Locke & Key: Omega #1 Review

This is it. The beginning of the end. The tension Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have built up throughout this series couldn’t be more gripping. I just can’t get enough of it. It’s like crack. Or so I hear. Tyler, Kinsey, and everyone else have a false sense of security because they don’t know Dodge has taken control of Bode. And he’s got all the most powerful keys! This series will be the death of me if it makes my heart beat any harder. But please let me die only after I read the final issue of Locke and Key: Omega.

Gabriel Rodriguez’s art looks unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s gorgeous and detailed as can be, and every re-read rewards you as there always seems to be more visuals to take in. His art is like a demented Where’s Waldo? book because whenever you find the hidden gem it’s usually something crazy freaky. Just look closely at the second to last page. No, closer. Yeah, there. WHAT THE FRAK? Now you know what I mean.

Hill doesn’t waste a panel as he uses Scot’s video project to let the characters shine with some heart-wrenching confessions. This issue goes light on the dark magic stuff, but we’ve been with Tyler and Kinsey so long that hearing them shed light on key moments in this story’s history proves to be just as good as any of the key stuff. Hill has stacked the elements of his story -- Dodge, the keys, Tyler, Kinsey, Bode, the cave -- like a game of Jenga. You can see that they’re all about to crash down in a horrifying way, but no matter how harrowing it looks, you can ‘t stop reading.

Joshua writes for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN, where he will air-bend, Force-push, and optic-blast his opinion into your brain.

Source : ign[dot]com

X-Men #38 Review

Writer Seth Peck steps up to the plate; Brian Wood’s glorious stint on X-Men couldn't be a tougher act to follow. He plays it smart by distancing his first issue from the team drama and focusing on just Domino as she takes a vacation -- a term that for her means infiltrating a super villain casino -- and crosses paths with Daredevil. Peck has clearly been influenced by Mark Waid’s upbeat take on Hornhead, so much so that I had to double check that Waid wasn’t a co-writer. He goes so far as to have the pair flirt as they beat up baddies, immediately bringing Daredevil #8 to mind, where Daredevil had a steamy team-up with Black Cat. Even though the writing flirts with imitation at times, Peck does enough to make this an enjoyable new direction for the title.

Artist Paul Azaceta stands out as the top reason to buy this book. His style looks loose and fluid while retaining a street-level realism. With the color palette from Rico Renzi full of loud pinks, heavy purples, and a twilight turquoise, the book will leave a lasting impression on your eyeballs. Azaceta not only nails the hard-hitting casino brawl, but the smaller moments of Domino’s subtle luck powers.

The plot steadily builds an interesting mystery before jumping into a fun action scene, but the witty banter that was enjoyable at the beginning wears thin by the end due to repetition. A sense that Peck could have gone further with the material can be felt. Despite my misgivings, this was a good book that has entertains with both lead characters, all emphasized by impressive art.

Joshua writes for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN, where he will air-bend, Force-push, and optically blast his opinion into your brain.

Source : ign[dot]com

Peter Jackson Shows Some Hobbit Footage

Couldn't make it to this year's San Diego Comic-Con? Director Peter Jackson brings The Hobbit presentation to you instead with this latest video production blog entry. Much of this video was screened for the fans who attended the SDCC panel. It shows off snippets of footage from the movie, as well as lots of behind-the-scenes content featuring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Lee Pace, and the actors playing the dwarves. It chronicles the talent's appearance at SDCC and the wrap of principal photography.

And what did we think of the 12 minutes of scenes from The Hobbit screened exclusively for fans at SDCC? Watch the video reaction below!

Source : ign[dot]com