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Eerie Ed’s Haunted Top Ten Halloween Comic Book Reading List

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The Halloween Comicfest is now into its fifth year, and this milestone certainly needs to be recognised. Not only will a handful of major comic companies, like Marvel, will be contributing themed goodies that comic shops around the world will distribute but also there will be toys! Diamond Select‘s release is the most notable, with sculpts from Universal Monsters Select Figures line. This year will see The Wolfman, The Mummy and Lucy Westenra, Monster Hunter.

Among the most notable items that will see free distribution is Afterlife with Archie: Season Two (Archie Comics), Evil Dead 2: Beyond Dead (Space Goat Productions), Harrow County (Dark Horse Comics), The Haunted Mansion #1 (Marvel) and Scooby Apocalypse (DC Comics).

Mini-Comics offered include John Carpenter’s Tales for a Halloween Night: the Traveler’s Tale, Mickey’s Inferno and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Manga by Diamond Publications.

Please phone your local comic book outlet to see if they are participating in this program.

As for regular releases, the following are my picks of the season — but I must begin with a classic:

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CW’s Legends of Tomorrow Season Two Goes “Out of Time” Commentary

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Mild-Spoiler Alert!

The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow is venturing into new territory, and census says it feels like classic era Doctor Who material. The Time Masters are gone, wiped out, and Rip feels the group should take on the mantle to correct anomalies manifesting in the time stream. As I recall, even though the third doctor was exiled to Earth, that did not stop the Time Lords from recruiting him for missions they deem needs intervention in. I’m okay with this direction, and still have to wonder if Thanagar (from last season’s finale) has further plans with the planet Earth. To totally ignore a few plot reveals in a finale does not mean these details are unimportant. The showrunners and writers of this show decided this planet is of universal importance in the great cosmic scheme of things.

As the streamlined crew (minus Hawkman and girl) are out to right what once went wrong, I have to wonder how much Quantum Leaping this group will do? As this episode begins, Nate Heywood reveals to Mayor Oliver Queen that he’s finding minor aberrations in the timeline; they go off to find the sunken Waverider and one survivor — Mick — who recounts what has happened. The dire warning from last season where Rex Tyler warned of their eventual death gets explored in a massive flashback making up this episode — and most of the episode shows how the group has gotten better at being heroes.

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From Paperclips to Microchips, the new MacGyver is not a Game-changer

The new actor in MacGyver does not hold a candle to Anderson and that nostalgia — to which may be the problem of this reboot.

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

How can anyone decide to replace MacGyver, a television series and character that made Richard Dean Anderson famous? I loved the original series because his resourcefulness taught me more than a thing or two in how to make use of the most common items (to keep some of my old tech alive). Even when it no longer operates, I will take it apart and keep the screws, cogs and wheels to use elsewhere. The first three episodes certainly pays homage to moments I still recall from the original and captures the spirit — the action and voice-over — but to keep that enthusiasm week after week is tough. I’m watching, but I’m not always paying attention to every detail.

Lucas Till is the perfect choice to take on the mantle and he has that charm I recall from the original. But he does not hold a candle to Anderson and that nostalgia — to which may be the problem of this reboot. Instead of being new and original, it’s banking on the familiar. As with most shows developed these days, it’s also depending on sex appeal to get viewers attention.

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals – Mixed Feelings About the Latest Update & Player Tactics

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Niantic Inc is rolling out a new update to Pokémon GO and by now, most players should have it. As much as I often think of stop playing this game, this latest revision has my interest. In trying it out, my feelings are mixed about the ‘new features.’

I love the fact that the medals finally mean something (players get a better chance to capture pocket monsters from a particular type) and the gym your team occupies can be trained up easier. Instead of using one gladiator, you can now bring in six. The big news is in the fact the game will balance the combat power so these fights are fair. It works, but I am bugged that all my little warriors need a revive crystal before they are usable again. There was a time they simply fainted and only heals were needed. In fights at rival gyms, to use the said item makes sense, but when fighting your own? I wish Niantic brought back this feature.

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A Look at the Sneak Peak of Doctor Strange on IMAX 3D

doctor-strange-poster By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

I’m sure the numbers of how many people who attended the short preview to Doctor Strange (on a long weekend in North America) is as varied as the response to this film. While I’m excited to catch the end-product come November 4th (the 3D sequences when he’s flying through the multiverse look great), just how many die-hards can accept the movie’s obvious changes will determine its success. I’m okay with the gender-swapping of the Ancient One, and Tilda Swinton is a very respectable actress. With no successor to Mako Iwamatsu’s amazing presence, I’m guessing the producers had make changes lest they do a casting call throughout China / Tibet to find someone just as promising to fill the role.

When the introduction reveals nearly an hours’ worth of scenes are shot with IMAX cameras, the need to tease fans with what is to come is obvious — to spotlight the special effects on a box screen. I will certainly plan to see it again at the National Geographic IMAX Theatre. Sadly this operation plays these movies as a second-run product. Not every cinema has a proper screen to show off this format right.

In what is more in front and centre is Stephen Strange’s ego (Benedict Cumberbatch) which can easily rival Tony Stark’s. When he’s a famous neurosurgeon with some pent up frustrations over who he is required to operate on, the first few minutes works very well to show how conceited he is. That’s until he looks away from where he is driving to a cell phone (showing x-ray scans of his next patient instead of playing Pokémon GO) and winds up over a cliff. The slow-motion scene shows his hands getting crushed.

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Searching for Howard Lovecraft in the Frozen Kingdom instead of “and” …

frozen_kingdom_blue-ray_cover By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

If the movie Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (HPL&FK) has not crawled into your collection, perhaps the wait for all the movies that makes up this trilogy will be more worthwhile. Although I’m not chill with the wait, to see how the story introduced in Frozen Kingdom coalesce is what makes me interested. This computer-animated film is the first act to a grander story and it certainly feels like it. As for where the other two parts will go, Howie has a long journey ahead of him.

Last year, Shout! Factory announced obtaining the North American rights to Arcana Studios‘ upcoming movie. This comic book company has an entertainment subdivision to translate their printed products to cinema and this title is not their first. They produced The Clockwork Girl (2014, still awaiting a proper video release) and Pixies (2015).

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