Secret Identity--What's New?

Image Sells Out Again With 'Peter Panzerfaust'

2/20/2012

Press Release

PETER PANZERFAUST #1, the debut of the new Image Comics series that merges Peter Pan with a World War II adventure story, has sold out after being released in stores on February 14.

It will immediately return to press for a second printing (JAN128112) due in stores the same day as PETER PANZERFAUST #2 (JAN120599), March 14.

In the first issue of this new ongoing series by Kurtis Wiebe (GREEN WAKE) and Tyler Jenkins, French orphans in Calais, a French city that has been heavily bombed by the Germans, encounter a charismatic American soldier. Inspired by his esprit, the boys find themselves trusting him with their lives — and learning that they can perform feats they would have never thought possible.

Comics reviewers have widely praised the debut:

"Peter Panzerfaust can only promise more action and intrigue amidst a magical story time backdrop on a monthly basis. Here, lost boys do indeed live forever."
- JP Fallavollita, Biff Bam Pop

"Peter Panzerfaust captures the magic of Peter Pan and transports it into a story of brotherhood during war. Not only is Kurtis J. Wiebe's story a great introduction to his new project, but Tyler Jenkins' art masterfully brings that tale to life."
- Jason Clyma, Broken Frontier

"Pick of the Week. If you’re looking for a jaunty boys adventure book with a vintage feel, but modern sensibilities, I can think of nothing on the comic shelves that will fill the need better than Peter Panzerfaust. "
- Josh Flanagan, iFanboy

PETER PANZERFAUST is a monthly, full-color comic book series published under Image Comics' Shadowline imprint, available in comic book stores and multiple digital outlets.

Review--Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

2/19/2012

by Brian LeTendre

Ghost Rider: Spirirt of Vengeance is exactly the movie I was hoping it would be. Veering away from the abysmal original movie, this sequel is all killer and no filler, focusing less on story and more on over the top, comic book action. Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s' manic filmmaking is a perfect match for Nicholas Cage's cartoonish performance, and together they deliver the proper Ghost Rider movie we should have had the first time around .

An animated sequence near the beginning of the film brings viewers up to speed, where we find out Spirit of Vengeance picks up eight years after the original. Johnny Blaze has traveled halfway around the word to live in self-imposed exile, trying to repress the Ghost Rider and keep the Spirit of Vengeance from manifesting at all. He's pulled back into active duty when a monk comes to him for help, explaining that the devil has fathered child here on the mortal plane, and he plans on using the child as a vessel to become as powerful here as he is in hell. The monk promises to lift Johnny's curse if he saves the boy from his fate. The Ghost Rider must then protect the boy and his mother from the devil and his minions until the window for the transference ritual has closed. It’s an interesting but simple premise, and the rest of the movie doesn’t spend a lot of time developing the story further. What little we do get is delivered in the same sort of animated sequences that contribute to the comic book feel of the movie.

If you've seen the Crank movies, then you know that Neveldine and Taylor are known for their crazy camerawork, and that is evident here right out of the gate. The way they film the chase scenes in this movie puts you right at road level, and it really lends to the action. Outside of the action scenes, their twitchy camerawork drives home the idea that Johnny is constantly fighting the Spirit of Vengeance for control, as when the Ghost Rider really takes over, no one that has ever sinned is safe.

Speaking of the Ghost Rider, he looks as dark and nasty as he should look in this movie. The special effects on his head and on his bike are fantastic. The way he moves is creepy, and he feels more menacing every second he is onscreen than he ever did in the first movie. The effects are all the more impressive due to the fact that the budget for making Spirit of Vengeance was $35 million less than its predecessor.

At the end of the day though, you will either love or hate this movie based on Nick Cage’s performance. He is completely over the top in this movie, playing Johnny Blaze as a man who is half crazy from his constant battle to keep the Rider at bay. I loved his performance--he goes all out, and I think the movie is a lot more fun because of it.

For me, the jump between the 2007 original and this movie was like the jump between the Punisher and its sequel. While the first movie was meant to attract a wider audience, the sequel is more concerned with doing the character justice. And it succeeds here just like it did there. My only real gripe was that it could have been rated R, but I'm hoping for an unrated DVD down the road. For me, this is the only Ghost Rider movie, and it's one I would gladly pay to see again.

4 out of 5 Nick Cage Fans

P.S. I didn't see the movie in 3D, so I'd love to hear if anyone did and what they thought of it.

Turn Up The (Secret Identity) Radio

2/18/2012

It’s finally here!!!!

You have heard Brian and Matman talking about Secret Identity ‘Radio’ and now we can share the details.

If you live in the Albany, New York area than you can hear Secret Identity on your radio on Sunday night at 8 PM on 100.3, The Point where upstate rocks with ‘Today’s Modern Mix!’

“This is real exciting for us,” said Brian via the satellite! “Getting Secret Identity on the radio is a big opportunity for us and I can’t wait to hear what the folks in New York think.”

Now if you are one of the many who don’t live in the broadcast area you can hear the show on streaming audio! By going to www.thepointontheweb.com (and then clicking onto the ‘Listen Live’ button), you will hear the show as it hits the airwaves.

“When we first started doing the show all those years ago, we thought of where it would go,” added Matman by smoke signal, “and we never thought we’d end up on the radio. This is a great opportunity for us and to be honest, I’m a bit nervous!”

So give a listen and let us, and the station know what you think!

We also need to thank Mike Thompson and Adirondack Broadcasting for taking a chance on some ‘solid gold ear candy!’

Joe Kelly And J.M. Ken Niimura Get Award!

2/17/2012

Press Release

Image Comics congratulates Joe Kelly and J.M. Ken Niimura on their receiving the International Manga Award for their comic book I KILL GIANTS. The Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that Kelly and Niimura had won the prestigious prize on Tuesday.

Originally published by Image Comics in 2008, then released in an oversized hardcover collection in 2010, I KILL GIANTS tells the story of Barbara Thorson, an acerbic fifth-grader so consumed with fantasy that she doesn't just tell people that she kills giants with an ancient Norse warhammer — she starts to believe it herself. The reasons for Barbara's troubled behavior are revealed through the course of the book, as she learns to reconcile her fantasy life with the real world.

"We do a lot of books I'm extremely proud of, but this is one is way up there," said Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "The outstanding work Joe and Ken did on I KILL GIANTS is proof positive of how great this medium is. That something so moving and heartfelt can be both a critical and commercial success should be an inspiration to creative people everywhere. It's nothing short of an honor to be associated with such an extraordinary piece of work."

Kelly and Niimura will receive their award in a ceremony on Friday, followed by a ten-day tour of Japan, during which they will meet with Japanese cartoonists and publishers and visit areas hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

Review--Resident Evil Revelations (3DS)

2/16/2012

by Brian LeTendre

Resident Evil Revelations sucked me back into a franchise I had fallen out of love with a long time ago. It's a fantastic game that offers a shining example of what is possible on the 3DS.

Resident Evil Revelations is set in 2005, and the story takes place between the events of Resident Evil 4 and 5. Over the course of the game you play multiple characters, but you spend the majority of time in the shoes of Jill Valentine, agent and co-founder of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). Jill and her partner Parker are investigating the resurgence of a terrorist group called Veltro, who a year earlier unleashed a biological weapon that resulted in the destruction of an entire city. The investigation takes them aboard a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, which they quickly discover has been exposed to a biological weapon (a version of the T-Virus), killing most of those on the ship and mutating others into walking abominations. As they make their way through the ship, they try to find out the truth about Veltro and figure out what they have planned for this new strain of the T-Virus. The story plays out in a series of twelve chapters, most of which are broken into two smaller episodes. The campaign switches to different places and points in time, and you get to play as Jill’s original partner Chris Redfield, her current partner Parker, and a host of other characters, all of whom are trying to figure out what’s going on with Veltro. While the story is ridiculous at times, I found it to be very entertaining, and I was able to follow it despite not having played the more recent games in the series.

For me, the star of Resident Evil Revelations is the presentation, which has three major components. First off, from a visual standpoint, this game is easily the prettiest on the 3DS so far. From the character models to the depth-adding 3D, this game looks amazing. Secondly, the setting of the cruise ship (where you spend most of your time) is so creepy and atmospheric, it goes beyond being a setting and becomes a character in the story. And finally, the sound design is superb. As you walk around the ship, you can hear it creaking and groaning. The sounds of monsters shuffling behind doors or around corners will have you constantly on edge. The presentation overall really brings you into the game and keeps you there. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief every time I finished a chapter, sometimes letting out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

I haven’t talked about the controls yet, which is the factor that usually divides people who love these games from people who hate them. I have never like the mechanics of the Resident Evil games, which is why I am happy to report that I actually didn’t mind them at all in this game. I originally played the demo with the standard 3DS controls, and it was a little rough, having both movement and aiming on the same analog stick. However, I picked up the 3DS Circle Pad Pro for $20 when I bought the game, and for me it made the experience so much better. Moving with one stick and aiming with the other is just so much more comfortable for me, so once I used the Circle Pad Pro, I forgot all about the controls and just focused on the game. One place where I did think the control scheme stood out though, was the use of the 3DS touch screen. You can switch and reload weapons, check your map and manage your inventory on the fly with the touch screen, which meant I never had to pull myself out of the experience to do any of those things. This is an area where the 3DS offers a more immersive experience from most console games, and it’s especially important for a horror game.

The main campaign took me just over eleven hours to complete, and I have reason to go back an play through it again. There are in-game challenges (called Missions) that offer weapon and upgrade unlocks for completing the game on higher difficulties, getting certain collectibles, and so on. In addition to campaign, there is a Raid Mode, where you battle waves of enemies either alone or with a friend via local or online co-op. I didn’t try the mode with a partner, but had fun with it on my own. If you use the StreetPass function of your 3DS, you can also unlock new challenges by connecting with other 3DS owners.

For me, Resident Evil Revelations provided the most complete experience I’ve had on a handheld console in years. I would also put it up against any of the console games coming out this year. It’s an early “Game of the Year” contender for me, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

5 out of 5 Watery Graves

Matman Remembers John Severin

2/15/2012

We have lost another comic legend and for me, another creator that helped color my world for most of my life.

Artist John Severin passed away last Sunday at the age of 90 with his family and loved ones by his side. For over 50 years, Mr. Severin’s beautiful work appeared in such magazines as ‘Mad’ and ‘Cracked’ but it was his work at EC that got him noticed and started the legend! Within those pages his realistic and incredibly accurate style separated him from many of the others working in those same books.

I discovered his art some years later in ‘Sgt. Fury # 139’ which was a reprint of a comic that came out in the summer of 1967. What I noticed was the amazing detail that made each panel look like it was right out of a history book. From that moment on it was a race to collect everything he did; Unknown Soldier, Sgt. Rock, G.I. Combat, Our Fighting Forces not to mention his prolific work in the western genre.

For me, Severin broke away from the then current mold of over the top looking characters and unbelievable actions. His characters seemed less superhero even if they were wearing fatigues or a cowboy hat. Following Jack ‘King’ Kirby on ‘Sgt. Fury’ must have felt like a no win situation, but he not only took the challenge and won over this young fan, even if they were 10 year old reprints. But what did I know?

Since I never met him, I will have to remember John Severin for the gift he gave me; his art. I wish I got the chance to tell him how much his work impacted me and really inspired my love of history, especially World War II.

Thank you sir, I’ll miss you!

Happy Valentines Day!

2/14/2012

The Phantom Menace 3D Has $23 Million Opening Weekend

2/13/2012

According to Box Office Mojo, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D had a pretty decent opening weekend, taking in $23 million, and finishing in fourth place behind The Vow, Safe House and Journey 2 (also a 3D title).

Both Matt and I saw it, and we'll be talking about the movie in episode #405 of Secret Identity. You can read Matt's review in yesterday's post.

On an interesting note, Reuters said that 51 percent of the audience was made up of people over 25 years of age, and 60 percent of the audience was male. That sounds about right to me, as I've heard a lot about dads taking their kids to see it, which is what I did.

So what do you think of the film's opening weekend performance? I'd say it's a pretty strong opening for a film that is over a decade old, but I was surprised there were not more people there when I went to see it. I distinctly remember the sold out showings when the movie originally came out, and while I did not think that would happen all over again, I did expect a little more hype around the movie.

--Brian

Star Wars - The Phantom Menace 3-D (The Review)

2/12/2012

So here we are, 13 years after the initial release of ‘Star Wars – The Phantom Menace’ and I find myself sitting in the theater again. This time I’m sporting these cool Darth Maul 3–D glasses.

History has shown ‘The Phantom Menace’ to be the least successful and most hated of the Star Wars films… but certainly not by me. I love the movie and rank it as my 3rd favorite of the six so and constantly defending it.

So let’s talk about what is awesome about this film!

This is the beginning of everything. The insignificant planet of Naboo is the backdrop of the political posturing and positioning as Senator Palpatine helps cause an invasion with the domino effect that manifests itself in the birth of the Empire.

Here we see for the first time the inner workings of the Jedi council; how it works and who does what. We also get to meet some incredible characters like Qui – Gon Jinn, Obi – Wan Kenobi, Padme and even Jar Jar Binks. Each does their best in continuing the story that has been our life blood since 1977.

The effects, the locations, music and overall production is seamless and top notch.

Most of the negativity seems to be pointed at poor Jar Jar, who wasn’t as annoying than C - 3PO was to me way back when. I wasn’t a big fan of the Pod Race scene and there were certain moments that the acting wasn’t… well very good! But it is Star Wars!

Now we must talk about the 3-D! if you were expecting Boss Nass spit to fly out at you or to be sprayed by Darth Maul guts you will be disappointed. What you got was a lot of depth added to scenes and some moments where things really ‘pop’ at you. But don’t see it just for that… see it because it is an awesome movie that needs to be rediscovered.

The Phantom Menace is awesome… and that is it! it is Star Wars and it deserves more respect than it has gotten.

Matman Rating – 5 out of 5 Gungan Celebrations

Brian Wood Gives Commentary On Conan The Barbarian #1

2/11/2012

In issue #400 of Secret Identity, I discussed the new Conan the Barbarian series from Dark Horse, which has a fantastic creative team consisting of writer Brian Wood, Artist Becky Cloonan and colorist Dave Stewart. The first arc in the new series is an adaptation of Robert E. Howard's classic short story Queen of the Black Coast, which sees Conan facing off against a mysterious and deadly female pirate named Belit.

This week writer Brain Wood provided sort of a director's commentary for issue #1 over at CBR. Among other things, he talked about how the original story had very little dialogue, and so he used Howard's descriptions of places and events in the story to craft dialogue between the characters.

I love when creators delve into the process behind a work, and the whole artilce is a very itneresting read if you've read the first issue of the comic. You can read the full article here.

--Brian

<<Previous

Forward>>

Image Sells Out Again With 'Peter Panzerfaust'

Review--Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Turn Up The (Secret Identity) Radio

Joe Kelly And J.M. Ken Niimura Get Award!

Review--Resident Evil Revelations (3DS)

Matman Remembers John Severin

Happy Valentines Day!

The Phantom Menace 3D Has $23 Million Opening Weekend

Star Wars - The Phantom Menace 3-D (The Review)

Brian Wood Gives Commentary On Conan The Barbarian #1

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