Justice League: Gods and Monsters Review

Hey O&G fans, Justice League: Gods and Monsters is the latest DC animated film. This marks the return of Bruce Timm to the series of films he helped to begin back in 2007. Written by Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett– both veterans of the DC animated TV universe– and directed by Sam Liu, this movie has the great story and action you expect from DC animated films.

As always here is a synopsis of the film:

In an alternate universe, the Justice League uses brutal force to maintain order on Earth. When scientists begin dying, the world's governments challenge the League's dominance.

REVIEW

The Movie was AWESOME!! The film opens (stop me if you've heard this story) on Kypton with a familiar scene we all know, in Jor-El’s lab with Lara as the planet nears its end. But wait True Comic Fans, this story has a dark twist. General Zod come busting in as Jor El is about to imprint his DNA into his son's pod. Zod shoots Jor El and uses his DNA for the pod and Lar Zod is sent to earth as the last son of Kypton instead. The baby is discovered by a Mexican couple, both poor workers, who decide to raise baby Zod as their own, and name him Hernan Guerra. (DC comics readers might recognize baby Zod as the same one from the Geoff Johns story Last Son, where he was raised by Clark Kent and Lois Lane as Chris Kent.)

Batman and Wonder Women have similar flash backs to how their lives began. Batman afflicted by a disease desperately searching for a cure, turns himself into a vampire. Wonder Women was the promised bride to Darkseids son to bring the waring kingdoms together. After her father planned an assassination and succeeded, she turned on her family and fled to earth.

The voice acting is one of the best I've heard from a DC Movie. Michael C. Hall giving Batman an eerie, undead monotone, Benjamin Bratt capturing the boldness of Superman with a hard Zod edge. Tamara Taylor was absolutely great as Wonder Women, switching from powerful to vulnerable to outraged on a dime. The animation is solid reminds me of Batman and Superman TAS. Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett have successfully delivered a fresh and exciting take on the Justice League by turning them into dark mirrors of the heroic icons we know so well. If you want to know the full and deeper story about all three Justice League members, you can check out the 3 issue series released by DC Comics.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters  will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on July 28th 2015.

Lenni Reviews: The Geeky Chef Cookbook by Cassandra Reeder

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The Geeky Chef Cookbook by Cassandra Reader has everything you'd need for your geek cooking needs. The "trouble" with reviewing cookbooks (in quotes because honestly, it was fun) is that you must try some of these to properly get a sense of the book. It's got some fantastic recipes for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, main dishes, and all sorts of desserts. And since my kiddo's birthday was coming and we are Portal fans, the first was the Portal Cake!

The only modifications we made were the lack of cherries and regular vanilla frosting. This cake was amazing and so a perfect birthday was had!

But of course, Mama had to try something for the grownups and as a Trekkie, the Romulan Ale was a must. 

Again, a modification was made because the mixers were sweet enough for me and thusly, I eliminated the blue soda and used plain seltzer. This was a good call as I think the soda would have been too much but feel free to try it out for yourself!

In this book there are dishes and drinks from Star Wars to Silent Hill, to Deadly Premonition (Sinner's Sandwich made me nerd-squee) so there's something for everyone here. Some of these require some decorating skills (that I do NOT have) so if you have skill with a blade and fondant, you'll have some fun here. 

I am so glad I got a chance to review this book and I look forward to trying out more from it. So if you're a geek and you like to cook, go ahead and nab this book. I don't think you'll regret it!

Lenni Reviews: Evolution by Lissa Kasey

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After seeing the sheer number of hits on my review of In These Words forever ago, I'm pleased to continue to review more m/m romances for you all!

Gene Sage wants to be a singer and hit it big one way but his band, Evolution, is virtually unknown. That is until a vision of ghost while he's driving causes Gene to hit a man with his car. But he's no ordinary man. Kerstrande is an undercover vampire and former rock star, and Gene's idol. One stray paparazzi catches them together and before Gene knows it, Kerstrande is managing his band and fighting an obvious desire for the young singer.

It is a nice male/male paranormal romance that's light on the heavy smut. The dynamic between Gene and Kerstrande is very much like Gravitation (between Shuichi and Yuki); the older jaded man and the younger more idealistic man. Yet Gene is a street smart, capable person with a likable personality and it's easy to see how his light and Kerstrande's darkness are attracted to one another. Kerstrande however, can be obstinate to the point of frustration; rightly fearing his more bestial nature will put Gene in danger yet unable to stay away. But if they wrapped everything up too tightly, the ending wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying or make sense for the characters. And I always say if a character annoys you; the writing is strong enough to illicit an emotional reaction.

The ending leaves you wanting more and I look forward to seeing how this couple will manage Gene's growing fame and abilities and Kerstrande's growing hunger. In the world Lissa Kasey has created, the public knows supernatural beings exist and there is a backlash against anyone not fully human. Evolution is a quick read but a fun one, and I can see this series having potential

Lenni writes more than reviews! Check out her site here.

Lenni Reviews: The Deepest Poison by Beth Cato

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The Deepest Poison is a short story and introduction to the novel Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato (which I have reviewed here). Since I've already reviewed the novel, this review will focus on the shorter story.

This story covers some history of Miss Percival; Miss Leander's mentor. Percival recognized and nurtured Leander's healing abilities and this story showcases them while in the field stationed at a camp called Cantonment Five as they try to puzzle out the mystery of why wounded soldiers thought to recover were dying. It was nice to see some back story as reasoning behind Percival's actions in the Clockwork Crown. It is written in the same style as the novel but much more succinct and inside Percival's head and it was cool to see the healers in action. 

If you liked the first novel, Deepest Poison has a sample of Clockwork Crown to whet your appetite for the full novel. At $0.99 on Amazon, it's a worthwhile bit of steampunk fun.

OPGamers Pilot Episode

Hey gamers a new show will be coming to your YouTube pretty soon. The show is from the folks at OPGamers.com. Recently they launched the pilot episode of their show, which you can check below.

Quick Review: OPGamers pilot episode is on the right track. It has a fun host with gamer Eddie Mady, and a great supporting co-hosts. The show is part clip show, part comedy show. Clip show section highlights some of funniest moments people have uploaded in gaming. Clips like Luigi riding dirty, granny playing GTA and more.

What really will get gamers interested is the OPgamers clip of the week. Here OPgamers will be offering 1000 dollars gift card to GameSpot to the winner. If that is not showing love to their audience and gaming community don't know what is. On the comedy sketch side it was pretty funny. However some of the actors could use a little tweaking when it comes to delivery.  Since comedy is subjective and this show is geared to a certain audience. The jokes can be a hit or miss for outsiders looking in. Other than some tweeks on jokes, the show is very impressive. I can see this really being a major hit on YouTube once the staff finds their footing. OPgamers got our subscription and they should have yours too.

Visit OPgamers.com and subscribe at Youtube.com/OPgamersTV

Lenni Reviews: Veiled Empire by Nathan Garrison

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Sinking your teeth into a rich fantasy world can be like taking medicine or eating a decadent dessert. Veiled Empire by Nathan Garrison is most definitely the latter. You take the first bite and, wow. This world is well crafted, tense, beautiful, and of course filled with magic. 

The number of different races, characters, and places had me bouncing from text to glossary and my inability to remember large numbers of characters was blatantly apparent (why I never could finish Game of Thrones), but the gist of it all is The Empire is at war with rebels who are tired of magic only being for the ruling class and subjugating everyone else. The plot of this sword and sorcery epic (clocks in at 550 pages) is finely woven and smartly executed with battles that call back to Lord of the Rings; vivid and exciting. As it is the case with these types of novels, the ending is satisfying yet open and you want to know more. 

Over all, this book is a wicked ride and I had a lot of fun reading it. If sword and sorcery fantasy epics are your speed,  you will not be disappointed. If there ever is more, I'll be on the lookout for it!

This title will be released on July 7, 2015.