Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Injustice Gods Among Us, Tekken Tag and Highlights from NY Comic Con 2012

Culture

The New York Comic Con took place last weekend and it was a disappointingly tame show, both overpopulated by comics and ultimately failing to deliver the goods in terms of anything juicy. That being said, there were also some decent events. here are the highlights from New York Comic Con 2012, although it really needs to step it up next year.

Marvel Comics: Your Favorite Superheroes Getting New Origins

Marvel Comics unveiled its plans to unleash a slew of Season One comics, rewriting the origins established for the likes of Wolverine, Iron Man, and Thor while also giving viewers a peek at Deadpool’s latest series, Deadpool Killustrated. While the details were sparse, fans should probably be unconcerned about any major changes because Marvel Comics learned their lesson when they rewrote the Spider-Man we all loved as a clone. It can be pretty safe to say that the origin of Iron Man or Wolverine will only be rewritten the way it was in Jon Favreau’s 2008 film, meaning the actual thematic depth stays untouched while the changes are strictly based on timing, culture, etc. The thing to get excited about, however, is the Killustrated series starring the one and only Merc With a Mouth. Deadpool does fantastically well in irreverent series that really do not have much to do with the rest of the Marvel universe (Deadpool Team-Up was a canonic nightmare) so his forays into classical literature such as Moby-Dick and Sherlock Holmes should please fans who perhaps realize that Ryan Reynolds is soon going to destroy this character and we must therefore enjoy the time we have.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition Set to Rock

For all the people who feel that American humor is perhaps too sedate and realistic, the alternative is the kookiness of the Japanese comedy. The Wii U edition of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 offers the kookiest take on the video game crossover ever. It can be expected that, for the Wii U, Namco would play up the association with Nintendo but the style the company chose to do so in is quite possibly the bravest, most insane move ever. Instead of placing actual Nintendo characters in the game, the developers of Tekken chose to give us the costumes. And before you ask, yes, they do allow for men to wear the Princess Peach costume. Everyone, from Link to Luigi, is present at the party and the game clearly does not take its mood seriously, as shown by the bear wearing Mario overalls. Of course, if there is one thing Tekken is known for, it is the fact that they take their fighting system very seriously, which should please all fans of competitive video gaming. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition comes out November 18, 2012.

 

The Last Stand Poster Reveal

The poster for the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger flick was revealed and it clearly pays homage to the action movies from the 70s and 80s. The entire poster uses a color scheme that references classic action movies, from the days of discos, and even highlights dated weaponry such as revolver handguns. The poster also contains a car mid jump that appears to be blowing up, a trademark for all the films of the decades gone by. The film is being directed by Jee Woon Kim, known for his work in the thriller I Saw the Devil. The poster also reveals that the film is written by Andrew Knauer, who is seemingly known for nothing. The film is a throwback to the action genre, much like another heavily hyped movie of geriatric action heroes in recent times, and will hit theaters January 18.

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us — Catwoman Takes on Green Arrow

Being develop by the company responsible for the revitalization of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Injustice: Gods Among Us is one of those games that should be receiving hype but simply isn’t. Perhaps it is the fact that the game revolves around the characters of the DC Universe and gamers automatically think “gimmick.” Or, perhaps it is the fact that the last outing the DC universe had in a fighting game was strictly meh. Whatever the case may be, the game showed off an entire fight at Comic Con and it certainly bears a resemblance to Mortal Kombat, minus the gore. The fighting system is based on a 2D plane, with both characters containing the traditional mix of ranged attacks and projectiles to accompany the fisticuffs. The game isn’t particularly fast and the characters’ personality isn’t evoked all that successfully, but many fans are kidding themselves if they haven’t already admitted that this game will be a purchase. However, while the game is still over half a year away from release, it must be stated that the action seems lethargic and the move sets are seemingly limited, although that might be the players instead of the game. Look forward to the developing story in coming months, as Netherrealm Studios has a tradition of vastly stepping up marketing a few weeks before release.

 

Dragonball Z Budokai HD Collection

As this is an HD collection of a previously released game, it makes sense that players will feel a sense of déjà vu. However, the nostalgia in this case simply isn’t enough to overlook the fact that the game seems rather dated in design, despite the nice HD visuals. The attacks are once agai the same, quick punches and kicks followed up by a Kamehameha. Simply put, it’s just been done before and there really wasn’t anything in the fight to make the viewer go “wow.” Of course, as is the case with DBZ, the fight also went on for a bit too long at just under five minutes and became somewhat frustrating by the end. Fans might, in fact, still buy this game, but just remember: DBZ games are always on the way so don’t worry about skipping one or two.

 

Tomb Raider — Still Beautiful and Still Challenging

The latest entry into the Tomb Raider series received much hype for the fact that it devastatingly understated the beauty of its protagonist and tackled the issue of sexual violence (the developers somewhat backed out on that one, though). but the game is still very Tomb Raider. The character, no longer a Barbie with jumping ability, is now an injured, bloodied woman fighting for survival. Everything from using bow and arrows to climbing on rocks or walking across logs over a mountainside are tasks that Lara Croft achieves without even needing proper medical attention. For the first time in the series, however, the game actually does well to convey the fear of the situations that the protagonists finds herself in; no longer does she scoff at making deadly jumps. Instead, there are moments of pause when the character demonstrates true terror at the prospect of having to perform potentially fatal acrobatics. As always, the game’s scenery is quite beautiful and it is shaping up to be another atmospheric, even emotional trip into the wild. Tomb Raider is being published by Square Enix and will be released March 5, 2013. 

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Expect Good Things, Young Turtle

With the consensus being that the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is officially radical, with tons of humor to overcome the somewhat pathetic visual design, fans were treated to a panel that revealed more nostalgia to come. With 26 episodes making up the first season, the producers on site promised that the series would be getting some proper classic villains, including the giant alligator Leatherhead. The voice actors present did a nice job of entertaining the crowd in a sequence where they improvised their lines to a muted scene with Leatherhead, and the show is expected to be a nice homage to a much-beloved series. Now, if we can just get Rocksteady, fans of the franchise should be good. 

More updates from New York Comic Con are available here.