Happy Halloween ... early!
Everyone's favorite haunted time of year -- Halloween -- is just around the corner, and -- whilst hitting the local Walgreens to pick up some minor meds -- I saw these lovely plastic Darth Vader pumpkins. I couldn't help but whip out the iPhone to snap a pic to share with you peeps.
Happy Halloween ... early!
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Hey, peeps, just sharing that I had yet one more web-based warm fuzzy when the lovely Andrea Roth thanked me for wishing her a Happy SciFi Birthday. Here's the proof, for those of you who question it: Ahhhhh ....
Isn't web-life grand? Yes, I know sometimes it's easy to make too much of little things like what I'm about to ... but, seriously, I find it amazing how technology has brought fans closer to the talent they admire. Regular folks are less likely to know who Marshall Bell is, but he's been working in terrific projects as long as I can recall. And to take a few seconds to Tweet a courteous response to well wishes on his birthday just helped make my ordinary day a bit more special.
God Save the Internet! OMG ... Have you seen the new Star Wars IttyBittys?!?! I just came back from the area Hallmark Store where I picked up a set for my wife to give me (because she loves me), and I wanted to share them. There are also an individual Darth Vader and an R2-D2 to round out this first series, but the clerk assured me that their catalog shows more are coming in the new year.
Aren't they just adorable? Obi-Wan Kenobi has never looked so happy! I rarely dream, but – when I do – they tend to be very vivid. And particular. I notice very specific things. Colors. Names. Very fine details from the experience tend to linger beyond the fog in my head, and I’ll often times wake up with a specific name or some other arcane trinket of information that means nothing to me. While these dreams may be little more than a source of curiosity for me, the sad news is that my nightmares are just as vivid. I recall a time more than a decade back that I actually had a dream featuring on the unstoppable Xenomorphs that featured prominently in the ALIEN universe; and, no doubt, my wife remembers me screaming when I woke up. (NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …) From the Dark Horse website: “During a vicious xenomorph outbreak, terraforming engineer Derrick Russell leads a desperate group of survivors onto a rickety mining vessel. They hope to escape the creatures overrunning their colony—but they’ll face horrors both in space and on the strange planet they crash on.” Those pesky, hungry, acid-dripping Aliens are back – never a good sign for the space-going – in Dark Horse’s latest ‘event’ FIRE AND STONE, a miniseries crossover experience promising to bring together not only ALIENS and PROMETHEUS but also looks to introduce a few PREDATORS for good measure. And why not? Theatrically, it’s been established that PROMETHEUS takes place in the same universe as ALIENS, and the ALIENS have been haunted by those PREDATORS in both comic book and theatrical fashion. This indeed is a match made in sci-fi heaven! (FYI: PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE 1 of 4 has already streeted, and interested readers can pick up a copy at their local comicbookery any time they like.) As for ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE, the first issue serves to set up the particulars for the tale that’s only beginning. Colonists – always in danger of a Xenomorph infestation – find themselves in dire straits right out of the gate in #1 which happens to take place on LV-426. (For the uninitiated, LV-426 was the planet explored in the ALIEN sequel, ALIENS, directed by James Cameron.) These people are on-the-run, and they’re left with no other choice than to abandon that world, seeking out a place for safety and survival. Little do they know that their craft already has some baggage they’ll be none too happy to unload wherever they set down next! The tale is written by Chris Roberson, and – along with Patric Reynolds’ dark, bloody, and necessarily grim artwork – it feels a part of the broader ALIEN mythology right out of the gate. The pacing is quick, and the stakes are set clearly with each advancing page: LV-426 is doomed, and these folks will take their chances anywhere else but here. It’s tight, exciting, and effective from start-to-finish, ending with a panel that harkens back to that memory in my imagination: a lone but energized monster howling like a wolf at the sky. Great stuff! ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE (1 OF 4) is written by Chris Roberson; the art is provided by Patric Reynolds; the colors are provided by Dave Stewart; the letters are completed by Nate Piekos of Blambot; with this issue’s primary cover art supplied by David Palumbo. For those needing it spelled out perfectly, the storyline ties in with both Twentieth Century Fox properties ALIEN and PROMETHEUS. Lastly, the issue comes with a cover price of $3.50, and that’s a bargain so far as this longtime comic book reader is concerned.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If the action and the set-up in the opening pages of ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE (1 OF 4) seem a bit familiar, then take heart: LV-426 is better known as Hadley’s Hope, the terraforming colony featured prominently in the 1986 blockbuster sci-fi motion picture, ALIENS. The tale opens with plenty of action (just how we like ‘em!), and it closes with the promise of circumstances only growing more and more dire for the surviving colonists who manage to escape but unfortunately happen to have the worst stowaways possible in league with them. Who knows where it’s heading? We’ll all know more in 30 days. In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of ALIENS: FIRE AND STONE (1 OF 4) by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it. I had to run an errand this morning, and that errand had me stopping in to the local WalMart in Arizona. As is my custom, I always hits the toy shelves in hopes of seeing something new and exciting, especially when it comes to Star Wars, DC, or anything related to Science Fiction. Lo and behold, they actually had a few items: in this 20-inch line, there were three choices I hadn't yet seen, including the Tie Fighter Pilot and two characters all Jedi will be getting to know in a few weeks when Star Wars: Rebels premieres on the Disney Channel.
May the Force be with us! I'm quite certain something like this has probably existed for some time, but -- whenever I stumble across a sight that catches my interest -- I do try to share with others. Take the above Dark Vader house key, for example: I've seen that this is now available for purchase in one of those self-serve key-making machines in the local convenience store. I guess Star Wars fans now don't have to worry that they'll be harassed by the Home Depot clerk if they'd like a new key featuring their favorite Dark Lord of the Sith ... they can now do it for themselves!
Bravo, mankind! Bravo! Good afternoon, peeps. I had to run a few errands today, and I stopped in at my local Target store in Arizona. While carousing the shelves, I noticed that the store had just taken down the 'Back to School' section, and they were starting to erect the Halloween aisles. (I love me some quality scares!). Anywho, while shuffling through their wares, I came across these two Star Wars items I thought I'd share ... As can happen when these likenesses are mass produced, they may not be as 'faithful' to the source material as we'd like. Still, they caught my eye, and I thought I'd share 'em with the cyber-universe.
Happy Halloween! Let me say this without equivocation: methinks the knuckleheads who function as the press-hounds for Twentieth Century Fox should’ve been round up and dispatched given the way they pretty much mismanaged the information trickle surrounding Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS (2012) film. Initially, someone reported that the flick was going to be a sequel to Scott’s seminal ALIEN film; then that report was ‘corrected’ with some mention that only elements of said motion picture were being utilized and that the feature was in no way associated. By the time the film met its release schedule, I think folks were downright confused: was all of this tied in with ALIEN? Wasn’t it?
I bring that up because I thought that – while the film was smart – it probably could’ve used better handling by those who should’ve known better. The end result apparently is that it was all supposed to feel “set” within the greater ALIEN mythology … and that’s pretty much made clear in the final pages of this terrific-looking miniseries coming from Dark Horse Comics. (NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …) From Dark Horse’s website: “When the Prometheus never returned from her fateful journey to LV-223, the questions surrounding the origins of man went unanswered. Now a new team of explorers seeks to uncover the dark mystery that holds not only the fate of the original mission, but possibly their own damnation.” Picking up quite some time after the events of the aforementioned film, PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE may or may not be answering some of the questions left lingering within the greater context of that story; I won’t spoil the particulars for you, but I will tell you all of it appears to be tying in to one of the flick’s central themes, that being ‘who are we’? As a first issue, FIRE AND STONE #1 is exceedingly impressive. The inside page basically posits a recap of events – that being the mystery of what happened followed up with where we are now – and then the action segues to an event taking place on the world LV-223. Then, the narrative is thrown forward over 100 years in order for the crew of the ship Helios to get their introductions into the larger galaxy. Clara Atkinson – one of the group – is detailing the trip via a digital video recording, hoping to capture the events for viewers interested in deep space exploration. Basically, this trickery gives writer Paul Tobin a device with which to bring the reading audience up-to-speed about the who’s, what’s, where’s, etc. While it’d be easy to dismiss it as a storytelling gimmick, Tobin was smart to include enough personal observation about these people that it feels much more organic than it probably should. Once these faces have their names, then the shipmates descends to the world below … only to learn that nothing is as they were led to believe. What you have here is the making of a terrific mystery – one involving the past as well as the present – and it’s all brought to life in an almost cinematic feel by artist Juan Ferreyra. Everything looks and feels authentic to this universe that director Scott fashioned long and not-so-long ago, from the spacecraft interiors right down to the surface of LV-223. Thematically – much like PROMETHEUS did as a motion picture – FIRE AND STONE looks to be tapping into the same vein, raising the fundamental question about who the human race is. There are lingering asides thrown out about the Engineers (the alien race hinted at from the film), but as the action here slides effortlessly into the realm of ‘where are we’ I predict next issue might raise the ante in ways the readers and this crew never saw coming … especially if that closing panel is any indication. As a starting point, this first issue is very solid. Hopefully, everything that will follow will prove that the franchise PROMETHEUS might be a terrific avenue for Dark Horse to pursue as I’ll bet there’s an audience willing to take this ride to the stars. PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE (#1 of 4) is published by Dark Horse Comics. The script is written by Paul Tobin; the art is provided by Juan Ferreyra; the letters are done by Nate Piekos of Blambot; with cover art duties taken care of my David Palumbo. The issue cites a special thanks to Scott Allie, Randy Stradley, and Shantel LaRocque. The issue bears the cover price of $3.50, and that’s a bargain so far as this longtime comic book reader is concerned. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Excellent start, excellent story, excellent artwork. What more could you want? Plus, it has one of the best cliffhangers I’ve seen in quite some time. Bravo! In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of PROMETHEUS: FIRE AND STONE (#1 of 4) by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review; and their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it. While I'd honestly admit that I don't collect toys and action figures as much as I used to, this nifty Star Wars: Scout Trooper really tempted me. I saw it on the shelves today at my local Target. So far, this about 20-inch line has had Vader, Chewbacca, and now this one; as I already have the 31-inch Vader, I'm not tempted. But it was hard not to pick one of these bad boys up!
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