by Brian LeTendre

Jeff Parker's Red She-Hulk has been my pleasant surprise of Marvel Now! thus far. I have no idea how Betty Ross became the Red She-Hulk, but Parker is really doing a great job of making her an interesting character in this first arc. He's also calling back to Hickman's S.H.I.E.L.D. series, as Betty discovered the Terranometer--a computer developed by Tesla that can predict the future. The future Betty's seen involves a military super-soldier program called Echelon that results in a super-human armageddon  Betty's attempts to shut the program down have brought her into conflict with The Avengers, and Machine Man has been assigned to track her down. As he has studied her however, he starts to sympathize with Betty and eventually joins up with her.

This issue featured the first real Hulk-out for Betty--she lost all control and became a savage beast, which scared the living daylights out of her, as she'd seen the same thing happen to Bruce time and time again. Her unlikely ally in Machine Man is able to get her focused back on finding out how to stop Echelon.

Despite Red She-Hulk rubbing elbows with the Avengers, it seems like Parker is carving out his own little corner of the Marvel Universe with this book, and I like that. Machine Man and Betty Ross is an odd pairing, but it works, and it helps make this book feel just a bit different than most other stuff out there right now.

4 out of 5 Odd Couples

by Matman

Everyone in the mid 1980's knew who Dee Snider and Twisted Sister was! For metal fans he was our spokesman until the backlash from overexposure hit...and hit hard! But there is and was so much more to Snider than just 'We're Not Gonna Take It'!

'Shut Up And Give Me The Mic' (20012 Gallery Books) is the life and story of Dee Snider, about Dee Snider, and most important by Dee Snider! For over 400 pages you will see how Dee was driven to success and an admitted megalomaniac but at the heart of Snider story is his loyalty of friends and love of family. You will not read about drunken or drug fueled tirades or the non stop one night stands with all sorts of women, because that wasn't part of his life. What you will read about is how he rose from the New York club scene, reached the pinnacle of fame, alienated himself from his Twisted Sister band mates and then ssettled into his post rock star career. He's been a reality TV show host, a disc jockey, a father and husband and still remains a rocker. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about Snider is that he is a brainless big mouth and after you read the book you see he's only a big mouth, but that's what we love about him. He is smart, calculated and has the respect of some of metal's biggest names including AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne and Motorhead's Lemmy. Sadly, for many music fans, his incredible vocals and amazing songwriting were never taken as serious as they should've been because of the image; makeup, big hair and on stage swearing.  

The book is an incredibly easy and fun read with the writing so crisp and honest, you can hear Dee's voice as you read. I was a huge Twisted Sister fan starting back in 1981 (The Kids Are Back) and after finishing the book it rekindled my love of Dee and Twisted Sister.In fact as I write this review I'm listening to Dee's incredibly underrated solo disc from 2000 'Never Let The #$%^&* Wear You Down.'

If you love good music, characters that are larger than life and reading inspirational stories about fighting the odds again and again..and winning, this is a book for you. Thank you for everything Dee... the kids are back!

Matman Rating: 5 out of 5 filed down teeth  

by Brian LeTendre

Today, Wizards of the Coast and our friends at Drive Thru RPG announced the launch of DnDClassics.com, an online store that will sell PDF versions of materials from every edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

This is fantastic news, as so many of the materials from earlier editions have been out of print for years now. I've spent hundreds of dollars filling in my collection from eBay auctions, and there's still plenty of supplements that I don't have on my shelf. Being able to get a nice clean copy of Keep on the Borderlands to play with my kids is awesome.

If you've never played D&D, or you've been out of it for years, you definitely should head over and check out DnDClassics.com. as there is a good amount of free products  including quickstart rules and intro adventures, that can introduce you, your friends and your kids to the game of D&D.

Here is the official press release from Wizards of the Coast, and you can read the FAQ about the new site here. 

Press Releaase

Today, Wizards of the Coast together with DriveThruRPG, is thrilled to
announce the official launch of Dungeons & Dragons Classics, a new
online PDF store containing classic content from every edition of D&D,
including fan-favorite supplement materials and iconic adventures. A
one-stop-shop for classic D&D content, DnDClassics.com offers an easy
way to access and download favorite titles electronically by computer,
mobile phone, or tablet (including iPads).

How does it work? It’s easy! Simply create an account* and instantly
gain access to a wealth of D&D titles.  There are 80 titles available
at launch, with smaller batches of additional titles being released on
a rolling basis starting in early February.  Favorite titles can be
downloaded to an online Library or saved to a “Wish List” for purchase
later. Most titles can also be printed. Settings can also be
customized and users can opt to get email alerts whenever favorite
publishers or topics get new items (*Users can also sign-in using
their DriveThruRPG.com or RPGNow.com login).

We encourage you to share this exciting news with your readers. For
more information, check-out DnDClassics.com or visit Wizards.com.