Method To Madness: July 2015

CHRONICLES OF A FED-HEAD: Weighing In - "Should a Fed-Head win Championships?"

Don't look surprised. You guys know that every now and then that I take a break from writing about professional wrestling to talk about my journeys into the world of e-fedding - i.e. the proper term for those of us who participate in wrestling fans' equivalent of fantasy football. I haven't written much on e-federations since my series on the Rise & Fall of ZXWWF, but I want to talk about a common trend that I'm noticing in a lot of "big" e-federations that are shutting them down or causing them to fall apart at the seams.

It's come to my attention that once again that several fed-heads have be criticized for being exposed for wrong-doings as of late and being that you guys have enjoyed reading my endeavors in my first adventure into running an e-federation, I figured I’ll weigh in on this situation with my own opinion along with some examples from personal experiences.

Unfortunately, this won’t be citing anything directly from the e-federation(s) in question as I don’t know the entirety of the situation nor do I want to accused for taking sides. This is my own personal opinion and out of mere observation as a fed-head of a RP (Roleplay)-Based e-federation.

Quick backstory: So the fed-head in question assumed the role of multiple characters to establish a winning streak for himself at the top tier champion of his e-federation. None of his members nor staff were allegedly aware of this going on until it was exposed after one of their recent events’ results were posted.

In my humble opinion, this is fucked up on a lot of levels.

1. Normal Members NOR Staff Members were NOT aware of the fed-head playing multiple characters – This kills ANY, if not ALL trust between the fed-head and his members.
2. There’s GOOD and BAD reasons to make yourself the top champion when you’re running an e-fed.
3. The fed-head should be helping put OVER talent – not feeding his own ego.

In this article, this is going to be one of the RARE occasions I talk about my current e-federation, Ground Zero Wrestling Association (GZWA), instead of taking you guys down memory lane with stories ONLY about running ZXWWF as I need to cite examples from both to explore this situation.

1. Normal Members NOR Staff Members were NOT aware of the fed-head playing multiple characters – This kills ANY, if not ALL trust between the fed-head and his members.

In my humble opinion, that’s a bit hard for me to imagine that NO ONE knew that the fed-head was juggling all of these characters except for the fed-head himself. Then again, I was naïve like that before while running ZXWWF when my own staff members were hiding a member who a banned from underneath my own nose and allowing that said person to use their accounts – that ENTIRE dilemma is chronicled in my Rise & Fall of ZXWWF series so I won’t repeat myself here. Currently, I personally monitor the Security Log (on the Admin Panel of Proboards – I suggest that any fed-head only give their most trusted staff members access to this feature) for GZWA and keep a document of all of the possible IP addresses that my members visit the forum on. Don't mind me - I'm one of those crazy fed-heads who has a ton of handwritten notebooks, Excel spreadsheets, and Word documents of results, misc. notes, and data tracking on my years of e-fedding.

I use about 4-8 different IP addresses depending on which computer I log onto at work or the different family members’ homes I access the Internet from, but for most of your members they should have maybe 1-3 main IP addresses (similar format/numbers means they are within the same household/network). Any fed-head or staff member that doesn’t monitor this (at least to SOME extent) is careless in my opinion. Depending on the security settings of your forum, most members should be able to see an IP address along with a time stamp on EVERY post on that forum by default – unless the fed-head or staff has changed that setting.

ANY of these people who I notice who are sharing the same IP address, I contact them immediately via PM on the forum and ask them to give up the ghost. An added precaution that I take with my members is that it’s listed on their accounts ALL of the characters that they are playing in my e-federation as I tend to recommend that my members don’t sign up for multiple accounts per character. I’ve ALWAYS found that to be a stupid and cheap way to up your forums’ head count. If you have faithful members having a good time they will be more than happy to spread the word about your federation.

On top of that, there’s no secret between myself and my members of who I’m handling in the e-federation. I’m playing about 2 authority figures that are currently non-wrestlers, about 6-8 support characters (commentary, impromptu interviewers for those who aren’t handled by anyone else, backstage personnel, etc.), and about 6-10 in-ring wrestlers that range from filler/jobbers in our multiple divisions to my sole entry in our women’s division, who I’m sure a lot of who I know from social media that were directed to this article know, Mariah – who just happens to be our reigning champion over the women’s division.

Before you say I’m “defending” myself or any other fed-head, let’s move onto the next section of this discussion.

2. There’s GOOD and BAD reasons to make yourself the top champion when you’re running an e-fed.

The BAD reasons

• Giving yourself or any of your character(s) an undefeated streak

Let’s be realistic here. The Undertaker’s undefeated streak along with Crimson, Baron Corbin, Bo Dallas, or Goldberg’s streak (or ANY streak for that matter) are some of the biggest sore thumbs in professional wrestling that show that this sport is rigged/fake. Matches are predetermined results and even as a fed-head or a handler, there’s only so many times that you can win before people start questioning the legitimacy of your results or the decisions of you as the fed-head.

If only we could start "Bullshit!" chants from behind our computer monitors when we're reading results like that in e-federations...

• Feeding your own ego

There’s no denying it. EVERYONE in this game has an ego. You’re lying to yourself if you say otherwise. To be a GREAT fedhead, you have to leave that at the door. If you expect people to respect you or what you’re doing with your federation then you’re going to have to do some things with your characters that you wouldn’t be willing to do otherwise.

Everyone should know about the story where I had one of my own characters job to a SANDWICH, but even less know about the time I sidelined my top guy (for MONTHS in real-time) at the cost of putting one of our top talent over in a match to fuel their heel turn. I keep saying it over and over on social media, but this game is all about give and take. Don’t be a taker – GIVE back to this game that we all love so much. It’s not hard.

• Burying your own hard-working talent out of spite or any combination of personal emotions or grudges against any other handler

I’ll be lying if I said that I get along with EVERYONE that I meet in this game or that I like everyone, but I act like a professional. If you’re serious about putting in the work then I’m going to make you look like a million bucks in our storyline/feud no matter whether it’s win, lose, or draw. 10 times out of 10 I’m going to argue you to death to let me put you over, no matter what you say.

Sure, there’s a LOT more to list, but let’s just focus on these three.

The GOOD Reasons

• ENHANCEMENT talent

If your e-federation is small and just starting out then this is a great way to get things going before you have actual bodies floating around on the roster. I personally know a lot of people trying their hand at running their own feds and being a fed-head, but don't understand that it's a LOT of damn work. You're pretty much feuding with yourself until you get a nice, comfortable number of people to fill up your roster. Most amateur fed-heads don't realize this and give up under the pressure - people will come after they see how well crafted your stories are and how dedicated you are to telling the narrative. If it's obvious that you're willing to give others a chance instead of burying everyone who enters your e-fed underneath your own characters then you're already a step ahead of the game.

If your fed is just starting out, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the fed-head’s characters all holding gold as filler, but at the same time, some people won’t even like to see that when they join a new fed that opens.

Nowadays, most veteran handlers are more skeptical to this method, but a good old fashioned tournament is a nice way to crown first-time champions as well.

It just depends on how you want to level the playing field or how you want to lay the cards on the table for your particular e-federation.

• FILLER/TRANSITIONAL Champions

I recently ran an angle where CM Punk (who was handled by me) was fighting against the authority and worked his way up the ladder towards a title match for the top title in a multiple competitor match. In the confusion, he won the title – ONLY to have the authority figures swoop in and restart/continue the match to have him lose the title mere seconds later to a MUCH more deserving individual. CM Punk hasn’t been in the title scene since this event transpired as I used that “screwjob” (along with a non-title one earlier that year) to fuel his passion for dealing with the authority figures directly. CM Punk lost his opportunity to reclaim the title he lost on multiple occasions (easily putting over the new champion instead of chopping at his legs) but remains focused on his battle against the authorities.

• To FURTHER/ENHANCE a storyline

Let’s revisit WWE’s version of ECW where Vince McMahon won the ECW title from Bobby Lashley out of spite to the rest of the ECW Originals. Rewind the clocks back and listen to how much natural heel heat that he garnered from that title change from the audience. It got the WWE Universe more engaged and more proactive into the feud. If the fed-head can inspire that raw emotion to drive his/her members to step their game up to dethrone them then I see nothing wrong with it.

Not everyone has to go this route in terms of a storytelling narrative, but you get the idea.

3. The fed-head should be helping put OVER talent – not feeding his own ego.

This points back to why I was skeptical to having Mariah become champion in my own federation. For roughly seven years, I haven’t had Mariah win a title, despite her appearances in other federations. She was always (and will always will be…) my go-to character in terms of showcasing the best in women’s wrestling and bringing out the best in her female opponent. You can ask the former champion or any of my staff members, I was 2000% against having Mariah win, but they convinced me it was at the point where the storyline dictated a win or rather a happy ending for Mariah after all of the roadblocks and hurdles I kept throwing in her direction (I honestly had another one planned where Mariah would've been screwed out of the win just to setup her next big feud to put over someone else, but yeah, that's the type of giving person I am in this game...) to the point where people KNEW she wouldn’t win. I have a pet peeve about not letting my creative writing for professional wrestling be predictable. You know... – like just about 85% of what WWE does nowadays.

That goes without saying – I put in the work for the win. I roleplayed like everyone else alongside the rest of my members and consented to my own deadlines. I’m not part of the e-federation in question, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that fed-head did as well, but the way he went about it like he was trying to create this dynamic organically was complete bullshit. By any means, the fed-head shouldn't be chopping his/her members’ feet from underneath them nor should they taking a spot from any other deserving individual.

At the same time, I feel like there's nothing wrong with a fed-head's character(s) winning a title in his/her own federation. The fed-head shouldn't be limited on creativity with that particular handicap. If a storyline dictates it or it adds another layer to a conflict then by all means toss that element into the pot for a bit more flavor. There should be a little flexibility with this with the undercard (non-main event) titles/championships - meaning that the main event title (i.e. the top championship prize in your e-federation) should be held scared. You shouldn't tarnish that legacy by making yourself champion just to prevent other your other hard-working members from holding it. Much like the argument to not allow fed-heads to not hold titles at all, you're limiting your members' creativity. What will they aspire for or set goals to reach if there's one huge roadblock in their way, called your ego that no one is able to penetrate but you (the fed-head)?

We as fed-heads have to remember one essential thing while running these e-federations. We can win anytime we choose as we have the power to do so, but the greatest joy of this game is seeing that deserving individual win. Without question, we as fed-heads have great power in this game and it's our responsibility to use it wisely and to the benefit of the handlers who take the precise time of their lives to partake into these worlds that we have created. Fed-heads may created the body of e-federations, but the handlers of these many, many characters are the life-blood that keeps this well-oiled machine going. Without them, the fed-heads are nothing but puppeteers presenting a one-man puppet show to an empty audience.

In closing, I don't know personally what went down in that e-federation entirely but I hope whoever takes over or the members there move elsewhere where the fed-head is willing to give rather than take in terms of being a benefit to the e-fed community. I would hate to see this game die out completely thanks to people who are looking out for themselves rather than for everyone's best interests as a whole.

OPINION -- Why You Should Be Watching Lucha Underground

~~Next~~ THIS week, Lucha Underground starts their two week season finale event, dubbed "Ultima Lucha", that is essentially their version of WrestleMania. New Japan has Wrestle Kingdom, Ring of Honor has Death By Dishonor, TNA/Impact Wrestling has Bound for Glory/Slammiversary (take your pick but both are pretty much their WrestleMania's in my book), WCW had Starrcade, and so on...

Lucha Underground is no different in that regard, but in their premiere season of wrestling, they have managed to prove on a weekly basis that they are the best weekly wrestling product on TV today. Why you ask? It'll be pleasure to explain why.

*** WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!!! ***

IN-DEPTH STORYLINES

Lucha Underground is approximately a hour every week per episode, but there's more plot development and advances to their stories here than in the 4-5 shows on WWE's weekly programming of that 12+ hours of content that they release on a weekly basis. All of Lucha Underground's storylines have started since the premiere episode and have continuously built upon up to this climatic finale that is Ultima Lucha. Fans (like me) are on the edge of their seats to see how everything will pan out in this 2-part finale.

BRILLIANT CINEMATOGRAPHY

Filmmaker and acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez is backing Lucha Underground in more ways than one and his fingerprints are all over the cinematic style of Lucha Underground. Every backstage segment and vignette is shot like a feature film. Never before professional wrestling has been presented in this fashion. It's an exciting breath of fresh air and adds to the compelling drama that Lucha Underground has created with their universe. The cinematography alone definitely sets them apart from the rest of their competition on the market today.

During the opening episodes of the season, video packages and vignettes introduced fans to the characters of this universe in a way that were so visually appealing that it even influenced WWE to make chances to their own vignettes. Want proof? Check out the recent video packages WWE released on NXT for Finn Balor and the NXT Divas after Lucha Underground came around.

COMIC BOOK STYLE APPROACH TO NARRATIVE & CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Perfect example to this. Black Lotus (formerly WWE Diva Angela Fong) hasn't wrestled a SINGLE match in Lucha Underground but her background and storyline has been hinted at and sprinkled throughout this season that she hasn't had to even wrestle for people to be invested into her character.

Without in-depth spoilers, Lucha Underground actually "killed" off a character over the course of the season to further their narrative. Whereas wrestling fans have criticized both WWE and Impact Wrestling for "insulting their intelligence", the comic book style approach to the narrative here is presented in a way that fans of this product see this form of wrestling as a sort of a graphic novel/comic book and it's not as ridiculous to see something like that happen.

In the vein of that concept, Mil Muertes is a character that actually grows (along with many others within the first season) and actually evolves into a new entity (almost to the level of being this promotion's own version of The Undertaker to a much extreme degree) over the course of the season.

At simple glance, one would think that a trio of losers who just can't get a break at winning won't amount to anything great on Lucha Underground. Instead, they end up becoming the promotion's biggest babyfaces to cheer for by the end of the season. Unlike most other mainstream wrestling promotions on TV, the characters on Lucha Underground actually show progress and don't stay the same.

I remember being frustrated after watching the first two episodes, thinking that it wasn't anything different from what I've been used to on mainstream wrestling outlets, but I'm glad I've stuck along with the show from beginning to end. There have been twists and turns that would make even Chris Claremont or Stan Lee blush.

Lucha Underground may be a shorter broadcast than it's competition but that adds to their episodic weekly format.

NO LONG WINDED PROMOS TO OPEN THE BROADCAST

Dario Cueto acts as the on-screen authority figure on Lucha Underground but his appearances are minimal at best and only essential to furthering the ongoing plot for the season. Outside of that, he appears in minor vignettes, but you won't have to tuning in and enduring a whooping 20-30 minute promo from him at the start of every broadcast like those other wrestling companies.

I have to be honest. As I'm looking back at footage and segments throughout this initial season of Lucha Underground, Dario Cueto has to be my personal favorite authority figure in professional wrestling right now. Before Stephanie McMahon held that spot currently, but she has to move down to second place out of my new found respect for Dario.

SUPERB WRESTLING

Actions speak louder than words. Lucha Underground focuses more on WRESTLING instead of talking. This is the purest form of lucha libre that you're going to get on TV on a weekly basis unless you're living in Mexico and/or can watch AAA or CMLL regularly without any issues or without pirating them online.

Gotta love Angelico...

Lucha Underground utilizes top talent from Mexico (including talent from AAA and Pro Wrestling Guerilla), along with a few notable faces from the independent scene. As a result, they have one of the most diverse rosters in wrestling today. It may seem crowded at times but Lucha Underground finds a way to utilize and make you care about just about everyone on this roster in some shape or form. Every character is presented as a threat and has the potential to win a match. There's no throwaway characters or "jobbers" that you would see in mainstream wrestling. Well there's Marty the Moth, but that's a totally different story altogether...

Well, that's one way to meet your new boss.

If that's not enough, Lucha Underground manages to take a lot of American concepts that were popularized in mainstream wrestling and especially in WWE, and finds a way to make those tired and true match types exciting again. For example, the first Lucha Underground Champion is crowned in a Royal Rumble-style (Aztec Warfare - full match is linked above) match that included every single member of the roster (male AND female) that allowed the use of weapons. If that's not enough for you, Lucha Underground revitalizes the Casket Match and even takes the traditional Ironman Match to new heights.

One of MANY reasons why I love Pentagon Jr...

The roster is includes Prince Puma (Ricochet to those familiar with his work in New Japan as part of the Super Jr's tournament), Johnny Mundo (former WWE Superstar John Morrison/Johnny Nitro), Brian Cage, Big Ryck (former WWE Superstar Ezekiel Jackson), Chavo Guerrero, Blue Demon Jr., Sexy Star, Ivelisse (former Tough Enough alumni and NXT's own Sofia Cortez), Catrina (formerly NXT Redemption's Maxine/Karlee Perez), Son of Havoc (Matt Cross/M-Dogg20; former Tough Enough alumni), Jack Evans, King Cuerno, Angelico, Argenis, Aerostar, Fenix, Mil Muertes (Ricky Banderas/El Mesias or TNA/Impact Wrestling's Judas Mesias), The Mack, Drago, Pentagon Jr., Texano, and even more introduced throughout the season, such as Hernandez, Killshot, and Alberto El Patron (former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio).

A perfect demonstration of Mil Muertes taking out the trash...

If that's not enough, Lucha Underground held several strong contenders for Match of Year (for both 2014 and 2015) for FREE on their program over the course of this premiere season. If they are pulling out all of the stops for their normal episodes, I can't imagine what they are going to do to end the season with.

GREAT COMMENTARY

While the beautiful Melissa Santos handles the in-ring introductions, Matt Striker and Vampiro are scholars in their craft in more ways than one as they call the action like professionals instead of arguing and belittling the talent in the ring during the action. They are just excited about what is going on in the ring as the fans watching at home and within the temple.

WOMEN'S WRESTLING MATTERS

The #1 thing that sets Lucha Underground apart from it's mainstream counterparts and other miscellaneous alternatives to WWE is that men and women are treated as equals in this promotion. That means that women can wrestle men and vice versa without any silly inter-gender/mixed tag team rules. This continues to be the topic of HEAVY criticism among fans of professional wrestling in terms of making this believable, but I'm like this - if men and women can coexist and fight each other in comic books without any problems then I don't have a problem here as long as the matches serve a purpose in the narrative.

The women of Lucha Underground are beautiful, but they won't hesitate for a second to put their bodies on the line in the spirit of competition.

REVIEW -- Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)

Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a 2015 direct-to-video animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics superhero team the Justice League and is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It was released as a digital download on July 21, 2015 on will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 28, 2015.

Cast:

Benjamin Bratt as Lor-Zod/Hernan Guerra / Superman
Michael C. Hall as Kirk Langstrom / Batman
Tamara Taylor as Bekka / Wonder Woman
Paget Brewster as Lois Lane
C. Thomas Howell as Dr. Will Magnus
Jason Isaacs as Lex Luthor / Metron
Dee Bradley Baker as Ray Palmer
Eric Bauza as Ryan Choi
Larry Cedar as Pete Ross
Richard Chamberlain as Highfather
Trevor Devall as Emil Hamilton
Dan Gilvezan as Pat Dugan
Grey Griffin as Tina/Platinum
Daniel Hagen as Doctor Sivana
Penny Johnson Jerald as President Amanda Waller
Josh Keaton as Orion
Arif S. Kinchen as Michael Holt
Yuri Lowenthal as Jor-El
Carl Lumbly as Silas Stone
Jim Meskimen as Victor Fries
Taylor Parks as Victor Stone
Khary Payton as John Henry Irons
Tahmoh Penikett as Steve Trevor
Andrea Romano as Jean Palmer
André Sogliuzzo as Cop
Bruce Thomas as General Zod
Lauren Tom as Lara
Marcelo Tubert as Tough Guy
Kari Wahlgren as Karen Beecher

Plot: (FULL Spoilers)

In an alternate universe, the Justice League is a brutal force that maintains order on Earth. Superman is named Hernan Guerra and is the son of General Zod, who was rocketed to Earth as a child and raised by a family of Mexican migrant farmers, leading him to become short tempered and withdrawn from humanity. Batman is Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who has inadvertently transformed himself into a form of pseudo-vampire in an attempt to cure his cancer, feeding on criminals to satisfy his hunger after his hunger begins to eat away at his humanity. Wonder Woman is Bekka, wife of New God, Orion, but an altercation made her leave Apokolips and eventually travel to Earth using a sword conjoined to a mother box. The Justice League's unaccountability is ultimately challenged by the world's governments following the suspicious deaths of renowned scientists, including Victor Fries being found drained of blood in the Arctic, Ray Palmer's car crushed with a woman's bootprint in the door, and Silas Stone burned alive by heat vision, along with his son Victor Stone. As all suspicion falls on the Justice League, President Amanda Waller asks that they co-operate with the Government's investigation. Wonder Woman speaks to Steve Trevor to learn what the Government knows, while Superman invites Lois Lane to the League's HQ, where he tells her of his goals to try to help humanity, and also reveals how little he knows about Krypton or his heritage. Batman investigates himself and discovers an email on Silas' computer, that was sent to a number of scientists including Will Magnus, Batman's college room mate who helped his transformation. Batman asks Magnus about 'Project FairPlay', which involved all the scientists under Lex Luthor's employ, but Magnus tells him nothing. Later Batman locates all the remaining scientists discussing the threat over their heads, when they are attacked by the assassins, who travel via Boom Tube. Despite the other League members intervening, the assassins slaughter the remaining scientists and 'Boom' out, with Magnus the sole survivor.

The League take Magnus to their HQ to recover, while Superman flies into orbit to a satellite, where Luthor now resides. Luthor reveals that Project FairPlay is a weapons program to destroy the League if necessary, while also revealing that he retained all the remaining information on Krypton from Superman's shuttle, and tells him the truth about Zod. Luthor tells Superman that Waller has the original files, and as Superman leaves, an assassin booms in and the satellite explodes. As Superman looks on in shock, Trevor shows satellite footage of the explosion to Waller, and she retaliates with Project FairPlay, which consists of troops and vehicles armed with weapons powered by red sunlight radiation.

Superman and Wonder Woman face the army at their door, as Batman stays inside the HQ, where he activates the League's force field, the idea being that once Magnus recovers, he can clear the League. Suddenly Batman is attacked by Platinum of the Metal Men, who Magnus had disguised as his wife. With Batman restrained by Tin, Platinum revives Magnus with Nanites. He is then revealed to be the true villain of the story. The assassins are in fact the remaining Metal Men, who appear with a weapon. Magnus tells Batman that he intends to use a Nanite bomb to brainwash humanity into working as a collective. We also learn that Magnus' madness stems from when he accidentally killed his wife. She and Kirk had a strong emotional bond, which caused her to relentlessly push Will to help cure Kirk, as they both gave him the serum which turned him into Batman. He struck her one night, and she struck her head on a table and died. Magnus replaced her with Platinum and joined Project FairPlay soon after, intending to use its resources to bring humanity together in a collective mind as he feels that his actions prove that humanity does not deserve to continue if even a rational man like himself could do that to his own wife.

As Magnus prepares his weapon, Luthor suddenly teleports into the middle of the battle outside and tells everyone that he has discovered Magnus' plan. Inside, Batman seizes an opportunity to drop the force field and the League do battle with Magnus and the Metal Men. Eventually they succeed and Magnus commits suicide by disintegrating himself with nanites.

A week later, the League have been cleared, and the world views them differently. Bekka decides to leave the League to face her past, along with Luthor who wants to explore other realities. Upon leaving, Luthor gives Superman all the data on Krypton and tells him to be a 'real hero'. The film ends with Superman and Batman deciding to work through the data immediately to help humanity.ists, including Victor Fries being found drained of blood in the Arctic, Ray Palmer's car crushed with a woman's bootprint in the door, and Silas Stone burned alive by heat vision.

The Verdict:

Right off the bat (no pun intended), I want to say that this film isn't for kids at all. I was genuinely shocked and amused at how far Bruce Timm and DC Comics pushed this narrative. Speaking of Bruce Timm, I'm glad to see him back in the driver's seat again for DC Comics' animated features. For those who don't know, he is the man responsible for building much of DC Comics' modern animated universe, starting from the beloved Batman: The Animated Series to Justice League: Unlimited. He also worked on Freakazoid! and the short-lived Green Lantern: The Animated Series.

After the travesty that saw Justice League Unlimited get cancelled by Cartoon Network in early 2000s, I'm glad that DC Comics haven't lost faith in Bruce Timm's worth. His artistic style is obviously apparent just from looking at this movie for the first time, but this isn't Justice League Unlimited. This is a darker, fresher take on the Justice League that isn't that much of a stretch from the universe that we know and love.

If you grew up with Bruce Timm's earlier works then you will appreciate all of the subtle jokes and Easter eggs littered throughout this movie, such as Crazy Ivy brought some of her "plants" to the party or all of the scientists that are getting murdered are well-known "geniuses" of DC Comics - whether they tend to be villains (Mr. Freeze/Victor Fries) or superheroes (Ray Palmer/The Atom) in the mainstream canon continuity. Lois Lane remains unchanged (outside of her new sassy appearance) - still works for the Daily Planet as it's top anchorwoman, but there's no love connection between her and Superman here. In the contrary, it's complete animosity between them. There's also Steve Trevor keeping an eye on the Justice League, with it being hinted at that he's pretty much Bekka/Wonder Woman's sex toy - which was confirmed in her mini-episode anyway. Last but not least, there's Amanda Waller acting as the President of the United States in this universe. Given the state of the canonical DC Universe, that's not much of a stretch from reality.

Out of each of the Justice League's origin stories that are scattered throughout the course of this film, I felt that Wonder Woman/Bekka had the best one out of the three, even though I thought it was a bit of a stretch that Darkseid and the forces of Apokalips would let their guard down that easily. Kirk Langstrom becoming Batman after a freak accident to cure his cancer turned him into a vampire was more ironic than interesting, but that spark of originality was lessened by the fact that his own best friend set him up to be turned into a freak in the first place. It sounds too much like the origins of Vlad Masters/Plasmius (Danny Phantom) or Michael Morbius (Spider-Man) for my taste. Superman/Hernan Guerra's origin didn't show little to no originality as Kal-El was the son of General Zod instead of Jor-El. I'll give them kudos to having him still grow up with morals - but with a darker outlook on life after being raised as an illegal immigrant. At the end of the day, Superman is the ULTIMATE illegal alien. To say that these three individuals had some dark influences on their transformations into heroes is an understatement, especially after seeing the opening sequence in the film.

The Justice League go in to stop a terrorist attack and it turns into a bloodbath instead of simply neutralizing the threats. This Justice League goes out of their way to put down these villains - FOR GOOD - by the extreme methods in combat. I was simply blown away at how little concern this Justice League had over their adversaries. That's not necessarily a bad thing but at the same time, they have instantly painted the wrong image to the world that they are trying to protect. This film does a good job of showing how this Justice League is going about crime-fighting the wrong way and how their world interprets their actions. Ironic that they can't apply this same method of storytelling to the folks who write and produce Justice League: War and Throne of Atlantis. If anyone needs to talk about the Justice League going overboard in combat it's in those two films. To each of the teams' credit, the Gods and Monsters batch didn't turn out as bad as I was expecting given their circumstances.

It's funny that this Justice League has an impromptu mentor in the form of Lex Luthor, who is credited as Metron in credits. Keep note that the film never calls him this throughout the narrative but it's a dead giveaway from how reclusive Luthor is from the rest of humanity in his ongoing search for knowledge. Without seeing the prequel mini-episodes prior, I probably would have thought that Lex Luthor was trying to be Brainiac from the way that he was trying to keep and preserve knowledge for himself from the rest of humanity.

In terms of narrative, I was surprised that they went with the Metal Men as the main villains here out of anyone else that could have been used or revamped from DC Comics for this movie. To their credit, they gave the Justice League one hell of a fight in the film's climax, but it's an absolute stretch to see the Metal Men taken that seriously as a threat for once.

I have to admit that Will Magnus' plot is almost comical to an extent. He murders all of his fellow scientists (or rather competition) all just to want to turn humanity into automatons? And all of this stemmed from his jealousy of his former classmate being liked by the girl who he forced to marry him instead? Sheesh. I swear, DC Comics supervillains need to get therapy or something. That's just as bad as Lex Luthor becoming Superman's mortal enemy all because of the accident that blew up his lab and made his hair fall out in the old Superfriends cartoons. If Luthor's so damn smart, why doesn't he invent Rogaine or something for men?

Rent It, Buy It, or Don't Bother?

There's some great action in this film (nothing that won't shock people from what high-standard DC Comics has set for their animation to date) and this isn't a bad story but I'm left with the feeling of wishing that Bruce Timm and his team did a little more for this premiere debut. Then again, Justice League didn't blow me away either at first, but I guess we'll have to see where this goes from here.

Most people will be happy with a rental, but hardcore DC Comics fans will want to add this to their collections if you have everything else of Bruce Timm's work to date. DC Comics has openly stated that if fans show their support for this animated film that they will look into further sequels into this universe and even possibly a full-blown animated series.

The DVD/Blu-Ray set reportedly comes with the three episode mini-series, Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, that served as the prequel stories that set the stage for this film which were released online prior to the film's retail release by Machinima Inc.'s YouTube page.

OPINION -- #GiveDivasAChance Transforms into a NXT Divas Revolution on Monday Night RAW

Monday Night RAW (July 13, 2015) saw what many WWE Diva fans are calling a “revolution” as many fans got what they have been begging for months on end as the NXT Divas made their debuts to tip the scales in the WWE Divas’ battle against Team Bella (Current WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella, Alicia Fox, and Brie Bella). This segment started with Nikki Bella “addressing” the Divas division with a promo about her show of force over the division and her dominance over every challenge that has stood in her way. In typical fashion, Stephanie McMahon (oddly announced as the “Principal Owner of WWE” - since when?) came out to put Nikki Bella in her place. Most fans will remember that Stephanie did the same thing during the Kaitlyn and AJ Lee feud in 2013 and last summer at the heights of both of the AJ Lee and Paige feud and the cringeworthy rivalry between the Bella Twins. Stephanie has a knack for putting their Divas in their places when they seem to step far out of line - I honestly see this as a metaphorical “glass ceiling” when she injects herself into these segments as it’s obvious that WWE doesn’t want any other Diva to be as big of an on-air personality as her.

Stephanie enters the ring and talks about how women are creating revolutions all over the world today, not just in sports - even name drops Ronda Rousey in UFC (I guess she didn’t get enough at WrestleMania) - and decrees that it’s time that the WWE Divas do the same, hinting that there are women on the roster who are clawing and scratching at the opportunity to take things to the next level. That brings Paige into the conversation, who which Stephanie acknowledges that one person can’t fight this battle alone, so she evens the scales by introducing and aligning both Becky Lynch and Charlotte to Paige’s aid. Stephanie is then interrupted by Tamina Snuka and Naomi, who demand a part of this as they have unfinished business with Paige and the Bella Twins. Stephanie McMahon gladly agrees with them and introduces current reigning NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks (oddly without said title) to the main roster, who quickly aligns herself with Naomi and Tamina.

Pleased with herself, Stephanie leaves the ring with Team Bella surrounded by the two new Diva factions. An inevitable brawl breaks out between the Divas, with the highlight of this skirmish was the image of Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks having all of the members of Team Bella trapped in the middle of the ring with their signature submission holds (Figure Eight, Seated Fujiwara Armbar, and the Banks Statement) before the members of Team Paige and Team BAD (Naomi, Tamina, Sasha) stared down as RAW went to commercial break.

The reception of this segment was monumental in the arena and across social media as my Twitter and Facebook timelines were blowing up with reactions from this segment. It’s rare for the main roster Divas to be the highlight of Monday Night RAW and I'm glad to see people talking about women’s wrestling (at least in WWE’s regard) in a positive light.

As a fan and proud advocate of women’s wrestling (ALL forms, not just limited to WWE/NXT Divas - yes, that includes TNA/Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Lucha Underground, and the independent/international scenes), I thoroughly enjoyed this segment, but at the same time, I’m not as gullible as the bulk of the fans from what I’m noticing from the comments and reactions on social media.

Remember WWE has pull this before. Fans have demanded change in the Divas division and they gave us Paige to shut us up last year to end AJ Lee’s reign of dominance. It kills me that fans fall for WWE’s ploy every single time. We complain and voice our opinions about how they are ruining their own product and they do that ONE small thing to cave to our demands. Everyone goes crazy that they got that one small thing that they wanted and instantly forgets about how much of a mess WWE creative is currently while other companies, namely Impact Wrestling, constantly get shafted by the IWC (internet wrestling community) just because they don’t cave like how WWE does to their demands. Don’t worry, I plan on writing an article on that matter at a later date.

WWE tosses their fanbase a bone for we can quit barking, only to go back to what they were doing prior to their fanbase getting vocal about their opinion and demands. Contrary to popular belief, but ONE segment isn’t going to change the state of the Divas division. I would love to be insanely optimistic like the bulk of the WWE Universe, but WWE has let me down more than made my hopes and wishes come true so it’s better to NOT buy into false hype of anything as far as I’m concerned.

I’ve seen people commenting on social media that this was the first time that “THIS IS AWESOME” was chanted during a main roster Divas segment/match ever. Whoa, nelly, hold your horses. Rewind back to AJ Lee and Paige’s first in-ring encounter after WrestleMania XXIX, it’s painfully apparent during that segment and I’m sure that it was chanted during a few of those great PPV matches during her title reign that following year. Don’t get so jaded in your “marking out” over your favorites getting one HELL of an opportunity to be personally endorsed and introduced by Stephanie McMahon herself in their debuts on the main roster that you forget what company is this.

This is the same company that is still holding African-American/black wrestlers underneath a glass ceiling, despite what people may think of the New Day and Primetime Players being showcased at the top of the WWE Tag Team Division at the moment. Then don’t get me started on JBL’s comments towards R-Truth being the “King of Motel 6”... #GiveDivasAChance? How about #GiveBlackWrestlersAChance, WWE?

The point of the matter is that Naomi has been shoved back to the back of the line towards the Divas Championship for well over a year now. She was a fierce competitor for Paige back when Paige was a rookie on the main roster in AJ Lee’s absence and Naomi is still a solid talent today. Why WWE hasn’t given her or Alicia Fox another run with the title is mind boggling for me. Instead, both women have been saddled with being set on the backburner. Sasha Banks’ future didn’t look too bright as they banded her right with Naomi and Tamina Snuka, while Alicia Fox is still the odd woman out on Team Bella (I would love to know how and why she ended up with the Bella Twins as their third member) - why not use Summer Rae or “Evil” Emma in that spot? Seriously, it’s an improvement over what they are doing otherwise on the main roster or on NXT. Even better idea, use Natalya since she needs something to do while Tyson Kidd is sidelined for possibly the rest of the year. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have another veteran ring general in there to keep the match in order other than Tamina.

Back on point, it would have made a lot more sense to team Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks on one single team (the last few NXT tapings already went out of their way to sell Sasha Banks as a babyface in recent weeks - and to be quite honest, I REALLY hate that they went that route with her character because she works SOOO much better as a heel) against Team Bella while Paige, Naomi, and Tamina could have teamed up after feeling like they were “overlooked” after these NXT Divas’ debuts.

Regardless of how WWE managed to shift the teams around, I loved this segment up to the point where all nine of the Divas started brawling. It quickly turned into a mess. I felt that they lost the magic of the excitement that they were all garnering here from the anticipation of what the future of the Divas’ division could create. After a lot of sloppy executed moves and poor selling, the three of the “Four Horsewomen of NXT” managed to pull a memorable moment during this skirmish with all of Team Bella in their submission holds. If they were ALL on the same team it would have made sense to end the segment right here with Team Bella in full retreat mode (notice that Paige had to hand off the Divas title to Nikki who clearly forgot about it), but nope. WWE had that moment of HUGE awkwardness where both Team Paige and Team BAD (Best at Dominating) stared down before the commercial break. It didn’t help the fact that the cameras panned back to Stephanie McMahon standing at the top of the entrance ramp while Michael Cole was talking about HER instead of the Divas on commentary as they went on commercial break.

To make matters worse, this segment did NOTHING to sell what’s to come at Battleground on Sunday. Stephanie McMahon didn’t announce a match nor express that the WWE Divas Championship would be on the line - if at all - during the PPV in less than 6 days. I’m currently writing this article BEFORE the WWE Smackdown! tapings tonight, so who knows what they have in mind. You can’t have everyone challenge for the belt at once, nor can you set up one of those clusterfuck huge Diva tag team matches or battle royals because everyone has had their fill of those at this rate.

In my eyes, WWE has only backed themselves into a corner and only made the situation even worse for the Divas division. The main roster Divas division currently includes Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Naomi, Tamina Snuka, Sasha Banks, Charlotte, Paige, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Summer Rae, Lana, Layla El, Rosa Mendes, Emma, and Cameron while the NXT Divas division includes Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Carmella, Cassie (KC Cassidy), Dana Brooke, Eva Marie, Jasmin, Jessie (Jessie McKay).

That’s a LOT of names, isn’t it? Both divisions are rather crowded. Now with the additions of Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Sasha Banks, I have to say that the main roster as a whole is overcrowded with a lot of individuals that WWE clearly doesn’t know what to do with. The inconsistencies in the main event scene for WWE World Heavyweight Championship is proof enough of that, along with the piss poor booking of almost everyone not named Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, or John Cena.

Now that they have taken more of Triple H's precious "NXT children" under their wing, I can't imagine how WWE will be able to manage to keep booking those women as strongly as they were depicted on the NXT brand. If the treatment of Paige, Emma, and Summer Rae weren't any signals of what we could be potentially expecting in the near-future, then you need to go back and review the state of those three former NXT females' careers.

Paige and Emma went from putting on a 5-Star match to crown the first ever NXT Women's Champion one of the premiere Takeover NXT live-events on the WWE Network to becoming shells of their former selves. Emma became a dancing baffoon on the main roster when her dancing antics didn't carry over to the main roster's crowd and quickly found herself as an enhancement talent to put over some of the other Divas in lackluster matches (there's a few gems worth hunting for though...) on RAW, Main Event, Superstars, and Smackdown! before finding herself repackaged back on the NXT roster with a heel gimmick. So far she's merely acting as Dana Brooke's "sidekick" as NXT is obviously trying to market her (Dana) as the next "big thing" to come out of brand in terms of women's wrestling. Paige, on the other hand, garnered a lot of success in her debut year on the main roster - winning the Divas Championship TWICE (being the lone wolf who managed to end the tyranny of AJ Lee) and even a Survivor Series bout, but those successes became the problem. Paige was pushed to the moon right out of the gate and she has little more to aspire for on the main roster, despite being so young. Most of her fanbase has turned on her as she has become boring and "comfortable" in her position in the company. Her lackluster feud with the Bella Twins haven't done nothing to change this opinion from the WWE Universe. In my personal opinion, Paige is trying too hard to fill in the gap that AJ Lee left in the division in her departure. There's nothing wrong with being different (#FreaksAndGeeks) but at the same time, she doesn't have to be a carbon copy of AJ Lee - who was essentially a copy of Lita before her. Last but not least, we have Summer Rae - a woman who I had high hopes for on the main roster to bring a fresh new natural heel to the Divas division. Sure, she's a ripoff of Maryse Ouellet, but I'll take what I can get in her absence. From the moment that Summer Rae was brought up to the main roster from NXT, she was doomed to failure when she was stuck with the gimmick of being the dancing partner to Fandango. Look where Fandango is - nowhere. His brief run of popularity wore off and she was dropped like a bad habit after WWE tried to pair him with Layla only to have the idea of a potential lesbian make-out session made those two Divas more popular than Fandango himself. That buzz of popularity was short-lived as Summer Rae found herself in cringe worthy angles, again and again. That brings us to present day, where she is acting as the storyline replacement for Lana to Rusev after their onscreen break-up in an angle that took the Divas division back 30-40 years instead of moving it forward.

I want to be optimistic about WWE treating Becky Lynch, Charlotte, and Sasha Banks properly on the main roster but with WWE's track record thus far I can't do nothing but fear the worst. I want their addition to mean something more for the WWE Divas. I want their division to be taken seriously again. I want the Divas to have longer, blockbuster matches that everyone can be proud of. I want the WWE Divas to be contributors to the high degree of athleticism that we come to expect from the WWE product. I want the WWE Universe to see ALL of the Divas, not just the NXT Divas as assets to the roster and not just pretty faces. C'mon people. Impact Wrestling can't keep women's wrestling alive in the mainstream product of professional wrestling on their own. It's LONG past due for WWE to contribute - big time. The NXT Divas took the first steps, and now is the time for the rest of the Divas division to take things to the next level or it's all for nothing in this revolution towards progress.

I ask ALL of you who love women's wrestling as much as I do one thing. Don't let #GiveDivasAChance stop your demands for wanting more for the WWE Divas after ONE segment. Let WWE know that you want to see this type of change continue. They aren't going to make the division better until we voice our opinions as a whole.

REVIEW -- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is an action-adventure game, the sequel to the 2010 game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and part of the Castlevania franchise. The game was developed by MercurySteam and published by Konami. It was released late February 2014 in both North America and Europe and on March 2014 in Australia. A Japanese release was released on September 4, 2014. A downloadable chapter has also been released in March from the same year.

The story is set in both medieval and modern worlds and follows a weakened Dracula who is on a quest to defeat his former enemy, Satan. Gameplay takes after the original Lords of Shadow but this time through an open world. The player controls Dracula who uses multiple powers and weapons to achieve his goals.

The Plot: (FULL Spoilers)

The game starts out with a recap of Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate, detailing Gabriel Belmont's (Robert Carlyle) transformation into Dracula and his encounters with his son, Trevor (Richard Madden), whom he kills and subsequently resurrects, and grandson, Simon. The game starts proper with knights attacking Dracula's castle. He swiftly dispatches all of them before being confronted by the revived Trevor, now known as Alucard.

A thousand years have passed and Dracula awakens in a cathedral in modern times, weak from starvation and with no memory of the circumstances that led him there. He is warned by his former enemy, Zobek (Patrick Stewart), of the return of Satan, who until then was deterred from doing so by Dracula himself. Zobek offers him his old weapon, the Vampire Killer, the only relic capable of ending his cursed existence, in exchange for him vanquishing the people trying to bring Satan (Jason Isaacs) back, his acolytes. The key to him regaining his power lies in his castle, which the cursed blood that kept it alive for centuries attempts to deter Dracula of his quest. Throughout his journey, Dracula is aided by various allies, including Zobek's bodyguard and specters of his deceased wife Marie (Natascha McElhone) and a younger Trevor. He also encounters the Brotherhood of Light and its current leader, Victor Belmont (Anthony Howell).

Having destroyed two of the acolytes and tracked down the third, Dracula prepares to ambush him but is stopped by the bodyguard, flashbacking to his last encounter with Alucard. It is revealed that centuries ago, Alucard had come to Dracula with a plan to destroy both Zobek and Satan, using his sword, the Crissaegrim, on him to induce a deep sleep and thus setting the current events into motion. The truth now known, the bodyguard reveals himself to be Alucard. Zobek discovers their treachery and angrily confronts them both. Dracula kills him just as the third acolyte summons Satan, who proceeds to summon a flying monster to destroy the human world. Dracula and Alucard are able to kill the beast, only for Satan to possess the latter, forcing father and son to battle. Dracula gains the upper hand and prepares to stake Alucard with the Vampire Killer, despite Satan's insistence that he would not and forcing him to vacate the body. Having anticipated this, Dracula kills Satan once and for all while saving his son. Dracula then destroys the Mirror of Fate and walks back inside his cathedral with Alucard as the sun rises on the city.

The Verdict:

Those of you who know me personally should know that the original Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was definitely one of my personal favorite gaming experiences from 2010 and I thoroughly enjoyed the follow-up Castlevania: Lords Shadow - Mirror of Fate. You can revisit and experience BOTH of those games (along with the Reverie and Resurrection DLC) as part of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's Ultimate Edition for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC if you would like a refresher on this universe before jumping into this game.

Lords of Shadow 2 expects you to be familiar with this universe right off the bat and does very little to instruct you on Dracula's abilities. The introduction tutorials only serve as helpful reminders on your abilities from the previous title that will be expanded upon in this game.

Narrative:

Lords of Shadow 2 builds onto the solid foundation that the original Lords of Shadow established and continued in Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. I felt a little sorry for players who skipped over the original Lords of Shadow's DLC ("Reverie" and "Resurrection") and Mirror of Fate (remember I reviewed that game as well...) as they might be a little lost jumping into this game immediately following the events of the original game. Konami/Mercurystream could have given players a brief Cliff Notes-style recap on the events between games. I'm sure that small gesture would have been appreciated.

Too bad we don't get any filler on the other Belmont family tree other than Gabriel (now Dracula), Trevor/Alucard, and Victor. I wanted to know what happened to Simon Belmont after the events of Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate.

Superb voice acting cast doesn't disappoint in the least.

Gameplay:

I suggest installing the game to your console's hard drive right off the bat. The load times (especially on Xbox 360) are INSANELY long upon booting up the game and between retries after dying.

Combat:

The Void Sword and Chaos Claws replace Light and Dark magic from the original Lords of Shadow, while the Blood Whip functions just like the Combat Cross.

The use of projectiles are a welcome addition in combat and it adds a new layer of depth that was needed in the original Lords of Shadow's combat.

I HIGHLY recommend that veterans of the original Lords of Shadow to start the game on Hard right off the bat. Otherwise, the game won't be much of a challenge. That being said, players are able to disable/turn off Quick Time Events (QTEs). I remember laughing at my older brother when I let him try out the original Lords of Shadow only to see him throw his controller in frustration at the QTEs in the original game. I'm sure players like him will be relieved to know that this feature can be turned off right off the bat here. Players can also move the camera in this sequel as that was my biggest gripe with the original Lords of Shadow. I'm glad that issue was remedied here.

Lords of Shadow 2 improved on my gripe with the original game - not enough bosses. LoS2 is littered with climatic encounters that makes about almost every enemy type a dramatic affair to have players on the edge of their seats. Too bad the last boss was a bit of a letdown, but the ending gives hope that Mercurysteam might not be finished with Dracula's journey just yet. If it ends here then I'm fine with this trilogy. It was the welcome breath of fresh air that the Castlevania series needed in this console generation.

(Whistles) The game literally FORCES you to finish the game as the endgame enemies on the map won't allow you to get much backtracking done until you face them head on. That being said, the game's enemy AI is already aggressive and ruthless enough with their ozikeme (attacks on players while rising from the ground) techniques and WILL take advantage of your moments of weakness. The enemy AI will force players to play smart and be on their toes at all times. I highly recommend learning how to quick recover from knockdowns and the three methods of defense (blocking/just guard, dodging on the ground, and air dodging).

Stealth Sections:

These portions of the game are the source of the negativity geared towards this game, along with the sections where Dracula has to transform into a swarm of rats to maneuver around obstacles and potential hazards. Sounds like those critics were fans of Twilight's version of vampires instead of the "real" deal here.

I personally found them to be rather hit or miss. They are a matter of trial and error that will have you replaying that section a few times until you have an eureka moment when you figure out what you have to do and where you have to go. I found almost all of these sections to be more annoying than enjoyable. Let's be serious here, why would you introduce Metal Gear Solid-esque gameplay elements into a game that is commonly known for it's action-oriented gameplay? C'mon, Hideo Kojima, you have to get Metal Gear Solid off your brain eventually...

As for that Argeus stealth section that EVERYONE loathes, I suggest watching a video of it on YouTube. Keep in mind that you can use the Mist ability to hide from Argeus when he is alerted to your location. Stay away from the leaves at all costs. That was one HUGE oversight in terms of game design that the game didn't even inform players that you could use the Mist ability in this section.

Misc:

The game is praised by critics for having an "open world" but I have a problem with that statement. It's not as much of an "open world" than any other Castlevania game to date that you may have played in this franchise's history. Sure, you can always venture off and do something else other than the main story, but given the difficulty setting and what abilities you have, you can't do much exploration and venturing on your own period without the abilities you acquire towards the halfway point and towards near the end of the game. To be fair, the game is an "open world" in comparison to the original Lords of Shadow's linear episodic gameplay. You're still guiding Gabriel to main mission objectives throughout the city and castle environments without the episodes themselves slowing you down nor hindering your means of exploration.

I desperately crave and miss the ability to leave notes on the World Map for secrets like in Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD. That would have made backtracking and hunting for secrets less of a hassle without a guide.

The Map Rooms helps somewhat but backtracking is a complete chore than it was in Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate.

Keep in mind that you are free to explore the city at your leisure in post-game to acquire collectibles, complete challenges, and acquire upgrades before moving onto New Game+ or higher difficulties (Prince of Darkness).

The Upgrades/Skill Tree is a much better replacement than the Skill Tree from the original Lords of Shadow. Here, you can afford the flashy and more powerful attacks early, yet have the means to upgrade them even further. This also gives players the means to experiment with what works for them in combat as you have to use particular attacks frequently to truly "master" your weapons, so players will be encouraged to experiment and find what works for them in combat in terms of preference.

Rent It? Buy It? Or Don't Bother?

If you enjoyed the original Lords of Shadow, there's more to enjoy here, so there's no harm in buying it. Some gamers may be turned off by the stealth sections (those are far and few), but at the end of the day, the game comes down to patience - much like the original Lords of Shadow to conquer than reckless abandon. While it's not as long, nor as monumental as it's predecessor, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is another great chapter in this trilogy.

If Mercurysteam and Konami want to end it here, I'm fine with that but I wouldn't mind more from this reimagining of the Castlevania lore.

REVIEW - DC Universe Movie Round-Up (Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Batman vs Robin, Son of Batman, Assault on Arkham)

Truth be told, I've been sitting on a ton of reviews for a while now that have been growing dust in my notebook but I haven't just had the time nor Internet access to get these written. So, instead of cranking these reviews out in separate articles, I'm going to provide them all here in one spot in one shebang.

Each review will follow the usual format that I'm known for here while I'll provide a quickie rundown of my opinion of each said animated featurette for this DC Universe direct-to-video line-up. I'll be honest and say right off the bat that DC Comics may not be ahead of the game with Marvel Comics in terms of live-action cinematic dominance, but they definitely stand miles apart and above the rest when it comes to their animated films.

Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)

The film is based on the universe of the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, and is a direct sequel to Batman: Arkham Origins.

The film is set in the universe of the Batman: Arkham video game franchise, occurring after Arkham Origins, though co-director Jay Oliva states it takes place about two years before Arkham Asylum. The story focuses primarily on the Suicide Squad, particularly Batman villains Deadshot and Harley Quinn, with Batman in a supporting role. In the film, a Suicide Squad of six criminals is dispatched by Amanda Waller to break into Arkham Asylum, where they must contend with the asylum's inmates and Batman as they attempt to complete their mission.

Cast:

Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne / Batman
Neal McDonough as Floyd Lawton / Deadshot
Hynden Walch as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
Matthew Gray Gubler as Edward Nygma / The Riddler
Troy Baker as The Joker
C.C.H. Pounder as Amanda Waller
Greg Ellis as Captain Boomerang
Giancarlo Esposito as Black Spider
John DiMaggio as King Shark
Jennifer Hale as Killer Frost
Nolan North as KGBeast, Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin

Plot: (FULL Spoilers)

When Riddler is rescued from a black ops assassination and returned to Arkham Asylum after being captured by Batman, Amanda Waller pressgangs criminals Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Frost, KGBeast, and King Shark to break into hospital and finish the job. The Suicide Squad members are forced to comply by means of bombs surgically implanted at the base of their spines. KGBeast, who believes the bombs are a bluff, walks out on Waller and is killed as an example to the others.

The six are deployed to Gotham City, where Penguin has been hired by Waller to give them arms and equipment. Tensions immediately arise among the squad members, particularly between Deadshot and Captain Boomerang, who resents Deadshot's assumption of the leadership role on the team. Meanwhile Batman ransacks the city in search of a dirty bomb that Joker had possessed prior to his own incarceration in the asylum.

Harley Quinn commits noisy petty crimes in Gotham until she is arrested and returned to Arkham, at which point she stages a distraction by arguing with and apparently attempting to murder her ex-lover Joker. This distraction allows the Suicide Squad to successfully infiltrate Arkham in a variety of disguises, and proceed smoothly with their mission until Batman arrives. Batman and Black Spider duel, and Batman defeats Black Spider and switches costumes with him, joining the Suicide Squad without their knowledge. Killer Frost locates Riddler, but decides against killing him when she learns the reason she was sent to snuff him out: Riddler knows how to disable the bombs implanted in members of the Suicide Squad. Joker escapes his cell, which was weakened by Harley Quinn's earlier assault, and frees all the Arkham inmates.

The Suicide Squad agree to spare Riddler in exchange for his help, and most are able to deactivate their bombs with the use of a device intended for electroshock therapy. Black Spider and King Shark, however, are messily executed by Amanda Waller when she learns what the Suicide Squad has done, which reveals Batman's impersonation of Black Spider. Chaos spreads across the Arkham island as police sortie with super-criminals, and teamwork in the Suicide Squad collapses as Harley Quinn reunites with Joker. Joker reveals that his dirty bomb was hidden within Harley Quinn's trademark mallet, which was stored at Arkham, and that he will detonate it in the city.

The remaining Suicide Squad members frantically and separately try to escape the island, but only Deadshot is successful. Deadshot travels to Gotham City by stolen helicopter, but discovers Joker and Harley Quinn were stowing away with him. Batman arrives on the scene and Deadshot battles the Joker as Batman subdues Harley Quinn. Batman defeats Harley Quinn and defuses the bomb hidden in her mallet, thus saving the city. A heavily-wounded Deadshot is likewise able to defeat the Joker, though the villain escapes through a fall. The epilogue shows Deadshot, a free man and reunited with his daughter, about to snipe Amanda Waller in retribution for forcing him into the Suicide Squad. The scene ends before he pulls the trigger.

The Verdict:

First things first, it's good to hear Kevin Conroy as Batman again. At the same time, I'm really starting to notice the old age in his voice. If he's going to bow out after Batman: Arkham Knight in terms of voice acting this character after the last few decades, then I have no problem with that. Maybe someone can get Anthony Ruvivar on board by then. Unlike most people, I loved him as Batman in Beware the Batman.

As for this animated feature itself, I loved this story focused around the Suicide Squad, but let's get one thing straight and admit that there are a TON of plot holes here if they are expecting to pass this story as a connection or bridge between the Arkham games. Let's review some of them from off the top of my head. Trust me there's a LOT more than this...

Despite receiving an invitation from Amanda Waller during the post-credits teaser of Arkham Origins, Deathstroke is nowhere to be found in this film, nor mentioned as part of the Suicide Squad.

If this is an immediate follow-up to Arkham Origins, exactly at what point did Harleen Quinzel snap and hook up with The Joker long enough to have all of the back history they have that's mentioned in this film? If you speak with her following her capture during the riot in Arkham Asylum during Arkham Origins' finale, she was completely sane during that point of Batman's history.

No one seems to notice that Batman STOLE Black Spider's body armor and applies it to his own gear and equipment. I'm guessing this is the explanation for Batman's appearance in Arkham Asylum. Notice it's the EXACT same body armor.

Deadshot is portrayed as an ideal leader for this team when he was barely capable of dealing with Batman in both Arkham Origins and Arkham City. Shouldn't Deathstroke be in that position?

Buy It? Rent It? Or Don't Bother?

Rent it if you're new to the Batman: Arkham universe, but other comic book fans will more likely want to buy this film and add it to their collections. Parents, please note that this film is rated Mature for some gory scenes and sexual content. There's a few scenes I definitely wouldn't allow my kids to watch in this.

It's about time we have a reason to root for the bad guys (and girls...). Besides, I wouldn't be surprised more people will be inclined to check this movie out once the release date for Warner Bros.' live-action Suicide Squad movie draws closer.

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)

Cast:

Roger Craig Smith- Batman/Bruce Wayne
Dana Snyder -The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot
Chris Diamantopoulos -Green Arrow/Oliver Queen
Laura Bailey -Cheetah/Barbara Minerva, Newcaster
John DiMaggio -Killer Croc/Waylon Jones
Will Friedle -Nightwing/Dick Grayson
Yuri Lowenthal -Red Robin/Tim Drake
Phil LaMarr - Man-Bat/Kirk Langstrom
Charlie Schlatter -The Flash
Keith Szarabajka - Silverback
Richard Epcar -Commissioner James Gordon
Alastair Duncan -Alfred Pennyworth
Amanda Troop - Gladys Windsmere, Pretty Girl
Matthew Mercer - Mech Guard 1, Wealthy Jock
Eric Bauza - Punk #1, Rookie Cop
Mo Collins - Dispatch, Distinguished Woman
Keith Ferguson - Gruff Cop, Distinguished Man

Plot Synopsis:

Another storm is brewing in Gotham and it's not only raining cats and dogs but evil Cyber Animals! When the city is plagued by a slew of bizarre crimes committed by an animal-inspired villain squad known as the Animilitia -- comprised of Silverback, Cheetah, Killer Croc and Man-Bat -- Batman must swing into action to investigate. These animalistic villains bring new and exciting challenges for the hero of Gotham, and Batman must find a way to bring these criminal creatures to a halt! But could the Animilitia be working for powerful businessman Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. The Penguin? How does The Penguin's new invention of robotic Cyber Animals fit into the mix? In the end, it'll the combined forces of Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Nightwing and Red Robin to combat these Animal Instincts.

The Verdict:

Right off the bat, I'll admit that I'm not too crazy about the new art style that DC Comics are going with this film. Fortunately, most of the same voice actors for DC-related cartoons and video games to date are here to reprise their roles as most of these characters. Will Friedle voices Nightwing, Roger Craig Smith voices Batman and so on.

To say that this is supposed to be a "fresh start" for Batman, there is no sense of when or where this takes place in Batman's lore. Batman has no idea that Kurt Langstrom is the Man-Bat Nightwing and Red Robin (Tim Drake) are around to help the Dark Knight along with Green Arrow and the Flash while Gotham looks oddly futuristic - too much like Batman Beyond's own Gotham City for my taste to be quite honest. On top of that, Gothamites aren't aware of the Penguin's criminal activities and see him as a philanthropist. Yeah... this storyline is pretty much everywhere at once. Then again, this film is marketed towards kids, so it's not supposed to make much sense.

Ugh, I just can't believe they cancelled Beware the Batman and replaced it with THIS?