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NEW Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME PRODUCTS HIGHLIGHTED AT THE 116th ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR

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NEW Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME PRODUCTS HIGHLIGHTED AT THE 116th ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR

El Segundo, Calif. (February 5, 2019) – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KONAMI) is excited to unveil its 2019 Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG) product lineup at the 116th Annual North American International Toy Fair February 16-19. The company will be showcasing products from this year’s first and second quarters in booth #5427 at the Javits Center in New York City.

“Toy Fair gives us the chance to showcase our Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME portfolio for the first half of 2019 with our hobby and mass market partners in a fun environment,” said Yumi Hoashi, Senior Vice President, Card Business for Konami. “Our 2019 portfolio stands out in particular with exceptional products like Duel Power, and the introduction of a new Speed Duel product line; our retail partners will walk away confident knowing we can exceed the needs and wants of our faithful fans but also include exciting products that will attract and keep new players.”

With the release of Legendary Duelists: Sisters of the Rose, Savage Strike, and the Speed Duel Starter Decks: Duelists of Tomorrow & Destiny Mastersjumpstarting the new year, 2019 is already off to a hot start! Display and protect these cards with accessories that showcase some of Dueling’s most iconic cards with the Golden Duelist Collection. The Golden Duelist Collection draws together dozens of fan-favorite Monsters, Spells and Traps in a rich black and gold motif punctuated by a timeless image of Yugi and the Dark Magician. Keep your Deck safe on the go with the Golden Duelist Collection Card Case, featuring an exclusive glittering foil unique to the Collection. Show off your trades with the Golden Duelist Collection Duelist Portfolio featuring the same foil finish, and hit the table with the Golden Duelist Collection Game Matand Golden Duelist Card Sleeves to match. The stylish black and gold motif runs through all four accessories, lending a touch of luxury to your Dueling that even Kaiba would approve of. Card Sleeves MSRP: $3.99 each 50-count pack, Card Case MSRP: $4.99 each, Game Mat MSRP: $14.99 each, available February 15. Duelist Portfolio MSRP $9.99 each, available April 5.

Also releasing February 15 is Structure Deck: Soulburner! Straight from the animated series to real life, Soulburner’s Salamangreat Deck from theYu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS animated series offers monsters a new lease on life with its “reincarnation” strategy! Salamangreat powers up its boss monsters in a unique way. By sending your first copy of a “Salamangreat” boss monster to the Graveyard to Summon your second copy, the new one is granted an extra ability far beyond what it had in its first life! Each box of Structure Deck: Soulburner contains a Beginner’s Guide and a Double-sided Deluxe Game Mat/Dueling Guide, with a 40-card Main Deck and a 6-card Extra Deck for a total of 46 cards. MSRP: $9.99 per Box.

March is jam-packed with releases to keep fans happy throughout the spring. March 8 sees the release of the Savage Strike Special Edition! Not only does it include 3 booster packs of Savage Strike, each box is guaranteed 1 of 2 Super Rare variant cards (either Trickstar Crimson Heart, a Link Monster to go with the many powerful “Trickstar” cards in Savage Strike, or White Rose Dragon, a new monster designed specifically to enhance Decks built with cards from January’s Legendary Duelists: Sisters of the Rose), as well as 1 of 2 Super Rare preview cards of non-foil cards from the upcomingDark Neostorm booster set (either Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi, a monster that adds a jolt of extra Summoning power to the Mayakashi Deck from Hidden Summoners, or a new Cyberse monster). MSRP: $9.99 per box.

Join the quest on March 22 to obtain overwhelming Dueling power with the all-foil booster set The Infinity Chasers! Duelists looking to pick up a new strategy should look no further, as The Infinity Chasers introduces 3 new strategies with their own unique gameplay styles. All the basic cards for each theme are in this set, along with some additional cards to help support them, so it’s a great starting point for building many different Deck strategies! The Infinity Chasersbooster set contains 40 Super Rares and 20 Secret Rares, for a total of 60 cards. MSRP: $3.99 per pack (5 cards per pack).

Brand-new cards will be added to the Speed Duel card pool with the very first booster,Speed Duel: Arena of Lost Souls! Releasing March 29, Arena of Lost Souls sees the debut of Yugi’s renowned Royal Knights to the Speed Duel format, Ishizu with the power of Gravekeepers, and Bonz with a horde of Zombies! The Speed Duel: Arena of Lost Souls booster set is made up of 45 new-to-Speed Duel cards and 5 brand-new Skill Cards. MSRP: $1.49 per pack (4 cards per pack).

On April 5, Duel Power celebrates spring by rolling together a new 100-card Ultra Rare booster set (including 40 brand-new cards) alongside new Ultra Rare variant artwork of every Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series ace monster (fromDark Magician to Decode Talker), and a new double-sided Gameboard celebrating Yu-Gi-Oh!’s history. Each box of Duel Powercontains 6 new Duel Power booster packs with 5 Ultra Rare cards per pack. This set includes 40 new cards and 60 hot reprints, including the 4 popular “discard” effect monsters (from Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbitto Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion); popular Spells and Traps like Infinite Impermanence,Card of Demise, and Evenly Matched; Link Monsters from Borreload Dragon toTrickstar Holly Angel; and out-of-print cards like Naturia Beast, High Priestess of Prophecy, and 2015’s “Nekroz” Ritual Monsters. MSRP: $29.99 per set.

On April 19, the magical masters of Structure Deck: Order of the Spellcasters have transcended the need for physical forms and gained the ability to become Spells themselves! As Pendulum Monsters, they can be played as either monsters or Spell Cards, and have different abilities depending on which you choose. This Structure Deck uses the same “Spell Counter” system as theSpellcaster’s Command Structure Deck and the “Mythical Beast” monsters from Extreme Force, so cards from all three can be combined to create an even more powerful Deck! Each Structure Deck: Order of the Spellcasters contains a 41-card Main Deck + 1 Extra Deck monster for a total of 42 cards, plus a Beginner’s Guide and Double-sided Deluxe Game Mat/Dueling Guide. MSRP: $9.99 per box.

Forget about April showers, the real storm is brewing May 3, the official release date ofDark Neostorm, the last 100-card booster set of the 2018-2019 Dueling season! Each of the core booster sets this past season highlighted one of the main Special Summoning mechanics from previous eras of the game, and in Dark Neostorm, it’s Xyz Summoning’s turn to shine! The Dark Neostorm booster set contains 100 cards in all. MSRP: $3.99 per pack (9 cards per pack).

Dark Neostorm gets a second wind on June 14 with the Dark Neostorm Special Edition! Each box of the Special Edition includes 3 booster packs of Dark Neostorm, along with 1 of 2 Super Rare variant cards as well as 1 of 2 Super Rare variant preview cards from the upcoming Summer 2019 booster set!MSRP: $9.99 per box.

Between conventions, qualifier tournaments and in-store events, Duelists will have plenty of opportunity to put their skills to the test this summer. For more information on KONAMI’s extensive Organized Play programs, including opportunities for aspiring Duelists to learn how-to-play the game, go towww.yugioh-card.com/en/events.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Duelists can now watch a new episode of the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, on Teletoon in Canada – check local listings for times. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS is available subtitled on Crunchyroll and will be simulcast with a new episode available one hour after it is broadcast in Japan, at 6:25AM EST (Simulcast currently available in the US and Latin America). Watch here:http://www.crunchyroll.com/yu-gi-oh-vrains!

Additionally, Duelists can watch a new episode ofYu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V every Saturday on Nicktoons – check local listings for times. In addition, all-newYu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL episodes every Tuesday as well as all of classic Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s can be seen on www.yugioh.com in the United States. In Canada, Duelists can watch episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V every Friday and Saturday on Teletoon! For more information on KONAMI or the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, please visit www.yugioh-card.com or call 310-220-8630 to speak directly with a Yu-Gi-Oh! customer support team member.

“Reign of the Supermen” New York Premiere Recap

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

The highly anticipated DC Animated Film “Reign of the Supermen” debuted this week in New York City at the Directors Guild of America on Monday night as the fans and the press attended the screening. The reception of the film has been very positive and the developers of the film did a great job of not only keeping up with the source material to the story from the comics, but to also give us a great narrative of how the world is affected after Superman meet his demise. Lois Lane (voiced by Rebecca Romjin) is the star of the film as her character was affected by this the most and Superboy (voiced by Cameron Monaghan) was more than just a comic relief character. He was struggling to find himself and his own identity since he found out the truth of how his DNA was manipulated. Other characters played a major role in this movie that was relevant to the story was Steel (Cress Williams), Cyborg Superman (Patrick Fabian), Batman (Jason O’ Mara), Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), The Flash (Christopher Gorham), Darkseid (Tony Todd), and Lex Luthor (Rainn Wilson). I love the movie and I thought the entire time when I watched the film is that this is how Justice League (2017) should have followed up with the story.

I also attended the red carpet event as the cast and directors were there for interviews and I got a chance to speak with Rebecca Romjin, Jerry O’ Connell, Tony Todd, and Cress Williams about the movie along with funny stories about how they all got in character. You can check it out below.

After the screening, The cast and developers took the stage to answer questions to the fans. Also, it was announced that later this year, There will be a Blu-Ray combo of both Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen in one package that will contain those movies along with exclusive content and never before seen scenes. Also, five lucky members of the audience won the Blu-Ray edition of Reign of the Supermen after the panel as well.

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Gotham Season 5, Episode 4 Review

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

Well, given the context of this season and going a little bit on The Dark Knight Rises side of things, this episode made for the returns of both Victor Zsasz and Jeremiah and the use of a kangaroo court to which Oswald tried (and failed of course) to get his former killer for hire bumped with a guillotine and some mob justice.

Before he even protested his innocence, I didn’t peg Zsasz down for the Haven bomber. It’s just not his overall style but the conflict he had with Gordon, the GCPD and Oswald certainly earned him a gagging order as Oswald tried to convince everyone that he was guilty of blowing Haven up.

It really didn’t take long for Gordon and Oswald’s little truce from the last episode to come to an end with this one. Oswald couldn’t help letting power go to his head and trying to get a little paid (which is funny as Barbara sidelined her own opportunity to do exactly the same thing) and Jim yet again, wouldn’t let Oswald do what he wanted, which means the pair of them are at loggerheads once again.

As for Zsasz, he got to live another, there was a near shoot out with him and Gordon but overall, neither of them got hurt. I personally wouldn’t be letting someone like Zsasz loose on the street and given that we’ve got another ‘trial’ coming up in a later episode, don’t be surprised to see Victor popping up at least once more this season.



As for the Haven bomber though, it’s Nygma and he seemed rather shocked by his actions. Not shocked enough to throw an old woman out of a window so she couldn’t blab though but still shocked enough. Personally, I’m less shocked given his mental state this season but I did rather enjoy the team up with him and Lucius this week. Kangaroo courts and bomber identities to one side, this episode also heralded the return of Jeremiah and I have to admit, in some respects his scenes were the weakest of the episode. Not to mention the fact that there’s no way in hell despite her best efforts did Selina actually succeed in killing Jeremiah. Nope, don’t buy it for a moment and neither should she, Bruce or Alfred either. As for Ecco, she seemed to be a bit on autopilot but at least the episode did show some appropriate shades of Joker/Harley with Jeremiah and Ecco’s fleeting interactions here.

Last but not least there’s Barbara. This week she seemed a lot calmer than she’s been in a while. She chose to prioritize finding the Haven bomber over getting revenge on Oswald (though I don’t doubt she’ll be back on that soon enough) and even seemed to understand Gordon initially thinking she might have been the bomber too. Then there was that last scene with her and Jim that would’ve been a shock had the trailers not spoiled it weeks ago. Still a good way to end this particular one though.

– Another voice cameo from Jaime Murray this week. When are we actually going to see her character properly? Nice to see the show hasn’t forgotten Sofia Falcone, even if we’re not likely to see her this season.
– It seems that horrible gang from two weeks ago are actually working for Jeremiah and Ecco. Jeremiah killed the leader.
– Aside from Leslie not being accounted for (c’mon show, time for her to come back now), we didn’t see Edward the dog either.
– Chronology: Exactly from where Penguin, Our Hero left off.

Ruin was an entertainingly daft episode, boasting the clear OTT manner of the Kangaroo Court and having Zsasz throw out a few fun zingers but the Selina and Jeremiah plot just lacked the intense and that was after last week’s exciting confrontation she had with Ecco. As for the Jim/Barbara hook up, it was okay enough I guess.

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The Hardest Spirit Battles in Super Smash Bros Ultimate

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It has been one month since the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the game has met universally critical acclaim from many outlets as it is the best reviewed Smash Bros. game of all time. What is also featured in the game is the spirits that allows you to modify a character with different abilities and stats. To find these spirits, you would either have to find them at the World of Light adventure mode, or the Spirit Board in which you can acquire them much quickly. Of the spirit battles, there are very hard ones that will take more than one attempt to win and there are some that will most likely make you rage quit before you even hit the blast zone of the stage. Today, I will count down the hardest spirit battles in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.


Golden Dash Mushroom
Origin: Mario Kart 64

Fighter: Mii Brawler

The only spirit battle on this list that is from the weekly events, only a small number of players acquired this spirit and based on the conditions of the battle listed, It is no walk in a park. The Mii Brawler is giant and can barely even be flinched or launched. It makes it worse that the speed is at maximum on this battle for the Mii Brawler and This is the only one on this list that I have not beaten at all.

The Boss
Origin: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Fighter: Zero Suit Samus

This battle mimics the final battle of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater as it is a timed and stamina battle against Zero Suit Samus equipped with the spirit of The Boss. As she would have said in the original game, it is time to prove yourself to see if you can take her title. The floor is also poisonous which means you will have to equip a support spirit that makes your fighter immune to poison. Other than that tip, Samus is very fast and uses mostly kicks and if you do not defeat her before the time runs out, then it is game over for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFFTDAi7R1I

Rayman
Origin: Rayman

Fighter: Sonic and Sukapon Assist Trophy

This battle is ridiculously annoying due to the fact that the Sukapon Assist Trophy is in the way for most of the fight. He could be knocked out, but you have to do it and he cannot be killed if he is knocked off or falls off the stage. This is also a stamina battle and Sukapon will deal the most damage with his attacks. Sonic’s attack power increases during the battle and he starts with more stamina HP than you do. Even turning the difficulty easy will not change the battle outcome since it takes very long to take down both of them.



Funky Kong

Origin: Donkey Kong Country

Fighters: Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong

Get ready for this battle because all three of the fighters will always try to head for the Bullet Bill items to use against you. If you do not equip a support spirit that allows items to get pulled towards you, Then you are out of luck. Even with that support spirit, this battle can end in less than a minute due to the spamming of the Bullet Bills and those things shoot like cannon balls. My best advice,



Shine Sprite

Origin: Super Mario Sunshine

Fighter: Rosalina and three Kirbys

Taking out the three Kirbys can be easy, but taking out Rosalina with the added effects of her Final Smash happening at any time will be a brutal task to endure. Not only the fact that her Final Smash could happen at any time, she can be invincible at any time during the fight as well which will give any player a headache since the three Kirbys will rapidly attack you while this is happening. I finally won the battle after my 20th try. What could make this battle a little less hard is if you grab and throw your opponents towards the Launch Star item while they are at 60% damage or more as it will launch them to the direction of the blast zone (depending on where did you set the item.

Pauline

Origin: Donkey Kong (Arcade)

Fighters: Peach, Giant DK, Mario

I have not encountered this spirit yet, but others have and even the most skilled players had a hard time trying to get this spirit. Your jump distance is heavily reduced so you will have to climb the ladders on this stage and what makes this worse is that you will have to KO Peach to get this spirit but she is on the farthest end of the stage. When Mario is summoned to the battle, he will already have the Hammer in use and when Giant Donkey Kong is summoned, he has a strength buff that can KO you within seconds. Also, whenever you try to target Peach for an attack in close range, she will avoid you. Best bet is to equip the shooting staff and shoot away as the battle begins but the distance is what could make you miss your shot.

Baby Bowser

Origin: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

Fighters: Small Bowser and Giant Bowser

The floor is lava during this battle so it is best to equip a support spirit that prevents you from being damaged by lava. This is also a stamina battle and you have to battle both of the Bowsers one by one starting with the small one which is easy to KO. But then, the giant one comes into play and your stamina will not reset at all. The giant Bowser is very hard to flinch or to even get him off the stage and his attacks take up for most of the stage. Be prepared good when you encounter this spirit battle.

Dr. Wily

Origin: Mega Man 1

Fighters: Dr. Mario, 8 Metal Mega Man

This battle looks easy on paper, but when it begins, it will drain you fast. You first fight the metal Mega Man and they will spawn two at a time and 8 of the Mega Man fighters will deal damage from their blaster even at a distance. If you are lucky enough to fight Dr. Mario at the end, you will be satisfied. But to get to him, will be a grind so dodge quickly and use your shield wisely.

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Gotham Season 5, Episode 3 Review

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

With Gotham now into its last season before it comes off air, the third episode of this fifth season continues to impress with another solid 45 minutes of action. With a smartly worked dual storyline and some interesting characterization, the gang wars and Selina’s crusade to find Jeremiah both see some serious development this week. The latter resulting in quite the surprising appearance from a new face in Gotham. With the episode finishing on a massive cliffhanger, it’ll be interesting to see where the show goes from here but for now, Gotham continues to up the ante and excitement as we draw nearer to the finish line.

The episode begins with a look at Jim Gordon’s newly acquired haven for refugees. Bullock grows ever more concerned that this will paint a target for the gangs to come looking for them and unfortunately that target is being painted by our very own Penguin. After most of his cronies up and leave him to go to Haven, Penguin enlists the help of the street gangs to clear out the camp and bring everyone back to where they belong. This being Gotham of course, things inevitably go awry and results in Bullock sneaking off to enlist the help of Barbara.

While things escalate for Jim Gordon, Bruce and Selina embark on their own crusade after a rather unsettling nightmare spurs our femme fatale into action. Together, they travel deep into the heart of the Dark Zone where Jeremiah is rumored to be held out only to find a familiar face to anyone who’s read the comics or knows the lore around Batman. I won’t spoil this here of course but suffice to say it’s a bold choice and something that actually works really well, given the context of the story.

We leave both of these plots unresolved for now and finishing on pretty big cliffhangers. Bruce and Selina are still in the Dark Zone and Jim Gordon has a big job on his hands come next week after the dramatic events that unfold at the end of the episode. How our grizzled cop deals with the ramifications of what’s happened is up for debate but if I had to wager a guess, this is going to lead Jim into the Dark Zone to find Jeremiah and our three protagonists possibly joining forces.

While the story itself continues to move the pieces forward, there’s a good amount of action this week to chew over. Selina’s newfound acrobats are put to good use as her and Bruce tackle one of the many gangs in the streets while the sprinklings of gun fighting inside Haven helps keep the episode moving at a quick pace. The real talking point here is likely to be the new character that’s come into the fray and it’s here where the fan-base is likely to be split.

Personally, I think the character choice is a good one and the new design and maniacal persona is a really good fit given the mood and tone of Gotham in general. The acting during these segments are excellent and there’s some really interesting juxtapositions between Selina and the new character regarding the way they flirt with death. In a way, it’s a useful tool to show just how far Selina could fall down the rabbit hole if she continues to stare death in the face but for now, these moments are fleeting as the story continues to move toward its finale.

Given the ending we’re dealt this week, it’ll be really interesting to see where Gotham goes from here. The two storylines work well to keep things fresh although it seems likely now that a lot of the supporting villains are going to be reduced to cameo appearances this year given the relatively short 12 episode run for Gotham. I’ve said it before but as individual episodes, Gotham really thrives and has had some wonderful stand-alone pieces over the years. Gotham is a lot of fun and it still packs quite the punch.

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Comic Conventions in 2018 I Have Covered

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2018 was a great year for the comic convention and entertainment industry as a whole and I am happy that I got to witness many of the events. Raging from the big movies such as Avengers: Infinity War and A Quiet Place to the great seasons of our favorite television shows, and the headlines that made the majority of the audience react on social media and on a platform such as YouTube, we are in an age of information that can be shared and watched by millions. In that same time, the comic convention scene has become bigger in a larger scale and it has drawn many attendees of different fandoms all packed into one giant building. I have covered many of them over the years and last year was the most I have covered in one year as part of the media. Here are five that I will write about on my experience in the convention scene.

C2E2

The biggest show in Chicago every year and they do not disappoint at all. C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo) takes place at the McCormick Center in Chicago and you will have to take a bus to go to the center. When I went there in 2017, It was very warm the day that I went there. In 2018, the weather was a little cold and I would recommend to wear a jacket when you go there because the convention center itself is near a body of ocean. The show is great and there are two floors of the show and they are very large and it is filled up by different vendors and artists and gaming areas. Of all the conventions I have went to, this one is floor friendly the most as you would not feel lost or cramped in areas at all. The panels I have attended that week featured Guardians of the Galaxy, Tom Kenny of Spongebob Squarepants, and Khary Payton of The Walking Dead. I have also interviewed the cast of Daphne and Velma as well and we all had a blast talking. Call me weird, but as a guy from New York, I prefer Chicago style pizza and I love it!

Wizard World Philadelphia

Up next, is Philadelphia and Wizard World’s biggest show is in Philadelphia and the best part of the location is that it is right across the street from the Reading Terminal Market. You would not have to scatter around the convention center to figure out what food that you want to get since the market has a huge amount of options that you can choose. Wizard World itself is usually a great show with a great amount of celebrities that you can meet. I wanted to meet Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones, but I did not have the time at all since I was covering the show. I did got the chance to interview Erica Schroeder in which we talked about her role in Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon and The panels I have attended featured Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher of Justice League, Sebastain Stan, and the voices of Overwatch. The cosplay over there was actually great too with some mind blowing ones that caught my attention that I still do remember to this day.

San Diego Comic Con

I have not been to SDCC since 2012 and when I went there to cover it in 2018, It has changed  and I was amazed with the huge presence over there. This was not like other conventions where only parts of the city were comic con themed, The ENTIRE area of San Diego was comic con themed from the minute you walk out of the airport and onward. I even seen it on taxi cabs, buildings, The Trolleys and theaters, and even the line of the Conan tapings that week. It was massive to see how big it has become since I was last there and there are also offsite events related to comic con for the press and attendees for everyone to enjoy such as the Jack Ryan escape room experience, Amazon TV’s museum, The Walking Dead’s showcase, South Park escape room, and much more. This is all outside of the convention center and they are at different parts of San Diego even though a few of the events are across the street of the convention center. Speaking of the convention center, you cannot even go to the sidewalk of the convention center unless you have a badge and that is a great move to prevent scalpers from trying to rip people off. The building itself is very huge and when I was there on preview night when there were a small amount of people there, It took me a whole fifteen minutes to walk from one side of the building to another. Imagine being there when there is a huge amount of attendees. The show itself was great and the media interviews I have been part of was The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Better Call Saul, and much more. I did however seen the dreaded Hall H line and I was stunned to see how many people were on the line that camped out for a few days. Hall H is where the bigger panels take place for television and movies and even surviving the line is a task. I have never went inside Hall H and I do not think I can put my body through it. All in all, SDCC I highly recommend for you to go once in your life.

Keystone Comic Con

The newest one of the convention scene is Keystone Comic Con and it is also in Philadelphia as well. Every convention has something unique and this one is the first comic con to have a wrestling ring with wrestling matches from Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore. I was not surprised to see that there was a large crowd each day of the matches that took place there and it actually turned out very well. There were wrestling legends there such as Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, Jim Cornette, and Jerry Lawler with a few new faces such as Lance Anaoi. Speaking of wrestling, Me and my girlfriend got the chance to not only meet WWE Superstar Nikki Bella, but we spoken to her for nearly ten minutes about different topics. There was also a large gaming area in one of the rooms and there were set up by different eras of gaming consoles. There was also a costume contest that I enjoyed and different vendors of comics as well. I hope in 2019 I can cover it again!

New York Comic Con

I have covered NYCC every year since 2012 and each year I love it more than the previous year. New York is a flooded city where it does not sleep but what did sleep this year, was the MTA as the 7 Train was not running the entire time during NYCC weekend and that frustrated me a lot. Other than that, I bought a large amount of comics at this show this year other than interviewing celebrities.But the day before NYCC began, I was invited to attend the red carpet event of DC’s Titans along with a screening of the first two episodes. Also, E! Network had a truck outside where they were giving away free donuts to attendees after they place their vote on the upcoming awards show at the time. I have went to that truck at least five times per day during that week. Celebrities I have interviewed ranged from shows such as Batman:The Animated Series, The Gifted, Legacies, Lore, and The Man in The High Castle. I also did my 200th episode of my podcast there with guests Jason Solomon of The Solomonster Sound’s Off, Jon Draper of Wrestling Soup, and Ray Flook of BleedingCool.com. I also ran into Brandon Davis of Comicbook.com and Kirsten of Insider many times during the week as we talked about various news about the show. If you are in New York, NYCC is the place to be during the fall.

My first show that I will cover will be C2E2 2019 so I will report from there

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Double-Double! The Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen Double Feature!

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Fans will soon have two options to watch the two-part DC UNIVERSE feature-length animated films, “The Death of Superman” & “Reign of the Supermen” TOGETHER!

First, Superman’s greatest adventure – his death and rebirth – will be unveiled in a special two-day exclusive theatrical event as Warner Bros. and DC join forces with Fathom Events for a double feature presentation of the previously released “The Death of Superman” and the first in-theater screening of the all-new “Reign of the Supermen” nationwide. The films will screen in more than 500 select movie theaters on Sunday, January 13 at 12:55 p.m. and Monday, January 14 at 8:00 p.m. (all local times) through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). Tickets for The Death of Superman/ Reign of the SupermenDouble Feature can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.comand participating theater box offices. 
And later this year, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release the two movies as a single, full-length film with never-before-seen extended footage and a collectible item within the box set. Details will be released in the coming months.

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Gotham Season 5, Episode 2 Review

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

    Last week, we left the shattered remains of Gotham City with an exhausted boy begging Jim Gordon for help. With a profound lack of Penguin this week, Episode 2 instead focuses predominantly on Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon as they embark on separate missions to save those in need of help. While the episode lacks the same big set-piece driven action and meaningful plot development the first episode had, the final few scenes are likely to be a highlight for fans of the show. In many ways, Trespassers follows the rigid formula of Gotham episodes gone by with the added danger of feeling like Gotham could implode at any moment.

    The story this week sees Jim gather his limited forces at the precinct, determined to drive into The Dark Zone where a whole group of kids are being held captive. It turns out they’ve been forced to dig a tunnel to the mainland at the hands of a ruthless gang. After navigating a myriad of dangerous locations, Jim finds himself caught in the crossfire between two rival gangs who erupt into a flurry of gunfire. It’s at this point where Jim finds help from the most unlikely of sources with one promise in return – kill Penguin and end this nightmare.

    Interspersed between Jim Gordon’s heroic rescue are two predominant storylines, one involving Bruce Wayne and the other, The Riddler. The latter sees Ed wake up chained to a bed, patting himself on the back for beating his sleep walking problem. Only to find out he’s captured and evidently tortured a street gang member who’s left tied up in his bath. After some less-than-friendly negotiations, the gang member reluctantly takes Ed to his hideout only to find someone’s been there before him and left a message on the wall, with all fingers pointing at The Penguin.

    Rounding out this trio of stories is Bruce Wayne’s journey into the depths of Gotham’s underbelly to find The Witch to help Salina. Once he arrives, it turns out the witch is actually Poison Ivy who’s ensnared various people who’s stumbled into her territory. After a tense confrontation, she agrees to help for the sake of Salina, giving Bruce something that’ll help herget better. It’s at this point where the episode cuts to the final credits, teasing the beginnings of Salina’s origin story and her destined transformation into Catwoman.

    While the episode itself doesn’t push the overall narrative of Gotham forward, it does set up some intriguing questions going forward. In true Gotham fashion, the episodes are chock full of action accompanied by many twists and turns along the way. If there’s one thing Gotham’s always done well, it’s embracing the manic nature of Gotham’s various colourful inhabitants and this episode is no exception. The Riddler is one of the stand outs here, and has been since very early in the show’s run. Given there’s only 12 episodes to play with this season, it’ll be a real shame if the bulk of that time is used up with his amnesia rather than the manic Riddle-obsessed villain we’ve come to know over the years.

    Along with the great acting that perfectly captures the persona for many of Gotham’s heroes and villains, it’s worth mentioning the underrated camera work and use of colour here too. There’s some really nice 45 degree angled shots throughout the episode and they’re used perfectly to really capture the off-kilter feel of Gotham. The use of colour, although slightly predictable, changes from dull and grey to full of vibrant brightness toward the end of the episode too, a nice touch to reflect Jim successfully completing his mission.

    With a profound lack of Penguin this week, the trio of stories at play here work really well together. These are perfectly balanced through the majority of the episode’s run time too and for the most part, does well to hold your attention until the final scenes. This is likely to be the talking point this week though and it’ll be really interesting to see where they go with Bruce Wayne’s story. Of course, a lot of this season has been focused on the various villains and the ongoing feuds that are gripping Gotham’s new world order but Bruce’s transformation into Batman is something everyone is waiting to see. I’m guessing we’re going to be given a fair amount of character development for Master Wayne this season, perhaps ending with Batman saving the day in the finale. It’s still early days though but like the inhabitants of Gotham City, we’re hungry for more. Also to note, Part of this episode was filmed only two blocks from where my girlfriend lives and this was great to see on screen.

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    Julian’s Thoughts: Black Mirror Bandersnatch Review

    Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

    For the most part, I don’t tend to rush and watch Netflix’s original films unless the reception is very high. most of them typically feel like movies that are either not good enough to make money at the box office or bizarre concept films.  I guess “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” falls into the bizarre concept category.  Still, as a fan of “Black Mirror” and someone intrigued by the premise of an interactive film, I had to check this film out as soon as possible.

    The amount of options you have is amazing and leads to fascinating paths.  The premise of the film is also delightfully meta as it focuses on a game designer in 1984 developing his own make your own adventure game.  Seeing how the filmmakers play around with this concept is genius. I used to read some of the choose your own adventure books when I was younger so I fully knew what I was getting into. The acting was great in the film.  I thought Fionn Whitehead and Will Poulter really pulled you in.  Through different choices, Whitehead and Poulter manage to display varying states of emotions and mental statuses. “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” has at least five different endings and one of them cannot be accessed as of right now and It may never see the light of day until someone figures how to trigger it (many speculate that it branches from the five number password selection).  There are countless numbers of possibilities the story can take with reports that not all scenes have been unlocked by viewers. Some of the choices from the beginning of the film will be referenced later at some point as well. If you watch this movie on a gaming console, Your controller will rumble to let you know when it is time to make a choice. I watched some different paths with some different endings and they vary quite a bit. The theme of this movie is also how one person can be controlled in different ways even though they would not notice it and that played very well during this movie. The film is one of the most ambitious projects ever to be filmed.  That same ambition I admire might also be the only complaint I might have because it would be almost impossible to see all the different paths that can be taken.  Some critics said the film was too gimmicky but I disagree.  I think it could be the future of streaming films if they are done right.

    With so many possible story outcomes, it’s hard to dismiss the fun you have controlling the direction the story takes.  Also, with seamless editing, the film never “feels” like an interactive experience.  “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” manages to pull off the rare win for original Netflix films, I just hope it becomes the first of many. I would also like to note that you cannot watch this movie with older streaming devices or an Apple TV as of right now.

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    Gotham Season 5, Episode 1 Review

    Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

     

    I am happy that Gotham is back, but I am also sad that the show is coming to an end very soon. No matter if you have watched one episode or all of them, this show is severely underrated. Contrasting this are some of the best episodes in any superhero show and Gotham’s attempt at fleshing out a prequel for The Dark Knight has been extremely enjoyable. Most of this has been thanks to the excellent origin stories given to the most iconic villains in Batman’s illustrious history. Season 5 begins strongly, with a tease of what’s to come and a look ahead at the chaos now gripping Gotham City.

    The story begins with a welcome recap, reflecting on the events leading up to the start of this final season. It’s been 391 days since the government blew the bridges to Gotham, effectively trapping everyone inside and preventing anyone from entering or leaving. After a brief opening few shots, we’re shown the forces of good and evil coming together; “For Gotham!” Jim Gordon screams and the screen erupts into a strobe of gunfire and anarchy.

    It’s at this point where we skip back to 87 days. Gotham has broken down into a lawless, anarchistic state. All the villains have carved out their own plot of land with Scarecrow, Victor Freeze, Barbara and more all going it alone and fighting over dwindling resources. Jeremiah is no one to be seen and seeking the chance to capitalize on this anarchy is Penguin. Continuing to manipulate those around him, Penguin controls a prolific enterprise of ammunition which seems to be the leading currency for negotiations.

    The government has all but abandoned Gotham by this point. Jim Gordon and a very thin line of police officers hold up at the GCPD, trying desperately to get supplies for a continued flurry of refugees who have got caught in the crossfire between gangs and weren’t able to evacuate. After a desperate plea to the forces outside the city, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a Wayne Enterprises helicopter. In true Gotham fashion, the extent of chaos is fully realized when a mysterious figure shoots the chopper out of the sky and various forces converge on its location.

    This then leads to different gangs coming to blows over the supplies and the extent of Gotham’s ambitions for the season ahead fully realized. Knowing this is the final season, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before and during this fight, more than one casualty is realized as the battle lines are drawn. Tabitha is also killed in this episode which is the most shocking moment of the entire episode. It’s a bold move from the writers too and something that appears to set the tone going forward. We also see more of Scarecrow here too although given his brief appearance last season, we’ll hold our cards close to our chest before presuming he’ll be a focal figure for the season to come.

    The episode ends with a look ahead at what’s to come. Penguin continues to antagonize, putting out a bounty on Jim Gordan’s head. Barbara has been pushed over the edge and seeks vengeance while Bruce Wayne is determined to follow a new path to help Selina recover from her paralysis. The Riddler is waking up in different places around the city and seems even more agitated than usual. All of this while Jim Gordon follows an ominous message from an exhausted child who passes out soon after revealing his message. There’s an awful lot to chew over for the week but there’s no denying that this episode sets a very high bar for the season ahead.

    The fifth season of Gotham opens with a real banger of an episode. There’s some explosive action and crucial questions raised for the forthcoming season ahead. If there’s one thing Fox’s superhero prequel has always done well, it’s the characters and this episode does not disappoint. In the season where we finally close the curtain on Gotham, the first episode gets off to a flier and it’ll be interesting to see if the show can keep this momentum going next week when we return to the lawless streets of Gotham City.

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