You might not be aware of it, but it's almost Halloween! And to celebrate, we at The Vault of Startling Monster Horror Tales of Terror podcast are celebrating in a big way with THREEE (that extra "E" is for "EXTRA!") episodes this month!
The first regularly scheduled episode for October covers the visceral and gruesome bloodsucker opus John Carptenter's Vampires. In an era of shiny, beautiful vampires, this movie is a breath of fresh air, so to speak.
The second episode features one of my favorite films of all time, the classic, legendary horror-comedy classic Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein! Seeing this film as a little kid shaped my love of the Universal Monsters as well as Bud and Lou, and it was a blast to talk about it on the show.
And finally, the third episode is the second installment of our annual Horror Stories show! It's a trio of original short horror stories for your spooky enjoyment!
Hopefully these podcasts will get you in the mood for the season! Enjoy!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What Looks Good?
The chill is in the air, and it's almost time for Halloween... so you know what means... time for CANDY and COMICS!
Aquaman #2 -- The Trench is here to feed on us! But Aquaman will face any and all comers!
Blackhawks #2 -- The team is compromised by a nanocyte attack -- can they recover and discover the threat of Mother Machine?
DC Comics Presents Jack Kirby Omnibus Sampler #1 -- A mini collection of Jack Kirby mystery/monster stories? How am I NOT buying this?
Flash #2 -- What has Barry Allen's friend gotten mixed up in? And can the Flash get to the bottom of it?
Savage Hawkman #2 -- Hawkman vs Morphicius! It's on!
Spaceman #1 -- I dug the preview of this series in the Strange Adventures anthology, so for a buck I will check out this out. From the people who brought you 100 Bullets no less!
Charmed #15 -- Will Cole keep his bargain to find the reincarnated Prue? Or does he have his own agenda? What do you think? (Also: Why is this marked for Mature Readers?)
So, what looks good to YOU?
Aquaman #2 -- The Trench is here to feed on us! But Aquaman will face any and all comers!
Blackhawks #2 -- The team is compromised by a nanocyte attack -- can they recover and discover the threat of Mother Machine?
DC Comics Presents Jack Kirby Omnibus Sampler #1 -- A mini collection of Jack Kirby mystery/monster stories? How am I NOT buying this?
Flash #2 -- What has Barry Allen's friend gotten mixed up in? And can the Flash get to the bottom of it?
Savage Hawkman #2 -- Hawkman vs Morphicius! It's on!
Spaceman #1 -- I dug the preview of this series in the Strange Adventures anthology, so for a buck I will check out this out. From the people who brought you 100 Bullets no less!
Charmed #15 -- Will Cole keep his bargain to find the reincarnated Prue? Or does he have his own agenda? What do you think? (Also: Why is this marked for Mature Readers?)
So, what looks good to YOU?
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The 3rd Dimension: October 2011 Roundup Mk.2!
Alright toy fans, here's a quick rundown of two more figures I have picked up in the "recent" past!
Iron Man 2 Titanium Man -- I said in a previous one of these rundowns that after I found the Iron Man 2 Crimson Dynamo, I was eager to get ahold of his fellow Soviet armored compatriot (comrade?) Titanium Man. I only saw him one time so you had better believe I snapped him up. His bio describes his as Boris Bullski, but the armor looks a bit more like the suit the Gremlin wore, so I am just taking this as a new suit for Bullski (who is the T-Man I always liked anyway) and going from there. I like the height, and his big, tready feet help his poseability. The green and silver color scheme looks suitably menacing as well. His helmet is my favorite feature. It evokes the Silver Age faceplate but looks very modern at the same time. All in all this one of my favorites from the line and he and the Dynamo stand side by side ready to fight in the name of their Motherland. Interestingly, there is a "Legends" scale version of this T-Man armor as well, but I have held off on it for the time being because of the price. But I am sure I will give in soon enough. (There is also a Legends Dynamo which I have never seen, but it looks like the Shatalov armor as opposed to the Bukharin armor like the smaller toy.) His blast accessory is actually not bad, featuring a sort of "power punch" as opposed to the typical repulsor style beam.
Iron Man 2 Guardsman -- This one was a nice find because I picked it up right while I was reading Essential Iron Man v.4, which features all of the Kevin O'Brien Guardsman stories! This figure really captures the classic two-tone Guardsman look. Both shades of green pop and look really nice together. The main issue I have is the buck, which is not an "armored" look but a muscled one. If you look at it, Guardsman seems very overly muscled for a guy in armor. It's not a huge deal but it defintely takes something away from the figure. Still, I am willing to forgive that just because it otherwise is a very nice representation of the classic Iron foe. (I won't mention the yellow blaster piece, alright?) Makes for a good addition to the lineup of baddies.
More adventures in the 3rd Dimension to come!
Iron Man 2 Titanium Man -- I said in a previous one of these rundowns that after I found the Iron Man 2 Crimson Dynamo, I was eager to get ahold of his fellow Soviet armored compatriot (comrade?) Titanium Man. I only saw him one time so you had better believe I snapped him up. His bio describes his as Boris Bullski, but the armor looks a bit more like the suit the Gremlin wore, so I am just taking this as a new suit for Bullski (who is the T-Man I always liked anyway) and going from there. I like the height, and his big, tready feet help his poseability. The green and silver color scheme looks suitably menacing as well. His helmet is my favorite feature. It evokes the Silver Age faceplate but looks very modern at the same time. All in all this one of my favorites from the line and he and the Dynamo stand side by side ready to fight in the name of their Motherland. Interestingly, there is a "Legends" scale version of this T-Man armor as well, but I have held off on it for the time being because of the price. But I am sure I will give in soon enough. (There is also a Legends Dynamo which I have never seen, but it looks like the Shatalov armor as opposed to the Bukharin armor like the smaller toy.) His blast accessory is actually not bad, featuring a sort of "power punch" as opposed to the typical repulsor style beam.
Iron Man 2 Guardsman -- This one was a nice find because I picked it up right while I was reading Essential Iron Man v.4, which features all of the Kevin O'Brien Guardsman stories! This figure really captures the classic two-tone Guardsman look. Both shades of green pop and look really nice together. The main issue I have is the buck, which is not an "armored" look but a muscled one. If you look at it, Guardsman seems very overly muscled for a guy in armor. It's not a huge deal but it defintely takes something away from the figure. Still, I am willing to forgive that just because it otherwise is a very nice representation of the classic Iron foe. (I won't mention the yellow blaster piece, alright?) Makes for a good addition to the lineup of baddies.
More adventures in the 3rd Dimension to come!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
What Looks Good?
There's been an awful lot of rain on Wednesday lately. This week is no different. But again, I don't buy my comics at the LCS anymore so I guess I need to stop complaining.
DC Universe Presents #2 -- Deadman wants some answers and he is going to get them!
Tiny Titans #45 -- The more things change at DC, the more (some) things stay the same.
Wonder Woman #2 -- It's Diana versus the gods and no one is safe!
GI Joe: A Real American Hero #171 -- Everything is coming off the rails for Cobra Commander! And what's the deal with Sneak Peek?
Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #5 -- The city smashing conclusion!
Invincible Iron Man #509 -- Will this finally end the Fear Itself tie-in? We can only hope!
So, what looks good to YOU?
DC Universe Presents #2 -- Deadman wants some answers and he is going to get them!
Tiny Titans #45 -- The more things change at DC, the more (some) things stay the same.
Wonder Woman #2 -- It's Diana versus the gods and no one is safe!
GI Joe: A Real American Hero #171 -- Everything is coming off the rails for Cobra Commander! And what's the deal with Sneak Peek?
Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #5 -- The city smashing conclusion!
Invincible Iron Man #509 -- Will this finally end the Fear Itself tie-in? We can only hope!
So, what looks good to YOU?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The 3rd Dimension: October 2011 Roundup!
Once more I'm dipping into the well of toys which I have bought over the last few months and reviewing them for your enjoyment! This time out we have a trio of (wait for it) Iron Man toys!
Iron Man 2 Iron Man Mk.1 -- Up first we have the first! No, seriously, this is the Comic Series Mk.1 armor, based on the armor which debuted in Tales of Suspense #39. This is the first item I have based on this armor, although I do have the Bowen statue of the gold armor. Anyway, for such a simple design this is actually a very nice toy. The articulation is good and his wide feet (with some molded ridges on the soles) help him stand up in some nice poses. I even managed to get a TOS #39 cover pose out of him! He is equipped with an energy blast, which really isn't accurate, but it's easily ignored. One of the interesting aspects of this figure is the "marring" of the paint job. There's plenty of scuffs and scorches and rust on the armor, and it really helps sell it as a clunky piece of machinery Tony Stark built to escape captivity. Very happy with this one.
Iron Man 2 Silver Centurion -- We jump ahead about 20 years now with the Silver Centurion armor, which debuted in Iron Man #200, battling the Iron Monger. Like the armor in the comics, this figure is bulkier than the normal "slim" Iron Man buck. The sculpt is a reasonably close depiction of the armor from the comics; the colors too are really nice. I have this one posed next to my Toy Biz Silver Centurion (that is, "Hologram Armor") and the two of them look great together. This is a much improved version of this armor than the earlier one from the Marvel Universe line, which was built off of the Extremis figure and looked pretty weird. His blast accessory is, as usual, pretty unremarkable. This fan favorite armor is very well translated to the 3rd Dimension.
Marvel Universe Modular Iron Man -- Alright, first off, this one is seriously misnamed. The Modular Armor was the armor which debuted in Iron Man #300, made famous by its depiction in the Marvel Action Hour cartoon and the Toy Biz Iron Man line. This armor represents the modern Iron Man armor as seen in the pages of Invincible Iron Man by Matt Fraction and Sal LaRocca. Now, as a depiction of that armor, this is a pretty good version. It lacks some of what has come to be known as "control surfaces" which we see in the comics, but the colors and repulsor outputs look very close. The helmet as well is also very sharp, with the frown reproduced straight from the page. This figure is a more slim than the Silver Centurion, has good articulation and poses well. His accessory is the same sort of repulsor blast which these toys come with, and are summarily tossed into a bin with all of the others once I get them open. I don't know how long this armor design will last but it's nice to get a toy version of it.
More to come!
Iron Man 2 Iron Man Mk.1 -- Up first we have the first! No, seriously, this is the Comic Series Mk.1 armor, based on the armor which debuted in Tales of Suspense #39. This is the first item I have based on this armor, although I do have the Bowen statue of the gold armor. Anyway, for such a simple design this is actually a very nice toy. The articulation is good and his wide feet (with some molded ridges on the soles) help him stand up in some nice poses. I even managed to get a TOS #39 cover pose out of him! He is equipped with an energy blast, which really isn't accurate, but it's easily ignored. One of the interesting aspects of this figure is the "marring" of the paint job. There's plenty of scuffs and scorches and rust on the armor, and it really helps sell it as a clunky piece of machinery Tony Stark built to escape captivity. Very happy with this one.
Iron Man 2 Silver Centurion -- We jump ahead about 20 years now with the Silver Centurion armor, which debuted in Iron Man #200, battling the Iron Monger. Like the armor in the comics, this figure is bulkier than the normal "slim" Iron Man buck. The sculpt is a reasonably close depiction of the armor from the comics; the colors too are really nice. I have this one posed next to my Toy Biz Silver Centurion (that is, "Hologram Armor") and the two of them look great together. This is a much improved version of this armor than the earlier one from the Marvel Universe line, which was built off of the Extremis figure and looked pretty weird. His blast accessory is, as usual, pretty unremarkable. This fan favorite armor is very well translated to the 3rd Dimension.
Marvel Universe Modular Iron Man -- Alright, first off, this one is seriously misnamed. The Modular Armor was the armor which debuted in Iron Man #300, made famous by its depiction in the Marvel Action Hour cartoon and the Toy Biz Iron Man line. This armor represents the modern Iron Man armor as seen in the pages of Invincible Iron Man by Matt Fraction and Sal LaRocca. Now, as a depiction of that armor, this is a pretty good version. It lacks some of what has come to be known as "control surfaces" which we see in the comics, but the colors and repulsor outputs look very close. The helmet as well is also very sharp, with the frown reproduced straight from the page. This figure is a more slim than the Silver Centurion, has good articulation and poses well. His accessory is the same sort of repulsor blast which these toys come with, and are summarily tossed into a bin with all of the others once I get them open. I don't know how long this armor design will last but it's nice to get a toy version of it.
More to come!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Composite Spy vs Spy?!
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Spy vs. Spy, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee joins the ranks of other artists who've each made their mark on the iconic spy design (in toy form)...
This wacky and bizarre Composite Spy vs Spy made me smile this morning for sure!
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