Author: Julian Cannon

McFarlane Toys Upcoming The Walking Dead Line

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McFarlane Toys will have a great lineup of AMC’s The Walking Dead line coming up. Here is a preview of what is to come in the coming months

Here is the 10-Inch figure of Negan

Here is the Color Tops of Ezekiel

There is also an Allies Deluxe Set of Rick Grimes, Jesus and Daryl Dixon

Another Ezekiel but this time it is a statue and it features Shiva (This is taken from the comic series)

And finally, Here is Daryl Dixon in his prisoner outfit taken from Season 7, Episode 3 of The Walking Dead

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Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Review

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Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the long-awaited follow-up to Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy crossover titles that were released for the PSP back in 2008 and 2011. Although the game has been playable in its native Japan since 2015 in arcades, we’ve now finally gotten it released on the PlayStation 4 with a bunch of new content to boot.

If you’ve played the older Dissidia titles, you might imagine that you already know all about this new one, but you’d be surprised. While the core mechanics are still generally the same, there are some big shake-ups in how battle is done, largely to accommodate the now 3v3 setting the game defaults to.

While 2v2 and 1v1 battles are possible, it’s very clear that the game is built around this 6-player team-based format. Characters have been divided into classes. Fighting itself has been somewhat simplified, and some characters have had their movesets changed entirely from previous games, so your main might not work the way you’re used to. If the game still feels too daunting or confusing for you, there’s thankfully an extremely informative tutorial that’ll have you geared up and ready to go in no time.

These classes are: Vanguard, bulky up-close fighters with hard-hitting attacks such as Sephiroth; Assassin, quick-hitting speedy characters like Squall who’ll take you down fast if you’re not ready for them; Marksman, long-ranged fighters, for example Terra, who will make your matches very difficult from afar unless you brave their attacks and close the distance; and finally Specialists, like Vaan, characters who don’t quite fit into any of the aforementioned categories and have their own quirks that go beyond these roles.

The first thing you need to realize when picking up the game is that teamwork is an absolute must. You can’t just charge in on your own and expect to win, so the ideal way to enjoy the game is to have a couple of friends to go online together with, and try to best your foes with a solid gameplan, a balanced team setup, and proper communication. Of course, you don’t have to get so serious about it – Dissidia allows you to get matched up with random people online as well, though if you’re hoping for any success you should probably try your best to co-operate with others properly.

Although Dissidia Final Fantasy NT does bill itself as something of a reboot, especially with new developers at the helm, Square-Enix really are sticklers for continuity. As such, the story picks up after the previous Dissidia games, with earlier established relationships between characters intact, though you probably won’t feel lost in the game’s story even if you haven’t played them, just so long as you’re somewhat of a Final Fantasy fan.

The story is nice enough on its own, with diverging paths and fun interactions between characters, but the way to play it is a bit awkward; you’re required to play through online matches or the game’s single player modes against CPU fighters to unlock credits which will take you further in the story. Presumably, this is to make the story feel longer than it is, and while it might sound like a bit of a grind, it really isn’t that bad since the story continuously unlocks new Gauntlet challenges for you to conquer and this leads to more story credits unlocking at a smooth pace. It should be noted that while the story mode itself starts off fairly easy, and continues that way for the most part, there are a few boss battles where the difficulty spikes heavily, so be prepared to bring your A-game when you see them pop up.

One of the best thing about Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is the level of customization for characters, with loads of unlockable voice lines, different weapon skins, character skins, and so on that are all gained in-game without any monetary cost. Of course, the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is no stranger to DLC, with 6 characters promised for release this year, but the game itself doesn’t feel incomplete at all.

While the game does have a fairly robust story mode and several single player modes that will earn you credits which you can use to unlock the wealthy amount of extras, you may well grow tired of it if you’re planning on sticking to offline only, as there’s no local multiplayer functionality. Playing online does feel like the game’s bread and butter, especially grouped together with friends, so if you’re averse to online gaming this might not be the fighter for you. For what it’s worth, the vast majority of online matches I played were a smooth experience, with a few choppy outliers and one single match that was entirely unplayable, out of close to a hundred matches played.

With 28 characters available at launch, there’s a wide variety of heroes and villains from the numbered Final Fantasy series to play as, and even two spin-off characters in the form of Ramza Beoulve from Final Fantasy Tactics and Ace from Final Fantasy Type-0. You’ll quickly notice that even within the four different fighter archetypes the characters are vastly different from one another. If, like me, you don’t have any of your absolute favorite characters in the game, settling for main protagonists or antagonists from your most beloved titles does just fine, and with the promise of future support by Square-Enix and Team Ninja, the characters you’re missing just might make the cut somewhere down the line, too.

In the end, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT gives you a lot to do, and is clearly focused on being a fighter that will have continued support for the foreseeable future. You might want to try it out at a friend’s house first to see if the gameplay jives with you, but any Final Fantasy enthusiast should at the very least give this title a shot. There’s a lot of love poured into the game, and seeing big team battles between Final Fantasy icons in familiar locales is bound to strike a chord with fans.

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Dave Bautista To Attend Wizard World Comic Con Portland, Philadelphia and Chicago

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Dave Bautista To Attend Wizard World Comic Con Portland, Philadelphia and Chicago

‘Drax the Destroyer’ To Appear Saturday at Three Of Wizard World’s Longest Running Events

LOS ANGELES, January 16, 2018 – Dave Bautista , who wowed fans as “Drax the Destroyer” in Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 and in last summer’s blockbuster sequel, will make triumphant returns to Wizard World Comic Con events in Portland (April 14), Philadelphia (May 19) and Chicago (August 25). Bautista, whose budding film career has also included a role in the Sony feature Spectre, the 24th installment of the James Bond series, will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops and conduct interactive Q&A sessions at his Saturday appearances at each show.

In addition to his Guardian and Spectre roles, Bautista also appeared on-screen last year in the much-anticipated Blade Runner 2049 , the sequel to the science fiction cult classic. In 2016, he appeared in several films including Kickboxer: Vengeance and Marauders , and the year prior he was also in the action film Heist starring opposite Robert DeNiro and Jeffery Dean Morgan .

Bautista can also be seen in last year’s independent film Bushwick starring opposite Brittney Snow, and has numerous films scheduled for 2018 release, including Avengers: Infinity War and Final Score .

A more complete current roster of celebrities for each event is available along with dates, times and other information at www.wizardworld.com , with additional headliners to be announced.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The Portland show, held at the Oregon Convention Center, is set for April 13-15. The Philadelphia event is set for the Pennsylvania Convention Center, May 17-20. Wizard World will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wizard World Comic Con Chicago, August 23-26 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. At all shows, kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com ) produces comic, gaming and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, tech, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming and entertainment takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Fans can interact with Wizard World at www.wizardworld.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services. Additional initiatives may include an augmented touring schedule of Wizard World shows, fixed-site installations, curated e-commerce, and the production and distribution of content both in the U.S. and internationally.

The 2018 Wizard World convention schedule is available at: http://www.wizardworld.com/comiccon .

Julian’s Thoughts: What Makes a Good Wrestling Theme Song?

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A good wrestling theme needs one key thing: it has to be recognizable right away. If a theme doesn’t have a strong opening, it can fall flat. Glass shattering, a big guitar chord, “If you smell…”, the list goes on and on. Having a good theme is essential. These days, everyone in WWE has a good theme, but that wasn’t always the case.

Themes like what X-Factor had, Test’s 2nd theme, and David Flair’s WWE theme, just to name a few, are examples of bad themes. A couple of those songs improperly and suddenly change tempo. David Flair’s theme was just the same generic guitar riff over and over, ad nauseum.

Suffice it to say, keeping the same tempo is pretty important. Test had a great theme, for example. Then they took the opening and slapped it on another song. Just like X-Factor’s Uncle Kracker theme, the whole thing changes tempo to become slower for no reason, not to mention the lazy edit of pasting “X-Factor” over “that fact” without even *trying* to remove the original lyrics. If you can’t, for some reason, then you leave it alone and *don’t do the edit*. Changing the tempo *can* work if the transition is good. A good example of this is Doink the Clown’s heel theme. While it retained the same opening, it stepped down into a slower, dark theme. Not only does the theme fit the character, the tempo shift from the opening is done well.

Next thing, the theme has to fit the wrestler. For example, Triple H’s main theme is “The Game” by Motorhead. The Triple H character is a very hard-nosed, tough-as-nails fighter type. The song features heavy guitars and ideal vocals. Adding in his Evolution and “King of Kings” themes and you have the Motorhead trifecta, a band that Hunter was very close with. These songs suit the character perfectly like the themes do these days. The X-Factor theme is another good example of a theme that doesn’t fit the workers who are using it. Uncle Kracker’s “Whatchu Lookin’ At” does not make a good theme where and how they edited it. It doesn’t fit the combination of power and speed that X-Factor was supposed to represent.

Finally, the theme should prepare the crowd for what they’re about. This is a little like fitting the wrestler but, since themes are for the audience, it’s good to prepare them for what they’re about to see. WWE does a really good job of this… these days. Take Randy Orton. His original theme suited his character well. Egotistical and boastful. Now, his character is more stealth than anything and his current theme suits that. Vance Archer used to have a theme that was far too fast for a big power wrestler. It would be better suited for a cruiserweight or somebody who does a lot of aerial attacks or “flippy stuff”. Vance should have a much slower theme. Not slow since he isn’t a slow, methodical character. Something like “Wild Child” from W.A.S.P. is good for him.

So, it needs to quickly be recognized, the same tempo, fit the wrestler, and prepare the crowd. Not too much to ask, right? These days, in WWE, they seem to understand. What themes do you think are good and what do you hate?

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Top 15 The Walking Dead Comic Book Moments of 2017

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2017 has been an awesome year for The Walking Dead comic series and there was many great moments that came out from the issues. Today i will rank the top 15 moments of 2017 from The Walking Dead comic series. If you have not caught up to issues 162-174 or volumes 27-29, there are major spoilers below.

15. The Debut of The Princess (#171: Fear The Princess)

New character introductions in the universe of The Walking Dead can be a hit or miss but this one is obviously a mix bag. While some members were traveling to Ohio, they reached Philadelphia to see it empty but to only find this character. The Princess claimed that she has not seen a living person in one year and she comes off as very talkative and jittery. I can see why since i would most likely snap if i did not see one person for a year. I would love to see Rick’s reaction once he sees her in the future.

14. Beta’s unexpected return (#172: Hilltop Reborn)

Everyone has wondered what has happened to Beta after The Whisperer War ended earlier this year and when would he return. He returned on the end of this issue in a jump scare moment that even caught me off guard. While Jesus and Aaron were setting camp for the night, Beta sneakily approaches Jesus from behind as he is ready to attack.

13. Siddiq’s Confession (#170: On The Road)

Since Rosita was killed back in issue #144, there was speculation that Eugene’s baby was not his. By the end of this issue, Siddiq admitted that he fell in love with her before she died. This enraged Eugene as he did not think that she cheated on him before she died and this caused a rift between Siddiq and Eugene in the next issue.

12: Sherry’s Death (#166: No Surrender)

Rick and Sherry had a debate about Rick’s leadership and their state with The Saviors ever since Negan was dethroned. Things got heated during the debate and then Sherry attacked Rick. Rick then pushed her back into the table which caused her neck to be snapped as she died right after. You can tell that Dwight will not be happy about this.

11: The Saviors’ attempted uprising (#165: Opportunity)

While everyone in Alexandria were steering the megaherd away from their community, The Saviors showed up (lead by Sherry) to announce that they will no longer be part of the connection with other communities. Dwight tried to convince his ex-wife and The Saviors to stand down, but a fight between him and John happened. This was a good moment because The Saviors have been mostly out of the spotlight since All Out War Part 2 ended a few years ago.

10: Empty Pittsburg (#170: On The Road)

Eugene and a few others decided to go to Ohio to see Stephanie who they have had contact through the radio for the last 15 or so issues. Their first pit stop was at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. We have not seen another state in quite a while in the universe of The Walking Dead so this was a treat for the readers. As soon as they arrived, they noticed that there is not one person there as it was a ghost town.

9: Mega Herd invades Alexandria again (#163: Conquered)

The ending of The Whisperer War showed us that Beta and the rest of The Whisperers released the mega herd that Alpha showed Rick back in issue #143. When Dwight and the rest return to Alexandria, Rick told them that there were not hundreds, but thousands of Walkers that will approach. This made me question why Rick did not tell his group about this before the war started. The mega herd invades alexandria and it is much worse this time than it is last time. Rick, Negan and the rest fought many of them while Michonne, Dwight, Andrea and others redirected many of them out of Alexandria.

8. Beta’s Death and identity along with The Whisperers (#173: Final Fight)

Many can argue that this should have happened earlier this year but i am happy that it has happened this way. After Beta tried to stab Jesus, they have a fight and Beta is shot by Aaron. When they unmasked him, it was revealed that he used to be a famous basket ball player and actor before the outbreak happened as both Jesus and Aaron recognized him. This explains why he was very tall and very quick whenever he fought someone. Also, the last remaining Whisperers finally met their demise.

7. Andrea has a walker bite (#165: Opportunity)

This happened at the same time as The Saviors’ attempted uprising as Andrea and the rest were still getting the mega herd away from Alexandria so you can imagine how chaotic it was to see it happen. While she was saving Eugene who was about to meet his demise as he was surrounded by the undead, Andrea saves him but during the scuffle, she somehow got bitten. Nobody knew it until the end of the issue as it remains one of the most shocking moments in The Walking Dead history.

6: Rick and Negan’s conversation (#164: A Fallen House)

Right when the mega herd invaded Alexandria, Negan and Rick went into one of the houses to shelter themselves while the Walkers were flooding the community. It is there where they both decided to have a conversation about their pasts. Negan brings up his ex wife and how he left her there to die and Negan has showed Rick that he is a changed man and that locking him up in a cell for a few years really taught him a lesson.

5. Maggie and Dante’s kiss (#174: A Solitary Life)

Ever since Dante was introduced, many readers thought that him and Maggie would get together. It took a few volumes but it has finally happened. It took Maggie years to move on from Glenn and she is finally able to trust another man. Lets see how this relationship goes in the future.

4. Stopped in Ohio (#173: Final Fight)

The group has traveled all the way from Washington, D.C and now they have finally arrived in Ohio. Eugene has been in contact with Stephanie for some time and we do not know if their group (called The Commonwealth) is good or bad. They were stopped by solders in this community and we will find out more about them when issue #175 New World Order begins in January.

3. Negan Stops The Saviors (#168: The Road’s End)

Right during The Saviors’ attempted uprising and after Sherry’s death, Negan steps in to set them straight. He also asks if they would like to go back to the old ways and only mark kneeled down and when he did, Negan punched him and gave all of The Saviors a speech about why they will never go back to the old ways along with making mention that because of Rick and everyone in all of the communities, they are still alive and trade supplies. This speech made the reader think that he has fully ditched his old ways.

2. Maggie and Negan’s closure (#174: A Solitary Life)

This is the moment i have been waiting for ever since Negan killed Glenn back in issue #100 back in 2012 so this is five years in the making. While Negan is alone and trying to make another bat with barbed wire (Lucille 2.0), Maggie stops him. They have a conversation about their former lovers and Negan apologizes for what he has done and all the pain he has caused her. Negan even wanted Maggie to kill him right there but she refused to do it as she wanted him to live knowing that she will never forget what happened and that she does not want to give what he wants.

1. Andrea’s Death (#167: A Certain Doom)

This is the biggest TWD comic character death since Glenn and this entire issue was an emotional roller coaster. After Andrea revealed the bite to Rick, everyone said their goodbyes to her as everyone was heartbroken this entire issue. Even Negan said his goodbye too. Rick was the last person to see Andrea alive as they both had a conversation before she died and reanimated into a Walker. Rick also had to be the one to put her down as it was hard for him to do it. This issue was so sad that Robert Kirkman did a tribute to her character at the end of the issue instead of the normal letter hacks.

Rhode Island Comic Con 2017-Luke Cage Panel

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The cast of Netflix’s and Marvel’s Luke Cage stops by Rhode Island Comic Con over the weekend to discuss the second season of the show (spoiler free) and answer fan questions.

The panel featured Mike Colter, Theo Rossi (who also briefly mentions Sons Of Anarchy and whether if he will appear in the long rumored prequel), Simone Missick and Frank Whaley.

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Rhode Island Comic Con 2017

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We had the opportunity to cover Rhode Island Comic Con last weekend and it was a blast. Over 20,000-50,000 attendees arrived at the show for cosplay, table top gaming, video gaming, panels and buying collectables and merchandise during the show.

The panels ranged from The Walking Dead, Luke Cage, Power Rangers, Star Trek, DR. Who, Stranger Things and much more as they celebrities talked about their upcoming projects and seasons along with answering fan questions

And finally, i have took photos of many cosplayers. Check them out

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Playfair 2017 Photos

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I had the chance to cover Playfair 2017 last weekend which took place at the Javits Center. There were many toy publishers and companies over there such as Spin Master, Lego, Leap Frog, Toys R’ Us, Hasbro and much more.

There were also many activities that children can do there over the weekend from face painting, making slime, trying out the Nerf products in the arena and etc.

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Rhode Island Comic Con is one more week away.

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One of the biggest events of the year is the annual Rhode Island Comic Con, a celebration of pop culture, Comics and video games and it is one week away where it will begin on Nov. 10-12 in downtown Providence.

Having filled both the Rhode Island Convention Center and the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Comic Con is expanding again, to the adjacent Omni Providence Hotel, where it will use at least one of the ballrooms.

The press relations manager Susan Sores, has estimated that it will attract over 100,000 people for the three days the event will take place and myself and Fidelina Roman will cover the show and bring you the latest news from Rhode Island Comic Con for the days that we will be there.

The show will also have panel discussions with many of the stars of TV and movies such as The Walking Dead, Star Wars, Stranger Things, Luke Cage, The Power Rangers, Star Trek and much more.

There will also be autograph and photograph opportunities, Gaming (video games and table top), kids activities, collectables and toy vendors too.

Rhode Island Comic Con will have a film festival for the first time this year called Geekfest and it will have its own panel, screening and awards.

It is the biggest show of the year in the smallest state of the United States and it will attract a huge widespread of fans and cosplayers.

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NYCC 2017-Anthony Atamanuik from Comedy Central’s The President Show round table interview

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Anthony Atamanuik was at New York Comic Con last week and he also took part of the media interviews as well. Check it out as he talks about Comedy Central’s The President Show.

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