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Rohil Reviews 2000s Anime: Afro Samurai

Afro Samurai (2007) is Gonzo’s 5-episode miniseries anime adaption of the Nou Nou Hau serialized manga of the same name by Takashi Okazaki. Directed by Fuminori Kizaki.

Afro Samurai is a tightly mixed production, comprised of cyberpunk neo-feudal settings, emotionally enrapturing sounds of soul and hip-hop, and tonal influences from blaxploitation media.

The series centers on two ancient headbands, a warriors path. The wearer of the number one headband is granted access to godhood, perhaps more so symbolically. Only the number two headband can challenge number one for the shot of (maybe?) transcendence. Anyone can come for the Number 2.

So, if you’re rocking that number two headband, the block is just perpetually heated for you. It truly is a rubbish way to live life. You could instead post up at a serene village and just farm. Make you some lemonade. Maybe have a family? Truthfully, Afro had several chances for this kind of tranquility, particularly a moment from his adolescence. Afro is taken in by Sword Master’s dojo, where he bonds with his peers, all fellow orphans. Unfortunately, the attraction of revenge is too strong.

Afro witnessed his father, the former Number 1, decapitated by Justice, a pruney gunslinging cowboy with some form of Polymelia. Dude has arms on arms on arms. Young Afro sets out to re-track the number two headband, so he can make his way back to Mount Shumi, make a mess of Justice, and avenge his pop’s death. It’s an expectedly bloody tale.

The show is engaging the whole ride through, the five episodes are well-paced, and there is a vibrant rhythm to the profanely witty, theatrical dialogue. The show is self-aware, entirely playing into all the cheesiness the genre propagates.

Further contributing to the effective story pacing, Afro Samurai cuts its battles together superbly. All the fights are fluid, chic, and easy to parse. The score syncs to the shot-variation during fight choreography, and the musical beats harmonize with the combat’s emotional beats.

Afro Samurai features, undeniably, one of the smoothest, nastiest, prodigious anime OSTs of all time. Produced by the legendary RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, also notable for his work on the Kill Bill soundtrack, and his film The Man with the Iron Fists. Featuring contributions from luminary Hip Hop artists Q-Tip and Talib Kweli. RZA’s soundtrack is a strengthening coat, solidifying the show’s indestructible badassery. In a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Afro Samurai, RZA reveals the show’s sonic story as Afro’s father representing soul, and Justice representing hard rock. A masterful consideration, capturing both the story’s events and symbolic beats. Rock kills soul, killing that piece of Afro, his innocence. Afro grows up formed by soul (his father) and rock (his father’s killer, Justice) — the combination of the two, being Hip Hop.

The voice acting cast features Samual L. Jackson as Afro, and his loud-mouthed imaginary friend, Ninja Ninja. Ron Perlman plays Justice, and other cast members include Tara Strong, Kelly Hu, and Phil LaMarr.

A powerhouse cast, delivering captivating performances, fully committing to the absurdity of their characters — all of whom flex iconic designs. From Kuma’s bear-head to The Empty Seven, Justice’s pruney-ass, Ninja Ninja’s clout-goggles, and Afro himself, with his chilling gaze.

Afro Samurai is genuinely one of the dopest pieces of art created.

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Low – Comic Review

A tale of science fiction and humanity as Image Comics brings forth a story from the mind of Rick Remender in Low. The comic explores the vast waters underneath the earth’s surface and the civilizations emerged below the Earth’s oceans to escape the toxic radiation of the sun. Rick writes a story of loss, exploration, and hope in an epic universe.

During a submarine trip on the outer banks of the great dome city Salus an unforeseen tragedy falls upon Stel Caine and her family. When her husband Johl Caine dies at the hands of pirates her daughters Della and Tajo are taken away by the unrelenting bandits. Stel is left with her son Marik who begins a decade long journey to find her lost children.

Greg Tocchini is the artist, the comic delivers a wide range of colors that blend and bleed into neighboring panels. The line work itself is very loose as Greg uses open expression in shaping the environment and characters.

Greg crafts a “pen style” with heavy outline and streaks with detail that maintains the extraordinary atmosphere befitting of the premise. Nothing holds a solid shape but flows as if underwater when the story moves from start to finish.

The colors switch when signifying the time of day from warm to cool. Everything on the page has a sense of water colors or paint all formed with a firm brush of different pigments.

Some obstacles from the environment may have one solid base or a blend of multiple colors to boost the background or forefront of the action. World building becomes a necessary quality as the issue adds more depth to the devices and lifestyle of the people. Every city district has its own personality.

Low is an ongoing comic series that continuously builds upon itself with the environment and different classes of people. Everything on the page is captivating in keeping the reader’s attention and progression of the story. This comic is for anyone who wishes to be immersed in an evolving imagination and way of life beyond that of humans.

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Snowpiercer’s Series Premiere Is a Pretty Good Icebreaker

The Snowpiercer TV series has a chilling amount to live up to. The film it’s based on, crafted by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho, offers a wildly entertaining and symbolic analysis of class struggle that becomes more relevant by the day. “First, the Weather Changed” is a decent first episode and sets up the series to make something of itself as well — as long as it can stay on track.

The premiere is set only 6 years, 9 months, and 26 days after Snowpiercer, the luxury train meant to churn on endlessly in an effort to preserve humanity, departs during a permanent winter brought about by attempted climate control following global warfare that raised the world’s temperature. It’s a toddler compared to the film, which takes place a whole 17 years after Snowpiercer’s departure. A slightly lighter tone is brought out by the self-aware and semi-sarcastic attitude of the main character and former homicide detective, Andre Layton (played by Daveed Diggs). The lead certainly has a tall order stepping into the shoes of the film’s star Chris Evans, but Diggs delivers — Layton has the same calm temperament of Evans’s Curtis, but stands out with a more reassuring spirit and stunning hair that could leave even the Predator blushing.

Snowpiercer' Recap: Season 1 Episode 1 — TNT Drama Premiere | TVLine — Credit: TNT

The plot initially follows Layton and the tail of the train as they plan for rebellion against their front car oppressors and the mysterious Mr. Wilford. Anyone aware of the film may find these points lackluster, given its entire existence hinges on the failure of each attempted insurrection over a 17 year period. Juicer plot points unravel in the exploration of the high class’s perception of the tail — a perspective less explored by the film — offered primarily through Melanie Cavill (played by Jennifer Connelly), who fills the role of the train’s overhead voice. The brief moments where Melanie is unwound are enticing as she isn’t vilified and is shown to hold more than a few secrets that set her apart from her fellow first class passengers.

Snowpiercer Trailer: Jennifer Connelly Rides the Train in TBS Show ... — Credit: IndieWire

The show picks up steam while showcasing its style, even opening with an animation sequence reminiscent of the story’s French comic roots that illustrates the world’s fall and what led to Snowpiercer’s conception. The concise summary and the tail’s scenery give information on the tailies’ tribulations in contrast to higher class cars, with dark, grimy greys set against clean scenes of well-lit comfort and excess — it’s a thrill to look at and tells a story without over-explaining.

When Layton is taken from the tail to solve a murder and preserve Wilford’s precious order, the series takes a stand to set itself apart. By hitting crime thriller beats as Layton works through the case while planting the seeds of rebellion, both plotlines play off each other and bring something new to the table where they may have been forgettable individually. Layton’s internal struggle of whether or not he should cooperate is a deadly combo when paired with the human struggle of those he’s sworn loyalty to, still mounting in the tail after his exit. The moral ambiguity fuels tension through each sequence.

Snowpiercer Episode 1 Recap: First, the Weather Changed | CordCutters — Credit: TNT

Not every scene is as smooth on the train that never stops. Layton’s engaging trek into higher class carts derails when he is faced with a former lover — an expository interaction that is painfully forced and more numbing than frostbite. It adds depth to his character, but its insertion feels jumbled among already sprawling subplots. Similar to the episode’s fight sequences that are certainly visceral and well-choreographed, it doesn’t stand out because of how many times it has been done before.

The series has potential — if Snowpiercer hones in on the whodunnit excitement of something like an Agatha Christie novel (which shouldn’t be too hard since it’s already on a train) and the middling character contrast of a film like Parasite, it might have something more appetizing to offer than a protein block. It likely can’t beat the film at its portrayal of the uprising itself, but the show can shine if it pulls its brakes and lowers the stakes.

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Siren Head: The Spirit of Internet Culture

Dig deep enough and those who grew up in the early 2000s can recall vivid memories of playground stories surrounding disturbing figures — ideas that stuck in our minds long after recess, occupying our thoughts under the covers and in our dreams.

Creepypastas, horror stories told and spread around the internet, have been a staple of online culture since 2008. Tales of death and disfiguration naturally shocked readers, namely those without knowledge of where they came from.

As online urban legends like Jeff the Killer and The Rake picked up steam, some spawned spinoffs. The most notorious example is Slender Man, a predatory and blank-faced figure (dressed in surprisingly dapper apparel), who inspired horror games like Slender: The Eight Pages that were played and popularized by web personalities.

A few years later, after a dip in cultural presence following news of two 12-year-old girls inspired by Slender Man’s mythos to stab a classmate, the bogeyman had his own movie — a bad one. Its poor reception (with a current 6% critic score and 17% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes) was the final sign that Slender Man had faded from the forefront of internet culture.

He was succeeded by urban legends like those from the fictional paranormal database SCP Foundation, which preserved interest in the internet’s ability to spread horror stories. Creepypastas kept creeping, and contributors continued to create their own pools of paranoia. But none of them seemed to rival the once-dominant cultural influence of Slender Man.

Enter Siren Head.

Created by horror artist Trevor Henderson, the 40-foot-tall spook sports two sirens in place of its head, delivering piercing sounds ranging from emergency broadcasts to imitations of unsuspecting victims. The gaunt creature design is fantastic — simultaneously unnerving and captivating.

People who matured as the internet did are experiencing some déjà vu. Henderson’s creation is following a similar pattern to that of old Slendy, already having inspired a few games. Most attention has been directed toward a PlayStation 1-style game from Modus Interactive that’s as striking and chilling in its aesthetic as Siren Head itself. The game sat mostly unnoticed after it came out in 2018, until a mod added the creature into Fallout 4 and set the web’s spotlight on anything related to it earlier this year.

Credit: Modus Interactive https://modus-interactive.itch.io/siren-head

Siren Head has invaded every platform, from the mainstream media to TikTok, in the form of art and video edits. It’s great publicity for Henderson, who now sits at over 200,000 followers on Twitter. As let’s plays and fan renditions continue to churn out, it’s clear not much has changed in the years since Slender.

With the warm reception of such a horrific hellspawn, it’s worth asking: what does that mean for Siren Head?

Part of early internet horror fiction’s appeal was the ambiguity surrounding its origin. Stories were traded between circles, with notoriety being earned as they strayed away from the source. All it took was a click or two to find a fountain of forums on the desired subject, but even that process has been reduced to a quick swipe into a clip’s comment section. Slender Man suffered from his prevalence. With Siren Head’s steep climb, the creature may be at risk to succumb to the same fate.

Still, while Siren Head doesn’t have the obscurity that was so pivotal in igniting interest in early internet horror subjects, its popularity is a symbol for what online culture can achieve and the web’s uniqueness as a medium. With the groundwork laid by a sprawling community of anyone interested in contributing, its reception is proof that the engaging experiences offered by the internet’s horror veterans are not things of the past.

It might not end up with its own cinematic disaster, but Siren Head has likely already crept into today’s playground conversations.

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Nailbiter Returns – Comic Review

Image Comics returns to the town of Buckaroo, Oregon as the sense of bloodlust is not finished in Nailbiter Returns. A fated phone call brings back investigator Nicholas Finch to the notorious town of Buckaroo as a murder sparks the return of the Buckaroo Butchers, the greatest serial killers in U.S. history.

Follow the story as Joshua Williamson recreates the dark tension and atmosphere, which he did in the prequel series Nailbiter. Joshua continues to write a wide spread mystery that keeps the reader engaged from the very first page. The comic takes place years later after the conclusion of the first series with returning characters Nicholas Finch, Alice Warren, and Edward Charles Warren the Nailbiter killer.

Mike Henderson comes back to the creative team with his trademark artwork. He delivers straightforward lines with dark outlines to create a focus to the characters. The images are never over drawn with detail but are easy to follow with the page moving from different panels. Mike enhances the fear factor as the violence displays fear and raw emotion upon characters who have met their demise or encounter with a killer.

Adam Guzowski sticks to basic colors of red, black, and blue when compared to shadows in dark areas. Even in brighter scenes the color stays simple that does not become muddy or unattractive. The reader understands what is taking place as the color amplifies the situation whether it be the violence or surroundings.

Nailbiter Returns will dive back into the world of the sinister and the cunning as the Buckaroo Butchers step back into the mix as the body count grows. Nicholas Finch must solve the case before it’s too late and the town drowns in blood.

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Top Ten Favorite Romances in Fiction

Guest Post by Brian Matthews

I think romance is a very underrated form of storytelling. At its core, a well-written romance hinges on highly developed character interaction, one of the most fundamental aspects of storytelling. Most people(or at least more than I would like) pass it off as a pretty cheap uninteresting art that people do get demographics riled up and cause them to spend more on the merchandise(… or for smut depending on what the genre is). Not an entirely untrue assessment but a very short-sighted one. Part of my hope is to get people to take this art more seriously.

Now to be clear I draw a distinction between shipping and romance: shipping is based on appearances and/or potential dynamics that could happen in a story, while a romance is the active story behind an established (or establishing) romantic relationship.

Also, keep in mind that this is my personal list and while I will do my best to explain my logic you don’t have to agree with me or my opinion. All I ask is that my own opinion be respected.

Finally, as this is my list I will be taking as many liberties as I feel are necessary to convey my opinion.

#10 Blake and Yang (The Bumblebee)

I’ll preface this first one with something that will sound weird: I am not actually a ‘Bumblebee’ shipper. While I enjoyed the dynamic between the two characters in the initial phase of RWBY I didn’t really see much storytelling potential for their relationship(at least nothing that couldn’t already be done with a friendship). On top of that I just thought other options had more story potential.

Now why would I say such a controversial thing despite having this pair be on my list. Well, my opinion changed. While the Adam plotline in Vol. 6 had a lot of people divided, to me it gave me an element that I thought was lacking previously: a reason. And while I had mixed feelings about the affair as a whole it did give me a reason to care about Blake and Yang’s shared story and any potential relationship that might happen. And with the seeds planted, their chemistry in Vol. 7 sealed the deal for me and now I am flying the flag 100%. They still have room to grow in my opinion but I think CRWBY will have something good prepared.

#9 Shikamaru and Temari (The King and Queen)

Temari and Shikamaru (con imágenes) | Personajes de naruto ...

This one is a fun one for me. While their chemistry is certainly a highlight, the thing I really like about them is the strong sense of theme they have. If you look at it in chess terms Shikamaru is the king (the most strategically important piece) and Temari is the queen (the most tactically important piece). Tactics are about the efficiency of each individual move and what can be done in each specific moment. Strategy on the other hand is about the overall picture and what can be done to win the long term. Both their fighting styles and personalities reflect this and as a consequence they make a rather effective pair. The only reason it isn’t higher on the list is that the relationship itself didn’t get a whole lot of focus in its respective show.

#8 (Paragon)Shepard and Garrus (The Paragon and The Renegade)

Mass Effect shepard Garrus sci-fi aliens futuristc wallpaper ...

Remember those liberties I was talking about.

I think that the Mass Effect romances are generally well written so I need at least one on my list. Liara is an honorable mention and a few of the others aren’t too far behind, but if I had to choose one this would be the pair. They compliment each other in a good cop bad cop sort of a way. Garrus is the hot head Shepherd is the one who keeps him grounded. Combine their dynamic with the quality VA work and the rather touching moments throughout the latter Mass Effect titles, you get something pretty satisfying.

#7 Katara and Aang (Forever Girl, yes I totally just said that with a straight face)

Aang and Katara - Tale as Old as Time Music Video - YouTube

This is one where the more I thought about it the more it grew on me. I always liked the way Aang’s feelings for Katara reflected his own personal growth starting with a schoolboy crush evolving into a physical attraction, an emotional attraction and finally their actual relationship.

That being said I wasn’t really all that invested in it until I started watching Avatar reactions. After that I started noticing more details and appreciating it. Unfortunately it felt a bit stunted to me by not getting a more extensive ending. Though this has more to do with the timing rather than any actual problem I have with the writing. End of the day a good watch.

#6 Ed and Winry (Hands meant to give life)

A lot of the basic romance elements are present in this one but I will draw attention to the two standout scenes that really make this a favorite.

First, the emotional climax. An emotional climax is the moment where the romantic feelings begin in either one or both of the involved parties. And I am not simply referring to a simple physical attraction, I am talking about the feelings of genuine love. There are a number of ways to do it but I have found the most effective way is through a moment of vulnerability.

Case and point: Winry’s first confrontation with Scar. Now I could talk at length about that specific scene for a while but for the sake of time I will keep it topic specific. After the actual confrontation with Winry was breaking down with some hard emotions after her inability to hurt Scar. So to calm her down Edward tells her that her hands aren’t meant for taking life they were meant to give life. A moment of honest feelings to give their relationship a compelling bond.

Second, the romantic climax. The romantic climax is the moment in the story when the romance is finalised by a mutual exchange of feelings. This is normally the moment in the story for the fated ‘true loves kiss’ and whatnot, though for me the kiss should always be secondary to the emotions they represent. One opinion that I hold very highly when it comes to romances is that if a kiss is absolutely necessary for the story to work then you’re probably doing it wrong.

Case and point: Edward’s proposal. Edward (the nerd god that he is) confesses his love through equivalent exchange leading to one of the most wholesome moments in the entire series. No kiss, just words. The only thing that could possibly make this more wholesome is the fact that allegedly the author didn’t do it because she couldn’t draw kissing. I rest my case.

#5 Zelda and Link [BOTW](Silent Princess)

Breath of the Wild 2 release date, news and trailers for the next ...

Technically this was never (to my knowledge) outright stated so this could be assumption. But it’s also my list so I get to make the rules.

This one is simple but sweet. Actions speak louder than words(as link can attest) because this one is composed mostly of a handful of short scenes. In these scenes they convey so much through use of imagery, phrasing and body language.

Not much more to say about this one. I just find it enjoyable to watch play out.

#4 Rayla and Callem (Because she’s Rayla)

July Character Birthdays! – The Dragon Prince

This is one I wasn’t expecting and was happy to watch play out. When Rayla almost confessed her feelings at the end of season 2 I felt a bit taken aback and looked back into the previous episodes. Looking back I started noticing subtle moments throughout the second season that made me contextualize it a bit more. From the emotion of her consoling Callum to subtle hints of concern and relief in her body language to her speech about how healthy relationships require the full truth I began noticing a lot that I didn’t the first time around.

The same happened with Callum in Season 3 but to a lesser extent because I was expecting it. The moment they kissed it recontextualised a lot of stuff leading up to it: Callum’s drawings of Rayla, his conversation with her after the lightning strike, and his emotional support of her. I just love how well constructed it is on a storytelling level.

I give so much credit to the animators/voice actors for bringing their emotions to life and the writers for giving kids a good relationship to aspire to. They don’t get nearly enough credit for what they pull off in this series.

#3 Minato and Kushina (The 4th Hokage)

Wholesome is the only word I have to describe this relationship. Wholesome romance. Wholesome marriage. Wholesome parents. Not much more to say than that.

I will say one thing I liked: their relationship is a sort of reversal of traditional gender stereotypes with Kushina as the tom boy and Minato as the… well Hinata. I don’t generally care one way or the other about gender stereotypes in general but I think it can be really fun to subvert if you know how to do it properly(for instance Death from the comic Sandman).

Aside from that I just feel it is a really good pairing that represents the ideal of relationships and parenting. They bring out the best in each other and bring out the best in their son.

Anyway, just a really wholesome romance all around, ending with one of the saddest most bitter sweet love stories I have ever heard in my entire life. There honestly isn’t much I can say that their story itself hasn’t already said.

#2 Inuyasha and Kagome (Toward Tomorrow)

Seeing how this show was about their romance this pairing may have had an unfair advantage. On a basic level it has all the necessary components present: symmetrical character foils, grounded arguments, wholesome moments, heartfelt banter, well timed slapstick, and long building character development. To fully explain the intricacy of this relationship would necessitate me talking about the entire show front to back and I don’t have time for that. So instead I will talk about the element that, in my opinion, elevates it all the way up to my second place: The Ending.

Another one of my personal opinions on romance is that saving the relationship for the very end of the story is like getting a cake and only licking the icing off of it (tasty but lacking in substance). However, one belief that I hold in higher regard than this is that while a good ending brings closure to the story but a great ending does something that can only be done in that moment. Inuyasha’s ending (and by extension its romance)works because it can only happen when the two of them are ready to get together. The two of them cannot get together at the beginning because they are not emotionally ready for it. Kagome is a pile of insecurities who doesn’t have any sense of her purpose in life and Inuyasha leagues worse than her when it comes to personal problems. It was only after the lessons of their journey, the trials of Naraku, and the three years of self reflection that were finally able to fully come into their own as fully developed people. Only then could their stories end. And only then could their romance reach its well earned climax.

I can only think of one other romance that could possibly outrank my feelings for this one.

#1 Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker (Jade’s Fire)

Most of what I have previously said goes into this one. They are perfect foils for one another, one empathic the other cerebral. They took their sweet time to build their relationship from the ground up. Their dynamic is based on an everbuilding trust and understanding. They started out as arch enemies which naturally means shipping fuel. An unintentionally clever reversal of gender stereotypes. Fueled by healthy discussion and lighthearted banter. Not to mention they make one of the strongest power couples ever conceived.

However, if I had to choose one factor to represent this pairing it would be the extra dimension added by their force abilities. In the Star Wars universe, the force allows certain individuals to develop empathic and telepathic bonds which unbelievably heighten the storytelling experience. Timothy Zahn in particular does a masterful job of portraying this in his respective novels and really brings their relationship alive in a way that is rarely done. The emotions of their bond become a near tangible thing and I have yet to see replicated as effectively in any form of media I have come across. In my opinion a true masterpiece and worthy of being my favorite romance in fiction.

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Attack on Titan Season 4 the FINAL Season Reaction and Thoughts

Attack on Titan Season 4 is confirmed to be the FINAL season of the series and things are being teased in the latest Attack on Titan Season 4 trailer. Fans of the anime (only) have a lot in store for them when it comes to the final season why manga fans are getting hyped for the battles to be animated and the big reveals to have an even bigger impact in the anime.

While the story of Attack on Titan has changed from a dystopian and survival story into a war story, fans are still hyped for the upcoming season to see their favorite characters like Evan, Armin and Mikasa in action.

Watch the Attack on Titan Season 4 Trailer

Join us as we give our thoughts on Attack on Titan Season 4’s trailer and get hyped and ready for the final season. Thoughts? Leave them down below!

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Once & Future – Comic Book Review

A new tale of supernatural medieval horror takes shape in Boom! Studios newest title Once & Future. Witness a world filled with magic and monsters as a group of unlikely heroes comes together to take on the forces of mythical evil.

The ongoing series written by Kieron Gillen creates a story that revolves around legendary folklore throughout history. A pivotal point is the rise of King Arthur and his unholy dread knights of the round table.

Bridgette Mcguire, a former supernatural hunter, recruits the likes of her grandson Duncan Mcguire, a pushover museum curator. Together the two of them battle the efforts of King Arthur, his evil knights and Duncan’s step brother, and knight of Arthur’s, Galahad.

An engaging quest from the very start as our heroes discover ghosts, monsters, and the dead. History comes into play as Duncan and Bridgette discover the mighty sword Excalibur, along with other means to stop Arthur before the siege of Great Britain and eventually the world.

Alongside Kieron Gillen is co-creator Dan Mora, who is in charge of pencilling. Dan brings forth a playful style of art that blends both cartoon and realism. Every page displays great detail with facial extremities, body structures, and supernatural beings. Dan knows when to have subtle lines to convey the atmosphere and mood then switch it up with intense movement for action and haunting moments.

Tamra Bonvillain completes the vision of both Kieron and Dan with a powerful arsenal of shades and hues within the color spectrum. The main colors take form in pinks, blue, and green in both background and foreground. The color choice creates a sense of mystery or noir as our heroes go deeper into this hidden society casted away from the real world.

Once & Future is a comic book for people who appreciate historical fiction mixed with genres of horror and supernatural. Boom! Studios shall continue to deliver the iconic moments told throughout the ages with a dark twist as each new issue sheds blood, magic, and power in the name of the King.

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Star Wars Manga and Obi-Wan Kenobi Series

There’s big news for Star Wars fans, from the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Series to even a Star Wars manga releasing from Yen Press. If you love Star Wars as much as I do then you’re in for a real treat of content.

The beloved characters from the Star Wars series have made an impact on everyone’s lives. No matter if you’re a Sith or Jedi you can relate to almost any of these characters. One character in particular fans are extremely excited about is the classy and sassy, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Why? Well, Obi-Wan is getting his own series on Disney+ which has many people theorizing what it will be about, who will show up, and what situations Obi-Wan will be getting himself into. Let’s hope for more jumping out of windows scenes.

However, following the show’s announcement last August, there’s been reports that script issues in January with the result being a new writer being brought on in early April, it’s possible that predictions on the show’s air date being delayed until June 2022 will come to fruition.

That’ll mean a full seventeen years will have gone by since McGregor was on screen and wielding a lightsaber (unless you count the recent trilogy’s voice-overs). Waiting a little bit longer will be worth it, particularly if we here at All Ages of Geek still get those window scenes.

Yen Press to Release Two New Star Wars Manga

What’s even more exciting is how the Star Wars Universe is expanding from books, comics, and now manga. We’re hoping to see an anime in the distant future too because that would be epic to see Obi-Wan and even angsty Ani in anime form.

Star Wars Rebels

Story and Art by Akira Aoki

A manga adaptation of the hit 3D animated series Star Wars Rebels seen on Disney XD.

The animated series launched with the first two episodes titled Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion and was followed by four seasons that aired from 2014 to 2018. The critically-acclaimed show featured fan-favorite Star Wars characters, such as Kanan Jarrus, who was the focus of his own novel and comic book series, and Chopper, a droid who made a brief appearance in the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Set during an era when the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi, a fledgling rebellion against the Empire begins to take form. Star Wars Rebels takes place in the area surrounding the planet Lothal, where the Galactic Empire battles against Ezra, a teenage con artist with latent Force abilities, Kanan, one of the last surviving members of the Jedi Order, and the rest of the ragtag rebels on board the starship Ghost.

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Star Wars Leia, Princess of Alderaan

Story by Claudia Gray

Art by Haruichi Furudate

A manga adaptation of the beloved YA Star Wars novel, Leia, Princess of Alderaan, by Claudia Gray.

The never-before-told story of how young Leia Organa comes to join the rebellion against the evil Empire. Claudia Gray is the author of Star Wars Lost Stars, a Star Wars YA novel adapted into a manga published by Yen Press.

A young Princess Leia spends her days learning the ways of politics, aiding those in need and preparing for the traditional ceremony in which she declares her intention to one day rule Alderaan. But as Leia prepares herself to be named the heir of the throne, she becomes aware of the growing distance between her and her parents, who behind closed doors are leaders of the newly-formed Rebellion. Upon learning her parents’ secrets, Leia must now make a choice between her responsibility to the people of Alderaan and her responsibility to save a galaxy crushed by the rule of the Empire.

What Star Wars news are you most excited for this year? Let us know in the comments down below!

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Double or Nothing Review

Before we get directly to the article, just two quick things and that’s first, for whoever’s reading this pre-post, sorry that you have to read this article in Comic Sans. Yes, you have the option to change it to Times New Roman the moment you see it.

The second thing, it relates to wrestling. As I write this early on May 20th before the show actually happened for this article, Shad Gaspard, who was a wrestler for WWE with former wrestler JTG in a team known as Cryme Tyme has unfortunately died on May 17th at Venice Beach, saving his son from some rough waves and unfortunately, a riptide took him away, and he died from it. His body washed ashore today, and it was confirmed that it indeed was him.

My thoughts and condolences go to the friends and family of Shad, the former employees who worked with him and JTG, and rest his soul for his sudden and untimely passing away, and putting his family first in such a situation. He was 39 years old

R.I.P. Shad Gaspard

1981-2020

It’s now 6:30 on Sunday morning as I write this and I’ve watched the show, and unfortunately, we lost another one, this time, because of cyberbullying. Hana Kimura, a Japanese wrestler who wrestled for women’s wrestling company Stardom, and wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, took her own life and was confirmed dead yesterday, on the day of the show. She made two final posts before she took her own life, and she was only 22 years old, four months before her 23rd birthday. As you know, we here at All Ages Of Geek are here to spread positivity, to fandoms and geek culture where there has been notorious amounts of toxicity, and that’s been the goal here since the beginning. And to know that someone who is literally only two and a half years older than me, took her life because of the cyberbullying, just sends chills down my spine on how messed up people can be. Wrestling has been known to have the most toxic fanbases to exist, but this has unfortunately taken it too far, as no wrestler, at 22 should take their own lives because of what some person, or some people say on the internet. So just like how Kat dives into an anime and/or internet series that have notorious fanbases for both the good and the bad, I’ll be making the same stance with giving you guys a PayPerView wrestling review, whether it be AEW, WWE, NJPW, ROH or MLW, I will give you guys a wrestling PayPerView review in the notorious wrestling fan base, and this incident that has happened, paints wrestling fans like me, in a bad light.

My thoughts and condolences to the friends, family and co-workers, past and present, and the fans who have been affected by the untimely passing of Hana.

R.I.P. Hana Kimura

1997-2020

As I now sip on some coffee for the early afternoon, man, what a freaking show it was last night. It was a mixture of fun, entertainment, hardcore, straight-up wrestling, and a lot of holy shit moments to boot. As you guys know, WrestleMania 36 was supposed to be the only wrestling review I planned on doing, but because WWE decided to up their creativity and their booking (for the most part) for Money In the Bank, AEW went Double or Nothing [pun very much intended] with this show, and they sure as hell won the double on this. Not only that but when this article goes up, it’ll be one whole year since the first Double or Nothing event that kick-started the company into the position it is in today.

Like I did with Money In the Bank, the main event is gonna be talked more than the other matches, but that’s because there’s a whole lot to talk about with the main event, and believe me when I tell you, there’s gonna be A LOT to talk about with the main event of this show.

With that being said, get your casino chips, bet on black, catch 21, and saddle up for some cowboy shit, because it’s time to review the second iteration of AEW Double or Nothing.

Match 1: Private Party vs The Best Friends

In our AEW Buy In match, which is basically their pre-show, we get Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen of Private Party against Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta of The Best Friends. Now, this match is actually for being the #1 tag team on AEW, and it’ll give them an opportunity on taking on the AEW Tag Team Champions. This match gets off the ground pretty well, but there are some moments where Private Party weren’t doing too well, there were a few sloppy moments, but that could be attributed to ring rust as they haven’t wrestled much during the pandemic, but kudos to Private Party for making a tribute to Shad and Cryme Tyme hitting the G9. Overall, this match ends with The Best Friends going over in 15 minutes with a decent outing making them the current #1 Tag Team on AEW.

Match 2: Casino Ladder Match

So this match was pretty bonkers to start the entire show. So the winner of this match, with a large casino chip hanging from the rafters you need to get, gets a title shot at the AEW World Championship. Our contestants are Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, Kip Sabian (w/ Penelope Ford and Jimmy Havoc), Colt Cabana, Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, Luchasaurus, Joey Janella and a mystery person, due to Rey Fénix getting injured on the go-home show of AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite.

This match was total chaos from beginning to end, with some crazy insane spots, to some of the more funny stuff you’ll see, although there was one hoaky as hell spot, where Marko Stunt, who’s like 5’2, “chokeslammed” Orange Cassidy, and I was like “okay, that’s a bit too much even for me.” Ultimately, Brian Cage was the last entrant of the match and he cleared house at first, got taken down, then cleared house again and became the winner of the ladder match in 28:30, which means he now has a shot at the AEW World Championship.

Match 3: Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) vs Jungle Boy

Fun fact before I get into talking about this match, but I actually got heeled on by MJF back in December for the MLW tapings for the Opera Cup. Long story short, the street team that I’m part of, got a chance to talk to Low Ki, and while talking to him, MJF just yoinked my fedora off my head and threw it on the ground, and did the Flair strut away. I thought one of the guys of the street team was taking the piss outta me for a sec, and then I realized it was MJF, and I can’t even get mad because he’s a heel, and damn it, he does it pretty well.

Now for the match, it was a really good match from start to finish. It felt like an old school wrestling match, with some new school elements to it. Also throughout the match, I was wondering where Wardlow was, since he’s usually at ringside with MJF, but he was literally nowhere to be found. Fun fact as well, Jungle Boy is the son of the late actor, Luke Perry. Ultimately, MJF gets the win with a pinning predicament to get the cleanest win I’ve ever seen him get in 17:20. I honestly never thought I’d see an MJF match where he wins as clean as he did, but man, it was cleaner than I expected.

Match 4: Cody Rhodes vs Lance Archer for the inaugural AEW TNT Championship

Before we get into the match, firstly, Iron Mike Tyson is on AEW on this show. Second, that belt, Jesus Christ, it’s a massive no from me. Now Tony Schiavone, one of the commentators, and the maker of the belt have since confirmed that the belt is not complete yet because of the entire pandemic that has happened, which is totally understandable. I do wonder how the belt is gonna look post-pandemic, but right now, that belt doesn’t look too good, it looks kinda rough, but at least we got the idea on how it’s gonna look.

Now for the match, it was, once again, a pretty solid match. Cody before this, and really for the past year, has had a lot of high profile losses, even one where he can’t compete for the AEW World Championship, due to losing to Chris Jericho where he lost and can’t compete for the championship at all. Or at least I think so. This really felt like a match that Cody needed to win, or else it’ll feel like he’s constantly losing these high profile matches over and over again, which already happened a lot in WWE with Braun Strowman. Arn Anderson, who’s with Cody, crotched Lance when he was on the top rope, which prompted a ref to come out and ask Mike if it was true, which he said yes and Arn was thrown out, but to make it even, Jake “The Snake” Roberts was also thrown out, but it seemed like he wasn’t havin’ it, and neither was Mike Tyson, as Jake was coming down the ramp with a burlap sack, assumingly with a snake in it, Tyson takes his shirt off and confronts Jake, prompting him to flee away. Ultimately, Cody does get the win with two Cross Rhodes to Lance to become the first-ever AEW TNT Champion in 22 minutes.

Match 5: Kris Statlander vs Penelope Ford

It was a pretty standard match. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D was supposed to be in this match, but she injured her knee, Ford took her place and I had no idea about the story behind the match, so it was kinda eh for me. Plus, I just do not get the whole “from the Andromeda Galaxy” gimmick Statlander has, it just seems both very unbelievable and unrealistic, it just keeps throwing me off every time I hear it. Statlander gets the win in 5:30.

Match 6: Shaun Spears vs Dustin Rhodes

This was more nothing than a match, but it was admittedly entertaining to watch. Long story short, people thought Dustin was retired because he got his ass handed to him during the TNT Championship tournament, but he showed up, kicked Shaun’s ass, pretty literally too, and won the match in 3:20.

Match 7: Nyla Rose (c) vs Hikaru Shida in a No DQ Match for the AEW Women’s World Championship

This match was a hell of a match from these two ladies. Nyla Rose has been a pretty dominant champion throughout her reign as champion, and this was a hell of a way for her to go out in a blaze of glory. The brutality and the animosity, along with the feeling of Hikaru really wanting this win and doing everything she can to win this championship, it was all there without a doubt, and both of these ladies did a hell of a job in this match. The match ends with Hikaru making one final swing with a Kendo Stick to Nyla’s head, breaking said stick from impact, and knocking her out with the running knee, to win the match to become the new AEW Women’s World Champion in 16:40.

Match 8: Jon Moxley (c) vs Brodie Lee for the AEW World Championship

This match, I was a little bit nervous about it. The last match that these two had were in CZW and unfortunately, the match wasn’t well received at all. Luckily, this match was very well received.

This was more of a straight up fight than a match, and man did they fight. It was pretty much the second of three massive brawls in this entire show to happen, and they went all out with this. The biggest spot in the entire match is when Moxley hits Lee with a Paradigm Shift through the stage, which prompts all the refs and the medics to check up on both of them, and while Moxley was fine, Brodie was busted open and bleeding right around his hairline. Moxley hits another Paradigm Shift, and Brodie kicks out at one, and just keeps going at Brodie. He hits a second Paradigm Shift and gets a two count, which Moxley turns into a bulldog chokehold into a sleeper, which Brodie passes out and Moxley retains his championship in 15:30, this was a hell of a match.

Match 9: Stadium Stampede Match

Folks, I must tell you now that you’re gonna want to watch this match, and grab some popcorn, juice and snacks, because this is gonna be a long dissection of this match, possibly a lot longer than the Money In the Bank dissection.

This match is happening inside the empty TIAA Bank Stadium where the Jacksonville Jaguars play at, and this match has a ring right in the middle of the 50 yard line, and on opposite ends, on the right side you have The Inner Circle, which consists of Jake Hager (formally known as Jack Swagger in WWE), Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz, and Lé Champión, Chris Jericho, while on the other end, is Broken Matt Hardy and The Elite, which consists of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and… where’s Hangman Adam Page?

Too late, the match is underway and both teams start charging at each other to the 50 yard line into a big ol’ brawl. After a few minutes, we now see Hangman Page on a horse, and he then chases after Sammy, which Sammy ultimately outruns the horse and Page. There’s some action in the ring, but eventually everything disperses since there’s so much going on in this entire match. The Young Bucks are brawling with Sammy and Jericho, and Matt did a massive moonsault off the goal post, only for a two count, and the action spills into the stands. Santana does the Irish whip to Kenny, and goes into the stadium, and it’s a nice little nod to WWF No Mercy for the N64. Adam is still finding Sammy, but tells the horse to stay, as he literally goes to the bar to have some drinks. Nice.

So our next chunk of the fight, it’s Santana and Ortiz as they brawl with Omega and Matt Hardy. Omega puts a barricade on this set of cocktail tables, only for him to be put on it, and both Santana and Ortiz hit him with a massive powerbomb through the barricade and they cut away in a perfect timing, because Ortiz looked like he fell after the move was hit. Ultimately it was a two count as Matt Hardy broke up the count and he takes on the both of them at the same time into a pool that’s in the stadium. How many stadiums in the U.S, Baseball or American Football have pools? I’m curious. Funny little tidbit, but as Santana is going in on Matt, Ortiz is saying he can’t swim. The pool is about three and a half feet of water, and I couldn’t help but laugh at that. He eventually gets in and they both try to drown him, and surprisingly, the water was filled with water from the lake of reincarnation and Broken Matt Hardy became Hardy Boyz Matt Hardy for a blink and you miss it moment. Then the screen changes to MATTer of Fact which I cringed but laughed at, because it meant that we got V1 Matt Hardy which even though it was before my time, and I hadn’t really watched a Matt Hardy match in his V1 gimmick, it was still pretty cool to watch nonetheless. Santana and Ortiz seemingly drowns him, but Broken Matt Hardy is back AGAIN, pulls them both back in the pool and Ortiz is the first out, struggling to get out of three feet of water might I add, and Ortiz is put on a table, Santana charges and gets flipped into Ortiz right through the table. Excalibur on commentary makes a nice nod to Metallica by saying “For Whom the Bell Tolls” after the backdrop, a nice reference. But literally right after Matt puts Ortiz under the bell the Jaguars ring after every touchdown, rings it, and Ortiz just sells the absolute hell out of this to the point where I was laughing hysterically. He was basically having a standing seizure from the bell, and then Matt sat him down on a wheelchair, and duct taped him to the chair, and he’s still convulsing. Matt and Santana keep brawling, with Matt putting Santana in the packaged ice box and locking it up with a lone broom, and that is the end of this chunk, and the end of Santana and Ortiz.

We now see Jake Hager looking for Page, he sees his horse and goes into the bar where we see Page sipping on a glass of triple whiskey. Matt if you’re reading this, you can judge me if that’s an actual thing, that’s what the commentators said and I’m going by what they said it is. Page pours Jake a glass, and we have a full on whiskey fueled bar room brawl between the two. It gets pretty intense and Jake gets the upper hand and slams Page onto the pool table, then puts Page on the counter of the bar, and just drags him from end to end like an from an old western movie. Just classic stuff. Jake does a gut-wrench powerbomb through the table for a two count, and here comes Kenny Omega for the save of his tag partner. They absolutely batter him with four bottles full of alcohol, and Omega knees him, and Page uses Omega as leverage to use the Buckshot Lariat on Jake, taking him out of the match. Page pours out a cup of milk and Omega a whiskey, which looking at it now, it’s a bottle of Jack, but I bet because licensing, they had to cover it up, and Page drinks the whiskey and Omega gets the milk.

We go back to the field where Sammy and Matt Jackson are having a scuffle and at the endpoint of the field, Matt does a northern lights suplex. And another. And another. And another. We’ll get back to them later on. Meanwhile Nick and Chris Jericho are having a fight. Matt is still suplexing Sammy and now they’re at the 50 yard line. Nick and Chris are still fighting, and after Nick gets a good distance from Jericho, he’s just consistently launching footballs to him. 100% completion as well since all his throws have made contact. Jericho takes Nick out for a bit and we see Jackson DeVille challenging Jericho, and he’s having none of it, as Jericho hits DeVille with a Judas Effect, just leveling him. Matt is STILL going, and he’s close to a touchdown. And now Chris Jericho is the wicked witch of Canada as he puts a cone on his head. We’ve all been gnome’d. Nick superkicks him and they’re back to brawling, with Jericho pulling out his baseball bat, Floyd to take out Matt, but only for a two count. I’m not joking when I say this, but Jericho challenges referee Aubrey Edwards two count and they go to the replay booth, and it’s obvious it’s a two count and a frustrated Chris Jericho just says “you’re a shitty referee” and Aubrey says “it was two.” As you can tell, I’m having a blast writing this. TOUCHDOWN from Matt Jackson as he literally suplexed Sammy from end to end and spiked Sammy’s head into the ground, but while celebrating, the ref threw a flag for excessive celebration and unsportsmanlike conduct. Matt’s rebuttal? Superkicks him, no reply. I wish I was joking, this is all actually happening. Nick and Chris are still brawling and Matt comes in to save Nick, and puts Jericho on the table, and Nick runs from the top of the seating section, to the railing, and does a massive splash to Jericho, taking him out for the rest of the match as well. Page walks out with a line marker, probably drunk and lines Jericho. Just, yes.

We reach the final chunk of this Shakespearean match as Sammy gets woken up by the field sprinklers. And then, we see Matt Hardy and Omega in a golf cart, reminiscent of when they ran over Sammy with one a few weeks prior on Dynamite. Time for round 2! Sammy just books it and does the Lambeau Leap over the walls and just starts throwing everything to hold back the entire team, as he’s the last man standing now. He gets on a platform making his final stand and while he tried to choke out Matt Hardy, Vanguard 1, who was destroyed, came back as the new and improved, NEO 1. The match reaches its ultimate ending as Omega sets Sammy up on his shoulders in an electric chair, Matt Hardy is screaming “DELETE!” and we see the biggest One Winged Angel onto a wooden frame with a crash pad below, which was a 10+ foot drop, pins Sammy, and The Elite with Matt Hardy wins the match, in one of the greatest 30+ minute matches I’ve ever seen.

Double or Nothing 2020. What a fantastic show. Only two matches on the card were pretty meh, but everything else was good or great, to the mastodonian ending of the Stadium Stampede Match. Brian Zane of Wrestling With Wregret gave the Stadium Stampede Match 6/5 stars and I’d agree, it was that damn good. Overall, this is a must watch show, hands down. Wrestlemania was pretty good for what it was, and Money In the Bank was the most entertaining PayPerView WWE had put out in a while, and I wondered how AEW would pull this off, but they blew Money In the Bank out the water. I have to recommend watching this show to the highest degree and give AEW Double or Nothing 2020 a five star rating. A fantastic show from beginning to end, entertaining as hell and an absolute must watch for the Stadium Stampede Match, as it will be a PayPerView etched into the annals of wrestling history.

AEW Double or Nothing 2020 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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