Lately I’ve been struggling with what to review and what to write about. Then I recently got into a discussion about the changes in comic book characters and it hit me. A Point Of View column about certain heroes and comics in general.

First up: The Man Without Fear – Daredevil.

I’m not going to go over origins of heroes and the like. Let’s go thru recent changes. One of the great things about Daredevil is ever since Frank Miller got a hold of him, there became an unwritten edict that when the current writer would know they were leaving the book, they would leave the character (and new writer) in such a perdicament that it would alter the character and book forever and lead Daredevil into a new arc. Most writers basically just love to torment Matt Murdock. How much can one man take? He’s been outed as a hero, sent to prison, watch the women in his life become victims to his enemies, seen his friends tortured, and bascially been kicked and beaten over and over. Now, Ed Brubaker, upon leaving the book to Andy Diggle has really upped the ante: he had Daredevil abscond with his alter ego almost entirely to embark upon what could be the single greatest change in DD’s life.

Daredevil is now the leader of The Hand.

For former readers of Daredevil, I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

So, is Daredevil truly embarking on the dark side and rapidly becoming a villain? Maybe. Most writers say the greatest villains are those who truly believe they are serving the greater good and never see themselves as villains. They usually see themselves as saviors. Daredevil believes that with him leading The Hand, he can finally turn them to leaving their dark ways and lead them to the light.

Yeah, right.

But would Marvel take one of their most acclaimed heroes and turn him into a villain? Hell yeah they would. And it would be something to watch. But I don’t believe that’s the agenda here. It will ultimately be another life lesson for Mr. Matt Murdock. Another way to torture him and teach him that sometimes the grander scheme is much more than what one single man can change.

But he’ll still try. And we’ll still read it. And we all will still hope that one man can change the grand scheme for the better.

Disney “aquires” Marvel Comics. Huge news in the comic and entertainment world. DC Comics has been a part of Warner Bros. for years but the recent announcement really hit home. First we hear that Paul Levitz is no longer publisher and president of DC Comics. He will be writing “Adventure Comics” and consulting on “various issues”. This seques into DC Comics being restructured into DC Entertainment and Diane Nelson is now in charge.

Wow.

DC Comics will now be under DC Entertainment which will incorporate the DC brand across all media including feature films, video games, etc. Here’s my main question: if Nelson is not taking on the role of publisher nor president of DC Comics, then who is? Which leads to one more very important question for all of those who are DC Comics fans:

Where does Dan Didio stand in all of this?

Very interesting goings on in the comics world right now. More as the stories develop….

Wii Sports Resort Review
A review of Nintendo’s new Wii Sports Resort game for the Nintendo Wii.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2147211/wii_sports_resort_review.html

It could happen. What was merely a “What If?” in the minds of fans worldwide is now a reality.

Sort of…

It’s not done yet and with many aquistions, this could blow up in a hot minute, but right now it seems all systems are a definite go. And for those who look at this and say, “WTF”? Take a good look at the possibilities:

1) Disney gets to use Marvel characters and vice versa. Why is this a good thing? Have you ever read a Disney comic? Trust me, it’s actually painful. Now you have the stable of Marvel writers and artitsts at your disposal. Disney comics might be a major commodity this time next year. Marvel animation gets to use Disney characters. Also Disney television animation as of late have been weak (to be kind) while Marvel Animation has been on fire. Both get to team up and bring quality animation to our screens.

2) While Marvel live action movies are no joke, most of their animation stuff goes direct to DVD. Now we can get a Marvel/Disney/Pixar X-Men movie. A real one. A true, kick-ass one. Or better yet – here’s one for you – The Incredibles vs. The Fantastic Four. Oh yeah, it can happen…

3) Marvel’s marketing is second to none. Disney’s brand name is legendary. Put them together and you have a certified monster on your hands. Movies, merchandising, graphic novels, video games – the possibilites are endless…

4) The characters!!! Imagine the team-ups? That don’t float your boat? Really? Fantasia using Mephisto doesn’t sound cool to you? A serious look at Peter Pan as a kick ass machine and Captain Hook as a REAL villian doesn’t appeal to you? Yeah, think about it….

After the break – the press release….

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.

Finally the beast has been released…

After a couple of drops to whet the appetite of hip-hop internet soldiers worldwide, the supergroup named Slaughterhouse finally dropped the CD on August 11th.

Yeah, that was why your internet connection was acting all wonky.

Now, true ‘net fiends had the album at least two weeks prior but since that wasn’t the official drop, I didn’t post on it. (Yeah, I copped it but I still pre-ordered thru iTunes – because I support the real artists) Now that the monster is out, this will be quick…

First off – the track list basically tells the story:

1. Sound Off
2. Lyrical Murderers (feat. Kay Young)
3. Microphone
4. Not Tonight
5. The One (feat. The New Royales)
6. In the Mind of Madness (Skit)
7. Cuckoo
8. The Phone Call (Skit)
9. Onslaught 2 (feat. Fatman Scoop)
10. The Phone Call 2 (Skit)
11. Salute (feat. Pharoahe Monch)
12. Pray (It’s A Shame)
13. Cut You Loose
14. Raindrops (feat. Novel)
15. Killaz
16. Fight Klub (bonus track)
17. Cuckoo (Instrumental) (bonus track)
18. The One (Instrumental) (bonus track)

Get the idea? Okay, onto the very brief review. Probably the best hip-hop CD I’ve heard in at least two years, still perfection wasn’t achieved. I liked the guest shots (esp. Pharoahe, Fatman Scoop and Novel) and although at least three songs have been released for a hot minute, everything sounded fresh. Complaint #1 – the instrumental bonus tracks – why? What happened to the M.O.P. track? Why not add “Wack MC’s”? And why these two tracks? Okay, “The One” is your first single, so that’s kind of understandable but why “Cuckoo” when y’all got track burners like “Onslaught 2″ and “Microphone”?

Complaint #2 – Another brief one – the skits are funny but y’all could’ve lightened the load with at least one more light-hearted track.

Okay, those are my complaints. Otherwise – OMG… get this. Now. If you don’t have this, you already have “FAIL” stamped on your forehead. The CD is a beast. And, I’m just puttin this out there: I’m a Joey stan but because of Slaughterhouse I’ve realized that Joell is a better lyricist than I gave him credit for. I always thought his flow and energy was his strongest points but the wordplay is no joke. I’m an even bigger Royce fan than I was (which now places Royce squarely in my top 5 in the game) and last but not least, Crooked I is a monster and everyone in the game should fear this man.

Cop it. Get it. Live it….

I’m out and going back under the headphones…

It was bound to happen. Sooner or later, they would cave in. In this day and age of returning heroes and villains, literuary death is an illusion. Fans, at first, clamoured for his return and once the new hero was established and the status quo changed, the rug gets pulled from under our feet and lo’ and behold….

Steve Rogers is reborn.

For those who don’t immediately recognize the government name of our illustrious hero, you will surely recognize his alter ego:

Captain America.

What was that? His death was announced in all the major newspapers. It was announced with great sadness on our local news broadcast and Brian Williams even reported it. More importantly, Stephen Colbert has his shield! And now he’s coming back?

And this surprises you how?

Comic fans are laughing their posteriours off right now. For you, Joe and Jill Public, this must all seem, well, unreal. Well guess what? It’s a freakin’ comic book. The original soap opera and of course it isn’t real. I mean, really – when have you seen a male supermodel running around in a uniform based on the American Flag with an indestructible shield fighting crime in urban American and leading our troops to victory in any war? Of course it isn’t real. But in many ways it is. Because Marvel Comics beat their number one competitor, DC Comics to the proverbial punch:

They jumped on the Obama wagon.

Huh? The Obama Wagon? What’s that?

That is when you embrace the tenants of our esteemed president. And his number one theme for this country is the one that really got him elected to the highest office in the land:

Hope.

The Living Legend of World War II, encased in the frozen sea in a block of ice, found after forty years of suspended animation, revived by the Mighty Avengers and has championed all that is right and good with this country is making his return. While all of this is his origin, the one thing that was and is and always will be the most important aspect of Captain America is that he is the living embodiment of hope.

There is no such thing as surrender when it comes to Steve Rogers. He had no “quit” mode. So when Marvel had him essentially lay down in front of the world, it was the end of an era. There was no other way out but to kill him. Hope had been eviserated so, of course, the living embodiment of hope had to be put to death. It was akin to taking Old Yeller out back and blowing his brains out.

Ahhh, but you forgot what we talked about, didn’t you? This, my friend, is a comic book. And natural law does not apply in the literal sense. Hence, when Barack Obama rode the Hope gravy train all the way to the Presidency, Marvel saw it’s “out” clause. The man who embodies hope in the United States of America has inspired the return of the man who did the same for Marvel and comic fans everywhere.

The details aren’t important. Just know Steve’s in good hands: namely writer Ed Brubaker’s mind and pen to paper. At least Marvel didn’t hand the job over to a hack. Mr. Brubaker has taken the comic, “Captain America” and made it one of those “must have” books you hear so mcuh about. In this day and age of almost universal Attention Deficit Disorder, Mr. Brubaker is a master of skill of prose and detail.

Welcome back, Cap. You were missed.

This is a quick reminder to those who are new here. My favorite music blog is 2Dopeboyz, brought to us by Shake and Meka. I recently commented on FB that I was checking some new Babyface tracks. I was going to post them but why not just give the credit where it’s due?

Shake has a weekly drop of R&B joints called “Shake’s Sunday Soothing Session” and if you click the link, you will find those Babyface songs plus a whole lot more. I would advise checking out the other sessions also. Word of warning – some are snippets, so check them out first…

They have “What’s in the Tapedeck”, which Shake appropriately describes as such: “it’s a collection of songs that i either didn’t feel deserved it’s own post or simply forgot/missed posting prior.” In other words, check the other drops too, knuckleheadz…

Just go to the damn site and then realize why NMC ain’t no joke. I’m going to iTunes to cop that new Torae and Marco Polo joint and if you don’t get it, you are NOT a hip-hop fan…

**Sorry I’ve been lacking in updates as of late – Family Business. Now that that is settled, let’s take care of some business, shall we?**

PSN recently released the inFamous demo. Playing it, I realized how much over the past year, I’ve been spoiled with such games as “Assassin’s Creed”, “Grand Theft Auto IV”, “Metal Gear Solid 4″, “Killzone 2″ and “LittleBigPlanet” to name a few. inFamous would’ve been an impressive and maybe even top tier game a year ago. But now a year too late, we’ve seen wonderous jumps in the video game realm and inFamous’ demo doesn’t give the game justice for all it entails. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, though.

The levels (yeah, a demo with more than one level – whodathunkit?) basically give you action and familiarize you with the controls and actions. You can basically recharge anywhere and you’ll be fighting the gangs en masse. Remember to recharge because they will come at you in waves and the firepower is heavy. The screen will begin to go gray as Cole loses power which means his health is deteriorating. A couple of quick recharges will bring you back to health quickfast.

Unless you haven’t been following the info of the game, inFamous gives you, the player, the option of making Cole good or evil, depending on your actions. Some powers are only accessed through selfless acts while others are accessed only by evil deeds. In the demo, I was already assigned “Hero”. To truly enjoy how the game is to be played, I would’ve enjoyed the option of whether I could go total badass or be the savior.

inFamous’ demo is more to acclamate you to the general gameplay and controls than the full idea nor does it give you the full enjoyment the game will. What it does give you is a taste of what it to come when you play the full game.

Star and Buc Wild are back! I don’t know how much DJ Vlad is paying them or what kind of deal they secured and I don’t give a damn. All I know is that the only reason I turned on my radio for the past three years has returned to drop knowledge once again. The Hater is back, folks and the world is better place for it…

BTW – I gotta learn how to embed some VladTV vids on here without waiting for them to post on freakin’ YouTube. In the meantime, click the link above to see Star and Buc talk about Russell and Kimora.

Welcome back, gentlemen…

If you don’t follow Michael Ausiello over at Entertainment Weekly’s website, you’re missing out on great scoops. A day before his weekly “Ausiello Files” where he gives readers a chance to ask about their fave shows and he answers the best he can (networks are fiesty creatures when it comes to show spoilers…) he dropped two mega bombs on the public.

First off, sources within Fox are saying “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” is dead and buried aka it won’t return for another season. This despite one incredible and extremely provacative season ender game changer (TSCC is one of the shows who did game changers right) and literally set up a new season perfectly. One has to wonder if “Terminator: Salvation” does well in theatres, will Fox stick to the demise of the show. Of course, right now the official word is “No decision has been made yet. We will be announcing our fall schedule on May 18th.” Translation: We’re thowing the dirt on the grave as we speak but the headstone ain’t ready yet.

Bouncing around comments around the web, most are not surprised stating the dwindling ratings for the show. What most people have yet to take into account is that Nielsen is extremely antiquated now and they don’t include shows that people dvr/tivo and watch later at their discretion. TSCC is one of those shows that people would watch over the weekend to decipher all the fun stuff going on in one episode. Of course this is Fox we’re talking about and I, for one, was absolutely shocked they renewed TSCC last season….

“24″ news after the jump….

Next up, the scoop concerns “24″ and is a fan’s wet dream.

wait for it….

wait for it….

Jack Bauer and company’s next hang-out?

New York.

Yeah, you read right. “24″ is coming the Big Apple to confront a new big bad. Of course, it won’t be filmed here (they’ll probably do some pre-production shots and film primarily in LA) but the storyline will be based in NYC.

Two words.

Yeaaaaaah, baybee!!!!!!

Click the link and read all the details over at EW. Tell Mr. Ausiello the War Journal sent you and maybe shoot him an e-mail question about a fave show. Who knows, he might take pity on your sorry ass and answer it. Hint – show some “Smurf” love and that might help…