Pads & Panels

Title: WWE Extreme Rules 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Extreme Rules was introduced to WWE as the ECW pay-per-view of the year, but since going PG, it has become more about gimmick matches – cages, ladders, last man standing – than anything truly “extreme.” And while 2011’s iteration still finds itself stuck in that rut, it has a few gems. While it never tops the bill, Christian and Alberto del Rio put on a solid (not classic) ladder match, with the great story of Christian’s first championship win behind it. CM Punk and Randy Orton also have a knock-down drag-out last man standing bout. The triple threat main event cage match between The Miz, John Cena and John Morrison also has its moments, but feels awkward all around, and the end of The Miz’s reign is a disappointment. (more…)

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Title: Over the Limit 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Over the Limit has been a strange pay per view for the last few years in World Wrestling Entertainment. Its speedometer and car theme seems entirely random, in comparison to its wrestling theme, which mostly seems to be that John Cena has an annual “I Quit” match that mostly consists of him being whooped for an unbearably long time, only to refuse to quit and eventually prevail. It’s like the writer of The Passion of the Christ is called in to handle this PPV once a year. This time, Cena’s getting whooped by The Miz and his protégé, Alex Riley. It’s unbearably long and boring, and like a superhero, Cena takes a ridiculous amount of punishment and never gives up, only to slap a quick finisher on The Miz, who taps immediately. WWE should not be allowed to have these matches anymore, if that’s how they book them, because this is an awful excuse for sports entertainment. (more…)

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Title: WWE Capitol Punishment

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Videos

Review by: Bill Jones

WWE Capitol Punishment. If nothing else, it was one of the more entertainingly named pay per views in awhile, and the Barack Obama skits had potential, if ultimately put together seemingly lazily. R Truth’s turn toward craziness was also an entertaining build to the show, and his match with John Cena wasn’t half bad. Alex Riley and The Miz also put on a good show, as do Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. Randy Orton and Christian have another solid World Heavyweight Championship bout. None of it is particularly groundbreaking, and it still has the feel of a second-tier PPV for WWE, but it’s a solid show from start to finish. (more…)

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Title: Just Dance

Platform: Wii

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

The Wii has yet another game in its repertoire that asks up to four players to get up off the couch and move. In Just Dance, over 30 tracks are available from many decades and genres of music. However, they are all designed to get a person shaking their groove thing. During the song, a coach dancer demonstrates the moves as they are to be performed. The players hold the Wii remote and follow along as if looking in a mirror. There are also stick figure prompts that appear at the bottom right side of the screen to show which moves are coming up. The players’ moves are rated as Bad (shown as an “X” on the screen), Okay and Great. Several Great moves in a row count as combos and earn the player more points. All songs can be danced to in either a quick version or the full song. There are also three game modes where players can challenge each other to a set number of rounds and goals for the dances. (more…)

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Title: WWE Royal Rumble 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Royal Rumble marks the official start of the Road to WrestleMania in the WWE, and this year it was bigger than ever, upping the traditional 30-man over-the-top rope affair to a 40-man match for the first time. Though it is bigger, the massive cadres of jobbers that are Nexus and The Corre essentially take up the additional 10 spots. Still, WWE found the space for some fun surprise returns, which spiced up an otherwise middle-of-the-road rumble. The two championship matches – The Miz vs. Randy Orton and Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler – also provided enough entertainment value. Which is good, because the four-way Divas Championship bout was little more than filler and a chance for the live crowd to do a beer run. The special features, as per usual, are also disappointing. (more…)

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Title: Fall of Cthulhu: Vol. 5: Apocalypse

Publisher: Boom Studios

Writer: Michael Alan Nelson

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

Based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the Fall of Cthulhu series has thus far chronicled the story of a small band of people (and beings) determined to stop the end of the world at the hands of the ancient cosmic entity, Cthulhu. The fifth volume of the series, Fall of Cthulhu: Apocalypse returns to the story of Cy, Luci, Sherriff Dirk and the mysterious keeper of secrets known as the Harlot, as they attempt to stave off the apocalypse at the hands of a now awoken Cthulhu and his many dark underlings. One of which, the “crawling chaos” known as Nyarlathotep, has put into effect a plan that will use Cy to put an end to humanity once and for all. The Harlot has amassed her own army however, and the ensuing battle will decide the fate of both the waking word and dreamland dimensions. Even though this comic wraps up the first major story arc in the series, seeds are planted for later events. Overall, this was a satisfying ending to the major story arc that began in Vol. 1. The comic uses a very heavily inked style that gives it a very dark feel, and Santolouco’s colors really seem to give life to the stark landscapes of the dreamlands. (more…)

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Title: Gunblade NY & L.A Machineguns Arcade Hits Pack

Platform: Wii

ESRB: T

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

Anyone that has fond memories of 1990s arcades will most likely remember Sega’s Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns games. While both games are essentially high-action arcade rail shooters, both were mindlessly fun quarter munchers in their time. Although there’s no way to truly replicate the arcade cabinet’s memorable rumbling machine guns, this collection does a great job of faithfully reproducing both games for the first time. Even though the 90s era low-poly graphics haven’t particularly aged well, the gameplay is still as fun as it ever was. Just as in the original, players whiz about the city on flying machine gun-equipped vehicles frantically blasting everything in sight. Although both games’ hectic pace and near motion sickness-inducing cameras may turn some players off, the simple rail shooter gameplay is remarkably easy for anyone to pick up and play. Conversely, because these were arcade games, neither is particularly long, as both can be beaten fairly quickly. Even though it’s a decidedly no-frills affair as far as bonus content or updates are concerned, the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns: Arcade Hits Pack is still a fun arcade shooter that nostalgic gamers will definitely get a kick out of. (more…)

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Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

“Too Far Gone,” the 13th volume of The Walking Dead, brings the set-up of Kirkman’s Washington, D.C. arc to a head. In “Life Among Them,” the group of survivors we’ve been following were taken to a walled community in the nation’s capitol. “Too Far Gone” finds them settling into their new lives, protected from the dead and living back under the constructs of society. But things are far from settled, as Rick and Co. are finding themselves with different levels of suspicion and trust, and blending in or failing to blend in (to different degrees) with the people of the community. Luckily, Kirkman gives two big moments for these relationships to come to a head, with Rick arguably going a bit too far in his role as sheriff, and an aggressive group showing up at the gates. And even with everything in motion, Kirkman finds a way to offer a twist at the end, while remaining faithful to the characters he has created.

“Too Far Gone” collects The Walking Dead issues #73-78.

Pros: Great big moments that bring things to a head for the D.C. arc. Great contention between the group and new community. Solid action all around.

Cons: That there’s not more of it. Rick’s outburst a bit overdone.

For more info, www.imagecomics.com

Pads & Panels received a copy of the book courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.

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Title: The Walking Dead Vol. 12: Life Among Them

Publisher: Image

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artists: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Volume 12 of The Walking Dead, “Too Far Gone,” is the start of a very important arc for Kirkman’s ongoing zombie epic. The first half of the trade is still packed with zombies, but by the second half they are barely seen. That’s because the group finds its way to Washington, D.C., where a large group of survivors has made it with the comforts of the old world in a walled-off community. Surprisingly, the group is welcomed with open arms, but the question becomes – do they have the trust in them to submit wholeheartedly to the group, and does the group truly have the best of intentions in mind? It’s a nice chance of pace, reminding readers that while the zombies are the catalyst for The Walking Dead, it is the people that keep us reading. It is a very important set-up for the series, and asks the important question – can this group survive in a “normal” society after everything they’ve been through? – but readers will have to wait until Volume 13 for the payoff. (more…)

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Title: Rise Against – Another Station: Another Mile

Format: DVD

Studio: DGC Records

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Rise Against’s latest DVD release, Another Station: Another Mile, offers 14 live tracks from the band recorded (literally) around the world in 2009 and 2010. The live performances are broken up by interview segments in between. The video quality of the performances varies, which is disappointing, but the sound is solid all the way through, despite the band’s note that they opted to leave mistakes intact to be an accurate representation rather than overdubbing the audio as many bands will do with “live” albums and DVDs. The interviews are nice, though, allowing fans a chance to learn more about the individual members of the band, and the causes they sing about in most of their tunes. Fans will also appreciate the chance to look inside a writing session Rise Against holds in a legendary space upstairs from Chicago’s Metro venue. The band is great in almost any setting, and this is shown in the diversity of shows, from singer/songwriter Tim McIlrath performing “Swing Life Away” on the streets of Budapest, Hungary to Rise Against delivering an epic rock performance of “Ready to Fall” in the rain at the Nurburgring Racetrack in Germany. It’s just disappointing that the DVD lacks any extras outside of the main feature. (more…)

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