Pads & Panels

Title: X-Men: Psylocke

Publisher: Marvel

Writers: Chris Yost, Chris Claremont

Artists: Harvey Tolibao, Jim Lee

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

No return of a popular member of the X-Men would be complete without a proper storyline to tell it, and that’s where this book comes into play. After finally coming to her senses after being brainwashed by Madelyne Pryor’s evil mutant super-group, the Sisterhood, Betsy Braddock has a lot of issues to resolve. She goes to Japan to try to make peace with her past and put her former body to rest (long story). This plan gets completely shot to hell, as she is ambushed by the Hand, a group of mystical ninjas, leading her to believe that Matsu’o Tsurayaba – a Hand assassin that she knows all too well from her past – had sent them to kill her. On the way, she encounters a Jinn that Matsu’o crossed, also on a mission to send him to his grave. Chris Yost’s story will have readers guessing all the way until the end as to exactly who was behind everything and what was at stake, which makes for a great, fast-paced tale of revenge and redemption. The book also features an older story, penned by Psylocke creator Chris Claremont and penciled by Jim Lee, detailing one of the older stories when she went astray from the uncanny mutants. (more…)

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Title: LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Platform: 360 (Wii, PS3, DS, PC, PSP)

ESRB: E10+

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

Rating: 4.5/5

Review by: Sarah Kumley

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 plays much the same as the other LEGO games, but with everyone’s favorite adolescent wizard. The game follows the stories of the books and movies featuring Harry and his young friends for the first four years they attend Hogwarts. The students attend classes to learn new spells and can switch between them for whatever tasks need to be performed. Players can also switch between characters as some spells are only available to certain ones. There are also parts of the environment that cannot be accessed from the beginning, but rather can be once certain spells are mastered. It is through the spell unlocks that puzzles and progression unfurl. (more…)

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Title: Mystery P.I. – Stolen in San Francisco

Platform: PC

ESRB: Unknown

Publisher: PopCap, SpinTop Games

Developer: SpinTop Games

Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

Much like a Where’s Waldo? puzzle, the Mystery P.I. series challenges players to find everyday objects that are hidden in a scene. The latest installment, Stolen in San Francisco, uses famous scenery from around the great West Coast city. The player has been hired by a very wealthy person to find $250 million worth of gold bars stolen from an armored car. The player scours 25 locations to find clues and put them all together to recover the gold, by pointing and clicking on objects. (more…)

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Title: Almost Silent

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Writer: Jason

Artist: Jason

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Jason’s work is arguably some of the most masterful in the comics medium. He has a spectacular knack for visual storytelling, using the medium to its fullest, and words to their fewest. With a simplified style highlighted by anthropomorphic animals, a subtle sense of expression and the perfect dose of humor, his digestible stories are near-perfect reads. But at lengths that are more comics novellas and less graphic novels, the paperbacks can get a bit pricey at $9 to $17 a pop. But Fantagraphics stumbled upon a great idea last year in publishing Jason’s serialized “Low Moon” strip in a hardcover edition, filling it out with other short works from the author. The publisher has employed the same mentality with Almost Silent, giving readers their first shot at the collected material of Meow, Baby!, Jason’s short stories and gag strips, for the first time in years. This time, instead of filling it out with previously unpublished material, Fantagraphics compiles the previously released Tell Me Something, You Can’t Get There From Here, and The Living and the Dead, the former two of which are also out of print. (more…)

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Title: Batman: International

Publisher: DC

Writers: Alan Grant, Mark Waid

Artist: Frank Quitely, Diego Olmos, Arthur Ranson

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

As the title implies, Batman: International details some of Batman’s adventures outside of his crime-infested home of Gotham City. What readers get is three stories. “Scottish Connection” is about Batman trying to solve a crime linked to his ancestors. “Batman in Barcelona: Dragon’s Knight” details another showdown between the Caped Crusader and Killer Croc, this time focusing on St. George and the Dragon. Finally, there’s “Tao,” in which Batman encounters an enemy he made during a trip to China during his formative years. Unlike many Batman story arcs, these stories are far too short to really go anywhere, which makes them good for a short Batman fix, but there really isn’t much to them. However, most Batman fans aren’t looking for a quick fix, and these tales don’t delve into the psyche or mystery of the character. The artwork of the three tales differs, too. Frank Quitely’s inimitable style complements references to Scotland’s weather, along with subtle, muted tones courtesy of Matt Hollingsworth and Brad Matthew. Diego Olmos depicts a more lithe, lean Batman than anyone is used to seeing. And Arthur Ranson’s artwork, while sketchy and old-school in nature, is vividly brought to life by now-defunct comic coloring house Digital Chameleon. (more…)

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Title: “Marvel Level Kit” DLC for LittleBigPlanet

Platform: PS3

Publisher: Sony

Developer: Media Molecule

Review by: Bill Jones

Sony has teamed with Marvel to offer more developer-created platforming content for LittleBigPlanet in the form of the “Marvel Level Kit.” The kit hit the PlayStation Store the same day as the first of several planned Marvel Costume Packs, the first one comprising Iron Man, Thing, Daredevil, Doctor Octopus and Mystique. And while Sackboy versions of Iron Man and Doctor Octopus are absolutely adorable, it’s the level pack that deserves the real attention. Media Molecule gives Marvel the full treatment, with four brand-new levels created by the developer, along with an extra background, three music files, 24 create objects and 156 stickers for players to use on their own levels. But with four awesome levels that pit up to four heroes against the maniacal plans of Magneto, it’s the developer stuff that should attract the most attention. (more…)

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Title: “The Incredibles Level Kit” DLC for LittleBigPlanet

Platform: PS3

Publisher: Sony

Developer: Media Molecule

Review by: Bill Jones

Adding to Disney’s partnership with Sony for LittleBigPlanet comes “The Incredibles Level” Kit” and “The Incredibles Costume Pack.” The costume pack steals the show this time around, with nine costumes for the $5.99 price tag. It comprises all of The Incredibles, as well as a “retro” version of Mr. Incredible, their allies Frozone and Edna Mode, and their arch-nemesis, Syndrome. Though The Incredibles costumes are pretty much identical, fans of the Pixar movies should like the different hairdos that give the characters some variety. But “The Incredibles Level Kit” is a bit of a disappointment. This one is strictly just a level kit, with a “Gallery Level” for Sackboys and girls to run through to collect the items that come with the pack. The Incredibles settings are well done, but at $4.99 it’s a shame the property didn’t get the same developer-created levels present in other packs. (more…)

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Title: Bookworm

Platform: DS

ESRB: E

Publisher: PopCap Games

Developer: PopCap Games

Rating:

Review by: Sarah Kumley

The PC addiction of Bookworm is now available on the Nintendo DS. This version plays much like the original, with some new additions. The goal is to find and spell out words in a collection of letter tiles. Longer and more complex words net the player more points. The player can also unlock more library rooms by spelling longer words. Twenty bonus books offer players a chance to find specific words in the tiles. Each book has a different theme, with twelve words to find that vary in length and difficulty. There are three different modes to play: classic, action and multiplayer. The classic mode is just that – the original version. Action mode really keeps the player on edge by causing fire tiles to appear every few seconds and the game is over if they reach the bottom. Multiplayer mode pits players who also own Bookworm on the DS against each other in a race to be the first to reach a goal score. (more…)

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Title: 28 Days Later: London Calling

Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Writers: Michael Alan Nelson

Artists: Declan Shalvey

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

London Calling catches up with Selena, one of three survivors from the original 28 Days Later, who is now hiding out in Norway after escaping the nightmares of a London completely infected with the Rage virus, turning all in its path into rabid, bloodthirsty monsters. Clint Harris is an American reporter looking for someone to lead him into quarantined London after getting a tip that a U.S.-led NATO force will be going in to start restructuring the area. Initially, she tells him to piss off, then something changes her mind. She joins Clint and his team – four “hardened” journalists who think they’ve seen it all and can withstand anything. Quite frankly, they’ve never withstood the Infected, and when the shit hits the fan by the end of the book, they’re left for dead on an island full of zombies. The main problem with the book is that the claustrophobic feel of the films is lost in the transition back to the comic book medium, and Selena is portrayed more like a badass zombie hunter, rather than a survivor fighting for her life. Although the artwork is good, the book is more action than suspenseful horror, and that’s where it forgoes what could have made for a great start to the new series. (more…)

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Title: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Platform: iPhone

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Rating:

Review by: Thomas Braaksma

Sonic the Hedgehog is a one of the most beloved characters in the history of gaming. So naturally it’s a pleasure to see Sonic the Hedgehog 2 re-released in the App store for iPhone. The game translates beautifully when used at full screen (make sure to go to the options menu and switch this), though despite the beauty of playing this classic again, there are some faults. The gameplay can get frustrating due to the slippery directional pad. The unnatural flow of controls will have the gamer correcting finger placement, taking him out of the experience. Though the idea of translating classic games to the iPhone format is great, developers need to work on the gameplay more before passing their babies off to eager fans. In the mean time Sonic the Hedgehog 2 simply suffices, and helps pass the time. (more…)

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