Unemployed Nerd Chronicles - Day 4: New Comics & My Bastard's Honor

Day 4 started with watching "An Idiot Abroad" on the Science Channel, from Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant, they sent their simple minded friend Karl Pilkington (with some of you might know from the "Ricky Gervais Show" on HBO) around the world to see the 7 wonders, to either broaden his mind or just annoy the shit out of him. He went off to Jordan and see Petra, where he discovererd he enjoyed living in a cave. It was pretty entertaining, but the episode when they sent him to China is still my favorite. The constant culture shock for this guy Karl is just priceless, plus his being totally unimpressed by all the wonders of the world and dismissing them.

After that I went to hook the Xbox up to the router and see if customer service had finished its job. I dragged all the stuff downstairs again and was pleased to find my Blood Dragon Armor ready for download. I played for a few minutes to check it out, but on my main save file I've literally done everything. Like a weirdo I played Mass Effect 2 before I played 1, which to be honest was a rough step back, the first one is a good game, but messed up in a lot of ways that were improved in ME2. The main think is I can import my save from 1 and replay with that version of my Sheperd character, which I made look just like my Mass Effect 2 Shepard just to add to the confusion. So next time I play through before ME3 comes out I will have even more awesome looking armor than I had before.

By this time it was noon, which meant new comics were available, so I went down to my local comic shop, Aquilonia to get my goods. I had four monthly books, and picked up DCs Time Masters: Vanishing Point mini series since it had just finished, which I plan to read in one sitting and do an All-In-One Review this week or next. But here's a rundown of the four main books I got this week. 

---(Spoiler Warning)---

Amazing Spider-Man #654
"Revenge of the Spider-Slayer - Part 3: Self Inflicted Wounds"
Writer: Dan Slott/Fred Van Lente
Artist: Stefano Caselli

This brings to a close the second storyline in the new Dan Slott era of Spider-Man called "Big Time" where Peter Parker finally has a proper job/career using his brains and has the resouces to use for making himself a better crime-fighter, as well as having a shiny new girlfriend to romance. The first story saw the rise of a new Hobgoblin, and now the return of an improved Scorpion and the Spider-Slayers who arew out for revenge against the whole Jameson family. Spideys connection to the New Avengers came in handy last issue to provide some much needed back-up while Peter trys to solve the bigger problem, as well as some nice moments with Ben Grimm. The Avengers wew having trouble with these guys cause they all seemed to have the "sixth-sense" that Spider-Man has in anticipating the moves of others. So with his new brainy boss Max Modell they whip up a thing that will counter act it. Unfortunately when its activated Spider-Man is to close to it, totally knocking out his spider-sense for how long its not made clear. Of course this is a terrible time to lose it, and at the last moment he unable to anticipate the Spider-Slayers last ditch effort to kill JJJ where his wife jumped in the way. In her last moments she tells Jonah to give up all his hate, very touching moment I might add. And for once he blames himself and not Spider-Man, since he realizes it was he who had the Spider-Slayers created all those years ago which led to this. A very good issue in a long run of good issues, not much more to say about it

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #7
"Last Will / Seeing Red"
Writer: Peter Tomasi
Artist: Fernando Pasarin

I am not even going to do a full plot summary because I'm not even sure 100% what was going on. Sodam Yat the former Ion is aparently being controlled, and being used to poison the Green Lantern Corps energy. Guy Gardner is trying to stop this and must use some of the Red Rage inside him to defeat this bad guy, and stop his main plan. But he still escapes with Sodam Yat in tow, and Gardner teams back up with Lanterns Arisia and Kilowog and they go off to try and catch this new bad guy. This is a Prelude to the "War of the Green Lanterns" which aparently starts next month and all the GL books are gonna cross-over, and everyone is gonna be mad at each other I bet. This has been an interesting book but the last two issues have been very convoluted IMO just a lot of explanations in the midst of battle and just generally not very clear. I'm still enjoying it, I just think i have to go back and refresh my memory of the last couple issues. And the War should be a lot of fun, like all the last GL cross-overs have been.

Justice League: Generation Lost #19
"Part Nineteen: And the Lord Taketh Away"
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Fernando Dagnino

This book is heading to its last few issues now, and while very enjoyable not entirely certain what the end game is other than stopping Maxwell Lord...because he's gonna do something bad, but we're still not sure what it is. He's captured the new Blue Beetle, and we get a breif history of him and the past two people who were called Blue Beetle. Max seems to be trying to learn all about the scarab that gives Beetle his armor and powers, torturing him in the process. Beetle gets a chance to do something, and signals the rest of his teammates Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Rocket Red, Fire and Ice. Of course we find out for what feels like the fifth time that what their team has been doing has just helped Max with what he's been trying to do. And the team arrives at the last moment just as Max shoots this new Blue Beetle in the head as he did the last one, seemingly killing him. So in that respect I imagine shit is gonna go down in the next issue. Waiting for the big endgame to reveal itself, but still enjoying the ride. Its nice seeing this group of characters with a lot of history forced together, but I will be sad if this is the last we see of the current Blue Beetle.

New Avengers #9
"Infinity - Part 1"
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artist: Howard Chaykin/Mike Deodato Jr.

New Avengers has probably been my favorite book of all the new Avengers titles I'm reading, its generally more fun, funny, and a bit more grounded. Plus I just like Ben Grimm, Spider-Man, and Luke Cage together, they amuse me. This book started off with a Nick Fury flashback from 1959 showing him taking some Nazis out who escaped the trials after the war. Then we go to the New Avengers getting ready to jump some bad guys led by Superia a bad guy I havn't seen since she tried to turn Cap and Paladin into ladies...seriously. At first they are hesistant since she hasn't done anything yet...but clearly will do something, so Ben Grimm makes the decision for them and goes in to start the fight forcing the rest of them to join in. It all seems to go well until Mockingbird takes a shot to the chest...and there's a lot of blood. She practically just got 'resurrected' would be a shame if she died already. But after that we go back to the Fury flashback and the president is calling in Nick Fury to help with a project called...(bum bum BUM) The Avengers Initiative. What could that mean?? Bendis is doing some of the same kind of storytelling he used a lot during Secret Invasion. Clearly we're gonna learn some secret history of the Marvel Universe, and its gonna have something to do with the New Avengers. 

The last nerdy thing I did was play more Dragon Age. I finally went back to my home within the Dwarven caverns of Orzamar where I was exiled after being tricked into killing my brother who was heir to my father's throne (this was all at the very beginning of my game), but I was set up by my younger brother Bheilin who is now trying to take the throne after my father died during my absense. I did a bunch of little side-quests and proved my honor in the Proving Grounds, now I must head into the Deep Roads to find the last remaining Paragon to settle the despute for who will be the new King, my SOB brother Bhelin or my fathers advisor Harrowmont who seems like a nice guy. I think I will be supporting Harrowmont as king, since he has agreed to restore the honor of the son I incidently fathered at the beginning of the game during a tumble with two eager dwarf ladies (again crazy game), but it was my choice and I will take responsibilty for my actions.

Now I'm worn out from this article, and I will see you tomorrow...