Posted in

Batman Eternal #4 Review

My review’s a week late, but hopefully not a dollar short.

 

Well, there’s not a whole lot of capital to spend on this issue, anyway. It’s a transition issue. There’s not a lot of new revelations, twists, or plot development. As you might imagine from reading the first three issues, it takes a pretty natural course with what was already laid down: Jim Gordon is thrown to the wolves by the authorities, Barbara goes nuts over the betrayal, Stephanie Brown is in a lot of trouble, Forbes demands the police go after Batman, and Batman unsuccessfully tries to intimidate Falcone. read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

Ghost in the Shell: Arise Episode 1 Review

Episode 1, "Ghost Pain"
 

*****SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS*****

Synopsis: After the murder of her superior officer and mentor, cyborg soldier Motoko Kusanagi becomes suspicious as to the events surrounding his death. Kusanagi assists the government’s Special Section 9, led by Daisuke Aramaki, in looking into the investigation of the former Unit 501 leader for bribery. During the investigation she begins to have doubts concerning her own memories, which have clearly been tampered with, and her fellow members of 501. What’s the connection between Lt. Col. Mamoru’s supposed corruption, illegal weapons sales, and Kusanagi’s superiors? And why is her body malfunctioning and her mind playing tricks on her? Motoko Kusanagi teams up with Batou, Togusa, and Paz for the very first time in this compelling action thriller.
  read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 102 Review

Episode 102, "The Dragon Team, All Assembled! Son Goku has Returned!!"
 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Videl’s ability to fly improves drastically after some practicing. Days pass and Goku’s friends and family gather to meet him at the Tenkaichi Budoukai. When Goku appears before them, he’s surprised to finally meet his youngest son, Goten, who looks identical to him. Trunks and Goten are both disappointed that they can only enter a children’s division of the tournament. Goku and friends try to hold back when registering on the punch test machines, but have trouble. Vegeta doesn’t bother, however, entirely destroying one.
  read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

Building a MG Unicorn without Instructions

I’ve got quite a few Master Grade Unicorn Gundams in my collection. By last count I’m at 12 including the Banshee variants. When I picked up the last three for a bit of a project I was challenged on Reddit to build one without the manual. It wasn’t the first time someone threw that task out there so I thought I’d give it a go.

Preparation was easy, take all the of the runners with applicable parts and cut & trim all the pieces. I didn’t do any of the weapons because I haven’t decided whether I’m going to use them or trade them out quite yet. I’ve already got more Beam Magnum rounds than I know what to do with. I made things a bit more difficult for myself by including both the Ver. Ka and OVA parts in the mix. read more

Falldogby Falldog••0
Posted in

Batman Eternal #3 Review

 

So, yeah. A week late with this. As you might’ve noticed, I had a week’s worth of rage building up inside of me for that previous entry. Forgiveness, please.

 

I can’t imagine why I didn’t jump right on the review for this issue. It opens by highlighting a long-time supporting character for the Batman franchise that hasn’t been seen or heard from in a very long time. The anticipation for this character’s return was staggering, and I waited with baited breath to see them in the pages of this weekly series. read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

The Debate That Got Me Ejected From Kanzenshuu Forums: Is Gohan Out Of Character In The Cell Games?

 "I don’t need this shit."

 

PART I: The Preamble
 

I’ve been a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise off and on since about the time Dragon Ball Z first broadcast in syndication in September of 1996. I didn’t immediately latch onto the show. It took a while. A friend of mine, Jon Oakes, who I used to play SNES with at his house (I had a Sega Genesis, and we alternated homes for playing), introduced me to the series, and I didn’t quite latch onto it until I started watching it on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. When I started branching out into different types and titles of anime, I kept pushing the DB franchise back, exploring the more complex and compelling narratives of shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments Lain, and Cowboy Bebop. And after all, I would argue, the English version of Dragon Ball Z was so poorly done it was impossible to stomach the show except with subtitles, and I didn’t even have a DVD player until around 2001. By then, I looked at my DB fandom as an object of nostalgia at best and embarrassingly poor childhood taste at worst. read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

Dragon Ball Kai – Episode 101 Review

Episode 101, "Gohan’s the Teacher! Videl’s Introduction to Flight"
 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: After informing Kuririn, Artificial Human 18, and Piccolo about the Budoukai, Gohan tells his mother about his father returning to the living world for a day. Gohan begins training with Goten, discovering that he can also become a Super Saiyan, but asks him to keep it under wraps when Videl arrives to learn how to fly. Both Videl and Goten need to be taught to use Bukujutsu, but first Videl has to be taught how to use her ki. Eventually she manages to levitate, while Goten masters flying handily. Vegeta is aghast that Trunks can also become a Super Saiyan at his age. Videl arrives for training one day with shorter hair, as suggested by Gohan for safety during the tournament. read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•
Posted in

Batman Eternal #2 Review

 

When we last left our hero, he was reeling from the apparent guilt of his friend, Comissoner Gordon, in the collision of two subway trains, which cost massive casualties. GCPD newcomer Jason Bard came into town just in time to be in on the arrest of Gordon for the crime. As we join Batman and Gordon in this issue, the former is visiting the latter in a holding cell and things are looking increasingly troubled.

 

News travels fast, and every one of the current Bat Family soon learns of the crash and the arrest of Gordon. Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, is of course the most shocked. Harper Row reads about it on the internet. Red Robin, now free of the clutches of “writer” Scott Lobdell, books a flight from New York to Gotham. Jason Todd is picking up the news in a bar as far as Hong Kong. And… Batwoman and Batwing are also in this issue (who cares?). read more

Penguin Truthby Penguin Truth•