Captain America 4, Fast & Furious 10, new He-Man reboot, & Manifest resurrection – 2021-08-20

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Anthony Mackie to star in Marvel’s Captain America 4 film

Anthony Mackie has closed a deal to carry the shield and star in his first leading superhero film in Captain America 4.

While Mackie and the folks at Marvel Studios have tried to keep things under wraps, Deadline is reporting that the actor will be reprising his role as the newly minted Captain America. Malcolm Spellman, the head writer and creator of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, will write the fourth installment of the Captain America franchise.

Fast & Furious 10 sets 2023 release date

Coming off of the theatrical run of F9: The Fast Saga, Universal Pictures has officially announced the release date for Justin Lin’s upcoming tenth installment to the blockbuster action series. Set as the penultimate movie of the main franchise, Fast & Furious 10 is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on April 7, 2023, nearly two years after F9 made its debut.

Fast & Furious 10 will once again be directed by Justin Lin, who will also serve as the director for the final installment, with Chris Morgan attached to pen the script. Even though the official cast hasn’t been announced, it’s highly likely that the main cast will return to reprise their respective roles.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe reboot series premiere date

Netflix has released the first trailer and announced a September 16 premiere date for its new CG animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This is the second of Netflix’s MOTU series, with this one being aimed at a younger audience than Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation.

The new series reimagines the classic story of the Guardians of Grayskull, with the official synopsis reading: In Eternia, the first planet of creation, a demonic tyrant rises: Skeletor! With dark armies at his command, Skeletor is on the march, hell-bent on capturing Eternia’s kingdoms, and its ultimate prize – Castle Grayskull, the ancient fortress of mystery said to contain the greatest power in the universe. It’s up to He-Man, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal, and his brave squad of rookie heroes to stop Skeletor and restore the peace. Both sides come armed with enchanted Power Weapons – transforming them into Masters of the Primal Powers of the Universe. It’s Master vs. Dark Master, He-Man vs. Skeletor – fighting for control of Eternia, Castle Grayskull, and the fate of us all. In the end, who will become Master of the Universe?

Manifest might get resurrected for Season 4

For Manifest fans, the recent cancellation of the series meant leaving questions that might never get answered, but recent news brings hope for the former NBC show.

Deadline is reporting that producing studio Warner Bros TV is in the home stretch of complex negotiations with Netflix about a Season 4 order for the sci-fi drama, as the show has been topping the streamer’s viewership charts since June. Because of its newfound success, WBTV has already started making deals with the cast and writers for its potential revival.

However, it’s stressed that the negotiations between Netflix and Warner Bros. TV are difficult because of factors involving Netflix wanting to also acquire the global rights to all Manifest seasons. This is an issue since the studio has already sold the series to international markets.

Manifest centered around a commercial airplane that mysteriously disappears, only to reappear five years later. While no time had passed for those on board, the world went on without them, and new mysteries unfold for the passengers as they seek to find answers as to how and why their plane disappeared years ago.

Host: Rob Logan
Special Guest: Roger Craig Smith

323 – Roger Craig Smith

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Roger Craig Smith interview
  • Getting started in entertainment
  • Transitioning from stand-up comedy to voice acting
  • Advice for voice actors
  • Struggling with social media
  • Photography
  • Creating characters
  • The process behind developing Batman’s voice for Arkham Origins
  • Playing Mirage and the Apex Legends community
  • Difficulties of motion capture
  • Opinions on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie
• Links:
  • Roger’s Twitter
  • Roger’s Instagram
  • Roger’s official website
  • International Dark Sky Association

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Paul O. and Anna
Special Guest: Melanie Scrofano

The Geek Generation – #276 – Melanie Scrofano, Syfy’s Wynonna Earp

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• King of Sensible Castle
  • Lord Rob’s three royal decrees
• Geek Outs:
  • Overwatch
  • Game of Thrones
  • Fear the Walking Dead mid-season finale
  • My photography in Kotaku
  • Skyrim mods
    • Magicka Sabers Expanded
    • The Dark Knight
    • Blaze of Eventide
    • Armored SabreCat Mount
    • Rayek’s End Revisited
  • Uncharted 4’s photo mode
• Freak Outs:
  • Captain America comic reveal
  • iTunes update 12.4.0.119
• Reviews:
  • Special Correspondents
• News/discussion:
  • New Mega Man cartoon in development for 2017
  • The Shannara Chronicles renewed for a second season
  • Mirror’s Edge TV show in the works
  • The Fast and the Furious returning to theaters
• Melanie Scrofano interview
  • Similarities to Wynonna
  • Preparing for the role
  • Experience on set
  • Strong female characters and cast
  • Acting with special effects
  • What she geeks out about

Joining Evans and Downey Jr. in the film are Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes/War Machine and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier alongside Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter/Agent 13, Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, William Hurt as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. The film will also debut Marvel’s new Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland.

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War will be released on May 6, 2016.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Paul O

The Geek Generation – #230 – Avengers: Age of Ultron

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• The Spoiler Room:
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron

Looks like million dollar corporations can play nicely with each other. According to a recent post on Marvel.com, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios have officially reached a deal to bring Spider-Man into an upcoming Marvel title and to collaborate on the next installment of the Spider-Man films slated for July 28, 2017. Negotiations had been ongoing since December of 2014 but no official word had been released until now.

Sony Pictures has had control over the Spider-Man movie franchise since Marvel sold the film rights in the early 2000s. While Sony will still have control over the movie rights and thus have the final say regarding future film decisions, it is great to see the possibility of the Friendly Neighborhood wallcrawler swinging into what will likely be Captain America: Civil War. While Spidey served a major role in the source material, it remains to be seen what role he will play in the film adaptation.

The same can be said about other Marvel characters making official cameos or appearances in future Spider-Man films if this friendly relationship is able to thrive. To clarify, Marvel will not be receiving the rights back from Sony at this time.

At last announcement, it was unclear what exactly Sony’s plans are for the next movie in its Spider-Man franchise as both a Sinister Six and a female-centered spin-off (most likely Black Cat) have been said to be in the works as possible titles before The Amazing Spider-Man 3. It is also unclear whether or not Andrew Garfield will be reprising his role of Spider-Man in any future appearance of the character.

While there is certainly a lot of money to be made, it is nice to see what could lead to the biggest movie experience for Marvel fans ever. Could this deal put pressure on Fox to renegotiate bringing the X-Men or the Fantastic Four on screen with their Marvel superhero brethren? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Captain America 3 is now, as speculated, officially titled Captain America: Civil War.

Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by Scott Derrickson, is officially scheduled for November 4, 2016.

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 has been moved forward a few months to May 5, 2017.

The next film in the Thor series is now officially titled Thor: Ragnarok. Both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are set to return as Thor and Loki. Feige also says that it will immediately follow the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron with the goal to take Thor to “another level of his own franchise.”

Marvel has officially announced a Black Panther movie, scheduled for release on November 3, 2017. Chadwick Boseman will star as Black Panther in the film. The character will also appear in full costume in Captain America: Civil War.

Two more announcements for characters making their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are a Carol Danvers Captain Marvel movie scheduled for July 6, 2018, and an Inhumans movie set for November 2, 2018.

Finally, as speculated, Avengers 3 has been split into two parts under the official title Avengers: Infinity War.

Avengers: Infinity War – Part I will arrive May 4, 2018 and Avengers: Infinity War – Part II will follow on May 3, 2019.

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #196 – Headlines from SDCC 2014

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Game: Smash-Up
  • Rejected Transformers
• News/discussion:
  • Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume revealed
  • Marvel Comics’ new Thor is a mystery woman
  • Falcon to become the new Captain America
  • Marvel assembles Avengers: Age of Ultron concept posters
  • Arrow’s Roy Harper to become Arsenal in Season 3
  • J.R. Ramirez cast as Wildcat for Season 3 of Arrow
  • Guardians of the Galaxy 2 set for 2017
  • Columbia Pictures announces release dates for Spider-Man films and Uncharted
  • GameStop offering Red Hood DLC for Batman: Arkham Knight pre-orders
  • Sting announced as pre-order exclusive for WWE 2K15
  • Patrick Wilson exits Marvel’s Ant-Man
  • Kelly Frye to play Plastique on The Flash
  • Test footage for Deadpool movie leaks online
  • Classic Godzilla monsters to appear in upcoming sequels
  • Legendary Pictures announces King Kong origin film Skull Island
  • Pirates of the Caribbean 5 coming in 2017
  • FX renews Louie for a Fifth Season
  • FXX to air marathon of 552 Simpsons episodes and the movie
  • Doctor Who series 8 premiere to screen in theaters worldwide
  • Forrest Gump getting limited IMAX release for 20th Anniversary

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Location:
France

Links to cosplay website and social media:

• facebook.com/SylyneCosplay

Favorite/most popular costume(s) you wear:
I have a particular attachement to every cosplay I’ve made. My Pikachu was the most fun to wear, because everyone was happy to meet a “real” Pikachu.  My last cosplay is a mermaid (Muromi san from “Namiuchigiwa no Muromi san”), I loved to create it, and even if it’s not easy to wear it, I love to be a mermaid.

How long have you been cosplaying?
Three years

How did you get started in cosplay?
I always loved to create things by myself. The first time I went to a convention, I discovered what cosplay was, and at that moment I knew I would love this.

Do you have any future costume plans?
My next cosplay is going to be a U.S.O. girl from Captain America. I’m currently working on it. And after that…  I got a lot of ideas, but I’ve not definitely chosen my next one for the moment!

Are you a cosplayer that wants to be featured? Find out how by going here: Cosplay Spotlight Submission

If you love Marvel and you love the LEGO videogame series, you’re in luck. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment announced today that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be available beginning Fall 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows PC, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the first installment in the highly successful LEGO videogame franchise to feature Marvel characters.

The game offers an original storyline in which Nick Fury calls upon Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and other heroes spanning the Marvel Universe to save Earth from such threats as the vengeance of Loki and the hunger of Galactus, Devourer of Worlds. LEGO and Marvel fans will enjoy classic LEGO videogame adventure and humor, while playing as their favorite Marvel characters.

“Fans of both LEGO and Marvel have wanted this game for years, and we’re addressing that demand with more Marvel Universe characters than ever in a console game,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President, Games Production, Marvel Entertainment. “If you’re a fan of Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy or scores of other Marvel characters, this is the game for you.”

In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, players will unlock more than 100 characters from across the Marvel Universe, including fan favorites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki and Galactus! The game will pack in a plethora of super-cool character abilities, combat-like action sequences, epic battle scenes, puzzle-solving and a unique story told with playful LEGO humor.

[see full size image]

Find out more Sunday, July 15 at the Amazing Spider-Man panel, 12:30PM PST, during Comic Con International 2012!

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan

The Geek Generation – #087 – DC Scramble

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Prometheus quick review
• Snow White and the Huntsman quick review
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Geek Outs:
  • SDCC 2012 Hasbro exclusives
  • CW’s Arrow extended preview
  • Wreck-It Ralph teaser trailer
  • Stamina 55-1610 InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer
  • Limbo
  • Humble Indie Bundle V
  • Franklin & Bash
• Freak Outs:
  • Kim Kardashian’s twitter
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• News/discussion:
  • Ultimate Spider-Man
  • The Avengers passes The Dark Knight domestically
  • Clark Gregg on his future in the Marvel Universe
  • Kevin Pereira leaves AOTS / Adam Sessler leaves G4
  • Warner Bros. pushing Justice League movie forward
  • Writer hired for Wonder Woman movie
  • Other DC Comics movies in the works at Warner Bros.
  • Alan Scott will be gay in The New 52
  • Simon Pegg says Khan is not the Star Trek 2 villain
  • Venom movie may tie into The Amazing Spider-Man universe
  • The Dark Knight Marathon is coming to AMC theaters
  • WB wanted The Riddler as The Dark Knight Rises villain
  • Damon Lindelof heads to World War Z
  • Teen Titans returning to Cartoon Network with new series
  • Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson join the RoboCop reboot
  • The Russo Brothers to direct Captain America sequel
  • Transformers 4 will be Michael Bay’s last
  • Starz announces final season of Spartacus
  • Release date set for X-Men: First Class sequel
  • Release date set for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
  • G.I. Joe re-shooting due to poor feedback

The second installment is said to pick-up where the highly anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world.

EPIX

The EPIX Original Documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story follows the life and creations of Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-Man, Captain America, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and over 200 other characters that can be found in Marvel comic books, on movie screens and in retail stores around the world.

Marvel Heroes Weekend is part of a free preview of EPIX for all subscribers of affiliate partners, which will also showcase Hollywood blockbusters Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Rango, Conan the Barbarian, True Grit, The Lincoln Lawyer and more, along with EPIX original comedy and music events Lewis Black: In God We Rust, Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell and Amnesty International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball. Over 30 million homes nationwide will have access to the free preview, including over 150 titles available On Demand and more than 3000 movie titles available online at EpixHD.com and through EPIX apps.

#10 – The Lincoln Lawyer – While I was originally turned off by a movie starring Matthew McConaughey as a lawyer, I’m happy to say this may have been the biggest surprise of the year for me. McConaughey and costar Ryan Phillippe are fantastic. The movie features a number of twists and turns that are well thought out and well executed.

#9 – Limitless – I was immediately drawn to the “what if?” premise of Limitless. Seemingly unlimited brain power in the palm of your hand? Sounds like every nerd’s dream. One foolish and forgotten subplot aside, Limitless is a crazy roller coaster ride from start to finish, so strap in and hold on tight. (full review)

#8 – Batman: Year One – For the second year in a row, DC Animated has delivered a top notch showing in their direct-to-DVD movies with Batman: Year One. Even more accurate to the source material than last year’s Under the Red Hood, Bryan Cranston lends his voice to Lt. Gordon, who takes us through one the most popular stories in Batman history.

#7 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – The final chapter in the saga of the “boy who lived”, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is an epic and fitting end to a story cherished by millions throughout the world. The actors involved and the story itself has matured from a group of curious children on an adventure to warriors of the wizard-kind in the field of battle. The scale and drama required to finish a tale of this magnitude does not disappoint.

#6 – Thor – Comic fans everywhere had their doubts when they heard the Asgardian Thor would be coming to the big screen. A lot of those doubts started to fade when Kenneth Branagh took the reigns as director, and more still when the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, and Idris Elba entered the mix. While not without its faults, Thor not only proved comic fans wrong, but surpassed their expectations. (full review)

#5 – Take Me Home Tonight – It’s been said by Topher Grace that the goal of Take Me Home Tonight was not to spoof the 80’s, but to create a generational film similar to Dazed and Confused and American Graffiti, and quite frankly… they nailed it. If you lived through the 80’s or were a child of the 80’s, you’ll feel right at home in this timely tale of “boy gets girl.”

#4 – Source Code – The sophomore effort by director Duncan Jones, Source Code is a mystery as fast-paced as the train it takes place on, with unexpected turns lining the track ahead. While the plot focuses on a whodunit story, the movie evolves into creating an understanding and appreciation for every second of your life. (full review)

#3 – X-Men: First Class – The X-franchise took a turn for the worse with The Last Stand, but X-Men: First Class has not only saved the franchise, it also managed to top all of its predecessors. Featuring some of the best performances of the year from Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, First Class delivered a fantastic story that stayed true to the core message of the comics. (full review)

#2 – Captain America: The First Avenger – Captain America: The First Avenger succeeded on so many levels where it could have faulted. It’s not an overly patriotic story holding the USA up on a pedestal. Instead, it’s the universal story of an underdog standing up against a bully. It offers just enough comic book “cheese” to make it extraordinary, but still grounds it in reality. (full review)

#1 – Super 8 – Character-driven mystery stories are where J.J. Abrams excels, and Super 8 is no different. While the mystery remains the driving force of the plot, the relationships between the kids, as well as their relationships with their parents, are the true focus of the film. Add to that the impressive performances from a group of young actors and the nostalgic Spielbergian score, and you’ve got yourself an instant classic. (full review)

Honorable mentions that I would still recommend:

• HappyThankYouMorePlease
• Horrible Bosses
• Warrior
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Better Than Expected:

• Just Go With It
• Paul
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Fright Night

Huge Let-downs:

• The Hangover: Part 2
• Rango
• Hugo

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #067 – January 16, 2012 News

[download] [subscribe in iTunes]

Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Listener Mailbag
• News:
  • Bond 50 Blu-ray set announced
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes announced
  • Ultimate Spider-Man to debut April 1st on Disney XD; launches Marvel Universe block
  • DC’s ‘New 52? hooded lady is named Pandora
  • Lily Collins will be the ‘female Ash’ in Evil Dead remake
  • The Avengers takes place mostly from Captain America’s perspective
  • Green Arrow series planned for The CW
  • Clarke and Cumberbatch join Star Trek sequel
  • Marvel: Avengers Alliance coming to Facebook
  • Burton and Downey Jr. in talks for live-action Pinocchio
  • Johns and Frank on Batman: Earth One
  • Horrible Bosses sequel in the works
  • World War Z being planned as a trilogy
  • Reserve police officer to direct Police Academy remake
  • Erica Durance dons Palicki’s Wonder Woman costume
  • Punk’d returns to MTV with rotating celebrity hosts

“I set out with a very simple problem: There is no reason for these people to be in the same movie. So that’s what my movie has to be about,” Whedon said. “So much of [The Avengers] story takes place from Steve Rogers’ perspective, since he’s the guy who just woke up and sees this weird-ass world. Everyone else has been living in it. He’s the guy that feels that sense of loss.”

“[The Avengers] is very much about people who are alone – because I’m writing it,” he joked, adding, “[Captain America] is kind of the ultimate loner in that way. There is an anachronism to him, and Chris and I have always tried to make it, without making it goofy or too obvious, always tried to make him that same grounded ’40s Steve Rogers he was in the other movie.”

The Avengers is set to hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

Anyways, here are the top ten moments I feel shaped 2011 in the world of comic books:

#10 – Mark Waid on Daredevil; Relaunched with a new #1

Oh Matt Murdock, the last couple of years have not been kind. From having your identity almost revealed, your wife getting driven insane and institutionalized, being put in prison and finally going nutzo and declaring yourself the new Kingpin of the underworld. After that where do you go? Enter Mark Waid, one of the most respected and best writers in comics history. He decided enough is enough, Matt had been through enough and famously said at a convention “I want to make it so you don’t feel like you need a stiff drink after you read an issue of Daredevil.” Waid’s idea was to bring Matt through to the other side, bring out the swashbuckling, more colorful Daredevil. After a decade of Bendis, Brubaker and Diggle putting Matt through high hell, its refreshing to see this side of Matt, but the undertones are still there. This book is a joy to read every month, with the amazing throwback art of Marcos Martin and others. It really is just a fun, well written super-hero book and in this industry right now what more can you ask for? Issue #7 is out now and the hardcover for the first six issues comes out on Feb 8, 2012. [Get the hardcover here]

#9 – Scott Snyder on Batman 

Scott Snyder IS the next Geoff Johns. That’s what many people are saying and I am inclined to agree. With the launch of DC’s New 52, Scott Snyder got to take the reigns of the main Batman title and start it with a new #1 (which hasn’t been done since 1940). Batman #1-4 (what’s been released so far) are far and away the best Batman stories written in years. It washed the horrible taste of Grant Morrison out of my mouth. Yes, he acknowledges Morrison’s stuff, but Batman goes back to being a ‘Dark Detective’ instead of a multi-colored leader of an army of Batmen. Each issue is better than the last. Snyder, who got his start on American Vampire and Detective Comics for Vertigo and DC respectively, is an AMAZING writer. Add to that the gorgeous art from Greg Capullo (Spawn) and you have THE best Batman book on the stands and one of the best in a long time. Bottom line… check out Batman #1-4 at your nearest comic retailer. Trust me.

#8 – X-Force: The Dark Angel Saga

First of all, if you are not reading Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender than do yourself a favor… kick yourself and go buy every issue! Seriously. It’s probably, if not the best X-book published, but one of the very best comics period. Every issue will kick your ass! One of the big storylines from 2011 which just finished was the The Dark Angel Saga. Basically Archangel has now taken over where Apocalypse left off and feels the need to cleanse the world of the weak. In order to help their teammate, X-Force must travel to the Age of Apocalypse (a famous alternate reality where Professor X died and instead Apocalypse took over) to find the dark entity that has his soul. While they are there, they encounter familiar friends who may no longer be alive in their own reality, and at the end of it a team member is killed and lost for good. A fantastic thrill ride. You can pick up the storyline split into 2 hardcovers. Book 1 is out now and Book 2 will be released on March 14th.

#7 –  War of the Green Lanterns

War of the Green Lanterns was DC’s big attempt to cash in on the excitement for the Green Lantern movie in June. (We all know how that movie turned out.) It was a ten-issue storyline that crossed over between Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors. It was spearheaded by keeper of the GL lore, Geoff Johns, and a multitude of talented artists. The story is how the Green Lanterns become mind controlled by the rogue guardian Krona and leaves Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and John Stewart left to deal with this. The cool twist is since they can’t use their Green Lanterns anymore, they have to choose one of the other Corps to join (Red Lanterns, Blue Lanterns, Indigo Lanterns, Sinestro Corps, Star Stapphires) and some of the choices are SHOCKING. At the end, the main Green Lantern of Earth (Sector 2814) is NO longer Hal Jordan. It’s a huge event with obvious long lasting effects to the mythos. You can pick up the collected hardcover right now!

#6 – X-Men: Schism/X-Men: Regenesis 

2011 was a huge year for the X-Men universe, with X-Men: First Class rejuvenating the franchise in film and with Schism and then Regenesis retooling the X-Men in time for next year’s HUGE “Avengers vs. X-Men” event. Before X-Men: Schism began this past summer, Cyclops had united all the X-Men in San Francisco under a new island to live on called Utopia which was basically a safe-haven for all mutants. At the beginning of Schism #1 a major anti-mutant attack is unleashed on Utopia and it tears the X-Men right down the middle on what to do. It ends up with Cyclops and Wolverine facing off and having a huge parting of the ways. With X-Men: Regenesis, the X-Men are split in half. Half of the team decides to stay in Utopia with Cyclops and continue to try to live in peace, while the other half follow Wolverine off Utopia to New York where he’s had the X-Mansion rebuilt in tribute to Jean Grey and decides to reopen the school for young mutants with him as headmaster. X-Men: Schism has been collected into a hardcover that will be released on Jan 11th, 2012 and X-Men: Regenesis has two main titles: Uncanny X-Men by Kieron Gillen and Carlos Pacheco and Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaaron and Chris Bachelo, both of which are up to issue #3.

#5 – The New Ultimate Spider-Man

In one of the most controversial stories of 2011, Marvel Comics decided to kill off Peter Parker. Wait… not THAT Peter Parker. The Peter Parker of the Ultimate Universe (think of it as an alternate Marvel Universe, cause it is). Nonetheless, this character had been around since 2000 and was written by Brian Michael Bendis every step of the way. But, finally, Bendis decided to end Parker’s story and start a new one with a new Spider-Man. A Spider-Man who is multicultural. Enter Miles Morales, who is African American/Hispanic. Then enter the internet cracking in half with controversy. To me, Spider-Man is all of us and I can see the point Bendis was making. The way Parker dies and becomes the Uncle Ben in Miles’ case to influence him to become the new Spider-Man is an absolutely seamless and beautifully told story. Bendis masterfully pulls a full circle story. I won’t get into the specifics, but it’s a definite must read. To read the demise of Peter Parker, check out the Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man hardcover that came out on November 2nd. To start and keep up with the new adventures of Miles Morales as Spider-Man, check out the monthly Ultimate Spider-Man comic, of which issue #5 just came out. Or, if you are trade-waiter… the hardcover of the first 6 issues comes out in February.

#4 –  Fear Itself

Fear Itself was Marvel’s “event” for 2011, and the first line-wide crossover they have done since 2008’s Secret Invasion. Written by Matt Fraction with art by Stuart Immonen, the story deals with the rise of an Asgardian fear deity named “The Serpent” who causes global panic on Earth. The twist is the Serpent, we find out, is attempting to reclaim the throne to Asgard he lost by his brother Odin. The entire Marvel Universe is faced with fear and doubt including the Super-heroes themselves. Obviously, like past Marvel events like Civil War, this is Marvel’s way to touch on the real fear going on in the world right now. The series goes through many twists and turns in its seven issues and there was also multiple tie-ins and miniseries that deal with pretty much every Marvel character. Some heroes don’t make it out unscathed, and it does have lasting impact on the Marvel Universe. The event itself is being collected in a hardcover available on Jan 18, 2012, with the minis and tie-ins to follow shortly after.

#3 –  Spider-Island

Spider-Island was the Spider-Man mega event of 2011 that ran through Amazing Spider-Man, Venom and numerous one-shots and minis. It is a basic story of what happens when… all the people in Manhattan gain Spider-Man’s abilities. The core bit to the story is that not all have been taught “with great power comes great responsibility.” Can Spider-Man keep the peace or will havoc ensue? As you read that I’m sure you are thinking what everyone thought: “This is going to be silly and terrible.” In fact, it was quite the opposite, as it was a really strong character piece about what makes Peter Parker special and why not just anyone with spider-powers can be Spider-Man. It is written by Dan Slott, who has been hitting it out of the park on Amazing Spider-Man for the past couple years and is without a doubt one of the BEST writers of all time on Spidey. It features some great moments such as seeing what J. Jonah Jameson and more importantly Mary Jane would be like with the powers of Spider-Man. This comes highly recommended and is without a doubt my favorite “event” of 2011. It’s currently being collected in hardcover for release on Jan 25, 2012.

#2 – Flashpoint

Flashpoint was supposed to be just DC’s big summer event for 2011. It turned out to be much, much more. Flashpoint was a mini-series that ran from May-Aug 2011 with a 5-issue main series and tons of tie-in minis and one-shots. The basic plot is that Barry Allen wakes up in an altered reality where the Flash never existed, Captain Cold is Central City’s protector, Wonder Woman and Aquaman have been married, Batman exists but kills and is it even Bruce Wayne?, Superman and the Justice League don’t exist and Cyborg is the world’s greatest hero. Everyone believed it would be a standard alternate reality thing where Barry has to find his way back to his own world. It was then revealed that this IS the world now. Everything has changed. Half the fun is finding out what changed, how it did and WHY. Finally, even when things end… the world isn’t restored to how it was before. Highly recommended. Geoff Johns is the best Flash writer and Andy Kuburt kills on the art duties. You can pick up the Flashpoint hardcover now.

#1 –  DC Comics 52 Reboot

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about this… even the non-comic book readers have. In the biggest move in more than a decade, DC Comics decided in August to reboot their entire comic book universe (for the most part) and start 52 comics at issue #1. While much speculation and guessing was thrown around, it turned out to be a MASSIVE success, the likes of which the comic industry hasn’t seen in some time. It got people reading comics again, people talking about comics again, and an influx of new readers as a result. For the first time since sales estimates have been recorded, DC Comics won the market share over competitor Marvel Comics. Marvel has since laid off many employees and is underway in cancelling a number of their lower selling titles due to this. The dominance of Marvel Comics in the comic industry was over. In September, the first full month of the new 52, they had an outlandish 20 out of 25 of the top selling comics for that month. It was unheard of. The reboot itself brought with it many changes to the DC characters, some major and some minor. The biggest announcement was the all-star creative team on Justice League of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. The most effected was DC’s flagship character Superman. Wiped away was the marriage of Clark Kent and Lois Lane that had existed since 1996. Gone was Jonathan and Martha Kent being alive. Gone was the familiar costume. Reestablished was the love triangle of Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Superman, with Lois’ knowledge of his secret gone. Other heroes were majorly changed as well. Barry Allen, The Flash, was no longer married to Iris Allen (is there any comic marriages intact now besides Reed and Sue Richards?). Probably the most controversial change to a character was that of Barbara Gordon no longer being the wheelchair-bound Oracle and instead walking and re-donning the cowl of Batgirl. The two characters least effected by the reboot were Batman and Green Lantern. Pretty much it was seen as if it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it. Geoff Johns would continue the story of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from where he left off. Batman was given a new creative team but all previous continuity had still happened. DC Comics dominated the comic industry from September 2011 to the very end of 2011. The question now is… will their reboot still bring them the market share in 2012 or will Marvel have a major league comeback in store for them? To check the reboot out (they are on issue #4 of all 52 titles) go to your local comic store or check out the AMAZING New 52 Hardcover that contains all 52 #1s in one ginormous 1000 page hardcover.

The holiday season is upon us yet again, and let’s just say that 2011 has offered many items in the realm of video games, Blu-rays, and graphic novels.With so much to sift through this holiday season, you may be asking yourself: What is the best bang for my buck this holiday season, either for myself or fellow beloved geek? The answer is simple, if you follow our handy guide to all things geekish that have been released from September to late November. We here at The Geek Generation aim to make your holiday shopping as painless and irritant-less as possible. And, maestro, take it away…

Interactive Gaming

This holiday season, gamers with a limited gaming dollar are going to have some hard choices to make. The glut on the market of games this season is so substantial, one could find themselves easily out over $600 playing every A-list title that has been released. With that said, let’s delve a little deeper into the cream of the crop, and distill some of what I consider to be the banner titles, the must-plays of this Holiday season.

Batman: Arkham City (PS3/360)

Rocksteady studios has produced nothing short of the BEST superhero licensed video game of all time. A loft claim, I know. But Arkham City really does what a sequel to a former game of the year should; it builds upon the foundation of an already great game, and gives the player a more expansive world to play in. Truly a “sandbox” Gotham, Batman can grapnel, batarang, shock, and explosive gel his way through hordes of criminals trapped in the now penitentiary lie Arkham City. Think Escape from New York in Gotham! A vastly improved freeflow combat system makes combat a breeze after the half hour learning curve. Add in a bevy of side missions, over 400 plus collectibles, an improved challenge mode, unlockables, DLC available already… Riddle me this: Need I say more? Tack on (if you can score one) the Collectors Edition, and you definitely get an all-encompassing Batman experience with a Kotokubiya statue, Gotham Knight on Blu-Ray (for PS3 only), 2 DLC codes for a Challenge Map and alternate costume, and Arkham City the Album. That said, Arkham City should be at LEAST in your top 3 for possible game purchases this holiday season. I’m not full of shit. You can quote me on that.

Batman: Arkham City is MSRP $59.99 (Collectors Edition $99.99, or more from a 3rd party seller)

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception (PS3)

Let’s face facts, Hollywood mega action flicks have lost their way these days. Rarely do I go to an action jam and really feel on edge and in the driver’s seat. The octane has been let out of the big rig, the gas leaking on the floor with no match to ignite it… As I write this, I am about 36 hours post-completion of Uncharted 3 and I have to say… but I don’t know where to start. If you played the previous 2 entries, you were probably amazed at the dialogue, story, visuals, gameplay. Uncharted 3 takes them to a whole new level. Naughty Dog has created visuals that look, as close as possible, to a real film. The writing of the dialogue and storytelling put most Hollywood movie scripts to SHAME. The run and gun, cover based gameplay is still there, and even more intense than every, along with the epic action set pieces. Every moment played, I was on edge. With over 1oo treasures to collect, 4 difficulties, MULTIPLAYER, already announced DLC, a SWEET Collectors Edition with a Sideshow toys Nathan Drake statue, wearable replicas of Drake’s ring and belt buckle, a sweet treasure chest style package, and steelcase for the game, Uncharted 3 may be 2011 game of the year. You will FEEL like an action hero, and you will not regret the purchase if you are holding out this holiday season. SIC PARVIS UNUM.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is MSRP $59.99 ($99.99 for Collectors Edition, or more from a 3rd party seller)

The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword (Wii)

As I write, I am staring at my copy I just picked up about an hour and a half ago. As a lifelong Zelda fan, and someone who witnessed the visuals and gameplay at New York Comic Con, Nintendo’s final foray into the Zelda franchise (at least for now) is sure to be epic. Boasting the true birth of the Legend, Link goes on a journey to save his childhood friend Zelda in a quest that takes full advantage of the Wii hardware (get out those component cables people for the best visuals!). Nintendo took time to add in great new gameplay elements, including weak spots to be exploited for almost every enemy, Wii motion+ support, where players can finally harness Link’s sword swinging powers and acrobatics, and the ability to upgrade nearly all items in the game. Fans can salivate at the fact that each game comes with a symphony soundtrack, as it is Zelda‘s 25th anniversary. With the Wii’s technology at the twilight of its life, fans can relish that it is going out with a bang. Zelda is a definite top pick for this holiday season. Get it with wisdom, power, and courage.

The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword is MSRP $49.99 with a symphony soundtrack (A bundle edition is $69.99 and comes a Wii motion+ remote decorated gold with the Hyrule crest, and soundtrack. May be hard to come by in a few weeks though.)

Gears of War 3 (XBOX360)

Personally, my 360 was gathering dust until September when I picked up Gears of War 3, the final chapter of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad. We find our hero in the midst of a shitstorm after the end of the last game, with Lambent and Locust running around causing more havoc than ever. We also discover… Adam Fenix may still be alive? That said, and without divulging too much story, Gears of War 3 is probably the last 360 exclusive that warrants a definite purchase. The story comes to a definitive conclusion, and secrets  are revealed, as well as some shocking moments I cannot reveal. Graphically and gameplay wise, the game has improved vastly, especially in the visuals department. They take full advantage of the aging 360 hardware and processors, giving the game a great polish. Once again, Gears of War 3 uses the cover system it pretty much innovated, with epic running, gunning and simple, tactical controls. (Feels more real to me than ANY Call of Duty game.) Tack on the multiplayer, with some new modes, including Beast mode, and you have a complete package for 360 owners. Other editions are available (a limited and epic edition) if you can still find them. Gears has been a defining 360 franchise, and if you have been playing it, complete the journey with this.

Gears of War 3 is MSRP $59.99 (Limited Edition is sold out, but epic edition may be available for $149.99 or more from a 3rd party seller, with a HUGE Marcus Fenix sculpture and the contents of the limited edition included.)

The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection (PS3)

The popularity of the remastered PS2 and PSP game collections such as God of War gave rise to what I consider one of the finest PS2 adventures crafted, Shadow of the Colossus. While I never played Ico on the PS2, it is definitely an experience. Two games that you NEED to have before The Last Guardian is released, are these. The epic, breathtaking scope of Shadow of the Colossus is not to be missed if you didn’t experience it on the PS2, with sweeping visuals, an isolated, lone hero on a lone island battling giants. With mysterious storytelling open to interpretation, Shadow of the Colossus is an adventure in every sense of the word. Let’s not forget Ico, an adventure, albeit short, that requires the player to think as it does not use any type of tutorial. An old school adventure with a story that is also open to players’ interpretation, Ico‘s puzzles defined PS2 adventure. While it shows its age, the remastered vision is endearing. Couple the games with some XMB themes on disc, and some great behind the scenes interviews and previews of Sony’s big time title The Last Guardian,do not miss this HD collection this holiday season, as it is breathtaking in scope.

The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection MSRP $39.99

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (PS3/360)

Twelve new fighters. New modes. New DLC skins. Need I say more. Yes, I do… Rocket Raccoon. Firebrand. Nova. Nemesis. Dr. Strange. Phoenix Wright. Ghost Rider. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 returns in the definitive package with all new fighters. If you missed it the first time, now is the time to get it. Heralded as one of the best fighting games of 2011, and containing 2 of my favorite companies, the classic 3 vs. 3 action should provide players hours of fighting experiences on and offline with friends. One for the ages at an unbeatable price, and better than Hawkeye’s arrow transporting Ant-Man to crush your opponent.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 MSRP $39.99

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (PS3/360)

The final chapter for both Ezio Auditore de Firenze and Altair Ibn Al’had comes to a conclusion before Assassin’s Creed 3 in a year or two. We find older versions of both Ezio and Altair both fighting the Templar conspiracy menace in Constantinople, in Turkey. Players can expect to play as Altair, Desmond, and Ezio as they uncover another chapter in the conspiracy surrounding the Apple of Eden. New gameplay enhancements such as the hook blade and den defense have been added to the game, and multiplayer returns as well with new characters. PS3 owners get a special installable version of the original Assassin’s Creed, obviously taking advantage of the Blu-Ray storage space. Gamestop buyers might still be able to score a signature edition with some cool extras for both systems. If you are a fan of the franchise, and want what is probably a cool addition to the story, pick this one up. It’s next on my gaming playlist. Requiescat in pace.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations MSRP $59.99

Honorable Mention:

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (360/PS3)

A collection of MGS 2, MGS 3, and Peace Walker, originally for the PSP. 100 plus hours of gaming. Need I say more? Metal Gear Solid has been a defining storytelling franchise, and for 50 beans, this one should provide you with a lot of gameplay for a long time.

Blu-Rays

Some great Blu-Rays have been released since September, and here is just a smattering of some of the ones that should be in your stocking:

The Crow starring Brandon Lee and Ernie Hudson, with Michael Wincott

At long last, The Crow flies to Blu-Ray. One of my favorite cult films based on the J. O’Barr graphic novels, the story of Eric Draven, a man murdered only to come back to life on the black wings of his avatar, a crow, to exact vengeance of the evil men who took his life and his fiance’s. This was a favorite of mind, even when I first saw it when I was 13 years old. The Blu-Ray release is warranted, and now for a steal you can get it.

The Crow MSRP $19.99

Captain America: The First Avenger starring Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving, with Tommy Lee Jones

Marvel’s final lead-in to next summer’s blockbuster The Avengers. A fantastic period piece about young military prospect Steve Rogers, who is injected with a Super Soldier serum to become America’s greatest weapon in the fight against Nazism, Captain America. A great cast and screen treatment make this a must-have, especially if you are collecting the whole “Avengers” lead-ins, such as both Iron Man films and our next important Blu-Ray purchase for you tree…

Captain America: The First Avenger MSRP $24.99

Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, with Anthony Hopkins

The Mighty Avenger, Thor. Cast down to earth after his arrogance causes a great upheaval in the kingdom of Asgard. Learning to live with humans, and attempting to get his power back, Thor battles Loki and the evil frost giants to save Earth and Asgard. Another superb setup film for The Avengers, with the lesser casually known characters of Thor. Some great casting choices for this one make it essential viewing before next summer when The Avengers assemble.

Thor MSRP $24.99

Batman: Year One starring Bryan Cranston and Ben McKenzie, with Eliza Dushku

Arguably, the finest DC animated film released. This is an hour long look at the watershed Batman: Year One comic written by Frank Miller. It is a perfect translation from page to screen, and tells of Bruce Wayne’s return from the Far East, only to become the masked vigilante we know as Batman. The film also explores the budding relationship between he and a young cop, James Gordon, two men who will eventually work on opposite sides of the law to achieve justice in a corrupt Gotham City. A superb animated piece.

Batman: Year One MSRP $19.99 (with a special Catwoman DC presents short and DVD included)

Graphic Novel MUST-HAVES

With so many being released, it’s difficult to figure out what to buy for that comic geek. Here are a few they will definitely enjoy:

Marvel’s Venom Vol.1 by Rick Remender and Tony Moore

Venom’s reboot has been huge for Marvel, as Flash Thompson takes the mantle of Agent Venom, with the symbiote now in the employ of the U.S. government. The story takes Venom on harrowing missions, and an internal struggle of keeping his new life secret from his girlfriend, and struggling with being handicapped after returning home from the war. Rick Remender is a mad genius and if you like Volume One, the comic is on sale monthly from Marvel.

Venom: Volume 1 is MSRP $19.99 (Amazon has it for $13.40 in TPB)

DC’s Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert

The ultimate story arc that lead into the big DC universe reboot. The Flash is caught in an alternate world, where everything is turned upside down. Bruce Wayne died. The Amazons control England. Superman is in a government facility. What the hell is going on? Read Flashpoint and find out if you missed it on comic shelves, as it is essential as we look at our next entry…

Flashpoint is MSRP $22.99

DC Comics: The New 52 Hardcover (released December 13) by Various

Call me hypocritical or blasphemous, but DC sucks. However, even I pre-ordered this oversized hardcover, containing a whopping 1216 pages! Every DC relaunch collected in one bookshelf edition. Some good, some bad, some ugly, some awful, who cares… this edition is a steal and then you can pick and choose what warrants a purchase monthly and what doesn’t. This volume should keep you busy at night during your time off this holiday season, and for a week after probably.

DC Comics: The New 52 is up for pre-order now on Amazon for $89.99

Thus concludes our Geekoliday Buyers Guide. Hope everyone has a happy holiday, and you get everything and anything geeky you want this year on your list. And remember, geeks don’t die, geeks multiply.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, the May 4 release is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Matt the Medic

The Geek Generation – Bonus – Scott Herman interview

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Show notes:

• Rob and Matt sit down with Scott Herman from ScottHermanFitness.com and The Real World: Brooklyn.

Additional links:

• Web: www.ScottHermanFitness.com
• Twitter: @Scott_Herman
• Facebook: facebook.com/ScottHermanFitness

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #048 – SDCC 2011

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration OR call 508-316-9787
• Geek Outs:
  • iPhone
  • Jonah Ray retweets Zombie Apocalypse episode
  • Captain America flying shield
  • Franklin & Bash renewed for second season
  • Firefly
  • The Summer of Punk: part 2
  • Captain America: The First Avenger
  • San Diego Comic Con
• Freak Outs:
  • Superman comic reboot
  • audio quality of other podcasts
• Listener Mailbag
• The Spoiler Room: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: Super Soldier is the latest “Marvel movie” licensed game published by Sega. In the past, games like Iron Man 1 and 2, and Thor, have been utter train wrecks with wonky camera angles, sub-par graphics and horrendous gameplay, hence the cost being $49.99 retail for these games. Captain America, while not at all perfect, is a bit better than all those aforementioned.

The game attempts to ape the style of Batman: Arkham Asylum and really has nothing to do plot-wise with the Captain America movie. In fact, it’s hard to tell where this game takes place in terms of movie continuity, before or after. Players are thrust into the enclosed castle of Baron Zemo (which is the headquarters of Arnim Zola, Red Skull’s researcher and master of cosmic cube infused weapons. Strangely, Zemo is nowhere to be found in the game.) The plot, penned by current Avengers Academy scribe Christos Gage, finds Cap attempting to stop Zola’s experiments while running around rescuing various members of the Howling Commandos, sabotaging gun emplacements, collecting Hydra intel, and other various “added content” collectibles throughout the 6 hour campaign. The collectibles come in the form of film reels detailing enemies, diaries detailing the history of castle Zemo, artifacts of the Zemo family which allow you to listen to said diary entries, and ceramic eggs… yes you heard right. (Apparently they came from the fabled ceramic chicken I found as I was exploring the castle). Concept art is unlocked thorugh collecting and progressing throughout the game.

Gameplay revolves around a poor man’s “free flow” combat system. However, poor man’s does not mean uninspired, just simple. Cap has a basic strike command, a grab, a counter, and a defensive roll maneuver. Energy is built up through attacks and counters, allowing for slow motion “smash” strikes, crippling enemies in one hit. All this is cool and easy, and one of the high points of the game. It just feels at times you are overpowered for the enemies you are facing, especially with the 9 upgrades that you can fully purchase in one play through (most of which I never used). Platforming, probably the lowest point of the game, looks like a cross between a bad Prince of Persia and Assassins Creed. Swinging from poles, vaulting around corners… I never felt like I was doing the moves when inputting them on the control pad. The game suffers in this aspect, because I hate playing something I am not in full control of. Bosses (of which there are about 4) are all from Cap’s rogues gallery, and are really not that difficult to defeat. I died more from explosions than boss fights, truth be told.

Graphically, the game is mediocre at best. Enemies and textures look the same, typical for a movie tie-in game. The only bright side of the graphics is Cap’s Shield, which is detailed when the camera is behind him… not so much when you hurl the shield. The model of Cap himself is decent, but still a little muddled in my opinion when he is fighting.

Overall, Captain America: Super Soldier is not a horrible game. It is definitely not the rushed garbage that was the first Iron Man game. By no means, however, is it a stellar game like Batman was. I think Marvel needs to yank the license from Sega for these “movie” characters stat, because the potential this game had was lost in development and “cash in on a movie tie-in”, in my opinion. The positive aspects of combat are marred simply by navigation issues (navigating the castle is a pain in the ass, especially when trying to backtrack). The 5-6 hour campaign and a few challenge levels do not warrant a $49.99 purchase, but as a rental or a value rack buy is definitely worth it to kill time. Amazon currently has it for $37, which I didn’t think was a bad deal for a brand new game. The only replay incentive is if you missed anything in the castle the first time around (not worth it in my opinion).

Positive:
+ Good combat system
+ The iconic vibranium shield
+ Chris Evans’ voice

Negative:
– Awful platforming
– Easy AI
– Fairly simplistic bosses
– short length

[xrr rating=6/10]

[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]B004RIACMW[/amazon-product]

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #046 – Superhero Box Office Report

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration OR call 508-316-9787
• Geek Outs:
  • Captain America Coolata tri-cup
  • Warehouse 13: Season 3
  • Alphas
  • signed picture of Sophia Bush
• Freak Outs:
  • Road construction
  • GoDaddy
• Top 3:
  • Top 3 professional wrestlers you would have a match against.
• Listener Mailbag
• Webfinds:
  • Spectator causes massive crash at the Tour de France
  • Mario on Paper
  • George C. Scott watches the Jack & Jill trailer
• Superhero Box Office Report

There has been a long list of superhero movies recently, and along with them, the fear that the genre may become watered down. But have no fear, Captain America is here. Captain America: The First Avenger is the story of Steve Rogers (Evans), a guy from Brooklyn, New York in the 1940’s who wants nothing more than to do his part and serve his country. The problem is that Rogers isn’t exactly a physical specimen. He’s short, scrawny, and asthmatic, but the one thing he does possess is the heart of a hero. It doesn’t take long for this to get recognized by a military doctor who nominates Rogers to undergo the Super Soldier treatment he has developed. A few injections and Vita-rays later, and Rogers is not only a more impressive human specimen, but a superhuman one.

On the other side of the coin is Johann Schmidt, aka, the Red Skull (Weaving). Schmidt is the head of a Nazi deep science division called Hydra and was the first to undergo the Super Soldier treatment, but chose to use it prior to its completion, therefore undergoing scarring physical side effects. The Red Skull sees himself as a superior being, and insists the rest of the world view him in the same way. In order to accomplish this, he seeks out the Cosmic Cube, an ancient artifact that is said to have been left behind by the gods themselves. Using the Cube, his forces create a new breed of powerful weapons which he plans to use to eradicate major cities across the world as a demonstration of his power.

The only way a hero like Captain America can work is if his rise to the name and suit are believable. He can’t merely throw on a costume and start using the name. The movie does a great job of showing this evolution from the scrawny Rogers to the USO “dancing monkey”, to the icon that we know and love. The movie does such a great job at establishing the goodness in Roger’s heart, that even when he is the heroic, larger-than-life Captain America, we can still look into him and see the person he always was. Ultimately, that kind of heart is what the story of Captain America is all about, and fortunately the film never forgets that.

The action scenes in The First Avenger were fluid and satisfying. Just as Thor’s hammer can be a challenging weapon to portray, so is Cap’s vibranium shield, and just as Thor made wielding a hammer look cool, so does Captain America in regards to his shield. There is one scene in the film in which there is a motorcycle chase that made me think of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Perhaps it’s the inclusion of Nazi villains or the period in time, but it was a welcome parallel.

Chris Evans veers from his usual cocky comedy self in order to play Steve Rogers, and he does so incredibly well. That’s not to say there’s no humor, it’s simply spaced out in order to keep the role from becoming a caricature of so many superheroes we’ve been seeing on the big screen. Hugo Weaving is the perfect casting for the Red Skull, and pulls off the unforgiving evil demeanor of the character. The remainder of the cast, from Hayley Atwell to Tommy Lee Jones to Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes bring more levels of depth to the already immersive story.

Captain America: The First Avenger succeeds on so many levels where it could have faulted. It’s not an overly patriotic story holding the USA up on a pedestal. It’s the universal story of an underdog standing up against a bully. It offers just enough comic book “cheese” to make it extraordinary, but still grounds it in reality. And for the ladies, it also contains the most romantic and believable love story of any of Marvel’s superhero movies. Well done Cap, now bring on The Avengers!!

Bottom Line: Captain America: The First Avenger tells a fantastic story of an underdog standing up to a bully… with a badass vibranium shield.

[xrr rating=10/10]

SEGA today announced Captain America: Super Soldier, the original video game adventure for Marvel’s famed super hero franchise, has shipped and is available in stores today. The stirring WWII superhero adventure is now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. The versions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 feature stereoscopic 3D graphics and a 3D version for Nintendo 3DS will be in stores October 25, 2011.

“Players can leap into acrobatic combat as the world’s first Super-Soldier with Captain America: Super Soldier,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA America. “When you combine an iconic superhero with a devastating combat system, an original story penned in conjunction with Marvel and stunning 3D graphics, you get an epic action adventure worthy of the First Avenger.”

“We are thrilled to offer players the opportunity to play as Marvel’s Star-Spangled Avenger in Captain America: Super Soldier,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Production, Games, Marvel Entertainment. “Captain America is the quintessential hero of the Marvel Universe. He’s the one all other heroes look up to, and we couldn’t be happier with SEGA’s efforts to deliver a quality experience in his first solo console game adventure.”

Captain America: Super Soldier transports players to the darkest days of World War II to face the Red Skull and his Hydra forces. Playing as Captain America and wielding his legendary shield, gamers will engage in free-flowing combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s mysterious castle. Once inside, players will battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and a host of nefarious enemies lifted from the pages of the comics as they seek uncover the secrets of the evil scientist, Arnim Zola, and his wartime experiments.

Captain America’s shield can be employed in numerous ways: taking out multiple enemies at once, deflecting incoming fire back at enemies, solving puzzles, and scaling walls. Players can fully utilize the impressive athletic abilities of the first Super-Soldier to overcome environmental challenges and discover multiple mission paths by scaling walls, climbing, and performing spectacular leaps and vaults. No matter which game platform they choose, players will be able to leap shield-first into the fray.

Starring actor Chris Evans as Captain America, the game’s original story was penned by noted Marvel scribe Christos Gage, who infused the game with expanded lore from the comic universe and immersive twists designed to enhance gameplay with all-new cinematic action sequences.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak

The Geek Generation – #045 – July 18th, 2011 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • First flying car made legal
  • Netflix announces new plans
  • EA to acquire PopCap Games
  • James Spader joins The Office
  • Paramount Pictures launches Paramount Animation
  • Ghost House Pictures remaking The Evil Dead
  • Batgirl to keep Oracle backstory in DC relaunch
  • Batman: Year One to feature Catwoman short
  • Uncharted movie gets a new director
  • TNT orders a second season of Falling Skies
  • ThunderCats to air on Cartoon Network Friday nights
  • Anime Iron Man and Wolverine premiering July 29
  • Cartoon Network announces LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace
  • Captain America: The First Avenger will keep title in all but 3 countries
  • Next Underworld movie gets an official title
  • LIMBO comes to PSN on July 19, Steam on August 2
  • Spy Kids: All the Time in the World to be Released with Aromascope

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #043 – July 4th, 2011 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • Ultimate Peter Parker is dead… a new Spider-Man on the way
  • MoviePass allows unlimited theater tickets for $50 per month
  • Team Fortress 2 is now free to play… forever
  • Robin will be playable in Arkham City challenge maps
  • Tom Hanks says there will be a Toy Story 4
  • Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson joins the cast of G.I. Joe sequel
  • Tekken Hybrid combines Blood Vengeance and Tag Tournament HD on one disc
  • Powers casting news
  • WWE All Stars – DLC schedule
  • James Cameron talks about Avatar sequels
  • Alex Tse will write The Crow reboot
  • Captain America hits Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins
  • Thor sequel set for 2013
  • M.A.S.K.: The Complete Series coming to DVD on August 9
  • Jurassic Park Trilogy hits Blu-ray on October 25

In this all new feature for Captain America: Super Soldier, Art Director at Next Level Games, Barret Chapman gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the various environments players will experience while playing Captain America: Super Soldier.

The motivations of our villains is really what drove the decision to set our game in Zemo’s Castle. We needed a place where Red Skull could set Arnim Zola up to conduct his research.

In the comics there is a long standing power struggle between Red Skull and Baron Zemo, so it seemed fitting that the Skull would have usurped his rival’s ancestral home for the benefit of Hydra.

Inspiration was taken from the Ksiaz Castle in Poland. During WW2 the castle was home to Project Riese. An underground complex was created to construct Hitler’s headquarters and armaments factories.

We loved the idea of a secret underground complex and thought a similar setting would work perfectly for what our villains were up to.  Visually we loved the look of the Castle proper as well, as it had the sense of history and varying types of architecture that we were looking for.

The designs for the main areas of the castle are all driven by the story, the Labs, the Cellblock, the Thermal Plant all service the main narrative. The other areas were conceived as mission objectives with the goal to inject as much history and visual back-story as we could into the castle.

What would Cap do if he found himself here? What are Zola and Hydra actually up to? How did they go about constructing the underground complex…where did the materials come from?

These were all questions we needed to answer to create a plausible, immersive setting for the game. The exercise of answering these questions provided us with a bunch of cool locations to populate the rest of the castle.

Once these settings were established we worked with Christos Gage to string the narrative through and tie it all nicely together.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Volpe

The Geek Generation – #042 – Green Lantern

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration OR call 508-316-9787
• Geek Outs:
  • Captain America trailer
  • San Diego Comic Con
  • George Carlin radio
  • AAA
  • Lytro camera
  • Nerdist mention
• Freak Outs:
  • Matt Hardy
  • CM Punk leaving WWE
  • Green Lantern
  • DC not ready for reboot??
  • WWE’s fixing of voting segments
  • New Taco Bell commercials
  • Green Lantern: The Animated Series
  • Twitvid
  • He-Man
• The Spoiler Room: Green Lantern

Hitting 3D and 2D theaters on July 22, the Joe Johnston-directed action adventure stars Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Toby Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Neal McDonough and Derek Luke.

Captain America: The First Avenger will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.

X-Men: First Class

JUNE 10

Super 8

JUNE 17

Green Lantern

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

JUNE 24

Bad Teacher

Cars 2

JUNE 29

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

JULY 1

Larry Crowne

JULY 8

Horrible Bosses

Zookeeper

JULY 15

Winnie the Pooh

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

JULY 22

Friends With Benefits

Captain America: The First Avenger

Another Earth

JULY 29

Crazy Stupid Love

The Smurfs

Cowboys & Aliens

AUGUST 5

The Change-Up

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

AUGUST 12

30 Minutes or Less

Final Destination 5

AUGUST 19

Fright Night

Conan the Barbarian

AUGUST 26

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

AUGUST 31

The Debt

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #036 – News-o-rama

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Show notes:

• Contest: Pearl Jam Guitar giveaway
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Green Lantern trailer / X-Men: First Class trailers / Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince voiced Shredder / Portal 2 / Thor / Christian wins the Heavyweight Championship / Smallville
  • Christian loses the Heavyweight Championship / PSN outage
• News:
  • New Nintendo console coming in 2012
  • Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – first details
  • Transformers: Dark of the Moon – trailer
  • Captain America will don a new costume in The Avengers
  • Thor and Captain America sequels confirmed
  • Wonder Woman TV pilot going through rewrites
  • Gordon-Levitt and Cotillard officially join The Dark Knight Rises
  • Batman: Year One voice cast announced
  • Redbox officially launching game rentals June 17
  • Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition coming in June

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has given some insight to D23 Magazine regarding the future of Marvel movies:

“X-Men was the dawn of the new Marvel cinematic age,” said Feige. “Iron Man was the dawn of the Marvel Studios age and the establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the beginning of that continuity. The Avengers is the next big step. Once all these characters come together, it’s the culmination of all that has come before. It launches a new era and a new time in the history of our films. Not only will it be the first film that our new home studio, Disney, will be distributing, but it will also renew each of these characters and launch them into their own franchises, starting with the second film to be released by Disney, Iron Man 3.”

Feige added that following Avengers, “Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. —all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #033 – Keep It

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Show notes:

• Poll question:
  • What do you think of the new Wonder Woman TV costume??
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Wrestlemania / JK Simmons cast as the voice of J. Jonah Jameson in Ultimate Spider-Man
  • WWE All Stars demo
• News:
  • Amy Adams cast as Lois Lane in Superman reboot
  • Captain America: The First Avenger – full trailer
  • Cartoon Network announces DC Nation
  • Duke Nukem Forever delayed… again
  • Duke Nukem Forever’s multiplayer modes
  • The frontrunners for Akira named
  • Fringe renewed for 4th season
• NY Times article: Gadgets You Should Get Rid Of (or not)

Additional links:

• Penny Arcade’s comic response to Duke Nukem Forever’s Capture the Babe mode

[UPDATE: This higher resolution photo has just been released which shows some slightly different coloring.]

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan Lipsitz

027 – Dropping the Rosen-BOMB

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Show notes:

• Poll question:
  • Which Super Bowl spot got you the most pumped for the movie??
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Super Bowl spots
  • Captain America / Thor / Cowboys & Aliens / Super 8
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Michael Rosenbaum’s Smallville return / Marvel vs. Capcom 3 / Dana Carvey on SNL / Howard Stern tweets Private Parts commentary / Xbox Kinect Superman VR program
  • Glee following the Super Bowl / lack of Green Lantern spot / No Ordinary Family
• News:
  • Michael Rosenbaum will return for Smallville finale
  • X-Men: First Class – trailer
  • Spider-Man joins the Fantastic Four, now known as The Future Foundation
  • Guitar Hero franchise is no more
  • Cobie Smulders officially joins The Avengers
  • inFAMOUS 2 – morality revealed
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – Shadow Mode DLC revealed

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Anna Zifcak

026 – It’s Man-happening

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Show notes:

• Poll questions:
  • Who do you want to see as Lois Lane in The Man of Steel??
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Escape the Fate Xbox 360 & Kinect giveaway
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • The Walking Dead comic / Howard Stern on Twitter / Chris Hardwick tickets
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns / Netflix Instant Streaming / Smallville
• News:
  • MTV announces return of Beavis and Butt-head
  • Angry Birds: Rio – trailer
  • NBC cuts The Cape episode order to 10
  • Nick Fury cameos confirmed for Thor and Captain America
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – Sentinel and Hsien-Ko debut trailers
  • MLB 11 includes one-button ‘Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes’ mode
• Rumor Central:
  • Cobie Smulders closes in on Avengers
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt In Talks To Join The Dark Knight Rises
  • Three actresses in competition for female lead in The Man of Steel