire, then make this the next comic you sink your teeth into." -Joshua

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

9.5

Justice League Dark #12

Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Mikel Janin

"Not too long ago, DC had a very strict rule about letting characters from the Vertigo universe interact with the regular DCU. But now that there is no distinction between the two universes, certain books are taking advantage of the new freedom to mingle. Case in point -- Justice League Dark is quickly turning into fanboy heaven for anyone who adores DC's various horror and magically tinged properties." -Jesse

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.5

Scalped #60

Written by Jason Aaron | Art by R.M. Guera

"It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the end of one of the most engaging works to come out of Vertigo in the last decade: Scalped. It’s been a long, hard road paved with blood (lots of blood) and a fair share of misery to boot. If, for some misguided reason, you were expecting a happy ending, well, you’ve got another thing coming. To his credit though, Jason Aaron manages to subvert expectations and concludes this series in a fitting, if not entirely definitive, manner." -Joey

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

8.5

Teen Titans #12

Written by Scott Lobdell | Art by Brett Booth

"Did we skip an issue? Did something happen in another comic? How did we end up in a cabin in the woods? It seemed, for two issues, as though Teen Titans was getting better. Maybe not great, but better than it had been. Now, it's the same old crap. This comic, for lack of a better word, sucks. It's horribly paced, over written, and so convoluted that it's nearly impossible to care about any of these characters." -Benjamin

Click to read the entire review!

Final Score:

3.0

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Rooney's Gone: EA Unveil New FIFA Cover Stars Today

According to sources close to IGN, Wayne Rooney will not appear on the cover of FIFA 13.

It's the first FIFA game in seven years not to carry the image of the Manchester United and England striker. Over the years, he's appeared alongside other footballers from the Premier League and other European leagues, including Frank Lampard and Kaka.

The world's best player Lionel Messi will appear front and centre on the FIFA 13 box (EA signed him up last November), flanked by two players, both presumably from the Premier League.

You can watch EA announce who's on the box at 6pm this evening via the YouTube livestream below:

Daniel is IGN's UK Staff Writer. You can be part of the world's worst cult by following him on IGN and Twitter.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

MTV's The Inbetweeners: "First Day" Review

Remaking a British sitcom can be a dangerous exercise. For every success, there are many, many more failures. So while the U.S. version of The Office has enjoyed years of success, the likes of Coupling and Free Agents have failed in their first season, while Red Dwarf and Spaced didn’t even make it beyond the pilot stage.

So it’s with some trepidation that one approaches The Inbetweeners, MTV’s remake of the British sitcom of the same name, which spawned three hugely successful series and a low-budget spin-off movie that grossed tens of millions at the U.K. box office.

In response to such success, MTV has taken an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to the show, appropriating the same characters, situations and in many instances jokes and simply transplanting them to America.

And if the below trailer was anything to go by, it was set to be a disaster; a louder and more obnoxious carbon copy of the Channel 4 show. But trailers can be misleading, and so it is with The Inbetweeners, a comedy cover that, while not the equal of the original, nevertheless regularly delivers laughs.

As with the U.K. version, proceedings kick off with teenager Will (Joey Pollari) being transferred to public school Grove High because his mother can no longer pay his private school fees. Showing up with a blazer and briefcase, Will is a walking, talking target to the rest of the kids, so the vice-principal quickly pairs him with nice-guy Simon (Bubba Smith) to show him around.

And that’s where the fun begins, as Simon and best friends Jay (Zack Pearlman) and Neil (Mark L. Young) initially rip the living piss out of Will before eventually taking him under their wing, the three mismatched friends soon becoming four.

They share the same traits as their UK counterparts; Will awkward and uptight, Neil dumb as a rock, Jay a compulsive liar and Simon a wet blanket who’s obsessed with childhood sweetheart Carly D’Amato.

And once the first half of the U.S. pilot has mined the first half of the U.K. pilot for jokes (Will’s mum being hot, Neil’s dad being gay, Jay claiming to have stuffed both his penis and balls into a girl) it then cribs from a different episode in which the boys bunk off school, buy booze, get dunk, and visit Carly’s house, with predictably disastrous results.

Joey Pollari as Will, Mark L. Young as Neil, Zack Pearlman as Jay and Bubba Lewis as Simon.

Yet while the proceedings are caked in the stench of déjà vu, the episode is nevertheless consistently funny, the old jokes just about hitting their mark second time around, and the new ones laugh-out-loud funny, most notably a marvellous set-up and pay-off involving a child molester.

The show also manages to be just as rude, if not ruder that the original (you actually see Simon’s boner in this one, albeit through his trousers) though it’s a shame that the more explicit swear words are bleeped out, and we wait with baited breath for the American equivalent of the word ‘clunge.’

And after a somewhat shaky start, the cast quickly settle into their roles, though their delivery apes the British performances a little too closely, with none of the lads yet the comic equal of the originals, most notably Zack Pearlman as a less cruel and therefore less funny version of Jay.

With the U.S. series following the template of The Office by interspersing U.K.-inspired scripts with original episodes throughout the first season however, it looks like the American cast will soon get the chance to flex their own comedic muscles in new settings and situations.

But on this early evidence, MTV’s The Inbetweeners is much better than it has any right to be, never quite hitting the hilarious highs of the original, but delivering just enough laughs to make the Transatlantic journey worthwhile.

Chris Tilly is the Entertainment Editor for IGN and definitely doesn't look like Will from the British Inbetweeners. His idle chit-chat can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Resident Evil's Weirdest Enemies

Through the years, the Resident Evil franchise has offered its fair share of epic, zombie-fueled adventures. From the exceptional first entries that focused on survival horror to the more action-oriented modern releases like Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 - the franchise stands as a shining example of how to do zombie-gore right.

The funny thing is, the more memorable Resident Evil enemies usually aren't traditional zombies. In fact, some of them are downright weird. Elephants, giant snakes, plants, dudes in armor - when you really think about it, some of the creatures we've taken down in the name of survival have been pretty damn freaky.

In honor of the forthcoming release of Resident Evil 6, we've compiled the absolute weirdest enemies the RE franchise has to offer. These are in no particular order - although I think we can all agree the zombie elephant would have been number one. Take a look, then let us know your own favorites in the comments afterward.

On to the weirdness!

Neptune

As if Great White sharks weren't frightening enough, the bastards at Umbrella had to go and make B.O.W.s out of them. Bop it on the nose! I hear they hate that...

Hunter

Good ole hunters - giant, reptilian B.O.W.s with giant claws and mean tempers. He looks like he's yelling, "WHY ARE MY HANDS SO BIG!?"

Eliminator

ZOMBIE MONKEY! How can you not like that? Still - it's freaking weird.

Plague Crawler

Ew. Freaking... EW! Giant bugs are not only nasty, and unsanitary, they're also just not normal. Bugs should stay bug-sized.

Stalker

You only thought Aslan was on your side.

Web Spinner

This one's kind of just a spider. But it's HUGE! That's weird.

G

Not surprisingly, G is a product of the G-Virus. It's born from a human host - which is not only strange, but also endlessly unsettling. Also, if you looked at that and didn't think "zombie E.T." - shame on you.

Duvalia

This dude makes those Plagas that burst from your neck seem downright friendly. Disgusting.

Titan

It's a zombie elephant. What more do you need to know?

Alligator

A zombie alligator is different from a regular alligator because... it... well... it's bigger. That's about it.

Queen Leech

A former pet of Dr. Marcus, the Queen Leech is a product of Progenitor virus experimentation. That's what you get for keeping a leech as a pet. Freak. It also looks strangely like Bongo Bongo from The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Except without the bongo...

Ivy

A lot of the other enemies on this list are funny, but still frightening. This one is a plant with legs - which is just dumb.

Cephalo

It's like some sick game of jack-in-the-box, but where Jack is a disgusting Plaga that pops out of a zombie's severed neck rather than a box. Thanks for stomping all over our innocence, RE. At least he's wearing sandals, though. You can't be afraid of a man in sandals.

William Birkin

Man, and you thought your family was messed up. Worst. Father. EVER.

Armadura

A suit of armor infected by a Plaga. WTF?! So many questions... so few answers.

Big Man Majini

This one is basically just a big dude. The fact that he doesn't look at all like a zombie is the weird part. Um, ya. Moving on.

Licker

Its body is rotting, but its brain is perfectly intact? Its tongue is longer than its neck? This classic villain makes no sense. Watch out though! It'll lick you to death! Nooooo!

Giant Moth

Look at his mouth - this guy was clearly infected by the Zoidberg virus. Seriously though, what were they hoping to accomplish with this one? When is Umbrella going to learn that no one benefits from giant, infected bugs?

Bitores Mendez

That... has got to hurt.

Ghiozzo

That ginormous fish-monster could never fit in that tiny pool. Weird!

Lurker

Okay, this guy is just awesome. Expect to trip the **** out if you lick this frog's back. And maybe die. And maybe turn into a zombie. Proceed with caution.

Ndesu

He was actually only unshaven before the mutation happened and now look - a full beard! Also, he wears a dead dude for a belt buckle.

Executioner

At what point did he decide it was a good idea to stick nails in his head and torso? Dumbass.

Cerberus

The RE developers sure do love their zombie dogs. He looks more like a "Spot" to me though. I mean, come on. Silly RE developers. Cerberous has three heads.

Yawn

The most badass of badass snakes, Yawn is an awesome - though admittedly weird - B.O.W. that likes to hang around creepy mansions. That expression though - not frightening. He's either yawning, as his name implies, or the happiest puppy ever. I wish I felt half that good right now.

Were those weird enough for you? Did we miss any? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to let us know your picks for the weirdest Resident Evil enemies.

Audrey Drake is an Associate Editor at IGN and a proud member of the IGN Nintendo team. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can follow her wild adventures on her IGN blog and Twitter. Game on!

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Matt Smith Will be The Doctor Until at Least 2014

Matt Smith has revealed he will continue to play The Doctor for at least another two years, until 2014.

Talking to The Sun, Smith said he was convinced to stay after talking with Stevan Moffat about his ideas for the next season.

“

His first episode sounds great. It hasn’t been written yet but the idea is as brilliant and as mental as you’d expect from Steven. So there’s a lot to look forward to.

He explained, "His first episode sounds great. It hasn’t been written yet but the idea is as brilliant and as mental as you’d expect from Steven. So there’s a lot to look forward to.

“When Steven was going to pitch the next season to me not long ago, he said, ‘Are you ready to cry?’”

Smith's Doctor will be back on screens later this autumn, but the star is already looking ahead to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the popular time traveller next year. He explained, "We want to do 50 years — and everyone that’s been associated with the show — justice.

"We want to go, ‘Look, world, here is Doctor Who. It’s 50 years old, a science-fiction show, still going and going from strength to strength’.

"Steven will do something brilliant. He’ll do something grand or maybe something very simple but he’ll come to it as a fan. He’ll go, ‘What would I want to see?’"

Smith also admitted that his continued tenure as The Doctor wasn't something he saw coming, as he felt rather overwhelmed by the role when he first took it on from David Tennant.

“If you remember, when I took over, no one thought it would work. I was ‘too young’. David had come from a stellar era. I was unknown," he said.

"For a month or two when I started I was like, ‘This is impossible. I can’t’ — just the pressure of it. Everyone was sort of going, ‘Go on, show us what you’ve got.’ I told myself, ‘If I can get through this I can get through anything’."

The latest series of Doctor Who is expected to start airing this month.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

Ten Movies People Hate... and Why They're Not That Bad

In ten years, which of 2012’s films will you be defending? Some might argue for Prometheus, claiming Ridley Scott's epic ambition overrules his lapses in logic. Others will sing the merits of The Dark Knight Rises, in the face of those calling it the blight on a near-perfect trilogy. Some might say that 48 frames per second was the best thing to happen to modern cinema - but then, in 2022, maybe it will be, so best not to speculate.

Here’s a set of movies that are generally considered failures in one way or another. Some of them famously suffered from production problems, some were over-hyped, some flopped at the box office, some did OK with the critics yet were maligned by fans. All have been unfairly judged.

Even Waterworld.

This article contains mild spoilers for a bunch of movies you've probably all seen.

Waterworld

It cost too much, wore its influences too obviously on its sleeve, and was, for some ungodly reason, stupendously po-faced; no wonder Waterworld suffered a critical pummeling. But ignore its blatant ambition to be ‘Mad Max on water,’ and you’ve got a film which stands up – admittedly on water-logged legs – as dumb, fun escapism today.

Waterworld is peppered with occasionally brilliant ideas. The journey to the lost underwater utopia, for example, remains eerily beautiful, and the obsession with trinkets and resources from 'The Dryland' is an intriguing touch. Director Kevin Reynolds does the best job he can within the limitations of his hugely ambitious set, eking out some arresting skirmishes amidst the endless H20, well-matched by a nonsensical yet unique aesthetic in prop and costume (shouldn't they wear swimming outfits rather than leather straps and Bowie pants?). Ultimately, if you can embrace Kevin Costner’s uber-serious turn as a half-man/half-guppy and a convoluted narrative punctuated by a giant fish-thing cameo that clearly blew half the budget, you’ll have a great time with this one.

Superman Returns

Despite doing well critically, Superman Returns didn’t soar at the box office, and Warner Bros’ subsequent dismissal of a sequel has tarnished its reputation to the point where people will freely call it the worst thing since, well, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. We were, perhaps, too cynical for Superman Returns, a sweetly earnest movie that reflects the sweetly earnest character of Supes himself.

“

Superman Returns is a love story first and foremost, driven by emotional conflict rather than the fizzy physical.

More of a spiritual descendent than a reboot, Superman Returns tips its hat to the series’ history in a number of ways, not least the inclusion of John Williams’ majestic score and a touching posthumous appearance from Marlon Brando as Jor-El. Brandon Routh - who shares an uncanny resemblance to Christopher Reeve – injects the film with an ideal blend of charm, bumbling awkwardness and gentle melancholy. It’s the melancholy that stays with us, though, as Superman Returns is a love story first and foremost, driven by emotional conflict rather than the fizzy physical; although there’s plenty of that, too. Perhaps it was this meditative pace that turned those looking for more visceral thrills away, or perhaps Superman was just too wholesome for a modern audience already fattening up on a diet of grizzled antiheroes.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Stephen Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence is by no means a bad film, but it's settled into the collective consciousness as a ‘mess,’ or the first sci-fi Spielberg ‘screwed up.’ A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a mess, a sprawling meditation on what it is to be human bound in sickly sweet and sticky honey, and a clash between two distinct sensibilities – Spielberg’s and Stanley Kubrick's, the original driver of the project.

Yet it was also Spielberg’s most ambitious sci-fi to date, a maddening mix of huge ideas and missed opportunities. The highlights outweigh the low, though; Haley Joel Osment treads a delicate line between 'synthetic' and 'real' emotion with remarkable nuance, while the whole film is enveloped in a dizzying fairytale mood that's enough to distract viewers from lulls in the narrative. Worth seeing as a curio, a  project built by two great minds that fell short of its extraordinarily lofty ambitions.

Quantum of Solace

Must’ve been a tough gig, making the follow up to Casino Royale. Bond had been rebooted so magnificently with Martin Campbell’s 2006 blockbuster, and we were rabid to see what hijinks 007 would get up to next in Marc Forster’s 2008 sequel. Unfortunately for us, Quantum of Solace turned out to be just like so many other hard-bitten actioners populating our multiplexes – the movie screams "BOURNE!" from the Italian rooftops – and we left disappointed and dejected, ruing the moment ‘gritty’ became the trend du jour.

“

We can look back on Quantum as a brief – yet thrilling - dalliance with Bond's broken psyche.

But is Quantum really all that bad? The movie speeds along at breakneck pace, offering up some of the best action sequences the series has yet seen, while Bond himself is humanized beyond even Casino, his grief for Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd written in every line of his scowling face. He has become a Bond we can relate to, a Bond mourning for a Bond Girl, and god forbid if he’s going to let a labyrinthine narrative involving Bolivian oil stand in his way of delivering justice. Let’s just hope that come Skyfall he has recovered from his melancholy, and we can look back on Quantum as a brief – yet thrilling - dalliance with his own broken psyche.

Ghostbusters II

Ivan Reitman’s follow up to the 1984 smash hit original sits at a mediocre 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, and was deemed at the time by prolific critics Siskel and Ebert as one of the “worst movies of 1989.” Critics disliked Ghostbusters II for a variety of reasons, but nearly all deemed it overstuffed and too similar to its predecessor. Bill Murray remains untouchable.

But Ghostbusters II is a fun, at times hilarious, comedy, self-assured and unapologetically for the fans. The movie doesn’t even announce itself with a title; just its iconic logo, that ubiquitous eighties ghost flipping us two fingers. And while Ghostbusters II’s narrative meanders along, it still delivers a pleasurable mishmash of the original’s weirdest elements, reveling in its own crapness and centered by a well-established repartee between its dry central cast. Indeed, caustic-edged humor is what Ghostbusters II is all about; how else can a movie get away with a final battle between a guy who could pass for an aging Finnish rocker, and what ultimately translates into ‘positively-charged mood slime?’ Peter Venkman, so droll it hurts, saves the day in more ways than one.

Alien 3

The negative response to Alien 3 – both critically and within the Hollywood community – must have felt like a slap in the face to first-time director David Fincher after a lengthy and extremely troubled production period. The combination of notoriety and critical backlash subsequently pegged his threequel as the ‘black sheep’ of the franchise (although Alien: Resurrection and Prometheus have since muddied the canon further).

It wasn’t Fincher’s fault, of course. Alien 3 was a case of ‘too many cooks,' Fincher’s original vision relentlessly compromised by studio execs distrustful of the fledgling director.  But look closer and there are still some sparks of magic in here – particularly if you ignore the theatrical release and focus instead on the 2003 work print version, a ‘spiritual’ addition of sorts which adheres far closer to Fincher’s original vision. Here we are presented with a much tighter production with stripped back ‘cat n’ mouse’ horror, where characters are given room to breathe and a nihilistic mood pervades throughout. It’s a longer cut, but the conclusion is much more satisfying.

The Village

Fantasy/thriller The Village was another in a series of M. Night Shyamalan passion projects where you wonder if anyone, at any point, had stepped in and said to the director – “Really, man? Really?”  Laughable ending notwithstanding, The Village is an elegant thriller, for the most part sustaining integrity thanks to beautiful cinematography, an excellent performance from Bryce Dallas Howard in the central role, and well-executed suspense. Shyamalan should be particularly commended for the latter; The Village’s thrills are delivered gore-free, reliant instead on atmosphere and an escalating sense of dread. Go into this without a snarky attitude, and you’ll have a good time.

Hulk

“

Hulk's a contemplative film, directing its attention to heavy, adult themes and ecological issues.

Has there been a gloomier comic book movie than Ang Lee’s Hulk? This was a movie where the Hulk rarely smashed, and when he did he was really smashing at his crippling internal angst. But Hulk’s more thoughtful than its critics – who understandably went in expecting action bombast - give it credit for. It’s a contemplative film, directing its attention to heavy, adult themes and ecological issues. It’s also a morality tale; look what happens if you try to mess with the natural order by attempting to create regenerating super soldiers!

But above all, Hulk concerns itself with the emotional journey of Bruce Banner, a man whose emotional repression manifests itself in hugely destructive physical release.  Viewed this way, it needn’t have been about a giant green monster at all; so sadly human are its core issues. Gloomy indeed, but meditative. Pity about the crappy CGI.

Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indy 4 was doomed to fail. It was released to an audience hungry for nostalgic release, an audience who had forgiven or forgotten the plot-holes and questionable characterizations of previous Indiana sequels. Kingdom gave us an older Dr. Jones, a decidedly haggard Harrison Ford lurching round elaborate sets and a plot-hole-laden narrative. Like us, Indy had grown old, and we didn’t like it.

But Kingdom is still an Indiana Jones movie through and through. Silly, stupendous, escapist entertainment, with brilliantly executed action sequences lead by a charismatic and affable central character. Sure, some of Kingdom’s logic is dubious, but the franchise has always concerned itself with flights of fancy; these are family films, after all. And while Ford doesn’t always hit all the right comedic notes, when he gives his trademark smirk and that John Williams theme tune starts up, it’s difficult to deny the magic at work.

Terminator Salvation

Sitting at a woeful 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, Joseph 'McG' Nichol’s Terminator Salvation did just about as badly as it was expected to. Today, the film might be better remembered for star Christian Bale’s notorious rant at its director of photography over any kind of creative merit (although one could argue Bale’s tirade was pretty creative.)

Let’s be honest – Terminator Salvation isn’t a patch on Cameron’s films. It was directed by McG! It is, however, a propulsive action flick that should be commended for moving the series forward with new ideas, refusing to fall back on tired tropes, and being generally better than Terminator 3.This is a darker, grimier Terminator, and while some may find it lacking in charisma, others might find the absence of Cameron’s cuteness – or indeed, poor Kristanna Loken - refreshing.

What would you add to this list? Which inclusion are you outraged about? Let us know in the comments.

Lucy O'Brien is Assistant Editor at IGN AU. You should talk to her about games, horror movies and the TV show Freaks & Geeks on IGN here or find her and the rest of the Australian team by joining the IGN Australia Facebook community.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com

iZombie #28 Review

After just over two years, it’s time to say goodbye to Gwen, Spot, and the rest of the inhabitants of Eugene, Oregon. This issue marks the conclusion to iZombie, and rather surprisingly, Chris Roberson and Mike Allred manage to wrap up the many plot threads and deliver a satisfying, if bittersweet, end. Though the arc has felt somewhat truncated over the course of the last few issues, this installment takes its time to deliver the necessary send-off to the many characters we’ve come to love over the course of 28 issues.

Right from the beginning, Roberson makes it clear where Gwen’s story is headed. She’s spent the entire series trying to live a normal life despite being a brain-eating zombie. Where Roberson leaves her is a shockingly heartwarming place, and one that makes total sense in the scope of her overall character arc. Of course, there’s insanity dispersed throughout – an interdimensional squid monster trying to kill a population that includes were-terriers, vampire babes, and a secret government organization known as the Dead Presidents, for instance – but by and large Roberson keeps the finale focused squarely on Gwen and her destiny. Though it’s not as bad as the last issue, there is still a great deal of exposition and catch-up dispersed throughout dialog and narration. With the issue being the series finale, it probably could have just coasted on the assumption that anyone reading it had a fair idea of what was going on and allot that space to something else.

Mike Allred delivers work up to his usual standard, if not surpassing it. The level of detail in this issue is exceptionally high, as even when the action is in the foreground he doesn’t neglect adding a few dangling tentacles snatching up innocent bystanders in the background. Add to that his natural ability to render some of the most out-there sequences in the book thus far – like when a giant, naked Gwen takes to the skies to battle the aforementioned squid monster – while managing to keep it suitably emotional, and you’ve got a rock solid conclusion, visually and narratively.

iZombie #28 is a fitting conclusion to the series, wrapping everything up thematically as well as in plot. While I’m certainly sad to see this book go, I can now enjoy the full series in one fell swoop. Farewell, iZombie, you’ve served me well.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : feeds[dot]ign[dot]com