NHL 16

In a completely unsurprising move, EA has announced that they will be releasing NHL 16.  The yearly series angered long term fans with the first release on the next gen systems.  There were a lot of features that were expected in the series that 15 cut.  The announcement that was just made today has a long list of new features or updates to existing ones.  Here are the ones that stuck out for me.

Be a Pro.  There are some big changes to this mode.  Your rookie can now start in the CHL and work your way up to the NHL.  In addition to that, you’ll no longer be putting points into your attributes.  Instead the game will keep track of how you play and reward you accordingly.  You will also be able to sim shifts that your player isn’t on, which will make games go much quicker.

6 v 6 Online play.  There isn’t much to say about this one, 12 people all playing one online hockey game.

Distinct Team Arena Atmosphere.  The game is adding team specific celebrations, mascots, chants, and even signature props to the game.  Consider 15 didn’t even animate hats on the ice during a hatrick this is a nice improvement.  I hope that will get some octopi on the ice in Detroit.  I’d love to see some arena specific music, but I’m sure that would be a huge pain.

Playoff Beards.  This is the one that is going to get all of the press.  Players supposedly will have accurate beard patterns, length, thickness, and growth rates.  I won’t lie, I love this. 

Finally, since we're talking about hockey...holy fuck Tyler Johnson.

Batman Love Letter

Love Letter is a quick, easy to learn card game.  The premise is simple; all of the cards have a point value and a rule on them.  When the round is over you want to have the card with the highest point value on it.  You start the game with one card, then on your turn to have to draw a card and play one of the two in your hand. The rules printed on the cards are very simple, things like look at another player’s hand.  The game is so quick that even when you’re knocked out for a round it doesn’t take long before you’re playing again.

Because the game is so simple it is open to being licensed all sorts of ways.  I chose the Batman version but there are Hobbit, Adventure Time, and other versions already released or on their way.  Joker is the high value card in the set, so he’s the one you want to end with.  The lowest value card is Batman.  When you play Batman you can earn a point by correctly guessing what card is in someone’s hand.  It knocks them out of the round and you get to feel like the world’s greatest detective.  We had a lot of fun asking each other if we had Poison Ivy.  

You don’t have to go down to your local game store for Batman Love Letter either.  I found it in my local Target.  I don’t know why I was over in that section that has sports and collectable cards, but there it was in its clamshell package.  Target has done a good job keeping some of the more popular board games in stock over the past few years and it was a pleasant surprise to find this one.  The game runs between 9 and 12 dollars depending on what version and where you get it.  If you're looking for something fast and easy I highly recommend it.

The Muppets Offical Trailer

ABC is doing a new Muppet show.  They are calling it an adult Muppet show.  I didn't realize the original was only for children.  Regardless I'm excited.  They had me at, "Animal does nudity if tasteful".

One thing I've never cared for in the movies is how Kermit and Piggy are always an item.  It the TV show he was always trying to get away from her.  Anyway, bring on the Electric Mayhem.

Iron Fist 101 Announcement

There are a lot of superhero shows and movies out there and there are more coming.  Due to the  years I’ve sent with a  comicbook in hand I’ve become the person ask when any of my family have questions about these properties.  When you’re mother-in-law texts you because she wants to more about the Inhumans it is a very, very strange day.  I have deep pre-52 DC knowledge and fair Marvel knowledge.   My wife has gotten used to my comic triva knowledge when watching things like Arrow of Flash.  I’ll smirk or giggle at a name or reference in the background and then I’ll have to explain something why the name of Iris’ stuffed turtle is awesome. 

When we spent a weekend binge watching Daredevil I was out of my element.  I knew Daredevil of course.  I had read some of Frank Miller’s run but not all of it.  I knew a lot of his villains because they appeared in other things.  I don’t own any Daredevil comics and I have 1 Daredevil trade paperback (I’ll reveal which TBP later in this update).  So when I had to confess ignorance to some of my wife’s questions I suddenly saw her texting Brandon, the biggest Daredevil fan we know.

The next Netflix show is based on the Alias comic.  While I know of the story, I’m even more in the dark about it than I am Daredevil.  After that is Powerman.  Luke Cage appears in a lot of the comics in my collection but I don’t have any of his solo run.  Finally we get to Iron Fist.  I know a lot about Iron Fist.  Between trades and single issues I have the good, the great, and the horrible Iron Fist stories.  Starting next week Iron Fist 101 will be a regular feature here.  Every update will cover a story arc, handful of one shots, or even a single issue if it is important enough.  It won’t cover a lot of the team book stuff, I just don’t have those.

When Iron Fist debuts on Netflix next year you’ll be ready.  You’ll know your Dragon Kings, Immortal Weapons, and the Thunderer.  Oh, that Daredevil trade I own?  It’s when Matt is in prison and he asks Iron Fist to become Daredevil.  My only Daredevil trade co-stars Iron Fist, we’ll be covering that one too.

Introducing Carlos Cabaleiro

This is one of the things I’ve been working on for awhile but with all the site hiccups it didn’t start until now.  I don’t art well.  I’ll skip all the self-deprecating jokes and just acknowledge that as a fact.  I do happen to know Carlos Cabaleiro who can art.  Now because I like to do things like pay my bills, feed my family, and other things like that I can’t hire someone full time to art for me.  Trust me, I sometimes day dream of that.  I’d be all like, “You!  Draw me Modok jumping rope!”  And then someone would ask if it was single or double Dutch.  Of course that should have been obvious by the way I asked the question so I’d have to yell and throw things at people’s heads.  Someone would cry, I'd apologize even though everyone involved knew I didn't mean it.  But eventually after my request I’d have art of Modok jumping rope.  Holy shit that went off the rails.

So anyway.  Once a week in addition to the day’s topic it will include art by Carlos.  At the bottom of that article will link to a ebay auction for the piece of art in question.  That way if you like the art we used that day, you can own it.  I get art.  You get art.  Carlos gets monies.  I think it works out well for everyone but I wanted to be completely transparent with what was happening and why.  As an example of things to come the image above can be found on ebay by clicking HERE.  We'll try to keep the images tied into what is going on that week.  If everyone is excited about Avengers, that's probably what picture is going up. 

Carlos is the artist for a creator owned comic A BULLET FOR YOU with writer R. Thomas Favino and the penciller/inker for CLOUDWRANGLER COMICS' MAJOR HOLMES and CAPTAIN WATSON.  Carlos is regular contributor for the top trading card companies: Topps (Star Wars), Upper Deck (Marvel) and Cryptozoic Entertainment (DC). His artwork has been featured on sets for Rittenhouse Archives, Breygent Marketing, and Pastime Cards.  He also has a website, www.carloscabaleiro.com.

Birth of Robin

Sometimes I shouldn't be allowed near children’s toys.  As we were putting my son to bed last night I saw the Duplo Batman figure next to the circus scene and I knew what I had to do.  Batman is part of the licensed DC Comics Duplo sets that started coming out right before Christmas.  The police officer and the circus stuff all come from the other sets we have littering our floor.

Also I know it would be better if it had been Bruce Wayne and not Batman with the young Dick Grayson.  But I had a pretty limited pallet to work with here.  I figure it still gets the point across.  

For the record the only DC heroes so far with figures are Batman and Superman.  By the time they get around to Flash my son will have graduated to normal sized Lego.  Of course he could be in high school and I'd still buy a Duplo Flash.

Megatron for Christmas

I honestly don’t know why I’m on Hallmark’s mailing list, but I am.  Yesterday I received an email talking about this year’s Christmas ornaments.  I realize it’s probably a huge portion of their yearly profit but holy fuck I wonder how early they announce these things.  Regardless of how premature it might have been, I still clicked on the link to see what pop culture icons were turned into little plastic things to hang on trees that somehow celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus.  There is of course Disney out the ying yang and that means Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.  But that wasn’t all, there was also Megatron.

And I mean real Megatron.  He’s not a tank.  He’s not whatever the fuck that thing in the movies is.  It’s gun trigger for a dick, honest to god Megatron!  The ornament is clearly based on the original toy and looks fantastic.  He won’t be on sale until July and is priced at 14.95.  That means he won’t have any crazy light or sound effects, but this is Megatron; he didn’t need those anyway.  My favorite thing is you can see just how early the 2015 ornament entries are.  The product description is clearly copied over from last year’s Optimus Prime ornament.