Lenni Reviews: Abyss Deep: Star Corpsman Book 2

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(Image Source)

When Navy Corpsman Elliot "Doc" Carlyle is sent on a mission to diffuse a hostage situation and saves the life of a very influential alien species, he is "rewarded" by being sent on a mission to a planet that is half hellish storms and half unforgiving ice. Aptly named Abyss World, the mission is to find out why communications from a research facility have suddenly stopped. They are being hunted by a species called cuttlewhales -native to the planet - and the Grkr - not native but a major threat.

To be succinct, this book is Call of Duty meets Star Trek and I loved every geek fueled minute of it. Sometimes the long biological, geological, sociological, or technological explanations take you out of the story but for me (a HUGE science geek) I found them all fascinating. It does interrupt the story and it's a little jarring to suddenly leap back into the story after several pages of an advanced chemistry lecture but it was really easy to jump right back into the narrative since the mission is just so damn interesting. The marines and the scientists accompanying them are trying to learn about the cuttlewhales and not get killed by them while also trying to learn about the Grkr... And not get killed by them. Neither species seems very good at communication.

You'll have to bear in mind I have not read the first book so I cannot speak to how the story flows from that book to this one but as a stand alone, it shines just fine. You get just enough back story on Elliot and the surrounding characters to understand them and their roles in his life. So, if you like more space marines in your first contact stories, Lenni recommends this book.

Can't get enough of Lenni's writing? See more here.

VIZ Media Releases Zetman Anime On DVD & Blu-Ray

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ZETMAN on November 5th. The 13-episode series is rated ‘TV-MA’ for Mature Audiences and will be offered Uncut in DVD and Blu-ray editions. The DVD MSRP is $44.82 U.S. / $43.24 CAN and Blu-ray MSRP is $54.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN.
ZETMAN is based on a popular manga (graphic novel) series by Masakazu Katsura, who also created VIDEO GIRL AI and I”S (both published in North America by VIZ Media) and was the character designer for the hit anime series, TIGER & BUNNY (also available on Blu-ray and DVD at North American retailers).
Features for the Blu-ray and DVD editions include English dubbed or original Japanese audio selections (with English Subtitles), clean opening and ending segments, the original Japanese broadcast trailer, marathon play option, and an exclusive interview with ZETMAN manga series creator Masakazu Katsura taken during his recent appearance at New York Comic Con.
Jin and Kouga may come from very different walks of life, but both boys are searching for the real meaning of justice and what it means to be a hero! Jin may be poor, but he lives a happy life with his grandfather, until the day tragedy strikes and changes his life forever. Kouga, born into a wealthy family, is in line to inherit his family’s power and fortune. But what is true strength? What does it really mean to be human? Jin and Kouga’s fates intertwine in their struggle to harness the power that lies within each of them!
 
 

Anime's You Need To Watch This Halloween

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With Halloween tomorrow we thought the best way to celebrate the day of thrills, chills and spills the best way we know how and that is of course ANIME!!! So if you're not going out to one of the amazing Halloween attraction, going to a club or house party and just decide to celebrate Halloween otaku style. We have a complied a list of anime's that you should check out this Halloween.

Perfect Blue














A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is talked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past. Mima leaves the idol group CHAM, in order to pursue her dream as an actress. Mima climbs up the rocky road to success by performing as rape victims and posing nude for magazines, but is haunted by her reflections of the past.

 Perfect Blue Trailer
Highschool of the Dead
Takashi Komuro is a normal high school boy, until an infection breaks out that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Along with his friends & the school nurse, they fight their way out and continue their journey to find out what exactly has happened to the world.

 Highschool of The Dead Trailer
When They Cry - Higurasi

 On one hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There, he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika, and Satoko. Accepted as a full-fledged member of the "club," Keiichi and the gang plays all sorts of activities ranging from card and board games to hide-and-seek. But just as Keiichi was beginning to be assimilated in simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa. As Keiichi dives deeper into the mystery, he finds that his new found friends may not be all what they claim to be.

 When They Cry Trailer
Another

 When Kōichi Sasakibara transfers to his new school, he can sense something frightening in the atmosphere of his new class, a secret none of them will talk about. At the center is the beautiful girl Mei Misaki. Kōichi is immediately drawn to her mysterious aura, but then he begins to realize that no one else in the class is aware of her presence.

 Another Trailer

Blood: The Last Vampire

 Teropterids are evil beasts which pose as humans and live only to drink human blood. Fortunately for the human world there are groups dedicated to destroying them. A brooding and mysterious girl named Saya is the best teropterid slayer there is, and now, in 1960's Japan, she is sent to a U. S. army base which may be infested...

 Blood: The Last Vampire Trailer

 Vampire Hunter D

 In the year 12,090 A.D technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world. But thanks to the overzealous ambitions of man, the world remains desolate and despotic. What's left of the human race is divided into various towns and cities living in fear of vampires who compose and exist as the Nobility, fending off the monsters and mutants as a result of their existence. On a night five days after the Count Magnus Lee had harmlessly tasted the blood of Doris Lang and chosen her to be his next wife, she hires a vampire hunter by the name of 'D' to rid her of such an ill-gotten fate. As a dhampir (half human, half vampire), there exists a distinct resentment between the hunter and his prey. But as the Count finds out, there is also a peculiar secret behind the past of the Vampire Hunter D.

 Vampire Hunter D Trailer

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

 Continuing his quest to rid the world of the Nobility, the Vampire Hunter D, a dhampir (half human, half vampire), is summoned by the Elbourne family to rescue their daughter Charlotte from the captivity of Meier Link. The race against time not only involves saving the girl, but also the additional hiring of the Markus Brothers; a volatile and infamous group of Hunters known for their tendency to rid themselves of the competition by any means neccessary. To make matters more complicated, when Charlotte is found she is more than reluctant to leave the side of her new love...

 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust Trailer
Le Portrait de Petite Cossette (OAV)
Eiri works at his uncle's antique shop, and one day stumbles across a glass. Upon touching the glass, he receives visions from what he finds out to be a girl, Cossette, haunting the glass. She's been searching for over 250 years for someone who could see her, and now she needs his help.

 Le Portrait de Petite Cossette Trailer

Monster
Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, had it all: incredible skill at his work, a rich and beautiful fiancee, and a promising career at his hospital. However, after becoming disenchanted by hospital politics, he chose to save the life of a young boy who got shot in the head over the life of the mayor. As a result he lost the support of the hospital director, as well as his position in the hospital and his fiance. A short time later, the hospital director and the doctors that replaced him were murdered, and once again he was catapulted back onto the top. But as the chief suspect of the murders, Tenma did not get a easy life. As a matter of fact, it seems that the boy he saved was much more than he had appeared to be... Now to clear his name and to correct his past mistake, Tenma must get to the bottom of these and other murders, and investigate the truth of the Monster who is behind all of this.

 Monster Trailer
　
Pet Shop Of Horrors
The established trio of Count D, Taizuu and Chin travel to a small town where a picket-line battle is raging between officials and townspeople over the construction of a new dam. Of more interest to Count D is a pet left behind by his Grandfather yet instead the group finds a Sleeping Beauty who's deep sleep soon begins to spread. When Christmas comes, the young prince Femuto wishes to offer a special gift this year by bringing a dinosaur egg into Count D's magical dragon-hunting game. It doesn't take long for sightings of a dinosaur in the city to capture everyone's attention. Soon after, the eyes of the media falls to the story of an unlikely con artist driving single men to suicide.
　
Pet Shop Of Horrors Trailer

 　

　


The Walking Dead Game: Season Two - Reveal Trailer

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Today Telltale Games released the teaser trailer of The Walking Dead Game: Season Two. The Walking Dead Game: Season Two – A Telltale Games Series will continue the story of Clementine, a young girl orphaned at the outset of the undead apocalypse, now left to her own devices to seek safety and survive in a world gone mad. Now assuming the role of an ordinary child, players will struggle to outwit both the dead and the living in situations that will test their morals and control the flow of the story through their decisions and actions.



X-men: Days Of Future Past Trailer

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 Here is a look at the X-men: Days Of Future Past Trailer that was release today. The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods. The beloved characters from the original "X-Men" film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from "X-Men: First Class," in an epic battle that must change the past -- to save our future. The movie opens in theaters on May 23 2014.




NYCC: Justice League War Panel

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Hey Otakus and Geeks fans, New York Comic Con 2013 had some great panels this year, so we started our day two coverage with the DC Panel. DC unveiled a first look for its upcoming animated featured Justice League War. The panel included producer James Tucker, director Jay Oliva, legendary dialogue director Andrea Romano and Batman voice actor Jason O'Mara.

 The DC animated universe is headed into The New 52 territory with ‘Justice League: War’ which adapts the opening storyline from the current ‘Justice League’ comic book series, which gathered the world’s greatest heroes to oppose the ultimate evil, Darkseid. Superman will be voiced by (Firefly) Alan Tudyk.  He will be joined by Jason O’Mara as Batman, Michelle Monaghan as Wonder Woman, Christopher Gorham as The Flash, Justin Kirk as Green Lantern, Shemar Moore as Cyborg, Sean Astin as Shazam, and Steve Blum as Darkseid. Here are some images released by DC for the upcoming animated feature.

 Batman, Superman, Green Lantern



Shazam


Green Lantern



Darkseid


Some of you may be asking why the new movie isn't featuring some of the iconic voices that we have come to love like, Tim daly (Superman TAS, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) Kevin Conroy (Batman TAS, The Iconic Voice we love). The panel informed us that they are going in the same direction of the New 52, which means new voices and stories that follow the comics.

The panel was asked to summarize Justice League War, Tucker said the feature was “everything you ever wanted” in a Justice League movie. Oliva called it a “loose adaptation” of the Geoff Johns “Justice League: Origin” storyline and will feature the origin of Cyborg. Romano said the character of Cyborg goes through plenty of distress but comes out “shining.

Oliva confirmed that footage from the forthcoming Batman: Assault on Arkham animated movie, based in the “Arkham” videogame universe, is coming back from overseas animation studios and it looks “badass.” Miereanu noted O’Mara is excited for fans to see Batman: Assault on Arkham.


Fan Q&A

Some fans asked why Shazam was added to the story and Aquaman was taken out? "That was a suggestion made by Geoff Johns, actually," Tucker said. "He brings a lot of lightness to the proceedings - it's a very dark, intense story. It was also revealed that Aquaman would be getting his own animated movie.

 Another question was bought up by Green Lantern fans, one I have long wanted to ask and has been asked at the last two DC panels....... When are they going to do a Blackest Night animated feature. This is one of the greatest stories in DC history and should be made into a movie. Tucker admitted a possible Green Lantern: Blackest Night animated feature was “discussed,” as was Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War.

One fan asked if they would ever consider doing an animated movie on curse of the Robins, a movie that would follow all of the Robins and explore how partnering with Batman ruined their lives, which got a loud applause from the fans at the panel. The panelists seemed intrigued by the idea and appeared to consider it.

There were also questions if DC was considering bringing back Teen Titan and Young Justice. This was something I myself hoped would spark interest. Fans of Young Justice hoped there is something being planned because the show was left on a cliff hanger.  Tucker said that while he did not work on either, he is very interested in Teen Titans. "So… maybe."


They closed the panel with a final clip, featuring Green Lantern, Batman and Superman fighting off a horde of Parademons. Justice League: War doesn’t currently have a release date, but it is expected to premiere in early 2014.  




By Sean Tucker

8 Cartoon Voices You Didn't Know That Are Famous From Other Shows

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1. Bobby Hill (King of the Hill) = Spinelli (Recess)


 In 1997, two new animated shows hit the air: Recess and King of the Hill. One featured tomboyish tough girl, the other featured a doughy, sensitive boy who "just ain't right." Both were voiced by Pamela Adlon, who you may also recognize as "Pamela," from Louie.


2. Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast) = Ratcliffe (Pocahontas) = Wiggins (Pocahontas) = Major Charles Winchester (M*A*S*H) = Jumba (Lilo and Stitch)

 

 
  If you need a stuffy asshole, look no further than David Ogden Stiers, who has been playing stuffy assholes since at least the '70s. In retrospect, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the same man who played the uptight surgeon with a good heart in M*A*S*H also voiced the uptight clock with a good heart in Beauty and the Beast, but how did we miss that Ratcliffe and Wiggins were voiced by the same guy?

 

3. Henri (An American Tail) = Charles Muntz (Up) = Christopher Plummer

 At an age when most of us were watching An American Tail (also known as Fievel to idiot children everywhere) we didn't care at all who the actors behind these characters were. Even if those actors are god damn theatrical treasures like Christopher Plummer. Yes, Captain Von Trapp himself is also a friendly french pigeon living in the Statue of Liberty. And he's still popping up in surprising places: as the villainous explorer Charles Muntz in Pixar's Up and as the greybeard Arngeir in Skyrim.

 

 4.  Ariel (The Little Mermaid) = All the Barbies (Toy Story trilogy)

 


 


If you've ever wondered what Ariel (Jodi Benson) has been up to these days, you might be excited to learn that she's still available if you need to voice a character with an impossibly thin waist. 


5. Chef Louis (The Little Mermaid) = Mannfred (Archer) = Odo (Deep Space Nine)

 
 

 And while we're on the topic of The Little Mermaid, you may be wondering whatever happened to Chef Louis, if you're the kind of person to care about minor, inconsequential characters. That same voice actor also apears in the first season of Archer as the German spy Mannfred. And that voice actor? Rene Auberjonois, perhaps best known for playing Odo in Stark Trek: Deep Space Nine.

 

 6. Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) = Uncle Phil (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

 

 

  Teenagers, right? Seems like they're always getting into getting into trouble. Whether it's "one little fight" in West Philadelphia or a never-ending series of battles against mutants. Regardless of the specifics, you can count James Avery to get them in line as the voice of both Shredder and Uncle Phil. "But wait," you might say, "It's a pretty big stretch to say that Shredder helped the turtles in any way." And you're right. Lucky for you Avery ALSO voiced Splinter.

7. Mulan (Mulan) = Finn's Mom (Adventure Time) = Melinda May (Marvel's Agenst of S.H.I.E.L.D)

 

 Mulan, arguable the kick-assiest Disney princess, is also voiced by a pretty kick-ass actress, who seems to be everywhere nerds are. Ming-Na Wen has one foot in comic book world, playing Melinda May in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and a foot in the video game world starring in in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and in Street Fighter (as Ol' "Hey Stop Kicking So Much" Chun-Li). But, hey, maybe you're one of those people who don't really like video game movies (also known as "normal people"), you might still be pleased to realize that she also voiced Finn's mom (or, at least alternate reality mom) on Adventure Time.

 

 8. Gadget (Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers) = Dot (The Animaniacs) = Agnes Skinner, Dolph, and Jimbo (The Simpsons)

 

 

Tress MacNeill's voice is so ubiquitous it tends to pass by unnoticed. A mainstay on The Simpsons, voicing Agnes Skinner, Dolph, Jimbo Jones, and many others. She's voiced dozens of characters in Futurama, Dot in The Animaniacs, Gadget AND Chip in Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers, Angelica's mom on Rugrats, Babs Bunny on Tiny Toon Adventures, and a million other things. You can probably hear her voice in your head more clearly than you can your best friend's.


Honorable Mentions 

  Clancy Brown.
Voiced:  Mr Krabb ( Sponge Bob )
Lex Luthor ( Superman TAS )



 Cree Summer
From the series A Different World ( nbc 80's show )
Voiced:   Foxxy Brown ( Drawn together )
     Penny ( Inspector gadget )
Elmyra Duff ( Tiny Toons )
 Abigail 'Numbuh 5' Lincoln ( Codename Kids Next Door )
Dr. Penelope Young ( Batman Arkham Asylum )
 Mary West ( Young Justice )

 


Source: College Humor




 

Walt Disney Japan Announces Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

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The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. announced today that it will produce the first Japanese Marvel animated television series targeted at boys. Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers is based on Marvel’s most popular team of Super Heroes, The Avengers and will premiere nationwide on terrestrial television in spring 2014.
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers will be produced by Nerima-ku, Tokyo-based Toei Animation Co., Ltd., which has produced multiple successful animated series for kids in Japan. Taito-ku, Tokyo-based Bandai Co., Ltd., which has a highly successful track record with major titles, will be responsible for character merchandising. The three companies will collaborate in creating a fully localized Japanese series as well as providing a lineup of attractive products and merchandise targeting the boys market.
The story will revolve around how The Avengers – Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk together with the help of Spider-Man and a group of teens, will harness their respective fighting skills and superhuman powers to foil Loki’s scheme to take over the world.
 
 

Interview With Lorne Balfe (Composer of Beyond: Two Souls)

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OtakusandGeeks.com: "Beyond: Two Souls" is your latest videogame soundtrack. Can you tell us on how you came abroad to work on this project?

Lorne Balfe: David Cage contacted Hans and myself over a year and a half ago about Beyond. What I found intriguing was the first thing David said to me about the game was that the last thing he wanted was "game music!” David has a wonderful passion for games that is rare to find. He wants to push the boundaries. David is hard to please and this makes being a composer fun!

OtakusandGeeks.com: What is the difference between working on a videogame soundtrack compared to working on a film?

Lorne Balfe: There isn't a difference. The music has to help contribute to telling a story. The only difference I can think of is the sheer mass amount of music required. In a film, I will tend to write about an hour and fifteen minutes of music. On Beyond, I think I wrote over four hours of music.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Is it more challenging or a little bit easier trying to find the sound for a videogame as opposed to finding the right sound for a film?

Lorne Balfe: They are both as equally as difficult. I spent months trying to write the Jodie’s theme for Beyond. David was very clear with want he wanted. The music for her had to reflect her life and the obstacles she faced in her life. The back-story and the character of Jodie was just the same as any film's character I have ever worked on.

OtakusandGeeks.com: You have collaborated with Hans Zimmer on many projects such as The Dark Knight Rises, The Bible and many more. What is like working with him?

Lorne Balfe: It is a truly unique experience. The guy is a genius! Apart from being one of the best composers in the industry, he is a great storyteller. He understands film more than most directors. He has worked on every genre of film, television, and games. I worked for Hans for 8 years and learning from him was a privileged experience. He understands the filmmaker and can translate what they want.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Can you tell us the process of scoring a videogame? What is usually the first few steps you take approaching a project?

Lorne Balfe: It is the same process as a film. You begin with a lot of talking. You have to fully understand where the director is coming from. You can’t just simply write a theme. One has to understand the characters and plot to fully understand the musical vocabulary.

OtakusandGeeks.com: "Beyond: Two Souls" has a very cinematic approach in the ways of storytelling, the way it looks and the way it's played. After hearing parts of the soundtrack it feels like a soundtrack that you would hear in a movie thriller mystery. Is that how you wanted to approach the soundtrack?

Lorne Balfe: I never thought of it that way. I wrote music that represented what was on the screen and the development of Jodie's life. She faces many obstacles and the music had to represent this.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Is there any form of entertainment that you would love to compose music for but haven't?

Lorne Balfe: I would love the challenge of a ballet or an actual orchestral commission but would most likely freeze in fear over the challenge!

OtakusandGeeks.com: Since you have composed music for some of the biggest titles in videogames we have to ask do you play videogames? If so what games are you currently playing?

Lorne Balfe: In 24 hours I plan to play Beyond, and not leave the house until I finish it!
Unlike a film, I never fully see how the project comes together.

OtakusandGeeks.com: What will be your next project?

Lorne Balfe: I have recently finished a fantastic film called Blackwood starring Ed Stoppard and Sophia Myles that is about to premiere at the London Film Festival!

The Cosplayers of New York Comic Con Part 6

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We are still not done with the showcasing the cosplayers that we saw. Here are some more cosplayer goodness. Remember to check out our friend Young Jeohn site (http://photos.YoungFromNewYork.com) and check out our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OtakusandGeeksBlog for more pictures that were not featured here.













Interview With WWE Superstar Kane

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At New York Comic Con 2013 we had a chat with WWE Superstar Kane about his upcoming movie "See No Evil 2." We talk about acting, difference between his character compare to horror icons and many more. 

 OtakusandGeeks.com: With being in the ring and having to do things live all the time. How different is it to be filming a movie that takes multiple takes?

Kane: With a live audience you're able to feed off the energy from the crowd which you don't get on the movie set. In an live setting you're very interactive with the audience which gives us an instant set of gratification because if we do something good the live audience reactions, if it's not good we're like oh man that wasn't good. In film you have to generate the same emotion or do the same emotion slightly different in this take is difficult. I guess that's the art of acting and I have a lot respect for actors after doing it a couple of times.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: What made you return back to the role of Jacob?

Kane: I really wanted the opportunity of working with the Soska's Sisters. After working with them I'm a huge fan of theirs. They know the art of film making and I learned a lot of them. I wanted to try acting again because acting is fun and we have a great experience crew which made it really great. 

 OtakusandGeeks.com: How has Jacob character change or progressed from the previous film?

Kane: I think we add more personality in this one to give the audience more attachment to him. In the first movie Jacob was really a sympathetic character his mother was the bad guy. In this one however I don't think he's quite sympathetic but you do get moments where you get a glimpse into his mind and the workings that is going on in his head.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: How does Jacob separate from other slasher icons like Freddy or Jason?

 Kane: What's cool about Freddy is he's a smart alec and that's what make him unique. What separate Jacob is his personality and he has a little more depth to his character than Jason or Michael Myers he's a bit more human with the exception of Freddy. Plus Jacob is bigger and more physically stronger he's like a hybrid of Freddy and Jason.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Being Kane everyday did it help for the role of Jacob? Was it hard to separate the characters?

Kane: Jacob and Kane are definitely separate characters so it was easy to separate the two. However with Jacob it wasn't easy at times because there was particular scene that was pretty brutal to do.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Any stories working on the set?

Kane: The film is shot in Vancouver in a mental institution which was shutdown. Everybody in the crew had a ghost story about this place. There is a creepy tunnel in the location we were filming, so we decided to go down and I started taking pictures hoping to find orbs hoping to see something, but truthfully I didn't want to see anything. We might of see something that actually would've scared Kane. 

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Would you like to do more films in the movie?

 Glenn Jacobs (Kane): Maybe it is a lot of fun. Maybe a romantic comedy as weird as that sounds.

                                Kane during our interview



Lenni Reviews: Street Fighter Origins: Akuma

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Written by Chris Sarracini and illustrated by Joe Ng, this story follows a young Akuma through his childhood and along the journey to becoming a terror of the Street Fighter underground. There are a few holes in the story, such as exactly how Akuma (or anyone, really) learned to throw chi energy blasts at people, or how his brother, Goken, learned to fight; but you are given some decent insight as to why and how Akuma became seduced by the Dark Hadou.

Joe Ng's art is stunning. Every page is detailed and there are bonus character design pages at the end of the story. You can tell great care was taken to get the feel of the game into the comic and Ng succeeds in doing so.

I would recommend this book to any fan of the game or of Akuma in particular. You may wish (as I did) that it was a bit longer, but you still come away with more back story on how he came to be. Akuma's not even my favorite and I still felt emotionally attached. Pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.  
Can't get enough of Lenni's writing? See more here.

The Cosplayers of New York Comic Con 2013 Part 5

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We are still not done with the showcasing the cosplayers that we saw. Here are some more cosplayer goodness. Remember to check out our friend Young Jeohn site (http://photos.YoungFromNewYork.com) and check out our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OtakusandGeeksBlog for more pictures that were not featured here.











The Cosplayers Of New York Comic Con 2013 Part 4

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We are not done with the showcasing the cosplayers that we saw. Here are some more cosplayer goodness. Remember to check out our friend Young Jeohn site (http://photos.YoungFromNewYork.com) and check out our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OtakusandGeeksBlog for more pictures that were not featured here.












Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix Announced + Trailer

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At D23 Expo Japan that it has officially begun development for KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX. A follow up to the recently released KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, the title is slated for release next year in the Americas. Adding further depth and detail to the KINGDOM HEARTS series, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX is a fully remastered HD compilation of the PlayStation ®2 computer entertainment system title KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system title KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX. Both, previously exclusive to the Japanese market, will be available for the first time in the Americas for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Theatrical cut-scenes from the Nintendo DS™ title KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded will also be included in the compilation. Picking up after KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, players will be able to continue on their adventures with Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy, and also explore the origins of the KINGDOM HEARTS series with characters Terra, Aqua and Ventus – all with gorgeous high-definition visuals and enhanced gameplay mechanics. KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX will provide fans with the chance to replay the games of the celebrated franchise, and also lead into the highly anticipated KINGDOM HEARTS III,


Interview With Will.I.Am & Brian David Johnson

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This year at New York Comic Con. I had the pleasure of chatting with artist Will.I.Am and Brian David Johnson about a new graphic novel they will release entitled "Wizards and Robots." We talk about the process of the comic, technology and more.

                         Justin, Brian David Johnson and Will.I.Am

 OtakusandGeeks.com: How did this project of Wizards & Robots come about?

Will.I.Am: This project is two years in the making it started in my living room on Halloween.  I called Brian David Johnson and was like I have this idea and I want to know what you think. You know Brian he has already wrote and published books on his own. I ask him if I came to him with an idea would you be interested and he said yeah.  Two months later I told him the idea of “Wizards & Robots” and we kept writing and it turned into a trilogy.  Here we are two years from that time with metallic robotic figurine, an artifact, a book and a bible before the graphic novel comes out. It was important for me to build a world first because most people in my world, they will just come here and launch a graphic novel. However it was important for us to allow people to really see detail, so that’s why we made an artifact and a detail bible based on the characters that way people can see what we are geeking about. I’m really happy that we were able to accomplish this on our own, there is no studio, no companies just two guys.

                                Metallic Robot from Wizards & Robots


OtakusandGeeks.com: Can you give us a brief synopsis of the story?

Will.I.Am: Well I don’t want to spoil the whole story *laughs*

Brian David Johnson:  It’s about these robots from the future that traveled back in time to do battle with these ancient wizards. The robots come back to have war in our time in the modern era.  It’s based on their technology and their spells are based on real robotics and real quantum physics.

OtakusandGeeks.com: How exciting is this for you?

Will.I.Am: It's really exciting with the concept because we were doing an interview on the tomorrow project at Intel, and he was talking about robotics and stuff he was doing and the growth that microprocessors will have. What I heard worried me that a phone or appliances will be more intelligent than a seven year old forty years from now, because we are not educating our kids in inner cities, so you mean to tell me that a phone in 2013 forty years from now can outperformed my seven year old niece. In today's world this is almost possible. However we still have to input request to a computer now but forty years from now it will think on it's own. Thinking of that I was like wow darn it I want to do more things to inspire kids in inner cities to educate themselves and see themselves in different fields than just entertainment and sports. There is other places to escape other places to build in and tools to use to turn and change your reality. 

OtakusandGeeks.com: How difficult was it to creating a universe that's expanding into a trilogy?

Will.I.Am: It took a lot to think of how to approach it because it started from science fact that most folks probably aren't aware of. Then putting a world around factual things regardless whether they are here now. The math tells you that this will be possible, however today's technology doesn't allow us to do these things now. When you're dealing with factual things based on mathematics you can create worlds that won't be fantasy for fantasy sake.

Brian David Johnson: The story actually has it's basis in science. In theoretical physics there is a thing called a thought experiment which was exactly what Will and I were doing. If you could do time travel what would it look like? If you could do spells that was using quantum mechanics what would look like? It's literally just the theoretical thought experiment but it has wizards and robots which is awesome. 

OtakusandGeeks.com: When will Wizards and Robots be released?

Brian David Johnson: March 2014 and the prequel will released online soon.

 OtakusandGeeks.com: Since you're entering the comic realm. We have to know who is your favorite comic book character?

 Will.I.Am: John Wraith *laughs*

 Brain David Johnson: I'm old school I like the classics Spider-Man, Captain America those are the ones that inspire me.

 Be sure to look out for Wizards and Robots in March of 2014. More details will be released later.
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