Geek of Oz

Released in 1997, One Piece has become a world wide phenomenon and I have finally realised why. In 14 years, I must sadly admit that I had not read a single volume or watched a single episode of One Piece. That is, until today. I have just finished the first volume of One Piece and the first thought I had when I closed the back cover was "yeah, I get it". I immediately understood why One Piece has sold more that two hundred and forty MILLION copies since its release making it the most popular manga series of all time. In fact, the English language copy that I read was the SEVENTEENTH printing from Viz. "As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming the King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber - at the cost of never being able to swim again! Now Luffy, with the help of a motley collection of pirate wannabes, is setting off in search of the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the wor...

Real Steel is an action drama about a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) who, against all odds, gets one last shot at a comeback when he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to build and train the perfect contender for the new high-tech sport of robot boxing.  I always wondered what would happen if Rock'em Sock'em Robots came to life.

I was prepared to dislike Blassreiter, the 2008 release from famed studio GONZO. Previously I've been uncomfortable with their use of 3D even though their stories are always great fun. Thankfully Blassreiter surprised me in more ways than one, supplying a rich and deep story which was a feast for the eyes. "Somewhere in Germany in the not-too-distant future all hell is breaking loose... Giant, biomechanical creatures of origins unknown are terrorizing the city. Labelled as Demoniacs, the creatures appear rabid and unpredictable, killing and maiming anything in their path. The town’s citizens are terrified, the media demands answers. In response the government employs a special–forces team to investigate. Known as the Xenogenesis Assault Team (XAT), its members quickly realize the creature is capable of infecting anyone it comes in contact with; no one is safe. Directed by Ichiro Itano (Fist of the North Star), Blassreiter follows the rise and rise of a maniacal force be...

Shane and Chris Houghton are a sibling team of comic book creators responsible for the recently released "all ages" phenomenon, Reed Gunther. Now published by Image, RG has been met by critical acclaim from the likes of Comic Book Resources and AICN comics. They both took the time to chat with me about Reed Gunther and their thoughts on "all ages" books. Those who have been following my blog for a while may remember my rant about "All Ages" books . Well, I still think that they have a big place in the comic book industry. If you do too, put your money where your mouth is and pick up Reed Gunther, a book about a strange and hilarious bear-riding cowboy and his adventures in a wild west full of ghosts, zombies and all different kinds of spooks.

Dennou Coil is described as being "Ghost in the Shell meets Hayao Miyazaki". After this comparison, I'm excited. Then when I found out the it is created and directed by Mitsuo Iso I almost lost it! Iso has been involved in Ghost in the Shell, Porco Rosso, Perfect Blue, Neon Genesis Evangelion and RahXephon (a personal favourite of mine). Due for release by Siren Visual on the 16th of September, Dennou Coil Part 1 is high on my list of 'must haves'.

I spent the first years of my life on one hundred acres of land in a place called Halfway Creek. I shit you not. Around this area at the time we only received one TV channel so if there was nothing on, there was nothing on. One thing that my father and I both enjoyed was watching the adventures of Shintaro in The Samurai. After watching I would run outside with a handful of beer coasters as shuriken and a tshirt around my face to play Iga's and Koga's. Good times.

Fresh off the press! The upcoming insanity that is Bodycount is available now as a demo on Xbox 360 and will soon be available on the Playstation Network. For an idea of what I'm talking about, check out the all new footage after the jump.

Fresh from GamesCom in Cologne comes your first look at SOULCALIBUR V which is destined for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. Check out the footage after the jump!

With 9 days to go, Deus Ex: Human Revolution looks like it is going to be one of the biggest recent releases. After watching the video below, it's not exactly surprising. This game not only looks the goods but it also seems  to have a great storyline. Win win. A quote from Charles Darwin seems to sum up the overall theme of DE:HR “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives, or the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change.” As an added bonus UK supergroup Transmission (containing members from The Verve, Killink Joke, Murder Inc and Dreadzone) has provided an exclusive song for the game. Check out the trailer after the jump and make your mind up for yourself.

Cementing their spot as Australia's premier anime distributor, Madman have announced that they have managed to acquire Studio Gonzo's latest instalment in the LASTEXILE saga. What's more, they will be screening it publicly before it is even released in Japan! Oh Madman, you've done it again!

First things first, this movie really isn't as bad as people say. It certainly isn't perfect but it's really not bad. The latest foray into the DC Universe by big hitters Warner Bros introduces us to Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), a test pilot with some serious daddy issues. After a particularly hard day at the office, Jordan is enveloped in a green light and whisked away before happening across a downed space ship and its dying crewman Abin Sur (Temuera "Jake The Muss" Morrison). After a bit of explanation it turns out that Abin Sur is a member of the Green Lantern Corps, a type of intergalactic Police Force that draw on the power of green rings and the power of "will" to overcome evil. This is a big budget action movie with some really stellar effects and a sound effect board that must have melted down on numerous occasions.

This promotion has absolutely nothing to do with me but I think it's a brilliant idea. Game retailer... Game... are giving you the chance to win a copy of Sega's upcoming Sonic Generations as well as a $50 voucher. All you have to do is help Game man, Ed, collect 1 copy of each of Sonic's 43 titles. This back catalogue will then be auctioned off and all proceeds will go to charity. So not only can you get a brand new game and a $50 voucher but you will also win yourself some good, good juju. Check out all of the details over at Game now, but hurry because Ed only needs 1 copy of each game!

Fans of Tite Kubo's Bleach rejoice! Localised by NIS America (Nippon Ichi Software), Bleach: Soul Resurreccion will see an Australian release on September 22 on PS3 for the very first time. Not only this but the Australian release also comes with a bonus DVD! "Based on the popular manga/anime series, Bleach: Soul Resurrección depicts the battle between the Soul Reapers and the army of evil Arrancars that threaten the peace of the world. Bleach: Soul Resurrección gives players the sensation of single-handedly destroying an army of monsters and evil spirits with lightning-fast swordfighting action. Gamers can re-live the experiences of various characters from the anime by closely following the original story. The environments are faithfully reproduced with beautiful cel-shaded 3D models that will satisfy even the most devoted fans. Bleach: Soul Resurrección will give gamers an unparalleled anime action game experience."

Kaiba has garnered some boisterous applause from just about every corner of the interwebs, but is it deserving or just another quirky title that hipsters of the geek world use to show how... hip... they are? "What are memories? Souls? Spirits? This is a world where memories can be turned into data and stored. Even if the body dies, its memories live on and can be transferred to another body. Bad memories can be erased and good ones downloaded. However, this is something only privileged can do. In a world like this, our protagonist Warp (aka Kaiba) is travelling in another body while having no memories of his own... From acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa (Mindgame, The Tatami Galaxy) and featuring an evocative synth score by Kiyoshi Yoshida (The Girl Who Leapt through Time), Kaiba is a science fiction love story with a unique visual style and an undercurrent of existential longing."

Reed Gunther isn't for children, it's for everybody. Bringing out the true meaning of Christmas... err... all ages, brothers Shane and Chris Houghton, in association with Image Comics, have released a book that is accessible to everyone and just plain fun. As you may well know, I'm a massive proponent for all-ages funny books so I really hope that Reed Gunther can make its mark. Issues 1 & 2 are already on shelves and  issue 3 should be on the spinner racks tomorrow. Carry on after the jump for a short public service announcement from Reed Gunther himself.

If you've checked out my review of Cowboys and Aliens and want to see more, check out the following video of Jake Lonnergan (Daniel Craig) giving a beat down to some schmucks in a bar.

Madman have released the first four episodes of K-On!, the smash hit series based on the four-panel manga phenomenon by Kakifly. Although reasonably unknown here in Australia, K-On! sold it's socks off in Japan before being released in English by Yen Press. "When Yui Hirasawa enters high school, she wants to join a club but can’t decide which one is right for her. Fortunately, the Light Music Club is desperate to find another member or they’ll be disbanded! So, with the enticement of delicious snacks and assurance that no musical experience is necessary, Yui joins the Light Music Club. She becomes the guitarist in this all-girl high school rock band with Mio Akiyama on bass, Tsumugi Kotobuki on keyboard and Ritsu Tainaka on drums. Together, they’re going to rock the school and someday make it to the Budokan! Now, if only they can put down the snacks just long enough to practice…"

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters let's us take the reigns and wield the power of Hal Jordan as portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in the soon to be released Green Lantern from Warner Bros. Reminiscent of beat em ups of old, this game actually reminded me of games like Streets of Rage, not in terms of the production values, but just in relation to the button-mashingly addictive game play. Considering that this game is based on a film which is based on a comic book, it is surprisingly fun!

I remember playing Deus Ex around 10 years ago and being blown away by how complex and in depth the amount of customisation was available to the player. That seems to be just as prevalent in this months release of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. If every game had a trailer as brilliant as the one below, the game industry would blow the film industry out of the water! A couple of things are striking about this game. It is built on an already established rich, steam punk-esque storyline, it's developed by Eidos and it's developed by Square Enix! I know that the clothes don't always make the man but these three items cut a damn fine figure.

Cowboys & Aliens contains just that... Cowboys & Aliens. Based upon the graphic novel of the same name by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, it is an action adventure film with some very big name talent involved. Directed by Jon Favreau, produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg and with a screenplay by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman it can't possibly be bad... can it?

Добрый день, уважаемые товарищи! (Good day, dear comrades!) I was sent the link to this new gameplay trailer for the upcoming action/adventure/survival horror, Metro: Last Light. This is a follow up to the highly acclaimed Metro: 2033 which was released last year. Follow on after the jump for an all new gameplay trailer from E3! Я люблю танцевать голым в то время как покрыта сливочным сыром! (I believe this says "have a good day"... although Google Translate may be taking the mickey...)