It seems when the Russians stole the plans for S.H.I.E.L.D.’s helicarrier, they drastically misinterpreted the proper dimensions when building their own version.
Archive for the ‘Comics’ Category
RC S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
Friday, August 24th, 2012Batman: Puppet Master
Thursday, August 16th, 2012Batman: Puppet Master is a fan film depicting events that occur between ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. The short film introduces classic villains Mr. Zazas, The Ventriloquist and Scarface, and Edward Nigma, AKA The Riddler, who’s been reimagined as an FBI agent brought in to capture Batman. It has a few elements of the Knightfall storyline, primarily die to Nigma’s plan to wear out Batman with a crime wave before trying to unmask his identity. Not everyone about the casting and writing is perfect, primarily Batman, but it’s a great idea that’s full of potential. I’d love to see the story progress through additional films.
The Cost Of Being Batman
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
This only confirms that Batman is the only superhero that could exist in real life, provided one had the millions upon millions of dollars necessary to create and maintain the various required assets. I’m also curious as to how they came up with some of these numbers. $500,000 for “special firearms training”, which he wouldn’t need since Batman doesn’t use guns anyway? Whatever.
The Dark Knight Rises Motorcycle Suit
Monday, July 23rd, 2012
How could UD Replicas possibly top the awesomeness that was the Stormtrooper motorcycle suit? By making a motorcycle Batsuit, that’s how! This Batsuit replica features a motorcycle-grade mesh Cordura base and is made from Grade A cowhide leather with highly-detailed leather molding and form molded hard and soft shell Kevlar details. The jacket sleeves feature fully adjustable leather gauntlets while the gloves feature anti-skid Kevlar. CE Approved Body Armor in forearms/elbow, shoulder and back spine protector is completely removable, as is the lightweight interior lining.
The run on this fantastic motorcycle suit is even more limited then previous Stormtrooper offering, with only 350 sets available for sale and a price to match: $1564.00 CDN. Note that this is for the entire set; individual components can be purchased as the jacket, pants, gloves, and boots. Sales close August 31st, so those interested better hurry. Even at the price, it wouldn’t be surprising to see these sell out quick.
UD Replicas – The Dark Knight Rises Motorcycle Suit
#DIRTYLAUNDRY – NSFW
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012*Spoiler alert*
It’s a Punisher fan-film. In fact, it’s a brilliant Punisher fan-film that shows just how perfect Thomas Jane is for the role of Frank Castle. Add in Ron Perlman in a cameo role and plenty of that classic Punisher-style ultra-violence justice, and you’ve got a winner of a video.
Oh, and a fair bit of warning: between the language and the bone breaking, head smashing, gunshots, and leg biting, this video definitely earns its place in the NSFW category.
America’s Army Motion Comics
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012There’s now an app available on iTunes and Google Play built to view the America’s Army digital comic series. The comics feature sounds, including a musical score, and some limited animation, detailing conflict in the country of Czervenia (FYI, not a real country). The app itself also has some dvd menu-esque features, such as scene select, character bios, and information on Army ranks, equipment, vehicles, and techniques. The first issue is already out, and although there’s an impressive amount of detail and realism in the uniforms, the weapons, and the like (it is military funded, after all), the story could be, well, more entertaining. This also applies to the dialogue which can be comically awful at times; you just have to read it to see what we mean.
http://www.americasarmy.com/aacomics/
The Blackwater Chronicles
Saturday, July 7th, 2012
‘The Blackwater Chronicles’ is an upcoming graphic novel series by artist and writer Billy Tucci that deals in non-fiction accounts of the former private security company, Blackwater. The first book in the series is based on ‘Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror’ by Robert Young Pelton, hence the additional writing credit. A limited sneak preview of 1000 copies the book will be passed out at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con along with 1000 posters based on the property.
hat tip: firstcomicsnews.com
Black Powder \\ Red Earth T-Shirt
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Available from Haley Strategic Partners, LLC., this black t-shirt features imagery based on the ‘Black Powder \\ Red Earth property’ on the front of the shirt, back of the shirt, and left sleeve. Made from 100% cotton.
Dredd (3D) – Trailer Debut
Thursday, June 21st, 2012I’m a big fan of 2000 A.D., and by extension Judge Dredd, so when I found out Hollywood is making a second attempt at a Dredd movie, I was quite a bit skeptical. After all, the last movie, staring Sylvester Stallone, isn’t exactly known as the greatest comic-book-to-big-screen conversion ever (Sly took the helmet off, dammit! Dredd never takes off the helmet!). While we can only wait until the movie is released in theaters, a bit of cheesy dialogue and a look that’s quite a bit different than the source material, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing, isn’t raising my hope that this movie will be anything but bad. On the plus side, there’s plenty of action and Dredd (Played by Karl Urban; YYMV on this choice) doesn’t take the helmet off!
Dredd drops September 9th, 2012
DRx Bamford – Army Vs. Navy Watches
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012Famed “cultural clothing alchemist” Dr. Romanelli and Bamford Watch Department have partnered up to release the Army Vs. Navy Rolex collection, featuring iconic characters Beetle Bailey on a Submariner and Popeye the Sailor on a Yachtmaster. Both watches come in a special carrying case marked as ‘Army Supplies’ or ‘Navy Supplies’, for Beetle and Popeye respectively, and included with the watch is a custom comic strip true to the property.
Just One Eye – $32,390 (Out Of Stock)
http://drromanelli.com/blog/art/drx-bamford-army-vs-navy-release
Another look at the Art of War
Tuesday, May 15th, 2012Writer Kelly Roman and illustrator Michael DeWeese’s upcoming graphic novel The Art of War uses the Sun Tzu classic as the basis for a “mind-bending thriller set 20 years in the future when Wall Street is militarized and China is the world’s dominant economy.”
Roman wants readers to think about what the rise of China means for international free speech and freedom, as he explained last year in an interview with The Gothamist.
Soldier of Fortune Presents: Stealth
Monday, March 19th, 2012Here’s something you don’t see every day. Soldier of Fortune Magazine, as in the long-time “magazine for professional adventurers” published by Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown (USAR, Ret.) has teamed up with a comic company called Bluewater Productions to release a comic series called Soldier of Fortune Presents: Stealth.
In the official press release, Col. Brown advised it would be a “…real adventure graphic novel for real men.”
Avengers….not much longer now!
Thursday, March 1st, 2012The Tactical Fanboy staff is really looking forward to this. Here’s hoping it isn’t a huge disappointment…though with this cast, it’s hard to believe it will be.
The Avengers franchise has been around a long time, and it’s evolved. There are Avengers, Ultimate Avengers, Avengers vs. Ultimates, Secret Avengers…for a while there were West Coast Avengers. Lots of Avengers (and not to be confused with the British spies of the same name).
Tactical Fanboy: the first Avengers comic cover.
Tactical Fanboy: one of the most recent Avengers covers.
If you’re into the Avengers and don’t mind trying to keep up with all the different intertwined story lines and multiple titles running at once, you might check out the new Avengers vs. X-Men series that’s starting up.
Tactical Fanboy: Avengers vs. X-Men, starting in April
Kickstarter: Zombie Graphic Novel FUBAR Makes New York Times Best Seller List
Saturday, January 28th, 2012This is pretty cool. Always good to see someone achieve success, especially someone without contacts and agents and whatnot. This guy began a Kickstarter page for his graphic novel, and now it’s on the New York Times best seller list. That’s awesome and we with him continued success. Read the story in its entirety here.
Tactical Fanboy: The cover of FUBAR.
Time lapse apocalypse management
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012This is really cool to watch, even if you’re not the artistic type. It’s a time lapse video showing the process of creating the cover art for Xabiroi. More on deisign.com.
We love that post-apocalyptic stuff here on TFB.
Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic
Friday, October 21st, 2011Described as “…a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness.”, the CDC’s ‘”Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic” is a graphic novel that uses the always nightmarish Zombie pandemic as a frame for teaching people about the importance of having an emergency kit. Seriously, the last pages include an item checklist for that very purpose. Blatant advertising aside, the art isn’t the worst I’ve seen and the story is almost passable. It also features quite a bit of unintended hilarity. For example: because it’s from the CDC, all opportunities for full-on violence are completely abandoned for a good-ole’ dose of political correctness, which leads what is unequivocally the best part of the whole graphic novel:
You can read it here.
Thanks to reader Jerry Mills for the tip.
The Avengers Trailer
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011A live action adaptation of arguably the most famous super hero team in comic books written and directed by none other than Joss “Firefly” Whedon. Admit it, your inner nerd is beyond overjoyed. The Avengers drops May 4, 2012.
A Kazakhstani’s Answer To Batman’s Tumbler
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
It is called the ‘Black Raven’ and is was developed as the perfect vehicle for wolf hunting in Karaganda, Kazakhstan by its creator, a handyman named Vladimir. It features a V8 engine, hand-built aluminum body and independent suspension and is comfortable in rough terrain at speeds exceeding 60mph. Amazing do-it-yourself engineering aside, I can’t help but make a Soviet Batman reference.
Hat Tip: Jalopnik
World’s Only Turbine Powered Batmobile Up For Sale
Thursday, September 1st, 2011Just a quick update on that totally sweet turbine powered Batmobile built by Casey Pusch I wrote about a while ago. It turns out he’s currently putting it up for sale on eBay to help fund other projects. However, as expected from something built from …”a military spec 385 hp Boeing turboshaft engine from a naval drone helicopter…”, as well as being modeled after the most bad-ass super hero of all time’s preferred mode of transportation, it ain’t cheap. If you’re really into getting it, you’re looking at spending $620,000. At that price, only the real Batman could ever hope to afford it.
Black Powder Red Earth V1
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Echelon Software’s Black Powder Red Earth V1, which I wrote a review for back in late June, is now available for purchase. Authored by Jon Chang and Kane Smith and illustrated by Josh Taylor, Black Powder Red Earth V1 takes place in near future Basran, a post-Iraq state. It follows the actions of a PMC against, primarily, Iranian-backed groups and agents.
You can buy your copy here.
FUBAR 2: Empire Of The Rising Dead
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
I was at the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend and I had the pleasure of seeing the FUBAR team for the second year in a row. For those not familiar with FUBAR, it’s a graphic novel zombie anthology series that takes place during WWII featuring a mix of different artists and writers for each story. The first volume, FUBAR: European Theater of the Damned covered the Nazi and Allied zombies in, appropriately enough, the European Theater.
This year, the FUBAR team has released FUBAR 2: Empire of the Rising Dead, taking place in the Pacific Theater, with plenty of zombified soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Despite being the second volume, it’s not linked to the European stories, so you wouldn’t miss anything story-related by skipping straight to FUBAR 2, although I suggest you get both; it’s an exellent series.
In addition to the graphic novels, there’s also a set of zombie targets available. Originally confined to just WWII zombie soldiers, the targets now include a Wild West Cowboy, Michael Jackson in Thriller, and my personal favorite, the Modern Operator (complete with Blackwater Logo, lol), among others. These come in two sizes: 11″ x 17″ and 24″ x 36″.
Finally, the FUBAR team is currently running a Kickstarter page to help with printing the second book. In exchange for your contribution, they’re offering everything from T-shirts to posters to both volumes of the book with custom sketches, depending on the size of your donation. You can donate here.
zombiefubar.wordpress.com
Going The Extra Length For Your Cosplay At SDCC
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011Many people put a lot of time and dedication into making a kick-ass costume for the San Diego Comic Con, but is it possible that going that extra mile is actually going too far? Surprisingly, it can be, since on the very first day someone was caught using an actual AR-15 as a costume accessory. Although that’s fairly shocking news, I’m more interested in what costume the individual was wearing that they felt necessitated the use of a real firearm. My money’s on Rambo.
After the first day’s AR-15 incident, everything went smoothly. The second day, however, saw the confiscation of two machetes, a dagger, a KA-BAR knife and a lead pipe. Either they were dealing with some extremely dedicated cosplayers, or prevented the happenings of a Marvel vs. DC fan turf war. Maybe both.
Hat Tip: Destructoid
SILLOF’s WORKSHOP
Friday, July 22nd, 2011Established in 1999, SILLOF’s WORKSHOP offers custom-made action figures of alternative versions of characters from popular franchises, including Star Wars and DC Comics. Everything he makes is amazing, but if anything else, the Rocketeer-esque Steampunk Boba Fett, appropriately named Boden Ferrett, is a must have.
Captain America Propaganda Posters
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Commissioned by Mondo, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s collectible art boutique, this is one of a set of four promotional posters made for the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger. Created by Eric Tan and Olly Moss, the posters depict propaganda on the part of both Captain America and the main antagonist organization HYDRA. The posters are available in extremely limited quantities and apparently only at Comic Con, so if you’re not there, then you’re out of luck.
Hat Tip: Wired.com
Black Powder Red Earth: Part 1
Monday, June 27th, 2011
I just got a hold of an advanced review copy of the new ‘Black Powder Red Earth’ graphic novel. Since I enjoyed the Facebook game, I was eager to read through it and see how good it actually was. I’m happy to say it does the property justice.
“Black Powder Red Earth: Part 1” by Jon Chang, Kane Smith and Josh Taylor takes place in a near future Iraq, 2019 to be exact. The story follows the actions of a PMC operating in the area of New Basrah, Basran. Their actions primarily include the capturing of high-value targets, negotiations with government officials, and information gathering. Showing the wide range of operations undertaken by these individuals definitely adds to the believability of the story. From earlier dealings with Echelon Software, I know a good amount of research and cooperation with actual operators went into making the story closer to reality then most other fiction dealing with this subject matter, and it shows.
Complementing the story is the art, which is done in a somewhat gritty style that matches the setting and mood perfectly. The coloring, to be expected considering the setting, is heavy in earthy tones. Variants of brown and tan are found in almost every panel, although more vibrant colors are also represented from clothing, cars, vegetation, and of course people. Characters are also outlined with a fairly thick border, which gives them a more pronounced appearance. There is also plenty of detail to be found, especially in the background of many panels. No scene feels lacking visually.
In short, I recommend giving this graphic novel a look. It’s a fine addition to the Black Powder Red Earth universe, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment to see how the story develops. It’s definitely one of the better new IPs to come out as of late.
The hardcover of “Black Powder Red Earth: Part 1” will be available later this year.
