NYCC: Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

NYCC: Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

As the New York Comic Con hit its mid-way point the Marvel television panel laid out their plans of of how they are going to dominate your DVR in 2015. A large chunk of the content out of this panel was Disney XD related in which they showed what's coming up for Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, and even showing a full episode of Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. By far the highlight of their panel was the reveal that coming in 2015 The Guardians of the Galaxy will be getting their own animated show on Disney XD. It also looks like in true Marvel form they will introduce the eccentric Guardians cast in another one of their titles before they debut in their own show (Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. in this case). Marvel did show off some test footage during the panel that shows Rocket Raccoon in action. Check out the footage below and stay tuned to New Geek Protocol for all upcoming Marvel T.V. and movie news.

-Demo

    

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Nerd Block - September 2014

Nerd Block - September 2014

I couldn’t wait for this month’s Nerd Block, they kept hinting at products from Guardians of the Galaxy, TMNT, and an STD? Did they just say STD? Yes, that is correct this month Nerd Block gave all of their subscribers a random STD.

Here are the contents of this month’s block:

1. T-shirt: Sounds of the Galaxy (Guardians of the Galaxy)

2. Boxos by FUNKO: TMNT papercraft playset featuring all 4 turtles, Splinter, Shredder, a foot, and even the Shellraiser

3. Mega Bloks: Marvel Series 1 minifigure, blind package (I don't care for MegaBloks, so I am not opening this. LEGO till the end!)

4. Nerd Block 1-year anniversary stress brain (comes in handy at work)

5. ScribbleNauts Unmasked Vinyl Figure Series 2 (I got the Red Superman, I forgot to take a picture of him)

...and finally my STD
6. Giant Microbes STD: Crabs/Louse

This month was pretty exciting! Next month will be hand picked by none other than Kevin Smith! This should be awesome since he is a huge fan of comic books and Star Wars. I should also see  a new subscription box from Nerd Block this month, Arcade Block. I will write about the contents of that when I receive it. I am also looking forward to this month’s Loot Crate which is themed Galaxy and will contain loot from Star Wars, Star Trek, and Firefly, ArchangelEZE will review that later this month.

If you live in the Grand Rapids or surrounding areas, don’t forget to come visit
us out at the annual Geek-Stuff Garage Sale at Apparitions Comics, 2757 Ridgemoor Dr SE, Kentwood, MI 49512 this Saturday from 10a-7p.

Until next time, May the Force Be With You!

- Da_Fettman

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Marvel Studios Looks 'Inhuman'

Marvel Studios Looks 'Inhuman'

With the growing success of Marvel Studios most recent addition to its Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy, the doors have been flung wide open for more cosmic based adventures. Fan speculation has ranged from the realistic (Nova), to left field deep cuts (The Starjammers), however Groot himself, Vin Diesel, may have slipped Marvel's true plans earlier this week when he took to Facebook with the following post :

Could The Inhumans be in the lineup for Marvel's Cinematic Phase III? Absolutely. Much like Guardians, Marvel has invested a great deal of time and money into the Inhuman franchise recently, even going as far as to launch a new #1 comic title with art by one of the best and most successful in the industry, Joe Madureira.

Inhuman #3, Art by Joe Madureira

Even more entertaining is the fact that this tidbit was released by Diesel, who just so happens to be a dead ringer in terms of height and build for the Inhuman leader and king, Blackbolt. Although Diesel has already provided the voice for one character in the Marvel U, there's no reason he couldn't embody another. Ironically enough, embodiment is all the role would require, as Blackbolt doesn't speak - and that, in my opinion, sounds exactly like the type of casting irony Marvel would find amusing.

Blackbolt, Art by Ron Lim

What are your thoughts on the supposed leak? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!

Until next time True Believers,

-ArchangelEZE

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GameStop: Evil Empire or Gentle Giant Pt. 2

GameStop: Evil Empire or Gentile Giant Pt. 2

In my previous post I discussed the dark side of the gaming giant GameStop. In this article I will be discussing how GameStop has been making great strides lately to become more appealing to customers looking to trade in their games. As I said before GS is a corporation that is looking to make money and stay ahead of its competition. Given that there seems to be an awaking around the decision table to go in the opposite direction: the light side.

Let's try to suck significantly less.

In the past you only got a really great deal on trades if you took in-store credit and then on top of that put that credit toward either a new title or reserved a game coming out. If you were trading in your gaming library thinking that you would get a fat wad of cash to pay your bills you would be severely disappointed. Now GS is looking into rehabilitate their confusing system of trades, which previously used an algorithm that would make Stephen Hawking question all his work on gravitational singularity theorems. Not only is GS simplifying its trade in system it will now offer 20% more for trades as well, so a game that you would get $20 for you now will get $24. These changes to GS policy signifies that not only do they want clear the air with their customers but that they are also willing to show value regardless of whether you are selling or purchasing a product.

New and simplified trade-in system.

GameStop is a store that already has value in the fact that it is a specialty store and I think that is often overlooked. I would prefer to buy games there then visit any of the other big box stores who have a broader inventory. At least at GS you are being badgered about games, which is something I just so happen to be interested in, instead of satellite TV at Best Buy, something that I couldn't give the smallest fudge about. That's the value here. You walk in the door for games and that is what you get, an entire store filled with games. If you think about it, what GS is doing isn't really being done by any one else. Most other stores that just so happen to carry video games are usually more concerned with selling their big ticket items than a video game. GS on the other hand wants you to bring in your games that you aren't playing, they attach a value to them (where before they were just good for keeping dust off that one section of you entertainment center), and they let you use that to get another game. In my experience this cycle of trading and buying repeats itself indefinitely and really if you think about the money that is being saved by keeping that investment on games in games is pretty substantial. Now that I think about it, in my entire gaming life, which so happens to be my entire life, I have never had to pay full price for a game thanks to this system. If GS gets a little kickback off of this system so they can sustain their business then it's fine by me.

"Pre-order Destiny? Nah. What you need is this shitty iPad rip-off."

One of the things that makes GameStop awesome is something that I may have mentioned earlier as an issue but really can be seen from both sides. That "issue" is exclusives. This is really a topic that is a double edged sword because on one hand it's creating content that only certain people can take advantage of but on the other hand if you are one of those people your reward is often great. Pre-orders, often used as a dipstick for how a game's retail success might play out, are the largest contributor of exclusives. They play into the fact that every gamer, at our core, are loot junkies. Getting rewarded for doing something as easy as paying $5 towards a game you already know you are going to buy is a no-brainer. Often the rewards for doing so are pretty cool and are often the best at GameStop. 

Loot! Glorious loot!

GameStop at this point is akin to The Guardians of the Galaxy in that the direction that they are taking their company is something bad, something good, a little bit of both. Personally for me I will continue to visit my local GS store and give them my business because I see value in their system of getting more games by selling the games I already have and getting a good deal. What do you think about how GameStop runs their business? Are they an evil corporation bent on seeing the video game world burn or are they industry pioneers who want to bring the joy of gaming to every household? Let the entire inter-webs know in the comments below.

-Demo

for more gaming related rants visit kotaku.com

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The Weekly Pull : Legendary Star-Lord

The Weekly Pull : Legendary Star-Lord #1

As an avid comic book fan, Wednesday's are always a treat for me. Each and every week a bag is waiting for me behind the counter of my local comic shop full of my favorite Marvel, DC, Image and Darkhorse titles. With bag in hand, I always make it a priority to take a lap around the shop, checking the New Release wall for the latest and greatest. This week, I set my sights on the first solo venture of Guardians of The Galaxy leader, Peter Quill, in the Legendary Star-Lord #1

In today's industry, it takes a vast amount of popularity for a character to support (and maintain) the weight of a solo title. With competition among the likes of Spider-Man, Batman, Spawn and Hellboy, both story and art need to bring something fresh and exciting to the table. Coming off the heels of the widely popular Guardians of the Galaxy team book by Bendis and McNiven and the record setting James Gunn film, it only seemed natural to delve into the history of the charismatic leader and legendary outlaw.

The book begins much like the film, where we find Quill on the trail of a rare gem (no, not one of THOSE(link) gems) currently residing in the possession of a small band of Badoon (link) pirates. In somewhat predictable fashion, things turn sour for our hero, who quickly finds himself a prisoner of the space pirates, where cunning and guile take center stage in the story.

Although no other members of the Guardians make an appearance in this first issue, writer Sam Humphries (Avengers A.I., Uncanny X-Force) does an exceptional job of incorporating small bits of dialogue referencing Quill's teammates, which flow perfectly into current events seen in the ongoing monthly team title. Artist Paco Medina (Deadpool, Nova) takes the lead penciling duties for the issue, bringing his unique anime-esque style to the book, which I believe works exceptionally well for the series. As an added bonus, Marvel also featured variant cover artwork for this first issue from their newly appointed “All-New Young Guns,” giving us, the reader, a peek at the up and coming artists not only for the Legendary Star-Lord,  but across the Marvel U as well.

Overall, the Legendary Star-Lord is off to a solid start, attracting new readers and keeping things in line with current continuum to please long-time fans like myself. Humphries even leaves the reader with a nice cliffhanger referencing Quill’s paternity (as hinted briefly in the film) setting the stage for a far greater adventure for the months to come.

-ArchangelEZE

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