Flintstones Evolution and Hexagon Issue 3 | Rapid Reviews

July 21, 2020July 8, 2020 JoeRover Rapid Reviews, Reviews cartoon evolution, comic books, dave lee down under, Flintstones, hanna barbera cartoons, hexagon comic, hexagon music, it comics, YouTube

Evolution of THE FLINTSTONES Over 60 Years (1960-2020) Explained by Dave Lee Down Under (YouTube)

Once again, Dave Lee delivers an excellent Cartoon Evolution video. The voice over was well done; I could understand each word he said.

I enjoyed the transitions/pacing. It was not 40 minutes of him talking nonstop; he took short breaks for clips—it broke up the video well. The editing was great. It felt fluid and professional. There were no awkward jerks or cuts.

However, I felt like I didn’t learn as much in this episode as others. It seemed like there wasn’t as much behind the scenes or origin information.

But, I loved how the video was at times synced to what Lee was saying. For example, while Lee spoke about how much the live-action Flintstones movie made, a clip of Fred Flintstone fantasizing about making lots of money played.

HEXAGON #3 by Michael Moreci (Author) and Jheremy Raapack (Illustrator) (Impact Theory Comics)

The various covers for HEXAGON #3 was the first thing to make me go “oooh…” It just continued from there.

The artwork continues to impress me as does the pacing and writing. The artists, writers, and editors know exactly when to pull a panel out or zoom in on a character. I really enjoy the lighting style; it makes it look like everyone is being lit by a stage spotlight. The lighting adds to the 80s feel and to the feel of music being an important part of the story.

I didn’t feel as rushed with this issue. It felt like I got to take a break from the action and mystery of the previous issues and catch my breath but that does not mean the story was slow or boring. The first issue was the origin—setting up everything; the second introduced the mystery and conflict (i.e. the story “started”); and the third felt like a catch up/rest period.

My main concern with this issue was Don’s friends didn’t go with him (so far). I hope we get to see more of them, especially seeing their reactions when they find out the truth about Don’s background.

Do you have any books, games, or movies to recommend? Let me know in the comments.

Until the next wormhole..thanks for reading!

Do you like sci-fi and fantasy? Hungry for adventure?

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Who is The Last Ronin? | TMNT Theory

June 1, 2020May 29, 2020 JoeRover theories comic books, teenage mutant ninja turtles, the last ronin, theories, TMNT, upcoming events

While watching an update video by THE OLD TURTLE DEN about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic event The Last Ronin, I spotted something.

In the story, only one Turtle survives some kind of an attack. But, it doesn’t state which Turtle.

THE OLD TURTLE DEN

This ambiguity about the ronin’s identity is further shown in an Instagram post by the_turtles_lair. They claim the creators of the The Last Ronin commissioned the drawing of one Turtle using all four weapons making it hard to know which one. I don’t know for sure how authentic the commission is, but it still shows people’s interest in the ronin’s identity.

During the video by THE OLD TURTLE DEN, I noticed that the ronin is seen with Leo’s swords, Donnie’s staff, and Raph’s sai. Mikey’s nunchaku were probably there, but I didn’t see them. However, it got me thinking that maybe the ronin is Mikey.

He could be carrying the weapons of the others in order to honor them. If he was, there would be no reason for him to bring his own since he is alive. Plus, Mikey is the goof-off and youngest; he might be carrying them in order to be like the others. Leo’s the disciplined leader, Donnie’s smart, and Raph is the muscle/fighter/protector. You can see from the samples in the video that the ronin comes across with Raph’s typical gruff personality.

Mikey is the party dude. He’d always had the other Turtles or their allies to fall back on–he could be the goof-off–but now that they are gone, he sees that his surfer-dude philosophy isn’t beneficial. He has to step-up and mature, but he isn’t sure how so he imitates the others.

There could also be some survivor’s guilt, especially if his goofing off is what got everyone killed in the first place. He wouldn’t want to be the party dude anymore.

(Or it could be some new Turtle we’ve never seen before and they are just honoring the Turtles by using their weapons.)

Personally, I hope the ronin is Mikey because I think it’d be a great way to explore his character. He is always portrayed as the party dude so let’s see how he reacts to being alone: having to be the leader, having to be cunning, having to deal with loss and anger.

Also, I’m tired of Raph seemingly always being the lead character. Just like DC seems to focus on Batman and Marvel focuses on Spider-Man and Wolverine is the lead in X-Men movies and events, I feel like they focus too much on Raph. There are three other Turtles with their own personalities and stories. I think they’d make interesting stories if put into different situations.

What are your theories? Who do you think is the ronin? Let me know in the comments below.

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading!

Dogboy Chronicles is now available for purchase

The Dogboy Chronicles is a series of sci-fi and fantasy superhero tales taking place in the future. The stories follow the heroes as they tackle everything from training to alien invasions to going shopping.

If you’re a fan of fantasy, action, and adventure, check out the latest in the Dogboy Chronicles series available at many online retailers.

Click here for links!

Rapid Reviews: Tower of God and More

April 21, 2020April 20, 2020 JoeRover Rapid Reviews, Reviews comic books, nathan drake, play at home, quarantine activities, tower of god, uncharted, video games

PlayStation Play at Home Initiative

From April 15-May 5 everyone with a PlayStation can download and keep Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey for free.

It was pretty nice to return to the Uncharted series. I’d bought the collection when it first came out (or soon after), but ended up trading it in because I needed the money for another game. I am also terrible at shooter games and got frustrated within the first few chapters. Fortunately, I started playing Fortnite and got “better” at shooter games. Now, I can actually make it through multiple gun battles before dying. (Usually, I only die because I threw the grenade at my feet or because I missed a platforming jump.)

As for Journey, I haven’t had much time to play it; but from what what I’ve seen, it does live up to the hype. The game is pretty amazing. It is hard not to just sit and enjoy the scenery. It did take me awhile to figure out what was going on–controller and story plot-wise. There isn’t much in the way of a tutorial. Also, a clone of my character appeared out of nowhere and started moving around. I’m guessing it is some kind of online feature showing me other players, but it was still very confusing. But, I still enjoy the serenity of the game. I feel like I could find the soundtrack and mediate to it or have it play in the background. I also wouldn’t mind having a few screenshots for desktop images. Finally, I enjoyed the fluidity of the controls. It made it feel like my character was gliding at times.

Tower of God by SIU

Unfortunately, I can’t watch The Tower of God on Crunchyroll because of a lack of subscription, but I can read the comic on Webtoons, so I can’t say much about the cartoon. As for the comic, it’s the classic story of a boy trying to find the girl; but in this case, it might not be because of romantic love but friendship love.

To tell the truth, if I’d heard about the series during a time where I had other comics or shows to watch/read, I wouldn’t have given Tower of God a second look. The plot seems pretty standard: boy loses girl; boy must face tough challenges to find her. Even the climbing the tower seems normal for an anime. It seems like there is always a tower or some kind of series of levels the protagonist must pass. The art style was also a little weird; however, from the glimpses I’ve seen of the more recent chapters, it looks like it has improved while not completely revamping itself.

The strange thing about the series is by a logical-review standpoint the series is not that special. Like I said, a young man going through challenges to find the woman he likes, the protagonist possessing some strange gift, and the fact that he has to hide he is different makes the series seem more tropeish than original (though it is extremely difficult nowadays not to be cliche–when you look at anything too hard you’ll see how familiar it is). I’ve read and seen countless series that followed this formula. Yet, there’s something interesting that I can’t put my finger on. Even the fact that while others are climbing the Tower for money, power, or the thrill of the hunt, the protagonist is doing it out of love is a common story line.

Right now, I’m feeling cautiously optimistic.

How about you? Have you heard of Tower of God? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments section.

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading (and stay safe out there).

Good news! The Smashwords Authors Give Back Sale has been extended to May 31!

You have another chance to buy The Beast of Camp TimberWolf, Gift of the Minion, and now Who Pranked JR for 60% off!

Rapid Reviews: Comics and More (Quarantine Special)

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020 JoeRover Rapid Reviews, Reviews comic books, coronavirus, covid-19, Doom Eternal, quarantine activities, scifi, video games, webcomic, webtoons, YouTube

The Gamer by Sangyoung Seong and Sang-A (Webtoons): The comic features a young man who one day gains the abilities of a gamer; he can level up his intelligence and strength. He is also able to learn new skills. The series has a interesting premise and the art style is nice. The characters have a realistic comic book look, but the switch between the “realistic” style and the cartoony-over-dramatic drawings offer a break and humor. The fact the comic focuses more on the main character leveling up than battles and action is also a unique choice (at this point I’ve only ready about 50 parts, so that might change later). What I enjoyed about his semi-lack of fights is that I didn’t noticed it until I was about 40 parts into it. Even though most of the story involves the main character pondering what to do, the series is not slow nor without mystery.

Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of the Sealed Forest by J.T. Tenera: Tenera accomplished what most writers dream of–an interesting hook. The beginning of the book immediately peaked my interest. The interaction between Joseph and Eric kept the book interesting and alive. However, the book does enter a dry period as Professor Ben explains his research in great detail. I kept feeling like, “Let’s get on with it.” But, the book ends strongly with a lot of suspense, action, and mystery. I enjoyed that the ending was left open with the “Big Bad” escaping and hints that Joseph’s story is far from over, but Secrets of the Sealed Forest left me satisfied. I felt like while the overall story was not over this adventure was; the story did not leave me with a feeling of frustration or like I had a hole inside.

DOOM Eternal

DOOM ETERNAL Walkthrough Gameplay Part 1 – INTRO (FULL GAME) by theRadBrad ‪(YouTube)

DOOM ETERNAL Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 – 2+ HOURS FULL GAME – Intro + Mission 1 PS4 DOOM Gameplay by‬ GhostRobo (YouTube)

DOOM ETERNAL Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [1080p 60FPS PC ULTRA] – No Commentary by MKIceAndFire (YouTube)

The soundtrack and setting was awesome. I loved how the soundtrack made you feel like you were a slayer/gladiator ripping and tearing your way through horde after horde of demons. The set pieces always amazed me. The scenes made me feel small (yet strangely not powerless) while also making me feel like I was part of the world; I felt transported to the universe of DOOM. Since I hadn’t played a DOOM game in a very long time, and only for about a half hour or hour then giving it up, I was lost with all the talk about Maykrs and the Legend of the Slayer. And the game didn’t offer much in the way of help. I finally had to look it up on the Internet. But, I was still confused by why Doomguy would trust anything Dr. Hayden would say after he apparently betrayed Doomguy in one of the other games. Doomguy seemed to have no problem following Hayden’s orders. Finally, I enjoyed that the game never seemed to have a slow moment. It seemed like you were always on the move–especially during battle (you stood still for very long, you were killed). DOOM Eternal is a pure adrenaline rush from soundtrack to setting to action.

Urban Animal by Justin Jordan and John Amor (Webtoons): Urban Animal follows the life of Joe Gomez who discovers he can change into any animal, even going so far as to mixing parts and creating new animals. I enjoyed the raw art style. It felt very primal and animistic. The sharp edges and semi-muted colors gave the comic a very ancient, caveman-like feel. I could have lived without so many naked people scenes (Joe and other Chimera can’t morph their clothes–thankfully they can use nature to make a new set). As for the story, the writing was excellent. I felt like the story was always moving forward and that every scene meant something.

The Boring Days and Awesome Nights of Roy Winklesteen by Sally Dill: Dill seemed to know her audience. The book is definitely designed for middle school readers. The story’s flow of easily resolved problems isn’t ideal for adult or teen readers but is excellent for younger readers who want to “feel safe.” However, this ease of conflict resolution leaves the story feeling like there is no rise in action or risk to the character. In one chapter, Roy’s father uncovers how Roy escapes from his room every night. Roy is worried that his father will remove the rope. In the end, the father forgets about the rope. Roy doesn’t even have to attempt to convince his father to leave the rope or plot another escape. One feature of the story I enjoyed the most is that many of the unimportant events are summarized. When Roy decides to spy on his neighbor, I thought, “Oh no, now we’ll have 10 chapters of him following his neighbor around.” I was happy to see that the spying lasted about a paragraph–the story then moved on to the next plot point.

Ialin’s Curse by Isakytm (Webtoons): I felt that the artwork pulled you in. The switching between light colored scenes to dark, more threatening scenes set the mood. I felt as in danger as David did. When David felt frightened, I did as well. I am also glad that the series creator answered many of questions while leaving just enough unanswered to keep me coming back. The author also did an excellent job of placing cliffhangers for ultimate effect.

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading.

From Mar. 20-Apr. 20 The Beast of Camp TimberWolf and Gift of the Minion will be 60% off during the Smashwords Authors Give Back sale.

Stone Star | Review

February 13, 2020February 12, 2020 JoeRover Reviews adventure stories, Amazon, comic books, comiXology Originals, review, scifi stories

Stone Star, a comiXology Originals, follows the adventures of Dail aboard the nomadic space station Stone Star. The station is similar to a traveling circus but instead of bearded ladies and cotton candy, you get gladiators and death marches.

Dail begins his tale as a scavenger and thief but soon runs into a retired gladiator who sees that Dail has a special skill. Not much is revealed at first, but it appears he can control machines and become an energy being.

Eventually, he meets Kikanni, an on-the-run royal who’s family is displaced because of a coup. Dail witnesses the murder of Kikanni’s family at the hands of Stone Star workers. He and she then have to escape and hide.

The plot was a typical story about an average person with a great destiny and strange powers. The characters seemed pretty bland. The displaced princess, the good guy thief, the stoic and wise mentor, etc. Even by the end of the book, the characters didn’t seem to grow much–but it is the first book. The first book is meant to introduce the characters, setting, and plot.

Stone Star does have a somewhat interesting plot. Someone murdered Dail’s father. His murder happened shortly after he refused to rig the fights. I think we can see where this is going.

So, if the characters are typical and the mystery is pretty standard, why did I like the story? It was one of those hard to put down books. I finished it in about an hour.

Part of the reason was the art. It was pretty impressive; though sometimes it did look rushed, there were some moments that made my mouth drop.

I think the other part that made the comic so appealing was Dail’s powers. At first I wanted to know what they were. Then I was like, “Oh, he can just control machines. Big deal.” But then he merged with a fighting robot, and later he was able to semi-merge with Kikanni and learn her backstory. So, even though right now it seems like all he can do is control technology, they hint at something greater.

I also think pacing had something to do with my enjoyment. There weren’t many slow points and when you did slow down, you felt like you needed the rest. You felt like you were on the run with Dail and Kikanni; you felt as much in danger as they did.

Finally, I think it was the world. The setting of a traveling space station that works as an entertainment center is kind of unique. Also, it was neat seeing all the different alien beings. I liked the variety and creativity in each one. Each showed the personality well. I also liked how Dail looked human but not so much you’d think he was human. You know he’s an alien. The design choice allowed me to empathize with him but at the same time not wonder “How’d a human get here?”

While on the surface, Stone Star seems typical, the pacing, unique characters, and the deigns of the setting and world pull you in and make the read worthwhile. While I would like to see more adventures with Dail, Stone Star isn’t at the top of my To-Read list. I’m going to pre-order the book, but I’m also not marking down the days till its release on June 1. 4.1/5

A couple images from Season 1.

Until the next wormhole…thanks for reading!

Today’s Amazon Affiliate links:

I get a percentage from any qualifying purchase; doesn’t have to be the ones listed below. Thank you for helping to support my blog so I can continue to tell stories, write reviews, and more.

A young thief named Dail discovers a dark secret in the depths of Stone Star and has to decide where his destiny lies.

A young warrior named Dail has been drawn into the ring and is trying to prove himself in the Grand Arena, but there are forces on the station determined to see him destroyed as revenge for his father’s fighting legacy.

Recommended #12

February 12, 2019February 12, 2019 JoeRover Recommended caped joel, comic books, dc comics, Justice League, super sons, superhero

Some more recommendations you might enjoy. The following are my opinion and do not reflect any organization or person.

DC Comics

Young Justice #2

The Adventures of the Super Sons #6

Action Comics #1007

Justice League Annual (2019) #1

Heroes In Crisis #5

Justice League #16

Justice League #17

These are available wherever DC Comics books are sold, such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon. If you’re looking for reviews of these and many others comic stories, you can check out the Caped-Joel YouTube channel.

Reign of the Supermen | Review

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 JoeRover Reviews animated movies, comic books, dc comics, dc movies, death of superman, movie reviews, reign of the supermen, superman

DC Comic’s movie Reign of the Supermen picks up where The Death of Superman movie left off–namely with Superman dead. But, the four new Supermen (Cyborg Superman, Visor Superman/Eradicator, Superboy, and Steel) have already arrived. The story deals with deciding who is Superman. Along the way, they must deal with a dangerous threat.

First off the animation was pretty good. It followed the recent animation style the other DC animated movies have been using. I like how it is a mix of realistic and comic book (or animation) styles; the characters seem cartoon-like but also have a slight human/real quality to them.

The characteristics of the four Supermen followed their comic book versions well. Superboy is the slightly annoying teenager and Steel is a serious/mature inventor. Cyborg Superman still has that ability to pass himself off as Superman while at the same time making you feel uneasy. Eradicator had that machine logic coldness to him.

At first, I was a bit disappointed that the movie didn’t follow the comic series closer; but in the end, I was glad it was a new story. I was glad to see that they didn’t destroy Coast City like in the comics–for a bit I thought it might have a happier ending, but then they flipped things at the last second (like after the final battle was over–you think everything is fine, but it’s not).

I enjoyed the Easter Eggs of them showing the comics’ cover art as the news article photos. During a montage showing the four Supermen as they saved the day, various news articles were shown and the pictures with the article were copies of the Reign of the Superman cover art.

It was kind of a let down to see that Cyborg Superman wasn’t as much of a “big bad” as he was in comic. For most of the movie, he is just a pawn to the real threat. He does finally rebel and become the threat, but he just didn’t have that same uneasy, scary nature he did in the comics. In the movie, he was more of a crazy person than this hate filled man that seemed incredibly powerful. In the comic, people were scared of Cyborg Superman. In the movie, he was just a pawn.

I liked how Lois had more of a part to play in the movie version. She, as you would expect, was right in the middle of everything. You could say she was the main character and the four Supermen were just supporting characters.

I also liked how the movie staff managed to develop the four Supermen’s characters in such a small time. I felt like I knew Superboy and Steel by the time the movie was over. I didn’t know everything about them, but enough to like them. I would have liked it if they were given more screen time though. I really hope there are some Steel and Superboy movies coming, even just one for each or something–maybe a new take on the Bloodlines series.

The ending left me unsatisfied though. I’m going to spoil a part of it here, so skip this if you want.

After the battle, all the people change back into humans. I’m thinking, “Whoo, they’re all right!” but they remained motionless and one person, the girlfriend of one of the affected people, stays crying. It then changes to six months later and everyone is happy. There is no mention of hundreds of people dying or a memorial being set up or stories of people getting out of the hospital; it’s just Lois and Clark eating and the audience finding out that Lois and Wonder Woman are going to have a Girl’s Night Out. It then shows everyone being excited that Superman is alive. It just made me feel like, “WHAT?!” It was like, “Oh, yeah, uh, hundreds of people died but that’s okay, everything is awesome now.” It just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth and left me feeling like things were unresolved. The movie had been great up till then. Now I’m just kind of left feeling “uh…what?”

I did enjoy the end credit scene. It was hilarious. Green Lantern’s “Who left the front door open” line just made it even better.

Overall, the movie was really good. I felt like the plot kept to the comics but added to it. The animation and music was enjoyable. The acting and characters were believable. I’d been waiting for DC to do this movie pretty much since the series came and it didn’t disappoint. Other than the fact that I wish Superboy and Steel would have gotten more airtime, and I would have liked Cyborg Superman to have been more of a threat, I was glad I bought the movie. My main problem was the ending and how they just kind of swept the pervious scene under the rug. It made it feel unresolved.

I have to give the movie an 8/10 maybe 8.5 if I’m being generous. I really liked the movie. I had a great time; I’ll probably watch it again (and again most likely), but there just was some strong issues that stopped it from being a 9.5. It would have gotten a higher score if they would have resolved the final scene in some way.

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