The Joker DX08 by Hot Toys

This is the figure that started my collection of Batman figures. The 89 Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson was my all time favorite Batman movie so it was a no brainer to start my collection with a figure inspired by that movie. So here it is my, DX08 from Hot Toys! Let's get right into what you will get. 

Packaging - 5/5 

If you know anything about Hot Toys they have some of the best packaging around for their figures. Below will be some pictures of how my DX08 came packaged. Please note I bought mine used, that is why there are scuffs on the box.

Sculpting & Paint - 5/5

Getting a closer look at this figure there is no doubt as to who this character is modeled after. Both the sculpting and the paint are spot on to likeness of Jack Nicholson. Below will be a few picture illustrating that as well as a comparison picture of Jack Nicholson so you can see how accurate the details are in this figure.

Accessories & Outfit - 5/5

The accessories are what set this figure over the top. From a Joker playing card to Joker stacks of cash. The gas mask and chattering teeth they all are done and made in great detail. 

Articulation - 4/5

This figure has many points of articulation from head, hands, legs even his eyes move. The only knock here for me was some of the points of articulation particularly in the wrists are pretty fragile. This is addressed however because they include these extra joints in the package. With all this being said its a display piece. Not something you're getting out to play with, you pose it and display it. Included in this section is the stand that comes with the figure. The stand includes an LED you can power on to shine up on your figure.

Value - 3/5

Value is tough because Hot Toys are not cheap. This figure was $249.99 at launch I believe and right now valued at over $300. There are sites you can visit where you might be able to find a good deal but watch out for shipping because the packaging is so large the shipping costs turns a deal for $250 to one that's close to $300. 

Overall - 5/5 

All I can say is that this figure is amazing the detail in the sculpt down to the details of all the accessories. You can't go wrong with any Hot Toys figures out there and pending the resent shipping issues I'll have another figure to review for you soon.

Do any of you have Hot Toys figures? What do you think of them?

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Game of the Week: Random Heroes (mobile)

From the creators of the award winning platform game League of Evil comes Ravenous Games' new action platformer Random Heroes!! SUMMARYA group of unlikely heroes are set out to save the world. Monsters from another dimension are trying to take over Earth. Blast your way through these invaders in this action platformer! Collect coins and upgrade your weapons and characters to become stronger, faster and more lethal!Choose your hero and save the world! FEATURES- Over 30 Levels- 15 Characters- 10 Weapons- GameCenter Achievements- Universal and retina enabled. Source GameFaqs.com

Hey everyone! Joe here again with another mobile game review this time its Random Heroes. I was on a bit of an 8-bit frenzy where I was trying to buy some more NES titles for my collection and I thought to myself I need to find an iOS game with 8-bit characters. I then stumbled upon this game.

Positive

- 8-bit graphics

- Great characters both Heroes and Aliens

- Easy to use controls  

- Challenging enough for experience plays yet easy enough for noobs

Negative 

- Some controls are more dificult when changing directions  

- A few enemy characters seem to always hit you no way of avoiding it

- 8-bit graphics may not be everyones favorite

- Freemium: in-app purchases buy coins to upgrade guns and your character

Overall this game is a lot of fun. Again for those of you looking for a bit of nostalgia with this graphics and the platform gameplay this should fill your itch. Android or iOS its worth the space on your device especially with a FREE download.  

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Weekly Redbox Rental: The Maze Runner

This past week we rented The Maze Runner. Now I'm not one to read the books prior to seeing the movie, I mean that's why they make movies right? So I went into the movie without know anything about it. For those of you like me here is a brief description.

Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "The Glade" for three years, trying to find a way to escape through the Maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. There are some great, fast-paced action scenes, particularly those involving the nightmarish Grievers who plague the boys. Source: IMDB

The Maze Runner drew me in pretty fast. Once Thomas made it with the other guys I was lost in the confusion with him. I wanted to know where he was, who he was, who are these other guys he's now surrounded by. Catching up on the rules of the camp you're introduced to different groups, leaders, farmers, cooks and runners. 

Obviously the most intriguing group to Thomas are the runners. Runners goal is to go out at the break of dawn to map the maze that surrounds there camp. These runners have one simple rule and thats get back before dark. What happens to the runners if they don't make it back before the maze doors close? Let's just say they don't last til morning.  

Without giving you any spoilers I'll stop there. This was a very interesting movie and another take at what seemed to be a utopia setting in a post apocolyptic world. Other than a predictable sequence at the end involving some of the cast this movie was a pleasant surprise. I would absolutely recommend this movie to any Scifi/Fantasy or Action fan. I'd give this 3 turtle shells out of 5 it's definitely worth the rental and I'm looking forward to the future Maze Runner movies.

Have you seen this movie? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.  

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  

The Four Horsemen: Falcus

The Four Horsemen have created some of the best figures out there. These guys are amazing artist and sculpters. Their long awaited kick starter campaign for the Gothitropolis 6” fully-articulated birds has finally made it to collectors shelves across the globe. I did not particpate in the kickstarter campaign but I luckily was able to get a couple off their website http://www.shopfourhorsemen.com/.

The image above is of Falcus, and he is amazing. You may not even know that you have been collecting figures made by these guys. They were instrumental in the much loved DC universe Classics and also Masters of the Universe Classics line of action figures. But anyway back to “Falcus”. The articulation is great, but I most admire the flawless paint and sculpt. They do have some issues with their joints. I highly suggest running them under hot water for a minute or two before trying to move them around. They might break if you don’t. It always amazes me how these things get made, to be mass produced I just dont know how they paint these things. Maybe you guys know? Someone just sittng there for hours a day and their job is just to paint the eyes? Sounds monotonous, but I say thank you! Love my little birds. Now you guys go get yours if you have not already. I wish I could afford them all. They are escalating in price on ebay so I suggest going to the four horsemen's store to purchase. Anyway thanks for reading, and have fun collecting.

Comment below and let me know if there are any figures you want me to review next!

Doomtown Reloaded: Review

Doomtown: Reloaded is a living card game similar in construction to Android:Netrunner and The Game of Thrones card game realeased with tons of publicity and fanfare at Gen Con 2014 by AEG, the board game company behind Love Letter and Smash Up. The game is set in an alternate wild west and is filled with all sorts of interesting characters and weird inventions. It is a ton of fun and offers strong replayability for a long, long time.

Doomtown: Reloaded has a brilliant wild west theme coupled with dark undertones of magic and steampunk technology that shines through in every aspect, a great twist that I have yet to see in any other game. The game consists of four factions each competing over the dusty frontier town of Gomorra and its supply of a new type of resource, ghost rock, which is used not only as currency but to provide a source of power for all kinds of insane twisted futuristic technology created with old west flair.

The four factions involved in the showdown for this town are the Law Dogs, Lawmen and Women that fight to maintain order and Justice by placing bounties, making arrests, and general politickin;. The Sloane Gang, a group of thieves, cheats, and no good ragamuffins hell bent on securing the town as a base of operations for their nefarious deeds.

 

Now this game would be great if the game designers stopped right here and made this a simple game of “This town aint big enough for the two of us” cops vs robbers type of game. But the next two factions take this game into some weird and interesting territory that makes Doomtown something really special.

The Morgan Cattle Company seems like your normal family of wealthy cattle ranchers, but what they cook up in their research laboratories are more horrific and amazing than any pink slime you’ve seem come out of a meat processing plant. This faction sets itself apart by recruiting mad scientists to create crazy inventions like force fields and flame throwers powered by moonshine and magic to confound and overpower their foes.

Creepiest and most terrifying of all is the last faction, The Fourth Ring, the mysterious local circus that performs crowd pleasing shows by day for the simple folk but secretly gain power by brainwashing government officials, using dark magic to destroy their enemies, or if you really get on their bad side you might find yourself kidnapped by a gang of sinister clowns to join their macabre big top show against your will. This is by far the most terrifying addition to the game. When you see a posse of creepy clowns, freak show abominations, and huckster ringleaders you are fixing for a fight where nothing is predictable.

The object of Doomtown is to get more control points than the opposing players influence. Y’see throughout the game, players will be playing different cards showing a wide variety of locations such as the local branch of the pony express, the saloon of ill repute, or the mysterious carnival on the outskirts of town. These locations will be placed on the game board in a layout representing the town of Gomorra. The more locations you take possession of by sending members of your gang to take them over in thrilling showdowns of gunfightin’ and politicalinfluence the more control you have over the town. If at sundown you control more of the town than the other player’s influence over the town you win the game. This leads to a lot of strategic planning and movement as to where you send your posse because one wrong move or push to overexpand your territory can lead to disastrous consequences.

Conflict in this game is carried out in games of five card draw that match the theme so well it feels like you’re in a saloon just when the bandits kick in the swinging doors and the player piano switches to a minor key. Each card in the game doubles as a card from a 52 card deck. The power of your posse in the gunfight dictate how many cards you can initially draw and discard. This means that a really powerful gang can potentially draw a 10 card hand with the ability to discard and redraw 6 of those cards to make the best 5 card hand possible, and since you can create your own decks of cards it’s possible to have hands that consist of 5 aces all of the same suit. Showdowns are resolved by each player showing their hand of cards and the loser taking casualties based on the hand difference between the two.

For instance if a player reveals a three of a kind to defeat another players one pair the losing player would have to send 2 members of his gang to the discard pile with the possibility of having them reshuffled into the deck for later in the game OR completely killing off one member and all copies of that card in the deck with no hope of seeing them again. Showdowns have all the intensity and stakes of a gunfight at high noon and draw you further into the immersive theme of the game. One bad luck draw of the cards can hinder you badly in this game so you best put on your poker face if you hope to do well.

The box contains a massive assortment of good quality, slightly textured cards with terrific art that carries the weird wild west theme incredibly well. Each faction’s cards are very unique and can be easily differentiated from each other while maintaining enough cohesive theme that makes everything seem like it’s a part of the same universe no matter how weird and outlandish the subject gets. It is an amazing talent for the artists and game designers to take a normal frontier lawman, put it next to an abomination from the depths of hell and somehow how make them look like they belong together.

The game also includes two optional playmats that help players learn the game and offer reminders of some the more finicky rules. This is something that I would love to see in just about every game. Doomtown is not without its fair share of confusing and sometimes seemingly contradictory rules about where, when, and why your gang of dudes can move around and get into gunfights. Having a playing area that not only helps the players but also provides a great layout that makes you feel like your characters exist in a town with real geography gives you feeling that you are building and fighting over something that is important and unique.

I do however have a few complaints about the game.

The Rulebook, though an entertaining read with lots of fun flavor text and a well organized layout, leaves out a good deal of explanation on how some specific mechanics work. For several decisions regarding the outcome of a shootout and rules regarding movement when performing jobs required me to look online for clarification. Luckily AEG has a nice FAQ and rule addendum section on their website as well as a large and helpful community on board game geek that answered every question that I had. It was just an annoyance to have to pull out my phone occasionally to look up a rule that wasn’t adequately covered in the rulebook.

I will complement the company on including a secondary rulebook that walks you through a sample game with two prebuilt decks as well as advice on building a deck for each faction (some tinkering with these decks is necessary since the Sloane Gang deck build is VASTLY unbalanced and wins a vast majority of games against the other deck builds. Some adjustments to the starting dudes fixes this though.) The walkthrough really helped me figure out the game much faster than just reading the main book would have.

Another complaint would be with the poker chip components. Included are a handful of cardboard poker chips that can be used to mark how much influence and control you have in the game as well as any other status effects your dudes or buildings may have. The quality is fine and they match the theme well but the blue chips and black chips are so close in color that it was difficult to tell if a card was providing extra control or had some sort of status effect, which is very important when developing a strategy for your turn. I plan to remedy this by using some of my own poker chips to up the thematic value of the game and prevent this confusion going forward.

Currently this game is selling for $26.79 at Miniature Markets and $27.99 on Amazon if you have free shipping through prime. Both of these are great values off of the $40 MSRP Price. The game has a lot of replay value due to the fact that it was built to have the cards and decks reshaped and improved to your liking. The game also already has 2 expansions out that add even more story, depth, and strategy to an already great game.

If you enjoy card games like Magic: The Gathering or Netrunner I strongly suggest that you give Doomtown: Reloaded a try.

 

Posted by: Levi Bushue

LUCY

It was supposed to be a simple job. All Lucy had to do was deliver a mysterious briefcase to Mr. Jang. But immediately Lucy is caught up in a nightmarish deal where she is captured and turned into a drug mule for a new and powerful synthetic drug. When the bag she is carrying inside of her stomach leaks, Lucy's body undergoes unimaginable changes that unlocks her mind's full potential 100%. With her new-found powers, Lucy turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors. She receives invaluable help from Professor Norman, the leading authority on the human mind, and French police captain Pierre Del Rio. Source: IMDB

From the Prestige to the Avengers and everything in between like the movie the Island Scarlett Johansson does another amazing job as LUCY. The movie starts off with some strange cut scenes which lend to later on in the movie but just starting out you find it a bit odd and out of place. However this was about the only thing I found to be like that and like I said the movie ties into this in the end.  

To be brief and to not "spoil" the movie for those of you that haven't seen it. Lucy was turned in a drug mule for a Korean drug lord but before leaving to her destination in Europe she refused to be abused and paid the price. However that same price caused a whole series of events that granted Lucy access to her mind, kind of like the movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper. However this movie does take it much further. Lucy finds the leading nuerologist, played by Morgan Freeman, she wants to supply him with her knowledge before she is gone.  

The movie initially starts off slow as she progresses through the amount of brain capacity Lucy accesses,  10%-60% you grow with her and get a sense of learning her new abilities as she learns them. 60%-100% progresses extremely fast at the end of the movie which during that time you learn the true measurement of human life. I almost told you what that was but then I would have given you the biggest spoiler of all.  

Definitely go and rent this movie or like we did get it from OnDemand with DirecTV. This movie is worth a solid 4 out of 5 Turtle Shells which means its a must see!  

What did you think of LUCY? Did you think it was as good as I thought it was? 

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Mobile Game of the Week: Smash Hit

When looking for new games to play its always simple to filter my search for Top Paid, Top Free and Top Grossing games games in the App Store. Smash Hit came up as one of the Top Free games and with over 12,000 positive reviews and I'd say 4.8 stars out of 5. 

Smash Hit is a forward scrolling game from Mediocore AB. While the game scrolls you are given a certain amount of balls which you use to smash objects that impeads your way through the level. Some objects you smash to get you through the level and others you smash to earn more balls.

POSITIVE

- For something so simple it can be challenging

- Environments are futuristic gives off a Tron'esque vibe

- High Score progression: I both like and hate this at the same time. Like Flappy Bird I always keep playing just to try and beat both mine and my friends high score.

- FREE: The free version is all you need but there is a Premium version for $1.99 that would unlock more levels.

NEGATIVE

- Monotonous: This game is very repetitive.

- Defeat in this game is harder to swallow since you have to restart the whole game everytime you die.

- Did I say Monotonous?

Overall its a great game. Like I said for something so simple the graphics look great and the game play is smooth. I would even go out on a limb and suggest buying the Premium version of the game for $1.99 to get the full experience.

Reviewed by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Rumble #1

Written by Arcudi with art by Harren and Stewart 

Image Comics has been on an incredible roll with new series this past year. New offerings like The Wicked + The Divine, Black Science, and Low are my most anticipated issues of every month. Their new release “Rumble”, their latest foray into the fantasy genre has captured my attention and is a great setup for what may be another great story in this ambitious company’s collection of new and exciting universes.

The series is being billed as “Louis C.K. meets Robert E. Howard in a David Fincher universe.” The description is fairly spot on.

The story starts with lovelorn and desperate bartender, Bobby, breaking up a massacre of a barfight between an ancient scarecrow warrior god and a deadbeat drunk that may be more than he appears. Claiming thecomedically giant and unwieldy sword of the hay filled deity as his own, Bobby finds himself pulled into a situation that the narrator of David Fincher’s fight club would describe as “Jacks sense of instant regret”

The artwork of this issue does a great job of depicting the fragility of its human characters. The characters, if not skinny emaciated looking stalks on long spindly legs and arms are instead globular sacks of dirty mashed potatoes with homemade tattoos. Seriously nothing in this book looks like it smells good which is kind of part of its charm. The city looks like it could fall apart at any minute just like the lives of its inhabitants. The introduction of two grotesque demons and a murderous medieval scarecrow actually are an improvement to the town and make me excited to see what they are doing there that makes the grimy, depressing looking place so important to them.

I’m looking forward to seeing this universe expand in the coming issues and hope that it lives up to the same excellence that Image has been putting out lately.

Posted by: Levi Bushue

American Sniper & Taken 3

Taken 3

Liam Neeson returns as ex-covert operative Bryan Mills, whose long awaited reconciliation with his ex-wife is tragically cut short when she is brutally murdered. Consumed with rage, and framed for the crime, he goes on the run to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and the police. For one last time, Mills must use his "particular set of skills," to track down the real killers, exact his unique brand of justice, and protect the only thing that matters to him now - his daughter. Source: IMDB

The end of the trilogy is here and this brief non spoiler review will tell you how it holds up to the other two Taken movies.  

Liam Neeson finds himself still trying to impress his daughter with terrible birthday gifts, which reminds me, weren't they celebrating Kim's birthday in the first movie as well? Back to the movie, Liam then winds up the primary suspect in a murder investigation, where it seemed he was framed for the death of a loved one. 

Liam and his three friends, who are able to pretty much break into or hack anything that you would think is unhackable, help get to the bottom of this murder. One of my favorite parts of this movie was when the four of them are hacking into the the Police Departments system when I realized where I've seen one of the characters before. Mark in Taken 3 was also Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynomite!

Once again back to the movie, there is a back and forth in this story that makes you think you know who the actual murderer is then throws numerous twists that throw you off along the way. One of my least favorite parts of the movie took place not 15 minutes in to the movie and it was just a terribly done CGI with unlikely sequence, a car chase. Once you see it you will know what I am talking about.

All in all the movie is just ok. Liam is great don't get me wrong but this movie made me feel a bit let down in the end. We owed it to the first and second movies to go see this and so we did. If you're wondering if you should go see it in theater I would steer you more towards waiting for RedBox. I give this just 1 Turtle Shell out of 5.

What did you think of this movie? Are you like me and think its rental material or would you suggest someone to go to the theater to see it?

American Sniper

Chris Kyle was nothing more than a Texan man who wanted to become a cowboy, but in his thirties he found out that maybe his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent, something that could help America in its fight against terrorism. So he joined the SEALs in order to become a sniper. After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife and kids. Source: IMDB

Let me start off by saying that this was such an amazing movie. Bradly Cooper does an amazing job portraying the life and actions of Chris Kyle otherwise known as "The Legend." After a pretty dissapointing Saturday night movie in Taken 3 this movie made up for it.

This movie follows Chris Kyle during four tours of action in Iraq. From his first confirmed kill to a sandstorm showdown with one particular enemy he has had his eyes on for all four tours. This movie depicts the life of both Chris Kyle while away on tour as well as his wife who is left home to raise the kids on her own and the struggles they both face during that time. 

This is another no brainer 5 turtle shells out of 5 and an absolute must go see in the theater as well as a must own when it hits store shelves. Side note if there is one improvement I can lend to Clint Eastwood for future movie involving babies it would be to have more life like babies you'll see what I mean. Thats all.

I also wanted to thank the Warrenton 8 Cinema as well as everyone that voted for my ugly Christmas sweater thanks to you I won 2 free tickets as well as $25 in concessions. Thanks again everyone! :)

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

My 90's Childhood in a Nutshell: N64

I grew up in the 90’s. This means that scrunchies, jelly shoes , Barbies and furbies were just some of my favorite things. But when someone asks me what my favorite childhood toy was, it’s an easy answer. My Nintendo 64! I spent days, no..WEEKS of my life on that thing. I first got mine in 1997. That’s all I did after that. Barbies? Dolls? Tea sets? NO THANK YOU. All I needed was my N64.  So today I’m going to talk about some of the best games that came out for N64 in the 90’s. 

First off, my favorite all time game for any system, EVER. LucasArts 1996 , Shadows of the Empire. This was one of the first games released for N64 and it received great reviews. Who doesn’t like a Star Wars game where you can fly a snow speeder, as well as various other ships, have first person shootouts , and run ins with the galaxies scariest bounty hunters and villains?! Not only was the storyline great, but the music, and graphics steal the show. In fact I played this game so often ,that to this day I can still tell you the location of every NPC, health pack, and special item . Sad? Maybe…but that’s how much I loved this game.

Next up is Rare’s 1997 GoldenEye 007.  This game was exclusive for Nintendo 64 and is the third best selling game for the system. Impressively, it totally changed first person shooters for the time and created a new multiplayer experience. And while the single player storyline is pretty good, it’s pretty obvious that this game was loved for its multiplayer levels.  I remember playing this game with my cousins and friends for hours. GoldenEye to this day is one of my favorites and brings back great childhood memories. (I mean C’mon, you ran around and shot at each other for fun).

Last up is Nintendo’s 1996 Super Mario 64. This game was one of the original N64 launch titles. Mario 64 was a “game changer” for the gaming world. Known for its 3D game design and new camera angles, as well as an awesome Mario storyline, it is widely renowned as one of the most revolutionary games ever created. It had beautifully, colorful graphics for the time, with diverse levels and an endless amount of fun. Not only was it a new way of playing Mario, but it was addictive as hell! (trust me , I still have dreams about collecting those golden stars)

Posted by: Chloe @cleo622

The Joker Arkham Origins by Play Arts Kai

The Joker Arkham Origins Play Arts Kai Figure was released this month. Square Enix made this figure that takes inspiration from the Arkham Origins game of 2013.

This Joker figure stands at 11 inches tall and is really well proportioned. If you have prior experience with Play Arts Kai figures, you know how well they are made. The Joker figure looks incredible in the packaging and it only gets better once removed from the package, assuming, of course, that you intend to open the figure and display it. By "display," I really mean occasionally taking humorous pictures of them like I do with my figures. If you prefer to leave the figure in the box, it comes with a flap that opens up so you are still able to display the figure.

All Play Arts figures come with a stand, though in the case of the Joker figure it is unnecessary. However, the stand does come in handy when leaving the figure out for display if you are worried about it falling over when left on it's own. I honestly didn't have any issues at all displaying the figure without the stand, and even though I didn't use it, it's a quality stand made of a clear plastic that holds the figure perfectly.  

The figure comes with two additional hands, a head, a gun and a knife. On the Joker figure is the standard smiling Joker face and included in the package is a more stern, sinister looking face. Both look great when added to the figure. The paint job and sculpt is impeccably done on this figure, though I do have a complaint and it's incredibly minor: the smiling Joker face ha a little red paint on the jaw. Honestly, this could just be my specific figure or it could be done by design. To me, it looks a bit off, but it doesn't take anything away from the figure. The head has excellent movement as well and you can swivel from side to side and look down without any issues.

The hands come with a set of closed fists and two different sets one which is used for carrying weapons. The weapons are easy to place in the hands and don't fall off easily, which is one of the main things that I lover about this figure. When I slide the knife into The Joker's hand, I know it is going to stay (which helps when taking hilarious pictures). With other figures, it can be a challenge to keep weapons or other additions in a figure's hands, but this is absolutely not the case with this one. The knife and the gun look great and are incredibly well made. The gun looks little large compared to the rest of the figure, though this is The Joker and he's known for being over the top.

The hands and the head are easy to swap out. It can be kind of intimidating to remove the additional pieces for fear of breaking something, but I find that the figure is built so sturdily that it withstands swapping out of the parts easily. There are joints on the back of the coat that can be arrangeed so that the coat appears to be flapping in the wind, which I really think improves the displaying (and photo taking) possibilities.

Overall, I think this figure is great. Especially for the price. It'll run you around $100 which is steep, but if you ccompare it to the Hot Toys line which run well over $200, it's a good buy. For fans of The Joker and Batman this figure will make an exccellent addition to your collection.

Posted by: Jeff @jeff201

New Suicide Squad: Issue 6

What happens when you throw in an army of genetically engineered beings, China and a group of convicts in a lab? Not sure? The answer is you have issue number six of the "New Suicide Squad." The last issue left off with Harley Quinn setting off the alarm and unwittingly letting out the genetically engineered beings. 

The promotion for the heavily featured Harley Quinn issue is actually pretty deceptive, so for those of you who are hardcore Harley Quinn fans, prepare for potential disappointment. The members of the Suicide Squad are given equal footing in the issue, with the exception of Man-Bats, who provides some late issue distraction for the team when they need it most.

The issue revolves around the team fighting off the army of genetically engineeredd beings. Reverse Flash took up the bulk of the panels trying to grab as many bombs as he could, at least until his knee seemed to go out on him with the rest of the team being overwhelmed. The interaction between the team was limited, and the issue featured, and revolved around, the actions of the Suicide Squad. 

For me, where the issue dragged was places in which the Suicide Squad handlers were featured. The dialogue was dry, and with the exception of Victor Sage being approached in the bar, it didn't really lead anywhere or give an indication of a potential future storyline. In order to effectively advancce the storyline, you need dialogue and that dialogue should have meaning. In this particular issue, I really felt like the dialogue was just there to provide a break from the action.

The issue ends in a spectacular blast, an angry man, and a promise of revenge. Will we see another member fall? What will Sage do? 

You won't find anything Earth shattering in this issue of Suicide Squad, though I guess that's expected with Suicide Squad. If by chance you're reading anything by this team, you're probably expecting violence and very little else. You have some deccent action in this issue, but I wouldn't say that it's an absolute must-grab either. In all honesty, I put this issue down feeling a little disappointed in it's overall execution. Unfortunately, it seems that DC is still stuck on giving us a mediocre issues for the Suicide Squad. You would think that with a movie coming out next year, DC would want to create as much buzz and excitement as possible. Everything could be leading up to some great issues, but sadly it's just not happening yet.  

Posted by: Jeff

Big Giant Swords

So last night I was able to catch up on the series premier of Big Giant Swords! I cannot tell a lie, I've instantly become a fan. Let me share with you the Bio of Mike first so you know what we kind of interesting character we are dealing with here. 

Born in Ireland in 1982, Mike says his young mind was "corrupted" by that era's fantasy films. He grew up playing nerdy role-play and board games. In 1995 the PlayStation 1 came out. He spent the rest of the decade with no reason to leave his bedroom. Mike always loved building things, and at art college he learned to work with steel. Staying true to his nerdy roots, he used his new skill set to make outlandish fantasy weapons. After college, he practiced welding in an illegal workshop he set up in the basement of a parking structure after bribing the security guards. He also took odd jobs in various welding shops so he could use their equipment after-hours.

On a trip to Boston in 2007, Irish Mike met his wife Amelia at a science fiction/fantasy convention, and they soon settled in a small cottage in the woods, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, MA. There, they raise their children Nova (6) and Christopher (4).

Also in early 2007, Mike was commissioned to construct a ridiculously huge sword. He posted a video on YouTube that depicts him huffing, staggering, and generally demonstrating the impracticality of the weapon. Almost immediately, Mike was inundated with emails from strangers who wanted giant, impractical swords of their own. Mike soon found that "the demand for ridiculously oversized weaponry is very high in the land of the civilian Humvee." With Amelia's support, he has given up normal welding jobs to pursue his dream of making and selling giant swords full-time.

Mike proudly resists adapting to American customs, and he admittedly isnot a people-person. He enjoys living in the woods, working at home, and conducting his business over the Internet.

Source: Discovery.com

The whole show is based around Mike and his ability to make these well... Big Giant Swords. This idea I can only assume came about from his love for Science Fiction/Fantasy, RPG and other nerdy games. This show is idea for anybody in the LARPing community or anyone that is easily entertained, like myself.  

Here is my favorite park about this show. Like other shows that are out there such as Treehouse Masters for example, you can tell this guy loves what he does. He has been given a gift to think outside of the box and learned how to express that creativity. He is very clear in the fact that this is what he plans on doing to create a life for him and his family. He goes about making swords as professionally as he can considering how qwerky he is. Seeing the enthusiasm he has about something as simple and ridiculous as a giant sword is what is definitely going to keep me coming back. I commend anyone that goes out on a limb to do something he or she loves to make a living from it. 

If you didn't catch the series premiere I'd suggest tuning in next week. New episodes are on Tuesdays at 9PM CST on the Discovery Channel. I'll leave with this quote from the show.

“Life is too short to do something you hate, so I’m going to try and make a living and support my family by making and selling giant swords,” - Irish Mike

Walker Wednesday

When you're constantly fighting for your life battling zombies in the zombie apocalypse, "beauty" and "art" are definitely the furthest things from your mind. 

But The Walking Dead is ditching its usual blood, sweat and gore (seriously, how bad must each character smell by now?!) in the latest teaser trailer for AMC's hit series in favor for a beautiful, artsy video that we just can't get enough of.

"Surviving," Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) says ominously at the start of the video. "Surviving together is all that matters."

The minute long video then finds the Grimes gang in full battle mode, making their way through a foggy woods, slicing, slashing and shooting at zombies off screen.

The gang's all here, from Rick to Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) to Michonne (Danai Gurira) to Glenn (Steven Yeun) to Carol (Melissa McBride) and more, and each of them get a really cool slow-mo close-up, putting their rage at the undead on full display. It's eerie, it's powerful, and seriously...it's freakin' beautiful. 

We've never been able to describe anything on The Walking Dead as beautiful before, and it's throwing us off guard! 

"It's all that matters," Rick says again at the end of the trailer. 

So what does this teaser trailer mean for the Grimes gang? Are they going to lose even more people when the show returns? 

Watch the video above now, and find out when The Walking Dead returns Sunday, Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. on AMC.

-Source: EOnline.com​

There are a couple of things that stood out to me in this teaser trailer. First, Ricks terribly fake looking beard! Second, where is Carl?  Third, who exactly are they shooting at?

All I know is that this was a great trailer and EOnline nailed its description as to how it was both beatiful and artsy! How do you make a Zombie Apocolypse trailer both beautiful and artsy you may ask? Set the scene with a bit of fog then have your main characters, that everyone has grown attached to for the past 4 plus seasons, walk through it. Not just walk but lets have them shoot at the fog. Now while they are walking and shooting at air put it in slow-mo. From there play some classy music and have Rick say "Surviving, surviving together is all that matters." Cut & Print! 

We are now less than a month away from the mid season premiere and growing more impatient by the day. It can't get here soon enough!

What did you guys think of the teaser? 

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Game of the Week: Heroes Charge (mobile)

Found this game thanks to the recent increase of mobile gaming commercials on television from Kate Upton and Game of War to SUPERCELLS smash hit Clash of Clans and of course every little old ladies favorite, Candy Crush. Mobile Gaming is becoming a much bigger market for small developers and have always been around but within the past couple of years Mobile Gaming is becoming more mainstream. 

Play with your friends in the better and most recent MOBA RPG, HEROES CHARGE! Collect and train your heroes, gather your team members, upgrade your units and destroy your enemies! Collect your heroes among 50+ different options, each one with 4 unique skills and characteristics. -Source: Heroes Charge wiki

POSITIVE

- Design: Characters are cute and cheeky which helps draws you in initially.

- Free to Play: This is a "Freemium" title which means that this game does support in-app purcchases. However, from what I have noticed you can get by without making any purchases.

- Quests: Fun and easy to understand which lends to enjoyable gameplay.

- Collecting new Heroes is fun and adds to the depth of this game.

- Special Attacks: It's been fun watching my Heroes special attacks which vary between Heroes.

NEGATIVE

- Freemium: You can play this game without purchasing anything BUT to add more Heroes in app purchases is an option. This also isn't cconfirmed but I would assume that only certain Heroes can be purchased with gems the in-app currency.

- No streaming capabilities

- Character: This is something small for me but the initial character you begin the game with is a female. It would have been nice to have been given the option of also a male character. 

- Leveling: Some features of the game take a long time to be able to gain access to.

Overall this game has been a pleasant little surprise. Obviously it had to be doing something right for Ucool to float the advertising bill which lead me to see their commercial on national television. I know I said this before but the characters are cute little devils and because of that I like to try my best in leveling them up. 

Should you download this game? If you have and Android or iOS device absolutely. It's free so whats the worse thing that could happen?

Reviewed by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

This Week from Redbox

In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by - he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

I don't know what else to say about this movie other than WOW!

How do these movies find Denzel Washington? What do I mean by this? A movie that harbors the main character as a quiet, sit back as the world goes by guy, but you secretly know that there is much more depth to him. Then boom he becomes the badass that you knew he was just keeping in. 

This movie follows Denzel who in this life works at Home Mart a store that closely resembles a Lowe's or Home Depot. This is key at the end of the movie, as my wife put it; "it's like a grown up version of Home Alone, except instead of slowing down the bad guys the traps kill them." Back to Denzel, we follow him and his lonely life where his only friends we see are his co-workers and a hooker at the local diner he visits every morning around 2AM to read his book. 

Let's just say when someone bad messes with any of those he considers friends thats when Denzel takes care of it. From the Russian Sex Traffficing hub to corrupt cops it doesn't matter he does what he does best by making them aware of his presence. 

Should you watch this? ABSOLUTELY.

I have no idea why we didn't go see this in the theater, I'm actually a little disappointed we didn't. But, we made up for it by going to RedBox and renting it. This is a simple one to rate, 5 out of 5 turtle shells. Go rent it!

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

Star Wars Galactic Defense Review

I am a huge Star Wars fan and I'm always looking for a good mobile Star Wars game. 

 

Positive

- You can choose between the Light or Dark side. I think this is key for a good Star Wars game since it is one of the key things in the universe. (the difference is in what champions you will have access to and then what the enemies and your towers look like.)

- The graphics and design style is really good. I think they fit the Star Wars universe and have a fun playful style.  

- You do not have to pay for anything if you don't want to. But if you want to move through the game quicker and get more champions faster you can buy into the game. 

- I really enjoy controlling the champions and getting to play with Jedi and Sith. They each have different abilities that are each pretty good and different.

 

Negative

- The game is just way to large. You would have to spend a ton of time and money to even get close to finishing it. To put it in perspective on just the first planet (there are 5 planets) you would have to win 60 games to complete that planet fully. That is allot each level has to be completed 5 times to be fully done.

- Your rewards that matter do not come often enough

- You don't ever win a champion. This could be a huge draw to the game like complete hoths final level for the first time and you receive han solo are something. If they implemented this they would make the game much more palatable and fun to play. 

 

Final Thoughts

I had allot of fun playing this game up until i got my 3rd champion and after that i kinda became board with the game. I would download it but don't spend all your time on it. The reward just isn't high enough for the amount of time you have to put in. I would also never spend money on this game because it is just to large your money will not help you complete this game any faster unless you spend a ton of money and i mean a ton. Check out there web site here and download it in the app store here.

Netflix: 90's Batman Takeover

I've been a Netflix subscriber for a few years now. I didn't initially jump on the digital streaming movie/tv show bandwagon but I finally decided to join. This was back when you were still able to get both dvd rentals and streaming combined for one price. Also, at that time the service had categories to where if you paid more you could get more dvd rentals at one time. I chose the basic package which got me one dvd at a time and unlimited streaming. This was the very first monthly subscription I had ever signed up for and glad I did. The current movies listed for streaming is leaps and bounds better than they used to be. 

Speaking of better movies I've noticed the emergence of Batman movies popping up on Netflix. Not only Batman movies but the movies I grew up with. 90's Batman dominated my search with Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), Batman & Robin (1997) then two animated movies with Batman Beyond (1999) and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008). 

I had also noticed at the time of this post my favorite Batman movie had been removed. Batman with Michael Keaton released in 1989. This brings me to one of Netflix' downfalls, the movies never last at least not all the good ones. I've heard Netflix is where movies go to die which isn't a bad thing. I've made sure to add Netflix to every portable device we have in our home and regularly flip on the AppleTV to tune in to a movie or show I have already added to my list.

If you're looking for a streaming service I would highly suggest checking out Netflix. For only $7.99 a month it's a cheap way to either eleviate your cable bill, catch up on recently released and older movies or just have the conveinence of VOD (video on demand).

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd

This Week in Tech & Pop

This week in Tech & Pop: Ant-Man Teaser Trailer, Marvel's Agent Carter, Gambit and CES 2015.

​Ant-Man Trailer review: 

Narrated by Michael Douglas he offers Paul Rudd (Scott) a 2nd chance. To become a hero in his daughters eyes. It's not about saving our world but saving theirs. He asks Scott to be Ant-Man. With a Paul Rudd comedic response he says: "hhmm..." & "is it too late to change the name?"

Great teaser that I unfortunately had to sit through 2 hours of Marvel's Agent Carter to see. But in the end well worth it since I now have this trailer on DVR plus Hayley Atwell wasn't bad on the eyes. Although I didnt like the show very much. But there is more on that below.

See? Told you she was easy on the eyes!

Wasn't much a fan of this show... I did like some of the flashbacks and tie-ins with other Marvel characters including a clip from Captain America. Other than that... If not for the Ant-Man trailer it would be deleted already. However I did cancel it from recording the series.

Channing Tatum to play Gambit in 2016 film!

Channing Tatum went to twitter where he posted: "How do you say October 7th, 2016 in Cajun?"

Gambit (real name: Remy Etienne LeBeau) first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #266, and as previously mentioned, is a professional thief and gambler hailing from Louisiana. His mutant power grants him the ability to charge things with kinetic energy and turn any object into an explosive. 

Yet another Marvel movie I'm looking forward too! I'm already a fan of Channing Tatum plus I've been a fan of Gambit since I was younger, this should be a good mesh pending Tatum's ability to have a Cajun accent! We all know his Spanish accent was lacking in the sequel 22 Jump Street when he said "I am Jeff" haha. #cantwait

From Cars, TV's, Wearable's and Cable TV if it has to do with Technology CES is the place to be. January 6th - 9th companies as big as Samsung to smaller independent companies come from all over the where to show of their new technology. 

Wearables are still an ever growing market for many of these companies. With the announcement of the AppleWatch in September and other companies already in the segment wearable tech is here to stay for a long amount of time. One thing with wearables is that it isn't always for fitness. Granted the fitness wearable has saturated the market with companies like Fit, MisFit, Nike, and Garmin just to name a few. Google has the best example of something other than fitness wearable tech and thats GoogleGlass. This is just one example wearable tech outside of fitness another that has been mentioned was a device that assist those who have suffered from a stroke and lost some functionality with facial expressions.  

2015 also seems to be the year of the OLED TV. An LG rep stated that its not how bright or great we can make colors pop out from the screen. Instead its achieving the blackest black possible. Not only can you get the blackest black picture from this OLED TV's due to its durability you can also bend the sccreen. So more cost effective Curved screen television should be hitting the market this year. 

There are so many more companies there with many more idea's I'm sure that span from delivery services, dvr systems and plug in devices for streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix.  

For more info go checck out http://cesweb.org

Posted by: Joe @thee.social.nerd