NERD OFFICE ESSENTIALS | Dustin

Hey there nerds and nerdettes! Personal space is important, no matter your marriage status or how old you are. Man caves give you the freedom to express your true selves. They give you the space to enjoy football with the guys, a relaxing pool game or pure quietness to get extra work done. The benefits are endless. But what if your interests don't lye with sports or you don't have the money for a pool table? Well, fellow nerd, have I got the article for you! Here are some of the things YOU need to show your nerd colors.

The computer is the heart and soul of your nerd room. Doesn't matter what kind you have. Just so long as you have one! Get that blog done. Play those computer games. Watch those cat videos. Whatever it is you do on that computer! Just be sure that computer background really expresses your inner nerd.

You have some special comics? Display them! Show that you're proud of those limited edition comics. Let everyone know that what you have is better than what they have! 

Action figures. Action figures. Wait for it....ACTION FIGURES!!! Those badass toys need to be out on display in their full glory. And if you still have that 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in his original box...I hate you and everything you stand for.

You have a mini library? Prove it. Get some sweet looking bookends, build an awesome bookshelf or, if you're poor like me, keep them on your desk with the Hulk holding them up. As long as they're out.....you're good!

This should help you on your way to putting together that fortress of solitude every nerd is dreaming of. Do you have yours set up already? What are some cool things you have displayed in your "nerditorium"?

Groot's Origin Explained!

Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Announced

From ComicBook.com

DC Comics and IDW Publishing are teaming up for a six-issue miniseries kicking off in November starring two of their biggest superhero properties: Batman and the Heroes in a Half Shell. Sure, he's fought the crocodile monster living in the sewers and mutated Man-Bats, but can he team up with the Turtles from underground, too?

In the simply titled Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, jointly published by the two companies, the TMNT and their villain Shredder get transported to an alternate universe by General Krang. Here, in Gotham City, they meet Batman and clash with a series of his famous Rogue's Gallery while attempting to find their way home. James Tynion IV will write the series, with Freddie E. Williams II on art. TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman (and others) will provide variant covers.

This is probably the closest fans will get to a "Batman/Daredevil" crossover that was teased to no fruition a few years ago at various conventions. The TMNT originally started out as a parody of Daredevil, with their origin initially stemming from the same chemical that burned a young hero's eyes, then pouring into the sewer. Where Daredevil fought the ninja clan known as the Hand, the Turtles fought the Foot clan. Daredevil was trained by Stick, the Turtles trained by Splinter.

Tynion says that the book is "a fanboy dream come true," and loves looking at "the world of Batman through new eyes" in a press release. Stay tuned for more on this crossover as it approaches its November 2015 release.

Roboy #1-6 Review | Roar Comics

By Bryan Jefferson

Megaman meets Street Fighter in the new comic published by Lion Forge Comics. It is written by Brandon Easton, directed by Carl Reed and art by Sendol Arts. By combining the boss skill mechanic of the Mega Man series with the aesthetic of a fighting game it gives an enjoyable, visually unique style the same way Scott Pilgrim vs the World did for movies. This allows it to have an exciting perspective on the battles without over doing the violence. It presents an engaging story presented with additional characteristics that aren’t necessarily needed but are greatly appreciated by the reader.

The story focuses on Aiden Cross and his best friend Madison. They are casually talking about school when they find themselves in the middle of a battle between their hero Bold Mighty and a giant pill bug robot known as 765. After seeing his idol tossed aside and blocking an attack against his friend, Aiden learns he isn’t a normal boy, which is where the story starts to take shape. He discovers that he is a cyborg that can obtain new abilities by obtaining Pyramoids that contain different data types. The most interesting being Micro-Mees that allow Aiden to transform into multiple smaller versions of himself while still retaining the same power as his larger self. Learning about this true origin and discovering his new abilities he believes he could be the next superhero, which attracts ire from the hero he once looked up to.

The most notable imagery of the series is the way the fights are presented like a fighting game. Whenever Aiden encounter an enemy there is a VS screen showing the names of the characters and a  life bar. Throughout the fights the life bar will pop up showing damage received. Special moves are shown by name when used sand upon acquiring new Pyramoids, it displays a BONUS with the new ability. Each chapter is presented as a new level and each issue starts with an INSERT COIN panel and ends with an INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE panel which adds to the video game feel of the series. I’ll be saving my coins for the future of this series and am really looking forward to delving more into the world of Roboy.

Make sure to check out Lion Forge Comics and Roar Comics for more great comics like this one!

Trimaxx Comic Review | Lion Forge Comics

by Bryan Jefferson

Trimaxx is a new sci-fi comic from Lion Forge Comics written by David Gorden with art and colors by Sendol Arts. It has a welcoming art style reminiscent of the Mega Man imagery mixed with a more unique, darker artwork when introducing the alien monsters. The language and content are family friendly making it easily approachable by readers of all ages. It also beckons to a theme that has been gaining popularity in the last few years with Pacific Rim or big monster and robot battles.

It takes place in the near future year of 2055 with mysterious aliens known as the Mechani invading Earth for a second time. A young program tester named Mayuri is found to be the only person who is able to sync with and pilot an experimental robot known as Trimaxx. To help Mayuri with her mission she is assigned a team of experts under the guidance of Invincible Joe, her childhood idol and the hero who repelled the first Mechani invasion. Trimaxx has a myriad of energy weapons, a grappling hook hand and more mysterious systems that will be revealed as Mayuri increases sync with the giant robot.

The characters seem to have much larger background that I would be excited to explore more in depth and hopefully will be fleshed out in future issues. Learning the motivation and reasoning of the Mechani invasion is something to look forward to in future issues. Trimaxx does not hold back when placing the reader directly into the monster action of the world and will leave readers with questions they will look forward to discovering the answers to.  

Check out more Lion Forge comics here.

Batgirl Cover Controversy

why this was such a rallying point and ask the question - should it be pulled?

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Comic Book Day: March 25th

Jem and the Holograms #1

 

Thanks to PreviewsWorld.com here is list of comics out today! What will you be bringing home?

 

Here are our top picks for the week! pick up your copies below!

Batman Eternal #51 - $2.69 This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end!

Walking Dead #139 - $2.69 A new arc begins as our world gets even bigger.

Inhuman #13 - $3.59 Great jumping on point as all the threads in INHUMAN year one are woven together! The NuHumans are a valuable currency in the new world order and someone is working hard to control their destiny.

Tomb Raider #14 - $3.59 " Tomb Raider is the quintessential example of a reboot done right."-Gaming Trend The second issue in a new arc from the writer of the Tomb Raider 2013 video game-Rhianna Pratchett! Lara and her friends must leave London in order to save a friend's life from a mysterious organization! However, there is danger lurking in the shadows that threatens to destroy them all!

Deadpool #44 - $3.59 First: Deadpool let loose in an oil field! Then: Deadpool & Shiklah enter the Tomb of Scariness! Guest-starring Omega Red and damned dirty bamfers! Parental Advisory

Samurai Jack #17 - $3.59 Jack and the Thief team-up to discover the mysteries of the secretive man known only as the 'Master of Time.' Is this finally the way home for our solemn samurai?

Marvel Comics Now Deadpool Artfx+ Statue - $47.99 A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Now that the Avengers lineup is complete, Kotobukiya is expanding its Marvel Now! ARTFX+ line to include other mainstream Marvel Comics characters. First up is one of the most popular comic book superheroes in the business, Wade Wilson aka DEADPOOL! Formerly a member of the Weapon X program, the 'Merc with a Mouth' is a longtime assassin for hire and independent agent who's worked alongside just about every superhero and villain from the Avengers to X-Force and everything in between. Now the fourth wall-breaker invades your house with a fantastic new ARTFX+ statue! Created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Deadpool has never looked back and continues to appear in more and more books with his unique style and nonstop witty repartee, not to mention his trademark costume and extensive armory! Wilson makes a stunning debut in the ARTFX+ series as he crouches in preparation for an attack, drawing one of his swords from the sheaths on his back. Deadpool naturally......

Southern Cross #1: Review

New from Image Comics this week is “Southern Cross.”  In the beginning, we find lead character Alex Braith traveling to the moon, Titan.  She is traveling aboard the Southern Cross in an attempt to bring back her dead sister, Amber.  So, immediately this series begins with a bit of a mystery.  We find out that Alex is the rebel and that her sister, Amber, is the good one.  Somewhat of a cliched storyline, but we'll run with it for now.  

This plot and storyline have certainly been told before and the question for this series becomes, how will the story be told?  Will the characters be fresh and pull you into the story? Unfortunately, that just doesn't happen here.  Alex isn't the most personable character and doesn't exactly interact well with the other characters that are introduced in this issue.  She's very stand-offish and cold. While you understand her desire to know what happened to her sister, there is nothing else that is you can relate to with her character. We do discover that she had some issues on Earth, but nothing is explained further.  It's like the writers drop a seed and seem to forget that it was mentioned.  The inner dialogue is dry and doesn't pull do anything to make you want to know more about the character, except to find out what happened to her sister, Amber.

Overall, the art is decent in this issue.  The drawing of the ship and the loading of the ship is impressive, those aspects really are well done. There are some other scenes with the Gravity Well that look pretty awesome as well. As a whole, the colors are VERY dark throughout the issue, but the coloring does match the general feeling and atmosphere of the issue. The storyline is dark and the colors reflect that well. There is a scene where Alex shuts her door on her neighbor and with the way the door is closing it looks like the neighbor should be pulling his arm through the door but the panel doesn't portray that very well.  Instead, it looks like he was just placed there and the scene was drawn around him.  Scenes like that add to the overall lack of emotion that permeates throughout this issue.

As a whole, I think that “Southern Cross” is a decent first issue that is off to a precarious start. I'm left wondering is whether or not future episodes will make this series a compelling read?

Posted by: Jeff @jeff201

6 Walking Dead Characters that Should Jump from Page to Screen

6 Walking Dead Characters that Should Jump from Page to Screen

Evan Lewis  | February 21, 2015 6:00am

Violent loss can become numbingly commonplace in a world overrun by flesh-craving corpses.

We're nine episodes into season five, and hardened survivor Rick Grimes's travel-fatigued group has lost three major members. Bob was eaten, both by the living and the undead. Beth caught a bullet during a hostage exchange gone awry. Tyreese finally decided to turn off the news.

If the showrunners kept up their current pace of killing off characters without adding in fresh blood from time to time, viewers would quickly be left with no one else to mourn. But changes to the show's roster are not all subtractions, and new characters like Gabriel and Noah joined in the first half of this season. Now, with the group still reeling from back-to-back deaths and wandering toward Washington seeking hope and purpose, a seemingly friendly stranger named Aaron arrived at the very end of the last episode with an offer of "good news."

Readers of The Walking Dead graphic novels will recognize Aaron as the recruiter for the Alexandria Safe-Zone, a locale that serves as the staging point for all of the comic book's major plotlines to come. If Rick and his group are headed to Alexandria, the path is clear for the show to start bringing in a wide new cast of major comic book characters.

Assuming the show is moving in that direction, here are a few characters who could provide some exciting new interactions in upcoming episodes and seasons of The Walking Dead.

Eric

(Just met this character in the last episode)

In the books, Aaron doesn't travel alone when he's recruiting new people for the Alexandria Safe-Zone. The fact that Aaron has now introduced himself to Sasha and Maggie on the show means that his partner/emergency backup, Eric, is likely nearby, waiting to see how things turn out.

Eric will almost certainly be the next new face introduced to the group before (if) they enter the Alexandria Safe-Zone. His partnership with Aaron could give the show writers an opportunity to explore the struggles of establishing and maintaining a same-sex relationship in a post-apocalyptic world.

 

Douglas Monroe

Readers will know Douglas Monroe as the leader of the Alexandria Safe-Zone when Rick's group arrives. Douglas was a congressman from Ohio before the zombie outbreak and, as written, has a leadership style that might prove challenging for Rick to accept after facing so much hardship on the road. Having Douglas as a foil could help demonstrate Rick's pragmatic leadership and reaffirm why, even in a relatively peaceful situation, he maintains authority within his group.

Jessie Anderson

Traveling abandoned highways skirting death on a daily basis, new romances are difficult to come by. Singles who haven't recently lost significant others to cannibals are in short supply, and lacking consistent food, water or shelter, the show's survivors have had other concerns vying for their attention.

Jessie, a resident of the Alexandria Safe-Zone, isn't technically single, but she may still serve as a romantic interest in upcoming episodes. A conflict between Rick's group and Jessie's less-than-chivalrous husband Pete could lead to some intriguing domestic drama and help to solidify the group's status in its new community.

Paul 'Jesus' Monroe

Jesus is formidable. In his comic debut, he proves himself to be a talented martial artist and survivor. Like Aaron, Jesus is a recruiter and ambassador for a community of survivors living on the outskirts of Washington.

Jesus's hand-to-hand fighting skills alone would make his on-screen presence exciting, but Jesus also serves as a point of introduction to a broader network of survivors outside the Alexandria Safe-Zone and eventually becomes one of Rick's most trusted and capable allies when serious conflict arises.

'King' Ezekiel and Shiva

Ezekiel is the leader of the community called The Kingdom. Calling himself a "king" and speaking with all of the pretentiousness that entails, Ezekiel is written to be an intentionally over the top character.

Ezekiel's flair for the dramatic would make his introduction on the show memorable, but if the show remains true to the books, his more human moments with one of our favorite characters could expand his appeal as a character beyond simple theatrics.

Also, Ezekiel has a pet tiger named Shiva, and television currently suffers from a shameful dearth of tiger vs. zombie action.

Negan (and Lucille)

Rivaled only by The Governor, Negan is the most brutal enemy Rick and his group have faced in the comics.

Negan firmly establishes his unequivocal villainy in the comics with displays of force that are grotesque, even by The Walking Dead's gory standards. He perpetrates some particularly stomach-turning violence with the help of his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille.

If and when Negan appears on the TV series, it will be a challenge for showrunners to match the intensity of the vulgarity he exhibits on the books' pages without being able to make use of the highly colorful and somewhat limited vocabulary that does so much to define his character.

It will take some time for the shattered group on the show to get themselves on solid enough footing to stand up to someone like Negan, so it will probably be a while before he is introduced on screen, but once he is, his antagonism will likely redefine the course of the series, if the comic is any indication.

This story was obtained from tvinsider.com so for this and more go check out tvinsider.com

Suiciders #1 Review

Vertigo's “Suiciders” starts off in an interesting way.  The main character, The Saint, knelt before a large statue of the scourged Jesus on the cross.  “Suiciders” is a comic series that occurs in a dystopian society, thirty years after the “big one” hit Los Angeles.  Los Angeles is now known as New Angeles and is separated by a large wall keeping half of the remaining living population out.

The story revolves around the character “The Saint” who participates in a blood sport like show that is known as “Suiciders.”   Just like the other participants, The Saint is surgically enhanced and on performance enhacing drugs.  In addition to having to face each other, the coliseum where “Suiciders” takes place is filled with additional weapons and obstacles that serve to increase the level of danger faced by the participants.  In this first issue, we don't get much a feel for the character of The Saint, other than the fact that he doesn't exactly live up to his name.  At least, his opinion of the people on the other side of the wall certainly wouldn't win him any humanity awards.

The other half of this issue revolves around the smuggling of people from the other side of the wall into New Angeles, and the two police officers patrolling the wall.  It is here that the reader gets a sense of the motivation for deciding who would stay beyond the wall. The exact thought process is pretty nebulous, so it's hard to say without any confidence how they make these decisions, but I think that seeing more during the duration of this series will help to reveal why people are on either side of the wall. Based upon what I've seen so far, the make-up of New Angeles seems to be upper class individuals, while those beyond the wall are the less fortunate.  It's unknown at this point if the smugglers are going to be in the story more often, or they are only here to show us the underside of this society.

I liked the story so far and I'm definitely curious to see where this goes and what happens with The Saint.  I also want to see more of New Angeles and what society is really like after the “big one.”  This issue was laid out well and leaves the reader wanting to know more.  Hopefully the story keeps evolving and we discover more about how this society really operates.  Learning a little more about The Saint's background and motivations will help keep the story moving as well, since that is one thing that readers are left questioning.  My impression of this character is that he enjoys what he does, but beyond his interactions with other characters, I can't really say that as readers we don't learn much about him.

Lee Bermejo, who wrote this issue, was also the artist and truly did a wonderful job on the artwork.  It's dark and shadowy, which really enhances the darker theme of the issue.  The action scenes are good even if they are limited in their display.  The violence is intense and extremely graphic and this series is definitely not for little kids or those opposed to violence. But, you'd think that the title “Suiciders” would dissuade those who don't want to read about violence in the first place.  

Overall this isn't on my must pick up list.  I'll definitely pick up the next few issues to see where this goes and it really wasn't bad at all.  I enjoyed it the issue because the writing was good and the art was great.  Overall though, this just didn't grab me completely.

Posted by: Jeff @jeff201

Comic Book Day: 2/25

Spider-Gwen #1

Again another day of comics are upon us! Do you have anything that you plan on bringing home from your local store? 

Thanks to previewsworld.com here are the list of todays releases! 

What say you? Did you find what you were looking for? 

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Divinity 1: Review

Valiant Entertainment brings us the new release of the book “Divinity” this Wednesday. This series is done by Trevor Hairsine and Matt Kindt.  I have to admit that from the first issue, it really shows a great deal of promise.  

The series revolves around Abram Adams, who was abandoned on a doorstep as a baby in Soviet Russia. I know the abandoned baby thing is kind of cliché, but it works here. As an orphan, Abram Adams ends up being raised by the state and is recognized as a particularly brilliant individual early in his life. As he is being trained to be a Cosmonaut for the U.S.S.R., he is chosen for a special mission that will take him to the very edge of the galaxy. This issue, while divulging some pertinent information, does leave room for character development where Abram is concerned.  Readers do learn a fair bit about Abram from an unknown character and readers glean information through Abram's interactions with some of the characters.  As a reader, you are able to understand his motives and it is easy to relate to this character.

Also in this issue, a second character is introduced named, David Camp...or is it supposed to be Camp David?  His introduction is made to readers with the re-appearance of Abram Adams, who has not changed at all, with the small exception of new superpowers.  In this issue, readers are not told too much about David Camp. Rather, we learn that Abram Adams has returned from his mission and is being tracked by either government agents or private contractors.

The art is particularly well done and I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning scenes of Abram looking back at the footsteps that left him when he was just an infant.  We are given panels of Abram at school and daydreaming during his studies that are all vivid and incredibly well done.  We are easily able to see the emotions artfully portrayed on the faces of the characters and even the more surrealistic aspects are brilliantly done.

This first issue will leave you with a lot of questions and I think that this is truly a GREAT thing to do here.  Not all questions need to be answered immediately.  Where the story leads for Abram is anyone's guess, but what I do know is that this series will definitely be worth reading to find out.

Posted by: Jeff @jeff201

Comic Book Wednesday: Feb. 4th

Today is Comic Book Wednesday and time to head to your local comic book shop to pick up all of your favorites! Thanks to previewsworld.com the list of all new releases are below!

What are you bringing home this week?

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Magneto

The “Master of Magnetism” is back on Genosha for Magneto issue 14.  After the events of AXIS, Magneto's fears have been given significant attention. He has returned to the place where he's experienced both his greatest triumphs and tragedies. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D has Magneto surrounded, but Magneto is always a step ahead.

S.H.I.E.L.D is coming into Genosha's airspace with Magneto standing around the ruins of Genosha. Magneto tells a young mutant to run and hide while he prepares for S.H.I.E.L.D.  This action leads to a flashback of the Sentinel assault, that killed 150 million mutants, on Genosha. Once the flashback concludes, we see Agent Hines preparing her team to capture Magneto. At this point, Magneto starts to wield his power and inflicts some serious damage to S.H.I.E.L.D forces. From here, we are taken into another flashback, this time it is of the aftermath of the Sentinel attack.

This issue is short on text, but heavy in emotion. Cullen Bunn has done an excellent job not only writing this issue, but also writing Magneto period. Magneto is a character who has been a villain and a hero, with most recognizing him in the villain role. In this complex issue, he is walking a VERY fine line between the two spectrums. He defends Genosha and he does it for his people; he's clearly on the offensive during this issue. And as readers that have prior knowledge of what happened to Genosha and of Magneto's past, his reasoning is completely defensible. It is this empathy for Magneto that Cullen Bunn evokes impeccably with the character of Magneto. As a reader you not only understand and have an appreciation of Magneto's view of the world and Mutantkind, but you also feel compassion for him.

Even though the text is a bit on the short side, the story progresses without any issues.  Magneto's inner dialogue drives the story into and through the action panels. Magneto is written without any thrills and straight to the point, which works well for his character.  I will say that the ending was great. I won't post any spoilers, but I certainly didn't see it coming and I'm already looking forward to next month's edition. It is this anticipation and excitement that a good writer hopes to accomplish: tell a great story and leave them hungry for more.

If you have been on the sidelines with picking up Magneto, I suggest grabbing this issue and possibly even going back and reading the previous issues. I'm pretty certain that you'll be glad you picked this one up.

What are you currently reading? Did you pull this week's Magneto too?

Posted by: Jeff @jeff201