The Bittersweet Announcement of IDW Ghostbusters' Cancellation

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Dogs and cats have nothing on this event, as IDW closes out its Mass Hysteria run and the Ghostbusters ongoing series. (Courtesy GhostbustersNews.com)

Sad news for Ghostbusters fans this week as IDW Comics has announced that Issue #20 of the on-going series, now in its second volume, will be its last. The conclusion of the highly entertaining "Mass Hysteria" storyline will bring the on-going series to a close and after 36 issues and 700 pages (according to colorist Luis Antonio Delgado), the doors to the firehouse are closing.

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Editor Tom Waltz confirms that the on-going will in fact, not be going on via Facebook.

While this certainly means the end of the on-going series on a monthly basis, one can imagine that this absolutely doesn't mean the end of IDW Ghostbusters comics in the slightest. The franchise continues to gain momentum (in fact, I just saw a Google Play advertisement last night that boasts its service features Ghostbusters as a selling point). And considering how dormant the franchise has been over the past several years, we were lucky to be getting a monthly book from IDW for as long as we have. The mini-series approach might be the best route for the stories to go forward at least until a time that the momentum gains a fever pitch with a new movie or some other catalyst to be determined in the future.

Not knowing that this announcement was going to come, I actually re-read the on-going series from Issue 1, Volume 1 during a recent trip overseas. Much like an amazing run on a television series, this book plays so well when you "binge read" it in a sitting or two and benefits from reading issues back to back when you can identify the nuance and the detail that has gone into each and every issue. And what's staggering from issue to issue is just how great the quality has consistently been, without any dips and without any fillers. If this creative team would have been putting out this book back in the heyday of Ghostbusters in the late 1980s, it'd be among the top ten sellers on a monthly basis. Both kids and adults alike can enjoy this book and that was the beauty of the original films.

I'm sure more Ghostbusters goodness is in the future for IDW (and hopefully this same creative team), I just wanted to thank Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening, Luis Delgado, Tristan Jones and their editorial staff at IDW for putting out one of the best damn Ghostbusters series that fans could have asked for. I've seen them taking a lot of the usual Ghosthead heat via Facebook and Twitter (ie. "How dare you?!? On the 30th Anniversary? This is a slap in the face! Blah blah blah!") all of which is completely unmerited. They've put in extreme amounts of time, effort, and one can imagine sleepless nights to put out a book of incredible quality for over three years now. And if "Mass Hysteria" ends with the big bang that I think it will (either literally or figuratively), it will be a fitting close for an amazing run.

A Future Past and a Missing Link

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Kitty Pride (Ellen Page) graciously lets Wolverine's consciousness go back in time rather than her own for the bottom line in X-Men: Days of Future Past. (Courtesy Fox)

We're being spoiled by the new trend in Hollywood to create "Cinematic Universes." Though, the trend is mainly spawning from each studio's desire to have a franchise mint that guarantees it will print money at least once a year, the creative teams behind films are having to find ways to connect everything and start looking outside of just one film for how they tell their stories.

Point in case, the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, which I finally got to catch on Wednesday night. Admittedly, I was on the fence about the film based on the trailers and promotional material that had led up to its release. While I had enjoyed X-Men First Class, I was curious how this retelling of one of my favorite comic arcs was going to fit into the whole world. And, let's be completely honest, Fox as a studio wanting to maintain control over their Marvel properties is still cause for hesitation sometimes (see: Sony and Spider-Man and the troubles brewing over there). 

But X-Men: Days of Future Past was brilliant.

The film had to serve so many purposes: it had to be a direct sequel to First Class, it had to retell a very known and beloved story from the comics but had to shoehorn that into the characters that had been established from First Class and had to focus on the bankable movie stars as the "leads" (hey there, Wolverine and Mystique). And, unknown to myself until after viewing, the film also served as a soft reboot of the previous X-Men films in a style very similarly to J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek film, which acknowledged the existence of the films that had preceded it, but made very clear that the future with the characters that we're now following is very much not set.

The structural changes to the story were seamless and the essence of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run were essentially in place, but the alterations felt welcome and weren't all that jarring. Right off the bat, Kitty Pride's consciousness isn't the device we follow back through time, it obviously has to be Wolverine because Ol' Logan sells lots of tickets. Mystique and the assassination attempt from the comics get to carry over (again, thankfully for Fox so that they can put Jennifer Lawrence right next to Hugh Jackman on the art campaign) and setting the plot in the First Class universe allows for a great dynamic between the 1970s characters and the future characters. In fact, the film gets to play in the sandbox of themes established in First Class (Mystique's relationship with Xavier, Beast's desire to be more human) and they all also fit seamlessly into the two hour story as well.

Essentially the film boils down to one big advocate for writers to use the crap out of their note cards. To weave elements and character developments into the story so well that it all keeps the audience moving forward rather than tying them up in the minutia. As I was watching, I couldn't help but continue thinking how damn clever things were constantly. 

And it all adds up to an amazing experience that sets up a few more films that I can't wait to see. Even if there was a baffled movie-goer in front of us that didn't understand the end tag sequence that sets up the Apocalypse.

2014 NBA Finals Recap

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The 2014 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs (Courtesy nba.si.com)

The NBA season has come to an end, and probably not the ending that LeBron and Co. were looking forward to closing out their tenure with the Miami Heat. But don't worry LBJ, there's always Space Jam 2. Here's guest writer Tony Garcia with his recap on the series...

Ding, dong the witch is dead. LeBron James and the Miami Heat were obliterated in the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1. Most of the national headlines were written the same way: HEAT LOSE, HEAT CHOKE, HEAT THIS, HEAT THAT. Very few outlets are giving credit where credit is due. The Heat didn’t choke. LeBron James didn’t lose his wizardry. A champion was crowned the other day and all the talk leading up to now has all been about the Miami Heat. Never before has a 2nd place finisher been so overhyped in the media. 

I know this is going to come off like I’m a crazy person, but maybe we should be giving credit where credit is due? I mean, it’s not like the Heat were out there playing alone and throwing up bricks left and right. Basketball is the one sport I admittedly can’t go over the Xs and Os and know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not exactly Tony Roundball but I know what good basketball looks like. I did live through the Bulls dynasty of the 90s. So I always use those squads as a reference point. 

There was a reason the Heat looked like hot trash. The San Antonio Spurs happened and happened in a big way. The hyped up Heat were no match for the team game of the Spurs. Let’s emphasize that team concept here, especially in the last 3 games of the series. The first thing that jumped out at me was the ball movement by San Antonio. It seemed like there was always an open man somewhere on the court. Miami had no answer for it. But ball movement is only the first part of the equation. You have to hit your shots when called upon. The Spurs did just that, finishing with the highest shooting percentage of any NBA Finals champion. There was a stretch in the series where I didn’t think the Spurs would miss a shot. It didn’t matter if it was Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw or Patty Mills…shots were raining down. Combine that with a hall of fame coach and a willingness to accept your role on the team and you have a championship formula. Congrats to the Spurs on their incredible run.

Personally I find pleasure in watching a group like the Heat lose. Nothing feels more artificial than the way that team was built. From “The Decision” of LeBron James to the championship parade before they even played a game together, everything about that team felt so fake. I think they were damned from the beginning and in the end got what they deserved. Sure, they won two championships but that has to seem like a failure. It sure seems like a failure to me. When Wade, Bosh and LeBron all got together and decided to do this I’m sure they didn’t envision only winning two championships. And now there’s talk of that team being dismantled and going their separate ways. The team that America loves to hate could be finished. That will be the big story of the offseason in the NBA. What will the Heat big 3 do?

Meanwhile in San Antonio they will be gearing up for another championship. The ageless Tim Duncan has a player option in his contract for paltry $10 million. That will leave the Spurs with enough cap space to still contend for yet another championship. Kawhi Leonard is a budding star. If the Heat were the most artificial team in existence, the Spurs have to be considered the opposite. They’re more organic than Whole Foods. Most of their team was drafted and developed to play in their very specific team system. Putting together a sports team is a puzzle. The Spurs have the right formula and have found the right pieces. 

What amazes me most about both the Heat and the Spurs is the makeup of each team. The Heat are mostly comprised of Americans that play the schoolyard, flashy, me-first game. The Spurs are really the opposite. They come via France, Argentina, Italy, Brazil and Australia. Even their biggest “homegrown” star, Tim Duncan, grew up in the US Virgin Islands. It is widely known that the international game is much different than the American game. The international game stresses fundamentals and team play. Who better to showcase that to the world than actual international players. I guess we here in the states call them foreigners. Or you can just call them smart. Or winners. 

Good on the Spurs for dispatching America’s Most Hated Team. Let’s pump the brakes on the LeBron vs Jordan debate. There is no debate. There can only be one king and it’s not LeBron James. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Michael never tried to join forces with Barkley and Malone. He went out and did things on his own. If LeBron were smart, he’d go back home to Cleveland and play the rest of his days trying to earn the love back from the people. He can win a championship in Cleveland and if he did, I believe a lot of people would respect that. It’s been said LeBron cares about public perception. Time to do some right and go back home to the city you burned, LeBron. Then lose to the Bulls once we get Carmelo.

Slink Back to the Shadows Before Someone Notices

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They really WANT to be the Turtles that you're familiar with and love… but something's just not quite right.

First, some disclaimers. I've adored the TMNT since all those Saturday mornings ago and have absolutely bought into the new animated Nickelodeon series and its style. It's irreverence but also respect for the source material is incredibly admirable. So when I heard that there was an old-school beat 'em up style TMNT game based on the animated series on its way, I couldn't help be giddy.

But the game, TMNT: Out of the Shadows is a strange amalgamation of the Nickelodeon cartoon with elements from the classic 80s and 90s shows and films… with the character designs from Michael Bay's soon to be released film (which I don't exactly love). The storyline is set within the Nickelodeon show, but why do the characters have the grotesque nostril-present design from Bay's "remagining?" It's all very confusing.

I gave the trial download a spin, which I know is never indicative of the final version of the game, but I think that's where my play of TMNT: OOTS will come to an end. The game is a relatively cheap buy at $14.99 and a few minutes in, you realize why this isn't a AAA title. The cutscenes are a strange comic art reminiscent of those created for Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (interestingly the game is developed by Red Fly Studios, the company behind the PS2 and Wii versions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game). The voice actors are a strange soundalike crew of the Nickelodeon show, which feels like a missed opportunity.

It's a shame because you can tell that the developers wanted to put their heart and souls into this game. Added touches like the "Turtle Power" song from the original New Line live-action film to greet you and fun added bonus around the Turtle Lair give hints and nods to what could have been. In fact, a great interview that I tracked down with the lead designer Chris Frechette at the Turtlepedia attests to the fact that they wanted to pour their love of the series into the game.

But the end result is a cheap feeling beat 'em up with essentially the same mechanics as the GameCube game that I enjoyed the crap out of ten plus years ago… but had the same issues with then: a lot of button mashing and combos aren't enough to keep you entertained for more than a few minutes. But given the $15 price tag, maybe that's what this identity confused game was cobbled together to be.