Ghosts #1 Review

Ghosts is Vertigo's latest seasonally appropriate anthology issue. As the simple title suggests, the various stories in this book explore the concept of ghosts from a variety of angles, some much more literal than others. While every Vertigo anthology has at least some worthwhile material, they also ask a lot of readers with the $8 cover price. Luckily, in terms of both the creative talent involved and the quality of the stories, Ghosts is one of Vertigo's better efforts.

The obvious headliner of this issue is Ghost for Hire, a joint effort between Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire and one that makes a strong case for why Johns should venture outside of the DC Universe more often. It's a fun, charming tale that could just as easily be placed in an all-ages anthology. The other highly significant entry in the issue is Joe Kubert's The Boy and the Old Man. While visually rough since Kubert wasn't able to do more than layout the story before his death, the story is a very heartfelt and engaging look at an elderly, terminally ill man fighting to protect his grandson. It's difficult not to read a deeper significance to the story given Kubert's unfortunate passing.

Plenty of other strong material rounds out the issue. Paul Pope and David Lapham team for a sci-fi pirate epic called Treasue Lost. Here the ghost theme is at its most tenuous, but who cares when it allows Pope to do more of the surreal, creative storytelling he excels at. Gilbert Hernandez's The Dark Lady is an initially somber read that takes a fun turn towards the end. Al Ewing and Rufus Dayglo's The Night After I Took the Data Entry Job I was Visited By My Own Ghost may be obnoxiously titled, but it offers a fun twist on the "Ghost of Christmas Future" formula.

There are a few missteps here, to be sure. The Dead Boy Detectives in 'Run Ragged is enjoyable and visually diverse, but it ends abruptly and encourages readers to wait for the next Vertigo anthology for a continuation of the story. Amy Reeder's art is a highlight in Wallflower, but the idea of two lovers becoming metaphorical ghosts to each other sort of fizzles out by the end. The only story I actively disliked, though, was Bride. Though it too boasts some strong visuals, the storytelling was pointlessly obtuse and the main characters thoroughly unlikable.

Yes, $8 is lot to ask for any comic, but Ghosts offers a wealth of content, and quality content at that.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Tower Chronicles: GeistHawk Vol. 1 Review

The concept of The Tower Chronicles is not exactly a new one. We have a mysterious loner who hunts down the things that go bump in the night, a doubtful FBI agent who needs his help solving a case and plenty of lines like, “I work alone” and "I can smell her fear." Without a doubt, The Tower Chronicles feels dated, like a story we've all heard before or a movie that never made the jump from VHS to DVD. The main character even looks like a mashup of the classic action heroes of the 80s and 90s, complete with turtle neck, Members Only jacket and slicked back hair. Fortunately, despite all that, it's still a fun read that's filled with some ridiculous action and some truly awesome looking monsters.

The story, created by Thomas Tull and Matt Wagner, revolves around John Tower, a man (at least we assume he is a man) who specializes in hunting down the kinds of things that the law can't. If, for instance, you are fairly certain that your family was murdered by a pack of werewolves, then you'd ring up John Tower and he'd make sure that said werewolves didn't come around anymore. Like I said, it's not exactly a new story, but Wagner's script manages to keep it interesting. In the book's 70 pages we get to see a man-made ghost, an owl demon thingy, and some really creepy vampires. It's cool stuff, as long as your idea of cool is seeing a vampire ripping the head off of a small child in extreme, gory detail (the kid is also a vampire, so I guess it's okay).

The dialogue, like the story itself, often feels stiff. None of the characters standout or doing anything particularly unexpected or interesting. You'll no doubt find yourself wishing you could get to the next monster and the next fight scene, because that's where this book excels. When the word balloons drop off the page and the plasma knife comes out, The Tower Chronicles gets good. Real good. It's just all those bits in between that'll have you wondering if this was originally a spec script for a Lorenzo Lomas movie from the early 90s.

Like the writing, the Simon Bisley's art is hit and miss. His detailed, exaggerated style looks amazing during the aforementioned fight scenes. The vampire melee towards the book's end is worth the cover price alone. It's sinister stuff, in all the best ways. The problems start when characters have to interact without a ghost or a monster attacking them. That's when things look awkward and lack a clear flow. It's a shame, because I'm sure there is more to Tower than his typical, brooding, tough-guy demeanor; it's just hard to care when he looks like such a bizarre dork. I just want to see more vampires and less FBI agents and mullet-topped bounty hunters.

The Tower Chronicles is scheduled to be a big story, covering several of these 70 page, over-sized books. Hopefully, as the story unfolds, the dated, stale feeling that haunts this book will be exorcised. This could be a great series, especially if we get more vampires ripping the heads off of people -- because that stuff is awesome.

Benjamin is a Ninjak enthusiast. He owns many variant covers and his office smells of honor. Follow Benjamin on Twitter, or find him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Hobbit: First Look at Thranduil and The Great Goblin

More publicity images and concept art for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment in the trilogy, have found their way online.

Both io9 and Gamma Squad point out the image below of Pushing Daisies actor Lee Pace as the Elvenking Thranduil, father of Legolas, taken from upcoming promotional material.

Meanwhile, TheOneRing.net (via Heirs of Durin) point out this Facebook page for a French Hobbit fan site that posted images of what they believe to be the Great Goblin, aka Goblin King, played by Barry Humphries in the Hobbit movies.

This screen grab from a past Hobbit video blog entry could show an actor being prepped for their Goblin role, a creation that will be fleshed out later via CGI:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens December 14.

Source : ign[dot]com

Alleged Heavenly Sword 2 Concept Art Leaks

Concept art for what was supposedly planned to be Heavenly Sword 2 has leaked online showing off Nariko in what appears to be a desert setting.

A series of nine images appeared on AllGamesBeta purporting to be from a planned sequel to the 2007 hack and slash adventure that never materialised.

Though they haven't been confirmed, the art style seems pretty similar to the supporting artwork that we saw before the original title was released. A sequel to Heavenly Sword has been talked about for years; the game was originally planned as being the first in a trilogy, but since Ninja Theory has recently focused on multi-platform development, it seems increasingly unlikely that a follow-up to the PS3 exclusive will happen.

Ninja Theory is currently working on the Devil May Cry reboot, DmC, which is due out on January 15, 2013. They previously worked on Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, the art style of which was very clearly inspired by Heavenly Sword.

You can check out some of the leaked concept art below, or head over to AGB for more.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com

Wreck-It Ralph Concept Art

Check out some cool new concept art from Disney Animation's upcoming video game valentine Wreck-It Ralph:

Wreck-It Ralph opens November 2.

Source : ign[dot]com