Sunday, August 29, 2010

Andrew Smith

Tragedy marks tale of ‘Cuba: My Revolution’

Sometimes you read something that is so real, so tangible, so personal that you know it has already affected many lives – and is about to affect yours. Such is …

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Madden 11’ scores big points for franchise

“Madden 11” isn’t just another step forward visually in the franchise. Yes, it has some wonderful new graphics enhancements, and putting Gus Johnson in the play-by-play announcer’s chair is a …

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Shopping trip a blast from the past

My two youngest siblings aren’t the easiest children to buy back-to-school clothes for. Younger Sister has a tendency to change her mind about her purchases on the way home from …

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Andrew Smith

‘A God Somewhere’ finds everyman hero

There’s a sub-genre in superhero comics that asks the question “What if superheroes really existed?” and the answer is usually “bad things.” The graphic novel “A God Somewhere” (DC /WildStorm, …

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Limbo’: A magnificent gaming nightmare

“Limbo” is new territory for this column, as this is the first Xbox Live Arcade game I’ve reviewed. I couldn’t have picked a finer experience for my first time out. …

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Singularity’ turns to fighting Reds for fun

You can never go wrong making the Russians the enemy in a video game, especially when it’s a first-person shooter and a good chunk of the game is spent in …

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Andrew Smith

‘Red Hood’ movie puts ‘dark’ in Dark Knight

After watching the latest DC original animated movie, “Batman: Under the Red Hood,” my wife gave her customary one-word review: “Dark.” It is. The movie revolves around a gang war …

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Andrew Smith

Norse tales with modern touches

Welcome to the all-Viking edition of Captain Comics! Rub yourself down with bear fat, polish your sword, work yourself into a berserker rage and enjoy. “Northlanders,” an anthology series about …

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘NCAA Football 11’ scores; ‘Ghost Warrior’ bores

I acknowledge that asking each edition of a franchise to have loads of new content while maintaining the balance of the previous release is silly and unrealistic. What it comes …

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Taking a stand on tween finance

Younger Sister has officially entered what I like to term the “lemonade stand phase.” Although she’s still too young to have a part-time job, she’s old enough that she wants …

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Andrew Smith

Real-life mystery makes for riveting reading

OK, Rick Geary is officially creeping me out. Geary is the writer/artist who has been crafting those charming graphic novellas about historical mayhem. He did nine books in his “Treasury …

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Andrew Smith

Noir of ‘Tumor’ grows on you

Archaia Press is a small indie publisher, but it has put out a big graphic novel in “Tumor” (by Joshua Fialkov and Noel Tuazon, $14.95). “Tumor” is noir in its …

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Toy Story 3’ lacks depth; ‘Cybertron’ fails

The “Toy Story” franchise has been a juggernaut in the film world, and its related video-game merchandise has been popular, too. So, when a high-profile movie release such as “Toy …

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Closet battle has yet to be won

No matter how cunning or resourceful you may be, you will eventually come up against a situation where you just can’t win. Napoleon had Waterloo, Custer had the Battle of …

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Andrew Smith

‘A God Somewhere’ supplies real answer

There’s a sub-genre in superhero comics that asks the question, “What if superheroes really existed?” The answer is usually “bad things.” The graphic novel “A God Somewhere” (DC /WildStorm, $24.99) …

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Trauma Team’ just what the doctor ordered

I admit to initially being skeptical of the “Trauma” franchise. Other than my wife’s cousins from Idaho, I knew no one who openly enjoyed a series of games in which …

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Andrew Smith

Delving into the mind of ‘The Killer’

You’d think a series named “The Killer” would be action-oriented, but it’s about conscience – one of the many surprises this series of graphic novels offers. The title character is …

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11’ aces update

If a franchise is all about building upon the previous release and improving the product, then “Tiger Woods 11” is a hallmark example of what happens when this logic is …

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘UFC Undisputed 2010’ gets the fighting right

If you’re a fan of mixed martial arts, good for you, but I’m a boxing fan at heart and I’ve never been able to wrap my head around what makes …

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Andrew Smith

‘Trickster’ conjures up tales of Native gods

“Trickster” (Fulcrum Books, $22.95) is one of those brilliant ideas that in retrospect is so obvious, people slap their foreheads and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” “Trickster” editor …

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘ModNation Racers’ will rev players up

It feels as if Nintendo’s “Mario Kart” franchise has singly dominated that racing genre since its arrival back on the N64 platform. Sure, others have come along to challenge its …

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Andrew Smith

‘Greendale’ bewitches on multiple levels

It’s weirdly appropriate that “Neil Young’s Greendale” (DC/Vertigo, $19.99) has arrived as gallons of crude oil wash up on the white sand beaches of the Gulf coast. That’s because one …

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Learning life’s responsibilities

Most children do not fully appreciate their parents until they have children of their own. Oldest Younger Brother and I got an early start on this deeper level of parental …

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Red Dead Redemption’ sets standard for depth

Early reviews and hype for Rockstar’s “Red Dead Redemption” have tagged the game as nothing less than a Wild West version of its seminal “Grand Theft Auto.” To put such …

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Andrew Smith

Jonah Hex treads fine line between good, bad

“He had no friends, this Jonah Hex. But he did have two companions. One was death itself … the other, the acrid smell of gunsmoke.” That’s the tagline for a …

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Chris Campbell

Originality makes ‘Alan Wake’ compelling

Original storytelling and sense of place and atmosphere truly set games such as “Alan Wake” apart. You play as Wake, an author who is in quite the pickle. You see, …

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Andrew Smith

DC highlights series in 3 graphic novels

DC Comics is currently No. 2 in sales – so, apparently, it tries harder! This week gave us three DC graphic novels, each as different from the other as the …

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Andrew Smith

Real-life mission turns deadly in ‘Dong Xoai’

No American comics artist is better known for war stories than Joe Kubert, famed for “Sgt. Rock” and “Enemy Ace” and graphic novels such as “Fax from Sarajevo.” That regard …

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Street Fighter IV’ offers loads of characters

The pizza joint a few blocks from my high school is long gone, but my memories of spending hours there after school playing “Street Fighter II” linger, and it’s these …

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Andrew Smith

Welcome change in Marvel U: ‘Heroic Age’

It’s morning in America again – at least, the America in which Marvel characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Avengers live. For a couple of years in the …

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘2010 FIFA World Cup’ feeds soccer frenzy

My fellow fans and I can’t help getting all worked up about soccer’s World Cup starting in June. Game maker EA is feeding our frenzy with its release of “2010 …

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Andrew Smith

Software helps keep track of your collection

It has been a few years since I experimented with software for managing comics collections, and if ComicBase 14 is any indication, they’ve become astonishingly sophisticated – and possibly indispensable. …

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Andrew Smith

Most ‘Iron Man’ foes too dated for modern films

So you’ve seen the trailers for “Iron Man 2” and you’re wondering if this Whiplash guy is a major villain in the comics. The simple answer is “no.” The original …

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Andrew Smith

Archie’s world open to diversity

Comics are much in the news these days. ITEM: What you’ve heard is true: Archie Comics is introducing its first openly gay Riverdale resident, Kevin Keller. “Veronica” No. 202 features …

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Conviction’ has strong story, visual design

Sam Fisher has been the stealthy stud of choice for about a half-dozen or so games by now, and the strength of this series has always been the level of …

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Andrew Smith

Writing royalty involved in ‘American Vampire’

A lot of novelists, screenwriters and other big names are writing comics these days, but it’s still a jaw-dropper when Stephen King does. That’s his name at the top of …

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Maine event: Navigating Portland

As we approach that time of year when it’s less likely to snow (we never say never here in New Hampshire), our thoughts turn to road trips that extend beyond …

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Just Cause 2’ fun despite goofiness

Goofy fun is the best way to describe “Just Cause 2,” the sequel to Square Enix’s game about shady governments and campy regime change. Once again you play as Rico, …

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Andrew Smith

Art really does come to life in ‘Odd Hours’

I’ve been reading comics for more than 40 years, and I still learn something every month. One especially good teacher is the series of graphic novels commissioned by The Louvre, …

Thursday, April 15, 2010

George Pelletier

Local eats and national feats

A couple days ago, I was running some errands in downtown Nashua and decided to stop into Jackie’s Diner for a cup of coffee and some conversation. A lawyer friend …

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Andrew Smith

Exploring character is the magic behind ‘Mysterius’

What if the world operated on a system of magic that only a few knew – and one of those few was a jerk who basically used it to cadge …

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Chris Campbell

‘Metro 2033’ brings disaster to Moscow

Post-apocalyptic shooters have been gaining steam, and some even compare well with the modern-day military games that are so popular. “Metro 2033” isn’t quite up to par with its contemporaries, …

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Teresa Santoski

Fitting in all holiday celebrations

When I do research for Daily TWiP, my daily online column on unusual holidays and odd history, I’m frequently amazed by how many holidays there are and how few of …

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