Bad Packaging? Or Greatest Transformers Idea Ever?
So the other day I was reading a list of 21 Terrible Knock-Off Action Figures at BuzzFeed. Pretty typical stuff. But then I saw this one the list:
Autobot or Decepticon?
The Titanic…as a Transformer! I know it’s a knock-off toy, but it’s a brilliant idea! Why haven’t they done this as a legitimate Transformers idea before? Take some of the greatest vehicles in history, and retroactively say that they were Transformers! The Titanic, the First Model T, the Lusitania, the Wright Bros. plane, anything! Everything!
Or better yet, let me write the story! Who has the Transformers comic book license these days? Somebody get them on the phone for me, we have to talk business!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews
I’ve been wanting to do this style of comic book review for a long time, but I never end up reading all my new comics before the weekend. However, I’ve got some time on Wednesdays now, so I really want to start. My long reviews take awhile to write, and I can’t do one for every comic I read. So from this week forward (hopefully), I’ll be providing some shorter, quicker reviews on the week’s new comics.
I buy a large smattering of comics across both DC and Marvel, and a few Indy titles. If there is any comic you’d like me to review, let me know via e-mail or in the comments.
Let’s begin!
Amazing Spider-Man #696
Amazing Spider-Man #696
Writer: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Phil Urich is one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. His brief series as the good Green Goblin in the 90s was the first comic book series that I ever bought and read with my own money. So of course his transformation into the villainous, perverted Hobgoblin was sad. I preferred him as a down-on-his-luck hero. But with a character as minor and obscure as Phil, I’ve mostly just been grateful that he’s even appearing anywhere. So I’ve been following his career as the new Hobgoblin, and it comes to a head in this issue, as original Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley, returns to New York City to crush Phil for good – and, of course, Spider-Man is caught in the middle.
I’ve mostly been enjoying Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man run. He brings a light-hearted feel to the wall-crawler, with brightly colored adventures and really personal stories. This one is no different. Peter Parker has just been outed as the man who builds all of Spider-Man’s gadgets at Horizon Labs, so the Hobgoblin kidnaps Peter for the Kingpin. They want to hold him hostage so that Spider-Man will turn over a special briefcase he’s holding, little knowing that Peter actually is Spider-Man. So it’s up to Peter’s boss, Max Modell, to bring the briefcase in an attempt to free Peter. But just as the exchange is about to go down, Roderick Kingsley attacks, determined to kill Phil.
In the chaos of the Hobgoblin War, Peter and Max escape with the briefcase – which holds a key to Norman Osborn’s entire Goblin arsenal!
Comic rating: 4/5: Good!
This was a fun adventure, and your typical Peter Parker in trouble story. The Hobgoblin War idea is pretty cool, as the characters look absolutely wicked under Camuncoli’s pencils. Seeing them battle is the highlight of the issue. Orange is always a great color for super-villains. I’m hoping Phil puts up a fight, and the idea that Roderick is threatening Phil’s girlfriend might bring some heroism out of Phil. One can hope. The Peter action was fun as he pulled off some web-slinging skill, while simultaneously trying to keep Max from deducing the truth. So yeah, entertaining story, fun characters and the hope that one of my all-time favorite comic book characters gets to shine.
Join me after the jump for more! Including AvX: Consequences, Batman Incorporated, Invincible Iron Man, Talon and Wolverine MAX!
Frosty the Snowman vs. Zombies!
Winter is coming early here at Henchman-4-Hire, with this awesome stop-motion music video by Sufjan Stevens.
Or maybe it was by Lee Hardcastle, hard to say. Hardcastle seems to have done the animation. Still, what a wonderful holiday treat. It has zombies, it has an evil Santa Claus, and a Frosty the Snowman who kicks ass, takes names and is probably chewing his fair share of bubblegum. This kind of stuff takes real skill, skill that I wish I had. But thankfully, I have blogging skill, and can simply share this awesom stuff!
Surprise, Surprise, I’m Posting More Hobbit Stuff
If you hate the idea of the new Hobbit film this December, this blog probably isn’t for you. Because it’s exactly what I want.
The excellent trailer and TV ads continue for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and I feel no shame in sharing them with you, my readers. I love’em, and I trust most of you are just as geeky as me. Plus, as I said earlier this week, this has just been a slow week for good geek news. So enjoy this for now, and later today I’m going to unveil a new comic reviewing style. Let’s see what you think of that!
A Hobbit Halloween is Spooktacular
I’m sorry, but there are no puns in the world that would do this video justice, so I went with the easiest one.
The above video was made by the Brotherhood Workshop, who also made the Cranky Cavetroll video. How do we make it so that this team only ever makes humorous LEGO videos from now on? I want a steady stream of these awesome videos for the rest of my life, and definitely to include more than just the Lord of the Rings LEGOs. OK, guys? Make it happen. This stuff is amazing.
